Asia Books

I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Dix at this year's Colby Writers Symposium. There are no words to describe how humble he is about his experiences which earned him the MOH. Rescue of River City is a must read for any soldier or officer preparing to enter a war zone.

i was part of this action which drew described in his book. i was evacuated to an ammo boat on the river along with maggie consequently i was not a part of the heroic efforts drew conducted inside the town throughout that day and this clarified many issues for me. i consider myself fortunate that drew, the seals, and the mike force took agressive action when they did or i just might not be alive today to review what he has written.

libby ginnetti
USAID Asst. Prov. Rep.
Chau Doc Province
Vietnam 1966-1968

Drew writes without holding back. He tells his story like it happened without playing politics. Some who were there aren't happy with how he told the story--but for historians of military action, Drew did us all a favor. PRUs had a questionable history in Vietnam and the good and bad depended on American leadership. Drew held a tight control over some very tough aggressive men.

Job well done, Drew!

Donald E. Zlotnik, Major (Ret)
Special Forces

This book reads like one of those all star western movies where Wyatt Earp/Doc Holiday or Davy Crockett/Jim Bowie team up to take on the bad guys. In this case the real life heroes are Vietnam special operations Green Berets and SEALs. During the Tet Offensive Drew Dix led from the front and rescued an American civilian nurse, a Vietnamesse offical's family, a group of allied civilians and captured up to 20 Viet Cong as well as a high ranking VC officer. When you read this book you will know why there is a statue in Pueblo, Co. of this modern day hero.

Reviewer: William B. Townsend (Tarboro, NC).

My good friend, NAGO, is mentioned in the book 55 times during the 56 hour time span. He has nothing but awe for Drew Dix, and Drew asked me to read the following to NAGO at his combination birthday party with my daughter, Dixie.

"A soldier's life is based on honor, integrity, loyalty and bravery and would not be totally complete if all of these qualities were not experienced. Mine is truly complete, because of my service and experiences with my friend and fellow warrior, NAGO." Thank you for your service and thank you for watching my back!

He also signed his letter to me as below.

"Drew Dix
Awarded The Congressional Medal OF Honor
On January 16, 1969 For Conspicuous Gallantry
And Intrepidity In Action At The Risk Of His Life
Above And Beyond The Call Of Duty In Which
"NAGO" Was A Big Part"

Another words, Drew Dix is not just a hero, but one who unselfishly gives credit to those who were with him at the time. An individual mentioned to me that after reading the book, that it was hard for him to believe that it actually happened. I stated that no, that wasn't my problem, but that I thought it difficult to believe that he wasn't hit once the entire time.

Buy the book. You won't be sorry.

Gripping story of the harsh reality of life in Vietnam after 1975. So often we have heard of Vietnamese who got to the point that they were willing to throw caution to the winds and risk everything to escape on some kind of a boat. This account as seen through the eyes of a young boy helps explain why in graphic detail. It is also a tribute to the courage and devotion of his parents who were later lost in their attempt to join their children.

Trinh Do is my hero. The story of his life in Communist Vietnam and of his escape is a testament to the his determination, perseverance and inner strength.

He and his parents displayed amazing resilience in the face of despicable conditions imposed by the corrupt regime. I greatly admire Trihn's:

* Dedication to his intellectual and scholastic development
* Determination in single-handedly toiling on the family farm to stave off starvation
* Moral fortitude in the face of daily bombardment from communist propaganda
* Courage during the terrifying escape

At the risk of seeming trite, I must say that Trinh's tenacity in the face of horrendous situations is my inspiration. When I am feeling sorry for myself, or when a task seems overwhelming, remembering Trinh's story refreshes my perspective.

Life is good. I will persevere.

Trinh Do and his wife are the parents of one of my daughter's classmates. It was amazing to know these people and then to read the story of what Trinh Do survived. I remember the boat-people stories as meaningless news clips when I was a child, but this book has made the faces of all those people real to me. This story inspired me. It was absorbing, suspenseful, and well-written.

Trinh Do's account of daily life after the war is a shocking eye opener for those who are blessed enough not to have live under communist rule. A story of pain, hardship and the will to survive at all cost. The eternal love and sacrifices parents give to their children. A must read for all the ages.

I just finished reading Trinh Do's incredible tale of his life in the years after the fall of South Vietnam. It is a captivating, poignant read interspersed with moments of laugh-out-loud humor. Besides giving a candid account of life under communist rule and the insidious infiltration of propaganda into every aspect of society, Trinh Do's book is also an account of a Vietnamese adolescence replete with dreams, friends,and first love; albeit in a background of utter tragedy.
It is truly amazing that Do can write his memoir with such smooth and flowing prose, as the story is one that can bring out strong emotion in the reader. I have read many memoirs of survival in desperate circumstances-Nyiszli's Auschwitz and Ung's First They Killed My Father come quickly to mind. Do's book ranks at the top of my list.
I will keep a copy to give to my daughter for the time when she is old enough to read it and understand.

