2 comments about Winning My Wings: A Woman Airforce Service Pilot in World War II.

1. This was a wonderful book. I belong to a book club and I like to choose books about women. I was visiting the Museum of Flight in Seattle, Washington several months ago and came across this book. It looked so interesting that I decided to choose it for my book club to read. Everyone LOVED the book and we plan to read more books about the WASPs. You will thoroughly enjoy this book --- I love how a lot of the book is written through letters that Marion Stegeman Hodgson actually wrote to her mother and a man friend, whom she eventually married. The only thing I wish is that the book was LONGER!!! It was one of those books that you can't wait to pick up again!! ENJOY!!



2. Marion has written an excellent insight into the experience of flying. As a fellow pilot, I greatly enjoyed reading about the experiences of Marion and the other women pilots during WWII. The story is filled with joy and tragedy splashed across her story of becoming a military pilot. Just as important as the flying, she relates how she came to marry her husband of over 50 years, Ned Hodgson. This is a wonderful book that anyone interested in flying and the romance of the air should read.

3 comments about Down South: One Tour in Vietnam.

1. I have read a lot of Vietnam war paperbacks. Hardwick did a good job for his first book, and I generally enjoyed the read. However, there are many of these books in the book stores. This is the first one that I have read which takes the point of view of a forward observer for arty. I learned some new perspectives from his point of view. Generally in all these books, America puts its young men (and women) at risk. We need to be careful if these policies are just.
   
   Hardwick came to hate the war. He did some pretty stupid things in the war. One was targeting the farmer with bombs. The farmer and his water buffalo may have been in restricted territory, but that didn't give him the right to drop a bomb on him. Hardwick came to realize the hopelessness of this war. An OK read of the Vietnam War.



2. This is a must read for all individuals. For those of us who did not serve in Viet Nam, this book puts you on the front line. Very well written, I couldn't put the book down.



3. This is the single best book I have read yet of the Marine experience in Viet Nam. Hardwick does an outstanding job of communicating the episodes of sheer terror that punctuated the more routine aspects of his tour. Uncommon valor is described as unremarkable, a refreshing change from the current political diatribe.

4 comments about Calculated Risk: The Extraordinary Life of Jimmy Doolittle-Aviation Pioneer and World War II Hero.

1. This is just another excellent example of why this country has stayed a free democracy for 232 years.



2. I can sum this up in a very short space. This is a well written book that not only gives an insight into General Jimmy Doolittle's contributions to our nation and the world, but also into his family and his wife's contributions on the home front during WWII. As far as I am concerned, no history class should be taught without this book as required reading.



3. This book was purchased for my son who is interested in WWII planes and fliers, and since I was a civilian during WWII and lived through that era, this book was definitely to be read (especially after watching Life and Times on our local KCET station and the granddaughter was interviewed regarding this book). Both of us enjoyed reading the life of this remarkable man and it was a must for his growing library.



4. This book is about the family life of Jimmy Doolittle written by his granddaughter. It's touching in every aspect of what a family goes through over the years. After reading this book you will understand why his biography is titled " I Could Never Be So Lucky Again" by CV Glines, and why he is known as "The Master of Calculated Risk."

5 comments about Man Without A Face.

1. Markus Wolf was definitely a dedicated communist and he chose to spy for his then new "homeland" the so called Deutch Demokratiche Republik, which was neither a republic nor democratic. Perhaps the most subservient of Soviet Satellites, the DDR created the dreaded Stasi which Wolf served as a top officer until his retirement in 1986. Among other things the Stasi trained not only members of the intelligence and armed forces of other communist countries but also helped train international terrorists like "Carlos", Abu Nidal, as well as communist elements in Africa and Latin America, etc. Even though Wolf tries to disassociate himself with the brutal enforcement branch of the Stasi he chose to collaborate with them. However the book is well written and is an interesting story from a master spy, perhaps the most effective and secret of the former Soviet Bloc. In spite of his "professionalism" as a master spy, Wolf belongs to those with the erroneous belief that you can only combat one extreme, in this case nazi-fascism with the other, communism, totally failing to understand that neither works nor will ever and both do nothing but suppress human rights, and all freedoms, causing nothing but ruin to entire countries and their societies with brutality and murder.



