No comments about Never Surrender: A Soldier's Journey to the Crossroads of Faith and Freedom.

5 comments about Undaunted Courage: Meriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson, and the Opening of the American West (Lewis & Clark Expedition).

1. Read this as a first edition hardback---my Amazon reviewing is a little behind, to say the least---outstanding book. The best book on L&C in print. Ambrose collaborated on a book with Nat'l Geo that is spectacular as well. OUTSTANDING from cover to cover.
   If you read only one book on the topic, read this one---and prepare to be hooked.



2. Historical novels are one of my favorite types of text, and I have been an avid reader of Stephen E. Ambrose through his World War II works. Every American child knew about Lewis & Clark and the Louisiana Purchase (Thank you Schoolhouse Rock), but this book brings to life the true and amazing task these men went through to help open America into the vast and great nation she is now.
   
   After the 1803 Louisiana Purchase from France, President Thomas Jefferson, a man of knowledge and curiosity himself, issued a continental exploration Corps of Discovery to travel to the Pacific Ocean. If you could imagine walking across your own state, now imagine walking (horse/canoe allowed) across the country, no roads, no cellphone, no Walmart, no bathrooms, no electric lights, wild animals...the grizzlies read like monsters, potential attacks from hostile natives, the weather...it is unimagenable that any human could have survived or endured such hardships!
   
   It is important to realize that Lewis and Clark were the leaders, but also traveled with a large group of brave men, unique and talented in their own respects, including the female Native American Sacagawea and her baby, plus the sad tale of York, Clark's slave who shared the pain, dangers, and loyalty, but received none of the rewards, promises, or respects afterwards...this subject raises my ire, so I will not continue on York's betrayal by Clark.
   
   Regardless of whether you read this as pure history, this book reads like an adventure tale like Krakauer's Into Thin Air, a testament of man versus nature, the book is also a cultural exploration as the "White man meets the Red man" no disrespect meant. On so many levels this book will offer insight, information, and entertainment that few books balance so well. So you might as well read a good tale and actually improve your own academic knowledge.
   
   Thank you and keep reading.
   John Dae Min



3. What I liked best about this book is that it reads like a neighbor telling you all about his favorite nephew. Ambrose's descriptions and judgments and asides have almost an avuncular feel. If this is not your thing, the book will probably bug you.
   
   What I liked least about this book is Ambrose's unquestioning high regard for Jefferson, but since Ambrose's attitude reflects that of Lewis's, I can go with it.
   
   The outtakes of the journals, the excellent maps, and the good-natured commentary combine to make me LIKE the characters. I feel familiar with them after reading this book. I am impressed by their accomplishments, and feel I know them as people much better.
   
   It is also clear that Ambrose knows the areas where Lewis and Clark explored. Many of his notations tell how the area described look to present-day canoers or hikers, and he gives highway exits and directions to some of the less-remote campsites and overlooks. Ambrose's love for the beauties of western America comes through, and they add to the fond tone of the book.



4. I will keep it simple. Next to the Holy Bible ~ best book I ever read. I have since then read several of Stephen Ambrose's books and highly recommend them. He and his family put many years of research in before writing any book. I have travelled across the country all the way to Cape Disapportment as a result of reading the book and following the trail. Everything Mr. Ambrose claimed in the book is accurate, very interesting, and provides us a heritage for our country that everyone should be proud of.



5. The history of the Voyage of Discovery is one of the outstanding feats in American history. No one has told it better than Stephen Ambrose. This is a must read even if you don't enjoy history.

5 comments about Rogue Warrior.

1. This book is an exciting roller coaster ride throught the life of Marcinko. It was hard to put down.
   
   I'm amazed that Marcinko as able to reach the rank and levels of authority he did. He was truly a "rogue" warrior. Amazing man, but clearly one who operated outside the norms of the military.
   
   My only exposure to SEALs was during 3 weeks of Airborne training over 25 years ago. A team was in my class and in many ways they fit the image portrayed in this book. They were extremely close knit non-conformist who could do so many push-ups that the drill sergeants (black hats) had to take turns yelling at them because their voices would go out before they even broke a sweat.
   
   To paraphrase a familiar quote - these are the "rough men" who allow us to sleep soundly in our beds because they are ready to visit violence on those who would do us harm.



2. I really enjoyed this book Marcinko was one of the last of a dying breed in the military. I have spent most of my adult life in the armed forces and can definitely relate. Oddly enough his story ring true when now more then ever our military is so riddled with political correctness and politics you can't even do your job.



