2 comments about Reaper Leader: The Life of Jimmy Flatley.

1. I thought there was going to be a lot more air-to-air combat. Instead, although there was some, it dealt with the career of James Flatley. P.S. I do not live in Rock Hill, SC, any longer but live in Denton, TX. Amazon doesn't take my update seriously.



2. After six decades as a superpower, it may be hard for Americans to remember what a terribly small band of warriors stood between the United States and those wishing to do us harm in 1941.
   The entire Navy then had fewer than a thousand fighter planes, some of them useless in modern combat, and only a cadre of pilots. Fortunately, although the military had been starved of men, machines and money, the American system was flexible, expandable and resilient. Among its few superb leaders was Jimmy Flatley.
   He didn't look intimidating. Overwork and cigarettes kept his weight down to 120 pounds for most of World War II. But he was a thinker, a fighter, a teacher and a leader. When he led his aviators into combat -- his most famous group was the Grim Reapers -- they were a team.
   Though outnumbered, in the early days, by the superbly trained and greatly experienced Japanese aviators, the Americans proved superior overall, in large part because of their political and moral system.
   While the Japanese created difficulties for themselves, the Americans were notable for working their way around difficulties placed in the way by others. In Flatley's career, the notable example was his debate with the other great fighter leader of the Pacific war, Jimmie Thach, over the four-plane or six-plane interceptor division.
   Although the difference may appear to be trivial, aerial combat was a matter of thin advantages, and Thach's idea -- the famous "Thach weave" -- proved vital, especially during the period when the Americans flew slower, less handy planes.
   Flatley initially doubted Thach, but, in what biographer Steve Ewing says was characteristic of his moral courage, once persuaded, he admitted he had been wrong -- very publicly wrong -- and worked to educate the rest of the Navy.
   Flatley was a positive man in every way. He once wrote a friend that he had "some very definite ideas and . . . the confidence of my own convictions."
   He was right more than he was wrong, but his promotion to admiral was delayed because some brass hats thought he talked too much.
   In the early '50s, when the Navy was struggling to adapt to the jet age, it was Flatley who changed the Navy's attitude to aviation safety. As a result, deaths dropped from one every 18 hours to one every 18 weeks.
   Ewing says some other officers considered Flatley had saved naval aviation and that his peacetime safety leadership was even more important than his wartime heroics.
   At every turn, Ewing emphasizes not Flatley's exciting battles but the qualities that allowed Flatley to lead his men successfully through them.
   Flatley's outlook was conventional, a walking version of the Boy Scout oath. He was intelligent but not much of a standout in the classroom, steady, honorable. Nobody ever thought him profound.
   To the public, he was one of the best-known naval aviators, a tireless speaker and writer.
   His career as a publicist portrayed the defects of his virtues. A sort of premature McCarthyite, his frequent lectures on geopolitics were half-baked. Ewing attributes his opinions to "reading prominent newspapers," but he must have picked up many of his ideas from Roman Catholic sermons, more bellicose in those days than what we hear today. Flatley was a Holy Joe, and Ewing says his men, even if not religiously inclined themselves, respected him for his forthright preaching.
   Flatley made an appealing personality -- tireless, a genuine war hero, a faithful and sober family man, he was what the bishops were looking for but didn't get when they adopted Joe McCarthy. There is little doubt that he would have been offered help to a national political career after retirement from the Navy -- which would have placed him on the stage at the height of John Kennedy's popularity -- but the cigarettes caught up with him when he was only 52.
   A gentle man personally, and adopted as a surrogate father by many sailors when he rose to command ranks, Flatley never flinched from the violence of his calling. He was the ultimate professional, at a time when his country needed professionals more than anything else.
   As Ewing says in summing up, "Anyone who knew Jimmy recognized he was always at war."

1 comments about An Unpopular War.

1. An Unpopular War
   
   This interesting book consists of a series of first-person vignettes provided by individuals who had served on the South African side in South Africa's Border Wars in the 70s and 80s. The accounts seem to be in the language and words of those who provided them, save for their translation in some instances from Afrikaans to English. As such, they are provided with no contextual supporting text, except for an appendix of slang words and their meanings. A reader coming into this material for the first time may be puzzled at times but the intention of the editor was clearly to provide an authentic `voice' to the protagonists without any comment or interpretation of her own. The individuals who provided their stories varied from army chefs to helicopter pilots to conscious objectors , and each have a story to tell, sometimes funny, sometimes poignant and sometimes macabre. For this reason the material will be of interest to a broad readership anywhere in the world. Although not an historical account of events at all (for which the reader should seek some other source, such as Wikipedia, or The Silent War by Peter Stiff) the situations and events reported appear to be accurate, and are certainly consistent with other accounts with which I am familiar. A recommended read.

4 comments about Stauffenberg: A Family History, 1905-1944.

1. Aside from being the single man in history to make several (and one very famous) attempts on the life of Adolf Hitler, Claus Von Stauffenberg was a unique guy.
   
