Military Books

For Civil War and Naval History buffs, this telling of the Monitor's creation and her campaign against the South's Merrimac is spellbinding.

Alot of detailed information well put together and very readable.

Monitor skillfully holds the reader spellbound about the ship, and her irrascible genius inventor. I also came to realize just how technically advanced this ship was compared to her contemporaries. This book is a quick and powerful read that you don't want to put down, and it conveys the depth and level of accomplishment achieved by John Erriccson in getting her built in the short time he did. An outstanding history replete with circumstances and entertaining anecdotes as well. A highly recommended book.

This slim volume recounts the history of USS Monitor which, in its famous engagement with the CSS Virginia (Merrimac) on March 9, 1862, rendered all wooden warships obsolete and initiated a naval arms race among world's navies that climaxed 80 years later in the Pacific battles of World War II.

Monitor's creator was a Swedish engineering prodigy named John Ericsson who had supervised 400 men as a canal engineer by age 16. For an 1829 railroad design competition built a steam locomotive that established a land speed record by covering a measured mile in 57 seconds (63 mph). But the contest sponsors changed the rules to defeat foreigner Ericsson and his attempts to provide innovate designs to the Royal Navy were also rejected. In frustration Ericsson emigrated to the United States and in 1837 invented the first practical screw propeller to drive steamships through the water.

In 1861 Union intelligence indicated the Confederates were rebuilding the scuttled former Union warship USS Merrimac as a heavily armed ironclad. If that ship (rechristened CSS Virginia but generally called simply "Merrimac"), broke the blockade of Hampton Roads then US coastal cities, including Washington, DC, would be vulnerable to attack. The Union needed an ironclad quickly, and Ericsson already had a plan!

Monitor's keel was laid in Brooklyn, NY on October 25, 1861, and Ericsson and his numerous subcontractors worked 108 days and nights until on February 9, 1862 USS Monitor was turned over to the Navy. Exactly one month later Monitor faced Merrimac at Hampton Roads. Objectively the battle was a tactical draw, but strategic victory went to the Union. The Union blockade was preserved, the Confederates remained bottled up and Britain and France, who were leaning toward supporting the South, decided to remain officially neutral.

This book tells the story of the design, construction, combat history, demise and legacy of USS Monitor in a well-written narrative format. It provides enough details for general readers interested in naval, engineering and civil war history. It may be too general for the serious buff, but I recommend it as an amazing tale to everyone else who wants to know more about this important historical event.

There are some small reproductions of period etchings and photos and a good map of the Hampton Roads battle area. The only thing missing are good schematics of Monitor's interior design.

....Like the Monitor itself, this book is short and concise and yet it packs quite a wallop. In a little more than two hundred well-written pages, Mr. DeKay manages to cram a lot. The book is all about the first ironclad warship of the U.S. Navy and its duel in Chesapeake Bay with the Confederate vessel Merrimac. The book starts with a biography of the ship's cantankerous Swedish inventor John Ericsson and his efforts to get the government bureaucracies of two continents to show interest in his his prophetic ideas for naval warfare (propeller engines, armor plating, torpedoes, revolving gun turrets). The book then talks about the labyrinthine maneuvers of Ericsson and his financial backers through the government contract process to get the ship built. Finally, the author describes in blow-by-blow detail the epic battle between the "cheesebox on a raft" Monitor and the vastly larger and better-armed Merrimac. Every page crackles with factual gems (e.g. The Civil War really was "brother against brother". The Merrimac's commander rammed and sank a Union ship while his brother was on board). Landlubbers and civilians need not be discouraged from reading this book. Engineering and naval concepts are presented in jargon-free language. The book can be finished in two or three days of casual reading. Great for the bathroom-er, uh, excuse me, head.

The book burns, numbs, burns. The people are real. The history is real. "It was History she ran from," the author tells us, we who are prone to forget or deny, "and, to her, there was no stalker more tenacious, no trapper so cunning: its favorite victims are those who survive."

'Music for the Third Ear' is a deceptively simple and quick book. But it lingers, it doesn't go away, and it keeps you thinking about it long afterwards. There are so many levels that meet or careen into each other... It is an extremely saddening book, with no happy ending, and barely a ray of hope. It is pessimistic, as many of the characters are sucked down into and feed on their own vortexes of hate or need. It is a violent protest about man's inhumanity to man, and what to depths our egocentricity allows us to stoop---Mette feels all she does is OK because she is childless; Mesud rides on a cloud of ethnic hate that becomes its own reason to exist and be nurtured; Dr. lo Schiavo has no qualms about removing love and trust in the name of 'charity' and 'humanity', and so on. The only truly innocent one is as always the child, who might be the eternal loser.

