5 comments about Mission Compromised: A Novel.

1. Incredible story! Could not put it down. Makes you wonder how much of it really happened in some way, shape or form.



2. This book was quite a letdown. I read his most recent book, Assassins, first and it was great. Exciting and riveting. This is the first book in the series and basically introduces all the characters you will see in the other books...slowly and with too much detail in some instances. Also, this book is filled with religous mumbo jumbo. I never realized Ollie was so religous. Assassins had a lot less religious stuff in it.
   
   You really don't need to read Ollie's books in order as Ollie is good at "re-introducing" characters in his other books so you aren't lost if you did not read the earlier ones. I would skip this one. I still look forward to reading the Jerricho Sanction and Assassins was great.



3. I think it was summed up best by another poster who said, "If not for the trying-too-hard-to-deliver-a-Christian-Message sections, it would have easily sat near the top of the techno/military thriller pile." A lot of the Christianity passages seemed forced, weren't relative to the story, and a bit boring. Thankfully, they're short, like he KNEW that it wouldn't be received well. I don't object to it all, the Christian network of believers that helped him so greatly were pertinent to the story, and weren't coming across as a sidebar. All in all, the book (as well as Jericho Sanction) was suspenseful, fun to read, and hard to put down.



4. What a fantastic, eye opening story! Not my usual read, as I am a single, white female, over 50. I had no idea these scenarios could be a reality. Once the stage was set in the book, I was truly entranced.



5. Mission Compromised seems to have all it takes to make a great novel: military adventure, political intrigue, terrorism, an inside view of the corridors of power. But despite all of this, it fails. The main problem is there's too much going on at once and North, Musser and the editors didn't know when to cut out what's irrelevant. Every character and every object is described with so much detail, often several pages of back story, that the pace becomes much too slow. And the subplot with Newman's wife's love affair and religious conversion really distracts. Once the action starts, suddenly the story switches to her going to church. This was North's first novel and I get the feeling he had so much he wanted to say, and he wanted to say it all in one book. The result may be sincere, a labor of love, but as a novel, it's a mess.
   
   Another problem, but this is minor, is the extremely one dimensional supporting characters. The Iraqis and the Democrats are caricatures.
   
   With a better co-writer and a good editor, "Mission Compromised" could have been an exciting adventure, but unfortunately, it's not, although it is interesting to speculate on how much is fact and how much is fiction. 2+

1 comments about The 2002 Dubrovka and 2004 Beslan Hostage Crises: A Critique of Russian Counter-Terrorism (Soviet and Post-Soviet Politics and Society 26).

1. The events at School Number 1 in Beslan, in southern Russia, are sometimes described as Russia's 9/11. Beslan and 9/11 were incomparably different. But Beslan was an event of such depravity it must be considered uniquely terrible in its own way. It is difficult to write of the events dispassionately. According to official Russian data, the hostage-taking resulted in the deaths of 330 people between 1 and 3 September 2004, including 317 hostages, of whom 186 were children. The events were heart-breaking. A day of happy optimism when parents and young children were to meet together in a party atmosphere to mark the first day of school, in a tradition that always and everywhere in Russia is the highlight of the school year for Russian children, their parents and teachers, was converted into an unforgettable horror when terrorists took over the school and turned joyful celebration into the worst of nightmares. No fouler atrocity is imaginable.
   
   Professor Dunlop, a senior fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution, has written a fascinating and scholarly book covering the Beslan events and the earlier hostage crisis at the Dubrovka theatre in Moscow - two of the most memorable episodes in the presidency of Vladimir Putin. Careful to avoid emotional responses to the events, he succeeds, with forensic skill, in producing meticulously objective accounts of both tragedies.

5 comments about Fight Back: Tackling Terrorism, Liddy Style.

1. I found it geared more toward CEO's of large corporations that need protection rather that the common individual.



2. This book is written in a tone that's surprisingly mild without a heavy dose of panic. It is rather factual in nature making some rather fundamental comments about personal security. Many of these, removing tree branches that might be used to allow entry to your house through an upstairs window, clearing shrubs from around your house, keeping a battery powered radio (with fresh batteries) around make good sense where there are terrorists involved or not.
   
