5 comments about Alexander Hamilton: A Life.

1. This is a mostly thoroughly researched, well written, and highly readable account of Alexander Hamilton's remarkable rise from Caribbean island orphan to American Founder, although as other reviewers have pointed out, Randall seems to strangely tire at the end as he rushes through the last 13 years of Hamilton's life in 20 pages. This appears to be a pattern of Randall's; his monsterously sized biography of Jefferson relegates the Virginian's two presidential terms to less than 50 pages. The result, in the end is, unfortunately considering the strength and vividness of most of the biography, one that doesn't create any effect for the reader of the sadness befitting the loss of one of America's leading Founders cut down in the prime of life, wondering what might have been had he lived to old age. Nevertheless, Randall's careful portrait of Hamilton's beginnings and particularly, his war service and association with George Washington, is enough to make Alexander Hamilton: A Life a worthy contribution to the literature on the Founders and a well worthy read.



2. Randall does an excellent job of telling Hamilton's story as well as describing his significane to the development of the new nation. As I read the book I was struck by how "modern" Hamilton was. His emphasis in centralized structures, efficient government and the significant role economics played in his political understanding. I was struck how Hamilton was more pragmatic than many of his contemporaries.
   
   Recommend this to anyone wanting to flesh out their understanding of the Revolutionary period.



3. I read Randall's Jefferson biography and was unimpressed. However, I thought I would give Randall another chance with his Hamilton biography. I thought it was slightly better than the Jefferson bio.
   
   Then I read Chernow's Hamilton biography, which leaves Randall's in the dust. The main problem with Randall is that he is a professor and, as convential wisdom goes, professors write to pad their vita and for other professors, with little concern for the reader and more concern for quantity than quality. (In fact, with few exceptions [like J. Ellis], you should always skip a history book when the dust jacket announces the author is a professor).
   
   This book is an adequate overview of Hamilton, but why read it when an exceptionally better book exists? For completists and Hamilton enthusiasts only.



4. Excellent biography of one of the lesser known founding fathers. Includes his birth in St Croix with ancestral background and proceeds to his death at the hands of Aaron Burr during their duel. Randall refrains from making Hamilton superhuman or flawless, but does center his piece on his contributions to America before, during and after the Revolutionary War. A treat for any Hamilton fan or those looking to become familiar with him.



5. Randall's book is exhaustive in its coverage of Hamilton's life, development and texture. But the result is skimpy coverage of his greatest contributions. Hamilton's finger prints are all over American political economy.
   Fascinating glimces into St Croix childhood and developing anthipathy for slavery. Women's rights, too. Interesting but exhausting detal about the Revolution: walked the reader through each season from 1776 to 1781. Likely duplicating work Randall did for his Washington biography. Cop out. Hamilton was also first secretary of the Navy; a tidbit but no meat.

3 comments about General Lee: His Campaigns in Virginia, 1861-1865.

1. A memoir by Lee's aide Walter Herron Taylor.
   
   Very similar to Taylor's other memoir, this is a history of the Army of Northern Virginia's war, with here and there a brief, stiff and cold personal reminiscence. Taylor's work does not exude the winning personality of a Porter Alexander or a Sam Watkins. Especially as Taylor paid considerable attention to the numerical strengths of the respective armies, this is an important primary source, but it's hard to imagine it capturing nonspecialist readers' attention.
   
   Taylor owed his career to Lee both before and after the war and clearly felt an admiration amounting to worship for his chief; like all personal accounts, this one should be read with the author's perspectives and biases in mind.



2. I am a bit new to the Civil War history ranks, but I have read several books over the last few years. I just completed Grant's memoirs, and decided I needed more information about Lee, hence this book. I could not rate it higher, due to the apparent inaccuracies (too many to detail, primarily with regard to numbers in the ranks and casualties), and the racist attitude that prevails. Taylor was clearly a loyal soldier, and true to his cause, but his mis-guided attack on General Longstreet became tiresome.



