5 comments about Wings on My Sleeve (Phoenix Press).

1. The content is about 4 stars, interesting and well written, my beef is the binding of this paper back edition. As soon as started reading the pages started coming out of the book. I would strongly recommend trying the regular binding if you plan to keep the book or plan to pass it on.



2. I am extremely dissatisified with this product. When I opened the book the pages fell out like a snowfall. It could not be read - I threw it away.



3. 
   Having spent the last 30 years living and working next door to Naval Air Station Patuxent River, I've heard a LOT of flying stories. "You can always tell a fighter pilot...but you can't tell him much".
   
   Eric Winkle Brown's memoir is the best compilation of flying stories that I've ever heard. Imagine getting your very first flight with none other than Ernst Udet. Imagine flying F4F's off a converted banana boat during the darkest hours of WW2. Imagine flying captured Luftwaffe jets right out of Germany.
   
   Most ironic was the idea for the angled deck on aircraft carriers. Purely by accident the idea was sketched out in a board meeting for another reason when someone said "What a great idea for launching and recovering aircraft simultaneously".
   
   Great book. I'm ordering another one for a gift to a good friend and test pilot who flew in the same era.



4. A delightful biography of the military flying career of one of Britain's best-known and most successful test pilots. Quitely humorous and understated.
   This particular paperback was poorly bound and began to lose pages before I finished reading it. The black and white pictures are often muddy and poorly reproduced.
   A fun read for the aviation enthusiast nevertheless.



5. The book is an amazing read. The only problem is as soon as I opened it up the pages started falling out. The binding was very bad. By the time I got half way though, I was not holding a book any more but a bunch of loose pages.

5 comments about A Year of Absence: Six women's stories of courage, hope and love.

1. As a military spouse and after reading so many great reviews here and elsewhere, I felt the need to read this book. It was a little fluffy for my liking. I did relate to events and day to day life of the women. However, I felt as though a lot was missing from this book. I was left wanting to know more about the characters. I think it could have been developed a little more.



2. all i can say is that by reading this book the last 3 deployments my husband has gone thru and the time i have spent by myself and the kids are finally validated.
   im a army wife of 8 years, and 3rd deployment survivor.
   i am german where my husband was stationed at for 10 years, and deployed to iraq twice from there.
   i got the book and instantly started to read, and i couldnt stop, i sat on the couch for 6 hours crying and sobbing.
   and realizing what i have been thru, some of the things i have pushed aside, as my husbandactually deployed from darmstadt in january, pushing into iraq right away, i pushed aside not sleeping for 2 years, while everytime at night i started to jump up when i heared car doors slam, checking the window as my heart almost stopped.
   i am one of these women, and i feel after reading this book that i am somewhat relieved.
   now that my husband is deployed for the 4th time in his career, i told him as soon as he gets home he will read that book to understand what i had to deal with.
   i absoloutly love this book and will keep it for my kids to read, when they grow.
   i am at peace in a sence.
   thank you jessica redmon



3. Although I am the wife of a retired soldier who spent 24 years in the Army with two tours in Viet Nam, I still could identify with these women during their husbands' deployments to Iraq. I was especially pleased to read about Baumholder since that was where we were stationed in the 70's. This is a different war from ours, the Army has changed, women are much more independent than I was in the late 60's and early 70's when my husband went to war; however, the loneliness, worry about your spouse, counting down of days until he/she comes home, sometimes the anxieties and sheer terror that you feel...those things remain the same. This is one of my favorite books about this war and I think that it is ideal reading for any woman who watches her man leave for war. I was glad to read that the Army has Family Readiness Groups and support groups for the families. A glimpse into these women's lives was so revealing and I felt their pain. Just an excellent read, in my old Army wife opinion.



