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Black Shoe Carrier Admiral: Frank Jack Fletcher at Coral Sea, Midway & Guadalcanal

Average customer rating:

long time Pacific War buff
Scholarly Work
A 5-star book by a 5-star author
Overdue detailed study of a key commander in the first year of the Pacific War
Lundstrom revives Frank Jack Fletcher

Black Shoe Carrier Admiral: Frank Jack Fletcher at Coral Sea, Midway & Guadalcanal
John B. Lundstrom
Manufacturer: US Naval Institute Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1591144752

Book Description

An abundance of new evidence demanded this reevaluation of Frank Jack Fletcher, the "black shoe" admiral who won his battles at sea but lost the war of public opinion. A surface warrior -- in contrast to a "brown shoe" naval aviator -- Fletcher led the carrier forces that won against all odds at Coral Sea, Midway, and the Eastern Solomons. These and other early carrier victories decided the Pacific War not only because they inflicted crippling losses but also because they denied Japan key strategic positions in the region.

Despite these successes, by 1950 Fletcher had become one of the most controversial figures in U.S. naval history and was portrayed as a timid bungler who failed to relieve Wake Island in December 1941 and who deliberately abandoned the Marines at Guadalcanal.

In this book, author John Lundstrom recalls that Fletcher once remarked, "after an action is over, people talk a lot about how the decisions were deliberately reached, but actually there's always a hell of a lot of groping around," and notes that the goal of his study is to probe and explain the "groping around." Drawing on new material, Lundstrom offers a fresh look at Fletcher's decisions and actions. The first major reassessment in more than fifty years of the once-maligned naval officer, it provides a careful analysis of the effect of radio intelligence on decision-making in the carrier battles during the first nine months of the war in the Pacific. This new assessment is based on thousands of documents and massive dispatch files and personal papers that no historian has previously used.

Customer Reviews:

long time Pacific War buff.......2006-10-25

This is a long overdue look at Adm Fletcher and his role in the critical first year of the war. I always found it odd that the victor of the three most important battles fought by our fleet in WWII was quickly shunted aside and treated with disdain by postwar historians. John Lundstrom does a fine job of exposing the biasis and backbiting within the navy at the time that resulted in Fletcher's downfall.
Mr Lundstrom is an eminent historian of this subject and has produced a first rate, readable and important work. It deserves a place with the best accounts of the wartime Pacific Fleet to appear in many years. It clearly shows Frank Jack Fletcher for the fine leader and fighter that he was.

Scholarly Work.......2006-10-24

Black Shoe Carrier Admiral is one of two excellent works to be published this year on WWII Pacific carriers, battles and the men who commanded them. John Lundstrom has obviously put a great deal of effort into setting the record straight on Admiral Fletcher and his contributions to our early victories in the Pacific. His work is well documented and thoroughly researched, and adds new sources that had not previously surfaced in World War II histories of that period.

The book demonstrates how Fletcher became the target of severe criticism for his actions, primarily by others who hoped to improve their own reputations or deflect criiticism as a result. Lundstrom pulls no punches, however, by describing both Fletcher's strengths and failings in the events of December 1941 to September 1942. He repeatedly demonstrates that misinterpretations of Fletcher's actions, particularly by Admiral King in Washington, resulted in Fletcher's eventual downfall. At the same time, he explains how some noted historians played down or ignored Fletcher's important contributions, that sealed the US victories at Coral Sea and, particularly Midway.

John Lundstrom's book is an excellent read for anyone wanting to know more of the early war in the Pacific. It is also an important source for any serious student of the period who wants to gain insight both to the actions of the war and the politics inside the Navy at that time.

A 5-star book by a 5-star author.......2006-10-21

"Black Shoe Carrier Admiral" is a 680-page, meticulously detailed accounting of Admiral Fletcher's leadership of U.S. carrier forces during the first year of World War II in the Pacific. Author John Lundstrom's fundamental thesis is that Fletcher has been unfairly maligned by many of his peers, by historians, and by a large segment of the U.S. Marine Corps for perceived errors of judgment or even failings of character during crucial battles in the Coral Sea, at Midway, and in the Solomons.

The author's painstaking research into primary sources largely ignored by other writers (i.e., memos, letters, and logs kept by those who were present with Fletcher during those battles, plus actual radio messages and dispatches sent by and to him aboard his various flagships) reveal a reasonable rationale for many of Fletcher's controversial decisions that mostly seem to have escaped his critics. It's not possible to adequately summarize them in a short review like this, but suffice to say that admirals sitting behind desks in Hawaii or Washington are poorly situated for grasping all of the important realities of a convoluted combat scenario occurring half a world away. Thus when Fletcher is condemned for failing to charge full speed ahead to engage the enemy when doing so would have totally exhausted the fuel in his escorting destroyers, making victory impossible and needless destroyer losses inevitable, he is chastised for failing to engage the enemy rather than praised for sensibly preserving America's meager fleet assets in the face of superior forces.

While there is much more to be said about this fine volume, it seems necessary in this forum to spend as much energy reviewing some of the other reviews as the book itself. It is patently unfair to the author for a reviewer to post a derogatory assessment of this or any book when he (a) apparently has not read it, or (b) does not seem to be in possession of factual information about it or the author, or (c) both. Such is clearly the case with some of the reviews found here, with the result that Black Shoe Carrier Admiral gets less than the five-star ranking that it clearly deserves. For example:

~One reviewer denigrates the book because it says relatively little about Fletcher after the 1942 carrier battles. He apparently didn't bother to read the book's subtitle: Frank Jack Fletcher at Coral Sea, Midway, and Guadalcanal.

~Another writer says Lundstrom has no documentation and there is no evidence to support the suggestion that USS Hornet captain Marc Mitscher sent his air group in the wrong direction at the Battle of Midway. That writer is apparently ignorant of an abundance of testimony from Hornet veterans, both aircrew and ship's company, that support exactly that (see Naval History magazine, Feb 2006, p. 48 for just one resource).

