5 comments about Fighting for the Confederacy: The Personal Recollections of General Edward Porter Alexander.

1. The world owes a great debt of gratitude to Gary W. Gallagher for his efforts in producing this book. Even though I would consider myself a "Private" in the ranks of civil war buffs, I have read dozens of memoirs by Civil War era men and women. None of them moved me the way this book has. At heart, I am a "Union girl", but when I finished reading this book and had to close it, I truly felt like I had lost a friend. E. Porter Alexander was a gifted, candid, and witty writer. His reminiscences are like sitting down with your favorite uncle for an evening of story telling by the fire. This book is a treasure, and is definitely worthy of more than one read.



2. Although Alexander's memoirs weren't written as memoirs as such they provide a good insight into the war as fought by the Army of Northern Virginia. General Alexander held an important position in the Confederate Army and was in a position to see much which was otherwise missed by historians or left out of the memoirs of more senior officers who had reputations to protect after the Civil War was over. A fascinating book!



3. This is a wonderfully engaging memoir, written by E. Porter Alexander, engineer, staff officer, and, as most recall him, the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia's First Corps artillery guru. What sets this book apart is its honest, candid view of events from Alexander's perspective. Not the usual glorification of the cause and its leaders as with many other actors from the Civil War. This book stayed hidden from sight for many years after it was completed; it is a blessing to those who study the Civil War that it came to see the light of day with publication. The Introduction concludes by stating that (page xxiii): "'Fighting for the Confederacy' is a book to be savored, one of those wonderful volumes that is both instructive and pleasurable to read."
   
   One line that exemplifies this, focusing on Lieutenant General Leonidas Pope, a corps commander in the Western Theater's Army of Tennessee, is enchanting. Polk was a bishop in his church and, for some unfathomable reason, had the confidence of President Jefferson Davis and General Braxton Bragg. When Alexander and the troops of General James Longstreet's First Corps joined Bragg's army at Chickamauga, he observed that (page 289): "So all our pious people with one consent & with secret conviction that the Lord would surely favor a bishop turned in & made him a lieut. Gen., which the Lord had not." A sly way of saying that Polk was a disaster as a general (and, indeed, Alexander was accurate in his assessment).
   
   A couple passages that make this volume--and Alexander's method--so refreshing. At the close of his discussion of the battle of Chancellorsville, Alexander notes that Union Commanding General Joseph Hooker lost his courage and will--as did his top commanders. Alexander observes that the Union Army was intact, outnumbered the Confederate force and could have won the battle with better leadership. Then, in a passage extraordinary for a Confederate officer, he says (page 217) "Had it been Grant in command, he would not have dreamed of giving up the fight." This suggests a perspective on the war that many partisans--whether Union or Confederate--never had. Indeed, had the Union Army listened to Generals Meade and Reynolds who were arguing strenuously to counterattack the Confederate forces, the end result might have been a significant Union victory. We'll never know, of course, but Alexander does suggest an alternative history.
   
   Then, Gettysburg. . . . Here is the poignant scene, told from Alexander's perspective, where Longstreet must order Pickett's forces (and others) to advance. But Longstreet fears a disaster, and obviously is in a state of inner turmoil (see pages 254 and following). At one point, it is almost as if he were giving Alexander the task of deciding whether or not the charge takes place. At a later time, Longstreet expresses openly his fear (page 261): "I don't want to make this attack--I believe it will fail--I do not see how it can succeed--I would not make it even now, but that Gen. Lee has ordered & expects it."
   
   So, in the end, this is a wonderful first person description of the war, one of the finest of Civil War memoirs.



4. I have read many books of self accounts of the civil war. This book tops all others in the details and extra touch of personal feelings that where experenced by this brave man and all his fellow soldiers that fought this conflict. If you enjoy accounts of the civil war this book is a must read!!!!!



5. While there may be debate what is the best Civil War memoir overall (many would likely pick Grant's), E.P. Alexander's memoir is easily the best written by a Confederate. The book is candid (he was writing it for his family) and pulls no punches about what it was like to serve for the Confederacy. Alexander also led an interesting career, seeing service in both the Eastern and Western Theaters so that makes the book all the more interesting. I could write pages about how good this book is, how well it is written, and what a page turner it is, but several other reviewers have done that so I'll just say--Go read this book. You won't be disappointed.

