5 comments about Black Cadet in a White Bastion: Charles Young at West Point.

1. There was a great deal to learn from a story that is over 100 years old. I was unfamiliar with the story of racism at the military academy and this thoroughly researched book provides a great deal of context and thought provoking observations that are useful today.
   
   The author is challenged with finding authoritative resources long after the trail has gone cold but does a great deal of first-hand reporting unearthing historic letters and photos.
   
   I understand there will be followups to this edition which should be a welcome addition to what appears to be a rather small bibliography on the subject.



2. Most biographies are about extraordinary people who accomplish extraordinary things. But the story of an ordinary person who makes the most of everything he has can be even more compelling. This is why Black Cadet in a White Bastion is well worth reading. It is a tale of accomplishment through simple perseverance, not complex genius. Brain Shellum details the slave community of Young's birth, the freeman's community of his youth, and the West Point environment where Young struggled for social and academic survival.
   
   Charles Young lived a century before there were television ads selling the Army as the place where you can "Be all you can be." He was ahead of his time, and his story is an inspiration to anyone who seeks to follow in his footsteps, to overcome the odds against them. Author Brian Shellum performs a great service by portraying Young's faults along with his strengths so that we can fully appreciate how hard he had to work to earn his stripes.



3. My book club recently read this insightful biography of Charles Young's birth through graduation from West Point with unanimous praise for Shellum's writing style and solid research. While many military bio's are dense and slow, this book reads with ease and quick pace. As two of our club members are alumni of The Academy, I was not surprised to learn from them that the descriptions of campus life and traditions were accurate and much the same for Young as those from late this century.



4. What an inspiring story! Luck, pluck and a narrow window of opportunity all lined up for Charles Young, a young African American teacher from Ohio, who knocked on West Point's doors in 1884 and found them open to him. I'm amazed that West Point enrolled Blacks in that period. But as historian and author, Brian Shellum, tells us in BLACK CADET IN A WHITE BASTION, for a short period after 1884, a few African Americans were accepted at West Point. Soon after Young graduated, the military school barred African Americans for fifty years!
   
   Shellum explains that Young struggled at West Point because of intolerance as well because of its challenging curriculum. But Young was a man who never gave up, depending on hard work, tutors, mentors, friends and family to carry him to graduation.
   
   The author outlines the challenges of writing about an individual whose color relegated him to a shadowy existence at West Point. Yet with some diligent and creative research, Shellum pieces together a biography of a hero who clearly became the Colin Powell of his time.
   
   I look forward to Shellum's next installment of Charles Young's extraordinary journey.



5. I've just finished reading this skillfully researched book about Charles Young's life. From his birth to parents with roots in Southern slavery to his graduation from West Point, it's a story that reflects a strength of character and purpose against the many odds of the time in which he lived. His struggle against the racism of the time is a story that begs to be told.

5 comments about Pathfinder: John Charles Fremont and the Course of American Empire.

1. This is an excellent biography of an American that few people know about. Fremont was truly a vivid member of history from the days of the early republic through the age of manifest destiny. This book covers not only Fremont's triumphs but his downfalls. While a young and impetuous (sometimes dishonest) man, Fremont was successful in helping to expand this countries knowledge of its own topography and boundaries. Through a vivid use of journals and maps Fremont led expeditions that cataloged the trails for westward expansion.
   His service in the army corp. of engineers helped with the capture of California through bravado more so than force. After his brief governorship of California, Fremont was found guilty at a court marital for his actions against General Kearny and the Polk administration. Fremont's retirement would lead him to business ventures and a run for the presidency as the Republican Party's first candidate. These distinctions would continue as he was a commander of the western union forces during the Civil War. His greatest act here would be to promote a little known Grant to general and command the armies of Tennessee. Overall this is an excellent biography and does a great job of providing a balanced look at a little known person in American history. Highly recommended for those who want to understand how the groundwork for manifest destiny was laid.



