Military Books

In the genre of popular Civil War books, the emphasis is often on the people in the story - who did what and when, what was said between protagonists, and the telling of the many interesting ancedotes that liven up the prose. The good books give a clear background to the decision and actions, but are often difficult to follow as they are unclear about many of the non-human aspects of a campaign, such geographic, ecological and engineering details that affected the course of events. Grabau has produced a magnificent work that addresses in depth many of the fascinating background issues that affected the outcome of the Vicksburg campaign. We learn much about the geology of the Mississippi river, and how the landcape along the river determined the course of events. We learn much about logistical realities that the armies had to contend with, such as the pounds per square inch by which a cassion wheel contacts the earth. Because it so high (about 20 times that of a modern battle tank), wagons will sink in with any rain, greatly limiting the mobility of an army. Grabau provides fascinating details concerning transportion by equine (horses and mules), and how they controlled Civil war tactics. An army had to carry fodder in most cases, with greatly diminishing returns as the distance increases. If, for example, an army had to travel over 70 miles, all it could carry was horse fodder, rather than the army. One of the best aspects of the book are the detailed maps of the region, the battles, and the siege works around Visckburg. These maps provide great clarity to the narritive and understanding of the events. I was at Vicksburg the week before I read the book, and am able to state that the maps are accurate and match the landscape well. They would be vital to those who travel to Vicksburg, as they bring clarity to a heterogenous and often confusing landscape. With the maps, one can now find many of the locations of the campaign that are currently unmarked, aan in doing so, better appreciate the role important role of geography as a controller of events. The writing style is clear and moves right along, alternating between federal and Confederate views of the same series of events. In many ways, I found this to be the best Civil War book I have read, because of the smooth delivery and depth of information. Why only 4 stars? The description of key events, such as the battles, the siege, the surrender and aftermath are generally pretty brief. There is not much detail provided regarding the human actions in the campaign. We learn, for example, which units assaulted the Stockade Redan, that they attacked, did not have much success, and eventually retreated. The human interest stories that often provide for a rich narrative are sparse and often economically delivered. In this manner, Grabau's style has to be contrasted with that of Shelby Foote, but that to be expected, as Foote brings a novelist's perspective while Grabau has a background in geography and the sciences. Both perspectives work. To fully appreciate the Vicksburg campaign, I would recommend 98 Days be read before Foote's The Beleagured City and other more recent texts. In this way, the reader would bring a background understanding to the narratives by Foote and others that are somewhat sparse on the details but tell a great story of the people involved.

Read this book in preparation to touring the campaign per the recommendation of the guide we employed. Was not disappointed.
Ed Bearss three volume work is often referred to as the definitive work, but can be a dry read. So, this is a good alternative but should probably be read in conjuction with another work such as Winchels (park historian?) "Triumph and Defeat". Grabau has great regimental movement maps and emphasizes the geological and landscape character of the terrain upon which this campaign was conducted. Read it.

There should be more books like this on other battles of the Civil War. Warren Grabau has blended the common, often read knowledge of Vicksburg with his own geographic/weather insights that make this a slightly different insight into the soldier's experience. The book reads quite well and in no time the reader is finished...disapointed there is no next chapter. The maps are quite good, allowing the reader insight as to the ongoings on the battlefield(s). This a must read for anyone interested in the civil war and a definite...no excuse not to.. read for those specifically involved with the western theater. Now I think I will go and re-read the book to enjoy the second time!

Grabau, a lifelong student of the Vicksburg campaign and a collaborator of Ed Bearss, has laid down a marker for other military historians with this new study which should remain the best single-volume treatment of the campaign for some days to come. I have never seen a more comprehensive blending of all the factors which influence the outcome of war. Grabau succinctly ties together communications, intelligence, and logistics along with astute observations on military operations and command personalities. His expertise in geography and geology allows him to describe, in layman's terms, the impact of Mississippi's weather, terrain and vegetation on day to day operations. His enlightening but commonsensical analysis of soil, climate, road surfaces and water sources adds another dimension to the reader's understanding of how and why the campaign was waged. Students of joint warfare should find this volume of great value as Grabau carefully delineates the cooperation between Grant's army and Porter's fleet - what a shining example for today's military! The backbone of this book consists of a set of 68 accessible maps which graphically illustrate actions and decisions of the participants. Accompanying line and block charts of orders of battle and associated command structures further assist the reader. A typical chapter begins with a geographical description of the area to be discussed followed with sections dealing with a particular battle or operation as seen, first by the Union participants, and then by the Confederates ---very effective. The author's style is snappy and crisp; he wields his facts comfortably and accompanied by a nice sense of humor. My only disappointment was the lack of an exhaustive bibliography, but given the extraordinary effort this work entailed, that's rather small potatoes. This volume is mandatory for any serious student of the Vicksburg campaign, of U.S. Grant, or of amphibious operations. Additionally, I can think of no other work that more clearly illustrates the genius and courage of U.S. Grant and David Porter.

Best analysis of the nuts and bolts of the Vicksburg Campaign. The maps alone will make you wish every civil war book could be just like 98 Days. I would change only one thing about the book: Grabau hints that some of the locals may have been aiding the Union and feeding disinformation to the Confederates. He uses Occam's Razor to arrive at this conclusion. However, some amount of information available in the O.R. and other primary source documents suggests the existence of a vast network of Unionists and deserters that actively resisted the Confederacy in Mississippi. Although the evidence is circumstantial with regard to Grant's intel operations in Mississippi, Grabau points out that there are simply too many fortunate coincidences on the march from Bruinsburg to Bovina (Confederate units wandering aimlessly after being told the wrong directions, "railroad workers" who just happen to know the exact number of cannon and regiments in Pemberton's offensive force, Grant's effortless movement through enemy territory, and the absence of intel flowing from the common folk to the Confederate command concerning Union movements). I would have enjoyed seeing him follow up on this thought. Anyone interested in researching this topic should read "The Free State of Jones: Mississippi's Longest Civil War" (a dry but very thoroughly researched read), "Tupelo" by Reverend John Aughey, and the O.R. entries concerning Choctaw County.

This book is based on interviews with Battle of Midway veterans. It is superior in terms of accuracy and attention to detail. Very, very thoroughly researched. I highly recommend this book for anyone who is interested in an "accurate" accounting of this seminal event.

Remember that line from THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE: "When the legend becomes fact, print the legend?" As with Wild West gunfights, many legends, myths and controversies have evolved over the years regarding the June 1942 Battle of Midway. The Internet-based Battle of Midway Roundtable was created to separate the wheat from the chaff regarding World War II's most decisive naval battle. The history that has been generated by BOMRT discussions is recounted in this iUniverse Publishing volume by Ronald Russell, the Roundtable's editor. It makes for fascinating reading.

Numbered among BOMRT participants are a steadily declining group of Midway veterans along with historians and enthusiasts. Over the years they have tackled various points regarding the BOM, contributing firsthand 'I was there' accounts of the battle and correcting the historical record. For instance, what role did USN torpedo squadrons actually play in the opening stages of the battle? How does one explain the Stanhope Ring/USS Hornet strike fiasco? What did TB-8 survivor George Gay actually witness?

