5 comments about Luftwaffe Fighter Ace.

1. I have studied the Luftwaffe and WWII for more than forty years. I enjoyed this work thoroughly and highly recommend it. I do not disagree that I would have enjoyed more details of the author's 50+ kills, but his humor and his experiences on both the Eastern and Western fronts were very interesting. Books of this sort are rarely available for long, and this one should not be missed. COL (ret) Tom Pool



2. After reading this book I was left with an impression of the author as someone I would enjoy meeting. His story left me with a feeling that I got to know this guy and that he left me in a state of re-analysing my pre concieved ideas about the men and women who fought for Germany. The author was no different that our fathers and grandfathers who fought for the allies.
   This book is an eye opener to everyday life in wartime Germany.



3. Pretty good. He did not talk about all of his air kills but went through his life too quickly. Book was too short.



4. This is a great book!!! I couldn't put it down once I picked it up. Mr. Hanning tells his story with great interest and zeale. I recommend this book to all aviation biography lovers, you will not be dissapointed!



5. Norbert Hannig's account of his experiences as a Luftwaffe `Jagdflieger' (fighter pilot) on the Eastern Front from 1943-45 provides an interesting insight into the experiences of one of the "mid-war" Luftwaffe pilots. From Hannig's days with the Jungvolk (a youth organization in Germany similar to the Boy Scouts - in contrast to the Hitler Youth) in 1940 to his flight training experiences and subsequent posting to the "Green Hearts" Fighter Wing in Russia, the book is easy to read. The narrative flows and is not at all boring. You get a sense of the man himself and the effects of the daily grind of operations over an ever changing front.
   
   (John Weal, who translated Mr. Hannig's book, is in his own right an expert on the Luftwaffe fighter arm. Check out any of his books in the "Aircraft of the Aces" series, which are published by Osprey Publishing.)
   
   For any reader who is keenly interested in reading about the lives of obscure Second World War aces, this book will make a welcome addition to your library. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

No comments about Corporal Brown's Campaigns in the Low Countries: Recollections of a Coldstream Guard in the Early Campaigns Against Revolutionary France 1793-1795.

5 comments about A Hundred Miles of Bad Road.

1. I looked forward to a description of this little talked about segment of the Vietnam war. I was disappointed that there was little of the daily life of a tanker and the flow of the book made it a hard read. I would not recommend it although there is little else out there on the subject.



2. Dwight and his comrades fought the NVA on the west side of Tan Son Nhut Air Base and stopped them in their tracks. If they had not stopped them, the NVA would have overrun the base. I was just outside the west side of the base next to the Vietnamese Joint General Staff compound. We had VC taking down the wall around the compound with RPGs. We had no weapons and the Vietnamese guards had only personal arms. If the NVA had gotten past Dwight, we would have been goners. Luckily, a company of Vietnamese Marines arrived and quickly put the VC unit out of action. Afterwards, we found the remains of many brave 716th MPs and other individual American military attacking the VC from the other side. I wrote a letter to Dwight and thanked him for his bravery and determination not to give up to overwhelming odds. I hope he got my letter. Howard A. Daniel III, Master Sergeant, US Army Retired



3. This Is a story of truth from the men who were In vietnam.Nolan served in the vietnam war.And from reading this book he takes you there.And tells us the american people what we never knew that happened during this war.An amazing truthful book to read.I would give it ten stars."Truth In justice for all of our vets" They are the back bone of this country.The goverment should know. When our vets came home sick and dying from agent orange.Our goverment denied everything.Even the one who gave the orders to drop It. Killed his own son.When his son died he knew it was from agent orange. He later killed himself because of his guilt.Since he was a high ranking officer he was sworn to silence.Like all the other military officers. Our goverment does not care about the men who not only died for this country.Also the ones they killed and never admitted to.The cost to the goverment would be to great.So deny ,deny, at all cost. As the govement has always lied about our vets.When they came home sick from Vietnam also Saudi Arabia.The goverment denied all of this again.Deformed babies,cancer,of all kinds.The goverment again denied our men came in contact with any chemicals to make them sick.When it has been proven that the air they breathed and the contact with tanks were contaminated from Iraq weapons used on our military soldiers.WHY''



4. I had no contact with Dwight Birdwell or the 3/4 Cav for 33 years, but the book took me back to Highway 1 last week. Accurate and truthful are the events and people (not the case in too many war memoirs). The photos are real troopers who got bloody. Even the dates were interesting for sorting memories.

