Finalist for the Pulitzer PrizeOne of the Washington Post Book World's 10 Best Books of the YearOne of Time's 10 Best Books of the YearUSA Today's Nonfiction Book of the YearA New York Times Notable BookThe definitive account of the American military's tragic experience in IraqFiasco is a masterful reckoning with the planning and execution of the American military invasion and occupation of Iraq through mid-2006; now with a postscript on recent developments. Ricks draws on the exclusive cooperation of an extraordinary number of American personnel; including more than one hundred senior officers; and access to more than 30;000 pages of official documents; many of them never before made public. Tragically; it is an undeniable account—explosive; shocking; and authoritative—of unsurpassed tactical success combined with unsurpassed strategic failure that indicts some of America's most powerful and honored civilian and military leaders.
#403664 in Books Roy Adkins 2006-10-31 2006-10-31Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.40 x .90 x 5.60l; .89 #File Name: 0143037951432 pagesNelson s Trafalgar The Battle That Changed the World
Review
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Kindle okay; but not greatBy SkookumPeteThe book's content has been adequately reviewed by others; so I'll only point out the ridiculousness of the subtitle in the American edition; obviously insisted on by the marketing geniuses. While acknowledging the significance of the battle in Britain's development as a naval power; Adkins himself makes no claims that it "changed the world" more than did any other decisive engagement.The Kindle text itself is free of typos and reasonably well formatted. End notes are properly linked; as are the explanatory footnotes; which necessarily become endnotes as well; however; rather than being marked with asterisks and daggers; these are given their own numbering sequence; so that the numbered references in the text can be rather confusing. More significantly; the diagrams seem to have been placed exactly where they appeared in the printed book; even in the middle of paragraphs; and the captions are then placed at the ends of those paragraphs; so that they are often disconnected from the diagrams. The result is a strange muddle. The maps and plans are included; but the plates are not; although a "List of Illustrations" is included so that we can know what we're missing! The original index is also included; sans page numbers; since entries aren't linked to anything; it is essentially useless.Overall; the Kindle edition is not as much of a mess as some other Penguin efforts; and certainly worth the lower price; but they still don't seem to quite get the concept of flowing text.3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. There are many good citations and "eyewitness" comments to provide the points of ...By PapparosieThe book is well written and flows well. There are many good citations and "eyewitness" comments to provide the points of both sides. The story /history offers a fair juxtaposition on how each of the combatants viewed the events both leading up to the battle and the actual event. The book has a lot of filler and if you have read any of the Patrick O'Brian novels the history of language and the hardships of sailors in those days will be familiar to you and in my case I skipped many paragraphs to get to the details of the battle. Some of the soap opera stuff involving Nelson; Bonaparte and Villeneuve is again worth skipping over. Bottom line is it is a fun read. If you are a historian there are "better" treatises available. If you are new to the history of Trafalgar; this is a fun primer to get you interested in reading more.3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. A well-written study of a horrific sea battleBy lscollisonThis was a superb book; a biography of a famous battle; the story of the men (and women) who fought it and their ships. Adkins effectively weaves personal accounts of the battle with historical analysis as well as his own insights.Ordinarily I don't like to read books of military strategy but Nelson's Trafalgar is so much more than that. It's the telling detail that bring it to life; the individual accounts and the author's knowledge of life aboard a ship-of-the-line. This book should appeal to those landlubbers who aren't familiar with all the salty jargon sailors and geeks like to throw around; yet the author never condescends. If; like this American; you sometimes wonder what all the fuss over Trafalgar is all about; this book is for you.If I were to only ever read one nonfiction book about the Napoleanic wars at sea; this would be the one.
