Asia Books

I've never been to Tibet and probably never will get there, but reading about Tibet and Central Asia is one of my interests, so I bought this book to augment my reading. The book I was reading, "Younghusband" by Patrick French, told of the eponymous colonial Brit who explored and exploited Tibet late in the 19th century. It was interesting to compare his notes of more than 100 years ago with Lonely Planet's descriptions of the same places today. This book was incredibly detailed and well-written, and although I can't vouch for its accuracy, reading the other reviews here indicate that the authors were right on the money. Good job.

Last summer I went to Tibet with this book as a NGO officer. This book is very useful, but no information about dalily life of real Tibeatian. Acturally, in the downtown, there are few Tibetian people. There are only Hun people, majority ethnic group in China, who enjoy their prestages. On the other hands, Tibetian people live in the northen part with surveillance camera. Since some of them are sterllized, real Tibetean people would disapper in this century, apart from the exiles in Indea.

I look for two things in guide book: narratives that enhance my understanding of the place I am visiting and accurate practical information. This review focuses on the shortcomings of the narrative and ends with comments on the practical aspects of the Lonely Planet Tibet (7th Edition).

The historical discussion of Liberation on pages 38-9 illustrates narrative problems which continue throughout the book. (The liberation section should be accessible on the amazon.com main web page for the Lonely Planet Tibet book.)

GENOCIDE: In the first paragraph of the section the author states that " `liberation' led to 1.2 million Tibetans deaths". This information first appeared in the early 1980s along with accusations of genocide. Although the 1.2 million has often been repeated on websites, in movies, print and even in the "prestigious" British War Museum in London, it has never been supported by credible evidence. No demographers, for example, have ever provided support in a peer reviewed journals. On the contrary, the census data on ethnic Tibetans in Tibet indicate an increase of 53.9% from 2.3 to 3.8 million between 1964 and 1982. This is a much higher rate of population growth and absolute numbers than the preceding 50 years. (Yan Hao, Asian Ethnicity, Volume 1, Number 1, March 2000; accessible at the Case Western University Website http://www.case.edu/affil/tibet/booksAndPapers/tibetan.population.in.china.pdf ).

CHINESE INVASION: The second paragraph of the section perpetuates the notion that Chinese military encounter with the Lhasa Tibetan Government forces was "an onslaught." While a very popular belief in the West this is does not appear to be accurate and seems to unfairly demonize the Han Chinese . The only confrontation of forces occurred at Chamdo and saw fewer than 200 casualties on the Tibetan side before surrender. The PLA treated captured Tibetan forces well, took away their weapons, made sure they had food and clothing and gave all soldiers and their families money and sent them home. ( See for example Lee Feigon, Demystifying Tibet (Ivan R. Dee, Chicago, 1996), p. 144. ; Prof. A. Tom Grunfled, The Making of Modern Tibet (An East Gate Book, London, 1996), p108)

EL SALVADOR: The third paragraph contains the narrowly true but misleading story about El Salvador being the only country with courage enough to introduce a UN resolution condemning Chinese aggression against Tibet. The story is misleading because El Salvador had just completed its own very effective genocide--called La Matanza --against its Mayan citizens and was behaving as a dutiful puppet of the McCarthy era US government . La Matanza was so effective that the remaining Maya gave up their language dress and customs overnight. El Salvador was hardly a bastion of human rights courage. See the US Library of Congress Country Study on El Salvador at http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?frd/cstdy:@field(DOCID+sv0017) for a discussion of La Matanza.

SINO-TIBETAN NEGOTIATIONS: The representation of the Tibetan and Chinese negotiations in the fourth paragraph is very misleading. The narrative trots out the old lie about the Chinese preparing "forged seals" to sign the agreement. The Chinese made personal seals for each of the Tibetan negotiators and no personal coercion was applied based on the testimony of the negotiators themselves. See Goldstein`s recently published, A History of Modern Tibet (University of California Press, 2008) . Goldstein's recently published History of Modern Tibet Volume 2 (2008) which has the most complete and very well documented exposition of how the negotiations went and why on pages pp 106-7.

