tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25087682834587832292024-03-12T20:07:24.817-07:00The AIW ReaderThe AIW Reader is a blog intented to be a useful database primarily intended for wargamers although hopefully the entries will also be of use to those interested in historical study. Each entry has tags to make it easy to find media resources for a particular war, battle, or aspect of history in the ongoing Arab-Israeli Conflict. The AIW Reader is very much an ongoing work in progress.MaksimSmelchakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04844818181545002517noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2508768283458783229.post-76723222056915261372012-06-19T16:02:00.000-07:002012-06-19T16:02:15.791-07:00Arab-Israeli Wars in 3mmwww.picoarmor.com<div class="blogger-post-footer">The AIW Reader is a blog intented to be a useful database primarily intented for wargamers although hopefully the entries will also be of use to those interested in historical study.</div>Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03234707712172872680noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2508768283458783229.post-85789424347685712832007-09-20T09:02:00.001-07:002007-09-20T09:08:08.275-07:00NONFICTION: "The Boats of Cherbourg: The Secret Israeli Operation That Revolutionized Naval Warfare" by: Abraham Rabinovich..<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5112317558332657346" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkqCA0C9jaOZ6-h1eSHhbzFmFTGdbvLITz7B8oDF9XQIA2Ce-RoV6t6m2-3sS7wPU2CfMpuZOaI187QYYCoRwfqbQJ7yFt31kv8pkxAM3jHGVNiffdYKs1ieVTiScHcDy_RrdEOzgvDIlX/s400/Blog-AIW-TBOC_9-20-2007.jpg" border="0" /> <div><br />BOOK TITLE: "The Boats of Cherbourg"<br />FULL TITLE: "The Boats of Cherbourg: The Secret Israeli Operation That Revolutionized Naval Warfare"</div><div>AUTHOR: Abraham Rabinovich</div><div>TYPE: Nonfiction<br />LANGUAGE: English<br />TRANSLATOR: nil<br />ILLUSTRATOR: nil<br />PUBLISHER: US Naval Institute Press<br />PUBLICATION DATE: 1997<br />BINDING: Paperback</div><div>ISBN: 1557-507-147<br /></div><div><br />SYNOPSIS:<br />- The story of the revolutionary missile boats used by Israel in the Yom Kippur War.</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">The AIW Reader is a blog intented to be a useful database primarily intented for wargamers although hopefully the entries will also be of use to those interested in historical study.</div>MaksimSmelchakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04844818181545002517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2508768283458783229.post-80833904045045458042007-06-15T16:03:00.000-07:002007-06-15T16:11:43.097-07:00WARGAMING: "Tank Battles In Miniature 5 - A Wargamer's Guide To The Arab-Israeli Wars Since 1948" by: Bruce Quarrie.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5076430985160717714" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWTZ2waZRDwkQOv0XckPM_jOMEQJsJoZYFTA1TgqP9i43PXoS658toJPUbAVqcmls_a_QUZ9mV49Z1UTVuE2BZ8OWj0N-Kj4bxIU5g7TLe_y7TICQbCEEq3PDuCafIkk12gI_qYVHCjQNh/s400/AIW-TBIM-TAIW_6-15-07.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div>BOOK TITLE: "Tank Battles In Miniature 5"</div><div>FULL TITLE: "Tank Battles In Miniature 5 - A Wargamer's Guide To The Arab-Israeli Wars Since 1948"</div><div>AUTHOR: Bruce Quarrie</div><div>TYPE: Wargaming</div><div>LANGUAGE: English</div><div>TRANSLATOR: nil</div><div>ILLUSTRATOR: nil</div><div>PUBLISHER: P. Stephens</div><div>PUBLICATION DATE: 1978</div><div>BINDING: Hardback</div><div>ISBN: 0850-593-042 </div><br /><div>SYNOPSIS:</div><div>- n/a</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">The AIW Reader is a blog intented to be a useful database primarily intented for wargamers although hopefully the entries will also be of use to those interested in historical study.</div>MaksimSmelchakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04844818181545002517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2508768283458783229.post-26791822525594124202007-06-15T15:50:00.000-07:002007-06-15T15:57:20.373-07:00NONFICTION: "The Israeli Army, 1948-1973" by: Edward Luttwak & Dan Horowitz.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5076427562071782786" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZXAJO3u9V_TvO534YxQtpse8t1NiPxRHKbdysamBA8jVcJ5iLEFK5klb9uFzZlmakqPIzVYCaBAqXjfgkbjSH_4xYzXFJKvJXsRMTFcGySuYow3ouNqBtItrXexOQcJA7oDrontmwhID5/s400/AIW-TIIA_6-15-07.jpg" border="0" /><br />BOOK TITLE: "The Israeli Army"<br />FULL TITLE: "The Israeli Army, 1948-1973"<br />AUTHOR: Edward Luttwak & Dan Horowitz<br />TYPE: Nonfiction<br />LANGUAGE: English<br />TRANSLATOR: nil<br />ILLUSTRATOR: nil<br />PUBLISHER: Harper and Row<br />PUBLICATION DATE: 1975<br />BINDING: Hardback<br />ISBN: 0060-127-236<br /><br />SYNOPSIS:<br />- n/a<div class="blogger-post-footer">The AIW Reader is a blog intented to be a useful database primarily intented for wargamers although hopefully the entries will also be of use to those interested in historical study.</div>MaksimSmelchakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04844818181545002517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2508768283458783229.post-41818979517928547432007-06-15T15:28:00.000-07:002007-06-15T15:42:38.986-07:00NONFICTION BOOKS: "The Arab-Israeli Wars" by: Chaim Herzog & Shlomo Gazit.