The Last Mission: The Secret Story of World War II's Final Battle
By Jim B. Smith and Malcolm McConnell. Broadway Books. ISBN 0-7679-0778-7.

On the night of Aug. 14, 1945, Sgt. Jim Smith, a 20-year-old radio operator, was flying aboard a B-29 Superfortress on the last bombing mission over Japan in World War II. At the time, Smith did not know this last mission would have a profound effect on the end of the war.

The Last Mission is the intriguing parallel account of America's final air campaign against the Japanese homeland and the frightening conspiracy of Japanese military fanatics who sought Japan's total destruction in a last desperate act of samurai honor. Smith has joined with historian Malcolm McConnell to write a fascinating story of wartime drama, aerial combat, and political treachery.

With great detail and gripping narrative, the authors describe American efforts to destroy Japan's oil-refining and fuel-production industries using B-29 bomber strikes. When Japan did not quickly surrender after atomic bombs had been dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the B-29 attacks were ordered to continue. Smith's crew was part of those strikes, and on the same August night they were flying, a coup had been launched in Tokyo to prevent Emperor Hirohito from announcing the empire's unconditional surrender.

As Smith and McConnell reveal, the last mission of the B-29s had them flying over Tokyo to their intended targets. The presence of the American bombers caused a city-wide blackout in Tokyo, which disrupted the coup plot, causing the rebellion to fail. The emperor was safe, and the surrender declaration was broadcast, officially ending the war in the Pacific.

This is a thoughtful, provocative, and captivating historical drama, well-researched and carefully presented. Few people know that the war nearly did not end Aug. 15, 1945, and this story reveals just how close the world came to a prolonged and bloody continuation of World War II.

General Patton: A Soldier's Life
By Stanley P. Hirshson. HarperCollins. ISBN 0-06-000982-9.

Gen. George S. Patton Jr. was one of the most successful and controversial frontline commanders in World War II. He never suffered a major defeat, and although he was a profane, outspoken, and eccentric character, he was wildly popular with the American public.

Stanley Hirshson worked on General Patton for a decade. He has written four other histories, most notably The White Tecumseh (John Wiley & Sons, 1997), a biography of Gen. William T. Sherman.

His newest biography covers Patton's life (1885-1945) and features the famous - and infamous - adventures of "Old Blood and Guts." He offers a wealth of information about remarkable but obscure events that help paint a complete picture of an officer who said he always believed "war is the only place where a man really lives."

Always a fighter, Patton did not believe in defense; only offensive action would win battles, wars, and glory. And as Hirshson relates, Patton loved both war and glory. He purged timid or cautious commanders of their posts and relentlessly pushed bold officers, saying, "There is nothing too good for the man who brings off a successful saber charge."

Hirshson offers numerous examples of Patton's own bravery under fire. In Mexico in 1917 with General Pershing's punitive expedition against Pancho Villa, Patton personally engaged in a gunfight with three Mexican bandits and won. He was wounded in combat in France in 1918 during a tank attack and often visited frontline troops in World War II, going to forward positions engaged with the Germans.

Hirshson vividly describes Patton's involvement with tank development and armor tactical doctrine between the wars, as well as Patton's shameless self-promotion and use of political influence to advance and win awards and favorable assignments. He and his wife were wealthy, and his in-laws' business and political influence eventually would adversely affect him later in his career.

Hirshson chronicles Patton's military experiences in Mexico, World War I, between the wars, and during World War II, providing a superb wartime history and describing Patton's hot and cold relationships with Eisenhower, Bradley, and Montgomery. From North Africa to Sicily, from France to Germany, World War II is when Patton made his reputation as an audacious, aggressive armor commander.

Hirshson presents the well-known slapping incidents, Patton's outspoken views of the British and Russians, and stories of atrocities committed by his troops in Sicily. He also explores the real reason behind Patton's eventual relief from command of the 3rd Army in 1945 after the war was over. Also included are anecdotes involving Bing Crosby, Dinah Shore, U.S. Rep. Clare Boothe Luce, and cartoonist Sgt. Bill Mauldin, USA.

Grand strategy, tactical success, and personal insights are nicely combined in this well-told biography of a general who was proud to say, "I have strong opinions, and I like to express them."

Member Books

Non-Fiction

Hills of Sacrifice: The 5th RCT in Korea. By Lt. Col. Michael Slater, USMC-Ret.
This is a moving account of a premier Army unit during one of the nation's most costly, yet least remembered wars. Battle action is seen through the eyes of the men who endured those horrors. The 5th Regimental Combat Team was the last U.S. occupation force to depart peaceful Korea in 1949; it was also among the earliest elements to return to that war torn country within the year. Included are hundreds of photographs, many of them by the acclaimed combat photographer Al Chang.
Turner Publishers, 412 Broadway, P.O. Box 3101, Paducah, KY 42002-3101. (270) 443-0121. slater55@earthlink.net. ISBN 1-56311-588-3. 288 pp. $27.97 plus postage.

