Book Reviews, Professional Reading & Book List

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Ir,

CncV^{0 Trident: 100 Years of}

^^'■i986°^mmentary’ ^Brassey’^s

?^rassey’sⁿn_f^Edit0r- Washington, DC: ^llus- Ind i7„^ense Publishers, 1986. 407 pp.

nr ³ °°^($3510)

^Ha^i„,_Sf,>^Vr,^Comman<i^cr David ’ Royal Navy (Retired)

Hie tj(i

S^sts _a . "onclad to Trident” sug- ^f°m, o_n|'^,ok about warships, but these ^rtant J ?^{art ok} 'he subject of this im- °f Def_e°^{Ume; t}*^le subtitle “100 Years *^6-l98fi>^e> Commentary, Brassey’s Sk that ^ives the real clue. This is a ,^Celebrates the centennial of

'!

‘o-^{ey s Nav}al Annual. an: ^v°ices

'antic

H_a,

annual?” a chorus of transat- might ask.

, HOma* _D 6¹¹¹ asit.

⁰ 'he p_r;,. ,^assey, an elected Member ' It

f P^arlial^S administration and later ■ An ^entary Secretary, founded the ^llcni_ar|_v ^nUa^ 'ⁿ * 886. Brassey was par- ^technoio ^C°^ncerned with the impact of y Meroh.^a'.^Chan.8^e on both the Royal ^Pectj _Q^Cj. ^ant navies, as well as on all ^desi_gn "aval administration and ship ^aCcUrate !fj ^annual aimed at providing

Civil Lord*'⁵*^{1 k>ar}''ament who served as ^f-H(]_Ston„,°' ^t'^le Admiralty in William 1

°" civj| _a^{a Corn}prehensive information h- '^0rUrn f ^military maritime affairs and ^disc_Ussjon^0r independent comment and ^etlce. |_t ⁿ’ free from government influ-

^l'^l0,'0clir^{Was co}piously illustrated with

°^me - ’ - ■ - -

°g_r ,^{ne w}ash drawings and, later, ‘‘Ppea_rC(j'^> in 1935, the Air Section ’’'ilitary _m^dea''ⁿ8 with civil as well as ^Scppe ₀(- ^ar''ime aviation; in 1950, the "I'dencj. ^ ^Yavc|i Annual was further ^V'^ce$ arui° ^Crn'^3race all three fighting ser- ^hk<il; j, ^{11 w}as retitled, Brassey’s An­ti. ^d he / ^^rmed Forces Yearbook. ^ae ^^nnUal h^as always commanded ^g°v_ernm ^Ct °' the armed forces and the

^alth__ °^nt 'ⁿ Britain and the Common-

^°tth. r.^a Pnblication of trust and solid

°ih

Us

"ee.

all ^c°ntributors have been drawn alem^Uarters’ ^enc°mpassing obscure

‘^alented

seamen, scientists, engi-

?°'Vn, su 'I⁶** ^{3S men} °i international re- k ^vV R ^C” ^as Kinston Churchill, Royal Nr, ^Adm'^ral S. S. Hall, U. S.

^ar Admiral Ernest J. King, Fleet

'^{n&S 1} November 1986

Book Reviews

Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, and former NATO Secretary-General Dr. J. M. A. H. Luns, to name but a few.

To mark the centennial of the first issue of the Annual, the distinguished historian Professor Bryan Ranft was given the her­culean task of distilling and editing 100 years of erudite and often highly techni­cal contributions into one cohesive vol­ume. In his preface, Professor Ranft ex­plains that he followed a chronological sequence while attempting to maintain a thematic thread—and this he achieved admirably. Just as one should never be aware of a picture frame, only the pic­ture, one should never be conscious of the hand of an editor, only the substance of the book; a bad frame can ruin a mas­terpiece and an inept editor can destroy the impact of the most telling pen. In this case, we have a masterly and sensitive editor, who has sifted out irrelevance and who presents a century of fascinating de­fense commentary with the minimum of interference, supplying only brief, essen­tial introductions to each section.

