5 comments about Swamp Fox.

1. One of the real heroes of the Revolution - underscores the difficulties that Gen. Greene had in the Southern campaign and highlights much of the cruelty we forget about. Author gets carried away with geography, however, and loses the reader in minutiae.



2. This is a great book to sink your teeth into. It deals with major battles as well as the multiple skirmishes fought by the southern militia. I felt as if I was there in the swamps, and hovering over the battlefield fighting along with these men. In the end you are almost kinda sad that you are no longer a part of these men's lives. Bass does a great job of putting you right amidst the action. You feel as if you know these men personally. This book also made me want to know more about Nathaniel Greene. (next book!) Angie



3. Bass' book is stuffed to the gills with details about battles and personalities surrounding the campaigns of Francis Marion, but, as a newcomer to the subject, I found that to be more problematic than helpful. If one does not already possess a working knowledge of the subject, the amount of detail and Bass' constant jumping from event to event is somewhat overwhelming. I also found that the lack of a consistent narrative gave the book a text-book quality.



4. I would rate this a high four or a low five.

   This book was fascinating. It brought home to me how much was sacrificed during the fight for independence. Although about one person, there are many fascinating stories that are included in this book.

   The author is obviously a large fan of Francis Marion. On one page alone he is described as heroic, strong, honest, trustworthy, quick thinking, witty, and so on.

   I would have appreciated a larger map.

   However, overall this book is a good read.
   Enjoy.




5. Bass is a good storyteller; unfortunatley he is not as good of a researcher. Overall this book is an easily readable retelling of the life and Revolutionary War campaigns of Francis Marion. There's nothing new or particularly insightful here, and unfortunatley Bass gets several military details wrong (such as the numeric designations of British regiments) and provides a one dimensional portrait of Tarleton and other British leaders.

5 comments about Parris Island Daze: My Drill Instructor Was Tougher Than Yours.

1. As a former Marine I enjoyed many memories of my days at Parris Island in 1957. These days most of the book had me smiling if not outright laughing. We will always remember our D.I.'s and the influence they had on our characters. I'm sure any former Marine will get a little lump in his throat when reading the D.I.'s talk at graduation. He said they were now part of the brotherhood and they would always be Marines. Great memories!



2. Harsh but true stories from the Old basic training marines went through. I only hope new Marines get the training we went through. Only complaint is too much TURDS as our drill instructor thought of us as men in training and did his best not to demean to the point of the instructor in this book. How can you build men today by acting like a power-hungry maniac



3. Written by Marine Corps Association member and Parris Island graduate Bob Shirley, Parris Island Daze: My Drill Instructor Was Tougher Than Yours is a tell-it-like-it-is account of what Parris Island (or any other American military boot camp) is really like. Recounting the experience of grueling yet invigorating training, and illustrated with twenty-eight black-and-white boot camp photographs, Parris Island Daze reminisces the forging experience without pulling any punches as to its severity. Parris Island Daze is especially recommended for anyone preparing to join the military, the better to inform them of the hurdle they are about to encounter, as well as the character and manhood-building rewards they can achieve!



4. I started laughing on the first page of Chapter 1. He's describing arriving at the train depot and the MP's coming on board and immediately starting to scream at him. It was 1958. Step forward five years and it was me that they were screaming at. Just like with him, it was in the early hours of the morning, I was tired, sleepy, and wondering what I was getting into. I didn't realize that it was their intent for us to arrive in the dark to have you dazed, confused, and disoriented. Oh Yeah! For me, just like for him, it was also raining and cold. I wonder if that was part of the plan as well. How did they do that?
   
   To be sure, I was Army rather than Marine, but it differed only in detail. It was terrifying at the time, funny now.
   
   The basic rules of how to do basic training, how to take a civilian and turn him into a soldier were first developed a couple of thousand years ago by the Greeks training young men to fight in the phalanx. It worked then, and it works now. It's a carefully graduated psychological program to develop mental and physical fitness of the type the military wants.
   
   A delightful book, especially recommended for the parents of people going into the service.



5. "Parris Island Daze is the best book I've ever read on boot camp at Parris Island. I've read every word in the book and even read some aloud to my wife. It's a wonderful, wonderful book that I hope all Marines will read and enjoy. It's great." Former Governor of Georgia and U.S. Senator Zell Miller, author of Corps Values: Everything You Need To Know I Learned In The Marines.