Samurai Shortstop is a wonderful, but underappreciated tale about a boy and his love for baseball. Toyo, a 14 year-old boy is faced to grow up faster than he ever wanted to when his uncle committed seppuku, legal suicide in Japan. Everything has changed since the French Revolution, and now there are no more samurais, but now there is baseball, Toyo's favorite sport.
He has just now started the most prestigious school in Tokyo, which means new friends, bullies, and many more problems. He tries out for baseball and starts learning the way of samurai from his father. Toyo and his father never really understood each other, and now that his uncle has died, Toyo only has his friends to help him.

Toyo is a very smart person, and becomes a very good leader. Throughout the book everything that happens helps him, although it doesn't look like it all the time. Toyo starts to put his skill in the art of bushido, samurai fighting style, into baseball. My favorite part of the book is when he fights the older kid instead of letting them beat him up. I would recommend this book to students from 7th grade and up.
--Malik McKenzie

This is a story of a boy named Toyo Shimada. The time is set in Tokyo, 1890. Toyo is sent to a boarding school of a very high caliber, but after he arrives he sees how the upperclassmen treat the first years. To fit in, he joins the baseball team, a sport he loves. He wants to be shortstop, but until he becomes a "man" to the upperclassmen he is stuck in the outfield. He is enraged, but nevertheless he pushes through the tormenting and refuses to quit the baseball team. The only problem is his father, who is still using the ways of the samurai, or worrier. Toyo's father does not want him to play, unless Toyo can convince him otherwise. Other than that, his father has decided to teach him the ways of the warrior, or bushido. At first Toyo does not understand any of his bushido lessons, or why he has to do them, but over the course of the book he learns to use his bushido skills.
This book reminds me of a book called Dairy Queen. The story was about a girl, and football, not baseball, but in the end she overcomes many obstacles just like Toyo. In both books, the main focus is overcoming anything that comes your way. They are both also about standing up to important figures in there lives. It happens to be that in both books that person is their dad. Alan Gratz has written an enthralling tale.
I enjoyed the book, although it does have some pretty gruesome scenes. I liked reading it because you always want to see what Toyo will do next, what the other characters are going to say, or do. It also tells you a lot about what school was like back then, in Japan. It is a lot different from Americans school, and the year it takes place in really makes a difference. Overall, this is a great book and you should pick it up sometimes if you are looking for a great read.

Let me start off by saying this is the best book I have read. It is a very exciting book that keeps your attention throughout. It starts off by the Emperer allowing Toyo's Uncle to commit seppuku (suicide) instead of being killed by the government. Samurai Shortstop has a great mix of baseball and culture. You get to read a baseball story but at the sametime learn about their culture and beliefs. Toyo attends Ichiko which is a very big school that consists of only boys.

Ichiko's baseball team is run by the players themselves and when Toyo and a couple other first years want to join the team the have to prove that they are worthy. Toyo's friend Futoshi makes the team as the right fielder but Toyo has a little trouble making the team because Ichiko already has a shortstop. But when their shortstop gets thrown off the team Toyo found himself starting at shortstop. Toyo's father teaches trys to teach him bushido which is code by which Samurai lived but Toyo has trouble understanding it. Not until the end of the book when he has to help with his father's seppuku does he fully understand bushido. This is a wonderful book because it keeps you off balance and never knowing what is going to happen!

Kyle Walmer
Mrs. Bains 3rd block

It's 1890 and you're in Tokyo, Japan. Between classes in the most prestigious high school in town and baseball practice, you learn the old ways--the ways of the samurai. That's Toyo Shimada's life and we get the pleasure of going along for the ride thanks to Alan Gratz's brilliant story telling.


Toyo suffers from familiar teen angst: a parent who doesn't understand him and friends who try to understand him, but often fail. It's the core of most teen stories, but Toyo's world is changing. Old Japan is dying and a new Japan is rising.


His father represents the old Japan. When the emperor reforms their ancient military system and requires all samurai to hang up their swords, Toyo's family is caught in the middle. The opening scene, where Toyo and his father assist Toyo's uncle in seppuku, ritual suicide, is so intense that you'll wonder if Toyo's just having a bad dream.


Even though Toyo's father isn't samurai in the traditional sense, he too decides he can't live in the new Japan. He expects Toyo to assist him in seppuku, when the time comes. First, he must teach Toyo the ways of bushido, the warrior's code.


Between lessons and baseball practice, Toyo learns to meditate and use a sword--and worries about his father. When the time comes, will he have the courage to do what has to be done? Baseball is his passion, and as applies bushido to baseball, he comes to terms with the changing world around him and begins his journey into manhood.