2 comments about The Guadalcanal Air War: Col. Jefferson Deblanc's Story.

1. Probably the last Medal of Honor winner of World War II to write his biography, Marine pilot Colonel Jefferson J DeBlanc died in Lafayette, Louisiana in 2007.
   
   This is a fine personal narrative from one of the last of the great generation. DeBlanc was born in 1921 in Lockport, Louisiana, and died in his native Louisiana in 2007. In between he packed several lifetimes. He learned to fly at age 19 at Southwestern Louisiana Institute, now known as the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. He never looked back after the war began, joined the Marines, became a fighter pilot, and was assigned to the Cactus Air Force on Guadalcanal in November 1942 with VMF-112.
   
   On his first combat in his Grumman Wildcat, he and a buddy shot down two Japanese bombers. On his second mission he shot down two fighter planes. He was soon leading the squadron. He soon became an ace with five kills. Later he shot down five Japanese planes the same day he bailed out of his faithful Wildcat, was rescued by Coast Watchers and after adventures, he returned to duty.
   
   Some of the best moments in the book occur long after the war when DeBlanc and friends returned to Guadalcanal and the Solomon Islands to help maintain the battle sights as memorials to those who fought there.
   
   "The Guadalcanal Air War" is a worthwhile addition to any World War II library and a good read to boot.
   
   Richard N. Larsen
   Reviewer



2. I knew the man for 20 years yet didn't know the full story until I read this book. I couln't put it down. I would advise anyone interested in history to read this.
   
   It is great I only wish it had been published while he lived.

5 comments about John Paul Jones: Sailor, Hero, Father of the American Navy.

1. John Paul Jones was a historical figure, but I really did know much about him until reading this very well written story. I gave this book to a number of friends this year as a holiday gift. Jones made two voyages around England during the Revolutionary War sailing ships procured for him from France. There have been modern ships in the Navy named Ranger and Bon Homme Richard, but I did not know until reading this that those were the names of Jones ships during those famous voyages. After reading this you will know the answer to a great quiz show question which is who is the patron, that the ship, Bon Home Richard was named after. I look forward to reading the story that Evan Thomas just released describing American naval heroes of WWII.



2. I have to admit I bought this book because it was in the closeout bin and I got a deal on it. I next have to admit that it sat in a pile of books to read for at least three months before I got around to reading it. But on starting it, I was highly impressed. It's well paced, factual, well researched without being dry and scholarly.
   
   First, I had no idea that his battles were fought off the English and Scottish coasts and that he was considered to be a pirate by the English- I always thought he fought battles off the American coast.
   
   Second, I had no idea that he was so closely tied with Benjamin Franklin, John Adams and the closing stages of the French monarchy- nor that he served under Catherine the Great in helping her to gain a passage through the Black Sea.
   
   Third, the personality of the man, greatly flawed in its insatiable desire for glory and honor, was balanced by an ability to fight-- and to WIN.
   
   America wasn't a third-rate, fourth-rate or even a fifth-rate naval power during her Revolutionary War. America was essentially a "no rate." But Jones gave America victories when most others (with a few notable exception) did not. And he forced the British to bring home more of Her navy to protect home waters.
   
   For those who have read any of the Horatio Hornblower or "Lucky Jack Aubrey" works of fiction, I recommend that they also read this book.
   
   War is mostly waged by ordinary men- with fears, hopes, desires and needs like all of us. However, in every major conflict there a very few, like John Paul Jr., son of an English landscape gardener, who do more than their duty would dicate. For John Paul "Jones" it was his desire to be covered with glory and honor as well as his desire to build a winning AMERICAN Navy that caused him to push himselves and others far beyond the normal limits.
   
   To "Jones", the thoughts of marriage, children, even his health were secondary to these.
   
   I salute Evan Thomas for an excellent work about the father of the American Navy.



