5 comments about The Jungle is Neutral: A Soldier's Two-Year Escape from the Japanese Army.

1. Some of the descriptions of survival & evasion in the jungle were incredible. The first half of the book had my interest more & then I think it tailed off in the second half. Worth reading.



2. This book could easily be overlooked as an outdated World War 2 yarn.
   For years "The Jungle is Neutral" was regarded as the Bible of jungle warfare training.
   For the 21st Century reader, it is an amazing,uplifting tale of the human spirit overcoming overwhelming odds.
   A must read for the professional soldier.



3. I had read a review on the "The Jungle is Neutral" over 30 years ago and finally found the opportunity to purchase and read the book. Book is written mostly as a chronicle of what happened to the author in what is now Malaysia during the Japanese occupation of WWII. It is an interesting read of that trying time and the author's nerve and tenacity (as well as a lot of luck) needed to survive in the "wild." Book is well-written but is often too interested in minutiae. Still, I enjoyed the read and the information conveyed.
   
   Tom



4. This book could have been an excellent five star book had it kept up the action at the pace from page 1 to page 100. Those pages should be given to every western military college and used as a briefing on insurgent warfare. In a two week period the author of this book and two fellow soldiers blew up eight Japanese locomotive trains, numerous trucks, and miles of rail road tracks. This commando team killed well over 500 Japanese Army soldiers and - perhaps - were much more effective against the IJA than the weak and ill led Allied armies that surrendered to Japan in early 1942. The trouble with this book is he author becomes a training instructor for the communists and other non-regular soldiers fighting the IJA (Imperial Japanese Army). So, the book becomes more involved with the day-to-day running of camp life from about page 130 until page 330. So, from mid 1942 until early 1945 this excellent soldier tells about training insurgents, living in a camp, putting up with illness, and there is lots of writing on eating.
   
   So, yes, I read this book. Is it worth it? Yes, he gives good leadership advise on conducting small unit leadership in a jungle type enviorment. The centralized location and ramdom attacks on enemy targets allows a very small group of soldiers to do massive damage to IJA operations. The bits on camp life and cooking get a little long. I'm not making this part up; on every three pages he will give a long description on a meal.
   
   Past page 330 the book gets wildly interesting again. Liberator bombers are used as long range supply drop transports and they are seen operating all over the SE Asia area. The author makes contact and starts living the normal life of a soldier. He admits that he missed the main parts of the war. While he initially helped hinder IJA in 1942 and trained insurgents in late '42 to early '45 it was the other allied soldiers who fought and won from Burma to Stalingrad. The author admits that he sort of wishes that he had been part of that action.
   
   But this is a fair war book and I'll give it a nice 3 star rating. It give insight into jungle operations and how to conduct insurgent actions.
   
   I hope you enjoy this good book.



5. Other reviews here are quite accurate. This is a quick, very interesting read about a British major who "willingly" remained in Japanese occupied Malaysia for 3 and 1/2 years -- despite being hunted by men, animals, and disease. This book is something along the lines of Lawrence of Arabia meets Heart of Darkness or Dispatches. The first 100 pages of this book will leave any guerrilla warfare junkie drooling. Having read various accounts of guerrilla warfare from Iraq, Afghanistan, Africa, and Pacific Islands -- this is a cut above. The best information this book provides is amazing detail about nighttime raiding and guerrilla camp organization. Che Guevara's diaries seem incoherent and lacking in comparison. The author is an amazing individual -- look him up on Wikipedia, he's written another dozen adventure books. However, the majority of this book is semi-tedious accounts of day-to-day life is the miserable jungle, being sick, diet, etc.
   
   If you're interesting in WWII, Malaysia, guerrilla warfare, or adventure stories along the lines of Shackleton -- this is a must read.

4 comments about Brotherhood of the Fin: A Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer's Story.

1. 
   
