5 comments about China Marine: An Infantryman's Life after World War II.

1. China Marine Gene Sledge is an old friend although I've never met him. Any book by him is more than worth the few dollars it would take to own it. Most Americans have no knowledge of the fact that immediately following WW II 60,000 U. S. Marines were sent into North China. Their real purpose was to keep that area from falling into the hands of Mao Tse Tsung's 8th Route Army when the Japanese withdrew. We Marines were to fill the gap, and then turn this critical ground that contained much of the coal available in China. The Russians raised hell in the UN about the US not repatriating the Jap troops to their mainland. The US objective was to maintain them in place as additional insurance in order to keep Mao's ChiComs in Manchuria the caves of Yemen where they had been kept in check by the Japs during WW II. With pressure from the UN, the last of the Japs and Koreans were sent home by about June of 1946, leaving a dwindling number of Marines to literally "hold the fort." Essentially, this is what Sledge writes about. Imagine to have survived the battles for Peleliu and Okinawa only to be sent to North China where too many Marines were to be killed. Sledge, because of his time overseas, was able to leave China early in '46, as I recall. Those of us who had arrived late to the Pacific Theater during WW II would remain guarding the railroads and bridges that moved the coal. And so, you say: "How come I haven't read anything about this? It was not mentioned in my History classes in high school or college."
   I have a story on my web site that may interest you: http://www.sullyusmc.com/Hsin%20Ho/Hsin%20Ho.htm This story concerns one incident that occurred in April, 1947, shortly before the Marines were withdrawn from that area by our State Department. In my case I ended up in Tsingtao on the Shantung Peninsula, until 25Sep48 when I was commissioned a 2dLt and ordered stateside. Within a few months of my leaving China Chiang Kai Shek and his Kuomingtao withdrew to Formosa (Taiwan). My old regiment, the 5th Marines, oversaw the withdrawal of US and other civilians from Shanghai in early '49, and China was from that time under the control of Mao and the Chicoms. I and many other Marines saw a great deal of the latter when they intervened in the Korean War in November/December '50. We Marines were in and around the Chosin Reservoir. The US public knows little of the Korean War, but most at least connect the term Chosin Reservoir to that conflict.
   http://www.sullyusmc.com



2. When "With the Old Breed" ends you do not know the entire story. This volume fills that gap and does so very well. It is written in the same style that is direct and concise. I think many civilians thought that when WWII was over the troops just came home and all was well. It was not so. Many had further duty and had a rough time of it on return to the States. Almost all became exemplary citizens again despite their hardships. This book puts that all in perspective.
   Larry Martin
   Gainesville, FL



3. E. B. Sledge's "With the Old Breed" is by common consent one of the finest -- if not the finest -- account of the life of a combat infantryman in World War II. At Pelieu and Okinawa, Sledge was one of only 10 men in his Marine company of 240 to escape being wounded or killed. "China Marine" is the follow-up to "With the Old Breed," a lesser work but one that tells of what happened to Sledge after the war.
   
   With Sledge's experience, one would have thought that he would have been among the first among the military to be demobilized after the end of the war with Japan -- but no, he and his colleagues were sent to China to disarm the Japanese soldiers there and to maintain order in several northern Chinese cities. This is Sledge's account of the six months he spent in China. His view is that of a Private First Class -- but an educated and sophisticated PFC, the son of a medical doctor from Mobile, Alabama, and an outstanding writer. He delighted in Peking, fresh food, a clean bunk, light duties, and friendship with the sophisticated Soong family -- but the danger from attack by communist armies was always there.
   
   Sledge goes on to tell of the trauma of his discharge from the Marines and homecoming to Mobile and, briefly, his long years of struggle with what we call today Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. It's a small book, only 160 pages, and an interesting, beautifully written, account of the decompression of a combat soldier and his return home.
   
   Sledge died in 2001 but he was often quoted in Ken Burn's recent PBS series on World War II. Sledge is a true American hero.
   
   Smallchief



4. After WWII and the follow-on duty in China, the author decided to enroll at Auburn University. The female from the Registrar's Office "slammed her pencil on the table and said in a loud, exasperated voice, 'Didn't the Marine Corps teach you anything?' A gasp ran through the crowd, and you could have heard a pin drop."
   
   Veteran Marine Sledge said in a loud, calm voice: "Lady, there was a killing war. The Marine Corps taught me how to kill Japs and try to survive. Now, if that don't fit into any academic course, I'm sorry. But some of us had to do the killing -- and most of my buddies got killed or wounded."
   