3. An old pants crapping hippy from the 60s will probably tell you about tripping on LSD for the first time, well Richard Marcinko tripped on Cobra venom in Cambodia. Yes he eats an entire Cobra piece by piece, eats the venom sacs and starts seeing bizarre checkerboard patterns in black n white.
   Wearing tire tread sandals on his feet dressed in black gym shorts Marcinko hunts down VC, shoots, dismembers, blows away and cusses out anyone in his path. Inbetween that he drinks a lot and screws a ton of women.
   
   This book rules, thats about all I can say. I read it in a day, passed it to some friends who also finished in one day. A classic, if you have any desire to check it out, check it out, its like used for 1 cent.



4. For those looking for info or accounts of escapades and adventures a la The Unit, look no further. Richard Marcinko lived the life, lead the life, and ultimately had to deal with that life. From it all he is able to capture an image and accurately convey this to us, and to it is a style all his own.
   
   Right from the first page you are drawn into Marcinko's life and you want to cheer for him. He is fighting for our country and protecting us. Of course there is the gruesome side of the necessity of killing, of the almost joy of killing that underlies Marcinko's writing, not only within himself but within his fellow Seals as well. Alas, to those not in the field this may be hard to understand, but putting yourself in their shoes with enemies all around you, the only course of action is to shoot to kill, and who better to have do this than those that live on that thrill? Gruesome? Yes. Necessary? Yes, in real life and in Marcinko's writing of his life.
   
   We follow him from when he was a Frogman to joining the Seals and going to Vietnam. His personality is very strong and this flared to life in Vietnam and ultimately started his move up the ranks. Then there is the creation of Seal Team Six, which to the laymen is only fathomable on the television, so to hear Marcinko describe what he and his men were up to was absolutely fascinating. Further on his deployment to test the nation's most "secure" facilities... This was a hoot and I loved reading about this. Granted, I don't want to see that our tax paid facilities are as vulnerable as they were, but I would rather have our experts discover these flaws than some other bad guy.
   
   All in all, a great read. We are able to see Marcinko's life with a flare of writing to accurately convey his personality. I would recommend this to anyone.
   
   5 stars.



5. A couple parts seemed like a stretch, but it was still a great book. I read the whole thing in two sittings, It was just too interesting to put down.

5 comments about American Patriot: The Life and Wars of Colonel Bud Day.

1. A must read! Puts life into perspective. Traffic, bills, taxes seem trivial compared to the hardship he endured.



2. There are several excellent reviews of this book already posted, so I'll keep mine brief. Yesterday I was having a really lousy day, and wallowing in self-pity after work, my dear spouse took pity on me and said "I was saving this for your birthday, but let me give you something." She dug around in a hiding spot and handed me this book.
   
   I read the entire book, cover to cover, over the next six hours. Couldn't put it down. I had never even heard of "Bud" Day until last night. Today, I have to tell you that I stand taller myself having read this book.
   
   A young Marine in World War II, a pilot in Korea in Vietnam, and the holder of every decoration for bravery that this country can award. He never did it for the glory- he simply saw his duty and did it. His story is about a man who wanted to rise up from the wrong side of the tracks, better himself and make something of himself. Clearly, he succeeded. But so did Robert Coram, the author, who paints a realistic picture in following the life of George Day, his wife and children.
   
   Robert Coram starts his preface as follows: "...Every time I was with Bud Day and the Mistys [the group he commanded] or the POWs, I recalled that line from James Michener when the admiral is standing on the bridge of an aircraft carrier watching his pilots take off against the terrible defenses at Toko-Ri and says to himself, 'Where do we get such men?'"
   
   Get this book and read it. Get an extra copy or two and give as gifts to YOUR favorite patriot.



3. I have to say I really enjoyed this book. I'm also glad folks like "Bud" Day stand up to our Govt. to right the wrongs that were done to fellow GI's like myself.
   
   I would recommed this book highly!!!!!



4. A real page turner, I read this over the weekend while visiting family.
   
   It's not only an amazing story about Bud, the history before and after Viet Nam are equally insightful. I think it's suitable for 8th graders and up and should be required reading for all students. The incredible journey of Bud is fascinating and I rate this as one of the best non fiction books I've ever read. For those who don't read 'war' books, this is the exception you must read.
   Did you see the movie Forest Gump? About a man who just had one amazing life experience after another? There's no relation at all to the mens lives, but that's the way this book reads. Bud just seems to have one amazing experience (not easy ones!) after another. Learn about his journey and how he served under 3 separate armed forces divisions. He is one tough guy and the truly an AMERICAN PATRIOT.
   
