5 comments about Contractor Combatants: Tales of an Imbedded Capitalist.

1. This book was a well-written testimonial of a contractor combatant who helped rebuild Iraq after our toppling of Saddam. The book was unique and interesting because of its personal insights about a number of different topics, among them: American-Iraq relations, being a contractor in Iraq, and the media's mistaken view on both the war and on contractors.
   The author seems to be both well read and well-grounded. If nothing else, the concluding chapter houses some thought-provoking and succinct views about the war in Iraq and about his personal contribution towards its positive conclusion. He even expresses his initial skepticism about the war and its aims.
   Combat Contractor is both a fun and informative read - rarely nowadays is this ever the case! Read it, enjoy it, benefit from it!



2. This book is told from the first person perspective of a true American hero. It is action packed with gun battles on the streets of Iraq, in-fighting amongst the locals, and the struggle to run a profitable business while staying alive in the most dangerous place on Earth.
   
   Once I started reading, I could not put the book down. Andress provides incredible insight into the challenges that Americans and Iraqis face in the struggle for a free and democratic Iraq. It describes how Americans and Iraqis are risking their lives together in an effort to rebuild a free and safe Iraq.
   
   After reading this book, I have much clearer insight into the Iraq situation. This book should be mandatory reading for all military officers, politicians, and critics, and supporters of the Iraq war.



3. I have just finished this great book written by a very courageous man that is the very epitome of what Americans used to be; big-hearted can-do men of adventure that seize the day and change the world for the better. It is a gripping account of this former US Army Ranger officer's experience running a logistics and security company in Iraq helping with the building and supply of bases for US and Iraqi forces, and the rebuilding of the Iraqi infrastructure. (He was an officer with the Army Rangers.) He lived outside the "Green Zone" with an ad hoc bunch of special forces guys from US Special Forces to Gurkas and Russian Spetnaz with a supporting cast of Iraqis willing to risk their lives and be real heros while most of the other contractors were hiding behind the US military. I just finished it and I have to say I'm most impressed.
   
   This is a first-hand account of what it is really like over there and not a bunch of second-hand stories from someone hiding in a hotel in the Green Zone, like the other books about Iraq. It is truly a must read for anyone who wants to know what is really going on over there, and the story of the brave men who are building a democratic future for Iraq. See his video on youtube by searching for his name.



4. The liberal press has attempted to submarine progress in Iraq, just like it did in Vietnam. The Carter Andress book tells it like it is. Contractor's play a vital role in the security of the key players in fostering Iraqi democracy, and Andress see's the big picture in this book. This is a great read, but not for those lacking the determination to see this thing through.



5. First, I agree with that said by the first Reviewer, especially about Andress' perspective differing from the "2-3 day visits to Iraq" making those people experts! Andress has lived the Iraqi experience. His work and that of his company puts them in a unique position to KNOW how the majority of Iraquis fell about the US. His efforts make it possible for us to make the progress needed to make the Iraqui people self-sufficient.
   Only then should we think of leaving this country!
   
   Contrary to the media portrait being painted of Contractors in Iraq, i.e. Blackwater, these men are enabling our "experts" to accomplish their tasks without being killed! Obviously the insurgents will try to kill them at every opportunity! Kill the Guards and the Bad Guys will have their way with the people....and our troops!
   
   For a first-hand look at how Iraquis and Americans are working together read this book!

5 comments about Hard to Forget : An American with the Mobile Guerrilla Force in Vietnam.

1. Good news first; family, friends, and non-military should really like this book. Others like myself who are retired military, served in Vietnam (Pilot 192nd AHC 68-69), and have written a book about this war might question this author's intent. After "Kill Me If You Can, You SOB" came out, I started reading every book about the Vietnam War I could get my hands on. So far about half of them have screamed out, "I want to be in the movies." This is one of those books.



2. Leave it up to the Special Forces to make a mountain out of a molehill. The Blackjack Operations were daily insertions of team into and out of the field. The entire time, only 8 teams managed to stay over night in the bush. The team that went to find the Blackbox, simply walked through War Zone D (Not the VC Secret Zone) and found the box, went to an lZ and were extracted. No POWs, no fighting into a enemy base camp, like this author writes. All the "war tales" arounds these operations are just that - Tales. This book is FICTION. Read the U.S. National Archives on what these men failed to do and they could not RON (Remain Over Night) because they were scared of the dark. Always back in before sundown with a lot of shadow shooting. The 54 enemy engagments the author claims is as bogus as Mexican water. Don't drink it and don't believe this book.

   For a more honest book on what and who dominated this AO (area of operation) in Vietnam, read Don C. Hall's book, 'I SERVED.' These 220 Lurps kicked some serious butt and these SF have been jealous of this unit since 1967 along with a string of other "marginal units that could perform well."
   Check out i-served.com




3. This a book that is a must read for anyone wanting to know what it was like in Nam. Being an Ex-Ranger this book put me right back in there. I just couldn't put it down. It made me laught,and cry. yes us Rangers do cry, for the lost of a friend.

