5 comments about An Ace of the Eighth: An American Fighter Pilot's Air War in Europe.

1. This book has some of the most memorable quotes, images, and sayings of any other book that I've ever read! The most humurous part of this book is when someone's radio mic got stuck in the on position and the pilot of the Mustang was talking to himself about the mission, the bomber crew, and one of the other Mustang pilots of his squadron. A memorable quote from this part of the book was, "I was laughing so hard, the flak didn't even bother me!"
   
   This book is very detailed in every way! Mr. Fortier takes you on a journey back in time in the way he describes his experience as a combat fighter pilot. He briefly describes his training experience to where it's not bogged down and yet is very interesting and then moves on to the types of aircraft he flew from P-39's, P-47's, and ultimately P-51's. Get this book! You will want to read it over and over again!



2. A real surprise. Written in 2002, I did not imagine that a biography about WW II air war written so late would be so good.
   
   Highly recommended.



3. This gives an excellent inside look at the workings of the Army Air Corp in Europe in WW II.



4. Ditto the comments and observations by Mezza. I picked this up at a book store to kill time on the plane while I was travelling. It far exceeded my expectations. Even the content attributed to other sources provides a reader with a real 1st person feel for the whole WWII European theater figher pilot experience. An excellent mix of in the air/ on the ground exploits. The author's stories and comments directly echo what I have heard from other WWII aviators and paint a much more complete picture of their lives overseas (ground and air) than what you might have concluded on the basis of Hollywood movies and historical accounts of air battles alone.



5. This is one of the finest memoirs of combat I have ever read, from any era. It is well written, insightful, and a great addition to any library. Fortier's descriptions of combat in the air and boredom on the ground ring true, and provide a first-hand view of the air war over Europe from 1943 through 1945.

5 comments about Wahoo: The Patrols of America's Most Famous World War II Submarine.

1. O'Kane fills this fantastic book with a great account of courage, leadership and seamanship. It is easy to get wrapped up in this as a "war book" since it goes to the top of the class. However, rather than repeat what other fine reviews have noted I would also expand the book to a classic on leadership.
   
   O'Kane is onboard with legendary Skipper Mush Morton.
   
   I run into a lot of people in business who complain about the challenge of motivating both their company personnel and their suppliers/customers. What greater motivational challenge than to take a group of young sailors on a 12,000 mile cruise, packed like sardines in a tube and surrounded by people attempting (far too often with success) kill you.
   
   His and his fellow officer's leadership kept the boat on the offense, with the crew believing in the mission and their fellow sailors.
   
   There's enough detail to get out a plotting board ( or at least arrange the cocktail almonds) to duplicate the seamanship involved in putting the submarine in the middle of enemy convoys on a dark night at the right place to fire at several targets.
   
   I have a strong feeling that in today's society we tend to confuse heroism with victims. True heroes are those who understand the risks they are taking and yet continue their mission despite the risks. For O'Kane and the crew it is a story of functioning as true heroes for months on end.
   
   UPDATE : This fall (2006) the Navy confirmed that the sunken submarine located recently in the Sea of Japan was in fact the Wahoo. After 50 years the final resting place of Morton and the crew has been located.



2. I got started reading WWII submarine books by reading the fictional, but based on actual experience "Run Silent, Run Deep." Since then, I've read just about every WWII U.S. fleet submarine book in print. This has always been one of my favorites.
   
   O'kane has a very illustrative writing style. You'll feel like you're there when you are reading. Besides the fascinating "running and gunning" accounts, you'll also read anecdotal stories about crew life.
   
   This is really a must read. If you liked "Run Silent, Run Deep," you'll like this true, non fictional account even better. Get the hardcover version, they did a nice job on it.



3. There are a lot of details presented on each target but I found that very boring after a while. The same thing over and over. The submarine Wahoo was a valuable item in the Navy's arsenal but I found so much detail to be a drag. I read about the first three patrols and then laid the book down for a long time before making the effort to finish the work.
   
