Next Generation Architecture: Folds, Blobs, and Boxes

Average customer rating:
Next Generation Architecture: Folds, Blobs, and Boxes
Joseph Rosa
Manufacturer: Rizzoli
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
Reference | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
Specific Styles | Building Types & Styles | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
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ARCHITECTURE IN THE DIGITAL AGE: DESIGN AND MANUFACTURING

ASIN: 0847825736
Release Date: 2003-12-19

Book Description

A new generation of architects is pushing digital technology to its limits and continues a tradition of "organic" architecture, often labeled "blobitecture." A few architects in the pre-digital era anticipated the shape of today's sleek and supple buildings, but computers have helped make many of today's large, truly innovative architectural projects buildable. Up until now, the new generation's architectural work has been overshadowed by that of the previous generation. This volume defines the next generation and captures the latest trends in architecture it has put foward. A number of the architects (Greg Lynn, RUR Architecture, Foreign Office Architects) were among those selected to compete in the Ground Zero redevelopment effort.

Among the thirty architects featured are Greg Lynn, ShoP, Ben van Berkel and Caroline Bos, Wes Jones, Lindy Roy, Foreign Office Architects, Rem Koolhaas, and Frank Gehry.

Book Description

Walter Foster's classic How to Draw and Paint series provides aspiring artists with an exceptional array of art instruction books featuring all subject areas and media. Each title includes easy step-by-step exercises as well as finished illustrations or paintings that will inspire artistic talent in anyone.

Packed with practical information, helpful tips, and fundamental techniques, the How to Draw and Paint series offers a complete library of resources to which artists of all skill levels can refer again and again.

¥ Discover dozens of beautiful, inspiring watercolor paintings

¥ Find out what materials and colors you'll need to get started painting right away

¥ Choose your favorite subjects--from flowers, still lifes, and landscapes to animals, children, and more

¥ Create wonderfully translucent atmospheric works of art

¥ Learn the secrets for using color to convey a range of emotions

Customer Reviews:

A Classic Book--A Shame it's Out of Print.......2000-03-10

Michael Langford's "Master Guide to Photography" is one of the most comprehensive and nicely illustrated books on photography. It's a shame that the publisher has let this title go out of print--it should be updated and republished. Michael covers everything from camera basics to the history of photography to very advanced camera techniques and it's all presented in an interesting and aesthetically pleasing way. Time to reprint and expand it--but worth finding the original from a used dealer.

Customer Reviews:

A valuable source of information, ideas and concepts.......2002-02-04

The book takes a close look on how the financial services sector is responding to the challenge of expectations of stakeholders and shareholders regarding environmental and social performance. Because of the intermediary role of banks they have an enormous potential to contribute toward sustainable development. For banks it is becoming more and more difficult to deny that corporate sustainability increases long-term shareholder value.

The book is divided into five parts: (1) environmental policies of banks, (2) transparency and communication, (3) environmental investment funds, (4) environmental risks and banks' products and (5) the role of governments, NGOs and multilateral banks. This structure was chosen to present altogether 32 contributions of different authors or author groups in a way, that comprehensively explains the changes the financial sector is undergoing.

The authors are from four continents thus providing a global overview. Contributors include The World Bank, The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, The United Nations Environment Programme, The World Business Council for Sustainable Development, The World Resources Institute, Rabobank, UBS, Henderson Investors, Deloitte & Touche, KPMG and SAM Sustainability.

The contributions show that "sustainable banking" is, at the moment, a dynamic term with no clear borders changing its definition over time. Certainly this book will contribute to a clarification regarding definition and borders of the term "sustainable banking".

The contributions partly consider all three dimensions of sustainable development, partly they deal only with environment and economy and eco-efficiency respectively. Some of the contributions provide excellent introductions into the notion of sustainable development. Others show only a view restricted to environmental aspects.

In most contributions it becomes clear that the concept is automatically relevant to the relationships of the banks with their stakeholders and not only within the banks themselves. Transparency and communication play a crucial role.

The contributions present global perspectives, case studies and detailed analysis. A lot of ideas and suggestions for differing approaches, models and policies offer a tool for developing new strategies. For strategists and policy-makers this tool can be particularly useful.