It would be easier to precis The Book of Revelations on a postage stamp than to provide a detailed account of the complex scope of this book. But a glance at some of the editorial headings provides a co­gent idea of the book’s contents: “ 1886— 1904: Global Rivalry and Technological Change”; “ 1914—19: The Great War”; “1920-35: Disarmament and Air Power Controversy”; “1936-39: Approach to War”; “1940-49: World War II: Inter­preting the Lessons”; “1950-56: Infan­try Wars in a Nuclear Age”; “1957-65: Strains within NATO: The Intercontinen­tal Ballistic Missile”; “1966-81: De­fence Reviews: NATO and the Increasing Soviet Threat.” The range of the subject matter in these chapters is as vast as the time span covered: from “The Value of Torpedo Boats in Wartime” (1896) to “Strategic Weapons” (1983); and from “The Tactical Qualities of the Dread­nought Type Battleship” (1907) to “Tri­dent—A Candidate for Cancellation” (1982).

Reading this book from cover to cover at one sitting is not recommended—it would be like watching hour upon hour of flickering newsreel film with one eye and

reading Karl von Clausewitz with the other. It is a book to delve into. It does not matter where you open its pages, there will be something to delight and inform the student of naval history and benefit the naval officer. Although much of the book is historical and many of the early articles were centered around the British Fleet and politics, it contains ideas and truths that are both timeless and global.

Commander Hankinson joined the Royal Navy as a cadet in 1942 at the age of 13. He served mostly in fleet destroyers on the Atlantic, Mediterranean, and Far East stations, commanding HMS Cambrian from 1962-64. Commander Hankinson was a gunnery specialist and passed the Royal Navy Staff Course in 1962. He retired in 1966 to pursue a second career as a portrait painter.

Terrorism: How the West Can Win

Benjamin Netanyahu, Editor. New York: Farrar, Straus, Giroux, 1986. 254 pp. Append. Ind. $18.95 ($17.05).

Reviewed by Colonel W. Hays Parks,

U. S. Marine Corps Reserve

Terrorism has been described as a hydra of carnage, in recognition of its multiple facets, organizations, and uses— all negative. A particular negative aspect of the current surge of interest in terror­ism is the proliferation of conferences and publishings by self-styled “experts” that discuss, attempt to define, and offer solutions to the terrorism threat. Scratch the surface of most and you find shallow, simplistic analysis that offers little of practical value to those responsible for developing and implementing programs for terrorism counteraction. This book is an improvement on the norm, and it is one of the best published on the subject to date.

Terrorism is the product of a confer­ence sponsored by the Jonathon Institute, held in Washington on 24-27 June 1984. Its editor, Benjamin Netanyahu, is the Israeli ambassador to the United Nations, and the brother of Lieutenant Colonel Jonathon Netanyahu, who was killed while leading the 4 July 1976 Entebbe

127

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rescue mission. The Jonathon Institute is named in his memory.

The contributors are individuals who speak with authority; they include Secre­tary of State George P. Shultz, Attorney General Edwin Meese III, former U. S. Ambassador to the United Nations Jeane J. Kirkpatrick, Federal Bureau of Investi­gation Director William H. Webster, former Israeli Minister of Defense Moshe Arens, Claire Sterling, Amaud de Borchgrave, Jean-Francis Ravel, and Paul Johnson. The contribution of each, while brief, penetrates the heart of partic­ular issues: the challenge of terrorism to democracies, terrorism and totalitarian­ism, terrorism and the Islamic world, the international terror network, terrorism and the media, legal foundations for the war on terrorism, the domestic battle against terrorism, and the global battle against terrorism. An appendix summa­rizes the symposium on “Terrorism and the Media” held during the conference.

