Wars Books

NOT MY TURN TO DIE: MEMOIRS OF A BROKEN CHILDHOOD IN BOSNIA tells of the author's struggle for life in 1996, just after the end of the Bosnia-Herzegovina war, when the then-17-year-old faced the man who had tried to kill his grandfather and terrorized his family during the war - a man who had been a former family friend. From his childhood pre-war to his internment, freedom, and eventual healing, NOT MY TURN TO DIE will find its place in any general-interest library.

If anyone can "enjoy" a book about suffering and war, Savo's book is a must read. His experience is haunting and his message about rising above revenge and moving on shows a maturity beyond his years. He is a brilliant young man, who was able to rise above a horrible situation that most of us will never truly understand. He has influenced so many lives with this work and is becoming one of our future leaders of peace.

The book was short, straight forward and profound. Almost like a long NYT or LA Times article, which reports and steers away from editorializing. Knowing what little I know of the Serbian/Bosnia Muslim war, I think one could have easily switched the nationalities as both groups foisted misery and atrocity on one another. Just like the American and Vietnam war...like any war. The main message I get from Savo was that in the context of war and armed conflict there are 1) very bad sadistic people, 2) very good, kind and brave people and 3) apathetic cowardly people. It is obvious that if there were many times more good people and less of the other two there would be less atrocity and murder. Let us hope the message of the book isn't muffled too much by the lingering hatred and distrust on both sides. Bravo Savo! You have restored the faith in your generation that you, collectively, have much to offer the world. From his book I get the message that we must counter hatred, revenge and murder with reconciliation and the brave heartedness that goes into doing so. More reasoning and forgiveness and fewer guns and killing will be the only pathway to more peace in the world.

Mr. Heleta's story is a great book for anyone trying to understand the tangled web of the war in the former Yugoslavia. His story is filled with sadness and despair, yet in those tragic times, Mr. Heleta has found courage to share his story and to make a difference in this world sometimes filled with turmoil. I recommend this book to anyone learning about the former Yugoslavia, war, or looking for inspiration. Thank you to the author for sharing your experiences.

This is possibly the best book there is,about Bosnian war, it is completely unbiased and sincere. I looked for ways to explain my feelings about the whole situation and Savo couln't have done a better job, he's given me words for unexplained feelings.
I would recommend it to anyone that enjoys a good read, not just to people that experienced the same thing. It is just amazing, and humbling.

What else is there to say? Those familiar with Mr. Parry's work will recognize the great "voices" he creates and the way the book's world wraps you up like a cozy blanket. If you're not already a Parry fan, just pick this up for a quick, delicious taste. Like sneaking some of the Christmas fixin's before the feast, and you'll want to have more.

This little book will take you back before Christmas became an event that starts in October and is a money and advertizing glitz headache. It will transport you to a time when people thought Christmas greetings and a warming drink to celebrate the day with friends was enough. No matter what time of day you read it you will find yourself lost in another era and wish it was now. A short book - just an hour or so read that will instill your faith in humanity again. Please take the time to read.

Having just finished this book, I'm left with an impression tht Owen Parry has done it again. He is a master craftsman at writing. Having other books of his, under his real name, I'm struck by his Civil War era stories like this work. They reveal a lyrical and poetic side of him that I'm surprised and impressed with.

These Christmas tales are not intended for children, just like the bookflap said. In the flashbacks, there are enough hints of violence to leave the reader the knowledge that Christmas isn't the day to read this aloud to children. When they getter older and wiser, they'll appreciate what these stories mean.

The four stories contained in this book are full of what Christmas is all about: forgiveness, love, charity, and faith. Family is all important and no matter what emotional baggage and hurts, slights, and grievances there are, for one day at least, all of that is put aside.

I look forward to his next collection of Civil Christmas stories.

This little book has a wealth of imagery and stories of amazing death. Owen Parry is a modern O. Henry with these stories reminding me of his Christmas tales. Some of the writing also reminds me of Dylan Thomas, but not overwhelmingly so. All those people who think that only talking about religion and faith and not acting it (like the current occupant of the White House) should read this and hopefully learn something from it.