2. As a long-time fan of John LeCarré's espionage novels, I was interested in reading Markus Wolf's autobiography. Wolf was rumored to have been the figure that LeCarré based his character, "Karla" -- the chief of the KGB Foreign Directorate -- on in his earlier novels. LeCarré has denied this, but the similarities are striking.
   
   What you won't find in this book is an extended discussion of espionage "tradecraft" or gripping stories about spying operations. What you will find may be a bit more disturbing. Wolf was (he died in 2006)) an unreconstructed Communist, as other reviewers have noted. He remained a true believer in Marxism, even after the collapse of the Berlin Wall and his subsequent trial. What I found most troubling was the last section of the book, his Epilogue. In it, and as a Communist, he looks at capitalism and expresses clear disapproval of any society based solely on money and the accumulation of wealth by the few at the expense of the many. Predictable, you might say. And, he opines that money can have as powerful and as insidious an effect on a society as any form of government. And, that the notion of personal freedom in the West is sometimes used simply as a tool to facilitate business interests. Coming on the heels of Enron, WorldCom and Halliburton, these statements simply can't be dismissed out of hand. One of the chief benefits of democracy is the ability to criticize the government, and, to my mind, there is more than a bit of truth to what he says.
   
   In the main, the book is quite candid and, as I said, more than a little disturbing. Definitely worth reading.



3. Ok, ok, here's more. Wolf was the son of a renowned German playwrite, Fredrich Wolf, so he learned to communicate exceptionally well. His autobiography reflects that. The translator was also exceptionally good; nothing jarred me out of the tale by an obvious mistranslation. Wolf wrote quite frankly about how he was raised a committed Communist, how Communism failed him and his country, how his country failed Communism, and how his country failed, period.
   
   He's rather humorous about how the HVA was established and its early, amateur days. (Note to several reviewers--Wolf was head of the East German foreign intelligence service, not the internal Stasi.) He wrote about unintended consequences, which are quite enlightening, considering how the West blamed the HVA for a number of incidents in which it had no direct involvement. The sections on HVA attempts to influence emerging African nations and on terrorism are very interesting, indeed.
   
   He wrote the book after he was tried by the West German government and the German Supreme Court threw out the conviction, so he was more open than one would have suspected, given all the mystery and myth surrounding him (he was quite amused about that). He did not give away any HVA sources, except several who were already blown before he began writing.
   
   When the wall fell, several of us CI types chatted about what a good idea it would be to have Markus Wolf present briefings on how the HVA cleaned NATO's clock, without asking him to give away sources. What we didn't know was that CIA had approached Wolf about debriefing him, maybe giving him sanctuary in the US (Wolf was about to be indicted by West Germany), and paying him a lot of money. How and why Wolf refused is exactly how and why I thought he would have responded to such an approach.
   
   The book reads almost like a novel, albiet a tad dry in places. I highly recommend it to any CI professional.
   
   I was always impressed with Wolf's professionalism. His autobiography only deepened my respect for an honorable enemy. This book will always be a permanent part of my library.



4. Mr. Wolf wrote a good book. He didn't apologize for his past, while providing detailing information (the most interesting thing, IMHO) about the "mood" of the times. Wolf was - in several ways - a man between two intelligence era, ss his opinion about security and computer shows: he claims having had no security leakage while handling agent files "by hand". But when information technology comes ...
   
   This is a dramatic forseeing of what intelligence and information gathering would become in the very next future: a technology-controlled activity, able to collect a huge quantity of information, without anybody out there able to understand it.
   
   Conclusion: as all the book of this genre, information cannot be taken as "holy spell", nevertheless the reading is really a good experience.



5. While Markus Wolf's style is understated and matter of fact, he reveals an extraordinary life and political workings. He is clear about what is not included and why -- some of which the reader would have been eager to see.
   
   This is how he felt and thought and worked. A rare and wonderful glimpse into an honest and intelligent opponent of the US and its allies in the Cold War.

5 comments about Dr. Space: The Life of Wernher von Braun.

1. I found this to be a very interesting book to read. Wernher von Braun is one amazing man and and lived a very different and amazing life. This books gives you a bit of a look inside the man, what made him tick. There are a lot of interviews with people who worked with him or new him. The book is well written and is a must read if you are into the history of the NASA space program.



