2 comments about Surrounded by Dangers of All Kinds: The Mexican War Letters of Lieutenant Theodore Laidley (War and the Southwest Series, 6).

1. An interesting book of letters written by Lieutenant Theodore Laidley during the historic Mexican War.



2. "'Surrounded by Dangers of All Kinds': The Mexican War Letters of Lieutenant Theodore Laidley" is edited, with extensive commentary, by James M. McCaffrey. The book is Number 6 in the War and the Southwest Series. Spanning the years 1845 to 1848, these letters tell of Laidley's journey through Mexico as an ordnance officer in the U.S. Army. These letters combine with McCaffrey's illuminating commentary to tell a fascinating story.
   
   Laidley and McCaffrey cover many topics: concern about disease, battlefield medicine, the impact of guerilla activity on the U.S. campaign, the importance of mail to the troops, the challenge in getting volunteer troops to reenlist, cultural sensitivity issues involving U.S. troop contact with Mexican civilians, and conflict among senior U.S. military officers. Laidley describes the reality of 19th century combat; he notes that "the horrors of war one can not understand until you have seen it." Particularly interesting are Laidley's observations on the Mexican land and people; he writes about climate, religion, architecture, agriculture, food, and language.
   
   One thing I found quite striking about the book was how relevant many of McCaffrey's and Laidley's topics are to the U.S. operations that are going on in Iraq and Afghanistan at the time I write this review. Laidley's observations are full of interesting details. His voice is at times quite feisty, and his style is consistently very readable. Overall, this book offers a remarkable look at the U.S.-Mexican War.

5 comments about General A.P. Hill: The Story of a Confederate Warrior.

1. Always in the thick of it
   James Robertson's biography of General A.P. Hill is superb. Writing in a free and easy style, Mr. Robertson bring to life this courageous long dead Confederate Warrior warts and all. To say "Little Powell " was a complex man and general is a gross understatement. He was a brilliant military tactician, good husband and father, loyal subordinate, fatherly commander, yet fiercely proud, easy to take affront, and very demanding. He rose through the ranks from brigade to division commander quickly impressing General Robert E. Lee with his tenacious fighting prowess, tactical acumen, and innate ability to quickly grasp the nature of the battle and to immediately employ his troops when and where they were needed. On more than one occasion General Powell saved the day for the Army of Northern Virginia. He was eventually rewarded with command of the Third Corps and became Lee favorite "fighting" general. Although brilliant at the division level he did not grasp Corps leadership until the end of the war. As a Corp commander he instinctively had to be "in the action" rather than direct the action. This myopic leadership caused some tactical problems, specifically at Bristoe Station. Regardless, General Hill learned through his mistakes and grew as a Corps commander becoming a close Lee confidant. As the war wound on Hill was always at Lee's side. Jackson would be killed at Chancellorsville, Longstreet would go west for several months and then be injured at The Wilderness, and Ewell would eventually be relieved of command, but Hill was always there-Steadfast and loyal. Whenever Lee need a miracle it was Hill that seemed to provide one. It is very interesting that as both Jackson and Lee lay dying and delirious they both called out for Hill.
   General A.P. Hill was a very complex man. He demanded obedience from his subordinates but could be extremely kind and compassionate to enlisted personnel. He could not tolerate cowardice but understood battle fatigue. He could easily take affront if he or his command was demeaned in anyway by a superior, but he never challenged General Lee's leadership or command authority always carrying out his orders to the letter. He could be prickly when ill and ebullient when not. He enjoyed the love of his men and the fear of the Union soldiers. Lee knew he was a gallant, courageous soldiers of the highest order. The Union Commanders knew he was tough, unyielding, and brutal in a battle.
   Much has been written about Hill's illnesses during the war and his supposed "missing in action" occurrences. Mr. Robertson covers this in much detail and points out that in most cases Hill was present for duty and carried out his command functions admirably. He attributes Hill's illness to venereal disease he contracted while at West Point that eventually led to prostatitist and uremia . During the War it plagued Hill but rarely incapacitated him.
   Mr. Robertson did a good job of filling in the gaps of Hill's early life and his loving marriage to Kitty Morgan. It appears that Powell Hill was a loving father and husband who enjoyed having his family close by. He enjoyed a limited social life but had a close relationship to General Lee and several West Point friends and classmates. All in all General A.P. Hill was a dynamic man and leader of incredible talent and loyalty. He was a warrior of the first order whose fighting ability was second to none. If Jackson and Longstreet were Lee' right hand Hill was his sword.
   Excellent Job James Robertson.
   Highly recommended and a must read for anyone interested in the "real" Civil War and how it was fought by the commanders. Much written about General Hill is simply inaccurate and marginalizes just how great a combat leader and tactician this superb soldier really was. James Robertson sets the record straight.