Samurai Shortstop is the story of Toyo's search for his own path in a time of social change and family turmoil. Toyo's personal struggle is one all teens can appreciate. He struggles with peer pressure, studies, and parental control and expectations. Nineteenth century Japan comes alive and provides the color and unexpected tension that every good story needs.

Samurai Shortstop is about a 16-year old Japanese boy, Toyo. Right from the first sentence of the book it really grabs your attention. Toyo's uncle is preparing to commit sepukku. This is considered an honorable way to kill yourself in Japan. The story draws you into the life of Toyo and helps you to understand his relationship with his father and learning the art of bushido. He goes off to a private boarding school where he learns how to stand up for himself and fight off the seniors who are out to torture the first years. I liked this book because it combines the sport of baseball along with Toyo's high school experience in Japan. If you want to read a book that is hard to put down and will keep you intrigued until the very last page, then this is the book for you.

The 1970's was the nadir in the history of the US Army. This book helps explain and demonstrate the malaise that infected the Army when put in an impossible place at an impossible time. Interestingly, the malaise, rather than being confined to this theater of operations, spread throughout the whole organization and took years to correct. Undermining your troops by putting them in harm's way when the outcome (one that gained nothing) had already been determined by politicians was criminal. This lesson had been demonstrated, incredibly in this very region, at Dien Bien Phu when French politicians put the final nail in its coffin by announcing an intended negotiated end to hostilities. It is a tribute to the professionalism of our current army that similar problems are not being encountered in Afghanistan and Iraq as the politicians scrabble over the region as an election resource.

AASIGNED TO COMPANY "D" 1/46, 196 INF, I KNOW MR. NOLAN HAS TONS IF INTERVIEWS AND DOCUMENTS ON THE SUBJECT, FSB MARY ANN, I BELIEVE THAT VOLUMES COULD AND SHOULD BE WRITTEN, AS WELL AS, PHOTOS, NOT TO STOP SHORT OF A FEATURE FILM.....

This book helped me remember how lucky I am to be here to read it. I was amazed at how much detail he found in his research, best one Ive read on viet nam and what it was really like. Thanks mr. Nolan

The war was winding down but for the men of the 196th LIB home was just a distant dream. As a member of Charlie Company, I can attest to the accuracy and fairness the author treats the grunts of LZ MaryAnn. I only pray that we will never see a war like VN again.

This book caused me to think of people and places I hadn't thought of for the past 30 years. I served with Delta company Sept. 1970 till July 1, 1971. Keith Nolan told a story that should have been told long ago. After reading Sappers in the Wire I was upset with some of the things that were said about Delta. But I now realize that not everyone will recall events in the same light. It has a lot to do with where you are at in the chain of command. This book caused me to get in touch with quite a few of my wartime brothers. It has also help me to remember things that were in the back of my mind, THANKS Keith for telling at least part of The Professionals story of 1970- 1971. I will re-read this book over and over, because each time it helps me remember more.
SFC Joseph H. Wolfe, Jr. US Army (Ret)
Charleston, SC

Find out what U.S. based traitors er traders are supporting in this book. Especially the entertainment & media industries. Disney, MGM, besides Amazon.com. While building lucrative careers for entrepreneurs who relocate to the U.S.A. Like John Woo, Chow Yun Fat, and Jackie Chan.

Wow! - non fiction paced like a mystery novel. I could not put the book down. Yes, it helps to have an interest in Tibet/China however this is a masterfully written book and if nothing else, a great read. If only it weren't true. Enjoy!

A number of people have written excellent reviews of this book so I'm just here to say that they're all right! This book is a must read if you're the least bit interested in Chinese-Tibeten relationship of the past, present and future...

Just a small bit of contrary opinion, to balance out all the enthusiastic reviews. In particular, I wanted to disagree with the reviewer below who wrote "This book is a must read if you're the least bit interested in Chinese-Tibeten (sic) relationship."

Fair warning: this book will tell you all you every wanted to know about the relationship between China and Tibet, and much, much more. If you aren't likely to be overwhelmed by details and a lot of rather complicated and dry history of Tibet, then this is the book for you. If you want more of an introduction, then perhaps better is HH the Dalai Lama's "My Country, My People."

This is a wonderful book to introduce some of the basic issues and history that lead to the current state of Tibet, its government, its people and its religion. Hilton walks you through some historical passages so that by the time she is delving into the search for the 11th Panchen, you have a good sense of the urgency of the situation and why both the Tibet government in exile and China were desparately trying to control the outcome. The fact that Hilton was privy to some top secret information and met with a variety of other key figures allows her to provide more emotion and intimacy to the story than perhaps otherwise. While we all now know the terrible outcome of the search, reading the details and chronology are still suspenseful and gripping. I felt so hollow at the end, knowing that little has changed in Tibet and wondering if it ever will. Where is the true Panchen (I can't believe China has not been forced to free him) and what is the fate of Tibet and Tibetan Buddhism after the passing of the 14th Dalai Lama??? Reading about China's cruelty made me wonder if Tibet can survive even the next thirty years but yet, there is hope when thinking of the courage Tibetans have demonstrated thus far.