2. I really enjoyed this book. I worked at ABMA and later NASA during the late 1950's and early 1960's as a student trainee and it was pretty heady stuff for a young guy from South Georgia to be involved with members of Dr. Von Braun's team. Ward provides excellent insights into Dr. von Braun as an individual and his role in the nation's "space race". While at times it comes across as a little " promotional" it's an excellent story and makes one wonder what our space efforts would be like today if had he been chosen as head of NASA



3. Many rocket history buffs will review this book very closely, and be very critical if it doesn't treat every aspect of their personal interests completely. This book will fall short for many, depending on an individual's particular interest niche'. Criticizing this book in such a way is crazy.....it's a fine historical read. If you want in-depth technical descriptions of his works, then research those specifically. Similarly, if you want to dwell on the moral aspects of being a Nazi rocket researcher, then research that on its own. But, on balance, if you want to read about a man who rose to prominance "on the wrong side of the tracks," where his brilliance thrived, and how that transformed the modern era into the space age, then read this book. It's a great book about a great mind.



4. The novel Dr. Space: The Life of Wernher von Braun is written as a biography to show the main events in the life of Dr. von Braun. Although the book does not strictly follow a timeline of his life, it does basically follow the course of his life from his early childhood until his death in 1977. The book highlights his early promise as a musician but then shows how he became fascinated by rockets and the stars through small experiments and a telescope. The book then goes on to show his rise from firing rockets with a group of young enthusiasts to heading the German army's rocket development throughout World War II. After the war, von Braun heads to the United States where he and his team work on all kinds of missiles. All the while, von Braun attempts to convince the American government to allow him to develop a space program. The novel then follows his incredible career as a designer for the rockets that launched the first U.S. satellite into space and also carried the first man to the moon. This story is given added credibility by the fact that the author was a newspaper writer in von Braun's adopted hometown of Huntsville and knew the scientist personally. He writes the novel to share his opinions on the life and work of Wernher von Braun. The book is a good read for anyone with an interest in history and especially for anyone who is fascinated by rocketry. Since von Braun is the father of the American space program and a pioneer in the field of rocketry, this work is a great read for anyone with an interest in science.



5. The old admonish about never judging a book by its cover is very apropos to Dr. Space. The book's jacket touts this biography as a "...rare, balanced study..." of Von Braun's life. Sadly, that isn't the case. Ward clearly states that he had met Von Braun more than once. Those interactions obviously left Ward with favorable impressions of the man, which end up shaping the portrayal of his subject. Von Braun is depicted as an almost super-human being that was loved by most, but despised by a jealous, inferior few who made the end of his life miserable. Even Von Braun's faults, toward which a chapter is dedicated, are depicted not as flaws in character but as mild eccentricities and naughtiness. Yet, Von Braun's career strongly hints that he was a firm believer that (at least professionally) the ends justified the means. A more balanced biography would have the explored this aspect of Von Braun's personality further.
   
   The reader is especially shortchanged in the depiction of Von Braun's technical skills. Von Braun is primarily shown in the workplace as a cheerleader type manager who got the best from his staff. Virtually none of his technical accomplishments are mentioned, leaving the reader to wonder why a good manager would be awarded the National Medal of Science and ranked second on the list of the 100 "Stars of Aerospace". While detailed technical descriptions might be over the head of some readers (after all, most of us aren't rocket scientists), some illustration would have been helpful to appreciate Von Braun's creativity.
   
   With the atrophying of the U.S. space program and the time that's passed since his death, the general public's knowledge and appreciation of Von Braun is sadly fading from memory. A good biography of this rocketry giant would restore the widespread respect that he deserves. Unfortunately, Dr. Space is just a warm up to that more definitive biography which has yet to be written.

5 comments about Sagittarius Rising.

1. This book is well written, interesting to read even if you don't know anything about airplanes, and informative about history of first world war airwar. I think it was worth the money.



2. Mostly, Sagittarius Rising is a "War" book of interest to aviation and history buffs. But, the writing is so interesting and imaginative, readers without deep passion for planes or period are likely to start...and not stop until the last page.
   
   Lewis writes with a rare gift for pictures and even structure. Readers of pleasure will appreciate the work like it were a good meal. Historians, however, may find Sagittarius a little light on details, but the book's credibility and authority seems solid.
   
   If you're reading this review, you obviously have an interest in the arena - Sagittarius Rising is an excellent seat.