FOOD SHORTAGE AND INFLATION: The sixth paragraph perpetuates one of the biggest myths about the "occupation" of Tibet, namely how the Chinese troops caused a food shortage and massive inflation. Actually, there were more than ample supplies of food for many times the number of PLA soldiers in Lhasa. The food market was manipulated by Tibetan aristocrats and monasteries who were the large corporate landowners and holders of grain surplus. The intent was to cause tremendous hardship for commoner Tibetans and thereby build public sentiment against the Chinese who had promised improved conditions. . The de facto Tibetan regent/prime minister Lukhangwa engineered the fake shortages strategy and reaped great personal gain. He was eventually removed from office when the Dalai Lama assumed office as the head of state. Again, Goldstein (2008) cited above has the best exposition of this whole affairs; see Chapter 9, The Food Crisis.

Note also that the author of Lonely Planet Tibet inaccurately cites Goldstein's Volume 1 of the History of Modern Tibet in the margin of this Liberation section stating that it covers the period 1913 to 1959. Actually Volume 1 covers the period up to 1951 and doesn`t deal with the Liberation period. Goldstein's Volume 2 (not cited in Lonely Planet Tibet) covers the Liberation period. I doubt the Lonely Planet author read either book.

THE CIA: The final paragraph of the Liberation narrative makes passing mention that the revolts in the late 1950s had CIA covert assistance. The truth is that US covert operations began in the 1940s through to the 1970s including funding of the Tibetan Government in Exile. This is quite common knowledge discussed in many books but again Goldstein's works are the best place to start if you are interested. Keep in mind that this is the same CIA that was overthrowing the democratically elected governments of Guatemala and Iran at this time.

CONCLUSIONS AND RECPOMMENDATIONS: The above criticisms are important for two reasons as one is about to make a large expenditure of time and money on a trip to Tibet. Tibetan culture, history and society are among the most fascinating on the planet with many unique features. It is important to look beyond the polemical perspectives and misinformation that is contained in the narrative throughout this book so that you can begin to see the richness and complexities that are there. I consider Goldstein to be the best source of information in English I have found so far because his works are based on meticulously documented source materials and interviews with all the key players. He is fluent in Tibetan (and I believe Chinese also) and more importantly has been doing field research in Tibet and among Tibetans and Han Chinese since the early 1960s. His short book, The Snow Lion and the Dragon (1997), is probably the best introductory overview. The Case Western Reserve Center for Research on Tibet is a great source of on line materials, references and links: http://www.case.edu/affil/tibet/. Goldstein is the head of the Center.

Second, in the US (and Europe) we are flooded with misinformation about Tibet and China, as the above examples illustrate. The misinformation is highly emotional and appeals to our best instincts but comes from sources with their own (often hidden) agendas. The sources which I have cited here are valuable because I think they rise above self-serving controversy with quality scholarship and analysis. If you are going to step into this very controversial part of the world, you owe it to Tibetans, to Han Chinese and to yourself to become more informed. Another US military adventure will, as in Iraq, only benefit the Haliburtons and Lukhangwas of this world and hurt a lot of innocent people.

Based on my reading and traveling I have concluded that there are cogent and credible arguments for Tibetan independence as well as for Tibet's inclusion in a multi-ethnic/multi-national China. I prefer the China "option" because I think we need a more multi-polar world with more examples of multi-ethnic states. We all have to live together. The West should be seeking ways for constructive reconciliation rather than encouraging confrontation by formally supporting China and informally supporting Tibetan Independence.

PRACTICAL INFORMATION: With respect to the practical information in the Lonely Planet Tibet, I plan to spend the next 2 and a half months traveling around Tibet and may submit another review later on the practical information later. It has been my experience that Lonely Planet guides provide good information on lodging and transportation and are generally good on food choices, shopping, entry tickets and hours of operation. Their maps are the best I have seen in guide books: practical, accurate and useable. The maps are the reason why I continue to use Lonely Planet. I have been to Tibetan areas of Gansu and Qinghai. I found the practical information contained in the Lonely Plant China book to be as useful as can be expected for places undergoing rapid change.

I've used Lonely Planet guides in all my travels. I've found their guide book for Tibet the best one they have ever published. It captured everything about Tibet intricately.