   On the last page, the author writes a powerful, thought-provoking message for the great mass of spoiled Americans (94% today are not vets) who never served. He reminds them that the Japanese soldier was "imbued with the Code of Bushido (Code of the Warrier) and yamata damashii (the fighting power of Japan). If we had not defeated an army that thought it was unbeatable, who knows how many American cities might have shared the horrid Rape of Nanking."



5. A fine book on a marine in the process of occupation duty clearly a true standout to the thousands of marine corps memoirs, and on a personal note E.B. Sledge isn't dead I am watching him on the t.v., on the show 'D-day's in the South Pacific'. This is a fine book and really worth reading, even though i personally felt he should have made sergeant and at least received a bronze star though he felt being there was enough. I personally thank all the men who fought and died for our freedom in any war, for any cause.

5 comments about Biggest Brother: The Life Of Major Dick Winters, The Man Who Led The Band of Brothers.

1. This is a great account of an amazing man's life. Even if not familiar with the Band of Brothers, Major Winter's will earn your respect after reading this book.



2. After reading becoming familiar with Major Richard "Dick" Winters through the HVO miniseries Band of Brothers when I stumbled across this book it was a must read. What I found is that this what that while Band of the Brothers, the mini-series, as well as the book by Stephen Ambrose, chronicle Easy Company as a whole, and paint a picture of Winters as Leader, Biggest Brother gives a give us so much more. And more than advertised, Biggest Brother gives lessons on leadership that are applicable to any and everyone in a position of leadership.
   Winters' abnormal ascent through the ranks during WW2 had everything to do with the type of combat leader he was and the respect he had among his subordinates and his superiors. He not only earned respect during the war but also long after his career in the army was over those who came in contact with the man were drawn to him.
   While possessing natural qualities of leadership this book also shows a Lieutenant who was dedicated to fashioning himself as a leader. At one point during the war spending time alone reflecting on everything he could do become a better leader.
   From inspiring a mutiny against a superior officer, which he was 100 percent opposed to, Winters' was a leader who men wanted to follow. First out the door when it came time for the invasion of Normandy and assuming command on day one after his commanding officers' plane went down Winters led the men of Easy Company the majority of the war.
   This book not only covers Winters life in the army but spends just enough time on his civilian life prior to and after the war for the reader to get a better understanding of why he excelled in the Army, and how he was a driving force years after WW2 in getting the story of Easy Company told.



3. The Biggest Brother of Them All - the biography of Major Dick Winters whose life as well as those of the men in "E" (Easy)Company was made famous with the HBO Series Band of Brothers - fills in a lot of areas that neither the series nor Stephen Ambrose's book touches on. It is a great bio for those who admire Major Winters and want to learn more about him and the war from his perspective.Biggest Brother: The Life Of Major Dick Winters, The Man Who Led The Band of Brothers



4. Major Winters is that guy. He's that guy that just seems to do the right things at the right time. His gifts may not have been so recognized if he hadn't gone to war for us. This is a great follow on the the Band of Brothers providing additional insights of Easy and their road to HBO. As well, I think this book does well by dispelling any rumors of Ambrose taking advantage of Easy. WInters and Ambrose had a good working relationship.
   Winters is a role model to be stood up. Good book.



5. Just a great book. You will not be disapointed. Even if you saw the series 5 times you will STILL enjoy this book.

5 comments about Corps Values: Everything You Need to Know I Learned In the Marines.

1. I was completely satisfied with the service and the book, This is an excellent book I think every young person,35 and below, should read this book.



2. I agree with LTC Kennedy. This is a great book for instructing young people. I do wish that Gov. Miller would read it for books-on-tape, most certainly in an unabridged version. Some of us just learn so much more listening to the voice and twang of a good Southern teacher, much like Shelby Foote.



3. Recently while conducting a manager orientation I realized that every value we want our managers to hold is expressed in Corps Values.
   Zell Miller captures the essence of what is missing in our approach to our everyday dealings.Anyone who has read The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People should also read Caorps Values. They go hand-in-hand.
   I have purchased copies for all of our managers and plan on having my children read this once they hit their teen years.Corps Values is a great resource for anyone looking for direction. This is true self-help.



4. Zell learned a great deal from the Marines. Honesty, loyalty, personal pride, respect. The Marines are not the only place these things are taught, but it is one of the finest. So many young people today have never been taught any of these. It is a shame that many of our youngest (and possibly, our brightest) are doomed to failure in life because of the things parents and society SHOULD have taught them. Fortunately, the Marines haven't changed.



