5 comments about Masters of the Art: A Fighting Marine's Memoir of Vietnam.

1. I am a VietNam Vet having served two tours. It's as if Ron Winter had come into my brain and written my memories. I was involved in some of the events he relates. Other stories are so real that it was as if I were telling them myself. In fact my family will attest to the fact that I have told some of these stories in almost the same words. This book made me smile and it made me cry and it made me remember. If you want to really know what it felt like to be there; if you want to get some idea of what went on inside our head - then read this book. I have given it a permanent spot on my bookshelf.



2. Being a retired Marine and having served in the same squadron and having the same MOS as Ron, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I recognized several names, even though I was stationed in HMM-161 in the early '70s. I would definately recommend this book to any person interested in Marine Aviation and its real world attributes.



3. When I picked up Masters of the Art, I thought I was about to read a kind of Chickenhawk book but from a door-gunner's perspective. It turned out to be much more than that. The door-gunner's perspective is there, but that experience is nicely bracketed by Winter's experiences and personal development prior to and after his tour in Vietnam. He aptly conveys what it meant to him to be a Marine; and by so doing, he conveys what it must have meant to other Marines. One senses a timelessness in this conveyance: it must have meant the same to Marines on Guadalcanal and Iwo Jima, at Chosin, and at Khe Sanh and mean the same today to those serving in Iraq. It is an esprit that many without military experience may find difficult to fathom. For anyone familiar with Marine history, it is an esprit that can lead to the accomplishment of near impossible missions! An excellent tribute.
   
   The narrative is presented in chronological order: from Winter's high school graduation, through Paris Island bootcamp, helicopter training, the tour in Vietnam and the years following his discharge. In Vietnam choppers were the life-line to the grunts on the ground and the life-takers of the enemy that got in their way. Often they made the difference in turning the course of a battle. Grunts relied on them with an awesome sense of faith: they'd bring the ammunition when you were running out, they'd take out the wounded even under the most harrowing circumstances. As a door gunner on these choppers, Winter displays (as few others have done) the dedication that made them such a welcome sight to the grunts on the ground.
   
   I found Part III, dealing with the years following Winter's return from Vietnam, to be some of the best chapters in the book. They deal with the reception (or non-reception) he got when he got home, and while not unique to him, he articulates his thoughts and frustrations in a way that many other returning vets could identify with: the rejection, the almost personal denial of the Vietnam experience, the coming to grips with it and the attendant moving on.
   
   Fortunately, Winter did move on. This masterful book is undoubtedly a result of it. It is a tribute to him, to the Marine Corp and to the American military.



4. Masters of the Art is a superbly crafted memoir of one man's journey through a Marine Corps enlistment in the late 1960s, at the height of the Vietnam War. The account describes scenes and events that every former Marine reading this book will be able to relate to. This is one of the book's many attributes, one that sets it apart from other war stories. The author is an accomplished writer with something to say in each of the book's 26 chapters. His writing style grabs your attention in the opening paragraphs of each, and does not let go until the message is clear. The process then re-cycles on another theme or topic, in the next chapter. From the turmoil of family relationships, to enlistment, through boot camp, ITR, and aerial combat as a door gunner on a CH-46 Sea Knight, the author takes you on an excursion through the various stages of his life. While the events he describes are often humorous, they can be somber or melancholy. They are always insightful and provide the reader with a snippet of the events the author deems important to the forming of his character. As one might expect from a story involving warfare, death and dying are also touched upon. Most often the author's perspective is dependent upon whether the process is being inflicted upon the enemy or a close friend. In a style all his own, the author puts into perspective the weight of events that transpire on the battlefield to forge the bonds that will forever hold together marines who have fought together. Of significance here, and reiterated in several places in the book, the author learns what he terms "emotional compartmentalization", a defense mechanism he attributes to having allowed him to function effectively within the chaos of the battlefield environment where emotional attachment is often veiled to preserve sanity.
   
   If you are a veteran Marine, this book will spark memories that can either warm your heart or bring you to sadness, often within sentences of one another. I do not believe that anyone will walk away from this book unaffected. For me, it brought with it a new found respect for the Marines who fly to support the Grunts, for theirs is truly a dangerous mission.
   
   Finally, in the book's epilogue, the author looks back and puts the Vietnam experience into a much wider historical perspective. It is the author's contention that the stance the United States military took against communist aggression in South Vietnam provided surrounding nations in Southeast Asia with the time needed to prepare their militaries and their economies, thus making it more difficult for communism to turn them. In this sense, Vietnam was not fought in vain. On the other hand, under pressure from war protesters, our government's decision to withdraw support from Vietnam directly lead to the fall of South to the North. The peoples of our country and others, turned their backs on the peoples of South Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos in the years following Saigon's fall, permitting the loss of millions of lives to atrocities committed by the North Vietnamese, the Khmer Rouge and the Pathet Lao. These events could have been prevented, had action been taken, leaving us with the clear message that every action following the decision to engage has ramifications that must be carefully considered thereafter. The world will continue to raise up predators to whom naïve and peace-loving peoples will be viewed prey. Our country is presently deeply engaged in combating what has been termed "global terrorism". Although the enemy differs significantly in his character, the consequences of withdrawal from this war may be similar to those following Vietnam. The protesters marching in our streets naively believing that if the US withdrawals troops from Iraq, all hostilities will stop and the world will be at peace. One would think that we would have learned by now that this shortsided, self-centered thinking, would be recognized as both flawed in concept and practice. But no. Having read this book and reliving the events of the 60's and 70's through the author's memories and perspective, I must state "Thank God for men like Ron Winter and his fellow Marines!"



