5 comments about Three Came Home.

1. As much as "Three Came Home" is a story of war, it is a story of love. Mrs. Keith's love for her husband and son are paralleled with her hatred of internment. She balances the good in people, even the enemy, with the bad. The clear message is that war is what makes people bad. I enjoyed this book. It is beautifully written, with every sentence eliciting some kind of emotion in the reader. Mrs. Keith is an admirable woman for her literary accomplishments and her ability to share her experiences on a very personal level.



2. Three Came Home is a well-written, true story of a woman and her son's internment in a Japanese prisoner of war camp in Borneo during WWII. Agnes Newton Keith creates a vivid portrait of the conditions under which the prisoners lived and of their day to day lives. She also makes it clear that people are not inherently good or bad; they are often victims of circumstances. Her love for her son and hope that they will be reunited with her husband keep her going and morally-centred. An absolutely excellent book!



3. This book contains the wartime memoirs of Agnes Keith. In 1939, Keith published a book "Land Beneath the Wind," describing her life as the wife of a British colonial official in Northern Borneo. She and her husband Harry were on home leave in North America in 1939 when she finished writing the book. However, Harry was called back early to Borneo from his leave because of the war clouds on the horizon. Agnes, who was pregnant, soon followed, and several months later, gave birth to their son George in Sandakan. Although there had been talk of evacuating women and children from colonial outposts in the Pacific, no orders came through for evacuation before the Japanese invasion, and Agnes refused to leave Harry behind voluntarily. Thus, when the Japanese arrived, all three Keiths were still in Sandakan, and were soon interned in prisoners' camps for the duration of the war. In this book, Keith recounts the stories of how she, George, and Harry survived life in the camps. Her tale was so remarkable that it was made into a movie shortly after the war.
   
   Readers of Keith's earlier book will be stunned at the change in tone of her writing. In Land Beneath the Wind, Keith writes with an airy, scattered-brained style, almost as if she were afraid that otherwise, she would be taken too seriously. Indeed, it was perhaps her humor itself that made her first book popular. But the light tone is gone completely from this book. The nightmare of the prison camps, where random beatings were a certainty, but food was often unattainable, and hygiene nonexistent, took away her carefree nature and matured her overnight beyond her years. For more than three years, she struggled daily to find any kind of food for George, from wormy rice to just plain worms. This woman of colonial privilege traded family heirloom jewelry for a chicken, and learned to hoard night soil for use as fertilizer.
   
   From the start, the Japanese camp leader recognized her as a special prisoner, because he had read Land Beneath the Wind. He required her to keep a journal of her camp adventures for future publication to show how "humane" the Japanese treatment of prisoners had been. So every day, after she completed her required prison work, she had to write for this commander about how wonderful camp life was. When that was finished, she secretly wrote up notes describing what life was really like, and hid them in cans buried under their huts or in the latrines. The most amazing part of her experience is not only that she and George and Harry survived at all, but that through it all, she managed to come away from the camps without blind hatred for the Japanese. She recognized that some of the prison guards were evil, but that many couldn't help but obey their superiors. The years of captivity for the Keiths robbed them of their youth, their health, and the better part of George's childhood, but Agnes finds fault not with Japanese people, but rather with the idea of war itself.



4. This is one of the best written book I have ever read. Very emotional A DEFINATE MUST READ BOOK



5. After seeing the 1950 Claudette Colbert film version of this book, I was interested in reading the memoir on which the film was based. Agnes Keith was married to a British government officer when the Japanese took Indonesia during the early days of World War II. Keith and her toddler son were taken to a POW camp; her husband spent the rest of the war in a men's camp under even worse conditions. Keith's memoir describes the starvation, the cruelty, the inhumane conditions, disease, torture, hard labor and the women's superhuman struggles to keep their children alive and relatively healthy. The story is not only about survival, but about the power of love. In the book an occasional racist remark, typical of the times, creeps in, but she also occasionally inserts insights into the humanity found even in some of her captors, and certainly in the Indonesian people. The book ends with little bitterness, and primarily a plea for peace. The film was remarkably faithful to the book, sanitizing and softening some details because film audiences weren't expected to see Claudette Colbert fighting rats, living in abject filth, or dropping down to 80 pounds. The film is still very powerful; the book even more so. This is a well-bound trade paperback edition.

