Book picks similar to
Japanese Cruisers of the Pacific War by Eric Lacroix


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A Glorious Way to Die: The Kamikaze Mission of the Battleship Yamato, April 1945


Russell Spurr - 1981
    Chosen as a Main Selection of the Military Book Club.

Hard Corps: from Thug Zero to Marine Hero


Marco Martinez - 2007
    At the age of twenty-two, he was a hero—the recipient of the Navy Cross, the second-highest honor a U.S. Marine can receive, for extraordinary heroism under fire in the Iraq War. Hard Corps tells the story of his incredible transformation and of his experiences on the front lines of the War on Terror.Writing with passion and candor, Martinez brings us back to his gang days, detailing experiences that make him “shudder in shame” to remember. And he recalls the moment that changed everything for him, when he spotted a barrel-chested U.S. Marine Corps recruiter at his high school. Immediately, he saw an opportunity to alter the course of his aimless life. Martinez takes us with him through the grueling ordeal of Marine boot camp and the even-more-punishing training at the School of Infantry to show just how warriors are made. He reveals how he and his fellow grunts prepared tirelessly for battle, seeing combat not as a burden but as a privilege, the ultimate baptism by fire.For Martinez, that baptism came in Iraq. In Hard Corps, he unfolds a warrior’s tale as riveting, harrowing, and immediate as any ever written. He takes us onto the narrow, treacherous streets of Baghdad, where enemy fire rains down from all directions; alongside his Marine squad as they patrol through the most dangerous war zone imaginable; and into a brutal terrorist ambush that calls upon reserves of ferocity and courage none of the Marines could ever be certain they possessed and that proves the value of every moment of their torturous training. Martinez also recounts stunning reminders of why we fight: the Iraqi man he met whose tongue had been chopped off for speaking out against Saddam Hussein’s regime, the ghastly evidence of human experimentation that Martinez’s squad discovered at an abandoned Iraqi military barracks, and the horrifying mass graves the Marines unearthed in the Iraqi desert.Hard Corps gives us a visceral sense of what it means to know that you are ready to die for your brother Marines and that they would do the same for you. It tells us how it feels when words like duty, honor, and country are not an empty slogan. And, ultimately, it captures the traditions and ooh-rah spirit of the U.S. Marine Corps and the valor of all the Marines, sailors, soldiers,From the Hardcover edition.

History of US Naval Operations in WWII, 15 Vols


Samuel Eliot Morison - 1968
    When the U.S. Marines landed on Iwo Jima, they expected to secure it within a few days. No one had anticipated Japan's determination to defend the island to the last man. Morison describes the Japanese defense system of camouflaged rifle pits and fortified gunning positions that held the Allies at bay and the heavy and continuous cover of naval gunfire that prevented even greater losses. As it was, the securing of Iwo Jima cost the United States more casualties than had been incurred in taking any other island in the Pacific. On Okinawa, the conflict stretched over six long, bloody months. As land forces struggled for every inch they took on the islands, the U.S. Navy faced the desperate fury of the kamimaze corps and its harvest of flaming terror: explosions, burning and flooded ships, searing injuries and death. Fierce weather, logistical complexities, Japanese submarines, and the unexpected death of President Roosevelt also took their toll. Morison concludes his epic account with the final skirmishes of the war, the fateful decision to drop the atomic bomb, and the delicate negotiations leading to Japanese surrender.

The New Recruit: Episode 1


Andy McNab - 2012
    The Army Foundation College in Harrogate is a long way from home for Liam Scott. The training is intense; has he got what it takes to stay in the game when he's faced with CS gas and the firing range?Full story available in hardback and ebook formats.

Fly Into the Wind: How to Harness Faith and Fearlessness on Your Ascent to Greatness


Lt Colonel Dan Rooney - 2020
    

Battle of Leyte Gulf: 23-26 October 1944


Thomas J. Cutler - 1994
    First published in hardcover on the battle's fiftieth anniversary in 1994 and drawing on materials not previously available, it blends history with human drama to give a real sense of what happened--despite the mammoth scope of the battle. Every facet of naval warfare was involved in the struggle that engaged some two hundred thousand men and 282 American, Japanese, and Australian ships over more than a hundred thousand square miles of sea. That Tom Cutler succeeded at such a difficult task is no surprise. The award-winning author saw combat service aboard many types of ships during his naval career, and as a historian and professor of strategy and policy at the Naval War College, he has studied the battle for many years. Cutler captures the milieu, analyzes the strategy and tactics employed, and re-creates the experiences of the participants--from seaman to admiral, both Japanese and American. It is a story replete with awe-inspiring heroism, failed intelligence, flawed strategy, brilliant deception, great controversies, and a cast of characters with names like Halsey, Nimitz, Ozawa, and MacArthur. Such an exciting and revealing account of the battle is unlikely to be equaled by future writers.

