Strategies for Asia Pacific: Building the Business in Asia, Third Edition

Book Description

For over half a century, since Pearl Harbor brought the US into the Pacific War, America has been a dominant military power in Asia, challenged only by the then Soviet Union and China. This is the first unclassified account of America's military stake and current defensive and offensive capacity in Asia. It analyzes the role of US armed forces in Asia, including deterrent nuclear forces, in the context of defense policy and strategy. The possible future of US forces in the region is considered, and the book also considers the views of Asian nations on America’s continuing presence.

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Coastal Artillery and Fortifications on Oahu
Excellent look at Fortress Oahu
A Shallow Look at the Defenses of Pearl Harbor
Superb Study
The Dinosaurs of Oahu

Defenses of Pearl Harbor & Oahu 1907-50
Glen Williford , and Terrance McGovern
Manufacturer: Osprey Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Military | History | Subjects | Books

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American Defenses of Corregidor and Manila Bay 1898-1945 (Fortress)
American Coastal Defences 1885-1950 (Fortress)
The Maginot Line 1928-45
Japanese Pacific Island Defenses 1941-45 (Fortress)
US World War II and Korean War Field Fortifications 1941-53 (Fortress)

ASIN: 1841765724
Release Date: 2003-06-20

Book Description

At the beginning of the 20th century, the military importance of the Hawaiian Islands became clear. Oahu in particular was a key bastion in projecting America's military power in the Pacific. The island was turned into a military fortress - and yet it also became the site of one of America's greatest defensive failures, the Japanese attack of December 7, 1941. By the end of World War II, the harbor itself was the most heavily defended in the world, and the island had earned the sobriquet "Fortress Oahu". This title documents the development of the coastal, air and land defense systems that served to protect Pearl Harbor and Honolulu from 1907 to 1950, and seeks to understand why these failed at a critical point.

Customer Reviews:

Coastal Artillery and Fortifications on Oahu.......2007-01-05

I grew up in the shadow of Diamond Head shortly after WWII. As a kid I climbed up the crater and into all the fortifications and batteries I could get into. These days I remember fondly exploring the massive concrete fortifications and wondering what size gun was formerly in each casemate and which FDC pillbox controlled which battery. This book tells all and was worth the 45 year wait. I never lost interest and although it doesn't answer every question I had it provided me with more information on the defences of Oahu than I ever expected to lay my hands on.

I was told about the book by the curator at the Military Museum at Ft. DeRussy built right into the former Battery Randolph (14 in.) The battery was amazing and finding out about this wonderful book topped off my first visit back to Hawaii since 1963. If this an area of interest for you....don't let this book escape you.

Excellent look at Fortress Oahu.......2005-12-13

This Osprey Fortress series book provided some very interesting information on the development of military installations in and around the Hawaiian island of Oahu from 1907 to 1950. The book got some interesting photos, maps and drawing of many of these defensive positions all over the island. The book reflects on the design concepts, the cost and idea behind these fortifications. Its interesting to note that even during 1944 and 1945 when there was almost zero chance of Japanese invasion of Oahu, defenses on that island was stil being built, improved and redesigned.

The book also shows that while many of these military forts are long gone, some still existed even to this day on Oahu. One of the more famous ones like the trail up to the top of Diamond Head, is a popular hiking trail that cut through the heart of the old military defense fort. This book was pretty handy in learning more about the Diamond Head installation.

Overall, its an excellent book that relates to the history of military presence on the island of Oahu during the first half of the 20th Century. The book should interest anyone living on Oahu who got interest in military history or anyone visiting there with the same interest.

A Shallow Look at the Defenses of Pearl Harbor.......2005-10-26

The harbor was believed to be too shallow for torpedo bombers and this book makes it seem like the Marianas Trench. Some good pictures and maps and a lot of the history of coastal defense works, but little depth in the actual integrated defenses of the island -- of which the Pearl Harbor defenses were key elements. When in high school, I have walked many of the installations when they were more accessible than today (development takes its toll) but had neither the information nor the time -- more important a lack of commitment -- to really understand the Fortress-Oahu concept. 50 years later I'm still looking and this book has helped very little.