5. This chronicles what the helicopter doop gunner's job entailed.It's consice and very accurate.

5 comments about Reminiscences.

1. This is a great book written about a man who could be one of the greatest generals of all time. It is an autobiography of sorts which spends a lot of time on WWII. It was written very well and was easy to read as you follow the General through many of his great accomplishments in life.
   
   The book starts out with a little bit of childhood and then heads right into military school and his life in the military which is what he was destined to do. He has a candid demeanor and through the pages you will come to know the man and his thoughts. He gives some of his personal insight of the presidents that he knew and served under. There were a number of interesting facts revealed that I had never heard before. Also General MacArthur reveals his thoughts on the mistakes made by President Truman in regards to North Korea which have totally come to pass. MacArthur was a man who thought not only in terms of now but what our actions would have on the future. Another thing I found interesting was the way he dealt with Japan after the war. If we had followed his example and done the same things in Iraq it probably wouldn't have turned out the way it has. But the one thing that we have learned from history is that we don't learn anything from history.
   
   You will learn of his magnificent military campaigns in the Pacific as I believe only he could tell. The way he treated his men underneath him and the way he dealt with others will give you a great sense on how a true leader should act. The only thing I would say is missing is more on his family life. About all that is revealed is that his family traveled with him even during the war. All in all this is a very fine book which any one interested in history or leadership will find enjoyable.



2. A half century after his abrupt removal from command in the Korean War, MacArthur's autobiography presents a fascinating combination of prescience and error -- much like the man himself. His heartfelt belief that "there is no substitute for victory" was proved wrong by our decisive triumph in the Cold War, achieved in spite of stalemate in Korea and outright defeat in Vietnam. On the other hand, his insistence over the years that America ought to be paying more attention to Asia (vs. Europe) seems to be validated not only by the rise of China, Japan and India but also by our current predicament dealing with the Islamic world. Right or wrong, MacArthur was always eloquent, and this book delivers his own inimitable take on the violent first half of the 20th century.



3. Great reading, clarifying several points of Manchester's "American Caesar."
   To one who lived through it and seldom saw a newspaper at the time, the Korean War and its consequences are finally understood.



4. My past understanding of General of the Army Douglas MacArthur was vague and perhaps understated. This book by far has peaked my interest not only in the General himself, but also in the history of World War II as well as the history of others involved in that conflict.

   General MacArthur does an excellent job covering his life from the time of his birth, to his assignment in Mexico to his command of the Rainbow Division in World War I to his leadership in World War II which lead to his appointment as Supreme Commander in the Pacific. MacArthur spends a great amount of time detailing each of his military adventures, along with noting his achievements along the way, finally ariving at the rank of 5-star General of the Army in 1944.

   I was very surprised to find MacArthur to be very, what I would call, deferential in the receipt of each honor. He has been accused by some of being pompus and an egoist, but he came across as a man who, while very deserving, felt he had earned his awards through not only his own efforts, but also through the efforts of those around him.

   General MacArthur also shares his experience with President Harry Truman at the Wake Island conference. Prior to reading MacArthur's memoirs, I was lead to believe that the conference was a tense undertaking with President Truman having to reign in one his "errant" Generals. MacArthur's take on the conference was completely different that what I have previously read - indicating that Mr. Truman was very complimentary toward the General and with the General returning the favor. I was surprised to read in Merle Miller's "Plain Speaking" to see that Harry Truman thought General MacArthur was a "dumb son-of-a-b****". When I contrasted the two (MacArthur and Truman), I found MacArthur to be articulate, to the point, and respectful. Truman, I have found was crude and ruthless.

   I thought this was a fantastic book and would encourage its reading by anyone interested in the history of this great U.S. General.




5. Informative and the most self serving narration ever made by and about a single American. Live a lifetime with the general and know what it is to never have made a mistake, never willingly to have submitted to legitimate authority, and never, and I mean NEVER, to have credited anyone else for the success of what ,in most military operations are shared endeavors.

5 comments about Benedict Arnold, Revolutionary Hero: An American Warrior Reconsidered.

1. James Kirby Martin presents a fascinating view of Benedict Arnold, from his birth and early years, through his wartime exploits, up to his betrayal. The book succeeds on many levels. For one, it forces the reader to confront certain truths that have been obscured by the fog of history - namely that Benedict Arnold, until his betrayal, was an American hero, one of the rebels' greatest generals. In this way, while I don't view Arnold sympathetically for his betrayal, I see him now as the lead role in a real life Greek tragedy. He could have been among the greatest of our Founders. Moreover, the book does not excuse Arnold's treason, but does explain it and put it in context. If for no other reason than historical accuracy, it is important for students of history to know why Arnold committed treason.
   