Then too the Roundtable added those 'little bits' that make history so appealing and sometimes appalling. For instance, did you know that Admiral Nimitz, upon arriving at Pearl Harbor on 25 December 1941 to assume command of the Pacific Fleet, shook the hand of every crewman of the PB2Y that delivered him to Pearl AND apologized for taking them away from their families at Christmas! Were you aware of how shamefully ace codebreaker Joe Rochefort, arguably the most important combatant in the BOM, was treated by Navy rivals jealous of his achievements? NO RIGHT TO WIN provides details on these items and others.

I greatly enjoyed this book. It is the second outstanding book on the BOM I have read this year; the first being Parshall and Tully's brilliant and definitive SHATTERED SWORD. One minor point regarding Russell's book: I would have enjoyed seeing photographs of at least some of the BOMRT contributers.

In summary, NO RIGHT TO WIN will be of widespread interest to anyone interested in the war in the Pacific. Highly recommended.

In addition to being a new way to read about history the book is fast paced, and entertaining. Well oganized and edited.

While most books on this subject try to tell what happened to result in stopping the Japanese forces at Midway, and often err on the details, this book tells the story from the first hand perspective. You can ride with VF-3's Tom Cheek as his F4F Wildcat fighter is first almost bombed by Max Leslie when the SBD's overhead armed their bombs; later you ride with him through various manuevers as he shoots three A6Ms defending the TBDs and finally witnessing the results of the divebombing attack. You can also sit on the shore with Marines and hear their first hand stories in a similar manner. There is very little hearsay history in this book, compared to most.

As I live outside of the USA but have a strong interest in the WW2 Pacific Theater, I tend to buy books en masse at the US Amazon.com site when I am in the USA, as the prices and selection for topics in the field are better than elsewhere.

Therefore, I threw this book into the shopping basket along with dozens of others, and, to be honest with you, I didn't think much of it. The title/subtitle, paperback format, and cheap looking cover illustration to me suggested led me to believe that this was to be a collection of minor oral histories. Furthermore, I thought that because of the book's recent vintage and, shall we call it "historically questionable", title, this would be just chock full of exaggerated / oversentimental recollections by perhipheral players, like then 18-year old cooks on screening destroyers or something.

I could not have been more wrong.

"No Right to Win" is the judiciously edited and narrated treasure trove.. meta analysis.. I'm not sure how you characterize it, so let's just call it the "masterwork" of Ronald W. Russell, the editor of the Internet-based "Battle of Midway Roundable."

Russell has taken the very best of the vast corpus of information about the Battle of Midway and has distilled it into a sort of digest format. This includes a sober discussion of various points of contention among historians and just tons and tons of interesting details (mostly on the tactical and operational levels) that have come up during his tenure as Roundtable editor. I don't really want to spoil it for you, but it's really, really good stuff for those of you who already have a solid fundamental background in the Battle of Midway and have read at least some of the canonical books, including Fuchida's, Prange's, Lundstrom's, and, of course, Parshall & Tully's.

As readers, we tend to associate writers with their books. For example, if book X was written in 1970, we tend to associate book X's author with those views, even now. Because many of the writers of key works on the BOM participate in the Roundtable, we see how their views have been refined and modernized with updated scholarship. That this book helps get the latest thoughts from such experts into print is worth the price of admission alone, though there is much more to be had.

I want to make perfectly clear that this book is superb and gets my highest recommendation. I won't dwell on the books positives (which are many), but would however like to bring up one criticism, since I suspect that Randall reads these reviews and will see this.

Randall is in a tough position in some sense - he is clearly has a proper historian's compass for uncovering the best possible truth. This is the singular purpose of the Roundtable. He calmly and convincingly separates the wheat from the chaff in many cases, and has the fortitude to respectfully question veterans' recorded recollections when they so obviously diverge from the evidentiary record (George Gay, etc).

Nevertheless, this role it seems is a bit at odds with his role as community builder and editor of the Roundtable. For exmmple, on page 196 he let "screenwriter Paul Corio", a person who we learn elsewhere is penning someting for the silver screen about the Midway torpedo squadrons, effectively have the last word about the effectiveness of their sacrifice. Corio's words are passionate and include the phrase "the decks of the Japanese carriers were packed with fully armed and fueled planes.."

Wait.. what? Such a statement should be highly contentious, and that it should be put into a conclusion like that as a baldfaced assertion is troubling. Such a statement is just too provocative to belive that Russell just missed it. But the alternative explanation, that Russell chose to play community builder rather than truth-discusser in this one case seems difficult to accept as well.

To make my biases more clear, for the most part I have come to believe Parshall and Tully's analysis in nearly everything (and Lindstrom as well, for the most part), and so perhaps I come to see anything that just repeats the old thinking on BOM issues without substantively addressing the Shattered Sword objections to be, well, troubling.

That said, problems like this are the exception in this book. I'm not a BOM Roundtable participant (no time, alas), but I feel that I've been caught up to a large extent thanks to this book. Highly recommended.

An outrageously good book! George Allen offers us a look into the notoriously secretive world of intellence analysts. What is stunning is that just as I suspected, there was no "failure" on the part of the Intelligence Community in Vietnam. The CIA predicted,prior to US involvement, that we could not stop the spread of Communism in Vietnam. As far back as the Indochina War, intelligence analysts, like George Allen, had observed the French struggle against a Viet Minh insurgency that was determined, well-supplied, and well-led. The almost endless supply of weapons flowing in from China (and Russia?) meant that the Viet Mihn could outlast us. All this was communicated to the higher ups including "the best and the brightest". But Hubris (sound familiar?) got in the way. Good intelligence was ignored. Rosy, upbeat reports were printed by Washington to coverup a fiasco. Career obsessed generals placed too much confidence in technology and forgot about man's Darwinian capacity to adapt and thus survive. Reading this book was like reading a memoir on the Iraq War. Let's hope Iraq is not another Vietnam. However, I'm haunted by Hegel's famous line: "History shows us that people don't learn anything from History."

'There's none so blind as those who won't see,' is a proverb that has proven itself over and over in life. And in the area of critical military intelligence it is a deadly proverb. It's an excellent choice of a title for this book on the intelligence failure in Vietnam.

The problem essentially comes when the estimates of the intelligence analysts conflict with the opinions of the leadership making the decisions. And the 'problem' in this case costs the lives of soldiers.

This book is basically a personal history of the author's travels, studies, and analysis of what was going on in Vietnam. He discusses the reports he made and how the powers in charge refused to believe the evidence he had collected through first hand observation during visits to Vietnam.

In his concluding chapter he says that President Roosevelt had the best understanding and recommendations for the future by supporting self-determination rather than assisting the French in re-establishing their empire. Oh what a difference that would have made.

Fascinating reading, especially in view of the current situation in Iraq.

This is an exceptional book, absolutely required reading for the history of the Vietnam War since 1950 but also for the foreign policy decisionmaking process in general. A classic! Reinforces those who thought the war a tragic waste of human lives and resources--who opposed the war.

