3 comments about Pershing (Great Generals).

1. Pershing has always been an interest of mine, as I viewed him as the best forgotten general America has ever produced. The two best biographies prior to this were both huge multi-volume editions and I was a bit wary about anyone trying to capture Pershing and all of his many accomplishments in a single slim volume. However, Jim Lacey appears to have captured everything I would want covered and even presented a few priceless bits of information I had not seen elsewhere. For instance, he lays to rest a debate that has raged on the Internet and among historians as to whether Pershing ever condoned wrapping dead Islamic insurgents in pork skins to deter others. In summary, the book proceeds at a furious pace and truly brings Pershing to life. It is a must read for all historians, and for anyone else look for brilliant leadership study.



2. Author Jim Lacey clearly gives the GENERAL'S perspective of the events during Pershing's life. The reader gets no feeling of having been in the trenches although the general's perspective is presented quite well. The author, if he truly did set out to communicate only the view from above, was very successful and I do recommend this book for those who are interested in that angle.
   
   The clearest example of this bias is the campaign against the Moros in the Philippines. The slaughter was presented as always a necessary thing. It makes one wonder. Perhaps the reader who wishes a broader perspective of Pershing's professional activities should compare and contrast views by other historians as well.
   Paul Baum, Ph.D.
   Living Historyist
   Audrain County Historical Society



3. The author, Jim Lacey, does an outstanding job of capturing the history of one of the first great military leaders of the 20th Century, General Pershing. It is undeniable the mark that Pershing left on the military after WWI, giving the United States a huge advantage when it saw action again during World War II. Lacey does a fantastic job of telling the life story of Pershing in 193 easy-to-read pages. For any student of history, more specifically military history, this text is a must read.

5 comments about See No Evil: The True Story of a Ground Soldier in the CIA's War on Terrorism.

1. A rambling CIA agent's tale of working in the Middle East pre Bush Administration. Baer recently appeared on television after the 2008 car bomb death of Imad Mugniyah in Syria and clearly knows about which he speaks because, in this 2002 book, he describes his investigation of the 1983 bombing of the American Embassy in Beirut and the death of William Buckley, the CIA agent. He fingers the killer. Beyond the scattered nature of his writing, the crazy dangerous life of this CIA agent is detailed including the bureaucratic handcuffs and leg irons placed on the operational side agents from home base at Langley. Baer, no friend of Anthony Lake, describes how the operations division of the Agency was hamstrung during the Clinton years. The Crown Book publishers editing is very poor; e.g., Aldrich Ames is Rick, Robert Hanssen is spelled Robert Hannsen. Sentences, often conversational in format, run on and off the page. The CIA editors were more exacting than the Crown editors who appear out to lunch at the time of final editing.



2. Excellent story that provides an inside view of life on the ground for CIA operatives.
   
   Much of the book revolves around the Middle East and Mr. Baer's search for those responsible for bombings in Lebanon. One name that comes up frequently was a terrorist by the name of Imad Moughniyah. This person was involved in the Beirut embassy and Marine barracks bombings, the Israeli embassy in Buenos Aires, kidnapping of Terry Anderson, hijacking of TWA flight 847, etc...By coincidence, Moughniyah was assassinated in Syria on the day that I finished reading this book. I must assume that was good news to Mr. Baer.
   
   Some of the stories he tells of bureaucratic ineptness do not engender a great deal of confidence in the CIA..."As the civil war in Afghanistan started to boil, I repeatedly asked for a speaker of Dari or Pashtun...to debrief the flood of refugees coming across the border...I was told there were no Dari or Pashtun speakers anywhere...Headquarters instead offered to send out a four-person sexual harassment briefing team."
   
   Near the end of his career, he seemed to descend into a self-destructive pattern of behavior that only got worse after he returned from the Middle East. In my opinion, he had spent so much time looking at the trees (and individual leaves) that he got lost in the forest.
   
   His closing comments, however, are right on the mark..."It all comes down to the point that we have to start listening to people again, no matter how unpleasant the message is."
   
   Overall a good book about very brave men who were willing to take significant risks for their country.



3. For those that think the goverment (not CIA) is here for you. This book should show you otherwise. For those conspiracy theorists...this should be right up your ally. Where is the justice in this country when such fine individuals can suffer through so much to keep us all safe....all in vain and all only so the richer can get richer. The government doesnt run this country, the "big oil" does. This will never change. Great book, great read.



4. Robert Baer's account illustrates how American intelligence gathering capability was decapitated by bureaocrats and politicians. The author paints a vivid picture of work in the field as humint (human intelligence)was relegated to the back bench. Our enemies could not have done better than our own political establishment in neutralising the CIA. This book tells it all.
   
