LATEST BOOK REVIEWS
Find your next great read or dive further into your newest favorite topic.
LATEST BOOK REVIEWS
Find your next great read or dive further into your newest favorite topic.
The Blood-Tinted Waters of the Shenandoah: The 1864 Valley Campaign’s Battle of Cool Spring, July 17-18, 1864 Review
“Noyalas, a history professor at Shenandoah University and author or editor of fifteen books, has vividly brought to life a small but intense combat fought during the American Civil War.”
“Strong Men of the Regiment Sobbed Like Children”: John Reynolds’ I Corps at Gettysburg on July 1, 1863. Review
“Readers who count themselves among the many Battle of Gettysburg aficionados will find this study of great interest.”
SOG Codename Dynamite: A MACV-SOG 1-0’s Personal Journal, Book One Review
“The sheer amount of detail put into examining each mission makes it a must-read for those interested in the nitty-gritty of SOG operations in the Vietnam War.”
From the Shadows: A Tribute to the 1968 West Point Graduates Who Gave Their Lives in Vietnam Review
“A well-written and moving book about service and sacrifice during the Vietnam War era, and the brotherhood of a West Point class.”
Suicide Jockeys: The Making of the WWII Combat Glider Pilot Review
“[For] anyone who wants to learn more about the young men who fly their gliders into great danger on silent wings, this book tells their story very well indeed, and certainly deserves a place in the records of American airborne operations in World War II.”
Approach to Final Victory: America’s Rainbow Division in the Saint Mihiel and Meuse-Argonne Offensives Review
“[Thompson] brings us a history of the [42d Division’s] contributions during the final two major battles of the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF).”
At First Light: A True World War II Story of a Hero, His Bravery, and an Amazing Horse Review
“An extremely compelling and very readable history of his father’s heroic World War II service fighting in the oft overlooked southern European theater, slogging through Italy and northward through France and into Germany during 1944-45.”
Arming America through the Centuries: War, Business, and Building the National Security State Review
“Dr. Benjamin Franklin Cooling, a retired professor from the Eisenhower School at the National Defense University, has written an authoritative academic work on the complicated history of the U.S. military and the civilian business sector that provides the support necessary for both war and security beginning before the American Revolution to present.”
Military Architecture at Fort Clark: A Guide to the Texas Historic Landmark Review
Fort Clark, Texas, is a little-known outpost crucial to the defense of the west Texas border as well as a staging and training area for troops deploying to the two World Wars. First established in 1852, the fort became the home of some of the finest military architecture preserved in the United States.
Smashing Hitler’s Gun’s: The Rangers at Pointe-Du-Hoc, D-Day, 1944 Review
One of the biggest threats to Allied forces landing in Normandy on D-Day, 6 June 1944, was the German gun emplacements on the strategic bluffs named Pointe-du-Hoc.
The Delaware Bay at War! The Coastal Defenses of the Delaware Bay during World War Two Review
Coastal defense has always been important to the security of the United States, and by the 1940s and the advent of World War II, coastal security became vital.
Death and Life in the Big Red One: A Soldier’s World War II Journey from North Africa to Germany Review
As part of Operation TORCH in November 1942, the division shares one of the longest journeys of any Army combat unit in that war.
The Blood-Tinted Waters of the Shenandoah: The 1864 Valley Campaign’s Battle of Cool Spring, July 17-18, 1864 Review
“Noyalas, a history professor at Shenandoah University and author or editor of fifteen books, has vividly brought to life a small but intense combat fought during the American Civil War.”
“Strong Men of the Regiment Sobbed Like Children”: John Reynolds’ I Corps at Gettysburg on July 1, 1863. Review
“Readers who count themselves among the many Battle of Gettysburg aficionados will find this study of great interest.”
SOG Codename Dynamite: A MACV-SOG 1-0’s Personal Journal, Book One Review
“The sheer amount of detail put into examining each mission makes it a must-read for those interested in the nitty-gritty of SOG operations in the Vietnam War.”
From the Shadows: A Tribute to the 1968 West Point Graduates Who Gave Their Lives in Vietnam Review
“A well-written and moving book about service and sacrifice during the Vietnam War era, and the brotherhood of a West Point class.”
Suicide Jockeys: The Making of the WWII Combat Glider Pilot Review
“[For] anyone who wants to learn more about the young men who fly their gliders into great danger on silent wings, this book tells their story very well indeed, and certainly deserves a place in the records of American airborne operations in World War II.”
Approach to Final Victory: America’s Rainbow Division in the Saint Mihiel and Meuse-Argonne Offensives Review
“[Thompson] brings us a history of the [42d Division’s] contributions during the final two major battles of the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF).”
At First Light: A True World War II Story of a Hero, His Bravery, and an Amazing Horse Review
“An extremely compelling and very readable history of his father’s heroic World War II service fighting in the oft overlooked southern European theater, slogging through Italy and northward through France and into Germany during 1944-45.”
