5 comments about KGB Alpha Team Training Manual: How The Soviets Trained For Personal Combat, Assassination, And Subversion.

1. I found the book to be very interesting from a historical viewpoint but found many of the techniques inside to be very standard issue.Not a groundbreaking book but not a bad one either.



2. This book is the translation of a Russian text dating back to 1945, the hayday the Soviet Union. The chapters covering the history of the Spetznaz, past and present, is very interesting, especially the parts detailing the different branches of Special Action teams and how they relate, but the technical portion of the manual tends to be vague and too general to be of use unless you're already a student of Samooborona bez Oruzhia (commonly known by the Russian acronym "Sambo" and translated as "self defense without weapons"). Don't buy this manual if you're looking to study Soviet hand to hand combat. If that's what you're after, go to www.russianmartialart.com or www.amerross.com.

   The author/translator, Jim Shortt, retained many of the terms common in the Soviet Union, which may seem odd to Americans (I wouldn't even try to explain "moral-political" to your average American, as I have a hard time grasping it!).

   There is also a section on physical fitness and recovery which is interesting, and probably as relavent today as it was in 1945.

   This is not a bad book, and I do recommend it, but only if kept in perspective.




3. I was dissapointed by this book, trully it is telling you how to run ove stuff, how to go prone, how to stab someone (duhhhh, could it be just push the knife in someones chest). I thik if you really want good fighting stuff there are better things around. Check out Master of the Blade, excellent book. Also check out some other stuff by that author, a really smart guy, not a fighter not a writer.



4. I was laughting loudly while reading this book.
   I've newer red a such BS about former Soviet special forces.
   If you want to be busted in no time then read this "manual" and try to follow it.
   It may be a "good guidance" for stupid Hollywood screen writers
   to produce another amusing movie for ignorant general public.
   Author or a "translator" is a real dumbass. He/She couldn't even properly translate the original insignia on the KGB sign shown on the front cover of this book. This sign has been issued only as a memorabilia to the veterans and other KGB personnel in connection with round (jubilee) dates in KGB history since its creation. In original form it shall be red "(number of years) of VChK - KGB". The real KGB sign of honor has a totally different design and insignia on it.
   The most important skills you learn in special forces is how to be invisible. The main principle is that "You're invincible until you're invisible". I wouldn't give this book even one star but unfortunatelly it's not an option.



5. It lets the reader know why the soviets were dominant militarily for a long time in Eastern Europe. They were brutal and trained to be efficient in that subject. This book is an eye openner in all that it shows technique wise and the little history lesson the author gives. International Bodyguard Association president wrote this book.

2 comments about The Murder of Abraham Lincoln (Treasury of Victorian Murder (Graphic Novels)).

1. Once again, Geary takes a complicated crime and presents it in an understandable -- and very enjoyable & redable -- level.



2. This is the seventh in a very high-quality series that includes Lizzie Borden, Jack the Ripper, H. H. Holmes, and Charles Guiteau. Think of it as "Classics Illustrated" for adults. Geary's black-and-white crow-quill drawing style fits perfectly his carefully narrated history of the sixty-two days between Lincoln's second Inauguration and his entombment in Springfield, by way of the assassination plot, the unsuccessful attacks on Johnson and Seward, Booth's convenient escape, and his death in Garrett's tobacco barn. I've long thought there was more there than meets the eye, with the focus on the peculiar actions of Stanton, both before and after Ford's Theater, and the author mentions those points in passing, but he sticks pretty close to the official train of events. An excellent piece of work.

1 comments about Final Judgement:The Missing Link in the JFK Assassination Conspiracy.

1. Rather than a focus on bullet angles and sound analysis, this book goes after the question of WHY JFK was hit and WHO stood to benefit.
   
   This book is very comprehensive in its list of characters. All are described very well. It is their connecting links that will astound the reader.
   
   Highly recommended.

5 comments about Assassination Science : Experts Speak Out on the Death of JFK.

1. While I thought this book was worthwhile in many respects, ULTIMATE SACRIFICE is simply the best book ever on the JFK assassination.Still, worth your time.
   
   Vince Palamara-JFK/ Secret Service expert (History Channel, author of two books, in over 30 other author's books, etc.)
   Pittsburgh, PA
   
   BEST JFK ASSASSINATION BOOK: ULTIMATE SACRIFICE
   BEST JFK SECRET SERVICE BOOK: SURVIVOR'S GUILT BY YOURS TRULY :)



2. Who assassinated President John F. Kennedy in 1963? .... Was he killed as the result of a large-scale conspiracy, as depicted in Oliver Stone's 1991 motion picture? .... Was Lee Harvey Oswald merely an innocent "Patsy", being manipulated and handled by a group of evil conspirators? .... Was it just a small conspiracy involving only two or three individuals? .... Or did Oswald, all by himself, murder the President?
   
   James H. Fetzer's answer -- A massive conspiracy took place in Dealey Plaza on 11/22/63, resulting in not only the death of the American President, but also resulting in so many supposed conspiratorial loose ends that a cover-up team of thousands probably wouldn't have provided enough manpower to accomplish the burdensome task of re-arranging all of the various pieces of evidence surrounding JFK's murder in order to conceal the true facts and bumbling inadequacies of the harebrained "Patsy Plot" that Mr. Fetzer advocates in "Assassination Science".
   
