2 comments about Memoirs of Robert E. Lee: His Military and Personal History.

1. One time when Lee was on his travels, a woman ran from her house, grabbing his arm and dragging him into her front arm. She told of how her grandfather had plant the tree in the front yard, how it had grown so tall and perfect. The tree was now nothing but dead limbs. She told how the dreadful Yankees came and stayed in her home, and they destroy the tree for fun and target practise. To her the tree was her 'red badge of courage', and she was proud to show Lee how terrible the in justice the Yankees visited up her, how she suffered. Lee quietly told her to cut it down. Not the reaction the woman hoped for, but so like Lee. When the war ended, it ended. He made sure there the war did not devolve from armies fighting armies, into a situation similar to Northern Ireland, local resistance prolonging the fighting, likely bringing down swift retribution from the Northern Reformations.

   Lee started his memoirs, but never finished, and at his death, the part of history was never really addressed by Lee. There have been many like Longstreet who wrote about the war, but not Lee.

   His father had been Lighthorse Harry Lee, a friend of George Washington and a Revolutionary War Hero - a role that would have been Lee's had the Confederacy won. Instead of helping to forge a new nation of independence as his father had, by the simple act of the South losing, he was on the 'wrong side'. Instead of hero, he was a rebel. Lee was troubled deeply by his decision to leave the Union Army and take up leadership for the Army of Northern Virginia. He was the husband of Mary Ann Randolph Custis, great-granddaughter of Washington. Arlington, our national cemetery that is so honoured, was her plantation, and the dead originally put there was done so as an insult to the Lee family.

   Lee was a brilliant tactician, did what so few did before him, divide his army in the face of superior forces, and succeeded until the fiasco at Gettysburg in Pickett's Charge.

   Since Lee could not or would not complete his memoirs, A.L. Long, with backing of Lee and later his family, took up the role, an amazing chore since most of his work was done when he was losing his sight, and the writings accomplished with a slate used for the blind. Long was military secretary to Lee and the vast amount of information was unpublished before this work. The papers were collected with the assistance of Marcus J. Wright, formerly Brig. General of the Army of Tennessee and Agent for the Collections of Confederate Records.

   This books provides a wealth of information on a gentleman, a husband, a father, a lady's man, but first and foremost a soldier and leader.

   I highly recommend this for anyone wanting a clear pictures of Robert E. Lee.




2. Long knew Lee in the pre-war army and was with him in notth-west Va. and the sea coast defenses in '61 through Appotamox. As his milt. secretary, Long drew on his own resources as well as those of Taylor and Venable also on Lee's staff, in addition to corrospondance with Lee's family members after the war. When one wonders why Lee resigned his commission to offer service to his Virginia, one can readily find the answers in this text....As a professional soldier being above politics, Lee merely was"doing his duty" to Vriginia and his family. Who won was not as important as duty, in the life and times of Lee. One can readily understand the resolve displayed by Kempe, Gordon, Armistead and others after reviewing the text. A recommended reading for any serious student of history studying the period

5 comments about Alone on Guadalcanal: A Coastwatcher's Story.

1. I have read Walter Lord's book "Lonely Vigil" about the Pacific Island Coastwatchers several times and greatly enjoyed it. This, however, is a full book about just one of these Coastwatchers, and goes into quite a bit more detail about the daily routine and happenings during that time. He was most likely the most experienced and senior Coastwatcher, and his interaction with U.S. forces was extremely helpful.



2. As an ex-patriot Australian now living in the U.S., I'm ashamed to admit I knew almost nothing about Guadalcanal, other than its reputation for being a bad place to be during WW2, until reading this outstanding book. My ignorance of the incredible risks Clemens and the Allied Forces took at that time is particularly surprising given that I knew the author as the father of a close friend when I was growing up in the late 1960s. I sat across the dining table from him during many Sunday dinners and heard nothing of his adventures in the Solomon Islands. Perhaps the author's reluctance to bore those around him with war stories, and my youthful lack of curiosity, deprived me of hearing the story first-hand. I'm truly grateful that he has shared this exciting and harrowing story with the world. Having read his account, I'm inspired to read other perspectives of the events that took place at that time. This book has reinforced my appreciation for those Allied soldiers who bravely fought off this persistent invader on our very doorstep while Australian civilians quietly went about their business at home.



