Asia Books

This is the best book I have read in either Japanese or English that gives a comprehensive, easy to read and balanced overview of the lives of 37 people who contributed into making Japan into what it is today. The book presents people from diverse aspects of Japan: industry, traditional culture, history, modern writers and film directors. The people span from the first ever novelist in the world Murasaki (c.975-c.1025) to Morita Akio, the co-founder of Sony. The biographies are short and concise and are on average 10 pages long. It is not necessary to read the entire book at once, but read one biography and come back to another one at a later time. I have read and reread the book numerous times and have been inspired by the lives of each one of the people profiled.

Much has been written about the history of Japan from the point of view of society and group dynamics. This is understandable given Japan's interdependent culture. Mark Weston's Giants of Japan is one of the first that covers Japan from the point of view of it's great individuals. The subjects of the book range from well known industrialists (Konosku Matsuhita) and leaders (Tokogawa Ieyasu) to lesser known writers (Fukuzawa Yukichi) and directors (Ozu Yasujiro).

The book is good for many different types of people. Those with a deeper knowledge of Japan can pick and choose from the individuals they wish to learn more about. Those newly interested in Japan can read the book cover to cover to gain a broad knowledge of the history and people of Japan.

This book does not attempt to provide a comprehensive Japanese history, or in depth view of any aspect of Japanese society. There are other more suitable books in those genres.

This was the best book I read last year. Very informative and easy to read.

Giants of Japan is a very pleasant introduction to Japanese history, organized in a succession of biographies of the most influential figures in Japanese business, politics, arts and sports. In addition to being well-written, the book offers a good mix of key facts and anecdotes, making the reading both interesting and exciting.

Beyond information about the country itself, Weston takes good care of extracting history lessons from his biographies. For example, it is edifying to learn how (with what vision, strategems, and tricks) Mistui developed from a sake brewry into one of the worldfs largest corporations, with what political purpose tea ceremony was used, and how a single author, Fukuzawa Yukichi, precipitated Japan's westernization.

The book recounts the origins of Shintoism, Haiku, even Aikido (judofs creator, Jigoro Kano, is missing from the book). It depicts the spirit of feudal warriors (both samurais and ronins), and shows how Bushido has survived in 20th century Japan (exemplified by Mishimafs tragic death). It also deals with the dark pages of Japanese history, including Japanese military actions before and during WWII and modern political corruption.

I recommend this book to anyone who has a yet unfulfilled interest in Japan; the biographical structure of the book makes it readable even to a busy audience.

Giants Of Japan: The Lives Of Japan's Greatest Men And Women by journalist and author Mark Weston is an informed and informative biographical survey of great figures drawn from fifteen centuries of Japanese history. Ranging from the internationally famous writer Yukio Mishima and the film director Akira Kurosawa, to historical icons such as Shotoku (the prince who helped bring Buddhism to Japan), and the actress Izumo no Okuni (who created kabuki theater), Giants Of Japan effectively summarizes an eclectic collection of fascinating and remarkable lives revealed in an energetic and raptly interesting presentation. Very highly recommended reading for students of Japanese history and culture.

The Second World War completely changed its major participants and exacted some huge sacrifices from all involved. This and other books about the people who did the fighting shows how similar the attitudes were on all sides. The main character changes some of his thinking after the war, but his thoughts and actions during the war are really interesting, especially when compared to the thoughts and actions of the people on other sides.

If ever a book (other than the Bible) showed the divine hand and providence of God, this is it. I wish I could have met the man.

Excellent detailed story of Pearl Harbor's lead Navy pilot who through special circumstances wrought only by God found himself after the war travelling in the USA with Billy Graham and preaching the Gospel in Christian Crusades.

