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5 comments about On Point: A Rifleman's Year in the Boonies: Vietnam 1967-1968 (Isis Nonfiction).

1. There are darned few gems out there (A rumor of War, Caputo; In Pharoah's Army, Wolff; Survivors, Grant; Bloods, Terry; Reporting Vietnam, various) amidst the rubbish (Steel My Soldiers' Hearts, who cares; Charlie Company, various, Very Crazy, G.I., various) littering the landscape of the Vietnam War bookworld. Not to mention all of the so-so books in between. This is an odd little book because its writing style is so matter of fact and essay-like. The author recounts his Vietnam experience from beginning to end and runs through these events as if he were writing a manual. I guess that in a sense he really is. The really great thing about this is that he includes details of daily wear, routine, equipment and its everyday use that is often left out in books about Vietnam. A reader will learn a lot in the course of this book, not just about equipment either, for the author seems to be a naturally thoughtful person who has the gift of objective observation. Despite the low-key and somewhat self-effacing manner, this author, unlike most of the viet vet so-called grunts I have known, continued his field friendships when he got 'back to the world.' I think this says a lot about the sort of guy Hayes is. Years from now I think that people will realize that Vietnam, even though we lost it, was probably the 2d most important war we've fought (revolution being the first, obviously; civil not being a foreign war but a police action, ha, ha) because it was, quite simply, a thinking man's war. I mean this to include everything, the atrocities, violence, criminality, civilian murder, as well as the tactics, technology, psychology and strategy. Hayes did well in this environment because, I believe, the fellow has a good head on his shoulders. Shame on us for not having leadership with the same qualities. Never mind, read this book and see why the American soldier is known and admired best not for his brute strength and bravery but for his resourcefulness and can-do attitude. This is trite but if Hayes' account is at least 90 percent true, his conduct in the war can make us all really proud that he is an American.



2. As a former Army draftee (Medic) who served late during the Era 1969-1971 I was taken by the humility with which Roger Hayes writes about his experiences. He does not portray himself as a hero but simply as a victim of circumstance who accepted the challenge of being drafted and like many other draftees made the most of it. The book is written in simplistic term with occasional bits of GI lingo of that time dispersed throughout which also appealed to me. It was my privelige to serve with many other GI's the majority much like Roger Hayes. He does a good job of telling the story.



3. Having read about two dozen Vietnam era books I consider myself to be fairly educated on the topic. On Point was one of the more different and unique books I have come across. Roger Hayes is explicit in detail, he literally explains everything, the countryside, equipment, soldiers, everything. This is great in one aspect but a major downfall in the other. Many other Vietnam era books avoid the detail, assume the reader isn't ignorant to the subject and write their heroin Vietnam experience. A lot of books are written this way and eventually hearing about perimeter breaches in the jungle gets boring. Readers want a little more substance and description and this book is full of it; but ultimately the books overt ness to description will be its downfall. After reading one-hundred pages or so hearing Hayes describe the type of bullets and tank tracks the Americans used gets a little insipid. I personally found it hard to read seemingly endless pages of military specs, it was just boring. For some this might be great and then I would suggest this book but for the others prepare to be bored.

   From the people I have talked to that have read this book, they either love it or hate it. The book is a little tedious, but I have to admit I learned a few things from it. The book is well suited for readers looking for a way into this genre; it explains military details that will be great for books in the future. For the experience reader, you might want to let this one slip by. The battles are great and descriptive, something you would expect out of a great Vietnam era book. But to get through those pages you need to read and copious amount of, what I feel is unnecessary detail.

   Overall On Point is a decent and solid book. At times I wanted to put it down and stop but Hayes continued to pull me back in with gripping pages set back at base and out in the jungles. Some say this is one of the greatest Vietnam genre books ever written others would definitely disagree. Like a said, it is worth the read I am positive it will teach you some things you hadn't known before and it breaks the so-so cliché of the Vietnam era's caste.




4. I bought this book for my father, a Vietnam Vet, and he said it was great. He was also a track (sp?) driver, about a year before this author.