   And yet -- somehow, some way -- that's exactly what Mr. Fetzer and many other CTers think occurred. I.E.: Despite the illogic of it all, and despite the massive roadblocks in the conspirators' path, somehow ALL of the physical evidence that was actually being created by all of these OTHER KILLERS who were busy firing away and pelting President Kennedy with rifle bullets in Dallas on November 22 (physical evidence such as .... guns, bullets, bullet fragments, bullet shells, and fingerprints) found a way to ALL get placed on the plate of only Lee Harvey Oswald.*
   
   * = And people think the parting of the Red Sea was a "miracle". Heck, the Red Sea trick was nothin' compared to what this ultra-clever gang of infallible assassination plotters and cover-up operatives pulled off in late '63. Perhaps Moses was in Dallas on November 22, helping out with this JFK mess after THREE OR FOUR different assassins decided to take aim at JFK, even though the desired end result of this "plot" was to frame just ONE LONE PATSY in the Book Depository for the murder. (~LOL~ at the thought of such a Patsy plot actually be dreamed up in the weeks prior to 11/22/63.)
   
   It seems to me as though Mr. Fetzer has never met a conspiracy theory he hasn't loved and accepted with open arms, no matter how silly it sounds (the "Zapruder Film Hoax" balderdash being a prime example, which is the Crown Jewel of "Nutty JFK Theories").
   
   My answer, however, to the "Who Shot JFK?" question is a little less complicated -- Lee Harvey Oswald murdered JFK and another man (policeman J.D. Tippit) on 11/22/1963 A.D., in Dallas, Texas, USA. ~Mark VII~
   
   The string of evidence lending credence to Oswald's lone guilt is a mile-and-a-half long -- particularly with respect to Officer Tippit's murder, which is a second November 22nd killing that many, many conspiracy theorists (for some odd reason I've never been able to figure out at all) seem to think Oswald had nothing to do with. Such an incorrect notion by CTers only makes me more skeptical about any other "conclusions" such conspiracists might have reached with respect to other aspects of the JFK murder investigation as well. Because Oswald's guilt in Tippit's death couldn't be more obvious, even if Lee Harvey had been photographed firing the four bullets into the policeman's body.
   
   And speaking of JFK assassination theories that are deserving of a large dose of "skepticism" -- I'd like to know what's wrong with casting a good-sized hunk of doubt upon by far the most-popular and most widely-accepted-as-fact conspiracy theory in the whole JFK case -- i.e., the "Multi-Gunmen, One-Patsy, Frontal Head Shot" theory?
   
   Every piece of physical evidence in the case supports the Lone-Assassin conclusion arrived at by the Warren Commission and supports Lee Harvey Oswald's guilt in the two murders LHO was accused of committing. Evidence such as: guns, bullets, bullet cartridge casings, JFK's autopsy report, and fingerprints.
   
   And is it truly reasonable to think that ALL of this stuff pointing only to Oswald's guilt was "faked" by a bunch of conspirators who were attempting to frame Oswald? I say no, it is not reasonable, especially if the CTer(s) making the claim of evidence fakery truly believe(s) that most or all of the bullet evidence was monkeyed-around-with by local and federal authorities after the assassination.
   
   Because there is no way on this Earth that all of those various Dallas cops were "planting" evidence within minutes of JFK's murder (and Tippit's too), as some CTers seem to think. That notion is not only nutty and lacking any actual proof that it ever happened, it's also a rather vile and despicable allegation against such DPD and Sheriff's Office members like: Eugene Boone, James Leavelle, Luke Mooney, M.N. McDonald, Gerald Hill, Will Fritz, Jesse Curry, Seymour Weitzman, J.C. Day, Herbert Sawyer, Bob Carroll, Glen King, and dozens of others as well.
   
   Given the known physical evidence surrounding the Kennedy case -- and the fact that a large percentage of this evidence was collected by an organization (the DPD) which had MANY members who were actively involved in this evidence-gathering process -- Lee Harvey Oswald is as guilty as sin.**
   
   ** = And the Dallas Police Department couldn't have possibly in a million years have had on its force that Friday in 1963 nothing but evil, lying, crooked "cover-up agents" who wanted to frame an innocent person for the murder of two men .... all the while these many, many officers apparently don't give a damn that the real killers got off scot-free for the murder of not only the President of the United States, but also for the murder of one of Dallas' own police officers, 11-year DPD veteran J.D. Tippit. And if there's one thing that cops hate with a passion, it's a cop killer. To believe that many different DPD members would deliberately want to let Officer Tippit's "real killer" just drift off into the sunset, unpunished, is something too silly to even talk about.
   
   Given the above common-sense knowledge about the DPD, if the very popular "Multi-Gun, One-Patsy" conspiracy theory isn't worthy of being skeptical of, then I don't know what would be. And I have yet to encounter a single CTer who will admit out loud that the crackpot "Multiple-Shooter Patsy Plot" they have placed their faith in was, indeed, the wisest and most well-thought-out of all assassination plans for this band of Patsy Framers to attempt to carry out in Dealey Plaza.
   
