Military Books

You've got to be kidding! I have not read the book, only the reviews; but I saved a dog once and no one is writing a book about me.
Alyce Holden

A Hero Among Heroes is a "must read". The story of Jimmie Dyess is truly facinating. General Smith's latest book is sure to appeal to a very wide range of readers' interests. Background information on the Carnegie Medal and the Medal of Honor is well presented and most informative. Those interested in the history of Augusta, Georgia will find Smith's view of Augusta, during the two decades leading up to World War II, well worth reading.

A warm family story of a real hero with a rich context that lets the reader look at America before and during WW II. Both action and insight. Also a nice exploration of the essence of courage. Too bad there aren't more of such writings to remind us of past extraordinary sacrifice and its relevance to 1999 America. A great book for 4th of July reading!

Hero is a term used all too casually in our contemporary American society. Sports figures, entertainers, and political leaders are often referred to as 'heroes,' in the popular media. However, the title of 'hero' is earned only by an exceptional display of courage and often is accompanied by great personal sacrifice. Perry Smith delivers a powerful story of why Jimmie Dyess should be remembered as "A Hero Among Heroes." As Samuel Johnson wrote, "It matters not how a man dies, but how he lives." "A Hero Among Heroes," is the story of how Jimmie Dyess lived and what led this man to accomplish such extraordinary feats of heroism.

Perry Smith dissects the life of his father-in-law to deliver an insightful chronical of the life of an exceptional man. What compelled Jimmie Dyess to risk his life, again and again, first as a college student and then later as a U.S. Marine?

No one could definitively answer that question, but Perry Smith allows us to look deeply into the life of Dyess and provides us with ample clues as to why he behaved so heroically. The qualities he developed in the crucible of the Great Depression growing up in Augusta, Georgia, and the leadership skills he was to hone in military service almost seem to have compelled Dyess to exhibit exceptional gallantry.

Perry Smith vividly tells the story of why Jimmie Dyess was a true hero; a man whose deeds are worthy of being honored and more importantly, being remembered.

Sadly, America today seems completely bereft of heroes. Perry Smith has undertaken a labor of love to bring to the public eye the story of his father-in-law, Jimmie Dyess, a man he never met. Written primarily for his mother-in-law and his wife, Smith tells the story of a true hero, the only person ever to win both the Carnegie Medal and the Congressional Medal of Honor. Clearly, Jimmie Dyess was a man of honor, courage, and conviction.

In telling the Dyess story, Smith also provides background and history of Andrew Carnegie and the Carnegia Medal. This medal is only awarded to "one, who at the risk of his own life, saves or attempts to save the life of a fellow man. There must be conclusive evidence that the person perfoming the act voluntarily risked his own life to an extraordinary degree in saving or attempting to save the life of another person, or voluntarily scarificed himself in a heroic manner for the benefit of others. The act of rescue must be one in which no direct family relationship or other full measure of responsibility exists between the rescuer and the recued. The act must have been performed in the United States, Canada or the waters thereof and must be brought to the attention of the Commission within two years of the date of the rescue."

Dyess received the Carnegie Medal in 1929 for saving two women on July 13, 1928, who would have surely drowned in the Atlantic ocean. Sixteen years after saving those two women, Dyess's widow, Connor Cleckley Dyess, received the Medal of Honor posthumously for the heroic actions of her husband for his actions in leading fellow Marines in combat in February 1944 during the Roi Namur campaign against well-trained, entrenched Japanese forces.

By telling the Dyess story, Smith also weaves the history of the times. The Depression Years are described, as well as the history of the Marine Corps. Moreover, he also provides a perspective and comparison of the two awards for heroism. The historical value of the book alone is worth the cost of the book.

Should all Americans, both young and old, read this book? Absolutely! It describes the deep-seated values of a man who epitomized courage in the face of danger, honesty, integrity, and natural leadership. Parents would do well to have their children emulate the personal and professional characteristics of Jimmie Dyess. He is a true American hero!

Mike Slater has absolutely brought alive the anguish and triumph of those men of the 5th Regimental Combat Team who held the hills of sacrifice in the earliest days of the Korean War and eventually finished their sacrifice along the Armistice line three years later. The depth of research is stunning, not in its presentation of cold facts, but in its blended and balanced perspective from the human and emotional side of the soldiers who fought in Korea. A rich collection of archived military photos as well as personnel photos from those who fought there will not disappoint those who enjoy a more visual depiction of the history they're reading about. An outstanding history that is captivating and remarkable. A must read!!!

I read this book at my moms. We always try to keep up with anything and anyone that knew John Kennawell. It was a blessing to see that Michael had a picture of Sonny and my Uncle Johnny together. I will always remember that picture and know my mother has it. Someday I will have that same picture. Also I was glad that he put letters from mothers and others in this touching book.

In 1952 I had the honor of joining Company A, 5th RCT, which was assigned to the Punch Bowl area at that time. From what I could gather from other soldiers already there the 5th had an outstanding combat record. I finally found a book describing that period of combat. I now really appreciate being a member of the 5th and salute the veterans of the terrible combat of 1950-1952. Everyone who wants to have an insight into Infantry combat should read this book. Mike, you did a great job.

