2 comments about Wade Hampton: Confederate Warrior to Southern Redeemer (Civil War America).

1. After a dearth of many years, four biographies of southern soldier and politician Wade Hampton have recently appeared. I have read three; Rod Andrew's work is easily the best. Many of Hampton's personal papers were lost to fire; there are virtually no letters from him in existence before the war and most of his war papers were also lost, but Andrew has done an excellent job finding sources and scattered letters. Andrew used several letters from Hampton or close acquaintances that Brian Cisco did not include in his recent popular biography of Hampton. Andrew also gives a much fuller portrait of Hampton as a slave-holder than does Cisco, contrasting Wade III's paternal management with the brutality of his grandfather Wade I.
   I was impressed that Andrew detailed Hampton's amazing record as a cavalry commander with such detail, surpassing the treatment of Edward Longacre, who wrote about Hampton's Civil War service. But it is Andrew's analysis of Hampton's character and his commitment to southern ideals that stands out the most. Andrew has done an excellent job of defining Hampton in the era and landscape of his own existence, not forcing him to abide by modern standards of racial justice. Hampton was a racist, and a paternalist, but his legacy to the world was vastly different from men like Ben Tillman, Martin Gary, and James Henry Hammond. Hampton was a man of honor, who came to bitterly hate Yankees, especially William Sherman, and who never regretted or apologized for his role in the war. Although he did earnestly seek black votes and appointed many to office after his disputed gubernatorial election in 1876-77, he was never committed to enforcing civil rights and was an impotent defender of the limited success of his racial policy by the 1890s. Nonetheless, Hampton's record is largely remarkable. He was deeply mourned in passing as one of the finest of his era and section.
   Rod Andrew's biography is a first rate example of research and analysis. William Davis's work on John C. Breckinridge and Andrew's work on Hampton are my favorite biographies of Civil War-era southerners.



2. Wade Hampton III who was born in 1818 and whose life spanned the century (he died in 1902) was an important figure in South Carolina and in the American South. He was born to near-aristocracy, his father having fought in the War of 1812 and his grandfather in the Revolution. He was a wealthy plantation owner, one of the wealthiest in his state. He was also a conservative who opposed the break with the union, but when called upon to do his duty went to war and raised his own regiment known as 'Hampton's legion'. He served in the Stonewall Brigade and then took over JEB Stuart's cavalry units after the battle of Yellow Tavern. He served to the end with Lee. His son died in the war and his house and properties were destroyed by Sherman's union army in its march to the sea. After the war he was drafted to run for Govenor by the Democrats but relented waiting until 1877 to take the helm of his state as a passionate opponent of reconstruction and northern meddling in southern affairs. Later he served as a Senator.
   
   This book is not an fawning biography but rather a more critical one that examines the importance of this influential leader whose life mirrored that of his southern compatriots and that of his class. He was the embodiment of the south and as the title suggests, both a warrior and a redeemer whose efforts and politics hang over the South today.
   
   A very interesting, well written account that will appeal to devotees of Southern history and the Civil War.
   
   Seth J. Frantzman

2 comments about Wheels On Fire: My Year of Driving (And Surviving) in Iraq.

1. At 17 years old, an idealistic Michelle Zaremba signed up with the Ohio National Guard to protect her fellow citizens, provide aid in crises, humanitarian relief, and serve her country. Little could she imagine that path would lead her life to be turned upside down as she prepared to deploy in command of unit in the 1486th Transportation Company in one the largest, longest, and deadliest foreign US military campaigns since the Vietnam War.
   
   Wheels on Fire: My Year of Driving, and Surviving, in Iraq is a hard-hitting compilation of physical, psychological, emotional and moral reflections catalogued during 13 months of Zaremba's mobilization, tour and contrasting return to "normal life" in small mid-western city after her service.
   
   Zaremba's Wheels drive readers headlong into the 360-degree experience of a soldier on the road in the Iraq War. Further still, Zaremba's account is a nuanced depiction of a young female leader in the National Guard whose survival in the desert sand depends on driving top speed through the barriers of being a "second-class" soldier from an untested, "second rate" military unit.
   
