1 comments about Time at War.

1. Time at War is the autobiographical account of award-winning author Nicholas Mosley's service during World War II. Born in London, Mosley chose to enlist in the military at the age of twenty, to improve the status of his family name while his father was imprisoned by the government as an alleged security risk. Mosley served on the bloody Italian front, was once rescued from death by one of his men, and witnessed the devastation of war firsthand; but it was a war he knew had to be fought, and it kindled a sense of purpose in him that had eluded him during peacetime. A powerful true story about coming of age and learning to define oneself, as surely as it is a no-holds-barred firsthand account of the terrors and challenges of the European Theater of World War II, Time at War is highly recommended.

2 comments about The Fighting Gamecock (Bodie, Idella. Heroes and Heroines of the American Revolution.) (Bodie, Idella. Heroes and Heroines of the American Revolution.).

1. Please read the information under the title, THE REVOLUTIONARY SWAMP FOX, which tells about this book being one of a series. It is for use in elementary and intermediate-school classrooms. Author's note



2. I was disappointed when my book arrived. I was not prepared for a pre-teen book on Thomas Sumter. But, I do think it is a must have for every South Carolinian and Gamecock fan. It is obviously easy reading. Even for a 6 year old. Some facts, but mostly an overview of the man, the myth, the legend.

5 comments about From Basic To Baghdad.

1. I first saw this book at a homeschooling conference two years ago. It was on display at his mother's table (her publishing company was the vendor). At first glance, I thought of course his mom would display this book because it's her son's work, but was it worth the read? This year I finally bought it and my apologies to Maggie for doubting her son's ability to write. I thought this was a wonderful book. I appreciate JB's honesty and the fact that he wasn't writing with an agenda. I especially liked the notes by his mom; a view into a mom's heart, again, without any agenda beyond concern for her son. JB - where's the next book?



2. I liked this book immensely!
   
   You'll enjoy JB taking you on his journey from his first days of basic training up to the war in Iraq. Full of interesting detail without being tedious, this book gives you a fascinating glimpse into the reality of army life. What I enjoyed the most, however, is JB's ever-present sense of humor. It is impossible to read this book without snickering as JB effortlessly pokes fun not only at "the military way" but also his friends and his surroundings--and himself.
   
   Take a look at a soldier's life through the best lens possible--a soldier himself. You'll come away with a new respect and appreciation for the the grit, courage, and perseverance of the fine people in our military.



3. Mr. Hogan's book gives us a perspective on the war quite different than the one the "unbiased" press wants us to have. A great read from a new author, sad, funny and poginant. A must read!



4. I found JB's book a wonderful read. I read my copy while visiting my daughter at Ft. Carson. I had to leave it so that she could read it. I then had to purchase two more copies one for myself and one for my son (who is mentioned in the book). If you really want to know what happened during the war, read this book. You really get to know what it is like to be a soldier. A must read.



5. This is one of the best things I've read in a long time! It was wonderful to watch a JB grow up in this book. It made me laugh and cry!

3 comments about From the Golden Gate to the Black Forest: The Odyssey of a New American in Search of His Parents' Fate.

1. Well-written. Almost a page turner, although the subtitle is misleading. During 90% of the book, the author is not "searching for his parents' fate". He is actually in communication with his parents by mail. At the age of 16 he is adapting to life in a new country, while trying (unsuccessfully) to arrange for the rescue of his parents -- quite an undertaking for a 16-yr old. Good descriptions of his first impressions of San Francisco and his interactions with the people that he meets, as he travels on the trans-Siberia railway and on a Japanese ocean-liner crossing the Pacific.



2. Louis Maier is a holocaust survivor and a very articulate witness of events for which first-hand documentation is scarce. He was a 16 years old Jewish boy in Germany in 1940. His parents had the foresight of applying for his foster home placement in the US. The book starts with his departure from Berlin (and from his parents) and his traveling through Russia (via the Trans-Siberian Railway), to Japan and across the Pacific to San Francisco. A gripping description of life as a foster child in a foreign environment follows.
   His parents, deported from Germany to a camp in the Pyrenees in unoccupied France, kept a frequent correspondence with him until they were sent to Auschwitz in 1942. Their letters constitute the core of the book and are a true, vivid historical document. The book also reports on a very moving series of efforts (extraordinary for a 17 year old immigrant) to attempt to organize their rescue by providing affidavits and travel documents that might have resulted in their release from internment in France and their emigration to the US. These efforts failed.
   Louis Maier later joined the US army and served in Europe at the end of the war and in the immediate post-war period. This part of the book also contains a highly interesting description of conditions in Europe in 1945 (the period described by Primo Levi in "The Truce").
   Louis Maier's book is an exceptional first hand documentation of terrible events and a moving personal account of the heart-breaking efforts of a teenager to rescue his parents. I have read a lot on the holocaust but I found in this book a different perspective and a unique insight on less known events. Highly interesting reading.



3. Louis Maier's book is fascinating in how it presents the view of a teenager and young adult during an event which most of us think of as history. The tensions of the times are brought back to life in this thoughtful memoir. Mr. Maier is able to recapture his feelings from that era with a vividness that makes the war and the holocaust live for us again. The helplessness of a refugee dependent on the goodwill of strangers, but trying to establish himself as an adult and a new American, is poignantly brought forward by this book. His sadness and sense of powerlessness in the face of his parents' terrible internment and subsequent death is a reminder for all of us of the feelings of refugees the world over. This well written book is important documentation of a sad period in our American lives.