Being a former member of the 5th. Regimental Combat Team I think this Book is written for all the Men of the 5th. RCT who died Serving their Country, the Thousands of Wounded and of course the MIA. Mike Slater makes you feel like you are there sharing the Mens Hardships, the Weather and of course the Combat Sections are Heart wrenching. Mike is an Active duty Marine and knows what the "Grunts" of any Service-Army/Marines go thru!My age is 72 not 2?? Mikes' description of Sonny Calhau, his Family and Sonnys' Friends is so exact. When Sonny Calhau is KIA on Hill 814 on 3/23/51 it shocked me, he was so close to going Home to his beloved Hawaii. Also he didn't have to provide Point for the Platoon, it wasn't his job anymore!! I'm sure anybody who read this book wishes that they could have gotten hold of that Machine Gunner who Mortally wounded Sonny!

John A. Collins Former Corporal-Regt. Hq. Co.,5th. RCT 1949-1950

Mike Slater has captured the essence of grunt combat in Korea. One can hardly get through his exciting and riveting narrative, without shedding tears for those who were there. This is a compelling story of a combat unit that played an instrumental role in our "Forgotten War." Moreover, Slater provides an absoulutely outstanding portrayal of the pathos and drama of combat from the perspective of the foxhole. Certain to go down as one of the seminal works on that monumental conflict, "Hills of Conflict" is a must read for anyone who wishes to know what it was really like.

This is an eye-opening, honest, and thoughtful examination of the role the military plays in our society. It is obvious that Lutz has thoroughly and carefully studied Fayetteville, NC, and she has delivered a powerfully written document of the effects an army base has had on the community. What makes this a brilliant work is that it invites the reader to consider the many arenas of our culture which have been influenced, even created, by the military complex we have embraced as our defense. Homefront is an extremely important book.

Catherine Lutz has once again taken us beneath the surface to get a first hand look at the powerful forces shaping America's psyche, forces so interwined in our lives that they have become almost invisble. But with the anthropologist's trained eye, Professor Lutz helps us to see that in this time of calls for military protection for every parade and football game across the country, a call which many are ready to support, we will be paying a bill on many dimensions. Her careful and thoughtful analysis in the works long before the tragic events of 9/11, is more important than ever in helping us understand the larger consequences of our reponse. It is not easy to ask unpopular questions, but I am thankful for the skill and rigor Lutz brought to the task

While President Eisenhower warned about the Military Industrial Complex in the United States, one could argue that what is more troubling is the military cultural complexion of the United States. Catherine Lutz makes this argument forcibly in Homefront: A Military City and the American 2oth Century.
Lutz uses Fayetteville, North Carolina as a microcosm to examine the quotidian and epochal influences arising from America's military in times or war and peace. Homefront is the result of intensive data collection and wide ranging interviews. Lutz masterfully combines the two to tell a story of the city and its people that are always interconnected with the ever-widening influence of the U.S. military in the past century.6.
Using the prisms of race, class, and gender, Lutz deconstructs the image of the military as the defender of the American Way. She inverts the paradigm to show that often the presence of the military reinforces existing divisions. Fayetteville is an army town. Throughout the last century it was also a town that experienced Jim Crow, increased domestic violence, hate crimes, and a widening gap between the haves and the underclass. Lutz also documents that the spit-shine image of the Army often camouflages environmental degradation resulting from base operations. Homefront tells the story of the costs-both quantifiable and hidden-to the United States of becoming and remaining the planet's only superpower.
Lutz sets each of her six chapters within an identifiable era for Fayetteville and the U.S. military. The book begins with the opening of Fort Bragg in 1918. This period is, as David Blight argues in Race and Reunion, formed by the previous half century of American mythmaking that raises both the soldier and the South to places of honor in the national psyche. Homefront details how the perception of heroism often conflicts with the local experience of oppression. As Lutz herself writes, when recounting the history of former slave John Nichols-who refused to leave the land that was to become Fort Bragg, "[T]his story is structured around the time's stereotypes." Indeed, throughout the book the presence of the Army is often described by Fayetteville's residents in archetypal terms.
Lutz calls Fayetteville a company town. Because the army is the base for economic activity, the long-time residents of Fayetteville both love and fear it. Lutz describes how already well-off whites have reaped great wealth from the development that Fort Bragg created. She also describes how the city's inability to broaden its industrial base has left poor whites and most blacks working retail jobs with some of the lowest pay scales in North Carolina. In addition, the presence of thousands of young men has created another economy-where sex is the commodity. Sex workers represent the underside of the military culture that envelops a military town. Homefront is direct in examining that underside.
Lutz's voice is clear throughout the book (even when examining the negative effects of World War II-"the good war"). And her critique resonates strongly in the current climate. As Lutz states several places in her book, a military definition of the situation is essential to the military project. The military and its supporters thrive on an us versus them paradigm. Most of the public embraces this paradigm.
Two letters to the editor in the August 28, 2002 Wall Street Journal excoriated the subject of a story who resisted operations at a nearby military base because he thought the base was a detriment to his neighborhood. One letter-writer accused the subject of being more concerned with his lifestyle than his fellow countrymen's security. A letter published in the September 1, 2002 Raleigh News and Observer went even further. In response to someone who questioned the presence of the Junior ROTC on a local high school campus, the letter writer commented: "What's wrong with our children having the same values as, say, George Washington . . . Ulysses S. Grant . . . or Dwight D. Eisenhower." Lutz warns that such conflating of all things military with heroism and leadership is exactly the problem with the cultural complexion that looks back at most Americans in our national mirror. And though Lutz book was finished before 9-11, her research helps explain much of the reaction and rhetoric that has met anyone who questions our current policy in the war on terror or toward removing Saddam Hussein.
My own critiques of Lutz's book are mainly on two fronts. First, her work seems to intentionally avoid the role of religion in Fayetteville and in the broader national discussion. Early on she quotes a minister who states in 1923: "It is a pleasure to record that the relationship between the church and the government as represented in the authorities at Fort Bragg has been most cordial." But aside from the arrival of a Quaker House during the Vietnam years, Lutz does not detail the ebb and flow of the relationship. It seems a dramatic lacuna. The relationship of religion to the military, especially in the South, was pivotal during much of the 20th Century. In fact, I remember that Fayetteville was a regular venue for evangelical gatherings-often Billy Graham-in the 60s and 70s.
Second, the scope of Lutz's work occasionally confuses issues. Because she is focusing on both individual anecdotal evidence and metalanguage, the arguments do not always match. For instance, her work in Fayetteville convinces her that "civilian is the majority, dominant category," but there is "widespread acceptance of a military definition of the situation." For those of us accustomed to identifying the dominant category by determining who has the power to define the situation, these two explanations seem mutually exclusive.
However, my complaints pale in comparison to my admiration. Catherine Lutz has given me-and I believe this will be true for all readers-a new prism through which to view our national military culture. In Fayetteville and throughout the United States, we have met the enemy and they are us.

