5 comments about Chickenhawk.

1. Bob Mason wrote a very eloquent, very eye-opening account of his Vietnam tour as a helicopter pilot.
   
   Having just lost my older brother, who was also a helicopter (slick) pilot in 67-68 with the D Troop 1/10 Cav (Shamrocks) and A Co., 4th Avn Bn (Black Jack), I found just how much he sugar-coated the "war stories" he told myself and our siblings when we were pre-teens/teens. After reading Chickenhawk, it's a miracle that Bob Mason (and my brother) ever made it home at all. It seems that if this war didn't get you physically, it sure got you mentally and emotionally - making you pay one way or another.
   
   From a woman's point of view, I recommend this book to every woman who ever had a son, brother, uncle or husband in Vietnam. This is what our Vietnam heroes went through for US ... somehow, a mere "thank you" will never be enough.
   
   Welcome home, Bob. Thanks for all you gave up for us.



2. I have read many military books. This is the best one I have ever read. I suggest the sequel "back in the life" as well as "Weapon" and "Solo". Anything written by Mason is good.



3. As the cover says, "The best book to come out of Vietnam". This is a hard hitting book which is very well described. Approx. 50 pages in, you are already riding in the chopper with 'Bob' Mason. A sorry tale but a very true one.



4. Read it in six days. Kept my interest. Hope Mason's life is going better these days.



5. I finished reading Chickenhawk last night just a few minutes after midnight, July 4, 2008. I feel like I oughta apologize to its author, Bob Mason, for taking 25 years to "discover" his excellent account of one man's horrific wartime experiences in Vietnam over 40 years ago. Sam Hynes, author of the equally excellent WWII pilot's memoir, Flights of Passage, once told me that one of the most important ingredients in a memoir is that the narrator be likeable. Chickenhawk has that most vital element, for Bob Mason is as likeable a guy as you'll find in the literature of war, and his prose is absolutely real and riveting as he tells of his whirling descent into the madness that was Vietnam. His final chapter summarizes the kind of confusing nightmare his life became upon his return home, as he struggled to understand and survive this thing now commonly known as PTSD. I like this guy. In fact I like him well enough that I will try to find a copy of his out-of-print sequel to Chickenhawk. It may take a while, but I'll be back to comment on that one too. In the meantime, I urge anyone who enjoys good writing of any kind to read this book. It's the real deal. - Tim Bazzett, author of SoldierBoy: At Play in the ASA (RatholeBooks.com)

5 comments about Five Years to Freedom: The True Story of a Vietnam POW.

1. I served with 1st SFG during Vietnam. I knew Nick and the young soldiers knew about his experience as a POW. He was a fine and well respected leader within the SF community. The book is exciting and takes its' place within the accurate historical realm. To set the record straight there were plans in the making and at least one effort to rescue Nick. Also suggest reading "Raider" about CSM Gallen C. Kittleson who had been selected as part of the rescue attempt for Nick. Also suggest reading "Code Name Columbus."



2. Incredible story of this man and other POW's in Vietnam. This is one of, if not the best, books I've ever read. One of the many points I took away was how the will to live sustained Nick Rowe and so many others. Maybe more so, it gave me an appreciation for the freedoms we take so much for granted. I finihed the book days ago, and can't get it out of my mind. Great book, Great leasons, Great man.



3. This book should be on everyone's "must read" list. It should also be on the must read list for evey high school student. This book is very well written and easy to follow. It is also very hard to put down once you start reading it. Being a Vietnam War Veteran myself, I would highly recomend this book to anyone.



4. Interesting but written more as a novel and not as an actual recount of his 5 year imprisonment in the hands of the North Vietnamese. The minute detail of his every recollection during his 5 years of captivity makes it difficult to believe that he himself wrote his memoirs. Nevertheless I salute him for his bravery, his will to survive and service to his country.



5. James Rowe's story is one that makes you appreciate how good we have things in our day to day lives. I love POW tales because I am always hoping the person(s) can find a way to escape to freedom. This story was fine but I would say a little darker & more depressing than most POW tales I have read.

5 comments about Delta Force: The Army's Elite Counterterrorist Unit.

1. The book was in excellant condition, arrived on time.



2. If I had not read Eric Haney's book "Inside Delta Force" before I read this one, I probably would have loved it. The inherent problem is that both books cover roughly the same time frame, with Beckwith's book beginning earlier (going back to Vietnam inspirations) and ending while Haney was still in Delta. Both books provide detailed coverage of Operation Eagle Claw, which can be a little redundant, but that's no one's fault really. What I liked about Beckwith's book was the understanding it gave about where the idea for Delta came from, what his operational credibility was, and the intense opposition he faced in birthing this elite unit. Some folks will be bored with the various political machinations at work, but I found it interesting to see how something like this comes to be. Less interesting to me was Beckwith's account of Selection and the like because he didn't have to go through it like Haney did. I'd definitely recommend this book, but if you only want to read ONE book on Delta, I'd recommend Haney's first. And while there is certainly some overlap in information between the two works, I read them back to back and still enjoyed them.



