5 comments about Keeping Faith: A Father-Son Story About Love and the United States Marine Corps.

1. I loved this book. If your child (son or daughter) has joined the Marines, it is a must read. This book follows a recruit through boot camp, and the journey that his father takes too. They volunteer, we are drafted.



2. I found the part of the book written by the son to be very interesting.
   I believe he gave a very good insight about the trials of Marine boot camp. I started skipping over the father's part of the book as I did not identify with him. I'm glad I read it.



3. My son joine the USMC early this year and recently graduated. My father was in the USMC as was my brothers and myself! We use to live at Parris Island, SC and I grew up seeing recruit training not only experiencing it. I would recommend this book if you or someone you know is either considering joining or has a son or daughter thinking about it. It does not 'candy coat' the experience. The vendor I purchased it from was quick and very courteous. It arrived in excellent condition and I'll order through them again! [...]



4. I had heard Mr. Schaeffer speak about his book and was anxious to get it for my husband. I am trying to read it now but it just keeps dragging on. He is a much better conversationalist. I am only one-third of the way through and I find myself having a hard time picking it up to finish. Maybe you need to be a military man to enjoy it. Yet again, his interview about the book was terrific!!!



5. First, a disclaimer. I am a retired Naval officer who spent a good amount of his career working with Marine Corps enlisted men. I have an unashamed bias towards the Corps.
   
   This book works at several levels. It shows the growth of a unruly but very bright young man and how he reacts to and comes to understand the hard discipline of an elite combat organization.
   
   The father, a country club liberal, is consoled by his social circle when the son joins the Marines (as an enlisted man, yet) while their children go off to Ivy League schools. The father comes to accept his son's decision, then becomes proud of the choice and what it has led to.
   
   It draws a stark picture of how discipline is instilled in a group of young men and women being trained for the most bitter kind of combat. And it shows the loyalty they develop for the Corps and importantly, towards their fellow Marines. The latter part of the book has several poignant scenes -- aspiring Marines helping a physically weak but dedicated young Puerto Rican boy through the trials of the final week of testing. He had the right stuff, he was one of them and they made sure he succeeded. It shows the tenderness they exhibited to a young, pregnant, unmarried female Marine after she and her boyfriend are separated during training.
   
   Whatever one's feeling towards the military, this shows how pride and discipline are developed and how important they are for a military force.

5 comments about Always Faithful: A Memoir of the Marine Dogs of WWII.

1. This is a really good book. I think it would be even more appreicated by former Marines of this era. They could understand the military jargon and terminolgy a lot better then a lay person could like me. Still, a very good and informative book.



2. Though I had the impression there would be more "action" out of the dogs remembered in this writing, it was still an interesting read for anyone that respects and admires what dogs can do for humans in the line of service. Certainly no regrets with the purchase.



3. This is a wonderful book about dogs. I never knew much about war dogs. I bought this book after reading Paws & Effect: The Healing Power of Dogs. There is a great, funny, heartwarming story in that book about a German Shepherd who was fighting on the Iraqi side. Then an Army sergeant got him and he started fighting for the Americans. It's hilarious, at first he was biting AMericans, then he started protecting them with his life until the Iraqis were trying to kill him. After a lot of work, he was finally brought back to the US and now lives as a pet. That's a great story, similar to some of these stories. I recommend both books.



4. Really a great book for anyone interested in working dogs, particularly, Dobermans amd German Shepherds, and understanding how they served in the military. They were clearly among the unsung heroes of WWII. Hopefully, today's military will recognize the vital role that dogs play in saving and protecting human lives and grant them a well-deserved retirement in good homes stateside after their tour of duty is over.



5. This book is well written. I didn't know Marines could write. (That's a joke, jarhead.) If you are a dog person, you will like this book. I would give it five stars, but I'm saving that for 'Life and Fate'.

No comments about Gunbird Driver: A Marine Huey Pilot's War in Vietnam (Blue Jacket Bks).

5 comments about Mustang Ace: Memoirs of a P-51 Fighter Pilot.

