Customer Reviews:
This Book is a Steal - Get It!.......2005-01-16
I have had this book for over 5 years. When I compare what I paid for it then to how cheaply it is available now, it's a no-brainer...GET IT, especially if you find one in good condition with a nice dust-jacket.
This book is intended to be a BRIEF overview of airships, with a lot of pictures. It's a nice coffee-table type book. Perhaps it is a bit mis-titled, because it deals with many other airships before the "Hindenburg." I would estimate that only 1/4 of the book deals with the "Hindenburg" per se.
This book does not go into great detail about each era, but it will talk about pre-WWI airships and Count Zeppelin, a tiny bit on non-rigids and semi-rigids, WWI airship operations, British rigid experiments (the R-100 and R-101), the "Norge" North Pole trip, the American Rigids (The "Shenandoah" "Akron" and "Macon"), and it spends a lot of time talking about the "Hindenburg's" immediate predecessor, the "Graf Zeppelin," as well as Hugo Eckener, the man who took over after Count Zeppelin passed away.
There are so many beautiful and fascinating pictures and paintings of these airships. The paintings are in color, contributing to giving the reader a good understanding of what these magnificent giants looked like.
Don't expect a lot of detail on each airship; it always leaves me wanting to know more. But again, the design of the book is to give just a brushstroke of the airship era, which it does very very well.
I am a semi-buff on airships, and I would NEVER get rid of this book. It is especially good if you just want an introduction on the era. If you are looking for a more "meaty" book on the subject, you will have to find one that deals with a particular airship or era. For German WWI airships, I highly recommend "The Zeppelin in Combat...A History of the German Naval Airship Division 1912-1918" by Douglas Robinson.
This would be the book to start with on the subject of airships. WELL WORTH THE PRICE!!!
Magical Era.......2003-05-31
This is the definitive history of the Airship from it's creation to it's untimely demise and of the future.
The Hindenburg has always fascinated people and the it's firey ending at the Lakehurst is now part of aviation fokelore.
This book plots the track of the Airship and mainly focuses on the Rigid Airship and it's humble beginings on Lake Constance, it's role in the First World War and life before the Second.
As typical of Archbold's works, it is beautifully illustrated throughout and is full of all the technical data needed to understand these magnificent machines.
All nations that developed the Airship are covered and their failings are all laid out to bare. The British experience reads of arrogance and even when the great Dr Hugo Eckner offered his assistance, they turned him down. The United States pushed the envelope too far and even though they had the most modern Airships to date, sadly they too would be put off developing a transport network.
In the end it would be Germany with it's conservatisim and experience that would see out the great Airship era with the globetrotting LZ127 Graf Zeppelin and LZ129 Hindenburg, it's life cut short by that tragic day in 1937. If helium had been used, flights would have continued with the last Airship, the new Graf Zepplin LZ130 and it was used for recon flights just before war was going to break out. When the end came, it was swift and sudden and the great Airship era was over.
History of the Hindenburg & Other Airships.......2001-03-16
To this day, I don't know why I am so fascinated with the Hindenburg, but I do know that she is an amazing airship to study. Her firey crash as well as some other famous crashes (Macon, Akron, Shenandoah, etc.) are discussed, in detail, in this book. So it's not just the Hindenburg's history, but the whole history of airships in general, right down to the present day Goodyear blimp. I've absolutely enjoyed reading this book cover to cover because of the history that has been detailed throughout the career of the airships of the past. "Hindenburg: The Illustrated History" is worth getting for anybody who loves airships or history's great disasters.
Outstanding!.......2000-11-30
A beautiful (nay, sumptuous) oversized book that bedazzles with both its original paintings and its endless historical illustrations and photographs; but also an excellent introduction to the history of airships, in all countries (that the book is titled "Hindenburg" is unfortunate, as the Hindenburg herself figures into only a small portion of the book). Full but not overwhelming coverage of wartime Zeps is a plus. Both the historian and the fan of 30s art will be deeply pleased.
Why isn't this is print?.......2000-05-17
Truly a great book on the by-gone era of airships. Copiously illustrated, "The Hindenburg - An Illustrated History" teaches the reader not only about the one airship that everyone remembers, but also about airships in general.
