United States Books

In his detailed research for what really happened in 1962, Michael Dobbs leaves few stones unturned and tries to tell the whole story. Unfortunately, this means that the story gets bogged down with too many details, some of the snippets don't contribute much to the overall narrative and much of the material is repetitive. What could have been a crisp drama stretches into a comprehensive documentary.

But, while this book lacks drama, it certainly delivers a clear-eyed assessment of the players and the events. The author's conclusions are sound. In times of crisis, ordinary people who are minor players often have a profound impact on events. Kennedy and Khrushchev were both sane, sage and sober (fortunately). And, personality is pivotal in politics - character counts.

This book is equally great for those who have little background information on the Cuban missile crisis or those who are very familiar with the subject. The research us up to data and the material is written in a way that will not turn away fiction readers.

We remember the Cuban Missile Crisis as the most dangerous moment of the Cold War...when we were "eyeball to eyeball". As time has allowed access to records and players on all three sides, the truth turns out to be much more dangerous than anyone could have imagined. Michael Dobbs does a commendable job following the chronology of the crisis from a variety of levels: in the Kremlin and the White House; as well as in the cockpits, conning towers, and firing rooms. JFK's cool leadership was a product partly of his searing experience as a rookie president with the Pentagon and the CIA during the Bay of Pigs fiasco. 18 months later, in this penultimate crisis, he was very skeptical and cautious of the vehement demands of Curtis LeMay and others to launch airstrikes and an invasion. We can now see how the invasion would have turned out: armed to the teeth with battlefield nukes, our invasion force would have been vaporized by the Soviets and Cubans on the beaches, with WW III immediately following.

It is just by the most remarkable luck that some little thing didn't go wrong, accidentally or in anger by any one of a vast number of warriors on both sides, armed to the teeth, eyeball-to-eyeball, on hair-trigger alert. Kennedy and Khrushchev both understood the danger in no longer being in control...that, as Kennedy remarked, 'there's always some s.o.b. who doesn't get the word'. That we both were able to disengage is nothing short of a miracle...again, thanks to Dobbs able retelling, a vastly greater miracle than we ever knew. Like a man in the street who is just missed by a swerving car, every day for humanity since October 1962 is our renewed lease on life.

I also remember the Cuban missile crisis. I was in college and remember the Sunday night speech and watching the Russian ships heading for the blockade line. I also was of age to idolize President Kennedy and be inspired by him.

I reading Mr. Dobbs work all the memories came back. This book really covered the back stories. The CIA almost silly attempts to overthrow Castro, the mistaken U2 overflights of Russia and the lack of the ability to communicate. Also I learned for the first time the number of troops the Russians had in Cuba. Lastly, I was so impressed with how human error got us closer to war.

The most important part of the book was the understanding how both leaders realized that war was the last option and not the first. When looking at the abyss they each understood they needed to find a way around it. Mostly, I was impressed with the wisdom and sense of history of JFK.

I could not help reflect upon our current leadership. Before going to war did they really understand the costs and the dangers. As we come closer to the return of the Cold War, reading this makes me understand the importance of judgement in our leaders. This book really explains not who will answer the phone at 3AM but what will they do when it rings.

With all the historic lessons Mr. Dobbs wrote a book in a thriller format. There were sections I was at the edge of my seat even though I knew the answer. This proves great history does not have to be dull

This book should be required reading for every college student in the US. Thank you Mr. Dobbs for such a valuable lesson written in such an entertaining way.

Wow. Even though everybody knows how the Cuban Missile Crisis ended, this book had me sweating it out. The new info that Michael Dobbs turned up made me realize that no one really knew what was going to happen. The politicians, from Kennedy and Khrushchev on down, were kind of making it up as they went along. I had learned about the Cuban Missile Crisis in school, but this book brought it to life in a way that no textbook on any subject ever managed. This book isn't just for history buffs. It's really a book for everybody, I think, because it shows how much international relations ought to matter to all of us.

