No comments about The Last Conquistador: Mansio Serra De Leguizamon and the Conquest of the Incas.

5 comments about The Age of Napoleon (Modern Library Chronicles).

1. This newest addition to the Modern Library Chronicles series is not a history of Napoleon but a snapshot into this time in France, although by his very nature the man defines the times. For a short biography of Napoleon, take a look at Paul Johnson's slim volume and for a fuller context of Parisian history read Alistair Horne's The Seven Ages of Paris. This book, the Age of Napoleon, is Alistair Horne's examination of one of those particular ages and the man at the centre of it. The book is arranged by topics as opposed to a chronological history so basic familiarty with European history will be an advantage. The author also repeats himself, at times, as the story moves back and forth. But this book will give the reader an idea of these tumultous times and either lead them to further reading about Napoleon the man or work as a refresher to a previously read biography.



2. Engaging and informative, Horne manages to present his vast knowledge of Napoleon and his age in an almost conversational tone that-while full of rich historical detail-manages to be scholarly, riveting and often quite humorous. For example, in addition to learn about the numerous ways Napoleon's two decade rule transformed Europe, we learn that his wife and Empress Josephine's wardrobe contained 666 winter dresses, 230 summer ones and only two pair of knickers. If one wishes for a direct introduction to Napoleon and his influence, The Age of Napoleon is an excellent place to start.



3. For those seeking a biography of the man or his military accomplishments, this book does not fit the bill. Horne focuses on the political, economic, artistic, and scientific accomplishments of Napoleon and the Napoleonic Regime. So this book focuses on an area not covered by most authors. Since Napoleon is a topic that many authors have attempted, Horne focuses on an area not usually written about. Napoleon changed a lot in France, and Horne outlines both his accomplishments (Code of Napoleon for law, and scientific research) and his failures (theater, opera, and literature).
   This is not an easy read, despite its brevity. It is a read that will enlighten a Napoleonic historian. However, the subjects and concepts are more difficult to understand than the
   military victories.



4. Horne's pithy little book is certainly not a good introduction to Napoleon the man, general, or emperor, nor a comprehensive history text on France. It is, however, a valuable collection of his most lasting and significant policies, ambitions, whims, excesses, successes, and failures.
   
   Horne writes with the facile hand of an expert in his element, yet this book will certainly prove most valuable to the casual rather than novice or advanced scholar of Napoleonic France. It covers his rise to fame, deceptively humble power-grab, impressive reformist tendencies and initiatives, his staid morality contrasting personal hypocrisy, as well as Napoleon's creation of a new and (at least in theory) merit-based aristocracy, as well as the advent of modern French culture. Colorful episodes featuring his beloved Josephine as well as other flames and vixens are recounted.
   
   This will be a nice addition to a Francophile shelf, but only a sketchy entry text for the curious.



5. This is a good book about Napoleon the man. Alistair Horne is a supreme writer. He covers the good in Napoleon, but balances it with his shortcommings. He illustrates the influence Napoleon had back then and the impact he has on our lives today. This is an excellent book about the complex life of one of history outstanding figures.

5 comments about Hemingway: A Biography.

1. Carlos Baker is generally known as the founding father of Hemingway biographical studies. His 1969 biography, "Ernest Hemingway: A Life Story" is the so-called "authorized" Hemingway bio and it was the first book of its kind to explore the author's life. All subsequent biographers owe a great deal to Baker and the seven years he spent producing "Ernest Hemingway: A Life Story."

   Calling Baker's bio the definitive bio of Ernest Hemingway is difficult though for several reasons. First of all, being published in 1969, the book is now outdated to a great degree. Second of all, a slew of other biographies have been published since 1969 and some are very formidable. Baker's book, in my humble opinion, is probably the most tediously researched biography of Hemingway. His "Notes" section is just over 100 pages.