A friend of mine introduced me to this book in April of this year. He told me it was unlike any book about the Pacific war that he had ever read. Although skeptical at first, I sill went ahead and purchased the book. I left it on my book-shelve for several months and forgot all about it. As I began packing up in July to move I noticed this book again, so I picked it up and began reading it. I found the style of writing extremely fluid, and the chapters were concise. This well balanced account of Mitsuo Fuchida life traces it from his days as an Imperial naval aviator to Christian evangelist. 'God's Samurai' is a truly inspirational book filled with numerous accounts of honor, bravery, loyalty, and sacrifice - all the codes of a Samurai warrior. I have enjoyed this book tremendously, and I have just begun reading, 'Midway: The Battle That Doomed Japan: The Japanese Navy's Story' by Mitsuo Fuchida, Roger Pineau (Editor),Masatake Okumiya(Contributor). Both 'God's Samurai' and 'Midway' are 'must-have' books for anyone who is truly interested in the Pacific war and naval battles!

An awesome true story. Definitely one of the three best books I've read in the past decade. In a time like this of Osama bin Labens and shocking inter-civilizational conflict, Fuchida's life story shows how true reconciliation and inter-cultural brotherhood can be experienced. It gives hope in spite of the huge obstacles to inter-cultural understanding. A powerful human interest story. Don't miss it!

This book was produced as he was shown at the Royal Academy in London. I begged the poster at the tourist-board in Stockholm and got my parents to buy the hardcover version at the exhibition. Collecting Hiroshige prints in Stockholm I would have loved to see them in London, but the book is the second best thing. The reproductions are terrific, the text short but informative. All the different subjects of Hiroshige are displayed, landscapes, fan motives, fish, flowers and so on. Get it and then get some real prints!

I recieved this not knowing its large format and the images in full color on quality paper. Informative and accurate descriptions of the work. You will not regret buying this book. Makes me sigh....

I have no experience with art at all, but from my point of view this book is a jewl. Printings are so beautiful and relaxing, and they are numerous in this book. Also the book is well organized with explanations about the paintings.

The text provides the necessary background to facilitate understanding of the fantastic pictures. A great variety of photos provide wonderful insight into the world of Hiroshige. The pictures can be perused for pure enjoyment. Terrific book.

Quick, stop reading this review and buy this Hardcover book in New or Like New condition now, while you can. For, this is one of the greastest modern so-called 'coffee table' art books that I have come across. Too often these days one finds that such art books which should be large, lushly produced, lovingly put together and brilliantly written are unfortunately done with punk production values resulting in poor reproductions on cheap looking paper stock and accompanied by unedifying, often stultifying essays. Not this one. As I said above it is one of the most impressive art books that I have come across in twenty years of buying them. It is printed and bound in Germany which in itself is commendable and noteworthy because it is quite expensive to produce a book there. I am so glad they did because, as good as they are, Italy and Hong Kong, two places commonly used for producing today's art books, just don't do as good a job as Prestel has done in Germany. This book was originally produced to accompany an exhibition at the Royal Academy of the Arts during 1997. As such, it commanded a skilled and erudite staff of authors to craft both an accurate history and an illuminating commentary of the artist and his art. They are: Matthi Forrer, author of a similar book on Hokusai; Suzuki Juzo, the author of the standard monograph on Hiroshige; and Henry Smith a Professor of Japanese History at Columbia U. You will come back to this book many times over the years because there is so darned much information to absorb, visually and intellectually and because the publisher's top notch production values have accurately captured the spirit and beauty of Hiroshige's Woodblock Prints. This is the sort of book that will be actively sought out by art book collectors in years to come. This is why I say, buy it now, while you can at such a low price. You won't be sorry.

THE KILLING SEA is a thrilling book that talks about a tsunami hitting the coast of Indonesia. There are three main characters involved in this fictionalized account: Ruslan, who is an Indonesian, and Sarah and Steve, who are Americans that are visiting the country.

Sarah's and Steve's mom and dad asked to see Ruslan's dad to repair their boat that they needed to have fixed. Ruslan doesn't have a mother because she died a few years ago so he has to work. His dad is a mechanic.

Then a tsunami hits the coast. Ruslan knows that his dad is working on an oil tanker out at sea so he thinks he is okay. Sarah and Steve are on their boat when the tsunami hits. They run for their lives but lose track of their parents.

The book tells you those two stories and what they do after the tsunami. When an exciting part happens, they switch over to another point of view to make you want to read more.