3. If you want to understand how the modern navy was born in America this is one of two books you will need. Understanding the mentality that drove our early navy to their few successes is a harrowing story that is told best here. This focuses on our lake fleets as well as our ocean fleets and does so in a very concise manner. The prose is very good and the information is well referenced. Anyone looking for information on the history of American navy will be well served with this book.



4. Don't judge this book by it's cover! (The cover is beautiful...)
   
   I'll begin with the good things in the book. It has a decent overview of Jones' life and accomplishments. A first-time reader about Jones will find the catalog of his daring exploits both interesting and exciting. Evan Thomas's narration of the sea battles and manoeuvers are as thrillingly told as any of O'Brian's or Forester's epics. However, besides the battles, this book doesn't do much but echo the author's malicious conclusions about Jones.
   
   Thomas seems to think that he is writing a Doctoral or Master's thesis and that we, as readers, continually forget what the main point of the book is. Don't be decieved, the author is not a fan of Jones. In striving to be "historically fair", we are faced with a book mainly about Jones's glaring shortcomings. Thomas has made it his goal to make sure we know that every single thing Jones did (from his letters to his heroics) was motivated by his "demon pride" (p. 310). It seems every paragraph begins or ends (sometimes both) with a scathing statement about Jones' lust for glory. Instead of stating the facts in an interesting narrative, we are faced with a continual repitition of Thomas' main thesis: Jones was not a hero, but a vain, glory-seeking upstart who wasn't even a good seaman. Often we get a sense that the thesis is wearing thin and completely falling apart. In order to buttress that, Thomas redundantly restates it lest we forget and start forming our own conclusions. Heaven forbid great men did great things for great reasons!
   
   I have read scores of historical biographies and none have been as vitriolic towards their subject as Thomas is to Jones. Granted, Thomas does an effectual job belittling everyone, but I thought the part of the title "Sailor, Hero, Father of the American Navy" meant he liked Jones. It must have been added by someone else, for it doesn't reflect the author's views.
   
   As I said previously, the book isn't without merit. It's battles are told very well, and the overview of Jones' accomplishments (and failures) are great. However, I would recommend reading another account of Jones that didn't seek to villify him and call it "historical fairness" (or whatever the term for giving more pages to his faults rather than his accomplishments is). If you want your conclusions dictated to you, read this book. If you prefer to draw them yourself, look elsewhere.



5. I am unaware of any hero from the American Revolution who was not flawed in some way, and John Paul Jones is no exception. But as always, the truth of their lives is much more compelling than the mythology of their lives: the actions and quotations invented about them by storytellers, which seemed to be necessary in order to cement their greatness in history (and probably to sell pamphlets and books), have only served to freeze them into short, individual moments of otherwise longer careers and lives.
   
   There is a certain tragic sadness about the life of John Paul Jones, and Evan Thomas captures that sadness in this excellent biography. Jones was a man who, without a doubt, possessed a brilliance of naval tactics--tactics that provided the American cause with tangible cachet at its darkest hour--but a man who could never quite claim membership in the rarified company of Washington, Jefferson, and Franklin. Jones is the blue-water twin of George Washington: ambitious, dedicated, domineering, persevering, far-seeing, and challenged at every turn by lesser men, but the ducks of fate would never quite line up in his favor to boost his confidence beyond the flaws of his personality.
   
   Evan Thomas' telling of Jones' story makes no apologies, spares no remonstrance. Thomas describes Jones through manic highs and lows, with revelations that can cause the reader to wince at Jones' more pitiful moments. But then a battle comes and Jones stands boldly, for honor not for gold, and sets aside his demons for a greater cause. Jones recognized his flaws and wrestled with them throughout his life. If anything, this struggle makes Jones greater--fully human and fighting to rise above his faults.
   
   Aficionados of 18th century naval literature will appreciate Thomas' descriptions of the battles. Neophytes will appreciate Thomas' use of modern language and the glossary of 18th century naval terms in the back of the book.

2 comments about No Picnic on Mount Kenya: A Daring Escape, A Perilous Climb.

1. An extremely well-written book, especially considering the author was not writing in his native language. A crazy idea about climbing a mountain by 3 novices; crazier still under the circumstances of escaping from a POW camp with the intention of returning. I bought the book after having read the story in National Geographic "Adventure" of 2 experienced & well-outfitted mountaineers who re-traced their steps. The original is better!



