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.)

5 comments about And I Was There: Pearl Harbor and Midway Breaking the Secrets.

1. First and major portion of book covering Pearl Harbor is excellent. However, after Layton's death, the book was continued from his notes and descriptions of campaigns after Pearl Harbor suffer in quality by comparison.



2. Before you jump on some revisionist books about Pearl Harbor, like Stinnet's Day of Deceipt, you should get it from the horses mouth! Layton, et al, tell a little known side of the war in the pacific. His opinions of some famous naval personalities like Stark and R.K. Turner will really have you thinking about how war is run when powerful, ambitious officers are running the show. It's a shame that lives had to be wasted while the U.S. got its act together to finally win the war in the pacific, but Layton's tale will give you a new perspective and supports much of what was previously written, like Prang's "At Dawn We Slept", about the debacle of Pearl Harbor and the genius that followed at Midway. Buy it!



3. Edwin T. Layton served as Fleet Intelligence Officer for Admirals Kimmel and Nimitz. He, along with the other members of station Hypo, were assigned the task of breaking into Japan's secret codes, especially their JN-25 cypher. Through exhausting efforts by its members, they were finaly able to penetrate enough of the JN-25 code to make reasonable assumptions as to what the Japanese navy was planning. "Magic" was the term used for the intercept and decryption of these secret codes.

   However, no decoding was actually done at Pearl Harbor, because there was no "Purple" decoding machine there. All intercepts had to be sent to Washinton for decryption, and Hawaii relied on Washington for their information. Layton's thesis is that Pearl Harbor was denied vital intelligence which, if issued in a timely fashion, could have alerted Pearl Harbor to the impending attack which occurred on December 7, 1941. Although I agree with some of his thesis, I also believe that the Pearl Harbor commanders made terrible mistakes of their own which also contributed to the unpreparedness of Pearl Harbor.

   One message that Washington failed to send Pearl Harbor which I believe, along with Layton, could have alerted the fleet to the attack was the so-called "bomb plot" message. In a nutshell, this message divided Pearl Harbor into several sections and placed ships in each section; almost like laying an invisible grid over the harbor. Of all the messages that Pearl Harbor failed to receive, this was probably the most important.

   However, with this stated, I also believe that the commanders made grievous errors of their own. On November 27, 1941, a "war warning" message was sent to both commanders at Pearl Harbor. Both seemed perplexed and unsure of the course of action to be taken. Why was this? Both Admiral Kimmel and General Short were high ranking members of the military, yet they both dragged their feet when they received this message. Short simply ordered defense against sabotage instead of ordering an all-out alert, while Kimmel failed to order any further long-range patrols, plus he didn't order the battle force to sea. They seemed incapable of making any independent judgement of their own. Instead, they needed to be told directly what to do. These omissions are unforgivable.

   Inter-service rivalry also played a role in the failure. As pointed out by Layton, there was very little inter-service cooperation or sharing of messages, so most of the time, one usually didn't know what the other was doing. Further, during the Midway operation, a rivalry betwen station Hypo and the Washington-based intelligence unit nearly cost us the battle, but fortunately, Layton and commander Joe Rochefort were able to convince Nimitz that Hypo, not Washington, was correct.

   I thought this was a good book, but I disagree with Layton's assertion that Kimmel and Short were scapegoats and had no clue what was happening. Granted, there was some intelligence that was definitely denied to them, but they should have been able to interpret events on ther own, namely the war warning message. This book is a good counter-argument to other works, such as "At Dawn We Slept". The information about the battle of Midway is especially interesting, plus the story of the codebreaking activities was well-done.




4. And I was there.
   This is a great book by one who was there, Adm Layton. He was Adm Kimmels intelligence officer at Pearl Harbor.
   He shows how the incompetence of the Navy in Washington led to the surprise attack at Pearl, by the Navy, specifically adm Stark and Kelly Turner, not giving Pearl the vital information they had about Jap intentions, but refused to give Pearl. The Navy also had 2 intelligence groups fighting for the information, and control, evaluating, and dissemination of the information. This too sabotaged the intelligence efforts, and does to this day.
   Gen Marshall is also responsible for the debacle. He was reprimanded, but Roosevelt set aside the Congressional verdict on him.
   Kimmel was judged not guilty of any wrongdoing by the Navy, but found derelict by Congress, a tragic miscarriage of justice, due to lies under testimony by Stark, and Turner.

