Military Books

D.H. Brown's Honor Due is about a retired Army Special Operations Major, who is thrown back into the arena of warfare. "Once a special op's warrior always special op's warrior". You don't ever let your guard down. You learn things about people and their ways that you wish you never had. You always stay prepared.

The Major takes one look at the guy who entered his local watering hole and the warning bells of survival start to ring. He doesn't ignore these bells because they have served him well his whole adult life and kept him alive in some of the worse battles in Vietnam. Looking at this young man, the Major knows three things. One, someone wants him dead. Two, someone has made the ultimate mistake of bringing him back into the game of warfare. Three, he is going to have to kill this guy.

Finding his longtime friend from Vietnam tortured to death was a low blow and one someone would pay for. The Major is now set on a mission of revenge and he's back in a zone - predator vs. prey. There's a blood debt that must be paid and he won't stop until it is paid in full.

D.H. Brown has written a top-notch novel. The suspense that he has put in this book will keep you turning the pages or tossing and turning through the night if you dare put it down before reaching it's end. In his debut novel he shows the reader that he has mastered the art bringing the reader inside his world. You won't only read Brown's novel - you will feel his characters to your very core.

D.H. Brown has earned a space on my book shelf with this superb tale and I look forward to reading more of his work. This is just the beginning of the Citizen Warrior Series and I wait anxiously for the next. Excellent work and highly recommended! 5-Stars, Reviewed by Michael S. Timlin, Authors on the Rise Book Reviews.

"Honor Due" is a suspenseful, action-packed, entertaining thriller. A
novel that draws the reader into the Vietnam War, describing what D.H.
Brown had to face, and how he survived the horror. The author penned a
compelling story through the main character as Major, defining his haunting past, history during the Vietnam Era, and the bravery of one
hero who was determined to prove that life was still worth living. The
Major's mission was to find answers, and seek truth as to what happened
when South Vietnam was falling. Through his terrifying journey, he was
determined to seek vengeance for his fallen brother, and family. With
courage, one warrior manages to find healing as romance blooms, and he
is able to see light at the end of the tunnel. In comparison to reading
novels about the military, "Honor Due" stands out with pride in an
excellent performance that was written from the heart of a true warrior.
In many war stories, we only see the cold, bloody, and the angry
perspective of war. In this novel, through the fascinating character of
Major, we don't just see the ugly. The journey through "Honor Due" takes
the reader to the battlefield, then to the sunset where peace, and love
bloom like the flowers. Unlike most military novels, D.H. Brown has a
unique way to invite the reader into the Vietnam Era during traumatic,
uneasy times. The Major pours a fresh, brewed cup of coffee from across
the table as he tells the story of his military nightmare, without
decorating the violence. Most important, the story is told from the
genuine characteristics of the Major's realistic personality. The
protective, sensitive, loving man that he was before becoming the Vietnam
soldier, and his own battle to keep that self-respect. I applaud the author in his first book of "The Citizen Warrior Series." The Major was
appealing, the plot was superb, and the story was interesting from
beginning to end. I recommend "Honor Due" to teens, adults, and all
readers who enjoy thrillers with a blend of romance, and humor. This
novel was as chilling, and dramatic as "the Deer Hunter" with Robert
Deniro. The Major told his story with as much heartfelt emotion as
there was in "Armageddon." The true meaning of the word hero light up
the pages in "Honor Due" on the same scale as viewing "the Patriot"
with Mel Gibson.

Geraldine Ahearn A.I.O.M
CCRN/ Author of 6 books
Author Geri Ahearn, INC.
Fellow Member of the ABI Women's Review Board

Few Americans know about the American forces fighting with the Montagnards in the central highlands of Vietnam. A battlefield for some 30 years,"the `Yards" were one of the country's 54 major ethnic groups. Allied with the Americans, the Montagnards were horribly persecuted by the victorious North Vietnamese after the American forces left the country in 1975, with many emigrating to the United States.

Author D.H. Brown, a Vietnam vet who fought with the Montagnards, has written a fast-paced thriller based on the CIA-Special Forces-Montagnard relationships that continued after 1975.

With the hero patterned after a special forces vet living in the Pacific Northwest rainforest, Brown's story drags the hero, ex-Special Forces, back into the CIA- Spec Ops - Montagnard confusion of the late 1960's - early 1970's. His `yard' friend suddenly and brutally murdered after an attempt on his own life, Brown's hero finds himself falling in love with his friend's daughter as they chase and are chased by a renegade CIA hit team. The action is realistic and convincing as our two defend themselves before a thrilling and surprising conclusion.

"Honor Due" is D.H. Brown's first literary effort, and the first of a planned trilogy and is well worth reading.

With clear, crisp details and riveting action, D.H. Brown has penned a compelling novel that gives us a glimpse inside the mind and heart of a Warrior. Through the character of Major we see the cold, calculating killer who is always vigilant and prepared to be defensive. We also are allowed to look deep inside to see the caring and committed man who would go to any lengths for those he loves and respects. This book transcends the usual hype and hollowness of other military novels because it is written simply and from the heart.... the heart of a real Warrior.

[...]

MACK BOLAN FANS WILL LOVE THIS BOOK.

Some secrets age well, others tend fester. The good Major has retired, but some of his secrets have not. They come to visit the Major in his secluded Northwest forest home--armed to the teeth--and stay to feed the trees. All of which proves the old adage, "Two men can always keep a secret if one of them is dead."

This is the best debut novel I have read in some time. The characters are solid and the scenes are well set. Though occasionally predictable, the plot (I would like to have seen the author's take on the cops finding the body of the old man in the Major's freezer while he was sleeping with the old man's daughter) holds the reader's attention and satisfies the needs of the arc of the characters.

Old snake-eaters and old snakes have one thing in common; they are cunning and deadly. I look forward to my next visit with the Major in HONOR DEFENDED.

I was more than a little leery coming into this book knowing Mr. Glantz worked for Pacifica. I was afraid I might find a one-sided diatribe about how the U.S. invasion and the government is terrible and what a horrible crime the invasion was, but what I found was a balanced look at the situation and firsthand account from some Iraqis on how the invasion and occupation have affected them.

