5 comments about Where the Birds Never Sing: The True Story of the 92nd Signal Battalion and the Liberation of Dachau.

1. This personal narrative set in the midst of global history is a tremendous story. A touching and humorous account of an unforgettable era, told with skill. Couldn't put it down until it was finished. One reads it thinking, "This would make a wonderful movie."



2. I concur with the excellent reviews preceeding mine. This is a beautifully written account of the guys from the 192nd Signal Battalion from basic training to the end of World War II. I'd like to identify three significant elements undergirding this excellent account of the incredible fortitude of teenagers turned warriers in a brutal environment. First, Joe Sacco and his buddies had the immense good fortune of being under the capable direction of First Sargeant Ernest Thomas. His presence in the background is a constant element in keeping these young men the best that they could be. Next, Joe Sacco and his buddies were among those who forever identify themselves as members of "Patton's Army". Through Joe's eyes we can appreciate the inspirational leadership he offered in the worst of times. Last, these guys were such good guys--in their treatment of little children, a child German soldier, and others, it makes one so proud of all those very young American soldiers who could see the worst, and yet keep their faith in the importance of each human being.



3. This book is a compelling story about a young man who grows up on the outskirts of Birmingham, Alabama on his family farm and goes on to serve his country in World War II. Sacco made the unique decision of telling the story in his father's voice, which adds to the authenticity of the account.
   
   This tactic also makes the writing come across as glib in places. While the elder Sacco tells anecdotes about bad food, and seemingly endless hours of drills in all types of weather, he glosses over some of these hardships as the story moves on. The book would have been strengthened a bit if the author had filled in some of those gaps for the reader. The liberation of Dachau gets surprisingly few pages, as one would expect this event to be the pinnacle of the young soldier's life.
   
   However, there are a number of places where Sacco's first hand account proves very effective: The story is full of wiseacre remarks about the shape of a woman, and while these types of comments aren't acceptable in our time, in most circles, they add to the realistic feel of a group of young GIs serving half a world away usually without female companionship.
   
   Sacco's account of the group dynamics in his unit is fascinating. There are a number of anecdotes about race relations in the Army. The elder Sacco seems to pride himself on having been more enlightened than some in his time, in part because he himself experienced prejudice. Finally, his account of falling in love with a young woman named Monique during a stint in a small French village on the border with Germany is truly riveting.
   
   In sum, the book seems to serve as a realistic account of military service and of the horror of war. And while I was disappointed by the casual telling of the story in some places, one has the sense that the elder Sacco's sense of humor, combined with his ability to minimize certain aspects of his tough experience, helped to keep him going during some of the most harrowing experiences of his life. Indeed, the author's style provided plenty of comic relief. This book is more for those who like biographies rather than those who want a straightforward account of the facts and dates associated with these historic events.



4. Superbly written! At once epic in scope and intimate in detail, WHERE THE BIRDS NEVER SING effortlessly transports even a casual reader on an emotional and unforgettable journey. Author Jack Sacco masterfully recounts the true story of his father, Joe Sacco, an American GI in World War II. Instead of using the tired genre of third-person documentary-style writing to tell the tale, the author speaks in the first person, through the eyes of his father. The result is one of the most powerful and honestly moving accounts of the human drama in World War II in recent memory.
   
   The story begins in 1943 on a farm in Alabama, when the young Joe Sacco receives a letter informing him that he has been drafted into the service. From there, it seamlessly moves through his training with the 92nd Signal Battalion, shipping out to England (where the soldiers witnessed the stirring and famous speech by General Patton), landing at Omaha Beach in Normandy, surviving the Battle of the Bulge and fighting their way across Nazi Germany to eventually arrive at the notorious concentration camp at Dachau by war's end.
   
   The book, already powerful and moving up until that point, then takes the reader to a new level of realism as horrifying details of the camp are revealed. Considering all he had seen and experienced since landing at Normandy, the emotional response of the young Joe Sacco to the carnage inside Dachau may leave the reader near tears. Rarely, if ever, has there been a written account of the reality of the concentration camps so graphic, gripping or compelling. As if that wasn't enough, Jack Sacco has included actual historic photographs his father took during the dramatic liberation.
   
   All along the way, the author crafts memorable and beautifully written scenes, from the terrors of battle to the tranquility of a snowfall in the forests of Alsace-Lorraine, from the sorrows of the death of a buddy to the simple joy of decorating a makeshift Christmas tree with gum wrappers. In describing the emotions of the men before leaving Dachau, Sacco writes, "Now, after a year of combat, each of us finally and forever understood why destiny had called us to travel so far away from the land of our birth and fight for people we did not know. And so it was here, in this place abandoned by God and accursed by men, that we came to discover the meaning of our mission."
   
   This is not another book about World War II. It's an intimate journey into the heart of an American soldier, and as such, it is as triumphant as the men it depicts. Readers will not only delight in WHERE THE BIRDS NEVER SING, they will gain a new appreciation for the accomplishments of their own fathers, uncles and grandfathers who may have served in World War II as part of the Greatest Generation.