Homefront is brilliant, incisive and chilling. Catherine Lutz is among the finest of story-tellers and ethnographers of contemporary America. With an anthropologist's eye for detail in the everyday, to a social theorist's eye for the big picture, Homefront is written with passion and intelligence. This book goes a long way in enhancing the readers' understanding of the culture of militarism that is so integral to the present moment. This is definitely a must-read!

Residents of Fayetteville, North Carolina awoke one morning in April of 1954 to find the front page of their local paper carrying news of a nuclear attack downtown; they were informed that sixty-four thousand soldiers were being deployed to amend the situation, aided by six tons of maps and forty-six chaplains. The attack, of course, was a fiction, but the soldiers and their simulated nuclear reaction mission (Exercise Flash Burn) were very real. Catherine Lutz demonstrates in Homefront: A Military City that the life of Fayetteville cannot disentangle itself from the life of Fort Bragg, the nation's largest military base. This study by the renowned anthropologist from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is both as specific as a city history and as broad as a national story. Though Lutz uses Fayetteville as a zooming-in point, her argument-that the dichotomies of military and civilian, war-time and peace-time, are collapsing-is applicable to the country as a whole.
Fayetteville, a city of one hundred thousand semi-affectionately known as "Fayettenam," was chosen as the centerpiece for this project because of its long and bittersweet relationship with Fort Bragg. Lutz traces this history from 1918 (when the city's founding fathers first lured the lucrative industry to the collective pocketbook of the townsfolk), through the patriotism and turmoil of the World Wars and the bitter clashes of the Vietnam War, to the present-day Hot Peace. Relations between the base and the city are both interdependent and strained so that, upon the close inspection Lutz conducts, it becomes unclear where the line between the two is drawn, if indeed it can be drawn at all. Lutz describes Fayetteville's economy as engineered to serve the needs of soldiers on paydays. While other North Carolina cities chose technology industries as their major source of income, Fayetteville cast its lot with the base and the retail sales it would create. This plan has had the two-fold effect of making the few who own the businesses quite rich and the many who work in them, merely touching the money as it passes from soldier to civilian businessman, rather poor. The question of who is serving whom (soldiers training to protect the lives of civilians while civilians tend to soldiers' needs) becomes blurred, as does the question of whom is actually receiving the government paychecks. Further blurring the dichotomy between military and civilian are the many civilians whose presence in Fayetteville is attributable to the military-for instance, the refugees who have come from all over the world, and the "war brides" who moved to Fayetteville with their soldier husbands and settled down. Lutz posits that the draft further lessened the gap between military and civilian by presenting a difficulty in readily distinguishing between the two; the idea that soldiers were lower-class, uneducated, and crass was prominent prior to the World Wars, but suddenly college boys from good families were moving into the base, and some soldiers were the type of boys by whom local upper-middle-class families might want their daughters courted. Another assumed intrinsic difference between soldiers and civilians-that soldiers always see war as the right course of action whereas civilians are more peace-loving-fell during the Vietnam War, when thousands of soldiers protested the United States' involvement and eventually brought about the military's departure from Vietnam. As the differences between soldiers and civilians have become blurred, so have the differences between formerly binary options of war and peace.
Though hegemonic history usually describes time as a series of wars and their interstices, Lutz finds the concepts of war-time and peace-time becoming ever more complicated. While war was formerly viewed as an interference upon the normal state of peace, the periods between war are now filled with preparedness for war, making war the natural state. War games are one, often bizarre, aspect of this war readiness. Obscuring not only the distinctions between war and peace but also those between Fayetteville and Fort Bragg, homefront and battlefield, are the situations in which Fort Bragg's training missions take them into the city in the acting out of a war situation. Though Fayetteville's civilians are notified when the soldiers will be rehearsing for nuclear holocaust or an invasion of "Pineland" (the imaginary country in which Fayetteville lies during war games), such realm-blending upsets traditional ideas of what war is and where it takes place. The Cold War also called into question the nature of war, since only recently has it been true that one can exist in which no blood is shed. Lutz contrasts this state with the current one of Hot Peace-even when the United States is not technically at war, the military is active on peace-keeping missions internationally, assisting insurgents or established governments in the protection of America's best interests.
Homefront is meticulously researched in all manner of sources. Largely ethnographic, Lutz's research consists largely of interviews conducted with eighty residents of Fayetteville over a six year period. Lutz's interviewees include not only the traditional writers of history, but also those whose stories are often left to fall silent-the result is a less favorable military history than the red, white, and blue ones usually heard. The recounts of these interviews have an informal feel to them, occasionally interjected with questions from Lutz and usually accompanied by the interviewees' actual names and personal, unposed photographs. This very human approach should not be seen as a substitute for heavily researched scholarship-Lutz is adept at providing both. Also cited are records from Fort Bragg itself, as well as reports found in the National Archives, local newspaper accounts from the turn of the century, and history books of North Carolina. Lutz allows her subjectivity to shine through the text-though raised in a military family, her horror at the effects of war on all involved are apparent, and it is clear with whom her sympathies lie. With such a well-researched argument, however, Lutz's agenda is incapable of falling through the cracks of substantiation. In the end, Lutz presents a compelling picture of Fayetteville/Fort Bragg as one town, under a base, indivisible.