Superb Study.......2003-07-14

This is the best volume so far of the Osprey Fortress Series.
It was written by two long time members of the Coast Defense Study Group, the preminent organization dedicated to the history and preservation of US Coast Defense Installations. The book is crammed full of details and facts, and is accompanied by beautiful drawings, plans, maps and photos. This book is a perfect example of how histories of fortification should be written.

The Dinosaurs of Oahu.......2003-06-30

Osprey's Fortress #8, Defenses of Pearl Harbor & Oahu 1907-1950 by Glen Williford and Terrence McGovern, is an excellent summary of the extensive American efforts to fortify the Hawaiian Islands during the first half of the 20th Century. This volume is also markedly superior to the authors' previous volume on US defenses in the Philippines (which lacked details on costs or duration of fortification development). For those readers interested in the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, this thin volume can add a great deal about the extent of American defensive preparations. This volume is also very useful as a case study on the long-term efficacy of a specific US defense policy (i.e. was the expense worthwhile?).

Defenses of Pearl Harbor & Oahu 1907-1950 begins with a short introduction on the American acquisition of Hawaii in 1898 and a chronology of US military activities in the islands. Short sections follow on the initial plans for the defense of Oahu, building the main defenses in 1915-1925, garrison life on Oahu, defense modifications between the wars, Hawaii during the Second World War, and postwar changes. The final sections comprise a short assessment, notes on the sites today, a bibliography and two appendices (characteristics of US coastal artillery and a list of all fixed coastal batteries on Oahu). The volume also has three maps (Pacific overview, Oahu geography, Oahu south seacoast defenses) and eight color plates (Leahi Peak fire control complex, Fort Ruger in 1916, Fort Kamehameha in 1921, Battery Harlow in mid-1930s, range of Oahu defenses in 1941, casemating Battery Hatch in 1942, Battery Arizona, coastal battery range fans in 1940s). The supporting photographs are also quite good. The only shortcoming in the volume is that the authors are overly-focused on fixed coastal defenses and skimp on details of mobile forces such as aircraft or ground units - for example, they should have listed the aircraft available to the Hawaiian Air Force in December 1941 (after all, at least a few P-40 fighters participated in the defense of Pearl Harbor, unlike the coastal batteries).

Beginning in 1907 - before there was even a significant Japanese threat to Hawaii - the United States embarked upon a major effort to develop a system of coastal fortifications and batteries to protect the incipient naval facility at Pearl Harbor. Interestingly, the US Army developed the coastal defenses for Pearl Harbor much faster than the US Navy developed the port itself (which required extensive dredging and base construction), and the US Pacific Fleet did not even homeport major units in Hawaii until 1939. Nonetheless, Williford and McGovern note that, "between 1907 and 1938, the Army had spent about $150 million on the defenses of Oahu - twice as much as was spent on the naval base itself." For a cash-strapped US military, this was a huge, sustained investment (the US defense budget in the 1930s was $700-800 million per year).

The authors also do a wonderful job detailing the battery construction effort, which on paper provided Pearl Harbor with very formidable defenses against seaborne attack by 1920. However, both the early defenses and those added in the interwar period paid little heed to the possibility of air attack; most of the batteries were sited out in the open, completely exposed to air attack or overhead shell bursts. Although the US Army had 60 anti-aircraft guns in Hawaii by 1941, they were obsolescent types lacking modern fire control. It was not until September 1940 that the US began adding overhead protection to some of the smaller batteries, but all the big 12", 14" and 16" guns in Hawaii were open-air mounts on December 7, 1941. If the Japanese had intended to follow-up the Pearl Harbor raid with an invasion, these large coastal guns would have been easy meat for Japanese "Val" dive-bombers.