5. Where The Birds Never Sing is the story of Joe Sacco's years in the army during WWII as written by his son Jack. From the time he was drafted until the time that he returns home we live with Joe as he experiences everything from basic training to the liberation of Dachau, which left Joe and the men of his company, soldiers who had witnessed everything that war has to offer, speachless and sickened. It also, as Joe so eloquently tells us, brought home, all too clearly, to these soldiers just why they had left their homes to "fight for a people we did not know."
   
   A remarkable story about a remarkable man. This book must be read by all who are interested in "The Greatest Generation."

5 comments about Roger Ball!: The Odyssey of John Monroe "Hawk" Smith Navy Fighter Pilot.

1. Full disclosure reveals that I have read and submit this review of Roger Ball! as a non-aviator and a civilian who has no military service history. My perspective is outside the box of subject familiarity, but inside the envelope of passionate interest in naval aviation over many decades. I lived and worked in Peru and South Africa for a number of years at NASA-funded satellite tracking facilities. During those years I began a project to build a large model of USS Enterprise CVAN-65. The model and eighty-five embarked aircraft ended up at the Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum, donated and set-up in 1982 (and maintained continuously thereafter) by me. I was a one-man show engaged in the complexity of a modern aircraft carrier. It's been done, but not by many.
   
   It was John Monroe Smith and Capt. C.C. Smith Jr. who gave me my first look during a full week visit in late February 1975 aboard Enterprise during the turbulent cruise which endured the 'thump-bang' mystery of F-14 engine breakup, and the heartbreaking loss of South Vietnam in April 1975. It was Hawk who escorted me to the LSO platform for the view of a lifetime. It was Hawk who engaged in small talk with a non-flier. It was Hawk who responded in 1980 after I saw him on ABC's 20/20 discussing the Black Lions and the continuing challenges of coaxing the F-14 to become the best it was designed to be. It was Hawk who compelled me to join Tailhook Association, of which I've been an associate member for nearly 28 years. And, it was Hawk who just recently recalled who I was after our first meeting in the South China Sea in 1975, 32 years later.
   
   I have a concept of heroism. A hero is one who has everything to lose, everyone to expose the pain of his loss, and yet goes about a dangerous profession, year in and year out, STICKS to his mission in the face of possible and sudden evisceration, held by a thread to life by skill, cunning, luck and dedication. That's a hero. Not the rock star, nor a politician, rarely a multi-billionaire. Heros are found within the level and vertical battlefields of wars mostly, and also among those with the dedication to improve the humanity of man in places where hostility lurks; in countries, boardrooms, firehouses, anywhere that character is essential and practiced, and bold actions are taken selflessly, persistently, at great personal risk.
   
   The world might have lost Hawk on many occasions, and we would have to subtract from our experiences all that he contributed during his fortunate long career and great influence as expressed by so many. Donald Auten faced the same level of risk across his own thousands of hours of Navy flying. We would lose the gripping story herein told had he not had the full benefit of a life longer lived.
   
   I enjoyed every line, every encapsulated story, the sum of which was a fabric of adventure and an honorable life well lived managing the incredible machinery, the fickle nature of human relations within the ranks, the meddling politicians -both the effective and the intrusive - with sticky noses, the humorous and the humorless, the endurance of Miss Jenny, all put together in a tale of high adventure and much about a very important survival component of our national security.
   
   >I dare not critique specifics about navy flying, for after all, my aviation experience is limited to taking the stick of my brother's 85 hp Luscombe over the eastern Colorado range and some of the mountain terrain - with my pilot-brother alongside. And yes, perhaps I know a little bit about airplanes and ships. Just permit me to say that this non-flier knows as well as he can the story herein told, even without the Wings of Gold proudly worn by those who know the story all too well.
   
   Well done, Duck. Well done, Hawk. It is an honor bestowed on me to be given a chance to see the little I've seen, and read as richly as experienced by those who have seen much. Thank you, gentlemen, all.
   
   And PS: You need a sequel, we want to read more. I know the material is there!
   
   Steve Henninger
   Tailhook Member #4875



2. Roger Ball is an interesting read, and brought back some memories of similar frustrations with inept or out of touch senior officers. I enjoyed reading the book and agree with the other reviewers that it is an excellent story about carrier aviation and the fighter community in particular. I can recall having the same frustrations with the de-emphasis and, in some cases, the outright ban on ACM. No one paid any attention to the ban, but we didn't receive any formal training either.
   
   I simply could not understand how a theoretical and untested defensive maneuver for which we were were not trained and did not practice would have been much use if I had been jumped by a MIG over North Vietnam in 1965 or 1966. A run in with a solo Vautour on a MED cruise in 1967 during an exercise with the French brought home to me as it did to Hawk that we had some very serious holes in our training.
   
   Auten's book is the best documentation that I have read about the changes that Vietnam War wrought upon the military. After years of lip service, innovative officers like Hawk and real world training programs like TOPGUN finally made "train like you fight and fight like you train" a reality in all front line unit tactical training for all of the military services.
   