   I was disappointed because I was expecting another exciting recollection of the submarine warfare in WWII because I had recently read Thunder Below by Eugene B. Fluckey. That account of the USS Barb captured my attention. I read the whole book in three days. I just couldn't wait to pick it up and find out what was in store for the submarine whose logs were filled with creative and effective ways to attack the enemy and became a training tool for the submarine service. The Barb had many of the same torpedo failures as the Wahoo but ingenuity ruled and the most Navy's most decorated individual was a very effective submarine commander. Thunder Below is a wonderful reading experience for those interested in WWII exploits, especially of the submarine service.



4. I found this book very informative with a lot of factual history of the Wahoo and it's famous crew. I read "The wake of the Wahoo" first then this book followed by "Clear The Bridge" written by Richard O'Kane. Anyone that has ever served on diesel submarines knows about famous Skippers such as Morton and O'Kane. I found this book very hard to put down and would recommend it to everyone interested in submarines.



5. Very intertaining for the WW II history buff. I read this one in about 5 days.

5 comments about At Hell's Gate: A Soldier's Journey from War to Peace.

1. I first read about Claude Thomas on the internet a few years ago. I found his story so strong and powerful. I was glad to finally be able to read this book. This is a very powerful story about the power to heal and transform.
   
   Thomas's experience is proof that even people who have endured the most horrific experiences can come to peace. He is so honest about the horrific experiences in the Vietnam War, his substance abuse and other problems in his life. Through his journey he has learnt how to live with these wounds.
   
   He writes:
   
   "...suffering is not our enemy. It is only through a relationship with my pain, my sadness, that I can reach the other side, that I can truly know and touch the opposite, which is my pleasure, my joy, and my happiness. "
   
   I greatly admire the path that Thomas has walked. He has truly embraced the spirit of Buddhism and the meaning of being a monk, going forth into homelessness. He studied first with Thich Nhat Hanh and then with Roshi Bernie Glassman. The pilgrimages and street retreats that Thomas has done, to me represent one of the finest expressions of engaged Buddhism.
   
   I highly recommend this book as a spiritual biography and a guide to Buddhist practice.



2. As a fellow Vietnam Veteran of combat and casualty calls, Thomas' book brings relief through mindfulness.
   Finally, someone explains how focusing on breathing can calm the mind, quell the rage, and convert the destructive energy of anger into an active and productive purpose such as "engaged Buddhism."
   
   "At Hell's Gate" actually opens the gates of hell, my mental home for forty years, and shows me the clear path to peace. I'm gonna walk it and recommend that all victims of trauma and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder join me and follow Claude Anshin Thomas' leadership.
   
   Thank you, Rev. Thomas, for showing me the way.



3. The Vietnam War has produced its share of memoirs but few have the impact that author and veteran Claude Anshin Thomas has in his inspiring book "At Hell's Gate". It is odd in a spiritual way, that he published his book a year after my own autobiography "A Spiritual Warrior's Journey". We both seem to be following different paths to the same destination. He and I were stationed at the same time in Phu Loi South Vietnam in 1966 & 1967. We were both crew-chief/door-gunners on Hueys. He was with the 116th AHC (Assault Helicopter Company) and I was next door to his unit in the 128th AHC. We each saw the same kind of war and combat and shared some of the same actual battles - so this added to my reading experience.
   
   His book - much like my own - is a journey of self-discovery and spiritual evolution. He fights the demons of PTSD upon his return home and tries to medicate and drug his pain. The author shares a life that was filled with great emotional suffering. The key to his book however, and that separates it from so many others, is that this provides some direction for not just veterans but all who are suffering from their own personal wars of life. He gives the reader a look at how he grew and how he found something (Zen ) to help him cope and grow spiritually.
   
   The book can be read in one sitting but it is best if savored over a longer period of time. There is much wisdom within these pages that will help heal and change others. I highly recommend this as a gift to give to any veteran of any war. The book is full of compassion and hope. There are methods for meditation in the back of the book which could give those in need a "road map" to some healing.



4. Claude Thomas's At Hell's Gate is the story of a terribly wounded individual (bad childhood, PTSD, alcohol and drug addictions, intimacy problems) trying to find healing for himself. His analysis of his own ill-being, to use a phrase favored by Thomas' mentor, Thich Nhat Hanh, is not only a gripping story. It's also valuable to the rest of us who, like Thomas, are likewise wounded.
   
