2 comments about Knight's Cross and Oak-Leaves Recipients 1939-40 (Elite).

1. Its a pity and such a waste that such brave and really good soldiers fought for such an evil cause. Fate can be really cruel but it just goes to show that courage will not be on just one side of a fight. Good illustrations and a fairly good text



2. Seventeen years ago, Gordon Williamson wrote Knights of the Iron Cross, a history of German recipients of that award in the Second World War. Now, Williamson is writing a multi-part version of his earlier work in the form of volumes in Osprey's Elite series. The first volume covers Knights Cross recipients in the early days of the Second World. Readers who own Williamson's earlier book will find much of the material is the same, although presented in a better graphical manner. This volume is certainly very colorful and should delight readers who enjoy photographs and illustrations of handsome Aryan warriors spreading the frontiers of the Third Reich. I realize that there is a market for this material, but the volume tends to lean toward "hero worship" or glorification of men who were fighting for an awful cause.
   
   Williamson begins with an 8-page introduction that describes the background of this award and all the details that medal aficionados might require. This section also includes several very useful charts that detail the number of Knights Cross awarded by year, by branch and by rank. However, the bulk of this volume is geared toward the 24 capsule biographies of Knights Cross recipients in the period 1939-1940. As Williamson notes, 461 medals were awarded in this period and he selected a representative sample. Unfortunately, it isn't a representative sample. Of 24 individuals profiled, 11 were Luftwaffe, 5 each were in the Kriegsmarine or SS and only 3 were in the army. While there is little doubt that the German navy and air force played large roles in the early years, this neglect of ground troops seems rather odd given the quick conquest of France. Indeed, of the three German soldiers profiled, two (von Runstedt and Guderian) were senior officers, with only a single entry for a combat soldier (Major Stautner). Williamson fails to mention in this Osprey version that 20 of the 21 awards in 1939 went to senior officers with only Gunther Prien getting it for valor in the first year. It is also odd that the SS, which was only a very tiny component of the German forces invading Poland or France, gets more prominent mention than the army. It is also no accident that the volume prominently displays an "SS Hero" in action on its cover.
   
   Williamson's volume does have its merits. He notes that some of the recipients, such as Lieutenant Schwarzmann, were decorated more for propaganda reasons to create a "paratrooper hero." The career of Luftwaffe bomber expert Major Baumbach is also interesting, given the huge impact that he had upon Allied shipping (he sank more merchant ships than even the top U-Boat aces). A number of the other Knights Cross recipients, such as E-Boat commander Petersen, made important but little-known contributions to the German war effort. I did find one major item missing from this volume, which was a discussion of the "perks" that Nazi Germany gave to its heroes. For example, Williamson only finds it pertinent to mention that medal given to Guderian, but he fails to mention the large estate given to him in Poland by a grateful Fuhrer. Many of the other senior officer recipients received large cash awards, in addition to their medal. Others recipients were allowed to appropriate artwork and other precious items in conquered countries. If Williamson had made the effort to investigate some of these "perks" it would have been obvious that these "heroes" were fighting for untruth, injustice and the Nazi way.

5 comments about The Cat from Hue: A Vietnam War Story.

1. I was an infantryman with 2/8, 1st Cav Div in Vietnam. I have read several accounts of the activities in Vietnam, and I must say that John Laurence's work came closer to accurately discribing the intensity of battle than any work I have read. I was in the battle on FSB Illingworth on April 1, 1970, which was mentioned in the book. That battle had previously only been described by Army reports in 'Incusion' and those were not accurately reported because no writer was on the scene. Army reports of the incident are inacurate. Though Mr. Laurence and his crew were not on Illingworth, they more accurately portrayed the intensity of the battle than the reports from the Army. I, along with others, are trying to bring the events of Vietnam into clearer view through a blog that I started at http://www.we-were-soldiers.com/.
   John Laurence reported accurately, and with emotion the events he witnessed in Vietnam. His skilled weaving of the stories with his life story is informative, touching, and well worth spending time to read.