   I was a bit disappointed with the book from time to time because it suffers from some factual errors, weak writing, and poor organization. There is no Lava Wharf in Subic Bay. There is, however, an Alava Pier on the Subic side and a Leyte Wharf on the Cubi Pt. side. While I do not believe that this book contains any intentional errors or distortions, little errors such as this can cause a knowledgeable reader a bit of pause in regards to the accuracy of a non-fiction book.
   
   In regards to the exposition, there are several places in the book that could be improved. For example:
   
   * Information is repeated unnecessarily in the space of just a few paragraphs.
   
   * The reader is assumed to know facts that are critical to understanding the narrative and/or appreciating its gravity, intensity, humor, etc.
   
   * Transitions between various topics are not as smooth as they could be.
   
   None of these detract from the book's relevance, its worth as a witness to a particular period of naval aviation, or reduce its value as the documentation and celebration of the capabilities, achievements, and contributions of a highly respected and dedicated officer who repeatedly demonstrated great ingenuity and personal integrity throughout his career. Nevertheless, a rewrite of the troublesome portions and/or a very sharp editor's pencil in those spots would not only make the book really sparkle but also make it more accessible and appealing to a wider audience than those with an narrow aviation or naval interest.
   
   The ending of the book also left me disappointed. If Hawk was the best CO in the wing, I wanted to know why in the world he was not selected for one or more bonus operational commands such as command of an air wing. Clearly he had been what was known as a "water walker" his entire career, but the book offered no explanation why his last flight was as the CO of an F-14 squadron. Additionally, Hawk's years as a senior CDR and CAPT were dismissed with a few paragraphs.



3. The story of Monroe "Hawk" Smith, wonderfully told by Donald Auten, is a classic tale of challenge, disappointment, and triumph, set against the action packed backdrop of carrier aviation.
   For one who had the great pleasure and privilege of serving with Hawk, it is particularly gratifying to hear his voice, intonation, enthusiasm and humor captured so well. You are there as he coaxes an F-14 Tomcat pilot into a successful crash landing aboard the carrier Enterprise. He takes you into the air as he duels some of the world's best pilots during the development of transitional weapon systems and tactics. Roger Ball captures the heart-pounding sweaty-palmed episodes and the resulting exhilaration of having "cheated death one more time" that all tailhook aviators have experienced. But this story is more than one of "turning and burning"; it is one of inspirational leadership, career changing confrontations, and ultimately one of love of family and country. It is the story of a man who literally and figuratively kept his eye on the ball throughout his career - with an unwavering pursuit of excellence and a twinkle in his steely eyes.
   
   Naval aviation is the better for all of Hawk's efforts. We who served with him and those who read his story are better for knowing such a unique man.
   
   Captain Rick Hauck, USN (Ret.)



4. What a great way to tell the story of carrier avaition, than by telling the story about the life of one pilot who excelled in a Navy flight career. Hawk embodies Naval Aviation. This book tells the whole story with the thrills, risks, and not so good features. It tells great fighter stories, about harrowing carrier missions, about a good officer leading and caring for his men, about the many sacrifices of sailors and families during long separation and about some not so good officers in command who drive good people from a Naval career with their poor leadership. Super book!!!



5. ROGER BALL! The Odyssey of John Monroe "Hawk" Smith, Navy Fighter Pilot by Donald E. Auten (Lincoln, NE: iUniverse, 2006)
   
   Reviewed by Captain Timothy E. "Spike" Prendergast, U.S. Navy (Retired)
   
   When I assumed command of a fighter squadron in 1989, part of my brief remarks was a promise to try and lead as I had been taught by three of my former COs. One of those was Monroe "Hawk" Smith, under whose command I had learned the truest meaning of the dictum "If you're not having fun, you're not doing it right!"
   
   Don Auten's highly readable biography of "Hawk" is a most welcome and much needed addition to the personal "fighter pilot library" of anyone who served at Miramar in the 70's and 80's, ever flew the Tomcat, attended TOPGUN, or served with Hawk or under his command. Filled with the names of Miramar and Navy fighter "greats" known to us all, like Jack Ready, "Hoser" Satrapa, "Bad Fred" Lewis, "Cobra" Ruliffson, "Thunder Bud" Taylor, "Boomer" Wilson, and many others, just reading it took me back to the Fightertown flight line, the LSO platform, the TACTS trailer and the "WOXOF" bar at the Miramar O'Club.
   
   ROGER BALL details Hawk's many personal--and unique--contributions to the fleet introduction of the F-14 Tomcat, including OT&E, carrier suitability and first fleet CQ, and the initial thrills (and the initial disappointments...thump...bang!) of this now-legendary fighter aircraft. The story of his many key assignments at VX-4, as CAG LSO with the first F-14-equipped airwing, and during the AIMVAL/ACEVAL projects "fill in the details" of the early critical days of the aircraft and the community that would form around it. If others can lay just claim to being "the father of the Tomcat", Hawk surely can lay just claim to being one of the many "midwives" who made the birth and early formative years so successful.
   