When researching my novel THE SHAPE: A NOVEL OF INTERNATIONAL SUSPENSE (available on this site, incidentally) I used HOW TO MAKE WAR for my research so as to make the ordnance section of my novel authentic. This is a well-written and well-thought-out book, and I highly recommend it.

This book seems to be very complete and the author highly qualified in war technology, strategy, logistics... For that one is easily convinced by almost all his affirmations but one: it's about the tanks: he says them are impressive war machines, but you must don't trust very much on his power: these steel monsters have demonstrated to be very vulnerable and his use are best when infantry have destroyed the main opposition, against residual resistence ¿¿??. Dunnigan trusts much more in war aircraft. I confess these paragraphs are astonishing for me after the Panzer campaigns, and today, in Middle East. As it were one must expect that also there this book must be read and serve for the ceasefire for once.

Excellent review of how military operations occur. I differ with the other reader below that says that the author assumes only two armies, the US and the USSR. He proposes that two different models exist. In the US/Western model the units are more equiped with the talents required to be self reliant. In the Soviet model the field units use the services of experts in other units because of lack of human resources with the needed skills. This got me thinking about the way we organize our businesses and how one model has proven more effective in the battlefield.

Background

1. 'How To Make War' is as the title suggests is aimed to be `a comprehensive guide to modern warfare for the post cold war era'. This, the third in the series of 'How To Make War' books written by the author James Dunnigan is a comprehensively revised edition published in 1995. The author has gone on to gain much acclaim through his later titles including the well-known `How Not to Make War'.

2. After the end of the Cold War, the world has seen major upheavals in the politico-military arena. The emergence of the United States as the only superpower and recent events such as the Gulf War in 1991, have changed the threat perceptions of most countries and as a consequence military policies. This has invariably lead to a rethink in warfare methods and techniques, in addition to the continued advancement in terms of warfare technology. Dunnigan has written this revised edition of 'How To Make War' with special emphasis to the above changes in the post Cold War scenario.

The Book

3. The author begins by acquainting the reader with the universal `principles of war'. The book is structured into four major sections, the first three being the obvious air, land and sea theatres. More importantly however, is Dunnigan's emphasis on the human factor involved in war, which has a section by itself devoted to it in Part Four of the book. In addition there are four other sections dealing with special weapons, numerical warfare, and transportation logistics. The final section is a summary and statistics of the weapons and armed forces of the time. The sections are interspersed with as many as 48 different charts and tables displaying a vast array of data, which help the reader in assimilating the text. The sections on Ground Combat, Air Operations and Naval Operations introduce and discuss the composition, roles, conditions, developments and future trends of their respective components. This helps the reader to understand and comprehend the facts presented subsequently.

4. In the part dealing with ground combat, the author has brought out the changing role of the infantry with the advance in technology. At the same time he clearly brings out it's indispensability with respect to occupation of enemy territory, which continues to be the final determinant of victory. Dunnigan also charts out the material developments in ground battle methods, by providing details of the armory of the major players of today. The tremendous development in artillery weapons is well documented and interesting, while the factual account of the same is fairly precise and informative. This section also has a chapter devoted to the increasing role of the paramilitary forces and reserves.

5. In the section on Air Operations, the author tries to substantiate his theory that the air force is primarily an information gathering service whose warfare role evolved to destroy the enemy air forces. He does dwell on it's emerging importance in softening of enemy targets for the infantry, while contending that this role is being taken up by air support divisions of the latter. He also elaborates at length on the air force's "simple missions" but complex "means". A separate discussion on Air Defence in the following chapter contains a wealth of information and statistics.

6. In the section dealing with the Navy, the author stresses the importance of control of commercial shipping lanes through naval might. The importance of technology upgrades for the US despite the indisputable superiority of its forces is dealt with at length. Submarine warfare and naval air operations are also discussed separately in different chapters.

