Military Books

When I got done with this I was inspired. I wanted to make a group of my friends and call ourselves The Expendables. This book is so well written there isn't a single dull moment. When I graduate high school(I'm a freshman) I want to go Airborne!

Scott is the Master. I've owned several copies of all of Scotts books, from wearing them out to lending them out and this is one of the best. I served with every one of these guys (it seems), Scott's uncanny ability to create the character as someone you know is incredible. Even the places his characters come from are described perfectly, having lived or served in a lot of the places (stateside) that Scott writes of I can attest. For example anyone who lives in or around South Philly would feel right at home with Vinny his girl and the Hoagie stand. Georgia and it's simplicity out in the boonies is captured perfectly by Lee Calhoun and his family. Eugene Day will give the folks a taste of what it was like for a young black to live and serve after the race riots. Young men with any kind of stature who had to live up to their familiys' impossible standards will relate easily to Blake. Old vets will appreciate the professionalism of Quail and Flynn. Anyone whose ever donned a uniform will love how they all come together to become the Expendables. You will laugh out loud (if you served) going through basic training with these guys, You will remember the professionalism of the fearsome "Blackhats" and get chills at how well Scott captures the feeling of elation after that first jump, You will realize you're holding the book a little tighter in anger at self important ticket punchers who leave there men out to dry for no good reason and finally you will cry at the Memorial Day Ceremony, a promise made by each brother to another. This is the absolute best novel on the Vietnam war.

COL Leonard B. Scott(Ret) has done it again with "The Expendables". The charters are so well developed that you identify at once with each member of the team. Even though this is a work of fiction, the book has many truths interwoven in this a most powerful story. As a Vet (not Vietnam) I found myself crying as I finished the last chapter. I highly recommend this book to anyone, Vet or otherwise.

I have read them all from Clancy to Brown and LtCol.(Ret) Scott is by far one of the best military writers to date. My father served in Vietnam and after he came back my mom said he was never the same and I always wondered what it was like, why men like my father and Col Scott, why they went when they were called knowing they might not return and those that did would be forever altered. I joined the infantry at 17 to see for myself and after serving in Panama and Somalia I understand. Col. Scott says it best in the books with way he connects you to the characters you come to realize they did it for the men to their left and their right, not so much for America, but the men who represent America. Sad to know that he won't be writing anymore books but the four vietnam books he wrote are some of the greatest military fiction ever written and in my opinion should be required reading for all young soldiers and leaders.

As a Marine infantryman, the characters in this book were as real as the grunts as I served with. No other author has ever connected with the real comraderie of men under arms as well as Scott has. I can not read this book with a dry eye and I challenge any man who has ever served to do so, especially the last five pages. This book is written with the first hand knowledge of a man who has faced the elephant and understands the warrior ethos. It ranks with "The Forgotten Soldier" as a gripping narrative of men in combat. Although these men are fictitious, they are as real as any name on the Wall because they could have been any one of them. For anyone who wants to understand the truth of what our fighting men did in Vietnam, indeed did in any war, they must read this book.

A thorough overview of the Lusitania's construction, features, and last voyage, as well as Ballard's impressive modern-day expeditions to the wreck itself. For the record Ballard's investigations strongly suggest the "accepted truth" of the liner being a clandestine courier of munitions for the British war effort was probably never true at all: or if true then stored armaments were not a factor in the ship's sinking. Rather Ballard points to the culprit being coal dust residue that had infiltrated the inner hull, and was set off by the initial impact of the torpedo. This is a great sort of book. It appeals visually, intellectually, and includes some terrific mythbusting that comes as a result of sound investigative work.

Of course, Dr Robert Ballard will forever remain the man who found the Titanic, but in this book he also provides the reader with an extremely well documented account of the loss of the Lusitania.

Mysteries are mysteries and whilst there are those experts which insist such and such happened, there will also be those who assert the opposite. I shouldn't say this I know, but it the way in which Bob Ballard takes such a thorough approach to his subject, it leaves one feeling that the only book you need to read on the entire subject of the loss of the Lusitania is this one.

