5 comments about WAR.

1. "And there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the days of his life." -- 1 Kings 15:6 (NKJV)
   
   Sebastian Junger's War is the most chilling nonfiction book I've read about 21st Century war. Whether you favor or oppose American military involvement in Afghanistan, you need to read this book to understand the nature of what violence is being waged there.
   
   The combat units that Mr. Junger describes are in essence sitting ducks, located deep in "enemy" territory where a single sniper located higher up in the hills can wreak havoc on the military outposts. Once an engagement starts, the Americans can bring in overwhelming fire power, but there's a delay before it arrives. In the meantime, the pinned down troops can blast away . . . probably not doing much damage but at least forcing others to keep their heads down. The effect is similar whether it's a local boy hired to fire a couple of shots for $5 and then take off or whether it's the beginning of a serious assault. Fear goes through the roof. Men die. Deep bonding occurs among the survivors. Combat teamwork improves. Gradually, it becomes a preferred way of life. That's probably the most surprising message of this book. Terrifying combat becomes something to be sought out for its highs.
   
   Mr. Junger balances a riveting tale with many valuable perspectives on how frightening it is, crossing the accustomed barrier into being someone who kills, and the deep love that develops among comrades.
   
   It's a lot to ask of anyone to serve in such perilous conditions. It's more than doing your duty and risking your life. It's taking on a life that you may not be able to put down, even if you survive.
   
   Thank God for the brave warriors who have taken up these seemingly overwhelming duties so we can be safer. The next time you see someone in an armed forces uniform, be sure to thank them for their service and ask about what they have been doing in a caring way.



2. This book deserves all the high praise it receives.
   
   But first, what this book is not.
   
   It is not a history of Afghanistan, a discussion of high level policy, or even a history of the US war in Afghanistan. The author, Sebastian Junger, followed a company of US soldiers around during several embeds over a year deployment. Junger spent a significant amount of time with the soldiers, going out on missions and living with them at their remote outpost on the Afghan-Pakistan border. He describes the travails the soldiers experience, including firefights, and describes how the soldiers experience the death of their comrades.
   
   The high points of the book are the descriptions of how the soldiers deal with casualties and how they survive life on the outpost. On the former, repressed feelings in combination with strength in numbers and no time to contemplate the death of a friend and fellow soldier allow the soldiers to persevere, at least while deployed. The latter requires the soldiers to adapt to the constant threat of attack from a well armed enemy.
   
   This is a fantastic book that should be required reading for anyone who dies not know what combat soldiers exposed to constant threat are going through. I highly recommend this book.



3. This book is raw and bare in it's writing, subjects and "story".
   
   Sporting a generic title and cover art, I had skipped past "War" repeatedly in recommended lists. However, this book is anything but generic. It is a personal, dark and written in language so Spartan and exhausted, it really puts you in the headspace of what American infantry are going through in parts of Afghanistan.
   
   I cannot recommend it enough to readers who are sick of editorial pieces that pass for non-fiction these days.



4. A perfect cluster&#*%, the effect war has on soldiers. But it's also one of the most meaningful times of existence for the men involved. For one, "it's insanely exciting" (p. 144), as Junger reports while avoiding even a hint of any gratuitous treatment. In one firefight, where a platoon was ambushed, men caught fire from every direction, ripping up the soil and rocks around them, making it impossible to find cover. Yet in the months after they return to the US, the men can't wait to get back to where their life mattered most, "the most clear and purposeful time" of their lives (p. 234).
   
   Then there's the hilarity, like when a new commanding officer asks for questions, and one soldier says, "Ever seen the movie Blood in Blood Out, sir?" (p. 158). The men then jumped the officer and pummeled him with a traditional beating, delivered when men came in, left, and on birthdays. One soldier earns a rep for wildly random and oddly sexual attacks, so that "the guys moved around in pairs" to be ready for the next jump (p. 225).
   
   Throughout there's a single overarching value that everyone espouses, that of team regard over being out for yourself (p. 120). In a fight, if a guy thinks only of his own good, and drops and hides, say--it could mean the death of his comrades, even under only a minor threat. But if the platoon works as a team, it can mean everyone lives, even under the direst of challenges.
   
   Also awe-inspiring is the combination of physical endurance and mental stress these men endure. Many carry at least 75 pounds of ammo and gear, scampering up steep rocky mountainsides in intense heat. Eventually their camo smells of ammonia, because they've burned their body fat and begun to burn muscle.
   