A moving story that is relevant today. It tells us how war is a tragedy not only for its victims, but also for the children of the victims. After World War II the phrase "never again" became a mantra, but when is it going to occur? Read this book; pass it on to your friends. Help spread the word that today we should shout to our leaders around the globe "NEVER AGAIN."

Susan Schwartz Senstad could not have written a more timely and powerful work of fiction. The book is about the aftereffects of the rape genocide/ethnic cleansing policies carried about by Slobodon Milosevij on a couple coming back from their ordeal who meet up with a child of Auschwitz survivors, looking to take them in and "fix" what happened to them. .... In this powerful intersection of the Shoah that could not happen again, with the one that has happened and is now being debated--like its predecessor--Schwartz Senstad understands the human need to rid ourselves of survivor guilt, the resilience of the survivors of the Balkans and of other atrocities, and the great silence that, for the victims, is often the only possible response to what has happened to them. In this short and powerful tale, the main character,Zhelijka, a Croation Catholic woman, endures deliberate cruel and constant mass rapes, until she becomes pregnant by an anonymous father. Zhelijka's soon-born son becomes the pivotal character in the story. She calls him "Zero" and despite her strong ties to her child, is finally forced to endure yet another horror--she allows her Muslim husband Mesud to put the child up for adoption. Ultimately, the rejected child re-enters the lives of the four adult characters, Zhelijka and Mesud and Mette (the first-generation holocaust survivor) and her Norwegian husban Hans Olav.A perfect book club book, which manages to transcend its sad moments with emotion writ large and beautifully, a la Alice Walker or Joyce Carol Oates. Destined for the Oprah show! Thanks to Picador, USA for publishing a paperback version that exceeds the beauty of "The Red Tent."

Music for the Third Ear in eerie synchronous plotting seeks to and successfully connects two twentieth century holocausts, the Nazi atrocities and the Yugoslavian. Although fictional, it achieves an immediacy and a depth of understanding, particularly about the victimization of people from the Bosnian War. By putting names, faces, and personal histories in front of us, we can't avoid becoming emotionally involved.

I will just briefly outline the plot here. The details are important, but what lies underneath in meaning is more so. A Yugoslav couple, one a Bosnian Muslim and the other a Croatian Catholic reunite five years after the end of the Bosnia War in Rome. The woman has a son as a result of gang rape during the war, whom her husband forces her to give up to a childless Italian couple. The Yugoslavians immigrate to Norway, where they stay temporarily with a childless couple, the woman being the daughter of Jewish holocaust survivors. The child, in the meantime, has severe psychological problems and eventually becomes a pawn between the Italians, the Yugoslavs, and the Norwegian couple. Each family is already psychologically scarred, some as a result of war, some for other reasons.

The story is told in flashbooks. As we are taken through their lives what becomes painfully evident is that we can only watch, but are powerless to stop another tragedy in the making, even after war is long over. What makes it bearable at all, is the loving insight of the author, a psychotherapist, who tells the story in way that enhances our understanding and never intrudes.

The title is not entirely clear to me, but I gather that it relates to a method of psychotherapy described by the psychoanalyst, Theodore Reik, in which listening, not just with the ears, but with all of one's senses and one's soul, is revelatory and crucial to understanding and healing.

This book covers all areas you may need to run your operation and then some. It includes everything from menu planning and the proper equipment needed to marketing, how to hire good employees and how to handle inspectors. No aspect is missed. No matter what area you are concentrating on, it is covered in this book. From colleges and churches to prisons and nursing homes. It even includes a history lesson on the non-commercial food service industry. Being able to know these little facts will impress clients and vendors.
The authors even advise on programs to look for when purchasing a computer to run your operation and how to design an attractive Web site. It's a step by step guide for someone just starting out in the industry. The authors clearly break down the many, many aspects of the operation. Even offering advice on how to spice up the menu (roast beef becomes succulent roast beef with Au Jus and peaches become yellow cling peach slices.
Although the size of the book may seem overwhelming at first, it's less intimidating when you realize that about half of it is useful charts and forms. All are extremely detailed and helpful. Most you will want to copy or tweak a bit and use. You will probably want to take notes or have a highlighter handy while reading this book.