   Gerald Hoover's book is a outstanding work of non-fiction. As a retired Coast Guard rescue swimmer I'm very proud of the way he relives his career of rescues that were life and death struggles filled with heart-pounding action. ASM1 Hoover takes the reader on a journey into the depths of turbulent waters where a select few persons, who are the Brotherhood of the Fin, willingly enter to rescue those in peril. Furthermore, Hoover hits the nail on the head by emphasizing the team effort of the Coast Guard's highly trained professionals that are part of every rescue. I highly recommend this book and would make it a required read for any young man or woman who wants to pursue a career as a Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer.
   Darell Gelakoska
   ASMCM USCG (Ret)



2. This book is so well written. I have read many that are not as well thought out and reviewed by the writer; but this writer obviously really went over every detail and made sure it read well. The organization of the book is also one of the best. It seems a kind of beginning rather than just a focus on one career and eventual retirement. This should continue as a series covering many other AST Swimmer stories as well as how the experiences may affect and lead to improvements towards future more successful Search and Rescue Missions. This book also shows how vital and important the AST Rescue Swimmer program is since it's recent inception in the Coast Guard (only the last ~22 years). Now, countless people have been saved who could not have helped themselves into the rescue basket for hoist - who have gone on and had continued successful lives after their rescue. This is important to everyone - especially if you should need rescue one day....



3. What an excellent book. If you have ever wondered about the world of Coastguard Rescue Swimmers, this is a must-read.



4. Former Coast Guard rescue swimmer Gerald R. Hoover presents his own biography in Brotherhood of the Fin: A Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer's Story. Harrowing life-and-death decisions and endurance-testing rescue missions formed a part of his life and his dedication to saving those in desperate need. In his long career, he racked up more deployments than any other rescue swimmer in the history of the program; his final mission was to serve as part of the search and rescue mission to aid those victimized by the national disaster that was Hurricane Katrina. An absorbing, straight-talk tale of real life adventure and heroically selfless dedication.

4 comments about Command Of Honor: General Lucian Truscott's Path to Victory in World War II.

1. Although Lucian Truscott, as someone who rose to army command in World War II, is a person worthy of a good biography, this one is not it. It practically defines the word "lightweight." It is unsourced and, if the bibliography is any indication, poorly researched. Unpublished primary sources seem to have been used minimally. Large sections of the book seem to be based on nothing other than Truscott's own memoirs. The text also contains numerous "space filler" diversions irrelevant to the subject and typical of authors trying to pad the length of a book.
   
   Needless to say, there is little in the way of incisive analysis or critical examination.
   
   I don't really see an audience to whom I can recommend this book.



2. Little known today, Lucian K. Truscott, Jr. first joined the Army as a second lieutenant in 1917 through a war emergency program that supposedly turned raw civilians into officers for the expanding WW I AEF in just three months. Truscott was not sent into combat but performed so well as a "90 day wonder" that he was accepted as a professional soldier after hostilities ended. He went on to become one of the most effective and successful combat commanders in the US Army in World War II, ending the war as a lieutenant general and army commander
   
   In 1942 Truscott successfully commanded one of the three forces invading N. Africa. Later he took over the Third Infantry Division and led it to a brilliant combat record in Sicily, the invasion of Italy at Salerno and at Anzio. Truscott replaced Gen. Lucas as commander of VI Corps after the initial disasters at Anzio, and commanded the successful breakout and drive to Rome. He also commanded the Corps in the successful Allied invasion and clearance of southern France. Truscott then returned to Italy as head of Fifth Army and led that "forgotten army" successfully in the hard fighting from December 1944 to the end of the war. After the war he served for several years as a very senior officer of the newly fledged CIA. In 1954 he received a fourth star. He died in 1965.
   
   Despiite Truscott's brilliant combat record, arguably the best among US senior commanders in the European theater, he has apparently never been the subject of a good biography. This book is not it.
   
   The bulk of the book is about Truscott's WW II service. Yet it contains no maps of any kind. This alone is a fatal flaw in a military biography. In addition to the problems noted by the previous reviewer, The book fails to provide any useful discussion of Truscott's actual command methods and his tactical direction of the units that he led. The author does relate some basic facts about Truscott and his personal characteristics, mostly culled from a handful of secondary sources, but fails to provide real insight into the unusual success of this commander. In addition the writing style is lackluster and occasionally sloppy (e. g. he describes Mussolini as an officer who dabbled in politics when in fact Mussolini was a lifelong politician, never an officer and even fled to Switzerland to avoid military service, although he did serve briefly after Italy entered WW I and reached the rank of corporal). Truscott deserves much better than this.



3. I agree completely with the comments of the two previous reviewers, but would like to record some additional observations.
   
