3 comments about Salt and Steel: Reflections of a Submariner.

1. I've been a fan of Captain Beach ever since I read "Run Silent, Run Deep" in grade school and have had the pleasure of meeting and talking with him a few times. Thus I've often wondered about several aspects of his life and career, such as why a Naval Aide to President Eisenhower never became an Admiral and the circumstances of his young daughter's death, although such personal items are admittedly none of my business. Salt and Steel goes a long way toward filling in the blanks in my knowledge about this man, whom I've known and admired for years. To his credit, as I expected, he does not gloat about his successes nor complain about his failures. I found every chapter fascinating and hard to put down, even very late in the evening. My only wish about this book is that he had included more information and anecdotes about the ships he served in and the people he served with, especially President Eisenhower, Trigger II and the faulty torpedoes of WWII. With the responsible parties being long-retired and in many cases deceased, I feel that the problems and the principles involved should be aired, in the hope that they might not be repeated. Even so, I would highly recommend this book to anyone with even a casual interest in any of the subjects mentioned, including the politics of the Washington, DC bureaucracy. To Captain Beach, "Well Done, Sir!"



2. I started reading this book in the evening, and finished it at dawn. What an interesting book! Beach is an excellent storyteller, who clearly loves the US Navy, and the story of his life is intertwined with it. His father also had a storied career, and the tales of Beach growing up, succeeding at Annapolis, submarining against the Japanese in WW II, serving as Eisenhower's naval aide after the war, and then circumnavigating the world underwater is so gripping a story and so well told that I was sorry when I came to the last page. I loved this book!



3. This "memoir" is billed as a sequel to Beach's "The United States Navy: 200 Years" (1986). As such, "Salt and Steel" is a blend of stories from his 27 years in the U.S. Navy, and his views on theories of naval warfare and the application of grand strategy to national defense policy. The book offers some wonderful stories of his father and mother, and their lives together in the U.S. Navy before the 1920s. The story of the first dinner party given by the new wife of the new base commander is just delightful. The reader who is looking for more of the intense submarine stories which brought Beach fame in his novels "Run Silent, Run Deep" (1955), "Dust on the Sea" (1972), and "Cold is the Sea" (1978) will be somewhat disappointed as he does not spent much time telling any new stories from his submarine career. The tale he tells of the fellow officer who blocked Beach's own advancement to the rank of admiral is chilling in that it does not speak well for the Navy that allows such petty jealousy to have so much impact on a man's career. In sum, Beach is a good story teller, and when telling of his own career he does a masterful job. One can only hope that soon we'll have a full biography of both Edward L. Beach, Jr., and his naval officer/novelist father, in whose footsteps the younger Beach has so faithfully followed.

2 comments about Gray Cavalier: The Life and Wars of General William H. F. "Rooney" Lee.

1. This is a well-written biography of a reliable and capable cavalry officer. Rooney Lee was often over-shadowed by the flashier officers of the Army of Northern Virginia cavalry, including his cousin Fitzhugh Lee. However, as becomes evident from the facts of Rooney's career, he was probably a more consistent performer than Fitzhugh and was probably comparable in skill and courage under fire to Wade Hampton. His personal life is one of stoic handling of numerous tragedies. The book is pleasantly written and makes use of contemporary sources and letters, although few of those written by Rooney actually survive. Rooney Lee did not take advantage of his father's position and made his mark on the Confederacy by his ability and personality.



2. This is an excellent biography, carefully researched and documented, of a man of great character. This interesting book thoroughly explores the life of the favorite son of the South's most famous general, admired by all-- both North and South. Must reading by those interested in Southern History and American Cavalry.

2 comments about The Babylon Blog.

1. The Babylon Blog is a wonderful and enlightening account of a Marine Corps Reserve Officer's experiences in Iraq. Hilarious, yet filled with spiritual passion, this former Texas Tech steeplechaser shares the account of his Iraq deployment in a charming and homespun manner. Humbly crediting the frontline "grunts", it's reminiscent of Hawkeye Pierce in a M*A*S*H episode. I read it straight through and wanted it to keep going.



2. This book gives the reader a different, very human and ground level perspective on the War in Iraq. Glen Morris is at times funny and light yet a bit philosophical here and there. I really enjoyed this book.

