Central America Books

Tequila Junction lays bear the insidious threat to obliterate the Americas in a rip tide of crime, drugs, gangs, and terrorism. Tequila Junction is a book to be read but not forgotten; doing so means further peril. Just as the events of 911 could have been mitigated or preempted if we heeded the indicators and warnings, so too we need to heed the message and lessons of Tequila Junction. The "bad guys" are smart and no amount of technology will overcome that fact. Instead Tequila Junction suggests "unconventional" tactics and techniques to mentally and physically bludgeon adversaries such as nacro-terrorists, narco-insurgents, and other irregular evil doers. Make no mistake Tequila Junction is about fourth generation warfare and small unit tactics. Globalization dramatically impacts crime and terrorism. Drug deals are co-mingle terrorism and gangs. Poole unmasks the challenges that face us in the Americas at the hands of Muslim extremists and communists. Poole unabashedly pins the tail on the Chinese and contends countries like Cuba are or have become full fledged Chinese surrogates. The Chinese are masterfully using crime, gangs, and Muslim extremism as a cover for their expanding activites. Tequila Junction literally warns of a "bar fight" in the Americas that portends to spill over into our streets.

I just finished reading the latest book by John Poole, "Tequila Junction 4th-Generation Counterinsurgency." The book is outstanding. I could not put it down. It's not a novel, but if your interest or responsibility is security, it reads like one. Tequila Junction is, a lesson on current world events including intelligence gathered on non-Muslim threats to America from Central and South America and their links to China. The first part of the book discusses this intelligence and the possibility of politically oriented and drug funded threats to the United States. Yes back to drugs funding political oriented cartels, gangs or maras (MS13, M18 and others) as well as terrorist groups all cooperating in this effort. Poole talks of the United states narrow focus on Al-Qaeda has had its attention diverted from this part of the world. "Latin America provides the perfect example of what can happen from to narrow a focus. Because so little al-Qaeda activity there, U.S. leaders have all but ignored a potential catastrophe at their doorstep. In a place where the two biggest threats to personal freedom combine (drugs and revolution), they have settled for another of their patented "top-down" solutions. Such a solution will have little chance where the source of the problem has yet to be determined." A reader can easily see based on Americas past and current craving for drugs where the implications at home to security and the law enforcement community are obvious if these threats are allowed to go undisputed.

In the second part of the book, Poole describes the unconventional tactics necessary, the military will need in counterinsurgency efforts. These unconventional methods are indirect and involve methods related to police problem solving and indirect conflict. Poole describes 4GW methods of recognizing the gangs and maras as part of the solution-that it is more important to "convert ones foe than to kill him." He talks about, "wars of the future must be won by some other way than expert snipers and pinpoint bombing. The name of the game is no longer to kill as many foes as possible, but rather to sway the allegiance of as many as possible." This is related to law enforcement methods utilized today that are paramount to forming community partnerships and winning community members over in an effort to curtail crime and solve crime problems here at home. Poole discusses these links between law enforcement and military efforts in a way that is easy to understand.

In the latter parts of the book Poole describes methods to use and how to implement these methods effectively. He talks of leadership and the importance of front line personnel being able to think and make decisions on their own based on the overall mission of winning foes over. The book in its appendix titled "Bottom-up Training" describes better training methods to prepare those whose job it is to solve these serious problems at home and abroad.

Those in Law Enforcement and Homeland Security should read this book. The implications from abroad have in the past and currently effect the climate on the streets here at home. Understanding yourself and the adversary are key to success, our efforts will be greatly enhanced by the information contained in this outstanding resource Tequila Junction.

LtCol Poole's books have been with me on my military deployments and contract security assignments overseas. They have all become intelligence and tactical studies that have given me insights and ideas on how to do my job more effectively. John Poole with Tequila Junction gives information for military and law enforcemnt working in South/Central America and Mexico. The information in his latest work gives the information needed that commanders, military manuals and intell reports don't say or synthesize for use on the ground. Once again a must have book.