An outlook given in one of the forewords explains the view of future development in sustainable banking: "... sustainable banking is about both these approaches: supporting the inno-vative and proactive companies; and stimulating the lagging and reactive ones. Alliances and co-operation between NGOs, governments, companies, consumers and the financial sector are natural outcomes of this `double strategy'... this joining of forces is the best strategy to-wards sustainable development."

"Sustainable Banking - The Greening of Finance" represents a valuable source of information, ideas and concepts for people in the financial services sector, corporate managers and the growing community of people from different sectors looking for ways to realize genuine sustainable development.

Customer Reviews:

Packed With Knowledge!.......2004-06-08

Philip Hodgson and Randall P. White provide practical instructions for dealing with change, as all leaders must. Rather than assuming that only certain personality types and traits are suitable for leadership in changing times, they addresses the behavior patterns that mark a successful leader. The authors place their behavioral concepts in a familiar context with case histories. The true value of their book lies in specific exercises that will enhance your ambiguity-coping skills. Some level-headed readers may be slightly put off by the seeming wackiness of some of these notions (they range from "spend some time around children" to "analyze how you spend your time") and the light-hearted tone (they do refer to Star Trek). Lighthearted or not, the advice in this book may just save your job - or your company's future. We recommend this book to senior executives, regardless of industry, as well as to anyone who is concerned about the fast pace of change and wants some help keeping up.

Packed with Knowledge!.......2003-10-16

Discovery in Uncertain Times.......2002-07-24

"Being on the tightrope is living; everything else is waiting." -Karl Wallenda (1904-78)

Do you act intuitively and act decisively? In the world, everything is changing so fast that you can't always control your own destiny, let alone feel confident enough to lead others through seeming chaos. This book demonstrates how you can become at ease with change and how you can analyze your own strengths so you can deal with ambiguity.

Aspects Covered Include:

The real work of leadership

Damaging illusions from the twentieth century
Motivation by mysteries
Risk tolerance
Polishing your Personal radar

The 8 Enablers - find out which type
of enabler you are.

Mystery Seekers - I started to highlight a ton of this area and figured
I must be a mystery seeker.
Risk-Tolerators
Future-Scanners
Tenacious Challengers
Exciters
Flexible Adjusters
Simplifiers
Focusers

However, you might have qualities of a Restrainer/ There are 8 Restrainers. I'm more than likely part "Detail Junkie." These are negative and overplayed sides of enablers.

Do you have trouble with transitions?
Are you unmotivated by work?
Do you fear conflict?
Can you put all the pieces of the puzzle together. What are
the signs of a "muddy thinker."
How can you communicate more effectively.
Are you hooked on detail?
Do you focus on the here and now or do you see the future?
Do you long for the bygone days?

My favorite section was the Enabler Section on "Mystery Seekers." It is a section that explains how this type of enabler gets energy from not knowing. They might even appear strangely happy when things don't work out perfect the first time. When writing recipes, this was true, because then I could test the recipe again! Ha!

"Imagine that everything was attractive. Imagine that the more you didn't know, the more you wanted to know. Imagine that maybe wanting to know was too weak a description, there was a hunger to know what drove you from whatever eles you were doing and pushed you to continually make further inquiries about the things you didn't know. Imagine insatiable curiosity. You are a Mystery-Seeker." pg. 30

More than likely, the "risk tolerant" segment is highly relevant right now. These types are not hampered by insufficient or ambiguous data.

I think that the best way to use this book is to highlight your own qualities or areas you want to work on. I don't see why you can't be a bit of all 8 Enablers. It is like being a personality type with elements of each. I don't think anyone can be a specific type, but can be a combination and then certain aspects will be highlighted and more obvious.

Complex at first and I thought this would be over my head, but once I started to read it became much clearer to me. I think you will enjoy this book if you are a business leader or just want to analyze your own qualities.

In uncertainty, there is certainly room for change. ;>

~TheRebeccaReview.com

A Book for Our Times.......2001-11-02

This is an extremely useful book for its times. It comes along during (another) period of great unsettling uncertainty. Uncertainty never actually goes away, of course, but it's more pressing and obviously present at some times than at others.

