by History 500 | Jun 2, 2016 | Welcome
The Battle of Midway - America's Greatest Naval Victory
June 4, 1942 marks the anniversary of the Battle of Midway, one of the most decisive battles in world naval history and one that instantaneously altered the 
course of World War II in the Pacific. In a stunning turn of events, an overconfident Japan suffered a catastrophic defeat. Noted Naval Academy Professor Emeritus Craig L. Symonds' , "The Battle of Midway" provides an excellent historical context. We also highly recommend the acclaimed "Miracle at Midway" by Gordon w. Prange which provides a more in depth view.
Top Recommendations for June
The Battle of Midway, by Craig
The naval battle that broke Japan. With the ability to decipher Japanese codes, the U.S. baited the trap and destroyed 4 carriers, the heart of the Japanese fleet.
by History 500 | May 16, 2016 | Welcome
WW II in North Africa - The U.S. and Britain Seize the Initiative from Germany
May, 1942 marked the great turning point in WW II during which new U.S. recruits under Patton and battle hardened 
Brits fought the German army under Rommel, ultimately taking over 250,000 prisoners in Tunisia. Rick Atkinson's classic WW II trilogy begins with the acclaimed "An Army at Dawn: the War in North Africa 1942-1943". The Allies avoided a potentially disastrous cross-channel invasion and the U.S. began its emergence as a world super-power.
Top Recommendation for April
An Army at Dawn: the War in North Africa 1942-1943, by Rick Atkinson (2007 - 541pp)
↓ Fast-paced, engaging, Pulitzer Prize narrative of an unprepared U.S Army's first encounters with its British allies against the Germans in North Africa.
by History 500 | Apr 27, 2016 | Welcome
Okinawa - The Last Great Battle of WW II in the Pacific
April 1, 1945 marked the beginning of the invasion of Okinawa and the 81-day land and naval battle that was the 
costliest of the war in the Pacific with over 12,000 allied and 100,000 Japanese killed. The ferocity of the battles and Japan's extensive use of Kamikazi attacks ultimately led to the decision to use the atomic bomb rather than invade Japan. Robert Gandt's, "The Twilight Warriors" provides a riveting account of this great final battle of the war. Winner of the 2011 Samuel Eliot Morrison prize for naval literature.
Top Recommendation for April
The Twilight Warriors: The Deadliest Naval Battle of WW II, by Robert Gandt (2011 - 400 pp)
Terrific accounts of Okinawa, the suicidal land and final desperate naval battles of the war in which the Japanese used mass Kamikaze attacks.
by History 500 | Mar 14, 2016 | Welcome
Dangerous Passage - WW II's Catastrophic War in the Atlantic
March 16, 1943 marked the height of the Battle of the Atlantic, with 27 Allied merchantmen being sunk by German 
U-Boats in one day. England was at the end of its rope and Churchill doubted the War could continue. The nearly forgotten, fascinating story of the Battle of the Atlantic comes alive in David Fairbank White's unforgettable "Bitter Ocean: The Battle of the Atlantic 1939 - 1943" which vividly recounts some of the most desperate hours in British history.
Monthly Recommendation for March
Bitter Ocean: The Battle of the Atlantic 1939 - 1943, by David White (2007 - 368pp)
Terrific, totally absorbing history of the war at sea. The Allies lost 2750 ships, 72,000 sailors and merchant seamen. The Germans a staggering 80%. David White (2007 - 368pp)
by History 500 | Feb 10, 2016 | Welcome
War in the Pacific - The Five Star Admirals who Engineered America's Great Victory
Only four U.S. Admirals have ever held the rank of 5 stars. Together, Admirals Leahy, King, Nimitz and Halsey 
forged a partnership that was largely responsible for the final defeat of Japan in WW II. February 24, marks the birth date of perhaps the greatest of them all, Chester W. Nimitz who orchestrated most of the key decisions of the war in the Pacific. Walter Borneman's, "The Admiral's" is a classic of naval history and vividly portrays their personalities, harrowing decision making and amazing leadership qualities.