This book does what most of the Lonely Planet guides do best: provides clear, personalized reviews of places to stay, eat and explore wherever your destination may be. However, LP Tibet focuses mostly on Central Tibet and the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR), with very little info and inadequate maps for what was Kham and Amdo (now contained in Sichuan and Qinghai provinces). This is where other Tibet guides, Gyurmed Dorje's Footprint edition in particular, shine. LP Tibet will get you around the TAR comfortably, but lacks the depth of information and regional exploration required for more intensive and insightful travel there.

For the most extensive discussions of religious sites (but DO NOT USE these routes and maps!), try to find the "Tibet Handbook" by Victor Chan (out of print). Also, Keith Dowman's "The Power Places of Central Tibet" provides excellent, traditional descriptions of Tibetan sacred sites.

Savoured the book from start to finish. It took me 2 weeks to read the last 20 pages because I did not want it to end. I am looking forward to reading the next Gillian adventure.

Everyone loves an adventure (or at least reading of one) and most of us will never take a boat from China to America. Envious of this one, I curled up by my fireplace and read Mr. Ding's Chicken Feet with a taste for the fascinating journey of a Caucasian woman on a boat full of Asian men. I was not disappointed.

The author sets sail on an ocean of cultural difference and wins over the hearts of the crew - a rough and salty bunch who sit spellbound by her in English class.

Because of the obvious vast expanse of ocean to cross, you know that the author is going to have to face a few things she has probably never had to before, and deal with them. There is, after all, no escape on a small boat in the middle of the ocean.

Kendall reveals the color of the crew over the course of the journey as if she were polishing up tarnished brass. It was great fun to read about the men as they blossom at the hand of their teacher...though the revelations were not one-sided.

Not surprisingly, I felt the poignancy at the sight of land, which meant having to say goodbye.

Kendall writes with an unpretentious clarity, humor and heart. I definitely recommend it.

Ji Lians book very good. Makes me laugh. Have to laugh and wake up husband to read good part. I like this book. I like especially page where I am mention. I am Li. I am beautiful asian/american. Not Chinese. I too, don't like chicken feet.

In Mr Ding's Chicken Feet, the author, Gillian Kendall, comes across at first as maybe a little naive and unwary. She is a risk-taker. Her apparent lack of serious doubt about the whole enterprise, her trust in her fellow human beings not to harm her and her faith that it would all work out made me a little nervous on her behalf. But she is vindicated by the experience and it is her empathy and geniality that are the keys to her success. Observing Kendall's openness to life and her willingness to reach out across cultures became one of the pleasures of reading the book. A cynical reader such as I am found it instructive to watch her interest in humanity unfold and be repaid.

Her story really takes off once the ship leaves shore. Then it leaves behind any experience I and probably most readers have had. Shipboard life with a completely male crew who mostly speak very fractured English seems so weird and challenging that you half expect the book to be a story of failure -- perhaps noble failure but depressing nonetheless. So it's very satisfying that she actually makes a difference to the sailors' English and lives. She is inventive in her methods and determined to give her employers their money's worth and thereby wins the crew's respect and affection.

Kendall can write -- just see her description of the terrible storm at sea. It had me rigid with tension. Shades of Conrad in Typhoon. She has a distinctive and likable tone of voice. The book tells an optimistic story in an unpretentious way and gives you faith in the power of empathic teachers (and English!).

I spent the academic year of 1999/2000 teaching English in Shenzhen. I spoke no Chinese, at the time, and had no formal teaching experience. So I could definitely relate to Gillian's frustrations, culture shock, and malentendus. It's 1991 and Gillian is a grad student in Galveston, TX. The semester is coming to a close and she spies an ad on the bulletin board for an ESL teacher aboard a ship sailing from Shanghai to Galveston. After a hard sell Gillian manages to land the job aboard the all male ship. The company flies her to Shanghai where she boards the ship. The reader witnesses her feelings about being the only woman on the ship; loneliness and some sexual harassment egged on by the only other American on board. She experiences a Sapphic awakening as she realizes in her state of isolation that she doesn't have any romantic feelings for her boyfriend. She manages to break through the cultural, gender, and language barriers to form some attachments to her students and especially Mr. Ding, the cook. The book is riddled with faux pas but the funniest part, I would say, is when she saves Mr. Ding by hurling the violent Panamanian vendor into the Canal.

