3 comments about General Stand Watie's Confederate Indians.

1. ....one of the worst of which is that the Confederacy was a white, Anglo-Saxon monolith. The truth is that the Confederacy pioneered the idea of giving blacks and women positions of authority [the Matron Law], placed Jews in positions of power, and put General's stars on a Mexican. And, we had the first American Indian General; this wonderful book is his story.
   
   Stand Watie was born in Georgia in 1806, and went west on the Trail of Tears. In Oklahoma, he became a rich, powerful, slave-owning rancher. [Yes, Indians owned slaves; so did Jews, Mexicans, and, surprise, Blacks]. He also gained both friends and enemies; as one of the two rival Principal Chiefs of the Cherokee Nations, he headed the Mixed Blood faction, which some thought got along a little too well with the government. [The other Chief, John Ross, was also a rich slave-owning rancher, living in a mansion, married to a white woman; he had less Indian blood than Watie]. Sort of like the Pure Bloods and the Mud-Bloods in the Harry Potter stories, only this wasn't funny........
   
   When the Civil War came, both sides wanted the Indians of the Five Civilized Tribes in present day Oklahoma; enter another of the few Civil War characters who provide a measure of comic relief, Brigadier General Albert Pike, sent by the Confederacy to recruit the Indians; he did a pretty good job, too, capitalizing on the very real beef that the Indians had with the US. Pike's Civil War career is a minor footnote to a long, productive life. Today, he is best known as the philosopher of Scottish Rite Masonry. Pike resigned in late 1862 [Maybe---another topic], and was replaced by the more conventional, but less colorful, Douglas Cooper. Cooper said that Pike was either disloyal to the Confederacy, or was insane; Masons know which was the case.....
   
   Oklahoma saw action all thru the war; the battles aren't as well known as the eastern ones, but the troops gave just as much, and the dead were just as dead. Stand Watie was a hero of Wilson's Creek, and proved to be an effective leader the whole way. Indeed, this was a theatre of operations where the Confederacy remained viable right to the end. Stand Watie was rewarded with General's stars in 1864, and was the very last Confederate General to stack arms.
   
   This book is a true classic, a well written account of a part of the Civil War that most people don't even know existed.. Many thanks to Mr. Cunningham, and many thanks to the University of Oklahoma Press for making it available.



2. Well written chronicle of one of the South's finest soldiers.
   Too little has been introduced about the struggle between North and South in the Nations. This book is the best I have read on the subject.
   Watie and his gallant band are well represented in their struggle to defend their families and save their homes from ruin during the Yankee invasion.



3. Excellent overview of Native American Confederates. A little looked at fact of the Civil War. Does justice to all men, women of all color, nationalities whom fought for what they beleived in.

5 comments about A Ranger Born.

1. First off, let me say I admire Bob Black for what he did for his country. He served in Korea and Vietnam and fought the good fight. I will disagree with him on wheather the war was winnable or not in both places. If we had to go to the Yalu and beyond, we could have triggered WWIII. If we had invaded North Vietnam, we would have faced guerrilla war in the mountains of NVA. Black believes the military was held back and prevented from winning. All of these are disputable areas.
   
   That being said, Black related his time in service in both wars. This battle book is no different than many others out there. I enjoyed the war stories. This was an OK read about the U.S. military.



2. On page 207 of the paperback edition, Black writes about "sappers believed to have been drawn from a North Vietnamese parachute regiment." After I inquired to well over 100 Vietnam (in-country) veterans about a North Vietnamese parachute regiment, I was met with blank stares. A high percentage of these individuals served in combat units (i.e. Special Forces, 173rd, 101st, 1st Aviation Brigade). NO ONE EVER HEARD of a North Vietnamese parachute regiment. I was curious, so I contacted the author (Black) via telephone on Saturday (30 May, 2004). Black stated that he obtained the information from the military archives at Carlisle Barracks. When I checked the archives, no hits were obtained on this subject from their site, however they are now closed for the summer due to an ongoing physical location move. As a former combat Special Forces soldier and a retired homicide detective, I smell embellishment on this subject!



