5 comments about Spitfires, Thunderbolts, and Warm Beer: An American Fighter Pilot Over Europe (The Warriors).

1. Although history and aviation buffs will definitely enjoy this book, there was so much more to it. This book really makes you think about the value of life. Many, many people died in this book, from training accidents, falling off boats in the ocean, getting hit by "friendly fire", as well as getting hit in combat. Yet nobody complained. Lives were expendable for the cause. And for some pilots, just the act of flying was worth dieing for. The act of living seemed to become more important, and people seemed to live life to the fullest in spite of the troubling times.

   Don't get me wrong, this wasn't some deep, intense book. It was also very entertaining. I learned a lot about early aviation, and the early part of the war between England and Germany. But at the end of it I got a much better inside view about what it was like to live during World War II, and to enjoy the life we're given.




2. This book gives you a good balance of what life was like. The fighting and living before and after America arrived on mass. It also compares the strength's and weakness of both planes and how they completed similar jobs but were built on completly different theories. Good book reccommend to people who enjoyed first light or spitfire offensive.



3. It's not often you get to read the very inner thoughts of a fighter pilot but this book allows the reader just that. Leroy Gover, whose combat career of 159 missions is the subject of this book, habitually kept a diary and this, coupled with excerpts from his letters home and candid interviews with the author, really makes this memoir feel as though you're relaxing in the mess while Gover talks to you.
   
   A California kid, Gover learnt to fly before he could drive and was an experienced flyer at the time he decided to volunteer for service in the RAF. This was before the US entered the war and is an early indication of the type of person Gover is. After training, where his enthusiasm for flying new aircraft is evident, he and his classmates embarked on a long, sometimes hazardous journey to Canada and then by convoy (the hazardous bit!) to England. Within days, perhaps hours, of landing in England, Gover is amazed and humbled by the spirit and resilience of the English civilians and this is a theme that continues throughout the book. We follow him through OTU (Operational Training Unit) where he finally gets to fly his dream aircraft - the Spitfire. He is then posted to 66 Sqn and comences flying fighter sweeps, convoy escort etc.
   
   Gover, although aware of his abilities as a flyer, knows he has to be good at what he does to have a greater chance of survival. Through his writings and the author's clarifications and additional information, Gover comes across as a humble, yet ambitious fighter pilot. He knows he isn't invincible and more than once he doubts if he'll ever return home. He never ceases to be amazed at the situations he gets into and his love affair with the Spitfire, and the city of London and girls when on leave, is very evident.
   
   America's entry into the war eventually sees Gover joining the US Army Air Force and eventually converting to P-47s with the newly formed 4th Fighter Group which was destined to become one of the most famous of all American fighter groups. Here, I believe, is where his personality and combat experience come to the fore. He quickly becomes an excellent leader who keeps an eye on the men who fly behind him on formation. He feels their loss greatly, as he does throughout his time in England when friends are killed.
   
   Reading this book is like talking to an old friend who has been away for a few years. It is a candid, sometimes amusing, always eye-opening look at how these men made it through day-by-day. Once a day was over, they were always ready to put it all on the line the next.



4. A friend who was reading this book told me about it and rather than wait for him to finish, I was fortunate enough to find a hard cover edition available on Amazon a week or so ago. Being fascinated with stories such as this and flying in general I decided I wanted a copy for my own. I'm glad I did.
   
   LeRoy Gover is an authentic American hero who, in his early twenties decided he wanted to become a military fighter pilot. It is May of 1941. Gover has been a pilot of his own and other aircraft for nearly seven years and has accumulated 800 hours of flying time. He lacked any college education however, which was a requirement to join the Army or Navy pilot training. The RAF had no such requirement. If you had two hundred hours as pilot in command and could pass a physical, the RAF was interested in training American and Canadian pilots to bolster the RAF which was involved with the Battle of Britain at the time.
   
   Gover and a few friends are accepted, receive basic training in Canada and eventually ship to England in a convoy which may have been as harrowing as many of the experiences he would eventually have as an RAF and US fighter pilot.
   
   His story is told from letters and dairies as well as some interviews as Grover was alive at the time the book was published and from them we get a glimpse of three fascinating years in the history of WW2 and the air war in Europe.
   
   These young men lived constantly with the pressure of combat flying and the dangers of being in wartime England, yet Gover's telling of the experience makes it sound like the old joke about what it is like to be an airline pilot...hours and hours of sheer boredom interrupted by moments of sheer terror. He describes more than the flying. There is also the comradship, being assimilated into the life and culture of wartime England and the carefree way they sought release with parties, alcohol, movies and some very friendly English women.
   