3. This is the story of a British civil officer who had just arrived in the Solomons when war broke out. It is his story, what he saw, what he thought, during the time from before the war started until the U.S. army had solid control of Guadalcanal.
   
   Where it is weak is that there is no context for the story. If you don't know about the Solomon's campaign, you will be totally lost. And there is no context for what he sees so again, you don't know how key some of the battles he was in were.
   
   I think this is a good book for people who have a strong knowledge of the Solomin's campaign. And in that case it will give you a unique viewpoint of the war. But don't read it unless you do have that knowledge.



4. A wonderful book and a finely documented living history. Refreshing account based on Mr. Clemens actual diary notations. I have read almost every book on Guadalcanal and this one is definitely different. It reflects lulls between events and actually provides new information. The history and events in his story builds some natural suspense and his work is highly accurate! Not many books are written in a manner that makes you actually feel like you were there. Particularly good is the detailed writing of periperhal events surrounding well know events and battles. This work fills in many blanks will add another dimension to existing knowledge bases of historians and those interested in early pacific war. Also, not just a WWII campaign story but an excellent example of what can be accomplished when the odds are against you!



5. For people interested in the Pacific WWII. This is the only book that provides the complete story of Coastwatchers and how they helped win the war on Guadalcanal. Never before been told and written by a near-mythic Coastwatcher Martin Clemens A compelling true adventure story. Of particular interest to Marines who were there but didn't have the slightest idea of what was going on in the background. For First Marine Division Marines this is a MUST read. I was there with Martin Clemens.

5 comments about Battling for Saipan.

1. Like your Reader from Texas, I am not a marine but I have read many books about the war in the Pacific and the Smith vs. Smith incident.

   HM Smith was not one of the great captains of WWII. As Professor Harry Gailey points out in "Howlin' Mad Versus the Army", Saipan was the first and only time HM Smith ever had hands on responsibility for troops in battle. He did not conduct a very brilliant campaign. He constantly underestimated the strength of Japanese resistance on the island, made his plans based on his underestimates, and then blamed the Army Division and its Commander, MG Ralph Smith, when his plans did not work.

   The 27th Infantry Division was the most unfairly maligned unit of WWII, Its commander, MG Ralph Smith was the most unfairly vilified leader of WWII. This happened because the Marine Corps and its advocates needed to create and maintain the legend that HM Smith was a great captain, needed to explain away HM Smith's less than brilliant performance on Saipan.

   This book, while not a thoroughly researched as Edmund Smith's 27th ID's History or Professor Gailey's "Howlin' Mad Versus the Army", it is an honest attempt to tell the correct history, that the 27th ID fought hard and fought well on Saipan.




2. I've often wondered over the years how justifiable Howlin' Mad Smith's relief of Ralph Smith was during the battle for Saipan. I've suspected that there was more to the issue than meets the eye and that Holland Smith may have had more of a point to prove than cause for action. O'Brien's book points solidly in that direction although his perspective has to be skewed toward the 27th and I believe that he wrote the book starting from that viewpoint. However the most moving and impressive part of this account for me was the details of the heroism of Sgt. Thomas A. Baker. I first encountered his story in an obscure internet tribute one Veteran's Day a few years back. Reading his citation I wondered what kind of man could be capable of such feats. O'Brien's history contains more details of this remarkable soldier than I've found elsewhere, but still left me yearning to find out more about him. Who knows, maybe someday I'll write his definitive history!



3. I found Francis O'Brien's work on the 27th Division to be moving account of an army unit that served its country well at the expense of criticism. His account of the 1st battalion, 105th Infantry Regiment, was especially touching, and, I feel, deserves mention along with other memorable units of WWII.