2. however I can see how some civil war buffs would feel that this book looks at A.P. Hill through rose colored glasses. A.P. Hill was exactly the kind of general that Longstreet hated, proud, political, overly aggressive...He was passionate about his men and his cause but much like Hood lacked tactical and strategic skills. The corp he commanded at Gettysburg should have gone to D.H. Hill. In 1864 and 1865 he provided steady, reliable service but never distinquished himself.



3. Despite his meteoric rise to command troops in nearly every battle of Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia, Ambrose Powell Hill was arguable the Confederacy's most underrated general. Rising from a colonel of a Virginia infantry regiment to Major General in command of the new Third Corps, Army of Northern Virginia, A.P. Hill was perhaps best known for leading his Light Division on a forced march from Harper's Ferry to arrive in the nick of time to save Lee from total defeat at the Battle of Antietam/Sharpsburg. James I Robertson Jr. has thoroughly examined the perplexities of a complex man: one who could display the virtues of righteousness and compassion one moment and become impetuous, childish and unforgiving the next. What is more, Robertson's battle narratives are enthralling, placing heavy emphasis on infantry soldiering in the foulest of weather, rugged terrain and the difficulties of communications in an age when battle communiques traveled only as fast as a man could ride a horse. How a man of Hill's temperament, racked by life-long bouts of illness, and wounds handles rapid promotion, and, at which point reaches a level of incompetence, is the theme of Robertson's compelling story. From the age of twelve, young Powell read the exploits of Napoleon Bonaparte and was inspired to become a soldier. Hill entered West Point in 1842 in the infamous class of 1846. His classmates were Thomas J. Jackson, George Pickett and George McClellan, to name a few. Hill formed an immediate dislike for Jackson that would last for the rest of his life, while forming a close friendship with his roommate McClellan. In 1844, while returning to West Point from summer furlough, Hill contracted gonorrhea in New York City. He was forced to take an extended sick leave home, requiring him to repeat a year of studies. Upon graduation, Hill was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the 2nd U.S. Artillery Regiment.                 Robertson paints Hill's military career after West Point was one of sickness and boredom. In Mexico, Hill came down with typhoid fever that left him bedridden for six weeks. In Florida he would battle disease and boredom for six long years, especially repeated prostate problems associated with the untreatable venereal disease. Because of poor health, Hill requested to be transferred to a desk job in Washington.                 Hill's gift for staff work brought him to the attention of Jefferson Davis. After Succession, Hill not only chose loyalty to Virginia but also saw war as a chance for rapid promotion.                 Hill was appointed colonel in the 13th Virginia Infantry. He drove his men hard, and trained his regiment to the peak of proficiency. This leadership style would remain a permanent characteristic of A.P. Hill and would produce substantial benefits in future campaigns. Robertson shows a compassionate side of A.P. Hill during this period. During First Battle of Bull Run/Manassas, Hill would often be seen offering a weary soldier his horse while he walked alongside. He once noticed a sergeant who was obviously sleep deprived, and allowed him to lie down for a couple hours to regain his strength. These acts of kindness did not go unnoticed by his men. Typhoid fever, measles, mumps, diarrhea, dysentery and jaundice soon ran rampant among Hill's regiment. Much to his chagrin, Hill was held in reserve during the actual battle yet, a rapid series of promotions would soon follow. Hill was promoted to Brigadier General for the Peninsula Campaign. Hill soon gained a reputation for leading from the front in battle, distinguishable by the red or calico "battle shirt" he always wore in combat. Soon afterwards, he was promoted to Major General, commanding the infamous Light Division in the Seven Days Battles. In just ninety-days, Hill went from a colonel in charge of one regiment, to major general in charge of a division. Here, the author begins to raise doubt about how well Hill handled the transition, while weaving a compelling battle narrative. Hill's independent nature soon led to clashes with his two immediate superiors. As already mentioned, Hill despised Jackson and he did not care all that much for James Longstreet either. During the Peninsula Campaign, Hill and Longstreet got into a childish squabble that almost had tragic consequences. A war correspondent had been traveling with Hill's headquarters during that campaign. He wrote a series of newspaper articles that drastically inflated Hill's accomplishments at Mechanicsville and Fraser's Farm. According to Robertson, Longstreet felt slighted after he read the articles. Longstreet then wrote a "rebuttal," via his chief of staff, Moxley Sorrel and sent the letter to be published in a rival newspaper. Sorrel routinely acted as official liaison between Hill and Longstreet. After this incident, however, Hill refused to communicate with Sorrel. Consequently, Longstreet placed Hill under arrest. Hill, accosted Lee requesting he be relieved from Longstreet's command. A series of nasty letters passed between Hill and Longstreet until Hill finally challenged Longstreet to a duel. Lee had to quickly intercede to avoid a disaster. Another episode involved Hill's nemesis, Jackson. Lee had devised a plan for Hill's division to cross the Chicahominy River and attack Union forces at Mechanicsville. Hill was to wait until Jackson, enroute from his famed Shenandoah Campaign, arrived to support Hill's attack. On the morning of the scheduled day of the attack; Hill's division was assembled early and ready for battle. Hill's men waited for hours with no sign of Jackson. Finally at 3:00 PM, General Hill crossed the Chicahominy and advanced towards Mechanicsville without "Stonewall." Hill successfully drove the Federals from Mechanicsville; however, they dug in at Beaver Dam Creek and could not be dislodged. As a result, the day ended in stalemate with Hill suffering a high butcher's bill.Naturally, Hill blamed Jackson for failing to arrive at the rendezvous on time. The relationship between Hill and Jackson worsened, until Hill was ultimately placed under arrest for a second time, and, as punishment, Lee sent Hill to act as rear guard of Lee's army. This is how the Light Division, hitherto marching at the van , would find itself in Harper's Ferry while the Battle of Antietam was under way. As we know, Hill would redeem himself by saving Lee from possible defeat, and command a corps at Gettysburg. A federal sharpshooter ended the life of Gen. A.P. Hill on April 2, 1865, killing him while Hill reconnoitered his forward positions at Petersburg. Robertson's analysis of Hill's vulnerable pride, bordering on disrespect, the childish in-fighting within Lee's command, coupled with forceful battle narrative, makes this book difficult to put down. Five-stars and highly recommended!



