Troops Books

"Leadership Embodied" provides exactly what it is intended: a series of short, pithy examples of naval leadership over the years of the U. S. Navy and Marine Corps. It includes examples in all manner of settings covering the full range of the naval environment. The writing is clear and engaging, and it never fails to highlight the particular leadership traits and behaviors being demonstrated in fascinating, yet sometimes little known stories. It is a great text for leadership training, as well as for showing the nature of naval service while heightening the enthusiasm of anyone who may be considering it.

Joseph Thomas and Dr. Marolda have put together a wonderful book with 49 stories of true Navy leaders. They captured the essence of the leadership skills of those 49 Navy Sailors and Marines very well. This is a must read for any student of leadership. This book was originally funded by the class of 1978 at the U.S. Naval Academy as a gift to the fine men and women studying at USNA to become Naval officers. You have an opportunity, through this book, to share in their learning. Don't miss the opportunity to purchase this book. Contact me and I will send you a suitable chapter 50 about another great Navy leader - CWO4 Wallace Louis Exum.

Private Security Companys exist in the Middle East for one simple reason - The US Army and US Marine Corps ground forces have unreasonable rules of engagement. Ground commanders have the press and JAG looking over their shoulders 24/7. They are forced to be overly careful for fear that one error will end their career or even worse, land them in prison.

The result is saddly that the Army and USMC are not getting the job done in the Middle East. The DOD knows that but the administration wants results, so the Blackwater and firms like Blackwater take on more and more of the ground operations.

The Army and USMC are noble service men and I totally approve of their " Code of Conduct " but this is a nasty war that needs a " nasty " approach.

Avant's book provides a very educational read. I do not agree with several of her views but still, this is a must read for any career military officer.

Semper Fi,
R.W. Zerby

doctorzerby@yahoo.com
Grasse, France

A well researched, unbiased look at Private Security Companies (PSCs) and their importance in today's military operations. If you want a no-nonsense, accurate look at PSCs in the world today, then you must read this book.

This book is by far the most detailed and thorough written piece on the history of the routier companies that ravage France in the 14th Century. The work of a scholar, Fowler has done his research. If you are a student of the 100 years war this is a must have for your collection.

This book does an excellent job of detailing the history of the great mercenary bands that roamed Europe selling their swords to the highest bidder. It covers such famous mercs as Sir John Hawkwood, who fought numerous wars in Italy under the nom de guerre Giovanni Acuto and who receives a name check in Machiavelli's the Prince. The author also examines the effects of these companies, and how the mercenaries' influence gradually lessened with the advent of nationalism and levee en masse.

I felt the book was excellent and here's why. I thoroughly enjoy Civil War history but having never been in the military, I wonder what the commanding generals consider when reviewing terrain etc. Using the framwork already provided by such remowned secondary sources such as Sear's At the Gates, the author introduces the term OCOKA and uses it eplain the criteria used to evaluate a field of battle. It was the first time I have been exposed to that concept and enjoyed the insight.

The writing was well done- not a spare word. I liked the treatment of Jackson and his underperformance due to exhaustion. And after so many books recently have attacked McClellan, the author details the excellence of his retreat- giving credit where credit is due. In short, it was an even-handed approach.

I was doubtful that anyone could possibly have something new to write about the Peninsula Campaign. Unlike other studies, this book does not dwell on what has already been written about the Peninsula Campaign, but uses the campaign to highlight the complexities of "joint" military operations. The authors argue that Major General George McClellan essentially lost the element of surprise on the Peninsula, his "turning movement" evolved into a frontal assault. Although the Union Army had mass on their side, a lack of communication with the Navy and difficult terrain further hindered the success of the operation. In addition, the author shows how McClellan failed to "synchronize his military strategy with the political," (p.161.) as illustrated by his combative working relationship with President Lincoln. I enjoyed reading the back index, which provides readers with a useful guide to the Peninsula's Civil War sites. On a negative note, the maps are really poor and of little use and the author did not use enough primary sources, citing secondary sources instead. Moreover, it would have helpful for the author to place "joint" in historical context, i.e. when the United States became succesful at such operations. Nonetheless, it was a thoughtful analysis of this early campaign.

This is a follow up to Ms. Schofield's previous book, _Inside the Soviet Military_, which is also highly recommended. The author now focuses solely on the elite Soviet Airborne (the Blue Berets) and the Spetsnaz forces. A brief history of the Red Army's paratroopers (the world's first) is given, as is a fairly detailed section of the 1968 Prague operation.

At the center of this book are gripping accounts of Soviet heroism in Afghanistan. These must be read by any serious student of recent military history and will probably hold special interest for any veteran. There are more than a few very moving stories of (sometimes suicidal) valor in these pages.

