5 comments about An Officer and a Junkie: From West Point to the Point of No Return.

1. I was at USMA with the author. The number of "liberties" he takes to describe his time there leads me to highly doubt the entire story -- either that, or *I* was on drugs the entire time and am not remembering it accurately.
   
   I'm sure there's some truth sprinkled in with what he writes, but I don't believe the whole package -- not for one second.



2. Once I started reading this book, I found it very difficult to put down. Throughout the book, Michael Winder consistently hits you with brutal honesty. He pulls no punches in revealing his daily experiences as an addict. Just when you think he's hit the bottom, he finds a new rung to descend. The documentation provided has convinced me that he's for real. To further add to his life's saga, he weaves his life as an addict with the rigorous training of being a West Point cadet. Amazingly, he was able to turn his life around, climb out of the bowels of hell and write his memoirs. I enjoyed this book immensely and look forward to his next one.



3. I completed reading this book in 2 sittings, and felt uncomfortable with the author's voice the entire time. He is entirely too proud of his prodiguous consumption of drugs and his cleverness at concealing it from others. I fear that this young man is destined to resume some form of self-destructive and self-delusional activities unless he develops some humility. The entire tale came across as the self-aggrandizing bragging of an insecure adolescent. It would behoove him to read some Greek tragedy -- perhaps Oedipus -- and reflect on the consequences of over-confidence and pride.
   
   I would not recommend using this book in a drug education program aimed at teen-agers. It reads like a challenge to try to outdo the author -- which could be fatal since I doubt very much that anyone, even the author, could consume anywhere near the quantity of drugs and alcohol he claims for as long as he claims to have done so and survive, let alone be coherent.



4. My problem with Winder's memoir is not necessarily that he managed to obtain a degree from West Point despite his rampant drug abuse and flagrant disregard for the rules of his school. I agree that, for the most part, everyone deserves a second chance.
   
   However, being a drug addict with an ability to form sentences doesn't qualify Mr. Winder as a memoirist. His story is not particularly interesting. While the West Point angle certainly drew me into the book, at its core Mr. Winder doesn't have anything new or insightful to say about addiction. Yes, West Point is a uniquely challenging place, but most of the time Winder comes across as a typical college-age frat boy with a sense of entitlement drowning his problems in booze and drugs. He's clearly an intelligent man whose writing skills need some serious polishing. (For example, he seems compelled to describe each character by their height and/or weight, hair color, and skin tone.) I wish Mr. Winder the best of luck, but ultimately I cannot recommend this book.



5. This memoir is a well-written book that manages to portray the grim reality of the author's experiences in the oft-glamorized world of drug and alcohol abuse. His narration style is very easy to read and the story flows effortlessly. I recommend this book to anyone looking for an insightful, entertaining, and thought-provoking true story. I sincerely hope that the author stays sober and is able to keep his life on track, if only for the sake of the many friends and family from the book who cared so much about him. Well done.

5 comments about Following Ho Chi Minh: The Memoirs of a North Vietnamese Colonel.

1. This has been an amazing read for me. My fellow helicopter pilot buddy (from our tour in Vietnam) sent it over from Vermont. We were both New England college grads when we flew
   D-model Hueys out of Vinh Long, in the Mekong Delta during 1966-67. Since that time, we have devoured many books commenting on our mutual Army experience, especially when the Vietnamese side of things often illustrates our time well. Fred Stetson continues to remain close to Vietnamese immigrants in the Burlington, VT area, and knows I have represented our experience well in my book, OUTLAWS IN VIETNAM. We both delight in finding out information from and about the Hanoi leadership, and were absolutely surprised to find their intrigue with the Chinese communists that is so fervently exposed in Bui Tin's masterful work. He was always in the significant place at the right time, and reveals behind-the-scenes politics with the North Vietnamese from 1945 on. What a journalist, and I am glad he has connected with leaders like Senator John McCain, to flesh out the reality of the VC and NVA we were fighting against. Apparently our suspicions that the Chinese were very involved in this war were very correct, indeed! I had thought the two nation-states too opposed to each other (culturally) to have ever played such a strong hand. Makes you wonder what we could have done militarily otherwise; maybe ole chicken LBJ might have been right to worry about escalating events after all....



2. As a former Marine Sniper who served two tours in Nam and who is still trying to understand what I went through this is an okay read. Not as good as some and a bit over blown at times but worth understanding the other side. It does make you want to better understand the other side of our current crisis in terrorism and see what makes them tick. Our leaders in Nam were a little lazy and self serving when it came to history. That is the leaders in Washington. Makes you wonder what might have been?



3. As a North Vietnamese colonel and high ranking Party member, the author accepted the surrender of Saigon on April 1975. He continued to work for Hanoi until 1990, when disillusioned with the communists he moved to Paris and hoped to see a free and democratic Vietnam.

   In his memoir, he talked about communism being elevated to the rank of a "blind faith", the purges within the Party, the errors, greed, and corruption of communist leaders, the "arrogance of the Party" and so on.

   This book is recommended to those who are interested in the inner world of the Vietnamese communist Party and the causes of its failure. It is not the ideal world painted by the communists, not the people's rule but the rule of five or six men who imposed their dictatorship on the people.




4. The rarest of gifts -- a credible account from a Vietnamese communist cadre! Bui Tin has done a great service to all of his countrymen, regardless political faction or religion. His assessments of legendary Vietnamese cadres, including Ho Chi Minh, Le Duan and Le Duc Anh are stunningly frank. Those interested in Vietnam or Cambodia should place this title on the top of their reading lists. There is simply no other work of its kind, although we can always hope that another courageous figure will follow in the author's footsteps.



