5 comments about Daring Young Men: The Heroism and Triumph of The Berlin Airlift-June 1948-May 1949.

1. The Berlin airlift was the start of the Cold War. The Soviets challenged and Truman answered with a huge victory. This is n easy to read history of the airlift by a respected author, Richard Reeves winner of the American Political Science award and Time Magazines non fiction author of the year winner. This is a book to read and remember and then past to your friends so that we never forget what tyrants can do and what this airlift meant to American resolve. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.



2. To Richard Reeves, the Berlin Airlift was more that an eleven month heroic effort to supply the beleaguered Berliners; it was the true beginning of the Cold War, the pre-launch for the ultimate unification of Germany, and the beginning of the modern air cargo transport business. Reeves skillfully weaves together airmens' tales, Berliners recollections and the histories of the likes of Harry Truman, Ernest Bevan, Willy Brandt, Lucius Clay, William Tunner and others to give the reader a complete, satisfying and often wry recounting of heroism, extraordinary generosity and human kindness. This is a wonderful book for World War II history and aviation buffs alike.



3. I was 16 or 17 years old when the Berlin Airlift occurred, but I do remember hearing about it at the time.
   
   We all need to read books like this one every once in awhile. It makes one proud to be an American.



4. Richard Reeves writes an historical account that reads like a novel. You can really see everything with his ability to form pictures with his words. Reading this is like listening to my father and his old brown boot army buddies; I felt like I was back there years ago listening to these men tell of their problems and triumphs. He has captured their spirit and stories, in his descriptions of Clay, of the stoppages of trains and convoys into Berlin as the crisis grew. Even glide ratios are given and technical details are made interesting and blended into the narrative
   The book is amazingly complete; no where else have I read the stories of the `lost wives' club, how the families of the pilots and ground personnel ordered into service had to leave their wives and families and the problems they experienced. It is so good to have recorded the stories of the enlisted men, which so many historians overlook. There is much written about Lt. Gail Halvorsen who became renowned as the candy bomber.
   As someone who flew into Templehof in the 70's and stayed in Berlin; I can attest to the fact that no where else in Europe were Americans more loved and respected than in Berlin. Everyone had personal stories that they loved to tell
   The stories of the problems and triumphs are all told; including the crashes and loss of life. The airlift was not all wonderful; the frustrations are presented, the bone weariness and low morale are described as well as the elation of a mission accomplished. This is an unbelievable true story that should not be forgotten and this book has presented its' history in a well done chronicle worth reading.



5. I was in a small town in French occupied territory, an old German V-2 rocket launching facility. Our job was to triangulate a planes position after receiving a signal from the plane and give him a direction to where he was going.
   I wish that there was more about some of the other operations going on, besides the flying aspect. However, it was interesting to read. The place was still a mess at this time.

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

1. When I saw the first ads for this book I thought that somebody MUST have covered all allied air operations over Japan in one volume before--but apparently not. At least I couldn't find it. In that regard alone, Whirlwind fills a gap in military/naval/aviation history that has existed for 65 years.
   
   It's understandable that most of what's been published focuses on B-29 missions from China and the Marianas. But Tillman does an excellent job of merging all the air forces that flew over the Japanese home islands, and the often overlooked US Navy, Marine Corps and British units receive much deserved attention. The background chapters describing the evolution of army and naval aviation are thorough without being excessive, and the author does an especially good job describing the individuals who produced operating doctrine and procedures as well as influencing the hardware: aircraft and ships.
   
   Probably the least known aspect of the Japanese air campaign is covered in a short appendix: Army and Navy operations from the Aleutian Islands to the Kuriles. The book would not have suffered much from omitting that section, but it's definitely enhanced by the inclusion of the "Empire Express" missions.
   
   The photo section is interesting in itself: a fine variety with good quality reproduction.
   
   It's obvious that Tillman knows his subject, and he reports its sacrifice and horror chillingly, as in a memorable passage describing the March 1945 fire bombing of Tokyo. We can be thankful that he and other "last minute" historians are recording such stories while there are still some WW II veterans to relate their tales. A quick look at the contributors shows that many are already deceased, so this book probably could not have been written in another five years.