Did the millions invested in the fixed defenses of Hawaii pay-off when attack did come in December 1941? Of course not. Indeed, the authors are too kind in suggesting that some US Army AA guns participated in the final moments of the Japanese attack (expert Gordon Prange said they did not) and they overlook Major General Walter Short's dumb decision to leave all AA guns and ammunition locked up to prevent sabotage. In fact, none of the fixed defenses of Oahu fired a shot against the Japanese attack that devastated the US Pacific Fleet at anchor and thus, the defenses completely failed in their mission. It is also odd that after the Pearl Harbor attack, the US redoubled its fortification efforts on Oahu and continued to add more batteries right up to the end of the war. The most ambitious project was the salvaging of two triple 14" gun turrets from the sunken USS Arizona and then mounted on coastal batteries; the first turret was operational in August 1945. Given the overwhelming nature of US airpower by 1944, it is amazing that money and resources were still being poured into obvious dinosaur projects like coastal batteries. There is a lesson in these pages about inertia in defense spending that might be useful for modern readers to consider.

The final question this book arises is about "opportunity cost." If the US had not lavished so much funds on highly vulnerable and fixed fortifications, more money would have been available to the cash-starved US military of the 1930s to develop mobile weapons. On one page, the authors provide a photograph of obsolete B-18 "Bolo" bombers on Hickam Field in the 1930s - the aircraft that comprised the bulk of the US bomber force on Oahu in December 1941. The $150 million spent on fortifications could have been spent on improving US aircraft before the war, or buying more search planes. Indeed, the fortifications on Oahu should provide a salutary lesson on the dangers of over-investing in legacy technology designed for only limited applications.

Japanese Army in World War II: Conquest of the Pacific 1941-42 (Battle Orders)
Average customer rating:

Great content let down by some production problems

A Cornucopia of Information

Japanese Army in World War II: Conquest of the Pacific 1941-42 (Battle Orders)
Gordon Rottman
Manufacturer: Osprey Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Japanese Army in World War II: "The South Pacific and New Guinea, 1942-43" (Battle Orders)

Japanese Infantryman 1937-45: Sword of the Empire (Warrior)

The Japanese Army 1931-45 (Volume 2, 1942-45)

The British Army in the Far East 1941-45 (Battle Orders)

Japanese Paratroop Forces of World War II (Elite)

ASIN: 1841767891
Release Date: 2005-01-01

Book Description

The Japanese conquest of the Pacific comprised of a complex series of widely scattered operations; their intent was to neutralize American, Commonwealth, and Dutch forces, seize regions rich in economic resources, and secure an outer defense line for their empire. Although their conquest was successful, the forces deployed from Japan and China were not always ideally trained, equipped and armed. The South Seas and tropics proved challenging to these soldiers who were used to milder climates, and they were a less lethal enemy on the Chinese mainland. This book examines the overall structure of the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA), the forces in existence at the beginning of World War II and the organization of the forces committed to the conquest of the Pacific.

Customer Reviews:

Great content let down by some production problems.......2005-11-05

This book is an excellent introduction to the tactics, structure and organisation of the Imperial Japanese Army in the early stages of the war in the Pacific. I purchased this book expecting that it would contain little more than order of battle information and was very pleasantly surprised to find that it also contained well informed and succinct summaries of the IJA's doctrine, tactics and weaponry which go a long way towards justifiying the relatively high cost of this thin (96 pages) book.

The core of the book is a detailed description of the organisation of the Japanese expeditionary forces involved in the conquest of the Philippines, Dutch East Indies and New Guinea in 1941-42. While there is almost no coverage of the Japanese forces involved in the Hong Kong, Malayan and Burmese campaigns I believe that they will be covered in a subsequent volume in this series. As well as outlining the structure of the Japanese forces involved in these campaigns (typically down to company level) Rottman also provides useful summaries of the campaigns amply illustrated by clear and well selected maps. In addition to covering the major Japanese campaigns, Rottman also provides detailed orders of battle and campaign summaries for minor campaigns such as the Japanese conquest of the eastern Netherlands East Indies and the Australian possessions in and around New Guinea. All up, his coverage of the string of Japanese campaigns in 1941-42 is admirably comprehensive and this book is completely successful as a resource on the organisation of the Japanese Army during this period.