   Almost casually as one reads of the experiences it starts to dawn on the reader than young Grover is an exceptional pilot and exceptionally fortunate, as well. Thirteen men graduated with him in his training class. He and another are the only survivors. After one hundred and fifty three missions, he had acquired the Silver Star, three DFC's and eight air medals. He shot down four Germans for sure, had three probables and damaged seven others.
   
   After finally returning to the US after three years in combat he remained in the Air Force until 1961, retiring with the rank of Colonel. He continued to fly following retirement and it is reported that as of the writing of the book he had twenty eight thousand hours of flying time and probably more time in fighter aircraft than any person alive.
   
   But this books charm is not in the accomplishments of this remarkable individual. It is in the landscape of the time painted by Gover's words.
   They span the years and one can hear the sound of the Merlin engines and feel the concussions of the German bombs falling on the English countryside. If this appeals to you...you need to find a copy.



5. I found this book interesting for about the first half. It is interesting to hear how Leroy Grover got into the RAF will no military training. The book is disappointing though in the lack of in depth combat action. I was reading the book waiting for Leroy's first combat and he doesn't even include his first kill in his diary. The author has to tell us about it after the diary entry for the day of Leroy's first kill. I expected something much more descriptive about Leroy's first combat. I just didn't get the feeling that Leroy was an agressive fighter pilot. He encounters a HE III on a training flight. He is flying a fully armed Spitfire and meets a single unescorted German bomber. Leroy says he didn't feel experienced enough yet to tackle the German bomber yet he had 800 flying hours, although none of that was combat time. Leroy was also in England and flying either for the RAF or the U.S. for two years, yet his score was only 4 victories. It just didn't seem like Leroy had the fighter pilot persona to meet the enemy and shoot him down, at least not the way this book is written. Most of the book covers going into London or some town or village and socializing. Leroy Grover was alive when this book was written. I can't understand why this book wasn't written as a first person account since the author could talk to Mr. Grover and verify and update any events that had taken place. I think there is more to the story of Leroy Grover's involement in WWII but this book doesn't reveal that very well. I would recommend, Fly for Your Life, Reach for the Sky, The First and the Last, Thunderbolt, and Gunther Rall's book, I can't remember the title. I found these books much more interesting.

No comments about When War Becomes Personal: Soldiers' Accounts from the Civil War to Iraq.

5 comments about The Long Walk: The True Story of a Trek to Freedom.

1. Well, the story itself may be untrue, and come to a point where it's even farcical in what it tries to put over on readers (seeing a pair of menacing yetis in the Himalayas while crossing the mountains in winter with all of rusty wire and animal dung as provisions). But! This is a moot point, because as a tale, it's first-rate. If you can allow the fraud (and there's no real reason to get upset about it), there are large rewards to be had from The Long Walk. The story of the trek to freedom is incredible and very compelling, page b' page. The prose isn't the best, but it serves its singular point well in keeping the action moving and gripping. It's entirely designed in this way, to be a terrific story, and true or not, it only assists itself with all its narrative tendencies.



2. This book has been thoroughly reviewed on Amazon already. I add this review in the hopes on contributing something to the discussion.
   
   This is the story of Slavomir Rawicz, a Polish cadet who was arrested by the Soviets on false charges and sentenced to prison in Siberia for 25 years, and of his amazing escape south, across 4,000 miles past Lake Baikal, through Mongolia, across the Gobi Desert, over the Himalayas, and finally into British India. The book is engaging, extremely well-written, heart-breaking and inspiring.
   
   The problem is that it may not be true. I agree with other commenters that the book loses all of its value as an inspirational story if it was fabricated. My five-star review assumes that it is true.
   
   Critics of the book can rely on two types of evidence: internal and external. (I reject objections that such a journey is impossible. Modern adventurers have retraced Rawicz' steps; granted, they were much better equipped, but they also weren't fleeing for their lives).
   
   The external evidence shows that Rawicz was released from prison and sent back to Poland; that the British (probably) have no record of Rawicz or his companions arriving from the Tibetan plateau; that no one has ever located or identified his companions. The first objection can be met by pointing out that the Soviet Cheka was not necessarily above forging documents, especially if necessary to avoid a humiliating admission that seven prisoners escaped. The second objection is undermined by the history of the book's criticisms -- for years, people pointed out that the Soviets had no record of Rawicz' imprisonment at all. The discovery of his papers is a dramatic illustration that the absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.
   
   The final point is simply a mystery. One would expect that Rawicz's companions would try to contact him after the book was published. But that assumes his companions survived long enough to do so -- they arrived in India in 1942, and the book was not published until 1956. It is possible they died, or returned to their homes in communist countries and never saw the book, or were imprisoned again. Of course, all we can do is speculate.
   
