5 comments about American Warrior: A Combat Memoir Of Vietnam.

1. This is one of the best books I've read. Worked this area with the 1st Infantry Division. It was like being there again. Knew a lot of the stories from a friend that was in the ARP.



2. This riveting non-fiction book describes leadership, bravery, compassion, dedication, and determination to seek out and destroy the enemy that should be the model for any officer going into combat. Although the setting is the Vietnam War it could just as easily been WW2 or any other war. You will find that this book ranks with anything written about General MacArthur or General Patton. Much of it has applicability for anyone who aspires to be a leader/manager in any civilian occupation.



3. Agree that it is one of the very best books written about the Vietnam War. Numerous killings, almost without count, and cold, unemotional narration with no attempts to be anything but a factual report. General Bahnsen told it exactly the way it was, whether you like it or not.



4. THIS IS A GREAT BOOK THAT BROUGHT BACK MEMORIES. DOC TELLS IT LIKE IT WAS AND WAS ONE OF THE BEST COMMANDERS I HAD THE PRIVLIGE SERVING UNDER.



5. A sobering and provocative account of a difficult time in American History, where unparalled valor and dedication were the norm. American soldiers rose valiantly once again to our Nation's defense, but failed to receive the recognition and appreciation they deserved. The writer has captured that sacrifice and dedication in vivid detail reflecting that teamwork and courage are paramount in combat, whatever theater, whatever war, whatever cost. Well led, well trained and well equipped, the American soldier is "Army strong".

3 comments about Becton: Autobiography of a Soldier and Public Servant.

1. LTG (Ret.) Becton has served this country honorably for over 40 years. His autobiography is outstanding and demonstrates that hard work will win out over all obstacles. He is truly one of this Nation's great heros and I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in learning about his life.



2. Personal memoirs of famous or near famous people can be risky investments for a reader. General Becton's book has no such risk though, and it makes for enjoyable, informative reading without any of the jargon that often can make military matters tedious to the layperson. In fact, Gen. Becton frequently shows an obvious effort to explain technical points in terms that keep everything well inside the reader's comfort zone. Autobiography of Becton compares very favorably with those of a number of other senior professional officers whose names are quite familiar to the general public and which were issued over the last 15 years or so by some of the larger and more prominent national publishing houses.
   
   Julius Becton is far less known in America today than he deserves to be. Not only does he have a public service career spanning more than 60 years, but it is a career highlighted by taking up tough jobs that entailed a lot more criticism than material reward. These included FEMA, presidency of a historically Black college in the South at a time when those institutions were becoming increasingly strained by the end of segregation at larger state universities and, the hottest potato of all, taking charge of the pathetic District of Columbia school system to root out the graft and incompetence, while fighting off the incessant backbiting from the power centers that benefited by the old ways of doing things. And he did this while in his 70's, postponing a well-deserved retirement.
   
   My own interest in the book was mainly in General Becton's military career. Although he had quite a successful one, it was a career marked by competence and solid performance, rather than the glamour, slogans and catch phrases, goofy reorganization plans or personality stunts that accompanied so many general officers I saw during my service years in the 70s and which were such a burden on their subordinates, at no gain to the service. I was also gratified to see several of General Becton's observations on Army inspections, personnel policies and run-ins with overinflated egos along the career paths. Oddly enough, I had crossed paths with some of those people (at a far lower level on my part) or heard a great deal about them, and in every case agreed with his polite, but negative assessments.
   
   At this point I should note that I had one fleeting contact with the author more than 35 years ago, when he swore me and my graduating class into the Army. The word "charisma" is terribly overused and not necessarily informative, so I won't use it here. I will say that General Becton was a man of monumental dignity, seriousness and personal magnetism. This was most noted by the families who were present at the time, who didn't discuss anything else about the ceremony other than what a stunningly impressive, yet approachable, pleasant and civil individual this was (and this was at a time when a member of an ethnic minority as a military general officer was much less usual than in recent years).
   
   Although I doubt that General Becton's book will be used much this way because youth today don't read much, this would be a wonderful thing for any teenager to read, whether black, white or whatever, because it shows the path to an excellent system of values and life choices. General Becton writes with a good deal of introspection and is quite open about some of his statements and decisions that didn't work out for the best (indeed, he is often too hard on himself in that respect). On the other hand, his many accomplishments and the good he has done for his country come across from the simple facts and not by a lot of self-aggrandizement from this modest and monumentally decent man.



