1 comments about Timeout For Combat.

1. Here is a paratrooper's personal account of making four jumps while with the 82nd Airborne during WWII.
   I had a chance meeting with the author and took the liberty of introducing myself, when I saw his 82nd ball cap, and when I learned his story and that he had written a book (Timeout for Combat) I checked it out from the Palm Springs WWII Air Museum Library.
   I am pleased to find his book available through Amazon .com and am ordering a copy at this writing for my personal collection.

5 comments about All American: Football, Faith, and Fighting for Freedom.

1. Captain Robert P. McGovern had to work extraordinarily hard to survive roughly four seasons in the NFL. He was no more than a marginal player and had to constantly worry about being cut. It is safe to say, that McGovern was the last one picked and the first one released. He truly became the best that he could possibly be. His strong work ethic served him well as a both a prosecutor and U.S. Army officer.
   
   The leftist establishment slanders our soldiers as usually some sort of social reject or even psychotic. Capt. McGovern is living proof that this is utterly false. His story is well worth reading. You may wish to provide a copy to the younger people in your family. It should motivate them to also aspire to greatness. Those like myself who never served in the military have a particular obligation to thank McGovern for his self-sacrifice and dedication on behalf of our country. May God bless him.



2. This simpleton of a jerk-off & his ilk are EXACTLY what is wrong with my country. I cannot f+cking wait to leave this country & never return. Enjoy your fascism.



3. Several reviews I have read have come down hard on the author for his stand on the war in Iraq. But this is his autobiography, the story of his life, and his opinion of the war is just one part of it. It is a well-written account of his childhood, his family, his education and his aspirations, and continues into his adulthood to the present time. He lets us know how he was trained by his parents to be unselfish and give back to the community some form of service, and this was undoubtedly the motivation for joining the Army Reserve, and eventually finding himself on active duty in Iraq.
   
   A good part of his story comes before that. He was competing with his older brothers in athletics, trying to be as good as they had been in high school football, and then in college football. He received an athletic scholarship from Holy Cross, an enormous accomplishment in his eyes, and he was grateful for the opportunity. And then came pro football, four years of it on three different teams. He was pretty good at it, but not outstanding. He simply was not big enough (hefty, bulky) to be a great linebacker. He was thankful for this chance to make the big league, but took the advice of one of his coaches to give it up. From there he decided to study law and with his law degree took a job as an Assistant DA in New York City. Then came 9/11, to which he was an eyewitness. In his role as a US Army Reserve officer he volunteered to help. Immediately following, he applied for active duty, leaving his job as assistant DA, and became a prosecutor for the Judge Advocate General Corps, and then deployed to Afghanistan and later to Iraq. His experiences there were extraordinary because he was involved in the trial of Hasan Akbar, the US Army Sergeant who killed two Army officers and wounded a number of others when he threw hand grenades into the tents of the soldiers.
   
   This is a well-written account of the life of a man who became a soldier in the US Army. Why would anyone find it strange that he has strong opinions in favor of the war in Iraq ? It is his contention that we are there as part of the war on terrorism. The patriotic feeling that he had on 9/11 was something that almost all of us shared at that time. For him it continued; for many of us it disappeared.
   
   Should we still be in Iraq? That is a matter for debate, which has been ongoing for some time now. Captain McGovern feels that we are making a difference, and that is why we are still there.
   
   This book is certainly worth reading, if only to gain some insight from a different perspective.



4. The life story of Captain Robert McGovern, is almost "Forrest Gump" like. Rob is one of nine Irish Catholic children, born to Howard and Terry McGovern in New Jersey. Though born in New Jersey, if I were to describe his morals, character, and upbringing, I would describe it in the highest of terms, that most Americans would consider as "mid-western". One of the many, emotionally uplifting themes in this book, is the absolute, enduring, love, and respect, that Rob, constantly proclaims for his parents. He was raised from the beginning, to have high goals, and his older brothers got football scholarships to Holy Cross, as Rob also did later on, but with less fanfare. Just as importantly, he and his siblings were raised to "service" the community. To give something back, and Rob continued this process in college at Holy Cross and while in the National Football League, with outreach programs. When Rob graduated college, no one gave him a chance of making it in the NFL. But he was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs, as an undersized, underdog, linebacker, and special team's player. He lasted a few years with numerous teams, making the most of his non-star ability. The way he accomplished this, is with dogged, determination and dedication. To quote Rob: "Being the best at what you do has to be more important to you than partying or chasing girls or hanging out with your buddies. It has to be worth sacrificing the comforts and pleasures of an undirected life and replacing them with long hours of sweat and tears. In football, it also helps to be one tough character." At the end of Rob's short NFL career, he attended law school, and upon graduation, became an assistant D.A. in Manhattan. In keeping with his personal goal, of giving service to his community/country, he also joined the Army Reserves.
   