One of the telling moments of this book for me was when Mr. Glantz talks about having problems with his editors only wanting stories that paint a certain kind of picture of the Iraqi situation. With U.S. media this is so often the problem; a story will be bent depending upon the people reporting the stories own political leanings rather than the unvarnished truth. So often the Right and Left are pulling so hard that the story, which is actually somewhere in the Middle, gets lost, and the people who end up getting hurt are the victims (Iraqis) and the people who are relying on these reports to understand the situation and make informed decisions based on this information (U.S. citizens).

Mr. Glantz chronicles the failures of this administration and military leaders to understand the peoples they came to free. As I read his interviews with everyday Iraqis a picture emerges that should have been seen early on this occupation. Iraqis were happy the Americans toppled this mostly hated regime, but this enthusiasm would only go so far. It would only last so long. As the U.S. military continued to commit excesses and as life on the ground for ordinary Iraqis either deteriorated or remained the same, as under Saddam, that patience and enthusiasm wore thin until finally it broke.

As the U.S. broke every rule of fighting a counter-insurgency in Iraq, I have to ask myself what did they expect would be the result of this policy? What did they expect Iraqis with no jobs, no money and no prospects to do?

Here in the U.S. we too often forget about those we have chosen "liberate" and only focus on ourselves. Mr. Glantz gives us an Iraqi perspective that is sorely missed in our media today. He gives us a fair portrait of life in Iraq and for that he should be thanked. It is the stories from the Middle that are the most honest and important.

Mr. Glantz's book reads like a narrative of many of the events in Iraq told through experiential stories of conversations with every day Iraqi's. Mr. Glantz visits Iraq and travels through out the country talking with people about America in Iraq and how the Iraqi's he is talking to view the United States presence in Iraq.

Mr. Glantz is careful to paint the picture in 2005 as a loss for the United States. This is prior to any with drawl of American forces in the region, and demonstrates a bias noting the leveling of Fallujah and the picking of a fight with al-Sadr as mistakes the United States government undertook.

There is also an interesting perspective that isn't addressed in this book and that troubles me the most about Iraq and the discussion about the hardships of the average Iraqi in general. These perspectives in this book miss them completely.

In Iraq, you have a country that has known only war and destruction for over 20 years. From a societal perspective, if you had skills, and were not in the weapons making business you did your best to leave Iraq. The brain-drain in Iraq has hurt the Iraqi people more than any single cultural factor and rightly so.

Saddam has brutalized the Iraqi people until 2003 when the United States showed up and liberated the country from Saddam. The country suffered a horrible war against Iran where millions of people died and there were terrible exchanges of chemical weapons and all these horrible things happened to people in this country. Hundreds of thousands of Iraqis disappeared in the Middle of the Night as they may have been considered political dissidents. Their mass graves prove that a terrible tragedy has been committed against the Iraqi people.

Given this unique circumstance, unique to the history of the world, the Americans have come to assist in the rebuilding of the country. When Saddam's regime disappeared, there were many plays for power in the local and regional governments. The United States made some difficult choices in the newly emerging democratic state and those choices were not supposed to be popular or easy decisions to be made.

While the author is quick to criticize the US Civilian contractors in Iraq who have not had a perfect record that meets American standards in terms of production, the author misses a broader point. The local corruption of the Iraqi's and the sectarian strife associated with the vacuum left by Saddam's removal make companies like Bectel and Halliburton the logical choice even given the challenges.

It fails to address the non Iraqi nationals flowing into the country and the inability of the sovereign Iraqi government to control its own borders as though America is supposed to be viewed as occupiers by the Average Iraqi when Syrians and Iranians are coming into their country to spread hate and violence and sabotage their own oil infrastructure.

The apathy created by all those years of destruction creates problems for many Iraqi's and villages. It creates problems of trust. This book gives a very human perspective on some of those perspectives but should be taken into the context that although the United States is responsible for the removal of Saddam Hussein, the assumption of the United States government has been that freed people would rise to their own occasion and commit to their own civil service projects with their own money. This has not happened effectively in Iraqi due to the brain-drain. Saddam often killed smart people. It was a control mechanism of the old régime.

Let us hope that this problem can resolve itself over the next few years, as this is not a problem that Mr. Glantz can take out of context of a few months. The historical precedents for this are rare if any and if you make comparisons to Germany and Japan, they did not have the Brain-Drain as we do in Iraq. That being said the Iraqi's were sovereign and operational with in a shorter time than either of those two countries. The Iraqi's in 2007 appear to be developing a sound oil policy for the entire world, which will help with oil companies and investment dollars.

The Americans will come home eventually, when their job is done. Perhaps the Iraqi people should worry more about their own security now that they have control of their own country and the ability to have their own elections. The war is not lost by America. It was won. Saddam is gone. That was public law and the goal. The rest of the pros and cons are the United States doing Iraq a favor. Reconstruction is the American people doing their best to help the Iraqi's help themselves. That is hard to do with militants from other countries crossing the border and attempting to kill you in Iraq just because you are an American. What Mr. Glantz isn't talking about is Arab on Arab, Muslim on Muslim violence which isn't there because Saddam is not in power anymore-- there is a different social reason for that and I'm afraid that Mr. Glantz wasn't too fair in his book for addressing those cultural aspects on the ground level between Iraqi's.

America has learned from those kinds of issues when we had millions of decent Americans fight for their civil rights. There were riots, massacres, violence, civil strife, and best of all heroes that came out of that. We are a great society because we were able to overcome our differences in many ways and have the ability to see each other as Americans and secularize our society. There was a lot of blood shed, involvement with National Guards, the Klu Klux Clan, and all kinds of other clashes between groups in this country. Ultimately it can be defined as great because if Mr. Glantz was writing the same kind of history about the American Civil Rights movement in the 1960's he would have called it a loss before it was really over...

Mr. Glantz, give those processes of democracy a chance and provide a better forum to show the Iraqi's how to do that. America is great because we were able to do it... we have the Stewardship to show Iraqis how to do it too. They can because they are human beings. They have a chance because Saddam and his brutes are no longer in power. That is the decent thing for Americans to do...