3. Unlike the technical, detailed Ranger books written by Col. Black, this one is from a personal standpoint and draws you into the story from page one until the last word is read. The book starts with Col. Black as a child and the desire to be a Ranger is obvious; to what it takes to qualify for Ranger training; what it takes to endure the training and what drives a Ranger to stay a Ranger. A story about being an American in the war ravaged country of Korea and Viet Nam. You read about betrayal, unrequited love, the guts and glory of war; the survival of war, and at times with a sense of humor. You laugh, you cry. It grips your heart; it grips your soul, but most of all it makes you proud to be an American; proud to have men of his calibar fighting for your freedom and that of our Country.



4. As a child born during the Vietnam war, I was embarrassed that I knew little about it. I could not have picked a better teacher. Learning about this time in history was decorated with the amazing story of one extraordinary man. I could not have picked a better character to guide me through the US military and Asian conflicts of my childhood. As the words of Robert Black carried me into worlds of the misunderstood, I came out of the the autobiography with an educated understanding of a troubled time in our history. Robert Black is the "Dr Phil" or our US Armed Forces. He tells it like it is, whether you are ready or not. In A Ranger Born, he writes for all those who care to learn and laugh on a journey that explores an unsafe time in history escorted by a Ranger that will protect and entertain you through the entire tour.
   I hope Col. Black is deciding who will play him in the movie. I have a few suggestions...does anyone else? Read the book and you will see unforgetable characters come to life. Col. Black is the man everyone wants in their foxhole!!! Reading his book is as close as you will get!



5. This is the best book yet in Robert Black's series about the U. S. Rangers. It is the remarkable story of a young boy who knew exactly what he wanted to be when he grew up and who worked toward that goal from then on. Black has revealed in his series that he is a true soldier/scholar. This book traces his story through triumph and sadness. His love for his fellow Rangers shines from the story as does his love for his country. He writes with compassion and wit. The man who is the soldier and the soldier who is the man will live with you for a long time.

5 comments about Road to Baghdad: Behind Enemy Lines: The Adventures of an American Soldier in the Gulf War.

1. Captain Micheal Stanton is captured in Kuwait during the first Gulf War. He is Saddam's guest for many months. It's quite surprising that this happend and the small attention it got on from the media.



2. Self-incrimination.
   
   COL Hart's review below is spot-on.
   
   To a civilian reader unfamiliar with military law, good order and discipline, and professional conduct of an Army officer, this book will appear to be exactly as other reviewers have described it...a well-told, entertaining adventure story. However, the truth of the tale appears to be that the author acted with willful disregard to Army regulations and in a reckless manner, which ultimately led to his detection and capture, thus negating whatever tactical usefulness his presence served during the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait.



3. I will not write a detailed review, suffice to say I agree with the other 5-star ratings already written and highly recommend this book. Very well written and keeps your interest throughout. I enjoyed the narrative from cover to cover and it gave a great insight into the "mentality" of the middle east and what we continue to be up against in that region (with friend and foe). I'm glad he was able to survive, put it together in a book and not be just another untold story.



4. Marty Stanton has the ability to spin a fascinating story. Before the first Gulf War, he was assigned to a one of a kind military organization, quite unlike anything which most career soldiers will ever experience. The opportunities that assignment gave him for travel and interaction with the locals, lead to a unique perspective on that period of history. Coupling his rare view of events with his sense of humor, he has used his gift for writing to produce an accurate account of events which is fun and easy to read. Most soldiers never have the opportunity to find themselves in the sort of situations that Stanton writes about. Using plain language that takes you along with him on the adventure of a lifetime, this book is a must for anyone going on an assignment as a military advisor or observer. A good read for anyone interested in history, the military, or life in the Middle East.



5. I found Stanton's book as a self-serving promotion of an Army officer who did something stupid and in violation of the current US CENTRAL COMMAND policy and in violation of State Department travel warnings issued weeks before the invasion. Granted as an Army officer also present during the invasion there is no doubt that his two days of observation were interesting but hardly of any strategic value. Two days in the Sheraton and then a human sheild is all very good, and makes a good story for an officer who knowingly entered a country purely for self gain. The books reflects how a individual who has used a circumstance to self promote himself. As any military value is highly questionalbe and not worth the read.
   COL FRED HART
   FORMER HOSTAGE AT THE AMERICAN EMBASSIES IN KUWAIT AND BAGHDAD AUG 1990-DEC 1990.

5 comments about Pol Pot: Anatomy of a Nightmare (John MacRae Books).

