The Military Shelf

A Pair of Aces and a Trey
Alan L. Roesler
Casemate Publishers
1940 Lawrence Road, Havertown, PA 19083
www.casematepublishers.com
9781636241876, $34.95, HC, 256pp

https://www.amazon.com/Pair-Aces-Trey-Easterbrook-Observation/dp/1636241875

Synopsis: Trained as a pursuit pilot but assigned to an observation squadro=
n, the indefatigable Bill Erwin flew twice as many hours over the front lin=
es as any other pilot in the 1st Aero Squadron. His two primary observers, = Byrne Baucom and Arthur Easterbrook, were both previously Army infantry off= icers and deadly marksmen.

It was their dedication, bravery, and courage under fire that kept them ali=
ve throughout the Chateau-Thierry, St. Mihiel, and Meuse-Argonne campaigns.=
Easterbrook scored four of his five victories while flying with Erwin, inc= luding two in one day, while Baucom scored all three of his victories with = Erwin. Even after returning in shredded Salmsons, being forced down, and sh=
ot down on multiple occasions, all three remained relatively unscathed thro= ughout the war.

Erwin's dramatic life culminated in his disappearance during the 1927 Dole = Air Race, while Easterbrook became a respected figure in Washington. Revere=
d in his home state of Texas, Baucom became a pilot in the 1920s and rose t=
o become an instructor at an advanced flying school. He died in an aircraft=
crash in 1928. While Erwin became Dallas's 'favorite son' in life, three t= housand people paid tributes to Baucom at his funeral, showing his immense = popularity. Easterbrook was the only one of the three to survive to reach h=
is military career potential, retiring as a brigadier general after World W=
ar II.

With the publication of "A Pair of Aces and a Trey: 1st Lieutenants William=
P. Erwin, Arthur E. Easterbrook, and Byrne V. Baucom: America's Top Scorin=
g World War I Observation Pilot and Observers" Alan Roesler retraces the li= ves and careers of the three men in a unique joint biography.

Critique: Occasionally illustrated with black/white historic photographs, "=
A Pair of Aces and a Trey: 1st Lieutenants William P. Erwin, Arthur E. East= erbrook, and Byrne V. Baucom: America's Top Scoring World War I Observation=
Pilot and Observers" is an inherently fascinating read and highly recommen= ded for personal, community, and academic library World War I History & Bio= graphy collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of de= dicated military history buffs that "A Pair of Aces and a Trey" is also ava= ilable in a digital book format (Kindle, $15.99).

Editorial Note: Alan Roesler is a military aviation historian. He has been =
a featured speaker at the U.S. Air Force Museum, Commemorative Air Force Mu= seum, Sharlot Hall Museum, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and Yavapa=
i College.

Elephant Paths: Combat History of Sturmgeschutz-Abteilung 203
Thomas Anderson
PeKo Publishing
c/o Casemate Publishers
1940 Lawrence Road, Havertown, PA 19083
www.casematepublishers.com
9786155583759, $54.95, HC, 192pp

https://www.amazon.com/Elephant-Paths-Combat-history-Sturmgesch%C3%BCtz-Abt= eilung/dp/6155583757

Synopsis: "Elephant Paths" (the title of this book) refers to the unit symb=
ol of StuGAbt 203, later redesignated StuGBrig 203, a charging elephant. Th=
e unit displayed this coat of arms proudly on their Sturmgeschutze and othe=
r vehicles during the often hard fighting on the Eastern Front. "Elephant P= aths: Combat history of Sturmgeschutz-Abteilung 203" from PeKo Publishing i=
s the combat history of the Abteilung presented by author Thomas Anderson a=
nd illustrated with 291 rare and never before published photos, maps and do= cuments.

Critique: Simply stated, "Elephant Paths: Combat History of Sturmgeschutz-A= bteilung 203" by German military historian Thomas Anderson is an inherently=
fascinating, impressively informative, exceptionally well presented coffee= -table style (11.5 x 0.75 x 8.5 inches, 2.3 pounds) volume that is an espec= ially recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and academ=
ic library World War II History collections presenting the German battlefie=
ld perspective.

