5 comments about From Pusan to Panmunjom: Wartime Memoirs of the Republic of Korea's First Four-Star General (Memories of War).

1. General Paik's work stands out among the many works on the Korean War because of his focus on the operations of the Republic of Korea (ROK) forces. Highly recommended to readers looking for information that goes beyond the American contributions to the struggle. The operational details and accounts of the interaction of American and ROK commanders are fascinating. The book suffers slightly from a lack of detailed maps that assist readers in following the movements of the oppossing forces.



2. I'm glad I found this gem of a book. I've read more then a few Korean War books and they take a decidedly American point of view. It's not to say that this is wrong, but it's certainly unbalanced. Many of these other books go on to describe the ROK army as cowardly, unreliable and prone to breaking. Finally there is a Korean commander that puts the record straight.
   
   Yes, it was true that the ROK army at the time were not up to American Army standards, but it's not fair to put the same expectations on them. It doesn't take a genius to know what happens when militia goes against a heavily equipped professional army head-to-head in the open field. Militia loses every time, just look at how the British man handled continental armies in the first few years of the Revolutionary War. In 1950 the ROK army was the equivalent of a militia as it was very much under equipped, with no armor, air force and very little artillery (some 60mm and 80mm mortars and a few light 105mm pieces).
   
   The U.S. had purposely left the ROK army under equipped and it was designed from the ground up as a lightly armed anti-guerilla force. The ROK army had a very poor junior officer corps, there was not school to train junior officers. The U.S. was too preoccupied in rebuilding Japan and sent very limited funds to South Korea. Proper equipment was not sent, no school for junior officers was established. Anyone who knows something about military matters knows that the backbone of an effective army are the junior officers, the lieutenants, captains and majors that lead the troops into the teeth of enemy fire. The North Korean Army (NKA), on the other hand, had an effective junior officer corps because many of the veterans were anti-Japanese guerilla fighters. Furthermore, the Russians supplied NKA with T-34 tanks, YAK fighter bombers, 155mm artillery, etc. Heavy artillery, tanks and close air support gave the NKA heavy offensive power.
   
   It is not mentioned very often, but American trooped faired NO BETTER against the NKA during the first few months of the war. 24th ID troops ran from their positions when their antiquated WWII era bazookas just scratched the paint off NKA T-34s. It was carrier based air power that saved the Americans from being overrun.
   
   General Paik tells stories of desperate battles, where ROK soldiers wrapped satchel charges around their bodies and threw themselves in suicide missions onto NKA tanks. ROK soldiers did the best they could with the weapons and training they had on hand. General Paik provides a fair and often underappreciated reason for why ROK units faired badly in the early part of the Korean War. As far as I'm concerned, any student of the Korean War cannot consider himself a expert unless he's read Paik's book. It is wrong to not put into consideration the viewpoint of the nation that contributed the most manpower and had the most casualties of all the UN forces. No Korean War library can be considered complete without this book (how many Korea War books have a glowing foreword by Mathew B. Ridgeway himself, huh?).
   
   General Paik Sun Yup was the 29 year old commander of the ROK 1st division. The 1st ROK division had the distinction of the only ROK unit that never retreated from their positions without orders. It was also the only ROK unit that was attached to a U.S. Army Corp for the duration of the war and given tasks expected of a regular U.S. infantry division. General Paik was adamant about the fact that given the proper artillery, armor and air support, the 1st ROK division always performed as well, if not better then any regular U.S. infantry division. The 1st ROK also had the distinction of being the first UN unit to enter Pyongyang, beating several better equipped U.S. units in the race to the NK capital.



3. I really enjoyed reading this book by probably the most celebrated Korean General of all time. While it is true that the Korean Army wasn't usually up to the standards of the American Army, Paik's units always seemed to be pretty close in every history of the war. Highly recommended book for anyone that wants to learn more about the Korean War.