   2008 Political Note: John McCain and John Kerry are both mentioned in the book.



5. In 1957 USAF Captain George "Bud" Day came TDY from Flying F-84s at Weathersfield, UK to Etain AB, France to check out in the F-100. He was assigned to the 562nd FBS where I was a first lieutenant also upgrading in the bird from F-86s. Bud was an affable guy and we casually started a friendly rivalry as to whom was amassing the most time in the Super Sabre. I, a bachelor, would see Bud from time to time in our scruffy green-painted cinder block Officer's Club.
   Though we almost always wore flight suits in the Club, one night I was there in khakis and quite solemnly getting hammered all by myself while seated at the bar. For what reason, I don't recall but probably had to do with a Dear John letter I had received. I was doing a good job since I had started at the top of the bar's drink list and was working my way down ordering each one in turn. Though not noisy or rambunctious, I was pretty wobbly, bleary-eyed, and becoming rather disheveled. Several of my friends had approached and tried to draw me into a conversation, concerned over my apparent withdrawal. I would not respond and grew progressively more morosely smashed.
   Then Bud Day came over, stood next to me and put his arm around my shoulder. Looking back, I recall he seemed rather large. In a friendly, confidential voice he began to speak some pretty serious words about what I was doing. Now we all know that TDY pukes have no business stepping out of line with we permanent party luminaries, rank not withstanding.. What nerve. But I began to listen.
   "I'm not here to start a beef," he said in a kindly voice, "but I must tell you what I am thinking. First off, you are getting quite drunk. I really don't care about that. But," and he emphasized the `but,' "you are wearing the uniform of the service I love and not wearing it well. That I will not tolerate. Why don't you just go back to the Q, change into civvies then you can come back and pass out on the floor for all I care."
   My first reaction was one of anger. Where did this guy, this TDY puke, get off telling me what I can or cannot do in my own Officer's Club. That thought died aborning. He had said exactly the right thing in exactly the right way. I straightened up, looked him in the eye, and said, "You are right," and left the Club immediately and never returned.
   Perhaps in some people's eyes this was a trivial event that didn't necessarily reflect either heroism or conviction on his part. To me it was monumental. Obviously, since I remember it so well after 48 years, it had a profound effect on me. You know, we are all influenced in one way or another, small or large, positive or negative, by practically everyone we meet and everything we witness. Sometimes in a tiny way it changes our life in some obscure aspect we aren't even aware of. We may even, unknowingly, become a better person.
   So what effect did Bud Day's action have on me? Two things; have firm convictions and have the courage to stand up for them at all times.
   I doubt if Bud even remembers that long ago scene in an obscure O'Club. But I surely do, and have admired Bud from that day. So, though it was a shock as to what he went through as a POW it was no surprise that he carried himself so heroically. Macho be damned, there goes a real man.
   
   With respect, I remain
   Mark Berent
   Author, Rolling Thunder Series

5 comments about Medal of Honor: Portraits of Valor Beyond the Call of Duty.

1. i heard col. jack jacobs discussing this book on imus about 2 years ago and immediately wanted it, but couldn't justify paying the initial price. last year, i saw a copy in the bargain rack at a large retail bookstore and snapped it up.
   
   of all the books i have regarding Medal of Honor recipients, this is the most impressive. no, it does cover every recipient ... mainly because it focuses on those who were still alive at the time the book was being written (although several men had passed away before final publishing).
   
   the presentation of these men is somber and most importantly, honorable ... not a cheap over-the-top glorification. ordinary men and average citizens who thought of others before themselves. the photography is beautiful, the passages are well-written ... an tasteful and artful presentation that i am proud to own.



2. We got this book for Father's Day. My dad is retired Air Force after 20 years. And we knew he would enjoy see all the people who have given to this country. Plus over the years some of the men in the book are friends of his.



3. My husband is hard to buy for, but, as a veteran and military retiree, I knew he'd love this book. I heard it reviewed on National Public Radio and ordered it on line. He loved it and read every biography.



4. I enjoyed the book but I thought there would be more current info. such as Iraq. Also, I had hoped to read about Audie Murphy.