   It's my firm opinion that NOBODY, no matter how insane they might have been, would have deliberately placed three, four, or five different riflemen (and possibly a dart-thrower with a loaded umbrella as well, who was in full view of tons of witnesses) in Dealey Plaza to shoot President Kennedy and somehow expect to pull off a perfect "framing" of one single "Patsy" named Oswald.
   
   Such a foolish Patsy Plot would never have been considered for even one solitary minute by any group of people who were concocting some sort of scheme to rid the world of President John F. Kennedy. Which, in my own opinion, is the BIGGEST reason of all to know that it never happened that way on November 22nd, 1963!
   
   Because the ONLY possible way that such a Multiple-Gun, Single-Patsy pre-planned assassination plot could have been successful is if the Almighty Himself had a hand in "fixing" every single thing that would have undoubtedly revealed the conspiracy very quickly afterwards via such a cuckoo scheme.
   
   There's also this important fact to consider when discussing possible "evidence tampering" -- If Oswald was framed as a Patsy and if all of the ballistics evidence had been "planted" and/or "manipulated" by the authorities in some way to make Oswald look guilty, there would have to have been THREE separate law-enforcement agencies involved in willingly falsifying evidence in the "Oswald Frame-Up" (and I'm referring to JUST the bullet/ballistics evidence alone here).
   
   Why?
   
   Because .... People from three different organizations (two federal agencies and one local in Dallas) were responsible for collecting the rifle, the bullets, the bullet fragments, and the bullet shells in the JFK murder case and placing those items into the official record of the case. Those organizations being:
   
   1.) The Dallas Police Department .... which initially found the Mannlicher-Carcano rifle belonging to Lee Harvey Oswald, as well as having found and collected the three spent rifle shells (from that same Oswald weapon) in the Depository's Sniper's Nest just after the assassination.
   
   2.) The U.S. Secret Service .... which was the organization that first handled "Stretcher Bullet CE399" (a bullet that was positively fired from Oswald's rifle) after it was handed over to the Secret Service by Parkland Hospital employee Darrell C. Tomlinson on the afternoon of 11/22/63.
   
   3.) The FBI .... which was responsible for investigating JFK's murder after taking control of the physical evidence in the case from the DPD. The evidence that was seized by the FBI shortly after 11/22 included the Oswald rifle, which means that if the two front-seat bullet fragments that were initially discovered by the Secret Service on 11/22/63 had been "faked" or "replaced" in some manner to implicate only Oswald and his weapon, it would have had to have been the FBI who "faked" these fragments -- because the SS was not in possession of Oswald's rifle at any point prior to the SS handing over CE567 and CE569 (the two front-seat limousine bullet fragments) to FBI Agent Orrin Bartlett. Bartlett then delivered these fragments to FBI Special Agent Robert A. Frazier at 11:50 PM on the night of November 22, 1963, in Washington.
   
   Therefore, via the CT-perceived point-of-view of ---> "All Or Most Of The Authorities Who Came Within A Country Mile Of Any Of The Assassination Evidence Were All Lying Crooks Who Were Trying Their Best To Frame An Innocent Young Man By The Name Of Oswald" (which is a post-assassination posture that has, indeed, been adopted by several paranoid assassination researchers) --- if a "Frame The Patsy" plot actually did occur in 1963 with respect to John Kennedy's death, it was an absolutely PERFECTLY-coordinated, multi-organizational cover-up job, whose participants in said plot ran the gamut from the DPD, to the Secret Service, and right on up to the FBI as well.
   
   To think that such a "blanket", across-the-board cover-up and "Oswald Frame-Up" operation was underway within literally minutes of JFK's death, and was carried out without a hitch by members of all of the various entities mentioned previously, is akin to believing in the tooth fairy. It just simply could not have happened.
   
   And, given the vast amount of physical evidence that would have needed to be placed into a perfectly-arranged "Lee Harvey Oswald Really Did This Instead Of These Two Or Three OTHER Assassins Who Were Aiming Rifles At John Kennedy" basket after the shooting, it's a pretty safe bet that the following sentence is 100% accurate ---
   
   If the CTers are correct about this "Oswald Was Only A Patsy" business, then it must have been an act of God that enabled the success of the conspirators' plot.
   
   Because nothing short of Divine Intervention could have rescued such an inane assassination plan. Nothing.
   
   -------------
   
   Footnote -- The quote shown below was said by this book's author/editor (Jim Fetzer) in a review he wrote right here at Amazon.com for another JFK pro-conspiracy publication ("Ultimate Sacrifice"). And while I fully agree with Mr. Fetzer's "1-Star" rating of that "Sacrifice" volume, I found this quoted portion of his review to be quite humorous (in a "pot-kettle-black" sort of fashion):
   
   "I am deeply saddened that anyone should be taken in by this rubbish, but gullibility knows no bounds. It is embarrassing that Thom Hartmann, who has many admirable qualities, should be associated with a work of such obvious disinformation about the death of JFK." -- James H. Fetzer; February 5, 2006



3. Though the non-existence of the Magic Bullet is as every bit certain as the Sun Rising in the East; the MB theory having been concocted by lawyers, not doctors & then mysteriously "fine tuned" for good measure by (Dr., not) Gerald Ford.
   
   But if you wanna delve into shot trajectories, gun scope technology, shadowy characters and the like please visit the "JFK Karaoke" website (aka JFK Lancer) for the latest quotes.
   