   For me, the more interesting question concerns the internal evidence. Is Rawicz' description of a Soviet prison camp consistent with actual practice? When Rawicz crossed the border into Mongolia, he described a series of signs marking the border -- is his description accurate? He describes the clothing, houses and certain material culture in Mongolia, China and Tibet -- is it consistent with local practice at that time?
   
   Adventurer Peter Fleming supposedly challenged the internal evidence as unrealistic shortly after the book was published, but I have not found a copy of Fleming's specific charges, so I cannot evaluate them. In addition, according to a wikipedia article on Rawicz, Fleming supposedly discovered military records that contradicted Rawicz' claims. One must wonder why Fleming would bother with such external evidence if he thought the case against the internal evidence was so clear.



3. Rawicz's trek is an amazing story, and a great read. His voice comes through so strongly, and authentically that you find ourself with him almost every step of his journey.



4. The long walk is one hell of an adventure. It is well written and is difficult to put down once you start to read it. I am sceptical whether it is true. Walking across the Kobi desert with no food or water is a bit difficult to believe. I think a bit more research needs to be done to vouch for the veracity of this story. Whether the book is fact or fiction it is still a very interesting story to read.



5. The Long Walk is one of the greatest books I have ever read. The decades long battle over its authenticity is, I think, a testament to its power. Only a work of literature that brings such palpable reality to the reader could have withstood the firestorm of controversy surrounding it from so many corners.
   
   Concerning its authenticity, I think there should be some humility shown on all sides. There are those who would desire to believe it simply because it is a great tale. Others would seek to "burst the bubble" of all involved out of a cynical doubt in the human capacity for greatness.
   
   Several considerations should be made when considering the recently revealed documents disproving Rawicz's claims: 1. Rawicz' story is too detailed to have been entirely fabricated. Whether or not he himself participated in the events he describes is doubtful, but that the events themselves or something like them occurred is, in my mind, undeniable; 2. Placing a great deal of trust in Soviet documents from the Stalin era has never been a wise course to take. The fact that Rawicz, according to these documents, rejoined the Polish Army the day after he was released from the Gulag (remarkable considering the debilitating conditions he obviously suffered from in later life due to his imprisonment), make it seem a little too clean.
   
   The most likely occurrence, in my own mind, is that Rawicz appropriated the story from a group of survivors who underwent a journey similar to the one he describes. The BBC article makes this clear:
   
   "A clue may come from the story of Rupert Mayne, a British intelligence officer in wartime India. In Calcutta in 1942, he interviewed three emaciated men, who claimed to have escaped from Siberia.
   
   Mayne always believed their story was the same as that of The Long Walk - but telling the story years later, he could not remember their names. So the possibility remains that someone - if not Rawicz - achieved this extraordinary feat."
   
   Whatever the case, the story Rawicz communicates possesses a majesty and power that can only belong to the annals of Truth.

5 comments about The Long Road Home: A Story of War and Family.

1. In Iraq right now and had to read this. Wasn't as good as I thought it would be but it gives a perspective.



2. This book is a must read in this election year. Put all else aside, pick up this book and struggle through the reality of what is going on and few of us bother to realize. This is not a pleasant read, this is not a feel good story. This is the truth of what happens when politicians make decisions based on their own legacy in mind. This is how those decisions affect you, me and our neighbors. These kids are in a horrible situation in Iraq. If the evidence to enter the war was real, OK, this is duty. In retrospect, this is a sin. No one should face 10 minutes of what these husbands, boyfirends, sons and daughters are going through. Martha Raddatz did an incredible job of piecing this story together. If 10 % of this is accurate, no one should be subjected to this kind of horror. I can tell you, having had a brother serve in Vietnam in the late 60s, there is nothing you hope to avoid than a taxi, your parish priest or minister, and a stranger dressed in a military uniform in the middle of the night. Soldiers,, families are all suffering, the problem is, they are in the minority. The majority of us simply bitch about high gas prices. We don't have a clue what is going on. Read this book and become informed. When you vote in November, consider what you are doing, seriously. Is this war in the middle east worth it? Is it winnable? Is there an honorable way out. Don't just assume there is, understand what these soldiers are going through and make sure the way you vote is not going to prolong this disaster.



3. Excellent read about the war in Iraq. I bought this book after I found parts contained action my son was involved in. Found my son's name and picture of truck he was in. He was trying to save Cindy Sheenan's son Casey. He was ambushed also and was hit in his foot. They lost eight good soliders that day. I hope they make a movie someday. My son is a IV and he was shot on 4-4-4 in Sadr City Iraq. He now has PTSD and is divorced from the woman he loves. Where is Cindy Sheenan now?



