Bryson, Bill. Made in America. -- for those who would like to know more about the birth of the English language & especially American English; actually a very entertaining book.
Charmley, John. Churchill's Grand Alliance - the Anglo-American Special Relationship 1940-1957. -- a different view of the relationship between Churchill & Rossevelt, and the British & Americans; an alternate view of history.
Chuchill, Winston S. A History of the English Speaking Peoples - Volume I - The Birth of Britain. New York: Barnes & Noble Books, 1993. [ISBN: 0-88029-423-X][original copyright, 1956] -- If you have never read any of Sir Winston's writing, you must. This was the first of four books in this set. Book I begins as the identity of Britain takes shape during the Roman occupation and concludes with the death of King Richard III and the coronation of King Henry VII in 1485. The contributions of King Alfred the Great, William the Conqueror, King Richard I, and King Henry V are chronicled with the spendid words of a man who contributed much to the free world. Sir Winston's writing has a uniquely personal touch to it as he brings history alive much as William Manchester does.
Chuchill, Winston S. A History of the English Speaking Peoples - Volume II - The New World. New York: Barnes & Noble Books, 1993. [ISBN: 0-88029-424-8][original copyright, 1956] -- Sir Winston takes us from 1485 and the coronation of King Henry VII through the epic events of King Henry VIII's quest for a male heir and the separation from the Catholic Church; the British Civil War, the era of Oliver Cromwell, and the beheading of King Charles I; the Restoration; the lusty excesses of King Charles II; and the challenges of the Catholic king, King James II that led to the Rebellion of 1688 and the expulsion of the King. This was the crucible from which democracy was born.
Chuchill, Winston S. A History of the English Speaking Peoples - Volume III - The Age of Revolution. New York: Barnes & Noble Books, 1993. [ISBN: 0-88029-425-6][original copyright, 1956] -- This book was fascinating in so many ways. Seeing the American Revolutionary War and the prelude events from Sir Winston's perspective brought an even greater insight. The presence of France as the principal British adversary and especially in their alliance with a declining Spain kept the attention of the British monarchy and leadership clearly on events closest to them. Hindsight told them they missed the significance of the problems in America until it was too late. The Napoleonic Wars and the final confrontation between the Duke of Wellington and Napoleon Bonaparte at Waterloo closes this monumental book.
Chuchill, Winston S. A History of the English Speaking Peoples - Volume IV - The Great Democracies. New York: Barnes & Noble Books, 1993. [ISBN: 0-88029-426-4][original copyright, 1956] -- The last of Sir Winston's four book series takes us through the 19th century and the age of Queen Victoria. The prelude, conduct and aftermath of the American Civil War dominate the century in so many respects. Once again, the view of American events from outside yields a fascinating perspective on those events. While the United States was in convulsions, the Royal Navy enabled British solidification of their territorial claims in India, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand; and brought the defining pronouncement from Tory journalist John Wilson in 1817 that "The Sun never sets upon the Union Jack." This book concludes with the peace treaty signed at Vereeniging on 31.May.1902 ending the Boer War or the South African War. Regrettably, we must turn to other authors to fill the gap between this series and Sir Winston's epic books on The Second World War. So ends the four volume set of great books.
Churchill, Winston S. The Second World War. Vols 1-6. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1948. [IBSN: 0-395-41055-X] -- the most abundant source of material and probably the best of the WW II books; for this effort, Churchill won the Nobel Prize for Literature and he deserved it.
Clark, Ronald W. Einstein - The Life and Times. New York: The World Publishing Co., 1971. -- the story of the most powerful intellect in our times.
Feinberg, Mortimer, PhD, and John J. Tarrant. Why Smart People Do Dumb Things. New York: Simon & Schuster (Fireside), 1995. [ISBN: 0-671-89258-4] -- An interesting and captivating study of...well, just as the title says. The authors use numerous examples to illustrate the point; many are quite familiar, some will surprise you. All of us know, there are many more examples the authors did not use. An important read for any professional manager or leader regardless of your profession.
Gilbert, Martin. Churchill - A Life. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1991. [IBSN: 0-8050-0615-X] -- another view of this incredible man.
Greene, Bob. Duty - A Father, His Son, and the Man Who Won the War. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2000. [ISBN: 0-380-97849-0] -- As the title indicates, the story, told in short, staccato snippets, revolves around Bob Greene, his dying veteran father, and a famous member of their community, BGen Paul Tibbets, the pilot of the Enola Gay and commander of the 509th Composite Group. Beyond the engaging insight into the mid-century periof of world history, we are given an intimate view of the first atomic bomb mission.
Halberstam, David. The Powers That Be. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., 1979. [ISBN: 0-394-50381-3] -- a chronicle of the growth of power at Time, CBS, LA Times, Washington Post & NY Times.
Halberstam, David. The Best and the Brightest. -- the best book Cap has found to help us understand how we found ourselves in Vietnam; believe it or not, this book keeps your interest.
Hayward, Steven F. Churchill on Leadership - Executive Success in the Face of Adversity. Rocklin, CA: Prima Publishing, 1997. [ISBN: 0-7615-0855-4] -- For those fans of Winston S. Churchill; executives in industry, government or the private sector; and students of leadership, this is a must read book. Mr. Hayward has done an exemplary job in translating Churchill's approach to complex, monumental and seemingly insolvable problems. He also places Churchill's experience into proper context relative to leadership situations. An exceptional book!
Heinl, Robert Debs, Jr., Col. Soldiers of the Sea - The United States Marine Corps, 1775-1962. Annapolis: The Naval Institute Press, 1962. -- the Marines illuminated; mandatory reading for all Marines & friends of Marines.
