5 comments about Hitler: The Pathology of Evil (Potomac's Paperback Classics).

1. Not to be confused with "Hitler: the search for the origins of his evil".
   I advise readers not to be concerned at seeing the word psychoanalysis being bandied about here. It is true that Victor comes from a background in this but the book does not lean on the spurious nature of psychoanalysis and it makes sense in its own terms. I strongly recommend the book. Now Hitler makes perfect sense. An essential supplement to a Hitler biography for students of the man.



2. someone has made sense out of it all...by filling in Hitler's background,as it has never been revealed before...we can understand how madness and evil converged in the persona of one man who managed to murder millions because of his completely illogical beliefs..My whole life I have been trying to understand him(his evil influence),and this book has really helped me considerably.I can even see how his vile minions,the SS,were attracted to him and his ruthlessness..and obeyed him til the end.This is a fact-filled book,yes,but it is extremely well-written and researched,and I have read it over the course of two days.If you are, as I am,fascinated and repulsed at the same time about the most powerful and evil (well..I can't use bad language here,so fill in the blanks)"human being" of the 20th century...then this most excellent book will help you further in understanding just what happened,and why.



3. This book attempts to un-demonize Hitler long enough to understand his development as an abused child, a failed person, and as the most evil dictator in human history. Only a Jewish Psychololgist could attempt such a feat, and the author, George Victor, has done a remarkable job. Most interesting was how Victor pointed out in great detail the conflicted personality of Hitler, piece by piece, and tied those conflicts to the abuse that he and his beloved mother suffered at the hands of his father.
   
   Virtually everything Hitler said or did was a contradiction, due to his extreme self-loathing, wherein he masked his own intense hatred of himself and his father, by pretending to be superhuman, while projecting everything he hated about himself and his family, a tall order, onto every other group imaginable, all of whom paid the ultimate price for reminding Hitler of himself.
   
   Must read for anybody interested in WWII and/or German/Austrian history.



4. While my interests is mainly the establishment of the Nazi party in Germany, this book gave a really good background of Hitler himself. It was fascinating. Be prepared for something which deals a lot with psychology and psychoanalysis. It is good to read this book about the same you read Sebastian Haffner or Claudia Koontz's books on Hitler and the Nazi party.
   
   It is a quick read and really well written.
   
   While we can never excuse the actions of the Nazis, we can understand what led them to do what they did and how we can keep it from happening again.



5. The author studies the childhood and adolescence of Hitler in great detail;
   the facts are well-known, but the author provides interesting, psychological insights.
   The author then goes on to describe Hitler's development in the pre-WWII years, and relates it to his childhood and adolescence.
   The treatment of the pre-WWII years deserves 4 stars.
   
   The weak point of this book is its treatment of the war years 1939-45 in Chapter 16 (Conquest and Annihilation): it is incomplete, simplistic and at times not convincing.
   In particular, the military decisions discussed are more complex than the author admits or realizes.
   The author, apparently lacking military expertise, relies on popular myths (in part due to German generals, who blamed Hitler for all mistakes, including their own);
   he tends to downplay military considerations in military decisions;
   he tends to neglect the Prussian-German tradition of conducting war, the stab-in-the-back legend, the experience made in past operations (WWI and WWII), the military situation on the ground and the military and political institutions involved in the decision-making process.
   Furthermore, the author neglects the significance of social-psychological processes: e.g. it is possible that Hitler's interactions with other sinister individuals (Goebbels, Bormann, Himmler and Heydrich) made him more radical (sometimes called group polarization: small, cohesive groups with similar opinions can make opinions more extreme).
   
   More generally, the author fails to show the limitations of his psychological point of view.
   
   It is the war years (the aggressive conduct of war, the war crimes and the holocaust) that sets Hitler apart from countless other dictators,
   and it is the treatment of the war years that is the weak point of this book;
   hence 3 stars instead of 4 stars.

5 comments about Baptism: A Vietnam Memoir.

1. the best part of this book is its everyman writing. No polished literature just a well written "what I went through" book. A real good read and difficult to put down.