This is a great book. The book is easy to read and has all the information on Monte from the day he was born all the way to his death. It tells us how Monte gave his life to the Armenian nation. After reading the book I sent a thank you later to his brother for writing the book. This is a must read for anybody who is intereted in Armenian Heroes.

The above title are three words that come to mind after reading My Brother's Road. Markar Melkonian puts a human face on an "American-Armenian" legend, noting not only his brother's amazing accomplishments, but also his failings. Never-the-less, this book confirmed the fact that Monte Melkonian deserves the title of a national hero. His selfless ways and unstoppable drive for a cause bigger than himself are deliniated in the context of historical events. In short, one cannot help but admire Monte Melkonian while reading this book.
I thank Makar Melkonian for producing this fitting text about his brother, a revered son of Armenia.

I really dont know what else to say. This book details his constant resolve to better the Armenian cause. Though it involves conflicts with other Armenians, his focus is for the Armenian nation (past, during the cold war, present, and future).
He literally gave his life for the Armenian people. Though drawn into political conflicts, he was clearly an apolitical nationalist, and a true hero. May God bless his memory, and his brother, who wrote this book.
I thank Monte and Markar for teaching me so much about Armenian history. Like you, Monte, I am reborn and my spirit will rise up like a phoenix. I am more an Armenian, having learned of your life. You gave yourself for (our) my future, and I will always honor you for it.

In reading My Brother's Road, one can't help being made aware of the inevitable reciprocity of history. Monte, and others like him, were modern-day Maccabees, that cultural paradox of virtue and brutality, ideological fervor and compassion. To his added credit, Markar does not shy away from discussing the hard realities of the NKR conflict. In the end, that kind of honesty is the least his brother would have required.

Every Armenian and non-Armenian alike should pick up this book and read it.

This book is a wonderful, simple, and quick read. Of course the subject matter does get unpleasant, but it's good to know the facts from the perspective of His Holiness at the time that he wrote it in 1962.

The book tells the story which everyone knows: how the Chinese invaded Tibet and the Dalai Lama was forced to feel to India. But this book goes in to detail and as a reader, it was great to finally get the "real" details of that story, again from his perspective. Prior to reading this, I only knew the story based on films and summaries in guide books, etc.

I highly recommend this book, and I would suggest reading this one prior to reading his second autobiography, "Freedom in Exile" from the early 1990's.

I enjoyed this narrative, my first experience with the writing of H.H. Dalai Lama. He writes so well. It's clear, descriptive, and engaging from the first sentence to the last. Suitable for all ages, the earlier the better. It has really sparked my interest in this country,, or at least how it once was. It has been almost two generations since this tragedy and I doubt things will ever be the same. Well, at least the chinese have thier railroad at the expense of an entire nation. Oh, but the writing isn't bitter at all. Just me.

Having long been a fan of the Dalai Lama and his other books, I was anxious to read his autobiography. It is an amazing story that he has to tell. We should hope that our world had evolved beyond invasions after World War II, but that proved not to be true when China invaded Tibet and eventually ousted the ruling party in 1959.

Having been previously familiar with the story of the exile of the Dalai Lama to some degree, I was anxious to learn about it in more detail. Truly the people of Tibet are and continue to be victims of China. China crept into Tibet saying only that it would help to modernize the "backwards" people of Tibet. After numerous broken promises the Dalai Lama exited just ahead of the first morter blasts that rocked his palace. China's only real goal was to take possession of the land at any cost.

Few religions place a greater emphasis on peace than the Tibetan form of Buddism. While the author gives readers some of the basic principles of the faith, the language should not be confusing to those not familiar with Buddism. This amazing story, though it ends with the Dalai Lama's arrival in India, is still fresh and eye-opening today.

I am a college student who has studied China extensively in school. I can speak Chinese and have traveled to China several times and to Tibet once. While I have never agreed with many of the Chinese governments policies in the areas of religion, personal freedom, Tibet, and Taiwan, I think this book could have done more for its cause.

I decided to read this book after I spent 2.5 weeks in Tibet last year while studying in China. Tibet was one of the most fascinating places I have been to and I really wanted to know more about what happened there after China invaded. This book tells the Dalai Lama's story very well. Up until the last 15 pages or so, I really loved the book. However, before closing, the Dalai Lama makes several accusations about Chinese human rights abuses in Tibet (beatings, child abductions and the like) but provides no evidence of their existence.