4. This is an excellent autobiography. The General's career and development is amazing to have reached 4-Stars at such a young age. His modesty and emphasis on the South Korean Army's development into a complete military organization while at war is remarkable.
   What makes this book sobering is when the General describes how thousands of South Koreans volunteered and were sent straight into combat with little training, only to quickly become casualties themselves, sacrificing their lives for their country. Another key item from the General's writing is how only after having the time to fully train, equip, and organize into Divisions with adequate firepower, were they able to successfully conduct offensive operations.
   Bravery and courage helped them hold against the North Korean Communist attack along the desperate Pusan perimeter, but it was the firepower of the attached US artillery units that were supporting his South Korean Division that allowed them to counterattack successfully and reach Panmunjom.
   The personal family dangers in war is also brought out where he writes about his family, who had to be left behind in Seoul, unable to flee when the North Koreans captured the city. The additional suffering of the civilian populace is also described in this book, caught trying to flee the Communist Army.
   Highly recommended reading for the South Korean view of the war. Excellent insight into how important it is to have trained and properly equipped soldiers when fighting a war rather than relying on conscripted soldiers after war has started as the conscripted soldiers will suffer excessive casualties and deaths when fighting against a motivated, trained, and fully armed enemy.



5. This is a fairly important book to anyone interested in the Korean War. General Yup was South Korea's first four star general and was a field commander of various units during the war.
   
   What makes this book important is that it covers the same war as many other books, but that it is written not from an American viewpoint but from the view of a soldier whose country was being attacked. This has made the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) through its Institute for Land Warfare put this title on their list of books that should be kept in print for study by AUSA members and others concerned about important issues.
   
   This book was first published in 1992, the copies being sold by Amazon are reprints of the original book.

1 comments about Bushveldt Carbineers: the War Against the Boers in South Africa and the 'Breaker' Morant Incident.

1. This is Witton's "Scapegoats of Empire: The True Story of Breaker Morant's Bushveldt Carbineers" under a new title. Witton was the third Carbineer alongside Morant and Hancock who were prosecuted for murder in the midst of the war.

No comments about Rommel's Desert Commanders: The Men Who Served the Desert Fox, North Africa, 1941-42 (Stackpole Military History Series).

5 comments about America's First Frogman: The Draper Kauffman Story.

1. Written by Draper Kauffman's sister Elizabeth Kauffman Bush, and featuring a foreword by President George H. W. Bush, America's First Frogman: The Draper Kauffman Story is the biography of the father of the American Navy SEALs. From surviving his time as a prisoner of the Germans, to his acclaimed wartime service disarming enemy bombs and establishing bomb disposal schools, to the underwater demolition teams he led at Saipan, Tinian, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa, America's First Frogman is an amazing true story of skill, courage, dedication, high standards, and excellence under extreme pressure. A handful of black-and-white photographs illustrate this fascinating story of a great man's life and resolute determination.



2. BOOK REVIEW OF: America's First Frogman, a biography of Admiral Draper Laurence Kauffman by his sister Elizabeth Kauffman Bush. Released by Naval Institute Press 2004
   
   America's First Frogman is an exciting war story of one of America's great heroes, Rear Admiral Draper Laurence Kauffman, the flamboyant young "father" of America's famous Underwater Demolition Units, now called the Navy Seals or frogmen.
   
   As told by his sister, the aunt of Jeb and George Bush and God Daughter of the former Duchess of Windsor, the biography spans the "heroic age...of individual prowess and fantastic risks" through several World War II battlefields and back home in the US. It is the colorful Homeric odyssey of a young Annapolis graduate who persists, despite bad eyesight, to prove his courage and ability to serve his country and follow his father, Vice Admiral James Laurence Kauffman, into the US Navy.
   
   Vividly the author reports how her brother, after initially failing the Navy's eye test, continues to successfully "test his nerve... from one nasty job to another" (from ambulance driving in northern France and bomb disposing in London's blitz) to return to the US and slowly prove his genius at pioneering and implementing new ideas and strategies. Quoting from his own letters, as well as those of other contemporaries, the author reports how Kauffman gains the respect from all for his contagious courage and leadership, especially in attracting and training volunteer "frogmen" to join him in their exceedingly demanding work preparing battlefields, often by swimming miles at night under enemy fire, supporting enormous backpacks full of ammunition.
   
   Although the book focuses on Kaufman's founding of the first US Naval Bomb Disposal and Combat Demolition schools, it also follows him through his very significant post war period acting as captain of several ships and chief of many pivotal naval offices including the Defense and Protection Section of the Atomic Warfare Division and Aide to Secretary of the Navy Thomas S. Gates and the Joint Chiefs of Staff in Washington DC. Ironically, in 1965 he also became Superintendent of the place where he first began his naval career, Annapolis.
   
