As a lifelong fan of historic aircraft, reading details of how and where the B-17s, the B-24s, and P-51s were developed and manufactured provides a useful insight into what “mobilization of the homefront” meant.
All in History
Roger D. Launius and Dennis R. Jenkins’ COMING HOME
COMING HOME is another well-illustrated NASA e-book containing much detail about an important topic of aerospace history. This time the subject is the safe return of space vehicles to earth.
Peter W. Merlin's UNLIMITED HORIZONS: DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE U-2
Did Kelly Johnson and the people at Lockheed, the CIA, and the U.S. Air Force realize they were developing a “platform” whose utility would extend over decades? Probably not. Aeronautical history of the time is littered with failed jets and engines designs. Survivors are few and the U-2 stands out.
Mary Roach’s “PACKING FOR MARS”
Somewhere in NASA and there must be an office plotting ways to replace human space explorers with machines. Reading this book explains why.
Michael Harris' ATOMIC TIMES
A lot of this book makes for unpleasant reading but it is an important record of the times, told by the author from an older and wiser perspective. He is lucky to have survived.
Mori Juzo's THE MIRACULOUS TORPEDO SQUADRON
Translated by Nicholas Voge from the original Japanese, this memoir tells the story of one Japanese naval pilot from the time he earns his wings to his combat experience in China, Pearl Harbor, Midway, and Guadalcanal.
Curtis Peebles' PROBING THE SKY
This book is pretty dry reading. There’s very little in the way of human interest or personal relationships on display here. That’s okay since, if you read between the lines, you can pretty much imagine the real world of terror and sweat Bridgeman, Crossfield, and the others had to deal with on a regular basis in order to “bring home the data” on the primitive data recorders of the day.
James Holland's “DAM BUSTERS: THE TRUE STORY OF THE INVENTORS AND AIRMEN WHO LED THE DEVASTATING RAID TO SMASH THE GERMAN DAMS IN 1943”
Yes, the raid contributed significantly to the Allies war effort. Hopefully, too, people today who only connect with war via video games will occasionally pick up and read a book like this.
Felipe Fernández-Armesto’s “OUR AMERICA: A HISPANIC HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES”
I have to believe that the resulting “blended” view of where we came from will be a natural outgrowth of the increasing diversity of U.S. society. For some that will only happen when the current generation of white traditionalists dies off and is replaced. I hope we don’t have to wait that long. Books like this certainly help!
Hugh Harkins’ USAF JET POWERED FIGHTERS XP 59 – XF 85
Perhaps the best that we can say is that there was a lot of experimentation but the means of organizing and controlling technology did not advance as rapidly as the technologies themselves.
David McCullough’s "THE PATH BETWEEN THE SEAS"
As I’ve always enjoyed detailed stories about challenging engineering and construction projects (atomic bomb, hydroge bomb, skyscrapers, the Brooklyn Bridge, etc.) this book fit my interests like a glove. I just wish we could send McCullough back in time to tell us how the Pyramids were really built!
Robert Harris’ “IMPERIUM”
What’s amazing about this novel is that so much is based on fact.
Tim Wu’s MASTER SWITCH: THE RISE AND FALL OF INFORMATION EMPIRES
The lessons of history (telephone, telegraph, FM radio, networks, cable TV, etc.) and how companies with the complicity of government try to shut off competition are incredibly important given current battles to save net neutrality.
Boris Chertok's “ROCKETS AND PEOPLE VOLUME 3: HOT DAYS OF THE COLD WAR”
I can’t help but wonder when reading about these exciting times what it might have been like had the U.S. and Soviet Union cooperated in space exploration earlier on. Would the combined resources have resulted in greater joint accomplishments like a moon base or a landing on Mars? Or was the competition and secrecy effective in pushing both sides ahead?
Shelby Foote’s “THE CIVIL WAR, A NARRATIVE: FORT SUMTER TO PERRYVILLE”
This book is the perfect antidote for anyone who seriously believes that politics back then was any different from today. Lincoln faced incredible dissension and disagreement within his own party and his own cabinet. This makes Gates’ recent revelations about his relationship with the Obama Administration pale by comparison.
Garry Wills' “LINCOLN AT GETTYSBURG: THE WORDS THAT REMADE AMERICA”
I’m especially fond of history books that not only explain events but help the reader understand the people involved and how they and events were impacted by history, culture, personal relationships, and where appropriate, by technology
Sarah Vowell's ASSASSINATION VACATION
Sarah Vowell’s ASSASSINATION VACATION is an unusual book.
Jim Baggott: “THE FIRST WAR OF PHYSICS: THE SECRET HISTORY OF THE ATOMIC BOMB, 1939-1949”
I’ve always been fascinated by “big science” projects and how they were managed. Often there’s a confluence of private and public sector, academia, and military; the nuclear arms race as presented here is certainly not an exception.
Robert F. Dorr's MISSION TO TOKYO: The American Airmen Who Took the War to the Heart of Japan
This book describes what it was like to bomb Japanese cities via B-29 raids conducted by the U.S. during 1944 and 1945. Most of the action is from the American perspective and takes place on the air-base islands off Japan from which most raids were launched (chiefly Tinian and Saipan), in the air while over water, or over Japan itself