3 comments about Muhammad: Islam's First Great General (Campaigns and Commanders).

1. Although the authors many military history books and his international recognition have been familiar to this reader, the new information provided in this book, earned my appreciation.
   A new presentation of the Prophet as a military leader put the conflicts which are being played out in our days appear in a clear historical light providing precedents.
   The book is a very important contribution to understanding Islam since it is the only book from the military history of this leader



2. Muhammad: Islam's First Great General is not a typical biography Muhammad, prophet and founder of the religion of Islam. Military historian and retired U.S. Army officer Richard A. Gabriel presents a close examination of Muhammad as a military genius, who introduced innovations that would transform armies and warfare throughout the Arab world. With a keen eye upon the connections between social, economic, and cultural environment in which Muhammad lived and the religion he founded to Muhammad's military achievements, Muhammad: Islam's First Great General is an exceptional chronicle of how a brand-new religious movement survived its tumultuous birth through eight major battles, eighteen raids, and thirty-eight other military operations in its first ten years alone. Also covered is Muhammad's masterful application of nonmilitary methods including bribery, alliance building, and political assassination, to fortify his long-term position and goals, even at the expense of short-term military objectives. Muhammad: Islam's First Great General reveals how Muhammad's talents and inspirations enabled his successors to defeat the armies of Persia and Byzantium, and establish the foundations of the Islamic empire, and is a singularly fascinating study of historical warfare and leadership. Highly recommended.



3. This is a scholarly attempt to look at the life of Muhammad, the founder of the religion of Islam, in a whole new light. The author intends to examine his military accomplishments, and freely admits his lack of qualifications with regards to the religious aspects of the Prophet's life. Those military accomplishments were considerable, and the ensuing discussion of the Prophet's life, through his military exploits, is interesting.
   
   The author begins with an overview of Arab warfare prior to Muhammad's epiphany. He spends several chapters outlining Arab politics at the time, and is especially careful to discuss military organization, tactics, and strategy, as much as he can. One difficulty is that during this era, warfare tended to be of the follow-the-leader variety, with little in the way of formal military organization, no standardization of weapons or equipment, no uniforms, no real organized units with a formal chain of command, pay structures, ranks, and that sort of thing. All of that, more or less, existed during the Roman or other ancient periods, but wouldn't re-emerge until towards the end of the Middle Ages. Instead, Arab warfare was essentially tribal, low-intensity warfare, rather like what the American Indians or African tribesmen practiced in later eras. Wars went on constantly between neighboring tribes, but could go on for years with ritualized battles and campaigns in which few, if any, warriors were killed. Instead, the tribes relied on these "wars" to provide opportunities for warriors to exhibit their bravery, and as an aside, they raided their neighbors, stealing livestock and women.
   
   Muhammad, rather like Shaka Zulu, changed the way warfare was conducted. In Shaka's case we're not sure why what happened occurred: some outside sources attribute his actions to influence from a white man, while African sources insist that his ideas were homegrown. Regardless, Muhammad's transformation is easier to trace, and Gabriel makes a point of it: he didn't come up with something new. Instead, he transformed one form of warfare into another, with devastating results.
   
   At this time, Arabs only engaged in war to the death when there was something called a blood feud occurring. Such events could last for years, even generations, but they tended to be rather vicious. Essentially, in Arab society, there was no objective right or wrong. Instead, everything was based on the tribe you belonged to. You didn't steal from those in your tribe (but you could steal from others). You didn't kill members of your tribe (but others were fair game, provided you were brave enough to defy their tribe). When someone from your tribe was killed, your highest duty in life was revenge the death by killing the killers, which in turn could of course lead to that tribe wanting revenge against you. The only way out of this was to pay money to the relatives of the dead.
   
   Muhammad transformed Arab tribal warfare by making all wars between Islam and non-Muslims blood feuds. This meant that while he was alive, anyway, warfare between him and non-believers only stopped temporarily. He believed that fighting must continue until either the other side surrendered, or they paid that blood money for the insult done to Islam (by not joining it). This sort of warfare, where things were brutal and you showed no mercy to the enemy, was completely confusing to the Arab pagan societies around the original Muslims, and it conquered them in short order during about a decade.
   
   This book is interesting, and it spends a lot of time discussing tactics, organization, and equipment used by the Muslims and their opponents during the era. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone not interested in military affairs: it's pretty dry and workmanlike as far as the writing goes. The author's a professional soldier who now teaches at Canada's military academy, and it shows in his writing. Nevertheless, if you're very interested in Muhammad or in military history, this is a good book.

5 comments about For God and Glory: Lord Nelson and His Way of War.

1. I'm in the US Navy and certainly wasn't looking at books on Brits when searching for a book on early maneuver warfare. But in a bibliography on maneuver I came across Hayward's book, which was both highly recommended and had an entire chapter on Nelson and maneuver warfare. It was exactly what I wanted: evidence that the ideas imbedded within our current doctrine go way back. I ended up actually reading the entire book and to my surprise found out that John Paul Jones wasn't the father of modern naval warfare; Nelson was. The book is full of insight into the nature of war at sea. I think it would benefit sailors in every navy. Rob Wheble.
   
   Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, TX 78409



2. Although there are many fine biographies of Nelson, I recommend this lesser-known work, for it provides a number of key points about Nelson as a human being and as a military leader.
   
   1. Nelson was a logistical genius. It's nice to be brilliant on the battlefield, but if your men are exhausted, poorly fed and sick, and your equipment falling apart, you will probably lose despite your brilliance. As hundreds of written commands show, Nelson worked tirelessly to supply his men with fresh food whenever possible and gather the materials needed to keep the ships in fighting trim. He was at sea for months before Trafalgar, in weather that wore down his wooden ships and exposed sailors, while the French and Spanish were in port. By all rights they should have been rested and full of spirit, but it was they who were ill and the British who were fit. This stems largely from Nelson's obsessive concern for the logistical train needed to support his massive 27-ship fleet.
   
   2. Nelson truly cared about the men under his command. While he understood the need for discipline, he was neither bullying nor cruel toward his men, who were often "pressed," i.e. virtually enslaved by press-gangs which prowled the waterfronts and ports of England to fill the fleet's gundecks. Nelson focused enormous attention on finding fresh meat and other foodstuffs for his sailors, even spending his own money at times to do so.
   
   3. Nelson's confidence inspired those under his command. By all accounts, the English sailors went into battle confident of victory, simply because Nelson was their leader.
   
   4. Genius is not transferable to other fields of endeavor. One might guess that Nelson would have brought some military genius to land warfare as well, but in fact his personality and naval skills did not transfer at all to land. He was an abysmally inept leader on land, impulsive when planning was key, impatient when patience was key, and reckless when victory was impossible. Indeed, both his injuries (loss of vision in one eye and loss of an arm) occurred in land battles in which he'd been tasked to overcome forts. He failed in both battles.
   
   5. Nelson empowered his captains to pursue an overall battle plan with their own initiative. Nelson was very careful to explain his overall plan for the battle--the so-called "Nelson touch"--but he left the details and implementation up to each captain. Thus as the battle unfolded, the English always had the advantage of individual initiative, while the competing fleets tended to rely on direct orders issued through signal flags-- flags which were often obscured by the smoke from black powder gunfire or the interference of other ships.
   
   6. Nelson rose through the ranks in a window of British naval history when command was based on merit rather than birthright. While the higher reaches of naval command continued to be filled by those born into nobility, the war with Napoleon forced the British to look outside the narrow confines of the noble classes for actual talent in battle. After all, what good is a peerage if your estate is occupied by the French?
   
   7. Like many "great people," Nelson was a jumble of contradictory internal forces. The son of a vicar, Nelson remained deeply devout throughout his life, despite the violence of his chosen trade and his blatantly adulterous affair with Lady Hamilton. Though he held no special rancor for the various other enemies he was ordered to battle in his career (Americans, Danes, etc.), he did hate the French with what can only be called unbridled passion. He thought they were threatening civilization as he understood it and Napoleon had to be crushed. Though there were periods of "peaceful co-existence" in the Napoleonic Wars, Nelson believed the only solution was to completely defeat the French. Though blessed with compassion for the men under his command, he was vainglorious to a fault, often emblazoning himself with a chestful of gaudy medals.
   
   8. "The Nelson Touch" consisted of thinking outside the norms of 18th century sea warfare. Nelson generally gained the advantage by doing the unexpected or taking what others would see as unacceptable risk. For instance, in the Battle of the Nile, which drove Napoleon from North Africa, he engaged in a night battle, a very chancy affair considering the presence of nearby shoals and the impossibility of communicating with his captains.
   
   So consider celebrating Trafalgar's 200th anniversary by reading more about a fascinating personality and genius-- even if his genius was war at sea.



3. This book on Nelson takes a different tack than most biographies. It has a non-traditional approach and it does not cast Nelson as a divine being. Instead Hayward uses a thematic essay approach to get at who Nelson was and to make him relevant to our age. As a result, I found Hayward's methodology to be highly original and interesting.
   
   Using themes, Nelson's command and leadership technique is examined from six different perspectives. To derive an understanding of a man as complex and compelling as Nelson can not be done simply by producing a historical recanting of his exploits and accomplishments. Besides that has been done numerous times over.
   
   Hayward does an excellent job of resolving the apparent hypocrisies in Nelson's life (his religiosity and adulterous affair with Lady Hamilton) as well as shed some light on his creative genius in war and his ability to inspire a Nation. The author's approach to Nelson's warfighting from a viewpoint of maneuver warfare, land war, and coalition warfare is unique and makes this book relevant to a modern warrior.



4. This is the most interesting of the recent Nelson books mainly because its author asks significant new questions and digs deeper into areas of Nelson's military experience than we are used to. The result is highly pleasing.



5. Joel Hayward's "For God and Glory: Lord Nelson and His Way of War" is a different type of biography. Hayward discards the standard chronological account in favor of an examination of key themes in Nelson's approach to war. These themes include Nelson's conception of his enemies, his spiritual beliefs, his leadership style, his warfighting styles on sea and land, and his experience of coalition warfare. Hayward leverages his background in military strategy and history to explore Nelson's experiences with respect to these themes and how they contributed to the growth and application of his leadership skills. The author uses many examples from Nelson's very long life in uniform, in and out of combat, to illustrate his points. The result nicely highlights Nelson's gifts as a leader and how they directly related to his success in combat.
   
