5 comments about Co. Aytch: A Confederate Memoir of the Civil War.

1. Sam Watkins himself describes it best himself,A Side Show to the Big Show. This Book describes the War For Southern Independence, from the eyes of a common Private in the Confederate Army. He was in it from the Start to the End. I've read it 5 times, I enjoy it more each time!! A MUST for anyone studying the WAR!!



2. Mr. Watkins tells a humble and epic story. A confederate private shares his unique perspective. Reveals the grim realities of a glorious cause going from bad to worse and back again. It is truly amazing he survived four years of warfare. Most often death was easier than survival. General Bragg routinely court martialed his troops with a firing squad for deserters. Further punishments like barreling, whippings and deprevations were routine. It got better under General Johnston and worse again under General Hood. The soldiers alternatively cursed and praised the war, its' cause and the Generals. Yet like in all wars, the men fought for each other. So many soldiers met their Maker, whereby Watkins extolls their virtues and praises. Eloquently written and graphically descriptive. Sam's survival is a testimonial to God's protection. Written in the 1880's.
   READ the book and you will find a friend from the ages.



3. Interest in this particular Civil War memoir increased due to its being frequently quoted and referred to in the documentary series on "The Civil War" that aired on PBS stations almost twenty years ago. Thankfully, the success of the series caused "Company Aytch, or a Side Show of the Big Show" to be reprinted.
   
   As a narrative device, film maker Ken Burns compared and contrasted the recollections of Samuel R. Watkins, a Confederate soldier who served in the Western theater of operations (principally in Tennessee and Georgia), with the diary entries of Elisha Hunt Rhodes, a Union soldier from Rhode Island. Both men saw significant combat action and both survived the war.
   
   Although Rhodes recorded his immediate observations, Watkins began his memoirs after the war had ended and his book was published seventeen years after the Army of the Tennessee had surrendered. He had the advantage of being able to meditate on his experiences and I found his book to be of greater interest as a result.
   
   I have read both "All for the Union" (Rhodes) and "Company Aytch" (Watkins). While both books have much to recommend them, I am partial to the latter. As a writer, Watkins produced more profound opinions. There seemed to be more color, humor, poetry and reflection in his prose. Rhodes seemed dull and factual in his summaries which often culminated with the slogan "All for the Union." I do not mean to diminish Rhodes or his military service in any manner, but Watkins is simply a better writer.
   
   The conclusion of Watkins book is quite moving. It was memorable when broadcast on television and it is no less memorable when read from the printed page.



4. This has to be one of the best books written about the civil war. Reading the experiences of this common soldier you realize how close they were to death from day to day. If you have any interest in the civil war, this book is a must read.



5. First-hand accounts by combatants have always ranked highly in my list of favorite things to read. When I set out to read the highly touted Co. Aytch I was hoping for a gritty, down to earth story like that of another southern memoir writer, Eugene Sledge.
   
   There is no doubting Co. Aytch's value as a window into the daily travails of the Confederate soldier, whether in camp, on the march or in combat. However, with pickets freezing by the dozen, a falling tree crushing a group of mourners, tornadoes and narrow steamboat escapes, it would appear that there is more Guy Sajer than Eugene Sledge about Sam Watkins.

5 comments about Packing Inferno: The Unmaking of a Marine (Feral House).

1. On a political level, all Americans should read this book, no matter what their political leanings. The vivid prose repeatedly launches the reader right into the midst of the daily reality and ugly truths of a misguided war. A war that has destroyed more lives and more of our county's image than we can ever know. As an American, I feel it is an honor and an obligation to share these stories with Boudreau, out of respect for our country and the sacrifices of all veterans.
   
   And on a spiritual level, one of the most fascinating parts of Packing Inferno, for me, is how Boudreau guides us through his transformation from a young man, thirsting for war, to an older, wiser one, determined to make sense of war on a deeply personal and spiritual level. This book proves that through our most intense suffering we can also experience equally intense spiritual growth and self-understanding. We learn that, when life's pain is raw and overwhelming, it is only when we allow ourselves to face our fears head on, and reveal its truths through the telling of our stories, can we then come out on the other side transformed.
   
   The images and stories in this novel will stay with you, in your mind and heart.



2. An astonishing book, a white-knuckle read that is morally devastating, blackly humorous, sharply penetrating about military culture and utterly authentic in its voice and its ethical struggle to come to terms with the radical disconnect between the ideals of "mission" that send men to war and the withering realities of war itself. More important, Boudreau's experience underscores the degree to which "war" becomes a complex emotional state that travels home with the veteran and often undermines the bedrock certainties he clings to in order to survive. Recalls "Catch-22," "A Rumor of War" and Tim O'Brien's "The Things They Carried," but this book is completely unlike any other book on war I've ever read.



