Customer Reviews

The United States Coast Guard in World War II: A History of Domestic and Overseas Actions

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

 

 

What I liked most about this book is its ability to go from general characteristics of wartime Coast Guard service to specific missions such as Operation Hula and The Aluetian Campaign.

Ostrom conveys senses of action, deliberation and heroism. He doesn't have a slow moment in the entire book. The narrative style provides a current that flows the reader from page to page. Highly recommended to any and all World War Two afficianadoes.

Ostrom creates a narrative that conveys the atmosphere of a peacetime service with a wartime mission. Well illustrated. Well researched. Both general doctrines and accounts of specific missions are well integrated.

Ostrom particularly achieves a striking account of how war differs from law enforcement, and also the striking similarities that exist for all men in uniform. I cannot recommend this book strongly enough.

Both broadly authoritative and full of intriguing, unexpected particular facts. The author conveys the heroism of The Coast Guard fully intact throughout. A smashing performance!

There is a wealth of information here, but it is assembled in a cut and paste way that is repetitious, contradictory and just plain infuriating. Properly edited, this could take its place as one of the better histories of the WWII Coast Guard, with much new and previously unpublished information. As it is, the book is probably twice as long as it needs to be, and unrewarding at the end of the reader's struggle.

Attempts to cover far too much, thus many omissios and poor treatment of events. Unscholarly writing, numerous errors and clearly poorly edited.

Poorly written, many errors and contradictions, did the Taney have six 3-inch and six 5-inch guns (pg 20) or 2 5"/51 caliber and four 3"/50 caliber guns (pg 21) ? Too much redundancy, how many times does the reader need to be told that the USCGC Escanaba sank, I think 10 reiterations is excessive. Inconsistent use of cutter description, CGC one line and USCGC the next, and no explination that loran stands for LOng Range Aid to Navigation. All in all a disapointment.