4 comments about Custer: Cavalier in Buckskin.

1. One of my all-time Custer reference books. This one is referenced and quoted in almost all other books on Custer. So, it must be good. Recommended for anyone researching Custer.



2. With its oversize, ample illustrations, this book serves as the pictorial version (or "movie") version of Utley's classic CAVALIER IN BUCKSKIN that came out in the late 1980s as part of a western biographical series produced by the University of Oklahoma Press. As such, its coverage of the Civil War Custer is somewhat limited but readers can find a more than ample exploration of the Civil War Custer in Jeffrey Wert's fine 1996 Custer biography. As for this edition of Cavalier, a slight revision occurs in the battle section and reflects the influence of Larry Skelenar on Mr. Utley's thinking.
   
   For me personally, it was especially gratifying to have purchased my copy at the Little Bighorn battlefield on June 25, 2001 on the 125th anniversary of the battle. Mr. Utley was there himself, selling and signing this fine coffee table book, with Last Stand Hill as the perfect backdrop. What a great day! What a great book!



3. The master of the western biography has written (and added to the original version) a balanced reporting of the events that happened that day in June. The oversize pages allow for splendid photographic illustrations. All the versions as to what actually took place are presented thoughtfully and a case presented for the most logical conclusion. I had read his later book(s) including "The Lance and the Shield" about Sitting Bull, before discovering this one. It was also very interesting to find out what happened later to some of the people involved.



4. The earlier paperback edition of Cavalier was the first book I read about Custer. At the time I was expecting Utley to take a strong stand as to whether Custer was a brilliant Indian-fighting hero, or an egomaniacal upstart. So I found the objective style and even-handed treatment a little disappointing. However, several years and books later, I have come to see this as the best book on Custer and LBH ever written, mainly because of his refusal to approach the subject with the pre-conceived notions others have.

   Utley neither lauds Custer, nor does he cast blame. He makes it clear that Custer may have been somewhat over-rated in his Indian fighting abilities. Though he allows that he had gained a lot of knowledge of Plains warfare and might have become equal to the likes of Miles or Crook, had he lived. He points out that Custer did ignore the scouts who told him of the great number of warriors present in the camp on LBH. However, he also notes that Custer was not unlike other military leaders of the time in under estimating the fighting abilities of Indians, and therefore did not think that numbers really mattered. While he feels that Reno and Benteen did not support Custer as they could have, he also feels that not enough credit is given to the idea that the Indians merely outfought them all.

   Of course, this was all included in the earlier editions. So the obvious question is, do you need to read the revised edition. This depends on what you're looking for.

   With a few small exceptions the text remains the same. Utley has made a few changes based on later research, especially work by Larry Sklenar, but his overall theories have not changed. Also, for those interested in further reading, he has augmented his list of sources.

   The main difference in the editions is physical. This is definitely "over-sized," fitted better to a coffee table than a bookshelf. And it is filled with illustrations, many of which seem to have been chosen more to improve the lay-out than for their applicability to the text. Take for example the photo of a Buffalo Soldier with the caption, "Custer disapproved of black soldiers...." (p.45) Or the photo of modern-day cadets at West Point captioned, "Cadet Custer had 726 demerits...."(p.22) And, of course, there are more portraits of Custer and renditions of LBH than one would ever dream existed.

   My suggestion would be that, if you're a collector of Custeriana, or simply the type who likes to impress your guests with your choice of books, you might want to purchase this and place it somewhere prominent in your home. Otherwise you'd do just as well to stick with the paperback version.

5 comments about Warriors: Portraits from the Battlefield.

1. The author describes his heroes as human beings, not extraordinary people except for the warrior qualities - sometimes one feels sorry for them, although one got to admire them because of their fighting spirit. Certainly, in this world we need people with different qualities.
   
   Some interesting descriptions of campaigns in this book, too.



2. Mr Hastings was not quite up to the mark of his WWII histories, perhaps because his heart simply wasn't in it. I got the feeling that he was writing at the urging of his publisher to get something in print , although many of his protagonists were indeed interesting, but largely sidebars to the great historical sweeps which he can so aptly cover. I find his conclusion that heroes are largely people whom you might not like somewhat of a stretch, although he indeed did butress his postion with examples, if not even-handedness.