   The well researched and colorfully depicted battle scenes are taken from his own letters to his father whom he sensitively cautions to hide from his worried mother and sister back home. This stateside backdrop of glamour and courage in the lives of both the Kauffman and Bush families adds to the dramatic scope of the book. Photographs portray both Admiral Kauffmans, as well as many other famous military, political and family personalities. The forward is written by the author's brother in law, former President George H.W.Bush.
   
   The reader will grow to admire the mischievous and bold, but sensitive, hero even as his sister does. Watch for this newly released biography to become a very exciting movie all of us can enjoy. Young and old can learn self disciplined focus, wisdom, wit and service from reading America's First Frogman.
   
   TerryAnn Reed, former history teacher, Sarasota, Florida, January 30, 2005



3. We have three sons, all of whom have decided to serve their country, and Draper Kauffman is one of their heroes. What an exciting story! And it's more engaging because it's told by his sister, who has the unique insight to blend his military experiences with his family life. It's a well-rounded account of a man who served our country with honor and distinction.
   
   The title is unfortunate, because younger people have no idea what a "frogman" is. It would have been better to refer to the Navy Seals.



4. I was on Admiral Kauffman's staff at the 9th Naval District and present at his retirement, so I have long been aware of his amazing biography. Such a book is long overdue and tells the story of his heroic WWII service -- a life with details that you thought ony happened "in the movies".



5. 
   A wonderful story of a man's life in the United States Navy during World
   War II. When men of courage and strength were needed, they stepped forward. Draper Kauffman knew the task before them and trained them to meet every possible hardship the seas and the enemy could throw at them. I doubt he would wanted to be called a hero, but I do think he would want those who served with him and died during those war years to be called hero's! Exceptionally well written by a loving sister, and a story Hollywood should tell, as written. Many thanks go to Elizabeth Kauffman Bush

5 comments about Fear Up Harsh: An Army Interrogator's Dark Journey Through Iraq.

1. shows the ugly truth of what we are being reduced to by the idiots running this country. Bush lovers beware - this aint for you.



2. "Fear Up Harsh" is a military term for interrogation techniques that emphasize overpower threat and fear, but not to violate the Geneva Conventions. "Fear Up Harsh" also refers to a book written by an Army interpreter about his experiences in Iraq - first complying with the military limitations, but soon also including sleep deprivation, prolonged cold exposure, threats from snarling guard dogs, and loud noise. Other units (Navy Seals, Army Special Forces, other government groups) also used water-boarding and physical assaults, per their own admissions and the residual physical evidence.
   
   Lagouranis (the author) arrived in Iraq nine months after "Mission Accomplished" and immediately was posted to Abu Ghraib. Living quarters there consisted of a noisy sea of cots with 6" free space on each side. Escapes were common - many Iraqi workers did not wear badges, and all a prisoner had to do was get out of a cell and change clothes.
   
   Lagouranis encountered non-stop incompetence throughout his Iraq tour - superiors sensitive to covering up evidence of abuse, while lacking experience in intelligence, an incarceration rate about 10X that warranted by realty, and failure to share intelligence from one unit/agency with another. (The most extreme instance of the latter involved aerial surveillance of a former Army outpost that led to a night-time raid on Oil of Ministry staff who had the outpost turned over to them. Worse yet, it took over a week to release those taken into custody, despite ID badges, documenting paperwork, and the ability to corroborate stories with oil ministry headquarters.)
   
   The military's on-going assumption was that any Iraqi thought be be related to someone bad (often misidentified via misunderstanding of Arab naming customs), near an incident (eg. even 200 yards), carrying something suspicious (a motorcycle battery or cell phone) had to know something worth revealing. Regardless of how guilty the person was, the interrogation technique used, or the proximity of interrogation to alleged act, I cannot recall a single instance of Lagouranis learning anything of value. (He also pointed out that he did not know what, if anything, the Seals and Special Forces learned.)
   
   Needless to say, even relatively subdued "Fear Up Harsh" techniques applied to countless innocent civilians, combined with middle of the night Iraqi home searches, has not endeared the U.S. to Muslims. We have become the "bad guys" in their minds.