The book makes the central point that "The real work of leadership is embracing uncertainty," that the defining mark of a leader is confidence with uncertainty, along with the ability to acknowledge it and deal with it. The authors present a detailed recipe for anyone seeking to enhance their ability to manage and exploit the uncertainty that often precedes change or destabilization.

The core of this book by Philip Hodgson and Randall White is a taxonomy of personalities that "enable" and "restrain" organizational change. Most of us will be able to quickly spot ourselves (and other key people) on their list. There are Mystery-Seekers, Future-Scanners, Tenacious-Challengers, Exciters, Simplifiers, Wet Blankets, and Muddy Thinkers, among the many. Case examples are provided for each type, along with recommendations about how to deal with them and take advantage of the possibilities that they offer. The book provides specific suggestions on how to grow into an "enabler" of productive change, aong with ideas about how to handle the restrainers.

The book is written in clear language and format, its terms are well-defined, and the style is very accessible. It is the kind of book that could serve as a quick reference whenever things bog down or get strange.

Leading for Future Success.......2001-06-28

"RELAX it's only uncertainty: Lead the Way When the Way Is Changing" is a terrific book - one that provides an answer for anyone worried about the future of their organization. And who isn't? "Innovate or get left behind" is the challenge facing most organizations, including those I am familiar with.. To meet this challenge organizations need leaders who can deal with uncertainty.

For anyone who thinks that this is a "slam dunk" answer, let me assure you, it is not. Most people in leadership positions CANNOT deal with uncertainty. They avoid it by focusing on "business as usual", what is known and familiar. This is the path to trouble in a world where technology and marketplace pressures are demanding something different and much better than business as usual.

In these conditions the work of leaders is not to follow the tried-and-true path, but to create the path forward in a world of "what-ifs".

Leaders capable of doing this can be identified. In fact, most of "RELAX it's only uncertainty" is devoted to describing what these leaders think and do. The authors identify eight characteristics of such leaders, including: Having a curiosity about what is not known, Tolerating risk, Gathering ideas about the future, and Simplifying information. This description is tremendously valuable because it enables anyone to spot this kind of leader.

The authors make this even more practical and useful. They identify behaviors indicative of each characteristic. For example, a forward-looking executive seeks out information about the future, formulates hunches or intuitions about future developments and listens constantly for "faint signals" of these developments. A list like this can be used to assess how strong or weak a leader is in a particular area and to coach and develop her/him to a higher level.

"RELAX it's only uncertainty" points out eight factors that block a leader's ability to deal with an uncertain future. One is a preoccupation with the past that is known and familiar.

This book is a "wake up call" and guide for anyone concerned about the future of their organization. Organizations with leaders like the ones described here are much more likely to be successful. The others are heading toward tough times.

Average customer rating:

Maybe not gold just silver

Terrific book!

A Must Read for Drivers wanting to own their own company!

Wheels of Gold

Great Book!

Wheels of Gold: A Complete How-To Guide for Starting a Million Dollar Limousine Business
William J. Goerl
Manufacturer: Paradise Planning, Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Guides | Job Hunting & Careers | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
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How to Start a Limousine Business

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The Ultimate Sales Letter: Attract New Customers. Boost Your Sales (Ultimate Sales Letter)

ASIN: 0974580503

Book Description

Revised 2006 Edition...
The Limousine Industries Best Selling Book, Just Got Better!!!

Priceless information regarding how to get paid to drive your car and How to Start a Million Dollar Limousine Business. Learn from an Award Winning Industry Leader who shares 20 years of Insiders Secrets. Discover how to start your business with No Money!

Learn how to be the most expensive service in town and still be the busiest.

Creative Selling and Advertising Techniques which cost nothing!

Customer Reviews:

Maybe not gold just silver .......2007-08-09

The book is a basic how to book most of which is common sense.As I'm am starting a Limousine business I thought it would be helpfull but nothing I didn't know after an hour on line

Terrific book!.......2007-06-27

"Wheels of Gold" is a terrific book--a must read for anyone who wants to start a limo business! It is easy to read, comprehensive, and full of valuable advise based on experience. My congratulations to Mr. Goerl!

