2 comments about The Six Day War 1967: Sinai (Campaign).

1. This book is a good primer on the Six Day War between Israel and Egypt. The pictures and artwork are very good. The map of the Israeli Air Force attacks on the Egyptian Air Force bases is detailed and very well done. As with Dunstan's other book on the Six Day War campaign against Jordan and Syria I would have liked to have seen a more detailed, topographical map of the Sinai and the battles fought there. Again, a foldout battle map would have been ideal.



2. The 1967 Six Day War is usually remembered as a walk-over but Simon Dunstan's two-part history in Osprey's campaign series demonstrates that this was a conflict that deserves serious study by military professionals. This first volume covers the four-day Israeli attack on Egypt. Dunstan writes almost entirely from the Israeli perspective but he does succeed in adding a level of military detail that has not been present in many earlier, politicized accounts, although it compares favorably with Dupuy's Elusive Victory. While the Egyptian military is depicted as stolid but incompetent ciphers, at least they are given credit with putting up a tough fight on the border until betrayed by their supreme commander (who was later executed). The Israeli Ugda (division) commanders, including Ariel Sharon, are pretty much the stars of this account, although the author uses a number of lower-level memoirs to provide tactical vignettes. Indeed, Sharon's remarkable night-time assault on the Egyptian fortified position at Um Katef should rightly be considered a model for the American tactics against Iraqi in Desert Storm in 1991. Dunstan's narrative tends to emphasize the first 24 hours of the war and then skims rather rapidly over the last three days, but overall this is a good volume.
   
   The introductory sections in this volume are a bit thin, with a 1-paragraph background on the conflict (which seems almost devoid of much of the political/diplomatic maneuvering), 2 pages on opposing forces and a few pages on opposing commanders. For readers without much background on this conflict, this is insufficient. The 9-page section on opposing plans fills in some gaps and identifies Egypt's strategy based on rhetoric (although it seems to suggest that the Arab plans to attack Israel were illusory, which is questionable) and Israel's pre-emptive strategy. On the military side, Dunstan notes the weaknesses of the Egyptian officer corps but fails to identify two key weakness - lack of sufficient anti-armor capability for their infantry and lack of forward air defense - which the Egyptians were quick to recognize and rectify after their defeat with loads of Saggers and SA-6 SAMs from the Soviets. It is also clear that the Israelis had not really adopted a combined arms approach to warfare and that they relied too heavily on armor-heavy task forces and close air support, which would come back to bite them in 1973. Indeed, one lesson of this conflict that the author misses is that the defeated Egyptians learned a great deal from the campaign but the victorious Israelis rested on their laurels.
   
   The volume has five 2-D maps (the Middle East in 1967; Arab and Israeli invasion plans; Operation Moked; the Israeli coastal attack to El Arish; the Sinai front) and two 3-D BEV maps (the Battle at Rafah junction; Battle of Abu Ageila/Um Katef), which are quite satisfactory. I particularly liked the map on the Israeli air strikes which not only showed the targets, but also the air routes used. As usual, the three battle scenes by Peter Dennis (Israeli Mirage III jets bombing Cairo West; Israeli air assault against Egyptian artillery batteries at Um Katef; Israeli Centurion tanks race for Mitla Pass) are superb, but all from the Israeli perspective. The author also provides a one-page bibliography, which unfortunately lists no Arab sources.
   
   Dunstan gets into the campaign proper with an 8-page section on Operation Moked, the Israeli air strikes that destroyed Egypt's air force. This section is well written and he notes that even though the Egyptian Air Force was clobbered, the Israeli Air Force still lost a quarter of its front-line strength in the four-day war. The heart of the volume lies in the 47-page section on Operation Red Sheet, the ground phase of the war in Sinai. The author quotes large chunks from Israeli first-person accounts of the fighting - almost one quarter of his ground campaign narrative. At times he's a little too much in the turret and it could be easy for readers to lose track of the big picture, particularly since the map that shows the overview of the whole Sinai is misplaced far in the end of the volume. Nevertheless, the author's dissection of Sharon's impressive attack on Um Katef is thorough and very well done. However, he provides very little information on the Egyptian armored reserves in Sinai (e.g. what was in Task Force Shazli?) or how much escaped across the Suez Canal. The author also avoids any mention of Israeli atrocities in Sinai, even though there have been some credible accounts that Sharon and other commanders may have turned a blind eye to the execution of Egyptian POWs (which was repeated later in Lebanon). Nevertheless, this is a decent if one-sided account and just the right size for military professionals to use as an operational case study.

5 comments about DAYS OF VALOR: An Inside Account of the Bloodiest Six Months of the Vietnam War.

