5 comments about Whirlwind: The Air War Against Japan, 1942-1945.

1. I am not a veteran. I am not an aviator. I am not a historian. I'm just a casual reader who watches History Channel from time to time. I loved this book. I've read a couple of Tillman's other books (Dauntless, and one he co-wrote with Coyle.) Those were fiction books. Although his specialty is detailed, meticulously researched history, he's a good story-teller.
   
   It's not dry, like a history book. History is about real stuff that really happened to real people, and what comes across strongest about this book is how the author gets into the minds of the people. Apparently, he sat down and talked to the actual participants, and reports what they were thinking and feeling when these momentous things were going on.
   
   Lots of stuff in here I never knew. Everybody knows about Kamikaze pilots flying into ships, but I did not know there were Kamikaze pilots who flew into B29s. Why isn't that as well known?
   
   I never knew about the bitter, bitter animosity between the Japanese Army and the Japanese Navy. Apparently, that had a profound effect on the conduct and outcome of the war. Maybe military historians knew about that, but I never did, and that seems like the sort of thing that the general public should know.
   
   What I really love about the book, though, is the insight into the people. What a soap opera! There were people who were so brave, and so brilliant, that if Hollywood tried to make a movie about them, they would be almost unbelievable. (Think Band of Brothers and Saving Private Ryan and Schindler's List.) There were also people who had been "promoted to their level of incompetence" and, after they royally screwed up and got lots of men killed, were promoted/"kicked upstairs" to get them out of the way. No punches pulled here.
   
   This book emphasis the "story" part of "history." Fascinating book.



2. This book, like Barrett Tillman's other excellent book, the Clash of Carriers, provides the personal experiences of the men who were involved in bombing Japan. However, it also provides the strategic context for these events. Of course, the personal experiences are what makes this book. We are coming to the point where these men will no longer be with us, and sharing their experiences in print is priceless.
   
   Here are a couple of examples to whet your appetite for this book. (1) There is the story of the gunner who was blown out of a B-29 at 29,000 feet and thanks to a make shift chord connecting him to the plane was dragged outside of the plane until a number of the crew could pull him in. (2) There is the story of the individual who accidentally fired off a flare in the plane. If the flare was not thrown out the window, it would burn through the plane's floor and detonate the bombs. Although he was blinded by the accident, he picked up the flare and threw it out the window. He received the Medal of Honor for his action.
   
   Like his previous book, the author shares some insight on how things were accomplished in this period. For example, he shares how a bombadier made a Norden bombsight work, how a landing officer on a carrier helped a plane land on a bouncing deck, and the experiences of a P-51 fighter pilot who flew from Iwo Jima to Japan in a cramped uncomfortable space for 7 hours.
   
   These are just some examples. He also shares the experiences of the men who were on the planes that dropped the first two atomic bombs, the experiences of the crews who fire bombed Tokyo in March, 1945, the carrier pilots who flew over Japan and had dog fights over their cities in the last few months, and the crews of bombers other than the B-29, e.g. the B-25 and B-24, who bombed Japan at the end of the war.
   
   This is an excellent book and recommended for all individuals who are interested in reading about WWII in the Pacific.



3. The story of the B29 campaign against Japan is a microcosm of how the USA did its part to win World War II. Whirlwind tells the remarkable stories of:
   
   1. The stupendous achievement in engineering technology and industrial production that went into the design, production, and deployment of the plane. The B29 was a gigantic plane, two of which would placed wing-to-wing would cover an entire football field. It was highly advanced with fire control by analog computing and remote-control of multiple gun turrets by a single crewman. The USA was able to produce thousands of these planes and create in the remote areas of China and the Pacific Islands the almost inconceivable infrastructure required to keep them flying.
   
   2. The astounding degree of cooperation among engineers, production workers, and the branches of the armed forces to get this weapon into the war. A remarkably short time passed between the conception of this plane, its production, and its deployment. This was one aspect of America's wartime spirit of intensively hard work to win the war.
   
   3. The huge amount of resources the USA committed to the effort. The first B29's were flown from bases deep inside Japanese-occupied China (I did not know this). The logistics of setting up these remote bases and keeping them stocked with fuel was a war within a war. Then the B29s were rebased to the Pacific islands and the effort scaled up a 100 fold.
   
   4. The amount of effort required to work the "gremlins" out of the highly complex plane and to make it effective. Nearly 20% of the planes aborted due to mechanical failures on the early missions. Most of the planes that did get airborne missed their targets due to bad weather and poor bombing control. Careers of many famous Army Air Corps men were ended while others were advanced in the course of dealing with these problems and turning the planes from a liability into a weapon of terrible effectiveness.
   
   5. The human stories of the men who flew the planes, the generals who conceived of the air campaign, and of the Japanese pilots who tried to defend against them. The story is vividly told through their perspectives and made to come to life. The reader will experience these events so vividly as to feel that he took part in them.
   
   Whirlwind is a well-written, easy-to-read book that provides a detail of information and color that will provide fresh insights even of those who have intensively studied the B29 campaign in other books.



4. Barrett Tillman scores again, with this comprehensive work on the battles in the skies over Japan. From the opening chapter, where he establishes the basic concept of air power as seen through the eyes of Mitchell, Trenchard, and Douhet, thru the creation, teething pains, and eventual deployment of Boeing's massive B-29 Superfortress, Tillman socks one out of the park. Not merely a treatise on 'Victory Through Airpower', he covers all the bases. Each chapter transitions nicely--from the AAC's precision bombing campaign, thru the fast carrier strikes of Mitscher and McCain, and back to the employment of the long-legged P-51 Mustang, finishing finally with the climactic use of 'Fat Man' and 'Little Boy', and their legacy. Much of what I learned by reading this book was new to me...such as the enormous amount of labor involved in setting up those island airfields, the back story on napalm and incindiaries, and most especially, the woeful lack of adequate fire-fighting ablity and equipment in the Japanese cities. Most of the works out there concern the 'getting there' part of the war with Japan. This one covers the 'are there' part.



