Military Books

I read this book when it first came out. Then with our Iraqi fiasco in mind I read it again and was overwhelmed by the fact that the same hubris laden micalculated assumptions of a cearly incompetent cabal of idiots in power once again has sent Americans to early graves for nothing. Choosing War is never a good choice!!

In Choosing War, Mr. Logevall presents a very cogent and deeply reasoned assessment of America's entry into the futile and eventually tragic landscape of an Americanized war in Vietnam. There are so many commonly held beliefs about the necessity of America's involvement there was to prevent the spread of Communism, that it is refreshing, but painful, to read about how and why America went so wrong - and how many chances we had to change direction. It is most infuriating to see the steady drumbeat of the military generals and like-minded advisors twisting and subverting the information coming out of Vietnam that was shifted to show that American military might was making a positive and meaningful difference in pursuit of our goals for a non-communist South, knowing full well this was not the case. As in JFK and Vietnam [by John Newman], it paints a frightening picture of how at the mercy of others are the president's choices.
A most interesting and prescient comment occurs in the final chapter and paragraph of the book that equates lessons unlearned from Vietnam allowing similar mindsets to erupt, engaging America in a similarly foolish military incursion in a foreign country whose population and conditions we also don't understand.
A very well written, well researched and easily readable book.

This book is well written, well argued, and fascinating. It's especially timely now as we try to understand the forces that led us into the Iraq war. My students liked it too.

As the war in Vietnam escalated in 1994 and 95, I was a young naïve supporter of the war simply because I believed that whatever it took to stop and fight communism was justified. My first doubts about the justification of this war came when I would hear the causality figures at the end of each week on the nightly news. I can remember these figures e.g. 946 VC killed in the fighting this week; 94 Americans died. I simply did not believe that anyone knew how many VC were killed, and questioned the figures reported including those of American causalities. As things developed, I began to reassess my thoughts about the American involvement in this war. I read McNamara's "In Retrospect," Neil Sheehan's "A Bright Shining Lie," Stanley Karnow's "Vietnam: A History," But it was Fredrik Logevall's "Choosing War," that really gave me the insight to this conflict. It's the most enlightening account of the American involvement in Vietnam I've read to date. Last year I visted Ho Chi Minh City (formally Saigon). This is in itself was more of education than any of the books. It's my recommendation to all who are interested in the American involvement in Vietnam, to read this detailed and comprehensive account.

Not only is Professor Logevall an excellent historian...he is an excellent teacher as well! I have taken one of his classes at UC Santa Barbara; they are the best and most popular classes on campus.

I shared the book with my mother(Usha) and my daughter(Arathi). All three of us found the plot very engaging and could not put the book down till we finished it. Each of us could identify with Vidya in different ways. The author's narration is so vivid and spontaneous that the characters come to life. The experience of growing up in a 'joint family' is described most realistically. It brought back memories, good and not-so-good, of summer vacations when a whole host of cousins, uncles, aunts would descend on us. The covert hierarchy that exists in extended Indian families is also portrayed very well. In my own family, the more 'successful' and prosperous members were accorded more respect and treated better than the others. They also tended to be about as nasty as Vidya's periamma.
I look forward to reading more books by Padma.

A family tragedy gives Climbing the Stairs its running start. Vidya is a thoughtful and intelligent fifteen-year-old girl growing up in colonial India who dreams of a college education until her father is so badly beaten by British soldiers during a peaceful demonstration that he is brain damaged. She and her mother and brother must then go live in her grandfather's home, where she has to play the Cinderella to her nasty, domineering aunt. Only by "climbing the stairs" from the first floor, the women's quarters, to the library in the second floor, the men's quarters, can Vidya find sanctuary and the books she craves.

Venkatraman writes vividly and with great authenticity about the mood of the times. Indian life, with this Brahmin family's practice of Hinduism, its holidays, prescribed customs and rigid class structure, is portrayed particularly well and she highlights the spiritual struggles of her characters in a way not usually featured in young adult novels. The account of young Vidya's time spent in isolation from the rest of the family in the "outhouse" set aside for menstruating women is worth the price of the book.

The author has based this serious novel on the life of her mother, who grew up in India during that period. Her writing is clear and elegant, and perhaps her story might have been a little more illuminating if she had been able to tell it outside the box of her mother's voice. Nonetheless, there is enough household drama in the lives of Brahmins living on the brink of an India about to change forever to rush the plot forward to Vidya's double happy ending.

Have you ever wondered how it might feel to have your marriage arranged for you by your parents and relatives? Have you ever imagined permanently living under the same roof as your extended family? Have you ever known the desperation of living without rights or a voice of your own? If so, Padma Venkatraman's "Climbing the Stairs" is the book for you.