   Kingmaker



5. This is probably the best memoir I have come across by a former CIA case officer. Baer is spot on when it comes to how government operates. Who could ever imagine that those in the field are often times prevented from achieving superior results by risk averse management, or that those in Washington are too concerned about politics and/or "drinking and whoring" to comprehend what's truly unfolding beyond our borders? The truth can be ugly.

1 comments about Passing Time: Memoir of a Vietnam Veteran Against the War.

1. Passing Time's time pasting took only one night! In that time W. D. Ehrhart flashed me back to '70, 68, 69, 71, and the nitexmasarclights of '72, Ho ho ho chi minhnity returns with both laughter and extreme anger! Ah! The ying and yang of it to me who calls Bill and old old dear friend whom I had never availed myself to his insight and wit like I did last night with Passing Time! Five stars *****, but never too soon to be a new motion picture. Of an old e-6 hippy from Perkasie, Pa, who graduated from Swarthmore College and worked at sea like all "Old Salt" gyrenes who went a few places, saw a few things and still live to tell about it in all speldid details from the heart. Perspicatious (if that can be now a new adjective!) jvb

5 comments about Carrying the Flag: The Story of Private Charles Whilden, the Confederacy's Most Unlikely Hero.

1. "Carrying the Flag" is a gem of a little book telling the story of an otherwise anonymous Confederate Private who found 15 minutes of fame in 15 hours of improbable glory. While Private Whilden's exploits at Spotsylvania's Bloody Angle were unique in their specifics, one can only imagine hundreds, if not thousands, of equally heroic deeds over the course of the war by similarly obscure infantrymen.
   
   Private Whilden's battle experience was limited to the Wilderness and Spotsylvania. Accordingly, much of author Rhea's book details just how unexceptional Private Whilden was. The material, which seemingly holds little promise, in fact makes for an appealing window on the "middle class" antebellum South. In the end, if you can't applaud Private Whilden's take on the world and his place in it, you can surely understand it and, perhaps even applaud the depth of his commitment to it.
   
   One of the most attractive features of the book, for me, is the compelling way in which Private Whilden's two battles unfold. There is the usual blood and gore, but more important, the narrative, complemented by just one map of each of the battlefields, is as clear as any I've read. The tactical story is the focus, but the operational and strategic context is cogently sketched in as well. Indeed, I would recommend the two battle sequences as among the best, most comprehensible short summaries of the Wilderness and Spotsylvania that I have read.
   
   A very nice, very readable addition to the literature; highly recommended.



2. 
   The author, Gordon Rhea, notes in the INTRODUCTION that "....books about privates are rare" and continues "None tell a story half as fascinating as that of Charles Whilden...." The text is a brief account of Whilden's life stating that his first forty years were characterized by mediocrity and failure. However, Whilden's brief fifteen minutes of glory came at the Bloody Angle at Spotsylvania Court House where he vividly demonstrated the capacity of an insignificant player "to alter the course of history."
   
   Chapter 1 gives a short review of the 1864 strategic conditions in central Virginia which "By most estimates, 1864 loomed as the war's decisive year." In March 1864 President Lincoln made Grant commander-in-chief whose aim was the destruction of the Confederate armies, not to capture territory. The author observed "Thus the stage set for the Civil War's decisive campaign....The campaign would be a duel to the death between Grant and Lee, the best generals either side could field. The prize was the fate of two nations." Chapter 2 presents a concise account of pre-Civil War Charleston, S.C. stating the source of Charleston's wealth was rice and that the city's affluence "rested on the back of slaves." The author gives an interesting review of the area's concern about a slave rebellion and continues "As the Carolina Low country's slave population grew so grew the white minority's unease about servile insurrection."
   
   After a unsuccessful brief career as a lawyer, Charles moved to Detroit where his lack of success continued to plague him.He left Detroit in 1855 and accompanied Colonel Grayson to Santa Fe, New Mexico as the colonel's personal secretary. In Santa Fe his mediocre success continued. When the Civil War commenced, Charles began the long trip home to Charleston. The ship he was on heading for the Carolina coast was badly damaged; and his health was compromised; for the rest of his life he suffered from epileptic seizures. In Charleston he tried to enlist a number of times; but due to his epilepsy he was unsuccessful in enlisting. By January 1864, Confederate manpower shortages were critical; and at age 39 Whilden was at last able to enlist as a private in Company I of the 1st Carolina at Orange Court House in February 1864.
   
