5 comments about Palace Cobra: A Fighter Pilot in the Vietnam Air War.

1. Once again the author goes into combat above North Vietnam. This time in an F-4 Phantom. Although the plot is similar to his earlier book, "When Thunder Rolled", this one's different enough not to feel like a warmed-over rehash. The only thing the same is his fantastic ability to "tell it like it is". Chronologicaly, the events described came after his other book but you need not have read it to enjoy this. Along with Ken Bell's "100 Missions North" this has to be one of my favorites. You come away from it with a much better understanding of the complexities of the war from a strategic as well as tactical view. The mundane day-to-day stuff balanced with the terror they must have felt flying over the most heavily defended airspace known to man. The aircrews involved did a great job in spite of the adversities and this book tells one brave pilot's story superbly!



2. 
   Rasimus returns to Vietnam for a second tour after transitioning to F-4's. We are indebted to Rasimus for his courage and his intellect. The book is superb.
   
   The book covers the air war from the height of air war against North Vietnam and the massive B-52 raids to the dog days near the end of the war when the REMF's came to get their tickets punched. Rasimus captures it all, from the sweaty, terror filled minutes of endless Sam killing missions deep over North Vietnam to the days near the end of the war when US planes did not venture into North Vietnam. The friendly skies of South Vietnam brought out those who had avoided the air war in various Pentagon burrows to get their 201 files filled with combat flying. Rasimus sorts out the good guys like Robin Olds from the slackers with a sharp knife.
   
   What differentiates this book from many other fine books is Rasimus' intellect and writing skills . Highly recommended.



3. Whilst putting you very much in the cockpit Mr Rasimus has at the same time managed to produce a thoughtful, insightful, and instructive book that gives an excellent view of the experiences, feelings and thoughts of what it meant to be a fighter pilot in the later years of the Vietnam war. An excellent sequel to his earlier book. Highly recommended.



4. Outstanding commentary of a two tour aerial war veteran of the Vietnam
   War. We were winning every time he and I left Nam.



5. ED RASIMUS WAS IN A GOOD POSITION TO DOCUMENT THE CHANGES IN ATTITUDE,TACTICS AND OPPOSITION LEVELS ENCOUNTERED IN 1966 AND THOSE IN 1972.IT IS A COLORFULL ,HONEST WITH NO PUNCHES PULLED BOOK.HE TAKES YOU ALONG IN THE COCKPIT WHERE YOU CAN ALMOST TASTE AND FEEL WHAT HE WENT THROUGH.WELL WRITTEN AND THOUROUGHLY ENJOYABLE BOOK !

2 comments about Hangar Flying with Grandpa: Flight and Adventure Stories for my Grandchildren.

1. This book is an amazing read. We are lucky to have Wilbert Turk put this down in writing. A man who joined the civilian Air corp, which became the Army Air Corp, which became the Air Force. This guy tells a story that starts with the birth of aviation and his early life fascination with it, through the formation of America's Air Force and his life and detailed battle accounts through World War II, Korea, other Cold War Efforts, and Vietnam.
   
   It is true that a lot has been said about the Greatest Generation, but I will tell you that there is more to be found and more to be learned. Untold amounts of detail and truth are found in personal histories such as this. This is a very important and a life changing book. Mr. Turk wrote this book for his grandchildren, but I believe it is a great resource to all of us.
   
   It goes without saying that I am enjoying this book.



2. This book is a great look at what life was like as a career military pilot from the beginning of WWII to the end of the Vietnaum conflict. Lots of good insights into what it was like to live in post-war Germany.

5 comments about Slavemaster President: The Double Career of James Polk.

1. This is a not uninteresting, well written and well researched look at a very narrow aspect of the life and career of James Polk, detailing very thoroughly his role as an owner of a deep-south plantation and his relationships with his slaves. If that interests you, this is an ideal book for you to read. If you're looking for an in-depth full life biography of James Polk, or even a book that gives much insight into his career as a politician and president, or any other facet of his life than that of slaveowner, this is definitely NOT what you're looking for.