1. Robert L. Tonsetic is a wonderful writter. I was a combat infantryman in Vietnam with the 196th LIB 68-69. I have finally got around to open up and read about the war. This book has really made me proud of serving in Vietnam. I am proud along with all our Vietnam Veterans - Our soldiers in that war are to be saluted.
   Robert has given the best account on the history of the Tet offensive. This is a must read - Thank you Robert



2. This is one of the finest books of the Vietnam War. It focuses on a six month window of heavy Infantry combat involving the 199th Light Infantry (Seperate) Brigade. The Tet Offensive was a decisive period of the war. Col. Tonsetic painstakingly weaves personal stories of Infantryman throughout the whole book. His book uses mulitple soldiers, eye witness accounts, of enemy contact. It gives the reader a whole picture of how each event unfolded as seen by mulitple participants. Col. Tonsetic has amassed a verifiable masterpiece of Infantry combat. It's a true story of American soldiers who performed their extreme duties under very difficult circumstances. If you want to read a book about Vietnam that is absent of the political spin about the war, this is the book. It is a must read and valued addition to American military history.



3. The service from the bookstore was FAST! The book arrived in excellant condition and it was almost new. Thank You.



4. Robert Tonsetic's gripping account of combat in the 199th L.I.B. circa 1967-68, "Days of Valor," was hard to put down. Tonsetic's writing style makes you feel like you are watching the action unfold; having personally traversed some of the same real estate during that time frame helped bring the accounts into even sharper focus. That being said, I wished Tonsetic had included some sketch maps of the various actions to help orient the reader, especially when it comes to the disposition of the units involved, both friendly and enemy. There were also a couple of minor errors that I did pick out, but they are just that, i.e., nit noids. First, the map on page 148, "Saigon Targets of Tet Attacks," has the Newport Bridge in the wrong location; the map shows it connecting Saigon with Highway 1, when in fact the Newport Bridge actually crossed the Saigon River where his map shows "Highway 316;" this road was actually referred to as Highway 1A on US maps at the time. Highway 1A was the main thoroughfare connecting the Newport Docks with the huge Long Binh base, approximately 20 miles north. The other minor point is on page 262 where the author states: "The 199th's colors were furled, cased and placed in storage . . ." While this is an accurate statement, it does not tell the whole story; he should have mentioned that the 199th was later reactivated at Ft. Lewis, Washington in 1991 as the 199th Infantry Brigade (Motorized). As the brigade chief of staff, I had the honor and privilege of wearing the Redcacther patch from December, 1991 until July, 1992 when we were reflagged as the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment (Light). A minor point, but one that helps fill in the picture of this proud unit and the brave soldiers who served in it, and especially to the memories of those who gave all.



5. This is a good account of the Tet Offensive in III Corps written from a career officer's standpoint. The grunts are viewed as loyal tools for the officers who long for battle but circle overhead in a command and control heliocopter while the grunts are chopped up in the battle below. It gives a good critique of the officers involved and their readiness for battle and does not pull punches on the incompetency of a fellow officer. The attitude of the EM is probably as an officer saw it but not the men would have portrayed themselves if given a choice at the time of the action. It is a good read and should be of interest to those who had the misfortune of visiting Vietnam during those times as well as to those who did not.

2 comments about Revolutionary War Days: Discover the Past with Exciting Projects, Games, Activities, and Recipes (American Kids in History Series).

1. My son is 9 and absolutely enjoys this book so much. It is well written and entertaining for his age group.



2. For the young history student in your circle, Revolutionary War Days by David C. King is an absolute must purchase! It will enhance the study of history by encouraging a lively interest in the everyday lives of two families of the day: the Logans of Virginia and the Wentworths of Philadelphia. By sharing in the work, play and creativity of two children, young readers will enjoy bringing that past to life, themselves!
   
   What better way is there to learn about the past?

5 comments about Six Armies in Normandy: From D-Day to the Liberation of Paris; June 6 - Aug. 5, 1944; Revised.

1. One of the best books on its subjects and one of John Keegan's best. A true classic in military history.



2. There are a lot of books on D-Day. The best known is "The Longest Day." Stephen Ambrose and Carlo D'Este have also produced important works. This book is a modern classic that ranks right up there with the best of them and there is a reason. It is an easy read and Sir John Keegan offers new ways of looking at the Normandy campaign.
   
   Keegan is an extremely talented historian and journalist and has the credentials to write this book. He taught at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst before becoming the defense editor at "The Daily Telegraph."
   