2. This book is not in the same league as books like Nam , 365 Days, Dispatches and other eye witness accounts of the Vietnam War. It's filled with cliche's, especially when describing various actions the author took part in, and his description of some fellow infantrymen as 'cowards', particularly when his accusations are unsubstantiated is shameful. Read it on a long flight if there is nothing else in the airport bookstore, otherwise don't bother.



3. Mr. Gwin did a fine job in expressing himself and explaining to those that didn't serve how the military works. The hurry up and wait the long tedious hours of waiting and the heart throbing miliseconds of tremendous fear. There were times in naming all his fellow warriors it become somewhat confusing as you did not know these people but you understand.Your people remain in your mind as the best and loyalest you ever knew. They are always with you and a week never passes that you do not recall them. A fine book I would reccomend to all.



4. I am actually a student of WWII, so this book (received as a gift) was something different to read. Larry Gwin's book was for me a startling introduction to fighting an often unseen enemy, in a jungle environment horribly alien for the young Americans who found themselves there. Pleasantly avoiding the politics of the war, and instead concentrating on one man's view of the combat, Gwin takes you from his naive first jungle patrols to his combat weary veteran status at the end of his tour. As the casualties mount, and the men around him either die, return wounded or get promoted, Gwin becomes increasingly important to the men around him - a cool experienced head in difficult times.
   
   The language is plain and everyman, allowing the reader to move quickly through the book from one engegement to another.
   
   A thoroughly enjoyable memoir, and an eye-opener to the horrors of air-cavalry combat in South East Asia.



5. After spending a year in this area of the world, it brings it all back. The author brings the fear, the stupidity, quietly to the table and makes you shake like you did when it happened to you. I thoughly enjoyed the book and its delivery. It should be a MUST read for all contemplating taking up arms and wanting to do battle. It must have been hard for the author to rehash the experiences he had. Buy it and pass it on.

No comments about Robert E. Lee and the Fall of the Confederacy, 1863-1865 (The American Crisis Series Books on the Civil War Era).

3 comments about Black Glasses Like Clark Kent: A GI's Secret from Postwar Japan.

1. In Black Glasses Like Clark Kent, Terese Svoboda has rendered a beautifully nuanced memoir. Her uncle has a secret about his service as an MP in post-WWII occupied Japan that becomes more urgent when he sees the photographs of Abu Ghraib. But he won't reveal this secret easily to her. He sends her tapes of his memories through the mail, and Svoboda must piece together all the information at her hands -- her uncle's memories, his letters home to his girlfriend during his service, her familial relationships, statistics about the occupation of Japan -- many of which are conflicting, her understanding of heroism, and interviews with aging WWII veteran and Japanese native populations to try and uncover the secret. In the vein of Susan Griffin, Svoboda offers a mosaic text with pieces of the puzzle -- military documents, memories, photographs, and taped transcripts juxtaposed so that the reader joins her in the journey of trying to uncover what her uncle couldn't bring himself to say. This memoir is written for readers who like to be actively engaged by a story rather than sitting back and having it spoon fed to them. Her writing is beautiful. Her honesty is bracing. It should never be forgotten during the reading that this is a true story -- her uncle's last story. If we are to understand how events like Abu Ghraib happened, then we need to understand how it was not an isolated incident in our military history. Svoboda takes the difficult and accurate view that the brave men and women who serve in our military are often asked to do things in the line of duty that will haunt them the rest of their lives. I highly recommend this book.



2. Black Glasses Like Clark Kent is one of those non fiction books that reads like a novel, almost a French novel, in that the narrator is self-aware and weaving the opinions and feelings and revelations of the characters in the story around the action of the book. The action is haunting -- what DID happen to the MPs and their prisoners in Postwar Japan and why does no one want to talk about it -- but, equally as haunting, is the family suffering the loss of the uncle MP who recently committed suicide. Was what he saw and lived through unbearable? He has sent his writer niece (Terese Svoboda) the tapes of what happened and she listens and then begins to investigate. As with all suicides of someone one knows and loves, she feels she did not do enough. She does enough to tell his story and find the morality that he himself was reckoning with. Of course, the book makes us, once again, reflect on the high moral and mortal cost of all who "serve". It proves that if the serviceman is willing to remember, the pain can get him. Hence, many of Svoboda's interviewees aren't talking. Svoboda's style (in all her books) is spare, sly, and unflinching in getting to the heart of her story. In this book, her father (the uncle's brother) rallies her on. Personally, I am partial to non fiction by novelists, since they cannot but give you all the facts without going to the heart. The book stays with me.