   Similarly, as almost a follow-on to Scream of Eagles: The Creation of TOPGUN and the U.S. Air Victory in Vietnam (Robert K. Wilcox, New York, NY, John Wiley & Sons, 1990), Hawk's time as first the XO, then the CO of the Navy Fighter Weapons School at Miramar, is a rich tale of "the best of times and the worst of times" at Fightertown USA. Those of us who were there will never forget.
   
   For those many of us who served under Hawk's fleet command in the VF-213 "Black Lions", however, the book cries out for a sequel, as those years are relegated to almost footnote status. That critical tour, and all that it contained--firmly etched in our collective memories as almost nothing else--and Hawk's post-command and Major command assignments are all "rolled up" in only the last four pages of the book. We all eagerly await the much-needed second volume.
   
   ROGER BALL is unquestionably the "book of the 2006 summer" for those of us who never tire of reading about the Naval aviation greats who created a community, became a legend, and who molded us, for better or worse, in their own image. For my part, I can only hope that my own efforts during my times in command did "Hawk" the honor that was intended.

5 comments about All the Way to Berlin: A Paratrooper at War in Europe.

1. I have been reading military history since the age of 11, and as a combat veteran of both Iraq and Afghanistan I can relate to many of the themes brought forward in this book. I salute Megellas's service and sacrifice -- I do not believe our country will face the large scale combat of WWII and all the associated horror's and bloodshed again -- he fought and did what he had to do and what he felt was right -- and this book reflects him being apart of something enormous in scale and comprehension.
   
   But, as an author, Megeallas never seemed to find his voice. I found the book and associated narrative lacking and wandering. Descriptions of events switched back and forth from macro strategy to micro actions of fellow soldiers, leaving the reader wondering who he was going to quote next. If the writing had been tighter I would have rated it higher.



2. This is an autobiographic look at the war experience of a lieutenant of paratroopers serving in World War II in the famed 82d Airborne Division. In this book, author James Megellas (a/k/a "Maggie") tells us the story of intense and almost continuous combat beginning in North Africa, continuing in Italy, and finally D-Day and the invasion of Western Europe. The author explains that his "MOS" (Military Occupational Specialty) was simply to "Kill Germans" and that this was the real, if unofficial, job description of himself and his men. The author makes no bones about the merciless nature of the war. Prisoners were sometimes shot by both sides, and to say that there were hard feelings is an understatement. This was a rough war against a competent enemy who inflicted terrible casualties on allied soldiers, who in turn gave even better than they got.
   
   Magellas' observations and opinions about rear-echelon soldiers, and the psychology of the higher-ups who did little or no actual fighting, ring true. He notes that it was the captains and lieutenants who really functioned as "leaders" of combat troops, and it was pretty obvious that Magellas was less than impressed with much of the upper brass. The British brass comes in for particularly harsh criticism in the context of the failure of Montgomery's Operation Market-Garden. Magellas also relates an astonishing incident in which British armor refused to advance to relieve besieged units of British paratroopers, which shirking allowed the Germans to massacre them. The author takes the trouble to say that he "personally witnessed this incident...."
   
   Books like this remind us in this time of relative peace (notwithstanding the very real fighting that goes on in the present day) the tremendous debt that all of us owe to those who endured unspeakable danger and hardships to bring down Nazi Germany. Need I add that it is a reminder of the debt that we all owe to the soldiers, sailors, marines, and airmen who are serving America in the present day. This is a well-written and lucid account of combat by an intelligent and brilliant soldier.



3. It's a bit troubling to see a couple of reviewers here complaining about Jim "Maggie" Megellas being "self-serving" and a "blowhard" because he's honest about the 82nd Airborne Division's WWII mission. That mission was to kill Germans and win the war. Maggie was very good at this as was his platoon, the 504 PIR and the 82nd, the greatest Airborne division of all. How else were we to win the war?
   
   "All the Way to Berlin" is the best Airborne book I've read and I've read a lot of them including S. Ambrose's "Band of Brothers". I've never understood why Ambrose, who taught at the University of Wisconsin passed up Wisconsin's greatest Airborne hero, Jim Megellas.
   
   Not to take anything away from the 101st Airborne, another bunch of terrific, fighting paratroopers, but no one fought harder and longer with less against formidable opposition than the 82nd. And within the 82nd, the 504PIR, 3rd BN, H Company was one of the best.
   
   My friend Bill Hannigan from St. Paul went all the way from Africa to Berlin with the 82nd. He became a squad leader in Maggie's platoon and is one of those paratroopers who knows Maggie best. Bill says Maggie was not only the best and bravest at killing Germans. "He cared about all of us. He did things for us. He's been a good man all his life."
   
   Bill is one of the dwindling numbers of Maggie's platoon who continues to work for the Medal of Honor which Maggie was originally put in for after his heroism at Herresbach. The platoon killed and captured 100's of Germans during that battle and as they moved into the town, Maggie single-handedly attacked and took out a Mark IV tank that threatened his platoon. This part of the action was somehow deleted from the paperwork as it moved through channels. Maggie then received the Silver Star instead of the requested MOH. Several years ago, Maggie's platoon friends resurrected the original MOH request and it is now the subject of a bill in the House of Representatives.
   
