5 comments about 1001 Nights in Iraq: The Shocking Story of an American Forced to Fight for Saddam Against the Country He Loves.

1. I met Shant Kenderian in the Gulf War. He braved many dangers, and many hardships. I met him and his family again last July in LA, Calif. when I was coming home from a 27 day trip to Viet Nam and Thailand. He still is a wonderful man. God had blessed him. His faith in God pulled him through many hardships. It was a wonderful reunion after 15 years. He remembered things in his book that I had forgot.His book is an easy read. First hand stories of his trials and experiences. Again God has blessed him and also God blessed me for knowing him.



2. There's a popular saying that "truth is stranger than fiction." In the case of Shant Kenderian, the saying certainly applies. In his nonfiction book (once the most popular selling book on BookSurge before being picked up by publisher Atria Books, a division of Simon & Schuster), Kenderian recounts his own tale of being drafted to fight a war against his own country.
   
   Born in Iraq as an Armenian Christian (already an outsider in a country populated with Muslims), when his parents divorced, Kenderian went to live with his mother and siblings in Chicago. Like many children of divorce, he felt torn between his parents, and after two years of living in the United States, he decided to go to Iraq for a brief visit in 1980. His goal was to see his father and reconcile their acrimonious relationship (because of his parents' divorce) before returning to the US to complete his schooling. Days before he was due to return to the US, Saddam Hussein closed all the Iraqi borders, ordering all men of draft age (between 17-55) into service to fight for Iraq in the Iran-Iraq War. Under the threat of execution for refusing to serve, Kenderian did his time in the Iraqi Navy and returned to Baghdad, where he continued his studies in engineering while awaiting the issuance of his green card from the US Embassy.
   
   Two days before he was scheduled to depart Iraq, Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait, thus pulling Kenderian into yet another war (Desert Storm) before he could leave. Thus begins the saga that is recounted in "1001 Nights in Iraq." As an Iraqi-born US resident, Shant Kenderian was put in the unenviable position of being forced to fight against the country he loved and considered his own--the United States.
   
   Kenderian recounts with depressing detail his time as an engineer aboard a ship in the Iraqi Navy just off the coast of Kuwait. Forced to service the ship with only a wrench and screwdriver, Kenderian tells of the depravity faced by most soldiers on the Iraqi side of the conflict. Of his crew, only 2 Iraqis of 15 had guns of any sort; Kenderian himself had none. Food was scarce, as were any other sort of supplies. Every day was a nightmare in which the Iraqi soldiers expected death at any moment by the Americans.
   
   Clearly, Kenderian had to do something to change his fate, and so he devised a plan--to surrender to the Americans at the earliest opportunity. Kenderian thus hoped to plead his case as a US resident forced to participate in a war not of his own choosing on a side he would not have selected. Kenderian eventually did get captured by the Americans, but not before his ship struck a mine, killing several of his Iraqi crewmates. However, even his capture by US forces meant extreme hardship. As a prisoner of war (POW), again and again, he was interrogated, forced to live in difficult conditions, and plead his desperate case, to return to his family in the United States.
   
   Despite this unbelievable story, Kenderian never lost his sense of humor, his humanity for others (Iraqi or otherwise), or his faith in God that he would eventually be returned to the country he considered home. Only a man of real courage and compassion could have survived this ordeal to tell this story of resilience and hope. Through his book, Kenderian has opened the door into a world few Americans understand or have experienced. His story been featured on public radio's "This American Life," and truly it is a unique one.



3. I just finished reading Mr. Kenderian's book, and for me as an Iraqi (and Christian), it sheds light on many facts of Iraqis life under Saddam's rule. It is an interesting, must to read, story of a struggle of a man to reach his goals. What impressed me more is the strength of his faith that made him come through all these difficulties (the least his circumstances could be described with).
   However, Mr. Kenderian gave an impression that Armenian Iraqis were treated differently (less favorably) from other Iraqis. I see this as unfair description. Christians in Iraq were always been seen as harmless Iraqis, and I never witnessed or heard that there was any discrimination against them because of their religion or of being Armenians in particular.
   I enjoyed reading this book very much. Thank you Mr. Kenderian



4. This is by far one of the most inspiring books I have read in a while. I am amazed by Mr. Kenderian's strength of character despite all the opportunities and justifications there was to have been less than honorable. It made me realize how much I take living in this country for granted. Yes, we have our flaws but how many other countries to people make such an effort to get to? Please continue to write Mr Kenderian!