This is one of the best combat depictions of the Viet Nam War that I have ever read. I highly recommend it for former military readers.

My friend Beetle was there. Lee Burns was there. Others were there. Nolan writes almost as if HE were there. It happened before I got in-country, but it was a legendary fight by legendary Marines and Nolan tells the story so very well. I am proud to have helped carry these Marines in my helicopters and supported them in every way possible. They are heroes in the truest sense of that so misused word. This book is an EXCELLENT read!

Keith Nolan has managed to capture the absolute confusion and fear associated with modern combat in Operation Buffalo. I started this book in 1997 or there abouts and was unable to finish it. As a former Marine who was in boot camp in San Diego when this operation took place I had a difficult time with the content. Lose an entire company of Marines to a sly enemy? Impossible. And then to read about the loss of additional Marines in trying to recover the dead and wounded (something that is very important by the way) that had fallen the day before....difficult. I just couldn't finish the book.

Well, I picked it up again, after ten years, and read it completely. In a very belated way I have to compliment Mr. Nolan on not only his ability to tell a difficult story, but to tell it in a way that makes sense and then manages to touch the heart. As another reviewer stated, Operation Buffalo hurts the heart of the reader and this reflects the sensitivity that the author weaved into his tale.

The doctrine at the time was that the Marines divided an area in to map grids. The Marines would sweep a grid with a company, clear it, and then move on. The NVA would wait for the Marines to leave and then move into that grid knowing that they were probably safe for a while. The battle that took place in July of 1967 is the result of the Marines out smarting themselves. They decided to sweep the same map grid twice, trying to catch the NVA off guard. It worked. But a single company was no match for what the Marines stepped into.

The American fighting man has been depicted in less than a glowing manner in Viet Nam. Brutal, drug crazed killers. I think while some of that may be deserved, the bulk of that criticism is undeserved and is served up by people who have never humped a pack or shared water out of a canteen. Nolan does a huge service for the Viet Nam vets by explaining the sheer meaness of the NVA in how our wounded were treated. Well done.

Operation Buffalo isn't a book for the weak of heart or for those who don't really want to be informed. It is a book that speaks well to the commitment of American fighting men in general and of U. S. Marines in particular.

Semper Fi.

This is as terrifying an account of the Vietnam war as I've ever read. Forget the melodrama and sensationalism that characterized much of Vietnam war literature in the early and mid-eighties: Nolan's sparse style and clear representation of what took place on the DMZ in the summer of 1967 will give you nightmares. Don't look to find refuge here in a simple war story: Nolan tenaciously presents history as it unfolds.

This is a must have book for your library. After over 30 years you forget why you hated Vietnam until you read a book that brings back all the memories. This is such a book. I served with 1/1 and 3/1 after these battles and am amazed that keith Nolan is able to bring to life what it meant to serve in a Marine Corps Infantry Bn in Vietnam. I got angry, I laughed and I cried as I read this book. At times I felt like I could reach out and touch some of the people, the writing was so vivid. Everyone should read this book and remember what the Marines paid in blood for that war. THANK YOU USMC for what you gave me and THANK YOU Marines all over the world protecting us now.

I have read many of John McPhee's works. They are all excellent and captivating. He writes on so many subjects, it is amazing that they are all great. No wonder he teaches at Princeton, or did as I remember.

This time John McPhee turns his hand to one of those
anomalous natural treasures that has survived in
spite of intense urbanization. The Pine Barrens are
two-thirds of a million acres-an area the size of
Yosemite that sit beside a major artery of the most
developed region in the country. With the New Jersey
Turnpike to the west and bustling, chintzy Atlantic
City to the East, it's hard to imagine that this great,
weird wilderness could be so little known.

McPhee is the perfect guide to the Pines. He is as
sensitive to the natural history as he is to the
culture. He has a sympathetic ear for both the natives
and the outsiders who wander in from time to time. He's
a writer who can focus on a detail-a threatened fern or
the quality of water and then pull back to the big picture.