Fun book that plays off the concept of the 7 Chinese Brothers. My daughter likes it, as she has a close Chinese friend.

I just bought this for my Amerasian granddaughter, while she was visiting. She hardly let the book out of her hands once it was read to her on a lovely parkbench in Northampton, MA

It is a dear story about the love of sisters, and the talents of each one; it also gives a novel twist to the dragon character.
The illustrations are lovely.

Have begun looking at other books by the author, Kathy Tucker,hoping they will be as excellent as this one.

Gigi

my 21 month & 3.5-yr-old daughters love reading this book together & separately, each on her own level - highly recommended; each of the 7 sisters has a special skill, each is valued, each contributes to the good of their family (no parents in this story); my husband was concerned for the dragon, a plot line dropped somewhat abruptly, but the girls just love it!

I read this to my 4 1/2 year old. We started with The Story About Ping, and then looked for other books about China. Before reading The Seven Chinese Sisters, we read Mei Mei Loves the Morning, Dim Sum for Everyone and Good Morning, China.

Although The Seven Chinese Sisters doesn't give a lot of cultural information on China within the text, the pictures do. It's set in a picturesque valley with mountains in the background. A small village with traditional Chinese houses is near the river running through the valley. Across the bridge is a forest, and through the forest and up the mountain is where the dragon lives. Although the dragon takes the youngest sister, he isn't terribly fierce, so he shouldn't scare a young child who is having the story read to her (at the end of the story I mentioned to my daughter that the dragon is pretend, and that dragons are only in books and sometimes on TV, but they are just pretend...since we've talked about the concept of pretend/real in the past, she understood right away).

I like that when the sisters see that the dragon is starving, they say they will bring him noodle soup tomorrow (today they have to get Seventh Sister home because "she's all worn out, and she needs her diaper changed"). Unfortunately, the story never says that they did take the dragon any soup, so I turned the pages back to where they made the promise and explained to my daughter that the sisters brought him some soup the next day. I wish the author had included that in the story.

My 3-year-old and I enjoyed reading this book together. She had a great timelearning about each sister and how everyone has her individual talents. I enjoy the book about individuality and self-reliance.

Asthe author ,I do appreciate all comments with gratitude/thanks.Some

readers have really been distressed as the book delinks the linguistic

classification " Semitic/ Aryan-Indo-european "based on Noahs'three children/ or indian myth of Sanskrit as the mother of all ; these being the "matter of faith".The book really rekindles the cold war between the

priestology and scientific evolution which got started with the mesopotamian discoveries; The linguistic families meanwhile are believed

as a " FINAL scientific" discovery; the book has reopened the old wound and reignited the debate" REVELATION vs EVOLUTION". Feel embarassed to

give 5 stars to my own book but am convinced that Languages evolved in

africa ,polished in mideast and diseminated by the farmers; this is the

state of art in linguistics.

The author must be congratulated for an indepth review of a very sensitive topic. His analysis is impartial and thought provoking. This author must be
complimented for his zeal and relentless pursuit of linguistic history.I wish that more people read his work and learn the truth based on research and facts.

The Politics of Language is a book written in an interesting way in its centuries old historical prospective as the human societies developed and started integrating.
Language helped people to know each other irrespective of their faith and believe.
However, Britain , who ruled India after the fall of Mughal umpire , used language as political weapon to dive Hindu and Muslim by getting their brain washed that Hindi is Hindu and Urdu is Muslim.
The political use of language by British India , as writer Abdul Jamail Khan has dwelt in length in his book, is a scientific analysis how the rulers divide the people to achieve their objective.
Dr Khan , s book is a valuable addition in the languages books written by
other writers but his book urges people all over the world to avoid hating each
on the basis of language as for centuries language has a great force in integrating the society.

The book presents the science of the evolution of written language dating its origin some 6000 years ago to the Middle East/ Mesopotamia. The reader is guided through a wonderfully educational and eye-opening tour of the development of language and its migration and transformation as it traveled across continents. The early chapters are exquisitely detailed, defining a sound foundation on which the remainder of the book is developed. Moreover, by the time one traverses through these pages, the facts and messages become abundantly clear.