3. Walter Taylor offers a great perspective into the charater of General Lee, the ability of his subordinates, and the fighting courage of the army itself. Taylor's book should be read by any Civil War buff since Taylor was actually there as Lee's adjutant general. While those critical of Lee may find Taylor to be too defensive and loyal to Lee, one can only continue to admire the Greatest General of the Civil War. I like to take in both sides of the issue concerning Lee, but I have found that Lee was an able, moral, and intelligent leader with weaknesses like every human. The only reason I didn't give this book a five is because of Taylor's subtle criticism of General Longstreet, while he does give him deserved credit.

5 comments about Pushing the Envelope: The Career of Fighter Ace and Test Pilot Marion Carl.

1. Fortunately collaborator Barrett Tillman was a personal friend of General Carl and therefore able to deliver a fine insight into the character, actions, and attitude of a tactiturn, one of a kind, Marine fighter pilot.The Marine's first ace and, all things considered, probably the Marine's greatest pilot, he was one of a small group of fighter pilots available when the war started. The odds facing him and his fellows against the superbly trained and experienced Japanese were incredible. Their actions using the terminally obsolete Wildcat fighter, above all else, started the decline and demise of Japanese fighter aviation.In this group and in those times the verification of victories by the then honorable Marines was demanding and quite accurate compared to all others.(Carl points out that the Japanese claimed forty kills against his squadrons twenty-five that took off and thirteen of these returned plus one pilot who made it back without his airaplane.Even the venerated Winston Churchill had the termidity to question the number of kills claimed during the Battle of Britain by the RAF).
   Shortly after the Guadalcanal show, the grevious lack of operational training for Marine pilots was corrected,the flying machines sharply up-graded, and hordes of new pilots trained.Meanwhile the Japanese were headed in the opposite direction and soon became more target than worthy foe while the verifiction of kills became a great deal more casual.
   Making a career of the Marines after the war, Carl was part of that magnificent group of test pilots who improved aircraft so greatly that very soon a man will not be required to operate them. This will effectively end the short glamorous history of fighter pilots.
   Unfortunately there are too many self appointed "historians" who continue to repeat and embellish the distorions of Marine aviation history while all too often the accurate and well researched work of authors like Barrett Tillman and Robert Dorr are ignored.This results in lesser men being vociferously venerated by a large and pitiable cadre who identify with the mythical heroes purveyed by the mendacious TV, movies and publications. At least this helps them meet the requirement to fill their own often empty lives. After all John Wayne was a fine actor but never did serve in his country's uniform while Carl and others of his outstandingly patriotic contemporaries are almost unknown now.
   It can be truely said that the exaggerations (polite word) associated with fighter aviation live on while the truth is oft interred with its bones. (Without apology to William Shakespeare)



2. As usual Tillman does a masterful job in covering his subject, but this time it was almost a "no brainer". Marion Carl's life was like a nearly unbelievable movie. The man was a true hero. His story from combat pilot, to test pilot and even his tragic heroic death at the hands of a low-life in his own home makes a person regret that he never had the opportunity to meet the man.



3. Great career of Marion Carl. He's the real right stuff. From WW2 to present jets, he has done it all. Great read for anyone who enjoys a rags to riches story.



4. Marion Carl is another hero with an exempliary record as were Butch Voris Jimmy Flatley and many others. A very interesting and informative book.



5. I live in Oregon and had the honor of visiting with Marion Carl on several occasions. During an airshow, I was escorting him around the aircraft and he spotted several Marine aircraft with there pilots standing near their aircraft. Marion spent a good deal of time speaking with them. Later I stopped by the pilots Marion had been talking with and to say the least these young men were impressed. The book is easy to read. Barrett did a great job of writing. I would recommend this book to any aviation buff.

3 comments about God Isn't Here: A Young Man's Entry Into World War II, and his Participation in the Battle For Iwo Jima.

1. what happened on Iwo Jima. It ought to be required reading for every American high-school student and anyone wishing to become a citizen of this country. It's that good..



2. This book is one of the best personal accounts of WWII and the battle for Iwo Jima especially. The story takes a while to get going but the author's account of battle on Iwo Jima is very interesting.