   Next month, Maggie - who is now 90 - starts a tour in Iraq where he will begin to deliver thousands of his books to the troops. Last year he visited his beloved 504 in Afghanistan where the troopers gave him and AR and 50 rounds of ammo and took him on patrol.
   
   You will see in this great book how Maggie holds paratroopers in special regard. And if you understand paratroopers and the famed 82nd Airborne Division you will know why we love Maggie and this book about our WWII Brothers.
   
   Tom Laney, Editor
   Badger Airborne News
   Badger State Chapter
   82nd Airborne Division Assoc.



4. After reading several reviews about this book, I felt compelled to comment.
   
   I read Mr. Megellas' book after having the pleasure and honor of meeting him in the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport. It was a real treat for me to have the opportunity shake his hand and talk with him for a few minutes. As time rolls on, opportunities to meet a veteran, much less a hero of World War II are few and far between. We talked a bit about Operation Market Garden and his plans to go to Holland. I can tell you that in my brief encounter with him that he was very proud, humble and personable.
   
   With that said, I think that the critic's who accuse Mr. Megellas of being self-serving are very wrong in their assessment. This book is written in a style that is very direct, blunt, straight forward and "matter of fact". There are no words wasted beating around the bush or attempts at being politically correct. By his own accord, the author admits to us that it has taken him years to write these words because they are so painful to repeat. I do not get the sense that he is bragging. I get the sense that he is sharing his pain with the reader and giving us his impression of the unbelievable experience he lived through. It goes without saying this man is a hero.
   
   This book is an excellent read and I would recommend it to anyone even remotely interested in World War 2 or combat. It's so packed full of action I can't believe they haven't made a movie about it.



5. One of the best combat narratives I have ever read. Engrossing, and compelling in its brutaly honest depiction of total warfare. Highly recomended.

No comments about The Art of Command: Military Leadership from George Washington to Colin Powell (None).

3 comments about Pursuit: The Chase, Capture, Persecution, and Surprising Release of Confederate President Jefferson Davis.

1. Another job well done Clint Johnson! As with all of your books you can tell immediately this one was well researched and well written. You are certainly on your way to becoming one of this generations premiere civil war historians. You write with a style that seems as though you have actually lived and experienced the very history you so ably put to type and that is what makes this book so enjoyable. Any student of American history needs this book in their collection.



2. There are different ways to write Civil War history. Some books that are designed for history professors are found filled with footnotes and trivial facts and esoteric comparisons which only another professor of history could enjoy wading through. Then there are others with no notes and no references to sources that tell a rousing good story but one that leaves the reader wondering if he has read a novel or a history book and no way to verify which. Clint Johnson has merged these two types of history into a book which, if you are interested in Jefferson Davis and his capture, is a must read. Johnson focuses on the details of Davis' flight and capture. For those who are looking for something new -- along with the fresh perspective that Johnson brings to the oft-told story of Davis' capture, he has unearthed interesting information, like providing newly discovered details concerning the story that Davis was wearing a dress when he was captured. Many are not aware the Lincoln actively sought to have Davis and his cabinet escape the US or that Davis was never tried for a crime because he never committed one [except in the eyes of the most radical Republicans] and Johnson lets you see the pickle the US government was in as the press and Reconstructors were screaming for Davis to be tried and hung. Johnson seems to have done his legwork. In Johnson's work I did not run across anything which seemed invented, contrived or went against modern Civil War research. Whenever I did want to check the source, I found the cited sources matched Johnson's version. The best part is that the book is well enough written that, once I started, I had to stay up till I finished it. A fascinating book about a fascinating figure in American history. If you are a Civil War history buff, or just want to read a well written account of a very interesting episode from the Civil War, then I recommend you read this book.



3. ...but that doesn't make him guilty of a crime.
   
   When the Confederacy collapsed in April, 1865, President Davis got Lee's message to leave while sitting in pew 63 at St. Paul's Episcopal Church...I have sat in that pew for Church services, and if you think that doesn't give a Southerner the shakes, think again. The civil government left town on a slow train that night..... Danville...Greensboro...Charlotte... One by one his cabinet faded away; Davis still wanted to make it to Texas, and continue the war. By then, that idea bordered on lunacy. Finally, after a month in which he ran, but not hard enough, the President was captured by Union Cavalry near Irwinville, Georgia [NOT IN VARINA'S DRESS--that story is a vile lie]. Davis was transported to Fortress Monroe, Virginia....then the real story started.
   
   Abe Lincoln has wanted a peaceful reunion of the country, and was inclined to let Davis, and the others, escape. Some of Lincoln's own people disagreed; we shall never know what would have happened had Lincoln lived. Abe was a strong leader...Andrew Johnson was not, and therin lay the problem. President Davis was locked up, even kept in chains for a week. The Union had several real difficulties...Democrat controlled newspapers came to Davis' support...good lawyers offered to defend him...the Justice Department couldn't come up with a crime to charge him with. Treason? Well...the Constitutional definition of that is very specific. Secession alone won't do it...secession had always been assumed to be legal. Overthrow of the government in Washington? We NEVER sought to do that, merely to form our own. The Yankees had treated us as a real country during prisoner exchanges; now, they were stuck. And then there was the matter of the Yankees' illegal admission of West Virginia. Does that mean I'm an unperson?
   
