5 comments about The Psychopathic God: Adolph Hitler.

1. 
   Psychoanalysis of dead historical figures can get old, fast. This book, which I first saw mentioned in print (probably pre-publication) about 15 years ago, is an exception, though I doubt that anyone would read it straight through.
   
   Hitler's favorite painter was Von Stuck. The author of this book mentions a vignette in which Hitler, upon seeing one of Von Stuck's paintings (of Medusa), gasped "those are the eyes of my mother!" For good measure, both Clara Hitler's photo and a photo of the painting are juxtaposed...



2. Waite's book is (amazingly) still in print after a quarter century. It's sobering to think so many people put credence in his ridiculous Freudian notions. There is nothing revelatory in this book and the errors are predictable and redundant. Putting Hitler on the couch is nothing new, Walter Langer and the OSS produced the first psychological profile of Hitler in 1943. It is still in print and available on Amazon and is much superior to this effort.

   The main problem is that Hitler is dead and putting him through psychoanalysis is problematic, to say the least. I have an innate distrust of non-Germans (or non-German speakers) writing biographies of Hitler, so Waite has a leg up in this department since he does speak and read german. The vast majority of Hitlerian documents have never been translated and a non-German speaker tackles the project with a severe disadvantage. But does Waite use his innate advantage? No, he relies on discredited information, outdated sources and throws in some psychological treatises of his own, which lack credibility.

   Hitler was an extraordinarily complex, complicated personality and the vast majority of historians have missed the mark in interpreting him or understanding him. Waite utterly misses the mark in explaining Hitler's relationships with women. He was hardly a sexual pervert and maintained a monogamous, though neurotic, relationship with Eva Braun for the last thirteen years of his life. The stories in this book of his "perversions" are stale and the product of propaganda from WWII.

   If you want a steady, readable and reliable biography of Hitler, I urge you to consult John Toland's masterful 1976 book. Nothing has surpassed it in the 25 years since its publication.




3. I've read this book twice to make sure I had a reasonable impression of it. I am a historian of Hitler since my Junior High days. This review may not help you because I will not belabor the absurdities and distortions contained therein; I only give it two stars because there are some interesting facts
   about Hitler buried within the falsehoods that predominate.
   A good historian will be able to pick these out and laugh at the rest...



4. This book was very interesting to read. It provides a view of Hitler very seldom discussed in other books. It is important to remember though that most of the author's information was second and third hand information. It provides very little in the way of historical documents and first hand information.



5. Everything Candace scott said in her review reflects my sentiments precisely. Hence, I will not add anything save that, in addition to reading John Toland, one might also explore Alan Bullock, both of whom will give you a much more intelligible and studied read of Hitler, the man who would be god.

1 comments about To Benning & Back: Volume I: The Making Of A Citizen Soldier - My Journals of Daily Life in US Army Basic Training and Officer Candidate School (2nd Edition).

1. Monroe Mann's "To Benning and Back: The Making of a Citizen Soldier" is an honest portrait of the United States Army's Basic Training at Fort Benning and the New York Army National Guard's Officer Candidate School at Camp Smith. Military literary sketches are often crowded with heroic jargon and feats of super hero performances, whereas, LT Mann's story tells of the heartache and uncertainty a soldier feels while undergoing some of the toughest training in the military. He holds nothing back. Not even the heroic jargon and super hero feats. This is Monroe's honest story of his ups and downs, his highs and lows, his good decisions and his bad. "To Benning and Back..." should be required reading for anyone considering the Army National Guard's Officer Candidate School.
   
   Hooah,
   
   Rudy

5 comments about A Hundred Miles of Bad Road.

1. I've been a big fan of Keith William Nolan for quite some time. I read The Battle For Saigon with interest because I was a member of the 377th Security Police Squadron USAF that was given the task of defending Tan Son Nhut Airbase. I took part in the defense of the airbase during Tet 68. I read One Hundred Miles of Bad Road, after reading The Battle For Saigon, and finally realized just what Troop B, 3/4 CAV endured out on Highway One outside the west perimeter. The tenacity of the 25th INF and the leadership Lt. Col. Otis and Captain Virant was instrumental in thwarting the sustained ground attack by seven NVA/VC Regiments. This is an accurate account of the battle in and around Tan Son Nhut Airbase. I highly recommend this book.