   If I had to recommend one standard Hemingway biography, I would likely choose "Hemingway: A Biography" by Jeffrey Meyers. I have read many Hemingway biographies and in comparing them, the work of Meyers does stand out. He offers details not present in other bios and provides fine commentary on EH's literature. Meyers gets as close to definitive as I think one can come in a single book.




2. I'm going to return this book because the printing was so poor. The photographs are unrecognizable and the type is smearing and difficult to read.
   
   There is no place in #1 for a 0 or minus rating, but this volume is unacceptable.



3. Found this first edition at our annual library sale this year for $1. After reading the other review on Amazon I am anxious to read it.



4. Jeffrey Meyers' eponymous biography of Ernest Hemingway is, as some have made it, a saltier companion to Carlos Baker's masterful 1969 definitive authorized biography. Meyers is not overly adoring of his subject and gives us a different view of Hemingway. Still, although Meyers is grittier than Baker and manages to dig deeper into Hemingway's complex and contradictory personality, he is not gritty enough nor does he dig deep enough to displace Baker as the biographer nonpareil.
   
   And neither does he capture the reader's imagination. HEMINGWAY: A BIOGRAPHY presents Ernest Hemingway in surprisingly muted tones, especially considering the almost cartoonish excesses to which Hemingway could drive himself. This is a very competent and workmanlike biography. However, its pacing and voice are didactic and dry and its portrait of the artist lacks color. Like twenty other books about the man, HEMINGWAY: A BIOGRAPHY belongs on the shelf as part of a well-rounded collection, but can replace none of them.



5. Now being well into my fifties, being in good health, and financially sound I have had the opportunity to study my favorite author. I have already traveled to his old haunts in Italy, London, and Paris (Shakespeare and Co. Bookstore) but I needed more in the way of in a truly great biography.
   
   So I decided to buy the biography of EH by J. Meyers after this book was recommended to me by a EH scholar in Paris.
   
   Anyway, what I wanted was a book that would give me insight into what kind man EH was all about. Where did he get his passion and his energy? Did he have a temper? What did he drink? What hours did he keep? Why did his love relationships fail? When did his health go bad? Why was he so prone to accidents?
   
   This book that gave me more than his life's history and I think you will have a good read, too. BTW, Key West and having a go at deep sea fishing is next of my list of things to do. This is a buy!

4 comments about An American Heroine in the French Resistance: The Diary and Memoir of Virginia D'Albert-Lake.

1. Expertly edited by Judy Barret Litoff who also provides an informative introduction, An American Heroine In The French Resistance: The Diary And Memoir Of Virginia d'Albert-Lake is the remarkable story of Virginia d'Albert-Lake's devoted and hazardous service as active member of the French Resistance to the Allied forces during World War II, and the risks she took which nearly cost her life. Introducing readers to her efforts to aid an Allied airman in getting him to safety, An American Heroine In The French Resistance vividly depicts the horrors d'Albert-Lake faced in her eventual imprisonment in the German prison camp of Ravensbruek. An heroic tale of total commitment to the French Resistance, An American Heroine In The French Resistance is very highly recommended reading as the articulate memoir of a strong woman who laid her life on the line in the defence of her country under German occupation, and an invaluable contribution to the growing library of World War II memoirs and autobiographies by a generation now passing from among us into history and legend.



2. I've met and photographed scores of memorable and important people in my time, but few hold a candle to Virginia d'Albert-Lake. Her work as an American woman in the French Resistance saving American airmen's lives led to her winning France's highest decoration, the L?gion d'Honneur. But the greatest honor for her was having the love of her husband Phillippe d'Albert-Lake, who was the reason she stayed in
   France when she could have retreated to the safety of the United States as World War II loomed on the horizon. This is an extraordinary story to be shared with friends, family, and particularly your children, as an example of how a life can be lived with grace, humor, and heroism.
   