5. Bui Tin has written a remarkable story about the Vietnamese government and the social chaos that went on which no one outside of Viet Nam ever knew about it after 1975. Thanks to him we now know that life was easier during the time of war than peace time.

5 comments about Grant: A Biography.

1. I am currently reading a biography of every President in order. I must say that none of the preceding Presidents (even Lincoln) seem to be as difficult to pin down as Grant as to their "definitive" biography. In addition to McFeely's Pulitzer prize winning effort is Geoffrey Perret's offering, which seems to be universally derided as a scholarly farce, Jean Edward Smith's biography of Grant is clearly meant for a more popular readership (indeed Smith's commitment to scholarly research is somewhat dubious himself given he was able to produce a 1,000 page biography of FDR in less than 5 years after writing his Grant bio), and finally Brooks Simpson's projected two volume biography which when complete will certainly be the most comprehensive modern effort. McFeely's biography was the Pulitzer prize winner and that ultimately swayed me in favor of it, although I was a bit concerned about some of the poor reviews it received.
   
   I will state from the outset that I think most of the criticism of McFeely's biography I have read in other reviews is either unwarranted or overstressed. This is a straightforward "old school" biography that is directed by the research and not by some new spin that the author believes will help sell the book. McFeely won the Pulitzer Prize for this work and rightfully so. This is a comprehensive and balanced biography of Grant that is a highly enjoyable read on top of that.
   
   I'm not sure what the negative reviewers expectations were before reading this book. Obviously most feel that Grant is somehow misrepresented by McFeely, however I definitely did not reach that conclusion. I believe this is the best comprehensive one volume biography of Grant available based on extensive research and solid writing.



2. Any good biographer has to have, if not sympathy, at least some understanding of his or her subject. Unfortunately, although this book is well researched, you get the uneasy feeling that Mr. McFeely is examining Ulysses Grant like a bug under a microscope. This is the classic example of an academic who lacks understanding of real life and as a result cannot grasp the dynamics of a man of action, as Ulysses Grant certainly was.
   
   Mr. McFeely also unquestioningly adopts the prejudices of prior historians without thinking for himself. As a result, an historian who DID think for himself, Frank Scaturro in President Grant Reconsidered, has rendered Mr. McFeely's book obsolete. Every biography since Mr. Scaturro has reviewed the Grant Administration with a fresh and generally favorable eye. As the last civil rights President before Harry Truman, Grant certainly deserves that revised opinion.
   
   Mr. McFeely's book is no longer worth reading, if it ever was.



3. The book covers the important parts of Grant's life. The book has good research on Grant's youth.



4. McFeely won the Pulitzer Prize for this book in 1982, but the conclusions he reaches about his subject have drawn fire ever since. Those sympathetic to Grant correctly point to errant assumptions and mistakes in character analysis. Most glaring is McFeely's insistence that Grant gloried in carnage, was insensitive to death and suffering, and was an incompetent chief executive.

   Actually Grant was one of the most exquisitiely sensitive men ever born and was nothing like the 'butcher' that McFeely describes. However, the research in the book is quite good and there are very few factual errors to be found, though his chapters on the civil war are relatuvely weak. This contrasts markedly to Geoffrey Perret's 1997 Grant biography, which contained inaccuracies on nearly every page. McFeely is most solid in the period of Reconstruction, though he is usually overly prone to criticize the hapless Grant. Throughout many chapters, it seems the General can't buy a break.

   McFeely's greatest admiration for Grant is contained in two areas of his life: his family relationships, specifically his loving marriage to wife Julia, and his abilities as a writer. McFeely leaves no doubt that he regards Grant's 1885 Memoirs as one of the great books ever written and the best part of this biography is in explaining the processes Grant used to produce such a masterpiece, while dying of throat cancer.

   With its flaws and uneven treatment of Grant, McFeely's book cannot be considered definitive, but it is still the only complete biography of Grant written in the past 30 years. Perret's limping entry isn't even in the same league as this book, in accuracy, writing or research. To sum up: overly critical, but a must read for Civil War buffs.




5. This is one seriously irritating book. There may be relatively few factual errors (at least, compared to Geoffrey Perret's work on Grant, a masterpiece of unintentional humor,) but McFeely's work is riddled with what I can only believe are deliberately insulting mischaracterizations and misrepresentations, tiresomely pretentious writing, and amateur psychoanalyzing of the most obnoxious sort. McFeely is particularly fond of quoting the words of Grant or his wife on some matter or another, and then proclaiming that--no matter how clear their meaning may have been to us poor dumb non-historians--what they were REALLY saying and thinking was something else altogether. If there is anything I can't abide, it's a biographer who persists in reading a subject's mind and putting words into his or her mouth and thoughts into his or her head that were never said and never thought. McFeely not only obviously believes he is much smarter than Grant (hah!) but more percipient than his readership, as well.

   If this book is worthy of a Pulitzer, then I trust my next grocery shopping list will earn me a Nobel Prize for Literature.

5 comments about The Deserter's Tale: The Story of an Ordinary Soldier Who Walked Away from the War in Iraq.

1. I read this book in a couple of hours, and it was a very easy read. When I was reading I felt as though I was sitting in a car with him driving down the highway listening to his story - it was that easy - much like a conversation.
   
   It is of course one side of the story [...]
   