   Then, on the forever-fateful day, of September 11, 2001, Rob was on the way to work in Manhattan, when he saw the smoke, and the planes, at the World Trade Center. He couldn't get to work, so he went home and put on the TV, and heard an announcement, that military men were needed at "ground-zero" to help look for bodies. Even though he was in the reserves, he donned his uniform, and went to "ground-zero", and helped recover the remains of victims for days. Rob, happened to be there, when President Bush arrived, and shook the Commander In Chief's hand, and was so moved, he decided he wanted to go on active duty and help America fight back. Because Rob was 38 years old, they wouldn't let him go on active duty. He persisted in every way possible, and was finally accepted as a Judge Advocate General. (JAG) He proceeded to go to Afghanistan and Iraq and assisted in "Rules Of Engagement" (ROE) enforcement. From there, he went in to criminal prosecution. He wound up on the successful prosecution team, that convicted Sergeant Hasan Akbar, probably the worst, United States Military criminal, in the last 30-40 years. To refresh your memory, Akbar, was the traitor, who the night before, we were going to launch Operation Iraqi Freedom, attacked his comrades, with grenades and small-arms fire. He wounded more than a dozen troops. Two were dead.
   
   There is much more, to the life story, of a man who loves his country, loves his family, loves God, and has dedicated his life to enforcing freedom throughout the world, but let me conclude my review, by having Rob tell you why he named his book "All American". "You might wonder about the use of "All-American" in the title. First of all, let me say off the bat that I'm not talking about myself here. What is an "All-American" anyway? I've met some real "All-Americans- quiet, unassuming, heroic people who inspire students, protect us from crime, and defend our values. They are "All-American" in every sense of the phrase. I chose this title in part to pay tribute to these "All-American", I've been lucky enough to meet and work with through the years. I also chose it to pay special tribute to the men and women of our armed forces, especially those in the 82nd Airborne Division. That famous unit happens to be called the All-American Division."



5. An extraordinary account of one good man standing tall for the best of American values.

No comments about Shadow: A Cottontail Bomber Crew in World War II.

5 comments about My War: Killing Time in Iraq.

1. I was also in Mosul, Iraq at this time and it is a GREAT depiction of what life was like out there before I lost my leg and came home. Anyone that wants to know what Mosul was like. READ THIS BOOK!!!



2. Colby Buzzell started one of the initial troop blogs in Iraq during his 2004 tour of duty. As time wore on, Spc. Buzzell's blog gathered steam and became popular with both military and civilian readers. He provided a grunt's-eye view of the war that drew admiration from many, but dismayed his chain of command, who eventually required him to submit his dispatches for official clearance before posting them. "My War: Killing Time in Iraq" collects Spc. Buzzell's blog posts along with additional exposition. It's a fascinating first-person literary glimpse into a war that most people follow on TV.
   
   The author begins his memoir by cluing us in on why he joined the Army. At 25 his life was going nowhere, and the military looked like a better option than low-paying data-entry work. He initially considered the Marine Corps, but they preferred a younger demographic. The Army recruiter caught him on the way out of the Marine recruiter's front door, and the rest is history. Mr. Buzzell signed up for two years of active duty as an infantryman and was assigned to a Stryker Brigade at Ft. Lewis, Washington. His unit was soon deployed to Iraq, where the author started blogging to counter the boredom between missions. Over time he garnered an avid following and became somewhat of a celebrity (as he reminds us quite often towards the book's conclusion).
   
   Spc. Buzzell posted various bits of military lore that provided context for his situation, such as excerpts from relevant Army manuals, rules of engagement, official after-action reports, and military equipment descriptions. These factoids are interesting, but he really shines when depicting grunt life in Mosul. His "Free Advice" to those deploying in-country, Q & A sessions with blog readers, and even a metal-flavored "Stryker Soundtrack" playlist on his iPod will serve as historical records of Generations X and Y at war in Iraq. Of course, "My War" wouldn't be complete without some harrowing tales of combat. Spc. Buzzell avoids flowery heroic prose in favor of a nuts-and-bolts writing style that conveys the fighting in the best "show, don't tell" tradition, providing a sense of immediacy with the action.
   