Exploring the Lusitania - yet another four-funnelled passenger liner built before WW1, is a large coffee-table book approx. A4 size. Just a glance at the pictures throughout the richly illustrated pages (227 altogether) reveals the extent of the research to which the author has gone on behalf of the reader. There are many historic pictures of the ship itself - including when she was no more than a keel. Others include paintings of the day, newspaper cuttings and postcards showing internal and external views. Then there are the photographs of the tragedy itself and the effect it had upon the people of Ireland. Photographs of seemingly unimportant people at the booking office and individuals such as the Captain. Dr Ballard has been equally thorough when it comes to detailing the U-Boat which sank the Lusitania and we are treated to almost the same level of coverage of vessel and individuals and their trade of war.

Once again, however, the author has put together the most outstanding collection of artwork created by Ken Marschall. From thousands of photographic images taken from the wreckage itself, Bob Ballard created a complete montage (i.e. a big photograph made up of thousands of little photographs) of the various sections of the wreck so that Mr Marschall was able to provide us with the most accurate paintings of various sections and even the entire wreck. The one painting I had to look at again and again was the painting of the sinking across pages 96/97. For a moment there I thought the world's greatest photographer had been on hand to capture the event.

I congratulate Dr Ballard on another excellent and professional job of work. Another outstanding book and yet again 5 stars are not enough.

NM

The illustrations and photographs alone make this book worth owning. It is very direct and to the point for the most part.

Also of interest is the contrast between Lusitania, a shallow water wreck, and vessels such as Titanic and Bismarck which are under miles of water.

Bob Ballard's string of investigations into famous shipwrecks, while doing solid science continues in this exploration of the Lusitania.

The famous Cunard liner was torpedoed off the Irish coast in 1915, and was one of the pivotal events that dragged an isolationist America into the First World War.

Ballard's work at laying the groundwork for his book is again exceptional. Cunard's need to battle the White Star and other cruise lines for the transatlantic business is examined, and the method was indeed an interesting one. Cunard entered into an arrangement with the British government to build the Lusitania and her sister ship, Mauretania. In exchange for a loan, the government got the right to call the ships up for wartime service, and the builders set up placements for deck guns on the vessels.

This was before it was found that using cruise liners as "armed merchant cruisers" was just not practical.

In any case, the setting of the scene as the Lusitania headed east is well done--the German government has given fair warning to anyone sailing on British or Allied vessel that they're fair game. A German U-boat is known to be off the coast, the Lusitania is traveling at less than full power, her captain chooses not to zigzag, then waste time taking an involved bearing on the land...and the end is known.

Question: Did Winston Churchill stake out the Lusitania and let her be sunk as an effort to get the US into the war? It wouldn't be out of his mindset, but there appears to be little in the way of proof that he did such a thing. Of greater interest is the secret correspondence between Admiral Tirpitz and Admiral Jacky Fisher, in which the latter tells his German counterpart that he'd have done the same thing in going after the Lusitania if the roles were reversed.

The examination of the wreck is sad; there's not much left of her, as the ship has been used for depth charge practice. There was not much of an effort to get inside her as was done on other ships. Perhaps there's little point.

Once again, Ken Marschall's paintings are stellar and the book is well worth reading...and looking at.

This handsome companion to the excellent National Geographic documentary is the best overview and photographic record of the Lusitania disaster I have seen. If you only own or read one book on the Lusitania, let it be this one! It covers the key issues surrounding the tragedy: Why did the powerful, double bottom ship go down so quickly (only 18 minutes compared to over 2 hours for the less robust Titanic)?; What caused the second explosion?; Was the Lusitania carrying arms? Dr. Robert Ballard, who discovered the Titanic and explored the Bismarck, uses advanced equipment to go down into the ocean's depths to answer these questions and to give us a glimpse of how the Lusitania looks today through remarkable photographs and the masterpieces of maritime artist Ken Marschall.