4. Finally, a book that got it right. I've gone through my husband's 6mo deployment in 2002 to Kosovo living by myself in Schweinfurt. Then the next deployment to Iraq in 2004 while stationed in GA. This time with the surprise of finding out I got pregnant sometime in the week before he left. There was talk about an extention for them, but thankfully, they came home 1 year to the day. We are now on our third deployment. This time Afghanistan. I'm now home with three dogs, a three year old and a new baby that was 3 mo old when he left. Each deployment has been totally different with our location and family size. I love this book because every woman's story was a bit different. In their job status, family size and coping mechanisms. All were right on! I know and knew women just like them. I read this book after borrowing it from the library on post. Now its going on my Amazon.com wishlist and will be recommending to anyone who will listen. Thank you Jessica for giving us an outlet to share with the world of what its really like.



5. As an Army wife, having gone through one deployment, and at the end of the second one, this book made me realize that my feelings, and the things my husband and I go through, are natural. I felt as if this book described my feelings and my mistakes. It was a relief to read stories of women who have gone through what i have gone through. To those military moms who think that the wives cant feel what they feel just because we didnt give birth to the soldiers, you are wrong. We are the ones who have to hear their complaints, frustrations, and have to come up with wise words when they are down. Your love for your child is different and so is their love for you. You will always be their mom, just dont underestimate what it takes to stand by a soldier, be faithful, wise, and strong.

5 comments about The Highway War: A Marine Company Commander in Iraq.

1. Having served with a Battalion of Marines back in my Naval Service days, I was unable to put down Major Seth Folsom's book on the Highway War. My impression of the Marine Officers with whom I served, their dedication to duty and to their men, left a lasting impression on me. Major Folsom's story reaffirms that admiration. What is so noteworthy is the maturing of a combat Marine who emerged as a competent professional able to meet any challenge under extreme stress and pressure to complete the assigned mission. First to use LAV's in combat, his unit encountered many imponderables and maitenance problems while continuing to move forward in the face of unknown enemy resistence. He never once failed to give credit to his Marines who fought under his command and alongside him. Their desire to stay in touch and close to him after returning from Iraq is evidence of the high regard they have for him. No higher acolade can be give than to have your enlisted troops want to serve with you again as they said in the book. Major Folsom represents the finest we have in the future core of military leaders. We need more of his kind if we are to maintain the freedom we enjoy.



2. I have read the previous comments of others both pro and con. I have known Major Folsom's father for many years. Quite obviously, the acorn fell close to the tree. His father is one of the most outstanding officers with whom I have had the privilege to associate. From reading this book, I feel confident that Major Folsom has inherited all of his father's outstanding qualities.
   
   Two matters were brought to light in reading this excellent documentation of his tour. First, I wish that I had the presence of mind to record a daily record of my tour as a squadron commander in RVN. Second, I commend Major Folsom for his honest evaluation of his accomplishments and his revelation of what he considered his failings.
   
   There are many who can understand the stress of combat because they have been there. The ground troops, perhaps more than any, face the true cruelty of the close-in combat environment. POWs, more than anyone, experience a different type of stress. No one can truly express the stress unless he or she have been there. There are far too many who critique the events without having ever experienced being there. Folsom has.
   
   Major Folsom's forthright analysis of his tour should be required reading for every newly commissioned officer of any branch. Folsom recently departed and is presently in-country on his second tour. I wish him and those men with him God-speed and shall look forward to a critique of this tour. May I add that I would be more than willing to serve with this officer anytime, any place as I have with his father.



3. I couldn't wait to read this book and when I finally got my copy, it wasn't all I thought it would be. Basically you follow the life of a young marine LAV Company Commander during OIF. He comes across many times as a whiner and someone I wouldn't want to work for. I felt sorry for his Marines many times when they had to deal with him and his emotional outbursts. I really saw nothing different from this book than any of the other books like this based on OIF. I could have passed on it.



4. Years ago Marine artist Col Charles Waterhouse drew a cartoon of a grizzled Marine Gunny, complete with cigar, pulling on a Santa outfit as he prepares to entertain young children, as compared to his normal demeanor of an intimidating Gunny. Maj Seth Folsom's book details a similar transformation, as he grows from a nervous young officer facing his first combat to that of a skilled and articulate officer and husband.
   