A thoroughly entertaining book.


--Lynn Hoffman, author of THE NEW SHORT COURSE IN WINE and
the novel bang BANG. ISBN 9781601640005

Those of us from the Northeast know that wilderness can be found if you're willing to hit the road and search for it, and also that it's precious and worth protecting from the onslaught of industry and sprawl. But even those familiar with the region's wilderness offerings will be surprised by the natural bounty and remoteness of New Jersey's Pine Barrens area. The masterful essayist John McPhee published this travelogue and study of the area back in 1967, when the depths of the Pine Barrens still offered genuine seclusion form the outside world, with hardy folks still living off the land by picking berries or making charcoal. And this beautiful area was surrounded on all sides by the most urbanized and industrialized blight on Earth. Things aren't quite so rustic there anymore, but reading McPhee's engaging treatise on the area should make modern folks wish to both visit the Pine Barrens area as a valuable slice of nature, and to protect it as a precious and dwindling resource. That's what makes this short but lovable book from the great McPhee a timeless classic for nature lovers. [~doomsdayer520~]

My wife gave me this book in 1978, and I devoured it in one evening. I have since been all over the world, and no matter where I go, the pines are always the reference point for me. My teen years were spent in the pines, with my good friend Tom, where we would travel its dirt roads, canoe its streams and fish its lakes, and hike its trails and roads. Mr. McPhee weaves a story that is so true, so historically rich, and for me, so reminiscent of the years of my youth. Please read this book, and then go and make your own memories.

I'll keep this short and sweet: McPhee's The Pine Barrens is an entirely outstanding, fascinating look at the unique area that is the Pine Barrens of New Jersey. McPhee covers Piney culture, the unique ecological nature of the region, its history, and its hidden treasures. The writing is poetic and rich, the people interesting, and the information detailed, thorough and never dull. A really great read that anyone living in NJ should get.

This is the most expensive book I've bought, but it's well worth it. It's full of content and covers many topics. It's recommended to anyone from an enthusiast to anybody involved with law or law enforcement.

This was a great textbook, very helpful. Only thing, it's really graphic. Some of the pictures may be offensive to some people.

although the author has a fixation for weird sex deaths and spends more time then they are worth for an investigator in most areas, this is the best overall book i have seen for laying out a thorough investigation and peripheral issues. i wish more law enforcement officers used this book--rank, too--rank on a scene or in front of a camera can be like a bull in a china shop.

Vernon brings many years of experience to us all in his book so that we do not make the mistakes others have made.

Talk about a disturbing book. This one will probably give you nightmares if you haven't desensitized yourself to violence yet. If your denial mechanism is in disrepair, you'd probably be best to avoid this book which is the "Bible" of crime scene investigation techniques. Extremely graphic photographs of murder and suicide victims along with a compelling forensic text with such chapters as 'The Homicide Crime Scene Search,' 'Estimating Time Of Death,' 'Modes Of Death,' 'Suicide Investigation,' and 'The Autopsy' makes this one of the most informative and disturbing books available. Highly Recommended!

I met Larry Flynt once. It left an impression on me. It wasn't good. The man just seemed to have sleeze permeate out of his pores. And he seemed all spaced out, like way too many drugs had interacted with way too much debauchery, intermixing in a personality that was pretty degraded right from the get-go. What must it be like to work for such a man?

Allan MacDonell knows, and he tells all the dirt in PRISONER OF X. An inside story of the man who rose to top of the pond scum at Larry Flynt Publications, it is a story well worth reading, boys and girls. Well worth reading.

For some quirk of personality that would require years of therapy to explain, MacDonell had always wanted to work for a smut mag when he finally landed the job at Hustler. What he found was a work environment that was akin to a school of piranhas, with each fish trying its hardest to eat the flesh off of anyone higher up the ladder. And with Larry himself often enjoying the spectacle, like a Roman emperor enjoying the modern day gladiators of smut trying to take one another down. Amazingly, the dude lasted 19 years.