5. Should be must reading in all the schools. Lest we forget what the great sacrifice was all about.

5 comments about Dispatches from the Edge: A Memoir of War, Disasters, and Survival.

1. This book is fantastic! I purchased it and read the entire book within 72 hours. His descriptions of the accounts are breathtaking. The section that touched me most was about Katrina and the Aftermath. I lived in New Orleans as a volunteer relief worker for 1 year, November '06 - October '07. It was a life changing experience for me. The experiences I had begin 14 months after the storm. To read Anderson's accounts, just hours and days following the storm, it was unbelieveable. To read his accounts from the view of someone who was choosing to be there, it's amazing. I recommend this book to everyone.



2. I loved this book. He is a wonderful journalist. I recommend this book to anyone that loves world news and travel all in one.



3. I don't remember when the name or the face of Anderson Cooper first entered my consciousness, but over the past few years he has grown to be one of the most recognized and respected journalists on TV--a guy whose demeanor and candor inspire trust and belief. In this autobiography, Cooper reveals the inner pain and doubt that both torment him and drive him to become better at his craft. His own painful experiences make him empathetic to the pain of others, perhaps best personified in his clearly emotional questioning of Senator Mary Landrieu over the mishandling of Katrina (transcribed in the book, watchable on YouTube). Did he cross a line in that interview? Probably. But for an audience tired of politicians' soundbites passing as real news and numb to talking heads who mistake emotional vacancy for stoicism, or conversely, show emotion in a thinly-veiled attempt to push their own agenda, Cooper's search for accountability when people are suffering in silence is quite refreshing. Finally, a journalist who seems to be on "our side": the side of the Objective Truth. Someone we can root for.
   
   At the same time, his inner demons, his search for answers in a world where very little is explainable by logic, and a nagging self-doubt that he has become what he loathes most--an apathetic, cynical vulture feeding off the pain of others--makes for an interesting portrait of a man searching for a reason for optimism while perched on the brink of despair and madness. His accounts are compelling, addictive, numbing, and inspiring ... this book is hard to put down, and by the end of it the reader gains a greater appreciation for a world full of both beauty and brutality, and the men and women who choose to make a living out of uncovering both the light and the shadows for the consumption and education of the general public.



4. Anderson Cooper writes a great book and hearing him read it on audio makes it all the better. I think everyone should get a copy.Attacks on the Press in 2006: A Worldwide Survey by the Committee to Protect Journalists (Attacks on the Press)Dispatches from the Edge: A Memoir of War, Disasters, and SurvivalAnderson Cooper: Profile of a TV Journalist (Career Profiles)Planet in Peril (2 DVD set)



5. The most striking thing about this book is how jaded the author appears about his "stories". Surely that colors all reporting and transforms all horrors covered into soundbites for the news-tainment culture that prevails today. So the book gives the strong impression of merely scraping the surface.
   
   While the sometimes inappropriate morbid humor developed in such extreme situations is realistic (as I can testify having grown up in a war zone), it does convince me that the author does get touched by what he has reported on. Shame that this does not come through in his personal memoirs.
   
   Closing the book, my parting thoughts are discomfort at the role today's news media plays, hope that the writing of the book has proven cathartic for the author in dealing with his own personal loss, disappointment at just skimming the surface of the author's experiences and feelings on being confronted with and reporting on some of humanity's ugliest moments in the past few years.

5 comments about Mary Todd Lincoln: A Biography.

1. This book is a complete biography of Mary Todd Lincoln starting out with her grandparents which surprised me. This book is not an overview of Mary's life it is very detailed. I think it is a fair account of her life and there are some things I never would have guessed. I must admit I haven't finished the book as yet it is not one of those books you finish off in one afternoon, but I have read enough of it to know that a 4 star review is accurate.



2. Mary Todd Lincoln had a rough life. From the early death of her mother to the treatment she recieved from her stepmother, to her husband's assissination and was committed to an asylum by her own son. Reading the biography it was hard not to feel sorry for her. I knew naturally (as everyone) about her husband's assissination but I was surprised about how hard the rest of her life was. Her son Robert committed and she had to fight to get out of the asylum. Her early years Mary spent having to put up with a stepmother who wanted her husband's first set of children completely forgotten. Poor girl.



3. very comprehensive study of a woman who began life as a spoiled child, but got kicked in the butt by life. she sedated herself with extravagance and meaninglessness. one of the most tragic things in her life was the betrayal by her son, who used his influence to have her declared insane so that he could obtain control over her money. that had to be as painful to endure as the assassination of her husband and the deaths of her two younger sons. i feel nothing but empathy for this poor woman.



