2 comments about The King's Ranger: Thomas Brown and the American Revolution on the Southern Frontier.

1. For years people in the Southern US have been taught to loathe this man. Of course, the crime he is mainly hated for today is thathe refused to commit one.
   
   The book gives a very good description of the feelings and actions of this bravely loyal fellow. While, like most biographies, the author takes a personal liking to the subject and is likely to give facts in a way to make him seem better than he was, the book is very accurate.
   
   I only wish more loyalists get this type of Biographical treatment.



2. History is usually written by the victor, or at least from the victor's perspective. To some extent this is unfortunate, since historical "truth" requires a balanced perspective. If one is truly interested in understanding the American Revolutionary War, then one must actively seek out the perspective of the losing side. That is why books like, Piers Mackesy's The War For America, 1775-1783, David Syrett's The Royal Navy in American Waters, 1775-1783 & Edward Cashin's The King's Ranger are so important. The first two put our revolution in overall geopolitical perspective from the British point of view. The latter focuses exclusively on the often neglected "southern campaign". With the excitement generated by the 1999 movie, "The Patriot", this book is re-released at an opportune moment. While the beginning and ending portions focusing on Thomas Brown's pre- and post-american life, respectively, are somewhat dry and could stand more judicious editing, the central meat of the book is an excellent and scholarly contribution to the study of the American Revolutionary period. In this book we gain insight into the significant role of tories in America as well as the american indian contribution to the campaign in the south. We learn what happened to most tories after their cause was lost and come to realize just how close we came to being on the losing side. This is a scholarly work of history, portions require concerted effort and concentration to wade through. However, the "pearls" contained within, particularly in the central portion, are well worth the effort.

3 comments about General John Pope: A Life for the Nation.

1. I have enjoyed all of Cozzens' works very much, but I think that this is Cozzens' best written book. This book isn't really a reassessment of Pope. Rather Cozzens takes the traditional view of Pope's generalship at Second Bull Run and places it within the context of Pope's entire career. Cozzens doesn't pull any punches on Pope's performance in Virginia in 1862. He was a liar and a braggart, he needlessly antagonized his own men, and he was severely overtaxed as an army commander.
   
   Still, Cozzens shows that Pope had probably the toughest assignment of any Union army commander in the war. He had to take three beaten and demoralized commands from the valley under three very poor commanders (Banks, Sigel, and McDowell). With that force he was to screen Washington AND attack Lee, coordinate with George McClellan, who was in full heel-dragging mode, obey Halleck's confused and contradictory directives, and do it all in unfamiliar country with almost no cavalry. His opponent was the best general of the war, and the ANV was flush with victory from the Seven Days. It was Pope's first experience commanding troops in combat. It's no wonder that Lee beat him.
   
   But Cozzens also shows that Pope was a skilled administrator, an aggressive general, and, in time, a good strategist. The "exile" to Minnesota turned out to be an important command, and Pope played a huge role in defeating the plains Indians. He was an effective military governor during reconstruction. He retired a major general in the regular army, a successful and influential servant of his nation.
   
   After reading this book, I have a whole new opinion of Pope, or rather my opinion is more complex. I still think he bears the brunt of the blame for Second Bull Run, but I can see more reasons for his defeat than just "Pope was an obnoxious jerk." I think it's a shame that Lincoln and Halleck didn't send him back to the west as a corps commander. Both Grant and Sherman had high opinions of Pope throughout the war (and, really, for the rest of their lives), and they could have used an aggressive general in an important command. I still see Pope's flaws, but I can also see some of his good qualities too.
   
   This is just the sort of Civil War book I love. It takes a subject that I thought I knew very well and adds layers of complexity. As always, Cozzens displays thorough familiarity with the sources, and his opinions are backed by historical fact. He avoids the common downfall of the biographer, who often becomes too enamored of his subject. Cozzens keeps enough emotional distance between himself and Pope that he can show Pope's flaws as well as merits.