3. I really enjoyed this book. It gives a great history of the formation of Delta Force, but if you are only going to read one book on the subject; INSIDE DELTA FORCE by Eric Haney is much better. That said, this book is a page-turner and well written. There's a bit of self-congratulation; but Beckwith was an impressive individual.



4. Easy reading; interesting how a new unit has difficulty in coming of age in the armed forces; read this first then follow it up with "Inside Delta Force" which will give more information on what it took for an individual to function within the Unit.



5. The promise was always present, always ready to poke its head out and play peek-a-boo with the reader. Unfortunately it was never able to gain enough ground and become interesting to the reader. Beckwith's book can be broken down into three sections: Vietnam, Delta Initiation and Delta Organization.
   
   The first section is a rather dull account of Beckwith's life in Vietnam. We get to see some of the details and descriptions of his exploits in Vietnam, but for the most part he doesn't really tell the reader much. The height of his Vietnam days are his rescue of a surrounded camp. Then it ends with Beckwith back in the States.
   
   Section two drones on and on about how he was beating his head against a wall trying to get people within the army to recognize that there is a need for a Special Operations force such as Delta. We all know where this one ends, so no need for elaboration.
   
   Section three is perhaps the most boring section. We finally get to see Delta Force come together. Will we get to hear about some of the details of their missions? No, in fact most of the latter half of the book is devoted to telling the day to day detail of what each officer and soldier was doing in order to maintain their training. So and so would wake up, blow up a wall, then do some running and push ups and then go and have a few beers. So and so would crunch the intel data and assess any threats, then he would brief the unit, and return to do some more data crunching before heading home early to get four hours of sleep, only to return the next day and start all over again. This could be interesting except for the fact that Beckwith does nothing but write about this for hundreds of pages. Finally, action, something to break up the monotony. We finally get to see a glimpse of Delta as it prepares to infiltrate Iran and free the hostages in the American Embassy. Some interesting detail here, but then it ends. Nothing really happened.
   
   The book ends with nothing interesting being shared at all. If you discount the landing and subsequent take off in Iran then you are left with a Delta that did absolutely nothing except waste tax payer's dollars. Granted, Beckwith is still in the army, and perhaps they did do some missions that are still top secret and thus Beckwith couldn't talk about. Who really knows the circumstances? But not enough was talked about. Too much was talked about the set up and organization of Delta without showing what they could actually do.
   
   Beckwith's writing is also quite horrible. Nothing about his writing made me want to read more. If you were to read it out loud I would imagine it would come out in a very monotone voice, with virtually no characterization. With Marcinko's Rogue Warrior you at least got to see and feel some of the action, to understand Marcinko's character and see it vividly within the words of his book. Not so here.
   
   Because of the uniqueness of what Beckwith was writing on, as well as the fact that he might very well not have been able to write about other missions that could have been classified, I would give this an okay rating. I would certainly not recommend this book to others.
   
   2.5 stars.

5 comments about Lost Victories: The War Memoirs of Hitler's Most Brilliant General.

1. Lost Victories is an excellent first-person memoir of some of the critical battles of the Second World War. Its primary focus is on the Eastern Front in Russia and the Ukraine; von Manstein speaks some about the attack on France in 1940 and opines on what might have been done with England thereafter, but for the most part, his command was in the East.
   
   This is not a starter treatment of the Second World War, and it will appeal only to those readers who are looking for an in depth discussion of certain topics. It is not a comprehensive treatment of the war -- von Manstein naturally only discusses theaters in which he was involved directly, and the book generally focusses on military matters, leaving political topics for others. It also proceeds in some detail, occasionally even providing a division-by-division account of battles. That was sometimes more than I wanted, and I found it possible to skim some of the more detailed parts without sacrificing the overall discussion, however.
   
   Those readers who seek a deeper understanding of the military conflict in the East will be rewarded. I found two features of the book particularly compelling. The first is the lengthy discussion of the Stalingrad endgame (the German Sixth Army was already encircled by the time von Manstein arrived on the scene). The second is the author's discussion of Hitler's strengths and (mostly) defects as a supreme military commander. There is a chapter devoted to this discussion, but the comments and impressions that von Manstein sprinkles throughout the other chapters are even more telling.
   
   I had two small critcisms. First, the book would be more enjoyable with more and better maps, so that those of us who don't have a deep familiarity with the geography of southern Russia and the Ukraine can better place the action. There are a few maps, but they aren't always well-placed in the book and they often don't include all of the key locations.
   
   Second, I wanted more discussion of Operation Citadel (Battle of Kursk), which was one of the critical engagements of the war. I think that von Manstein's actually wrote an in-depth discussion of this battle, but that the editors of this edition chose to replace it with a shorter discussion that the author wrote later for a magazine. That would explain why this chapter is uncharacteristically brief and why its style seems out of place with the others.
   
   Overall, this is a fascinating read, and it has enriched my understanding of the war on the Eastern Front.