5. Reminds a person of how things can be for the better.

5 comments about Silent Warrior: The Marine Sniper's Story Vietnam Continues.

1. This was an enjoyable book I was after information on snipers duing the Viet Nam era and I found a lot of information in this book. It was hard to put it down.



2. Great book, excellent condition for a used book.
   Fantastic price, but shipping a tad high.



3. Read the story of Carlos Hathcock, "White Feather", just another American Hero our country chose to abandon.



4. The material used for "Silent Warrior" were the pages that were cut from "Marine Sniper" to manage the size of that first book. So this book is based on much of the same interviews and recollections.
   
   I found "Silent Warrior" to be as good or better than "Marine Sniper".
   The first book may have had more details about some of the shootings, but this book has more details about the sniper's mission-oriented targets and what made them valuable as targets.
   
   The noble reason for writing the first book is elaborated on.
   
   In "Silent Warrior" the reader gets to see the heroism of Carlos Hathcock when he saved other Marines at his own expense,suffering terrible burns that eventually contributed to ending his career. The character of his sniper-partner John Burke and his heroism in the field was detailed.
   
   This book has emotion in the pages. In part because it was written after Carlos Hathcock had passed away. Mr Henderson takes the reader along on fishing trips and ceremonies that were part of Hatchcock's life towards the end.
   Both "Marine Sniper" and "Silent Warrior" are excellent books and recommended for anyone that wants to read about the most fearsome sniper ever to serve the U.S.A.



5. This is a book that was published after Calos' passing. It is well written, a loving rememberance of a friend near to the author. If you are touched by deep patriotism or just rugged independence and dedication to one's peers there is no finer story that brings these qualities to light than that of Calos Hathcock II.

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

1. I read this book years ago and was amazed and horrified by its content. Amazed because of the indomitable spirit of a man like Col. Rowe. Horrified because of the torture he endured at the hands of the enemy. Years later, as I became more interested in politics, I couldn't remember the author and thought it was a story of John McCain...both stories are so similar. Of course, with a little research, I learned the error of my ways and know they are two different people. However, now that Sen. McCain is running for President, because of the harrowing account of this book, I will vote for McCain because that kind of proven character encourages me to be a better American and, as said in Saving Private Ryan, I wish to "earn this."Five Years to Freedom: The True Story of a Vietnam POW



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



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



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



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

5 comments about Hitler: 1889-1936 Hubris.

1. Kershaw undertakes three major tasks in the first volume of this outstanding biography. The first is fundamental biographer's responsibility of providing a thorough and well documented account of Hitler's life. The second, and in some ways more demanding task, is to explain how the indolent, poorly educated resident of a Vienna flophouse came to dominate the most powerful nation in Europe. The third is to explain the nature of the Fuehrer's role in the Nazi state. Kershaw accomplishes all these tasks superbly.
   
   As a basic narrative, this is first rate work. Kershaw works carefully through Hitler's life, using sources juidiciously and describing uncertainty about events where there is little information. Where Kershaw really excels, however, is his ability to integrate Hitler's life story with what might be called a biography of Germany. Kershaw's description and explanation of the course of German history over this period is excellent and his ability to integrate it seamlessly with the narrative of Hitler's life is outstanding.
   
   Kershaw brings considerable analytic power and understanding to the story of Hitler's accession to power. An expert on interwar Germany, Kershaw's descriptions of Hitler's brutal but quite conventional ideology, the structural weaknesses of the Weimar state, and the hatred of conservative forces for Weimar institutions are insightful and reveal his command of the large secondary literature. Kershaw shows Hitler's capacity for mass mobilization by relying on what appears to be a unique talent for drawing on the worst fears and tendencies of the German electorate. Kershaw shows also that Hitler was remarkably fortunate. While he had outstanding political instincts for capitalizing on new circumstances, he rarely made those circumstances. Hitler's rise to power is shown to result from a combination of the unique stresses of post-WWI Germany, the anti-liberal heritage of the Wilhelmine state, the widespread acceptance of radically anti-Semitic racism, his own limited but real political talents, and great good fortune. Kershaw's synthesis is cogent and presented clearly but does not sacrifice the complexity of events.
   
