2 comments about Inside the Battle of the Bulge: A Private Comes of Age.

1. "Inside The Battle Of The Bulge", by Roscoe C. Blunt, Jr. Westport, CT, Praeger, 1994.

   If you are looking for a book that tells the story of the Battle of the Bulge, (Dec, 1944), without listing a lot of movements of this numbered division against that Panzer group, and if you are looking for a more personal and human history of the battle, then Private Blount's memoirs are for you. The sub-title of this book is, "A Private Comes Of Age". The author traces not only his march across Europe, from the logistical landing at Normandy (after the battle) up to the 84th Infantry Division's reaching the Elbe River, but also the lessons he learned about man's inhumanity to man. He grew up in the European campaign.

   Unlike similar personal history books, the author presents an extra added attraction: records of the reactions of German soldiers and civilians. Young Blount had learned German in high school, so this personal memoir, written from notes he had made fifty years ago, is filled with comments from German soldiers and civilians. For example, there are some entertaining memories such as a short and chubby German woman who berated the advancing American troops, until Blount smacked her on the behind with the stock of his M-1. On the serious side, Private Blount describes in vivid detail the wounds suffered by both American and German soldiers, and how it was possible to become insensitive to such suffering. His description, however, of the concentration camp victims at "Nord Stalag III, Ohrdruf, is heart rending, on pages 173-174.

   The author pulls no punches in describing the officers of the American army. In fact, his account of some incidents, such as the lieutenant being awarded a Bronze Star, while not even mentioning the efforts of Pvt. Blount in destroying an enemy tank , makes you wonder if the country should shut down West Point. Further, his narrative of his court martial for fraternization with the Germans (since he was able to speak German) makes you wonder about the commonsense of some of the officers of the time.

   Over the last fifty or so years, Roscoe Blount has been "an award winning investigative journalist", (according to the back flap of the book cover), so the writing in this book is excellent. I would recommend this book to any one seeking a glimpse of how it was in the American army in Europe during the last crucial year of the war.




2. Inside the Battle of the Bulge is a must read for any one interested in personal accounts of WWII veterans. Blunt provides an honest first hand account of his days as a front line soldier fighting in the final months of the war. His recollections are vivid and touching. He is able to relate relative highs and unimaginable lows in a very, very impressive fashion. His accounts of passing through Belgian cities once occupied by Nazi forces are breathtaking. His memoirs of passing through the Nazi deathcamps is gut wrenching. This is really just a terrific read of a momentous and historical event.

5 comments about One Man's War: The WWII Saga of Tommy LaMore.

1. One Man's War is the gripping and harrowing memoir of Tommy Lamore, who served in the Army Air Corps during WWII. The bright-eyed kid from Waco, Texas, who had always dreamed of being a flier, soon learned that war is not just guts and glory. As a B17 tailgunner flying bombing missions over Europe, Lamore experienced the nerve-shattering onslaught of noise and violent motion, the sustained panic of a man fighting for survival against skilful foes and just plain bad luck.

   The accounts of these battle scenes expertly evoke the sights and sounds of air battle. Flak barrages, numbing cold, hurtling fighter planes trying to shoot Lamore out of the sky; it really feels that personal. We feel the relief of the arrival of American air cover, we are heartened by the sight of safe haven, and we are awed by the courage it took to fight off the sheer exhaustion and fear, just to get back up in the air and do it all again.

   When Lamore's plane was downed by a freak accident over France, he was sheltered by local people, evaded Nazi search parties and was recruited by the French Resistance. His training in munitions made him valuable in sabotage operations, and for a while he lived an dangerous and exciting undercover life.