Lawrence Griswold's account of his travels in South America and southeast Asia in the 1920s and 30s is as endearing as it is ridiculous. Much in the same manner as the geographers and historians of the ancient world, his narrative walks the fine line between epic real-life experience and absurd, cliched hyperbole. The result is an entertaining tale of faraway places in a time when the world was a little less accessible, and political correctness had not yet been invented. Griswold's unflappable persona in the work coupled with his descriptions of the people he meets along the way provides most of the humor, as well as the ridiculousness of several of the situations in which he and his traveling companions find themselves. The anecdotal and episodic nature of the book means that it is not a whole unit overall, but Griswold does an excellent job of finishing his creation with flourish: the tale of the Komodo dragon and the castor oil.

I picked up a hard copy first edition of this at the Strand in NYC. This is the type of book I love. Well written adventure in a world that has passed. What has also passed is book quality. The edition I have is so solidly put together, someone will pick up same in 2070 and no doubt enjoy this book as much as I did. A testament to the hardware and software . The 20 and 30s period was at the cusp of when the jungles of Malaysia, Panama, and Brazil were not yet overly intruded upon by the outside world. Lawrence's sense of humor in the many situations ultimately demonstrate his respect for the locals and locale (but his being a "boss" on these expeditions hides that a bit). Incidences of death amongst colleagues, porters, and now rare wildlife (there are few tiger hunts here that are bit sad)are too easily put aside. But on a one off basis there are some great moments with the West Pointer in Panama, the irresponsible American kid taken along to the Philippines, the hardships of the overweight archeologist up the Amazon, the tiger encounter in Malaysia and more. I laughed aloud many times. This balances the distress one gets on a de-capitation or two and depletion of Sumatran rhinos. An excellent read. Some of the situations tie out so wonderfully here that one wonders about some creeping fiction. I have found though that travel done right leads one into situations that can not be made up. Lawrence, I keep my doubts in check.

Our all-American adventurer friend, Lawrence Griswald takes his archaeology passion to the jungles of Central and South America where he meets with killers, traps and really big snakes. Then, off to Indonesia to be the first to capture the deadly living dinosaur: the Komodo Dragon. If these 20's and 30's Indiana Jones adventures are to be believed, then Griswold was the greatest explorer ever. Otherwise, he's the greatest story spinner ever. Either way, who cares. Watch out for the chapter called "Thirst!"

Ever since I visited Cross Creek (Rawling's home), I've been on the look out for more author's homes or related sites to visit. It was such a great experience to see her place after reading her books.
Now with Traveling Literary America, readers can visit places associated with Dr. Seuss, Mark Twain, Jack London, Edgar Allan Poe and other admired authors. Besides such well known authors, he includes more offbeat literary figures such as poet Joyce Kilmer's home (New Brunswick, NJ) and songwriter Woody Guthrie's birthplace (Okemah, Okla).
I can't wait to see some of these places and having the book on hand allows me to fit them in wherever I travel in the US.

Anyone who loves books-which presumeably includes anyone reading this review website, will love Traveling Literary America. It is a hefty (more than 500 pages) and features more than 200 literary sites in nearly all 50 states, including author homes, memorials, poetry walks, exhibits and museums. What's more, author B.J. Welborn offers descriptions of towns associated with a particular writer (Jack Kerouac's Lowell, Mass; Willa Cathers "Catherland" in red Clouod, Neb); unusual literary treasures (Yiddish Center in Amherst, Mass); art colonies (MacDowell Colony in New Hampshire); hiking trails (Edna St. Vincent Millay Poetry Trail in New York), and sidebars on literary movements (Romanticism, the Beat Generation). There is a lot of fascinating stuff in here.

I'm sure I'll be using this book as a reference for many years to come. If you do any kind of book-related traveling, you'll be glad you picked up a copy.

