5 comments about The General and His Daughter: The War Time Letters of General James M. Gavin to his Daughter Barbara (World War II: The Global, Human, and Ethical Dimension).

1. Excellent insight into the humane side of a great military man. Good reading.



2. There are a lot of books written about World War II and its commanding generals. There are usually written by historians, or participants writing long after the battles. This book is different. There are the wartime letters written by Jim Gavin to his daughter Barbara. They begin in 1943 when Gavin, then a colonel left the states commander of the 505th PIR or the 82nd. At that time Barbara was nine.
   
   There are approximately 200 letters included in the book. They were written on board ships, in foxholes and tents. They do not have the afterthoughts or 'point-proving' of books written later. They are the personal messages of a father to his daughter. They talk about the day to day realities of what Gavin was doing at the time, and about his personal reactions to combat and the war.
   
   The book provides an insight into the man and the times that is rare to find.



3. A unique footnote to World War II, and an unusual view of a famous general



4. This is an absolutely marvelous book. Barbara Gavin Fauntleroy has given us a very personal glimpse of a Soldier's Soldier who led his men from the front and was truly one of the great Generals of WW II. General Gavin's letters reveal the sensitivity and love that he maintained despite the strains of combat and command. One cannot read this book without feeling that you have shared so much of the personal experience as well as the love and devotion he showed to his daughter. It is a book that lifts the spirit and makes you respect the "Two Star Platoon Leader' even more.



5. THE GENERAL AND HIS DAUGHTER: THE WARTIME LETTERS OF GENERAL JAMES M. GAVIN TO HIS DAUGHTER BARBARA provides an excellent portrait of the American experience in World War II, telling of a commander who at the age of 37 became the 82nd Parachute Infantry's commanding general, and the youngest to become a major general since the Civil War. His letters were written from the field to his nine-year-old daughter Barbara and provide plenty of 'you are there' insights into the realities of combat. It's a 'must' for any serious, in-depth World War II collection, especially libraries specializing in memoirs and writings from participants.

No comments about Biografia del libertador Simon Bolívar, o la independencia.

2 comments about Across the Seas: Three Brothers Find New Lives in Colonial Philippines.

1. This is the first book I've read about the history of the Philippines (or any history outside of the U.S. or Europe). What I liked about it was you learned the history but because the author related it to his ancestors, it wasn't a typical dry history lesson. What I also liked was learning the interconnection between the Philippines, Mexico, and China--not something Americans would normally think about. It gave a different perspective on the world in the last few centuries. Plus, who has ever heard of abaca?



2. It was vert interesting to read about my family history and how it was interwoven with the history's of so many others and the Abaca trade. The book really brought together all the fragments of story's that I have heard my whole life and put them together and allowed me to not only see a part of my family history but opened a window into the past and brought a cast of real people to life.

5 comments about The Story of a Soldier: Edward S. Mehosky, Col. (Ret.) U.S. Army, Infantry, from Private to Colonel: 1940-1971--WWII * Korea * Vietnam.

1. A son has brought to light a father's deserved place in US military history! This book is a must read for anyone interested in the role of the Airborne in World War II or an interestingly detailed look at a successful military career from beginning training as an enlisted man to the rank of Colonel. The combination story lines of honor, country, bravery and love of family do not interfere with each other but instead compliment and come together in a book difficult to put down until the last page.



2. If you enjoyed Ambrose's Band of Brothers and Webster's Parachute Infantry, you'll certainly enjoy this one! It gives a neat insight to Camp Toccoa b/f the enlisted men got there. It inspires anyone to stay the course, no matter what. Col. Mehosky shows that honor, duty and courage are time-honored.



3. The Story of a Soldier is definately worth reading. Ivan Mehosky has written a fantasic book in the style of Stephen Ambrose. Once you start reading you won't want to put it down til the end. Covering the period from 1940 to 1971 with a major focus on World War 2 Paratroopers in action.