   Roadrunner 6 out




4. I have read ,HARD TO FORGET, The book captures the smell of damp vegetation rotten in the jungle, the sweat burning your eyes, the rucksack straps digging into your shoulders and that ever-lasting ache, on your hips, from the the burden of the pistol belt. The apprehension and fear, of a too quiet jungle, resurface in your mind. Your heart beating so loud, you think, everyone hears it. The hunter waiting to become the hunted. To the men who fought in Vietnam, "HARD TO FORGET". will bring the memories, flooding back. The good memories along with the bad.The book also deals with the effects of the war on the men who fought it. The book shows the beauty of America along with her warts. One point the author makes is, Soldiers do not fight wars by mistake. Soldiers fight wars because of mistake by politicians. In the end only soldiers and their families pay the piper. "HARD TO FORGET"



5. When I picked up this book for the first time I did not put the book down until I had finished the book. Steve and I met for the 1st time in 1966, I was an O&I spec4 working in S-2 in Bien Hoa and had known Col Bo Gritz he was Steve,s CO at the time and it was my job to provide MAPS and AO,s to A-301 and A-302 when they were at Bien Hoa. Years later at my 2nd reunion I met up with Steve at our Ft Bragg reunion and was proud to have known and served in SF with him. The book put me back 34 years and I remember the Black box incident and the unit being recognized for a job well done by Gen Westmoreland. Thanks for letting me know you Steve and May God Bless and watch over you and yours. Sincerely yours your brother John J Coppinger

1 comments about Wolves of World War II: An East Prussian Soldier's Memoir of Combat and Captivity on the Eastern Front.

1. The Wolves of World War II: An East Prussian Soldier's Memoir of Combat and Captivity on the Eastern Front is the true-life story of author and East Prussian farmer Hans Thiel, who was conscripted into military service on September 1944, close to the end of World War II. Thiel felt a troubled resignation toward the Nazi Party, yet feared that the end of the war would result in utter destruction for his nation. Taken prisoner by Soviet forces, Thiel endured for three years as a postware prisoner, held first by the Red Army then transferred to camps under Polish control. The Wolves of World War II covers agrarian life during the war, Thiel's combat experience, and the harshness and atrocities inflicted upon postwar prisoners in retaliation for German military war crimes. A handful of black-and-white photographs and maps illustrate this stark, unflinchingly honest account.

2 comments about Journal, 1955-1962: Reflections on the French-Algerian War.

1. First, I will comment on the book itself from an American point of view. The book is not easy to read because it is not a book: it is the author's journal he kept during the French Algerian War. Knowing that still, his journal entries, which at the beginning were frequent and detailed, were focused on keeping track of who was killed, tortured or who was doing the killings. It was as if the author, Mr. F.(his notation of using people's initials to hide their identity from I suppose the French secret police), was keeping a testimony of the murders occurring all around him as evidence. This makes for dull reading; however, given the events of 9-11, I made a valiant effort to immerse myself into the author's mind and try to understand this incredibly brutal civil war.

   (...)




2. There are a few important works on the Algerian Civil War available for the English reader. Franz Fannon, Alistair Horne's history, the film "Battle of Algiers, and recently Feraoun's diary are the ones that readily come to mind. Feraoun was a western educated Algerian and well accquainted with the French. His desire for an independent Algeria was strong, but tempered by a strong sense of historical reality. He reveals the day to day impact of the violence. It is in this respect that the work is most moving, and reveals the senselessness and degradation that occurs to all people involved, Feraoun eventually a victim himself. An essential view of the psychological costs of guerrilla and anti-colonial war.

5 comments about Sergeant Nibley, Ph.D.: Memories of an Unlikely Screaming Eagle.

1. Hugh Nibley is a famous LDS scholar known for his great erudition and his defense of the Mormon Church. He was fluent in at least 10 languages including many ancient languages, and used these skills to develop much of the foundation for modern LDS apologetics. He was a very colorful, interesting person and was also known for his criticisms of LDS culture. This book covers a period of his life of which little is known. He didn't publicly discuss his war years much, but in the last few years of his life, his son was able to glean some information from him and published this book.
   
   The book starts when Nibley was an LDS missionary in Germany in 1927, and describes an incident when he crossed paths with Hitler. It then goes into Nibley's college years where he earned a PhD from UC Berkeley, and then a job teaching. When the war started, he enlisted as a private in the army at the age of 32. He went through various assignments and ended up in intelligence due to his language skills and became a sergeant. What follows is a fascinating story of his experiences in the army that included a landing at Utah Beach on D-Day, participation in the Battle of the Bulge, and the final occupation of Germany. He was involved with many of the key events and characters of the war.
   