   Despite his talent as a writer and fine service to the nation, I found myself a bit confused about Mr. Buzzell as a person. He gives positive portrayals of his fellow soldiers and chain of command (no "Captain America" portraits of incompetent officers here, as in "Generation Kill"). But in the end, Mr. Buzzell vehemently dislikes the Army, the Administration, and the mission in Iraq. What made him that way? Unlike the constant stream of sparse yet heartbreaking situations presented in the excellent "The Last True Story I'll Ever Tell," Mr. Buzzell merely teases us with a couple examples of high-command doublespeak and Iraqi brutality. Perhaps he was unable to blog more explicit reasons due to fear of retaliation from his superiors, but this book would've benefitted from deeper insights into the birth and development of his "FTA" attitude - because his distain comes across as merely the "cool" thing to do vs. the result of sustained trauma, betrayal, and disillusionment.
   
   Then again, perhaps it's best not to burn bridges while still attached to one's nemesis. I checked the author's website while writing this review, and it appears that he's been recalled to active service. One thing about enlisting in the military is that they still have you by the shorthairs for a number of years after your active duty time expires. Apparently volunteer manpower must be short, and I wish the author good luck on his second tour. I recommend "My War" for its keen portrayal of a warrior's first go-around in Iraq (along with "One Bullet Away" by Nathanial Fick, "Generation Kill" by Evan Wright, and "The Last True Story I'll Ever Tell" by John Crawford). The question is: will we see "My War II: Killing Even More Time in Iraq?" I know I'll be looking for it.



3. I just finished reading My War - Killing Time in Iraq by Colby Buzzell. I bought this book some time ago and started it but was more than a little put off by the first couple of chapters quite frankly because his lifestyle prior to joining the Army is a total antithesis of my own.
   
   I really enjoy military history but I couldn't get into reading it and it eventually ended up in a plastic storage container under the bed in the spare bedroom which is where all my "to read eventually" books end up.
   
   A few days ago, I dug it out, forced myself to start over and to say I'm glad I did is a total understatement.
   
   Very engrossing read. The author is irreverent, loyal, absolutely laugh-out-loud hilarious at times, self-deprecating and honest in his accounting. I'm impressed with his writing style, his total lack of pretension and snobbery and most especially his honesty both about his own life pre-Army and of course, while in Iraq. No "spin doctor" here. These are his experiences, warts and all. His writing drew me in so much and was so vivid that his accounting of an ambush/firefight entitled "Men in Black" had me on the edge of my seat. Very you-are-there-ish. Once started, I couldn't put it down.
   
   I love this book. I read a lot and every once in awhile I get the pleasure of reading a book I hate to finish because I enjoy it so much and this is one of those few books for me.



4. I must say that I found Colby Buzzell's account of his time in Iraq to be spot on! I am back for a repeat tour....and it is a lot of the same! He nails things on the head from the moment he is recruited to the moment he arrives back home free from his military obligation. I applaud Colby for standing up and writing his blog. I can honestly say that his accounts are by far some of the most accurate and TRUTHFUL personal accounts of a soldiers time in Iraq. I picked this book up while I was at Fort Lewis myself and found myself chuckling at the very same things that he wrote about....get this book, read it and you will see for yourself. Thank goodness there are people out there like Colby that can share their true experiences and give others a taste of what it is like for us soldiers! And I hope that he is enjoying every moment of his freedom! He earned it!



5. Colby Buzzell's "My War: Killing Time in Iraq" reads like the personal diary of a slacker high-school grad who winds up joining the Army and going to Iraq. The book is the author's debut as a writer, and in its pages we see how the popular "My War" blog came about.
   
   Readers may find it anticlimactic that once Buzzell and his unit get to Iraq the pages don't burst with bombs, bullets, blood and guts. Much of the book covers the copious amount of downtime the author spends either out on boring OP missions or back on the various FOBs they live on. While certainly not as exciting as the descriptions of the raids Buzzell participated in, it is an infuriatingly accurate description of Army life, the physical reality of the "hurry up and wait" rule that every soldier recognizes.
   