Midway: The Battle That Made the Modern World


Richard Freeman - 2012
    It was fought at a place thousands of miles from land, by hundreds of planes over distances of hundreds of miles. It saw four massive Japanese aircraft carriers pitted against three similarly huge American carriers in a battle for domination of the Pacific. The battle is the story of the young Japanese empire seeking to challenge the established industrial power of America. Japan had smashed America at Pearl Harbour, shaken her at Coral Sea. Now she was ready to risk all in one mighty attempt to drive the United States Navy from the Pacific Ocean. Japan’s admirals put to sea confident that they could take the Americans by surprise, take the Midway atoll and destroy the American carriers. American espionage ensured that Admiral Nimitz had full knowledge of the planned attack, so turning a Japanese trap into an American ambush. The battle that followed raged over three days, full of set backs and disaster for each side. But Admirals Yamamoto and Nagumo had over-reached themselves and suffered the greatest naval defeat in history. America entered Midway on the defensive, still a hesitant participant in the war. She left the battle as the world’s first super power. Richard Freeman graduated in mathematics before following a career in distance education. He now writes on naval history. His other books include 'The Great Edwardian Naval Feud'. Endeavour Press is the UK's leading publisher of digital books.

Making a Night Stalker


David Burnett - 2019
    His journey starts in a conventional Army unit where he doesn't feel fulfilled in his duties and obligations. This lack of responsibility drives David to pursue the dream of becoming an MH-47G Chinook helicopter crew chief in the most secretive and elite aviation unit in the world. David is met with constant hurdles and set backs trying to achieve his ultimate goal but he is more determined than ever. After graduating from the units five week selection process he is thrown into school after school and non stop training before being able to step foot on the aircraft he so desperately dreams of crewing on. After almost a year in the Special Operations unit he is trained and ready to deploy with 160th, and it is nothing short of intense. He learns quickly that his new units mission op tempo is exactly what he had hoped. He is eager to prove himself among the ranks and continues to hone his craft over the next four years. After five deployments with the unit as a crew chief he is discharged from the military. After leaving the fast paced world of the SOF community he falls into a deep depression. Alcohol becomes the new most important thing, and he finds himself in a new and reckless battlefield. He never saw this coming.

Zulu Hour


Ty Patterson - 2016
    It is where Delta Force operative Zeb Carter meets Mohammed Jama. It will be bloody. 'Up there with Mitch Rapp and Jack Reacher' Somalia in 1993 is witnessing civil war and famine that has left thousands dead and starving. Task Force Ranger, a unit of elite U.S. operatives is in the country to help enforce peace. Delta operative Zeb Carter is deployed along with Task Force Ranger. Zeb has seen death, up close and personal. He has no fear of dying. However, he has never come across someone like Mohammed Jama. Jama, a warlord in Mogadishu, is fast acquiring a cult status for his vicious killing methods and his attacks on the U.N. forces. He loves to inflict death and revels in his celebrity status. He is looking forward to his showdown with Zeb Carter. August 1993 in Mogadishu. It is hot. It is dusty, and dry. It will be bloody. Zulu Hour is the first in the Warriors Series Shorts, a series of short stories or novellas that will feature Zeb Carter and will link to the main Warriors Series thrillers. USA Today Bestselling Warriors Series: The Warrior The Reluctant Warrior The Warrior Code The Warrior's Debt Boxset 1-4 Flay Behind You Hunting You Zero Boxset 5-8

Gunsmithing - The Ar-15


Patrick Sweeney - 2010
    Written by master gunsmith and best-selling firearms author Patrick Sweeney, Gunsmithing the AR-15 is your one-stop guide to repairing, maintaining and modifying America's favorite rifle. It's all here!Hundreds of detailed photosMaintenanceRepairAccessories and modificationsTips, tools and techniquesAnd more!Whether you're interested in simple tasks, such as disassembling and maintaining your AR rifle, or if you're ready to tackle more complex projects, such as rebarreling or converting your AR to a piston design, Gunsmithing the AR-15 tells you everything you need to know. Protect your investment and avoid costly mistakes, with Gunsmithing the AR-15!

