Military Books

He kept a diary contrary to regulations. In it, he mentions that the U.S. Navy had broken the Japanese Navy Code. This information would have been valuable to the Japanese, if it had fallen into their hands. Thus, inadvertently, his diary affirms the wisdom of the regulation he ignored.

How could he have known that the Code had been broken, in only the second year of the war? (1) from an officer; (2) from his close friend in the radio shack; (3) or by guessing. The first is most likely, as his diary seems replete with information broadcast over his ship's loudspeaker. But (4) maybe information was added to his text after the war. Samuel Eliot Morrison wrote the introduction; did he edit it, too?

This diary is unique in that it views the Pacific War from the perspective of an ordinary seaman. Some things come through that aren't mentioned in other biographies or official histories. Swabbies were hungry, most of the time. Vermin infested stores. Sailors got less than two hours sleep per day for long periods. They slept on decks in the tropics: no air conditioning. A match left on the deck would ignite. Firing five-inch guns deafened sailors near them, permanently. Loading stores and thousands of shells was exhausting. Boredom, fatigue, typhoons, accidents assailed them. Fahey's personal phobia was sharks.

He documents how sailors suffered. To keep going as they did, they needed assurance that what they were doing was worthwhile, that they were appreciated, and that they had a chance for surviving. His diary shows that he received all three. The proof is that he repeated what his officers told him.

This is the way it was. James Fahey was an ordinary "Joe" like the millions of others who dedicated everything they had to win that terrible war. His book is an on-the-spot account of the real happenings and not memoirs or interviews of others who were there. Fahey writes with simple honesty and clarity. He was not a trained writer. But his simple honesty is what makes this such a great book. As I read it I couldn't help relate the everyday hardships that he and his shipmates accepted with the complaints of the bleedings hearts who today complain about the treatment of the Taliban/Al Quida prisoners in Cuba. For three years on Fahey's ship, bed time was "hitting the steel", or sleeping on the hard steel deck because it was always too hot in the sleeping compartments. A good night's sleep was often not much more than 45 minutes, and even though the Navy tried it's best to provide good food, that was often nearly impossible under battle conditions. But the esprit-de-corps never faded and Fahey and his brothers on the cruiser Montpelier couldn't have been prouder to serve. They were great men in sailor's clothes. I really enjoyed this book. Anyone who forgets what real heroes went through to preserve our freedom should read this before they worry about the comforts of those who want to take it away.

I picked up this book from my local library because my own father was an ordinary seaman in the WWII Pacific navy but refused to say more than a few words about it before he died over 25 years ago. He hated the food. He served in the Pacific near China at some time. But that's about all I know. In searching the net for books about the naval war in the Pacific this one popped up, and it was a revelation. It shatters the myth that serving in the navy meant three hot meals a day and sleeping on clean sheets and a soft mattress every night, not to mention getting any sleep at all. It also shatters the myth that serving in the navy was safe. I just cannot imagine being in a battle where I was literally surrounded by fighter planes, dive bombers, torpedo planes, and kamikazes from above. Then there were the 5 and 6 and even 8 inch guns from land, enemy warships on the sea, and subs under the surface.

As as been said, Mr. Fahey is no Hemingway; but the further I got into his narrative the more it seemed that I was hearing my own father's words. I wasn't, unless of course it turns out that, by some miracle, he served on the U.S.S. Montpelier with Mr. Fahey. But in his straightforward prose he reflects the no nonsense approach my dad always took towards whatever came his way.

Reading this book has obvously been a very personal experience for me. So I do highly reccommend this book for anyone whose father served in the navy during WWII but refused to talk about it. But I also give it 5 stars for anyone who just wants to know what the day to day life of a seaman was like during that time.

I couldn't put this book down. His stories reminded me of my days in the Pacific and Persian Gulf only a few years ago. You will understand the patriotism that our veterans felt and their perspective toward the enemy. I have an understanding of what our veterans went through and also the war they fought. I think everyone would benefit from reading this book and I recommend it highly!

This is the way it was. James Fahey was an ordinary "Joe" like the millions of others who dedicated everything they had to win that terrible war. His book is an on-the-spot account of the real happenings and not memoirs or interviews of others who were there. Fahey writes with simple honesty and clarity. He was not a trained writer. But his simple honesty is what makes this such a great book. As I read it I couldn't help relate the everyday hardships that he and his shipmates accepted with the whining of the "bleeding hearts" who today complain about the treatment of the Taliban/Al Quida prisoners in Cuba. For three years on Fahey's ship, bed time was "hitting the steel", or sleeping on the hard steel deck because it was always too hot in the sleeping compartments. A good night's sleep was often not much more than 45 minutes, and even though the Navy tried it's best to provide good food, that was often nearly impossible under battle conditions. But the esprit-de-corps never faded and Fahey and his brothers on the cruiser Montpelier couldn't have been prouder to serve. They were great men in sailor's clothes. I really enjoyed this book. Anyone who forgets what real heroes went through to preserve our freedom should read this before they worry about the comforts of those who want to take it away.