This book gives readers a glimpse into what it means to live in a traditional Indian joint family and of the restrictions imposed on people due to social and cultural norms. It speaks to the searing pain of oppression and the struggle for independence, both national and personal. Vidya, the protagonist of this story, is a curious girl who tries to make sense of the changing world in which she finds herself. India is in the midst of its freedom struggle against British rule and there are strong opinions on how this must be attained. Vidya grapples with the question of "means and ends" and "love and loyalty," while trying to remain true to her still formulating beliefs. Despite circumstances that unalterably change the course of Vidya's life, this courageous spitfire of a girl navigates her circumstances to uncompromisingly reach for her goals. Venkatraman's "Climbing the Stairs" is a fast paced book full of memorable characters, a strong story line, and a satisfying conclusion. I highly recommend readers accompany Vidya on her journey; they will be changed just as she is.

Vidya dreams about going to college. She likes to read and enjoys school, and unlike other girls around her she doesn't want to get married. Vidya isn't a typical Indian woman.

Everything is going well for her, until the day her father is brutally beaten by an English soldier. With her father unable to work she must move into her grandfather's house which is occupied by an interesting cast of characters. Vidya's life is miserable and the only solace she finds is going upstairs to the library where she reads for hours. But going upstairs into the men's quarters is forbidden.

While in the library Vidya meets a young man named Raman. He's unlike the others in the household because he treats her like an equal and encourages her to read. As time goes on Vidya begins to develop feelings for Raman but she doesn't know if she is willing to give up college for a man.

What was different about this book compared to so many that I read set during World War II was this book took place in India. Ms. Venkatraman does an excellent of immersing the reader in Indian culture. She explains the foods, festivals and different customs. The caste system is explored in this book as well as the gender roles.

The only drawback to this book is there was no glossary. The author uses so many Indian words, which is wonderful, but I think the addition of a glossary would have helped students.

Overall, I enjoyed this story and I think it would be an excellent book for a social studies teacher to use. So many topics are coved in this book that it would be an excellent teaching too. Teens who want to read about history, politics and other cultures will enjoy this novel.

Padma Venkatraman artfully weaves the large issues of freedom (and the vigilence it requires), monotheism, gender, self-possession, pacifism, and the deep well of literacy into a charged narrative of a young woman's coming to terms with her changing world and her distinct inner laws. The novel takes place in the early years of WWII when Japan was pressing India. A terrific book for anyone interested in the domestic Indian landscape; for anyone interested in a young woman's rise to self-possession. Hopefully this is the first of others!

One of the most incredible books I have ever read. I had the honor of meeting Col. Dramesi at age 14 in Mt. Home AFB, Idaho. He and my father Col. David Reiner worked together flying F-111's. He has been and always will be an inspiration in my life. I have read this book countless times and over the years did countless book reports in school. Col. Dramesi is a hero's hero!

I've read the book Code of Honor and found it to be absolutely amazing! Colonel Dramesi is a very brave man who has been through a lot in his life. I have had the opportunity to talk to him and learn of his feelings about the war and being imprisoned. I would recommend his book to anyone who wants to learn more about the Vietnam War and the prison camps in Hanoi.

Lt. John Dramesi was assigned to the 354th TFW at Myrtle Beach AFB,SC in 1958. We were on temp duty at Matagorda Bombing Range in TX. On take off in his F100 he hit a herd of deer. I forget how many. We painted the amount on his plane. His landing gear was crippled and he made an emergency landing at Foster AFB,TX. I was sent to repair the electrical damage. I read his book and am not suprised at his bravery. What a man. We had many of them at Myrtle Beach.The Maintenance men called him "THE DEER SLAYER" after that.

I worked around Col.Dramesi, while I was stationed at Plattsburgh AFB, New York. I was fortunate enough to get an autographed copy of his book when it was first released. He was a living legend at Plattsburgh, and people were truly in awe of him. Thank you, Colonel Dramesi, for serving your country so honorably!

I had the distinct honor of serving under Colonel Dramesi after he became the Wing Commander of the 509 Bomb Wing (M), Pease AFB, NH. When I knew him at Pease AFB, Colonel Dramesi was a quiet man, but he deserved everyone's respect. His outstanding book recalls his captivity in the Hanoi Hilton and is, by far, the most descriptive of all books I have ever read about what these HEROES experienced. The book depicts his experiences of being shot down over Vietnam, an accurate description of the deplorable conditions in which he was forced to endure in Cell #6, his recollection of personal torture for literally 38 days in a row, his two escape attempts from the Hanoi Hilton, and the sorrowful loss of his friend Capt Ed Adderbury. Although I have somehow misplaced my copy of the book (I am looking for a replacement), I remember that Colonel Dramesi was, and always will be, worthy of the following statement: "Welcome Home American." A "must have" for anyone who wants to know the truth about our POW's in Vietnam. Colonel: You will never be forgotten!