No comments about Bayonets, Bugles & Bonnets - Experiences of hard soldiering with the 71st Foot - The Highland Light Infantry - Through many battles of the Napoleonic Wars during the Peninsular & Waterloo Campaigns.

4 comments about Arizona's Hispanic Flyboys 1941-1945.

1. Villarreal has done a marvellous job researching the lives and exploits of heretofore unrecognized men. We all owe a tremendous debt to the daring Arizona Hispanic flyboys who fought for us during World War II. This book should be required reading in all Hispanic Studies classes and is an absolute necessity for WW II buffs.



2. In his introduction to "Arizona's Hispanic Flyboys 1941-1945," author Rudolph C. Villarreal says this about the book: "This is a documentary of Hispanic boys from my home state of Arizona who served as pilots and aircrew in our armed forces during the war." The book contains entries on seventy-seven "flyboys" from both the Army and Naval air services. The book is structured like a reference work; the seventy-seven entries are alphabetically organized and follow a standard format. Each entry includes the man's name, rank, hometown, combat decorations, and other material.
   
   The flyboys include pilots, gunners, navigators, flight engineers, radio operators, and those in other jobs. Both enlisted men and officers are included. The book contains reproductions of many materials from the era covered. There are photographs of newspaper articles from the _Phoenix Gazette_, _Tempe Daily News_, _Arizona Republic_, and other newspapers, as well as reproductions of such historic documents as a commendatory letter to a flyboy from the governor of Arizona. Although some of these reproduced documents are difficult to read, overall they are a great feature. The book is also full of photographs showing the flyboys and the crews they served with; many photos show the men together with the aircraft of their era.
   
   Villareal notes that his primary sources of information were wartime newspapers. His footnotes give further insights into his research methods. Included in the entries are some remarkable stories of courage and survival. Quite a number of the flyboys survived time as POWs. Villareal also tells of many of the men's lives after the war; there are some noteworthy accounts of achievement in both military and civilian careers. It's clear that this book was a labor of love for the author. This is both a valuable reference work and a moving tribute to this group of World War II veterans.



3. Author Rudolph C. Villarreal has chronicled some of the most interesting WWII aviators, who all just happen to be Hispanic and from Arizona. In his book "Arizona Hispanic Flyboys 1941-1945", he gives us a series of short bios on some real American heroes. His book not only preserves a slice of WWII history with never before told tales but he also honors the Hispanic culture of Arizona with his tributes to these old warriors.
   
   What brings this all together and makes it such a reader friendly book is that the author presents each man's story with some local information like what high school or college the men attended or graduated from. He paints an honest portrait of real human beings who did heroic things in his brief bios. He lists what military medals each man was awarded and where they fought and for what unit. There were some men that I wanted to learn more about like what happened to Corporal Oscar Gallegos after he was released after being a POW in Europe. What was his life like? What did that imprisonment do to him? Where is he now? We may never know.
   
   Some of those profiled have lots of information such as First Lieutenant Gilbert F. Gonzales a pilot of a P-38 fighter lane. The author follows his life right up to his death in 1994. He was part of a squadron that had shot down 179 planes in the Pacific. The book must make fascinating and inspirational reading for those families who have a father, or grandfather featured within these hollowed pages.
   
   The author has truly honored these men and their memories. It is a worthy effort and a well researched book. If you love stories about real men and war this is a good book to read.



4. As I was browsing at Williams' Book Store in San Pedro recently, I came upon a book with a title that caught my eye: Arizona's Hispanic Flyboys 1941-1945 (Writers Club Press, 2002) by Rudolph C. Villarreal. I flipped through its pages and immediately knew that I had to buy it. The first thought that went through my mind was: Ken Burns should have read this book.
   
   La Bloga has extensively covered the controversy over Burns' initial failure to include any interviews - whatsoever - with Latino veterans of World War II for his PBS documentary, The War. Only after much public outcry did he relent and add a couple of interviews. Then we learned from Gus Chavez of Defend the Honor Campaign that in the book version of the documentary, other than one reference to Mexicans when describing the population of Sacramento, Burns excludes any reference to the Latinos who served in our armed forces.
   