4. This is the seminal biography for Mary Todd Lincoln and one of the best biographies you will ever read. After reading dozens of books about Mrs. Lincoln to write my novel about her insanity trial (A Warrant For Mrs. Lincoln), I always came back to Jean Baker's book for information and insight into the Lincoln family. If you have an endless fascination for the Lincoln family, this book is a must.



5. Couldn't put this book down.....Jean Baker wrote a truly remarkable narrative non-fiction. I had previously read another fictional "Mary" book and was surprised to see that both books were similar in historical data surrounding her (Mary's) life. One can only imagine losing so many children and then one's husband, and NOT being driven to doing odd things. The psyche is a strange science marked by extraordinary and mysterious sensivities to outside pressures.

5 comments about Absolutely American: Four Years at West Point.

1. 'Absolutely American' is a fantastic book. It brings the reader into West Point and into the hearts and minds of the cadets. The author, a writer for Rolling Stone, begins skeptical of what he might find on the Hudson but leaves fascinated and a bit awed by the young men and women who take on the challenges that West Point puts before them. I thought of going to West Point when choosing a college in 1981. I chose Harvard instead, and I sometimes wonder if I made the right choice. This book tells me I made the right choice but not for the reasons that I had in 1981. I made the right choice because I am pretty darned sure after reading this book that I couldn't have made it through West Point.
   
   One wonders how we continue to produce the kind of people who willingly put their lives on the line for the rest of us. 'Absolutely American' only redoubled my admiration for all in uniform. The book is not merely a cheerleading effort. The author makes clear West Point's faults, and there are many. But they are the product of good intention, and perhaps necessity.
   
   I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to understand the modern military and/or for those young people thinking of the noblest of endeavors.



2. I bought this for my 15yo son who wants to go to West Point. He watched it several times and took lots of notes of what is going to be required of him. Excellent video for any wanna be cadet.



3. While I enjoyed the read from a purely entertaining and pride perspective, I found the book fairly unrepresentative of the Corps as a whole. As a graduate, I know what life at West Point is like, and how the Corps thinks and acts. It is unfortunate that Mr. Lipsky chose such a narrow prism of cadets to portray as the whole. For those who truly want a sense of what life at USMA is like, do yourself a favor and visit.



4. The author had unlimited access but tells a very unbalanced story.
   
   My main issue is (like Thucydides20) that the academics are totally ignored. That is such a huge part of life at the Point, as various grads have told me.
   
   Also, the regular Honor Code scandals is another point ignored in the book. The book talks about the Honor Code with a "see no evil" mentality. Yet every 10-15, regular as clockwork, there is a cheating scandal related to that code.
   
   While we are at it, there is very little written about the teachers. It is a shame Lipsky chose not to spend any time with them.
   
   I also had major problems with the format of the book, it jumps around way too much. Just when you are starting to get a feel for a cadet, you are jerked away from that person.
   
   I have spent a lot of time at the Point and have great affection for the institution and its people. It is a shame that given unlimited access, Lipsky did such a poor job.



5. David Lipsky, a writer for Rolling Stone magazine, and the son of self-proclaimed hippie parents whose zip code is in Greenwich Village is assigned to write about a class of cadets and write his story after a year. Nurtured with a distrust and dislike for anything military, he anticipates that West Point will throw up one roadblock after another. He is surprised when they give him unrestricted access the academy.
   
   He sets about following one class that reports in July for "Beast Barracks" where new cadets or plebes are whipped into shape, must learn military courtesy and how to march. Lipsky must also develop an ear for the traditional jargon of West Point, some of which are many decades old. First, it is not West Point Military Academy, but the United States Military Academy at West Point, a promontory within academy borders. Freshmen are fourth classmen or more commonly known as plebes. Sophomores are third classmen and informally known as yearlings or yuks. Juniors are second classmen and are informally known as cows. The seniors are called first classmen, and are informally known as firsties.
   
   The author starts out with a brief history of cadets fighting in past wars and fighting each other in the Civil War with the utmost lethality while maintaining the utmost civility for each other. Where the country could not stay together, the bond amongst cadets was inseparable in spite of uniforms of different color. I wish Lipsky had spent a little more time on this, which he managed to write with some humor.
   