The last chapters deal with the tragedy of a proud and patriotic army struggling in vain against the ethnic separatism and political incompetence that led to the break up of the USSR. The section on the August 1991 "coup" and its aftermath is especially interesting. Immediate post-Soviet history is touched on, as well, but this book was written before the October '93 Parliament massacre or the '94 Chechen War.

While most of this book deals with the Airborne and Air Assault forces, there is also some great info on the Spetsnaz units, which have been so misunderstood and blown out of proportion in many popular Western accounts.

Among the many Soviet military personalities that appear thoughout this book is Alexander Lebed. An interesting portrait of the man before he left the army for politics, covering his service in Afghanistan through his command in post-Soviet Moldavia.

Also try _Inside the Blue Berets: A Combat History of the Soviet & Russian Airborne Forces_, by Steven Zaloga, for further reading.

I read this book some years ago, just before I did my duty as a conscript in the Greek Army, and I was impressed by the presentation of the famous VDV (Russian airborne forces) and Spetsnaz units. Mrs Schofield has done a thorough research and I especially enjoyed the many first hand accounts of service in those elite troops. There are details of every single airborne division and its action in Afghanistan and in other operations. A good portion of the book is also devoted to the officers serving in the airborne divisions (with an emphasis on Alexander Lebed of course) with short biographical sketch of dozens of them in an informative appendix. It seems that the great majority of Russian officers get married at their early twenties, regardless of the financial problems, and this says something about the psychology and the ethics of this class! I don't know though, how many of these divisions still exist today and how much has the Russian doctrine changed regarding the employment of VDV forces.

Every kid, especially black kids should read this book. They will learn what true struggle is, what teamwork is, what overcoming prejudice and hatred look like. Common white soldiers and their officers who had never seen a black person no less cared about them, came away astounded at the black soldiers' bravery and fortitude in battle. At their strong desire to learn how to read, how to be an independent human. Names like Cold Harbor and Fort Pillow will become almost sacred. This was how modern America was built: On a shared struggle for freedom. For evolution.

In this book Dudly Cornish tells about the role of black troops in the Civil War. This book is one of the most comprehensive accounts of a single section in the Civil War. Until I read this book I had no idea to what extent the black solider played in the war. The union may not have won the war if it were not for those black troops. This book is a must read for anyone interested in the Civil War.

I absolutely loved the style of the manga. The story -until the end and I'll explain why- pulled me in and always kept me reading on. The ending was a let down though. I bought this at first not knowing that it was a mini series; no one I knew had known anything about this series. It started out as a normal manga, with a good long story going (with a great backstory in hiding), but this was short lived. The story ends at the third book. At first I thought it was just the end of a shorter story in a great epic, but I was wrong. It ends very quickly, without wrapping up loose ends. It's a let down given how great a style and story this manga actually is.

This manga miniseries is pack with amazing artistry and the overall story pulled me further into the story of Leroy Schwartz. The only disappointing things is, as mentioned before it is a miniseries. However, it is definitely worth reading. CMX definitely invests in good manga. To those that read this review, I say I hope you enjoy this manga as much as I.

I usually approach these "on Leadership" series and most business biographies with a bit of skepticism, but I was really blown away by this book. Although I'm not a civil war buff, the author's narrative and vivid descriptions of Grant's triumphs and hardships kept me riveted and I couldn't put this book down once I started. The personal accounts of the challenges facing Grant and his tenacious ability to overcome them, are simply amazing. The author's contrasts of Grant vs. McClellan (the incompetent General which Grant replaced) lay the foundation for learning what not to do as well. Each chapter feels as if your grandfather is telling you these stories from firsthand experience, making them lessons you won't soon forget as you manage and lead in your business or organization. And in case you need a refresher, the author summarizes the leadership lessons at the end of each chapter. This is also a great book for teenagers who need a leadership training. It's easy to identify with Grant, and the way the author draws you into our history makes it even more valuable.

I had a few more comments on this book.

I think the author may be onto something here, something even more important than the idea of using Grant's life as a way to help business managers, perhaps.

I like history and have read my share of it, but I'd never been able to really get into the history of the Civil War, or even early American history in general, despite having had childhood friends who were into Civil War history, and even Civil war reenactments. The author's using an important figure of the time as a sympathetic character, a focus around which to build an interesting account of his contributions, also meant that he needed to present much of the historical context and discuss a lot of the actual history of the period. In the process he really wrote a mini-history of the events during this time that was much more engaging and absorbing than your typical history that I have read. As a result, I learned much more than I ever had before about this important phase of our history.

I think this approach would be equally applicable to other important figures and times. It might seem that this is just re-inventing the idea of a biography, but again, I've read my share of biographies too and this book was much more interesting the way Barnes did it. Much of that is because the author makes you feel like you are right in the center of the action with Grant during this critical time as he makes many of these difficult, life-and-death decisions. So if we are to call it biography at all, Barnes's approach is a much more interesting way to do it.