   Born in 1907 to Prussian aristocracy, Stauffenberg was playing the cello, reciting Shakespeare, and taking an interest in Catholic theology
   by the age of exactly 12. Had he made a career out of any of these three, his fate would have been less cruel. Claus Von Stauffenberg, though, was a born soldier.
   
   Ultimately becoming a General Staff officer in the German Abwehr, Stauffenberg and his brothers Berthold and Alexander still made considerable time for poet Stefan George, and were part of his "Secret Germany", a quasi-mystical poetic cult of sorts which worshipped George as "Master, and the three brothers were were prophesied by the poet manque as the future leaders of the Fatherland. Goethe, Holderlin, Rilke and Nietzsche were heralded as the predecessors of the movement. The problem with the entire affair was that George was not very talented and his literary salon was composed mostly of teenage boys.
   
   Despite George, the slow but sure rise of the Third Reich (which, like most Germans, Stauffenberg initially welcomed and his inevitable participation in nearly all of Germany's military campaigns, Claus Von Stauffenberg always retained an odd detachment from his surroundings and a sense of self which was very strong.
   
   The sheer wealth and richness of not only Stauffenberg's life, but the life of his wealthy and somewhat sheltered family--his career as a decorated soldier in the Wehrmacht, his prestige as a model, and as head of the General Staff office--makes his brutal death in front of the Bendleerstrasse in Germany a surreal and bizarre turn of events.
   
   Stauffenberg was aware of Germany's imminent defeat, yet as early as 1942 he was making some quit imprudent remarks about the Fuhrer: "In August 1942 Stauffenberg told Major Joachim Kuhn, a close friend, that the treatment of the Jews and other civilians was monstrous, *that Hitler had lied about the cause of the war*, and that he had to be removed. He then shouted: "They are shooting Jews in the masses. These crimes must not be allowed to continue!"
   
   Then in in another outbrust which later got him arrested, news of more atrocities sparked Stauffenberg to scream in front of SS and general staff alike:"Does not one German soldier have the courage to shoot that pig?"
   
   Attempt after attempt failed; Stauffenberg was regularly seen carrying a "remarkably plump briefcase" (as Albert Speer put it) to three different meetings in Hitler's "Wolf's Lair" in Prussia. Once Hitler did not show up: the second time Stauffenberg's incompetent superiors instructed him to not to set the fuse, and the third time the bomb exploded and by sheer chance did not kill Hitler.
   
   Even in the face of the Gestapo's considerable wrath, Stauffenberg did his best to get the coup de'etat to to succeed. In a most fortunate turn of events for Stauffenberg, probably, a General Staff officer involved in the plot turned on the other plotters and had a handful of them, Claus included, shot on the night of July 20, 1944.
   
   Why? Why was such a priviliged and wealthy figure in the German army who would certainly never have been charged with war crimes choose to sacrifice his life, the life of his family and friends, in an attempt so tenuous and fraught with uncertainty?
   
   The answer, I think, lies in Stauffenberg's unbelievable bravery, sense of common decency, and Christian background. Without these things he may indeed have been a terrifying force for the Third Reich. He could no longer stomach what was going on around him. Peter Hoffmann here gives the definitive biography of this heroic man who embodies perhaps the most inspiring example of "what might have been" in history. A must read.



2. "Long live our holy Germany" were the last words of Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg on the night of July 20, 1944. Peter Hoffmann's magnificient book is a salute to the Stauffenberg brothers and most importantly Claus von Stauffenberg. Stauffenberg was the real thing, a man of deep Christian principles and extradionary courage who knew that the future of Germany was more important than his life and the life of his fellow conspirators. He made the ultimate sacrifice so that others could live in freedom. Stauffenberg is not only a hero of Germany, but of anyone on earth who loves freedom and respects the laws of God and humanity. Stauffenberg was Germany's guardian angel, who attempted to save his nation and slay the man he deemed "the antichrist." Doctor Hoffmann paints a wonderful picture of Stauffenberg's early life and military career. He then moves into minute detail of the plot to kill Hitler and the man whom fate had chosen to lead it. Simply a great scholastic achievement.



3. Of the ten or so serious biographies on Stauffenberg, this will stand as the text to refer to for comprehensiveness and objectivity. The prose is clear, the questions of enduring interest are all answered, and the reader meets the man. Unreservedly recommended.



4. Peter Hoffmann's biography of Stauffenberg is the best anyone is likely to write on the subject. The book comprehensively assesses all primary sources hitherto used by Stauffenberg's previous biographers, plus many additional sources which the author himself found. Hoffmann's previous books, among them 'THE HISTORY OF THE GERMAN RESISTANCE, 1933-1945', and 'HITLER'S PERSONAL SECURITY' serve as a foundation to this work which, all told, spans 30 years of scholarly research. As the depth and breadth of this study eclipses any other attempt to date, its conclusions are unassailably judicious. Thus, Hoffmann's 'STAUFFENBERG' has made perhaps the most definitive contribution to the historical field of resistance to the Third Reich.

5 comments about Chief of Station, Congo: Fighting the Cold War in a Hot Zone.