No comments about The Khakee Ressalah.

2 comments about Forgotten Valor: The Memoirs, Journals, & Civil War Letters of Orlando B. Willcox (History Book Club Selection).

1. This is truly an enjoyable book. I certainly got a "kick" from his letters. I read two or three of the chapters several times. One thing I noticed about him from his writings was the hidden and totally unintentional secrets he exposed regarding his personality. I think the man was a "saint," because he revealed absolutely no vices or bad habits, as well as he was the ultimate possessor of Victorian manners. I spoke with a friend of mine, who also read the book, and he had the same impression of Willcox that I got. This book will make you appreciate the man once you get to know him more personally. I have quoted Willcox before, in my own writings, gleaned from other books, and from the Official Records, but until I read his personal letters, I never knew who he was. Mr. Scott should be commended for all of his hard work bringing these letters to life.



2. Orlando Willcox's voluminous memoirs, letters, and correspondence are an important, valuable contribution to our understanding of the Civil War. Covering his life in the army from his days at West Point in the 1840's through divisional command in both theaters of the Civil War, this magesterial compilation will interest specialists and buffs alike. Willcox's keen observations and trenchant comments on persons and events are reminiscent of the classic recollections of Charles Wainwright, E.P. Alexander, and Robert McAllister. Robert Garth Scott's judicious editing (footnotes are blessedly placed at the bottom of pages rather than the end of the book) greatly enhances what will instantly become a standard source for anyone seeking a greater knowledge of the American conflict. The price may seem hefty, but it is well worth the cost.

1 comments about The Pirate of Tobruk: A Sailor's Life on the Seven Seas, 1916-1948.

1. Rarely has such a wealth of personal and professional maritime experiences been included in a single memior. Alfred Palmer's swashbuckling life at sea covered the first half of the twentieth century, spanning the ages of sail and steam. He served in the Royal Navy during both world wars, and between the wars he worked for the merchant marine on all manner of commercial vessels - from colliers to passenger liners - across the globe. In this book, which captures the final days of the great sailing ships, he regales readers with extraordinary tales of battlng the forces of man and nature. His countless adventures include being the sole survivor of an explosion at sea, being shipwrecked off the Galapagos Islands, abandoning ship after a U-boat attack, and drifting for days at sea in a lifeboat.
   
   This memior is especially notable for Palmer's firsthand descriptions of dramatic naval engagements from both world wars as well as for his account of the "little wars" along the North African coast in World War II, where the author witnessed the seige of Tobruk. As skipper of the captured Italian schooner Maria Giovanni, he earned his sobriquet, Pirate of Tobruk, running a blockade off the coast of Africa until he was captured by the enemy. A prisoner-of-war from 1941 to 1944, he lost his right arm during one of many escape attempts and was later released thanks to a Red Cross interview. A post in the Far East after the war allowed Palmer a penetrating look into the intrigues of Saigon and Shanghai, which he offers to a reader in the final captivating chapter.
   --- from book's dustjacket

No comments about Maxime Weygand: A Biography of the French General in Two World Wars.

No comments about Hunting Terrorists in the Jungle.

4 comments about Pacific War Marine.

1. I picked up Pacific War Marine by Clyde Holloway as a Father's Day gift for my father-in-law, a World War II veteran. Before I wrapped the book, I started reading it, and I couldn't put it down until I'd finished this engaging true story that is part personal experience, part history, and part love story. Written by the son of Marine who served in the Pacific during World War II, Pacific War Marine tells how one young Marine managed to stayed alive through endless missions in the Pacific and fell in love with a local beauty while on shore leave in New Zealand. Through actual letters and period photos, the reader is transported back to the 1940s. An excellent read--and a great gift for the veteran in your family.



2. This book really made the Pacific ordeal come alive. You feel like you're in the midst of the conflict, with the resultant fear and courage of the young men sent to defend their country. The love story between the principles brings it back to a personal level, reminding us that these young men sacrificed much.



3. This book was written by the son of a World War II marine. What really makes this book special is how the author(son), has incorporated the letters written by his father to his future wife. By using these letters he has given a more balanced view of what a "jarhead" had to go thru from both the Marines combat experience to the homefront war time reality. The use of many photos (including personal photos) and his father's wartime memories makes this more than your typical war book. He has captured his father's experiences and has successfully made them come alive for the reader.



4. That's right. I wrote the book about my father's four years in combat. He was in the "Forgotten Battalion," a unit of over 500 Marines of which only seventeen were left standing at the end. Tulagi and Guadalcanal thinned their ranks, many were cut down at Tarawa, Saipan-- more of the same, ditto Guam, then Iwo Jima decimated them further.
   
   But this book is not just about combat; Stanley Holloway met a young woman in New Zealand and fell in love. The book includes letters written while he was slogging through island invasions and she was worried sick about him.
   
   I've had a lot of people tell me they really enjoyed Pacific War Marine. One of my favorite responses came from a Vietnam veteran Marine. He wrote, "I have read many books of the Pacific Campaign and yours was so personal it made me feel like I was a part of the family... very hard to put down. Have read it twice... good detail. Most books of our 'Heroes' are written in documentary form and really do not tell the story."
   
   There it is, shameless promotion of my own book.