~Another devotes all of three lines in ALL CAPS to trumpet the claim that Fletcher was hated by the Marines. Such a brief review obviously provides no space for the writer to tell us his opinion of Marine Colonel Melvin J. Maas, who unlike legions of other fine Marines, actually knew and worked directly with Fletcher during the Solomons campaign. Col. Maas cited Fletcher for his exceptional ability as a naval tactician and superior quality as a task force admiral.

~Other one-star reviewers complain that Lundstrom is trying to write an academic history without being an academic himself (Lundstrom has a master's degree in military history), that his book makes claims unsupported by facts or documentation (the book has 82 pages of fine print citing documented sources, largely original, for every significant statement in the manuscript), and that Fletcher was responsible for the loss of three fleet carriers in 1942 (apparently the Imperial Japanese Navy, with superior aircraft, battle-experienced aircrews, and an awesomely deadly torpedo had nothing to do with it).

Such agenda-driven opinions do not serve Amazon's review process in the intended manner, and in this case present a grossly inaccurate portrayal of the book's content and its author's qualifications for writing it. "Black Shoe Carrier Admiral" is a magnificent achievement, representing years of dogged research and composition by an award-winning expert who is eminently qualified and experienced in this subject matter. To revile it as anything less without supporting facts and documentation (so important to Lundstrom's detractors) is simply irresponsible.

Overdue detailed study of a key commander in the first year of the Pacific War.......2006-10-01

This is an important book for any student of the Pacific War, because it corrects the largely unrefuted negative accounts of Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher's service as commander of the U.S. carrier task forces in the first three of the four carrier battles of 1942 (Coral Sea, Midway, and Eastern Solomons). In fact, there were only two carrier battles in history where he did not command the winning side - Santa Cruz in October 1942, and Philippine Sea in 1944.
Despite this record, Fletcher has been savaged by critics for allegedly failing to stand by the Marine garrison at Guadalcanal, and, since he headed the relief expedition to besieged Wake in January 1942, he gets blamed for that expedition's turning back as well (despite the fact that he was ordered to do so). That he won three carriers battles against superior forces never gets him the credit he deserves. This was due in part to a confluence of several negative factors. First, he was a "black shoe" admiral, and not an aviator - and aviators were furious that carrier task forces were being commanded by non-aviators in the early stages of the war. In their mind every mission he didn't send them on would have been a great success - and that's what they told his superiors. Second, he was a convenient scapegoat for other admirals - most notably Richmond Kelly Turner at Guadalcanal, and CinC Ernest King - when they either made mistakes (Kelly at Guadalcanal) or were dissatisfied with his failure to act more "offensively" in spite of the circumstances that prevented it, or counseled against it. Third, when the attacks started rolling in during the war and after, Fletcher did not respond to correct the record, in part because of two unfortunate circumstances. First, he lost his records for the first half of the war when the Yorktown went down at Midway. Second, when he left the Saratoga at Pearl after her torpedoing, he unexpectedly was not permitted to return for the change of command ceremony, and thus lost his records from June through September as well. And after the war, without these records to refute what was being said about him he repeatedly demurred when asked to review what was being written about the battles in which he took part. So the people who were writing that he'd been incompetent and reluctant to risk battle to the point of cowardice, and used hindsight to justify their opinions were largely refuted for half a century. Someone else (I cannot recall who, but Lundstrom does not mention it) has said that Fletcher in postwar interviews seemed confused and unsure what had happened when. Whether this was due to lack of records or old age, the writer said that Fletcher's appearance may have reinforced the common belief that he was not very bright, and was in over his head during the war. I thought I saw a reference to Fletcher's becoming senile as he aged (he did not die until 1973) and that probably did not help things - it is hard to see someone who is visibly impaired by old age as a sharp-eyed fleet commander.
Enter John Lundstrom. Lundstrom's painstaking knowledge of what the carrier commanders knew, and when they knew it, and when various participants were flat-out lying about what happened, or making incorrect assumptions (uniformly to Fletcher's detriment) makes clear than at numerous crucial points Fletcher consistently made the right decisions, at least based on what he knew at the time, and preserved the U.S. Navy's irreplaceable (at the time) carriers. Most readers are aware of Nimitz' order to Fletcher at Midway to only risk the carriers when he had the opportunity to inflict serious damage on the Japanese carriers, but it appears that Fletcher was under the same instructions at Guadalcanal. And with a far more dangerous mission in sub-infested waters within range of Japanese land-based bombers he made the decision to leave the forces at Guadalcanal temporarily uncovered at times to reduce the risk to the carriers. What this book makes clear is that at the time he was not aware - in part due to bad communications and in part due to Turner's errors, that he was leaving at a bad time. Of course both Turner and the Marines didn't see it that way, and there was nothing his presence could have done to avert the Savo disaster, but then they didn't know what he knew.
At bottom, the unpleasant truth was that Fletcher's carriers were incomparably more important than the Marines at Guadalcanal, and if he had to choose between abandoning the Marines (which he did not believe he was doing at the time he retreated to refuel - which he had to do at some point so as to be ready when the Japanese carriers showed up) or putting the carriers in substantial risk with no prospect to inflict equal damage on Japanese forces, the carriers won. Losing Guadalcanal would have been a temporary setback. Losing the bulk of the carriers in the fall of 1942 would have been far worse. The Marines would disagree - and understandably still do - but had that been the decision (and Lundstrom makes clear that it was never that clear) that would have been the right decision. In the long run, the Marines depended on the carriers being there to stop the Japanese Navy when it showed up far more than they needed them to cover the unloading of supplies, and that was what Fletcher did. If he had lost the carriers covering Turner's delayed unloading of supplies, the Marines would have been dislodged when the Japanese Navy showed up, no matter how much supplies they had on hand.
Not everything Fletcher did was right, of course, but given that he was practicing a new form of naval warfare in which he had no experience (neither did anyone else, of course) and he won every battle he was engaged in, and preserved the Navy's carriers long enough to bridge the gap till the new carriers under construction reached the fleet, he deserves far greater credit for what he did.
The book also explain better his post-carrier command work. Once he was out of the South Pacific after the Saratoga was torpedoed, his days as a carrier commander were over - both King and to a lesser extent Nimitz were unhappy with what they perceived as a lack of offensive-mindedness, and he was relegated to a land-based commend on the mainland.
But Lundstrom also makes clear that that may have been where he was headed anyway. Having an admiral with no aviation experience command carrier task forces in early 1942 may have been unavoidable because there were no air admirals with sufficient seniority, but by the end of 1942 all the fliers who had started the war as captains (Mitscher as an example) were now rear admirals, and sufficiently senior to command carrier task forces. Fletcher, on the other hand, was now a vice admiral, too senior for a task force command, and with the wrong background to command the overall carrier fleet (despite his phenomenal failure at Midway, Mitscher did end up being the right man at the right time). Add to that that Fletcher did have a record of not seizing the initiative (although I don't think he can be faulted for doing so in the circumstances in which he operated) I really don't see that he would have remained with the carriers in any event. His record was precisely the opposite of the tactics that Mitscher would later employ to great success in early 1944. Again, it has to be said that Mitscher could afford to take risks with the forces available to him, and Fletcher could not. Had he played with fire the way the armchair admirals wanted him to, the benefits would have been minor, and the risks were incalculable.
In the end, if anyone deserves the credit for the way the U.S. carrier task forces successfully fought the first year of the Pacfic War, it has to be Fletcher, and I'm glad we finally have a book that explains this. Lundstrom is not neutral on the subject of Fletcher, but then neither has anyone else been, and this book helps to balance the account.
The only reason I give the book four stars instead of five is that Lundstrom's detail is sometimes overwhelming, and he not infrequently has sentences that are unintentionally cryptic, where it's hard to tell what exactly he is trying to say. It is also clear that he is an advocate for Fletcher, and while I applaud that because it helps balance the record, this is an analysis of what Fletcher did and why and why his detractors are or are not wrong. A five star rating would be appropriate if it were a balanced account of what happened. But that book is not yet possible, because no one had done the homework to see whether the attacks on Fletcher were justified. That has now been done, and we can now see what the next generation of naval scholarship makes of this stage of the war. For example, I am particularly interested in reassessments of what King and Nimitz thought about Fletcher - Lundstrom seems to be not entirely sure, and while that it perhaps not needed in this book, to get the whole picture, that needs to be analyzed further. There were a lot of politics going on in Washington, and perhaps Pearl as well, and those need to be taken into account.