4. General A. P. Hill has been too long ignored by historians despite his pivotal role in the Army of Northern Virginia. Robertson gives us an interesting account of the general's early life and career, including his cadet years at West Point, up until his tragic death just days before Appomattox. A must-read for any serious student of the War and for those interested by the early lives and training of War Between the States heroes.



5. For those used to Robertson's ponderous and derivitive offerings, this will come as no surprise. His "find" that Hill suffered from V.D. has been readily apparent to anyone who ever read the general's correspondence (and who can recognize a 19th century euphamism). As for the rest, Roberston's factual blunders (like his ridiculous mention of the non-existent shoe factory in Gettysburg) are surpassed only by his uncritical fawning over his subject.

   A. P. Hill was a fine soldier. He deserves a better biographer.

No comments about Never Will We Forget: Oral Histories of World War II.

2 comments about The Autobiography of a Seaman.

1. The autobiography of Admiral Lord Cochrane was first published in 1860, the year Cochrane died at the age of 85. Richard Woodman has added an introduction to the present edition. Cochrane only covers the period of his life up through 1814 when he was 39. Consequently, he covers nothing of his later career in Chile, Brazil, and Greece; nothing of his reinstatement in the Royal Navy; and nothing of his immediate family other than a brief account of his marriage to Kitty Barnes (about 20 years younger than Cochrane) by whom he had 5 children.

   Autobiographers always have a bias as the authors are presenting their side of the case (see, for example, Bligh's "Mutiny Aboard the H.M.S. Bounty"). While presenting the details of his early naval career, the main thrust is his campaign against corruption in the Admiralty Courts, the Royal Navy, and the Government in general. Some accounts are almost like comic opera, e.g., the Admiralty Court in Malta.

   Cochrane's service commanding the Speedy from 1800 to 1801 has been fictionalized by Patrick O'Brien in the novel "Master and Commander" in which he replaces Cochrane with the fictional James Aubrey. All the major details are the same, but O'Brien added considerable color to the account.

