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USS Olympia (SSN 717) 1983-1989

USS Simon Lake (AS 33) 1989-1992

USS Jacksonville (SSN 699) 1993-1995

USS Providence (SSN 719) 1998-2003

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Bikinied recruiters?

ZUI this article from the Daily Telegraph:

A newly-appointed Australian Navy submarine commander is in hot water for suggesting that women sailors wearing bikinis might help to boost recruitment.

Commander Tom Phillips, appointed to the helm of Collins class submarine HMAS Farncomb last year, also said the submarine equivalent of the "mile-high club" is the "going down club".

In an interview with men's magazine Ralph he revealed the naval uniform works to "either pull a chick or get in a fight".

Asked by the magazine "if female sailors all had to be hot and had to wear bikinis, would that help recruitment?", Commander Phillips is quoted as responding: "It would certainly get the right demographic of young men in. I'm not sure how feasible it is, however."

ZUI also this article from News.com.au:

Despite bipartisan attempts to improve the recruitment and retention of women in the defence forces, Liberal MP Bob Baldwin said Cdr Phillips' remarks were "totally inappropriate and absolutely offensive."

"If these comments are to be attributed to this newly appointed commander, I think it will go down as one of the shortest careers in naval history," Mr Baldwin, the Opposition Defence Personnel spokesman, said.

"From a commanding officer of the Royal Australian Navy one would expect a bit more maturity and a respectful attitude to his fellow men and women in the services. He owes them an apology."

*******

Real Admiral Davyd Thomas defended the submarine captain, claiming the article does "not accurately portray Navy's culture."

The deputy chief of Navy said the offending comments made to freelance journalist John Bastik were a response to a "flippant question and the commanding officer's response was not intended to be serious."

HMAS Farncomb (SSG 74), named for Rear Admiral Harold B Farncomb CB DSO MVO, RAN, was launched on 15 Dec 1995 and commissioned on 31 Jan 1998. On 14 Jun 1999 Farncomb took part in an exercise off the Western Australian coast, successfully firing a Mark 48 torpedo at the decommissioned HMAS Torrens (DE 53).

RIP: Nancy Bird Walton AO

Australian aviation pioneers Nancy Bird Walton (right) and Jean Burns

Nancy Bird Walton AO OBE DStJ
16 Oct 1915 – 13 Jan 2009

ZUI this article from NEWS.com.au:

FAMED Australian aviation pioneer Nancy Bird Walton has died aged 93 just months after fulfilling her dream to see the launch of the Qantas super jumbo named in her honour.

The National Living Treasure, as named by the National Trust of Australia in 1997, died from natural causes at her Mosman home on Sydney's north shore about 2pm (AEDT) today.

Taught to fly by Charles Kingsford-Smith at age 17, Ms Walton became Australia's first commercially-licensed female pilot two years later.

*******

With support from her family, Ms Walton purchased her own Gypsy Moth aircraft and flew around NSW, promoting aviation and taking passengers into the skies.

At age 19 she was hired to operate an air ambulance service throughout outback NSW, ferrying medical staff, the injured and expectant mothers.

*******

Ms Walton's aviation achievements include founding the Australian Women Pilots' Association and serving as its long-term president, and Emeritus patron of the Royal Flying Doctor Service.

Her lifetime of dedication to aviation was acknowledged with an OBE in 1966.

She became a Dame of the Knights of Malta in 1977 and in 1990 was awarded an AO by the Australian Government.

In September last year, she was further honoured when Qantas named its first A380 aircraft "Nancy Bird Walton".

*******

Ms Walton is survived by her daughter Anne Marie, son John, grandchildren Scott, Anna, Paul and Baron, and great grandchildren Lachlan and Zoe.

Wikipedia also has an article, here.

RIP: Col David Smiley LVO

Col David de Crespigny Smiley LVO OBE MC*
11 Apr 1916 – 9 Jan 2009

ZUI this article from The Telegraph:

Colonel David Smiley, who died on January 9 aged 92, was one of the most celebrated cloak-and-dagger agents of the Second World War, serving behind enemy lines in Albania, Greece, Abyssinia and Japanese-controlled eastern Thailand.

After the war he organised secret operations against the Russians and their allies in Albania and Poland, among other places. Later, as Britain's era of domination in the Arabian peninsula drew to a close, he commanded the Sultan of Oman's armed forces in a highly successful counter-insurgency.

*******

During the Second World War he was parachuted four times behind enemy lines. On one occasion he was obliged to escape from Albania in a rowing boat. On another mission, in Japanese-controlled eastern Thailand, he was stretchered for three days through the jungle with severe burns after a booby-trap meant for a senior Japanese officer exploded prematurely.

*******

Born on April 11 1916, David de Crespigny Smiley was the youngest son of Major Sir John Smiley, 2nd Bt, and Valerie, youngest daughter of Sir Claude Champion de Crespigny, 4th Bt, a noted jockey, balloonist, all-round sportsman and adventurer, also famed for his feats of derring-do.

After the Pangbourne Nautical College, where he excelled in sport, David went to Sandhurst in 1934. He served in the Blues from 1936 to 1939, based mainly at Windsor, leading the life of a debonair man-about-town, owning a Bentley and a Whitney Straight aircraft. Before the outbreak of war, he won seven races under National Hunt rules. In his first point-to-point with the Garth Hunt, he crashed into a tree, suffering serious injuries. Over the years Smiley was to break more than 80 bones, mainly as a result of sport; on two occasions he broke his skull, once in a steeplechase and once when he dived at night into an almost-empty swimming pool in Thailand.

*******

In 1941 he returned to his regiment to command a squadron of armoured vehicles being sent from Palestine to raise the siege of Habbaniya, 60 miles west of Baghdad in Iraq, where the king and regent had been overthrown in a pro-German coup led by Rashid Ali. Under Colonel John Glubb, he led a charge alongside Bedouin levies in full cry (they were known to Smiley as "Glubb's girls", because of their long black locks). After helping to capture Baghdad, Smiley's squadron was sent to Mosul with the task, among other things, of capturing the German ambassador, who escaped.

His squadron then moved east, to capture the Persian capital, Tehran, followed by "two weeks' celebration with plenty of vodka, caviar and women". After a spell in Palestine, Smiley led a Blues squadron of dummy tanks into the Western Desert pretending first to be British Crusaders and then, on a further foray, American General Grants, which were repeatedly attacked by Stukas. When Rommel broke through, they withdrew to Cairo. Three months later Smiley commanded a squadron of armoured cars at the battle of El Alamein – his last bout of conventional warfare.

*******

[H]e was parachuted behind enemy lines into eastern Siam, shortly before the dropping of the atomic bombs and the surrender of Japan, whereupon he organised the liberation of several prisoner-of-war camps, including the one on which the film The Bridge on the River Kwai was based. Though only a major, he personally took the surrender of the 22nd Division of the Imperial Japanese Army.

On Lord Mountbatten's orders, Smiley re-armed a Japanese company and led them against the Communists of the fledgling Vietminh (who later became the Vietcong) in French Indo-China. Among other exploits, he freed 120 French women and children who had been taken hostage by the Communists. The only British officer in an area the size of Wales, he then took the surrender of Vientiane, Laos's capital, from another Japanese general. For his activities in Siam and Indo-China Smiley was awarded a military OBE.

*******

Smiley was appointed LVO, and Knight Commander of the Order of the Sword in Sweden and Grand Cordon of the Order of Skanderbeg in Albania.

In 1947 he married Moyra, daughter of Lord Francis Scott KCMG, DSO, the 6th Duke of Buccleuch's youngest son. He is survived by his wife, two sons, a stepson and a stepdaughter.

Col Smiley was invested as a Lieutenant, Royal Victorian Order (LVO), in 1952, and was awarded an OBE (military division) for his activities in Siam and Indo-China in 1945. He received both the Military Cross and a Bar thereto for his activities with the partisans in Albania.

In 1966, he was appointed a Gentleman-at-Arms, as reported in the London Gazette (issue 43886, 28 Jan 1966):

The QUEEN has been graciously pleased, on the recommendation of the Lord Shepherd, the Captain, to make the following promotions in and appointment to Her Majesty's Body Guard of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms:
Colonel David de Crespigny Smiley, M.V.O., O.B.E., M.C., late Royal Horse Guards, to be one of Her Majesty's Body Guard of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms i the room of Brigadier John Norman Cheney, O.B.E., promoted.

Col Smiley was also the author of Arabian Assignment (1975), Albanian Assignment (1984) and Irregular Regular (1994).

RIP: William Stone

William Stone (left) and HMS Hood survivor Ted Briggs

William Stone
23 Sep 1900 - 10 Jan 2009

Another World War I veteran has died. ZUI this article from the BBC:

One of only four surviving British veterans of World War I has died at the age of 108.