Lundstrom revives Frank Jack Fletcher.......2006-08-15

John Lundstrom must be considered among the top 3 or 4 historians on the War in the Pacific, and he returns to the primary sources of data and the interviews of significant figures to take an in-depth look at Fletcher's decisions at Coral Sea and Midway. Taking critics to task for bad history or personal bias, the author abundantly shows Fletcher's correct decision making at "America's Trafalgar". Furthermore, it is a wonderful read. This is a must for people interested in WWII and is a great companion to SHATTERED SWORD.

Reef Fish Behavior: Florida, Caribbean, Bahamas

Average customer rating:

Fish Behavior
fantastic
Reef
Fascinating window into the lives of reef fishes
Probably the best book available on this topic.

Reef Fish Behavior: Florida, Caribbean, Bahamas
Ned DeLoach
Manufacturer: New World Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Turtleback

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Reef Fish Identification - Tropical Pacific

ASIN: 1878348280

Book Description

A detailed overview of what is presently know about the behavior and ecology of reef fishes inhabiting the waters of Florida, Caribbean and Bahamas. The enjoyable fact-filled text is lavishly illustrated with 475 marine life photos, many capturing spectacular fish behaviors never before documented.

Customer Reviews:

Fish Behavior.......2007-05-27

As a family we enjoy scuba diving. Our last vacation in Honduras we were noticing certain fish "acted" in very specific ways and some making no sense to us at all. We were told about this book and have read it now and things we saw make much more sense now. We will be heading back to Honduras in August and hope to use this new found knowledge regarding fish behavior in helping us capture better pictures.

fantastic.......2007-05-08

so glad i broke down and bought this! after taking all my photos and comparing them to the details in this book, i am 99% sure of my labels! and after doing so, it was amazing how much of the info stuck in my brain!

Reef.......2007-01-21

Perfect condition through Amazon.
This is a very good complement to the reef set, from the same author.

Fascinating window into the lives of reef fishes.......2006-11-19

While on vacation in Florida, I read Reef Fish Behavior by Ned Deloach and Paul Humann. It is a fascinating, well researched book on the behavior of reef residents in the wild, based on many months of observation on dives. There are incredible pictures here showing life and death on the reef.

The writing is well done, and lets readers feel like they are observing along with the authors. Witness, for example, these few sentences taken from the section on Sailfin blennies: "...late one afternoon we saw a Sailfin making a mad dash across the seafloor. The little fellow looked vulnerable and out of place in the open....This was our first observation of what we came to call runners. After several minutes of crazy zigzags, the runner arrived at a hole occupied by a slightly smaller male, and a miniature version of a marine Jurassic Park commenced."

Probably the best book available on this topic........2006-08-01

If you are hesitating due to the price of this book don't. Check out the contents page on the 'look inside' facility above. It is well worth the expense. Excellent photos,( I wonder how many hours underwater they spent observing the behaviour captured in these pics?) highly informative text, an absolute mine of interesting facts and observations about a complex subject. Though specific to the Caribbean and Bahamas it can also be used by divers in the Pacific and Indian oceans. Obviously it does not cover all species and unfortunately misses out on some of my personal favourites Morays, Lionfish, Boxfishes, Porcupinefishes and Puffers but at 360 pages it still covers a lot of ground. Enjoy!