1. It seemed to me to be a very true account of how it was back then, and I liked the way he wrote his account.
   
   Rinty



2. One of the most detailed accounts of being a successful ace fighter pilot. Mr Goebel's wartime experiences again show us all what sacrifices our veterans make.



3. We trained together in the FTC but were sent to different Squadrons,
   Wonderful memories!
   
   Woodbine 30



4. In doing research for a book of my own, I have read -- and continue to read -- as many accounts of the air war over Europe as I can, from many perspectives. Mr. Goebel's book, which he was kind enough to personally autograph for me, is not just an amazing, technical account of the details to flying and fighting in what is arguably the most significant fighter plane ever developed, but also tell the story of the American spirit, as an individual, and collectively in the Armed forces, which represented an era that is the foundation of what we enjoy in a free land today. His ability to tell his story, and the story of those around him -- in America's and the world's most pivotal time in history -- is first class reading from a first class author, in addition to his being a first class gentleman and a first class American Ace. Set around the 15th Air Force's 31st. Fighter Group flying out of Italy, 'Mustang Ace' is great reading on every level. It brings both smiles and tears as you get close to real people who won or lost each day by their skill, their courage and crazy luck -- good or bad -- that often made no sense. If you like airplanes, WWII air combat history and personal achievement on a scale few can imagine, then there is nothing better. This is the real deal; an untypical story portrayed with the typical modesty of a real hero, a real Ace, from an elite group of men that have never been fully appreciated for what they did, and how they did it.



5. Helped by fameds historian Eric Hammell, who helpe shape the original manuscript into a cohesive and envolving story, Robert Goebel, an eleven-kill ace in WWII, wrote a very pleasant book, from training in the United States till ace status in Italy and Europe. If you're into fighter pilot biographies, this one will not disappoint. But I dare to say: the best ever written was "THE BIG SHOW", by Pierre Clostermann.

5 comments about In the Hot Zone: One Man, One Year, Twenty Wars.

1. Easy read with an interesting viewpoint that we don't usualy have access to. We are so safe and pampered in the USA, it hurts to know how the rest of the world is forced to live. This book will increase one's knowledge about what's going on in the rest of the world.



2. I first heard of Kevin Sites when he came to give a talk to a journalism class at my school, which I crashed. Because I have heard him speak, I admit that I was predisposed to like his book. What he attempted to do was amazing, and I was very glad to find this book at the airport bookshop while I was waiting for my flight. This book, though billed as "current events" is more of a memoir of his personal experiences in the conflict zones he covers. He gives the basic history of each, but what he does that is more valuable, in my opinion, is give a human face to the conflict. He tells the stories of those affected by these wars: the innocent bystanders, the soldiers, and the victims. I wish he could have given more depth to each but it was a necessary weakness when he was only in each area for a few short weeks.



3. Having lived & worked in some of the places Kevin writes about, I was amazed at his accuracy. Few writers grasp an in-depth understanding so well in such a short period of time.
   
   His title for part VII " My Third-World America: A Wealth of Information, A Poverty of Knowlege" struck a chord with me: I have long been amazed at the average American's lack of knowledge or even basic awareness of the world outside America's borders.
   
   Thank you Kevin for your insight and sacrifice in both your book and the Yahoo! Hot Zone project.
   
   Yahoo!, thank you for your supoort of the Hot Zone: I have now become a fan and investor: as you support an import project, I feel I must support you.



4. This is a tough book to read. Not in the sense that the writing lags or is difficult to comprehend; not in the sense that it isn't engaging and powerful; but purely because it's easy to forget (as Americans) that the world isn't quite as safe and wonderful as we so often innately believe.
   
   After reading this book, I was struck with an immense realization that there's a lot that's wrong in the world. The realization was overwhelming at times, which made me wonder how Sites was able to handle all the different scenarios over just the course of one year. This is the type of book that I'd love to drop in the hands of a post-modern thinker who would argue against absolute truth. You don't believe there's true, absolute evil in the world...tell that to the Colombian land mine victims or the child bride in Afghanistan.
   
   Despite the chilling realizations that this book brings, or perhaps because of it, you should read this book. It will open your eyes to the world and should motivate you to action.