2. Despite its intimidating length, I plunged in nonetheless and prepared to plow through it as fast as possible. By the time I was halfway through I was rationing the pages because I didn't want it to end. If I was teaching a course on the Vietnam War, I would make The Cat From Hue required reading, along with Caputo's A Rumor of War, Fitzgerald's Fire on the Lake, and Karnow's history.



3. As a Brit, I was unfamiliar with Lawrence's reporting work, but was intrigued by the subject, the title and mostly favourable reviews.
   
   It was definitely a worthwhile and entertaining read (even at >800 pages) and, although far from a conventional history, it would definitely make my top twenty list of Vietnam books.
   
   As has been mentioned elsewhere, it does stylistically fall somewhere between 'We were soldiers once...' and 'Dispatches', although both of those are truly exceptional, for different reasons, compared with TCFH. No mean comparison, though.
   
   Lawrence's recollections are about his personal experiences in Vietnam and the (mostly correspondents/photographers) people he knew there. It's not an attempt at Big Picture history and is none the worse for that. Lawrence talks candidly about his own drink and drug use and the book has an honest feel to it, IMHO.
   
   Lawrence writes well and vividly, as one would expect, as makes his recollections seem like yesterday, which one might not. Characters such as Sean Flynn, Dana Stone and Tim Page are vividly brought to life.
   
   I doubt whether journalists covering current war zones in Iraq and Afghanistan are afforded the same access to the front lines as Lawrence and his peers were given in Vietnam: not a criticism, just an observation on changed times.
   
   It probably could have been edited down a bit, but I still found it a humane and compelling read. Highly recommended.



4. Very long but worth it if you want to know many of the personalities reporting the war in the Nam. Follows most aspects of the war from near the beginning with a green Laurence till the end and John as an old salt. Better and more human than other vietnam memiors.



5. There are lots of great things about this book, but what I enjoyed most is that it covers two distinct but interrelated subjects: The Vietnam War from the perspective of the grunts on the front lines and journalism during the war. Both subjects are covered in vivid detail, making the entire book enlightening, informative, and even entertaining. The Cat from Hue is a history book and an autobiography all at once, written in prose that flows well and makes the reader want more. And since it's 800+ pages, there is plenty more. Anyone with even the remotest interest in the Vietnam War should definitely read this book, even if you think you already know everything there is to know about that chapter of history.

3 comments about The Soldier's Friend: A Life of Ernie Pyle.

1. Ray E. Boomhower, The Soldier's Friend: A Life of Ernie Pyle (Indiana Historical Society Press, 2006)
   
   Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Ernie Pyle reported World War II in a way few other correspondents have done-- he was right there on the front line with the troops. In these days of "embedded journalists", that may not seem like such a big thing, but in the 1940s, it was unheard-of. Pyle was the guy who started the trend, and the soldiers loved him for it-- not to mention the readers back home, who saw a side of warfare that had never been seen before. While a number of biographies of Pyle exist, none that I could find are written for the school-aged crowd, and few others have had access to the thousands of Pyle-related documents held by the Indiana Historical Society. Ray Boomhower addresses both deficiencies in American literature with The Soldier's Friend.
   
   While the book is a bit dry in spots, it does a fine job of depicting Pyle's life both before and during World War II, giving the younger set an idea of why it is Pyle's style of reporting was so groundbreaking back in the day. A good, solid read for students and teachers alike. Published by a small press and thus suffering from some visibility problems; it deserves a great deal more attention than it's gotten. ****



2. Ernie Pyle, a nationally newspaper columnist for Washington, D.C. and New York City newspapers before the war became more famous for his Pulitzer Prize-winning work during World War II, especially in the European Theater. As one of the soldiers quoted in this biography said, "He was...our spokesman. It was not that his column told us things we did not know or feel, but the fact that we knew you folks at home could read it, and get to know and understand."
   