2. Lost Victories is superior to Guderian's Panzer Leader and also better than 'Panzer Battles'. The early chapters on the planning and evolution of the Polish and French campaigns is remarkable. Manstein accomplished the near impossible at Sevastopol and almost the impossible at Kursk where (as was often the case) his carefully laid plans were perverted by the powers above. His firm stance against getting German armies sucked into city fighting beginning with Warsaw were tragically forgotten by Stalingrad. His theories about mobile defence, attacking on the other side of a river to defend a bridgehead etc... were revolutionary for their time. It may have been a different story in Normandy in 1944 if Manstein had been in charge rather than the hodge podge of commands which included the discredited Rommel and the over the hill Rundstedt. One of the main reasons the Germans were defeated is that experienced, brilliant generals like Manstein were eventually replaced by yes man that far from strengthening Hitler's position hastened his downfall.



3. It is a "must read" strategy book by the one of the best WW2 German generals. It is not the full memoirs. Still it is a 5 star (great) reading.



4. German Field Marshal Erich von Manstein wrote "Lost Victories" in 1955, ten years after the end of the Second World War and eleven years after he had been dismissed from command on the Russian Front by Adolf Hitler.
   
   Von Manstein served in the German Army from 1914 through the First World War, the bitter interwar years, and the major campaigns of the Second World War in Europe. He was, by all accounts, a master of the operational level of war, whether as a commander or as an outstanding staff officer. His memoirs are still in print at least in part because his narrative powers were equal to the task of describing the military operations in the Second World War in which he participated. "Lost Victories" may provide as good an account from the German side of the War in Europe as we are likely to get from a participant. His understanding of the huge battle waged over an immense manuever space in Western Russia is almost as unique as the nature of the fighting itself. If his account is tinged with some "I" and "me", that is perhaps to be forgiven in an autobiography by a man who saw all too clearly the wasted strategic opportunities to conduct a war with a defined and achievable political purpose.
   
   This book is highly recommended to students of the military art and of the Second World War.



5. Let me first say, that I am one of those who considers Field Marshal Erik von Manstein one of the best operational minds to have fought in the Second World War. His achievment in the post-Stalingrad months (Dec 1942- Feb 1943) will go down as a classic in mobile warefare. Enough has been written about his 1939 operational plan to invade France to fill a volume. In short, he was the consumate military professional.
   
   Which is why it pains me to offer only a 3 rating to his memiors. Don't get me wrong. The memior reads very well; the translation is excellent, and the prose is easy. My main complaint lies with the memior's content. I first read Lost Victories twenty years ago and took most of what Manstein wrote as fact. However, as I read more and more about not only the Wehrmacht, Germany, and Hitler, I began to doubt the narrative that von Manstein and the Feld Herren as a whole have been put to paper. This memior is long on ommisions, and short on introspection. Like other senior officers, Manstein piles the blame on the most senior Wehrmacht leadership while conviently excusing himself. The sad fact remains that von Manstein rarely vocalized any complaints concerning the Nazis treatment of men like Fritsch or Bloomberg (his former superiors sacked by Hitler), the introduction of the swatiska on thier uniforms, the establishment of the Waffen SS, or the treatment of Polish civilians, Jew, or captured officers. In his memiors, Manstein does take a few pages to offer his criticisms of Keitel (OKW) and von Braunstisch (OKH), yet not once did he explicitly critique in name the poor tactical generalship of either General Hoepner -the 4th Panzer Army Commander and his immediate commander during the initial stages of Barbarossa, or Field Marshall von Leeb -the overall commander of the Northern Army Group. This I thought was rather odd considering that these 2 men at that stage of the war still excercised complete freedom of movement. Manstein vaguely critiques the "High Command" (ie either the OKH or Hitler himself). Like other generals, Manstein leveled his stongest critiques on those that were dead, and thus couldn't defend themselves.
   
   The Chapters covering Stalingrad at the battles along the Don are the most dramatic of the memior. Many do find fault with Manstein's decision not to relieve General Paulus of command of the 6th Army in November-December 1942. This was a period of high drama and emotion, when as most experts believe that the 6th Army could have broken out of Stalingrad. It was also the period of greatest danger when the entire front was collapsing back to Rostov. Manstein's reasons for not relieving Paulus are clear enough -namely he didn't have the authority to do so. The other reason, which he barely skirts around is the fact that the Soviets had nearly a half million men, 3000 guns, and 2000 tanks around Stalingrad. If the 6th Army did breakout, this vast force would be unleashed and the entire Don Bend as well as von Kleists Army Group in the Kuban would have been become a giant tomb for the Germans. Manstein after the war could have offered this terrible but truthful fact to the public, but instead said the sacrifice of the 180,000 men of the 6th Army was never an option. Somehow I do not believe him.
   