The author, backed by meticulously researched historical facts, provides example after example of the dating of selected Urdu words as far back as 3000 years bc ! Furthermore, the reader is educated of the ugly interests of the ruling British empire, and how it manipulated the psyche of its subjects by lending religious and nationalistic identities to one language over another. The book is sprayed with countless examples of the ways in which the British used the politics of manipulating language to weaken the bonds of this integrated, religiously diverse society and divided the population and ultimately the subcontinent by labeling Urdu as Foreign and Muslim while Hindi being Patriotic and Hindu.

The author boldly goes on to uncover and correctly describe how the British appealed to the psyche of the pseudoproud Indians by also claiming themselves as Aryan and thereby winning the hearts of their Indian Aryan "brethren." These energized fanatics pursued their agenda resulting in the loss of Urdu as the national language just after the tail end of British rule in 1947. The Phoenetic and Gene theories the author eloquently describes are also quite interesting and convincing.

This tragic history of the Partition was a personal childhood ordeal that the author vividly describes and has wonderfully translated to tangible emotions that the reader can comprehend. As we move along through the later chapters, the author describes an ambitious revival of Urdu and related cultural activities not only in India through arts, cinema and poetry, but also through the emigrating populations throughout the Middle East, Europe and the West.

The Politics of Language is a wonderfully articulate book that is both educational and a revealing commentary on the surreptitious manipulation by a foreign power to divide a once strong and unified society. The author should be congratulated for such a profound and elucidating piece of work.

Dr. Jamil Khan does not shy away from introducing a new theory: that the British Empire deliberately created an "artificial divide" in the language of the Indian Hindus and Muslims. Instead of going along with the masses, Dr.Khan painstakingly researches and questions what has been largely accepted for generations-and offers an answer that fits even better.

He discusses how, contrary to what the British said at the time, that people of Indian/Pakistani/Bangladeshi heritage are the descendants of common ancestors and share the same culture. Dr. Khan says that despite what others believe, Urdu was not derived from Arabic/Farsi, rather Urdu words were already in existence even before the Arab conquests in India. He traces Sanskrit back to Syria and Turkey.

Well-researched and well-written, the book gives in-depth information and creates a great deal of interest in a seemingly dry subject. Once begun, it is hard to put the book down. Simple, clear language and easy-to-read tables make the book even more enjoyable. This book is a gem for those who have even the remotest interest in history and linguistics: it is a must-read. The author must be congratulated and commended by linguists for his bold and unbiased effort to introduce a new-and perhaps more accurate-theory, challenging one that has been generally accepted for generations.

I was present during a year of the meetings and all I can say is that after more then 30+ years of disinformation by the media and other anti-war, anti-military I am tired of the facts not being generally available. Now all I can do is hope people may evaluate todays events in somewhat of a pragmatic knowledge of the real world. To my knowledge all of the principals at the WIEW's are deceased, my job in MACV Current Intelligence Indications branch was to present the intelligence.

This is an important historical work and a valuable reference that historians, biographers, and others writing about or studying the Vietnam War will want to consult. It is a remarkable record of the briefings and meetings attended by General Abrams, the U. S. commander in Vietnam, during four of the most critical years of the war.

Sorley spent a year in a secure vault, wearing earphones to listen to over 2,000 hours of highly classified 1968-72 audio tapes. He transcribed 835,000 words by hand and then edited them into this volume of about 450,000 words and over 900 pages. The U. S. Army, the Central Intelligence Agency, and the National Security Agency all had to give their clearance before publication.

As we all know, meetings can be deadly dull. However, Sorley has apparently cut any inconsequential chatter and mundane topics because what is left is intensely interesting. We can read the exact words of General Abrams and his subordinate commanders, staff, and visitors. They are amazingly frank and express strong opinions about the conduct of the war, their contemporaries, and the Vietnamese. I knew, or at least met, many of the participants in these conferences and their personalities come through in their recorded remarks. It was especially interesting to read what the most senior generals in Vietnam were hearing and saying about the 1972 Easter Offensive while I was fighting in it at one of the lower levels.

Sorley provides lists that identify the Americans and Vietnamese who participated--or were mentioned--in these meetings and 64 illustrations that show what many of them looked like. There is also a glossary of terms, acronyms and abbreviations, and a good general index.

We are fortunate that these sessions were recorded and that a historian of Lewis Sorley's ability expended the time and effort to transcribe and edit them into a usable form that will be preserved for future generations.

Vietnam is still an amazingly painful topic for many people. A huge number of regular folks read about the American Civil War (or whatever other name you want to give it), both World Wars, the Revolutionary War, and other important events in American history. Our Vietnam experience is very hard for the living generations to investigate for a number of reasons. One reason is that those of us who were alive during the 60s and 70s and at least teenagers all developed strongly held views and emotional commitments to a position on the war. Revisiting those years with the kind of open mind required by serious scholarship requires more strength than most of us mere mortals can muster.