   This book is printed by the Indiana Historical Society Press because Pyle was originally from the small town of Dana, Indiana, near Terre Haute. The Indiana Historical Society has access to literally millions of Indiana-related historical photographs and that library of pictures is put to good use in this biography. Most of the photos aren't just the standard posed shots, but they show Pyle interacting with his favorite soldiers - the G.I. (Infantry). You can see his relaxed style and his curiousity about everything - including looking down the business end of a 155 mm gun, cooking on a Coleman stove in France, walking among the rubble of the hotel that he was in when a German shell hit it, talking with nurses, officers, and even washing his feet in his own helmet.
   
   The book is actually intended to be a biography for advanced middle school students or high school students to read, but it is excellent for any student of World War II history, no matter his or her age. At the end of the text, 3 of his complete, unedited columns are re-printed, including the sparse and moving "The Death of Captain Waskow".
   
   Strongly recommended.



3. Written by award-winning author and historian Ray E. Boomhower, The Soldier's Friend: A Life of Ernie Pyle is a biography for young adults about Ernie Pyle, columnist who wrote about the rigors of combat endured by ordinary G.I.'s during World War II. For his skillful and accurate reporting of a "worm's-eye view" of the war, Pyle received journalism's highest honor - a Pulitzer Prize - in 1944. Chapters cover Pyle's childhood, personality, friends, and retirement, but the main focus is on his career as a reporter at the front. Vintage black-and-white photographs on almost every page illustrate this absorbing life story of a distinguished newsman, especially recommended for middle and secondary school library collections.

1 comments about That Great Lucifer: A Potrait of Sir Walter Raleigh.

1. Everyone knows Sir Walter Ralegh as the gallant courtier who spread his cloak across a puddle so that his queen might pass dry-shod. A commoner who never lost his thick Cornish accent, Ralegh was nevertheless precisely the sort of man likely to catch Elizabeth's eye: handsome, intelligent, witty, well-spoken, and possessed of enough pride and independence to speak his mind, even to his queen. The term "Renaissance man" seems coined with Ralegh in mind: He was a poet, soldier, privateer, explorer, scientist, historian.

   He could also be stunningly naive, and surprisingly inept at the art of courting favor. His first meeting with James I, Elizabeth's successor, was a disaster. Accustomed to priviledge, Ralegh approached James unannounced, even though the king heartily disliked such surprises. When James observed that he might have had to fight for the throne, Ralegh's response was, "Would to God you had! Then Your Majestry would have known your friends from your foes." An honest sentiment and possibly a shrewd one, it not the sort of observation likely to endear him to the new king. James already had reason to be wary of Ralegh, for some of Ralegh's enemies had been plying James for months with negative reports. Ralegh's recent behavior seemed to support these dark hints: he was one of the few dignitaries who did not bother to contact James after Elizabeth's death to assure the new sovereign of his loyalty. Worse, Ralegh presented the peace-loving king with a proposal for seizing the West Indies from Spain. James had been told that Ralegh was a warmonger and possibly a traitor. With his own eyes he perceived another, more subtle threat: this handsome, powerful, and persuasive man was a living reminder of Elizabethan glories.

   Ralegh's fall from power during the reign of James I was as swift and spectacular as his rise under Elizabeth had been. His enemies rejoiced, as did the common folk who then and now love to see the mighty brought low. Ralegh's greatest triumph, perhaps, was the courage and wit he exhibited through his trial, imprisonment, and execution. In a last interview with a friend, he advised him to come to the beheading early if he wished to get a place. "As for me, my place is assured," he quipped. His last words, spoken to the hesitant executioner, were, "What dost fear? Strike, man, strike!"

   Margaret Irwin is a novelist as well as a historian, and this comes through in the tone and quality of her writing. This biography is far more entertaining than most fictorical fiction I've read. It's full of telling anecdotes, vivid descriptions, and dead-on characterizations. Considering the complexity of her subjects and the paradoxical nature of Ralegh himself, this is a remarkable achievement.