5. Sites' book is just fantastic. He chronicles his experience as an online journalist, giving background information that goes beyond the stories and features on his website.
   
   The most striking thing about the book is its structure: Each chapter is divided up into smaller sections, each quickly digestible and ideal for stopping. This book is great for reading on the bus or at work (you know who you are!)
   
   Sites makes a real effort not to give us "misery porn," and this book self-consciously details this effort. Sites obviously gets emotionally bogged down by the constant scenes of depression and poverty; going back to the structure of the book, each story, or anecdote, can strike you in a different way. While he writes about an amputee's miserable life in one snippet, another snippet describes the joy that same amputee experiences while singing. I think Sites really tries to balance every tear with a smile.
   
   This book also deals -- both implicitly and explicitly -- with issues in journalism and media/communications: ethics, professionalism, the role of media, new teachnologies, etc.
   
   An all-around good read, I don't rate many books this highly.

5 comments about War Letters: Extraordinary Correspondence from American Wars.

1. There are letters from `very' different types of people such as George W. Bush (after he was shot down) and from George McGovern (who was a bomber pilot). I really don't care whose side (politically speaking) the authors of the various letters represent as long as it deals with the stated topic (WAR LETTERS). This is why I only gave the book 3 stars. What in the blue blazes are letters from Helen Keller (who is writing about a friend she once knew who is now in jail for being an American commie) & a letter from the American commie traitor Alger Hiss doing in the book? Neither of these letters even remotely have anything to do with an American War.
   There are other letters which also have very little to do with a U.S. war but I looked over these as they `sort of' and that is a stretch - were leading up to a war. I do not know for sure - but I believe the author is a left of center sort of guy and it comes through in the letters he chose.



2. This book is a great read. It is refeshing to be able to read words, thoughts and dreams from people as they perform such honorable duty overseas. This book is powerful and should be required reading for all, especially Americans.
   
   Some anti-war activist may think it is "pro-war" but it isn't just that. This book reveals personal thoughts and challenges faced by American military personnel in wars from the Civil War until the later conflicts in the 20th century. It is pro-war, anti-war and everything in between.
   
   This book reminds me of the sacrifice that so many make for their country. It is a great tribute for those who have served.



3. i only gave it three stars because many of the stories were more about patriotism than about the war themselves. Of course every book has its bias so its still a useful and moving read when taken with this grain of salt.



4. I received this book as a gift because my family knows I love reading personal histories from those who lived it and "War Letters" seemed perfect for that. I enjoy learning what life was like for the average citizen in an era, whether its someone riding the Erie Canal in 1840, a foot soldier in the American revolution, or a journal from the Civil War.
   
   This is a remarkable book and taken individually there are many, many heart-rending emotional stories that probably need to be read by many people. It does in fact put a personal face on war. Because it is a collection of letters, the book is easily read in short spurts; you don't want (and shouldn't) read this book quickly.
   
   I only gave the book 4 stars because I actually found it hard to read. While the personal letters (the spelling, mannerisms of the authors) help tell their stories, it also keeps the book from developing any flow. Some letters are agonzingly slow to read and understand. I'm certainly not faulting the authors or their stories; but if you're looking for a great, well-written, smooth-flowing story that you can't put down, this isn't it.



5. I actually read a review about this book and gave it as a gift to my sister-in-law who teaches high school history. She LOVES it and told me it was an amazing collection of actual letters. She said all of the teachers that she works with have been borrowing it!!

5 comments about The Highway War: A Marine Company Commander in Iraq.

1. Having served with a Battalion of Marines back in my Naval Service days, I was unable to put down Major Seth Folsom's book on the Highway War. My impression of the Marine Officers with whom I served, their dedication to duty and to their men, left a lasting impression on me. Major Folsom's story reaffirms that admiration. What is so noteworthy is the maturing of a combat Marine who emerged as a competent professional able to meet any challenge under extreme stress and pressure to complete the assigned mission. First to use LAV's in combat, his unit encountered many imponderables and maitenance problems while continuing to move forward in the face of unknown enemy resistence. He never once failed to give credit to his Marines who fought under his command and alongside him. Their desire to stay in touch and close to him after returning from Iraq is evidence of the high regard they have for him. No higher acolade can be give than to have your enlisted troops want to serve with you again as they said in the book. Major Folsom represents the finest we have in the future core of military leaders. We need more of his kind if we are to maintain the freedom we enjoy.



