Military Books

Would you go hiking without a map? Would you work on your car without a manual? Then why would you even think about going to the Middle East without this book? Poole once again sets the standard in the industry for explaining the tactics, history, and mindset of the Islamic Extremist. From military commander to field grunt to civilian contractor, if you're headed to a desert combat zone do yourself a favor and BUY this book! I also suggest you read this book with a highlighter in hand...but you may just end up highlighting everything. This book undoubtedly has saved lives and will save more in the future!

The book gives a good acccount of the various Islamic militant factions and their interactions. The opinions seemed a bit "armchair general" and opinionated at times, but they made several good points. I'd recommend the book although it had the following drawbacks for me:
-The insertion of outside material to back up the author's words made for a sometimes disjointed read
-The sprinkling of "God (Christian) & country", stereotyping, etc. seemed unnecessary
-20% of the material was a repetition/reiteration of a particular point (not sure if this was to beef up the number of pages or to compensate for a shakey arguement)

This book was kindly donated to my unit by the publishers when I was a Company Commander before I deployed. Everyone over here should read it. Regardless of how much money our government spends on high-tech equipment and contracts, until we gain a better understanding of our opponents sociological and theological motivations we will continue to waste a lot of our military resources. LTC Poole's emphasis on taking a humanistic approach and integrating our forces with the locals is sound, provided that the local forces are properly vetted and aren't infiltrated by insurgents.

Once again H. John Poole has pulled aside the Middle East veil of mystery to show us how the Muslim militants go about their business. Known as the "War on Terror" aka "4th Generation warfare", radical Muslim militants have worked out the ways to challenge the West collectively, on - and off the battlefield. Thus far, their efforts have cost the U.S.of A., not only lives, but billions of dollars, sowing anxiety and terror. How have they accomplished this with slender resources? Against the most technologically advanced armed forces in the world? Poole tells us how.
The book is divided into three parts:
The initial part updates the reader on the situation in Iraq and Afghanistan to the summer of 2005. How the Muslim militants have survived and continue to succeed against coalition armed forces without tactical victory, hi-tech resources or heavy arms; all the while they suffer heavy casualties and continue to burn through the resources - and resolve of the West - are addressed.
The next part examines, through the lense of ancient oriental texts on the principles of warfare, the stratagems employed by the militants. These are the most illuminating chapters: now the daily events in Iraq and Afghanistan make sense if one understands the militants' operational philosophy. Poole's explanations of tactical actions clarifies how these militants are playing "the Game" against coalition forces. What makes no sense militarily in Western understanding of warfare are perfectly acceptable to furthering these militants' ends.
The final section's chapters provide approaches to dealing with "4th Generation Warfare" situations, which Western military forces are more and more wont to encounter. Many of Poole's recommendations reflect the U.S. Marines' experience with the Combined Action Program (CAP)used in Vietnam during the 1960s. Essentially, special Marine units operated with Vietnamese local forces at the village level to root out and undermine the Viet Cong insurgency. He contrasts this approach to the reliance on hi-tech and heavy fire power, the preferred operational mode of U.S. forces. Further, Poole (pp 278-294) describes the changes in tactical philosophy that must come about if U.S. ground forces are to prevail against their current enemy. This, to my mind, is the best part of the book.
Poole's views on training and tactics in the last chapter, come closer to dealing with military cultural reform than in his previous wotks. While he addresses these subjects in other books, these last pages in MILITANT TRICKS come the furthest to combining these previous discussions into a coherent whole which reflects the grunt's eye-level ground view.
Hopefully, the powers-that-be are reading his works - effecting the necessary changes.

This is the best book I have read so far on where and who the real enemy is and who is behind and against the U.S. supporting democracy and the liberation of the people of Iraq.
Breaks down in detail who is Sunni and who is Shiite.
How they work and how they are fighting U.S. Forces together.
How the real enemy is Iran with many proxies to gain control of Iraq.
How the U.S. must change to deal with fighting in Irregular Warfare now and for decades to come.
How the enemy is capitalizing on U.S. democratically controlled Congress to gain victory.