5. Congress should pass a law that requires everyone who has seen the movie "Platoon," to read this book, and those who had voted the movie best picture of the year, to read it twice. "On Point" is beautiful in its simplicity, and it is a realistic depiction of life in a combat unit during the height of the Vietnam War, 1968-69. Its attention to the details of daily life and the recollections of firefights and incidents are astounding, given the detrimental effect time has on memory. Hayes must have kept a good supply of paper and pens in his track to write all those letters to his mother. That's an advantage mechanized grunts had.
   Though the book reads like a field manual in places, it goes deep into the action and portrays it objectively. It is very apparent at the outset of the book that Hayes is not a professional writer, but his skills improve as the book progresses, just as his skills and prowess in the field progressed over the 12 months he was in Vietnam. This makes the book come alive and seem very honest.
   The book was criticized for not providing the emotional reactions to the tragedies of combat that he and his friends must have felt. It doesn't hint at any religious inclinations--the no-atheist-in-foxhole syndrome. But Hayes didn't deny having any, so maybe he did. Surely, he did deny that he smoked pot, drank booze, and went whore hounding. Why not touch on the most poignant thing about combat--the emotional response to life and death itself? The only really human response in the autobiography is Hayes' reactions to life in the "world" after his return. Granted, Vietnam was not the hell that the movies and novels pretend it was. It was not as intense as the endless shelling of positions in WWI, the massive invasions in WWII, or the human wave attacks of Korea. But it was a series of continuous and pervasive firefights that gradually ate up the men in infantry units. This is the book's strong point. Vietnam was a war against time--days, weeks, months, years. The enemy counted its victories one dead soldier at a time. And we tried to do the same but failed.
   Having served in Delta Company, 2d/27th Wolfhounds, a fellow battalion to the 1/5 Mech., during a similar time period, 5/68-3/69, I have to comment on a few misrepresentations made by the author. First, his statement that the mechanized infantry could stay in the field longer than regular infantry, because it could carry its own supplies on tracks, is incorrect. Both battalions of Wolfhounds were airmobile and were resupplied by helicopters daily. We got a hot breakfast and dinner in the field daily, and a fresh supply of ammo. In addition, being airmobile, we were always taking "eagle flights" and could be on top of enemy positions within minutes. Delta Company was in the field all the time and we had only one stand-down in Cu Chi during the ten months I was there, and that was for only 24 hours.
   Hayes' comment that the Cao Dai priests in Tay Ninh were all VC is incorrect. The Cao Dai religion was a communist target just as much as any other religion. In fact, Cao Daism was (and still is), a syncretism and included Catholics, Buddhists, and Taoists. During the invasion of Tay Ninh City in August 1968 (Hayes was in heavy combat in Dau Tieng during this offensive), the NVA/VC invaded the Cao Dai and Buddhist temples and paraded monks through the streets of the city, using them as human shields. Most Wolfhounds who were in this battle can confirm this fact.
   The "elephant grass" firefight changes from being a line to column formation without explanation. Also, I just can't buy Sgt. Long's ability to spot where mortar rounds would explode. If this incident took place totally in elephant grass, he wouldn't have been able to direct anyone anywhere, and no one would have been able to outrun a mortar round, no matter the flight time. My experience with mortar attacks was that the NVA would quickly decide on one target range and lay down a barrage from right to left, covering as wide an area as possible. If this is what Sgt Long was predicting, then I buy it.
   One last comment about the mechanized infantry and armor units in Vietnam: they were a curse to the Wolfhounds. They were easy targets for enemy RPG rounds. They would at times cause friendly fire because of the wild traversing fire and range of their 50-caliber machine gun. They always telegraphed our moves. They were constantly slipping their tracks in the mud and blocking roads. And, they would drop us off and retreat for fear of getting hit, just as they did in Tay Ninh City, 20-21 August 1968.
   For those interested in reading what is was like to be a Wolfhound in Vietnam (a ground-huggin' grunt), see "Traces of a Lost War," a novel by Richard Barone, also available on Amazon.com.

5 comments about Errol Flynn: A Memoir (Transaction Large Print Books).

1. If you have any interest at all in the life and times of Errol Flynn then you will enjoy Earl Conrad's book. He depicts Flynn in his near last days living at Flynn's Jamacia hideaway and writing what will become "Wicked, Wicked Ways..". The relationship with Adland, the Flynn sense of humor and the decline of Flynn are all directly portrayed, accurately, yet with kindness. A must read for Flynn fans.