2. An excellent biography of a truely misunderstood Union Civil War General. Pope is most famous for losing the Battle of 2nd Manasses (called 2nd Bull Run also). He was whipped by Robert E. Lee and ended up being placed in command of the Department of the Northwest (Minnesota, the Dakota's), to fight Indians. He served the military honorably though for over 40 years, and was a good general, simply suffered from having to face Lee, having to deal with McClellan, Halleck, Washington, and being totally unprepared to command an army. Had this man stayed out west he probably would have done some truely great things. It is a shame Lincoln never sent him out west as a Corps commander right after 2nd Manassas, he would have been a huge asset for men like Grant and Sherman, who both liked Pope.
   
   Before reading this book I always had the opinion that Pope was a fool, I was wrong. He was definitely nowhere near Lee or Jackson, but he was one of the best fighting generals the Union had, as his capture of Island # 10 and drive on Corinth proves. He did great things after the war as a department commander as well. He really did live a life for his nation.
   
   Cozzens writes an outstanding biography of this man. He remains very level headed, not showing hatred for Pope or explaining away his mistakes. He makes clear that Pope made huge mistakes at 2nd Manassas, but also shows the reader throughout that Pope was a good man and a loyal soldier who did great things. He was one of the men who actually wanted to help the Indians out West, unlike men such as Sheridan who wanted them exterminated.
   
   Only negative would be that we don't get that much detail on Pope before the Civil War, but you find that with every Civil War biography usually.



3. When I was about 7 or 8 years old, I asked my Mother if we were Yankees or Confederates. Without hesitation, she stated in no uncertain terms that we were Yankees, always had been and always would be. So at that age, already starting my lifelong study of the Civil War, I was very much disposed towards liking all Yankees without regard. Even still, warming to John Pope seemed to be a task far beyond the call of human nature. It seemed almost everything I read about John Pope (and I read a great deal about the Civil War), painted the picture of a pompous, incredibly incompetent, self-centered man; very root of the Union defeat at 2nd Manassas. I read Cozzens' book not because I wanted to learn about John Pope so much as wanting more depth in my understanding what really did happen at 2nd Manassas. I was quite willing to write John Pope off as the "miscreant" in the characterization of Robert E. Lee.
   John Pope in Mr. Cozzens' book is all the human frailties ever attributed to him. Cozzens is not a Pope apologist. However, what does emerge is a man much more complex than simply the bombastic, huff and puff blow-hard John Pope most often detailed in our history books. That he made fatal errors in the 2nd Manassas campaign; that he did not rise to the occasion; that he was a relentless self-promoter; all of these faults are not disguised nor dismissed. They are treated fairly and truthfully without a hidden agenda, as only a part of the picture Cozzens paints of John Pope's whole life of service in the United States Army.
   Peter Cozzens is one of the best historical writers publishing today and this book is the product of a skilled craftsman. His writing is warm and engaging. I read the whole book, cover to cover, even though I only intended to read the section on Pope's defeat at 2nd Manassas. Cozzens moves easily and swiftly from minutely examining the daily life of John Pope to covering the span of years in a few pages. Knowing when to "go deep" marks a good writer and Cozzens comes through for the reader every time.
   If he were just a good writer, it would be enough for fiction, but writing about history requires the author to be good at research and Cozzens is no slouch there either. This book is well-documented and uses a lot of primary source material - a hallmark by which research is judged today. Having the combination of good research and lively writing puts Cozzens in mighty rare company.
   I now see a different John Pope. I still wouldn't have him in command at 2nd Manassas, if I had my say. But I no longer despise him. In fact, I am inclined to see him as good man, limited, as we all are, by the frailties attendant to humanity. If you are a serious student of this time in United States history, or just want a good non-fiction read, you will find General John Pope; A Life for the Nation a worthy investment of your time.

2 comments about Ace of Aces: The Life of Captain Eddie Rickenbacker.