   JK makes a lot of claims that are better judged by those who have been there - more specifically those from his unit, than myself.
   
   I like the book, it was a good and interesting read, but I want the whole story - this is just part of it. There is always more than one version of events.
   
   I hope someone else who was there with him writes a book. We've heard what he says "really" went on, I'd like to hear what they say "really" went on.



2. I found this book to be a heartbreaking and horrifying account of the early months of the Iraq war. All these people who are so ready to brand Key as a coward should consider the idea that abandoning the war and all its crimes was what took real courage. Key states very clearly in his book that he is fully prepared to stand trial for what he's done, as long as the Bush Gang who drove us off the cliff into this mess also has to do so.
   
   People also need to remember that, following World War II and the Nuremberg trials, it is now incumbent upon every soldier in every military organization in the world to refuse illegal orders.



3. Joshua Key paints a very disturbing picture of the way U.S. troops treat Iraqi civilians. If even one tenth of what he claims is true then all Americans should be outraged as well as being outraged at the illegal invasion and occupation of Iraq. Key presents soldiers calling Iraqi's Hajis just like many U.S. troops called the Vietnamese gooks during the Vietnam War. What I found most disturbing were the parts where troops were taught during training that all Muslims were their enemies. The fact that Joshua Key is discouraged from interacting in socially with Iraqi civilians which his superior officers describe as fraternizing with the enemy is a great contrast with claims by the Bush Administration that the U.S. is acting as a liberator in Iraq and that U.S. troops are only opposed by a few Baathist dead enders and foreign fighters.



4. This book is full of lies and half truths. Wouldn't buy it to save my life.



5. I sit next to an Iraq vet every day in school, and I knew he was against the war and against recruiting for this war because of dishonesty in recruiting. I believe what this author has to say. He is not a great writer, but he is real and has a conscience. This book is easy to read in terms of how the author uses language, but very hard to read in terms of subject matter. I strongly suggest you read it for yourself before you decide whether or not to believe it. I found it to be a real wake-up call. I will do all I can now to end this war and to fix what is wrong with our military.

5 comments about Tommy: The British Soldier on the Western Front 1914-1918.

1. "Tommy" is Richard Holmes's exploration of the experience of the British soldier and the British Army on the Western Front of the Great War, 1914-1918. Through a narrative rich in detail and anecdote, Holmes provides context and some necessary correction on the life of Tommy Atkins, prototypical British soldier, at war.
   
   Holmes, an experienced historian, has provided a study very much in the vein of "Redcoat", his earlier work on the British Army from Waterloo to the Crimean War. In this book, Holmes details how the small standing British professional army of 1914 became the mass army of 1918 and how it generally acquitted itself fairly well in four years of horrendous combat with the elements, its own bureaucracy, and the German Army. It is a story of the men who became soldiers, their weapons, their leadership, their food, medical care, and their sense of the fighting. Holmes includes a fascinating collection of photographs of the Western Front.
   
   Holmes has done his extensive research. The traditional regimental system comes in for some considerable praise for its contribution to unit cohesion and morale. The willingness of the Army to adapt to the demands of mass warfare, on a scale not practiced by Britain in over one hundred years, is commendable if often uneven. The leadership of the Army, especially after the first year of war, generally did as good a job as the circumstances of combat allowed. The fate of mounted cavalry and the introduction of modern warfighting technology such as tanks, airplanes, radios, and indirect artillery fire are discussed. Above all, the stubborn and patient devotion to duty of Tommy and his fellow soldiers shines through.
   
   At roughly 700 pages, this is an exhaustive if not exhausting study that will appeal the most to those with a keen interest in the First World War, especially to those looking for the story behind the battle histories. It is highly recommended as a reading experience to students of the history of the British Army.



2. This is a must-read for anyone interested in the Great War, the Western Front, or the history of the British soldier. In his wonderful narrative style, Holmes weaves numerous first-hand accounts into a smoothly flowing story that never becomes ponderous despite the enormous size of the book. Highly recommended.



3. Richard Holmes, the author, provides a fascinating, masterful portrait of British soldiers' everyday lives during WWI. This book is about the British army itself; it is NOT a campaign history, a strategy essay, or a biography.
   
   Despite the plethora of books produced about Britain's WWI effort, Holmes manages to include a great volume of hitherto negelected information. Some of these topics include: commissioning, pay, ranking differences (permanent, temporary, brevet), compulsory requisitioning of horses, medical treatment, replacements, promotions, religion, liberty, leave, discipline/punishment, mustache regulations, combat training, demobilisation, and return to civilian life.
   
   Thankfully, he also explains the highly complex war-time formation, structure, varying roles, and evolution of battalions, regiments, brigades, divisions, corps, and armies. Holmes also defines the differences between formation types (regular, Special Reserve, territorial, and New Army). In addition, he also relates the jobs of various staff and admin unit members (e.g. Chief of Staff, Adjutant, Regimental Sergeant Major, etc.).
   
   Besides all the above, the book includes the more commonly discussed trench life routine, weapons, personal accounts, a typical attack, morale, and the army's various branches (infantry, artillery, sappers, cavalry, tanks, machine guns, supply, general staff, etc.). The author unusually presents a few striking, small-scale examples of successful cavalry charges and a costly episode of firing guns by direct sight.
   
   This is an excellent, well-researched book that is a pleasure to read. Bravo!