   Proving herself beyond capable, Zaremba's story is transformational and depicted in part through actual letters written during her deployment which were published simultaneously in her local newspaper. Reflections from abroad tell her tale of fighting and surviving a hidden enemy, IEDs, mortars, and RPGs only to face overt discrimination, lack of protection and resources, incompetent leadership, and a slew of broken promises by those on her own side.
   
   Citing support from her family, dedication to her duty, and a fierce determination to take care of her "guys", Zaremba's is an acute depiction of survival, selfless service, and self-reliance in the face of danger. Her story is captivating, courageous, and confident, earning her a Purple Heart along the way.
   
   Written with friend Christine Sima, Zaremba's Wheels on Fire leaves readers spinning with a unique insight into the contemporary experience of men and women in the combat zone. Told in a colloquial style as only a soldier from the heartland could, Wheels On Fire will give readers a new perspective when contemplating the realities of deployment and war.



2. Very interesting and informative. I would recommend this book to any one with friends or family serving in Iraq. Having a son who served there I now understand a little better how his day in-day out life might have gone while there. Great story!!! P Brown

5 comments about Stalking the Vietcong: Inside Operation Phoenix: A Personal Account.

1. The book is not all that great, its more about info than it is about action. I prefer war books that are non stop action.



2. "In Sweden, Foreign Minister Torsten Nilsson reveals that Sweden has been providing assistance to the Viet Cong, including some $550,000 worth of medical supplies. Similar Swedish aid was to go to Cambodian and Laotian civilians affected by the Indochinese fighting. This support was primarily humanitarian in nature and included no military aid."
   
   I don't think most Vietnam veterans were aware of this. Anyway, this is a good book. Makes me wished I'd worked a little harder on mine, but then I've never really worked very hard at anything.



3. I have read a lot of books on Vietnam. If you want to know the combination of reasons why the North Vietnamese succeeeded, read this book ! Like someone else has said, what a shame the author was shipped back in '72, although one already knows ( from reading this book), what happened over the next 2-3 years. One cannot also help but feel that had America not tired of the war ( and the loss of American lives - for which the recruitment and personnel policies of the Army are greatly to blame !),the outcome may have been different. So bad was the sentiment against returning vets that some of them said they were coming back from Germany or Korea ( out of embarassment and the want to avoid being mistreated by their own countrymen !). I have to say,that as an Australian ( we also sent our men to Vietnam), I cannot get over the treatment meted out to vets upon their return.It disgusts me. The soldiers were not to blame !!Blame the McNamara's !!!



4. helps to understand the vietnamese mentality quite a bit more than other books I have read. A definate must for the vietnam war buff.



5. To Jane Fonda and her anti war friend this is a book that you should have read before you hop in the bed with uncle Ho and his terrorist gang. If Bin Laden is the 21st century is American's enemy no 1 then uncle Ho and his terror gang are the equivalent of late 20th century. To those who are suffered the ill treatment handed out by the communist after their victory you can hold your head high because like those of your colleagues in Hau Nghia province have done a marvelous job against the VC to give the freedom loving people of the South 21 years of a taste of liberty, religious and personal freedom. Thank you Stuart Herrington for honouring the brave men and women of the Army of Republic of Vietnam. Long live the Republic of Vietnam and may the communist tyrant of Vietnam, Cuba, North Korea and China will follow their forebear in Russia and Eastern Europe into the history scrap yard.

5 comments about To End All Wars.

1. I assume that this book is similar if not the same as Ernest Gordnn's original work, Through the Valley of the Kwai. I read the original 3o years ago and became a disciple of Jesus Christ as a result. No other work better illustrates how the love of God affects man than this work.



2. This was one of the most moving Christian testimonies I have read. It is the amazing biography of Ernest Gordon, a British POW in Japanese occupied Thailand. The book is more than that though. The personal and historical account of To End All Wars provides the reader with tremendous hope born in the midst of suffering. In the same spirit as Corrie Ten Boon's the Hiding Place, this work writes about the difficulty of finding and protecting the value of human life through the power of God's love and forgiveness. Such was the key to Ernest Gordon's end to the war and for many of his fellow inmates, and it is a message that is repeated throughout the account. There are many moments when such self-sacrificing love is put to the test. One defining moment was when the prisoners administered aid to wounded Japanese soldiers who were previously their captors at the very end of the war. The title of my review comes from a quote from Mr. Gordon taken from this event. The book itself is a testament to the grace and mercy of God, which offered these defeated men a restoration of their souls through forgiveness rather than maintain in their hearts the bitterness of hatred despite the cruelty they suffered. A truly powerful and soul-stirring book!