   Burns should have read Villarreal's book before moving forward with his version of history. Though Villarreal limits his book to Latinos from Arizona who flew or supported flight crews, he was able to tell the story of 77 - yes, 77 - Latinos who served this country during WW II.
   
   Each "flyboy" receives a chapter that begins with the basics: a photo (if available), hometown, branch served, rank, duty (i.e., bombardier, pilot, engineer, gunner, etc.), medals won and where they did battle. Villarreal offers a narrative of each life, often footnoted, and sometimes he includes newspaper clippings with such headlines as "Sgt. Estrada Dies in Action," or "Five Yuma Fliers Killed in Crash" or "Missing: Mesa Fighter Pilot." These are heartbreaking accounts that are personalized by Villarreal's extensive research. Sometimes Villarreal has nothing more than one newspaper clipping to offer; even these short entries are moving and enlightening. Other times, he has enough information to write extensively on a flyboy's education, family and acts of valor. Sometimes we read letters from a flyboy to his loved ones.
   
   Flyboys from Arizona with names like Sosa, Gallegos, Ochoa and Campos fill these pages with their brave acts and dedication. If Villarreal could tell the stories of 77 Latino flyboys from one state, how is it that Burns failed so miserably in his attempt to tell the "real" story of those who fought in WW II?
   
   In sum, Villarreal has written a gripping and indispensable testament to the bravery and contributions of Latinos who fought in World War II.
   
   [The full version of this review first appeared in La Bloga.]

2 comments about Alexander the Great: A Reader.

1. This volume contains some interesting articles. Some submissions (Brunt pages 45-51; Narain pages 161-167) are truly rewarding and interesting. But others (Worthington pages 303-316) are just a waste of paper and ink. In general, the editor of this compilation of academic articles seems to lack empathy with the Ancient world to truly understand what he is dealing with. So the whole collection is unbalanced - in quality, perspective, scientific approach. Only readers who are already very familiar with academic studies about Alexander should be able to make a sharp distinction between the worthwile articles and the rubbish.

   What annoys me is that of all the published articles, no single one is has a proper date. There is a long article by J.F.C. Fuller, who died in 1966. Fuller was born in 1878 (!), took up interest in Alexander in 1917 (!) and wrote his major works about Alexander around 1957. But Fuller's article in Worthington's reader is published without any proper dating, confusing readers to expect that it might be especially written for Worthington's 2003 edition of "A Reader". That can't be true. Mister Fuller would have been 125 years old!

   So Worthington's edition - to me - seems like a hoax.

   That doesn't mean that 'some' of the articles aren't truly worthwile. That's why there are still 2 stars in my rating. But in general: I fear that books like this tend to downgrade the overall reputation of a scientist / editor in the long run.




2. Everything you could want to know about the problems and controversies affecting Alexander will be found in this book. A gem of a book, a must for anyone interested in Greek history.

5 comments about On the Road to Stalingrad.

1. You may be in for a surprise: not only Zoya Smirnova-Medvedeva (whose memories as a 19 years old volunteer with the 24th "Chapayev" Division of the Red Army details her involvement in the ultimately tragic defence of Odessa and Sevastopol in 1941 and 1942) didn't kill many Germans in her wartime career, but she spent much of the war - before being demobilised in 1944 after receiving a disabling wound - doing what most soldiers do: trying to save her own life while doing her own duty.

   It's interesting to note how the most sincere memories of the Eastern Front (see for instance "In Deadly Combat", a superb German account of the life on the Baltic Front) tends, after all, to make WWII look like WWI. No dashing armoured assaults, no shining new technology: but trenches, long and tiresome marches, endless artillery and aerial strikes, hunger, cold and weariness. In Zoya's case you should add a not-so-subtle tendency of her comrades to be alternatively suspicious or patronising about her warlike qualities, and the difficulties of being a woman forced on a uneasy cohabitation with a lot of male recruits, fighting a defensive battle in definitely-not-triumphant phase of the war. Zoya tends (of course) to downplay the relation problem and emphasise the comradeship, but reading between the lines something becomes evident.

   It may sound as downright depressing but, while "On The Road To Stalingrad" (another entry in the outstanding series of Russian wartime women memories edited by professor KJ Cottam) is at times truly grim , especially when dealing with the loss of human life so matter-of-factly, it's still a great reading, tempered by a detached, objective attitude and the usual Russian fatalistic humour. You really get the impression that Zoya's comrades are the same Russian soldier of Tolstoy's books- down to earth, rugged people with few illusion but an unlimited faith in friendship as a mean to survive every calamity.