   He quickly attaches himself to a group of cadets called the corporation, the cadet who cannot pronounce the name of the game he plays (fooball), and a keen interest in a hapless, but likeable cadet named George Rash who is on the verge of being thrown out of West Point for lack of physical agility on several occasions. George skims just above the waves of academic and physical disaster. Other cadets mention his name "Raaaash" with emphasis, not as an act of unkindness. In George, they see their own worst fears as real and tangible.
   
   The author asks for and receives permission to follow the class to graduation. You can tell that he is gaining respect for the men and women of West Point.
   
   The most telling story for the author seemed to be his recounting of a lieutenant colonel (LTC) who takes responsibility for one of his captains who has an inappropriate anecdote on his computer. His computer being open, the cadets soon download the message, and pass it throughout the academy. The colonel tells his captain: "You're my subordinate. That means I'm responsible for your actions." The LTC, who has his enemies, stands up for his captain, takes the responsibility, and is forced out of the service. In retelling this account in New York restaurants and bars, the author's listeners do not understand why the colonel was punished, and not the captain. This is the telling point for the author, because in spite of his anti-military upbringing, he has learned enough about West Point to not only know the language, but to know how they think and even more, understand it. Lipsky makes his admiration quite clear for a man whom he sees as the embodiment of the academy motto: Duty, Honor, Country.
   
   He follows the class through their romances, competitions, and obstacles. In the third year, the cadets are sworn in. Now they must serve in the army as enlisted men if they fail or drop out, and repay the army the cost of their education. In the fourth year, cadets request their branch. In the army, branches mean infantry, armor, artillery, aviation, quartermaster, etc.)
   
   The author follows many of them through graduation, and into their first assignments. And George Rash? George finishes second from the last in his class. This is probably the worst spot because the lowest in the class, also known as the goat, which happens to be the mascot of Annapolis, collects the lottery which consists of $1.00 from every cadet in the brigade. Even in this George misses, but he didn't miss being posted to one of the army's least desirable places--Ft. Polk, LA.
   
   This is an excellent narrative for one who wants to learn about modern day West Point, and the men and women who still attempt to live by a code of honor that seems almost archaic in our modern society.
   
   Keep in mind, this is a story about West Point, not the army.
   
   But still, GO ARMY! SINK navy!

5 comments about Lost Victories: The War Memoirs of Hitler's Most Brilliant General.

1. Let me first say, that I am one of those who considers Field Marshal Erik von Manstein one of the best operational minds to have fought in the Second World War. His achievment in the post-Stalingrad months (Dec 1942- Feb 1943) will go down as a classic in mobile warefare. Enough has been written about his 1939 operational plan to invade France to fill a volume. In short, he was the consumate military professional.
   
   Which is why it pains me to offer only a 3 rating to his memiors. Don't get me wrong. The memior reads very well; the translation is excellent, and the prose is easy. My main complaint lies with the memior's content. I first read Lost Victories twenty years ago and took most of what Manstein wrote as fact. However, as I read more and more about not only the Wehrmacht, Germany, and Hitler, I began to doubt the narrative that von Manstein and the Feld Herren as a whole have been put to paper. This memior is long on ommisions, and short on introspection. Like other senior officers, Manstein piles the blame on the most senior Wehrmacht leadership while conviently excusing himself. The sad fact remains that von Manstein rarely vocalized any complaints concerning the Nazis treatment of men like Fritsch or Bloomberg (his former superiors sacked by Hitler), the introduction of the swatiska on thier uniforms, the establishment of the Waffen SS, or the treatment of Polish civilians, Jew, or captured officers. In his memiors, Manstein does take a few pages to offer his criticisms of Keitel (OKW) and von Braunstisch (OKH), yet not once did he explicitly critique in name the poor tactical generalship of either General Hoepner -the 4th Panzer Army Commander and his immediate commander during the initial stages of Barbarossa, or Field Marshall von Leeb -the overall commander of the Northern Army Group. This I thought was rather odd considering that these 2 men at that stage of the war still excercised complete freedom of movement. Manstein vaguely critiques the "High Command" (ie either the OKH or Hitler himself). Like other generals, Manstein leveled his stongest critiques on those that were dead, and thus couldn't defend themselves.
   