I loved THE KILLING SEA and I hope when you read it you do, too.

Reviewed by: Mike

Ruslan slipped away from the crowd and the curious onlookers. He began to run, not knowing exactly why. But instanced told him to get away from the sea.
INDONESIA DECEMBER 2004

An Indonesian boy, and an all American girl are brought together in the aftermath of the devastating tsunami. The girl Sara has a 15-year-old brother named Peter that is with her. Sara and Peter have lost their mother in the tidal wave but their dad is still alive. But Sara And Peter are separated from their father by all of the rubble on the ground beneath there feet. The Indonesian boy is on Sara's and Peters side the whole time. Ruslan, the Indonesian boy has no mother but has a father but lost him like Sara and Peter. They are living on the ocean side in a tent that one of the tourists had waiting for rescue. Will Sara, Peter, and Ruslan be rescued or will they be there for a while.


Opinion

I thought that this book was the best book in the world and every one should read it. It gets you hooked from the very first sentence. It is a must read.

Richard lewis has through this story portrayed the victims of the asian tsunami as human beings. He has maintained their dignity, this is a rare skill in writing that should be praised. I would recommend this book to those who have spent time helping after the tsunami as well as those who only know of it from the news.
From one who did go to help thank you for telling this important story, it was important for me to read. Thank you Richard Lewis!

Richard Lewis's The Killing Sea is a fast-paced adventure based on the 2004 tsunami in Aceh. Skillfully crafted chapters alternate between telling the story of Indonesian boy, Ruslan, and Sarah, the Western tourist.

After surviving the tsunami (and witnessing a haunting amount of people who didn't), Ruslan begins searching for his father, who he believes has gone to Ie Mameh. After being held hostage by the military and then kidnapped by rebels, Ruslan escapes and eventually meets up with blue-eyed Sarah.

Sarah must also find her father, but first she needs to get her younger brother to a hospital. Peter swallowed a lot of water and is getting sicker by the day. Along with Aisya (whom Sarah pulled out of corpse-ridden waters), the three of them set off in search of medical attention.

A tug-of-war between hope and despair occurs, as they trek over mountains only to find more flattened villages. They are joined by fellow survivors and finally arrive in Calang. There they are told that the hospital has been destroyed and the medicine, washed away.

The Killing Sea is as visually stimulating as watching a movie. It's tastefully written and surely a winner with proceeds going to local Acehnese charities. The most compelling thing about the novel, however, is its sincerity. Even though the book is a work of imagination, Lewis creates a reality. From the water buffalo trying to clamber onto the fishing boat to the detachment Sarah feels upon finding her dead mother, I believed every word.

So glad I'm not alone in giving this wonderful book 5 stars! It a small masterpiece.

Other reviewers have already done a great job of summarizing the plot, so I'll just say that this gripping young adult novel about the tsunami is so much more than a heart-thumping page-turner. It's about family, culture, religion, redemption, love and God. I'm eager for my children to read it, and recommend it to all adults, as well.

-Ellen Meister, author of Secret Confessions of the Applewood PTA

This is the first of two volumes of compelling history; I picked it up after finishing Fehrenbach's This Kind of War (also highly recommended) and it made a great companion read. The format allows for insightful observations by the men who lived the extraordinary months of June to December 1950, fighting a determined enemy who caught the U.S. and its allies flat footed and unprepared for combat in nearly every way. Fortunately, our warriors steeled themselves and, fighting over rugged terrain and in extreme weather , saved South Korea and proved our collective will to prevent communism's unchecked spread. The author skillfully weaves observations that illuminate both tactical and operational level actions and decisions, and he accurately portrays the human dimenson of men fighting for reasons that are both noble and fundamental, most notably, for each other. I greatly enjoyed this effort and highly recommend it along with the second volume, Uncertain Victory by Donald Knox and Alferd Coppel (Knox died unexpectedly halfway through this book); it covers a longer time range (1951 to 1953), but is equally compelling.

I like is book mainly because it gave me a better understanding of the thoughts and feelings the troops had in the different conficts of the Korean WAR.