   The book was masterfully written and meticulously researched. Along the line of research, one final word. This book spurred me to research and review a number of the sources cited by Martin. A previous reviewer criticized Martin for failing to cite the novels of Kenneth Roberts. This criticism is, to put it charitably, invalid. First, a novel is a work of fiction. This book is non-fiction, and while Roberts's novels are highly acclaimed, they are still fiction. It makes no sense to cite fiction when writing non-fiction. Second, Roberts did compile a number of diaries and memoirs entitled March to Quebec: Journals of the Members of Arnold's Expedition (1938). This source is non-fiction and in fact is cited by Martin at page 435 and 460-80. Finally, a review of this book in the New York Times Book Review notes that this book often crosses paths with Roberts's works of fiction, and that this book is a "fine successor to those splendid books."
   
   This book truly is the definitive source on Benedict Arnold's early life, wartime exploits and ultimate betrayal of the colonial forces. I highly recommend it for anyone interested in American history.



2. After viewing the A&E movie A Question Of Honor, my fascination with Arnold began.. So I decided to pick up this book. Mainly because I was more interested in Arnold the American Hero rather then Arnold the American Traitor....
   
   There are two Benedict Arnolds of the American Revolution. Most people are only familiar with the Traitor Arnold rather then the Hero Arnold. This particular book focuses on the Hero Arnold (just look at the title of the book) and does a fine job. The story of Arnolds heroic actions in the early part of the American Revolution needed to be told and James Kirby Martin tackled the task greatly......
   
   The book more or less ends at the battle of Saratoga. Mainly because after that infamous battle, Arnolds decent into treason began to pick up steam. If Arnold would have been killed at Saratoga he would have been an American Hero. After reading this book, I almost wish that would have been the case. The man was a victim of his own bitterness. The story of Benedict Arnold was a true tragedy....
   
   I think this book should be viewed as a "part one" of the Benedict Arnold saga. After reading this book, seek out other books(on Arnold) which focuses on his treason.......



3. I bought this book because of the enthusiastic reviews it received on the Amazon.com website. Having looked through it, I am thoroughly disappointed. The author is apparently either unaware of the great novels dealing with Benedict Arnold, beautifully and accurately written in the 1930's by Kenneth Roberts,or has chosen to ignore them. I find this totally unacceptable, since much of what we know about the march to Quebec, the retreat and near loss of the Northern Army on Isle Aux Noix, and the Battle of Valcour Island came to light in "Arundel" and "Rabble in Arms". Martin apparently wanted to write an academic version of Arnold's life, but his failure to cite Roberts renders the Martin book intellectually dishonest. Further, that Martin could have failed to mention Roberts' collection of diaries entitled "The March on Quebec" is truly mind boggling. If it would be possible to give the book zero stars, I would do so for it doesn't deserve the one I had to give it.



4. Martin is the foremost authority on this period in our history. He also manages to be the only historian I have read yet that handled the Arnold Expedition to Quebec with the accuracy and depth it deserves. Martin speaks of my grandfather Major Reuben Colburn with fairness and awards him the credit for his efforts in supplying, leading and maintaining the mission denied him by historians through the ages. Many merely used Colburn as a scapegoat for the failure of the effort, but not Martin. His research revealed the truth as such an effort so often does should an author choose that path, and I applaud him for it. He has also backed me in my effort to convince the National Park Service to grant Colburn House in Pittston, Maine "Landmark" status. Jim Martin is an ally I value greatly, and a man who knows what he is talking about.



5. It's an obvious concept if you think about it: our automatic thought when we hear the name "Benedict Arnold" is clearly a matter of perspective, not simple truth. The victors write the histories. Had Britain won the war, Arnold would have been, at worst, someone who saw the writing on the wall and got out while the getting was good, and at best, a prodigal son who'd seen the light and returned to the fold, renouncing his treason against king and country.

   The first beauty of this book is that by simply existing, it forces you TO think about it; most people never do. But beyond that, it gives a meticulous history of the man, admitting his flaws (he was ambitious and more than a bit prickly about what he saw as slurs on his personal honor) but also pointing out the many positives that most Americans are completely unaware of: he was one of the greatest generals in the rebel cause, generous, courageous, honorable, and brilliant. So why did this man turn against the cause he'd fought for? Partly because he was disillusioned by the behavior towards himself and others by what he saw as a congress interested more in political connections than competence in awarding military honors, partly because he came to believe that said congress's incompetence rendered the American cause unwinnable. An error, and a serious one, but one which must be balanced against the fact that his contributions at the battle of Saratoga were largely responsible for the American victory.

   A fascinating study into a seriously overlooked subject in American history. A must-read.

1 comments about Rommel's Desert Commanders: The Men Who Served the Desert Fox, North Africa, 1941-42 (Stackpole Military History Series).

1. Ask anyone to name a German general, and the response most likely will be: Rommel -- The Desert Fox.
   
   Erwin Rommel's famous North African campaign is one of the most studied aspects of the Second World War. However, veteran World War II history writer, Samuel W. Mitcham, Jr. knows that the legendary Field Marshall Rommel was not the only interesting officer in the Panzer Army Africa and has written a unique book that gives a voice to his top-notch subordinates.
   
   Mr. Mitcham introduces the reader to a gallery of mini-portraits of Rommel's men painted to accompany his broad canvas of battlefield narratives. His biographies add new color to the previous monochrome look of the Panzer Army Africa, out shown by the brilliance of Field Marshall Erwin Rommel -- until now.
   