1. This memoir by the man who was CIA station chief at the birth of the modern Congo can spark reactions from repulsion to admiration for the man, his mission, and the many, many less-than-perfect players in the game at the time. Although any such work needs to be read with a grain of salt and full recognizance that the author isn't about to destroy his own reputation, Devlin's book is, I think, an accurate account of the events of the times.
   
   His no-holds-barred discussion of Patrice Lumumba is bound to provoke cries of outrage in many circles, but Devlin is not alone in his assessment of the problems caused by the personal strengths, weaknesses, and ambitions of the martyred Congolese patriot.
   
   I heartily recommend this book for the insights it offers into the wild times leading up to the Mobutu coup.
   
   Dave Donelson, author of Heart of Diamonds: A Novel of Scandal, Love and Death in the Congo



2. This is a great book of how one man can could make a difference in the Cold War. Author Devlin chose to concentrate on his time as the CIA Station Chief in the Congo (now Zaire) in the early and mid 1960s but one suspects that his earlier time as a case officer (in an unstated country) and later as station chief in Laos might be equally enlightening.
   
   Devlin did his job to the best of his ability, acting always in the interest of the United States, and sometimes taking enormous risks with his career in the Agency and even his and his family's personal safety. Unfortunately this is an example of a bygone era, probably never to be repeated since the Agency has become increasingly bureaucratic and bureaupathic over the years. Devlin enjoyed a great deal of latitude and authority, much more than is allowed today, recommending to Langley what should be done (and doing it either before or after approval) rather than to sit and wait on directives. Such behavior is unthinkable today, and as a result the CIA's HUMINT is currently almost non-existent.
   
   Having read the other reviews I was struck by several who criticized Devlin on political grounds, but it was Eisenhower, Kennedy and Johnson and other various people above him who made policy rather than Devlin himself. He was simply extremely effective in carrying out their policies, and for that he should be commended rather than criticized. In addition, the times were much different in the 60s, and the Cold War was threatening to become hot in many locations. The UN was its usual ineffective self, and this book clearly points up the problems of attempting to depend on a toothless tiger to maintain order. Even worse, the UN frequently acts in opposition to American wishes as it did in this book.
   
   American politicians, such as G. Mennon Williams, unknowledgable and dabbling in foreign affairs come off less than effective in Devlin's work, as do many State Department officials.
   
   Devlin's main effort was to forestall Soviet expansion into Africa and the Congo rather than create a democracy in Zaire, and that must be kept in mind. He dealt with the Congolese as they were, not as how he would like them to be (ala Jimmy Carter.) His depictions of personalities, both favorable and unfavorable may offend many, but inconvenient truths are still truths.
   
   Devlin recounts the problems with Patrice Lumumba and the various successor governments until the Mobutu coup and the civil war in the mid 1960s. The CIA was in the thick of it, advising but not controlling the Congolese politicians, and always attempting to keep the Sov Bloc nations out. How Devlin did this, and his successes and failures, make fascinating reading.
   
   His motivation (as he states it) was to keep the cold war from becoming hot by frustrating communist expansionism and influence in non-communist countries.
   
   This is a period piece illuminating the operational CIA at its best working to further American interests and safeguard the US from its enemies. During this period the Agency actively combatted Soviet thrusts on all fronts rather than merely supplying intelligence for actions by others. In many respects the Agency was the US's first line of defense, often acting to make up for ineffective diplomatic initiatives, unknown and unappreciated by the American political establishment and the public. Read how it was done, and they ask yourself if you are willing to do what Devlin did in the future. It will take many Devlins to keep the US secure for our children. A whole lot more action than talk is necessary. Also note that Devlin was on duty 24-7 most of the time rather than 9-5. Like I said, it was a different age.
   
   Buy and read this very well-written and interesting memoir by one who was there. It may be self-serving to some degree, but certainly less than most memoirs, and is worth a read by anyone interested in the CIA or US intelligence. John Le Carre could not have done better.



3. It's worth a read, however, I still felt like he left a lot of the inner workings of a CIA station unremarked. His personal dangers and bravery in the face of them are honorable and America should be grateful we had him to care for things in the Congo during that crucial time. However, I still feel unsatisfied with the book somehow, and it did drag in some places.



4. I was a teacher in the mid 1960s at a Tanzanian school of social science and for adult Tanzanians who were moving into mainly mid level leadership roles in the country. I was sent there by an undergraduate volunteer group from Harvard that looked for funding from various sources, one or two of which were probably conduits for CIA or closely related money, though our understanding of where the money came from was vague then, and still is now as far as I know (and of course we didn't see that where some of the money came from necessarily affected what we did as volunteers). For me, Devlin's book is an interesting fleshing-out of what must have been going on generally in Africa while I was there, to which I and most other volunteers I knew were largely oblivious.
   
   The book certainly bears out that the left in the 60s was correct in being paranoid about the CIA. It's nice to hear now that the CIA didn't actually assassinate Lumumba, but of course the book implies that President Eisenhower and others in high places were most likely also commissioning other assassinations of democratic leaders as well, as they did in Lumumba's case even if the orders were resisted by people at Devlin's level.
   