The text of the book is very well-written. It does not go into as much of depth as longer books as it explains the sinking through accounts of select survivors, some alive at the time of the book's publication. Still, it reveals many lesser known points. First Sea Lord Winston Churchill, in France at the time of the tragedy, might have ordered a naval escort for the famed passenger liner (pg. 78). It notes that the U.S. tanker Gunflight was torpedoed the week before (pg. 124). Unlike the documentary, readers learn that nurse Alice Lines--who was still alive when the documentary was made--actually missed the lifeboat when she made her desperate leap with baby Audrey (pg. 102). The book takes a fair look at the sinking. There is much empathy for the German side (Lusitania was, after all, an auxiliary cruiser in a war zone) and is quite critical of Captain Turner who ignored the Admiralty's instructions on steering a zigzag course away from the shore in areas where subs lurked. The most valuable part of this book on a informational level is that it solves the mystery of the second explosion some witnesses believed was a second torpedo or the explosion of arms in the ships magazine.

As interesting as the text is, the illustrations make this book the best on the subject. Photos and startlingly accurate period postcards give the reader a look at Lusitania's interior in first, second, and steerage classes. Posters and memorabilia illustrate the propaganda war which followed. Finally, pages 144-89 explore the Lusitania and compares the ship then & now in remarkable photos. The highlight is a well preserved first class tub and shower found just outside the ship compared with a period illustration (pp. 172-3). A fold-out shows the sunken giant in full length thanks to the excellent work of artist Marschall. His realistic paintings look like photographs!

The book is very thorough. It includes a critical look at the inquiries into the sinking, the fates of some of the major players including U Boat commander Schwieger, a brief look at Lusitania's sister ship Mauretania, and a chronology of the two Cunard sisters. The only inconsistency I found was that Schwieger reported that he did not know he had torpedoed the Lusitania until he saw her name on her bow; however, the Lusitania name was covered up at the time to trick the enemy during the war (pg. 203). Still, this book is an excellent introduction to the Lusitania story and a more than sufficient and revealing account if one chooses not to read further.

It was a very interesting book. I would recommend it to anyone to read.

I wrote the Kentucky story for this book, but I'd like to commend Rebecca Pepin and the other writers who contributed. I love what this book does for the families of the military men and women whose stories are depicted inside, and my own personal experience was very enriching for me personally. "Getting to know" DeShon Otey through his family was one of the most moving experiences I've ever had. Rebecca has been tireless in making sure that this book was produced with the utmost integrity.

This is awesome collection of photos and memories of soldiers fallen in Iraq and Afghanistan. Hometown hero, Daniel McClenney was one of the chosen ones displayed in the book. Very nice.

I purchased this books for my husband for Christmas, it means a great deal to him concerning each and every soldier. The book is so well written and the fact that you are able to obtain an insight into each individual and their families makes a great impact. I only wish everyone in the country would take the time to read this, it is wonderful and should be required reading in the school systems.
Diana Murphey

This is a tell all book, of the lives of American heroes. It is very honest. It is a book you will have to put down from time to time just to stop your heart from breaking. You will feel sad and proud at the same time. It hurts and at the same time you feel your heart swell up with pride.

Great book! I find it important to learn about history and what better way than 1st hand accounts such as this one. Learned a good deal about the Marine Force Recon and their important role in the military family. I came away feeling a great respect for the men of Force Recon and hope they know that through books like these those men and their sacrifices will never be forgotten.

I cannot add any more than what has already been written below, except to say I like TRUE stories books better than fiction, and this book captivates your attention right at the beginning and takes the reader right through the very end. For a first book by this author, it is a superior read, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I highly recommend any of Major Norton's books. This book is very well written, and provides an honest opinion of his experiences during his first tour in Vietnam. It also gives a good, personal look at the inner workings of Marine Recon teams in Vietnam.

Major Norton's easy and honest writing style make his books very hard to put down once you start reading them. He also does a great job of bringing the sights, smells, sounds and tastes of combat in Vietnam to life for the reader.

Most of all, Major Norton does an outstanding job of making one proud of all our fighting men & women who served in Vietnam; they did a great job and books like this one are long overdue.

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this book to all who might be interested in the personal experiences of Vietnam combat, as well as for anyone interested in the extremely tough job of gaining intel on enemy forces in Vietnam.

This is a very sobering and informative account of the author's 1969 stint in Vietnam. The early part contains background on how the author joined the marines and became a medic. Later chapters recount particular missions into the DMZ. You get to experience the danger of what's it like to be part of a small team, sometimes just a few yards away from an enemy of greatly superior numbers.

This short work is extremely well-written, direct, and very interesting. The author provides great insight into the special comradeship within the US Marines.