   Jeffers appears to have done little original research for his biography. Most of the book draws heavily from Truscott's two memoirs, "Command Missions" and "Twilight of the US Cavalry," and the author lists secondary sources almost exclusively in his short biography. The only primary sources other than the memoirs that he has utilized to any extent appear to be the diaries of his wartime aides and the wartime letters of Truscott to his wife, both located in the Truscott Papers at the George C. Marshall Research Library in Lexington, VA. Jeffers apparently never visited the National Archives or the US Army Military History Institute, where abundant primary source materials pertaining to Truscott's career may be found. He also apparently never interviewed Truscott' son, James, or his grandson, Lucian IV. Further, Jeffers did not attempt to obtain a copy of or review Truscott's Official Military Personnel File located in the National Personnel Records Center, nor did he attempt to obtain from the CIA under provisions of the FOIA records of Truscott's eight-year career with that agency or attempt to contact any CIA operatives with whom Truscott worked.
   
   There are many errors throughout the book. A few examples follow:
   
   1. Jeffers avers that Truscott, as Allen Dulles's deputy, was directly involved in the overthrow of Iranian Premier Mohammad Mossadegh and Guatemalan President Jacobo Arbenz. My review of the heavily redacted materials I received from the CIA reveals no evidence of Truscott's involvement in the Iranian operation and only very peripheral involvement in the Guatemalan operation. In fact, Truscott never served as Deputy Director of the CIA, as Jeffers's account seems to suggest, but as the Deputy Director for Coordination, a position with considerably less power and influence. Brig. Gen. Charles Cabell served as Dulles's deputy director.
   
   2. Jeffers implies that there was a close relationship beteen Dulles and Truscott. Thomas Polgar, a retired CIA operative who worked closely with Truscott in Germany, informed me that Dulles was reluctant to assign Truscott to any position of responsibility within CIA headquarters in Washington after the latter's return from Germany, and relented only after pressure from President Eisenhower to name Truscott as Deputy Director for Coordination.
   
   3. Jeffers alleges that Truscott spent his early retirement years playing golf at various courses in the vicinity of his home near Leesburg, VA. Truscott's son, James, told me that to the best of his knowledge, his father "never had a golf club in his hands" during his lifetime.
   
   4. Jeffers states that Truscott was brought out of retirement and served for a year, 1948-1949, as chairman of the Army Advisory Panel for Amphibious Operations at Fort Monroe (283). In fact, Truscott served in that capacity slightly less than three months, Nov. 3, 1948-Feb. 1, 1949.
   
   I agree that General Truscott's career deserves to be recounted, but Mr. Jeffers's effort abysmally fails in that attempt. I cannot recommend this book to any reader interested in a factual account of Truscott's life and career.



4. "COMMAND of HONOR" could not have been more appropriately nor accurately TITLED.
   This book SHOULD BE A MUST READ by anyone who holds themselves to be a serious, honest and truly informed student of MILITARY HISTORY, certainly, BUT ALSO by those who seek insights into the very soul of a TRUE WARRIOR-HUMAN BEING- ALWAYS- and LEADER of Armies. It is a true, indescribably so, and candid insight into the heart and mind of a RARE and GREAT LEADER of men who NEVER lost his focus on a NOBLE GOAL nor the VALUE or UNSHAKABLE understanding and belief in, the NOBILITY of MANKIND, be he soldier or simply private citizen.
   
   General Truscott stands 2nd to NO GENERAL, certainly of WWII, if not, indeed of any conflict. His genius NEVER clouded this great man's overwhelming and sincere humility, regardless the heights of responsibility to which such genius brought to him. He surly was at least the equal, if not the singular superior General of the Allies and even the Axis forces of that WAR. Others so passionately sought GLORY, HONOR and ACCOLADES as they exercised their Military prowess but Truscott sought NONE of that; he just focused on bringing the horror of WAR to an end as quickly as possible with the least loss of human life.
   
   I can't recall EVER, being able to recommend as 'MUST READING' of a book for every person who values honor, integrity, unshakable courage, humility, honesty and enviable character, along with superior gifts of GENIUS! This is so much more than a book of MILITARY HISTORY; it is a REMARKABLE study of a truly GREAT HUMAN BEING who can stand as a model for all to emulate.
   