4. Richard Holmes does a TV series in the UK called War Walks.
   In the series he basically walks through a battlefield pointing out where a particular action took place, where a dug out or ridge was and then turns to camera and deliver a short, precise monologue.
   He dresses smartly, invariably wearing a tie or cravat; with a neat trimmed grey moustache and fixes the camera from behind silver framed glasses. When he speaks to the camera his voice carries a gravitas and intensity that conveys respect and concern with cold hard truths. He has the same persona on the page and this is what drives Tommy forward
   
   Holmes is like a kindly uncle who knows every minute detail on his subject and will tell you everything you need to know, in a slow studied manner. Despite his slow, at times ponderous style, or perhaps precisely because of it, he ignites your interest and takes you through the story, even when it gets a little complicated and dull, regimental names and badges for instance.
   
   And like a good story, told by a kindly uncle, it stays in your head, the characters vibrant and their lives and deaths meaningful and justice done to them.



5. Another revisionist tract that seeks to glorify the British Tommy though spinning defeats into victories, bumblers into geniuses, and incompetence into acumen. Overly long, redundant and without a single unifying theme, this book is more demanding on your patience than critical faculty.

3 comments about Finding Jefferson: A Lost Letter, a Remarkable Discovery, and the First Amendment in an Age of Terrorism.

1. ....and that's a hell of a thing for a conservative Republican to say. I've always liked his style, even when I disagree. This short, but profoundly great, book gives his views of the First Amendment, filtered thru the metaphorical lens of a short letter written by Mr. Jefferson in 1801. Despite profound differences, Mr. Dershowitz and I share some things in common: [1] We are both pack-rats [2] We both revere Thomas Jefferson [3] We both love America. But then, he's a Red Sox fan, and I'm a Yankee fan......and, while we agree about the First Amendment, I suspect that we might part company over the Second...
   
   Alan Dershowitz found the letter in question in a rare book store a couple of years ago...it deals with Mr. Jefferson's disagreement with the views of Reverend Stanley Griswold, who advocated limitation on the freedom of speech. Jefferson decried limits, prefering to await "the first overt act". Well and good, but Jefferson did not face weapons of mass destruction [though he did have to deal with Islamic criminals]. The book deals point by point with Mr. Jefferson's arguments, with Dershowitz playing "Devil's Advocate". Dershowitz then branches into specific examples of how Jefferson dealt with problems in his own day. [I may add one slight point of disagreement; Dershowitz states that the Aaron Burr treason case of 1807 brings no credit to Jefferson...well, neither was it John Marshall's shining moment...Burr should probably have been acquitted on the merits, but Marshall still ran it as a rigged trial for political purposes]. He ends with his own views of the First Amendment...no limitation of free speech by the government. Period. I am fairly sure he would support me in the arguments I had with school authorities over my son's right to wear a Confederate flag T-shirt {I won}. But, nobody questions my Confederate flag tie at work...strange.
   
   This is one of the greatest books I have ever read. EVER. It reveals a human side of both Jefferson and Dershowitz that is engaging. Brilliant people are still people. And, this is a good place to give my own theory of what made Jefferson tick, though it's probably way off base...he was a man not bothered by contradictions. Mr. Dershowitz defended the idiots in Skokie; it bothered him [still does], but he made himself do the right thing; [I think] Jefferson would have done the same, and never worried about it a bit. If you want to spend an afternoon really understanding the First Amendment, this book is for you. I can't recommend it highly enough!!!!



2. Alan Dershowitz and Thomas Jefferson were collectors. Dershowitz, inter alia, collects antiquities. He loves objects with aesthetic and historical significance. Dershowitz travels to flea markets and book stores seeking treasure. Much of the focus of his legal activities has centered on the line between speech and act.
   
   The greatest acquisition of the author's career as a collector came from the Argosy Bookstore. It is a Jefferson letter about freedom of religion, (and of speech and ideas). The letter had been passed down through generations of the Boardman family who reside in New Milford, Connecticut. The historian Charles Beard learned of the letter's existence in 1926 and quoted from it. In turn, the sentence appeared in several important legal decisions.
   
   The letter was sold to the Argosy in 2006. Alan Dershowitz's daughter believes he has become obsessed with Jefferson. (He has now bought a number of books and souvenirs pertaining to Jefferson.) Through his letters a person is able to get into Jefferson's head the author asserts. John Adams hoped that Jefferson's letters would be published. Jefferson pardoned persons convicted of violations of the Alien and Sedition Acts when he became President.
   
   This book is of great interest to lawyers and to historians of ideas.



