5 comments about Lieutenant Ramsey's War: From Horse Soldier to Guerrilla Commander.

1. This book describes what barely can be described. The hardships, the fear, the exhaustion, the hunger, the brutality, the uncertainty of ones fate. It's all right here, and all are apt descriptions of the life of Lt. Ramsey from the fall of Bataan until the time in 1945 that Gen MacArthur returned to liberate the Phillipines.

   Lt. Ramsey (who was promotoed to Lt. Colonel over the course of his service in the jungle) was a very important leader of the resistance. He personally exchanged a few messages over the radio with MacArthur himself, and it was years before Ramsey even knew that MacArthur was getting his messages, as he went without radio contact for the first two years of the war.

   Many of Ramsey's fellow resistance leaders, some of them officers he served with, or under, prior to the war, were captured, tortured, and beheaded. Informants were everywhere, and every move was a risk. Yet Ramsey never sat still, and his years were spent traveling, at great risk, throughout the Phillipines and organizing the resistance. Many close calls with the Kempa-tei, the Japanese secret police, followed. Ramsey eventually became the most wanted man on the island, after many of his fellow leaders were captured. He eventually went on to command a force of 40,000 resistance fighters.

   The leader of the Kempa-tei, General Baba, personally conducted many of the raids and had a picture of Ramsey on his desk. Many times Ramsey was only yards from Japanese troops.

   Of course, when this all started, Ramsey had no clue how to wage guerrilla war. But he learned, through trial and error, and it is amazing that he even survived the war. If that isn't enough, this is a man who survived having his appendix removed in the jungle by a doctor who had no morphine to numb the pain!

   This is the kind of stuff Hollywood needs to make movies about. Instead we are stuck with the same dumbed down, recycled nonsense that apparently someone finds entertaining. And sadly the exploits of this true American hero go largely unknown by the majority of this country. I'm glad I am no longer one of them.




2. From 1960-64 I worked with Ramsay almost daily as a member of the US Embassy in Tokyo while he was VP for Hughes Aircraft in Tokyo. Hughes and two other US companies were bidding on a large joint US/Japan air weapons control project that Hughes in 1963 won. During this time he never once mentioned his guerrila activites during WW II except except a for small clue when he got for my wife and me a Visa during a visit by him to the PI Embassy to visit Clark after the PI govt had refused them through regular channels. During the visit to Clark I asked a number of citizens if they had heard of Ed Ramsay and with little exception they said he was a National Hero. After reading a summary of Lt Ramsay's War in the Readeer's Digest I obtained the un-abridged version and agree with the comments of others about his disclipine and dedication to his country he exhibited in setting up and operating a highly effective guerilla force in the Philippines at great risk to himself and those that worked with him. The book has now been republished and is well worth reading.
   Bill Millis



3. Col. Ramsey, on foot in the junlges of the Philippines, with only the help of the kind Philippine people----puts war in human terms and visions I can relate to. People suffer with death, starvation, torn off body parts, and disease. Horrible. As a teacher I may use this book to tap into my student's 'schema,' or mental map, to help them visulize the realities of war as being the dreadful scarifice it is, rather that some sort of unreal view of war as a "star wars" game.



4. Too self aggrandizing -- not objective and contradicts some of what other guerillas have written.



5. This IS A FANTASTIC BOOK. Not only as a autobiography, BUT AS A RECORD of HISTORY. Ed Ramsey tells the story of his experiences in the 26th Calvary in the Philippines during World War II. He was the man who lead the last Horse Calvary Charge against the Japanese. Ed tells his story in glorious detail. He shares his inner most thoughts and emotions. Teaching us how a young Lt. learned how to become the leader of an army of secret agents, jungle fighters and saboteurs. Something he had never come in contact with before. He made it up as he went. Some of his decisions had to be harsh if he was to survive. This book opens up to us a world which little was known about before, and because of that heros went unacknownledged and villians undespised. But we will not forget them now because of you Col. Ramsey. Thank you for what you did then and thank you for what you have written now. You are an American Hero in the true sense of the word.