   The format of the book was interesting. It consisted of summaries by the author, quotes by Nibley, copies of letters from family and friends, many sidebars explaining certain events, and helpful footnotes. It's unique for a history of this type, but seemed to work well. I highly recommend this book for people wanting to learn more about Hugh Nibley; but the stories are great for anyone interested in WWII, especially the 101st airborne division to which he was attached.



2. Hugh Nibley was gifted and had a great curiosity. His WWII experiences would enlighten him as to the 'conspiring men' who seek riches from the troubles of others. He describes the sillyness of the War that was fought in places where the Romans fought and Napoleon fought. He describes terrible waste and destruction that war brings. A great adventure in which he was preserved, while others around him were lost. He describes the choices made my those in command to further their own carreeers while engaged in war. And the efforts to keep the war going.



3. This book was given to a friend as a gift. His wife is reading it to him since he is in poor health. They both are enthusiastic about its contents and style. Thank you.



4. This book contains the wartime memoirs of Hugh Nibley, former professor
   of ancient scripture at Brigham Young University, as he participated in
   combat operations throughout Europe during WWII. Professor Nibley
   passed away in February 2005. The book was compiled by his son Alex
   Nibley from interviews and letters collected over the years. What
   makes this book so interesting is that although Hugh Nibley already had
   his Ph.D before the war started, and had been a member of ROTC, he
   elected to enlist in the Army as a buck private, rather than become an
   officer. The juxtaposition of his highly educated and intellectual
   perspective against the drudgery and horror of a common foot soldier
   makes for a fascinating read.
   
   Brother Nibley wasn't in the Army very long before his education and
   extensive language proficiencies were discovered. The Army promptly
   pulled him out of his job as a weather forecaster and sent
   him up to work in military intelligence. Once given access to
   classified intelligence data, the full power of his intellect became
   unleashed, to the potential benefit of the Allies. Unfortunately,
   things didn't always work out that way. Although he accurately
   predicted when and where many German surprise attacks would occur, and
   even the date when the war would end, he couldn't get many of the top
   military brass to believe him simply because he was just a lowly
   enlisted man. The book documents Brother Nibley's frustrations as he
   watched helplessly as numerous Allied troops were killed needlessly
   from attacks that could have been avoided.
   
   The book includes a number of spiritual elements as well. It documents
   how LDS Church Apostle Melvin J. Ballard set Brother Nibley apart for a
   proselyting mission to Germany in the late 1920s, and commanded him to
   tell the people to repent or they would be destroyed by fire from
   heaven. It was to Brother Nibley's great sorrow that he observed many
   of the German cities to which he had earlier cried repentance destroyed
   by Allied fire-bombing during WWII.
   
   If you like books on WWII, and anything Nibley, I highly recommend
   this one for your collection.



5. This book is written from a very interesting perspective. Hugh Nibley was 32 years old and had a Ph.D. when he enlisted in the army. He went into intelligence, and presumed that he would get assigned some nice safe assignment writing reports or something like that.
   
   But those of who have been in the Army know that the Army Gods don't work that way. He was assigned to work with the 101st Airborne, and was scheduled to go into Normandy on D-Day by glider. (Unlike the paratroopers, the glider infantry was not composed of volunteers and did not receive the extra pay.) At the last minute a General bumped him off the glider so that he went in with the 4th division over Utah Beach. (The General, sitting in Nibley's assigned seat was killed, and all the men in the glider were captured.)
   
   Being both older and better educated Sgt. Nibley was able to see and understand a lot more about what was happening than reports from the commanders or the normal soldiers. For instance, the stories about the 101st are legend (Saving Private Ryan, Band of Brothers, etc.) but Sgt. Nibley points out that many of the volunteers were some fairly tough soldiers that had been given the choice of volunteering or going to prison.
   
   There's a lot of comments of a similar nature throughout the book. Sgt. Nibley was a keen observer. This book belongs on any World War II library.

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 The Pursuit of Victory: The Life and Achievement of Horatio Nelson.

1. EXLENT HISTORY OF LORD NELSON AND CONFLICT OF THEIR WORLD,WITH A PERSONAL TOUCH OF FAMILY, FRIENDS AND NOBILITY



2. I think this book is way too thick. I would recommend this biography(?)as a reference book when looking up facts about Lord Nelson, but not for learning about his life. I seriously doubt all the 'reviewers' with raving compliments on the back cover of the book read from start to the last page...
   
   I am giving 3 stars for the credit of compiling all the facts. However, the author could have done much better job at writing a "biography."



3. I highly recommend The Pursuit of Victory: The Life And Achievement of Horatio Nelson, a new biography of England's greatest warfighting admiral, Horatio Nelson.
   