During that time, MacDonell met his share of pornstars, celebrities, and, of course, downright degenerates, many of whom were on the payroll. But many were more famous, and no details are spared. Even if you are familiar with the Godfather of Soul's reputation with the ladies, you wil still be really, really alarmed at what you read here. MacDonell also was there for some of the high times, like when Hustler took down Congressman Livingston, who was set to become Speaker of the House, or the offer to Jenna Bush to pose naked for a cool $10 million.

Often hilarious, often mermerizing, PRISONER OF X also often leaves you with the same feeling as you have after looking at porn. You known, all empty inside and a bit embarassed. But for some reason, you keep going back, don't you? Yeah, you know you do. And you want to check out this book, too. Don't you? Well, do it. It won't leave any permanent damage.

This is an interesting book by a writer who worked his way up the ranks at Hustler magazine for twenty years. He's brutally honest about the inner workings of the magazine including his descriptions of the pedophile Dwaine Tinsley and the sociopathic Larry Flynt, as well as about his own moral and social failings. This is good reading for anyone interested in the history of the magazine or in learning about what it was like working inside the porn magazine industry during the latter part of the Twentieth Century. As to be expected it's sexually explicit so if that bothers you, you might want to skip this one. The sexual descriptions were not gratuitous and I felt they were necessary for the honest story-telling this book provides.

You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll wish that once in a while you had actually read some of the articles. This book is as hilarious as Hustler often was during Allan's tenure. A common misconception about this book is that it is about Larry Flynt. This book is not about Larry Flynt--it is about Allan MacDonell. If you want to learn more about Larry Flynt, you should probably visit his website. If you want to learn more about what it is REALLY like to oversee the day-to-day operations of America's most notorious stroke rag--penile scabs and all--then this is the book for you! My only complaint about Prisoner of X is that Allan has not yet recorded an audio-book version, but that's coming up next, right Mr. MacDonell?

Is it possible to write a book where the main character is yourself and you are the hero only because everyone else is insane, a sleazebag or just generally unpleasant? The author, MacDonell, at least, proves that you can. I kept thinking, "Boy, this guy's a jerk," at the same time I feverishly sped through his 20 year memoir of working at Hustler magazine. The stories he tells are at times shocking, sad, hilarious, occasionally boring (but these bits pass quickly), titillating and raucous (hey, kind of like Hustler magazine itself!). One can't help but feel for the guy at the same time one might not want anything to do with him.

The first half of the book is probably the toughest on his character (and interestingly he doesn't spare himself much). He was abusing drugs, women and himself, paranoid that he would be fired on a daily basis, and basically existing hand to mouth on his low wages (dating a girl at one time because she owned a VCR!). At a certain point time (after a particularly scaring DUI incident) he gets cleaned up and doesn't even drink. It's somewhat downplayed, but his success at the magazine soars at this point.

While he bashes almost everyone, (name dropping Dennis Hopper, Frank Zappa, who at times were friends of Flynt or connected to the magazine, and he cares for neither), he is particularly nasty to his fellow inmates at the asylum and of course hardest on his pyscho boss, Larry Flynt. (Once again these people probably deserve even worse criticism), but it would be nice to hear a more good tales (he admits at one point that his staff - when he rises to power - was actually a good one).

Comparison's have been made to Hunter S. Thompson, and while I think these are somewhat accurate as far as characters and subject matter, that should not indicate that the writing (and or editing) is nearly in that league. The book feels a little flabby (and repetitive near the end), and probably could have been 50 pages shorter.

Another complaint is no photos - it would be nice to know what some of these people looked like. The great cover art is by Daniel Clowes but there are no further illustrations (that would have been better than photos!)