In his other persona, Owen Parry is a prominent retired army officer who writes brilliantly on national defense and strategy. It comes as a surprise, therefore, to find these gentle stories written by the same hand. This is fine historical fiction. Not only do the characters stay within their historical period - no distracting anachronisms here - but so does the writing. The stories are upbeat and completely ingenuous. They might not be cynical enough for modern tastes, so here is a test: if you enjoy A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, you will love this book. If your tastes run more toward Tim Burton's Christmas tale, you probably won't enjoy it, although you should read it anyway: it would be good for your head. No matter what your tastes, however, no one should miss the last story in the collection. It is not only the finest in the book, but a classic work which illustrates the human condition better than any other story written in the last 100 years. The protagonist is a newly freed slave who had been unspeakably abused by his "masters." Now the tide has turned, the men are dead in the war and the mistress of the house is on the verge of losing everything to the bank and about to be cast out with her retarded daughter. The simple act of Christian kindness which the slave shows toward the women brilliantly illustrates the evil of slavery and the importance of religion. This isn't Dickens; it's much much better than that.

The Oxford Companion is a must-have shelf reference for anyone intending to seriously study the Second World War. As with many encyclopedias, this means that the amateur or buff will use the entries themselves, and the expert will use the bibliography and suggestions for further reading. It is, at least at this moment, quite reasonably priced for such a serious work of reference, and I likely would not have bought it otherwise. The only drawback is that in changing over to the current edition, the editors seem to have removed the full-color maps that used to be placed at the end of the volume. I do not remember enough of those maps to tell if they are now among the black and white maps placed throughout the body of the work; I do know that the color maps were one of the highlights of the old edition and are much missed by this reviewer.

the Oxford Companion to World War II is very complete and simple to use for poeple who study the WW2, he contains a hundred maps, stats and chronological fact, englobing the totality of the allies or the axes. he's the best way to find all the information you'll need.

I have both the current and first edition of this book (in hardcover). As far as I can tell, the new edition is only shorter because it uses a smaller typeface, allowing several more words per line.

However, the new edition is also a bit easier to read despite the smaller size, because the new edition uses a glossy paper and the text seems more sharply defined on the page. This is particularly noticeable in the text of the maps, which I have struggled to read in the first edition, but seem clearer in the new edition.

As an aside, I agree with the general view that this is the single best reference book on World War II. I can't really tell what is changed in the new edition, although it may just be minor corrections, since the several longer articles I have compared seem identical.

This is a wonderful one volume encyclopedia of WWII, covering all fronts, participants, and major events. This outstanding work is an absolute must have for any serious student of World War II in my opinion. More than 100 scholars and professional historians contributed to this book. This work is certainly detailed, well written, and well researched, but it is not comprehensive (how could one describe WWII in one volume of about 1000 pages?). I think the description of this book as a `Companion' is entirely appropriate, it has been my companion for more than ten years now. I've flipped through pages of this book several times a week for the past ten years and (effectively) read the entire book through at least half a dozen times. This book is filled with an unbelievable amount of information. There are major sections on each of the combatants that include discussions about the military, political, economic, and cultural developments and changes that took place throughout the war. All the major battles are discussed, as well as people, equipment, and events. In my opinion, this is not a reference book, it is a learning book. If you already know a great deal about the Battle of Kursk or Uboats, for example, you will not find much new here. You will find, however, a wealth of information about all aspects of the war that you probably weren't even aware of. I have no complaints about this book and would consider it a bargain at twice the price. My only warning is that this book is probably not suited to someone who has only passing interest in World War II; if Steven Ambrose is your idea of a good historian, you probably aren't going to like this Companion.

