The dismanteling of the Soviet Union brought about a fundamental shift in how we analyze the role of a modern nuclear navy. Large fleet to fleet battles between technologically sophisticated opponents is still a remote possibility, however, surface group actions of the future will certainly resemble smaller more tactical battles as well. The idea of skirmishes and close-quarters combat between vessles must be understood. So to the more immense multi-unit combat possibilities.
This is the spectrum "Fleet Tactics" seeks to analyze. It does this remarkabley well. It also explores more intangible factors. Moral and leadership are terms often used but rarely integrated into a coherant strategy towards victory. It seems taken for granted, but the author shows how we must take nothing for granted when restructuring our tactical phillospohy. Re-examining age old ideas and historic battles is only one side of the coin. Here, we have a book that does this but holds up such notions for the purpose of building better tactical thinking.
I have read both the original edition and this newe, updated one... the changes are clear. We have a book that picks up where naval theory as of 1990 left off. While still managing to represent its original content with value towards the tactician in naval warfare.
Read this book is you are interested in more than just bland analyses of age old battles. Read it if you want to develope a strong understanding of how naval conflicts of almost every kind should be fought. Read it if you want to develope a sound understanding of the timeless tactical cornerstones in naval strategy.

Hughes brings the reader through successive eras of Naval Strategy, threading common themes about what has changed and what has remained constant, and how (and why) tactics on the water differ from those on land. His updated edition demonstrates the likely impact of advances in technology and shifting political realities on naval power, with implication on tactics, training, and equipment. The work is refreshing not only because contemporary works on naval strategy are relatively uncommon, but also because he lays out in easy to follow fashion the challenges that our navies will face. This is particularily important in an era of shrinking overseas land presence, as the Navy will be called upon to project power more frequently. His stark description of 'exchange ratios' and their implications serve an important reminder to the West of the perils of the fight. The book will comfortably take its spot on your bookshelf beside the numerous general, land, and air strategy books available. I only wish there was more written on this topic.

Covering the Age of Sail, WW1, WW2 and the Missile Age, Fleet Tactics and Coastal Combat examines the trends and constants of warfare in a comprehensive and concise book. Examining the need to mass fire power and the benefit of the first effective strike, this book provides a sound base for tactical though. Updated from Fleet Tactics, Fleet Tactics and Coastal Combat includes relevant information to the new arena that the navy will be finding its self in - littoral combat. Many examples and equations are given in this book to illustrate the points Captain Hughes makes. A must read for anyone who is interested in the evolution of naval combat.

This book is primarily a lay-person's guide to Ignatian contemplative prayer. However, it can also be read simply as an uplifting book on spirituality and the nature of the relationship between human beings and God. Another reviewer said this book is a "touchstone" and I agree. This book is filled with the love of God and the exercises help point to Christ and to God's infinite grace.

This is a book I have returned to many times, it is a touch stone. There is no hint of pomposity, ego or personal gain from the author. It cuts though the usual surface rhetoric of given answers and assumptions often handed out by the church and in our thinking. It is not about the church it is about God. I would think it would be a value to anyone at any place in their life. This book may upset your way of seeing life. It will challenge your beliefs and assumptions and help to loosen the constricting and sometimes comfortable views we all have about Christ. I find it hard to believe that this unpretentious, insightfully clear and beautiful book is now out of print.

I am indeed surprised that I am the first person to review this book for America. I am a priest in Scotland and wish to recommend this book to everyone, of all faiths and none. Gerry Hughes dispenses with the 'God who punishes', the God who has been portrayed by mainstream religion for centuries, nay millennia, who wouldn't even make a half decent next door neighbour. This is Christianity with depth - and no place for superstition. If you have ever sat in a church listening to a preacher talking nonsense and wanted to challenge his sermon, read this book. Gerry seems to invite people to listen to the biggest pulpit anyone could find, - the pulpit which stands in each person's own heart and conscience. Break free from the shackles of religion by terror and meet the God of Surprises. The big surprise is : You're okay, don't listen to those who would load burdens of guilt on your shoulders, and......... it's okay to question the teachings of people who wear black frocks and white collars. I hope this book becomes a best seller across the pond.