1. Pol Pot: Anatomy of a Nightmare (John MacRae Books)
   This study deserves to be another documented remainder of the practical and , unfortunately , logical consequences of what began as a humanistic idea about equality and sameness and ended in its consequent and tragic equation , cca at least half a billion unmarked graves stretching from the revolutionary France up to the bloodiest of all eras , the 20th century with communisms of different ' denominations '( e.g. stalinism , titoism ,Pol - potism ... ) . If we could dare calculate the percentage of people murdered in a time unit , then Cambodia is probably at the top of the saddest scale imaginable ,as 2 million people , a third of population , were starved and butchered on the infamous killing fields . Mr. Short's analysis is a hard core scientific work which tries to minutely describe and explain the history of Cambodia before the WWII , before the arrival of Khmer Rouges and the creation of the real Hell on Earth in the mid70s, the period of its 'great' leap forward and its quick demise , succeeding perfectly in illustrating the mindset behind Pot Pol and his clique , that was fatally influenced , which Mr Short repeats on numerous occasions , by at that time fashionable , e.g. progressive ideas , which were a) French b) marxist c) nihilistic . All these ideas were combined with the pre-existing Cambodian traditions and psychological mindsets , where violence in its most bizzare and brutal form ( according to one of the interviewees in the book , it was nothing unusual for children ,while swimming in a local river, to find severed human heads floating around , special forms of torture where a torturer is dancing around a helpless victim with a machete before hacking him to pieces and drinking his blood, etc. ) co-exists with the image of the most peaceful people in the world . All these , as well as the opposition against the king , poor management by the colonial master France , senseless interparty bickering, and war in the neighbouring Vietnam were factors that inescapably led to the final stage - red inferno with the secret sect first called Angkar to which virtually everything had to be sacrificed ( not only material objects, cars , tv sets ,etc. ) but specially human , individual characterictics , the very feelings , the soul itself , where the greatest sin was , simply , to have a thought! This study is another document of the 'usefulness'of radical ideas , where it is impossible to remain untouched , and a document which must serve as a perennial warning of how evil a man can be ! It is first and foremost a tribute to all the innocent Cambodians that were massacred en masse because of a psychopatic idea in psychopatic minds .



2. As some of the previous reviewers have already stated, this is not your typical biography. Short shows the life of Pol Pot and the history of Cambodia at the same time. Short shows how an evil man such as Pol Pot could rise to the top of the Khymer Rouge, and the eventual downfall of both the country and his evil regime. At close to 500 pages of reading, this biography and the accompanying history is pretty heavy reading.
   
   Pol Pot was the Angkar of this regime. He was secretive, vindictive, and a self serving. He thought he was the brains of the Khymer Rouge, and everybody else was the follower. Any threat to his leadership was met with death by his opponents. It was too bad he died in his old age. He needed to meet the same fate as Saddam Hussein. As it was, 1 1/2 million Camdodians died because of his rule. Some of his fellow monsters are still around and should br tried for crimes against humanity.
   
   What is also striking is the self serving nature of Pol Pot. He killed people who were foreign trained, even though he went to a French college.
   His banned a personal life, even though he selected a young women to have a family with. He was your typical hippocrit, do as I say, not as I do.
   
   This is probably the best book on the Cambodian Holocaust. This mass killing should never have happened. Hopefully, Pol Pot is burning in his afterlife.



3. I am sorry but this book was boring. I think it took a special kind of writer to make something as seemingly interesting/horrific as the Khmer Rouge so dull. This book is overloaded with details upon details that do not really give any real insights into what happened in Cambodia or upon Pol Pot.
   
   This is not the first book someone should read to get a strong understanding of Pol Pot or the Khmer Rouge. Instead it should be read by people that are serious students of this subject otherwise you will just get bogged down with names and the little bureaucratic nuances of the Khmer Rouge step by painful step.
   
   This book has taken me a long time to read through and I generally read pretty quickly. I would find myself cleaning my house or doing laundry to avoid finishing. I am one of those people that feels they need to finish a book once they started it and this one made me seriously reconsider.



4. I read this book knowing virtually nothing of Pol Pot or the history of the Cambodian revolutionary movement. Having read the book I feel it works far better as a history of modern Cambodia and the rise and fall of the Khmer Rouge than it does as a biography of Pol Pot, hence my rating. My expectations of Short's work are high having greatly enjoyed his biography of Mao which is overflowing with the kind of personal detail and insight that is absent from this work. I would speculate that this may have something to do with the availability of source material and perhaps with the cultural issues around the definition of truth in Cambodian culture which Short alludes to in the book.
   