   The Redmon brothers are faulted too for ousting the most brilliant Navy intelligence officer, Rochefort, who correctly guessed the time and location of the Midway battle.

   Another tragic aftermath of Pearl, was the loss of Wake Island. Kimmel had a carrier task force sailing to resupply and relieve the garrision that was under attack by the Japs. This would have surprised the Japs and could have sunk many Jap ships, saved Wake Island, and kept open the supply lines to the Phillipines. Unfortunaely, Kimmel was relieved, and Adm Pye replaced him Pye lost his nerve and cancelled the mission.

   MacArthur is noted, as being in charge of the Phillipines, and being under orders to attack Formosa with his B17's when Pearl was attacked. He had a 9 hour warning after Pearl had been attacked, and had been told to attack. It was not until years after this book was published that the records of why Mac did nothing in the Phillipines were found. He was paid $650,000 by Pres Quezon of the Phillipines to do nothing, as he wanted to be neutral. MacArthur lost the Phillipines, a far more important strategic outpost than Pearl, as well as half the B17's we had, and 1/5 of our fighters, on the ground, just as what happened at Pearl, only 9 hours later, after he had multiple phone calls from Washington to attack the Japs.

   The battle of Guadalcanal and other Pacific battles is also gone into in some detail
   It was Nimitz, not Mac Arthur that devised the island hopping idea.
   A great book by a hero who was there.




5. As the Fleet Intellegence Officer of Admirals Kimmel and Nimitz Edwin Layton was in a unique position to see and to understand what was going on regarding the battles at Pearl Harbor and Midway. This welcome reprint to the 1985 book has to be considered one of the more definitive books of the couple of hundred on the subjects.
   
   Layton was a language officer stationed in Japan before the war to learn Japanese. He followed Japan and the Japanese developments closely. He was at Pearl before the attack and remained there throughout the war. He was on the Missouri at the Japanese surrender.
   
   There are a series of revisionist history books that propose such things as Roosevelt and Churchill conspiring to let the Japanese attack at Pears. Yes there is evidence that we had some intelligence pointing to the Japanese attack. But you have to look carefully at how much material there was, how many messages had been intercepted, how few had been translated and you come up with the basic understanding that it just hadn't been put together. A lot like the situation with 9/11, Monday morning quarterbacking is much easier than being in the midst of the game.
   
   Layton was there, he knew what Kimmel and Short knew, indeed he had briefed them with the material on hand. Could they have been better prepared, yes, Layton says, if Admiral Richmond K. Turner had forwarded the information. But like any inter-departmental power struggle, Turner held the information to himself.
   
   I was also surprised by the relatively little animosity shown towards the Redman brothers who bounced Rochefort and Safford out. Indeed Layton points out that the do it themselves style of Rochefort and Safford probably wouldn't have done a very good job of managing the Navy Radio Intelligence activities that grew to almost 8,500 people by the end of the war.
   
   All in all, a must read for anyone interested in what happened at Pearl and Midway.

5 comments about Hope and Honor.

1. This is the best book I've read recently and I heartily recommend it.
   
   The first and most harrowing part of the book deals with General Shachnow's childhood and miraculous survival of the Holocaust. The protagonist of the story is primarily Shachnow's mother -- an extraordinary, quick witted and determined woman. It is mainly due to her efforts and incredible daring that both her children (one of whom was a mere toddler) survived, while pretty much everyone around them perished. Her strength through the war and the heartbreaks and challenges of the family's post war experiences were to me the most touching and heartrending aspect of the book. Shachnow does a fine job at crediting his mother's extraordinary sacrifices and bravery, but also touchingly describing her weaknesses and eventual failures.
   
   The second part of the book, which in some ways is just as touching, deals with the Shachnow family's move first to post-war Germany and then to the US. The immigration experience was particularly rough on General Shachnow, who arrived in the US as an unschooled and traumatized teenager, but managed, through toil and faith to complete high school successfully. Shachnow's parents fared less well. They seemed unable to transition to the new culture and its demands. Shachnow speculates that his mother had used up all her strength and ingenuity to survive and therefore found herself unable to cope with the new world. Shachnow tells us how the graceful heroine of the Kovno Ghetto turns into a nagging, selfish and small-minded woman, whose behavior inhibits her and her husband from succeeding in their new life. In one of the saddest parts of the book, Shachnow describes his break from his family following his marriage to a non-Jewish girl -- an event that his family treated with neither wisdom nor grace.
   
