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; the Allies' slow start in deploying maximum air power-and why they eventually triumphed. of photos.
#1808907 in Books Scribner 2006-08-29Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.30 x 1.60 x 6.40l; #File Name: 0684807130592 pages
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. History and biographyBy T. HestwoodExcellent biography of a unique and gutsy journalist; and a well-conceived history of the issues that Stone confronted. I found the coverage of the cold war and McCarthyism particularly interesting.14 of 15 people found the following review helpful. a wonderful book; an inspirational lifeBy Jack RosenblumIn the interest of full disclosure; I have a bit of personal history with Izzy; Esther; and their son Chris; as well as a smaller bit with the author. From 1959 to 1962 I was a classmate and acquaintance of Chris in law school. Chris told me about his dad and convinced me to subscribe to I.F. Stone's Weekly; which I continued to do until its demise. Sometime in 1966 or 1967 while living in Washinton; DC; I threw a party and on a whim invited Izzy and Esther; and to my great surprise; they accepted and showed up. Then; to cap it off; two months ago; when I was about halfway through the book; I was at a cocktail party and was introduced to someone named...Myra MacPherson. Of course I was entranced with the bizarre coincidence of meeting someone whose book I was currently reading. I mention all this in case you might want to discount my enthusiasm for the book because of possible bias.This book is valuable for so many reasons: first; it tells the story of a life well lived; of a man who had the courage to follow his passion and tell the truth as he saw it; letting the chips fall where they would without being intimidated by any possible reactions. It is an inspirational story. Second; it provides a perspective on American history from the thirties and into the seventies; with Izzy's prescience about our role in Vietnam presaging similar concerns about our current role in Iraq. Third; it traces the history of leftist politics with all the various and twisting strands during that period. Fourth; it documents the depredations of the FBI in its view of certain varieties of free speech as subversive; along with those of the House Un-American Activities Committee. And fifth; it reveals pusillanimity of most other journalists; who were passively accepting and passing along goverment lies during that period. All told; quite an accomplishment.If I have a quibble; it would be the 600+ page length; especially all the space devoted to each FBI report. I kept thinking; "Enough already--I get it!" Also; I felt concerned that the formidable length might deter potential readers; and that would be a shame because this book is a gem; a slightly oversize gem perhaps; but a gem nonetheless.46 of 49 people found the following review helpful. You Don't Have to Agree with HimBy C. KurdasWith the hindsight of several decades; it is easy to poke holes in I.F. Stone's writings. Yes; his notion of combining a free society with socialism was utopian. Yes; his economic arguments tend to be wooly in the extreme. Yes; he was wrong in denying the Soviet connections of some of his communist friends. Stone's books stay fresh despite those mistakes because he was right about a lot: governments; racism; wars.He was so right that what he says about the cold war and Korea and Vietnam provides insight into the wars America wages today. Beyond the light he sheds on specific events; Stone offers an alternative model of journalism. His journalism; based on a close reading of all sources; is independent of the powers that be. Today's news reporting is dominated by the hypocrisy of the "he said; she said" model: include a counter-quote and the story supposedly becomes neutral. Stone was not politically neutral; but he was independent and truthful. He did not regurgitate the received view. He would not have fallen for the addled rationales that skewed public opinion in favor of starting the war in Iraq.MacPherson's biography is a great way to get to know the irrepressible; fiercely intelligent and marvelously funny Izzy--a man who retains his curiosity and innocence even as he fights against injustice and idiocy and is beset by malignant bureaucrats and scheming politicos. It's not about his private life; but the book does bring the man to life.Through Stone; one understands American history with all its grandness and squalor; in ways rarely available from history books. MacPherson has done a service to the Republic in bringing together this mass of material and preserving the memory of an outstanding American. Anybody who cares about the country should read it.