   Jim Girzone

4 comments about U-Boat Ace: The Story of Wolfgang Luth (Bluejacket Books).

1. I have read this book and it is an excellently done story on Kapitan zur See, Wolfgang Luth. This man Took charge of the Uboat U 181 and had an excellent crew serving with him. This book is almost as good as "Shooting The War" by Otto Giese. It held my attention which was fully rivited to the pages as I read them, as Otto Giese's book did to me. This book is THAT well done, and I will buy several extra copies of it to send to all 8 of the surviving U 181 vets. Its a shame that Otto Giese, U 181's 2nd Watch officer under Luth, recently passed away as well as three other U 181 comrades. The living members of U 181 will absolutely love this book and will think of it as a work of art. As I do have the priviledge of knowing all the surviving vets, I know they will enjoy adding a copy of this book to their libraries as they have done so with Otto Giese's book. Soon to be another book on U 181 by vet/friend, Bernhard Trenn.



2. This book is a great read. The writing style is concise, and it makes it easy to get involved with a facinating (and true) story. Wolfgang Luth went on long range patrols to Southern Africa, notched up many sinkings, and was popular with his men. What comes across with this book is the personality of Wolfgang Luth himself. He didn't have a large ego, and is not as well known as other U-boat aces, but through this book seems far more interesting than the others U Boat Captains, and was more successful. He could be laid back with his men, other times encouraging them to get married, or poke fun at himself, was utterly fearless, and other times shot hundreds of shells into ships without reason. The book makes one consider the morality of his actions, and yet also gives a front row seat to an interesting U Boat career, and tragic end. This is a good book.



3. another u-boat captain book,Luth's u-boat survival of the war depended a great deal on his skill,but there are instances here where you realize there was some luck involved as well. An even better source of luck was that he was assigned a section of the south Atlantic,and African waters where his prey was not often as heavily protected as was were convoys in the North Atlantic.Luth's patrols were mainly "lone wolf" type guerilla attacks on isolated cargo ships,not the suicidal wolfpack attacks that were sure to bring on lots of task force boats.You can't help but draw from the book that the thirty year Luth was a by-product of the post WW1 Versailles Treaty outrage against Germany.His resentment as well as his crew run deep,methodically shinking ships like shooting mechanical ducks at a carnival.Not deliberately cruel but with a firm belief that it's either "us or them".When reading this book it would help to have a little knowledge of the "War Reparations"clause in the Versailles treaty,it would make for boring reading but,it will make the Luth story more enriching.



4. Uboat Ace is a excellent book on Submarine warfare in WWII. While you may not like Wolfganf Luff as an Individual one has to admit he was a great leader and example to his men. Found the book interesting and an easy read. Anyone interested in Uboat warefare will enjoy it..

5 comments about Cochrane: The Real Master and Commander.

1. I think I am correct in saying that I have read all of the biographies of Thomas, Lord Cochrane, published in the last few decades, and I would rate this volume as the being the best of all, giving good coverage of all phases of Cochrane's long naval and political careers. Unlike some authors, Cordingly is careful to match Cochrane's own accounts of his activities against other primary sources, and to give equal balance to Cochrane's activities in the wars for South American independence with those during the Napoleonic Wars.
   
   Cochrane was an extraordinary man, his genuine history perhaps more amazing than any of the fiction inspired by his real-world activities, this is a biography that does him justice, lauding his good qualities and achievements without hiding his flaws and failures.



2. A great story and a great read about a great commander by my new favorite author, Thank You, Sir. I am going to order "Billy Ruffian".



3. As a die hard Patrick O'Brian fan and an amateur history buff this book was intriguing to me. It is very well written and presents the life story of an amazing British Navy hero not well known today.
   
   David Cordingly does a superb job presenting the real life exploits of Cochrane, which incredibly are every bit as extraordinary as the fictional exploits of Captain Jack Aubrey in the Patrick O'Brian Master and Commander series.
   
   I highly recommend it.



4. Many readers will come to David Cordingly's The Real Master and Commander from a desire as fans of Patrick O'Brian and C.S. Forester to learn more about the remarkable man whose life provided the raw material for the tales of Jack Aubrey and Horatio Hornblower. Make no mistake, however, Cordingly's excellent historical biography deserves to be read on its own merits.
   