   The final part of the book is devoted to General Shachnow's military career, starting with his enlistment as a private at the end of his high school studies. His rise to the rank of general is described with humility and is of much interest, though, like other reviewers, I wish it was more extensive.
   
   This is an extraordinary book. In part it made me cry (the touching love between the brothers and the terrible heartbreak of Sidney's parents experiences in the US) and in part it made me wonder. But most of all -- the book inspired me. This is the story of the incredible power of love to save lives, to give meaning to existence. It's the story of familial ties and their challenges. This is the story of the ultimate inevitability of success to those who are sufficiently persistent. And finally -- it's the story of true patriotism and leadership. It's a must read.
   
   I heard the book on CD (Blackstone Audio), read by the excellent Brian Emerson.



2. This is a fascinating tale of survival in Lithuania, and the grit and hussle that Shachnow brought to the US as a teen-ager to rise to the rank of major general in the US Army Special Forces.



3. Excellent book. I have read MG Shachnow's military bio, heard stories about him from other soldiers, and met the man on more than one occasion - but the book brings to life with vivid details the trials and tribulations of a real-life hero. This true story is more captivating than any fictional character and story could be.



4. This is an extraordinary story of strength, courage and love under the most trying conditions imaginable. After surviving the Holocaust as a boy in Nazi-controlled Lithuania, Sidney Shachnow eventually emigrated to the U.S. with his family to start a new life. Risking his life in defense of freedom as a career soldier he truly gave back so much to his new homeland. As such Gen Shachnow's story serves to remind us of the real meaning of American patriotism, which, sadly, in not taught in schools the way it formerly was.
   
   This book makes an equally valuable contribution to American literature as Gen. Shachnow made to the U.S. Army. Unlike so many celebrity autobiographies, which are little more than self-agrandizing fluff-fluff, this book presents the story of Gen Shachnow's life in a painfully honest manner. From cover to cover it is the forthright story of a real man and a real human being, warts and all. That Gen. Shachnow has no trouble being as open as he is with his readers further attests to his bravery and character.



5. I bought this book based on a very good review in "Vietnam" magazine. The story of MG Shachnow's life from surviving the Holocaust to becoming the #1 officer in Special Forces makes for an intriguing biography.
   
   The first part of the book is amazing and provides for a very personal and emotional description of a young boy surviving the holocaust in Lithuania. I highly recommend this first half - the emotions and details are chilling.
   
   The rest of the book covers his military career in a very general way, i.e. without a lot of depth to his experiences. I wish that the book had been made into two volumes, with even more time spent on his childhood and early experiences afterwards as well as a second volume going into much more depth of his experiences as a soldier. To me it seemed that just as a topic was getting interesting, the chapter ended and a new topic was introduced (and then cut off). I would happily have read a 500 page volume 1 and a 500 page volume 2.
   
   The writing style is adictive and the content intriguing. The only criticism is the lack of depth in his military experiences (the main reason I had bought the book).

5 comments about Going Overboard: The Misadventures of a Military Wife.

1. Awesome, funny quick read, could not put this book down. I loved it and wanted more, write more!!! It is great to hear or read about other peoples "adventures" with military life and put a humorous spin on it instead of dwelling on the negative! I loved it and would love a sequel or more stories!!



2. Sarah Smiley does a wonderful job of relating military family life. It's great to know that there are other women and families out there who are dealing with the same everyday issues. I love that she's unafraid to put her feelings and actions out in print for the rest of us to read. It's great knowing that I'm not the only one who hates waiting at Pass and Tag or who has family and friends who have no clue about our lives as military spouses. I can't wait to read more from this entertaining writer!



3. This book was written for idiots! Should be considered a fiction novel. Don't waste your time if you want to read a book about military wives read either "Under the Sabers" or "Home Fires Burning". This author should stick to writing magazine columns.



4. I love Sara Smiley! This book is so refreshing after reading so many serious or do this and not this military wife books out there. I think my experiences with military life and deployment are funny. It is what it is but I knew that getting married to my soldier. This book entertained me so much i bought it twice (one to pass around) and the other I have to keep to read again. Thanks for the great book!! HIGHLY recommended. You can find a lot of how to's and guides online but for entertainment on what it is REALLY like to be a military wife is right in the book!