3. How does a dedicated military professional change his views and reshape his commitments? In fits and starts, like a bad memory gradually coming into focus, Tyler Boudreau, describes his journey from charged up, battle-hungry young recruit to a Captain whose political and moral observations during a year in Iraq lead him to resign his commission after a twelve-year career in the Marines. This unlikely, even reluctant, anti-war advocate is a gifted writer. His story of the reconfiguring of a mindset and conscience is a compelling read--moving, brilliant, funny, sad, terrible. Traveling from the "foyer to hell" through the desensitization and shocking disparities of warfare, he offers quite an eye-opening, exquisitely frank glimpse into a universe totally foreign to me -- the Marine Corps in war-ridden Iraq.
   
   Boudreau returns to the familiar civilian world, alienated, isolated, full of the rage and hair trigger reactivity necessitated by violence but like Dante, at the end of The Inferno, eventually comes to see the possibility of a world restored. Clear-sighted linkages are drawn between the contradictions within the military and those afflicting our political leadership at large. He brings a cogent and fresh intelligence to his analysis. The word "clear-sighted" resonates about the book as a whole-there is an intense clarity to what Boudreau sees and a forthrightness and honesty in his describing both the outer landscape, external events, and the delicacy of the inner experience that is his transformation.



4. Tyler Boudreau's Packing Inferno is provocative and moving. It is the story of a gradual awakening. Boudreau does relate some hellish experiences in some detail, but he also interprets those experiences, and provides their context. Many of the best passages of the book are insightful descriptions of Boudreau's complex interactions with other complex human beings. Boudreau tells a gripping story of his own "unmaking," but, by placing his own trajectory in a larger context, he successfully builds a convincing argument against this war, and perhaps against all war.



5. In a word, this book is excellent. Captain Boudreau takes us on a journey, not only through the streets and countryside of Iraq during this "war", but also, honestly and movingly, through his own inner struggle as he searches within himself to reconcile his early years as a committed Marine infantryman with his existence in what we call "normal daily life."
   You will learn much from this book: about War; about the "war" in Iraq; about contradictions (not only in "war", but in all of us); and especially about how one man/soldier has bravely attempted to deal with the internal turmoil which results from these contradictions. And, you will become engaged and stay engaged through the entire book.
   Again: Excellent!

5 comments about If You Survive: From Normandy to the Battle of the Bulge to the End of World War II, One American Officer's Riveting True Story.

1. I have read several non-fiction books on WWII, and I think this may be my favorite. Not only is it fascinating to hear everything from a first person account, but it was nice for once to not have to cringe every few minutes over four letter words. Yes, I realize that such language was quite common (and still is) in the military, but 95% of the time quoting such language does nothing to communicate the story. Don't misunderstand, he tells it like he saw it, including the horrors of war.
   
   I strongly recommend this book to any and all who want to get a taste of what war in general, and WWII specifically, is really like.



2. This is an excellent and vivid narrative of the war from the critically important perspective of a junior lieutenant platoon commander. War stories necessarily require a grain of salt, but Wilson's detailed recounting of tactics and conditions of the war in France after D-Day convince me that he was a good commander. The tactical choices facing the commander and the limited preparation provided by training are fascinating and are very well conveyed.
   
   On the whole, though, the book is not well written. The language is stilted, and Wilson can only superficially relate the war on an emotional level. Of course, one's heart goes out to the man given what he experienced in combat. At one level, the book glorifies war in its portrayal of the courage and tactical shrewdness on both sides. But, on balance, this is an anti-war book. While Wilson can not really let you under his skin, he does compellingly portray the horror of combat.
   
   This is a good read, and I would recommend the book to the general reader as well as to WWII aficionados.



3. George Wilson doesn't waste words on pretty details, he just describes what happened, clear and real, and what his thoughts and feelings were. So, perhaps not the most elegant of autobiographical books, but certainly compelling, realistic and very, very informative. And able to touch you.
   A little hesitant in the beginning, after a few chapters the books start rolling, and never stops, but gets better and better all the time. I couldn't put it down.
   Excellent book!



4. One of my favorite books about WW2 of all time next to With the old Breed and Helmut for my Pillow. If you liked those book then this is a must read for you. I couldn't put this book down, often staying up well past 2 in the morning just to finish certain chapters. And more than a few times I found myself choking back tears. How anyone gave this less than 5 stars is beyond me, they must have been looking for Shakespeare.



5. I enjoyed this book. It is a quick read and keeps you thinking the whole time. It was on the Army Chief of Staffs reading list, otherwise I most likely would not have read it. It gives an interresting perspective from a combat leaders point of view. He was an over used and abused lieutenant in an Infantry division that just seemed to never get a break. Makes you think about how to better take care of your Soldiers.

5 comments about Rattler One-Seven: A Vietnam Helicopter Pilot's War Story (North Texas Military Biography and Memoir).

1. As a former Vietnam helicopter pilot, I lived a similar life in "Nam" so I know the story was factual and well written. The author was single minded in getting home alive and keeping those flying with him as safe as he could make it for them. I enjoyed his professionalism in flying and striving to be the best in a bad situation. The combat assualts were great and I was "in the cockpit with him" as he described the action. Good reading for vet and non-vet alike as to what it was like to be in a true airmobile war.