Heading over to OIF II in a few months, active duty CDR O5 who will be working in support of the bravest of the brave (EOD Forces defeating IED's). This book was instrumental in developing a understanding of what is really going on.

I would recommend this book for all Officers and enlisted personnel heading to fight this fight from E1 up.

CDR Bill Noel (Navy EOD Officer)

My father served on board this ship but he only told me a few stories as I was growing up about his time in the Navy. He was on board both in the Atlantic and the Pacific.
Now it has been told of what these average everyday citizens did for our county sixty years ago. GOD Bless them all!
If you are looking for a book that describes the daily life on board a "Picket Ship" and one that hepled develop and deploy the UDT teams which were the fore-runners of todays SEALS in the Pacific, then you need to read this book.
Very well written.

I was very happy to see the amount of research that went into writing this book. Dr. Grenga has provided only verifiable details of the men and their life on the USS Barr. By doing so she has created a permanent memory for our soldiers who defended us during WWII. His brother was one of soldiers who served our nation. Her account of Sailor's diary is not only true but makes an interesting reading. This book uncovers another facet of the life on the ship for our brave soldiers.

My name is Leslie Irene Hubenthal Tietje.I am a daughter of John William Hubenthal. My father served on the USS Barr. He participated in the creation of this book, Movies On The Fantail. Ms Grenga was so kind as to send a copy of this book me, as well as others in my family. This is one beautiful book. I want more copies, as each and every friend I have shown it too have had a large interest in having a copy.

Certainly, the love of my father is intertwined with the love of this book. One of my favorite photographs of my father, taken on the USS Barr, appears in the first few pages of this book. This picture of my father in his youth sat me down squarely to reconsider his efforts, experiences, remembrances, as well as the lives of others that have shared his life.

Thank you, Ms Grenga, for an extremely fine and appreciated documentation of history. Your gift will not be forgotten.
John's Daughter: Leslie Irene Hubenthal Tietje

An excellent piece of history with captivating stories from those who can tell them best....the heroes of that time.

Helen Grenga has hit a homerun by taking what could be forgotten words and forgotten men and putting their heroic exploits to print. With so many WWII veterans passing everyday I wish everyone would preserve the words and lives of these brave young men who sailed in harms way for our GREAT Country. Outstanding!

this is a very well-written book. The lifeline flows in order which makes it easy for the reader to keep track of events as they occurred. This provides a very different perspective because it is from that as a child growing up on 'Hilter's mountain', as well as that of a German citizen. This provides a very good inside look at what life was like in these most terrible of times.

This book makes it clear under what pressures kids and teens grew up in the thirties and forties in Germany. The writer shows the big riff between the older and younger generations in Germany during the Hitler era. It is personal and detailed. It reaffirms many of the stories I heve heard from my parents and grandparents. A must read for every interested in keeping peace alive.

This proves to be an interesting and somewhat insightful look from the perception of child. Irmgard Hunt spent her first 11 years of her life living in Berchtesgaden, under the shadow of Hitler's mountain retreat. She even had a honor of being on Hitler's lap and her parents must have been die-hard Nazis themselves to be allowed to live in that Bavarian village so close to their Fuhrer's own mountain home.

Hunt's recollection proves to be informative on how life was for people who lived in that village where Nazism was so strong. Many of her stories actually make great deal of sense to anyone familiar with the Third Reich and it made whole lot of sense to me especially since, the author was living in Berchtesgaden.

However, I do wondered how much of the book reflects reality. After all, she was very young when all this took place, most normal people do have a hard time remembering what they did, felt or thought when they were eight, nine or ten years old. The author may remembered very few details but I doubt if she could remembered all of it without being compromised by passing years of faded memories.

I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the story of an ordinary German girl growing up in one of the most nazified villages in Germany. But I would also caution these readers that you are relying on a memory of that child who is now a grown woman and asked yourself how much of your childhood you remembered with such details.

Excellent story of WW2 from the perspective of an ordinary little girl. I loved this story because it was a whole new look at this era of world history, a view not often captured. A must read for any enthusiast of the era.