   Some Northerners tried to frame Davis for the Lincoln murder, but couldn't even get lying witnesses to tell a straight story. Davis would have NEVER traded Lincoln for Johnson, and Judah Benjamin would have never run such an operation without express orders from Davis. Mr. Johnson touched one interesting point, but did not elaborate: Secretary Stanton refused two different Union officers permission to accompany Lincoln to the theater. Both were strong men, who could have overpowered Booth...stories have circulated for years, hinting at Stanton's involvement, because he wanted a harsher Reconstruction than Lincoln would have allowed. The most that can be speculated is that knowing, somehow, about the plot, he withdrew protection.
   
   Finally, after two years [during which his treatment improved], President Davis was released on bail [paid by Northerners]. The Union had gotten itself in a legal mess by holding a man they dared not bring to trial, and were afraid to just let go. Mr. Chief Justice Chase came to the rescue with a novel approach to the Fourteenth Amendment, and the doctrine of double jeopardy. Davis never got his day in Court....
   
   I am a supporter of Jefferson Davis, but I will certainly not assert that he was without faults; pig-headed might be a nice way to put it. His inability to work with men he disliked led to the underuse of Generals PGT Beauregard and Joe Johnston, and hurt the South. Once he decided on a policy, he would simply not listen to reason. Still, his strength of character helped keep the South going. He gave the South someone to rally around during Reconstruction; to the day he died in 1889, he never backed down. He also committed no crime during the war...Mr. Johnson has written a superb book, part adventure story, part legal treatise, all great history.

5 comments about A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier.

1. This book is disturbing and for that reason should be on the short list of required texts for college. Unlike the WWI and WWII war books which read like ancient history this one hits close to home as most of the events transpired within the last decade. The author does a great job of telling his story from a boys point of view with imagery that will give you nightmares.
   
   If you cannot handle reading about graphic violence, rape, murder, wartime atrocities, then do not buy this book. Otherwise it is a good companion to the Blood Diamond movie which covers some of the same material.



2. This book about the boy soldiers of recent wars in Africa was especially meaningful for us because we lived in neighboring Liberia for 2 years just before the wars broke out. We were teaching school up "in the bush", and some of the boys thought it would be wonderful to be soldiers when they grew up. Well, they did not have time to grow up before the wars came and they were conscripted. The first hand account by Ishmael Beah matches what is published and/or shown about the war events in other countries. With the current attraction of our boys in the US to video "war games", they need to read what life is really like for boys in other countries. Parents need to know and make sure their children are aware of the plight of children in much of the world. It would counteract the huge desire for more things and entertainment here, and perhaps would cause our youth to be caring and benevolent to the many causes there are to help the unfortunate of the world.



3. In this autobiography, A Long Way Gone, Ishmael Beah tells the story of his Civil War experience. In his tragic story, Beah is trying to share his struggles with the world so that people are aware of what had happened to children in Seria Lone.
   Throughout the book Ishmael looses his parents, sister, brother, and friends. For a month or so he is alone until he finds a new group of boys. These boys go though a lot together and end up becoming close friends. Later in the book they find a campsite that is willing to supply them with food and shelter, just what the boys need, in return for one thing; they had to become soldiers to help protect that campsite from the rebels. Ishmael had never planned on becoming a soldier so he was a little hesitant at first, but finally agreed. . As the months went on, Ishmael started to learn to love his life as a soldier and didn't want to give it up, until one day when he had no choice. Ishmael was picked up by a rehab center that helped children stay away from war. He finds out that life outside of the war is a lot different.
   Ishmael did a great job in explaining his experience without leaving out any details. I felt his struggle and his emotion that came with it while I was reading his book.
   Personally, I loved this book. Most of the time it was hard to put down. As a high school student, the book's descriptions were so vivid and realistic that it almost felt as if it were a movie. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good nonfiction book that is hard to put down.



4. This book is so interesting that it is hard to put down and if all of this is true that these boys went thru it; it's more amaizing that the human body and mind can go thru so much and survive with some sort of humanity.



5. A Long Way Gone is a memoir of Ishmael Beah's days as a child soldier in Sierra Leone. Some reviewers have questioned the accuracy of the details...I read this book with an open mind, realizing that this book details the author's memories of the events he experienced as a child soldier. Beah is a good storyteller, and effectively illustrates the horrifying reality of living in a country where the government is so vulnerable to rebel forces. The details are vivid, and at times, very difficult to read. I cannot fathom how traumatic it must have been to see so many people killed, and to be one of the killers. This is Beah's story, and the fact of the matter is that what happened to Beah is going on in other countries today, and everyone needs to be aware of it. This book should be required reading in middle and/or high school. An incredible story.

4 comments about An American Heroine in the French Resistance: The Diary and Memoir of Virginia D'Albert-Lake.