2. This book was not written by a fan or supporter of this Tennessee president, but released by a Yankee group who hides behind "Oxford" so we might think Mississippi or England. Not so, William Dusinberre must be fuddies with the university professors who tore apart Nathan Bedford Forrest in the same way. Overlooked completely he status and the part these Tennesseans played in the history of this nation. It's best to consider character assassination with the conflicting thins these writers emphasize while leaving out the real story, the facts of the matter. James K. Polk had been Governor of Tehhessee and Speaker of the House of Representatives before becoming U. S. president. It was not a secret that he owned slaves to work on his cotton plantation in Mississippi. We didn't have such in Tennessee, but I have an old post card of the 11th President's bust which stands in the State Capitol in Nashville. We visited Polk's ancestral home in downtown Columbia, Tennessee. It was not out in the country, though a famous one is in that county owned by a female physician. She did not have slaves. Forrest's family were fine, upstanding natives of Chapel Hill, not so far east from Columbia. It infuriates me when I innocently find weird subverted stuff like thos on the public library shelves. I wish the reference librarians who ordered these fiction pretending to be non-fiction before putting them out for just anybody to read. Polk was duly elected and in the White House from 1845 to 1849, before the Civil War. He was not responsible for that war.
   
   This person from Cape Town used the false writings of professor Wayne Cutler when he came to this Republican town, and thought that what he was reading was truth. Polk was a Southern Democrat. What would he write about Huey B. Long, George Wallace, and other governors who stood tall for what the South stands for. The politics of slavery did not have any substance whatsoever in the war which divided this country. It was states' rights -- the Southern states, which Northerners would not understand. I learned more than I had planned that there is a conspiracy going on to deride Southern leaders and presidents. They were statesmen and war heroes and lived to be a part of the history of America. Modern history-writing is all wrong, when the author makes up "facts" as he is inclined, and not factually.



3. I'm not sure if I would have been better off reading a general bio on Polk first, becuase this book is very biased, as the author admits. The argument is that Polk's policy was stronly influenced by him being a slaveowner. That Polk had conflicting interests because he ran several plantations in Tn and Miss and he was using the money from the plantations to secure himself a post-presidential retirement.

   The book is organized in an interesting way. It begins by describing Polk's plantations and what it was like for the slaves , plus gives details regarding the overseers,a nd Polk's policies regarding purchasing and selling of slaves. Polk endeavored to hide what he was doing from the general public and his reasons for selling and guying were definitley not always patriarchal, but monetary.

   Polk died a few months after leaving office, and none or few of his papers were destroyed, hence we have a record of what ocurred on the plantations.

   the second half of the book covers the main aspects of Polk's presidential career --annexation of Tx and the MX War. The author discusses the events through the lens of slavery and tried to argue Polk's descisions were heavily influenced by Polk being a slaveowner. the author presents many what-ifs, discussing a vairety of other scenarios that could have happened during Polk's presidency had he made other choices. I found these diversions to be a strength of the book instead of an irritant. The book gave me a lot to think about,a nd it was particulary interesting to learn the details of what Polk plantation life was like.




4. For American history buffs in general, and Civil War enthusiasts in particular, William Dusinberre has produced a volume worthy of your attention. Dusinberre argues with great vigor that James Polk helped to plant the seeds of civil war while he was President during the late 1840's. While pursuing the Presidency, Polk presented himself as a moderate on the issue of slavery. All the while, he was quietly engaged in the buying and selling of slaves for his Mississippi plantation. Dusinberre argues that throughout his four years in office, Polk advocated policies designed to perpetuate slavery for the forseable future. He cites in particular the annexation of Texas as a major issue. The book also chronicles the appalling working and living conditions many slaves were forced to live under and the total disregard that most slavemasters (Polk included) for the slaves family lives. In most instances, if it was a profitable transaction, slaves were sold off to the highest bidder and families were torn apart. Polk always portrayed himself as the benevolent master but the facts seem to dispute his claims. The book can be slow moving and at times I wondered if I would have the endurance to finish it. But I am glad I did. This book gives us an entirely new perspective on the events of that period and as such is a welcome addition.