I lived in Germany in the late 1970s with a family who would have been young people during the War. I was vastly curious about their experience as "average Germans" but they were evasive and would say very little. Irmgard Hunt, who grew up just 30 miles from my foreign exchange mother during roughly the same years, gives us a portrait of what it was like for the average German citizen. Relying on her mother's diary, and interviews with family and friends, it may be some fiction, as an earlier reviewer states, but it rings true to me. You'll enjoy this book more if you know some German.

Once again the author goes into combat above North Vietnam. This time in an F-4 Phantom. Although the plot is similar to his earlier book, "When Thunder Rolled", this one's different enough not to feel like a warmed-over rehash. The only thing the same is his fantastic ability to "tell it like it is". Chronologicaly, the events described came after his other book but you need not have read it to enjoy this. Along with Ken Bell's "100 Missions North" this has to be one of my favorites. You come away from it with a much better understanding of the complexities of the war from a strategic as well as tactical view. The mundane day-to-day stuff balanced with the terror they must have felt flying over the most heavily defended airspace known to man. The aircrews involved did a great job in spite of the adversities and this book tells one brave pilot's story superbly!

Rasimus returns to Vietnam for a second tour after transitioning to F-4's. We are indebted to Rasimus for his courage and his intellect. The book is superb.

The book covers the air war from the height of air war against North Vietnam and the massive B-52 raids to the dog days near the end of the war when the REMF's came to get their tickets punched. Rasimus captures it all, from the sweaty, terror filled minutes of endless Sam killing missions deep over North Vietnam to the days near the end of the war when US planes did not venture into North Vietnam. The friendly skies of South Vietnam brought out those who had avoided the air war in various Pentagon burrows to get their 201 files filled with combat flying. Rasimus sorts out the good guys like Robin Olds from the slackers with a sharp knife.

What differentiates this book from many other fine books is Rasimus' intellect and writing skills . Highly recommended.

Whilst putting you very much in the cockpit Mr Rasimus has at the same time managed to produce a thoughtful, insightful, and instructive book that gives an excellent view of the experiences, feelings and thoughts of what it meant to be a fighter pilot in the later years of the Vietnam war. An excellent sequel to his earlier book. Highly recommended.

Outstanding commentary of a two tour aerial war veteran of the Vietnam
War. We were winning every time he and I left Nam.

After writing the superlative "When Thunder Rolled" about his early F-105 tour in Vietnam, Ed Rasimus, one of the most literary of all pilot-authors, turns his attention to his second tour flying F-4's. The result is "Palace Cobra" and it is another masterwork of first-person combat narrative plucked from the skies of Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, and Thailand. Although I prefer "When Thunder Rolled" (mainly due to my affection for the F-105, an affection Rasimus shares), this still needs to be high on the reading list of anyone interested in the air war in Southeast Asia.

"Palace Cobra" is good at differentiating changes that occurred in the six or so years between his two combat tours. The war became more managed, and Rasimus makes the case passionately for the warrior class to be in charge of combat operations rather than the careerist administrators that so often were. In the conclusion he summarizes the lessons that were learned (at least partially) by the military in the wake of the Vietnam debacle, and thoroughly discredits Lyndon Johnson and Robert McNamara's idiotic "gradualization" and managerial policies that eventually allowed the ultimate North Vietnamese subjugation of the nominally less corrupt south. This book is somewhat more personality-driven than "When Thunder Rolled" and talks more about off-duty exploits as well. Some of this information is interesting, and all of it is very unvarnished. To be candid, I would have preferred fewer unseemly details of the Thai nightlife, and more of tactical operations, but that's nitpicking a heartfelt and honest book.

Rasimus is a very intelligent man, and frequently presents relevant quotations as introductions or summaries of important concepts. The quotes vary from well known to obscure, but they all are perfect enhancements to his own words and artistically set the tone for what follows. My favorite two are likewise representative of the obscure and the well known:

"The aircraft G-limits are only there in case there is another flight by that particular airplane. If subsequent flights do not appear likely, there are no G-limits." -Frank Chubba, fighter pilot

"War is an ugly thing, but it is not the ugliest of things; the decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. A man who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing he cares about more than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature who has no chance of being free, unless made and kept so by better men than himself." -John Stuart Mill (1806-1873)

There is no wonder why Ed Rasimus chose that quote to begin the book's final chapter.

