5 comments about Return with Honor.

1. An easy read and a great story! I attended Air Force survival training in Spokane back in the '70s, and this book shows just how valuable that training can be. Scott did everything right, and as a result he lived to tell us his inspiring tale. Should be required reading for anyone attending the school at Fairchild, and maybe it is.



2. This narritive of survival by Capt. Scott O'Grady is a powerfull story. I highly recomend this for all christian adults. This story does heavily focus on the religious aspect of Capt. O'Grady but it does so in a way that will move anyone who is willing to keep an open mind.



3. I used to work for the Air Force as part of a large program to support the effective operation of electronic warfare equipment, so I had a pretty good understanding of some aspects of the shootdown in 1995. The book went far beyond the shootdown into a gut-wrenching story of survival. I almost felt like I was there. Scott then gave a good description of all the celebration and hoopla that followed. However, in my opinion, the best part of the story begins with "Amid the hoopla...". Scott showed true humility in recognizing all the players that made such a positive difference in his life, and in others. And, most important, he recognized that our devotion to material possessions and pre-occupation with self-serving actions really mean little or nothing in our lifetime. Our faith in God and our actions which are inspired by that faith are what's really important in our earthly existence.



4. I wood recomend this book to any person young or old. This great book about a stranded F-16 pilot shot down over Bosina. The detail is amazing and so are the flash-backs. The way he described it made you feel like you were there!!!



5. Scott O'Grady truly did return with Honor after a very difficult experience. On a routine mission, his F-16 was shot down over Bosnia. He gave great detail about his preparation for such an event and exactly what happened. He survived because of the training that he had previously received and the grace of God. He gives credit where credit is due throughout the story. You will enjoy reading the details of a true American hero's difficult few days. As an American, I am proud to know that we have men like Scott O'Grady on our side.

No comments about Lincoln and the Civil War in the Diaries and Letters of John Hay (Da Capo Paperback).

5 comments about To Fly and Fight: Memoirs of a Triple Ace.

1. When I first bought "To Fly and Fight", I expected a book mainly about World War II aviation. Instead, there was much more. Colonel Anderson has a great amount of experience in many aircraft since World War II, as well flying F-105s as the 355 TFW commander at Takhli RTAFB in Thailand in 1970. If you are a military aviation buff, this book is a must



2. This is a well-written memoir which covers a great deal of World War Two combat flying and ranks among the best books on that theatre of war that I've read -- and believe me, I've read an awful lot of them. The writing style is simple yet evocative and we quickly move from the author's training days to the moment when he first meets an enemy plane in combat. What I particularly appreciated about the book was the focus on Anderson's family and the stresses they suffered and the continual reference to the brutality of war and the number of the author's flying colleagues who died. The World War Two reminiscences end about two-thirds of the way through the book and then we have to wade through perhaps too much about his post-war experiences as a test pilot, a desk-bound bureaucrat and then a commander in the Vietnam war. But do buy the book for the World Wat Two material alone, which is excellent.



3. Although this book has a different feel to it than the book to which it will invariably be compared, namely Chuck Yeager's "YEAGER" autobiography, I must say it stands on its own feet without any apologies. In this book, Anderson details a life full of accomplishments and adventure.

   The chapters that focus on his World War II exploits are clearly the most interesting, although his post-war adventures (including missions in Vietnam) were entertaining in their own right. My only complaint is that he did not write more about this period of his life. It seemed that Yeager's book was a bit more balanced in that he covered his career from beginning to end with an even hand. Anderson (or his publisher) chose not to do so, and that is unfortunate, for I am sure there is much to be learned from this period of his remarkable life.

   Despite these minor shortcomings, this one is definitely worth a look. The beginning may be slow to some, but keep going. It is well worth it.




4. I found "To Fly and Fight" to be an excellent biography of man who grew up with an intense love of flying, and who fulfilled his dreams. The book chronicles his growing up in the rural foothills of Northern California, and his growing love of flying. It gives a very personal accounts of his early days days with the Army Air Corps from training to activation in England. I enjoyed the accounts of his early friendships and escapades.