   Don't be in a big hurry, though ... we will have gone through another 75 or so presidents before THAT bus pulls out of Dealey Plaza and gets on with the show.



4. When this book says the Magic Bullet Theory has been proven to be false, I'm not sure what they are saying because the definition is vague. What I know for a fact is that the Discovery Channel conducted an identical test of the shot into an identical model with real human bones, skin tissue, shaped exactly like Kennedy/Connelly, from the exact distance, exact same shot. Everything as it as in 1963, including the very same bullets from the manufacturer, even the same batch, same gun - everything exact!
   
   This test proved without any doubt in my mind that the bullet did do the things the Warren Commission claimed, because the seat in front of Kennedy was slightly lower to the left! YOU IDIOTS! YOU MORONS! The seat position caused it to look like the bullet turned in mid air (idiots!). They photographed what the bullet did in the exact shot environment and the reason it didn't go into the dummies leg, as the only difference, was because it hit two bones. The video showed the bullet going sideways into Connely's back.
   
   So you scholars couldn't figure that out? We out here assume that you take all these things into consideration when you analyze evidence - that is a major oversite by conpiracy theorists. The bullet did those things - it was proven on Discovery Channel before our very own eyes! They made fools of you all on that magic bullet oversite!
   
   I'm just so disgusted with you guys that you couldn't figure out the simple geometry behind why the bullet appeared to turn in mid air. And the actual "pristine" bullet came out nearly "prestine" in the test too!
   
   Regardless, there was a conspiracy inspite of the ridiculous Magic Bullet fiasco - evidence of the badgeman and his being I.D.'d as Tippit in the photo based on his unusual hairline features. Tippit was the one Oswald allegedly shot and killed. The conpirators had Tippit on the Knoll in his Dallas Police Officer uniform, and he is the sniper who blew Kennedy's head off. The digital enhancement shows him as the assassine. The conpirators then made it look like Oswald shot and killed him that day when it was another one in the web of lies who took him down.
   
   If Fetzer hasn't conceded to his possible erroneous conclusion about the Magic Bullet Theory after witnessing the Discovery Channel experiment, then he isn't facing reality.
   
   Just type in "badgeman" in google and the evidence of the math they did on the digital shot will show you it was Tippit who shot JFK.



5. This is one of the best books on the JFK Assassination.it is very detailed and meticulous in evidence and research.if this book does not convince you that there was a conspiracy involved in the murder of JFK no other book will.as a companion volume may I suggest Murder in dealy plaza!!

4 comments about Stauffenberg: A Family History, 1905-1944.

1. Peter Hoffmann's biography of Stauffenberg is the best anyone is likely to write on the subject. The book comprehensively assesses all primary sources hitherto used by Stauffenberg's previous biographers, plus many additional sources which the author himself found. Hoffmann's previous books, among them 'THE HISTORY OF THE GERMAN RESISTANCE, 1933-1945', and 'HITLER'S PERSONAL SECURITY' serve as a foundation to this work which, all told, spans 30 years of scholarly research. As the depth and breadth of this study eclipses any other attempt to date, its conclusions are unassailably judicious. Thus, Hoffmann's 'STAUFFENBERG' has made perhaps the most definitive contribution to the historical field of resistance to the Third Reich.



2. Of the ten or so serious biographies on Stauffenberg, this will stand as the text to refer to for comprehensiveness and objectivity. The prose is clear, the questions of enduring interest are all answered, and the reader meets the man. Unreservedly recommended.



3. "Long live our holy Germany" were the last words of Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg on the night of July 20, 1944. Peter Hoffmann's magnificient book is a salute to the Stauffenberg brothers and most importantly Claus von Stauffenberg. Stauffenberg was the real thing, a man of deep Christian principles and extradionary courage who knew that the future of Germany was more important than his life and the life of his fellow conspirators. He made the ultimate sacrifice so that others could live in freedom. Stauffenberg is not only a hero of Germany, but of anyone on earth who loves freedom and respects the laws of God and humanity. Stauffenberg was Germany's guardian angel, who attempted to save his nation and slay the man he deemed "the antichrist." Doctor Hoffmann paints a wonderful picture of Stauffenberg's early life and military career. He then moves into minute detail of the plot to kill Hitler and the man whom fate had chosen to lead it. Simply a great scholastic achievement.



4. Aside from being the single man in history to make several (and one very famous) attempts on the life of Adolf Hitler, Claus Von Stauffenberg was a unique guy.
   
   Born in 1907 to Prussian aristocracy, Stauffenberg was playing the cello, reciting Shakespeare, and taking an interest in Catholic theology
   by the age of exactly 12. Had he made a career out of any of these three, his fate would have been less cruel. Claus Von Stauffenberg, though, was a born soldier.
   
   Ultimately becoming a General Staff officer in the German Abwehr, Stauffenberg and his brothers Berthold and Alexander still made considerable time for poet Stefan George, and were part of his "Secret Germany", a quasi-mystical poetic cult of sorts which worshipped George as "Master, and the three brothers were were prophesied by the poet manque as the future leaders of the Fatherland. Goethe, Holderlin, Rilke and Nietzsche were heralded as the predecessors of the movement. The problem with the entire affair was that George was not very talented and his literary salon was composed mostly of teenage boys.
   