   Author Rhea uses Whilden and the 1st Carolina as the narrative vehicle for an interesting account of the battles of The Wilderness and at Spotsylvania. Whilden's unit was "destined to the worst of the campaign's carnage." Whilden received his baptism-under-fire on May 5 in the Battle of the Wilderness, had not run and was appointed as flag barrier when the flag barrier was wounded. Rhea observes "The post of flag bearer was important, not only for sentimental reasons but for practical ones as well." Charles career as a color barrier was off to a bad start as Union General Hancock troops overran Charles's unit. Only the last minute arrival of Confederate General Longstreet on May 6th saved the day. On the night of May 7-8 Grant's and Lee's armies moved south to the vicinity of Spotsylvania Court House where Lee erected sophisticated earthworks. The text briefly narrates Grant's fruitless efforts over the next three days to break through Lee's battlements.
   
   Lee had erected a salient, nicknamed The Mule Shoe, and Grant had selected it for a massive attack by Union General Hancock on May 12. Union troops soon overran the pickets and the outer earthworks including the high ground, referred to as "the angle", to the Confederate left. The author gives a chilling account of the gruesome, bloody chaotic fighting as the Confederates fought to regain the angle and survive. Lee ordered General McGowan's brigade into the Mule Shoe. Charles, "still wracked by seizures" clearly understood the situation and fixing his eyes on the angle, carried the flag never expecting to reach the angle alive. When the flag was shot from its pole, Whilden wrapped the flag around his body. Behind him followed a "motley band of rebels." By ten o'clock in the morning Charles led his fellow Southerners to take over the Bloody Angle thus saving the battle for the Confederates. The butchery of May 12 was horrendous with the two armies suffering approximately seventeen thousand causalities. While Lee had won another battle, "the war in Virginia settled into a siege that would last ten months....but Grant had won the campaign, destroying the Army of Northern Virginia's offensive capacity."
   
   His epilepsy making him unfit for service Charles returned to Charleston in August 1864 and was discharged after only eight months of duty. On September 25, 1866, during an epileptic seizure he fell facedown in a mud puddle, and drowned. While there are no monuments to Charles Whilden, his heroic action on May 12, 1864 at the Bloody Angle lives on as a tribute to the potential of an insignificant player who altered the course of Civil War history.
   
   Gordon Rhea has done considerable research on the campaigns of 1864, having previously written several books on these campaigns. This is an easy book to read. Civil War buffs who want a brief/limited account of the battles of the Wilderness and Spotsylvania Court and a private who won his fifteen minutes of fame in 1864 at the Bloody Angle, will find this book interesting.



3. For anyone wanting to learn the specifics of two major battles between Grant and Lee, this book is excellent. I am always glad to see books that resist glorification by detailing the horrendous conditions of some of the most brutal fighting of the war, which is saying a lot. SPOILER--But the author couldn't resist talking about Whilden's actions as heroic and how the day was won for the Confederacy as if it were a truly noble outcome. Now look at it another way: if Whildon were shot down and the Rebels didn't have a rallying point to successfully rienforce the earthworks, then Grant would've plowed through, cutting Lee's army in half and most likely defeat them. With this outcome, you would not have had the endless series of massacres throughout central Virginia, no siege of Petersburg, no Cold Harbor. With the war over, you probably wouldn't have Atlanta and Colombia in ashes and the atrocity of Sherman's March. Just food for thought-Discuss...



4. A General or a Colonel certainly has the ability to alter the course of
   history or make his name well-known to his countrymen through actions.
   But does a common private lost within the ranks have the same ability?
   Gordon Rhea answers this question brilliantly in this book about a
   middle-aged Confederate private set amongst two of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War.
   Charles Whilden went from obscurity to fame at a place called the
   Bloody Angle, a key position on the battlefield of Spotsylvania Courthouse, where he carried a tattered battle flag in front of a desperate charge that eventually led to a Confederate victory and prolonged an already endless war. Without Whilden's heroics, the Confederates wouldn't have rallied for victory and would likely have been crushed, along with the Confederacy itself. Does this make Whilden a hero or a villain? After all, the 'victory' that he initiated was only short-lived, and only led to more death and destruction. This is one of the questions that may come across a reader's mind amidst the awe and respect for the common infantryman that develops over the course of this book.Another question is this: How many other Private Whilden's are there scattered about America's short, yet war-ridden, past? Was there a Private Whilden at San Juan Hill, or Iwo Jima, or Saratoga? Rhea's ability to shrink something as grand as war into something as familiar as a common man fighting for a cause has a way of reminding us that wars are not fought by generals. Not only that, but his descriptions of the two brutal campaigns of The Wilderness and Spotsylvania Courthouse would make any Civil War buff foam at the mouth.
   One man can change the course of history. This book will teach you
   that if nothing else. But, more important, it also teaches that the common soldier, no matter what side he fights for, is driven by a courage that should at the very least be honored and always respected.



5. Rhea - his trilogy was excellent but this book is exquisite and is highly recommended.

5 comments about Dr. Space: The Life of Wernher von Braun.