Many books claim to be the end all be all when it comes to instructing managers and preparing them to lead a team in the food service industry. None of them compares to The Non-Commercial Food Service Manager's Handbook. It is a step by step guide to every part of managing any non-commercial food service industry, whether it's a church, a prison, a nursing home or even the military. I have never seen a more complete and thorough explanation of what is required of a manager. With its in-depth explanation of money management, menu planning, purchasing and inventory, food handling, safety and literally dozens of other necessary components to being an effective manager I highly recommend this book for anyone looking into management as a career.

The food industry is something that is increasingly under scrutiny for new legislation whether on the type of food served, or the conditions under which it's prepared. Anyone who is taking on a management role in a non-commercial establishment such as in a nursing home, or is perhaps considering setting up their own catering business supplying food for companies will find this is THE book that will not only get their business up and running, but will do so in such a way that it should run smoothly and successfully.

The book is a comprehensive guide to the non-commercial food industry. It covers everything from the basics of what a non-commercial food service is, right through how to set up accounts, the kind of equipment you should have, how to hire employees, statutes you must adhere to, marketing and so on. Everything you could possibly need to know in order to run a non-commercial food service is right at your finger tips. Everything is set out in a logical manner so that you can either read it right through before even starting your business, or use it as a reference guide to dip into when you need to know something once you are established.

At over 600 pages, it's quite a hefty book, but the style of writing flows easily and the print is eye-friendly so that the amount of pages and sheer volume of material presented in it isn't as off-putting as it could be!

Accompanying the book is a CD that contains the forms presented in the book in a ready to use format. This makes the book not only a great reference manual for the industry, but also a hands-on guide to get either started, or better organized in your business.

There would be a lot more people with the confidence to start up their own businesses if there were more "how to" manuals like this one!

Have you ever been in a hospital during lunch time but were afraid to try the food? We've all experienced bad cuisine at places like hospitals, schools and churches, but after reading The Non-Commercial Food Service Manager's Handbook by Douglas Robert Brown and Shri Henkel, I realized that it doesn't have to be that way. If you're a food service manager, then this is the book you can't live without.

It discusses real issues like bookkeeping, operational expenses, necessary computer programs, endless menu ideas, recipe costs, inventory, equipment, packaging, nutritional information, delegation tips, kitchen cleanliness, equipment, first aid, inspections, dishwashing, and food storage. Nothing is overlooked, not even the signs of food allergies, customer service issues, marketing and advertising, catering, taste testing surveys, personnel issues, and surprisingly - how to deal with kickbacks from vendors.

I love the fact that it discusses the history of food service - going back to the time of chuck wagons - and how it provides checklists, forms, employee quizzes, and actual case studies. After reading this book I not only was hungry, but was looking forward to my next meal at a hospital cafeteria.

The Non-Commercial Food Service Manager's Handbook by Douglas Robert Brown and Shri Hinkel is a solid reference source which would be indispensable to a new manager and a helpful resource to even the most seasoned veteran.

It effectively covers all the bases for this niche, with everything included from history and menu planning to quality control, labeling regulations, employees and marketing. Filled with numerous checklists and questionnaires, restaurant managers can easily tailor their plans and ideas to best suit their specific needs, whether their restaurant is part of a church, school or prison. It offers numerous reference sources, both on and offline, for further research as needed.

In so thorough a publication, it would be nice to see some information or links on the many non-commercial restaurants that also grow some of their own food onsite, benefitting their bottom line as well as the residents, workers and patrons. Other than this slight omission, it could easily be called the bible of the industry.

Me and my Mother loved this book. It really opened our eyes to whats happening out there.

Good briefing on run-up to Iraq war. Now a bit dated (Sept. 2003), so doesn't include much on rise of Iraqi resistance. Still, the history sections on colonialism in Mesopotamia make for an informative background to current quagmire. Noteworthy also for detailed account of horrendous effects of US-UN sponsored sanctions, surely one of the great crimes of recent history. Book's thrust fits well with US's strategic drive to dominate planet, using oil as key control lever.Though not an "in depth" treatment, all the relevant bases are covered, particularly the deceptions used to cover the criminal invasion. There's also a handy appendix capsulizing the salient deceits for quick reference. Those expecting a strong ideological denunciation from Mr. Everest may be disappointed. Although his characterization of imperialist designs is straightforward, I think it's fair to say that the book could have been written by a muck-raking liberal. Recommended for ease of access and breadth of coverage.