   This biography does a superb job of providing context and background for Nelson's astonishing rise to fame and his equally astonishing victories at sea--and lesser known defeats, which always occurred on territory unfamilar to Nelson, i.e. land. We find that the extreme risks of Britain's war with Napoleonic France created a brief window of opportunity for commoners such as Nelson to rise within the class-conscious and peerage-dominated Admiralty. Merit was so essential to victory that the Admiralty could not afford to advance captains by favoritism alone.
   
   Equally interesting is the author's careful descriptions of the role of mentors in Nelson's career arc--captains and admirals above him in the bureaucratic Royal Navy who guided, aided and promoted him, not so much to benefit themselves but in recognition of his talents. Without these mentors--several of whom he maintained as close personal friends until death--his rise from the ranks of hundreds of junior captains to admiral at a young age would not have happened.
   
   Not that Nelson enjoyed a perfect career. A gross political miscalculation--falling under the influence of the King's ne'er do well son, who had been given a position as Admiral not on talent but on birthright--caused Nelson's career to falter at a critical juncture. Having fallen out of favor for his destructive sycophancy, Nelson was sent home without a command, where he languished for seven long years as a poor gentleman landowner.
   
   A renewal of the war with France gave him one more chance, and with the aid of his mentors, he assumed command of the Mediterranean Fleet (bypassing many jealous senior admirals), enabling him to score his first great strategic victory in the Battle of the Nile.
   
   Life at sea was not easy, and Nelson was often ill and exhausted. Having lost an eye and an arm in two land engagements (he was deployed twice to joint Army-Navy commands, both of which ended badly, partly due to Nelson's ignorance of land warfare), he was often in pain. he also had to make judicious political decisions regarding allies, harrass the Admiralty for supplies, maintain discipline on a huge fleet of wooden ships in poor weather, and a host of other challenges which would have ground down by sheer workload alone a lesser commander.
   
   This engaging, masterly paced work covers not just Nelson's life but the political context of the Royal Navy and the role of senior commanders in his rise to the highest levels of command. It is a portrait of one man's life set within a detailed account of his family, era, superiors and comrades.



4. Noted Nelson scholar Roger Knight has written an elegant biography of Great Britain's greatest fighting admiral, Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson, which was published shortly after the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar; both Nelson's greatest victory and the scene of his tragic, yet heroic, death. But is it the definitive biography devoted to Admiral Nelson's life and career? Although it does come close, regrettably, the answer is "no", since another eminent Nelson scholar, John Sugden, is currently at work on the second volume of his Nelson biography, which will cover Nelson's exploits from late 1797 to the Battle of Traflagar, which occurred on October 21, 1805 (This review is being published here at Amazon.com one day prior to the 201st anniversary of this battle.).
   
   Knight covers Nelson's life and career in a massive tome of more than 800 pages, breaking it down into five sections. Much to my amazement, Knight has successfully covered Nelson's life and career from his birth in 1758 to his appointment as captain of HMS Agamemnon in January, 1793 in slightly more than a hundred pages, "I Youth and Disappointment 1758-1793" (Readers who think they are missing important aspects of Nelson's career should turn instead to the first volume in John Sugden's Nelson biography, "Nelson: A Dream of Glory", which emphasizes the young Nelson's rapid rise through officer ranks to becoming among the Royal Navy's youngest post captains.). Here Knight demonstrates how Nelson relied upon patronage from well-connected relatives like his uncle Captain Maurice Suckling and substantial exposure to good seamanship and officer conduct, which allowed him to secure rapid promotion to Post Captain and command of a frigate during the American Revolution. We also get our first glimpse of the heroic Nelson through his participation in an ill-fated joint Royal Navy and Army invasion to seize Nicaragua from the Spanish, which will not only cost him his command of a heavily armored frigate, but also his good health, and indeed, almost his life. Knight covers succinctly Nelson's two tours of duty in the British West Indies, devoting substantial coverage to Nelson's adulation of the mediocre Prince William Henry, later, Duke of Clarence, and eventually, King William IV, assigned to Nelson's command as a junior Royal Navy frigate captain (Here we see Nelson's unabashed admiration for royalty emerge unexpectedly, which will have serious consequences for his career in the late 1790s.).
   
   The biography's second section, "II Maturation and Triumph 1793 - 1798" covers Nelson's early career during the French revolutionary wars, chronicling his eventual rise to Rear Admiral and his hard-fought victories at the battles of Cape Saint Vincent and the Nile. Nelson learns how to command a squadron at sea, cultivating friendships with many of the Royal Navy officers who would become his celebrated "Band of Brothers"; distinguished captains such as Thomas Troubridge, Samuel Hood, Benjamin Hallowell and Thomas Masterman Hardy. Knight also discusses Nelson's complex relationships with his superiors, most notably Admiral Sir John Jervis, later Earl Saint Vincent, his commanding officer at the Battle of Cape Saint Vincent. We also witness the disastrous attack on Tenerife, Santa Cruz, in the Canary Islands, which nearly costs him his life.
   