2. 'Errol Flynn: A Memoir' by gifted writer Earl Conrad is the finest book ever written on the life of movie great Errol Flynn. Conrad was originally hired by Flynn in 1958 to ghost-write his autobiography 'My Wicked,Wicked,Ways'. That book was published within weeks of Flynn's death in 1959, and became a runaway national bestseller. This volume is about the year and a half Earl Conrad spent with Flynn at his Jamaican hotel, writing the first book, and is a genuine page-turner with Conrad giving first-hand accounts of his adventures with Errol Flynn. The reader will find himself pulled into the story, and probably wind up finishing the book in a single sitting! Conrad shows us that Errol Flynn was more than a swashbuckling movie star, world famous philanderer, mean practical joker, as well as self-indulgent drunk and sometimes drug addict. Yes, he was all of this, but he was also much more, including a naturally talented writer, self-taught marine biologist, voracious reader, seasoned sailor, and in time a superb dramatic actor.
   Readers, climb aboard this ship as it sails into high adventure!



3. Having read "My Wicked, Wicked Ways" several years ago this book adds another dimension to our understanding of Errol Flynn. It tells the story behind the creation of Flynn's controversial biography which caused quite a stir when it first hit the shelves all those years ago. Earl Conrad was a writer of exceptional ability who was able to create some wonderfully descriptive images of Flynn's crumbling glory as he moved into his final days. This is neither a sensationalist expo-zay nor a flowery tribute. Rather, it is an extremely eloquent, articulate and thought provoking epitaph to the life a Tasmanian schoolboy who went on to become one of the most significant and highly publicized personalities of the 20th century. As a literary work it is a text book perfect example of non fiction writing.



4. Excellent account of Earl Conrad's time spent with Errol Flynn gathering material for Flynn's biography. Gives an epic account of Flynn's latter years in Jamaica.....



5. This is a great book written by someone who actually new and worked with Errol Flynn.
   The author Earl Conrad was the ghost writer for Errol's book "......Wicked Wicked Ways".
   
   Mr. Conrad practically lived with Errol for a time working on Errol's book and remained friends with Errol. Conrad continued a friendship with Errol's parents after his death. The content is great. Conrad writes about when he first met Errol, the time they spent in Jamaica working on the book and even Errol's under aged female companion who was in Jamaica with them.
   
   This book covers what Mr. Flynn could not include in his autobiography for obvious reasons. There's even a medical emergency. Conrad describes in detail a kind of seizure Errol suffered (which seems to have been brought on by drugs). He describes Errol's continued involvement with women even while the under aged female is with him.
   
   There are some rare photos of Errol as a child, Errol in uniform working in New Guinea and a home Errol had built there, etc. Most of the photos were supplied by Errol's parents.
   
   Earl Conrad clearly cared for Errol in the way he writes this book. He never paints any kind of bad picture of our star. Conrad only writes what he sees during work and leisure time personally spent with Mr. Flynn.
   
   This happens to be one of the few books besides Errol's own autobiography and other books written by Errol I've found of value. It gives additional insight into this great man.
   
   I paid $9.95 for a copy (the sticker price) about 3 year ago on Amazon. The current price has ballooned due to the re-sellers greed and rarity. It's a pretty short and small book. I wouldn't even pay $50.00 for it and I'm a stone cold Flynn fan.
   A great read but not for $100.00, you may feel cheated........
   
   If your really interested in Mr. Flynn, I'd suggest reading his autobigrapy, "My Wicked Wicked Ways by Errol Flynn". If you've conquered that I can suggest "Errol and Me by Nora Eddington Flynn".
   This book is written by one of his ex-wives, his second.
   I find a lot of insight into this book as well. The drug use is cooberated by Conrads book.
   
   The only thing that my upset you is Nora claims Flynn beat her on about 2 occasions. On 1 Nora writes Mr. Flynn senior was present(I beleive Flynn's father was a live at the release of this book"). The circimstances are that of taking drugs from a drug addict. Clearly she loved and I think still loved Flynn during the writting of this book. This book is only going for $20.00 bucks too.

1 comments about Susie, Sadly, and the Black Torpedo of Doom.

1. Delightful and written with such clarity and honesty. You enter into the mind of a boy growing up in a time when life was simpler but the thoughts and feelings are universal to anyone's childhood. From learning to accept his newborn sister into the family, declaring war on the babysitter aptly named Witch Hazel, and describing the love of kick ball and the never-to-forget first crush, the anecdotes are hilarious observations into relationships he has with his parents, his siblings, his friends and neighbors. And he delves into each of the characters wholeheartedly. I thought I was the only one who criticizes my Mom's cooking! Written with imagination, the stories jump a little in time as he weaves his memories around his baby sister Susie, but the personal pictures help to define each anecdote and helps the reader to visualize and bring the story to life. And oh, I was worried the book would end sadly, no pun intended, but the author kept it so light throughout, that the ending was very very touching.