3. It is unfortunate that Mr Lagouranis left Iraq feeling the way he did. Having served with him I do not recall SPC Lagouranis as a Soldier who "believed in" his mission. His time at Abu Ghraib was very short and did NOT expose him to any of the complaints or stresses in the book. His time in Fallujah, with the Marines, definitely had an impact on him. His claims of brutality and torture are grossly exagerrated. It is incredibly difficult for young men to face war and the horrors it brings and maintain their "normal" behavioral restraints. Leadership is the key to maintaining morality in the face of brutality; SPC Lagouranis witnessed the failure of leadership in Fallujah. The book reads well, but false, in many areas.



4. In addition to Tony's comments on torture and torture-lite in general, plus his personal involvement, I appreciate his take on the Army as it entered Iraq and then tried to tamp down the insurgency. (Note: My sister is a 20-year Reservist and former active-duty, so I've heard some stuff about Army politics, dysfunctionality at times, etc, elsewhere.) This is yet another fallout from an all-volunteer military, in my opinion, but that would be the subject for another book by itself.
   
   The third main thing to enjoy is Lagouranis' humanness and degree of self-observation and self-analysis. Add to that the fact he was familiar with things like the Milgram experiment before going to Iraq, and Tony himself almost becomes a live-fire lab experiment on how even good-intentioned people can cut ethical corners, etc., then justify why they're doing that.
   
   In short, Lagouranis' experience shows exactly why we have things such as Geneva Conventions, and why they're so carefully spelled out. Although he doesn't spell it out, the logical conclusion of discussion would be "A Man for All Seasons," where More says, in essence, when you jettison all laws in trying to attack the devil, what do you do when the devil attacks back without being hindered by law?
   
   Sidebar: People who have one-starred this book are the same people Tony pointed out in the Army -- people who won't open their minds, have narrow to very narrow world views, and refuse to be challenged or contradicted.



5. Anyone wanting to know more about the shadowy world of US interrogations in Iraq and the moral issues that go along with them need to read this book.
   
   The main thrust of this book walks through the gradual escalation of interrogation techniques that Tony Lagouranis and his collegues used in Iraq. As he explains, the changes were natural to the point of being imperceptible. For example, they would hear about how Navy Seals used such and such technique, and assumed it was both acceptible and effective (the Navy Seals know what they're doing right?). Lagouranis ultimately concludes that their heightened techniques do not provide the US any additional intelligence. If anything, their questionable pratices probably result in lower quality intelligence, because those with no knowledge are likely to fabricate answer to stop the pain, while putting himself, the Army, and the US in great moral peril. While Lagouranis wonders whether he himself should be tried for war crimes, we (Americans) should be taking a hard look at what we are asking our soldiers to do on our behalf and whether continuing this war is really the best path.
   
   Another important theme of this book is how the the US military casts its nets very widely in search of intelligence. Lagouranis tells countless stories of how he was assigned to interrogate those who simply had the misfortune of being near the scene of an attack (as he puts it, the wrong place at the wrong time). This practice of bringing in anyone with the slightest chance of having information and treating them like criminals has been completely counter-productive to the the war effort, by providing amunition to islamic extremists in the region and turning those who had not been against us.
   
   + + Other Interesting Topics + +
   
   Lagouranis explains his two reasons for joining the army:
   
   1. the thrill of being in a situation in which you have no control
   2. His deep and long held desire to learn arabic and the armies intensive language training school. As Lagouranis explains, this love began when he studied at a small esoteric school in New Mexico which taught only from primary texts in their original languages. There, he was exposed to Greek and Hebrew, which helped him connect with people from the past in a way that English translations cannot.
   
   This book also discusses Army culture from the inside, and how his left of center politics often made things awkward to say the least.

5 comments about I Could Never Be So Lucky Again: An Autobiography.

1. I found this book to be two things. First, it was a wonderful overview of US air history delivered by an indisputable authority on the subject. Second, I learned a lot about a true American hero, both in achievement and personal life. How refreshing to discover a humble, brilliant, down-to-earth individual who made such a positive impact on our country! The book was well written and easy to read. In some places it threatened to be tedious, but nothing serious (hence the 5 star recommendation).