1. The old admonish about never judging a book by its cover is very apropos to Dr. Space. The book's jacket touts this biography as a "...rare, balanced study..." of Von Braun's life. Sadly, that isn't the case. Ward clearly states that he had met Von Braun more than once. Those interactions obviously left Ward with favorable impressions of the man, which end up shaping the portrayal of his subject. Von Braun is depicted as an almost super-human being that was loved by most, but despised by a jealous, inferior few who made the end of his life miserable. Even Von Braun's faults, toward which a chapter is dedicated, are depicted not as flaws in character but as mild eccentricities and naughtiness. Yet, Von Braun's career strongly hints that he was a firm believer that (at least professionally) the ends justified the means. A more balanced biography would have the explored this aspect of Von Braun's personality further.
   
   The reader is especially shortchanged in the depiction of Von Braun's technical skills. Von Braun is primarily shown in the workplace as a cheerleader type manager who got the best from his staff. Virtually none of his technical accomplishments are mentioned, leaving the reader to wonder why a good manager would be awarded the National Medal of Science and ranked second on the list of the 100 "Stars of Aerospace". While detailed technical descriptions might be over the head of some readers (after all, most of us aren't rocket scientists), some illustration would have been helpful to appreciate Von Braun's creativity.
   
   With the atrophying of the U.S. space program and the time that's passed since his death, the general public's knowledge and appreciation of Von Braun is sadly fading from memory. A good biography of this rocketry giant would restore the widespread respect that he deserves. Unfortunately, Dr. Space is just a warm up to that more definitive biography which has yet to be written.



2. The novel Dr. Space: The Life of Wernher von Braun is written as a biography to show the main events in the life of Dr. von Braun. Although the book does not strictly follow a timeline of his life, it does basically follow the course of his life from his early childhood until his death in 1977. The book highlights his early promise as a musician but then shows how he became fascinated by rockets and the stars through small experiments and a telescope. The book then goes on to show his rise from firing rockets with a group of young enthusiasts to heading the German army's rocket development throughout World War II. After the war, von Braun heads to the United States where he and his team work on all kinds of missiles. All the while, von Braun attempts to convince the American government to allow him to develop a space program. The novel then follows his incredible career as a designer for the rockets that launched the first U.S. satellite into space and also carried the first man to the moon. This story is given added credibility by the fact that the author was a newspaper writer in von Braun's adopted hometown of Huntsville and knew the scientist personally. He writes the novel to share his opinions on the life and work of Wernher von Braun. The book is a good read for anyone with an interest in history and especially for anyone who is fascinated by rocketry. Since von Braun is the father of the American space program and a pioneer in the field of rocketry, this work is a great read for anyone with an interest in science.



3. Many rocket history buffs will review this book very closely, and be very critical if it doesn't treat every aspect of their personal interests completely. This book will fall short for many, depending on an individual's particular interest niche'. Criticizing this book in such a way is crazy.....it's a fine historical read. If you want in-depth technical descriptions of his works, then research those specifically. Similarly, if you want to dwell on the moral aspects of being a Nazi rocket researcher, then research that on its own. But, on balance, if you want to read about a man who rose to prominance "on the wrong side of the tracks," where his brilliance thrived, and how that transformed the modern era into the space age, then read this book. It's a great book about a great mind.



4. I really enjoyed this book. I worked at ABMA and later NASA during the late 1950's and early 1960's as a student trainee and it was pretty heady stuff for a young guy from South Georgia to be involved with members of Dr. Von Braun's team. Ward provides excellent insights into Dr. von Braun as an individual and his role in the nation's "space race". While at times it comes across as a little " promotional" it's an excellent story and makes one wonder what our space efforts would be like today if had he been chosen as head of NASA



5. I found this to be a very interesting book to read. Wernher von Braun is one amazing man and and lived a very different and amazing life. This books gives you a bit of a look inside the man, what made him tick. There are a lot of interviews with people who worked with him or new him. The book is well written and is a must read if you are into the history of the NASA space program.

5 comments about BIG SHOW: The Greatest Pilot's Story of World War II (Cassell Military Paperbacks).

1. This book is a page turner. It's amazingly exciting and you will feel like you're into the cockpit of Spitfires and, later, Tempests. But some strong issues arise...
   
   First of all, the number of victories by Clostermann. He says he had 33. RAF official claims put him wuth "only" eleven! A great, very GREAT discrepancy;
   
   Second, a lot of facts are simply untrue. He says, about Walter Nowotny's death, that the German ace was a long foe of him. Goosh, ALL of Nowotny's victories were obtained on the Eastern Front, save on or two pairs, while he was flying an experimental Me-262 unit in Western Europe!
   
   Anyway, it's very good book.



2. What a pleasure to have a new edition of this marvelously evocative book available! This is the first time that it has been presented in its entirety and the additions only increase the book's value as a window into the world of the combat aviator.
   