5. James Polk is usually the least familiar president to appear on historiansý top 10 lists. But for William Dusinberre, Polk firmly holds a spot near the very bottom. For Dusinberre, Polk and his ideological brethren set the country on a course that unnecessarily led to the Civil War, the violent fall of the South, and the self-destruction of his own class.

   Polk annexed Texas and was the instigator of the Mexican American War, which led to acquisition of most of the southwest for the United States. Polk also took the Oregon territory, which encompassed much of what is now the northwestern United States. Dusinberre suggests that there was a certain inevitability to some of this, but the way it all played out, and the final border results were far from certain. Polkýs overly aggressive expansionism was, to Dusinberre the worst possible way for the country to stretch from sea to shinning sea because it infused militarism and obstinacy into the debate about the future of slavery.

   Dusinberre convincingly argues that Polkýs, and the Southern ruling classesý mores about slavery as a tool of social order, southern honor, and states rights were all subservient to the economic benefits reaped by slave owners such as Polk. This economic incentive was so great, that it blinded Polk to what Dusinberre believes to be the inevitable fall of slavery. A more forward-looking advocate of the Southern ruling class could have promoted a plan for a soft landing and perhaps sought alliances with moderates, rather than painting everyone who had any problems with slavery as extreme ýabolitionists.ý

   Polkýs military adventurism, intolerance for even discussion of issues related to slavery, and insistence that slave ownersý so-called rights should be expanded (or the South would lose its dominance in the Senate) was coupled by his implicit threat of secession in the event of almost any sort of compromise. Dusinberre argues that before Polk and his war, different gradations of opinion existed in the south, but afterward existed only unithought. The Civil War followed.

   SLAVEMASTER PRESIDENT is not really a biography as much as it is a study of how slave ownership may have affected the ideology of pre-Civil War southern Democrats such as and including Polk, and how that ideology in turn contributed to the conditions that led to the Civil War. It is a compelling argument. Dusinberre also achieves a heart-rending description of slave life on the Polk plantation. The book achieves what it set out to do.

   Still, I would have liked the book to be a bit more biographical. Dusinberre expains up front that his book ýdoes not discuss Polkýs role as a congressman in President Andrew Jacksonýs war against the Bank of the United States. Nor does it portray President Polkýs part in securing the Tariff of 1846, nor his diplomacy with Britain, which led to the establishment of the northwestern boundary dividing the United States from Canada. These stories,ý explains Dusinberre, ýhave been told elsewhere.ý Maybe they have, but there is remarkably little popular literature on this influential, if wrongheaded president. I am satisfied with Dusinberreýs book such that it is, but it also left me wanting to read more about Polk.

3 comments about Alexander the Great: Man and God.

1. The quantity of books that I have read of Alexander the Great are self explanatory in by looking at my comments.
   I was born in the first Alexandria that he created and from his dreams. Mixtures of cultures.Italians came centuries ago,hence I was born.
   It is very hard to judge Alexander,as all of the papyruses regarding his life and conquest were distroyed when the library of Alexandria was burned down centuries after his death.
   However some and other related documents have survived the centuries.It is hard not to admire such a bright kid,who captured the lives of many over the centuries with his astonishing tactics of war.
   Many books have been written and I am sure that many more will come.The point however is that nothing new has been discovered,therefore these are all assumptions of his character and megalomaniac attitudes.This book is very well written,with some sections that are new to me.How did these come to be,and not by famous historians I am not sure.
   There are more details in this book about Bessus,the women in Darius life,the invasion of Sogdiana,Bactria,the Hindu Khush.Details of the cities that Alexander invaded with the actual modern location is important for the reader.
   It is not a stunning book but very well written.
   To me Alexander was not born a conqueror instead he was a discoverer.He wanted to discover the world,but in doing so he had to invade in order to go on.He did not seem to be interested in gold and precious things rather he gave them away.
   His tactics for war,were cunning and seemed like a little kid playing with tin soldiers with his friends.
   I still have not read or heard of anyone in history who has accomplished so much in such a little time in his life.
   I liked the maps with the details of the assaults in this book.as well as the maps altogether.I like to follow the trails of the battles.
   He certainly was not a God, never the less you can find him in the Bible as well as the Koran.Isn't that strange?
   A lot of discoveries and archaeological sights have been discovered in Alexandria Egypt in recent years.Still the mystery remains.Where is Alexander's body? Are we every going to find him? I hope so.
   If we do, we may also discover the papyruses that were also buried with him.What a breakthrough in history that would be.