Letters To Lou – The Sequel: A Midshipman's Odyssey. By Lt. Donald "Ben" Hogan, USN-Ret.
This journal describes a midshipman's life at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy, 1954-1957, with updates from 1948 to after the September 11th attack. It is a factual history that brings back memories and is sometimes very funny. Both "landlubbers" and "old salts" will enjoy this odyssey about a bunch of boisterous young men. More than 60 people contributed stories and replies to this tome.
Infinity Publishing.com, 519 West Lancaster Avenue, Haverford, PA 19041-1413. (877) BUY BOOK. www.buybooksontheweb.com. ISBN 0-7414-1248-9. 220 pp. $19.95 plus postage.

Operation Aviary: Airborne Special Operations – Korea, 1950-1953. By Col. Douglas C. Dillard, USA-Ret.
In this work, Dillard illuminates an area the Korean War heretofore largely ignored: airborne special operations teams. Dillard details their activities and also recounts the actions of the 8240th Army Unit. Many photographs and maps are included.
Trafford Publishing, 2333 Government St., Suite 6E, Victoria, B.C. V8T 4P4, Canada. (888) 232-4444. www.trafford.com. ISBN 1-55369-789-8. 104 pp. $20.00 postpaid.

To Harness the Wind: A Short History of the Development of Sails. By Capt. Leo Block, USNR-Ret.
Man was a sailor long before he invented the wheel or straddled a horse, and his adventures at sea changed the course of history. Initially he was able to sail only downwind, but the Cretans and Phoenicians made design improvements to sails that permitted sailing across and eventually against the wind. The Vikings optimized the performance of the square sail, and the Dutch modified the Arab lateen to create the sail commonly used today. Block tells the story of the evolution of sails and relates it to historic events and other factors that affected the performance of sailing vessels. Numerous illustrations help explain the technical factors involved.
Naval Institute Press, 291 Wood Road, Annapolis, MD 21402. (410) 295-1081. www.navalinstitute.org. ISBN 1-55750-209-9. 176 pp. $24.95 plus postage.

The Family in Crisis: The United States, the Philippines, and the Second World War. By Col. John M. Fitzgerald II, USA-Ret.
Fitzgerald's book covers the period from before WWII, through the conflict, and beyond with the emphasis on the guerilla war waged against the Japanese by Filipinos and American stay-behinds. Included is a special section on Ferdinand Marcos and an annotated bibliography.
1st Books Library, 2595 Vernal Pike, Bloomington, IN 47404. (800) 839-8640. www.1stbooks.com. ISBN 1-4033-9156-4. 346 pp. $ 22.50 plus postage.

Older Couples: New Romances: Finding and Keeping Love in Later Life. By Edith Ankersmit Kemp and Lt. Col. Jerold E. Kemp, USAF-Ret.
The Kemps' book challenges stereotypes about aging and intimacy. Focusing on the issues faced by single, divorced, and widowed seniors, their book offers inspirational as well as practical advice for finding, attracting, and maintaining a loving partnership in later life. Based on a series of interviews with married or committed couples aged 55 and older, this is a surprising candid book for anyone interested in a realistic and hopeful perspective on the future of love, romance, and relationships.
Celestial Arts Publishing, P.O. Box 7123, Berkeley, CA 94707. (510) 559-1600. www.tenspeed.com. ISBN 1-587161-156-2. 301 pp. $14.95 plus postage.

A Sentimental Journey: Memoirs of a Wartime Boomtown. By Capt. Wilbur D. Jones Jr., USNR-Ret.
This is a social history of the life and culture of the prominent home-front role of Wilmington and Southeastern North Carolina during World War II. Southeastern North Carolina had all the armed forces stationed there in large numbers. It had a shipyard producing 243 cargo vessels, the vital state port, industries working at capacity, and German prisoner of war camps. Strategically located, Wilmington endured constant civilian defense drills and restrictions, U-boats sinking ships offshore, and, until 1944, the threat of attack. How officials managed the social, civic, jurisdictional, racial, and governmental complexities during the city's economic heyday is portrayed through firsthand accounts and the daily newspapers. Chapters include the shipyard and war industries, military influence, German U-boat activity, women and African Americans in the war effort, morale, law and order, schools and neighborhoods, among others.
White Mane Publishing Co. Inc., P.O. Box 708, 63 West Burd Street, Shippensburg, PA 17257. (717) 532-2237. Marketing@whitemane.com. ISBN 1-57249-325-9. 318 pp. $29.95 plus postage.