   Mr. Mehosky has done an excellant job of telling the story of his father's military career as handed down to him from his father. As you read the book you can't help but think of Mr. Mehosky of the 506th P.I.R. as having alot in common with Major Dick Winters of "Band of Brothers" fame.

   If you're looking for an excellant book on World War 2 Paratroopers....This is it!




4. The Story Of A Soldier, by Ivan Paul Mehosky is a wonderful first person account of a heroic officer who knew how to fight and get the better of the enemy, and knew how to prepare men for war so they could fight as a team with the proper attitude, inflict great damage on the enemy, and have a chance to survive the hell of combat. Mehosky's creed, "you fight like you train, and repetition of tasks equal confidence," saw this echoed in his words countless times to his men, "in war, there is no simulation!" Like their leader, Mehosky's men were tough, motvated, confident, and smart, paratroop soldiers who were some of our best ever to fight in battle against well-trained foes. Some of the descriptions of his experiences and survival are astonishing as well as stirring and vivid. Lt. Mehosky's account of his heroic rescue of two wounded soldiers under intense enemy mortar and small arms fire in front of Carentan, France was bravery above and beyond the call of duty that truely merits our nation's highest honors. There are accounts I have never seen in other books, acounts I want to read again and again and ponder. This well written book should be read by all ages-young and old. It will stir your heart and imagination! You won't be disappointed.



5. The Story of a Soldier 1940-1971: The Airborne Spirit and Recollections of Colonel Edward S. Mehosky (Ret.) U.S. Army, Infantry is a true story that begins right in the middle of the action. It is 1944, World War II, and a parachute jump into German-held France has gone terribly wrong.
   
   Edward is, by any definition, a hero. The son of Polish immigrants, he grew up in Reading, Pennsylvania during the Great Depression. When a broken leg ended his baseball career, he joined the Army. Two years later he joined the 506th Parachute Regiment and went overseas with the 101st Airborne Division.
   
   A natural-born leader, his career spanned three decades and three wars. He was a platoon leader during the night drop on Normandy on D-Day. He was a company commander at the Battle of the Bulge during the defense against numerically superior enemy forces at Bastogne.
   
   During the Korean War, he volunteered for the 40th Infantry Division and commanded a rifle company on a steep, frozen ridge facing Chinese positions. With the 502nd Airborne in Germany, his men caused quite a stir by capturing a Green Beret unit. He also served in Vietnam, and retired in 1971.
   
   The prewar portion of the book is probably more interesting to a fellow veteran than to this reader, but by letting us know how Edward Mehosky was raised and trained, it sets the stage for what follows. The story definitely picks up when it moves to Europe. Once that happens, it never lets up.
   
   My advice is, go visit the website and read the first three chapters free. If, like me, you get hooked, you'll buy the book.

1 comments about A Soldier in the Cockpit: From Rifles to Typhoons in WWII (Stackpole Military History).

1. Author Ron Pottinger spent much of World War II planning rhubarbs and searching for doodlebugs -- and no -- he wasn't gardening. He was flying Hawker Typhoons on dangerous interdiction missions over German occupied Western Europe.
   
   Often by moonlight, two "kites" (Typhoons armed with 4 lethal 20mm cannon and two 250 lb. bombs) would "do a trip" in search of targets of opportunity at extreme low level. Coastal shipping, E-Boats, canal locks, barges, as well as industries and trains were his favorite prey.
   
   Crossing the sea down on the deck to avoid detection was not all that safe at high speed. Even in daylight, poor weather could mask obstacles such as chimneys -- and at such low altitude it was easy to get lost. At that level, any German gunner could get lucky, and there was little altitude to bail out when seriously hit.
   
   W/O Pottinger knew this type of flying was very dangerous, but he kept on looking for anything worthy of attack. Many such pilots were lost with mediocre results.
   