A Must Read for Drivers wanting to own their own company!.......2007-05-14

There is a lot of VERY useful information in this book, I've been a driver for the past 4 years, and this helps a lot! Many limo companies do not want to give you advice, mainly because they see it as a new company infringing on their territory. This book really does give you the information needed to start a limo company!

Wheels of Gold.......2007-02-06

I don't have a clue about running a limo business but after reading Wheels of Gold I am confident that I am headed in the right direction. I am glad that I read this book before the other book that I purchased because Wheels of Gold empowered my dream of starting a limo business, while the other book that cost twice as much made me feel as if my dream was impossible to achieve. Therefore, I threw the other book in the trash and only carry Wheels of Gold with me everywhere I go. Thanks for writing such an inspirational and resourceful book.

Great Book!.......2006-08-24

This is a very informative book for anyone interested in going into the limo business.

Great info and easy reading!

Average customer rating:

A Diet and Supplement Manual for Your Heart

EXCELLENT summary of the womens'true information for health

Her Healthy Heart: A Woman's Guide to Preventing and Reversing Heart Disease Naturally
Linda Ojeda
Manufacturer: Hunter House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Women's Health | Personal Health | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
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Amazon.com

"What you don't know can kill you," writes Linda Ojeda in Her Healthy Heart. For example, did you know that heart disease and stroke are killing women in record numbers--six times as many as breast cancer, and twice as many as all forms of cancer combined--yet can be prevented and reversed with small lifestyle changes? Ojeda goes beyond the eat-low-fat-and-exercise advice we've all heard a million times. She discusses nutrients, supplements, stress, spirituality, and unhealthy vs. heart-healthy behavior. She describes what conditions and actions increase risk, and what you can do to reverse the effects, with every point backed up by scientific studies. Where there's conflicting information, she presents both sides and makes her best recommendation.

Ojeda has always been ahead of her time--she wrote Exclusively Female before women knew they could alter the way they felt before and during their periods, Menopause Without Medicine before the great flood of menopause books, and Safe Dieting for Teens, the first dieting book aimed at teenagers. Now she again shares the science we haven't heard, this time for our hearts' sakes. This remarkably informative resource will motivate you to take action. --Joan Price

Customer Reviews:

A Diet and Supplement Manual for Your Heart.......2002-03-03

In "Her Healthy Heart" Linda Ojeda summarizes hundreds of articles and other resources dealing with heart disease and health. (The tone of the book, although easy to understand, does take one a college paper flavor.) The result is a guide jam packed with information on how to keep your heart thumping.

Although much of the book can be used by either males or females, in certain areas special attention is given to factors which influence women.

Ojeda starts by explaining what heart disease is, how we test for it, and risk factors or associations for heart disease. After laying down this foundation, Ojeda moves on to lifestyle factors that are under our control: diet and vitamin/mineral supplementation. Each nutrient and supplement which affects the heart is detailed, including where it is found and what benefits or detriments it brings.

Finally, Ojeda discusses behavioral factors that affect the heart. This section is rather terse, although realistically it is outside the realm of one book to discuss both diet and behavioral factors.

Strangely, although exercise is mentioned throughout the book as a factor, there isn't any section to help structure an exercise routine. This means that unless your heart disease is very mild, you will likely have to get information on how to structure a program elsewhere (it's not hard--internet resources will suffice for most), since heart disease tends to have many different causes involved.

Nevertheless, this is an excellent summary of heart health. Every sentence offers something of practical use to you. Indeed, after borrowing this title from the library, I am looking for a used copy to purchase, as it was so full of valuable information taking notes would be too time consuming.

EXCELLENT summary of the womens'true information for health.......1999-05-28

WOW, I really needed to read this book, it tells the truth about what we women need to know to prevent heart attacks, a must read for any health conscious girl!

Book Description

Omaha Beach saw the greatest drama and loss of life on D-Day and was critically important to subsequent Allied total victory in World War II. In this gripping new book, historian Joseph Balkoski tells the story of June 6, 1944, when largely untested American troops assaulted the German army's Atlantic wall. Equal parts oral history and meticulous reconstruction, including the invasion's diplomatic and strategic context, Omaha Beach is the closest the modern reader can get to experiencing the Normandy landings firsthand. A fitting tribute to the veterans as well as an engaging narrative, it promises to become a classic on one of America's, and indeed, the world's, most important days in history. This brilliantly researched and engagingly written comprehensive history of this momentous battle includes many never before published first-person accounts by the men who were there, many given within days of the invasion! Also included are comprehensive lists of all Medal of Honor and Distinguished Service Cross winners at Omaha Beach as well as: ù the Order of Battle ù casualty list for the first twenty-four hours ù organization of a 30man assault boat ù weapons and equipment carried in the assault by a typical soldier and a series of detailed maps allowing the reader unparalleled insight into the minute-by-minute combat on Omaha Beach.