2. I had the great pleasure of meeting Gen. Doolittle in 1985 at the Anatole Hotel in Dallas Texas at the dinner in honor of him sponsored by George Haddaway. Years later I got to know CV Glines and see him regularly now.

   This is the most thorough biography I have seen on Gen. Doolittle and CV worked closely with the General and later his family. The book answered one of my lingering questions about "The Raid on Tokyo": Was the Hornet spotted AND reported by the picket boat that they sank? The answer came when an outbound flying boat passed underneath the B-25s as they approached Tokyo.

   I am not looking forward to the portrayal of Gen. Doolittle by Alec Baldwin in the new Disney Movie "Pearl Harbor". I have a sense of dread and foreboding about what Disney may do to the facts




3. This book definitely stands out as one of the superior autobiographies to come out of a major World War II figures. Its come a bit late but I found it to be quite rewarding reading material. Perhaps he was right, he would never be this lucky again since his life story appears to be filled with eternal good fortune, blessed by a first class mind and abilities. I was surprised to learned how much time he spent in Alaska (my home state) and many other details of his life which most readers will not know about. The book proves to be quite addictive and I frankly, read it in a single sitting. The man have done and experience so much stuff that it must have seem to be like a dream to him, looking back. I considered the book a must read material for anyone interested in a major World War II figure or anyone with any interest in aviation history.



4. Childhood in the wilds of Alaska, early aviation pioneer, test pilot, Shell Oil executive, Tokyo raider, 8th Air Force Commander, and so much more. When American hero James Doolittle passed way in 1993, he completed a life that would be difficult for a dozen men to replicate. Though acknowledged in history as the man who led the Doolittle Raid on Tokyo, Doolittle's autobiography, I COULD NEVER BE SO LUCKY AGAIN, shows that there was much more to the man than his daring bomber mission. Raised on the Alaskan frontier, Doolittle eventually relocated to California where he garnered a reputation as a prankster and daredevil. During the First World War he joined the fledgling Army Air Corps. Though Doolittle was retained in the United States throughout the war, he chose to remain in service and help advance military aviation. In the years that followed, Doolittle was a key figure in the development of more advanced avionics, instrument flying, and proponent for 100 octane gasoline for aircraft. Aside from breaking cross country flight records and chasing Mexican bandits in early air-to-ground missions, Doolittle tourned South America as an aircraft salesman.
   
   I COULD NEVER BE SO LUCKY AGAIN is not just about Doolittle's military adventures. In the book he is an advocate of higher eduction. He accomplished a two-year masters degree in one year. So as not to waste the remaining year the Army alotted him, Doolittle went on to get his doctorate at MIT. His statements about the value of advanced education are as true now as they were then.
   
   Though he shed active duty for a higher paying job at Shell, Doolittle continued to log flight hours for Shell and as a military reservist. Seeing that war was inevitable, Doolittle rejoined the active ranks and pulled off 1942's gutsy attack on Tokyo. Any average man, after receiving his Congressional Medal of Honor from the President, could have called it quits then and there. Not Doolittle. He went on to command various Army Air Force units in North Africa and Europe. He argued with General Eisenhower and frequently corresponded with General George S. Patton.
   
   Doolittle remained active throughout his life. Indeed he was a consultant to numerous firms and on the board of directors of several more. He was called to head various government commissions throughout the remainder of his life. In addition, he was a loving father and devoted husband.
   
   In summary, I COULD NEVER BE SO LUCKY AGAIN is an autobiography, military narrative, aviation technical development history, and a guide as to how to lead an ethical and fulfilling life. At times some of the chapters bog down when Doolittle inserts whole passages of archival correspondence. No matter. The autobiography is a great work by a great and modest man. The title of the book reflects that modesty as Doolittle writes that I COULD NEVER BE SO LUCKY AGAIN is reflective of his marriage, and not the Tokyo Raid. We miss you Jimmy.
   
   Buy the book.



5. One of the sad things about books, especially non-fiction books, is that sooner or later they always slip into the past and few people ever read them again. The same seems to be true of America's great heroes, most of them anyway. They too seem to slip into the past and before long they too are all but forgotten. If you said to most Americans today, for example, "What do you know about Doctor Doolittle?" They would likely say, "Oh, he's the amazing fellow who talks to the animals." True, but there was once another Dr. Doolittle, one much more amazing than that other fellow, and this is his story - the story of an aviation pioneer, a war hero, and a truly great American.
   