2. I find it funny and irksome to read the writings of these armchair kings and generals calling themselves "scholars" sitting on some moral high horse they erect for themselves. I'm just curious what they get out of it. Worthington is certainly a noteworthy scholar with great credentials, but why he sits in his den or office and think he could apply the morals of today to those of some 2500 years ago is not something I could fathom. Clearly, there is an agenda of some sort that belie the thoroughly researched materials.
   
   The book is certainly well-written and it's obvious that Worthington knows his stuff, but his obvious undisguised bias towards the negative over the positive gets a little old. It's so easy to exaggerate the negative (which we ALL have) into something monstrous and totally unsavory. This is exactly what Worthington does time and time again, selectively citing sources or leaving them out to make his point as some sort of prosecutor/judge.
   
   I've read many books about Alexander by noted historians and scholars and they do indeed run the gamut from gushing positivity to dark sourpuss vitriol like this book by Worthington. It's fascinating that Alexander means so many different things to different people - kind of like the German opera composer Wagner. The thing about Alexander is that - no matter what - he'll be studied, admired, revered, reviled, debated over for many millennias to come (assuming mankind survives that long), long after irrelevant books like these have disappeared...



3. This book is a wonderful chronical both of Alexander the Great's life and conquests. It's primary strength is in the amount of sheer details of Alexander's conquests, his social programs, etc. By reading this book you'll get an excellent understanding of the politics during his time, the practical difficulties that Alexander had conquering such vast regions, and the various ramifications of Alexander's decisions.
   
   However, this book does go a bit politically correct when it gets into the issue of whether Alexander the Great should be called "the great" or "the accursed" (which btw the Iranians seem prefer...seems they haven't gotten over Alexander ending their golden age). Although, to be fair the author does lay out a good case for relabeling Alexander "the accursed"...or at least acknowledging that his legacy was mixed.
   
   This book does an excellent job imparting a comprehensive understanding of Alexander the great, his life and his effect on history, etc. You even learn enough to see how thing could have gone differently (if Alexander had an obvious heir when died, if he accepted the proposal of Darius to accept all land west of the Euphrates, if he had lived longer and conquered Arabia and Carthage which he was planning on doing).

5 comments about Through My Eyes (Hellgate Memories Series.).

1. It is always an interesting look at history when you read it first hand from those who were a part of making it happen; like WWII veteran Leon Weckstein does with his well told chronicle of war in Italy "Through My Eyes." Not only does he take us through those campaigns and battles as an eye witness, but he gives us some insightful and emotional views of what happened.
   
   This is not your normal memoir taken from some diary or journal - his story reads at times like an action novel with feelings and sensitivity. His choice of phrasing and words makes for some good reading; however, the actual events he writes about and his personal relationships are what drive this book. How fate, divine intervention or perhaps his own actions stopped the destruction of the historic landmark "The Leaning Tower of Pisa" is something that caught my fullest attention. I had first laid eyes on that tower as a 19 year old teenager hitch hiking across Europe in 1965; it is hard to imagine what a great loss to the world that destruction would have been. He did have orders to destroy the place and its fate was in his hands for a period of time. What happened makes for a great story but there are several other instances and experiences in his book which are enthralling and will hold your attention.
   
