The first volume of this series dealt with the initial 19 months of the air war over the Western Desert of North Africa. This volume picks up the story as the 8th Army; following its hard-fought success in Operation Crusader; was forced back to the Gazala area; roughly midway between the Cyrenaican/Tripolitanian border of Libya and the frontier with Egypt.It covers the lull prior to the disastrous defeat of the 8th Army in June 1942 and the loss of the important port and fortress of Tobruk. The costly efforts of the Allied air forces to protect the retreating British and Commonwealth troops and prevent this turning into a rout is examined in depth. So too is the heavy fighting which followed in the El Alamein region as the line was stabilized. This period was ameliorated somewhat for the Western Desert Air Force by the arrival – at last – of the first Spitfires. The buildup of both the army and air force which followed; coupled with new commanders on the ground; meant that Rommel’s Deutsche Afrika Korps was defeated at Alam el Halfa at the start of September; and then again; comprehensively; at the climactic battle of El Alamein in October. Joined now by the first units of the United States Army Air Force; the Allied air forces began to achieve a growing ascendancy over those of the Axis. The long; rather slow; pursuit of the Italo-German forces right across Libya is recounted; including the capture of Tripoli; followed by the breakthrough into Southern Tunisia at the end of March 1943. This allowed a linkup with the Allied forces in Tunisia (whose story will be related in Volume 3) to be achieved. In this volume follow to the fortunes of some of the great fighter aces of the Desert campaign such as Jochen Marseille and Otto Schulz of the Luftwaffe; Franco Bordoni-Bisleri of the Regia Aeronautica and Neville Duke; Billy Drake and ‘Eddie’ Edwards of the Commonwealth air forces. While the fighting above the constantly moving front lines form the main narrative of this book; the Allied and Axis night bombing offensives and the activities of the squadrons cooperating with the naval forces in the Mediterranean are certainly not neglected.
#228782 in Books Chad Broughton 2016-09-01Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 5.50 x 1.10 x 8.20l; .0 #File Name: 0190608862408 pagesBoom Bust Exodus The Rust Belt the Maquilas and a Tale of Two Cities
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Modern Economics Meets A Tale of Two CitiesBy Michael GriswoldBoom; Bust Exodus by Chris Broughton is a fairly in-depth study of a segment of the globalized economy. But what makes Broughton’s book stand out is that he looks at it from a human perspective rather than just numbers on a spreadsheet or a nicely produced graph. As an added point; he doesn’t just look at the workers at the Galesburg Maytag plant who lost the high paying union jobs that many had held for decades; but also the workers in Mexico who replace these people at lower wages; virtually no union protection; and are often exposed to toxic chemicals. The evidence would seem to indicate that there are few real winners other than corporate and business entities.On the other hand; this is far from a doom and gloom story as we see some Maytag workers reinvent themselves while others have the struggles that one might expect of people whose only life was manufacturing. I really liked this story because it brought humanity into the debate over the modern economy—there are winners and losers; but I don’t think standard economic analysis really captures the basic fact that you are dealing with human beings.But then again; you can say that about so many things in the United States these days.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. An amazing book. Great read for anyone interested in learning ...By Jonathan GrabinskyThe author does an amazing job of covering the human dimensions behind global integration. And so illustrative and engaging – I’m going to refer this book to my many economist friends; who often undermine the value of qualitative research.I do find that author takes the anti-corporation rhetoric a little too far at times. I’m also skeptical of the equivalency the author draws between Mexico post-NAFTA and the Porfiriato. I think that one can make a strong argument that; although there is still a lot of work to be done in protecting the rights of low-income workers; struggling populations in Mexico are better off today than they were under the Porfiriato.At least today there are strong social programs; like Oportunidades; that are trying to actively combat poverty. And; to some extent; workers have cheaper and greater options as consumers today than they did when they were forced to buy from the “Tienda de Raya†under Porfirio. I agree with the book that the “free trade benefits everyone†argument is BS; but I do question the validity of the comparison; especially given how circumstantial history is.Some of the characters; like Governor Montemayor (who I had never heard of before); give me hope that there is room for a “third way;†under strong leadership; in Mexico. I recently saw Miguel Angel Mancera – the mayor of Mexico City– speak at a conference. I can’t make a definitive statement about him; but I do think he’s someone with vision and strong leadership; who can hopefully pave a new road for Mexico in the future.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Completely absorbing and heartbreakingBy Sara W.My attention span for non-fiction is generally short - of the New Yorker variety. I tore through this book in only a few nights - it's one of the only non-fiction books I've done this with. Broughton does an excellent job of portraying both the settings and the characters in a way that I became invested in their journeys. It sounds strange to be invested in the "journey" of a physical place; but that is what happens to both settings in this book. By the time the settings (and their inhabitants) have become transformed; I was heartbroken; and outraged; and all of that good stuff. You'll never look at your kitchen appliances in the same way; or; in this election year; listen to speeches about trade and jobs overseas; and the working class; and immigrants; and pretty much everything in the same way. I strongly recommend this book.