This book is one of the best collections of essays attacking the problem of terror­ism, the threat it poses to democracies, and the approach that must be taken if terrorism is to be defeated. It defines ter­rorism: “the deliberate and systematic murder, maiming and menacing of the innocent to inspire fear for political ends”—something the subsequent Vice

fnintn'¹'¹¹-

President’s Task Force on Terrorism failed to do.         _r> js

The book’s greatest value, now ^ in Netanyahu’s opening and ^c . _ce says. In the clearest language, the threat in perspective and ^sll^_{eSS 0}f the strategy of terrorism. In the P. _orism setting forth a program f°^r (he counteraction, he destroys ^rna[gj_TOrism- popular myths surrounding , _cj_Vilian One myth suggests that inciden _(ef. casualties that occur when attac ^ s ^ rorist-related targets is the same .^_nocent

rorist’s intentional murder

hal'

civilians; it is a myth conceive jj_S- low logic, and one Netanyahu ^e ^ counts. A collateral myth ^sU®°_a “cyc^le responding to terrorism beget

'                                           “ ^ot '-ted

of violence”; the absence

since the U. S._______

targets in Libya supports Ne rejection of this myth.       ^ oH^e

Under the tons of literary si _(e[TOr- must sift through on the subjec ^ ^s. ism, this book is one of the _a jus- Netanyahu’s concluding ^essa^,Sp,_cult f°^r ter on that gem that will be ¹ others to match.                ---

’s

, the

pro-

Colonel Parks is a frequent contribu _(()I1 cli ceedings. He occupied the Charles H- j|_ege f°^rI of International Law at the Naval War 1984-85 academic year.

25fh ANNUAL

i LVAv i. ci oLV'trrLHi

The U.S. Naval Institute and the Government Systems Division, Eastman Kodak Company are proud to co-sponsor the 25th Annual Naval & Maritime Photo Contest.

Winning photos will be published in a 1987 issue of Proceedings. Cash prizes will be award­ed as follows:

1st Prize                               $500

2nd Prize                              $350

3rd Prize                               $250

Honorable Mention (15) $100 each Mail entries to:

NAVAL & MARITIME PHOTO CONTEST U.S. Naval Institute Annapolis, MD 21402 (301)268-6110

DEADLINE: 31 DECEMBER 1986

ENTRY RULES

1. Each photograph must pertain to a naval or maritime subject. (The photo is not limited to the

Kodak

calendar year of the contest.)

2. Limit: 5 entries per person.                  _ite
3. Entries must be either black and w prints, color prints, or color transparence ■
4. Minimum print size is 5” x T.
5. Minimum transparency size is 35mrn glass mounted transparencies, please)
6. Full captions and the photographers na^ _g

and address must be printed or typed the separate sheet of paper and attached _@n. back of each print, or printed on the transp cy mount. (No staples please.)                                                                 _va|

7. Entries must arrive at the U.S. Institute no later than December 31,

128

may

in­

win

Photographs not awarded prizes -| in­possibly be purchased by the U.S. Nav

stitute. Those photographs not purchase ^ be returned to the owner if stamped, self-addressed envelope.

accompanied di³

Sponsored by the U.S. Naval Institute and the Eastman Kodak Comp^an^'

Proceedings

/ NoveH>l>^er

By Lieutenant Commander Thomas J. Cutler, U. S. Navy

for those who wish to understand a war we once euphemistically called a police action.

^wntten a_s ^{U UKmawa}- This book, originally that am !"^aster’^s thesis, traces the history ^Ct>Unl of _tJP"'b'^an, providing a detailed ac- "to the d ^e. ^Vell*^c*^e itself as well as insight Pacific War.

^4n"p^tated Bibliography of U. S.

Paoi_{0 E c}°^{rPS Histor}y °^f   Eanham, MD: University Press

Nearly" ^ ⁴¹⁷ PP' ^Ind- ™-⁵⁰- ^c*^es, diss'p^* ^ddes °f books, documents, arti- ''°n, and f⁷,⁴¹'⁰⁰⁵’ theses, student papers, fle­ets ^Uniau ' ^{mS 316 c}°H^ecte<l and annotated in Grille p" ^^enerai bibliography on the U. S. W .°n». Entries are arranged in 12 ₍^cil«pte_{t c}°^1Ca*. ^cbapters, and an additional fu,_ure°^ntain* ^entries for works addressing ^C°^Vers 22                   Marines. Another chapter

^nies _atl(j ?P^ecial topics, including “Ceremo- W_arf_ar ^rjji^s>” “Amphibious Operations i-Ogj_sti_c *•’. Commandants of the Corps," » and “Women Marines.”