   Weckstein has natural storytelling ability for describing what he experienced. This is truly a gift for the ages. We are fortunate to have had men like him to sit down and tell their stories. This is real history about real men in war. A must read for all history and WWII buffs. I thoroughly enjoyed reading his book and it is on my personal list of books you might consider reading!



2. Leon Weckstein has written a book that lets one see the Italian campaign from the viewpoint of a single soldier. It is exactly the book that I needed to know more about what my own father experienced as an enlisted man in the 91st Division. Weckstein's description of his experience enhances what my father told us of his experience and means much to us. Though my father was in the 362nd Infantry and Leon was in the 363rd, their experiences were probably similar since the units were working on the same objectives as they fought to dislodge the Germans from town after town and from the mountain tops along Highway 65 in Italy.

   Weckstein's courage, skill and love of the Italian people all make this a worthwhile book.




3. I'm glad Mr. Weckstein wrote down his WWII memoirs. I wish that more veterans would follow his lead. There is much to learn about human nature & the privilege given to glimpse into the private hell of wartime active duty is a sacred trust. However, Mr. Weckstein's needed an experienced writer to make his story more palatable. He uses one recurring dream-sequence where he imagines his German counterpart which goes on & on... & on. I would have appreciated more reality about his comrades. To be sure, Mr. Weckstein is a hero with a story that must be told. However, there are better 1st person WWII narratives.



4. I wrote the Foreword to this book. Leon Weckstein and I both served in the 363rd Infantry. His book follows the trail of the 91st through training in Oregon. In April, 1944 the 91st shipped out to North Africa for Operation Vendetta, then to Italy where it fought out the war. Weckstein knows what it was like to endure combat in the mountains of Italy. Those who don't should read his book. For those veterans of the 91st, my book, POWDER RIVER! is now out of print. The original history published in 1947 has been reprinted by the Battery Press and is once again available.



5. I just got "Through My Eyes" and I am already on Chapter 10. I simply love it! Weckstein's anecdotal style makes this a very quick, enjoyable read. The paragraph describing "S.O.S." made me laugh the hardest I have in a long time. I laughed so hard, my wife had to come and check on me to see if I was OK. As the webmaster for the 91st Division, I highly recommend this book.

4 comments about Flightpath: A Biography of Frank Barker.

1. This was an interesting biography about a pilot turned pastor. It was a bit choppy to read, but the sentiment was nice.



2. Two weeks ago, Frank and Barbara Barker spoke at our Mid-Winter Conference. They love the Lord and His people, and they also love those people who are seeking God's guidance in their day-to-day lives.
   
   Flight Path contains actual events that God has used to guide Frank all of his life - even when he resisted! I recommend this book, because it is direct and honest - just as Frank and Barbara are. Thank you, Janie and Mary Lou, for writing it.



3. A biography is an account of a person's life written by another person. An autobiography is an account of a person's life written by that person. We would assume that a biography would be written in the third-person and an autobiography would be written in the first-person. Through reading hundreds of books, that has been my experience. Or it has been until I read Flight Path, A Biography of Frank Barker Jr.. A biography of Frank Barker written by Janie Buck and Mary Lou Davis, it is written in the first person. In the final chapter the authors explain this innovation: "Writing the life story of Frank Barker has been a process of 'slash and burn.' So much material that could, and probably should, be included was left out. There is no way to record all the great things God has done in and through him. Therefore, I have written about the man and not his voluminous accomplishments. After two years of collecting information and praying, God led me to write as if Frank was telling his own story."
   
   I had never heard of Frank Barker until I read this book. Yet it seems that I probably should have heard of him. Barker founded Briarwood Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Birmingham, Alabama--a megachurch long before America was littered with hundreds of them. It must surely still be one of the few Presbyterian megachurches. As surprising as it is that, what is more surprising is that a man like Frank Barker would be the one to begin and nurture such a church. Born into a believing home, Barker fled from the Lord. He lived hard during his teenage years and eventually joined the Navy, becoming a fighter pilot. He continued his hard living until he was radically saved by the Lord and felt called to the ministry.
   