4. I saw Martha Raddatz speak at the Pritzker Military Library last week (June 2008) and bought the book there on the spot. I have read it straight through in a couple of days and wish that every American would read this book or one with a similar story. It seems that Iraq has become background noise in light of the energy crisis and the country's economic woes.
   
   It's easy to forget that we are at war and that American servicemen are losing their lives. This book brings that reality home. It's not a fun read - it's a distinctly uncomfortable and sometimes depressing one. But reading stories like this might go some ways towards breaking through this desensitization we seem to have as a country when it comes to the war in Iraq.
   
   I think that the portions of the book written from the view of the soldiers are solid and really brought me into the action of that awful battle. I won't ever know what it is like to be a soldier who engages in battle and is wounded or sees friends wounded or, worse, killed in action. But this book at least makes me really think about it and gives a good description of how these soldiers felt.
   
   On the other hand, I did not think that the parts of the book written from the perspective of the families was as strong. I am not sure if this is the result of Ms. Raddatz respecting the wives of the killed soldiers and not interviewing them directly or just because her passion lies with the stories that these men have to tell more than with the stories of their families. Either way, it made the book feel a little unbalanced to me.
   
   All that being said, I think that this book is important. The story that it tells is important not only because the battle it details was a turning point in the war but because it reminds us that our fellow countrymen are going through unspeakable things. This war remains relevant and I applaud the efforts of Ms. Raddatz and others like her for fighting to keep it in the media.



5. I have just finnished reading The Long Road Home and must commend Martha Raddatz on her brilliant book. I have been a friend of the Weibleys(Trysha)for years and decided that it was past due for me to read. It was not political or opinionated in any way, it was factual and desctiptive like nothing I have ever read.Since There is one part of this book where Seth gets out to clean a windshild..knowing him the way I do, I HAD to laugh through the tears. It was just soooo something he would do.
   Thank you for writing this amazing book for the world to read. It is integral to all Americans to know what REALLY happend that day. I know that the Weibleys apreciate it as do I and all that I will be passing this on to.

5 comments about China Marine: An Infantryman's Life after World War II.

1. A fine book on a marine in the process of occupation duty clearly a true standout to the thousands of marine corps memoirs, and on a personal note E.B. Sledge isn't dead I am watching him on the t.v., on the show 'D-day's in the South Pacific'. This is a fine book and really worth reading, even though i personally felt he should have made sergeant and at least received a bronze star though he felt being there was enough. I personally thank all the men who fought and died for our freedom in any war, for any cause.



2. After WWII and the follow-on duty in China, the author decided to enroll at Auburn University. The female from the Registrar's Office "slammed her pencil on the table and said in a loud, exasperated voice, 'Didn't the Marine Corps teach you anything?' A gasp ran through the crowd, and you could have heard a pin drop."
   
   Veteran Marine Sledge said in a loud, calm voice: "Lady, there was a killing war. The Marine Corps taught me how to kill Japs and try to survive. Now, if that don't fit into any academic course, I'm sorry. But some of us had to do the killing -- and most of my buddies got killed or wounded."
   
   On the last page, the author writes a powerful, thought-provoking message for the great mass of spoiled Americans (94% today are not vets) who never served. He reminds them that the Japanese soldier was "imbued with the Code of Bushido (Code of the Warrier) and yamata damashii (the fighting power of Japan). If we had not defeated an army that thought it was unbeatable, who knows how many American cities might have shared the horrid Rape of Nanking."



3. E. B. Sledge's "With the Old Breed" is by common consent one of the finest -- if not the finest -- account of the life of a combat infantryman in World War II. At Pelieu and Okinawa, Sledge was one of only 10 men in his Marine company of 240 to escape being wounded or killed. "China Marine" is the follow-up to "With the Old Breed," a lesser work but one that tells of what happened to Sledge after the war.
   
   With Sledge's experience, one would have thought that he would have been among the first among the military to be demobilized after the end of the war with Japan -- but no, he and his colleagues were sent to China to disarm the Japanese soldiers there and to maintain order in several northern Chinese cities. This is Sledge's account of the six months he spent in China. His view is that of a Private First Class -- but an educated and sophisticated PFC, the son of a medical doctor from Mobile, Alabama, and an outstanding writer. He delighted in Peking, fresh food, a clean bunk, light duties, and friendship with the sophisticated Soong family -- but the danger from attack by communist armies was always there.
   
   Sledge goes on to tell of the trauma of his discharge from the Marines and homecoming to Mobile and, briefly, his long years of struggle with what we call today Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. It's a small book, only 160 pages, and an interesting, beautifully written, account of the decompression of a combat soldier and his return home.
   