I was initially put off by the title, thinking that this might be written for junior readers. But once I began reading it I realized that this was far from the truth.

The book is very well written, and very informative. It gives a very mature insight into the HK-1 project, as well as Howard Hughes himself.

I highly recommend this book to anybody wanting a detailed account of the events pertaining to Howard Hughes and His Flying Boat.

During the last 30 years I've had the rare opportunity to read every known autobiography ever published on Howard Hughes, along with incalculable magazine and newspaper articles. In fact, only recently, my "Letter-to-the-Editor", regarding the major overlook as Hughes as one of the Top 20 industrialist of the 20th Century...appeared in the 1998 Man-of-The-Year issue of Time magazine. I guess you may call me a Hughesonian? With this in mind, I must rate Charles Barton examination at the life of Howard Hughes in his 276-page book titled, "Howard Hughes and his Flying Book", as the finest ever published to date. While Barton does not touch on or go into great depth on Hughes' life in motion pictures, Las Vegas, the oil business or any of the plethora of activities the genius of Hughes took on, he does give you an amazing insight into Hughes and the building of the Spruce Goose. It takes a brave writer to delve into the life of Hughes. Few man, if any, have left such a legacy which include multi-billion dollar corporations. I myself have written and published more than 25,000 articles, yet to tackle and succeed with a story on Hughes would be a challenge only worthy of a dedicated and admirable writer like Barton. Not only is Barton a wordsmith but he has done extensive research on Hughes and his association with the Spruce Goose. You are literally taken into the mind and world of Howard Hughes and his associates. Unlike other Hughes biographies which paint just a bizarre human being, we see, true an eccentric man, but one who knew what he was doing and was always one step ahead of the game. While the construction of an enormous airplane like the Spruce Goose might be only of interest to engineers, the reader is brought to believe that the Spruce Goose had a life of it's own...an extension of Hughes. All bases are covered in "Howard Hughes and his Flying Boat" which includes one of the most extensive collection of Hughes photographs ever published along with a catchy book cover drawing of Hughes and his Spruce Goose. Rumour has it that actor Nicholas Cage has in the works to do an epic movie on the life of Howard Hughes. I recommend that Cage, if looking for an Oscar, read over this epic tale of the Hughes, the aviation genius.

This book was written by, and with, aircraft pilots in mind, but you don't have to be a pilot to enjoy reading it. It covers all aspects of Hughes' brilliance, life at the time, quirks, and headaches with the US Government over the "white elephant" that came to be known as the "Spruce Goose". Terrific reading for anyone who wants to know more about Hughes, or this amazing feat of design. A thoroughly enjoyable and satisfying read. This book may still be available at the souvenir stand if you should go to see the Flying Boat in person in California.

This book was very well written. As a person with APS there isn't much information on the disease out there. I even got my doctor to read the book!

Not long ago, my wife was diagnosed with "possible MS." The symptoms were there, and my wife and I prepared for life with this new situation. However, recently, this diagnosis has been overturned in favor of "antiphospholipid syndrome" or Hughes Syndrome. This condition is characterized by the sufferer's blood clotting too easily, resulting in a number of symptoms, many of them quite serious.

In this wonderful book, Dr. Graham Hughes of St. Thomas' Hospital, London (and the man for whom this syndrome is named) gives the lay-reader and doctor alike a clear and concise understanding of what this syndrome is, what its effects are, and what treatments are currently available. Though quite short (63 pages), it is jam-packed with easy-to-read information, which is well organized, and complete with some excellent illustrations and many case studies. The case studies go a long way towards giving the reader a clear idea of what having Hughes Syndrome means to those suffering from it.