7. The author has laid great emphasis on the human factors of war. He has dealt elaborately on the psychological, professional, motivational and leadership aspects of this major constituent of warfare. One cannot dispute his contention that "when it comes to fighting, warfare is not waged by numbers, but through the courage, determination, skill, and leadership of individuals. As a part of this section the author has included a brief discussion of the peacetime role and pressures on the armed forces.

8. The discussion on special weapons includes interesting details on electronic warfare and the opening up of space as the new dimension in warfare. The dangers of biological and chemical weapons and the tendency of Third World countries giving in to this low cost option is clearly brought out. The author also raises relevant questions about the viability of Nuclear Weapons and their relation to the conventional options. Dunnigan also raises important issues of economics and the logistics of war. The reader is given a concise picture of the quantum of mobilisaton of supplies and the related costs.

Comments

9. The book as a whole provides a fairly comprehensive picture of the world's weapons and armed forces. It also attempts to give an insight into the tactics employed. The information provided is interesting and educative without going into specifications of armaments and weapon systems. The author's credibility is enhanced by the fact that warfare developments and results of wars, have conformed to his predictions in earlier books. This book should not however be in any way mistaken for a book of reference akin to Jane's. It is more of an educative tool in the hands of a young officer who wishes to improve his understanding and comprehension of the various aspects of warfare.

10. At the same time the reader may be cautioned that the author's viewpoint is primarily based on information and intelligence derived from a majority of US sources. Some of the theories enunciated and assessments are based totally on US perceptions. Additionally the concepts enunciated in 1995, may require some revision in the fast changing world scenario. The length of the book and its text format (622 pages of fine print) does tend deter the prospective reader. However, the book provides the discerning reader (the service officer and the layman alike), an opportunity to expand his horizons, by enabling a fairly in depth insight into all the important aspects of warfare while increasing his knowledge on weapons and systems. 'How To Make War,' undoubtedly needs to be included in any Naval officers `should read' list.

Very thorough. Excellent knowledge of the arms and methods of modern warfare as used around the time of the Gulf War and Cold War. Graphs and charts comparing Western and Russian /Third World armies and arms. Discussion of everything from strategies to morale and the intangibles of modern war. Gives insight into warfare and you understand why anyone who's been there doesn't want to go there again. Yet it gives the necessities and analysis of war. It's got alot of information, which the average reader may find more information than they need or want to know. Yet the readability is good. An excellent book.

George Perkovich has produced a seminal work on India's nuclear weapons program. He analyzes the political, economic, security issues that have contributed to India's decision-making regarding the bomb. George has correctly identified India as being caught in a dilemma for a long time over nuclear weapons testing. India also provides the only example of a nuclear weapons program that was openly debated in a democratic society. This debate (which ranked often very low on the priorities of successive prime ministers who correctly placed socio-economic development as a higher priority) has led to India shifting its position over time -- one from being the first proponent of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty to opposing it due to is discriminatory nature today. It describes how India's opposition to nuclear weapons in the '50s which was perceived as being moralizing in the West, has now changed to embrace weapons since the nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty permanently endorsed the nuclear weapons status of the five declared nuclear powers without any comprehensive, binding time-table for destroying all nuclear weapons -- a position that India objects to as being discriminatory.

A must-read for anyone interested in nuclear weapons proliferation and arms control negotiations today.

Less to do with the bomb per se, but a scholarly history of the Indian nuclear program. This is a work that will be quoted again and again.

This is easily one of the best books I have read about my own country. Very informative.

Note to editorial Reviewers: India entered the nuclear club in May 1974 and not in May 1998 as suggested by some of your reviews.

Some highlights of the book.

* The term nuclear "haves" and "have-nots" was coined by Homi Bhabha initially and used by others and till date has been central to putting forth our country's opposition to NPT and CTBT.

* University of Chicago's late Prof. Chandrasekhar's refusal to head the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) after the death of patriot Dr. Homi Bhabha.

* One of my disappointment is the author's avoidance in the discussion of the cause of the death of Dr. Homi Bhabha, even though such an incident is beyond the scope of this book. Since Bhabha provided the impetus and leadership during the nuclear program's infancy, I expected the author to throw some light on this issue.

* Vikram Sarabhai's hatred for Nuclear tests is news, especially since he was heading the Atomic Energy commision. As a spaceman it is surprising that he headed the organization in the first place.

* Indira Gandhi's refusal to allow more nuclear tests after 1974 stemmed from her abhorence for anything nuclear after her post-Pokhran I experiences. This is contrary to the popular belief - international pressure.

* Most sections of the book has an objective view of the Indian nuclear scenario except the last few chapters where the author seems to bend towards India signing the CTBT and the NPT. Or atleast implying that India's moral stand on nuclear issue was defeated after the May 98 tests.

* BJP (and its predecessor Jana Sangh) has been the only political party to openly campaign for Nuclear power.

It is time that India and Pakistan get the respect they deserve as nuclear powers. Why is it that France, Germany, Israel, the U.S., Russia, and South Africa (now supposedly non-nuclear) have been able to garner the respect that China, India and Pakistan are alluded by? Is it becuase they are not white Europeans? Nontheless, a well researched book.