While I personally feel Tibet was and still is a sovereign country and what China has done is wrong in many ways, the charges made in the last few pages don't belong in this book. While the Dalai Lama's story of his life and last days in Tibet are very powerful, I really think it would have been even better had the those last parting shots been omitted. Charges of human rights abuses such as these are very important and would be better served in a book of their own.

I think most Americans will enjoy this book but not share the same reaction I had to the last few pages. I have studied China for several years now and have heard accusations from both China and the world on countless occasions on a wide range of issues. Maybe this is why I get turned off when I don't see concrete evidence included when someone makes a charge such as the Dalai Lama does at the end of his book. I still think the Dalai Lama is a wonderful man and has an important story to tell, but feel this one could have come across a little better.

Even if you already know the life story of His Holiness, this is a great read. Written in the Dalai Lama's usual clear and forthright style, the story is deeply moving. Recommended for students of both Buddhism and history.

Wow another great book from naruto, this book was sweet and great the fight between haku and sasuka was great, and the whole thing of this book is awsome nice and enjoyable books to read i have 14 naruto books and there were awsome iam going to get more but this was great.

My 9 year old son won't rest until he collects the entire series; I'm just happy he wants to read!

Time for climbing...and more training...and more Tazuna and family and find out about Inari's Dad. More of all cool manga. Guess who's baaaaaaaaack You'll have to find out

Time for climbing...and more training...and more Tazuna and family and find out about Inari's Dad. More of all cool manga. Guess who's baaaaaaaaack. You'll have to find out by reading

Kakashi is resting his poor body with training Sasuke,Naruto,and Sakura.Let's see if they can get the hang of runing up trees.Also,Naruto unknowing meets Haku who he thinks killed Zabunza.We also see Inari's real problem with heroes.Last but not least,a final confrontation between Zabunza and Kakashi.Wait a minute...he seem to have brought a friend...

This really let's you see what family members were going through. My uncle is mentioned in this book, and he doesn't talk about this at all. This really shows me why he doesn't want to.

An incredibly moving story of Recon in Vietnam. Many very familiar names. Superbly told tales. It will give you a respect for the Viet Vet Reconner, or any Marine, you won't soon forget.

This is my favorite vietnam book yet. I couldn't put it down. The stories told made me feel like I was there. The short stories at the very end were hilarious.

Great book. Have never been in the Marines but this book made me feel like I was in there with them. What is a Hero. It's Someone who is selfless,and would give his life for his friends. We had quite a few of them in the Rangers which is the unit I served with in Nam, but I am sure that each unit had them. Roadrunner6 out

I was a grunt in a Line Company with the 3rd Marines on Operations Taught Bow at Charlie Ridge, Hastings and Prairie on the DMZ.

We might have been a little louder than recon liked, but we carried about 50#lbs more on our back than they did and we were invited to their parties. He did make it sound like we were gate crashers!

An excellent book, "Home Is Where You Dig It". It is worthy of the saying, "From the outside, you can't understand it, from the inside, I can't explain it, Semper Fi.

I think I probably read the first printing of Once a Warrior King and that was probably over a decade ago now, but David Donovans account of his time in Vietnam still remains one of my favourite accounts of the conflict.

This is absolutely the best first hand account of the Vietnam War. Very well written, detailed and introspective.

I read this four years ago as a junior in high school for my American History Class. The course was offered for college credit and I used to get frustrated by all the books my teacher made us read, not to mention the essays we had to write in response to what we learned. Near the end of the year she assigned "Once a Warrior King" and I was so impressed that I never forgot the impact the book had on me. It was a vivid statement from the point of view of a man fighting in Vietnam and I could feel everything with accuracy as if I had gone through the same trauma. He was a warrior king and it was a classic.