1. What you see is what you get, a real American success story and a war hero of both WW1 and WW2.A Horatio Alger type success story,a poor kid of Germanic background,who drops out of 6th grade to help his widowed mother in early twentieth century Columbus,Ohio.He becomes a successful race car driver and takes up flying as the next step in his acive,high risk,lifestyle.In 1918 he becomes America's top fighter pilot and leader of the 95th squadron.Eddie is not afraid to speak his mind and criticzes the American government for being too cheap to pay for parachuttes for American fliers,this at a time when he obseves German pilots bailing out with a chute and coming back later for another crack at the allied fliers.He also was critical of the US government for not equipping the US airmen with better planes. At this time they were flying the French Nieuport which was an inferior machine by all accounts to the German Fokkers.This at a time when the French SPAD was available.Rickenbacker also defended Billy Mitchell in his outspokenness against the US government and its hesitancy to provide the country with a well equipped Airforce.Most people would have been content to rest on their laurels after such a distinguished service,instead Rickenbacker goes into the civilian aircraft industry and rises to the head of Eastern Airlines.In 1942,on a secret and dangerous mission over the Pacific he crashes and is stuck in a rubber raft for 24 days with no food or water,but he improvises and luckily survives along with most of his crew.
   On the down side,his men often complained that he was a "slavedriver",but the author proves that Rickenbacker would never send a man into danger without odds in favor of,or into a situation that Eddie would not himself go into. He would indeed be uncomfortable in a politically correct world,and his "gung ho" attitude reminded me of Patton.Rickenbacker was very outspoken against what would be far left Socialism and Communism as he perceived it.I could easily see him "slap face" of a hesitant recruit from a read of this book although it was never said he ever "pulled a Patton.He maintained an active life until his death in 1973,and was buried by his parents in Greemount cemetery.Columbus.Ohio.Another who's who tour of Greenmount.



2. This book is an engaging and human view of Eddie Rickenbacker. It includes a lot of personal information, and reveals his weaker side in some regards. The narrative moves well. It was a pleasant read and made me see Rickenbacker as a human being.

5 comments about ONCE I HAD A COMRADE: Karl Roth and the Combat History of the 36th Panzer Regiment 1939-45.

1. This is an average book on Panzer Regiment 36. Though the author also claims this book is about Karl Roth, a maintenance NCO in the regiment's tank recovery section, the pages contain little information on this NCO other than brief accounts of his family life and snippets of information from former comrades who remember little about the man, except that he was a competent leader and a solid soldier. If the book had contained more information about German tank recovery techniques and equipment, it would have rated 4 stars. The use of more primary source material, especially corps, army, and army group war diaries might have boosted it to five stars. I do commend the author for using the war diary of the 14th Panzer Division as a primary source.



2. R.W. Byrd's ONCE I HAD A COMRADE: KARL ROTH AND THE COMBAT HISTORY OF THE 36TH PANZER REGIMENT 1939-45 tells of the author's German father-in-law Karl Roth, who grew up in the 1930s, and of his regiment. His eyewitness participation in campaigns in Poland in 1939, France in 1940 and Yugoslavia in 1941 before serving at the Eastern Front charts a division under siege and a fighter who saw much of the war's many battles. A vivid memoir of Karl Roth and his war encounters.
   
   Diane C. Donovan
   California Bookwatch



3. This is an excellent historical account of the author's father-in-law (Karl Roth) in a German Panzer division during World War 2. The author amassed an extraordinary amount of data on the military activities, and on some of the personnel associated with Karl Roth, who comes across as a decent person caught up in circumstances over which he had no control. He had to serve in the military and suffer the consequences of the German defeat. The author is commended for adhering to historical detail with virtually no mention of the politics of the time, other than a few brief references noting Hitler and Goering bungling the military operations, which contributed to the German defeat, particularly in Russia. A highlight of the book, is the description of the battle of Stalingrad that started the disintergration of the German army. The book, desspite all of its detail, is easy reading; its extensive bibliography and footnotes make it a superb resource for anyone interested in World War 2, especially the eastern front. It would have been even better had the many photographs and maps been larger.
   
