5 comments about To End All Wars.

1. This was one of the most moving Christian testimonies I have read. It is the amazing biography of Ernest Gordon, a British POW in Japanese occupied Thailand. The book is more than that though. The personal and historical account of To End All Wars provides the reader with tremendous hope born in the midst of suffering. In the same spirit as Corrie Ten Boon's the Hiding Place, this work writes about the difficulty of finding and protecting the value of human life through the power of God's love and forgiveness. Such was the key to Ernest Gordon's end to the war and for many of his fellow inmates, and it is a message that is repeated throughout the account. There are many moments when such self-sacrificing love is put to the test. One defining moment was when the prisoners administered aid to wounded Japanese soldiers who were previously their captors at the very end of the war. The title of my review comes from a quote from Mr. Gordon taken from this event. The book itself is a testament to the grace and mercy of God, which offered these defeated men a restoration of their souls through forgiveness rather than maintain in their hearts the bitterness of hatred despite the cruelty they suffered. A truly powerful and soul-stirring book!



2. My wife and I had watched the movie a couple months ago (be warned: it is incredibly brutal) and been moved by the power of the story. Unfortunately, as it turned out, the book and the move are not the same story. In fact, other than the similarity of the major premise (a British officer in a Japanese POW camp during WW2), they had almost nothing in common.
   
   However. . .
   
   That was only disappointing insomuch as I kept waiting for certain events from the movie to show up. The movie had colored my expectations for the book, which meant I couldn't take the book on its own merits. Which is too bad, because, upon completing the book, I would say it is as powerful as the movie, perhaps even more so. But you have to let the book speak for itself. The story is truly miraculous, as this band of prisoners devolve into a wild bunch of animals at the hands of their captors, only to be transformed by the Spirit of Christ into a true Community of compassion and care. Somehow, in the midst of hell, these men found the power to love each other, to care for each other, to even forgive their Japanese tormentors. When people ask "Does Christianity work?", the story of this book says "absolutely!" And in a day and age of spiteful attacks, divisive language, polarized religions and selfish money-grubbing politicians and religious leaders, there is a real lesson here about what being a True Follower of Christ is all about.



3. This is one of the best books I've read so far... Though it may appear repetitive at times (there's really little else the author could write about beside what's happening in the POW camps along the Kwai), the reflection on the human condition and the supreme virtue of self-sacrifice in the footsteps of Jesus Christ is written with much poignancy and profundity. The epilogue is a tour de force for its penetrating criticism of the 'civilised' society the author returned to after the war. The reverse culture shock he experienced is a haunting reminder of how that still small voice can be so easily drowned out in the cacophony of modern society.



4. It's a difficult, but true message. The author takes an unflinching look at the evil that men are capable of through his own personal experience in Japanese prison camps and carries you through the experience on to the brilliant hope on the other side of his own personal pain. The underlying truth you discover is the genuine potential to be found in one man's selfless, sacrificial care for another. It's an excellent read.



5. Formally published as "Miracle on the River Kwai" and renamed to coincide with a new movie. This book was written by Ernest Gordon a Scottish Army officer who served in the South Pacific During the war.
   
   Back Story
   During that time the Japanese advanced on Singapore, and Gordon and a few other officers try to escape on a chartered sailboat. After being captured at sea, he was incarcerated and sent to a work camp in Thailand, building the infamous railway of death, where nearly 80,000 prisoners lost their life in a little over a year. This railway and the Chungkai prison camp are the real back story to the Oscar winning film "Bridge On the River Kwai."
   
   What the classic movie doesn't tell you is the horrific condition and constant death that the builders of the bridge met with on a daily basis.
   
   The Book
   The story is a recount of Ernest Gordon's experiences at the camp and his witness to that camps transformation from what he called "the worst that man could be" to the "best that man could be."
   