This book brought back painful memories for me. As a young sailor on a River Assault Boat in River Assault Division 92, I participated on "Operation Barrier Reef" in January 1969, from the MACV compound described in this book. Although this book does not cover boat operations and the part that Mobile Riverine or River Patrol Units played during this period of time, it is an excellent description of the warfare of the period and operations in a remote area of Vietnam without fire support or air support. Those of you that want a graphic description of
river operations in that area, read the prologue from Brown River, Black Berets, a description of a firefight on the Dong
Tiem Canal, that I participated in January 1969. Both books
are excellent background sources for river warfare and the
seldom covered special unit operations.

I was stationed in Duc Pho, Southern I Corp, and spent over 8 months living in a remote village with my platoon during 1969 and 1970. I saw so very much and understood so little. This book brought back the conflicts that haunted me for years and helped me come to grips with the most significant year of my life. Fear, anxiety, exhaustion, isolation, and confusion blended into an environment that this book describes like none that I have read.

This book would be a fantastic story if it was written TODAY. It's even more incredible that it all happened in 1932-33.

There are so many levels to enjoy in this book ...

* The pure adventure of it all - setting out on a motorcycle (a 750 pound, 6-horsepower monster, no less!) to travel around the world in 1932. It simply is mind-boggling that he pulled it off.

* The observations he makes along the way and how relevant they are even today. His observations of Afghanistan, in particular give insights into what has always been a war-torn country. If Bush & Co. had read this book, maybe we'd have left well enough alone.

* His pure tenacity and luck to get in-and-out of the situations he stumbles into. Being in jail is just part of the gig, and he takes it all in stride.

* The writing itself ... clean, crisp, and engaging. I couldn't put this book down.

This book is fantastic whether or not you ride a motorcycle.

HIGHLY, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Overall, the book is interesting and informative. It gives some great detail about the middle east, India and Asia in general. From a people perspective, I liked the fact that Mr. Fulton goes into some detail about what the people were like and some personalites. I did find however, that in some spots he focused too much on what people thought and not enough on his thoughts and feelings about "where" he was. Toward the end of the book, he rushed. He spent 80% of the time on the Middle east and India, 10% in the rest of Asia, and no time at all anywhere else. Again, overall, it was interesting and informative, but it did not capture my attention like say Jupiters Travels (same genera, by Ted Simon)
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this book was a pleasure to read, since I have been to many of the places he has been. It is true and wonderful and I am glad that from now on it is mine.

I could not put this one down. The story is so fantastic that you almost can't believe it happened. To see the world a little as it was 70 years ago was truly a window into the past.

Robert Fulton is a suprizingly good author in that the book flows smoothly and he only talks about what he finds interesting.

I really enjoyed this book; it was too soon over.

I have ridden motorcycles for many years and would liked to have seen more comments on the practical aspects of the trip, even though it was many years ago. I suspect that Mr. Fulton did not keep daily notes but probably wrote down his memories at the conclusion of the trip, thus the detail is not always there.

The portrait of the middle East gives something for the people of today something to think about - basic beliefs and attitudes in that region may not have changed at all. Our expectations may need to be adjusted.

A long trip on a motorcycle is an unforgettable experience for anyone, even today. Four or five days from home, and the resources available there, projects the rider into a state of independence and freedom that I have not found any other way - imagine what it was like for Fulton to be riding across the desert, months from home, no road in some cases, towards the unknown, his life dependent upon his machine continuing to run, and totally on his own.

Every rider should get to read this book - a great treat for the imagination.

This book was so helpful to me... I keep buying it and giving it away! It is the best book I have read on coping with PTSD, and I have read them all. It tells you what to expect and why. Who to contact in the VA for help. What forms will need to be filled out and how to deal with all the government agencies. Also lists several self-help groups. Everything from A to Z. It will give you a whole new understanding of your father, brother, husband, or significant other.

Patience has been able to visualize and understand the realities of what has happened to the Vets who served in Vietnam, either directly or indirectly. She will cause you to remember those things which were long forgotten, or filed away deep in your mind. I want to read this book again and again, to help bring my life back out of the dark. THANK YOU Patience