With a trip to Vietnam pending in the near future I was desperately searching for the kind of book that would be both personally/anecdotally compelling as well as giving a sound overview of what Khe Sanh was all about.I found everything and more in this book.
Whether you wish to experience an "arc-light" strike metres from your dug-out (apparently it makes a loud honking noise rather than a whistling sound -a terrifyingly graphic detail) or survive a direct strike on a bunker (time standing still as the vacuum sucks out garbage) then this is the book for you.
I would recommend that this be read with Mark Woodruff's magisterial "Unheralded Victory" as this book puts the human face on the 'grunt' in Khe Sanh. It corroborates the wider picture of Khe Sanh's role both as a disrupter of the Ho Chi Minh trail and as bait for the NVA.
Michael Archer's simple narrative, lacking pretention and pretense, is completely captivating as we follow one man's chaotic descent into a patch of hell.
The details included are so specific that you know this guy was "there" and that his everyday valour was indistinguishable, even commonplace, set against those around him.
It's also hilarious as he details the practical jokes, the farcical living conditions and the sheer comical callousness that war engenders (peeing on captive VCs, kicking an ARVN out of a helicopter in the middle of a battle, dropping sandbags to terrify a sergeant as he runs to the can, the hygienic deficiencies of Pig and Old Lady etc.)
It also catalogues the lesser known battles of Khe San Village and Lang Vei which I will now definitely add to my itinerary (only an hour from Hue apparently!)
I inhale history books as a rule but especially relish well-written, personally involving, uncensored first-hand accounts of battle. The devil is in the details as Tolstoy affirmed rather than in the sweeping map-driven generalities of war-planning. This book takes you there and back.
It also has a very tragic and sobering thread that ties the book together revolving around the death of Archer's best friend Tom Mahoney (still MIA after all these years). The photos of this young man are enough to make you weep.
Archer's final summing up of his experience is a testament to all young men who go to war for the first time:
" I did not enlist in the Marines out of patriotism, nor was I really concerned about the welfare of the South Vietnamese. I was going for the adventure, to prove myself."
It's that personal need to confront one's destiny that makes so many young men sign up to go to places where people want to kill them.
Will we be revising our view of today's Iraqi debacle in 40 years? If it produces writing as fine as this then at least it will have some positive legacy. I fear though that that will be about its sum worth.

I served at Khe Sanh, including about a montrh in the ville with CAC-O in August of 67. I was lucky enough to rotate home in September of 67 before it hit the fan. This is a well-written book that brought back a lot of memories of times gone. Those who enjoy military sea-stories will like it.

As the author of the books "On Killing" and "On Combat" I try to read every first person historical narrative I can get my hands on, in order to understand what happens to the individual in combat. This book is one of the most powerful and authentic first person narratives to come out of Vietnam. This book powerfully captures a vital piece of history, but it is also a very valuable contribution to anyone who would study the behavior of men in war.
Lt. Col. Dave Grossman

Hard to believe this is partly about the same unit that deserter/traitor Terry Whitmore was in and wrote fiction about. Well written but far too short to really tell all that happened but hopefully more will be revealed in the future. Stephen I. Busby, Bravo 1/1 1967-1968

A well-written, emotional description of the the siege of Khe Sanh, one of the preeminent battles of the Vietnam war. 6000 U.S. Marines surrounded by 40,000 North Vietnamese, under continuous fire for 77 days. Living like rodents in underground bunkers, between almost constant incoming artillery fire, the Marines emerged at every chance and gave it back to them, in spades. Despite seeming insurmountable odds, Khe Sanh never fell, and when the final tally was in, the number of enemy dead was staggering. Compared with 1000 Marine casualties and 750 South Vietnamese casualties, the North Vietnamese Army lost more than 12,000 men in their failed attempt to overrun the indomitable Marines at Khe Sanh.
A great piece of military history preserved in a fine book. A must read.

Any J.A. Jance book is a winner in my library. I love her writing style and this book does not disappoint.

Any JP book is a good ...book.
Are you kidding get this and all the others, I love JP Beaumount!

First I must say in response to an earlier review, no the villian is not revealed early on! I don't know how she knew, but I didn't know until the very end! This was a good book and a fast pace read. I'm not usually a big mystery reader, but I really like Jance's style and most of all I like J.P. Beaumont. He is a great main character.

I really enjoyed this book. Like the others in the Beaumont series, this was a quick read. The plot was entertaining. Just when you thought you knew who the killer was there was another slight twist. I also enjoyed learning more about J.P. Beaumont as the story was peppered with a few more details about his character. I would definately recommend this book.

This novel was an airplane read for me--a solid three hour flight plus a few moments at the hotel the next morning to finish it up. The plotting and characterization were solid, but not particularly novel. The "extras" added to the plot are in the main eccentric and interesting, as good mystery cameo players should be. Ms. Jance's protagonist was somewhat disappointing--a suitable sleuth, but some of the backstory just didn't work for me in this one. I'd pick up another Jance if I were in the airport and needed a good read, but I wouldn't go out of my way to locate the rest of this series. What do you get when you cross a dash of Christie, a dash of Hammett, a trace of Paretsky, and a lot of those modern "suburbanesque" detectives....something readable, certainly, but not quite a top flight mystery. If you need a good read, it's here, but it's a flawed work, and the villain is obvious from way too early in.

A warning first, about this otherwise exciting and well-done novel. It is graphic, violent, and contains a lot of foul language. Frankly, I almost stopped reading the book, because at times the language becomes almost septic. I'm glad I did finish it, however, because it is well-written and thought-provoking.

Ben Benson is an ineffectual nebbish who just wants to be a writer. The Perfect Revolution is actually his journal, and because this novel is written in journal form it has an immediacy that a straight third party story would not have. It is also painful, rough, and violent as Ben makes his journey from a grunt on the ground in Iraq (in 2013!) to the streets of damaged USA.