However, I believe emphatically that it is time to do so. It seems clear to me that much of what was being fed to Americans via the media was couched to promote an anti-war view. Yes, it is true that the press, say, in WWII was more uniformly supported the war effort (but not as completely as is remembered today), but the point in both instances is that we reach a point in time when it is essential to go back, examine the evidence with fresh eyes and an open heart, and get as close to the truth as we can.

This book is one of those treasures that provides essential primary information that none of us had access to previously. This book provides edited transcripts of tapes made of various briefings and meetings of General Creighton Abrams when he was the commander of US forces in Vietnam from 1968-72. It makes surprisingly fascinating reading. You do have to get used to some of the military terminology, but the author does provide helps for the reader. There is some introductory material, and guide to all the participants in the back with their full names, titles, and the dates of their service. There is an essential guide to all the acronyms as well. And of course there is a useful index.

It is painful to read these accounts as they struggled to manage the war effort, getting the right forces in place, reacting to bad reporting back home, and their reactions events and politicians back home. There are a couple of quotes that I think that struck me especially forcefully.

The first is between Abrams and his boss, Admiral John McCain (father of our Senator John McCain) pg 573:

McCain: "I think when this d___ thing comes out in clear writing sometime, maybe 5 or 10 years from now, you're going to find out that we were a g__d___ sight closer to some sort of a successful conclusion to this d___ thing than the politicians and newspapers in the United States won't [sic] admit, and a few other things."
Abrams: "I thought we'd read that in your memoirs."
McCain: "I'm not going to write any g__d___ memoirs. I decided that a long time ago." "Sure going to be interesting to see what some other people say about me in their memoirs, though. I hope I'm around long enough to read some of them."
Abrams: (serious, not joking): "Well, I think on that score, Admiral, none of us can hope for any of that to be good."
McCain: "Memoirs won't be read if they're good. That's a fact. I can tell you that right now."

What have we done as a country to make such dedicated men who have sacrificed so much of their lives on our behalf to have to eat that much pain?

Then at the end of the book when Abrams is leaving, Ambassador Ellsworth Bunker provides these comments to him pg 877-8:

Abrams: "Mr. Ambassador?"
Bunker: "Yes, I'd like to say a word, General Abrams. When you and I came here, a little more than give years ago, I was hoping we could exit together. I just want to say that these five years I think have had the most rewarding of a fairly long career that began with the horse artillery in 1916. And they certainly have been fateful years, for the Republic of Vietnam and for our own country. I suppose, when the history of this war is written, it will be very clear that no country ever put as many restraints on itself as we did. And I think it's been probably the most difficult war that we've ever tried to fight. And it's been fateful for our country, because I think the question is whether we have the patience and the determination and the will to accept the responsibilities of power."

There is more to this statement, but that will do for my purposes.

We can learn from history, and we are now in a situation in Iraq where we are also being tested in much the same way by some on the home front. We will see if we "we have the patience and the determination and the will to accept the responsibilities of power." I pray we do.

A fabulous contribution to scholarship and can add a great deal to your own understanding of this middle period of the Vietnam War.

The first words I noticed about "The Abrams Tape" was its dedication by Lewis Sorley, "For the people of South Vietnam." A few pages later, a quote by the eldest of Gen. Creighton Abrams's three sons appears, "He [Gen. Abrams] thought the Vietnamese were worth it."

This book is an unfathomable work that captures the period in Vietnam from June 1968 through June 1972. Its main character is Abrams, whose approach to the second half of the Vietnam War greatly differs than that of William Westmoreland. Sorley transcribes and edits the recordings from the Weekly Intelligence Estimate Update (WIEU) sessions and other meetings attended by nearly all key American and South Vietnamese players of that time. No matter of one's opinion on the war, readers will uncover difficult decisions that were made about Vietnamization, pacification, the Cambodian incursion, the invasion of Laos (Lam Son 719) and the Easter Offensive. How important was gaining the release of American POWs? How much did that desire play into Kissinger's negotiations for a settled "peace with honor" and a unilateral U.S. withdrawal?

If you're looking for an exact history and not a journalist's analysis, a historian's rehash or a grunt's memoir, Sorley's "The Abrams Tape" and its predecessor "A Better War" are must-reads.

Vietnam Chronicles, The Abrams Tapes 1968-1972 is the product of Herculean efforts by Lewis Sorley, editor, annotator, and transcriber of excerpts from nearly 500 tape recordings of weekly command briefings at MACV (Military Assistance Command, Vietnam) headquarters at Ton Son Nhut air base in Saigon, Vietnam. In these transcription excerpts of the tapes of the weekly and other special briefings for General Creighton W. Abrams, U.S. Commander in Vietnam, Sorley has put together significant portions from his voluminous notes on the still highly classified tapes held in a special collection at the U.S. Army Military History Institute. It took one year in the transcribing, and one year of mandatory declassification review to bring this collection to the general public. The result for the historian and general reader is a wealth of material regarding the nuance and persona of high command which makes for very interesting reading.