As an Indian immensely proud of his country's accomplishments and having had to enter multiple debates with other non-Indians in May 1998, I gained a great amount from the book. It is immaculately researched and it seems that Perkovich has left no stone unturned. It goes into such depth and understanding of the Indian polity's psyche as previously unseen from a non-Indian author. Perkovich is not merely narrating a set of events which led to the testing but defending a theory that goes against current understandings of international relations and nuclear non-profileration by setting India as an example. I enjoyed every chapter of the book and hope that current policy makers in the field learn from it. A must read for every Indian interested it their country's policies and others making policy for the rest of the world.

One of the better suspense novels and authors I've read. You never know where truth leaves off and fiction enters in. Put this book and author at the top of your list! Looking forward to the next work.

Well, I have just added another person to my list of must read auhtors. This is definitel my kind of book to read! Loaded with intrigue, thrills and action galore! Mr. Scott has written a real winner here and I highly recommend that others take it up as well!

This book should come with a seatbelt. You will be holding on as the action races ahead, hoping you can last longer than some of the characters. Scott, a retired Army officer, served during the period this action takes place. While a work of fiction, his knowledge of places and events makes it all seem plausible and exciting. It is very fast paced,and just when readers think they might have it all figured out, bang, there's a new twist. If your bookshelf is filled with international intrigue and adventure, then you will want to add this one.

I have never read a book twice - until I got my hands on this masterfully written book. Not only could I not put it down the first time, but the second time was the same. I was so amazed at the multi-dimensional plots presented by James Scott during the first read that I did not fully absorb the vivid description of characters and locations. It was obvious that Scott "had been there" in all of the locations provided as backdrops to the story line. Also evident was his deep understanding of the human mind and its motivators. Greed, lust, and the role of power propel the reader in a breathless page-turning experience. I don't know which I look forward to the most - the movie version or the next Scott novel.

I purchased the book when I met the author, Mr. Scott (who promised me I'd like the story) as we talked at the Ft McPherson Mini-Mall. I must admit I was not disappointed. As a civil servant who works with military and civilians, I've seen some of the same types of characters reflected in the story. Mr. Scott captures their ambition mixed with greed which leads to this wonderful web of spiders and flies. Having been a Northern Virginia resident for many years, I found myself running through the streets of Crystal City and Alexandria along with lead character Ed Holloway who tries desparately to keep his weakneses in check while setting record straight. The Iran-Contradictions is certainly on par with products by Dan Brown or Robert Ludlum. I liked it so much I chose it a my selection for my book club members to read. A great debut Mr. Scott.

"Last in Their Class" is easily one of the most accessible titles in the category of "Military History" that has ever been published. Having read numerous books on the Civil War, it is rare to find one that kept me interested from start to finish, AND that I would recommend to a casual reader of history without hesitation. Though much of the book centers around the proverbial Goats, it also dives deeply into the culture of West Point and life in 19th century America. Robbins engages the reader in tales of cadets sneaking out to the nearest bar, then deftly segues into the details of an obscure engagement on the western frontier, while never losing the narrative thread or the reader's attention. I would recommend this book to almost any reader; simply wonderful.

Just finished this book, and it was imho enthralling, very hard to put down..its takes us on a tour of West Point graduates ranked as "immortals" (those being the bottom 10 of their class) and the Goat, the last in their class.,..some famous names were goats or immortals; Heth, Pickett, Custer, Kirby Smith the Crittenden(s) Grant ( whose worst subject was..Infantry tactics go figure) among many others..... Great reading regards the Seminoles wars, Mexican-American War the Civil war......the trials and tribulations at West Point, their pranks and punishments etc....many great complimentary bios to be found here, Whistler, Poe et al...all wound up with stories of their military performance's and stories regards their paths criss-crossing in the Civil war etc....a comparative analysis as to why so many of the Immortals and Goats had an impact all out of proportion to the top 5 and their relative ranks, which in the end, means nothing...

What an enlightening book! Fun, interesting and full of great trivia!

This book gives proof that you don't have to be first to be great! Lots of great stories about West Point and its history.

Makes a great gift for an Army officer or NCO.

I highly recommend this most inspirational literary work. The anecdotes of forgotten soldiers (officers and volunteers alike), men who shined but a moment on the pages of history, have touched me deeply. I empathize with their infamy at being named Last in their Class, yet these "rejects" rose to great heights of achievement due to other redeeming character traits. There's a lesson to be learned from these mini-biographies as one carefully reads each page, absorbing the intriguing stories line by line. This is a book to be savored, not rushed through. I am thoroughly enjoying my visit in the pages of this fine book. This seems to be the author's one and only work; here's wishing James S. Robbins future success in publishing.

This extremely well-written book tells the story of many of the men who were at the bottom of their graduating class from West Point: the Goats. Prime examples were Generals Pickett and Custer, among others. The theme of the book is to show that class rank does not necessarily translate into military success. Following the lives of several of these men was quite interesting, particularly the ones that are not so well known today. There is a breezy style of writing in this book, and it gives one pause to think about the current emphasis about class rank endemic all over the country. People should strive to be the best, but as this book reminds us, sometimes the best isn't what this country needs.