   As often happens in Soviet-era war literature, some truth become plain to the attentive reader: for instance, that the relationship between the Red Army and the population were (at least in 1942) less idyllic than what the official histories would make us believe. Also, bits on the occasional incompetence and simple cowardice on the Soviet sides are often hinted (even if balanced by many narratives of Soviet heroics, of course). And no, the Germans in this book aren't your average dupes. The biggest surprise (if you're not familiar with this type of literature) may come from "politics" department. Not only you'll not get much the tirades so often hammered on the reader's throat in the Soviet general's memories, but you'll hardly find any straightforward "political" note at all - except from the token patriotic bit on the defence of the Motherland against the invaders. My theory is that in the 60's (when most of these type of text was written) it had become much safer to avoid completely the topic rather than deal with it in the wrong way. Even so, the effect is, in my view, a bit unrealitic: even if is probable that Communism wasn't so popular among Red Army soldiers, the 40's weren't the 90's, and it's more likely that a percentage of the Red Army personnel had some kind of strong belief on the Soviet system. Otherwise, you'll get the same surreal feeling of those German war memories where everyone is politically agnostic or even anti-nazi, and you end up not understanding how Hitler got elected in first instance. Is "On The Road To Stalingrad" realistic? Yes, if you take in account the age when was written. It's a literary masterpiece? No, but rarely a war memory is a conventionally "good" reading. And as a document to a woman's view on a topical (although still badly documented) XX century event, "On The Road To Stalingrad" is a must read.




2. This is a very good book. I read the whole thing on a flight to Russia. It is about a Russian woman who joined the army when Hitler attacked Ukraine. She fought in the famous regiment of Chapeyev. She was wounded, but returned to fight. This book shows how difficult was the war, when everybody was needed to fight. If you have interest in World War 2 you will like this auto-biogreaphy.



3. This is a well written account of actions in WWII. It is not just a 'gimick' of a story because the author was a woman. Man or woman, this book rates up there with all other good first person experiences in WWII. The story of the entrapment behind German lines of her team, and their methods of escape, is as intriquing as any mystery or adventure book. Buy this one if you like war stories, WWII, or want to learn more about the Russian/German battles.



4. This is a very interesting autobiography of a woman soldier in the Red Army during World War 2. Many people do not know over million women fought in combat in the Soviet Union. I don't know why this book is called On the Road to Stalingrad, because it is not about the battle of Stalingrad. Zoya fought in Sevastopol to liberate the Ukraine. She was not special or a heroine, she was just doing her job, which was a Maxim Machegun operator. She was wounded and went back to the front. The end of the biography is very poignant as she describes what happened to all her comrades. I recommend this book to anyone interested in the War.



5. This book is poorly written!! There are so few details,I was skipping paragraphs trying to find interesting parts. I donated it to our public library for their book sale before I had finished reading it.

5 comments about With Lee in Virginia (Works of G. A. Henty).

1. I really loved this book written from a rare Confederate view point. The author beautifully portrayed virtues such as honor and courage in the young hero, Vincent. They say these books are written for teenage boys, but I'm a twelve year old girl and I couldn't put down the book for three days. It is probably won of the most exciting books I've ever read.



2. This book is definitely one of Mr. Henty's masterpieces. It gives a clear view of the South's situation and why the Civil War was fought. I highly enjoyed this book, both for its content and the way history is mingled with a gripping plot. I can't tell you too much because I might spoil it, but it is about a young Southern man who joins the Confederate army and distinguises himself through his many adventures.



3. An extra bonus in this Henty book is that it includes both the English preface and the American one, which Henty wrote to the `lads' who would read this book. In With Lee in Virginia Vincent Wingfield is the main character, one who lives on a plantation run by slaves, but who is strongly against being cruel to slaves. When he clashes with the overseer over Pearson having whipped a slave, Vincent never imagines it will cause such trouble. Soon, though, Vincent gets involved in the fate of the slave he saved, Tony. Will Vincent be able to help the man escape from the wicked Jackson? What about Tony's wife, who Jackson is selling for revenge? This book draws you right in plantation life in the 18hundreds, you will feel happy with the knowledge that `your' slaves are safe, and will never even consider that you are doing wrong by keeping slaves. Vincent enlists as a volunteer after Virginia secedes and accomplishes many deeds of bravery. This is just another in a long line of thrilling books writing by George Alfred Henty, don't miss reading a single one!!!