Who are these "Perfect Soldiers"? Yes, they are conscienceless robotic killers under the control of one man, General Prescott of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, but are they more? And why is this revolution allowed to happen in the "land of the free and the home of the brave"?

As we watch Benson's combined moral descent along with professional ascent, we might wonder what we would do given the evironment and choices given to Benson. The story at times is visceral and gut-wrenching, but we also wonder what kind of a "gutless wonder" IS Sergeant, then Lieutenant, then Captain, then Major Benson? And what kind of depressing dispirited place is the United States?

Oscar Deadwood is one day going to be a very good author, and this is a very well done first novel. This story could NOT be published in Bewildering Stories, and frankly, it took some work to find a publishable excerpt (coming later), and even the one we have is very dark and violent.

Unlike the other reviewers on Amazon, I couldn't give this novel 5 stars, but 4? Yes, certainly.

Benjamin Benson is a sergeant in the US Army of 2013. He is stationed on the border between US controlled Iraq and a still belligerent Iran. He's a grunt, sad sack, an everyman. And "The Perfect Revolution" is his memoir.

Deadwood's first novel is told in a tightly focused voice. Not only do we learn everything through the eyes of Benson, we learn it in journal entry chunks. Our narrator is only a handful of hours ahead of the reader at any point in the narrative. This gives the reader a sense of blindness, of not knowing what lies around every turn, which just makes the whole thing more disorienting.

I've never been in the military, and know precious little about life as a soldier. I like the fact that Deadwood writes from a viewpoint where many of the conventions and much of the jargon of military life are simply taken for granted. He makes no grand attempt to educate the reader about minutia. Much like any diarist, Benson tells us what happens and how he feels about it.

Into this seemingly standard tale of war come the Perfect Soldiers. As described by Deadwood (through Benson) these robotic additions to the Army are part Terminator, part mafia enforcer, and all menace. They are the unaccountable Black Ops troops that we all know the Army has. But by endowing them with extraordinary - and often very creepy - technological abilities, their accompanying sense of danger is multiplied several fold.

Soon enough, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs - General Prescott - brings all his troops, including his Perfect Soldiers, back home and uses them to effect a coup. Benson is dragged into the mechanics of this Perfect Revolution, forced at each turn to commit ever greater atrocities. What's fascinating about this book is how Deadwood shows a person who has a conscience do unconscionable things. We watch the turmoil within Benson and we hope for his redemption; we hope at least that he will seek redemption. Deadwood dares us to hate his "hero", but it's hard to do. I found myself rooting for this tool of destruction, which is an unsettling feeling.

I wish Deadwood had given us more secondary characters for Benson to play off of. He gives us such a vivid look into the internal nature of expanding evil. I would have liked to have seen the external effects more clearly. On the other hand, since this future United States devolves so quickly into an Orwellian nightmare, maybe we learn all we need to know about Benson from his thoughts. His impact on the outside world is little more than the tally of those he has exterminated.

I'll just say one more thing, about the pacing. That sense of driving at night, with no headlights, on a curving road carries through, from the first chapter to the last. I certainly didn't enjoy the scenery; who could? But I enjoyed the journey.

I must preface my review by stating that I'm not usually a fiction fan but " the Perfect Revolution" is an interesting title and the recommendation of a close friend caused me to read this ,Oscar Deadwood, book.
This is not a warm and fuzzy feel good story. It is an apocalyptic and frightening story of life as we have known it ending. Oscar Deadwood , is able to make it real and believable with his use of very real geopolitical , economic , social ,and psychological realities that we all can recognize.
The technologies , Deadwood , uses are for the most part all available in one form or another right now. Example , implanted micro chip are being used on hospital patients and livestock today.
In conclusion I found "the Perfect Revolution" well written and compelling. I plan to recommend this and other , Oscar Deadwood , books to my friends and family.

This is a book that will be very hard to put down. I just dont have the time to critique the book to the N'th degree, but I feel that if you are a reader of speculative fiction you will find a unique experience here not dependant on your personal politics. It is an "end times" sort of work, but don't expect the usual trimmings around that sort of fiction. Oscar manages to carve a path all his own here.

Oscar Deadood's "The Perfect Revolution" brings us to the not so distant future, and the battlefronted borders of wartorn Iraq-Iran. I don't want to spoil the stellar plot and storyline, but by my interpretation, the book reads very much in the heart of 80s SF we've come to know and enjoy, ones which have become timeless classics. In this case, my interpretation based the book solely on Military SF and Technothriller. The prose and narrative was refreshing to say the least. If you've ever read a Deadwood short story, you'd know what I mean. But the dark SF he is most often known for is put aside here with some realism: realism in the case of a collapsing economy and having to drop out of college, realism concerning the war in the Middle East, realism concerning the sociological---very little but done nicely---elements, realism with politics in this future/political change, which is the foreword for this story's coup d'etat. These are all real social changes which are happening now or, you better hold on, not too far down the road in real life. Come, let's be honest. In the Bush Administration, these particular times we live in and all, how long until we are in Iran? And with the United States investing billions and billions of dollars into their defense systems and military, are cyborgs for soldiers or robotlike marines not a possible future? Let's take a look at how our economy is now; it is on the verge of collapsing, as was the case with Russia in 1989, and we may have to fill our "own" status quo with super soldiers.