Editorial Note: Thomas Anderson is a German national who specialises in Ger= man World War II vehicles. Most of his work are derived from the Bundesarch= ive and other archives of various military establishments throughout Europe=
..

Burning Horizon
Julian Whippy
Casemate Publishers
1940 Lawrence Road, Havertown, PA 19083
www.casematepublishers.com
9781636242972, $34.95, HC, 256pp

https://www.amazon.com/Burning-Horizon-British-Veteran-Accounts/dp/16362429=
79

Synopsis: Codenamed Operation Telic, the British component of the invasion =
of Iraq in 2003 was the largest gathering of British troops since the Secon=
d World War.

While the British public prepared for the worst as its soldiers were facing=
weapons of mass destruction, most servicemen and women were under no illus= ion that they were invading Iraq to rid the people of Saddam Hussein.

While much has been said about WMD and Tony Blair's government, not nearly = enough has been heard from those men and women that took part in Operation = Telic. Based upon dozens of veteran interviews, personal diaries and archiv=
al material, with the publication of "Burning Horizon: British Veteran Acco= unts of the Iraq War, 2003", Julian Whippy presents their stories in the ve= teran's own words.

From controlling the vast Allied Air Forces at 34,000 feet in an AWACS plan=
e down to submariners beneath the warm waves of the Persian Gulf firing Tom= ahawk Cruise missiles, from the steaming hot turret of a Challenger Tank as=
it is peppered with RPGs, to being on your belly in a sandstorm disarming = unexploded bombs -- these veteran accounts cover the whole spectrum of expe= riences.

Polarized public opinion and the post-war media portrayal of the war has de= tracted from what was achieved by these forces, when tasked to do so, often=
with insufficient or inadequate resources. These are their stories of cour= age, fortitude, pride, and brotherhood amidst the harsh realities of modern=
asymmetric warfare.

Critique: An informative and fascinating contribution to our understanding = the the Iraq War that was to topple the dictatorship of Sadam Hussein, "Bur= ning Horizon: British Veteran Accounts of the Iraq War, 2003" is especially=
and unreservedly recommended for personal, community, and academic library=
Kuwait and Iraq histories in general, and the Iraq War in particular. It s= hould be noted for the personal reading lists of military history buffs tha=
t "Burning Horizon" is also available from Casemate Publishers in a digital=
book format (Kindle, $15.99).

Editorial Note: Julian Whippy (https://www.gbg-international.com/guide/juli= an-whippy) served for 25 years in the British Police, primarily with Firear=
ms teams and as a covert surveillance officer in London. Julian's passion f=
or military history began when he joined the Royal Anglian Regiment as a re= servist and has culminated with him owning his own battlefield tour company=
and working for many years across the world as an accredited battlefield g= uide. A member of the British Commission for Military History, he wrote The=
Greater Game, Sportsmen Killed in the Great War.

Dark Waters, Starry Skies
Jeffrey R. Cox
Osprey Publishing
4301 21st St, Suite 220B, Long Island City, NY 11101
www.ospreypublishing.com
9781472849892, $35.00, HC, 528pp

https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Waters-Starry-Skies-Guadalcanal-Solomons/dp/147= 2849892

Synopsis: Thousands of miles from friendly ports, the US Navy had finally m= anaged to complete the capture of Guadalcanal from the Japanese in early 19= 43. Now the Allies sought to keep the offensive momentum won at such a high=
cost. This is the central plot line running through "Dark Waters, Starry S= kies: The Guadalcanal-Solomons Campaign, March - October 1943" by military = historian Jeffrey R. Cox.

This inherently interesting and informative history begins with the Japanes=
e Operation I-Go and the American ambush of Admiral Yamamoto, then continue=
s on to the Allied invasion of New Georgia, northwest of Guadalcanal in the=
middle of the Solomon Islands and the location of a major Japanese base. D= etermined not to repeat their mistakes at Guadalcanal, the Allies nonethele=
ss faltered in their continuing efforts to roll back the Japanese land, air=
and naval forces.