This is a story about Bruce Norton, who joined the Navy and then became a
> Navy medic.(Corpsman)
> > He was assigned to 3rd Force Recon Company in 1969-1970 in Vietnam. He
> served with Alex Lee, who wrote his own book about commanding 3rd Force
> Recon Company.
> >
> > Norton, like the Marine sniper Carlos Hathcock, was raised in the woods,
> and learned to shoot and find his way around the woods as a kid. This came
> in handy in Vietnam.
> > He learned to shoot rats in the city garbage dump in his home town in
> Mass. They hunted at night, with flashlights taped to their rifle barrels
> to spot the rats.
> >
> > While in Vietnam, he went through a typhoon and was in the jungle, with
> his 6 man team. They tied themselves together, and to some banana trees to
> avoid being blown away by the 120 mile per hour winds.
> >
> > He was on patrols that encountered a bear on one, and a tiger on another.
> >
> > He lost several friends in the Ashau Valley. Alex Lee describes the
> Ashau Valley as spooky and filled with evil spirits in his book, Force
> Recon. Horton, on the other hand compares it to the Garden of Eden.
> > While in the Valley, he describes how he got very sick on water the North
> Vietnamese poisoned by killing a pig and throwing the carcass in a pond.
> Norton drank the water, not realizing there was a dead carcass in there,
> even though the North Vietnamese left signs on the nearby trees announcing
> this.(The Marines could not read Vietnamese)
> > The 3rd Recon Company was disbanded when he was there, after Gen
> Nickerson, who created the Company, got transferred back out of Vietnam.
> >
> > Norton notes the outstanding leadership in the Company. Alex Lee, Major,
> Commanding, had the Legion of Merit, Silver Star, Bronze Star, 3 Navy
> Commendation medals, Navy Achievement medal, 2 purple hearts. Today, Lee is
> still considered a genius at small unit tactics. Clovis Coffman, another
> officer won the Navy Cross.
> > Two of his best friends, died bravely in the Ashau Valley winning medals.
> Charles Sexton, won the Navy Cross in the Ashau Valley and Paul Keaveney
> won the Silver Star.
> >
> > Norton stayed in the military, leaving the Navy and made a career
> > of the Marines, and was a Major when writing this book in 1990.
> >
> >
> >
>
>
>

Hang on to your hats for one huge push of the envelope... a rebuilt UN has succeeded in dividing the US into enclaves under mandate control by other countries and a civil war is raging which puts family and friends on opposite sides. The Sovereign Forces are fighting hard to preserve our Constitution and save our one remaining asset - missile silos in the Middle States. The action is non-stop in the field and the home front as well. Technical descriptions and gritty put-down comraderie among the SF men crackles with authenticity - perhaps straight out of Mannske's own Gulf War experiences?

Can't wait for the rest of this triology - how could the UN get this power and how do we regain it? Hope Mannske doesn't make us wait very long. It's a sure-fire movie hit - heads up on this one Hollywood!

The author calls this book, "Near Fiction," i.e. "a futuristic story that ping pongs somewhere between non-fiction and science fiction." It is certainly all that and much more.

The book is about the US-UN War. Far fetched?

It is Book 2 of a trilogy and Books 1 and 3 have not been written yet. Odd?

Ask George Lucas.

I have to admit that it took me several chapters to wrap my brain around the author's concept of a near fiction war between the US and the UN, but the further one goes into the story, the easier the idea is to accept.

The thing which makes this all work for me is that Michael Mannske can flat out write. His characters come alive, his scenarios become plausable and his knowledge of the military gives the book an authenticity that near fiction and science fiction need in order to remain plausible.

Mannske says in the Afterword that he wrote this book because he was bored. That he wanted to escape the post 9/11 world and be "mesmerized again by cataclysmic clashes and superpower showdowns...where military strategies are brought to life and age old SIOP [Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol] war plans dusted off and tested in the crucible of the imagination."

The crucible of this author's imagination is white hot. If you are looking for a book that is not boring and quite mesmerizing, Foreign and Domestic is just the ticket. I promise you it will make you think and probably keep you up later than is good for you. It did me.