   The combat actions that Buzzell does cover reveal his ability to write. The running gun battle through the streets of Mosul with dozens of insurgents is chaotic, absorbing and will leave readers breathless. The grief he catches from posting his war experiences on his blog from his higher-ups is comical, especially when he continues to antagonize them by posting more controversial dispatches.
   
   The constant "F-bombs" in every sentence do get annoying but that is authentic Armyspeak, particularly in combat arms. After a while it does take away from the author's otherwise funny and good writing. This book also helped the reviewer better understand Albert Camus' "The Stranger," as Buzzell sometimes exhibits some of the same attitudes. "My War" is a good debut and has the same authentic feel as Paul Rieckhoff's "Chasing Ghosts", Bing West's "No True Glory," and O'Connell's "We Were One."

5 comments about Give Us This Day.

1. Yes it sounds oxymoronic but it is so! Sidney Stewart manages to make us share the most awful condtions human beings can be submitted to but never get desperate about a possible change.A lesson of humility and courage.



2. In this picture of the Bataan Death march, you will see it from a totally unique point of view. The atrocities, pain and suffering remain the same as in all accounts, but the element of faith stands alone as the catalyst for survival. The faith of a Godly priest and the faith of those men around him. Sidney Stewart didn't hate his captors in spite of their brutality. He had faith in God and his fellow man. That faith was laced by a tenacity and will to live that is seldom seen. No matter how many books you have read on this subject, you MUST read this one. it will humble you.



3. I cannot recommend this book more highly if, for no other reason, than to help us value freedom and recognize what has been..and is being...lost to preserve it. This is an astounding story.
   
   Mr. Stewart describes his experiences after the fall of Bataan in prose that I could not. He was...calm, objective, fair. The torture, starvation, suffering, and gross and endless inhumanity were beyond my capacity for such rational treatment.
   
   When you read a chapter, you go, "My God, that was unbelievable." Then the next chapter exceeds the previous. This goes on throughout the book and that is why I could not put it down.
   
   I didn't get the sense Mr. Stewart had any agenda in writing this book, but there are very powerful lessons to be learned. First, de-emphasize your problems and consider yourself very blessed - it's a matter of perspective and if you don't get it from this book, you never will. Second, freedom is not free and the price becomes infinite if you wait for the bad guys to act first.



4. I first read this book about 35 years ago when I found in my summer camp's library. Turns out my father, who survived Bataan and spent the rest of the war as a POW, knew the author while imprisoned. He said it was as accurate a portrayal as he had seen.



5. Stewart's memoir of the appalling horrors of the Bataan Death March are a testimony to the heights and depths of humanity. His gripping description of the battle and experiences of captivity continue to inspire and shock sixty years later. Every student of World War II and history should read this story. I've often wondered what became of Mr. Stewart after the war and what the families of his comrades who did not survive their ordeal thought of their loved ones' heroism. Father Cummings should have been canonized or beatified. A must read.

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

4 comments about Tumult in the Clouds.

1. "I've read aviation books for well over 30 years and when I read Goodson, was amazed by it. Before joining the USAF, Goodson piloted Spitfires in the RAF. While Goodson's narrative is chronologically ordered, he breaks off at points and discusses individual pilots with whom he's flown. Humor, terror and tragedy and finally redemption rolls off his pen as he pays tributes to his fallen comrades. Goodson's score of 32 kills puts him among the highest of Allied fighter pilots but as the Strafing King, his try at a Me163 rocket fighter sitting on an airfield brings an end to his career as a fighter pilot and the begining of his career as a kreige (PoW slang for prisoner of war). Only his wits keeps him alive since Goodson was to be shot by the Gestapo as a terror-fleiger. A masterful story teller, Goodson's book belongs on your shelf."



2. One of the best fighter pilot biographies ever written. Fast paced, touching, emotionally written but not corny.
   
   They are all there: Gentile, Godfrey, Blakeslee, Clark, Beeson. The fighting sequences are breathtaking without looking exaggerated.
   
   I recommend this one without doubts.



3. This book is really another great book for all that love books about combat aviation! Major Goodson takes you on a journey from being on a torpedoed sinking ship, flying with the Eagle Squadron during the Battle of Britain, to flying with the 4th Fighter Group under the command of Colonel Don Blakeslee,then eventually ending after being shot down and becoming a POW.
   
   Not only does this book portray the extraordinary life of Major James Goodson it also gives accounts of the bravest men he served with who are no longer with us today. He goes in to the greatest detail of these men from thier sense of humor, thier lucky clothing items they wore,and sadly how brave and how young they died. Read this book! You will not be disappointed.



