5 comments about And One Was a Soldier: The Spiritual Pilgrimage of Robert E. Lee.

1. To try to understand Lee apart from his faith is folly. He embodies all that is noble, beautiful, and worthy of emulation in the best of the Christian tradition. His grace, his poise, his presence are all legendary. His strategic acumen is without peer in all of American history. All are grounded in his simple, profound and unshakeable faith in the wisdom and mercy of God. He has been characterized as enimatic by some historians. I believe he is laid bare in this study. Part history and part meditation no Lee admirer should be without this one.



2. A thought-provoking book about one of the more interesting figures in U.S. history. However one might argue that his support of slavery, the needless misery and suffering caused by his refusal to call for an end to the war after his surrender when he admitted all was lost (basically a matter of protocol, due to loyalty to Jefferson Davis), his refusal to allow prisoner exchanges because of the Union's demand that black soldiers be included ('those species of property' as he put it) tempers the urge to consider him the "embodiment of all that is noble, beautiful, and worthy of emulation in the best of the Christian tradition." One would consider the Christian tradition a bit more enlightened. I also wish the author would have included the words Lee spoke when he shook hands with Ely Parker, one of Grant's aides, after the surrender papers were signed at Appomattox Courthouse: "I am glad to see one real American here." Parker responded, "We are all Americans."



3. The review written in a vain attempt to slash at the character of such a paragon of virtue is ridiculous and only shows the strength of Lee's character and the weakness of any who would care to even attempt such damage to it. Lee freed all his slaves by 1863 only because that was the time period set within his father-in-law's will, he would have preferred to release them earlier since he viewed slavery as a vile and impractical institution although he was not in favor of complete and immediate abolition, preferring gradual abolition for their "education as a race"-- in other words, to fit them with abilities worthy of employment and adequate pay once freed. The comment about protocol was ridiculous and incomprehensible. Lee specificially told his younger officers, who suggested that he lead the army into what would be a devastating round of "bushwhacking"- guerrilla warfare in the countryside, that he would not because the only honorable thing was to surrender to Grant, and thus saved the country from years of devastating warfare. To say that Lee prolonged the war, then, is pointless, for it was he who surrendered when davis, his superior, would have continued to fight. The quote which suggests bigorty and prejudice of Lee shall not even be repeated here due to the fact that it was a misinterpretation of his meaning. Lee, in fact, showed by personal example the best way to unite the country. He attended an Episcopalian church in which the congregation was white, until one day a black man entered the church and proceeded to the rail to take communion. there was a oause in the church, for no man dared sit beside this "colored" man- except Lee, who immediate took his seat beside the man and showed that he was in no way prejudiced.



4. A well-researched book on the religious beliefs of Robert E. Lee. A most instructive study on how these beliefs developed and impacted the man. The book is detailed on just what these beliefs were and how they were at the very core of who Robert E. Lee was.



5. Fantastic! What a great read from a Bishop who can recognize a man of character and faith. Unlike most Episcopal bishops today who chase after the wind, Bishop Brown has written an interesting short tome on the greatest man produced by the 19th Century. Bishop Brown's intertwining of C.S. Lewis, Dorothy Sayers, and T.S. Elliot makes it all the more interesting. This book will bless you during devotional time.

No comments about Smoke, Sound And Fury: The Civil War Memoirs of Major-general Lew Wallace, U. S. Volunteers.

5 comments about Iraq And Back: Inside the War to Win the Peace.

1. This book is an amazing first hand account of what it was like for Olson, her team and probably many soldiers as well in the war in Iraq. It is touching on a human level as you encounter Olson's struggles as a veteran female pilot in the Air Force, and how she balances her career as well as being a mother and wife in a assignment that tests her will on all accounts. Each chapter is gripping with suspense as you never know what her and her team will encounter as you turn each page. Honesty, humility and humor are threaded throughout the pages that left me with a better understanding of the risks of our freedom, proud to be an American, and the feeling I just witnessed first hand an incredible journey that left me entertained and at the same time, with a lump in my throat. Rebecca D. Turner, author of Tattoo



2. Kim Olson is a one of a kind woman. She shares her experience in the military with strength and with conviction about her service...and still shows her humility and intelligence in the face of adverse situations.
   