   His book focuses just not on D-Day itself, but on the campaigns in Normandy where combat determined the success or failure of the cross-channel invasion. This effort was the product of six national military traditions that had armies fighting in northern France at this time: France, Poland, Canada, Britain, and the United States on the one hand, and Germany on the other. Keegan is much better in discussing the traditions of the three English-speaking armies, but his account is a good corrective to popular accounts that focus just on the Americans and, to a much lesser extent, the British. His focus is broad and he shows that events elsewhere (like the July 20 plot on Hitler's life) affected events in Normandy.
   
   Keegan is also more than willing to challenge widely held beliefs. He shows that the allies quickly broke the German defense on the beaches on the first day of the battle. It was the professionalism of the German Army, many times despite the behavior of Hitler, that contained the allies in Normandy for week after week. Even though he is British, Sir John is more than willing to criticizes Montgomery's behavior in front of Caen.
   
   His account culminates with the liberation of Paris, making this book a history of a campaign rather than of a battle or of the D-Day landings. Make it part of your library.



3. This book is not your typical account of the D-Day invasion and battles. Keegan initially examines the strategic thinking that led to the need for and selection of an amphibious invasion of Europe. The account then examines different battles of different formations from different nations involved in the campaign. The approach Keegan takes allows examination of each nation's concerns and approach to the problems presented. Finally, Keegan examines the long term effect the Normandy campaign had on the war and beyond.
   
   This book is not a blow by blow description of the landings such as 'The Longest Day' or Ambrose's 'D-Day'. Indeed,without knowing the campaign in general terms it would be difficult to make sense of much of this book. However, as a further examination and deeper reading of the campaign it is an excellent follow up to either of the above mentioned books.



4. John Keegan is the doyen of late 20th C. military historians, and there's a reason why. He is remarkably adept at conveying the realities of combat to the reader (despite, as he confesses and laments in his seminal work, The Face of Battle, never having been to war). This compact volume provides an overview of the six principal protagonists in the Normandy campaign of 1944. It is not a history of D-Day (which abound) but a summary of how the combatants came together and how the battle progressed after the initial, very successful landing on the French coast. As in all of Keegan's works, there is a strong sense of the human factors at work in warfare. We are never spared the realisation that those involved are flesh and blood human beings, desperately frail in the face of the maelstrom of steel and explosives that is modern, high-intensity armoured combat. Poignant vignettes (such as a tank commander being killed within sight of the church were he was married) underline the tragedy of Normandy. Yet an excellent sense of the strategic decisions behind the actions depicted is also given. In particular, the divorce from reality that Hitler suffered and the inevitable consequences for Germany on the Western front are well-described.
   
   Highly recommended.



5. I looked forward to reading this book immensely, and I was disappointed.
   I highly recommend to read the following "CENSORED" books:
   1) "THE HOAX OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY" by Arthur R. Butz.
   2) "NOT GUILTY AT NUREMBERG" by Carlos W. Porter.
   3) "FLASH POINT, Kristallnacht 1938. Instigators, victims and beneficiaries" by Ingrid Weckert.
   4) "ALBERT SPEER: The End of a Myth" by Matthias Schmidt.
   
   

2 comments about The Six Day War 1967: Jordan and Syria (Campaign).

1. This book is a good primer on the Six Day War between Israel and Jordan and Syria. The pictures and artwork are good. The only drawback to this book are the maps. Often the text refers to a place or objective that's not on any map. I would prefer more detailed maps so it would be easier to trace the troop movements. Another thing I would like to see is the use of 3-d graphics to better depict troop movements through built-up areas like Jerusalem, the Golan Heights, and the like. Often topography played a significant role during a battle. A foldout battle map would be idea.



2. The Six Day War 1967: Jordan and Syria is the second volume in Simon Dunstan's history of the Six Day War, focusing on Israeli attacks on Jordan and Syria. Like its sister volume on the Sinai Front, this volume is colorful and fairly well-stocked with maps, but it suffers somewhat from an over-use of Israeli sources. In general, the Jordanians are depicted as fairly competent opponents, but the author seems to concur with the Israeli disdain for Syrian fighting capabilities. Overall, this is a likeable volume for its graphic content, but can't see that it adds much new material that wasn't already available in English. Decent, but not great; probably 5 star for graphics and 3 for research/writing.
   