   David Hume Kennerly
   Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for photography in Vietnam



3. I really liked the original documents which made up this book (filed reports, letters, diary entries, etc.). The memoir was good also, but a little awkwardly written. I also wished she had devoted as much time to her resistance work as she had to her imprisonment. Overall, though, very interesting.



4. There were only a few Americans in the French Resistance: Mme d'Albert-Lake was one and in this intelligent book shows that she has a good memory and a clear expository style --- and a sense of humor as well. Carefully annotated. Informative both on the Resistance and on the French scene before and during World War II.

5 comments about Wild Rose: The True Story of a Civil War Spy.

1. Rose O'Neal Greenhow was "the" Civil War spy. This is a true story of her exploits before and during the Civil War.
   
   In 1857, Rose was described by a jealous Northern woman as "she looked fity or seventy." That's me sometimes. She was on trial in San Francisco where her husband, Robert, was a lawyer. She might have passed for thirty-five. She was asked "How old are you?" She answered with dignified finality -- "Of sufficient age to testify." She was the Ethel Rosenberg of the Civil War on the Southern side, of course.
   
   Her Oriental Hotel on Market Street was a noted gathering place for the Southerners. Among the generals she met there were Johnston of Shiloh fame, Sherman, Scott and McDowell. Some of their graves at at Shiloh in southwest Tennessee. There in San Francisco, there were polka cotillions and the Southerners lived akin to the way they did in Washington, D.C. She made trips back and forth, carrying messages, and became known as a Confederate spy.
   
   Seven years later, in 1864, she looked years younger in looks as she sailed on the 'Condor' from England to the Confederate States. Rose had often said she would glady die for the Confederacy, and she was drown in the ship wreck during a storm.
   
   In Washington, she had been the fashionable hostess to the likes of John C. Calhoun, James Buchanan, and Dolley Madison. She and Robert went to California during the height of the Gold Rush. After his death in a tragic accident, she became notorious for her many love affairs in Washington. D.C.
   
   With the Civil War, things changed rapidly for, overnight Rose became an intrepid spy. She supplied accurate intelligence against the Union forces, written in code, to General Beauregard, reportedly one of her lovers. She made the difference in the outcome of Bull Run with her information, but Allan Pinkerton arrested her as a spy. Indomitable Rose journeyed to Europe during the crisis of the war to plead the Confederate 'cause' to the royal courts of England and France.
   
   No woman in the North or South rivaled this Civil War heroine, who risked everything for the cause she valued more than life itself. She declared, "I am a Southern woman, born with revolutionary blood in my veins (she meant Rebel tendencies)."
   
   This biography is about an astonishing woman, a book which will stand with the finest of Civil War true stories. Wild (Rebel) Rose was one to deal with only if you were a Confederate sympathizer. Ann Blackman wrote THE SPY NEXT DOOR: ROBERT PHILIP HANSSEN and SEASONS OF HER LIFE (about Madeleine Albright). She was a news reporter with 'Time' magazine and the Associated Press covering American politics and social policy.



2. THIS HAS GOT TO BE THE BEST SPY THRILLER OF THE YEAR BUT THE BEST PART OF THIS BOOK IS ITS ALL TRUE AND IT ALL HAPPENED ITS NOT A NOVEL.I SAW ANN BLACKMAN ON TV AND I WAS SO IMPRESSED BY HER TALK THAT SHE GAVE ON THE LIFE OF THE SPY MASTER ROSE O NEALE GREENHOW THAT I BOUGHT THE BOOK RIGHT AWAY AND COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN ONCE I GOT MY HANDS ON IT.THIS TALENTED WRITER HAS TRACKED DOWN SO MANY NEW AND EXCITING DOCUMENTS AND FACTS THAT PROVE BEYOND A SHADOW OF A DOUBT THAT HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR GREENHOWS UNDERGROUND ACTIVITYS THINGS WOULD HAVE BEEN OVER SOONER FOR THE SOUTH . THIS REAL PAGE TURNER WOULD MAKE A WONDERFUL GIFT FOR A FAMILY MEMBER, A FRIEND , OR RECAMENDATIONS FOR YOUR CIVAL WAR ROUND TABLE OR CIVAL WAR BUFF OR HISTORY BUFF OR MILITARY BUFF. PLEASE GET THIS BOOK TO A SOLDIER SERVING OVER SEAS.