2. Author Barrett Tillman has produced a welcome reminder of the efficacy of air power in Whirlwind. The most authentic and interesting presentation yet of the powerful 1945 air campaign in which true air power was realized for the first time, Whirlwind achieves every author's aim by being both scholarly and immensely readable. In telling the story of the U.S.A.A.F.'s pell-mell growth first to maturity and then to ascendancy in the skies over Japan, Tillman combines history in painstaking detail with the warm human drama of the conflict. One unusual, difficult but very valuable contribution is the care he takes to present both the American and the Japanese points of view at every level, from combat crewmember to commander.
   
   The author covers all aspects of the air campaign against Japan, from Jimmy Doolittle's famous strike through the searing power of General LeMay's intensive fire-bombing campaign and le coup de grace of two atomic bombs. The accounts of the remarkable results from the B-29 aerial mining campaign are a welcome addition to the book, reminding us again of just how versatile the big Boeing bomber proved to be.
   
   Tillman pulls no punches, laying out in detail just how destructive the bombing raids were but also reminding us of what a dreadful enemy the Japanese military proved to be with their heartless slaughter of captured airmen and their demonstrated intent to use every able civilian to repel an invasion. There is much to be learned from this book about World War II, and perhaps even more on the proper conduct of warfare at the present time, when the exercise of air power seems to be shelved in favor of futile attempts to win hearts and minds.



3. 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.



4. 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.



5. 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.

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

1. One of the best personal memoirs of war I have ever read. Leckie is brutally honest about anything and everything to do with his experiences in the 1st Marine Division during WWII. Incredibly impressed by his sensitive candor and philosophical reflections on the impact of war on human beings. Having been an officer myself, I was truly shocked to read his descriptions of Marine officers blatantly stealing from enlisted men. I guess in wartime, they were willing to let anyone become an officer. Leckie pulls no punches but shows remarkable understanding, forgiveness, and mercy towards all his comrades and even the enemy. This book is a classic and a must-read for anyone interested in what combat in the Pacific theater was really like and about young men's reaction to war. Rest in peace, Robert Leckie. For those who fell, there is no hell. I thank God knowing you have been reunited with your comrades. Thank you for writing this book. It was a privilege to have read it. A great gift to those who have never known the horrors and sacrifice of war.



2. Take the outstanding details of life as a Marine in the Pacific from With The Old Breed and combine it with the prose of a poet, and you have the incredible story of Robert Leckie and the 1st Marine Division. In Leckie's first book, at the beginning of a career that will see him publish more than 30, he pulls the reader in to experience the war as if you're a fellow dogface in his platoon. Everyone is referred to throughout the book by their nicknames, he spares no details of gore in battle or celebration on leave, and his knack for putting the details of his environment into words allows the reader to truly get a mental picture of his experience. Best of all, "Lucky" has a hot temper and gets in his fair share of trouble, proving that while he's an outstanding contributor to the war effort, he's also his own man. His mouth gets him into hot water more than once, which reminds me of my own grandfather, also a Pacific veteran. This book is a wonderful addition to anyone's personal war library.



3. I have spent years reading personal accounts of WWII in the Pacific; this book does not measure up. The author cannot settle on a writing style as he struggles between wanting to be a poet or historian. I bought the book for its historical significance, not as an art piece.
   
   I rarely found myself in sympathy with his character and frequently pictured him as a belligerent trouble maker (of which he was obviously proud).
   
   Perhaps 20% of the book provides genuine insight; the remainder is nothing more than filler.
   
   If you are looking for a story to skim read, with little substance, then buy this book. For me, the rating of 3 stars is a gift.



4. "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.



5. 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.

2 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 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 Marines.
   
   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 at times 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 marines, 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.

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

5 comments about The Last Train from Hiroshima: The Survivors Look Back (John MacRae Books).

1. The author claims that he was duped by Joseph Fuoco. It seems that the publisher and the public have been duped by Charles Pellegrino.
   