Captain Vogel has done an excellent job explaining the profound impact that social / political decisions can make on our military's readiness. Constant Bearing-Decreasing Range is an enjoyable story that left me questioning positions that I had held for years. My only thought at the end of the book was "Wow".

Written by 20-year Navy veteran Skip Vogel, Constant Bearing - Decreasing Range: The Collision of Public Policy and National Defense is a novel based on true-life ramifications of President Lyndon Johnson's ill-advised choice to swell the American military's ranks by allowing freshly convicted criminals to join. The result was a souring of the nation's armed forces; the misfits and felons that entered its ranks proved difficult to integrate and sometimes became the nation's worst enemy. Constant Bearing - Decreasing Range also focuses upon the personal story of one high-risk sailor named Sam, as the military strives to shape him into a true soldier without jeopardizing the success of its missions. A captivating, action-packed read with insights about the dangers of lowering military recruitment standards too low that are immediately relevant in today's modern age.

Skip Vogel uses his 20 years of Navy experience to weave an intricate tale of life aboard a major warship in the 1970's.
The aircraft carrier USS UNION is the stage on which Vogel's story plays out. It's the 1970's, and several civilian judiciary systems have taken to allowing convicted criminals to serve in the military instead of serving their time. While this experiment bears fruit with a small percentage of misguided youth, by and large it results in several criminal and psychotic personnel being inducted into the Navy in general and onto the UNION in particular. Against this tide of dishonor stand Admiral Yorel, YN3 Byrd, and some other good sailors, chiefs, and officers who realize that they are in dire straits, and who set out to make it right. Vogel does an excellent job of capturing the leadership challenges involved, and also the frustration of the lead characters as they fight not only a criminal element in the crew, but a bureaucratic Navy that is more concerned with paperwork and political correctness than it is about national defense. Well written and engrossing, this book illustrates the conflict that sometimes ensues between public policy and defending this country. Suggested for Navy veterans, leadership students, and those interested in social justice.

I thought the author did a good job of portraying the life of some people in the Navy, and how enlistment practices affected them and affected the capibilities of the ship.

As a retired naval officer who had a tour on an aircraft carrier I found Skip Vogel's book, Constant Bearing-Decreasing Range an outstanding read. I was caught up in the story in the first few pages and had trouble putting it down until I could finish it. Skip Vogel has a wonderful writing style and is very accurate in his descriptions of life in a carrier during the 1970s. Do doubt this a reflection of personal experience but for anyone who just loves a great story this is a must read.

This is a well written, well-researched, and highly entertaining account of one important part of the history of the rigid airship--a history that really shouldn't have ended. The US Navy originally planned to use Zeppelins as airborne aircraft carriers--carrying reconnaissance aircraft. Two were built and both met with bad luck. Had the Navy been successful, worked out the problems, and advanced the technology, it would have been unlikely that the Japanese could have moved their fleet unseen to within striking distance of Pearl Harbor. They made great defensive weapons, lousy offensive ones. Additionally a serious plan was afoot to finance a fleet of cargo Zeppelins for the Pacific. The beasts may be slow but they are faster than large surface vessels and are terrific heavy-haulers. They also don't make a mess of the ocean or ruin whale communications.

This book is a great way to get a sense of an extinct technology that might have been not only workable but also preferable to our current ones. Speed has made the world smaller but we're rapidly learning that isn't such a wonderful thing. Zeppelins would have helped create space--breathing room--in the global economy. Travel would be almost forced to be leisurely and civilized. Today it's more fun to take a bus to Cleveland than to fly in a loud and cramped jumbo jet to Paris. The jets pollute the upper atmosphere causing tremendous environmental damage, the Zeppelins wouldn't have.

Those of us who love this subject and would enjoy seeing the skies filled with these gentle behemoths seem like hopeless romantics, but maybe the intuitive appeal is less irrational than suspected. Maybe we sense that the positive gains provided by fast communications and modern transportation technologies are not exactly outweighing the overall losses. Trains, trolleys, airships, surface ships, a phone that's not with you 24/7, and a whole lot less Internet, might actually be the optimum technologies for a sane and sensible world. Bigger, faster, and more powerful are the options the dinosaurs went for and look where it led 'em.