I saw Mr. Everest on Book TV (C-SPAN) today (May 23)--would love to have him lecture at my college. He's done his homework on this one. He brought up two other topics that I researched during the last two semesters and he hit the mark on both (gay marriage and women's rights). After watching him, I went to Barne & Nobles to purchase this book. They did not have one copy. Needless to say, I'm ordering from Amazon.

Larry Everest does a great job of making the "big picture" of the hidden Bush agenda in Iraq and the Middle East obvious and clear. This book will open your eyes, and will make you angry when you understand and realize how unethical, immoral and illegal our agressions against Iraq and the entire Middle East.

I just saw Larry Everest on CSpan as well. This man is no nutcase-- he makes the kind of sense that gives a chilling credibility to one's worst suspicions and fears about what is going on in this country right now. I knew nothing about him or his book but I'm about to buy it innediately!

I've long heard about Lima Site 85 and what has happened there. I've put off for years picking up this book. I was greatly impressed by what I read. First off, I would like to acknowledge the great deal of research Mr. Castle has put into this book. It is obvious he has put a great deal of time into studying each report, eye witness, and testimony.

Though he does not provide a clear answer to what happened to the missing crew (which American, Laos, and Vietnamese Government will not provide accurate information), he gives the reader a good idea of the events that happened before, durring, and after the assault onto Lima Site 85. This book is very well written with great research. I can only hope that one day we find out what truly happened to those brave men who have yet to be accounted for.

As one of the pilots of Jolly Green 67 I simply want to thank Dr. Castle for his comprehensive and historical accurate account of the events at Lima Site 85. This is a story that begged to be told; Dr. Castle pulls no punches, providing a riveting and revealing account. His work was a key factor in the eventual recognition of the heroic efforts of Sgt. Etchberger at the Enlisted Hertiage Hall, Maxwell AFB Annex (formally Gunter AFS), Montgomery AL. A great read.

I have a very personal reaction to "One Day Too Long" in that Mel and Ann Holland were our military sponsors when my family and I were first assigned to an AC&W squadron in southern Spain in early 1961, and I worked with Mel until he rotated to the States. It is embarrassing and shameful to learn how both the military and civilian authorities were willing to sacrifice those men in order to cover up their own mistakes, but I suppose if ALL the truth were known about SE Asia operations, we would not be able to stand it. Dr. Castle has perfomed an invaluable service for democracy. EVERYBODY should read this book! (Ann, we'd love to hear from you!)

Congratulations to Dr. Castle for this fine book. A meticulously researched historical work of the finest order that reads like a Tom Clancy action novel. A bombshell that exposes one of the most egregious and hitherto publicly undisclosed tragedies of the Vietnam War. In March 1968 an NVA sapper team avoided detection and attacked a top-secret radar bombing facility (code name Jolly Green) which was manned by sixteen "civilianized" Air Force technicians. The site, LS 85, was located on a mountain top in Laos less than twenty-five miles from the North Vietnam border. The attack caught the technicians off guard and resulted in the loss of the site to the communist forces. Two of those dedicated volunteers manning the site were confirmed killed, five were rescued alive (one died on the evacuation flight) and the remaining nine have never been accounted for and their status remains unknown. This incident holds the distinction of being the largest single loss of Air Force ground personnel during the entire Vietnam War. Why did the Air Force continue to operate this site in the face of considerable evidence the site would soon fall under bombardment and attack by large NVA forces gathering in the area? Was it incompetence or was the site considered so essential to the North Vietnam bombing effort that the loss of the men was an acceptable risk? Dr. Castle looks at these questions in detail. One Day Too Long chronicles the history of Site 85 from its initial concept of operations through the tragic consequence of this miscalculation. But the story does not stop there. It also relates the stoic efforts by one widow to find answers to questions about her husbands death at this site the government was unwilling to provide. This book should be mandatory reading for all future military leaders.

This is a great book. Very well written and maticulously researched. I was flying for Air America when all of this happened. Tim Castle has captured it all. It tells a lot about our involvement in Laos, far beyond just the events at Lima Site 85. Thanks, Tim.