   Devlin's positive portrait of Mobutu surprised me and makes me want to think again about how we so easily label people like him as monsters because they ultimately end up as dictators, partly thanks to us.
   
   After finishing the book I'm inclined to suspect that the world would not have turned out worse if the socialist countries had gained as much power in the sub-Saharan Africa as the capitalist ones held there throughout the last half of the 20th century. Who knows, but maybe more infrastructure would have survived. And of course, what a much greater headache Africa (like Afghanistan) would have turned out to be for the USSR.



5. This book arrived quicker than I thought. We are planning to move and I thought this book would not make it in time for our move. It came as almost a brand new book and after I read it will ad it to all my books on Africa. Thank you seller for this good looking book!

5 comments about Night of the Silver Stars.

1. "Night of the Silver Stars: The Battle of Lang Vei," by William R. Phillips, is a gripping nonfiction tale of the Vietnam War. The "about the author" section inside the book's back cover notes that Phillips served in the U.S. Marine Corps and is himself a Vietnam veteran. Phillips' sources for this book include interviews with a number of the participants in the battle. Retired general William C. Westmoreland contributed the book's foreword. The book's poetic title is an allusion to one of the United States military's highest decorations for valor in combat.
   
   Lang Vei was a Green Beret outpost that was the object of a major attack in 1968. Phillips strikes a very effective balance of technical details and human elements as he tells the story. The book is full of intense combat scenes. The straightforward, fact-driven style is well matched to the subject matter. Intriguingly, Phillips notes where there are disagreements or ambiguities among his sources, thus reminding us of the difficulty in capturing history on the printed page.
   
   The book is full of revealing details about weapons, vehicles, and tactics. Phillips looks carefully at the complex interlocking aspects of 20th century warfare, including human intelligence, air support, illumination, communications, first aid, and leadership. He vividly captures the "Murphy's Law" aspect of combat, whereby weapons malfunction and other things go unexpectedly wrong. Particularly fascinating is the human complexity of the battlespace in this account; the story involves not only U.S. military from different branches, but also Laotian and ethnic Vietnamese forces, as well as different tribal peoples of Vietnam.
   
   Phillips weaves the personal stories of a number of the battle participants into the overall story. He also goes into detail about the long odyssey faced by the mother of a soldier who was declared MIA in the battle. The text is further enhanced by several pages of photographs and other illustrations, as well as by a bibliography and index. Written with intelligence and compassion, "Night of the Silver Stars" is a fitting tribute to the remarkable heroism shown by the warriors of Lang Vei.



2. This book fortells of the horrors to come of the Marines at Khe Sanh and the courage of the Green Beret detachment stationed Lang Vei to defend their small outpost against overwhelming odds against the first armored assult against Americans in the war. My outlook on not just the guys in spec ops but for all the grunts in the field is that they didnt fight for honor or country they fought for friendship and survival and that is one thing that truly speaks itself in this book. This is one of the best written books on small unit action of the war and will be in my collection forever!!!!



3. I didn't care for this book. Although I have read many account of the Vietnam War, this one just didn't hold my interest. I was barley able to finish it. My opinion is certainly no reflection on the bravery and sacrifice of the men involved. I am talking literally style only. To the pure war enthusiast this book has genuine merit. It tells the story of brave men in combat and honors their memory with respect. We owe them a lot.



4. Contrary to other readers I found the author erred by concentrating on one of the participants at Lang Vei, namely, Lt. Longgrear, who had come so lately to the camp and knew nothing of the background or of the Green Berets involved in the history of the camp.

   Parts of the author's descriptions of certain events contrast sharply with those of the Team Sargeant, William T. Craig, who was not trapped in the Command Bunker but was on the run outside the Bunker, along with several other Green Berets.

   The author digresses repeatedly without making the effort to complete the subject matter thoroughly.

   The book gives the reader only part of the story, however, as so many years have passed, it is no doubt impossible to ascertain what and why this particular event is still such a mystery.




5. A good account of the destruction of a base that should have been evacuated months before, it offered absolutly no tactical advantage. With the Marines holding the key hills with undermanned companies, it would have been impossible to reinforce the outpost without weakening another outpost, perhaps that was the hope of the North Viets. Gen. Westmorland, "the king of blunders", should have pulled the SF team out months before as well as the Marines holding the Khe Sanh and the surrounding hills. Or perhaps reinforced with units of the Air Cav that arrived at LZ Stud soon after the outpost was destroyed. The book is well writtten.

5 comments about Fear Up Harsh: An Army Interrogator's Dark Journey Through Iraq.

1. Anyone wanting to know more about the shadowy world of US interrogations in Iraq and the moral issues that go along with them need to read this book.
   
   The main thrust of this book walks through the gradual escalation of interrogation techniques that Tony Lagouranis and his collegues used in Iraq. As he explains, the changes were natural to the point of being imperceptible. For example, they would hear about how Navy Seals used such and such technique, and assumed it was both acceptible and effective (the Navy Seals know what they're doing right?). Lagouranis ultimately concludes that their heightened techniques do not provide the US any additional intelligence. If anything, their questionable pratices probably result in lower quality intelligence, because those with no knowledge are likely to fabricate answer to stop the pain, while putting himself, the Army, and the US in great moral peril. While Lagouranis wonders whether he himself should be tried for war crimes, we (Americans) should be taking a hard look at what we are asking our soldiers to do on our behalf and whether continuing this war is really the best path.
   