   Lord Thomas Cochrane executed such stunningly audacious feats - successfully attacking much larger ships with his small sloop Speedy, leading an attack of fireships on the French fleet at Basque Roads, and helping Chile and Brazil establish their independence - that one might cry `what pitiful stuff' if one read it in a work of historical fiction. But it really happened.
   
   Cochrane was a flawed man who could not restrain himself from reckless attacks on powerful forces in the navy and the government generally. When he found himself entangled in an infamous stock exchange fraud (the leaders spread false rumors that Napoleon had died and then sold their shares when the market predictably spiked), he discovered that powerful men were only too happy to see him convicted and drummed out of the navy. Cordingly judiciously sifts the evidence of Cochrane's guilt or innocence from our vantage point nearly 200 years later.
   
   In addition to his naval feats Cochrane also fought for reform causes as a member of parliament. His intemperate tactics and language did him little good. Of course, he was quite right in insisting that either the electoral system would be reformed from within or reformed with a vengeance from without.
   
   After several years in the `wilderness', Cochrane sailed to South America and successfully aided the rebellion against Spain and Portugal. He eventually wore out his welcome there as well, in part due to fights over prize money. From there he went to the Greek Fiasco, as Cordingly aptly names it. He spent his remaining years fighting with some success to restore honor to his name. A sad dwindling away for this remarkable man.
   
   A must read for fans of Age of Sail historical fiction and an excellent histroical biography.



5. Amazon.com has many comments already which praise the quality of this history of Cochrane. I thought it was good, also, and was impressed by how hard the author tried to present different viewpoints of some controversial circumstances in his life. I don't think I need to add anything to what has been written about the book's appeal to those with an interest in the age of fighting sail. I did not like the recording on the MP3 version, however, because of the length of each chapter. Tracks ranged from 20-35 minutes or so in length rather than most audio books that break up the tracks into 5-10 minute sections. Since I listen to audio books on the treadmill and am normally on the treadmill 35-50 minutes, I was always in the middle of a track when I quit and had to repeat that entire track the next day to hear the end of it. It was annoying as it is the only audio book I have that was done like this. The quality of the reading, the consistency in volume between tracks, and the clarity of the recording were excellent, however.

5 comments about Secrets Of A Gay Marine Porn Star.

1. I had the honor of meeting Rich Merritt back in April 2007 when I attended a conference in New York and found him to be so honest as he is in this book. I had the pleasure of talking with him for my podcast as well - Ramble Redhead and he talked about his family, his experience in the Marines, his porn career and so much more. The interview showed a man who was willing to face his demons and be able to move on in a positive manner.
   
   This book is so amazing and I am so honored to have been able to meet this great author and hope you will read the book!



2. I was spell-bound. To be from the same city, with much of the same background, it was like looking in the mirror. The first 125 pages or so are my story too. When I meet someone, I always want to know things like "when did you KNOW" and "how did you come out." This book answers those questions and many more, so by the time you hit the back cover, you really feel like you are a comfortable old friend of Rich Merritt! Cudos, Rich!



3. This is the book that psycho stalker "jonahcruise" wishes he had the talent to write. Except that his porn star aspirations went limp & according to the men he "served" with, he wasn't a real Marine, either. Even outted himself to keep from being deployed... how patriotic. All he's left with now is selling his aging bod to strangers & selling his fan fiction to tabloids. Pathetic sod. Unlike Merritt, whose story makes a good read & is actually true & verifiable by many.



4. Secrets of a Gay Marine Porn Star delved deeply into the heart, soul and mind of a young man who was a student at Bob Jones University, which rejected anything remotely known to have homosexual overtones. Mr. Merritt tells of his stint as a U.S. Marine, his times as a gay porn star, and how he came to reconicle himself in this crazy world of ours. It doesn't matter what you do, but who you are that counts.



5. Having grown up in the south s a gay man myself, this book hit closer to home than any other I had read on the subject in years. Rich's descriptions of family life, church life, mindsets, and beliefs is dead on. And unless a person has grown up in the Bible Belt, it's almost impossible to really describe it to them in full detail and help them understand the feelings a gay man can develop in that region. It's refreshing to see someone be so honest and real, even about his own denial and gut-wrenching struggles with sexuality, drug use, promiscuity, and faith.