   However, I do agree that O'Brien's work does lack much objectiveness at the expense of defending the reputation of the 27th Division. This was essentially the purpose of his book, and there are certainly more objective accounts of the 27th to be found elsewhere, some of whom O'Brien refers to in his book.

   Nonetheless, I found this book to be an enjoyable read and quite a service to those who fought and died with the "New York Division" in WWII.

   As O'Brien states at the end of his preface: "I trust I have shown that [the families'] fathers, sons, uncles, and brothers served their country honrably and well in WWII."




4. This book was interesting but it had several flaws. It was a basically a defense of the army's 27th Infantry Division during the Saipan invasion during the Pacific war. It was at Saipan where the 27th did not measure up to marine units.

   The author claims to be objective but I find that difficult to believe. He is writing about his own Uncle, William O'Brien. He was also writing about the 27th Infantry Division, a national guard unit which consisted of men from his own home town and area. I detected a bias in defense of the 27th and a bias against Marine General "Howlin Mad" Smith who relieved 27th Division commander General Ralph Smith.

   The author claims that this was the one and only battle where army troops fought under the command of the a marine general. This was untrue. Army units fought successfully under marine General Vandergrift at Guadalcanal in 1942, under marine General Geiger at Peleliu in 1944, and briefly under Geiger again at Okinawa in 1945. The author blames marine command for many of the 27th's problems but has a shaky arguement.

   The author also defend the 27th divison as "one of the best trained units in the Pacific". I have read many other books and many other authors do NOT share this opinion of the 27th. Many other authors have a much lower opinion of the 27th. In fact, at Okinawa in 1945, an army general withdrew the 27th from the main battle and sent it to the rear for "garrison duty". Let's be realistic and honest. Not all members of the armed forces in WW II were "the elite". Units differed in quality. Some units were excellent and some were of lesser quality.

   Note: I am NOT a marine but just someone who has read many books on this subject.




5. Mr. O'Brien gives a vivid detail of the 105ths movements from the landing on the beaches of Saipan to the final evacuation from the Gyokusai attach in Tanapag. He follows his uncle Lt. Col. William J. O'Brien from battle to battle all the time merging stories of the hundreds of other men who fought along side him. Giving an almost play by play of scirmishes from survivors stories. I couldn't put it down. I will never Hash through the jungles here the same way again! Infact, I went to the memorial and looked for his name of the thousands that are there and I found it. As you look at it you face to about the appoximate location of Tagapag village.

3 comments about Diary of a Confederate Soldier: John S. Jackman of the Orphan Brigade (American Military History Series).

1. This diary of John S. Jackman presents one educated soldier's often daily proceedings, as they "overturn the best government in the world". The entries have a real style, often humorous, with little politics, hate, or even personal feelings. Jackman and this Kentucky "orphan brigade" saw a lot of action in his 3 years, 8 months and 4 days of service; including the Battle of Shiloh in 1862, the blasting of Vicksburg, and Chickamauga and Chattanooga. His group also tried to fend of Sherman's march. On June 14, 1864 a shell fell him till he was out of action, till he joined "the orphans" to see "Uncle Jeff' (confederate president Jefferson Davis), in Washington, Georgia as the president rode away alone --- "and the confederate government ceases to exist".
   
   Jackman's journal was ever present and, as you might expect, there is a focus on food, with talk of getting "bear" (local livestock)", or going off for watermelon and bacon in the morning. Sickness was common for Jackman, and he writes of the pain of new shoes. Jackman's style is often light even in the midst of war, for example, "I fell to my lot to be mounted behind a very large man on a very small horse". He read when books were available, including Cicero (in Latin) and Dickens "Great Expectations". Relevant to today, the soldiers in the confederate army also complained of having their time involuntarily extended. The editor did not over edit the account and the introduction in each chapter was helpful. Including a map would have helped me follow the story.