Average customer rating:

What a great surprise
awesome book, on many levels
Great illustrations, smart copy
a sea-creature-theme rhyme that my kids love to hear and read

Over in the Ocean: In a Coral Reef
Marianne Berkes
Manufacturer: Dawn Publications (CA)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1584690623

Book Description

This coral reef is a marine nursery, teeming with mamas and babies! In the age-old way of kids and fish, children will count and clap to the rhythm of Over in the Meadow while puffer fish "puff," gruntfish "grunt" and seahorses "flutter." The colorful art is fresh and fun - constructed entirely from clay-like material - and invites young fingers to fashion fishy forms.

Customer Reviews:

What a great surprise.......2007-06-18

This was a souvenir we purchased at the aquarium this past weekend that I felt compelled to review. What a great little book. It is a fun counting book that educates on undersea creatures while teaching numbers along the way. The illustrations are absolutely mesmerizing. When combined with the rhyming, even the busiest of toddlers will tune in. I am in absolute awe of the illustrations. What a clever twist (photographs of polymer clay) on the usual picture books. Will be picking up the talented illustrator's other books.

awesome book, on many levels.......2007-05-07

the artistry of this book is unsurpassed. the rhyming is cute and fun to recite. the counting aspect is educational and fun. love this book... and so do my 4 and 2 year olds.

Great illustrations, smart copy.......2005-08-25

My daughters and I enjoy everything about this book from the amazing clay-created illustrations to the singable, educational copy. After borrowing it from the library a number of times (our tried-and-true test for finding good books) we decided to purchase it. It is a perfect book for preschool kids as it reinforces number recognition, introduces unusual ocean life through playful rhymes, and, very importantly, tells them again that playing with clay or playdough is a fabulous creative activity!

a sea-creature-theme rhyme that my kids love to hear and read.......2005-07-26

---A book that would serve as an enriching literature unit as well as a wonderful gift---

This book consists of 11 verses of engaging rhyme in the same form as "Over in the Meadow", using fish and other sea animals instead of meadow animals. A new sea creature is introduced on every 2-page spread in quantities from 1 to 10.

For example, for the number "2":

Over in the ocean Where the sea grasses grew Lived a mother parrotfish And her parrotfish two. "Grind," said the mother. "We grind," said the two. So they ground on the coral Where the sea grasses grew."

And so it goes for each number, 1 through 10, with every verse starting with, "Over in the ocean...." The eleventh verse is a wrap-up where the reader has to find all 55 young animals in the 2-page spread (1 octopus, 2 parrotfish, 3 clownfish and so on), similar to the I Spy books.

Some of the supplemental features after the rhyme:
* the rhyme printed with the music, sung to the tune of "Over in the Meadow"
* information about each of the coral reef animals in the book
* hand motions that may be used for each of the verses (e.g., for the needlefish "skitter": put arms way out straight, then separate arms and wiggle fingers in a skittering motion)
* description of the artwork by the artist

The artwork is excellent -- aesthetically pleasing and very creative! The artist used polymer clay with various tools to shape all the scenery and animals onto a board. Then, "to create the two-dimensional illustrations for a book, the reliefs are photographed (with careful attention to lighting)." I, as well as my children, enjoy looking at the artwork, trying to guess how it was done. This is the artist's first book; I certainly hope she does more!

This book can be used as a launching-off point to teach 2- to 7-year-olds in more than one subject:
* The younger ones (ages 2-4) can learn their numbers and counting.
* The older ones can use this for memory work. A large class of 5- to 7-year-olds could team up in pairs; each pair could memorize a verse of the rhyme.
* It could be used to introduce a unit on :
sea creatures,
coral reefs, or
ocean life.
* It could be used to introduce an art unit on clay.
* It could be used a the spine of a literature unit with all of the above as additional activities.

This could be part of a gift set to a young child, accompanied by some toy sea animals and/or a book about ocean life (or coral reefs or sea animals). The 10 kinds of animals appearing in the rhyme are: octopus, parrotfish, clownfish, stingrays, pufferfish, dolphins, angelfish, needlefish, gruntfish, seahorses.

My 5-year-old reads our library copy over and over. I look forward to having our own copy of this book, which will be a keeper in our home.

The Magic School Bus Takes A Dive: A Book About Coral Reefs (Magic School Bus)

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Magic School Bus Books
Science in the Deep Ocean
The kids work together for a natural treasure
The Magic School Bus Takes A Dive
The Magic School Bus explores coral reefs

The Magic School Bus Takes A Dive: A Book About Coral Reefs (Magic School Bus)
Joanna Cole
Manufacturer: Scholastic Paperbacks
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Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0590187236

Customer Reviews:

Magic School Bus Books.......2006-11-10

These are a great addition to any home library. Just having them available is a great Science curriculum. The kids don't even know they are learning.

Science in the Deep Ocean.......2006-08-25

My 5 year old son loves the Magic School Bus. We were not disappointed with this book about the Coral Reefs. The Magic School makes learning about the environment and the ocean fun for all ages.

The kids work together for a natural treasure.......2006-07-09

My five year old son and three year old daughter have been enjoying this book for over a year. The older child finds the story exciting and gains satisfaction from better understanding the world around him. The younger child enjoys how the characters she's come to know so well morf into creatures she's familiar with from visits to the aquarium and the fishmonger.

The story opens with Mrs. Frizzle showing the children a map from her pirate ancestor. The possibility of finding pirate treasure and the threats facing the kids during their search for it motivates them to work together in the manner of coral reef creatures. The kids find the treasure chest in an area of the reef that looks sickly and learn that the metal fittings on the chest have been poisoning the coral.

Magic School Bus Takes a Dive is a worthwhile purchase. The kids also enjoy a related title, Magic School Bus Gets Eaten, which has the class in the ocean again learning about food chains.