I'm a fan of the first edition (1995) of this fine book: I'm a World War Two buff, and this is the best one-volume reference book on World War Two that I know of. So why would I give only four stars to the revised edition of 2005? Here's why. Prospective purchasers of the revised 2005 edition might like to know that it is 1,039 pages long, whereas the first edition of 1995 was 1,343 pages long. That's a loss of 304 pages, representing 23% of the material in the first edition---a considerable loss.

In the case of The Oxford Companion to Music, there was a beautiful, lavishly illustrated edition of 2,017 pages of 1983; it was replaced by a revised edition in 2002 that had 1,434 pages---a whopping loss of almost 600 pages of material. In this case I know what I'm talking about, because I have both editions: the 2002 edition represents a substantial abridgement and cheapening of the 1986 edition; I doubt that anyone who had the chance to compare the two would choose the newer edition.

I don't know if the same thing is going on with this Oxford Companion to World War Two (I don't have the new edition at hand to compare the two), but the loss of 23% of the material in the first edition, and my experience with The Oxford Companion to Music described above, would incline me to approach the new edition with caution.

richie was a friend first and later my brother-in-law. you need to read this book to understand what the brave pathfinders endured. i was very lucky to have personally know him before and after the war. writing this book was both theraputic and heart wrecthing for him but, he knew he had to write it. the big c took his life much too early. rest in peace brother.

This is one of my favorite audio books. The narrator does a fantastic job.

Great book. Absolutely loved it. Very sad he's gone and won't be able to follow up on the next tour he did.

I was in Vietnam with the 9th Inf Div Pathfinder Det (13 Pathfinders for the entire division) and the 1st Bde 101st. I knew about half of the people that were with Rich Burns at the time, but don't remember meeting him. I can vouch for his accuracy of a lot of what happened during that period of the war.

I recommend this book to anyone interested in learning about what we did. There is a US Army Pathfinder Association that is trying hard to gather more information from those of us that did this job. It's located at www.USPathfinders.org. For those interested, There is a history section that might be helpful.

i cant say anymore but its a must read dam good book

This is not a review of the book (which I would give 5 stars), but I thought it might be helpful for other customers to know that I purchased this as a gift on July 20 2006, and as of October 5 it still has not arrived. The current delivery estimate is November 7. I would not order this item from Amazon if you need it soon.

I have had good success with Amazon on other items. There seems to be a fulfillment problem with this particular book.

What were you expecting, that this book would materialize in your mailbox on YOUR schedule?

Eris will see to it you get the book when you're READY for it, not when you WANT it.

Do not order this from Amazon if you need it soon, October 5, 2006
Reviewer: Robophonic (Austin, TX USA) - See all my reviews
This is not a review of the book (which I would give 5 stars), but I thought it might be helpful for other customers to know that I purchased this as a gift on July 20 2006, and as of October 5 it still has not arrived. The current delivery estimate is November 7. I would not order this item from Amazon if you need it soon.

I have had good success with Amazon on other items. There seems to be a fulfillment problem with this particular book.

The original Principia Discordia was very much mish mash of near random pages thrown together, and the pages themselves were changed and modified. I've always felt that it should be a continually evolving book, and with this edition including newly created pages, it hits closest to the spirit of discordianism (at least in my opinion).

The other editions I've seen present it almost as a relic of the past, as something to be looked at, and fondly reminisced over. The purple edition did a great interview with one of the creators (and 3 of his personalities if I remember correctly), which is nice, but too stale for me.

I'm sorry to see it out of print.

In summary: This edition of the Principia is particularly good because it features added material, all in the style and theme of the original.

Side note: If you want better reviews of this book, look for the reviews of for the purple and yellow editions (by Omar K. Ravenhurst, and Malaclypse et al, respectively). All editions feature the same original content.

Give this book another thousand years and it will replace the bible. My gods it is stupid,funny,genius!!!

This is good for all those studying metaphysics
The AISB
The Discordians
And All Those Able Minded People Looking For The Fnords
Bring On The Slack Before BOB
Was His One Time Only Partner
Eris

This is the type of Vietnam book that I have been searching for. No nonsense, to the point, and not afraid to offend. Funny, sad and anger provoking all at once. Quick moving and an easy read. I have let friends borrow this book and they have all enjoyed it.