   The Hawker Typhoon was developed as an interceptor but its power was disappointing at high altitude and the fuselage had problems -- the tail sometimes broke off. Nevertheless, it proved to be extremely fast at low level. In fact, it was faster than the Fw-190 or Messerschmitt Bf-109. Heavily armed with 4-20mm cannon, it was a natural strafer.
   
   "Soldiers In the Cockpit" is W/O Pottinger's memoir of his service in World War II. But how does an infantrymen in the British Army get to fly a hot fighter-bomber? The R.A.F. lost many fine pilots in the Battle of Britain and soldiers were being recruited for flying school. W/O Pottinger didn't train in gloomy Scotland however, but in sunny Florida, U.S.A. Here, he flew the Stearman PT17, Vultee BT13A, and the AT6A Harvard. In "The Wide Blue Yonder", he narrates his stateside training with humorous stories of living in the swamps, chasing girls, and nail-biting flights.
   
   The Luftwaffe had several nasty surprises for the R.A.F. such as the Messerschmitt Me-262 jet, and the diabolical V1 Doodlebug flying bomb. W/O Pottinger's squadron was soon upgraded to the new Hawker Tempest. The 24-cylinder fighter was among the fastest allied aircraft at all altitudes and proved an excellent interceptor of the doodlebug -- 638 V1's were downed by Tempests. After the Allies invasion of France, the new Tempest really began to pay off.
   
   Fighter nerds hoping to read about the Typhoons knocking out 175 German tanks in one day at the Falaise Gap, or the strafing of roads choked with armored columns during the Battle of the Bulge will be disappointed -- W/O Pottinger was not there. His main assignment was supporting General Montegomery's Operation Market-Garden, in Holland.
   
   On New Years Day, W/O Pottinger's luck ran out and he was shot down over Paderborn, Germany while strafing a train.
   
   To be honest, only one-third of this book is fighter plane action. In the final fifty pages he narrates his bailout, capture and imprisonment in various POW camps until finally transferring home after the war.
   
   W/O Pottinger has not set out to write a complete history of the Hawker Typhoon and Tempest operations. Rather, he has given us an intimate look at his own experiences in World War II -- much in diary form. The book works best when W/O Pottinger has his feet on the ground. As should be apparent now, Ron Pottinger was an "ordinary working-class chap" who wants us to know that the war was unglamorous and a dirty business.
   
   "Soldier In the Cockpit" has numerous photographs taken during the war by the author. There were no maps included. This book will be of most interest to the fans of POW stories and wartime biographies.

No comments about THOMAS R.R. COBB: THE MAKING OF A.

No comments about Civil War Eyewitnesses: An Annotated Bibliography of Books and Articles, 1986-1996.

5 comments about TANS: The TANS Collection, Volume I.

1. The book is offered as a collection of reminisces of events that occurred nearly 40 years ago, the stories are anecdotal in nature, meant for entertainment and information not to be taken as academic reference. I served with Jack Waer in the time periods of the early sixties and despite his "larcenous spirit" he has no need to prevaricate to impress any whom served with him. Mr Moises' dismissal of his work because of perceived inaccuracies is patently unfair as well as petty. The very fact there are no documented references to our mission or us attests to the level of secrecy we working under during those times.



2. The book in written by the people who have been there, done that.
   Most could not say what they were doing or did and after some 40 years it is leaking out. These men were the top 10 percent of the US Military. That is a fact and not a TANS.
   Written by men for men.
   Now children, parents, wives and others get a view of what these men did while in Vietnam and around the world.
   George T
   "TAM"



3. November 20, 1953 to May 7, 1954. 13 days short of six months and Beatrice is shown on a French map circa December, 1953. I seriously doubt Jack would have made it up - and he may have even been there before construction of Beatrice was complete. It wasn't uncommon for ASA to begin operating in an area before it was actually occupied by troops in order to determine the location, readiness and strength of enemy forces. If Jack Waer said he was there for six months, I'd believe it.



4. This is an interesting collection of stories about Vietnam as seen and experienced by Army Security Agency analysts and technicians. I enjoyed the stories and many of my memories of Nam were pleasantly refreshed. I reccomend this book to ASA and non-ASA veterans alike.
   Thank you to the authors and editor for this collection.