   His sudden betrayal to the Gestapo led him to the hell-on-earth of the Nazi prison camps. The physical and psychological tortures and a dipththeria epidemic took their toll, but Lamore survived with his spirit intact, finally escaping from a death-camp on the German-Polish border. Luckily, he encountered the advancing Russian Army, and joined them as they pushed the Germans back towards Berlin. He found he was traveling with a Mongolian Terror-Troop unit. It is not often that Americans can read of the Russians' contribution to winning the war, let alone the Mongolians', and these passages are memorable. I found myself wondering what it was that made Mongolian fighting methods seem even more barbaric than the Europeans'. Was it just the context of European soil? Or some holdover from the 'chivalry' of classic European-style warfare? Were they more likely to kill you than any other soldier? Whatever it was, they scared the hell out of the Germans.

   One Man's War contains another unique twist - a love story in the midst of horror. The Russian unit liberates a women's prison camp, where unspeakable crimes have been committed. Among the freed prisoners is a Polish woman, Rosa, who speaks English. She and Lamore fall in love, comforting and healing each other as they continue onwards with the Mongolian unit.

   Eventually, the cease-fire is announced and Lamore makes contact with British troops. He and his beloved Rosa make their way to Paris, where Lamore's dream of bringing her to the States is dashed. Rosa knows she must return to Poland to find her family. Lamore has to let her go, with just a ring to remember her by.

   The final episode in the book is also the final straw. Lamore is ordered to return to the death camp from which he escaped, to help the Red Cross document the slaughter that happened there shortly after Lamore's got away. The sight and smell of the place, the memories and nightmares it evokes, push Lamore over the edge into deep despair and fatigue, and he is shipped back to the States.

   The sad, but essential, message of this superb story is the horrific toll that war takes, even on the victors. Here, in this book, we witness the worst depravities of which we are capable, the despair and the clawing fear, the paralyzing exhaustion. But also, the hope that even in the midst of the hell we create for ourselves, there is redemption in love, even if only for a while. Lamore was deeply affected, as any sane person would be, by his experiences, but around his neck until he died in 1997 hung the ring that Rosa gave him in Paris.

   One Man's War is a finely-written book. Congratulations to Dan A. Baker for capturing Tommy Lamore's unique story so brilliantly, and bringing it so vividly to life.




2. Smack dab in the middle of a great, true, WWII story of yearning, fulfillment, capture and escape is a great love story worthy of a poet's description. This book will put you on a roller coaster ride that you will not soon forget; one of the best books I have read this year !



3. I listened to this book as an unabridged book on CD and it was just an excellent true story. It follows Tommy from his youth in Texas, through joining the army air force because patriotism and a love of flying when the war broke out, going to England, then being shot down over France in his B-17, joining the French resistance, being betrayed to the Germans by a French traitor on the eve of his return to England, being sentenced to death as a spy by the Germans, at the last minute being sent to a POW camp instead, then more camps as he was moved further ever more east, then his escape, then joining with a Russian army unit attacking from the East, seeing the Mongolian terror troops the Russians were using the scare the hell out of even the SS, meeting and falling in love with the beautiful Rosa when the Russians captured the concentration camp she was being held in, finally the end of the war, return to France with his beloved Rosa with the intent to take her back to Texas and then a surprise ending that just kicks the wind out of you because you think it's building up to a big happy ending. Reality is not like that.

   A fantastic read (or listen) and it's all true.

   By the way, the beautiful girl Tommy fell in love with, Rosa, was a Polish girl, not a Russian like the Amazon book rview says. To call her a Russian in light of what happens at the end of the book is an outrageous error.




4. I am currently almost halfway through this audiobook and don't like it. I tried to like it during the first hour or two but cannot - I hate it. I would stop listening to the book but my nondiscriminating son is fascinated by it. I would love to introduce him to *good* WWII stories, such as We Die Alone, Currahee or Roll Me Over but they are not available in audiobooks or not appropriate for his age.
   
   My chief complaint about the book is the overly dramatic viewpoint. Instead of writing about action and doing more research to put perspective on the action, the author is too caught up with his emotions and thoughts. This makes it a very boring read (well, okay, "listen" in my case).
   
   I get bored and cynical during the author's soliloquies and just find them annoying. It is maddening when he writes about what he reads in peoples' eyes or deep in their "being." Please!
   