   The book starts with Gordon laying in the hospital at Chungkai, called the "Death House" by the prisoners as there was very few he came back from the hospital. Gordon then flashes back to what led him here, and then continues from that point and tells of the camps transformation. Before Gordon wound up in the hospital the camp was very much "every man for himself" animal instinct and the law of the jungle dictated who lived and who died. During Gordon's stay at the hospital while he was suffering and near death with Beriberi, Tropical Ulcers, Malaria, and Amoebic Dysentery, he propped himself up, void of hope, and penned a last letter to his parents. That was his low point. He was nursed back to health by two other POW's Dinty Moore, and Dusty Miller. Both bartered for food and medicine, cleaned his ulcers, massaged his legs to reverse the atrophy and gave him encouragement to give him the hope he needed to recover. These two men became an inspiration to the rest of the camp, and like Ernest Gordon, many started to emulate their kindness willingness to help others. Dusty Miller a devote Christian also read the bible to Gordon which inspired him. Gordon then started to hold bible studies with other in the camp; they often shared bibles that men had smuggled in. This led to a spiritual revival of the camp, where men helped each other to survive. The camp changed from a group of individuals to a community that served each other with the same love that Christ had shown them in the bible. Many more survived the wrath of the Japanese as a result of the selfless acts of the camp members, in one part of the book one enlisted soldier, admits that he stole a shovel (which he didn't) just to save the lives of his co-prisoners, that soldier was immediately beaten to death, but his sacrifice as well as others, were what changed to mood of the camp.
   
   The Legacy
   This spiritual revival, not only led to many surviving the camp, but transcended into their life after the war. Gordon's epilogue was probably the best part of the book where he paints his perspective against the backdrop of the post-war error.
   
   "We returned to a world divided by hatreds. We thought we had come home to a world at peace; instead we found a world already preparing for the next war. Having had as much reason to hate as anybody, we had overcome hatred."
   
   "We had seen a vision of far horizons and caught a glimpse of the City of God in all its beauty and this vision seemed to be part of a different world."
   
   Summary
   Overall the book is very interesting, and is an intriguing story of suffering and hope. Gordon's style is very easy to read, almost like he's sitting next you telling the story. The descriptions of the people and the camp are genuine and I had no problem understanding and even "knowing" many of the characters in the book.
   
   Editorial
   It's one thing read about the word of God and the acts of Jesus, it's an entirely different think to witness it first hand as Gordon does and writes about with stunning detail. If found this to be an inspiring story of the grace of God that is given, by giving up selfishness. I have learned a lot about what true Christian's look like after reading this book. If you want my opinion, Christ looked a lot more like Dusty Miller and Ernest Gordon, than the face of modern evangelical minister today.
   
   I'd recommend this book to anyone who wants to see the how God's Grace can transform the most desperate situations

5 comments about My American Journey.

1. Colin Powel is clearly a great American as exemplified among his many accomplishments and life experiences. However, this presentation of his life story is arduous and without excitement. This book often presents itself more like an encyclopedia entry than an insightful biography. While equal blame may lay on my view of Powel's somewhat humdrum life as much as the writing style of this book, I believe this book will only be of interest to those already seeking to research Powell's life, not those in search of an enthralling piece.



2. After listening to how the government determines whether or not we should send out our troops and/or go to war, it helped me see him (and the president) from a different perspective. It also surprised me to hear that he IS NOT a Republican.



3. This book was a terrific read. The title isn't misleading - that's not really the word - but it doesn't give you a real sense of the book's value. This book is much more than what the title would lead you to believe.
   
   In it, Powell talks about his life in great detail, and because he's been such an important part of a lot of history in the latter part of the 20th century, it's almost like reading a detailed account of many important events in that time. He recalls in great detail what went into a number of important military affairs in the 1980s and early 1990s, which for me closed a lot of holes in what I knew about those events as someone just growing up at the time. It gives a number of great insights into the workings of Washington when it comes to military matters, and that along with the account of his life makes this a must-read book.
   
   His personal thoughts on many matters, which are interspersed throughout the book as he recounts the events, were what really struck me - things like his feelings about some military decisions, how he felt when he was away from family, and especially his feelings on the presidents and other cabinet officials he worked with later in his career. The last one stayed with me the most - many Americans don't think very highly of a lot of public officials (and not without their reasons, myself included), especially these days, but it wasn't lost on me that Powell has the highest words of praise for just about every president and cabinet official he worked with in the late 80s and early 90s, after having worked so closely with them.



4. I read biographies of key officials as a means of trying to understand how they make decisions, and on what basis of fact or fancy they make decisions.
   
   Colin Powell is a great man, and I hope he returns as Secretary of State under a transpartisan team. He was destroyed by Dick Cheney and his own confusion of loyalty versus integrity.
   