5. Let's be clear here about one thing. It is not possible to give a book 6 stars otherwise i would have done so. It is also not possible to rate something according to its peers quality. When I think five stars i think the classics. This book will perhaps be a classic one day. I really was captivated by his story the entire way through, really something else. To put it in perspective I understood the whole bioluminescent thing when i saw it first hand. After seeing it myself i can see what he must have went through mentally, wow!!

5 comments about Guevara, Also Known as Che.

1. In the US, Paco Taibo II is better known within the mystery readers' crowd for his accomplished police stories with a touch of irony and a shrewd writing style. For this reason with certain apprehension I started reading this biography. In fact it was the first complete and serious Che's bio I have ever read. Later I grabbed Jon Lee Anderson's one... Of all Che's bios Paco's is the most enchanting one. It may lack the huge documention of Anderson's book, but it compensates it with an amazing style. Paco cannot divorce his own admiration of Che from his subject, but, hey, that is exactly why this book becomes so much enjoyable. I still recall grabbing the book (700 hundred pages!) one morning and going that same night to bed with the book in my hands! I couldn't stop reading it! Che's story is reflected under the light of an amazing storyteller. The episodes of Che's story are exquisitely threaded together in a masterful way. His life becomes flesh and blood in Paco's hands. The icon, the symbol of rebellion and struggle for social justice turns a man, an incredible, passionate and admirable human being throughout the book. The end cannot be better: it is ghostly but hopeful with a lot of energy and sadness and beauty: a song to Latin American history of struggle.



2. I read this more because I am a fan of Taibo than because of Che, but I have read other biographies of Che and this is clearly the best I've seen - one of the best biographies I have read, in fact. He makes you feel as though you knew him yourself.

   This edition, at least, misses getting a five-star rating from me, however, due to the perfectly atrocious editing! There are literally hundreds of typos, misspellings, poorly phrased sentences, etc. It is very distracting.




3. I would recomend this book to anyone,however, I thought Anderson went into much greater detail regarding Che's travels throughout Latin america and especially, his discriptions of the once dominating United Fruit Company. I really enjoyed this authors discriptions of the autrocites commited by Batista and his sectet police, he was a brutal american, puppet dictator. How can any american actually belive that america has allways stook for freadom around the world.



4. This book is a recount or recollection of data based on events related to the life of Ernesto Guevara known as "El Che". In some sense, the book contains a lack of analysis and interpretation of the information, an aspect Jorge Castaneda (another Che's biographer) does better. In my opinion, the best chapters are the last ones where the author, using a more sensitive (and closer) approach towards his subject, narrates the events sorrounding his death at the jungles of Bolivia. I have to confess that I felt very moved.
   
   Guevara is actually the last in a long list of tragic figures of the Latin-American tradition: Atahualpa, Tupac Amaru, Sandino, Jose Marti...If you may find him anachronistic, just think about General Patton crossing the harsh European winter with the Third Army.
   
   This book should be read at a counterpoint with Castaneda's and Anderson's ones and a close observation of the chapters which serve as a kind of epilogue that converts the book in a kind of John Le Carre novel should be noticed. Because maybe the information that is not there becomes more important; the question that remains unanswered is who to blame for the terrible death Che suffered in Bolivia? He, himself as it have been said because he was a romantic? Fidel Castro alone as the easy legend turned into gossip says? or a whole chain of political intrigue related to the last years of the Cold War? So researchers, historians, writers and scholars are invited: the story of Che's life (and death) is not a closed chapter.
   