5. Barrett Tillman is arguably America's finest aviation historian, having produced 30-something well-received military aviation titles over the years. WHIRLWIND, THE AIR WAR AGAINST JAPAN, 1942-1945 is his latest book. A comprehensive account of the American bombing campaign against the Japanese homeland, it brings together a wide range of events, personalities, policies and weapons and synthesizes them into one easy-to-understand, insightful whole. A valuable book for air war buffs, WHIRLWIND is a masterful performance by an author at the top of his form.
   
   After detailing the April 1942 Doolittle Raid on Japan, Tillman backtracks and discusses the early development of strategic air warfare and latter day proponents such as Mitchell and Arnold, the USAAF's creation of strategic warfare doctrine and development of bombers such as the B-17, B-24 and B-29 to implement that doctrine. Early American schemes to bomb Japan died aborning and it wasn't until the - premature - deployment of the B-29 to Chinese bases in 1944 that effective strikes could be mounted. It took the capture of Pacific islands such as Saipan, Guam and Tinian and the arrival of Curtis LeMay to turn the B-29 effort into a war-winning endeavor.
   
   As stated, WHIRLWIND, perhaps for the first time in a book, brings together all the pieces of the puzzle, lays them out in easy-to-understand terminology and relates how and why they played a part in the American air campaign against Japan. Further, Tillman's narrative looks at both sides of the equation, noting military developments in America and Japan and how they impacted events. Mistakes were made on both sides and Tillman evenhandedly chronicles these as well. Likewise, he transitions seamlessly from top-level policy matters to B-29 design developments to in-the-cockpit air battle descriptions.
   
   In short, Tillman manages to cram an incredible amount of information and insight into the book's 316 - not 336! - pages. Whatever the page length, WHIRLWIND may well be THE definitive account of the American air campaign against Japan. Highly recommended.

5 comments about Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam War.

1. This is a gritty tale from its beginning when a green 2nd Lieutenant gets his first assignment at a forward firebase not far from the DMZ. He has to work to earn the trust of seasoned veterans, deal with slackers, racial prejudices, jungle rot, and other challenges faced by marine officers on the ground during the Vietnam war. There are also glimpses into the politics of military hierarchies, and trying to work into and be accepted by that chain of command as an outsider (non-Naval Academy product).
   
   The story is written realistically, including a particularly unvarnished application of foul language, aspects of health, language, and military lingo.
   
   If you are a fan of military fiction, complete with a healthy dose of marine jargon and plenty of colorful language, then you'll probably like this Matterhorn.
   
   To be frank, the story lines were a bit too gritty and the language was too colorful for my tastes.
   
   3 stars.



2. Karl Marlantes' "Matterhorn" is destined to be a classic. This novel--Marlantes' first, which he spent 30 years writing--is not only a terrific piece of military writing, it's one of the best books (of any genre) I've ever read. "Matterhorn" is one of those rare books I actually hated to finish. The Matterhorn of this novel is a fictionalized hill just south of the DMZ in Vietnam and the story covers several months in the late 1960s in the midst of 22-year old Marine Lt Waino Mellas' 13-month tour and focuses primarily on the Platoon Mellas commands (as well as the larger Company and Battalion as a whole). Marlantes is a decorated Marine (Bronze Star, two Purple Hearts) and "Matterhorn" reads like a first-hand account of several harrowing months in the Vietnam jungle. It's riveting stuff and an incredibly fast and thoughtful read through 600+ pages.
   
   Lt Mellas' Company faces many daunting tasks in this novel to include the mountain jungle of central Vietnam, a determined foe in the NVA, the racial strife of the late 60s, monsoon rain, tigers, leeches, disease, trenchfoot, and all of this as teenagers or recent teens. Marlantes does a masterful job of describing the interactions between the officer corps and the enlisted troops. He also portrays the various motivations of each and the difficulty Mellas (and his fellow lieutenants) face in leading troops into battle based on orders they find dubious at best. Character development and interaction and the writing is terrific and Marlantes' description of the trials these Marines face is first-rate. "Matterhorn" easily rates on par with the best military fiction I have read (to include Tim O'Brien's "The Things They Carried", James Jones' "The Thin Red Line", or any of the war fiction Hemingway wrote). Very Highly Recommended and a must read for any fans of military writing.



3. This is an excellent story about the way it was a a grunt Marine during the Vietnam War. The descriptions of the terrible conditions, psychological pressures and the fear of what lies just ahead is just so different than today's War of Terrorism.
   
   Duplicitous senior officers commit the grunts to seemingly impossible tasks, yet the spirit of these Marines and their fear of getting one of their band of brothers killed because of their individual mistake or fears, cause them to continue on in the face of horrible devastation.
   
   This is the most realistic novel since James Webb's Fields of Fire. A great read that will keep you on the edge of your chair!



4. I found this novel nothing but rehashed drivel. Vietnam was a debacle of towering dimensions and this over simplifies it to the level of insult. I found it offensive.



5. In school, I hated history class. I think it was because we were required to learn dates and important historic events rather than learning the experiences people had when creating this world we live in. There didn't seem to be a connection with the people that made you feel for them during their struggle. I find that biographies, and especially autobiographies, are able to really tell you how good/lucky those people were during their historic events. This book, although will more than likely never make it into any history book, was exactly what I like in a history book. I felt like I was there with them during the good, bad, and really really bad. This is the best book I have read in a very long time. Just be prepared, it is a really long book.

5 comments about The Age of the Unthinkable: Why the New World Disorder Constantly Surprises Us And What We Can Do About It.

1. I'm an avid book worm, and usually churn through books at light speed. The topic for Mr. Ramo's book is of utmost importance, so I borrowed the book at my local library. They gave me three weeks to return it, and I thought I'd be done in three HOURS, not weeks. Maybe my librarian knew something I didn't, 'cause its been a tremendous pain to go through Mr. Ramo writing skills, famous name dropping, endless parallels, and superficial arguments. His thesis could be summarized in one page, rather than forcing the reader to withstand the pain of going through it all.
   On the lighter side our author is a competitive aerobatic pilot, so I'll give him some credit afterall...