This is altogether an extraordinary book by an extraordinary author. It is nothing less than the history of the evolution of U.S. policy towards Vietnam from the end of WWII to the conquest of South Vietnam by the Vietnamese Communists as observed by a professional intelligence analyst. The insights this book provides are not just on U.S. involvement in Vietnam (and by extension Laos and Cambodia), but on how U.S. National Security Policy toward South East Asia was formulated over a twenty year period. The comments about the value of a systematic process of formulating national security policy by integrating military, intelligence, and policy considerations are alone worth the price of the book.

If this were all the book did it would be a remarkable achievement. But George W. Allen does considerably more than this. Allen was from the beginning of his long career (some fifty years total) first and foremost a working intelligence analyst. As such he focused on Vietnam for some 18 years and developed in that time the increasingly rare quality of detailed knowledge of his target. Reading this book should provide any attentive reader with an excellent understanding of how the process of intelligence analysis actually works when executed by a real professional.

Although a personal account, Allen's book has an authentic feel to it. This reviewer found much of his account hauntingly familiar although we never met or worked together. Certainly his inability on several occasions to perform truly all source analysis due to ill-conceived compartmentalization is quite familiar. The same is true for his encounters with senior military leaders and civilian policy makers who considered any intelligence that did support their views almost a personal affront.

The Washington D.C. area is fairly awash with former `intelligence officers' claiming to be intelligence or counter-terrorism `experts' based on often rather dubious experiences in the U.S. Intelligence Community (IC). It is refreshing then when a real intelligence professional is actually willing to share his thoughts with general public. Towards the end of this book, Allen, identifies himself as a "professional intelligence analyst" which he truly was. The U.S. could use a lot more like him.

I have read a number of books on the US involvement in Vietnam, some of them quite good. This is the best, the ONE book you should read if you're limited to one book. Other recommended books are _To Bear Any Burden: The Vietnam War and Its Aftermath in the Words of Forty-Seven Americans and Southeast Asians_ by Al Santoli, and _Our Vietnam/Nuoc Viet Ta: A History of the War 1954-1975_ by A. J. Langguth.
With first-hand knowledge -- not just reading from second-hand sources or going through one general's papers -- George Allen describes what happened in Vietnam from before Dien Bien Phu through the fall of Saigon. He has detailed information on the US side, and informed accounts of what the North Vietnamese strategy was. He introduces us to the personalities and events so important to the way Vietnam happened, all in a very engaging and readable style.
One of the most fascinating parts of the book is the listing of the many times the US took action without a full examination of the complete situation. Allen writes, "In foreign affairs and national security matters, there is no substitute for thorough, conscientious, and objective analysis of all the factors bearing on a decision, of alternative courses of action, and of a weighing of the consequences -- domestic as well as foreign -- of all the options available." This was rarely done in Vietnam. Among the hasty decisions the US made were to consider the northern Vietnamese as part of a monolithic Communist threat, to aid the French in maintaining their empire, to take over the French role in Vietnam, to give the green light to the Diem coup, to not realize the problems the lack of post-Diem leadership would create, to not encourage South Vietnam to develop an effective political message and a stable appealing government, to appear to favor Thieu as a candidate (by proclaiming neutrality), by failing to build an effective intelligence system in south Vietnam, by US in-country personnel repeatedly lying to their superiors by exaggerating US success and minimizing enemy strength (thus depriving themselves of the needed resources to meet the real threat), by the false "light at the end of the tunnel" PR campaign (setting the government up for an even bigger fall when Tet '68 came), by giving South Vietnam false assurances of our post-withdrawal support, etc. etc.
These just touch the surface. Allen explains how even minor decisions like insisting ARVN units included artillery support, and not replacing ONE incompetent colonel, possibly had very significant bad effects. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in Vietnam, recent American history, or politics. It should be required reading for US policy-makers.
Hopefully someday we'll have someone the caliber of George Allen tell the true story of 9/11, Afghanistan and Iraq.

Andy Harp's NORTHERN THUNDER brings a military insider perspective to the North Korea threat. Harp combines great story-telling with fascinating reserch about the far east that informs and entertains. Please let there be a sequel. I need more from protagonist/hero Will Parker. I'm so glad I discovered this assassin thriller.

Andy Harp is the real deal. He not only knows his subject, he makes it understandable to those of us who aren't all that savvy on technical weapons systems.

I thoroughly enjoyed A NORTHERN THUNDER, especially since Andy made the DPRK (North Korean) villians think of themselves as the good guys (which they do, BTW)

Highly recommended to any fans of Tom Clancy, Dale Brown, or Stephen Coonts. Andy's in good company!!

"Although I don't limit my reading to fictional thrillers, this one is a MUST. It screams `movie, movie, movie!' It's refreshing in that it covers so much information in less than 300 pages. And it's an action-packed story based largely on real facts and actual current events. Plus one bonus: the more than occasional out-loud chuckle thanks to the author's wit!"
--NEAL H. HOWARD, ATTORNEY, ATLANTA, GEORGIA



"A smooth writing style and the author's military expertise add authenticity to the narrative (he's a retired US Marine Corps colonel) and make this state-of-the-art techno-thriller an above average read. Recommended."
--BOOKBITCH (JACK QUICK)

Introducing Will Parker
I said in a recent blog entry ("William C. Harris Returns," 10/31/07) that I have a special admiration for "gentleman authors," those for whom writing is an avocation. Among Georgia gentleman authors are William C. Harris, William Rawlings, Jr., and, of course, the granddaddy of them all, Ferrol Sams.

Now there's a new one to add to the list: Andy Harp.

Harp, who lives in Columbus, GA, is a civil trial attorney in a practice built around the representation of injured railroad workers. Prior to entering private practice, he worked as a District Attorney in Cordele, GA. He earned his law degree from the Walter F. George School of Law at Mercer University in 1980.

Not only is Harp an attorney, he's also a retired U.S. Marine Corps Reserve colonel. He graduated from American University (which he attended on an athletic scholarship) in 1973 and signed up with the Marines.

As a young officer, he served with both the artillery and a small mountain warfare/arctic instructor survival group. He was a Regimental Battery Commander with the 11th Marines, and became Instructor in Charge of the Instructor Group at the Mountain Warfare Training Center in Bridgeport, California. He also trained in the Arctic Circle and at Fort Greely, Alaska, where a typical day was 44 below zero. While in the Arctic and at Bridgeport, he lived in ice caves, rappelled off cliffs and out of helicopters, taught military cross country skiing, and taught both mountain and cold weather survival.

Once his legal career began, Harp continued to serve in the Marine Corps Reserves, rising through the ranks to become a colonel.

As a logistics officer he served in South Korea, Central America, the Persian Gulf, Europe, and at the Pentagon where he was assigned to the Secretary of Defense's Executive Support Center and to Reserve Affairs.

His final posting before retiring saw him serve as the Officer in Charge of the Crisis Action Team for Marine Forces Central Command and Marine Forces Pacific.

In 1997, he was elected National President of the Marine Corps Reserve Officer's Association. His decorations include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, and Navy Commendation Medal.