   Thomas' journey to healing is based on Nhat Hanh's "engaged Buddhism" model. The basic principles of engaged Buddhism are that (1) violence is caused by suffering; (2) suffering is caused by unacknowledged and unhealed interior wounds whose destructive energy manipulates us; (3) mindfulness to those wounds and the way they enslave us is essential to both personal and social liberation from violence; (4) reality is best described in terms of "interbeing," unbreakable connectedness, so that my actions or lack of actions necessarily affect everything; (5) and therefore my own healing contributes to the healing of the world.
   
   Thomas' own breakthrough was attending a weeklong retreat conducted by Nhat Hanh. Since then, Thomas has been ordained a mendicant monk in the Soto Zen tradition, makes regular walking peace pilgrimages across the U.S. and other parts of the world, and regularly ministers to street people and veterans.
   
   This book is well worth reading, especially for someone who has no acquaintance with Thich Nhat Hanh's teachings. The book is sometimes repetitious, although I can't quite figure out if this is deliberate of unintentional on Thomas' part. Moreover, one occasionally senses that Thomas' is still so wrestling with his own demons that his focus is more self- than other-directed.
   
   Still, these are minor caveats, and Thomas' book stands as an eloquent and insightful testament to the deep human yearning for a return to innocence, to healing, to wholeness. As a Zen koan asks, "What did your face look like before you were born?" At the least, it was without wounds.



5. This is a book everyone should read. I totally agree with the writer, that we all know and live in war-situations. You don't have to be a war-veteran to know what war is.
   We have and create our own wars in daily life. It occurs in every situation/relation in which we can't make peace with "the other".
   It occurs in a parent-child relation. Boss-employee. husband-wife. And hey... don't forget the NEIGHBOURS!!
   This is a very insightful and deadly honest story. We will and can all relate to what he's been through, and most important, HOW we can move out of pain and suffering. How we can heal our lives and be peace.
   If someone as wounded as he was, can do it, we all can.
   Love, Peace and Blessings to a Man of Wisdom and Peace, who reaches out to all of us. It's up to us now to heal ourselves.
   One (of many ways) to practise mindfulness is by doing a FREE 10 day Vipassana meditation retreat. Look at dhamma-org. Google for Vipassana and Goenka, there are dozens of centers worldwide.

3 comments about Drowning in the Desert: A JAG's Search for Justice in Iraq.

1. I don't read many war, army, or legal type books, but I picked this up because a friend of mine served in Iraq as a JAG. I thought the book balanced the personal story of the woman who wrote it and the technical aspects of the cases she dealt with. It was easy to read, with enough "meat" to sustain, and will definitely get passed on to others. My wife is reading it now and she really likes it too.



2. This book is so much more than a suspenseful page-turner (although it certainly is that!): it is the truly inspiring story of one soldier's quest to serve with integrity that will cause all readers to wonder what they would have done in her situation. Drowning in the Desert is as thought-provoking as it is timely, and my bookclub is going to love it! Non-fiction and fiction readers alike will enjoy this book, as my husband and I can attest; I think it's the only book my husband and I have ever both read and loved!



3. I love this book. It's not political or preachy, just honest and compelling. There are several parts that are laugh-out-loud funny, which I almost never do when I read a book. There are other parts that made me choke up, and I rarely get emotional reading a book. Still other parts of this book made me hot with anger. This is a real emotional roller coaster, and you won't regret picking it up. I couldn't put it down.

5 comments about Undertones of War.

1. Right up there with Graves' Good-Bye To All That, Undertones takes you right into the trenches of the Western Front. I re-read every few years.



2. I was inspired to read this book by a visit to the Thiepval War Memorial this past Spring.
   
   During World War I, Blunden served as an officer in the Royal Sussex regiment. He fought through the war to its end, serving in the battles of both Ypres and the Somme.
   
   Undertones of War is the memoir which he wrote about that period.
   
   Delicately written and insistent, Undertones of War focuses on both the nostalgia for the countryside left behind and on the deep sorrow of trench warfare. It is a lovely and haunting little memoir. The Penguin edition is bound with a selection of Blunden's poetry. This works well for the overall effect of the book.
   