   A book I strongly recommend as a last advice and new beginning is Jorge Ricardo Masetti's "El furor y el delirio", Barcelona, Tusquets (an English version is available) by the son of Argentine journalist of the same name and a friend of Che.



5. As other reviewers have said, this is the best of the Che biographies. Paco Taibo does the research and tells the story in a way that brings life to a myth as few other biographers in any era have been able to do. This is Ernesto Guevara as he lived and died, and you can understand how he became "El Che" the icon of the "Unredeemed America", and what drove him inexorably towards the bullet that ended his life in the dilapidated schoolhouse at La Higuera. For anyone who has seen "The Motorcycle Diaries", this book is necessary reading. I bought it five years ago and read pretty much the whole thing in a couple days. Since then, I will often grab this book and start reading at some random point, and not put it down for an hour or so. As mentioned by someone before, once you start turning the pages it is difficult to stop. The reason for this is twofold. First, the life portrayed here was an epic journey and second, Taibo is a not only a storyteller par excellence, but has a keen sense of the history of the times and is able to inject his own commentary to illuminate many of the seminal events during the course of Che's life. He is also relating to Che from a Latin American perspective, distinctly different from what North American readers may be used to. For instance, his Mexican roots are in evidence by his comparison of the legendary Mexican comedic actor Cantinflas to Che's own occasional sense of the absurdity of life. It is these touches that also help set this biography apart from the others on Che. We see another side of the legend.
   
   The biography starts with Che's family in Argentina, and their somewhat bohemian background. We learn how the young Ernesto suffered greatly from asthma, an affliction that would shape his stoic character all his life. We also learn that at an early age he followed the Spanish Civil War and the battles of the Second World War, and not only how the motorcycle trip with Alberto Granado helped form his outlook, but how he was forced to flee for his life from Guatemala as the elected government of Arbenz was violently toppled by Uncle Sam. This was the event that caused Che to pick up a rifle and give up on democracy as a means to effect change in Latin America, as well as made him willing to be incinerated in an atomic holocaust rather than surrender to a U.S. invasion of Cuba.
   
   The history of the Cuban Revolution and Che's work for Fidel's government is fascinating reading, but perhaps the most impressive parts of the book were the last few chapters detailing the ill-fated Congo and Bolivian expeditions. The Bolivian campaign reads like a funeral dirge, but even here we see the determination and self-effacing humor of the protaganist shining through til the end. The last chapter is an inspiring summation of a life lived in the most uncompromising manner, and is probably the best eulogy written for that life. One senses the author's personal attachment to the subject, which by this time has firmly become the reader's as well.
   
   The comment by another reviewer about the poor editing was true, as there are many typos and grammatical errors in the English edition I have. I am hoping this was or could be cleaned up in later printings so as not to detract from what is a classic text. Anyone interested in the life of Guevara will find this not only required reading, but a truly superlative biography by any standard.

4 comments about Custer in '76: Walter Camp's Notes on the Custer Fight.

1. I read Mr. Camp's classic account of the Little Big Horn several years ago. It remains on my shelf as one of the very best books on the battle. It was well written, detailed and colorful enough for any follower of the Custer's trail. I highly recommend this book, which I read just prior to visiting the Custer battlefield on the 106th anniversary. Not to be overlooked or missed.



2. This book is used by most serious LBH writers and researchers as a very valuable reference. Just check the bibliographies of the most respected and thorough histories of the battle, and you will find Walter Camp's notes there. Reason enough that this book be on your shelf if you're a Custer/LBH buff. There is a wealth of information in these pages, especially the footnotes (which are often lengthy). Too bad Walter Camp died before he had a chance to put all his research together in his planned book. There are interviews with officers, enlisted men, white and Indian Army scouts and the Sioux/Cheyenne themselves. There are so many it becomes hard to keep them separate in one's mind, but that's a good thing.

   His summation at the end tends to place him in the "Custer crowd" in that he did not feel Custer disobeyed Terry's orders, and that Custer acted appropriately with the information available to him at the time, although he does feel Custer fragmented his forces too much before the battle. One has to give his opinion great weight because he talked firsthand to more of the survivors of the LBH than anyone else.