Essentially a story of the historic round-world trip of the Graf Zeppelin, it evolves into a concise history of the Zeppelin dirigible industry and the men who made it happen against all the odds.
Brilliant description and narrative flow combine with meticulous research in praise of what was arguably the most impressive man-made sight in the skies - ever. However, we are constantly reminded of the economic facts that this could never be a long-term solution to mass travel. On most flights the crew outnumbered the passengers, there were no schedules to speak of, ground crews numbered in the hundreds and only the very wealthy could afford the expense of the trips. Eckener was not fazed by this - his dream was to use the airship to relieve economic hardship, facilitate scientific research and promote political harmony.
And, we read between the lines of the love that Dr. Eckener (and Mr. Botting) have for this beautiful form of air-travel; it pours from the page in the transcripts of newspaper reporter's accounts, in the tumultuous reception that these great airships had at every arrival, in the awe of the primitive people of the Sahara and Siberia.

The sad thing is that these giants never really achieved their promised sovereignty of the skies - sadder still is the Epilogue which hints at the resurgence of German airship industry in the Cargolifter enterprise, which is now in receivership.

Nevertheless, a rivetting read and a fascinating insight into a breed of men (and a woman) who persevered in promoting a wonderful dream.

The woman in this book, Lady Grace Hay-Drummond-Hay is my great aunt (my paternal grandmother's sister). Sadly she died many years before I ever knew her and so this book not only is a great read from an historical perspective, it also tells me more about my inspirational relative.

I have been fascinated by the age of the rigid airships since childhood, and have read as much as I could find on their history, but I've never come across a book on the subject as well-written or as informative as this one.

The Graf Zeppelin's famous flight around the world is the jumping off-point for this story, and the author recreates it in vivid detail. You will find yourself peering out of the gondola with the other passengers as the giant silver bird floats gracefully up into the sky. You will marvel with them at the vastness of the globe below them...the endless Siberian territory, much of it probably never gazed on by human eyes before; the great expanse of the Pacific, never crossed by air before; and on across the great panorama of America.

You will relive this historic journey, but you will learn much more. You will travel back to the birth of the rigid airship, the brainchild of the "Crazy Count" Von Zeppelin; you will learn of its development, its triumphs, its failures, its key role in the First World War. You will follow the story into the Golden Age of the passenger airship, as the Graf under the command of Dr. Eckener explores one new frontier after another; you will understand how the Nazi takeover in Germany changed the nature of the Zeppelin enterprise; and you will see the steps that led to the fiery demise of the passenger airship when the Hindenberg exploded in flames over the landing field at Lakehurst, New Jersey.

If you have any sort of interest in airships, you should buy this book. It won't disappoint you!

Today with stealth fighters and bombers, Concorde supersonic airliners and jumbo-jets, few people realize that from 1928 to May 1937 German zeppelins dominated trans-Atlantic passenger air travel. In the book, Dr. Eckener's Dream Machine, Douglas Botting takes the reader back to the time of "zeppelin fever" and using the Graf Zeppelin as the narrative vehicle, tells the story of the German zeppelins and the life of Dr. Hugo Eckener.

The book opens with a account of the Graf Zeppelin's August 1929 flight from Friedrichshafen Germany to Berlin, the beginning of the Graf's 1929 round the world flight. Chapter 2 tells the story of Count Zeppelin and his invention of the rigid airship in 1900. Amazingly in 1910 zeppelins began carrying passengers on sightseeing flights over German cities. Chapter 3 narrates the zeppelin in WWI where great technical advances were made but the zeppelin had limited military utility. Virtually put out of business after WWI by the Inter-Allied Control Commission, the Zeppelin Company was revived in 1926 by supplying the LZ-126 (USS Los Angeles) to the United States as war reparations. Later funds were raised in Germany to build LZ-127, christened Graf Zeppelin on July 8, 1928.

The Graf Zeppelin was a passenger airship test-bed and Dr. Eckener wrote that the Graf ". . .was to prove that passengers could now be carried across the Atlantic Ocean by air in speed and safety, and with all the comfort and pleasure which the modern traveler demands." Botting narrates the dramatic first Atlantic crossing of the Graf in 1928.

The 1929 world flight was in reality two record flights, one originating at Lakehurst, New Jersey financed by Hearst Newspapers and the second starting at Friedrichshafen. Chapter five continues the world flight narrative noting it was not a world record that Eckener had in mind but considered it ". . .a proving flight to demonstrated the zeppelin's potential for a worldwide passenger air service." The book's account of the world flight is a fascinating well-written adventure story. The world flight of the Graf Zeppelin "provided incontroversible proof of the airship's capability as an intercontinental transport mode"; the author notes the world flight "had been brilliantly executed in both its planning and operations stages." However, the passenger zeppelin used dangerous hydrogen and was vulnerable to weather masses. The author writes "The Graf got away with it on the world flight partly because it was a first-class aircraft, but above all because of the masterly expertise of the crew."

