5 comments about The Wild Blue : The Men and Boys Who Flew the B-24s Over Germany 1944-45.

1. One of the things I love about Ambrose's books is the personal history he brings to the subject. If you look at the bibliography of "The Wild Blue" you will notice that many of the sources are interviews he has done with many of the characters in the book, along with other primary source materials. What this does is brings a very personal style to the telling of these stories. Other so-called "oral histories" are bland and often read like a transcript. Ambrose brings other research to the stories so you can understand the context of the time they lived in. "The Wild Blue" is no exception to this.
   
   Before he was a liberal Democratic senator from South Dakota and an anti-war candidate for president, George McGovern flew 35 combat missions over Europe in World War II. Of these 35, only a few were "milk runs." The others were deadly encounters with the enemy, and only his skill and bravery saved his life and the lives of his crew. McGovern also volunteered for this service - no one was drafted or forced into piloting these heavy bombers.
   
   McGovern is a noted anti-war figure from the Vietnam era and was soundly defeated by Nixon in 1972 for the presidency. One of the great ironies of McGovern's political career is in aligning his anti-war stance with his magnificent and heroic service in WWII. Perhaps that experience shaped his views in ways we, or anyone who has so vocally criticized him, can never imagine.
   
   A theme in all of Ambrose's WWII books is that of the "citizen soldier," that of ordinary (mostly young) people dedicated to their country, families, buddies, and surviving the war. One of the accounts from "The Wild Blue" is of a mission where McGovern's engine had been blown out by flak, and his efforts in bringing the crippled B-24 home safely and in saving his life and the life of his crew. McGovern was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his efforts. He was 22 years old. What were you doing when you were 22?
   
   Through this personal history, and other similar books and films on this theme, we pay only a fraction of the respect that is owed to these men.



2. Not up to par with the classic Ambrose WWII books.
   
   Citizen Soldiers: The U. S. Army from the Normandy Beaches to the Bulge to the Surrender of Germany
   Band of Brothers : E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne from Normandy to Hitler's Eagle's Nest
   
   Ambrose seemed to mail this one in. It reads like a first draft that needs polish and upgrades.
   
   The interesting part of the book is when it centers on George McGovern, yes the ultra-liberal Democratic candidate for President who got a mere handful of votes in the 1972 election, who was a B-24 pilot in the War!



3. The Wild Blue: The Men and Boys Who Flew the B-24s Over Germany by Stephen E. Ambrose is controversial because some scholars point out Ambrose has lifted the work of other authors without placing said work inside "quotation" marks. That is a tragic error. Is it an error of omission or commission? I do not know. I do know it is ethically wrong. The book tells the story of former US Presidential candidate and US Senator George McGovern. It tells of McGovern's upbringing, his journey to college, the outbreak of World War II, his falling in love and marriage, his joining the US Army Air Corps, his training as a pilot, and his combat deployment and action where he was based out of Italy bombing the Axis war machine. It is written in Ambrose's wonderful narrative style. It is highly readable and entertaining. Read in January 2005.



4. This book is not about the men and boys who flew the B 24 it is a book about Mc Govern. Reading the book sort of makes you feel like he was the only man in the war. I purchased the book to read about all the men. The author could have even shown some about other men that did basicaly the same that became famous: Kennedy, Jimmy Stewert and others. He focused only on McGovern and I certinaly wonder how much he paid to get Stephen to write this book or is Stephen that much in love with Mc Govern. I can not stand the man now and will not ever knowingly buy another book of his.
   Mary Jo PottsThe Wild Blue : The Men and Boys Who Flew the B-24s Over Germany 1944-45



5. The Wild Blue is about the young men who flew the B-24 over Germany in World War 2 against all odds. Mr. Ambrose describes the heroism, courage, and skill with a lot of detail. He successfully makes you feel like you are in the great lumbering bomber in the hostile skies over Germany. He also describes how the Army Air Force (only after the war were the army and air force separate) recruited, trained and then chose those few that would undertake the most dangerous job in the war. The pilots, bombardiers, navigators and, the gunners of the B-24s suffered a 50 percent casualty rate.
   
