Patton's Third Army in World War II: An Illustrated History by Michael Green and James D. Brown

Patton's Third Army in World War II: An Illustrated History (Hardcover) by Michael Green and James D. Brown is spectacular. The book is a large sized at 12 inches by 11 inches with 288 thick, glossy pages. While the appearance  is that of a "coffee-table book", it is that and much more.

The book is both war gallery with some of the best photographs you will every see of World War II and part war summary giving you an excellent overview of of the US Third Army's fighting in France, Belgium and finally Germany in 1944 and 1945.

Eisenhower placed Patton in command of a decoy unit, the First U.S. Army Group. It was nearly seven weeks after D-Day before General Patton finally took the Third  U.S. Army into battle. We see in picture and word how he began a ten-month journey across France, driving through Germany and into Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia and Austria. During this journey we see the way Third Army forces entered the Battle of the Bulge and helped break the siege of Bastogne.

The book covers Patton's command of Third Army. It places the focus you would expect on Armor (tank) operations. We see how Patton evolved a new style of fighting - an American version of the lightning war. We see him avoiding entrenched infantry warfare allowing him to keep pushing forward. General Patton's rough, hard charging personality shows through the books pages. US Military photos and frequent quotes complete the picture of Patton as well as his men as they fight their way across the Third Reich.

The book details in detail on the use of armor divisions, how to conduct tank reconnaissance, the role and how to of infantry in combat, as well as the use of antitank weapons like the bazooka, as well as other issues.

The book is a must have for any student of Armored warfare and fan of General Patton. It would be an excellent addition to any community or school library as well. It is a wonderful blend of story and picture.

Burden Of Guilt: How Germany Shattered the Last Days of Peace, Summer 1914 by Daniel Allen Butler

Many persons knowledge of history is lacking when it comes to World War One and its origins. Daniel Allen Butler’s book “The Burden of Guilt” fills this void. It also challenges what you previously understood concerning World War One and its origins.

You receive the reasons behind why the war happened. You gain an in-depth understanding of the political state of affairs of the time. You learn of the military circumstances that led to the outbreak of war in Europe. You get a very good understanding of political coalitions, pledges, and guarantees of support during the emergency following Archduke Franz Ferdinand assassination. I particularly found the socio-political alliances intriguing.

Butler argues effectively that Imperial Germany and no-one else possessed the opportunity and the clout to give a go or no go for war in Eastern Europe. He shows that Germany held the key which determined war would engulf Europe. The resulting war nearly ruined known European civilization.

Daniel Allen Butler did an excellent job writing the book. It would be an excellent addition to any military historian’s library. I highly recommend for any university or community library as well. After reading this book, you will no longer lack knowledge when it comes to World War One.

Noble Warrior: The Life and Times of Maj. Gen. James E. Livingston, USMC (Ret.), Medal of Honor by James E. Livingston, Colin D. Heaton, and Anne-Marie Lewis

Noble Warrior: The Life and Times of Maj. Gen. James E. Livingston, USMC (Ret.), Medal of Honor by James E. Livingston, Colin D. Heaton, and Anne-Marie Lewis is more than the story of Maj. Gen. James Livingston and how he earned the Medal of Honor. It is an excellent book on leadership that uses his story to convey the lessons.

We learn how he went from North Georgia College and Auburn University to joining the United States Marine Corps, getting his commission and his journey to fighting in Vietnam to his post-combat career. The book is excellent. It is well written and well documented. It helps us understand the life of a Marine and his leadership.

Livingston makes clear his motivation for the unlimited and occasionally ruthless training programs for which he was known. He had his Marines doing physical training in the combat zone. He maintained discipline – personal hygiene (including shaving), weapons maintenance, and personal equipment. He was a leader by example. I have no doubt his leadership saved many lives. His men were physically fit, their equipment well maintained and in good repair, and he had earned their follow-up by providing leadership.

Livingston recounts how their under strength battalion landing team found itself in a three-day life and death battle against 7,000 experienced North Vietnamese regulars.

I found myself wondering how bad it really was as I turned the pages of the account. The narrative was captivating. He clearly painted the picture where you felt like you were there with them. I was amazed when the men left the steaks and soft drinks behind to dash to the aid of the fellow Marines. It told me a lot about how he had trained and prepared his men to be Marines. How they put the good of the mission and the unit above individual needs.