2. This is a massively important book, one that invokes not only America, but also the frontier and the life of a man who, hitherto a minor player in history, has been brought to the forefront to show how he embodied an age. The author puts himself astride the arguments of American history, showing how John Charles Fremont was once the epitome of the American who helped brave the wilderness, and how recent revisionist historians cast him as an imperialist and a leader in the persecution of the Native Americans. For the author Fremont is neither and both, a man who forced America to "reimagine America itself". Born in 1813 in Savannah, Fremont was to embody America itself, the Colossus in the Cradle, that was just beginning to feel its way into the new frontier of the West.
   
   He was to be surveyor in the 1830s when the Cherokee nation was relocated. Fremont's most important expeditions would be between 1838 and 1854, charting various routes and mapping the American west. His campfires and wagon trails are today nothing but dust, few are preserved. The author sought in van to find them but found instead the legacy of Fremont, America astride the West gave birth to the American West and after that to commerce and the great movement of population, for which Fremont's old camping sites are now national parks or owned by the government or inside the property of corporations.
   
   This book evokes so many things it is hard not to give it praise for all of them. It tells the story of the American West and attempts by well meaning explorers to sympathize and help Native-Americans, Fremont himself judged the U.S government deficient in its promises to the American Indian.
   
   An amazing read that will be enjoyed by any student of American history or anyone interested in the frontier or the American West.
   
   Seth J. Frantzman



3. John Fremont was (in some aspects) the Alexander Hamilton of the mid-19th century. That may seem like a strange comparison, but they had one very strong similarity.... you either loved them or you hated them. Both were seen as larger than life and aroused strong emotions throughout the country.
   
   There are some pretty significant differences between the two - Fremont was world-renowed explorer of the American Wild West - while Hamilton was a bona fide finacial genius (which Fremont definitely was not!). Hamilton died too young and became somewhat of a martyr and his reputation has grown. Fremont may have lived a little too long and scandal soiled and diminished his reputation.
   
   Now to Chaffin's wonderful biography on Fremont: What a great/interesting read! The characters are much larger than life John Fremont, Thomas Hart Benton (His father-in-law), General Stockton (Who helped win California fo America) and of course Fremont's exploring buddy Kit Carson.
   
   Chaffin tells a tale that is so odd that it must be true. The tales of Fremont's four main explorations is straight out of a Hollywood movie. We follow Fremont up mountains, across rivers, through deserts - we see how they faced extreme starvation and how some members were forced to turn to canabalism (ouch!).
   
   Chaffin presents Fremont with warts and all - there is mention of his affairs, his conceit, his insubortination, his shameless self-promotion and his many financial blunders. While Chaffin does not apologize for Fremonts faults he also chooses not to dwell on these aspects.
   
   So why only four stars? There are some minor flow problems (for me) I found that the section on the war for California to be far too long, and the sections on Fremont's role in the Civil War and his ill fated Presidential campaign to be far too short. However, a significant amount of the book concentrates on Fremont's explorations.... which is exactly why I give a full recommendation.



4. I loved this book--an inspiring story that conveys the excitment of the exploration of the west. Author includes historical background so Fremonts actions are placed in the context of the time. Very readable--almost like a novel. The one drawback are the maps of Fremonts explorations. They are merely sketch maps without any location detail--I would have liked to have seen more detailed cartography with, perhaps, landforms included. Many (most) place names in the book are not shown on the maps. I kept my atlas at hand while reading, but many place names have changed. I strongly recommend.



5. A good book, rich in historical detail, but...wow, the copyediting is bad. It's enough that it's really hard to read the book. I hope they can fix the copyediting problems if they reprint the book or bring it out in paperback.

5 comments about Letters From Boot Camp: A Memoir of Navy Basic Training.

1. As informational as it is emotional. Beckley seemlessly weaves the details of how boot camp works with the fears, courage, shock, and joy of her accomplishment. From the agony of being continuously "cycled" (exercised intensely) to the subtlety of finding pride in independence, Beckley gives us an incredible real-life journey. And, it is possibly as fast-paced as basic training! When, I got to the last letter, I couldn't believe it was over.
   
   I appreciated a female perspective on such a male-dominated career. It's the first I've found. However, it is not just a girl's story. And, while helpful to anyone thinking of enlisting, the book can stand alone as a story of growing up and growing strong.