   The first half of the book on knowing how terrorists organize, think, and act is quite interesting. He also discusses several organizations, some of which (Al Qaida) pose a definite threat to the US, some (Hamas) haven't operatee in the United States, some (Black Panthers) are basically defunct.
   
   One thing that I was expecting because of the title was a recommendation to keep a gun at home. Out here in the west everybody (nearly) has a gun. I was surprised at this knowing a little about Liddy's reputation.
   
   There are a couple of errors in the book. For instance there is a comment about using duct tape to seal your house. He says that FEMA recommends tape that has a minimum of ten millimeters (0.01 in). Ten millimeters is nearly a half inch. That's pretty thick for tape.
   
   A final comment. Much in this book is good advice. It makes sense if there is a terrorist threat or simply a hurricane like Katrina. On the other hand, to concentrate on the terrorist threat doesn't make all that much sense. 9/11 killed about 3,000 people. That's about how many people are killed each and every month by driving accidents. But a book on driving accidents wouldn't be of much interest.



3. I've read some of the reviews and I picked up on a couple of themes: 1) Redundant information, available on the web; and, 2) designed for CEOs.
   
   Both can be true if you limit the information that way, but I'd ask two questions.
   How many people have read http://ready.gov?
   How many people are aware that the same situational awareness that applies to CEOs applies to all of us?
   
   This book doesn't claim to be the "be all, end all" of personal security or define everything applicable to everyone, as is evidenced by bibliography and references. It defines threats, backgrounds and considerations for personal preparedness. It suggests that we are the first responders for our own personal safety, suggests the same prudent recommendations apply to non-CEOs, and provides appropriate responses to known threats.
   
   My only regret is that practice is not stressed as much as awareness. Shelter in place covers what is required, but does not seem to stress the drill. How long will it take you to seal off? Did you miss anything? What personal modifications for shelter in place do you need? How long does it take you to accomplish this? What did you miss the first time you tried?
   
   If you don't practice, you won't know until it counts. That's too late.
   
   Terrorism ain't just for CEOs anymore. This book has excellent information not covered in the press, prudent responses, and prudent preparations. My only suggestion is practice. It enables personal adaptation of the information provided.



4. I'm a fan of G. Gordon Liddy but this book offers nothing that hasn't been written elsewhere. I was very surprised how basic and rudimentary the information in this book is considering the authors experience.
   
   I would pass on this one. Unless you know absolutely nothing about security you won't pick up any new information from this book.



5. Liddy does a great job in letting you know not only what's at jeopardy but why.He spells out what a terrorist will strike,and how and why a terrorist will go after certain things.It's not a matter of if terrorist will strike,but when and where.

3 comments about Biosecurity and Bioterrorism: Containing and Preventing Biological Threats (Butterworth-Heinemann Homeland Security).

1. I was very impressed by this text. It is easy to read (without being simplistic), well illustrated, and it covered most of the area. If you are interested in biosecurty, I suggested that you get this book. I am not easliy pleased but this is a good book.



2. I just finished reading this text for a class. It is well written, easy to follow and contains a lot of detail. Bioterrorism is a multi-faceted subject and this text covers each aspect of the subject very well. I highly recommend it to anyone with an interest in biosecurity.



3. This book is a must read for anyone interested in the study of biosecurity and bioterrorism. The book is well written and easy to read. Of the many books on this subject I have read, this one covers more areas of knowledge than any. Ryan and Glarum are true experts in the field of biological agents and this book shares that knowledge with the readers.

5 comments about The Islamic Threat : Myth or Reality? (Third Edition).

