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Rating: 
Summary: As Bad as it Gets
Review: "Nightmare in Bari" is virtually a textbook example of how not to write history. Ill-written, badly researched, confusingly organized, the book is a disservice to historians, readers, and, not the least, the victims. Reminick couldn't be bothered to check either German or Italian records, so we're denied crucial information on the raid--we don't even get an estimate as to how many civilian casualties there were, only a vague "thousands", a pretty serious failing, in my opinion. Reminick is really interested in the WW II Merchant Marine, so we get page after interminable page on what ships were present, what they were carrying, where they were bound, etc., the equivalent of telling the 9/11 story from the point of view of a fire engine manufacturer. In contrast, it's never made clear what kind of aircraft the German pilots were flying, much less who they were or what they thought about things. There's also a number of chapters and appendixes on postwar poison gas dumping which, while interesting (and well-deserving of a volume of their own), have little to do with the topic and were obviously added to pad a 170-page book to the 200+ mark. You will finish "Nightmare in Bari" more confused about the event than when you went in. Little worse can be said about any book.
Rating:
Summary: As Bad as it Gets
Review: "Nightmare in Bari" is virtually a textbook example of how not to write history. Ill-written, badly researched, confusingly organized, the book is a disservice to historians, readers, and, not the least, the victims. Reminick couldn't be bothered to check either German or Italian records, so we're denied crucial information on the raid--we don't even get an estimate as to how many civilian casualties there were, only a vague "thousands", a pretty serious failing, in my opinion. Reminick is really interested in the WW II Merchant Marine, so we get page after interminable page on what ships were present, what they were carrying, where they were bound, etc., the equivalent of telling the 9/11 story from the point of view of a fire engine manufacturer. In contrast, it's never made clear what kind of aircraft the German pilots were flying, much less who they were or what they thought about things. There's also a number of chapters and appendixes on postwar poison gas dumping which, while interesting (and well-deserving of a volume of their own), have little to do with the topic and were obviously added to pad a 170-page book to the 200+ mark. You will finish "Nightmare in Bari" more confused about the event than when you went in. Little worse can be said about any book.
Rating: 
Summary: A brilliant book from a brilliant author
Review: I have had some knowledge of the disaster at Bari for several years but this book reveals an unbelievable truth, the ultimate description of war. It is a story of incompetence, neglect, mistakes and the tragedy of friendly fire. The very definition of war is horror and this story covers it all. The friendly fire from shore guns into the allied ships and docks is not the only friendly fire casualties, the fact that we killed and wounded so many people with our own product of chemical warfare also qualifies as friendly fire. The Germans didn't gas the people. By covering up the true cause of the injuries many other people died because of improper care. Those are the accidents of war because that's what war is. Those who became irate over the friendly fire deaths of Desert Storm simply don't understand war. More than just the description of the nightmare of December 3, 1943 and the following days of suffering and death, the story divulges just how near the war brought us to the Doomsday countdown to midnight. So many times during the war we were on the threshold of mass chemical disaster, both from the Axis and Allied sides. The unbelievable amount of tonnage manufactured by both sides, if unleashed, would have killed and maimed millions of fighting men and civilians. We are not certain yet that the mass disposal of the gasses was successful enough to prevent future deaths after sixty or more years. I thought Reminick's evaluation was well taken about comparing chemical warfare to other questionable war products for killing people. Where is the line of inhuman warfare? It is all inhuman. A rifle shot between the eyes or a bayonet in the gut kills a soldier just as dead as an atomic bomb. It was clear to me that the only thing that kept the W.W. II commanders from using gas was the fear of retaliation. They would have had gas attacks square in the middle of their cities in a matter of hours and they new it. That saved us in W.W. II. Everything is relative and now nearly 60 years later the Doomsday clock is ticking again and it reads nine minutes to midnight. Now, it is nuclear weapons instead of gas. But the same rules hold true. The fear of retaliation has to be in place to stop the initial attack. The players now are different. Third world countries now have the ability to wipe out our eastern seaboard from New York City to Baltimore in one sweep. Only fear of complete annihilation of their homeland will stop them from an attack. I wish every congressman could read this book because it really is an editorial for modern day defense at any cost. This story is a shocking revelation of the greatest cover up of the war as well as one of the greatest disasters, but hidden in the book is the warning that we must always hold the biggest threat. Bill Jopes, Author of "A Voyage to Abadan".
Rating:
Summary: A brilliant book from a brilliant author
Review: Mr. Reminick, I salute you sir. Finally a piece of literature which should be required reading for not only all adults, but all kids in history classes. This book is well written and outstanding!! It must have taken many hours to write such an accurate account. This book is a must have!!
Rating: 
Summary: Unrecognized events that weave the fabric of history
Review: Reminick has created a detailed historical document about a little recognized event that reaveals the full nature of events that go into the bucket of history. Nightmare in Bari reveals the sacrifice and tragedy that was endured to bring World War II to victorious closure against a great evil. In the glamorizing of WW II, the Merchant Marine is often neglected. In Reminick's book it gets true recognition. Buy the book and read it.
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