Using first-hand accounts from both sides, "Dark Waters, Starry Skies" vivi= dly recreates all the terror and drama of the nighttime naval battles durin=
g this phase of the Solomons campaign and the ferocious firestorm many Mari= nes faced as they disembarked from their landing craft. The reader is trans= ported to the bridge to stand alongside Admiral Walden Ainsworth as he sail=
s to stop another Japanese reinforcement convoy for New Georgia, and vividl=
y feels the fear of an 18-year-old Marine as he fights for survival against=
a weakened but still determined enemy.

Critique: A definitive and engrossing history which that deftly weaves toge= ther both strategy and tactics, enhanced for the reader with a blow-by-blow=
account of every battle at a vital point in the Pacific War, "Dark Waters,=
Starry Skies" is enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of a Prologue = (Via Delorosa), an Epilogue (The Akikaze Resunk), forty-eight pages of Note=
s, a two page Bibliography, and a seven page Index. While also available fo=
r personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.46), "Dark W= aters, Starry Skies" is a welcome, valued, and unreservedly recommended add= ition to personal, community, and academic library World War II History col= lections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.

Editorial Note: Jeffrey R. Cox (https://ospreypublishing.com/us/author/jeff= rey-cox) is a litigation attorney and an independent military historian. A = student of history, international affairs, and defence policy for most of h=
is life, his first book was the critically acclaimed Rising Star, Falling S= kies (2014) about the Java Sea campaign. This was followed by two volumes o=
n the Guadalcanal-Solomons campaign: Morning Star, Midnight Sun (2018) and = Blazing Star, Setting Sun (2020).

Brotherhood of the Flying Coffin
Scott McGaugh
Osprey Publishing
4301 21st St, Suite 220B, Long Island City, NY 11101
www.ospreypublishing.com
9781472852946, $30.00, HC, 288pp

https://www.amazon.com/Brotherhood-Flying-Coffin-Glider-Pilots/dp/147285294=
X

Synopsis: With the publication of "Brotherhood of the Flying Coffin: The Gl= ider Pilots of World War II", journalist and military historian Scott McGau=
gh distills war down to individual young men climbing into defenseless glid= ers made of plywood, ready to trust the towing aircraft that would pull the=
m into enemy territory by a single cable wrapped with a telephone wire. Bas=
ed on their after-action reports, journals, oral histories, photos and lett= ers home, "The Brotherhood of the Flying Coffin" reveals every terrifying m= inute of their missions.

They were all volunteers, for a specialized duty that their own government = projected would have a 50 percent casualty rate. None faltered. In every ma= jor European invasion of the war they led the way. They landed their glider=
s ahead of the troops who stormed Omaha Beach, and sometimes miles ahead of=
the paratroopers bound for the far side of the Rhine River in Germany itse= lf. From there, they had to hold their positions. They delivered medical te= ams, supplies and gasoline to troops surrounded in the Battle of the Bulge,=
ahead even of Patton's famous supply truck convoy.

These all-volunteer glider pilots played a pivotal role in liberating the W= est from tyranny, from the day the Allies invaded Occupied Europe to the da=
y Germany finally surrendered. Yet the story of these anonymous heroes is v= irtually unknown. Here their story is told in full -- a story which epitomi= zes courage, dedication and sacrifice.

Critique: Rescuing a very special World War II branch of the American milit= ary from an undeserved obscurity, "Brotherhood of the Flying Coffin: The Gl= ider Pilots of World War II" is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommend=
ed addition to community and academic library American Military Aviation Hi= story collections in general, and World War II supplemental curriculum stud= ies lists in particular. Featuring a section of historic black-and-white ph= otography, "Brotherhood of the Flying Coffin" is additionally enhanced with=
the inclusion of a four page Glossary, a five page Select Bibliography, th= irteen pages of Endnotes, and an eight page Index. It should be noted for t=
he personal reading lists of students, academia, nad military history buffs=
that "Brootherhood of the Flying Coffin" is also available in a digital bo=
ok format (Kindle, $12.60).