2. I have read the previous comments of others both pro and con. I have known Major Folsom's father for many years. Quite obviously, the acorn fell close to the tree. His father is one of the most outstanding officers with whom I have had the privilege to associate. From reading this book, I feel confident that Major Folsom has inherited all of his father's outstanding qualities.
   
   Two matters were brought to light in reading this excellent documentation of his tour. First, I wish that I had the presence of mind to record a daily record of my tour as a squadron commander in RVN. Second, I commend Major Folsom for his honest evaluation of his accomplishments and his revelation of what he considered his failings.
   
   There are many who can understand the stress of combat because they have been there. The ground troops, perhaps more than any, face the true cruelty of the close-in combat environment. POWs, more than anyone, experience a different type of stress. No one can truly express the stress unless he or she have been there. There are far too many who critique the events without having ever experienced being there. Folsom has.
   
   Major Folsom's forthright analysis of his tour should be required reading for every newly commissioned officer of any branch. Folsom recently departed and is presently in-country on his second tour. I wish him and those men with him God-speed and shall look forward to a critique of this tour. May I add that I would be more than willing to serve with this officer anytime, any place as I have with his father.



3. I couldn't wait to read this book and when I finally got my copy, it wasn't all I thought it would be. Basically you follow the life of a young marine LAV Company Commander during OIF. He comes across many times as a whiner and someone I wouldn't want to work for. I felt sorry for his Marines many times when they had to deal with him and his emotional outbursts. I really saw nothing different from this book than any of the other books like this based on OIF. I could have passed on it.



4. Years ago Marine artist Col Charles Waterhouse drew a cartoon of a grizzled Marine Gunny, complete with cigar, pulling on a Santa outfit as he prepares to entertain young children, as compared to his normal demeanor of an intimidating Gunny. Maj Seth Folsom's book details a similar transformation, as he grows from a nervous young officer facing his first combat to that of a skilled and articulate officer and husband.
   
   A Captain at the time, Folsom is a blunt and honest writer who discusses his fears and concerns of what he is about to encounter in Iraq. The likely-hood is that many Marines and soldiers, both officers and enlisted, can identify with his worry of how he will fare in his first combat: Can he hack it? How well will he perform? Will he make any mistakes that might cost the lives of his Marines? The difference between them and Folsom is his frankness in discussing these concerns.
   
   Folsom uses the story of his role as company commander to tell the story of Delta Company, 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion as they participated in the March 2003 invasion of Iraq. From breaching the berms into Iraq, to watching and waiting as his fellow Marines fought at An-Nasiriyah, to the fighting on the way to Baghdad and beyond, Folsom pulls no punches and spares no feelings in his descriptions of leading 130 Marines into combat. The invasion in March 2003 was the beginning of an unusual war against a non-traditional enemy, and Folsom has to find his balance as an officer when dealing with both his superiors and the Marines under him while learning how to lead Marines in combat. Sand, stink, rain, lack of sanitation, fatigue, grime, and nerves are just some of issues with which he dealt even before he and his men even encountered the enemy. Folsom covers the military actions from 21 March 2003 through the April 2003 capture of Baghdad, and he accurately recounts the stress, excitement, and confusion of those historic days.
   
   With the book written from the notes and recollection of his wartime journal, this is a fascinating memoir revealing are his feelings as he dealt with his Marines, and how he matured as an officer and as a human being. Many readers, especially his fellow officers will find much to critique in his rough and abrasive leadership style, and his dislike of the media is at odds with Marine Corps policy. But it is Folsom's same bluntness that lets him write so revealingly - and perhaps these same readers can use his vignettes as an `after-action report' in order to guide themselves in similar circumstances.
   