   The biography's third section, "III Passion and Discredit 1798- 1801", is devoted to the most controversial period of Nelson's career; his service as Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean, in which he finds himself supporting unabashedly the Bourbon royal dynasty of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. Knight demonstrates clearly that Nelson's actions in "liberating" Naples following a French-supported popular insurrection, were motivated solely by his notions of loyalty and duty to a royal family in dire need of both, and though quite critical of them, he does not agree with Terry Coleman, author of "The Nelson Touch: The Life and Legend of Horatio Nelson", that these acts amounted to war crimes. Moreover, he demolishes completely the myth that Nelson fell immediately in love with Emma Hamilton, the young wife of Britain's ambassador to the Bourbon court at Naples, showing that it blossomed months later. And Knight, while sympathetic to Nelson, does show that Nelson's actions immediately before and after the Battle of Copenhagen, left much to be desired for someone serving as a fleet commander.
   
   In "IV Adulation and Death" Knight opens with Nelson, now living openly with Emma Hamilton, enjoying nearly 18 months of peace, finding time to take a leisurely journey through Wales and serving in the House of Lords. With the resumption of hostilities between Great Britain and Napoleonic France, Nelson, now a vice admiral, returns to the Mediterranean Sea as the Royal Navy's Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean, hoisting his broad pendant aboard HMS Victory. Some of Knight's finest prose is devoted to the long chase across the Atlantic Ocean to the West Indies in search of French admiral Pierre Villeneuve's fleet, culminating of course in the bloody Battle of Trafalgar. In "V Transfiguration", Knight describes not only Nelson's funeral in London, but also takes stock of the admiral's character, yielding a sympathetic, yet highly nuanced, appraisal of Nelson's life and career.
   
   "The Pursuit of Victory: The Life And Achievement of Horatio Nelson" includes several appendices, of which the most important ones are the brief chronologies of the major events in Nelson's life and career, and of world events during Nelson's life, especially with regard to the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. There is also a chronological recounting of Nelson's service aboard various Royal Navy warships, which, regrettably, isn't nearly as succinct as both chronological outlines. Less successful, but still quite useful, are the brief biographical sketches devoted to Nelson's family, friends, and associates, both in the British government, and of course, in the Royal Navy itself.



5. As others have noted, there are many biographies of Nelson, and almost all of them suffer from the same problem: that a man so brilliant, talented, contradictory, demented, jealous, generous, gracious, foolish, naive and clear-thinking is very hard to understand. The fact that his death at the triumphant British naval victory of Trafalgar in 1805 immediately turned his life into legend, means that from first to last it's been hard to get a handle on Nelson the flawed but unique human being.
   
   I've read many biographies of the man, and I was shocked to find that many second-hand truths fine biographers have relied on in prior biographies are incorrect. Knight's meticulous scholarship, his lifetime of study of the age of fighting sail in Britain and France, means that his careful analysis of sources in this book is stunning and irrefutable. No book I have ever read on Nelson is so thorough in finding every possible source to illuminate the daily life at sea, as well as by land, of this remarkable leader. That he quietly sets the record straight on innumerable myths and errors of past biographies with grace is simply another pleasure of the book. The fact that Knight deals tautly with the fairly disastrous consequences of Nelson's affair with Emma, Lady Hamilton, without letting it swallow his book, is a fine achievement. The heart of Nelson's importance in English history lies in his life at sea, and there Knight's study is especially enlightening.
   
   Although not a book for everyone - you need to want to learn about both Nelson and the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars - I tend to agree with the dust jacket blurb, that this book will be THE definitive factual study of Nelson. But as Knight himself admits - in the end, the whole of the man is greater than the sum of his parts, and probably always will be.

5 comments about Stonewall: A Biography of General Thomas J. Jackson.

1. I must admit it was a "good influence" because it was of course heavily sanitized... and I remember it even finished BEFORE his death... leaving the hero marching with his troops to fight another day!... (pre-Chancellorsville ending). So maxims like YOU WILL ACHIEVE WHATEVER YOU PROPOSE TO YOURSELF... and similar I guess were/are "in the right spirit".
   