2. Of all the books I have read about Vietnam this has to be rated at the bottom of the list. Obviously written by an amateur, the story was drab and uninteresting. He should have had some professional help in writing this book.



3. I have just finished reading Rattler One-Seven for the second time. Mr. Gross does such a great job of capturing the true essence of what it must have been like to fly choppers in Vietnam. Instead of glorifing combat like so many Vietnam books do, he gives you his honest opinions of what he experienced through the eyes of a nineteen year old. His narrative writing style makes you feel as if your sitting there in person listening to him. This is one of my favorite books.



4. You have seen it in the movies, now read actual accounts of flying UH-1 Huey helicopters in and out of hot landing zones.
   
   Author Chuck Gross details his 1200 hours of combat as a young aviator during the Vietnam war. He details the way it really was from the propective of being on the front lines during tense operations. Rattler One-Seven is a collection of his notes and memories written in an exciting format, which captured my emotion to read more.
   
   He shares with his readers his thoughts and emotions as he carried out risky operations, putting his talents ahead of his emotion to complete the mission at hand. It is clear to me that Chuck was a fine aviator with high moral standards. This book tells the real life experiences in the eyes of a 19 year old Vietnam combat helicopter pilot. The challenges this pilot experienced which formed his skills and moral values into who he is today.
   
   You will read chronological events as they were experienced; being a Newbie, busting your cherry, Special Operations including Lam Son 719, what it is like to be shot down, coming home and more..... Read it. As I read it I felt the combat as if I was there in the action.
   
   A must read for all to experience a time in history.



5. I recently purchased a book entitled Rattler One-Seven written by Chuck Gross. Once I started to read this unbelievable account of this helicopter pilots involvment in the VietNam war I could not put it down. What these young pilots went through to insert and extract and suport rescue missions to bring back our ground troops during this confrontation is almost more than a mind can absorb. Chuck Gross was a young warrant officer (19 yrs old) from Minnesota. His in depth writing will take you to a time in history that many of us have forgotten. The daily fear of lossing ones own life, being caputured and the stories of friends and comrades who did not make it home is riveting to say the least. His writing is so in depth I gurantee you will ride that Huey with him and his crew, and you will share the tears, heartache and jubilation just as he did during his year of service. If you remember anything about Nam and the protests regarding this war you owe it to yourself to read this pilots account of what hell must really be like, and applaud these brave young men for doing the job that they were told to do. Whether you agreed with the war or not is not the issue, but what these soldiers did at our governments request of them. I hope you can reflect as I did when you read Chuck Gross's account. You will hold a special place in your memory for all of these brave men. Bill Turck, St Cloud MN

5 comments about Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant.

1. I think this is the only real account you can get of the civil war. It's...Great!



2. It is surprising that the most balanced and impartial view of U.S. Grant should be written by Grant himself. His style of writing is clear and sparse, recounting fact as fact and without lengthy editorializing. A must read for any civil war buff or serious historian.



3. Grant finished this lengthy memoir on the eve of his death from throat cancer. Impoverished at the time, the ex-President made his wife rich from the proceeds. Simple, straightforward, earnest narrative, sometimes ironic, sometimes colorful, always unpretentious. Inevitably self-justifying, but candid nonetheless.
   
   The most memorable anecdote describes his first action in the 1861-65 war. Although he was a combat veteran of the Mexican War fourteen years earlier, he was scared, almost frozen, as he led his men against the enemy position. When he arrived, the enemy had evacuated. "The reb commander was as scared as I was. It was a lesson that served me well for the next four years."
   
   Excellent general's-eye descriptions of the battles for Fort Donaldson, Shiloh, Vicksburg, Cold Harbor. His proudest contribution to the Union victory seems to be his strategy of "coordinated attack". He believed the early rebel success was due to the fragmentation of the National fources, which allowed the outmanned rebels to concentrate on one fragment at a time.
   
   Grant is full of forthright and fascinating judgments: he revered Lincoln and Sherman, detested Hallek, disliked Stanton but respected him.
   
   Civil war buff? Don't neglect this.



4. Written by the dying hand of one of the chosen men of his time. For any scholar of Grant, Civil War or Military History, these readings are a must. Grant's military genius was without equal. Had his superiors, early on, had his keen foresight, the Civil War could have ended a year or two earlier. Another great read is "Grant" by Jean Smith.



5. Very detailed and complete rendition of the chronology of his personal life as well as his military life. I learned details of both aspects of this era in history.

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 Wiser in Battle: A Soldier's Story.