   A Captain at the time, Folsom is a blunt and honest writer who discusses his fears and concerns of what he is about to encounter in Iraq. The likely-hood is that many Marines and soldiers, both officers and enlisted, can identify with his worry of how he will fare in his first combat: Can he hack it? How well will he perform? Will he make any mistakes that might cost the lives of his Marines? The difference between them and Folsom is his frankness in discussing these concerns.
   
   Folsom uses the story of his role as company commander to tell the story of Delta Company, 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion as they participated in the March 2003 invasion of Iraq. From breaching the berms into Iraq, to watching and waiting as his fellow Marines fought at An-Nasiriyah, to the fighting on the way to Baghdad and beyond, Folsom pulls no punches and spares no feelings in his descriptions of leading 130 Marines into combat. The invasion in March 2003 was the beginning of an unusual war against a non-traditional enemy, and Folsom has to find his balance as an officer when dealing with both his superiors and the Marines under him while learning how to lead Marines in combat. Sand, stink, rain, lack of sanitation, fatigue, grime, and nerves are just some of issues with which he dealt even before he and his men even encountered the enemy. Folsom covers the military actions from 21 March 2003 through the April 2003 capture of Baghdad, and he accurately recounts the stress, excitement, and confusion of those historic days.
   
   With the book written from the notes and recollection of his wartime journal, this is a fascinating memoir revealing are his feelings as he dealt with his Marines, and how he matured as an officer and as a human being. Many readers, especially his fellow officers will find much to critique in his rough and abrasive leadership style, and his dislike of the media is at odds with Marine Corps policy. But it is Folsom's same bluntness that lets him write so revealingly - and perhaps these same readers can use his vignettes as an `after-action report' in order to guide themselves in similar circumstances.
   
   In perhaps a reflection of the asymmetrical nature of this war, Folsom recounts participating in briefings with the generals and colonels leading the invasion, and later singing with his men as they blast rock & roll music at rock concert levels. Perhaps one unexpected bonus of war in the wired age is that we readers can share in our warrior's thoughts and experiences while they are still fresh, and as such, Maj Folsom's book is both an exciting read and highly recommended.



5. You may hate this war and our current President for getting us involved in it, but after reading this book you can only respect and honor those doing the fighting .Folsom's thoughtful leadership and concern for his men, his belief in the Marine Corps and The Mission turned my head around.
   The more liberal you are , the more you need to read this book.

5 comments about Man-Eaters of Tsavo.

1. A fascinating snapshot in a small hiccup in the giant that was the British Empire. "Progress" is stopped by two lions who have developed an appetite for tender meat. Patterson is an engineer and really not a hunter. Nevertheless, he struggles manfully and heroically to protect his workmen and advance the empire.
   
   He's ultimately successful but not without failures. Despite his impressive efforts, the lions devour Indian workers, native tribesmen and even Europeans. Clearly these cats aren't racist. Everything is turned into lion scat.
   
   Perhaps "Maneaters" isn't the best-written book in the world but it is documentation of a world long past and to the courage and endurance of a very brave man.
   
   Ron Braithwaite author of novels--"Skull Rack" and "Hummingbird God"--on the Conquest of Mexico



2. I read this book several years ago before purchasing it and thoroughly enjoyed the story of the lions of Tsavo. The historical account of the facts behind this story are fascinating. I purchased this book as a Christmas gift, and was very disappointed with the paper stock on which it was printed. Had I seen this book in a store I would not have purchased this edition because the paper and printing reproduction are of such poor quality. If I didn't need it for a Christmas gift, I would have returned the item.