2. An entertaining story. It's hard to imagine escaping from an interment camp simply to climb a mountain, planning to return to camp afterwards! And it is even harder to imagine planning such a climb with the sparse resources available.

5 comments about Six Minutes to Freedom.

1. Almost from the first time I heard about Kurt Muse I felt that there was something missing in this story. Seeing him on television, watching a documentary about him, and reading this book, I felt that he was being disingenuous in his telling of it.
   If you see what the American government spent and risked to get him back, it's pretty obvious that he was a much bigger player than how he portrays himself.
   Compare the treatment of Kurt Muse against that of Tom Bleming, another American captured by Noriega (and told in his book, "Panama: Echoes from a revolution"). Beaten, starved, tortured, threatened daily with death, Bleming's incarceration contrasts so sharply with the treatment of Muse that you have to wonder if the fix was in.
   Bleming was captured by the very same people who grabbed up Muse, yet Bleming receives no mention by Muse, even though their times in captivity overlap.
   
   I've always felt that Kurt Muse was a C.I. A. agent, or at the very least, a contract employee. I know that he's gone to great lengths to deny it, but it's still there, like a bad odor in an elevator. You just can't get away from it.
   
   Bleming appears to have handled his captivity much better than Muse, and walked out under his own power. After Panama, he involved himself in other adventures, his latest being a guerrilla in Burma with the KNLA. He even wrote a book about that, "War in Karen Country".
   
   If I were to go off somewhere and involve myself in other peoples problems, i have to say that Bleming would be my first choice of companions, and Kurt Muse a distant second.



2. This is a true story of true heroes. Not only is Kurt Muse, the author and subject an authentic hero, the F Team of Delta Force Assaulters that rescued him from certain death at the hands of the dictator Noriega are authentic as well. Muse fought the dictator with creativity, wit and humor. F Team fought him with bullets and grenades.
   
   A measure of the man Muse is that on the anniversary of his rescue he calls each of his 23 rescuers on the anniversary of his liberation, to thank them and to update them on the life and family of the man they saved. A measure of the Delta operators is that even those gravely wounded returned to the service of our Nation.
   
   This is a political thriller with a difference: the story is true; only the names have been changed to protect the victorious from the revenge of the defeated. I have had the privilege to meet one of the Delta operators that participated in the raid on Modelo Prison; no finer friend can you have, no fiercer enemy if you're an enemy of our Nation.
   
   Read this book for insight into real people at the center of one of the geopolitical events of our time. It's not just history, it's humanity.



3. This book made me relive the fear and the anxiety most Panamanians experienced under Manuel Noriega's dictatorship.
   I believe that the book exagerates somewhat on the overall role that Kurt Muse played in the huge movement to get rid of the military regime, but the only clear error I found (very small if one considers the length of the book) is that Dr. Hugo Spadafora, who was horribly tortured and beheaded by Noriega's orders, had not previously been an anti-Sandinista guerrilla, as indicated in the book, but an anti-Somoza guerrilla.
   Another detail that I interpret differently is that I think that the permanent guard soldier who was ordered to kill Kurt Muse if an American invasion took place had just gone to the restroom when the rescue mission started, which I think was an answer to all the prayers for Kurt's life.



4. I had seen this book once in a book store and passed it up. From reading the description and review on [...] I decided to buy it. The book was well written and very informative. I knew of the incident, Operation Urgent Fury and the rescue of Muse, but knew very few details. My attention was held until the very end. Although somewhat limited or shrouded I especially enjoyed th details of the rescue and the rescuers. This is one of those books that just make you proud to be an American.



5. I rate this book right up there with my favorites "Endurance", "Touching The Void" and "Blackhawlk Down". I had a tough time putting this book down. Kurt Muse is one strong willed indivdual.
   Edmund Burke said it best with "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing"

5 comments about Devil at My Heels: A Heroic Olympian's Astonishing Story of Survival as a Japanese POW in World War II.