   Recommended, particularly for those with an interest in World War I or military memoirs.



3. This is a great book. Unlike Seigfried Sasson's "Memoirs of George Sherston" or Robert Graves "Good-Bye to All That" or Vera Brittain's "Testament of Youth", Blunden's book has no non-war introductory chapters. You are simply in the war from the outset of the book. Blunden arrived on the scene - the Western Front - at age 19 in time for the Somme offensive of July 1916. His writing has a poetic sense to it and sometimes the beauty of nature and Blunden's recording of it appear as a wonderful counterpart to the killing and agony going on almost everywhere Blunden happened to be. Although nature doesn't make-up for the horrors of World War I with its poison gas, rat filled trenches, relentless artillery, murderous machine guns and loss of friends and comrades, it is a tribute to Blunden's mind that he could take the time and remind us of the resolute qualities of nature. It also gives us an opportunity to get a sense of what soldiers on that front may have experienced by way of gettting away from the battles and wondering how they still lived. From the Somme offensive - a terrible slaughterhouse in its own right - Blunden is moved to Ypres just in time to be part of the Third Battle of Ypres. In this battle the blunders, the rain, the mud, the death, the confusion are everywhere on display. Fortunately Blunden survived it all and was able to chronicle this sad, sad war in a most poetic manner.



4. The writing is too flowery for what it is about. There are times that it is difficult to imagine that he is in a battlefield of carnage, waste, and mud rather than out on a rambuctious hunting party. He seemed to be somehwat disconnected from the fighting; he rarely mentioned his own emotions or fears and his descriptions of battle are somewhat vague. If you don't reagrd it as a book about WWI and think of it as strictly literature it can be a pleasant summer-evening read.



5. "A pleasant summer-evening read"? So says a negative reviewer. Huh?
   
   Undertones of War is, with those by Siegfried Sassoon and Robert Graves, one of the best English memoirs of the First World War (John Lucy's 'There's A Devil in the Drum' is by far the best British memoir, and perhaps the best of all time). Blunden is, however, more subtle than they. An intellectual and poet, he portrays himself as a "pastoralist at war," and pays especial regard to the sacreligious impact of war on the countryside--and life. And while his style may not provide the in-your-face appeal so dear to many American readers, it rewards the careful reader with an elegant, insightful view of the meaning of war.
   
   Yet it can also be brutally honest. Who can forget the eyeball on the duckboard?
   
   Read it while listening to Ralph Vaughan Williams' 'Pastoral Symphony' #3, which was composed behind the front lines of WWI. It goes with the book.
   
   I have read hundreds of World War I memoirs. This book remains in my top five. Take your time reading it. Ponder it. You won't be disappointed.

5 comments about Wiser in Battle: A Soldier's Story.

1. Lt General Sanchez confirms what the few intelligent American voter suspected. The Neo-Conservatives in The White House and The Pentagon have created a mess in Irag. Now because of field commanders that are finally being shown the respect that they did not receive until General Petraes was placed in charge; there has been more military successes on the ground in Irag.The Neo-Conservatives will soon be out of power after The November Elections. Whether it's President McCain or President Obama; their priorities should be to allow the Generals on the ground control the wars in Afghanistan and Irag and to not politicize the war for their own agendas be they liberal or conservative. LT General Sanchez would make a good Secretary of Defense for either President. He has the experience,the intelligence, and the respect for the Generals on the ground. The fact that he is a Latino would also honor the many Latinos that are in harms way and those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for their country. A country that has yet to accept them as equal Americans. In fact Senator McCain and Senator Obama would be wise to use him as their military adviser during their presidential campaign as soon as possible. A great book, a great public servant and a great Latino role model.



2. Perhaps he was. Certainly he makes a worthwhile case, and 30-plus years of service are not to be overlooked. He's understandably wounded in pride to think that he was forced into retirement while those in our government who should be (that's my opinion, not Sanchez's, BTW) remain in power.
   
   Pride, indeed, just might be this warrior's Achilles' heel. As other reviewers have pointed out, he comes across at times as self-serving and defensive.
   