   In perhaps a reflection of the asymmetrical nature of this war, Folsom recounts participating in briefings with the generals and colonels leading the invasion, and later singing with his men as they blast rock & roll music at rock concert levels. Perhaps one unexpected bonus of war in the wired age is that we readers can share in our warrior's thoughts and experiences while they are still fresh, and as such, Maj Folsom's book is both an exciting read and highly recommended.



5. You may hate this war and our current President for getting us involved in it, but after reading this book you can only respect and honor those doing the fighting .Folsom's thoughtful leadership and concern for his men, his belief in the Marine Corps and The Mission turned my head around.
   The more liberal you are , the more you need to read this book.

5 comments about At Hell's Gate: A Soldier's Journey from War to Peace.

1. This is a book everyone should read. I totally agree with the writer, that we all know and live in war-situations. You don't have to be a war-veteran to know what war is.
   We have and create our own wars in daily life. It occurs in every situation/relation in which we can't make peace with "the other".
   It occurs in a parent-child relation. Boss-employee. husband-wife. And hey... don't forget the NEIGHBOURS!!
   This is a very insightful and deadly honest story. We will and can all relate to what he's been through, and most important, HOW we can move out of pain and suffering. How we can heal our lives and be peace.
   If someone as wounded as he was, can do it, we all can.
   Love, Peace and Blessings to a Man of Wisdom and Peace, who reaches out to all of us. It's up to us now to heal ourselves.
   One (of many ways) to practise mindfulness is by doing a FREE 10 day Vipassana meditation retreat. Look at dhamma-org. Google for Vipassana and Goenka, there are dozens of centers worldwide.



2. Claude Thomas's At Hell's Gate is the story of a terribly wounded individual (bad childhood, PTSD, alcohol and drug addictions, intimacy problems) trying to find healing for himself. His analysis of his own ill-being, to use a phrase favored by Thomas' mentor, Thich Nhat Hanh, is not only a gripping story. It's also valuable to the rest of us who, like Thomas, are likewise wounded.
   
   Thomas' journey to healing is based on Nhat Hanh's "engaged Buddhism" model. The basic principles of engaged Buddhism are that (1) violence is caused by suffering; (2) suffering is caused by unacknowledged and unhealed interior wounds whose destructive energy manipulates us; (3) mindfulness to those wounds and the way they enslave us is essential to both personal and social liberation from violence; (4) reality is best described in terms of "interbeing," unbreakable connectedness, so that my actions or lack of actions necessarily affect everything; (5) and therefore my own healing contributes to the healing of the world.
   
   Thomas' own breakthrough was attending a weeklong retreat conducted by Nhat Hanh. Since then, Thomas has been ordained a mendicant monk in the Soto Zen tradition, makes regular walking peace pilgrimages across the U.S. and other parts of the world, and regularly ministers to street people and veterans.
   
   This book is well worth reading, especially for someone who has no acquaintance with Thich Nhat Hanh's teachings. The book is sometimes repetitious, although I can't quite figure out if this is deliberate of unintentional on Thomas' part. Moreover, one occasionally senses that Thomas' is still so wrestling with his own demons that his focus is more self- than other-directed.
   
   Still, these are minor caveats, and Thomas' book stands as an eloquent and insightful testament to the deep human yearning for a return to innocence, to healing, to wholeness. As a Zen koan asks, "What did your face look like before you were born?" At the least, it was without wounds.



3. The Vietnam War has produced its share of memoirs but few have the impact that author and veteran Claude Anshin Thomas has in his inspiring book "At Hell's Gate". It is odd in a spiritual way, that he published his book a year after my own autobiography "A Spiritual Warrior's Journey". We both seem to be following different paths to the same destination. He and I were stationed at the same time in Phu Loi South Vietnam in 1966 & 1967. We were both crew-chief/door-gunners on Hueys. He was with the 116th AHC (Assault Helicopter Company) and I was next door to his unit in the 128th AHC. We each saw the same kind of war and combat and shared some of the same actual battles - so this added to my reading experience.
   