   The Chapters covering Stalingrad at the battles along the Don are the most dramatic of the memior. Many do find fault with Manstein's decision not to relieve General Paulus of command of the 6th Army in November-December 1942. This was a period of high drama and emotion, when as most experts believe that the 6th Army could have broken out of Stalingrad. It was also the period of greatest danger when the entire front was collapsing back to Rostov. Manstein's reasons for not relieving Paulus are clear enough -namely he didn't have the authority to do so. The other reason, which he barely skirts around is the fact that the Soviets had nearly a half million men, 3000 guns, and 2000 tanks around Stalingrad. If the 6th Army did breakout, this vast force would be unleashed and the entire Don Bend as well as von Kleists Army Group in the Kuban would have been become a giant tomb for the Germans. Manstein after the war could have offered this terrible but truthful fact to the public, but instead said the sacrifice of the 180,000 men of the 6th Army was never an option. Somehow I do not believe him.
   
   The last area of criticism is leveled at von Manstein's decision to back Zeitzler's (OKH) and Hitler's decision to strike at Kursk. In his memiors, he does say he strongly desired to wait until the Soviets struck first and then offer a counter blow on "the back hand". That is, he wished to conduct another mobile counter attack like he did earlier in March at Kharkov - this time from the Northwest and drive the Soviets offensive forces Southward into the Black Sea. This operation, brilliant in conception and most probably would have had sufficient motorized forces to execute was never considered. Hitler couldn't stomach the idea of giving another inch of territory (Manstein's plans included a planned withdraw initially so he could spring his trap), instead followed Zeitzler's idea of a pincer attack on the Kursk sailent. For some reason, von Manstein allowed himself to initially concur. Again, I find this strange. Manstein never was one to keep quiet when considering other people's failures. OKH's Kursks attack lacked imagination, was totally predictable and lacked any strategic value. On paper it looked like the "safe" plan. Even if it was successfull, Manstein, Zeitzler, Guderian, and most of all Hitler knew the Soviets had sufficient strength to bleed the outnumbered German's white. Manstein's plan, on the other hand, had all of the makings of a classic battle of annihilation, which could have bought Hitler another year, or maybe even a stalemate in the East.Yet, Manstein offered little defense of his plan.
   
   Finally, von Manstein like Guderian, Halder, Kluge, Rundstedt, et als. said he had no prior knowledge of the Final Solution, Russian Slave Labour, and the killing of POWs. He says very little, but does offer up evidence of the Soviet's own crimes while he commanded the 56th Panzer Corps in the Courland. As time goes by, I find this harder and harder to believe.
   
   Overall, the reader will have to judge for himself. Of all the memiors, this one is the best written, and there are many times where one can see Manstein's genius as he discusses in his cool, rational prose the many tactical and strategic problems he faced. He is also very kind when ever he writes about the enlisted soliders who served under him, especially the German NCOs. He was never an "armchair" general. Both as commander of the 38th Infantry Corps, and the 56th Panzer Corps he led from the front, and made his decisions based upon first hand knowledge. It was also heartbreaking to read about the death of his only son in 1943. While Erik von Manstein had many faults, he was anything but the stiff, monocoled Prussian caricture that some in the West like to paint of the Prussians. He was a brilliant yet flawed general. His memiors should be read, but critically so. While reading the memiors it is also good to keep in mind that her served one of the cruelist dictators of the 20th Century.



2. German Field Marshal Erich von Manstein wrote "Lost Victories" in 1955, ten years after the end of the Second World War and eleven years after he had been dismissed from command on the Russian Front by Adolf Hitler.
   
   Von Manstein served in the German Army from 1914 through the First World War, the bitter interwar years, and the major campaigns of the Second World War in Europe. He was, by all accounts, a master of the operational level of war, whether as a commander or as an outstanding staff officer. His memoirs are still in print at least in part because his narrative powers were equal to the task of describing the military operations in the Second World War in which he participated. "Lost Victories" may provide as good an account from the German side of the War in Europe as we are likely to get from a participant. His understanding of the huge battle waged over an immense manuever space in Western Russia is almost as unique as the nature of the fighting itself. If his account is tinged with some "I" and "me", that is perhaps to be forgiven in an autobiography by a man who saw all too clearly the wasted strategic opportunities to conduct a war with a defined and achievable political purpose.
   
   This book is highly recommended to students of the military art and of the Second World War.



3. It is a "must read" strategy book by the one of the best WW2 German generals. It is not the full memoirs. Still it is a 5 star (great) reading.