3. Excellent! Rose O'Neale Greenhow was an extraordinary woman, a master mind as a secret agent. Her life, which was obtaining intelligence from the North for the benefit of the Southern government, was extremely intricate. Great reading, not a dull moment in the book!



4. There were many women in the spy business for the North and for the South. Rose certainly was a very important one for the South. Blackwell gives a very good account of Rose's life before the war and during the war. True stories are always more interesting than the fictional ones. Rose was a very remarkable woman. She clearly was important in the out come of Bull Run. Jefferson Davis felt that she could influence the English to give their support to the South. The author keeps you turning the pages in her story of Rose. By Ruth Thompson author of "The Bluegrass Dream" and "Natchez Above The River"
   
   Writing as a Small BusinessQualifying Laps: A Brewster County NovelSins of the Fathers: A Brewster County NovelTravelersThe Bluegrass Dream: A Wilderness Adventure of Early SettlersNatchez Above The River: A Family's Survival In The Civil War



5. Perhaps many of you already know about the Southern socialite who passed critical information to Beauregard just before 1st Manassas. I just finished reading this excellent biography, Wild Rose, of the famous Confederate spy and firebrand, written by Ann Blackman, Random House, 2006. The author delves into the social life and politics of pre-bellum Washington, DC. with great care and finesse. Even though Blackman is obviously an abolitionist, nevertheless, she treats respectfully the beliefs and viewpoint of Rose Greenhow. The work is a scholarly labor with dozens of period photographs and hundreds of end notes. The author writes well and I highly recommend this work to anyone who is interested in just how life was in Washington in the 1840's and 1850's. You will be entranced reading about the balls, late night visits, slave antics and agonies, political shenanigans, prisons, and European courts.

5 comments about Old Man in a Baseball Cap: A Memoir of World War II.

1. Well written in an easy to read, intelligent style. Reminds me of the clarity of Hemmingway's the Old Man and the Sea. Whether embellished or not, the stories transfer to the reader the feelings these young men must have had to go into the meatgrinder week after week. There is a gentle humor surrounding the constant tragedy that was WWII for them. Was a nice follow-up read to Ambrose's book on the 15th Air Corps.



2. The audio version is the only way to go. Do not listen if you are easily offended by frank talk of the things young men do when they have resigned themselves to unpleasant circumstances. Rochlin is NOT an exemplar of Brokaw's "Greatest Generation." He and his comrades at arms were decidedly human.
   Rochlin acknowledges that men of his generation were discouraged from talking about traumatic experiences. He also acknowledges that his memories are factually suspect. While current opinion seems to hold listening in higher esteem than talking, Rochlin maintains that sharing one's stories is a gift to others. It's too bad they didn't give WWII combat veterans a "transition debrief" before they sent them home. Many of them suffered from post traumatic stress for decades and their loved ones never knew exactly what had happened to them. A chance to talk to someone about their experiences might have helped many combat veterans and there might be a better understanding of what that war was really like.



3. OLD MAN IN A BASEBALL CAP is a quick and easy read due, no doubt, to the late Fred Rochlin's monologue style which he developed after attending a workshop with the incomparable Spalding Grey. After performing a number of his wartime monologues live, they were collected and published in this rather short book.
   
   Rochlin was a B-24 navigator during WWII and his tale of his war experiences is raw, rather course, not pretty at times, and yet darkly humorous. Rochlin is remarkably frank about his experiences, more than one of which may shock the sensitive reader. This is unlike any other narrative I have ever read about the Second World War: more personal and in many ways far more human.
   