1. This tale reads like Candide or Forest Gump, but of course this isn't fiction. The life of Louis Zamperini is, in a word, incredible; it's no wonder that they know as the Greatest Generation. Anyone who is interested in WWII, military service, or survival tales will enjoy this story. This is a must read!



2. This book has no plot and constantly repeats itself. He alo takes much of the time to promote the books of his other POW friends. The only touching pat of the book is one passge that lasts about a page. DON'T READ!!! I had to read it for a histroy class, but I had such a hard time staying focused on such a bad book!



3. Having received this book as a Christams gift from a buddy of mine , it is an absolutelly astonishing and wonderful read!
   A great story of a one of what we now call "The Greatest Generation".
   My buddy was a member of the Experimental Aircraft Association's crew that travels with a world war two bomber called FUDDY DUDDY, and while at Van Nuys California airport , he met Louis Zamperini personally and told me Mr Zamperini just kind of "hung out" with the FUDDY DUDDY crew in April 2005 for about three days and shared his stories with them.
   So my buddy bought two copies from Louis Zamperini and asked him to autograph them, so I received mine for Christmas 2005.
   What a great story and hope someday I can meet Louis Zamperini!
   He is truly an American Hero!
   
   This review written by
   Edward DeBolt
   Grabill, Indiana



4. What More can be said or added to the astonishing account of survival by Louis Zamperini. After enduring forty-seven days in a life raft, being shot down in the middle of the Pacific, he prevailed for two more years as a POW in a Japanese prison camp.
   Following his release and being welcomed home as a war hero, Zamperini sank into despair and heavy drinking,only to be rescued from the depths of hopelessness through the ministry of the great evangelist Billy Graham.
   His story is at once extraordinary and inspiring-a powerful testimony to the stalwartness of the human spirit, particularly in light of the fact that upon revisiting the site of his tortuous existence he found it in his heart to forgive his brutal captors.
   Even if one is only remotely inclined to revisit events that occurred surrounding US POW's in the Pacific during WWII,the reader will find this narrative the best of the best. This reader salutes you, Louis, and others like you for reminding us that the "greatest generation" continues to illuminate and enkindle.



5. As you can see from the other reviews, Zamperini's story is absolutely amazing. The book is worth reading to hear it. Still, I couldn't rate the book very highly because it never really felt like Zamperini was the one doing the talking. I guess you'll get that feeling in almost any ghosted autobiography (except maybe Lance's "It's Not About the Bike"), but when Zamperini talks about some of his less-credible emotions, such as his absolute graciousness in defeat when he lost a race to Norman Bright, or his complete forgiveness for the guard, "The Bird", who sadistically tortured him in POW camps, I would find those much easier to believe if I knew I was getting it straight from Zamperini, rather than channeled through a professional writer who makes sure everything is pretty and organized.
   
   There's a lot of great things about this book. As far as I can tell, it pulls no punches and tells the truth. Zamperini is not afraid to speak his mind. He admits his faults. He shares his innermost thoughts. The book paints a very real picture of a man. Even if the book had an ulterior motive, Zamperini goes about spreading his message in a very non-threatening way. I'm an atheist and I don't forsee that changing in the near future, but unlike most proselytizing, this book managed not to tick me off.
   
   With the straightforward manner of storytelling and the "don't mess up your life like I almost did... you can get back on the right track" message, the best audience for the book is probably 14-year olds.

5 comments about Napoleon Bonaparte: A Life.

1. THis is a truly bad biography of a seemingly masochistic writer who strongly dislikes his subject. The author suggests to be more diligent with sources, thus justifying his particularly negative view of Napoleon. However, even from the citations he inserts into the text, it may be gleaned that these sources are far from giving an objective view. Occasionally it is quite unclear when the statements were given - in particular in the case of Bourrienne, this is interesting: Bourrienne tried very hard to obtain the approval of the new masters after Napoleon's downfall, and he had a clear personal interest in speaking badly of Napoleon. This is clearly different from an immediate, unbiased first-hand accord of circumstances from within a given situation. Schom nonetheless tries to convince his readers that these statements are without guile and given without a particular aim - while they were often given much later out of memory, with the clear aim in mind to debase the fallen emperor, and to cleanse himself, Bourrienne, from any negative role he may have played. This use of sources can by no means qualify as diligent, in spite of all the allegedly well-researched details.