5. I was so excited to read this book, especially after meeting Sarah Smiley when she was a guest speaker at a military spouses group I was a part of. However, after reading the book, I was disappointed. While I admire her honesty (although I wonder how much of that "honesty" is driven by the need to spice up the book to improve with sales"), I would be so embarrased if I were Sarah. I am a military brat AND a military wife and have dealt with my own deployments. My husband deployed when our son was just 5 weeks old and our daughter was 2 1/2. I DID NOT FALL APART!! Nowhere near!! It's difficult, yes but there's no honor in the way she behaved! I'm teetering between sympathy for Sarah and disgrace. What a mess! I really expected more from the book though! I'm glad I didn't spend much on it!

No comments about Master of Airpower: General Carl A. Spatz.

No comments about Through Our Eyes.

5 comments about To Benning and Back: The Making of a Citizen Soldier - My Journals of Daily Life in U.S. Army Basic Training and Officer Candidate School, from Private to Second Lieutenant, from First Call to Lights Out, and Yes, Everything in Between..

1. I have had the privilege of knowing Monroe Mann personally which prompted me to read his book. Monroe is the type of fellow who can drift into your life briefly and leave his mark.
   
   His book is a honest uncut un polished journal that speaks to EXACTLY what every young soldier remembers about basic Training. Reading Monroe's book was like taking a walk back in my life ten years ago.
   
   An excellent read for old soldiers and a fine book for those considering service. New troops need to take Monroe's total honesty with a grain of salt. When you live Basic training it seems impossible, until you walk on that parade field with almost 300 years of American history that you are not a part of. Monroe is a fine officer who is credit to the service. If he can overcome his fears, frustration, and challenges to rise from a sideline sitter to a professional of the finest caliber should encourage any reader to seek his or her opportunity to place service above self and find a way a way to bring peace to our troubled world.
   
   Thank you Monroe



2. Monroe - your book, To Benning and Back: The Making of a Citizen Soldier - tells it like it is. Your honesty is what makes it special. Most books on the military experience are so 'gung ho' and you never feel the person's true pain. I felt your pain 'my brotha.' Keep your head down over in Iraq. We want all of our heros back in one piece.



3. I cannot recommend "To Benning and Back" highly enough. I am currently applying to Army Officer Candidate School and it was the most helpful and informative thing I read. I learned more from Monroe Mann's account of his experiences at Basic Training and Officer Candidate School than I did from any other source and certainly from my recruiter. If you're considering enlisting in the Army, or any other branch of the military for that matter, I would definitely get my hands on this book. It's an invaluable resource.
   
   Even more though, read this book for the inspirational story of one very cool young American. From the gut-punching sincerity of the opening line: "I cried when I saw Saving Private Ryan." to the final appendix, "What the Army Has Taught Me", I know I'm going to go back to this book whenever my own doubts about what I'm doing start creeping up on me. Mann, who is now 1st Lieutenant Mann, and who has been serving in Iraq for more than a year now with the New York National Guard, obviously comes from a comfortable background. He has a broad, varied, international education. He has a large supportive circle of talented family and friends, who appear in his journals in intriguing little snippets of intimacy and affection. He's talented, skilled at several sports, speaks several languages. He has a deep, driving dream to be an actor. Someone for whom the possibilities in late 90's America were pretty much limitless. Instead he puts it all on the line to join the Army...way before there was a 9/11 bandwagon to jump onto.
   
   Used to be idealism and intelligence was a combination our country specialized in. If, like me, you think we're a little short on that combo these days -- from top to bottom -- read Mann's account of his experiences and it'll give you some hope for what's out there. Throughout his story, we get to see a sincere love of America that has nothing to do with the sticky, yellow-ribbon sentimentality that passes for patriotism in this country these days, and startling flashes of a deep Christian faith that has nothing to do with the lame moralism of so much of what passes for Christianity these days either. He's completely honest about the pain and difficulties of military life, never afraid to say he's bored, that he's suffering, or that it just plain old hurts. He's candid about his misgivings and fears about the commitment he's making. And he has no illusions about the frequent limitations and just sheer stupidity of much of the institutional culture he's dealing with. Yet all the way through, he holds on to a transcendent vision of a soldier's calling, a vision of courage and sacrifice that sustains him.
   