   The descriptions and events as a P-51 pilot flying in the ETO are first rate. The first chapter grabs hold of you and doesn't let go with his account of a high altitude duel with an ME-109. It is a classic. He describes many of his combat missions and describes his growing friendship with Chuck Yeager. The story of his final mission with Yeager is priceless.

   The book also includes some revealing sections about his tedious days as a recruiter and several stints with the Pentagon to heady days as a Test Pilot at Wright Field and later at Edwards. He also gives us some excellent insights into his days as a Squadron Leader flying F-86's in Korea and a Wing Commander flying F-105's from Okinawa and Thailand during the Vietnam Conflict.

   I had the opportunity recently to meet Col. Anderson and his lovely wife Ellie. We spent several hours together discussing his flying days. It was a real priviledge. He is truly a humble man but has that touch of steel of man who has lived through a lot. He is still a hearty and it's great to think of him still tearing up the skies at Air Shows flying the Old Crow along side Chuck Yeager.

   I highly recommend "To Fly and Fight" to all WWII aviation enthusiasts.

   ...




5. As an avid reader of World War Two History. And being a Viet Nam Veteran; I found this book to be a most fascinating history; Of "Not Only the Man"; But his recollections of his life growing up oin Rural California in the 1930's & 1940's. His enlistment in the Army Air Corp; And his experiences in England during the war. This is "No dry" mundane slow reading military text book. Colonol Anderson, tells of his love for flying and his vivid discriptions of Europe during World War Two; Help the reader to picture what it was like for an average guy; Who has a love for flying and trying his best to stay alive in a extremly hostile environment. He does not dwell on the sadder aspects of war. But trys to explain how he learned to cope with these stressors; And still fullfill his dream of flying. He also go's to great lengths to discuss the other aircraft he had flown. His adventures in P-39's and T-6 Texans. I found his book to be non-judgemental; But very fair to all the persons good and bad that he had come to know in his life. He only briefly discusses his flying career during the Viet Nam Conflict. But then this book was not written with Viet Nam in mind solely. This book is about the man; His love of flying.

   I found this book to enlightning; refreshing; funny; sad; extrordinary; And written with a smooth tempo and hums along like the engine of a P-51 Mustang. The Book and the Man are unseperable. He takes you up in his Mustang with him through his rememberences. And brings you home to the runway just as a good pilot would do today. I would recommend this book to anyone who has not only an intrest in World War Two. But an intrest in a "Great Man" who lived an extrordinary life. Fighting for all of us; Flying for all of us. This man is a "TRUE"; American Hero.

5 comments about Taught to Kill: An American Boy's War from the Ardennes to Berlin.

1. There are far too many memoirs of WWII going into print recently. Hence, the overall quality becomes diluted. Taught to Kill is an exception. It is probably the best memoir of WWII that I have read. We go along with private Babcock from enlistment, through training, along with him to the European Theatre of Operations, into the middle of the Battle of the Bulge, and accompany him as he moves up the chain of command. You won't catch the Army using this book as a recruiting tool. Yes, General Sherman, "war is hell'. This book has little to do with infantry tactics, but focuses on the infantryman. Physical trauma caused by projectiles, bombs, and mines take a backseat to the incredible emotional trauma all infantrymen faced. Babcock, who considered suicide himself, airs out some dirty Army laundry. Going unreported by the Pentagon for many years, approximately 25% of infantry soldiers, suffered severe mental and emotional problems. It is unfortunate that we now have the tidy acronym PTSD - a convenient one-fits-all clinical term. Travel with Babcock from the Ardennes (Battle of the Bulge) to Berlin. How unworldly young men, from small town America, kept their bodies and wits intact during WWII, makes them truly deserving of the moniker "The Greatest Generation".



2. Solid memoir. Well written. Not the grisliest or gnarliest but an interesting take from the point of view of an infantryman, dogface, thrown on the front lines during the Bulge.
   
   If this is your first WWII oral history then there are better choices, but if you've already read all the standards, this is a good choice.