   As I have read other books by the same author... (and thought them very good and absolutely readable... which is always a BIG PLUS...), I decided to buy and read.
   In very few words, the man behind the myth is quite puzzling (probably and partially because of impairing deafness...) but less so if put in context... and that Mr. Farwell does brilliantly!.
   From birth to his death in the field of battle at Chancellorsville (actually he died from the wounds a few days later) his life is extremely well told, highs and downs... and thankfully calling a spade a spade.
   When he performed well he is acknowledged for it, when he was not at his best and did blunder we are told so without palliatives, and this makes him human and IF NOT A SEMI-GOD AT ALL.
   I am truly sorry for "deep at heart" southerners who sometimes swear by Jackson as he was God himself!... and never find any fault in him.
   He really was an outstanding C.S.A. general.
   And his loss probably influenced the war in the short term (I do not think he could have had a determinant influence in the long one...)
   In fact he was extremely lucky in some of his campaigns... but THAT is always a PLUS of successful generals.
   I do not read a lot of biographies (specially if they are penned/embellished by the man/woman themselves) but this one is very good and I can heartily recommend.
   
   ADB
   
   PS: THE GREAT ANGLO BOER WAR by the same author is also a must read.



2. Byron Farwell's biography of Stonewall Jackson is a comprehensive account of the life and military career of the famous Confederate general. Once I started reading the biography, I couldn't put it down, mainly because of the author's easy-to-read style (given that battles need to be described in reasonable detail). Useful maps accompany the text and enhance the reader's understanding, although the photographic section is somewhat brief.
   
   In contrast to some reviews here, I thought the author was fair and objective with Jackson: he cites first-hand accounts of Jackson's marches, battles and personality, though I'm not sure of the selectiveness or otherwise of these. If anything, he refrains from discussing and interpreting Jackson's strengths and weaknesses at length, leaving the reader to form his or her opinion. Given Jackson's personality, it would have been interesting to have included a comprehensive modern analysis of Jackson's psychological profile.
   
   I have yet to read other Jackson biographies, so I can't compare them with Farwell's biography, but I certainly don't regret buying this book. It made me appreciate the extreme hardships that Civil War soldiers experienced, and brought home the difficulties of serving under Jackson both as a soldier and as an officer, but at the same time it highlights Jackson's military genius and his 'warmer' side.



3. Biography's of great historical figures are frequently given to exaggeration. Farwell set out to give an account of the "real" Stonewall Jackson, rather than an overly ballyhooed legend. In some respects he did that, painting Jackson as an oddball, eccentric, prude, who bordered on insanity. While the book succeeded in painting Jackson as being more human, I felt the overall tone of the book was far too critical and cynical. It seemed every good thing Jackson did was credited to other soldiers or blind luck...while every bad thing Jackson did was blamed upon his ignorance, stubborness, or lack of sleep. In all honesty, I came away from the book wondering if the author had and "ax to grind" against Stonewall Jackson. Overall the book was well written, and would provide a reality check to those who envison Jackson as being super-human. But just as there are numerous puff pieces on Jackson that make him better than he was...I feel this book to be somewhat of a debunking, which makes Jackson look much worse than he was. In reality, he was somewhere in between. He was a good and godly man who had an uncanny ability to lead men in battle. But he was hard to get along with and a little too bull-headed at times. For a much more accurate view, I would suggest "Stonewall Jackson: The Man, The Soldier, The Legend" By James I. Robertson



4. This book is a "must read" for everyone looking for a balanced view of Jackson. Farwell's history of Jackson's military exploits and personal shortcomings (as in Florida prior to secession) are well supported by reference to original documents and by the author's personal research.



5. I gave the book three stars for the information but the author's opinions make this book less valuable then it otherwise might have been. For instance he claims the fact that Jackson never lamented his decisions meant he never thought he made a mistake. Jackson wasn't the type of person to go around talking about feelings so no one knows if he did or not. Also the author claims he must have an child out of wedlock and cites sources (just the word sources and not actual people) while at the same time discounting others who claimed the rumors were a lie. The author is just a bit too judgmental and quick to believe things without any proof to back them up. The information may be okay but I found it hard to read with so many of the author's opinions being paraded around as facts.

5 comments about In the Hands of Providence: Joshua L. Chamberlain and the American Civil War.

1. 
   In the Hands of Providence is a very well researched look of the life of Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain. Alice Turlock presents a definitive biography of this modest professor from Bowden College, who met challenge after challenge to become one of the greatest leaders in Civil War history. Chamberlain had extraordinary observational and superb writing skills. His persistence at recording the historic events, which included his emotional reactions, gave Trulock's wonderful historic accounts for her book.
   The book starts by giving us an in depth look at his obscure Christian upbringing in rural Maine, and follows his processes of becoming a great young man. He was an exceptional college student, receiving the praise of his instructors. He was also highly regarded by his neighbors and towns' folk alike. Many considered him to have the highest moral and ethical standard. He was so trusted and respected as a young man in his home town that an older business man of Maine, who was an acquaintance of Chamberlain's, entrusted him with the dealings of his estate.
   