1. There were only a few Americans in the French Resistance: Mme d'Albert-Lake was one and in this intelligent book shows that she has a good memory and a clear expository style --- and a sense of humor as well. Carefully annotated. Informative both on the Resistance and on the French scene before and during World War II.



2. I really liked the original documents which made up this book (filed reports, letters, diary entries, etc.). The memoir was good also, but a little awkwardly written. I also wished she had devoted as much time to her resistance work as she had to her imprisonment. Overall, though, very interesting.



3. I've met and photographed scores of memorable and important people in my time, but few hold a candle to Virginia d'Albert-Lake. Her work as an American woman in the French Resistance saving American airmen's lives led to her winning France's highest decoration, the L?gion d'Honneur. But the greatest honor for her was having the love of her husband Phillippe d'Albert-Lake, who was the reason she stayed in
   France when she could have retreated to the safety of the United States as World War II loomed on the horizon. This is an extraordinary story to be shared with friends, family, and particularly your children, as an example of how a life can be lived with grace, humor, and heroism.
   
   David Hume Kennerly
   Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for photography in Vietnam



4. Expertly edited by Judy Barret Litoff who also provides an informative introduction, An American Heroine In The French Resistance: The Diary And Memoir Of Virginia d'Albert-Lake is the remarkable story of Virginia d'Albert-Lake's devoted and hazardous service as active member of the French Resistance to the Allied forces during World War II, and the risks she took which nearly cost her life. Introducing readers to her efforts to aid an Allied airman in getting him to safety, An American Heroine In The French Resistance vividly depicts the horrors d'Albert-Lake faced in her eventual imprisonment in the German prison camp of Ravensbruek. An heroic tale of total commitment to the French Resistance, An American Heroine In The French Resistance is very highly recommended reading as the articulate memoir of a strong woman who laid her life on the line in the defence of her country under German occupation, and an invaluable contribution to the growing library of World War II memoirs and autobiographies by a generation now passing from among us into history and legend.

5 comments about Pucker Factor 10: Memoir of a U.S. Army Helicopter Pilot in Vietnam.

1. As a woman reader I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I learned so much in this book, about flying, Vietnam, rats (UGH) I knew it was hard over there but didn't really realize some of the hardships till I read this book. The author's writing is very easy to understand, you don't need a dictionary beside you, and the humour was great. You got some really good laughs and some sadness also. I would highly recommend this book to anyone.



2. Should you consider reading only one book about the U.S. helicopter pilots in South-Vietnam that bravely fought almost 40 years ago, then, "Pucker Factor 10" is the best choice.
   Mr. James Joyce there flew the two most used types: "slicks" and "gunships" thus covering two major aspects of the tactical helicopter warfare successfully used in SEA. This is what this book tells you.



3. I had to choose a war memoir for a term paper this semester in my english class...and I was very happy that I chose to read Pucker Factor 10. The book is very enlightening, and an interesting read. I found myself always WANTING to read more. James Joyce is a wonderful writer and he reveals emotions and specifics of war that you dont even realize. I highly suggest this book to everyone. I normally dont read memoirs like this but after reading his I want to read more!



4. James Joyce has written a truly excellent book. Mr. Joyce has successfully included every human emotion possible. His real life experiences are a combination of both desperate hours and uplifting moments, with a side of unmistakable humor. I would recommend this book to anyone remotely interested in the Vietnam era. Definately a MUST READ.



5. I'm not normally a reader of non-fiction war stories, especially in first person, but "Pucker Factor 10" caught my attention from the beginning all the way to the very end. Joyce brings the reader into the realm of realism, from family history, personal apprehensions, his somewhat inadvertant role as a helicopter pilot during the heat of battle, his impressions of soldiers and his humanity toward the enemy which brings chills to the reader. Meanwhile, just when I least expected, I found myself belly laughing his wit. This book is a must for anyone who enjoys true-to-lie accounts of how it was in the air trenches.

5 comments about Alexander the Great.

1. This is the best biography on Alexander the Great.
   
   It covers his entire life and a short period thereafter. We find Alexander growing up in Macedonia, being tutored by Aristotle, and his military training in his father's expeditions.
   
   Then we are taken on Alexander's military conquest of the known world. Through, the Middle East, Egypt, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and to India.
   
   We have a front row seat on all the known battles.
   
   This book is the definitive biography of Alexander the Great.
   It is excellent.



2. 
   This is a big book in volume as well as content being over 500 pages long but Oxford historian Robin Lane Fox has contrived to make it interesting for the reader from beginning to end. Many facts have been written about Alexander over the years, some true, some doubtful and much that is pure speculation. This in turn has given Alexander a mythical quality, bordering on god like proportions.
   
   The author's writing style is both concise and lucid with no pretensions to the fact that he is the master and the reader by his very nature is the pupil. In a nutshell the author writes for everyone not just the scholar. This book is for anyone with an interest in the life and times of Alexander. The author progresses through the life of Alexander putting a little more meat on the bones with every passing phase of Alexander's relatively short life.
   
   This is a book for everyone. For those who have found it difficult, or even impossible in the past to read and I mean read a history book from start to finish, rather than just go cherry picking facts from the numerous pages, then this is a good book to get your teeth into. It can be read almost like a novel, but is far more interesting than any fictional book.