3. Saturday Night:
   I received Finding Jefferson as a gift today from my sister-in-law Linda. Thank you Linda, I loved it. I read the book today, I thought about it today, and I wrote these comments today.
   I have always thought of myself as a Free-Speech Absolutist. I still want to call myself that but here are my thoughts - inspired by Jefferson and Dershowitz.
   1) An anonymous man on a soapbox in the middle of a public park is the perfect symbol of what "free speech" seems to suggest. Why? Because, no matter what he says, people who choose to listen to him are under no obligation to believe him or to be swayed by him. They are as free to listen as he is to speak. In any event, he will most likely be thought a crackpot for speaking in public to a crowd that may or may not form.
   On the other hand, the speech of your military superior, your gang leader, or your boss at work is not JUST speech. The relationship between unequals in a formal hierarchy is not just speech. Coercion is a necessary part of this kind of speech, the result of discourse among unequals. If your CO or your boss tells you what to do, your refusal to obey may have serious consequences. For example, a neo-Nazi speaking in front of a crowd of onlookers who are totally free to listen or not is exercising his right to free-speech, even if he advocates mayhem. On the other hand, the same speaker speaking to his lieutenants and his subordinates and advocating mayhem is conspiring to commit crimes and ought (perhaps) to be accountable even before the commission of any crimes. In sum, speech between unrelated equals is always free and ought always to be protected; speech between members of a group with a pecking order may be coercive and ought not to be entitled to protection as free speech. (vs. Jefferson & Dershowitz)
   2) Not all speech consists of IDEAS. a) Some speech is opinion or taste, which of right ought always to be free. b) Some speech is factual, or not. PERHAPS the propagation of some kinds of untruths among a closed group ought to be actionable: should society allow the teaching of blatant falsehoods? Should the teaching of 2+2=5 be allowed to be taught in a religious school? Should the denial of the Holocaust be permitted under the law? I don't have an answer to this, but it is worth examination. Teaching falsehoods as the truth is not the same as propagating an idea or an opinion or a political preference. c) Some speech is directive: do this! Is the command of your leader merely a case of "self-expression"? I think not. d) And some speech, masquerading as IDEA, is just emotional vomit. Again, the fellow on the soapbox in a park ought to be free to tell lies and to urge insurrection; the leader of a gang or a religious group perhaps ought to be constrained not to tell utter falsehoods or urge insurrection to his ignorant followers. In other words, directive speech from a superior to a subordinate ought not to be protected, because it is not really speech at all.
   3) Religious speech ought always to be free (PERHAPS excepting outright falsehoods); but speech turned into action is no longer speech. The fact that much religious speech is ridiculous is no reason to deny it protection.
   4) Imams directing their obedient flock to kill the infidels are conspiring to incite to murder or treason. When your spiritual leader tells you what to do, you exercise your freedom to refuse to do it on pain of eternal damnation. This is the same as being told what to do by your CO or your boss, but more so. It is not free speech because the speaker's listeners are not free to ignore it; it ought not to be protected, as it is NOT JUST speech. When a speaker thinks his words are law, his speech is not just speech. Many Catholics are pro-choice, despite the Pope and their own priest. When listeners are truly free to disobey, speakers ought to be free to say what they will. (vs. Dershowitz & Jefferson)
   5) The free marketplace of ideas is just as free as the economic marketplace is free. Neither is free! There are areas in this country where all the news is filtered by one corporate owner with a significant political agenda to push. Or many big owners with similar agendas. Not to mention the fact that many Americans are so closed-minded that alternative ideas will not be listened to and cannot be heard. The speech of such monopolistic speakers must be seen not as free as in a market of multiple viewpoints. In other words, some kind of regulation is called for in this case. (vs. Jefferson)
   6) It seems to me that Islam has real cause to be angry with the West. Just as black and red men have real cause to be upset with white European Americans. We should sit down and air our grievances openly. Well, no, we should sit down and listen to them air their grievances with us; WE should just shut up and listen for a change. However, insulting Muhammad is within our most narrow definition of protected speech; the freedom to insult the Prophet is protected, and that freedom is not negotiable. Neither is a new Muslim Empire spread by force negotiable. But we would do well to listen. For a change.

5 comments about Hitler's Commander: Field Marshal Walther Model--Hitler's Favorite General.

1. While not recognized in the Pantheon of higher acclaimed German World War II generals (Rommel, von Manstein, et. al., , Newton attempt to shed some light on the enigmatic Walther Model. The problem is, as Newton himself suggests, there 'ain't' much to work with. Model's papers were destroyed near wars' end and much of the 'story' is second/third hand accounts from mostly rivals of the exaggerated-termed 'Hitler's Favorite General'. Granted, Newton give his best effort - his text on the Bulge and Ruhr pocket are grand. Sadly, tho', no one can possibly give us a true biography of this defensive minded FeldMarshal. If I may also note: this book is available thru Hamiliton Books discount service - I paid -oh- $7.99 perhaps. Best to all...Charles C. DiVincenti Jr.



2. Much needed and overdue biography. FM Model served on both the Eastern and Western fronts and commanded all kinds and sizes of German Army units. Professor Newton gives a fair, balanced and thorough description of the man and the commander. This book is for both those who specialize in the German Army and those who will like a good biography.



3. This is a very interesting and informative account of Walther Model as a military commander.
   
   There seems to be a paucity of material relating directly to Model (he destroyed his personal papers at the end of the war), and the author has done a very good job of piecing together this well-written narrative. There is not much in it about his personal life - a few lines about his upbringing, and the odd allusion to things like his drinking. He seems to have had only one period of leave, 3 months at the end of 1943. It does not gloss over his character, especially his treatment of his fellow officers and superiors, and suggests why they mostly disliked him, whilst the ordinary soldier may have felt somewhat differently. (When he left one of his commands he had been disliked so much that only one office escorted him away, and after Model had taken off in th eplane phoned to tell the others `Schweinfurt' - not a reference to the town, but `the pig has flow'!).
   
   The book is really about his military career, from before WW1 to his suicide in 1945. I found the author to be fair in his opinions - praise where due, criticism where not, though there was no hindsight judgements. It made clear why Model was supreme in defence. There is quite a bit of information about some of the lesser know battles on the Eastern Front, for instance the defence of the Orel salient during the Kursk battle. The scale of the fighting, and casualties, is made apparent. His relationship to Hitler is explored, and suggests reasons why he was one of Hitler's favourite Generals in spite of - or perhaps because of - Model standing up to him. The half-truths of some of the postwar Generals' accounts is also made apparent. All in all a very informative read. The one major criticism I had was the lack of maps, so it was often hard to follow the battles. There is no map of Poland in 1939 for instance, so it is impossible to follow any of the fighting there. I always feel that in works of military history where possible every place name should figure on a map, and this book falls badly short in that respect. There also seem to be a few unnecessary digressions, for instance a longer than needed account of the German atrocities in WW1 and the reasons for them. However all in all a very informative account, and the author does well in trying to flesh out the details of Model's military career.