2. I thought this was a great read. I loved the back & forth with the "old salt".



3. " I just wanted to follow up in response to review below as an addendum
   that I emailed the author from her website - these were the actual letters
   she sent home - so its not written by memory but happening in real-time.
   
   But I really loved best the relationship between her dad, a former sailor,
   and her as she is going thru the experience. Take it with a grain of salt -
   but it is a good snapshot that gives any kid thinking of going in the Navy
   the "real deal"! "



4. Not a current depiction of what boot camp is like. I am sure this is what the author remembered. Was a little disappointed.



5. This was an informative and raw account of Navy Boot Camp. I recommend it for anyone considering joing the military. An entertaining and insightful read! A Lockwood.

5 comments about America's First Frogman: The Draper Kauffman Story.

1. I was on Admiral Kauffman's staff at the 9th Naval District and present at his retirement, so I have long been aware of his amazing biography. Such a book is long overdue and tells the story of his heroic WWII service -- a life with details that you thought ony happened "in the movies".



2. We have three sons, all of whom have decided to serve their country, and Draper Kauffman is one of their heroes. What an exciting story! And it's more engaging because it's told by his sister, who has the unique insight to blend his military experiences with his family life. It's a well-rounded account of a man who served our country with honor and distinction.
   
   The title is unfortunate, because younger people have no idea what a "frogman" is. It would have been better to refer to the Navy Seals.



3. BOOK REVIEW OF: America's First Frogman, a biography of Admiral Draper Laurence Kauffman by his sister Elizabeth Kauffman Bush. Released by Naval Institute Press 2004
   
   America's First Frogman is an exciting war story of one of America's great heroes, Rear Admiral Draper Laurence Kauffman, the flamboyant young "father" of America's famous Underwater Demolition Units, now called the Navy Seals or frogmen.
   
   As told by his sister, the aunt of Jeb and George Bush and God Daughter of the former Duchess of Windsor, the biography spans the "heroic age...of individual prowess and fantastic risks" through several World War II battlefields and back home in the US. It is the colorful Homeric odyssey of a young Annapolis graduate who persists, despite bad eyesight, to prove his courage and ability to serve his country and follow his father, Vice Admiral James Laurence Kauffman, into the US Navy.
   
   Vividly the author reports how her brother, after initially failing the Navy's eye test, continues to successfully "test his nerve... from one nasty job to another" (from ambulance driving in northern France and bomb disposing in London's blitz) to return to the US and slowly prove his genius at pioneering and implementing new ideas and strategies. Quoting from his own letters, as well as those of other contemporaries, the author reports how Kauffman gains the respect from all for his contagious courage and leadership, especially in attracting and training volunteer "frogmen" to join him in their exceedingly demanding work preparing battlefields, often by swimming miles at night under enemy fire, supporting enormous backpacks full of ammunition.
   
   Although the book focuses on Kaufman's founding of the first US Naval Bomb Disposal and Combat Demolition schools, it also follows him through his very significant post war period acting as captain of several ships and chief of many pivotal naval offices including the Defense and Protection Section of the Atomic Warfare Division and Aide to Secretary of the Navy Thomas S. Gates and the Joint Chiefs of Staff in Washington DC. Ironically, in 1965 he also became Superintendent of the place where he first began his naval career, Annapolis.
   
   The well researched and colorfully depicted battle scenes are taken from his own letters to his father whom he sensitively cautions to hide from his worried mother and sister back home. This stateside backdrop of glamour and courage in the lives of both the Kauffman and Bush families adds to the dramatic scope of the book. Photographs portray both Admiral Kauffmans, as well as many other famous military, political and family personalities. The forward is written by the author's brother in law, former President George H.W.Bush.
   
   The reader will grow to admire the mischievous and bold, but sensitive, hero even as his sister does. Watch for this newly released biography to become a very exciting movie all of us can enjoy. Young and old can learn self disciplined focus, wisdom, wit and service from reading America's First Frogman.
   