   Another important theme of this book is how the the US military casts its nets very widely in search of intelligence. Lagouranis tells countless stories of how he was assigned to interrogate those who simply had the misfortune of being near the scene of an attack (as he puts it, the wrong place at the wrong time). This practice of bringing in anyone with the slightest chance of having information and treating them like criminals has been completely counter-productive to the the war effort, by providing amunition to islamic extremists in the region and turning those who had not been against us.
   
   + + Other Interesting Topics + +
   
   Lagouranis explains his two reasons for joining the army:
   
   1. the thrill of being in a situation in which you have no control
   2. His deep and long held desire to learn arabic and the armies intensive language training school. As Lagouranis explains, this love began when he studied at a small esoteric school in New Mexico which taught only from primary texts in their original languages. There, he was exposed to Greek and Hebrew, which helped him connect with people from the past in a way that English translations cannot.
   
   This book also discusses Army culture from the inside, and how his left of center politics often made things awkward to say the least.



2. In addition to Tony's comments on torture and torture-lite in general, plus his personal involvement, I appreciate his take on the Army as it entered Iraq and then tried to tamp down the insurgency. (Note: My sister is a 20-year Reservist and former active-duty, so I've heard some stuff about Army politics, dysfunctionality at times, etc, elsewhere.) This is yet another fallout from an all-volunteer military, in my opinion, but that would be the subject for another book by itself.
   
   The third main thing to enjoy is Lagouranis' humanness and degree of self-observation and self-analysis. Add to that the fact he was familiar with things like the Milgram experiment before going to Iraq, and Tony himself almost becomes a live-fire lab experiment on how even good-intentioned people can cut ethical corners, etc., then justify why they're doing that.
   
   In short, Lagouranis' experience shows exactly why we have things such as Geneva Conventions, and why they're so carefully spelled out. Although he doesn't spell it out, the logical conclusion of discussion would be "A Man for All Seasons," where More says, in essence, when you jettison all laws in trying to attack the devil, what do you do when the devil attacks back without being hindered by law?
   
   Sidebar: People who have one-starred this book are the same people Tony pointed out in the Army -- people who won't open their minds, have narrow to very narrow world views, and refuse to be challenged or contradicted.



3. It is unfortunate that Mr Lagouranis left Iraq feeling the way he did. Having served with him I do not recall SPC Lagouranis as a Soldier who "believed in" his mission. His time at Abu Ghraib was very short and did NOT expose him to any of the complaints or stresses in the book. His time in Fallujah, with the Marines, definitely had an impact on him. His claims of brutality and torture are grossly exagerrated. It is incredibly difficult for young men to face war and the horrors it brings and maintain their "normal" behavioral restraints. Leadership is the key to maintaining morality in the face of brutality; SPC Lagouranis witnessed the failure of leadership in Fallujah. The book reads well, but false, in many areas.



4. "Fear Up Harsh" is a military term for interrogation techniques that emphasize overpower threat and fear, but not to violate the Geneva Conventions. "Fear Up Harsh" also refers to a book written by an Army interpreter about his experiences in Iraq - first complying with the military limitations, but soon also including sleep deprivation, prolonged cold exposure, threats from snarling guard dogs, and loud noise. Other units (Navy Seals, Army Special Forces, other government groups) also used water-boarding and physical assaults, per their own admissions and the residual physical evidence.
   
   Lagouranis (the author) arrived in Iraq nine months after "Mission Accomplished" and immediately was posted to Abu Ghraib. Living quarters there consisted of a noisy sea of cots with 6" free space on each side. Escapes were common - many Iraqi workers did not wear badges, and all a prisoner had to do was get out of a cell and change clothes.
   
   Lagouranis encountered non-stop incompetence throughout his Iraq tour - superiors sensitive to covering up evidence of abuse, while lacking experience in intelligence, an incarceration rate about 10X that warranted by realty, and failure to share intelligence from one unit/agency with another. (The most extreme instance of the latter involved aerial surveillance of a former Army outpost that led to a night-time raid on Oil of Ministry staff who had the outpost turned over to them. Worse yet, it took over a week to release those taken into custody, despite ID badges, documenting paperwork, and the ability to corroborate stories with oil ministry headquarters.)
   
   The military's on-going assumption was that any Iraqi thought be be related to someone bad (often misidentified via misunderstanding of Arab naming customs), near an incident (eg. even 200 yards), carrying something suspicious (a motorcycle battery or cell phone) had to know something worth revealing. Regardless of how guilty the person was, the interrogation technique used, or the proximity of interrogation to alleged act, I cannot recall a single instance of Lagouranis learning anything of value. (He also pointed out that he did not know what, if anything, the Seals and Special Forces learned.)
   