   Elliott Lesser



4. I just received the book yesterday so I wanted to update my previous review. I am working on a similar biography for an officer from a sister regiment so I am very familiar with the topics presented in this book. I will write a final review once I am finished reading it.
   
   Overall, this is a good bio of a panzer soldier and an overview of the unit in which he served. The author has put in a lot of effort to provide background to the subject and to provide a coherent timeline for the events in this soldier's life. The photo material and graphics are good. The book is well put together physically.
   
   I only gave it 4 out of 5 stars because although the author has done a fine job, I think there are some weak spots in the editing and the sourcing. The book would have been well served to have been proofread to clean up some odd uses of English and catch some German errors - like translating fortress as "Berg" instead of "Burg." The quoted sources tend to be generic secondary sources like Time-Life books rather than the archival materials which the author even mentions that he had access to.
   
   Don't let the weak points deter you from buying this book.



5. Author tells the story of his heroic father-in-law whom he never met in person. This is a quick read with strong historical research. Great photographic journaling. The personal interest is compelling. Gripping, what's going to happen next combat action. By the end of the book you feel that Karl Roth is a close friend. Authors personal insights are of note. Must read!!

5 comments about Infantry Soldier: Holding the Line at the Battle of the Bulge.

1. This is one of the better first-person accounts I've ever read. I highly, strongly recommend that you take the time to read it. It's well-written, relevant, and hard to put down.



2. A great day in an day out story about the war. No hype, no frills. Just the story of what the days were actually like for a foot soldier in WW II.



3. George Neill presents a front line soldier's view of what it was like to be part of the WWII American infantry. While reading the book, I almost felt the cold and fear that were the soldier's constant companions. while the rear echelon soldiers got the winter boots, and the generals got heated quarters, Neill and his fellow soldiers tried to survive the cold, boredom and attacks. I felt like I was there. This book gets my very highet recommendation.



4. I had to read this book for a course on WWII. Neil does an excellent job of "putting you there" as the cliche goes. The complexities of battle, to the horrid conditions to the mindstate of men about to die are all covered well in this novel. Neill really does a good job of keeping the reader attached to the book, and helps bring to life something that many people have only read about in history text books. I recommend this novel to anyone interested in War in general, and of course in WWII.



5. The ASTPer's were the brightest, most intelligent young citizen soldiers of their part of the World War II generation. Originally deferred from military service to be allowed to attend college, they were thrown into the battlefields of Europe when America needed bodies to make to final push to Berlin, just in time for the Battle of the Bulge. Infantry Soldier: Holding the Line at the Battle of the Bulge is an accurate account of the fighting and front-line conditions facing the common infantry rifleman during one of Europe's coldest winters. Neill not only served as one of these men, he has done the research and interviews needed to complete the picture, not just of the men on the ground who knew little beyond the events of their immediate foxhole, but events on the German side and U.S. Army rear echelon and high command decisions. Included is an excellent description of the destructive power of a German artillery barrage, and the problems encountered when supply lines are stretched and items desperately needed by the front-line soldier for survival are being diverted to rear-echelon personnel. Neill also takes an intelligent look at war in general, and the conclusion is that we should never forget the horrors and untold human suffering caused by war.

5 comments about Inside the Wire: A Military Intelligence Soldier's Eyewitness Account of Life at Guantanamo.

1. This expose of the atrocities at Guantanamo Bay as relayed by an American eyewitnessis an almost impossible book to review along the guidelines of what can be said. The book is filled with filthy language and none can be used. Erik looks like a good All-American young man, but listen to his language. He was trained to speak and understand the Arabic language, but I doubt they use the slang we Americans take for granted, but Amazon won't accept. It's okay in a book but not the book review.
   
