Asian-American Books

Where is Tibet? is the book of my dreams. As a multi-cultural family (I am American and my husband is Tibetan) we cherish reading this with our [...]. (It helps me practice my Tibetan, too, with its clear phonetic translations) I first found this book in Nepal when I was teaching English to Tibetan nuns, and several of the older nuns and I were crying by the end of it, the book is so touching, but in a simple, accessible way.

I have learnt Tibetan for about two months in India, I found this book extremely helpful for Tibetan students too. The text, though simple, are written with Tibetan script, transiliteration and English translation, the story is good too. I found it quite touching that finally His Holiness (in the comics) said, "Tibet is in your heart".

Yes, Tibet is in my heart, I'm going back there one day.

where is tibet is a book that displays tibetan buddhist philosophy in a clear and beautiful way. it is an inspiration to read and motivates the reader to want to work to save tibet, and to treasure what tibet means in their own heart, to live a life of compassion. it is about two tibetan children living in exile in india and is an excellent introduction to the plight of the tibetan people as well as testimony to their spiritual strengths and hopes. i find the book to be inspiring and motivating to readers of all ages interested in buddhist philosophhy or the plight of the tibetan people. the illustrations are beautiful and intricate, adding texture to the written word as they display another facet of tibetan culture. this story seems to penetrate the heart of tibetan buddhism. i recommend that anyone interested in their own personal spiritual journey read this little book of wisdom and hope for the words apply to all struggles, not only the tibetan exiles, and the philosophy is buddhism in simple terms.

Budbill keeps you honest. Perhaps you don't live in a mountain cabin far from the bustle of humanity, but it turns out the issues are the same for you as for him -- and he has more time to think about them. Aging, death, ambition, the lure of solitude and the simple life, but also the lure of city lights and society. He has his own companions and interlocutors among the Eastern poets; make this Western poet one of yours.

these poems are delightful and thoughtful musings about life as David and all of us live it. they are mostly simple reflections about daily live with quotes from a chinese writer who is long gone yet current in its impact. i like rereading these because i can go deeper and find the humor.

I rarely, if ever, read poetry but this book jumped out at me while browsing Elliot's in Seattle. I think it was the cover that first attracted my attention but then I was pulled into the stories that the author relates, the journeys on which he goes, the ideas that begin to be dislodged from far corners of the readers mind, the sadness of our world, the happiness in his life even on Judvine Mountain, the resignation of age and yet the joy of experience and discovery. The last poem in the series certainly sets it all up though the reader will find many others throughout that will capture the imagination. I liked the concept of following in the footsteps of earlier chinese poets and longed for the ability to discriminate among types of writing. It's a good read, over, and over, and over.

Winter Soldiers: An Oral History of the Vietnam Veterans Against the War-Richard Stacewicz

Bringing together the voices of 26 former members of VVAW, Richard Stacewicz offers an exciting account of the impact of the war on the lives of young American soldiers. Winter Soldiers traces the lives of Vietnam veterans from their childhood and education in the U.S. through their experiences in Vietnam and back to the world and the "war at home". Rather than offer his own interpretation of the history of VVAW, the author lets the individuals (men and women) speak for themselves. In each chapter we learn a little more about the characters and are drawn into their conversations. The book does a good job of presenting the history of VVAW and some of its most important battles: Dewey Canyon III, Operation RAW, the Winter Soldier Investigation. It covers the ending of the war, and the struggle within VVAW over which direction the group should take: Some wanted to concentrate on anti-imperialist issues (developed into VVAW AI), others primarily on veterans' issues (developed into VVAW Inc.) The author allows VVAWers to bluntly discuss the internal disagreements - over tactics, politics, leadership. Participants on both sides are given an opportunity to express their positions in the book. The book's style is refreshing, conveying an impression of dialogue. Each chapter focuses on an important piece of our history. Joe Urgo, founding member of VVAW, currently in VVAW AI is one of those interviewed. Good job, Joe!

Winter Soldiers traces the lives of 26 Vietnam Veterans from their childhood and education in the US through their experiences in Vietnam and back to the world and the "war at home." The eloquent voices of these men and women are the most compelling part of this history as they explainhow they moved from Goldwater republicanism tothe radical left as a result of their Vietnam education. This book shows a part of US domestic and military history in a personal and often tragic manner. Also contains one of the best concise histories of the US and French involvement in Indochina that's ever been written. A tremendous read.