3. A very quick and easy read but one of the deepest that I've read from the view of the man on the ground without being highly political, sentimental, psychological, or maudlin. There's hardly a sense of bitterness or regret for the failings of the government and commanders during WWII, the slackers and sociopaths who avoided harm's way, the cowards and psychopaths who were in the attacking ranks,and the johnny-come-lately "heroes" at the end. It's almost as if the author was a detached objective reporter on the scene which caused me to think that perhaps that is how he was able to survive somewhat physically and mentally intact after enduring the last two years of the "Good War". Also, even though it was his story he did not attempt to make himself a hero in any way, although I did sense that he was probably part of some things that happened either by acts of commission or omission that he would never tell anyone.
   
   The author should be commended for conveying his personal story in a way that informs, entertains, and thrills, but at times can create empathy, anger, and disgust when he enables the reader to understand the "melting pot" of backgrounds and psyches that was stirred into survival situations. This is done simply by descriptive narrative without invoking emotional diatribes.
   
   An understanding of the macro picture of WW II would put this book into its right perspective. I doubt that it would have been printed 50 years ago but in view of the conflicts that we have entered into since 1950 and are now in at the beginning of the 21st century, every young man who wants to be in the infantry should be required to read this book before making his final decision to do so. It would also benefit any veteran who served during any time of our history and who had to carry a weapon as part of his duties.



4. This is one of the best memoirs written about frontline combat in WW2. Some veterans are able to put into words what actually is near impossible to put in words, and John Babcock does it extremely well. You will be moved by the misery these young soldiers suffered.



5. "Taught To Kill" by John B. Babcock. Subtitled: "An American Boy's War From The Ardennes To Berlin". Potomac Books, Inc. Dulles, Virginia, 2005.
   
   The writing in this book is excellent. Throughout the book, the author, John Babcock, WWII Veteran, uses alliteration, the rhyming of the first syllables of words, as little jewels which makes his writing sparkle. Despite the serious subject of the book, the author has made it easy and pleasing to read. And, the subject of the book is serious.
   
   Using a fifty-year old manuscript, which he had typed at the end of hostilities in Europe, he put together a genuine accounting of a "...small-town American college kid, transformed ... by government edict, into a foreign-soil combat soldier". Unlike so many other personal memoir books, Babcock has expended a great deal of energy on introspection, where his recorded observations are combined with an examination of exactly what his pains and his unit's hard work did for the war effort, in particular, and for mankind, in general.
   
   His description of the death of his "...first KIA (killed in action): Sergeant Coleman..." was particularly poignant. Sergeant Coleman's professionalism had convinced Babcock that Coleman was possibly the most invulnerable soldier in the company, and there was the sergeant with a "...chunk of his forehead ...shot away". On the other hand, the author's description of the collapse of Technical Sergeant Oaks during an artillery barrage was particularly chilling. Sergeant Oaks had been bold, brash and brave in basic training, but, after the first miss by an 88mm round, there was the sergeant "... huddled under his wet overcoat by the shelter entrance." The sergeant's improper behavior had all "... but disabled me." On the same page, Babcock includes an interesting fact: most German Artillery fire during World War II was, in fact, 105mm, not the famous (infamous) 88mm. (Page 31). And, for those who served in the Army specialized Training Program (ASTP), page 154 presents the reason that the ASTP program was reduced dramatically: "... (t)hat almost all (replacements) went into the infantry was a given. Forty thousand replacements coming into our ranks translated to ten thousand men per week leaving the front lines for hospitals or for Dutch or Belgian cemeteries". I have never read such a succinct summary of the horrendous ETO casualty rate that caused General George Marshall to downsize ASTP and to move so many Air Corps candidates into the infantry. Excellent writing; excellent story telling.

5 comments about The Forgotten Hero of My Lai: The Hugh Thompson Story.

1. The writing style leaves something to be desired, and I wish they would have designed a different dust jacket for the book. However, author, Trent Angers gives the reader a powerfully moving story in "The Forgotten Hero of My Lai";(The Hugh Thompson Story).
   
   Angers uses a great deal of literay freedom in weaving some of the story line of Mr. Thompson's personal life including conversations between Thompson and his wife some 35-40 years ago. None the less, the author also gives the reader a REAL AMERICAN HERO!
   