This book really tells it like it Was.Very possibly the
best account I've read. Highly recommended,Vets or civilian!Three thumbs up!

Helms' writing engages the reader from the beginning, and draws them into the story. I laughed with him in boot camp, had a knot in my stomach as he trudged through the rain and fighting in Vietnam, and hoped the best for him at the end. I've read the book several times, and each time feel the same strong emotions. The best book about Vietnam I've read. Highly recommended for anyone wanting to know what grunts went through during the war.

Never have I read a more gripping combat account. It's a wild, unfettered ride. From the author's numbing, raunchy belittlement at Parris Island Marine boot camp to fighting in a faraway country he found "luring, lovely, and lethal," Helms pulls no punches. I especially like "Mikey's" biting, insightful running dialogue with himself.

Often as I read a book I will pause and thumb through a few pages to see how soon the chapter will end; perhaps because I've lost focus and I'm ready for it to end. I never did that while reading "The Proud Bastards" because Mr. Helms spared me the bother. He has the blessed knack to know when his readers are ready for a chapter to end and he writes accordingly.

Helms is observant in other ways that made reading this book an adventure. Seldom have I read a brutal war story graced with so many coloful descriptive passages about the lay of the land: the trees, birds, mountains, ocean, stars, and the weather. Such contrasting lends realism that "takes the reader there." I think it both sets the stage for and respites the gruesome battle scenes to follow.

I owe E. Michael Helms. He took me to Vietnam, showed me around, then got me out of there when he knew it was time for both of us to leave. He is an especially gifted writer, which "The Proud Bastards" proves abundantly.

I highly recommend this book.

###

Perhaps the best book about combat I've ever read. The writing is superb, and like all good writing, becomes transparent as you are carried into the story. The setting is horrific, the language raw, as you share a teenager's thoughts and emotions in the face of violent death. Words are not wasted here - the writing is spare and accurate.

There is no moralizing about the "meaning" of the war. In effect, the author says, "Here's my story. Draw your own conclusions." My conclusion is that Mr. Helms is one hell of a writer!

After seeing "Radiant Dawn" keep popping up as an Amazon recommendation and reading all the 5-star reviews, I decided to take a chance and buy a copy. Glad that I did.

The thing about most authors in the "action" genres is that they do most of their research by watching bad movies and reading mediocre novels. Not the case here. It was refreshing to see credible scenes and authentic dialogue with a cast of characters that include special forces soldiers and federal agents -- most authors have absolutely no idea how these people act and talk, or the bureaucratic nonsense they need to put up with throughout the course of an average day. Goodfellow nailed it.

A lot of reviewers claimed that this book was part of the Chtulhu mythos -- but maybe that becomes clearer in the sequel? RADIANT involves a type of radiation that mutates people into something that remains humanoid and can pass as human, but is virtually unkillable. And they want you to join them in the "evolution" of the human race.

A very well written book and a thoroughly enjoyable story. I'll likely be ordering the sequel in the near future.

From start to finish Cody Goodfellow has produced a masterpiece, combining action, intrigue, sci-fi (or fact?) and horror in a scintillating combination.
Man no longer needs to evolve as we invent everything that we would have needed to evolve to achieve. But at a cellular level our bodies are still trying to evolve and at Radiant Dawn this is happening - leading to inevitable conflict between humans and those who are becoming more than human. Sinister government projects, seedy underworld characters, CIA, FBI and special forces interact to make this book a delight and with three perfectly realised and believable (but far from the normal hero type) lead characters the switch of focus from chapter to chapter prevents boredom ever setting in. The plot twists like a snake in the sands of Death Valley where much of the book is set, and the explosive ending sets up perfectly for the sequel, Ravenous Dusk, which I'm off to read NOW! I've read hundreds of sci-fi and horror novels: this is absolutely in my top 10 ever! Miss it at your own loss!