   Mr. Pellegrino has asserted that he has a Ph.D. from Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. However, as recent press reports note, a simple inquiry to Victoria University has confirmed that Mr. Pellegrino does NOT have a Ph.D. from Victoria University.
   
   One wonders what else he has made up.



2. This creep is a total fake. How dare he pollute this ultimate, terrible, supremely important topic with his self-promoting forgeries? Avoid this guy and everything he does.



3. My father was at the launch of the Enola Gay. I bought "The Last Train from Hiroshima" to research the history that surrounds this historic and tragic event. Now that it has been revealed that the book contains inaccuracies to the point of being a work of fiction, I would encourage any one considering the purchase of this book to resist the temptation. If you want an account of the impact of the bomb on the victims of Hiroshima, read John Hersey's "Hiroshima." It has stood the test of time and is factual. It is a classic.



4. I love military history - everything from the Revolution through Vietnam. So, needless to say I was looking forward to reading this one. Being a Barnes & Noble member, imagine my surprise to find that I could not purchase the book at my local store. However, I was told that "Amazon is still selling it". Of course that piece of good news quickly went sour when I read the most recent reviews and actual media reports.
   
   And the author's attempts to explain away the errors ("I used pseudonyms to protect them") only serves to compound his credibility problem. Clearly he is back-pedaling as quickly as possible.
   
   And now my desire to read this book is trumped by my disgust at being misled, or at least an attempt to mislead. So, I'll pass, thanks just the same.



5. Pellegrino's "The Last Train From Hiroshima" tells the personal stories of many Japanese citizens directly affected by our A-bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Among those stories are some of the 165 who survived the first A-bomb (8/6/1945 at Hiroshima), traveled to Nagasaki (173 miles away) - many on the last train from Hiroshima, and were subjected to a second A-bomb just three days later. One of those 'doubly-bombed' was Mitsubishi oil-tanker designer Tsutomu Yamaguchi. Ironically, at the time of the Nagasaki bombing Yamaguchi was trying to convince his boss and co-workers in Nagasaki of how powerful the Hiroshima bomb had been. After WWII ended, Mr. Yamaguchi became a carpenter and helped rebuild schools, then a school-teacher, and finally was asked by the Japanese government to speak to the U.N. in 2006, where he pleaded for mutual cooperation and assistance, as well as the abolition of nuclear weapons. Mr. Yamaguchi lived lived to be 93, dying in early 2010 of stomach cancer just before the book was released.
   
   Pellegrino's book has generated controversy due to his often quoting an American flight engineer, Joseph Fuoco, who claimed to be aboard 'Bock's Car' when it bombed Nagasaki, and substantiated that claim to Pellegrino with a number of documents and photos. Feedback and photos from early readers and other sources indicate that Fuoco was not on that flight. Regardless, since the focus of Pellegrino's book is on the experiences of Japanese citizens near 'Ground Zero,' the veracity of Fuoco's claims don't make much, if any overall difference. More troubling, perhaps, is the fact that the book's publisher (Henry Holt) has stopped printing because of questions over the revocation of Pellegrino's PhD. degree in 1984, and the true identity of a Japanese priest identified with only a pseudonym.
   
   Only 1.2 lbs (two teaspoons) of 83% enriched material actually fissioned, and that required only one-hundred-millionth of a second. People directly below were vaporized. Surviving either of the blasts was largely a matter of luck - how close one was to the epicenter (85% were killed within a mile at Hiroshima), whether there was any substantive shelter between the individual and the blast (a bomb-shelter tunnel, in the basement of a bank; the Nagasaki area was hillier than Hiroshima), whether one was facing the blast at initial detonation (likely blinded, and face severely charred/burned), and whether one was wearing light, long-sleeved clothes and hat (black clothing almost guaranteed immediate death for those close-in). Those knowledgeable enough to not turn and look at the blast and instead immediately leap to the ground (preferably within a ditch) had much higher odds of survival - especially if they were not subsequently directly exposed to the subsequent radioactive black rain that followed.
   