   Here is the sentence, on page 293, that made my day:
   
   when he was Military Assistant to then Sectary of Defense Casper Weinberger, he preferred the Early Bird with its compendium of newspaper stories to the "cream of overnight intelligence" which was delivered to the Secretary of Defense by a Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) courier each morning.
   
   See also:
   Preparing America's Foreign Policy for the 21st Century
   Vice: Dick Cheney and the Hijacking of the American Presidency
   Running on Empty: How the Democratic and Republican Parties Are Bankrupting Our Future and What Americans Can Do About It
   Weapons of Mass Deception: The Uses of Propaganda in Bush's War on Iraq
   Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA
   The New Craft of Intelligence: Personal, Public, & Political--Citizen's Action Handbook for Fighting Terrorism, Genocide, Disease, Toxic Bombs, & Corruption
   Fog Facts: Searching for Truth in the Land of Spin
   The Price of Loyalty : George W. Bush, the White House, and the Education of Paul O'Neill
   High Noon 20 Global Problems, 20 Years to Solve Them



5. Well, I kind of liked Colin Powell once. I kinda don't anymore. The book was ... dull. The same old same old - Horatio Alger type stuff. I bought the book because I thought that Colin might be going someplace and I wanted a glimpse at his philosophy. After his stint in Republican politics his future in that area looks pretty dim.
   He was a soldier and he has the soldier mentality. This book was probably designed to put him on his political career. I liked Swartzkoff's book much better. What happened to Swartzkoff anyway?

No comments about If Not Now, When?: Duty and Sacrifice in America's Time of Need.

5 comments about Quartered Safe Out Here: A Harrowing Tale of World War II.

1. A superb book which is not just a personal account of the 2nd World War in Burma, but also an attack on nannyism in Britain today. At times it reads along the 'it wasn't like that in my day' lines, but I found I totally agreed with all sections of this sort. It is, as you'd expect, full of hunour as well.
   I fully recommend it
   Roger Hunt



2. 
   I happened by chance to come across this book when searching for the Flashman series, which I'm reading now. I have read many non-fiction accounts of war, from WWI to Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. The WWII European theater of operations usually trumps the Pacific, and only in the last few years have I started to delve into this area. Recommended books are "Rising Sun" and "The Rape of Nanking".
   
   The Burma campaign is not as well documented, and this is a welcome book to the canon.
   
   This book, although not perhaps a classic, is incredibly diverse and true to life. The one overriding issue for me was the writing in the vernacular of the British soldiers, including Scots. For an American, it is difficult to translate what's written into coherent meaning, at times. For the most part, I was able to do so; however, there were some passages that I simply read over, not knowing exactly was said, even in context.
   
   This, perhaps, is a minor drawback; but it does make it more real.
   
   I highly recommend this book, particularly for lovers of true war stories.



3. A frank and totally absorbing account of Britain's WWII Burma campaign from the perspective of a buck private (and later, lance corporal). Although this was essentially a side show to the war, the fear, the terror, the privations, the ferocity of fighting were as great here as in any theater--and are very convincingly described.
   
   Fraser's skill as a writer (he is the author of the Flashman series and a serious history of the Scotch/English border strife) is abundantly on display; this book is a real page turner. In fact, I enjoyed it so much I immediately ordered those Fraser books I don't already own.



4. Fraser has a superb facility with words: his Flashman series (including The American, with Flashman in his still-lecherous dotage) is certainly one of the greatest set of historical military fiction. Quartered Safe Out Here shares the same fine qualities as the Flashman books--drama, humor, and heroism (which in Flashman's case was almost invariably accidental or at least reluctantly unintended). This is a very personal account: you're not going to get great battles and sweeping victories. His section was 10 men, including himself as a 19-year-old private, albeit a private who had several times been promoted then demoted back to private. The section is mostly Cumbrian (Fraser, from across the Scottish border, is a bit of an alien). The heavy Cumbrian accent takes getting used to, but Fraser translates with numerous footnotes, and the accent actually becomes delightfully endearing.
   