   I was hoping for a read similar to Currahee but it seemed like forever for the action to get started. Also, too much of the book is devoted to the author's early life in Texas. If you buy this book, I suggest you rip out the first two chapters. Boring, boring, boring. (Not the author's fault - I blame the editor.)
   
   I would have given it 1 star but for great respect I have for WWII veterans. If you are looking for a great WWII read try the books mentioned above.



5. I'm happy that this man had the courage to tell his story from his viewpoint of that awful war.

5 comments about This Man's Army: A Soldier's Story from the Frontlines of the War on Terrorism.

1. I have read my fair share of combat books over the years so I think I have a good base from which to judge this book on. Of all the books I have read in this category this book by far and away has the least amount of combat. There was a total of about two and a half pages of combat, which amounted to this soldier and a number of others shooting one terrorist taken by surprise. The rest of the 220 plus pages is filler and fluff. This was a significant disappointment for me due to the few books out that cover the military activities in Afghanistan. I was excited to find this book, but the more I read the less pleased I became.
   
   What the reader does get is a brief biography about this particular soldier, a review of basic training, and life at a military base in Kuwait. The author did not even get into Afghanistan until just over half way into the book. And then basically all we get to read about is the author walking around and blowing up old weapons. There is very little excitement in the book. The one thing I do give the author credit for is he a good author. Even though the subject matter was no more exciting then the average white collar office job, he wrote in an engaging and interesting fashion. It made reading about his rather mundane military existence a little bit better.
   
   Overall I found the book to be a bit run of the mill. There was almost no action nor a good overview of any part of the Afghanistan operation. The limited amounts of excitement were somewhat muted given the lack of near death danger that one might be looking for with a book such as this. The author saved himself with the high quality of his writing. Even though the book does not cover much exciting, the author made it entertaining and easy to read. I hope there are better books out there on the Afghanistan campaign, certainly this is not one that will be remembered very long.



2. I thought this book written by Andrew Exum a Ranger in the US army is a great book for people with all interests. It tells of the life of a soldier in the war against terrorism and the experiences that one lives through or may not live thorugh. No matter what your liking you will enjoy this book and the great simplistic reality of the book as you read it. This book is one of a few of its kind and should with out a doubt be read. I give this book two-thumbs up and would read it agian without a fuss at all.



3. Andrew Exum enlisted in the Army thinking that military service would be a good way to pay for his education at the University of Pennsylvania as well as serve his country in peacetime. He thought that he would likely serve in peacekeeping duties in Europe or perhaps Africa, but not actually see combat. There was value, in his mind, of Army service even in the peacetime. He had enlisted in the Army ROTC as a student and became an officer in 2000. September 11 changed the nature of what his service would be.
   
   "This Man's Army" is Captain Exum's story of his time as a soldier. He details his reasons for enlisting, what sort of upbringing he had, and what his experience was in training and on the battlefield. Exum offers a fresh perspective of the life of an Army officer. While books like Anthony Swofford's "Jarhead" and Joel Turnipseed's "Baghdad Express" offer accounts of the modern day disillusioned soldier (both about Gulf War I), Captain Exum is a motivated leader of men who takes pride in his work, his platoon, and his Army. He does not blindly accept political rhetoric, and unlike many military men Exum is far from being a staunch Republican. He struggles to fit what he must do as a soldier with his beliefs as a Christian, but accepts that there are times that fighting for the greater good can supercede personal belief.
   
   Readers looking for a book filled with combat and blazing guns should look someplace else (perhaps Evan Wright's excellent "Generation Kill"). "This Man's Army" is the experience of Captain Andrew Exum, and while the nature of his service did include quite a bit of risk, stress, being shot at, and completing valuable missions in Afghanistan; there are not many gun battles or what would traditionally be thought of as "battlefield combat". Yet, "This Man's Army" is compulsively readable and was a book I did not want to put down. Exum's descriptions of his training, going through Ranger school, and his style (and experiences) of leadership is fascinating. While I am glad that Exum is out of harm's way now, I wish he was still able to serve in the Army because our military and our country needs more men of his character and apparent ability. He is the sort of man I want protecting our country.
   