My wife and I are very glad we got this book. It is truly nothing short of excellent. Plus (as previously pointed out), its price is quite modest compared to the other Hughes Syndrome books currently available. If you or anyone you knows has been diagnosed as having Hughes Syndrome, then I highly recommend that you purchase this book!

As a patient who's been diagnosed with Antiphospholipid Antibody Syndrome since 1994, also known at Hughes Syndrome, I found this to be the ONLY book written for patients and their families on this subject. The price, compared to the other books on this disease, which are doctor focused, is fantastic.

In an easy to read style, Dr. Hughes describes this auto-immune disease completely. This is a great book for both patients and their families. I recommend this highly.

Are there words to be found for this book? I wish courage to all those who want to give it a try and read it. Life gets different after the experience...

This is a new translation of Rudolf Steiner's most important work. It has an especially good introduction by Gertrude Hughes Reif. However, I preferred the two older titles: "Philosophy of Freedom" and "Philosophy of Spiritual Activity" because the significance of the experience of the book comes across better for me with those titles. This is not a book that can be "read" in the usual sense. It must be worked on because it forces you to think about your own thinking. Through this difficult process you yourself discover your spiritual self, your "I" being. This book should be the most important book of the last 100 years, but it hasn't been because there are not many people who want to discover themselves. That is too fearful and difficult. It is much easier to be asleep or to belong to a religion or to have a guru. For anyone who is brave and courageous about "Know Thyself!" this is THE book.

Perhaps one of the most significant questions you can ask in your life: How can I know anything? How can I feel sure that what I hold as the basis for reality has any reality at all? These and other significant life questions are worked through in this remarkable philosophical work. Be prepared to do your own work as you follow the intuitive path that has been carefully outlined by Rudolf Steiner. The careful reader will find few books more deeply satisfying. I have returned to re-read it many times.

I had forgotten about this book, but as we've reorganized the home office, I rediscovered it and the game. I think the book manages to capture and enhance the original spirit of the game which is saying quite a bit. I've played the game for hundreds (maybe thousands) of hours, but 75% of the book's insights are still new to me. Master of Magic can be won with many, many different strategies and styles of play (part of what makes it a great game). These authors have obviously looked at the game from every angle with every strategy and obviously pestered the good folks at the developer to get all kinds of detail about how the innards of the game actually work. This should be required reading for anyone looking to develop a turn based strategy game (computer and otherwise). If only the computer players in MoM weren't quite so dim at the end of the game, this book would be even more useful

Whether you are just discovering this game or have been playing it for years, this guide is a must-have. It contains information on all aspects of play--spells, skills, races, combat, urban planning, etc, and discusses computer-controlled elements such as treasures, random events, and monsters. The book does contain some debatable rankings and recommendations, but the wealth of helpful information overshadows these few flaws. The authors also did a fantastic job of considering various play styles and game settings when writing this book. This guide is an excellent resource that deserves a place by your computer!

This is an excellent strategy guide! the master of magic strategy guide is an absolute must for the beginning player. It goes into battle tactics, Race comparisons, charts, and stratgies for winning! If you like MoM, you'll love this

Jen Green's introduction to the life and work of Michelangelo is at something of a disadvantage compared to other volumes in the Famous Artists series because he was both a painter and a sculptor, although there is also a spread on his work as an architect as well. Ultimately Green focuses more on Michelangelo as a sculptor, looking at his Bacchus, Pieta, and David works before looking at the painting of the Sistine Chapel (the reproductions of these paintings unfortunately predate the remarkable restoration efforts). Ironically, in terms of explaining Michelangelo's distinct style, Green has much more success dealing with the painter than the sculptor. The political climate of the time is also dealt with, since perhaps no other artist in history worked at the whim of patrons and popes more than Michelangelo.