   But he rightly returns his focus, time after time, to the men and women he led into battle. And though he makes his love for the service quite clear (again, 30+ years), he does not spare their blushes in his assessment of mistakes made, and steps that need be taken to learn.
   
   In the end, though perhaps it could have been edited by about 10%, this book is well worth reading.



3. ...is this book another self-serving attempt to place blame for individual and collective shortcomings elsewhere?
   
   I will say right off the bat that I served under then-Colonel Sanchez when he was a mechanized brigade commander in Kansas in the mid-90's. I found him to be very interested in his leaders' knowledge, skills and abilities, but also felt that the way he went about testing his subordinates at times bordered on complete and total micromanagement. As a brand-new officer, I didn't mind that as much because it told me that he was involved and engaged in what his unit was doing. However, I know it rubbed a lot of other officers and NCOs the wrong way.
   
   His section on brigade command leaves out some important facts about events at Fort Riley in the summer of 1995 and then the subsequent NTC train-up and rotation that I won't go into, but the way the section was written did put me on guard the rest of the way in terms of how he presented his case and what other critical details were omitted.
   
   I will say that I respect Gen. Sanchez as a commander and know that he had his hands full as the V Corps Commander based on the observations of friends who served on his staff. I believe a lot of what he says in his book to be true: his corps was woefully under-resourced due to the belief that the war in Iraq was "over" and the lack of detailed planning for post-combat operations doomed his legacy unit to have to learn on the fly, something that rarely pays off successfully- at least early on in the game.
   
   In Lt. Gen. (ret.) Sanchez's defense, he presided over some important victories in Iraq: namely the capture of Saddam Hussein and the killing of his two sons. Unfortunately for him, the Abu Ghraib scandal proved to be his undoing, no matter that the events occurred at levels well below him.
   
   As is the case with Lt. Col. (ret.) Nathan Sassaman's memoir, I would caution readers not to take everything at face value and understand that with these autobiographies, there is always going to be a modicum of self-serving revisionism. I know that for a fact in this book because I lived through one of the sections and found that LTG (ret.) Sanchez left out a key event that I had always wanted to understand how he viewed it and how it affected him as a commander. I was disappointed that it got nary a mention and truly made me question what else he was leaving out the rest of the way. I was disappointed mainly because in my heart, I truly respected Sanchez as my brigade commander and would have followed him anywhere as a young officer who had yet to serve under anyone else. He inspired loyalty in me, and I believe him to be a good man.
   
   In the end, I thank Gen. Sanchez for his service and believe that he tried his best. He has written a pretty interesting book about his career and life experiences. At the same time, knowledge is power. If this is the only account of the Iraq War you read, then you will come away with an incomplete picture of what happened there during that timeframe and what is occurring now at the 5 1/2 year mark.



4. I am so glad I read General Sanchez book. I am not military, so it was slow reading for me, but I believed the general as I thought he was most sincere. The book certainly cleared up a lot for me relating to what really happened with Iraq. Many thanks to General Sanchez. Larry Holland, Austin, TX



5. Preeminence requires military power. One of the reasons the United States has military power is due to a system that allows a hard working, talented son of a poor family in Rio Grande Texas to rise to the highest ranks of the army. "Wiser in Battle" shows how Ricardo Sanchez was able to apply his natural talents as a soldier to accomplish a successful military career. He proved himself successful in the profession of arms but more importantly he came to understand the need for multi-service and multi-agency coordination. After service in Yugoslavia and other Joint assignments, he was well prepared to be the coalition ground forces commander in Iraq after the defeat of Saddam Hussein regime.
   
   However he faced a situation where the American leadership was more concerned with maintaining political position than in supporting an intelligent Iraq national rebuilding effort. The cost was a painful and costly post-war period that would have been mitigated with a more intelligent and longer-term view of the problem of establishing a stable civil situation.
   
   The book is invaluable in shedding light on this difficult period when the United States was forced to deal with the realties of rebuilding a nation.

No comments about STORMTROOPER ON THE EASTERN FRONT: Fighting with Hitler's Latvian SS.

5 comments about Reach for the Sky: The Story of Douglas Bader, Legless Ace of the Battle of Britain (Bluejacket Books).