Top Recommendation for February
The Admiral's: The Five Star Admirals who Won the War at Sea, by Walter Borneman (2013 - 608pp)
Exceptional naval history of the American Admirals who helped win the war in the Pacific. Great vignettes about theses lager than life figures who risked all for god and country.
by History 500 | Jan 21, 2016 | Welcome
The Wright Brothers - Kitty Hawk and the Dawn of the Age of Flight
On December 17, 1903, Wilbur and Orville Wright made the first sustained human flight and embarked on 
extraordinary lives that brought them heroes' accolades in France, Europe and the U.S. Their amazing exploits after Kitty Hawk were a thrill to thousands and their modesty and good character endeared them to all. Acclaimed writer, novelist and historian, David McCullough's "The Wright Brothers" brings to life the story of two young, dedicated American inventors who inspired would-be aviators around the world
Top Recommendation for January
The Wright Brothers, by John McCullough (2015, May - 336pp)
Pulitzer prize-winner McCullough's emotionally engaging story of bike shop owners, Orville and Wilbur, and the events leading to their historic first-flight at Kitty Hawk (2015, May - 336pp)
by History 500 | Dec 7, 2015 | Welcome
The Invention of Wireless - Guglielmo Marconi's Amazing Creation
On December 12, 1901, a self-educated, passionately creative young Italian Inventor, Guglielmo Marconi 
transmitted the first trans-Atlantic wireless signal from Cornwall, England to St. John's, Newfoundland and soon to Cape Cod in the U.S., changing the course of history. Acclaimed writer, novelist and historian, Erik Larson's "Thunderstruck" weaves an amazing tale of scientific discovery with a diabolical turn of the century murder that gripped two continents.
Top Recommendation for December
Thunderstruck, by Eric Larson (2007 - 488pp)
One of the great tales of scientific creation. A thrilling saga of the persistence against all odds of Marconi, his invention of the wireless...and a spellbinding murder-mystery(2007 - 488pp)
by History 500 | Nov 11, 2015 | Welcome
The Treaty of Versailles - The Defeat of Germany and Rise of a New World Order
On November 11, 1919 England, France and Italy imposed the unconditional terms of a harsh, humiliating treaty on a defeated Germany marking the end of WW I. Acclaimed Canadian historian Margaret MacMillan's sensational Paris 1919: Six Month's that Changed the World paints a searing portrait of the final German armistice negotiations in a rail car and the treaty in Paris.
Top Recommendation for November:
Paris 1919: Six Months that Changed the World, by Margaret MacMillan (2003 - 624pp)
Totally fascinating account of the final German capitulation, how the Allies carved up the world at Versailles and the seeds laid for WW II. Margaret MacMillan (2003 - 624pp)
by History 500 | Oct 6, 2015 | Welcome
Victory at Yorktown - End of the American Revolution
October 19, 1781 marked the end of the Siege of Yorktown, Washington's miraculous victory and the final surrender of British General Cornwallis's entire army of 8000. Acclaimed historian Richard Ketchum's now classic "Victory at Yorktown: The Campaign That Won the Revolution" is a masterpiece of great storytelling of this historic world event.
Top Recommendation for October
Victory at Yorktown: The Campaign That Won the Revolution, by Richard M Ketchum (2004 – 368pp)
Dramatic coverage of Washington’s army’s remarkable overland trek from New York along with French troops from Newport and Cornwallis’s ignominious defeat at Yorktown.
by History 500 | Sep 10, 2015 | Welcome
Roosevelt in the Far East - Tragic Consequences for WW II
In the summer and fall of 1905, TR sent VP Howard Taft on a clandestine mission to the Far East. The result was a secret treaty that in effect ceded Korea to the Japan. Jame's Bradley's engaging "The Imperial Cruise" recounts the shameful behavior of the U.S. in the Philippines and the tragic consequences of TR's secret negotiations with the Japanese that led to WW II
Top Recommendation for September
The Imperial Cruise, A secret History of Empire and War, by James Bradley (2010 - 400p)
A great intro to U.S. early attempts to exert control in the Far East and the Philippines and TR's misguided policies that ultimately helped sow the seeds for WW II