Radiant Dawn by Cody Goodfellow

Last year when SAW hit theaters across America there was massive overhype that in my humble opinion hurt the movie. Let's face it, SAW was a low budget horror movie, who expected good acting? A lot of horror fans were let down because the hype surrounding the movie was so great that even though it was a pretty damn good horror film most were disappointed. While John Skipp(Bestselling co-author of The Scream) meant well devoting two pages of cemetery dance to Cody Goodfellow as being as cool as the invention of the wheel, sliced bread and fire, I was nervous when I opened up to the first page of Radiant Dawn which is Goodfellow's 1st novel.
I was nervous because I wanted to the local guy(he is here San Diego) to live up to the incredible hype. I won't say the hype is a disservice because it was the reason I spent months trying to track it down before breaking down and getting it on amazon (I believe in bookstores damnit!). The important thing is do Cody a favor and try to clear your mind of the hype before you open the book.
The reality is it is the most powerful 1st novels your likely to ever read. Damn it I am adding the hype. Crackling and inventive prose that slips in descriptions that are laugh out loud funny at times, Cringe inducing at other times, descriptions where you will shake your head at his genius. Plotting that is so good it's your going back to check facts, paranoia, gore and lets not forget radiation induced cancer mutated monsters.
I found myself marveling at the originality of the story which involves cults of scientists and militias fighting an underground war which involves a mutant apocalypse and the hints and connection to the Lovecraft Mythos (to be explored fully in the sequel Ravenous Dusk). The fact is I can't do the plot justice.
So Cody Goodfellow is all that and a bag chips. It's true, is radiant dawn perfect? No but again I think the hype made me hypercritical at times, I couldn't help it. There were a few experiments like a battle told all in radio dialogue between soldiers that didn't work for me. Perhaps the greatest weakness in the novel is it is a set-up. Half way through I pretty sure that radiant dawn was a tease for the monsters onslaught of it's sequel. The bulk of the word count is given to the conspiracy and not the horror.
According to reviews of Ravenous Dusk that feeling was correct that the sequel is more than a pay-off.
The bottom-line is this... get both books! You'll be happy you did. Just try to clear your mind of the hype and remember it was written by a 1st time novelist. Wow. Now pardon me cause I just bought Ravenous Dusk yesterday at Dark delicacies and I have some reading to do.

Cody Goodfellow is one of those rare powerhouse writers that bursts onto the scene with talent and a real story to tell... and then for some reason is completely ignored. Nobody I know has read this book, and I found it to be an excellent, compelling read. Conspiracy theories, mutants and a little bit of Lovecraft thrown in for good measure. I would definitely recommend it.

Radiant Dawn is an excellent Lovecraftian tale in modern-day America (though you'll only get hints of this until the sequel). Goodfellow's prose is sometimes startlingly good at description, and the tale itself is extremely creative. You DO NOT need to be a Lovecraft fan to enjoy these works- action, horror, military intrigue, mystery, all of these play into the plot. High recommended.

As readers, we expect many things from a good piece of historical fiction. "River of Souls" by Ivon Blum delivers on most of those expectations.

The subtitle, "A Novel of the American Myth", refers us to that subgenre that deals with the same 19th century West that Horace Greeley had in mind. The novel tells the story of a number of men (and one woman) seeking their fortune and/or deliverance in a rumored or dreamt new environment further west from wherever they began. Blum's selection of his main characters runs just slightly askew of the predictable: a Spanish-American cowboy, two mountain men (one American, the other French-Canadian), an escaped slave, and a coming-of-age girl cast out by her father. All of course have 24-karat hearts.

The author provides just enough nuance to keep these characters from becoming stereotypical. Less successfully drawn are subsidiary characters such as the manipulative banker and the evil sheriff. And don't look here (after a half-hearted attempt in the early chapters) for a sophisticated depiction of American Indians. But in this type of novel we expect history to play the major supporting roles, and in this respect Blum doesn't disappoint. The California Gold Rush, the progression of the Santa Fe Trail, and the nature of the New Mexico territory are prominently cast.