   The book was originally written shortly after the war and as a result there is an immediacy about it that is, at times, electrifying. It was an international best seller and deservedly so, highlighting the career of a fighter pilot who started flying combat on Spitfires and ended up in Tempests. For many years it was the only book that dealt with combat action in the Tempest, a beautiful and powerful warplane introduced late in the war to combat the V1 and the new German jets. The original edition has some minor errors in it, but the descriptions of the missions were just outstanding! The swirl of the dogfights, the dives into flak, dealing with zero visibility weather, the victories recounted in detail, the losses of friends recalled with a warrior's stoicism, this fine book set a standard that has only been approached by other works.
   
   As V. M. Yeates WINGED VICTORY was the finest First World War fighter pilot book, THE BIG SHOW is the second war's. Yeates told his story as a novel based on his experiences as a Sopwith Camel pilot on the Western Front, but the latter book, while reading like a novel, has the extra advantage of being true.
   
   Pierre Clostermann wrote two other books, but his first book was his finest and cannot be recommended highly enough. To read it is to find in its pages what it was like for young men to fly and fight in the hostile skies of Europe in what has come to be known as "the good war."



3. .
   
   Pierre Closterman died on March 22, 2006. News of his death prompted me to go back to my father's bookcase and pull out 'The Big Show'. It was just as exhilarating a read as I remmeber as a kid in the 70's
   
   Closterman uses wondefully evocative language in decscribing events in the air over Europe in WWII. Full of action and a 'vital elan' that was unfortunately in short supply among Frenchmen in the 30's and 40's. Some drawbacks to the book are an uneccessary snobbish attitude towards the Americans and Brits as well as minimizing of some of his own failures (the most critical being the lack of air discipline that led him to fail to support his wingman, Mouchette, that led to his companion's death). But such is the nature of autobiographies.
   
   But well worth the hours spent to read this gripping account of one man's war.
   
   
   .



4. Along with Heinz Knocke's 'I Flew for the Fuhrer' an absolutely outstanding aviation read. Like others here the original edition I had inherited was almost worn thin. I was delighted to read the 'extra bits' as I could probably almost recite the old one! Particularly poignant were the comments regarding Tempests being attacked by US fighters and the description of the 262's arriving to surrender on Clostermann's airfield in 1945. This book simply cannot be recommended enough.
   
   PS:I would suggest along with 'I Flew for the Fuhrer' that an excellent companion read is Eric Brown's 'Wings of the Luftwaffe' - an RAF technical pilot who offers unbiased opinions on Luftwaffe aircraft.
   
   PPS: Regarding the -D9/Ta152 comments above. I believe old Clo-Clo is technically correct!



5. Clostermann's account of the air war in Europe is one of the best I've ever read -- almost as good as Wellum's "First Light." Clostermann's writing is vibrant, the level of detail is astounding, and his ability to put you "in the cockpit" during those harrowing days is really unparalleled. Highly recommended.
   
   My only complaint, and what robbed the book of a fifth star in my humble opinion, is that Clostermann's transparent anti-American agenda is pursued at every turn, without any perspective or sense of balance. For example (a) his (arguably fair) criticism of French civilian deaths at the hands of American bombers is devoid of any similar reference to Bomber Command's exploits in the intentional area bombing of German civilians; (b) friendly fire events actually appear at every turn in his narrative, but the Americans are singled out for special criticism on that point, for no apparent reason other than bias; and (c) Clostermann claims at one point, without any evidentiary basis whatsoever, that a directive about "proper" targets in the theater was ignored only by the Americans.
   
   Indeed, at times one detects Clostermann's generic distaste even for some of the Brits in the RAF! I was left wondering whether Clostermann was "projecting" in an effort to avoid discussion of the frankly shameful conduct of so many Frenchmen during the war.
   
   But all that is, in the end, a small bone to pick. Certainly Clostermann himself was not among the group of disgraced Frenchmen. His devotion to duty, skill, and courage -- characteristics shared by many of the Free French pilots -- can't be doubted. Moreover, his frank discussions of his own fear, and the effects on his flying, give this narrative an authentic feel. This is a very good book.

5 comments about The Right Stuff.

1. This book is one of the best accounts of, indeed any scene, I have ever read. Wolfe, with his half academic half layman writing style, explores the men and indeed the whole phenomenon, that was the American space program in the 50ies and 60ies. In a delightful manner he gets to the heart of what makes the people involved "tick", and does a great job in bringing their feelings and through to the reader. The reader can truly emerge him/herself in this exciting world of fast planes, fast cars, hope, fear and glory.
   