   All the stories and feelings, from the way the let down after ending an engagement wreaks havoc on the souls involved, to the intense brotherhood and love the men experience for each other, remained memorable for me weeks after reading them. I cried at end, as I can only imagine happens to those touched by these harrowing experiences.



5. I broke my own rules and bought the overpriced Kindle version on this one. It got great reviews, and the documentary trailer from footage shot the same time hooked me.
   
   I read this while deployed to Iraq on a very cushy base, and every time I got into the book and then had to drag myself out of it to work, it felt like I was stepping into different worlds. My experiences in the combat zone were so far from these guys' that it was astounding. Junger really draws you into the world, and while sometimes his writing style (the punctuation and lack of transitional words) would get on my nerves, for the most part he does a fantastic job of conveying the mood of the situation.
   
   What I really love about this book is how it makes you feel like you're there. I think it really ought to be read by all the legislators voting on our adventures in the Middle East, by peace activists, and they type of peace activist who thinks soldiers are bad people. You get the feeling that these are extraordinary soldiers, but that's the interesting part: they're not. They're probably average soldiers put in an extraordinary position. Quite frankly, it does explain why so many combat troops have a hard time when they come home and why men bond so much with people they fought next to.
   
   My one wish is that Junger had been able to follow up longer as the soldiers transitioned from their Afghanistan tour to more peaceful jobs, or civilian life. You get a taste of that, but not much, and I think it is a subject that needs the same kind of illumination as the rest of the book gave to the wartime experiences.

5 comments about Where Men Win Glory: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman.

1. There really is nothing exceptional about Pat Tillman. Like many other devoted and patriotic men and women who were outraged not just by the attack of 9/11, but also by the rise of a syndicate of criminals who would use any means necessary to kill innocents, to trade in the netherworld of drugs and arms smuggling, to launder money and extort bribes and infuse it all with religion and politics, taking advantage of those who either should have known better or were simply to dim and obedient to question authority. Of course, tick it just slightly and instead of the ragheads in the dessert, you're talking about Richard Cheney.
   
   In Tillman's case, he was an honourable man, a loving son and husband and someone with a bright future ahead of him, who did what he did because he felt in his heart that it was the right thing to do. Out of his sense of duty, he fought in a war he thought the workings of an Imperial Fool, and died in the war he set out to prosecute. He was the victim of gunshots from his own troops fired in a moment of extreme panic and under intense duress while carrying out an assignment that was simply stupid, given the circumstances they were in, and had to do more with enforcing obedience than in pursuing the very bad guys they were after.
   
   None of that makes Tillman exceptional. Thousands upon thousands of other men and women in these two conflicts, and hundreds of thousands in prior ones, have all suffered such an end leaving their loved ones devastated. A nation should try to be of some small comfort to these dear people left behind with a massive hole in their hearts, bleeding a slow death the rest of their lives.
   
   And that's where Pat's story becomes something else. This book is as much, if not more, about Pat's mother and wife and how they came to pursue the real villains in this story. Both women had an unnerving sense that they were being lied to from the beginning, and the beginning was Rumsfeld and Cheney deciding to make a poster boy of Pat. GI Joe. Sargeant York. You know, like those propaganda films you see at the multi-plex: Be all that you can be: dead as a doornail, exploited by your government, shattered and broken, if you're lucky to survive the idea that you've just killed people, or been blown half to bits.
   
   Marie Tillman wouldn't let it end there and in her dogged pursuit of the truth underscored the fact that the President of the United States is sworn to protect the country from enemies foreign and domestic. Problem here is, W is one of the enemies. There really is nothing exceptional about generating a myth about an individual soldier in order to inspire, and dupe, others. Speer and Goebbels did it all the time for the Third Reich. Lots of those men died in battle as well. There is also no "fog of war." There is certainly fear, absolute panic, complete loss of discipline in circumstances that are categorically frightening. But there is no fog. You shoot or get shot and sometimes both. Anything that moves. And that's what happened to Pat. Sent into a ravine to tow a humvee, of all the stupid things to save, aware that the Taliban had been tipped off, panic set in. Pat was hit at close range by someone who could clearly see that Pat was not Taliban, but the man paniced. More than likely, if he wasn't subsequently killed, he has received no counselling at all from the VA and wakes most nights in a cold sweat reliving what he did.
   
   Again, there's nothing exceptional about that. What is exceptional is the lengths that Cheney, Rumsfeld and W were willing to go to cover the tragedy up. What is also alarming is the man chosen to carry this out: Stanley MacChrystal. By the Army's own standards and criminal codes, what Cheney, Rumsfeld, W and Stan the Man did was criminal. Stan should have been court-martialed and sent to prison. He was awarded 2 more stars. When the Army's own CID investigated and determined beyond any reasonable doubt that what was done was ordered from the White House through the DOD Secretary directly to MacRollingStone, Cheney and Rumsfeld buried it. Nothing was done. Nothing.
   