3. "Becton's" autobiography is the tale of a great man of humble beginnings. Born the son of a handy-man, he took advantage of the opportunities life presented and he still serves as the role-model of someone we should all aspire to be.
   
   Lt Gen Julius Becton enlisted in the Army just after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Beginning the war as a private, he ended it as a second lieutenant. The book follows his military career through the hot wars in Korea and Vietnam, and finished with the Cold War in West Germany. Having led at every organization level in the Army, he retired as a Lt General with 39 years of service.
   
   After serving our nation in the profession of arms, he came out of retirement to run another organization that greatly benefitted from his proven abilities at international diplomacy and crisis management. He ran the Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA), which coordinates United States assistance to other countries that have suffered man-made or natural disasters. After fixing OFDA he was asked to head the newly-formed Federal Emergency Management Agency. From there, he returned to his Alma Mater of Prairie View A&M University, this time as President, and saved it from going into receivership. He continued his pattern of restoring desperately needed leadership to (at the time) dysfunctional organizations one more time for the District of Columbia Public School system before finally retiring.
   
   Lt Gen Becton's career predated another famous Black American's military career by just a few years. Similar to General Colin Powell's "My American Journey", both books recount the experiences of two men who were very successful in the environment provided by the US armed forces. Gen. Powell's biography benefitted from a professional writer resulting in smoother flow through the book. The author could have also helped elicit more when it came to Lt Gen Becton's incredible accomplishments. In some cases, Lt Gen Becton's humility when relating his proudest moments whet our appetites, but left us wanting "The Rest of the Story".
   
   Lt Gen Julius Becton's life story is an incredible one. Becton's candid story-telling provided examples of what worked, balanced with his introspection as to what he could have done better. This critical self-assessment combined with Becton's 13 principles of the "First Team Philosophy" provides the reader with a very powerful lesson in applied leadership.

1 comments about George S. Patton: A Biography (Greenwood Biographies).

1. This book is a concise and thorough overview of one of America's most studied and discussed generals. Mr. Smith has seemingly brought Gen. Patton back to life with his vivid descriptions and page turning narrative. Kudos to Mr. Smith for his unbiased approach to his subject. This is a great book.

1 comments about Grant and Lee: Victorious American and Vanquished Virginian.

1. I'd like to congratulate Mr. Bonekemper for writing 'the book that had to be written.' Grant's reputation has only very slowly recovered from the trashing it took during the decades following the Civil War. Mr. Bonekemper presents us here with the kind of analysis and statistical material that points to a very different picture than we are used to having of these two Generals. Expanding on what he has already mentioned in his other books on these two Generals, 'How Robert E. Lee Lost the Civil War' and 'A Victor Not a Butcher', Bonekemper presents us with a compelling and very readable comparison account of the two generals. The scholarship is bright and worth noting, the writing is excellent. I haven't been this pleased since my reading of Bruce Catton.

5 comments about In Pharaoh's Army.

1. Once I started reading this book, it was so totally engrossing, I finished it in 2 days. It's a rather self-deprecating telling of his experiences as a US Army Special Forces advisor to the South Vietnamese in 1968-69 during the Tet Offensive. It is not a "war story" of violent or graphic combat, but of many engaging & intelligent observations, of himself, of the army, and of the events shaping his world at the time. At the end of the book I was left wishing for more.



2. Viet Nam is well-represented in war memoirs these days. Tobias Wolff, whose first memoir, This Boy's Life, made him famous, perhaps mostly because of the successful film version of the book, starring DeNiro and DiCaprio. His second memoir, In Pharaoh's Army, is not so well known. Wolff is brutally honest and self-effacing as he chronicles his rootless young adult life; his drift through basic, jump school, special forces training, OCS, artillery and language school, always near the bottom of every class. When he finally lands in Nam he is assigned to a remote jungle outpost as advisor to an ARVN artillery unit. Somehow he survives the Tet offensive, terrified to his very toes. He tells of an R&R trip to Saigon where a trio of drunken redneck GI's casually pound the poop out of him in a bar. Another tale concerns a small dog he rescues from his Vietnamese comrades. The dog's name, he learns, is Canh Cho. Wolff keeps the small fearful animal as a pet for months. At a farewell feast before his departure, he compliments his hosts on the delicious fare and asks what he's eating. "Canh Cho," he is told, which translates, of course, "dog stew." Horrified, but philosophical, Wolff concludes, "There was only one way left to do him justice. I bent to my plate and polished him off." There is no sign of braggadocio or false heroics in this story. Wolff is just a man who survived the nightmare of the Vietnam venture and told his story as honestly and as well as he knew how. Which is VERY well. - Tim Bazzett, author of Soldier Boy.[...]