   The last area of criticism is leveled at von Manstein's decision to back Zeitzler's (OKH) and Hitler's decision to strike at Kursk. In his memiors, he does say he strongly desired to wait until the Soviets struck first and then offer a counter blow on "the back hand". That is, he wished to conduct another mobile counter attack like he did earlier in March at Kharkov - this time from the Northwest and drive the Soviets offensive forces Southward into the Black Sea. This operation, brilliant in conception and most probably would have had sufficient motorized forces to execute was never considered. Hitler couldn't stomach the idea of giving another inch of territory (Manstein's plans included a planned withdraw initially so he could spring his trap), instead followed Zeitzler's idea of a pincer attack on the Kursk sailent. For some reason, von Manstein allowed himself to initially concur. Again, I find this strange. Manstein never was one to keep quiet when considering other people's failures. OKH's Kursks attack lacked imagination, was totally predictable and lacked any strategic value. On paper it looked like the "safe" plan. Even if it was successfull, Manstein, Zeitzler, Guderian, and most of all Hitler knew the Soviets had sufficient strength to bleed the outnumbered German's white. Manstein's plan, on the other hand, had all of the makings of a classic battle of annihilation, which could have bought Hitler another year, or maybe even a stalemate in the East.Yet, Manstein offered little defense of his plan.
   
   Finally, von Manstein like Guderian, Halder, Kluge, Rundstedt, et als. said he had no prior knowledge of the Final Solution, Russian Slave Labour, and the killing of POWs. He says very little, but does offer up evidence of the Soviet's own crimes while he commanded the 56th Panzer Corps in the Courland. As time goes by, I find this harder and harder to believe.
   
   Overall, the reader will have to judge for himself. Of all the memiors, this one is the best written, and there are many times where one can see Manstein's genius as he discusses in his cool, rational prose the many tactical and strategic problems he faced. He is also very kind when ever he writes about the enlisted soliders who served under him, especially the German NCOs. He was never an "armchair" general. Both as commander of the 38th Infantry Corps, and the 56th Panzer Corps he led from the front, and made his decisions based upon first hand knowledge. It was also heartbreaking to read about the death of his only son in 1943. While Erik von Manstein had many faults, he was anything but the stiff, monocoled Prussian caricture that some in the West like to paint of the Prussians. He was a brilliant yet flawed general. His memiors should be read, but critically so. While reading the memiors it is also good to keep in mind that her served one of the cruelist dictators of the 20th Century.

5 comments about Last Night I Dreamed of Peace: The Diary of Dang Thuy Tram.

1. "Last night I dreamed that Peace was established," Dang Thuy Tram confided to her diary. "Oh, the dream of Peace and Independence has burned in the hearts of thirty million people for so long. For Peace and Independence, we have sacrificed everything. So many people have volunteered to sacrifice their whole lives for these two words: Independence and Liberty. I, too, have sacrificed my life for that grandiose fulfillment." Thuy never saw the fulfillment of her dream. She was only twenty-seven when on June 22, 1970 American soldiers put a bullet through her forehead.
   
   Dang Thuy Tram (b. November 26, 1942) was a surgeon fresh out of medical school who headed a field hospital in the remote, mountain jungles of Vietnam. She operated without anesthesia, rebuilt her clinic every time it was bombed, tended to the peasants whose villages had been burned and bull-dozed, hid in her underground shelter, and suffered the atrocities of war -- kids stepping on land mines, helicopter gunships in the middle of the night, forests stained yellow by toxic defoliants, napalm bombs, amputees, and patients like Khanh, a twenty-year old victim of a phosphorous bomb whose charred body, burned to a crisp, still smoldered with smoke an hour after it was admitted to her clinic.
   
   The sparse possessions found with Thuy's body included some medicines, a rice ledger, a Sony radio, and this diary. When the American soldier Fred Whitehurst found the diary during the mop-up, he violated military regulations, kept the diary, and took it home with him in 1972 after three tours of duty in Vietnam. In April 2005 he was able to deliver the diary to Thuy's eighty-one-year old mother and three sisters, who published it in Hanoi on July 18, 2005. In the following eighteen months Thuy's diary sold 430,000 copies -- in a country where two-thirds of the citizens were born after the war ended and where books rarely sell more than 5,000 copies.
   
   Much like Clint Eastwood's film Letters from Iwo Jima, Thuy's diary tells the story of Vietnam from the perspective of our "enemy." She's a fervent patriot devoted to Vietnam's revolutionary resistance. She longs for acceptance with the Communist Party which suspects her admitted bourgeois background and attitudes (her father was a surgeon and her mother a university lecturer). She rages with hatred against the American invaders, those "imperialist killers, vicious dogs, bloodthirsty devils, and terrible, cruel people who want to use our blood to water their tree of gold." More importantly, Thuy's diary reveals the longings of a fellow human being who misses her mom and dad and aches with loneliness for her boyfriend. FitzGerald's introduction, numerous footnotes that explain historical details, and two dozen family photographs complement Thuy's deeply human dream of peace.



2. The following is a review of the unabridged audio edition of "Last Night I Dreamed of Peace" offered for download at Audible.com, an Amazon.com trusted partner.
   
   "Last Night I dreamed of Peace" (translated by Andrew Pham)is the war time diary of Dang Thuy Tram, a young Vietnamese doctor in a battlefield hospital during the Vietnam War. Written between 1968 and 1970, her diary speaks of the horrors of war, her yearning for her high school sweetheart, and her struggle to prove her loyalty to her country. Above all though, Thuy's diary tells the story of hope under the most dire circumstances.
   