2. I had no contact with Dwight Birdwell or the 3/4 Cav for 33 years, but the book took me back to Highway 1 last week. Accurate and truthful are the events and people (not the case in too many war memoirs). The photos are real troopers who got bloody. Even the dates were interesting for sorting memories.

   One of my most vivid memories of the war had been Birdwell on a burning tank firing a .50 caliber machine gun until it glowed in the night, and his silhouette carrying out the badly wounded. That memory is in the book (Chapter 19) and accurate to the number of RPG's fired.

   The lifers, loafers, heros, and base camp warriors are there also, warts and all. Read Tennyson for the glory of the cavalry, read Birdwell for the real thing.




3. This Is a story of truth from the men who were In vietnam.Nolan served in the vietnam war.And from reading this book he takes you there.And tells us the american people what we never knew that happened during this war.An amazing truthful book to read.I would give it ten stars."Truth In justice for all of our vets" They are the back bone of this country.The goverment should know. When our vets came home sick and dying from agent orange.Our goverment denied everything.Even the one who gave the orders to drop It. Killed his own son.When his son died he knew it was from agent orange. He later killed himself because of his guilt.Since he was a high ranking officer he was sworn to silence.Like all the other military officers. Our goverment does not care about the men who not only died for this country.Also the ones they killed and never admitted to.The cost to the goverment would be to great.So deny ,deny, at all cost. As the govement has always lied about our vets.When they came home sick from Vietnam also Saudi Arabia.The goverment denied all of this again.Deformed babies,cancer,of all kinds.The goverment again denied our men came in contact with any chemicals to make them sick.When it has been proven that the air they breathed and the contact with tanks were contaminated from Iraq weapons used on our military soldiers.WHY''



4. Dwight and his comrades fought the NVA on the west side of Tan Son Nhut Air Base and stopped them in their tracks. If they had not stopped them, the NVA would have overrun the base. I was just outside the west side of the base next to the Vietnamese Joint General Staff compound. We had VC taking down the wall around the compound with RPGs. We had no weapons and the Vietnamese guards had only personal arms. If the NVA had gotten past Dwight, we would have been goners. Luckily, a company of Vietnamese Marines arrived and quickly put the VC unit out of action. Afterwards, we found the remains of many brave 716th MPs and other individual American military attacking the VC from the other side. I wrote a letter to Dwight and thanked him for his bravery and determination not to give up to overwhelming odds. I hope he got my letter. Howard A. Daniel III, Master Sergeant, US Army Retired



5. I looked forward to a description of this little talked about segment of the Vietnam war. I was disappointed that there was little of the daily life of a tanker and the flow of the book made it a hard read. I would not recommend it although there is little else out there on the subject.

5 comments about Why Lincoln Matters: Today More Than Ever.

1. Mario Cuomo's essential approach to Lincoln is "How would Abraham Lincoln have responded to the challenges present in today's America?"
   
   This, of course, leads to some very biased presentations of the facts in order to present Abraham Lincoln in as positive and liberal a light as possible. Missing is the fact that Lincoln was forced to write the Emancipation Proclimation in order to appease the strong Abolitionist wing of the Republican party and other such instances where Lincoln was not the brightest Presidential star. While I do think that within the pantheon of Presidents, Abe Lincoln definitely ranks up there with George Washington, and FDR as one of the greatest Presidents, I also think that a book that is trying to present a case for Lincoln should focus less on the present occupier of the White House and more on the former. Cuomo simply makes it too obvious that this entire book is one enormously jaded propoganda piece for the Democratic party. The true parts on Lincoln doesn't even begin until 50 pages into the work because the author is too busy talking about all that is wrong with the current Republican-lead government in Washington.
   
   I consider myself a Democrat and see the importance of the role of the federal government, but this book should focus more on what Lincoln did right to change his own age and how that went on to impact American down to the present period and less on what he might have done had he been alive today.