4. This book was not exciting, nor is it realistic of antebellum life in Virginia. From the title, you would think that the book would be about the War Between the States and about Robert E. Lee. It is neither. It is what an Englishman thinks it might have been like to be in the South before the war begins, but he doesn't know. The research, if there was any research, was not done well. Because most of the book takes place away from any battles, it is a very tedious, boring, and painful book to read. There are much better books to describe life as it was in the war, such as Across Five Aprils or The Red Badge of Courage. If you want good books from a Southern perspective, I recommend Iron Scouts of the Confederacy (for historical fiction) or The History of the Confederate States. I asked my kids to read this book for history, and when they complained, I read it myself. I'm sorry that I ever put them through this, and I will check more carefully the next time I think about asking them to read a book by G.A. Henty.



5. This may have been written at the time for young readers (I am 43!), but for anyone interested in the Civil War it is a treasure trove of background to the war, and the men of the South (primarily) that fought it. The descriptions of the battles (complete with maps) fought in Virginia are gripping without being overly-narrated. My 12-year old is reading it soon, and I am sure he won't be able to put it down either.

3 comments about 50 Mission Crush.

1. I found the book to be very clear from start to finish. The description from his very first days of training to his last day of battle was very descriptive and could fullfill the reader to a true sence of what the author experienced. Although not shockingly descriptive to the true sence of what men in his position experienced, the book still makes good reading for those who wish to know of life as a member of a bomber crew.



2. My father was a top terret gunner in the B-24 in the 15th airforce 449 bomber group stationed in Grottalie, Italy. He spoke very little about the war. This book gave an insight into what my father life was like durning his 55 missions. It was a great book for my family.



3. As an avid seeker of WWII info, especially regarding the USAAF heavy bomber air bases in southern Italy, this book puts you there. Written by a B-24 crewmember who lived to tell about the experience of surviving in a time when 70 percent did not, it is an excellent account of the day to day life in one of America's most trying times.

5 comments about The Reluctant Admiral.

1. This was a wonderful book which went into alot of detail about the life of Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto. He was a much more complex person than most people think. He was no ranting imperialistic flunky. In fact, he held most of those types in contempt. So much so, that he had to maintain constant vigilance because of death threats. However, he did his duty, as he was ordered to do, even though he knew the futility of it. He was also totally against the building of the Yamato and Musashi battleships. Utter "folly" he called them and a waste of time and money. He truly believed that the future of war would be aviation. He was proved right. Its really too bad that he was killed, he would have been of great benefit to the restructuring of the new Japanese government. Anyone interested in a more "personal" look of one of the greatest Admirals in the world, will love this book, like I did.



2. Admiral Yamamoto did not want to go to war with the United States; a naval war he felt could be sustained for at most 18 months. But go to war he did and it cost him his life. This is an easy to read history of Yamamoto's life, rich in personal details. He turns out to have been an avid womanizer, with one and perhaps two mistresses throughout most of his career. A man who lost interest in his marriage fairly early and was merely a financial contributor for most of his married life. Most of the personal correspondence quoted and many of his poems were written to his number one mistress, with nothing of substance regarding his wife and children.

   Yamamoto seems to have come up with the strategy for the attack on Pearl Harbor, but the detailed tactical planning was the work of his staff. Somehow the debacle of Midway, which occurred under his command and which was planned by his staff, did not result in his immediate replacement. This apparently was due to the Imperial Japanese Forces being in full denial mode and not wanting to high light the disaster by removing the hero of Pearl Harbor.

   Yamamoto seems to have been something of a figurehead for most of his career after Pearl harbor and until his death. This could be misleading since the author focuses so much of his attention on Yamamoto's personal life and not so much on his naval leadership.

   It is particularly interesting to learn that with the many signs pointing to the fact that the Japanese codes had been broken, they denied this possibility and continued to send the "coded" messages which resulted in Yamamoto's plane being shot down by United States P-38s. There is an excellent book on that subject, "Get Yamamoto" but it seems to be out of print ...