Great book! In the "against all odds" tradition of great novels this book really got to me. A glimpse at a not too hard to imagine predicament and "Hobson's" choice we could be faced with. Solzenitzen warned us - Mannske has too. Love the characters and their development - I can't wait for the next one. This book would make a great movie.

With the support of our president the UN has placed large areas of the US under the control of its political forces and a civil war is raging putting friends and family on opposing sides. The Sovereign Forces are fighting hard to preserve our Constitution and save our one remaining asset - the missile silos in the Middle States. The action is non-stop in the field and on the home front as well. Technical descriptions and gritty put-down comraderie among the SF men crackles with authenticity - perhaps straight out of Mannske's own Gulf War experiences.

Can't wait for the rest of this triology - how could the UN get this power and how do we get it and our country back? Hope Mannske doesn't make us wait very long. It's a sure fire movie hit - heads up on this one, Hollywood!

The book was very timely for it portrays a likely senario of what the UN might do if it had the power. It also shows the complacency of the American people to accept whatever is handed to them without question. We as Americans need to question what our leaders are placing on us and either reject or accept it with clear minds and be willing stand up for what is right, according to the Constitution of The United States as written and understood by the framers of that document, and not based on the interpetation of any group, court, or other entity. This book may be fiction, but it has so many true facts that are relevant to today's enviroment, that only the story line may prove to be fictional. I thought the book was great reading and had trouble putting it down. I would recommend it to anyone with a conservative view. I look forward to this author's future books.
Shelby G. Lowery
P.O. Box 73
New Albany, MS 38652

The writing style leaves something to be desired, and I wish they would have designed a different dust jacket for the book. However, author, Trent Angers gives the reader a powerfully moving story in "The Forgotten Hero of My Lai";(The Hugh Thompson Story).

Angers uses a great deal of literay freedom in weaving some of the story line of Mr. Thompson's personal life including conversations between Thompson and his wife some 35-40 years ago. None the less, the author also gives the reader a REAL AMERICAN HERO!

I could not in all honesty read this book without having to put it down at times so that I could break away from the emotions that it invoked within me. Reading about this massacre, and indiscriminate butchery was ...too horrible to comprehend. I can not see how anyone who was even vaguely involved in this could ever be normal again.

This event was perhaps, our greatest sin in the Viet Nam war. It was a throw-back to the deeds of Attila the Hun, and the exploits of Genghis Khan's Mongol hordes. More specifically, it was a "despicable microcosm" of the Japanese atrocities conducted in Nanking. The only difference: these were not Huns, Mongol hordes, or Imperial Japanese troops... these perpetrators were .... American soldiers!

As a VietNam veteran, I found this act, a "very...very, bitter pill to swallow!"

A letter by a Mr. Ron Ridenhour submitted to President Nixon and others at the time is quoted on page 154 of this book. In that letter, Mr. Ridenhour tells how he feels about the incident and ... quotes Winston Churchill:
" A country without a conscience is a country without a soul, and a country without a soul is a country that cannot survive."

Apparently, Hugh Thompson knew this as well when he intervened to save what innocent civilians he could. I know not how long our country will survive, but as long as there are still soldiers like Hugh Thompson, I know...it will survive a little longer.

From what I have seen written on the pages exhibited, I am asking our librarian here in Sandwich, NH to purchase this book. Hugh Thompson has always been a hero to me, and represents the helicopter pilots who were in Vietnam quite well. We were all brash, and ballsey, and would stand up to a lot of things we didn't think too swift. His deed outshines us all. I flew UH-1D's in the Delta, and have written about my experiences there in OUTLAWS IN VIETNAM.
Being a helicopter pilot in this war was the best job one could wish for--it was the best year of all of our lives! Hopefully, more of these excellent aviators will be profiled in the future.
My librarian finally purchased the book after these initial notes, and I have been reading it nonstop. This should really shed some light on the horror of the Americal Division higher-ups who authorized this bloodletting by Lt. Calley and others of Charlie Company that day. They had been ordered to commit the atrocities we all know about today, and as I continue the book, it is interesting to me to experience the angst that Hugh Thompson and his crew felt that terrible day at My Lai. He is most human, and painfully so. The author discloses all this helicopter crew went through then and since; well done!!