3. This account of WWI aviation is a unique version not found in other books from this time period. It gives an inside look into the thoughts and feelings of a combat aviator during the infant days of aerial combat. A must have for any WWI aviation buff. I truely enjoy reading this book.



4. The author covers many different aspects of being an English WW I pilot. He ranges from the limitations of the WW I airplanes (the wings fall off!), rapid tech advancements during the war (machine gun interupter gears), to being young, to the stress of combat, to views on stopping wars, etc. Pleasant read and highly recommended to anyone interested in air warfare in WW I. He does go off on little preachy tangents sometimes, but they are short and fit into the overall book just fine. This is a personal story, so don't expect a broader picture of the war.



5. If you want to read a book which perfectly describes the atmosphere and meaning of flying in the first air war, then this is it.

3 comments about Picture Letters From the Commander in Chief: Letters From Iwo Jima.

1. This unique book offers an amazing insight into the commander of the Iwo Jima's forces mind and experiences. It adds a great deal to both of Clint Eastwood's films! A definite "must read"!



2. The book is a compilation of Kuribayashi's letters home to his children during his military career. It's a very touching glimpse into the heart of a father from another culture who is separated from his children and is trying to have some kind of communication with them. Each letter is illustrated with Kuribayashi's own hand and each provides for the children an illustration of their father's everyday life in a foreign land, taking a stroll, riding in a car, even taking a bath.
   
   Kuribayashi encourages his children to do well and to be good to each other and to listen to their mother. His last letter from Iwo Jima is especially sad as you can tell he expects never to see his family again.



3. LTG Tadamichi Kuribayashi, an officer of the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II, was one of those rare individuals who seem born to become soldiers. Displaying a strong will and unorthodox tactics during the struggle for Iwo Jima in early 1945, he nevertheless was possessed of a rare humility and ingrained honor that made him a highly-respected leader to both his subordinates and enemies.
   
   "Picture Letters from the Commander in Chief" is a very short read. It is simply a collection of LTG Tadamichi Kuribayashi's letters to his family during his time abroad as a young military man and his letters from Iwo Jima island. Reading the actual letters portrayed so movingly in "Letters From Iwo Jima" serves to round out one's understanding of who Kuribayashi was as a man.
   
   There are no insights to his tactics for the Iwo Jima battle and only a small window is opened into his personal views on the Pacific War in one of his last letters from the forsaken island. The rest of them were written and sketched by him for benefit of his wife and children. As his son Taro and later, his infant daughter Takako, were very young when the letters were written oftentimes the subjects were light and focused on Kuribayashi's observations of his time in the United States or anything light-hearted he could report from the dismal island of sulfur that is Iwo Jima.
   
   The letters reveal above all a loving and doting father, who despite enormous distances from his children still cautioned them on discipline. Preparing for the Battle of Iwo Jima, which would cost him his life, he still found time to correct his Tako-chan's grammatical errors in her letters to him and apologized to his wife for not fixing the draft in their kitchen during his last leave. His occasional snipes at his wife for not writing him or for the paucity of packaged herring roe sent to him during his stay in America will elicit a smile from any married man. His love for his wife and children permeate the letters, particularly in his first letter from Iwo Jima, when he instructs his children to grow fast and take care of their mother after his death.
   
   "Picture Letters from the Commander in Chief," if read as an appendix to Kumiko Kakehashi's powerful portrayal of Iwo Jima in "So Sad to Fall in Battle," serves to further deepen an understanding of who Tadamich Kuribayashi was as a man.

5 comments about The Pianist: The Extraordinary True Story of One Man's Survival in Warsaw, 1939-1945.

1. Polish filmaker Roman Polanski who was born and raised in Poland by Catholic parents, was there to see what it was really like, unlike many others who were never there, but make ignorent anti-Polish judgements. It's funny how those who were actually there, like Wladislaw, tell a completely different story that the Hollywood/Media tells. Wladyslaw told the truth. Read the book, and see the movie. Get this book and movie to your schools and libraries - Please. This story has healing qualities that brings people together, and not apart.



2. This book is an incredible story of survival. I have seen the movie also. I would recommend both!



3. One of those amazing stories that makes you realize just how much the human spirit can take, and still survive. And just how inhumane we humans can be towards each other. Once you start reading, you won't be able to put this down.