The strength of the Famous Artists series remains its emphasis on allowing young readers to experiment with the techniques of particular artists through the use of hands-on projects (e.g., proportion, composition, carving in relief) as well as by providing preliminary sketches and materials to show the artistic process at work. Each two-page spread features an illustration of the artist's home or environment, the continuing story of the Michelangelo's life, details and examples of the his work at that particular time, and a feature on the artist's technique with practical projects to try. Often there are enlargements of key parts of the work and there is always a symbol indicating the size of the work relative to a human being. As a general rule, these are excellent books for providing readers, young and old alike, with a basic art appreciation introduction to the world's greatest artists.

Hughes gives a lot of info in a short book, and paints a very well balanced idea of Michelangelo the man. I felt bad for
Buonaratti after reading this. He truly was a miserable man, yet his committment to his art was never diminished for a moment. In the end the story of his life is inspiring and humbling. Inspiring because it proves what man can acheive, humbling in the sacrifices that were made in order to fulfill his destiny as one of the great geniuses to have ever lived.

Firstly, I was thoughroughly impressed by the quality of this little book. The layout of the pages, the quality of the paper, everything. I'm glad to report that the content matches its presentation: Very clean, clear text featuring an unbiased look at Michelangelo's life. The book often cites former biographers (specifically Vasari and Condivi) and more often than not, it tries to find the right history. Very good illustrations of his more famous artwork as well as some drawings. Excellent!

Prussia gained ascendancy over Austria and thus dominion of Germany through the art of war by one of its ablest commanders, Moltke the Elder. With Austria defeated at the decisive battle of Koniggratz (1866), Prussia stood alone for the coveted leadership of Germany; therefore, when France declared war on Prussia (1870) to prevent German unification, ironically this afforded Prussia the opportunity to fulfill its destiny. Napoleon III intended to cut Prussia off from the southern German republics; however, Prussia called the other German republics to arms, not for defense, but for a joint attack against the French vanguard, in French territory. The French seriously underestimated Prussia's capacity to rapidly deploy its seemingly disparate forces into one cohesive whole. How did Prussia accomplish this epic task? At the strategic level Prussia was able to marshal all of its forces under one central command, but at the tactical level the subordinate commanders were permitted the greatest independence possible to take the initiative (Selbstatigkeit).

Moltke states that if one makes a mistake during the initial deployment, one cannot compensate for it later. As the forces evolve, the error propagates concentrically outward like a chain reaction, jeopardizing the outcome of the entire campaign. The French deployment during the Franco-Prussian war suffered from such deficiencies.

According to Moltke, during the decision phase the commander must champion only one perspective to the green table. Once he has arrived at a decision, although it may not be the best, his subordinates should execute it resolutely. The consistent execution of even a mediocre plan will more often lead to victory (in the long-run) than an inconsistent execution of a great plan; hence, Molke's maxim that 'strategy grows silent in the face of the need for a tactical victory'. Moltke states that only a layman believes that it is possible to foresee and predict causal events deterministically in war.

Moltke counsels commanders with one force just how vulnerable they are to envelopment when they maneuver their force between two opposing formations with 'interior lines' and 'central position'. This appears to be a trivial statement; however, one must realize that 'interior lines' was Napoleon's favorite attack maneuver, which he implemented so successfully against numerically superior but divided forces (See The Campaigns of Napoleon by David G. Chandler). Napoleon I succeeded because he adroitly maneuvered his one force directly, halfway between the two opposing forces, which effectively neutralized his opponents from acting in concert and from supporting one another. Then he would march to attack one of the two, but the other opponent had to march twice as far (to support), hence, Napoleon I could concentrate on defeating the first opponent and then countermarch to defeat the second opponent that arrived too late, thus, his single force fought as well as two. During the Franco-Prussian war, Napoleon III intended to implement a similar maneuver to cut Prussia off from south Germany. First, he hoped to defeat Prussia, alone, which would entice Austria and Italy into forming a triumvirate with him. Then he hoped the triumvirate would attack the south German Confederation.