   I could not in all honesty read this book without having to put it down at times so that I could break away from the emotions that it invoked within me. Reading about this massacre, and indiscriminate butchery was ...too horrible to comprehend. I can not see how anyone who was even vaguely involved in this could ever be normal again.
   
   This event was perhaps, our greatest sin in the Viet Nam war. It was a throw-back to the deeds of Attila the Hun, and the exploits of Genghis Khan's Mongol hordes. More specifically, it was a "despicable microcosm" of the Japanese atrocities conducted in Nanking. The only difference: these were not Huns, Mongol hordes, or Imperial Japanese troops... these perpetrators were .... American soldiers!
   
   As a VietNam veteran, I found this act, a "very...very, bitter pill to swallow!"
   
   A letter by a Mr. Ron Ridenhour submitted to President Nixon and others at the time is quoted on page 154 of this book. In that letter, Mr. Ridenhour tells how he feels about the incident and ... quotes Winston Churchill:
   " A country without a conscience is a country without a soul, and a country without a soul is a country that cannot survive."
   
   Apparently, Hugh Thompson knew this as well when he intervened to save what innocent civilians he could. I know not how long our country will survive, but as long as there are still soldiers like Hugh Thompson, I know...it will survive a little longer.



2. I am so glad for this book. It's undoubtedly a story about a true hero who inspires me as I'm sure it does others. I was saddened to hear he passed. On Friday Jan 6 he moved on. Many of us, can't, and will never forget what your memory means to us. God Speed Hugh, you have many friends here still on the earth very proud of you.
   
   Col. Tom Kolditz, head of the U.S. Military Academy's behavioral sciences, said, in honor of Hugh, "There are so many people today walking around alive because of him, not only in Vietnam, but people who kept their units under control under other circumstances because they had heard his story. We may never know just how many lives he saved."
   
   Read the book, it's inspirational, and we need not ever forget. Our values we hold dear as human beings are all we have, and when we leave, it's all we leave behind. Never compromise them. Never.
   
   Honor, Respect, Dignity.
   
   I can only hope this story is told even more widely so we have less chance this memory of such a great man ever fades.
   
   GOD Speed Hugh, light a candle up there, we'll be there soon!



3. If all of us followed the example of Hugh Thompson at My Lai in Vietnam this would truly be the land of the free and the home of the brave.
   
   "The Forgotten Hero of My Lai" tells an inspiring story of a piece of our history. While many people still remember the horror of the massacre at My Lai, few know about the true heros who risked everything to end it. Though their stand came too late to help most of the villagers of My Lai, it eventually ended the policy that targeted the civillian populations of other villages. We'll never know how many lives they saved.
   
   Although I found it awkwardly written, the power of the story far outweighs any considerations about style. I highly recommend this shining example of what one person can do to protect the values that make life meaningful.



4. From what I have seen written on the pages exhibited, I am asking our librarian here in Sandwich, NH to purchase this book. Hugh Thompson has always been a hero to me, and represents the helicopter pilots who were in Vietnam quite well. We were all brash, and ballsey, and would stand up to a lot of things we didn't think too swift. His deed outshines us all. I flew UH-1D's in the Delta, and have written about my experiences there in OUTLAWS IN VIETNAM.
   Being a helicopter pilot in this war was the best job one could wish for--it was the best year of all of our lives! Hopefully, more of these excellent aviators will be profiled in the future.
   My librarian finally purchased the book after these initial notes, and I have been reading it nonstop. This should really shed some light on the horror of the Americal Division higher-ups who authorized this bloodletting by Lt. Calley and others of Charlie Company that day. They had been ordered to commit the atrocities we all know about today, and as I continue the book, it is interesting to me to experience the angst that Hugh Thompson and his crew felt that terrible day at My Lai. He is most human, and painfully so. The author discloses all this helicopter crew went through then and since; well done!!



5. There is absolutely no doubt that Hugh Thompson, Glenn Andreotta, and Larry Colburn did an unbelieveably heroic thing on March 16, 1968. Let there also be no doubt that Trent Angers should be commended for his research and efforts to bring yet another angle to this horror known as the My Lai Massacre. I have just one criticism, and unfortunately it is decisive: It is a poorly written book.