3. With his customary eloquence, Max Hastings prevents the unvarnished tales of war "heroes" from many countries over the past two centuries. A genius for creating a lively scene, he lends verve and striking detail to his narratives and does not spare us the warts of these sometimes deeply unpleasant and troubled individuals. An exciting and informative read.



4. I found myself alternately enthusing over this book and despairing of it. Perhaps the author's most telling observation is that in popular culture, Americans and Europeans are increasingly unable to distinguish between heroism and mere celebrity. In fact, some dictionaries actually define "hero" as someone who is well known. Hastings' heroes are all genuinely heroic, though (as he demonstrates) for varying reasons.
   
   However....his chapter titled "The Killer" (about Edward Rickenbacker) contains so many egregious errors that there's no point cataloging them here. For unfathomable reasons, Hastings accepts a WW I psychologist's report that ace pilots were either "impulsives, paranoids, or psychopaths." Hastings further concludes, "It is fair to say few aces were sympathetic human beings."
   
   I've known perhaps 200 aces from half a dozen countries, and my conclusions vary drastically from Hastings'. Clearly he has no acquaintance of the breed, which contains more than its share of egomaniacs, but that's a long-long way from psychopathic, unsatisfactory humans.
   
   Hastings does well when he sticks to what he knows. Unfortunately, this book demonstrates that he knows nothing about aerial combat.



5. (A historical mystery biography)
   
   Ever wonder how heroes are made? Max Hastings' new book Warriors offers you fifteen individual concise biographies of war heroes from the Napoleonic wars through the Yom Kippur War.
   
   The fourteen men and one women included in this book are the personalities from which Hollywood has drawn hundreds of leading characters over the last seventy years. One man, Audie Murphy, did in fact play himself in the biographical portrayal of his experiences in the Second World War.
   
   Hastings has compiled a list that not all historians may agree with, mostly in the fact that some notable unique personalities have been left out. Those that come to mind would be Charles "Chinese" Gordon of Khartoum fame, Confederate Cavalryman Nathan Bedford Forest and Sergeant Alvin C. York, but then with these men it would be just another historical biography.
   
   In Warriors I was pleasantly surprised to meet characters I knew little about, and to have few resources to expand my knowledge. With few exceptions, Warriors tends to cover English and American heroes. The explanation for this is these people provided insight into their lives by leaving memoirs that provided insight into the events and personal experiences of each person.
   
   I loved how the chapter is titled by the nickname each person acquired during their experiences. It creates a bit of mystery when you open the table of contents, and I will be honest, it enticed me to read the entire book. I was unaware that the subjects were "also know by" these names.
   
   The stories are encapsulated versions of what could have been long drawn out and exceedingly dull biographies (which those of us that love the genre have come to expect). Each chapter provides well-detailed background on that person, where they were born, when they were enlisted and what they did to achieve the status many sought and some thought undeserved.
   
   Hastings hits the highlights in such a way as to prompt continuous page turning. The chapters seem to be relatively the same length--perfect for a person to catch a good short read and be quite satisfied.
   
   Armchair Interviews Says: The perfect book for the warrior, the Armchair warrior, that is.

1 comments about Gustavus Vasa Fox of the Union Navy: A Biography.

1. Written by Ari Hoogenboom (professor of history emeritus, Brooklyn College, City University of New York), Gustavus Vasa Fox of the Union Navy: A Biography is a meticulously researched and presented biography of the man commonly held most responsible for the U.S. Navy's exceptional success in the Civil War. Chapters chronicle Fox's naval service from his debut as a midshipman in 1838, to his participation in the Coast Survey, his captainship of a steamer that traveled from New York to Havana to New Orleans, to his crucial role in the effective blockade of the southern coast during the Civil War. Hoogenboom was personally neither for nor against slavery, but rather dedicated to preserving the Union. As he witnessed the invaluable contribution of black sailors, he became an advocate of freedom and voting rights for African-Americans. He was as skilled in working with politicians and administrators as he was in naval matters, and shared a close working relationship with Abraham Lincoln. A handful of black-and-white diagrams illustrate this detailed and thoughtful study of an exceptional leader and true patriot.

5 comments about First In, Last Out: Stories by The Wild Weasels.