2. This book is entertaining and thought-provoking. Ramos is a wonderful writer and has weaved together many interesting stories which reflect the complexity of the world we live in. But Ramos oversteps when he claims to offer a solution for the problems we face. His "deep security" solution lacks real prescriptive ideas. While it would certainly make sense to encourage our intelligence and other government agencies to be more creative and prepare themselves to flexibly deal with unanticipated problems, this will not be enough to solve America's or the world's problems. I would have been happier with this book and might even have given it 5 stars if Ramos had simply written a set of essays and told his stories without trying give them more significance than they deserve and pretending that he has solutions for the world's problems.
   
   Ramos is right that the modern world requires governments to react more quickly and more flexibly. But the institutions that really need repairs are our political ones. America in particular is beset by total gridlock in dealing with the enormous environmental and financial problems that we face. We know that we need to rapidly convert from fossil to renewable energy sources, but we allow 17% of our potential workforce to be unemployed when they could be building and installing wind turbines, solar power, and nuclear energy reactors as fast as possible. We could be using these currently unproductive people to reduce our dependence on foreign oil and stave off global warming. But the U.S. Senate hasn't even passed climate change legislation 11 months after Barack Obama became President. And whatever they do pass will be inadequate and take too long to address both climate change and our high unemployment.



3. 
   This is a disappointing book with an exciting title. As others have noted, the writing is sophomoric and sprinkled with factual errors and inconsistencies. The thinking is decidedly leftist.
   
   There are references to art, science, psychology, and political science throughout, but no depth, limited logic, and very little that is new or convincing. The book is built around anecdotes and analogies; it reads as though this consultant put his imagination into finding a common thread through all of his diverse life experiences, whether there is a thread or not. He has no solution to the problems of our day other than to suggest that we be more nimble and operate with wider peripheral vision than we may be accustomed to. He says "we're thinking too narrowly". He also says we need to be more "resilient" and better able to take the punches and move on. We should think broadly, think about networks and decentralized solutions. This is new?
   
   In contending that governmental policy actions can have self-defeating consequences, Ramo suggests reversing course and trying an opposite approach. He suggests fighting terrorism by building schools and hospitals in the terrorist hotbeds; muses that the U.S. may need a Department of Social Decency and a Deep Security Council, and proposes that the road to peace in the Middle East is to approach the problem with a handful of unknown, low-key, negotiators, with no expectations and no timetable; i.e., with no pressure to succeed. We are led to believe this approach is likely to lead to success. This is silly!
   
   In a lengthy but confused discussion he lauds the owner of a failing Brazilian business for turning it into a successful "free-for-all-corporation" where "employees were turned loose to do whatever they wanted". This is a low point of the book. Unfortunately it's not the only one.
   
   Avoid disappointment. Pass this one up.



4. Complex manipulation attempts to control the environment as a means to an end rather than individual characters. Ramos advocates being the "Rebel". The Rebel disrupts, imbalances, and forces new innovation, at the edge of chaos. High disequilibrium is the objective necessary to create change of sorts. Earthquakes, financial meltdowns, subprime panics shakeup the global institution structures and governments causing them to react with stimulus bills and emergence funding. At the same time that the chaos and confusion is running strong there is an invisible and real logic running hidden in the system.
   
   Power and decision-making decentralizes to the people, centralized decision-making yields to autonomous agents, and humanist investments in people increase and create a new social engineering. Investments in infrastructure, innovation, education, and healthcare radically transform the group into a "better" and more resilient system, a phoenix rising form the ashes. Resilience is the objective of the hidden logic and rebellion, self-organizing principle and behavior are part of the sandpile, complexity increases with the network as more agents join, and self-healing of the autonomous agents promote innovation and change. The group starts to behave like an immune system and swarms potential threats and recovers from disasters through autonomous action. The empowerment of group is believed to overcome the destabilizing evil of the bad agents. The fight starts without a fight. The fight starts by manipulation of the environment. The battle between good and evil depends on the creativity and imagination of the coherent groups of like agents working in cooperation too the betterment of the system. Good agents confront bad agents and pursued them to change through debate and argument rather than violence. The battle of ideas is the method of change.
   
   The sandpile theory suggests that grains of sand are being added to the pile forming a cone shape. No one knows what grain of sand added will cause an avalanche of sand. The sandpile is both self-organized and unstable. The instability is intrinsic to the system because of the complexity. The key is to watch the variables in the environment causing the complexity for signs of change. Change is not predictable. However, external forces can cause change causing the sandpile too slide. Large and long-lived Institutions can de-stablize and breakdown.
   
   Inflation concerns and the tightening of money Supply in China can cause investor to buy dollars. The Earthquake disaster in Haiti, drops in Germany production, and a destabilizing euro can cause investors to buy dollars. Central Bank concern in Europe can pressure Japan to extend credit to Europe.
   
   In 2009, the financial meltdown destroyed many small banks, but the large banks and security firm were set to report record profits and employee payouts. Banks like JP Morgan, Bank of America, Citigroup, Goldman, Morgan Stanley, asset managers - BlackRock and Franklin Resources, and online trader Charles Schwab. Analyst reported projected earnings of $449 billion and employee payouts of $145 billion. The profits are in part the result of consolidation: JP Morgan acquired Washington Mutual and Bear Stearns; and Bank of America bought Merrill Lynch and Country wide.
   
   
   Ricard Semler managed Simco. Simco empower employees to solve company problems. Simco start to transform, workers cross train to provide increased flexibility, and worker solve problems. The old methods of doing business are abandon, the company is relocated, and new ventures start with profit sharing terms. In 2002 Semco Group was one of the founders of Tarpon investment, in 2005, Semco partnered with Pitney Bowes in document and postal management, and 2006, the Bioenergy project is created. Originally, Semco produced mixers for chemicals and in 1984 began manufacturing refrigeration equipment, and by 1986 had started manufacturing refrigeration equipment. What is Semco? The company is constantly changing.
   
   People can act. Small action can create change. Millions of people acting in a small way will transform how things are done.
   