But what is more important it reinforces Sorley's basic thesis put forth in an earlier work, A Better War, that the modus operandi significantly changed when General Abrams took command in mid-1968; and by capitalizing on earlier efforts, our arms and those of the South Vietnamese were able to begin steering a course toward what might, just might have been a very successful outcome of the long Vietnam conflict.

Voices from Vietnam is a brilliant and riveting collection of images and essays that brought the Vietnam war alive to someone who was born at its conclusion. It is a must-read for anyone who served in the war or had loved ones who did. As the daughter of a Vietnam veteran, the stories in this book have been instrumental in helping me to understand some of the things my father experienced as a soldier in this war. This compelling book shares stories from every possible perspective, yet the themes of pain, suffering, survival and triumph are very much the same. This is a very personal, very human look at the affects of war. I highly recommend it as a tool for healing and for understanding.

The author is gifted with both lens and pen...the vivid photos coupled with poignant stories drags the reader through a twisting maze of emotions.
I believe that this is one of the very best books concerning a generation that is still trying to find it's way or perhaps come to terms with themselves...so many stories, so many unanswered questions....so much pain...so much heartbreak...so many tears.
Each story is filled with a vast spectrum of emotions.
Charlene Edwards is simply gifted...I can say no more to describe her talent.
I am unable to add more for fear of becoming redundant...I lack the words to offer a review that is worthy. I can only say that 5 stars is inadequet.
Eddie Delezen..author of...
Eye of the Tiger
Thoughts Etched in Jade
Red Plateau

Even if you couldn't read the words, the stunning photographs alone in this work would reveal the depth and range of emotion endured by everyone touched by the Vietnam conflict. Each personal vignette carries a similar theme - why were we there, how did the atrocities of the war effect me, where am I today? Sadly, there are more tragedies than triumphs, as with all wars, but so poignantly true in this one. Yet, you must go back with these people, imagine what it was like for them, remember how you experienced those times, and hopefully emerge with a compassionate understanding of what it all meant.

There are other books out there titled Voices from Vietnam, but Ms. Edwards has listened to these particular voices and played them back as a ringing chorus that will move you to forgive but never forget the victims on both sides of this war.

Voices From Vietnam was written by someone who was very young when this war took place, but who was drawn to it and remained dedicated to the understanding of it for the rest of her life.This book is very special because it humanizes both sides and helps us to realize that it was a tragic mistake from the very beginning. Misguided but well-meaning Americans went into the abyss that was left behind by the French colonizers.The people of Vietnam were devastated by over 11 long years of fighting with the Americans .The most powerful nation in the world could not ultimately overpower the determination and tremendous courage of this tiny and poor country.One of the greatest and most profound lessons as demonstrated in this book is that the Vietnamese have forgiven us for the utter decimation of their country and are willing to help us heal the terrible wounds inflicted on both sides.The author introduces us to many people and their stories and shows us that it is possible to embrace your former enemies and work together towards a better future for all.For many Vietnamese the legacy of the war is saddness-the loss of time and place ,of family and friends ,of youth and innocence. If you turn the coin over you find once-young Americans burdened with those same loses.In the end we are a mirror image of each other. Perhaps we will never be able to fully make sense of what we endured on both sides for eleven years.The Vietnamese know they won the war but there was no real winner.The author shows us some of these people and how they have rebuilt their country and extended a hand to us in forgivness and friendship.The many beautiful photographs and interviews tell this story perfectly and for every one of us to understand perfectly.This is an outstanding testimony to the good we all have in us-if only we would try to remember it.

Charlene Edwards has put together a wonderfully deverse and mosaic puzzle that refects the human side of the Vietnam War. She has captured the spiritual and emotional energies of those she interviewed and photographed in her book. The book not only has wonderful photos but the text bleeds with heart felt stories.

Her 10 year quest to share the feelings and images of those personal experiences was a gift to the rest of us. I found myself moved to tears at times, by the images and stories she has introduced us to in her book. I am richer for having had the experience of reading this book.

It is rare to have someone write their personal adventure book well enough to really be interesting but Helen Thayer reaches that goal admirably. Walking the Gobi if a fascinating read as she details her and her husband's experiences arranging and then completing this trip. One of the things that makes the book so interesting is her ability to write in a style that draws the reader into the experience as a friend. Likewise, her stories of interaction with nomads and border agents are at times very personal and at other times scary. Through her writing you feel her compassion as well as her fears. Walking the Gobi is a fascinating trip and one not to be missed by those with an inquisitive personality.