   The Burma Campaign is seen through Fraser's eyes. He does, writing many years after the events, have the Official History, and he tries to reconcile his memory of things with the Official History. At times he's right and the OH is wrong. So you get a sharply narrow view of what's going on, unlike, say, Field Marshall Slim's account Defeat Into Victory, where the larger view is at hand. Fraser's world is his section, with his wonderfully-drawn mates Grandarse (not his real name) and others. Fraser describes his own feelings and uncertainties. Contact with the Japanese was usually sparse, but at times took on a frighteningly close immediacy, confronting enemy soldiers just a few feet away. Contact with allies was less sparse, but there was never the "big picture": everything was very local. Privates followed orders, and didn't need to see the larger view, unlike officers. Lieutenants and up (even sergeants, for that matter) needed to be aware of other platoons, companies, divisions. It's an effective view, and very poignant.
   
   If you want a history of the Burma Campaign, try Slim, or a similar book. But if you want a very personal, very up-front account, you will appreciate this superb memoir.



5. If I could I would like to praise this book in the only way how; by saying that it reads like a book written by a real person not a war hero. Fraser's observations about the Japanese willingness to fight also need to be taken into account.
   
   Overall-You will read it in one sitting that is how engaging it is.

No comments about Cavalryman of the Lost Cause: A Biography of J. E. B. Stuart.

5 comments about Lost Victories: The War Memoirs of Hitler's Most Brilliant General.

1. Let me first say, that I am one of those who considers Field Marshal Erik von Manstein one of the best operational minds to have fought in the Second World War. His achievment in the post-Stalingrad months (Dec 1942- Feb 1943) will go down as a classic in mobile warefare. Enough has been written about his 1939 operational plan to invade France to fill a volume. In short, he was the consumate military professional.
   
   Which is why it pains me to offer only a 3 rating to his memiors. Don't get me wrong. The memior reads very well; the translation is excellent, and the prose is easy. My main complaint lies with the memior's content. I first read Lost Victories twenty years ago and took most of what Manstein wrote as fact. However, as I read more and more about not only the Wehrmacht, Germany, and Hitler, I began to doubt the narrative that von Manstein and the Feld Herren as a whole have been put to paper. This memior is long on ommisions, and short on introspection. Like other senior officers, Manstein piles the blame on the most senior Wehrmacht leadership while conviently excusing himself. The sad fact remains that von Manstein rarely vocalized any complaints concerning the Nazis treatment of men like Fritsch or Bloomberg (his former superiors sacked by Hitler), the introduction of the swatiska on thier uniforms, the establishment of the Waffen SS, or the treatment of Polish civilians, Jew, or captured officers. In his memiors, Manstein does take a few pages to offer his criticisms of Keitel (OKW) and von Braunstisch (OKH), yet not once did he explicitly critique in name the poor tactical generalship of either General Hoepner -the 4th Panzer Army Commander and his immediate commander during the initial stages of Barbarossa, or Field Marshall von Leeb -the overall commander of the Northern Army Group. This I thought was rather odd considering that these 2 men at that stage of the war still excercised complete freedom of movement. Manstein vaguely critiques the "High Command" (ie either the OKH or Hitler himself). Like other generals, Manstein leveled his stongest critiques on those that were dead, and thus couldn't defend themselves.
   
   The Chapters covering Stalingrad at the battles along the Don are the most dramatic of the memior. Many do find fault with Manstein's decision not to relieve General Paulus of command of the 6th Army in November-December 1942. This was a period of high drama and emotion, when as most experts believe that the 6th Army could have broken out of Stalingrad. It was also the period of greatest danger when the entire front was collapsing back to Rostov. Manstein's reasons for not relieving Paulus are clear enough -namely he didn't have the authority to do so. The other reason, which he barely skirts around is the fact that the Soviets had nearly a half million men, 3000 guns, and 2000 tanks around Stalingrad. If the 6th Army did breakout, this vast force would be unleashed and the entire Don Bend as well as von Kleists Army Group in the Kuban would have been become a giant tomb for the Germans. Manstein after the war could have offered this terrible but truthful fact to the public, but instead said the sacrifice of the 180,000 men of the 6th Army was never an option. Somehow I do not believe him.
   