When I read this book I quickly thought of authors such as Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle, only better. Oscar Deadwood makes it happen in the case of his protagonist, Benson, who happens to be a writer. And he throws in the militant adjunction through speculative fiction which makes this novel shine. Another interesting element is that Oscar Deadwood breathes life into his Benson character and the overall storyline by using entries from a journal (sort of like a day in the life of a writer-turned-soldier without choice) and the perfect soldiers. With everything that's going on in the Middle East, and how this war and insurgency we're in now (ala Vietnam the sequel), I think it's safe to say that we can all envision this. He uses a character from Michigan, someone who whether military or blue-collar can associate with (Sergeant Benson) on a human level. As Benson is there, and transformed throughout the course of the novel, so are we. We are moved by a 220 page novel that is not only a semi-portent, but quite possibly our future if we're not careful. Highly recommended.

The author has an agenda to bash America in this work, all the more incredible since one would think the nation of Japan, which has never officially apologized for the atrocities described in this bood, would more than suffice as a punching bag for him, the author. His determination to get that bashing in, in the second half of the work, distracted him from delivering the proper scope and balance in telling the story the author is probably capable of. Worth the price though (especially if you can get it at a discount).

This is why my mother won't visit China. Although she would like to learn more about Chinese culture, she discouraged my visiting China because she was afraid something would bite me or I would bring vermin back not because the Chinese are inherently dirty but because she accurately remembers the strength of vermin warfare inflicted upon China and is convinced that the poisoning of China's water system and soil makes Chinese products suspect even before the industrial accidents in recent news. It takes a widespread intense campaign to deal with this problem. I didn't read this book before visiting China but I believed that she was being practical in her advise and not political. This problem needs to be researched. One must satisfy the most critical person in order to solve the problem correctly.

I came from the city where the Japanse secret germ army operated during the second world war. What the author stated in the book is true. The truth can not be denied by the Japanese Government. Don`t judge anything as lie or truth, unless you find out with yoru own eyes.

I recently attended a lecture by Daniel Barenblatt in NYC. The subject was of course Barenblatt's new book A PLAGUE UPON HUMANITY. Whereas the use of human medical experimentation is now a well known aspect of the Nazi extermination program, the fact that
Japan innovated these same techniques, as well as implementing a lethal biological warfare unit, directed by Dr. Ishii Shiro & imposed upon the Chinese population in Manchuria & Occupied China, prior & parallel to the Nazi regime, is less known in the Western World.
Whereas some books on this topic have been published, Mr. Barenblatt, with integrity & the detachment necessary to cover the terrain, has written a contemporary & updated version of the material That he does so fills an important gap in our historical understanding but moreover, underlies the situation in which we now live.
The 25 photographs speak without words. The 10 chapters & for this reader, in particular the last chapter `What The Deal Brought' wherein the implication of this program for our current policy is clear become apparent.. In an era of lethal indifference , poisoned ambients, both intellectual & environmental, a voice such as Barenblatt's must be heeded.

The author Dan Barenblatt has his special background in chemistry and the most precious common human values to complete such a wonderful book. I can image how much efforts he put to overcome the difficullties since the auther does not read and write Chinese.
The most impressive from in this book is the auther try to understand the facts of the history and the cause of it. Unless we understand the cause of the historic tragedy, it will repeat again.
For example he spent a good amount of efforts to analyze what cause the head of Unit 731 - Dr. Shiro Ishii to commit such a huge crime on germ warfare from his family, social background and political environment at that time and how America knew about it, how the secret deal was made later. The auther wanted to present the whole true history base on the individual has right to know, without knowing the fact, the justice and human values are easily betrayed by interest or other purpose.
You will be touched by this most forgotten or unkown history presented in the book; but as a Chinese auther I was touched and amazed by his efforts and unbiased humaneness

Should you consider reading only one book about the U.S. helicopter pilots in South-Vietnam that bravely fought almost 40 years ago, then, "Pucker Factor 10" is the best choice.
Mr. James Joyce there flew the two most used types: "slicks" and "gunships" thus covering two major aspects of the tactical helicopter warfare successfully used in SEA. This is what this book tells you.

I had to choose a war memoir for a term paper this semester in my english class...and I was very happy that I chose to read Pucker Factor 10. The book is very enlightening, and an interesting read. I found myself always WANTING to read more. James Joyce is a wonderful writer and he reveals emotions and specifics of war that you dont even realize. I highly suggest this book to everyone. I normally dont read memoirs like this but after reading his I want to read more!

James Joyce has written a truly excellent book. Mr. Joyce has successfully included every human emotion possible. His real life experiences are a combination of both desperate hours and uplifting moments, with a side of unmistakable humor. I would recommend this book to anyone remotely interested in the Vietnam era. Definately a MUST READ.

As a woman reader I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I learned so much in this book, about flying, Vietnam, rats (UGH) I knew it was hard over there but didn't really realize some of the hardships till I read this book. The author's writing is very easy to understand, you don't need a dictionary beside you, and the humour was great. You got some really good laughs and some sadness also. I would highly recommend this book to anyone.

I'm not normally a reader of non-fiction war stories, especially in first person, but "Pucker Factor 10" caught my attention from the beginning all the way to the very end. Joyce brings the reader into the realm of realism, from family history, personal apprehensions, his somewhat inadvertant role as a helicopter pilot during the heat of battle, his impressions of soldiers and his humanity toward the enemy which brings chills to the reader. Meanwhile, just when I least expected, I found myself belly laughing his wit. This book is a must for anyone who enjoys true-to-lie accounts of how it was in the air trenches.