Welborn crossed the U.S. several times while researching the book, and her diligence shows. The guide is loaded with excellent facts and useful tips, and it couldn't be easier to navigate.

The book lists over 200 homes, museums, exhibits, memorials, etc., and it's divided into sections by region of the country. It includes historical information about each author and his or her work, as well as little-known tidbits that will make your journeys infinitely more interesting.

If you're looking for a thorough reference on author homes and other literary landmarks, this is the book for you.

Although published in 1986, this remains a very informative book on the Vikings and their presence in North America. Wahlgren was a professor of Scandinavian languages, so he adds a very interesting linguistic layer, and uses many Old Norse words to bolster his arguements. He has included a great deal of archaeological evidence to explain the Viking way of life in Greenland and Newfoundland., and also information from the Icelandic sagas regarding Leif Eiriksson's and others' voyages.

Wahlgren explains very well some of the hoaxes and misinterpretations of "evidence" of the Vikings in numerous areas of North America. He delves into the controversy over the Kensington Stone (a stone with a runic inscription found in Minnesota), and with his linguistic background expertly debunks it.

I particularly enjoy Wahlgren's very readable style, full of cute little asides, while remaining scholarly. His personality and wit really shine through.

I read this book really quickly, I couldn't put it down. Wahlgren's idea is interesting and he backs it up well, with lots of interesting history and anecdotes. I'd like to see some arguments against it before believing he's right, but he makes a convincing argument. I enjoyed the book and hope to read more by him. Worth reading for anyone interested in Viking and old North American history.

A very well written, well illustrated, and fascinating recounting of Norse overseas activities in the Atlantic. After reaching and settling Iceland in the late 800s and Greenland in the late 900s, on several occasions recently settled Greenlanders indulged their exploratory and settlement urges and sailed for American shores, which Leif Eriksson had found and named Vinland ("Wineland") at his southern reach in about the year 1000.

Erik Wahlgren, a former professor of Scandinavian languages at UCLA, vividly describes the Viking background and the developing Norse culture, of which the Icelandic sagas became, many believe, the first truly notable body of literature in any Germanic language. As penetrating depictions of life, especially the better family sagas still have power to fascinate the modern reader. (This book's title can be a bit misleading since the Iceland and Greenland settlers were not "Vikings," i.e. sea raiders, but settled farmers and stockmen.) After describing the two saga versions of the Vinland story, in an interim chapter the author effectively debunks Minnesota's Kensington Stone as a hoax (the subject of an earlier Wahlgren work) as well as discussing other dubious claims. The rest of the book focuses chiefly on the Vinland ventures.

But just where WAS Vinland? Was it at the northern end of Newfoundland, the ruins Helge Ingstad and his wife Anne Stine Ingstad uncovered and painstakingly excavated in the 1960s while finding a number of undoubted Norse artifacts? Although the Ingstad claim has has been accepted by many, Wahlgren thinks not. "Ingstad's dilemma stems from his natural preference for a thoroughly identified Old Norse habitation site over a theoretical one that has not been physically confirmed." . . . "The reconstructed Norse houses at L'Anse aux Meadows represents a first-class achievement in modern archeology, and a major enrichment of our geographical and historical knowledge." . . . "The Ingstad find stands on its own merits and needs no crutch. By the same token, it is not Vinland." Drawing on geographical, botanical, cultural and linguistic evidence, the author thinks it might have been built and used for a short time by other voyagers of which we have no extant record (the saga literature is very family selective and much of it has been lost over the centuries.) Or even -- in a tentative hunch Wahlgren throws out -- that it might just possibly have been Karlsefni's "Straumfjord" of Erik's Saga.

