A fascinating chronicle of the longtime role of trickery in warfare.
In this companion to Top Secret (2006) and The Dark Game (2010), his books on secret codes and spying, respectively, Janeczko examines how subterfuge has been used in warfare for thousands of years.
In an engaging, informative narrative, Janeczko chronicles how such deceptive techniques as concealment, camouflage, planted false information, double bluff, ruse, and more have been used to great success in battles and campaigns in the Civil War, world wars I and II, and the Korean, Vietnam, and Gulf wars. Carefully defining these terms of military art and beginning with the biblical account of Gideon, Janeczko explains how “demonstration” (false military preparations) and “feint” (distraction) were used to defeat the Midianites. A feigned retreat led to William the Conqueror’s victory in the Battle of Hastings. Confederate Gen. “Stonewall” Jackson’s masterful use of deceptive strategies made him one of the most successful Civil War commanders. The invasion of Normandy is the quintessential example of deception in extent and overwhelming success. Janeczko explains that, although principles of deception in warfare have changed little over time, the technology behind fooling the enemy has evolved dramatically. He also examines evolving attitudes about the use and effectiveness of duplicitous strategies. The narrative ends abruptly, with discussion of Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf’s use of deception techniques in Operation Desert Storm.
A fascinating chronicle of the longtime role of trickery in warfare. (maps, photos, source notes, bibliography) (Nonfiction. 10-14)Pub Date: April 25, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-7636-6042-0
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Jan. 16, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2017
Rabid fans might take a swing at this, but younger or less well-informed ones will get a better sense of how the game is and...
A crazy quilt of baseball high spots and memories, distilled from interviews with over 500 former major leaguers and managers.
Though stitched into chronological chapters and, despite the subtitle, covering 19th-century baseball too, Panchyk’s labor of love ends up less a coherent, unified whole than an anecdotal jumble of incidents, records, and firsts. He also seems determined to stuff as many names into his narrative as possible, so that familiar stars such as Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, and Ted Williams are nearly shouldered aside by a dizzying swarm of smaller fry. And though some offer personal reminiscences about how they broke into the major leagues, too many contribute only the vague platitudes that players still use. The illustrations are largely decades-old photos of players, tickets, and printed programs, and the history turns decidedly threadbare once it reaches the 21st century. Sidebars on nearly every spread mix miniessays on topics ranging from baseball nicknames to select no-hitters with at-times questionable hands-on activities; one suggests announcing part of a real game and then playing the recording back to an audience, which is possibly illegal, for instance.
Rabid fans might take a swing at this, but younger or less well-informed ones will get a better sense of how the game is and was played elsewhere. (index, timeline, resources) (Nonfiction. 10-13)Pub Date: March 1, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-61374-779-7
Page Count: 176
Publisher: Chicago Review Press
Review Posted Online: Dec. 7, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2015
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A dramatic narrative, richly illustrated and solidly supported.
The history of firefighting in the United States is explored through the stories of 10 important fires.
Some are familiar stories, others less well-known. It begins with the largest in Colonial history, the Boston fire of 1760 that some saw as judgment from God even as they sought to make improvements in the city’s ability to respond to future blazes. The change in city skylines that occurred after the Chicago fire is discussed, and fires in Baltimore, New York and San Francisco in the early 20th century, deemed the “great urban fires,” led to important changes in regulations, building codes and firefighting techniques. Workplace tragedies such as the one that occurred at the Triangle Waist Company led to changes in laws protecting workers. The devastating loss of life in the attacks on the World Trade Center demonstrated the vulnerability of modern buildings. The volume concludes with a look at one of California’s worst wildfires. Each of the 10 incidents seems carefully chosen to provide a different angle to the history of American firefighting. Readers can chart progress and setbacks as firefighters worked to improve their techniques and communities attempted to make their buildings and environments safer.
A dramatic narrative, richly illustrated and solidly supported. (museums to visit, recommended reading, websites, source notes, glossary, bibliography, index) (Nonfiction. 10-14)Pub Date: March 4, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-8050-9714-6
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: Jan. 7, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2014
BOOK REVIEW
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