3. A meticulously researched memoir that in its revelation of truth reads as a work of fiction. The story leaves the reader with an emptiness that is borne of all suicides... even those where the victim is not one of our own. It takes courage to write a memoir like this one, how to tell what can be told and that which can not be expressed about an older family member, beloved and iconic, whose death forces those who wish to grieve silently to try to find a way back to the missing. It is a story of war, all wars, a story of survival and how with the stories we tell we keep the dead alive. The reader is relieved to see the quotidian details of the narrator's life as a way of momentary displacing grief, additionally these background noises remind us how we are all sitting next to someone who may be making a meatloaf while crying.

No comments about RED AIR FORCE AT WAR: AIR COMBAT OVER THE EASTERN FRONT AND KOREA, THE: A Soviet Fighter Pilot Remembers (Red Air Force at War).

5 comments about Eastern Approaches.

1. This is a truly unique book and comparable only with Churchill's 'My Early Life' as an adventure history. Some people write adventure books, some people have adventures but Fitzroy McLean, like Churchill, or TE Lawrence, is able to do both. A rare treat and very easy to read.



2. This book is of great historical value. The narration is witty and elegant. I would recomant it to everybody interested in European history.



3. Pre WWII, Maclean finagled trips through parts of the USSR where no westerner had previously been, even crossing into Afghanistan from the north at one point. He spent much of WWI aiding Marshal Tito's effort to drive the Germans out of the Balkans. Fascinating stuff, this, eloquently written and he's a damn good storyteller.



4. This is an exciting autobiography, which I have read and reread over the years. Of particular interest is the author's introduction into the SAS.
   
   This book will become a permanent fixture in your library.



5. I bought this book in the 60's in the Time/Life edtion, but didn't get around to reading it until 1995, when I was in Jalalabad, Afghanistan for a few weeks. Of course, that was the perfect setting, but from any viewpoint in the world "Eastern Approaches" is quite close to the perfect travel book. I left my copy in the library of the American Club in Peshawar, trying to save luggage room for Afghan textiles, and I was very sorry to learn when I got home that it was out of print. Now it's back, and I look forward to reading it again while sitting in my armchair. "Eastern Approaches" is a great read, and never more relevant than today.

2 comments about The Guadalcanal Air War: Col. Jefferson Deblanc's Story.

1. I knew the man for 20 years yet didn't know the full story until I read this book. I couln't put it down. I would advise anyone interested in history to read this.
   
   It is great I only wish it had been published while he lived.



2. Probably the last Medal of Honor winner of World War II to write his biography, Marine pilot Colonel Jefferson J DeBlanc died in Lafayette, Louisiana in 2007.
   
   This is a fine personal narrative from one of the last of the great generation. DeBlanc was born in 1921 in Lockport, Louisiana, and died in his native Louisiana in 2007. In between he packed several lifetimes. He learned to fly at age 19 at Southwestern Louisiana Institute, now known as the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. He never looked back after the war began, joined the Marines, became a fighter pilot, and was assigned to the Cactus Air Force on Guadalcanal in November 1942 with VMF-112.
   
   On his first combat in his Grumman Wildcat, he and a buddy shot down two Japanese bombers. On his second mission he shot down two fighter planes. He was soon leading the squadron. He soon became an ace with five kills. Later he shot down five Japanese planes the same day he bailed out of his faithful Wildcat, was rescued by Coast Watchers and after adventures, he returned to duty.
   
   Some of the best moments in the book occur long after the war when DeBlanc and friends returned to Guadalcanal and the Solomon Islands to help maintain the battle sights as memorials to those who fought there.
   
   "The Guadalcanal Air War" is a worthwhile addition to any World War II library and a good read to boot.
   