3. I came upon this book while researching my book, The Quiet Hero: The Untold Medal of Honor Story of George E. Wahlen at the Battle for Iwo Jima. I had heard from several Iwo Jima vets that Richard Overton had written an incredible memoir of his experience as a corpsman on Iwo, and interestingly enough, he lived near my home in Utah. When I approached Dick about my desire to read it, he was hesitant, and put me off for some time, I think he hoped that I would go away. As I persisted, and I promised not to copy it or share it with anyone, he reluctantly agreed let me read his manuscript.
   
   It was printed from an old dot-matrix printer and was falling apart from having been manhandled. Before handing it to me, Dick warned me that I would not be the same once I finished reading it. Admittedly, I dismissed his warning, and inwardly doubted that any book could change me to any significant degree.
   
   In the months leading up to meeting Dick, I was heavily involved in researching my book, and I read everything about Iwo Jima I could get my hands on. Over time, many books began rehashing the same old stories and themes. But as soon as I began reading Dick's manuscript, I knew his story was unique. Now I knew why Iwo Jima veterans were recommending that I read this story. His was the brutal and grinding story of a combat veteran that could only be told by a personal witness. For once, I began to get a sense for the type of warfare waged on Iwo Jima, and how it affected those who were forced to endure it. I was indeed a changed man.
   
   After completing the book, I called Dick, and asked the question everyone seems to ask after reading his book: "what accounts for your incredible attention to detail?"
   
   He explained that shortly after being evacuated from Iwo Jima, he began writing notes about his day-by-day experiences on the battlefield. He recognized the battle would be a major milestone in his life, and he also understood the historical significance of what he had witnessed. He was determined to record his experiences for posterity, and he spent considerable time compiling his notes. Most of his notes were penned during the long, tedious days when the 5th Marine Division was stationed in Sasebo, as part of the occupation of Japan.
   
   Upon returning to civilian life, these notes were among his most prized possessions. On one occasion, his well-intentioned mother nearly discarded his notes. She believed she would help her son cope with the memories that were troubling him, by ridding him of the volumes of notes he had collected. Fortunately, Dick retrieved them before the garbage man carted them off, and he faithfully safeguarded his notes for almost forty years, until he was finally ready to begin writing his manuscript.
   
   He never intended for his manuscript to be published, it was written for his and a few friends. I was so taken by the book, that I worked with him and my publisher, American Legacy Media, and get it published.
   
   In getting the manuscript ready for print, Dick decided to pair down the manuscript, fearing that some stories would be too graphic or otherwise offend some readers. Dicks manuscript became a 330 page memoir titled God Isn't Here: A Young American's Entry into World War II and His Participation in the Battle for Iwo Jima.
   
   The book went into a limited release in 2005, but the response was immediate. Veterans began calling Dick at all hours of the night, many in tears, thanking him for writing his book. With virtually no marketing but word-of-mouth, orders from around the world convinced Dick that his book had struck a chord.
   
   With the success of the book came Dick's desire to tell the entire, uncensored story. The updated, revised and expanded version includes all the unvarnished and descriptive details that were edited from the original book. Now, the book is 432 pages long, but it's a more intimate and powerful work that is, what I believe to be among the most compelling World War II biographies ever written by an eyewitness.
   
   I love this book. Everyone who has read it upon my recommendation has thanked me. If you can handle the gritty and gruesome details of combat, I highly recommend you that you read it... you can't helped but be changed for doing so.

1 comments about VULCAN TEST PILOT: My Experiences in the Cockpit of a Cold War Icon.

1. The A. V. Roe & Company, Ltd. (AVRO) "Vulcan" was one of three famous "V-bombers" that filled the nuclear deterrent role for England's Royal Air Force (RAF) from the 1950s through the 1980s. The government of England decided in the late 1940s that it needed a fleet of long-range, nuclear-capable jet bombers in order to have credibility during the Cold War. AVRO's delta-winged "Vulcan" seemed to offer the most promise, but at the time no one in the country had much design or operational experience with such a wing. So the Ministry of Defence ordered three different bombers to fill the need. Two of them--the Vickers "Valiant" and the Handley Page "Victor"--were primarily "insurance" against the failure of AVRO's more-advanced design. But the "Vulcan" was a resounding success, despite some initial teething troubles, and it became one of the most distinctive, recognizable and highly regarded aircraft ever built.
   