The text notes "In the autumn of 1930, as the Graf Zeppelin was completing its first series of commercial flights to South America," the Zeppelin Company began the design of LZ-129, later named the Hindenburg. In 1931 the Graf made an Artic exploration flight to the Soviet Union meeting a Russian icebreaker above the Artic Circle. The text notes that this was the last spectacular proving flight for the Graf.

In 1931 the Graf made three scheduled advertised flights carrying passengers and mail to South America, the first scheduled transatlantic air passenger flights in history. In 1932 scheduled passenger flights to South America in the Graf Zeppelin continued and plans were initiated to establish zeppelin travel throughout the world.

The author's account of this critical period in zeppelin history is excellent. In 1933 the Graf continued transatlantic passenger flights and the Nazi came to power. The 3rd Reich helped to fund construction of the Hindenburg, but at a price. The government took over zeppelin passenger operations and moved it to Frankfurt Germany with the Zeppelin Company left solely as a manufacturer. Having criticized the Nazi, Dr. Eckener was declared a non-person and could not command the Hindenburg when it was completed. The book tells how in 1936, Eckener's dream came true as the Hindenburg made ten scheduled round trips from Germany to America, plus seven round trips to Brazil while the Graf made thirteen round trip flights to Rio. The financial results were impressive with Eckener noting that they were an "agreeable surprise."

On May 3, 1937 the Hindenburg, LZ-129, left Frankfort for Lakehurst, N.J. under the command of Captain Max Pruss, Eckener still a Nazi non-person was not on board. Three days later at 7:25 P.M. EDT, while landing at Lakehurst, the Hindenburg exploded. The account of the Hindenburg catastrophe is excellent. Most interesting are several direct quotes from on-board passengers and crew. The total number of dead totaled thirty-six-thirteen passengers out of thirty-six on board and twenty-two of the sixty-one crewmembers plus one civilian ground crew. The book states that the Hindenburg disaster marked the first passenger fatalities in commercial zeppelin operations since their beginning in 1910, zeppelins having made twenty-three hundred flights carrying more than fifty thousand passengers with a blameless safety record. After May 1937, commercial zeppelin operations ceased. However, as one of the last commanders of passenger zeppelins noted, "It was not the catastrophe of Lakehurst which destroyed the Zeppelin, it was the war." During WWII, the Zeppelin Company assembled V-2 rockets.

In less than ten years, the Graf Zeppelin had made 590 flights traveling 1,060,000 miles safely carrying 13,000 passengers; a record not exceeded by an airplane for many years. When the Hindenburg's successful passenger flights are added in, this was a remarkable accomplishment, as transatlantic airplane passenger flights didn't begin until 1939 with large flying boats making numerous enroute-refueling stops. Not until 1957, twenty years after the Hindenburg's nonstop passenger flights to North America, did scheduled direct nonstop service begin with DC-7s from New York to London.

This is a well-written history and those interested in aviation history will find it refreshing to read an account of German zeppelins where the book's primary focus is not the Hindenburg disaster.

Never served. I've read plenty of war stories telling of brave men though. This story of the Army's fight trying to get back from the east side of the Chosin Reservoir is the saddest story I've ever read.

Bad plan. Frigid weather. Four straight days and nights under attack in the cold. No help available. Get back on your own, guys. Frostbite. All out of bandages, gasoline, ammunition. Then death in the cold cold night so close to getting back.

I've read this book twice and it effected me even more the second time.

skwirl60646@yahoo.com

Having read several books about the Chosin Campaign, I was pleased to finally get the story of what occurred on the East side of the reservoir. Mr. Appleman exaustingly found the details through official Army and Marine combat reports as well as listening to the survivors of this tragic event. The 31st RCT was doomed almost before they started and poor weather, traffic jams, raw Korean recruits, bad luck and command mistakes caused its demise. The Soldiers fought bravely and tenaciously but being out-numbered by as much as 10 to 1 was just too much to overcome.
The author has given us a clear, detailed, hour by hour account
of this heroic but heartbreaking episode in American military history.