   The author admires the accomplishments of Rommel and he offers a fascinating behind-the-scenes history of Rommel's army. The book is born out of the desire to breath life into the names that reported to the Desert Fox.
   
   What would it be like take orders from the Desert Fox? Mr. Mitcham shows us how Rommel was very demanding of his officers, bullying them when they did not meet his expectations. His 5th Light Division commander, Johannes Striech was accused of being, too slow, lacking boldness and imagination. After failing to seize Tobruk, then retreating without orders, Rommel had seen enough of Striech and his chief subordinate, Olbricht. Both were relieved of their commands -- Their careers effectively over.
   
   The next commander of 5th Light Division, Johann Theodor von Ravenstein's record showed excellent drive and accomplishment. Of note, he was highly decorated for ambushing and routing a French battalion with only 16 men. He was awarded the Knights Cross for overrunning the French 9th Army HQ, capturing 50 French officers. Even Rommel could admire this man.
   
   After a spectacular attack on the British armored forces in Operation Battleaxe, Rommel called Ravenstein one of his most brilliant generals. During Operation Crusader, "Ravenstein earned the dubious distinction of becoming the first German general to be captured in the second world war," when his car was ambushed by three New Zealanders. Ravenstein's adventures were not over yet. An Italian bomber torpedoed the ship carrying Ravenstein to Alexandria. Fortunately, he was plucked from the sea by a British corvette and taken to Egypt.
   
   "Ludwig Cruell was one of the best panzer commanders, not only in the Africa Korps, but in the entire German army," agues Mr. Mitcham. Cruell was a "highly competent, steady and dependable general staff officer, notes the author, and was rightly named the next commander of the Africa Korps.
   
   As we are repeatedly shown, being in the front lines, as Rommel demanded, is very risky. While directing the fighting at Sidi Rezegh, General Cruell's British-built Mammoth command vehicle suddenly seemed to be surrounded by British tanks. Benefiting from the fog of war, he sped away before the puzzled Brits could react.
   
   On May 28th, Cruell's low-flying Storch light recon aircraft was shot down. With his pilot dead, he was helpless to land from the back seat. Somehow surviving the crash, he found himself trapped in the wreckage, and was easily captured by the British.
   
   "One of the most unusual characters in the Africa Korps was Major Wilhelm Georg Bach, a Lutheran pastor," noted as Roommel's best battalion commander. Although his rank demanded respect, he was the friendliest, most relaxed German commander serving under Rommel. He was captured and taken to Egypt after the lengthly siege of his surrounded positions in Halfaya Pass.
   
   General Ravenstein, General Schimmit and Major Bach masterminded a plot to take over their Canada-bound prison ship, but were found out before they could act. For a time, the angry British even considered throwing the three ringleaders overboard. They eventually settled for solitary confinement.
   
   Of his principals, Mr. Mitcham's favorite German officer is Ernst Guenther Baade, a gentleman form the old school, believing in chivalry. "An idiosyncratic maverick, Ernst Baade definitely marched to his own drummer and soon became a legend in the Africa Korps by going into battle dressed in a Scottish kilt...In the field, he habitually wore a black beret with a tartan plaid ribbon and carried a huge claymore instead of a luger."
   
   Baade's unpredictable actions caused anger and irritation at the High Command of the Armed Forces, but it did not ruffle Rommel, who shielded him," explains Mr. Mitcham. He was credited with the masterly evacuation of the XIV Panzer Corps from Sicily.
   
   "Walter Kurt Josef Nehring was one of the best panzer commanders of World War II." Nehring's innovative 'flak front' of 88mm anti-aircraft guns stopped cold the breakthrough of powerful British Grant tanks and saved the Africa Korps at the Battle of the Gazala Line.
   
   Foreseeing the ultimate collapse of Tunis, Nehring argued for evacuation. This angered Hitler and Goebbels who denounced him as a coward and defeatist. Nehring soon found himself replaced by General Armin in Tunisia. As he had predicted, Tunis soon fell. Disparately needing generals, the Nazis redeemed Nehring, and gave him another chance to command on the Russian front and he performed magnificently, earning Swords for his Knights Cross, personally awarded by Hitler.
   
   Like most aggressive German generals, Rommel led from the front. Usually, the Chief of Staff was required to accompany Rommel on visits to the front lines, which left junior officers in charge of the HQ -- a problem when senior Italian generals tried to over-rule them.
   
   "Rommel did not make long lasting professional associations, in part because he made few close personal friendships. He also tended to physically wear out subordinates very quickly, points out Mr. Mitcham. Losses never bothered Rommel though, He believed staff could easily be replaced.
   
   The general staff could never get close to Rommel; because Hitler had planted spies in his headquarters, making him suspicious and distrustful of everyone.
   
   Mr. Mitcham claims, "Rommel was by every account a hard man for whom to work. He could be very rude to his staff and scathing to senior commanders, but never so to enlisted men or prisoners of war."
   
   If you write a book titled, "Rommel's Desert Commanders", you must have a chapter titled, "El Alamein." With Rommel very sick, and returning to Europe, his replacement as Commander of Panzer Army Africa was Georg Stumme. During the El Alamein fighting, Stumme suffered a fatal heart attack while clinging to the running board of his fleeing staff car. His body was found along the road a few hours after Hitler called Rommel to go back to Africa.
   