Count Zeppelin was the grandfather of the Hindenburg, but other designers are chronicled here. Germany, England, and the US all have their airship histories summarized.
The paintings bring to life an age that will never come again . . . when the airship ruled the skies.
Look for this book in auctions if you have any interest in airships.
Amazon.com
Beginning with the explosion of the dirigible Hindenburg in 1937, this book and double-CD collection of audio broadcasts recalls a series of dramatic events so urgent that they interrupted regularly scheduled broadcasting in America. The text of this package includes capsule explanations of such events as the attack on Pearl Harbor and the death of Elvis, accompanied by dramatic black-and-white stock photos. Introduced by the sonorous voice of TV journalist Bill Kurtis, the recordings of the news broadcasts revive the panic and thrill of some of the defining moments (mostly American) of the 20th century.
We Interrupt This Broadcast offers, in some ways, a strange view of the past. News that interrupts broadcasts is always sensational, and usually tragic. Of the 39 recordings, only five or so don't involve assassinations, explosions, death or defeat; furthermore, only the deaths of Marilyn Monroe and Princess Diana represent the female side of modern events. Nevertheless, these recordings will fascinate many listeners too young to have heard the original broadcasts, and those who were alive might enjoy hearing them again in all their crackling, nostalgic glory. --Maria Dolan
Book Description
Revised and Updated!
Contains 3 New Shocking Events Straight From Today's Headlines
Updated to include the shocking and terrifying events of the past two years, We Interrupt This Broadcast brings to life the famous and infamous moments of the twentieth century. This second edition covers in striking detail the impeachment proceedings of President Clinton, the Columbine High School tragedy and the death of JFK Jr.--along with 38 other history-making moments--with memorable audio, vivid photographs and compelling text. From the dawn of electronic media to today, these are the 41 events that stopped us in our tracks and changed our world. We Interrupt This Broadcast recounts the details of the events and spotlights the photographs that tell the stories.
Customer Reviews:
M.I.A........2005-07-04
Missing from this book: Mt ST Helen's eruption on 5/18/80, Passing of Ronald Regan, Space Shuttle Columbia should be added in the next edition. Regular broadcasting was inerupted for these stories. Otherwise this book is worth it.
If you like history you will want to have this book.......2005-05-03
Perhaps one of the most innovative ways to study and share history, We Interrupt This Broadcast contains not only information on 43 of the most important events of the 20th century but also actual audio tracks from the original radio broadcasts. The stories told and broadcasts heard range from the Hindenburg explosion to the attack on Pearl Harbor, Japan's Surrender, Lee Harvey Oswald's Assassination, Martin Luther King Jr.'s Assassination, Apollo 13, the Kent State Massacre, Nixon's resignation, the shooting of President Reagan, the fall of the Berlin Wall, the O. J. Simpson saga, Princess Diana's death, the 2000 election, and finally the September 11th attacks, as well as 29 other historically important events. Each event is described in detail including important facts leading up to the event and the effect it had on the U.S. We Interrupt This Broadcast is very highly recommended and should be in the library of everyone who loves or teaches history.
Please Keep True to the Title.......2004-05-10
I have a previous edition of this book. It covered the Diana death, and I believe that is where it stopped. My complaint with the book is only that, as the topics progresses closer to current times, the interruptions became less "spontaneous."
The book's premise was to provide the first live broadcast interruption that the public heard, to create the same chills that people felt, to relive the first realization of the shocking event just as it happened. By the time the book got to Dianna's death, the news clips became more general, more like an end of the year re-cap of what had happened, instead of the first terror-filled report that something had gone wrong.
But a great book, other than that! Perhaps the problem has been fixed in this newer edition.
The narrator needs to shut up.......2003-12-28
The narrator explains what is written in the book already. The book would be a lot better if there was no narrator.