1. I read this book when I was 9 yrs. old and now that I read it again I think that this is one of those books that I will keep and read over and over.
   This is a riveting story that makes you feel like you are there experiencing the events yourself.



2. An excellent and accurate story of a historical figure, Douglas Bader. It was interesting to read and thoroughly enjoyable.



3. I read this book in middle school YEARS ago, well, ok, I wore this book out in middle school. When I saw it on Amazon I had to get it! What an amazing, inspirational story. Anyone with an interest in flying or history will find this a fantastic read!



4. I ordered this book for myself after having read a borrowed original first edition hard cover from a friend.
   The story is wonderful and inspiring, and I wanted to own this book. This soft cover reissue version is O.K.,
   but the photo reproductions in it are shamefully bad. I'll continue to search for an original copy ...



5. Excellent book about a truly amazing man. If you enjoyed this one, try Fly for Your Life, by Larry Forrester, which chronicles the life of RAF pilot Robert Stanford Tuck. Tuck is mentioned several times in Reach for the Sky and his book is another 5 star, Battle of Britain story.

5 comments about Thieves of Baghdad.

1. This book for several reasons did not impress me. First, Bogdanos drops a lot of names of "important" people that enlist his help and vice-versa. Problem is, they're just names to the reader. I don't know these people from Adam and the author does very little to "flesh them out". Second, his need to continually quote famous historical figures to prove he is a well-educated serviceman not only shows his insecurities and self-righteousness but also slows the story to a snail's pace. While he claims to be telling a story about marines and the wonderful work they do, rather than himself, he engages in some pretty heavy self-glorification. Third, while he denies couching any of his story in political partisanship, the political theater that he participates in is filled with Republican "good ol' boys". Some of the justifications Bagdanos gives for the military's reluctance to safe guard museums and archaeological sites seems valid while other reasons do not. I saw Matthew Bogdanos at a lecture in Indianapolis this spring. His haughty demeanor did not dispel any of the reservations I feel about this bias account. On the positive side, Bogdanos does give the reader a picture of the historical significance of Mesopotamian artifacts and background on the domestic and colonial personalities that helped shape present day Iraq. His passion for history cannot be denied. He also gives some of the Western media as well as the Iraqi museum staff positive credit. However, for a truly humbling account of the "shock and awe" aftermath, please read Lawrence Anthony's "Babylon's Ark".



2. Colonel Bogdanos has a fascinating tale of the war on terror, Iraqi reconstruction, and the recovery of stolen artifacts. Unfortunately, the author's ego too often overshadows the amazing tale.
   
   Certainly the author had the opportunity to witness history-changing events. He was a neighbor who saw the destruction of the twin towers. He visited Afghanistan and saw the trouble of rebuilding the remote country. Then he went through Iraq and finally settled in the Iraq museum in Baghdad, helping recover and protect artifacts.
   
   Unfortunately, Bogdanos' boasting occurs early and often. He recounts how he evacuated his building in lower Manhattan after the towers fell. Reading his description makes it sound like he escorted his family through a war zone. He was packing a gun, hustling past roadblocks, and scanning for threats. My initial thoughts were "Didn't thousands of other people make this same passage safely ... and without nearly as much machismo?"
   
   Based on his biographical overview, you'd think the author single-handedly came up with the idea of protecting the Iraq Museum, that he was the one who developed the plans to recover the stolen artifacts, and (best yet) that he was responsible for developing inter-agency anti-terror training.
   
   My impression is that he was a part of those efforts, but that he had a lot of (understated) partners. Reading his book, you will see no such partners. Instead you will see a lot of underlings who are grateful for such a smart leader. You will see two types of supervisors: the bumbling ones who overlook Bogdanos' obvious qualifications and contributions, and the intelligent ones who give Bogdanos the authority to fulfill the mission only he can accomplish.
   
   A good story of post-war Iraq is in this book. Unfortunately, Bogdanos' bravado distracts too much from it.



3. Colonel Matthew Bogdonos did a great service by writing about his account; however, I must completely agree with a prior review regarding this egotistical author. Being a former Marine and an undergraduate in Historical Studies, he discredited his book by boasting. A book of this scope should be strengthened by facts, sources, and even personal experiences, as long as the ego can be left out of it. While I was satisfied with the book, I wouldn't recommend this book unless one could forgive the semantics.