   The only thing "wrong" with this book is that it is too short. I would've loved to see 50-75 more pages telling more about the "aftermath", as it were, but that is merely because the book was such a jolly good read to begin with. And, I must add, I'm not even interested in planes, speed or space programs or indeed American history.
   
   Highest possible recommendation.



2. As a 'random' book to pick up and read, I was pleasantly surprised at the depth of information provided in this book. I also enjoyed the writing style. Excellent excellent, must-read book!



3. Bang! Zoom! Pow!
   
   If you like prose that crackles like sparklers in your eyes, and tells a good story besides, then Tom Wolfe's "The Right Stuff", about the Mercury 7 spaceflight program of the early 1960s, is for you.
   
   Published in 1979, back when the U.S. was the world's laughing stock and "malaise" was the operative word from the White House, "The Right Stuff" calls to mind with equal degrees of snark and awe a time when real heroes walked the earth and flew beyond and around it. Men, yes, but heroes, too. Wolfe never lets go of the human element, in fact, the best thing "The Right Stuff" has going for it.
   
   As a non-fiction novel, it has its limitations, too. Wolfe doesn't make up quotes, he hardly quotes the seven Mercury astronauts at the center of the story, except for flight transcripts and press conferences where their words are public record. But he doesn't seem to channel theirs or anyone else's voices, except Wolfe's own.
   
   Beginning with the book's title, he uses a lot of terms to capture what the early U.S. space program, and the test flights on experimental jets leading up to it, were really about. Terms like "the great ziggurat" "flying & drinking and drinking & driving", "true brother", "the mighty integral", often in caps, get a lot of use even though there's no sign anyone ever used them or even thought them up before Wolfe did.
   
   There's an overall tone of omnipotence that feels smug and gets in the way: Never mind what was going through John Glenn's mind when he was wondering if Friendship 7's heat shield had burned up on atmospheric reentry - here's what he REALLY MUST have thought!
   
   But the book is so entertaining, it really compensates for Wolfe's excesses. The astronauts were not breaking new ground; everything they did the Soviets did too, except sooner and for longer durations. But they were putting their lives on the line as investments toward a larger purpose, an achievement no other country has matched in close to 40 years, landing on the moon. And they were also disproving the notion that Americans after World War II were doomed to failure, that "our boys always botch it" mentality which hung over the country at the time (and which by 1979 was back with a vengeance).
   
   Sharp, funny, and full of graspable insights (the riders of the first Mercury capsules had as much control over their craft as does a Ferris-wheel rider), "The Right Stuff" may settle for entertainment over enlightenment, but it is very entertaining.



4. In the years following WWII and Korea as the military graduated to fighter jets a certain hierarchy of talent developed. At the top of the pyramid were those in "flight test," where pilots with a certain indefinable something went to push the limits of the newest and most advanced jets. Landing several tons of metal atop a heaving and pitching aircraft carrier in the dark of night or "hanging your hide on the outside of the envelope" in experimental jets is a dangerous profession requiring what Mr. Wolfe calls "the Right Stuff." From Chuck Yeager, the first to exceed the speed of sound (Mach 1), to John Glenn and the other Mercury astronauts, few possess this right or "righteous stuff," and many are "left behind" on the climb up that pyramid. Mr. Wolfe introduces us to those who had it and some who died lacking it, as well as the competition of the "Space Race" of the 60s, and does so with a very distinct style that conveys the attitude of those who possessed it. The missions of the Mercury astronauts are covered in particular detail and sort of form the pinnacle of this story, from the enormous egos of some to the petty jealousies and politics that played out behind the perfect facade Life Magazine presented to the nation.
   
   In fact, the most singular aspect of this book for me would be the style with which it is written, dripping with the huge egos and arrogance of the pilots. Theirs is a dangerous job with few monetary rewards, requiring them to sacrifice family life and comfort, but carrying a thrill few people will ever experience. This, Mr. Wolfe explains, results in a feeling of superiority which he portrays excellently with his writing. And he conveys this attitude with certain phrases he uses repeatedly throughout, such as the "right stuff" or "flying & drinking, and drinking & driving," or the "Friend of Widows and Orphans," etc. It becomes a kind of shorthand for the concepts within the fraternity of pilots and their families. It's very interesting to learn of the lives and successes and defeats, particularly Chuck Yeager and John Glenn. But it is also this style which began to wear on me after a while - on the one hand the story is incredibly interesting, but on the other I got really tired of reading it and couldn't wait to just be done with the book. Also, the language of the book is pretty coarse, and hardly a page goes by that doesn't have several profanities or vulgarities, so be forewarned if you're bothered by that. But a fascinating story nonetheless and I can't wait to watch the movie now.



5. The Right Stuff is essential reading for any student of post-war western popular history whether or not you are interested in aviation and the space-race. Even if you dont hold with the concept of 'top three' books and the like, once you have read this, it will always come to mind when you are put on the spot and have to name your favourites.

