For readers who have heard of retroactive Medal of Honor awards since publication of this book in 2002, please know that I'm keeping abreast of the situation. Much has changed in a short time, including the passing of the irreplaceable Joe Foss in January 2003. If A&B enters a second printing it should include corrections and updates.
(I apologize for rating my own book--I'd avoid it if it were still possible for an author to comment on his title without doing so!)

Over 100 American airmen have received the Medal of Honor since World War I. Barrett Tillman's new book, written for the Smithsonian Institution, is a fresh look at these warriors and their exploits.
The book is arranged by war and service, with each recipient being individually covered. What's novel about this effort that author Tillman doesn't rely on just the official (and frequently stilted) citations, but interviewed numerous experts and witnesses of the events along with as many of the surviving medal recipients as he could locate. What you get is what Paul Harvey would call "The rest of the story", and it includes inter service rivalries and a fair dose of politics as well as courage, heroism and sacrifice.
Among the familiar names- Bong, Rickenbacker and Foss you'll find many whose valor have been lost to history. The author also covers aviation-related awards, such as men who received the medal while POWs as well as mentioning some who are commonly believed to have received the medal- Army's Colin Kelly, and some who probably should have- including Marine Marion Carl.
Tillman takes time to compare other nations' counterpart medals and deals with the changing criteria for the award through the years. He also includes things you may not have thought of, such as that the B-17 Flying Fortress has been the mount of more CMOH winners (17) than any other aircraft, while the Grumman F4F Wildcat leads all fighter types, with eight.
Highly recommended for those who enjoy reading military aviation titles.

I found this book to be very enlightening in regards to Windows 2000 Directory Services planning and implementation. As an experienced Windows NT 4 administrator, this book may also prove useful for any Network Admin looking to upgrade their system(s) to Microsoft's latest NOS. The only qualm I had, was the fact that this book could have been somewhat more detailed regarding some of the explanations for RIS, DNS, and implementation of group policies. All in all a great book to add to your repertoire.

The book is designated to help a reader to prepare for a MCSE test. It is also very useful for an NT administrator moving toward Win2000. The truth is that if there is no Active Directory on a Win 2000 server there is no way to administer Win2000 domain. This very clever book explains the best practices available to administer Win 2000 Server and network. Highly recommended!

This book focus only on the F-8, thelast Navy fighter that was designed for gun air combat. You can find very detailed air combat record in Vietnam, including the time, place and names and you can really enjoy the contents and understand the other side of the stories of Navy air combat history in Vietnam

Barrett Tillman has long set the standard for aircraft histories, and this volume is an outstanding work dedicated to a unique, often forgotten and under-rated aircraft. The achievements of the F-8 aircraft and its fliers are well covered and entertainingly rendered in this fast reading narrative. An essential work for anyone interested in jet fighters, Vietnam air combat, or air warfare in general.

Ever since John Sweeney declared that organizing is labor's top priority, numerous books have appeared that describe union strategies in organizing including mobilizing the rank-and-file. But the authors in this book would find that the top-down and staff directed nature of those efforts only minimally overlap with rank-and-file democracy. They feel that actual rank-and-file empowerment within union processes is the only way for the labor movement to regain its former stature. But many questions do arise. None of the authors clearly differentiate between worker democracy within local unions and democracy over workplace affairs. The NLRA restriction to bargaining over wages and conditions has proven to be disastrous to working people. But labor activists and these authors seem to accept this limited role for unions. But that is hiring-hall unionism where jobs may last only a few weeks and larger company strategies are mostly irrelevant. Most working people are firm-located and need to have input to company plans regarding investment, marketing, products, plant closings and locations, etc. If that is company unionism, so be it. Also, the authors point to a nebulous concept of social unionism as a desired path for unions. The fact of the matter is that in the past larger community support for unions was because working people at one time lived in highly localized ethnic, urban communities or small company oriented towns. Many of those communites no longer exist. The authors have confused unions with a political party that is devoted to the social interests of the entire working class. National unions in the U.S. are really very narrowly focused businesses: they collect dues, actively try to increase membership, and provide bargaining and contract administrative services. And are very concerned with survival for their own sake. Since the authors have made rank-and-file democracy their central concern, it is a shortcoming of the book that no comparative analysis of the industrial relations system of a northern European country where workers have legislated co-determination rights was included . The bottom line for this book is that it is well worth reading. It is not a rubber stamp of Sweeney policy. But this book leaves plenty of room for considering what the structure and policies of unions should be for the coming century that will enhance and protect the economic lives of working people.

It's about time a book is out that provides a view from the wokers themselves. It was refreshing to hear from the "rank-and-file" that unionism is the way American must go if there is going to be a working-class view of America. But most important was the underlying view that the American Labor Movement needs internal democracy if is going to survive in the future. I recommend this book to any union member that has felt alientated by the union leadership. It's time that the leaders think of the memberhsip and not themselves.

Barrett Tillman and Bob Lawson have joined forces to produce a true jewel of a book on the US Dive and Torpedo bombers of WWII. Both individuals are recognized experts in the field and their collaboration has yielded a standout treatment of each significant dive and torpedo bomber in service during World War II. The text is an outstanding reference on the origin and development of each type aircraft as well as its introduction and success (or tribulations) in combat. This is nicely balanced by the superb imagery, many in color, and detailed captions. These gents really know their stuff and it shows. If you're interested in this subject and don't have it yet, your collection is not complete.

Up till now, my reading has focused on the soldier(s) or battles, sometimes even a good novel (ie War and Rememberance), but I've never attempted to read a book about the fine machines of World War II. Reading this book was a pleasure that I savored.