   The last area of criticism is leveled at von Manstein's decision to back Zeitzler's (OKH) and Hitler's decision to strike at Kursk. In his memiors, he does say he strongly desired to wait until the Soviets struck first and then offer a counter blow on "the back hand". That is, he wished to conduct another mobile counter attack like he did earlier in March at Kharkov - this time from the Northwest and drive the Soviets offensive forces Southward into the Black Sea. This operation, brilliant in conception and most probably would have had sufficient motorized forces to execute was never considered. Hitler couldn't stomach the idea of giving another inch of territory (Manstein's plans included a planned withdraw initially so he could spring his trap), instead followed Zeitzler's idea of a pincer attack on the Kursk sailent. For some reason, von Manstein allowed himself to initially concur. Again, I find this strange. Manstein never was one to keep quiet when considering other people's failures. OKH's Kursks attack lacked imagination, was totally predictable and lacked any strategic value. On paper it looked like the "safe" plan. Even if it was successfull, Manstein, Zeitzler, Guderian, and most of all Hitler knew the Soviets had sufficient strength to bleed the outnumbered German's white. Manstein's plan, on the other hand, had all of the makings of a classic battle of annihilation, which could have bought Hitler another year, or maybe even a stalemate in the East.Yet, Manstein offered little defense of his plan.
   
   Finally, von Manstein like Guderian, Halder, Kluge, Rundstedt, et als. said he had no prior knowledge of the Final Solution, Russian Slave Labour, and the killing of POWs. He says very little, but does offer up evidence of the Soviet's own crimes while he commanded the 56th Panzer Corps in the Courland. As time goes by, I find this harder and harder to believe.
   
   Overall, the reader will have to judge for himself. Of all the memiors, this one is the best written, and there are many times where one can see Manstein's genius as he discusses in his cool, rational prose the many tactical and strategic problems he faced. He is also very kind when ever he writes about the enlisted soliders who served under him, especially the German NCOs. He was never an "armchair" general. Both as commander of the 38th Infantry Corps, and the 56th Panzer Corps he led from the front, and made his decisions based upon first hand knowledge. It was also heartbreaking to read about the death of his only son in 1943. While Erik von Manstein had many faults, he was anything but the stiff, monocoled Prussian caricture that some in the West like to paint of the Prussians. He was a brilliant yet flawed general. His memiors should be read, but critically so. While reading the memiors it is also good to keep in mind that her served one of the cruelist dictators of the 20th Century.



2. German Field Marshal Erich von Manstein wrote "Lost Victories" in 1955, ten years after the end of the Second World War and eleven years after he had been dismissed from command on the Russian Front by Adolf Hitler.
   
   Von Manstein served in the German Army from 1914 through the First World War, the bitter interwar years, and the major campaigns of the Second World War in Europe. He was, by all accounts, a master of the operational level of war, whether as a commander or as an outstanding staff officer. His memoirs are still in print at least in part because his narrative powers were equal to the task of describing the military operations in the Second World War in which he participated. "Lost Victories" may provide as good an account from the German side of the War in Europe as we are likely to get from a participant. His understanding of the huge battle waged over an immense manuever space in Western Russia is almost as unique as the nature of the fighting itself. If his account is tinged with some "I" and "me", that is perhaps to be forgiven in an autobiography by a man who saw all too clearly the wasted strategic opportunities to conduct a war with a defined and achievable political purpose.
   
   This book is highly recommended to students of the military art and of the Second World War.



3. It is a "must read" strategy book by the one of the best WW2 German generals. It is not the full memoirs. Still it is a 5 star (great) reading.



4. Lost Victories is an excellent first-person memoir of some of the critical battles of the Second World War. Its primary focus is on the Eastern Front in Russia and the Ukraine; von Manstein speaks some about the attack on France in 1940 and opines on what might have been done with England thereafter, but for the most part, his command was in the East.
   
   This is not a starter treatment of the Second World War, and it will appeal only to those readers who are looking for an in depth discussion of certain topics. It is not a comprehensive treatment of the war -- von Manstein naturally only discusses theaters in which he was involved directly, and the book generally focusses on military matters, leaving political topics for others. It also proceeds in some detail, occasionally even providing a division-by-division account of battles. That was sometimes more than I wanted, and I found it possible to skim some of the more detailed parts without sacrificing the overall discussion, however.
   
   Those readers who seek a deeper understanding of the military conflict in the East will be rewarded. I found two features of the book particularly compelling. The first is the lengthy discussion of the Stalingrad endgame (the German Sixth Army was already encircled by the time von Manstein arrived on the scene). The second is the author's discussion of Hitler's strengths and (mostly) defects as a supreme military commander. There is a chapter devoted to this discussion, but the comments and impressions that von Manstein sprinkles throughout the other chapters are even more telling.
   