This book has been one of the most treasured, comforting and hope-giving literary works for me and many other women and families. Whenever I have mentioned this book to women who have been struggling with dealing with a loved one suffering with PTSD, they have described it as 'a manual' It is so filled with pratical information and real life experiences, that you feel compelled to read and reread every word. I checked it out at the public library and didn't want to return it, because I wanted to always have it on hand. But alas, I am aware that it would benefit so many others if I returned it. I have borrowed it again and again. I have been unable to find it,available in a bookstore, because the title has been changed and I was not aware of that. I am so very happy to find it available again, and the price is so reasonable, that I know I will be able to tell others and they too will want to purchase. Actually, I was given the job of tracking this book down, so that it might be purchased by the women in my spousal support group, and also by the facilitator. They will all be happy that I was successful in locating this book. Already I have three people committed to purchasing it. Thank you Patience Mason, for having the insight to write this book and to share it with all of us. I have also read Chickenhawk by Patience Masons' husband. It was a very powerful book also, but more difficult to read, for me. The events were so vivid, and the emotions so filled with pain , it helped to understand better the conflicts experienced and also the repercussions to the continuing lives of the Vet and their families.

I highly recommend this book to ANY combat veteran's wife and family. It should be required reading for any wife of a combat veteran even if her husband has not been diagnosed with PTSD.
I have been with my wife for ten years. Last year she took our children and left me becuase she thought that she was going to lose her mind. She always thought that if she could do better then I would be OK. It didn't work and I blamed her for everything.
When she left, I promised her that I would get counseling. I did and was diagnosed with PTSD. I've had it for twenty years and never knew. After three months, she returned home and began to study this book. She totally understands now and we are healing together. We are both amazed at how accurately this book portrays our own life.
She is now my BEST FRIEND and only support system (nobody else understands). We finally have a real relationship.
My wife gets frustrated when she re-calls all of the people who told her to leave me. If it wasn't for this book she may have. Thanks Ms. Mason for opening your life to help others. You have blessed another family.

This book is an excellent counseling tool for the spouses of combat veterans who live with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. I have given this book the many spouses. Many say that the greatest thing the book does for them is help to show that they are not alone in their experience with the veteran PTSD sufferer. Patience Mason gives the spouse an understanding of what is going on that leads to a sense of comfort and the courage to continue the battle. The battle, is to find a way to stay with their vet and at the same time preserve their own sanity. This is the best book out there for contents and ease of reading!

"Ours is the signal honor of being the nation's bulwark. One day we must prove ourselves worthy."

Requiem for Battleship Yamato is about sacrifice-immolation on the altar of national survival. It was written not to needlessly lionize the wanton sacrifice of combatants in order to bring to an end what one historian called "a war to establish and revive the stature of man." Instead, it was written, and properly so, as catharsis: Yoshida Mitsuru, as a 20-year old ensign on the bridge of the Yamato during its final voyage, had witnessed War, and thus wished that future generations would no longer be called upon to "prove themselves worthy," and to bear the burden of armed conflict.

Yoshida's prose satisfactorily captures the spirit on board the Yamato prior to its climactic encounter. Yet there is no way to adequately describe what the men of the Yamato went through during the ship's final hours. One author called it "a glorious way to die." Alternatively, the battle could be described as a nautical siege, a maritime battle of Troy. There is no apotheosis in death; death is merely a release from duty. During the battle, one man struggles to keep the deck clean by throwing overboard limbs severed by bomb shrapnel or machine-gun fire. Below decks, men grapple with the bodies of their comrades; once-inviting hot tubs (the Yamato has several of them, we are told) are filled to the brim with the ranks of the dead. In the bridge, officers are mowed down by machine-gun bullets. There is no sanctuary aboard the most massive dreadnought ever constructed.

This is a highly readable book, redolent with poignant memories, written by a man who had the courage to confront his phantoms. Through Yoshida's book, many souls who fought during the Pacific War found a voice.

"Three thousand corpses, still entombed today. What were their thoughts as they died?"