5. This is a great collection of short stories about the "enjoyable" part of being involved in the war in VietNam. ASA and Non-ASA people alike will identify with the people in this book. I know I did and hopefully my story will be in the next edition of TANS.

2 comments about Sitting in the Flames: Uncovering Fearlessness to Help Others.

1. West Point grad, decorated warrior, several Ph.D's and a successful business career as a vice president for a multi-national Corporation, this is the man all our mothers hoped we would grow up to be. But, "Sitting in the Flames," isn't just another self congratulatory autobiography by a successful, self-satisfied American. Instead, DeVore uses his own life and experiences to investigate the Vietnam War and its causes and examine the cultural myths that are leading our country into a belief that militarism and war are the only road to peace and freedom. If you are a Vietnam veteran, as I am, read this book. If you are on active duty, have a friend or relative on active duty, read this book. If you are a young person embarking on a career and have no plans to participate in the military, but want to understand how to avoid the pitfalls of "group thought", read this book. And finally, if you're older, retired and tired of playing golf everyday and tending to a garden and want to reinvigorate your life, read this book. The simple steps set forth in, "Sitting in the Flames," won't in and of themselves change your life, but they will help you understand your own thought processes which guide your life, and that is surely a first step to change.



2. Sitting in the Flames is offered to those who long for a breath of hope, freedom and peace amidst the harsh reality of runaway consumption; of the myth of war; of environmental degradation; and of our cultural conditioning that nourishes what one believes, as opposed to how one behaves. For the spouse, mother, child or friend of a combat veteran, Sitting in the Flames is a must read.

5 comments about Out of the Depths.

1. I found the book spellbinding. It was of particular interest since we know the author and one of the survivors personally.
   The book is a very good read.



2. WE BOUGHT THIS BOOK FOR OUR SON TO DO HIS RESEARCH EXPO ON. IT WAS SO INTERESTING THAT I READ IT ALSO. IT EXPLAINS THE SITUATION SO CLEAR. THIS IS A STORY I HAD NEVER KNOWN ABOUT UNTIL NOW. IT IS WRITTEN FROM A CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE BUT NEVER THROWS THAT IN YOUR FACE. IT IS WRITTEN VERY WELL. I ENCOURAGE ALL HISTORY BUFFS TO BUY AND READ THIS BOOK.



3. It is unthinkable that the Navy could have covered up such a bad mistake. A lot of lives were lost because of someone's horrible mistake and misjudgement.



4. I had read the book and wanted to meet the man behind the story. I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Harrel a couple of years ago as he agreed to speak at our church. We need to hear these stories from our military veterans because their lives and experiences command our respect and admiration. Maybe if people could hear these stories it would inspire an increase in patriotism, something our country has forgotten. This book should be required reading for every child in America. It is truly an amazing account of God's providence.



5. This is really a tremendous read and the only first person account I'm aware of concerning the sinking of the USS Indianapolis. For those who might not know, she was sent on one of the most secret missions of World War Two, to deliver the bomb to the Island of Tinian.
   
   After dropping the bomb off she was sunk by a Japanese submarine. Hundreds of men went in the water only a few survived. This is their story as told by one of their own.
   
   The writer does a couple of things that are very interesting. First he draws upon his faith in God as his savior and passages of the bible to show how he survived and why. This was a refreshing view considering he was saved long before he entered the service. This was not a "fox hole confession" but the real thing.
   
   The other aspect of the book I liked was each chapter started with an account of the events by other survivors. This makes the book an outstanding resource for those interested in the events of the ship prior to its sinking, the event, and the scandal that followed her sinking.
   
   For the other side of the story you might want to check out Sunk! As written by the Japanese submarine commander who sank the Indianapolis.
   
   It is a nice, simple, quick read...but not for the weak of heart. A real memorial to the victims of this war.