5 comments about Shot At and Missed: Recollections of a World War II Bombardier.

1. A reasonable storeyline to this book but little 'wow' factor. Not great but not bad!



2. Jack Myers a bombadier/navigator with the 15th Air Force in Italy provides the reader with a unique take on the trials of an airman in WWII. His emphasis is on characterization of the many men he flew with in combat. Very different and very engrossing, including long passages on his copilot a man nicknamed the "War Lover."



3. This book provides an excellent recollection of certain events, some in graphic detail. He provides a mature insight into his young maturity going into the war.



4. A great book ! My father was a toggelier on a B-17 and I found
   the book to be accurate, factual, informative and exciting. The
   bombardier on a B-17 sat in the very nose of the aircraft and was
   only 24 inches from being the most forward part of the plane. Not
   even the pilot or copilot had a more frightening view of the flak
   than the bombardier. First hand accounts of these historic events are
   beoming fewer and fewer, this is a great one.



5. Just a great book. You really felt like you were there. You feel like he could get killed at any moment. Anyone could get killed at any moment. What a great read.

5 comments about Seal!: From Vietnam's Phoenix Program to Central America's Drug Wars.

1. I served with Commander Mike Walsh During his tour of duty in Panama 84-86 I was attached to Naval Station Panama Canal, Combat Craft Unit. I was Boat Captain of PCF-4.(Patrol Craft Fast) As a Gunners Mate Guns Petty Officer First Class. Commander Walsh was a true professional. A great man on or off duty. I read this book in one day. Truly one of the best books that I have read in my life. Made me feel that I was back in Panama conducting support for the various Special Warefare Units that worked with. Iam proud to say that I knew Commander Walsh. A man that never forgot where he came from...



2. SEAL is still one of the best memoires available today!!!
   After completing this work, I was blessed to locate and actually spend some time with the author.
   Put succinctly, Mike Walsh possesses more personal integrity, patriotism, and courageous resolve than most anyone above ground today.
   His book is a gift to Americans concerned with guts, veracity, and acquiring an education from perceptions only viewable through the eyes of a highly intelligent and intrepid warrior.
   The California clown that offers the "get over yourself" review below obviously is blind to understanding that even a humble man
   like Mr. Walsh, tasked with attempting to record his extremely extraordinary life, will seem (to an ignoramus) to be boastful.
   Mike Walsh is not a boastful man.
   SEAL is the truthful product of a matured, religious individual whose personal discipline, devotion to country, and unpoliticized insights offers this nation's youth a measuring stick for honor.
   Although my service was with the army, I would follow this naval 'Commander' into hell if he so desired.
   SEAL is strong evidence that Mike Walsh knows all about that arena.
   Americans need to read this one.
   It'll make your chest stick out a bit further.



3. This book was riveting! It provided historical value with a personal component that truly engages the reader. The book gave insight to why certain missions were successful, and how some missions went wrong. Lt Mike Walsh has helped me to realize that our nation is not asleep! Now that we are engaged in war with Iraq, I was able to imagine the in's and out's of the recent successful SEAL mission to secure the two oil wells on 3/21/03. And finally, Lt Walsh's personal life-changing testimony is wonderful! Thanks, Lieutenant!



4. Two stars for the historical facts, zero for the self-admiring, self-adoring, self-aggrandizing tone that permeates every page. SEALS, the elite, the best, the true warriors, etc., etc. Gimmie a break. A touch of the short-man's complex, I think - Mike tells us in glorious detail how very wonderful he was and all of the great things that he did. The only folks portrayed in a better light in the book are "SEAL legends".... I mean, c'mon, let's have less bias, please! He makes brief mention of the Green Berets, Aplini, SAS and Aussie SAS in the book, praising them, but it's otherwise "SEALS rule, don't mess with us, we're fierce warriors!". Listen, Bud, if you need to keep telling everyone this all the time, it's obvious that you don't believe it yourself.

   The true warriors are the ones that Mike doesn't know about - they do their job well and no one ever knows it was done. No mention of these truly elite operators in this book. The self-congratulatory tone is almost nauseating in many chapters. There are so, so many books about elite forces and Viet nam, all available on AMAZON, that are much better than this hymn to SEALS.