   If you want to get a real view of the dedication and hard work of our military through an articulate and incredible voice, this is the book for you. She doesn't sugar coat the situation of war, nor does she make excuses for her decisions. She gives every single American a reason to stand up and be proud.
   
   We couldn't put the book down. It is beautifully written...but that's not the essence. It is an honest account by an honest woman.
   
   Jane and Robert Handly



3. I had the pleasure of being in a writing class with Kim Olson as she worked on this book. The raw writing was very entertaining and interesting, including the humorous incident of a wave at a passing local as she got caught in mid-stream during a pit-stop in an open field. Then there was the disaster of her civilian boss suggesting to the Air Force Chief of Staff that she should be promoted and where she should be assigned--derailing her career at its apex.
   
   Some reviewers fault her criticism of the Bush administration officials and others; I wish there was more of it. At the same time, knowing what she intended to write and what I see in the book, I think some miss the point in thinking this book is primarily about her experience in Iraq or the relative merits of ORHA versus CPA. I don't believe it is. If it were, she could have said much more about the lack of adequate resources for reconstructing Iraq. She could have assessed whether the way we went about fighting the war made sense. But she had only a brief relationship with Iraq and had to do the best job given the resources and knowledge available at the time. That being said, I see the book using Iraq as an anchor around which the bigger boat floats.
   
   I see this book as being about the issue of Iraq reconstruction but about much more. About the harsh challenges, the rampant sexism, that women have faced in advancing in the military--in this case the Air Force, especially those who chose to fly and to command men. About the conflicts between roles as a mother and an officer that she encountered. About the interesting ways that a woman may be better at resolving some issues than men. It is about how she overcame all the impediments that were put in her way and became an outstanding officr in the Air Force. It also reveals the good old boy club is far from dead--shooting her down in the end despite her record. It is worthwhile reading to get a different perspective on all these issues and more.



4. I had the great good fortune to attend a Veterans Day lecture by Colonel Kim Olson at the University of Texas at Dallas. Afterwards, I was invited to meet her. As if hearing Colonel Olson speak was not exciting enough, talking to her in person was electrifying. What a presence!
   
   From the moment I began reading Iraq and Back, I was captivated. I learned in depth about some of the topics she touched on in her speech--and more. Colonel Olson doesn't mince words, she just tells the story. And when you read her words it's like having a conversation with a friend: for example, when she talks about being prepared to go without many luxuries and necessities, but not chocolate. Also, because the book is written from a woman's perspective, we get a sense of the real people of Iraq--the mothers, the children, the shopkeepers, everyday folks.
   
   Colonel Olson's background was in teaching, but her stepfather suggested that she might make a fine military officer. After she joined the Air Force, she found that she desperately wanted to be a jet pilot. She had to compartmentalize her life and emotions. She loves her children, but she also loved to fly--the same kind of conflict between family and work that many women face. Somehow, Kim Olson manages to bridge the apparent contradiction between being an Air Force colonel and mother of 12 and 15 year olds. Her call sign is Jetmom.
   
   When Olson was asked to be part of a team to "rebuild Iraq" as the executive officer to retired General Jay M. Garner (director of the Office of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance), she was conflicted. She had been an Air Force pilot, above the battle and not involved in the ground war. In the book's foreword, General Garner had this to say about Olson: "She is a strong, articulate, intellectual pioneer with boundless energy--an exemplary officer and marvelous human being who has served and still serves as a role model and mentor to younger women. She was instrumental in forming a staff, developing plans, securing funds, producing a budget, arranging travel, coordinating meetings with diplomats, clerics, politicians, military commanders, and Iraqi leaders--Sunni, Shia, and Kurd. She would be the first person I would pick for my team."
   