   His book - much like my own - is a journey of self-discovery and spiritual evolution. He fights the demons of PTSD upon his return home and tries to medicate and drug his pain. The author shares a life that was filled with great emotional suffering. The key to his book however, and that separates it from so many others, is that this provides some direction for not just veterans but all who are suffering from their own personal wars of life. He gives the reader a look at how he grew and how he found something (Zen ) to help him cope and grow spiritually.
   
   The book can be read in one sitting but it is best if savored over a longer period of time. There is much wisdom within these pages that will help heal and change others. I highly recommend this as a gift to give to any veteran of any war. The book is full of compassion and hope. There are methods for meditation in the back of the book which could give those in need a "road map" to some healing.



4. As a fellow Vietnam Veteran of combat and casualty calls, Thomas' book brings relief through mindfulness.
   Finally, someone explains how focusing on breathing can calm the mind, quell the rage, and convert the destructive energy of anger into an active and productive purpose such as "engaged Buddhism."
   
   "At Hell's Gate" actually opens the gates of hell, my mental home for forty years, and shows me the clear path to peace. I'm gonna walk it and recommend that all victims of trauma and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder join me and follow Claude Anshin Thomas' leadership.
   
   Thank you, Rev. Thomas, for showing me the way.



5. I first read about Claude Thomas on the internet a few years ago. I found his story so strong and powerful. I was glad to finally be able to read this book. This is a very powerful story about the power to heal and transform.
   
   Thomas's experience is proof that even people who have endured the most horrific experiences can come to peace. He is so honest about the horrific experiences in the Vietnam War, his substance abuse and other problems in his life. Through his journey he has learnt how to live with these wounds.
   
   He writes:
   
   "...suffering is not our enemy. It is only through a relationship with my pain, my sadness, that I can reach the other side, that I can truly know and touch the opposite, which is my pleasure, my joy, and my happiness. "
   
   I greatly admire the path that Thomas has walked. He has truly embraced the spirit of Buddhism and the meaning of being a monk, going forth into homelessness. He studied first with Thich Nhat Hanh and then with Roshi Bernie Glassman. The pilgrimages and street retreats that Thomas has done, to me represent one of the finest expressions of engaged Buddhism.
   
   I highly recommend this book as a spiritual biography and a guide to Buddhist practice.

2 comments about Toward the Flame: A Memoir of World War I.

1. Hervey Allen is at his finest in this carefully crafted memoir of his time as a soldier in France. While he is best known as author of the sweeping historical fiction Anthony Adverse, which was a best seller in the 1930s(and later a pretty mediocre movie), he proves in Towards the Flame that he is also able to communicate great depth with an economy of words. This book illuminates that far away time in which young men went off the to fight the Last Great War for reasons that now seem so trivial and also gives a wonderful sense of the French countryside from the perespective of a young soldier. I believe that this book is a hidden treasure of American literature that deserves to be rediscovered.



2. Hervey Allen's memoir is certainly one of the finest personal narratives of World War One, and perhaps the best American memoir of that war. In my opinion, it is a neglected classic. The narrative covers his unit's march from the area around Chateau Thierry in July 1918 to the Fismes/Fismette area in August. The book begins with Allen's unit on an almost bucolic road march through unspoiled French countryside, and ends with its virtual decimation in Fismette. As the title suggests, the closer Allen and his comrades get to Fismette, the more intense the action, until they are literally facing the fire of a German flamenwerfer attack. The story ends abruptly; in a preface to the second edition, Allen compares the ending to a filmstrip burning out suddenly.
   
   Allen, a novelist and poet, was a keen observer; he gives the reader a vivid picture of what it was like to be an AEF soldier in France. Particularly compelling are his descriptions of the shattered homes, farms, and buildings that his unit occupies as it moves forward, and what they tell him about the original French owners, and the Germans who, in some cases, have left the premises just minutes before.

5 comments about One Soldier's War.