This is a great book, and I highly recommend it.

I read this every once in a while to gain perspective and to make sure I hear the stories of these women. To make sure I'm aware of, and to acknowledge their sacrifices. They touched so many lives then, and are still making a difference in other ways now. I think this should be required reading for every woman.

Written in 1985 when many of the wounds of Vietnam still bled fresh, Keith Walker interviewed 26 women who served in country in a variety of capacities. The result of this ambitious and courageous project is a heartbreaking, captivating and ultimately transcendent oral history.

The stories here filled with an evolution that mirrors the changes of perception that accompanied the war. This is not only a history of women in Vietnam (a history all too frequently too overlooked)but also a history of America as well. Each woman, in her own way experiences the journey from ambition to horror to disillusionment to healing. Many of the women interviewed (as of 1985)are still works very much in progress- as our Nation is as well.

This oral history depicts not only depicts the immediate horrors and consequences of combat but most importantly the post combat experience as well along with the living conditions and political environment as seen in the first person.

Later adapted (by Shirley Lauro) into a powerful dramatic event, A PIECE OF MY HEART makes for a must read for anyone interested in either Vietnam history specifically or American history in general.

A classic.

These stories are so heart-wrenching I had to take a break while reading simply to keep from falling to pieces. These women are so amazing and strong - they're inspiring. I Loved this book and GREATLY recommend the play with the same title by Shirely Lauro that was based off of these stories. It's so unbelievable and so real it makes you feel for those 6 women more than you'd ever imagine!

"A Piece of My Heart: The Stories of 26 American Women Who Served in Vietnam," by Keith Walker, is a powerful addition to the large body of writings about the Vietnam War. Walker's technique for compiling this book was to interview the featured women and turn the transcripts of the interviews into chapters. One chapter is drawn from a dual interview of two of the women, and another chapter consists of a letter written by a woman whom Walker did not get to interview. The book is full of black-and-white photographs that further document the women's service in Vietnam. Also noteworthy is the stirring foreword by entertainer Martha Raye, who briefly discusses her own experiences in Vietnam.

Most of the women featured were Army nurses, but the book also includes women who served as WACs, Red Cross personnel, a civilian flight attendant, a USO worker, and more. There are some significant recurring themes that connect a number of chapters: the experience of being under hostile fire; men, women, sex, and dating in the war zone; encounters with the Vietnamese people; fun and recreation in Vietnam; challenges the women faced in doing their jobs in a war zone; and personal and psychological problems some of the women faced after returning home from Vietnam. Also, two of the women discuss possible Agent Orange-connected health problems faced by children they had after serving.

There are some extremely graphic and disturbing accounts by some of the nurses as they recall the horrific injuries suffered by their patients, as well as their own struggles to deliver compassionate care in the combat zone environment. There are many other noteworthy memories, some heartbreaking, some funny. Army nurse Pat Johnson describes painting the barracks "red-and-white striped with pink polka dots." Entertainer Bobbi Jo Pettit recalls touring Vietnam as part of an all-girl band called "The Pretty Kittens." Navy nurse Maureen Walsh delivers a vivid account of an enemy rocket attack at Da Nang.

The voices of these women strike many tones: feisty, introspective, proud, caring. I was especially moved by the memories of post-war reunions and experiences at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. I consider this book to be an absolutely essential complement to the many fine works, both fiction and nonfiction, written by male Vietnam veterans. Recommended as a companion text: Wallace Terry's "Bloods: An Oral History of the Vietnam War by Black Veterans," which is similar in both format and impact to this book.

... for all of the women who served in Vietnam. Read this book, plus the late Lynda Van Devanter's Home Before Morning and you'll see why.

While Lynda's book is a hauntingly graphic record of the triumphs and tragedies that the ANC nurses and Army surgeons experienced in Nam, A Piece Of My Heart gives the reader a very broad perspective of the contributions of women in many other areas.

The foreword to the book was written by the wonderful Martha Raye, whose unflinching commitment to the men and women who served in Nam led to her being a two-time Purple Heart recipient. That even an entertainer could be wounded twice in the line of duty speaks volumes about the risk level In Country.