5 comments about The Deserter's Tale: The Story of an Ordinary Soldier Who Walked Away from the War in Iraq.

1. I sit next to an Iraq vet every day in school, and I knew he was against the war and against recruiting for this war because of dishonesty in recruiting. I believe what this author has to say. He is not a great writer, but he is real and has a conscience. This book is easy to read in terms of how the author uses language, but very hard to read in terms of subject matter. I strongly suggest you read it for yourself before you decide whether or not to believe it. I found it to be a real wake-up call. I will do all I can now to end this war and to fix what is wrong with our military.



2. This book is full of lies and half truths. Wouldn't buy it to save my life.



3. Joshua Key paints a very disturbing picture of the way U.S. troops treat Iraqi civilians. If even one tenth of what he claims is true then all Americans should be outraged as well as being outraged at the illegal invasion and occupation of Iraq. Key presents soldiers calling Iraqi's Hajis just like many U.S. troops called the Vietnamese gooks during the Vietnam War. What I found most disturbing were the parts where troops were taught during training that all Muslims were their enemies. The fact that Joshua Key is discouraged from interacting in socially with Iraqi civilians which his superior officers describe as fraternizing with the enemy is a great contrast with claims by the Bush Administration that the U.S. is acting as a liberator in Iraq and that U.S. troops are only opposed by a few Baathist dead enders and foreign fighters.



4. I found this book to be a heartbreaking and horrifying account of the early months of the Iraq war. All these people who are so ready to brand Key as a coward should consider the idea that abandoning the war and all its crimes was what took real courage. Key states very clearly in his book that he is fully prepared to stand trial for what he's done, as long as the Bush Gang who drove us off the cliff into this mess also has to do so.
   
   People also need to remember that, following World War II and the Nuremberg trials, it is now incumbent upon every soldier in every military organization in the world to refuse illegal orders.



5. I read this book in a couple of hours, and it was a very easy read. When I was reading I felt as though I was sitting in a car with him driving down the highway listening to his story - it was that easy - much like a conversation.
   
   It is of course one side of the story [...]
   
   JK makes a lot of claims that are better judged by those who have been there - more specifically those from his unit, than myself.
   
   I like the book, it was a good and interesting read, but I want the whole story - this is just part of it. There is always more than one version of events.
   
   I hope someone else who was there with him writes a book. We've heard what he says "really" went on, I'd like to hear what they say "really" went on.

4 comments about The Memoirs of Field-Marshal Kesselring.

1. Albert Kesselring was the commander of German forces in Italy during World War 2, but his memoires cover his entire military service, from pre-WW1 through WW2. He waxes nostalgic on the friendly pre-WW1 relations between the German troops stationed near France, and the ladies across the boarder. (What would the Boarder Patrol think of it!) His discussion of the post-WW1 period focusses largely on the circumstances of his transfer from the army to the air force. An intermediate amount of coverage is given to the early WW2 period, with the latter part of the war in Italy dominating the memoires, much as it dominated his career. Hauptsturmfuhrer Otto Skorzeny (the commando leader who freed Mussolini) commented in his own memoires about his differences in methodology from those of Kesselring, and Kesselring takes this opportunity to provide his side of the matter. In addition, Kesselring discusses why he was chosen as the commander most uniquely qualified to serve as a liason with the Italians. Several sections cover the important steps he took to preserve historic art treasures in the midst of the destruction of war, and his views on the criminal nature of guerillas who disguise themselves as civilians in violation of the Geneva Convention.



2. His troops called him "Smiling Albert", but his enemies considered him something between a strategic mastermind and a bloodthirsty war criminal. Hitler considered him too honest for his own good, and everybody knew he was tough. In 1944, when his staff car collided with the business end of a howitzer, a joke circulated among his armies during his convalescence: "The Field Marshal was only slightly injured, but the gun had to be retired." Such was Albert Kesselring, General Field Marshal of the Luftwaffe and one of the few of that rank to leave his memiors behind.
   
   Kesselring had one of those military careers that is actually several careers in one -- army officer, air force general, theater commander. Considering his many achievements, he should probably be more famous, but it was his fate to be the "other field marshal" in the Southern Theater - the principle one being, of course, Rommel, with whom Kesselring often bitterly quarreled. Indeed, it was Kesselring's relations with men like Hitler, Goering, and Rommel that I was arguably looking most forward to reading about - among other things. And therin lies the problem. It turned out there were too many "other things" in MEMIORS. Kesselring was attempting too much. His life story is simply too damned big to cram into a single volume. Considering the vital importance he played in the development of the Luftwaffe, the French campaign, the Battle of Britain, the invasion of Russia, the war in North Africa and the defense of Sicily and Italy, it would have been better to split this into a two or even a three-volume series.
   