   I am not suggesting that one not read the book, because it does perform as a vehicle to bring to light the events surrounding the massacre, its aftermath and Colburn's and Thompson's return to My Lai 28 years later. However, it takes form more as a children's book than it does as an examination of an important historical event, or even as a third-person narrative intended for adult reading.

   Don't expect an abundance of three or more syllable words, inspired imagery, or thought-provoking passages. For instance, page 77, "He seemed to take a particular liking to the older woman." Seemed to who? Could you tell the reader how this was apparent? No indication whatsoever is offered in the text. Or, page 102, describing an American casualty as being "blown to bits." Is that what was written on the After Action Report? If so, there's another book in there somewhere. Or, page 103, "The cows were mooing to be milked." For a minute there I thought I had opened "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" by accident.

   There is never a mention of exactly what kind of helicopter Hugh was flying...a Kiowa? Cayuse? Defender? Souix? Loach? The first indication of this simplistic approach to the subject matter is right on the dust jacket, as it is a simplistic, amateurish illustration of Thompson in an exaggerated heroic pose (arms outstretched, shirt unbuttoned, no flight helmet, no flak jacket, dog tags swinging in the wind, in front of a small huddled mass of Vietnamese). It looks much like the artwork that adorned the Harcourt Brace Jovanovich children's books published in the late '70s.

   One more note: if you're going to write a book wherein the principle character is a helicopter pilot, at least have the courtesy to refrain from calling helicopters "choppers," as most pilots despise the term. Unless, of course, you're writing for children, who find it analogous - for obvious reasons.

   Anyway, you get the picture. Still, I say God bless Hugh, Larry, Glenn and Trent.

   But Trent, at the very least, get a new copy editor.

5 comments about Finding a Fallen Hero: The Death of a Ball Turret Gunner.

1. 'Captivating'...'hard to put down'...'thoroughly enjoyable' - all apt descriptors of Bob Korkuc's "Finding a Fallen Hero: The Death of a Ball Turret Gunner". Clocking in a 242 pp. (inclusive of Notes), "Finding a Fallen Hero" is a real page-turner, one easily gotten through even by a slow reader like this reviewer in one sitting. Not only is the story told engagingly (we'll come back to this shortly), but Korkuc is also a talented writer who conveys his prose with an economy of words. Too many historical authors - even some of the better ones - get distracted with side stories and irrelevant facts, not so with Korkuc. It's refreshing to read a book centered on happenings of the Second World War that stays on track and is contained but still grows the reader in having read it.
   
   The basic story told in "Finding a Fallen Hero" is that of Staff Sgt. Anthony (Tony) Joseph Korkuc's (the author's uncle) final flight as a ball turret gunner in a B-17 Flying Fortress (42-37786; unnamed) in the 532nd Bomb Squadron/381st Bomb Group. Tony Korkuc was KIA near Willmandingen, Germany on 25 Feb 1944 while returning from a bombing run to Augsburg, Germany. Although initially buried in Willmandingen, his remains were later relocated to the U.S. Military Cemetery in Saint-Avold, France, and finally interned in a group plot with three other men in Arlington National Cemetery (Virginia). While the story itself is relative straightforward, the path taken by Bob Korkuc to bring his uncle's story to life was far from effortless and took several years of diligent research and some personal discomfort to accomplish. The author's trek to discover the why's and how's surrounding his uncles death and multiple internments began simple enough on a trip to Arlington National Cemetery with his father in 1995 when the latter asked: "I wonder how Tony's remains got from Germany to Arlington?" With this simple question Bob Korkuc embarked on an adventure of investigation and discovery that was to finally bring peace and closure to a long mystery, both for the Korkuc family and possibly the families of the other five men of Staff Sgt. Korkuc's flight who perished that winter day over enemy territory. Thankfully for the reader Bob Korkuc has documented this journey for us to enjoy.
   
