Promoting the study of military history through the art of tabletop miniature wargaming

Taking Command

.

.

by Thomas D. Phillips.

Hardback (6.3×9.3 inches). 307 pages. 2025.

Subtitle: America’s Unsung Military Leaders, Innovators, and Difference Makers Since World War II

This collection of short bios covers commanders who countered enemy attacks with innovative and forceful leadership — from the Berlin Airlift to Afghanistan. Some of the bios I found most interesting were Turner, who coordinated the Berlin Airlift; Walker, who kept the Pusan Perimeter intact; Weyand, who was the architect of the military victory during the Tet Offensive; Thurman, who was the architect of the Panama invasion that captured Noriega; Warden, the planner of the air offensive against Iraq in the Gulf War; and McRaven, the architect of the attack that killed Bin Laden in Pakistan.

The book contains 24 black and white photos, one black and white illustration, and 14 black and white maps.

All totaled, 27 short bios of varying length and depth make for some interesting reading.

Enjoyed it.

— Reviewed by Russ Lockwood

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Share:

Article Categories
Recent Posts
Book Reviews

Man of Confidence

by Maureen Buick. Hardback (6.2×9.3 inches). 231 pages. 2026. Subtitle: WWII’s Longest-Serving American POW Camp Leader This biography of Kenneth “Kurt” J. Kurtenbach examines his life as a tail-gunner in a B-17 who became a WWII POW in Germany. Conditions in German POW camps were bad enough to later convene

Read More »
Book Reviews

The British Army of the American War of Independence

by Gabriele Esposito. Hardback (7.0×9.9 inches). 118 pages. 2026. Subtitle: History, Organization & Uniforms This compilation of British forces serving in the colonies during the American Revolution discusses exactly what the subtitle states — and pretty much in order of prominence. The analysis of organization and the nomenclature associated with

Read More »
Book Reviews

US Tank Tactics in World War II: Elite 269

by Steven J. Zaloga. Softcover (7.25×9.75 inches). 64 pages. 2026. The title says one thing, but the text provides another. I was expecting explanations on, well, US tank tactics. What I got more often than not were long excerpts from US manuals that often explained the goals of an attack,

Read More »
Secret Link

Contact an Individual

Please select the individual you wish to email.

Contact HMGS

Please only use this form if you can’t use one of the other Contact Us links.

Contact Outreach

Please only use this form to communicate with the Outreach volunteers.

Contact Membership support

Please only use this form to communicate with the Membership volunteers.

Contact Information Technology

Please only use this form to communicate with the Information Technology volunteers.

Contact Fall In! Exhibitors Manager

Please only use this form to communicate with the Fall In! volunteers.

Contact Fall In! Events Manager

Please only use this form to communicate with the Fall In! volunteers.

Contact Fall In!

Please only use this form to communicate with the Fall In! volunteers.

Contact Cold Wars Exhibitor Manager

Please only use this form to communicate with the Cold Wars volunteers.

Contact Cold Wars Events Manager

Please only use this form to communicate with the Cold Wars volunteers.

Contact Cold Wars

Please only use this form to communicate with the Cold Wars team.

Contact Historicon Exhibitors Manager

Please only use this form to communicate with the Historicon Exhibitors Manager.

Contact Historicon Events

Please only use this form to communicate with the Historicon Events Manager.

Contact Historicon

Please only use this form to communicate with the Historicon team.

Contact Convention Operations

Please only use this form to communicate with the Convention Operations volunteers.

Contact Marketing & Communications

Please only use this form to communicate with the Marketing & Communications volunteers.

Report a Website Issue