   Before she left on this assignment, she was advised by a historian to take composition books with her to record the daily events, a living document that would become the basis for this memoir. I smiled when she told of bossing men around and treating them like children. I creied when she wrote about leaving her husband and children and finding her kids stuffed animals hidden in her bag when she arrived in Iraq with a note to "Hug them when you miss us." I felt good when she stood over an Iraqi who told her she must cover her head and she replied: "I am not in a mosque and I am not a Muslim and military women do not cover." I felt sad when Olson came across an Iraqi woman who was holding the body bag of her child and she just put her arms around her and said "I'm so sorry." She knew that grief was a universal language.
   
   Colonel Olson realized that rebuilding a society requires its entire people, both men and women. Everyone needs to feel they have a voice and can make a difference. On a personal level, she knew this concept all to well. The slow integration of women into the military mirrors that of other predominantly male professions. She feels that women in nontraditional careers should start by unlocking the doors of opportunity and ally themselves with enlightened men who have a strong sense of self and are not threatened by powerful women. She was fortunate to find some good men that helped to further her career.
   
   When Olson won an Exceptional Leadership Award she gave a short but impassioned speech at the Women's Memorial in Washington, DC. "As I look out at this audience tonight, I am once again reminded that it is because of women like you that I get to fly jets, I get to command troops, and I get to wear this military uniform and defend my country. So tonight, it is I who thank you." She had finally balanced work, family, and community and knew that a nurturing style of leadership worked.
   
   I highly recommend this book, not only because it's written by a zealous woman, but because it offers a compelling insight into what the United States faced and is still facing in Iraq.
   
   by Doris Anne Roop-Benner
   for Story Circle Book Reviews
   www.storycirclebookreviewsorg
   reviewing books by, for, and about women



5. I enjoyed the subject matter of this book. A story about Iraq, and our military was especially interesting since it was the perspective from a woman. I think it gave accurant account of the events as seen & experienced by Mrs Olsen, but also dealt into the emotions of those there - both foreign and those born there. I also liked that it showed the strengths of a woman and how difficult that can be, sometimes. My only complaint is you could tell this was Olsen's 1st attempt at writting. Not a bad attempt mind you. It just didn't flow as well as it could have. BUT then again, she is a military person, not a writter. I would much rather have the events told by one there - even if not expertly written, than to have a top writter try to convey what was going on. Bravo Kim Olsen!

No comments about GI Jive : An Army Bandsman in World War II.

5 comments about My Year of Living Heterosexually: And Other Adventures in Hell.

1. After reading and loving three of Ronald L. Donaghe's novels, I thought it would be interesting to read this book about a year that changed his life. Donaghe's autobiography reads like those novels, complete with vivid descriptions and frequent dialogue. It also includes Donaghe's observations about homophobia, gays in the military, and the attempts of some gays to "go straight." Donaghe uses his experiences and those of the people around him to make those observations. However, he does so without turning this fast-paced narrative into an academic essay. I agree with the points that Donaghe makes, but even people who disagree can benefit from and enjoy this fascinating document about one man's experiences with marriage, family, the military, self-loathing, and self-acceptance.



2. Thank you Ron for sharing your story with all of us. It is presented in a way that brings us all into your story. I hope there will one day be a sequal!

   Keep writing my friend!!




3. What's a lesbian doing reading a gay memoir?
   Enjoying the honesty and humor of a well-written life story.

   Ronald L. Donaghe may be better known for his fiction (The Blind Season, Common Sons, Uncle Sean), but his own life story certainly lacks for no excitement. As an Airman First Class during the early 1970's, Donaghe writes about a slice of time in his life when he was nowhere near as comfortable with his sexual orientation as he must be now, given the fact that he has become a bestselling gay fiction writer since then.

   The narrative is well-written and peppered with pithy observations. With honesty, he explains what it was like to be young, gay, and closeted from his family and friends--and even from himself. In denial, he married young and fathered a child before coming to grips with that folly. One would think that joining the military would have been yet another misstep, but instead, the military atmosphere actually assisted him with coming to grips with and accepting his sexual orientation as well as extricating himself from a bad marriage.

   I found some of the boot camp description rather droll, and it was amusing to learn that so many soldiers during the Vietnam era were too high on drugs to care about Donaghe's sexual orientation. Nowadays, being "out" in the military often brings attacks and court martial. For Donaghe, it seems that the U.S. Military served as a safe place where he could come to terms with his sexuality.