I saw this movie on TV the day before Thanksgiving this year and just couldn't beleive it, I think it may be the most important documentary ever made. The very first veteran interviewed talks about how it was fairly common place for POWs to be thrown from airborne aircraft and everything just spirals downward from there. The movie shows normal everyday looking americans talking about some of the most horrible things imaginable. Veterans often chuckle and laugh while recounting these things and then you see there faces going from amusement to guilt and shame in the blink of an eye. This documentary shows literally how war is hell and should be required viewing in all high schools.

The Year of the Dog: Tales from the Chinese Zodiac is a great book! Oliver Chin's tale of a brave little dog looking for a chance to prove himself is clever and inspiring. My kids, aged 7, 9 and 11 all enjoy the book and read it all the time. Miah Alcorn's illustrations are colorful, lively and full of expression. Yet another great book in the Chinese Zodiac series. I just ordered Year of the Pig and the new Year of the Rat. I highly recommend this book!

The Year Of The Dog: Tales From The Chinese Zodiac is a picturebook about a puppy born on New Years' Day, who explores his surroundings with the companionship of Lin, the little girl next door. A whimsical tale of confusion and adventure, as Lin and the puppy meet the other animals of the Chinese zodiac, some in their imagination, and some in real life - and the Tiger in particular is a very dangerous animal to meet! The cartoony and angular art style captures the eagerness of the young dog perfectly, in this upbeat astrological tale.

My three-year old son loves this book. It's exciting and colorful, and it manages to sneak some Chinese culture in without seeming "educational." We can't wait until Year of the Pig!

There is a widespread perception in Japan and the west that the Imperial Japanese Army fought to the last man, often making suicidal banzai charges when all was clearly lost. John Dower argued that this was a manifestation of the race war fought between Japan and the West. Allison B. Gilmore shows in this short study that such was hardly the case.

After a series of failures that often foundered on a lack of knowledge about Japanese culture and language, psychological warfare units under the command of General of the Army Douglas MacArthur developed an approach that emphasized despair. The most effective leaflets and radio broadcasts stressed issues that individual Japanese soldiers could confirm as being true and that did not offend cultural sensitivities. Drawing upon captured Japanese documents, Gilmore argues that U.S. psychological warfare operations were becoming an issue of concern to Imperial Army officers. There was a cumulative effective to the distribution of leaflets in the Philippines campaign. Between October-December 1944, the ratio of POWs to Japanese dead was 1:100 by July of 1945 the ratio was 1:7. MacArthur's command ended up taking 10,000 POWs. At the same time on Iwo Jima and Okinawa where Nimitz's command made only tepid efforts at psychological warfare, the Japanese did fight to the very end. There were few POWs taken on these islands.

Despite its dense topic, Gilmore writes well and easily--far better than your average academic. The book is less than 200 pages of text, so it is a quick read.

As a former US Psychological Operations (PSYOP) specialist, I found Allison Gilmore's study of the US PSYWAR efforts against the Imperial Japanese Army during the Pacific War not only historically interesting but also invaluable. Psychological Operations is often misunderstood as "mind-control" and evoke a dark image of disseminating lies through Tokyo Rose and Bagdad Betty. Although such kinds of "grey" or "black" PSYOP is practiced, it represents a small aspect of PSYOP. Especially in the US PSYOP, truth is held to be the most important weapon in persuading and convincing enemies to give-up resistence. A prime example is the Gulf War, in which the US PSYOP campaign was credited with contributing to the massive surrender of the Iraqi troops: US PSYOPers provided essential news and battle situations information to convince the Iraqi's of their inevitable defeat. Gilmore describes the evolution of Allied PSYOP efforts from the beginning to the end. Contrary to the widely-held view during the war in the US that the Japanese soldiers were impervious to any kind of persuation to give-up their fight because of their dedication to their Emporer, superiors, and their nation, Gilmore delineates, step-by-step, how the Allied PSYOPers analysed impact of battle conditions on the average Japanese soldiers, sorted-out psychological "weaknesses," and formulated proper messages to exploit those weaknesses and evetually defeat the Japanese "psychologically." In a sense, this book provides "how-to" knowledge and dispels myths surrounding PSYOP. As the saying goes, "honesty is the best policy," in PSYOP, verifiable truths, rather than lies, will win-over your enemies. Anyone interested in learning more about PSYOP or Pacific War, "You Can't Fight Tanks with Bayonets" should be an essential part of their reading.