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5 comments about Boss of Bosses: The Fall of the Godfather : The FBI and Paul Castellano.

1. I would've liked more behind the scenes mob information. The book focused too much from an FBI perspective. Also, I got a little tired of the agents giving the mob boss, Paul Castellano, so much respect and sympathy! At times it was like they felt sorry for the guy because they have to do their job and arrest him. Hello! The guy is a leader of the mob! These people lie, cheat, steal and kill for a living!!!



2. This book purports to be the story behind the FBI's take down of big-time Gambino crime boss Paul Castellano. The authors, two ex-agents set themselves up as the heroes in this cops-and-robbers tale.
   
   It's too bad that the story ends up being an almost complete fabrication, because there's some truly entertaining "tales" told in this book. Forced to resign from the FBI, O'Brien and Kurins probably made more money from this sham of a book then they did in their crime fighting careers.
   
   Maybe they learned from the criminals they watched for so many years, eh?



3. This book covers the story of Paul Castellano, a weak boss of a very strong family. It shows a guy who shouldn't have been a boss, leading a group of killers who wanted to be boss. Also, it is a prime example of the cops abusing their eavesdropping privilages. I know the guy was a mob boss but they got all up in the man's business. I could have done without knowing so much about the live-in mistress. But this guy made a lot of bad moves toward the end of his reign.



4. From the start the 2 FBI agents,both of whom authored this book,seem to be apologetic towards Castellano about having to bug this criminal's house.When I read this I knew there was going to be some really gushy stuff and was I right (for once).The book has alot of info on Castellano's personal life.No body's in suitcases,nothing like that but more on the level of Hannah Arendt's "Banality of Evil".
   His life as the "top dog" of the Mafia pyramid,revolves around confusion over how to properly slice some loins of roast beef.As if this isn't crisis enough,then having to inflate himself while chasing a "golddigging" hispanic maid around his mansion,"Oh No Meester Paul".There is little in this book about Mafia goings on because Meester Paul is a few layers beyond where the bodies (and drug money) are flying.Castellano is enjoying his icing at the top with deep layers of deniability.If you're looking for a "Big Eddie sleeps with the fishes" you're in for a big dissappointment.More like a "Hey this damn#!&$# implant isn't working right".The FBI did a good job of making Castellano seem ridiculous,I can understand why they were so tongue in cheek apologetic.



5. This was written long before the Sopranos series made its HBO debut, but it could have been a blueprint for their series. The book, like the series, is filled with the appropriate mixture of sex, violence, and the more humdrum aspects of the lives of mafia boss Castellano and his associates.
   
   The writing is so-so, filled with opinions and dramatizations that wouldn't feel quite right in a more scholarly work. But the color keeps the book moving at a reasonable pace, and the recorded dialogue of the mob members is, by turns, horrifying and funny.
   
   Other reviewers have suggested that a little too much sympathy is extended towards the portrayal of Castellano, who is, after all, a cold-blooded murderer and therefore deserving of our scorn.
   
   I disagree, and I really thought that this was the book's greatest strength. The very men who have dedicated their lives to taking murderers like Castellano out of circulation have, through years of familiarity, developed an understanding of Castellano as a human being.
   
   This familiarity lends a terrific layer of moral grayness to the book that is missing from more sensationalistic writings, which either harshly condemn the crooks or laud them for their nasty achievements.
   
   Agents O'Brien and Kurins see Castellano as he is-- a murderer, someone who deserves to be punished, but also a human being who wraps his wrongdoing in justifications, some of which are actually valid points.
   
   We all have the capacity to do wrong, and Castellano is someone who was born into unfortunate circumstances and then proceeded to make a raft of very bad decisions. If he was a truly great man, he would have risen above his roots. If he was weak-willed and incompetent, he would have never gotten to his position of prominence. Instead, he was somewhere in the middle, and this gives him a level of humanity to which we can all relate.
   
   I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys true crime stories-- this book is at the top of that genre, even as it fails to completely transcend it.

5 comments about Vernon Can Read! A Memoir.