An excellent and very needed book in the English speaking world where so much of what we read and learn is from the British point of view with all the prejudices of the British thrown in. A valuable book for those who wish to get a more balanced view of the war by reading about both the British and the French. A caution, however, as one finds the british accounts onesided, there are moments in reading the book where i got the feeling the author was anti-British. But it doesn't detract from the overall excellence in providing a seldem heard aspect of the war.

Most histories of the First World War have focused on the British or German perspective. This is a history of the French operations, which provided the bulk of the resistance to the Germans on the western front.

Histories of the First World War suffered from partisan books written directly after the war that gave a caricatured version of operations. They suggested that French and British generals failed to appreciate the impact of modern technology and simply used men as cannon fodder. This book is one that seeks to counter that view and show how the French commanders reacted to the success and failure of operations and developed strategies which evolved during the war to lessen the loss of human life and develop more efficient methods of attack and defence. In fact the year of 1914 saw one of the French Armies considerable triumphs the defeat of the German movement through Belgium aimed at outflanking the French line. This success occurred when the Germans devoted the majority of their army to the western front in an attempt to gain an early victory. England at the time had only mobilised a small army so the defeat of the Germans was a remarkable victory.

One of the interesting points made by the book is that some 50% of the French losses occurred in the first year of the war before the development of the trench system. The reason of course was that before the development of the trenches when there was the war of movement infantry were much more vulnerable to artillery fire. In 1915 when the French attacked again and again in an attempt to aid the Russian offensives the losses were although substantial far less than in the disastrous first year. The losses suffered in resisting the German offensive at Verdun again were again less than in 1915. It was only in 1918 that France carried out the series of attacks that finally led to Germany's capitulation that the casualty figures increased to levels close to 1915.

The book is interesting as it shows how the French developed tactics over time. The rolling barrage to protect the infantry in its advance. The notion of the flexible defence so that infantry was kept away from the front line to avoid the heavy losses which resulted from opening barrages and instead using counter attacks and the holding of key points to inflict casualties on the attacker.

In fact it is clear that the French became frustrated with the English under Haig who launched his Somme offensive without using the sorts of advances in strategy that had been developed by the French and Germans thus turning that battle into a costly stalemate. One of the attractions of the book is that it shows the history of the English campaign and issues though an observers eyes.

The book also reveals how close the Germans came to victory in 1918. If Ludendorff had been able to move more quickly to separate the English and French armies in detail he could have won. Instead he relied on costly staged offensives delayed so much that the French and English were able to hang on.

Despite the loss of the major industrial section of their country the French were able to turn their country into an arsenal producing ¾ of the weapons that were used by the Americans. Huge numbers of tanks aircraft and heavy artillery.

The book also shows clearly the importance of the operations in Macedonian in hastening the end of the war. The attack on this front in `1918 led to Bulgaria being forced out of the war. This broke the German supply line to Turkey which meant that the British under Allenby were able to advance from Egypt easily also defeating that country. Lastly the surrender of Bulgaria opened up yet another front that the weakened Austro-Hungarian Empire could not hold. One of the more interesting books on the First World War which is valuable in giving another perspective on the conflict.

Robert Doughty's 2005 "Pyrrhic Victory" may be the most extensive English-language account available of Franch strategy and operations during the First World War. Doughty has combed a variety of archives to document that, contrary to popular myth, France sought throughout 1914-1918 to execute a coherent strategy of fighting a multi-front war in order to maintain pressure on Germany. Moreover, France executed this strategy despite increasing shortages of manpower, a ferocious battlefield learning curve for its general officers, and several crises of confidence.

France understood itself in 1914 to be at a distinct disadvantage in population and industrial base with respect to Germany. This disadvantage drove France to seek out allies throughout the war. France would rely on the huge but unsophisticated Russian Army to force Germany to fight a two-front war and on a reluctant Great Britain to help defend France itself.

In 1914, France and Britain narrowly avoided defeat in a war of movement that culminated in the miracle victory at the Battle of the Marne. As the Western Front stabilized into hundreds of kilometers of opposing trenches, France and its allies would spend the next four years trying to break the stalemate in France while applying pressure on German and its allies through operations in Turkey, the Balkans, Italy and Eastern Europe.

Doughty recounts the tense struggles between French civilian and military leaders over the best way to identify and carry out a winning strategy. The inability to impose a decisive battle on the Western Front in 1914 led to experimentation with siege tactics, renewed offensives in 1915, and a reluctant acceptance of a strategy of attrition by 1916. A premature return to a strategy of decisive battle in early 1917 nearly broke the French Army. France leaned heavily on the British Army to carry the load during much of 1917 while suppressing mutinies and scraping the bottom of its manpower barrel. Key changes in leadership, especially the elevation of Generals Petain and Foch, enabled France to ride out the supreme crisis of renewed German offensives in early 1918. The arrival in numbers of trained U.S. troops on the front lines by summer 1918 enabled the Allies to go over to the offensive and finally defeat an exhausted German Army.

Doughty's narrative makes clear what a close-run thing the Allied victory was. Despite a total nation effort to field and equip an enormous Army, France had been bled white by 1917 and was completely exhausted in the military sense by 1918. The maturation of a mass British Army on the continent, and the creation of a mass American Army in France, both events fostered by French leadership, enabled France to persevere to a pyrrhic victory that may have gutted its national resources and will for a generation.

"Pyrrhic Victory" is a scholarly work written perhaps as much for other scholars as for the general reader, who may find it a long dry effort at over 500 pages. Doughty has included some good maps; this reviewer wishes he had included a few more. Doughty's discussion of French strategy and operations might have included more commentary on corresponding German actions, making the external context of French actions a little clearer.

