Welles Henderson started his maritime history collecting as a schoolboy when he invested 50 cents in the USS Constitution, aka Old Ironsides. His first piece was a small anchor, his reward for his contribution to the preservation of this revolutionary war masterpiece. After many years of collecting memorabilia of the sailor's life he started the Philadelphia Maritime Museum, now the Independence Seaport Museum. His intense interest in the shipboard life of Jack Tar comes out in the many illustrations, most in color, many drawn or painted by sailors. Most of these illustrations are of items that he has collected in his world travels. For those interested in the romantic adventures or the dull drudgery of shipboard life in the 19th century this book will be a welcome voyage.

There has never been a book quite like JACK TAR and it couldn't be more welcome. It's a real treasure chest of a book -- sumptuous to look at, a delight to read, and sound in scholarship. It's also a book to enjoy again and again. The authors and designer deserve highest praise.

This book gives an extremely interesting account of the lives of sailors of both the United States and Britain in the age of sailing and steam-powered ships. Through artifacts gathered by nautical antiques collector (and founder of the Independence Seaport Museum in Philadelphia) J. Welles Henderson, we discover what valued most to these men (and a few women) and get a taste of how they passsed their time. An extremely impressive array of images shows their handicrafts (scrimshaw, macramé, etc.), as well as pointing out the dangers and drudgery inherent in the sailors' lives. Topics cover everything from discipline at sea and sailor's misbehavior on shore to acts of piracy and available medical care. Both naval and merchant service experiences are explored. I only wish such a comprehensive volume had been available when I did the research for my novel A Star to Sail By, which features a sailor of the clipper ship era. I would recommend this book to anyone with a love of sea lore and a nostalgia for the age of the great sailing ships.

Correction to the Booknews review shown above: that's "tritium", not "titanium".

Tritium is 1-H-3, the one-proton, two-neutron isotope of hydrogen that is the primary source of explosive energy in the hydrogen bomb.

Titanium is a light, strong metallic element used in the pressure hulls of some Soviet submarine designs near the end of the first Cold War. It occurs naturally in ores that can be mined, is not naturally radioactive, doesn't undergo fission or fusion, and is not a nuclear fuel. Unlike plutonium (which does not occur naturally in useful quantities) and tritium (which undergoes rapid radioactive decay and must be replaced periodically), there is no reason to build a nuclear reactor to produce titanium.

As a baby boomer, the only personal connection I had with WWII, was that my father worked as a chemist on the Manhattan Project in Washington State.

So when a friend sent me a copy of Brandy: Our Man in Acapulco: The Life and Times of Colonel Frank M. Brandstetter, I thought what does this book have to do with my life?

The answer is everything. The authors of this compelling historical memoir, Dominic Monetta and Rodney Carlisle, brought WWII and the Cold War to life for me.

Colonel Brandstetter's life reads like a Hollywood screenplay. this book has everything fiction has: espionage, movie stars, strong American values, heroic rescues and escapes. It is refreshing to know, in a world where sports figures are amongst the few heroes our young people admire, that there is a living war hero who saved hundreds and hundreds of lives as a human intelligence officer - a humble man with the courage and passion to make a difference.

I would urge teachers to request Brandy: Our Man in Acapulco as required reading in high schools around the country.

I had never thought about how difficult it is to define a person clearly. Most biographies seem to concentrate on a dominant theme in a person's life. The life of a statesman, businessman, or military leader each provide the reader with a focus, that is the kind of story they are about to hear. This book has a devil of a time with this man Brandy because he is so hard to define. Frank Brandstetter has been an American success story of the type romanticized more than a century ago-but he is very much a real person! The book could easily have focused on a single aspect of his life. His WWII, pursuits which in part helped define the modern role of airborne forces or the fact that he was perhaps the best hotelier in the world thirty years later-each story would have made a respectable biography. It must have been hard to define a man who excelled at so many things in a life of intertwining interests and pursuits. Several months ago I had the honor and pleasure of meeting Brandy. In the hours of talk we enjoyed I was struck by the fact that though he appreciated the full complexity of the world (and was very much up to date on current affairs),he was able to distill and express the simple principles at work. Whether in a scientist or statesman this elegance is the mark of genius. The energy and electricity that surrounds him is coupled with a kindness and generosity that is remarkable. In this day of systems and focus on the group, it is inspiring to see what an individual can accomplish. Brandy's story should be read by everyone, students and adults, to remind us that committment to principles, hard work, and never ending creative forces can make a difference in our lives and those of others.

Brandy, Our Man in Acapulco; The Life and Times of Frank M. Brandstetter, is a fascinating account of the never-dull life of Brandy, a colorful WWII hero, intelligence officer, and hotelier. The co-authors, Professor Carlisle and Dr. Monetta, engage the reader with tales from the interesting life of a Hungarian immigrant who was at the center of some of the century's most memorable and important events. The authors recount Brandy's heroic escapades, from D-Day and helping to foil a massive breakout of German POW's from England during WWII, to ensuring the safety and rescue of hundreds of Americans from Cuba after Castro's rise to power. Following his retirement from active military duty and his "semi" retirement from intelligence work, Brandy went on to create and manage Las Brisas, the number one resort in the world during the 1970's. Many of his innovative management and motivational techniques are predecessors of current day employee motivation and hospitality management principles. The book's enticing Foreword is written by Astronaut Jim Lovell, of Apollo 13 fame. An excellent choice for history buffs and WWII enthusiasts, "Brandy" is quite a story and one that I highly recommend.