   This kid's one of the last of the Great American Idealists, the kind of homegrown Quixote we used to grow a lot of, with the beautiful, slightly nutty dream AND the guts and tenacity and competence to make it reality. If you subscribe to the patronizing notion that only Americans with no other options serve in our armed forces, or if you think that all young Americans with other options are spoiled brats coasting through cushy lives with no sense of service or the greater good, then read this book. If you have a kid who wants to enlist, give him this book to read; it'll inspire him and make him a better soldier, marine, airman or sailor. If you've got a kid who wants to enlist and you're discouraging him, then YOU read this book. Believe me, Lt. Mann is the kind of guy you want your son to be.



4. I was like the LT here. I took the same route of BCT to OCS in the Guard too. I was whiney to a point too. I came back from Iraq and now I am not that same person. I am sure LT. Mann has changed to. The book is good in telling you what the Guard OCS program is like from day to day.
   
   Capt. MSC former 11A



5. Monroe Mann's "To Benning and Back" is very inspiring and a great read as well. This is a fantastic book for anyone interested in better understanding the journey from citizen to Army Officer. I have read other books on this subject, but Monroe Mann's book provides the most personal insight into what one might expect to experience, and feel, while navigating through the entire process. I highly recommend this book.
   
   ENS Rick - US Navy Reserve

5 comments about Shared Courage: A Marine Wife's Story of Strength and Service.

1. My husband of a year and a half left for his third tour...second to Iraq. This has been so difficult and I really feel like I have no where to turn. My husband's grandparents bought me this book and sent it to me from Virginia; where they saw the newspaper article about Mrs. Keener. I couldn't put the book down. I'd read it at night with a flash light while our baby was asleep. I cried through an entire chapter and finished in just a few weeks. I really wish there were more books like this because I've got 4 more months and I need something good to read!



2. I love reading a book in which I get to know the characters. In this case, the "characters" are genuine, real people. Michelle opens herself in order to show others the difficult situation of the deployment of a spouse. I had no idea it was so complex. I have a new understanding and empathy toward those families who have loved ones in combat zones. I truly appreciate their sacrifice.
   What I learned from this book was how to approach this spouse: With a sincere "Thank you." They truly did sacrifice so that I could live in peace.
   Thank you, Michelle. Thank you to all who served by going or staying home. I'm deeply indebted to you all.
   This book is fun to read, and helpful as well.



3. As a Marine mom, I thought I knew all the ups and downs of a deployment. This book helped me realize that, although we are close to our children, they do not tell us everything. They need to be brave. Using your own experiences as a microcosm in a world of heartache and fear can be risky and daring. It is not easy to be a learning experience for others. Thank you, Michelle, for your bravery. Your husband, colleagues, and all military families should be proud that someone spoke for those left behind. I learned a great deal from Michelle's writing and am sure others will also. I highly recommend this book. You will laugh, you will cry, you will come to understand the humanity and emotions of the "war" at home and the courage it takes to support, to wait and to hope.



4. Excellent book. My daughter is a Marine wife and her husband was there at the beginning of the Iraq war. I lived through this time with her and her infant daughter. Thanks to Michelle for making the reader aware of life as a military wife.



5. I'm a retired Marine Master Sergeant. I entered the Navy in 66 and retired from the Marines in 96. I read this book and found it useful both for those who serve and those who just want to understand. My nephew is an active duty Marine Master Sergeant who just returned from his second tour in Iraq. I thought enough of the book to give it as a gift to his wife.
   
   No book can cover all experiences or all views just as no one person can. True, the books author is wife of an officer and was written from the vantage point of a Key Wife Volunteer. More importantly she is a wife and mother who twice endured and survived the war time deployment of her husband and childs' father. These are experiences that know no rank or economic privilege.
   
   Many times my wife and I assisted Marine families in turmoil and this book gives a glimpse through the window of life for a Marine family. An important glance through the eyes of the wives and children of our Marines, soldiers, sailors and airmen.
   
   Semper Fi

5 comments about Napoleon III: A Life.

1. The influence of Napoleon III on nineteenth-century French history and culture is inestimable: his unlikely rise to power after the 1848 Paris revolutions cemented twenty years' worth of extravagance and folly, resulting in the splendors of the Haussmann re-development of the capital city and the horrors of the Mexican debacle and the Franco-Prussian War. There was probably never a less-likely "man of destiny" than this emperor, who managed to come to power (and hold on to it) mostly through dumb luck, and if this biography by Fenton Bresler focuses too strongly on the private life of the Second Empire's court it may be suitable for a man who seemed much more interested in managing his mistresses than his empire.