I have review other books on the subject but I believe this book gives the reader a more personal look at this difficult time. It is worth the time to read and ponder the words. Thank you for a book well written.

The area of the book that I feel can be improved is a better matching of the military troop thoughts and the time frame of the conficts as to the duration of the WAR.

This book was my introduction, appart from what little I was tought in school, to the Korean War. Knox does an excellent job of bringing the Korean War to life by letting the actual soldiers tell their tales. From the initial reaction of the troops in occupied Japan who were first sent there, to the bitter fighting at the Chosin Reservoir, Knox weaves an inthralling picture of what happened through the eyes of the soldiers who were actually there. If you are looking for a good narative that incompasses both the strategic and tactical aspect of the ground war in Korea, this is the book for you.

This is the best military oral history I've ever read, and it's as close as you will get to having been there. Although there are interviews and statements from all ranks, the concentration at the company level made this book especially compelling in giving a sense of the daily combat for those hundreds of nameless hills in korea. It gave a real feeling of life and death to the thousands of men who were wounded and killed. The interviews on the first month of the war on being overrun and then forming the Pusan perimeter are particularly vivid. For anyone who is reads military history this is a must read.

I became interested in the Korean War only after having joined the Army myself. My father fought in the war with the Army, but never talked about his role much, or what he went through. I bought Mr. Knox's book after glancing at it on the book store shelf. The first person accounts bring you right into the war. By allowing the participants to tell the story from the first-person the reader gets a 360 degree view of each battle. The book reads almost like fiction instead of history. I feel the adrenaline rush of battle, the exhaustion of victory and the frustration of grabbing that weapon for yet another 10 mile movement-to-contact without sleep. I feel the loss when one of the "characters" is taken away on a stretcher, knowing that I'll not be hearing from him again. I now have a slightly better understanding of what that dirty little "police action" was like. I don't think I'll be able to find many more books that can match the emotion of this.

Early '80s new York (specifically Queens) is the setting for this loose novel following a 12-year-old Korean-American over the course of two days as he roams the 'hood with his little brother, and two friends. It seems someone broke into his apartment and stole his Atari 2600 and 40+ cartridges, and he aims to find out who. Well, sort of... he actually seems rather resigned to his loss until his friend's continual irritating prodding provokes him into finding someone to blame. All of which makes the book sound a lot more plotted than it is.

The framework is basically picaresque, as Peter, his introverted little brother Steven, the incredibly obnoxious Fatty, and quiet Africa, rove the neighborhood getting in fights, shoplifting, pranking their super, and generally being kids. Along the way, their home lives flicker into view -- and the general sense is of outsiders trying to find their own identity. Steeped in the New York streets, these kids are all about stickball, b-boying, and proving how tough they are. But as busy as they are assimilating the culture of others (for example their little clique is called "The Warriors", after the seminal film), they are perfectly happy to spew racial slurs about blacks, Hispanics, and other Asians. Paradoxically, Peter is utterly contemptuous of his own Korean community, and this self-loathing is reminiscent of much immigrant fiction.

Over the course of the book Peter's anger at himself, his parents, and the world grows less and less interesting, even as it escalates. Peter and Fatty rat-a-tat insults in authentic early-'80s lingo for 180 pages, and yes, it can get pretty funny, but the shtick also gets repetitive. The book does a good job of capturing the foolishness of youth and the heightened sense of frustration adolescence can generate, but it never leads anywhere interesting or unexpected.

Park has done it again. Las Cucarachas is a modern urban masterpiece. From the very first line, his reader is blown away by highly stylized writing and is transported into the mind and world of a 12-year-old boy from Queens. It is amazing that in a book where almost nothing happens it seems that everything happens. Park's voice is incredible and uncomparable to any other writer. This is a wonderful read that has the ablility to pull you in and make you remember what it felt like to be a kid.