While the content of the book is first rate, the same cannot, unfortunately, be said for its production standards. In particular, it would seem that either Mr Rottman's editor or publisher dropped the ball as the book has gone to print containing typos and a few minor, but obvious, errors. Perhaps more seriously (though the existence of typos in a relatively expensive book is disappointing) I have doubts about the value of including both organisational charts and textual orders of battle for many formations - as the information contained in the charts and text is identical surely one or the other should have been selected, freeing up space in the process. While these glitches are annoying they are, however, generally of a minor nature and don't detract greatly from the overall value of the book.

In summary, this book is an excellent resource for anyone with an interest in the Pacific Theatre of WW2 and I'm looking forward to the subsequent books in the series. However, I do hope that Mr Rottman and his editor ensure that they are free of the glitches contained in this volume.

A Cornucopia of Information.......2005-03-17

After completing his three-volume effort on US marine Corps operations in the Pacific in the Second World War, military specialist author Gordon L. Rottman has turned his attention to the first of several volumes for Osprey covering Japanese forces in the Pacific War. Osprey's Battle Orders #9, Japanese Army in World War II: Conquest of the Pacific covers the Philippine, Dutch East Indies, New Guinea, Wake, Guam and Rabaul invasions; subsequent volumes will cover Japanese operations in other theaters. As usual with Rottman, this volume is jam-packed with useful military data, including numerous orders of battle and unit organization charts. This volume and its companion volumes are going to be the standard references on the forces that fought the Pacific War for many years to come.

Rottman begins the volume with a short section detailing the background of Japan's Imperial Army, followed by sections on doctrine, unit organization, tactics, weapons and C3I. The final section summarizes the main combat operations of the Southern Army in the period December 1941 - July 1942. One of the most attractive features of this volume is the 16 full-color maps: Southern Army's pre-invasion deployment, December 1941; the Southern operations plan; Japanese landings at Lae, New Guinea, 8 March 1942; the Port Moresby invasion plan; the main Philippine landings; Luzon operations; the Lingayen Bay landing; Bataan operations, Phase I and II; the assault on Corregidor; Borneo operations; Timor operations; Sumatra operations; Java operations; South sea operations, January - July 1942; and the Battle for the Kokoda Trail. Normally, most histories combine this plethora of operations into one or two over-crowded maps, but Rottman gives each operational phase its own map, much to the benefit of students of these campaigns.

Rottman's grasp of military detail is magnificent, with a veritable cornucopia of information which should delight most military readers. However, many civilian readers may find the dry litany of facts tedious and over-whelming at times. As usual, Rottman eschews personal accounts that might have added some humanity to his narrative. Aside from naming detachment commanders, only a handful of Japanese commanders are mentioned in this volume - and then primarily in passing in the orders of battle. The Japanese Army that Rottman presents is a collection of unit identifications, without personality or character. Without this human content, the Japanese Army as presented here appear more as ciphers than modern-day samurai. Nevertheless, the level of detail provided in this volume make it an essential reference for anyone attempting a serious study of the Pacific War.

How Asia Advertises: The Most Successful Campaigns in Asia-Pacific and the Marketing Strategies Behind Them

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How Asia Advertises: The Most Successful Campaigns in Asia-Pacific and the Marketing Strategies Behind Them
Jim Aitchison
Manufacturer: Wiley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Advertising | Marketing & Sales | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
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Branding in Asia: The Creation, Development, and Management of Asian Brands for the Global Market
The 360 Degree Brand in Asia: Creating More Effective Marketing Communications

ASIN: 0470820551

Book Description

The first definitive sourcebook and compilation of 100 best advertising campaigns in Asia.
* The wide spectrum of campaigns will offer valuable business tools for easy side-by-side product comparison.
* Divided into 15 specific product or services to cater to a wide variety of marketers.