   This approach has much to recommend itself for a professional military audience and for the student of the military art. The book as written would lend itself nicely to use by leadership seminars in or out of the military. Nelson's stress on developing and trusting subordinates and issuing mission-type orders, while setting a superb personal example, are leadership traits applicable in a variety of circumstances.
   
   Those looking for a more typical biography, or who are unfamiliar with Nelson's career, may find the thematic approach difficult to follow. This approach causes some repetition in the discussion of incidents in Nelson's military life; the narrative is purposely thin on details of Nelson's life away from the British Navy.
   
   This is an excellent though not perfect work. Hayward is an unabashed fan of Lord Nelson and makes repeated assertions of his greatness as part of emphasizing his points; the discussion might have benefited from a little less of this. Hayward goes to some lengths to rationalize Nelson's abandonment of his wife in favor of his mistress, Emma Hamilton, a discussion that may not be necessary to the examination of Nelson's military skills. Hayward appears to misread Clausewitzian military theory to argue that Nelson's practice of manuever warfare made him practically unique to his time. In fact, Clausewitz advocated the defeat of an enemy's main army, not frontal assaults on it as Hayward implies. The point is well-taken that Nelson was an advanced and daring military thinker. The hardcover edition suffers from some annoying editing challenges: the proper titles of named individuals such as the Duke of Wellington are repeatedly rendered in lower case.
   
   This book is highly recommended to the professional military officer and students of the military art and of leadership in general.

5 comments about Blood Brothers: Among the Soldiers of Ward 57.

1. Have some kleenex handy. A very well written book. My husband loved it, too.



2. Mr. Weisskopf writes a truely remarkable account of what it is like to go from the battle field through the medical, recovery process. As a surgical technician & Vietnam vet I found his story to be inspiring and very moving. The medical aspects were right on the money!!
   Thank you, Mr. Weisskopf, for a wonderfully touching story. I hope you have been able to put to rest the "Why & What If" questions. As far as I'm concerned the motivation doesn't matter. You're a HERO!!!



3. As an amputee for the past 4 years or so, I know a few things about the story told by this book. But I was unprepared to be as moved as I was. Michael not only tells the story of how, but he digs deeper into the demons that made him and Pete so much more real.
   
   I don't have war experience, I just had a simple accident. The demons these men fight to get to a place where they can accept the things that happened make this a very powerful story. I highly recommend it to anyone. And I've recommended it to several close friends in hopes they might better understand what it's like to loose part of yourself.



4. Michael Weisskopf is a well known journalist for TIME magazine. During a trip to Iraq as an embedded journalist with an Army unit, the HMMWV he was riding in had a grenade thrown into it. Weisskopf apparently went to pick the grenade up before it detonated, but was too late, losing his right hand in the explosion.
   
   Weisskopf uses this tragedy to document his and a several soldiers with amputations in their roads to recovery at Walter Reed Army Medical Center's Ward 57, the amputee ward. Weisskopf does a good job of capturing the many aspects of recovery that he and the soldiers go through.
   
   This short book captures very well the processes of recovering from combat wounds, dealing with the traumas both to yourself and those around you, including fellow soldiers who did not survive their accidents.
   
   I highly recommend this book.



5. What Michael Weisskopf has done with this story is truly amazing. It was a very emotional book for me, but it is a book that every American should read.I plan on passing this book around. It is a book that you cannot put down.You just want to cheer these guys on, cry with them, and you feel their frustrations. I would love to meet Michael and the men that he writes about to thank them personally for their sacrifices.
   I am a Troop Greeter from Maine where most of the flights that are going over and comming home stop for re-fueling.We are soon to have welcomed 500,000 troops. I often wonder how many that I have met that will not be returning home or have been injured. I say a prayer for them after every flight and pray that they will be comming back through our halls.
   I can't thank Michael Weisskopf enough for writing this book. It is truly an excellent book.
   cakelady2@adelphia.net

5 comments about Mossad Exodus; The Daring Undercover Rescue of the Lost Jewish Tribe.

1. This was a fun and light read. The chapters are short, making for frequent stopping places. Although the basic story line of the rescue of the Ethiopian Jews from Sudan is threaded through the book, much of the content consists of anecdotes from this period of the author's life. These were often fun stories that made me laugh out loud at times.
   
   There are also a few poignant moments related to the core narrative. It is clear that the author is fond of the people he helped rescue from Sudan and proud of the mission in which he participated.
   
   I was a bit concerned that the book would be unblushingly pro-Israeli given it's Israeli publisher, author, and subject matter. However, Mr. Shimron is very even-handed, often taking Israeli politicians, society, and the government (and other organizations) to task for shortcomings.
   
   Mr. Shimron also does an admirable job of placing the story at hand in its larger international political context. Likewise, he finishes the book with a general survey of the situation of Ethiopian Jews in Israel from then to now.
   