5. The story of an extraordinary man doing his daily job. This book provides insight into the elite fighting groups who defend our freedom. Included in this book are various pictures of Lt. Cmdr. Michael J. Walsh, USN, who is now retired. If you want to know what goes on behind the scenes, behind the news stories, read it.

5 comments about Company C: An American's Life as a Citizen-Soldier in Israel.

1. COMPANY C: AN AMERICA'S LIFE AS A CITIZEN-SOLDIER IN ISRAEL tells of an American-born immigrant to Israel who was drafted into the army and assigned to the reserve infantry which would be his world for his next twenty years, from 1984 until 2002. His soldier experience in Israel provides readers with unique insights into not only Israel's army's structure and experience, but into Israeli issues and culture. It's a fine addition for any collection serious about not just world military experience, but Israeli society as a whole.
   
   Diane C. Donovan
   California Bookwatch



2. One reason this book so deeply impressed me is that I know something about the realities which Watzman writes about. I also served for years, though not as many as he, in the reserves of the Israeli Army. However my service was not a level comparable to Watzman's, and it was especially interesting for me to learn and read about what service at the 'next level' might be.
   I also was impressed by 'factual accuracy' of the work. Watzman describes himself as a runner, and as a soldier as someone who is 'consistent'. It seems to me that he is also like this as a writer , consistent and reliable.
   In the course of describing his fifteen years of reserve duty Watzman gives the picture of a typical Israeli Army reserve unit. Israel is a country in which there are immigrants from over eighty different countries, and in which there is an enormous diversity in backgrounds, and outlooks.His depiction of his own relation to the other long- time regulars of the unit, who become his friends is one of the best parts of the book. Watzman's loyalty to them and to the company he serves, and to Israel itself are another distinguishing feature of the work, another point, which to my mind makes the work so admirable.
   One of the major themes of the work is Watzman's moral dilemnas as he is called upon to serve in areas he does not believe Israel should hold on to. He guards in Tel Romeida in Hebron , and serves in Jenin , and in the Arab village of Beni Haim. He tests his own belief and practice, against the practical realities and has the guts to know when he is wrong. For instance he initially believes the best way to treat the Arab villagers is to leave them completely to themselves, not interfere with them. But then he discovers that they take this as weakness, and violence is the result. He comes to understand a policy of firmly making it clear who is in charge leads to a better situation all around, with fewer injuries to the villagers. Nonetheless he remains a decent moral human being throughout . And he indicates not by declaration but through tens of examples that the Israeli Army is by and large made up of decent people whose aim is to defend their own homes and people, and not do wanton injury to their enemies.
   Watzman shows how the reserve soldiers he is serving with are truly volunteers. They could get out of their duty if they wished. He is a particularly persistent faithful soldier, returning to his unit even when offered ways out. He gives us many interesting dialogues between the soldiers, including political ones. What I found especially impressive in him was his resistance to cliches and slogans and his ability to look at the complexity of the factual reality, the true situation on the ground, even when it did not fit his own ideal conception.
   This is at times a distressing and difficult book but it is ultimately an inspiring one.



3. Watzman does probably the best job that can be done of describing, with movie-like realism, what it means to be Israeli and serve in the military reserves. I wonder if any American realizes what they're reading--it's so far out of their experience, even these days when American reservists are serving in Iraq. It's different. The closest parallel in America is the Minutemen of New England where I grew up, but over 200 years ago.
   
   The story also succeeds in conveying something which both news and documentary rarely touch: the on-the-ground consequences of political and economic, as well as military, decisions. A budget cut here, a policy waffle there, and we all say "tsk, tsk" and go to sleep at night. If you're in the Israeli reserves, you don't sleep, and maybe you don't eat, or you freeze, or risk your or your friends' lives unnecessarily. All of us who live in democracies and don't fight should think twice before they express this or that opinion without considering the consequences.
   
   Speaking of politics, then, careful readers will fall into two categories. Left-wing readers will be proud of Watzman's well-intentioned stances based on principle, but won't notice the consistent omission of large parts of recent centuries' world history that should bear on his decision-making. Right-wing readers will simply boggle at how someone could give so much to his country, have so many Arabs try to kill him and his family, and yet remain unshaken in his belief in Arab goodwill.
   
