Rick the Librarian
05-02-2016, 05:47
UPDATED and “neatened”. All books not listed are sold or sold, pending payment.
Gathered together are an outstanding group of books on World War II as well as a few on other wars and topics. For those of you who are unreconstructed Rebels or die-hard Yankees, we have a group of Civil War books. Take a look for “bundle” prices on multiple books for sale on one category.
A) Payment can be made by check or money order. I may have to hold checks until they clear unless you are known to me. Paypal can be used, but a 4% premium will be added to offset fees charged by Paypal unless you do it as a gift/family.
B) All prices do not include shipping. Shipping is done by USPS Media Mail, which I have found economical and secure. I will quote a shipping price, when you make an offer. Insurance is optional. Although I pack and ship very carefully, I can’t be responsible if you don’t insure large purchases.
C) Books vary in condition and I do my best to describe them properly. Books are hard-backed unless otherwise mentioned. Any questions will be gladly answered. I will also provide reasonable pictures of the books or their content if you want. Obviously, “I’ll take it” trumps over “Can you send me more information?”
D) When you contact me about these books, please inquire by book title, not number. You can contact me through this forum or at –rrsbls@msn.com-- (remove dashes)
E) Books are for sale on several forums. When two people offer to buy the same book or books, the earlier email/PM is considered first. I try to update this list to show purchased books at least once a day.
I. “Rick’s Picks”:
1. “British Dreadnought vs. German Dreadnought” by Mark Stille (G) This book tells the story of the British and German battleships of these two great fleets - from their development as the first generation of fully- armored warships - to their combat experiences. The differing weapon systems and crew training. One of the Osprey “Duel” series. Trade ppk, near new, $7.50
2. “Halsey’s Typhoon” by Bob Drury. In December, 1944, the 3rd Fleet attempts a complicated refueling maneuver and unwittingly drives his 170 ships into the teeth of a massive typhoon. Halsey’s men find themselves battling 90-foot waves and 150 mph winds—amid the chaos, three ships are sunk and nearly nine hundred sailors and officers are swept into the Philippine Sea. For three days, small bands of survivors battle dehydration, exhaustion, sharks, and the elements awaiting rescue. Trade ppk., near new, $5.50
II. World War II:
1. “The Road to Berlin” by John Erickson. Completing the most comprehensive and authoritative study ever written of the Soviet-German war, John Erickson in this volume tells the vivid and compelling story of the Red Army's epic struggle to drive the Germans from Russian soil. Near new, $4.95
2. “Days of Infamy” by John Costello. Costello puts the blame for Pearl Harbor, Clark Field and Singapore on Roosevelt, Churchill and MacArthur. NOT a “conspiracy” book. Near new, $6.50
3. “Unjust Enrichment” by Linda Holmer. SPF
4. “Battles Lost and Won: Great Campaigns of World War II” by Hanson Baldwin. (G) The battles analyzed are the Polish campaign, the battle of Britain, the invasion of Crete, the fall of Corregidor, Stalingrad, the Sicilian campaign, Tarawa, the invasion of Normandy, Leyte Gulf, the battle of the Bulge and Okinawa. Baldwin was one of the best military writers and historians from 1925 to 1965. VG (in plastic but NOT ex-library), $4.95
5. “Clash of Wings: WWII in the Air” by Walter Boyne. Boyne resurrects the war of the skies in all its heroic and tragic drama, while supplying insightful, expert conclusions about previously overlooked aspects of the war, including the essential role of American bombers in Europe; Germany's miscalculation of the number of planes required for victory. Near new, $7.50
6. “The Pacific Campaign: The US Japanese Naval War” by Dan van der Vat. (G) Drawing on neglected archives of firsthand accounts from both sides, van der Vat interweaves eyewitness testimony with sharp, analytical narration to provide a penetrating reappraisal of the strategic and political background of both the Japanese and American forces. Trade ppk, near new, $4.50