   Whether the events of this monologue are true or not does not really matter; I am sure that Rochlin (like David Sedaris) would say that they are "true enough." They form a story in Rochlin's mind, a narrative that he feels compelled to tell. I for one am more than willing to listen.
   
   Jeremy W. Forstadt



4. An on-line editorial review recommended that this book be placed in public libraries. The only way this could be supported if the recommendation was accompanied with a proviso that it be positioned deep in the Fiction section.
   The book is like a one-man HBO stand-up show that's peppered with foul language, and salted with what may be an occasional truth. In fact, one of the opening points and closing remarks is that the author's mind will make up new historical truths. This book is marketed as a "memoir." But one can't tell where the "show" stops, and the actual facts, if any, from WW II experiences begin.
   I was hoping to add to my insight of what some of our older veterans experienced. Instead, I read a compendium of a stand-up comic's foul-mouthed, crude, and outright vulgar act. While soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines are known - and accepted - for their collective use of hard-core language, the unseemly language in this book appears to be thrown in - shock-jock style - just for effect. Maybe it makes the stage show a little more entertaining. A Junior High School kid with a flashlight under the sheets would love it this book.



5. I found this book for sale in a dollar store and it seemed at first to be an interesting book. Now I understand why it ended up in the dollar store. I have read thousands of books in my life and I pride myself on that fact that no matter how bad, I will finish a book. This book will be my first exception. Not only didn't I finish it, I threw it out. I have 2 sons who look up to WW 2 vets as their heroes and this book will not be in my library. Mr. Rochlin has managed to compile a short collection of "his memories" peppered with vulgar language and over graphic scenes. Many of the vulgarities were misspelled and I wondered if the publisher even proof read it. Maybe he couldn't finish it either. General George S. Patton swore on a regular basis to get his men to understand him better, but reading his words you don't notice the crudeness. You feel that you are reading the man's passion for his work and his soldiers. I did not feel the use of the vulgarity in this book served any purpose other then as shock value. Again, this is America and our soldiers have shed their blood to preserve our freedom of speech. I am just glad that those fine men and women aren't around to read this crap. Go Read Stephen Ambrose's The Wild Blue to cleanse your palette.

3 comments about My Confession: Recollections of a Rogue.

1. Read 'My Confession' for a first hand account of the War with Mexico, as well as an eyewitness report on the notorious Glanton party. This is one of the most controverisal stories in American and Mexican history, and the discovery of these papers in the 1950s brought out an event that was otherwise best 'swept under the rug' of history. Cormac McCarthy pointed a spotlight on this whole affair when he wrote Blood Meridian, and fans of McCarthy may want to read this to confirm that he wasn't making everything up in Blood Meridian:The Evening Redness in the West. The basic storyline of The Kid, Glanton and the Judge's scalp hunt as set forth in 'Blood Meridian' is related here by the man who lived thru it all, General Samuel Chamberlin. I for one was disturbed to find the Judge among the cast of real characters, I couldn't imagine that such a horrible figure actually existed. Read the book to find out what really happened to Glanton, the kid, as well as 'the judge'. And keep your powder very dry.



2. For those interested the Mexican War, this is a "must read" book and has been used by historians as a primary source for years, but his crude paintings are also a treat for the scholar, because Camberlain captures many scenes which have escaped photographers and those who made lithographs, including the massacre of Mexican civilians by Arkansas troops in a cave in Northern Mexico.

   Sam Camberlain was a 16 year old private from Boston who served in the elite 1st US Dragoons in Mexico and gives vivid descriptions with crude but animated paintings of Saltillo, Monterrey, and Northern Mexico. Although he was not at the savage fighting during the capture of Monterrey, he claims to have been there so the reader is left to wonder about his other claims and the accuracy of his paintings of the combat in which he lied about being involved. Perhaps he had contact with those who were actually there?