   Bresler's account is immesely readable and clear, which should be the first requirement of all popular biographies, and you do emerge from it with a strong sense of the personalities of the major figures in Napoleon's life: his amazingly resourceful (and lucky) mother, Queen Hortense of Holland; his sybaritic grandmother Josephine; his fascinating and iron-willed wife the Empress Eugenie; and his manipulative and adoring ministers and cronies. It is true that the lack of political and historical synthesis sometimes seriously mars this work: what may be worse is that Bresler's desire to say at least something that the emperor's other biographers haven't uncovered leads him to point out his newer discoveries (such as that the imperial couple had likely already prepared an escape route to Chislehurst years before the Franco-Prussian War) at overextreme length. Also his reliance on Napoleon's and Eugenie's near-contemporary biographers--whom later historians have dismissed as too fawning and inaccurate--seems a real mistake.




2. Lifelessness is a defect of far too many biographies - and works of historical fiction. Fenton Bresler's "Napoleon III" succeeds admirably in avoiding it.

   Before Napoleon III there was Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte, and he is a vivid, living presence on every page of this work. Less a political biography than a personal one, the book cuts through the gilded pomp of the Second Empire to give us Louis, the man. Hotblooded, stubborn, flirtatious, fickle... More than half the book is devoted to his life before he became Emperor. Yet the book is also good in analyzing Louis as an ideologue. It has been conveniently forgotten that prior to becoming emperor, Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte wrote a number of books laying down the basis for the new ideology which Karl Marx, in attacking, baptized as Bonapartism. An accomplished schemer, Louis was blessed with talents better suited to the coming age of politics than to the warrior times of his uncle. In the end, though, his lack of military skill became the Achilles Heel responsible for his downfall. He would have been better suited for the age of the sound bite than that of the sword.

   De Morny and Persigny, Lizzie Howard and La Castiglione... the men and women of Bonapartist Paris are skillfully introduced to us on every page. Eugenie fans will not be pleased with the more critical assessment of her in this book: she is portrayed as a meddling political spouse to a degree that makes Hillary Clinton seem apolitical. A boring marriage to a wife who hated sex may havbe hastened Louis' ultimate detachment from the court he'd created.

   Many a competent professional is overshadowed by an ancestral predecessor; from young doctors to aspiring actors, many a young person finds that over time the example which inspired them ultimately becomes their bitterest rival. This has been the fate of Napoleon III, forever remembered as the "other" Napoleon. Bresler's biography introduces us to a talented and clever man who could have excelled in many different callings, yet chose for himself the Herculean task of equalling the most successful leader of the preceding five hundred years. Measured by any yardstick other than the Napoleonic one which he himself chose, the accomplishments of his career would be impressive. In an almost conversational style which shares the data without letting it dominate the narrative, Bresler reminds us why Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte was popular enough to become Napoleon III in the first place.




3. It is interesting to read a biography of the Napoleon III after one on the First for the tales are really the same tale of prempted republics and celebrity families with their predations of revolutionary changes, as the ghost of hybrid reactionaries stalks the legacy of the new bourgeoisie. The result here is a sort of hors d'oeuvre for Marx's classic Eighteen Brumaire, "Hegel observes somewhere that all great incidents, and individuals of history occur, as it were, twice. He forgot to add: the first time as tragedy, the second as farce". Napoleon Louis' takeover of the republican hopes of 1848 was, however, a species of sly cleverness that shows no dunce even as the outcome, as the second Empire, is barren of result (although a kind of rancid liberalism and never fulfilled sympathy with the goals of revolution is characteristic of all the Napoleons, if only as a celebrity mystique). A strange sort of daydream, the disguised persistence of the ancient regime in Mayr's phrase of his book by that name, one that simples wakes up to reality in a matter of weeks, as the Franco-Prussian War sweeps the fantasy into the dustbin.



4. Napoleon III has always been an enigma, both during his own time and remaining so today. This book refreshingly spares us the ho-hum political, military, and economic details of Nap III's reign and concentrates instead on the man and how events and people influenced him and made him what he was -- a rather tragic, confused, and vain little man trying to fill the shoes and name of an illustrious predecessor. The author for the most part is sympathetic to his subject and uses a variety of published material and private research to support his observations of Nap III and why he reacted to circumstances and events as he did. The author writes with a very readable style and presents a complete yet not dull life of his subject. Of particular interest are the many affairs that Nap III carried on before and after marriage and his relationship with his wife and Empress Eugenie. I would highly recommend this book as a fine overview of Nap III's life and conduct.