Customer Reviews:

Understanding Omaha.......2007-04-05

I read the book several years ago, just prior to visiting the Normandy Beaches. Bought it to have my own copy and read it again. The book's great strength (drawback for some readers, maybe) is its huge volume of detail. It is thoroughly researched; written with clarity; tells the story fully. The human side of this Day In History is also illustrated in meaningful detail; descriptions of unbelievable heroism are numerous; only three Medals of Honor were awarded;many DSCs. Issue: General Cota should have received the Medal of Honor; saved many lives; inspired leadership. A really fine and exciting book.

A Great Book.......2007-04-03

I am not going to go on at length since there are already some well written reviews here. I just wanted to add my vote that this is a great book. I think it is the finest book on Omaha written, including Ryan's and Ambrose's. I also recommend Bernage's work for the graphics and photos.

A Great Description of Omaha Beach That Takes You There.......2007-03-27

This is a great "you are there" description of D-Day on Omaha Beach in Normandy. Joseph Balkoski has done an excellent job of presenting the official and personnel accounts of people who were there that longest day of the war. The descriptions by the veterans take you into the landing craft, onto the beach, and up and over the bluffs that overlooked the beach. His telling of the story dispels the usual belief that the soldiers were stuck on the beach all day and only got off the beach near the end of the day as depicted in the movie "The Longest Day".

I would recommend this book to anyone wanting a real detailed story focused on this one beach of the D-Day invasion. I would really recommend it to someone who is a wargamer such as myself since reading the stories makes me want to recreate these small firefights as well as the overall battle. I am sure there are many people who feel that way.

Balkoski's style of telling history is very well done and he has done an excellent job of bringing the materials together so that others can follow in the footsteps of the brave men of that day.

I can't want to read Utah Beach!

Utah Beach: The Amphibious Landing And Airborne Operations On D-Day, June 6, 1944

A Great Historical Resource.......2006-12-14

Joseph Balkoski's book on Omaha Beach is a great historical resource like his book Utah Beach. Omaha Beach tells the story of when largely untested American troops assaulted the German army's Atlantic wall. This is a great read covering the events of the day almost minute by minute. It reads like a great documentary. This is not written in the format of a memoir. Balkoski relies mainly on primary sources such as after action reports, unit journals, and citations to create his blow by blow narrative. He includes the invasion's diplomatic and strategic context. Omaha Beach is the closest the modern reader can get to experiencing the Normandy landings firsthand.

Sprinkled throughout the battle account are the accounts of those in the battle. It is a classic. It is a must for any D-day library. It also included comprehensive lists of all Medal of Honor and Distinguished Service Cross winners at Omaha Beach. It has: the Order of Battle, unit casualty list for the first twenty-four hours, unit organization of a 30man assault boat unit weapons, and equipment carried in the assault by a typical soldier, and a series of detailed maps allowing the reader unparalleled insight into the minute-by-minute combat on Omaha Beach.

Best ever Omaha Beach book!.......2006-12-03

I decided at first to write a long review of this book, but upon reading the other reviews here I trimmed my review to simply this...

I own and run a battlefield touring company in Normandy and have read many many books on the fighting on Omaha Beach on D-Day. There is no better book than this one, that's it it's absolutely the definitive book on the subject. The author has lived overlooking the beach, he's from Maryland - home of the 29th division and he has studied the units involved for thirty years. This book will never be bettered. I cannot sing its praises loudly enough.