Fiction

Dawn Over Kitty Hawk: The Novel of the Wright Brothers. By Col. Walter J. Boyne, USAF-Ret.
We know who invented the airplane: Wilbur and Orville Wright. Lost in history are the names of those who, in the closing years of the 19th century and the first years of the 20th, shared the passion to develop the first powered aircraft. Some spent fortunes chasing that dream. Some spent their lives. Boyne's historical novel relives it all.
Tom Doherty Associates LLC, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010. www.tor.com. ISBN 0-765-30471-6. 400 pp. $24.95 plus postage.

Silent Knight. By Col. Craig L. Carlson, USA.
This is the story of one man's effort to make a difference in his community. It is a story of love, compassion, mentoring, and dignity. Carlson weaves a delicate message of service to others with a beautiful love story that captures your heart. Readers will cry, laugh, and wonder at the simplicity and beauty of the Silent Knight. It is a story for all ages.
Phoenix Press, P.O. Box 1899, Little Rock, AR 72203-1899. www.TheSilentKnight.com. ISBN 0-9654220-7-0. 192 pp. $10.00 plus postage.

Memoirs

An Autobiography: 1920-2000. By Col. Alvin F. Meyer, USAF-Ret.
Meyer has lived life to its fullest, and now, with octogenarian complacency, he walks down memory lane to gather the laurels of success with nostalgic pride. Born into the Weil-Meyer family and heir to wealthy grandparents, Meyer chalked his way through various schools to Virginia Military Institute, hardly affected by the Depression of the 1930s. His professional career took him many places and he found himself tied up with people who left lasting impressions on him. Sprinkled through the book are Meyer's personal moments with his wives, children and family that cement the loose ends of his life, with affection.
Athena Press, Queen's House, 2 Holly Road, Twickenham TWI 4EG. ISBN 1-930493-75-4. 109 pp. $13.95 plus postage.

From Indian Fort to Flying Fort – And Far Beyond. By Col. John C. Mouat, USAF-Ret.
This book describes the author's experiences and adventures beginning with being born in a log cabin near an old Indian fort on Montana's Last Frontier. It progresses through the Great Depression of the 1930s, Flying Fortress pilot flying combat missions over Germany during World War II, three year's combat flying during the Korean War, and many more years of service at the highest levels of the Air Force and the U.S. government.
1st Books Library, 2595 Vernal Pike, Bloomington, IN 47404. (800) 839-8640. www.1stbooks.com. ISBN 1-4033-1840-9. 532 pp. $24.50 postpaid.

Quoth the Raven. By Col. Jim Roper, USAF-Ret.
Humor and danger intertwine in this memoir of the secret air war over Laos. Joining the Air Force in 1968, Roper became a Covey Forward Air Controller. He piloted low and slow spotter planes over the Ho Chi Minh Trail, directing airstrikes on North Vietnamese trucks and guns. He flew daring missions helping super-secret reconnaissance teams, who routinely ran into large enemy forces. He ultimately realized the futility of his efforts in the war, but death was close and his mission became one of survival.
Publish America Inc., P.O. Box 151 Frederick, MD 21705. (877) 333-7422. www.publishamerica.com. ISBN 1-59129-051-1. 357 pp. $21.95 postpaid.

Only the Dead Came Home: Vietnam's Hidden Casualties. By Col. Andy O'Meara Jr., USA-Ret.
For many Vietnam vets, the end of the war was only the beginning of another – a war within themselves. This is an account of one soldier's struggle to come home. It is the story of combat and of the harassment at home that followed. Together they resulted in Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), a disease affecting an estimated 15 percent of all Vietnam Veterans. Their suffering is recorded here in the words of one who survived the war and eventually PTSD.
Elderberry Press LLC, 1393 Old Homestead Road, 2nd Floor, Oakland, OR 97462. (541) 459-6043. www.elderberrypress.com. ISBN 1-930859-48-1. 198 pp. $19.95 plus postage.

From Hell To Surrender: The Story of a Young WWII Soldier Going To War In The Philippines. By Maj. Corbett W. Clark, USA-Ret.
This memoir is Clark's personal account of growing up during the great depression, joining the 122nd Infantry Regiment of the Georgia National Guard during a time when the country was whispering of war, and of the his role in the bitter fighting in the Pacific during WWII. He continues with his field artillery training in preparation for overseas combat assignment. He describes several actual battles and leads you to the final surrender of the Japanese on north Luzon, Philippine Islands. His stories portray the everyday life of a young soldier serving his country far away from home. He takes you to the battlefields that he shudders to remember but can never forget.
Hawkeye Publishing, P.O. Box 142582, Fayetteville, GA 30214. (404) 292-8712. ISBN 0-9724572-1-6. 150 pp. $12 postpaid.