5 comments about Naked in Da Nang: A Forward Air Controller in Vietnam.

1. I really enjoyed this book. I am not very interested in war or military titles but this was a departure from the standard fare. Mr. Jackson's personality and joyful approach to life left me feeling proud. His view of life is very uplifting. I can't really explain the way this book made me feel, a combination of proud and sore, from laughing, but with a better understanding of why someone is willing to fight a war. The last chapter made me cry as did other parts but overall the book was a pleasure to read. I may even read it again I definitely will be buying it for friends. Thank you to the authors for helping me understand things that were unknown to me before this book.



2. What a special book this is. It traces Mr. Jackson's experiences as a young man growing up in Ohio and follows him into air force training, pilot training and, finally, into combat. It does an excellent job of showing civilians what it is like to train for and experience war. I think it gives a more personal and even funny view of Vietnam than other books I have read of that era. It is also a timely book with solders once again marching off to war. Mike Jackson has my respect and appreciation.



3. I initially ordered this book because I didn't think it could live up to its reviews and I was going to give it less than five stars. After reading it, I would give it six stars if that was possible. This is a top drawer example of a really well constructed, well written and well drawn picture of a man and his impressions and experiences in combat. Te story telling is brilliant, a real "page turner." I have read numerous volumes of war stories, many were excellent but none were able to catch and hold me like this one. Mike Jacksin has done a large favor for Vietnam veterans by showing just how normal they really were.



4. This is an entertaining and honest read. I really enjoyed the writing style. This book focusses more on the life of a FAC than the actual flying of the missions. Fans of DaNang Diary and A Lonely Kind of War might be disappointed to find much less in the way of the white knuckle accounts of hostile engagements, but anyone interested in the people who fought the war can't fail but to be impressed with this book.



5. I too was a forward air controller. The col. relives alot for me. The Ho Chi Ming trail was pure hell. 57mm rounds leave a lasting impression on one who has experienced war. The book deserves 20 stars.

5 comments about Warriors: An Infantryman's Memoir of Vietnam.

1. "Warriors: An Infantryman's Memoir of Vietnam," by Robert Tonsetic, is an excellent addition to the canon of American military memoirs. In the preface Tonsetic notes that the book is "essentially a personal history" of his tour as a rifle company commander during the first six months of 1968--"the bloodiest year of the Vietnam War."
   
   The book includes eight crisply drawn maps that illustrate the places and tactical situations covered by the text; 16 pages of black-and-white photos of people and places mentioned in the book; a useful glossary of military terms and acronyms; and a bibliography of relevant books and documents. These supplemental features greatly enhance the book.
   
   But in the end it's Tonsetic's fine text that stands on its own. Tonsetic writes in a sober, matter-of-fact prose style that I found very effective, and well suited to his subject matter. His text is full of fascinating technical details about the art and science of 20th century warfare. But he never gets excessively technical; his narrative remains grounded in the human dimension of his gripping story.
   
   Tonsetic covers a lot of ground: night fighting tactics, the danger of "friendly fire," enemy tactics, dealing with prisoners-of-war, etc. He writes dramatically of the leadership and staffing issues he faced as a company commander. He vividly portrays the stress and harsh conditions endured by the hard-working infantry soldiers, and the author's compassion and respect for these men really shines through. Tonsetic stresses in his preface that the "people, dates, locations, and operations described in this book are real and documented in official Army records." The author's testimony of the truthfulness of his narrative adds to the book's power.



2. This seemed to be one of the best Vietnam memoirs I have read. It was detailed and gripping. I read it in one sitting.



3. 
   A real personal and up close look at what Warriors go through when fighting in military combat. It has often been said that,"War is Hell" and this book comes as close as possible to describing what battle in an infantry Company is like.
   The author was a highly trained soldier ,ready to use his skills and everything else he could muster;to lead his men into battle ,defeat the enemy and get as many of his men home safely as possible.
   He spent 9 months ,fighting battles in Vietnam,in 1968 during the bloodiest months of the war. While this was going on, he was totally aware of the politics of the war that was being fought out in the anti-war protests in the streets and on the campuses of America.He was also fully aware of the politics that were also being played over the war.
   The author was not only a dedicated hero,but he is able to convey to the reader what it was like to be there.As strong a person as he was,we can see that a human being can take only so much stress of battle when he is in a position that his last breath may only be an instant away...and to be subjected to this for 9 months.
   There are endless ways to look a the whole business of war;but to the people who sacrifice their all for the freedom of others;we owe them our greatest gratitude, thanks,and respect.
   When you talk about service to one's country;Robert Tonsetic shows what it really means.