1. Lots of personal Wild Weasel combat action stories about finding and killing the dreaded SAMs--Surface to Air Missile systems introduced and operated by the Soviet and North Vietnamese Armies in 1965 though 1975. The Wild Weasels produced a defensive system that defeated the SAMs by direct confrontation to protect the US Air Force and Navy Air forces attacking the most highly defended targets, ever. Hostile Anti Aircraft Artillery (AAA) and Fighters (MIGs) were losing the air battle over North Vietnam to American attackers. The Soviets saw an opportunity to test and exploit their latest SAMs from the "Cold War" while gaining valuable combat experience. When American Air forces lost four aircraft in a week in 1965, President Johnson started an "Anti-SAM" top priority, top-secret effort that led to the development, testing, training and employment of a dedicated team of "SAM Killers", The Wild Weasels. These stories are personal, mostly unedited, first person narratives and reflections by the Leaders, Pilots, Electronic Warfare Officers (Bears), Engineers and Maintainers and their families who made the defeat of SAMs possible and enhanced survival of the Strike Force leading to the Wild Weasel motto "First in, Last Out".



2. Seemed strange that some of the other famious WW were not included.



3. RETIRED AIR FORCE, VETERANS OF THE VIET NAM CONFLICT. GOTTA' LOVE IT.



4. "I will never forget the date of the third kill. It was on my Mothers birthday 4 March." - This is a compiled collection of war and development stories and variations in writing abilities are to be expected. Repetitions of topics are off course to be expected also. And although none of the story writer is great (but some are decent), you soon get tired of some of them reeling off half the Captains and Majors they've met at one stage or another. - Including where they had been previously. And an absolute low point is reached when one of the authors uses the opportunity to get his mothers birth date in print for the entire world. - Perhaps interesting and entertaining for the magazine in the club, but... I guess some having given the book four stars are personally involved, in one way or another?
   (A minor thing that may not offend anyone but still is weird, is the size: Has never been afraid of a thick book. But this is a mini-telephone book, both in thickness and area. Inconvenient to read, but perhaps it says more about the editing?)



5. The stories were very vivid and put you in the situations. However,there was alot of repetition that this type of writting (individial stories) is prone to. Editing could have prevented those. Also there many mistakes, misspelled words and typos. This all took away from the validity of the stories.
   USAF Pilot, RVN 1966-67

5 comments about The Age of Napoleon (Modern Library Chronicles).

1. This is a good book about Napoleon the man. Alistair Horne is a supreme writer. He covers the good in Napoleon, but balances it with his shortcommings. He illustrates the influence Napoleon had back then and the impact he has on our lives today. This is an excellent book about the complex life of one of history outstanding figures.



2. Horne's pithy little book is certainly not a good introduction to Napoleon the man, general, or emperor, nor a comprehensive history text on France. It is, however, a valuable collection of his most lasting and significant policies, ambitions, whims, excesses, successes, and failures.
   
   Horne writes with the facile hand of an expert in his element, yet this book will certainly prove most valuable to the casual rather than novice or advanced scholar of Napoleonic France. It covers his rise to fame, deceptively humble power-grab, impressive reformist tendencies and initiatives, his staid morality contrasting personal hypocrisy, as well as Napoleon's creation of a new and (at least in theory) merit-based aristocracy, as well as the advent of modern French culture. Colorful episodes featuring his beloved Josephine as well as other flames and vixens are recounted.
   
   This will be a nice addition to a Francophile shelf, but only a sketchy entry text for the curious.



3. For those seeking a biography of the man or his military accomplishments, this book does not fit the bill. Horne focuses on the political, economic, artistic, and scientific accomplishments of Napoleon and the Napoleonic Regime. So this book focuses on an area not covered by most authors. Since Napoleon is a topic that many authors have attempted, Horne focuses on an area not usually written about. Napoleon changed a lot in France, and Horne outlines both his accomplishments (Code of Napoleon for law, and scientific research) and his failures (theater, opera, and literature).
   This is not an easy read, despite its brevity. It is a read that will enlighten a Napoleonic historian. However, the subjects and concepts are more difficult to understand than the
   military victories.