   Richard N. Larsen
   Reviewer

5 comments about Wahoo: The Patrols of America's Most Famous World War II Submarine.

1. O'Kane fills this fantastic book with a great account of courage, leadership and seamanship. It is easy to get wrapped up in this as a "war book" since it goes to the top of the class. However, rather than repeat what other fine reviews have noted I would also expand the book to a classic on leadership.
   
   O'Kane is onboard with legendary Skipper Mush Morton.
   
   I run into a lot of people in business who complain about the challenge of motivating both their company personnel and their suppliers/customers. What greater motivational challenge than to take a group of young sailors on a 12,000 mile cruise, packed like sardines in a tube and surrounded by people attempting (far too often with success) kill you.
   
   His and his fellow officer's leadership kept the boat on the offense, with the crew believing in the mission and their fellow sailors.
   
   There's enough detail to get out a plotting board ( or at least arrange the cocktail almonds) to duplicate the seamanship involved in putting the submarine in the middle of enemy convoys on a dark night at the right place to fire at several targets.
   
   I have a strong feeling that in today's society we tend to confuse heroism with victims. True heroes are those who understand the risks they are taking and yet continue their mission despite the risks. For O'Kane and the crew it is a story of functioning as true heroes for months on end.
   
   UPDATE : This fall (2006) the Navy confirmed that the sunken submarine located recently in the Sea of Japan was in fact the Wahoo. After 50 years the final resting place of Morton and the crew has been located.



2. I got started reading WWII submarine books by reading the fictional, but based on actual experience "Run Silent, Run Deep." Since then, I've read just about every WWII U.S. fleet submarine book in print. This has always been one of my favorites.
   
   O'kane has a very illustrative writing style. You'll feel like you're there when you are reading. Besides the fascinating "running and gunning" accounts, you'll also read anecdotal stories about crew life.
   
   This is really a must read. If you liked "Run Silent, Run Deep," you'll like this true, non fictional account even better. Get the hardcover version, they did a nice job on it.



3. There are a lot of details presented on each target but I found that very boring after a while. The same thing over and over. The submarine Wahoo was a valuable item in the Navy's arsenal but I found so much detail to be a drag. I read about the first three patrols and then laid the book down for a long time before making the effort to finish the work.
   
   I was disappointed because I was expecting another exciting recollection of the submarine warfare in WWII because I had recently read Thunder Below by Eugene B. Fluckey. That account of the USS Barb captured my attention. I read the whole book in three days. I just couldn't wait to pick it up and find out what was in store for the submarine whose logs were filled with creative and effective ways to attack the enemy and became a training tool for the submarine service. The Barb had many of the same torpedo failures as the Wahoo but ingenuity ruled and the most Navy's most decorated individual was a very effective submarine commander. Thunder Below is a wonderful reading experience for those interested in WWII exploits, especially of the submarine service.



4. I found this book very informative with a lot of factual history of the Wahoo and it's famous crew. I read "The wake of the Wahoo" first then this book followed by "Clear The Bridge" written by Richard O'Kane. Anyone that has ever served on diesel submarines knows about famous Skippers such as Morton and O'Kane. I found this book very hard to put down and would recommend it to everyone interested in submarines.



5. Very intertaining for the WW II history buff. I read this one in about 5 days.

5 comments about Men of Fire: Grant, Forrest, and the Campaign That Decided the Civil War.

1. I want to like this book much more than I do! Jack Hurst is an excellent writer. The portraits of the participants are skillful and incisive. The descriptions of battles capture the ebb and flow of the action and the reader is able to follow with few problems. He presents a number of ideas that are very interesting, logical and thought provoking. All of this makes for an enjoyable informative read covering the Civil War in the West from Belmont to the fall of Nashville. In addition, most of his views on the major players are the same as mine, allowing me to applaud as he skillfully skewers Halleck and Buell.
   
   Why isn't this a five-star book review and why can't I be more complementary? I feel this book has a number of problems, none of which invalidate it but taken together diminish the value.
   
   The idea of putting Grant and Forrest together in 1862 makes little sense. Forrest, in 1862, is not that important a person to link with Grant. Yes, they are both determined and both fighter but that does not qualify them for equal billing. The book seems to agree being almost all Grant with a few Forrest chapters. Only about two of the Forrest chapters are required for the story, I felt the rest were more marketing than history.
   