   Despite George, the slow but sure rise of the Third Reich (which, like most Germans, Stauffenberg initially welcomed and his inevitable participation in nearly all of Germany's military campaigns, Claus Von Stauffenberg always retained an odd detachment from his surroundings and a sense of self which was very strong.
   
   The sheer wealth and richness of not only Stauffenberg's life, but the life of his wealthy and somewhat sheltered family--his career as a decorated soldier in the Wehrmacht, his prestige as a model, and as head of the General Staff office--makes his brutal death in front of the Bendleerstrasse in Germany a surreal and bizarre turn of events.
   
   Stauffenberg was aware of Germany's imminent defeat, yet as early as 1942 he was making some quit imprudent remarks about the Fuhrer: "In August 1942 Stauffenberg told Major Joachim Kuhn, a close friend, that the treatment of the Jews and other civilians was monstrous, *that Hitler had lied about the cause of the war*, and that he had to be removed. He then shouted: "They are shooting Jews in the masses. These crimes must not be allowed to continue!"
   
   Then in in another outbrust which later got him arrested, news of more atrocities sparked Stauffenberg to scream in front of SS and general staff alike:"Does not one German soldier have the courage to shoot that pig?"
   
   Attempt after attempt failed; Stauffenberg was regularly seen carrying a "remarkably plump briefcase" (as Albert Speer put it) to three different meetings in Hitler's "Wolf's Lair" in Prussia. Once Hitler did not show up: the second time Stauffenberg's incompetent superiors instructed him to not to set the fuse, and the third time the bomb exploded and by sheer chance did not kill Hitler.
   
   Even in the face of the Gestapo's considerable wrath, Stauffenberg did his best to get the coup de'etat to to succeed. In a most fortunate turn of events for Stauffenberg, probably, a General Staff officer involved in the plot turned on the other plotters and had a handful of them, Claus included, shot on the night of July 20, 1944.
   
   Why? Why was such a priviliged and wealthy figure in the German army who would certainly never have been charged with war crimes choose to sacrifice his life, the life of his family and friends, in an attempt so tenuous and fraught with uncertainty?
   
   The answer, I think, lies in Stauffenberg's unbelievable bravery, sense of common decency, and Christian background. Without these things he may indeed have been a terrifying force for the Third Reich. He could no longer stomach what was going on around him. Peter Hoffmann here gives the definitive biography of this heroic man who embodies perhaps the most inspiring example of "what might have been" in history. A must read.

5 comments about Expendable Elite: One Soldier's Journey into Covert Warfare.

1. My review in three words? Don't buy it.
   
   This is the kind of story that interests me. Unfortunately, the author is no author. As a soldier, I sure he is the best, but his storytelling ability leaves a lot to be desired. I'm not interested in the exact names of the places involved, nor do I need the exact locations of everything in the control perimeter. I want stories about the events that took place. Not the background fluff and filler. I'm halfway thru this book, and it hasn't gotten my attention or interest, yet. I can't even finish it. The only good thing about this book, are the pictures. They had some interest, to me.



2. I agree with the recent review that says he bought it because the detractors did not disprove the authors exploits. While it is almost impossible to prove a negative, it seems as though it should be relatively easy to discredit the author if he is being untruthful; and apparently a jury agreed. This mans experiences remind me of the treatment that Terry Reed, the covert CIA operative and Air Force intelligence veteran, got when he attempted to expose the agency using his company for drug trafficking out of Mena; while Reagans' administration was telling our kids to just say no.
   Anyone who doesn't or won't believe that the Presidency is co-opted from Langley is delusional. I found this book to be very credible and supported by facts and evidence. Where is the other sides info?!



3. I finished reading Lt. Colonel Daniel Marvin's book Expendable Elite recently. I'm flabbergasted by the criticism some have voiced regarding their mistaken opinion that most of what he writes about is fabrication.
   I'm not a military person and don't have a background in military affairs, but I don't need that experience to conclude unequivocally that this book is truthful, accurate, and real. First of all, I lived through
   the debacle of the Johnson Whitehouse and the despicable way in which he attempted to manipulate public opinion during the Vietnam War. Secondly,
   he and all of his associates and aides knew how important it was for our military forces to attack the enemy in their staging grounds in Cambodia. Of course, we didn't do that effectively and that in itself was a major reason why we lost the war but never lost a battle. Thirdly, logic is all one needs to understand to know that the depiction of events, details, military actions, humanitarian gestures, and so much more in this book could never have been fabricated. And then, too, how about the court trial and the unanimous deciscion in favor of the lieutenant colonel and his publisher. Was the court's decision a fabrication too?
   Nonsense! What you will read in this book is what happened to a very loyal, conscientious, honorable, and brave soldier. What history has already said and will continue to report about Johnson and Westmoreland is that they were bumbling idiots. Lastly, do any of you really believe that the United States government, regardless of which party is in power at the moment, is immune from covert assasination attempts and the inevitable coverups which follow them whether they are successful or not?
   If you do, you are living in a world of fantasy. Our government leaders
   are human beings who are just as susceptible to intrigue, duplicity, and illegal actions as any other political leaders. It's generations far in the future who will, maybe, find out what really happened in Korea, in Vietname, in Cambodia, in Iraq, and so on...
   