   Sledge died in 2001 but he was often quoted in Ken Burn's recent PBS series on World War II. Sledge is a true American hero.
   
   Smallchief



4. When "With the Old Breed" ends you do not know the entire story. This volume fills that gap and does so very well. It is written in the same style that is direct and concise. I think many civilians thought that when WWII was over the troops just came home and all was well. It was not so. Many had further duty and had a rough time of it on return to the States. Almost all became exemplary citizens again despite their hardships. This book puts that all in perspective.
   Larry Martin
   Gainesville, FL



5. China Marine Gene Sledge is an old friend although I've never met him. Any book by him is more than worth the few dollars it would take to own it. Most Americans have no knowledge of the fact that immediately following WW II 60,000 U. S. Marines were sent into North China. Their real purpose was to keep that area from falling into the hands of Mao Tse Tsung's 8th Route Army when the Japanese withdrew. We Marines were to fill the gap, and then turn this critical ground that contained much of the coal available in China. The Russians raised hell in the UN about the US not repatriating the Jap troops to their mainland. The US objective was to maintain them in place as additional insurance in order to keep Mao's ChiComs in Manchuria the caves of Yemen where they had been kept in check by the Japs during WW II. With pressure from the UN, the last of the Japs and Koreans were sent home by about June of 1946, leaving a dwindling number of Marines to literally "hold the fort." Essentially, this is what Sledge writes about. Imagine to have survived the battles for Peleliu and Okinawa only to be sent to North China where too many Marines were to be killed. Sledge, because of his time overseas, was able to leave China early in '46, as I recall. Those of us who had arrived late to the Pacific Theater during WW II would remain guarding the railroads and bridges that moved the coal. And so, you say: "How come I haven't read anything about this? It was not mentioned in my History classes in high school or college."
   I have a story on my web site that may interest you: http://www.sullyusmc.com/Hsin%20Ho/Hsin%20Ho.htm This story concerns one incident that occurred in April, 1947, shortly before the Marines were withdrawn from that area by our State Department. In my case I ended up in Tsingtao on the Shantung Peninsula, until 25Sep48 when I was commissioned a 2dLt and ordered stateside. Within a few months of my leaving China Chiang Kai Shek and his Kuomingtao withdrew to Formosa (Taiwan). My old regiment, the 5th Marines, oversaw the withdrawal of US and other civilians from Shanghai in early '49, and China was from that time under the control of Mao and the Chicoms. I and many other Marines saw a great deal of the latter when they intervened in the Korean War in November/December '50. We Marines were in and around the Chosin Reservoir. The US public knows little of the Korean War, but most at least connect the term Chosin Reservoir to that conflict.
   http://www.sullyusmc.com

5 comments about Spy: The Inside Story of How the FBI's Robert Hanssen Betrayed America.

1. Author David Wise did a remarkable amount of research in a relatively short period of time as preparation for writing this fascinating real life story of treason and betrayal. Robert Hanssen joined the FBI in 1976 and over the subsequent 25 years rose through the ranks to the very highest levels of the bureau's counterintelligence unit. The trouble is that for the latter 22 years of his tenure, he was a paid spy for Russian intelligence.
   
   Spy: The Inside Story of How the FBI's Robert Hanssen Betrayed America gives an unembellished view of what is known about Hanssen's early life. his marriage, his career and how he systematically used his top secret clearance to sell out his agency and his country to three different Russian intelligence services, most notably the KGB.
   
   This fact filled book spares no detail in describing Hanssen's lengthy career. Some chapters make for rather dry reading while others are absolutely riveting. In the course of describing the treasonous acts of Robert Hanssen, Wise also touches upon the facts surrounding some other very interesting espionage cases. For example, the strange story of Felix Bloch to name just one.
   
   The Robert Hanssen story is a shocking one for a number of reasons and this well researched book lays it all out for the reader in relatively straightforward fashion. A worthwhile read worthy of a 4 star rating.



2. After watching the movie Breach, I decided to check out this book. It's very comprehensive and easy to follow for myself and fellow novices to this subject. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.



3. Normally, I do not read spy stories or thrillers, but after seeing the movie "Breach" I wanted to know more about Robert Hanssen and how he managed to send sensitive American security information - that put our country in danger - to the Soviets for 22 years without being caught.
   David Wise has told his story well. On page after page, he describes Hanssen's activities as an FBI agent, his savvy computer skills, his marriage, his large family, his staunch Catholicism. Wise also describes a man who loved pornography, described his sex life with a loyal and loving wife to his best friend, (as well as taping their bedroom activities and showing them to him). He also visited strip clubs, bringing one stripper with him on a government mission to Hong Kong.
   Wise details each secret "Drop" which took place in a Washington D.C. park, Hanssen's Soviet counterparts, and above all his betrayal of everyone around him while calmly continuing his double life - until one day - one small detail tripped him up. I couldn't put this book down - astonishing!