   Like many good military commanders, Cochrane lacked tact and was not a diplomat. He was promoted to command the Speedy at the age of 25 without having the experience to deal with the protocols of the Royal Navy. He could best be described as a loose cannon. He was unwilling to compromise when a little tact, a closed mouth, and a small amount of back scratching would have achieved major results. His lack of diplomacy caused others to reject well thought out plans simply because he proposed them. Cochrane damaged others around him simply by trying to be their champion, undoubtedly being responsible for Parker's ruin - people in power who Cochrane had offended would naturally take it out on his proteges.

   While not great literature, the autobiography is both a good account of naval service from 1793 to 1809, and a good first-hand account of corruption within politics and the government. The writing style is somewhat like Churchill's history of World War II.




2. Readers familiar with Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey-Maturin series will immediately recognize the source of many of those novels in Admiral Lord Cochrane's "Autobiography of a Seaman."

   Admiral Lord Cochrane was born into a noble Scots family whose fortunes had declined by the time of his birth (1775). Through family connections, he secured a berth as a midshipman at the age of 17 on a British man-of-war in the early years of the Napoleonic Wars. Thereafter, he rose through the ranks of the British navy on the strength of several truly daring and remarkable attacks, capturing or destroying many French and Spanish vessels in a small sloop, and later, a frigate.

   This book tells the stories of those triumphs.

   The romantic aspect of the Napoleonic era is here too, and the tales abound with numerous examples of the dubious military notions of honor among combatants. Moreover, Cochrane moved in the highest circles of the navy and government, and it is surprising to see many prominent names in naval history, (e.g., Admiral Nelson, Captain Bligh) appear casually in these pages.

   Lord Cochrane's exploits - at sea, in politics and in business - are clearly the source of O'Brian's Jack Aubrey. However, whereas O'Brian presents his tales in a highly-polished narrative style similar to Jane Austen, Cochrane croaks out his stories with bombastic self-apology, and delivers the narrative in a choppy and archaic military style, viz., by attaching copies of his despatches to superior officers to explain the events.

   Anyone interested in naval warfare or anyone who likes a good adventure story should read this book. Napoleon's characterization of Cochrane as "le loup des mers" is well deserved. It is unfortunate, however, that Cochrane did not spend more time at sea. The last 100+ pages of this book (except for a trip to Malta) are tedious. Cochrane, perhaps at the peak of his career as a naval officer, became embroiled in reform politics, the court martial of a superior officer, and a stock fraud trial. These three episodes ended his career in Britain, (although he did go on to great success in Chile commanding its revolutionary navy.) Cochrane whines and complains about the most minute details of each case in an attempt to prove his innocence. As a practising litigator, I have represented a few clients who became obsessed with two or three facts which the client believes proves his or her innocence, in the face of dozens of facts which indicate guilt. It is difficult to listen to this type of complaining, but Cochrane takes it to new heights: this autobiography, written in 1865, spends a score of pages reviewing the 1814 testimony of witnesses on whether one stock-fraud participant wore a red or a green coat. Dreary stuff.

   Readers who hope to glean some Freudian insight into his psychological make-up, or anyone hoping for a character like Diana Villiers will not enjoy this work. Although Cochrane says of himself, "my life has been one of the most romatic on record", (p.316), it is not the romance a modern reader might think. The section dealing with his marriage comprises three pages. His wife and mother are the only women mentioned, and only in passing.

   Once again, a major flaw with this, like other nautical books, is the absence or inadequacy of maps. The action at Basque Roads would be much more comprehensible if the reader knew the position of the British fleet, the French fleet, Isle d'Aix, etc.

   This book is a good read to the extent it focuses on Cochrane's naval actions, but that portion of the autobiography that focuses on politics and trials is no more interesting to readers now than it was when it was written.

5 comments about Contact Wounds: A War Surgeon's Education.

1. This is the story of an education that few would choose. Dr. Kaplan tells the story of a life spent as a real life MASH surgeon. Not even though in as good a set of conditions as on the film/TV show.
   
   He began his life in South Africa at the time the black Africans were beginning to demand rights from the white Government. From there it seems that he went from one hot spot to another. Israel at fourteen, just after the Six-Day War. He says he became a doctor because it took a long time in school and he enjhoyed school. It was after that that his real education began. Instead of allowing himself to be drafted into the apartheid army he began a self-exile from his home country. Since then he has been in one war after another.
   
   Surprisingly there are few moments of philosophy or anger at a system that has given him plenty of places to practice his specialty of war sugery. So many that the Royal College of Surgeons in London has set up a course to prepare surgeons for future conflict. This is not a good sign for mankind.
   