   On a positive note, I found this book to be extremely information, detailed, and heart-warming. The book is informative on more than one level. First, I remember the controversy about whether or not the U. S. military should or should not enter Cambodian territory. I also remember that the Johnson Whitehouse tried very hard to make everyone believe that the U. S. forces would never do such a thing. Your explanation of how critical it was to attack and silence the VC forces in their protected staging areas was eey-opening. On another level, the interaction you had with that CIA agent was more than informative; it was darn right frightening. I've only heard of stories about our government attacking its own troops or getting other forces (Vietname forces in this case) to attack us. I don't think I ever believed it was true. Well, there is no doubt in my mind now! On a third level, this book was informative because I had not knowledge of the Hoa Hao people and their culture. Also, I didn't know that our special forces did so much humanitarian work: construction projects, hospital and medical assistance, etc...
   
   The book is detailed in a positive sense. It describes the military engagements, the meetings with the Vietnam major, the humanitarian projects, the various outposts and military strategies, the daily routine of the special forces, and the plans for military success. Specific details about the men under your command are also given. How in the world they could have decided to turn against you is beyond my understanding. I know you explained what you believe caused them to do so, but I just don't understand the decision to defame you. Loyalty is a man's honor. These men had served you and their mission and their country well, but their honor sure didn't withstand the test of time and politcal pressure.
   
   I mentioned that the book was heart-warming because I was impressed with how loving and caring the Hoa Hao group of people were toward you personally and toward the efforts of lyour men to assist them.
   
   I would consider it an honor to shake your hand Dan. That will probably never happen since I'm way out here in CA, so, as a substitute, please accept my personal thanks and praise for your service, commitment, courage, and determination to do what was right for your men, our country, the Hoa Hao people, and me, a fellow citizen of the greatest country on Earth.



4. Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/RC0438YG67B0Q Expendable Elite: One Soldier's Journey into Covert Warfare
   
   Marvin's book is well-written and detailed. What he reveals is typical CIA maneuvering from that era. I do not understand why the Special Forces Association attacked him. All they did was draw attention to the book.



5. I wonder how John McCarthy feels about Dan Marvin using his (McCarthy's) experiences in Vietnam and thereafter to rationalize Marvin's controversial claims (see the video).
   
   McCarthy's words of six years ago* (see below) are almost prescient:
   
   "It is my desire that you not include my name or the circumstances of my personal predicament...or the circumstances under which these occurred in your own personal writings of your own adventures in Vietnam."
   
   As far as this book is concerned: caveat emptor.
   
   Allan Eaglesham
   
   *Lifted from
   http://www.jfklancerforum.com/dc/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=3&topic_id=2975&mesg_id=2975&listing_type=search
   
   -------------------------------------------------
   
   From: John McCarthy
   To: marvin@trineday.com
   Cc: ray kohlman ; larry odaniel
   Sent: Monday, August 19, 2002 1:10 PM
   Subject: Erroneous Online Assertions
   
   
   Ltc Dan Marvin
   
   Dear Dan,
   
   This email will confirm our conversation by phone last evening, August 18, 2002.
   
   I was utterly astounded to read an internet posting at:
   
   http://expendableelite.com/
   
   In an article attributed to you titled; "The Unconventional Warrior, by LTC Dangerous Dan Marvin, Part Three - Orders to Kill, dated August 16, 2002, in paragraph five, line 7, you wrote the following sentence:
   
   "This fact, coupled with similar information that fellow Green Beret Captain John McCarthy told me of a failed CIA/Miami Mafia "Hit" on JFK in Florida during the President's visit there prior to his fatal trip to Dallas, confirmed the conspiracy in my mind."
   
   When I questioned the veracity of your sentence and its attribution to me you said you had a memo of record on the matter and immediately began reading your memo. No where in your memo is the word or phrase, "CIA /Miami Mafia "Hit"." I have never used this name and phrase in any conversation with you or anyone else. I find your rendition of our 1995 conversation to be whole cloth fabrication. Your fabrication places me as a prognosticator for the events in Dallas, Texas, on November 22, 1963. I would certainly hope that the remainder of your conclusions in your manuscript stand the test of time with respect to accuracy. Your interpretation of our 1995 conversation posted on August 16, 2002, gives new meaning to the name "Dangerous Dan" Marvin.
   
   Then you immediately started reading from an online document reference an NSC meeting in June of 1966 in which LBJ directs the CIA and State Department to cease and desist all support for Khmer Serei operations in Cambodia. This document is from the LBJ Presidential Library in Austin, Tx, and is available on line. It is incomprehensible to me how you wish to justify your mis-characterization of your online posting of August 16, 2002, with this document.
   
   I demand an immediate correction, removal and clarification of the above mentioned August 16, 2002, posting on www.expendableelite.com and any other .com posting, periodical, and other promotional means for your soon to be published book. It is my desire that you not include my name or the circumstances of my personal predicament with respect to any pending litigation I have before the US Courts or the circumstances under which these occurred in your own personal writings of your own adventures in Vietnam. However, if you choose to quote from the public record with respect to my personal dealings with various agencies of the US Government, I strongly suggest that you and your publisher/editor check with my attorney as to pending civil action in those areas.
   
   You are aware, I'm sure, that your August 16, 2002 posting has made it to numerous Special Forces Web sites. One of these sent the above referenced article to me.
   