   The introduction is a bit longer than usual and the author provides useful background information on the various issues that helped to create and sustain conflict between these antagonists, including water rights, cross-border terrorism and Israeli `political agriculture.' The author could/should have provided a bit more background on the build-up of military forces in the region prior to the war, including the nature of Soviet involvement in Syria (which is only mentioned in passing). Without direct and significant Soviet support Syria would not have been capable of posing any real threat to Israel, so this should have been fleshed-out a bit more. The 5-page section on opposing plans is succinct but packs important information that is still relevant, particularly Arab plans to "destroy Israeli settlements and kill all persons in them." Arab pre-war saber-rattling is also well-documented, but the author does not spare the Israelis either, noting their penchant for offensive-planning. The section on opposing commanders is overly brief and provides little more than a listing of who was who, but no real insight into motivations or abilities. The section on opposing forces is also a bit too cursory and the order of battle only lists brigade-size units and omits air forces. Dupuy's Elusive Victory written years ago listed numbers of tanks, planes, artillery, etc for each side, so this OB is a step backward from what is already in print. Furthermore, there is no analysis of opposing strengths and weaknesses; neither the Jordanians or Syrians had any SAMs, so they were particularly vulnerable to Israeli air attacks.
   
   Graphically, this volume is attractive and it has seven 2-D maps (the Middle East in 1967; the invasion of the West Bank; Radar Hill; the Battle for Jerusalem; Ammunition Hill; Battle for the Old City; the Golan Heights) but only one 3-D map (the break-in battle in the Golan Heights). From personal experience, I know that Osprey tries to avoid 3-D BEV maps of cities, which are tedious and expensive to create. The three battle scenes (the Battle of the Dothan Valley; combined assault Golan Heights; Air assault by helicopter in the Golan Heights) by Peter Dennis are very nice but all depict combat from the Israeli point of view. The author also provides a 1-page bibliography, which are almost entirely Israeli sources.
   The author's campaign narrative is 59-pages long and divided between Jordan and the Golan. Both of these theaters were strategic backwaters for the Israelis - the main threat was regarded as Egypt. Although the Israelis informed the Jordanians that they would not attack them if they remained neutral, King Hussein acquiesced to Arab pressure and permitted some small-scale cross-border artillery fire that incited an Israeli response. The Israelis were ready and launched an immediate offensive into the West Bank, revolving around control of Jerusalem. The author covers the main battles around Samaria and Kabatiya Junction prior to the Israeli capture of Jerusalem. The 31-hour campaign for the Golan is then covered, but in slightly less detail. Throughout the volume, the author inserts a number of Israeli first-person accounts, but their Arab opponents remain essentially ciphers. With a little extra effort, the author probably could have found at least some Jordanian accounts to add some balance.

5 comments about Great World War II Projects You Can Build Yourself (Build It Yourself series).

1. What a great way to spend an afternoon teaching and learning with your child. We enjoyed the historical lessons and thought provoking perspectives. I would highly recommend it. T. Kearney - parent



2. The author has synthesized the history of WWII into an informative and fun easy-to-read activity book. I highly recommend this resource for children and adults.



3. What a great book to teach children about WWII while having fun at the same time! I highly recommend this book to parents (and teachers!)who want to involve their children in entertaining, stimulating activities that engage the mind as well as the hands. Extremely well written, with easy to perform projects. Excellent job!
   K.S. Barone, teacher and parent



4. I used this book with my middle school social studies classes. It was the state testing week,and I wanted to continue the curriculum but not ruffle any feathers with more concepts. We were in the middle of our World War II unit. I selected some of the projects that we did in small groups, individually or with the whole class as an extension of our regular curriculum. We made silly putty, folded origami cranes, made WWII airplanes, and THE BEST was the individual recreations of the Rosie the Riveter propaganda poster. Each student posed as Rosie,and now I have a great set of things to display for our spring open house. The information in the book is entertaining to read, and the projects are simple, doable, and beneficial. I would highly suggest any social studies teacher of any level (elementary-high school) take a look at this book.



5. This book is very good for brief interesting facts on WWII both on the home front and the basics of the war. It enlightens and expands the notion of what the war must have been like for many Americans. The projects are very clever and easy to make which can be a relief to kids and parents under pressure.

5 comments about Day of Tears.

1. YES! A wel written book that has all of the facts and elements of slavery in an easy-to-read book. The unique narrative in script format makes for an active way to read aloud in class or small groups. The information contained within the story is heartwarming, moving, and strong. The ending wraps up nicely and there is a lot to be learned from this novel (short as it may be). Highly recommended for grades 4 and up.



2. I have nothing else to say but, WOW, it's an amazing book that tells of the struggles of one "family" of slaves. This is a must-read book



3. Day of Tears is a fictional novel based in part on a true event in American history: the largest slave auction ever, taking place in March, 1859, in Savannah, Georgia. Pierce Butler, a white landowner, chose to sell the majority of his slaves in order to pay off his massive gambling debts. He takes a young slave, Emma, to the auction to look after his two young daughters. He promises Emma's parents, faithful servants whom Pierce grew up with, that he does not intend to sell her. However, he is offered a high price for Emma, and decides to sell her anyway. She is purchased by Mistress Henfield, and taken to her plantation in Kentucky. Emma goes on to escape to the North, along with three fellow slaves from the Henfield plantation.
   