I was so dissapointed at how quickly I read half of an 800+ page book. I did not want this book to end due to the fact it is such a marvelous read. If this is not the authoritative book on Patton it should be. This book is a window into the mind and thoughts of Patton in the heat of battle and I can think of no other book that comes close in bringing this to light. Based on the way Martin Blumenson pieced together all of Patton's personal communications and diary entries in chronological order makes this a very unique biography. I read volume I of the Patton Papers and although it is very fascinating it does not come close to volume II. This is because volume II deals exclusively with Patton's WW II exploits and his infamous incidents. Although Patton had his imperfections and despite some of his views being distasteful, I can think of no other military leader in modern times I would want leading our troops into battle. If you love American history and WW II in particular this book on an American legend definitely belongs on your shelf. Martin Blumenson did a masterful job putting this book together.

Martin Blumenson's has created a fascinating and surprisingly readable biography of the World War II hero, General George Patton. Blumenson has taken the General's diaries, personal and official letters and combined them with letters written to him and newspaper articles written about him. These are arranged in chronological order.

The period covered by this book was the most active of Patton's lifetime. In the last three years of his life, Patton had adventures enough for several lifetimes. After playing a major part in the conquest of North Africa, then Sicily, Patton was sidelined for nearly a year after the slapping incidents. During this time a disinformation campaign was put forth to convince the Nazis that Patton would command a non-existent army group that was to invade the south of France. A month after D Day Patton took command of the recently formed Third Army and drove across Europe, playing a pivotal role in the Battle of the Bulge.

In this book, Blumenson splices together the actual documents written by and about Patton as the actual events unfolded. Despite being an amalgamation of material from so many different sources, the book reads like a novel. Blumenson very rarely adds his own editorial commentary. This is done in a way that enhances the flow of the narrrative. My only complaint is that it frequently is difficult to determine where these asides begin and end. This readability is what makes the book great and unique. Having read many other biographies that over-analyze and inject the authors' personal opinion into the narrative it is refreshing to simply have the facts laid out in front of you.

Patton had an amusing tendency to give sarcastic nicknames to his rivals and adversaries. Omar Bradley is "the tentmaker," both for his Arab name and his tendency towards caution, Eisenhower is "divine destiny" for his political ambitions. General W. Bedell Smith, Eisenhower's hated chief of staff, is variously referred to as Beadle and Beetle. At the same time he is privately mocking these people, Patton takes great pains to praise and flatter them publicly. He even admits to himself in his diary that he is a shameless bootlicker and rear-end kisser when necessary. Patton justifies his actions because he feels he must be a sycophant to fulfill his destiny of leading men in battle. Patton even advises his son (who was a West Point Cadet at the time) that the way to advancement at the Academy is to seek out the Commandant and Superintendent and suck-up to them and their wives as much as possible.

I had low expectations for this book. Every other collection of the letters of famous men I have read has been interesting in spots but unreadable as a whole.Even the famous collected letters of Pliny the Younger are mostly dreary reports to the emperor and uninteresting notes to friends. For Blumenson to have created such an entertaining and informative document from similar material is a remarkable achievement.

This second volume of his memoirs deals with World War II and the battles that made Patton a legend. Author Martin Blumenson lets, "Ol Blood and Guts," tell his own story through letters and official correspondence giving the reader an intimate view of the public and private man that captivated the world's attention for four years.

All of the big battles are here: "Torch" in North Africa; "Husky" in Sicily; "Cobra" in France and Bastogne which some call, "his finest hour." Patton played a key role in each of them. His tactics, featuring rapidly moving armor and mechanized infantry forces supported by mobile artillery and air wrote the book used for decades to come. However, he never overlooked the human element. Machines could never replace well trained and highly motivated soldiers personally led by competent commanders. His success was undeniable but he often proved to be his own worst enemy.

Patton's well known slapping of a shell shocked soldier followed by his unintended slight of our Soviet allies made headlines. Newsmen jumped at the opportunity to sell papers by printing anything controversial about a man whose name evoked emotional responses from friends and enemies alike. This was an "enemy" Patton couldn't comprehend. It was the one "fight" he was destined to lose.

General of the Army, Omar N. Bradley said in his book, A General's Life, (Simon and Schuster, New York, 1983) ". . .I believe it was better for George Patton and his professional reputation to die when he did. . . . He was not a good peacetime soldier. . . In time he probably would have become a boring parody of himself-a decrepit, bitter, pitiful figure, unwittingly debasing the legend."

An unknown poet said it best:

"In times of danger, not before, God and soldiers all men adore. Danger's past and all is righted. God's forgotten, the soldier slighted."