Now I don't know much about military service, but I can tell that Harp's time in the USMCR was action-packed and extraordinary. His bio reads like that of an action hero such as Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan or Robert Ludlum's Jason Bourne.

It should come as no surprise then to learn that Andy Harp, gentleman author, has just published his first novel and it's a military/techno thriller titled A Northern Thunder (Bancroft Press, 2007).

In his debut, Harp introduces Will Parker, a Marine reservist plucked from retirement with a mission to infiltrate North Korea and identify the communist country's leading military scientist, a former roommate of Parker's, who's developing missile technology to undermine other countries' satellite surveillance systems.

Parker's mission is made all the more difficult when the North Koreans dispatch their top assassin to eliminate any international competitors or obstacles that might hinder their deadly project.

Now, Will Parker is not just a retired USMC reservist, he's also a small-town Georgia lawyer. Who else do we know with such a résumé? Mr. Harp himself of course!

Although I have not yet read A Northern Thunder, I suspect that Harp's bio gives Will Parker an authenticity that will resonate with readers, particularly those with a military background.

Harp's plot is well chosen with the North Korean nuclear threat currently looming in the American psyche. The terrifying possibility of North Korea firing a preemptive nuclear strike against the U.S. has been played out in the international media for the last few years and international diplomacy has so far failed to come up with a permanent resolution to such a threat. A Northern Thunder has an eerie timeliness about it.

The release of A Northern Thunder will be tomorrow, November 15, at 7PM, at a book signing at Barnes & Noble, 2900 Peachtree Road, in Atlanta's Buckhead.

In conjunction with the release, Harp has launched the book on the web at www.andyharp.com, and also with a video book trailer, produced by Hollywood filmmaker Jordan Bloch, on YouTube.

As Harp says in the media press release,
"We wanted to release this book in a big way. While it is fiction, A Northern Thunder exposes some mind-blowing military satellite and other technology that is little known, but certainly in existence.... Even more than being a page-turner, I wanted this book to be realistic."
Publishers Weekly has said of A Northern Thunder:

"The secondary characters aren't nearly as convincing as Harp's descriptions of satellite technology, submersible suits, and the like. But Parker has resilience, foresight, and fortitude to spare, and North Korea's repressive regime and rugged terrain make for deadly opponents."
I'm not qualified at this point to offer an opinion as to whether or not Harp has achieved what he set out to. I am just impressed by another "gentleman author" who has, by dint of sheer force of will, written and published a book that may turn out to be a huge seller.

Congratulations to another emerging Georgia author.

[I welcome your comments and questions about this or any other Cover to Cover blog entry. Email me at covertocover@gpb.org. I look forward to hearing from you.]
Posted by St.John Flynn at 8:01 PM

Staunch Stalinist Peter Nampo lives in North Korea; he wants to make it a power to be reckoned with and a moneymaker for its satellite weapon system that he is developing. Once in geo-orbit, it can knock out other countries satellites and spread radiation on its enemies; he plans to sell it to terrorists and rogue nations for hard cash to feed the population that is on the verge of starvation.

Nampo is such a VIP that he is a never in the open unless it is with his three doubles; a North Korean assassin is killing all the scientists around the globe that are near completion on the weapons system. Rear Admiral Julius Krowl of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is aware of the situation and sends Reserve Colonel Will Parker, the only western man who knows what Nampo looks like to get inside North Korea and figure out which of the doppelgangers is the real Nampo in order to take a picture. He prepares for the mission under grueling conditions but he also makes preparation to make sure his back is covered if he is successful.

Readers of fast paced, adrenaline pumping military thrillers that keep the audience attention throughout will thoroughly enjoy NORTHERN THUNDER. Each main character is well developed and understandable even the villains (who consider themselves the good guys patriots and our side the villains) who hate the United States. Surprisingly, China is portrayed as a gentle giant trying to keep its wayward child under control. Andy Harp knows how to create a good story that is germane to the times.

Harriet Klausner

I have read many, many first-hand accounts by Vietnam vets and this is my favorite. Kirschke, though not a gifted writer, has such an incandescent personality that I retain him in my memory along with favorite fictional characters.

I have had the pleasure of speaking to Mr. Kirschke on several occasions. He is exactly what he seems to be- upfront and honest, and a brave man.

While this isn't the best Vietnam memoir I've read, it's better than most and it is definitely worth reading.

Pedestrian writing can ruin any subject, even the ready-made drama of war. Vietnam memoirs are no exception. But such is not the case in James Kirschke's account of fighting in some of the bloodiest zones of the war in 1966-67. With a colorful, engaging style that does not shy from personal revelation, Kirschke weaves a compelling narrative made genuine by its generosity of spirit and plausible by its even hand. Kirschke's experience as both an English professor and a writer gives him an advantage over the competition, true. But potent material like this still needs adept storytelling, and in Kirschke, a retired Marine captain, it finds a capable craftsman. Casual and passionate reader alike will be touched as Kirschke relates the critical and formative aspects of his service: training and bonding with his mortar platoon at Camp Pendleton, exhausting daily combat in the area just south of the DMZ -- commanding first his mortar platoon and then a rifle platoon -- and his final battle of the war, the injury that left him near death for many months. The reader will also appreciate that Kirschke has steered clear of the kind of cynical self-confession and cloying apologia that too often mars Vietnam memoirs. Not Going Home Alone is about the work of war and the love and sorrow encountered along the way.

Lt. James J. Kirschke demonstrated outstanding leadership skills stateside and in Vietnam. He loved his men, and they loved him. As an 81 mortars platoon commander, Kirschke drove his men to become the best of their kind in the USMC. The men he trained developed not only incredible proficiency and stamina, but also a deeply seated sense of pride in serving their country and the Corps. After Kirschke transfered to the 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, he became the CO of a rifle platoon. At this juncture in the narrative, the action and tension in this finely written book heats up and never cools down. Kirschke was not a hell-raiser or macho warrior hyped up on testosterone. He was simply an excellent human being on whom God had generously bestowed such rich gifts as those of leadership ability, compassion, and sense of duty. It is incredible that Kirschke teaches literature in one of today's foremost universities, given the anti-white male and looney leftist fringe that rides herd over modern academia. When I put this book down, I thought of Kirschke the way Mark Antony thought of Brutus at the end of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar: "His life was gentle, and the elements so mixed in him that nature might stand up and say to all the world, this was a man." Thanks, Jim, for your unselfish service and for writing this book.

I give it 4 stars because I never met any officer in Vietnam, or anywhere else, like Kirschke describes himself. And I certainly didnt meet any Kirschke's in Vietnam. So the book doesnt resonate with my experience. But, I suppose anything is possible. Still, the book is interesting and well-written; better than most of this genre. And that's the bottom-line.

The bomb!
This is a government sponsored field manual that tells individuals how to prepare for and how to survive "the bomb". And as preparedness books, and Government manuals go - this book is the BOMB!