   "Finding a Fallen Hero" is much more than a piece of Second World War non-fiction: it's a detective story that reads like an Arthur Conan Doyle novel; a tale of strong brothers-in-arms camaraderie; a story of self- and familial discovery; and a touching account of rememberance and healing of a handful of men who gave much of their youth in defense of their country. Few books this reviewer has read in the WWII genre ever come close to touching so many facets of life then and now. "Finding a Fallen Hero" should appeal to a broad swath of readers, not just those interested in history. Moreover, Korkuc shares with the reader how he went through his process of discovery and exposition in such a way that others can take similar treks if mysteries in need of solving exist in their family histories. Thanks Bob for your insights and thoughtfulness!
   
   In his researching and writing of "Finding a Fallen Hero" Korkuc appears to have found what he was looking for and in doing so has given us insight into his life, his family and glimpses of war in the air over Germany during the Second World War. This reviewer cannot recommend this book highly enough - 5 HUGE stars, two thumbs up.



2. I am not a huge history buff, but I do enjoy learning about the past and the effects on the people of the time. After reading this book, I felt like I was the one who tracked down the facts and met the people in this book. The author did an amazing job describing not only his path to locate facts and data, but the individuals that were affected by this piece of history. It was a great read and I'd recommend anyone who is interested in either WWII, the people of the time or trying to locate a past individual involved in the military to read this book.



3. On a B-17, Flying Fortress, the hottest hot seat aboard was usually filled by the smallest member of the crew. That would be the ball turret Gunner. On this particular B-17, on his last mission, on February 25, 1944, was a ball turret gunner, Anthony "Tony" Korkuc, who at 27, was the oldest man in the crew of ten. His was the squadron's only plane shot down that day.
   
   He is reported missing in action. It wasn't until 1995 he was reported to be interred in Arlington National Cemetery.
   
   This is the story of Tony Korkuc, as seen through the eyes of his curious nephew, Bob Korkuc who went on a seven year quest to find what happened to Uncle Tony.
   
   The book is a fine blend of World War ll combat in the air, leading up to Tony's death and the education and growth of his nephew, who learned compassion and understanding while interviewing the various survivors of the flight. Both Tony and Bob grew in stature. In a manner Bob finished Tony's last mission.
   
   This search opens a lot of doors to anyone who has lost a service man. There are fewer veterans to interview, but the trail is still inviting, and Bob Korkuc points the way.
   
   Richard N. Larsen
   Reviewer



4. Few books are done this well.
   
   This is an example of superb reporting, the painstaking attention to meticulous detail to create a great story that soars above any slips in writing or inattention in editing.
   
   I've flown in a B-17, roaming from the nose to the waist gun positions. I didn't have the nerve to get into the ball turret or the tail gun position. On the ground, a B-17 looks huge; inside, it's as cramped as a coffin. Unlike a coffin, a B-17 has no smooth edges or soft surfaces; it's as raw an airplane as was ever made.
   
   Crew members must have felt they were on a ducking chair at a county fair, being blasted by unseen shotgunners. There's nowhere to duck, nowhere to hide, nowhere to run for shelter or safety. Korkuc does a great job explaining the nature and nerve of those who did mission after mission.
   
   Thus he describes the raw guts of war. But the gem of his book is his seven-year search through official records and sometimes still shaken memories of airmen and civilians in Germany and the U.S. about the fate of the specific B-17 on which his uncle served and died. This is Ken Burns style of reporting at its very best.
   
   It's a superb story, something almost never seen in today's news reports. It's great history; we already know who won the war, this explains what it took to win. It provides a very human touch to otherwise often impersonal records.
   
   If I were teaching journalism (or history), this book would be mandatory reading. Students would need an "A" to graduate as a reporter or history major. This is as good as it gets, for history or news reporting.
   
   One minor point: If I were editing, I'd want to know how anyone would know a person's final thoughts just moments before death. It's a minor glitch, one I've seen even seasoned journalists make. Nonetheless, Korkuc makes it sound believable because of the detail he gathered.
   
   To sum up, seldom has a better tribute ever been written about the victims of war.
   
   There's a good reason it's received unanimous (as of July 4) reviews -- they are well earned and deserved.
   
   Korkuc tells a beautiful story.