   Needless to say, even relatively subdued "Fear Up Harsh" techniques applied to countless innocent civilians, combined with middle of the night Iraqi home searches, has not endeared the U.S. to Muslims. We have become the "bad guys" in their minds.



5. shows the ugly truth of what we are being reduced to by the idiots running this country. Bush lovers beware - this aint for you.

5 comments about One Woman's Army: The Commanding General of Abu Ghraib Tells Her Story.

1. General Janis Karpinski, commander of the U.S. military prison in Iraq, provides her personal account of the corruption and failures in the chain of command that permitted prisoner abuse to occur. She discusses her inexperience in running a prison, lack of disciplined guards, and use of private firms.
   
   Though she spends a bit of the book on the army's preference for male soldiers in combat related arms, the book rings true. You can see how Karpinski and her people had too many responsibilities and too few people. The cover-up lasted for three months and then she contends that the blame was shifted to her. She feels she was the sacrificial lamb because of the fact that she was not regular army and an expendable woman. Yet the army did think she earned a star, so how expandable was she before this incident happened. The book is a fast read.



2. As far as an entertaining read, it was great! I loved the large font, color photos, and of course, the interesting anecdotes. What everyone is forgetting is that we are reviewing the BOOK, not her, or her message. Though personally, I find her to be extraordinary. If you are looking for a light, interesting read, pick this book up. If you started off hating her, you might be blindsighted by your emotions anyway so no amount of information is going to help you. Just don't bother reading it. If, however, you feel neutral about her role in the scandal, by all means, read it, listen to her message, pay attention that she mentions several times her faults in the scandal, and enjoy the fast paced read.



3. ONE WOMAN'S ARMY: THE COMMANDING GENERAL OF ABU GHRAIB TELLS HER STORY considers the events of 2004, offering General Karpinski's first-hand account of not only her command of troops in a combat zone, but her experience of being a commanding female leader in the modern army. From how the scandal destroyed her career to her rise in the ranks, ONE WOMAN'S ARMY is a recommended pick for any female who would understand - or enter - the military.
   
   Diane C. Donovan
   California Bookwatch



4. First the book reads smoothly and quickly, providing a sense of the grit, determination, and personal integrity required to move up the chain of command as a woman in the army. Second, Janis reveals a peak behind the curtain of what is really going on on the ground in Iraq, and the decisions that were made which led us into our current intractable position in the Middle East. It's a sad commentary on our current administration that a woman who led with integrity was set up to take the fall for decisions that were made by General Sanchez and Donald Rumsfeld. Several of the men who made the decisions that led to the torture at Abu Ghraib were given medals for their service while she was stripped of her Commission. Janis Karpinski represents exactly the kind of person we want in our Army (I've actually met her in person and found her to be strong, intelligent, and concerned about the direction our country is heading). This book should be required reading for every citizen who cares about the future credibility of the United States on the world stage. The truth doesn't change and eventually we will come to understand how badly we have treated this brave woman who served her country with honor. More importantly we will understand how badly we have fumbled our responsibilites to the world in our mishandling of Iraq and the problems in the Middle east.



5. She gives a believable insight to the nonchalant attitude of the higher military leaders that continue to this day. Many of us have fell victim to leader's incompetence and quest for promotion and the details she gives are accurate.
   
   Her background is impressive and that alone should have been enough to get her through this deployment without incident. She knew what had to be done but could not get the male commanders to care about the situation. She broke testosterone barriers throughout her career but still took the hit when the male officers bailed after everything hit the fan.
   
   Her book explains her elaborate and extensive background without gloating. Any commander in her position would have a difficult time and she describes in detail the walls and curtains put before her while she maintained her unit the best she could.
   
   Beautiful insight to military leadership during an American occupation.

5 comments about Across the Dark Islands: The War in the Pacific.

1. A rather humble soldier (who later became a general) describes his experiences in the Second World War as he island hopped from the Canal to New Georgia, and finally the Phillappines. He relates his combat experience to those who sought to advance their own career without regard to the men underneath them. This showed the appearance of advancement when in fact it was needless loss of life and little gain. Floyd also shows how the command system expropriated the physically best men and gave the front lines units those that nobody wanted. This shows how war is unequal to both the uneducated and unfit.
   
   The author describes it on how it is. It is a nice read that shows the bad life of the grunt on the line. Since this is the author's only book, it is more believeable than many from this time period.



2. This is one of the best books I've ever read, about any subject, hands down. Floyd W. Radike was a Lieutenant in Company B, 161st during WWII. They were a Washington State National Guard unit that was attached to the 25th Infantry Division after Pearl Harbor in 1942. I bought this book because I wanted an on the ground account of what the men of the 161st actually experienced during WWII. I was not disappointed and I believe that any person wanting a first person account of the war will not be disappointed either.
   
   Brigadier General Radike never intended to publish this as a book. These were his private memoirs. His wife, Lydia, was not even aware that he had written them until after his death. She did us all a great service by deciding to publish his memoirs. She is a really wonderful woman who deserves our thanks and appreciation for publishing this book. Nothing has been omitted or rewritten. What you read are the true words of Floyd W. Radike.
   