The book is organized into eight chapters. Each chapter discusses the planes in detail giving manufacturing history, sometimes the designer and usually indicating the specific number of planes produced. The chapter then goes on to describe the action the specific plane saw in WWII. I thought I knew a lot about the Battle of Midway, but it wasn't until reading this book, that I learned that our carrier killer, the Douglas SBD did not have folding wings. It seems ironic or perhaps unusual for a carrier plane to not have folding wings. But I'm not the only one who thought that; an incident is described aboard a CVL where the plane director told an SBD pilot to fold his wings after landing. The pilot told the director "This is an SBD". The director said "Well, fold 'em anyway".

As you read each chapter, much of what is described is illustrated by high quality photos. I think I spent as much time studying the photos as I did looking at the text. The title page has a huge picture of the Enterprise launching her SBD's 12/7/41. One doesn't often see a deck full of SBD's with red dots in the center of the stars, which were painted out mid-1942.

Although the book is loaded with technical language, most is easily understood by the context. The book also discusses other planes used in the south pacific, such as patrol bombers and some of the fighters. It tells of the use of navy planes on the Atlantic side of the WWII theater also.

Whenever possible, the author(s) use personal stories to give one a first hand experience in the cockpit. Mr. Tillman shares his own story helping to restore an SBD-5 in the early seventies. Most of the stories, though, are from 1941-1945. Many are from names I already knew, but I learned of a few more in this book. We had no shortage of heroes in WWII.

This book is a must for every woman. It breaks down the old traditions and reveals God's real word to woman. It will change your view of the world and your view of yourself. Order more than one copy because you will want to share it.

I'll be honest, even the title made me extremely nervous. "A Woman's Place". Numerous episodes flooded my mind: a news report on women in Afghanistan being expelled from their professions and living in fear and shame; a teenage boy who attempted to shatter my niece's developing self-image; a clergyman who instructed an abused wife to pray harder and be more pleasing to her spouse; any of the men who have focused on my face and body, only to discover that my formal education and life experience far surpasses their own. As pervasive as these or similar situations are, my hesitancy is understandable. Even more so when "a woman's place" is discussed within the context of Biblical scripture. However, I was quickly drawn into Bernadine's spiritual journey. This is not a biography, or even a tale of survival. "A Woman's Place" is a very well researched and thought out analysis of Biblical scripture and stories that have traditionally been used to subvert women and keep them from achieving their potential within the church, the family and themselves. The women in Bernadine's Bible study group were drawn together by mutually perceived conflicts between their faith, the men in their lives, the church's traditional teachings, and what they instinctively believed about God. Using Kathryn Bushnell's book, "God's Word to Women" as a guide, the women awakened to the realization that women hold a very important role in God's plan, and until we are treated as equal partners to men, humanity will never achieve its highest plateau. Let me stress that "A Woman's Place" does not chronicle the group's studies. Instead, Bernadine dissects scripture, reverting to the original Hebrew and explaining the variations in translation, the alterations in meaning. She tackles Eve, who illustrates the danger of not knowing the whole truth, of remaining ignorant and obtaining information second hand. Eve, the only creature God did not make from clay, but from the side (not rib) of man, to be his equal, his partner, and to assist Adam in his relationship to God. Eve, the only party in the fruit episode to tell the truth! Bernadine, through her studies and through this book, returns Eve to her rightful place, not as the cause of man's downfall, but as the strong but flawed spiritual partner of Adam. It is highly unfortunate that religious scripture has been utilized to deny women (and other minorities) positions of authority, formal education, and a voice within their families and relationships. Many women, although maintaining their spiritual foundation, distance themselves from the church in an attempt to seek their identity and self-worth. They feel driven away from the very place that is supposed to give them comfort and support. Bernadine, through "A Woman's Place," reiterates what many women instinctively know, that they are valued, they are worthy, and they are equal. I strongly encourage anyone who has been raised in the Judeo-Christian tradition to read this book, regardless of gender. As with any tome, it is the reader's prerogative to dismiss the author's views, but I guarantee "A Woman's Place" will provoke contemplation and conversation. And that's always a good beginning.

"Beyond the Wild Bunch" rates five stars for (1) thorough treatment of the subject (2) exceptional production values (3) excellent color photography (4) a wonderful assortment of western movie themes and (5) a screamin' deal. This is a $40 book for less than $30, and whether you're a cowboy action shooter or not, if you have one drop of Old West blood, you'll relish this superb volume.

This is a wonderful book. It is a must have for those who like poetry and short stories. Many of his poems have real life instances so it makes you feel like a part of the story. I can't even explain how wonderful it is. Just buy the book.

I generally prefer reading fiction to essays, but the essay I first glimpsed when I picked up this book was so intriguing I had to buy it. It was "Telling Tales," which happens to be about writing and reading stories. What makes a story a story? What is "action"? Who feels emotion in a story, the characters or the reader? These are just a few of the fascinating questions the essay skillfully addresses. I'm still in the middle of reading this book (trying not to finish it too fast) and am amazed at how many different topics Tillman can write about with knowledge, understanding, and grace. The autobiographical essay about growing up with and losing her father is another highlight, blending dreams with fragments of memory and moving psychological insights. Tillman has a way of describing elusive emotional states, memories of ordinary moments in the past that take on extraordinary (yet unsentimental) poignancy, and complicated personal/political relationships that takes my breath away. Anyone interested in the intersection of politics, art, identity, feminism, irony, literature, memory, and history should read this book.

I have read nearly every book on the subject and this is the definitive best. Espically the illustrations. There is something about seeing the aircraft in color that makes them come alive. I reccomend this book to any fan of the Second World War.