5. You might read the last chapter of Bob Korkuc's book, Finding a Fallen Hero, and think 'but how does he know? What gives him the right?' The right, that is, to re-create the last day and last minutes of the crew of his uncle's B-17 Flying Fortress, as it goes down in flames over Germany in 1944. But aside from his disclaimer, that this is his own "dramatic portrayal," he has done the work and he has earned the right. Years of exhaustive research, correspondence with surviving crewmembers and their relatives, government records studied, and personal interviews, have brought him as close as anyone could be to the last moments of that plane and that bomber crew. He has taken all the research, all the facts, and masterfully tempered them with poetry . . . his take-off point is a poem written after the war by one of the surviving crew members who was haunted by the deaths of his crewmates. But Korkuc generates his own poetry in his re-creation of the last day. He does it with such sensitivity, such a light touch in the chaos of the plane's final minutes, that if I were a family member of one who died, I believe my overwhelming reaction would be "thank you. . . . thank you for that gift." The research detailed in the twelve chapters that precede that last poetic chapter must have been daunting to do . . . and can sometimes be daunting to read. But Korkuc ties it all together in such a moving way that you can't help but feel the poignancy of those lost lives, and the relevancy to what's happening in the world today.

3 comments about The Eighteen-Year-Old Replacement: Facing Combat in Patton's Third Army.

1. I've read many memoirs by World War II veterans. I doubt if any memoir will ever top "With the Old Breed," by E.B. Sledge, but this one certainly ranks in the top tier. With humor and a remarkable degree of candor, Kingsbury tells what it was like to be 18 years old and find yourself in front-line combat, among men you had barely met. There's no padding here, no lengthy passages of background information about the big strategic picture--just a straightforward, well-told, well-edited story that paints a remarkable portrait not just of one young man but of the entire generation of reluctant citizen-soldier draftees who fought and won World War II. Highly recommended.



2. This book takes you back to World War II in great detail. You could almost feel their emotions as the soldiers slept in foxholes and fought the battles. I loved reading the story of their courtship as their love grew while Richard was fighting for his country. It made you aware of what those young 18 year old men went through defending our country.



3. This book provides a fascinating look at the reality of being drafted just out of high school in 1944, and immediately facing active combat duty at the front-lines during world War II. Excerpts from the many letters written between Kingsbury and his girl friend (later to become his wife) provide a romantic thread throughout the book, as well as supplying detail of how life was during the 1940's. The stories ring true, and reading this book gives you a real appreciation of the sacrifices made by our fathers and grandfathers to preserve our freedoms. I strongly recommend this book.

5 comments about Lee: The Last Years.

1. Lee: The Last Years
   
   This is a wonderful book about a wonderful man. Although Robert E. Lee is most remembered as a General, for most of his adult life, he was an engineer and educator (although in the army). Mr. Lee could have become very wealthy after the war by simply allowing his name to be used commercially. However, he wanted to make a contribution and did so by accepting the position as President of Washington College. He seldom spoke of the war and brought no military flavor to the College.
   
   There is an argument that Robert E. Lee is responsible for more American dead than any other single individual. The difficult part of this book is tying to tie that Robert E. Lee to the man he was in his last five (5) years. He played Santa at Christmas, broke up a lynching, stroked the ego of his horse Traveller, was a good family man, looked out for the under dog and took care of his students, even when they were in trouble. How he handled all these situations, often minor by standards of the war, brings out the essence of the man including his character, values, wit and subtle humor.
   
   I have read/studied history and biography for 40 years. I have spent more time on Robert E. Lee than any other individual and this book someway brings all my study of Mr. Lee together and puts it in perspective. I highly recommend this book to anyone with any interest in American History. Thanks Mr. Flood.



2. Outstanding biography of the man. Much has been written about the general, this book brings the humble father, husband and Christian man to life.