   If you're Richard Nixon, you're rolling in your grave. Actively engaging in obstruction of justice is cause for impeachment. And prison. Marie Tillman got the goods on them and they told her clearly that there was nothing she could do. They owned the game.
   
   The "fog of war".... America has been in a fog for a while now. I figure since Reagan. A fog about who pulls the strings, a fog about who stands on their necks, a fog about the deadly mixture of religion and politics, a fog about who the government is beholden to. Along comes two women who simply loved their husband and son, and they blow the fog away. Hog tied by two wars it can ill afford, crippled by deals that gave the financial integrity of the country and the manufacturing heart to criminal oligarchies like China and Russia, duped into bailing out the very perpetrators of their financial collapse, America is a country that ought to be able to see, especially because it is now on its knees, what needs to be done, but like Einstein's definition of insanity, it keeps trying the same thing over and over, convinced a new dawn is just on the horizon. It isn't. And won't be until stories like this are no longer written. And it rids itself first of enemies domestic, before it tackles those on foreign shores.



2. "Where Men Win Glory" is an ambitious, nuanced book about Pat Tillman, geopolitics and the disconnect between the propaganda and leadership of the military and the events on the ground. Krakauer should be applauded for his fearless field work and his research.
   
   There is one minor and one major problem with the book.
   
   The minor problem with the book is that it's most interesting passages are in the first half of the book and claim dominion over Pat Tillman's mother's account "Boots on the Ground by Dusk: My Tribute to Pat Tillman". Although the first half of the book is a page turner, it is mostly about who and how Pat Tillman was raised and what motivated him in his youth and sports career. It is just creepy to this reader, that Krakauer, would try to explain Pat Tillman, better than his own mother.
   
   The major problem in the book comes after Pat Tillman leaves for his fateful Afghanistan mission. Krakauer does a great job of describing the idiotic ways the military uses artificial timelines by politically motivated commanders who are not in the field. He also describes the military as a frustrating system of length-in-the-corps meritocracy vs. the intelligence and skill based system in business and sports. Finally he succeeds in showing the reader the huge problems of execution using many different military corps.
   
   But once he sets all of this up, and with the reader inherently knowing the ending will be bad, but expending so much energy on why it will be bad, he leaves the reader to plow though the second half of the book on just military details.
   
   The books tries to be half biography/geopolitics/military high level analysis AND a detailed written account of warfare. Krakauer leaves his ability to be a great story teller in the first half of the book to be a great reporter in the second half of the book.
   
   If Krakauer would have blended both story telling and reporting throughout the book he would have better succeeded. Imagine "Band of Brothers" by Steven Ambrose describing the entire story of E Company and then a bland account of the great battles they participated in, without the same personalization, and you would have a book that does not totally succeed like "Where Men Win Glory".
   
   Despite that this book should be read. Besides its overarching macro context, it is a powerful and moving account of a special man who is atypical in this non-America's special generation. Pat Tillman, through his daily diaries and other peoples accounts, was a driven, emotional, home body who also was at peace with taking risks. He was also an avid reader of the classics, always was reading a book, and a driven student in college, who graduated with a G.P.A of 3.8. His writing skills in his daily diaries are more poetry than bland journaling. Especially poignant is his journaling on how he has to put up with kids five years younger with no education telling him what to do. Despite his frustration, he did not take the chance of early discharge to sign a big contract with Seattle (a place he and his wife Marie always wanted to live) after an uneventful tour in Iraq.
   
   The title of this review is five stars for Pat Tillman. But number of stars is not enough. Pat Tillman was a real American hero and his stubborn idealism was a "tragic virtue" wasted by a government and military with "tragic flaws".



3. I'll always enjoy the storytelling of Jon Krakauer-- but in this case there was too much of his liberal political agenda. To me, many of the facts were dubious or cherry picked to support his position. This is ironic given that a significant part of this book rants about using propaganda to obscure the facts and make a bogus case.
   
   Nonetheless, it is an interesting read about a fascinating person. 50% of the population (the left leaning) will love this book. The other 50% need to be prepared to wade through a cess pool of nonsense to pull out the gems in the story.