Besides all the juicy gossip about the mag there is also some poltical stuff that is very fascinating (as they destroy one Republican senator's career, defend Clinton and try to trash Bush (Jr.). If you've ever read the magazine this book will be of interest to you. Even better on the porn industry itself is "The Other Hollywood: The Uncensored Oral Histroy of the Porn Film Industry" by Legs McNeil (also reviewed by yours truly).

Although the prose is a little self consciously rich at times, this is the most laugh out loud funny book I have read since Howard Stern's Private Parts memoir.The most inside look at not only Flynt and Hustler but the entire porn scene from the 80's and 90's. His description of porn legend Tori Welles on page 118 is uncanny-"Complexion the color of cinnamon or bourbon, brunette mane of body and bounce, flaunting the defiant cheekbones and chin of an urchin empress, the sublime Ms. Welles stepped with the self-assurance of the lifelong stone fox." (See what I mean about the prose?) When he's done describing her, you will know exactly what she looked like and what her sexual magnetism was all about even if you have never seen her. Hilarious, insightful, sarcastic. Would make a great movie.

I have worked as a speech-language pathologist for the Department of Veterans Affairs for about 35 years, and my earliest patients included young veterans of the Vietnam War. Now, towards the end of my career, I have the privilege of working with veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. I read Recondo and Mr. Chamber's other book on his war experiences, Death in the A Shau Valley (Death In the A Shau Valley: L Company LRRPs in Vietnam, 1969-70.), years ago, and was profoundly affected by the people and actions described. He writes with an authentic voice and we are fortunate to have his experiences preserved. I recently re-read both books after reading Jonathan Shay's two recent books on Vietnam War combat veterans (Achilles in Vietnam: Combat Trauma and the Undoing of Character) (Odysseus in America: Combat Trauma and the Trials of Homecoming). I bought additional copies of all four books for my staff to read to better understand -- as much as it is possible for those of us who haven't experienced combat - what our brothers and sisters have gone through and what they are going through as they reenter civilian life. Perhaps every war is unique. I believe every veteran is. But Recondo give the rest of us a piece of the picture that helps us welcome the men and women of war home, no matter how long it has been since the battle ended.

Very good account of life in Recondo. The walk through the Vietnam service portrayed in this book, will keep you in the moment.

This book gave a good accounting of the training to become a Long Range Reconaisance Patrol leader, and what it was really like to be almost alone, behind the enemy lines.

another excellent book by Larry Chambers. This details his attendance at the coveted Recondo School in Vietnam, detailing the processes and the experiences. Very well written and I cannot recommend it enough for anyone looking into the LRRPs of Vietnam

This is an exelent book, it covers the author time while serving in F coy/ 58 LRP and L coy/ 75 Ranger

One of the things I love is the way the author decribes the small details, the nitty gritty...attention to details are importend, but it is details in the field...


This book also gives an avid account of the authors trip to the famed MACV recondo school and has plenty of goddy tips that can be used even today by modern patrol soldiers.

The author is a modest man, but you cannot miss that fact that Larry Chambers was icecold in combat.....did things that many others would have freaked out on......
I could not put i down

Go Buy it

As a lover of the old days of baseball (prior to the 1970's) , and with an interest in various types of artifacts pertaining to the old days, this book wonderfully broadened my horizons. The sections on baseball cards was especially fascinating for me as i do some collecting to add to some as i had as a kid (50's-60's).
would recommend this book to anyone remotely interested in the old days of baseball or collects baseball memorabilia.

I purchased this as a gift and the recipient was thrilled with it. I did sneak a peak before giving it away and enjoyed it immencely.

A very well done book. Big glossy pictures of some of the greatest Baseball artifacts in America. Probably the closest I will get to seeing these in person.