3. My wife and I had watched the movie a couple months ago (be warned: it is incredibly brutal) and been moved by the power of the story. Unfortunately, as it turned out, the book and the move are not the same story. In fact, other than the similarity of the major premise (a British officer in a Japanese POW camp during WW2), they had almost nothing in common.
   
   However. . .
   
   That was only disappointing insomuch as I kept waiting for certain events from the movie to show up. The movie had colored my expectations for the book, which meant I couldn't take the book on its own merits. Which is too bad, because, upon completing the book, I would say it is as powerful as the movie, perhaps even more so. But you have to let the book speak for itself. The story is truly miraculous, as this band of prisoners devolve into a wild bunch of animals at the hands of their captors, only to be transformed by the Spirit of Christ into a true Community of compassion and care. Somehow, in the midst of hell, these men found the power to love each other, to care for each other, to even forgive their Japanese tormentors. When people ask "Does Christianity work?", the story of this book says "absolutely!" And in a day and age of spiteful attacks, divisive language, polarized religions and selfish money-grubbing politicians and religious leaders, there is a real lesson here about what being a True Follower of Christ is all about.



4. This is one of the best books I've read so far... Though it may appear repetitive at times (there's really little else the author could write about beside what's happening in the POW camps along the Kwai), the reflection on the human condition and the supreme virtue of self-sacrifice in the footsteps of Jesus Christ is written with much poignancy and profundity. The epilogue is a tour de force for its penetrating criticism of the 'civilised' society the author returned to after the war. The reverse culture shock he experienced is a haunting reminder of how that still small voice can be so easily drowned out in the cacophony of modern society.



5. It's a difficult, but true message. The author takes an unflinching look at the evil that men are capable of through his own personal experience in Japanese prison camps and carries you through the experience on to the brilliant hope on the other side of his own personal pain. The underlying truth you discover is the genuine potential to be found in one man's selfless, sacrificial care for another. It's an excellent read.

5 comments about Zigzag: The Incredible Wartime Exploits of Double Agent Eddie Chapman.

1. The book is a great read and that's hard to find. The big thing about Eddie Chapman's story is it shows one of the millions or billions of instances in which a potentially solid fate sours when confronted with downturns, constrained opportunity, hormones, etc. Today,
   such a de-railed character ends up with our growing population behind walls and barbed wire at Marion, Sing-Sing, or Leavenworth. Chapman's cleverness and sheer luck of circumstance let him turn his lemon of a livelihood into lemonade (a kind of career-skill, eh?). The portrayal of his Nazi handlers and their treatment of him has a twinge of Hogan's Heroes. Pick up the book. I am anxious read further to get others' take on the Eddie Chapman story....



2. I just wanted to say that I read this after trying to read "Agent Zigzag" and finding it rather impenetrable, for what it's worth, this one seemed much better written.
   
   It's funny, too.



3. A fascinating read that had me turning pages deep into the night. And, the most amazing thing is that it's a true story! Good reading for anyone with a Walter Mitty complex or who just enjoys a good yarn.



4. Perhaps my one-sentence summary is a tad harsh. But this book could really use a good editor. The general style is fine - nothing wrong with colloquial turns-of-phrase dominating such books, to my mind. And it does, in places, flow well and the overall style does at times complement the story itself.
   
   But Booth's prose is peppered with errors and slips. His sentences often read as if they have been written quickly and only reviewed in a cursory manner. Booth often falls into the trap of replacing colloquial with cliche, can be repetitive - whether with word shadows or with events - and occasionally uses phrases whose meaning is the exact opposite of what he's trying to convey. For example, when asserting that one of Chapman's British interrogators was perhaps warming to him slightly, he writes "He soon became aware that his tormentor was unbending slightly." Forgive me if I'm wrong here, but "unbending" is another word for inflexible or stubborn, no?
   
   And for what it's worth his use of, and translation from, German is at times atrocious - though that probably marks me out for the pedant I am!
   