   The book includes a useful introduction by Frances Fitzgerald.
   
   The diary in and of itself is gripping and powerful, but the narration by Kim Mai Guest significantly adds to its power. Kim Mai Guest gives Thuy a voice, gives voice to Thuy's hopes, dreams, fears and disappointments. In many ways, the audio edition should be the preferred edition because Thuy's words lend themselves more to the spoken word than they do the written word.
   
   There is no denying the book's power. There is also no denying that in the hands of a gifted director/screenwriter, "Last Night I Dreamed of Peace" could be an incredible motion picture.



3. Dang Thuy Tram's chronicle, in its English materialization, is perhaps the only Vietnam-related book to touch all sides of that tragedy. It was difficult to keep the incredible passage of her pages, the back story, in the background of this much-anticipated war diary.
   
   In March 2005, just prior to the 30th anniversary of the fall of Saigon, two Vietnam veteran brothers gave a nondescript and scarcely attended talk at Texas Tech University's Vietnam Center. Their presentation was about a diary penned by a Viet Cong doctor that had been kept for 35 years by ex-Army intelligence officer Fred Whitehurst, one of the brothers. His Vietnamese interpreter had advised him to spare the war booty, "Fred, you can't burn this, it already has a fire in it."
   
   Thuy's first entries began in 1968, just after the Tet Offensive. "Operated on one case of appendicitis with inadequate anesthesia. I had only a few meager vials of Novocaine to give the soldier, but he never groaned once during the entire procedure. He even smiled to encourage me."
   
   Unless readers can lay out the original diary next to its English brethren and are fluent in both languages, it will be difficult to determine whether the latter resembles the writing of Thuy or of the publisher's dramatic editing. The narrative is thick but raw, and only spared by entries of exuberance and jubilation by Thuy amid her combat tour to treat and support wounded Communist soldiers. "Oh, Thuy! Overcome these pains in your heart. Be joyful...You cannot live with sentiments alone, you stubborn girl? Furthermore, unless one is a Vietnam veteran, the battlefield context of time and place will be hard to comprehend. Footnotes appear on nearly every other page.
   
   The English translation of Thuy's diary, ironically enough, was done by a former boat person who had fled Communist Vietnam in the late 1970s. He had to enlist the help of his father, a reeducated former South Vietnamese. Last but not least, there is a long introduction--a drawn-out overview of the war--by an antiwar Pulitzer-prize winning journalist.



4. ...to use Blasé Pascal's phrase, relating to his rhetorical question concerning his right to kill another man, just because he lived on that opposite bank. Dang Thuy Tram's diaries are an important addition to that small group of Vietnamese books concerning the American War which have appeared in English, and include Bao Ninh's "The Sorrow of War," and Duong Thu Huong's "Novel Without a Name."
   
   Alain-Fournier was another great writer whose life was cut far too short by war during the very early months of World War I. Both he and Thuy died at the same age, 27. Alain-Fournier's literary reputation was established prior to his death, Thuy's has finally come, posthumously. The strength of her diary is the immediacy and authenticity of the comments. She was quite optimistic at the beginning, but with the mounting casualties in her unit, and the relentless bombardment from the Americans, she turns more pessimistic, and foreshadows her own death. For those portions I would have given her a 5-star rating, but the frequent interjection of that leaden communist rhetoric, and the vague treatment of the personnel struggles within her unit, and the party, I decided to give only a 4-star rating, preferring both of the books above. Also, there were the issues that were only briefly discussed, and were of essential interest - her medical work. There was never an adequate description of her clinic, and the availability of medical supplies. Malaria, and what the GI's called "jungle rot," (fungal infections) were unmentioned yet must have been a significant portion of her work. She mentions in passing the poison that was Agent Orange, but again gives no real description of the effect it had on her unit.
   
   Tim O'Brien, probably the greatest American novelist to come out of this tragic war, was in the infamous Americal Division, in Quang Ngai province, the unit that Thuy repeatedly called "the American bandits." He might have actually have been on one of the patrols that she had to face. The Americal's bases were on the lowlands, near the coast, and the mountains loomed to the West, where Thuy lived, and were a constant source of fascination and beauty - the light was never quite the same on those mountains. One of O'Brien's novels, "Going After Cacciato" explored the fantasy of one soldier finally having had enough, and deciding to walk away from the war, through those mountains, all the way to Europe. I shared that fascination with those mountains, during the same time Thuy was in them, and even had the same fantasy about walking away from the war. I was in a tank unit that spent four months, in late '68, in the next province south, Binh Dinh. One of our jobs was the road "security" of Highway 1, and on several days, we would sit, overlooking the South China Sea, at the boundary between Quang Ngai and Binh Dinh province, only 2 to 5 miles from Thuy's clinic in the hills.
   
   Thuy spoke many times of her desire for revenge against the invaders of her country. An honest and understandable emotion from those who suffered years of misery, and the loss of so many friends. This emotion was shared by her compatriots, and has now been dissipated as they welcome American tourists to their country. I would have loved to have discussed this transformation with her in a tea house in her beloved Hanoi.
   