3. War stories are really my brother's forte, but I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It's a memoir of Vietnam, and because I read it for a Creative Non-Fiction class, I'm left wondering whether a few things actually happened. Is truth crazier than fiction?
   
   I also really loved the interjections of writerly advice within the narrative, and wish Wolff would have given us more. A young man overseas, always with a novel in the back of his head. In many ways, I related. In many ways, I found truth within his words, and I think I may have found my "in" to the novel I started writing.
   
   The format of the book was especially endearing. Each chapter really was its own short story. There is no true linear progression, and yet there is one. We start off in Vietnam, after he and his buddy has just stolen a color TV upon which they're planning to watch the Thanksgiving special of Bonzana. Then we're back in the States, following the author around as he tries to figure out what the hell he's doing with his life. Then back to the war. We are told even before meeting them that some of his buddies are going to die, and yet we watch their relationships unfold ignorant of that fact.
   
   He's funny without trying too hard to be funny, an unique trait among writers nowadays. His humor comes from the mouth of someone real, not merely a vessel for funny sayings. It read, perhaps, like the memoir of someone I might know. A full-timer, down in the dish room, who doesn't talk about it, but it's always there, like the dreams that were so viciously taken away from them and the dreams that they gave up on.



4. There is something about Wolff that puts me off. I couldn't empathize with him in reading This Boys Life. I could understand how critics would think well of it--it does READ well. But as a person, I didn't like him. He carries this unlikablity (not as bad as Dubya, mind you) into In Pharoah's Army. I didn't like how he managed to become an officer in the Army. Somehow his book comes off as less authentic than other books about Vietnam. Compare it to Tim O'Brien or Philip Caputo (or even my own, Waiting for Westmoreland) and he comes out too detached and sometimes not entirely believable. I am not saying he ripped off Graham Greene, but he also shares a fair bit of style and tone with The Quiet American. Still, it may be worth reading if only to contrast it with the others out there.



5. Tobias Wolff knows how to write.
   In his second memoir, In Pharaoh's Army, Wolff masterfully recounts his experience in the Viet Nam war and does so in a way that completely entrances the reader. I started this book on a plane ride from Chicago to Los Angeles, which is a good three and half hours, and not once on that flight did I put the book down. Wolff is a true master when in comes to the conveying of experience. He brings people that remain only memories to life, and provides wit and insight from an older, matured voice. This is Wolff's true talent, the simultaneous storytelling and ironic analysis that he is so acclaimed for.
   
   Wolff's characters are some of the best in literature. Even minor ones come to life; Wolff describes a Vietnamese Sergeant as "[having] a thin scholarly face and a grave manner. When he spoke to me he lowered his head and looked up from under his eyebrows" (81). To add to his incredible storytelling and description, Wolff's funny asides bring even more life to the book. Looking back on a mission where he brought medical aid to rural villages, Wolff describes it as "being a missionary; even a god. A couple of us big white guys would drop out of the sky and spend the day surrounded by astonished rustics..." (100). Honestly, what is there not to love about writing like that?
   
   Not only does In Pharaoh's Army serve as a recollection of Wolff's experience in Viet Nam but also is a continuation of his previous memoir, This Boy's Life. He bridges the gap between his expulsion from Hill Academy and joining the Army, while also going much more in depth into his relationship with his father. So, basically, if you are looking for even more closure than provided by This Boy's Life, this is the book for you.

2 comments about The Magnificent Mitscher (Bluejacket Books Paperback).