The author then makes a very plausible case for Leif's Vinland or land of grapes having been in the Maine-New Brunswick coastal border area, which is better left to the interested reader to judge for oneself after considering the cases for locations others have put forth. Wahlgren's theory is intriguing and definitely in the running. A previous reviewer thought his arguments convincing but reasonably expressed a desire to see opposing arguments. One can get a good idea of other major contentions by reading Ingstad and Carl Sauer (see my other reviews by clicking on the above link).

These are by no means all of the Norse activities that Wahlgren discusses interestingly, lucidly and often wittily, including evidence of visits to the High Arctic -- fully as distant a voyage from the primary Greenland settlement area as Norway itself and even more difficult and hazardous. Too, there is definite record of one small ship with seventeen Greenlanders aboard being storm-blown from Markland (Labrador) to Iceland at the late date of 1347 and intimations of periodic visits to those North American shores to secure much-needed timber, "although not one in a hundred of these voyages had the slightest chance of being recorded." Wahlgren's final chapter contains a short but riveting account of what is known of the demise of the Norse Greenland settlements, after existing for half a millennium. For those who wish to get a visceral "feel" of life there, a recent and magnificent piece of historical fiction based on virtually all that is known of that time and place, and written in saga style, is Jane Smiley's "The Greenlanders" (see the Amazon reviews).

this is one of the best Lewis and Clark books, well researche and very easy to read. The objectivity of the author makes the book come forward to the present day and lets the reader see the total effect of the Lewis and Clark discoveries. A must read for any student of western history

Lavender has presented the story of Lewis & Clark in a format that makes reading history exciting. As a teacher of American History, this book is on my suggested reading list and the one most often discussed in class.

For students of the American West or Lewis & Clark, this as a "must read".

David Lavender just may have written the definitive history of the Lewis and Clark expedition. It is a wonderfully wrought narrative, capturing the full width and breadth of this incredible journey. Lavender's sardonic tongue deflates many of the myths surrounding the "voyage of discovery," noting that for the most part this was a well-trodden path. The only actual "discovery" was that of linking the Missouri to the Columbia. However, this makes it no less an adventure.

He downplays the significance of Sacagewea. For the most part she was little used on this voyage. Her one major contribution was helping to secure horses for the great fording of the Bitteroot Mountains. Still, Lavender lavishes much attention on her and her son, which it seems that William Clark did as well. Her presence seemed to secure safe passage during their final leg down the Columbia River, as it made the expedition team seem less war-like.

Lavender also provides the background for the voyage, detailing President Jefferson's dream to establish an American Northwest Passage, linking one ocean to another. Lavender probes the seemingly paternal relationship between Jefferson and Lewis, and how Jefferson was able to win Congress over to a third attempt to cross the continent, despite questions regarding Lewis' qualifications. Jefferson personally trained Lewis for the expedition and provided added tutelage in the form of the leading lights of American science. Like a devoted son, Lewis made every effort to carry out the mission, which Jefferson sponsored, even when it seemed foolhardy to do so.

For those who haven't travelled this route before, you will be in good hands with David Lavender. For those who have, I think you will marvel at how masterful a job Lavender does in recording the events, giving the best rounded version of the "voyage of discovery" that I have read.

As a student of the Overland experience and a resident near the original trail in Nevada County I was just fascinated by this wonderful account. I wholeheartedly recommend this book and have given it as a gift to other early West enthusiasts.

Edwin Bryant's work is a classic not only of overland travel in 1846 but also of life in early California during the same time period.
The Kentucky newspaperman's writing style approaches poetic composition. He was a keen observer of every minute detail on the trail and when in California:
Geography; Indians; weather; describing the many people along the route; river fordings; acting the part of doctor to the many ailing emigrants; traveling with the Donner party; he and a handful of men separating from the main wagon train in Fort Laramie to go it alone; the perils, mishaps, hazards and beauty of the trail; meeting several celebrated individuals including Joseph Walker, Fremont, Sublette, Hastings, Hudspeth and Kearney to mention a few.
When in California, Bryant walked right into the United States' conquest of California from Mexico. He was a volunteer in Fremont's army to thwart insurgents. These and other timely events are well depicted. Bryant's description of what happened in the horrific Donner party expedition are piercing.
This is an exceptional book and highly recommended for enthusiasts of the early west.