   Captain Exum also gives an excellent description of how a soldier comes home and tries to adapt to a life where he does not have a rifle in his hand. How he has to adapt to paying for things again, fight the feeling that he is "entitled" to things because of his service, and just become a civilian again.
   
   Something else that I found very interesting was that if he wasn't injured (outside of combat), Exum would have been part of the mission which rescued Private Jessica Lynch. Having to watch that on television was a very difficult thing for Captain Exum, not the least of which because he was still in uniform.
   
   Overall I found "This Man's Army" to be an excellent account of Andrew Exum's time in the military and what one possible experience of a modern day soldier is. It isn't exactly what one might consider a traditional war memoir, but this is also a different kind of war. I would recommend this book without hesitation, just with the understanding that there is a very small amount of actual combat or field action.
   
   -Joe Sherry



4. A competently written if somewhat unexciting memoir of one man's brief deployment overseas. What should have been a decent magazine article is stretched uncomfortably into a 236 page paean to the greatness that is the author. In between the endlessly self aggrandizing descriptions of his physical prowess (aided by a fitness regime of constant chest beating), his innate leadership skills and naturally commanding respect from every soldier or superior he meets, the author manages to turn several months deployed in Afghanistan into a lengthy recitation of "Me, me, me and I".
   
   You know something is wrong when a page each is wasted respectively to his complaints on being debriefed after his (solitary) shooting, a Chaplin's attempt to console him, a reporter describing him as 24 (as opposed to 23) and even more pages are devoted to gloating over his cheating during later maneuvers in the National Training Center. His short stint in the military and shallow knowledge is exemplified by repeatedly referring to "nap-of-the-earth" flying as "map-of-the-earth".
   
   Similar yet much better reads are "My War" and "Jarhead".



5. If your expecting a "bangem shootem up" high intensity combat epic this book is not for you. Captain Andrew Exum(USA)instead
   gives a very human account of his road to Afganistan, in the wake of 9/11. He is suddenly transformed from a poetic Ivy Leaguer to a combat infantryman, in the famed 10th Mountain Division(Sen. Bob Dole's old unit). Using ROTC as a financial supplement like many average folk, Exum is faced with the unexpected and answers his countries call to duty as members of his family did generations past. He strives to be the best by surviving the Army's elite Ranger school. His exploits there are almost as grueling as his combat duty in Afganistan. The physical endurance due to the altitude of that mountainous country that he and the men he leads as they perform their duty is told in detail. The mission of demolition of Afgan caves is a tedious task as one doesn't know what lurks in and around them. Exum seems to be a very logical young soldier and even incorporates literary quotes from his college days. Talk about a clash of cultures! I am not sure if he is ever privey to high military intelligence of the war on terrorism as his unit seems to cover special forces operatives, a dirty kind of business none the less. Exum's book could have been titled "The Days In The Life Of A 21st Century American Soldier". He details a lot of the frustration of "the hurry up and wait" military mindset. Pranks and pure bordem set in as well as army life in general. All throughtout Exum has great affection and a sense of responsiblity to his men. He is not bigger than the whole picture and I find him humble in his writing even though he excelled in all of the Army's demands. Now get the book! I don't want to give anything else away :)

1 comments about Bloody Banners and Barefoot Boys: "A History of the 27th Regiment Alabama Infantry Csa" : The Civil War Memoirs and Diary Entries of J. P. Cannon M. D..

1. Precious insights and observations by an articulate diarist add much to the understanding of the common man's war.

No comments about Valor: A Gathering of Eagles.

5 comments about Saladin: The Politics of the Holy War (Canto original series).