   Julius Lester uses dialogue to tell the interwoven stories of Emma, her parents, the Butler family, and the slaves on the Henfield plantation, among others. Lester also jumps back and forth in time throughout the novel, in order to shed light on events in the past and to offer a glimpse into the future. The horrific experiences of slavery are examined from a variety of viewpoints, offering readers keen insight into American life in the mid-1800s.
   
   This was a very powerful novel. The author's use of dialogue lends the book a conversational tone that allows readers to feel as if they personally know the characters. Feelings and emotions are revealed through the voices and thoughts of the characters, and Lester's words create vivid images in the minds of readers. Slavery is examined from all angles--from black slaves who despise slavery to those who support it, and from white people who work to end slavery to those who cannot imagine life without it. This allows readers to develop a broader understanding of the complex institution of slavery and its effects on people. The descriptions of the torrential downpour that occurred during the auction help readers understand why the auction later became known as "The Weeping Time." Readers and listeners will be captivated by this book. Teachers and parents should be prepared to discuss with children the use of racial slurs throughout the book and the author's reasons for choosing to include them. This book is recommended for ages 9 and up.



4. Julian Lester's thought-provoking book, A Day of Tears, builds a fictional story out of of a real event: the day when the most slaves in American history--over400--were sold at one auction. The place is Savannah, Georgia, the time is 1859 and the slaveowner is Pierce Butler who is "forced" to sell his slaves to pay off his gambling debts. Known afterwards as "The Weeping Time," the four days were marked by torrential rain; thus the tie-in to the title of the book.
   
   Many fine books have been written depicting the harsh and unjust conditions surrounding slavery. Jester's novel distinguishes itself by giving voice to each character who plays a part in the drama. As a result of sparse narrative, the reader is engaged in the immediacy of the setting and conflicts. Instead of the traditional novel format, Lester relies primarily on monologues to tell the story. Readers hear the voices of Pierce, his abolitionist wife Fanny Kemble, their two daughters (with two very different points of view on slavery), the auctioneer, several slaves (also with different perspectives on slavery), and the man who helps some of the slaves escape to Cincinnati. Interludes within the main story fast forward the action as the characters reflect upon the years and events that transpired after that pivotal day. The reader watches as families are torn apart--both slaves and their owners--over an issue that divided our country.
   
   I listened to the book on CD and found the acting compelling. Even without much actual physical description of the characters, I could imagine them talking directly to me.
   
   Since the book candidly shows a variety of perspectives on the same event, it makes an excellent Social Studies resource for classes studying the Antebellum Age in the south. In addition, language arts teachers should point out the different uses of syntax, word choice, and dialect to make the voice of each character distinct and powerful. Given the way it is written, this would be an excellent choice for readers theater in middle school or high school classrooms.
   
   The author's notes at the end include glimpses into some of the resources which Lester used to write the book. Since I am researching my own historical novel, I was particularly interested in his resources. He cites a pamphlet "What Became of the Slaves on a Georgia Plantation?" which is in the Library of Congress and can be viewed online. Written by an observer to the entire event, it provides "up close and personal" details of the auction and makes a terrific companion tool to this book.



5. Emma is a twelve year old African American slave on her Master Butler's plantation. She was the caretaker of his two daughters. Over the years, she has created a great bond with the girls and them with her. Master Butler is greatly in gambling debt. To repay his debt, he needed to sell his slaves making it the largest auction of slaves on March 2-3, 1859 in Savannah, Georgia. Master Butler wanted to take his daughters to see what it was like selling slaves, therefore Emma had to come along to watch over them. Master Butler was offered a good price for Emma and she was sold that night. She never saw her mother again since that morning. At the new plantation, Emma made friends and fell in love. Throughout time, as well as looking back, Emma realizes that every decision has its consequence.
   This is a phenomenal book for a middle school aged audience. Julius Lester did a great job allowing the reader to feel what the characters are thinking and feeling. She did this with interludes between the chapters. Each interlude is dedicated to one character who is looking back on the previous chapter's events and telling it in their point-of-view and their memories. The story is told through the eyes of a child. Family, friendship, slavery, the Underground Railroad are just a handful of topics brought up during this excellent book. This book has has two awards, 2006 Coretta Scott King Author Award and 2006 ALA Notable Children's Books, and is also on several book lists, Editors Choice, Top Ten Black History, Top Ten Historical Fiction, VOYA Top Shelf Fiction, and New York Public Library 100 Best Books for Reading and Sharing. I recommend this touching book _Day_of_Tears_ by Julius Lester to every middle school student.