Blum doesn't necessarily deliver historical accuracy. What he does provide is its cousin -- a sense of believability. He has created a fictional universe that seems internally consistent and artfully rendered. It doesn't completely coincide with the myths of the West on which many of us were raised; instead and more importantly, he gives us a world which seems slightly more complicated and therefore considerably more convincing.

But he doesn't do this effortlessly. In his determination to create a novel voice of his own and unique dialects for his characters, the sweat sometimes shows through. Yet, instead of being annoyed, I found myself appreciative of the attempt.

As for the plot itself, it struck me as well-paced and adequately complex. Covering the years 1846 to 1853 and locales from Santa Fe to San Francisco, the chapters are short and forceful, advancing the story-line in mostly unexpected ways. Blum does not always seem in full control of his chronology, but he always manages to steer things back on course before losing the reader. A few story lines are left dangling and the book could use a map or two. But these are minor quibbles, and I'm confident most readers will finish "River of Souls" with satisfaction.

River of Souls transports the reader into the real southwest and uses this as a backdrop for exploring coming of age issues in a turbulent time. None of the western stereotypes exist, so when the reader connects with tangential facts and events, it seems all the more real and satisfying. The historical reality combined with the interpersonal intensity of the characters make this a surprisingly enjoyable read.

Ivon Blum did extensive research for this book, which shows, even while it's an entertaining read. The reason I titled my review as I did is that this book is about love. There's a lot of family love before we get into a romantic interest for Pedro (Pete) Cortez. When we do meet up with Becky, she has been brutalized and is almost dead. Once she regains consciousness, under Pete's care, she's a real little spitfire. Adventure abounds, with Black Hess being the most evil of all characters. Pete searches for and finds gold. A good read and a painless history lesson, take it from a woman and a retired librarian.

When I came across River of Souls, I thought, sure, another shoot 'em up instead of car crashes. Blum proved me wrong. His characters came alive in my mind and I began to care about each one. Of course, that Black Demon character felt more like a rattle snake slithering through the open door making me want to pick up my feet. The shifting scenes reminded me of what I knew of the gold fields but gave me so much more of the drama. If only the history text books could be so intense, I wouldn't be learning afresh now at my age. A robust romp through the Southwest that kept me turning the pages.

This is a man's type of story about very real men living raw outdoor life without apology. The author's vivid desciptions including all five senses made me miss the outdoors and tell us that the author has spent time there and understands the environment as well as the times.

First, the author was in my dad's squadron when he was killed in action. But his thoughts about the war while he was a bomber pilot sounded a lot like some of the times that are being saidnow about the current conflicts around the world.

Bert's narrative of the different missions he flew showed the fear or devil may care attitude of other people who also flew bombers during WWII.

Overall.. after 64 years the insite is remarkable.

This is not close to the first review of this book. Read the other listings for much more detail.

I gave the book 5 stars, but it isn't at that level as a piece of literature. However, it is well beyond that level as an artifact of history. As I write this in late 2003, the Denver Post has almost daily obituaries for the WWII generation. Soon they will all be gone. In another 30 years the Vietnam vets, in another 50 the Gulf kids. Each will leave some worthwhile fragments of their experience, this is one of the better ones I've found from the WWII group.

As a Denver kid that had problems with Denver Pub Schools, sat on the bench for high school football, went off to war in Vietnam, flew in the Navy, I found Stiles' book to be a godsend, to understand MY life, and my relationship with my father's generation. Read it because it is a ROUGH manuscript, obviously not well edited, and it is honest, and for any number of reasons, it seems that honesty comes at a premium and probably always has.

The current President, who had the opportunity to really be a combat pilot and did everything he could to avoid it, now poses on flight decks. The current Governor of Colorado, who never did a day in the military, passed out pictures of himself in a flight-suit climbing down from a aircraft wing to associate himself with a strong defense. What a miserable collection of mutts compared to their father's generation.