4. There were many aspects of the art recovery story that were both useful and interesting. Especially the use of the human resources of experienced police, prosecutors and the museum staff. It was regretable that so much laudatory, sometimes self evident and eventually irritating material about the author was seen as desirable. This aspect detracted from the authority of the author and the work.



5. Book is a quick read, staccato style of writing. Author Col Bogdanos is straightforward and non-critical as he describes the way he recovered the treasures,cash and gold from Iraq. One can't help but wonder if the recovery of the treasures, like that of Iraq itself, will be sustained or just fall again when the animals take control of the zoo.

5 comments about Combat Swimmer: Memoir of a Navy Seal.

1. Bob Gormly wrote a great book on his 30 year experiences as a Navy SEAL. He recounts how he passed the most gruelling toughest training in the world to be a SEAL. His 2 tours of duty in Vietnam are filled with pulse pounding action. He then led the most elite of SEAL's, SEAL team 6, into combat in Grenada. I really liked his discussion of Richard Marcinko the convicted felon who founded six and left it's reputation tarnished. This is a great book for those interested in SEALs or Special Operations Forces. Thanks Bob for this great memoir.



2. <>
   
   How do you know that Seal is the best? What the hell you mean by universally recognized? And beleive me you're not the first person who assumes that navy seal to be the best special operation force. Do you know that 80% of Seals never see combat in their career? The real thing doesn't look anything close like people's perception.
   
   Let's just say that I've been an infantriman for a little while and I'll admit that BUD training is very hard, but from a PURE PHYSICAL ASPECT, Spetsnaz is probably the hardest and the training can last up to five years. In both Iraq and Afghanistan, I've worked with Seals and Special Forces, and trust me, the Rambo aura people have about them is just what it is - an aura. They're highly trained individuals that can undertake very dificult missions that conventional force can't, but they're no supermen.
   
   The British has among the finest and most elite special operations forces in the World, the SAS and SBS. They set the standard for special operations. And don't even start with the Israelis. When it come to low intensity warfare, their troops and special forces are more combat experience dthan anybody in the World.
   
   Within the U.S armed Forces, the most elite special operations goup, Delta Force, is based on the SAS model. Delta has the lowest qualification rate than anybody in the U.S Armed Forces and Delta recruits from all branches of the military, including other special operations.
   
   I think that one of the reasons that people think that navy seal is the best is because of good PR. I mean navy seal is the most popular of all the U.S special operations. More movies and documentaries have been made about navy seal than any other group. When was the last time anybody has seen a documentary about Delta Force Training. Part of your statement is right though. There's really a mystic about Navy Seal, but that doesn't make them the best. Hell, no combat group has been more mystified and romanticied than the French Foreign Legion. It's really a great fighting force, but that doesn't make them the best.
   
   I don't want to take away anything from the frogmen, but people has to stop that better than anybody view they have of the Seal. They're exceptional soldiers with exceptional skills but the world doesn't revolve around them. They excel and fail just like everybody else.
   
   P.S: By the way, this was a great book. I truly enjoy it.



3. I've never served in the military, but I have great respect for those who follow that kind of life. I also have great interest in history, military strategy and tactics, and behavior in combat situations. I therefore checked out the following special-forces-related books from the library: Rogue Warrior, by Marcinko, Combat Swimmer, by Gormly, and Inside Delta Force, by Haney.
   
   Marcinko's book is a classic testosterone-driven, adolescent Hollywood adventure story. I mean that in a (mostly) good way. The author's focus is on himself, on his grand escapades, and his ability to destroy his enemies, whether at war or in the chain of command. It makes for a fun read, although I never knew how much Marcinko might be inflating his exploits.
   
   Gormly is in many ways the anti-Marcinko. Of course they knew each other, and Gormly goes into some detail about inheriting Marcinko's SEAL team and getting the house back in order. But more than that, Marcinko represents the unihibited ego, breaking all the rules and doing whatever he wants. Gormly is all about responsibility and chain of command. Don't get me wrong; he's not at all boring, but definitely comes off as a stiffer sort of character. I'd rather work for Gormly (more job security; less likely to get killed unexpectedly) but I'd rather have a beer with Marcinko (though too much of that, and you probably increase your chances of getting killed unexpectedly).
   