   Questions:
   1. Does complexity necessary "persuade men to do good"?
   2. Does rebellion and disruption of established institutions transform the institution into a more responsive and adaptable organization of empower individuals? How does high unemployment help anyone or organization?
   3. Is disruption of the environment, a means to transfer wealth? How much wealth moved from Banks to Hedge funds? Hedge funds leveraged bet on a Real Estate Bust while convinciing Banks to sale CDO at the same time, hedge funds bought up CDS? How many billions of reported dollars did Hedge funds gain in 2009?
   4. Will America remain resilient during periods of high debt, high government spending, and stronger regulation and governance? Politics and business objectives seem disparate. Are moral system more stable than immoral systems?
   5. How is the network of small businesses transforming? Has the global paradox been challenged. Is the death of small business leading to large monopolies and bigger big business and higher prices? Why did big business keep $900 billion in the reserves? Is big business planning to buy up all the small business competition and increase prices and profits?
   6. Will China be able to sustain their growth. China is the place to watch. China has been investing in infrastructure and growth. However, China loan rate has been huge. Between 1998 and 2000, China has increased expenditures by $1.2 trillion. State Banks have been forced to loan to state enterprises with non performing loans. Deteriorating loan portfolios are sure to have an impact by 2012. There exists 39.6 trillion yuan in outstanding loans.
   7. Will US exports to China increase exponentially over the next decade?
   8. Why are we so clueless about the bond market?
   9. What happens when the Fed soaks over a $1 trillion in Bank Reserve funds? Will Banks report record earnings for the next decade while credit remains tight?
   10. What happens when China stops selling the Renminbi (RMB)?
   11. Why is Hot money flowing so fast into China? Is a new real estate bubble forming in China caused from China increasing its money supply and high inflation?
   12. Why is China resisting a Strong Yuan?
   13. How long will China inflate its money supply?
   14. What happens with a strong Yuan?
   15. Will large China auto companies purchase portions of GM and Chrysler to sell Chinese cars in the US?
   16. Will US inflation increase in 2010?
   17. What is the relationship between Gold and Banking reserve ratios?
   18. Is the Yuan and the Euro linked?
   19. How is the eBike transform transportation in China?
   20. What are the energy alternatives for India?
   
   What I want?
   1. I would like to know, if micropower energy production will be the next big revolution of change.
   2. I like my questions about China answered.
   3. I would like a peaceful world, less warfare, and more production.
   
   Advice:
   1. Prosperity is based on the law of righteousness. America is a land of promise because the people are righteous God fearing people.
   2. God blesses those who are righteous
   3. The people that possess that land of America must remain righteous to preserve their inheritance.
   4. America is a choice land above all other lands: liberty, freedom, resources, law, and vision.
   5. God will not tolerate an unrighteous people to possess America.
   6. Repentance from unrighteousness restores a people to productivity, industrialism, and safety.
   7. God is the source of knowledge, direction, and inspiration because God know all things. God knowledge encompasses all complex systems. There is nothing not known to God. Therefore, look to God for answers to complex problems.
   8. America responsibility is to bless all nations by: engaging in free trade, not entangling in the internal affairs or workings of foreign governments, and promoting liberty, too all nations.



5. Joshua Ramo's The Age of the Unthinkable is about how, in the face of survivability, conventional wisdom is ill-suited for the modern world and how some people cope with reality by thinking about the unthinkable.
   
   This book reminds me of Thomas Sowell's Applied Economics and Intellectuals and Society, Malcolm Gladwell's The Tipping Point, and Nassim Taleb's The Black Swan. Sowell mentioned the notion of the second stage thinking which is looking past the most obvious, or most apparent, solution and going after the subtle solutions that actually make the difference. Sowell also mentioned the advantage of the distributing knowledge among the masses instead of being horded by a few. Gladwell mentioned in his book about how small things or actions can make a big impact on society. Taleb mentioned how people never foresee high impact, highly improbable events until it is too late. Ramo's thesis has elements similar to those from the aforementioned writers.
   
   Ramo explains a notion called the Sandpile Theory which is congruous with the ideas of the Tipping Point. Ramo explains the Sandpile Theory in physical terms (a scientist thought this up) and analogizes the theory in real world terms. Like an avalanche, you can pile sand up on itself up to a certain point before a little speck of dirt will collapse it.
   
   This is a different book. It is not a rehash of the Black Swan or The Tipping Point. Ramo seem to go one step further with the Sandpile Theory. The book might provide some insight on how to identify Black Swan events before they happen. The book is similar to Applied Economics but in a global realm.
   
   Unfortunately, I don't agree with his conclusions. Neither was I crazy about the first 25 pages of the book. The first 25 pages seem to go nowhere. I think his conclusions are disparate from what Ramo is describing about the unthinkable.

5 comments about Citizens of London: The Americans Who Stood with Britain in Its Darkest, Finest Hour.

1. Outstanding Research and presentation. Facts that l had never heard before, and presented in page turner fashion.



2. There are plenty of books that focus on WWII, but Citizens Of London is one of the few I've read that aims to look at the subject from a fresh vantage point: the book looks at the impact of a few high-powered Americans in Britain during the war, but before American involvement in it. The men include the well-known crusading journalist Ed Murrow, the wealthy and politically talented Averell Harriman, and the most obscure of the group, John Winant, the U.S. Ambassador. Later chapters focus on Eisenhower, who performed some similar tasks once the U.S. had entered the war. In essence, Winant, Harriman and Murrow were on the scene in Britain before America entered the war, trying to build relationships both with elites as well as with the British public by educating them, by educating the Americans about their plight, and by advocating on their behalf during the darkest days of the war. These men were famous men in England at the time--they were practically rock stars, mobbed by adoring fans--and they were instrumental in establishing relations between the two peoples. Lynne Olson does an excellent job of letting us know what these men were about and making them seem like real people--even though they had some similarities (such as having affairs with female members of the Churchill family!), the three men were very different people. I rather liked the book's treatment of Winant, an unsung figure in this chapter of history, and I was able to relate to him on many levels.
   