3. "The Man-Eaters of Tsavo" (also available in this edition The Man-Eaters of Tsavo (Peter Capstick Library Series)) is a fascinating book that tells of a time on the continent of Africa that is now long past. When the author, John H. Patterson, an engineer for the British Empire at the peak of its power, arrived in the southeastern African region of Tsavo, wild game, including dangerous, predatory man-eaters abounded with such profusion that a man armed with a rifle could sling up and shoot from virtually anywhere, for animals of all kinds densely populated the land. As an engineer in charge of planning and building the railroad and the necessary bridges, Patterson also had the responsibility of managing the workers, primarily Indians imported into Africa from India, their country also being under British rule at that time. Patterson's workers began to become unmanageable when huge, man-eating lions in the Tsavo region began eating the workers on a regular basis, somewhat dampening the coolies' enthusiasm for the already backbreaking job at which they toiled in brutal heat amidst vicious biting insects--though the prospect of the bite of the lions understandably troubled them more. Patterson's book is an enthralling, well-rounded account of his experience there and not merely a hunting tale.
   None of this life of relatively unrestrained high adventure could take place in today's Africa, which is dominated by third world dictators who, with the evil assistance of IANSA, heavily restrict the right to bear arms in general and hunting in particular. Anyone interested in this time period should read With the Judaeans in the Palestine Campaign and Warrior: The Legend Of Colonel Richard Meinertzhagen.
   The world of that time is long gone, as are most of the individuals of that type. More's the pity on both counts.
   The edition referred to here is an inexpensive paperback reprint with poor photographs.
   Had I known about the Capstick edition (see above) prior to ordering, I would have chosen it instead.
   Nevertheless, this "low budget" edition of "The Man-Eaters of Tsavo" is well worth the read.
   But be warned: you'll want to read more stories like it when you finish . . . and you might even develop a yen to hunt large, dangerous, predatory, man-eating game in the long grass that grows in the vast silent places of what was once the "heart of darkness."



4. The author gives the true account of the Tsavo Lions. He seems to downplay the story at times, but it makes for very interesting reading. The last 2/3 of the book are about his other hunting adventures while in Africa. Worth your time for sure.



5. I ordered this book for Christmas for my son and he is really enjoying reading the book. He loved the movie the book is based on, The Ghost and the Darkness, and now gets to read about the real-life experiences of J.H. Patterson. A great addition to his reading library!

5 comments about The Wrong Stuff : The Adventures and Misadventures of an 8th Air Force Aviator.

1. This is the worst book that I have ever seen If this smith is a writer I think I wiii start writing . I am throwing it in the recyle.



2. I Thoroughly enjoyed this book. The author is is good at emphasising the sounds and emotions he experienced and even semi-apologises for this at the beginning. A good judge of how good a book is, is how often you think back to what you have read in it. I have done this several times with The Wrong Stuff. A recommended read for someone with WWII aviation interests!



3. My husband, Dave Bender, enjoyed the book very much and has passed it along to friends who have the same interests.



4. I loved this book - it was unpretentious, genuine, and informative. Truman Smith conveys realistically what it was like for him - and it's obvious by his writing style no one "ghosted" it for him.



5. When I purchased this book I wasn't too sure that it would be interesting. This is without doubt one of the best World War II pilot books I have ever read and I have read hundreds of them. The B-17 copilot/author is clearly a very intelligent, gifted writer who must have kept a detailled journal or the equivalent. In a most engaging way, he tells you about his day to day life, as much at the air base or on leave in London chasing girls or enjoying his friends as in the air. But he vividly and comprehensively recreates the life of his ten man crew and his flying job as well as the rest of his fighting the war but living in England on the ground experience. Picking this book up every evening at bed time brings me back into his at the war life. Really enjoyable. Fascinating. I highly reccommend this important piece of USAF world war II history. Don't worry about the title.

No comments about Grant's Lieutenants: From Chattanooga to Appomattox (Modern War Studies).

5 comments about The Long Walk: The True Story of a Trek to Freedom.