William Stone, from Watlington in Oxfordshire, was the last British serviceman to have seen active duty in both world wars.

Mr Stone, who was known as Bill, joined the Royal Navy on his 18th birthday in September 1918 and served on HMS Tiger.

*******

Born in Ledstone, Kingsbridge, South Devon, on 23 September 1900, he followed his brothers into the navy, serving as a stoker.

During World War II he was a chief stoker on HMS Salamander and took part in the evacuation of Dunkirk, making five trips to pick up troops from the beaches.

Mr Stone also served in the Sicily landings of 1943 with HMS Newfoundland and was mentioned in despatches after a torpedo attack as the ship made its way back to Malta.

*******

Mr Stone married Lily in 1938 and their daughter Anne was born the year after.

He went on to run a tobacconist and hairdressing shop in Devon, retiring in 1968 to move to Oxfordshire.

Mrs Stone died in 1995.

*******

Mr Stone died on Saturday at the Masonic Care Home at Sindlesham near Wokingham, where he lived for the past two years.

Mr Stone, who remained in the Royal Navy from 1918 until 1945, served aboard the following ships:

HMS Tiger (battlecruiser) 1919-1922
HMS Hood (battlecruiser) 1922-1924
HMS Chrysanthemum (sloop) 1925-1927
HMS P40 (submarine chaser) 1928-29
HMS Eagle (aircraft carrier) 1929-1931
HMS Harebell (sloop) 1931-1933
HMS Thanet (destroyer, Reserve Fleet) 1934
HMS Tenedos (destroyer, Reserve Fleet) 1934
HMS Carlisle (light cruiser) 1934-1937
HMS Salamander (minesweeper) 1937-1941
HMS Newfoundland (light cruiser) 1941-1944

The HMS Hood Association has a page on Mr Stone at their website.

Update 1359 14 Jan: ZUI also this article from the MOD Defence News.

Update 1922 29 Jan: ZUI also this article from the MOD Defence News.

The funeral of William 'Bill' Stone, a former Chief Stoker in the Royal Navy and the last veteran to have served in both the first and second world wars, took place this afternoon in Oxfordshire.

Bearing the coffin at St Leonard's church in Watlington were six Royal Navy personnel, paying tribute to Mr Stone's long military career.

Behind the coffin Leading Logistician Jon Ryder, who accompanied Mr Stone at the 90th Anniversary of the Great War Armistice at the Cenotaph in November 2008, carried William's many medals on a cushion.

These included the British War Medal for his service in the First World War and, from the Second World War, the Atlantic Star, the Africa Star and the 1939-1945 War Medal decorated with an oak leaf for 'Mentioned in Despatches'.

Standard Bearers from The Royal Navy, The Royal Naval Association, The Royal British Legion, HMS Hood Association and The Dunkirk Veterans Association processed before the hearse to the church.

*******

After the coffin was carried out of the church to the tune of 'Wish Me Luck As You Wave Me Goodbye', a Royal Marines bugler sounded the Last Post and Reveille and the church bell was tolled 108 times, one for each year of Mr Stone's life.

Victoria Cross: S. Sukanaivalu

SEFANAIA SUKANAIVALU

Corporal, 3rd Battalion, Fijian Infantry Regiment

Born: 1918, Yathata Island, Fiji
Died: 23 June 1944, Mawaraka, Bougainville, Solomon Islands

Citation: On June 23rd, 1944, at Mawaraka, Bougainville, in the Solomon Islands, Corporal Sefanaia Sukanaivalu crawled forward to rescue some men who had been wounded when their platoon was ambushed and some of the leading elements had become casualties.
After two wounded men had been successfully recovered this N.C.O., who was in command of the rear section, volunteered to go on farther alone to try and rescue another one, in spite of machine gun and mortar fire, but on the way back he himself was seriously wounded in the groin and thighs and fell to the ground, unable to move any farther.
Several attempts were then made to rescue Corporal Sukanaivalu but without success owing to heavy fire being encountered on each occasion and further casualties caused.
This gallant N.C.O. then called to his men not to try and get to him as he was in a very exposed position, but they replied that they would never leave him to fall alive into the hands of the enemy.
Realising that his men would not withdraw as long as they could see that he was still alive and knowing that they were themselves all in danger of being killed or captured as long as they remained where they were, Corporal Sukanaivalu, well aware of the consequences, raised himself up in front of the Japanese machine gun and was riddled with bullets.
This brave Fiji soldier, after rescuing two wounded men with the greatest heroism and being gravely wounded himself, deliberately sacrificed his own life because he knew that it was the only way in which the remainder of his platoon could be induced to retire from a situation in which they must have been annihilated had they not withdrawn.

(London Gazette issue 36774 dated 31 Oct 1944, published 31 Oct 1944.)

Note: Corporal Sukanaivalu is the only Fijian to have received the Victoria Cross.

Medal of Honor: J. King

JOHN KING

Watertender, US Navy; USS Vicksburg (Gunboat No 11) and USS Salem (CL 3)

Born: 7 February 1865, Ireland
Died: 20 May 1938

Citation: On board the U.S.S. Vicksburg, for heroism in the line of his profession at the time of the accident to the boilers, 29 May 1901.











Citation: Watertender, serving on board the U.S.S. Salem, for extraordinary heroism in the line of his profession on the occasion of the accident to one of the boilers of that vessel, 13 September 1909.


Note: USS John King (DDG 3) was named in his honour.

Battle E winners

The results of the 2008 Battle E competition have been released. My old shipmate Blunoz has the complete lists (COMSUBPAC PEARL HARBOR HI//00// 010001Z JAN 09 and COMSUBFOR NORFOLK VA//N00// 011500Z JAN 09) here; I'm just going to post a couple of details. From the COMSUBLANT COMSUBFOR message:

A. BATTLE EFFICIENCY "E" AWARD
SHIP
CO/XO/COB/CMC
SUBRON 2
USS PROVIDENCE
CDR MIKE HOLLAND
LCDR TODD FIGANBAUM
MMCS(SS) JEFFREY LEITH

B. ENGINEERING RED "E"
SHIP
ENG/EDMC
SUBRON 2
USS PROVIDENCE
LCDR RAVI DESAI
ETCS(SS) CHARLES LOGAN
SUBRON 8
USS JACKSONVILLE
LCDR TIMOTHY YANIK
ETCS(SS) EDWARD SMITH

C.TACTICAL OPERATIONS WHITE "T"
SHIP
WEPS/WDEA/OPS/NODEA
SUBRON 8
USS JACKSONVILLE
LCDR ALAN NELSON
STSCS(SS) LANCE BUTTERFUSS
LCDR MICHAEL FULLER
ETC(SS) RICHARD NAJAR

Three cheers for SSN 719 and SSN 699!

Additionally, reading through the rest of the two messages, I find:

[COMSUBPAC]

A. BATTLE EFFICIENCY E:
CO/XO/COB/CMC/SEA
SUBDEVRON FIVE
USS CONNECTICUT
CDR D. CHRISTOFFERSON (CO)
LCDR B. RODRIGUES (XO)(D)
LCDR P. PFANZ (XO)(R)
ETCS(SS) R. ENQUIST (COB)

F. SUPPLY BLUE E:
SUPPLY OFFICER/SK LCPO/CS LCPO
SUBRON FIFTEEN
USS CITY OF CORPUS CHRISTI
LT J. SMITH (SUPPO)(D)
ENS B. CARLL (SUPPO)(R)
CSC(SS) J. BLANKENSHIP (CSLCPO)(D)
CS1(SS) J. HALLOCK (CSLPO)(R)
SK1(SS) K. LAMB (SKLPO)

J. STRATEGIC WEAPONS WHITE S:
WEPS/OPS/LCPO
SUBRON NINETEEN
USS MAINE (BLUE)
LT PALILONIS (SWO)
LT KILLILA (OPS)
MTC(SS) YEOMAN (WDEA)(D)
MTC(SS) LOONAM (WDEA)(R)

[COMSUBFOR]

C.TACTICAL OPERATIONS WHITE "T"
SHIP
WEPS/WDEA/OPS/NODEA
SUBDEVRON 12
USS ALEXANDRIA
LT JEFFREY YACKEREN
FTC(SS) FRANK SAVIANO
LT MICHAEL DOLBEC
ETCS(SS) GEORGE HUNT

Congratulations to the former Providence shipmates whose names appear above.

Non-USN readers can find an explanation of the Battle E award here (though that article is slanted toward surface fleet competition).