7. “At War With the Wind” by David Sears. (G) A victor's-eye view of the desperate suicide-bombing campaign in the closing months of World War II.Former naval officer Sears (The Last Epic Naval Battle: Voices from Leyte Gulf, 2005) writes affectingly of the terror the "divine wind" campaign wrought on American sailors. Trade ppk., near new, $5.00
8. “Sea of Thunder” by Evan Thomas. (G) The author relates its events through the actions of four naval officers, Americans Admiral William Halsey and Commander Ernest Evans and Japanese admirals Takeo Kurita and Matome Ugaki. As their stories unfold, Thomas discloses the development and corporate cultures of two navies openly preparing to fight and finally getting down to it in 1941. The climax comes at Leyte Gulf, where Halsey's overaggressive tactics exposed the invasion fleet off Leyte to Kurita's surface force. Ex. to near new, $7.00
9. “Miracle at Midway” by Gordon Prange. Sequel to the ground-breaking “At Dawn We Slept”, this book in 450 pages, dissects both sides of this pivotal 1942 naval battle. Trade ppk., vg, $3.95
10. “Abandon Ship” by Richard Newcomb. (G) SPF
11. “The Terrible Hours” by Peter Maas. (G) Maas, best known for his chronicling of the urban underworld (Underboss, Serpico, etc.), takes readers underwater for a thrilling account of the world's first rescue of a submarine. Before WWII, submariners were second-class citizens. Worse, until Charles "Swede" Momsen came along, it was standard procedure to treat downed subs as irretrievable. Ppk. Ex. $3.50
12. “No Time For Fear: Voices of American Military Nurses in WWII” by Diane Fessler. SPF
13. “Flags of Our Fathers” by James Bradley. Bradley’s father was one of those who raised the flag on Iwo Jima. Bradley not only explores his father, but the other men who participated. Trade ppk., near new, $4.50
14. “The Longest Battle: The War at Sea, 1939-1945”. Richard Hough. (G) An outstanding naval historian, Hough, through a brilliant mixture of narrative history and personal accounts--collected over almost 30 years of interviewing combatants from both sides--a very powerful, human story emerges of the danger, elation, and miseries of six years of "the longest battle" in the war. Trade ppk. $4.50
15. “China-Burma-India” by Don Moser. A good overview of an often forgotten theater of WWII. In many respects the campaign was similar to others throughout the Pacific. However, the China, India, Burma theater had it's own unique problems. For example, supplying troops was in itself a battle given the terrain, rogue Burmese guerilla units, questionable Chinese loyalty, and the unforgiving monsoon season and extreme heat. One of the Time-Life series with excellent illustrations. VG., $7.95
III. American Civil War:
1. “Recollections and Letters of Robert E. Lee”. Ed. By his son. This book gives a deep insight into the personality of General R E Lee both through his own letters but also through the narrative of his son Rob. The facts given are interesting but most intriguing is the splendor of the General's love and devotion to his family and the men he served in the Army of Northern Virginia. Again, uncommon in this condition. Near new, $10.50
2. Two Volume Biography of U.S. Grant. This was the last two volumes of noted Civil War historian Bruce Catton who writes history like poetry and is best known for “A Stillness at Appomattox”.
a. --“Grant Moves South” – campaigns from 1861 until he took over the federal armies in 1864. VG, plastic covered, $5.50
b. “Grant Takes Command” – from March, 1864 until shortly after the end of the war. Book is VG-Ex. but d/j is badly torn. $5.95
--Buy BOTH for $9.00
3. SPECIAL! “The Killer Angels” by Michael Shaara in cassette TAPES! The whole novel UNABRIDGED! All tapes play well. In nice collector binder $10.50
IV. General Military History:
1. “The First World War” by John Keegan SPF
2. “Paris, 1919” by Margaret MacMillan.