2. The Orphan Brigade was one of the hardest fighting units in the Army of Tennessee. Jackman writes a very good history from his own expierences, first as a regular soldier then as an clerk for Co. B, 9th Kentucky. He takes us from the first camps of the Orphans through the war, to where he was injured at near where General Polk was killed at Pine Mountain and his hospital visits. While there are thing added either in his transfer of the diary to a new book in 1865 or after the war, William C. Davis helps make clear things that might have been changed. Davis also points out names where Jackman uses initals. Overall, it is worth the price, especially for a Civil War Reenactor like me.



3. In February of 1862, 4,000 men left Kentucky as part of the First Kentucky Brigade and marched south. Three years later, 600 returned, among them John S. Jackman. In between, the five regiments saw most of the Civil War in the west -- Shiloh, Vicksburg, Baton Rouge, Chickamauga, the Atlanta campaign -- even ending their days as a unit in Washington, Georgia, just as President Jefferson Davis and his cabinet pass through in their attempt to escape Union troops.

   Jackman saw it all, and as renowned and prolific Civil War author and editor William Davis points out, his account is the longest and most unvarnished of the diaries that have come out of the war about the "Orphan Brigade." "Diary of a Confederate Soldier" is one of the better memoirs to come out of the war, literate, readable, humorous (especially the great snowball battle in March of 1864), and educating.

5 comments about I Never Liked Those C-130's Anyway.

1. I rarely get a laugh from books but this one had me with tears in my eyes from laughing. It was very funny and the best part reminded me of some of my antics in the Air Force. Well worth the read.



2. 
   I decided to write this because I am at this link anyway to buy another copy of the book. I had a copy but trusted my old boss(a week-end pilot) to return it upon finishing, instead he forwarded it on to a relative in Alaska who is some big shot at one of the Air Force bases. I had previously stopped my brother-in-law (a Coast Guard Vet.also a week-end pilot)from lifting my copy a year earlier.The point being any pilot or anyone who has had the desire to fly will love this book, if you are or have been in the US Military I think it would add to the enjoyment. Watching the "Deadliest Catch" on the Discovery Channel and seeing video of Malcolm describe a rescue he was involved with in Alaska waters lent a face to attach to his personality. The book is well written and Smith and Cahill should present us with the sequel.



3. I read this book cover to cover in about 2 days because it was so funny and I couldn't put it down. My husband is a pilot and hearing these stories just crack me up! I sent one to my brother hoping it would provide many hours of entertainment, and it did... great book!



4. This is your father's coast guard; but not the one I had envisioned! This book is hard to put down. There are chuckles galore. I keep it bedside now and open it to random pages for a quick mood lift. Haven't done that in a while! The Coast Guard is one of our nations best kept secrets.