Many books on survival and preparedness are shallow, poorly researched and untested, fear mongering or written with a social or political bend. Or the advice of the book amounts to - "Sit tight, take notes, wait for government officials, they will save you". This book is none of those things. It was written by Cresson Kearny - a Rhodes scholar who was working as a research engineer at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory at the time that he was asked to write this book. His other qualifications include (but are not limited to!) serving in WWII - where he worked on testing and improving jungle combat gear for US soldiers. As a demolition specialist in China (during a portion of the Japanese invasion). He was re-recruited by the US military for combat gear improvement for US soldiers in Vietnam. He also traveled the world trading knowledge with other countries on protecting civilians from the effects of a nuclear war. Etc, etc.

Mr. Kearny has thoroughly researched and thought through the most likely scenarios (most relevant at the time that he wrote this book) and gives step-by-step solutions on how to deal with each problem. His solutions are simple, tested and can be implemented by almost all individuals. He advocates looking out for yourself, and gives advice on how to do so.

Although this book was specifically written to address a massive nuclear war with Russia - the knowledge and approaches in this book can be applied to all disaster scenarios. Some of the things he covers:

-Facts and myths about nuclear bombs.
-Mental preparations
-Warnings that a bomb has gone off/ are on their way.
-Communications
-Evacuations - when/ where...
-Shelters, building several quick, effective fallout shelters (all tested by him and by "average American families").
-living in the shelter - water, food, CO2/fire dangers, ventilating the shelter, light, sanitation, medical, furnishings, clothing, cooking, how long to stay in there...
-detailed instructions and templates used for building a radiation meter from common household items! (Invented by him - the "Kearny Fallout Meter" or KFM)
-detailed instructions and templates for construction of a homebuilt ventilator.
-where to find food and antibiotics for you and the rest of the country, how to process that food so that it can be eaten by adults and children. (And how to build any tools needed to process that food).
-special dietary considerations for children.

The information is presented in a - this is what is important and here's how an average person should/could go about doing this - manner. Very simple, very straightforward, very hands-on.

I have only scratched the surface on the wealth of practical information contained in this manual. Buy it! Then buy one for a friend!

Note: This book is available as a free PDF download (do a search on: Nuclear War Survival Skills PDF download). I recommend downloading it and reading it. I suspect you will then want to have a hard copy on hand too.

4-17-07 Addendum: one of the assumptions of this book was that our satellites (USA) would show missiles being fueled and fielded, and cities being evacuated. This would give us a 2-3 day advanced notice of a major power's (Russia's and/or China's) nuclear launch. This is no longer a good assumption.
Events that have occurred since this book was written:
-Russia has built and actively maintains excellent permanent shelters for most of its population.
-Russia has upgraded its missiles (and continues to actively do so).
-China has maintained and is actively improving its excellent system of shelters and underground facilities.
-China has upgraded its missiles (and continues to actively do so at an alarming rate).

When using this book keep in mind the above changes - ie don't count on the USA having a 2 day warning.

Are you bothered when you read that the Russians are building a giant underground city in the Ural Mountains? Have you ever heard of Mount Weather?

The people who want the American people to cower in vulnerability to nuclear attack do not want anyone to read this book. Kearny addresses the things courageous individuals and families can do ON THEIR OWN, using the McGyver approach, to improve their chances of survival.

Drop the giant-cockroach nonsense and learn the effects of blast, radiation, and fallout. Learn to build your own fallout shelter in a day using shovels, axes, and saws. Learn to make a fallout radiation meter from a coffee can, a chunk of drywall, and a piece of aluminum foil. Make a shelter ventilation fan in hours from wood laths, plastic sheeting, cord, hinges, and staples. Make a mortar-and-pestle-style grain mill from a section of steel pipe and a coffee can.

The designs and procedures were developed and field tested on real-live Americans over many years at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Even if you have a merely-idle interest in technical subjects, you will enjoy this book, and it might even save your life. This is a great book that changes the way people see nuclear war and strategic military policy.

There are a number of do-it-yourself guides to civil defense available, but most seem to be aimed at hard-core survivalists who have crack outdoor skills, and lots of specialized equipment. This book is very different and is written for the average citizen by a former U.S. Army officer, field geologist and civil engineer who built and field-tested the "expedient" shelters described within while still employed at the U.S. Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

These shelters can be put togeather within a few hours by ordinary, untrained men and women. (It is a good idea to take a weekend and practice building them.) They provide good protection during the weeks it may take for fallout to decay to negligible levels of radioactivity. (Expedient blast shelters, which also protect against the shockwave from a nearby explosion, are also discussed.)

The author is clear and thorough throughout, supplying checklists for supplies, equipment and materials; detailed building instructions and descriptions of the genuine (as opposed to fanciful) effects of nuclear weapons. There is also a valuable discussion of the purchase and use of potassium iodide compounds for protection of the thyroid gland from absorption of radioiodine. Finally, detailed plans and instructions are provided for the construction and use of a homemade fallout meter(!) to indicate radiation levels. (It is a lot more accurate than many of the over-priced, defective-or-uncalibrated war-surplus "Geiger counters" on the market!)

The 2001 edition contains a new chapter on the hazards of trans-Pacific fallout, which could drift eastward to the U.S. mainland from a nuclear conflict in Asia. (Such as India vs. Pakistan, or a North Korean nuclear attack on the South or Japan.) There is also a new appendix detailing the persuasive medical and scientific evidence that low levels of ionizing radiation below a certain threshold do no harm to humans or other forms of life, or their descendants. In fact, it may make them healthier. (Far from being crackpot, this concept is known in Biology as "hormeisis" and is dicussed in a recent article in DISCOVER magazine; see "Is Radiation Good for You?", DISCOVER Vol. 23 No. 12, December 2002.) This should help to dispel the superstition that radiation is some sort of magic poison, and that any amount is deadly.

Anyone not living in a fool's paradise realizes that the chance of a nuclear detonation in an American city is probably higher now than it ever was when the United States and Soviet Union were locked in mutual standoff. Nuclear deterrance may have worked even on hardened Soviet or Chinese apparatchiks; but to to depend on it alone now against psychopaths and apocalyptic fanatics is to invite hideous disaster.

This is truly a remarkable book. It contains a compendium of knowledge on civil defense approaches for surviving a nuclear war. Much of this material will apply directly to impact threats from asteroids and comets. It's a book you can stake your life on.

This is 'the' guide for surviving a nuclear disaster. The author worked at Oak Ridge Nuclear Facility and the government asked him to write this guide. It can be download off the web for free, but I'm a big fan of books...they still work when the power goes out. Explains the effects of a nuclear explosion as well as fallout and how to protect yourself and family. Though the drawings are a bit simplistic and 1950-60ish it gets the point across. The supply lists and preparation lists can be applied to many major disasters.

I was surprised at the largely positive reviews of this one, which is the reason I'm posting a review myself.

After reading the numerous glowing reviews here, I bought the book expecting a tightly woven, fast paced read, but found the book poorly organized, sprawling and fairly inconclusive on many points. The actual experience of reading the thing (which is quite short at less than 200 pages) was tedious for me, almost a chore. It really frustrated me, because the true telling of stolen law enforcement software, government lawsuits, CIA spook meddling and a murdered journalist should be anything but tedious.