RIP: Robert Prince

Robert Prince
1919 - 1 Jan 2009

ZUI this blog post from the Seattle Post-Intelligencer:

Robert Prince, the Seattle native and Army Ranger who, as a captain in World War II was the assault force commander of the daring mission to liberate Allied prisoners of war that became known as "The Great Raid," passed away New Years Day in Port Townsend, his family confirmed.

"He died at home," Prince's son, Jim, a commercial fisherman from Port Townsend, confirmed Monday.

At Robert Prince's request, no services were held. Remembrances are suggested to the Children's Orthopedic Hospital or a charity of ones choice.

*******

Prince was only 25 when he was hand-picked by a man he deeply admired, Lt. Col. Henry Mucci, to lead 120 Rangers of the 6th Ranger Battalion, Alamo Scouts and Filipino guerrillas to rescue POWs from a Japanese prison camp near the town of Cabanatuan.

The raid was fraught with urgency. It had to be quickly and stealthily carried out behind enemy lines, because the Japanese War Ministry had issued a "kill all policy" to cover up war crimes by executing witnesses, in this case prisoners.

They had to get in and get out, and did. The highly successful Jan. 30, 1945 mission, portrayed in a 2005 film "The Great Raid," was quickly heralded across the U.S. Mucci, Prince, nine other Rangers and their wives were sent on war bonds campaigns, and to meet with President Franklin Roosevelt.

*******

Mucci and Prince both received the Army's highest award, the Distinguished Service Cross, which next only to the Medal of Honor is the nation's second highest award for valor. The two also were named to the U.S. Army Ranger Hall of Fame.

Prince, originally from Seattle's Madrona neighborhood, returned home to Seattle and his wife Barbara, leaving the Army as a major in February 1946.

*******

In addition to his son, Jim, Prince is survived by daughter-in-law Mardee Stadshaug, grandchildren Amy Murray and Andrew Prince, and a brother, John, of Seattle. He was preceded in death by brothers Ken and Dick of Seattle [and a son, Sp4c Stephen Robert Prince, who was killed in action in Vietnam].

ZUI also this article, dated 25 Aug 05, from the P-I:

The "Great Raid," the subject of a new movie, was cloaked in secrecy and draped with urgency. The POWs included many who endured three years of starvation, disease and torture after the battle for Corregidor and the Bataan Death March. In August 1944, with defeat imminent, the Japanese War Ministry issued a "kill all policy" to cover up war crimes by executing the witnesses. Before the Cabanatuan raid was carried out, prisoners in a camp near Palawan had been drenched with aviation fuel and burned alive.

*******

The story, with embellishments that Prince says don't diminish the truth, is in the film "The Great Raid," which is playing in area theaters. The movie draws its story from the best-selling books "The Great Raid on Cabanatuan" by William B. Breuer and "Ghost Soldiers" by Hampton Sides.

*******

"Let's set something straight," Prince says, leveling a gaze as intense as the one in his old photo.

"We all worked together. I had no bigger impact than Colonel Mucci. The only reason the story has any legs at all is because we saved people in addition to beating up on the Japanese," he says. "The heroes of the thing are the POWs."

*******

Intelligence was gathered from Alamo Scouts working behind enemy lines and Filipino guerrillas protecting the unit's flanks. Civilian spies risked lives gathering information -- though the film's love interest was one of the Hollywood embellishments but based on a real woman spy.

Odds seemed overwhelming. The prison had more than 200 guards and sat 30 miles inside enemy territory. A Japanese battalion was a mile from it. The nearby town of Cabanatuan was a transit hub with up to 8,000 Japanese troops.

Surprise was key. Yet the biggest obstacle was 300 yards of open ground through a dry, stubbled rice paddy. Rangers, laden with ammunition, rifles, machine guns and bazookas, crawled on their bellies.

To divert attention, a P-61 "Black Widow" night-fighter flew over. "While we were crawling across the open field, he was flying 500 feet above the camp, cutting his motor, doing every crazy thing he could to attract attention," Prince recalls. It worked.

*******

The fighting was over in 35 minutes. "It was pretty one-sided," Prince says. He checked each building himself before firing the flare that ended the assault, then met up with Mucci and began a long trek to freedom. Filipino guerrillas held off pursuing Japanese soldiers as the group made its escape.

In the end, Allied casualties counted two Rangers dead and several wounded. No Filipinos died. More than 500 Japanese soldiers were killed or wounded. All 512 prisoners survived.

*******

One former prisoner told reporters: "I think I was the first American out of the prison camp. First thing I knew I was standing outside with a big Yank. His name was Capt. Prince of Seattle, Wash. The first thing I did was to grab the captain and hug and kiss him right there."

James Franco played Prince in The Great Raid.

More about the Alamo Scouts can be found here. A US Army News Service article on the Cabanatuan raid can be found here, and Wikipedia's article is here. Rangers: Selected Combat Operations in World War II*, by Dr Michael J King, can be found here; the chapter on Cabanatuan begins on page 58 of the PDF file.


* Combat Studies Institute, US Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, June 1985

2008 Cybils nominees

Just wanted to point out that I changed the widget in my sidebar, so it now shows nominees for the 2008 Cybils, rather than the 2007 awards.

Victoria Cross: Adams, Murray and MacLean

ROBERT BELLEW ADAMS

Major (Brevet Lieutenant Colonel), Indian Staff Corps

Born: 26 July 1856, Murree, Punjab, India
Died: 13 February 1928, Inverness, Scotland


ALEXANDER EDWARD MURRAY, VISCOUNT FINCASTLE

Lieutenant, 16th Lancers

Born: 22 April 1871, Portland Place, London
Died: 29 January 1962, Sussex Place, West London

Joint Citation: During the fighting at Nawa Kili, in Upper Swat, on the 17th August, 1897, Lieutenant-Colonel R. B. Adams proceeded with Lieutenants H. L. S. MacLean and Viscount Fincastle, and five men of the Guides, under a very heavy and close fire, to the rescue of Lieutenant R. T. Greaves, Lancashire Fusiliers, who was lying disabled by a bullet wound and surrounded by the enemy's swordsmen. In bringing him under cover he (Lieutenant Greaves) was struck by a bullet and killed - Lieutenant MacLean was mortally wounded - whilst the horses of Lieutenant-Colonel Adams and Lieutenant Viscount Fincastle were shot, as well as two troop horses.

-------

Lieutenant Hector Lachlan Stewart MacLean, Indian Staff Corps, on account of his gallant conduct as recorded above, would have been recommended to Her Majesty for the Victoria Cross had he survived.

(London Gazette Issue 26908 dated 9 Nov 1897, published 9 Nov 1897.)


HECTOR LACHLAN STEWART MACLEAN

Lieutenant, Indian Staff Corps

Born: 13 September 1870, Bannu, North West Frontier, India
Died: 17 August 1897, Upper Swat, India

Citation: The KING has been graciously pleased to approve of the Decoration of the Victoria Cross being delivered to the representatives of the undermentioned Officers and men who fell in the performance of acts of valour, and with reference to whom it was notified in the London Gazette that they would have been recommended to Her late Majesty for the Victoria Cross had they survived:–
London Gazette, 9th November, 1897.
"Lieutenant Hector Lachlan Stewart MacLean, Indian Staff Corps, on account of his gallant conduct, would have been recommended to Her Majesty for the Victoria Cross had he survived. During the fighting at Nawa Kili, in Upper Swat, on the 17th August, 1897, Lieutenant-Colonel R. B. Adams proceeded with Lieutenants H. L. S. MacLean and Viscount Fincastle, and five men of the Guides, under a very heavy and close fire, to the rescue of Lieutenant R. T. Greaves, Lancashire Fusiliers, who was lying disabled by a bullet wound and surrounded by the enemy's swordsmen. In bringing him under cover he (Lieutenant Greaves) was struck by a bullet and killed. Lieutenant MacLean was mortally wounded, whilst the horses of Lieutenant-Colonel Adams and Lieutenant Viscount Fincastle were shot, as well as two troop horses."

(London Gazette Issue 27986 dated 15 Jan 1907, published 15 Jan 1907.)


Note: The others who who received posthumous awards of the Victoria Cross with Lieutenant MacLean were Private Edward Spence, 42nd Regiment (for action in 1859); Ensign Everard A L Phillipps, 11th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry (1859); Lieutenant Teignmouth Melvill, 24th Foot (1879); Lieutenant Neville J A Coghill, 24th Foot (1879); and Trooper Frank W Baxter, Buluwayo Field Force (1897).