   A couple of weak spots:
   Near the end of the narrative, Mr. Shimron is removed from the team. At this point in his narrative, he is forced to rely upon media accounts. Although this information is pieced together well (and I was glad to have it), it was prevalent enough that it marred the first-hand account that so wonderfully marked the rest of the book.
   
   Although I am familiar with the geography of the events in this book generally, a basic map relating the places common throughout the story would have been great. Israel, Ethiopia, and Sudan are close enough that a page size map should have easily allowed the publisher to mark the relevant locations (Arous, Gedaref and the Airfield, Port Sudan, Khartoum, etc.)
   
   The language was also a bit odd at times. This isn't a beautifully written narrative. I suspect it suffers a bit in translation. Occasionally the choice of phrases is somewhat banal.
   
   This is not a great history book. Mr. Shimron admits as much in the foreword. If you decide to read this book, sit down as if you were drinking a few beers with the author and he is going to relate that time to you one story after another. Occasionally you'll get a bit off track. Sometimes he'll have to stop to explain things. His choice of words isn't going to be well crafted to ring a certain way...after all, after a few stories, he's already going to have a buzz going. Instead, he's just remembering it out loud and you get to join him.
   
   All in all, this was a great read that was worth the few hours. It reminded me of another fun read (that was much less serious) titled Scotch and Holy Water about a man living in Turkey in the 60's and 70's. If you enjoyed the feel of this book, you should try to track down Scotch and Holy Water. If you read Scotch and Holy Water and enjoyed it, you'll likely enjoy Mossad Exodus as well.
   
   Thank you to Mr. Shimron for an fun first-hand account.



2. Great good fun: heartwarming, occasionally terrifying, often hilarious. This true story of how a few intrepid Mossad agents began the rescue of Ethiopian Jewry from the refugee camps of Sudan, proves truth is stranger than fiction. The story: a small band of motivated smart-allecks buy a defunct dive resort as a cover and then, accidentally, make a success of it, bringing all kinds of characters into their midst, while drawing the ire of those in Mossad headquarters who become convinced they're just goofing off and having a big party. Meanwhile, first by the dozens and then by the hundreds, Ethiopian Jews are being rescued, smuggled out first by sea and then by air from remote landing strips, until soon they are being flown out full scale by the thousands. A great adventure, and best of all, a true one!



3. Don't miss this exciting journey with Gad Shimron. The adventurous, true story about the Ethiopian lost Jewish tribe, and the daring act of rescue is brought to us by one of the rescue-team members in a fluent and fascinating style.



4. I have been looking for books and information about the subject rescue of the Etiophian Jews for some time. Finally after browsing at amazon I found the book Mossad Exodus written by a former Mossad agent. I believed now I will get much exact information about the rescue operation, written from one inside.
   
   But no, to be honest I were very dissapointed. This book gives little or no information about the rescue operation unfortunately. The details is totally missing. How they traced the Etiophian Jews in the camps and how did they gather them is only mentioned very, very shortly. How many they were in total and how had they entered Sudan is not mentioned. How did they seperate an Etiopean from a Jewish Etiophian is not mentioned.
   
   Are you interested in the subject of the culture, nature and diving possibilities in Sudan, this is a book for you. One chapter in the book is about the execellent diving condition in Sudan and another chapter is about wind surfing. I can promise this Mossad agent is keeping most of the secrets about the rescue operation in Sudan close to himself.
   
   The book is also suffering of the fact that it is written nearly 20 years after the operation ended. My recommedation unfortunately, find another book



5. This is a must read for anyone who believes in the ideals of righteousness! Gad Shimron's MOSSAD EXODUS provides marvelous firsthand insight into the classified Israeli operation that freed Ethiopian Jews from persecution, starvation, and unspeakable brutality.
   
   What makes this so historically remarkable and relevant, is that the Israeli government without any economic or political gain embarked on a strictly humanitarian rescue mission; risking the lives of Mossad spy agents deep within an enemy country to save the lives of a little known tribe of lost lost African Jews.
   
   Gad Shimron also shares with the reader the little known details of the CIA's cooperation in the final days of the operation, further emphasizing Israel and the United States shared values and strategic relationship.

5 comments about When Hell Was in Session.

1. With the passing of time, it is too easy to forget the sacrifices that members of the US military make for the residents of the United States and the free world. Of all the men most mistreated in the history of the US, the Prisoners of War in North Vietnam suffered most grievously, and for the longest period of time. Here Jeremiah Denton, a navy pilot at the time, and future US Senator, chronicles his captivity in North Vietnam. This is one of the best books written on the subject, as he never enhances the story, and reveals his faults and fears candidly. Rarely has a more modest and well grounded man been treated so brutally for so long with so much mental and emotional strength.
   
   Denton was launched in his A-6 from the USS Independence on his fateful flight while being observed by Robert McNamara who was there on a fact-finding junket. Needless to say most military members and especially pilots loathed and disrespected McNamara and his insane ideas about warfare, but did their best in spite of obstacles erected by both North Vietnam and Washington. For his trouble that day, Denton was singled out by his captors for extra torture as he was "sent by McNamara personally", and was, like all captured American fliers, a "war criminal."
   