1. My review would be slightly biased. Adm. Mitscher was the uncle of my Grandmother. The Book, "The Magnificent Mitscher" is spellbinding, and extremely well written. I enjoy reading it completely... to the point that I am going to have to buy another copy as mine is going to wear out soon. My copy is copyrighted in 1954, by Theodore Taylor. It cost my Grandfather $4.50 to get, and was given to my father as a gift.

   A fantastic book for anyone interested in WWII and the Pacific Task force 58/38.




2. While wary of Naval biographies, I plucked this biography of Mitcher off the Wardroom library shelf for the sheer appeal of the weathered old admiral on the cover; and in so doing proved once again that although we shouldn't judge a book by its cover, a cover sometimes leads one to a very good book indeed. Taylor is commendable not only for his portrayal of Mitcher as an integral player in Naval aviation, but as an individual in his own right. I was captivated not only by tales of his prowess in the tight spots of Naval aviation in the major conflicts of his era, but by the portrayal of his private misgivings and apprehensions. This, coupled with the inclusion of other key players of the times -- Nimitz, Halsey, McCain, and others -- made for an excellent primer on the beginnings of Naval aviation. I highly recommend this work to anyone looking for a few evenings of good reading or an introduction to the intracacies and excitement of Naval aviation.

1 comments about Weevils in the Wheat: Interviews With Virginia Ex-Slaves.

1. One of the great advantages of the Virginia slave interviews was that over 90% of the interviewers were African Americans. As the ex-enslaved persons themselves noted, they would and could be much more honest, even 70 years after Emancipation, with their fellow African Americans then they ever could be with White interviewers. This text contains hundreds of such interviews that provide graphic details of life during and after slavery.
   
   Reviewer: Bob Kellemen, Ph.D., is the author of "Beyond the Suffering: Embracing the Legacy of African American Soul Care and Spiritual Direction." He has also authored "Soul Physicians," "Spiritual Friends," and the forthcoming "Sacred Friendships: Listening to the Voices of Women Soul Care-Givers and Spiritual Directors."

5 comments about John McCain: An American Odyssey.

1. McCain is a bon vivant. He likes the booze. He loves to conquer women. He does not work. He is the grand-son and the son of the U.S. Navy amirals. In short, Robert Timberg gives us a portrait of a spoiled child, very proud of himself, very egocentric.
   
   Just the Vietnam War. At the 3rd exit, he was sent down when he bombed a radar station in Hanoi, in the city. Of the civilian casualties, he doens not care. He manages to propel his zing and falls into a swamp where he almost drowned himself. Vietnamese people rush and save his life! Lead at the edge of the marsh, he is beaten and only the intervention of a man saved the life of someone who few minutes ago could have died by the bombing of this soldier. No thanks ever came from him.
   
   Then the man showed some courage, refusing to be freed despite multiple fractures, very badly treated, which he suffered during his crash. He is tortured. He is resistant to a certain extent. 5 years and a half. That is a lot to endure.
   
   Then, back home, he finds that his wife following a car accident, is disabled. He plate some time later a young blonde woman, from whom, as the biographer swears, McCain was attracted only for her beauty and not for her money (rich heiress).
   
   Stroke of luck, after his military career (22 years) he started in politics in Arizona, which he did not know and won only thanks to his charms (and probably also through the wealth and interpersonal bonds of his step-family). As a true believer in the republican way of life, he is also an admirer of Reagan.
   
   His vision of the world is as rich as that of Mickey. His positions on Serbia and Kosovo have the same simplicity of the ones that Kouchner, the French Foreign Affairs minister, who is by all standards a winner in Europe in the competition of fatal errors. In Iraq, he is an advocate of the stronger commitment of the United States because he believes in the victory ...
   
   Such ordinary guy is really uncommon. This biography is boneless. Politics is all show-off. Nothing disturbs the liberal doctrine, suicidal, anti-social, depleted, McCain. Are we near the end of the show ?



2. Written at a time when John McCain was preparing for a presidential run in 2000, this book can hardly considered up to date. Nevertheless, it paints a useful picture of the man who figures to be the Republican standard bearer in 2008. If a better biography (leaving aside McCain's memoir) is available, I am not aware of it.
   
   "An American Odyssey" is by journalist Robert Timberg (Baltimore Sun), also a graduate of the Naval Academy but in a more recent year. The portrayal of McCain is sympathetic - military tradition of his family, distinguished service record, heroism as a prisoner of war, passion for doing what he thinks right. No wonder that so many people who crossed paths with McCain remember him with affection and respect.
   