1. "The Long Walk" is Polish Army officer Slavomir Rawicz's gripping account of an escape from a Soviet labor camp in Siberia in 1941. According to his story, Rawicz and his comrades walked South across the interior of Asia to freedom in British India. This journey across a winter landscape in Siberia, the Gobi Desert in Mongolia, and the mountains of western China and Tibet, is, if true, an unparalleled acount of suffering and human endurance. The BBC claims to have found records indicating that Rawicz was in fact released by the Soviets to a refugee camp in Iran during the Second World War. If these records are accurate, the main event of "The Long Walk" is an enthralling work of fiction. Readers will have to make their own judgement.
   
   Rawicz was a young Polish Cavalry officer taken prisoner by the Soviets when Hitler and Stalin divided Poland in 1939. He is tortured by the Soviets and sentenced as a spy to 25 years in a labor camp in Siberia. The suffering of the winter journey to the labor camp is bad enough, but once there, Rawicz and six of his fellow prisoners hatch an escape plan. One night, they slip away, carrying a small amount of food, a hand axe, and an improvised knife. They will travel cross-country South to Mongolia, along the way picking up a young Polish female who has also escaped from detention. The eight will dare unbelievable hazards, including a chronic lack of food, water, and shelter, to steer more or less South toward India. Only four people will reach safety in India.
   
   Rawicz's narrative is rather bare bones, possibly the result of translation from his native Polish. Traveling by the sun, the small group never has much more than a general sense of where they are or what is in front of them. Their survival is the incredible result of ingenuity and pluck, as the travelers plumb the absolute limits of human endurance and receive timely help from strangers along the way. The reader cannot help but be caught up in the terrible suspense of the story.
   
   Other reviewers have commented that Rawicz's story seems a little too good to be true. Certainly the hazards of the journey would have killed many parties far better prepared; Rawicz and his comrades seem to enjoy astonishingly good luck. "Mr. Smith", the Russian-speaking American in the group, seems especially mysterious and preternaturally self-possessed in the face of their many obstacles. The alleged encounter with two Yeti in the Himalayas strains credibility. Perhaps the best advice for readers is to put aside their skepticism and enjoy the story as presented.



2. I bought this book with great anticipation, having read and enjoyed other survival tales such as "Endurance" and "In the Heart of the Sea." I've been slogging through the uninspired language for the past month with great difficulty. The lack of passion Rawicz brings to his writing is perhaps a clue that this is not a true story, as some have attested. Or maybe it's a problem with the translation. Either way, I don't find this to be the gripping tale it could have been.
   
   I should add that I have been reading this under the assumption that it was true. So discovering now that it may not be true has not in any way affected my review; I thought it was boring before then. I wish I had known about the controversy and had picked a different book. Other reviewers have stated that it is an exciting and remarkable story, true or not. I disagree. If it is true it is a dull and lifeless transcription of a remarkable feat. If it is fiction than the author has not only lied but written a boring book.



3. Sunday, March 26, 2006
   "The Long Walk" by Slavomir Rawicz, © 1956
   This is an amazing story. It is incredible that the torturers in the U.S. Army did not read this or take lessons from the KGB, because some of their tortures are very similar to what is described in this book. But that is only in the first two chapters. The rest of the book is the story of Mr. Rawicz's walk with his cohorts from United Soviet Socialist Republic labor camp in Siberia to India. The walk starts with advise to walk south, not east, to avoid the obvious route and, therefore, obvious pursuit.
   The oddest part of this story is that one of the particpants is known only as Mr. Smith. He is an American of unknown origins. No one on this trek is cognizant of the reason of their incarceration, but Mr. Smith is so unknown that even his Christian name is never known. The next oddest part of this story is in the preface. It was supposed to be a story about people who have encountered Yeti. These fellows saw some on their walk through the Himalayas, so the assistant to the author, Ronald Downing, reseaching for a story about the Yeti, came across this amazing story.