There is absolutely no doubt that Hugh Thompson, Glenn Andreotta, and Larry Colburn did an unbelieveably heroic thing on March 16, 1968. Let there also be no doubt that Trent Angers should be commended for his research and efforts to bring yet another angle to this horror known as the My Lai Massacre. I have just one criticism, and unfortunately it is decisive: It is a poorly written book.

I am not suggesting that one not read the book, because it does perform as a vehicle to bring to light the events surrounding the massacre, its aftermath and Colburn's and Thompson's return to My Lai 28 years later. However, it takes form more as a children's book than it does as an examination of an important historical event, or even as a third-person narrative intended for adult reading.

Don't expect an abundance of three or more syllable words, inspired imagery, or thought-provoking passages. For instance, page 77, "He seemed to take a particular liking to the older woman." Seemed to who? Could you tell the reader how this was apparent? No indication whatsoever is offered in the text. Or, page 102, describing an American casualty as being "blown to bits." Is that what was written on the After Action Report? If so, there's another book in there somewhere. Or, page 103, "The cows were mooing to be milked." For a minute there I thought I had opened "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" by accident.

There is never a mention of exactly what kind of helicopter Hugh was flying...a Kiowa? Cayuse? Defender? Souix? Loach? The first indication of this simplistic approach to the subject matter is right on the dust jacket, as it is a simplistic, amateurish illustration of Thompson in an exaggerated heroic pose (arms outstretched, shirt unbuttoned, no flight helmet, no flak jacket, dog tags swinging in the wind, in front of a small huddled mass of Vietnamese). It looks much like the artwork that adorned the Harcourt Brace Jovanovich children's books published in the late '70s.

One more note: if you're going to write a book wherein the principle character is a helicopter pilot, at least have the courtesy to refrain from calling helicopters "choppers," as most pilots despise the term. Unless, of course, you're writing for children, who find it analogous - for obvious reasons.

Anyway, you get the picture. Still, I say God bless Hugh, Larry, Glenn and Trent.

But Trent, at the very least, get a new copy editor.

If all of us followed the example of Hugh Thompson at My Lai in Vietnam this would truly be the land of the free and the home of the brave.

"The Forgotten Hero of My Lai" tells an inspiring story of a piece of our history. While many people still remember the horror of the massacre at My Lai, few know about the true heros who risked everything to end it. Though their stand came too late to help most of the villagers of My Lai, it eventually ended the policy that targeted the civillian populations of other villages. We'll never know how many lives they saved.

Although I found it awkwardly written, the power of the story far outweighs any considerations about style. I highly recommend this shining example of what one person can do to protect the values that make life meaningful.

I am so glad for this book. It's undoubtedly a story about a true hero who inspires me as I'm sure it does others. I was saddened to hear he passed. On Friday Jan 6 he moved on. Many of us, can't, and will never forget what your memory means to us. God Speed Hugh, you have many friends here still on the earth very proud of you.

Col. Tom Kolditz, head of the U.S. Military Academy's behavioral sciences, said, in honor of Hugh, "There are so many people today walking around alive because of him, not only in Vietnam, but people who kept their units under control under other circumstances because they had heard his story. We may never know just how many lives he saved."

Read the book, it's inspirational, and we need not ever forget. Our values we hold dear as human beings are all we have, and when we leave, it's all we leave behind. Never compromise them. Never.

Honor, Respect, Dignity.

I can only hope this story is told even more widely so we have less chance this memory of such a great man ever fades.

GOD Speed Hugh, light a candle up there, we'll be there soon!

It's not only great fun navigating the tangled web of "what if" scenarios along with Frank, but he leaves one contemplating a myriad of other related possibilities in other aspects of life. Frank's background must have been of tremendous help, but he must also have done an enormous amount of research. Frank does a terrific job of combining sci-fi, action/adventure, and romance that makes for a thoroughly enjoyable read. Congratulations, Frank, on your first novel, and keep 'em coming!

This novel is a winner. Mr. Frank grabs you from the beginning and holds you throughout. His narratives and timelines before each chapter help you stay in check with everything going on. I couldn't put it down and I wanted more when I finished. What if? I hope he does another.