   Sam Chamberlain was in the Mexican War and painted some interesting small glimpses of life & death. Reading his book is almost like listening to a veteran who seems to have been everywhere and done everything (especially with women). Sam Chamberlain relates deaths of soldiers to Mexican guerrillas and duty in the occupation but more often than not, Sam Chamberlain proclaims preposterous pick-ups with a host of women. The reader almost senses the author is bragging to fellow high schoolers in a locker room or to anyone who will listen in a bar, hence the title of the book is fitting "My Confessions: Recollections of a Rogue". This book would probably be disregarded as pure fantasy if it were not or the fact that sometimes he does detail military and daily life senarios which are proved by others.

   Truth or Tall Tale? Read this book and you be the judge.




3. Sam Chamberlain is a rogue, all right, but not necessarily for the reasons that this book indicates. Chamberlain's accounts of daring-do sometimes read like the pulp fiction of his era. Some of what he relates bears the accuracy of an eye-witness to history and with good reason. He had, in fact, ridden throughout much of Northern Mexico during the United States' war with the country from 1846 to 1848 and was on hand to see the Battle of Buena Vista in 1847. But he's guilty of something not uncommon among writers of his era -- making first-hand accounts of events where he clearly was not involved. The best example of this is his description of American deserters (San Patricios) hanged during the last battles for Mexico City. His description does not match others exactly, because at the time of the hangings, Chamberlain was still hundreds of miles away, likely near Saltillo, Mexico. For a reality check, read the editors' footnotes; they do a pretty good job of separating Chamberlain's facts from his flights of fancy.

5 comments about Reluctant Warrior.

1. Reading Reluctant Warrior was like stepping through a door into the jungle. For just a little while I was on patrol again with 1st Recon, 3rd Plt, "C" Company. I saw and smelled OP 425, ran through the jungle and listened to the 46s coming to extract our team when we got in the "S__t Sandwich". My friends lived again---Thanks Mike! Chuck Fenwick HM3 1st Mar Div, 1st Recon, 3rd Plt, "C" Company, RVN 69-70.



2. This book is an outstanding account of recon battalion actions in Vietnam. It is well worth reading. I served with Mike before the war. He was a straight shooter then, and a straight shooter in Vietnam



3. Michael Hodgins captures the real spirit of the place and time. As a former Marine who served with the 1st Recon Bn, I can testify Mr. Hodgins presents a true and vivid picture of life in the bush, on an OP, and in Camp Reasoner. With all the distortions about Vietnam presented in the movies and on TV, as well as the anti-war prejudice of public school history teachers, this book should be required reading in the high school cirriculum. I hope someday someone will write a book that will tell us more about Lt. Skibbe, Lt. Rathmell, and Captain McVey who gave lost their lives protecting their troops.



4. Excellent book about Recon operations in Vietnam. I served with Mike in OCS before Vietnam. I highly recommend the book.



5. Semper Fi is about all that can be said. This was the life of the grunt. No amplification or heroism that was not there. This is the best book I have ever read discribing the life. Also the excerpt on page 299 and 300 "These Good Men" by Micheal Norman is the first and only explanation of all of us that have ever served and our feelings forever to our comrades. I wish Micheal could write another book, I don't think he will. It was all in this one.

1 comments about My Miracle Marine.

1. This is an absolutely wonderful book. It is very inspiring and demonstrates the power of prayer.

5 comments about MacArthur (Great Generals).

1. MacArthur is an audiobook biography of legendary general Douglas MacArthur, known not only for his brilliance in World War II, but also his peacetime occupation of Japan - the most successful occupation in history. Written by Vietnam veteran Richard B. Frank, MacArthur explores how a man commissioned before the Wright Brothers' first flight became one of the most adaptable and innovative military leaders, quick to adjust to new dimensions in warfare. Enthusiastically recommended especially for public library collections. 6 CDs, 7 hours, tracks every three minutes for easy bookmarking.