These minor criticisms aside, this is an exceptional work of military history, very highly recommended to students of the First World War, especially those seeking insight to evolving French strategy.

As has been noted there are a rash of english language books on the Anglo and American participation of the war. The battle of the Somme and the 1918 offensive are covered in detail in most books on the war. Anyone with a serious interest knows about the destruction of the British regular army and England's officer class. We read about the war at sea because of England's involvement.

Few books have concentrated on the French aspect except to mention the Mutiny's, the miracle of 1914 and of course the mention the damage done to the French nation by the death of so many Frenchmen.

THis book is parhaps one of a kind then because it gives the English language reader insight into the French strategy. Mostly a strategy that hs been mocked or passed over. Most have viewed the 1917 offensive as one more ill-concevied blood bath leading directly to mutiny. Many know about Verdun, however the rest of the front, some 70% of it was manned by Frenchmen. The French army shared the burden of the war on the western front. Here we are given a fuller picture of the french general staff, of Foch and Petain and of the french strategy in more minute detail. Keegan and others have done wonderful books on WWI, the more specific study will sppeal to those with a genuine interest in the period. A worthwhile read.

Seth J. Frantzman

Despite the fact that the French Army carried the bulk of the Allied war effort on the Western Front in 1914-18, it has rarely received its due in First World War historiography. Brigadier General (ret.) Robert A. Doughty, head of West Point's history department for twenty years, seeks to correct that omission in his Pyrrhic Victory: French Strategy and Operations in the Great War. Overall, this is an erudite, well-written book for professional military officers and historians and an essential addition to any serious library on the First World War.

This book consists of ten chapters, with one on pre-war doctrine, eight that each cover about six months of the war and a conclusion. The initial chapter on transformation examines pre-war doctrine and strategic planning. Despite first-rate intelligence on German order of battle, the author notes that the French expected an invasion of Belgium but thought that the Germans lacked the reserves to make a deep penetration. The French Army was also fairly well equipped for war, but the neglect of heavy artillery was a serious omission. Furthermore, the author notes that initial combat on the borders indicated "the bankruptcy of French tactical doctrine and the inadequacy of their artillery," although these flaws were not immediately apparent to General Joffre, the French commander-in-chief. Indeed, the author paints a poor picture of Joffre in August 1914, as a commander who blamed others for his faulty operational plan, failed to concentrate his forces and ignored intelligence about enemy intentions. On the other hand, Joffre showed marked improvement in September 1914 by effectively utilizing France's railroads to mass forces for the Battle of the Marne - a victory which the author notes to Joffre's credit.

Once the war shifted to a static phase in 1915, the author notes that the French failure to defend vital coal and steel regions at the start of the war hindered their long-term war industrial potential. It is not uncommon that military men ignore economic factors until they are faced with shortages. As the French Army gradually shifted to an offensive strategy in 1915, the author describes how Joffre succeeded in creating a substantial reserve force but that the early attacks were costly failures due to limited artillery support. Two competing offensive doctrines emerged: Joffre's "continuous battle," which envisaged a massive `big push' style attack, and the "methodical battle" advocated by younger generals such as Foch and Petain. While Joffre believed that a decisive breakthrough on the Western Front was possible, more realistic officers such as Petain realized that it was no longer possible and that the conflict had become a war of attrition. However, Joffre set the strategic agenda well into 1916 and he adamantly opposed diversions such as operations in the Mediterranean that took troops away from his `big push' offensives on the Western Front. It was not until near-disaster at Verdun that Joffre realized the demands of attrition warfare and promoted defense-in-depth against German counterattacks. Also, by 1916 the French Army had finally corrected its deficiencies in heavy artillery, which transformed its operational potential. Yet unlike Germany, France did not opt for total war as Germany did, with its political leaders placing limits on bombing German cities and the use of chemical warfare.

By the end of 1916, French officers such as Nivelle, Petain and Foch had developed new methods of infantry-artillery coordination that enabled the French Army to launch short, but effective attacks. Nivelle became a little too enamored of these new tactics and when he replaced Joffre, he attempted to use them to achieve a major breakthrough in the ill-fated Nivelle offensive. The mutiny that resulted from Nivelle's poor judgment nearly broke the French Army, but it was Petain that saved it from dissolution. Petain adopted a new program for the army that emphasized material over haphazard use of infantry and this program emphasized aircraft, heavy artillery, tanks and chemicals. Ultimately, Petain found the material key to victory but it was Foch - who finally became the unified commander of Allied forces in the desperate days of 1918 - who found the morale key to victory.
Pyrrhic Victory also offers readers a very different perspective on British actions. From the French perspective, the BEF was not pulling its fair share of the load in 1914-15 and British offensives were rather puny. While the author does not denigrate the British, Belgian or American contributions to victory, this book helps to illuminate the major role played by the French in achieving that victory. Although starting out wrong-footed, the French Army survived a major offensive by one of the best armies in the world, adapted and eventually developed the means to push that enemy off its soil. While the price of victory was crippling, there is no doubt that the French Army in the First World did far more than merely `survive' until the Americans came to `rescue them.'

First off I am not a fan of science fiction books but i loved this book. The character development was paced well and the imagery put a crystal clear picture in my head. The action sequences were everything you could hope for from a good sci-fi action movie. The chapters and the book in general were laid out perfectly,at no time during the read did i feel bored or like i wanted to skip a few pages. I want to see a movie version !
Keep an eye out and an ear open for the name James Ross because if he keep this up he'll be big, and wont you be in the cool crowd for knowing about him first !