1. I read this book for a book review I had to do for a history of Islam course. Altogether, it was a great book, though probably not for the "average" reader. Esposito is a scholar, thus he writes like one. Anyone who hasn't already gotten a few academic books under their belt might find a few of his more complex concepts a bit difficult to follow. He goes into great detail, but also assumes a lot of knowledge on the part of the reader. Nevertheless, the points presented in the book are important for everyone to understand. As Esposito says, if you TRULY want to understand Islam and modern Muslims, you MUST be willing to delve into the complexities of history. It may be hard work, but if you want to know the truth behind the stereotypes, you have to be willing to learn a lot!



2. Despite an automatic "us against them" response many of us may have to this topic, this erudite presentation should not be discounted and is all the more important to study.
   
   It is unfortunate that many Christians and Jews feel negatively toward Islam. To be fair, it is unfortunate the Islam emerged as a teaching meaning to supercede Christianity. However, Christianity seems to have begun and has largely remains convinced of itself as a one true way. Perhaps from all this, folks from all sides will learn the dangers of placing authority in supernatural claims.
   
   But given that Christianity, Judaism and Islam exist as they are, it seems helpful that John Esposito has been able to make it clearer just how Islam does exist these days. Answers are by no means easy or simple nor is it constructive to just try to write off a strawman Islam.
   
   Esposito has presented so much information on the various forms and usages of Islam today that it would be too much to ask him to expand his early sections on the history of Islam. Nevertheless readers unconvinced somehow here as to the contributions of Islam may want to also read books focused on Islam's history. Reading the Quran also can't hurt. It may seem repititive but it does present powerful images that may explain to doubters Islam's appeal.
   
   People exploit religions, People use religions to exploit other people. This hardly is confined to Islam nor is Islam hardly confined to such activity. For roughly 1 billion people Islam provides help: Esposito's contribution herein is making it overwhelmingly clear how many various forms that help has taken and how many of these forms are constructive.



3. Firstly I should say that this review pertains more directly to the writing style and content of Esposito's text rather than a wider discussion of his thesis on the nature of militant Islam -- those looking for such an analysis may wish to consult other Amazon reviews for this book.
   
   As with many writers on the subject, Esposito couches his discussion of contempory events by tracing their historical developments: indeed he devotes some two-thirds of the text to this end. Laudable and necessary though this approach is, I was stuck by the considerable unevenness of the structure: as can be discerned from a glance at the contents page, the chapters range from a modest 20 pages to an unwieldy 80 pages (within a 280 page text) with arbitrary sub- and sub-sub- divisions dotted throughout. Whilst this system can work effectively for certain writers, to my mind this approach causes Esposito to treat his subject matter in an similarly uneven style, allowing, for example, considerable discussion to one nation's history, little to another, or none to yet another, somewhat irrespective of what importance in the Islamic revivalist story might have been fairly attributed to that country back in in the mid to late 1990s. Developments in Palestine--relations between Hamas, Fatah and the US in particular--are glossed over, almost as an afterthought, in the concluding pages of the text.
   
   Equally, general readers wishing to digest 'The Islamic Threat' cover to cover, rather than by chapter or sub-chapter as an academic gloss, will slowly become frustrated by Esposito's continual use of repeated miniture lists and translations of Arabic phrases. Clearly the term 'jihad', for example, should be translated the upon its first use, but surely not on the fifth or tenth use also.
   
   I do not wish to be unfair to Esposito. He is undoubtedly a leading authority in his field, and attempts to offer an sober analysis of Islamic-Western relations in a time where it has conceivably never been of greater importance. My feeling, and I'm sure that of many others who have read 'The Islamic Threat' is that a fourth edition is sorely needed to correct both sometimes painful editorial clunkiness and, of course, bring his analysis into line with developments since the 1999 edition.



4. Esposito does a fanatastic job showing how Islam really is a religion of peace: once everybody's Muslim, that is. Till then, pass the ammo. And since peace is the ultimate goal, we have no choice but to classify it as a peaceful religion. (Pol Pot was also a man of peace in this way.)
   
   Another strength of Esposito's book is the way it proves how what we persist in seeing as a threat should instead be greeted as a welcome boon.
   