   Erik and Mark observed how inefficient the guards and female military are for extracting evidence. Having served a long jail sentence in the USA, Mark was emotionally deficient but enjoyed taking part in the sexual tactics purportedly for interrogation purposes. Eric had secured a college degree but his failing marriage sent him to join up for the military with dreams of glory. Mark was not so lucky. Being already a felon, he was denied that privilege to die with grace. Erik spent his R&R with a girfriend he picked up somewhere. Mark liked the unattached homeless women who abound everywhere.



2. This book was a great read. Accurate? You bet! I faced the same trials and tribulations stationed in the Middle East (unqualified people, find your own replacement or stay and rot, below prison standard living conditions, etc., etc.) Job well done!



3. I bought this book from the Dollar Store (of all places) and read it all in one evening...I couldn't put it down. Given the public attention that has been paid to activities, both known and as yet unknown, at Gitmo, I was surprised to discover that this book is out of print already, having only been published in 2005. Let's face it, the activities at Gitmo are highly secretive for either good reasons (like national security) and/or bad (like a potential cover up of less than desirable interrogation practices as far as the Geneva convention goes). Given what should have been high public interest in the book, and the place where I found it, I decided to check out the reviews on Amazon and quickly noted, as other reviewers had, that people either loved or hated this book with very little grey area in between.
   
   One thing that impressed me is that nearly all the reviews here are some of the most well written I have ever read about any book sold on Amazon in the sense that most are clearly written by educated and thoughtful people. And I mean this about the one star *and* five star reviews. In fact, perhaps even more of the one star reviews; as more than one star reviewer pointed out, left leaning liberals are very likely to love Saar's book.
   
   I note that many of the one star reviewers were stationed at Gitmo, and some were upset not so much by what Saar had to say, but that he complained about it in a public forum. Some of these reviewers and many other one star reviewers expressed disbelief that there really could be a widespread "cover up" operation that would actually work in practice. I didn't get the impression reading the book that Saar was describing a concerted "cover up" operation. But I find it interesting that reviewers who served in the armed forces are upset that Saar expressed his views about Gitmo publicly instead of complaining up the command chain, whilst they simultaneously poo-poo a "cover up"; if it is drummed into you in the military that you should never, ever complain to the outside world about problems you see in military infrastructure, isn't that a culture that encourages "keeping things amongst ourselves, even if we don't like it?". I am sure that many soldiers who served at Abu Ghraib didn't like what they saw going on there, but didn't go public. And I would be surprised if any of them complained up their command structure if they felt that the top brass condoned or worse yet, even sanctioned, what occurred there. Who wants to ruin their career? It is better just to shut up and put up. Which amounts to a cover up, even if the people not talking wouldn't call it such.
   
   It is not surprising that the reviews of this book are so polarized given that Saar described his fellow service people at Gitmo as being extremely polarized in their feelings about the place and what goes on there.
   
   I have one comment to make about the CACI categorically denying that civilian interrogators were used; reading that portion of the book, I find it highly unlikely that Saar actually made that up since his description sounds believable. What I think happened is that CACI threatened one big honkin' lawsuit against Penguin unless it retracted that part of the book. As a government contractor CACI makes *a lot* of money, and Penguin could potentially lose a lot more money in such a lawsuit than they gained from publishing the book. Pretty much everything else in the book is focussed on the operations of government agencies and the military...no fear of lawsuits there given that the book was vetted by the Pentagon. The fact that Penguin retracted the description of the CACI interrogators does not make the book less believable in my eyes. I think it shows how difficult it is to tell the truth about what goes on at Gitmo without a lawsuit being slapped on you. Yet another way that "cover ups" are encouraged (in the sense that people have strong incentive to shut up and put up).
   
   Saar likely did make a fair amount of money off this book. But I'm not sure if he is as craven as some reviewers make him out to be; his monetary gain comes at a price, in that I am sure some service people and others besides view him as a traitor and some would be happy to beat the crap out of him should they come across him in a dark alley. I wonder what Saar's life is like these days...