   So, if this book is so great, why not five stars? Well, I do feel that it could have been a bit shorter. Some of the latter chapters ignore the concept of the book entirely and mostly give general history on the latter stages of WWII, which I already knew. So, that brings it down just a bit for me. All in all, though, I would highly recommend the book to my fellow students of history. These men helped save the world. Honor their memories, and get this book!



3. Citizens of London is another fine work of World War II history by Lynne Olson. The book primarily focusses on three Americans who lived in London during the war: US Ambassador John Gilbert Winant, diplomat Averell Harriman, and broadcaster Ed Murrow. I knew quite a bit about Harriman and Murrow but little or nothing about Winant. All three men were influential in helping to form and nurture the "special relationship" between the US and Great Britain that eventually led to the Allied victory. The three had numerous personal interconnections, including liaisons with members of the Churchill family, Harriman and Murrow with the Prime Minister's daughter-in-law Pamela and Winant with his daughter Sarah.
   
   The most important parts of Citizens of London deal with the events of World War II. There can never be too many retellings of the hammering the British withstood during the war, and Olson's is one of the best. But even more important is the new information (at least its new to me) about the innumerable stresses and strains of the alliance between the US and Britain. As an ardently Anglophile American, I take great pride in the "special relationship", and it was eyeopening, to say the least, to read Olson's descriptions of the arguments and debates that took place between the British and American leadership during and after the war. The Americans felt the British looked down on them, while the British feared that US policy aimed to permanently weaken them. Beyond the chronicles of the lives of the three main characters are the stories of many others, both British and American, who played important roles during the war years. I remember Eric Sevareid and Charles Collingwood as elderly newsmen, so it was fascinating to read about their younger years. I was also touched to read about the many interactions between British civilians and American servicemen and the friendships that resulted. I almost cried when I read about English villagers offering strawberries and cream to Americans on the way to the D-Day landings or US soldiers in Normandy who were anxiously questioning Eisenhower about the fates of English towns which had been hit by Nazi V-1 bombs, or of the many letters sent by Americans at the front back to their friends in Britain.
   
   Citizens of London is an excellent recapitulation of an heroic time. If the story turns out to be darker and more convoluted than the legend would have it, it does not obscure the fact that two nations facing a common foe came to be partners and friends.



4. Citizens of London is well written. It gives the reader a totally different perspective on what it was like to live in London before World War II. I was intrigued by people like Gil Winant, our ambassador who replaced Joe Kennedy in London, as well as Edward R. Murrow and his dedication to reporting the "real stories" of life in London during the Blitz and how Americans were perceived during that time.



5. All I can say is I wish I had history books this interesting back when I was in college. This book as you may know cover the contributions of three important American figures in Britain during the early years of World War II before the U.S. had declared war. The people examined are John Gilbert Winant the American Ambassador to Britain after Joe Kennedy was recalled home; Edward R. Murrow the head of CBS news in Europe at the time, and Averell Harriman a businessman who developed the lend-lease program that would provide weapons, technology and materials to the British during the early years of WWII.
   
   Olsen explores through stories and anecdotes the lives of these men during this trying time for the England and how they made significant contributions to the war effort in England and hwo they were responsible for forging those early bonds that tied England and USA together in the battle against the Axis.
   
   Olsen is a journalist not a history professor, so she tend to mix in a bit of opinion and makes some claims without really justifying them, but that is easily overlooked for how fun and interesting of a read this book is. As a journalist the author crafts and tells great stories and you learn so much about how people you never knew existed had a great effect on WWII, and that includes many other people beyond the main subjects of Murrow, Winant and Harriman.
   
   If you are a fan of World War II history and politics I think you will enjoy this book like I did. It is not a military book by any means, but rather a book about political inner workings, creating public opinion and the economics of waging a war. If any of those things interest you, then I think you will find this book a great read.

5 comments about The Book Thief.

1. Oddly, I make my living teaching reading, but ended up listening on audio to what has turned out to be one of my favorite "reads" in the past few years. Narrated by Allan Corduner, who gives "Death", our narrator, the perfect voice -- this book was so compelling I had a hard time turning off my iPod at the end of my commute!
   
   I am not going to rehash the plot as that has been done hundreds of times here. Suffice to say this is a brilliantly told story about finding joy in the smallest things in life -- be they a miniature snow man or a stolen book about grave digging. Add the very somber backdrop of Germany during the worst of WW II, and these small pleasures take on a deep resonance.
   
   There are many themes running through this book but one of the most important ones is that you cannot make instant judgments about people. It may be something as huge as not assuming everyone in Nazi Germany was evil or as simple as realizing the foster mother who swears at you non stop is really a very loving caretaker underneath her bluster. In fact, "Death" may not even be what you think he/she is.
   
   The Book Thief is also a very good "coming of age" story -- which is probably why it was branded "Young Adult" in genre. But fumbling through adolescence while Nazis and Allied bombs are threatening your existence is not your average Judy Blume book.
   
   This book belongs in any high school library, but it also belongs on many adults nightstands.



2. This book worked for me on several levels: simple yet captivating prose, memorable characters and scenes, a story that is at once grim, hopeful and oddly whimsical, and a truly unique narrator (Death). It conveys not only the well-known horrors of Nazi Germany but also the many levels of victimhood that dominate all parts of a society at war. The Book Thief should appeal to thoughtful teens as well as adults.



3. I read this as a bookclub pick and while the beginning feels a little slow it is well worth finishing. To quote a friend "It makes you feel".
   
   Kindle version - no editing/formating issues



4. This is a very moving book. The author is quite poetic, many beautiful phrases.
   An interesting concept in that the book is written by "death". But that is not a depressing concept in the way that it is presented.



5. -The Book Thief_ is my new favorite book to recommend, the best book I've read since Patchett's _Run_. I loved the two books-within-a-book, complete with illustrations. I also loved the way the narrator interrupts the narrative to comment and to foreshadow; thus we are prepared for many sad happenings and left with an overall positive view of the world, even in its most horrific times. Kindness conquers.
   
   The choice of narrator is a brilliant surprise, which expands as the book goes along. This author seems to be known as a write of fiction for young adults, but this book should move him into mainstream literature.