4. I finished this latest by Krakauer with a great deal of perplexity. Having read all of his previous works I have the highest regard for his demonstrated literary competence. Upon perusing the other reviews ,it was apparent that I certainly was not alone.A highly unsatisfying read,plodding between a strangely unemotional almost comic book cariacture of Tillman,flat and lifeless portrayal of the combat actions and highly partisan polemic against the Bush administration,Rumsfeld,the military,conservatives and Republicans. Vacillating between a 3 and a 1,I opted for a 1 in perhaps futile protest of authors whose previous success brings entitlement to force their political spleen upon us. DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK,unless ,of course you are of the far left,antimilitary,democrat,an Obamanaut or anti conservative or Republican,in which case you will love your tired views reinforced.



5. A pretty good read. I finished it off quickly. This is the fourth Jon Krakauer book I've read and he maintains his reputation as an excellent storyteller and journalist. His descriptions of how Pat Tillman lived and died are thorough and eminently comprehensible; Krakauer excels at eliding complex matters into digestible and literary segments. Unlike his previous books, however, the story he tells here is far from original. I learned very little about the political drama of the military cover-up of Tillman's death that wasn't readily available through other sources. The tie-in to Jessica Lynch was fascinating, however, and I credit Krakauer a for contextualizing the phenomena of friendly-fire-response in an expansive manner.

5 comments about With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa.

1. I have nothing but good things to say about this book. It is an easy read I did not want to put down. I was drawn to read it after seeing The Pacific miniseries and recommend both to anyone that would like to understand as best they can through words and pictures what war was like in the Pacific theater. Sledge does an excellent job of describing his experiences via all five senses. I have not read many first hand accounts but none have transported me into a war zone as well. With the Old Breed is a gem and required reading for any WWII buff.



2. It was not a story as much as a documentary on what took place at Peleliu and Okinawa, uncut, unedited and with the covers thrown back. After reading the book, I had my good friend read it. He was a jungle fighter in Greece against the Nazis and later became a US soldier. His brother, it turns out, actually fought in Peleliu and Okinawa. My friend broke down and cried because he now knew, after all these years, what his brother went through and how bad it really was. He told me he wished he'd known this long ago. That his brother had kept it all in and their relationship had suffered because of it. To Mr. Sledge, my good friend, my own brother, Dave Latoria, John Veremis, Jerral Hancock and all those who have served, I say I owe you a great debt of gratitude and Thank You!



3. Book is a must read for anyone interested in the story of the Marine's in the Pacific theater of WW2.



4. I enjoyed this book, as it is informative and graphic. Covers a lot of ground. The author's affinity for hyperbole is irritating, leading me to think he wrote with a thesaurus in one hand and a dictionary of obscure references in the other. There are words in this tome that I have never seen or heard.



5. Eugene Sledge's vivid first hand accounts of the battles for Peleliu and Okinawa. If your interest is WWII history, the war in the Pacific, or Marine Corps history, this book is essential. Sledge portrays combat in the pacific so well the reader is right beside Sledge, enduring the hot humidity of Peleliu, the cold rain of Okinawa, and the fear and horror of war. A superb book.German Paratroops in North Africa: Tropical Uniforms, Headgear, and Insignia of the Fallschirmjager in World War II

5 comments about Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10.

1. This is without a doubt an incredible story. Quite fascinating. However, the first half of the book is all about the author's training--then the story gets into the interesting stuff in Afghanistan. He's not a very good writer, but the story itself is compelling.



2. I thought the book was outstanding. I think the ROE should be the same as it was in WWII where things got done very quick. This is warfare and by definition throughout history innocents have been killed, that is til we tried to pacify things with ROE that are most of the time insane and created by suits with their candy asses safe and sound in their ivory towers. One day it will be gloves off globally and what a shock the liberals will be in for.



3. Before making my own review of this book, I glanced through a few previous reviews, and it seems everyone has arguments over this book over some reason or another. As a civilian, and currently in a relationship with a Navy man myself, I completely respect what these men (and women!) do for us and feel honored they put their lives on the line so that we may keep on living the freedom this country has fought so hard to win - and continues to fight for. True, Marcus's book was at times shocking - contemplating the lives of unarmed civilians, the way he kept blaming liberal media, etc. I managed to ignore his personal opinions and issues and kept focused on his mission and his struggle to get out of there alive. I loved this book - it was heart wrenching and it gave the reader an inside look as to what our military does to get the job done. While some parts of the book were a little too opinionated for my taste, I'm still extremely proud of our men and women who fight for our freedom and this book is just one example of that.
   