2. This is very short, easy to read commentary on the greatness of Lincoln, and on how Abe's speeches and actions can be relevent today. Needless to say, in the comparisons between the Great Emancipator and the current Administration, Abe easily overwhelms Bush II,&Co. Gov. Cuomo's main point is the Lincoln's actions and words were for all time, and addressed to everybody,literally in all lands. His thoughtful, last resort approach to war is contrasted with the current deceptive drive to war in Iraq. Cuomo suggests that FDR and Lincoln had a lot in common in attempting to aid those who have troubles helping themselves. He also states that Lincoln's ecumenical religious approach is in sharp contrast to today's GOP. All in all, a thoughtful argument, and the author's criticisms are never overwrought. In fact, he seems to make a special effort to maintain civility throughout the book.



3. This book should be required reading for todays politicans. It gives the reader an understanding of the mistakes being made by the government today.



4. Cuomo applies the moral and rational perspective of Lincoln to the present day issues. Needless to day he does not find Bush & Co in line with what he thinks Lincoln would have done. He contrasts Lincoln's consistent evoking of a higher moral purpose, and his intellectual integrity to what we have now. The book ends with a draft of what Lincoln might have said to Congress in 2004 if he'd been newly elected.
   
   People who dislike this book call it a screed, full of Bush-bashing, etc. To which I say "the facts are biased." However, any fair reading of Lincoln's morality, his invoking of religion, and of course, his eloquence all are in evident contrast to the current leader.
   
   Cuomo's suggestion for Lincoln's 2004 State of the Union address contains this: "What constitutes the bulwark of our own liberty and independence? It is not our frowning battlements, our bristling sea coasts, our missiles, or the strength of our gallant and disciplined armed forces. These are not our most important safeguard against the terrorizing of our fair land: Our principal reliance must be on the love of liberty which God has planted in our bosoms."
   
   In the moral wasteland we now find ourselves, it is good to be reminded that we, at least once in our history, had a leader that could summon us to consider our situation from the highest moral perspective.



5. Former New York Governor Mario Cuomo, one of the most prominent figures in Democratic Party politics of the late 20th century, has written several books since leaving office about his view of current American politics. In Why Lincoln Matters Today More Than Ever, he does so again, but this time through the lens of the past through the eyes of Abraham Lincoln. Cuomo argues that while Lincoln died in 1865, the usefulness of his view of America is still very much alive. Cuomo sheds light both on how Lincoln developed and articulated his views and on how Lincoln's view of society might be used to analyze current American political issues, including the war in Iraq.
   
   How much the reader enjoys this book will depend on what he or she expects to find here. The title might suggest that Cuomo is offering a non-ideological general examination of Lincoln's significance in modern decades in general. That reader might be disappointed in this book. But if the reader is looking for a book by an articulate, prominent liberal who knows and admires Lincoln and who applies what he believes are Lincoln's lessons about very specific political issues, then he or she will enjoy this book very much. Readers who've enjoyed Cuomo's earlier analyses of American politics such as Reason To Believe will enjoy this book, too.
   
   Like Reason To Believe, this book offers Cuomo's view of current politics, but this book does so with an eye toward answering the question: what would Lincoln say about that? Not surprisingly, Cuomo argues that Lincoln would agree with a modern liberal perspective on a wide range of issues facing America going into the 2004 presidential election. More importantly, he argues that President George W. Bush--like Lincoln, a Republican wartime president--has not operated according to Lincoln's principles on a wide range of topics. And, all the worse for Cuomo, where Bush has followed Lincoln's lead, he's done so on the issues where Lincoln didn't proceed as Cuomo thought best--particularly in the efforts to curb civil liberties during wartime by both presidents.
   
   The 2004 election, which Cuomo clearly had in mind when writing this book, was a notably polarizing one in the eyes of many. Partisan reaction to this book will almost certainly break down along the same lines. What's more, the issues discussed here are still very current today, as are the divisions. Cuomo's use of Lincoln in these debates may need to be taken with a grain of salt, but his command of Lincoln and strong ability as a writer means he makes his case very effectively for the most part. While this book will certainly provide ammunition for liberals in current American politics, it will also provide food for thought--or for argument--for people of all political stripes with an interest in the American politics of the past, present and future. More importantly, it is a fresh reminder of how enduring and relevant the views of Lincoln remain--a point on which both Democrats and Republicans for once can agree.