If that means eliminating Sadr in the political process through violent means, he is not a peaceful man. He should not be hiding in his Mosques taking shots at Americans like a coward behind those walls. He should show his followers a better way. He should lead them in a peaceful process to reform the politics of his newly formed country. Sunnis and Shiites have more in common than they are different and in that they should build their common framework for a new Iraqi society. Start by making the neighborhoods safe again. Take the violent criminals off the street...just as all civil societies do. Help secure the borders and eliminate corruption in your organization.

Mr. Glantz should not pick on Halliburton or George Bush and the Administration. Pick on the Iraqi's for not doing what they need to do now in this time of transition for their better way of life. I realize this is not ever the dream of the 'Hate America First Crowd', however, let us at least level the playing field.

Let us talk about some Iraqi heroes who are fighting for justice and freedom in their country for their compatriots...not about some folks who focus thier misfortune on the USA. That's always an easy scapegoat that fails to address some real purriahs in Iraq.

Glanz shows in a progressive manor, through Iraqi opinions how things spun out of control. He shows occurances that have been well hidden. Long before the Abu Ghraib debacle, there were injustices that lead up to copmplete frustrated as illustrated by the Iraqi opinions. He does present things as he witnesses them and tries to offer no opinion, but there are some stories that are gut wrenching, and he admits that he cried often. That is the part I liked the best.

Glantz punctures both left and right in this balanced analysis of what has gone wrong in Iraq. A powerful story that should be required reading for politicians and political groupies of all leanings.

Aaron Glantz, a Pacifica radio correspondent, painstakingly traces where and how the United States repeatedly messed up in Iraq. His title radically differs from other books on the subject, using multiple sources to deliver one of the most multidimensional and sophisticated critiques of Iraq.

Specifically, he talks to the Iraqi people themselves to get their own perspectives on this event. Not surprisingly, they were initially skeptical of his intentions, but he built up enough trust to produce this book. It is disturbing that talking to the Iraqi people themselves is considered a radical action.

Saddam Hussein was this infamous tyrant who appeared uninterested in his own people's well being so they were happy to get rid of him--until they also lost what basic services which they had been previously receiving. Glantz then writes that suicide bombings can be profitable for people who have been and are receiving little money otherwise in an allegedly rebuilt Iraq (pp. 119-120).

Because I predominantly receive my own news about Iraq (and the Middle East) from American news media, I had not previously considered the economic incentives to participate in a suicide bombing. Some people are participating in these activities to feed themselves and/or their families, with many other options currently unavailable. I had honestly assumed that the people who participated in these events were doing this for socioreligious sincerity alone; however I guess it's easy for Washington officials to moralize and grandstand when they don't have to worry about their own children starving.

Glantz also critiques us on the left for getting too in love with protesting against this very war. According to him, we are loosing perspective of the larger goal, again because we are also predominantly coming from and with an American-centric perspective.

While we need to be concerned what is happening with American soldiers and tax dollars, we cannot forget that the Iraqi people might lack even the most rudimentary services which we take for granted. We talk about how hard organizing is, but many American activists (myself included) live in a country where we know that sanitation and electricity is working and we do not have to worry about roadside bombs as we travel around our cities. Perspective is everything in and to effective community organizing.

There is considerable irony that President Bush and the Republican-controlled United States Government are so eager to talk about self-rule and democracy, but will not let the Iraqi people actually control their own lives.

In the late 1860s Prussia, led by Kaiser Wilhelm and Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, engaged the French government headed by Napoleon III in heated negotiations over the throne of Spain and the sovereignty of the Low Countries. The dispute grew as France looked for a fight.

France declared war in 1870 but was ill prepared to fight the ensuing Franco-Prussian War. Poorly equipped and incompetently led, the French soldiers were badly used. The result, from the French point of view was a catastrophe. At the battle of Sedan the Prussians captured over 100,000 French troops and Napoleon III himself. France was forced to cede Alsace-Lorraine to the Germans. In the immediate aftermath of the war, a left-wing rebellion erupted in Paris. It was suppressed with brutal rigor.

Like Tolstoy's War and Peace, Zola's The Debacle is a historical novel in which the facts of the war are very accurately described, and then well-drawn fictional characters are inserted. The story is told with verve through the eyes of two soldiers. The events of the Franco-Prussian War are extremely complex, yet Zola never lets the reader get lost. The story is engrossing and compelling. This is one of the great books of French literature.

To the reader who comes to this review by way of my history of the Tour de France, this book is related to the Tour rather obliquely. Tour founder Henri Desgrange wrote extensively in the sports newspaper L'Auto, which also owned the Tour de France. Desgrange tried to model his own writing style on Zola's.
-Bill McGann, Author of "The Story of the Tour de France"

As a big student of the War of 1870-71, I was a bit skeptic when I saw this was a historical novel, especially one that was a political commentary. Well, my skepticism was destroyed after about 15 minutes of reading this book. Not only is the author a veteran of the war, his style is SO engrossing I didn't stop reading until I finished the entire book!

The amount of details that are in the narritive can only come from someone who participated in the historical events that are narrated. Zola's characters are easy to identify with, and anyone can pick one character and say "yeah, that's me" as they read the story.

I recommend this book to anyone interested in the F/P War or French/European culture/life of the Second Empire. Vivé Napoleon III!

Emile Zola's La Debacle, the 19th of his 20 volume Rougon-Macquart series, describes the crushing defeat of the French armies at the hands of the Prussians in the Franco-Prussian war of 1870-71. During Zola's lifetime, this novel was regarded as his masterpiece. History has decreed that it would be Germinal that would be more enduring, but this is still an outstanding novel. All the stories in this series are linked with recurring characters and interwoven plot lines. Like Germinal, this is a story of destruction and rebirth.

This novel is divided into three sections. In Zola's typical style, each section is focused on a period of several days, with several weeks or months between sections. The main character of the story in Jean Macquart, a character from an earlier novel (La Terre) in the series. Macquart is an enlisted soldier marching to the front with his comrades to face the Prussians. Zola, never a soldier himself, describes well the lot of Jean and his comrades. Lots of marching, fatigue, boredom, and grumbling about the leadership. Hanging over the story, and unbeknowst to the characters, is the coming whirlwind. The Emporer himself (Napoleon III) makes an appearance, but it is rather tragi-comic.
The second section is focused on the battle of Sedan. There are several story threads designed to explain the action of the battle at different times and from perspectives. The descriptions are quite graphic and detailed. Ultimately, the French Army is totally destroyed, the surviving characters become prisoners of war. In the third section, Jean is reunited with his comrade Maurice in Paris at the height of the Commune. The primary theme of this novel is to describe the `rot' of the Third Empire, and how its destruction gives the survivors hope for a brighter future.