   One of my most vivid memories of the war had been Birdwell on a burning tank firing a .50 caliber machine gun until it glowed in the night, and his silhouette carrying out the badly wounded. That memory is in the book (Chapter 19) and accurate to the number of RPG's fired.

   The lifers, loafers, heros, and base camp warriors are there also, warts and all. Read Tennyson for the glory of the cavalry, read Birdwell for the real thing.




5. I've been a big fan of Keith William Nolan for quite some time. I read The Battle For Saigon with interest because I was a member of the 377th Security Police Squadron USAF that was given the task of defending Tan Son Nhut Airbase. I took part in the defense of the airbase during Tet 68. I read One Hundred Miles of Bad Road, after reading The Battle For Saigon, and finally realized just what Troop B, 3/4 CAV endured out on Highway One outside the west perimeter. The tenacity of the 25th INF and the leadership Lt. Col. Otis and Captain Virant was instrumental in thwarting the sustained ground attack by seven NVA/VC Regiments. This is an accurate account of the battle in and around Tan Son Nhut Airbase. I highly recommend this book.

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

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



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



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



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



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

No comments about The Memoirs of Sir Sidney Smith.

5 comments about The True Intrepid.

1. Bill Macdonald has contributed valuably by sleuthing some of the past of the mythic character, Sir William Stephenson.
   
   Macdonald is a journalist from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, who on hearing of the death of Stephenson in 1989, decided to investigate the past of a man who hailed from Winnipeg and was entrusted by British Prime Minister Winston Churchill with serving as his intelligence czar in North America during World War II.
   
   Fortunately for history, Macdonald was able to uncover glimmers of the truth of Stephenson's humble origins; his move to Britain during the 1920s and 1930s; and his businesses. One was steel; through the steel industry, Macdonald may have come to appreciate the Nazi commitment to expanding its military. Churchill became prime minister after the British debacle at Dunkirk. He promptly dispatched Stephenson to the U.S. Based at Rockefeller Center, Stephenson established an aggressive intelligence program and helped advise the U.S. in formation of what became the O.S.S., predecessor of the CIA. Macdonald interviewed a former Univ. of Toronto professor who directed the vital communications links conveying Nazi communications intercepts among British, Canadian, and U.S. codebreakers.
   
   Behind the stories and myths surrounding Stephenson, Macdonald has shone light on some important, classified aspects of World War II. When I read the first edition of this book, I found the story somewhat hard to follow and strange, though also strangely plausible. For the paperback edition, a former CIA staff historian has offered an introduction, probably because he would have had the same reaction.
   
   I am reminded of another recent book (The Secret of Hut 26) reporting how the U.S. developed computers in Dayton, Ohio for attacking Nazi codes. The story was revealed by veterans of this endeavor wishing to report their contribution, 50 years later. Similarly, interesting stories and people, can arise from Winnipeg. Owing to the highly original investigative reporting, I give this book 5 stars.



2. MacDonald has successfully revealed much of the often clouded life of Intrepid, a man whose primary career goal was - of course - to remain in the shadows. The immensely likeable and non-descript Stephenson (Intrepid) was the penultimate spy: you wouldn't notice him in a crowd and if you did, you'd find yourself charmed and at ease. This side of the man has been overlooked in past books, but MacDonald reveals just how significant this particular trait is to an effective intelligence officer. In Stephenson, readers will learn how charm hid the great depths of intelligence, honor and violent resolve that made Intrepid a name to admire in the history of his profession. MacDonald also offers a highly-readable, compelling look at the events of Intrepid's life, keeping an admirable balance between objectivity and the thrills of a good story. David R. Bannon, Ph.D.; author "Race Against Evil."