3 comments about 10,000 Days of Thunder: A History of the Vietnam War.

1. "Last electric Sunday morning,
   Waiting in the Park for the dawn."
   --Paul Kantner (1970)
   
   I arrived at the Park a little while past dawn on Sunday, greeted by vendors who were still setting up, and long lines of blue Porta-Potties that were standing shoulder to shoulder at attention. The morning prayer ritual was just about to commence.
   
   Mayor Gavin Newsom had declared it "Chet Helms Day." We streamed into Speedway Meadows by the thousands to spend the day ingesting sights, smells, and musical sets provided by scores of aging musicians who'd played at Helms' Avalon Ballroom back in the Sixties. For me, having been slightly too young and on the wrong coast to have experienced those days first-hand, having snuck into a Long Island drive-in theater in high school (None of us had a car!) to see many of these same musicians (and some of the same audience members) captured in the Woodstock and Fillmore: The Last Days movies, Sunday served as community get-together, musical history lesson, dream fulfillment experience, and peace rally.
   
   "Give me an F!" "F!"
   "Give me a U!" "U!"
   "Give me a C!" "C!"
   "Give me an K!" "K!"
   "What's that spell?"
   "What's that spell?"
   "What's that spell?"
   "What's that spell?"
   --Country Joe McDonald leading "The Fish Cheer," 10/30/2005
   
   On the long crack-of-dawn bus ride down to San Franciso Sunday morning, I experienced Philip Caputo's 10,000 DAYS OF THUNDER: A HISTORY OF THE VIETNAM WAR, a powerful record of the sights and significance of those days. As with the San Francisco music scene of the Sixties, I was just a couple of years too young to have needed to make any life-altering decisions regarding The Draft. But just as surely as I grew up listening to that music on the radio and seeing those movies at the drive-in and my first Dead show at the Nassau Coliseum, I also grew up experiencing the War.
   
   But suddenly that War is so far in the past.
   
   "Every year they say we're going to get right up to the present, but we always get stuck in the Industrial Revolution. We got to World War I in seventh grade--who knew there had been a war with the whole world."
   --main character Melinda Sordino in Laurie Halse Anderson's, SPEAK
   
   10,000 DAYS OF THUNDER is an incredibly timely book for adolescents who could well be looking war in the face in a few years. As a tenth-grade World History student standing in protest on the Capitol steps, listening to Phil Ochs and Coretta Scott King, I looked back at World War II which had ended a quarter-century earlier as if it were ancient history. For today's tenth-grade World History students, as the 2,000th American soldier falls in Iraq and Scooter Libby gets indicted as part of a tangled web of lies about the current War, the fall of Saigon is even further back into the past for them than Hiroshima was for me.
   
   "The Vietnam War has three dubious distinctions: It was the longest and the most unpopular war in American history and the only war America ever lost."
   
   Is it possible for a book about war to be beautiful? If so, this is that book. Designed with a large trim size, every right-hand page throughout the book contains a vivid close-up from the past of the children and adults who found themselves at the epicenter of this defining chapter in world and U.S. history. On the left-facing pages there is a combination of text, "Quick Facts," and smaller illustrations and graphics. The tale told by the text begins all the way back at the beginnings of Communism so that readers are provided with a real understanding of how it came to be that those of my generation watched filmed battle scenes and flag-draped coffins from halfway around the world on our childhood dinnertime news broadcasts.
   
   Some of Caputo's "Quick Facts":
   
   In 1954, following the French departure from Vietnam, President Eisenhower asked the army's chief of staff, General Matthew Ridgeway, to conduct a study of what American military aid would be needed to help the South Vietnamese defeat the Communists in Vietnam. Ridgeway reported that the United States would have to commit between 500,000 and 1 million men. President Eisenhower decided this was an impossible option, so instead chose to send minimal aid in the form of weapons, supplies, economic aid, and military and political advisors.
   
   --Most troops arrived in Vietnam in airplanes. For many, the first memory of Vietnam was the 'wall' of intense heat combined with the pungent smells of sweat, dung, rotting vegetation, food, and smoke that would hit them the moment they stepped out of an airplane's cabin.
   
   --A reliable evaluation of the number of Vietnamese people affected by Agent Orange is almost impossible. But a team of Canadian experts conducted an independent study of the contaminated regions in the Alvoi Valley in 1999. Their findings revealed that children born in sprayed areas were more than 8 times as likely to suffer hernias and more than 3 times as likely to have cleft palates, be mentally retarded, and have extra fingers and toes.
   