2. This is a sweeping, almost lush, detailed and comprehensive story of one of the greatest Military and political leaders and thinkers of world history, told with great skill, sensitivity but without sentimentality and without pulling any punches: We get to see Napoleon in the raw, warts and all. One gets the impression that Mr. Schom has lost his taste for the heroic image of Napoleon and has replaced it with a more realistic one based on "deeply honed" research into his life.
   
   Nowhere have I ever seen such an ambitious project pulled off so well. It covers Napoleon's life from cradle to grave. It covers his thinking during all of his various military campaigns, the military triumphs and the strategic and tactical failures. It covers Napoleon's brooding reaction to his mistakes and his elation to his foreordained victories. It covers the conflicts and romps with all of his wives and his many female consorts. It covers the feuds with his family and with his general staff, his personality flaws and his lack of sensitivity to his soldiers and to the great harm his campaigns did to the peoples of the lands he conquered. We get a front row seat into the mind and the actions of one of the foremost heroes of Western History.
   
   Altogether this is a thoroughly engrossing although not the most balanced book; yet it will endure. There may be better books "out there" on Napoleon, but I doubt if there are any as complete as this one. We must be grateful to Alan Schom for the prodigious effort exerted to produce this masterpiece of a tome. It is the one book on Napoleon that is a must read. Five Stars and Amen.



3. Do I think that books critical of Napoleon are of absolutely no value? Not at all, but any author who writes such a book should at least present all of the facts, and not just give the half of the story that supports his thesis. Alan Schom definitely distorts the facts and stacks the deck in favor of his biases.
   The most glaring example is his treatment of the battle of Austerlitz, where Napoleon demolished the combined armies of Austria and Russia. Schom gleefully tells us how Napoleon instructed his troops to take no Russian prisoners-to kill every Russian in their path. "Seldom had Napoleon shown himself to be so vicious," says Schom.
   As anyone who has read anything about Austerlitz knows, in the earlier battles of the Austerlitz campaign, the advancing French had been fired upon from behind by wounded Russians; it was actually a quite common occurrence. Napoleon's order was thus not motivelessly malignant; he simply was sick and tired of seeing his troops shot in the back. Schom not only fails to give us this background information;he also fails to mention the thousands of Austrian prisoners taken in the battle. Napoleon had no reason to order the execution of wounded and captured Austrians since they didn't shoot his men in the back!
   Schom also posits, without offering any evidence, that Napoleon murdered Admiral Villeneuve(who actually committed suicide after being defeated at Trafalgar) and Marshal Berthier(accidental fall from a window). He takes the very complex individual who was Napoleon and turns him into a one dimensional cartoon character. Napoleon was much closer to being an early nineteenth century enlightened despot than the twentieth century genocidal dictator Schom portrays him as.
   The only thing that saves this book from being a one star waste of ink and paper is Schom's ability as a writer. If you've never read anything about Napoleon, then I suggest you balance this book with the more favorable biography by Vincent Cronin.



4. Alan Schom is very vocal in praising Napoleon as military tactician. He finds him audacious and personally brave, though often quite lucky. There is absolutely nothing else positive to say about him and he says alot. There frankly isn't too much positive one can say about Napoleon but what makes Schom's book unique is the vitriolic attack on his personality, detailing several obscure episodes that expose him as an awkward seducer of his friends' wives, a cheater of parlour games with a boorish social sense. He includes a medical appendix where he amateurishly argues that Napoleon was psychotic. Brutal megalomaniac? OK, but incapable of feeling genuine love or remorse with no friendships? Schom's accounts of his tolerance of duplicitous subordinates, his wife's lover, love for Josephine and Duroc and many others-belies his own assertions of psychosis. His coverage of military matters is decent, but better realized in the work of specialized accounts like Chandlers' and Eltings'.



5. This is a very readable book, for which I give the author, Schom, some credit. His writing style is somewhat crude but he advances the narrative at a brisk pace, which keeps the reader interested. I managed to read all 800 pages in three weeks.
   