I've read a lot of military history over the years, though I'm definitely not as well-read as some. This book and the others in Appleman's Korean War series really helped me understand small unit operations. They can be dry and a little tough going, but if you give them a chance you may discover a side of battle often overlooked. Making great use of original after action reports as well as interviews and the more common types of sources, Appleman reminds us that (unlike the movies) often ammunition and rations run out and what happens when they do. (Real men have to be sent to get more.) He shows us how and why troops are moved from one nondescript hill to another. (Almost never due to command brilliance.) And better than anyone else he shows us how great battles are built up from squad and platoon actions.

You may lose track of which regiment "L Company" is a part of, but you will come to care what happened to L Company.

A very engrossing account. Despite the level of detail on the geography, personnel and their units it holds your attention. Also provides comment on areas of uncertainty over what actually happened. One of the most successful books on warfare in putting you there - to the point where it was difficult to read ( in this case an indication of the author's success ). One really sensed the isolation of the units and the desperate situation in which they found themselves. Recommended.

I've long been very familiar with the 1st Marine Division's history at the Chosin, but until I read Roy Appleman's book I didn't realize just how much I didn't know about the Army's side of the conflict. This tale of desperation and bravery should be required reading amongst all American service personnel and perhaps even in High Schools. Excellently written, this book holds your attention despite the huge amount of very detailed geographic and unit data presented.

I was a little leery on reading this book; I finally broke down and bought it. It is a great story, and I love it. Enders Game is defiantly a book I will bring with me into a classroom setting. I am excited to use it, and hopefully others will benefit from it the way I have.

This is an epic masterpiece. In short, if that was my review for this book, I would stand by it for all time.

I haven't come across a great fiction book to read in a while, and today I decided to just "try" Ender's Game for perhaps a few chapters. A few hours later, I rested the book and I was astonished.

The story is extremely captivating, and the reader can feel Ender's life through so many different moments. We sympathize with him when he's glad, we're happy for him when he succeeds. Scott has really created a book that will cling to all of us - move us, and makes us imagine, just what it would be like to be Ender.

We are involved with his love for family, but more importantly, we are involved with his way of growing up. He has no means an easy childhood, but readers can understand EVERYTHING that he's going through - Scott's delicate choice of words certainly makes this novel one of my favorite of all time. I presume that you have the basic notion of what is already happening with the story, and to that I say, even if it doesn't seem interesting from a little bit of the context of the story, buy it and read it!

You will love it!

Once you have met "Ender" Wiggans you will never forget him or his remarkable journey. I hope that there will never come a time in human history that we would require a child like Andrew "Ender" Wiggans.
Read this story and then read about Bean, whose life and trials make Ender's life seem like a day at the park.

This is touted as a book for young people. I was 50 years old when I read it. By that time I had been reading Sci-Fi for 40 years. This is one of the top sci-fi stories of all time. Even if you are too old for it.

my son is 14, he does not like reading and at first he sat reluctantly with me to read this book. by the 2nd chapter he was asking me to read 2 or 3 times a day and now he's reading without my help " the voice of de dead". He was not the only one that enjoyed the book, I'm waiting for him to finish the 2nd of the series to read it.

There are not enough stars for the award this book deserves. If you pay attention, this will be a life altering read. God Bless the Col. & all he represents.....

Yesterday I attended a sales conference hosted by Ameriprise Financial and Col Ed Hubbard was the key-note speaker. As I listened to his testimontial I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. The stories of defeat and triumph, discovering the potential within the (his) human spirit to get him through a long and arduous stint as a POW. What a story . . . needless to say I'm in the middle of his book and can't put it down. I would recommend this for anyone who has ever had a bad day and would like to know what that really is - and how you are responsible for the outcome - when you put it in it's proper perspective all that is happening in the world. FANTASTIC BOOK!

I heard Col. Hubbard tell his story a few years ago. At the luncheon I received one of his Escape From The Box books. I could not put it down until I finished it. It is a powerful presentation and will change your life. After almost four years the impact remains. "Everything we do, or have done, we can do better" is the powerful message transmitted by Col. Hubbard and his book.

A recommended read!

What a wonderfully inspiring and uplifting story...


Can you imagine existing on a cup of rice and two bowls of boiled weeds each day? After being held as a POW in North Vietnam for six and a half years Colonel Ed. Hubbard brings a unique perspective to life that most of us can benefit from. This isn't a story about the horrible atrocities that he and his fellow prisoners endured, Instead it's a story about the amazing potential that exists inside each and everyone of us, if only we realized it...

A very thought provoking book. In many cases, Col. Hubbard reinforces lessons which my parents taught me, however, his experiences as a POW in North Vietnam lend an unparalled level of credibility. A must read for anyone in leadership roles, from industry to parenthood.