4. I have read better books on Vietnam. A good book, but not a must read.



5. I read this book in an effort to remember my tour of service in Vietnam back in 1969. Being a member of the 199th I wanted to see if it would re-awaken memories. I found it extremely enjoyable.. well written.. and a very good book. For anyone who wants to know what Vietnam was like I recommend it highly. Fast reading, engrossing, and kept me flipping pages throughout.

No comments about A Just and Righteous Cause: Benjamin H. Grierson's Civil War Memoir.

5 comments about Panzer Operations: The Eastern Front Memoir of General Raus, 1941-1945.

1. Remarkable commander who made do with very little at certain points during the conflict. But the trouble with first-person diaries or narratives are obvious from the beginning:
   
   Makes no mention whatsoever of German atrocities, but mentions in the first part of book that the Totenkopf Division was attached to his Panzer Corp. He has no problem going into details about Red Army atrocities (they WERE just as horrible and it is good to see recent books focusing on it more and more). So this comes across as a bit of naive ethnocentrism and disingenuous.
   
   Somewhat over-bloated pride concerning his own superior tactics and the pro-German narratives of certain battles. When the Red Army make any sort of victory at any scale he mentions it almost as if an aside, hidden at the end of the description.
   
   The maps are not very good, small and lacking details, and much of the action that he comments on are not even depicted in the maps in the book.
   
   The book does give good insights into the day to day battle decisions of a Panzer Commander on the Eastern Front. I look forward to reading more on the subject, but would have to put this below a third-person review of Guderian that I have read.



2. This is a very good book on operations on the Russian Front. Raus was clearly a very gifted commander, and his descriptions of his numerous successful operations (both offensive and defensive) are very interesting, as he discusses the risks associated with the various courses of action he could take, why he chose a particular course of action, and the results.
   
   Raus was involved in a very wide variety of actions, from the attack toward Leningrad, forcing a passage on a troop-train through partisan-infested forests, attacks attempting to relieve Stalingrad, the Kursk offensive, and the defense of East Prussia. Once the Germans shifted to the defensive, Raus' "trademark" tactic was the flexible defense, in which he was (at least according to his testimony) very successful and which probably explains the interest of the US Army in his writings after the war.
   
   This book is very good, but I'll mention a few reasons why I only gave it four stars, so you can judge for yourself:
   --Raus rose from a relatively junior officer at the outbreak of war with Russia to an Army commander by the end of the war. While I was very interested in his descriptions of the small unit actions in the first part of the book, my interest waned as he became more senior, and I found his accounts of his actions as an army commander fairly dull.
   
   --While Raus was clearly a very gifted commander, the book makes it sound like his unit was always succesful--all failures occurred under other commanders on other parts of the front (note that Raus never says this, it is just an impression that arises from reading his accounts).
   
   --Maps are pretty sparse.
   
   --I didn't find Raus' descriptions of his Russian opponents very objective--he basically describes them as very brave, tough, clever (in a sneaky sort of way), and prone to atrocities, with only their massive numbers saving them. Maybe this is the way it was, but I don't think Raus gave the Russkis enough credit.
   
   TMR



3. One of the best books on combat I have ever read. The General has a very easy story telling style,that is extremely informative. It never gets boring, the details are relevant to the war going on around him. A must buy for the serious student of WW2.



4. I must say this was one of the easiest and best reads I had about the Eastern Front, I would reccommend anyone to read it.
   
   It gives detail accounts in all different levels of command.
   