   Jimmy Doolittle was born in California, raised in Alaska, and attended high school in Los Angeles, but his real story began when he dropped out of UC Berkley and joined the Aviation Section of the US Signal Corps during World War One. That war ended before Doolittle could see action, but in the years that followed he would be the first man to fly across the United States in less than 24 hours (1922) and then in less than 12 hours (1931); win, among others, the Schneider Trophy (1925), the Bendix Trophy (1931), and the Thompson Trophy (1932); earn one of the first doctorate degrees to be awarded in aeronautical science (MIT/1925); be the first airman to fly an outside loop (1927); help develop the aircraft instruments needed to allow pilots to fly safely in all weather conditions; become the first airman to fly an airplane from takeoff through flight and landing on instruments alone (1929); set the transcontinental speed record for passenger flight (1935); Convince Shell Oil to develop facilities for the production of the 100-octane gasoline needed by America's war planes during World War II long before there was a market for it (termed by some at the time as "Doolittle's Million Dollar Blunder"); Lead "Doolittle's Raiders" in the first attack on the Japanese homeland following Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor (April 18, 1942); and command the 12th Air Force, North Africa (1942), the 15th Air Force, Italy (1943), the 8th Air Force, England (1944), and the 8th Air Force, Okinawa (1945). Along the way, Doolittle was awarded, among other things, the Congressional Medal of Honor; the Distinguished Service Medal and the Distinguished Flying Cross; a fourth general's star; and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
   
   This is a great book about a great American who should not be forgotten. (BTW - If you read and enjoy this book, you might try reading "Yeager." Although their lives were somewhat out of phase, in time, Doolittle and Yeager appear to have been kindred spirits.)

3 comments about You Only Blow Yourself Up Once: Confessions of a World War Two Bomb Disposaleer.

1. I started reading this book on Sunday and didn't put it down until two days later when I finished it. It is a great historical perspective of Navy bomb disposal experts and their role in the Pacific during World War II. Lots of personal insights on the battle for Iwo Jima. I strongly recommend it for history bluffs and those who enjoy reading a great biographical tale from a foot soldier (or foot sailor) of one of the greatest battles in our nation's history. Captain David E. Meadows, U.S. Navy and author of Sixth Fleet & Joint Task Force series. http://www.sixthfleet.com



2. Just a wonderful book by one of Indiana WW2 hero's. Serious content but lightfully written.
   
   Wayne Brewer



3. This book catches your attention if by nothing else than its title. You Only Blow Yourself Up Once, is a first-hand account of a bomb disposal expert serving in the Pacific during World War Two.
   
   Specifically, he arrives in Quadalcanal after the hostilities had quieted down considerably. He spends the remainder of his service time, taking apart unexploded bombs, torpedoes, and making recommendations on what type of explosive to present the Japanese military with. Interesting aspects of this book include a commando mission to defuse a bomb some island locals didn't appreciate.
   
   The nice thing about this book is it really makes you appreciate what the early EOD servicemen were doing. They were a brand-new all-volunteer section of the Navy dealing with some of the most dangerous activities imaginable. After all, defusing a failed bomb that someone dropped on you must take real guts. It was interesting to note no one wanted this guy's job!
   
   I also enjoyed the humor in this book. It's a nice easy read. An ambitious person could finish it in a weekend. But it has a lot of additional sources for further information. Most of all it does a nice job in describing the birth of this unique form of service.

2 comments about The Magnificent Mitscher (Bluejacket Books Paperback).

1. While wary of Naval biographies, I plucked this biography of Mitcher off the Wardroom library shelf for the sheer appeal of the weathered old admiral on the cover; and in so doing proved once again that although we shouldn't judge a book by its cover, a cover sometimes leads one to a very good book indeed. Taylor is commendable not only for his portrayal of Mitcher as an integral player in Naval aviation, but as an individual in his own right. I was captivated not only by tales of his prowess in the tight spots of Naval aviation in the major conflicts of his era, but by the portrayal of his private misgivings and apprehensions. This, coupled with the inclusion of other key players of the times -- Nimitz, Halsey, McCain, and others -- made for an excellent primer on the beginnings of Naval aviation. I highly recommend this work to anyone looking for a few evenings of good reading or an introduction to the intracacies and excitement of Naval aviation.