This is a very good read. Put it in your system and your girlfriend's clothes fall off.

All humor aside, this is the most under rated sci-fi writer you've never heard of... You should go about changing that!

I LIKE GUNS, I LIKE STUFF BEING BLOW'D UP REAL GOOD, This book is just fun as hell ,, a picnic of weapons and betrayl. Mixed with old school narration like something from a old 1950s detective show. Think peter Gunn meets HALO and gets pissed at DOOM!! then they fight it out!! The characters are easy to either hate or like. They way JDR gives you the story its easy to relate to it. He better write a sequal to this or I ll be dissapointed

Good story line, great action scenes. I have scant appreciation for the enumeration of weaponry; makes it sound like a gaming manual. Waiting impatiently for the next book in the series. I look forward to watching this author grow in his craft.

Reviewed by William Phenn for Reader Views (2/07)

James D. Ross is an artist that had his beginning with a web based vanity press. A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, he discovered his love of writing while attending The School for the Creative and Performing Arts. As his affinity for writing grew, James broadened his horizons by landing a job with a company called Misguided Games. This led to assisting in the production of (Children of the Sun) another game. He continued his career as a freelancer with BBRACK Productions till the slow down in the gaming industry. This was a blessing in disguise for Mr. Ross as it led to the creation of "Radiation Angels," his first novel.

"Radiation Angels" is a fast paced, high adventure story of four teams of a mercenary force for hire. Led by a highly spirited and loyal Captain Todd Rook they are hired by Supreme Admiral Tomlinson, the admiral of the navy of a planet called Ashley 9. Admiral Tomlinson is the leader of a revolutionary force that is trying to unseat the unscrupulous President of this planet. He has commissioned the Radiation Angels to aid in this endeavor.

Ferocious battles rage with cyborg and human combatants in violent confrontations. Ross does a very good job with his graphic descriptions of the war that is destroying the planet and its inhabitants. When it is finally over, a strange turn of events causes the mercenaries to become the hunted rather than honored as victors. The rest of the book continues with the mercenaries struggle to clear their names and the events that follow after the war.

With Cyborgs and special weapons, space ships and planets and a host of other out of this world gear; "Radiation Angels" has all the makings of a good Sci-Fi novel. Very detailed and explicitly descriptive, I would strongly recommend "Radiation Angels" to any Sci-Fi buff. If you are into Sci-Fi, you need to take a look at this book. I give "Radiation Angels" an A, highly recommended.

This book is a pleasure to read. Not only is it full of interesting information, but R Holmes is also an excellent writer,along the lines of Shelby Foote. He truly brings history alive. I am a fan of the Richard Sharpe novels and found this good background information for them as well as interesting on its own merits.

Perhaps the single most identifiable soldier in History, the British Redcoat, gets Author Holmes' undivided attention in this delightful volume, and it's about time. As an avid reader of 18th and 19th Century British military history, I thought myself thoroughly familiar with the lives and times of the common soldier, loved or reviled by the same sobriquet, "Redcoat", but I couldn't resist ordering this volume just in case, and I'm very glad I did. In reading it, one realizes that the numerous works recounting major battles, etc., although necessarily touching on the lives of those who fought them, seldom take the time (or make the effort) to dwell on them. Using the technique so skillfully and more expansively employed by Lyn MacDonald in her wonderful World War I books, that is, the recollections of actual soldies as an integral part of the narrative, Holmes weaves a rich and unique tapestry of every facet of the British soldier's life during the period (c. 1755-1860) with discussions of military actions limited to setting the stage for the "real" central players, the men who took the orders rather than gave them. If this concentration on rank-and-file British combatants of the era is not unique to this book, it is certainly rare in my experience, and I recommend this fine work to anyone interested in the period and its soldiers.

I have a massive collection of history books. Some that I have never yet had time to read. And you know why I do not have time to read them? Because I often pickup this book at least twice a year to reread, that is how good it is. I have never enjoyed a book as much as I do with Redcoat. The descriptions are fantastic and make you feel like you are there on the field with Wellington high atop his proud white horse while the French advance on you singing La Marseillaise. It is gritty, bold and highly descriptive. If you love history, you'll love this book.

"Redcoat: The British Soldier in the Age of Horse and Musket" is a well written survey by Richard Holmes of the British Army in the period from roughly the Seven Years War to the Crimean War. As Holmes points out, this is the period of time in which the British Army, although never the size of its European counterparts, managed to play a key role in the conflicts of Europe, especially the Napoleonic Wars, and in the establishment of a worldwide Empire. How the British Army was equal to this challenge is the subtle theme of this book.

"Redcoat" is not a battle history, although Holmes makes frequent references to the Army in battle and on campaign. Instead, Holmes focuses on the organization, equipment, and life of the Army during this period. We find that the British Army ranked behind the Royal Navy in terms of funding and prestige, and was saddled with a complicated, even Byzantine organizational and support structure designed, perhaps, to keep it from being too efficient and therefore a threat to the state it served.

Holmes suggests that the British Army fashioned its success out of a unique set of circumstances that involved the integration of a more or less volunteer soldier into regiments with generally well-established traditions, armed with basically reliable weapons, and led by officers and NCO's who, if often more enthusiastic than professional, was also often surprisingly good. Out of these combinations came an infantry that was as professional, and as successful in battle, as that of any nation in the period; the British cavalry and artillery also often performed well.