   All in all, Watzman does us a service, and gives us a gift, by telling his story, and that of his comrades, his family, and his (our) country.
   
   I just would have hoped that he ended up with, and thus raised for his readers, more questions, rather than answers.



4. Read this book to learn about what's happening on the ground in Israel from the point of view of a working family man. Perhaps unintentionally, Watzman shows how the endless war is grinding down the average Israeli, how hopelessness has infiltrated every aspect of Israeli society, how social institutions are breaking down and how a zealous and extremist minority exercises a hugely disproportionate amount of power over the beleaguered majority. And this with billions of dollars of aid annually from the United States, turning Israel into a dollar junkie. The most moving parts of the book show the constant dilemma of working-class Israeli men as they struggle to make a living while fulfilling their duty, a duty many of them now do not want to have.
   
   Watzman's politics are sober and his morals are admirable, yet he consistently finds arguments to sabotage both. He bases these arguments on notions of loyalty to his comrades--loyalty which is no doubt real--but it puts into question just serious is his political and moral opposition to the occupation of Palestinian territories.



5. I loved Anthony Swofford's Gulf War memoir, Jarhead, but with no disrespect to its author or to Kirkus Reviews which calls it "an Israeli Jarhead", Company C offers a far richer reading experience. American-born Watzman served for almost 20 years in the Israeli military, starting with the regular army in 1982, moving to the reserves in '84. This period covers a broad swath of modern Israeli history, and Watzman brilliantly demnstrates how he was able (overcoming personal conflicts) to mix his political views -- anti-settlements -- with his soldierly duties, which often required defending settlers and unapologetically executing missions to which he was opposed in principle. His company C contained people from across the full spectrum of Israeli politics (die-hard expansionists to socialistic peaceniks to religious zealots). Watzman showed exceptional dedication in doggedly reporting for duty year after year into middle age, leaving his work and wife and 4 kids every year to report for front-line duty, when so many of his peers were easily managing to escape reservist service. Even after an illness left him permanently disabled and almost crippled and he'd passed his 40th birthday (ancient for a footsoldier), Watzman insisted on doing battle for his adopted country. He is a true hero and patriot and a wonderfully entertaining writer.

5 comments about At the Right Hand of Longstreet: Recollections of a Confederate Staff Officer.

1. Moxley Sorrel was one of the best staff officers in the Confederate army. He served as one of the key staff officers in the service of Gen. James Longstreet's First Corps. This book, in his own words, is one of the more insightful books by an "insider" from the Civil War.
   
   The book provides some brief background, prior to Sorrel joining Longstreet's staff (which, by the way, appears to have been one of the better corps staffs on the Confederate side--east or west or trans-Mississippi).
   
   His career was distinguished and he had a rare opportunity to observe Longstreet and other major Confederate officers. The book portrays Sorrel's views on major battles of the war--from the Peninsula to Seven Pines to the Seven Days to Second Manassas and on to Gettysburg. Then, an examination of the First Corps' movement to the western theatre, where it played a key role at Chickamauga.
   
   Sorrel became a battlefield figure at the Wilderness, as he led a flanking attack on Union General Winfield Scott Hancock. He finished the war as a battlefield commander rather than a staff officer.
   
   What is best about this book, though, is his careful and thoughtful analysis of events and officers. A very nice work indeed.



2. maybe it was because Longstreet wasn't a very talkable sort I don't know but this book does provide some interesting insights and seldom bogs down.



3. VERY GOOD BOOK, I ENJOYED IT VERY MUCH, WROTE VERY WELL



4. This late memoir seems to have been one of the most heavily used sources for scholars of Lee, Longstreet and other generals and the Gettysburg campaign in particular.
   
   As a memoir, it's not very personable, with the author's personal experiences and even his serious injury told in a distant manner, which is not uncommon for works of this kind. It is interesting as an account of Longstreet and others around him, although it shouldn't be taken as absolute gospel; Sorrel's opinion on the Gettysburg campaign in particular seems calculated to deflect any possible criticism from his erstwhile chief.
   