The Oxford World Classics translation is outstanding. It contains detailed endnotes to explain topical or historical references that would be lost on modern English speaking/reading audiences. There are several maps and a detailed list of characters to keep everything straight. This edition also contains a well written introduction to allow the reader to place the novel in historical and literary context.

I have several thoughts about this novel that potential readers may or may not find interesting. First, this is an outstanding novel, whether one likes war novels or not. Zola is one of the greatest novelists ever to put pen to paper, and this is arguable one of his best works. The characters in this story are detailed and realistic, the dialogue outstanding, and the plot complex and compelling, but easy to read. Anyone who is afraid of approaching Zola because of past experience with the 19th century English `greats' should not be concerned. Zola has none of the pretentiousness or Victorian puritanism of his English contemporaries, and his writing, while often gloomy, is not ponderous.

Second, with the exception of a few small tweaks for poetic license, this book is an outstanding example of historical fiction. Beyond an enjoyable novel, this book will also provide the reader a history lesson of the first order. In particular, I would highly recommend this book to American readers who know little or nothing of French history of this era. I think that the events of the Commune would be most surprising to many Americans. Certainly the Franco-Prussian war was one of the defining events for the French (and Germans), much as the Civil War was for Americans. The outcome of this war had long lasting political, economic, cultural, and military implications that affect us today.

Third, if I had one complaint about this book, it would be that the author's knowledge of the outcome of the battle weighs over the entire novel. I would almost argue that this novel is defeatist. This is definitely an antiwar novel, but no real sense of imminent destruction covers the Prussian soldiers as it does the French. That is, this is an antiwar novel from the French perspective, but not really from the Prussian. It strikes me that the message conveyed by Zola (probably inadvertantly) is not antiwar in general, but antiwar only for the losers.

Overall though, this is an outstanding novel, one of the best ever written. Highly recommended.

In this novel, as in all of his greatest works (Germinal, La Terre), Zola achieves the wide-ranging scope of a sweeping, romantic epic, without romanticizing the details of his settings or the emotions of his characters. As a result, we get an in-depth examination of the effects of war, on both national and personal levels. Zola thoroughly outlines the movements of troops and supplies, the political intrigue happening within the French government, and the diplomatic relations between nations, yet he never loses sight of the individual.
The narrative focuses on the friendship between Jean Macquart and Maurice Levasseur, two French soldiers from contrasting backgrounds who are brought together by the war. Jean Macquart, who previously starred in Zola's novel The Earth (La Terre), is an experienced soldier and a sturdy, dependable, salt-of-the-earth kind of guy. Maurice is a novice in the military, was raised in a privileged background, and has an emotional, introspective, and fragile nature. In addition to these two players, Zola presents myriad perspectives on the war. The multitudinous cast includes an emperor and a king; generals, grunts, and officers in between; farmers, shopkeepers, industrialists, doctors, and their wives. The combatants in this war range from highly-skilled military men to peasants with guns thrust into their hands, from the privileged elite to penniless beggars. The chaos of war ensnares them all in a series of events beyond their control or understanding, pushing them to the climactic tragedy of the Battle of Sedan.
Throughout the book, Zola condemns the futility of war in general, and the ineptitude of the French commanders in particular. The book is not totally pessimistic, however, as he does include some romantic concessions to the glory of patriotism, the strength of friendship, and the heroism that can arise when ordinary men are thrust into extraordinary circumstances. This is one of Zola's greatest works, and I would recommend it to anyone, especially those who enjoy classic literature or historical fiction. It is both intellectually challenging and emotionally moving. I would caution the reader that it does help to have some knowledge of French geography and happenings in French history around the time of the Franco-Prussian War.

This was an amazing story about the Franco-Prussian war, but it could have been about any war and the destructive influence it has on men and women, and on all human relationships. Zola tells the story, in vivid, sometimes gruesome but always very compassionate and heartbreaking detail (most of the plot is based on real historical events), of the absolute disaster that was the Franco-Prussian "debacle" of 1870-1.

For anyone interested in French history, it is required reading. This was an absolutely pivotal event in the formation of the Third Republic and the death of the Second Empire, an Empire which Zola had already suggested in his previous novels was rotten to the core. Writing twenty years after the event, Zola was describing a memory still vivid in the minds of most of his readers.

The Franco-Prussian war was truly a debacle. Not only had Napoleon III provoked the French into a doomed war with the Prussians, who with their superior artillery and military tactics ended up invading France and slaughtering and starving thousands upon thousands of men, but he ultimately set the French against each other when, at the end of the war, some Frenchmen and women wanted to surrender the hopeless cause-and some wanted to fight to the death-their deaths-on principle. Many of the French showed amazing bravery and refused to surrender, even after Napoleon III was taken prisoner and a new French government acted to conclude the war.

In a famous and tragic episode, after the war was lost and many French were working to effect a surrender, political radicals staged a hopeless but heroic last stand in Paris, electing an independent municipal government-the famous Paris Commune-and holding the city. Eventually other Frenchmen were finally set against their brothers to force them to wave the white flag. In their determination to not yield one inch of the soil to the Prussian invaders, in one of the most powerful and haunting scenes in the novel (and in history), the Commune sets Paris on fire and Zola describes the entire city of lights roaring with fire, gone up with smoke and having turned the sky red.

If you've ever been in Paris it's a compelling scene and you'll remember all the places he mentions if, like me, you've spent some time there. It's odd to think that the Pere Lachaise cemetery, where so many of us go to see the graves of Oscar Wilde, Sarah Bernhardt, Jim Morrison or Abelard and Heloise (a site featured on an episode of America's Next Top Model no less!) is where thousands of French radicals-and uninvolved Parisian civilians as well- were lined up against the wall and shot point-blank in summary executions-by their own countrymen-something that Zola and others would never forget. I think it's very important that Zola dealt with these crimes in his novel.