5. Two years ago my friend John Cahill told me he was writing a book.
   "What's it about?" I asked.
   "This guy I know, Malcolm Smith, flew in the Coast Guard. He has some great stories about his experiences."
   Instantly my mind went in two directions. First, I pictured war documentaries aired at five o'clock in the morning--hours of dull information I don't want to know. Open-minded person that I am, I quickly wrote the book off. Simultaneously, I thought of another friend, Steve Ward. Unlike me, Steve was very interested in airplanes, and any time a plane went overhead, he would identify it as a B-26 or a C-593. Actually, these may not exist, for I have just made them up; to me all the numbers were meaningless. I was also reminded of Steve's passionate idea to make a movie about the WASPs--not the insects, but a group of adventurous young women who flew planes in WWII. I knew that--though I probably had no interest in John Cahill's book--Steve Ward would. I'd buy a copy, give it to Steve, and let him tell me about it.
   "Oh, that's great," I said, trying to sound more enthusiastic than I felt. "Let me know when it's done. I'll buy a copy."
   Time passes both too quickly and not quickly enough. A year ago, in February, 2003, Steve Ward died. In September, 2003 seven months later, Malcolm Smith, with J. Wilfred Cahill, published I NEVER LIKED THOSE C-130'S ANYWAY: MEMORIES OF TWENTY YEARS IN THE U.S. COAST GUARD.
   Perhaps in a vain subconscious wish to bring Steve Ward back, I bought not one, but two copies. They lay on my desk for months. I don't have much time to sit down and read, but I spend a lot of time on the road and listen to a lot of tapes. Each time I ran into John Cahill, I'd apologize for not having got to the book yet, and then complain that if it were out on audio, I'd have listened to it already. John said they were working on the audio version, but didn't care if I read the book, so long as I had bought it.
   Finally, I couldn't take any more Cahill encounters, not having read the book. The world is unpredictable, espcially the world of literature, and you just don't always know what lies under the next unlikely looking cover. The surprise for me was a wonderfully readable and highly entertaining collection of anecdotes, masterfully told by Malcolm Smith on to tape, and transcribed by John Cahill. The stories are short, but interesting, and always involve either a prank or a screw-up. I have never encountered another book quite like it. The nearest thing I can think of is a book my mother gave me called PECK'S BAD BOY AND HIS PA. I was sick in bed at the time and I think that book helped me get better, for it celebrated, through the consecrated written word of a published book, tales of mischief and shenanigans.
   Having never had any direct experience with any branches of the military or its associated arms, my impression of the whole business has always been one of seriousness, order, discipline and drudgery. Malcolm Smith's stories humanize and humorize these stereotypes. What emerges from his book are the experiences of a man endowed with average gifts and foibles, but an extraordinary sense of humor and penchant for fun. Through his stories, Malcolm Smith reveals a Coast Guard institution big-hearted enough to allow his whole human being--one that did not necessarily fit into any particular mold--to grow within the system to his own natural potential, as an exceptional officer and pilot, much loved by his fellow "Coasties". I have never considered any branch of the services for myself, but Malcolm Smith makes me feel that I might have missed something great in not having been there.
   Steve Ward would have loved this book. Hell, I really enjoyed it and I'm not even interested in airplanes or the Coast Guard. At least, I wasn't. Now, at least I know the difference between an H-52 and a C-130.
   Thanks, Malcolm, for remembering and telling your stories, and thanks, John, for turning them into a book.
   Malcolm Smith's stories may well become widely read and enjoyed. One day we will be able to remember when they were first published and that we were among the first to hear them. Rumor has it that this first collection includes only those stories which the author felt he could tell without getting himself into trouble. If there are more as good as these, here's one reader who looks forward to hearing them.

5 comments about In the Company of Soldiers.

1. A well written take on a war that isn't the most popular these days. And a true account of what actually does go on in the military, whether it's here in this day and age, or any of the previous conflicts the United States has gotten into. Anyone who paints our military in any other light must not have been there, done that, or spent their time under a really big rock. Having said that, Melia, you have a gift with words, and the rare ability to look at the true picture, including the view in the mirror, and put it all out there for the world to see (and looking at some of the other comments) and judge. If you want a real soldier's view of what goes down behind the Hesco barriers, this is a great read. I am honored to have served with you.



2. The author shares her story about her military experiences while in serving in Iraq. Having been used to pedicures, messages, and dining at above average restaurants her deep curiousity of life led her to the vast desert as a military soldier. She kept a journal of daily occurances which are witty, funny, dramatic at times and has made me more observant of my own life. I felt as though I was there with her. I loved the book and was sad when I read the last typed line....I wanted to keep on reading. I couldn't put the book down, it was excellent.



3. Wow! I just finished the book and was really impressed by it's original take on things "over there." As a civilian and a male, it had two perspectives that I'll rarely (if ever) get and it has a great insider's perspective on life in the military. The author put a lot of her sense of humor into her daily accounts and it really gave a good balance to the everyday dangers she faced. This book has something that we can all take away with us and make us truly appreciate what the military is doing for us in far off places. Overall I was moved and entertained from beginning to end. Nice job...I will highly recommend your book to others!