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5076423589227033970" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgApTzlLa4GZIqknxXocEXNRuSBHD9IXWlByonLihYQNIqXtWOek86q7jG4Z4IA8dqCZWWaDVqGTfAdrrIMdso4cJES9abCykRK8nvH-Ft0Vhf23KxV0Iu7goKXTkTDxsLNSNi8LeVjoJP/s400/AIW-TAIW_6-15-07.jpg" border="0" /><br />BOOK TITLE: "The Arab-Israeli Wars"<br />FULL TITLE: "The Arab-Israeli Wars - War And Peace In The Middle East"<br />AUTHOR: Chaim Herzog & Shlomo Gazit<br />TYPE: Nonfiction<br />LANGUAGE: English<br />TRANSLATOR: nil<br />ILLUSTRATOR: nil<br />PUBLISHER: Vintage; Reprint edition (July 12, 2005)<br />PUBLICATION DATE: 2005<br />BINDING: Softback<br />ISBN: 1400-079-632<br /><br />SYNOPSIS:<br />- Now in its third edition, this classic study has been updated for the first time in more than twenty years. Chaim Herzog, former President of Israel, was involved in every conflict involving Israel and its Arab neighbors from before the 1948 War of Independence. The Arab-Israeli Wars is Herzog’s acclaimed history of Israel’s fight since 1947 to preserve her existence against repeated attacks. Revised after his death by friend and colleague General Shomo Gazit, this new edition also covers the events of the past twenty years, including the pullout from Lebanon, both intifadas, the first Gulf War, the Oslo Process, and beyond. Riveting, informative, and comprehensive, this authoritative account tells the story of Israel’s struggle to survive but gives a clear picture of the people and politics that continue to shape the destiny of this crucial region.<div class="blogger-post-footer">The AIW Reader is a blog intented to be a useful database primarily intented for wargamers although hopefully the entries will also be of use to those interested in historical study.</div>MaksimSmelchakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04844818181545002517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2508768283458783229.post-384267589699154962007-06-05T15:58:00.000-07:002007-06-05T16:00:38.343-07:00HASBARA: 40th Anniversary of The 1967 Six Day War!.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5072708936437232498" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2iFmwUSkNSEODIMVJ9YdL-IsIFTH4q5oP_R8d3seTa8AdfQsZNN_Px4s9eTetn5Fnptw9hiC5B2y0ULhL0mBA2NVkzgTpuFvD5bfl91k52b8S23jRaPKxkcjeIKTlQuG3APm2uPYdeVmX/s400/AIW-3_6-5-07.jpg" border="0" /> <div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;">The photo that defined the war: </span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;">Paratroopers standing in aweful reverence after liberating the <em>Kotel</em> (The Western Wall).</span> </div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlCSAi_aHplIBfXMd5pE-mf7DZPSC1wmap_-HTntjCCndwlMslINCyTEBdDlBFeuvPMGinnr8dUsxvl3z9qWnHrgmwKgYkmwNTmOm57TMQtqFTO9ZivRaV6KwRIGSwXoBFA3opbhI87Dz1/s1600-h/AIW-2_6-5-07.jpg"></a></div><br /><div>Hi Everyone, <div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlCSAi_aHplIBfXMd5pE-mf7DZPSC1wmap_-HTntjCCndwlMslINCyTEBdDlBFeuvPMGinnr8dUsxvl3z9qWnHrgmwKgYkmwNTmOm57TMQtqFTO9ZivRaV6KwRIGSwXoBFA3opbhI87Dz1/s1600-h/AIW-2_6-5-07.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5072708872012723042" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlCSAi_aHplIBfXMd5pE-mf7DZPSC1wmap_-HTntjCCndwlMslINCyTEBdDlBFeuvPMGinnr8dUsxvl3z9qWnHrgmwKgYkmwNTmOm57TMQtqFTO9ZivRaV6KwRIGSwXoBFA3opbhI87Dz1/s320/AIW-2_6-5-07.jpg" border="0" /></a></div></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlCSAi_aHplIBfXMd5pE-mf7DZPSC1wmap_-HTntjCCndwlMslINCyTEBdDlBFeuvPMGinnr8dUsxvl3z9qWnHrgmwKgYkmwNTmOm57TMQtqFTO9ZivRaV6KwRIGSwXoBFA3opbhI87Dz1/s1600-h/AIW-2_6-5-07.jpg"></a></div><div><br />Today is the fortieth anniversary of The 1967 Six Day War that so <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">dramatically</span> changed the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">balance</span> of power in the Middle East. This conflict not only changed the balance of power in the Middle East, but it profoundly affected military thinking and has ever since been of strong interest to historians, soldiers, and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">AIW</span> (Arab-Israeli Wars) miniatures gamers among others.</div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlCSAi_aHplIBfXMd5pE-mf7DZPSC1wmap_-HTntjCCndwlMslINCyTEBdDlBFeuvPMGinnr8dUsxvl3z9qWnHrgmwKgYkmwNTmOm57TMQtqFTO9ZivRaV6KwRIGSwXoBFA3opbhI87Dz1/s1600-h/AIW-2_6-5-07.jpg"></a></div><div><br />First of all, let me make a recommendation to read the <em>Magnum Opus </em>(masterpiece) of 1967 Six Day War history:</div><div><br />If you're going to read just one book about the war, please read "<em>Six Days of War</em>" by Michael Oren, which is by far, the most comprehensively researched and definitive historical account yet written on the conflict.</div><div></div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5072709533437686690" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtmNJtDTt6a-In0i42jr5VHU4iqaCNje7hnT2LoZO0DvjybHbegQWdYUUXzFOrAzWyJHYUK5EhzXItvz4TVzqiifmt_nupTJ4zy6hhmWMwsl0_kzAw4O73pLmR_v2IdNO3cNjHD-3la5Sl/s400/AIW-6-Days-War_5-27-07.jpg" border="0" /> <div></div><div>The Six Day War is perhaps most noted for <em>Operation <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Moked</span></em> (Focus), in which Israel launched a surprise air attack against Arab Air Forces, which practically crippled the entire <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">militaries</span> of Egypt, Jordan, Syria, and other enemies of Israel. This single operation practically defined air power as the dominant force in warfare from the 1960s on. The Indians paid attention to it in their wars with Pakistan and the Arabs did as well in their later wars with Israel. Even NATO paid attention and began and ambitious program of building hardened aircraft shelters (HAS) in Europe. <em>Operation Moked</em> set the standard and has long been admired by air forces around the world.</div><div></div><div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5072708987976840066" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4F-6nTY21SZVYDglpCd9xMNPE3fnVjTuRkwTvxqJMa10cW-oWm8928jW9bONICKhHfIUwOImDSre4mMR_1xPd1b_BGK5tvpVGdpYBkxGr_QqvTuaJJ5eV_m-R3Vnhkc0he18CGHt9271M/s400/AIW-4_6-5-07.jpg" border="0" /></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;">The shadow of an Israeli Mirage fighter plane passes over ruined Arab aircraft.