Utah Beach: The Amphibious Landing And Airborne Operations On D-Day, June 6, 1944

Average customer rating:

A Great Historical Resource
Great introduction to Utah Beach
Excellent Book on the "Day of Days"
Companion to Omaha Beach
Good, but offers Primarily US Perspectives

Utah Beach: The Amphibious Landing And Airborne Operations On D-Day, June 6, 1944
Joseph Balkoski
Manufacturer: Stackpole Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Military | History | Subjects | Books

Western | Europe | History | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0811701441

Book Description

In this unforgettable narrative of D-Day, Joseph Balkoski describes the minute-by-minute combat as it unfolded on Omaha Beach, allowing soldiers to speak for themselves as they recall their attempts to maneuver bombers through heavy cloud cover, the claustrophobic terror aboard transports, and the relentless fire that greeted them on the beach. Equal parts oral history and meticulous reconstruction, Omaha Beach is the closest the modern reader can get to experiencing the Normandy landings firsthand.

Customer Reviews:

A Great Historical Resource.......2006-12-14

Joseph Balkoski's book on Utah Beach is a great historical resource. This is a very good read covering the events of the day almost minute by minute. It reads like a great documentary. This is not written in the format of a memoir. Readers who love first person hubris memoirs may find it lacking action.

Balkoski relies mainly on primary sources such as after action reports, unit journals, and citations to create his blow by blow narrative. Sprinkled throughout the battle account are the accounts of those in the battle. It is a classic. It is a must for any D-day library.

Great introduction to Utah Beach.......2006-09-03

Already having a general knowledge of WWII history, this book was a good starting point for my study of Utah Beach. I found it to be a clear, and very engaging read, detailing the Allied invasion. As the previous reviewer commented, this book does lack full detail on the German perspetive. This may affect the completeness of the book, but I don't see it as a major problem to the reader. I would expect anyone researching Utah Beach to rely on more than just a single book. I'm confident that I will learn more of the German experience as I continue to read other sources.

Excellent Book on the "Day of Days".......2006-02-20

This is an excellent book on the "Day of Days" as coined by the film "Band of Brothers". This book fills out what the rest of American paratroops and Utah beach landing beach troops did on this day. Only one page is provided on Easy Company. And, what a story it is! General Teddy Roosevelt walking Utah Beach with a cane and leading the troops ashore, thereby winning a Medal of Honor. The officers and troopers of the 82nd airborne taking Ste. Mere Eglise and holding it against numerous German counterattacks. The holding of the bridges over Meridet River (shades of Saving Private Ryan although this story is accurate), stopping a tank attack with a bazooka. The capturing of the four causeways from Utah Beach by the 101st airborne allowing the Utah beach landing troops of the 4th Division to break through. There are many fascinating stories supporting this outline of the events. Yes, this was the Day of Days and this is a great book describing it. A great addition to the author's other great book on Omaha Beach.

Companion to Omaha Beach.......2006-01-07

This is the author's other book on June 6 covering Utah Beach. Another excellent job with detailed coverage. A great companion book to Omaha Beach.

Good, but offers Primarily US Perspectives.......2005-10-23

Joseph Balkoski, a historian for the Maryland Army National Guard, is an expert on the 1944 Normandy invasion, as he demonstrated years ago in Up From the Beachhead. However, the US landings on Omaha Beach have tended to overshadow the equally important landings on Utah Beach as Balkoski notes, "the near disaster and shocking casualties on Omaha Beach have tended to dominate historical accounts of the American D-Day experience." In his latest volume, Utah Beach, Balkoski sets out to redress this imbalance. Balkoski covers both the V Corps landings on Utah as well as the supporting airborne assaults by the 82nd and 101st Airborne divisions in great detail. In addition, Balkoski corrects some of the errors and misconceptions about Utah Beach that have appeared in both the official history and General Bradley's memoirs. Overall, this volume is a very good effort (although it lacks the incisive comment that made Up From the Beachhead such a valuable contribution) but it does suffer from a lack of German accounts and this is essentially a story told primarily from the US perspective.

Utah Beach consists of 11 chapters, four of which cover the development of the plan up to the movement to Normandy. Nine appendices cover US casualties, order of battle and post-battle awards. In chapter five, about one-third of the way through the book, the US troops begin arriving in Normandy. Balkoski weaves together first-person accounts and bits and pieces from various unit histories to provide a rich narrative on the US airborne landings and subsequent amphibious landings on Utah Beach. To be fair, many of these accounts appear in other books as well, but Balkoski also adds coherence to a very complex operation that other accounts lack. The narrative is also enhanced by two dozen maps that greatly clarify the tactical situation on an almost hour-by-hour basis.