The Magic School Bus Takes A Dive.......2003-10-03

Ms. Frizzle takes her class on a field trip to the depths of the ocean to observe the coral reefs up close and learn life that found in reefs. The book, like all the other Magic School Bus books, teaches a lot, and has a moral. In this story the reader can learn a lot about the coral reefs of the sea, and what kind of creatures live there. The moral of this story is to work together to achieve your goals. Children between the ages of 4 and 6 would probably enjoy this book.

The Magic School Bus explores coral reefs.......2000-07-06

As an adult, I was not expecting to enjoy learning a little bit about the coral reefs, but I really did.

While visiting with my nephew, he wanted to read this book. My mom(his Nana) went with him to the library and he picked out five of the Magic School Bus books. Takes a Dive was one of the books.

The illustrations by Bruce Degen were really cool. At one point in the book, the children turned into different sea creatures from anemones and hermit crabs to remoras and sharks. Degen definitely makes the book visually appealing.

Joanna Cole writes in a way that is easy to comprehend for children. I think that it is wonderful how she revolves the book around a multicultural class of about eight kids. Many different ethnicities in the class are represented.

Cole gives the child a chance to explore the coral reefs to discover what the reefs are about in a way that is neither condescending or patronizing.

Also, she throws in the concept of partnership. One of the kids, Wanda, is always wanting to know why she has to have Dorothy Ann as a partner. Through their exploration of the coral reef, Wanda and Dorothy Ann discover why they need to work together as partners.

Even though my nephew was four years old, I would say that this book is designed for an older child between the ages of 9 to 12, like they suggested here at amazon.com.

If you want to learn a little bit more about exploring coral reefs with your children, then this is the book for you.

I have never seen this on television, so I do not know how it would come across on television. But, if it is as good as this book, then it would be just as good.

Reef Madness: Charles Darwin, Alexander Agassiz, and the Meaning of Coral

Average customer rating:

Development of Scientific Methodology in the 19th Century
Atoll times
GREAT SCIENCE WRITING!
Historical Science at its Best...

Reef Madness: Charles Darwin, Alexander Agassiz, and the Meaning of Coral
David Dobbs
Manufacturer: Pantheon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Before Darwin: Reconciling God and Nature
Descent: The Heroic Discovery of the Abyss
Darwin: The Indelible Stamp; The Evolution Of An Idea

ASIN: 0375421610
Release Date: 2005-01-04

Customer Reviews:

Development of Scientific Methodology in the 19th Century.......2005-09-28

_Reef Madness: Charles Darwin, Alexander Agassiz, and the Meaning of Coral_, David Dobbs

One gets the impression that the author didn't have enough material to fill a book adhering strictly to the title topic, and so padded it with fully 150 pages of material on Louis Agassiz's (Alexander's father) life and work.

No matter, the result is a fascinating study of the change in scientific methodology over the course of the 19th century, using the specific controversy over formation of coral reefs to illustrate opposing conceptions of what it means to "conduct science". What constitutes a scientific theory, and what is the acceptable way to formulate one? Is it necessary to gather a mountain of evidence until an explanatory theory emerges -- as Baconian inductivists would hold -- or is it ok to make a speculative deduction based on a handful of facts, and challenge others to disprove it?

Alexander was very much in the inductivist camp, having observed the downfall of his bombastic father and thereby moved to the opposite conservative pole, in his later years visited more coral reefs than any man before or since in his attempt to falsify Darwin's coral formation theory. He knew that Darwin had been proved spectacularly wrong at Glen Roy by his father, and saw that his coral reef theory was based on circular reasoning: coral reefs were to be attributed to widespread subsidence (which was only a speculative occurrence), while the proof of subsidence was....coral reefs. As a confirmed plodder, I found myself rooting for Alexander, that he would be proved triumphant over his brilliant competitor after so many years of hard work.

Darwin on the other hand (the author argues) was much more in the mold of today's scientists in his approach. More willing to make leaps of the imagination in formulating an hypothesis, to "tell a story", and "focus on dynamic natural processes of change rather than fixed descriptions of static things", before following it up with detailed experimentation and data gathering. Glen Roy taught him "a vital lesson: Productive observation actually rises from sound theory -- not the opposite, as Louis would assert". But his coral reef theory belonged to his early years as well, and was vulnerable to criticism of being too speculative by conservative scientists with Alexander's cast of mind.

The coral reef debate also included aspects familiar to those following the current breuhaha over Intelligent Design. Proponents of Murray's alternative reef theory argued aggressively that those championing Darwin's coral reef theory were "atheistic churchmen and closet idealists, pseudoempiricists who would adore a theory because....they worshipped not thoughts of God but those of man -- and particularly of the man named Darwin." Sound familiar?

Anyway, not to drag on too much, this is a very enjoyable and informative choice for the popular science reader. Islands, island formation and island ecology, are all wonderful topics in themselves, and this book provides insight into those topics, while opening a window onto how science itself works, and how men of science have struggled to define their profession; not at all an easy task when the seemingly contradictory requirements of imagination and rigorous adherence to -- often spotty and incomplete -- fact are called for. Highly recommended.

Atoll times .......2005-08-13

This book is fascinating on many fronts. First, it is a quite readable and informative biography of Louis Agassiz and his son Alexander. Second, it is an account of one of the longest-running controversies in the history of science. And, finally, it gives great insights to the current debate in the US over the teaching of "intelligent design."

Louis Agassiz was considered one of the world's greatest scientists (or natural philosophers as they were called at the time), and, after his migration to the United States from his native Switzerland, was viewed as America's greatest naturalist. He was a shrewd self-promoter who parlayed his explanation of glaciation and ice ages, and his encyclopedic knowledge of animal taxonomy, into a position of power and influence. However, he was a follower of Cuvier, and believed that species were created immutably by God. The fossil record was explained by a series of catastrophic annihilations (floods, ice ages) followed by divine creation of completely new species. Needless to say, he did not accept the theory of the origin of species by natural selection as propounded by Darwin. He and Darwin's followers engaged in heated, personal exchanges and attacks. In the end, however, Agassiz was nearly destroyed by the ensuing controversy, and his reputation and influence suffered severely.