The remarkable thing about these kids wasn't that they were courageous heroes, but because they weren't and they still got the job done. One bloody, gut-wrenching day at a time. Spin that.

Not much I can add to what others have written about the Big Bird. I first read the book while in college in the late 1960s. Some years later I lent the paperback to a friend and it went up in smoke during a fire. I was stunned and mad because I liked to go back on occasion and read a chapter or two when I felt I needed to read something from Bert. Now, to make a short story long, after years of trying to find another copy, the internet came along and I started to find out about Bert. I began pulling things up and contacting various folks. I came across one fellow and damned if they weren't having a get-together honoring Bert at Colorado College. I was there. It lasted two days and no more than a handful of old folks were in attendence (at the time I was in my mid 50s and I was the second yougest person there). As I was leaving at the end of the remberance a fellow took hold of my arm and asked if I would like to have a stack of books. They were compiled by friends of Bert's some time long after he had died! Of course I accepted them! There were writings ranging back to his high school days in Denver. Some of the stuff is pretty good, some not so good. But, the short stories (sorry, there is no lost novel) I found had a appeal for the time and demonstrated Bert's growth as a writer.

Yes, I too think Bert was on the brink of becoming a well known writer. He did, by the way, write for a magazine in New York. I have the books and I still return to then when I need a good laugh (Bert was quite a wit) or just want to step back into the late 30s or early 40s. There must be 5-6 of these books (private publisher, sorry). The fellow who organized the 'event' is no longer with us as, I would guess, many of the others aren't. My God, most were in their very late 70s or early-mid 80s. Alas the group is leaving us at an astounding rate.

Okay, I'm done now. The book gets 5 stars and I have been able to give you a very brief look at Bert and some of his pals - though not many. Yes, there are other "books" by Bert and you might just get lucky and find some of them.

I first read this book in 1960 and discovered that Bert Stiles was my uncle-Robert Langford's roommate in "Copilot House". I sent my copy to my uncle who subsequently got a copy (long out of print) from the publisher. He said the story was pretty much like things were. He said Bert Stiles always said he was writing a book but then everybody was writing a book. I have my uncle's copy filled with photos of the "Big Bird" full of holes afer Leipzig. The aircraft never flew again. It was repaired and blew up with the sqadron commander and chaplain aboard on it's test flight.

When Bert Stiles wrote this book, the war was still raging across the world. It was 1944, he had just completed a horrific tour of duty as a B17 co-pilot, and the memories were fresh in his mind. Even though Bert seemed to be a somewhat sensitive man, some of his words have a callous feel to them. He talks about the officers and enlisted men forming a baseball team, and "..after the Schweinfurt raid, we had to replace the whole infield"-Simply put, so many men had been killed on that mission, no one was left to play on the team. Bert was an intelligent man, a good writer, but he lacked the experience to know when to back out of the war. Passive, intelligent, creative people do not make good fighter pilots. Bert was killed in action shortly after writing his memoirs.

I have just finished reading Lee Burkins' remarkable book, Soldier's Heart. It touched me deeply and opened my eyes and my heart to so much that I could never have otherwise known. Those of us that sat on the sidelines during the Vietnam war - regardless of our politics - were not only blinded to the plight of those who fought, but also, through our own lack of concern, inadvertently contributed to their pain. In writing, Lee has reached out to us, reconnected, and given us all the opportunity to heal. For this, I am profoundly grateful.

I will be passing Soldier's Heart on to my adult children. It should be mandatory reading for their generation and those that follow. Without access to a warrior's experience and vision, how will they ever be able to understand the human costs of contemporary warfare, or have any hope of piercing the veils of untruths and diversionary distractions that constantly envelope them. Lee Burkins' painful but life affirming book is a gift to us all.