That the British Army suffered from all the shortcomings of any armed force in that age (or any age) is also thoroughly explored by Holmes. Particular attention is paid to a draconian system of discipline and to what now seems like incredibly harsh and unhealthy living conditions.

"Redcoat" covers over a century of conflict and numerous changes in organization, equipment, and national policy. This is perhaps too much material to handle in a single volume; the narrative ocassionally wanders and sometimes jumps from topic to topic. Richard Holmes is an exceptional capable writer who is obviously very familiar with his subject. Readers who can persist through the long text will be rewarded by his combination of factual narrative and vivid vignettes that provide a human scale to the story. Holmes has included a nice set of illustrations.

This book is highly recommended to the reader looking for a survey level treatment of the British Army for the period. This book is also a solid foundation for those intending a more detailed study of the role of the British Army in, for example, the Napoleonic Wars.

I like how this book points out in the beginning how in recent cinema the British redcoat has been derided by politically correct gibberish movies. This book shows how wrong Hollywood has been with its simplistic views on history. This superlative work provides more social history than true battle accounts. In this respect I am reminded of Byron Farwell's books on the British and Indian armies in the 19th century. These works were more social military history as well, just as Richard Holmes book is here. There is nothing wrong with this approach. Unless you prefer just pure military history instead.

Holmes deals with the earlier period of Horse and Musket, 1750s to 1850s roughly, and provides much needed analysis in that era. The reader will find a lot of fascinating information on the organization of the British army by various branches and departments. You can find out the number of regiments in the army, how they were broken down into different types, etc. He does this for infantry, cavalry and artillery. Readers will find this particularly useful because this information is often referred to eslewhere, but not elaborated on in other works. Here you will learn the anatomy of the British army. The book is filled with all sorts of fascinating details. The famed 95th Rifles for instance were formed from drafts from the militia and 12 line regiments.

Holmes uses extensive memoirs and first-hand accounts to illustrate his points. Many of these works have been cited elsewhere, but their inclusion here provides additional clarification. Some of the works are well known and are in print again, but their use here is useful. Some readers may become confused because Holmes tends to jump around from one period to another in order to make his point. Those not well versed in British military history of the period may find it difficult to keep up at times. Notwithstanding this minor point this is still a tremendously informative book. I personally found much that was new to me even though I have studied this topic for many years. It also clarified many other points that I was not sure on from readings elsewhere. This book should be read by all future movie producers so that they can get it right when it comes to portraying the redcoat on film. Doubtless they will chose to ignore it. Those interested in the topic and period can't go wrong with this excellent work. You will want to have this in your library for constant use.

This moving story of Jackie Wurst covers many years, locales and people - all part of the young woman's life in the handful of years she was in the US Navy. All of the pieces of her story, reconstructed 25 years after her death, come together month by month and friend by friend, culminating in Jackie's own words at her last assignment. A beautifully constructed tribute!

You certainly have reasons to be proud at the accomplishment of this fine book.
For those of us who never met Jackie, her story reminded me that brutal statistics are often read and dismissed because they don't touch our lives. You took us on a journey where indifference isn't acceptable. The tragedy touched many lives and it's impact is still strong after all these years. By telling Jackie's story, I think it must have brought a sense of peace. A change in closure, perhaps, from the violent last moments to the gifts she gave to so many.
Congratulations!

The author has taken a unique story line with this book, which was frankly very refreshing. Although this story could not have been told without also telling of the horrific and tragic murder of Jackie Wurst, the actual basis for the book is Jackie herself. It is evident a great deal of research was conducted in order to find out about the real Jackie Wurst, and the impact she had on a great many of people. Well done.

This is a very well done book paying tribute to a young lady any man would be proud to take home to his mother. I have extensive knowledge of what I have just stated, as I was one of the original investigators of her senseless murder. We interviewed numerous people during this case and never once heard a bad word about her. She was a genuine, well loved person. She was an fine example of great upbringing by her parents. Thanks to the heads up information supplied by Tom, this case was solved and the murderer locked up and hopefully never to pray on society again.
Tom has supplied the facts in a manner that makes it hard to put this book down once you start reading it. Well done Tom, this book needed to be written. I echo what others have said, "Must Reading".

Darryl Henry, Captain (Retired)
Kings County Sheriff's Office

I have known Tommy Brannon since 1964 when we were both NIS special agents and I was sent to DaNang RVN to assist in the overwhelming case load building up there where Tommy was trying to keep his head above water. His reputation as an outstanding interrogator and polygraph operator were well-known even back then. After that first meeting and working closely with him on several cases over the years this reputation only continued to grow.

But this book was surprising to me. I was ready for an indepth account of a complicated murder investigation which eventually would result in the apprehension and conviction of the murderer, the type of book we see filling the non-fiction sections in bookstores today. But reading this book was a very pleasant surprise. Certainly, the murder case was solved and the suspect arrested and convicted, due to the dilligence of Tommy Brannon; however, this is only the skeleton for the real purpose of the book: the celebration of the life of a remarkable young woman who had great promise. We seldom are priviledged to come in contact with a person devoid of character flaws, but Jacqueline Wurst was definitely one of those rare individuals and the loss of her life was therefore even more tragic. If you can read this book without your eyes watering, you are a remarkable person. Reading it will make you sad that this fine young woman and U.S. Navy sailor never had the chance to become all that she could be (apologies to the U.S. Army) but conversely it will make you happy that you had the chance to meet her through Tommy Brannon's efforts. This is a very good book and a welcome departure from other non-fiction crime stories. Read and enjoy. Thanks, Tommy.