And, I REALLY wanted to like it too! Unfortunately, important characters and events are given little in the way of introduction or explanation, the chapters (and content within) are muddled and disorganized, and the overall argument is dificult to decipher and supported only weakly.

The book could've benefited by better authors with a more competent grasp of structure and delivery (Yeah, there are typos), and a few hundred more pages of hard research and structured content. The case deserves better handling than this.

Still, I recommend it, as it's pretty much the only game in town. But treat it a primer or a guide, not as the thrilling read it fails to be.

5 stars for subject matter and noble aims, but 2 stars for execution. I give it a 3 on the whole.

...i've read numerous conspiracy books, but this one is certainly one of the better. very well written. ... good read.

Danny Casolaro was a relatively wealthy individual who decided he wanted to become a writer. He already had a few articles published in various magazines when he first learned about the PROMIS software. Basically, PROMIS is a database program with amazing flexibility and statistical abilities and can also be used to predict future trends, submarine locations, etc. This software was developed by private individuals with some help in funding by the U.S. Department of Justice. However, the government decided to [take] the program instead of paying for it and began to market it as their own. This information is widely known and well-accepted and much documentation of this exists (including a successful lawsuit by the software developers that was later overturned on the flimsiest of grounds through the interference of the powers that be). However, when Casolaro set out to write an article about the robbery of the PROMIS program by the government, potentially to sell it to a computer magazine, the deeper he dug, the more sinister things became.

First of all, he learned that the DOJ had a backdoor added into the program so that the U.S. could access the files of whoever they sold the PROMIS program to, including the governments of Israel and Canada. This led to further revelations and meetings with various informants that further revealed a complex web of deceit leading down some surprising avenues. Casolaro now changed his plans to writing a novel, perhaps even presenting it as fiction in order to avoid scaring off publishers. But before this happened, Casolaro was found dead from what was an obviously staged suicide and many of his notes disappeared.

This very well documented book (that also verifies and is verfied by information published elsewhere) chronicles Casolaro's story, citing many excellent sources, including court records and affidavits. It also attempts to recover and recount some of the information about the conspiracy Casolaro began to call "the Octopus" because of its many, long-reaching tendrils. While it is not always clear Casolaro was on the right track (Casolaro himself often took note of what information seemed manufactured to mislead and discredit him), it is clear he was onto something big given his subsequent murder and its sloppy coverup.

Casolaro might have led a comfortable life as a mediocre writer publishing the occassional article, but because of his sense of justice and the need he felt to uncover the truth, he was ruthlessly murdered. This book is a wonderful epitaph to two courageous men (including co-author Keith who mysteriously died from knee surgery).

...i've read numerous conspiracy books, watched the videos, et. cetera, but i dare say this is one of the better!!! certainly, a must read for any conspiracy bluff! go get 'em, tiger.

Kenn and Jim's magnum opus. (RIP, beloved friend to humankind.) This book is as scary as they come, and stranger than fiction. As a conspiracy writer, I found myself shaking while reading it. THEY are real, and THEY can do and have done horrifying things. The Octopus is the Matrix vivified.

This book is especially important for anyone who still naively believes "there are no conspiracies." The word "conspiracy" means "to breathe together." Only two people are needed to make a conspiracy, and this book will leave you breathless.

Danny Casolaro is a heroic figure who bravely and, perhaps, foolhardily attempted to foil the Octopus, whose tendons reach into the most intimate parts of all our lives. He should never be forgotten. Thank goodness for the valiant likes of Kenn Thomas and Jim Keith for telling his story. Movie studios should be clamoring for this highly untold story - but they are no doubt part of the Octopus. Danny, Kenn and Jim should be lauded for their audacity and courage in bringing forth this treacherous tale of murder and mayhem. Such valor is akin to that of Gary Webb in his expose of CIA drug-dealing.

Carry on, fellow warriors for truth.

Acharya S; Archaeologist, Historian, Mythologist, Linguist; Member, American School of Classical Studies at Athens, Greece; Associate Director, Institute for Historical Accuracy; Director, Center of the Research and Study of Theology; Author, "The Christ Conspiracy: The Greatest Story Ever Sold"

I went to the Philippines in January of this year in order to walk the Bataan Death March and to see Corregidor, generally on Luzon to visit many of the WW II battle sites. Recently, I came across Abie Abraham's
"Oh, God, Where Are You?" Although it is a long book (599 pp.), I finished it quickly because it is immediate in its detailed description of the March, the cruelties of Japanese soldiers, the courage of the American and Filipino soldiers and people along the way who often sacrificed their own lives to help the weak and the weary. The most compelling part of the book is the last 250 or so pages detailing his acceptance of Gen. MacArthur's personal request that he find and disinter the bodies of American soldiers buried along the way of the March, mostly by villagers who remembered. His is an extraordinary book, well worth the price and the time spent reading it.
Dr. Gerard Brooker

I read this book because Abie Abraham was a bunkmate of my great-uncle, Lloyd Spradlin, who survived the Bataan Death March only to die of dysentery in Cabantuan prison, an infamous hell-hole run by the Japanese. Although I never knew my Uncle Lloyd personally, I grew up listening to stories of the pain the family suffered when this wonderful, handsome young man was taken at the age of 22, in September, 1942. He enlisted when he was 18, and only had 2 months left of his tour of duty when the war broke out in the Pacific and the Bataan Peninsula was overrun by the Japanese. These men held out under insurmountable obstacles and fought a delaying action that has all but been forgotten. They felt forgotten, too, and called themselves "The Battling Bastards of Bataan -- no father, no mother, and no Uncle Sam ... and nobody gives a damn."
This book outlines in vivid, graphic language the horrors Mr. Abraham and thousands of other prisoners endured, and then goes on to describe Mr. Abraham's efforts after the war to disinter hundreds of American and Filipino soldiers and have their remains returned to their families. My uncle was one of these, and was returned to be buried in Lexington, Kentucky. He is personally mentioned several times in the book, along with many, many others. Mr. Abraham's memory is awesome, and I congratulate him on writing a first-hand story -- one that is becoming all too rare nowadays as we are losing so many of our precious World War II veterans.
I'm 44 -- and while I don't remember these events personally, we must never forget the sacrifice our American boys gave in the first horrible months of World War II in the Pacific.
If you're interested in World War II history at all -- especially the events in the Philipines -- this is a must-read book.

"Oh God, Where Are You" is one of the best books I've ever read. It really shows the horrors of war and shows that Abie is truly a hero along with all of the others who died on or after the Bataan Death March. Even though I'm 17, I personally know Abie and work with him at the Butler VA Hospital. He is a great inspiration to me and many others. Rick

I began reading this book because it contains mention of my great-uncle (Pvt. Neal Wood, Twenty-seventh Bomb Squad), and found it to be so riveting that I would read and read until the pages were getting blurry. While the writing style is a bit repetitive and at times tedious, the subject definitely keeps attention. Uncle Neal survived the Bataan Death March and the infamous Camp O'Donnell only to die of dysentery and starvation at Cabantuan. Abie Abraham and others that were fortunate to survive spent three years in the prison camps under the abusive rule of the Japanese.