   The idea of a desperate Grant, who may or may not be fighting demon rum, is the story line. Hurst has bought into the Longacre idea that Grant was fighting a serious drinking problem, in spite of the fact that history cannot fully support this idea. The author adds desperation, making Grant's actions as much fear of going back to being a clerk as a drive to win the war.
   
   Maps are another problem. Most of them are two-page maps with the page split in the action being illustrated. No map has contour lines a major consideration at a number of points. The maps are not badly placed but the page split and selection is not helpful either.
   
   I found footnotes to be a major problem. The author uses direct quotes without a footnote to support it. In once case, I think the quote was made in 1863 at Vicksburg not at the time implied. Additionally, one footnote may be for a paragraph that needs multiple footnotes. A couple of his better ideas are not footnoted at all.
   
   Contradictions; the author reverses himself at least once on a major point. This was one of the ideas he presented, w/o footnotes, about 150 pages later, he states the opposite position.
   
   Halleck was not the most honest of men. The author clearly dislikes him and goes out of his way to point out his failings. During this time, Halleck was trying to remove Grant while saying that he was protecting him. This is well documented but some of the book's statements need footnotes and better documentation. I have the same complaint for statements made about Buell.
   
   I did not find any major errors in the book. I do feel that the author's emphasis some items is questionable and needs better documentation. Overall, this is a very readable history of the War in the West from Belmont to the fall of Nashville. I rate this 3 ½ stars that round up to four stars.



2. "Men of Fire" was everything that it was obviously supposed to be : a detailed account of the actions of two great leaders of the Civil War , one for the North & one for the South , during their first major Battle ,early in the Civil War and each being "basically untried & unknown" ! Of course I'm talking about the two principles of the book , U. S. Grant and Nathan Bedford Forrest !
   
   This book accomplishes this main task , very , very well ! It gives "background material" on both great men , that I had never read before ! It really brought these two "legends & heros" into very clear view ! It shows , in this very early battle , thier motivations , their courage , their basic tactics , their vision , their learership , their greatness , their energy , their strengths , their disgusts with the folly & fools around them !
   
   What it did in addition , that I thought most outstanding , was the clear way that it showed the "disorganization , the in-fighting , the jelousey , the politics , the poor planning , the lack of vision" of both sides in this vast conflict , shown so clearly , esp. at the very top of the leadership ladders !
   
   Because of this clear evidence of the "truly medocore and untalented and stupid" majority of politically modivated leaders on both sides and especially at this very significant , early battle ; U.S. Grant and Nathan Bedford Forrest emerge as giants ,as noble warriors ,as dedicated leaders ,who are focused on only one thing : Victory for their cause ! They know what is at stake for their sides and they go at the truly terrible endeavor of a war ,that has been committed to take place , with one unyielding purpose : To achieve absolute victory , at all costs !
   
   This was a great book , about two great men , deeply involved in a most horrible conflict !



3. MEN OF FIRE: GRANT, FORREST, AND THE CAMPAIGN THAT DECIDED THE CIVIL WAR details the two-week campaign Grant led against four flawed Confederate generals, documenting how this battle changed the course of the Civil War and the career of two major military leaders. From defensive mindsets and strategies to moment-by-moment encounters, MEN OF FIRE is a top pick for any military collection, especially those strong in Civil War history and biography.
   
   Diane C. Donovan
   California Bookwatch



4. Great book..... a little more of a military analysis than I was ready for....but still a great read. Good insight into Grant, Foote, Forrest and the other players in the Western theatre........



5. I found this book to be well written and interesting. The author obviously is a good writer with lots of experience. His writing style is refreshing, and easily read and understood. I did not learn much about the main characters, Grant and Forrest that I did not already know therefore this book might be more useful for the novice student of the civil war than to the hard core enthusiast who has read extensively on the subject. I would buy Jack Hurt's other book on N. B. Forrest to read just because this one was so well written.

5 comments about "Bayonet! Forward": My Civil War Reminiscences.