   In the summer of 1960, Frank Barker agreed to help the Birmingham Presbytery start a church in Cahaba Heights. Just a couple of months later, Briarwood Presbyterian Church was officially chartered. Barker led the church for four decades before retiring near the close of 1999. Flight Path is Barker's story, beginning with his childhood and ending with his post-"retirement" career as a speaker and leader.
   
   John MacArthur says of this book: "The story of Frank Barker is an amazing account of how God uses the faithful and the humble. In a marvelous way Christ sought him, saved him, and made him an effective instrument for the building up of the church. What a remarkable and encouraging legacy!" I was struck as well by the way Christ sought Barker, how He saved him, and how God raised him up to begin such a great work. So often it seems that God chooses the most unlikely people to do great things for Him, whether it be in choosing Moses, who was terrified of public speaking, to be His mouthpiece; choosing Paul, who persecuted the church, to be the one who would relay the theology of the New Testament; or Frank Barker, a man who lived for his own pleasure and satisfaction, to be the man who built a church that God used to save so many.
   
   An interesting book that tells a fascinating life-story, Flight Path was an enjoyable read and one I am glad to recommend.



4. If you can get a copy of this book to read, do it! It's one of the best biographies I've read in a while. It's succinct and densely loaded with good and encouraging stuff about how Frank finally understood salvation is a gift (Rom. 6:23), how he remained faithful to God's Word, and how God has and is using him even though he's made mistakes and remains a sinner. Is a testimony to God's faithfulness to build the church.

5 comments about The Marble Man: Robert E. Lee and His Image in American Society.

1. I generally enjoy anything written by Thomas Connelly and this book was no exception. It is a very academic approach to dissecting the reasons why we revere Lee as a great leader of the "Lost Cause" for Southern Independence.
   
   Many of Connelly's assertions will be unsettling for those hardcore fans of R.E. Lee. I myself was uncomfortable with some of what Connelly serves up as the reasons for Lee's eventual canonization in American culture.
   
   But it is also hard to ignore some of the well argued reasons for Lee's place in history. I was particulary intriqued with Jubal Early's role in creating the "legends" surrounding Lee. Early was certainly one Southern General who might have been expected to despise Marse Robert. And indeed, Connelly paints a portrait of a man driven to place Lee on a pedestal to in some small way, regain his commander's affection.
   
   And of course there were deeper seated needs that Southerners had for enobling the "Lost Cause" by revering a leader, whose moral character and leadership were unchallenged.
   
   Connelly does a good job of making the reader really think about the motivations of those people who created some of the myths surrounding Lee. In the end, they needed to believe in the greatness of Lee, because the greatness of the cause was so suspect in the end.
   
   Connelly's treatment does not diminish Lee. Instead, the real man begins to emerge from the marble of time and history. And indeed, the real R.E. Lee was a very great man indeed.



2. I found the book "The Marble Man" to be disappointing in several ways. The author, Thomas L Connelly, attempts to illustrate that the modern notion of Robert E. Lee as a selfless leader, great general, noble gentleman, and devoted family man is the result of a vast Virginian conspiracy.
   Connelly's composition leaves something to be desired. The prologue, chapters, and epilogue seem to be thrown together in a way that shouldn't be described as "seamless". He is repetitive with quotes, often using the same quote from the same person several times (sometimes to convey different meanings). Throughout the book, one is waiting for the big "hook", or the "zinger" where Connelly will finally show his indisputable truth that Lee is not what he seems to be. This never arrives.
   Connelly is certainly a well known historian, but not much of a Theologian. The "God thing" is throughout the book and really bothers/baffles Connelly. At various times he identifies Robert E Lee as a Calvinist, an Episcopalian, and a Puritan. Lee was a very devout Christian and attended the Episcopalian denominational churches most of his life. Connelly describes many of Lee's beliefs as "other-worldliness" and a "fixation on death". No time here to go into this in depth, but Connelly scratched the surface of something his just doesn't get.
   One huge goal of many post modern historians is to bring the great down (no evidence necessary) and to elevate the base. "Lincoln was a homosexual"..."Clinton a great leader for his time" The beat goes on.