Lance Cpl. Valdez’s account of Captain Livingstone never taking a step back or flinching got my attention. It reminded me of how our actions speak louder than our words. His men saw him lead out front.

His having them fix bayonets and then a movement where he used “the tested and tried edict of penetrating and then widening the hole. We had practiced these types of small-unit maneuvers and were good at it.” Again I see the leadership. This is more than just doing your job.

These are the things you have to do to be ready. These are the types of preparation than save lives and win battles. When you do what you should do you are viewed as hard. From reading the book I am convinced that only because he had paid the price in preparation, maintained the discipline having them stay fit, sharp, and their weapons maintained allowed them to overcome such a huge force.

Livingston returned to Vietnam and was involved in the frantic mass departure of Americans and Vietnamese as Saigon fell in 1975. He retired from the Marine Corps in 1995. He went on to a successful public service career where he advised on the recovery from the destruction of Hurricane Katrina. He does not hold back where he thinks the responsibility lay for that catastrophe.

The book is excellent. It would be a good addition to any military history or Vietnam War library. I see the book also as a good case study on how to do it right in the midst of a very bad situation – an outstanding resource for junior officers of all branches. The emphasis on physical training, weapons maintenance, and the basics of being a good Marine (or soldier) should inspire all junior leaders to do their job as it should be done. The use of the sidebar and the stories was excellent. It was like an in-depth look at the main event I was reading.

Major General Livingston for your service and leadership to the United States, thank you. To Colin D. Heaton and Anne-Marie Lewis for allowing the story to be told where you get a since for the personality and grit of Major General Livingstone, thank you. To all three authors – well done.

Burden Of Guilt: How Germany Shattered the Last Days of Peace, Summer 1914 by Daniel Allen Butler

Many persons knowledge of history is lacking when it comes to World War One and its origins. Daniel Allen Butler’s book “The Burden of Guilt” fills this void. It also challenges what you previously understood concerning World War One and its origins.

You receive the reasons behind why the war happened. You gain an in-depth understanding of the political state of affairs of the time. You learn of the military circumstances that led to the outbreak of war in Europe. You get a very good understanding of political coalitions, pledges, and guarantees of support during the emergency following Archduke Franz Ferdinand assassination. I particularly found the socio-political alliances intriguing.

Butler argues effectively that Imperial Germany and no-one else possessed the opportunity and the clout to give a go or no go for war in Eastern Europe. He shows that Germany held the key which determined war would engulf Europe. The resulting war nearly ruined known European civilization.

Daniel Allen Butler did an excellent job writing the book. It would be an excellent addition to any military historian’s library. I highly recommend for any university or community library as well. After reading this book, you will no longer lack knowledge when it comes to World War One.

The American Aircraft Factory in World War II by Bill Yenne

The American Aircraft Factory in World War II by Bill Yenne is truly magnificent. When I first had the book in my hand I thought “coffee table book”. After reading the book and looking at the pictures it is so much more. It is a wonderful tribute to the men and women who built the airplanes. It is an excellent history of the aircraft industry in the Unites States. The author gives a great background and understanding of the founders and companies like Boeing, North American, Curtiss, Consolidated, Douglas, Grumman, and Lockheed.

I learned of the Air Mail Act of 1934. The act required the separation of the airlines from manufactures. It caused some like William Edward Boeing to leave the industry. He gives great tribute to the gender shift in the work place and the ramping up of the industry for the war. He takes us through the construction of the facilities as well as the transition back to a peace time production.

The photographs in the book are amazing. I have never seen so many high quality photographs of this era in one collection. Without the pictures the book is a wonderful history of the aircraft industry. With the pictures it is transformed into a work of art.

I highly recommend the book for all aviation and World War II buffs. It would be an excellent addition to community and public school libraries as well. This is a masterpiece that will stand the test of time.

“The Roer River Battles: Germany's Stand at the Westwall, 1944-45” by David Higgins

“The Roer River Battles: Germany's Stand at the Westwall, 1944-45” by David Higgins gives a detailed examination of the “broad front” where the United States forces encountered some of their most difficult battles in Europe. Parts of this geographic area and time-period of World War II are frequently over looked by historians, while other areas (the Ardennes Offensive) receive detailed examination.

The book is excellent. For the military historian it would be an excellent first book on the Roer River Campaign. For those who study the campaign in depth and are enthusiastic collectors this book will be a valuable addition to your collection.