   There are some interesting and unexpected tidbits here -- for one, the role of the spy Harrison, whose very existence has been questioned by some writers. Far from appearing only once on the eve of Gettysburg, he appears in Sorrel's memoir as a regular contact of Longstreet's and one who was still living when the memoir was written. This would seem to strengthen the argument that Harrison's information about Federal activities in the Gettysburg campaign would have been useful to the Confederate command.
   
   It's also interesting (and refreshing) to see how non-teetotal Sorrel's Army of Northern Virginia is -- whiskey everywhere, and even a priceless scene of Longstreet and other officers singing arias while standing on a table.



5. General Gilbert Moxley Sorrell's memoir of the War Between the States is a must-read for any serious student of the War and a fascinating historical account of soldierly life and experiences. Sorrell served in Longstreet's Brigade beginning at Manassas and as his staff officer until his promotion to Brigadier-General in 1864. He paints a vivid picture of camp life and of the political climate of the times that is often overlooked in military accounts. Highly recommend

5 comments about Some Survived: An Eyewitness Account of the Bataan Death March and the Men Who Lived Through It.

1. This book is a must-read. These guys literally went through hell. You must get this book, it is outsading. If you feel terrible about how your life is, read this book. You'll realize how good you have it.
   
   Well written book. Hard to put down.



2. I am reviewing the 1984 hardback edition of this book which was entitled "Some Survived. An Epic Account of Japanese Captivity During WWII."
   Although this is not the first book on The Death March I have read, it is probably the best. It is well written and easy to read. The thing I liked best was the fact that not only did it give, in great detail, an eye witness account of the atrocities committed by the Japanese on American POW's in the Phillipines, it went on to describe life in the camps after the march, then on to a very detailed description of their treatment on the 'Hell Ships' that took the prisoners to prison camps in Japan.
   This is not a book of despair only. It is also of faith, guts, determination, and final victory by Manny Lawton and a few others that survived this horrible period of time. It also prompts us to remember those that didn't. God Bless them.



3. This is one of those books that just makes you churn inside. The abuses and suffering are never ending during the length of the book. The detail provided could only have come from someone that was there. Mr. Lawton explains in vivid detail the degree of torment these guys endured. YOU NEED TO READ THIS!



4. On April 8, 1942, Manny Lawton was a 23 year old army captain stationed on Bataan when orders came down to surrender to the Japanese who had invaded and captured the Philippine Islands in the opening months of World War II in the Pacific Theatre. Lawton and his fellow U.S. troops and their Filipino allies were compelled to endure a six-day, sixty-mile trek forever after known as the Bataan Death March, during which approximately eleven thousand men died of exhaustion or were murdered by the Japanese by bayoneting, clubbing, or simply shooting their prisoners outright. By the time the war ended in August 1945, about 57 percent of the American troops who surrendered to the Japanese on Bataan had died in confinement at the hands of the enemy. Some Survived: An Eyewitness Account Of The Bataan Death March And The Men Who Lived Through It is an important historical documentation and seminal contribution to World War II Pacific Theatre reference collections.



5. This is an amazing report of an American soldier held captive by the Japaese in the Phippines and the island of Japan itself for three and one-half years after his capture in World War II.
   How he could remember the details of brutal beatings, starvation and resulting illnesses is almost beyond belief. His experiences with fellow prisoners runs the gamut from the highest heroism to utter selfishness. Every day he looked forward to freedom, only to be repeatedly disappointed until that memorable day when he met the invading U.S. forces and he knew that he was free ,atlast! The dscription of his home coming is heart wrenching as it was for all of us on our return. This book's contents are enough to make almost anyone swear to never buy another Japanese produced article.

   met h

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

4 comments about Fisher's Face; or,: Getting to Know the Admiral.