4 comments about Brave Men.

1. This is an outstanding book about one of the greatest soldiers ever! Read this book. It is excellent--gripping--full of great lessons on leadership and military techniques. If you're not in the military, but like military history, you would also like this book. It is stock full of war stories and great tales of feats that are just absolutely amazing! Read this book. It's a keeper. Hack's stories and lessons learned help me every day as I lead my platoon...2 miles from North Korea.



2. I don't read many action books or novels, but I love this book!
   A very perceptive, quick thinker caught in "The Most Dangerous
   Game" - human War). The book HAS to be read for one to have an opinion, a personal one.

   The veracity of his accounts has many endorsements and no rebuttals, as far as I can tell. To this day he has maintained a high visibility, and mud slingers would have no trouble sighting this target.

   Bill Schaefer




3. This book, "Brave Men," is pretty much just a reprint of his autobiography, "About Face." Save your money and buy "About Face."
   Otherwise, they are both good reads, factual, and realistic, if somewhat opinionated. One caution: Col. Hackworth does not hesitate to give strong opinions in areas in which he is not qualified, such as the Sherman tank.



4. Truly a American hero! David Hackworth was only 15 years old when he first went into the service. He later found himself having to fight in a deadly war with death and hurt all around him. Not only did he survive he came out as the most decorated man alive today. Read about Hackworth and learn how he had to fight to stay alive in a place where it's kill or be killed. I know it's a harsh term but it was true read this book and find yourself on the front line of a bloody and body/mind testing war. Worth the money any day of the week, good reading.

3 comments about 24 MAU: 1983: A Marine Looks Back at the Peacekeeping Mission to Beirut, Lebanon.

1. As an American Studies and Education major at Rowan University, I am often required to read books on pivotal events in the history of our country. I find most of them to be tedious and written in such a language that they are difficult to follow. THIS IS NOT ONE OF THOSE BOOKS! Mr. Dolphin, you've written an insightful and poignant recall of the events that occurred during your time in Beirut. I was a teenager when these events occurred and knew only what I remember seeing on the news. Your first hand account brought me a new found clarity on the lives of Marines stationed outside of the U.S. borders. My nephew is a Lance Corporal and is presently stationed at Camp Lejeune, NC. He recently returned from Iraq, so I will be sending him this book before he returns to Iraq in September. I feel blessed to have gotten an autographed copy here on [...] and I will treasure it always...
   Penny Kowalski, Williamstown, New Jersey



2. This is the story of the United States Marine Corps barracks in Beirut that was destroyed by a suicide truck-bomb. It is not a history; it is a memoir. It is the recollections of the author with respect to what he saw, heard, felt and otherwise sensed during the course of this horrific event. The author was a junior officer in the 24th Marine Amphibious Unit, the second in command of the communications section. He was well situated to observe the operations of his battalion. This memoir humanizes the members of the 24th MAU.
   
   The reader gets to know many of the Marines, their likes and dislikes. We feel the oppressive heat and humidity. We sense the danger in the armed militia organizations that are ravaging Beirut and the surrounding area. We get to know the challenges of dealing with senior officers and senior staff NCOs. And we get some small sense of what it was like when a five-ton bomb detonated at daybreak and destroyed the Marine barracks, killing 241 of its occupants. The before-and-after photos of the building provide a dramatic contrast.
   
   It is a powerful reminiscence that will appeal to anyone who has spent time in the military, particularly the Marine Corps.
   
   Like any memoir, the scope of this work is limited by the limitations experienced by the author. A junior officer was not privy to the considerations and objectives of presidents, diplomats or even his own commanding officer. His was but to do and die; but that applies to all of us. His story is his story -- and it is well worth reading.
   
   There are little things in this book that tend to become annoying. For example, the author repeatedly dismisses embarrassing and offensive incidents provoked by senior officers, and calls them "lessons in leadership." Bullshit!
   