LAS CUCARACHAS BROUGHT BACK WONDERFUL MEMORIES OF BEING A KID IN NEW YORK CITY. I REMEMBER BEING YOUNG AND HAVING A SUMMER HOUSE ON LONG ISLAND. THE KID'S IN THAT AREA WOULD WHISPER ABOUT HOW MY FAMILY AND MYSELF WERE FROM "THE CITY." THEY'D ASK QUESTIONS LIKE, "DO YOU RIDE THE SUBWAY?" "DO YOU GET MUGGED FOR YOUR JEWELRY?" "ARE YOUR FRIENDS BLACK PEOPLE? LAS CUCARACHAS TOUCHES ON WONDERFUL IDEAS ABOUT A PLACE THAT USED TO BE HOME. ALSO IT RECALLS THOSE ADOLESCENT ISSUES THAT MADE US WHO WE ARE TODAY. THAT FIRST BEST FRIEND WHO BECAME YOUR FIRST ENEMY JUST SIX MONTHS LATER. OR WHEN THE STREET GETS HOLD OF YOUR FAMILY PROBLEMS AND COLDLY AND INSENSITIVELY THROWS THE CONVERSATION AROUND LIKE YOU'RE NOT IN THE ROOM.
CHARACTERS LIKE FATTY ARE TO NEVER BE FORGOTTEN AND PETER WHO WE HAVE ALL BEEN AND STILL ARE INSIDE. IT IS A MUST READ FOR ANYONE WHO WANTS TO LAUGH, RELATE AND REMEMBER.

Although I probably read more than the average person, I've never written a review before and in fact I avoid reading them in general, particularly before picking up the book or seeing the movie upon which a review is based. I just finished 2 of this author's books, "Las Cucarachas" and "Boy Genius," and out of curiosity I decided to read what others had to say. Interestingly, many of the reviewers take time comparing this book to other books. I'm going to frankly describe what I myself thought rather than make these comparisons.

First of all, both of this author's books are worth reading, and they should be read as a pair. I would recommend reading "Las Cucarachas" and then "Boy Genius," in that order. I was born and raised in New York City, and I'm from approximately the same generation as the main character in "Las Cucarachas;" to me it's incredible how well the author brings to life what my own childhood was like, growing up and hanging out in the streets of New York- not desperately poor, but poor enough so that the kids from what was called the "middle class" seemed rich by comparison, and were luckier than any of them ever seemed able to see. It's as though the author lived this NYC childhood, with all its obstacles, frustrations and pains, freeze dried it, moved on in his own life, and then went back to it and set it down exactly, precisely, missing nothing, not a single thought, feeling, experience or idea. You read "Las Cucarachas" and you experience the raw, real life of a tough, smart street kid in a big city where money is everything- absolutely, totally everything- and where the kid knows that it's not that society wants him to fail; rather, society is so completely and profoundly indifferent that it can't even be bothered to have an interest in his success or failure either way. Nobody from any middle or upper class background can ever truly know the alienation this situation creates, but by reading "Las Cucarachas" they can sure get a good goddamn taste of it. "Las Cucarachas" is the story of a boy that's forced to gear everything around slickness and toughness, and who's trying to make something happen against impossible odds and what seems like an endless stream of jerks and idiots holding him back and getting in his way. When I finished reading "Las Cucarachas" I felt a strange urge to contact the author, congratulate him for making it through, and thank him for creating such an honest, vivid, and truly touching testimonial to youth.

"Boy Genius" should be read after "Las Cucarachas;" in fact it's remarkable to me that "Boy Genius" was actually written by the same author. "Boy Genius" is so completely different, and not just the subject matter, but the whole style of the book as well. "Las Cucarachas" is raw and gritty; "Boy Genius" begins right off the bat with fantastic events that continue unfolding throughout. The narrator in "Boy Genius" gets you to suspend your disbelief so completely that I myself often looked up from the book while reading and felt an embarrassed smile on my face, as though realizing once again that I was the victim of this author's ongoing, intelligent, playful mischief. Bringing this together- the surreal storyline, the narrator's ever present, eccentric, hilarious and intelligent take on things- and you've got a book, "Boy Genius," that once again is not only wonderful, honest and real, but that's also simply enjoyable to read... and that's something that's important to me for any book that I pick up! I'm still a New Yorker, and I know I've got a book I love when I can take that book onto a crowded train during rush hour on my way to work- and lose myself in it totally and completely, in spite of the fact that I'm being jostled and crushed by stressed and impatient New Yorkers who'd prefer I put the book away, hold onto the handrail and stare at the ceilings and walls like everyone else. Both of the books written by this author passed my test, and I enjoyed both of them enough to not only recommend them and pass them on (I've lent out both of my copies) but also, to look forward to reading the author's next book too.