Equally, Civilian Flight Attendant Micki Voisard almost met her end when her airliner almost collided with a B-52 that was maintaining radio silence during an airstrike.

Yet even though the Red Cross Donut Dollies, such as Penni Evans and "Sam" Bokina Christie and WACs such as Doris Allen all have compelling stories to relate, it is the experiences of the nurses that really stay with you, long after you have put the book down.

For most of her post-Nam life, former ANC nurse and author Lynda Van Devanter (Home Before Morning - available through Amazon.com) was haunted by the memory of a young soldier who had no face, and who eventually had to be left to die because of the extent of his injuries.

When you read the piece by Anne Simon Auger (91st Evac. - Chu Lai) you realize that injuries of that magnitude were not as uncommon as you might hope and pray. Anne also described a young soldier whose face had been shot away, leaving him blind and in her words, "a vegetable".

While my own view is that people in such terrible physical condition should be given enough morphine to shut down their breathing, or in the absence of that, on the battlefield, a mercy round from an M-16, I fully accept that however you have to deal with such shocking injuries, it will stay with you for the rest of your life.

Let us not forget that while the cowardly Stalinist flag burners were calling the returning troops "baby killers", thousands of true blue American women were risking their own lives to support the largely teenaged US soldiers in a war that increasingly made no sense to the people who were being asked to fight it.

These women were Vets. These women were heroes. These women were angels.

We must constantly seek ways to honour them. Their sacrifice must never be forgotten.

2001's "Quartered Safe Out Here" is George MacDonald Fraser's superbly written and moving recollection of his service wtih the British 14th Army in the Burma Theater at the close of the Second World War.

Fraser was a 19 year-old private, fresh from a "public" school education and assigned to an infantry section full of seasoned veterans in one of the most dangerous combat zones of the war. A journalist and novelist later in life, Fraser didn't get around to writing about his wartime experiences until half a century after the fact. As a result, his narrative is admittedly episodic. Fraser makes an effort to place his often vivid recollections in context provided by the official history, but this account is in no way meant to be a unit or campaign history.

Fraser is that unfortunately rare type, an infantry private with real writing skills. His section mates become living, breathing characters to the reader. His impressions of the jungle, the heat, the monsoons, and combat with the Japanese are heartbreakingly real. The respect of the 14th Army for its commander, future Field Marshal Bill Slim, shines through. Fraser's portraits of British, Indian, and Gurkha soldiers are by turns funny and awe-inspiring in capturing their stotic professionalism under conditions of boredom and terror. His observations of the attitudes and expectations of his fellow soldiers provide some pungent perspective on just how much the world has changed since 1945.

"Quartered Safe Out Here" is very highly recommended as a superbly written and brutally honest account of a forgotten theater of World War II, a reading experience for the casual reader and the student of history alike.

If you have any interest in WWII (or any military conflict), buy this book. It is one of the best, a great read, and great history. One of George MacDonald Fraser's finest works.

George McDonald Fraser always has been an excellent, although irreverent writer. This his last is also his best. I could not put this book down. I only wish we could have a book of this caliber about Vietnam.

A superb book which is not just a personal account of the 2nd World War in Burma, but also an attack on nannyism in Britain today. At times it reads along the 'it wasn't like that in my day' lines, but I found I totally agreed with all sections of this sort. It is, as you'd expect, full of hunour as well.
I fully recommend it
Roger Hunt

I happened by chance to come across this book when searching for the Flashman series, which I'm reading now. I have read many non-fiction accounts of war, from WWI to Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. The WWII European theater of operations usually trumps the Pacific, and only in the last few years have I started to delve into this area. Recommended books are "Rising Sun" and "The Rape of Nanking".

The Burma campaign is not as well documented, and this is a welcome book to the canon.

This book, although not perhaps a classic, is incredibly diverse and true to life. The one overriding issue for me was the writing in the vernacular of the British soldiers, including Scots. For an American, it is difficult to translate what's written into coherent meaning, at times. For the most part, I was able to do so; however, there were some passages that I simply read over, not knowing exactly was said, even in context.