   Many survived the initial blast, only to quickly fall ill and die from radiation sickness. About half the fatalities occurred on the first day; Hiroshima officials estimated about 60% of these were due to burns. (Many Japanese said the burning flesh smelled like squid grilled over hot coals.) Others lived for 1-2 years or even as long as a decade, then died of leukemia; still others died later at an early age of various cancers. A very few benefited - the blast reshaped their eyeballs and eliminated the need for glasses; one physician was reportedly dying of intestinal cancer, then went into remission after the blast and survived - supposedly because of the 'radiation treatment.'
   
   Pellegrino explicitly avoids addressing the question of whether the U.S. should have dropped either or both bombs, though he does reveal that the pilots involved were quite worried that more would be needed. The Japanese cabinet met with Emperor Hirohito for two hours after Nagasaki before he decided to surrender. Even then, some military leaders plotted to isolate the Emperor to prevent his declaring an end to fighting. They guessed, correctly, that the U.S. had no more A-bombs, but also grossly overestimated how long it would take to make more - only 1-2 months in actuality. Regardless, their plot melted away when some of the leaders learned that the American armada was already closing in on Tokyo. Japan surrendered on 8/15/1945.
   
   Pellegrino also tells us that prior to the Hiroshima bombing, local school-children were carving wooden bullets for fighting at close range (metal was scarce), sharpening bamboo spears, and constructing two-shot wooden handguns for distribution to children and their mothers. Near Ground Zero, a military physician was teaching new soldiers, some only 14-15, new procedures for strapping bombs to their bodies and throwing themselves under vehicles. Any invasion of Japan was bound to create enormous casualties on both sides. Some estimate that about one million American casualties and several million Japanese would have resulted, vs. the 150,000 - 250,000 that died in the A-blasts. Prior to dropping the A-bombs, U.S. fire-bombing had already resulted in great destruction of 67 Japanese cities and as many as 500,000 deaths - without deterring Japanese determination.
   
   Pellegrino does a good job telling the stories of the Japanese in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Unfortunately, conveying the destruction requires more than words, and he includes zero pictures - a major deficit. "The Effects of Nuclear Weapons," published by the Atomic Energy Commission in 1962, provides a number of photos from Hiroshima and Nagasaki. (Presumably James Cameron will also fill that void - he has optioned the book for a movie.)
   
   Bottom-Line: "Little Boy" (Hiroshima) had a yield of about 15 KT, "Fat Man" (Nagasaki) was larger - 21 KT. Both are quite small by today's standards. The most powerful American (thermonuclear) bomb exploded was 15 MT; the Russians countered with 50 MT - about 3,000 times more powerful. One estimate (Answerbag.com) is that if an 'only' 200 KT thermonuclear bomb had instead been been dropped on Nagasaki, 690,000 would have been killed. That's still 250 times smaller than the largest Russian bomb, and it was only half-loaded with nuclear fuel (bilderberg.org). Regardless, thousands of these monstrous bombs are now held by both the U.S. and Russia. Some are presumably hidden underwater just off our coasts reading for launch at the push of a button - with impact only minutes later. It really doesn't matter whether Fuoco was on Bock's Car over Nagasaki or not, who the priest was or if he even existed, or why Pellegrino's PhD. was revoked. The 'real' issue is whether "The Last Train From Hiroshima" describes our future.

5 comments about The Book Thief.

1. This is a book that will catch you in the first pages and never let go of you. Narrated by Death, he will pull you into his world and make it as real as your own. The characters come alive - they are real people with flaws, and unattractiveness yet, some have great strengths buried deep inside. A reminder of the evil that we are capable of doing, but also, the good. The best book I've read in many years.



2. There isn't much I can add that hasn't already been said. This is a beautiful book that is a must read for any true book lover.



3. I don't think I would do this book justice in just a few words. It made me cry, laugh, think about those important to me, and pray for an ending that is different than what I knew it would be. What could you expect when the narrator is death? Although death consistently interrupts with hints of what happens in the end, it is still heartbreaking when it comes. I'm a little sad that the book is over now.
   