   Like Ricardo Brown's recent memoir, THE EVENING CROWD AT KIRMSER'S, about gay life in 1940's St. Paul, Ronald Donaghe tells another piece of the gay experience, this time from a soldier's point-of-view. I highly recommend his honest and forthright memoir and think it deserves a place in the canon.

   -[....]




4. For Ron's fans from his fiction books, this book is a must read. Actually, reading this before you read his fiction would let you see from where many of his characters and settings had been derived. You'll see the father from "Uncle Sean" in Ron's father, Joel's mother and father in Ron's mother and father, Tom's caring for the garden in Ron's life, and many others. It makes his fiction even more enjoyable.
   Many of us have been through some of the experiences Ron has, and sharing them with him as you read through the book will bring back many memories, some regrets, and a few laughs. His "'bad' years" in the laboratory, the friendships he formed, the search for living his life under the structure of the military, all of these will enrich your understanding of man striving to be himself.
   I'm glad Ron had the courage to share his story. Also check out his "Letters in Search of Love". That book elaborates more on his life and thoughts.



5. "My Year of Living Heterosexually and other Adventures in Hell" is the memoir of best-selling author Ronald L. Donaghe before and during his tour in the United States Air Force during the last years of the Vietnam War.

   My Year offers a different perspective of what it was like to be in the military during a war which the American people were not particularly proud. On top of that, he tells what it meant to be gay in an extremely homophobic environment. Donaghe does an amazing job of enlightening the clueless public.

   This is his own account of getting married to suppress his homosexuality only to realize the enormity of his mistake. Donaghe is seduced by an older, divorced mother of two who knew he was gay before she married him. She was convinced the right woman could "cure" his homosexual proclivity. Being disillusioned by the gay scene at the time, he acquiesced. He then joined the air force to get away from his wife and marital duties. Later, he used his sexual orientation to escape the service.

   Donaghe provides us with an eye-opening, honest and graphic depiction of the potentially dangerous assignments enforced by the Pentagon on the men and women of the military. He was assigned a job after basic training working long, grueling, tedious hours in a lab. This lab's only purpose was to test tens of thousands of urine samples per day for the presence of drugs. These "important" tasks were being performed at the same time men were being killed and maimed in combat. The conditions of the lab were horrendous with noxious fumes and carcinogenic chemicals. A daily working environment such as this may not kill instantly like a bullet but who knows what the long term affects on health are?

   This book deals not only with coming out to the military but of coming full circle towards accepting and loving oneself as an out and proud gay man. It is a story about finding love--the love that is meant to be--and not necessarily manufactured to fit in with societal mores.

   Donaghe is often funny and makes this an enjoyable read, but most of all, he teaches us to be truthful to ourselves and not let others define our self worth. Only by being proud of who we are can we achieve our greatest contribution to society. It also offers hope that maybe someday GLBT people will be welcome in the military and receive the same rights and privileges as heterosexuals and not be persecuted for who they are and who they love. Ronald Donaghe was very fortunate he was granted an honorable discharge, although without distinction. He was not treated as poorly as many other homosexuals in the military at that time--men and women whose only crime was wanting to serve their country. By writing this book he hopes to educate people so that discrimination will finally cease to exist. Don't miss this honest and open account of a man who strives to make a difference. A man who has learned from his mistakes and has shared what he has learned with others. A man who has positively influenced the lives of those who are fortunate to know him and to the many others who read this well-written, heartfelt biography.

No comments about 'Ware Sherman: A Journal of Three Months' Personal Experience in the Last Days of the Confederacy.

No comments about Hitler's Soldier in the U.S. Army: An Unlikely Memoir of World War II (Alabama Fire Ant).

No comments about Behind Enemy Lines: An Australian SAS Solider in Vietnam.

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1 comments about Lancaster Target.

1. What can I say, awesome, captivating, fantastic. We owe a debt to Jack Currie for recording this terrifying part of history. We also owe a debt to Goodall publishing and Airdata for still printing it !....