Alexander, on the other hand was more mild-mannered and consciously avoided being drawn into his father's fights. He was a widely respected naturalist and an expert on marine zoology, and privately accepted the truth of evolution. He had his own disagreement with Darwin, however, over Darwin's widely-accepted theory of the formation of coral reefs. While not nearly as destructive as his father's evolution dispute, the disagreement involved much publishing, many attacks, and the accumulation of reams of data supporting each side. The fact that this controversy was not settled authoritatively until core samples were taken on Eniwetok atoll before the nuclear tests of the 1950's, long after the protagonists were dead and buried, makes for an almost mystery novel-like tale.

At times, the book reads like today's newspaper accounts of groups trying promote the teaching of creationism and intelligent design in our children's classrooms. Even though this debate was seemingly settled nearly 150 years ago, some ideas die hard.

This is quite an enjoyable read.

GREAT SCIENCE WRITING!.......2005-04-09

Reef Madness is a fascinating look at the transformation of scientific thought in the 19th century, and the intrigues, controversies, and plain old trash-talking between the major players in one of the era's biggest mysteries. Although the book concentrates on the theories of coral reef formation, it necessarily also covers the fights over natural selection (evolutionary theory) and geologic history.
Dobbs writes like a novelist, so a potentially dry narrative comes alive with the life of Alexander Agassiz, an intelligent, cautious explorer caught up in the ironies of his birthright, and in the ideological struggles of his famous father and his father's nemesis, Charles Darwin. There's even a surprise ending! It's a brilliant bit of scientific reporting, and also nicely illustrates why the scientific method, despite being messy and contentious, ultimately advances our understanding of our universe (sorry, religious dogmatists!). An excellent book. Also recommended for scuba divers and others interested in coral reefs.

Historical Science at its Best..........2005-02-01

This is a superb work of historical science, a gripping story, well-told. And it has everything... Father-son dynamics, the history of science, and the rise of Darwinism, as the story is played out through a profile of Alexander Agassiz and his dad, Louis, one of the last Lamarckians. The main reason I liked the book was the quality, drive, and consistent voice of the insightful prose. The writing is simply lyric! If you liked books like Dava Sobel's book "Longitude" or Mark Kurlansky's "Cod: A Biography of the Fish That Changed the World" -- you'll LOVE this book.

Average customer rating:

Science is a splash in this story!

Fishy Field Trip (Magic School Bus #18)
Martin Schwabacher
Manufacturer: Scholastic
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0439560527

Book Description

When the class project on coral reefs accidentally falls into the aquarium, everyone is upset. They had all worked hard to create Ms. Frizzle's Big Book on the Great Barrier Reef. Now their reports are soggy and smeared. Tim is especially disappointed - some of his best artwork was in that book. But never fear, Ms. Frizzle always has a solution, and it's called a field trip. When the class climbs on board the Magic School Bus, they are headed down under. And they'll dive deep into the wild wonder of coral reefs.

Customer Reviews:

Science is a splash in this story!.......2006-05-26

Ms. Frizzle's class has been working for days to prepare presentations for the school's big assembly for Ocean Awareness. It instructs students on "how important it is to respect how everything in nature works together" and "that things are not always what they seem." Tim and his classmates learn so much about oceanic life around corral reefs. This book should be used when teaching an ocean unit in elementary school. I hope that you enjoy it as much as I did!

The Sign of the Seahorse: A Tale of Greed and High Adventure in Two Acts (Picture Puffin)

Average customer rating:

This is a FANTASTIC book for kids!!!
Excellent book!
Great Story
Graeme Base is a genius!
Graeme Base

The Sign of the Seahorse: A Tale of Greed and High Adventure in Two Acts (Picture Puffin)
Graeme Base
Manufacturer: Puffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0140563873

Book Description

In which the villainous Gropmund Grouper devises a dastardly scheme to rob the innocent folk of Reeftown of their homes and money, but is foiled by the efforts of the intrepid Pearl Trout, her fiery brother, Finneus, and brave Corporal Bert of the Soldiercrab Army. Graeme Base, who created Abrams' best-selling Animalia and The Eleventh Hour, now offers The Sign of the Seahorse, a sweeping drama of intrigue and excitement set in the beautiful but fragile underwater world of a coral reef. Beginning at the famous Seahorse Cafe, social hub of the Old Reef, The Sign of the Seahorse takes us on a great journey. We travel from the doomed coral gardens of Reeftown to a sunken wreck and an underwater junkyard, across the barren expanse of the Withered Plain, and into the vast, uncharted chasms of the Deep, before arriving finally at the utmost edge of the Great Continental Shelf. Readers of all ages will delight in the rhyming text and gloriously detailed illustrations of this undersea adventure. The wonderfully drawn characters will capture the imagination as The Sign of the Seahorse is enjoyed again and again.

Customer Reviews:

This is a FANTASTIC book for kids!!!.......2007-03-09

This is easily my favorite kids book of all time. The entire story is written in rhyme, and the charcters are great! The artwork is incredible, from the Combat Lobster 46903 down to the "two largely unnoticed shrimp on every page". Kids of all ages will enjoy this book, its a keeper.

Excellent book!.......2007-02-20

Excellent book...magnificent illustrations! Excellent story but a little too lengthy for a small child. Would recommend for children 5-10 years old.

Great Story.......2007-01-15

The person who received this book enjoyed the "good over evil" premise and the beautiful illustrations.

Graeme Base is a genius!.......2006-03-09

Not only is the book cleverly written, the illustrations are exceptional! I stayed up for hours pouring over the pages. None of his books has yet to bore me. No matter how many times they're read, there is always something new to be discovered. GB is my FAVORITE children's picture book author! Extraordinary! This mystery aspect of this book will interest older children with more advanced thinking skills. But, as a book by itself it still is a fun adventure for kids of any age.