3. Walter Camp had the great fortune and drive to visit the critical sites of the old west and seek out and interview actual participants and witnesses. Unfortunately, Camp did not survive to put his great efforts into a book but Hammer does the next best thing possible by organizing Camp's would be book and providing editorial commentary to fill in the gaps. Hammer collects Camp's material on the Little Bighorn and every page is full of interesting information. My favorite parts of the book are references to participants other than the main characters such as Peter Thompson and other members of Custer's separate battalion that survived because their horses broke down prior to the descent into Medicine trail Coulee. Hammer does an excellent job of providing clarification of the participants or writings of Camp in the footnotes so that you almost have all your questions answered by Hammer. A delightful book without harsh judgment offered by Camp and a great collection of readable material. It must have been frustrating to have first person interviews with participants when their stories clashed, were foggy or perhaps grandiose such as Thompson's alleged view of the valley as Custer descended to the river. Camp not only interviewed troopers but also Custer's scouts and Sioux and Cheyenne participants. Camp did a lot not to just record history but to locate historical sites in the remote West like Slim Buttes that without his timely intervention may have otherwise been lost to history. The only unfortunate aspect of the book is that there isn't more material and that Camp's health failed before he could draw his own conclusions. He also had the greatest vacation hobby, exploring and researching the old west before it was very old.



4. Walter Camp was a railroad engineer most of his life, but as a hobby he enjoyed studying the various Indian fights that had occurred in the West, especially the Custer battle at the Little Big Horn. He visited the site numerous times and, more importantly, conducted scores of interviews with eyewitness participants, Indian and white. He kept files of his findings and after his death these files found their way into various libraries around the country. Kenneth Hammer here compiles the "notes" Camp left regarding the Custer fight. They represent, along with W.A. Graham's documented source book of letters, newspaper clippings, legal documents, and numerous other Little Big Horn memorabilia (THE CUSTER MYTH), the most important wellspring of information regarding the June 25, 1876, disaster. The information culled from the interviews with Curly, the Crow scout who was the last to see Custer alive and live to tell about it, are particularly informative in reconstructing what happened that day. He eventually interviewed over 60 survivors between 1908 and 1919. All serious books about the Little Big Horn fight will have to acknowledge the work done by Camp, and anyone with more than just a passing interest in the battle will want this book.

5 comments about Sergeant Nibley, Ph.D.: Memories of an Unlikely Screaming Eagle.

1. This book is written from a very interesting perspective. Hugh Nibley was 32 years old and had a Ph.D. when he enlisted in the army. He went into intelligence, and presumed that he would get assigned some nice safe assignment writing reports or something like that.
   
   But those of who have been in the Army know that the Army Gods don't work that way. He was assigned to work with the 101st Airborne, and was scheduled to go into Normandy on D-Day by glider. (Unlike the paratroopers, the glider infantry was not composed of volunteers and did not receive the extra pay.) At the last minute a General bumped him off the glider so that he went in with the 4th division over Utah Beach. (The General, sitting in Nibley's assigned seat was killed, and all the men in the glider were captured.)
   
   Being both older and better educated Sgt. Nibley was able to see and understand a lot more about what was happening than reports from the commanders or the normal soldiers. For instance, the stories about the 101st are legend (Saving Private Ryan, Band of Brothers, etc.) but Sgt. Nibley points out that many of the volunteers were some fairly tough soldiers that had been given the choice of volunteering or going to prison.
   
   There's a lot of comments of a similar nature throughout the book. Sgt. Nibley was a keen observer. This book belongs on any World War II library.



2. This book contains the wartime memoirs of Hugh Nibley, former professor
   of ancient scripture at Brigham Young University, as he participated in
   combat operations throughout Europe during WWII. Professor Nibley
   passed away in February 2005. The book was compiled by his son Alex
   Nibley from interviews and letters collected over the years. What
   makes this book so interesting is that although Hugh Nibley already had
   his Ph.D before the war started, and had been a member of ROTC, he
   elected to enlist in the Army as a buck private, rather than become an
   officer. The juxtaposition of his highly educated and intellectual
   perspective against the drudgery and horror of a common foot soldier
   makes for a fascinating read.
   
