1 comments about The Emperor\'s Angry Guest.

1. I've had the pleasure of meeting Mr Knox at the local American Legion where he gave my father a copy of "The Emperor's Angry Guest". I've read many books, and there are few which I literally couldn't put down, this is one of those books. I'm not a veteran, but know many. I've found, for the most part, they won't let you inside their mind. Mr Knox shares his experience with the reader in a way which puts you back in your chair. It's a "must read" for any history buff or veteran who may have felt abandoned by his country.

No comments about Victory Road.

No comments about Rifleman Sahib: the Recollections of an Officer of the Bombay Rifles During the Southern Mahratta Campaign, Second Sikh War, Persian Campaign and Indian Mutiny.

No comments about Red Dust: a Classic Account of Australian Light Horsemen in Palestine During the First World War.

5 comments about We Were Next to Nothing: An American Pow's Account of Japanese Prison Camps and Deliverance in World War II.

1. Nordin's experiences differ from most previously published narratives of American prisoners of war in the Philippines not in describing cruel treatment by their Japanese captors but in being located in the southern island of Mindanao rather than Bataan or Corregidor. He has carefully checked his half century-old memory against a secretly kept notebook and a return to the jungle camps where he was starved and beaten. The publisher maintains its usual high standards of acid-free paper, library binding and illustrations but fails to provide an accurate map



2. This is the best account of life as a prioner-of-war that I have ever read. It deals with the day-to-day experiences Carl and I encountered, and it is the first time that anyone has been able to put into writing an account that can be understood by all whether you were there or not. I bought six copies for each of my children because it was so close to my own experience, and they were all very pleased to finally be able to fully understand what I had gone through. Bill Lowe, Riverside, CA



3. Carl Nordin author of "We Were Next to Nothing..." accounts his day to day experiences as a prisoner of war during World War II in Japanese POW Camps. This book does not dwell on the horrors of war or the cruelty that he must have experienced, but instead reveals to the reader what his daily experiences were, and how he survived. I strongly urge every American, young or old, to read this book and understand what our fellow Americans did and suffered to keep our freedom.



4. This book gave a realistic account of what those men went through on a daily basis. He captures the small moments of compassion and frustrations without dwelling on the well deserved resentment. This book truly shows how hard it is to dominate the human spirit. One of the best books I have ever read.



5. This is a very enlightening, but sad, account of POW's. Much to my surprise Mr. Nordin is from Siren, WI. So this book was doubly interesting to me as it contained information about people I actually know of and others who lived near to me. I live in NW WI. It just seemed like it brought the experience closer to home for me, and I could actually feel what some of these POW's must have been going through. The things these people endured for 4 long years is unbelievable and really makes me appreciate what these people have gone through for myself and others. I always knew of POW prisons and their treatment but never really realized how demeaning some of the treatment and conditions were and marvel at how they managed to survive. Highly reccommended to those interested in knowing the truth of such events.

No comments about Soldier Against the Odds.

No comments about A Knight's Journey into Shangri La.

5 comments about God Isn't Here: A Young American's Entry into World War II and His Participation in the Battle for Iwo Jima.

1. A uniquely personal account of the hell on Iwo. Almost no overview except on questions of flank coverage. Flag raising and death of FDR were mentioned in single, short sentences. Remarkable account of how constant and violent was this man's survival, and presumably every Marine there.



2. This is probably one of the best personal accounts of WWII combat I have ever read. In my opinion two things could have been done differently that would have put this book at the top of my favorite WWII books.
   
   1. Hand drawn illustrations? I assume, since every good photo of combat on Iwo Jima has already appeared in countless books, the author was trying to give it a more personal touch by using hand drawn illustrations. The only problem with that, is the illustrations weren't of the best quality and seemed a little high school-ish. They either should have gotten rid of them or paid for a better artist.
   
   2. I realized that the author was probably on a tight budget but surely they could have had a few people proof read the manuscript before it was published. There were numerous grammar and spelling errors (too many to list). The author frequently neglected to capitalize 'Marine' when refering to the Marine Corps. After a few chapters I almost put the book down because the errors were too frequent and sometimes it made for a difficult read (this may have just been me) but I'm glad I read it all the way through.
   
   Here is the part that confuses me. On the back cover it states that Gary Toyn, the author of an excellent book 'The Quiet Hero', which is also about a Navy medic in WWII on Iwo, helped with cover design and layout. Surely they could have consulted Toyn or asked him to read it once before going to the press? It just doesn't make sense to me to be collaborating with Toyn and the book turn out like it did. As i stated before this is a very excellent book, I'm just a little confused.



3. A typical war story. While readable, it doesn't stack up to Flags of Our Fathers and Indestructible, Jack Lucas, Medal of Honor.



4. It's really a shame this book wasn't published years ago because it's quite possibly one of the best, if not the best, first person account of the battle for Iwo Jima. There aren't a lot of books written about the war in the Pacific (at least not as many as are apparent in Europe) and that's what makes this book so special. It's also the only one I know of that was written by a medic.
   
   The book itself is well written and starts a little slow. But by midway through the book you're convinced the author is not going to make it off the island alive. His descriptions of the battle will make any reader stand in awe of a generation of Marines and sailors that set the benchmark for their craft.
   
   Some interesting observations are: Overton makes note of his combat experience such as missing time, time getting faster or slower, disorientation and many other similar types of physiological issues of high stress and fatigue. There is one particularly interesting point when Overton runs into Japanese solider dressed in a Marine uniform who tries to infiltrate the American lines.
   
   Overton was a hero on Iwo. He didn't write about his decorations, I suspect he's too modest to write about it. But he's proof of what Nimitz said, "On Iwo Jima, uncommon valor was a common virtue."



5. In his book, Richard Overton describes 12 days of hell in a manner that absolutely places you there with him, in his own mind and heart. You suffer through the combat, the stress, the fear, the guilt, the anxiety, and the anger. His descriptions of death "up close and personal" gave him a unique insight into combat and what it means to be helpless during a barrage of shelling, gunfire, and hand-to-hand combat at night. It is almost unbelievable that only a few days in combat could be so harrowing by comparison to those who fought for days and days in Europe or in other theaters but Richard Overton fought an entire lifetime of war in this book. I could not put it down and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in the battle for Iwo Jima or the Pacific War.

1 comments about Fighting Men: A Chronicle of Three Black Civil War Soldiers.

1. The author puts a deep compasionate emotionial face on the Black Civil War soldier. A welcome relief!

No comments about Thomas Jefferson: A Public Life, A Private Life.