Very rarely can an author capture the range of emotions and epiphanies a normal human being can go through, let alone a child, without becoming verbose and oversentimental. Peter Kim and his gang, the Warriors, live in a tough part of Queens and are bound to each other not by some heart-warming tie of friendship but simply as a means of survival. Does Peter like Fatty, the crass and selfish pathological liar of the bunch? Does he even like his own weakling of a brother Steven?
Ask yourself the same questions about your gang, your family, and your identity and you'll start to scratch the surface of what Mr. Park is able to accomplish in his delightfully brief but infinitely insightful second novel. Especially for those of us who grew up in America as sons and daughters of the lesser represented immigrant community (i.e. Asian, South-Asians, or Arab), the author is able to take the cliche, 'on the outside looking in' and chapter by chapter, peel off the coexisting, but conflicting emotions of community pride versus the self-loathing one feels for being identified with that community; the emotional attachment of family that is continually tested by the faults and shortcomings of those providing for it. Peter's Dad is useless, he lost his store and he is increasingly slothful in Peter's eyes. Yet amidst this pathos, Peter and his buddies accept their respective harsh realites, even embrace them at times, ultimately giving all those who stand responsible for their plight the proverbial finger. Is it fair? No. But does it feel good? Yes. And who doesn't like feeling good? Las Cucarachas reminds us that no matter who's responsible for our misfortunes, whoever stole Peter Kim's Atari, whoever smashed up my bumper in that parking lot and didn't leave thier info, whoever..well you get the point. Yongsoo, thank you for telling it like it is. People, hear this man. Long live the Warriors.
Kesav

Solly Ganor has told us a powerful story of his life as a child and youth during the Holocaust. His details and honesty reveal a family that loved and cared for each other, worked hard, and took chances to survive. His autobiography with its details helps remove many misconceptions about Jews in the Holocaust that people create from the more common short and simplified accounts of the period. This is not an easy book to read, but it will greatly help you to redefine your understanding and respect for people caught in difficult situations as well as other genocide situations.

In LIGHT ONE CANDLE, Solly Ganor takes the reader into that nightmare world of the Holocaust--I could practically feel the harsh elements, the constant danger of the camps. This book isn't anther rote recitation of death counts. There's so much heart and compassion for all those sweptup in these horrors. The insights into camp life include the primal nature of life stripped to itsbasics--such as the "storyteller" who keeps the outside world and traditions alive. Particularly poignant is Cooky, Ganor's childhood friend whose account of the slaughter at the Ninth Fort is more compelling than Dante's own descent into Hell. Ipersonally feel Ganor's book is deserving of some national/international award. Actually, reading the book I wonder how Ganor got it all done. It must have been so painful to revisit these terrible, incomprehensible, sublime, poignant memories. To me it's the best book on the Holocaust, personal or otherwise--certainly it should be a companion to any serious study of this subject. To me it hits at the heart, gets into the soul. It's the humanity of the account,particularly those heart-rending final glimpses of the condemned trying to smile as they wave good-bye.

Most accounts of the Holocaust I've read, especially memoirs tend to be by Jewish survivors from Germany, Poland & Hungary. This memoir is by Solly Ganor, a Lithuanian Jew who describes the horrors of the Holocaust as experienced by him, his family, and other Jews...his tale is one of hope, courage & faith in the most horrific times...and is told with amazing clarity. His descriptions of life in the Kaunas ghetto is told with vivid detail, the hunger, suffering, and the ever present threat of 'actions' are all described with a level of intensity that often reduced me to tears. It is an emotional account, and the images evoked will not soon fade from one's memory.