   Kershaw addresses also the nature of Hitler's role in the Nazi state - an issue of some controversy among historians. How great a role did Hitler play in the running of the Nazi state and setting policies? How great a role did popular opinion play? An essentially lazy man, Hitler was a very hands off dictator. Kershaw shows, however, that Hitler set the ideological goals for the state, was the crucial arbiter of policy, and maintained a connection with the mass of the German people that was independent of state and party. Kershaw's model is essentially that of subordinates competing to accomplish what they thought were Hitler's goals. The result was an administratively chaotic and very corrupt melange of different institutions engaged in a horrifying competition to achieve the goals of racial purity and European domination set by Hitler.
   
   Written very well and documented superbly, this is the Hitler biography for our time and for the foreseeable future.



2. This is a solid but unspectacular study of Hitler--hardly the definitive account trumnpeted by its publisher and by some reviewers here. Many reviewers have commented on how many sources--including primary ones-that the author turns to. I had the opposite reaction. To be sure, there is a huge bibliography and many notes (more on these later)but I saw, as someone trained in history, a lot of padding here. Perhaps more surprising is how frequently Kershaw turns to a handful of works to guide him--and these are almost always secondary ones. For instance, on the question of the role of big business in Hitler's rise to power, Kershaw relies almost exclusively on Turner's Big Business. Maddeningly in the text, (Chapter 10, p. 392 in the paperback version) he writes that on 19 November, "the Reich President (Hindenburg) was handed a petition carrying 20 signatures from businessmen demanding the appointment of Hitler as Chancellor." Yet Kershaw fails to mention who these businessmen were and in the footnote he provides no further information about them, only that the document is printed elsewhere. This is not terribly helpful for the reader. Also, Kershaw relies a great deal on Goebbels notebook accounts of Hitler, sometimes almost exclusively, but Goebbels the supreme sycophant is hardly the most reliable observer.
   
   Returning to the problem of footnotes in Kershaw's study, there is much, much information in the notes that should have been incorporated into the text. For instance, the whole account of the Reichstag fire (weak in the text) is fleshed out in more detail in the footnotes. Numerous other examples of this abound: Kershaw simply has a poor notion of what should be read in the text and what should be in the footnotes. Footnotes should be to document the text not to supplant it.
   
   Perhaps the biggest flaw in this biography--and it is a major one--is that Hitler himself gets lost many times in Kershaw's pages. I have little notion of Hitler the man from these numerous pages--certainly less so than that provided by Toland for instance, who is also a far superior writer. When he does talk about Hitler's personal life, he seems to almost recount it along the lines of Nerin E. Gun's Eva Braun, Hitler's Mistress while only footnoting that source, I think, once. To my mind, Gun provides an essential amount of information into Hitler's psyche that is largely missing in this work. I further believe that Kershaw overemphasizes Hitler's blandness and he underestimates his talents (his superb sense of timing, his ability to read his enemies). Although Hitler undoubtedly was the beneficiary of the economic chaos of his times and the aftermath of WWI, he surely brought more to the table than what Kershaw gives him credit for. All in all, I found this work largely predictable and given its newness, with very few new insights.



3. Hitler is the most difficult person to write a biography of. An obscure person came out of nowhere, and, against impossible odds, totally (and horribly) transformed human history. It is tempting to "explain" Hitler's career as outside the bounds of history, not subject to the usual rules of cause and effect, and instead speak of his "demonic" character, his "evil genius", and so on.
   
   Kershaw will have none of this. Evil Hitler certainly was, he notes, but this is no *explanation* of his career. The historian must, instead, dissect Hitler with his regular tools: looking up original contemporary documents to see what casual chain explains what happened. This, Kershaw does superbly. Almost every page gives a new understanding of how Hitler *really* started the Nazi movement, how it *really* became popular, how he *really* got into power, etc.
   
   I shall give only one example, for lack of space. Everybody "knows" the Nazi party was Hitler's creation, and that his "hypnotic" control over the masses made him the undoubted "Fuhrer" of the party from the start. Wrong, says Kershaw: Hitler *did* have a natural talent for speechmaking and keeping his audience enthralled, but why should this be enough to make him the unchallanged leader? In reality, Hitler was not only *not* the founder of the Nazi party, but--until his jail time in the mid-1920s--he was chiefly the Nazis' main propagandist, *not* their undisputed leader. Indeed, he saw himself, precisely because of his rhetorical talent, as merely the "drummer" for a coming national leader--NOT the leader himself. Only during his stay in prison did he, for complicated reasons (which Kershaw explains), become unchallangeable in the party, begin to think of himself as the "great leader", and started the "Fuhrer" cult.
   