   As a book, it has its funny moments, it is excellently written. It is only in the overall image that the consumate tragedy comes through. The last sentence in the book: 'But every day I read the war news like job-vacancy ads, looking for peace.'



2. Jonathan Kaplan has written a book that imerses the reader in a world that could be straight out of a Hollywood script, and should be a Hollywood script. I couldn't put it down. Nobody could ever call this man's life mundane. Growing up in a Country struggling to find itself, then travelling to some of the worlds worst places, all the while helping others in desperate need, and sometimes getting himself into hot water. A "naughty" guy who has a zest for life and adventure. I loved it, a great read.



3. Kaplan has written a marvellous prequel to his "Dressing Station" - from his childhood to the present day. The book is compelling, and I guzzled it down in a single sitting. It is authentic, humorous, poignant, intelligent, and uncompromising. He manages to flip into history and politics and back again, without losing the thread of his story. As the book progresses, the relevance of everything to everything else becomes evident. A far better book than his aclaimed first book, in my view.



4. Jonathan Kaplan is a soldier in his own private war. Expatriate by choice from his home in South Africa, he wanders the world looking for other people's wounds to stitch. He has spent time in the battlefields of the late twentieth and early twenty-first century, Angola and Iraq being primary among them.
   
   What does a war surgeon on temporary assignment do? "Acute war surgery is crude but straightforward: stop the bleeding, cut away the lacerated tissue." Seems simple enough, and Kaplan continually stresses that he is no genius, a man who became a doctor, he claims, because med school was a long course and he figured he'd enjoy college life. Much of what has happened in his thrown together life has been the result, to hear him tell it, of serendipity or mischance. But his modesty is an obvious cover-up. The man is brilliant, dedicated and brave. His excellent writing style is icing on the cake.
   
   The book takes us through Kaplan's journey as a teenager to an Israel wracked by recent war, his first experience of trying to live sane in a landscape of chaos. Exploring the underground bunkers in the kibbutz below the Golan Heights, the young Kaplan saw medical supplies laid out and understood "the truth at the heart of the practice of medicine: that there was no mystery, that learning and skill turned these ordered bits of equipment into the means of stopping bleeding and bringing together shattered tissue to make a greater order, to save a life."
   
   Kaplan got his medical education in South Africa during the apartheid years when dedicated whites practiced their craft in deprived and dreary township clinics under haphazard conditions. His residencies included an aborted stay in the Seychelles, where a casual affair with a girl linked to the dictatorial president "Jimmy" Mancham sent him to ground. Returning to Cape Town he barely squeaked through his finals. Feeling less than confident in his ability to actually practice medicine, he was advised by a friend to "listen a lot, look sympathetic, and nod slowly."
   
   From Kaplan's adventures, you get the impression that medical temping may be a final frontier for people who need to live on the edge. Everywhere he goes he finds broken bodies and heart-rending human wreckage. He deals with each case as it comes before him and leaves with some regret to move on to the next crisis. The MASH-side humor glues the tragedies together: the dog that ate the condom, the incident of the piece of finger among the shrimp. Somewhere along the way, without drawing much attention to it, Kaplan became an expert consultant as well as a surgeon. "I worked on an investigative documentary in Japan about the hunting of dolphins on an industrial scale for their meat...then as a doctor in an embattled Burma's Shan State." He spent a relaxing and generally exhilarating time as medical adviser to an English doctor series on the telly. "Doubts that stalked my career progression were forgotten."
   
   One of the sadder portions of the memoir concerns Kaplan's companion Andrew, who went on a mission that he himself had deferred, ending with the discovery of his friend's corpse in the jungles of Madagascar. Though Kaplan could easily overcome fear, queasiness, and the big questions as he skimmed from war zone to war zone, he had lingering sorrow and guilt concerning Andrew's loss that continued to haunt him.
   
   This is a book for realists, graveyard comedians and armchair saw-bones. Maybe it will inspire someone to get out of their chair and follow in Kaplan's intrepid and erratic footsteps. But one suspects that when they made Kaplan, they broke the mold.
   
   --- Reviewed by Barbara Bamberger Scott. BBS write a monthly book review column, "Carolina Connections," for the Greensboro, NC, News and Record.