1. Lt General Sanchez confirms what the few intelligent American voter suspected. The Neo-Conservatives in The White House and The Pentagon have created a mess in Irag. Now because of field commanders that are finally being shown the respect that they did not receive until General Petraes was placed in charge; there has been more military successes on the ground in Irag.The Neo-Conservatives will soon be out of power after The November Elections. Whether it's President McCain or President Obama; their priorities should be to allow the Generals on the ground control the wars in Afghanistan and Irag and to not politicize the war for their own agendas be they liberal or conservative. LT General Sanchez would make a good Secretary of Defense for either President. He has the experience,the intelligence, and the respect for the Generals on the ground. The fact that he is a Latino would also honor the many Latinos that are in harms way and those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for their country. A country that has yet to accept them as equal Americans. In fact Senator McCain and Senator Obama would be wise to use him as their military adviser during their presidential campaign as soon as possible. A great book, a great public servant and a great Latino role model.



2. Perhaps he was. Certainly he makes a worthwhile case, and 30-plus years of service are not to be overlooked. He's understandably wounded in pride to think that he was forced into retirement while those in our government who should be (that's my opinion, not Sanchez's, BTW) remain in power.
   
   Pride, indeed, just might be this warrior's Achilles' heel. As other reviewers have pointed out, he comes across at times as self-serving and defensive.
   
   But he rightly returns his focus, time after time, to the men and women he led into battle. And though he makes his love for the service quite clear (again, 30+ years), he does not spare their blushes in his assessment of mistakes made, and steps that need be taken to learn.
   
   In the end, though perhaps it could have been edited by about 10%, this book is well worth reading.



3. ...is this book another self-serving attempt to place blame for individual and collective shortcomings elsewhere?
   
   I will say right off the bat that I served under then-Colonel Sanchez when he was a mechanized brigade commander in Kansas in the mid-90's. I found him to be very interested in his leaders' knowledge, skills and abilities, but also felt that the way he went about testing his subordinates at times bordered on complete and total micromanagement. As a brand-new officer, I didn't mind that as much because it told me that he was involved and engaged in what his unit was doing. However, I know it rubbed a lot of other officers and NCOs the wrong way.
   
   His section on brigade command leaves out some important facts about events at Fort Riley in the summer of 1995 and then the subsequent NTC train-up and rotation that I won't go into, but the way the section was written did put me on guard the rest of the way in terms of how he presented his case and what other critical details were omitted.
   
   I will say that I respect Gen. Sanchez as a commander and know that he had his hands full as the V Corps Commander based on the observations of friends who served on his staff. I believe a lot of what he says in his book to be true: his corps was woefully under-resourced due to the belief that the war in Iraq was "over" and the lack of detailed planning for post-combat operations doomed his legacy unit to have to learn on the fly, something that rarely pays off successfully- at least early on in the game.
   
   In Lt. Gen. (ret.) Sanchez's defense, he presided over some important victories in Iraq: namely the capture of Saddam Hussein and the killing of his two sons. Unfortunately for him, the Abu Ghraib scandal proved to be his undoing, no matter that the events occurred at levels well below him.
   
   As is the case with Lt. Col. (ret.) Nathan Sassaman's memoir, I would caution readers not to take everything at face value and understand that with these autobiographies, there is always going to be a modicum of self-serving revisionism. I know that for a fact in this book because I lived through one of the sections and found that LTG (ret.) Sanchez left out a key event that I had always wanted to understand how he viewed it and how it affected him as a commander. I was disappointed that it got nary a mention and truly made me question what else he was leaving out the rest of the way. I was disappointed mainly because in my heart, I truly respected Sanchez as my brigade commander and would have followed him anywhere as a young officer who had yet to serve under anyone else. He inspired loyalty in me, and I believe him to be a good man.
   
   In the end, I thank Gen. Sanchez for his service and believe that he tried his best. He has written a pretty interesting book about his career and life experiences. At the same time, knowledge is power. If this is the only account of the Iraq War you read, then you will come away with an incomplete picture of what happened there during that timeframe and what is occurring now at the 5 1/2 year mark.



4. I am so glad I read General Sanchez book. I am not military, so it was slow reading for me, but I believed the general as I thought he was most sincere. The book certainly cleared up a lot for me relating to what really happened with Iraq. Many thanks to General Sanchez. Larry Holland, Austin, TX



5. Preeminence requires military power. One of the reasons the United States has military power is due to a system that allows a hard working, talented son of a poor family in Rio Grande Texas to rise to the highest ranks of the army. "Wiser in Battle" shows how Ricardo Sanchez was able to apply his natural talents as a soldier to accomplish a successful military career. He proved himself successful in the profession of arms but more importantly he came to understand the need for multi-service and multi-agency coordination. After service in Yugoslavia and other Joint assignments, he was well prepared to be the coalition ground forces commander in Iraq after the defeat of Saddam Hussein regime.
   
   However he faced a situation where the American leadership was more concerned with maintaining political position than in supporting an intelligent Iraq national rebuilding effort. The cost was a painful and costly post-war period that would have been mitigated with a more intelligent and longer-term view of the problem of establishing a stable civil situation.
   
   The book is invaluable in shedding light on this difficult period when the United States was forced to deal with the realties of rebuilding a nation.

5 comments about Dinner with Mugabe: The Untold Story of a Freedom Fighter who Became a Tyrant.