</span></div><div></div><div><br />But more than anything else, The Six Day War established Israel as a nation that <em>would not go quietly into the night</em>. Israel gained strategic <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">deterrence</span> in the form of land and no longer stood in the same precarious mortal danger that it had before. It's a fascinating piece of history and I highly recommend study of it to anyone with a passion for such. I've been studying it for over twenty years now, have probably read over a hundread books about it, and can still honestly say that I still have much to learn about it.</div><div></div><div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5072708794703311698" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVGmiOHcuWJv-pDJMfE5r5js4appw5tInfQQkM6SDqebsu-SnkNx4Ex3zZSyvAo2ovnmZhCam6RWUyvPDVBuI0_zE7PXqaVKTXfoyqLWn9U89qVAVSa2yt4wh1LfgJHcwyNn1D6QjVb186/s400/AIW-1_6-5-07.jpg" border="0" /></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;">An Israeli AMX-13 light tank, which proved ineffective...<br />...as well as a false path in tank design.<br />Armor and armament later predominated over mobility in tank design.</span></div><div></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />Happy Tuesday!</span></div><div></div><div><br />Shalom,</div><div><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Maksim</span>-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Smelchak</span>.</div><div></div><div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5072709060991284114" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVAQ_KMIX_bilF7fYV38zODz7qyA9_NetRjDqhivIUvGNZYdxi6nS6monqi6PiadOxxKj350Jw2Iyjs5c39wuS5QkJdHVBFtqjJ9zO3TGEETYpMXHa3pFR5V0pqrS9CqoghyphenhyphenWBurLC58lI/s400/AIW-5_6-5-07.jpg" border="0" /></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;">An Israeli Mirage fightercraft with one of its principal enemies, an Arab MiG.</span></div><div></div><div><span style="font-size:78%;"><br />Notes regarding photos / pictures: These are not all my images. I am using various images from around the web, mostly from public sources and/or private sources used with permission. I have tried to include only images under public domain, creative commons, or fair use. If I have inadvertently violated any copyrights, please inform me and I will remove your image/s (if it is indeed an infringement).</span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">The AIW Reader is a blog intented to be a useful database primarily intented for wargamers although hopefully the entries will also be of use to those interested in historical study.</div>MaksimSmelchakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04844818181545002517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2508768283458783229.post-87075170624249948192007-05-31T12:53:00.000-07:002007-05-31T12:58:55.975-07:00HISTORICAL FICTION: "The Glory" by: Herman Wouk.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5070816275928611922" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS6qOJHrTiOIjxy-ZV4YQEYN0T52y96tsKbTcaOMdaMnapmz45gHCMRVwmUarcU5KnNm6sImWer2eslei5oqLQEo9WKLnrnoChqh9QO_Pu7trH0gFFHVR8c_3D7kH51dsANX3PYqEpyok3/s400/AIW-TG-Wouk_5-31-07.jpg" border="0" /><br />BOOK TITLE: "The Glory"<br />FULL TITLE: "The Glory: A Novel"<br />AUTHOR: Herman Wouk<br />TYPE: Historical Fiction<br />LANGUAGE: English<br />TRANSLATOR: nil<br />ILLUSTRATOR: nil<br />PUBLISHER: Little, Brown and Company<br />PUBLICATION DATE: 1994 original (1995 mass market paperback edition)<br />BINDING: Paperback<br />ISBN: 0316-955-280<br /><br />SYNOPSIS<br />- <span style="font-size:85%;">This is the sequel to The Hope (1993), which dramatized the unlikely course of modern Israel's history, ending with its smashing victory over the Arabs in 1967. As in previous sagas of Woukian dimensions, The Winds of War to name one of a dozen, ordinary people become heroic figures against a turbulent backdrop of war, death, and love. As emotional encapsulations of this century's ghastly and glorious Jewish experience, Wouk's epics have been automatically popular, regardless of their schmaltzy, made-for-TV texture. Here he places a dozen military characters and their families in crucial roles in the post-'67 fighting: the Barak family has a military attache in the Washington embassy and a son on a gunboat; the Luries fly fighters; and the Pasternaks lurk in the Mossad's shadows. From such vantage points, they fight along and over the Suez Canal and fend off disaster in the Yom Kippur War, pull off the exhilarating Entebbe rescue, and bomb Iraq's nuclear reactor in 1981, an endpoint that leaves out the less triumphant '80s. Wouk humanizes these intense events with scenes of passage (affairs, weddings, funerals) and mixes in real Israeli leaders such as Golda Meir, Dayan, Sharon, and Rabin, who consult with his characters. While action-minded readers await a possible televised adaptation, this spacious panorama of battle should sustain their interest.</span><br />By: Gilbert Taylor.<div class="blogger-post-footer">The AIW Reader is a blog intented to be a useful database primarily intented for wargamers although hopefully the entries will also be of use to those interested in historical study.</div>MaksimSmelchakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04844818181545002517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2508768283458783229.post-38555533930846437982007-05-31T12:47:00.000-07:002007-05-31T12:52:56.366-07:00HISTORICAL FICTION: "The Hope" by: Herman Wouk<div>.