   Tony Blackman's "Vulcan Test Pilot--My Experiences in the Cockpit of a Cold War Icon" is sure to appeal to anyone interested in learning new details about the design, development and operational use of one of England's most famous aircraft. As AVRO's Chief Test Pilot for much of the Vulcan's service testing and deployment, Mr. Blackman flew 105 of the 136 aircraft built, and he personally flight-tested most of the modifications that transformed the original Mk 1 into the far-more-capable Mk 2. Opening with an excellent thumbnail history of England's V-bomber force, "Vulcan Test Pilot" goes on to describe the sub-scale prototypes that AVRO built to investigate the handling characteristics of the delta wing. Then, in long chapters entitled "Developing the Vulcan Mk 1" and "Developing the Vulcan Mk 2," Mr. Blackman covers these subjects in great depth and with enough fascinating details to satisfy any armchair aeronautical engineer. Another chapter, "Incidents and Accidents," catalogues and describes the misfortunes that befell Vulcans. With many useful and interesting photographs, many never before published (although some of them, unfortunately, are quite small), and several relevant appendices, "Vulcan Test Pilot" is filled with information and anecdotes that you are not likely to find elsewhere.
   
   2007 was a banner year for Vulcan enthusiasts with the successful return to flight of Vulcan Mk 2 XH558 after an eight-year restoration effort. The final chapter of "Vulcan Test Pilot" covers, albeit briefly, the story of that aircraft and the tremendous outpouring of support from around the world that helped to get it flying again. Mr. Blackman admits to a "personal interest" in this project, since he was the first person to fly XH558 when AVRO delivered it to the RAF in June 1960. Today the skies over England once again rumble with the thunder of the four Bristol Siddeley turbojets that power the distinctive delta-winged shape of the only flying Vulcan in the world. "Vulcan Test Pilot" will make you feel like you're in the cockpit. I recommend it most highly.

2 comments about Wake Island Pilot: A World War II Memoir (Memories of War).

1. In any story one reads about Wake Island, Lt. Kinney is always mentioned as a key player. It is interesting to piece the Wake saga together with the individual stories and anecdotes of the men like Kinney who were there.
   The story Kinney tells is a humble one, considering the events he has seen and endured. He is the original "MacGuyver," fixing equipment not only at Wake, but also throughout his career.
   Kinney's story is like walking through nearly every chapter of military aviation history. Few can ever say they flew in everything from Curtiss Jennys to early Vietnam era jets.
   A great read for Wake Island, WWII, aviation and Korean War enthusiasts alike.



2. The first two chapters were a warm up for the real guts and glory! I have never met the author but just reading his book made me proud to be an American. Using the genious approach to cannibalizing parts to fly planes that had no chance of surviving against such great odds is overwhelming.

   My advise is to buy the book and read, start to finish!

5 comments about Lieutenant Ramsey's War: From Horse Soldier to Guerrilla Commander (Memories of War).

1. This IS A FANTASTIC BOOK. Not only as a autobiography, BUT AS A RECORD of HISTORY. Ed Ramsey tells the story of his experiences in the 26th Calvary in the Philippines during World War II. He was the man who lead the last Horse Calvary Charge against the Japanese. Ed tells his story in glorious detail. He shares his inner most thoughts and emotions. Teaching us how a young Lt. learned how to become the leader of an army of secret agents, jungle fighters and saboteurs. Something he had never come in contact with before. He made it up as he went. Some of his decisions had to be harsh if he was to survive. This book opens up to us a world which little was known about before, and because of that heros went unacknownledged and villians undespised. But we will not forget them now because of you Col. Ramsey. Thank you for what you did then and thank you for what you have written now. You are an American Hero in the true sense of the word.



2. Too self aggrandizing -- not objective and contradicts some of what other guerillas have written.



3. Col. Ramsey, on foot in the junlges of the Philippines, with only the help of the kind Philippine people----puts war in human terms and visions I can relate to. People suffer with death, starvation, torn off body parts, and disease. Horrible. As a teacher I may use this book to tap into my student's 'schema,' or mental map, to help them visulize the realities of war as being the dreadful scarifice it is, rather that some sort of unreal view of war as a "star wars" game.