Medal of Honor: L. J. Sebille

LOUIS J SEBILLE

Major, US Air Force; 67th Fighter-Bomber Squadron, 18th Fighter-Bomber Group, 5th Air Force

Born: 21 November 1915, Harbor Beach, Michigan
Died: 5 August 1950, near Hanchang, Korea

Citation: Maj. Sebille, distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. During an attack on a camouflaged area [on 5 August 1950, near Hanchang, Korea,] containing a concentration of enemy troops, artillery, and armored vehicles, Maj. Sebille's F-51 aircraft was severely damaged by antiaircraft fire. Although fully cognizant of the short period he could remain airborne, he deliberately ignored the possibility of survival by abandoning the aircraft or by crash landing, and continued his attack against the enemy forces threatening the security of friendly ground troops. In his determination to inflict maximum damage upon the enemy, Maj. Sebille again exposed himself to the intense fire of enemy gun batteries and dived on the target to his death. The superior leadership, daring, and selfless devotion to duty which he displayed in the execution of an extremely dangerous mission were an inspiration to both his subordinates and superiors and reflect the highest credit upon himself, the U.S. Air Force, and the armed forces of the United Nations.

RIP: Maria de Jesus

Maria de Jesus-dos Santos
10 Sep 1893 – 2 Jan 2009

The oldest person in the world has died. ZUI this article (yes, it's written in Portuguese) from Público:

Maria de Jesus, a mulher mais velha do mundo, morreu hoje, aos 115 anos de idade. A idosa de aldeia do Corujo, no concelho de Tomar, tornou-se célebre em Novembro do ano passado, quando o Livro Guinness dos Recordes concluiu ser ela a pessoa mais idosa do planeta.

*******

Com a morte da norte-americana Edna Parker, a 26 de Novembro, a portuguesa tornou-se a mulher mais velha do mundo, uma atribuição que chegou numa altura em que se encontrava já bastante debilitada.

Nascida a 10 de Setembro de 1893, na aldeia de Urqueira (Ourém), Maria de Jesus viveu em três séculos diferentes, tendo assistido a grandes transformações no país e no mundo.

*******

Do casamento com José dos Santos, de quem ficou viúva aos 57 anos, teve seis filhos (três deles ainda vivos), dos quais tinha 11 netos, 16 bisnetos e três trinetos.

The Gerontology Research Group's list of living supercentenarians, which has not yet been updated to note Sra de Jesus's death, currently contains 92 people (83 females and 9 males), ranging from Sra de Jesus to Andresa Guerrero-Ortiz of Spain (born 30 Nov 1898). 114-year-old Gertrude Baines of California (born 6 Apr 1894) appears to now be the oldest living person.

More to follow, when I find a good article in English.

Update 2028 12 Jan: ZUI this article from AFP:

The world's oldest living person, Portuguese national Maria de Jesus, died Friday at the age of 115, the Lusa news agency reported.

Born September 10, 1893, Maria de Jesus became the world's oldest living person after the death of American Edna Parker on November 26, also aged 115.

*******

De Jesus was born in a poor area in Urquiera, close to Ourem in central Portugal. She started working in agriculture at the age of 12 and never went to school, remaining unable to write and read for her entire life.

After marrying [José dos Santos], she moved to the town of Corujo with her husband where she brought up her six children.

The GRG's list of living supercentenarians, which has not yet been updated to note Sra de Jesus's death, currently contains 91 people (82 females and 9 males), ranging from Mrs Baines (born 6 Apr 1894) to Sra Guerrero-Ortiz (born 30 Nov 1898).

Books for a good cause

The following letter comes from author Sara Lewis Holmes. Rather than write my own bit about it, I'm just going to be lazy and post her letter here.

Dear Friends,

My niece, Emily, has been battling cancer for over two years now. But that's not all she's been doing. She's modeled in a show for Flashes of Hope, raised money for Rainbow Hospital and starred in a video for Flying Horse Farms. I feel downright lazy next to her.

So here's what I'm doing: starting a library of camp and horse related books for Flying Horse Farms. Flying Horse Farms is a magical, transforming and fun camp for children with serious illnesses and their families. It's an Ohio based 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization and working to become a member of Hole in the Wall Camps, the world's largest family of camps for children with serious illnesses. Watch the video!

I talked with the director, and he said that rather than one central library, he would love to have books available at several spots around the camp---the stables, the craft room, the main activity hall, the cabins, maybe even the dining hall.

The books would be...

For kids to read while they wait for their turn on a horse.
For kids who suddenly discover they love pottery or archery or fishing and want to know everything about it.
For kids to share and discuss a cool quote or an inspirational person during nightly reflection times.
For kids who need a fast idea for a drama skit, or a nature craft, or a easy recipe.
For kids who need to rest.
For kids who love to read.
For kids who are kids and want to be kids and must be kids even if a serious illness complicates their lives.

If you want to help, here are some suggestions:

- I've set up a wish list on Amazon. You can choose a book and donate it directly from there. The list is small now, but it will grow as the campers and counselors and the director add new requests to it.

- You may also buy from that list at your local independent bookstore and have them ship to the address below.

- You can blog about your favorite camp or horse related book. I'll round up those posts, plus forward them to the director and consult them in expanding the Wish List. (Little Willow already did this. Thanks, LW!) Feel free to copy this entire post or use the button I'm putting in my sidebar of my blog: Read*Write*Believe.

- If you're an author or illustrator or publisher or blogger with a camp or horse related book, you can donate directly to the camp, but please remember that the camp serves kids ages 7-15 and your donation should reflect the needs of the camp. (*See the list of activities below.) Please, in all cases: NEW, appropriate books. We don't want to overwhelm the staff with boxes of old books to sort. This is not a book drive, but the beginning of a special library.

Questions? Email me at: email@saralewisholmes.com

*Here's a list of activities at camp: Horses, Arts & Crafts, Painting, Woodworking, Pottery, Boating, Fishing, Swimming, Cooking, Ropes, Adventure (teambuilding), Nature, Sports & Games, Music, Drama

Fiction is also welcome, but at this time, we're concentrating on stories with horses in them. Once the camp is fully up and running, I'll add other fiction requests from the campers and counselors.

The address for donations:

Flying Horse Farms
225 Green Meadows Drive South, Suite A
Lewis Center, Ohio 43035

Website: Flying Horse Farms

To send directly from Amazon: wish list on Amazon

Watch the very short video about Flying Horse Farms. It's wonderful!

Emily and I are deeply grateful for your support.

Many thanks,
Sara Holmes

While you're at it, buy Sara's book (or at least get it from the library) - it's good. I'm really looking forward to her next one, which is coming out this fall.

Libraries need more books!

I love it when the local public library buys books I've recommended. I was eleven for fourteen last year:

Louisiana's Song, by Kerry Madden
Jessie's Mountain, by Kerry Madden
Letters from Rapunzel, by Sara Lewis Holmes
Up and Down the Scratchy Mountains, by Laurel Snyder
The Crossroads, by Chris Grabenstein
Dead Girl Walking, by Linda Joy Singleton
The Dust of 100 Dogs, by A S King
The Eyes of a King, by Catherine Banner
Everything You Want, by Barbara Shoup
Palace of Mirrors, by Margaret Peterson Haddix
A La Carte, by Tanita S Davis

The books I recommended that they didn't order were Inside the Slidy Diner, also by Laurel Snyder; Theodosia and the Staff of Osiris, by R L LaFevers; and Wish: Wishing Traditions Around the World, by Roseanne Thong.

Does your public library lack books you think it should have? Go in and have a talk with the librarians about ordering them - maybe it will work for you, too. (I've already started a list of books I'm going to recommend this year.)

Update 0904 30 Jan: Moved A La Carte from the "not purchased" to the "purchased" list. Ten for thirteen!

Update 0910 4 Feb: Forgot to include The Dust of 100 Dogs when I first wrote this post. (How, I don't know - it was the one I was most interested in reading.) Eleven for fourteen!