   Chapter IV, "The Staff" brings to life on the page other forgotten staff officers serving with Rommel, including military engineers, a reconnaissance officer, a journalist/propagandist, intelligence officers, medical officers, communication officers and signals officers.
   
   Mr. Mitcham invites you to meet 27 other commanders of the Panzer Army Africa, the Africa Korps, and the four divisions that they directed in Chapter VIII, "The Other Commanders."
   
   In writing about Rommel's subordinates, Mr. Mitcham frequently had to divert from his book's setting in the deserts of North Africa. To trace their careers, the author's narrative detoured extensively to World War I, all of Germany's fronts in World War II, even to the post war years -- something that may put off some readers.
   
   "Rommel's Desert Commanders: The Men Who Served the Desert Fox, North Africa, 1941-42" contains 17 maps and a gallery of 43 photographs, Mr. Mitcham's book is a quick and enjoyable read, his narrative is full of interest for students of the Africa Korps.

1 comments about Flight: The Story of Virgil Richardson, A Tuskegee Airman in Mexico.

1. As a fan of the 1956 tv show "Sheena, Queen of the Jungle" starring Irish McCalla, I wanted to read about the character actor who played many parts in the series. It was very interesting to learn Virgil served in World War II and started his own theate company. Plus the history of Mexico as a refuge for African Americans was enlighting.
   For fans of the Sheena tv show, it was worth reading.

5 comments about Joseph E. Johnston: A Civil War Biography (Norton Paperback).

1. Joseph Johnston was one of the top ranking generals in the Confederate Army (at the outset, he was one of the five top ranking Generals with others such as Robert E. Lee, Albert S. Johnston, and Samuel Cooper). He is also a controversial figure. His feud with President Jefferson Davis is legendary. He was viewed by many as too timid militarily, willing to give up space rather than fight hard. On the other hand, more friendly analysts have mentioned that, unlike Robert E. Lee, he understood the value of preserving as much of his army as possible, rather than being bled to death by sanguinary battles with the larger Union forces. In that, some see him as the "anti-Lee."
   
   This biography does a good job of describing Johnston's military career, the controversies that he engendered, his accomplishments and his failures.
   
   There were certainly high moments: his role at First Manassas (or Bull Run); his skillful retreat before William T. Sherman's much larger army as he fell back on Atlanta (although critics would argue that he was far too unwilling to engage Sherman); his pulling together shattered Confederate forces for a final confrontation with Sherman at the battle at Bentonville.
   
   There were low moments: his botched generalship at Seven Pines ranks pretty high.
   
   Then, the more ambiguous examples. Was his behavior at Vicksburg visionary (as he sought to save Pemberton's army rather than the redoubt at Vicksburg)? Or disastrous, as he refused to try to fight through the far superior Union forces to relieve Vicksburg during the siege? I think the case can be made that Johnston was far wiser than others in this campaign--but it is also clear that he may not have been vigorous enough in trying to realize his vision. Did he fail in his role as supervising general in the western theater? Or was his role crippled from the outset? Questions without clear answers.
   
   In the end, there is much ambiguity about his role in the Civil War. In retrospect, I think that he was one of the more capable Confederate generals and one of the few who understood that bloody conflicts against overwhelming Union forces was suicidal for the Confederate cause. But his prickliness and inability to work with the political directorate (headed by Davis) certainly undermined his efforts.
   
   At any rate, this is a sensitive and fair biography of one of the major military leaders of the Confederacy.



2. During the Civil War, General Joseph Johnston was viewed as one of the South's three greatest Generals; today, he is essentially forgotten....he has exactly one monument [in Georgia], while Lee and Jackson have an untold number. And yet....he was never defeated on the field of battle...he won the first AND last major battles of the war...Generals Grant and Sherman each said that he was the toughest commander they faced [Lee said the same about McClellan; interesting]...maybe there was more to Joe than we realize....
   
   Like many Civil War officers, Joe Johnston was the child of a Revolutionary War officer, though he was raised with niether the vast wealth of Polk, or the crushing poverty that afflicted Lee. He followed a life pattern typical of the breed....West Point....service as an engineer. Joe resigned from the Army due to low pay and lack of promotion, but didn't stay out long....while a civilian engineer with a group of inexperienced troops in Florida, he saved the day when the unit was attacked by Seminoles. Distinguished service in Mexico....eventually he became Quartermaster General of the US Army; this fact was to cause profound problems later, as Joe was the only General Officer to follow the South. [His portrait hangs in the main auditorium at Ft. Lee, VA, along with all the other Quartermasters General].
   
   Joe Johnston could be a vain, difficult man; touchy about his dignity, he forever resented not being made the senior full General of the CSA [he was fourth]. He hated for his equals to call him "Joe", yet any of his soldiers was free to do so. The profound dislike of Joe Johnston and Jeff Davis for each other was a disaster for the South. Davis resented that Joe wouldn't communicate with him, and Joe knew that communicating a secret to the President's office was equivalent to printing it in a newspaper. After Joe was wounded at Seven Pines [Davis was properly supportive of his injured General], Lee took over the Army of Northern Virginia, and Joe was relegated to a series of assignments that involved cleaning up the messes of others...
   