1. I listened to the unabridged audio cassette version of Vernon Can Read! This is a wonderful book. It has many dates and events in African American history of which Mr. Jordan contributed to, experienced and/or witnessed. These events are not only significant in the life of Mr. Jordan but also in the history of African Americans. The book is well written and easy to read and/or listen to. I told my five year old son about the experience of young Vernon Jordan and Mr. Maddock. It was inspiring to my son and we often listen to that portion of the tape while driving home from school. Mr. Jordan wanted the book to inspire his children and grandchildren and I suspect that it has. The book has also inspired my son. I highly recommend this book.



2. This book is an unfortunate piece of near puffery: much form, much superficiality, little substance. But what does one expect from a Power Broker? Truth or Dare?

   In keeping with the unwritten Power Broker Creed, Mr.Jordan reveals very little about the inside mechanations that made him who he is (as opposed to who he was). That is to say, the book speaks volumes about those life experiences that made Vernon Jordan the moderate civil rights leader he was years ago, but says exactly nothing about the transition from that leadership role, to the man who had the president's ear (not to mention the man who kept his secrets)and the ear of the REAL powerful people in this global econonmy: the corporate mavens for whom Vernon was (is?) paid handsomely to dish out advice and counsel to.

   We never hear in any detail about how Jordan quietly but persistently accumulated the power he achieved and, indeed, what motivated him in this pursuit. And no, I was not interested in any Monica dirt: Monica and the whole presidential thing, was (and is) beside the point when it comes to a rigorous Jordan analysis. That whole episode merely served as a template (and not a particularly good one) for the kind of back scratchery at high level that Jordan has been doing for years.

   But then again, what does one expect? People like Jordan (and mind you, I am a big fan of his)live by the aforementioned unspoken creed: power is best accumulated and exercised quietly. Thus, one does not reveal the secrets of the kingdom to just any average reader (by the way Vernon, what really does go on at those Bildeberg confrences?).

   We will not get the whole unexpurgated version of Jordan's life until some biographer decides to swim against currents and put one together.

   Those of us interested in reading something much more telling than Jordan's superficial telling of the story of his life will have to wait. Just as we similarly anxiously awaited biographical treatments of other quiet power brokers in the Clark Clifford, Tommy "the cork" mode (the wait is soon over for those of us interested in Tommy the cork and, thanks to the same author, was over several years ago for a good analysis of Clifford's life. CLifford's own biography, Counsel to the President, left much to be desired, too).

   As a high school to college level autobiographical treatment of the life of an important figure in post-world war II america, Vernon Can Read suffices. As anything deeper, it does not.

   Vernon can certainly Read, but what Vernon wrote certainly leaves alot to be desired.




3. Read this book. Mr. Jordan not only provides insight and anecdotes about many events and individuals in American civil rights history, his words also give us a glimpse of the workings of an incredible mind. His memoirs are filled with stories and recollections proving that desire, determination and accountability to self and others are crucial for success in any of life's endeavors. Simply stated, I'm inspired.



4. I also never heard of Vernon Jordan before the Lewinsky scandal. I am very glad I read this book. It is a shame that many Americans never heard of his interesting and enlightening story about coming of age in the civil rights era. That seems to me to be the theme of this book, that the civil rights era opened the doors to places of power not dreamed of before, if only one had the ambition and the character to find them.
   
   Like a few other reviewers, I also wish that the author revealed more about the period between when he was in charge of the Urban League. This period is when he made his contacts with very many powerful people in charge of corporations and institutions, received a fellowship at Harvard Business School, and started on his way to become a 'power broker'. I guess if you read between the lines the corporate/foundation contacts made him beholden to the business community, and then retiring from the Urban League to work for a powerful Washington law firm gave him a 'power broker' title. But its not really enough to make the connection, is it? And what about those Bilderberg meetings, Vernon? We would like to know more.



5. A fantastic book detailing the magnificent journey of a tremendous American! This book is packed with historical facts about the lives of Black people in America. Vernon Jordan was born in 1935 and although he did not live through slavery, he certainly lived through the Jim Crow days. However with a good father and a strong mother, he didn't just survive - he flourished. Yes, Vernon could and did indeed 'read'. The names of people mentioned in this book are dizzying. This man dealt with a wide range of people in his career.
   I loved the potent messages that came through with great clarity. Such as "never expect defeat before making an honest effort" pg.2 or pg. 277 his beliefs in concerted efforts..."each person or group using their abilities, contributing what they can to move things forward." I must also mention how happy I was to note Jordan's love for the women in his life; his mother, his invalid wife Shirley - who died at age 48, and his daughter Vickie - the apple of his eye.

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