Although Zola doesn't pretend that some of the Communards were not, in fact, war profiteers or criminals, he has much sympathy with some of them and their sincere political committments; as a man of the left he cannot help but find common ground with some of their arguments or with their feeling of betrayal by their own government. He is also disgusted, as so many French were, with the brutal way in which they were liquidated.

The hero of the story is Jean Macquart. You definitely don't have to have read any of the other books in the Rougon-Macquart series of twenty novels (!) to appreciate this book, however if you have read La Terre (The Earth) you will already like Jean for his general kindness and sensible nature. He is a sweet man who has an unlikely friendship with Maurice, the young radically-inclined soldier who ultimately joins the Commune. The introduction to my book was a bit heavy handed, (I suggest reading it after you've completed the novel since it gives all major plot points away) claiming that they represent the two "eternal sides of France", but there's a real human relationship here.

By today's standards this friendship would seem over the top and overly sentimental, but taken in the historical context it's quite a beautiful friendship. More than anything we get a sense of the senseless slaughter of a pointless war, the deep fraternal divisions it causes, and these are embodied in two very appealing characters, Jean and Maurice. Zola makes it clear that it makes sense, obviously, that Maurice would be furious and feel betrayed. I'm a pacifist, but if the invaders are at your door-which they literally were in this case-it's hard to know how you would feel.

On the other hand Jean's view is portrayed with sympathy-he's endured tremendous suffering due to this ridiculous war, and like Maurice he's shown tremendous bravery and courage, like so many Frenchmen did at that time (take that everyone who makes fun of the French tendency to surrender-I wish all of you had to read this book!) but he is an ordinary person who would like to get back to ordinary life-which really is a normal emotion to have. He also hates to see Paris burning-it's the epitome of craziness to him, and to us, even while we also see Maurice's view, that no one should care anymore, France is dead and defeated.

At the end, when Jean perseveres and goes on to build a new France, we're hopeful for him. But we can't help feeling the looming shadow of two World Wars to come, and it's also a sad book, reminding us of the vast physical and emotional wounds war leaves behind.

An absolute masterpiece!

Malloy's deeply moving words about love, loss and life are so intense that the reader is actually able to experience what the author expresses so beautifully. I continue to collect her works as I have yet to find another author that compares. Her words fill in our "lack of" when describing the incredible depths of our human emotions. The reader will know the author intimately and will find self-realization in the everyday life subject matter about which she writes. Powerful and insightful. Reflection and renewal of one's own emotional being will be envoked after the first page. Malloy is highly deserving of the recognition that she was never awarded. Only the Bible could be more moving. ....

I was introduced to Ms. Malloys words by my 9th grade English teacher while preparing for a speech tournament. I had never read poetry like that before, didn't know poetry could be like that before. Her words were honest and real and no holds barred.
Because of this one book I have been writing poetry for the last twenty years myself. Everytime I go into a book store I look for her books, old or, hopefully new. They are a rare find. I even wrote this poem in her honor, circa 1985.

Merrit

How could I know exactly
What you meant
Understand your heart
When I'd never seen your face.

I felt like you
Were close to me
It didn't matter that
We'd never met
You had touched me
With your pen
Said things I'd felt
All along
It was as though
You knew what I was feeling
Before I even
Felt it

I had met you
on paper
You were like an
Old friend
That maybe
I understood
your soul
Because you
Understood
Mine

I just wondered
How you Knew
Your words
Were on my mind

If you are looking for a collection of poetry to make you laugh, cry, and smile, then this is the book!

I was introduced to Ms. Malloys words by my 9th grade English teacher while preparing for a speech tournament. I had never read poetry like that before, didn't know poetry could be like that before. Her words were honest and real and no holds barred.
Because of this one book I have been writing poetry for the last twenty years myself. Everytime I go into a book store I look for her books, old or, hopefully new. They are a rare find. I even wrote this poem in her honor, circa 1985.

Merrit

How could I know exactly
What you meant
Understand your heart
When I'd never seen your face.

I felt like you
Were close to me
It didn't matter that
We'd never met
You had touched me
With your pen
Said things I'd felt
All along
It was as though
You knew what I was feeling
Before I even
Felt it

I had met you
on paper
You were like an
Old friend
That maybe
I understood
your soul
Because you
Understood
Mine

I just wondered
How you Knew
Your words
Were on my mind

I cannot recall who handed me this book of poems in 1976. Obviously it was someone who knew what an "incurable romantic" I was during my years as a single male. Although I was a big fan of Wordsworth, Byron, Keats and many of the pop music lyricists, I was so moved by Merrit Malloy's prose the all the so-called "classics" have never since seemed so lofty. Merrit and I were both living in L.A. at that time, and I could not resist finding her through her local publisher who offered me a mailing address. With my letter of gushing praise, I boldly included a couple of my own poems. Shortly thereafter, she actually wrote to me and included a phone number. We spoke -- she also has a lovely voice -- and set a date for tea (I think that was the beverage mentioned). Shortly before our scheduled rendezvous, she called to cancel, but said we could try again. I phoned once or twice after that, but do not recall ever getting through to her again. Merrit, if you're reading your reviews, I have not forgotten your poems and the kindness you showed by contacting this fan. We can still meet for tea whenever you're ready.

This is such a beautiful and poignant story about one man's love for his daughter and how far he's willing to go to protect her from harm. The story has so much honesty and faith. I ended it with a lump in my throat and a wish that everyone in the world had the faith and love of this father.

Heartfelt. Emotional. Love and faith driven by a father's devotion in a tragic situation. Presented in a well-writen two dimensional world, John Cassell, again, lives up to his extraordinary ability of story telling. Very poignant. Having a daughter her age--and being one who still "smells" the cordite and "hears" screams at night--John Cassell poised a thoughtful question for me. The answer was yes! The power of the pen is within his hand!

Incredible pain; incredible love, that is what the author, John W. Cassell, has fashioned in this truly heartfelt tribute to his daughter. John sends his daughter, Christine, off to war because she has told him it is her desire and duty to do what is right and honorable. Like any good father, John is filled with worry over the horrible possibilities such a deployment might provide for his beloved Christine.