1. A disturbing insight into Russia's two wars in Chechyna seen through the eyes of conscript Archady Barachenko. Not short on stomach-churning graphic descriptions of atrocities and the general brutality of this under-reported conflict where the soldiers fear of being killed was only surpassed by their fear of being captured by Chechen rebels. Russian army does not come out of this well either in terms of the abuse it metted out to its own soldiers.
   Not for someone wanting analysis of the campaigns, stategies etc as this is purely focussed on one young soldier's day to day determined efforts to stay alive. Sometimes a difficult read as the translation struggles to convey the desired impact.



2. Lots of stories about Russians soldiers stealing, scrounging for food and brutalizing each other while at the same time accepting that their fate is to die at anytime at the hands of the Chechen rebels. Little about the overall story in Chechnya (1st or 2nd war). But it's quite clear throughout that the Russian soldiers are absolutely terrified of "the Chechens." Although I might be sympethic, this book makes the regular Russian army look pretty bad...
   
   This book could have been very good had a different approach been taken to its purpose and construction.



3. I have been going back and forth to Russia on a regular basis for the last 13 years. I have had the fortune to make the aquaintance of many ex and active Russian soldiers in my wanderings of the regions there. I find this book to be one of extreme exaggeration and an over dramatic amature attempt to shock the reader into a kind of unthinking, stupified, state of horror. While some things are accurate in the big picture such as the conscription of new recruits, the "on the job" training style, atrocities commited by both sides, for the most part this book is making a "grain of sand into a beach". That is a quote of my friend who fought in both Chechen wars. If you want a good but inaccurate, unprofessional biography of someones experience there, this is the book for you. If you want a more, this is not the one. Worst 20 bucks I ever spent, and I'll mark it down to propaganda.



4. It is just a coincidence that I finished reading this sad and terrifying book while at the same day news tell us:
   
   "MOSCOW -- Missiles, tanks and other heavy weaponry rolled through Moscow's Red Square in the annual Victory Day parade Friday. President Dmitry Medvedev said "the true purpose of weapons and military equipment is to give reliable defence of the homeland....We must treat very seriously any attempt to sow racial or religious enmity, foment the ideology of terror and extremism or meddle with other states, particularly any attempt to revise boundaries"
   About three million Second World War veterans are still alive, their pensions are small and many live in poor conditions... Mr. Medvedev's first decree after taking office was to order that all Second World War veterans receive housing by 2010."
   
   So here we have it, full hypocrisy and how it is to be the soldier. "All Quiet on the Western Front" comes to my mind, because "One Soldier's War" is as much terribly shocking, candid, and will testify forever about nonsense of wars, espceially wars against insurgencies and ethnic nations seeking independence.
   Just consider this excerpt, young soldiers' line of thinking:
   "...It would be realy cool if they led Yeltsin and Dundayev out onto the landing strip and let them get struck into each other. Te one who cripples the other wins. We stand around and cheer them on: we cheer our guy and the Chechens cheer theirs. And no war, no corpses. That would be much simpler and more just than this arrangement, where the wrong people do the fighting."
   
   This statement is a pure gold essence, like the whole book, showing how armies serve to fulfill agendas of leaders, politicians and presidents.
   "One Soldier's War" is a must read, it took my breath away from me.. Deeply personal, and well translated, it shows total and terrible demoralization of Russian soldiers during the wars in Chechnya. Although you will not read a lot about merciless fighting and horror of it (this is quite obvious and vivid background of the book), the bulk of the text presents what was happening to the conscripts within their units, death stalking them almost with the same intensity as on the battlefields. Ramifications of such wars are immense and summarized with passion Babchenko. Total disarray of Russian army reflects for sure the state of Russia after USSR collapse in 1991, no doubt. But is it better now? I am not sure.



5. This is a grisly account of the two Chechen wars (1990s and to this day) Mostly this is an account of how the Red Army fights, but there is ample insight into the religious nature of the conflict. The stories of the brutality among fellow members of the Army is astonishing, even among the oficers. The treatment of Russian prisoners, young soldiers utterly unprepared to fight a war, by the Muslim Chechen warriors, is equally astonishing. This was complete savagery. The Red Army has not learned from WW II; they're still just throwing people at the adversary and they're not so amply supplied with bodies anymore. The book is a series of independent vignettes and not in time order, nor clustered together by subject. It is a reporter's notebook.