5. While Kaplan isn't self-aggrandizing in any way, I couldn't help but admire him after I finished this utterly absorbing memoir. It has the same kind of appeal as the movie The Year of Living Dangerously-- only, he's a doctor, not a journalist, and the experiences he has are real. From growing up Jewish in South Africa during apartheid, to living on a militant kibbutz in Israel to being a war surgeon in shockingly primitive conditions in an Angolan field hospital, the stories he tells are gripping. I really couldn't put this one down.

1 comments about Happy Jack's Go Buggy: A Fighter Pilot's Story (Schiffer Military/Aviation History).

1. Jack Ilfrey was a WWII fighter pilot in Europe and Africa. His colorful career is recounted here in very interesting detail. This is not just a "There I was inverted at 500 feet with both engines out" book but rather an overview of what ALL of a fighter pilot's life was like during the height of the war. We read about hijinks on the ground, fear and bravery in the air, and under it all, a great will to be done with it. Ilfrey conveys what it must have been like to be 20 years old, with terrific freedom, in a foreign country, during wartime. He was quite the nonconformist, which led to his being demoted several times. Still, his attributes as a fighter pilot kept him in the fight, to the benefit of us all. If you like WWII aviation, read this book. If you end up liking Jack Ilfrey, as I sure did, visit the web page dedicated to him, A Tribute to Jack Ilfrey.

1 comments about Upton and the Army.

1. As a student of the Civil War, I have read many books about the subject, and this one to me ranks as among the best.

   Steven Ambrose is America's best historical biographer and proves it in this outstanding study of Emory Upton, a hero of the Civil War and a brilliant tactician who was the first to recognize the need for new army tactics brought about by the changing technology of the Civil War.

   Ambrose covers Upton's full life story, his brilliant tactical evolutions of the War, and his struggle to modernize the Army manual of tactics.

   I thoroughly enjoyed the book because it reveals a little known chapter of American Military history and the life of a figure who played a deep, and perhaps not fully appreciated role in it.

   Perhaps the best line from the book is General Sherman's description of Emory Upton: "Thoughts are ephemeral, deeds substantial. To unite both requires genius."

   The same can be said of Mr. Ambose's work.

4 comments about Flightpath: A Biography of Frank Barker.

1. This was an interesting biography about a pilot turned pastor. It was a bit choppy to read, but the sentiment was nice.



2. Two weeks ago, Frank and Barbara Barker spoke at our Mid-Winter Conference. They love the Lord and His people, and they also love those people who are seeking God's guidance in their day-to-day lives.
   
   Flight Path contains actual events that God has used to guide Frank all of his life - even when he resisted! I recommend this book, because it is direct and honest - just as Frank and Barbara are. Thank you, Janie and Mary Lou, for writing it.



3. A biography is an account of a person's life written by another person. An autobiography is an account of a person's life written by that person. We would assume that a biography would be written in the third-person and an autobiography would be written in the first-person. Through reading hundreds of books, that has been my experience. Or it has been until I read Flight Path, A Biography of Frank Barker Jr.. A biography of Frank Barker written by Janie Buck and Mary Lou Davis, it is written in the first person. In the final chapter the authors explain this innovation: "Writing the life story of Frank Barker has been a process of 'slash and burn.' So much material that could, and probably should, be included was left out. There is no way to record all the great things God has done in and through him. Therefore, I have written about the man and not his voluminous accomplishments. After two years of collecting information and praying, God led me to write as if Frank was telling his own story."
   
   I had never heard of Frank Barker until I read this book. Yet it seems that I probably should have heard of him. Barker founded Briarwood Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Birmingham, Alabama--a megachurch long before America was littered with hundreds of them. It must surely still be one of the few Presbyterian megachurches. As surprising as it is that, what is more surprising is that a man like Frank Barker would be the one to begin and nurture such a church. Born into a believing home, Barker fled from the Lord. He lived hard during his teenage years and eventually joined the Navy, becoming a fighter pilot. He continued his hard living until he was radically saved by the Lord and felt called to the ministry.
   
   In the summer of 1960, Frank Barker agreed to help the Birmingham Presbytery start a church in Cahaba Heights. Just a couple of months later, Briarwood Presbyterian Church was officially chartered. Barker led the church for four decades before retiring near the close of 1999. Flight Path is Barker's story, beginning with his childhood and ending with his post-"retirement" career as a speaker and leader.
   