Lonely Vigil is an absolute page turner from beginning to end. Walter Lord did a fine job putting together the story of the many coastwatchers in the Solomon Islands. There are many first person accounts of incidences on all the major islands. I especially liked the chapter on Donald Kennedy and his native guerilla army and their incredible exploits against the Japanese. Why a movie hasn't been made about this guy I don't know. The book covers a number of different coastwatchers and holds the readers attention very well. The photos and maps are a big plus as well. It's to bad that most people in the US don't know more about these brave and resourceful men. During this period of WW2 the issue was still in doubt and the coastwatchers played a tremendous role in turning this around. It would have been a priviledge to serve with and know these men and the brave Solomon Islanders who risked everything by standing by them. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this book

A few hundred coastwatchers of the Solomon Islands, mostly Australians, played a crucial role in winning World War II in the Pacific. These men -- including one family and one woman missionary -- were mostly planters, officials, and missionaries who had been living in the Solomon islands before World War II and who remained in place in 1942 and 1943, often behind Japanese lines. They set up their cumbersome radios on mountain tops and reported the movements of Japanese aircraft and ships to the embattled Americans on Guadalcanal.

In the early days of the Guadalcanal campaign it was the laconic radio reports -- "forty bombers heading yours" is an example -- of the coastwatchers who gave the American marines almost two hours notice of Japanese bombers heading their way. This enabled the ragtag "Cactus Air Force" to get into the air and swoop down on the Japanese planes when they arrived. Without the coastwatchers the vital battle for Guadalcanal might have been lost. Later the coastwatchers also became rescuers of downed US pilots and sailers, notably of a young naval lieutenant named John F. Kennedy whose PT Boat was sunk. Perhaps the most remarkable story in the book is that of Jacob Vouza, an island native who was shot, bayoneted, and left for dead by the Japanese but survived to report the advance of a Japanese batallion readying an attack on the Americans.

Author Walter Lord tells in "Lonely Vigil" what had been the untold story of the coastwatchers. Much of the book is compiled from interviews with about 100 participants. It's a fascinating and exotic tale of unconventional warriors, heroes, and colorful characters that should be on the reading list of essential World War II books.

Smallchief

This book documents the history of the Coastwatchers, a little-known intelligence corps operating in the South Pacific during World War II. As war loomed on the horizon early in the 1940s, it became apparent to Australian Naval Intelligence that it would be useful to post observers on key strategic islands off the coast of Australia and New Guinea who could report movements of enemy ships and other military activities. The Coastwatchers, as this team came to be called, were commanded by an Australian officer named Eric Feldt. The men who filled these positions were of varied backgrounds, from military officers to missionaries and British colonial officials, and even an American who managed to get transferred from his regular unit. On each of the key islands in the Solomons, the Coastwatchers established lookout points high in the mountain jungles, from where they could radio in to headquarters their counts of ships and incoming planes. By Lord's account, these reports were vital in the air battles in the Solomons, since they gave warnings to the Allies of incipient attacks, enabling them to prepare and stage effective counter-maneuvers. The Coastwatchers also assisted in the evacuation of Western refugees, both colonists and missionaries. One of their other important tasks was to locate Allied personnel whose planes or ships had been downed and help them make their way back to friendly territory. Indeed, it was a Coastwatcher who found the men of PT 109 and assisted Kennedy and his men in their odyssey back to their units. The book is illustrated with several sections of black-and-white vintage photographs. At the end of the book are a list of contributors and interviewees and an index.

A few hundred coastwatchers of the Solomon Islands, mostly Australians, played a crucial role in winning World War II in the Pacific. These men -- including one family and one woman missionary -- were mostly planters, officials, and missionaries who had been living in the Solomon islands before World War II and who remained in place in 1942 and 1943, often behind Japanese lines. They set up their cumbersome radios on mountain tops and reported the movements of Japanese aircraft and ships to the embattled Americans on Guadalcanal.

In the early days of the Guadalcanal campaign it was the laconic radio reports -- "forty bombers heading yours" is an example -- of the coastwatchers who gave the American marines almost two hours notice of Japanese bombers heading their way. This enabled the ragtag "Cactus Air Force" to get into the air and swoop down on the Japanese planes when they arrived. Without the coastwatchers the vital battle for Guadalcanal might have been lost. Later the coastwatchers also became rescuers of downed US pilots and sailers, notably of a young naval lieutenant named John F. Kennedy whose PT Boat was sunk. Perhaps the most remarkable story in the book is that of Jacob Vouza, an island native who was shot, bayoneted, and left for dead by the Japanese but survived to report the advance of a Japanese batallion readying an attack on the Americans.

Author Walter Lord tells in "Lonely Vigil" what had been the untold story of the coastwatchers. Much of the book is compiled from interviews with about 100 participants. It's a fascinating and exotic tale of unconventional warriors, heroes, and colorful characters that should be on the reading list of essential World War II books.