   A young girl is about to be placed in foster care. Her mother is too poor to take care of Leisel and her brother, so she is taking them to Munich to be given over to a foster family. On the train ride, Leisel's brother dies. Then she is handed off to a woman who yells and cusses at her and an accordion player who seems to allow his wife to run things. Leisel's life begins to change for the better as her foster father begins to teach her to read and her friendship grows with the next door neighbor, Rudy. Words revolutionize Leisel. She first is powerful against them, but then becomes powerful by using them. Her reading inspires healing during bomb raids, sickness, and melts the heart of death himself. The connection of books end up her savior in the end.
   
   I can't imagine anyone not liking this book. It does begin slowly, but the characters all become to grow on you. The triumphs and failures of each of the main characters move the reader as if they were part of the scenes. It is truly remarkable how much I was sucked into this book. I cried at least four times even though I knew what was going to happen well before it happened. Death attempts to make all of the readers comfortable with the idea of destruction that will rip Leisel's world apart, but it didn't help me. I know this review has been all over the place, but it's because there is so much that I would want to say that I can't get it out in a logical sequence. All I can tell you is that you NEED to read this book!



4. The Book Thief, which is narrated by Death, is the story of Liesel as she lives goes to live with her foster family just prior to and during World War II. The story centers around Liesel learning to read, making friends, growing up, and dealing with the effect World War II has on her foster family in friends. She is a girl who lives through nothing but tragedy but still has an open heart and clear head on her shoulders, well, at least most of the time.
   
   After hearing so much about The Book Thief over the past year I decided I could not put off reading it any longer. I was completely blown away by this exquisite novel. I went in expecting something very YA, but still enjoyable and was surprised by how mature everything was. Death as the narrator gives insight into characters and situations that would be impossible to disclose otherwise, as well as keeping the overall mood of the book somber as he is always reminding the reader of the impending doom that Liesel's family and friend will face.
   
   I think every book lover can relate to Liesel, not in a suffering in Nazi Germany way, but in a word transporting way. Her books are the most important things she owns, they are gifts from family, made by friends and stolen from fires and private library's.



5. I first heard about this book when Markus Zusak was talking about it on the radio, and I thought it sounded interesting. The first thing that hooked me was the writing style and perspective - how often do you read books narrated by Death? It's hard not to be intrigued. Though this book is long (it's definitely not an action-filled suspense novel), it's well worth the read. It took me quite a while to finish, but when I finally reached the end, I could not help but cry my eyes out. This book truly changed what I knew about World War II and how I've looked at books since. The Book Thief proves that books really can change your life.

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

1. I hope this isn't a harbinger of things to come. $1.50 less for kindle vs hard cover? Really? who set this this price? I'm guessing Random House. I am very interested in reading this book but until the price of it drops to 9.99 or below this can sit on my wish list. There is no justification for pricing a kindle book at this price in comparison to the hard cover price. Good luck with this new pricing structure if this is what all the loyal kindle users have to look forward to. It may be time to start boycotting all books that are overpriced due to the publishers jacking the prices up.



2. When the fight is over about just how overpriced this is---let me know and I'll buy it. Otherwise, I'll simply go to the library. I'm sure it's as good as advertised---but it simply costs too much.



3. This is a compelling entry in modern World War II scholarship, a cross-genre look at several pivotal Americans in London during a critical time in the early period of the war.
   
   Pulling together accounts from a myriad of sources, Olson paints a vivid picture of the intrigue, machinations, courage, and hardships faced by Londoners as they rose up to confront the Nazi bombardment and rally American support for the war effort. Interestingly, not everyone suffered equally, as Olson notes, and some who were selfish and privileged before the war were just as selfish and privileged during it.
   
   Very readable, I would recommend this for anyone interested in the period.



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



5. 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!

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

1. The Age of the unthinkable is upon us. We are constantly living in several sandpiles: economic, international, cultural, and medical. As the sand shifts, we must adjust our thinking to try to avoid the avalanche and perhaps benefit from it
   
   Joshua Ramos alerts us to the dangers and opportunities of our age.
   
   This book is a must-read.



2. 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...



3. 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.



4. 
   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.