Etienne Gerrard is a delight, cocky, self important, vain as a peacock, he is also brave to a fault, resourceful, energetic and the best swordsman in all of Napoleon's cavalry. He is also a bit thick in the head. He struts through the most hair raising adventures, and almost always comes out in one piece. You will be convinced in each story that he could not possible carry out his mission successfully, but he almost always does. At a time in Great Britain when the human costs of the Napoleanic Wars were still felt and France and England had only recently mended fences, Conan Doyles "typical" Frenchman was a delight to the British reader. This is not Sherlock's cold intellect. It is the passion of a very decent, courageous man who is devoted to his sovreign, and who will take on any task from wooing a beautiful woman to a Russian Regiment of cavalry. If you enjoy the Flashman books you will love this one just as much.

These gems of action storytelling will make you laugh out loud-- they have the best of Doyle's plotting and some very witty characterization. Etienne Gerard is first-cousin to GM Fraser's Flashman: he finds himself in the thick of every battle, often playing a pivotal role that only now can be told...

Of course, Flashy is cowardly where Gerard is brave, but they both think themselves irresistable to women and are master horsemen. Bright, fast, and funny, these short stories belong on the shelf next to all the Flashman novels. Fraser himself calls Doyle a "genius" in the introduction, and they belong in the same league of inspired storytelling. Too bad Gerard and Flashy never met-- Flash would have called him a bloody crapaud and Gerard would have said Flashy was a British beef....

I knew Arthur Conan Doyle from his Sherlock Holmes series although I have not read any title from that. The "Exploits and Adventures of Birgadier Gerard" is surely one of the finest novels about the Napoleonic era and I highly recommend it to any fan of the Grand Armee and its battle hardened soldiers. The story begins with the long retired Brigadier starting to recall his war memories for the shake of his audience, over a glass of wine. And what a fascinating carreer did he have! He was a romantic lover, a proud Frenchman, an honest man, a terrific swordsman, a dashing cavalryman, and a soldier absolutely faithful to his duty: the real epitome of the French hussar who according to Colonel Lassale "should not live beyond the age of 30"! The old Brigadier explains with graphic detail and an amusing dose of egotism and pride how he lost his ear for the love of a girl in Venice, how he helped French troops to storm the spanish fortress of Saragossa, how he saved a whole army in the Peninsula, how he extricated himself from a grevious tactical mistake in Russia, how he beat the Englishmen in their national sport of fox-hunting and how Destiny prevented him from taking part in the climactic battle of Waterloo, a fact that Gerard honestly believes that doomed Napoleon! To build his story Doyle took many interesting facts and legends from real biographies of the period, like that of Baron de Marbot, but he made his story so enjoyable and colourful that is incomperable in terms of advenures and amusement.

Brigadier Gerard is everything that a Briton of Conan Doyle's time thought was an exemplar of the Napoleonic officer - and to a certain extent a caricature of the French themselves. Hopelessly and ridiculously brave, completely lacking in appreciation of the fine British virtues of sportsmanship, a devotion to L'Empereur, rather dim, obsessed with his honor and the honor of La France, and yet rather admirable too in his prickly way.

In this fine book the Brigadier regales us with stories of his youth, when most of Europe was part of the French Empire and opportunities abounded for young men who looked good in cavalry uniform. Gerard tells the story with no irony, but the reader laughs a good deal at the absurdities of the hero. When attempting to shoot the ash off a cigar he destroys the whole cigar instead, to the dismay of its smoker who is smoking it at the time. Clearly, Gerard maintains, the pistol is at fault. On a few occasions he succeeds when all expect him to fail and as a result his success is actually a failure. The stories encompass many of the great events of the Napoleonic wars: the horrors of partisan fighting in Spain, the invasion of Russia, war in the German states and Prussia, even capture by the British. Always the stories are superbly told with a very fine eye for realistic detail and they are often quite gripping. Again this is one of those books I am amazed has never been made into a film or a TV series.

George MacDonald Fraser has taken a good deal of the Gerard style for his Flashman series, although of course the two characters are poles apart in morality.

I recommend this book to all lovers of history novels and also to anyone who just likes to read superb stories in the grand old manner, where manly men are engaged in "honest" combat, and where evil enemies, treacherous peasants, and duplicitous politicos usually meet their doom under Gerard's cavalry saber.

The success of the Sherlock Holmes stories has overshadowed the fact that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote many other stories of entirely different character. The New York Review of Books Classics has brought the `Exploits and Adventures of Brigadier Gerard' back to life. The Gerard character is said to be Conan Doyle's second best fictional invention.

