Terrors and Marvels: How Science and Technology Changed the Character and Outcome of World War II

Rating:
Summary: Needs Continuity and one more edit.
Review: "Terrors And Marvels" by Tom Shachtman, sub-titled "How Science and Technology Changed the Character and Outcome of World War II".
HarperCollins Publishers, 2002.

This book attempts too much. The author attempted a more or less complete history of technology development and its impact in all the warring nations of World War II. The resultant volume is almost an Anglophile book, emphasizing more the war between the Western Allies and the Nazis. History is not only the material being included but also by whatever is excluded; Shachtman tends to include the efforts and counter-measures of the Anglo-Americans against the Germans. Often excluded are the successes in the Pacific Theatre. For example, at the commencement of hostilities, the Japanese Imperial Navy had an advantage in night fighting over the American navy. When radar was introduced to American ships, night fighting advantage swung to the Americans. This important story is not really covered in this book. In a similar fashion, the struggle for air superiority in the Pacific was a major technological success for the Americans. The Mitsubishi Zero fighter permitted Japan to dominate the early war in the Pacific. Then, the efforts of Grumman Aviation, Long Island, NY, as an example, in developing the Wildcat countered the advantage of the Japanese Zero. This story would be enough for a book in itself. On page 111, Shachtman notes that the Dutch government ordered "...its two radar experts to flee to Great Britain". Why not give the names of these two Dutchmen? And why not edit out the in fighting in England where one Englishman was made a lord and the other was insulted? Who cares? The major technological advance and change from marvel into a terror was, of course, the development of the atomic bomb. This effort has been documented so well in other books, that the author does not pay enough attention (in my opinion) to the success of the Manhattan Project and the use of the A-bomb.

I found this book difficult to read. The book is generally in chronological order, but the author uses "white spaces" as the simple expedient to signal a subject change. This results in the reader's attention being focused on a subject, and then, in the next paragraph, you have jumped from guided missile rocketry to the Katyn Forest massacre of Polish officers by the Soviets. (p. 227). With all due respect, in a work where any one of the interesting technological subjects could fill the entire book, why bring in something as unrelated to the theme as Katyn Forest?

The book would benefit from one more editing review. Besides moving the port of Antwerp back to Belgium (see the other Amazon reviews), the editor could look at some other pages:
...Page 211: High Frequency Direction Finder: the author calls HFDF a "radar". High Frequency Direction Finder was NOT a radar, but rather a technique to obtain range and bearing on a source of RF transmission. If two vessels could obtain range and bearing on a submarine transmitting, then, by triangulation, it was possible to determine the sub's position. Technological incorrect to call HFDF "radar".
..Page 234: Author uses "...1500 valves in 'Colossus'" ... when else where in the book (see Raytheon) he employs the American term, "vacuum tube". Need to be consistent.
Page 254: Error: "would not to use it against third parties" should read "...would not use it against...".

Five stars for the content and attempt to bring so much history into one book. One star for mistakes that would not be acceptable on an MA thesis. Average: three stars.

Rating:
Summary: Avoid this book at all costs
Review: A perfect example of "you can't judge a book by its cover..." The title, dust jacket and description appear intriguing. However, this is just a conventional summary of various technologies used in WWII, already widely reported elsewhere. To add to the pile of mistakes already reported in other reviews, the author mentions W.R. Whitney of G.E. as a "well-known physicist"--actually he was a chemist. Don't bother with this book...

Rating:
Summary: Sloppy
Review: As other have noted, this book contains very little new material, and a lot of errors resulting from poor copying or the author's ignirance of technology. Much of the material on the Tizard comittee's work seems to have come from R. V. Jones' "Wizard War", along with a great many errors.

Shachtman states that gun turrets on ships were covered with something called "plastic armor" "although it had no plastic in it". A quick review of Jones' book reveals that the plastic armor was called "plastic" becasue it was flexible, having been made from asphalt and a particualr granite with a strong resistence to crushing. And it was not used on gun turrets, but on merchants ships; the steel armor plate on gun turrets as far stornger than the plastic armor, which was developed to provide a cheap armor for the merchantmen.