3. “From Annapolis to Scapa Flow” by Edward Beach Sr. Written in the 1930s but never before published, the book is as much about the U.S. Navy as it is about Beach. In his early days Beach served with Civil War veterans aboard wooden ships, while late in his service his shipmates were the future naval leaders of World War II. His account of the Battle of Manila Bay in 1898, the Philippine Insurrection of the early 1900s, Haiti in 1915, the British Grand Fleet at Scapa Flow in 1918, and the wreck of the Memphis, a cruiser under Beach's command that was destroyed by a 1916 tsunami in Santo Domingo Harbor, is eyewitness reporting at its best. Father of Edward Beach, writer of “Run Silent, Run Deep”. Near new, $7.00
4. “The United States Navy in the Pacific, 1909-1922” by William Braisted. Braisted picks up the story in 1909 with the inauguration of President Taft and ends with the Washington Arms Conference of 1921–1922. He pays close attention to the efforts of U.S. naval leaders to secure the East Asian possessions of the United States against possible Japanese attack by assuring the Navy's capacity to win and retain control of the western Pacific. And for the first time, Braisted discusses the extraordinary naval building contract between the Bethlehem Steel Company and China in 1911 that committed the U.S. Navy to train Chinese naval personnel. Trade ppk. NEW! $6.95
***BUNDLE*** buy the above two books for $11.50
5. “Great Naval Disasters: US Naval Accidents”. Kit Bonner. Contains accounts of raging fires on the USS Enterprise, USS Uriskany, USS Forrestal, and USS Constellation. 19 stories in all, with many photos. Trade ppk. $5.50
6. “All My Love: Korean War Letters” by J.W. London. (G) Letters written by a young destroyer officer to his wife during the Korean War. A nice description of life on a Korean War navy ship. Ex – near new trade ppk. 400+ pp. $4.95
7. “Whips to Walls: Naval Discipline from Flogging to the Progressive Era” by Rodney Watterson. This gives fresh insight into an under-appreciated period of naval history―the transition of naval discipline from mid-nineteenth century flogging to a much-needed naval prison system, including the ambitious experiment in Progressive reform at Portsmouth prison. The author has thoroughly researched and clearly documented the Navy’s journey between these two extremes in naval discipline. NEW! Very uncommon - $12.95
8. “The Dreadnoughts” by David Howarth (G) . Part of the Time-Life “Seafarers” set and a fine overview of WWI naval combat between Germany and the UK. Numerous pictures, paintings, maps and diagrams. Near new, $7.50.
9. “Small Unit Action in Vietnam, Summer, 1966 (G) Francis West. Originally published as a training manual, this gives early Vietnam combat from the perspective small unit Marines. VG-ex. $6.50
V. General History and Fiction:
1. “The Great Bridge” by David McCullough. SPF
2. “Lost Moon” by Jim Lovell and Jeffrey Kluger. The personal story of the near-disaster of Apollo 13 by the mission commander, Jim Lovell. The basis for the popular movie. Very well-written and worth reading if you remember those days. Near new, $6.95
3. Patrick McManus books – Some of my absolute FAVORITE books. SPF
Gathered together are an outstanding group of books on World War II as well as a few on other wars and topics. For those of you who are unreconstructed Rebels or die-hard Yankees, we have a group of Civil War books. Take a look for “bundle” prices on multiple books for sale on one category.
A) Payment can be made by check or money order. I may have to hold checks until they clear unless you are known to me. Paypal can be used, but a 4% premium will be added to offset fees charged by Paypal unless you do it as a gift/family.
B) All prices do not include shipping. Shipping is done by USPS Media Mail, which I have found economical and secure. I will quote a shipping price, when you make an offer. Insurance is optional. Although I pack and ship very carefully, I can’t be responsible if you don’t insure large purchases.
C) Books vary in condition and I do my best to describe them properly. Books are hard-backed unless otherwise mentioned. Any questions will be gladly answered. I will also provide reasonable pictures of the books or their content if you want. Obviously, “I’ll take it” trumps over “Can you send me more information?”
D) When you contact me about these books, please inquire by book title, not number. You can contact me through this forum or at –rrsbls@msn.com-- (remove dashes)
E) Books are for sale on several forums. When two people offer to buy the same book or books, the earlier email/PM is considered first. I try to update this list to show purchased books at least once a day.