   Throughout the book, Denton returns to the theme of self-discipline and the Code of Conduct. Never have men endured more torture and been more selfless and noble: this book gives a glimpse into what makes these men so great. Men like Denton, Leo Thorsness, Bud Day, Robbie Risner, Jim Stockdale, Everett Alvarez, and, yes, John McCain kept the faith under conditions far worse than anyone who wasn't there can imagine for the good of the United States and the American way of life. Free people everywhere should be eternally grateful to all these men.
   
   This book is harrowing and sad, but is also unexpectedly uplifting as it reveals the power of the human spirit to endure even when things appear darkest. Denton mentions several quotations that inspired him throughout his life, but my favorite is early in the book when he quotes an anonymous man who said "The greatest heroes known are those that are afraid to go; but go." Never have truer words been spoken. The book gives insight into how to survive physical, but more importantly, mental and psychological torture, and emphasizes the spiritual thinking required in a time of such duress. Sadly, after coming back to the US, Denton was confronted with changes in the fabric of society that saddened and disappointed him: the sixties ravaged our society while he was a POW, with an especially strong toll on families and youth. For this reason Denton has devoted himself to the cause of the American family with a greater vigor than anyone I can recall. I thought that his endurance as a POW would be the thing I admired most about Denton, but after reading this book it is clear that there is so much more to him.
   
   I cannot recommend this book more highly. Though it grimly reveals the inhumanity that human beings can show each other, it presents a calling for all of us to be better people every day. If men like Jeremiah Denton can make it through a Vietnamese POW camp, surely the trials most of us face on a daily basis will seem trivial indeed.
   
   Thank you, Senator Denton.



2. And I just came upon it by accident at a friend's house in his "Shaklee Store" in his basement back in the early 80's. It was just sitting over to the side on top of some other books. I historically have Never purchased a book "because, well, it just looked interesting". In this instance, however, I did. It changed my whole outlook on life. There was a one page magazine advertisement that one of Denton's "Hotel mates" (Everett Alvarez) did for Phillip Morris after he had returned to the U.S. and became successful. It talked about "everything tasting better" and "smelling better" in Freedom and that "nothing in life was a problem" (or something to that effect) after what he had gone through and survived. That advertisement and the book "When Hell Was in Session" should be required reading for every high school and college social studies class.



3. This book is intensely disturbing, gut-wrenching and horrific... That being said, it may sound cliche, but Jeremiah Denton provides an entirely new insight into what our servicemen have endured for our country -- what he went through will hit you hard. I dare anyone to read this book and not come away a changed person in some way...



4. I was impressed by Denton's horrifying experiences as a POW in Hanoi for 7+ years. He accurately describes the torture he and his fellow POWs experienced for several years before the tides of war slowly changed in the early '70s which lessened the tortures they were receiving. You, as a reader, are right there with Denton in his cell as he learns the tap codes and other methods of communication; how he is horribly punished and tortured for communicating and not cooperating. One has to ask oneself, "How would I have handled this situation?" To be locked in Alcatraz for several years in solitary confinement and wondering how to cope with it...what would YOU do?
   
   I had seen the film of Denton's return in the movie, Dear America: Letters Home from Viet Nam and never really understood his horrible times in the Hanoi Hilton. Now, I do. A treasure of a read to add to any library. The only drawback...not enough maps to put his location in perspective.
   
   Nevertheless, fascinating. In the words of his captors, "Shut mouth. Read book!"



5. This is one of the best books I've ever read. I have so much respect for Denton and the prisoners of war he was held in captivity with for over 7 years. It amazes me that anyone could survive within that environment. These soldiers helped each other survive under great distress -- even while many of them were in solitary confinement and their story is amazing. This book isn't just a recap of Denton's experience; it contains deeply thoughtful content throughout the book about love, patriotism, encouragement and more. There is much wisdom contained in this book. I learned a lot and highly recommend it to others.

No comments about Joker One: A Marine Platoon's Story of Courage, Leadership, and Brotherhood.

2 comments about Last Man Out: Surviving the Burma-Thailand Death Railway: A Memoir.

1. This was a very uplifting writing about surviving the deplorable and dire circumstances during WWII in a Japanese prison camp. Dr Hekking was a very remarkable man practicing medicine under such conditions. After reading this book...I have a deeper respect for veterans and survivors.
   In ending, the doctor and the Americans seemed to help each other psychologically to survive....



2. I have had the pleasure of knowing the author for going on 8 years now. His memoir of his time as a prisoner of the Japanese, building the Death Railroad, the real Bridge on the River Kwai, is riveting, and sadly the suffering of POWs is little known.
   
   In the decades since returning from the War, the author has had a distinguished career requiring excellent writing and editing skills, and this book reflects that. It's an easy read, and when you've finished it, you will most likely re-evaluate the struggles and low points of your daily routine.
   
   Lastly, the man who is the subject of the book, Dr. Henri Hekking of the Dutch Colonial Army, will instill in you a sense of awe in the medical skills he learned from native Javanese sources, and how these skills, scorned by English and American doctors, saved *so many* of the men under his care, the author included.
   
   This book adds greatly to, and dovetails with, Hornfisher's latest, and compliments Winslow's "Galloping Ghost...".