I hope the author may do other books like this as I would be very interested in reading them, too.

Dr. Scott has performed an invaluable service in resurrecting and correcting the history of Afro-American troops in the Spanish-American War. Scott was fascinated by the involvement of his grandfather with Black soldiers and began to research his history. His personal search became a mission of justice that he has performed well in telling of the trials and tribulations of those who fought to survive in a war against oppression while subjected to it in their homeland before, during, and after the war was over. The one paramount question that the reader must ask after reading Scott's valuable contribution to Afro-American history is:Given the racism these people were subjected to, why did they fight at all? Scott answers that question and many more in flowing prose that avoids exaggeration, hyperbole, or dramatization which are not necessary given his well-researched facts. He sheds new light on an ambition-ridden, publicity-seeking Theodore Roosevelt and his changeable views on the bravery of Afro-American troops---who probably saved him and his Rough Riders on more than one occasion---while giving their due to the unknown personalities who, all too rarely, supported and appreciated the efforts of Black troops to fight and survive in the United States and Cuba. There are many interesting and little known facts in this book that will outrage many readers and, I hope, encourage them to read more about the travails of Afro-Americans involved in the American military throughout history. A true companion book to Scott's is "The Unknown Soldiers:Black Army Troops In World War I" by Arthur Barbeau. Together these two books provide an important, detailed, and corrective history of Afro-Americans in two wars over a period of twenty years.

Remarkable in itself is the fact that Scott is a White Southerner well-advanced in age who would have witnessed the horrors of Jim Crow and racism in Alabama throughout most of the Twentieth Century. Scott presents an interesting proposition as well: If Black soldiers had not fought as well as they did in Cuba, America may not have abandoned its isolationist stance of the time and its history may have been very different.

This is an indispensable book that every American interested in US military history or the history of Afro-Americans should have in their library. Scott has done a commendable job and made an important contribution to correcting a terrible historical omission and injustice.

Reprinted by permission of Birmingham Magazine

When reading a book about soldiers and war, one expects to see quite a few pictures. That is not the case in The Unwept: Black American Soldiers and the Spanish American War. And, in a sense, that's the point of the book.

Although African American soldiers played a crucial role in the defeat of the Spanish, their participation went virtually unheralded. (Thus, virtually unphotographed.) That is, until the late Dr. Edward Van Zile Scott began researching his grandfather's life and role in the Spanish-American War. Dr. Scott's grandfather, Col. Walter S. Scott, was the white commanding officer of a company of black U.S. infantrymen in the Indian wars of the late 1800s and in the Spanish-American War.

But, The Unwept is an immensely interesting book not just because it points out the little known fact of African American bravery and skill under fire. Dr. Scott also offers a refreshing perspective on the war itself and some of its more famous participants - Theodore Roosevelt and John J. Pershing.

The Unwept is interesting because of the details. After all, it is the small things, the kindness, the pettiness, the moments of bravery and clarity that mark our lives. The Unwept offers a rare thing - a researcher's attention to detail as well as a writer's insight and crafting.

- Birmingham Magazine - August, 1996

The camouflage and markings carried by U. S. Army and Marine Corps armored vehicles is the subject of this 2005 64-page Squadron/Signal book by well-known military author Jim Mesko. If your interest is American vehicles that go clank in the night, you'll want to pick up this inexpensive, well-illustrated and interesting introduction to the subject.

After a seven-page summary of U. S. pre-war military vehicle markings, Mesko gets to the meat of the book, thirty-six pages devoted to Army markings and camouflage in the ETO. As is borne out by many photographs in the book, it's a misconception to generalize that all American vehicles were Olive Drab with white markings. Mesko has unearthed some surprisingly diverse paint schemes and markings that are real eye-openers. The book's final sections focus on the Pacific Theater with seven pages on Army markings and a 10-page overview of USMC vehicles.

U.S. ARMOR packs over 170 black and white photographs of a myriad of American military vehicles in its 64 pages; everything from a T3 Christie medium tank to Stuarts, Shermans, M8 armored cars as well as M29 Weasels, LVTs and M26 armored recovery tractors. Eight pages of color profiles by the always excellent Don Greer along with David Gebhardt and Darren Glenn round out the book.

Mesko's book, with its wealth of photographs and marvelous sideviews, is great value for the price. Modellers and armor enthusiasts alike will want to add a copy of U.S. ARMOR to their collection. Recommended.

U.S. Armor Camouflage And Markings World War II is an informative photo-documentary of markings and camouflage of American vehicles during the second world war. Illustrated with copious black-and-white photographs on every page and a handful of color images, U.S. Armor Camouflage And Markings World War II provides captions to each photograph along with brief essays and tables, such as a table that breaks down the meaning of different digits in registration numbers and bumper codes. A brief, fact-filled guide valuable both as visual reference and as a fascinating glimpse into a piece of military history for lay readers.