   Johnston was a General loved by his troops...they knew he wouldn't waste their lives. He had the "common touch"...Symonds relates an incident where Joe jumps down in the mud to help free a stuck cannon...reminds me of the scene in "Patton" where Patton plays traffic cop, getting jeeps out of the mud. He was criticized as being too "defensive", and was replaced in command of the Army of Tennessee by John Bell Hood [whom I consider a great General]...US Grant later said that the South might have won the war by leaving Joe in place, as he would have simply outlasted the North's desire to fight. Sort of like the US in Viet Nam; we could have nuked the North Vietnamese into submission anytime, but.......
   
   After the war, Joe served one term in Congress [he headed the committee that cleared the name of Fitz John Porter], and was a US Railroad Commissioner. He and Davis continued to hate each other, and put their bile into print.
   
   Craig Symonds has written a superb book about a great man and General who still doesn't get the respect he deserves. This is the finest book about Joe, and one of the finest about any General. Yes, Robert E. Lee was a great man, and so was Jeff Davis...a series of tragic circumstances deprived the South of the full service of a great officer. It's time you knew....



3. Whatever your opinion of Joseph Johnston, in my humble opinion, Craig Symonds has written a fabulous biography that is easy to read and seems to be fair in its treatment of Johnston.
   
   Symonds comprehensively covers several areas of Johnston's life:
   
   1. Early life in Virginia.
   2. Years at West Point.
   3. Service in Mexican War.
   4. Army service between the Mexican War and the Civil War.
   5. Civil War service - First Bull Run, early part of the Peninsula Campaign, Vicksburg, Atlanta Campaign, Bentonville, and surrender to Sherman.
   6. Relationships with various Civil War generals and politicians.
   7. Family life.
   8. Post-Civil War years and death.
   
   Symonds is fair and objective by pointing out Johnston's weaknesses (temper, sometimes a little touchy, prone to fight a defensive war), and his strengths (cared deeply for his troops, managed to win some battles while not suffering major defeats, ability to get along with Robert E. Lee, etc.). The writing style is fine and flows freely throughout the book.
   
   After reading this title and the biography of Patrick Cleburne, I have concluded that Symonds is one of the best Civil War biographers around.
   
   Read and enjoy the book and form your own opinion of one of the most controversial Civil War generals. Highly recommended!



4. I like Joe! I really like Joe. And this is a great biography of the man. Too many folks bring all the world's troubles down on him. His was a rough role to play. I mean, he was head quartermaster in the US Army. That meant that caring for the soldier's welfare was first and foremost in his mind..hence the later Civil War cautiousness. Joe's cool. Don't be too hard on Joe. Read this book.



5. Joseph E. Johnston was my great-great grand uncle. This book has become required reading for everyone in my family, and I will have my children read it as well. Craig Symonds recounts Johnston's life accurately, and for this our family is proud. A must read for all people interested in the civil war, or the life of an old world general!

5 comments about Memoirs of an Infantry Officer.

1. While perhaps best known for his poetry written during WWI, Siegfried Sassoon was a very talented wordsmith in general, a trait that is demonstrated in his second semi-fictionalized autobiography, "Memoirs of an Infantry Officer". Sassoon chose to fictionalize his accounts of his life, an odd technique that allows him to distance himself from these experiences as he intimately describes the raw emotion and response behind them. In his three memoirs he is George Sherston, a thinly veiled version of himself, who thinnly veils the real-life characters he encountered during these times.
   
   Readers are automatically flung into Sassoon's war experience, from the disjointed and fantastical training, to the brutal reality of life in the trenches. Sassoon describes these experiences in vivid detail, the sheer misery of trench warfare, the almost callous attitude toward the dead on both sides, and the surreal life led by those back home. Sassoon, nicknamed "Mad Jack" for his stubborness and seemingly sheer lunacy at times, was awfully lucky during his battle campaigns. He was wounded a few times, always sent back home to England to recuperate, and almost happy to return to the war.
   
   However, after one session as an invalid, Sassoon begins to recognize that the war may not be all it's cracked up to be, that those in power are not telling the truth about their war aims, and that he may just be a lowly pawn in a game he doesn't want to play. Towards the end of his narrative, Sassoon tells of his decision to speak out against the war, even if it meant being court martialed. This act, filtered with courage and fear, is achingly portrayed as an act both necessary and questionable: as Sassoon places himself in danger, he questions his true beliefs in the matter. This account ends just as Sassoon enters the hospital in Scotland, avoiding court martial with a diagnosis of shell shock, 'lucky' as usual.
   
   "Memoirs of an Infantry Officer" is a vividly descriptive account of life in the trenches during WWI. Sassoon is a gifted storyteller, who can make even the direst settings come to life. He offers a unique insight into the soldier poets who first questioned whether or not war was such a noble and glorious pursuit and if the sacrifice of lives was worth the price in the end. While a little slow at times, the last quarter of the narrative which details Sassoon's questioning of the war, is a brilliantly written firsthand look at how a too little celebrated writer finally found his voice.



2. Continuing tale of the Cambridge-educated English Officer living the hell of warfare on the Western Front: replete with adoring batman, blustering colonel Blimps, out of control colonials (Australians and Canadians), journeys to England on home leave to meet misinformed civilians. Sasson has a style that waxes between light and lyrical, cynical and dark and starkly realistic. It is reminiscent of Graves but less dark than Blunden.
   