   You are now on Notice, that if the above corrections are not made, a civil action for libel will be filed against you and your publisher. It is also my desire that you not use my name in the promotion of your book.
   
   A copy of this email is being sent to my attorney, , Esq. I strongly suggest that any and all further correspondence to me be sent to Mr. ---- at his office at: --------
   
   I would also advise you to inform any prospective publisher/editor of your manuscript of this Demand Letter. By law, you are required to do so.
   
   Sincerely,
   
   John J McCarthy

5 comments about Squeaky: The Life and Times Of Lynette Alice Fromme.

1. This is a compelling and very informative portrait of one of the more vocal female members of the Manson family, would-be presidential assassin Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme. In late 1969, when Charles Manson and four others were imprisoned for the brutal murders of nine people, Squeaky Fromme became the leader of the Manson clan in Charlie's absence and took to the streets, holding daily vigils outside the courthouse with the other family members who weren't imprisoned. In 1975, while living in Sacramento and preaching about the destruction of the environment with friend Sandra Good, Squeaky aimed a gun at then-president Gerald Ford. In prison for life, this novel details her early life as a dancer with the Westchester Lariats in Redondo Beach, California, her notable High School days, and finally how and when she met Manson and was seduced by his off-the-wall ideologies. It gives an incredible day-by-day account of her highly-publicized trial in which it was to be decided whether or not she actually meant to kill the president. Although not for everyone, this book is a must for true-crime fans and those who want to know what made this fascinating woman tick.



2. I've always thought you have to take anything thats been written about the so called "Manson family", whether pro or anti Manson, with a huge grain of salt. This book requires less salt than anything I've read pertaining to the "Manson family" to date.

   The author paints a very sympathetic picture of Fromme. I think the angle he is getting at is Manson was able to influence Fromme because she was looking for a Father figure type because her dad was emotionally abusive, neglectful and he strongly implies that Squeaky was sexually abused by him. (which Fromme has denied is true) He also does a lot to show and explain the environmental/ecological activism and theories of the "Manson family", which I found interesting and a lot more well grounded than Bugliosi's screwy "helter skelter" theory. The environmental issues were the main focus and obsession of the "Manson family", not "helter skelter" in my own personal opinion.

   I'm giving this book 4 stars, I'm leaning toward giving it 5 but some the stuff on her trial for attempted murder on former President Gerald Ford drags a little, although some of Frommes wacky courtroom behaviour during the trial is amusing. I personally do not believe she had any intention on shooting Ford either, she was just was trying to draw attention to the environmental issues she was obsessed with.




3. If you're one of those people who went through a phase where you were trying like hell to figure out why humans like Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme helped turn Charles Manson into a cult leader back in the late 1960s, this book will answer none of your questions. Though it received a lot of great reviews by writers from the best newspapers and magazines, I remain utterly dumbfounded as to why.
   Anyone who has truly wasted a lot of time digging for any information that can be found on "the family" will find this book hollow. Beyond hollow. It doesn't even have an outward form.



4. Another great book about the Manson women. Gives insight to the person behind the media stories. Very interesting story. Gives you insight to the person and not the crimes.



5. Overall, a good effort. Couple of shortcomings in that Fromme's formative years (her childhood) are glossed over pretty quickly, and because of when the book was written (late 1980s), there's little to nothing about her last two decades or so behind bars. Basically, the book really concentrates on Fromme's life from the period of 1970 to 1975, and in particular on the Ford assassination attempt and subsequent trial. Of interest is the period after Manson was sentenced leading up to early 1975, as this is where the author did a good job tracking down people involved with Fromme and fleshed out the holes in the media narrative as to what she was up to between the Manson trial and the attempt on Ford. Not a pro-Manson or pro-Squeaky book, nor is it mired in sensationalism...in fact, the portrait of Fromme is quite a bit different than what I expected it would be.

No comments about Report of the President's commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy.

2 comments about Interview with History: The JFK Assassination.

1. These opinions and words are not mine... I am nearly transcribing a paragraph of text for an associate and those words are a Quote and Un-Quote from the person that has asked for their name to be withheld.
   
   Quote
   
   "One of the latest JFK books to hit the market by Pamela Ray and James Files, Interview With History, conjures up memories from old conversations. With me being from a law enforcement family and following in their foot steps, and hearing first hand about mob hits and all the rumors that go with them, often spoke of in my circle, I found the book to be an entertaining read and it not only confirms, but also ties things together nicely and this is what Mafia folklore is made of." "I have known James Files for many many years."
   
   Name withheld by request...
   
   Un-Quote



2. I wrote a very negative review of this so called work of non-fiction but it as yet to appear. One would assume that you choose your reviews based on some unknown agenda

5 comments about Oswald's Tale: An American Mystery.

1. Norman Mailer's book does not resolve the question of the existence of a conspiracy in JFK's assassination (for that see The Man Who Knew Too Much by Dick Russell), but it does provide critical pieces of information about Oswald's psyche that help us assess the liklihood that Oswald was involved in the assassination. For that reason I highly recommend this book.
   
   Mailer provides interesting and frequently relevant detail about Oswald's life with Marina in Russia and their lives back in the US after they moved from Russia. The portrait that emerges of Oswald is one that is crucial to understanding what happened to JFK. Mailer provides convincing evidence that Oswald's activities were largely, if not completely, based on his own agenda and psychological makeup. It is highly unlikely that he was anyone's agent while living in Russia.
   