1. Although Heidi Holland met Mugabe only a couple of times, she still provides some good interviews and insights into Mugabe. He has unfortunately proved to be one of the worst leaders of the past couple of decades. Look at the results of his presidency--100,000% inflation, massive food shortages and an 80% unemployment rate. Zimbabwe is an embarrassment to Africa and it didn't have to be that way. Here's a detailed critique of what went wrong, where it went wrong and who is responsible. Mugabe is an intriguing figure because he began his career largely heralded by everyone as a freedom fighter like Nelson Mandela. To see how tragically it turned out, leaves many questions; it's a void Holland is clearly trying to fill.
   
   Holland writes well--the words are fluid and vivid and so it's easy to see how her years of reporting for the BBC, the Guardian and many other reputable news organizations has helped. The book is broken into 15 chapters with an index and bibliography for further reading. I do have one complaint, that I wish this were written by someone who had spent more time with Mugabe instead of relying mostly on interviews and a couple of brief encounters with him.
   
   However, I am glad this book was written and even more glad that it was published in America! I heard Heidi interviewed on the BBC and was dismayed that the book was available for sale only in South Africa. (Note: The book was rushed into production here so the British grammar remains. IE: magnetised instead of magnetized.) Yes, we are interested in the subject here too and are horrified by the still unfolding tragedy of Zimbabwe. If only there was something more we could do to help, but what?



2. This is a very interesting book and a poignant reminder of how Zimbabwe could have been a success story. The author is familiar with the history through her life as a radical and supporter of black rule in Rhodesia when she, and her husband a surgeon, lived in Ian Smith's outlaw colony. She interviews people who knew Mugabe well and then corrects their misrepresentations from her own knowledge. This is a very valuable technique and, with a man as private as Mugabe has always been, is as close as we will get to the inside story.
   
   Robert Mugabe was a studious child, educated by Jesuits and abandoned by his father at an early age. His mother, something of a mystic, was always convinced that he had a special destiny. The author describes Mugabe's mother, Bona, as "a cold, stern nun of a mother."(page 7) He has been emotionally crippled all his life although, with his first wife Sally, a flamboyant and colorful Ghanaian teacher, he had a loving and loyal marriage. She is described by some of the interviewees as warm but by others as imperious and corrupt.
   
   There is a very interesting interview with Mary Churchill Soames, Winston Churchill's younger daughter and wife of the last colonial governor of Rhodesia. Lord Soames became very close to Mugabe who, in a moment of truth just before the election of 1980, which put him in power, asked Soames to stay on for a lengthy transition period to help rule the country. "And Mugabe then said, 'I want you to stay because I need to be able to talk to somebody. I don't know anything about governing a country and none of my people do either.'" Soames told him that it would be impossible and Mugabe was on his own. When Lord Soames died, Mugabe and his wife arrived at Lady Soames' home uninvited to attend his funeral. This was an example of the rare personal empathy that Mugabe could establish with certain people.
   
   There is also a chapter on Denis Norman, a wealthy white farmer who had no interest in politics but who was prevailed upon by Mugabe to take several ministries to solve problems created by incompetent members of his cabinet. Here was another white man trusted by Mugabe, who insisted on European dress by all his ministers and who emulated English manners and education. In fact, the author comments that his education policies (similar to those in India, in my opinion) left the country with too many white collar workers clamoring for government jobs and not enough auto mechanics and other technical trades.
   
   Unfortunately, in another of the disastrous mistakes made by almost everyone in Zimbabwe, the white voters supported former dictator Ian Smith's party in the legislature, enraging Mugabe who had actually treated them quite fairly, even allowing Smith, who had imprisoned him, to live freely in the country and to seek office and serve in parliament. This was a serious mistake, compounded by Mugabe who then dismissed Denis Norman from his post as Agriculture Minister. He told Norman that the whites had chosen to treat him as a black and he would reciprocate, although he later called on Norman again and again to solve problems.
   
   The story continues to 2000, when Mugabe was losing his power to a new generation and was besieged by "war veterans" while he watched white farmers donate checks to his political opponent on television. The result was the disastrous occupation of the commercial farms and the descent of Zimbabwe to ruin. It seems to me, after reading this book, that Mugabe is no more in control of his country than is Assad of Syria. Both are basically run by warlords and secret police.
   
   The book is excellent and the lesson to me is that there were many opportunities for a happy, or at least happier, ending. Mugabe is an educated man, if emotionally stunted, and he did reach out to some of his white opponents for help early on. Some helped him and became friends. Many of the white residents foolishly voted for his enemies and fed his paranoia. I don't know what the chances for success in Zimbabwe were originally, but it seems that everything that could go wrong, did so. This is a very well written account of what happened. He is a monster now, but he wasn't always.



3. The writer starts with a mysterious dinner that she was not invited to in her own home. The mystery guest is Mugabe prior to his leap to power. Holland also states how she nearly lost her job by putting Mugabe's photo on the front page of a magazine that she was writing for. She ends with a recount of her last interview with Mugabe with only several questions that she asked him (including "Did you ever love someone?" His response was, "I must have. I have married twice.")
   