This, perhaps, is a minor drawback; but it does make it more real.

I highly recommend this book, particularly for lovers of true war stories.

An outstanding view of the War Between the States from the point of view of an "ordinary" soldier.

Perhaps if the writer had put his thoughts to paper soon after the events described he might have remembered a few details! We barely find out anything about his weapons, his leaders, his thoughts on seccession etc... While the small details of camp life and escaping are interesting a better book on that subject is Prison Pen.

Excellent, first had observations made by a common private in during the Civil War. The author IS NOT a professional writer. This makes it all the more valuable. The author is not writing the book to entertain, or to pass along old, gory war stories. This is a story by a simple man trying to tell us his point of view, simple as that. This account is quite valuable to anyone interested in the study of this horrible conflict. Recommend it's reading and recommend you add it to your collection. I do wish there had been more like this one.

This book is a very enjoyable and powerful read. The "War of Northern Aggression" has never seemed such a real happening to me before. It makes well-known battlefield names come alive. Fletcher was a very practical, down-to-earth man and the reader is exposed to the practical everyday concerns of a Confederate soldier. The plight of the wounded is nearly felt by the reader. Fletcher candidly discusses taking food from women and children in Union territory and scavenging the dying. He even expresses regret that he had refrained from shooting an enemy soldier because he appeared very young and he wonders if it hurt his nation's cause. There are very exciting stories about being captured and escaping from a moving prison train. After the war, he heard a North Carolina soldier ask Fletcher's Texas cavalry unit if they had any bacon. When one answered yes, the man said "Grease and slide back into the Union." After thinking about it a while, Fletcher saw the wisdom in that statement and did just that. He became a highly successful lumber entrepreneur. I highly recommend for students of military or Southern history or anyone who likes true adventures.

This is a good, first hand account of the life of a Confederate soldier. Fletcher writes of only what he seen during the war. The only judgement he cast is upon his leaders actions at Gettysburg. This book will definitely change your perspective on the life of a common soldier.

After reading books like Heart of Darkness, and Benito Cereno, Shadow Patriots was happily read. I loved the character Lizzie, her strength and personality was humerous. I also enjoyed how this book was fictional, yet didn't stretch the truth very far.

After being able to hear Robson speak at my school, I was overjoyed to be given the opprotunity to read her novel. Not long after reading the book I became enthralled and unable to put the book down. Every second of the book was fascinating. The way Robson wraps the historical figures in with her fictional plot is remarkable. As far as I know the book is historically accurate and has all the great names in American history such as George Washington, Ben Franklin, Alexander Hamiliton, and much much more. The main character Kate Darby is truely unique and sensational. She tears down the stereotype of a damsel in distress and proves that women can do whatever they put their minds do. Incredible Novel and quick read.

I read this book in my 11th grade English class not too long ago and it was so much more than I expected. The way the historical figures are mixed in with fictional characters makes it so interesting, and the mixing is so well done, you find yourself wondering who is made-up and who is not. On more than one occasion, I found myself unable to put the book down late at night. When I finished reading, I looked into some of the historical figures in the book, and Ms. Robson was very accurate with her information. All in all, this book makes history come alive!

This book was absolutely incredible for its detail. I loved reading the description of how life was in the time period. Robson's little tidbits-perfectly placed throughout the story- were so fascinating and knowing they were true added to the story. Robson made me feel as though I were there in the war and knew all the characters. It was not a typical book about the Revolution. It was captivating; I could not put it down. Its plot kept getting better and better with each page, and the ending, although sad, was perfect. The book was suprising and entertaing from the first to the last word.

Kate and Lizzie were characters I adored. Kate's bravery to help her brother, and Lizzie's devotion to Seth were fantastic attributions to each character and helped me identify with them. While reading, I didn't feel as though I was learning about history, which is a perfect way for historical fiction book to be written.

If you have interest in revolutionary times in USA this is a must read. The role that Quakers played in the war was very interesting to me. You will not be sorry you bought it.