The book follows the development of psychological warfare, at first with a little history and then getting into details about its use against the Japanese. The author points out that the use of propaganda was not very effective till the Japanese started to lose and till the Allies learned what did and did not work. Getting to know the enemy and finding his weak points is as important as selecting the right words to use and finding out if it's working. Truth is VERY important as you want the reader to trust you as a source of REAL information, information he/she can see as observable facts or can be checked on later.
The author breaks down the basics of GOOD psywar operations with a number of general conclusions near the end. A must for anybody interested in military history or the Pacific Theater during World War Two.

F-86 expert Larry Davis relates the Korean War combat exploits of the 4th FIW, the top-scoring Sabre unit of the war in this nicely-done 2001 book from Schiffer Publishing. Davis, editor of 'Sabre Jet Classics,' the magazine of the F-86 Sabre Pilots Association, has produced what will quite likely become the standard work on the subject.

The 4th FIW added more luster to its WWII record by accounting for 54% of all the MiGs downed over North Korea. Its ranks boasted 24 of the 39 jet aces of the war including the 1st F-86 ace, James Jabara, who was the 2nd highest-scoring ace of the war. And, not surprisingly, the top-scoring fighter squadron of the Korean conflict, the 335th, was assigned to the 4th Wing. The unit certainly lived up to its motto: Fourth but First!

Hurriedly committed to the Korean conflict in November 1950, the 4th was the sole Sabre unit in Korea until November 1951. Made up of many WWII veterans the wing soon took the measure of the MiGs they encountered over MiG Alley. Jabara was the wing's first ace but others - Dick Becker, 'Hoot' Gibson, Dick Creighton, Medal of Honor winner George Davis, Wing CO Harrison Thyng and Bob Love - quickly achieved 'five down and glory.'

Though 4th pilots performed many feats of bravery, the most selfless act occurred in January 1952 on the ground. Due to the activation of the second F-86 wing, the 4th's in-commission rate dropped to 55%. Unsuccessful in solving that problem due to USAF bureaucracy, Thyng went over the heads of the AF chain of command and sent the Chief of Staff a Personal Message stating he couldn't be responsible for maintaining air superiority over North Korea. It could have been a career-destroying move but Thyng was more concerned about the men under his command than personal advancement.

Details on Thyng's gutsy action are given in the book along with full accounts of all the wing's MiG battles. Davis interviewed a number of the wing's aces, MiG killers, ground crew, headquarters staff and even civilian tech reps to tell the wing's full story.

The book is illustrated with hundreds of black & white and color photographs of pilots, aircraft, ground scenes and gun-camera shots. Visually THE 4TH FIGHTER WING IN THE KOREAN WAR is a treat.

In short, Larry Davis' book is a wonderfully-written and well-illustrated tribute to the 4th FIW. The $45.00 price tag is not too high a price to pay for this outstanding chronicle of an illustrious fighter unit.

Larry Davis has done a fine job with this gem. He has told the unit's history with personal interviews and official documents. This volume has a very heathy number of illustrations to allow the non-historian to get the full view. The only gripe I have is a lack of good pictures of the main protagonist of the 4th- the MiG-15. While it is a unit history, a good view of the villain is always nice. That being said, the best part is where the pilots recount some of their more memorable experiences. Without a doubt, this book will be a welcome addition in any library.

This book deals with an important subject -- the interaction between a distinctive immigrant group and the surrounding community; does so in a scholarly and thorough way; and yet is a pleasure to read. I have no background in sociology but I was fascinated by this research, which is presented in an understandable and engaging way.

The only caution I'd suggest to other readers is that one should be careful about extrapolating these findings about Sikh farmers in rural California to the larger Indian-American community. The subjects described here are clearly different from many (perhaps most) other Indian-Americans -- in religion, dress, social customs, occupation, education and economic class; so different in fact that I think one should be hesitant about reaching any conclusions about the larger community just from this book. As an Indian-American who grew up and attended high school in suburban New Jersey, I can testify that my own experience was far different from the one described here.

This book deals with an important subject -- the interaction between a distinctive immigrant group and the surrounding community; does so in a scholarly and thorough way; and yet is a pleasure to read. I have no background in sociology but I was fascinated by this research, which is presented in an understandable and engaging way.

The only caution I'd suggest to other readers is that one should be careful about extrapolating these findings about Sikh farmers in rural California to the larger Indian-American community. The subjects described here are clearly different from many (perhaps most) other Indian-Americans -- in religion, dress, social customs, occupation, education and economic class; so different in fact that I think one should be hesitant about reaching any conclusions about the larger community just from this book. As an Indian-American who grew up and attended high school in suburban New Jersey, I can testify that my own experience was far different from the one described here.