   Despite this I came away far more knowledgeable than I arrived and Short is an excellent writer with a knack for making his material easily digestible.
   
   Good history, but only an average biography.



5. Those looking for a biography of Saloth Sar (aka Pol Pot) may be surprised to find that this is not so much a chronicle of Pol's life, but rather a thorough account of Cambodian political history from the post-World War II era on. Nonetheless this is an invaluable book about the tradegy that the Khmer Rouge unleashed upon Cambodia.
   
   The first part of the book, in which Short sets up his narrative by describing in detail the founding of the Cercle Marxiste and Pol's studies in Paris, was a bit slow-paced. At the same time, it was probably necessary in order to shed light on the roots of some of Pol's radical views.
   
   The narrative really picks up once the Khmer Rouge launch their coup and begin to implement their radical utopian dreams. I agree with the reviewer below that the evacuation of Phnom Penh was one of the most vivid and horrific events depicted in the book. The piercing analysis of Tuol Sleng, the Khmer Rouge's detention and torture center, was extremely powerful.
   
   Short also does a superb job depicting Cambodia's relationship with its Asian neighbors, especially Vietnam, China and North Korea, and, to a lesser extent, Thailand and Laos. The reader will gain tremendous insight into how realpolitik and political relationships manifested themselves in the communist dictatorships of South-East Asia. At the same time, Short emphasizes that what unfolded in Democratic Kampuchea was of a uniquely Cambodian flavor, and it is important to distinguish between the genocides perpetrated by the Stalin and Maoist regimes.
   
   That having been said, I think Short has some serious flaws as a writer; not stylistically, but in terms of moral clarity. He seems obssessed with discrediting the United States as an evil superpower that contributed to the genocide, and he has nothing but contempt for the American presidents from Nixon through Carter. At times his prose can seem downright acidic. Such judgments and interpretations are better left to the reader.
   
   Nevertheless this is a superb account of the Khmer Rouge and the immense suffering inflicted upon the people of Cambodia, and should be read by anyone with an interest in understanding how and why this particular genocide developed.

2 comments about Civil Wars.

1. In Civil Wars, poet and activist June Jordan explores political issues through a very personal lens. This collection of essays, speeches, and letters, previously published but presented in this text with contextualizing annotations, masterfully blends public and private spheres. Jordan looks at critical issues such as race, homosexuality, linguistic differences, and violence by drawing on events in her own life and telling her intersecting story through vibrant prose. For instance, Jordan examines the power differential between "White" and "Black" English by discussing her novel His Own Where in relation to Shakespeare and questioning the linguistic hierarchy that values particular codes over other alternatives. Civil Wars is an engaging, moving text that will make you think deeply about social justice through a personal perspective. A must read!



2. June Jordan's collection of essays spans almost twenty years of her life, from her days as a young mother "learning to see" the world around her and beginning to make her own actions seen and voice heard, through her growing involvement in Civil Rights demonstrations, the beginnings of her teaching career, and later on in her life as a Black woman still fighting for justice using her weapon of choice: words.

   This book explores Jordan's perspective on and experience with a variety of topics, including race riots, urban housing, educational language policy, children's rights, university Black Studies programs, African liberation, land reform, and the politics of publishing. Her combination of social political commentary and personal reflection is thought-provoking and accessible to a diverse audience of readers. Her writing is clear and passionate, and most pieces, previously published, are prefaced by background information that places them historically.

   This is a book to be savored both for what it says and how it says it.

No comments about The Warlord and the Renegade: The Story of Hermann and Albert Goering.

No comments about Mussolini (Routledge Historical Biographies).

4 comments about Over There: A Marine in the Great War (C.a. Brannen Series , No 1).