During the Franco-Prussian war, Prussia was victorious in battle, but as Moltke says, 'at what a cost'. It seems to me that Prussia's losses were rather high, primarily because of their reluctance to change plans and to break off any engagement once it began. Then the 'peoples army' arose like a phoenix in the midst of the vanquished French field armies, which made the consummation of Moltke's final victory elusive. He could not pursue all the remaining military targets; therefore, he just focused on one-Paris. He surrounded the French capital with the preponderance of his remaining forces (150,000) because it was the only strategic option left open to him.

The commander should position himself with his uncommitted reserves to ensure that they are committed where and when they may be of greatest service; he should not be at the front with units already committed. He should send reserves to those areas where the forward units are already nearly winning, thereby, overcoming these areas of resistance faster, with fewer losses by their timely intervention. Secondly, he should endeavor to bolster tenuous positions or those that are in danger of being lost.

The attack has the advantage of dictating the course of events to the defender who must conform to them. The advantages are greater morale and confidence gained through the knowledge of the time and place of the attack. The best method of attack is to envelope the opponent with two forces. First, one must attack the opponent frontally with one force to pin down as much of their main force as possible. Then the second force must attack the opponent's flank. Moltke believed that both the frontal and flank attacks should be performed simultaneously, however, if I were attacking the flank, I would wait until it has been sufficiently denuded, since the opponent will be drawing forces from it to counter the frontal attack (i.e., feint). The flank attack is usually the center of gravity (Schwerpunkt), but the frontal attack may be the center of gravity as well. There should be a reserve element to cover the force attacking the opponent's flank. An example of precisely this method took place during the battle of Koniginhof (Austria, 1866).

This book is a compendium of essays written by v. Moltke that covers many practical aspects of the art of war with historical examples. Many of these methods are just as valid today as they were in 1860. Moltke writes very lucidly with great candor, which is precisely what one would expect of a Prussian Officer.

Count Helmut von Moltke was perhaps the greatest military leader during the period between Napoleon and the First World War. Moltke shaped the way that the German Army looked at war up until 1945. What was important to Moltke was not a set of rules or principles, but rather a way of thinking. Initiative and control were stressed, "when in doubt advance toward the sound of the guns". . . While he had great respect for the Prussian philosopher of war, Carl von Clausewitz, whom he had limited contact with as a young staff officer, Moltke rejected several of Clausewitz's most important concepts, perhaps the most eventful being the place of the military in strategic decisions made during time of war. For Moltke the military should simply be allowed to fight the war to the finish at which time the political leadership would be allowed to negotiate the peace. Clausewitz saw war as the continuation of politics by other means, meaning that political decisions did not end with the commencement of hostilities but continued. The editor of this book mentions several similarities including one that upon closer study is in reality another break between the two outlooks. Referring to Book 6, Chapter 8 of On War, he mentions that Clausewitz wrote, "that all strategic planning rested on tactical success alone, because only tactical successes could produce a favorable outcome." Moltke obviously agreed since he thought, "strategy grows silent in the face of the need for a tactical victory." However if one actually reads that chapter in On War one comes away with a different impression since Clausewitz's view is far more nuanced than that of Moltke. Clausewitz had experienced terrible defeat and great hardship during the struggle against Napoleon, having served with the Russians during the fateful campaign of 1812. It was the experience of that campaign which showed Clausewitz the importance of a Fabian strategy (denying battle, allowing an enemy to exhaust himself through exertion). Thus Clausewitz writes, "One may admit that even where the decision has been bloodless, it was determined in the last analysis by engagements that did not take place, but had merely been offered. In that case, it will be argued, the strategic planning of these engagements, rather that the tactical decision should be considered the operative principle. . . That is why we think it is useful to emphasize that all strategic planning rests on tactical success alone, and that -whether the solution is arrived at in battle or not - this is in all cases the fundamental basis for the decision."