4. This book offers 365 pages of reading material and a few photos sprinkled throughout. The only book available in english about Walther Model unfortunately. It offers a mere glimpse at one of the most extraordinary commanders in the annals of modern warfare.
   
   Professor Newton has created a book out of thin air and it shows. Not meaning to belittle his herculean efforts in putting this book together from a maze of other individual accounts and offical records, for unfortunately Walther Model took all his knowledge to his grave and made sure nothing survived upon which an author could build an accurate picture of the man and the soldier. For this reason the book lacks cohesion and the one predominant task at hand seems to be the discrediting of one Walther Model. Professor Newton's evaluations seem prejudiced and if anything I am now more confused as refers to Model, the man and the soldier than before reading the book. R. Hinze's fine book, East Front Drama 1944 describes in full detail the impossible task Model had to tackle to rebuild a new and cohesive front after operation Bagrattion tore army group center up in mid 1944. The loss of 50 german divisions (most a mere shadow of their former selves) would have spelled total disaster for any commander. Model arrived well after disaster struck finding himself in the midst of a situation which if not checked would have spelled the end of the war in east. His daunting achievement alone of rebuilding the front should suffice to secure his place in the annals of warfare as one of it's most capable tacticians, yet professor Newton merely skims over this and other of Model's incredible military deeds while dwelling on his failures, specially at Kursk.
   
   Professor Newton spends an inordinately high number of pages at the beginning of the book trying to link Model to war crimes (war crimes as a whole are treated throughout the work as usual, the germans were criminals the allies represented a wholesome mixture of goodness), at this point the writing swerves in a totally different direction for too long and when he finally returns and tries to focus back on Model he does so without conviction basing his evaluation solely on the opinions of men who despised Model for his national socialist stance. There are no interviews of rank and file soldiers who served under Model who idolized him for the most part.
   
   Like I once said, while an author has all the elements for judgment at his disposal and 20/20 hindsight, a soldier does not. Walther Model's field decisions must be judged out of the rationale that he was thrust into situations that were not of his own making, with very little knowledge about them and yet he was expected to find a viable solution for them. I dare say that 90% of the time he managed the impossible and snatched his armies from certain defeat. I fail to envision any allied commander endowed with Model's extraordinary abilities of organization and tactical leadership specially on the defensive, I must agree he was not a grand strategist like von Manstein, but who was? Had Walther Model lived and been interrogated by the allies I have no doubt his contributions would have set the standard for years to come, as is I think a deeper look at his individual campaigns should be made and the man judged accordingly by his achievements on this account, until this happens and he receives his just niche amongst the great commanders of all time, Walther Model will remain as enigmatic as the sphynx. A commander's uttermost obligation should always be to the rank and file, for it is the individual soldier who bears the brunt of his decisions for better or worse and in this respect no one can say Walther Model failed.



5. Exhaustive research gives us an intriguing account of one of Hitler's most trusted commanders
   
   Walther Model was the German commander thrown by Adolph Hitler into so many of World War II's worst crises that contemporaries nicknamed him the `Fuhrer's fireman.'
   
   The son of a music teacher, he sported a monocle and a field marshal's baton. He also stood up to Hitler in a way that hardly anyone else dared.
   
   Newton dispels rumors and myths that discount Model's intellectual prowess and tactical acumen. Model's motivation was patriotism, but more likely he `internalized almost an eighteenth-century model of the professional soldier...one who served primarily for the glory of the fight...(with) single-minded focus on his own military success.'
   
   Newton suggests that Model's suicide had less to do with honor than his inability to face his own future in defeat. Copious notes and bibliography show the extensive research the author did in both German and American archives and in German war diaries and memoirs. A treasure for history buffs!

2 comments about My Life as a Revolutionary: Reflections of a Former Guerrillera.

1. "My Life as a Colombian Revolutionary; Reflections of a Former Guerrillera," by Maria Eugenia Vasquez Perdomo is primarily a guerrilla narrative of Colombia's violent past. To this end, the author provides an intimate understanding of "how" young urban and rural Colombians flock to revolutionary movements. However, this book has two major shortcomings. First, the author fails to adequately explain "why" Colombians turn their back on establishment institutions to promote change. And secondly, Vasquez makes a very feeble attempt to demonstrate contrition for living the life of a terrorist for 18 years.
   
   On that note, it is no surprise that the Spanish-language version of this book was awarded the Colombian National Prize for Testimonial Literature in 1998. Colombian readers have a good understanding of the absence of political, economic, social and land reforms inside their country. American readers of this text should be warned to pay close attention to the strong 22-page historical "Introduction" by Arthur Schmidt. Otherwise, they will never completely figure out "why" Colombians join guerrilla organizations. The author fails to give a comprehensive understanding of significant historical events. For instance, Jorge Eliecer Gaitan, the Bogotazo, La Violencia, The National Front, the controversial 1970 elections and Camilo Torres take a back seat to her day to day anti-imperialism, anti-oligharchy, anti-sectarianism guerrilla activities. Had the author dedicated more time to weave Colombia's complex history to her narrative this would be a benchmark book.
   