   Loved it



5. Excellent book. Covers the Eastern front from a General's point
   of view who explains his tactics in various battles especially
   covering his time commanding the 6th panzer division.When he
   became a Corp and Army commander you get an overview of the battle which while good was a minor let down after
   reading his exploits with the 6th panzer. I learned quite a few minor things as well. One...just because a unit was named a panzer corp or as a panzer army did not mean they actually had any panzer units.Several times they just had non motorized infantry units only.

No comments about Pearl Harbor Countdown: Admiral James O. Richardson.

No comments about The Rough Riders (Dover Books on Americana).

5 comments about Fidel:: A Critical Portrait.

1. This book contains all the ingredients a great biography should have: comprehensive research, an interesting character, balanced and insightful analysis, and very good writing. Tad Szulc deserves all the credit he can get for putting together a book that could be used in a class as an example of how to write a biography. To me, Fidel Castro was an obstinate idealist who wanted the best for his people and country before losing himself in wrong ideas and absolutism, but you can form your own (well informed) opinion after reading this extraordinary chronicle of his life.



2. I thought that the Che biography by Jon Lee Anderson was awesome. It seemed very fact oriented and neutral. Very inspirational... After finishing that, I wanted to continue learning about Cuba's recent history and wished for a book just like Anderson's, but on the topic of Fidel. Anderson mentions that "Fidel: A Critical Portrait" is THE biography on Fidel so I decided to go with it...

   Well, compared to my experience with the Che book, this one was very disapointing... it has a very pessimistic tone. Perhaps Szulc is objective, however he sometimes chooses to focus on negative items, unnecessarily. The book begins and ends in negativity. Just read the last 2 pages and note the items that Szulc chooses to end the book on... problems in Cuba like alcoholism, infrastructural neglect, uninspired youth. Plenty of coutries suffer these issues; does this make Cuba stand out?

   The book does have alot of information in it and valuable anecdotes, but be prepared to wade through plenty of passive jibes from Sculz regarding Fidel.

   The book's introduction starts out with a sort of defense by Szulc which can be summarized as "Fidel said I could slam him... as long as I'm objective". That right there set off warning flags for me.

   As far as being a "Critical Portrait" goes, it deserves 5 stars. But I imagine that there will be a few other readers that came to this via the Che book and I wanted to call attention to the very different style and to brace themselves for a different experience.




3. I have recently discovered a wonderful genre of historical reading: Cuban history! From Fidel Castro, and Jose Marti, to Che Guevara and Antonio Maceo, the history of the island is rich with characters whose stories are as good as any fictional action/adventure tale. I have read plenty of stories about Fidel, and this one is the most complete. There is little information on Fidel's life (up until publication) that cannot be found in this book. The writing is objective, and focuses on both the triumphs and failures of the Castro regime. It is not a quick read, it is very detailed, and I had to renew it from the library twice. Say what you will about Fidel politically, the man has lived a fascinating life, and has survived insurmountable odds and countless assassination attempts. With incredible resourcefulness and sheer determination, he managed to survive. No doubt he has left an impact that cannot be ignored and only time will tell if in history, he is truly absolved.
   
   
   
   Mark McGinty is the author of "Elvis and the Blue Moon Conspiracy"



4. As someone born and raised in revolutionary Cuba and now living in the US for some years, I have read a lot on these subjects .......and from both sides of the ideological and political divide. " Fidel: A Critical Portrait" is simply one of the best, considering the depth of his research and the objectivity of his analysis of not only Fidel Castro, but also of the Cuban history in the last 50 years. This book by Tad Szulc is ,in my opinion, a must for anyone interested in really understanding Cuba and the Cuban revolution as well as the historical background that allowed things to happen the way they have. Furthermore, this book sheds light in what forces might come in play once Fidel Castro dies and Cuba can have a brighter future and its rightful place in America.



5. This tome presents an excellent view of Castro's past, his interests, and insights into a man I have admired throughout the years. Szurek, probably by agreement, left out some harsh practices the Castro government performed. Unfortunately, it is not a "Critical Portrait", but historically it is an excellent read if you don't mind ignoring what's been left out.

3 comments about The Irish General: Thomas Francis Meagher.