3. I've picked this book up in a Florida mall basicly because the movie just came out featuring Colin Farrell. The film took me 3 hours and the book took me 3 months, but every piece of extra time was worth it.
   
   This book describes the hardships during the journey and is comprehensive in detail. Seeing the movie afterwards made it feel like so much detail was missing, it just wasn't the whole story. And the movie was based largely on this book.
   
   If you like the movie and want to take it a step further, I recommend this book. This is the real story.



4. A brilliant book. It reads like an historical novel, but it isn't. Sure, there is some speculation, but based only on the author's impeccable grasp of logic and circumstances. If you want to know about Alexander the Great, but want more than a list of dates and events - there is no better book than this IMHO.



5. I worship ATG and feel sooo guilty because I should portend these intense emotions for the saviour, GOD and such but this man....Oliver I do not think u were much present for this direction as your commentary is wonderful but you do not even know how to pronounce your main characters NAMES...JESUS!! I found the red light of his arrow attack in India sooo obtuse and the back n forth history unrequired...BUT MUCH BETTER than the Burton film and then there is the bookend of the ring drop is VERY powerful, I just feel faint when I see that...his history is soooo profound and I appreciate your attempts to capture any part of it...Colin was beyone my comprehension as a superb actor with his incredible range, I know no other that could do this role....Angelina was beautiful, evil and loving simultaneously and I could care less about anyone's accent...I would have liked to see more of ATG's accomplishments (i.e. TYRE, etc) but know that this would have been a 16hr film...thank you all for giving me a wonderful excitement that there existed true leaders in this world...

5 comments about Undertones of War.

1. "A pleasant summer-evening read"? So says a negative reviewer. Huh?
   
   Undertones of War is, with those by Siegfried Sassoon and Robert Graves, one of the best English memoirs of the First World War (John Lucy's 'There's A Devil in the Drum' is by far the best British memoir, and perhaps the best of all time). Blunden is, however, more subtle than they. An intellectual and poet, he portrays himself as a "pastoralist at war," and pays especial regard to the sacreligious impact of war on the countryside--and life. And while his style may not provide the in-your-face appeal so dear to many American readers, it rewards the careful reader with an elegant, insightful view of the meaning of war.
   
   Yet it can also be brutally honest. Who can forget the eyeball on the duckboard?
   
   Read it while listening to Ralph Vaughan Williams' 'Pastoral Symphony' #3, which was composed behind the front lines of WWI. It goes with the book.
   
   I have read hundreds of World War I memoirs. This book remains in my top five. Take your time reading it. Ponder it. You won't be disappointed.



2. The writing is too flowery for what it is about. There are times that it is difficult to imagine that he is in a battlefield of carnage, waste, and mud rather than out on a rambuctious hunting party. He seemed to be somehwat disconnected from the fighting; he rarely mentioned his own emotions or fears and his descriptions of battle are somewhat vague. If you don't reagrd it as a book about WWI and think of it as strictly literature it can be a pleasant summer-evening read.



3. This is a great book. Unlike Seigfried Sasson's "Memoirs of George Sherston" or Robert Graves "Good-Bye to All That" or Vera Brittain's "Testament of Youth", Blunden's book has no non-war introductory chapters. You are simply in the war from the outset of the book. Blunden arrived on the scene - the Western Front - at age 19 in time for the Somme offensive of July 1916. His writing has a poetic sense to it and sometimes the beauty of nature and Blunden's recording of it appear as a wonderful counterpart to the killing and agony going on almost everywhere Blunden happened to be. Although nature doesn't make-up for the horrors of World War I with its poison gas, rat filled trenches, relentless artillery, murderous machine guns and loss of friends and comrades, it is a tribute to Blunden's mind that he could take the time and remind us of the resolute qualities of nature. It also gives us an opportunity to get a sense of what soldiers on that front may have experienced by way of gettting away from the battles and wondering how they still lived. From the Somme offensive - a terrible slaughterhouse in its own right - Blunden is moved to Ypres just in time to be part of the Third Battle of Ypres. In this battle the blunders, the rain, the mud, the death, the confusion are everywhere on display. Fortunately Blunden survived it all and was able to chronicle this sad, sad war in a most poetic manner.



4. I was inspired to read this book by a visit to the Thiepval War Memorial this past Spring.
   
   During World War I, Blunden served as an officer in the Royal Sussex regiment. He fought through the war to its end, serving in the battles of both Ypres and the Somme.
   
   Undertones of War is the memoir which he wrote about that period.
   
   Delicately written and insistent, Undertones of War focuses on both the nostalgia for the countryside left behind and on the deep sorrow of trench warfare. It is a lovely and haunting little memoir. The Penguin edition is bound with a selection of Blunden's poetry. This works well for the overall effect of the book.
   
   Recommended, particularly for those with an interest in World War I or military memoirs.



5. Right up there with Graves' Good-Bye To All That, Undertones takes you right into the trenches of the Western Front. I re-read every few years.