4. Engaging and informative, Horne manages to present his vast knowledge of Napoleon and his age in an almost conversational tone that-while full of rich historical detail-manages to be scholarly, riveting and often quite humorous. For example, in addition to learn about the numerous ways Napoleon's two decade rule transformed Europe, we learn that his wife and Empress Josephine's wardrobe contained 666 winter dresses, 230 summer ones and only two pair of knickers. If one wishes for a direct introduction to Napoleon and his influence, The Age of Napoleon is an excellent place to start.



5. This newest addition to the Modern Library Chronicles series is not a history of Napoleon but a snapshot into this time in France, although by his very nature the man defines the times. For a short biography of Napoleon, take a look at Paul Johnson's slim volume and for a fuller context of Parisian history read Alistair Horne's The Seven Ages of Paris. This book, the Age of Napoleon, is Alistair Horne's examination of one of those particular ages and the man at the centre of it. The book is arranged by topics as opposed to a chronological history so basic familiarty with European history will be an advantage. The author also repeats himself, at times, as the story moves back and forth. But this book will give the reader an idea of these tumultous times and either lead them to further reading about Napoleon the man or work as a refresher to a previously read biography.

2 comments about Bad Days in Basra: My Turbulent Time as Britain's Man in Southern Iraq.

1. This book can usefully be read in conjunction with Rory Stewart's "Prince of the Marshes" for a view of after-invasion events in Southern Iraq, where the British were responsible. Hilary Synnott, the author of this book, was sent to Basra in 2004 to try to create some sort of structure out of the chaos of the civilian reconstruction efforts. His comments are instructive and, unless one lives in a cave, further supports the observation that the United States was clueless in its studied refusal to strongly think about the country's after-war strategy.
   
   Synnott judges the CPA, run by Paul Bremer, as a flawed vehicle for directing reconstruction of Iraq. Late in this book, he observes (Page 246): "With the benefit of hindsight, it may be judged that much of the Coalition's, and hence the CPA's, considerable effort to introduce a lasting and durable political system in Iraq was wasted." Indeed. The Coalition (a term that I think disingenuous, but that's an issue for another day) was a dismal failure. The situation in Iraq only began to improve after an increase in American military force (the Surge) and an increased activism if the Iraqi government. It reminds me of T. E. Lawrence's statement in 1917: "Do not try to do too much with your own hands. Better the Arabs do it tolerably than that you do it perfectly. It is their war, and you are to help them, not to win it for them." American leaders might better have attended to Lawrence of Arabia's views than allowing Bremer to become a viceroy.
   
   As Synnott notes, the entire CPA process broke down. Cashiering technocrats who knew how to keep the Iraqi machinery of government and service delivery going and dismissing the army--creating a pool of dissatisfied Iraqis--can only be described as foolhardy. There were too few resources in the Basra region (comprising four provinces) to really address key issues. Bremer dictated a Baghdad-centric approach to reconstruction, leaving the rest of the country to its own devices.
   
   Synnott actually believes that good was done, certainly in the Basra area. He also realizes that whatever was done was done without adequate support. His concluding few lines are poignant indeed (Page 262): "But the most lasting recollections are positive ones and reflect the stimulus and satisfaction of working closely with highly motivated people, from Iraq and many other countries, including my own, who sincerely wanted to do the best they could in a task which, whatever its appalling and misguided genesis, they felt to be worthwhile."
   
   In the course of the book, Synnott discusses such central issues as the facts on the ground, how he fought to upgrade unbelievably poor facilities, the military-civilian tensions (which were worked out over time), the continuing political dance with local Iraqi leaders, the wretched planning process developed by the CPA, and so on. There are a series of very helpful appendices to provide context, such as a description of the role and purpose of the CPA effort in the South, the CPA vision statement, the CPA organizational chart.
   
   This is a book providing context "on the ground" in the southern part of Iraq in the period of time immediately following the invasion and during the CPA's effort at hegemony. As such, it provides a sense of the inadequate planning, the almost naive assumptions of the invasion, and the heroic work of those in the Coalition trying to retrieve success from the problems caused by the ill thought out after action from the invasion.
   
   All in all, a useful volume to get a sense of the times described by Synnott.