^Ho||

‘^t-ine r'°°^{d and the u}- ^s- Navy ^and

K Su„₀^L°^rps

12(1 '^4nnaP°hs MD: Naval Institute Press, Since th ^PP' "'^US' ^$7'^{95 ($636)}- N°°ti ha ^{C da}y^s °P movie-making, Holly- ■ and^S]u^re^^Uent^ f°^cused ^on the U. S. tk^Ct °f its p ^r'^ne Corps either as the main sub- ^{46 c}°nv ■ ^{s or as a} colorful backdrop for N. He^{emi0nal come}dy, drama, or love- ⁹°fthos^re *ⁿ calendar, stills from

^rtrnernb_e ^{6 1}'^nis—some classics, some worth j^sente/¹¹!? ^or|ly because of nostalgia—are % t_{0 th} ^From the 1921 film A Sailor-Made ^a Genn_e ⁶                     box-office hit An Officer and

^a"> seven decades of the celluloid

medium reflect the changes in the United States’ perception of itself and its armed forces. This unique, light-hearted calendar is a rich blend of history and entertainment.

“Howlin Mad” vs. the Army: Conflict in Command, Saipan, 1944

Harry A. Gailey. Novato, CA: Presidio Press,

1986. 278 pp. Illus. Notes. Ind. Maps. $17.95 ($16.15).

During the campaign to capture Saipan, Ma­rine Lieutenant General Holland M. “Howlin Mad” Smith relieved his subordinate, Army Major General Ralph Smith, of command of the Army’s 27th Infantry Division, for allow­ing the Army unit to lag behind the Marine advance. This book recounts and, more impor­tantly, analyzes that controversial event and the eruption that followed in the press and in the upper echelons of the services.

The Korean War: Pusan to Chosin, An Oral History

Donald Knox. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1985. 697 pp. Illus. Ind. Maps. Append. $24.95 ($22.45).

Combining battalion and regimental records with the personal recollections of the men who were there, Knox has created a vivid, day-by­day account of the first seven months of the Korean War. This is the war through the eyes of the men who fought it, from the perspec­tives of privates and generals, soldiers and marines, infantry, cavalry, engineers, and ar­tillery. The story is dramatic, humorous, in­spiring, and revealing. It is important reading

E The Marine Officers’ Guide,

Fifth Edition

Col. Kenneth W. Estes, USMC. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, 1985. 523 pp. Illus. Gloss. Ind. Append. Tables. $24.95 ($19.96).

This guide has served Marine Corps officers, both neophytes and seasoned veterans, since it first appeared in 1956. Continuing the tradi­tion established by Colonel Robert D. Heinl, Jr., Colonel Estes has updated this important work while preserving the many elements that have made it essential to all those who wield the mameluke. The Guide reflects the many changes in service organization and public law since the appearance of the fourth edition. The selective additions and deletions have en­hanced the Guide's currency and usefulness.

On the Meaning of Victory: Essays on Strategy

Edward N. Luttwak. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1986. 315 pp. Notes. Ind. Tables.

$18.45.

This collection of essays by the author of The Pentagon and the Art of War (Simon and Schuster, 1984), examines the strategic and foreign policy issues facing the United States in the 1980s. Some of these essays have been reprinted from The Washington Quarterly, Commentary, and various other publications while some appear here for the first time. The book has four major divisions: “How to Think About Nuclear War”; “The Politics of De­fense”; “The Wider Context of Strategy”; and “On the Meaning of Strategy.”

Peacekeepers at War: A Marine’s Account of the Beirut Catastrophe

Michael Petit. Boston: Faber and Faber, 1986.

229 pp. Gloss. $17.95 ($16.15).

This is an eyewitness account by a young Ma­rine who was in Beirut when 241 of his com­rades died at the hands of a lone Muslim ex­tremist. Laced with humor and packed with emotion, Peacekeepers at War is a story of youthful fervor, mounting fear, intense frus­tration. and sudden death. It is a story of the chess-like moves of strategic decision makers and international politics as seen through the eyes of one of the chessmen. It is an important contribution that should be read by all players.

^{Igs 1} November 1986

131

Silent Wings: The Saga of the U. S.