   I had two small critcisms. First, the book would be more enjoyable with more and better maps, so that those of us who don't have a deep familiarity with the geography of southern Russia and the Ukraine can better place the action. There are a few maps, but they aren't always well-placed in the book and they often don't include all of the key locations.
   
   Second, I wanted more discussion of Operation Citadel (Battle of Kursk), which was one of the critical engagements of the war. I think that von Manstein's actually wrote an in-depth discussion of this battle, but that the editors of this edition chose to replace it with a shorter discussion that the author wrote later for a magazine. That would explain why this chapter is uncharacteristically brief and why its style seems out of place with the others.
   
   Overall, this is a fascinating read, and it has enriched my understanding of the war on the Eastern Front.



5. Lost Victories is superior to Guderian's Panzer Leader and also better than 'Panzer Battles'. The early chapters on the planning and evolution of the Polish and French campaigns is remarkable. Manstein accomplished the near impossible at Sevastopol and almost the impossible at Kursk where (as was often the case) his carefully laid plans were perverted by the powers above. His firm stance against getting German armies sucked into city fighting beginning with Warsaw were tragically forgotten by Stalingrad. His theories about mobile defence, attacking on the other side of a river to defend a bridgehead etc... were revolutionary for their time. It may have been a different story in Normandy in 1944 if Manstein had been in charge rather than the hodge podge of commands which included the discredited Rommel and the over the hill Rundstedt. One of the main reasons the Germans were defeated is that experienced, brilliant generals like Manstein were eventually replaced by yes man that far from strengthening Hitler's position hastened his downfall.

5 comments about Joan of Arc: In her own words.

1. I've begun reading this, along with 3 other books I purchased. It is not a narrative read, and more along the lines of a journal or notes, but it is excellent, and breathes new light into Joan of Arc as a woman beside & within her every belief.



2. I bought this book several years ago and it is one purchase that I do not regret. Wonderful for grabbing a thought, it often ends up in the pile of my inspirational books. There is nothing like a word from Joan before facing the day. As history, it is an excellent tool from which to derive direct quotations from one of the greatest enigmas of all time. JOAN OF ARC: IN HER OWN WORDS puts the reader in contact with the mind of the saint and the events which she faced so courageously. Her boldness, her femininity, her adandonment and her triumph are all there.



3. This was a good book. It enlightened me to many things I didn't no about Joan of Arc. Like her childhood which it covered very well and even mentioned her dreams of becoming a solider and father's nightmares and even her favorite spot to play.
   It covered her military conquest in great detail and made it interesting in a way I have not before on her. But I have to question the parts that reveal personal information on Joan's dreams. She was illiterate her entire life, right? So how did the author get the documents to prove this.
   
   The trail sequence was also very well done. The questions and answers, even though very redundant, were both enlightening and showed Joan's personality extremely well. The references to the saints were like said in the notes slightly changed to make it make more sense.
   
   All in All, good book but contradicts itself in some parts. Probably when the author was changing the letters to first person instead of third, but that is mention in the notes. There are also some randomly blank pages in the notes leaving parts out. The book is very accurate and is a good read for people who wish to learn more about the heroine.



4. I read this right after buying it, but it was published in 1996 and the publisher apparently went out of business in 1997. I would like to know whether it is my copy or the entire edition that is defective - the Notes end in mid-word ("Excluded with then are passages merely rou-") on p.147! Then p.148 is blank, and there is no p.149/150, after which the pagination resumes with p.151.



5. Reading Jehanne's own words is simply an amazing experience. The way the book is written, you can almost hear her speaking with all the passion & fervor she posessed. Reading this book is like being there, back in time, actually watching & hearing all as it happens.

No comments about Warlord: A Life of Winston Churchill at War, 1874-1945.

5 comments about Silent Warrior: The Marine Sniper's Story Vietnam Continues.

1. Great book, excellent condition for a used book.
   Fantastic price, but shipping a tad high.



2. Read the story of Carlos Hathcock, "White Feather", just another American Hero our country chose to abandon.



3. The material used for "Silent Warrior" were the pages that were cut from "Marine Sniper" to manage the size of that first book. So this book is based on much of the same interviews and recollections.
   
   I found "Silent Warrior" to be as good or better than "Marine Sniper".
   The first book may have had more details about some of the shootings, but this book has more details about the sniper's mission-oriented targets and what made them valuable as targets.
   