In his own words Bryant describes his life on a wagon train going to California from the East Coast. If Bryant had a fault, it was that he too descriptive of the trail and events on the trail! If this wasn't enough, he was a doctor of the day, well, in his words, "Almost a Doctor." He was going to California to complete his studies. Like any good intern, he kept notes of who he treated on the trail and how he treated them. Also, being a bachelor, he was invited by the father of an eligible daughter to travel with them, "to let nature run it's course." This book should be a text book on the high school or the collegiate level.

Saguy's book accomplishes much and does so in an accessible and sophisticated way. I have used it to teach my undergraduates in an introductory gender course and they found it compelling and powerful. For them it opens up a black box of taken for granted assumptions about the relationship between gender and policy. It shows how gender shapes cultural and institutional arrangements, which in turn influences policy form and implementation, which in turn affects policy impacts and social change. The study does so with thoughtful analyses of indepth interviews of lawyers and human resource personnel, media analyses, and key informant interviews. My undergraduates thoroughly enjoyed the book and frequently referred to it in later discussions and essays. It had clearly impressed them. I will certainly use it in future courses.

I could also easily see using this book to teach about public policy. It is an excellent exemplar for social policy analysis. This is a beautifully written, excellent comparative analysis, and powerfully insightful study of how policies evolve in different contexts, yielding profoundly different implementation and impacts for individuals and society. In this way it can be useful not only for those interested in the specifics of the topic, but also for those interested in the broader questions of policy making, implementation and consequences.

Finally, I was recently at the University of Florida when Saguy's book came up in a conversation about women's studies. What is Sexual Harassment was to one of the senior scholars "a wonderful 'next generation' piece of scholarship" for future women's studies scholars to emulate.

In this pathbreaking comparative study, Saguy sheds light on a crucial aspect of the lives of many working women by analyzing the various frames through which sexual harassment is understood in two national contexts. While norms against sexual harassment are growing deeper roots in the American workplace, accusations of sexual improprieties remain often the object of ridicule in France. Saguy's explanation of this and other differences goes beyond traditional culturalist models. The beauty of her analysis is to capture some of the ways in which sexuality is used to gain power in the workplace, and the role played by cultural frameworks in mediating these modalities."--Michele Lamont, co-author of Rethinking Comparative Cultural Sociology: Repertoires of Evaluation in France and the United States

For more than 100 years, starting with Oliver Wendell Holmes' famous essay "The Path of the Law," American legal scholars have bemoaned the lack of a serious sociological jurisprudence, that would treat law as a social phenomenon, rather than as a conceptual game or an opportunity to indulge in covert advocacy disguised as scholarship.

Holmes was merely the first in a long line of legal thinkers to ignore his own advice (in his 30-year judicial career, he did basically nothing to advance any serious interdisciplinary study of law).

In her new book, Abigail Saguy demonstrates how a rigorous sociological investigation of a now-common legal concept from a comparative perspective can yield all sorts of insights into the nature of the politics of law.

Saguy compares the concepts of sexual harrassment as they have been developed by the American and French legal systems. Part of the book's value is how it reminds us that what now seems like a central concept of American, and to a much lesser extent, French, law, was something that literally did not even exist 30 years ago. She traces the genesis of the concept in the feminist movements of the 1960s and 1970s, and describes how the concept has taken significantly different forms in France and America.

Her interviews with numerous prominent legal and political actors in both countries are fascinating, as is her analysis of the factors that have led to sexual harrassment being framed as a form of sex discrimination in America, and a crime of violence (albeit a widely ignored one) in France.