Army and Marine Combat Glider Pilots During World War II

Gerard M. Devlin. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1985 . 410 pp. Illus. Bib. Notes. Ind. Maps.

$27.95 ($25.15).

Filled with daring, hair-raising feats, spectacu­lar achievements, and horrifying disasters, Silent Wings is a detailed history on the gliders used in the European, Pacific, and China- Burma-India theaters of World War II. These engineless aircraft—some with wingspans in excess of 100 feet—carried troops, supplies, and even tanks far behind enemy lines. Devlin interviewed hundreds of pilots, conducted massive documentary research, and collected many photographs for this impressive work.

BOOK ORDER SERVICE

Prices enclosed by parentheses indicate the discounted price forUSNI members. Members may order most books of other publishers through the Naval Institute at a 10% discount off list price. (Prices quoted in this column are subject to change and will be reflected in our billing.) Please allow for delays when ordering non-Naval Institute titles. When air mail or other special handling is requested, actual postage and handling cost will be billed to the member. Books marked ES are Naval Institute Press Books. Books marked B are Naval In­stitute Book Selections. For further informa­tion about these books (B.ES), call customer service at (301) 224-3378. For information on the other books, ask for the special book order clerk at ext. 31. Use the order form provided in this section.

Soviet Airland Battle Tactics

Lt. Col. William P. Baxter, USA (Ret.). Novato, CA: Presidio Press, 1986. 269 pp. Notes. Ind. Maps. Tables. $18.95 ($17.05).

Adhering to the centuries-old adage, “Know thine enemy,” Colonel Baxter takes a careful look at our potential enemy, the Soviet Union. By comparing the United States and the Soviet Union to the proverbial hare and turtle, he con­tends that the Soviets plod along on a carefully charted course while the United States alter­nately naps and dashes frantically about in the world of strategy and military competition. He provides an intensive study of the Soviet sol­dier, a careful explanation of the organization of the Soviet armed forces, and a comparative look at superpower strategies and tactics. This book, which combines hard data with some philosophy and prognosis, will prove useful to both Soviet-watchers and U. S. policy makers and critics.

Soviet Armed Forces Review Annual

David R. Jones, Editor. Gulf Breeze, FL:

Academic International Press, 1986. 313 pp. Bib. Notes. Tables. $69.50.

This is the ninth in a long-running series of annuals reviewing the capabilities, limitations, and developing trends of the Soviet Union’s armed forces. This book, covering April 1984 to March 1985, includes a chronology of So­viet military events, a statistical overview of Soviet military power, and a series of essays covering each of the components of the Soviet armed forces and other relevant topics ranging from the economy to space programs. This scholarly annual is must reading for any seri­ous Soviet watchers.

Other Titles of Interest______

The Dogma of the Battle of ^A"ⁿ'^h'Sen The Theories of Clausewitz and and Their Impact on the Gerrna Conduct of Two World Wars         ^

Col. Jehuda L. Wallach,

Forces, Reserve. Westport, C ■     ^ ]_nd.

Press, 1986. 334 pp. Append- $45.00 ($40.50).

Hell on Wheels: The 2nd Armored

Division, World War II                    _n^ddi°

rA; r¹.

Donald E. Houston. Novato, . ApP⁴"^' Press, 1986. 466 pp. Maps. w^u”

Bib. Ind. $12.95 ($11.65) paper-

a Tacti^ca*

The Mechanized Battlefield: A Analysis   gators-

Lt. Col. J. A. English, CD, et aU

McLean, VA: Pergamon-Brassey^ jilus- tional Defense Publishers, 1985.

Figs. Maps. Bib. $30.00 ($27-0 )■

Search and Rescue/Survival Train ^

M. M. Rastellini, Editor, PP'

Department of the Air Force, 1 jq), Illus. Figs. Maps. Bib. $19.00 (

U. S. Marines in Vietnam: Fighti g North Vietnamese, 1967    \yash'ⁿ-

Maj. Gary L. Telfer, USMC, et *1- pj_Vjsioⁿ ton, DC: History and Museums ^ Headquarters, U. S. Marine ⁰ ^ppeau- 338 pp. Illus. Maps. Figs. Notes- Ind. $10.00 ($9.00).

r

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