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

1. This is a really a good book and is down to earth, real and authentic. It's a good read. After reading this book I realized how untrue all the bunk, hype and slander is. Most of what you heard about Bush and Rove was theater and not accurate at best. It looks like the haters have put in a lot of stuff on these reviews reviling Rove, but they probably didn't even read the book. The hate machine is ruining this country. Thanks Carl for your service and I will listen up for your commentary wherever it pops up. I value your opinion. It is really hard to accept the scorn and condemnation people in office have to take. I hope most Americans are better than that. Just because these people are loud and obtrusive doesn't mean that they represent the best in America. They do not!



2. To judge by his new memoir, Karl Rove is an angry man.
   
   After reading the book, you have a better understanding of why. He had a rough young adulthood. His parents had a bad divorce when he was 19. Mr. Rove writes of his father, portrayed overall in the book quite favorably, "To this day, I have no idea if my father was gay. And, frankly, I don't care." Mr. Rove learned by accident from an aunt that he'd been adopted. His biological father wanted nothing to do with him. When Mr. Rove was 30, his mother committed suicide as her third marriage was failing.
   
   As if all that were not enough, journalists mucked through all this and reported on it to make money for themselves in their own books about Mr. Rove. The journalists wrote those books while Mr. Rove himself was under the financial strain of living on a government salary while personally paying mounting private legal bills to defend himself from partisan-motivated investigations into his activities as a government official. These investigations extended beyond just the Valerie Plame Wilson leak case that had ensnared Judith Miller and I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby. The New York Times ran 17 editorials groundlessly accusing Mr. Rove of somehow arranging for the prosecution of the Democratic governor of Alabama, Don Siegelman.
   
   All this is revealing and makes a reader who isn't inalterably predisposed to disliking Mr. Rove feel sympathetic to him.
   
   That said, this book is revealing about Mr. Rove and the environment in which he operated other ways as well, perhaps unintentional but ultimately unattractive.
   
   The first is the self-importance of the entire endeavor. At 608 pages, Courage and Consequence is almost as long as Ronald Reagan's memoir, which was about 750 pages long, and exactly twice as long as the memoir of Justice Clarence Thomas, who has a more interesting story to tell. Yet Mr. Rove was never elected to any national office. He held no constitutional office such as secretary of state, speaker of the House, or chief justice of the United States. He wasn't the president. He wasn't the vice president. He wasn't even the chief of staff, like his bosses Andrew Card or Joshua Bolten. He was the *deputy* chief of staff.
   
   Even so, the book - between the jacket covers which both display large pictures of Mr. Rove -- gives a Rove's-eye-view of the perks that are lavished on even second-tier presidential aides in what, for all the limits imposed by the press and the Congress, comes off very much in the book as an imperial presidency.
   
   Mr. Rove recounts his send-off from his job at the White House: "On the way back to Washington, the Air Force One crew treated me to Tex-Mex food and a farewell cake. We ate it while watching an eight-minute slide show that White House photographer Eric Draper had prepared...The final segment of Eric's show drew from pictures of me with me close friends from the White House and famous people I'd met along the way, such as Pope John Paul II and the queen of England...I gave one last wave before throwing myself into the front seat and telling our driver and friend, Shakeel Urrehman, to get us the heck out of there. We pulled out of the North Gate while several Uniformed Division officers saluted."
   
   He also tells of staying at Buckingham Palace during a 2003 visit to London. "My suite came with antique furniture, gorgeous paintings, beautiful carpets, and a valet named Philippus Steenkamp. He offered to draw my bath each morning (I declined) and laid out my clothes every morning." One morning, Mr. Rove found himself short a sock. "All the valets trooped in like a squad of commandos in livery, led by one cheeky lad bearing a giant silver platter with an ornate cover. In a loud voice, he proclaimed, 'In the name of her Majesty, Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and of Her other Realms and Territories, Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith, it is our honor to present you...a pair of the Royal Socks!' With a flourish, he removed the cover to reveal - to my enormous relief - a pair of plain black socks. I put them on and a few minutes later found myself in the departure line, thanking the queen..."
   
   Given the history of America and Britain, I couldn't help but be reminded of the end of George Orwell's Animal Farm, when the pigs wound up wearing the clothes of the human farmers they had rebelled against.
   