A time capsule of major twentieth-century American news.......2003-10-18
We Interrupt This Broadcast is a statement that never fails to send a little chill up my spine, as these four words have introduced many tragic news stories over the years. In today's jaded world, these words do not have the connotation I still associate with them, and that is both a good and a bad thing. In a world where so much is forgotten so quickly, it is important, especially for the younger generation, to not only know about important events in history but to have a real understanding of sorts concerning them. This book does much to help everyone living today, both young and old, to learn about, remember, and vicariously experience some of history's most memorable (many of them tragic) events. Over forty important moments of the twentieth century are detailed in this coffee table-like book, ranging from the fiery death of the Hindenburg in 1937 to (in my 2nd edition copy) the death of John Kennedy, Jr. in 1999. The third edition offers additional material of important events in the time period between releases.
While none of these events is covered in-depth by any means, the book offers worthwhile summaries and plenty of informative photographs throughout its pages. More importantly, though, the book comes with two CDs containing broadcast footage of these events, letting today's listener hear the words by which America was informed of such tragedies as the assassinations of John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, and Martin Luther King, as well as tales of horror such as the explosion of Flight 800, the fiery end of the Waco standoff with David Koresh and his followers, and the Challenger explosion. Of course, all the news was not bad: here you can hear and read about man taking his first steps on the moon, bear witness to the dismantling of the Berlin Wall, and celebrate retroactively the end of the World War II.
In a sense, this is a time capsule of sorts, as it holds a significant part of the history of twentieth-century America inside its pages and burned onto its two CDs. We Interrupt This Broadcast would make an excellent teaching tool for youngsters, but anyone who wants to come to a greater appreciation of history could profit much by this book, as well.
Customer Reviews:
4.5 stars - An excellent book.......2004-10-24
Golden Age Of The Great Passenger Airships: Graf Zeppelin And Hindenburg (1992.) A book by Harold G. Dick.
INTRODUCTION:
In the late 1800s and the first third of the 1900s, Zeppelins ruled the skies. Before commercial airline travel became heavily used by airplanes, it was the airships that transported people across vast distances. They were also used by the military as scouts and even flying aircraft carriers. By far, the two most popular of these airships were the Graf Zeppelin, which circumnavigated the earth in 1929, and the Hindenburg, whose disasterous crash on May 6, 1937, became one of the most famous air disasters of all time. Many a book has been written on the subject over the years, including this one by Harold G. Dick, a man who collected data back in the golden age. Read on for my review of this book.
SYNOPSIS:
Mr. Dick has no shortage of airship data, and in this book, he presents it all. The book's title is somewhat misleading, in that it is not limited to the history of the two airships contained within it. The book covers the entire history of the rigid airship program, from its birth in the late 1800s, right down to its downfall in the early 1940s. An assortment of facts, mathematical charts, diagrams, photos, and other pieces of information all come together in the book to tell the story.
OPINIONS:
In my opinion, Mr. Dick compiled his information very well. One of the greatest advantages of this book over other ones of the same type is that Dick was alive at the time of the rigid airship program, and he had a chance to collect data and even meet many of the men involved. I do have a few minor complaints, though. For one thing, the information is not organized in any particular order. This makes reading through the book somewhat confusing if you lack knowledge of the information. Also, the book is writted from Dick's own point of view, and not from a broader, more general perspective. Because of this he tends to ramble about his own life at times. Still, this are only small complaints. Where else are you gonna find a listing of what different airship pilots/employees were supposed to wear for their jobs? I strongly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the rigid airships of the past.
OVERALL:
Overall, I am satisfied with this book. Harold G. Dick is a man who knows what he's talking about, and in this book, he really lets it show. Many books have been published about this subject, and this is one of the finest. No rigid airship enthusiast should be without this book.
Best job in the world.......2003-03-01
Harold Dick wrote an enticing account of his time with the great airships. He had complete access to the entire program. They even let him assume flight control resposibilities. The right man was in the right place at the right time.
An excellent book.......2001-07-31
An excellent book that appropriately combines historical, technical, and personal detail.