   This book follows the lives of ten men from different towns and different backgrounds and watches them come together and form a team. The trust was important because up in the skies of Germany it was good to know that someone had your back. I believe that Mr. Ambrose captures that perfectly. He takes the reader along in the crowded, uncomfortable planes as the men aboard fought to the death through smoke and terrifying flack to reach their industrial targets in the Rhineland. Their goal was to destroy the German war machine.

5 comments about Grant.

1. Jean Edward Smith's biography of Grant provides an excellent summation of his life by looking at the areas that defined him as a person. This is by no means a comprehensive biography of his generalship or presidential years but it does a thorough job of hitting all of the highlights. I will not go into excessive detail about all of the topics covered but there area few notable things to point out that Smith does well.
   
   1. The Civil war years are covered succinctly and through the lens of how Grants leadership allowed his subordinates to achieve victory while he pushed them on to continue fighting.
   2. It seems that there is some adequate explanation of the bad judgments that Grant made during his White House years and Smith points out there was never "a businessman Grant did not trust" which led him astray during his White House years.
   3. This is one of the few books that spend some time on Grant's personal life and the role his wife and daughter played are covered well. It also covers his military relationships very clearly which helps to understand the years after the Civil War.
   Overall it is an excellent summary of Grant's life and well worth reading.



2. Jean Edward Smith has written an outstanding biography of Ulysses S. Grant, one of the more complex heroes of American history. Grant's complexity does not stem from his own actions, but from the fact that his career as a general is considered such a success while his presidency has always been looked at as an abject failure. Henry Adams had even written that denunciation of Grant, saying, "The Progress of evolution from President Washington to President Grant was enough to upset Darwin." Mr. Smith had the good sense to compare what Adams wrote to the earlier thoughts of his brother Charles Francis Adams Jr. who admired the general and called him "an extraordinary man."
   Sometimes history needs to unfold over a longer period of time before a figure can be properly judged. With Grant the fact was that for over 100-years he came out on the losing end of history because he was for Reconstruction and the civil rights of the freed blacks. When Rutherford B. Hayes came into power in 1877 the freedoms of blacks had become a dead issue and Grant was destined to appear a failure in the eyes of history. It has only been with the success of the Civil Rights movement throughout the 1960s that Grant was in a large way vindicated. Finally southern biographers were unable to point to him as a man who picked the losing side of history, and a man who sympathized with blacks and therefore was wrong.
   It is always difficult to attempt to judge anyone or any act of the past by the standards of today. That is why it is hard to condemn George Washington and Thomas Jefferson for owning slaves because it was common-place at the time. They don't deserve any positive press for owning slaves, BUT if they had turned over their slaves while they lived and fought for the freedom of all then they would have been so far ahead of their time to almost not have been real. There was no-such-thing as Virginia planters of the 18th and 19th centuries who refused to embrace the benefits of free slave labor. At least, I do not recall anything of such people.
   Grant is different because while he was President he WAS popular and DID protect the freedoms of people (which is correct even though it was judged as wrong in the south from 1877 to the 1960s). Mr. Smith is actually righting a historic wrong by trying to view Grant as the people of his time viewed him rather than those who came after and detested him for taking what was for 100-years the losing side of history. For instance, if George W. Bush has many biographies written by his supporters (now less than 28% of the population) that help to shape how he is looked at in the future, it would require a writer like Mr. Smith to come in and show that DURING the vast majority of his term, he was not exactly what one would call "popular."
   Re-writing history is a dangerous game and it takes writers like Mr. Smith to set the story straight after it has gone too far astray. In the south for instance, it was around a century or more before there started to be seen positive views of Abraham Lincoln. It is said that history is written by the winner, but really history is written by whoever happens to be holding the pen, and it isn't always the winner. How else could one explain the "Lost Cause" mythology that turned Lincoln, Grant, and Sherman into villains? It is only after carefully dissecting what actually took place that the story can be set straight.
   In "Grant" Mr. Smith has written a biography of the 18th President and first four-star general in the nation's history that is more accurate than a great majority of those that have come before. His biography is free from the anti-Grant bias that flooded the view for so long. However he also does not gloss over faults of Grant. Grant was a man who sometimes drank too much, and Mr. Smith doesn't hide it. But neither does he extrapolate and assume (as many anti-Grant biographers have done) that Grant was a hopeless drunk who stumbled around at all-times and was hardly ever sober. That such views have been accepted by many historians as fact is absolutely ridiculous, and Mr. Smith finally sets things to right.
   In closing, what we get from Mr. Smith is not a biography that overlooks all Grant's faults and pretends that he was a man heaven-sent who never made a wrong turn in his life. Instead we are given the portrait of a man who sometimes trusted the wrong kinds of people too much and who would other times have been better off as President had he sounded his views out amongst the public (especially the Cabinet and Congress). We see a man who as general came close to defeat more than a few times, but who had the nerves and calm to stand his ground. We get an accurate view of a man whose best traits as a general (indeed the fact that he was not easily perturbed in the most trying moments) are what got him into such trouble with historians for over a century. Not only did Grant wind up on the losing side by supporting the rights of black Americans, he showed no remorse for having done so (nor should he have, though it hurt his legacy).
   Time has vindicated Grant in the end and given Mr. Smith the clarity to write a definitive biography of the man from Galena, IL. Finally Grant can be reassessed and while he may never crack the top ten or even top twenty on the list of the greatest presidents of all-time, he at least can leave the likes of Buchanan, Harding, Pierce, and (something tells me) George W. Bush behind at the bottom forever.