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5070815030388096066" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjamyDa8NrcQBSD3znJrowZky23tY9PtM6iW3_AkZ8nl9SMAfEHXJwWue_dKocV7jY_vnGUPUF-7Ua2MsXcXP9Kuf5cMITSVwagxyFWxpPcjVx3yue4utZhlYI9I9Y_SFCyRY5kZ4i4sel_/s400/AIW-TH-Wouk_5-31-07.jpg" border="0" /></div><br /><div>BOOK TITLE: "The Hope"</div><div>FULL TITLE: "The Hope: A Novel"</div><div>AUTHOR: Herman Wouk</div><div>TYPE: Historical Fiction</div><div>LANGUAGE: English</div><div>TRANSLATOR: nil</div><div>ILLUSTRATOR: nil</div><div>PUBLISHER: Little, Brown and Company</div><div>PUBLICATION DATE: 1993 original (1994 mass market paperback edition)</div><div>BINDING: Paperback</div><div>ISBN: 0316-852-570 </div><br /><div></div><div>SYNOPSIS</div><div>- <span style="font-size:85%;">In the Historical Notes to this solid saga encapsulating three Israeli-Arab wars, Wouk makes astute reference to the element that gives the novel its considerable power: he refers to his "arduous personal research . . . which is one reason that my books appear at long intervals." Conceding the impossibility of using "cool perspective" about events so recent and often still hotly debated, he then clarifies which episodes in the novel are based on fact. These accounts of specific battles, behind-the-scenes political skirmishes in Israel and diplomatic strategy in Washington, D.C., provide the novel's fascinating historical background and true drama. Among and between his accounts of the 1948 War of Independence, the Suez crisis and the Six-Day War, Wouk weaves a story of two protagonists and their fortunes in love and war. Young Polish immigrant Yossi Blumenthal first distinguishes himself in battle in such a reckless manner that he is dubbed Don Kishote; he goes on to become a military hero. His first commander, Zev Barak, is "sidelined" into diplomacy and becomes an attache in Washington. Such actual figures as David Ben Gurion, Moshe Dayan, Golda Meir and others are depicted with candor and credibility. While his account is sympathetic to Israel, Wouk does not paint the Arabs with a tarred brush; nor does he put a false gloss on less-than-admirable episodes in the short history of the Jewish nation. Though his prose at times peregrinates into the pedestrian, Wouk has not lost his touch: this is an engrossing and often moving tale.</span> </div><div>Copyright 1993. Reed Business Information, Inc.</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">The AIW Reader is a blog intented to be a useful database primarily intented for wargamers although hopefully the entries will also be of use to those interested in historical study.</div>MaksimSmelchakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04844818181545002517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2508768283458783229.post-7467330529846282202007-05-31T11:29:00.000-07:002007-05-31T11:52:45.171-07:00NONFICTION BOOKS: "The Jewish Brigade: An Army With Two Masters, 1944-45" by: Morris Beckman.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5070795651495656498" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIOq61v3siZ6ji1mdKyITDJReO7U0VeUQ4GMas57gCpeBIBY9iZR172jSn7LrD8pW2HlYD0Isu30MLcBRhXPf_0bTnYslY4Vc0doq1BdYfC4k_oazFPBppSEafB24NctjPXiPLJzWsxK6r/s400/AIW-TJB_5-31-07.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br />BOOK TITLE: "The Jewish Brigade"<br />FULL TITLE: "The Jewish Brigade: An Army With Two Masters, 1944-45"<br />AUTHOR: Morris Beckman<br />TYPE: Nonfiction<br />LANGUAGE: English<br />TRANSLATOR: nil<br />ILLUSTRATOR: nil<br />PUBLISHER: Spellmount Publishers Ltd.<br />PUBLICATION DATE: 1998<br />BINDING: Hardback<br />ISBN: 1862-270-325<br /><br /><br />SYNOPSIS:<br />- Published to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the formation of the state of Israel, this volume tells the full story of the Palestine Jews' struggle to form a Jewish fighting force under the British flag during the Second World War.<div class="blogger-post-footer">The AIW Reader is a blog intented to be a useful database primarily intented for wargamers although hopefully the entries will also be of use to those interested in historical study.</div>MaksimSmelchakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04844818181545002517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2508768283458783229.post-47922904619619915822007-05-31T09:54:00.000-07:002007-05-31T12:59:58.947-07:00NONFICTION BOOKS: "Arab-Israeli Air Wars 1947-1982" by: Shlomo Aloni. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5070772437197421602" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqvJAl-MxgQEOtSpIh4Gn5GbQZj8uXnli24ln2U-CMN84U7Q6deO9d7fCFPO9CurxrIEv1u6SFsdPj9Uhsr33c-aCS-kvb3fPWNyicIitOJTgebOXPYESk9WhIV7fXveuigiFmbTUs2cr-/s400/AIW-SA-AIAW_5-31-07.jpg" border="0" /><br />BOOK TITLE: "Arab-Israeli Air Wars 1947-1982"<br />FULL TITLE: "Arab-Israeli Air Wars 1947-1982 "<br />AUTHOR: Shlomo Aloni<br />TYPE: Nonfiction<br />LANGUAGE: English<br />TRANSLATOR: nil<br />ILLUSTRATOR: Mark Rolfe<br />PUBLISHER: Osprey Publishing<br />PUBLICATION DATE: 2001<br />BINDING: Paperback<br />ISBN: 1841-762-946<br /><br />SYNOPSIS:<br />- <span style="font-size:85%;">When the UN called for the end of the British mandate and the partition of Palestine into two independent states, the RAF found itself under attack from both sides. Tracing the development of hostilities in the Middle East, this book covers the period from the establishment of the first proper Israeli Air Force in 1948 to the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982. Israel's War of Independence against its Arab neighbours, the inevitable 'round two', the Suez Crisis of 1956, the Six Day War of 1967, the Yom Kippur wars of 1973 and the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982 are all detailed in this fascinating chronicle of war in the Middle East.</span><div class="blogger-post-footer">The AIW Reader is a blog intented to be a useful database primarily intented for wargamers although hopefully the entries will also be of use to those interested in historical study.</div>MaksimSmelchakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04844818181545002517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2508768283458783229.post-40503972518179233292007-05-31T09:51:00.000-07:002007-05-31T11:54:30.032-07:00NONFICTION BOOKS: "The Arab-Israeli Conflict. The Palestine War 1948" by: Efraim Karsh. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5070771956161084434" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfivtIqxZtE8anmOPsYUmDozSMC31emo2HjIz2AxVaYjXaveJc98ShU65DwNLfALYQ4fJ_rRBdOuE1BLtYFTJYd5osDOfayWnBsAmhO6X_K3CNs4WfyXQM8I1Dipsjd6Eap7ZJgW751qXD/s400/AIW-EF-EH_5-31-07.jpg" border="0" /><br />BOOK TITLE: "The Arab-Israeli Conflict. The Palestine War 1948"<br />FULL TITLE: "The Arab-Israeli Conflict. The Palestine War 1948"<br />AUTHOR: Efraim Karsh<br />TYPE: Nonfiction<br />LANGUAGE: English<br />TRANSLATOR: nil<br />ILLUSTRATOR: nil<br />PUBLISHER: Osprey Publishing<br />PUBLICATION DATE: 2002<br />BINDING: Softcover<br />ISBN: 1841-763-721<br /><br />SYNOPSIS:<br />- N/A<div class="blogger-post-footer">The AIW Reader is a blog intented to be a useful database primarily intented for wargamers although hopefully the entries will also be of use to those interested in historical study.</div>MaksimSmelchakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04844818181545002517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2508768283458783229.post-87224555209804232952007-05-31T08:27:00.000-07:002007-05-31T09:39:20.245-07:00NONFICTION BOOKS: "Foxbats Over Dimona" by: Isabella Ginor & Gideon Remez.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5070747655236123650" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw8qgGwxTZ_mhA-fmcFUPmiALDJhaSKWWO4NVXdtbKYxQ4DIA6exBZ9-GRi5W-FmpPERy3BgYje-1oRAaTCp6QTWLDPY2iMagx-D07JorZp2qXw9vE9WGTPSn08Bpw2xgkvtN02MOx_I82/s400/AIW-FOD_5-31-07.jpg" border="0" /><br />BOOK TITLE: "Foxbats Over Dimona"<br />FULL TITLE: "Foxbats Over Dimona: The Soviets' Nuclear Gamble in the Six-Day War"<br />AUTHOR: Isabella Ginor & Gideon Remez<br />TYPE: Nonfiction<br />LANGUAGE: English<br />TRANSLATOR: nil<br />ILLUSTRATOR: nil<br />PUBLISHER: Yale University Press<br />PUBLICATION DATE: 2007<br />BINDING: Hardcover<br />ISBN: 0300-123-175<br /><br />SYNOPSIS:<br />- <span style="font-size:85%;">Fearing an imminent invasion, Israel launched a preemptive air attack on Egypt in June 1967 and it achieved such staggering devastation that in just six days the war was won and the future of the Middle East was forever changed. But have our assumptions about the genesis of the Six-Day War been misguided? What was the involvement of the Soviet Union? Were the Israelis planning to use nuclear weapons? Were the Soviets?This book provides an account that is startlingly different from all previous histories of the Six-Day War. Award-winning Israeli journalists Isabella Ginor and Gideon Remez investigate newly available documents and testimonies from the former Soviet Union, cross-check them extensively against Israeli and Western sources, and arrive at fresh and frightening conclusions. Filled with astonishing new information about this crucial week in history, the book paints a disturbing picture of Cold War aggression, deception, and calculated willingness to precipitate a global crisis.</span><div class="blogger-post-footer">The AIW Reader is a blog intented to be a useful database primarily intented for wargamers although hopefully the entries will also be of use to those interested in historical study.</div>MaksimSmelchakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04844818181545002517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2508768283458783229.post-4316174409980314732007-05-28T13:59:00.000-07:002007-05-31T10:10:42.146-07:00NONFICTION BOOKS: "The Heights of Courage" by Avigdor Kahalani. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5069719379935919074" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSd87Mx2XTRxLwzAkPy5Eq-RqOLtPOdvHUjSYYbuhIlCYUEcW74htoWFQj0h7ZxyMwYSC3XSMWDD9MSx1WEzAn9-br3J3ezU5QB981U__dCQNqUwgDBcdgYzL3DmMARouBOABsSDG8WNIP/s400/AIW-Kahalani_5-28-07.jpg" border="0" /><br />BOOK TITLE: "The Heights of Courage"<br />FULL TITLE: "The Heights of Courage: A Tank Leader's War On the Golan"<br />AUTHOR: Avigdor Kahalani<br />TYPE: Nonfiction<br />LANGUAGE: English<br />TRANSLATOR: nil<br />ILLUSTRATOR: nil<br />PUBLISHER: Steimatzky<br />PUBLICATION DATE: 1988<br />BINDING: Softcover<br />ISBN: B0007BZX90 (ASIN)<br /><br />SYNOPSIS:<br />- Kahalani, commander of a tank battalion on the Golan Heights during the Yom Kippur War, describes this experience in The Heights of Courage. Beginning with a description of the initial Syrian offensive, he recounts the personal endeavors of his men, their fears and their ambitions, as well as their emotional and physical hardships. His stark account traces the efforts of the Israel Armored Corps as they struggle to overcome extreme difficulties and setbacks. The author describes their ultimate penetration into enemy territory and their approach to within forty kilometers of Damascus.<div class="blogger-post-footer">The AIW Reader is a blog intented to be a useful database primarily intented for wargamers although hopefully the entries will also be of use to those interested in historical study.</div>MaksimSmelchakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04844818181545002517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2508768283458783229.post-68042392610266477542007-05-28T13:49:00.000-07:002007-05-31T10:11:13.106-07:00NONFICTION BOOKS: "A Warrior's Way" by: Avigdor Kahalani.