   Haney strikes somewhat of a balance. He's more individualistic than Gormly, but more disciplined than Marcinko. He's also the best writer of the three, with a good mix of gritty reality and genuine philosophical reflection. That's probably why I liked his book the best. Marcinko's book is a fun ride, like a blockbuster action movie, but in the end didn't leave me with much to think about. After reading Gormly's book, I admired the man a great deal but didn't particularly like him. Haney provides all the adventure but he's clearly more of a thinker than the other two, and I can imagine a long, fascinating evening's conversation over a bottle of scotch.
   
   I suspect that you would find all three types of individuals (and many more) in the military, and you probably need all of them to get the job done. All three memoirs are highly entertaining and quick reads. Which you prefer probably depends to some extent on your own personality.



4. The author receives command orders for Seal Team 6 after Marcinko is convicted for corruption. Gormly has to fix, but not neuter Marcinko's Seal Team 6 brain child and even go to combat with the team. Gormly is honest and straight-forward and does not pull punches-- he tells it like it is from Marcinko's recklessness to taking over a unit that was built on balls-to-the-wall audacity. He has to walk (and run) a straight and narrow line and tells that story very well. Excellent book and well written.



5. At first this was a bit of a tough one to get into. Gromly's style of writing is a matter of fact recitation of what he remembered happening. Although this is great from a factual standpoint for memoirs and history, this doesn't make for much of an engrossing read. In fact I was a little bored and wasn't caring about Gormly's account as a SEAL at all, just waiting to be done. But Gormly's memoir slowly grew on me and I am now a huge fan.
   
   One of the reasons I couldn't become as involved is because we don't see too much of how Gormly got into UDT and then the SEALs. He tells us briefly of some of what the training and testing he went through for UDT, but nothing to really show what the process was like, such as Haney's Delta experience in Inside Delta Force, or Marcinko and Pfarrer's accounts of their testing and training for SEALs (Rogue Warrior and Warrior Soul, respectively). In fact, there was absolutely none of the famously tough strength and endurance testing that the SEALs had to go through as Gormly was given a pass on the training and allowed straight in because of his UDT training.
   
   From there Gormly went straight into his Vietnam tours, which, arguably, he performed quite well. But again, his matter of fact way of telling a story (such as something like, we waded in and setup an ambush. We waited around a few hours and when nothing happened we called it a day and went back to base) didn't lend well. We never really quite got the feel for the excitement and rush that would invariably be there when moving into enemy territory to hunt something that could kill you just the same. Where this is a slight drawback to a potentially great story about his experience in Vietnam, it soon became his saving grace as you began to realize that Gormly is not embellishing his story to make for a better read and sell more books. He is stating it as it is and giving a true insight into the daily life of a SEAL in combat. We see more of this when Gormly was the CO of SEAL Team during Urgent Fury (Grenada).
   
   As a side note it is interesting seeing the two sides of a story between Marcinko and Gormly. Marcinko really disliked Gormly, and it wasn't until Gormly discovered Marcinko's political machinations against Gormly did he begin to realize that an old SEAL acquaintance from Vietnam and before was closer to an enemy than a friend. I tend to lend a lot more credit to Gormly's account because he did tell the story as it was, with no embellishing, whereas Marcinko's account was a rip roaring read that was probably embellished quite a bit, although certainly based on truth. Of course Marcinko going to prison doesn't help his story much, so Gormly's account of what really happened rings quite a bit closer to the truth.
   
   All in all I was very happy to have stuck through the slower beginning and come through with a much more balanced and enriching account of Navy SEAL commanding officer. We learn quite a bit about the formation of SEALs after its inception and to what it is today. I wish we would have seen more on the operational missions that the SEALs went through, really only seeing Vietnam and Agent Fury as the major action of the book, but the story is still nonetheless an informative read and one that any SEAL or military forces enthusiasts should considering reading. The only reason this isn't a 5 star is because it is a slow read. A would recommend.
   
   4 stars.