Belongs in the Library of Every Zeppelin Enthusiast.......2001-07-26
As Goodyear's liason to the Zeppelin Company, Harold G. Dick had unprecedented access to the ships, the information, and the people who defined this "golden age." He speaks with authtority because he was there. He can relate unique statistics on the performance of the Hindenberg in trans-Atlantic flight because he flew as a officer/observer. He speaks about the personalities of Dr. Hugo Eckner, the chairman of Zeppelin, and his son Knut, because he enjoyed the friendship of both. He also touches upon the rise of the Nazi Party, since he was a direct witness to propoganda flights (and some more harrowing events). (His photographs of the damage sustained by the Hindenberg as it attempted to lift off on such a flight are unique; Nazi officials confiscated all others, but he managed to hide his film.) His access was unique, and so therefore is this book.
One of the best........1999-05-28
One of the best airship books written as the author was directly involved in all aspects of the zeppelin program. No book written so far exceeds this one in illuminating the operations and organization of the passenger airship effort. Pictures never before seen are included. The story is told in context with the political situation of the time. A must read book.
Average customer rating:
- Grand
- Wonderful Story Line...
- Hindenburg 1937
- a great love story...
- Amazing
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Hindenburg,1937
Cameron Dokey
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ASIN: 0671036017 |
Book Description
"Anna, promise me..."
Her grandfather never finished his last wish as he died clutching their tickets for a trans-Atlantic voyage of the Hindenburg. But Anna Becker is certain he would want her to take the tickets and leave Germany before her ruthless brother could marry her off to advance his own Nazi career. Quickly Anna prepares to leave, a young woman alone, grateful for the handsome stranger who provides cover as she furtively enters the great aircraft. Erik Peterson offers instant safety. And the promise of something more...until Karl Mueller boards the airship. He's the man she once loved; now he's a Nazi spy.
Torn between the promise of new love and the treacherous lure of the man who holds her heart -- and her future -- in his hands, Anna sets course for America, on a voyage into history.
Customer Reviews:
Grand.......2006-09-15
I thought this was one of the best of the hundereds of books I have read during my short 12 year-old life (I read ALOT). I like the way Karl turns out to be the good-guy and Eric was a vicious terrorist battling the Naizs by killing inocent civilians. I did like the way it started, better than most.
Wonderful Story Line..........2005-11-12
Cameron Dokey definately hit the mark creating an adventerous and romantic story line. However, I wasn't thrilled with the way the book was written. Too much information was repeated over and over. Instead of showing us the action and leaving the reader the joy of drawing inferences, the narrator, Anna, reveals every thought. These internal revelations came so frequently, I had a hard time believing Anna's conclusion at the end of the novel. The story was thrilling, but the characters didn't pop.
Hindenburg 1937.......2005-06-04
A truly amazing story of love and adventure, a definite read for anyone who longs for romance.
a great love story..........2005-05-19
Hindenburg 1937 by Cameron Dokey is a great read, because it consists of romance, history, and a tad bit of adventure. I found myself not wanting to put it down because I so wanted to find out what would happen next. This book never gets boring, because there is always so much drama and events going on within the pages.
The main character is Anna Becker, a brave, young woman living in Germany. Her grandfather never finished his dying wish, but he was holding tickets for the trans-Atlantic voyage on the Hindenburg. Anna takes this as a sign to board the plane, despiter her fears. After all, if she doesn't leave her brother might marry her off so he can advance as a Nazi. Anna has bigger dreams than a housewife, which is another reason she takes the journey. She takes total trust in a stranger boarding the Hindenburg, because traveling alone is not safe. She soon finds out that his name is Erik Peterson and she really gets along with him until she sees that her first true love, Karl Mueller, is also on the plane, working for Germany.
This book has lots of twists and turns, so you'll be sure to stay interested. The festivities on the plane are always exciting and its fun to go along with Anna'a adventure. What is even more enjoying is the love triangle that is soon created. This book also refers to the voyage from history that changed Germany forever. The book is not a difficult one, and it's also easy to fall in love with the awesome plot.
Amazing.......2004-04-17
This is the most beautiful historical romance fiction I've ever read. Anna must escape her brother in order to persue a future of her choice, instead of letting her brother choose it for her. So she aboards the Hindenburg and the excitement begins. I love this book to no ends even with its terrifying ending. Why Cameron, why??? I just have one last question: why choose a sad and-you know it's true- horrible ending when the story could've ended with me smiling in pleasure with hope, instead of me crying and believing that fate is truly twisted when it comes to love?