3. I've long considered myself a student of Southern history and the Civil War. Heck, I've been a historian at museums so I think I have a pretty good knowledge of the Civil War era. Furthermore, I live in Virginia and have been to the campus of Washington and Lee University. However, nearly every page of Charles Bracelen Flood's work on Robert E. Lee's post-war years is full of information I've never heard about. Flood has used many differing sources to pull together a wonderful, highly readable account of Lee's years after the war, how he came to be President of Washington College, and his role in the reconstruction of this country. What jumps out off the pages is that for as much as Lee has been studied and idolized for his exploits on the battlefield, his postwar years as President of the college should get just as much press. While Lee did not think defending his native state was wrong, he did wish for both North and South to reconcile as quickly as possible. After reading the book, I still do not think Lee is the god that some people hold him up to be, but he does stand out as a good man who wanted to bring the nation back together while also helping his fellow Southerners get back on their feet. While Flood's writing can be unimaginative at times and I thought he threw in little stories and vignettes that he didn't need too, the book is excellent overall and should be a must read for anyone interested in Lee. However, the book is such an easy, good read that I think almost anyone should pick it up.



4. Bracelen Flood clearly does extensive research in order to render this intimate and engrossing portrayal of Lee.



5. Lee: The Last Years was well worth reading. A must for anyone who wants to know a little more of the Rest of The Story about a fine American, though much misunderstood.

No comments about Mussolini: The Rise and Fall of Il Duce.

3 comments about Cochrane: Britannia's Sea Wolf.

1. This book is remarkable historical background for anyone who enjoys the Jack Aubrey, Lord Ramage, Horatio Hornblower sets of historic fiction.
   The biographer details many of the challenges met by those fictional characters, including the pervasive corruption of the British admiralty system, which fictional heroes endure and which Thomas Cochrance fought against his entire life.
   Donald Serrell Thomas highlights a few of the many ship-to-ship actions from 1793-1808. But he spends as much time investigating the politics of the pre-reform parliamentary system where a few powerful purses controlled the representation from numerous "rotten boroughs" -- one of which elected Cochrane.
   The author also outlines the details of a remarkably modern-sounding stock market fraud case, in which Cochrane was found to be a co-conspirator. The author thinks (as most of Britain came to think) that Cochrane was innocent, although another recent study came to an opposite conclusion based on the same evidence.
   If you're a fan of the "Sharpe's Rifles" series, read "Sharpe's Devil" before you read this book. But read both!



2. As the blurb on the back cover says: forget Horatio Hornblower, forget Jack Aubrey. Even the license given to them as fictional characters can't surpass the facts of Lord Cochrane's extraordinary life. A supremely creative tactician and breathtaking improviser at sea (it was no less a person than Napoleon who nicknamed him the 'Sea Wolf') his story ashore is worthy of a book in itself.

   This book has it all: blood, guts and glory pitted against both the enemy abroad and the corrupt establishment at home. Once read, there's no forgetting this man and his story.




3. This book was first published in 1978 but has now been re-released to the benefit of all who enjoy a fast-paced historical account. After reading this book I am amazed that it has taken nearly twenty years to be re-released. What a great story Mr. Thomas tells of Thomas, Lord Cochrane, later the 10th Earl of Dundonald. From his birth through to his death covering all his exploits in numerous sea battles and actions, so many in fact that you find it hard to believe that he survived.

   The book covers Cochrane's battles during the Napoleonic Wars during which, on many occasions, he sent his ship in action against overwhelming odds. It was during this period that he was recognized, as one of Britain's most daring and successful captains. It was also during this period that he made many enemies, although he pressed hard in every action and took many risks, he always considered the well being of the men under his command. This later led to his single-handed campaign against corruption in the Admiralty.

   Following the end of the Napoleonic Wars in 1815 Cochrane commenced an extraordinary career as a mercenary admiral. He subsequently commanded the navies of Chile and Brazil and launched campaigns against their protagonists, Spain and Portugal. After finishing his 'little wars' in South America he took command of elements of the Greek navy in their war against the Turks. In all these campaigns Cochrane again showed that he was one of the best naval commanders of his time.

   The narrative flowed along smoothly and although I have no great knowledge of maritime history I had no problems in following this story. In over 350 pages of text along with a number of black & white plates and a few maps Mr. Thomas tells a wonderful and exciting story. This is the type of book, which I am sure any person who has a love for history or who enjoys the novels of C. S. Forester and Patrick O'Brien will just love. A must for any serious student of naval tactics or Napoleonic warfare.