5. Say what you will about this strange little man, but he had taste and he remade Paris into what it is today. His accention to the throne of France is nothing short of incredible, but this man had amazing chuzpa and he willed it so. He had nothing in common with his illustrious, some say infamous uncle Napoleon, except a name. I liked how he loved pomp and he could really get his cult of peronality out there. He was a despot yes, but fairly enlightened, I mean compare him to the dour idiot Victoria and he was not all bad, granted England did much better under her ministers..(not her, she was shut up at Balmoral or the Isle of Wight, mourning her German stud, Albert)..ask someone what a prince albert is and you get idea of his..uh devotion to a nice pant line), but France under Napoleon III had style and it was he who ushered it in..certainly not the fool Louis Phillip who preceded him. This is good book, with a nice history lesson, that's not too painful.

5 comments about The True Intrepid.

1. This book researches and chronicles in great detail the life of one man who, while obscure and unknown, played a pivotal role in the unfolding of World War 2. This book tells an important history and heightens my appreciation of some of our stories that has never been adaquitely told.



2. A thoroughly researched and well documented account of the quintessential North American spymaster William Stephenson. New information dispels past myths about a fascinating man who, with the help of his "unknown" agents,played an crucial role influencing the events of the Second World War.



3. If the 20th century was to be represented by 4 or 5 individuals, William Stephenson would have to be one of them. By this I mean that his life was incredible. He would be worthy of an interesting biography in any of the lives that he led: a scientist, a businessman or a spymaster.

   The book goes into much more detail of Intrepid's life, as well as those of some of his associates than the famous Man Called Intrepid book (which is worth reading as well!). This book will inspire and awe anybody! Well researched and well enough written.




4. MacDonald has successfully revealed much of the often clouded life of Intrepid, a man whose primary career goal was - of course - to remain in the shadows. The immensely likeable and non-descript Stephenson (Intrepid) was the penultimate spy: you wouldn't notice him in a crowd and if you did, you'd find yourself charmed and at ease. This side of the man has been overlooked in past books, but MacDonald reveals just how significant this particular trait is to an effective intelligence officer. In Stephenson, readers will learn how charm hid the great depths of intelligence, honor and violent resolve that made Intrepid a name to admire in the history of his profession. MacDonald also offers a highly-readable, compelling look at the events of Intrepid's life, keeping an admirable balance between objectivity and the thrills of a good story. David R. Bannon, Ph.D.; author "Race Against Evil."



5. Bill Macdonald has contributed valuably by sleuthing some of the past of the mythic character, Sir William Stephenson.
   
   Macdonald is a journalist from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, who on hearing of the death of Stephenson in 1989, decided to investigate the past of a man who hailed from Winnipeg and was entrusted by British Prime Minister Winston Churchill with serving as his intelligence czar in North America during World War II.
   
   Fortunately for history, Macdonald was able to uncover glimmers of the truth of Stephenson's humble origins; his move to Britain during the 1920s and 1930s; and his businesses. One was steel; through the steel industry, Macdonald may have come to appreciate the Nazi commitment to expanding its military. Churchill became prime minister after the British debacle at Dunkirk. He promptly dispatched Stephenson to the U.S. Based at Rockefeller Center, Stephenson established an aggressive intelligence program and helped advise the U.S. in formation of what became the O.S.S., predecessor of the CIA. Macdonald interviewed a former Univ. of Toronto professor who directed the vital communications links conveying Nazi communications intercepts among British, Canadian, and U.S. codebreakers.
   
   Behind the stories and myths surrounding Stephenson, Macdonald has shone light on some important, classified aspects of World War II. When I read the first edition of this book, I found the story somewhat hard to follow and strange, though also strangely plausible. For the paperback edition, a former CIA staff historian has offered an introduction, probably because he would have had the same reaction.
   
   I am reminded of another recent book (The Secret of Hut 26) reporting how the U.S. developed computers in Dayton, Ohio for attacking Nazi codes. The story was revealed by veterans of this endeavor wishing to report their contribution, 50 years later. Similarly, interesting stories and people, can arise from Winnipeg. Owing to the highly original investigative reporting, I give this book 5 stars.