Light One Candle: A Survivor's Tale From Lithuania To Jerusalem is the autobiographical story of Solly Ganor, a man who survived the unspeakable holocaust of the Second World War when he was 13 years old through the intervention and rescue of a Japanese American soldier in 1945 (who himself had been releases from a U.S. internment camp for Japanese Americans just a few months earlier. Light One Candle is a powerful and vividly told memoir of struggle, starvation, and the brutal tolls of concentration and extermination camps. Light One Candle is a welcome eye-witness testimony and a very highly recommended addition to personal reading lists as well as academic and community library Holocaust Studies reference collections.

i have read well over two hundred memoirs. This is worth crying over (not that other ones aren't also) and listening to very carefully. without sentimentality - without profession of feelings that may or may not have been felt but remembered...solly ganor brings the reader inside his mind and heart.

I have read this book. I was with A Co., 3rd. platoon during this time at Hue. It was a very trying time for all of us. I was also one of the people who was with Capt. Helvey when we went on our little night trip. The book talks so much about the first few days of the month of Febuary. In fact we were there for the whole month. It was Feb 24 that My machine gun crew was killed as we were trying to advance toward Hue, "AGAIN". To Broadus Dale Hilyer, "Rest in Peace" You were a great friend.
The book also reflects on the Que Son Valley. I have since had the pleasure to meet Jim Hietz who was wounded on Jan. 7, 1968. Jim was also in the 3rd platoon. We met for the first at a 1st Cav. reunion this year(2002), Wow, what memories we had to talk about. I will also add that I was and will forever be impressed with all the many fine people that I met at this reunion. History is in this book, good, bad, or indifferent, it is there for everyone to read.

George Patterson

I am one of the three Pathfinders with 2/12 and was in the foxhole to the left of Mr. Krohns. He did a wonderful job of telling it exactely the way it was. I can still remember that night as if it happened yesterday. I returned later with 5/7 and recovered the deceased troopers we had left behind.
Juan C. Gonzales(Night Jumper 4-2)

Charles, I want to thank for writing this book. For years I lived with the memories, questioning what had happened. I was in Company D, and on Jan 3,1968 they did use a flame thrower, the guy just missed me. I became a WIA just days before the end of your book and I was able to relate my experience during this time. Again, Thank You, it really helped.

Charles Krohn has presented a well researched book that sheds new light on a complicated battle, the fighting for Hue City during Tet. His book is a valuable addition to history because it specifically deals with a regularly overlooked topic: the 2/12 Cavalry's involvement in the battle for Hue and it's fight against the NVA headquarters there. He was there. In addition, he touches upon the battalion's earlier fighting in the Que Son Valley.

I was the 2-12 Cav S-2 from January 2000 to July 2001, this book is everything a staff officer should and must read. I came upon the book because it was about my unit, it has been deliberately overlooked by army professional reading lists. Mr. Krohn's account highlights the unfathomable value of honesty and integrity in our profession; the lack thereof causes lives. An excellent read, a heart-wrenching story even today for those who were not there. "Those who do not study the past are doomed to repeat it." Thank you Mr. Krohn.

I bought this book because I knew the man that it is about. I wanted to have this book in my collection, and to read how his story was presented. I have not read the entire book but it is a good book. It is what I expected it would be.

Kregg Jorgenson has done it again.

This is his latest work about his own unit, H company of the 1 cav divison

Kregg is a very skilled historian, and this show in this book, it is clear that Kregg has done his homework on this one

By far right, many pages are spend on military leadership is defines by one of the greatest LRP company comanders the vietnam war has seen, Capt G Paccerelli

Go buy this book, its a smashing read

Bo Hermansen
Denmark

Good reading(listening). The Real stuff. Very well read. This will take you in to the realm of true warriors.