But John has already been where his daughter is about to venture. A different time and place, to be sure; but identical in so very many ways. To lessen his worry for the safety of his daughter, John makes a pact with a Higher force, real or imagined may be fuzzy in our minds but we realize not so in John's, to be, in a very tangible way, a vicarious substitution for the deadly fate that could very well be awaiting his precious Christine. Given the circumstances and John's intimate relationship with those circumstances he understood only too well what his own duty was and he fulfilled his obligation.

A great read and a great tribute. Thank you, John.

Joshua Berry, Andrea's Dream and Amazon Shorts. Take a look. And take a look at all the other works of John W. Cassell.

A painful truth emerges from the heart of author John W. Cassell. His story -telling ability is second to none.The title, "Lest We Forget," fits the mood of this towering piece.Emotional, grabbing, and entrenched describes the words that take the reader to a level of understanding not found in most reads.
The autobiographical flavor adds a striking dimension to this story, factual and a special recount from one who has been there. Mr. Cassell leaves no doubt for the strength of his love so passionately held for his daughter and the present fears for her safety as she relives today what he once experienced.
I found Mr. Cassell's portrayal of personal demons most remarkable, a soldier with a wounded psyche, "War is Hell."
Finally, I thank Mr. Cassell for giving me a profound definition of love for a daughter;
Love is courage and commitment to forgive oneself, not the act of weakness but one of strength. Once you realize there is something or someone greater than you are, only then can you love with perfection.
A must read and definitely 5 star material.

Robert A Meacham, author of poetry, suspense novels, and contributor to Amazon Short Program.

`Lest we Forget' is a story about a father's love for his daughter and an underlying sense of regret over an event in his life in which he had no control.

Thru it all, the two loves of his live converge as his memories of the past haunt his life and his wish for his daughter's safety carry the story forward.

It is well written, highly emotional, and it gives a peek into the life of a man who has suffered many travails, but still carries on because of his faith.

A friend had given me WT Grants book "Wings of Eagles" and asked if I knew these guys. I laughed and said yes. I showed it to my oldest son and he ordered it and Bill Meachams book. Sometimes it is hard to express what we did over there but I thought these guys did a great job of telling the story....especially Bill. After my son had read "Lest We Forget" he brought it to me to read. His perspective of interlacing how each day progressed on the ground and in the air made it a very enjoyable for me. Shortly after my son had read the book, he and my grandson brought me a model of Huey that had the Ace of Spades on it for my office. Sometimes those little things are better than the medals they give you. Thanks for a great job Bill. Kingsmen 23, out.

This is an excellent book. It will bring you to tears, it will have you laughing so hard you will fall off your chair. This book is hair raising, it will curl your toes. This is one mans account, that of a helicopter pilot in Vietnam and his adventures. It is very interesting reading.

I had the pleasure of meeting the author (Bill) before finding out he was a Vietnam Vet. One of the most friendliest guys I have ever met! Once we exchanged interests and handshakes, Bill tossed me a book. I went straight home to read it, and didn't stop until I was finished (it was a 3 day weekend). One of the first books I've read by an officer (Ret.) and it was a good one, I only wish I was around to befriend and learn from this honorable man. Next time we meet Bill, I'll buy the drinks!

I Corps, in 1968 and especially Northern I Corps, was an area that could be called "Ground Zero"in the Vietnam War. The presence of large concentrations of Liberation troops and NVA in the Laos/Vietnam border area was huge. They were well trained, well equipped and possessed mobile anti-aircraft weapons which were devastating for helicopters of the Kingsmen and the 101st Aviation Battalion. "Lest We Forget" is a great story of "cheating the odds" while flying exclusively for the grunts and LRP's for the 101st Division. However, let us start at the beginning....the bloody beginning.

Bill Meacham, alias "Wild Bill" Meacham, began his year long tour in Vietnam assigned to the 17th Assault Helicopter Company at Long Binh. Even before he sat in a cockpit for his in-country orientation, he was tapped to be the investigating officer for a gunship incident deep within the jungles of III Corps. The distasteful job led Bill to realize that Vietnam was truly a dangerous place and he was knee deep in "reality."

The very first month with the 17th, Tet of 68 erupted everywhere across Vietnam. Bill came face to face with NVA, in the wire, all-around the 17th compound for a bit of nighttime excitement. Never one to sit idly by and let himself be killed, Bill took the aggressor group under fire, killing almost a squad as they raced across the 17th's compound. The onslaught was finally halted and the story of Tet 68 became one of slaughter for the enemy. However, the US media never really saw it that way. Bill Meacham couldn't believe he was knee keep in ground combat. He was supposed to be a helicopter pilot!

The nick name "Wild Bill" was not yet coined for William Meacham as the 17th Assault Helicopter Company was uprooted and shipped to I Corps. There they would join and be re-designated, Bravo Company of the 101st Airmobile Division's 101st Aviation Battalion. Still proudly know as the "Kingsmen", the unit faced new challenges and threats within the mountains and weather of North I Corps. And, for the next year Bill and his buddy W.T.Grant would slowly but surely be consumed by the "meat grinder" as they experienced days and days of the same old thing....bad weather, NVA and long, long hours of flying.

It didn't take "Wild Bill" Meacham long to realize that he was best suited to working closely with the LRP teams of the 101st Div. He and W.T. Grant made many good friends and comrades with the LRP's as they concentrated completely on the tricky and specialized work of the LRP units. Their flying skills were quickly recognized by the LRP's as "just what the doctor ordered" and they were assigned almost exclusively to fly for the them. Together Bill, W. T. and the LRP leaders formulated many techniques which proved to be most effective in getting the job done, yet keeping everyone as safe as possible, under hazardous conditions. Higher HQ's basically left them alone to performed their missions almost in their own world. That is not to say they had it easy, just that they were very good at the job. No one within the LRP leadership wanted anyone else...they were the best!!

"Lest We Forget" is a book that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Throughout the book, William Meacham allows the reader to "tune in" on the radios and tactical frequencies to hear the tension and terror from the LRP's on the ground. He also lets the reader hear the commo between he and his wingman, Grant. You will "feel" the sweat dripping from inside his helmet as it burns his eyes. Your gloves will become wet as he hoists LRP team members out of the jungle with a 120' long rope, called a McGuire Rig. You will ride to the hot PZ to extract the "whispering" LRP teams as NVA watch and fire from a tree line only yards away. Yet, most will be extracted safely! "Wild Bill" Meacham will live to fly another day! What a ride! What a book! What a story!

