<< 1 >>
Rating: 
Summary: Uneven, Due to Lack of Structured Format
Review: ...this book is somewhat uneven; it is almost implicitly written as a travel guide for those who might wish to visit the remnants of these fortifications and in that regard, the authors' amply accomplish their purpose. In essence, this volume seems to suffer from Osprey's failure to establish a uniform structure for this new Fortress series, leaving it up to the authors to decide what to focus upon. Thus a reader looking for greater detail about the fortifications will find that this volume does not suffice...The authors cover the fall of the Manila Bay fortifications and their recapture in two sections totaling 19 pages. These sections are adequate, but provide relatively sparse detail on the garrisons and critical aspects of the siege... Graphically, this volume is quite appealing. There are five 2-D maps (the Manila Bay environs, the defenses of Manila Bay in 1941, a strategic map in December 1941, the Japanese assault on Corregidor, the American recapture of Corregidor) and two very nice 3-D maps (Corregidor island and Carabao Island). However, none of the maps depict the range fans of the American coastal batteries, which is rather important. The artwork is also excellent and includes cut-away diagrams of Battery Cheney, Fort Drum as well as depictions of Battery Smith in action, Battery Gillespie, and the destruction of Battery Geary. The authors provide a bibliography and two appendices (American coast artillery weapons and a list of batteries around Manila Bay). In sum, this volume is very good in areas that the authors have chosen to emphasize, but it is noticeably lacking in areas that they found less interesting.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent, accurate book on the "Alamo of the Pacific"
Review: I have spoken to a number of survivors of the fall of Corregidor (May 6, 1942,) and they are all asking me to send them more copies of this book to pass around to their fellow survivors. They contend that it is the only book which shows the island and its batteries as they were in 1942. This is perhaps the best tribute I can give the authors. The book has also proved immensely helpful to me as I continue to collect the oral histories of those who served on Corregidor. Well done!
Rating:
Summary: Excellent, accurate book on the "Alamo of the Pacific"
Review: I have spoken to a number of survivors of the fall of Corregidor (May 6, 1942,) and they are all asking me to send them more copies of this book to pass around to their fellow survivors. They contend that it is the only book which shows the island and its batteries as they were in 1942. This is perhaps the best tribute I can give the authors. The book has also proved immensely helpful to me as I continue to collect the oral histories of those who served on Corregidor. Well done!
<< 1 >>
| 