4. From 1960-64 I worked with Ramsay almost daily as a member of the US Embassy in Tokyo while he was VP for Hughes Aircraft in Tokyo. Hughes and two other US companies were bidding on a large joint US/Japan air weapons control project that Hughes in 1963 won. During this time he never once mentioned his guerrila activites during WW II except except a for small clue when he got for my wife and me a Visa during a visit by him to the PI Embassy to visit Clark after the PI govt had refused them through regular channels. During the visit to Clark I asked a number of citizens if they had heard of Ed Ramsay and with little exception they said he was a National Hero. After reading a summary of Lt Ramsay's War in the Readeer's Digest I obtained the un-abridged version and agree with the comments of others about his disclipine and dedication to his country he exhibited in setting up and operating a highly effective guerilla force in the Philippines at great risk to himself and those that worked with him. The book has now been republished and is well worth reading.
   Bill Millis



5. This book describes what barely can be described. The hardships, the fear, the exhaustion, the hunger, the brutality, the uncertainty of ones fate. It's all right here, and all are apt descriptions of the life of Lt. Ramsey from the fall of Bataan until the time in 1945 that Gen MacArthur returned to liberate the Phillipines.

   Lt. Ramsey (who was promotoed to Lt. Colonel over the course of his service in the jungle) was a very important leader of the resistance. He personally exchanged a few messages over the radio with MacArthur himself, and it was years before Ramsey even knew that MacArthur was getting his messages, as he went without radio contact for the first two years of the war.

   Many of Ramsey's fellow resistance leaders, some of them officers he served with, or under, prior to the war, were captured, tortured, and beheaded. Informants were everywhere, and every move was a risk. Yet Ramsey never sat still, and his years were spent traveling, at great risk, throughout the Phillipines and organizing the resistance. Many close calls with the Kempa-tei, the Japanese secret police, followed. Ramsey eventually became the most wanted man on the island, after many of his fellow leaders were captured. He eventually went on to command a force of 40,000 resistance fighters.

   The leader of the Kempa-tei, General Baba, personally conducted many of the raids and had a picture of Ramsey on his desk. Many times Ramsey was only yards from Japanese troops.

   Of course, when this all started, Ramsey had no clue how to wage guerrilla war. But he learned, through trial and error, and it is amazing that he even survived the war. If that isn't enough, this is a man who survived having his appendix removed in the jungle by a doctor who had no morphine to numb the pain!

   This is the kind of stuff Hollywood needs to make movies about. Instead we are stuck with the same dumbed down, recycled nonsense that apparently someone finds entertaining. And sadly the exploits of this true American hero go largely unknown by the majority of this country. I'm glad I am no longer one of them.

1 comments about A Voice of Thunder: A BLACK SOLDIER'S CIVIL WAR (Blacks in the New World).

1. Most books and reports on Civil War events come from white writers and voice white viewpoints. This one speaks with a black voice, as George E. Stephens wrote as correspondent for the (New York) "Weekly Anglo-African," from the events of John Brown's rebellion (Nov. 1859) through September, 1864. Along the way he shifted from member of the press to acting patriot-soldier, recruiting and then enlisting in the Massachusetts 54th, that leader among black regiments depicted in the movie "Glory." Donald Yacovone provides not only notes for the letters but also information on Stephens' family background. After the 54th disbanded Yacovone follows Stephens' ongoing struggles to educate freed slaves in Virginia; the story of many black patriots' efforts to move their people upward by finally granting them some education is not widely told or appreciated. These chapters fill a need today. So the life taken as a whole is both glorious and tragic: it's distressing to follow Stephens' hopes, from fresh optimism through disillusionment to despair, time and time again from the events of Fort Wagner to the last anguished efforts of his life. At its end he had to sue the government he'd served all his life to obtain the commission denied to him because of his race (though illegally), and provide for his wife with a higher pension. He never lived to receive it, dying in 1888 before the promotion came through. In this Stephens is typical of black men of his time, and it's deeply saddening.This is not a happy, but it is a useful, book, and a corrective for many cheap heroics about how well we treated our black veterans. We need to ponder its message today.

2 comments about Unbroken Promises: A True Story of Courage and Belief.