1. This is a somewhat difficult book to work through, one that at times adapts a very scholastic tone. As an Anglo-American I found all of the Arab placenames and surnames a bit challenging, but that was expected. So I am certainly not criticizing the book on that count; you should just be aware that if you don't have extensive previous knowledge of the Arab world, this book will demand more concentration and time of you than most biographies. Now three points of criticism: First, I would like to see more background information as to the history of the crusades, and how Jerusalem and other territories in the Holy Land came to be under European rule. Even a few paragraphs would have been appreciated. Second, the writing style is a bit dull. I don't expect prose worthy of Thomas Wolfe from a biographer, but in some sections I felt like I was reading a doctoral thesis. Third, Lyons and Jackson wait until the very end to comment at length on the qualities and motivations of Saladin, and on his importance in the grand scheme of things. I think that such commentary should be injected more than they are throughout the book, as critical events unfold. And then the final analysis should wrap up on themes already developed. The greatest strength of this book is that it is written truly from an Arab perspective. The European viewpoint is represented, but I always felt like I was observing from within Egypt, or Syria, or Palestine. I did not feel like an envoy from the Vatican - on the outside looking in. This is an accomplishment for the authors. What I found most interesting about Saladin's life was the paradox he faced: to consolidate power within the Arab world he needed the legitimacy of being a true believer, fighting the infidels in the holy war. However, to effectively fight the Europeans he needed soldiers from throughout the Arab world. So you see him in the book alternating his attention between his external battles and his internal ones. Lyons and Jackson do a good job in providing the details of these struggles - the dates, the places, the people, the numbers. But somehow they don't effectively convey the big picture; they don't explain the significance of the events as they unfold. The authors might argue that it is best for the reader to decipher that for his or herself. But I think the best historical books offer an opinion, with which the reader is then free to agree, or disagree.



2. I picked up this book a while ago and only got around to reading it recently. It is an extremely serious piece of scholarship, well-researched and thoroughly documented; this is no glossed-over wannabe history treatise.

   I could detail its strengths and weaknesses but I believe the previous reader has provided a fairly thorough analysis. It is no easy read and is made, in my opinion, made tortuously difficult by two unnecessary things: (1) The publisher's stubborn insistence on not providing comprehensible maps that illustrate the campaigns being discussed throughout the book and (2) the disregard of the difficulty that Arab names pose for most Western readers.

   I hope first that there will be future editions of this book for it is a very worthy effort and, I think, probably the final say on the topic for years to come. Secondly, I hope those editions will be more user-friendly -- including clear maps (showing rivers, marshes, mountain ranges, deserts, combatant positions, itineraries, etc., etc.) throughout the chapters, providing an Appendix detailing who the different players are, family trees for the major players and, perhaps, more sprinklings through the text as to who people are.




3. In Malcomb Cameron Lyons and D.E.P. Jackson's "Saladin: Politics of the Holy War", the fact that Saladin was one of the greatest-known figures of the Middle Ages is proved very easily. This is true, various events proving it. An example of one was his attempt to unify the Muslims. In addition to that, he was a great military leader and at the same time a wonderful politician. The authors make great use of the many documents and letters collected of the Arabs. The sources are used very often and are quoted from. I think the Arabic sources were one of the greatest features of this book, even though they may have been confusing at times. Saladin is often compared with Richard the Lionhearted, an equally powerful ruler from the Christian lands. Was Saladin stronger than he was just because he held Jerusalem against him?

   After the Turkish invasions, the Arabs were unorganized and didn't have a common goal or leader. Saladin unified them and was able to achieve a common goal, the Jihad, equivalent to a Christian Crusade. The goal was to gain control of Jerusalem. Jerusalem was important to them because it was their third holiest city, after Makkah and Medina. Saladin's leadership ability lies in the battlefield as in politics.

   In order to restore order to the Muslims, Saladin had to be very persuasive. He used politics in order to swing people to his side and also to develop a stronger army. Saladin was able to conquer those that did not follow, a tactic that the Persian Empire also used.

   One of the greatest features of this book was the various references to actual historical documents. One of my favorite ones was an excerpt from a letter that Saladin wrote to his father after witnessing his first battlefield, "This letter contains the first good news given to the master of the prey seized by his cub, who stood in his father's place and struck with his sword." (Page 250) This letter showed the significance of Saladin's first battle, he is coming to leadership. It is as if Saladin is now replacing his father, assuming a role of leadership.