3. I really loved this book. What a great General he was. Very underrated President. Should be ranked right up there. His battlefield skills saved the country.



4. After reading Professor Smith's Grant biography, two apparent things come to mind: the same cult of ignorance that has removed George Washington and Eisenhower from the lips of children and TV ditto-heads was responsible for the "overlooking" of this great leader; and, they, the racist, largely-white Establishment is on the march as we wage unnecessary war today with clue-less leaders in charge. This southern biography in one volume does great justice to that 19th Century and our 21st Century that stands on a precipice,serving as a trumpet call-to-arms. From the middle of Grant's memoirs at Vicksburg, I went headlong into this thrilling read, moved many times by its revelations,riveting insertions of quotes that dramatize the action with tremendous clarity. Insightful, balanced and engrossing from beginning to end. Clearly, U.S. Grant was forgotten by those whose sensibilities were offended that one man could be charged with being a Negro-lover, Indian-lover and a unifier. And for once, Jean Edward Smith got it right: the man who masters the battlefield challenges can deftly handle the administrative ones as well, without the meddling of professional politicians and slicksters. Until reading this biography, I was led to believe that the Confederacy was more noble defending the genteel plantation ways and pleasantries against the crudities of Northern pride. Like, how dare they attack Miss Scarlett! The Civil War was much larger than Margaret Mitchell, and Jean Smith builds this biography to a deeper understanding about the war and its cost. Not only does Grant rise in dimension, but he levels off and enjoys a special relationship with Lincoln that is unique and illuminating, before moving into his White House years and retirement.If one needs to know why leadership is empty in the Executive Branch since Eisenhower, you need not look beyond the enemies of Grant's legacy. The standards of conduct,on and off the battlefield, by all participants, their levels of understanding of the cause, especially their civility was so moving and numerous that one is shocked to return to 21st century conduct. There is much to admire about those times and the great man, U.S. Grant. Read this, keep it and learn plenty.