Graeme Base.......2004-11-18

The Book I read was called The Sign of the Seahorse. This book was one of the most detailed picture books I have ever read. It is about fish that own a bar called the Seahorse and how some of them have to save the town from a villain and his thugs. In the book the bar owner's daughter falls in love with one of the heroes, and his son tries to fight the thugs. Will they be able to stop the villain before it's to late? You will have to read it to find out. I would recommend this book to a young child who enjoys adventure, fantasy, or likes reading about fish. This fishy tail was written by Graeme Base. -Jake

The Enchanted Braid: Coming to Terms with Nature on the Coral Reef

Average customer rating:

Great book for a layman!
Every marine life and coral lover should read this book
Excellent read
Great book! Educational and engaging.
A great book for the sport diver and reef lover.

The Enchanted Braid: Coming to Terms with Nature on the Coral Reef
Osha Gray Davidson
Manufacturer: Wiley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 047117727X

Amazon.com

In this work of scientific journalism, Osha Gray Davidson surveys the condition of the world's great coral-reef systems, which offer habitat to countless diverse species of marine life. Many of those systems are now threatened by development--some, ironically, by the construction of resorts for the ecotourism market. Others have been destroyed by the fishing industry's use of dynamite and cyanide to bring in catches. Some 10 percent of the world's reefs, we learn in Davidson's pages, are already damaged beyond recovery, and another 30 percent are in grave danger of joining them. Combining firsthand travel narrative with abundant documentary research, Davidson makes a good case for the importance of conserving the reefs that remain. --Gregory McNamee

Book Description

"There is a word for what Darwin and the rest of us have felt when in the presence of the reef: 'awe.' Confronted with the reef, awe is the most appropriate response. It is probably in our nature. It is also, apparently, in our nature to destroy that which we hold in awe." —from The Enchanted Braid

Of the myriad ecosystems populating the underwater world, coral reefs are by far the most complex. While their stunning beauty has been extolled for centuries, the intricate workings of reef environments remained largely hidden from view. In fact, until the advent of scuba diving just fifty years ago, corals have been among the last natural histories to be extensively explored. The high passion with which scientists have greeted this particular investigation —beginning with the foundational theories of Charles Darwin in 1842—is perhaps unprecedented, but hardly difficult to understand. A phenomenon of both awesome beauty and vital importance, the coral reef is home to the most diverse range of species of any environment on the planet, including fish, shrimps, worms, snails, crabs, sea cucumbers, sea stars, urchins, anemones, and sea squirts.

The crux of reef life, scientists have discovered, lies in nature's most intimate example of symbiosis: the mutually beneficial relationship between the coral polyp and its "tenant," the zooxanthellate algae. Davidson's history begins with this deceptively diminutive hybrid, the engine behind the construction of the limestone-based coral structure. Together, the three elements comprise a unique zoophytalite (animal-plant-mineral) form, or an "enchanted braid."

Aided by an eight-page, full-color photographic insert demonstrating the incredible intricacies of the reef and its unique inhabitants, The Enchanted Braid identifies the approximately 240,000 square miles of coral reef on the planet today as indispensable not only to the livelihood of the oceans but also to humans. The reef is, after all, the "soul of the sea," the spawning ground for tens of thousands of marine species. As sources of food (many islands rely on reefs for all their protein), medicine (corals are used in bone grafts and to fight cancer and leukemia), and detailed insight into the history of climatic conditions, coral reefs are critically important to human life on Earth. However, in a world of oil tanker disasters, global warming, and dwindling natural resources, they are also in grave danger of extinction.

Osha Gray Davidson's urgent clarion call to halt today's man-made degradation of coral reefs is both alarming and persuasive, effectively underscored by the rich historical context of passages from Darwin's captivating diary of his seminal work on reefs 150 years ago. Like the coral reef, The Enchanted Braid is itself a rare hybrid, a graceful combination of aesthetic appreciation, scientific inquiry, and environmental manifesto.

Customer Reviews:

Great book for a layman!.......2006-09-23

Although I've been an avid scuba diver for twenty years, I've never really studied the scientific aspects of the coral reefs that I dive on. I hoped that this book would be a good introduction to coral reefs without getting too bogged down in textbook-level details, and it was all that I hoped for and more. The author, Osha Gray Davidson, knows his subject, and he knows how to write. Even though I have dived many coral reefs, I learned a lot of fascinating details about how coral reefs are built, how they reproduce, and how they are sustained. There are also many fascinating tidbits about the behaviors of reef fish and reef invertebrates.

The first half of The Enchanted Braid is about coral reefs and how they work. The second half is about the current state of coral reefs and the many threats to their continued existence. It gets pretty gloomy, reading about the worldwide decline of reefs and how much humans have contributed to this decline. There are some hopeful notes, but overall it's pretty depressing, which is probably the message that we need to hear if anything is to be done to preserve these magnificent creations.

A superb book for anyone who has an interest in coral reefs or oceanology but doesn't want to wade through a college textbook.

Every marine life and coral lover should read this book.......2006-08-15

I rarely read nonfiction in bed because I fall asleep too quickly. Not so with this book. Davidson's writing is compulsively compelling. Though the book details the disturbing trends affecting the health of coral reefs worldwide, it also offers hope by describing in vivid and accessible detail how corals have survived for millenia. Though they haven't survived rapidly warming surface temperatures like we're seeing today.

Davidson describes coral reefs as "the soul of the sea" and aptly describes their biology and importance to the ocean and to humankind. The book is simultaneously a travel narrative, scientific and environmental treatise, and philosophical look at why we need to take better care of coral reefs and other precious ecosystems. Though the messages in the book are clear that coral reefs are in trouble, Davidson's writing is not filled with gloom and doom and somber predictions of a coral-less ocean. By putting coral reefs in the context of survival, he inspires hope for their future. I cannot recommend this book highly enough!

Excellent read.......2002-11-27

Even if you have no prior knowledge about reefs, this book explains and makes sense of the entire reef ecosystem. I would highly reccommend it, especially for teenagers with an interest in coral reefs and thier preservation, to spark thier interest in environmental issues.