4. More gripping than any novel because it is true. Shocking. The lack of remorse in Hanson is chilling in its completeness. Wise is a great author. Highly recommend this book.



5. Excellent book. Written like a novel and use of real documents well placed. I had a hard time putting it down. Gave greater insight to the Movie "Breach".

5 comments about When Thunder Rolled.

1. What a great book! I agree that this is the best of the F-105 books about combat during Rolling Thunder. Such detail! Ras explains everything so well and puts it in words that non-pilots can understand. He even takes you on R&R to a Bangkok niteclub to get a "massage" ;-) The difference between a fighter-pilot and a pilot of fighters is explained. I was at Takhli, the other F-105 base in Thailand, and I remember the Wild Weasel/Iron Hand "F" models. The initial group was sent in and shot down. Then another batch was sent in and shot down. I believe there were five or six airplanes in each group. During that initial period, the crewmembers of F-105F (Weasels)were virtually assured of death or capture. What a slaughter.
   I loved the noise of that beautiful bird when afterburner with water injection kicked in. Not to mention the noise when a pilot returned after his 100th mission and went "supersonic" right on the deck. Awesome!!!! Also described in the book was the practice of burning off fuel with the speed brakes open and the afterburner on. I saw this on another 100 mission bird going low and slow with the "finger" extended in a pass just above the runway. This book brings back memories of that. In the meantime, back in the "world" (US)Hippies were coming on the scene. It was a shock to me and many others returning. And, by the way, so much for the "domino theory" - Thailand is still there.



2. Whilst putting you very much in the cockpit Mr Rasimus has at the same time managed to produce a thoughtful, insightful, and instructive book that gives an excellent view of the experiences, feelings and thoughts of what it meant to be a fighter pilot in the early years of the Vietnam war. Highly recommended.



3. This is the best book along with Jack Broughten's "Thud Ridge" that I have read concerning the Air War in the North, especially as it relates to F105's.If I were to write a book on this subject, this is what I would have written.



4. For some time now I've had a fascination with the F-105 Thunderchief and the men who went Downtown during the Vietnam war. To further my knowledge on the aircraft and the men who flew her I picked up When Thunder Rolled.
   
   Overview
   When Thunder Rolled is a pilots view of the F-105 and the missions he flew during the Vietnam War. In this book our Fighter Pilot (I mean this a complement to Mr. Rasimus. I believe it would be a greater honor to call him a Fighter Pilot than by his retired rank, read the book if you want to understand why) gives us a view of the F-105 from training thru his time in Thailand flying missions in North Vietnam.
   
   The Good
   Wow! What a book. Mr. Rasimus pulls no punches. In all of the books I've read dealing with a persons own experiences in war I've found very few that are as candid about being scared. Mr. Rasimus tells us about how his initial debate is if he should fly combat mission or not and then flies a couple. I have to think that the fear Mr. Rasimus talks about is more common than many other books would have you believe.
   
   I also loved how Mr. Rasimus mentions the maintenance men who took care of the Thud he borrowed (sorry, everyone knows that a fighter is owned by the crew chief, pilots just borrow it). This is something kind of rare and nice to see.
   
   The description of the environment is great. Referencing stealing hubcaps for what it took to be a fighter pilot over there was sheer genius! Between the use of vernaculars and a simple honest approach, one is able to visualize and feel something of what he was experiencing. I also loved the way Mr. Rasimus takes us thru the base and the missions. From premission briefings thru the return. Interestingly there isn't a lot of focus on the post mission time at the Club.
   
   The Bad
   The only one I can readily think of is that the book ended. I loved the story telling. It flows so nicely. The real shame is that we know that our fighter pilot went on to fly F-4's in the Linebacker timeframe. I'd have loved it if this would have been brought together to hear the differences in the aircraft and how the war was fought.
   
   Rating Wise
   5 Stars! This is the best personal account I've read from an aviator. A solid read and is a must read by anyone interested in knowing about F-105's, the Vietnam airwar, or about a pilots view of combat.



5. A good book from a pilot who made two tours in Vietnam. Initial fears. Courage. The unconsciousness. The youth involved in this conflict viewed from the sky. Not bad at all.

5 comments about Napoleon: The Path to Power.

1. This biography is dry as dust. All the principle individuals are two dimensional. The writer writes as if they were stick figures rather than real people who influenced the course of history. His protrait of Napoleon is without flesh and blood.