Don't be daunted by the length of this book; I usually would take quite some time to read a book of this length, but I finished this one very quickly.

Mr. Abraham also has his own website (ghostofbataan.com) for anyone who is interested. From there, you can email him or explore various features like the message board.

Too often, people forget about our heroes in the Pacific during WWII because of the focus on the heroes in the European theater; let us not forget the many men who served in the military to protect our country in the Philippines. I think every high schooler should read this book so that the leaders of the future will understand how hellish war really is, not just a surgically sterile type of operation.

Greetings ... I'm young spunk compared to great men such as Mr. Abraham and my Father, and yet Dad managed, if such was possible, to impart to me some small appreciation of the utter hell our brave American men and women, many chronological teens, suffered for the sake of the whole world. While I will remain anonymous, I also am privileged to have received Mr. Abraham's testament to my father's own sacrifice in World War II. I never can grasp the extreme torture and horror endured by "Abie" and, possibly to a lesser extent, Dad. All I can say is that while there is a love and a thankfulness in my heart and my soul and the rest of my father's family for the utter brutality and total defiance of the rules of war (Geneva Convention) by the Japanese, Germans and Russians, sadly, along with a lot of great young kids half my age or less, there are ALSO a LOT of total PUNKS that could care diddly for what men like Mr. Abraham and Dad have endured for their benefit. Take warning, today's ACLU, left-wing feminazis, post-1960s flower-people, National Education Association and Jane Fonda replicas, if it wouldn't have been for selfless heros and heroines like Mr. Abraham and my father, you wouldn't even have the FREEDOM to tell these "fuddy duddy" old (supposedly) "worthless" Veterans types what you think of them. Wake up, America, and re-fortify yourself - don't listen to Europe ... don't be fooled, we are STILL in a "cold war" and Communism and Socialism did NOT become extinct with the taking down of the Berlin Wall. Buy the book. Read it. And get ready for the day when the ACLU inevitably comes along and searches your home for every non-burned copy. Don't let all the hell of Bataan and all the other horrors of the first and second world war be for nothing. While there is time, listen to your fathers and mothers. And teach YOUR children.

One More Bridge to Cross is an inside look at the Noncommissioned Officers contributions to warfare. By providing direct insight to the Noncommissioned Officer, the author allows the reader to gain a great deal of in-depth knowledge in a short time. He provides the reader with real life experience as well as researched facts that build upon one another and enlighten the reader. A definite read for anyone interested in military tactics and training.

One More Bridge to Cross takes a truly unique approach to studying warfare and military reform. One More Bridge to Cross offers a close look at the moral factors of war that John Poole examines so insightfully in his other books. Most great military theorists (including Sun Tzu, Clausewitz and John Boyd) have emphasized the importance of moral factors. John Poole goes beyond theorizing about these moral factors and examines their importance in conflicts past and present. He shows how the United States has gained strength throughout its history by supporting worthy causes. He gives examples of how upholding moral standards in the conduct of war has contributed to ultimate victory. Finally, he shows how the United States has begun to loose the moral highground in recent times by practicing heavy-handed attrition style warfare. One More Bridge to Cross is particularly relevant to today's war against terrorism, where perceptions of values and morality can sway public opinion at home and rally new enemies abroad.

In this another excellent work from John Poole, the author has chosen to examine the moral aspects of good soldiering by focusing on their application on a tactical level (although his suggestions might be equally well applied on the strategic level.) Don't be mistaken, however. This is not simply a theological tract. The author, a Roman Catholic, probably has more first hand knowledge of good solid tactics than any other "expert" going. He knows how to kill another man, another unit, and/or another tank. His interest, however, is in the proper aim of maneuver warfare: winning the war with an eye on what Liddell-Hart called "a better peace."

It's been over twenty years since the U.S. military formally outlined their emphasis on maneuver warfare (hastily summed up as "achieving our objective(s)") rather than attrition (again, hastily summed up as "destroying the enemy"), and yet our forces still seem bogged down in no-win attrition style wars. Were they to pay closer to attention to the evaluations of gentlemen such as Poole, they'd have a much easier time winning those "hearts and minds" we're always hearing about.

There are, of course, a multitude of religious undertones here, but even the most atheistic amongst us will have to recognize the strategic pragmatism of Poole's suggestions. The bombardment of a city by air may win you some rubble, but it doesn't win you a war. A wake of bodies doesn't make for a victory, and it doesn't lay the groundwork for "peace-keeping." As we've seen, it only encourages resentment and an insurgency.

If there's an intruder in your neighbor's house, you seek out and remove the intruder. You don't blow up the building. If your goal is to show an eastern peoples that you've come to remove an indiscriminately violent dictator, you don't use indiscriminate violence.

One More Bridge to Cross addresses something that often gets forgotten- the training of our souls and establishing a natural moral compass when engaged in combat will instinctively take over as chaos ensues. Fight or flight instincts take over on the battlefield. If training is not effective and becomes a part of ones character, it's left behind in lieu to what already exists in one's moral fabric. This book is about avoiding killing when the opportunity exists in order to minimize loss of life and limb. It's about applying only the appropriate amount of force in order to meet mission requirements. Before going into combat we train mentally and physically with a quick skim over the morality of war, and the mental, physical and moral costs of war without ever realizing what war actually may entail.

So what happens when human beings ignore training of the compass? We have incidences like Abu Ghraib, WWII soldiers say they were only following orders when exterminating Jews, Serbs and Muslims of the Balkans revenge killing each other, Palestinians and Israelis going tit- for-tat, Special Forces Operators being accused of needlessly killing detainees, news reporters concerned about getting stories out without considering their uninformed or biased approaches. All of the above named actions contribute to the continuation of war.

Service members who are not mentally prepared for this reality may become susceptible to mental and emotional illnesses i.e. Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. They may feel guilt ridden for something they have actually done correctly, but do not realize that they had taken appropriate measures because faith in themselves and their training were not reinforced.

Again, war is the ultimate clash of HUMAN WILLS. The ultimate clash of wills is highly emotional for people on the front lines of a battle fields. Unless one has been in a combat environment, one will never truly understand and will attempt to subjugate the importance of the human in combat vice the machine. People die, friends die, and this causes anger, pain and the desire for revenge.

Poole's book stresses the importance of maintaining a moral compass in combat. He is training the subconscious to contend with a reality that some hi-tech supporters of weapon systems do not understand. Killing is killing whether one pushes a button, or the other pushes a trigger. One kills people and calls some collateral damage and perpetuates the fight by providing the enemy a battle cry and information operation tool, the other engages face to face and knows he truly killed a legitimate threat. This is the bridge combatants are forced to cross.

As much as anything, this is a "how to" manual for warriors in the 21st Century. While some things have changed since this book was written in 1999, it is my contention that these much needed changes in ground force organization, training, and tactics were influenced greatly by this book and John Poole's recommendations. There is still a lot more to be learned from the thoughts and ideas this book, and it should be read by more than just warriors. This book would help legislators, parents, teachers, potential recruits, and ordinary Americans (voters and supporters) to understand what has happened to our military forces in the past 50 years and where we have to go to address the wars we are now fighting and those of the future.