Smallchief

This book documents the history of the Coastwatchers, a little-known intelligence corps operating in the South Pacific during World War II. As war loomed on the horizon early in the 1940s, it became apparent to Australian Naval Intelligence that it would be useful to post observers on key strategic islands off the coast of Australia and New Guinea who could report movements of enemy ships and other military activities. The Coastwatchers, as this team came to be called, were commanded by an Australian officer named Eric Feldt. The men who filled these positions were of varied backgrounds, from military officers to missionaries and British colonial officials, and even an American who managed to get transferred from his regular unit. On each of the key islands in the Solomons, the Coastwatchers established lookout points high in the mountain jungles, from where they could radio in to headquarters their counts of ships and incoming planes. By Lord's account, these reports were vital in the air battles in the Solomons, since they gave warnings to the Allies of incipient attacks, enabling them to prepare and stage effective counter-maneuvers. The Coastwatchers also assisted in the evacuation of Western refugees, both colonists and missionaries. One of their other important tasks was to locate Allied personnel whose planes or ships had been downed and help them make their way back to friendly territory. Indeed, it was a Coastwatcher who found the men of PT 109 and assisted Kennedy and his men in their odyssey back to their units. The book is illustrated with several sections of black-and-white vintage photographs. At the end of the book are a list of contributors and interviewees and an index.

Lord collected this material some 20 years after the war by traveling through the islands and conducting extensive interviews with the Coastwatchers, Solomon Island residents, veterans, and missionaries who had worked with or been rescued by the Coastwatchers. Instead of presenting the material in one long continuous saga, Lord's approach is to describe the events island by island and station by station. For the sake of completeness, he tries to weave in the names of every person who played a role in each incident. As a result, there is not a lot of cohesion to tie the story together. As a reader, I frequently found myself taking note of a person's name and story since Lord made it seem important for the big picture, only to find that the person was never mentioned again. The book is very much the story of individual people, whose contributions to the war effort might have gone untold if it weren't for the painstaking research that Lord undertook. While I am in no position to judge the accuracy of Lord's account, I note that in my copy of the book, which came from the collection of a public library, there are several marginal notes correcting names and ranks, and units of people mentioned in the text.

Having served as a Lead B-17 Radar Navigator/Bombardier (Pathfinder) in the same outfit as Captain Alling, it brought back many memories of my tour in the 34th Bomb Group. I too served in the 4th Squadron on the Knockout Dropper, piloted by Jim Sain who was mentioned in this book. Many of the experiences of the author were similar to mine and I participated in several of the same missions. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in getting an exciting description of serving in a lead plane on many missions.

A matter of fact account of U.S. airraids over Germany in WWII. Not told with bravado or hyperbole, but just plain gripping accounts of hair-raising, almost suicidal bombing runs. You get a feel for conditions in the B-17, and the fear and trepidation the pilot (book's author) and his crew experienced, with the flight back to the States at the end of the European theatre one of the most nerve-wracking. I highly recommend this account, which is just one of several devoted to this part of the war.

Having been reading various WWII books this fall and winter, I rate this as one of the best. If you have any interest in what it was like to fight (and luckily survive) the US air war bombing offensive, grab this book today. You will not be disappointed.

A couple of days ago while I was in the middle of this book I mentioned I was reading it to a fellow across the table from me. He said: 'I flew in B-17's during the war.' He went on to say that he had been the radioman/dorsal gunner. I said something about the guys in this book flying 27 missions. He said that he had only flown seven.

I couldn't help but think that this was kind of puny compared to what these guys did. But then he went on.

On his seventh mission, somewhere over occupied France they were attacked and he was hit. Back in England he was hospitalized and told that it would be unlikely that he would ever walk again. He was still in the hospital when the plane went out on its 9th mission and didn't return.

I said that this sounded pretty rough.

'Everybody had it pretty rough in those days.'

This kind of 'aw shucks' attitude, from my lunch mate to the author of this book is why they are called 'The Greatest Generation.' Even though they would never admit it.

This is the story of one plane, one crew. It's told in a matter of fact way. Perhaps this is the only way that such a story can be told. Mr. Alling waited a lot of years to tell the story. Perhaps that too is the only way. Perhaps the time and the distance are necessary to get a realistic view. Thank you Mr. Alling for sharing the story.

Captain Chuck Alling masterfully recounts his experiences as pilot of the 34th Bomb Group's lead B17G bomber during the last two years of WW2. "A Mighty Fortress" should be required reading for every military officer and is a "must read" for anyone interested in the Mighty Eighth Army Air Force's operations against the Third Reich. As a retired officer and military historian myself, I believe "A Mighty Fortress" is most probably the most inspirational book about WW2 ever written.

This really let's you see what family members were going through. My uncle is mentioned in this book, and he doesn't talk about this at all. This really shows me why he doesn't want to.

An incredibly moving story of Recon in Vietnam. Many very familiar names. Superbly told tales. It will give you a respect for the Viet Vet Reconner, or any Marine, you won't soon forget.

This is my favorite vietnam book yet. I couldn't put it down. The stories told made me feel like I was there. The short stories at the very end were hilarious.

Great book. Have never been in the Marines but this book made me feel like I was in there with them. What is a Hero. It's Someone who is selfless,and would give his life for his friends. We had quite a few of them in the Rangers which is the unit I served with in Nam, but I am sure that each unit had them. Roadrunner6 out

I was a grunt in a Line Company with the 3rd Marines on Operations Taught Bow at Charlie Ridge, Hastings and Prairie on the DMZ.

We might have been a little louder than recon liked, but we carried about 50#lbs more on our back than they did and we were invited to their parties. He did make it sound like we were gate crashers!

An excellent book, "Home Is Where You Dig It". It is worthy of the saying, "From the outside, you can't understand it, from the inside, I can't explain it, Semper Fi.