The Cybils: 2008 short lists

The lists of finalists for the 2008 Cybils (the Children's and Young Adult Bloggers' Literary Awards) were, as promised, released yesterday. The categories and finalists, with links to brief descriptions, are:

Easy Readers:
Houndsley and Catina and the Quiet Time, by James Howe
I Love My New Toy, by Mo Willems
I Will Surprise My Friend!, by Mo Willems
Maybelle Goes to Tea, by Katie Speck
Mercy Watson Thinks Like a Pig, by Kate Dicamillo

Fantasy & Science Fiction (Middle Grade):
Cabinet of Wonders, by Marie Rutkoski
Graveyard Book, by Neil Gaiman
Lamplighter, by D M Cornish
Magic Thief, by Sarah Prineas
Savvy, by Ingrid Law

Fantasy & Science Fiction (Young Adult):
Airman, by Eoin Colfer
Curse Dark as Gold, by Elizabeth C Bunce
Explosionist, by Jenny Davidson
Graceling, by Kristin Cashore
The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins
Wake, by Lisa McMann

Fiction Picture Books:
Abe Lincoln Crosses A Creek: A Tall Thin Tale (Introducing His Forgotten Frontier Friend), written by Deborah Hopkinson and illustrated by John Hendrix
The Big Bad Bunny, written by Franny Billingsley and illustrated by G Brian Karas
Chester's Back, written and illustrated by Melanie Watts
How to Heal a Broken Wing, written and illustrated by Bob Graham
Katie Loves the Kittens, written and illustrated by John Himmelman
The Sea Serpent and Me, written by Dashka Slater and illustrated by Catia Chien
A Visitor for Bear, written by Bonny Becker and illustrated by Kady Denton
Wabi Sabi, written by Mark Reibstein and illustrated by Ed Young

Graphic Novels (Middle Grade):
Chiggers, written and illustrated by Hope Larson
Into the Volcano, written and illustrated by Don Wood
Jellaby, vol. 1, written and illustrated by Kean Soo
Rapunzel's Revenge, written by Shannon Hale and Dean Hale, and illustrated by Nathan Hale
The Savage, written by David Almond and illustrated by Dave McKean
There's a Wolf at the Door: Five Classic Tales, written by Zoe Alley and illustrated by R W Alley

Graphic Novels (Young Adult):
Emiko Superstar, written by Mariko Tamaki and illustrated by Steve Ralston
Kin: Good Neighbors, Book 1, written by Holly Black and illustrated by Ted Naifeh
Life Sucks, written by Jessica Abel and Gabe Soria, and illustrated by Warren Pleese
Skim, written and illustrated by Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki
Three Shadows, written and illustrated by Cyril Pedrosa

Middle Grade Fiction:
Alvin Ho, by Lenore Look
Diamond Willow, by Helen Frost
Every Soul a Star, by Wendy Mass
The London Eye Mystery, by Siobhan Dowd
Shooting the Moon, by Frances O'Roark Dowell

Non-Fiction Middle Grade/Young Adult Books:
11 Planets: A New View of the Solar System, by David Aguilar
Ain't Nothing but a Man: My Quest to Find the Real John Henry, by Scott Reynolds Nelson
Body Drama: Real Girls, Real Bodies, Real Issues, Real Answers, by Nancy Amanda Redd
King George: What Was His Problem?: Everything Your Schoolbooks Didn't Tell You About the American Revolution, by Steve Sheinkin
Lincoln Through the Lens, by Martin Sandler
Swords: An Artist's Devotion, written and illustrated by Ben Boos
We Are the Ship: The Story of the Negro League Baseball, written and illustrated by Kadir Nelson
The Year We Disappeared: A Father-Daughter Memoir, by Cylin Busby and John Busby

Non-Fiction Picture Books:
Astronaut Handbook, written and illustrated by Meghan McCarthy
Duel! Burr and Hamilton's Deadly War of Words, written by Dennis Brindell Fradin and illustrated by Larry Day
Fabulous Fishes, written and illustrated by Susan Stockdale
Nic Bishop Frogs, written and illustrated by Nic Bishop
A River of Words: The Story of William Carlos Williams, written by Jen Bryant and illustrated by Melissa Sweet
Wanda Gag: The Girl Who Lived to Draw, written and illustrated by Deborah Kogan Ray
Wangari's Trees of Peace: A True Story from Africa, written and illustrated by Jeanette Winter

Poetry:
America at War, illustrated by Stephen Alcorn and edited by Lee Bennett Hopkins
Honeybee, by Naomi Shihab Nye
Imaginary Menagerie: A Book of Curious Creatures, written by Julie Larios and illustrated by Julie Paschkis
More than Friends: Poems from Him and Her, by Sara Holbrook and Allan Wolf
On the Farm, by David Elliott and Holly Meade

Young Adult Fiction:
Audrey, Wait!, by Robin Benway
The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks, by E Lockhart
I know It's Over, by C K Kelly Martin
Jellicoe Road, by Melina Marchetta
Sweethearts, by Sara Zarr
Ten Cents a Dance, by Christine Fletcher
Thaw, by Monica Roe

The pages linked to also include links to Amazon.com listings for each book. Further information can be found on the Cybils website.

The winners will be announced on 14 February.

As last year, none of the books I really liked were shortlisted. In fact, I haven't read a single one of these. Guess I'd better get started....

Carnegie Medal books

In addition to reading the Newbery Medal winners, I've started on the books which have been awarded the Andrew Carnegie Medal - the British equivalent of the Newbery Medal, now awarded by the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP).

The medal was first awarded in 1937, for the best children's book of 1936, but there have been three years when no book was considered suitable, so there are only 69 winners thus far. In addition to the gold medal, the winner receives £500 worth of books to donate to a library of his/her/their choice.

Here's the list. (Dates marked in red indicate the six books I had already read before last year; dates in purple indicate the ones I've read since.)

1936: Pigeon Post, by Arthur Ransome
1937: The Family from One End Street, by Eve Garnett
1938: The Circus is Coming, by Noel Streatfield
1939: Radium Woman, by Eleanor Doorly
1940: Visitors from London, by Kitty Barne
1941: We Couldn't Leave Dinah, by Mary Treadgold
1942: The Little Grey Men, by 'BB' (D J Watkins-Pitchford)
1943: Prize withheld as no book considered suitable
1944: The Wind on the Moon, by Eric Linklater
1945: Prize withheld as no book considered suitable
1946: The Little White Horse, by Elizabeth Goudge
1947: Collected Stories for Children, Walter De La Mare
1948: Sea Change, by Richard Armstrong
1949: The Story of Your Home, by Agnes Allen
1950: The Lark on the Wing, by Elfrida Vipont Foulds
1951: The Woolpack, by Cynthia Harnett
1952: The Borrowers, by Mary Norton
1953: A Valley Grows Up, by Edward Osmond
1954: Knight Crusader, by Ronald Welch (Felton Ronald Oliver)
1955: The Little Bookroom, by Eleanor Farjeon
1956: The Last Battle, by C S Lewis
1957: A Grass Rope, by William Mayne
1958: Tom's Midnight Garden, by Philipa Pearce
1959: The Lantern Bearers, by Rosemary Sutcliff
1960: The Making of Man, by Dr I W Cornwall
1961: A Stranger at Green Knowe, by Lucy M Boston
1962: The Twelve and the Genii, by Pauline Clarke
1963: Time of Trial, by Hester Burton
1964: Nordy Bank, by Sheena Porter
1965: The Grange at High Force, by Philip Turner
1966: Prize withheld as no book considered suitable
1967: The Owl Service, by Alan Garner
1968: The Moon in the Cloud, by Rosemary Harris
1969: The Edge of the Cloud, by Kathleen Peyton
1970: The God Beneath the Sea, by Leon Garfield and Edward Blishen
1971: Josh, by Ivan Southall
1972: Watership Down, by Richard Adams
1973: The Ghost of Thomas Kempe, by Penelope Lively
1974: The Stronghold, by Mollie Hunter
1975: The Machine Gunners, by Robert Westall
1976: Thunder and Lightnings, by Jan Mark
1977: The Turbulent Term of Tyke Tiler, by Gene Kemp
1978: The Exeter Blitz, by David Rees
1979: Tulku, by Peter Dickinson
1980: City of Gold, by Peter Dickinson
1981: The Scarecrows, by Robert Westall
1982: The Haunting, by Margaret Mahy
1983: Handles, by Jan Mark
1984: The Changeover, by Margaret Mahy
1985: Storm, by Kevin Crossley-Holland
1986: Granny was a Buffer Girl, by Berlie Doherty
1987: The Ghost Drum, by Susan Price
1988: A Pack of Lies, by Geraldine McCaughrean
1989: Goggle-eyes, by Anne Fine
1990: Wolf, by Gillian Cross
1991: Dear Nobody, by Berlie Doherty
1992: Flour Babies, by Anne Fine
1993: Stone Cold, by Robert Swindells
1994: Whispers in the Graveyard, by Theresa Breslin
1995: Northern Lights, by Philip Pullman*
1996: Junk, by Melvin Burgess
1997: River Boy, by Tim Bowler
1998: Skellig, by David Almond
1999: Postcards From No Man's Land, by Aidan Chambers
2000: The Other Side of Truth, by Beverley Naidoo
2001: The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents, by Terry Pratchett
2002: Ruby Holler, by Sharon Creech
2003: A Gathering Light, by Jennifer Donnelly
2004: Millions, by Frank Cottrell Boyce
2005: Tamar, by Mal Peet
2006: **
2007: Just in Case, by Meg Rosoff
2008: Here Lies Arthur, by Philip Reeve
2009: To be announced....

So the count now is thirteen down, 56 to go. Unfortunately, our local library system (Groton, Waterford and Mystic/Noank) only has a dozen or so of the ones I haven't read yet, so I'm going to have to make a lot of ILL requests....