   The Last Saint



4. This was an enlightening read. I simply did not realize the extent of physical training and conditioning these men willing go thru to be a Navy SEAL.
   This book takes you from Marcus Luttrell as a young man desiring something special, seeking out a mentor to teach him and completing the grueling training necessary to become a SEAL.
   I simply rest better at night knowing men such as he are protecting us from those who would kill us without a second thought. Marcus is not xenophobic or racist but realistic when he talks about the Taliban. He gives credit to his opponents when due, but does not deny his feelings about them and their mission.
   You do not have to be a military expert to read or enjoy this book. It is written so that non-military folks like myself can understand the lingo.
   The pictures of the individuals in the book are located in the center and are of great help in putting faces and names together.
   It is truly sad that these men lost their lives and Marcus Luttrell's life is forever changed, but Marcus is busy trying to establish a ranch for returning servicemen to visit/live to ease them back into post war life.
   All in all a fitting tribute to his team mates he lost and with whom he served.
   Thank you Marcus Luttrell and all others like you for your service!



5. First, I'd like to say that a person should read Victory Point before reading this book. Also you might want to check out War by Sebastian Junger who also touches on this operation.
   
   When I first read this book I was a bit younger, I totally agreed with everything that Luttrell said and did. Now that I'm a bit older I'm seeing past a lot of the rhetoric he puts in this book. I'm not saying that he deserves to be called out for his political ideology, but he should have toned it down a bit.
   
   In his defense, the Taliban that soft compromised their OP were likely Taliban. They were operating near the Korengal Valley, in that AO just about all of the locals are sympathetic to Taliban or ACM because logging exports had been completely shut down, that was their way of life. The ACM or Taliban in the area would often pay of locals to act as patrols or observers by simply walking around on the mountains. They could've easily killed them and gotten away. It is always better to be judged by 12 than carried by 6.
   
   Also in the book Luttrell talks about 150 Taliban pouring over the mountain at him and his team. Noble yes, but not exactly true. Ahmed Shah controlled maybe 20 hardcore fighters, in fact I just checked his wiki page and it incorrectly references that he controlled 150, and the source was Lone Survivor. The AAR estimates that Luttrell and company were ambushed by 20-30 fighters. A simple google will bring you to the site, the author included pictures of the ridge where the battle took place. There simply wasn't room for 150 fighters on the ridge, had their been that many guys, Luttrell's team wouldn't have lasted more than a minute.
   
   Again, the story is heartbreaking and made me appreciate what these guys laid on the line for us. Minus the over-exaggerations and FOX News-esque political agenda it was a good tribute to the friends he lost that day.

5 comments about Helmet for My Pillow: From Parris Island to the Pacific.

1. An Outstanding Marine in combat and a jail bird back in the rear. Good book I must say. I like how he explains how bad some people are at leadership. I love how he gives his own perspective as a grunt in the infantry. Its the real deal experience and not some historians or actors (who has never served) opinion full of heart warming BS. He isnt above himself when he tells of his days in the brig. The book goes from home to boot camp, the jungle, to australia,(most of his time it seems was spent in jail) and than back to the jungle to kill Japs and stay alive. Not full of exciting Hollywood style combat stories, but a good honest personal tale of life in the Marines during world war two. The guy seemed to be somewhat of a trouble maker back than, but Im sure he laughs about it these days. After all he survived hell in the jungle so he has every right to hold his head a little high even though he spent a lot of time in the brig.



2. Read like a poetry contest. Author seemed to be trying to write like robert frost or something. Appreciate your service. Didn't care for the writing style though.



3. With the success of HBO's series "The Pacific", many older books on the Pacific war are finding their way back into prominence. Along with E.B. Sledge's "With the Old Breed", Leckie's excellent personal narrative "Helmet for my Pillow" has gained renewed readership. Like Sledge, Leckie gives a first-hand account of the Marines' fight against the Japanese in World War II.
   
   Told through Leckie's eyes, the reader gets a first-hand account of the bloody battles of Guadalcanal, New Britain, and Peleliu. Leckie's comrades were not referred to by name; instead, these brave men were simply known as Chuckler, Hoosier, Runner, Smoothface, Gentleman, Amish, Oakstump, Ivy-League, Texan, Chicken, and Loudmouth. These men, along with thousands of others, were the ones who fought the hated Japanese in the steaming jungles of the Pacific and ultimately defeated them. Leckie pulls no punches. Each battle is described in all its bloody detail. He also talks about how the Marines, half starved and nearly dead, would return to the rear areas for much-needed rest and recuperation, only to be sent back to the front lines a short time later. Many of these battles were fought for yard by yard, with the Marines doing days and weeks of hard fighting against an enemy determined to resist to the last man. But, the Marines did fight and, ultimately, win.
   