No comments about 61 Hours: A Reacher Novel (Jack Reacher).

5 comments about With the Old Breed.

1. I would highly recommend this book about WWII in the Pacific. Sledge has a remarkable way of writing that makes you feel what he felt.



2. I've read a lot of books about WWII, particularly the Pacific theater. I deeply respect the fact that no one who hasn't experienced combat can really understand what it's like. If you're a veteran, my comments don't apply. But for a civilian like me, this book comes the closest to giving an idea of how awful it was. Just to think about what these men did, and what they endured to get it done, runs a shiver up my spine. An incredible story.



3. Stick your head up, you die. The descriptions here assault all your senses. The definitive story from a front line marine. It ain't pretty. It will shock some. But it is what happened.



4. I'm about half way through the Kindle edition of this book and have to say it is excellent. There are moments when you are brought into the battle so vividly you almost want to find a place to hide. The descriptions of the thirst Sledge and his fellow marines experienced are real and painful. The battle scenes are haunting. If you are interested in the Pacific Theater during WWII please read this book.



5. This is an incredible CHRONOLOGICAL account of the Pacific War,A CLASSIC, and Eugene is an INTELLECTUAL man of Great Modesty ...This Book is the "REAL DEAL " Sledge pulls no punches ...it's Brutal ...it's honest ...it's War like you've never read before ....MANS TOTAL ANIMALISTIC FEROCITY .....Only the AMERICAN MARINES could have fought and WON this War ...no other Country had the Primal Urge for Victory like the U.S.A....True the Eastern front was Savage ...but a Conventional Land Battle is no comparision to Seaborne Warriors Landing on Secured Beachheads and fighting for every grain of Sand inch by inch against an Enemy who had NEVER tasted Defeat in the whole History of there Country ......for the EMPEROR there GOD ....BUSHIDO....KAMIKAZE....BANZAI CHARGES ...it's all in this MASTERPIECE .

5 comments about Helmet for My Pillow: From Parris Island to the Pacific.

1. "Helmet for my Pillow" is a book written by writer who was from my hometown of Rutherford, NJ. He had a personal relationship with his family physician William Carlos Williams the great poet. They spent much time together and you do not know how much of William's descriptive poetry style rubbed off on Leckie. I found his vocabulary to be extensive. You must keep in mind that he is describing a terrible yet historical time in U.S. history and he is attempting to give his fellow comrades in the marines their fair due. He never names a person by their real name and I think that is masterful because it shows how you do not want to get too personal with your fellow marines, because, they will be may gone at some point soon. He wrote the book after seeing 'South Pacific" when he walked out half way through the play and said to his wife Vera "I am going to write a book to tell the true story of what took place in the South Pacific". He wanted to honor his friends who gave up so much whether they lived or died. The book is hard reading but not as hard as he had it. He was a wild guy who tells the truth. He doesn't mix word or actions. Yeah, they drank a lot. From basic training to the awful islands where they would steal Saki when they could. After a while you begin to wonder if all the marines drank that much. Yet you must remember that his generation started the cocktail hour and they lived by "Its 5 O'clock, Dear Lets have a drink!". To sum it up they are making a huge HBO show 10 parts series about it, so whether you like it or not it is a must read to appreciate the show. I read it, and, I will have a much better understanding of what those men went through. I would recommend this book. I never met Mr. Leckie as far back as I can recall. My mother and uncles were his very close friends at St. Mary's high school, in Rutherford. He was the youngest of 8 kids and it is quite exceptional that the baby in the family turned out to be such a success. He wrote over 40 books in his lifetime and he is a man with a high school education. The Sisters of St. Dominic must have done a greast job teachingb him when he wasn't playing hookie.



2. Not really a war memoir. The author describes more the times before and after the battles. The reader can experience the transition from untrained civilian to veteran. Mixed into the story are the surreal exploits of the marines in Australia after Guadacanal. Fine companion piece to the other books used as a basis for the HBO series.



3. I first learned of this book when I read that it was being used as one of the sources for HBO's new miniseries about the Pacific theater in the Second World War. Having enjoyed the other source material being used, E. B. Sledge's superb memoir, With the Old Breed, I decided to track down a copy of Leckie's account and read it for myself. Because of this, I found myself comparing the two works as I read it, which influenced my overall opinion of the book.
   
   In many ways, the experiences of the two men were similar. Both were civilians prior to the Second World War; Leckie enlisted in the Marines a month after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. His account of basic training feels incredibly authentic, in part because of his attention to details. Leckie captures much of the mundane minutiae of learning how to be a Marine, from the bureaucratic experience of inoculation to the quest for a good time on leave. This sense of authenticity continues as he describes his deployment to Guadalcanal with the First Marine Division and his engagement with the war there. These experiences form the best part of the book, as his initial encounter with life as a Marine in both training and war reflect his interest in the novelty of it all.
   
   From Guadalcanal, Leckie's unit was returned to Australia for rest and refitting. This transformation into what he calls a "lotus-eater" also bears a real sense of verisimilitude, as unlike many memoirs of war he does not gloss over the search for release that often characterized breaks from the battles. It is here, though, that his account flags a little, and his return to combat in New Britain as part of Operation Cartwheel was perhaps the least interesting part of the book. The book improves with his subsequent experiences in the hospital in Banika and his final, abbreviated deployment to Peleliu, which ended with his injury and return to the States for the duration of the war.
   
   Reading this book, it is easy to see why it stands out as an account of the Second World War. Leckie's prose brings alive both the mundane routines of service and the violence of combat. It is when he is between the two that the book suffers, as his efforts at evocative prose about his surroundings in the jungle suffer from being a little overwrought, particularly in comparison to Sledge's plainer, more straightforward descriptions. Yet both need to be read for a fascinating portrait of what the war was like for the "new boots" who gave up their lives as civilians to fight in the humid jungles and barren islands of the Pacific.



4. This book was a disapointment. I had only read good reviews. Was expecting alot more.



5. I read this and "The Old Breed." Two different books but telling remarkable stories of bravery, loss and horror. I recommend that this one be read before Sledge's work. After reading them both I've come to appreciate both their different styles and focus. What struck me most was when I read passages that described the same event but from obviously different perspectives. It is sad that as I watch "The Pacific" miniseries it only scratches at the strength both of these books convey. Read these books to get at the story because the screenplay makes compromises along the way.