   However, I ultimately came away disappointed. This is about a man for whom huge numbers of people - French and otherwise - were strongly attached to and willing to die for, yet reading this you'd be hard-pressed to understand why. The author, despite his claims of attempting to write as objective a biography as possible, clearly dislikes his subject and portrays him in an extremely harsh light. Some of his criticisms are quite legitimate and should not be glossed over, but others are downright misleading. For instance, Schom repeatedly argues that Napoleon's wars were all of his own making (the words "pointless" and "useless" get used a lot), yet in many cases he went to war only after an act of belligerence on the part of another country. Schom makes a big deal of peace offerings made to Napoleon that he passed up - especially one offered by Britain in 1806 - overlooking the fact that France had signed a number of such treaties since the mid-1790s, only to face war against the same country within a few years. Schom seems to regard all peace initiatives made by France as false and nothing more than respites from fighting, when the same could almost certainly be said of his rivals' initiatives.
   
   Schom also largely glosses over Napoleon's civil accomplishments, both domestic and foreign. Schom flatly states that he undid everything the Revolution accomplished, ignoring the fact that Napoleon upheld the principle of equality before the law and the tax collector - revolutionary ideas for his day - and granted complete freedom of religion for Protestants and Jews. His Civil Code - which still forms the basis of many countries' legal systems - is hardly mentioned at all. And that he abolished serfdom and instituted freedom of religion in his conquered territories is not mentioned. This is disappointing, especially when Schom emphasizes time and again the harsher aspects of his civil rule (mainly taxation and conscription). That all of his enemies, with the possible exception of Britain, were considerably more reactionary politically is not mentioned, either.
   
   In short, this is a legitimately interesting book to read (my only complaint from that standpoint is that the maps could be better), but the author's harsh opinions about his subject cause him to omit important information that would provide the reader with a more balanced view.

5 comments about Soldier: The Life of Colin Powell (Vintage).

1. I don't know what Karen has in mind but this is one book that does not have a table of contents. She seems to want more that readers read this cover to cover of 700 page book than saving reader's time. For someone one who does not respect reader's time, I give a one star review no matter how good the writing is!



2. Reviewed by Laura V. Hilton
   
   Colin L. Powell is probably one of the most admired men in recent American history. A military general and serving a tenure as U.S. Secretary of State, Powell also had a brief run for the White House which he bowed out from early due to threats made to his family.
   
   Soldier takes you on a trip to Powell's Bronx childhood days, as the child of Jamaican immigrants, and follows him as he grows up, enters the military, serving in Desert Storm, and then later serves as Secretary of Sate.
   
   Ms. DeYoung is associate editor at The Washington Post, and this shows in the book. Written in a straightforward, report-the-news style, she introduces us to the man so many of us admired, without a lot of flowery prose. The bad thing is that the whole story is told to us, and as a mostly fiction reader, that mean that I was able to put the book down a lot. That is the only reason I'm giving it 4 stars (out of 5). Otherwise, it was excellently told, very well-written, and very informative, including pages and pages of notes so if you doubted anything the author said and cared to research it, you could find the author's source with ease.
   
   I learned a lot about Colin Powell that I didn't know, and a lot about my country I didn't know--for instance, there is a War College to study war, both how to fight and how to avoid.
   
   The book is flattering to Powell, presenting him as a soldier, forever more, and is comprehensively researched.
   
   Armchair Interviews says: Recommended as excellent biography for students of history and to learn about this much-admired man.



3. Overall, this book is an excellent, informative look into the life of Powell. However, it certainly seems to have a definite slant towards the left in the personal opinions of the author, with opinions on Republican presidents and leaders being less favorable than those of the Democrat leaders. However, those slight tilts are so minute as to possibly be non-existent, but simply a figment of my own imagination.
   
   Overall, excellent reading, and a great source of recent American Historic overview in general.



4. This biography of Colin Powell is very impressive. It details both his career as a serviceman and then as a political appointee for a period totalling almost 50 years.
   
   As a non-American, it is interesting to read a biography of an individual who is both influential in terms of the positions he has held, and a positive role model for many. Colin Powell comes across as a fundamentally decent human being in an environment where power can have a corrosive effect.
   