   Not only does this make much more sense than the "standard" evil-genius account of Hitler's rise from obscurity, it also allows us to understand Hitler's real strengths *and* weaknesses--an understanding that gives a deeper insight into his career than any "evil genius" portrait. Kershaw succeeeded in that most difficult of tasks: making Hitler, of all people, a figure *in* history, not outside it.



4. This is a long and very detailed book. I knew it was not going to be easy reading when I started it. To my surprise, the first part of the book was quite compelling and not at all difficult to read. At about the halfway point of the book's nearly 600 pages of text, I got bogged down in the details of party politics and it was rough slogging. It took me several weeks to get through that part, but by the time it got to the chapter, "Working Toward the Fuhrer," my attention was once again riveted to the book. I knew very little about the personal life of Hitler and still cannot say that I know much more. Apparently nobody knew the real Hitler. But Kershaw's book certainly made me see him more as an individual rather than as a symbol of evil. I got a great deal out of this book and I have a much better understanding of how Hitler came to power. What I found most interesting about the book was the idea that everyone supposedly "knew what the Fuhrer wanted" and acted accordingly. So much of the evil of Nazi Germany was voluntary and done without being ordered to do so. People were encouraged to take actions that they "knew" Hitler would approve. It was a mindset not unlike "knowing what God would want me to do." Hitler had indeed, through propagandistic promotion, become a deity. Kershaw's biography, in conjunction with Frederic Spotts' HITLER AND THE POWER OF AESTHETICS, gives a very good idea of what life in Germany was like during Hitler's rise and why the German people found him so appealing. I'd recommend this book to anyone who wants to understand the causes of World War II. Even though the book is extremely long, none of it is superfluous. I would not cut any of it. I plan to read volume II, even though it too is quite a tome. This book is worth spending time on. Five stars.



5. This is the best portrait of Hitler we're likely ever to get -- thoroughly researched. A lot of new insights here, surprising to discover that Hitler was not 100% the thug we assumed he was. He just had others do most of the dirty work. Very convenient.

5 comments about From Baghdad to America: Life Lessons from a Dog Named Lava.

1. This book was the reason I got the first book (From Baghdad with Love). I picked up this book because I realized that the dog on the cover made it safely to the US. I was afraid in the first book that the dog may not have made it, so I left it on the shelf.
   Now, of course, I am kicking myself for not reading it when it first came out. Lava is a precious dog and Jay and all the others who helped are amazing for all of their hard work getting him here. Great great book.
   I loved that he not only shared with us how Lava is doing, but also went on to share the emotions and everything else that he and other soldiers go through.
   I really wish I could meet that precious pup! Thanks Jay from continuing to be there for Lava for the good and the bad. Also for helping him with his PTSD and not just giving up on him. It really shows how much you care. It not only helps him but, helps you as well. :o)



2. All the questions Jay has in his book can be answered when he listens to San Diego AM radio station 1170 midnight to 2 a.m. Listening will give him further explanation and a way to listen at more appealing hours.
   A book about THIS journey, if taken, would be smart.



3. Jay Kopelman's 2nd book about his relationship with Lava is a wonderful story of the strong bond that can exist between man and dog. It should be a "must read" for anyone who does not agree that the United States is providing a necessary service in Iraq and also for someone who understands why we are there. As a dog owner I know that these animals do not judge, but love you just the way you are. If dogs like Lava can help our soldiers with stress or rehabilitation while stationed in Iraq or after their return, I agree with the author that the benefits would be enormous. If you like dogs...read this book. If you have a connection with any military branch...read this book. It is a real eye-opener about the personal effects serving in a military war zone can have on our favorite sons and daughters.



4. Just finished 'FROM BAGHDAD TO AMERICA: Life Lessons from a Dog Named Lava' and found Kopelman's second book to be just as inspiring as his first. This book is GRITTY and HONEST and FORTHCOMING about issues many Americans don't want to face up to - what happens to our soldiers, men and women alike, when they come home from a war. As a daughter of a WWII veteran, I gained insight into my father's "story" and how what he experienced in Europe colored every single thing that came afterwards. What I find frightening is that our YOUNG military personnel go into such a situation without the life experience that Kopelman had under his belt -- with age comes wisdom and hope; the youth that are going overseas might not have enough HOPE built up in reserve - they can't know what Kopelman knows: life IS worth living, even after living through such horrors as war and terrorism. What can America, particularly all branches of the military, do for these soldiers? READ this book. It's not just about Lava, though "life after war" from a dog's perspective - PTSD included - is an engaging twist. Thank you, Jay, for all that you do for your community - and THANK YOU, Jay, for writing another solid account of what it's been like for you - as a Marine, as a man, as "pack leader" to Lava, and now, as a husband and father.