Kilduff, Peter. Richthofen - Beyond the Legend of the Red Baron. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1994. [ISBN: 0-471-00877-X] -- the best book on the Red Baron Cap has found.
King, Stephen. On Writing . New York: Scribner, 2000. [ISBN: 0-684-85352-3] -- The long & short of it is, this book is the best book Cap has read on the related topics of reading and writing. Cap probably learned more about writing from this book than any other single source. Well written, entertaining, engaging and thought-provoking, this book is a treasure trove of valuable insight into the writing business. Cap knows he will become a better writer as a result of this book. Whether you are a Stephen King fan/reader or not, this is a must-read for anyone who enjoys reading and perhaps aspires to becoming a writer.
Loth, David. The Erotic in Literature. New York: Dorset Press, 1994. [ISBN: 1-56619-403-2] -- an interesting study in the genesis of censorship and the changing attitudes toward erotica.
Miller, Zell. Corps Values. Atlanta: Longstreet Press, Inc., 1996. [ISBN: 1-56352-387-6] -- Georgia Governor Zell Miller expounds on the values of US Marine Corps imparted to his life, the success those values enabled, and his implicit suggestion that Marine Corps values would be a good standard for the country.
Negroni, Christine. Deadly Departure. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2000. [ISBN: 0-06-019477-4] -- For anyone interested in more detail about the TWA 800 event, this book is well worth the reading. The author draws a very real face to those directly involved in the disaster. The weakness in this book is its lack of engineering understanding or appreciation. While there is significant value to her treatise, her focus on nitrogen-inerting systems and the implicit indictment of Boeing is misguided and diminishing of her work. While her espoused scenario of an errant spark in the Center Wing Fuel tank is popular and convincingly delivered, those who understand engineering and aircraft design philosophy will be left wanting and unsatisfied. If you are so inclined, a more detailed review of Negroni's book can be found HERE.
Oblinger, Diana G., and Anne-Lee Verville. What Business Wants From Higher Education. Phoenix: Oryx Press, 1998. [ISBN: 1-57356-206-8] -- The connection between Business, as a customer of higher education, and the those institution charged with producing future employees. A challenging and stimulating book.
Petersen, Frank E., LtGen USMC (Ret.) with J. Alfred Phelps. Into the Tiger's Jaw. Novato, CA: Presidio Press, 1998. [ISBN: 0-89141-675-7] -- This is an important book for all readers who want to understand the history of this great Republic. Although he does not want to be known as the first black Marine aviator or the first black Marine general, Frank Petersen, nonetheless, occupies a signficant place in American history because of his achievements. He does not want to be known as a pioneer, a trailblazer, a point man in the fight for racial equality; he wants to simply be known as a leader, and most of all...a loyal Marine. He served his country in far more ways than most people realize and in ways hard for many to comprehend. We are a better country -- a better Republic -- and certainly we have a better Corps because of the service of this Marine. This should be required reading for any academic or education course on the struggle against racial injustice and the triumph of perseverance, reason and a steady hand against the forces of prejudice and hatred.
Pollard, Edward A. The Lost Cause - A New Southern History of the War of the Confederates. New York: Bonanza Books, 1974. Reprinted from the original in 1867. -- the Civil War as seen from Confederate eyes.
Ricks, Thomas E. Making the Corps. New York: Scribner, 1997. [ISBN: 0-684-83109-0] -- An exceptional book that follows a recruit platoon through the rigors and transformation of Marine Corps boot camp at Parris Island, SC. Ricks writes with journalistic insight and unique balance to capture the essence of what it means to be a Marine. If you had to boil this book down to one sentence, it would be in his words: 'To be in the Corps is to be in a state of mind that dictates one's relationship to the rest of the world.' This is an important book to read for anyone who wants to know why the term, Marine, is a defining identity.
Sagan, Carl. Cosmos. New York: Random House, Inc., 1980. [ISBN: 0-394-50294-9] -- the best book to popularize space, astronomy and the dream of human adventure.
Sagan, Carl, et al. Murmurs of Earth - The Voyager Interstellar Record. New York: Ballantine Books, 1979. [ISBN: 0-345-28396-1] -- the genesis & content of the Voyager message, a fascinating presentation.
Timberg, Robert. The Nightingale's Song. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1995. [ISBN: 0-684-80301-1] -- If you ever wondered about the chain of events that surrounded the Iran-Contra Scandal and the cast of characters involved in the affair, this is the book to read. Timberg, as Class of '64 graduate, writes with insight and balance about five Naval Academy graduates, who bracket his time and are interwoven in this episode.
Van Doren, Charles A History of Knowledge - Past, Present, and Future. New York: Ballantine Books, 1991. [ISBN: 0-345-37316-2] -- this book will capture your imagination and help you understand.
Whitcomb, Darrel D. The Rescue of Bat 21. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, 1998. [ISBN: 1-55750-976-8] -- Darrel Whitcomb reconstructes the events surrounding a very confused and desperate time. In the middle of the North Vietnamese Spring Offensive on 1972, LtCol Iceal 'Gene' Hambleton flying as a member of an EB-66 crew was shot down. The ensuing Search And Rescue operation took on monumental proportions. Many more lives were lost in the effort. And, some say the rescue effort contributed to the defeat of the Army of the Republic of VietNam. This is a must-read book for those who want to understand or appreciate what happened in Vietnam. Great job, Darrel!
Zumwalt, Admiral Elmo, Jr., and Lieutenant Elmo Zumwalt III, with John Pekkanen. My Father, My Son. New York: MacMillian Publishing Co., 1986. [ISBN: 0-02-633630-8]. -- the love between a father & son, and the struggle of one prominent family against a fatal illness.
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14.March.2002
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