   Finally, how many more diaries like this are currently being produced in Iraq?



5. The story behind this story is more germane to me.
   It shows the common thread of conscience and patriotism that cultures & mankind share.
   Neil Alexander a photographer/film maker is working on a documentary that adds a whole new dimension to this story.
   [...]

5 comments about Destroyer Captain: Lessons of a First Command.

1. "Go forth and do great things" and "a leader must be a dealer of hope" are two quotes included in U.S. Navy Admiral James Stavridis' "Destroyer Captain: Lessons of a First Command." The first quote is Abraham Lincoln's and the second is Napoleon's. In both cases, a mentor and friend of Jim Stavridis, Vice Admiral John Morgan, used these words in separate visits to the Destroyer Captain's ship, USS Barry. As demonstrated in deed and word, Jim Stavridis lived these sentiments as the Destroyer Captain -- and continues to do so today as Commander, Southern Forces.
   
   In this short (199-page), tightly written "diary" of the at-sea periods in a 27-month command tour of an Arleigh Burke-class Aegis cruiser, then-Commander Stavridis shares insights into real experiences -- including "the highs are so high and the lows are so low." This work is not a typical how-to leadership text. At the same time, it is a wonderful leadership book. Jim Stavridis names names -- people who influenced him -- such as Laura Stavridis (his wife), Mike Franken (his executive officer), John Morgan (his commodore), Stan Brown (his master chief), and this is just the beginning of a very long list. The defining point is Jim Stavridis listens to and learns from others.
   
   He believes captains have "an obligation to create new leaders, new captains." He believes captains have a responsibility to project "cheerful confidence and good humor and professional competence." And Jim Stavridis tells how he always tried to achieve these goals -- while not always succeeding.
   
   The result is an outstanding leadership book by a proven leader. One does not have to aspire to go to sea and someday command a warship to learn about leadership from this book. What makes "Destroyer Captain" powerful is one can trust that every word is true. Three hundred forty Sailors cruised the 130,000 miles with this Destroyer Captain.
   
   For those who believe leadership books are not for them, "Destroyer Captain" will nevertheless appeal to them by giving an appreciation of what Sailors and Marines at sea are doing every day to protect this Nation.
   
   A personal note about Admiral Stavridis: I have been privileged to know and work with Jim Stavridis for 33 years, meeting him when he was a midshipman and I was a junior editor of the Sea Services' professional monthly magazine, "Proceedings." In 1994, during his tour as the commanding officer of Barry, Jim Stavridis was selected as the Proceedings Author of the Year. This officer has been a dealer of hope in every assignment he has served in, and he currently is going forth and doing great things for this Nation. Jim Stavridis is one of this Nation's finest leaders.



2. Those who have served in command will find themselves saying "Exactly!" to Stavridis' views from the bridge. Admiral Stavridis embarks the reader on a voyage into the "history, challenge, hard work [and] romance" of life as captain of a warship. Engaging and inspiring, human and humorous. A must read for officers aspiring to command and for all who seek to understand the "sense of quiet accomplishment" that is successful command at sea.
   
   Destroyer Captain breaks the mold of so-called warrior memoirs, those in which the author compares himself favorably to Nimitz and Nelson, bolder than Patton, wiser than Washington, etc. This journal tells it like it is, the ups and downs, the highs and lows. Stavridis' words brought me back to my own time as a U.S. Navy submarine captain: the game face he wears despite mid-watch fatigue, the frustration with over-scripted exercises, the conflict over whether to stay in the Navy, the pride in a successful and hard-working crew and heartache of family separation. Readers will buy Destroyer Captain to learn the essence of command and will be rewarded with the personal thoughts and motivations of one of America's most gifted leaders.
   
   I have been privileged to sail with Admiral Stavridis--Sailors of all ranks know that to say "I sailed with him" is a high tribute--and to know firsthand the inspiring role model he cuts at sea and ashore. Readers will enjoy that same sense of inspiration as Admiral Stavridis brings them into the inner circle of command. A great read!