   --The Selective Service System was composed of almost 4,000 local draft boards and staffed by unpaid volunteers, most of whom were white males who were veterans of earlier wars. A 1966 survey of 16,638 board members of the draft revealed that only 1.3 percent were African American.
   
   --During the Vietnam War, U.S. Air Force bombers and fighter-bombers dropped an estimated 6.2 million tons of bombs. This amount, which does not include bombs dropped by U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, and South Vietnamese aircraft, was almost 3 times the 2.2 million tons of bombs dropped in World War II.
   
   As a kid I learned about those small lakes called kettle-holes that were created when a chunk of ice from one of the Ice Age glaciers that formed Long Island got stuck in the dirt and melted, leaving a round lake that still exists thousands of years later. There are areas on Long Island's South Fork where you see multiple kettle-holes near one another. One of the small-sized photographs included in Caputo's book shows an arial view of what appears to be a similar but much more intensive phenomenon in Vietnam. Only it was U.S. bombing that did the work of the epic glaciers.
   
   There are so many of those "a-ha!" moments throughout 10,000 DAYS OF THUNDER.
   
   "You hold the key to love and fear
   All in your trembling hand
   Just one key unlocks them both
   It's there at your command"
   --"Get Together," by the late Dino Valenti, as sung by his son and former bandmates, 10/30/2005
   
   Philip Caputo's background as both a Pulitzer-winning journalist and a Vietnam Vet is consistently evidenced by the combination of wisdom, factual matter, and supporting materials that make 10,000 DAYS OF THUNDER both a great read and a great and essential teaching resource.



2. Kids in grades 5-7 will find 10,000 Days Of Thunder to be a readily accessible survey of the Vietnam War which explores a war which lasted ten thousand days, sparking riots and controversy across America. Here are anecdotes from soldier and civilians, profiles of the actions of leaders, antiwar movements, and sidebars of quick facts paired with full-page maps, black and white and some color photos, and a dynamic coverage of key campaigns and battles: in short, everything a young researcher needs to know about the war.



3. I bought this book for my husband , he spent 2 tours in Vietnam
   liked the book

5 comments about D Day: June 6, 1944: The Climactic Battle of World War II.

1. Ambrose has done a massive documentation job with survivor interviews to give you a close-to-reality review of this famous event. After reading this book, you will have a comprehensive understanding of what it was like to hit the beaches. The reader is saturated with detail.



2. After watching the HBO miniseries 'Band of Brothers' I started shopping around for a good/informative book on D-Day. Typing that exact topic into amazon.com, Ambrose's book was one of the first books that showed up. I read the reviews, was very impressed, and then went out to Barnes and Noble to get the book (too impatient to wait for shipping).
   
   It reads more like a Clancy novel than a history book. In the first few chapters, Ambrose sets the plot, then after that, he chronicles the days events from the point of view of the British, Canadian, American, German, etc soldiers and commanders. This book took me about a week to read, but every free moment I had that week was devoted to reading this book.
   
   5/5



3. Stephen Ambrose provides an excellent narrative on the invasion of D-Day. The book is divided into three sections with the first two about 100 pages each and the last taking up the rest of the book. The first section is an introduction to the major players focusing mostly on Eisenhower, Montgomery, and Rommel. The next section focuses on the build up of forces and the special operations of the invasion. Finally the last section is an account of the four various beaches (focusing on Omaha and Utah) and the trials and tribulations these troops faced. It is a masterful storytelling and while not recounting every detail it relies on interviews to piece together what happened that day. The reader is given an account of what happened from the view of American soldiers. For those who level that this book is pro-American, I encourage them to take a look at the sources and realize that is what the offer is working with. He did not interview Germans, British or French but American troops. For those who want a historical account of troop movements they should buy a different book. This is an account of personal stories and one that is complied very well.



4. My husband volunteered in the US Infantry, 29th Division, and
   landed on Omaha Beach on that terrible day. He was lucky, and lived to fight on, all the way to Bitburg, Germany. Because he never
   talked about the atrocious fighting on Omaha, I was very interested
   in Ambrose's book and awed, grateful ( I was in France at the time)
   by the scope and ferocity of the author's descriptions. This is a
   book which should be required reading, a deep and factual record of
   War in all its facets, sadness and glory, fear, distress and humour,
   bravery and luck, plans and errors, and many more.Very recommended
   for all.



5. I'm quite surprised by my opinion of this book now that I'm done reading it. Let me first state that I read a 1994 paperback edition, so there is a chance that some things have changed with newer editions. There is little doubt in my mind that this is the definitive book on D-Day, though I will admit I haven't read too many.
   