4. This should be required reading for all US citizens. However you feel about Bush or the War On Terror, this book will challenge your preconceptions about Guantanamo Bay.



5. I expected a more shocking account of the detention camp, this book is not so much an insight into guantanamo but just an account of somebody working in a medium/high stress environment.
   
   I was quite disappointed with the book & only continued to read it in the hope that it got better, which it didn't.

5 comments about Lawrence: The Uncrowned King of Arabia.

1. Having read a few books about T.E.Lawrence and his own tome I found Michael Asher's book easily the most enjoyable of the lot. Any man who took the time to physically visit the routes Lawrence (claims) to have made, has something to say. A very worthwhile book.
   
   Damien in Dublin.
   
   Sands of Death: An Epic Tale of Massacre, Cannibalism, and Survival in the Sahara
   Two Against the Sahara: On Camelback from Nouakchott to the Nile



2. Whether or not you truly want to delve into the life of Lawrence of Arabia and this particular biography depends, I think, on whether you want to preserve the dynamic image of him as portrayed in the movie Lawrence of Arabia by David Lean or want to dig deeper into the eccentric world of the real T.E. Lawrence. I myself am no Lawrence scholar and have something akin to a passing interest in him as a sort of mythological figure like Wyatt Earp or Daniel Boone. This particular book was picked up randomly at a library book sale for a quarter to supplement my knowledge of T.E. Lawrence beyond the movie and to help me prepare to read his memoir Seven Pillars of Wisdom, which I've heard is quite literary and even difficult without a bit of background on Lawrence and the Arab revolt.
   
   As a writer and a scholar, Asher is reasonably capable and has adequate credentials to tell his tale. What has been mentioned in other reviews and which I'll echo here is that he unfortunately wants to interrupt the flow of Lawrence's biography by interjecting his first-person accounts of his travels around the same areas Lawrence traveled. Although this story-telling technique doesn't ruin the book, it slows down the pace and adds little if anything the reader needs or wants to know. To me, it serves as an annoying distraction. It's typical also for Asher to want to pick apart the mind of T.E. Lawrence and give some debatable theories about the motives behind Lawrence's actions. Certainly, Asher appears to do his homework and his assumptions about Lawrence seem well supported, but what is hard to take is the unequivocal nature of Asher's assertions. He himself never doubts his assumptions.
   
   However, if the reader can accept that Asher's views are valid, then the reader should also be prepared to discover that Lawrence was more than a little eccentric, something bound to undermine the beautiful myth around the man. Aside from the details given about Lawrence's truly weird need for self-debasement in the form of flagellation as well as his decision to spend his adult life after Arabia as an enlisted man in the military, what bothered me most about Lawrence as discussed by Asher was his tendency to play with facts, an inclination apparently noted by other biographers. Given the reality that reality is often subjective, I do like to know the facts as accurately as they can be reported. Apparently, Lawrence seems to have appreciated the value of propaganda and chose to exploit it to achieve his ends, which are not terribly clear. Therefore, it's hard to know the whole truth about what happened during the Arab revolt, and Asher finds numerous holes in Lawrence's story. I'm happy to report that Asher does make clear that Lawrence accomplished much of what he claims to have accomplished, so Lawrence was indeed a dynamic fellow and the right person at the right time to do what he did, but he also makes clear that there are bizarre, masochistic motives that drive Lawrence. Therefore, if you want to truly know the man behind the myth, read on. If you want to preserve a myth, watch the movie, and then read an encyclopedia for broad details about Lawrence's life and the Arab revolt.