Forget the typical cliches like "riveting", "incredible", and "fascinating" because Lee's work goes above and beyond all of that. This is not simply a book or a memoir - it truly is an "Inquiry of War" and war is something that Lee Burkins has a fair amount of knowledge in. From the jungles and bomb craters that surround the Ho Chi Minh Trail system inside Laos and Cambodia, Lee and RT Vermont fight for their lives against hoards of North Vietnamese Army troops and the suicidal odds of MACV-SOG's secret war. But perhaps the most difficult war Lee wages is the one that dominates his psyche and his mental well-being. This is one of the most powerful books I have ever read; it is raw and unbridled and remarkably unique. Thanks for everything, Lee.

Amid the increasing number of books about Vietnam this book is quite special. It is the personal memoir of a man who spent his time in Vietnam in the Special Forces, and has spent much of his life since recovering from the experience. Thus the narrrative covers his youth and joining up, service in Vietnam including fighting with the Montagnards, returning home, pineapple farming in Hawaii, another stint of military service again in Hawaii, and a lot of hard work fighting for veterans' rights and counseling other vets. What is striking about this narrative, however, is that it does not follow a linear conventional structure. Rather it has a sort of spiraling structure, with each successive section looping back or forward in time and space. But this isn't confusing, it is in fact very effective in conveying that sense of acute dislocation that accompanies post-traumatic stress and is suffered by so many veterans.
It is a tribute too to the author's writing style that the reader is bowled along; I read most of it at a single sitting. The stories too in themselves are gripping, by turns sad, humorous, disturbing (some very disturbing), and inspiring. But the main sense that comes across is immensely life-affirming, a real impression of the author as a man who has faced his demons and is coming out the other side.
Overall, this book is a good read. More than that too, it is one man's intensely personal testament to the post-Vietnam trauma of American society, and thus deserves a significant place in the broader corpus of the literature of war.

This book details Lee Burkins' experience in the Vietnam war and its aftermath. Written in a non-linear fashion, the book is a collection of poignant vignettes and memories. This allows for a psychologically realisitc and "big-picture" way of understanding the story of Mr. Burkins' past. Jumping between the mountainous jungles of Vietnam, Hawaiian VA hospitals, and civilian life in the States, the reader gets a simultaneous sense of the past, present, and future. What is most truly impressive, however, is not the story of the war itself, but the story of Lee's path in reckoning with the trauma of war, coming to terms with it, and purifying his heart.

While deployed to Iraq as a Mental Health Officer, I fortuitously discovered Lee' Burkin's Soldier's Heart, while searching for inspiring books to enhance my work with combat soldiers. I was so intrigued by what I read, I reached out to the author, who allowed me to interview him from Iraq, regarding his journey beginning 37 years before in Vietnam. What I wanted, and what is in short supply today are warriors who have been transformed by their experiences, versus being labeled by themselves or others as broken or permanently damaged. From his authentic PTSD "earned" as a SOG operator and healer himself (The author was an S.F. medic) through Post Traumatic and Stress-Induced Growth, Burkins thrives psychically where many did not, largely because of his transformative journey, and personally resilient personality, combined with a relentless pursuit of justice for other veterans, what the Buddhist's term "For the sake of all living beings".

Like many of the soldiers I served with in Special Forces, in the end it is Burkin's unconventional outlook and relentless pursuit of authentic experience which take him from Southeast Asia, through Asian Metaphysical Arts like Tai Chi and Chi Gung, only to emerge as an advocate for peace and compassion. The book is controversial, direct and written in a narrative format which easily slips between deep penetration missions, authentic psychotherapy sessions and historical VA struggles, culminating in a warrior attaining no less than a Phoenix-like transformation. As Erik Erikson might call it, the author attains integrity versus despair which gripped so many of his generation and is affecting my brothers and sisters in arms today.

Applicable for today? Absolutely, as the author has sat with his journey long enough to convey it with wisdom and compassion and relevancy during our time. Easily could be catalogued under Special Operations, psychotherapy, martial arts or wisdom literature. Especially recommended for those who will not volunteer themselves as a passport into the soul of a warrior who transmutes his suffering and experiences and brings back the teachings for us all of us with ears and hearts to listen.