Customer Reviews

The United States Coast Guard: 1790 to the Present

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

Although I knew very little about the history of the United States Coast Guard, I thoroughly enjoyed reading Tom Ostrom's "USCG: 1790 To the Present." Its lucid style, exhaustive documentation, and clear organization, made the reading easy and enjoyable. It is one of the best history books that I have read in recent years. I strongly recommend the book to anyone who's interested in military history. ----Fan Shen, author of "Gang of One: Memoirs of a Red Guard."

This book is THE reference for anyone needing facts on the USCG. A must for libraries.

Based on other reviews for this book, I was looking forward to reading a concise and informative survey of USCG history. While well researched, this book is fragmented, disjointed and barely readable. The style is reminicent of a bad high school paper, of which I've read many, and hardly reflective of Mr. Ostrom's experience as a well respected college level teacher. The book is best used as a reference rather than a readable narrative.

While "The United States Coast Guard: 1790 to the Present" provides an excellent overview of this military service's 215 year history, it is sometimes a bit hard to follow and is not a stellar piece of literature. At many points throughout the book the author seems to focus more on providing a general historical background than he does on the history of the Coast Guard. Overall, a decent quick read about this service's history but far from the best book that I have ever read.