3. The original Japanese title of this book was simply Yamamoto Isoroku. I suppose renaming it The Reluctant Admiral with the implication that Isoroku was indecisive is comforting to american psychology. But otherwise it's the same book, and one of the few books I know about WW II Japan that isn't clichéd propaganda of either a rightist or leftist american persuasion.

   Samurai! The biography of Saburo Sakai is also recommended although the ibook edition has an opinioned, and inaccurate forward by the new editor not Martin Caidin.




4. This is an excellent study of a complex and contradictory man. Understandably vilified in the heat of war, a more interesting image has appeared over time. One cannot help but admire the daring and gambler quality of a man ordered to start a war he did not agree with and risked his life to prevent. Yamamoto certainly deserves to be remembered as a grand naval commander. It's unlikely any more authoritatve work will ever emerge as the author when directly to people who knew Yamamoto in life



5. If you don't know Japanese Culture, History, and specifically Social Practice at the time, I suggest refraining from using and imposing YOUR OWN PERSONAL VALUES to judge a Foreigner in his own Culture and Situation. That is just your own personal opinion, and should be so stated as such. Actually, all it does is prove just how ignorant you are of the subject matter, and is quite frankly, laughable (and you know who you are).
   
   This book is a very rare example of an excellent "fly-on-the-wall" eyewitness account of Admiral Yamamoto's life, one that is very seldom shared with outsiders (non-Japanese), so I suggest you get a copy and read it while you still can (it's kind of old, but still available).
   
   In it, you will learn what a unhappy private life he had, from the time he was given away by his parents and adopted into the Yamamoto Family, to his "Arranged Marriage" (this was a very common practice in Japan at the time, and neither party either met or had any contact with each other prior to their wedding... resulting in many unhappy marriages... and divorce not being an option, men usually found other women they did like to replace the one they did NOT... but still provided financial support for them anyway "for the sake of the children". Under the circumstance, I don't see anything wrong with that. Calling it "womanizing" is insulting (and just proves the person's ignorance), as Admiral Yamamoto kept the same one for many years, providing her a place to live and money to pay the bills... she was more like his 2nd (and REAL) wife, who he actually enjoyed the company of... unlike his 1st wife, who hated him.
   
   Anyway, enough of that.
   
   The book is a great way to learn Admiral Yamamoto's life story, from his early years, to how his brilliance in the IJN (Imperial Japanese Navy) was recognized early on, and he was sent to the US, eventually becoming a HARVARD Graduate... a very unusual and accomplished fact for anyone at that time, let alone a Foreigner from Japan. As a result, Admiral Yamamoto was completely literate and fluent in American English, AND understood American Culture, History, and the US People like few outsiders ever did. He even used his own money to tour the US to see for himself the INDUSTRIAL MIGHT of America, and knew the US Capabilities in so many ways better than most Americans did.
   
   I like the selected times extreme detail is provided for events in his life, from what was on the Ship's Menu while at Sea, to the actual shoot-down of his Betty Bomber by the P-38's, and the recovery of his body by the IJA (Imperial Japanese Army) afterwards.
   
   Highly recommended Read.
   Be prepared to do so non-stop, as it becomes that riveting (took me about 6 hours).

2 comments about Hold the Flag High.

1. A stirring, patriotic and yet perhaps little known story of a Civil War battle. I found it too mature for younger than 7-year olds, but with some background information it could be read to them effectively. The 2nd graders I read to were very interested but puzzled when they found the battle had been lost. They cheered up to see the actual photo of the hero and to hear the war was eventually won. Third to sixth graders will enjoy reading it for themselves and may be encouraged to seek out more Civil War history.



2. This book is the story about the Massachusetts 54th Regiment during the Civil War, which was all African American. This book appears to be designed for early elementary students, but the nature of the artwork would be appealing to older students, including English language learners. This perspective story could be an excellent way to engage students to talk about the Civil War, ethnicity, bigotry, exclusion, and tough diversity issues.

1 comments about Stealth Patrol: The Making Of A Vietnam Ranger.

1. The book is a good recollection of how it was. It is very much first person and personal based more or less on what we knew at the time. A good read.