5 comments about The Lost Night: A Daughter's Search for the Truth of Her Father's Murder.

1. Rachel Howard tells a compelling story in "The Lost Night," a memoir that reads like an extended episode of crime documentary shows like "48 Hours Mystery." A pre-teen when her father was stabbed to death in what seemed like a botched break-in, the loss haunts Howard until she can find a way to make sense of it. Suspicion surrounds Howard's step-mother, whose brother is questioned by police, but it is eventually cold cased. As an adult, Howard investigates further, a decision which brings her back in contact with both her father's family and her dreaded step-mother (who has since married again and moved away.)
   
   The book effectively sets the scene in California's Central Valley, and Howard successfully plumbs the psychological effects of growing up without a murdered parent. She is candid about many of her struggles with men as a result of the loss, although she is slightly dreamy about her wedding and happy relationship with her husband. (This aspect of the memoir seemed overly one-sided and idealistic.) Her father's murder is never solved, but Howard does find a way to come to peace with it, including an acknowledgment of her own biases against her former step-mother, who makes a memorable reappearance in some of the book's best latter moments.
   
   What we end up learning about in "The Lost Night" is the effect of crime on those left behind, and the mysteries that remain when crimes aren't solved. Although the writing is no where near the quality of classics of the true crime genre, this is a worthy effort and worth a read.



2. Met the author at a book signing and was impresssed by her impeccable poise and story-telling ability. Then I went home and read the book. Wow. I had the same experience as the other readers. This is an excellent and poignant memoir.
   One feels the you-are-there quality of a little girl awakening in the middle of the night to see her father covered with blood on the floor. The people in her book are like characters in a Dickens novel, yet they are (were) all very real. Howard captures the cultural milieu of Merced California in the mid '80's. Her father loved Rod Stewart with a passion and the lyrics of his songs weave through the true story of a child trying to make sense of what is going on around her.
   The child matures into an adult and becomes a writer! What an awesome contribution to the memoir genre. I do hope that the killer is eventually caught.



3. This is a wonderful combination of memoir and true crime. I felt as though I realy got to know the author. Her willingness to examine the fragility of memory and adjust her conclusions accordingly made her more appealing. The change in her attitudes toward the people in her life caused me to re-examine my own feelings toward people in my life. This book is a definite addition for anyone's library.



4. Lost and Found - a past reclaimed
   
   I finished Rachel Howard's "the lost night" at 3 this morning. From the minute I cracked its spine, the pages turned themselves, inviting me to ignore every routine chore of mine: dirty dishes, daily exercise, even meals (though I did manage to go to work and feed the cat).
   
   Masterfully written, the book tells a riveting story of the murder of Rachel's father when she was only 10 years old. How she handled the loss of this beloved man, her protector and playpal, is a glimpse into how children cope with tragedy of this magnitude. The experience retrospectively defined Rachel, her relationship with her family and also with her stepmother Sherry, her father's third wife when he was murdered. Rachel, the product of divorce, was spending a few summer weeks at her father's home during this time. She was witness to his last waking minutes and remembered details that would replay themselves with increasing vividness as time went by.
   
   But memory is elusive...and selective. The author comes to realize that her memories were circumscribed by the limited frame-of-reference of a young life.
   
   What I found so compelling here is the child's perspective. I have read (and probably own!) just about every true-crime/courtroom/forensic book that exists, yet I never read such an account from a 10-year-old point-of-view. Rachel illustrates the sometimes graphic, sometimes muted terror-of-the-night children of murdered parents are heir to, their wispy and unexpressed--indeed unconscious--suspicion of significant-others, and their necessary dependencies on adults who, often not comprehending the nuances involved, believe that by trotting the kid to therapy, they absolve themselves of the pain of revisiting the circumstances themselves. In Rachel's case, her father's family remained largely silent with her about that night. They may have felt that openly speaking about the murder with someone so young would somehow legitimize it for her. In fact, their passivity had the opposite, and quite damaging, effect on a young mind hungry for assurance and validation.
   
   Palpable throughout Rachel's memoir is its raw honesty. The writing is often brutally introspective, devoid of the self-pity and lachrymose language which the author might easily --and justifiably-have indulged. She is seeking information and answers, and by the last page, I realize she has found those things, and some peace along the way.
   
   Therese Hercher



5. William Grimes has always been one of my favorite NY Times reviewers. Although he tends to be negative, when he waxes effusive, I take notice. When I saw this....
   ------
   "As a memoirist, she succeeds BRILLIANTLY. "The Lost Night" is ENTHRALLING, a skillfully narrated story that begins as a tale of detection but quickly becomes something more."
   --William Grimes, NEW YORK TIMES
   
   I figured I'd take a chance. Well, it's been sitting on my nightstand for 6-months now and damn if it's not enthralling. Although I was hoping for a bit of a who-done-it, I couldn't put it down. The descriptions of the messed-up Central Valley(to put it delicately)were terrific. With some sex, drugs, and even some 80s Rod Stewart in the mix, for good measure, it was a joy to read.

5 comments about Horses Don't Fly: A Memoir of World War I.