1. I never thought I'd actually see the day that this load of garbage actually found a publisher!!! I was stationed with these chowder-heads and even went to training in Pensacola with most of them. Vance, while a friendly guy, was never considered anything CLOSE to being a soldier.... noted throughout the unit for being a compulsive liar. For example, he told me several times that he had been on the Olympic Baseball Team, and had written a smash hit song for late-80's popster Aldo Nova. I have NO idea how this guy ever got a security clearance higher than Confidential. He had recently bought an East German Army uniform that fit him, so when this happened, many of us in the unit thought that they had gone over The Wall - it would have been the kind of thing Vance would do... then he would have driven the E. Germans nuts and gotten sent back with a fat lip! Huckstedt and the other young guys were good fellas, I think they just got caught up in something where they felt important and were led on by older soldiers whom they wanted acceptance from. Because of these lunatics, we had constant midnight inspections (they had apparently left word in a letter that others would be joining them), and had "End of The World" parties annually on the day that they had predicted The End would be for several years afterward. Trust me...if higher intelligence from The Great Beyond was looking for someone on Earth to talk to and save, it would have been a group far less pitiful and goofy. The leaders of this thing misled and abused the trust of younger soldiers who had promising futures - and they betrayed their country and uniform. I'm still laughing, with a sad smile. Vance D.... where are you now, tusker?



2. Some events happened to me in 1977 that made me feel very confident that many really big changes were going to happen, and I was certain that the changes would start happening in about 1995, oddly enough about the time of this book's publication. The things that happened to me were not in any way the same as what happened to Vance Davis and the "Gulf Breeze 6," yet reading parts of this book, especially the predictions of apocalypse, reminded me of visions I had as well as intuitions i.e, "things are so messed up in this world, it just can't go on the way it is!"

   Only it's 2001 as I write this review, and from my point of view none of the big changes happened, and thus while I liked "Unbroken Promises," I was soured by the parts that predict apocalypse and have, at least to this date, been proven wrong over and over. Personally I also don't react very favorably when dire predictions are made and then the "prophet" claims that they didn't come to pass because people "woke up," or whatever excuse can be thought of.

   "Unbroken Promises" is first of all Mr. Davis's autobiography. He is a psychic trained in Silva Mind Control who eventually goes to work for the NSA. Davis, who is also keenly interested in consciousness expansion, learns how to go into deep meditative states, to the point of meeting spirit guides, such as Kia, who claims to be from a planet forty-five light years away. Yet Mr. Davis also is a religious, or better-stated, spiritual man, and he repeatedly asks Jesus for help in all his endeavors. To some having contact with aliens while believing in Christ might seem strange!

   The real story of "Unbroken Promises" occurs during the summer of 1990, when Davis and 5 other mililtary personnel begin to dabble in the paranormal while stationed in Germany, eventually to the point of communicating with spirits through an Ouija board. They have 7 sessions with these spirits. At first there isn't a totally religious overtone, but quickly more spirits come through, and almost all of these spirits use the names of apostles of Jesus. The messages they give are a mixture of good ol' Biblical global apocalypse, a la the Book of Revelations, along with specific directions to the 6 humans to leave their posts and return to America, to help with the "big changes" that are imminent. They are told not only the approximate date to go AWOL, but also, repeatedly, that they will be protected from danger.

   So the 6 do go AWOL, ending up in Gulf Breeze, FL. Unfortunately they are caught, and initially are treated like hardened criminals who have engaged in espionage. After about 3 weeks of imprisonment, during which the story becomes a public scandal, they are not only released, but almost unbelievably are given a choice - they can actually remain in the military or receive honorable discharges (they of course choose the latter)! In short, all the predictions that the spirit guides make concerning their welfare come true (assuming none are omitted, and I question that). We are told implicitly and explicitly that in fact the 6 do have "friends in high places," and one of the important points made in the book is that the US govt. is divided into "good" and "bad" factions.