   It is inevitable that Saladin would be compared to Richard the Lionhearted of England, since he was Saladin's greatest opponent. Personally, I don't think that Saladin was as strong a ruler as Richard. Richard traveled to Jerusalem (maybe its only a rumor, but it is said that he only came within sight of the city); this is amazing because he was able to penetrate all of the defenses along the way. Saladin had a number of advantages: he had the element of surprise, he could ambush Saladin's troops as he wished among their journey; and Saladin was also fighting a home battle - he knew the land in which he was fighting and so he could take advantage of the locations for his troops to assemble (From reading about Saladin, had the situation been reversed with Richard defending against Saladin, I don't think that Saladin would be so successful). Saladin seemed to be more of a defender than an attacker.

   One of the criticisms that I have of this book is reading. This book is more suitable for a senior in high school, rather than a freshman. I often found it very difficult to follow. The text seemed a little strange, there were many Arabic words and names and accent marks throughout almost every page of the book. This problem is very trivial when compared with the overall knowledge gained from reading in context. In summary, "Saladin: Politics of the Holy War" is a very tough read meant and for students who have enough time to read it in full context.

   There wasn't enough politics of the Holy War, or Jihad. I don't think that the author spent time upon the wheeling and dealing that Saladin had to do in order to achieve unity in the Muslim army and assume a leadership position. Instead, there were too many details on every battle. Text could have been used explaining other points.

   In conclusion, "Saladin: Politics of the Holy War" is a read only advised for skilled students who have the time as well as the determination to thoroughly read this book in context. Only at that point will he or she be able to fully understand the significance of Saladin's life as a military leader and politician.




4. This is, to say the least, not a book for the lay person to pick for a casual read. The work is thorough and detailed, starting from beginning to end to how Saladin came into and held onto power.
   
   I knew going into this biography that it would be difficult reading the Arabic names and places, so nothing new there. I must say that I was impressed with how the point of view remained with Saladin the whole time, using Arabic sources instead of western (other than William of Tyre), and didn't waiver when Saladin came into contact with Richard the Lionhearted and so on. All to often authors tend to naturally revert to the western point of view rather than understand Saladin for what he was, a Muslim, which helps us better understand who he was.
   
   My only complaint would have to be the same as the other reviewer, that the maps were not included during the reading (it would have been great to have the map at the beginning of each chapter for the time being discussed) and a list of the whose who and their relation to Saladin. Lyons would mention an Arabic ruler and I couldn't place where he ruled and why he threatened Saladin because of how the names are so alien, which causes the western reader to not easily remember.
   
   Other than those two things, I think this is a great read for the amateur as well as the professional historian, adding a valuable source of information, if not being the best, to what we know of Saladin. Push past the dry, scholarly feel of the book and you have a wealth of information.



5. This is definitely not a book for someone who has just started learning about the Crusades: from the very first page it assumes the reader has a good knowledge about events, places and names; if you don't, you will miss a lot since the writers are not concerned about explaining who's who, in particular among the Franks. It's not a book for casual reading either: I read it as serious studying, making notes, underlining important passages and occasionally re-reading a whole page just to make sure I got it right. This is a book for a reader who wants to learn the details that made Saladin one of the most preeminent figures in the history of the Crusades. Half of it describes his ability unifying Islam (basically, Egypt and Syria) by creating alliances or, when they failed, fighting other Muslim leaders with the final goal of defeating the Christians. The book's second half describes his campaigns against the Franks which ultimately led to the fall of Jerusalem and the conquest of most of the Christian cities in the Holy Land. The authors, Lyons & Jackson, based their research on tens (if not hundreds) of letters written by Saladin himself and his contemporaries for a period over 40 years detailing the political game that made him a victorious leader. The authors also refer to the writings of the most important Western commentators of that time (William of Tyre, in particular), but this is definitely a book written from a Muslim perspective. The authors do a very good and impartial job pointing out Saladin's successes and failures through the Arab eyes and, when there's conflict between several sources, they express their own opinion based on a reasonable analysis of the facts. Saladin was unquestionably a great leader but as all leaders in History he had his weaknesses, fears and moments of indecision. The book doesn't try to create a superhero but shows a man who had the ability to patiently gather tens of local Arab leaders with their own personal agendas, showing generosity when possible and ruthlessness when necessary. It is this quality that perhaps made several experts to consider Lyons & Jackson's work probably the best biography of him.