Zin and Celeste: A Fortis Family Christmas


Maddie Wade - 2020
    But as he and his fiancée—the love of his life—head to Scotland to spend the holidays with the Fortis crew, he knows it will be one he never forgets.Celeste is ready for the holidays with the man she loves, their last as a couple before their baby arrives.But a cloud is gathering, bringing a feeling of doom too heavy to ignore, and before long, the perfect Christmas is in chaos.Can the love between these two overcome a madman who wants Zin dead, and will nature decide that not even that’s enough for them to contend with?Buckle up because Santa just left, and he has an altogether different gift for this couple than the one they expected.

The Quiet Warrior: A Biography of Admiral Raymond A. Spruance


Thomas B. Buell - 1974
    Raymond A. Spruance. Spruance, victor of the battles of Midway and the Philippine Sea and commander of the Fifth Fleet in the invasions of the Gilberts, the Marshalls, the Marianas, and Okinawa, is one of the towering figures in American naval history. Yet his reserved, cerebral personality did not make good copy for correspondents, and until the publication of The Quiet Warrior he remained an elusive figure. Thomas Buell has succeeded in evoking the nature of the man as well as recording the achievements of the admiral in this brilliant biography, which won the Alfred Thayer Mahan Award for Literary Achievement the year of its publication.

Nelson's Navy: The Ships, Men, and Organization, 1793-1815


Brian Lavery - 1989
    This encyclopedic work gives an in-depth description of all facets of the Royal Navy in Nelson's time.

Blackstone Series: Books 1-3


J.L. Drake - 2019
    Unstoppable. Fearless. Protectors. The men of Blackstone will stop at nothing to keep their loved ones safe… HONOR, Book 1 I fell to my knees. Normally, I could block out the pain, but not this time. Something wasn’t right… The next thing I knew, I found myself in a North Dakota hospital where things took an unexpected turn. Mia Harper was the new nurse who seemed to know more about me than she should. Yet I couldn’t help but flirt with her. She was witty, playful, and her beauty was unmatched. I couldn’t get enough. Just when I thought things were looking up, someone returned from my past and flipped my world around. ESCAPE, Book 2 Ten years ago, I made the best and worst decision of my life. I joined the Army and left the love of life behind…Lexi. When I returned home years later, I was told she was dating the leader of a local gang, Almas Perdidas, and that she wanted nothing to do with me. After Lexi got a beating for not following the rules, I tried to remind her of what we once had, who we once were together. But she refused to listen. Little did I know she was carrying a secret of her own that would end in bloodshed. FREEDOM, Book 3 Deep in the belly of Mexico, my team and I were on the hunt. One of the cartel’s mules flipped and wanted a ticket to freedom. The information they held could be our game-changer. Returning home to a civilian lifestyle was always an adjustment, even if it was temporary. However, a chance encounter with Catalina Mandas made that transition a little bit easier. She completely captivated me. But Catalina warned me that we could never be together, that her past and mine could never coexist. Secrets were standing in our way, but I wasn’t willing to let her go that easily. Back on a mission, and possibly one of the biggest rescues Blackstone has ever pulled off, I collided with one of my biggest nightmares…

Fifty Degrees South: The battle at the end of the world novella (Burns Series Book 0)


M.M. Holt - 2018
    They struck the ship and halted our pursuit of the enemy French vessel. None of the officers nor the crew had seen anything like them. No-one knew how to fight back. No-one could say what the beams were, nor who had dared to fire on a ship of war. The year was 1803. We were far south in the Atlantic Ocean. This was my first command as captain, and it was not going well. The mission was a strange one, even for a time of war. We were ordered to pursue a French frigate and capture a mysterious sea-chest, ordered to follow the frigate to the frozen ends of the Earth---failure not permitted, of course.No-one had warned us about blue beams. None of the admirals said a word about shining black vessels in the sky. And no-one mentioned that we might find a woman floating in the sea, hundreds of miles from land, nor that she would be far more dangerous than she seemed.But nothing could have prepared us for what waited beyond the frozen latitude of fifty degrees south."Download "Fifty Degrees South," and time-travel back to this dangerous world today!"