   The noble reason for writing the first book is elaborated on.
   
   In "Silent Warrior" the reader gets to see the heroism of Carlos Hathcock when he saved other Marines at his own expense,suffering terrible burns that eventually contributed to ending his career. The character of his sniper-partner John Burke and his heroism in the field was detailed.
   
   This book has emotion in the pages. In part because it was written after Carlos Hathcock had passed away. Mr Henderson takes the reader along on fishing trips and ceremonies that were part of Hatchcock's life towards the end.
   Both "Marine Sniper" and "Silent Warrior" are excellent books and recommended for anyone that wants to read about the most fearsome sniper ever to serve the U.S.A.



4. This is a book that was published after Calos' passing. It is well written, a loving rememberance of a friend near to the author. If you are touched by deep patriotism or just rugged independence and dedication to one's peers there is no finer story that brings these qualities to light than that of Calos Hathcock II.



5. The only thing that was good about this book was the fact that it was based on a true story. Some parts got interesting but who cares of the crunching of the gravel or mustard king?? Maybe I would of got it if I was in the Military or 60 years old.

5 comments about Brothers In Battle, Best of Friends.

1. Very frank, honest and interesting, as you would expect from Bill Gaurnere. The book is well written and hard to put down. The contrast in styles between Bill & Babe give an exellent perspective on thier stories and the little bit of banter between them is priceless. The post war approach to life adopted buy these guys is inspiring and positive. Thanks guys, great read.



2. The biography of Babe and Wild Bill fills in the picture of the heroes shown in the "Band of Brothers".
   Having read Malarkey's, Compton's, and Winter's, I find it fascinating how each remembers the popular events differently.
   Their life stories just add to the whole picture. They help to fill in the picture from the enlisted man's view.
   The more you read about these ordinary men doing extraordinary tasks, you can not help come away with a sense of gratitude for their sacrifice.



3. Easy Company from Band of Brothers revisited. Two of the men who became lifelong friends relate their stories. Easy to read and gives you a sense of war from men who were there. They were indeed a Band of Brothers.



4. Like many veterans of WW2 these two men say they are not heros, that title they insist , belongs to the boys who didn't come home.
   
   Then what are they? They are two enlisted men who fought in some of the most savage fighting in western Europe during World War Two. The charm of this book is that these men are not officers. They were enlisted men. They were not involved in any big meetings or planning sessions. They took their orders and did their job and their shared memoire is that of the foot soldier on the battlefield. From training, through D-Day to VE and beyond.
   
   Strangley some of the parts I found most moving were their lives after the war. When 'Wild Bill' became one of the driving forces behind the reunions that held the Band of Brothers together. Particularly touching the attmepts to welcome back Herbert Sobel. Hated during the war, he was still a mamber of the company. through the wonderful writing you feel you are there as Bill and Babe and the others are confronted by Sobel's sister, after his death. She was insensed over how her brother was depicted by Ambrose. It fell to "Wild Bill" once the chief hell raiser, to explain some hard facts to her, long after he clearly had forgiven Sobel.
   
   These are not plaster saints but tell their stories, warts and all, gamlbing, drinking and girls rank along side battles and jumping and all the rest. Playing jokes on each other, dodging uptight officers and mourning those whom they would call heros.
   
   So why is this getting so much attention? Well it's very well written. Also, well known from the Ambros book "Band of Brothers" and the HBO series these two men, and the other members of Easy Company, 506 PIR have come to represent all those GI's who went to war. We can hear about 10,000 men going into Arnhem or 90,000 going to Stalingrad, but the numbers are too big. We can't wrap our minds around them. But with Easy Company we can. We can see a few men and names and follow their fates through the war and so, by expansion all the others who served in the war. We can't think of 10,000 men. But we can think of Bill and Babe and their buddies and then a few more companies like them and that we can get.
   
   They were members of an elite unit, but other than that they were pretty common. They are two examples of the millions of americans who put aside their lives and comfort and safety and went out to do nothing less than save the world. You know, that seems pretty darn heroic to me.



5. After watching Band of Brothers, I couldn't wait to read this book by "Wild Bill" Guarnere and "Babe" Heffron. It really gives you an insight into what went through their minds during the hell of WWII, but the most poignant thing is the enduring love and friendship all of these guys still have for each other. It's a lesson we all should learn.