5 comments about Biggest Brother: The Life Of Major Dick Winters, The Man Who Led The Band of Brothers.

1. Just a great book. You will not be disapointed. Even if you saw the series 5 times you will STILL enjoy this book.



2. Major Winters is that guy. He's that guy that just seems to do the right things at the right time. His gifts may not have been so recognized if he hadn't gone to war for us. This is a great follow on the the Band of Brothers providing additional insights of Easy and their road to HBO. As well, I think this book does well by dispelling any rumors of Ambrose taking advantage of Easy. WInters and Ambrose had a good working relationship.
   Winters is a role model to be stood up. Good book.



3. The Biggest Brother of Them All - the biography of Major Dick Winters whose life as well as those of the men in "E" (Easy)Company was made famous with the HBO Series Band of Brothers - fills in a lot of areas that neither the series nor Stephen Ambrose's book touches on. It is a great bio for those who admire Major Winters and want to learn more about him and the war from his perspective.Biggest Brother: The Life Of Major Dick Winters, The Man Who Led The Band of Brothers



4. After reading becoming familiar with Major Richard "Dick" Winters through the HVO miniseries Band of Brothers when I stumbled across this book it was a must read. What I found is that this what that while Band of the Brothers, the mini-series, as well as the book by Stephen Ambrose, chronicle Easy Company as a whole, and paint a picture of Winters as Leader, Biggest Brother gives a give us so much more. And more than advertised, Biggest Brother gives lessons on leadership that are applicable to any and everyone in a position of leadership.
   Winters' abnormal ascent through the ranks during WW2 had everything to do with the type of combat leader he was and the respect he had among his subordinates and his superiors. He not only earned respect during the war but also long after his career in the army was over those who came in contact with the man were drawn to him.
   While possessing natural qualities of leadership this book also shows a Lieutenant who was dedicated to fashioning himself as a leader. At one point during the war spending time alone reflecting on everything he could do become a better leader.
   From inspiring a mutiny against a superior officer, which he was 100 percent opposed to, Winters' was a leader who men wanted to follow. First out the door when it came time for the invasion of Normandy and assuming command on day one after his commanding officers' plane went down Winters led the men of Easy Company the majority of the war.
   This book not only covers Winters life in the army but spends just enough time on his civilian life prior to and after the war for the reader to get a better understanding of why he excelled in the Army, and how he was a driving force years after WW2 in getting the story of Easy Company told.



5. This is a great account of an amazing man's life. Even if not familiar with the Band of Brothers, Major Winter's will earn your respect after reading this book.

5 comments about Snake Pilot: Flying the Cobra Attack Helicopter in Vietnam.

1. This book would make a great movie.... The way it is written makes you feel like you are out there with him... I believe I've read about every book written about the war and this is one of my favorites. The Author has a very good way of telling a story of a small group of young men doing a job that not many people could accomplish in a war zone.



2. Sure, everyone's going to hate me when they read this, but maybe I'll save someone like me from reading this. After reading Low Level Hell by Hugh Mills (couldn't put it down!), I thought I had to read Snake Pilot. Now I know that I could've skipped it. I am sure that war is hell to go through, that people miss their families, that the Army doesn't always take care of their own, etc, etc. Having said that, this account is really a lot more about having a lame time in Vietnam than "Flying the Cobra Attack Helicopter in Vietnam". I was really looking for more operational info, mission sorties, weapon load outs, hair raising tales, things like that. The author seemed to overlook most of that though. Maybe he was trying to spare the casual reader the technical mumbo-jumbo, and make it more about his personal demons. Just not what I wanted to read about though.



3. Talk about "Take me back!" Randy Zahn did just that. What a memory! The heat, the killing of friends and the enemy, incoming and the showers, it's all there! I was there three years earlier than Randy, but I met his persona every day, 19 years of age, but much more mature. The soldiers aged ten years in one month in the "Nam." Great read, thanks for baring your sole Randy.
   