3. You...will...love...this...book. But only if you want to know of honesty, humility, humor, the courage of everyday acts of service by others, and the peaks and valleys of leadership. Not to mention wonderful writing, anecdotes, and insights by a distinguished military commander writing as a young officer, a decade and a half before pinning on the four-stars of an admiral.
   If you want a great book about the wanderings of a homesick warrior with duties he must discharge before being reunited with his family, Homer's "Odyssey" is pretty tough to beat. If you are looking for a primer on leadership, Stephen Covey's "7 Habits..." is the blockbuster choice of millions. For inspirational stories of ships and men and the sea, Jack London, Patrick O'Brien and a few others invented and nurtured a timeless genre. For a personal catalog of humility and insignificance against the greatness of life and a higher power, "The Confessions of St. Augustine" are available.
   And then there is "Destroyer Captain," which has a tincture of these works and more, is entirely accessible, and a terrific read. Painfully well-written, poignant, and complete, this book opens a window onto a world that hums along with quiet, powerful, efficient ordinariness everyday across the globe: the U.S. Navy defending the empire of liberty.
   Jim Stavridis, one of our nation's most senior military officers, has published the journals he kept while a first-time captain at sea in the mid-1990s. Stavridis is a friend of many years, and someone I know to be of great good humor and a fine leader. Even so, there is nothing like the well written word for true insight. Stavridis gives brutally raw honesty as he describes his expectations, his fears, his longing for home and hearth while thousands of miles away, and the timeless bonds that develop among the crew of a ship at sea.
   Stavridis paints with equal skill in bold brush strokes and pointillist precision as he colors the everyday routine at sea, and the non-stop demands on the captain. As he puts it -- and the book is infused with the obviousness of it -- "for no one is the term service more applicable than the commanding officer who is doing his job." Stavridis describes in wonderful detail -- and with an easy but extraordinarily fine style -- the 24/7 nature of what it means to be a captain of a weapon-packed man of war, with a crew whose average age is probably about 22 years old, and the captain himself in his thirties. He describes what it is like to sit in judgment of others at "captain's mast," the navy's unique system of self-discipline that reaches back to ancient times. Forget what you may think you know of the all-powerful captain at sea; here's the real deal as Stavridis describes a mast at which he restricted to the ship a young petty officer who had been thrown in jail for a shoreside brawl: "As the captain's mast concluded, I walked out, feeling diminished myself. Judgment is the hardest of human tasks..."
   But this is no "woe is me for the burdens of command" cri de coeur. The book fairly tingles with the sheer pleasure Stavridis takes in being "the captain." He knows he is a lucky man, having been entrusted with the most advanced warship ever built, a crew of 350 men he clearly loves, and ordered by his country to ply "the magic monotony of existence between sky and water," as Stavridis quotes Conrad. An avid reader, Stavridis writes of his early decision to sit in his elevated chair on the bridge of the ship while at sea, generally observing the daily routines but benignly ignoring them as he reads -- not from important dispatches or operational manuals, but "a good novel." Why? "I think it's important to show the younger folk that (a) reading matters and, more important, that (b) it is a good deal being the captain. If I can't communicate the joy of command to my wardroom, why would any of them want to stick around? It sure isn't for the pay!"
   Captain Bligh, step aside. You have been relieved as proto-typical literary commander at sea. READ THIS BOOK and know about duty, honor, country...and seasickness, liberty call, carving turkeys for a Thanksgiving dinner of 350, and lots lots more.



4. Everyone needs a hero in life, Jim is one of mine. He is more than just a great writer, demonstrative leader, caring father, and compassionate husband; he is a great human being. This book brought back many wonderful memories from a special time in my life and I appreciate the author's candor. Semper Fi Jim Stavridis!
   Stan Brown (former CSMM/CMC in BARRY)



5. Adm. Stavridis takes the reader aboard the destroyer Barry with a day to day briefing.
   
   He shares his hopes, many fears , and his personal life. He is able to convey the constant pressure from the sea, his superiors,and the members of his crew, during his command.
   
   After reading Adm. Stavridis'diary, one has a new appreciation of the dedication of our service men and women for the defense of the United States.

5 comments about John McCain: An American Odyssey.

1. I read this book before McCain withdrew from the Presidential race. Though there was some "selling of the candidate," I found the book to be mainly quite objective. I wish I could feel so informed about all candidates and will try in the future to read biographies before I vote. I now see that as my responsibility.



2. John McCain may be a character that is currently considered either in love or hate, but either of those opinions could be well challenged by the facts presented in this well-written account of the Senator's life. From his boyhood in the shadow of his father and grandfather (both US admirals themselves) to his escapades at the Academy and then into his heroic tenure in Vietnam, this book does a superb job of detailing the life and ideologies of this provacative man that one ay never understand by simply watching CNN or CNBC. Even his rise into politics is detailed in an unbiased manner and I firmly believe that this book should be essential reading for anyone with an interest in American politics or recent political and military history.



3. An especially revealing passage indicates that McCain does not practice what he preaches, hardly a surprise. While he supposedly now supports abstinence education and favors the repeal of Roe v. Wade, previously he supported legalized abortion and clearly does not practice abstinence, by his own admission in this book (his last nite in Rio). Wake up and don't fall for this power-hungry septagenarian. America can do better.



4. This is a book which i have had on my bookshelf for 5 years, and have not read until this past month. Mccain is the man i will vote for president, so it was about time i read. It is not a great literary read however i have learned much about this man and my respect for him has grown. Of course since this book was written in advance of his 2000 campaign I would reccomend one of his more updated books.



5. Written at a time when John McCain was preparing for a presidential run in 2000, this book can hardly considered up to date. Nevertheless, it paints a useful picture of the man who figures to be the Republican standard bearer in 2008. If a better biography (leaving aside McCain's memoir) is available, I am not aware of it.
   
   "An American Odyssey" is by journalist Robert Timberg (Baltimore Sun), also a graduate of the Naval Academy but in a more recent year. The portrayal of McCain is sympathetic - military tradition of his family, distinguished service record, heroism as a prisoner of war, passion for doing what he thinks right. No wonder that so many people who crossed paths with McCain remember him with affection and respect.
   