   TerryAnn Reed, former history teacher, Sarasota, Florida, January 30, 2005



4. Written by Draper Kauffman's sister Elizabeth Kauffman Bush, and featuring a foreword by President George H. W. Bush, America's First Frogman: The Draper Kauffman Story is the biography of the father of the American Navy SEALs. From surviving his time as a prisoner of the Germans, to his acclaimed wartime service disarming enemy bombs and establishing bomb disposal schools, to the underwater demolition teams he led at Saipan, Tinian, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa, America's First Frogman is an amazing true story of skill, courage, dedication, high standards, and excellence under extreme pressure. A handful of black-and-white photographs illustrate this fascinating story of a great man's life and resolute determination.



5. Draper Kauffman is one of the heros of the modern navy. 'Thrown out' of the US Navy shortly after graduating from the Naval Academy for bad eyesight, he first joined the French fighting the Nazi invasion, and then the British Royal Navy as a bomb disposal officer.
   
   After Pearl Harbour the Navy decides that maybe his eyes weren't so bad after all. (It helps of course if your father is an admiral and Chester Nimitz drops by for a drink one evening.) Then too there was the unexploded Japanese 500 pound bomb just outside the door of the ammo depot at Fort Scofield.
   
   From unexploded bombs Kauffman moved to Underwater Demolition where he set up the first UDT school. This was, of course, the forerunner of today's Navy SEALs.
   
   Note the name of the author, she is Draper Kauffman's sister, and President George H.W. Bush's sister-in-law. Ex-president Bush wrote the introduction for the book.

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 A-Train: Memoirs of a Tuskegee Airman.

1. I had the opportunity to read this book. From the moment of the first word to the very last word, the book draws you in to read more. The graphic descriptions can take you to the other side of the world and stand next to the author on his travels. You know what it was like be black during the "Jim Crow" days on the trains in the south. Granted that my 25 years never saw the ugly side of America, his visual imagery is just so vivid that I seriously think they should dump "Scarlett Letter" and place this book on the reading lists of High School Students.



2. Charles Dryden's book forces people to see the trials and tribulations encountered by black servicemen and women during WWII. I was shocked to read about the different encounters with 'Jim Crow' that Dryden and his peers waded through during their service years. A must for anybody curious about WWII, the Tuskegee Airmen or about the fight for civil rights in America.



3. I meet Col. Dryden when he gave a talk about his experiences and his book. I then read the book a felt a tremendous respect for the author and all the Tuskeegee Airmen. Col. Dryden tells his personal story in a way that made me feel as though I was there with him the whole time. The challanges of blacks in America in his story left a powerful impact on me, the courage the author displayed is an insperation. A-Train is very well written and reads easily. It is an powerful story that left me feeling inadequate and ashamed to be white. I had the oportunity to meet Col. Dryden again and sought him out just to shake his hand again, knowing him from his book, it was hard to hide my emotions.



4. Every young African American boy should read this book. It is an inspiration.



5. I initially bought this book expecting it to be similar to the other slew of WWII books out there ( The ME-109 dove at me out of the sun with guns blazing...). Instead I got an honest account of a man who wanted to fly for his country and be treated with the same respect as any other pilot. Dryden's memories and descriptions of his voyage through training to be a pilot as well as the segregated and de-segregated Air Force are interesting and honest. Dryden't narrative is not the heart-pounding, can't-put-the-book down type but rather the story of a man who, faced with tremendous adversity from his own society and country, persevered. There is no bitterness in Dryden's story, and I put the book down tremendously impressed by his belief in himself, in his religion and his friend. It's a good book

5 comments about Walking Away from the Third Reich (Memories Series) (Memories Series).

1. A story of a German youth from boarding school to the Army until the capitulation on May 8, 1945. The discussion among individuals in Germany, as described, is a great resource for anyone seeking how the 3rd Reich was seen from the inside.
   
   Way too much time on his training, though. The books biggest flaw is that he leaves the reader high and dry at the end. OK, Claus, what happened to your parents, your home, your siblings, Sepp, Fritz, your Captain, Ernst, etc? Nothing.
   
   He ends with his first day on the job as a cook in a Munich hotel. Too bad because it shaped up to be a good book.