   Beyond that, the only big flaw is that Booth is too willing to give Chapman and his wife the benefit of the doubt - when a wife who has been continuously cheated on says it wasn't the man's fault that women came after him, that's not grounds for dismissing Chapman's reputation as a Lothario. It's more like someone trying to deceive herself.
   
   BUT, it is a cracking story, and Booth has researched the subject well - though I tend to agree that Chapman's actual effectiveness is somewhat overblown. So despite the flaws, I still enjoyed it - I like the subject matter, and the structure Booth puts into the story works well. The writing, though, drops it to a two star from three or even possibly four stars.



5. This biography was entertaining and informative.
   
   Anyone desiring to know more about the secret war of deception waged against Nazi Germany will find this book worthy of their time.
   
   Eddie's his good luck, audacity, and courage will also appeal to readers whose primary interest is in just learning more about this guy.

5 comments about Eastern Approaches.

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



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



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



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



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

5 comments about Marine! The Life of Chesty Puller.

1. This is a really good book on Chesty's life. Sure glad it was available!



2. I had heard all the stories when I was in the Corps about Chesty Puller, winner of the Navy Cross 5 times, but knew little else. I saw this book and read it in one night. It was an interesting read about a man who went from a Private to a General Officer.
   
   It dealt with his years fighting the "Banana Wars" in the Caribbean and Central America and dealt heavily with his actions during the Second World War. I have met veterans who served under Puller who were divided on him. But there is no doubt of the impact he has had on the Corps.
   
   If you are a Marine or are no longer on active duty, read this book as a primer. Read his son's book, Fortunate Son and Eugene Sledge's With the Old Breed. They both will give you an insight.



3. In the 70's I was a teenager, about 15, and I read everything I could on military heroes. When I saw this book I passed on it because it was about a general. My heroes were Sgts or junior officers-Cols were okay if they were pilots. With only a few dollars, I bought Baa Baa Black Sheep instead. Most book publishers felt the same as I did, they didn't want another general refighting the war for self benefit. When I finally read the book, as an enlisted paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne, I realized that this is not at all a general's book. Chesty fought in every rank, first as a sergeant, than from every officer billit from 2ndLt to Brig General. The book is a military history of America's little wars from the 20's to World War II, with an encore in Korea, where Puller was awarded the Army's Distinguished Service Cross and his fifth Navy Cross. I return to this book often and I think that anyone, regardless of occupation, will find this book inspiring. The Army has David Hackworth, the Air Force Bud Day, the Navy has John Bulkley, The Marine Corps has Chesty Puller, and every Marine knows his name. I know, partly because of this book I became one.



4. "We've been looking for the enemy for several days now. We've finally found them. We're surrounded. That simplifies our problem of getting to these people and killing them."
   
   Burke Davis provides a very readable biography of Chesty Puller - the greatest Marine ever. Although easy to read, the sheer number of combat exploits is difficult to grasp. This man was in and out of combat for 37 years!
   
   If Puller were alive today, I suspect he would face many, if not more, of the same frustrations and roadblocks to training and leading marines. His early experiences with low intensity conflict would be invaluable in Iraq and Afghanistan.
   
   He respected his opponents and learned from their strengths... "We'll have to get over the idea that we're the greatest people on earth in every respect, that we're infallible and that no one else has ideas worth considering. One of the reasons we had to fight against odds on Guadalcanal was this insufferable American notion of superiority, and our carelessness in face of danger. It goes back to Pearl Harbor and far beyond."
   
   An amazing story about a rare breed of soldier that should be required reading.



5. Chesty Puller is the greatest Marine ever, and this book delves into the events that shaped this man. This book taps into the ineffencies that Puller had but also showed the strengths that Puller strived on. It's very interesting to see that Chesty was not very strong in the math department but was well versed in all the great battles of Rome, Napoleanic wars, Robert E Lee campaign, Persians and many more. Chesty was an avid reader of the classics and utilized those images to help him fight future wars.
   
   This book should be read by all future Americans wanting to lead men into battle.

No comments about Great Military Leaders and their Campaigns.

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

No comments about Jagdflieger: Luftwaffe Fighter Pilot 1939-45 (Warrior).