2. My review would be slightly biased. Adm. Mitscher was the uncle of my Grandmother. The Book, "The Magnificent Mitscher" is spellbinding, and extremely well written. I enjoy reading it completely... to the point that I am going to have to buy another copy as mine is going to wear out soon. My copy is copyrighted in 1954, by Theodore Taylor. It cost my Grandfather $4.50 to get, and was given to my father as a gift.

   A fantastic book for anyone interested in WWII and the Pacific Task force 58/38.

3 comments about The Bravest Man: Richard O'Kane and the Amazing Submarine Adventures of the USS Tang.

1. I read this book as part of a History Day project I am doing on Dick O'Kane and the USS Tang. This book was extremely helpful. It tells the story of the Tang in a very thorough and easy to understand way. It's almost like you're there in the control room with the officers. Another great thing about this book is that it also gives you a good feel for the entire submarine force of WW2 by breifly telling many other stories about the best, worst, and most bizzare things that were happening, and explaining problems submariners had to face. All in all, if you want to get a great basic knowledge of WW2 Submarines, and read a gripping story about real heros and real drama, this book is for you.



2. This is the second book that I have read about Richard O'Kane and his experiences in the Wahoo and Tang and waiting on two more books to arrive. I simply cannot get enough! Will someone please make a movie about him?



3. This is a fine read about Dick O'Kane, the ace of aces among WWII submarine commanders. Tuohy has a fine grasp of the dramatic wartime events and of O'Kane's tremendously brave and competent character. He, also, brings in some general discussion of the submarine war in the Pacific including the terrible problem of faulty torpedoes.

5 comments about Before Their Time: A Memoir.

1. This is a strange book. The author later went on to write novels so it isn't too surprising that this book is not really a memoir but a psychoanalytic, stream of conciousness paean to the life shattering memory of the author's one and only day in combat. The last 50 pages or so describe his slow re-discovery of himself after the trauma. Do not expect a literal description of Army life or battle. While there are some stunningly concrete details in this book they are almost always used to anchor a mental state or emotion the author says he was feeling. I am somewhat skeptical of the ability to remember how one would have felt a half a century ago but then again I didn't live through World War Two. This book falls in the camp of "Crossing the Sauer" and "Roll Me Over'. A work for meditation and introspection on memory. loss and World War II.



2. I never quite undestood what the author was trying to say. The more than half the book is about stateside training and meeting the other G.I.'s in his platoon but there is so little about combat. I was surprised that the time in combat was only about two or three days on the front line. I never did understand what happened to the author that took him out of combat. I understand there was some trauma from an intense day under fire. I never did figure out though why he was never sent back to the front. Many other G.I.'s went through days and weeks under fire and stayed up or returned to the front. I am compassionate to any front line soldier who fought in WWII but this book didn't seem to bring across to me what Mr. Kotlowitz went through.



3. For those of you considering this book, look past several of the one star ratings that others gave. I have been studying World War Two, with an emphasis on the European Theatre for well over 25 years. I have read tons of books written on the strategic and tactical level. I have read biographies and memoirs as well. Studs Turkell called this war "The Good War" and a book that he penned several years ago bears this same title, excellent book but not a good war by any stretch of the imagination.
   
   As one of the victors of this global conflict we as Americans are so used to reading stories about a country gearing up for war, overcoming the odds and defeating the Axis powers and beating them back to within the borders of their own dark fascist countries. In the process of doing this, against popular belief, things did not always go well. Of the thousands of books available describing the chess game of men and machines that this war became, not many get deep into the platoon and squad levels or reveal the personalities and idiosyncrasies that existed. These subjects are often glossed over in favor of the "big picture". In the describing of strategic and tactical maneuverings of armies and equipment to achieve a planned objective the human element is usually absent.
   