   This is a tale of the human mind (an upper crust mind) that makes the journey from old world to that of the lost generation -- but Sassoon never loses himself. It shows that the mind-set was already there capable of dissecting and throwing away the old world view tradition. With capable honesty Sassoon relates the contradictions in life, army and mind set of the pre-war generation. He still takes advantage of the liesure of the educated class; his batman pours his tea, he still sees the colonials as slightly quaint and backwards (especially the Australians), still finds refuge among his educated Cambridge intellectuals -- this is no tale of class struggle.
   
   This book can read as part of his trilogy lifestyle or on its own. It has many haunting vignettes and is perhaps one of the top 5 WWI memoirs. Highly recommended.



3. Terrific book that sounded a bit autobiographical. Sassoon, of course, was a war hero on the battle of the Somme, decorated twice for bravery.
   
   The book reads lyrically and is convey's nicely the daily life of soldiers moving back and forth from the front fighting trenches to the rear area of the battle field. He also does a great job portraying the strangeness and inner conflict of being back in British society (while recovering from illness) with people who know nothing of the war or its cost to the participants.
   
   A Brit's version of "All Quiet ..."



4. Siegfried Sassons' "Memoirs of an Infantry Officer" is a first-hand account of life at the front line during World War 1. This is not a just a historical document or diary however. Sassoon writes via an alter-ego called George. In real life, Sassoon was an infantry officer who fought at the front, but eventually grew suspicious of the reasons for the continuation of World War 1, and as such became a dissenter. This book may be fiction, but it is based on fact and it gives an impressive account of what life must have been like in those trenches, nearly a hundred years ago. Sassoon's incredible ability with words paints a much more vivid picture than any war movie will ever provide.

   George was a middle-class officer who had the luxury of a university education and was an avid reader of classic English literature. He juxtaposes the themes and ideas in this romantic poetry with the realities of life at the front to great effect. Although a tad repetitive in it's ideas (perhaps to get the point across clearly), this book is rewarding and still relevant this whole century later. As one character in the book says, "In war-time the word patriotism means suppression of truth" .




5. Siegfreid Sassoon's wonderful war memoir is thinly disguised as the story of George Sherston. Based solely on Sassoon's life in the trenches of WWI, it recounts the horror and scale of carnage that occurred. More importantly it shows the emotionally scars that the survivors carried with them as a result of exposure.

   Sherston (Sassoon) was a rather spoiled and pampered young upper class Englishman. The war changed all that. Confronted with death, destruction and idiotic leadership from the High Command you sense the inner turmoil of Sherston.

   Relieved when he is not involved with the fighting he is driven by guilt over the loss of the soldiers in his battalion. Consequently when his platoon is on the line he takes great risks in reconaissance of the German positions.

   The effects of non-stop total war, stupid leadership and the complete contrast between England and the trenches (only a few hundred miles apart) is staggering to Sassoon. Sassoon becomes anti-war and considers becoming an objector, but his obvious connection to his comrades and loyalty to them wins out in the end. He hates the war but won't abandon his comrades in the field.

   This is a great war memoir written by a poet who survived and was changed for life by his experiences in it.

No comments about Cumberland Blood: Champ Ferguson's Civil War.

2 comments about Making Sense of Normandy: A Young Man's Journey of Faith and War.

1. Carver McGriff is the former minister of the church I attend. I bought the book in the church bookstore two days ago and Carver signed it. I went home read it straight through. It was one of those "cannot put it down" experiences.
   
   I have read many books about the war. Most were written by professional authors. They were polished. They told stories of bravery and sacrifice other men and women. This book is different. It is intensely personal. Carver shares the things that so many other men who went through that crucible were either unable or unwilling to tell us about. Now, for the first time, I really understand why.
   
   My father and his four brothers all served in the army. Several were in Europe, serving alongside Carver. One was in Patton's Third Army as it marched from Paris through the Battle of the Bulge and into Germany. They never talked about it. Because they never opened up we of the next generation, at least in my family, probably never truly understood what they went through and how it changed them.
   
   My father died while I was young. I never really had a chance to talk to him about what he went through. I also never had a chance to thank him for the sacrifice he made so that I could grow up in this great country.
   
   If you are thinking about buying this book to read a great war novel then it is probably not for you. If you want to peek into the soul of a young, scared, World Way II private on the front lines and find out what it was really like then by all means get a copy. Carver takes you on his very personal journey into the mouth of hell and back. You will better understand the way the war shaped this country and the millions of people who served in it.



2. The book gives a rare insider's glimpse into the world of a 19 year old teenager as he is thrust into battle at Normandy. You can almost hear the artillery, feel the cold and adrenaline, mixed with fear, smell the smells, (and even the extreme boredom they sometimes endured, that is never mentioned in "the movies") and sense the bonds that grew between the young men. This may be the only book of its kind - an honest and frank, first person look at the war and the people involved, complete with their shortcomings and personal agendas, and in many cases, extreme bravery and selflessness. I felt like I was there as I read it, and I recommend that anyone and everyone read it. I, for one, appreciate the "greatest generation" more now than ever.