4. Upon seeing this book, I thought that it would be a great read. I believe that women need to have their voices heard.
   All I heard, however, was that when you send your husband to war you need to make sure that there are NO women there that will ruin your marriage.
   This was a woman's account on how she snuck in under the radar, while a woman was at home with her children waiting for the safe return of her husband. This woman not only RUINED the marriage of a fellow woman, but the lives of the children.
   You should be proud of yourself! You went to war and ended up on your back under a soldier that should have been thinking about the family he left at home, waiting and probably expecting a happy return to normal when this was all over. That is what America has to give?! These are the protectors of our country? This is what your doing while we are suppose to be expecting you to protect us, save the weak and show other countries why we are to idolized?
   It makes me sick that there are women out there that would are proud of the fact that they broke up a home.
   You should not be sniffing around married men, or men in general while protecting our country! You were there for a job, not to get LAID!
   I cannot reccommend this book, I think that any woman that thinks it's okay to not only pursue her own interests while at war, but to come between another soldier and his family does not deserve to call herself an honorable soldier. What happened to ethics, morals, and values.



5. Upon reading this book it made me really angry to read about a woman is suppose to be an American hero who really is an American home wrecker. She talks about being married and her husband back home in California. She then meets "All-American" the married Special Forces soldier.
   She has an affair with him, which totaly wrecks his marriage.
   This would've been a better story if it was just about the TOUR not falling for "All-American". I was hoping to find out more of women's perceptive about what is really going on over there, not her affair.
   Oh and Drinking in Iraq are you kidding me????? Not only do you put down dates you also put down WHO....are you mad? You are indangering other people's careers. Drinking in Iraq everyone knows you are not allowed to drink in Iraq!
   I DO NOT RECOMMEND READING THIS BOOK....it does not give a real in-depth look of what the Iraq war is really about.

5 comments about Thunderbolt: General Creighton Abrams and the Army of His Time.

1. GEN Abrams was responsible for the quality of the Army today and since he was the Chief of Staff. His wisdom and insight into soldiering, leadership, and combat ability is what won the Gulf War. Dr. Sorley is right on the money. It is obvious that Dr. Sorley really admires GEN Abrams and he has done his homework. It's a shame that GEN Abrams died so early, he tranformed the United States Army into the force it is today, or was at the time of the Gulf War.
   I met GEN Abrams in 1973 in Germany as a young Corporal and he spoke with me for a few minutes, but he struck me as unpretentious and humorous. I met Captains and Majors who had a bigger ego that him.



2. GEN Abrams was responsible for the quality of the Army today and since he was the Chief of Staff. His wisdom and insight into soldiering, leadership, and combat ability is what won the Gulf War. Dr. Sorley is right on the money. It is obvious that Dr. Sorley really admires GEN Abrams and he has done his homework. It's a shame that GEN Abrams died so early, he tranformed the United States Army into the force it is today, or was at the time of the Gulf War.
   ...



3. Creighton Abrams may have been the greatest American soldier of the second half of the 20th century. He served as a tank commander under General George Patton at the Battle of the Bulge, in occupied Germany and wartime Korea, as commander of United States military forces in Vietnam, and as Army Chief of Staff. It was a remarkable career! Lewis Sorley's admiring biography of General Abrams narrates the principal events in appropriate detail. In the prologue, Sorley asserts that Abrams was "the quintessential soldier," explaining that Abrams "demonstrated strategic and tactical skill and audacity," extraordinary physical bravery and intellectual courage, the capacity to lead and inspire men, [and] talent in dealing with complex and ambiguous managerial challenges." The measure of the value of this book lies in whether Sorley effectively makes that case. I believe that he largely does, as the result of which this is a very good, if not great, professional biography.