   This is not a puff piece, however, and many incidents are related that show McCain in a less than a flattering light - disrespectful of authority, impulsive, lacking a clear sense of direction. I found this aspect of the book invaluable, as it provides a basis for evaluating the character flaws (terrible temper, broken by North Vietnamese captors, etc.) that critics have attributed to McCain.
   
   Timberg's conclusion: here is a man with flaws, no "early bloomer" for sure, but when the chips were down he did far better than most of us would have done. Crucially, McCain emerged from the dark days of the Vietnam War with a determination to look ahead rather than wasting the rest of his life in anger and regret.
   
   My recommendation: read the book and decide whether you agree.



3. This is a book which i have had on my bookshelf for 5 years, and have not read until this past month. Mccain is the man i will vote for president, so it was about time i read. It is not a great literary read however i have learned much about this man and my respect for him has grown. Of course since this book was written in advance of his 2000 campaign I would reccomend one of his more updated books.



4. An especially revealing passage indicates that McCain does not practice what he preaches, hardly a surprise. While he supposedly now supports abstinence education and favors the repeal of Roe v. Wade, previously he supported legalized abortion and clearly does not practice abstinence, by his own admission in this book (his last nite in Rio). Wake up and don't fall for this power-hungry septagenarian. America can do better.



5. John McCain may be a character that is currently considered either in love or hate, but either of those opinions could be well challenged by the facts presented in this well-written account of the Senator's life. From his boyhood in the shadow of his father and grandfather (both US admirals themselves) to his escapades at the Academy and then into his heroic tenure in Vietnam, this book does a superb job of detailing the life and ideologies of this provacative man that one ay never understand by simply watching CNN or CNBC. Even his rise into politics is detailed in an unbiased manner and I firmly believe that this book should be essential reading for anyone with an interest in American politics or recent political and military history.

5 comments about Reaching Past the Wire: A Nurse at Abu Ghraib.

1. Excellent reading for all. This book was well put together and truly helped me understand what a nurse working on the front line during times of war is exposed to both mentally and physically. Page after page the author, Deanna, shows us what the true definition of what a nurse really is and what all nurses should strive to achieve. If you want to read a book that's impossible to put down till it's finished If your a nurse looking for inspiration. Even if you're not a nurse. Most of all, if you are looking for that, "written from the heart kinda book", this books for you.
   By far the best book I've ever read. 5 stars plus more!!!
   Well done Deanna, well done...



2. This book was so good, I could not put it down. It shows humanity in the face of war.



3. Lt. Col. (Ret.) Germain said about this book that she hoped "to put a human face on war, showing that it affects us all, no matter what side we are on." She also helps families of returning soldiers to understand some of their loved ones' re-entry issues. The story of Germain's Abu Ghraib experience is important reading, and Lounsbury has done a masterful job of professionally writing the narrative.



4. Lt. Col. Germain in her memoirs spoke of great values that are easily lost in the battle field. She cared for her Iraqi patients and treated them with respect and dignity. She lived by a strict code of conduct when humiliation and torture of prisoners was taking place so close by. She made us all proud Americans by demonstrating our true values to those who disagree with us and certainly won their hearts and minds.



5. Great reading. You really have to admire her. News coverage what a bunch of BS.

1 comments about The Last of Combat B-17 Drivers.

1. I ran across a copy of this book and thumbed through it. I picked up the story during the account of the author's time behind enemy lines and simply coundn't put it down for hours. What a great account of a truly gripping story. One thing that sets this book apart from other war momoirs is the collection of images. Amazngly, it includes period photographs of some of the people that aided his evasion, the places he stayed, the wreck of his airplane and other interesting artifacts such as the false identification papers made for him by the Underground and a ID bracelet that he gifted to one of the members of the Underground. These images really helped bring the story to life. Upon examining the photograph of the letter sent by the war department to Weekly's wife, notifying her of his status as missing in action and referring to him in the past tense, I must confess I got pretty choked up. One can only imagine the crushing impact such letters carried, as well as the later joy and relief with the good news of his safety. This book is a historical treasure. Highly recommended. Thank you, Col. Weekly, for writing your story and for your service to country.