5 comments about The Pacific.

1. The 10 segment HBO mini-series will focus on the Pacific theater as seen through the eyes of Robert Leckie, John Basilone and Eugene Sledge. Based on the books "With the Old Breed" by Sledge and "Helmet for my Pillow" by Leckie as well as other first person accounts and interviews, the series includes battles in Guadalcanal, Iwo Jima and Okinawa as well as the marines return after VJ Day. The Pacific is the companion book to the series but differs in some ways. It also features the stories of Ensign "Mike" Micheel who got his first experience as a dive bomber at the Battle of Midway and that of Lieutenant Austin Shofner who was a POW in Manila after being part of the initial unsuccessful attempt to hold the Philippines.
   
   As in HBO's prior WW II series, The Pacific manages to personalize events which have been portrayed on more of an epic level in presentations such as Victory at Sea. In doing so, it succeeds in conveying the larger than life terror that citizen soldiers faced just a few months removed from their everyday lives in their hometowns. Micheel describes the "puckering" he feels while preparing to dive bomb an enemy aircraft carrier. A marine experiencing repeated bombing runs by Japanese airplanes writes in his journal: "We are all nervous wrecks." As Shofner struggles to survive the extremes of deprivation in an enemy POW camp, his friend tells him "Death isn't hard. Death is easy." It is at that point that Shofner knows his friend will not survive the camp.
   
   What is extraordinary is how the men surmount these challenges and fight in the face of fear, doubt, lack of food and water, sleep deprivation and the illness that can result from all of these factors. Seeing the War in the Pacific through the eyes of the men who fought it, the reader comes to understand that while military strategy initiates each battle, individual acts of teamwork, sacrifice and courage drive the results that follow. It is impossible not to constantly ask yourself if you would have measured up under similar circumstance. It becomes increasingly difficult to answer confidently in the affirmative.
   
   The Pacific also illustrates how little information each person at the battlefront has about the larger context in which he is operating. Due to the necessity to keep military strategy secret as well as the challenges in conveying information on the front, marines exist on a diet of rumor and speculation as to what will next occur. The book also does a good job of showing the incredible logistical challenges involved in providing food, water and other supplies every day to large numbers of field personnel scattered across a wide area under hostile conditions. Technical resources, battle strategy, national will and individual courage determine military success in The Pacific but the ability to keep men hydrated determines whether they will be able to fight at all.
   
   My favorite parts of the book are the descriptions of American dive bombers. Just reading about a pilot idling his engine to begin an 8,000 foot virtual free fall dive to drop a thousand pound bomb on an enemy ship causes some "puckering." If the pilot survives the dive, he hopes to have enough gasoline to find his own fleet on return and then ends by dropping his Dauntless onto the moving top of an aircraft carrier. When needed, Ensign Micheel volunteers for a second mission later the same day.
   
   My father was a gunner on a destroyer escort in the Pacific. At his knees as a small child, I sat through countless viewings of Victory at Sea. As I got older, I could never fully understand how much a part of him his service was. I now know more about the war in which he served but I'm not sure I am that much closer to understanding what he felt. Reading books like The Pacific gives me some idea for how an 18 year old kid from East Boston could spend 3 years on a ship at war, return home with one photo over his workbench, a knife and a set of tattoos and never once talk about his experiences with his son. I wish I could have known him better and, at the same time, hope that I could have served as resolutely if needed.



2. As a huge fan of Band of Brothers I couldn't wait for the series to start so I picked up Ambrose's The Pacific in order to fill the time and give me a back story for when the series starts. The Pacific certainly did that and more as I now want to read a lot more on the war against the "Japs". With The Pacific I think the subject being covered was what triggered this, as Ambrose's style of writing is both a hit and a miss.
   
   The pros are that I oftentimes wonder as I am reading other memoirs/bios of WWII veterans as to where and how they fit in with one another. With The Pacific the mini bios of the marines and naval pilots are all woven together in a linear timeline so you always know where they are and what they are doing in relation to one another. This is fascinating to me because it adds many levels of detail that help to create an overall richer account of The Pacific War. Add to this the different elements of who they are, i.e. officer, dive bomber and so on, and we are treated to a more in depth look at the structure of the US forces battlling the Japanese in the Pacific ocean.
   
   The cons, and I really only have one worth mentioning, is that Ambrose's style of writing can be rather dry and stiff at times, feeling as though we are getting a recitation of facts instead of a narrative that is weaving the facts together. Although this style can work I oftentimes found that the writing style was having troubles catching my interest and I had to draw myself back in order to continue my own narrative of what Ambrose was telling us.
   
   Overall the book is workable as a companion volume to the upcoming HBO series for not only illustrating the lives of some of the men being represented but in also layering more detail with the inclusion of other equally fascinating men, notably Shofner and Micheel, who were perhaps more fascinating to read about because of their experiences as a POW in a Japanese POW camp and as a dive bomber, respectively. I would certainly recommend to read the other more immensely readable WWII memoirs of the Pacific Theater, i.e. Helmet For My Pillow and With The Old Breed, in order to get a better feel for what will be depicted in the HBO series, and pick up The Pacific as a companion volume instead of a stand alone history of the Pacific War.
   
   3.5 stars.



3. One of the biggest detractors I've encountered (twice in the first few pages) is that "Marine" is not capitalized. The word "Marine", when referencing a current or former member, or unit of the US Marine Corps is considered a proper noun and should be capitalized. Examples: "He's a Marine." or "A company of Marines."
   
   For those of us who have earned the Eagle, Globe, and Anchor of the USMC and the title "Marine", it's a major error.
   
   The terms "Soldier", "Sailor", "Airman", and "Marine" are all proper nouns.
   
   Other than that.. so far, so good.