   Facts are missing in "Dinner with Mugabe." "Mugabe" by Martin Meredith outlines the facts behind the corruption of Mugabe's administration, including within his family. Holland talks (repeatedly and over many, many pages) about her accusation that Mugabe began to lose his moral compass when his first wife died-even though he had already had two children by his current wife when his first wife died.
   
   It's a poorly written book with very hard hitting few facts that you couldn't get from various websites.
   
   Save your money and buy "Mugabe" by Martin Meredith



4. A great account of Rhodesian politics and Robert Mugabe's era. Fascinating to read the events of the past and know that he's still in power - the story is still being told.
   
   The author's approach of analyzing Mugabe's behavior, uncovering & discussing the 'motivators' that are the root cause of his acts, is very well done.



5. With apologies to the above reviewer for twisting her review title, I agree with portions of the review. I found the book seemed to be an attempted psychoanalysis of Mugabe. Perhaps this would be a good idea by a professional psychiatrist or social worker but not from a journalist. For example at one point the author condemns Mugabe's immaturity for ordering his cabinet members to wear suits and ties to their meetings rather than t-shirts and other casual wear. The author states that due to Mugabe's immaturity and insecurity that he cannot be innovative and allow "traditional African wear" (combat fatigues and t-shirts!) I would assume that Mugabe only wanted to emphasize the serious nature of a cabinet meeting. When the author interviews Mugabe she does ask good questions relevant to the changes that have taken place over Mugabe's reign in Zimbabawe but again, in addition to quoting his remarks she then psychoanalyzes nearly every utterance. There are many other examples like this in the book.
   
   Other than that repeating annoyance the book was quite good. Heidi Holland has constructed a biography of Mugabe that provides insight into his seemingly nonsensical change from a visionary, pro-democratic leader into his current destructive tyranny. The book was filled with information on what caused Mugabe's change over the years and contains many interviews with relatives, co-workers, mentors, political friends and enemies and I felt it was a very worthwhile read for that reason despite the psychoanalytical shortcomings.

5 comments about The Last True Story I'll Ever Tell: An Accidental Soldier's Account of the War in Iraq.

1. For the most part, I've been avoiding the deluge of books coming out of the Iraq War. I've had family serve there, and it's one part of modern history that's simply too depressing for me to dig into. Nonetheless, this personal account looked more appealing than most, and its bite-sized vignettes seemed more likely to contain truth than some of the massive tomes seeking to make particular points.
   
   It's important to acknowledge right from the start that the book is burdened the unwise use of "an accidental soldier" in the book's subtitle. The general consensus is that if you sign up to take the National Guard money for school, you can't complain if you get called into action. Some reviewers seem to find Crawford's take on his unit's call-up overly whiny, however it seemed to me that his main gripe was with his unit's continued indefinite deployment following multiple assurances of being sent home. His unit was repeatedly attached to "regular" Army units that got rotated back home, while he and his fellow Guardsmen stayed. Whatever one's position on this, throughout history it has been the privilege and solace of soldiers everywhere to gripe about their lot -- and this memoir is firmly part of that tradition.
   
   The eighteen pieces are all more or less all vignettes linked only by Crawford's presence and desire to be elsewhere. They run the gamut: the boredom of guarding a gas station and bouncing line-jumpers, dealing with corpses cut in half by .50 caliber rounds, botched ambushes, the lure of morphine, spending Christmas at a traffic control point, a beer heist, the consequences of befriending a local homeless kid and flirting with a local girl, broken or inadequate equipment, serving under bad officers, and so on. On the plus side, Crawford writes with apparent candor and conviction. On the minus side, his generally plain-spoken naturalistic prose sometimes drifts into pretension and cliche. Also, some of his episodes have a familiar feel to them, which is probably a function of the basic similarity of war throughout time.
   
   Several reviewers seem to have misread a paragraph in the final part of the book, interpreting it as some kind of statement that the memoir is a work of fiction. What the passage actually says is that the initial item he wrote for the book (and which does not appear in it) was a work of fiction -- not that the pieces included in the book are fiction. For confirmation, check out the review posted by a soldier from his unit, affirming the veracity of Crawford's stories. And to a certain extent, it doesn't even matter -- he was there, I wasn't, and his writing made the war quite real and alive, in all it's banal and surreal ingloriousness.



2. This is the book I hoped JARHEAD would be, but wasn't: a tough, terse, horror-packed memior from a man with no chip on his shoulder, just as desire to unload the truckload of baggage he's been carrying around ever since he returned from Iraq. And my, does he unload. This is a short book, the type you can read in a couple of days, but it doesn't spare the reader for a second. If there was any fat on THE LAST TRUE STORY, it's sawdust somewhere on the editing-room floor.
   
   John Crawford was like hundreds of thousands of other Americans back in 2003 - a regular guy who happened to have an obligation to the United States military. In this case, the Florida National Guard. In fact, he was a newlywed, just two credits short of graduating from college, when the call came to gear up and head to Saddam Hussein's penitentiary state on a task of "democracy building" or "finding weapons of mass destruction" or whatever the hell the reason was at the time.
   