The eight `Exploits' stories were published between 1894 and 1895 while the ten `Adventures' were published after a five year hiatus between 1900 and 1903. Like the Holmes tales, these pieces were published as serials in The Strand Magazine. Once again we owe a debt of happy gratitude to the NYRB for reviving this quirky, funny, heroic series of adventure tales.

The eponymous Gerard is one Etienne Gerard, a Hussar (a light cavalryman) in the French Army during the Napoleonic Wars. In other words, a character about as far removed from the dyspeptic intellectual detective of Baker Street as one can imagine. In the excellent introduction (one of the hallmarks of the NYRB Classics series), George Macdonald Fraser remarks on the courage Conan Doyle showed in showcasing a French hero fighting against the British less than 80 years after Napoleon was finally defeated (As Fraser notes "even today [the French ] are not notably popular north of the Channel"). Quite a feat of imagination.

Like Harry Flashman (Flashman: A Novel (Flashman)) and the lesser known Otto Prohaska (A Sailor of Austria: In Which, Without Really Intending to, Otto Prohaska Becomes Official War Hero No. 27 of the Habsburg Empire (The Otto Prohaska Novels)), Gerard is in his old age when he spins his stories to the reader. Gerard boasts that he is the greatest swordsman, horseman, and lover as well as the most loyal servant of Napoleon in the entire French army. And Conan Doyle permits Gerard to excel in all these measures and yet his excessive pride makes him obtuse. As Fraser put it Gerard is "vain, touchy, obstinate, reckless, boastful, and none too bright." He is entirely ingenuous, which repeatedly leads him to trouble and then he must slash his sword and dash away on his horse to escape. Gerard is charmingly unaware that he is a strutting French peacock; he assumes that others should and do recognize his exceptional qualities. Coming from a more self-aware man such cocksureness would be intolerable conceit.

I titled this review "What Would Harry Flashman Make of Etienne Gerard?" That's a fun question to speculate about. It would take a new Sir Arthur Conan Doyle or Sir George MacDonald Fraser to do it justice. My guess is Harry would laugh up his sleeve at Gerard until he saw Etienne's sword swinging dangerously toward his head. For his part, I expect Gerard would be blissfully unaware of Flashman's disdain, but might he also detect Harry's certain 'shyness'?

The `Exploits and Adventures of Brigadier Gerard' are wonderful entertainments. Like the Sherlock Holmes stories, the pity is there are so few of them. Highest recommendation.

I had seen Chris on a local Atlanta Christian TV program promoting this book. Since I have a military ministry helping wounded Marine Families,and am interested in the spiritual treatment of PTSD, this man and his book interested me. It gave me more insight of our military's war experiences and
how those who believe in God were able to face the daily grind of war with more strength. I liked his parallel comparisons of war experiences and Bible
verses to help him cope with what he was doing in Iraq.
I recommend the book we all need to understand what war is and how it effects our military (all volunteer)men and women and their families.

One of the most eye opening situations one can be in is on the battlefield, with one's mortality at stake. "Faith in the Fog of War: A Soldier's Stories of Triumph and Tragedy in the Midst of Battle" is the memoir of a U.S. Soldier who served in the Iraq war, and his reflections on his faith. His experiences are poignant and enlightening. "Faith in the Fog of War" is especially recommended for Christians and anyone concerned about the Iraq war.

This book changed my view of the war in Iraq, what is happening over there and what it means to me. Chris brought truth into my life through his stories and the applications he draws. The sheer honesty he exudes is inspiring and refreshig.

This book is a literal testimony of God's power and love. Chris' straightforward account of just about everything that happened in the front lines will enable one to be transported to Iraq and experience battle in God's presence without dodging the impact of war - from the distinct sound of bullets flying over his head to the honest human emotions that stirred in his heart will make you laugh and cry. Chris has vividly narrated how God carried him through it all. It's absolutely encouraging and inspirational and it would not take long for one to realize that God really authored this book. Chris was just a mere instrument so that we can see and feel His love and power in all and every given moment. We will be doing ourselves a favor for reading this book especially if we want to recognize God's presence in our lives...whether you're a believer or yet to be one.

A book and devotional written with the raw point of view that is War, barest of human condition coupled with the life of a Christian's walk of faith. Chris brings new perspective to the many faces of war and the perspective observation through the "Christian len" looking at our own individual lives. His writings allow each of us to apply that view to our own lives with the soul searching questions he includes in each chapter and we find ourselves asking at many points in our lives. Reading his writing had me stopping and taking into account many areas of my own walk of faith and what it means to me. I would highly recommend this book to anyone seeking a devotional with the meat of what we need to be asking ourselves in our daily lives as Christians. A must read. A Must HAVE for those Christians serving our country.