No truer words could describe Patton's career. Relegated to a desk job; his primary function was to serve as grist for political and journalistic mills, a truly sad ending for an outstanding military career.

This work is an outstanding history of World War II and of the man himself. You can't call yourself a serious student of WWII unless you have read both volumes. A GREAT read. 5 stars!!

Harold Y. Grooms

When I saw what a project of a book this was at 857 pages, I wondered if I would ever get through it. It took no more than 15 or 20 pages to convince me that I would enjoy every page of it. This is a great read, especially if you are already a Patton fan. His diary entries and letters are honest and blunt, and offer great insights into Patton's winning style and strategy, his distaste for putting allied considerations over American interests, his frustrations with the press and his superiors, and his deep distrust of the Russians. Blumenson weaves these innumerable entries and letters into a seamless and easy-to-read narrative of Patton and his heroic exploits. Fans of the movie will love seeing lines taken word for word from his diary entries. I truly loved this book -- one of my favorite reads of all time.

I used this book while writing a paper for my Graduate level International Relations class. Although it is not considered a classic, it possess and delivers enormously relevant information regarding one of the greatest and most controversial master of war acknowledged in modern history. I commend this book as an pleasurable read, as well as an highly effective intellectual reference instrument.

As a Marine, take my word for it..This book really shows what the Marine spirt is all about. Great reading, as good as a Clancy book.

Captain Tyler Cosgrove, US Marine Corps Reserve, is doing his last patrol in Kosovo because he has been granted leave to fly back to the states to see his dying mother. One hour before his patrol is over, his path crosses that of Soca, a psychopathic Serb who just killed a woman in cold blood and stole her valuables. When the captain tries to stop him, his foe knocks him unconscious and takes him across the border into Serbia.

Captain Mark Lang is very close to Cosgrove and is determined to find him and bring him home. Accompanying him are the men in his unit, THE PEPPER DOGS. They all come from New York and their families are all close friends. When an official rescue attempt fails, the men go it alone. Deliberately ignoring orders and prepared to take the consequences, their exploits are being broadcasted on to the net with pictures and text turning them into real American heroes. Politically and diplomatically their country doesn't know what to do with them but even the hard-liners hope they will make it back to safety.

BING WEST has written an exciting techno-thriller that is in the same class as the works of Dale Brown and Tom Clancy. The men that comprise THE PEPPERDOGS are true heroes because they do the right thing in searching of their friend even though they have to go outside legal channels to do it. There is so much action in this novel that the reader will want to finish in one sitting to find out if everyone makes it back alive.

Harriet Klausner

I found this book to be factual and as a former Marine I could relate very easily to what the characters in this book were going through. After reading this book, I would rank Bing West among the great war writers as W.E.B. Griffin and Tom Clancy. As an Old Corps Marine, one can appreciate the sentence that Bing West writes...."no crusty Marine colonel limping along behind them, telling them what to do." Any Marine would see the allusion to Colonel Chesty Puller. I would recommend anyone to buy this book, as I surely enjoyed it.

I just read this thrilling adventure and I must say women will find it as enjoyable and interesting as men. Of course it has hot marines, but it also pulls at your heart strings and brain cells, too. The tale is smart, sophisticated, fast paced, with more that one woman in a strong role. Not just the weapons are high tech; clever uses of cell phones, websites, and hand held computers keep The Pepperdogs an appealing page turner of a read. Realistic, tender relationships engaged in true suspense make it difficult for the reader to put down the book until the outcome is known. Read it during the day, because if you start it at night, as I did, you won't want to turn off the light till you know if each relationship is resolved--and you won't know that till the last page.

Bing West has used his insider's knowledge of weapons and tactics skillfully, not overloading the reader with techno-babble, to write a brisk, knowledgeable, swiftly paced thriller that will keep you turning pages until the very end.
This elitist reservist group, in top physical and mental shape, is referred to en masse as the Pepperdogs because they can run like dogs with pepper on their butts. The rescuers defy the chain of command that obliges U.S. officers to consult with NATO members first before acting, since the war in Kosovo was technically a NATO, not an American operation.
What makes for a good novel may not be the most effective way to work things out on the world stage, where West once had a supporting role.All in all, this book puts West among the great war novel writers with W.E.B. Griffin and Tom Clancy.