Kregg Jorgenson has written a outstanding tribute and account of the men and C.O of 'Hotel Company' Rangers in LRRP COMPANY COMMAND. Then Captain George Paccerelli was a seasoned Special Forces / SOG combat veteran when he assumed command of the LRRP Company in 1968. Intelligent, devoted to training and caring about the well being of the men that were being sent behind the enemy's lines. You will find this book well written and informative about the ever-changing warfare the LRRP's were employing and adapted to. While reading this book I found very detailed accounts of being in 'the backyard' while the small LRRP teams set up their ambushes, prisoner snatches and intelligence gathering missions. You will come to appreciate these highly trained and heroic soldiers as they dealt death to the enemy on his level. In closing Col. (ret) George Paccerelli was inducted into the 'Ranger Hall of Fame' in 1993. During his speech at the induction he made the statement ' Getting into the Ranger Hall of Fame was easy with the kind of caliber of people I had in that company, I was very fortunate and the honor is very much theirs as it is mine.' This alone says something about what an outstanding person this man is. Where will you find this retired Colonel today? Having earned a Ph.D. he teaches History at a Community College.

"In a war zone, things never go bump in the night; they go BOOM!" That pretty much says it all with regards to Kregg's finely written tribute to Captain George Paccerelli and the LRRPs of Company E, 52d Infantry. Better keep your head down as you read this intensive tale of LRRP-style warfare. Those green tracers cracking over your head have your name on them! I got to know and admire Paccerelli for his tough, no-nonsense approach to building his LRRPs into a highly-effective, elite reconaissance unit that could fight the enemy on his own terms and win. Kregg doesn't embellish events. He gets down to the nitty-gritty and tells it like it is. This book will go on the shelf in my classroom for my high school students to read and write book reports on. Eminently readable, packed with action, and studded with truly unforgettable characters, Kregg's book stands out as a great antidote to the liberal media's hateful degradation of Vietnam vets as subhuman dopers bent on raping and pillaging hapless civilians. "LRRP Company Command" will help dispel that ugly myth for my students.

A 58-yr-old mother of 5 grown children, a writer, inveterate hiker, traveller, well-educated daughter of a Methodist preacher, Meg Peterson is not simply a skilled travel writer, she is also a gifted observer of the human condition. This is easy, fluent reading at its best.

Having reached the point of realizing she can longer live the way she has been, she determines to make a life of her own choosing, not dominated by men. She divorces her alcoholic husband, opts to spend eight months travelling alone through Africa and Asia with only a backpack, passport, travellers' checks and her camera. She can describe the history and breathtaking beauty of the Taj Mahal, and in the next sentence painfully examine with great empathy the lives of the deprived children. That Meg loves people, and is loved in return, is evident in the joy and excitement of meeting new and old friends. She writes of these things in a natural, open, honest manner that made me feel I was accompanying her, watching her develop a new emotional life. A romantic episode in Nepal challenges her resolve, but she holds true to her new ideals.

Her personal magnetism and versatility are clear. As one of her acquaintances remarks, "Meg, you are some woman." And this is some book, a real joy.

Meg Peterson has written a truly fascinating book. It documents her adventures backpacking, solo, through portions of Africa and Asia, with a determination to rediscover herself. I greatly admire her courage and endurance.
Meg spent most of her time among the local people, away from the safety of the tourist venue, observing and appreciating a wide variety of cultures. Her descriptive passages of the scenic beauty she discovered are exquisitely painted in layers, as with a fine brush, detailed and poetic.
I would highly recomment this book to anyone who needs the inspiration to get out and see the world, or to someone, like me, who enjoys traveling from the comfort of a favorite easy chair. I had difficulty putting this book down, until the end.

I loved this book. I read it cover to cover in less than two days. My hat is off to Meg, travelling alone to all those exotic places. We need to have more books about intelligent, capable, kind and independent women leading challenging and interesting lives.

I just finished reading Meg Peterson's wonderful book, Madam, Have You Ever Really Been Happy? I feel like I just got home from an around the world trip. Every page is full of information and so descriptive. I felt I was with her every step of the way. So well written. Such an adventurer.

Meeting Meg Peterson as she explores Africa, Asia and her own feelings about herself with a perceptive eye and a thoughtful upbeat spirit made me happy to think that at 75 there still is a lot for me to see and do in this world, and there is nothing that needs to hold me back. Thanks Meg.