5. This is an excellent and highly readable biography of Grant. However if you are considering the Kindle edition, note that there are some transcription problems:
   
   * Footnotes have been transcribed as inline paragraphs within the main text flow. They are normally included closely after the relevant paragraph, but they sometimes lag by a screen (or even two) and in one place surfaced in a prior screen.
   
   * The maps have been omitted.
   
   * The full original index is included. But since it includes neither hyperlinks to the text, nor Kindle locations, nor even paper page numbers, it is essentially useless.
   
   * The paper version uses indented paragraphs to indicate extended quotes. Unfortunately these show up as normal undistinguished paragraphs in the Kindle version, so I was sometimes surprised to discover I was in a quote, or that I had left one.
   
   * There are also occasional minor transcription glitches such as words being erroneously joined together or erroneously split apart; or sentences erroneously broken into separate paragraphs. But these are relatively minor.
   
   Note that most of these issues aren't due to the Kindle itself: for example it handle footnotes and textual links just fine. The issues are mostly with how this particular book has been converted.
   
   I don't want to overstate the issues: the book is still quite readable in the Kindle edition, and suitable for (say) travel reading. However the various glitches are sufficiently annoying (and the book sufficiently good!) that I have ended up also buying a hardcover version, for browsing and reference.
   
   For the biography itself 5 stars. For the Kindle transcription, only two.

2 comments about Highway to Hell: Dispatches from a Mercenary in Iraq.

1. Don't let the idiotic and juvenile book cover fool you. This ia very good and interesting book.



2. I Tried to get this book for at least a year and wasnt dissapointed. Well written gunns for hire, feel like your there , rideing in the seat with the gun pointing at the door!!

4 comments about American Caesar: Douglas MacArthur 1880 - 1964.

1. It's been over 30 years since William Manchester's definitive classic of Douglas Macarthur was first published.
   What the reader will learn is the rise of a military General's son who was both brilliant and also how do I say this without offending people, a legend in his own mind.
   As in all of Manchester's writing, his prose reads like a novel. Even though it does read easy, it is well researched. I read this book twice, once back in 1979 and later in 2003. What stands out is that Macarthur was indeed a man living in the 20th Century but with the mindset of a 19th Century man.
   Macarthur's matriculation at West Point was both historic in the fact that academically he was rated the highest standing of any cadet to graduate from West Point. Also his stay was rather odd in the fact that he was a mother's boy stated by the fact his mother lived for 4 years at the Hotel Thayer adjacent to USMC.
   His Army assignments took him to the Philippines and the Western Front as the youngest American General. He was fearless in combat and used his superior mind as a tactician and as a strategist. He indeed climbed the ranks rapidly. He became the Superintendent of West Point and later the Chief of Staff.
   He was both revered during World War II as well as despised. There seemed to be no middle ground. He was in charge in the Pacific when the instruments of surrender were signed on the USS Missouri in 1945.
   His greatest act as an occupying Governor of Japan ruling from the Dai Ichi, was his guidance of the Japanese government in post World War II. He was instrumental in developing a democratic form of government. He also was responsible for developing its economy. No small task indeed.
   It was later as Supreme Commander of the Allies in the Pacific during the Korean Conflict where Macarthur usurped his authority and undermined the President of the United States.
   Macarthur's failures in a flawed intelligence of the Red Chinese which led to the defeats at the Chosin Reservoir and Kanurni led to needless loss of lives. There was no excuse for these failures, it indeed was the result of hubris. To further complicate the matter Macarthur did not take any responsibility for these said failures. The fact of the matter Macarthur blamed the Truman administration and argued for an escalation to the hostilities with the Red Chinese.
   Truman did what needed to be done, he fired Macarthur. It indeed cost Truman another term as President but in the end he did do what was right.
   As for Macarthur, he had his parade in New York City. He addressed Congress. Later he gave his farewell speech at West Point.
   Macarthur was brilliant, but flawed. This book was done very well. Manchester wrote it with no bias. It is what it is. Five Stars! Good Job!!