Having been boxed up in Portugal for several years, only now are the British trying to get some real traction against the French, thrusting into Spain. And they're losing. Marshal Marmont, commander of just one of five huge armies Napoleon has put in Spain, is pushing Wellington back. The English take Salamanca, but only because Marmont pulls out tactically, seeking a better place for the battle he knows will destroy the English. Marmont threatens to retake the city, but the major battle never materializes. Wellington chases him east, but then his army must retreat to avoid being cut off from its Portuguese redoubt by the French.

Sharpe fights both the large war and a smaller, more private one. French assassin Colonel Leroux kills ruthlessly, hideously and often as he tries to break up an English spy ring and save his own hide. Caught by the British but escaping, he kills Sharpe's commanding and junior officers. Sharpe vows to catch him. Sharpe's pal, the intelligence chief Major Hogan, and Wellington both need him caught. Meanwhile they worry about intelligence leaks; the French have a spy too close to the high command.

Sharpe and every other British officer swoons when meeting the dazzling Marquesa who dominates Salamanca society, and we all know which officer the Marquesa will take a shine to, despite his poverty and lack of polish. And when Sharpe and Leroux cross swords, as they do, and do again, we know what kind of sparks will fly.

A friend referred to the Sharpe series as literary opium...he may be right. They are guilty pleasures, for sure....and I worry what will happen when I have read them all.

The thing is, drug or not, Cornwell is a wonderful writer. I laughed out loud a couple of times, was riveted by a love scene, and ran to the computer to look up the actual battle and scenes described. Great stuff.

And then I had the misfortune to read the new McMurtry novel....

"Sharpe's Sword" is a decent entry into the Sharpe series, but I happen to tend to prefer the Sharpe adventures that are primarily military rather than the ones with espionage plots. And, for my taste, "Sharpe's Sword" is a bit heavy on the spy angle and a hair light on the battles. But the book's action scenes, while failing to rival those in, say, "Sharpe's Rifles," "Sharpe's Eagle" or "Sharpe's Company," are still pretty satisfying. "Sharpe's Sword" is far from the weakest of the generally very strong Sharpe series (of the ones that I've read so far, I'd say that "Sharpe's Prey" my least favorite), but it doesn't quite rank among the very best, either.

This is another entry on the Sharpe series. It is fun, entertaining and very readable. Cornwell's research is as excellent as usual. He takes some licenses for the shake of the story and continuity, but this is OK. Some people are outraged by the portrait of some of the real historical characters, but historical characters are rarely depicted accurately in historical fiction, so I think this can be forgiven. Besides, usually a more serious account of these characters is given at the end of the book on the Historical Note.

Many people insist in compare this series with Patrick O'Brian's Master and Commander. I don't think this is fair for any of the series, they are different entities. What they have in common is that once you start you may get hooked and devour one book after another...

And in the literary world today that is a rare and marvelous thing.

Bernard Cornwell's Richard Sharpe series is one of the most beloved collective works in the sub-genre of historical fiction. Spanning over twenty novels (and counting!), Cornwell has treated his readers with thrilling battlefield and bedroom exploits from Flanders to India to Spain and France. While the novels have a definitive formula, they never grow stale.

"Sharpe's Sword" is among the best of the Sharpe novels. Sharpe is a captain of the 95th Rifles, attached to the South Essex regiment as a light company. As fans of the series know, Sharpe has made himself indispensable to the British army (including his patron, Lord Wellington) by being the most lethal rogue in an army full of cut-throats and vagabonds. But in "Sharpe's Sword," Cornwell has created a foe worthy of Sharpe - the French spy-hunter Leroux, a lethal aristocrat whose charge from Napoleon is to topple the British spy network.

Leroux is captured by Sharpe early in the novel, but takes advantage of a foolish British officer's notion of "parole" (in which a captured officer may keep his weapons and freedom if he gives his sworn statement that he will not try to escape). Acting quickly, Leroux murders his way back to freedom, but in doing so he earns Sharpe's undying hatred . . . and envy. Sharpe hates him for being a backstabbing liar, but Sharpe envies him because Leroux has the most magnificent sword Sharpe has ever seen, and Sharpe wants it.