   One questionable aspect of the book is in the last chapter and its unfounded reliance on a decision of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia as the final authority for facts that place responsibility for the bombing on Iran. The court case was one in which victims of the bombing, including the author, sought money damages from Iran as compensation for their injuries. The case was not contested and the testimony of FBI personnel and other "expert" witnesses was not subject to the scrutiny of cross-examination. By the way, the term "expert witness" does not mean a person who is highly qualified; it means one who is minimally qualified. Interestingly, the author makes no mention of the fact that he is one of the claimants in that case.



3. I will never forget the smell of bodies everywhere and the smoke and carnage, yes i can identify with 9-11, i was about 19 then and i remember for the first 3 months living in fear for my life then slipping into a routine of knowing each day could be my last.
   i was just a young pfc unsure as to why we were there. serving also as net control taking and authenticating calls for fire from an entire fleet battle group which included the uss new jersey, i used to think what if they new i was just 19

1 comments about Panzer Commanders of the Western Front: German Tank Generals in World War II (Stackpole Military History Series).

1. Do you remember the Illustrated History of World War II books from Ballantine back in the late 60's and early 70's? Stackpole Military History Series ranks right up there with Ballantine's! All are easy reading, not as many photographs (but with all the dvds and other books out there, not that big an issue for me), and the books are well made and attractive. I would recomment this title and all the other titles in this series for any one interested in WWII.

4 comments about Henry VIII.

1. Prof. Scarisbrick has written the definitive biography of Henry VIII and his times, even though this book is about 30 years old. Scarisbrick brought an interesting view to the subject: as a Roman Catholic he was the first British author granted access to Vatican archives for his research on the subject. The result is a still cogent, absolutely exhaustive book on the subject. Entailing a practically week by week account of Henry VIII's reign is overwhelming but of the upmost help for students of the subject. If you are looking for a light introduction to Henry VIII, this is probably not the place. But if you want *all* the (mind-numbing) details on Henry VIII, look no further than Scarisbrick's brilliant work.



2. I did not like this book at all! I have read most everything out there regarding Henry VIII. I found this a very hard go. It was extremely difficult to read. It focus's mostly on Henry's policies and the religous issue and a lot of assumptions as to why Henry acted a certain way. It is very date heavy. He barely mentions his wives except to say married on this date, died on this date. If you are beginner to Henry, this is not the book for you.



3. I read this book right after reading Carolly Erickson's biography of Henry VIII, and on balance this book is better and easier to read. I love that Scarisbrick has modernized the spelling and punctuation of the original documents he quotes. I think the picture of Henry presented is well-balanced, and does not minimize the faults of the subject of the biography. The careful examination of the question of the validity of the marriage of Henry and Catherine of Aragon is the best I have ever read, and partisans on either side of that question will see that there is indeed another side to the view they favor. The examination of the religious views of Henry is detailed and enlightening. I have always had a negative view of Henry VIII and I still have after reading this book, but the book was instructive and enlightening. The footnotes are where they belong (at the bottom of each page) and the bibliography is detailed though of course a bit dated in the 1968 edition I read. After you read this book you will know that you have read a really good biography of this important figure in world history.



4. Scarisbrick's book is a scholar's book and remains recognized after over three decades as the definitive work on the subject. It provides the background for other, equally valuable books, such as David Starkey's "Six Wives: The Wives of Henry VIII". This, though, is not to say that Scarisbrick can't be read for pleasure. It can, but you will not find it the brezzy read of a popular history; instead, you will find a wealth of information that will serve you well in future reading on the subject. And it is a very enjoyable read itself. If you are serious about your understanding of this period of English history then Scarisbrick is essential, and I can't imagine a personal library on Henry or Tudor England without a copy.
   
   As another reviewer remarked, this is not the book for an extensive treatment of Henry's wives. For that, I recommend turning to Starkey, and it too is essential for an understanding of this period of the history of Tudor England. What I've said about Scarisbrick's book can also be said about Starkey; although, I don't think it has quite the stature of Scarisbrick's.