   After all, once we've all converted, we'll likely be much happier. There'll be no more interfaith disagreements, no uppity women, no Israel, no public controversies, no music, art, sculpture, dance, or bickering political parties.
   
   Nor will there be any debates about education, art, philosophy, history, or anything else. And since there will be no further need to read books, our pious brows will never be furrowed in painful cogitation.
   
   Our lives will be led in blissful confidence that God loves us, we're 100% right, we're going to Heaven, and that by everybody bowing to a rock five times a day we will have attained the absolute summit of human achievement.
   
   So what threat?



5. For the average Western reader living in a media-saturated environment, analysis of complex issues is generally sidestepped to make way for an endless barrage of the much more palatable (and profitable) sound bites. The problem with broad and shallow treatments of historically complex conflicts is the unsatisfyingly easy stock ideas that the viewers are furnished with, leaving little room for measured analysis and even-handed conclusions. Esposito's book, "The Islamic Threat: Myth or Reality?" sets up a detailed and well-reasoned historical foundation for understanding the conflicts that have arisen between two very different cultures in a stimulating contrast to Western news channel synopses of Islam's role in current events.
   
   "The Islamic Threat" was, for me, a breath of fresh air that takes a hot-button issue and presents it in a fair, even manner. He doesn't avoid stereotypes, but faces them head on as he carefully presents his research. Esposito first places Islam and all of its sects and movements in historical context, and then goes on to systematically address some very sensitive topics with diplomacy and aplomb. By the time the reader has reached the chapters entitled "Islamic Organizations: Soldiers of God" and "Islam and the West: A Clash of Civilizations", s/he is primed for an unbiased academic treatment of issues ranging from Nationalism, Jihad, terrorism, secularism, Salman Rushdie's "Satanic Verses", military rule, socialism, colonialism, and revolution. For this reason I concluded that the structure of the book was well planned. It would seem to me that even some of the more radical viewpoints may have been tempered by Esposito's levelheaded analyses. Once the reader has the historical and religious knowledge to draw on, the common Western stereotypes and biases regarding Islam seem instantly less plausible.
   
   Since he tackles European colonialism in as fair a fashion as he explains the historical contexts of Jihad, he removes the "good guy/bad guy" associations that are all too familiar in East/West perceptions. He draws important parallels between the Eurocentric image of "the Jew" that has so disastrously affected the common era, and the misinformed fear-based assumptions about the Muslim world that pervade even the most liberal, "open-minded" circles. (Esposito, 43) He also points out that Muslims have a equally legitimate claim to the Judeo-Christian heritage as co-founders of the monotheistic tradition, and yet in many Western communities Muslims are suspiciously regarded as "other". (Esposito, 238)
   
   "The Islamic Threat" directly discusses the Western share of responsibility in igniting some of the conflict between cultures. Esposito unveils the complexity of American and European interventionist foreign policy, and shines a beacon on some of the mistakes our government has made by fostering a "double standard in its promotion and protection of democracy and human rights". (Esposito, 272) Furthermore, he goes on to criticize the overuse of sensational terminology such as "Islamic Fundamentalism" since it promotes a "tendency to equate violence and terrorism with Islam". (Esposito, 286) The danger of this, as Esposito goes on to explain, is the adoption of the myopic misperception that Muslims are constantly agitating for random violence against innocent Westerners, when we take an altogether innocent view of our own constant invasion, interference, and patronizing application of Western ideals on the rest of the world. We so often forget the epidemic violence of Christian history, even within this century. Esposito illustrates the reality of Islam - a peaceful faith with millions of true believers who fade into the background at the mention of the latest [Islamic] "threat".
   
   It's true that the third edition reads like a draft in places, but I attribute that to the "absentminded professor" syndrome more than carelessness or, god forbid, lack of knowledge. I would recommend an expansion of the post 9-11 chapters, but overall "The Islamic Threat" is a brilliant examination of a pressing question.

5 comments about Allah's Scorpion (McGarvey).