Unfortunately, Balkoski's narrative provides very little from the German perspective, which substantially reduces the value of this book. The omission of German sources is particularly glaring given that a number of other D-Day books written in the past few years have added a great deal to the understanding of German actions on 6 June 1944. Indeed, Balkoski never even takes the time to discuss the actual German resistance nests on Utah Beach, even though forty years ago books by Paul Carrel and Cornelius Ryan both included accounts from the German W-5 nest. Although one of Balkoski's objectives in this book is to expose the inaccuracy of Bradley's statement that the landing on Utah Beach was "a piece of cake," his glossing over of the actual reduction of the German resistance nests on the beach does not support this goal. Nor is it only German sources that are missing from this book. In discussing the airborne drop around Ste. Mere Eglise, Balkoski fails to mention the inadvertent drop of a couple of paratrooper sticks in the town square, their subsequent massacre by the German garrison and Private John Steele's famous hang-up on the church steeple. Indeed, Balkoski never really mentions what happened to the German garrison in the town and merely notes that six paratrooper corpses were hanging in trees when US forces occupied the town.

Reading Balkoski, one gets the impression that the Germans had the means to crush the Utah landings were it not for the efforts of the airborne troops, but this is highly debatable. The Germans were unable to mount any significant counterattacks on D-Day until toward the end of the day and none of these were more than regimental-size. Although Balkoski mentions the German 6th Paratrooper Regiments counterattack against the 101st Airborne, he does not note that this attack cost the Germans the bulk of one battalion. Balkoski is also incorrect in assessing that the US forces were able to breach Hitler's Atlantic Wall on Utah Beach in less than two hours. The Atlantic Wall did not merely consist of the various bunkers and obstacles on the beach itself, but included all the pre-invasion defensive measures in the area, such as the flooded areas that bedeviled US operations in Normandy for days after D-Day. Furthermore, although V Corps punctured a one-mile wide hole in the German defenses at Utah, the march on the eventual goal of Cherbourg would have to push through several belts of coastal defenses around that city. Lately, it has become de rigueur for US historians to condemn the Atlantic Wall as worthless, but the fact is that weakness of German forces in France necessitated such measures and by and large, these measures did cost the Allies time and casualties (these critics ignore the fact that had the Germans possessed more air and tank reserves, the obstacle belts would not have been so easy to breach).

One of the best aspects of this book is that Balkoski includes virtually everyone who participated in the invasion in this sector, including troop carrier crews, the Special Engineer brigade, various corps attachments, the US Navy and even the usually-ignored 90th Infantry Division (which landed a few battalions late on D-Day). As Balkoski notes, the usual claim in the official history that US losses on Utah on D-Day were "fewer than 200" is incorrect since that only included data from the 4th Infantry Division, not the myriad of supporting units. Throughout D-Day, German mines and artillery fire inflicted serious casualties on the packed US units on Utah Beach and surrounding areas. Furthermore, Balkoski notes that when airborne casualties and naval casualties are factored in, the landing on Utah cost a similar number of casualties to Omaha. Overall, Balkoski's latest book is well worth reading for the valuable perspectives that he provides, but the inherent limitations in a book that focuses primarily on the US viewpoint on one day of a 90-day campaign put this book in the "do not use without consulting other sources" category.

Customer Reviews:

Home is Where the Habitat is........2000-03-30

I'd reccomend this book to anyone wishing to construct homes to attract wildlife and enhance habitat. It is comprehensive with respect to species which nest on platforms and in boxes, and the plans are consise and easy to follow. There are also alternate designs for some species, based on how detailed you wish the construction. I have referenced this book several times over my years owning it, and the 7 or 8 pairs of wood ducks that return to my pond every spring are testament enough.

WOODWORKING FOR WILDLIFE Homes for Birds & Mammals

Average customer rating:

WOODWORKING FOR WILDLIFE Homes for Birds & Mammals
CARROL L. HENDERSON
Manufacturer: Minnesota DNR
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000QWJR8I

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