   One minor disappointment was the lack of a bioliography; there were several incidents and anecdotes that I would have liked to explore in more depth. Even so, it's an entertaining story, as well as a window into a fascinating time.

2 comments about A Brush With Death : An Artist in the Death Camps (Suny Series in Modern Jewish Literature and Culture).

1. This review is hardly unbiased. The author, Morris Wysogrod, a commerical artist by trade, is my cousin and quite truly, a hero of mine. Whenever I visit my Cousin Morris' apartment, I am greeted as soon as I step off the elevator with genuine warmth and enthusiasm. His smile,unbreaking and his conversation,always scintillating, I am amazed at his sincerity and good nature despite what he has witnessed and experienced as a Holocaust survivor.

   His warmth and love for his fellow man is evident throughout his memoir. Morris provides a vivid look at pre-war Poland and the lives that were stolen from our families. And, much as he greets his guests with genuine warmth and affection today, he treats each character in his book with similar respect and reverence.

   His memory is outstanding as he remembers the many personalities and every day people of his Warsaw youth, and later in the death camps. His descriptions are detailed and he suceeds in bringing out the special qualities of each character. This is so important because more often than not, the people he describes with such affection will soon be dead at the hands of the Nazis. Much of Holocaust literature refers to the millions who were massacred. Morris didn't know the millions but he pays beautiful homage to the hundreds who crossed his path.

   From homage to carnage, Morris's story takes us into the Nazi occupation and his incarceration in several death camps. Similar to his skills in painting a picture of his pre-war youth, he is equally and shockingly vivid in his memories of the camps. The brutality, anguish, and sheer inhumanity he witnessed is brought to life as only a man of his artistic talents can do.

   And in the midst of the brutality, there is the friendships, the shared moments, and the appreciation for his fellow prisoners that is necessary for the reader to grasp onto so that he or she may continue with the chilling chronicle of Morris' survival.

   A Brush With Death has warmth, beauty and brutality. It is one of the many stories of the Holocaust experience, and one which I am confident will provide a unique perspective to the most horrific period in recorded history.




2. As a fellow survivor of the Warsaw Ghetto and the Budzyn concentration camp, I can attest the accuracy of the author's harrowing descriptions of his experiences.

   I am amazed at the author's ability to recall so many details. He writes from the heart, without artifice. His spare drawings provide haunting illustrations of what words can't always describe on their own.

   Read this book. You will be moved.

1 comments about Garbo: The Spy who Saved D-Day.

1. Disappointing. I kept wanting to like this book, but it never engaged my interest. This is the Jack Webb version of the story, "Just the facts, M'am." This is strictly documentary reporting by his MI5 case officer, not storytelling. There's no drama, suspense or intrigue. Remember the Giants-Dodgers playoff game where Bobby Thompson hit his home run? This is like reading the boxscore in the newspaper, instead of hearing the sportscaster call the play on the radio. I hope somewhere there is a better Garbo book. He's an amazing, heroic man whose story deserves to be told with all the cleverness, imagination and dramatic flair that was no doubt his.

No comments about DAMBUSTER: The Life of Guy Gibson VC.

5 comments about Stay Strong Stay Safe, My Son.

1. My son is currently serving with the Marines in Iraq. I have just finished reading this book. There were many similarities with my son and the author's son. We will spend our first Christmas without our son as he will still be in Iraq. I was very offended about the author's comments about the French. I have raised our sons to accept all people, no matter what race, religion , or heritage. Recently I took our 16 year old son to France and I am looking forward to taking my Marine there one day as well.
   
   Cathie Drapalikova Jarvis



2. I read all the reviews on this book before purchasing it. What an awesome book. Read it in one day, could not put it down. My son is in boot camp in San Diego as I write this. That was my inspiration for buying and reading this book. So far everything that was writen in this book has been true. Just hope my son doesn't have to see as much as this mom's son had to endure.