1. But isn't our hero getting a little old for his actions to be believed. Is everyone in the CIA related? Do they send couples into danger? If only the details lived up to the action.



2. This is a book that you never want to end. I just wish that he could write them faster with the same quality.



3. Allah's Scorpion is the first book I found by Mr. Hagberg. It deals with terrorism and is up to the minute in world events. Once I read it, I found all of his other books to read. You cannot put down one of his books. They grab you and hold on.
   
   I do not like to give plot summaries because they give away too much. Just don't miss any of his books if you rollercoaster reads.



4. Riveting thriller
   David Hagberg gets better with each novel. Allah's Scorpion is an excellent, tightly written contemporary thriller. There is plenty of action, but it is not overdone as is typical in so many action thrillers today. Mr. Hagberg takes a plausible plot, stocks it with realistic characters, and presents it in a contemporary way to keep the reader engaged. The storyline grows in complexity as the plot evolves weaving both the personal and international conflicts into a dramatic climax. Kirk McGarvey has grown in stature through Mr. Hagberg's novels and has reached the same plain as Vince Flynn's Mitch Rapp, Robert Ludlum's Jason Bourne, or Barry Eisler's John Rain. In Allah's Scorpion , it takes all of Kirk's wiles and assassin expertise to finally defeat his bitterest of enemies. Unfortunately for Mr. McGarvey, in the process of covert success another enemy appears to have taken over as his chief opponent in the future. In the international world of terrorist fiction there is always another "bad guy" to defeat. It will be interesting to see where Kirk goes next.
   Character development was very good. As this is a Kirk McGarvey series each new book bring out more of who Kirk really is and what inner demons he must grapple with. Sub characters were handled very well and continue to be developed in an excellent fashion. Although fiftyish, I think there are still a few good years left in Kirk McGarvey-at least I hope so.
   Some violence but germane to the storyline-not gratuitous. No gratuitous language or sex.
   Highly recommended if you like contemporary action thrillers. Not over-the-top but a real page turner. Perfect for a vacation read.



5. I was hard pressed for a new book to read, and decided to try going by the amazon recommendations, this book received five stars. I was looking for something similar to the Vince Flynn, Brad Thor novels, accurately researched subject matter down to the last detail. The author seemed to have vague subject matter knowledge, and obviously relied on other literary types to vet his his supporting subject matter data. I am sure had I been able to force myself to finish this book, and was able to forgive the inaccurate data as it related to weapons equipment and operations, I am sure I would be angry for wasting my time in addition to my money.

5 comments about Republic: A Novel of America's Future.

1. This book has a lot of potential, but I'd call it a near miss rather than a hit. The characters were interesting but my interest in them was tempered by a very awkward writing style. I also felt the secondary characters weren't fleshed out enough to support why they took some of the actions they did.
   
   I did like how even the 'bad guys' were portrayed as well meaning bumblers though. I suspect that the decay of any society is driven more by the poor decisions of people who just aren't able to rise to the occasion than it is by black hearted malfeasance.
   
   Also, the premise of an America sliding into a repressive 'constitutional dictatorship' wasn't supported very well by events in the book. I felt we didn't get enough of the 'pre-story' to adequately support why the West Virginians were willing to stand alone in rebellion to the rest of the USA nor were we told why if things were SO bad in the USA why no other states were also close to rebellion. We were 'told' things were bad all over, but the Feds only seemed to pick on West Virginia.
   
   As speculative fiction, I just don't believe the author created a believable enough universe to support the story. I realize there was a bit of political agenda in the writing of this document, and maybe the true believers will ignore its faults (Apparently, the trash talking Daily Kos did), but there just isn't enough 'meat' to this novel to make it something the world needs to read.
   
   These type of 'alternate history' stories need an enormous amount of detail (or at least create the illusion of enormous amounts of detail) to be successful, and in this area the novel fell short.



