All in History
Alix Christie’s "GUTENBERG’S APPRENTICE"
The public sale of the mechanically printed Bible and its positive reception was the outcome of many years of experimentation, hard work, political intrigue, religious subversion, even imprisonment.
Shelby Foote's “THE CIVIL WAR: A NARRATIVE, VOLUME II, FREDERICKSBURG TO MERIDIAN”
One of the people I would like to meet in heaven and have a beer with is author Shelby Foote.
Robert Harris’ “DICTATOR”
As the old saying goes, power corrupts. In this book we see how all can become ensnared by its tendrils, even those who like Cicero profess to aspire to higher ideals.
William Bixby's “GALILEO AND NEWTON”
This short Kindle book, divided into two parts, provides just enough information to help the reader understand where Galileo and Newton stand in the evolution of Western scientific thought and practice.
Bill Yenne's THE AMERICAN AIRCRAFT FACTORY IN WWII
As a lifelong fan of historic aircraft, reading details of how and where the B-17s, the B-24s, and P-51s were developed and manufactured provides a useful insight into what “mobilization of the homefront” meant.
Roger D. Launius and Dennis R. Jenkins’ COMING HOME
COMING HOME is another well-illustrated NASA e-book containing much detail about an important topic of aerospace history. This time the subject is the safe return of space vehicles to earth.
Peter W. Merlin's UNLIMITED HORIZONS: DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE U-2
Did Kelly Johnson and the people at Lockheed, the CIA, and the U.S. Air Force realize they were developing a “platform” whose utility would extend over decades? Probably not. Aeronautical history of the time is littered with failed jets and engines designs. Survivors are few and the U-2 stands out.
Mary Roach’s “PACKING FOR MARS”
Somewhere in NASA and there must be an office plotting ways to replace human space explorers with machines. Reading this book explains why.
Michael Harris' ATOMIC TIMES
A lot of this book makes for unpleasant reading but it is an important record of the times, told by the author from an older and wiser perspective. He is lucky to have survived.
Mori Juzo's THE MIRACULOUS TORPEDO SQUADRON
Translated by Nicholas Voge from the original Japanese, this memoir tells the story of one Japanese naval pilot from the time he earns his wings to his combat experience in China, Pearl Harbor, Midway, and Guadalcanal.
Curtis Peebles' PROBING THE SKY
This book is pretty dry reading. There’s very little in the way of human interest or personal relationships on display here. That’s okay since, if you read between the lines, you can pretty much imagine the real world of terror and sweat Bridgeman, Crossfield, and the others had to deal with on a regular basis in order to “bring home the data” on the primitive data recorders of the day.
James Holland's “DAM BUSTERS: THE TRUE STORY OF THE INVENTORS AND AIRMEN WHO LED THE DEVASTATING RAID TO SMASH THE GERMAN DAMS IN 1943”
Yes, the raid contributed significantly to the Allies war effort. Hopefully, too, people today who only connect with war via video games will occasionally pick up and read a book like this.