2. A man as controversial as Douglas MacArthur is a difficult subject for any author, and the relatively brief "Great Generals" series makes it an especially challenging one. Richard Frank does an excellent job of covering the main details of MacArthur's career, and manages to condense a fair amount of analysis into a few brief lines. In particular, he manages to clearly convey the problem of MacArthur's singular stature in the Army; by his frequent comparison of the general's seniority and experience with those of his colleagues (Marshall, Eisenhower, etc.), the enormity of the gulf between them is made very clear. For such a small book, it does a good job of giving a good feel for the man and his career.
   
   This is however the most flawed book of the series so far. Frank's projection of MacArthur's views forward to the present times lacks context; he does not adequately 'ground' his postdictions with references or justification, and it comes off sounding more like a caricature than is the case in the other books. Furthermore, the editing work on the book is shockingly subpar; each chapter is riddled with typographical and formatting errors (which reveals either that Wesley Clark's title as series editor is purely honorific, or that he is a magnificently incompetent editor).
   
   Overall, it is worth reading, particularly if one desires a brief introduction to MacArthur's career and his significance as a general. Seeing that this is more or less the point of the series, one might well declare that it has accomplished its mission, despite its rather glaring flaws.
   
   Not unlike MacArthur himself, as it happens.



3. In this fascinating biography, author and historian Richard B. Frank tells the story of General Douglas MacArthur, one of only nine American men to be promoted to the 5 star rank. Beginning with MacArthur's childhood in the closing days of the American West, he follows his career as he streaked across the American sky like a meteor.
   
   Overall, I found this to be an absolutely fascinating read. The author does an excellent job of presenting the real Douglas MacArthur, showing him at his most brilliant, and at his worst - falsifying reports, making tragic blunders, and so forth.
   
   Now, everyone seems to mention the book's attempt to give what would have been MacArthur's views on current events. Admittedly, this is a rather subjective exercise. But, that said, I think that the author did do a good job of suggesting what the general would have said and thought.
   
   Yep, I think that this is an excellent biography of General MacArthur, one that should be read by every armchair student of World War 2.



4. In this fascinating biography, author and historian Richard B. Frank tells the story of General Douglas MacArthur, one of only nine American men to be promoted to the 5 star rank. Beginning with MacArthur's childhood in the closing days of the American West, he follows his career as he streaked across the American sky like a meteor.
   
   Overall, I found this to be an absolutely fascinating audiobook. The author does an excellent job of presenting the real Douglas MacArthur, showing him at his most brilliant, and at his worst - falsifying reports, making tragic blunders, and so forth. And, Tom Weiner does a great job of reading the book, his voice sounding pleasant on the ear, making the 7 hours (on 6 CDs) go by quite pleanantly.
   
   Now, everyone seems to mention the book's attempt to give what would have been MacArthur's views on current events. Admittedly, this is a rather subjective exercise. But, that said, I think that the author did do a good job of suggesting what the general would have said and thought.
   
   Yep, I think that this is an excellent audio-biography of General MacArthur, one that should be purchased by every armchair student of World War 2.



5. Riddled with typos, this is nevertheless a model of short biography, by far the best of the four books in this series that I've read so far. An accomplished historian of World War II in the Pacific (see GUADALCANAL and DOWNFALL; I believe he's currently working on a trilogy covering the entire Pacific War), Richard B. Frank avoids the oversimplification, sentimentalization, and borderline hagiography of the other volumes. Brief but meaty, this book provides a fairly detailed overview of MacArthur's career, focusing on World War II but also covering his prewar career and Korea; indeed, Frank wades so deep into describing the conduct of operations that MacArthur at times drops out of the narrative. Frank praises MacArthur's intellect, boldness, adaptability, and rhetorical skills but also highlights the general's flaws, such as his being a difficult subordinate and, relatedly, drifting too far into politics. All in all, this is an entertaining and informative book.