Tom Payne
VHPA
Sec/Treas.

I Corps, in 1968 and especially Northern I Corps, was an area that could be called "Ground Zero"in the Vietnam War. The presence of large concentrations of Liberation troops and NVA in the Laos/Vietnam border area was huge. They were well trained, well equipped and possessed mobile anti-aircraft weapons which were devastating for helicopters of the Kingsmen and the 101st Aviation Battalion. "Lest We Forget" is a great story of "cheating the odds" while flying exclusively for the grunts and LRP's for the 101st Division. However, let us start at the beginning....the bloody beginning.

Bill Meacham, alias "Wild Bill" Meacham, began his year long tour in Vietnam assigned to the 17th Assault Helicopter Company at Long Binh. Even before he sat in a cockpit for his in-country orientation, he was tapped to be the investigating officer for a gunship incident deep within the jungles of III Corps. The distasteful job led Bill to realize that Vietnam was truly a dangerous place and he was knee deep in "reality."

The very first month with the 17th, Tet of 68 erupted everywhere across Vietnam. Bill came face to face with NVA, in the wire, all-around the 17th compound for a bit of nighttime excitement. Never one to sit idly by and let himself be killed, Bill took the aggressor group under fire, killing almost a squad as they raced across the 17th's compound. The onslaught was finally halted and the story of Tet 68 became one of slaughter for the enemy. However, the US media never really saw it that way. Bill Meacham couldn't believe he was knee keep in ground combat. He was supposed to be a helicopter pilot!

The nick name "Wild Bill" was not yet coined for William Meacham as the 17th Assault Helicopter Company was uprooted and shipped to I Corps. There they would join and be re-designated, Bravo Company of the 101st Airmobile Division's 101st Aviation Battalion. Still proudly know as the "Kingsmen", the unit faced new challenges and threats within the mountains and weather of North I Corps. And, for the next year Bill and his buddy W.T.Grant would slowly but surely be consumed by the "meat grinder" as they experienced days and days of the same old thing....bad weather, NVA and long, long hours of flying.

It didn't take "Wild Bill" Meacham long to realize that he was best suited to working closely with the LRP teams of the 101st Div. He and W.T. Grant made many good friends and comrades with the LRP's as they concentrated completely on the tricky and specialized work of the LRP units. Their flying skills were quickly recognized by the LRP's as "just what the doctor ordered" and they were assigned almost exclusively to fly for the them. Together Bill, W. T. and the LRP leaders formulated many techniques which proved to be most effective in getting the job done, yet keeping everyone as safe as possible, under hazardous conditions. Higher HQ's basically left them alone to performed their missions almost in their own world. That is not to say they had it easy, just that they were very good at the job. No one within the LRP leadership wanted anyone else...they were the best!!

"Lest We Forget" is a book that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Throughout the book, William Meacham allows the reader to "tune in" on the radios and tactical frequencies to hear the tension and terror from the LRP's on the ground. He also lets the reader hear the commo between he and his wingman, Grant. You will "feel" the sweat dripping from inside his helmet as it burns his eyes. Your gloves will become wet as he hoists LRP team members out of the jungle with a 120' long rope, called a McGuire Rig. You will ride to the hot PZ to extract the "whispering" LRP teams as NVA watch and fire from a tree line only yards away. Yet, most will be extracted safely! "Wild Bill" Meacham will live to fly another day! What a ride! What a book! What a story!

Tom Payne
VHPA
Sec/Treas.

This IS A FANTASTIC BOOK. Not only as a autobiography, BUT AS A RECORD of HISTORY. Ed Ramsey tells the story of his experiences in the 26th Calvary in the Philippines during World War II. He was the man who lead the last Horse Calvary Charge against the Japanese. Ed tells his story in glorious detail. He shares his inner most thoughts and emotions. Teaching us how a young Lt. learned how to become the leader of an army of secret agents, jungle fighters and saboteurs. Something he had never come in contact with before. He made it up as he went. Some of his decisions had to be harsh if he was to survive. This book opens up to us a world which little was known about before, and because of that heros went unacknownledged and villians undespised. But we will not forget them now because of you Col. Ramsey. Thank you for what you did then and thank you for what you have written now. You are an American Hero in the true sense of the word.

Too self aggrandizing -- not objective and contradicts some of what other guerillas have written.

This book describes what barely can be described. The hardships, the fear, the exhaustion, the hunger, the brutality, the uncertainty of ones fate. It's all right here, and all are apt descriptions of the life of Lt. Ramsey from the fall of Bataan until the time in 1945 that Gen MacArthur returned to liberate the Phillipines.

Lt. Ramsey (who was promotoed to Lt. Colonel over the course of his service in the jungle) was a very important leader of the resistance. He personally exchanged a few messages over the radio with MacArthur himself, and it was years before Ramsey even knew that MacArthur was getting his messages, as he went without radio contact for the first two years of the war.

Many of Ramsey's fellow resistance leaders, some of them officers he served with, or under, prior to the war, were captured, tortured, and beheaded. Informants were everywhere, and every move was a risk. Yet Ramsey never sat still, and his years were spent traveling, at great risk, throughout the Phillipines and organizing the resistance. Many close calls with the Kempa-tei, the Japanese secret police, followed. Ramsey eventually became the most wanted man on the island, after many of his fellow leaders were captured. He eventually went on to command a force of 40,000 resistance fighters.

The leader of the Kempa-tei, General Baba, personally conducted many of the raids and had a picture of Ramsey on his desk. Many times Ramsey was only yards from Japanese troops.

Of course, when this all started, Ramsey had no clue how to wage guerrilla war. But he learned, through trial and error, and it is amazing that he even survived the war. If that isn't enough, this is a man who survived having his appendix removed in the jungle by a doctor who had no morphine to numb the pain!

This is the kind of stuff Hollywood needs to make movies about. Instead we are stuck with the same dumbed down, recycled nonsense that apparently someone finds entertaining. And sadly the exploits of this true American hero go largely unknown by the majority of this country. I'm glad I am no longer one of them.