Of the six books I read this last quarter, I liked Tamar the most - in fact, I'm listing it as the best book I read in 2008.

* His Dark Materials, Book 1. Published in the US as The Golden Compass.

** Up through the award for 2005, the winners were referred to by the year of publication. Beginning in 2007, the winners were referred to by the year the award was given, as with the American Newbery Medal. Thus there is no "2006 winner" of the Carnegie Medal. Tamar, the 2005 winner, was published in '05, and received the medal in '06. Just in Case, the 2007 winner, was published in '06 and received the award in '07.

Newbery Medal books

In March of '07, I took a look at a list of the 86 winners (now 87) of the John Newbery Medal, which is presented annually to the author of "the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children." I was somewhat shocked to discover that I had only read seven of the books. So I've been reading my way through the list, and here's the current status. (Dates in red are the ones I had read before I started my current programme; dates in purple are the ones I've read since I started.)

1922: The Story of Mankind, by Hendrik Willem van Loon
1923: The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle, by Hugh Lofting
1924: The Dark Frigate, by Charles Hawes
1925: Tales from Silver Lands, by Charles Finger
1926: Shen of the Sea, by Arthur Bowie Chrisman
1927: Smoky, the Cowhorse, by Will James
1928: Gay Neck, the Story of a Pigeon, by Dhan Gopal Mukerji
1929: The Trumpeter of Krakow, by Eric P. Kelly
1930: Hitty, Her First Hundred Years, by Rachel Field
1931: The Cat Who Went to Heaven, by Elizabeth Coatsworth
1932: Waterless Mountain, by Laura Adams Armer
1933: Young Fu of the Upper Yangtze, by Elizabeth Lewis
1934: Invincible Louisa: The Story of the Author of Little Women, by Cornelia Meigs
1935: Dobry, by Monica Shannon
1936: Caddie Woodlawn, by Carol Ryrie Brink
1937: Roller Skates, by Ruth Sawyer
1938: The White Stag, by Kate Seredy
1939: Thimble Summer, by Elizabeth Enright
1940: Daniel Boone, by James Daugherty
1941: Call It Courage, by Armstrong Sperry
1942: The Matchlock Gun, by Walter Edmonds
1943: Adam of the Road, by Elizabeth Janet Gray
1944: Johnny Tremain, by Esther Forbes
1945: Rabbit Hill, by Robert Lawson
1946: Strawberry Girl, by Lois Lenski
1947: Miss Hickory, by Carolyn Sherwin Bailey
1948: The Twenty-One Balloons, by William Pène du Bois
1949: King of the Wind, by Marguerite Henry
1950: The Door in the Wall, by Marguerite de Angeli
1951: Amos Fortune, Free Man, by Elizabeth Yates
1952: Ginger Pye, by Eleanor Estes
1953: Secret of the Andes, by Ann Nolan Clark
1954: ...And Now Miguel, by Joseph Krumgold
1955: The Wheel on the School, by Meindert DeJong
1956: Carry On, Mr Bowditch, by Jean Lee Latham
1957: Miracles on Maple Hill, by Virginia Sorensen
1958: Rifles for Watie, by Harold Keith
1959: The Witch of Blackbird Pond, by Elizabeth George Speare
1960: Onion John, by Joseph Krumgold
1961: Island of the Blue Dolphins, by Scott O'Dell
1962: The Bronze Bow, by Elizabeth George Speare
1963: A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeleine L'Engle
1964: It's Like This, Cat, by Emily Neville
1965: Shadow of a Bull, by Maia Wojciechowska
1966: I, Juan de Pareja, by Elizabeth Borton de Trevino
1967: Up a Road Slowly, by Irene Hunt
1968: From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs Basil E Frankweiler, by E L Konigsburg
1969: The High King, by Lloyd Alexander
1970: Sounder, by William H Armstrong
1971: The Summer of the Swans, by Betsy Byars
1972: Mrs Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, by Robert C O'Brien
1973: Julie of the Wolves, by Jean Craighead George
1974: The Slave Dancer, by Paula Fox
1975: M C Higgins, the Great, by Virginia Hamilton
1976: The Grey King, by Susan Cooper
1977: Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, by Mildred D Taylor
1978: Bridge to Terabithia, by Katherine Paterson
1979: The Westing Game, by Ellen Raskin
1980: A Gathering of Days: A New England Girl's Journal, 1830-1832, by Joan W Blos
1981: Jacob Have I Loved, by Katherine Paterson
1982: A Visit to William Blake's Inn: Poems for Innocent and Experienced Travelers, by Nancy Willard
1983: Dicey's Song, by Cynthia Voigt
1984: Dear Mr Henshaw, by Beverly Cleary
1985: The Hero and the Crown, by Robin McKinley
1986: Sarah, Plain and Tall, by Patricia MacLachlan
1987: The Whipping Boy, by Sid Fleischman
1988: Lincoln: A Photobiography, by Russell Freedman
1989: Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices, by Paul Fleischman
1990: Number the Stars, by Lois Lowry
1991: Maniac Magee, by Jerry Spinelli
1992: Shiloh, by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
1993: Missing May, by Cynthia Rylant
1994: The Giver, by Lois Lowry
1995: Walk Two Moons, by Sharon Creech
1996: The Midwife's Apprentice, by Karen Cushman
1997: The View from Saturday, by E L Konigsburg
1998: Out of the Dust, by Karen Hesse
1999: Holes, by Louis Sachar
2000: Bud, Not Buddy, by Christopher Paul Curtis
2001: A Year Down Yonder, by Richard Peck
2002: A Single Shard, by Linda Sue Park
2003: Crispin: The Cross of Lead, by Avi
2004: The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup, and a Spool of Thread, by Kate DiCamillo
2005: Kira-Kira, by Cynthia Kadohata
2006: Criss Cross, by Lynne Rae Perkins
2007: The Higher Power of Lucky, by Susan Patron, illustrated by Matt Phelan
2008: Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!: Voices from a Medieval Village, by Laura Amy Schlitz
2009: To be announced....

So the count is now 70 down, 17 to go. Fortunately, the Groton library has all but four of the remaining books, and the other two libraries (Waterford and Mystic/Noank) in our library system have three of the others; Daniel Boone is the only one I'll have to ILL.

Of the seven I read this quarter, I'd have to say I enjoyed Carry On, Mr Bowditch the most.

And this year's winner should be announced in a couple of weeks....

Book list - 2008

Here's the complete list of books I read in 2008. My goal for the year was 208 books; I actually read 225 (plus one novella), so I exceeded the goal (which I met around 22 November) nicely.

An asterisk indicates a reread. Numbers refer to the order in which the books were read.