4. I just bought this book the other day. I've read a LOT of history on WW2, perhaps 200+ books.
   
   As the author explains in the Introduction, this book is meant not as a detailed military analysis of the battles that are covered within it, nor is it meant to be a biography, per se. The author claims to be striving for an "in the moment" veteran's-eye view, with all misconceptions, errors of fact, and rampant war rumors (which accompany any combat operation) left in tact, for affect. Direct quotes from the players...and related players...are intentionally lacking.
   
   So, if you can imagine a book that has minimal dialogue or quotes, erroneous historical facts sited often, and strives on purpose to have all the depth and breadth of a casual conversation, you end up with what seems to me like a book that HAD a lot of potential, but any time it got near any topic of interest, it did its best to get off the subject and move on to the next topic, as fast as possible. I want to know exactly what these guys were thinking, feeling and saying in these moments, in as much detail as the author could have rested from his subjects via extensive interviews and research. This book reads more like a field report, all to often just too brief and bound by short sentences, consisting of the barest-of-bones facts.
   
   In the end, it's VERY hard to read. Stilted, encumbered by its self-inflicted "style", it is a lost chance to really contribute to our history in the war...and it was done on purpose, all for the sake of conducting what I would call, a failed experiment in writing.
   
   I hope the mini-series is better. I'd skip this book, I don't think that you'll find it a page-turner. :-/



5. I was a founding member of the D-Day Museum (now National WWII Museum) in New Orleans when it opened, but I've had little to do with the museum since it opened because of how bloody horrible I saw Stephen Ambrose deal with WWII veterans. The folks that run the museum don't know anything about military history, they're just worried about running a pretty museum, but this isn't about the museum, it's about the book.
   
   Just as his father Stephen did with Band of Brothers and The Wild Blue, Hugh has taken several well-known veterans' biographies, spliced them together into a new book, and is being touted as a great authority on WWII by pinheads like Tom Hanks, who doesn't even understand why WWII was fought.
   
   "The Pacific" is nothing more than two classic autobiographies mashed together, with a lot of clumsy splicing work I might add. What you have here is "With the Old Breed" and "Helmet for my Pillow" mixed together and mashed up, with Hugh acting like he's the first person to ever discover these two iconic memoirs of combat in the Pacific during WWII. This book is a waste of time. Buy the original memoirs, they're much better written and stand quite well on their own without Ambrose's "scholarly" self-righteous commentary.

5 comments about Courage and Consequence: My Life as a Conservative in the Fight.

1. I like the guy. When I see him on interviews he comes across as a logical, balanced person. The Screaming Zombies hate him with a passion, which is another positive, in my mind. I mean, someone that despised by insane people probably is doing something right, right? Still, I didn't expect much when I was given a copy of the book as a gift.
   
   But the book is terrific, with a tremendous level of detail and fact-checking that backs up his point of view. Not that it will cut any slack with with Screaming Zombies. They are immune to logic and fact.
   
   But on a certain level they ARE entertaining to watch, I guess.



2. The MSM savaged the Bush presidency for 8 years. Rove was one who was part of the Bush administration who was especially attacked. It is good so see books like this begin to come out that can get the inside story out and set the record straight. The book is facinating to read, and if you have an open mind and are willing to hear from Rove himself without the CNN/MSNBC MSM left/liberal filter, you should find this book interesting and insightful.
   
   If you just want to be told what to think, then don't read, just keep watching TV.



3. Karl Rove defends his opposition to same sex marriage and his use of that opposition as a campaign tool in the 2004 Presidential election. He states that those who supported same sex marriage were attacking "traditional marriage." Hmm, I thought about this a little as I was reading his book and I wondered, would he say the same thing about opposing the right of vote of women 100 years ago? Of course, instead of defending "traditional marriage" it would be defending "traditional voting" or "traditional democracy". See, defending inequality is fine as long as it is "traditional" and in 1910 the tradition on voting involved men, and except for Wyoming and maybe a few other places, women could not vote. Hey, back in 1770 he could have defended "traditional government" by stating that the heads of nations and governments must be a monarch. Too bad King George III did not have Karl Rove around then, huh?



4. Who are some of these reviewers? DNC operatives? Come onnnnnnnn!...
   
   Courage and Consequence is worth every cent I paid for it- which is a pleasant surprise all by itself.
   
   Rove's telling of the 2000 election battle - as well as the inside story of the President's handling of 9/11, the Iraq war, and the Katrina mess are satisfying - but not the least bit surprising. He may not have felt like people knew the truth but millions did, and it was the same truth he tells in his book years after these things happened and have been marked as "Case Closed" by the monstermedia who still seem to think we are all brain dead.
   
   Although I was a Democrat in 2000, and had been for 35 years, that election made me a Republican. I decided to change my vote to Bush in the few moments while I was opening my ballot and picking up my pen in the polling booth. I had a hunch we were going to need a Patriot for President and Gore didn't even come close. I am glad I voted for George Bush twice. The Democratic Party that once was is sadly and frighteningly a thing of the past. Rove makes me proud that I made the choice to switch parties and I'll never change again.
   
   Rove makes the case that G W Bush is a good man and always was, imperfect no doubt, but always a good man. He also makes the same case for himself, imperfect though he may be as well.
   
   The thing I didn't realize was what a "nerd" Rove was and is, most likely because I didn't know eactly what his job was in the Bush campaign and Presidency. The most enlightening thing about this book is how he explains what it takes to put a campaign together, run it, and win.
   
   Rove doesn't get even remotely "petty" as he has been accused of getting - as a matter of fact he could have peeled the hide off any number of useless idiot politicians and didn't. I was actually hoping for a skinning. :-) He just tells his side of every story that has come out about him and the President. His story needed telling and I am glad it came out sooner rather than waiting and waiting. What he has to say is important considering what is happening in America today. He doesn't throw rocks at the current Administration as much as give a quiet warning, which makes what little he says more ominous to me.
   
   He served his President well and he serves his readers well. I hope there will be more than one book.



5. Rove sees the American people as a pliable piece of clay. He distrusts authentic discussion, prefers to manipulate behind the scenes, and creates useful fictions that he increasing believes, forgetting that he manufactured them in the first place. There is little courage here, but many consequents.