2. I hate to admit how scary this book is because I can see us living the story out in our country. The land I defended in the US Army is no longer free. The fact is the federal government continually takes more and more of our freedom in the name of security. I wish the story was more unrealistic but I don't think it is. That is why it is so gripping. The author has told a story the I can see happening. The characters are completely realistic and you will find yourself sitting on the edge of your seat.
   
   Charles Sheehan-Miles is as good an author as Clancy or Grisham.



3. I enjoyed this book. I thought the author's style gave us just enough information for us to know what's going on without boring us with detail. The characters were solid and I cared about them by the end. It's difficult for me to assess how realistic the plot is, but it did seem that too much had deteriorated too fast. I'm a big fan of dystopian fiction and I'm well aware of the encroachments of government power over the past eight years, but certain events seemed far too heavy handed without more background information about what happened between now and the time of the story. I was somewhat frustrated that we didn't receive more information in the epilogue about what happened to the country at the end, but I suppose it's covered in more detail in the sequel. Of course, this is all analysis afterward; I got caught up in the story while I was reading it and I think most readers will, too.
   
   The text itself needs another proofreader because there were small spelling, grammar and punctuation errors throughout that distracted me. I read the PDF version, so I don't know whether they made it to paper. Thank you, Mr. Sheehan-Miles, for making this book available free.



4. The book starts slow, but soon reaches a frantic pace. Well thought out and not over the top, a succession of a US state would likely end in this fashion.
   
   What strikes me about this novel, is that it is so well written and developed based on what we are seeing these days in our nation. The economical collapse, the out sourcing of jobs, a fatality damaged government bureaucracy, and an overpowered homeland security doctrine.
   
   The novel ends well with the door wide open for his future work, Insurgent.
   
   I can not wait. The story must go on. If you like possible scenarios and a large amount of conversation fodder, this novel is a must.



5. This book is a great read. Good story, and yes the good guys dont always win in the end, well it depends on who you think the good guys are. Would like to see a 2nd book to follow up on this one.

1 comments about A History of Terrorism.

1. This book was first published in 1977, and has been republished with no apparent updating. The first chapter is a very short history of terrorism (19 pages). Chapter two looks at the history of the philosophy of terrorism, discussing terrorists from around the globe, through World War 2. Chapter 3 discusses the sociology of terrorism, examining the "who" and the "how." The fourth chapter focuses on the interpretations of terrorism, that is how terrorism is seen and understood, both in non-fiction (political science for the most part) and in fiction.

   I found this book to be a real mixed bag. Overall the author takes a holistic approach, which gave me the feeling that I now understand terrorism more deeply. Unfortunately, this approach also means that I do not feel like I learned much about the evolution of terrorism. The author moves from terrorist group to terrorist group often without giving any idea of the group's context. Therefore, while this is a fascinating book, I do not consider it a good history of terrorism-it's an examination of the forest that misses the trees.

   So, overall, I give this book a highly qualified recommendation.

4 comments about A General Speaks Out: The Truth About the Wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

1. Excellent book by a man who was there, and helped set up everything. Easy to complain and knock things down when you HAVEN'T been there and know all that is going on. The General is honest and forthcoming with success's and failures.



2. The writer of this book is a retired Naval Aviator, US Marine Corps Leutenant General who writes as he sees it. It is of his experiece as the number 2 officer in the US Central Command who kept the home fires burning during te 2003 invasion of Iraq. This revised and renamed editon serves a real purpose in that his view on events of major signifiance vary from other writers and remain unchallenged. It is an important writing because it shows that in any modern day military venture, there is much political, logistical and other work in the background during both the planning and the operational phases. Written in a simple style which adds to it value Well worth reading. The cost is right.



3. Mike DeLong is the former second in command at US Central Command. He is also among the most die-hard supporters of Don Rumsfeld. When six retired generals called for Rumsfeld to resign in the sprint of 2006 over the situation in Iraq, Mike DeLong took the other side and became the public defender of Rumsfeld and the "stay the course" strategy in Iraq.
   