   While finishing his studies at Bowden, Chamberlain married his sweetheart Frances Caroline Adams. They had a very close and loving relationship. But during the war, the constant distance between them put a great deal of strain on their relationship. After graduation, he accepted a position as a professor at Bowden, and held that position for several years. Chamberlain maintained a very close relationship with his family, and he was especially close to his father in law George Adams.
   
   When the war broke out in 1861, Chamberlain ask for a leave of absence from Bowden to enlist, but was turned down. Not to be left out of the war, he again applied for a sabbatical to study in Europe, and this time it was granted. He had no intentions on going to Europe, and instead immediately enlisted in the army as a lieutenant colonel, and never looked back. He played a huge role in the recruitment of the men for a regiment, which would later come to be known as the 20th Maine.
   
   With no military experience, Chamberlain showed great promise in his leadership shills and military expertise. He became friends with his unit's commander, Colonial Ames, who became his tutor. According to Trulock, Chamberlain held a great deal of respect and admiration for Ames, and he gave Ames credit for his military success.
   
   Trulock's description of Chamberlain's military life is extraordinary, and she supplies us with great details about the battles in which he was involved. At the battle of Antietam, Chamberlain was not directly involved in the fighting but was brought up in reserve the next day. Trulock gives a very vivid description of horror that Chamberlain witnessed upon arriving at the battlefield that day where 22,000 lay dead or wounded on the field. It was the bloodiest, one day battle in the Civil War.
   
   Next, she transports us to the Fredericksburg, and the final assault by the North on Marye's Heights - the charge that involved the 20th of Maine. All the other divisions that day were either driven back, laid dead or wounded on the field. She describes tremendous courage that Chamberlain and his men showed as they made their charge on the now famous wall at Marye's Heights, the wall that was heavily guarded by Confederates. The division suffered great loses that late afternoon. They remained among the dead or wounded for 2 days and nights before the order was given to retreat.
   
   The episode in history that Chamberlain is most remember for is the courage and heroism he displayed at the battle of Gettysburg. He was ordered to the top of a hill known as The Little Round Top where he was placed at the far left flank. There, Chamberlain was instructed to hold that position at all cost. The 20th Maine repelled assault after assault by the Confederates that day. When ammunition ran out, Chamberlain ordered a bayonet charge, an event that many historians say was the turning point of the Civil War.
   
   Trulock also gives a very detailed account of the battle of Petersburg, where Chamberlain was horribly wounded. After hearing of his heroic actions during the battle, General Grant immediately promoted Chamberlain on the battlefield to Brigadier General. This was the only battlefield promotion ever issued by Grant. Somehow, Chamberlain survived his wound, due to the skilled surgery that was preformed on him that night and next day. Chamberlain's two close friends, Dr. Shaw and Dr. Townsend worked for hours repairing the damage inflicted by the mini ball. The wound he received that day would trouble him all of his life and required numerous surgery's to repair the damage.
   
   His persistent heroism and outstanding leadership were the deciding factor when Grant chose Chamberlain to receive the Confederate surrender at Appomattox. He showed great respect for his fellow countrymen that day when he gave the order to his men to give a solders salute to the surrendering confederate men. His honorary actions that day were later critized by many people.
   
   This book contains a lot of historic photos of Chamberlain's family, friends, fellow soldiers and numerous battle maps. The book also gives a great account of Chamberlain's life as Governor of Maine and President of Bowden College, but these accounts do not compare to the bravery and patriotic devotion that Chamberlain displayed during the Civil War. His actions made him a hero to his men, and the country he served.
   
   Trulock has given us a great biography, not only one of the Civil War's greatest commanders, but one of the United States most distinguished citizens. The book flows very smoothly while covering details of battles that would interest even the most die hard Civil War enthusiast.
   
   Finally, a book that does justice to an astonishing person. I highly recommend this book.



2. Chamerlain's heroism is similar to Teddy Roosevelt, Alvin York, and Audie Murphy who came behind him, but have been better publicized.
   
   The difference is that his act of confidence, courage and decisiveness may have been the one that changed the outcome of the Civil War, the 1864 election and the future of America.
   
   In The Hands of Providence is the story of Chamberlain's exemplary character before, during and after that momentum changing moment. All Americans should read and learn this story.
   
   - Richard V. Battle - Author of The Four Letter Word That Builds Character



3. I found Alice Trulock's biography on Joshua L. Chamberlain to be quite readable, well researched and well grounded. Considering the length of the book, Trulock's book read quite well for most readers of any level. Well, it may not be good as the one written by John Pullen but it definitely is superior to the one written by Edward Longacre. I put that in just for comparison purpose.
   
   I think this biography may served as a good introduction to Chamberlain who's name have definitely reached near mythological level nowadays among Civil War readers thanks to Jeff Daniels and his role in that movie "Gettysburg". Of course, most readers would probably be disappointed that Jeff Daniel's portaryal of Chamberlain will not jive with Joshua Chamberlain of Trulock's book.
   