Editorial Note: Scott McGaugh (http://scottmcgaugh.com) is a veteran journa= list and published author of Honor Before Glory (Da Capo, 2016), the New Yo=
rk Times bestseller Surgeon in Blue (Arcade, 2013), Battlefield Angels (Osp= rey, 2011) and Midway Magic (CDS/Perseus, 2004). Midway Magic became the ba= sis for a History Channel program, Hero Ship: The USS Midway. McGaugh serve=
d as the founding marketing director of the USS Midway Museum in San Diego,=
the most visited floating ship museum in the world.

Waffen-SS Dutch, Belgian, and Danish Volunteers
Ian Baxter
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (US distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.penandswordbooks.com
9781399087629, $26.95, PB, 160pp

https://www.amazon.com/Waffen-SS-Belgian-Danish-Volunteers-Images/dp/139908= 7622

Synopsis: Following the German invasion of the Soviet Union, numerous Dutch= men, Belgians and Danes volunteered for the Waffen-SS. The largest division=
, SS Volunteer Legion Netherlands operated in Yugoslavia and then Northern = Russia. It was later re-designated 23rd SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Divisi=
on Nederland.

Fighting alongside the Nederland formation was the SS Volunteer Legion Flan= ders, manned mainly with Dutch speaking recruits from occupied Belgium. Aft=
er being disbanded it was later reformed as the SS Assault Brigade Langemar=
ck (SS-Sturmbrigade Langemarck).

The SS Volunteer Legion Walloon, recruited from French-speaking volunteers = from German occupied Belgium, was sent to Russia and later integrated with = the SS Assault Brigade Wallonia (SS-Sturmbrigade Wallonien).

Finally some 6,000 Danes served in Free Corps Denmark which went to the Eas= tern Front in May 1942. Within a year the formation was disbanded into Divi= sion Nordland, known as `Regiment 24 Danemark`

Drawing on a superb collection of rare and often unpublished photographs, "= Waffen-SS Dutch, Belgian, and Danish Volunteers" is the newest addition to = the Pen & Sword 'Images of War' series and describes the fighting history o=
f each formation, notably the 1944 battle of Narva, which was known as the = battle of the European SS. As its forces were pushed further back across a = scarred and burning wasteland it describes how these Dutch, Belgian and Dan= ish units became cut off in the Kurland Pocket until some were evacuated by=
sea. The remainder were killed or captured in front of Berlin in April 194=
5.

Critique: One of the lesser known aspects of World War II was the success t=
he Nazi's had in recruited men from conquered and occupied countries to fig=
ht against Allied troops. "Waffen-SS Dutch, Belgian, and Danish Volunteers"=
is impressively illustrated with historical black/white photos documented = this unusual military phenomena from the German military perspective. While=
also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.49), "Waffen-SS Dutch=
, Belgian, and Danish Volunteers" is a fascinating, informative, and unrese= rvedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and acade= mic library World War II Military History collections and supplemental curr= iculum studies lists.

Editorial Note: Ian Baxter (https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Ian-Baxter/a/71=
6) is a military historian who specializes in German twentieth-century mili= tary history. He has written more than fifty books. He has also reviewed nu= merous military studies for publication, supplied thousands of photographs = and important documents to various publishers and film production companies=
worldwide, and lectures to various schools, colleges and universities thro= ughout the United Kingdom and Southern Ireland.

EDITOR'S NOTE:

The Midwest Book Review is an organization of volunteers committed to promo= ting literacy, library usage, and small press publishing. We accept no fund=
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(dot) com

Anyone wanting to submit books for review consideration can send them to:

James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
Oregon, WI 53575-1129

To submit reviews of any fiction or non-fiction books, email them to Frugal= muse (at) aol (dot) com (Be sure to include the book title, author, publish= er, publisher address, publisher website/phone number, 13-digit ISBN number=
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James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review

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