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5069717923942005714" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7wi9B0YrzBR9ftekbIE-fD_oG2E2aZZK_xOb7gzu1bQam_0N2Au7idrQL-0dFFxQ1c9NPhTGbG_1f1_Hhp79A28H7XrbmpnRdVx0GxnU306qUSmamhsskH8Rf6h-7nZa1X9WOH7TWaIBL/s400/AIW-AWW_5-28-07.jpg" border="0" /><br />BOOK TITLE: "A Warrior's Way"<br />FULL TITLE: "A Warrior's Way - Israel's Most Decorated Tank Commander Relives His Greatest Battles"<br />AUTHOR: Avigdor Kahalani<br />TYPE: Nonfiction<br />LANGUAGE: English<br />TRANSLATOR: nil<br />ILLUSTRATOR: nil<br />PUBLISHER: S.P.I. Books<br />PUBLICATION DATE: 1993<br />BINDING: Softcover<br />ISBN: 1561-712-396<br /><br />SYNOPSIS:<br />- In 1967 Avigdor Kahalani was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal for leading the relentless charge at the head of the first Armored Corps tank company which broke through Egyptian lines and advanced along the northern Sinai axis during the Six Day War. Following the 1973 Yom Kippur War, Kahalani was awarded the Medal of Valor, Israel's higest military citation for his courageous stand during the first critical days of the war at the head of a tiny force that engaged and fought to a standstill an overwhelming number of Syrian forces in fierce and bloody clashes on the Golan Heights. In this book written in 1989, Kahalani recounts the story of his years in uniform, during which he confronts difficulties, faces physical and mental challenges and overcomes obstacles.<br /><br />Avigdor Kahalani was born in 1944 and is Leader of The Third Way Movement. In 1966 he was appointed Minister of Public Security in Israel's government.<div class="blogger-post-footer">The AIW Reader is a blog intented to be a useful database primarily intented for wargamers although hopefully the entries will also be of use to those interested in historical study.</div>MaksimSmelchakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04844818181545002517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2508768283458783229.post-32474388319489164892007-05-28T13:42:00.000-07:002007-05-31T10:11:44.885-07:00NONFICTION BOOKS: "Duel For The Golan" by: Jerry Asher & Eric Hammel.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5069715767868423090" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjecOETaJknAfocaMPL2PbsAWVi_YObzE4Ry48SFlgI4yoazEzfY3FzRMETBZzb-dPZXX56sYoD2XVdu0aXtXryqWU75U96gxECCwAftlXQ6Woqm6LL6U4tIE7MCaO6Z4EHj0Ie5K6c3Itr/s400/AIW-DFTG_5-28-07.jpg" border="0" /><br />BOOK TITLE: "Duel For The Golan"<br />FULL TITLE: "Duel for the Golan: The 100-Hour Battle That Saved Israel "<br />AUTHOR: Jerry Asher & Eric Hammel<br />TYPE: Nonfiction<br />LANGUAGE: English<br />TRANSLATOR: nil<br />ILLUSTRATOR: nil<br />PUBLISHER: Pacifica Press - CA, USA<br />PUBLICATION DATE: 1987<br />BINDING: Hardcover<br />ISBN: 0935-553-525<br /><br />SYNOPSIS:<br />- This is the story of the largest tank battle since World War II: Syria and its Iraqi and Jordanian allies lost some 1,450 tanks in the struggle for the Golan Heights in October 1973. The Israelis lost 250 and won the battle in four days. The combat scenes are well done, but the most interesting aspect of the book is the description of the emergency mobilization of the Israeli army amidst Yom Kippur observances and the improvisations necessary as the high command thrust units helter-skelter into battle. There is new information here about the Syrian buildup and the uneasy alliance between President Assad and Egyptian President Sadat. Asher (an Israeli) and Hammel (author of several military books) argue that despite Assad's assumption that his forces would be able to roll over Israeli positions before significant reinforcements arrived, the Syrian grand strategy was doomed from the start because of the planners' fears of possible political repercussions. Photos.<br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.</span><div class="blogger-post-footer">The AIW Reader is a blog intented to be a useful database primarily intented for wargamers although hopefully the entries will also be of use to those interested in historical study.</div>MaksimSmelchakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04844818181545002517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2508768283458783229.post-23987452272838846292007-05-28T09:27:00.000-07:002007-05-31T10:12:05.286-07:00MODELLING: "Israeli Military Vehicles" by: John Myszka. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5069650175127878546" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixF_W3HDtn-1pL9hCXsVYOgxcAeuy1XQqRlPRlRoyAMJlaEyak67B3nts-ollrsHQaIw5fyncfcHb9yYPKQQboysXXS7dP_BRPfT7nZf4Jow6D8yFs1jwaTXZtSO7_xJpW90WO9o8VLDiJ/s400/AIW-IMV_5-28-07.jpg" border="0" /><br />BOOK TITLE: "Israeli Military Vehicles"<br />FULL TITLE: "Israeli Military Vehicles - The First 50 Years 1948-1998"<br />AUTHOR: John Myszka<br />TYPE: Modelling Guide<br />LANGUAGE: English<br />TRANSLATOR: nil<br />ILLUSTRATOR: nil<br />PUBLISHER: Mouse House Enterprises<br />PUBLICATION DATE: 1998<br />BINDING: Softcover<br />ISBN: 0646-360-027<br /><br />SYNOPSIS:<br />- 232 pages, A4 soft cover, over 220 photos, forty 1/76 scale plans.<div class="blogger-post-footer">The AIW Reader is a blog intented to be a useful database primarily intented for wargamers although hopefully the entries will also be of use to those interested in historical study.</div>MaksimSmelchakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04844818181545002517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2508768283458783229.post-65344753190358634882007-05-28T08:15:00.000-07:002007-05-28T08:29:36.402-07:00WARGAMING: "Genesis 48" by: Bob O'Connor.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5069633635208821634" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXqrBqSaxE2rxnRZQD6MjrK7oElaoAR444XIIGYlJrFAEFl64xZ-un8Sg2UAcZMpC-6vXnRSA30n3Fv90rvG1DWbFV6TtqQiCgNVI3gPU_rZqD4x9f7_Pdq7vfjDMkNBc-JUrUFdNZWcPo/s400/AIW-Gen-48_5-28-07.jpg" border="0" /><br />GAME TITLE: "Genesis 48"<br />FULL TITLE: "Genesis 48: The First Arab-Israeli War"<br />AUTHOR: Bob O'Connor<br />TYPE: Gaming Rules / Background / Scenarios<br />LANGUAGE: English<br />TRANSLATOR: nil<br />ILLUSTRATOR: nil<br />PUBLISHER: Critical Hit, Inc.