Stephen Wong has created a drop-dead gorgeous look at some of the game's great artifacts, and many will be surprised to learn that they are not at the Baseball Hall of Fame nor even at the Smithsonian (despite the book's title). The game's artifacts extend way beyond the cards and gimcrack collectibles sold at the ballpark, and Wong has deftly toggled his focus from collectible to collector and back again, providing a memorable prose portrait of the lively game played off the field. I cannot recommend this brilliantly conceived book highly enough.

This beautiful book belongs in every baseball enthusiast's library, but it would be a mistake to keep it on the shelves. Author Stephen Wong has partnered with the Smithsonian to publish the most stunning book on baseball on the market. It deserves to be on your coffee table not only because of its wonderful photographs but also due to the wonderfully rich way he presents the history of the game. Wong gained remarkable access to the sport's foremost collectors, combing through hundreds of images and memorabilia items. The payoff is tremendous for anyone with an interest in baseball or, for that matter, in American history and culture. Readers will learn the essential facts about the game, and the fascinating tidbits, such as the origins of the curve ball. They then get to see remarkable shots, some most unusual - from folk art statues to Don Larsen's enshrined shoes from his perfect game to the bricks of former stadiums. In fact, this book should be placed in the Hall of Fame!

A very good read - very unflinching in terms of sexuality - quite bawdy in places.

What a trip! We just moved to the South a few years ago (First Atlanta, now the Delta), and I'm wishing someone had recommended this a while back. It helps with so many things! All the contradictions, the unexplained rules, the assumptions and the wacky productions...King helps it all make sense, with great humor and flair. If you enjoy this, I also recommend Gayden Metcalfe's books: Being Dead is No Excuse (about funerals in the South) and Somebody is Going to Die if Lily Beth Doesn't Catch that Bouquet (Southern weddings, obviously). Enjoy!

This book was delivered earlier than expected. I had read the hardback copy which I lost through loaning it. The book is about southerners and for an southerner, it explains all the people I have come to know.. I know every character described in the book.

This is my second reading of this book, separated by 15 years. I fondly remembered it as an hilarious work, yet this time halfway through I realized that I, and most of my family, lurk in the pages. We Southerners have families loaded with women who "go to pieces" and men who think they still live in the Middle Ages. We have legacies of spoiled, sassy belles and proud, wounded gallants still fighting the War Between the States. Sometimes we leave Mama's house shuttered for decades because "she never wanted her things disturbed". That which would cause hardly a concern in Omaha becomes a major issue in Richmond. Although the names change the cast is the same. It's all here, and none of it is made up-each character continues to thrive by the thousands in the South. If you want to understand Southerners you cannot just eat burgoo and wine jelly with custard-Southern Ladies and Gentlemen is a must for any true aficionado of this beautiful culture.

Indispensable for both natives and transplants. Absolutely the best analysis of the Southern mindset that I have ever encountered -- I'm a native -- and a dangerously funny read to boot. Ms. King writes with a caustic wit wrapped in an ever-so-delicate velvet glove. I quote her insights often, and almost always end up having to get yet another copy to give to someone. The South really has its own flavor -- from Faulkner to Foxworthy -- and Florence King has it all neatly summed up. Everything I have read of hers so far is worthwhile.

I was so moved by C. Vivian Stringer's account of her rise to stardom in the competitive world of college athletics. The predjudice and personal tragedies she endured and her ability to keep balance in her life and focus through it all is truly inspiring. She is an amazing woman.

There are 2 things I absolutely HATED about this book...I hated having to put it down, and I hated when I finished it! Vivian Stringer's story is truly an example of courage in the midst of challenges. It's not just for sports fans. Anyone can be inspired by it.

I enjoyed the book. Not life changing but there are some life lessons to be learned through the reading

How important it is to have women, young and old, to know the power and authority that lies within and that you have the perfect example in
"the Coach" of all times. Ms Stringer has given us this jewel at a time more important that any other that I can remember when so many young women are suffering from low self-esteem and rejection and so many older women are caught in the throws of life. Thanks to Ms. Stringer we have renewed HOPE!!!