1. This is the best book on General Meagher that is available today. The research is prodicious and the writing is excellant. It is a fair view to a complicated man. Dont miss out on a excellant book if you are a fan of General Meagher, the Irish Brigade, the Civil War, or Montana History. The photographs are also excellant.The bibliography is also excellant.



2. Wylie's book is very well researched and well written. I not only learned about the very rich and flawed life of an infamous Irish general and rebel, but I also learned a good deal about the historical struggles in Ireland that inspired him. I learned much about the Civil War, as well as how communication and politics worked around the war. I learned still more about early Western history as it applied to newly developing territories. If you have any interest in Montana history at all, this book is a must read. The author provides a colorful and detailed, very human picture of what Montana was like when it was first forming. This includes some history of the sociopolitical struggles between the settlers and the Native Americans as well. Meagher was certainly a very colorful and very human character who suffered many ups and downs and wore quite a few important hats in his day. Even Meagher's death is well researched. "The Irish General" is a real page-turner overall.



3. It seems every time you turn around someone's writing a biography of another Confederate general from the Civil War. Somehow, there's not quite the enthusiasm for biographies of Union soldiers that there is for the Confederates. This current book examines the interesting life of one of the more unusual characters from the Union Army in the Civil War era: Thomas Francis Meagher. Meagher is famous as the Union general who led the Irish Brigade, a hard-fighting unit which was famous for its opposition to the Emancipation Proclamation, and also famous for its ability to consume large amounts of whiskey. Meagher himself supposedly drank to excess, though whether he did so on the battlefield or not is a matter of debate.
   
   Wylie's account of Meagher's life is a full one, following the man through life, beginning with his childhood in Ireland, involvement in the Irish uprising in 1848 (which was very small and never had much chance of success). He then recounts his exile in Tasmania and escape. Meagher made his way to America, became a citizen, earned a law degree, and did the lecture tour circuit in order to make money. When the Civil War started, Meagher was at first sympathetic to the Confederates, but changed his mind and wound up raising troops for the Union. These troops were formed into a regiment which he wound up serving in. After First Bull Run, Meagher raised more troops and wound up leading the resulting brigade, fighting through all of the crucial campaigns up through Chancellorsville. By this time the Irish Brigade was down to a few hundred men, and Meagher felt they'd earned a rest and a period to recuperate, but the high command disagreed, and he resigned during the dispute. He did later get himself reinstated, but didn't fight again for the remainder of the war, and primarily distinguished himself with a very poor performance trying to move a body of troops from Tennessee to North Carolina, which almost led to his removal from command. He then, at the end of the war, accepted a post as secretary of the Territory of Montana, and served as the interim governor while the office was vacant or the governor absent. He died in a bizarre accident two years after the end of the war, falling off of a steamboat into the river, his body never being found.
   
   Wylie is a judicious and intelligent biographer, and this is a careful, well-written biography. The author contends that Meagher's drinking certainly had an effect on his life, but also notes that it might have been exaggerated by enemies, of whom Meagher had many. One of those enemies was William T. Sherman, who recounted the famous incident where Meagher complained to President Lincoln about Sherman's rather draconian attitude towards discipline, and Lincoln's rather comical response. This is, frankly, and intelligent and well-written biography, and I think a valuable addition to any Civil War library.

5 comments about WOODEN HORSE (Military Classics).

1. Don't be put off by the recent "out of print" status, this book is a great true story of a prison breakout in WW2. You can also easily pick it up through Amazons second hand bookstores for a relatively cheap price.

   Written by the escapee himself, it retains all its charm and spirit since it first received rave reviews in the late 1940s to early 1950s.

   The breakout came from a novel, yet brilliant idea inspired by the Legend of the Trojan Horse- ie to use a gym vaulting horse as cover to hide an inmate who dug a tunnel to the nearest concentration camp fence. It succeeded, but I won't ruin the story with all the details, you will have to read it yourself! Rest assured the book is well written, and as it is told by one of the escapees himself it has a certain charm, readability and authenticity about it.