Excellent! Just an Excellent read. I had read Helen's first book of her solo trek to the Polar North Pole and at that time was in awe of her determination and ability to overcome difficult and dangerous odds. I found this adventure tale even more impressive. Helen starts this trek out with an injured hip and knee from an accident she has just before the trip, but was determined to go ahead with the journey anyway. How this woman walked across the entire length of the Gobi with this injury still amazes me. The pain and suffering she must have endured is beyond unthinkable. I found this story very interesting in so many ways. I learned so much about the ecosystem, the climate, the animals and of the wonderful Mongolian people they encountered along the way. The Mongolian culture was fascinating, the people delightfully friendly and hospitable to both Helen and her husband. The desert trek was grueling but in many ways gorgeous, peaceful, serene and yes ..scary too. If you are a fan of adventure travel narratives, and have read Helen's other books, you will love this and will find you cant put it down as you follow her up, down, and over each sand dune, mile after mile after mile. You will fall in love with the crazy and often persnickety camels that lead their way, you will find yourself extremely thirsty when the two travelers encounter unbearable days of intense heat, you will feel cold when they experience frost in the evenings, and you will at times wonder as you turn each page if they will survive, feeling their fear of death as they walk forward day after day, week after week, feeling every grain of sand invading their pores to the point of suffocation. If you have read Michael Asher's book on his trek across the Sahara, or Charles Blackmore's riveting account of his crossing of the Taklamakan desert of China, then this story is right up your alley.

Walking the Gobi by Helen Thayer

This book is an enthralling account of the fulfilling of a lifelong dream to cross the Gobi desert.

This book relates the various stories of the adventure, however it was the introduction that compelled me to read the entire book. I had selected this book by accident not sure I wanted to read about the activities of a 63 year old woman and her 74 year old husband. After reading the introduction, I was hooked and needed to read on. I thought how incredible the rest of the book must be if their 1500 mile trek through Death Valley and 4000 mile trek across the Sahara were mentioned in a single paragraph under the title of "Preparations", and then knowing that their accident 9 months before their planned departure, which needed two paragraphs to barely mention their various torn ligaments and muscles, ruptures and bruises, didn't keep keep them from their attempt.

Helen Thayer helps us feel the pain, the thirst, and the emotional highs and lows of their journey not only to complete the trek, but even to just survive it. However I think she is at her best when she is describing the many encounters they have with the Mongolian people, from officials to nomads. My favorite passage is when she describes an interrogation when they are imprisoned as suspected smugglers. She becomes irritated after being threatened with being shot and this leads to her chastising the officials with being disrespectful to their elders and shaming them for their rudeness. This description filled me with wonder and admiration for the sheer spunk and determination of this amazing woman.

Read this book if you want to read about an incredible adventure. Be prepared if this book leads you to dream bigger dreams, and leads you also to question any misconceptions you have about the life you can choose to live in your senior years.

I want to invite Helen Thayer over to dinner. Mainly I want to hear her stories again, and more of them. As soon as I closed Walking the Gobi and set it down on my kitchen table, I felt at the same time winded and awed, but hungry for more.

If you're reading this review, I'm sure you've read the synopsis: two people over age 60 decide to walk across 1500 miles of one of the least-studied deserts in the world. And they do it in the summer.

When Helen Thayer sat down to write this real-life adventure story, she must have known that she had something good. After all, the idea itself is impressive; it tugs at the ear and challenges the imagination. But Thayer does much more in Walking the Gobi than recount a long trek in a string of stories or patronize the reader by giving only summary and analysis of the journey's meaning.

Thayer's descriptions are careful and organized, educated and intuitive. She gives us the gift of recreating each day so we can experience them with her. Each day is numbered and recorded with useful detail- pointing out the unique moments that set it apart from the rest and reinforcing the monotonous heat, wind, and regional dangers that made the journey long and at times overwhelming.

Helen Thayer accomplished a truly great feat when she crossed the Gobi, but what's even better is that she wrote a book about it.

Happy adventuring!

Modern day adventurers do exist. This is the first thing the reader will realize wehn reading "Walking the Gobi" by Helen Thayer. Ms. Thayer brings the reader with us as she traverses one of the most dangerous places on earth, the Gobi desert. It details a journey she and her husband made across the Gobi desert. From page one, I could not really put the book down. With her we meet Mongolian tribesman, smugglers along the Chinease border, rare Gobi bears, desert scorpions and the occasional Mongolian bureaucrat. Throughout, Ms. Thayer never lets the reader forget how truly amazing and beautiful this part of the world is. Any expedition like this would be a challenge for any healthy individual, but Ms. Thayer manages her journey with an injured leg throghout most of the book. Through sheer mental fortitude Ms. Thayer wills herself to complete her journey across one of the most hostile environments on earth, on step at a time. This is a must read for anyone who enjoys the spirit of adventure.