   Still and all, this is an extremely valuable text. Vasquez is harassed, hunted and tortured by state institutions. She also renounces motherhood twice for her senior leadership position in the M-19 guerrilla organization. Consequently, her explanation of the turmoil on the Colombian urban campus and the era of war for the sake of peace is useful. Moreover, information on legendary M-19 leaders, Jaime Bateman, Gustavo Arias (a.k.a. Boris), Carlos Pizarro, Ivan Marino Ospina, Antonio Navarro, and Alvaro Fayad is priceless. It just would have made more sense for the author to have developed a better "connect" between the revolutionary consciousness and Colombia's long history of state-inspired violence.
   
   Bert Ruiz



2. My wife is originally from Ecuador and her best friend is from Colombia. So, through staying with her friend's wonderful family in Pasto, I have had the opportunity to explore and experience this vibrant country full of some of the most kind and generous people I have ever met. Tragically, Colombia's history, from far into the past until today, has been marred by devasting political violence and warfare.
   
   When Maria Vasquez was a young, idealistic student she joined a group of revolutionaries, known as the M-19s, hoping to transform Colombian society. Vasquez is an excellent writer who paints a vivid and compelling portrait of her youthful adventures and political activites. That is why I give this book a high rating.
   
   Unfortunately, Vasquez's actions included such atrocities as robbery, kidnapping and hostage taking at a foreign embassy. Obviously, her actions caused suffering to many innocent people. She and other M-19 guerillas also receiving military training in Castro's Cuba and Gadaffi's Libya. In contemporary terms she would likely be called a terrorist. Vasquez does take some responsibility for her actions in the final chapter. But most of the book is a highly romanticized account of her "glory days" as a guerilla, in which little remorse is expressed. In that respect I was disappointed.
   
   Still this book has an amazing story to tell and I do recommend reading it. But, sadly, instead of changing Colombia for the better Vasquez and her fellow M-19s only continued Colombia's brutal legacy of political violence and killing. This beautiful country and its people deserve better!

5 comments about Chasing Ghosts: Failures and Facades in Iraq: A Soldier's Perspective.

1. This was a great book and an easy read as it kept you engaged and intrigued. Enjoy!



2. As someone who has read a large amount of literature concerning the current state of international affairs, specifically in the "War on Terror" and as a hopeful future officer in the United States Army, I found Paul Rieckhoff's account of his time as a platoon leader in Iraq to be not only well-written, but helpful and insightful. From the accounts of under-equipped Guard units, to the sometimes seemingly trivial nature of the Rules Of Engagement, the book paints a quite vivid, and scarily what I imagine to be accurate, picture of the face of America's first gander at twenty-first century warfare.
   Though I found parts of the read to be erie in nature, and though the book provokes questions and doubts about our great nation's leadership and decision-makers, it in no way influenced me to give up joining the military. Rieckhoff has made it clear that the country's leadership is quite questionable, and in part of his writing acknowledges the fact that a new generation of veterans will soon be stepping into the political realm.
   
   Chasing Ghosts deserves to be read.



3. Personally I am not a big reader of books. However, with a brother in his 3rd tour in Iraq and growing up in a military family and having known Paul as a simple aquaintance in high school, I was excited to check out his book. Not many people from our high school make it into the public eye like Paul has. From the moment I picked up the book I was hooked. It is a powerful and inspiring account of a true and rare American patriot. A patriot who knows what his beliefs are and who is willing to put his life on the line to defend those beliefs. It stirred up a lot of emotions from laughter, tears, and in the end a belief that our soldiers are true heros. I would definately recommend this to anyone and do. Congratulations Paul and look forward to following your inspring career in the years ahead.



4. Paul Rieckhoff will not tell you he is a writer, but he accomplished in one go what thousands of writers for generations have attempted to do. His entire heart resides between the letters, the lines and pages of this book. The book is political, but Rieckoff smears Left and Right into an uncivilized and counter-productive bloody blur on the mud-stucco wall. His statement is clear; we were not prepared for the War in Iraq, and it is despicable that every last politician in the U.S. Government that voted for the war doesn't hold themselves publicly accountable. This work, this piece of history, this golden nugget for the historian 25-1000 years from now, belongs on the shelf with every other important historical perspective, from Anne Frank to Hirohito. And with his heart is where you'll find the value, the truth, of this source; between the lines. Isn't that where it always is?
   
   This American society seems to be obsessed and compelled with the phrase "On the Ground." President Bush, and both candidates have puked the phrase more than enough times in reference to their connection with the plight and circumstance of our sons and daughters placed in harms way. But they visit the Green Zone, or Baghdad International Airport. They haul through streets to meet with Generals for photo ops and high-tea, perhaps saving a little time to have a meal with the grunts. But the truth isn't near the water cooler conversation with a West Point Graduate selected to lead on the level of political capital the appointment will spawn. The truth is in the words of the soldiers in cities like Tal Afar, sleeping with their rifle, crapping while taking fire, sweeping a street for booby traps. Sorry Ali Baba, the booby has left, he's headed back to his plush home in D.C. ready to say that he has the word.
   
   But they are wrong. Rieckoff has the word, and the heart behind it to make the reader believe; like a good leader should. He was there, he saw it, and if you read this book, it's safest alternative to enlistment. That is why this book will be read by every War Historian for the next 100 years. If you don't buy it, then find it.