This book is an excellent addition to the literature on the Vietnam war, providing us with a new perspective. It is full of novel information but still easy to read, which is quite an achievement. It is particularly interesting -- given the current political situation -- to learn how eager the British government was to support Kennedy's Vietnam policy. This is a real revelation.
The book's approach is truly international, and the research is more than impressive. Among the archives the author used are the national archive of Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the US, and of course Britain.

In this brilliantly-researched study, Peter Busch examines the Conservative government's policy towards the US war against Vietnam for the years 1961 to 1963. The author, who formerly worked at the Public Record Office at Kew, has thoroughly mined newly available records from Britain, the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Germany. He also shows how British policy towards Vietnam related to wider policy towards South-East Asia, especially towards Indonesia. In both cases, Prime Minister Harold Macmillan ruled out negotiated settlements and preferred to use force.

Busch shows how Macmillan fully backed President Kennedy's aggressive military build-up in Vietnam, `a clear breach' of the Geneva agreements, while advising him to conceal it. Macmillan pretended to be a peacemaker, while actually supporting the US war. He aimed to keep Britain's `great power' status and prove its value as a US ally.

As co-chairman of the International Control Commission set up by the 1954 Geneva Conference, the British state abused its role in order to support the illegal, dictatorial Diem regime in the south. It backed up Diem's unwarranted claims that the Democratic Republic of Vietnam was responsible, `whether there was evidence or not', for starting the civil war in the south. It used these claims to rule out the DRV's call for reconvening the Conference to negotiate the peaceful reunification of Vietnam.

Macmillan helped the US counter-insurgency effort, setting up the British Advisory Mission in 1961. British forces also trained Diem's troops in Malaysia. In 1962, the British Ambassador to Saigon urged the USA to `crush and eradicate the Viet Cong'.

The British government only dropped Diem when it discovered that his brother, Ngo Dinh Nhu, was willing to discuss peace with the DRV. It then backed the US coup against Diem that sabotaged the chances of peacefully reunifying Vietnam.

Busch concludes that the British government did not pursue peace. "Britain supported the American policy in Vietnam wholeheartedly. The British only wanted to `sell' this policy in a different, less confrontational way." Plus ca change! This superb book vindicates all those who opposed the US aggression against Vietnam.

Third Battalion, Third Marines has recently served valiantly in Afghanistan and Iraq. As always, they served their nation with honor and valor.

3/3 was the battalion of Ollie North during Vietnam. It was also my battalion. I joined 3/3 not long after it returned from Desert Storm, and I was trained, hazed, and befriended by the men described in this book. I heard many of these stories firsthand from the grunts who lived it, and I can tell you this book is not only accurate but also well written.

While this is the story of a unit in the First Gulf War, it had direct bearing on what's going on over there now. This story follows the Third Battalion of the Third Marines (The 3/3). This is one of the famous units in the USMC having fought at Bougainville, Guam, Iwo Jima, then in Vietnam and in 1990 in the Persian Gulf.

The author has a great ability to take oral histories from a wide number of people and put them together with his own commentary to form and interesting tale that flows very well while conveying the tone and material from the oral interview.

During the war the 3/3 fought in the battle of Khafji, then were the first to penetrate the Iraqi wire and minefield to provide flank security for the beginning of the allied offensive. It is a remarkable tale of the events in the war as seen be the members of one of the fighting units.

This is the story of an American nurse who chose to serve the people of Lebanon. It is a fascinating account of a young woman finding herself in a Civil War and the impact that has on her own life and those around her. Reading it I felt as if I was having a conversation with the author, it is definitely her voice, and speaks with an astonishing mixture of courage and humility.

I received a copy of this book as a birthday gift in Aug 2005. At the time I was on vacation in San Francisco, so I didn't really start reading the book until I was on an airplane flying back to Pittsburgh (through Washington DC). What happened during my flight and layover in Dulles (6-7 hours in total) was shocking to me, as I was unable to let go of this book. I was glued to it and didn't even once yawn or take a break, simply because I couldn't. I also couldn't resist crying while reading some of the most terrible and heart-breaking stories that the author witnessed during the war in Lebanon. After reading this book, my perspective about nurses and nursing in general took a 180 degree shift, as I now appreciate and respect the vital role that nurses play in our lives.
In conclusion, I can say with confidence that so far, this is the best book that I've ever read in my 26 years of existance on this planet.