Book Description
A dramatic, vividly illustrated look at the tragic ship whose fiery crash ended the age of the dirigible.Like a fabulous silvery fish, floating quietly in the ocean of air .... it seemed to be coming from another world and to be returning there like a dream.On May 6, 1937, the Hindenburg, the largest and fastest airship ever built, exploded in a tremendous ball of fire as it came to land in Lakehurst, New Jersey. It was one of the most spectacular disasters of the twentieth century, and in a single moment ended the era of the majestic dirigible airships.For thirty-seven years before the Hindenburg tragedy, the gigantic airships of the Zeppelin Company captivated the world as they carried thousands of passengers on luxurious transatlantic voyages. Some dreamed that the steerable, gas-filled "zeppelins," invented three years before the airplane, would fill the skies as the unrivaled way to travel over the ocean. That dream ended with the Hindenburg.Readers of all ages will enjoy this fascinating look at the Hindenburg and the magical age of the Zeppelin airships.
Customer Reviews:
For Adults as well as Kids.......2006-07-14
This book will give adults and children who are unfamiliar with the Hindenburg an easy to understand synopsis on the history of zeppelins as well as the eventual Hindenburg disaster. It is a quick and easy way for people to get a basic understanding on this subject. The book is packed with fantastic illustrations.
"Fahrscheine, bitte.".......2003-11-18
The tragic, fiery crash of the Hindenburg remains a mystery. Was it sabotage? Lightning? A Skyline moment?
Either way, modern children need to learn respect for the powerful, gas-filled dirigible. Lulled into a false sense of security by the focus-group-friendly corporate blimps of today, this gorgeous book recounting the Hindenburg disaster will make children realize they've taken hydrogen for granted.
Informative, historical narrative aside, this book's evocative watercolor-and-gouache illustrations perfectly capture the detail of that terrible day. The book doesn't shy away from the less-pleasant aspects of that age, using bright colors to highlight the hated Nazi flag emblazoned on the fins of the doomed airship.
Of course, no retelling of the Hindenburg is complete without "the good part," and this book refuses to pull any punches, depicting the horrible spectacle with an explosion of color and dramatic perspectives.
Pefect for all ages!
Kirkus reviews says..........2001-02-09
Kirkus Reviews said of this book: "Compellingly well told, beautifully illustrated, and skillfully designed, this is a work that will find a wide audience."
Hindenberg.......2000-09-28
This book has great pictures to keep the interest of young readers. My son did not know this story was true and he really wanted me to help him read this book NOW so he could find out what happened to all the people. The size of the airship amazed him and he learned a lot!
Book Description
With his victory over the Russian army at the battle of Tannenberg in August 1914, Paul von Hindenburg became a war hero. By 1916 he had parlayed an exaggerated reputation for decisive victory into near dictatorial powers. After Germany’s defeat at Verdun and War Minister Erich von Falkenhayn’s dismissal in late 1916, Hindenburg, along with his chief of staff Erich Ludendorff, took over strategic direction of the war. The eponymous Hindenburg Program attempted with some success to mobilize Germany’s economy for war. He also oversaw many of Germany’s most important wartime decisions, including the resumption of unrestricted submarine warfare, Bethmann Hollweg’s dismissal as chancellor, Russia’s defeat and negotiation of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, and the “Ludendorff Offensives†of 1918, which sought decisive victory on the Western Front but ended in Germany’s catastrophic defeat. After the war, Hindenburg played a crucial role in creating the Dolchstosslegende (the myth that the German Army had been “stabbed in the back†by a Jewish-Bolshevik conspiracy on the homefront), in leading Germany as president of the Weimar Republic, and, most tragically, in acquiescing to Adolf Hitler’s rise to power.