   Getting out was just the first part, the escapees still had to travel across most of Germany to reach home, right amidst the heartlessness and desparation of WW2. I found the description of the lives of everyday German people within a major war as soulful, revealing and harrowing as the concentration camp itself.

   A remarkable story, a great and uplifting novel, sure to inspire for many years to come. No mundane "political correctness" here, truthfully told and recorded with all the desperation, fear, and courageous spirit of many involved in the war-on both sides.

   There was a film also made in the 1960s I think, which was almost as good as the book, but not quite. Of similar genre to The Wooden Horse is "the Great Escape", also made into a film, but the Wooden Horse is more realisitic and better done overall in my opinion.

   Uplifts the spirit.




2. A Gripping True WWII POW Escape Story!!

   This book took me over until the very last page.

   I usually don't care for reading as a past time and especially novels that take too long to get through.

   I read this book over 20 years ago (and only did so by chance after finding it in the school library), because I had to submit a book report during my junior high school years.

   I enjoyed the book so much I eagery and ultimately compiled a great book report and was awarded 9/10 as a grade.

   Funny enough, I did so well with it that I took the liberty to re-submitted the same book report the following year and again was awarded another high mark (of course it was a different teacher and I had to re-write and date it).

   In fact here I am over 20 years later I plan to get my very own copy. That's how much I enjoyed it!

   "The Wooden Horse" by Eric Williams is a fabulous book and would make a perfect gift to that person who you think should read more...but doesn't.

   They'll thank you for it!




3. Eric Williams' The Wooden Horse is another military classic which shouldn't be missed, even though it first appeared over fifty years ago. Here's the story of a daring escape during World War II in an expanded, revised edition that tells of a break from one of Germany's most escape-proof camps. The account doesn't just tell how they did it - it covers the aftermath of the break-out, which involved getting out of Germany entirely. It may read like fiction with high drama, but The Wooden Horse is pure fact and an important chronicle in the history of the war.



4. There are two editions of this book. In the original edition and in subsequent reprints there is a last desperate moment where all the remains between Williams and freedom is a German guard on a bridge. He kills him and escapes...
   
   Only as Williams admitted years later in an anniversary update - that part never happened and was put in to satisfy the publishers who wanted a more "exciting" ending.
   
   ...and he is right to come clean on the point - the story was exciting enough without needing tweaking - ingenuity under strain of captivity is well portrayed in the book and after the frightening journey across Germany - his debriefing by an Intelligence Officer counterpoints what went before in a very British and understated way.



5. This amazing escape episode involved three men, and was not part of the much-publicized Great Escape, but took place from the same camp (Stalag Luft III). This review is an expansion of an earlier one that I had written.
   
   The original Trojan Horse contained soldiers in the process of sneaking into a city. This real-life WWII thriller describes a Trojan Horse used by Allied POWs to tunnel their way out of a German POW camp. While the horse was ostensibly being used for vaulting exercise, a small group of men hidden within the horse dug a tunnel underneath. Eventually it led them to freedom. Years later, "Eric Williams" was surprised that a mere plywood box could have fooled the Germans for so long. Indeed, the Germans apparently never became suspicious of the fact that the horse was always placed at the identical location, and not far from the wire.
   
   The idea was conceived out of the frustration of digging tunnels long distances from the huts to past the camp wire, and the Germans expecting the traps to originate from the huts and finding them. What if there was some way to get much closer to the wire, to dig a tunnel from there, and to conceal the trap from that unexpected location?
   
   The Trojan Horse episode came to mind. It would be a long and laborious tunneling process, as only a few tunnelers and relatively small amounts of sand could be concealed within the horse per exercise session. Otherwise, the horse would be too heavy to be carried.
   
   The vaulting horse was at first used without any tunnelers concealed in it. In fact, the vaulters purposely knocked it over a number of times so that the Germans would see nothing on the inside of it. The Germans were told that the vaulting stemmed from the English craze for exercise.
   
   After innumerable episodes of vaulting and tunneling, the tunnel was past the wire. Three escapees went from inside the horse down the tunnel, and, after many hours, dug there way to freedom. All three made it safely to the Allied lines.