   The details that Ambrose writes are both shocking and intriguing at the same time, but therein lies one of my biggest problems with the book. Its 575 pages can, at times, be a bit much. After a while the quotes get repetitive. When compared to one of my recent favorites, the 900-or-so-page masterpiece Team of Rivals, which also includes a multitude of facts and details, D-Day can drone on at times.
   
   My second and final issue with the book is that it needs many more maps that are better placed in the book to assist the reader with their understanding of the battlefield. Because Ambrose goes into such detail of where units landed, where they moved to, and where German resistance came from, more maps would be most helpful. The chapters dedicated to the fighting on D-Day can be rounded to 20, yet the total number of maps are nine, including two printed before said "fighting chapters." One shows the overall Overlord invasion plan and the other details German strength in all of Western Europe. When maps are included in subsequent chapters, many times they are placed two or four pages after the items they explain, which forced me to go back and re-read those sections once I realized the maps were there to assist my understanding of what I'd just read.
   
   Granted, this is 2010. In 1994, before Saving Private Ryan, HBO's Band of Brothers, or similar features, this information and these details were new to the readers. With the current wealth of movie, television, and print attention that D-Day has received, there are few surprises left to uncover. But this is the book that inspired them. It will give you a complete understanding of the battle, from all sides and from all ranks. Ambrose's access to the Eisenhower Center's treasure trove of personal accounts gives locations and statistics their color. The books thoroughness will also inspire internet searches and additional reading on the many intriguing units and individuals mentioned in the book.
   
   Those two issues are the reasons this is a four-star review. Condense some of the chapters and include more strategically-placed maps, and there's no doubt this would be a five-star read.

5 comments about Six Days of War: June 1967 and the Making of the Modern Middle East.

1. Very well documented book with verified historical facts. It was not
   partial to Israel even though the author is Israeli.



2. The company "The Book of Your Dreams" sent me a used "Six Days of War" book with 50 pages completely missing! I've contacted them several times and gotten no response. Obviously they are a scam operation of some kind. Don't make the same mistake I did.



3. Michael B. Oren's Six Days of War is probably the most comprehensive book published on Israel's 1967 conflict with the Arab world to date. Painstakingly researched and scrupulously fair, Oren's strength is dealing with the causes and effects of the war. He discusses every diplomatic move and counter-move that the belligerent countries and their superpower allies (the U.S. and U. S. S. R.) made, and how those decisions impact Middle East policy to this day. Oren is noticeably weaker when discussing the actual tactics of the war, choosing to view the military units as pieces in a diplomatic chess game rather than giving the reader a sense of what the soldier on the ground was feeling, although he does do a fantastic job in describing the climactic battle for Jerusalem.
   
   Six Days is absolutely essential reading for anyone who wants to understand the politics of the region.



4. The author is Israel's current ambassador to the United States and an American educated scholar of high ability. As such, he will have a key role in deciding what Israel will do in response to the looming nuclear threat from Iran. As this book shows, Mr. Owen is acutely aware of the numerous influences that both motivate and constrain Israel in using force to defend herself from perceived existential threats. The 1967 War was the most serious threat to Israel's safety and existence since 1948. How the nation's leaders used military force in that year was a complex calculation, and it's impossible to read Mr. Owen's account without thinking of how present leaders will respond to similar threats at the present time. The bottom line is that when Israel is seriously threatened, it is willing to use decisive force, and will not necessarily wait until actually attacked to move. Are leaders in Washington, Tehran, Moscow, Damascus, Cairo, Riyadh, Amman, Ankara and Beirut reading this book? They should. So should you if you want to understand how Israel is likely to proceed.



5. I wish I knew how to just review the medium in which a product is delivered. This is an excellent book, detailed, written by somebody who clearly loves to write, impartial or when not impartial, thoughtful, as one can get in a book dealing with such a contentious topic. The book justly made the reputation of its author, and I enjoyed reading it so much that I got it on audio.
   
   Whoops. What a mistake. I am a stickler for getting details right, and I dislike pretense. Unfortunately, the actor behind the audio production is pretentious and unfamiliar with the topic. Delivering the narrative in a toffee-nosed accent, the actor makes an overblown effort at pronounciation--getting nearly every name in the book wrong in part or in whole. What I enjoyed about reading the book was that the author knew not to place himself in front of the story--when you read the book you are in the story. The actor narrating the book does no such thing, constantly drawing attention to himself with his almost Pythonesque renderings of the names of historical figures. Moshe Dayan was never Moyshe. The actor's pronounication of the Arabic names are almost obscene and he does violence to the Hebrew names as well, rendering them as characters in a Yiddish language farce.