5. Paul Rieckhoff's new book CHASING GHOSTS is a must read for every citizen of the United States--and for those who cannot read, a family member of friend should read it to them. It is not simply Rieckhoff's stunningly honest telling of his experience as a soldier in Iraq, it is among the finest reports yet written on that highly unnecessary conflict for which we Americans are ultimately responsible. Get and read this book at your earliest opportunity! If you do, you will quickly find out what being patriotic actually means. In addition to the joy you will feel from the way this is written with such daring honesty, simplicity, passion, responsibility, uncomplicated intelligence, insight and vision--you will be stunned, shocked, amazed, thrilled, and you will weep, laugh and be frightened for this book contains real, raw truth. But the unexpected surprise will probably be your own renewed desire to be a much better human being and American. This might be the finest book yet written in our new century--by a young man who is genuinely human and humane and wishes to share his profound observations and thoughts with all of us. CHASING GHOSTS is as good as it gets.--Wayne Adams, NYC

5 comments about Miracle on 34th Street: [Facsimile Edition].

1. I bought this book because someone here reviewed it as "Better then the movie" Well it is exactly the same except for an extra line once every 20 pages or so.But is is a great book.



2. Wow! I love this book... and even now as 18 I still read this book to get me into that "Christmas spirit" I so desperately want to be in... I read this book every year it's one of my regulars on my holiday reading list.
   
   Valentine Davies weaves such an impressive story that it will make the most skeptical child believe and it will make us that no longer can- wish we could. This is simply the perfect holiday story- one a parent could read to a child before they go to sleep or a story that a moderate second grade reader could read on their own without any difficulty...
   
   I love reading this more than I do watching the classic version of the movie for Valentine Davies makes this book more magical than the movie could ever hope to be. All in all if you want to buy a book for the holidays- for someone on your shopping list this is definately one to buy! Or even own for yourself!



3. I read the book Miracle on 34th Street by, Valentine Daviesý. It was a fabulous Christmas fiction book. The main message or theme that I got from the book was anythingýs possible-you just have to believe.
   Doris Walker is in charge of running the Macyýs Day Parade, which takes place on Thanksgiving Day. When her Santa Clause slacks off last minute she finds Kris Kringle and hires him to do the job. Kris does an amazing job. The only bothersome thing is he really and truly believes that he is Kris Kringle-Santa Clause. Doris doesnýt believe him, and thinks he might be insane. Along with Doris not believing in Santa Clause, nor does her 6 year old daughter Susan. Kris however wants to change that, he wants to make them believe..he believes Christmas is all about believing. Doris and her boss think Mr. Kringle is insane so they send him to a mental institution. Mr. Kringle then worries-what is going to happen with Christmas? How could he disappoint millions of kids all over the world? He some how has to find a way to save Christmas!
   I loved the book. I read it around Christmas which seemed to make the book even better. It was a memorable book that I will remember constantly throughout the holiday season. It was so good I might read it every year between Thanksgiving and Christmas. It would be nice to have a tradition like that.
   This book didnýt really relate to my Christmas Holiday Season. As a child I always believed in Santa unlike Susan did. My parents encouraged the belief of Christmas and Santa Clause until my brother and I started questioning and figuring things out. Still till this day I believe Christmas was always better when I was young and believed. It made the Holiday Season seem so magical.
   Read Miracle on 34th Street to see if Susanýs Christmas was magical!



4. I read the book Miracle on 34th Street by, Valentine Davies'. It was a fabulous Christmas fiction book. The main message or theme that I got from the book was anything's possible-you just have to believe.
   Doris Walker is in charge of running the Macy's Day Parade, which takes place on Thanksgiving Day. When her Santa Clause slacks off last minute she finds Kris Kringle and hires him to do the job. Kris does an amazing job. The only bothersome thing is he really and truly believes that he is Kris Kringle-Santa Clause. Doris doesn't believe him, and thinks he might be insane. Along with Doris not believing in Santa Clause, nor does her 6 year old daughter Susan. Kris however wants to change that, he wants to make them believe..he believes Christmas is all about believing. Doris and her boss think Mr. Kringle is insane so they send him to a mental institution. Mr. Kringle then worries-what is going to happen with Christmas? How could he disappoint millions of kids all over the world? He some how has to find a way to save Christmas!
   I loved the book. I read it around Christmas which seemed to make the book even better. It was a memorable book that I will remember constantly throughout the holiday season. It was so good I might read it every year between Thanksgiving and Christmas. It would be nice to have a tradition like that.
   This book didn't really relate to my Christmas Holiday Season. As a child I always believed in Santa unlike Susan did. My parents encouraged the belief of Christmas and Santa Clause until my brother and I started questioning and figuring things out. Still till this day I believe Christmas was always better when I was young and believed. It made the Holiday Season seem so magical.
   Read Miracle on 34th Street to see if Susan's Christmas was magical!



5. Doris Walker works at Macy's. She's in charge of choosing people to be in the parade, but when her Santa Claus shows up drunk she fires him and hires Kris Kringle on the spot. Kris believes he's Santa Claus, and Doris not believing in anything ignores his insistent opinion.

   Of course, Doris has her 6 year old daughter Susan thinking there's no Santa Claus either, and Kris makes sure he changes the little girls mind. But trouble begins when he is admitted to Bellevue, a mental institution, and now with the help of his friend Fred, he must try to get out or Christmas will be ruined for everyone. Especially little Susan.

   This book is truly wonderful, and it shows that if you just believe anything is possible.