   Brother Nibley wasn't in the Army very long before his education and
   extensive language proficiencies were discovered. The Army promptly
   pulled him out of his job as a weather forecaster and sent
   him up to work in military intelligence. Once given access to
   classified intelligence data, the full power of his intellect became
   unleashed, to the potential benefit of the Allies. Unfortunately,
   things didn't always work out that way. Although he accurately
   predicted when and where many German surprise attacks would occur, and
   even the date when the war would end, he couldn't get many of the top
   military brass to believe him simply because he was just a lowly
   enlisted man. The book documents Brother Nibley's frustrations as he
   watched helplessly as numerous Allied troops were killed needlessly
   from attacks that could have been avoided.
   
   The book includes a number of spiritual elements as well. It documents
   how LDS Church Apostle Melvin J. Ballard set Brother Nibley apart for a
   proselyting mission to Germany in the late 1920s, and commanded him to
   tell the people to repent or they would be destroyed by fire from
   heaven. It was to Brother Nibley's great sorrow that he observed many
   of the German cities to which he had earlier cried repentance destroyed
   by Allied fire-bombing during WWII.
   
   If you like books on WWII, and anything Nibley, I highly recommend
   this one for your collection.



3. This book was given to a friend as a gift. His wife is reading it to him since he is in poor health. They both are enthusiastic about its contents and style. Thank you.



4. Hugh Nibley was gifted and had a great curiosity. His WWII experiences would enlighten him as to the 'conspiring men' who seek riches from the troubles of others. He describes the sillyness of the War that was fought in places where the Romans fought and Napoleon fought. He describes terrible waste and destruction that war brings. A great adventure in which he was preserved, while others around him were lost. He describes the choices made my those in command to further their own carreeers while engaged in war. And the efforts to keep the war going.



5. Hugh Nibley is a famous LDS scholar known for his great erudition and his defense of the Mormon Church. He was fluent in at least 10 languages including many ancient languages, and used these skills to develop much of the foundation for modern LDS apologetics. He was a very colorful, interesting person and was also known for his criticisms of LDS culture. This book covers a period of his life of which little is known. He didn't publicly discuss his war years much, but in the last few years of his life, his son was able to glean some information from him and published this book.
   
   The book starts when Nibley was an LDS missionary in Germany in 1927, and describes an incident when he crossed paths with Hitler. It then goes into Nibley's college years where he earned a PhD from UC Berkeley, and then a job teaching. When the war started, he enlisted as a private in the army at the age of 32. He went through various assignments and ended up in intelligence due to his language skills and became a sergeant. What follows is a fascinating story of his experiences in the army that included a landing at Utah Beach on D-Day, participation in the Battle of the Bulge, and the final occupation of Germany. He was involved with many of the key events and characters of the war.
   
   The format of the book was interesting. It consisted of summaries by the author, quotes by Nibley, copies of letters from family and friends, many sidebars explaining certain events, and helpful footnotes. It's unique for a history of this type, but seemed to work well. I highly recommend this book for people wanting to learn more about Hugh Nibley; but the stories are great for anyone interested in WWII, especially the 101st airborne division to which he was attached.

1 comments about Tales Of A Cold War Submariner (Texas a&M University Military History Series).

1. This is a highly rewarding account written by a submariner who accomplished much in his long career in the US Navy. Captain Summitt's style of writing is compelling and a welcome contrast to the breathless, action-thriller narration of so much written on the subject lately. For those of us who were there, you will find this a truly fine book - if you were REALLY there, you'll find answers to some questions that haunt us. Thanks, Captain Dan, for being the kind of skipper every boomer sailor wishes he had served under. Bob H. ex-MT1(SS)DV; USS Alexander Hamilton SSBN617; Gold Crew patrols #21-31, Rota, Spain; 1969-1972.