   Crawford, I hasten to add, was "just" a National Guardsman. Not a Special Forces guy, Ranger, Marine - not even a regular Army infantryman. And yet he repeatedly points out that his unit more than held its own in the field and gave nothing away to any of the above, despite conditions which were appalling even by wartime standards. (I hasten to add here that it was the 29th Infantry which was in the first wave at D-Day...and it was a National Guard outfit). First, his unit was equpped not merely with "soft" (unarmored) Humvees, they were carrying flak vests and M-16s which were of Vietnam vintage and had so few spare parts that their night vision gear was paperweight material after a few weeks in-country. Second, Crawford felt as if most of the NG officers were skulking careerists who didn't give a damn about their men and were interested mainly in earning points towards promotion. Third, his outfit was not deployed in its own right but stuck like a band-aid and "attached" (subordinated) to other units, who naturally used it to absorb the punishment they themselves were taking. The orphans of the Army, the men of Crawford's outfit quickly learned that if they wanted to survive, they were going to have to take care of themselves.
   
   Crawford takes a certain pleasure in shoving the reader, face-first, through the superheated, gasoline-drenched, feces-crusted streets of Baghdad, where every rooftop can contain a sniper and every yard of road a bomb. Where every CNN reporter is trying his hardest to get the ordinary soldier court-martialed and most of the officers care more about paperwork than the lives of their men. Where nearly everyone you see wants you dead and even the people you depend on the most can be your worst enemies. And where every minute of the tension-filled, boredom-suffocated, sweat-soaked days and nights you wonder what your wife or sweetheart is doing back home...and who she's doing it with. Swafford's book, JARHEAD, was really about the psychological strain that accompanies waiting endlessly in a miserable environment for a fight that never comes; THE LAST TRUE STORY is about the fight itself. About losing close friends, about dealing with the fear of death on an hourly basis, about physical misery - stench, filth, sweat, exhaustion, dehydration, heat, scorpions in your boots, sand in your eyeballs and no relief in sight - not tomorrow, not next month, and maybe never if the next bomb has your name on it. And as for the Why of it - who knows? It's not your war. You're just fighting it.
   
   In sum, every American, regardless of political opinion or feelings about the war, regardless of military experience or lack of it, should read this book. Because it's the closest thing to being there, and we owe it to the hundreds of thousands of John Crawfords in this country to have at least a paper understanding of what they went through.



3. Well, 140+ reviews are already in, but I'll throw my two cents in. Let me preface this by saying I'm not a soldier and never will be, don't support the Iraq war, but would support a well-managed war on terrorists who actually threaten our safety. I suppose that makes me reasonably unbiased. i started this book not knowing a thing about its contents or the attitudes of the author.
   
   It's a collection of possibly quasi-fictive vignettes and memories of the author's tour patrolling the streets of Baghdad for over a year. Crawford is an extremely bitter man, and I was struck by how entitled and selfish he paints himself, how little empathy he shows. Even the subtitle, "an accidental soldier," is misleading: he wasn't drafted, he signed up for the National Guard. If he didn't think that made him a soldier, then I pity his ignorance.
   
   But much worse, throughout the book, his behavior and attitudes are shocking. He knows and cares nothing for the culture, history or people of Iraq: this from an anthropology major (one who was, he informs the reader several times, "just two credits away from graduation," as if that makes a difference). His stories are straight out of Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket: these are not patriotic soldiers, or even the devil-may-care kids out for violence and glory depicted in Generation Kill. They're drug-taking, food-stealing, rule-breaking, apathetic clowns.
   
   Crawford's stories condemn him again and again: he steals food from Iraqi refugee packets; he steals an Iraqi's motorbike; he flirts with Iraqi women, getting one possibly thrown into the street as a whore; he befriends but does not protect a loyal Iraqi shopkeeper; he watches with glee a small boy about to be beaten by a gang. In short, he depicts himself as a terrible person, which makes his stories of incompetence, clueless superiors, and failure throughout the Army, even if true, less moving.
   
   My dislike of the man doesn't color the literary side of the review, however, and Crawford gets three stars for several powerful stories, and a stirring, provocative argument that certainly makes you think.



4. I am very grateful to all the men and women who have fought our nation's wars. However, I hated this book and threw it disgustedly into the trash. I have read hundreds of books, but I have only destroyed three: this one, one by demented "comedian" Lewis Black, and a book by that creepy bounty hunter Duane Chapman.
   I understand that soldiers use profanity, especially those in combat. I was in the U.S. Army in the Vietnam era. Excessive and incessant profanity in print is tedious at best and, in fact, repugnant.
   Crawford tries to use clever literary devices but they just don't work. His gear changes are abrupt and grinding, leaving the reader puzzled and confused. Frankly, I could not tell when the author was trying to tell the truth. I found the book extremely disturbing. Perhaps that was Crawford's objective.