Moltke, during his most successful period, could only see the winning of offensive battles as assuring strategic success. For this reason he developed his strategic sequence which combined mobilization, transportation, deployment, movement and combat into one continuous chain of events. Widely deployed forces would converge at the proper moment and destroy the enemy in a complete or partial envelopment. This worked well in 1866 against the Austrians and in 1870 against the French. His system seemed to promise victory in any war. He had taken the gift of fire from Prometheus and changed its very nature, or so his followers thought. Moltke himself grew more cautious in his later years, suggesting that only a partial success could be achieved in a war against both France and Russia, a political solution would have to be found for the strategic dilemma instead. During the period up to and following the First World War, most German military thinkers followed Moltke's earlier views while giving lip service to Clausewitz. Moltke was the more modern man, the technician of war for the machine age, while Clausewitz was a philosopher, belonging to another time and mode of thinking, or so it seemed.

Professor Hughes' book provides translations of various examples of Moltke's writings. I found Moltke's views on the training and duties of General Staff officers particularly interesting. The editor includes excellent commentary on various German military terms and the ways that they have been translated into English in the past, some rather confusing.

In all I find this book well worth the money and would recommend it to those interested in German military history, 19th Century military history, and military strategy and tactics in general, particularly the evolution of military thought. What seems to be missing is an edition of the works of Sigismund von Schlichting, who as Hughes points out provides the key link between Moltke's theories and modern theory.

The book shows von Moltke to be a prophetic genius. One wonders whether the German generals who joined the French and British in ordering lemminglike frontal assualts during the First World War read his works... he predicted the effectiveness of modern firearms during the 1870s. He also projected the ineffectiveness (or worse) of the United Nations and League of Nations (see page 25). Principles of management include acceptance of responsibility by a single person (p. 26) and delegation to the frontline manager (p. 77). Moltke's advocacy of delegation belies the stereotype of the Prussian Army as mechanistic and rigid. The book contains some echoes of von Clausewitz' "On War," which von Moltke undoubtedly read. Page 22 gives the FULL context of Moltke's infamous statement, "Eternal peace is a dream, and not even a pleasant one." (He continues, "... who can deny that every war, even a victorious one, inflicts grevious wounds on all involved?") -William A. Levinson http://www.pic.net/~wlevinso "The Crisis Manager"

I love this book. I am amazed by her depth of knowledge. Plus it's a good read. I am re-reading it now, keeping it by my bedside to read a few paragraphs each night. Such a wealth of knowledge.

I first read this a year or so ago and just loved it. This book gave me an even greater appreciation for the intelligence of plants, their adaptability, and the information we can gain from the presence of certain weeds if we know what we are looking at. The author talks about her ongoing struggle with the weeds that inhabit her gardening space. There are no winners or losers in this war, but a definate relationship is created between the two.

This book is very enjoyable to read as well as being full of great, and accurate, information.

This book will delight any and all who have done or will do battle with weeds. Mrs. Stein has a delightful style that is warm and personable. Her research was excellent and the reader will discover much about the secret lives of these much maligned plants. Anyone that is thinking about starting a garden should read this book

Another strong entrant in the "Original" series, with Bluemel's usual thorough research, beautiful and detailed photography and useful technical info for each model. This book covers the golden era of Ferrari's road cars. Impatiently waiting for the second V-12 book.

As a Ferrari fan,I collect and read many books about Ferrari.This is one of the books that I feel I have got a lot of knowledge.There are more than 220 color photographs and detail introduction about the every car's chassis,transmission,wheel...etc.This book keep the same class of the other one:"Ferrari V8". So,I just can't wait for the other series books ! (Because this book just introduce the cars from 1965 to 1973 !)

As a Ferrari fan,I collect and read many books of Ferrari.This is one of the books that make me feel I have got a lot of knowledge.It has more than 220 color photographs and detail introduction of engine,transmission,facia...etc.This book keep the same class of the other one:"Ferrari V8".So,I just can't wait for this series books ! (Because this book just introduce from 1965 to 1973 !)