The narrative is spotty, and has the feel of having been stitched together from various sources in large chunks. Topics are introduced without being developed. Others are introduced with no context. Long technical descriptions of systems are introduced with no explanation for the reader. The material on the Atomic Bomb is particuarly disconnected, with bits and pieces of the narrative scattered through the book and no thread pulling them together.

In short, a sloppy and rushed job. Not recommended.

Rating:
Summary: Problems with this book
Review: Mr. Shachtman has written an interesting book that explores a less well know part of the history of World War II, but I have a serious problem with the book. I don't know why, but the book has an unusually high number of factual errors. Two example: Antwerp is referred to as a Dutch port. (Page 292). In several places the author refers to the bandwidth of radars, but the context suggests that he means wavelength, something completely different.

My problem is this: how much of the parts that I don't know about should I believe? It is regretable that Mr. Shachtman did not have proper prepublication editorial support. Without the doubts raised by the numerous error, I would give this book five stars.

Rating:
Summary: Sloppy and superficial...
Review: This book was a real disappointment. Contributes nothing that anyone reasonably familiar with WWII technology would not already know. Full of irritating errors, inaccuracies and omissions. For instance, there is no mention of the ignored radar detection of the incoming Pearl Harbor air raid and its lessons, the dramatic defenses of the Anzio beachhead and the Remagen bridge by radar-directed artillery, the ordeal of the radar picket ships at Okinawa? Not a word. You think there might be a chapter on The Manhattan Project? There is none. Shachtman even gets the story of the defense of London against the V-1 bombs completely wrong.

Tries to tell the story following loose biographical lines of scientists but it does not hang together. Little tactical or strategic insight.

The inaccuracies are rampant and annoying. Examples: Shachtman calls the famous British Chain Home radar system "Home Chain". In referring to a number of Japanese radar pioneers he names half surname-first Western style and the other half family-name first, Japanese style. How about two mistakes in the same sentence? "The Phillips company of Einthoven, Holland" How about "the Philips company of Eindhoven, Holland", which is by the way very much still in business.

All in all, this book is a waste of time. There are much better books on the subject.

Rating:
Summary: Sloppy and superficial...
Review: This book was a real disappointment. Contributes nothing that anyone reasonably familiar with WWII technology would not already know. Full of irritating errors, inaccuracies and omissions. For instance, there is no mention of the ignored radar detection of the incoming Pearl Harbor air raid and its lessons, the dramatic defenses of the Anzio beachhead and the Remagen bridge by radar-directed artillery, the ordeal of the radar picket ships at Okinawa? Not a word. You think there might be a chapter on The Manhattan Project? There is none. Shachtman even gets the story of the defense of London against the V-1 bombs completely wrong.

Tries to tell the story following loose biographical lines of scientists but it does not hang together. Little tactical or strategic insight.

The inaccuracies are rampant and annoying. Examples: Shachtman calls the famous British Chain Home radar system "Home Chain". In referring to a number of Japanese radar pioneers he names half surname-first Western style and the other half family-name first, Japanese style. How about two mistakes in the same sentence? "The Phillips company of Einthoven, Holland" How about "the Philips company of Eindhoven, Holland", which is by the way very much still in business.

All in all, this book is a waste of time. There are much better books on the subject.

Rating:
Summary: Highly informative overview
Review: This well researched and tightly written book provides an excellent overview of issues related to the development and introduction of new weapon systems prior to and during World War II. The roles of physicial scientists in the development of radar and the atomic bomb are presented in detail and with great accuracy. Of particular interest is the ongoing series of interactions between Vannevar Bush and Admiral Ernest King. One might conclude that Admiral King was more comfortable with the Navy when it depended on sails for motive power. The book, however makes clear that King was, in due time, able to change his mind and incorporate many of the new tools which were helpful in the defeat of the U-boats during the Battle of the Atlantic. This book is packed with facts and while not easy reading is well worth the effort.

Perhaps some one will explore the Bush-King interactions in depth. I think they would make a very interesting study of how powerful and highly independent people strive to settle issues under conditions of great stress.