   This is not a puff piece, however, and many incidents are related that show McCain in a less than a flattering light - disrespectful of authority, impulsive, lacking a clear sense of direction. I found this aspect of the book invaluable, as it provides a basis for evaluating the character flaws (terrible temper, broken by North Vietnamese captors, etc.) that critics have attributed to McCain.
   
   Timberg's conclusion: here is a man with flaws, no "early bloomer" for sure, but when the chips were down he did far better than most of us would have done. Crucially, McCain emerged from the dark days of the Vietnam War with a determination to look ahead rather than wasting the rest of his life in anger and regret.
   
   My recommendation: read the book and decide whether you agree.

5 comments about To The Limit: An Air Cav Huey Pilot in Vietnam.

1. I have read many books on Vietnam about Hueys and this is the best since Chickenhawk!
   If you want to ride with a Huey pilot-READ THIS BOOK!



2. It is really incredible what soldiers were asked to do - every day. The author writes a very readable description of his experiences as a combat helicopter pilot in Vietnam. Even more amazing is that his story is clearly not unique.
   
   I think that even people who are not war story history buff readers will enjoy this book as well as the aformentioned.



3. I'm a civilian helicopter instructor with about 1100 hours. I learned that the guys who flew in Vietnam did things on an almost daily basis that we could consider suicidal. This book will open your eyes to what is possible when lives are at stake, nobody cares about wrecking an expensive turbine-powered machine, and the crew are willing to get themselves killed to bail out some troops on the ground. That said, I don't think I am going to see if a Robinson R44 can chop down a stand of bamboo...



4. I bought 'To The Limit' a few months ago and have now read it from cover to cover three times. I've read a lot of Viet Nam aviation books over the years and I always considered Robert Mason's 'Chickenhawk' the standard for the helicopter community. Tom has now raised the bar. 'To The Limit' has got to be the most laid-back, lucid and sensitive book I have read on the subject.
   He has a down-to-earth style (must be the Georgia upbringing!)which doesn't need profanity (as another reviewer pointed out), an obvious concern for the aircraft, his crew and his 'customers, and a very honest appraisal of his inner feelings under what can only be described as the highest possible levels of combat-induced stress.
   Definitely a five star book - if there where more available, he'd get them.



5. For me as a Combat vet, Vietnam 1966-68 101st Airborne grunt. I thought the book was great. I don't often read books about Nam, but this looked like a must. It brought back a lot good memories and not so good as well.Only Vietnam vets will have a true understand of this fine book.The UH-1H (AKA) HUEY was the best Helicpter ever built and I we all loved to see Charlie model UH-1C and the AH-1G Gun Ships too. Frank Allen

5 comments about Forever Flying.

1. I looked at the negative reviews complaining of the writing style before reading this book. I'm happy to observe they are in my opinion off base. This book is written in an easy-going conversational style. It's filled with anecdotes and adventure. Bob Hoover is an aviation icon. To get a feel for who he is (if you don't already know), one of the pictures in the book shows Bob sitting next to Neil Armstrong, with Bob's wife sitting next to Charles Lindbergh on the other side of Neil. Hoover was buddies with Jimmy Doolittle. He's friends with Chuck Yeager (Hoover was chase pilot to Yeager's X-1 sound barrier flights). If you know who all these guys are, you'll love this book. If you want to find out who they are, this is a great book.If you don't care about such fine details of US aviation history, from pre-WWII to the jet age and the moon, you'll probably be happier reading something else.



2. Some years ago I was at an airshow and watched Bob Hoover do things with a Shrike Commander that no twin-engined commuter airliner should be able to do. Afterwards he was amazingly modest and easy to talk to. Hoover is one of the greats - a life dedicated to flying and as a war pilot, a test pilot and an air display pilot he's done it all. Everything is faithfully recounted in this book. Yet there's something missing. True, it's an easy read. But it's also a bit sterile and I don't think it truly captures the man. Sadly the 'ghost' writer has done a less than brilliant job and the endless testimonies that appear would have been much more convincing had they been incorporated in the text. Also, they keep saying Lindberg was the first man to fly the Atlantic, but of course Alcock and Brown did it many years earlier. It's a great story but might have been better told.



3. I did not know who Bob Hoover was before I started reading this book. Wow! What an amazing human and pilot. It's on my A list of autobiographies.
   
   And, if you are a pilot, you will definitely want to read Forever Flying.



4. BUY IT !!
   
   You'll love it. This is a page turner if ever there was one.



5. This well written book is a must read for all pilots. When you read this you will be taken back in time to WWII, to landing on the moon, breaking the sound barrier, and the first man in space. Mr. Hoover has been an active participant in many historical events, he even tells why he was not the first to break the sound barrier. The book chronicals his exploits and then he backs up the stories with photos. I gave the book to my youngest son, who is going to fly in the USAF, and he could not put it down. If you like flying or airshows or history you need to read this book.

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

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



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



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



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



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