2. This is a book for the serious Buonapartiste - particularly his secret detractors. The Sorbonne-educated historian has given us PART ONE of his work - a work of over 600 pages - and I found the deluge of historical materials to be both overwhelming and deftly handled, the resolution to this paradox being that Dwyer is guilty of what he demonstrates behind Napoleon's ascent: a clumsy spin doctoring of the "facts."
   
   This also is the reason I find fault with the very conception of the book: we long have reconciled ourselves to remaining trapped within the vortices of history, myth, and cultural creationism when it comes to this particular biographical subject. Unable to break the historian's taboo of psychoanalytic consideration of its subject, this book ultimately is a doomed enterprise as yet another attempt at "understanding" the man.
   
   I wait for the biography that tells us something new about how the man's context, the history/myth/culture that he found himself in, struggled against, and, in this case, to great extent, found itself transformed in his wake. Our obsession with the little giant certainly would favor this approach.
   
   Peter Glidden, Ph.D.



3. In "Napoleon: The Path To Power," Philip Dwyer successfully brings to life the first three decades in the existence of Napoleon Bonaparte. Readers who have a pre-existing knowledge of Bonaparte and his time will be the ones who will benefit the most from reading Dwyer's book. To his credit, Dwyer neither glorifies nor demonizes Bonaparte.
   
   Dwyer clearly explores the contradictions in the character of Bonaparte. Bonaparte started as a Corsican nationalist, then morphed into a servant of the French Revolution, and ended up as an imperialist who became supremely confident in his own personal destiny. Bonaparte transformed himself into what he has been remembered for because of his unmatched exploitation of the opportunities that he saw before him. Dwyer also shows with much conviction the active role that Bonaparte played in his own mythmaking.
   
   Although Bonaparte was talented, intelligent, and passionate, he was also a ruthless man. Bonaparte regarded people as pawns in his political and military calculations, to get rid of if they could no longer be useful. As Dwyer observes with much pertinence, that callousness towards the lives of others is not unusual in the character of a leading public personality. The more power a public figure amasses, the greater the indifference he / she will often display.
   
   To summarize, "Napoleon: The Path To Power" is a nice addition to the library of any person fond of history.



4. 
   Most historians have to chose between writing a readable narrative or one that will be heavily documented. Dwyer doean't have this problem His writing is able straddle both styles. He has created a readable, heavily documented history of Napoleon's rise to power. I don't know the literature of this period, but the book has the feel that it is definitive to date.
   
   While the text is not on the page turning level of Alexander Hamilton, The Most Famous Man in America: The Biography of Henry Ward Beecher (the first 2/3) or Diamonds, Gold, and War: The British, the Boers, and the Making of South Africa, it is engaging and keeps the interest of the general reader.
   
   Most interesting to me were the Italian and Egyptian campaigns, and Napoleon's relationships with his parents, siblings and wife.
   
   One of the overriding themes is Napoleon's propaganda which certainly sets the stage for what we have today. There were no TV crews in Egypt so Napoleon had a blank slate to write on. He could send dispatches to his brothers' newspapers, and who c/would dispute him? He could march his troops, triumphantly into Paris, who's to know it wasn't a total victory?
   
   Dwyer assembles a lot of information and I look forward to what I presume will be volumes 2, 3 and maybe even 4.



5. I am a relative newcomer to Napoleon, having read only Paul Johnson's short biography in the Penguin Lives series, so I can't really assess Dwyer's arguments against recent scholarship and historiography, except to say that he supports his case with an impressive amount of research. Is the book written with the grace of David McCullough and Edmund Morris or even, to use a more academic example, James McPherson? No. But this is a readable academic-type biography, certainly worthy of the Yale imprimatur, and it whets the appetite for more about this imposing figure of European and world history.

5 comments about Jarhead: A Marine's Chronicle of the Gulf War and Other Battles.

1. Boring, laced with profanity, raunchiness, whiny, so I find it difficult to relate to this author. He seems like a cry baby to me, and not very intelligent. The book is written to make it seem more than it is, which isn't very much at all. And the constant attempt to make everything poetic is very annoying and an obvious filler technique. This book just sucks! The worst personal perspective war book I think exist. I have no idea how this became a movie, but then there are plenty of stupid movies made all the time.



2. Text Review: Jarhead
   Reviewer: Jessica
   
   This historical fiction novel, Jarhead by Anthony Swofford, is in part historically accurate but also embellished in the detail for story sake. The recollection of the events of the war in the story, when the main character Anthony told them, mentioned Saddam Hussein's overrun of Kuwait and their oil, mentioned the massive international deployment to the Arabian Peninsula and the air raid against Iraq. Anthony chronologically reiterated these historical events, but at the same time detailed aspects of his life. Jarhead is more of the story about Anthony in the war as a soldier than about the war itself.
   