2. A view of WWII from the "other" side made this an eye-opening and fascinating read. It humanizes the enemy and one can't help but cheer on the author through his harrowing experiences in the European theater.



3. Mr. Sellier tells a very moving personal story of his experiences in the German Army during World War II. The book covers three parts of his war experience: initial officer's training after secondary school, service in an artillery unit in the Balkans, and, in the last third, a nightmare journey from Rokycany in Czechoslovakia back to army headquarters in Berchetsgaden and on to army provision headquarters in Traunstein and the end of the war. Throughout his experiences, Sellier retains his sense of humanity and concern for his fellow soldiers and for the civilians they encounter, and this comes through strongly in the book. He is a great, personable, story teller and has meticulously reconstructed his army career.

   As a young man, Claus attended Castle Bieberstein, an exclusive private school, where his schoolmates included Kaiser Wilhelm's grandson and the nephew of Baron von Richthofen.Their lives in private school were far removed from the reality of the war in 1942, where their biggest worry was whether the war would last long enough for them to graduate and earn a medal. One early wake-up call occurred when the school team went to a Hitler Youth Athletic competition wearing their school uniforms, instead of their Hitler Youth uniforms. Although they won some of the events, they were disqualified, and their behavior led to an investigation of the school by the SS that nearly closed it.

   Soon after, Claus and his friends were drafted, and he joined the First Mountain Division, where his three brothers and father were already serving.

   His youthful arrogance and independent thinking got him into repeated trouble in officers training school and he was eventually demoted and sent to a combat artillery unit, where he served in Yugoslavia, fighting the Russians. He was 19. Claus grew up fast in combat, as he learned survival skills and became close to the men in his unit. He became a first rate artilleryman and survived many engagements, including a Russian attack in which many of his mates were killed, and he and a few other survivors walked through swamps for days to get back behind German lines.

   In April 1945, Klaus and some others from his unit were sent to Artillery Officers School in Rokycany in Czechoslovakia. After only a few days, they were promoted to lieutenants, and Klaus and his friend Fritz were chosen, because they were Bavarians, for the dangerous mission of taking vital documents to Army Headquarters.They remained faithful to this mission while the structure of the German army was collapsing around them into chaos in response to the American advance. They spent a few days in American custody but managed to escape and walked home to Munich, to begin to rebuild their lives.




4. An amazing book of the thoughts and actions of the youth in Nazi Germany. The author gives one a perspective not seen by the Allies. He attempts to simply the daily life of a youth growing up in Germany during World War II. It gives the student of Nazi Germany a different view of the war through the eyes of its youth. One can see what it was like to be a youth in Germany and be caught in the furor of war. Sellier gives one a vivid view of war with all its futile consequence. He brings to life the strengths and weaknesses of man in war, and the incredible courage endured by men of both sides of war.He denounces war as one not of glory and fame but of evil and terror. This book would be an excellent read to one with a sense of World War II, especially those who fought against the Axis powers. I would suggest this book to any student of World War II. It gives one an excellent view from the other side and shows one a picture of the horror and stupidity of war. A must read for all World War II historians.



5. Walking away from the Third Reich by Claus W Sellier, is a compelling story of a young German Soldier caught up in the sobering throws of a real war!! At 17, the "glory and honor of fighting for a unified Europe seemed very exciting but reality soon set in with the horrors of true life battles. Young Sellier was forced brutally into maturity and tells his story in a honest and gripping way!! Hearing this story from someone who fought on the "other side" and is now an "American" gives the reader a whole new view on what all sides went through in this time of our history. I would HIGHLY RECOMEND this book to everyone,not only history buffs. It is a story of human interest to all!!!

   I hope that Mr Sellier would consider writing about his life experiences after the "War". It would be very interesting to see how his experiences affected his later life.

5 comments about Vietnam 1968-1969: A Battalion Surgeon's Journal.

1. I'm a Vietnam Veteran. The book would be much better if the good doctor didnt whine so much. He's whines about everything. And when he isnt whining he's kissing David Hackworth's butt. I mean, I wanted to cry when the poor-baby doctor was compelled by the evil army to treat grunts rather than continue his medical education in a rear-area hospital. And when Doc Poor-Baby finally became a REMF, he whined about that, too.
   