Customer Reviews:
Magic in the air.......2005-11-20
Experience flight on the gentle giant, Hindenburg. This book brings her to life. Beautiful drawings and photos make this airship soar again. You will wish that zeppelin travel was still an option. We lost her over Lakehurst but she lives on through fine books like this for all ages.
this is a great book!.......2000-11-08
I've been looking for a book like this for my niece who has gotten bitten by the "disaster" bug ever since the movie "Titanic" came out. This is an excellent book for older children and young teens. The text really makes the whole Hindenburg tragedy come vividly to life. And the pictures are just "Wow!". I think Ken Marschall has done the illustrations for some other notable large-illustration books including ones on the Titanic, and he outdoes himself again on this book. The detail is superb. I'm highly recommending this book to my friends who are looking for Christmas gifts for their kids. I'm even going to buy a copy for my mom! :-) Books like this don't come any better.
Amazon.com
Former U.S. Marine captain and accomplished military historian Robert Asprey tells the story of the First World War from the point of view of the German general staff in The German High Command at War. Focusing on the celebrated partnership between general Erich Ludendorff and field marshal Paul von Hindenburg, Asprey recounts the duo's career from their early triumphs over the Russians at Tannenberg to the defeat of their military dictatorship in 1918.
Responding to historians who tend to lionize Hindenburg and Ludendorff, this book argues that their exemplary reputations were the result of a self-serving public-relations campaign during and after the war. Through Asprey's capable analysis, Ludendorff emerges as a fat, ruthless martinet, while Hindenburg looms as a passive, scheming narcissist. Their successes on the eastern front are portrayed as lucky breaks, the result of intercepted Russian radio transmissions. However, there were no respites on the western front, and Asprey explains how the generals' desperation, arrogance, and lack of strategic insight ultimately exhausted the German empire. Readers will find a comprehensive and lively treatment of Hindenburg and Ludendorff's military decisions and political intrigues, but this book is more than a history. Asprey's trenchant exploration of the dynamics of power and personality make The German High Command at War a warning for what can happen if militaristic imperatives dominate a government's capacity for principled leadership. --James Highfill
Customer Reviews:
the consequences of a blatant lie.......2006-05-15
Having been raised in the triumphing militarism of Bismarckian Germany, Hindenburg and Ludendorff failed to see that after 1900 wars aren't won anymore by having the strongest army - it's industrial capacity that counts.
So during Worldwar 1 it became increasingly clear that Germany could not cope with its opponents. Nevertheless Hindenburg, Ludendorff and their 'Kaiser' Wilhelm II stubbornly stuck to their power. They continued the war, causing starvation with the German people they were responsible for. When at the end of 1918 the German army finally collapsed, H + L most cowardly blamed the Socialists at home. By using the infamous lie of 'the army having been stabbed in the back'.
After the Great War the Kaiser was kicked out, while H + L took very different paths. Ludendorff sympathized with the likes of Adolf Hitler, ending his life as a nobody. Hindenburg had to sense to ingnore the Nazi's as long as he could afford. However, in the end his 1918-lie boomeranged back to him. As a national hero, as well as president of Germany, Hindenburg was forced to appoint Adolf Hitler as Reichschancellor. Soon afterwards the aged president died, and a couple of years later the most devastating war in history of mankind erupted.
Far from unbiased.......2004-12-08
I initially had high hopes for this work, especially because it focuses on a topic that has not received much attention in English. While I do not disagree with the main point of this work, I think Mr. Asprey's selective inclusion, and selective exclusion, reduced the book to an anti-German slam piece. This is sad because he certainly had enough insight on the topic to have crafted a well balanced account. Instead Asprey starts off by admitting in a note to the reader that he had previously been inclined to view the conflict from the Allied side, something that has apparently not changed. In this work reason yields to inclination. Asprey starts his rant by placing all of the blame for the First Wold War at Germany's feet, an assertion most serious scholars would laugh at today. Many did not even believe that in 1918. Make no mistake about it, Asprey feels Britain's cause was righteous. After he finishes painting Imperial Germany as an evil empire he turns his sights on the country's generals and politicians. To hear it from Asprey, they were all incompetent, uncultured, and at the bottom rung of the intelligence scale-although I'm not sure what that says about the allied leaders! Asprey is usually able to sum up a German's, or an Austrian's good points in less than a line, yet he spends pages focussing on their personal and physical flaws, and even rumored flaws. Sadly even Archduke Ferdinand, a murder victim, does not escape Asprey's selective inclusion. The only word Asprey uses to describe him was: "corpulent'. In short I found the book far from unbiased. File it under latter day propaganda.