   What many readers don't understand is that the story that Robert Kotlowtiz describes to us is the experience that many a soldier had, especially replacement troops that were new to a theatre of operations. They went through training, landed on the continent and depending on which Division, Corps or Army they were to be attached to may have been slowly incorporated into the war. Many did not last long in combat when they did arrive. They were either killed, wounded or captured on their first day or week in action.
   
   
   Unlike Dick Winters of the famed E Co., 506th P.I.R., 101st Airborne, Kotlowitz did not fight in Normandy or drop into Holland or endure the Ardennes or the Eagles Nest. He was in a green replacement division with no experience, and on his very first combat mission the world as he knew it came to an end. This story may seem tragic and unheard of and maybe a bit disappointing from a reader's point of view. But unless veterans like Robert Kotlowtiz tell their stories, we will never know what it was actually like. The official army "Green Back" histories although packed with detail and combat history writing do not describe the human emotion or personal mind-set of the individual combat soldier and the life that he had to endure.
   
   I personally found the book riveting and could not put it down. Sure, since Kotlowitz eventually became a writer it reads well and in some areas may be a bit over some reader's heads. But these stories need to be told even if it's not to the sound of trumpets or victory parades. It's still a tale of personal victory.



4. "Before Their Time" by Robert Kotlowitz. Subtitled: "A Memoir".
   Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. New York, 1997.
   
   In 1943, Robert Kotlowitz was in the Army Specialized Training Program (ASTP) at the University of Maine when mounting casualties in the European Theater of Operation (ETO) required fresh men for the war. General George Marshall ordered the termination of ASTP program so as to release some 175,000 young soldiers to the battlefields of Europe. So, this young man from Baltimore found himself on the liner, "Argentina", at the city of Cherbourg, "...the old Norman city" in France. The soldiers of the 26th division, the old Yankee Division, had to climb down rope ladders, hanging on the hull of the ship, into Higgins boats below. The details of this relatively unimportant event... i.e. disembarkation, fill many pages in this small book of memories written many years after the war. In this small section, the recounts how his contemporaries reacted to the requirement of climbing down rope cargo nets into the boats below, and by so writing, analyzes those young men of the Yankee Division.
   
   The author not only analyzes the men but also the 26th Division.
   On page 8, he writes ...
   "By 1944 there were no longer many true Yankees in the Yankee division. (O)ther ethnic and national groups had begun to infiltrate the roster:,, Italians, ... Armenians, Greeks" ... and so on. Then, Kotlowitz notes that there was "... a substantial cluster of despised WASPs, who didn't yet know that they were a symptom of the future, as well as a handful of isolated Jews, who were also despised; but the unlike the WASPs, the Jews were quite used to it".
   
   The writing continues in this analytical tone until the day when his regiment, the 104th, was ordered to advance against the German lines. Almost everyone was killed or wounded. Kotlowitz was one of the few physically unharmed survivors; he spent the entire day under the sights of the Germans. He did not move and played dead. This affected his outlook on the war and on the army and on his future life. After this single day of terrible combat, where so many casualties were caused by incompetence, Private Kotlowitz was assigned to rear-echelon job. Safe for the duration. So, unlike many World War II memoirs, this book is not a bang-bang, shoot `em story. Rather, it is a sensitive and subtle analysis of the experiences of one American soldier.



5. ***POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT***
   
   I thought this book was going to be similar to Paul Fussell's books on World War II ... witty and cynical ... I was wrong.
   
   Fortunately, for us, the generation that fought World War II was full of so many people who chose to write about their experiences ... and write well. Kotlowitz' recollection of his World War II experience represents the nameless/faceless hundreds of thousands who probably shared the same or a similar experience. In his book, Kotlowitz' recounts his war experience from boot camp to old age ... it is a story of young, mostly innocent men/boys, hastily trained before being thrown into combat, only to have the journey violently end as soon as it begins.
   
   In vivid detail, he introduces us to the men (boys) who he will be forced to depend on in combat ... then, as you begin to get comfortable in knowing who these boys are, something terrible happens and they are all dead. It is such a depressing memoir, I actually envisioned his experiences in black and white.
   
   I finished the book realizing how quickly death came to so many in World War II and the survivor's guilt that probably plagued so many young men who returned home. I feel as though the book was a cathartic experience for Kotlowitz and it saddened me that it took over 50 years before he could finally achieve closure ... when he finally got together with the other survivor.