No comments about Great Military Leaders and their Campaigns.

5 comments about Lieutenant Ramsey's War: From Horse Soldier to Guerrilla Commander.

1. This book describes what barely can be described. The hardships, the fear, the exhaustion, the hunger, the brutality, the uncertainty of ones fate. It's all right here, and all are apt descriptions of the life of Lt. Ramsey from the fall of Bataan until the time in 1945 that Gen MacArthur returned to liberate the Phillipines.

   Lt. Ramsey (who was promotoed to Lt. Colonel over the course of his service in the jungle) was a very important leader of the resistance. He personally exchanged a few messages over the radio with MacArthur himself, and it was years before Ramsey even knew that MacArthur was getting his messages, as he went without radio contact for the first two years of the war.

   Many of Ramsey's fellow resistance leaders, some of them officers he served with, or under, prior to the war, were captured, tortured, and beheaded. Informants were everywhere, and every move was a risk. Yet Ramsey never sat still, and his years were spent traveling, at great risk, throughout the Phillipines and organizing the resistance. Many close calls with the Kempa-tei, the Japanese secret police, followed. Ramsey eventually became the most wanted man on the island, after many of his fellow leaders were captured. He eventually went on to command a force of 40,000 resistance fighters.

   The leader of the Kempa-tei, General Baba, personally conducted many of the raids and had a picture of Ramsey on his desk. Many times Ramsey was only yards from Japanese troops.

   Of course, when this all started, Ramsey had no clue how to wage guerrilla war. But he learned, through trial and error, and it is amazing that he even survived the war. If that isn't enough, this is a man who survived having his appendix removed in the jungle by a doctor who had no morphine to numb the pain!

   This is the kind of stuff Hollywood needs to make movies about. Instead we are stuck with the same dumbed down, recycled nonsense that apparently someone finds entertaining. And sadly the exploits of this true American hero go largely unknown by the majority of this country. I'm glad I am no longer one of them.




2. From 1960-64 I worked with Ramsay almost daily as a member of the US Embassy in Tokyo while he was VP for Hughes Aircraft in Tokyo. Hughes and two other US companies were bidding on a large joint US/Japan air weapons control project that Hughes in 1963 won. During this time he never once mentioned his guerrila activites during WW II except except a for small clue when he got for my wife and me a Visa during a visit by him to the PI Embassy to visit Clark after the PI govt had refused them through regular channels. During the visit to Clark I asked a number of citizens if they had heard of Ed Ramsay and with little exception they said he was a National Hero. After reading a summary of Lt Ramsay's War in the Readeer's Digest I obtained the un-abridged version and agree with the comments of others about his disclipine and dedication to his country he exhibited in setting up and operating a highly effective guerilla force in the Philippines at great risk to himself and those that worked with him. The book has now been republished and is well worth reading.
   Bill Millis



3. Col. Ramsey, on foot in the junlges of the Philippines, with only the help of the kind Philippine people----puts war in human terms and visions I can relate to. People suffer with death, starvation, torn off body parts, and disease. Horrible. As a teacher I may use this book to tap into my student's 'schema,' or mental map, to help them visulize the realities of war as being the dreadful scarifice it is, rather that some sort of unreal view of war as a "star wars" game.



4. Too self aggrandizing -- not objective and contradicts some of what other guerillas have written.



5. This IS A FANTASTIC BOOK. Not only as a autobiography, BUT AS A RECORD of HISTORY. Ed Ramsey tells the story of his experiences in the 26th Calvary in the Philippines during World War II. He was the man who lead the last Horse Calvary Charge against the Japanese. Ed tells his story in glorious detail. He shares his inner most thoughts and emotions. Teaching us how a young Lt. learned how to become the leader of an army of secret agents, jungle fighters and saboteurs. Something he had never come in contact with before. He made it up as he went. Some of his decisions had to be harsh if he was to survive. This book opens up to us a world which little was known about before, and because of that heros went unacknownledged and villians undespised. But we will not forget them now because of you Col. Ramsey. Thank you for what you did then and thank you for what you have written now. You are an American Hero in the true sense of the word.