No comments about My Bit: A Lancashire Fusilier at War 1914-18.

1 comments about Greetings from Iraq!.

1. This soldier's experience in Iraq is shared through his letters home. It is a personal account that gives a real picture of the life of a serviceman as he deploys, serves, and returns home. Filled with photos and personal accounts of life in Iraq.

1 comments about James Williams: An American Patriot in the Carolina Backcountry.

1. Because I grew up a few miles from the James Williams plantation, I have known about the Laurens County, SC, son who died at Kings Mountain. Most people, however, haven't. I didn't realize his importance until I happened upon his family's cemetery in lower Laurens County one afternoon with my father and all the stones read, "___, wife of Col. James Williams killed at Kings Mountain," "___, brother of Col James Williams killed at Kings Mountain," "____, son of Col. James Williams killed at Kings Mountain," etc. throughout the family plot.
   
   This book reads like a published masters thesis or doctoral dissertation and brings to light one of South Carolina's Revolutionary heroes whom few know. The writer's insight into the conflict with Thomas Sumter is quite interesting.

3 comments about Gaijin Shogun : Gen. Douglas MacArthur Stepfather of Postwar Japan.

1. I have read two other books on the General and listened to another on Books on Tape. Mr. Valley's book is easily the best, probably because he was really there not learning about it from a library. Brilliant insights and personal details fill this magnificent work. Get it! Enjoy it!

   Larry Durbin, Captain, United Airlines




2. The author did an excellent job in pointing out the accomplishments of General Douglas MacArthur in Japan. I, also,was one of the General's Honor Guard. David and I went over events during of our tours of duty both before and after the author's assignment of how MaArthur was bringing the Japanese back into the United Nations fold as an upstanding nation. I was delighted to read what he had written , but how well he had written it.

   When we compared notes, it became amazing to each of us how slowly the progress was at first. Perhaps, items such as the Marshall Plan and Harry Bridges "Long Shoremans strike" that lasted for over seventeen months. Nobody saw a real potatoe for over six months. Not that anyone suffered for it. Japanese national progress did accelerated over the following short years.

   The personal climate to all of us including Mrs MacArthur was that we were unafraid to walk among the Japanese from the very first moments we where there at any time , day or night. There was seldom a case of anamosity shown. The Japanese were model citizens. This is a illustration of how well MacArthurs policies were performing.

   The author was factual, brief and very accurate with details. He created each scene with actual quotations from the General about verbal discriptions. The General took all his problems in his stride. The resolve was contigious. When it came to authority, the author precisely depicted the attitudes and backgrounds of the British and the Russians and the worst party of all, our own State Department. He was candid. The General was skillful in his steps that he took. He had spent too much time in the houses of power to be careless with the heads of state and worse their correspondants.

   In total, the book is a good comprehensive story of the General who did an extraordinary job of uplifting the country of a former enemy. After all his seventy years of preparation, his experience prepared him well for the task. It is noted that it has not been repeated since the reigns of Alexander the Great and Julis Ceasar.




3. David Valley's book, "Gaigin Shogun ..," is great fun and an easy read. At the same time it makes you think about things you may not have thought about before. I never realized how much of the Japanese miracle recovery was attributable to the manner in which the occupational forces governed Japan after the war. Also the excerpts of the writings by MacArthur made the message crisp and believable. It leaves one in awe of MacArthur, and feeling that he may have been one of the most under appreciated hero's of our past. Valley did a fine job. Definitely worth reading.