   The problem of biting off more of his life than he could chew was exacerbated by the fact that he wrote these pages wholly or partially while imprisoned for war crimes, and thus had very limited access to research materials - he seems to be operating from memory, and from postwar literature produced by his ex-enemies. Finally, Kesselring's writing style, while not precisely bad and showing flashes of talent here and there, isn't what you would call aesthetically pleasing. Having read a lot of German military literature to use as comparison, I would rate him in the bottom half of the ex-generals: he often generalizes when he should speak specifically, and sometimes bogs down in details when he should have spoken broadly.
   
   I also have some issues with the book itself. The pictures are low quality -, grainy, dot-matrix style, and the translation from German to British English leaves something to be desired. Ranks are incorrectly translated on many occasions and some of the sentences have that unweildy, unnatural quality that an overly literal translation tends to create. There are also some misspellings, and a comment or two in the forward which is/are downright nonsensical.
   
   MEMIORS are by no means all bad. Kesselring's career is breath-taking in its sheer scope, and his criticisms of Allied battle strategies, the cumbersome and inefficient leadership structure of Hitler's armed forces, and the Axis failure to seize Malta (which cost them the North African war) are all fascinating. His diplomatic criticisms of Rommel shed interesting light on the less pleasing aspects of that legendary soldier. Furthermore, in defending himself against charges of war crimes in Italy, he makes a number of valid points about the hypocrisy of the Allies, who encouraged and facilitated the brutal partisan movement knowing full well how the Germans would respond to it, and then used ex post facto laws to prosecute German leaders after the war.
   
   MEMIORS are most definitely not a smooth and easy read. In some ways they is not even as well-written as Field Marshal Keitel's death row memiors, which were cut short by his execution at Nuremberg. But they are an important contribution to war literature.



3. Field-Marshal Albert Kesselring was one of Germany's top military strategists who commanded air fleets during the invasion of France and Battle of Britain. This edition of his memoirs blends in introductions from James Holland and Kenneth Macksey which surveys Kesselring's background and effects, providing a fine survey to the focus of Kesselring, who details both military background and his involvement in World War II - including the war's end and his subsequent trial. Any collection seeking source material and definitive first-person exposes will want this.



4. Kesselring's description of his life, specially the military aspects, give the impression of a man that deserves the nickname of "smiling Albert", as he always seems to see the good side of even a person perceived by others to be evil.
   The book brings brilliance and experience of an officer to life who can deal with incredibly difficult situations in battles of military strategy and political entrapment.
   The subject may be dry, but the narrative is very engaging.

4 comments about An American Heroine in the French Resistance: The Diary and Memoir of Virginia D'Albert-Lake (World War II--the Global, Human, and Ethical Dimension).

1. Expertly edited by Judy Barret Litoff who also provides an informative introduction, An American Heroine In The French Resistance: The Diary And Memoir Of Virginia d'Albert-Lake is the remarkable story of Virginia d'Albert-Lake's devoted and hazardous service as active member of the French Resistance to the Allied forces during World War II, and the risks she took which nearly cost her life. Introducing readers to her efforts to aid an Allied airman in getting him to safety, An American Heroine In The French Resistance vividly depicts the horrors d'Albert-Lake faced in her eventual imprisonment in the German prison camp of Ravensbruek. An heroic tale of total commitment to the French Resistance, An American Heroine In The French Resistance is very highly recommended reading as the articulate memoir of a strong woman who laid her life on the line in the defence of her country under German occupation, and an invaluable contribution to the growing library of World War II memoirs and autobiographies by a generation now passing from among us into history and legend.



2. I've met and photographed scores of memorable and important people in my time, but few hold a candle to Virginia d'Albert-Lake. Her work as an American woman in the French Resistance saving American airmen's lives led to her winning France's highest decoration, the L?gion d'Honneur. But the greatest honor for her was having the love of her husband Phillippe d'Albert-Lake, who was the reason she stayed in
   France when she could have retreated to the safety of the United States as World War II loomed on the horizon. This is an extraordinary story to be shared with friends, family, and particularly your children, as an example of how a life can be lived with grace, humor, and heroism.
   
   David Hume Kennerly
   Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for photography in Vietnam



3. I really liked the original documents which made up this book (filed reports, letters, diary entries, etc.). The memoir was good also, but a little awkwardly written. I also wished she had devoted as much time to her resistance work as she had to her imprisonment. Overall, though, very interesting.



4. There were only a few Americans in the French Resistance: Mme d'Albert-Lake was one and in this intelligent book shows that she has a good memory and a clear expository style --- and a sense of humor as well. Carefully annotated. Informative both on the Resistance and on the French scene before and during World War II.