2. President Ford uttered the sentence that sums up Sir Hilary Synnott's absorbing narrative here - 'You can't just go around liberating people'. The tale of what happens if you do that with insufficient forethought, planning, resources, afterthought and sense of reality is told to us by a Foreign Office mandarin who brought to his impossible task dedication, loyalty, mental candour and honesty, and top-level experience as High Commissioner in Pakistan when that nation and India, both now with nuclear arms, faced each other in a tense standoff.
   
   This book is hot off the press, published only this year. It complements Rory Stewart's Prince of the Marshes, but it approaches the story of the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) in southern Iraq from a different angle and tells it in a different manner. Sir Hilary's responsibilities were wider, and his account is not a chronicle. It deals with the issues under subject-headings, and broadly I think it's fair to say that each successive chapter takes a higher-level overview than the last, culminating in the final Summary, the kind of overall assessment that British ambassadors were once expected to provide of their tours of duty. Synnott assesses his own mission as a failure, but by no means as a comprehensive failure. There was no way of being successful under the circumstances. The British army receives considerable commendation from him, but on the civilian side such partial achievements as there were he attributes to specific individuals. As for his own part, he tells us what he did and why with Thucydidean reserve and leaves it to us to judge.
   
   If you are in a hurry, I suppose you could go straight to the Summary, but this book deserves to be read all the way through in the author's sequence, because to a lay reader like me Synnott seems to convey the feel and sense of the posting vividly. His style of writing changes as the material gathers weight, but it is without pretentiousness, indeed I found the volume a page-turner in its clarity and focus. In the early chapters he is not even a particular stickler for the final refinements of syntax or even now and then grammar, and he has some engaging locutions of his own -- 'stood no hope' 'revealing an American accent' 'the light became darker'. What he has in spades is readability throughout, and considering the authority he commands that is a blessing. His final conclusions could not be expected by now to be unique, but they are best read in the light of some of his perceptions along the way, which are illuminating in the extreme. Some of his encounters must have been shattering to him at the time and they are still startling now, but in the bigger picture they are almost anecdotal. He had a standup barney with an Australian whose mantra was 'no subsidies' and who met the point that, after certain farmers had used up what should have been the seed-corn there was liable to be unrest threatening security if they were not given a fresh supply, with the insight that security was not his concern. He cites as his lowest point in the assignment a meeting of the regional heads at which they had been invited by Bremer to submit their reactions to a certain plan. Having so submitted they were then told unceremoniously by Bremer that the plan had been presented in Washington, so that was that. This kind of thing sounds like more than passing detail, except that the Australian turned out to have interests that were financial more than ideological, and that Bremer's plan had been not just presented but rubbished in Washington, so that discussion of it was to that extent academic albeit that Bremer was not coming clean why.
   
   At the next level up are the strategic issues. Blair talked about a 'war' (indeed we all did), but he made no provisions customary for anything known by that term, so what was his concept of the matter really? Gen Sanchez motivated his troops with the devastating insight that the American effort must not fail or the fighting was going to be in High Street USA, and Sir Hilary's palpable contempt for anyone treating his listeners like idiots in this way came over to me all the more loudly for the way he spotlights the statement and leaves it without further comment. Crucial, of course, were the disastrous MBA-style misjudgments of Bremer that produced de-Baathification and disbandment of the army, not to mention the introduction of a market economy to get them standing on their own two feet and all the rest of it. Synnott is fairly laconic about the mentality that could fail to see the likely effect of creating a whole new class of dispossessed, unemployed and armed citizenry who had all the experience there was going of law-enforcement and civic administration. Indeed I should say at some stage that one of the most attractive aspects of his narration is his patrician reluctance to overemphasise the obvious.
   
   Synnott pinpoints lack of resources as his ultimate reason for the failure, and at the time of his assignment I can see his reasons and also understand his statement that armed violence was not the issue in Basra that it was in Baghdad. He does not update these perceptions, and I don't know why not. The well-intentioned strategy of arming the populace against the crooks, gangsters, smugglers and forgers seems in retrospect to have backfired, although it also seems to be what Gen Petraeus is now doing further north, and getting plaudits for in positive-thinking quarters. It could all have doubtless been done better, but what about the overall objective of spreadin' democracy an' freedom in the middle east? Don Quixote rides again, it seems to me, out of Crawford TX. I wanted to hear more about that.
   