   Poor-Baby, MD whines about the endless hours of work yet has the time to write long, detailed letters to his girl-friend every day. This makes me suspicious of his veracity.
   
   Officers of every stripe had lives of comparative ease and comfort in Vietnam. And they pulled 6 months in combat zones, not 12 like the grunts.



2. This book by Dr. Byron E. Holley is a must-read for anyone who is interested in learning about the soldier's personal experiences in Vietnam. His personal accounts of nearly everyday ocourances while on his Tour Of Duty is so insightful. When I read this book it was like being there or being the relative who received the letters home from Vietnam. This book and its account of daily events on Dr. Holley's Tour freezes ones mind in time. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.



3. This awe-inspiring book reminds us of a war that some of us may have forgotten and others would like to. The words that Dr. Holley uses to describe his fears, concerns, and disgust with the war is a chilling reminder to us all. Dr. Holley tells his story in 1968-69 real-time by incorporating letters to his sweetheart and his parents. The book begins with Doc Holley receiving that wonderful letter from Uncle Sam stating that his medical services are needed so that his country may be served, through his one year tour-of-duty including his experiences with Col. Hackworth. You will hear this story from a man, a true man, who has saved countless lives and lives to tell about it. Dr. Holley captures his audience in this must-read for any person that survived his or her worst nightmare. This is simply a must read.



4. This awe-inspiring book reminds us of a war that some of us may have forgotten and other would like to. The words that Dr. Holley uses to describe his fears,concerns, and disgust with the war is a chilling reminder to us all. Dr. Holley tells his story in 1968-69 real-time by incorporating letters to his sweetheart and his parents. The book begins with Dr. Holley receiving that wonderful letter from Uncle Sam stating that his medical services are needed so that his country maybe served, through his one year tour-of-duty including his experiences with Col. Hackworth. You will hear this story from a man, a true man, who has saved countless lives and lives to tell about it. Dr. Holley captures his audience in this must-read for any person that survived his or her nightmares. This is simply a must-read.



5. This book is on the "Recommended Reading List" of Vietnam Veterans of America, Chapter 295, Indianapolis, Indiana

5 comments about Charlie Rangers.

1. CHARLIE RANGERS is a very entertaining grounds-eye view of life in an elite Army Ranger unit during the height of the Vietnam War, told by two of its former members, Don Ericson and John L. Rotundo. It's an adventure story which also proves that America was perfectly capable of adapting to jungle warfare and could have operated much more successfully in Vietnam if the Pentagon East brass had shown a little more common sense and mental flexibility.
   
   Like hundreds of thousands of other young guys vacuumed into the draft, Ericson and Rotundo, ordinary apple-pie Americans, ended up in "the Nam" and, for reasons that had to do as much with a desire to stay alive as for the challenge of trying, transferred from their parent unit, the 173rd Airborne Brigade, to an elite company in the 75th Ranger Infantry Regiment known as "Charlie Rangers." Charlie Rangers was known throughout the land as a unit that fought the VC and NVA on their own turf and using their own tactics - infiltration, stealth, and ambush - and racked up a kill ratio of 27 enemy dead for every one American killed in action. Only the toughest, most disciplined, independent-minded and frankly, craziest people were permitted to join this outfit, and only after a seemingly endless rigamorole of training designed to separate the rams from the sheep. Hunter-killer teams of five or six men were choppered deep into the Vietnamese or Cambodian jungles and prowled the trails, hunting for enemy soldiers - who were often as not hunting for them.
   