4. Maj. James "Goody" Goodson was one of the top American aces of WWII and served with two legendary outfits: the RAF's Eagle Squadron and, of course, the 4th Fighter Group in the USAAF. This book is more than just the story of Goodson's service in WWII. Each chapter focuses on one or more member of the 4th. It's basically a fighter pilots' hall of fame. Gentile, Godfrey, Blakeslee, Hofer and more. These are stories of incredible heroism, and heartbreaking loss. Goodson writes in a straight-forward, easy-to-read style, that effectively portrays life in a fighter squadron. He talks about the aircraft they flew, including the Spitfire, P-47 and their beloved P-51 Mustangs. One of my favorite stories that dealt with the bond these men had for their fellow pilots, tells of the group returning from a draining strafing mission. Some had to be literally lifted out of their cockpits. But when they were told that the Air, Sea Rescue team hadn't located one of their comrades who had ditched in the North Sea, they got back in their planes and went to look for him. It's too bad they can't make a film about these guys. Unfortunately, there are no actors alive today that could carry it off. If you enjoy books about WWII's air war, you'll like this one.

No comments about The Glenn Miller Conspiracy: The Secret Story of His Life - and Death.

No comments about Sweepers Sweepers Man Your Brooms: An Enlisted Man's Story.

5 comments about Tamerlane: Sword of Islam, Conqueror of the World.

1. Just finished Marozzi's book. I can see why some people grew annoyed...its not arranged like a typical history title. But I liked it for that reason. Marozzi's writing is solid too, and the book breezed by. When I finished I was actually a little sad!
   
   Marozzi definitely seemed to be in awe of Tamerlane, and his enthusiasm in turn made me excited for each new chapter. While most of Tamerlane's historic career was quite bloody and brutal, I couldn't help but be enthralled by it. I also couldn't help but be fascinated by Tamerlane's cultural combination of Muslim and Mongol traditions...really interesting reading.
   
   If you like your history on the straight and narrow with little or no author commentary, then you won't like this book. But if you're willing to go off the beaten path a little and read some personal travel musings sprinkled in with the main story, you will enjoy Marozzi's efforts here.



2. 
   If you're looking for a detailed, clear narrative of Tamerlane's life and achievements, Justin Marozzi's book is not it. Failing to develop Tamerlane as an individual from his youth onward, and failing to explain exactly how he came to be so successful, Marozzi diverts perhaps half the book to recounting his own travels in Tamerlane's homeland. As descriptive and rare the author's experiences may be, a journalistic description of former metropolises in modern-day Central Asia does not provide a better understanding of the Lord of the Fortunate Conjunction. Throughout the book, Marozzi views Tamerlane more through the distant lens of someone in awe of his achievements, rather than the skeptical and down-to-earth approach necessary for biographers to truly evaluate who their particular subject really was.
   This is the flow of the book: a few very narrowed down pieces of Tamerlane's life, each separated by an equally large amount of journalism. The reader can neither fully assess the achievements of Tamerlane's career, nor gain a certain familiarity with his personality.
   The purpose of biography is to find out what kind of person the subject of the book was, and evaluate his/her achievements. In the case of Tamerlane, the reader is never really given an explanation for how someone conquered territory so successfully and rapidly, or how a man could rise from the status of desperado to all-powerful emperor. The main argument presented is that Tamerlane, while committing atrocities, also had many cultural achievements, most notably the building of several Islamic monuments now mostly in ruins or completely nonexistent. There is no assessment of Tamerlane's psyche, what led him to believe in his destiny, just how he outwitted his opponents, and what his legacy was. Why are western scholars, even military theorists, so unfamiliar with someone whose military career was as successful and immaculate as Alexander's? How did Tamerlane as a politician manage to rise so far and fast? What psychological condition could Tamerlane have had that may have motivated his ambition, and more significantly, the genocides he so ruthlessly committed? What aspect of his personality made him an electrifying leader, and gave him the energy to vigorously campaign even up to his death as an old man? These are essential questions about Tamerlane that should be answered, or at least examined, so that readers can analyze Tamerlane with the same level of understanding as western heroes such as Alexander and Napoleon.
   Instead, Justin Marozzi gives a hollow carcass of a biography, decorated with fanciful quotations and literary comparisons, but completely lacking in the real substance essential to a book that seeks to give the public an understanding of one of the greatest conquerors in history. In studying Tamerlane, we shouldn't look for the decrepit and virtually forgotten ruins and former cities of Central Asia. That does not highlight our understanding of him as a man. We need to know what he did, how he did it, why he did it, and what affect it had. We need to know these things as much as possible so that we may truly form an accurate perception of him as a statesman, soldier, and human being.