1. If you want to learn more about Joshua L. Chamberlain, what better way to do it than to read his first hand accounts and speeches. This book is a compilation of several articles he wrote for a magazine and a number of speeches he gave after the war. Bear in mind that the magazine articles were heavily edited by the editor of the magazine, much to the chagrin of Chamberlain, who was quite angry! One of his speeches at the dedication of the Gettysburg monuments very succinctly outlines his reasons for volunteering for the Union Army and the ideology that kept him going back to the field, even after a horrible wound that should have killed him. Chamberlain wrote very eloquently about his experiences and his speeches are extremely moving. A must read for any Chamberlain fan!



2. These United States of America have more pretenders to the title than genuine heroes. Revisionist historians often inform us that our idols have feet of clay. George Washington, the "father of our country," was too proud to shake the hand of ordinary American citizens. Thomas Jefferson, "author of the Declaration of Independence," held others in servitude. Abraham Lincoln was subject to deep bouts of depression. George Patton was a bully incapable of showing compassion for psychologically wounded soldiers. It is even whispered that "Ike," the very symbol of 1950s family stability, may have had an affair during WWII, while Mamie patiently waited at home for the return of her soldier. The list goes on.

   That on-going litany of real world disappointments is what makes Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain so important to the American story. In Chamberlain, we find one of the few genuine heroes, so far revealed in our short, national history.

   In this volume, we read Chamberlain's (mostly) post-war speechs and reports on some of the most critical actions of the Civil War. Despite his meteoric rise from Lieutenant Colonel to Major General in four, awful years, Chamberlain does not turn the spot light upon himself. Despite being awarded the Medal of Honor, Chamberlain does not see himself as special. Instead, in speech after speech, Chamberlain gives credit (by name) to his soldiers and to his God. Like Alvin York, another American hero who would follow him 50 years later, Chamberlain was truly humble, and in his humility could be found the seeds of his heroism.

   This book, like Chamberlain's other writings is a magnificent primer for those who would seek to give selfless service to their nation, their God, or both.




3. An excellent read. Chamberlain brings himself to you for examination. He hides nothing while bringing you through some very vivid accounts of the Civil War. If this book is not in your library, you should consider getting your hands on it. Enjoy!



4. I became acquainted with the story of Joshua Chamberlain after reading Shaaras' "Killer Angels" and wanted to learn more about him. This book has been an overwhelming dissapointment. For a man who was present at a number of important and exciting events in US history and an authentic American hero, his narrative is plodding and dull. His battle decriptions and his attention to minor troop movements are confusing and essentially unreadable. The maps he provides are completely inadequate in providing a better understanding what took place. The maps can be excused by the fact that they are provided with 19th century technology, his muddled writing style cant be. If you're looking for an enjoyable reading experience that will help you learn more about Chamberlain, I suggest you look elsewhere.



5. This book, written by Civil War hero Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, is an interesting first person look at his experiences in the war. While some of his passages are self-serving and do not necessarily reflect what actually happened (e.g., his and the 20th Maine's actions at Little Round Top during the battle at Gettysburg), this is a good rendering of one person's account of his experiences.
   
   The book provides a tour of Chamberlain's part in the War, beginning with his engagement at Fredericksburg, through the violence at Gettysburg, to the battle at Petersburg (where he was badly wounded), to White Oak Road and Five Forks (and his dramatic encounters with the fiery Phil Sheridan), to Appomattox. The book concludes with the story of the Army of the Potomac's grand review in Washington D. C. after hostilities had ended.
   
   It is written in the style of the times, which seems somewhat overblown and overstylized today. Nonetheless, it provides one soldier's perspective on the War.
   
   In addition, there are a series of Appendices that flesh out Chamberlain's story (such as his comments at the dedication of the 20th Maine's monument at Gettysburg in 1889, Chamberlain's report on his and the 20th Maine's role at Gettysburg, his rendering of the last salute of the Army of Northern Virginia at Appomattox. The volume ends with a memoriam to Chamberlain upon his death.
   
   All in all, a useful book to gain a sense of the perspective of an important soldier in the Union Army, although flawed to some extent by some self-serving discussion.