<br />PUBLICATION DATE: 2001<br />BINDING: Softcover<br />ISBN: nil<br /><br />SYNOPSIS:<br />- Genesis 48 is an expansion to the Advanced Squad Leader game system. From the game sleeve:<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">"Genesis 48 tells the story of a war unlike any before or since. Kibbutzniks defending their homes, fighting alongside their wives. Homemade armored cars trundling into battle. Davidka mortar shells exploding with terrifying shrapnel--due to the soft metal used in the underground shops--with unexpectedly deadly results. The 1948 siege of Jerusalem. Numerous, well-equipped but poorly organized Arab armies.<br /><br />It's all here in Genesis 48 in a well-researched and extensive module presentation. Three sheets of color die-cut counters include 20 troop-types ranging from elite Israeli Palmach soldiers to Moslem Brotherhood conscripts. Israeli Molotov Tank Hunting Heroes. And more. You also receive numerous new vehicles, including 3 types of Israeli Homemade armored cars, Davidka and Parosh mortars, the Marmon Herrington IV, Jewish 'Sandwich Car' APC, and a variety of half-tracks up-armed with small turrets and a variety of armaments. You also receive a 22" x 34" historical map of Old Jerusalem, a color overlay of a kibbutz, three color card-stock play aids and a 32-page VARIANT rulebook full of vehicle and ordnance notes. All of this equipment is provided to use with the Jerusalem Campaign Game and the 15 well-tested scenarios provided." </span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">(Ownership of ASL, Beyond Valor, Hollow Legions, and Croix de Guerre is necessary to play this game).</span><div class="blogger-post-footer">The AIW Reader is a blog intented to be a useful database primarily intented for wargamers although hopefully the entries will also be of use to those interested in historical study.</div>MaksimSmelchakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04844818181545002517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2508768283458783229.post-23515875520328290612007-05-27T15:48:00.001-07:002007-05-31T08:38:16.619-07:00NONFICTION BOOKS: "Six Days of War" by: Michael B. Oren.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5069376259293608818" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS6dy2JMPIvV-qNztklauafh9IqHRKWh5ZTTmol51_gc6x7DGdgncOE3bjWFzigcvmp9DKnMjvGtiJ42OilBNltoVM23RXgCt7VgZ-hwDBwVTNAvtm9S-16I5LlhXuzOfG0bb337BqDI-e/s400/AIW-6-Days-War_5-27-07.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div>BOOK TITLE: "Six Days of War"<br />FULL TITLE: "Six Days of War: June 1967 and the Making of the Modern Middle East"<br />AUTHOR: Michael B. Oren</div><div>TYPE: Nonfiction</div><div>LANGUAGE: English</div><div>TRANSLATOR: nil</div><div>ILLUSTRATOR: nil</div><div>PUBLISHER: Oxford Univ Pr, Cary, North Carolina, U.S.A</div><div>PUBLICATION DATE: 2002</div><div>BINDING: Hardcover</div><div>ISBN: 0312-338-643</div><div></div><div><br />SYNOPSIS:</div><div>- Based on newly available information in archives, this political and military history of the 1967 Arab-Israeli conflict recalls the surprising and decisive victory of Israel over its adversaries that established a new balance in that region. </div><div class="blogger-post-footer">The AIW Reader is a blog intented to be a useful database primarily intented for wargamers although hopefully the entries will also be of use to those interested in historical study.</div>MaksimSmelchakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04844818181545002517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2508768283458783229.post-39910245769102309992007-05-27T15:09:00.000-07:002007-05-31T13:00:40.656-07:00NONFICTION BOOKS: "Fighters Over Israel" by: Lon Nordeen.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5069366501127912290" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgubGOa9vePbhkFEOr5T4oTtPyGevPsCqhIU2PasFuhXjigEgZfD2VcSJcaicwP853v8CAL6Jf-DmuA_tmKn2nb-SWmHkWl4vaej6UBzG36bJ7rsXBPQgszH7kXLLMAbLJPb_yRK20bfbUK/s400/AIW-Ftrs-Ovr-Israel_5-27-07.gif" border="0" /><br />BOOK TITLE: "Fighters Over Israel"<br />AUTHOR: Lon O. Nordeen<br />TYPE: Nonfiction<br />LANGUAGE: English<br />TRANSLATOR: nil<br />ILLUSTRATOR: Ken Kotik<br />PUBLISHER: Greenhill Books, London, United Kingdom<br />PUBLICATION DATE: 1991<br />BINDING: Hardcover<br />ISBN: 1953-670-987<br /><br />SYNOPSIS:<br />- The story of the Israeli Air Force from The War of Independence to the Bekaa Valley.<div class="blogger-post-footer">The AIW Reader is a blog intented to be a useful database primarily intented for wargamers although hopefully the entries will also be of use to those interested in historical study.</div>MaksimSmelchakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04844818181545002517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2508768283458783229.post-31696744217470174732007-05-27T14:56:00.000-07:002007-05-31T08:37:52.873-07:00NONFICTION BOOKS: "Air Warfare in the Missile Age" by: Lon Nordeen.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5069363541895445330" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhZ5e0tH31vvIqMvOWF60ijdcT113ZdRQE22t8GgV09xclUqj9BoPV1HCrgF5WfvSb9vR7tPgr3blw0vsfrlS9t6vVtYwHasu1Jkl9dilab5R3ksWwWhx9GgkLJYnX-TZBpqlnljaJMK1G/s400/AIW-Lon-Nord-AWITMA_5-27-07.bmp" border="0" /><br />BOOK TITLE: "Air Warfare in the Missile Age"<br />AUTHOR: Lon O. Nordeen<br />TYPE: Nonfiction<br />LANGUAGE: English<br />TRANSLATOR: nil<br />ILLUSTRATOR: nil<br />PUBLISHER: Smithsonian Books<br />PUBLICATION DATE: 1985 (2002 Edition)<br />BINDING: Hardcover<br />ISBN: 0874-746-809<br /><br />SYNOPSIS:<br />- Lon O. Nordeen has completely updated his 1985 chronicle of military aviation's evolving role in warfare, now covering the major conflicts of the past four decades through the addition of chapters on the Iran-Iraq War, the Gulf War, and the Bosnia-Kosovo conflict, and new material concerning past and recent actions in Afghanistan. He presents the historical and political background of each conflict and includes in-depth discussions of the aircraft, weapons, tactics, training, new systems, and other factors that influenced the outcome of each war. New and existing chapters have been enhanced with information based on recently declassified material -- especially regarding Vietnam -- and new sources in Egypt, Israel, and the former Soviet Union. As "smart" bombs have become more successful in reducing the risks for pilots and frontline troops, air-missile warfare has become the central player in military conflicts. Air Warfare in the Missile Age, Second Edition, is a valuable resource for understanding the evolution of modern air warfare.