   This novel is written from the perspective of a marine. From start to finish the reader follows Anthony on his journey through boot camp to the frontline and back home. As a reader we connect with his emotions and understand the emotional and physical pressure subdued to these men that sign over their lives to fight for US safety. By having this perspective the historical event of the Gulf War is brought down to a level that is more understandable to the mass public. The public can connect with the chain of events through Anthony's character. The only down fall is that there is a biased on how to view the war. To Anthony he was very apprehensive about going to war a felt he was obligated to enlist; through a historians perspective we are only given the facts and not personal feelings.
   
   A historical fiction novel gives a reader a very basic understanding of history. Unlike that of a text book, in novels the focus is on the characters and their reactions and their emotion struggles. Usually these types of novels are about specific moments in history and cover very brief time frames and specific events. Jarhead is one of those novels; we obtain the basic idea of the gulf war and its reasoning behind it, but mainly are focused on Anthony's life and his adventure through the desert. The reader will connect with the situation and understand more what a marine feels and thinks as they walk through the harsh desert, withstand the brutally cold nights and push through the open fire dodging bullets. If the reader does not know about the war prior to reading this novel the most they will be educated on is what and when the war happened. Historically the events are accurate but not a main focus.
   
   This book is highly acclaimed and gratefully appreciated. The connection with Anthony develops throughout the story and the reader grows to love and care for this marine. I would recommend this book to those who have been through what Anthony has and to those who want to further understand the life of a marine. On a scale of 1-5, I would rate this book a 3 for the detail and the emotional bond built while reading.



3. Jarhead by Anthony Swofford, is the memoir of a former U.S. Marine sniper during the first Gulf War in 1991. It's a very intelligent and humorous look at military life for a new generation. Swofford was stationed in Saudi Arabia, at the northern most area right behind Kuwait for more than six months before the short-lived combat started. This was called "Operation Desert Shield", as to shield the massive oil wells of Saudi Arabia from the Iraqi Republic Guard. As you know, the actual combat, "Operation Desert Storm" started in January and was over in late February.



4. Jarhead is a fantastic read! It is a glimpse into the everyday life of Marine in Desert Storm. The book is pure raw emotion. You get the chance to move to the front lines with a Marine Corps Surveillance and Target Acquisition or S.T.A sniper and see the war through his eyes. It provides an honest glimpse into what sometimes happens to these heroes after the war, the forgotten part of most war books. This book also has some hilarious parts.



5. Anthony Swofford's writing is rough around the edges; a great deal of the book is difficult to read, and the language crude, but it's also an honest, first-hand recounting of life as a Marine, before and during the first Gulf war.
   
   
   The anti-war establishment should photocopy pages 99-103 and hand out the pages to kids who are thinking about enlisting in the military. S--er patrol has never before been so intricately described in print, and any illusions about the glamour and drama of war will be forever erased from the mind of any person reading 'Jarhead.'
   
   This book is not recommended for those who are easily offended. Swofford describes a military hazing ritual known as the field f--k, and I have to wonder how these traditions between enlisted men are playing out now that there are so many women serving in Afghanistan and Iraq.

3 comments about American Caesar: Douglas MacArthur 1880 - 1964.

1. This book is a classic. Even the title page is brilliant. MacArthur is The American Caesar, imperious and outstanding, always posturing and yet commanding a fanatical following. A complex man, his brilliance is constantly dogged by his insecurities, his successes balanced by his failures and so on. truly the modern Prometheus!
   He completely misread the Japanese intentions to bomb the Philippines and the Chinese determination to hang on to North Korea. His bizarre and brazen behaviour towards the last days of his command points to a man losing his grip with reality. Perhaps, the strain of playing centrestage for so long had taken its toll.
   Definitely not pro-MacArthur, Manchester does paint a sympathetic portrait of this great man.



2. If you want to learn about MacArthur's life, this book works well. However, it goes far beyond that in the detail it provides and the analysis. Manchester provides good commentary on MacArthur, his strategies, and politics. One of the most interesting things was the notion of how much MacArthur had captured the Joint Chiefs of Staff with his Inchon operation, which led to disaster when China got involved.



3. In one volume of slightly over 700 pages, historian William Manchester brought together tireless research, epic lyricism and a timeless artistic flare in this classic biography of General Douglas MacArthur.
   
   MacArthur was a special leader on the battlefield, but Manchester drives past the headlines and does an incredible job in juxtaposing the myth with fact, the positive and negative and the politics of war waged against foreign armies and elected officials in Washington, D.C.
   
   Manchester masterfully guides the reader into an appreciation of this controversial and iconic figure who embodied the American spirit in a lifetime spent striding confidently on the world stage.