3. The Good:
   
   Tamerlane changed the face of the world, and yet remains virtually unknown in the west. He conquered almost the entire word, crippled empires, decimated the Golden Horde, stalled the Ottoman expansion, and turned glorious cities into desolate fields.
   
   This book could have been little more than a catalogue of cities and dates, but instead we get the global view: what Temur changed, and what he did not. His empire was gone within a century. His memory was virtually erased. His recent revival is limited to Uzbekistan.
   
   More importantly, we get the facts needed, good and bad, to assess Temur for ourselves. However Marozzi weighs the carnage against the cultural developments, the reader is fully equipped to make his or her own determination. In the end, I found Temur a wholly unsympathetic character based on the same data that led Marozzi to the opposite conclusion.
   
   The Bad:
   
   The critics of the book are correct in their complaints: the chronology skips around, the book includes a lengthy discussion of a historically inaccurate play, some of the prose is a little too florid.
   
   If you can look past that, you'll enjoy the book. Chronology isn't much of a problem, because most of the jumps are between Temur's time and much later accounts, including the present day. I liked reading about modern Uzbekistan, as it fleshed out the precise nature of Temur's legacy. The other big timeline issue, beginning the book with the battle against Sultan Bayezid, is a stylistic attention-getter, and eminently excusable.
   
   I rank the discussion of Marlowe's play with the author's discussion of modern Uzbekistan: he's telling us about Temur's legacy, which (like any historical figure) involves inaccurate information. That said, the chapter on Marlowe would have benefitted significatly from more aggressive editing. Reading what C.S. Lewis said about what Marlowe said about Tamerlane is a bit much.
   
   While Marozzi knows his subject well, and a glance at his list of acknowledgments suggests he has studied the materials carefully, the book is practically worthless for citations. When he attributes his quotations at all, it is with a general reference to the source, without page number. For example, he has an indented quote on pages 277-78 which, from the context, I assume is a quote from Clavijo, but even if that is correct, I don't know where in his 268 pages (in the English translation) to find it. And where Marozzi doesn't quote, I can only assume his source is somewhere in one of the dozens of books listed at the end.
   
   If you are more interested in an interesting history/travelogue about a pivotal figure in an exotic location, you'll find it in this book. If you're looking for well-sourced, narrowly focues academic work, look elsewhere.



4. It feels like the author had a ton of information but did not know how to organize it. There were times when the footnotes seemed to be more relevant than what was above them. Also it felt like he did not know what he wanted the book to be. Chapters seemed to wander from the story line of Tamerlane to the author's travels to architecture without any direction. If he simply broke up the chapters, grouped relevant information together and incorporate the footnotes (instead of having some of them span two pages) that would have made this book a more coherent read. The editors really failed on this one.
   
   The author obviously knows an incredible amount of information on the subject and the book is very interesting none-the-less.



5. Marozzi has done a lot of work and there is a lot of great stuff in here. At times he seems to get carried away and feel that he was writing a Hollywood script, it makes the book a cross between a novel and a work of history. But don't get me wrong, he seems to know his subject well. The title is misleading as was the man himself. Tamur used Islam as and when it served his purpose and so implying that he was enforcing Islam is wrong. Tamur killed Sunni's and Shi'as just as happily as he killed people of other faith. Marozzi's treatment of Tamur Lung (the right way of saying the name) reminds me of Mel Gibson's cheap tricks with Christ, throw in a lot of gore and people will buy it to be shocked. Both seem to ignore the context of time. Then every now and then Marozzi throws in a few pages of utmost brilliance like when he boldly states: "Europe of that time was backwater" I doubt how many historians missed that part. He is a great story teller and reads like James Mitchner, just not as gripping. His talks about his travels seem a bit weak and not very interesting. But having said that, I would strongly recommend this book to anyone interested in military history, Tartars, wars in Islamic world and I am sure I will read this book again someday. His map in the beginning is great, but then he chooses to throw some black and white pictures instead of more maps.