This book was absolutely fantastic. I'm not really into sports but have enjoyed basketball from time to time. Though, I've never really been into college basketball and didn't even know who C. Vivian Stringer was before the Imus incident, I was able to gain a tremendous insight into the life of a strong, confident, and resilient woman and the women she lends a hand in raising. To learn all that she has been through and how she mustered the courage to "Stand Tall" through every adversity was so inspiring, and not just for Black women but for every woman and human being. I certainly recommend that every person take the time to read this incredible story.

This book covers it all, from the beginning all the way to the end. A great read, couldn't put it down. Historical accurate and very touching, two thumbs up!

To my knowledge, no other comprehensive presentation of the Pacific theater brings home the chilling reality of the US Marine Corps island campaign as Strong Men Armed by Robert Leckie. It's all here: the frenzied horror of amphibious assault under massed fire, the slogging through sodden, malarial jungles, the hand-to-hand slugfest required to rid each island of an entrenched and implacable foe, and the truly uncommon selflessness that led to a multitude of Medal of Honor recipients.

Gaudalcanal, Bougainville, New Britain, Tarawa, Iwo Jima, Okinawa and other Pacific assaults are presented in detail from the perspective of enlisted and commissioned marines. Both infantry and air wing receive their due as Leckie is equally skilled at describing the Marine Corps aerial domination of the Japanese fighter and bomber.

I've read my fair share of WWII history and it is in awe and suspense that I ripped through this gritty, sometimes ghastly, yet ultimately inspirational book. Leckie's Strong Men Armed is a military masterpiece. I cannot offer a stronger recommendation. 5+ stars.

Robert Leckie's vivid account of WWll Marine Corps history is a must read for any military enthusiast. Reading this gripping tale of Leathernecks fighting their way through the steamy jungles of the far east isles with such distant names as; Guadacanal, Saipan, and Iwo Jima, will leave you with an unequvical respect for the valient men who sacrificed their lives for our country. As a former Marine I have a greater appreciation for the price that was paid in the Pacific Theater. This book will never let me forget the cost in blood and lives my beloved countrymen paid, so that we may have our freedom. Leckie's book memorializes our fighting Marines: Men like, Manila John Bastilone, Chesty Puller, Red Mike Edson, and countless others who,"went above and beyond the call of duty", for the love of our country, God, and Corps. STRONG MEN ARMED, should be read by every boot, NCO, and Commissioned Officer of the United States Marine Corps as a reminder of the heroic and gallant sacrifice our Marines paid for our way of life. May the Marine Corps live forever!

Robert Leckie is one of the best writers of history and this maybe his best work. This is a clear, concise, comprehensive account of the Island War in the Pacific. Clearly written, Leckie puts his reader into the picture while teaching, producing a potent combination of entertainment and learning. You can get hooked on history reading Leckie; I did as a teenager.

Robert Leckie lived many of these actions and his personal experiences makes the narration more real as the reader senses his feelings and experiences. However, this is a history not a personal account and we never get lead down the path of experience. This is the best account of the Island War ever written by a top-flight author.

An excellent overview of the US Marine Corps campaigns in the Pacific against the Japanese. The author conveys the intensity of the violence and difficulties faced by both the marines and the Japanese. I had not appreciated how tenuous the Guadalcanal campaign was and how close to disaster it came. Leckie also outlines the gradual shift of the Japanese attempts to defeat the marines (i.e. 'win') to a strategy of inflicting as many casualties as possible, knowing they would ultimately be defeated, in the hopes that the US would be forced to negotiate a peace settlement. As I read the book, I was struck by the similarities with the present anti-terrorist campaign in Iraq. They cannot win in a classic military sense, but are willing to carry on in the hope they will inflict as many casualties as possible, breaking the will of the US. Overall, an excellent read and a very good reference for anyone's library.
JM Garrick
Cdr USN (Ret)