   What is a bit "unkosher" about the book is the claim by the authors (mostly via the channeling from the Ouija board) that Mr. Davis and

   company are going to play a very important in the "awakening" of humanity during the aforementioned apocalyse, the apocalyse that in my view still shows little indication of happening. And indeed almost all of the really dire events listed towards the end of the book, such as riots in many major cities, the widespread institution of martial law, and particularly the coming of the Peacemaker/anti-Christ, have simply not come to pass, which is why I question whether Mr. Davis supplies a complete list of predictions concerning his group going AWOL.

   Still, "Unbroken Promises" is surely an intriguing book to read and ponder, and I have no doubt about Mr. Davis's sincerity. I also enjoyed the inclusion of the accounts of 3 females who were involved in the arrest of the Gulf Breeze 6 (one who had gone AWOL, plus 2 friends, one of whom Mr. Davis had seen in a dream 10 years before and became his wife!). The final part of the book are the documents that back up what was written about the imprisonment and release of the 6.

5 comments about Stealth Patrol: The Making of a Vietnam Ranger, 1968-70.

1. I was in the 173d Signal Co when we went back to Dak To II in Nov 67. I met Dave Brueggmann on a perimeter wire detail. Had all day to get aquainted. He was quiet and one of the nicest guys you'd ever want to meet. A couple weeks later I reported for duty at the LRRP area,, and there was nobody home. I soon found out that they were pulling Dave and his team out of the woods with ropes. Welcome to the LRRPS. I didn't know the author but I went on a mission with Tadina, once, outside Tuy Hoa. He mentions a few familiar names that brought back memories like Arslanian, (wherever you are). I also had the privilege of knowing guys like Rabel, Don Waide, and Sgt ''Rock'' Tremblay. It is difficult to meet people and not use these guys for a Standard of Character. They set an example for me.
   It's a very readable book and it gives a '''Non-Carrer'' soldier's version of THE HERD.



2. This is the true story of Bill Shanahan and his two tours of duty in Vietnam. Bill and his co-author John Brackin have created a book that gives the reader a fox-hole view on a unique kind of warfare. In Vietnam at this period of time, the Army and the Marines were all engaged in large operations with big units going into battles. Meanwhile, small Ranger units began to play by another set of rules with the enemy forces. They would ambush and engage the enemy where and when they chose. Sometimes the NVA and VC had greater numbers but these silent and invisible killing forces were able to pull success after success.
   
   The authors give the reader some rich imagery through their wording and descriptions. This story is well worth telling and it will inspire and entertain. Bill was a real hero as were the men he fought with in his Ranger unit. I believe that this book gives justice to what they did.
   
   A highly recommended book to read; it is given our Top Rating!



3. Excellent view on how we worked. Bill & John did and great job! Lurp Teams were the "Eyes and Ears of the Commanding General". We had many tense situations. I personally slept with my M16 on my left side, my radio phone on my right ear and my 45 on my chest- finger on the trigger & thumb on the safety. Ed Zapata RTO, Team G. Thanks Bill. Never forget you guys, Bill, Dave and Arthur Bell.



4. Excellent view on how we worked. Bill & John did and great job! Lurp Teams were the "Eyes and Ears of the Commanding General". We had many tense situations. I personally slept with my M16 on my left side, my radio phone on my right ear and my 45 on my chest- finger on the trigger thumb on the safety. Ed Zapata RTO, Team G. Thanks Bill. Never forget you guys, Bill, Dave and Arthur Bell.



5. I think that Bill Shanahan's is one of the very best first-hand accounts written about LRRP operations. His verbiage is not egotistical, but it does reflect the confidence with which he and his teammates and others in his unit carried out their very speciallized and unique operations. They were a fine unit and this book gives testimony to their memorable combat achievements as part of "The Herd", the 173rd Airborne Bde. This books ranks right up there with the best of Gary Linderer's series of books and other great combat narratives of the Vietnam War. He puts the reader right out there "in the bush" and explains tactics and actions in a manner even those who did not serve in a LRRP or Ranger unit can readily understand. He tells what his unit did, where they did it, how well, and "lessons learned", all in a very candid way. It is particularly good considering that this is apparently his first book. I hope more are forthcoming from him. I speak from first-hand knowlege as a former LRRP in the 1st Infantry Division in Vietnam. I would highly recommend "Stealth Patrol" for a valued place in anyone's library.