While Saguy's methods are markedly empirical, she does not overwhelm the reader with statistics. Rather, she weaves an engrossing narrative, that will interest lawyers, legal scholars, especially those with interests in comparative law, employment law, and gender politics, sociologists, political activists, and anyone else who is concerned with the use and abuse of sexual power in the workplace. (Among the many taken-for-granted issues Saguy helps clarify is the apparent arbitrariness ivolved in limiting the concept of sexual harrassment to workplace interactions).

This is a terrific book. If the academy produced more work like this, we wouldn't be suffering our current embarrassment of being able to read "The Path of the Law" 103 years after its publication with such a distinct sense of plus ca change . . .

Who would have thought we could ever forget many of the things contained in the book. Since I lived through most of them, the short descriptions were all I needed, and a younger person might have their appetite whetted to learn more. Excellent book in that it is easy to pick up and put down, and provides a quick glimpse into important events.

I got 4 copies of this book (one for myself and 3 gifts). Everyone I gave it to raves about how interesting it is. My aunt put it on her coffee table, and the Thanksgiving guests took turns paging through and reading random entries. The older generation told younger people about their own memories of some of the events. Everyone talked about recent events that we all were around to witness.

A friend loaned me his book. After a few pages I knew it was a keeper. Anyone who loves history, especially of the US, should read this book.
So much information. Since I have been around a long time, I can remember a lot of the happenings.

I have since purchased a copy for my library and two others for my sons for their birthday gift. They will enjoy it as much as I have.

Any school age child will find it helpful for writing reports of some of the events in the book.

I highly recommended "Where Were You When" to everyone.

Everything arrived in perfect order

Elizabeth Fox-Genovese has produced a very scholarly and enlightening examination of women of the old South. In vivid detailed with painstaking research, she presents the daily lives of women, black and white, within the plantation household. Though written from an academic perspective, the author has succeeded in presenting her research in an entertaining and even captivating narrative style. For those looking for the behind the scenes lifestyle of unknown women of the South, this is the one book of choice.

Reviewer: Bob Kellemen, Ph.D., is the author of "Beyond the Suffering: Embracing the Legacy of African American Soul Care and Spiritual Direction." He has also authored "Soul Physicians," "Spiritual Friends," and the forthcoming "Sacred Friendships: Listening to the Voices of Women Soul Care-Givers and Spiritual Directors."

This is an impressive and large-scale achievement. I would have appreciated more acknowledgment of the role that white male eurocentric paradigms played (and continue to play) in the south and oppresion of Women of Color. Overall, a good starting place.

there are books that you will read in your lifetime,that you think are really good and there are books you will read that you think are one of the best books you will ever read and know you will read again and again.
this book is the latter.charles clements has probably lived the life of several people within a short space of time,from being a pilot in the vietnam war to being a quaker doctor in the middle of the war zone in el salvador.this book explains the life of the people of el salvador and how foreign governments can dictate the annihilation of a country,just because they are afraid of the threat of communism.this book will stir you to become more aware of how governments manipulate and gives you one of the best actual accounts of life in el salvador and how the people lived,loved and fought to protect their families and way of life.

I read this book 3 years ago while travelling in Central America and was consumed by it. This is a war story that is so very human that it will shock you out of your comfort zone. It's one man's account of the suffering he witnessed in El Salvador, but it's also a story about the motives behind this peasant uprising and the deadly manner in which it was crushed in the name of democracy.

I read this book while attending college, it was part of a Latin American Government class. It was the kind of book that Reagan and his cronies did not want anybody to read. A book that showed the humanity and compassion of the so-called "communist guerillas" that were attempting to overthrow the "freedom-loving" dictatorship that ruled El Salvador. The story is told in such a descriptive and wonderful way by Dr. Charles Clements. If anything, this book demonstrates that truth comes from actual observers and not from politicians with crooked agendas. Dr. Clements tried to open Americans' eyes to the reality that existed in El Salvador at this time, while Reagan and the media attempted to distort that reality.