5 comments about The Reluctant Admiral: Yamamoto and the Imperial Navy.

1. If you don't know Japanese Culture, History, and specifically Social Practice at the time, I suggest refraining from using and imposing YOUR OWN PERSONAL VALUES to judge a Foreigner in his own Culture and Situation. That is just your own personal opinion, and should be so stated as such. Actually, all it does is prove just how ignorant you are of the subject matter, and is quite frankly, laughable (and you know who you are).
   
   This book is a very rare example of an excellent "fly-on-the-wall" eyewitness account of Admiral Yamamoto's life, one that is very seldom shared with outsiders (non-Japanese), so I suggest you get a copy and read it while you still can (it's kind of old, but still available).
   
   In it, you will learn what a unhappy private life he had, from the time he was given away by his parents and adopted into the Yamamoto Family, to his "Arranged Marriage" (this was a very common practice in Japan at the time, and neither party either met or had any contact with each other prior to their wedding... resulting in many unhappy marriages... and divorce not being an option, men usually found other women they did like to replace the one they did NOT... but still provided financial support for them anyway "for the sake of the children". Under the circumstance, I don't see anything wrong with that. Calling it "womanizing" is insulting (and just proves the person's ignorance), as Admiral Yamamoto kept the same one for many years, providing her a place to live and money to pay the bills... she was more like his 2nd (and REAL) wife, who he actually enjoyed the company of... unlike his 1st wife, who hated him.
   
   Anyway, enough of that.
   
   The book is a great way to learn Admiral Yamamoto's life story, from his early years, to how his brilliance in the IJN (Imperial Japanese Navy) was recognized early on, and he was sent to the US, eventually becoming a HARVARD Graduate... a very unusual and accomplished fact for anyone at that time, let alone a Foreigner from Japan. As a result, Admiral Yamamoto was completely literate and fluent in American English, AND understood American Culture, History, and the US People like few outsiders ever did. He even used his own money to tour the US to see for himself the INDUSTRIAL MIGHT of America, and knew the US Capabilities in so many ways better than most Americans did.
   
   I like the selected times extreme detail is provided for events in his life, from what was on the Ship's Menu while at Sea, to the actual shoot-down of his Betty Bomber by the P-38's, and the recovery of his body by the IJA (Imperial Japanese Army) afterwards.
   
   Highly recommended Read.
   Be prepared to do so non-stop, as it becomes that riveting (took me about 6 hours).



2. This is an excellent study of a complex and contradictory man. Understandably vilified in the heat of war, a more interesting image has appeared over time. One cannot help but admire the daring and gambler quality of a man ordered to start a war he did not agree with and risked his life to prevent. Yamamoto certainly deserves to be remembered as a grand naval commander. It's unlikely any more authoritatve work will ever emerge as the author when directly to people who knew Yamamoto in life



3. The original Japanese title of this book was simply Yamamoto Isoroku. I suppose renaming it The Reluctant Admiral with the implication that Isoroku was indecisive is comforting to american psychology. But otherwise it's the same book, and one of the few books I know about WW II Japan that isn't clichéd propaganda of either a rightist or leftist american persuasion.

   Samurai! The biography of Saburo Sakai is also recommended although the ibook edition has an opinioned, and inaccurate forward by the new editor not Martin Caidin.




4. Admiral Yamamoto did not want to go to war with the United States; a naval war he felt could be sustained for at most 18 months. But go to war he did and it cost him his life. This is an easy to read history of Yamamoto's life, rich in personal details. He turns out to have been an avid womanizer, with one and perhaps two mistresses throughout most of his career. A man who lost interest in his marriage fairly early and was merely a financial contributor for most of his married life. Most of the personal correspondence quoted and many of his poems were written to his number one mistress, with nothing of substance regarding his wife and children.

   Yamamoto seems to have come up with the strategy for the attack on Pearl Harbor, but the detailed tactical planning was the work of his staff. Somehow the debacle of Midway, which occurred under his command and which was planned by his staff, did not result in his immediate replacement. This apparently was due to the Imperial Japanese Forces being in full denial mode and not wanting to high light the disaster by removing the hero of Pearl Harbor.

   Yamamoto seems to have been something of a figurehead for most of his career after Pearl harbor and until his death. This could be misleading since the author focuses so much of his attention on Yamamoto's personal life and not so much on his naval leadership.

   It is particularly interesting to learn that with the many signs pointing to the fact that the Japanese codes had been broken, they denied this possibility and continued to send the "coded" messages which resulted in Yamamoto's plane being shot down by United States P-38s. There is an excellent book on that subject, "Get Yamamoto" but it seems to be out of print ...




5. This was a wonderful book which went into alot of detail about the life of Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto. He was a much more complex person than most people think. He was no ranting imperialistic flunky. In fact, he held most of those types in contempt. So much so, that he had to maintain constant vigilance because of death threats. However, he did his duty, as he was ordered to do, even though he knew the futility of it. He was also totally against the building of the Yamato and Musashi battleships. Utter "folly" he called them and a waste of time and money. He truly believed that the future of war would be aviation. He was proved right. Its really too bad that he was killed, he would have been of great benefit to the restructuring of the new Japanese government. Anyone interested in a more "personal" look of one of the greatest Admirals in the world, will love this book, like I did.