Great book! Educational and engaging........1999-11-11

I have read hundreds of articles and books about coral reefs, "The Enchanted Braid" offers one of the best introductions you could ask for into the world of coral reefs. The book features both biological and historical descriptions of coral reefs as well as reporting on what is happening today to coral reefs around the world. It is clear, well written and easy for us "non-scientists" to understand. SCUBA divers, snorkelers and anyone else who loves the ocean should read this book.

A great book for the sport diver and reef lover........1998-07-21

A book well written and researched for the layman. The Enchanted Braid describes the addiction to the sea that many sport diving enthusiast experience. It provides a global perspective of the mysterious plight of our coral reefs. I read the book while in Bali, Indonesia. The well travelled author's feelings about the plight of the reefs is true to form from my perspective. The message is one we all should read and heed.

Average customer rating:

This is timeless
The Coral Island
A rousing adventure
Beware!
A great story for kids!!

The Coral Island (Puffin Classics)
R. M. Ballantyne
Manufacturer: Puffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0140367616

Customer Reviews:

This is timeless.......2006-11-10

I read "The Coral Island" after reading Lord of the Flies. William Golding used Coral Island as the foundation for his book. The common elements are a desert island, boys named Jack, Ralph, and Peterkin (who he renamed Simon \biblical/). It then goes in a completely different direction by having the boys in LOTF decend into man's terrible nature (Golding's view). I am intrigued by Golding's view given his religious background, but that is a subject for a different review. Knowing that Golding "updated" Coral Island I read it to see the comparisons. What a delightful surprise! The Coral Island is a great read (I've had two sons and two daughters read it sense. Some people seem to be bothered by its religous undertones. I think some people are offended by the mere mention of anything christian in the public square. Most people reading it will not see it as a religious story, rather, just a fun and fast paced action story with a good sense of morality. Golding apparently read this book as a child and when he wanted to restate the human condition used the original story to show how boys would really react if stranded on an island - I like Ballantyne's view better!

The Coral Island.......2006-03-01

I thought that this book was great to read. This story is about a kid and some pirates. They land on a coral island and the island is basically forest. This book has a lot of great sentence like for a time the schooner stood it bravely, and sprang foreword against the rising sea like a war horse. Also like at the same moment Bill lost his hold of the belaying-pin which had served to steady him, and he slid with stunning violence against the skylight

A rousing adventure.......2005-07-25

As you read other reviews keep in mind that this book was written in the 1800's, and has it's rightful place in classic literature for young people. This version is part of the Puffin Classic "Essential Collection".

Three young boys, (15, 18, and 13 in age), are shipwrecked alone on an island, and are loving it. They are learning about nature, and building forts, swimming and laughinging all the way. The manner of interacting reminds me of Tom Sawyeer and Huck Finn. But the island paradise has a darker side when the canniblas arrive. And if that's not enough, pirates move in next.

By the way, if you have a child or adult that wants to be able to look up the sailing terminology in many of the sea tales (what's a mizzen for example), or simply wants to read more books like this one, try one of the books in my recommendations list at Amazon that has definitions and pictures for these terms, "Seafaring and Pirate books for young people", or at least try one of the following books:
"A Sea of Words", or "Traditions of the Navy", "Manual of Seamanship for Boys and Seamen of the Royal Navy", and "Sailing Ships at a Glance".

Beware!.......2002-07-02

I didn't realize this at the time, but it's abridged. Unabridged prints of this book are no longer available. In order to get such a copy, you will need to buy it used!

A great story for kids!!.......2002-03-29

Let the reader be reminded that this book is 150 years old and that certain things written in the book were considered standard at the time such as the converting of indegenous people to Christianity in order to 'civilise' them. How times have changed!! Also the analysis in Lord of the Flies must be borne by the fact that a larger number of boys existed in that novel and both books were written 100 years apart.
Robert Ballantyne warns readers in the introduction that if they wish to be melancholy and morose, they not bother reading the book. I'm sure that the novel was not intended to be written for analysis 150 years later!

However this novel is a creative and educational story of three shipwrecked boys on a Coral Island and how they learn to survive in the wilderness and encouter natives and pirates. Captured by pirates, Ralph escapes back to the island and returns to Fiji with Jack and Peterkin to try and sort out family problems with some of the natives they met. This makes for an intersting conclusion...

Boys Will Be Boys: Two novellas (Little Big Men and Coral Island Boys)

Average customer rating:

Satisfying stories
Hilarious novellas!
An excellent read

Boys Will Be Boys: Two novellas (Little Big Men and Coral Island Boys)
Chris Kent
Manufacturer: GLB Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1879194406

Book Description

Two novellas back to back, both parodies of famous boys' books as only Chris Kent, the most noted boys-books authors of today, knows boys. "Coral Island Boys" after "The Coral Island" and "Little Big Men" after "Lord of the Flies."

Customer Reviews:

Satisfying stories.......2006-11-27

One story is about 3 boys deserted on an island, and their encounters with island flora and fauna, natives, and pirates. The second is about an orphanage, of sorts, for boys only, where the boys band together to battle the men who try to break them apart. Very enjoyable and a little disturbing. Since this is a novel from Chris Kent, INSANELY EROTIC, should be understood.

Hilarious novellas!.......2005-02-25

I was in the mood for a short-story collection and got Boys Will Be Boys. This is not a short-story collection. This book features two rather hilarious novellas about the sorts of things boys get off to in the form of parodies. Even though the stories were silly, they were also quite vivid and profound at times. Chris Kent is a very talented author and I look forward to reading his other works.

An excellent read.......2004-02-10

I enjoyed Chris' writing style and blend of story line with believable scenes mixed with dreamful scenes. The desire and excitement throughout the book was exhilarating. I hope I am not overselling here, but Chris writes in a way that gets the thrill of being a boy out and in the open. A wonderful Saturday reading.

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