   John MacArthur says of this book: "The story of Frank Barker is an amazing account of how God uses the faithful and the humble. In a marvelous way Christ sought him, saved him, and made him an effective instrument for the building up of the church. What a remarkable and encouraging legacy!" I was struck as well by the way Christ sought Barker, how He saved him, and how God raised him up to begin such a great work. So often it seems that God chooses the most unlikely people to do great things for Him, whether it be in choosing Moses, who was terrified of public speaking, to be His mouthpiece; choosing Paul, who persecuted the church, to be the one who would relay the theology of the New Testament; or Frank Barker, a man who lived for his own pleasure and satisfaction, to be the man who built a church that God used to save so many.
   
   An interesting book that tells a fascinating life-story, Flight Path was an enjoyable read and one I am glad to recommend.



4. If you can get a copy of this book to read, do it! It's one of the best biographies I've read in a while. It's succinct and densely loaded with good and encouraging stuff about how Frank finally understood salvation is a gift (Rom. 6:23), how he remained faithful to God's Word, and how God has and is using him even though he's made mistakes and remains a sinner. Is a testimony to God's faithfulness to build the church.

5 comments about Jack in the Box: A Shadow War Thriller.

1. The author does a great job moving into the covert world of spy's. The CIA has been taken over by the new type of non-risk takers, The Romanoff's. Sam Waterman,age 49, has been put out to pasture because he was a member of the old-style action oriented agency. The reader is taken thru some very interesting twists and turns as Waterman who was brought back in for a mission,looks for a highly placed mole in our government. The plot moves along realistically which is a pleasure since many action books these days seem to go over the top.One disconcerting thing though is that parts of some pages are blacked out as though having been censored. This is unnecessary.



2. I picked this book up on the strength of the author's earlier book, SOAR. That was a terrific read and I hoped for a similar treat from Jack in the Box. I was not disappointed. The tradecraft, twists and turns, doubles and redoubles, exciting action and interesting characters kept me up waaay past my bedtime. Another reviewer has suggested that the plot reworks the major themes that structured George Smiley's campaigns against Moscow Center. I'll concede that Weisman did not invent the "traitors in high places" plotline but he has decisively proven that he is a master of the genre. He acknowledges his debt gracefully in Jack in the Box by having several characters make contextually correct references to LeCarre's work.
   
   If you enjoyed LeCarre's Smiley books then run, don't walk, to get your hands on Jack in the Box. Even if you haven't read LeCarre's books, grab Jack in the Box for gripping espionage entertainment.



3. As usual John Weisman has delivered a thriller with the punch that only someone loaded with inside knowledge as well as a fine writing style could do.



4. This was a decent story, but it was so real that it was boring. I'm sure it was an accurate representation of spycraft, but who wants to read about the mundane aspects of it?



5. This was the first time I had read John Weisman's work and I would recommend "Jack in the Box" to anyone who wants a three dimensional chess match to solve. The characters are very well developed and have their flaws,but without the "super-human" characteristics of some other kinds of espionage novels. I would place this book alongside "The Spy Who Came In From The Cold", only for its informative and highly interesting look at the tradecraft used in the world of spies. The plot is well established from the first page, and there are no "grey areas" to lose your interest. I highly recommend this book.

2 comments about The Black Prince And The Sea Devils: The Story Of Valerio Borghese And The Elite Units Of The Decima Mas.

1. Jack Greene and Alessandro Massignani's The Black Prince And The Sea Devils is the story of Prince Valerio Borghese and his infamous World War II Italian naval commando unit will intrigue any with a special interest in World War II history beyond the generalist topics and scope. Green has authored four previous military titles and Massignani brings with him a special focus on Italian naval history: the two draw upon official archival sources and veteran accounts on both sides to separate fact from fantasy.



2. Every major military in the world has it's special elite units. The British have their SAS. The Americans the SEALS, Rangers, and Special Forces. Strangely enough, this trend began with the Italian Navy. Their Decima MAS unit pioneered the concept of small, specially trained units that did damage to their enemies far beyond their size. Movie buffs will recognize their exploits as shown in the 1958 movie 'The Silent Enemy' where frogmen attack the HMS Valiant and the HMS Queen Elizabeth using specially modified torpedoes that they ride into the harbour.

   It is nice to see that the Italian military is portrayed here as something other than the bumbling fools so often shown in American films and books. This book treats the unit as they would any other unit, telling how it got started, their training, their failures and their successes. This book is also the basis for a new movie called 'The Sea Devils' although I understand that the project is now on hold.