I. “Rick’s Picks”:
1. “British Dreadnought vs. German Dreadnought” by Mark Stille (G) This book tells the story of the British and German battleships of these two great fleets - from their development as the first generation of fully- armored warships - to their combat experiences. The differing weapon systems and crew training. One of the Osprey “Duel” series. Trade ppk, near new, $7.50
2. “Halsey’s Typhoon” by Bob Drury. In December, 1944, the 3rd Fleet attempts a complicated refueling maneuver and unwittingly drives his 170 ships into the teeth of a massive typhoon. Halsey’s men find themselves battling 90-foot waves and 150 mph winds—amid the chaos, three ships are sunk and nearly nine hundred sailors and officers are swept into the Philippine Sea. For three days, small bands of survivors battle dehydration, exhaustion, sharks, and the elements awaiting rescue. Trade ppk., near new, $5.50
II. World War II:
1. “The Road to Berlin” by John Erickson. Completing the most comprehensive and authoritative study ever written of the Soviet-German war, John Erickson in this volume tells the vivid and compelling story of the Red Army's epic struggle to drive the Germans from Russian soil. Near new, $4.95
2. “Days of Infamy” by John Costello. Costello puts the blame for Pearl Harbor, Clark Field and Singapore on Roosevelt, Churchill and MacArthur. NOT a “conspiracy” book. Near new, $6.50
3. “Unjust Enrichment” by Linda Holmer. SPF
4. “Battles Lost and Won: Great Campaigns of World War II” by Hanson Baldwin. (G) The battles analyzed are the Polish campaign, the battle of Britain, the invasion of Crete, the fall of Corregidor, Stalingrad, the Sicilian campaign, Tarawa, the invasion of Normandy, Leyte Gulf, the battle of the Bulge and Okinawa. Baldwin was one of the best military writers and historians from 1925 to 1965. VG (in plastic but NOT ex-library), $4.95
5. “Clash of Wings: WWII in the Air” by Walter Boyne. Boyne resurrects the war of the skies in all its heroic and tragic drama, while supplying insightful, expert conclusions about previously overlooked aspects of the war, including the essential role of American bombers in Europe; Germany's miscalculation of the number of planes required for victory. Near new, $7.50
6. “The Pacific Campaign: The US Japanese Naval War” by Dan van der Vat. (G) Drawing on neglected archives of firsthand accounts from both sides, van der Vat interweaves eyewitness testimony with sharp, analytical narration to provide a penetrating reappraisal of the strategic and political background of both the Japanese and American forces. Trade ppk, near new, $4.50
7. “At War With the Wind” by David Sears. (G) A victor's-eye view of the desperate suicide-bombing campaign in the closing months of World War II.Former naval officer Sears (The Last Epic Naval Battle: Voices from Leyte Gulf, 2005) writes affectingly of the terror the "divine wind" campaign wrought on American sailors. Trade ppk., near new, $5.00
8. “Sea of Thunder” by Evan Thomas. (G) The author relates its events through the actions of four naval officers, Americans Admiral William Halsey and Commander Ernest Evans and Japanese admirals Takeo Kurita and Matome Ugaki. As their stories unfold, Thomas discloses the development and corporate cultures of two navies openly preparing to fight and finally getting down to it in 1941. The climax comes at Leyte Gulf, where Halsey's overaggressive tactics exposed the invasion fleet off Leyte to Kurita's surface force. Ex. to near new, $7.00
9. “Miracle at Midway” by Gordon Prange. Sequel to the ground-breaking “At Dawn We Slept”, this book in 450 pages, dissects both sides of this pivotal 1942 naval battle. Trade ppk., vg, $3.95
10. “Abandon Ship” by Richard Newcomb. (G) SPF
11. “The Terrible Hours” by Peter Maas. (G) Maas, best known for his chronicling of the urban underworld (Underboss, Serpico, etc.), takes readers underwater for a thrilling account of the world's first rescue of a submarine. Before WWII, submariners were second-class citizens. Worse, until Charles "Swede" Momsen came along, it was standard procedure to treat downed subs as irretrievable. Ppk. Ex. $3.50
12. “No Time For Fear: Voices of American Military Nurses in WWII” by Diane Fessler. SPF
13. “Flags of Our Fathers” by James Bradley. Bradley’s father was one of those who raised the flag on Iwo Jima. Bradley not only explores his father, but the other men who participated. Trade ppk., near new, $4.50
14. “The Longest Battle: The War at Sea, 1939-1945”. Richard Hough. (G) An outstanding naval historian, Hough, through a brilliant mixture of narrative history and personal accounts--collected over almost 30 years of interviewing combatants from both sides--a very powerful, human story emerges of the danger, elation, and miseries of six years of "the longest battle" in the war. Trade ppk. $4.50
15. “China-Burma-India” by Don Moser. A good overview of an often forgotten theater of WWII. In many respects the campaign was similar to others throughout the Pacific. However, the China, India, Burma theater had it's own unique problems. For example, supplying troops was in itself a battle given the terrain, rogue Burmese guerilla units, questionable Chinese loyalty, and the unforgiving monsoon season and extreme heat. One of the Time-Life series with excellent illustrations. VG., $7.95
III. American Civil War:
1. “Recollections and Letters of Robert E. Lee”. Ed. By his son. This book gives a deep insight into the personality of General R E Lee both through his own letters but also through the narrative of his son Rob. The facts given are interesting but most intriguing is the splendor of the General's love and devotion to his family and the men he served in the Army of Northern Virginia. Again, uncommon in this condition. Near new, $10.50
2. Two Volume Biography of U.S. Grant. This was the last two volumes of noted Civil War historian Bruce Catton who writes history like poetry and is best known for “A Stillness at Appomattox”.