4. I really enjoyed this book. although i have read many other concentration camp books, this one is by far the greatest journey. it really puts you in the perspective of this poor man and when something bad happens to him you seem to feel it for yourself! very descriptive!!
   P.S. whoever said "just a story" is utterly wrong and has no brain at all!! it is "just" a gripping story of a man making his way form a concentration camp, all the way down to india. so i do not see how tis can be "just a story"



5. This is by far one of the best books I have ever read in my short life. It tells the story of a... well I'm sure you already have a basic gist of what it is about. I digress. It is an increadible read. From page one you are captivated and it is difficult to set down. A great story. As a side note you should most definately read the preface.

3 comments about Becton: Autobiography of a Soldier and Public Servant.

1. LTG (Ret.) Becton has served this country honorably for over 40 years. His autobiography is outstanding and demonstrates that hard work will win out over all obstacles. He is truly one of this Nation's great heros and I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in learning about his life.



2. Personal memoirs of famous or near famous people can be risky investments for a reader. General Becton's book has no such risk though, and it makes for enjoyable, informative reading without any of the jargon that often can make military matters tedious to the layperson. In fact, Gen. Becton frequently shows an obvious effort to explain technical points in terms that keep everything well inside the reader's comfort zone. Autobiography of Becton compares very favorably with those of a number of other senior professional officers whose names are quite familiar to the general public and which were issued over the last 15 years or so by some of the larger and more prominent national publishing houses.
   
   Julius Becton is far less known in America today than he deserves to be. Not only does he have a public service career spanning more than 60 years, but it is a career highlighted by taking up tough jobs that entailed a lot more criticism than material reward. These included FEMA, presidency of a historically Black college in the South at a time when those institutions were becoming increasingly strained by the end of segregation at larger state universities and, the hottest potato of all, taking charge of the pathetic District of Columbia school system to root out the graft and incompetence, while fighting off the incessant backbiting from the power centers that benefited by the old ways of doing things. And he did this while in his 70's, postponing a well-deserved retirement.
   
   My own interest in the book was mainly in General Becton's military career. Although he had quite a successful one, it was a career marked by competence and solid performance, rather than the glamour, slogans and catch phrases, goofy reorganization plans or personality stunts that accompanied so many general officers I saw during my service years in the 70s and which were such a burden on their subordinates, at no gain to the service. I was also gratified to see several of General Becton's observations on Army inspections, personnel policies and run-ins with overinflated egos along the career paths. Oddly enough, I had crossed paths with some of those people (at a far lower level on my part) or heard a great deal about them, and in every case agreed with his polite, but negative assessments.
   
   At this point I should note that I had one fleeting contact with the author more than 35 years ago, when he swore me and my graduating class into the Army. The word "charisma" is terribly overused and not necessarily informative, so I won't use it here. I will say that General Becton was a man of monumental dignity, seriousness and personal magnetism. This was most noted by the families who were present at the time, who didn't discuss anything else about the ceremony other than what a stunningly impressive, yet approachable, pleasant and civil individual this was (and this was at a time when a member of an ethnic minority as a military general officer was much less usual than in recent years).
   
   Although I doubt that General Becton's book will be used much this way because youth today don't read much, this would be a wonderful thing for any teenager to read, whether black, white or whatever, because it shows the path to an excellent system of values and life choices. General Becton writes with a good deal of introspection and is quite open about some of his statements and decisions that didn't work out for the best (indeed, he is often too hard on himself in that respect). On the other hand, his many accomplishments and the good he has done for his country come across from the simple facts and not by a lot of self-aggrandizement from this modest and monumentally decent man.



3. "Becton's" autobiography is the tale of a great man of humble beginnings. Born the son of a handy-man, he took advantage of the opportunities life presented and he still serves as the role-model of someone we should all aspire to be.
   
   Lt Gen Julius Becton enlisted in the Army just after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Beginning the war as a private, he ended it as a second lieutenant. The book follows his military career through the hot wars in Korea and Vietnam, and finished with the Cold War in West Germany. Having led at every organization level in the Army, he retired as a Lt General with 39 years of service.
   