4. Szpilman reveals the tragedy of Jewish life in Warsaw under the German occupation from 1939-1946. Szpilman's autobiographical work was first published in postwar Poland in 1946 but then quickly removed from circulation by Polish authorities. An accomplished pianist before the war, Szpilman played for Polish Radio during the siege of Warsaw and later within the Jewish ghetto to provide food for his parents and siblings. With the systematic liquidation of Jewish life in Warsaw and separation from his family, Szpilman's life took a series of surprising twists. As the reader views life in the ghetto through the eyes of a survivor, his escape from the ghetto before the Jewish up-rising and his ultimate survival consistently depended upon a timely combination of luck and sympathetic acquaintances B including a German army officer.
   
   Included with Szpilman's memoirs are excerpts from Captain Wilm Hosenfeld's diaries and Wolf Biermann's own brief commentary. Hosenfeld's equating of National Socialism with Stalinist Communist and Biermann's emphasis on Szpilman's willingness to break with his past detracts from the overall quality of this work. Nevertheless, this work is well written and will retain the reader's attention to the end.



5. I could not put down this book, and read it in two sittings. Wladyslaw Szpilman, the famed pianist and composer, describes his harrowing account of life under Nazi terror. As a Polish Jew, Szpilman was considered by the Nazis to be entirely subhuman, and it is a miracle he survived the persistent and random acts of violence that surrounded him. He was nearly sent to a death camp along with his five family members, and somehow was pulled off the Birkenau-bound train to a grim prospect of survival. The images in this book are harrowing, such as the depiction of the shattered skulls of little girls, victims of the Nazis' "preferred" method of killing children by picking them up by their legs and swinging them into a brick wall. Imagine the horror....Szpilman's account is so matter-of-fact at times that you wonder how he survived. The fact that he did is a testament of human endurance, but also the ways of fate. There were occasions when he survived simply by the luck of the draw in a Godless universe.

1 comments about Alfred the Great: Asser's Life of King Alfred & Other Contemporary Sources (Penguin Classics).

1. The author of this book (Asser) was a contemporary of King Alfred's and was brought to Wessex (Alfred's kingdom) in the ninth century as part of Alfred's plan to improve education and culture in Anglo-Saxon England. The text is highly readable and gives students an eyewitness account of Alfred's kingship: military successes and failures (esp. fighting the Vikings), advancement of English culture and education, consolidation of the seven kingdoms, and cultivation of Christian kingship in the Early Middle Ages. This kind of book is especially fun for students to read as it shows us "real history," including things such as Alfred's 20-year fight with some sort of intestinal disorder. We see Alfred as a man, not just an aloof, wooden figure that died long ago. This edition also includes maps, geneological charts of the Carolingian (i.e., "French") kings and the English kings up to Alfred, and a 29-page introduction by Simon Keynes and Michael Lapidge, which provides excellent background on the period in which Alfred and Asser lived. Also included are excerpts from the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, which was begun in Alfred's reign, extracts of Alfred's own writings and translations, and miscellaneous primary sources such as letters, books, and documents of the era. These items make good backgrounding for teachers. When this biography is read together with the Arthurian legend, it helps students to compare the real and the ideal kings of the Middle Ages.

3 comments about Compañero: vida y muerte del Che Guevara.

1. El Che fue sin duda un personaje contradictorio, por un lado el revolucionario idealista, por el otro un frio burocrata manejado por la disciplina. Esta biografia lo describe como el ser humano que era, inclusive sus fallas, que al fin lo condenaron a un tragico fin. Aunque el autor cubre un campo imenso con sus multiples entrevistas y sinumero de referencias, la objetividad sin embargo, resulta en una biografia carente de emocion. Esta es una biografia cientifica, y hace falta un poco de brio para dar vida a un personaje tan lleno de suenos e idealismo.



2. Este libro presenta de forma organizada la vida del Che desde su nacimiento hasta su muerte y la situacion politica,economica familiar que le rodeaba.Va mas alla de la leyenda para ver el hombre y el revolucionario detras de ella.Analiza en una forma objetiva sus pensamientos y su trascendencia despues de su muerte.En fin creo que quien quiera conocer la figura del Che,este es un excelente libro para hacerlo.



3. Explodes the myth of Che Guevara as you thought you knew him, while opening a new level of charisma for those who loved him and his ideals. A must reading for students of the sixties that is a real eyeopener. A believeable biography written with a distinct Latin mindset that will not allow you to put it down. Che Vive!