Japanese Pacific Island Defenses 1941-45 (Fortress)

Average customer rating:

Disappointing

Japanese Pacific Island Defenses 1941-45 (Fortress)
Gordon Rottman
Manufacturer: Osprey Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Japan | Asia | History | Subjects | Books

Strategy | Military | History | Subjects | Books

General | World | History | Subjects | Books
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American Defenses of Corregidor and Manila Bay 1898-1945 (Fortress)
US World War II and Korean War Field Fortifications 1941-53 (Fortress)
German Field Fortifications 1939-45 (Fortress)
U-Boat Bases and Bunkers 1941-45 (Fortress)
The Maginot Line 1928-45

ASIN: 1841764280
Release Date: 2003-02-19

Book Description

The prolonged and bloody fighting for control of the Japanese occupied Pacific islands in World War II is a key point in 20th-century warfare. No two islands were alike in the systems and nature of their defensive emplacements, and local improvization and command preferences affected both materials used and defensive models. This title details the establishment, construction and effectiveness of Japanese temporary and semi-permanent crew-served weapons positions and individual and small-unit fighting positions. Integrated obstacles and minefields, camouflage and the changing defensive principles are also covered.

Customer Reviews:

Disappointing.......2005-05-13

I have a large collection of Osprey books which are very good but this book is a disappointment because it is not very accurate. Most of the material in this book came directly from wartime intelligence publications with mistakes which have not been corrected. There are too many mistakes to cover them all here but one example is on the first line of page 58 which says that "the portable steel pillbox was only encountered during the November 1943 assault on Betio." This is wrong because there were some encountered in the Aleutian Islands. More and better research should be done before a book is published.

Over the Line: North Korea's Negotiating Strategy

Average customer rating:

Diplomacy on the brinkmanship
Vindication
Doctrinaire View of the North
Not worth the money
If you know something about Korea it would be interesting

Over the Line: North Korea's Negotiating Strategy
Chuck Downs
Manufacturer: AEI Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Exports & Imports | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This book explores the role of espionage and infiltration and provides an alarming prediction of the future course of North Korea's relations with the United States and it allies.

Customer Reviews:

Diplomacy on the brinkmanship.......2003-07-15

Chuck Downes has written exellent book. The history diplomatic contacts United States with North Korea was begin in 1951. Military Armistice Comissionn in Panmunjom was to 1993 only one channel diplomatic contacts. Chuck Downs described north korean diplomatic behaviour. Tis diplomacy on the brinkmanship. This continue now by Kim Chong-il. Spreading nuclear programme after withdrawal from nonproliferation regime. Book is detailed description events in history this contact. Murders axes from Panmujom accident , Pueblo warship case, Submarine commando strikers are only leading examles this activity. This book is needed for all diplomats, scholars , journalists try understand korean issue.

Vindication.......2003-01-22

I read this book when it first came out. Anyone who did is unsurprised about the past several months' developments -- except by the fact that some in the free world still want to reward North Korea for doing what it is already obligated to do.

Doctrinaire View of the North.......2002-07-27

When you consider that Mr. Downs does not speak Korean, and has never spoken directly with North Koreans, either on a friendly basis nor in an adversarial sense across the bargaining table, all you are getting here is a second-hand rehash reflecting of the stand-off at Panmunjom. A serious mirror study of U.S. negotiating tactics there would not be too complimentary. This book is more about conservative U.S. opinion of the Clinton administration than anything else. Read Scot Snyder instead.

Not worth the money.......2002-02-06

This book is suspiciously loaded with one-sided story. This book emphasizes
north Korea as unpredictble and crazy while there is no mention
about US negotiating strategy, which I suspect is part of the problem.
I give a low mark just because there is not much opposing views or alternate
objective presentation. Judging from the authors, I can't but suspect
that book is not well balanced.

If you know something about Korea it would be interesting.......2001-03-11

I would like to have either more on the actual negotiating or more on the history but the book seems to jump back and forwards between the two leaving me the reader a bit confused. So someone like myself who knows little about US and North Korea relations got little from this book.

Disappointingly it does not include that much about how other goverments (in particular South Korea) reacted and played in these talks.

However if you want to know about how the North Korean goverment have behaved with the US this is a very good book. I was stunned to read the sort of documents the US has had to sign in dealing with the North Koreans.