1. This book is a delight. It does not fit easily into the categories of history, biography or psychology, and yet it has elements of all of them. The author has obviously written it for sheer personal pleasure and this sense of fun - of which the splendid Jacky Fisher himself would have thoroughly approved - is communicated to the reader. It is no fault of the writer that Fisher remains an enigma at the end of it, a man of vast contradictions, enthusiasms, energy, genius and simplicity, but the journey is enjoyable on every page. Fisher was a force of nature who tackled every challenge, regardless of size, with zest, verve and originality and the story of his whirlwind career, and his transformation of the Royal Navy has much of the epic about it. Few men can have had greater vision, or a greater gift for grasping the potential of technology for transforming organisations and national destinies. Much of what he did and said could serve as a textbook for today's business schools - while the rest might have marked him for a straitjacket. For all his greatness however, he was diminished by his last years and by Churchill's disastrous decision to recall him to the Admiralty soon after the outbreak of the First World War. Old, and by now unstable, his tenure was marked by huge miscalculations and personal behaviour that swung erratically between the inspired and the lunatic. Those who enjoy this unique book will be no less delighted by Fisher's idiosyncratic memoirs - entitled "Memories" - which are an eccentric and haphazard collection of ideas, reminiscences and dictums (slogans might be a better word). This is long out of print, but well worth the seeking.



2. I'm reading this book for the second time now and its every bit as fresh as during the first go round. Morris brings history alive as few others and has chosen a wonderfully exciting subject to biography. God, how we need more leaders like Jacky Fisher these days! And more writers like Morris. Well done, I'm searching the back list for your other titles.



3. I read this book in Cyprus, and there, Fisher's adventures whilst Admiral of the Mediterranean fleet seemed strangely poignant. The book is so unusually written that I actually thought that I was about to meet him at any point. I wish that I had, because as a life long lover of the navy, I find Fisher to be a most compelling character. There can be few people in this century that would be a more interesting correspondent. I wish that I could write to him now on the Web instead of writing this. If there is a more revealing (and one always feels, only slightly speculative), colourful and fun biography about anyone at all, pray tell me about it because this book was truly superb!



4. For those of us who are thoroughly rapt with the Royal Navy; following Mr. Massies "Dreadnought", Mr. Manchesters volumes on Churchill, and Winstons volumes on himself; this book will make your day.

   Jan Morris via the wonders of surgery can take magnificently opposite points of view. In the same paragraph she/he can be the disgruntled fellow officer and a breath later the wife of that same affronted officer, enraptured by the demon Admiral Fisher; who has just put her husband down. Fisher was a man who would destroy many a career without compunction , but in such a way that the victims would name their first male child after him. Go figure.

   Winston-O-Files will find little here but two characters so similar, so individual, and so revolutionary, that they could have been twins.

   Ms. Morris writes this book in the second person taking us into Admiral Fishers quarters on board the "Renown" and letting the effusive and entertaining and somewhat comedic Admiral lead us on a tour of his life. Morris is clearly in love with Jacky and through attention and sensitivity writes a gripping and compassionate biography.

   Wedge this book in next to your Manchester and Churchill and, oh'ya, your James Morris

3 comments about SECDEF: The Nearly Impossible Job of Secretary of Defense.

1. The book arrived in the estimated time and in the condition advertised by this seller.



2. I have always been interested in themes of security and diplomacy although I haven't read much literature about it. Nowdays, the world have a critic look on the person running the business of defense in the United States, that is to say, the Secretary of Defense. Leaving aside that politics opinions, is very interesting to know what is the real job of this secretary and what are the duties performed by him. This book clearly explain how difficult is this job, the skills required to commit the job and some facts such as the big budget handled by this department. I was particularly interested in the life and works of Robert McNamara and Donald Rumsfeld. The latter because of his involment of the Irak war but also, because I think Mr. Rumsfeld has a lot to teach to new generations. I know people think of him as a stubborn that knows everything, but you can always get the best from someone.



3. The Secretary of Defense is in some ways the second most imporant man in Washington. The budget he overseas is $419 billion for the current year. His department is bigger than any other single department. He manages more people than all the rest of the Government agencies put together. Trying to manage all of this may be more than any one man can handle. He's got to please the President more than anyone else, but then there's Congress, the senior military officials, and other members of the cabinet, particularly the Secretary of State.
   
   The origin of the position came from Truman. His famous quotation summarizes what he was trying to fix: 'I have the feeling that if the Army and the Navy had fought our enemies as hard as they fought each other, the war (WW II) would have ended much sooner.' One of the people that fought him on the whole idea of a Defense Department was James Forrestal. So when the department was created, Truman made Forrestal the Secretary of Defense with orders to make it work.
   
   This book is the story of the secretaries that have held the office from Forrestal down to Rumsfield. It's about the people, what they did and how they did it. Most important, it's about the job itself.