3. An awesome book really gives an insight to what a family goes through when their child joins the military. As a wife of a Marine and several deployments I would advise families to read this book as a tool for survival - and also to others so that they can appreciate what it means to have a Marine in the family in war time.



4. I am a Marine Mom who used this book as my bible to help me through a deployment in Iraq. I loved this book and recommend it to any new Marine Mom, Dad, wife. It will help you through a tough time and teach you on what to do in your new world as a Marine/Military Family. Semper Fi. Susan Haggerty, a Proud Marine Mom



5. This book is more concerned with the writer than the son...should rename the title.

5 comments about Jesse James: Last Rebel of the Civil War.

1. This book was way too politically bias for me to enjoy, and the author went on at length more or less attacking James for being a southern democrat. He should get over it, most people who are familiar with James know that he was Rebel and fought for the south during the war. The author details the Pinkerton detectives and the politicans who were against James more then he does the central character which is James himself. If it was written by a less politically oppionated person it cooooooooould have been decent, but it still kept diverging from the central theme of James and the James gang often enough and at such length that at times I wanted to hurl it against the wall. I only keep the copy I own because of the sepia photo on the cover.
   Read the assisination of Jesse James by the coward Robert ford, it or most any other book on the famed outlaw is surely far better then this account.



2. This is one of the most in depth and well researched biographies that I have ever read. Stiles did extensive investigation into primary sources when performing the research for the book.
   
   There is a great deal of perception of Jesse James as a larger than life myth. Much of what he did was very much grounded in the history of his time and focuses on the Civil War as a driving force behind his actions and behavior.
   
   James's father was a Baptist minister who left the family to go to California during the gold rush in 1849. While there, he contracted an illness and died when Jesse was still a young boy. This left his mother to raise Jesse and his siblings on her own until eventually remarrying.
   
   The James family owned a good sized farm with quite a few slaves and so had a vested interest in maintaining the slavery structure. They were very much a part of the Confederate mindset and supported that side during the Civil War.
   
   Jesse joined his brother as a teenager during the Civil War by banding together with a bunch of "bushwhackers" who were basically guerrillas (or terrorists depending on how you look at it) on the Confederate side. They would walk up to Union sympathizers who were often neighbors and point blank kill them in cold blood simply for being supporters. This instilled fear in the local populace and a general sense of uncertainty and terror.
   
   People from the Union side did similar types of things to Confederates namely Jayhawkers from Kansas. Missouri during the civil war and the days afterwards had a feel like that of Iraq today. People of differing ideological backgrounds resorted to violence and force to push their political agendas and philosophies.
   
   Following the war James stayed with the bushwhackers until they gradually dissipated. At first they targeted banks to rob with Union ties for political reasons. Eventually, however, the targets became less political and more for pure monetary gain.
   
   One of the primary reasons for Jesse James's notoriety and fame was his frequent correspondence with newspapers. He was a voracious reader and constantly maintained his innocence in letters to editors. Newspaper man John Edwards became a champion for James and glorified him and his gang in articles. He cast them as heros and icons for the Confederate political agenda and used them in print to help advance political purposes. In that day, newspapers were very openly partisan and did not try to maintain an appearance of neutrality as news agencies do today.
   
   As James et al gained more and more fame and notoriety, public outcry became much more pronounced against them while encouraging local and state officials to crack down and bring them to justice. After stealing from express companies similar to Wells Fargo who operated primarily via railroad, private business interest arose in tracking them down and preventing future robberies.
   
   His gang branched out into other states as well such as Iowa, Tennessee, Minnesota, Kentucky, and West Virginia obtaining national attention.
   
   The Pinkertons a private investigative agency were hired to find them but most of their efforts were fruitless considering the James/Younger gang's support from local friends and their knowledge of the backwoods.
   