Father Bernad's narrative, written shortly after the war, is especially effective in its understatement. Fr. Bernard was an intellectual but not a writer, and so his narrative, seeking to tell only the facts, without any embellishment (really, is anyone today capable of writing a narrative without clouding it with "it changed my life forever," "defined a generation," "horrific," and all the other assembly-line filler-phrases and adjectives?)is focused, tightly-constructive, and useful. Acquaintances speak of reading through Fr. Bernard's little book of daily life in a concentration camp in one sitting -- it really is that good.

This book brings the reader into the daily life of a priest who was imprisoned for speaking out against the Nazis. The cruelty and drudgery of camp life is vividly detailed in this diary and one cannot help but feel the reality of the events documented so well by Fr. Bernard.

Of interest to those who are interested in the role of the Church during this time are the sections where life in the camp becomes harder for the priests when the Pope or a bishop publishes a percieved anti Nazi letter or sermon. This real life witness counters those trendy academic claims of Church complicity.

Very uplifting. A page-turning eye witness account full of tragedy but also inspiration. The kind of book I couldn't put down.

I highly recommend this book because it is beautifully, clearly, sparsely written, speaks to us of our strengths and our weaknesses as humans, tells a story of human beings facing severe treatment and dealing with it in so many varied ways, and relects the beauty of the priesthood in its concentration on the centrality of the Eucharist in their lives. Those moments are captured so purely, it raises all of our spirits to read it, to enter their world, even with unimaginable depravity, Christ was the purpose of their lives. An amazingly uplifting book, after I resisted reading it for fear of the depression I would feel from it's subject. I couldn't have been more wrong. I am passing to all my friends.

When we think of martyrs, we normally think of those who have died for the faith. However, the Church also holds the concept of white martyrdom, those who have suffered but have not died. Fr. Bernard exemplifies both, because through his suffering he was at the jaws of death so many times. This is truly a gripping memoir, and a chilling account of the depths to which man's inhumanity to man can sink. Yet the focus is not solely on brutality endured, but rather on how faith and love overcome it. It is the story of a man who truly endured the physical suffering of Christ, and in the midst of it all, was able to bring the presence of Christ to many he encountered. It is chilling to remember, but it is better to never forget.

I read this book a few years ago. My Father was a PT sailor who spent time in many of the same places covered in this book. I passed it along to my Mother. She was able to vouch for a lot of the stateside information from her personal experience - she told me it brought back some great memories.

I've read most of the books out on PT boats over the years. If I were to recommend a single book to someone who wanted to learn more, this would be the one.

To help my son do the PT 109 Next Generation video series, we read a lot of PT 109 books. After PT 105 was mentioned in the Ballard book, we bought this one. It has much more information about the boats, and how they worked, and combat stories. He explains the plight of one boat that abandoned ship, and had to cling two one of the inadequate life rafts that didn't even have a proper bottom. You could hold onto it, but not sit in it. There is a nice chart of the layout of the boat. Very interesting to read that the boats could do 50 knots if they had to, or fight their way right up against japanese docks to rescue people. Funniest thing was the story that PT boats had no armour - except around the refrigerator after a few got shot up. People could be replaced, but not the refrigerator which was the only way to get a cold drink. He also tells the story of a PT boat which HAD radar, but nearly got run over as they were trying to figure out the position of the ship on the blasted @#$% radar set. It's not a very long book and can be read in sections quite nicely. He also tells at the end about how he was sent to pick up survivors marked by a PBY only to find they were Japanese, and was chewed out for picking them up and dropping them off at the Army. One of these prisoners grabbed a gun and shot one of the PT 109 survivors. After the war, he would be contacted by some of these Japanese ex-prisoners who thanked him for their lives.

This book is very well written. I am no expert on PT boats, but I have read many presonal accounts of WW2. This book is one of the best! In PT 105 Dick Keresey speaks to the reader in such a manner that you feel as though you are sitting across the table listening to him tell you his story. I recomend this book to anyone who enjoys fist hand accounts of the second world war.

I'm an American living in The Philippines and have read numbers of books about this time period during WWII. I found Mr. Keresey's book very interesting as it dealt with day to day lives of the PT crews and the day to day "routines" which were both dangerous and challenging. You centainly got the feeling that the battles we won in the war had major elements of ingenuity combined with technology and superiority. I haven't read a book before on the Pacific campaign that showed how great a part ingenuity played in keeping PT boats and weapons operating during the war. This isn't a book about any one great battle but just how these men did their duty and survived. It is well written and phased to keep your interest throughout the book. I would recommend it to anyone with an interest on WWII in the Pacific.