Defler really draws you in and I read the book totally amazed at the combination of factual settings, real history, science and physics. His Air Force past shows in the cast of characters and the locations. The idea of changing past events and the consequences are enough to get you involved and wondering if all this might be possible.
A great read.

A great read, fast and furious action with a unique science fiction theme. Derfler shows his knowledge of things both military and scientific. Fun stuff and a cast of characters that manage to pull off a 9/11 coup. Without giving away the details I think I can say that the historical connections from the start of the Vietnam conflict to today's fight for freedom are the keys to the book. The twist is science fiction but could it have happened? You bet, and Derfler gets you to believe his made up science. Good stuff all around. I will await his second novel if he chooses to write one.

"A Glint In Time" grabs your imagination and haunts you with the scenario of what "9-11" and other earth-shaking events could have evolved in to. The Author makes one grateful to be an American citizen and eloquently makes one believe they are part of an exciting story, experiencing the intimacy and immediacy of one shocking situation after another. He cleverly melds air commando missions, with other top-level government organizations into a breath-taking plot which shakes the imagination of the reader. To the Author, I say "well done".

Ted G. Arthurs
Destin, Florida

Pauline Laurent's "Grief Denied: A Vietnam Widow's Story" struck me more profoundly than any book I've ever read. I have dealt with grief in my own life and that of others, but never have I been moved to such outpouring of tears. The book hit a deep emotional chord as I read of the non-embraced grief that Pauline endured through years when society was angry and rejecting of anything related to the Vietnam War. I mourned for Paulne's loss and for her fatherless daughter. And I mourned in personal shame how righteously intolerant I was during that era. Pauline's story is about more than grief. It is about courage, resilience, and recovery. This book is poignant and gripping; it will live in your heart. Michael DeMarchi, hospice volunteer

A Grief Denied is a profound study in complicated grief, spiritual healing and self-care. As an advanced practice nurse, I highly recommend this book for all those who have lost someone to a sudden trauma such as war, those interested in the Vietnam war and its aftermath in personal lives, and for caregivers who often lose sight of how people cannot really bury trauma and loss. Those who do spiritual counseling, formation, and work in the grief field should take special note: This is a shattering book full of many truths that we often don't see and only with help can begin to feel. Keep the tissue box handy. The author exposes her raw emotion and pain. To read this book, helps ALL of us understand the story beyond the obituary and our own often inept ways of making sure that the survivors really do survive.

Pauline's account of her early days of being a young military war widow and pregnant with the child that will never meet her father touched me to the deepest part of my soul. It was the first, and only, account of what my world was like and spoke a language I thought no one knew. Her message of denying grief is strong and resounding, most with personal antidotes, struggles and triumphs. I recommend this book to any and every person that either experiences first hand the life of a military widow or knows a person who is walking the path of widowhood alone.

Pauline Laurent wrote Grief Denied: A Vietnam Widow's Story. I'm glad I had the opportunity to actually meet Pauline before I read her story. It's hard to believe she has had so much sorrow in her life and yet she keeps an upbeat attitude. This excellent book shows Pauline's struggle to deal with the loss of her husband, the birth of her child, her pain for more than 20 years and how she coped.

This book showed what this one woman went through and I'm sure so many others did too. BUT Pauline has had the courage to write about how Howard's life and death affected her and her child. It is a well-done book and should be read by everyone. I sincerely hope that it helps other widows heal also especially now that we have another generation of young widows among our population. Pauline should be proud of this book.

I was so touched by the reading of this book, that I cried like a baby for the first time since I returned back from Vietnam. I was there myself and knew many men, such as Pauline's husband. I just never realized how much grief and stress that those left behind had suffered. Pauline is an example of someone who has had to learn how to cope and deal with the death of her husband, without any road maps. She lead with her heart and let her emotions take her to places she had never visited before. She allows us to take that journey of her spirit, though the pages of this wonderfully, well written, book of her emotional expereinces. I could not put this book down once I began - not until I reached and read the final word on the last page. I highly recommend buying and reading of this book. It will move you in ways you thought possible.

Very moving memoir--I couldn't put it down. I got very interested in the Vietnam War when I read this memoir. Since then I have read several other memoirs about the Vietnam War. I have a quote that I took from the author that rings very true to my own relationship to my Mother and Father.