"Adult" Fiction (76 books)
4. Miss Clare Remembers - fiction, by Miss Read
5. His Majesty's Dragon - historical/fantasy, by Naomi Novik
9. Throne of Jade - historical/fantasy, by Naomi Novik
11. Wasteland of Flint - SF, by Thomas Harlan
13. Ice, Iron and Gold - SF, fantasy and AH (short stories), by S M Stirling
15. Wondrous Beginnings - SF (short stories), edited by Steven H Silver and Martin H Greenberg *
16. Night Train from Memphis - mystery, by Elizabeth Peters
17. The Wailing Wind - mystery, by Tony Hillerman *
18. Village Christmas - fiction, by Miss Read
19. Killoe - western, by Louis L'Amour *
20. Dance Hall of the Dead - mystery, by Tony Hillerman
21. The Fallen Man - mystery, by Tony Hillerman
22. Hunting Badger - mystery, by Tony Hillerman
23. The Gemini Contenders - thriller, by Robert Ludlum
24. The Harem of Aman Akbar - fantasy, by Elizabeth Scarborough
29. Voyage from Yesteryear - SF, by James P Hogan
32. Mairelon the Magician - historical/fantasy, by Patricia C Wrede *
34. The Dark Heart of Time - adventure, by Philip José Farmer
43. Betty Zane - historical fiction, by Zane Grey
44. The Perennial Boarder - mystery, by Phoebe Atwood Taylor
46. Diplomatic Corpse - mystery, by Phoebe Atwood Taylor
49. Callahan's Crosstime Saloon - SF, by Spider Robinson
50. The Alpine Advocate - mystery, by Mary Daheim
51. Spaceship Medic - SF, by Harry Harrison
54. Up the Line - time travel, by Robert Silverberg
55. Blandings Castle - humour, by P G Wodehouse
56. Edge of Time - SF, by David Grinnell (Donald A Wollheim) *
58. Uller Uprising - SF, by H Beam Piper *
59. Paths to Otherwhere - SF, by James P Hogan *
62. The Alpine Betrayal - mystery, by Mary Daheim
63. Silver Pigs - mystery, by Lindsey Davis
64. Shadows in Bronze - mystery, by Lindsey Davis
65. Venus in Copper - mystery, by Lindsey Davis
68. The Alpine Escape - mystery, by Mary Daheim
71. A Voice for Princess - fantasy, by John Morressy
73. Another Round at the Spaceport Bar - SF (short stories), edited by George H Scithers and Darrell Schweitzer
74. The Alpine Gamble - mystery, by Mary Daheim
76. "Winterfair Gifts" - SF, by Lois McMaster Bujold
77. The Iron Hand of Mars - mystery, by Lindsey Davis
80. Poseidon's Gold - mystery, by Lindsey Davis
84. Last Act in Palmyra - mystery, by Lindsey Davis
85. Eifelheim - SF, by Michael Flynn
86. Over the Gate - fiction, by Miss Read
90. Small Favor - urban fantasy, by Jim Butcher
91. In the Courts of the Crimson Kings - AH/SF, by S M Stirling
92. Illegal Aliens - SF, by Nick Pollotta and Phil Foglio
102. Quest Crosstime - SF, by Andre Norton *
114. The Mouse That Roared - fiction, by Leonard Wibberley *
126. Time to Depart - mystery, by Lindsey Davis
127. A Dying Light in Corduba - mystery, by Lindsey Davis
130. Three Hands in the Fountain - mystery, by Lindsey Davis
134. Two for the Lions - mystery, by Lindsey Davis
135. One Virgin Too Many - mystery, by Lindsey Davis
136. Hit Parade - thriller, by Lawrence Block
144. Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang - SF, by Kate Wilhelm
145. Ode to a Banker - mystery, by Lindsey Davis
147. A Body in the Bath House - mystery, by Lindsey Davis
148. The Fairacre Festival - fiction, by Miss Read
149. Crazy Time - SF, by Kate Wilhelm
150. Tyler's Row - fiction, by Miss Read
152. The Jupiter Myth - mystery, by Lindsey Davis
156. The Accusers - mystery, by Lindsey Davis
158. Scandal Takes a Holiday - mystery, by Lindsey Davis
160. See Delphi and Die - mystery, by Lindsey Davis
166. Saturnalia - mystery, by Lindsey Davis
170. Heavy Weather - humour, by P G Wodehouse
177. A Few Quick Ones - humour (short stories), by P G Wodehouse
179. The Blessing Way - mystery, by Tony Hillerman
184. The Code of the Woosters - humour, by P G Wodehouse
185. To Visit the Queen - fantasy, by Diane Duane
189. Jeeves and the Feudal Spirit - humour, by P G Wodehouse
200. Lucifer's Hammer - SF, by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle *
205. Foundation - SF, by Isaac Asimov *
206. Master & Commander - historical fiction, by Patrick O'Brian
208. Torpedo Run - WWII fiction, by Douglas Reeman
214. Fire on the Waters - historical fiction, by David Poyer

Children's/YA Fiction (109)
3. Jacob Have I Loved - children's, by Katherine Paterson (Newbery Medal, 1981)
6. Among the Hidden - YA, by Margaret Peterson Haddix
7. Among the Impostors - YA, by Margaret Peterson Haddix
8. Among the Betrayed - YA, by Margaret Peterson Haddix
10. Among the Barons - YA, by Margaret Peterson Haddix
14. Pee-Wee Harris - children's, by Percy Keese Fitzhugh
25. Flight 29 Down: Static - YA adventure, by Walter Sorrells
26. Betsy-Tacy - children's, by Maud Hart Lovelace
27. Call It Courage - children's, by Armstrong Sperry (Newbery Medal, 1941)
28. The Royal Switch - children's, by The Duchess of York
33. Among the Brave - YA, by Margaret Peterson Haddix
35. Dealing with Dragons - YA fantasy, by Patricia C Wrede
37. Searching for Dragons - YA fantasy, by Patricia C Wrede
38. The House with a Clock in Its Walls - YA gothic, by John Bellairs *
39. Calling on Dragons - YA fantasy, by Patricia C Wrede
40. Hatchet - YA, by Gary Paulsen
41. For Biddle's Sake - children's fantasy, by Gail Carson Levine
42. Rusty's Space Ship - children's SF, by Evelyn Sibley Lampman *
45. Star Ka'at - children's SF, by Andre Norton and Dorothy Madlee *
47. Archer's Goon - YA modern fantasy, by Diana Wynne Jones
52. The Witches of Karres - SF, by James H Schmitz *
57. The Figure in the Shadows - YA gothic, by John Bellairs
60. Star Ka'at World - children's SF, by Andre Norton and Dorothy Madlee *
61. The Weirdstone of Brisingamen - children's modern fantasy, by Alan Garner *
66. The Giver - YA SF, by Lois Lowry (Newbery Medal, 1994)
67. The Chimneys of Green Knowe (aka The Treasure of Green Knowe) - children's, by Lucy M Boston *
69. The Letter, the Witch and the Ring - children's gothic, by John Bellairs
70. The Ghost in the Mirror - children's gothic, by John Bellairs and Brad Strickland
72. The Vengeance of the Witch-Finder - children's gothic, by John Bellairs and Brad Strickland
75. The Summer of the Swans - children's, by Betsy Byars (Newbery Medal, 1971)
79. A Single Shard - children's historical fiction, by Linda Sue Park (Newbery Medal, 2002)
81. Gentle's Holler - children's, by Kerry Madden
83. Escape From Memory - children's, by Margaret Peterson Haddix
87. Penny from Heaven - YA, by Jennifer Holm
89. The Higher Power of Lucky - YA, by Susan Patron (Newbery Medal, 2007)
94. Homecoming - children's, by Cynthia Voigt
96. Dicey's Song - children's, by Cynthia Voigt (Newbery Medal, 1983)
97. Nim's Island - children's, by Wendy Orr
99. Come a Stranger - children's, by Cynthia Voigt
100. Rascal - children's, by Sterling North *
103. The Fledgling - children's, by Jane Langton
107. Seventeen Against the Dealer - YA, by Cynthia Voigt
109. Among the Enemy - YA, by Margaret Peterson Haddix
110. Louisiana's Song - children's, by Kerry Madden
111. Among the Free - YA, by Margaret Peterson Haddix
112. Jessie's Mountain - children's, by Kerry Madden
115. The Curse Of Ravenscourt - children's mystery, by Sarah Masters Buckey
117. A Solitary Blue - YA, by Cynthia Voigt
119. The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy - children's, by Jeanne Birdsall
120. Crispin: The Cross of Lead - children's historical fiction, by Avi (Newbery Medal, 2003)
122. The Penderwicks on Gardam Street - children's, by Jeanne Birdsall
123. Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!: Voices from a Medieval Village - children's historical plays, by Laura Amy Schlitz (Newbery Medal, 2008)
125. Hitty, Her First Hundred Years - children's, by Rachel Field (Newbery Medal, 1930)
128. Bud, Not Buddy - children's, by Christopher Paul Curtis (Newbery Medal, 2000)
131. Criss Cross - YA, by Lynne Rae Perkins (Newbery Medal, 2006)
137. Rifles for Watie - children's historical fiction, by Harold Keith (Newbery Medal, 1958)
139. Sounder - children's, by William H Armstrong (Newbery Medal, 1970)
140. Beyond the Deepwoods - children's fantasy, by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell
141. The Door in the Wall - children's historical fiction, by Marguerite de Angeli (Newbery Medal, 1950)
142. Knights' Ransom - children's historical fiction, by S F Welty *
143. Julie of the Wolves - YA, by Jean Craighead George (Newbery Medal, 1973)
146. Maniac Magee - YA, by Jerry Spinelli (Newbery Medal, 1991)
153. Brian's Winter - YA, by Gary Paulsen
154. Missing May - YA, by Cynthia Rylant (Newbery Medal, 1993)
155. Walk Two Moons - YA, by Sharon Creech (Newbery Medal, 1995)
163. Shadow of a Bull - children's, by Maia Wojciechowska (Newbery Medal, 1965)
164. The House on the Gulf - YA, by Margaret Peterson Haddix
165. Ruby Holler - YA, by Sharon Creech (Carnegie Medal, 2002)
168. Fog Magic - children's time travel, by Julia L Sauer
171. A Wizard Abroad - YA fantasy, by Diane Duane
173. The Wizard's Dilemma - YA fantasy, by Diane Duane
174. I, Juan de Pareja - children's historical fiction, by Elizabeth Borton de Treviño (Newbery Medal, 1966)
176. A Wizard Alone - YA fantasy, by Diane Duane
178. Wizard's Holiday - YA fantasy, by Diane Duane
180. Wizards at War - YA fantasy, by Diane Duane
181. The Day the Sea Rolled Back - children's adventure, by Mickey Spillane
182. Second Form at Malory Towers - children's, by Enid Blyton *
183. Third Year at Malory Towers - children's, by Enid Blyton *
186. Carry On, Mr Bowditch - children's historical fiction, by Jean Lee Latham (Newbery Medal, 1956)
187. Onion John - children's, by Joseph Krumgold (Newbery Medal, 1960)
188. Stormchaser - children's fantasy, by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell
190. Tamar - YA, by Mal Peet (Carnegie Medal, 2005)
191. Millions - children's, by Frank Cottrell Boyce (Carnegie Medal, 2004)
192. Smoky, the Cow Horse - children's, by Will James (Newbery Medal, 1927)
193. Miss Hickory - children's, by Carolyn Sherwin Bailey (Newbery Medal, 1947)
194. Midnight Over Sanctaphrax - children's fantasy, by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell
195. Up a Road Slowly - children's, by Irene Hunt (Newbery Medal, 1967)
196. Postcards From No Man's Land - YA, by Aidan Chambers (Carnegie Medal, 1999)
197. Monsoon Summer - YA, by Mitali Perkins
198. The Little Bookroom - children's (short stories), by Eleanor Farjeon (Carnegie Medal, 1955)
199. The Invisible Island - children's, by Dean Marshall *
201. Dig for a Treasure - children's, by Dean Marshall *
202. Up and Down the Scratchy Mountains - children's, by Laurel Snyder
204. Frindle - children's, by Andrew Clements
207. The Owl Service - YA modern fantasy, by Alan Garner (Carnegie Medal, 1967)
209. The Wizard's Apprentice - YA fantasy, by S P Somtow
210. Letters from Rapunzel - children's, by Sara Lewis Holmes
211. The Crossroads - children's ghost story, by Chris Grabenstein
212. Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices - children's poetry, by Paul Fleischman (Newbery Medal, 1989)
213. The Not-So-Star-Spangled Life of Sunita Sen - YA, by Mitali Perkins
215. A Gathering of Days: A New England Girl's Journal, 1830-32 - children's historical fiction, by Joan W Blos (Newbery Medal, 1980)
216. The Eyes of a King - YA fantasy, by Catherine Banner
217. Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos - children's, by R L LaFevers
219. Crossing to Paradise - children's historical fiction, by Kevin Crossley-Holland
220. The Little White Horse - children's fantasy, by Elizabeth Goudge (Carnegie Medal, 1946)
221. The Great American Elephant Chase - children's historical fiction, by Gillian Cross
223. Just Ella - YA, by Margaret Peterson Haddix
224. Palace of Mirrors - YA, by Margaret Peterson Haddix
226. Hole in the Sky - YA SF, by Pete Hautman