   Richard L. Snider, M.D., author of Delta Six, Soldier Surgeon



4. I flew Hueys in Nam in 1968, mostly in the 4 corps area. The book brought back a lot of memories.



5. Just finished Randy's book and must say it didn't disappoint. He tells an in-depth story of his time in South Vietnam as well as some brief "visits" flying into Cambodia. It's obvious from his writing he has a deep devotion to his country and love of those he fought with. As a reader i was drawn into his world and immediately identified with him and his fellow aviators. He describes day-to-day life there and all his feelings at the time with the help of letters and recordings he made for family members. His accomplishments are all the more incredible when i thought about how young he was. I have much admiration and respect for Randy and appreciation for his service. I would recommend this book as a great first person narrative of a great American fighting a very difficult war.

5 comments about Cold Zero: Inside the FBI Hostage Rescue Team.

1. This book was awesome, and the whole time I was reading it, I felt as though I was journeying right along beside Chris. A definite must-read.



2. I met Chris recently at a college reunion. I had not known him in college, but when I saw that someone from our small rural liberal arts college would discuss being on the FBI Hostage Rescue Team and more, I was intrigued. His tales were intriguing and I ordered up the book. Better still! For clearly this is a product of much thought, of much living even, and here is someone who feels like one of us doing things quite amazing, exciting, frightening, and sometimes very deflating. His prose is great, sometimes poetic. He weaves a tale in a wonderful way...as when his tale of his first killing, a New Hampshire deer, shifts brilliantly into a key moment in his role as a sniper. His reflectiveness is what grabbed me, as he has much depth of thought to add to some stark tales. I have read this book while walking, late into the night, and when I really should have been doing other things. And this despite some clear breaks between parts of the book. A rare gem. Wish I had known Chris better in college!



3. A close-up look at the FBI's Hostage Rescue Team.
   
   Whitcomb takes you through the FBI Academy, New Operator Training School and the U.S. Marine Corps Scout/Sniper School. Since his background was not miliary/law enforcement, he presents an interesting perspective on the training and day-to-day life of one of the more elite units in U.S. law enforcement.
   
   A significant portion of the book is dedicated to Ruby Ridge & Waco, two pivotal events in Whitcomb's career and the FBI in general. It appears the FBI learned some hard lessons at both of these events and is a better organization now. I did not get the sense that Whitcomb or his peers fully grasped what was wrong with the FBI in the first place. His laundry list of "stuff" he had in his firing position at Waco (300 yards from the compound) should have been a red flag; grenades, two Browning pistols, CAR-16, Remington 700, Barrett .50 cal, M60 machine gun, .223 cal Squad Automatic Weapon. That is serious firepower and should not be necessary for a law enforcement operation.
   
   Overall a great book that does credit to the FBI and the author.



4. The author talks about his career as an FBI agent and his successful entry into the HRT (Hostage Rescue Team). The author is sincere and gives great detail on FBI missions. He also discusses how the FBI's HRT handles missions not quite military, but too intense for law enforcement. Very good book and well written.



5. Well here it is folks. Cold Zero recounts Whitcomb's time as a HRT sniper.. during Ruby Ridge and Waco. It is tough for me to give a rating on this book, as the Ruby Ridge case has certain facts that do not mesh with this book. Some of you readers will say "You were not there, who are you to judge?" or "Try walking a day in their boots". Others, " this is one of the snipers , who despite training around the clock, shot a woman in the face at two hundred yards... while she was holding a baby( NOT Whitcomb, his comrade, Lon Tomohisa Horiuchi)". Whitcomb uses the old "we followed orders, and we protect Americans" lines to justify not standing up to outright evil actions of his FBI. If you enjoy reading Federal agency books, you may like this. If you want lame excuses why one of the best trained snipers in the US screwed up BIG time, you might enjoy this one. Caveat Emptor!

3 comments about No Picnic on Mount Kenya: A Daring Escape, A Perilous Climb.

1. An entertaining story. It's hard to imagine escaping from an interment camp simply to climb a mountain, planning to return to camp afterwards! And it is even harder to imagine planning such a climb with the sparse resources available.



2. An extremely well-written book, especially considering the author was not writing in his native language. A crazy idea about climbing a mountain by 3 novices; crazier still under the circumstances of escaping from a POW camp with the intention of returning. I bought the book after having read the story in National Geographic "Adventure" of 2 experienced & well-outfitted mountaineers who re-traced their steps. The original is better!



3. The best thing about the book is that it is believable. With that being said, it's just not real compelling.