   After serving our nation in the profession of arms, he came out of retirement to run another organization that greatly benefitted from his proven abilities at international diplomacy and crisis management. He ran the Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA), which coordinates United States assistance to other countries that have suffered man-made or natural disasters. After fixing OFDA he was asked to head the newly-formed Federal Emergency Management Agency. From there, he returned to his Alma Mater of Prairie View A&M University, this time as President, and saved it from going into receivership. He continued his pattern of restoring desperately needed leadership to (at the time) dysfunctional organizations one more time for the District of Columbia Public School system before finally retiring.
   
   Lt Gen Becton's career predated another famous Black American's military career by just a few years. Similar to General Colin Powell's "My American Journey", both books recount the experiences of two men who were very successful in the environment provided by the US armed forces. Gen. Powell's biography benefitted from a professional writer resulting in smoother flow through the book. The author could have also helped elicit more when it came to Lt Gen Becton's incredible accomplishments. In some cases, Lt Gen Becton's humility when relating his proudest moments whet our appetites, but left us wanting "The Rest of the Story".
   
   Lt Gen Julius Becton's life story is an incredible one. Becton's candid story-telling provided examples of what worked, balanced with his introspection as to what he could have done better. This critical self-assessment combined with Becton's 13 principles of the "First Team Philosophy" provides the reader with a very powerful lesson in applied leadership.

2 comments about No Picnic on Mount Kenya: A Daring Escape, A Perilous Climb.

1. An extremely well-written book, especially considering the author was not writing in his native language. A crazy idea about climbing a mountain by 3 novices; crazier still under the circumstances of escaping from a POW camp with the intention of returning. I bought the book after having read the story in National Geographic "Adventure" of 2 experienced & well-outfitted mountaineers who re-traced their steps. The original is better!



2. An entertaining story. It's hard to imagine escaping from an interment camp simply to climb a mountain, planning to return to camp afterwards! And it is even harder to imagine planning such a climb with the sparse resources available.

4 comments about Brotherhood of the Fin: A Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer's Story.

1. Former Coast Guard rescue swimmer Gerald R. Hoover presents his own biography in Brotherhood of the Fin: A Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer's Story. Harrowing life-and-death decisions and endurance-testing rescue missions formed a part of his life and his dedication to saving those in desperate need. In his long career, he racked up more deployments than any other rescue swimmer in the history of the program; his final mission was to serve as part of the search and rescue mission to aid those victimized by the national disaster that was Hurricane Katrina. An absorbing, straight-talk tale of real life adventure and heroically selfless dedication.



2. What an excellent book. If you have ever wondered about the world of Coastguard Rescue Swimmers, this is a must-read.



3. This book is so well written. I have read many that are not as well thought out and reviewed by the writer; but this writer obviously really went over every detail and made sure it read well. The organization of the book is also one of the best. It seems a kind of beginning rather than just a focus on one career and eventual retirement. This should continue as a series covering many other AST Swimmer stories as well as how the experiences may affect and lead to improvements towards future more successful Search and Rescue Missions. This book also shows how vital and important the AST Rescue Swimmer program is since it's recent inception in the Coast Guard (only the last ~22 years). Now, countless people have been saved who could not have helped themselves into the rescue basket for hoist - who have gone on and had continued successful lives after their rescue. This is important to everyone - especially if you should need rescue one day....



4. 
   
   Gerald Hoover's book is a outstanding work of non-fiction. As a retired Coast Guard rescue swimmer I'm very proud of the way he relives his career of rescues that were life and death struggles filled with heart-pounding action. ASM1 Hoover takes the reader on a journey into the depths of turbulent waters where a select few persons, who are the Brotherhood of the Fin, willingly enter to rescue those in peril. Furthermore, Hoover hits the nail on the head by emphasizing the team effort of the Coast Guard's highly trained professionals that are part of every rescue. I highly recommend this book and would make it a required read for any young man or woman who wants to pursue a career as a Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer.
   Darell Gelakoska
   ASMCM USCG (Ret)