   This book was a pleasure to read. I gained much knowledge from Leckie's story, and I was inspired by the heroism and valor displayed by the Marines. These were ordinary men from small towns who chose to fight rather than being drafted. They displayed tremendous courage against an often unseen enemy, trusting in their comrades to watch out for them; and they did. The bond shared between these men can hardly be described. Suffice it to say that these men would readily give up their lives for each other; and they did.
   
   I give this book my highest recommendation. This book, along with Sledge's are perfect examples of first-person writing at its best. World War II readers won't want to miss "Helmet for my Pillow".



4. This book gives the reader a first hand account of how the war was fought in the Pacific. It details the struggles of the men who fought against the Japanese, the elements, and against theirselves.



5. I read this book when I was in my 20's and thought it was great for the action and adventure aspects. I re-read it now that I am in my 60's. Again I thought it was great, but now, more for the humanity and feelings the author presents in his story. When I was younger, I tended to 'skip over' the poetry, but with this reading, I was more able to experience the feelings that Mr. Leckie was conveying.
   
   I would recommend this book for an example of life experienced during the period of the World War II Pacific War.

5 comments about A Rumor of War.

1. A fast read, excellent writing , if you really want to know about Vietnam, please read this book... the only small problem i had was in the ending, i would have like to know what happened to the other 3 men. otherwise a wonderful book...



2. The vivid descriptions of the misery and the trodding through mine laden trails and his descriptions of the dead he's seen make this book the best I've read on vietnam. Even when he goes back as a civilian the tension and horror of vietnam are still there even in the bitter end. I would recommend this book to anyone thinking of joining the infantry in one of the wars we have going on now because the amount of mines and boobytraps really hasn't decreased any.



3. This is one of those books that just captivates you in a macabre kind of way. You can't put it down because you just have to keep reading to try and absorb what it is you're actually reading.
   
   As I was reading this I was reminded of the young Tom Cruise in "Born on the 4th". You could feel from the book that overwhelming Marine patriotism. After a few false starts the Marines get to Vietnam and start to do what they do best which is "dig in". Then they start to patrol. You can feel through the words the overwhelming sense of confusion but it's still subservient to the overwhelming sense of patriotism.
   
   The battalion starts to get picked apart by constant sniper fire and booby traps. Dead Guy here, blown up leg there and there's usually no one to shoot back at. Through all this the guys patrol for hours, sit in half submerged fox holes all night, endure a hellish environment of heat and bugs the likes of which we have no comprehension and they don't complain (too loudly) as they're doing what they've been told is right.
   
   The writer has a marvelous way of implicitly conveying his feelings through his choice of words as he describes life in Vietnam. You can feel his patriotism and belief in the war fray at the edges until that youthful patriotism and shiny, wide eyed outlook is basically full of holes and diminished. He reaches conclusions that are both horrible and terrifying when you are up to your eyeballs in a mess you can't get out of.
   
   Too many men have died, lost one or two limbs, or gone crazy, and it all seems for nothing as there isn't and never was a measure of success for the Marines. They'd take a hill one day and have to take the same hill a week later. Very very frustrating for men on the ground who's sole purpose as infantry is to gain ground.
   
   Excellent book. Written from the gut and devastatingly honest. I highly recommend it.



4. Wow, this guy can write. Read it. I was just sorry it wasn't longer.



5. Caputo's digestion of the Vietnam War is a merit not only to the degraded soldiers involved, but a glorification of a pushy parent. In this case, the pushy parent is the United States government. Phil Caputo, a young, daring, idealistic man who joined the Marines in search of adventure and unexpectedly come across his own meaning. Taking you into the trenches head first, Caputo exemplifies the tragic events of the war as the soldiers, who believed they living their fathers World War II legacy only found death. The journeys through the Vietnamese jungles slowly transform Caputo and in a way harden him. Being shot at, never knowing exactly why he's out there and ultimately the death of his friend blow his preconceived notions out of the blood drenched jungle waters. The thematic which rears its ugly head from time to time is `natural human inclination versus duty.' In this case, the natural inclination was the why behind the war. Many soldiers did not know why they were fighting and were never given proper answers. However, the pressure from the US government is satiable. They want the soldiers to simply kill, and much like a baseball score, would deliver the winning numbers to the American public over the nightly news. Caputo's insight gives us a window view into how in reality; the soldiers were not at fault for the loss of the Vietnam War. In fact, the blame is placed upon the US government. With all of their secrets, special interests and bizarre motivations, they push American citizens to support the war and draft as many of them as they can. Through propaganda, patriotism takes a whole different meaning.
   