   Most important is the information about Oswald's desire to live in Cuba after his return to the US from Russia--this was his personal agenda in mid-1963. Mailer takes us that far. Dick Russell's The Man Who Knew Too Much fills in the missing pieces. Russell's book shows that this agenda of Oswald made him vulnerable to a ploy to enlist him in the conspiracy.
   
   Mailer's book on the psychological makeup of Oswald combined with Russell's book on how that makeup was manipulated solves the case.



2. Although an earlier reviewer gave OSWALD'S TALE a withering assessment, I couldn't possibly be quite that uncivil myself, as aggravated as I am. For, the book does serve history by providing much new background information on Lee Harvey Oswald. But I must agree with that reviewer in principal. I have not seen a book that more personifies the classic "2 plus 2 equals 7" logic warp. OSWALD'S TALE seems to set forth most of the facts, repeatedly flirt with and caress the truth, then suddenly to disregard it in favor of twaddle. A good example is Mr. Mailer's omission of the dictation belt discovered in the 1970s in Dallas. The belt contained a sound recording of the assassination recorded over the air as a result of a jammed "transmit" button on a police motorcycle radio. Analysis of the recording by the House Select Committee on Assassinations in 1978-9 revealed that two shots were fired almost simultaneously. An obvious impossibility with a bolt action rifle, this shattered forever the fairytale of a lone assassin. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle coined a phrase many years ago, "profound and ineffable twaddle", which well sums up the illogic of OSWALD'S TALE. Brimming with massive and impressive information, but arriving at conclusions that are an utter nonsequitor, OSWALD'S TALE is very reminiscent of the original Warren Commission Report. Unfortunately for Mr. Mailer, the Warren Commission's thesis has long been discredited and relegated to the category of claptrap. Amazingly, so many reviewers have been overwhelmed by the quantity of information in OSWALD'S TALE, but are oblivious to the book's total failure to make anything of the information. It looks very much as if Mr. Mailer is either daft or has quixotically written yet another book to try to prop up the long-collapsed thesis of the Warren Commission, and in the process comes across as having compromised himself totally. Such a book seems particularly strange coming from someone who used to seem like such a radical and champion of the truth in the 60s. Mr. Mailer remarked in the book that "Jack Ruby buggers reasonable comprehension". However in the end, OSWALD'S TALE itself buggers the truth...



3. Long as it was I regretted reaching the end of this book. Oswald's Tale purports to be a work of fiction. In fact, it impossible not to appreciate the wealth of research and analysis that informs the pages of this dense text. It becomes increasingly clear that Oswald very likely acted alone. Indeed, this is only a question because of the tributaries of zealots that seemed to work on the fringes of formal organizations, including the FBI and the MAFIA and so on. Yet, Oswald very likely acted independently; it would have been practically impossible for any one organization to control him. The novel Libra had it very nearly correct with its assessment that, had Oswald be chosen, it would very likely have been because he could have been depended upon to miss his target, or otherwise bungle the job. No one but Oswald propeled himself onto to the stage of Cold War history. In Oswald's world, his sense of destiny was confirmed by the chance occurrence of being employed in the Texas Book Depository in Dallas, stationed along the very route that President Kennedy's motorcade took that day in November. In addition to the quality of the writing and analysis, the book is to be commended for focusing so intently on Oswald's marriage to Marina, and the relationship he had with his mother, Margueritte. Like so many tragedies, one is all too easily reminded of Shakespeare's Richard, "my kingdom for a horse." Had Cuba provided Oswad a visa enabling him, ultimately to return to the Soviet Union he had already abandoned, history might well have taken a different course. Instead, Oswald's dyslexia, his sense of greatness, his determination and his lack of abilities in so many areas coupled with his gifts in others: all conspired, with chance playing its part, to place Oswald in the book depository from which he assasinated President Kennedy and subsequently murdered Dallas PD Officer Tippit.



4. At almost 800 pages, Tale is weighed down with endless detail. Still much of the detail is fascinating in itself, such as the KGB's procedure in following Oswald in Russia. Mailer actually got the reports of KGB agents following Oswald. Mailer put incredible effort into retracing Oswald's travels in Russia, New Orleans, Mexico and Texas and speaking to dozens of people who had contact with him. Mailer quotes numerous other writers. Only the last hundred pages got down to the action. His account of whodunit and why is necessarily speculative, but I don't know of a more credible one.



5. I stopped reading Norman Mailer's Oswald's Tale after 150 pages. Frankly, I was bored. Mailer opens his examination of Lee Harvey Oswald with an exhaustive, numbing biography of his wife Marina's ancestors and Oswald's adolescence in Russia. I did not care to know so much about Marina's cousins or Oswald's Russian girlfriends. Furthermore, Mailer writes these chapters in a simple, almost oral way, so they do not benefit from his wry, spirited voice and style. It is possible that the book improves once Mailer digs into the meat of the assassination and Oswald's potential motives, however I will never know for sure. Maybe Mailer should have started the novel at that point instead--then I might have read until the end. After reading and enjoying The Naked and the Dead, The Fight, and especially Harlot's Ghost, I found Oswald's Tale to be a disappointment.