If you like propaganda, the book rates five stars, otherwise two stars is being generous.
The True Germany in WWI........2003-09-24
I find this book to be very well written. The author shows that Germany was by no means in good shape during the war.
Towards the end of 1914 the author tells of the just begining, but never ending, problem with supply reserves. It shows how Germany was starving in 1918, and still Ludendorff attacked France. It shows that this lead to the German defeat. It tells you the many actions Germany could have, should have, taken to secure a reasonable treaty giving them territories taken in 1871 and Belgium.
I find this book to be a very detailed look at the most overated man of the German army(Hindenburg, and the true leader of Germany(Ludendorff). From their rise to their ushering in of the Nazi party. A book fitting of 5 stars.
A Wagnerian Tragedy.......2001-01-13
I would definitely recommend this book. I have read many books on the Great War, and none have given Hindenburg and, more importantly, Ludendorff (because he was really the one who pulled the strings) such detailed attention. I think the author portrayed the ideological background that so often drives Germany and its people to seek glory in conquest or transcendence through hardship and hero worship (in this case, of the book's namesakes), and that is good because too many historians forget this all too important, almost racial, Wagnerian ideological aspect to Germany's quest for world hegemony. Indeed, the author quotes one German general as comparing Ludendorff being stabbed in the back by a weak home front and politicians with Siegfried in Wagner's Gotterdamerung. However, the author lambasts Hindenburg and Ludendorff so mercilessly, without quarter, that he sometimes appears biased and as if he had an agenda to destroy the myth of the Iron Duo. This may very well be the actual case, as I think he even admitted in the preface, but still, I don't think you can blame two men for a society and political structure that allowed, even encouraged authoritarianism, and the eventual rule of such a strong man. Moreover, Ludendorff was singlehandedly controlling the entire nation, and while obviously in hindsight he made a general mess of it, he did do some remarkable things and was a master of tactics and of recognizing military skill and promoting it, if not grand strategy. The author emphasizes his failures (after all, Germany did lose), but never seems to credit the military insights of Ludendorff. These are simply stated as fact but not really anaylzed, or they are given a negative slant. Overall, however, this was an extremely informative and deatiled anaylsis of these two men, what they meant to Germany, and their place in history.
A book with the ring of truth.......1999-08-30
I agree with the previous reviewers. I would give this five stars, save for the fact that I would have liked to see more detail on some points. Still, this book changed my thinking about the Great War for all time. Study of the 1914-18 war is an exercise in frustration -- so many "what ifs," such an unsatisfactory conclusion. I suspect I will go to my grave still debating Haig's generalship -- at times I tend to agree with John Terraine et. al. that we at least have to credit Haig with sound strategic sense in realizing that the war was going to be won or lost on the Western Front and sideshows like Salonika and the Middle East were a waste of effort. Then I look at the operational blunders in 1916 and 1917 and wonder whether he wasn't a bloody fool who was saved by having good subordinates like Plumer, Monash, Currie, Maxse, et al. I raise this point to illustrate that at least here there remains room for debate. I defy anyone to read Asprey's book without coming to the conclusion that Hindenburg and Ludendorff weren't criminally incompetent, waging aggressive war until they had bled their own country white. The British at least had the excuse that this was the first -- indeed only -- time in history that their army had to take on the main force of a preeminent land power (see Terraine's writings on this point). In other words, they had to fight a war they weren't ready for in 1914. By 1918, against all odds, they won. The Germans, on the other hand, squandered every advantage.