5. With so much written and said about this war by reporters, pundits and politicians, it is important to hear from the soldiers themselves about the experience and its aftermath, and even better in a way that is accessible and enjoyable. Kopelman is quickly becoming an engaging voice for Iraqi vets.

5 comments about Stilwell and the American Experience in China, 1911-45.

1. How far will the united States go to support a ruler on the words of others? Stilwell was, first and foremost, a soldier; a general of uncommon skills. Not so much the common touch as the respect by the troops for putting them first, their welfare was his top priority. His years in the east made him the obvious choice for the China post. No general has been asked to do as much as he had to do on the political front, treating with allies who were concerned above all for their place in the sun, while at the same time, fighting a tenacious, skilled, dedicated enemy. Surely a harbinger of what was to come in a place tro the north, called Korea.



2. This book very elegantly and faithfully documented the Stilwell's point of view of what happened during this part of history, but it is very one-sided.
   
   First of all, the KMT commanders were not mostly corrupt and incapable like Tuchman had described in this book. A direct quote from TIME artile titled "The Army Nodbody Knows" in the June 16, 1941 issue:
   "...Four years of war have hurt China a lot, but have also taught China a lot. The most spectacular discovery, for a nation in which military leadership has classically been an affair of coin and cunning rather than martial skill, has been that China could turn out first-class officer talent.
   
   There is no younger officer class in the world than that of the Generalissimo's crack divisions. Generalissimo Chiang is 53, Chen Cheng is 41, Chen's Field Chief of Staff is 34. It would be hard to find a divisional or regimental commander in those divisions over 40. Regimental colonels are sometimes in their 20s.
   
   These baby officers are tough babies. They are trim as well-kept guns, big fellows, by Chinese standards, hearty and jolly in rest and brutally energetic in action. They lead in person. With their divisions they clamber up mountainsides which would put most corpulent U.S. colonels hors de combat. In nearly four years of fighting, the young officers have mastered the arts of the field--silent de ployment, timely retreat, sudden concentration, plausible ambuscade, dependable supply of vegetable camouflage..."
   
   But as this book has gone out of its way to emphasize, it is true that Chiang's administration towards the end of the second Sino-Japanese war was becoming weak and corrupt, which eventually led to his lost of mainland China to the Communist. However, this fact needs to be put into context as well. China fought alone for 4 years against a vastly more superior enemy. Therefore many of the best Nationalist Chinese generals were KIA or incapacitated early in the war of resistance against Japan. There were 73 KMT generals KIA during WWII (plus 1 Chinese Communist general), more than any other country Allied or Axis. It is reasonable to assume that many of the KMT military commanders that managed to survive and rise in ranks to the end were more interested in self preservation and personal gain, rather than defeating the emeny. Chiang knew this all too well but could do very little to alleviate this problem, all he could do was execute one or two of them from time to time to warn others not to go too far. So Tuchman's analogy comparing KMT to AVRN is not only inappropriate, but also failed to take into account the context of China fighting a 8-year long war with marginal industrial capacity and grossly inadeqate military supplies. It is a miracle that Chiang did not surrender and broker some kind of peace agreement with the Japanese.
   
   Finally, this book has indirectly proved that Stilwell spent (and wasted) way too much time and energy accusing the KMT leadership and fighting Chiang and Chennault, instead of accepting the tremedous shortcomings of his Chinese Ally and try to work out a less than perfect solution to fight the Japanese. His despise and hatred toward Chiang got to a point when Roosevelt gave Chiang an ultimatum to hand over command of all Chinese armed forces to Stilwell (with explicit instruction to keep this confidential), he rushed to have the letter read out loud in front of all the Chinese and American generals attending a meeting, for the sole purpose of embarrass and discredit Chiang in public. This event led directly to his recall as Chiang replied to Roosevelt that the KMT would rather fight alone than cave in to this ultimatum.



3. As much as I think this books has provided a lot of information/insight during the period, I found author's comtemptuous attidude towards Chinese a bit hard to swallow. In a way, she was somehow biased when she wrote the book. In no way I'm accusing her of distorting the fact, but, how the fact is presented will shape the opinion of a general reader about Chinese. This is probably not the main point of the book, but for a book that has won putlizer prize, I would have expected more.