   On several occasions, Jesse was injured in gun fights some requiring lengthy recovery times. All told though he personally probably killed at least 20 men so came out on plus side from his battles.
   
   The gang eventually met their match while trying to rob a bank in Minnesota where the people fought back and injured or killed many members of the gang. Jesse and his brother barely escaped back to Missouri once word got out and posses were gathered to track them down.
   
   Jesse never could settle down to a life of honest work which resulted in his downfall. He was constantly suspicious of those around him but gathered a new gang to continue his exploits. A couple of brothers in his new gang plotted to kill him and eventually succeeded, collecting a hefty reward in the process.
   
   Stiles book reads like a combination of a pure history and real life historical novel. The first 200 pages are primarily devoted to the historical background of the Civil War and environment James grew up in. The last 200 pages are focused more on Jesse's emergence as a bank/train/stagecoach robber, leader of a gang, and Confederate symbol. As mentioned on the book cover, Stiles debunks the myth that James was a form of Robin Hood and was instead mostly interested in his own fame and fortune.
   
   At times the book moves slowly and is exhaustive in its coverage of the material but if the reader stays with it, he or she will have a very complete picture of Jesse James and the history of Missouri during the Civil War and the decades afterwards.



3. This book explains how the Civil War gave birth to outlaws like Jesse James. It is very well researched, detailed and interesting. A must for historians.



4. 
   This is a fascinating work on Jesse James. It is not so much a standard biography as a "political history" of James. And that makes this an interesting read. The question animating this book is (page4): "Why should one set of criminals be so much more memorable than another?" The answer (page 6): " [Jesse James] was a major force in the attempt to create a Confederate identity for Missouri, a political and cultural offensive waged by the defeated rebels to undo the triumph of the Radical Republicans in the Civil War." Hence, his Confederate background resonated strongly with the politics of Missouri.
   
   The book itself follows a chronological organization, beginning with Jesse's father, a preacher. It also describes his mother, a most formidable person, who remained an important part of his life over the years--and a strong advocate for her sons. The Civil War was critical for the family. Frank James rode with some of the Confederate irregulars, such as William Quantrill and Bloody Bill Anderson. Jesse was too young at the outset of the Civil War to be involved, but he rode with his brother, later on, with the partisans. When the war ended, the rage continued for the James brothers (especially Jesse).
   
   The book contends (and it is a reasonable case as made by the author, although I'm not sure that all readers will be convinced) that James' outlaw exploits after the war were a continuation of that conflict by other means. He was, in the eyes of the author, something of a guerilla; he is also termed a "terrorist," in the sense of using violence to try to advance a political cause (this case may not be convincing to readers; I have my doubts that the case is very strong to adopt this language).
   
   There follows an outline of his many robberies, the violence associated with them, the various members of his gang over time (including the Younger brothers), the ups and downs of their brigandage, and the political context in which their actions occurred. The political discussion appears to be done pretty well, placing the James' gang's depredations in a larger perspective.
   
   Then, they detail nicely the disastrous Northfield, Minnesota raid (disastrous from the James' gang's perspective--not from those who wanted to hunt them down). Frank and Jesse escaped, Jesse (and later Frank) to rob another day. Then, Jesse's demise. The book ends with a quick summary of the fates of key players from this volume, and provides some satisfaction in bringing things to a close.
   
   The political aspect to James, as argued by T. J. Stiles, the author, is very interesting and makes this an intriguing work. I am not sure that all elements of this work successfully (e.g., the use of the term terrorist). But the book provides a nice spin on the life and times of Jesse James.



5. I picked this book up, like everyone else, as I was curious about the man behind the legend. Well, I never really learned all that much about Jesse James. I certainly learned about Missouri, Kansas, the civil war, bushwackers and the like, but not a whole lot about James.
   
   It seemed well researched and Stiles writes in a readable style but it was not the book I thought it would be.

No comments about Admiral David Glasgow Farragut: The Civil War Years.