In the 1950's and 60's, Japanese memoirs of the Pacific War flooded forth from the publishers. Saburo Sakai's "Samurai", Hara's "Japanese Destroyer Captain," Mochitsura Hashimoto's "Sunk!" are just the tip of the spear. But Yoshida's "Requiem for Battleship Yamato" is simply in a class by itself. The youngest officer on board the mighty battleship, he was present when the giant was ordered on her suicide sortie. Escorted by the anti-aircraft cruiser Yahagi and numerous destroyers in April 1945, Yamato's mission was sublimely ridiculous: sail down toward the Ryuku Islands (where a massive American task force was staging the invasion of Okinawa), attack the landing force, beach itself, expend all weapons and ammunition, then the surviving crew members would join the garrison in Okinawa's defense. It was no surprise that the force didn't even make it halfway before being annihilated by U.S. planes. Yoshida's book is poetic and is beautifully translated by Richard Minnear who also provides a superb introduction as well. Yoshida's account of the American air attacks which inevitably shattered the Yamato, the Yahagi and most of the escorting destroyers come off as not combat, but high slaughter. Veterans who survived idiotic orders and suicide charges will find a spiritual brother in Yoshida. Don't be surprised if you have a tear in your eye for the brave crews of these ships as you close this book for the last time.

Written as a tribute to his shipmates, "Requiem" is also a powerful anti-war book.

young, naive and inexperienced the author chronicles his one and only combat mission. relating his service on the japanese battleship 'yamato' author mitsuru gives perspective not only on what he does but on what he feels. fortunately for the reader mitsuru is an articulate writer who has had the opportunity to rewrite his recollections numerous times over the years before settling on this 'definitive' edition. the book runs as a subtle parallel of stories between the events happening around the author during war and what he thinks and feels as he faces his own mortality. an excellent perspective of man in conflict.
also worth noting is the outstanding translation and introduction by richard minear.

Although perhaps unsurprising given the scale of Japan's losses and the bitterness of defeat, the fact remains that there are relatively few accounts of the war by those who fought with the Imperial Forces, and even fewer available in English.

For this reason alone `Requiem for Battleship Yamato' would command attention even if it were only an average work. But it is not an average work; it is a classic in the truest sense of this much abused word, which must be placed alongside books such as `The Last Enemy' by Richard Hillary.

Written in a spare, almost poetic style, `Requiem' tells the story of the Yamato's last doomed sortie from the viewpoint of one of her junior officers. Alongside glimpses of life on board the great battleship, we gain an insight into the thoughts and personal lives of her crew as they prepare for what most realise will be a mission from which there will be no return.

As the tension mounts and enemy forces close in for the inevitable kill, Yoshida provides a moving commentary on the Yamato's last days and hours, with poignant vignettes of such figures as the force commander Vice Admiral Ito, who had correctly appreciated the futility of the mission yet carried out his task with calm resolution.

With the Yamato entering her final death agony, Yoshida gives us harrowing descriptions of the effects of explosives and steel on human flesh - a timely reminder in this age of glossy propaganda of the true face of battle. Then there is the homecoming, with Yoshida's personal struggle to come to terms with the meaning of his survival while so many of his comrades are dead.

No review of this book would be complete without acknowledging the outstanding work of its translator, Richard Minear, who has also provided an excellent introduction. Thanks to his efforts, this work will not only be read with profit by the military historian, but anyone who seeks to broaden his understanding of the human condition.

This book is not for readers searching for details of battle, or apologies for participating in the miltary adventure against the US. Yoshida Mitsuru was an unlikely survivor of a suicide mission.

Some of the reviewers have found this book morbid, and focused on death. Mitsuru attempts to describe his feelings and unaswered question that haunted him for the rest of his life. Why was he saved, when so many other died? Was there a purpose to his life, and the life of his dead shipmates. These are questions that all men ask to some extent, but for those caught in a war, life and death are close and constant companions.

The normal thoughts of young men towards life and the future are put aside as their ship plows forward on a suicide mission.

Do not buy or read this book if you are not prepared to think about the personal cost of war. Some have described this as an anti-war book. I do not believe that is a correct description. This book is written by someone whose education and social standing required him to enter the Navy, and go to war. I view this work as a refection of an eyewitness and wounded survivor. Such an experience at such a young age makes one an expert on the war experience, not the root causes of war or their justifications.

Most men who shared Mitsuru's experience do not write, or even disuss their experiences. For some, just the thoughts of their experience is unbearable and the reason some end their days in mental hospitals.

When Mitsuru wrote the first draft of this book, it fell under the authority and censorship of the American Occupation, which did not approve of the text.

Which brings up the question not posed directly by this book. What "truths" were censored during the official investigations surrounding Pearl Harbor, the Bataan Death March, and other matters that impacted on the ledgends and careers of Americans of that time?