1. Carl Andrew Brannen died the year I turned 18. The same age he was when he began his journey through the Marine Corps, into France and back home to Trinity County, Texas. I have visited his battlefields several times and have used "Over There" as a field reference guide. In the summer of 1999 I stood in the Soissons battlefield with my 4 children as they lay in the same road in about the same place their great grandfather clutched the earth for a dozen hours or so waiting for the German counter attack or darkness or death which ever came first. He with a couple of dozen Marines were all that stood between the German line of defense and the rear echelon for most of that fateful day. I read his account out loud to them as we walked down the road and know that it brought insight and meaning to them as it would any American. Knowing that there are thousands of decendants of war veterans with stories untold, I highly recommend this book as a way to begin your own personal journey to discover the trail, Washed with Tears, as my Uncle Joeseph Patrick Brannen, C.A.Brannen's son, and one of the authors of this book, might say. C.A. Brannen's point of reference for his experiences was that of his uncle Eaph Dial, a Civil War veteran of Hood's Texas Brigade, who from 1862 to 1865 fought in most every major engagement his brigade was a part of. Like Eaph Dial, my grandfather was also a part of every action the 2nd Division participated in between June of 1918 and the end of the war. His war decorations include 5 battle stars all of which are featured in this book. C.A.Brannen's dash across no man's land at Soisson's and Blanc Mont Ridge was often described to me as child listening with great awe, as similar to the Confederate attacks at Gettysburg. There is a bit of every American in his story and ought to be read. It is a quick read, complete with historical research to confirm his accounts and is perfectly suitable for readers of every age.



2. When America declared war in 1917, Carl A. Brannen was an 18-year-old freshman at Texas A&M. He finished out the fall semester of his sophomore year and then enlisted in the Marine Corps in January 1918, reporting for boot camp in February. Immediately upon graduation, he was shipped overseas to France to join the American Expeditionary Force under Gen John Pershing's command. After more training in Europe, he moved to the "front" to join the 6th Marine Regiment under the Army's 2d Division as a replacement for marines killed in the first 48 hours of the battle of Belleau Wood. Brannen kept a very good diary. We discover that he is not a heroic figure-just a marine trying to stay alive. He knows that a foxhole or trench is a valuable piece of real estate in face of murderous machine gun fire. Brannen understands and appreciates the difference between his gas mask and those the French have (they are better), so he watches for a spare one. He knows what hunger is and how much a hot meal means, when he can get one. He also knows what thirst is and how uncertain resupply is in a combat situation. Brannen quickly learns the difference in the sound of the explosion of a gas, shrapnel, or high-explosive shell. He stayed in Belleau Wood until it was captured on the first of July, a great morale victory for all the Allied armies. Brannen wasn't relieved until 16 July 1918. Instead of receiving a period of rest and recovery, he and his fellow marines were trucked to the battle area of Soissons, where he participated in an advance led by tanks. The Germans countered the attack with near-point-blank artillery, killing Brannen's best friend. It took only 40 minutes for his regiment to be nearly annihilated. Brannen, however, is a survivor. He participated in battles in Saint-Mihiel, Mont Blanc, and the Meuse-Argonne. Following the armistice, as a member of the 2d Division, his unit became part of the Army of Occupation. Pershing kept the army sharp by means of a rigorous postwar training program. Brannen writes about how morale plummeted in this situation since most soldiers only wanted to return home. Just when Brannen began to feel down, he was selected to join the ranks of a regiment referred to as Pershing's Own. He had fought with the 4th Marine Brigade in every major battle and had survived-a claim few people could make. The 6th Regiment, composed of three thousand men, suffered 1,161 killed and over 4,656 wounded for total casualties of 5,817.

   Over There is a very moving book. Brannen, who knows he was lucky to survive, is a quiet man in a heroic way. If it were not for his son and some dedicated scholars, the papers, photographs, and diary entries that tell his story would have been lost. This book, together with Robert Asprey's At Belleau Wood, provides a poignant reminder of just how terrible war really is.




3. These memoirs have been quoted in Toland's book on WWI and now in Farwell's book. It was good to go to the source because of the writing of the Carl A. Brannen, the editorial comments from the editors, and then the addition of the excellent view of the son in 1990. This should be a must read for every Marine and for anyone who wants to know about war.



4. Private Brannen's memoirs, written some twenty later, are fragmentary and somewhat impressionistic, but impart well the combat experience of the World War One Marine, from Belleau Wood, St. Mihiel, and Soissons, to the Meuse-Argonne.
   His recollections, accompanied by period photographs, are expertly annotated to provide necessary historical context and perspective, and further expanded by Brannen's son, who visited the scenes of combat in the 1990's and added new photos of those famous battlefields. This is a valuable addition to the history of World War I, and will be of special interest to students of the Marine Corps.

   (The "score" rating is a feature of the page. This reviewer does not "score" books.)

No comments about Inside a Gestapo Prison: The Letters of Krystyna Wituska, 1942-1944.

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.