Non-Fiction (41)
1. Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World - mediaeval history, by Jack Weatherford
2. The Expansion of Everyday Life, 1860-1876 - US history, by Daniel E Sutherland
12. The Scientists - history of science, by John Gribbin
30. The Peking Battles Cape Horn - memoirs, by Irving Johnson
31. The Bridge at Dong Ha - Vietnam War, by John Grider Miller
36. The Last Battle Station: The Story of the USS Houston - WW II, by Duane Schultz
48. War Pilot - aviation history, by Richard C Kirkland
53. Day of Infamy - WW II, by Walter Lord *
78. Stolen Years - WWII memoirs, by Maita Floyd
82. Beyond Band of Brothers: The War Memoirs of Major Dick Winters - WWII memoirs, by Dick Winters with Cole C Kingseed
88. When the Dancing Stopped - nautical history, by Brian Hicks
93. Ghost Ship - nautical history, by Brian Hicks
95. Halsey's Typhoon - WW II, by Bob Drury and Tom Clavin
98. Mysteries of the Middle Ages - mediaeval history, by Thomas Cahill
101. The Gifts of the Jews - ancient history, by Thomas Cahill
104. The Few - WW II, by Alex Kershaw
105. Sailing the Wine-Dark Sea - ancient history, by Thomas Cahill
106. A Guinea Pig's History of Biology - science, by Jim Endersby
108. The Sinking of the Lancastria - WW II, by Jonathan Fenby
113. Evolution: What the Fossils Say and Why It Matters - science, by Donald R Prothero
116. Eight Little Piggies: Reflections in Natural History - science essays, by Stephen Jay Gould
118. Easy Company Soldier - memoirs, by Don Malarkey
121. We Took to the Woods - family life, by Louise Dickinson Rich *
124. She Took to the Woods - biography, by Alice Arlen
129. Roman Architecture - ancient history, by Frank Sear *
132. Your Inner Fish - anatomy and evolution, by Neil Shubin
133. Locomotive: Building an Eight-Wheeler - children's non-fiction, by David Weitzman
138. A Voyage Long and Strange: Rediscovering the New World - American history, by Tony Horwitz
151. King, Kaiser, Tsar: Three Royal Cousins Who Led the World to War - European history, by Catrine Clay
157. The Long Summer: How Climate Changed Civilization - ancient history, by Brian Fagan *
159. Frozen Earth: The Once and Future Story of Ice Ages - science, by Doug Macdougall
161. The Little Ice Age: How Climate Made History, 1300-1850 - European history, by Brian Fagan *
162. Snowball Earth: The Story of the Great Global Catastrophe That Spawned Life As We Know It - science, by Gabrielle Walker
167. From Hardtack to Home Fries: An Uncommon History of American Cooks and Meals - cookery, by Barbara Haber
169. A Movable Feast: Ten Millennia of Food Globalization - world history, by Kenneth F Kiple
172. The Taste of Conquest: The Rise and Fall of the Three Great Cities of Spice - European history, by Michael Krondl
175. The Great Warming: Climate Change and the Rise and Fall of Civilizations - world history, by Brian Fagan
203. Women Sailors and Sailors' Women: An Untold Maritime History - nautical history, by David Cordingly
218. Q-Ships Versus U-Boats: America's Secret Project - WW II, by Kenneth M Beyer
222. The Terror Before Trafalgar: Nelson, Napoleon and the Secret War - European history, by Tom Pocock
225. Tall Blondes: A Book About Giraffes - natural history, by Lynn Sherr

The biggest categories were historical fiction (35, including historical mysteries and plays), fantasy (32, including gothic and ghost stories), mysteries (31), Newbery Medal winners (28, bringing my total thus far up to 70 of the 87), history (26) and SF (24). And 29 of the books were rereads.

My favourites? Tamar, by Mal Peet, was the best book I read all year, followed closely by Eifelheim, by Michael Flynn, and The Crossroads, by Chris Grabenstein. These fourteen (listed in the order in which I read them) were also very good:

Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World, by Jack Weatherford
Archer's Goon, by Diana Wynne Jones
In the Courts of the Crimson Kings, by S M Stirling
A Guinea Pig's History of Biology, by Jim Endersby
Evolution: What the Fossils Say and Why It Matters, by Donald R Prothero
Easy Company Soldier, by Don Malarkey
The Penderwicks on Gardam Street, by Jeanne Birdsall
Three Hands in the Fountain, by Lindsey Davis
Your Inner Fish, by Neil Shubin
Heavy Weather, by P G Wodehouse
Wizards at War, by Diane Duane
Up and Down the Scratchy Mountains, by Laurel Snyder
Letters from Rapunzel, by Sara Lewis Holmes
The Eyes of a King, by Catherine Banner

My goal for this year is to read 209 books.


Edit 1443 9 Jan 09: It seems this was my 1000th post....

Book list - Dec 08

A Gathering of Days: A New England Girl's Journal, 1830-32 - children's historical fiction, by Joan W Blos (Newbery Medal, 1980)
The Eyes of a King - YA fantasy, by Catherine Banner
Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos - children's, by R L LaFevers
Q-Ships Versus U-Boats: America's Secret Project - WW II, by Kenneth M Beyer
Crossing to Paradise - children's historical fiction, by Kevin Crossley-Holland
The Little White Horse - children's fantasy, by Elizabeth Goudge (Carnegie Medal, 1946)
The Great American Elephant Chase - children's historical fiction, by Gillian Cross
The Terror Before Trafalgar: Nelson, Napoleon and the Secret War - European history, by Tom Pocock
Just Ella - YA, by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Palace of Mirrors - YA, by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Tall Blondes: A Book About Giraffes - natural history, by Lynn Sherr
Hole in the Sky - YA SF, by Pete Hautman


Twelve books this month, with no rereads. I reached my goal of 208 books this year sometime around the 22nd (wasn't paying attention) of November.

The one Newbery Medal winner brings my total thus far up to 70 of 87, and the one Carnegie Medal winner brings me up to 13 of 69.