3. I must say that the Marble Man is a good read. I can say this from two perspectives. First, I read the book and thouroughly enjoyed it. Second, Dr. Connelly was my professor and advisor at the University of South Carolina from 1986 until 1988. I cannot express enough what an experience it was to sit in one of his classes and listen to his lectures. It was like being transported back in time to the battle or period we were covering that day. The students would wait with anticipation before he arrived and didn't want to leave when the class was over because the transportation back in time would end when we'd leave the classroom. I remember Dr. Connelly's assessment of Lee quite well. While Lee was a good general, he did tend to be wasteful with resources and has become overrated with time. I strongly encourage the reader of this review to read anything written by Dr. Connelly. He was an amazing man.



4. Connelly argues that Robert E. Lee's heroic image was largely created post-war by a small group of Virginians, and goes on to give what he regards as a more accurate assessment.
   
   While agreeing that the post-war canonization of Lee imposed some distortions upon historians which modern scholars do well to avoid, several things about this study didn't convince me. Firstly, Connelly spends little time analyzing Lee's popularity during the war, which rose after the Peninsula campaign and remained high through the end; Lee and his army were a significant image and source of morale to all Southerners, not just Virginians, at that time.
   
   Secondly, Connelly makes various statements about personalities and psychological quirks -- Mary Custis Lee was "unpleasant", Lee was morbid and death-obsessed -- in the presence of limited supporting evidence and of no discussion of the mentalities, religious faith, and social norms of the time. (His idiosyncratic assessment of individuals includes a characterization of Fitz Lee as the worst of Lee's cavalry commanders -- even considering the shadbake incident, that seems like too strong a statement when one considers that Fitz' competition for the worst would include candidates such as Grumble Jones and the luckless Lunsford Lomax.)
   
   This study does reveal the ugly post-war squabble for the portrayal of history in all its inglory.



5. This book might be approached as an examination of how a well-known personality is transformed for a human being into a cultural icon. Sequentially and chronologically Connelly takes his readers through that process using Robert E. Lee as the item of investigation. Along the way, Connelly makes commentary on the differences between the cultures of the north and south and how Lee's legion spread because of those cultural differences. That context has been well-established by numerous writers. Connelly simply uses it for a closer examination of Lee. For example, on page 102 he quotes another historian, Bradley T. Johnson in writing "Environmental factors had forced North and South to develop contrasting socieites. The North, 'invigorated' by constant struggle with nature, became materialistic, grasping for wealth and power. The South's 'more generous climate' had wrought a life-style based upon non-materialism and adherence to a finer code of 'veracity and honor in man, chastity and fidelity in women'"
   This book helps a person to understand how history evolves in the process of retelling over a period of several generations.

4 comments about Runway Visions: An American C-130 Pilot's Memoir of Combat Airlift Operations in Southeast Asia, 1967-1968.

1. Runway Visions is the appropriately titled story of Captain Vaughan's experiences and "bringing up" as a C-130 aviator in Southeast Asia from February 1967 to April 1968, from a newly ordained aircraft commander (AC) at Dyess AFB to "new guy" novitiate in the right seat, progressing to the left seat as AC with a crew, and both seats as an instructor pilot, to check out the "new guys". Early in his fifteen-month tour, he is introduced to the harrowing landing required of An Khe Golf Course, relieved by the construction of a new runway nearby (An Khe Main), then back to the dread of the Golf Course when the new runway is closed for further improvement. Missions to Khe Sanh during his tour are described, the crew's Christmas dinner at the chow hall providing signs of the future siege.
   Airlift operations during this time in that part of the world have been little documented, so this journal of a C-130 pilot is a welcome addition to the literature of military aviation for the period. Most pilots seem to have the most vivid impressions of their landing strips, regardless of time, place, or aircraft flown, and this book would be welcomed by many, especially those who know that runways are not always straight and level, or paved and lighted. Perhaps it would prove an awakening for those who don't, and should, as well.