   The second way in which the book offers a revealing and yet unflattering portrait of Mr. Rove is in the way it deals, or fails to deal, with the financial crisis, and the Bush administration's role in it. To hear Mr. Rove tell it, he was at the center of the Bush administration - that's the "consequence" part of the title - for seven years. Yet the names Ben Bernanke and Alan Greenspan don't appear in the book's index. Neither does that of Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, though Mr. Paulson was sworn in on July 10, 2006, more than a year before Mr. Rove left the White House to the salutes of the Uniformed Division officers on August 31, 2007. Neither does the name of John Snow, Mr. Paulson's predecessor as Treasury Secretary.
   
   Mr. Rove's entire attempt at explaining the financial crisis in the book amounts to four pages in which he blames Congressional Democrats for blocking an administration-proposed bill that would have subjected Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, two privately owned but government chartered housing finance companies, to "the kinds of federal regulation that banks, credit unions, and savings and loans have to comply with." Never mind that for most of Mr. Bush's term the Republicans controlled both houses of Congress, here is how Mr. Rove tells it: "When Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae collapsed at the end of 2008, after housing values had dropped 12.8 percent since 2006, they were the accelerant that turned a minor economic downturn into a worldwide calamity....The unwritten story of the whole affair is that if Democrats had granted the Bush administration the regulatory powers it sought, the housing crisis would not have been nearly as severe, the financial sector's collapse not nearly as damaging, the economy's slide not nearly as steep or lengthy, and global distress not nearly as widespread."
   
   There are still a lot of competing narratives of what happened in the financial crisis, but Mr. Rove's has to be one of the least convincing. For starters, Fannie and Freddie didn't "collapse," they were seized by the Bush administration, in what Mr. Paulson has described as an "ambush" that was "to the disadvantage" of the companies' shareholders, who "we'd basically killed." It was to the advantage of the Chinese government and others who held a lot of Fannie and Freddie bonds.
   
   Second, those supposedly well-regulated banks were as active in the mortgage-backed securities markets as were the supposedly insufficiently regulated Fannie and Freddie; as George Melloan's book reported, "in 2005, the $558 billion in mortgage-backed securities issued by Citigroup, Lehman Brothers, and Merrill Lynch dwarfed the $163 billion issued by Fannie and Freddie."
   
   Meanwhile, all those supposedly well-regulated banks, credit unions, and savings and loans were not just issuing, but holding mortgage backed securities - rated AAA by ratings agencies operating with quasi-governmental authority - in part because the regulators told them that they were secure. The whole thing was driven in part by cheap credit from a Federal Reserve whose role Mr. Rove doesn't mention. The idea that the financial crisis was caused by the failure of Congress to give the Bush administration the regulatory power it asked for is just not borne out by the facts. The Bush administration wasn't asking Congress for more power to regulate AIG, Lehman Brothers, or Bear Stearns, yet all three of those firms failed, Bear Stearns before Fannie and Freddie were seized. Even when regulators have power, they don't always wield it wisely or well.
   
   For a book with the subtitle "my life as a conservative in the fight" to make the argument that what caused the financial crisis was a lack of regulatory authority by the government over privately owned firms shows how great the gap can be between a "conservative" and an advocate of free markets, or, at least, how far the inner circle of the Bush administration as represented by Mr. Rove has to go before it really grasps the issues that were at stake and still are. It's a disappointment, and most of all to those of us who admire the accomplishments of the Bush administration in advancing freedom abroad and at home in other areas.



3. If you like fiction and blaming everyone but George Bush and his people you will love this book.



4. Great insight into the White House life. Real eye opener regarding the whole "Plame" situation.



5. A good, quick read about Karl Rove's life and his time in Pres Bush's white house and from his campaign trail. Very informative, not a hit job and revealing on so many levels. Makes a good case study of how President Bush ran for presidency and how events unfolded around them after Sept 11th terrorist attacks. The best part of the book is where the author talks about President Bush's real character and his disciplined life and habits. Confirmed my view of the man and made the book all the more enjoyable.