   In many ways, the fight that was waged in Vietnam was one that was doomed from the very beginning. The rooted purpose as to why the Americans landed on Vietnam was uncertain. Fighting the Viet Cong or the Viet Ming was much like trying to stop a water leak. Fighting through the jungle, the Americans faced a war unlike any other. The enemy was everywhere without a land marked base for the Americans to attack. Trying to stop this leak in one area, only meant that the leak would apply its pressure in another unexpected area. And throughout all of this, the American Citizens blamed the soldiers for everything. They blamed them for going to war, for loosing the war and even blamed those who had enough foresight to not fight in the war.
   
   Caputo's in the knee deep approach is a liberating view of the world. For so many years, the war had a lot of question marks written all over it. Many, simply believed that the war was lost because American soldiers were weak hippies. Caputo brings a different machine to the table as he gives us his through the eyes experience. His testimony gives us the fall of the romanticized idea of war, with its true horror, running around the jungle with no idea why your there, the loss of dear friends, the mechanistic view of death and numbers, endless despair and the overall frustration of fighting an enemy that in many ways was much like a ghost.
   Caputo describes the war much like an exercise in dehumanization, and I completely agree with him. I enjoyed the read simply because it gave me an insight I did not have before. The soldiers of this war were confused and were riding the wave of World War II. In reality, it was a sham. These soldiers were used simply as killing machines. Forced into combat with ideas of glory and honor. Ultimately, they found death and questions.

5 comments about Hero Found: The Greatest POW Escape of the Vietnam War.

1. I've known the story of Dieter Dengler since I read his POW debrief when I was going through Navy flight training in the late 70's. Bruce Henderson does a great job recapping the POW parts that have been told before in book and film but adds the rich biographical background that helps explain Dieter's amazing adaptability and resilience. As an experienced carrier attack pilot I found Henderson's descriptions of flight operations and squadron life to be vividly accurate. I highly recommend this book.



2. With all the immigration issues and a growing lack of patriotism, this really should be a must read. When you consider he was like 7 or 8 when WW II hit Germany his home land and then what he accomplished in his life ... this is a must read. The Author takes you on the journey from his home and early impressions during the war to his quest to be a pilot in America. How he got here, which is amazing, and how he put himself through school and became a pilot and his wild and crazy personality that often wigged out the Navy. And then his crash landing in Laos, his imprisonment and amazing escape. The you learn of his life after Nam, his success and an amazing end. I read the review of the lady from Germany who knew him and to put it lightly, didn't like him. Well, she is entitled to her opinion but she calls the book "Hero Worship" and I don't find that at all. I find an amazing success story, one we can learn a great deal from and our kids can see what one person with a mission can do, Deiter did it! Did he have faults? I am sure, just like all of us. Get this one!



3. A friend of mine, and ex-commercial pilot, flew with Dieter after his war experiences, mentioned his name and that he had escaped after being captured in North Vietnam. Now Marc Henderson's gripping and graphic biography of Dieter's life reveals a story you cannot put down! From his life as a child in war-torn Germany to the Depths of Hell in the jungles of Laos and North Vietnam, Dieter survives! How does he do it? Read this biography by Marc Henderson and find out!



4. great read - recmnd to any who enjoy actual military (flying) real life accounts - awesome plane, saw at Osh Kosh 2010



5. I have just read Hero Found and am appalled that the author, Bruce Henderson, who interviewed me two years ago and wasted three hours of my time, has depicted me as some 'sailor bait', flying off to some questionable naval base for a rendezvous with Lt Dengler!
   In my case, this `historian' not only distorted the truth, he simply fabricated what he did not know. Furthermore, he has never returned the photos he `borrowed' but did not use. Nor did he use any information I gave him, other than my name and the fact that I studied German; then he placed me in an imagined scenario, likening me to a cheap slut.
   This should have been a better book, considering the material which was probably collected. It is no doubt a good read for someone with a technical naval background or someone who actually was in the military with Dieter. The evening at the bookstore in Menlo Park made it apparent that this book was to impress the naval buddies. For me, Dieter's family background and early days in the United States, prior to my meeting him in Squaw Valley, were the most interesting in explaining his character. He had bitter experiences, many of which were not mentioned in this book, which he blamed for his often callous treatment of women.
   Dieter was not a true hero - he always helped himself, with the exception of his brother, before he helped anyone else- but he was a genius at escape and at innovation, in addition to being interesting, a lot of fun, and definitely outrageous. He was also extremely selfish and manipulative, obstinate and stingy beyond belief.
   I knew Dieter longer than most people, from 1961 until 1999 when I last spoke to him on the phone from Hamburg when he complained that Werner Herzog had cheated him. I wonder what he would have thought of this book...probably not much.