Arming America through the Centuries: War, Business, and Building the National Security State Review
“Dr. Benjamin Franklin Cooling, a retired professor from the Eisenhower School at the National Defense University, has written an authoritative academic work on the complicated history of the U.S. military and the civilian business sector that provides the support necessary for both war and security beginning before the American Revolution to present.”
Military Architecture at Fort Clark: A Guide to the Texas Historic Landmark Review
Fort Clark, Texas, is a little-known outpost crucial to the defense of the west Texas border as well as a staging and training area for troops deploying to the two World Wars. First established in 1852, the fort became the home of some of the finest military architecture preserved in the United States.
Smashing Hitler’s Gun’s: The Rangers at Pointe-Du-Hoc, D-Day, 1944 Review
One of the biggest threats to Allied forces landing in Normandy on D-Day, 6 June 1944, was the German gun emplacements on the strategic bluffs named Pointe-du-Hoc.
The Delaware Bay at War! The Coastal Defenses of the Delaware Bay during World War Two Review
Coastal defense has always been important to the security of the United States, and by the 1940s and the advent of World War II, coastal security became vital.
Death and Life in the Big Red One: A Soldier’s World War II Journey from North Africa to Germany Review
As part of Operation TORCH in November 1942, the division shares one of the longest journeys of any Army combat unit in that war.
We are always looking for more reviewers.
If you are interested in submitting a book review to On Point, please check visit our Books Available for Review page for a full list of available titles and submission guidelines.
Brotherhood of the Flying Coffin: The Glider Pilots of World War II Review
“McGaugh reminds us that the gliding program and, more importantly, the glider pilots are worth remembering and studying as one of many examples in World War II of facing a determined enemy against all odds with courage and ingenuity.”
Confessions of a Weekend Warrior: Thirty-Five Years in the National Guard Review
“Smith weaves together themes of leadership, duty, and the evolving responsibilities of the National Guard, giving insight into the organization’s growth and the complex challenges of command.”
The Cavalry Trilogy: John Ford, John Wayne, and the Making of Three Classic Westerns Review
By Michael F. Blake. Lanham, MD: TwoDot Books, 2024 ISBN 978-1-49307-706-9Photographs. Bibliography. Index. Pp. v, 269. $27.95 Growing up in the 1950 and 1960s, this reviewer enjoyed reserving Sunday afternoon
From New Look to Flexible Response: The U.S. Army in National Security, 1953-1963 Review
By Donald A. Carter. Washington, DC: U.S. Army Center of Military History, 2023 ISBN 978-1-95930-204-9Photographs. Maps. Appendix. Further Readings. Index. Pp. xvi, 517 From New Look to Flexible Response examines
Elite Bastards: The Combat Missions of Company F, LRP Teams in Vietnam Review
Edward L. Dvorak provides a fast-paced autobiographical account of his experiences in Vietnam as a soldier of the late 1960s. Starting as a rifleman in the 173d Airborne Brigade, he weaves a tale that takes him to Company F, 51st Infantry, Long Range Patrol (LRP) (Airborne), where he served at various times as a team member, assistant team leader, and team leader.
Cedar Mountain to Antietam: A Civil War Campaign History of the Union XII Corps, July-September 1862 Review
Of the tens of thousands of books written about the Civil War since 1865, a relative handful have been written from the perspective of one of the core elements of army organizations—the corps.
The Confederate Military Forces in the Trans-Mississippi West, 1861-1865: A Study in Command Review
Geise’s book is invaluable for those interested in the little-studied Trans-Mississippi Theater or for those interested in a unique point of view, also little studied, of command and administration.
Flying in the Shadows: Forging Aerial Intelligence for the United States Army Review
Thomas N. Hauser captures the essence of a unique but significant synthesis of Army aviation and intelligence that has had a major impact on tactics, strategy, and policy for over sixty years, as only a practitioner and historian can accomplish.
For the Boys: The True Account of a Combat Nurse in Patton’s Third Army Review
For the Boys is an account of the experiences of Lieutenant Mary Balster, a young woman who was determined to put her nursing training to use in support of the U.S. Army during World War II.
Small but Important Riots: The Cavalry Battles of Aldie, Middleburg, and Upperville Review
Extensively researched, crisply written, and featuring excellent maps, Small but Important Riots belongs on the bookshelf of both students of the Gettysburg Campaign, as well as any modern soldier wearing the crossed sabers emblem.
Soldier of Destiny: Slavery, Secession, and the Redemption of Ulysses S. Grant Review
Soldier of Destiny is comprehensive, concise, and well-organized, and readers will find it an easy and enjoyable read.
The Battle of Bong Son: Operation Masher/White Wing, 1966 Review
By Kenneth P. White Casemate Publishers, 2024 ISBN 978-1-63624-401-3 Photographs. Maps. Bibliography. Index. Pp. xvi, 221. $34.95 There is certainly no doubt that the author Kenneth P. White did a
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