4 comments about AN INNOCENT AT POLEBROOK: A MEMOIR OF AN 8TH AIR FORCE BOMBARDIER.

1. A beautifully written, step by step account of Steven's experiences as part of a bomb group stationed in England during World War II. Not only does he let you feel the tensions that derive from takeoffs to bomb runs to returns to base of each mission, but the content is almost lyrical in its descriptions.

   I recommend it highly.




2. Charles "Norm" Stevens is a gifted writer. His descriptions give you the sense that you are there experiencing the life of one bombardier in 1944. The scent of shaving cream, the aromas in the plane, the suspense waiting for the plan of the day to be revealed, the views of the land below, peaceful, and chaotic, all are masterfully described by Lt. Stevens. The most routine actions are colorfully written with anticipation leading to the final mission and the return home. This memoir is a "good read" and one to be recommended.



3. Mr. Stevens writes with refreshing honesty. He claims his book is not about heroics but the bravery and courage of his own and the other men in the 8th Air Force touch the reader in a way books written to impress or excite cannot. He shows us real ordinary young men at war in a way only those who have been there could know. A must read for students of history and WWII.



4. While the descriptions of his exploits in WWII were OK, he reminds me of the character that Telly Savalas played in the "Dirty Dozen". He judges everyone by his high moral standards and sticks his nose up to anyone who doesn't measure up. Of course, he did push the toggle switch that dropped about a quarter million pounds of bombs on women and children. He said that bothered him a bit but, what the heck, it's war right? I think he should rename his book "Bombing for Jesus". Not the kind of guy you would want to hang around with.

5 comments about Henry V as Warlord (Classic Military History).

1. Shakespeare's Henry V forms the basis for most people's impression of this monarch. This remarkably effective piece of propaganda presents Henry as an inexperienced and brave young man with a number of attractive features. In this fine book, Desmond Seward presents a realistic picture of Henry V that is quite different from the Henry in Shakespeare. While Henry came to the throne at a young age, he was already an experienced commander and administrator. His skills had been developed in the rather vicious politics of contemporary England and by the leading role he played in subduing rebellion in Wales. Based on a careful reading of sources and his extensive knowledge of Medieval Europe, Seward presents Henry as an unusually capable and ruthless leader bent on consolidating royal authority in England and conquering France. Seward's well justified analysis of Henry's motivations are based on Henry's insecurity over his claim to the throne, which had been usurped by his father. Seward infers that the undoubtedly pious Henry regarded his attempt to conquer France as a trial by God over the issue of the legitimacy of his crown. Henry's successes then were sanction of his efforts to conquer France and his right to occupy the throne of England. This book provides fine narrative of Henry's life as a soldier and campaigner. Seward's descriptions of Medieval warfare and politics are excellent. He addresses well why a small and relatively sparsely populated country like England could do so well in combat against the French. Seward addresses also the question of why the English presence proved to evanescent. My only complaint with this book is that it did not cover other aspects of Henry's life. This is not entirely fair as Seward aimed at covering Henry's life as a attempted conquerer and he achieves his aims easily. This is not an attempt at a comprehensive biography. Seward's intelligent treatment of these aspects of Henry's life makes me wish he had attempted a broader book.



2. Those who admire Shakespeare's Henry V and Kenneth Branagh's film adaptation, and who are curious about the real King Henry, will find this book to be a good read: fluently and clearly written, neither too short nor too long. Henry was a sort of monster; he was also a great man. The human race naturally admires such men, and for that reason one should not fault Shakespeare for creating a great national hero out of a ruthless military genius. What is remarkable is that so much of the real Harry comes through in the play. Even so, the disasters of war inflicted on the French are appalling to read about in this book. The Nazi occupation was mild in comparison. The French are notorious for their aversion to English speakers. Is the reason, as Desmond Seward says, the memory of this quintessential English hero?



3. Henry V was one of the most evil kings to occupy the English throne. Shakespeare's play about him glorified him because he conquered so much territory in France. Even though he only occupied the English thorne for 9 years, he caused 600 years of political damage between France and England. His motto was, "I'm the scourge of God and I'm here to punish men for their sins."