   Inside this book, you will find accounts of hardship, humor, bravery, cowardice, friendship, and rivalry. You will come away with the understanding that the Marines and Navy were not the only branches of the Armed forces to deserve widespread recognition for their service in the South Pacific. The Marines were first in, but the Army stayed for the long haul and finished the job while battling some of the worst conditions men ever faced during WWII. They fought while suffering from dissentary, malaria, jungle rot, dehydration, and exhaustion. They waded through mud up to their knees in sweltering heat and lived in constant tension and fear. Despite the horrendous obstacles they had to overcome, they got the job done. That's why the 25th I.D. earned the nickname "Tropic Lightning" during the Pacific Campaign.
   
   The words of Floyd W. Radike sum it up best: "Ninety percent of the casualties (death, wounds, disease) were borne by the infantry. Since replacements were slow in coming, infantry companies were the size of platoons after Guadalcanal and the size of squads after New Georgia. In contrast the reduction in strength for support troops was minimal. When we speak of war, in its fullest sense, we speak of the fighting men-the infantry. Only the medics shared-often in heroic fashion-the stringencies of the front line."



3. Across the Dark is Brigadier General Radike's descriptions of his own personal experience of World War II where he was in the National Guard and was involved in many of the combats in the Pacific (NOTE: he was not a Brigadier General during the war).
   
   Radike is very specific in his opinions of the way the situations he was involved in were handled and he doesn't hold anything back so he is quick to point at flaws of the US Military, but he does try to be fair in pointing out the things that are done right.
   
   While reading this I got the feeling that this was written during the war or immediately after because it sounds very simliar to the way a lot of people complain about their current companies. I also came to that conclusion since this was not published until after his death, almost as if he didn't want to publish it, but who knows.
   
   With that criticism in place, I thought this was a very well written book that helps to explain the parts of war that are not always advertised. Most of us have heard about Iwo Jima or Normandy, but not many people have heard about the events that took place on all of the other Pacific Islandsd and he does a great job of explaining all of the obstacles that had to be overcome and the lack of knowledge that soldiers often had to deal with such as landing on an island and not having a map available.
   
   The one thing I really wish would have been included would have been an introduction or prologue by Radike describing his thoughts on everything after making it to the ranking of Brigadier General and having that much more experience under his belt. It would have been truly interesting to see how his thoughts might have changed if at all.



4. "Across the Dark Islands" seems to have been completed by 1984 but was not published until after Floyd Radike's death. No wonder. This is one of the harsher indictments of Army incompetence and dishonesty to come out of World War II.
   
   In addition to that, it is a finely-crafted, too brief memoir of a platoon leader's three campaigns in Guadalcanal, New Georgia and Luzon. Radike was a National Guardsman (apparently originally in a Michigan outfit, later in California) who went through OCS shortly before Pearl Harbor. He ended up in the 1st Battalion, 161st Regiment, 25th Infantry Division. (Not the 37th, as one sloppy reviewer in a military publication has it.)
   
   The 25th was a wartime incarnation of the old Hawaiian Division, a Regular outfit, but the 161st was a Washington National Guard unit. Radike was a double outsider -- the Regulars weren't going to let the Guard get ahead, and the Washington Guard officers formed, he says, a tight clique. The result of this careerism and militia incompetence was needlessly dead young GIs.
   
   Radike is scathing in his criticism, but this, the most important part of the book, is ignored by all the published reviews I have been able to find, which have been in military specialist magazines (mostly of the yahoo blood and guts variety). Too bad. "Across the Dark Islands" deserves more and more thoughtful attention than it has gotten.
   
   The book is particularly valuable because Radike tells what he knows of the American regiment that turned tail and ran on New Georgia. The 161st was attached to the 37th Division to plug this hole. According to Radike, the story of the panic-stricken regiment of the 37th (which he calls X Regiment) is not included in the Army's official histories, and even the name of that regiment has been suppressed.
   
   The Navy knew, though, and while details are made available here that have been lacking in the naval histories, the disgraceful slowness, confusion and incompetence of the Munda campaign are sketched out in the naval histories. Radike's is, however, the closest to an eyewitness account I have discovered.
   
   On a more personal level, "Across the Dark Islands" would be a wonderful gift for any young infantry officer or enlisted man. Radike, who eventually became a one-star in the Michigan National Guard, was a thoughtful officer, and there's more here about how to lead and fight a platoon than in a stack of Field Manuals.
   
   Last but not least, Radike, a teacher in civilian life, is a graceful and careful writer.
   
   All in all, the book is a pleasure to read, a valuable if small contribution to Pacific War history and a cautionary tale that our 21st century higher command ought to become familiar with: the stupidity that Radike had to live with in 1942-45 is still killing young GIs in 2006.



5. i couldn't put this book down. the author gives a very graphic & detailed account of the war in the pacific. what i found idelible, was the authors desciption of the whole setting of the war. it was as clear and detailed as the moment he had experienced them.
   the WWII generation was truly the most extraordinary generation of americans, complaining very little, & offering everything to their country for a better and safer future. to hear their experiences in their own words, is a truly invaluable.