2. I bought this book because I am going into the Air Force Reserves as a C-130 pilot. I, of course, found it very interesting and informative, but I don't think I would recommend it to any non-pilots and would hesitate to recommend it to a non-airlift military pilot. A lot of people would find the topics he discusses very boring as compared to a fighter or bomber type memoir book. Nevertheless, I thought the stories he told were awesome - he talks about almost every mission the Hercules performs - hauling mail, booze, troops, dead bodies, ammo, and medical litters of injured troops. He also details the short-field capability of the C-130 flying into all of those fields in 'Nam. There are several hair-raising stories that he depicts where they are supplying the Marines at Khe Sahn during Tet and others where he is landing in bad weather, runways with craters, dirt strips, etc. He also mixes up the book with some details of the social life in Thailand, Taiwan, and the Philippines (he parallels the airlifting stories with stories about a chick he "hangs out" with in Bangkok.)

   Anyway, I thought it was a great read, but I doubt most folks would think so unless they were very into the C-130 - like me.




3. I found David Kirk Vaughan's book about his experiences as an airlift pilot in Vietnam impossible to put down. His descriptions of action in and out of the cockpit are done such that they are very easy to understand, even if one is not a pilot. Yet, even the experienced military aviator will find some intriguing action there for him too.

   Vaughan's description of landing at the "golf course" is but one example. Written in such a manner that the novice can appreciate the extreme difficulty of such a task, an aviator will nearly be in disbelief, especially after seeing the landing strip in one of the several photos that the author took during his tour and which are included in the book.

   Of course there is plenty of action outside the cockpit, too. Again, I found Vaughan's descriptions superb as he related his travels throughout Thailand, Vietnam, the Phillipines and back "home" in Taiwan.

   If one wishes to have a better understanding of the life of a military transport pilot or to have a record of Vietnam war airlift action, then this is a must buy!




4. Runway Visions is a memoir of a young pilot who volunteers to go to SE Asia and fly Hercules C-130 supply missions during the Viet Nam war.

   David Vaughan tells a compelling tale, one that haunts me. It is not a story full of heroic rescues, though there is a little of that. It is the tale of a man looking back at himself and trying to make sense of what he did and saw. He holds little back.A difficult book to describe, but one that this reader found very satisfying. One of the best books I have read in a long time.

No comments about Imperfect Equality: African Americans and the Confines of White Ideology in PostEmancipation Maryland. (Reconstructing America (Series), No. 2.).

5 comments about Narrative of Sojourner Truth.

1. So often we find out how important a piece of text written hundreds of years ago can change the way the human species views the world as well as themselves. The Narrative of Sojourner Truth is such a novel. Not only does it show the harshness of human error, it also illuminates the strength and compassion that exists within all of us . I now realize how iggnorant I actually was before reading this novel. I had no idea that cruelty to slaves was so prominant in the northern part of the U.S during the early 1800s. The reader can feel the raw emotion radiating off this extraordinary women who faught so hard for racial and sexual equality. Sojouner(or Isabella) is so commited, she even fasted for three days just to improve herself spiritually. It is acts like this as well as the numerous occasions where she seeks to help others that will leave the reader in awe. I would suggest this book to any body interested in America's history and anybody who is looking for a little inspiration in their lives. This narrative is part of America's young yet vast history and should never be forgotten.



2. Provided a valuable insight into some of the thinking of slaves even while experiencing inhumane treatment and searching for their own identity. A woman of courage, foresight and well ahead of her time.



3. In a world that still suffers from the blight of slavery, mainly in Islamic nations and northern Africa, and Sudan, but also through the sex trade in nations like Thailand, this book is a great nonfiction account, especially for grade and middle schoolers, but also for all who think slavery is a thing of the past.



4. I can never tire of learning the depts of suffering black woman had to endure. It gives me even more pride for my people and much hope for a better tomorrow.



5. very much a must read
   the way the words flow
   with your thoughts
   as if you were really there
   to me it is a must read
   nice book