1. One of the wittiest memoirs of any era I have ever read. An often bust your gut funny read from a true turn of the century Forrest Gump who grows up to be a war hero. My most common thoughts as I read this wonderful prose was "I wish I had been born back then." Family, courage, honesty, loyalty, and right from wrong all mattered; and all issues were black and white. Libby goes from cowboy private to fighter ace, endures the utter stupidity that is WWI, yet keeps a sense of humor and fast becomes someone you wish you had personally known and called a friend. Do you think Uncle Sam would let you "trial run" an aerial combat mission today to see if you have the "right stuff" to be a pilot or aerial observer?



2. Frederick Libby's HORSES DON'T FLY is the author's autobiographical account of his life from his birth in 1892 to 1918. His mother having died shortly before his fourth birthday, Libby was raised on his father's Colorado ranch with an older brother. Fred became a "cowboy" in the most authentic sense of the word, working on his family's ranch as well as others in the Southwest. Training wild horses to become cow ponies was his much sought after specialty. Then, tiring of hard life on the range at age twenty, he has the vague notion of settling in a warm and more lazy environment, such as Tahiti. However, he gets sidetracked to Canada where, at the outbreak of World War I, he's seduced into enlisting into a motor transport unit of the Canadian Army with the promise of travel and regular pay. By the end of 1917, Libby is a commissioned officer in Britain's Royal Flying Corps, having logged more than 350 hours of combat flight time over the trenches of the Western Front, and with 24 confirmed downed enemy planes to his credit.

   The book contains no indication when Libby penned his memoirs. The style indicates somewhat of a detached perspective, which is perhaps evidence that the author wrote many years after the fact when memory had smoothed over the emotional highs and lows of his early years. But, no matter. Libby comes across as that sort of young hero that most Americans, I trust, would like to see representing their country overseas, or anywhere. He's conscientious, unflappable, brave, modest, hard working, honest, honorable and loyal. Indeed, his only vices seem to have been, as a cowboy, foolish gambling, and, while as an RFC pilot, a weakness for the British Army's regular rum ration. Girls are only mentioned as reserving their best for the lads in uniform. I suspect that Libby's wilder youthful indiscretions became lost in the retelling. In any case, the chief attraction of HORSES DON'T FLY, besides the personality of Libby himself, are the insights the reader gains into the hard life of a cowboy, and the early years of military aviation when warplanes could be either "pushers" (rear-mounted propeller) or "tractors" (front-mounted propeller), and both pilots and observer-gunners were exposed to the elements and the enemy in open cockpits with neither seatbelts nor those little packages of salted peanuts. Libby himself was personally awarded the Military Cross by King George V at Buckingham Palace for gallantry in action.

   To Captain Frederick Libby, long dead since 1970, honor is due.




3. Libby's story does not compare to the biography of Eddie Richenbacher, "Fighting the Flying Circus." You really get a sense of what the fight was like from Richenbacer, while so many of the details are glossed over by Libby. Libby's story starts out very slowly, picks up when he becomes an observer and pilot, and just peters out when he rejoins the United States military. We are left with lots of unanswered questions--why did he survive so long when most died in a couple of weeks, what did he think when his squadren was literally completely replaced every few weeks, etc. There is no introspection--no emotional side to this book. We do know that he likes to drink, but he is not a deep thinker--loyality and friendship are important driving components of how he makes his decisions. There is a feel to the book like it has been rewritten and the juicy (emotional) parts removed. The book was interesting but very limited if you are looking for information about that time. Read Richenbacher's book for a much better understanding of that time.



4. The other reviewers have it right--a very good book. There is a slow start when we learn about his youth, and he masters the family business of horses. The story really picks up when he joins the Canadian military and then the Royal Flying Corps in France. Frederick Libby is not a deep thinker--he believes in friendship and loyality--he doesn't spend much time worrying about the why of war. He is spontaneous in his response to situations rather than thinking things through. His clear writing gives us a sense of what life was like, but I do not understand why he survived and most of the aviators did not. If I liked this book, then why did I give it only 3-stars? The book has been over-edited and has a feel as though a lot of the life has been rewritten out of it. I want to know more about Libby's experiences, and I feel a bit cheated. Another reason for 3-stars is that the story starts slow, peaks in the middle, and goes back to a slow and finally a disjointed end when he returns to the United States and health problems end his military career. Libby lives for another 50 years, and we are given a very simplified version by his granddaughter which grabs my interest but doesn't deliver more than generalities. A search of the internet does not find any more information about Libby's life. This book whets your appetite for more knowledge about this time when aviators believed they were knights, and the internet has a huge amount of information on this subject.



5. This story is not about horses, or flying. It's about one thing: character. In Frederick Libby's autobiography the reader sees the story of a young man born in Colorado before the turn of the last century. He grows up learning the family business, mainly horse breaking and cattle ranching. The early chapters are a bit juvenile in their telling but this is only a reflection of his retelling of childhood events. The narration becomes more sophisticated as he recounts later years, but always maintains a simple frontier charm.