My personal interest in the book comes from serving in the 9th Infantry Division during the 1970s. During this period, I attended a meeting of the Octofoil Association at Fort Lewis, Washington. Testimonials of veterans of the 9th’s campaign in the Hürtgen Forrest explained the misery, mud, high casualties, and stalemate. They planted the seeds of my curiosity that the book helped answer.

David Higgins does a good job of getting the troops off the beaches at Normandy and moving them to the west wall. That story itself volume be a separate volume, but is outside the scope of this work.

The story is well organized, concise, and easy to understand. The tactical reporting while to the point is first-rate. The author does a very good job of explaining the intentions of the operations and scrutinizing their implementation. We clearly see the difficulty of reaching the Roer River. You encounter the fighting in the villages, bunkers, and massive forest. You see how the German had excellent fields of fire and killing zones.

You will take pride with the breaching of the bunkers of the West Wall. A clear, you are there, kind of picture is painted as you experience the encirclement and capture of Aachen as well as the clearing the Stolberg Corridor. You experience the repeated drives on the way to Schmidt plus the battles for and capture of places like Linnich, Julich, Duren and the key dams. David Higgins does a great job of taking us to these and the many other objectives the Allies forces secure as they strive for the Roer River.

The book has excellent footnotes at the end of each chapter. The book has a very good index. The table of contents of the book provides a great road map for your journey. The appendix on the West Wall contributes to an understanding of the West Wall’s history. I appreciate the pictures in the book. There are enough pictures to add to the story, but not so many to have them become the focus of the work. Many writers today miss getting all the facts of the story told by filling a book with anecdotes from participates in the events without helping the reader see the overall picture. Mr. Higgins has us clearly seeing the objectives and strategies.

The book is worthy of its selection as a Military History Book Club selection. It is both enjoyable to read and a great addition to any military history buff’s library and well as the scholar. It would be a great addition to a community or university library as well.

“The Roer River Battles: Germany's Stand at the Westwall, 1944-45” by David Higgins

“The Roer River Battles: Germany's Stand at the Westwall, 1944-45” by David Higgins gives a detailed examination of the “broad front” where the United States forces encountered some of their most difficult battles in Europe. Parts of this geographic area and time-period of World War II are frequently over looked by historians, while other areas (the Ardennes Offensive) receive detailed examination.

The book is excellent. For the military historian it would be an excellent first book on the Roer River Campaign. For those who study the campaign in depth and are enthusiastic collectors this book will be a valuable addition to your collection.

My personal interest in the book comes from serving in the 9th Infantry Division during the 1970s. During this period, I attended a meeting of the Octofoil Association at Fort Lewis, Washington. Testimonials of veterans of the 9th’s campaign in the Hürtgen Forrest explained the misery, mud, high casualties, and stalemate. They planted the seeds of my curiosity that the book helped answer.

David Higgins does a good job of getting the troops off the beaches at Normandy and moving them to the west wall. That story itself volume be a separate volume, but is outside the scope of this work.

The story is well organized, concise, and easy to understand. The tactical reporting while to the point is first-rate. The author does a very good job of explaining the intentions of the operations and scrutinizing their implementation. We clearly see the difficulty of reaching the Roer River. You encounter the fighting in the villages, bunkers, and massive forest. You see how the German had excellent fields of fire and killing zones.

You will take pride with the breaching of the bunkers of the West Wall. A clear, you are there, kind of picture is painted as you experience the encirclement and capture of Aachen as well as the clearing the Stolberg Corridor. You experience the repeated drives on the way to Schmidt plus the battles for and capture of places like Linnich, Julich, Duren and the key dams. David Higgins does a great job of taking us to these and the many other objectives the Allies forces secure as they strive for the Roer River.

The book has excellent footnotes at the end of each chapter. The book has a very good index. The table of contents of the book provides a great road map for your journey. The appendix on the West Wall contributes to an understanding of the West Wall’s history. I appreciate the pictures in the book. There are enough pictures to add to the story, but not so many to have them become the focus of the work. Many writers today miss getting all the facts of the story told by filling a book with anecdotes from participates in the events without helping the reader see the overall picture. Mr. Higgins has us clearly seeing the objectives and strategies.

The book is worthy of its selection as a Military History Book Club selection. It is both enjoyable to read and a great addition to any military history buff’s library and well as the scholar. It would be a great addition to a community or university library as well.