And so Sharpe and Leroux are caught in a duel to the death while the French and British armies slug it out in the gorgeous city of Salamanca and also on the plains of Spain. "Sharpe's Sword" has it all - humor, romance, intrigue, friendship, betrayal, and battles. And what battles! Nobody writes a better battle scene than Bernard Cornwell, and he tops himself when describing a suicidal, insane cavalry charge by Wellington's German heavy cavalry against formed French squares. The reader is flung into the wild madness that is Napoleonic warfare, and it is a glorious madness indeed.

Well-researched and lovingly written, "Sharpe's Sword" exemplifies all that is good in the Sharpe series.

The Story of a Soldier 1940-1971: The Airborne Spirit and Recollections of Colonel Edward S. Mehosky (Ret.) U.S. Army, Infantry is a true story that begins right in the middle of the action. It is 1944, World War II, and a parachute jump into German-held France has gone terribly wrong.

Edward is, by any definition, a hero. The son of Polish immigrants, he grew up in Reading, Pennsylvania during the Great Depression. When a broken leg ended his baseball career, he joined the Army. Two years later he joined the 506th Parachute Regiment and went overseas with the 101st Airborne Division.

A natural-born leader, his career spanned three decades and three wars. He was a platoon leader during the night drop on Normandy on D-Day. He was a company commander at the Battle of the Bulge during the defense against numerically superior enemy forces at Bastogne.

During the Korean War, he volunteered for the 40th Infantry Division and commanded a rifle company on a steep, frozen ridge facing Chinese positions. With the 502nd Airborne in Germany, his men caused quite a stir by capturing a Green Beret unit. He also served in Vietnam, and retired in 1971.

The prewar portion of the book is probably more interesting to a fellow veteran than to this reader, but by letting us know how Edward Mehosky was raised and trained, it sets the stage for what follows. The story definitely picks up when it moves to Europe. Once that happens, it never lets up.

My advice is, go visit the website and read the first three chapters free. If, like me, you get hooked, you'll buy the book.

The Story of a Soldier is definately worth reading. Ivan Mehosky has written a fantasic book in the style of Stephen Ambrose. Once you start reading you won't want to put it down til the end. Covering the period from 1940 to 1971 with a major focus on World War 2 Paratroopers in action.

Mr. Mehosky has done an excellant job of telling the story of his father's military career as handed down to him from his father. As you read the book you can't help but think of Mr. Mehosky of the 506th P.I.R. as having alot in common with Major Dick Winters of "Band of Brothers" fame.

If you're looking for an excellant book on World War 2 Paratroopers....This is it!

A son has brought to light a father's deserved place in US military history! This book is a must read for anyone interested in the role of the Airborne in World War II or an interestingly detailed look at a successful military career from beginning training as an enlisted man to the rank of Colonel. The combination story lines of honor, country, bravery and love of family do not interfere with each other but instead compliment and come together in a book difficult to put down until the last page.

If you enjoyed Ambrose's Band of Brothers and Webster's Parachute Infantry, you'll certainly enjoy this one! It gives a neat insight to Camp Toccoa b/f the enlisted men got there. It inspires anyone to stay the course, no matter what. Col. Mehosky shows that honor, duty and courage are time-honored.

The Story Of A Soldier, by Ivan Paul Mehosky is a wonderful first person account of a heroic officer who knew how to fight and get the better of the enemy, and knew how to prepare men for war so they could fight as a team with the proper attitude, inflict great damage on the enemy, and have a chance to survive the hell of combat. Mehosky's creed, "you fight like you train, and repetition of tasks equal confidence," saw this echoed in his words countless times to his men, "in war, there is no simulation!" Like their leader, Mehosky's men were tough, motvated, confident, and smart, paratroop soldiers who were some of our best ever to fight in battle against well-trained foes. Some of the descriptions of his experiences and survival are astonishing as well as stirring and vivid. Lt. Mehosky's account of his heroic rescue of two wounded soldiers under intense enemy mortar and small arms fire in front of Carentan, France was bravery above and beyond the call of duty that truely merits our nation's highest honors. There are accounts I have never seen in other books, acounts I want to read again and again and ponder. This well written book should be read by all ages-young and old. It will stir your heart and imagination! You won't be disappointed.