   Although Sorley's approach to biography is conventional, he demonstrates on several occasions that Abrams's views could be very unconventional. Early in his chapter about West Point in the mid-1930s, for instance. Sorley asserts: "From the beginning Abrams was alienated by some aspects of the cadet experience." According to Sorley, Abrams was highly self-motivated and self-disciplined, and he resisted the petty tyranny of cadet life. After Abrams graduated and was commissioned, Sorley writes that he "was tolerant of his soldiers' having fun." (Sorley quotes one Abrams subordinate that the general, if Abrams had a weakness, "he sometimes was too easy on some people.") After World War II, while Abrams was serving in the Plans Section for Army Ground Forces in Washington, D.C., he was assigned to prepare a study on the future of the horse cavalry and quickly concluded that there was none. In 1965, shortly after President Johnson ordered American forces in Vietnam out of their advisory role and into combat, Abrams was briefing a civilian official about the sociological impact of the draft and stated that "the only Americans who have the honor to die for their country in Vietnam are the dumb, the poor, and the black." According to Sorley, "[o]ut in the field Abrams disliked briefings, especially of the canned and rehearsed variety," and "[o]ne of [Abrams's] favorite ways [to find out for himself the truth of what was going on] was through small groups of young officers he would have in for dinner." And when Abrams left Vietnam, Sorley writes that "he went as he had come - no bands, no ceremonies, no flags, no fuss." Similarly, when he arrived back in Washington, according to Sorley, he got rid of the Chief of Staff's ""big black Cadillac limousine...using instead a small Chevelle from Pentagon motor pool that was painted robin's egg blue. No amenities, not even a star plate."

   Sorley occasionally offers significant insight. For instance, Sorley writes that Johnson's decision not to call up the reserves at the beginning of the expansion of the war in Vietnam was "perhaps the most fateful decision of the entire conflict." (Abrams explained the impact of this decision: "We decide[d] to use the Army in Vietnam, minus the National Guard and the Army Reserve.") In addition, according to Sorley: "A pervasive atmosphere of mistrust and antagonism characterized civil-military relationships in the Pentagon of the 1960s." Sorley describes the battle of Tet in 1968 as a "true watershed," which is not penetrating analysis, but he proceeds to explain: "Before Tet, America was seeking a military victory in Vietnam, but after it she was seeking to get out." About Abrams's appointment to the position of Army Chief of Staff, Sorley writes: "Creighton Abrams returned from Vietnam to head an Army that was widely viewed, both by the nation and from within its own ranks, as dispirited and desperately in need of reform. His appointment was the first step in getting on with the job of rebuilding."

   In other places, Sorley's approach to his subject approaches hagiography. For instance, although Abrams' performance during the relief of Bastogne was heroic, Sorley's assertion that this made Abrams "the most famous small unit leader of the war" is debatable. And Sorley's assertion that "Abrams command in Vietnam was...arguably the most difficult any top American soldier in the field has ever had to face" seems extreme. But Sorley may well be correct in writing: "In terms of prior experience Abrams was probably the best-qualified man ever to assume the duties of Army Chief of Staff."

   This biography concludes with Abrams's death. I would have much preferred for Sorley to devote a few pages to placing Abrams's accomplishments in the context of American military history from World War II through the middle of the Cold War. But Abrams had an extraordinary career, and this is a very good narrative of it.




4. Sir Robert Thompson, a British counter-intelligence expert, called Abrams "the best U.S. General since Grant." Reading Sorley's terrific account of Abram's life, it's hard to argue the point.

   Abrams was an armored warfare genius. His gruff, no-nonsense exterior masked a big heart and an abiding, deeply rooted love for his men and his country. His selfless devotion to duty is a model for us all.

   For a more in-depth analysis of Abrams'considerable (though largely overlooked) post-Tet, post-Westmoreland successes in Vietnam, read Sorely's "A Better War."




5. Sir Robert Thompson, a British counter-intelligence expert, called Abrams "the best U.S. General since Grant." Reading Sorley's terrific account of Abram's life, it's hard to argue the point.

   Abrams was an armored warfare genius. His gruff, no-nonsense exterior masked a big heart and an abiding, deeply rooted love for his men and his country. His selfless devotion to duty is a model for us all.