a. --“Grant Moves South” – campaigns from 1861 until he took over the federal armies in 1864. VG, plastic covered, $5.50
b. “Grant Takes Command” – from March, 1864 until shortly after the end of the war. Book is VG-Ex. but d/j is badly torn. $5.95
--Buy BOTH for $9.00
3. SPECIAL! “The Killer Angels” by Michael Shaara in cassette TAPES! The whole novel UNABRIDGED! All tapes play well. In nice collector binder $10.50
IV. General Military History:
1. “The First World War” by John Keegan SPF
2. “Paris, 1919” by Margaret MacMillan.
3. “From Annapolis to Scapa Flow” by Edward Beach Sr. Written in the 1930s but never before published, the book is as much about the U.S. Navy as it is about Beach. In his early days Beach served with Civil War veterans aboard wooden ships, while late in his service his shipmates were the future naval leaders of World War II. His account of the Battle of Manila Bay in 1898, the Philippine Insurrection of the early 1900s, Haiti in 1915, the British Grand Fleet at Scapa Flow in 1918, and the wreck of the Memphis, a cruiser under Beach's command that was destroyed by a 1916 tsunami in Santo Domingo Harbor, is eyewitness reporting at its best. Father of Edward Beach, writer of “Run Silent, Run Deep”. Near new, $7.00
4. “The United States Navy in the Pacific, 1909-1922” by William Braisted. Braisted picks up the story in 1909 with the inauguration of President Taft and ends with the Washington Arms Conference of 1921–1922. He pays close attention to the efforts of U.S. naval leaders to secure the East Asian possessions of the United States against possible Japanese attack by assuring the Navy's capacity to win and retain control of the western Pacific. And for the first time, Braisted discusses the extraordinary naval building contract between the Bethlehem Steel Company and China in 1911 that committed the U.S. Navy to train Chinese naval personnel. Trade ppk. NEW! $6.95
***BUNDLE*** buy the above two books for $11.50
5. “Great Naval Disasters: US Naval Accidents”. Kit Bonner. Contains accounts of raging fires on the USS Enterprise, USS Uriskany, USS Forrestal, and USS Constellation. 19 stories in all, with many photos. Trade ppk. $5.50
6. “All My Love: Korean War Letters” by J.W. London. (G) Letters written by a young destroyer officer to his wife during the Korean War. A nice description of life on a Korean War navy ship. Ex – near new trade ppk. 400+ pp. $4.95
7. “Whips to Walls: Naval Discipline from Flogging to the Progressive Era” by Rodney Watterson. This gives fresh insight into an under-appreciated period of naval history―the transition of naval discipline from mid-nineteenth century flogging to a much-needed naval prison system, including the ambitious experiment in Progressive reform at Portsmouth prison. The author has thoroughly researched and clearly documented the Navy’s journey between these two extremes in naval discipline. NEW! Very uncommon - $12.95
8. “The Dreadnoughts” by David Howarth (G) . Part of the Time-Life “Seafarers” set and a fine overview of WWI naval combat between Germany and the UK. Numerous pictures, paintings, maps and diagrams. Near new, $7.50.
9. “Small Unit Action in Vietnam, Summer, 1966 (G) Francis West. Originally published as a training manual, this gives early Vietnam combat from the perspective small unit Marines. VG-ex. $6.50
V. General History and Fiction:
1. “The Great Bridge” by David McCullough. SPF
2. “Lost Moon” by Jim Lovell and Jeffrey Kluger. The personal story of the near-disaster of Apollo 13 by the mission commander, Jim Lovell. The basis for the popular movie. Very well-written and worth reading if you remember those days. Near new, $6.95
3. Patrick McManus books – Some of my absolute FAVORITE books. SPF