   The biography covers all aspects of Chamberlain's life. The book does a good job covering Chamberlain's military career which proves to be the most important period of his life from which Chamberlain's life will be centered around until his death. I do wish to make a point here. He died at the age of 86, a very ripe old age and I doubt if his wounds he got from Petersburg really hasten his death, it may have cause him a lot of pain but even in modern days, most people don't live that long!
   
   Overall, an very good biography on one of Union's more natural soldiers. A non-professional who performed better then most professional soldiers.



4. The Duke of Wellington supposedly stated that it is impossible for a Christian to serve in the military. Too bad he wasn't around during the American Civil War! Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson from the South and Joshua Chamberlain and Otis Howard from the North are notable exceptions to Wellington's thesis.
   
   Trulock has written what is the best account of the hero of Little Round Top and who personally oversaw the surrender of Confederate troops at Appamattox.
   
   Among the important events in Chamberlain's life covered include:
   
   1. Birth and Christian upbringing in rural Maine.
   2. His days as a student and adminstrator at Bowdoin College.
   3. His early Civil War service including the formation of the famous 20th Maine Regiment.
   4. Fascinating accounts of his involvement in major Civil War battles: Fredericksburg, Gettysburg, Petersburg, and other engagements.
   5. The horrible wound suffered at Petersburg that eventually killed him some 50 years later.
   6. His loving yet strained marriage to Frances Caroline Adams.
   7. Postwar public service as President of Bowdoin College and Governor of Maine.
   
   Reading the book was a joy - the narrative flowed smoothly while covering several details of a fascinating character. The author managed to keep the story from becoming too bogged down in dry detail without insulting the reader's intelligence. Oh, how I wish more biographies were written like this!
   
   The book also contains excellent battle maps and numerous photographs of the main characters: Chamberlain, his wife, parents, sister and brothers, many Civil War officers, and other important people in Joshua Chamberlain's life.
   
   All in all, an excellent and highly recommended read. Read and enjoy!



5. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain was the epitome of the American citizen-soldier. Since the birth of the republic, American soldiers have left home and hearth to serve the nation and many of them have come home physically shattered and haunted by what they have seen while still others have not come home at all. Thrown into the breech, some of the citizen solders found they did not have the fortitude for what was asked of them while many others have excelled, performing better than graduates of West Point or Annapolis, America's most prestigious military academies. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain was a citizen soldier who became a great hero of the Civil War, a man who met challenge after challenge and became a great leader of men and afterward, the course of his life was forever altered. An academically inclined young man, Chamberlain left Bowdin College and his studies and teaching in theology to accept a lieutenant colonel's commission in the 20th Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment. The modest young professor took part in most of the important battles of the North's Army of the Potomac. He was a participant in the Battle of Antietam, still the bloodiest single day in American history. Today, we can walk the battlefield off Sharpsburg Pike, in rural Maryland and see "Burnside's Bridge and the cornfields where so many men fell and get some small measure of what men like Chamberlain went through. We can also visit the battlefield at Fredericksburg and see the heights that he and his 20th Maine and the Union Army tried to take in bloody frontal assaults into the teeth of Confederate guns and under the pounding of their artillery on the hills. Today Chamberlain's comrades - as well as the fallen Confederate troops - are buried on the commanding heights they failed to take, one of the Civil War's bitter ironies. Colonel Chamberlain then immortalized himself at Gettysburg's Little Round Top where he anchored the Union left, repelling assault after assault and winning the day by leading a charge down the slope that broke the Rebel troops. He was given a general's star by General Grant at Petersburg and was honored to receive the Confederate surrender at Appomattox. His heroism and leadership qualities helped him win the Governorship of Maine no less than four times, after which he retired to the Presidency of Bowdin College, his alma mater. Alice Trulock who wrote this book, was not a professional writer and after her retirement from civic affairs, this book took her ten years of careful research, writing and rewriting to complete. She based her work on a great deal of new research and handles the account of infantry combat beautifully. Unfortunately, Trulock died before the book was released and so she wasn't able to accept the accolades that were due to her for such a well-written and moving biography of an emblematic Civil War figure.

2 comments about Goering-Softbound.

1. A fascinating insight into the mind of the madman Goering. A must read for any student of World War II. Part of the incredible Goering/ Himmler / Goebbels series by Roger Manvell & Heinrich Fraenkel. Great book.



2. Having just read Roger Manvells other two books on Gobbles and Himmler it is hard to believe the civilized world allowed them to prop up the manic ,Hitler, to cause such devestation on the world in general and Jews in particular.To think their objective was well known and we sat on the side lines.To think there are art treasures seized by the Nazis fom innocent victims still being disputed