Col. Ramsey, on foot in the junlges of the Philippines, with only the help of the kind Philippine people----puts war in human terms and visions I can relate to. People suffer with death, starvation, torn off body parts, and disease. Horrible. As a teacher I may use this book to tap into my student's 'schema,' or mental map, to help them visulize the realities of war as being the dreadful scarifice it is, rather that some sort of unreal view of war as a "star wars" game.

From 1960-64 I worked with Ramsay almost daily as a member of the US Embassy in Tokyo while he was VP for Hughes Aircraft in Tokyo. Hughes and two other US companies were bidding on a large joint US/Japan air weapons control project that Hughes in 1963 won. During this time he never once mentioned his guerrila activites during WW II except except a for small clue when he got for my wife and me a Visa during a visit by him to the PI Embassy to visit Clark after the PI govt had refused them through regular channels. During the visit to Clark I asked a number of citizens if they had heard of Ed Ramsay and with little exception they said he was a National Hero. After reading a summary of Lt Ramsay's War in the Readeer's Digest I obtained the un-abridged version and agree with the comments of others about his disclipine and dedication to his country he exhibited in setting up and operating a highly effective guerilla force in the Philippines at great risk to himself and those that worked with him. The book has now been republished and is well worth reading.
Bill Millis

If you are in any way interested in FAC's Forward Air Controllers, LRP's, Air Cav, and Vietnam... BUY THIS BOOK. Superb.

If you are remotely interested in aviation (military or otherwise
you simpy must read this book.
I've read it twice and I am still struck by the courage and bravery
of the author and his compatriots.
I've read practically every first person account of pilots flying
in Vietnam that I can get my hands on and this one remains my absolute
favourite.

Marshall Harrison, my hat off to you sir. You are a true hero.

Very exciting and spellbinding account of an Air Force OV10 pilot and his experiences in Viet Nam. Historically accurate, yet very entertaining style of writing. If you want to know what it was like to fly the OV10 in combat, read this book. it takes you there.

This has to be the best written book on the subject matter. Throughout the book I felt as though I was living his experience and now when I remember the book sometimes I can't remember if it was part of a movie or the book, that's how good the visuals were while reading it. I highly recommend it and hope that the author brings more out into print

I cannot count how many times I've read this book. A very well written account of the making of a forward air controller (FAC) and his tour of duty in Vietnam. This book is filled with non-stop aerial combat interspersed with wit and humor. I swear you can hear the engines, the explosions, the radio chatter and the myriad sounds of aerial combat. This is the definitive book on the FAC. Harrison's vividly writes about the inter-service rivalries, fighter pilot and elite unit culture. Vietnam had them all, from the ticket punchers to the true professionals, the "conscientious objectors" to the patriots, balls-out young men and know it alls, politicians and name dropers, clowns and cowboys, the scared and all too brave. Harrison's seen and flown with all of them. You will not put this book down once you start reading it. Harrison will hold you in suspense screaming, laughing and dying over and over. You will read it again and again in between browsing the web about the FAC and that "war" fought on the other side of the fence in Laos. How good is this book? I have seen precious copies churned out of copier machines circulating with pilots of the Philippine Air Force, 15th Strike Wing, one of the few users of the OV-10 Bronco in combat in the 21st century. This book should be made into a movie.

Everything perfect! And an excellent book as well ;)

I found this book to be the sort of book I wish I had years ago when I first developed an interest in Nelson and the HMS Victory. I have other books that go into more detail about the construction and rigging of these ships but this one gives the perfect background to the environment these great ships operated in. A number of things that I had difficulty with were somehow cleared up and my understanding of a number of issues improved greatly. This is the second book by Brian Lavery I have and I have others on my wish list.

The text is wonderful and informative. The reason I gave it a four star rating instead of five is that I would like to have seen the illustrations in color, but don't let that stop you from getting this great book. As stated by Patrick O'Brian in the Forward of this book "You name it, Nelson's Navy has it."

As you will infer from the other reviews, rating this book is a snap: it ain't got no five-star average for nothing! If you're interested in Nelson's Navy and this fascinating period of history, just order the book and get on with your life. Until it arrives, that is, and then you'll have to drop everything else and delight in its reading. Nothing less than the epitome of a well-written, illustrated history.

If you are truly interested in the Navy of Lord Nelson and all the various aspects of its functioning and operation, this is THE book to own. It's hard to imagine a better book on this topic ever being written - it's that good. If you enjoy Civil War navies, there are two companion volumes in the same "series" by the same publisher. Lincoln's Navy and The Confederate Navy. Both from Conway. Excellent books, all.

For those who were there, it will take you on a trip back in time and in a lot more enjoyable way than memories. For those who weren't it's a personal tour of what it was like for someone that still loves the country that sent him and believes in what it stands for. This book is a real step in fostering an understanding of the never acknowledged heros of a time when the person in uniform was blamed for the choices of the government.

I loved this book, so I told some close friends about it. The feedback I've gotten from the Viet Nam era Vets are such phrases as, 'I could smell the Napalm again', and 'Very descriptive writer', 'He's caught the feeling we all had there', etc. This is a book highly prized by Mr. Sutton's peers!

Mike Sutton, who spent three tours of duty as part of the Military Assistance Command/Vietnam, wrote this fact-based book ("novel" is too soft a word). The characters are believable because they are real people whose names were changed to protect privacy. Virtually all events described in the book actually happened, according to the author. Needless to say, there are scenes of graphic violence and also coarse language that may be offensive to some. No Survivors helps those of us who were not in Vietnam to better understand the role of the "advisor" in training the South Vietnamese in weapons systems and tactics. Those of us who know the author as "Sarge" appreciate his understanding that it is human beings who fight wars, and who bear the physical and psychological scars of armed conflict for the rest of their lives.

This is by far the best book I have read on this very confusing period in American History. Mike Sutton understands America and the issues better than anyone writing about Vietnam today.

In one simple word, this book is "REAL". For someone who has never been involved in a war, there is absolutely no way you can understand what is involved. It is so easy to have opinions based on an outsiders view. This book gave me a new appreciation for those that defend us so that we may have the freedom of those opinions. This story is based on true facts and will capture you without any hope of release until you finish it. This is a GREAT read!