Although the author is my grandfather, i can honestly say that this book would still have been my favorite personal WWII account even had i never known the man. But since i do know him, i can say that he writes just like he tells stories -- candid, un-embellished, interesting, and highly entertaining. I highly recommend the book and my only complaint is probably the only complaint you'll have if you read it -- that it's over too quickly.

Everyone who hasn't been in actual combat should read this. And if you've been there it will bring back memories you may not want to recall.

Nina Berman is a fine journalist and photographer whose photographic art has been featured in Time, Newsweek, Fortune, New York Times Magazine, Harpers, Stern, and National Geographic magazines and in exhibitions. She has an unflinching eye for detecting the surface and the inner truth of her subjects. Nowhere is this more profoundly evident than in this brave monograph on those who have 'won' the Purple Heart for wounds sustained in the Iraqi War.

Berman's technical facility results in photographs that, while harrowing to ponder, find the truth in her subjects. Each of the soldiers presented here bear the physical scars (some extreme) of the various modes of war's instruments from gunshot wounds to roadside and suicide bombers that haunt the desert locales of Iraq, and each of the soldier's bear the mental scars (all extreme) that have accompanied the combat and terror of a war nobody wants and everybody condemns. Her photographs are accompanied by interviews with her subjects, soldiers who may have gone to war with delusions of heroism, of doing the right thing, but who crumple under the post-traumatic stress syndrome with lives wasted by the insatiable hunger of war.

Stepping away from the focal point, Berman has given space to other writers who increase the impact of this book: essays from Verlyn Klinkenborg, a New York Times editorial page writer, and Tim Origer, a Vietnam Marine veteran who fought in the Tet offensive and returned at age 19, an amputee. These essays make the book timeless and not simply reportage about the current Iraq mistake. With Veterans Day approaching, this book is a powerful indictment against all war without allowing the sacrifices of the veterans to go unnoted. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp, November 05

Recently I was lucky to hear Nina Berman speak at a Madison Veterans for Peace program called Purple Hearts; A Discussion Focusing on the Human Cost of War. Robert Acosta, one of the young men pictured and quoted in her book also spoke. The program was very moving and we were honored to hear Robert speak about his experiences and feelings and struggles.

In addition, I viewed an exhibit of the photographs at a local retirement center.

There were about 15 large photographs displayed in an beautiful empty room. I was the only one present as I walked among the pictures and read the commentary. The photographs were beautiful, the book can't do justice to their elegance and the way they honored these young men.

I have been reading about one soldier a day in the book so I can more fully experience the photographs and the words they say.

Nina said she felt no attention was being paid to the wounded soldiers and she wanted to so something about that. I hope the word of mouth talk of this book grows so her goal is accomplished .

Thank you Nina and Robert and all the soldiers for your service and bravery as we honor you and learn your stories.

I had the honor of meeting SPC Corey McGee while I was in college in Washington, DC. He told me of the book, and how proud he was to be in it. While Corey was the soldier who spoke about how unsure he was to be in Iraq, this book filled him with great pride for what he had done for his country.

I eventually met another purple heart winner, SGT Wisam Kahn, the Pakistani national who was also awarded American citizenship while staying at Walter Reed. When I mentioned the book to him, he got all excited to tell me that he was also in it.

Although the book shows that Americans must agree to stand behind these brave men and women overseas, Purple Hearts: Back From Iraq is not only a book for friends and family back home. This book also gives great pride to those who were willing to give it all in the name of our country.

Elisa Cipriana gave this review one star and questions the motives of the author for doing the book. She goes on to say that Nina Berman does not understand the courage and patriotism these amazing men and women show in coping with terrible injuries because Nina was never in the military. She also suggests that we read the transcript of Nina's interview on NPR before buying the book.

Well Elisa I listened to the interview and the only motive I heard was Nina's desire to try and show how these brave men and women are dealing with the horrible injuries. The mainstream press has failed to do it so people like Nina have taken the time to provide them with an opportunity to show how they are coping. The average person on the street needs to see this book and I hope Nina does a thousand more interviews to promote her book so the American Public see the sacrifice that 1,000's of our troops are making in Iraq. Nina expressed the truth in her book and in her promotion of the book. I applaud Nina's efforts to try and show the terrible sacrifice. The only thing missing from the book is the smell of war that I experienced as an Air Evac medic in the Nam conflict. Elisa you don't support the troops by supporting the lies that kill them.