John Poole provides a challenge to America's conventional military philosophy - In 1999, America's military leaders were not preparing the military for the current nature of war which some call 4th Generation War and others Asymmetric War and still others Irregular Warfare. In many respects, the reforms that John Poole calls for in One More Bridge are still not in practice. The price for not understanding what Poole has to say will be excessive casualties, disruption of indigenous populations, and erosion of their support for our military objectives. This is the very frightening and realistic picture that John Poole (a retired Marine Lieutenant Colonel and former Gunnery Sergeant) paints in One More Bridge to Cross: Lowering the Cost of War. John Poole is a recognized and noted expert on small unit battlefield tactics. He is the author of Phantom Soldier, The Tiger's Way, Tactics of the Crescent Moon, and The Last 100 Yards and has spent twenty-eight years leading and training Marines in small unit tactics, serving two tours in Vietnam.

His thesis is based on the history of the last fifty years from past wars. Poole stresses the need for radically different small unit decentralized training to prepare U.S. soldiers and Marines to fight the wars of the future (remember, this is 1999 that he wrote this). Poole states that change is needed in three areas: implementing effective decentralized light-infantry training, returning the moral quotient to the destruction of war by minimizing disruption of civilian life, and understanding and respecting the enemies' philosophy of war. This requires our military strategists to change their focus from attrition warfare to a more balanced approach with maneuver and Stability and Support Operations (SASO) as the counter. This idea is something that the military-industrial complex has been trying hard to ignore. If one looks at the guidance given to the Quadrennial Defense Review in 2005, however, that guidance seems to reflect a change in the old ways of thinking about how we fight. It is a decided shift toward what Poole was trying to tell us before 9/11.

Poole states that, "Attrition Warfare has become as much a part of American military thinking as apple pie." Modern warfare dictates that the military must add a new philosophy that enables America to win in many different environments in which attrition warfare will lose.

As this review is being written, some 30 Army artillery battalions are being transitioned to more appropriate types of units such as military police, military intelligence, and light infantry in recognition of the fact that our new enemies have neutralized attrition warfare, as Poole suggested. We are learning to adapt, but is it enough?

Poole's new military philosophy was based upon analysis of a new and different enemy, who is not obliging enough to sit still and face the military in massed formations to slug it out, where America's overwhelming firepower would prevail. Instead, he is a phantom living in the hidden jungle vastnesses, treacherous mountains, and maze-like cities, where he organizes his military into decentralized, small mobile elements. America, therefore, cannot destroy the whole country to get him. The French learned this in their defeats in Vietnam and Algiers. Americans saw the effect in Vietnam, Lebanon, Somalia and now Afghanistan and Iraq, but we have been late to adapt.

Poole explains how eastern warfare and military thought is very different. In the East, the decision maker takes everything as a whole and then proceeds with a comprehensive and intuitive bringing together of its every aspect. In the West, the decision maker divides a complex matter into its component parts, and then deals with those parts one at a time with the emphasis on logical analysis. For ground combat, the Eastern way of thinking may have more utility. The Asian large-unit commander is a bottom-up, holistic thinker. He briefs every subordinate (no matter how low ranking) on his overall goals and then encourages them to either make a contribution or get out of the way. As a result, his unit can more quickly adapt to the fragmented and ever-changing nature of modern battle. He exploits what his subordinates accomplish rather than dictating their every move. Does this even vaguely remind anyone of Osama Bin Laden?

In the West, the emphasis was, and still is in some respects, on long-range warfare and large-unit training, i.e., battalion and above. In the East, the emphasis is on short-range warfare and small-unit training, most notably, the individual, fire team, and squad. This means that the Asian soldier generally acquires more of the basic field skills he will need to survive in close combat.

In this book, John Poole tells us that American Soldiers and Marines have always been expert at using their equipment and following orders. Unfortunately, one must know more than that to survive against a loosely controlled and arms-poor but woods-wise opponent. Poole goes on to enumerate those areas where we need to train our grunts and all those who would participate in this kind of war.

Former Gunny Poole reminds us that those best qualified to develop the prerequisite procedures will be the non-commissioned officers (NCOs). By allowing his 30-40 NCOs to collectively design their own portfolio of tactical techniques up to squad level, the company commander will not only give his small-unit leaders tactical decision-making experience, but also he can ensure their non-predictability in war.

Until we reform our military philosophy, these new wars will be costly to our soldiers and the civilians that we are trying to win over to our cause. Read this book!

This is one of the best books I have ever read. I will never forget it. It is the first book I have read on Vietnam. My father let me post this review under his name. I want him to read the book now so we can discuss it.

I have read Gary Derigney's book "One Young Soldier" several times and still wonder how he was able to put into words what it was really like for a combat infantryman in Viet Nam. As a Marine combat veteran of that war, I was surprised at how much similarity there was between my own experiences and those of Gary's.

Mr. DeRigne goes beyond the violence and fear one endures in combat and describes other factors such as the leadership, camaraderie, boredom, lack of sleep, filthiness, sickness, lack of water and food, insects and on and on. For those who served in the rice paddies and jungles of Viet Nam, this book will bring back memories and will be emotionally difficult to read. I also feel that this book will certainly 'enlighten' those who haven't served in combat and want to know what it was really like.

Beyond Viet Nam, "One Young Soldier" will help many readers realize what our troops are currently going through in the War on Terror and make you appreciate the sacrifices they are making. The stress of Combat is a terrible burden on those who do the fighting and those who love them.

I would like to thank Mr. DeRigne for writing this outstanding book and I highly recommend it.

Semper Fidelis,

Mark Limpic

This is a haunting, compelling narrative about the atrocities of war--even those our government created in the handling of our soldiers in the field. Gary DeRigne brings the day-to-day realities of the Vietnam war alive again. The descriptions are vivid and terrifying, but involve the reader so thoroughly that the book cannot be closed. Unfortunately, throughout the reading, images from news stories of today in Iraq come to mind. Nothing seems to have changed. We are still wasting the lives of our courageous and valuable young adults as we engage in meaningless and catastrophic international clashes. May this book help us all grow in wisdom and strategic integrity.

I found One Young Soldier a captivating read. We follow Mick from his early childhood through high school and into the grit, grime and horror of the Vietnam War. This is a first hand account of the life of one young man thrown into an almost unbearable situation. Most of us will thankfully never know what it's like on the business end of war. This book paints us a very clear picture from the boredom to the terror with a little humor along the way. We see some of the best and worst of Mick and his fellow grunts as they slog through their tour of duty in a very foreign land. This book is a must read for anyone who was in Vietnam in any capacity, and for anyone who wasn't.

Compelling book an absolute education for society. This amazing and absorbing novel speaks to the truth of war. An awakening to those who have never served in the military, beginning with the arrival at training to the nights of official orders of total quiet, the expectation of death shrouding soldiers at every moment and finally, the return to every day life after experiencing the horrors of war. This is where another often bitter reality sets in and is too often ignored and misunderstood by family, friends, society in general. Mental health disorders are not easily understood. Today our returning soldiers are faced with these same issues, how are we dealing with it? How is our government dealing with it?