At the commencement of World War II; the Navy and the Army-woefully lacking small ships able to ply shallow; reef-infested South and Southwest Pacific waters; which were necessary to support island ground combat-initially acquired whatever was available in ports; harbors; and backwaters to meet their needs. These vessels included schooners; ancient ferry boats; luggers; fishing trawlers; tuna boats; tugs; launches; lighters; surf boats; ketches; yachts; and yawls. The services took whatever craft they could get-some barely seaworthy-as the urgency of need did not permit discrimination in what was purchased or chartered. Gen. Douglas MacArthur; needing his own Navy to support leapfrog operations up the New Guinea coast; found his vessels in Australia and New Zealand; and the Navy its small ships and craft in America. These "Pacific island hoppers" were later supplemented with other small vessels newly constructed in American boat and shipyards. Among them were sixty Navy wooden-hulled 103-foot small coastal transports; hundreds of Army freight-supply ships and large tugs; and lesser numbers of coastal tankers and harbor tugs. The Army ships-most of steel construction; a few of wood-were manned by Coast Guard; Merchant Marine; or Army crews. The islands hoppers worked mostly with amphibious forces; but also supported PT boat squadrons; and as "maids of all duties" engaged in a variety of operations. Periodic combat with Japanese planes off the New Guinea coast and in the Solomon Islands transitioned to frequent battles with conventional and kamikaze aircraft and suicide Q-boats during the Philippine Islands Campaign. Significant numbers of the island hoppers earned battle stars; and crewmen awards for valor including the Navy Cross; the Silver Star and the Bronze Star medals. Following the war; the Navy acquired some of the Army ships; many served in the Korean War and a few in Vietnam. Three of the former freight-supply ships were employed for intelligence gathering; the most famous; USS Pueblo; was captured by North Korea. Others led interesting careers under civilian ownership; one was run aground while engaged in drug smuggling in the Caribbean; and another served as a "radio pirate" off England; broadcasting BBC-banned rock and roll music over the airwaves in 1966. Numerous photographs; maps; data-rich appendices; and an index to full-names; places and subjects add to the value of this work.
#3807466 in Books 2002-09-01Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 10.80 x .40 x 8.10l; .0 #File Name: 078770526848 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Wonderful for middle school study of IslamBy mjenkinsI used this book and the others on Judaism; Hinduism and Buddhism as part of my research on World Religions to teach to Middle school students. I liked the concise and complete information. Just right for the beyond basics I wanted for my students but not at all headed toward the expert level. Perfectly met my needs as a supplement to my text book.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. A Valuable Introduction to a Timely TopicBy Daniel L. BerekWith some 1.3 million followers; Islam is central to the lives of a major portion of the Earth's population. However; this important faith; the third of the great monotheistic religions; is grossly misunderstood by most people in the West. This book is a very good attempt to correct this situation; at least for teachers of Middle and High School social studies (the level depending on the instructor's differentiation).The book is reasonably comprehensive; covering the development of Islam; along with the life and teachings of the Great Prophet Muhammad; before going on to the spread of Islam; covering the Caliphs; Umayyads; Abbasids; Crusades; and the Mongols. Three major Muslim monarchies are covered: the Ottoman Empire; the Safavid Dynasty; and the Mughal Empire. The maps; unfortunately; are marginal; lacking detail and covering only selected areas. Although North Africa is featured; much of West Africa is missing; including Nigeria and Mali; I also wish the author had included Muslim scholarship; as is evident in Timbuktu and Djenne (Mali). The teacher will definitely want to show students the magnificent adobe mosques in Mali; most of which have been declared UNESCO World Heritage Sites - and with good reason.The third chapter goes into the teachings of Islam and practices of Muslims; covering the Koran; the mosque; and the Five Pillars; continuing into the fourth chapter; Sharia - Islamic Law. Chapter five covers women in Islam and the controversies surrounding equal rights. The sixth chapter goes on to explain the two main Islamic sects; the Sunni and Shia - a topic very much in the news these days; before covering Sufism; a very interesting mystical sect. Chapter seven covers the Arab and Islamic contributions to architecture; art; literature; and science. Finally; chapters go over holy festivals and days of observance; also providing comparisons of Islam with other world religions. A bibliography and Internet sites are also included.While there is much information - a very good value for the money - social studies teachers will want to augment this information with hands-on activities; such as games; foods; building models; and re-enacting historic events. However; the wealth of information packed in this volume ought to provide the instructor with many ideas and much inspiration.