   While a young man traveling through Canada in 1914 he volunteers for the Canadian army when war breaks out in Europe. He joins as a truck driver even though he has never driven a car before. He ships out to france and spends a cold wet year ferrying supplies to the frontlines. But through it all he maintains a positive outlook and high admiration of the boys in the trenches. After a year of driving he volunteers for the Royal Flying Corps as a observer (gunner). So this American who volunteered with the Canadians ends up with British flying as an observer/gunner/photographer against the deadly German flyers. He later earns his pilot rating and ends up as a squad leader. The desciptions of battles, some of the only first person accounts of the flying war, are intense but not sensationalized. He never glorifies war and tries to give some account of the hardship experienced by the men in the trenches.

   The entire narrative shows Captain Libby as a man devoted to those he works with. Whether it is cattle hands in the American west or the officers of the RFC he shows that once he is committed to something he stays with it. The fact that he was barely twenty years old when this started shows how the youth of the time rose to the challenge of the day. Several time during the book He says that he does not know what they are fighting for. However, a man who gives his word to a group of men and sees it through to the end knows exactly what he is fighting for.

4 comments about The Genius of Robert E. Lee.

1. Al Kaltman has assembled an interesting and refreshing book about issues General Lee faced during his entire life. More of the documented letters featuring opinions and Lee offered others during his military adventures through Mexico and the Civil War are intriguing. Kaltman takes Lee's approach to subjects on managing people or conflicts and offers advice on how to handle similar circumstances in business and personal life situations. This book is rather a quick read as topics such as preparing one's self, taking command, continuous improvement and the winning image are just a few of many that are featured.

   This book is one you can jump from chapter to chapter on and not read from start to finish if you wanted as it deals with leadership approaches for various subjects. This book I recommend to anyone involved in business be it a salesperson or manager looking to better themselves with great thought. Also it can be a book one could keep with them at work as a helpful guide to reflect back on for insight on how to deal with situations that arise. Lee's style of handling issues is usually the correct and friendly non-confrontational approach which many could benefit from reading. On another side of this great book, Lee's failures or mistakes are also covered and Lee offers his thoughts on how he should have handled things differently.




2. Obviously, Kaltman found in Lee's management strategies and tactics relevance to the contemporary business world. The book's subtitle reveals Kaltman's primary theme: "Leadership lessons for the outgunned, outnumbered, and underfinanced." That is probably true of almost all of the companies now struggling to survive. The material is carefully organized within 11 chapters which correspond in chronological sequence with the various stages of Lee's career. Kaltman has identified 260 specific "Lessons" each of which he summarizes within an appropriate context and is accompanied by a Lee quotation, followed by a brief "Advice" mini-commentary. Unlike so many other books which purport to draw such correlations between the battlefield and the marketplace (e.g. The Military Genius of Daffy Duck), this one is sensible. Granted, many of the "Lessons" are rather obvious and much of the "Advice" is somewhat simplistic. However, the content is quite substantial. I think this would be an excellent gift for someone about to begin or who has only recently begun a business career. Here are Kaltman's concluding comments: "Robert E. Lee led armies in battle, helped reconcile a people to their defeat, and built a great educational institution. Lee never worried about his legacy; he focused on the job at hand. He believed that our legacy is the work we do to improve the human condition and bring about better times: "We may not see them but our children will, and we will live over again in them." You may also wish to check out Kaltman's Cigars, Whiskey & Winning: Leadership Lessons from Ulysses S. Grant, Crocker's Robert E. Lee on Leadership, and Hilton's Leadership Lessons from Robert E. Lee: Tips, Tactics, and Strategies for Leaders and Managers.



3. I never read a book in this style before. It is not a history of Lee, but a list of lessons illustrated by events in his career.

   The lessons are laid out chronologically in Lee's career. They highlight as much about his strengths as his weaknesses. More importantly for me, they give an insight into the Civil War that is uniquely from the perspective of General Lee.

   This is a book that can appeal to Civil War readers, or it can appeal to those interested in Management.

   It is an easy read, I like the style, and it is a book that you can stop and start as you like. No need to plough through it all in one go.




4. Al Kaltman has done us a great favor by writing, "The Genius of Robert E. Lee." His subtitle grabbed my attention immediately, "Leadership Lessons for the Outgunned, Outnumbered, and Underfinanced." Kaltman divides his work on leadership based on the chronology of Lee's life giving the reader 260 brief vignettes delving into the personal and professional life of this great American. The 260 entries gives the busy reader a kind-of "daily devotional" Monday through Friday for all 52 weeks of a single year. Also helpful is Kaltman's use of putting Lee's actual words in italics in each entry. The index at the conclusion of the work is also a helpful feature for quick and easy subject referencing. Kaltman brings a wealth of information together smoothly, from the idiosyncrasies of the man, and the historial events of the time, to the present day realities of leadership and management in the workplace. Students of Lee, Civil War enthusiasts, and the corporate leaders of today's business environment can all benefit from delving into Kaltman's treasure chest of thoughts, ideas, and principles gleaned from the fasinating life of this great man in history. For anyone who's ever felt like they were outgunned in life, or outnumbered in the cut-throat competition of the 21st century business world, Kaltman's work will introduce you to the genius of a man who was overwhelmed militarily, but who was never conquered in life or in the lasting legacy of leadership that he left to us all.