Buker’s research and narrative of the Navy’s offensive operations in the Everglades in cooperation with the Army; Marines; and Revenue Service are excellent. . . . Required reading for all American military and naval historians.--Florida Historical Quarterly"Read about the beginnings [of riverine warfare] here . . . in Swamp Sailors. It is excellent."— Valor and Arms The Indian Removal Act of 1830 led to the Second Seminole War; fought by the United States to evict the Seminoles from the Florida Territory. When the last surviving Seminoles sought refuge in the Everglades and resorted to guerrilla-style tactics; however; the U.S. Navy found its standard strategies of guerre de course and gunboat coastal defense useless.For the first time in its history; the American Navy was forced to operate in a nonmaritime environment. In Swamp Sailors; George Buker describes how Navy junior officers outshone their commanders; proving themselves less resistant to change and more ready to implement novel strategies; including joint combat operations and maneuvers designed specifically for a riverine environment.By 1842; when the Second Seminole War was halted; Lt. John McLaughlin’s "Mosquito Fleet" exemplified the Navy’s new expertise by making use of canoes and flat-bottomed boats and by putting together small; specially trained joint combat teams of Army and Navy personnel for sustained land-sea operations. Originally published in 1975 and now in paperback for the first time; Buker’s Swamp Sailors is the story of the U.S. Navy’s coming of age; sure to be of interest to military history enthusiasts; to students of Florida history; and to armchair sailors everywhere.George E. Buker; formerly a commissioned naval aviation commander; is professor emeritus of history at Jacksonville University and author of Sun; Sand; and Water: A History of the Jacksonville District U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; Jacksonville: Riverport-Seaport; and Blockaders; Refugees; and Contrabands: Civil War on Florida’s Gulf Coast.
#54537 in Books Random House Trade Paperbacks 2010-04-06 2010-04-06Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 7.98 x .63 x 5.13l; .43 #File Name: 0812978307240 pages
Review
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful. This book continues where "No god but God" left off ...By CustomerThis book continues where "No god but God" left off; providing a detailed analysis of political Islam; and showing how it differs from orthodox forms of the religion. The parts I found most interesting were the discussions of the impact of colonialism on both Islamic cultures and the psyche of individual Muslims. A must read for anyone hoping to understand the roots of both violent and non-violent forms of extremism.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Very interesting and informed ideas about these radicals.By DaveFA very interesting but now somewhat dated book about religious fundamentalism and what motivates the people who join these movements. The book was completed just as Barack Obama was beginning his presidency. I'd like to see an updated version of these ideas Reza Aslan writes about.Essentially the author contends that radical religious fundamentalists of all stripes are not interested in defeating and ending their fight; but continuing an unending war of good versus evil. They have no plan for after the war. Although his observations seem to fit the Al Qaida model; I'm not sure whether it fits the ISIS model. Author Aslan is a keen and knowledgeable observer of religious extremism. His thoughts and writings are well worth reading and pondering.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Awesomely accurate and objectively analyzed.By Lisa NelThis is an excellent book highly recommended as it clarifies many issues surrounding misunderstood terms like Islamists versus for instance jihadists or ISIL. The author has good historical and objectively written accounts of the formation of the state of Israel and the correspondingly complex issues which revolve around its survival as a nation amidst very conflicting Arab sentiments.