   Normandy, one of the best grain producing regions of France was practically raised to the ground. It was devastated along with other northern regions of France. The English murdered, raped, pillaged, and committed almost every kind of evil to France during this period of medieval history.

   After his victory at Agincourt in 1415, Henry V invaded France while it was in a civil war. At the Treaty of Troyes, he dictated his own terms for the future of France. Charles VI, "the mad king of France", didn't have a say in the treaty because he was insane. Henry took advantage of this. In the treaty, it stated that Henry would marry Charles'daughter and if Charles VI died, Henry would become both king of England and France.

   When the Hundred years war was dormant, Henry rekindled it for another 50 years. His only reason was to declare that he was the true heir to the French throne. During those 50 years the English committed so many atrosities to France, they paled in comparison to what the Saracens did to the Crusaders. This is the main reason the French mistrust and dislike the English to this day.




4. ... Desmond Seward's book does much to clear the myth about Henry V from the theater and movie images but as the title of the book suggested, Henry V was a warlord and a pretty good as that. I enjoyed reading this book, clearly written, neatly on focus as Seward does not spread himself too thin and kept his eye on the military aspect of Henry V's career. That was his purpose for the book, wasn't it? The book revealed that Henry was a gifted commander, brutal as any but no more then any for the time period. he waged an aggressive war and took advantages of his enemies. That don't make him a bad man in my book, not during that period of history. Henry V's only sin, it seem was that he simply died too soon and left a son too young. Overall, a very good book, author's effort to show the "real" Henry V was a success but Henry's accomplishments were real enough that Shakespeare wanted to make him a national hero!



5. Henry V was one of the most ferocious of England's kings. Through sheer force of will alone he was able to quell his English nobility into following him, and then turn to the French and do the same to them.
   
   Seward does a great job in using the contemporary sources of the time to illustate who the man really was, all the meanwhile not falling prey to the trappings of the propoganda of the time. His illustration of the man's short life is invaluable to anyone reading French or English history, but especially for anyone who is looking for information on the Hundred Years War.
   
   A must read for history buffs.

No comments about Bataan Death March: A Soldier's Story.

No comments about Harlem at War: The Black Experience in Wwii.

1 comments about In the Legions of Napoleon: The Memoirs of a Polish Officer in Spain and Russia, 1808-1813.

1. Poles fought gallantly for France, and indirectly for their lost himeland, throughout the French Revoltionary and Napoleonic Wars. The most reliable of Napoleon's foreign troops, they marched the length and breadth of Europe and established a combat reputation second to none. Heinrich von Brandt was one of these, being commissioned into the Grande Armee as a sous-lieutenant shortly after Prussia's defeat in 1806. He quickly was assigned to the famous Legion of the Vistula, humped his pack, and went into Spain, seeing his first action in the famous second Siege of Saragossa. Brandt's fascinating narrative is lively, accurate, and blunt, telling in vivid detail the horrors of war and the lighter moments of garrison duty. He fought his war in Spain assigned to Suchet's Army of Aragon, seeing much action. When Napoleon starting gathering the huge army that invaded Russia in 1812, The Vistula Legion was one of the units pulled out of Spain to go into Russia. His description of the marches across Europe, the thorough preparation for the Grande Armee's invasion, and the trek to Moscow is fascinating-one can literally not put the book down. The best feature of the narrative, however, is Brandt's candid description of some of the notable personalities of the period, including Napoleon, Marshal Davout, and Marshal Suchet, all of whom he met and talked. He was praised by Suchet, interviewed for his commission by Davout, and saw Napoleon more than once, describing both he and Davout as having terrible tempers when provoked. His description of the terrible retreat from Moscow and the brilliant battle at the River berezina on the way out of Russian are fascinating. This is one of the best soldier memoirs I have ever read. It is as colorful as those by Charles Parquin and Baron Marbot, and very accurate. This book belongs on the book shelf of every Napoleonic historian and enthusiast.