4. This book is of exceptional quality and stands up very well after nearly forty years. If not for Tuchman, Stilwell, who was one of the best generals in the U.S. Army during World War II, would be lost to history given his unrewarding work in a backwater region.
   
   Tuchman does an excellent job of letting Stilwell speak for himself. His integrity, brilliance, and humble nature come through. So do his pugnacious and combative personality, which while quite useful for a general in an operational command, were counterproductive in China. Having written a book on Stilwell myself, I believe she is absolutely right that he was the wrong man for this posting, which was about diplomacy as much as it was military campaigns. If he had not gone to China, he probably would have lead the U.S. invasion of North Africa instead of Dwight D. Eisenhower. Given their differing personalities and Stilwell's Anglophobia, Vinegar Joe would not have done well there either. He was an exceptionally able military leader, but he needed to be commanding field armies rather trying to be a diplomat.
   
   This book, though, is more than a biography. It is a life and times study with Stilwell being a tool to study the U.S. relationship with China. Many people blamed Stilwell for poorly managing relations with China that ended up weakening Chiang Kai-shek and allowed the Communists to come to power. An easy claim to make since Stilwell died in 1946. Tuchman is balanced in her account and gives Stilwell's critics their moment. She also develops Chiang's point of view and shows that he and Stilwell were pursuing different policies because they had different goals. This leads to her main theme that China has never been under the sway or control of the United States, and that we have many experts on China, and ignore them at our peril. Tuchman was writing with the Vietnam War in mind, seeing Stilwell's experiences as setting in motion events that brought U.S. involvement in that region. That assertion seems a little simplistic, but this book is still highly, highly relevant given the current nature of U.S.-Chinese relations.
   
   With all these points made, this book is not without certain shortcomings. She skimps a bit on operational matters, which is understandable given her focus. While this biography is good, very good, it is not Tuchman at her best. "Guns of August" is better. That comment, though, is like complaining that you won an Olympic gold medal without setting a world record. Most of us would take Olympic gold under those conditions and Tuchman really deserved the Pulitzer she won for this study.



5. This is a remarkable book and well worth reading nearly four decades after its initial publication. Tuchman is a gifted author and her subject, "Vinegar Joe" Stilwell, is an outrageous, memorable figure. Even readers with a limited familiarity with China or the Pacific theater during the Second World War will find "Stilwell and the American Experience in China" captivating.
   
   Joe Stilwell was, to say the least, an unusual Army officer for his generation. He had a gift for languages and was drawn to career-limiting foreign assignments from the moment in he left West Point. He spoke fluent Spanish and French before he accepted a chance posting to China in his mid-thirties primarily because it offered the opportunity to get out of the country and learn a new language and culture. By the time the US entered the Second World War, Stilwell was the most highly rated Corps commander in the Army, but also had many years experience in China and spoke fluent Mandarin. Although George Marshall wanted him to command the first US ground campaign of the war - the TORCH landings in North Africa - Stilwell was sent to Asia because no one else was better qualified to serve in China, a region of great importance after the British were booted quickly out of Hong Kong, Singapore and the rest of East Asia by the Japanese.
   
   The irony of this book is that Stilwell was at once the best-qualified officer in the US Army to serve in Asia in support of Chiang Kai Shek's KMT Army and also the worst possible choice because of his abrasive mien. On the one hand, no other senior officer had his command of the language, years in country, or understanding of the Chinese culture. On the other hand, no other senior officer was as tactless or boorish - two qualities that do not serve one well in Asia. For instance, Stilwell had the habit of assigning mocking and often cruel nicknames to his tormentors, real and perceived. Almost from the beginning, Chiang Kai Shek, his nominal superior in the China theater, was "Peanut" - an insulting moniker that Stilwell used rather openly and regularly and was well-known by the Generalissimo and his staff, an incredible affront to the Chinese sense of position and authority. Even more insulting and offensive was Stilwell's occasional reference to his polio-stricken command-in-chief as "Rubber legs."
   
   Yet, Tuchman is clearly a fan of Stilwell's. She sees in him the same talent, passion and energy that led Secretary of War Stimson and Chief of Staff Marshall to put him in the role and steadfastly defend him in the face of repeated requests for his dismissal by scores of highly placed US, British and Chinese officials, whose number included FDR himself. But after reading "Stilwell" one cannot help but think that Stimson and Marshall made a mistake in sticking with Joe for so long.
   