2. In one volume of slightly over 700 pages, historian William Manchester brought together tireless research, epic lyricism and a timeless artistic flare in this classic biography of General Douglas MacArthur.
   
   MacArthur was a special leader on the battlefield, but Manchester drives past the headlines and does an incredible job in juxtaposing the myth with fact, the positive and negative and the politics of war waged against foreign armies and elected officials in Washington, D.C.
   
   Manchester masterfully guides the reader into an appreciation of this controversial and iconic figure who embodied the American spirit in a lifetime spent striding confidently on the world stage.



3. If you want to learn about MacArthur's life, this book works well. However, it goes far beyond that in the detail it provides and the analysis. Manchester provides good commentary on MacArthur, his strategies, and politics. One of the most interesting things was the notion of how much MacArthur had captured the Joint Chiefs of Staff with his Inchon operation, which led to disaster when China got involved.



4. This book is a classic. Even the title page is brilliant. MacArthur is The American Caesar, imperious and outstanding, always posturing and yet commanding a fanatical following. A complex man, his brilliance is constantly dogged by his insecurities, his successes balanced by his failures and so on. truly the modern Prometheus!
   He completely misread the Japanese intentions to bomb the Philippines and the Chinese determination to hang on to North Korea. His bizarre and brazen behaviour towards the last days of his command points to a man losing his grip with reality. Perhaps, the strain of playing centrestage for so long had taken its toll.
   Definitely not pro-MacArthur, Manchester does paint a sympathetic portrait of this great man.

5 comments about My Men Are My Heroes: The Brad Kasal Story.

1. I am three quarters the way through `My Men are My Heroes', and I will finish it - but I am so frustrated I had to stop and compose this critique.
   Will this book EVER get to the actual reason the book was written. Long, long after we should have heard that Brad Kasal was one very tough Marine; that he led from the front and was larger than life - long, LONG after we DID read all that - the book is still coughing up the same old lines. We got it already.
   In Chapter 14 `The House of Hell', instead of letting the story unfold and tell itself, the chapter is littered with pages with sub-titles like `NEVER QUITTING', which tells us that Brad Kasal is not a quitter. For crying out loud, we KNOW THAT already. And now is not the time to once again go into why Brad Kasal could not be with his other Marine teams - it has been explained too many times before. On and on, more information which does not belong in this chapter and was explained and gone over in the previous two-thirds of the book, is stuffed right where the action - we hope - is actually beginning.
   This problem is not found just in the 14th Chapter; it extends throughout the whole book so far - but it is especially aggravating at this time of the story.
   I will finish the book, and this story needed to be told, but it is just such a pity it had to be told so badly. `My Men are My Heroes' is a far better book than `Lone Survivor', an account of Operation Redwing and the lost heroes of SEAL Team 10, where I could not get passed the second chapter, but rather than ending up cheering the good guys on, I am ending up wanting to throttle the author. The book gets in the way of the story - and that should never happen.



2. As a fellow Marine, I would love to serve with a man of this character. He is a true warrior and defines the word leadership. This book was great and recomended to all who want to know the truth about the war our men and women are fighting.



3. This is a great story about one of our marines. His dedication is so sorely needed in this country. A wonderful book on his courage to continue to live a normal life.



4. First, this is one of the few books among many on leadership that truly defines what a leader should strive to be, and how he/she gets there. Kasal's snippets and caveats are concise, to the point, and hard-hitting. Paper leaders need not apply in Kasal's Marine Corps.
   
   Second, it's about time an honorable, unapologetic account of the Marines combat participation in Iraq came out. While in Baghdad I met and worked with superb Marines, from the lowest enlisted rank to 06 and a better bunch could not be found. Kasal's book does them proud.
   
   Wonderfully written, unabashed in its patriotism, a good reminder about those who serve and maintain the brotherhood of the combat veteran, Marine or otherwise.
   