3. I am by no means a Lawrence scholar. I picked the book up at a discount because at the time I was preparing for a deployment to Iraq and was reading everything I could on the recent history of the Middle East. I found the book well written and fascinating. Historicaly accurate? Who knows? But it was a great introduction to a Western icon closely tied with the rise of the Saudi kingdom and the current map of the Middle East. After reading this I read Lawrence's own "Seven Pillars of Wisdom" and who knows what the absolute truth was regarding Lawrence and his exploits. All I know is that this book made for a good reading. I appreciated Asher's insights into Arabic culture and customs. Certainly as we struggle to win the "hearts and minds" of the people in Iraq, any scholarship that helps us to understand how a Westerner can succesfully interact with the Arab peaple is a welcome read.



4. This is a large and invovled biography of T E Lawrence, written by an author who starts out as an admirer, and remains so to the end, though to a much lesser degree.

   Though there is a lot of information about the battles in the desert, i found this book most interesting when the author explores Lawrence's psyche and personality, and attempts (not always successfully or believably) at the truth behind the myth. He tests a lot of the claims about the great man, and mainly finds them wanting. This book is especially strong when it admits that it comes to no definate conclusion - rather, the author presents the facts as he sees them and lets the reader decide.

   This book is probably one of the better Lawrence biographies out there at the moment (though i would not say nearly the best) as it delves into the contradictions of the man and the myuth, and isn't afraid to 'pull punches' and not make excuses for the more troubling aspects of Lawrence's personality.

   I finished this book wondering why such a genius felt compelled to fabricate so much about his life, but also seeing him as more ' three-dimensional' than the common myth.




5. This book fails in many ways. The reason it gets 2 stars instead of one is that it's hard to discuss Lawrence without some fascinating things coming through.

   First, Asher makes himelf part of the biography. He discusses his own personal travels in a manner that add absolutely nothing to the reader's understanding. The final paragraph of the book begins with "I." Further, the frequency and manner in which he interjects himself in the book is highly annoying.

   Second, there are numerous factual problems with the book. At one point Asher refers to Turks shooting their rifles at Bedu who are over two miles away. Even a trained sniper with modern equipment wouldn't take that shot. Further, his description of Lt. Junor's plane crash is at odds with other accounts. Asher says the plane erupted in flames even though there are published photos of the crashed plane that show otherwise. Lastly on this point, Asher doesn't use Tunbridge's writings on Lawrence's days in the RAF as reference material. It's a surprising omission.

   Third, as other reviewers noted, Asher writes extensively about Lawrence's psyche. This would be sensible if Asher was either trained in psychology or referenced studies by those who are; unfortunately, neither is the case. Instead there are a few bibliographical references to works on psychology, but none specific to Lawrence. Asher's vehement discussion of Lawrence's mother makes the reader wonder whether the author or the subject had the greater maternal relationship issues.

   Fourth, is Asher's style, or more accurately, styles. At times he uses the contemporary jargon of British soldiers, whereas at other points he writes in a very stilted manner adding unnecessary Latin phrases to the text. His best writing is when he's providing background or contextual material such as the discussion of British military actions elsewhere in WWI.

   Lawrence was one of the most fascinating personalities of the 20th century. He deserves a much better biography.

2 comments about Attention, Fool!.

1. This is a beautifully written account of a young man's survival of the sinking of the USS HOUSTON during WW2. After spending 17 hours in the water, he was "rescued" to begin a three and a half year imprisonment in Japanese work camps which included the infamous River Kwai bridge. It is a true account of degradation, suffering, pain and fear laced with humor and faith. I sincerely doubt if anyone can read this book and not be a little bit humbled by what our courageous young men endured for our country. GOD BLESS AMERICA; AND GOD BLESS OUR ARMED FORCES.



2. The author of Attention, Fool! was my father. William J. Weissinger, Jr. survived the sinking of the USS Houston CA-30 only to spend the ensuing 42 months in Japanese death camps. As I read his book it was as if I was sitting there with him, listening to him tell of his experiences as a Japanese prisoner of war. And I think to myself, "Man, this is vintage Daddy, if ever there was." I don't recall him telling me anything more than "what" happened. I think he knew that if you weren't there, you could never know how bad it really was, no matter how he described the conditions. But in his telling, I did understand that it was bad. His story is one of human survival under the most adverse conditions, and I'm sure the men who shared these experiences will be able to read much into this book than the average reader ever could.