   "Stilwell" also reads like a case study in the perils and heartaches of coalition warfare. From the outset, the major allies in the CBI Theater - the US, British and Chinese - were fundamentally at odds over objectives and therefore completely out of sync on strategy. The British did not see the point in bothering with China at all and wanted only to regain their colonial possessions, Hong Kong and Singapore above all, and Burma only if convenient and if it could be done without mixing Chinese and Indian troops. Chiang Kai Shek, on the other hand, had little interest in ejecting the Japanese from China in a bloody, all-out racial war, but rather preferred to stockpile American supplies and allow the US Navy and nascent Air Forces to slowly erode the Japanese war machine. Meanwhile, the US was guided by FDR's dream of seeing China emerge as one of the world's great post-war powers, fully on the side of the United States and committed to democracy. Tuchman stresses repeatedly that the US public, and to a certain extent the US government, was greatly misled on the truth of the KMT regime. The missionary lobby and other important Chiang supporters, including high-level visitors that were successfully hoodwinked, such as defeated presidential candidate Wendell Wilkie, generated a flood of propaganda that gave the average American a wildly unrealistic and positive impression of the Chinese ally. Tuchman contends that Stilwell himself saw the balderdash written about the KMT as the primary culprit in the inability or unwillingness of Washington to change policy once it became clear that the continued support Chiang was a waste of resources and American prestige and position.
   
   "Stilwell" succeeds on many levels and will likely remain in print and widely read for decades to come. It is a stellar blend of biography, military history, American foreign policy, US-China relations, and a case study in coalition warfare.

5 comments about Blood Trails: The Combat Diary of a Foot Soldier in Vietnam.

1. I selected this book over several other Vietnam accounts because I read that he had diligintly kept a diary for his year in the Nam. I have read a couple accounts that I have found difficult to believe in that they were written decades later with total recall. I spent more than 2 decades in the military and wish I had kept my flight logs, diary or notes.
   The book is Dr. Ronnau's life in Nam for a year, not Rambo's. It is very well written and credible; and I am glad I selected this book. I recommend it as others have said for a realistic view of the life of an infantryman in Nam for a year.
   I give it top rating.****



2. I served at the same base camp as the author of this book and I can tell you from first hand experience that this book is an accurate acount of the combat that occured in that area. This is the real thing! It is the only authentic book I have read about combat in Vietnam. It is well written and has a great suprise ending.



3. This was like being there and I loved his attention to detail and the little things he remembered.



4. I was in Nam from '69 thru '70 and in the same unit so this book really brought back a bunch of memories that I thought I had long ago forgotten.
   Not an easy book to put down...give yourself a bit of time to read and digest Mr. Ronnau's story.



5. A brillant and riveting account that offers a unique insight to life in the jungle of a combat infantryman. It's all true, I know because I was in Charlie company "Black Lions" from January 1967 to April 1967 when Chris was shot.
   It was my platoon, 3rd platoon, that was hit that day. The first two men were hit by pellets from a large Chinese mine that exploded before them. The screams still remain fresh in my mind. The concussion from the explosion was so great that it knocked the 3rd man in the formation, Battles, off his feet and he rolled into me. Then all hell broke loose and the fire fight went on for what seemed like minutes, but was actually over two hours. Chris's 1st platoon came to our rescue. Sometime during the end of the fighting, I was out in an open field and saw this soldier coming towards me in huge distress. He couldn't talk, a bullet had shattered his jaw, and he keeped running his hand around his head. It was Chris and I was able to help him. Didn't see him again till 1994.
   
   
   Fred Kirkpatrick
   webmaster, [...]

5 comments about Chickenhawk.

1. Best I have read. Must follow up and read the Robert Mason's,
   Back to the World. Life After Vietnam.



2. I should have read this book years ago! American Huey 369 (Americanhuey369.com) stimulated my interest in wanting to know more about the courages soldiers who went to Vietnam and flew helicopters.



3. I have read this book 3 times. After the first I had it stolen so bought it again. I am fascinated by the history of Vietnam and it's struggles it has much to teach us for the present. I'm not a helicopter pilot, never will be although I too like Mason wanted to fly. Some will have differing recollections of events particularly this one, but that's okay. I was able to lose myself in the story that is expertly told. Having been in close quarter combat I understood where he was coming from. I continue to study and have read some good accounts but this will always remain one of my favourites.



4. Don't read this book if you're looking for an over the top Rambo/Braddock conquer S.E. Asia single-handedly comic strip. If you want to learn a little bit about what it was like to fly a Huey in a strange land during an incomprehensible time, read this book. Read it then give it to someone else to read.



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