<br /><br />REVIEW (by: Maksim-Smelchak):<br />- <span style="font-size:85%;">Lon Nordeen has been a writer in various defense and aviation magazines for more than twenty years. I first became aware of him after reading his book "Fighters Over Israel," a very cogent and incisive account of the rise of Israel’s air force and the many battles they have fought. Mr. Nordeen has done no less with this book; he has turned out one of the best overviews of the effect that missiles have had on aerial warfare since the Vietnam conflict until the Falkland Island War and the various wars in the Middle East as of the book’s 1985 publishing date.<br /><br />The book has an introduction, ten chapters, two appendices, notes, a glossary, an index, and a very comprehensive bibliography. The book devotes the first two chapters to the Vietnam conflict detailing the constantly evolving tactics between North Vietnam’s excellent air force and air defenses versus the combined air forces of the United States. The next two chapters detail the little-known conflicts between Pakistan and India, which were a paradigm for the shape of aerial warfare to come. The next four chapter detail the many Arab-Israeli wars as well as inter-Arab warfare such as the conflict between Iraq and Iran. The book’s last two chapters detail the short but intense Falkland Islands conflict and draws conclusions about the effect and direction missiles have had on military aviation.<br /><br />The supplemental material at the end of the book is extremely useful: lists of aircraft, aerial cannon, missiles, and bombs. The notes reference all of the hard data that Mr. Londeen uses. If you want to know where he read that information, look it up by footnote and you’ll find it. The glossary is of immense use to those of us studying military aviation who weren’t a part of military aviation. For instance, do you know what an Ironhand flight is? If you don’t, both the text and the glossary have ready explanations / definitions for you.<br /><br />The bibliography is very comprehensive and uses books from both sides of every conflict where they were available. When reading about the Arab-Israeli conflict, for example, Mr. Londeen has made every effort to quote both Arab and Israeli sources. In fact, rather than state that "so many aircraft were shot down on this day," Mr. Londeen states both sides’ claims and often additionally references other sources that support those claims. For example, during the 1973 Yom Kippur War (known popularly in the Arab world as the Ramadan War), he states at one point the combined claims of the Arab air forces accounted for more aircraft than the Israel Air Force flew! He quotes an Egyptian Air Force officer who explained that the Israelis have more aircraft than anyone knows. Very interesting. I also want to mention that Mr. Nordeen has written not only a history of Israel’s air force, but also a history of Egypt’s air force called: "Phoenix over the Nile: A History of Egyptian Air Power 1932-1994." I would also like to mention that my edition is the older 1985 printing and that a more up-to-date 2002 version has been published, but I haven’t seen or read that edition.<br /><br />At any rate, Mr. Londeen has done an excellent job of telling the rise of missile warfare without taking a strong bias for any side. He points out, from a very even keel, the strengths and weakness of the various combatants in major conflicts involving aerial warfare since the advent of the missile.<br /><br />I highly recommend this very well written book for anyone wanting to learn more about the effect that the missile has had on military aviation.</span><div class="blogger-post-footer">The AIW Reader is a blog intented to be a useful database primarily intented for wargamers although hopefully the entries will also be of use to those interested in historical study.</div>MaksimSmelchakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04844818181545002517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2508768283458783229.post-89823603050853875152007-05-27T14:43:00.000-07:002007-05-31T08:37:39.278-07:00NONFICTION BOOKS: "Adjusting Sights" by Haim Sabato. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5069360866130819906" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu3DvBvuY_fl_s0xGpZ22CEf9SgAPxpLH1eF1f3cdbzKWV1ZOEmbw2dIYKMLJOBDCk1CTtUPygAXISfhDUVTSHA-XssueoWnxovb3SEEcf4N301xLgkiz1I2vpia2hd00kHEC9cLpboVqE/s400/AIW-Adjust-Ste_5-27-2007.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div>BOOK TITLE: "Adjusting Sights" </div><div>AUTHOR: Haim Sabato</div><div>TYPE: Nonfiction</div><div>LANGUAGE: English</div><div>TRANSLATOR: Hillel Halkin (from Hebrew)</div><div>ILLUSTRATOR: nil </div><div>PUBLISHER: Toby Press</div><div>PUBLICATION DATE: 2003</div><div>BINDING: Hardcover</div><div>ISBN: 1902-881-702</div><div></div><div><br />SYNOPSIS: </div><div>- Young Haim is drafted reluctantly into the Yom Kippur War. As he experiences the agonies of battle, he talks himself into being an exemplary soldier as well as an observant Jew. </div><div class="blogger-post-footer">The AIW Reader is a blog intented to be a useful database primarily intented for wargamers although hopefully the entries will also be of use to those interested in historical study.</div>MaksimSmelchakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04844818181545002517noreply@blogger.com0