4. Lost Victories is an excellent first-person memoir of some of the critical battles of the Second World War. Its primary focus is on the Eastern Front in Russia and the Ukraine; von Manstein speaks some about the attack on France in 1940 and opines on what might have been done with England thereafter, but for the most part, his command was in the East.
   
   This is not a starter treatment of the Second World War, and it will appeal only to those readers who are looking for an in depth discussion of certain topics. It is not a comprehensive treatment of the war -- von Manstein naturally only discusses theaters in which he was involved directly, and the book generally focusses on military matters, leaving political topics for others. It also proceeds in some detail, occasionally even providing a division-by-division account of battles. That was sometimes more than I wanted, and I found it possible to skim some of the more detailed parts without sacrificing the overall discussion, however.
   
   Those readers who seek a deeper understanding of the military conflict in the East will be rewarded. I found two features of the book particularly compelling. The first is the lengthy discussion of the Stalingrad endgame (the German Sixth Army was already encircled by the time von Manstein arrived on the scene). The second is the author's discussion of Hitler's strengths and (mostly) defects as a supreme military commander. There is a chapter devoted to this discussion, but the comments and impressions that von Manstein sprinkles throughout the other chapters are even more telling.
   
   I had two small critcisms. First, the book would be more enjoyable with more and better maps, so that those of us who don't have a deep familiarity with the geography of southern Russia and the Ukraine can better place the action. There are a few maps, but they aren't always well-placed in the book and they often don't include all of the key locations.
   
   Second, I wanted more discussion of Operation Citadel (Battle of Kursk), which was one of the critical engagements of the war. I think that von Manstein's actually wrote an in-depth discussion of this battle, but that the editors of this edition chose to replace it with a shorter discussion that the author wrote later for a magazine. That would explain why this chapter is uncharacteristically brief and why its style seems out of place with the others.
   
   Overall, this is a fascinating read, and it has enriched my understanding of the war on the Eastern Front.



5. Lost Victories is superior to Guderian's Panzer Leader and also better than 'Panzer Battles'. The early chapters on the planning and evolution of the Polish and French campaigns is remarkable. Manstein accomplished the near impossible at Sevastopol and almost the impossible at Kursk where (as was often the case) his carefully laid plans were perverted by the powers above. His firm stance against getting German armies sucked into city fighting beginning with Warsaw were tragically forgotten by Stalingrad. His theories about mobile defence, attacking on the other side of a river to defend a bridgehead etc... were revolutionary for their time. It may have been a different story in Normandy in 1944 if Manstein had been in charge rather than the hodge podge of commands which included the discredited Rommel and the over the hill Rundstedt. One of the main reasons the Germans were defeated is that experienced, brilliant generals like Manstein were eventually replaced by yes man that far from strengthening Hitler's position hastened his downfall.

3 comments about Julius Caesar.

1. This book was written for someone who has never read and Roman History. Since I thought this was a new book, with new information, I was not happy to be reading a book that treats it's reader like a novice. Nothing new. there are better books, including Colleen McCullough's series.



2. Prior to reading this book, I knew very little about Caesar and next to nothing about the Roman Republic. This book certainly changed that. Personally, I'm a fan of history in its purest form: meticulously researched, free of romantic speculation, and presented as objectively as possible. However, even though this book is written more like an action novel than a textbook, I enjoyed it wholeheartedly. I couldn't put the book down and despite being a fairly slow reader, finished the book in 2 days. I highly recommend this to anyone looking to get started with Roman history and anyone else merely looking for a fast paced, action packed story of one of history's most incredible figures.



3. Philip Freeman's Julius Caesar is a fascinating and well-written book. Prior to reading Freeman's book, what I knew about Caesar I had learned from Shakespeare. While Shakespeare was a wonderful playwright, he was not a historian. Freeman's book provides a highly readable account of Caesar's fascinating life-- from master military leader and engineer (he designed, and he and his troops constructed, the first bridge across the deep, wide, and swiftly flowing Rhine in just a few days) to his years as chief priest of Rome when among other things he redesigned the calendar to the one we still basically use today. As I read the book, I was struck by the similarity of some of Caesar's campaigns to the present-day war in Iraq.
   
   As Freeman states in his introduction, his book doesn't come to "praise Caesar overmuch nor to bury him among the tyrants of history." Rather we are left to form our own opinion of this controversial man. I not only recommend this book to novice Caesar historians, such as myself, but also to more knowledgeable readers of ancient Rome who will undoubtedly learn something new about this remarkable man and his times.