5 comments about North of the River: Triology / Part One.

1. As a reader, this is a fabulous read. As someone who was there, it is even better. If you served in the armed forces during the 60's and 70's, then this book is a 'must read'. It brought back so many memories.
   
   A donut dolly known as 'Spud' in the 67-68 Korea.



2. It has been 37 years since I was a donut dolly at 2nd Division and reading Mark's book brought back all the hopes, adventures and everyday details of serving in South Korea.
   I learned of the book through another donut dolly named in the dedication and once again, I thanked the universe for guiding me to South Korea at the ripe old age of 21 to serve 18 months with a group of wonderful men and women.
   Mark's depiction of the Red Cross women was very accurate although the Beth character was far more liberal than the most of us. On some level we all looked for that special man and in the process learned to value men as friends much more so than as lovers (some of us took that morals clause in our contracts far too literally!).
   If you served in South Korea, I highly recommend the book.
   Mark thank you for the very well written trip down memory lane!



3. While the Vietnam War riveted America's attention in the late 1960s, a lesser known conflict simmered in Korea. Known now as the Second Korean War, the increased tension and occasional firefights along the Korean DMZ during the 60s caused dozens of American casualties and perhaps hundreds of Korean. For those unacquainted with this conflict, this book serves as a primer on the Korean conflict at that time and the service of the men assigned to the Second Infantry Division in "the zone" north of the Imjin River. It also reminds the reader of the service rendered by the women of the American Red Cross, known as Donut Dollies, who brought cheer and a touch of home (along with donuts) to soldiers in Vietnam and Korea. However, for those of us who served in Korea during the late 1960s, this book vividly revives the sights, sounds, smells and emotions of our Army service as young men in a hostile fire zone. As a lieutenant in the 2nd Inf Div, serving on the DMZ for most of a 13 month tour, I experienced almost all of the of incidents, challenges, adventures and romance described so well by Mark Higginson. Every page brought back memories, and the author's recall of detail (drawn from his own Army service) and his description of the intense emotions of those times makes this an essential read for any veteran.



4. I bought this book because I too served with the 2nd Infantry Division on the DMZ. As I read the book it became very clear to me that Mr. Higgenson is very good at what he does. It brought back memories to me and as the story goes on I say "hey thats right" or "that really happens".
   
   
   The book is very good and covers a subject not often talked about. Korea is still a divided country and U.S. Soldiers still serve there. If it were up to me it would be required reading for those being stationed there. It is very real time, and still an exciting story.
   
   Thank you Mr. Higgenson for a great book.



5. The author is talking about the Imjin River, which most Americans had to cross to reach the Demilitarized Zone(DMZ) that separates North from South Korea. American soldiers from the 2nd and 7th Infantry Divisions guarded that DMZ.
   
   During the height of Vietnam these soldiers served in Guard Posts in the middle of the DMZ, participated in combat patrols in the DMZ and gaurded the Southern end of the DMZ. They did this with scant attention paid to them by the army or the people back home.
   
   Hundreds of men became casualities, known only to their comrads, friends and families. I know, I was there and was wounded on a night ambush in the DMZ by friendly fire, 9 July 1969.
   
   This book gives an accurate account of what a young American officer did during his 13 month tour in Korea. It will differ with what many other soldiers did on and in the DMZ. Two other fiction books have been written by soldiers who served on the DMZ.
   
   They are Muffled Shots, A Year on the DMZ by William Rosky and The Fence-Walker by William Holinger.
   
   For a non-fiction account get Leavenworth Papers, number 19, entitled: Scenes from an Unfinished War-Low-Intensity Conflict in Korea, 1966 to 1969.
   
   South Korea is free today partially because of what we did there, the casualties we suffered and those who died or were killed in action.

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