3. If the 20th century was to be represented by 4 or 5 individuals, William Stephenson would have to be one of them. By this I mean that his life was incredible. He would be worthy of an interesting biography in any of the lives that he led: a scientist, a businessman or a spymaster.

   The book goes into much more detail of Intrepid's life, as well as those of some of his associates than the famous Man Called Intrepid book (which is worth reading as well!). This book will inspire and awe anybody! Well researched and well enough written.




4. A thoroughly researched and well documented account of the quintessential North American spymaster William Stephenson. New information dispels past myths about a fascinating man who, with the help of his "unknown" agents,played an crucial role influencing the events of the Second World War.



5. This book researches and chronicles in great detail the life of one man who, while obscure and unknown, played a pivotal role in the unfolding of World War 2. This book tells an important history and heightens my appreciation of some of our stories that has never been adaquitely told.

No comments about From Selma to the Super Bowl The Story of a Boy from the Bottoms.

No comments about Major General Adam Stephen and the Cause of American Liberty.

No comments about Tuskegee Airman Fighter Pilot: A Story of an Original Tuskegee Pilot Lt. Col. Hiram E. Mann.

4 comments about THICK LUCK: The Search for POWs & MIAs.

1. I appreciated the book for the amount of detail and background behind each of the MIA Searches that the author undertook. It was good to read about the positive reaction of relatives of the missing once they had been found and sad to read of the false trails that had to be painstakingly followed. The author's descriptions of the battlegrounds and topographical features added value to this fascinating book. I devoured in it two sessions.



2. After attending annual meetings in Washington, D.C. every June to meet with JPAC officials like David Combs I was so gratified to read his book of the true accounts concerning recovery efforts. I am a 100% disabled veteran and sister of a marine missing for 38 years in the jungles of Vietnam and this book has answered so many questions. David has allowed me to go with him on these field activities and witness exactly what goes into finding our missing loved ones and I am so grateful. Those of us who still wait for answers had no idea of the dangers and sacrifice that goes into the search for our loved ones. I couldn't be more proud of all of these brave men and women. My thanks to all of them.



3. David Combs writes a journal of his work with the Joint Task Force Full Accounting (JTF-FA), Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) and Central Identification Laboratory - Hawaii (CILHI) in finding and retrieving the bodies of men who have been lost in the jungles and mountains of Cambodia and Laos. His book "Thick Luck: The Search for America's POWs & MIAs" chronicles some hazardous and tedious work done by a small by hardy group of people trying to bring our missing veterans back home again. The book mainly focuses on efforts to locate crash sites and find the remains.
   
   The author who takes great risks to his own physical being including a piece of bamboo that lodged in his eye and countless slips, trips and falls, paints for us what it is like to be a part of his team. You will find yourself riveted to his story as he takes us on fourteen expeditions into Southeast Asia as they travel and search for whatever evidence they can find. It entails having to deal with lots of politics and red tape, lots of time and much personal sacrifice. Combs presents his book like a journey and the reader has little trouble following along as part of his team.
   
   This book is a must read for anyone involved in MIA/POW issues or who wants to learn about these recovery teams. The author certainly enriches us with lots of facts but I particularly enjoyed his information on recovery of "Earthquake McGoon" James B. McGovern who was lost in Laos in 1954 while helping the French.
   
   The book shows the great amount of work that goes into this recovery effort and the dedication of those who have taken on this task. These are honorable men and women and the author gives us that insider view of what really goes on these teams. The book is both educational and entertaining as well. Add this book to your list of must buy and read books!
   
   The MWSA gives this book its top rating of FIVE STARS!



4. Thick Luck is a fascinating true adventure of the quest to find our missing soldiers lost in the Vietnam War in Laos and Cambodia. The US government has made a tremendous commitment to find them and this is the story of the men and women who risk their lives in hostile environment to do it. A rare view into the culture of the Laotian people. Heartening accounts of the families responses when given news of their loved ones.Excellent.