5 comments about Fighter Pilot: The Memoirs of Legendary Ace Robin Olds.

1. FIGHTER PILOT: THE MEMOIRS OF LEGENDARY ACE ROBIN OLDS tells of a West Point football coach who was also a double ace fighter pilot during the jet age, and a leader best known for his leadership of the F-4 Wolfpack over North Vietnam. His autobiography recaptures the drama and passion of his times and provides a military aviation history account perfect for any military or aviation collection.



2. I couldn't put it down. Went cover to cover quickly! Simply one of the finest aviation works today. Blue Skies Robin.....



3. Great read and story of one of America's finest. Reccomended for all to read.



4. Being an old Vietnam vet and having met Col. Olds in DaNang in 1968, this is a great read. His writing is like he was speaking.
   Not only is his exploits in Vietnam outstanding, his entire military life is a must read for all Air Force personnel.



5. The two main ingredients of a good biography are an interesting subject and a style that makes him come alive. From this point of view, Fighter Pilot is flawless.
   Forged by West Point first and by World War II immediately thereafter, Robin Olds comes through as the consummate fighter, strong in his ethos and his convictions but also replete with human passions and weaknesses. The type of man who would rather fly and fight as a Colonel than push paper as a General, Olds belonged to a rare breed of military officer who was 100% warrior and 0% politician. Today, he would have probably washed out as a Major, but at the height of the Viet Nam war he was among the few senior officers more interested in getting results than punching their own tickets.
   However, the uncompromising Olds was a complex character who didn't just fight hard; he also played hard and when he played much alcohol tended to be consumed and property tended to be destroyed. He freely admitted to having a brief affair with his secretary prior to his return from South East Asia. Although he was passionate in his frustration with superiors and politicians in situations when lives or principles were at stake, he was also philosophical about not taking oneself too seriously.
   In the end, the strengths of the all-too-human Olds are made more credible by his ability to recognize his own weak side and on occasion laugh at himself. We will even forgive him if he has embellished some episodes and omitted others. His aerial victories, his many clashes with the brass and the fond memories of those who still remember him are documented facts that will attest to how this book is not only genuine, but also written the way he would have wanted it.
   A few pages into this book, I wished I had known Robin Olds. By the time I finished it, I almost felt like I did. On behalf of all the many readers who enjoyed their work, I'd like to thank Ed Rasimus and especially Robin's daughter Christina -to whom this must have been a true labor of love- for a job well done. Five stars because six wasn't an option.

5 comments about Medal of Honor: Portraits of Valor Beyond the Call of Duty.

1. This was purchased for my Husband for his birthday. My 8 year old son asked, what is the Medal of Honor? And so the dialogue continues, with the most magnificent companion book that you could ask for. I recommend this book to all parents, but perhaps I am going out on a limb here, I recommend this to all Dad's who want to teach their kids about the meaning of bravery and honor. You won't regret it and they will never forget. Lest we forget.



2. Great Book! Wonderful insight into the lives of some of our bravest fighting men



3. EVERY PRIOR SERVICE VETERAN SHOULD GET THIS BOOK AND READ ABOUT THESE TRUE HEROES !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BOOK ARRIVED BEFORE DUE DATES



4. A great book to have. Each heroic story summorized with photos on two pages each. You can read for hours or for minutes at a time either way you are impressed with the courage these brave men had.



5. This book is an amazing account of who true American "HERO's" are, not somebody from Hollywood or a music band. It saddens my heart that every year we lose more and more of these "HERO's" and nothing is said about them on the National News, but everytime a Pop-Music Icon or Hollywood actor who lived a questionable life anyways passes away from a drug overdose we glorify them for numerous years to come. Last time I checked the President of the United States of America is required to render a Salute to a "Medal of Honor" receipient not to someone who sold over a million copies of a record! The "Medal of Honor" is the pinnacle of the morals and standards that we use to teach our children, unfortunately the Welfare System is what we teach our children is the standard today. There is a difference in what America used to be and what we've allowed it to become today. Buy this book, sit down, read through it with your children and teach them what it means to be a "True American".

No comments about One Dog at a Time: Saving the Strays of Afghanistan.