   I recommend this biography to anyone who wants to know more about Colin Powell and his life and times, as well as to anyone interested in understanding the world events and political influences within which he served the USA.
   
   Jennifer Cameron-Smith



5. One of the best biographies of a political character that I have ever read. There are times where I lose track of who the players are and what a particular politician or officer's title means. Yet, overall I was able to follow what was going on and how it affected our nation. Powell did an excellent job of speaking at the Speaker Series. He was smooth and easy to follow with quips and humorous antidotes throughout the evening. He reminded me of that member of everyone's family who is easy to talk to and one who people are drawn to. That is probably why he has been such a great leader of our generation.

No comments about The Last of Combat B-17 Drivers.

5 comments about Undertones of War.

1. "A pleasant summer-evening read"? So says a negative reviewer. Huh?
   
   Undertones of War is, with those by Siegfried Sassoon and Robert Graves, one of the best English memoirs of the First World War (John Lucy's 'There's A Devil in the Drum' is by far the best British memoir, and perhaps the best of all time). Blunden is, however, more subtle than they. An intellectual and poet, he portrays himself as a "pastoralist at war," and pays especial regard to the sacreligious impact of war on the countryside--and life. And while his style may not provide the in-your-face appeal so dear to many American readers, it rewards the careful reader with an elegant, insightful view of the meaning of war.
   
   Yet it can also be brutally honest. Who can forget the eyeball on the duckboard?
   
   Read it while listening to Ralph Vaughan Williams' 'Pastoral Symphony' #3, which was composed behind the front lines of WWI. It goes with the book.
   
   I have read hundreds of World War I memoirs. This book remains in my top five. Take your time reading it. Ponder it. You won't be disappointed.



2. The writing is too flowery for what it is about. There are times that it is difficult to imagine that he is in a battlefield of carnage, waste, and mud rather than out on a rambuctious hunting party. He seemed to be somehwat disconnected from the fighting; he rarely mentioned his own emotions or fears and his descriptions of battle are somewhat vague. If you don't reagrd it as a book about WWI and think of it as strictly literature it can be a pleasant summer-evening read.



3. This is a great book. Unlike Seigfried Sasson's "Memoirs of George Sherston" or Robert Graves "Good-Bye to All That" or Vera Brittain's "Testament of Youth", Blunden's book has no non-war introductory chapters. You are simply in the war from the outset of the book. Blunden arrived on the scene - the Western Front - at age 19 in time for the Somme offensive of July 1916. His writing has a poetic sense to it and sometimes the beauty of nature and Blunden's recording of it appear as a wonderful counterpart to the killing and agony going on almost everywhere Blunden happened to be. Although nature doesn't make-up for the horrors of World War I with its poison gas, rat filled trenches, relentless artillery, murderous machine guns and loss of friends and comrades, it is a tribute to Blunden's mind that he could take the time and remind us of the resolute qualities of nature. It also gives us an opportunity to get a sense of what soldiers on that front may have experienced by way of gettting away from the battles and wondering how they still lived. From the Somme offensive - a terrible slaughterhouse in its own right - Blunden is moved to Ypres just in time to be part of the Third Battle of Ypres. In this battle the blunders, the rain, the mud, the death, the confusion are everywhere on display. Fortunately Blunden survived it all and was able to chronicle this sad, sad war in a most poetic manner.



4. I was inspired to read this book by a visit to the Thiepval War Memorial this past Spring.
   
   During World War I, Blunden served as an officer in the Royal Sussex regiment. He fought through the war to its end, serving in the battles of both Ypres and the Somme.
   
   Undertones of War is the memoir which he wrote about that period.
   
   Delicately written and insistent, Undertones of War focuses on both the nostalgia for the countryside left behind and on the deep sorrow of trench warfare. It is a lovely and haunting little memoir. The Penguin edition is bound with a selection of Blunden's poetry. This works well for the overall effect of the book.
   
   Recommended, particularly for those with an interest in World War I or military memoirs.



5. Right up there with Graves' Good-Bye To All That, Undertones takes you right into the trenches of the Western Front. I re-read every few years.