Book Description

In this provocative history, James B. Wood challenges the received wisdom that Japan's defeat in the Pacific was historically inevitable. He argues instead that it was only when the Japanese military abandoned its original strategic plan to secure resources and establish a viable defensible perimeter that the Allies were able to regain the initiative and lock Japanese forces into a war of attrition they were not prepared to fight. The book persuasively shows how the Japanese army and navy had both the opportunity and the capability to have fought a different and more successful war. If Japan had traveled that alternate military road the outcome of the Pacific War could have been far different from the ending we know so well-and perhaps a little too complacently accept.

US World War II Amphibious Tactics, Army and Marine Corps, Pacific Theater

Average customer rating:

good enough, but don't expect anything spectacular
One-stop shopping for WWII US Amphibious Operations

US World War II Amphibious Tactics, Army and Marine Corps, Pacific Theater
Gordon Rottman
Manufacturer: Osprey Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Military | History | Subjects | Books

Strategy | Military | History | Subjects | Books

World War II Infantry Tactics (2): Company and Battalion (Elite)
World War II Infantry Anti-Tank Tactics (Elite)
World War II Airborne Warfare Tactics (Elite)
US World War II Amphibious Tactics: Mediterranean & European Theaters (Elite)
US Marine Corps Pacific Theater of Operations 1944-45 (Battle Orders)

ASIN: 1841768413
Release Date: 2004-11-11

Book Description

The US armed forces were responsible for many tactical innovations during the years 1941–45, but in no field was US mastery more complete than amphibious warfare. In the vast, almost empty battlefield of the Pacific the US Navy and Marine Corps were obliged to develop every aspect of the amphibious assault landing in painstaking detail, from the design of many new types of vessel, down to the tactics of the rifle platoon hitting the beach, and the logistic system without which they could not have fought their way inland. This fascinating study offers a clear, succinct explanation of every phase of these operations as they evolved during the war years, illustrated with detailed color plates and photographs.

Customer Reviews:

good enough, but don't expect anything spectacular.......2007-06-03

Basically an explanation of doctrine, organization, and equipment of amphibious operations, with precious few details of the actual operations themselves. The value of the book is in its description of the various ships and landing craft, and here the text is matched well with pictures.

One-stop shopping for WWII US Amphibious Operations.......2005-06-16

The detail of "boat teams," the task organization of the Marine rifle platoon for amphibious assault landing in amtrac-size elements, was worth the price of the book for me. This volume is concise and won't break the piggy bank, nor will it take up the entire weekend reading. Covering the development of landing ships and landing craft and detailing crews, passengers, armaments and cargo, this book is great for the scale model builder or the wargamer (I do both). In addition, the way the boats were lined up for landing on fortified islands and the various beach party operations were explained. I've been looking for the World War Two editions of what I learned in my amphibious warfare correspondence course while serving as a Marine in Hawaii for years--this is less expensive and easier to use than my other volumes. I did participate in one amphibious landing in 1979--in Norway, as part of a Marine Reserve rifle company--but my grunt's eye veiw of the practice landing and week-long exercise with the Norwegians and other NATO troops was quite myopic. This Osprey book took me through all levels from the Marines scrambling down the cargo nets to the planning staffs at the Navy Department. If you need a guide to American amphibious operations in the Pacific during World War Two, get this book first.

Post-Cold War Security Issues in the Asia-Pacific Region (Contemporary Security Studies)

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Post-Cold War Security Issues in the Asia-Pacific Region (Contemporary Security Studies)
Colin Mcinnes
Manufacturer: Routledge
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Military Science | History | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0714641316

Book Description

The Asia-Pacific region presents one of the greatest challenges to international security in the post-Cold War era. The demise of the Cold War security framework has ushered in a new period of uncertainty as longstanding tensions re-emerge. There are growing doubts as to the future military commitment of the United States and concern with Japan's security role and aspirations. The widespread build-up of military capabilities in the region and the nuclear ambitions of North Korea have further heightened tension. Using a thematic approach, this volume addresses the concerns of the region.

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