   Thank you for your service and sacrifice, SGM, and for instilling the core of the Corps in so many courageous young men and women.
   
   A Marine's (X2) Dad



5. This is a book about a living hero and yet he is humble. this book should be read by all, only then will you truly understand the war.

5 comments about Snake Pilot: Flying the Cobra Attack Helicopter in Vietnam.

1. Just finished Randy's book and must say it didn't disappoint. He tells an in-depth story of his time in South Vietnam as well as some brief "visits" flying into Cambodia. It's obvious from his writing he has a deep devotion to his country and love of those he fought with. As a reader i was drawn into his world and immediately identified with him and his fellow aviators. He describes day-to-day life there and all his feelings at the time with the help of letters and recordings he made for family members. His accomplishments are all the more incredible when i thought about how young he was. I have much admiration and respect for Randy and appreciation for his service. I would recommend this book as a great first person narrative of a great American fighting a very difficult war.



2. I flew Hueys in Nam in 1968, mostly in the 4 corps area. The book brought back a lot of memories.



3. Talk about "Take me back!" Randy Zahn did just that. What a memory! The heat, the killing of friends and the enemy, incoming and the showers, it's all there! I was there three years earlier than Randy, but I met his persona every day, 19 years of age, but much more mature. The soldiers aged ten years in one month in the "Nam." Great read, thanks for baring your sole Randy.
   
   Richard L. Snider, M.D., author of Delta Six, Soldier Surgeon



4. Sure, everyone's going to hate me when they read this, but maybe I'll save someone like me from reading this. After reading Low Level Hell by Hugh Mills (couldn't put it down!), I thought I had to read Snake Pilot. Now I know that I could've skipped it. I am sure that war is hell to go through, that people miss their families, that the Army doesn't always take care of their own, etc, etc. Having said that, this account is really a lot more about having a lame time in Vietnam than "Flying the Cobra Attack Helicopter in Vietnam". I was really looking for more operational info, mission sorties, weapon load outs, hair raising tales, things like that. The author seemed to overlook most of that though. Maybe he was trying to spare the casual reader the technical mumbo-jumbo, and make it more about his personal demons. Just not what I wanted to read about though.



5. This book would make a great movie.... The way it is written makes you feel like you are out there with him... I believe I've read about every book written about the war and this is one of my favorites. The Author has a very good way of telling a story of a small group of young men doing a job that not many people could accomplish in a war zone.

5 comments about Surviving Deployment: A Guide for Military Families.

1. I love this book. I'm preparing for my husband's first deployment and this book is a life saver. It's full of lists and a time line to complete them as well as pages of things you may never have thought about in the first place. I've read 5 different books about deployment and this is by FAR the best I've come across.



2. This is a very down to earth book with good insight. While my husband has deployed before the longest was only for 3 months so this is our first real long term deployment. We were station in the middle of the state with no local military families like we usually have and far away from family so this is a real treat to have someonelse's guidance and experiences right there to help.



3. I am very grateful to Mrs. Pavlicin for assembling this excellent collection of to-do's, heads-up's, and reassurances. It's a little too late for my family, but for today's military couple I know of no better resource to prepare for the unexpectedly difficult rigors of deployment.
   
   My wife had to learn 95% of this the old fashioned (and painful) way before my recent retirement. We would have loved to have even half the tips twenty years ago. This is an invaluable guidebook for those couples who still have military travel ahead of them, and if I were a unit commander I would personally ensure that each of my families received this book.
   
   Do yourself a favor, read and heed these words of wisdom.



4. Quite frankly, this is a good resource for a military family who is not on a base or post, such as a National Guard or Reservist family. However, for one with ties to a military community, the same information is easily accessible by talking with friends and neighbors and listening and being willing to learn from them.



5. This book is excellent to read before getting into the military life. If gives great advice and examples on what goes on in this crazy lifestyle.