   Having opposed this 'war' from day one I actually support Synnott's view that 'liberal interventionism', as in Bosnia, Kosovo and even Afghanistan is here to stay and has to be. However we need to be able to distinguish one case from another and to recognise our own limitations. A complete reassessment of policy is glaringly needed. Jerry, you should be with us at this hour, and I don't mean Jerry Bremer.

5 comments about Medic!: The Story of a Conscientious Objector in the Vietnam War.

1. I have only read two books, in my twenty five years, from cover to cover. Both took nearly two months to complete, I'd read ten minutes at a time, or more.
   
   I had been browsing through Borders, on Saturday evening, looking for Candy Bombers. They didn't have it. While I was faux browsing, waiting for someone to move, something popped out on the shelf. Medic! I work as an EMT in a small town, very rural, area. That had nothing to do with my interest, I just threw it in there. Members of my family had been in every way, for the past 150 years. Literally. They were killed at Five Points, Virginia, in the Civil War; Sainteny, France; and Cambodia. The last, was a feature of a thirty-years later, letter, that made national news. I'm fond of Military history, battlefield medicine, that laid the path for my career today, in Emergency Medical Services.
   
   I'm a picky reader, and I'm critical of authors, their style either grabs me, or pushes me away. I have hundreds of books that I bought, only to use a paragraph, dozens that pushed me away, two that I enjoyed. Thousands in all, enough to have a library, in my home. I'm an author myself, co-author, I've written hundreds of articles and essays, and publish two books. I'm not great, I just have a really good hobby, and I can type.
   
   Nearly ten hours ago, I sat down to finally read my September copy of JEMS. The Journal of Emergency Medical Services. I wasn't comfortable, I looked around, and laid down JEMS. I picked up Medic!, and now it's quarter to three on a Tuesday morning.
   
   I read Medic!, in just under ten hours. Good book, skilled author. I'm posting it to a friend that is stationed over seas in the morning. Good literature must not sit on a shelf, it should be passed on.



2. When I first started reading this book I couldn't put it down and was disappointed that it wasn't very long. Since I finished it, I have reread parts of it because I like them so much. "Medic" is written like a novel (as was mentioned in previous reviews), which makes the book extremely easy to read, since it's more than a list of what the author did. The fact that the book seems like a novel is not a fault. It allows you to get into the book and I don't think that the historical value of the narrative was diminished by it. I got into all of the characters in the book, all of whom were portrayed in good detail. The characters and their plights gave good insight into how war affects those involved emotionally. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to read a good book or who is interested in Vietnam War literature.



3. Ben Sherman was a conscientious objector who nonetheless served in Vietnam as a medic. As a combat medic myself, much of what he retells here is spot on. However, parts of the book seemed a bit contrived, hence the 3 stars.
   
   Sherman's courage is beyond reproach - to go into a combat zone unarmed (even as a medic) takes real stones. The fear, apprehension and constant wondering if he was "good enough" to do right by his soldiers was eerily familiar. His anguish and self-blame at those he could not save speaks volumes about his character. The descriptions of Vietnam and of his experiences in (and out) of combat are vivid. However more than once I couldn't help but think that he was retelling sea-stories or dramatizing - particularly in the epilogue where he retells meeting the family of a fallen comrade. While this may have happened, it seems inplausable and feels as if it were written for emotional impact.
   
   Volumes have been written about Vietnam, many of them memoirs from those who served on the ground. While _Medic!_ offers a new perspective (from that of a CO - conscientious objector), it is not among the better of the lot.



4. Reviewer Mazza (11.15.04) mentions that the book "reads more like a novel than a memoir." Exactly, and that's the problem---which is it? As reviewer Bunch (1.24.06) notes, there are several events that don't ring true. For example, in 1985 the author and a friend visited a deserted Wall at 10 o'clock at night. As he knelt and wept in front of the name of a soldier whose life he had been unable to save in `69, who should appear but that same man's mother and brother (to whom he apparently said nothing). There are many books written by Vietnam vets. Read this one if you aren't troubled by repeated dramatic coincidences.



5. I found the book to be a pretty sharp criticism of the U.S. Army and how it treated its own soldiers. The fact that Sherman was in more danger from his fellow G.I.s than the Viet Cong is very troubling but we hear these stories all the time.