   Told firsthand from alternating points of view, RANGERS differs somewhat from many firsthand Vietnam accounts. C/75 was an elite unit made up of very aggressive soldiers ("killers", they referred to themselves as) and so a lot of the bitterness, soul-searching and remorse which mark other "grunt's-eye view" books is absent here. In fact, the authors are brutally frank about the rush they experienced from hunting the most dangerous game in the world - other armed men - and express zero remorse, and indeed, some pleasure, in killing and sometimes even mutilating enemy soldiers. After describing how he blew away an NVA grunt and then casually knocked his skull apart with a rifle butt while his comrades laughed, one of the authors pointedly remarks in a footnote, "What tragedy exists in this story is that the [expletive] was dead. War isn't pretty, and if you don't want things like this to happen, don't then don't send people to war." His counterpart, after a bit of honest self-examination about whether America should have been in Vietnam at all, concludes, "If I had it all to do over again I'd ride into battle playing `Born in the USA' from the helicopter." He also points out that after the Kent State shootings, the Rangers joked that it was "National Guard 4, Kent State 0." (They also sent a petition to John Lindsay, mayor of New York, telling him to "GET F'D!" after Lindsay remarked that the real heroes of their generation were the antiwar protesters.) Statements like that aren't going to sit well with some readers, but I don't imagine the authors care. They are relating war as they experienced it physically and emotionally and, I imagine, pointing out the hyporisy of the unspoken but all-prevading view held by civilian society, which seems to be, "kill the enemy, but feel bad afterwards." (Remember the scandal after the Gulf War, when American A-10 pilots were feted for their exploits but ordered to remove the "kill tallies" on their fuselages so not to upset civilians?)
   
   RANGERS is not a perfect book. The transitioning between Ericson and Rotundo blur together very quickly, and there are some boring stretches when the team can't seem to "make contact" with the enemy to save its life, which probably should have been edited down a bit to spare the reader this mundane reality. But viewed as a whole, CHARLIE RANGERS is an enjoyable and ruthlessly honest look at the mentality of ordinary men who did what their country told them was their patriotic duty - and refuse to be ashamed of it.



2. There is nothing fictional in this book. The stories are written much as would tell our stories to each other, which is the highest rating I can give. John - Thank you for writing "Charlie Rangers" (I've already thanked Don personally).



3. This book is interesting enough, and a page-turner, but I thought it read more like a silly movie that glorifies war rather than a serious memoir. Although I know these men were there, and it provides some real insight into what they went through and the bond between the men there, it really did not stand out to me as a very good book.



4. This book is a page turner describing the experience of the two authors' tour in Vietnam as members of a Rangers company. It's full of detailed missions where they were inserted right behind enemy lines inside the Vietnamese jungle, sometimes as members and other times as leaders of small 6 persons hunter-killer teams that specialized in ambushing and killing the North Vietnamese guerrillas.
   
   This book is almost up there with others great LRPs(long range patrol) books like "SOG: The Secret Wars of America's Commandos in Vietnam", I totally recommend it if you like non-fiction special forces books.



5. Don Ericson and John L. Rotundo are truly American heroes. They served their country for 3 years with tenacity and courage. This book provides a realistic and heart felt story of the 75th Rangers, (LRPS) in the VIETNAM WAR. From the carnage of a jungle ambush to the love the men shared for one another, CHARLIE RANGERS is the best war book any person can read. It tells of the lives and war experiences of the authors, including their training. These men displayed acts of courage, bravery, and often pure hatred for the enemy. This book is not for the peace loving hippie I might add. The soldiers in CHARLIE RANGERS often mutilated bodies, cut off ears, and showed signs of slight insanity. One must understand that this is what happens in war, because war isn't a happy thing. "WAR IS DELIGHTFUL AND EXITING TO THOSE WHO HAVE NOT EXPERIENCED IT"

2 comments about The Bravest Man: Richard O'Kane and the Amazing Submarine Adventures of the USS Tang.

1. This is the second book that I have read about Richard O'Kane and his experiences in the Wahoo and Tang and waiting on two more books to arrive. I simply cannot get enough! Will someone please make a movie about him?



2. I read this book as part of a History Day project I am doing on Dick O'Kane and the USS Tang. This book was extremely helpful. It tells the story of the Tang in a very thorough and easy to understand way. It's almost like you're there in the control room with the officers. Another great thing about this book is that it also gives you a good feel for the entire submarine force of WW2 by breifly telling many other stories about the best, worst, and most bizzare things that were happening, and explaining problems submariners had to face. All in all, if you want to get a great basic knowledge of WW2 Submarines, and read a gripping story about real heros and real drama, this book is for you.