5 comments about Enter the Past Tense: My Secret Life as a CIA Assassin.

1. The ugly truth is the CIA isn't now and never was the formidable operation that Hollywood wishes it was. The CIA hasn't had assassins on its payroll, even as contract operatives, since Vietnam. The Haas story is pretty good fiction though. He has walked his wannabe persona through the settings he would have the reader believe he frequented as an assasin. But any close analysis will quickly reveal the many, many, inconsistencies that are inevitable when one makes up a tale and calls it true. The intriguing thing is, why have there been no consequences for this book at Haas's real job? The lack of blowback does not necessarily mean his employers know his story is true. In fact, if it were, it would never have reached publication, and it is likely Mr. Haas would not be with us. So why no consequences? I'm guessing it can't hurt to have our enemies wonder if we do have secret assasins. For a company that's been largely incompetent in its operations these last forty years, a bogeyman assasin is better than nothing. Saddam had his fictional WMDs to frighten the Iranians. We have our Haas-men to do the same...



2. Enter the Past Tense: My Secret Life as a CIA Assassin
   THIS IS A MUST READ, AND PASS IT ON TO FAMILY AND FRIENDS OR GIVE AS A
   CHRISTMAS GIFT, THE TRUTH IS STRANGER THAN FICTION, BELIEVE ME I HAVE BEEN
   THERE AND YOU WILL ENJOY THIS BOOK.



3. This book was hard to put down. Amazing story of one man's career. We need people like him, as this world is not a place where "nice talk" solves all problems. Recommended reading.



4. Oh my gosh! What a great deal! No dust cover, but still a great deal! Excellent seller! Quick delivery. Hurry for the seller! Thank you. A++++++++



5. It makes me happy to know there are people like Mr Haas who makes life
   easier for us in the good old USA. Hopefully the rest of his life will be much easier. Sticks and stones, you guys

5 comments about Brothers In Battle, Best of Friends.

1. I really liked this book. It was written in a style that made me feel like I was sitting and talking in person to Mr. Guarnere and Mr. Heffron. Their exact words and dialect was printed. It did not read like a book written by some armchair soldier or historian. It reminded me of my talks with my uncle, another WWII veteran.



2. Excellent book by two infantry grunts. A great inside look of courage and true friendship. It is remarkable what this unit did during WW II. and the longevity of the men's friendship of Easy Co.



3. This is a personal account by the participants of the battles. This is how they felt about the war, their training, how close they were to their buddies. I thoroughly enjoyed their account after reading Band of Brthers.



4. I received my second copy of Brothers in Battle, Best of Friends and there was a blak mark at the bottom of the book (remainder book) which I made a request for Amazon to send me a new book and I have not received it as yet. I am still awaiting i.
   
   Please email me as to what is going on.
   
   Sincerely,
   
   Kali Noury
   4895 E Meadow Vista Dr
   Cornville, AZ 86325
   Phone 928-451-1998



5. The book was great. I ordered it for my Dad's 87th Birthday, he's a WWII vet that was at the Battle of Bastonge With General Patton, so I wanted him to read about some of the 101st airborne he met there...well I ordered it with 2nd day air shipping, I got it almost 3 weeks later!!!!! So much for my Dad's birthday present...Thanks for making an old soldier feel wanted!!!!!! It took 4 contacts for these morons to realize it never left their shipping warehouse 40 MILES FROM MY HOUSE~~!!??!!! They eventually relented and credited the extra shipping...whooppeee!! by that time 2nd day shipping was being offered for free!!!! They wouldn't even gift wrap it....Very Cheap...
   Again the book was great, but AMAZON SUCKED. I have been ordering from them since they were a really young and crappy website...no more, now they are a big and crappy website with their fingers in everything...
   
   So long and thanks for screwing up an important event.

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

1. 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".



2. 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.



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. 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.



5. 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.