   The book isn't very good. DeLong mostly just repeats Rumsfeld's ideas and tries to defend the Iraq war. He is all for transformation of the military along the lines Rumsfeld wanted. But he doesn't bother to think about the implications of how a small high-tech army can ever win an insurgency war like Iraq. In fact, for an ex-general, he doesn't give much thought to how to do things better in Iraq at all.
   
   On the lead-up to the Iraq war, he might as well be Rumsfeld or Cheney. He repeats all the disproved alligations of links between Bin Laden and Iraq. In interviews he also has claimed that Al Queida had its own chemical weapons plant in Kurdistan.
   
   As far as WMDs, he is convinced that everything said in the lead-up to the war was true. The only reason they didn't find the weapons is that they were taken to Syria. Along the same lines, the book gives the impression that the "solution" to Iraq that he sees is invasions of Syria and Iran. I would not doubt though that if such invasions occured that the WMDs would again not be found he would tell us that they are in Sudan or Lebannon. He basically doesn't retreat an inch from the worst of the disproved pre-war claims.
   
   If the pro-Rumsfeld politics of the book are the bad part, the good part of the book is when he talks about the actual mechanics of leading the war effort in Iraq from the perspective of his job (second in command). But even in that part, this is his second book and after "inside Centcom", there isn't all that much new to say.



4. Every now and then I'll read a book and wish that I could meet the author for dinner. A General Speaks Out was one of those books. General DeLong is a fascinating person. He comes across as a no nonsense type of guy but clearly has a sense of humor as well and this book is about his time in one of the hardest jobs on earth. Between dealing with Secretary Rumsfeld, General Franks-- a guy you would NOT want to get on the bad side of, and running a war it's a wonder he made it retirement without collapsing.
   
   The most interesting part of the book was the wild contrast between the stuff the media was printing and they way things actually were. If the media scandals of recent years didn't make you question everything you read in the newspaper then this book should.
   
   Finally, I was really moved by the dedication and calmness of our military. Thank you General DeLong for your service.

5 comments about Nine Months at Ground Zero: The Story of the Brotherhood of Workers Who Took on a Job Like No Other.

1. Thank you Bobby, for imortalizing the experience, and heartache, of us all.



2. This book is a terrific account of the story of the recovery from the Pile to the Pit at the WTC Site. In contrast with the twisted and bitter 'American Ground' written by William Langewiesche some years ago, 'Nine Months's firsthand hand accounts from the rank and file men and women from the FDNY, NYPD and Constuction Trade show the human efforts and bursting hearts that forged those involved in the recovery into a band of brothers. Their desperate efforts and hopes again inspire us through this account.
   
   It was worth waiting for until now to hear their stories in their own words and much applause to Glenn Stout, Charlie Vitchers and Robert Gray for putting this together for the rest of us. No one should miss it.



3. The "outside world" owes a debt of gratitude to the men and women who worked hard to respectfully recover those who were killed on 9/11.
   This book goes a long way to bring those of use who observed from afar closer to what happened in the aftermath.
   The courage to step up and the morality to do what is right is imbedded in these individuals.
   Thank you.



4. For all the crowds who were compelled to come to Ground Zero in those first traumatic months to see for themselves, pay their respects or simply offer moral support, most did not get close enough to see what these men and women who worked "The Pile" saw. Their lives will never be the same. Dedicated first and foremost to bringing home the victims, cutting a giant tangle of twisted steel and pushing compressed concrete--1.8 million tons of "debris"--the ironworkers, heavy equipment operators and other tradesmen who worked the site were heroic in their selfless determination to work fast and see the job through to the end. Reporters were not allowed inside and workers who talked to them could be fired. Unprepared for the horror they would see but pushing through, day after day to get the job done, these men and women came together in an unspoken bond which could not be breached, even by members of their own family. This is a story everyone should know. God bless them all.



5. A very good book of information not provided by the media due to there restricted access of area. Suggested for anyone whois looking for more detail than the news provided about how the recovery and cleanup effort was handled. Informative as to Ground Zero was like, how the clean up started so fast, how it was handled during those 9 months.