   For a more in-depth analysis of Abrams'considerable (though largely overlooked) post-Tet, post-Westmoreland successes in Vietnam, read Sorley's "A Better War."

No comments about KEEP ALL MY LETTERS.

1 comments about Convoys of World War II: Tales of Survival, Hope And Bravery (Amazing Stories) (Amazing Stories).

1. Reviewed by William E. Cooper for Reader Views (3/06)
   
   For most of my life I've loved history, often with an emphasis of great deeds performed by people in times of crisis. In the case of this book Ms. Pedersen presents us with a series of anecdotes from sailors who operated in and survived the trials of natural and man-made issues. We have often studied American servicemen and the great accomplishments they made. It has been a rare time when we reviewed what our good friends from Canada did. Ms. Pedersen gives us the opportunity to hear from nine sailors. These average men were often put in positions of great danger and performed commendably. It is always appropriate to hear from these good people.
   
   Ms. Pedersen's book is well written, presenting the thoughts and feelings of men in continual danger, and how they reacted under high stress to get the job done. Her writing puts the reader on board with these men who helped get innumerable ships containing precious cargo to the allies fighting World War II. She provides us with insight into their courage as they performed their duties while under fire with neighboring ships being destroyed, often with considerable loss of life.
   
   I have often remarked about the greatest generation. Ms. Pedersen gives us yet another reason to believe. Well done.

5 comments about A "Guest" of the Confederacy The Civil War Letters and Diaries of Alonzo M. Keeler, Captain, Company B, Twenty-second Michigan Infantry.

1. Excellent! Well defined, well written, and precise in the accounts of A. M. Keeler during the American Civil War, pre, during and post the war. The Allen's put heart and soul into this book, and is simply a must read for any and all Civil War historians. We all read, we all study, and we all try to remember, but without a good story-line we forget, this book makes the imprint, and the feel for what took place at the time. The book compliments the historical regiment known as the Michigan 22nd. Douglas M. Casamer, Author "The Michigan 22nd Infantry and the Men Who Served".



2. I have never been a student of American history and have regretted that fact many times. Reading this greatly researched and well written book was just wonderful for someone like me. I have loved reading every detail of Keeler's confinement.There were a lot of facts that surprised me such as his family and friends sending him money, food and other items. It must have been extremely difficult for them to accomplish that in those times.
   I graduated from Armada Agricultural High School and was so surprised to find out that he taught there after his service. It was exciting to read names and places that are familiar to me having grown up in Macomb County.
   Write another book,Bob and Cheryl!!



3. An easy read, this day by day account of the life of Captain Alonzo M. Keeler, a "Guest" of the Confederacy, paints a vivid picture of a Michigan soldier's experiences in a Confederate prison camp.
   William & Muriel Beltz, Israel B. Richardson Civil War Roundtable



4. Any serious study of a battle or regiment is enhanced when the conditions the troops fought under can be included. Because so much time was spent in camp as compared to actual time spent in battle, to understand how the weather, terrain and health of the soldiers contributed to the outcome, adds depth and texture to the strategies of military maneuvers. Bob and Cherie Allen have brought together Captain Alonzo Keeler's diary, letters and speeches to the GAR to provide us with just such a look into the daily life of a 22nd Michigan Union Officer. Captain Keeler's own words illustrated the highs and lows of his confinement in Libby prison and, after the war, his return to civilian life. His depth of feeling and dedication to his regiment never wavered. This book is a great companion piece to anyone studying battles involving the 22nd Michigan.
   -Bill Grandstaff, Facilitator, Israel B. Richardson Civil War Roundtable



5. Very well written. The investigation and detail show the author's extensive knowledge of the Civil War. The many original diary entries show this book's authenticity and helps you to empathize with the emotions of Keeler as well as the many trials that the soldiers faced on a daily basis.
   
   Great for the history buff who wants factual details about the Civil War.