5 comments about Air Commando One : Heinie Aderholt And America's Secret Air Wars.

1. Having served under Heinie Aderholt in Thailand I can certainly vouch for the accuracy of the scearios portrayed. Although I wasn't an Air Commando in the strictest sense of the word (I was a broadcaster), I was aware enough of the problems with "higher headquarters" to be genuinely incensed at the treatments ... particularly in light of the tremendously effective mission performed in spite of "direction" from above. I absolutley loved the book, as it brought back memories I'd almost forgotten. Everyone who knew Heinie HAS to have this book!!



2. Book arrived within a few days and was in the condition that it was described or better, very happy with there service.



3. During the Vietnam era, Heinie Aderholt was U.S. air force's patron saint of low-cost, bare-knuckled, unconventional warfare. He was one of two men -- the other being his longtime friend, the CIA's Bill Lair -- to put his personal stamp on the huge covert program in Laos, and had there been more Aderholts and Lairs, events might have turned out differently. As it was, Aderholt had to labor during his entire career under a military system that was not flexible enough, or responsive enough, for a man of his remarkable talents. But he did his duty, and then some. The Air Force historian Warren Trest has done Aderholt justice with this book; and there's some especially interesting material on Aderholt's loyal opposition, from within, to the way the Vietnam war was run.



4. Heinie is a legend but not from others tales of his exploits. Heine is leader respected for his legendary achievements; some of which yet remain classified. A leader formost who undertood his men because he always remained one of them. No matter how severe the circumstance Heinie created success by unique applications in unconventional operations.

   At Nakhon Phanom for example, on the border of Laos, Heinie founded and commanded the 56th Air commando Wing into a unique force to interdict the flow of men and materials down the trails in Laos. Making the rounds nightly he remained close with his troops of all rank in a bond seldom seen where thoughts were exchanged because of mutual respect. Heinie slept less than most and almost always in his fatigues or flightsuit.

   General Aderholt's life story is compelling and well written and he continues today to make a difference in Southeast Asia. In October 2002 returning to Nakhon Phanom, Heinie procured a container of medical and school supplies with the Thailand Laos Cambodia Brotherhood and to dedicate a monument being built to honor the fallen American and Thai forces in the Vietnam War.

   The Legend Continues... read it.

   John Sweet
   56th Special Operations Wing
   Tactical Units Operations Center
   Nakhon Phanom
   Air Commando # 2924
   




5. Having heard of Heinie Aderholt for years, I was looking forward to reading his autobiography. While the book is very informative, I was somewhat disappointed in the overall content. Maybe it's due to his age, but there were some assertions made that don't jive with the facts. He states that the Air Force misused the C-130s in Vietnam by limiting their gross weight. In reality, C-130s in Southeast Asia operated at their maximum allowable normal gross weights and payloads throughout the war - I was a C-130 loadmaster on two SEA tours and know the limitations. There is also quite a bit of personal horn-blowing, which is common with autobiographies. I found it rather ironic that Heinie's comments related to special operations are almost identical to those made by his former boss, General William Tunner, about how airlift was misused and should be a command of its own. There's also the constant refrain of "if they had left it up to us, we'd have won the war" but now that the facts are coming out, it is becoming pretty apparent that there was no way we were going to win it. Air Commando One is a good book for the military historian's bookshelf.

   Sam McGowan, Vietnam Vet and author, The CAVE, a novel of the Vietnam War

5 comments about Death in the Jungle.

1. The author is a brave soldier. Enlisting in the SEALS is the bottom of his courage. His engagement in the ambushes, the numerous missions of harassment, against the VCs are impressive. The man has a very acute sense of humour and likes sharing his wisdom about the sense of the war.
   
   Brave soldiers, heroes, nice men ; a good book on the Vietnam war even though I preferred "Sog: The Secret Wars of America's Commandos in Vietnam" or "Good to Go: The Life and Times of a Decorated Member of the U.S. Navy's Elite Seal Team Two" by Harry Constance.



2. Deep in the jungle and behind enemy lines. You hear something in the water. What do you do? This is the setting for the book Death in the jungle by Gary R smith and Alan Maki.
   
   
   In this story Gary serves 5 tours in the Vietnam War. He tells about his missions and the pros and cons of being a Navy Seal. My favorite mission he told was when his team and he are on a 24 hour river ambush at night. They hear something floating down the river. Seeing only the outline of the object they open fire on what they thought was the enemy. After blowing away half of their rounds they realized it was just a log.
   
   
   The theme of this book is war is not always a good thing. People die and sometimes nothing is accomplished. This was a great book to read. It was full of details and action packed missions. I had a hard time putting it down. I would recommend strongly that you read this book.



3. Book arrived within a few days and was in the condition that it was described or better, very happy with there service.



4. This is an excellent account of a mans tour of Vietnam. Its worth every penny!



5. I have read just about every Navy Seal book out there and this one is by far the best one. The way the teams can turn it on and off like a light switch from cold calculated killers and then back to normal is unbeleivable...