Book Description
On September 29, 1918, a regiment of volunteers from New York State, many of them rich boys from Manhattan, attacked the famed Hindenburg Line, one of the strongest defenseive systems ever devised. In the tradition of the Union Army's heroic assaults on Confederate entrenchments during the closing battles of the Civil War, the doughboys hurled themselves at the center of a desperate but still powerful army. At a frightful cost, they broke the enemy and, just as their Union forebears had done, helped bring a terrible war to a close. Interweaving extracts from letters, diaries, and previously published accounts, DUTY, HONOR, PRIVILEGE follows the patrician 7th New York Regiment from the spring of 1917 when war is declared, through its merger with the plebian 1st regiment from Upstate New York (forming the 107th), to training with the British in France aand the heroic attack on the Hindenburg Line. Finally, we witness their triumphant welcome-home parade, still believed to be the biggest parade in New York City history.
Customer Reviews:
Very good.......2003-02-21
Being a native New Yorker and a lover of history I was pulled into this book. With few "unit histories" of the Great War, this one is a must for any serious reader. The unit, made up from the elite of NYC, and men of more humble backgrounds from upper NY, forged a unit while not heralded, most certainly worthy of this book. The story, while never quick moving, will be interesting for the serious reader. The unit saw serious action in breaching the Hindenburg line while attached to the British. Good for the serious student.
Duty, Honor, Privilege.......2002-03-06
A wonderful read. Well-documented and beautifully presented. It realistically evokes a time when honor fueled men to do their perceived duty without hesitation and with great patriotism.
The book via letters and diaries creates a true emotional atmosphere of World War I and those committed to serve. It would make a superb film!
A Stirring reaccounting of a moment in history.......2001-12-06
Not to be forgotten the men of L Regiment. Thank you Mr Harris for the insight to a time before I was born and frankly of a different type of men who had so much to give and so much to lose but honor and duty were so important to them all. This was a wonderful book and if you lived as I did in the Hudson River Valley the memories of all of this are so important to me.
Powerfully visual history ... a very good story.......2001-06-20
This book is well written, well researched and well titled. I devoured it in three sittings. While the First World War has been eclipsed by the Second World War for most Americans, this story captures a fascinating piece of America's earliest military history as a world power. I particularly enjoyed the vivid descriptions which the author used to recreate the past. The arduous conditions the men experienced in South Carolina, where they trained at a partially built national cantonment, are so well drawn it unfolds like a movie. Their surroundings in the U.S. and abroad are brought dramatically to life. The troopship's approach to the French sea coast and entry into Brest harbor, the march through the city and the French countryside complete with the smells of tree blossoms, the troop trains, the billets, etc. were all wonderful. The graphic descriptions of life in the training areas, the reserve areas, marching to the front, entering the trenches, enduring incessant bombardments, making nighttime forays into "No Man's Land" and fighting the big battles was gripping.
The author's diligent research makes this a good read and good history. This reader became convinced that what was known as the Silk Stocking Regiment was far more than spoiled rich boys playing war. When they entered the war they may have been naive, but they rose to the challenges they faced with great courage. Despite suffering terrible casualties they fought valiantly. Their parent unit, the 27th Division, did not fight with the main American forces, the A.E.F., in France. It was assigned to the British Expeditionary Forces (B.E.F.), ultimately under the command of an Australian General, but that did not dampen their fighting spirit.
These soldiers enjoyed broad public support of the people of New York, both upstate farmers ("apple knockers") and New York City socialites, because it blended men from both. The book goes to great length exploring the pedigrees of many of the men of the historic old New York 7th Regiment. It leaves no doubt that many of the men came from the highest class of American society. We are also introduced to some of the "apple knockers". The story proves to be a very interesting social history. The trials, accomplishments and valor left this reviewer feeling very proud of these American soldiers. That feeling of pride is tempered with sadness for the many lives of these fine men which were given so unselfishly.
Average customer rating:
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The Hindenburg Disaster (Code Red)
Aaron Feigenbaum
Manufacturer: Bearport Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding
1900s
| United States
| History & Historical Fiction
| Children's Books
| Subjects
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Aeronautics & Space
| Astronomy & Space
| Science, Nature & How It Works
| Children's Books
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General
| Ages 9-12
| Children's Books
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General
| Literature
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History of Technology
| Technology
| Science
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ASIN: 1597163619 |
Books:
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
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