5. I was forced to read this book for two of my college classes this year, and this is by far the most repugnant and pointless reading assignment I've ever had to endure. Perhaps Crawford accurately described the conditions of war; I'm not a soldier and I don't know much about it, so I can't argue with that. It may be a very informative book in that respect. However, if that atrocity passes for literature these days, we are in a world of trouble. The book is very poorly written, with an incoherent story line, and mainly consists of short stories highlighting the narrator's criminal or simply immoral actions in Iraq, interspersed with copious amounts of profanity. Throughout the entire book, Crawford complains about being sent to Iraq and seems incapable of accepting the consequences of his actions. Rather than claiming that the book is about his experiences in Iraq, Crawford should state that the book is about his constant, implacable gripes and laments. His reprehensible personality and rather childish writing style are bad enough to ruin the book, but the page after page of disgusting swearwords and obscenities are the maggots on the corpse. Towards the end of the novel, Crawford promises that "this is the last true story I'll ever tell." Would to God he had spared himself the endeavor!

5 comments about Platoon Leader: A Memoir of Command in Combat.

1. "Platoon Leader: A Memoir of Command in Combat," by James R. McDonough, chronicles the author's experiences as an officer in the Vietnam War from 1970-71. His platoon is charged with manning an outpost next to the village of Truong Lam.
   
   This is a fascinating, well-written account. McDonough fills his narrative with vivid details that really made his story come alive in my mind. He doesn't flinch at describing the goriest and most horrific images of war. There are also moments of irony and bitter humor. Also noteworthy is the informative material about tactics used in Vietnam. And the author humanizes the story by touching on such "down-and-dirty" issues as the latrine his platoon used.
   
   McDonough's story is populated with a compelling cast of characters. Particularly intriguing is his exploration of relationships among the various groups he encountered in the war zone--U.S. enlisted men, his fellow Army officers, Vietnamese military allies, enemy forces, and the many civilians caught up in the conflict.
   
   While rich in scenes of combat, "Platoon Leader" goes beyond being just an action-packed war yarn. The book explores the ethics and morals of war. McDonough deals directly with the danger a soldier faces in becoming dehumanized by the brutality of war. He vividly portrays the struggle of a leader to remain wise and humane, yet also tough and resolute, under the most trying of circumstances. This book is both a profound meditation on wartime leadership and a powerful work of American literature.



2. James McDonough provides an in-depth look at infantry platoon operations in Vietnam. This is a must read for anyone who intends to pursue a military career. The book is very graphic, but also very succint and to the point. McDonough doesn't waste time with superfluous details, every word is well chosen and critical to the telling of the story. Once you begin reading, you will not want to stop. It is a quick read, and well worth the time it takes.



3. As a junior officer I have an entire list of professional reading that I am trudging my way through, but so far McDonough has been by far the most enjoyable and has made the biggest impact on my own leadership style. Both Platoon Leader and Defense of Hill 781 are great books, but Platoon Leader is so far the best military memoir I have read. It has been over a year since I read this book, but the three things that have stuck with me are:
   1. Do the right thing, at the right time, for the right reason.
   2. Death in a combat zone is more about just being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Sooner or later your luck runs out, but you have the duty to your fellow soldiers to do everything in your power to protect them.
   3. The stealing of a bottle of soda from a grandmother leads slowly but inevitable to the rape of her granddaughter. If you let your soldiers steal at all you are setting the stage for what atrocities they will commit later. You must always be vigilant in your discipline.
   
   While I do not have combat experience, I am currently serving in Iraq and know second handedly that these concepts still hold true.
   
   Other than the leadership aspect of the book, Mcdonough is just a great story teller and is able to make the book engaging and addicting.



4. Platoon Leader was an excellent read, and one I would recommend for all those enjoy military reading. I would especially suggest it to all junior military leaders. Entertaining and well written, the author discusses at length his role as a leader, and what he views as good and bad leaders. The aspect of the book I enjoyed the most was it allowed the reader to see leadership, on a small-unit level, working in real-world combat conditions. Unlike many books leaders read for professional development, it shows how leadership works when employed and doesn't just philosophize about leadership principles.



5. In 1991, I had the privilege of being a student at the School of Advanced Military Studies at Fort Leavenworth under the direction of then Col James McDonough. A man of deep reflection, he was also passionate about soldiers and ensured that everything we did as students in teh study of warfare and campaign design kept them in mind.
   
   Now I am a university professor offering courses in US military history. Part of what I do is to expose my students to leadership and battle at the small unit level. There is no better book for that purpose concerning Vietnam than McDonough.
   
   Every student takes something different away from this book because, unlike many assigned books, they read it. The book captures you right from the beginning. You really can't put it down. And, it contains more lessons about life and leadership than I can express here.
   
   Knowing the author personally in 1991-1992 is special, for I saw in him then the character that had developed from his time in Vietnam. He tells it like it is, he means what he says, and he stands by his word. His book is more than just a memoir, it is therapy for a man who must live with the past, both for better and for worse.