As a creative nonfiction student, I have read a number of memoirs and have found few to be as honest in its search for truth as Karen Spears Zacharias' "Hero Mama." Zacharias is a natural storyteller. Her style captivates the reader as she attempts to unravel the events of her life and to understand how the tragedy of losing her father to war impacted her family. The reader is left laughing one minute and crying the next as she glimpses into Zacharias' journey from loss to redemption. I highly recommend this book to all readers.

I've read much history of war and came upon this book with interest, as I hardly ever read memoir. But I found the author's voice to be simple and refreshing, and her unjaded eye rang very true in recounting her life before and after her soldier father died in Vietnam.

So many southern men fall in war, and this down-to-earth, honest account should be on the reading lists for high schools and historians alike, as it gives an honest and moving account of the real costs of war on American and American families.

Karen's memoir is one of truth and inspiration. Not only because of her mother's courage and strength in the face of such tragedy, but in Karen's journey in seeking the truth about her father's death, a truth that would result in redemption for her, and her family. Hero Mama is a well-written, thought provoking memoir, and its subject, the aftermath of war and how it affects those left behind, is never more timely than right now.

I am huge fan of Southern Fiction Writers (P.Conroy,A.R.Siddons,R.Wells.
I am also the only daughter of
S/Sgt Lewis Walton (SF:Army:MIA-1971). With my baby brother serving in Iraq, I was both hesitant and curious about this book.In my estimation, Karen's account was personal and inspirational.More importantly it sheds light on what life was like for "us kids". Her story should be shared with many and be required reading for ALL high school AND College Classes which focus on Vietnam. Vietnam affected more than just the brave soldiers serving- their parents, children and grandchildren. Kind of makes you think about Aft. and Iraq. A definite must read!
Jacke Walton

An excellent novel, part of the series written by WEB Griffin. As intiguing as The Corps series. Delightful to read as a relaxing activity but always "wanting more" as you continued the novel. Strongly recommend as an adventure espionage novel. Highly recommend.

During WW2, the 'Office of Strategic Services' was set-up by 'Wild' Bill Donovan as the precursor to the CIA. Unlike the CIA of today (uhhuh) OSS was run on a shoe string and by a lot of academics who watched to many John Wayne movies. The OSS was notorious for trying to pull off missions in France which led to more problems for the Resistance than they were worth. It was a hotbed of Ivy Leaguers who thought that intellectualism would win out over ability every time.

Griffin has done a marvelous job of describing the tenor of the times on both sides of the Atlantic. The Germans cover all the cliches, like the Honorable Prussian Office, the dastardly Gestapo/SS Guy, the bumbling 'Sargent Schultz' type, etc. The Argentines spend their time plotting to overthrow the government (coup d'etats are like a national sport) and deciding on whether to be American or German neutrals. The Americans are all 'can do' kind of guys, especially the marines, and have more luck with the ladies then an Emir in his Hareem.

But, it's all good fun, sort of like Casablanca (but without the music) from the feel of it. Of course, the idea that there will be a sequel is understood, and we'll get to see everyone again real soon. We'll always have Buenos Aires. Here's looking at you amigo.

This is one of the best books I have read about the OSS operations in a theatre that is rarely considered.

WEB Griffin fills a gap in my military history of actions outside the main combat arenas. He obviously researches thoroughly and the result is gripping all the way through.

Honor Bound captures your attention at the start and never lets go. While there is not really a lot of "action," the story, the settings and the character development all make for an excellent book.

The story is the recruitment and development of an OSS team to carry out a secret mission to disrupt German submarine activity in neutral Argentina during WWII. The sub story is the reconnection of a powerful Argentine father and his American son who have not seen each other since the son was an infant. Several other sub stories are also woven in. All are interesting and well told.

The primary setting is WWII Buenos Aires. Most of us are unaware of the atmosphere there during the war, so that makes for a good learning experience. Other settings include Guadacanal, Midland (Texas) and New Orleans. All add interest to the story.

Griffen also does an excellent job of developing his characters. The primary ones really come to life.

If you are looking for "shoot 'em up" action, this book is not for you. If you are looking for a fascinating book about an arena that you probably know little about, give this a try. I am pretty sure you won't be disappointed.