Division 1 Books

David Homsher's book made me want to explore the AEF's battlegrounds around Chateau-Thierry. He has created a very tidy scrapbook of personal accounts and period photographs that provide snapshots of the doughboy's world. His organization is geographically shrewd: he begins at the Paris airport, and identifies AEF and Great War landmarks as a traveler would encounter them along the route to Chateau-Thierry. Through an eclectic treasure of first-hand accounts, you see the towns and fields as the doughboys and leathernecks did in 1918. The progession of accounts builds a sense of impending drama, recreating the essence of the unfolding crisis of the Chateau-Thierry fighting. The book culminates in a highly detailed description of a small but significant engagement between the 7th Machine Gun Battalion and the German attackers in and around Chateau-Thierry. For serious historians of the AEF, Mr Homsher's guidebook neatly complements the crusty but important military histories of the these battles. To get the most from Mr Homsher's book, plop down in a French cafe the evening before you visit the battlefield and let the wine & words bring you back to 1918.

Subtitled: Chateau Thierry--Then & Now

It is unfortunate that many of us fail to remember the efforts put forward by the American Expeditionary Force (AEF) in bring the Great War of Civilization, better known as World War I, to a close.

Without much doubt, France and Britain were on their last legs. Germany had what proved to be better tactics and a slightly stronger will to see the conflict thru to the end.

It wasn't until General John "Blackjack" Pershing and the men of the AEF landed in France in 1918, and finally made their way to the front, that the conflict slowly began to swing in the allies favor.

Chateau Thierry was what could be considered the linchpin of the Germ salient that was moving inexorably toward Paris and the ultimate capitulation of the French Army.

Davis Homsher has produced a welcome addition into the current library of non-fiction accounts of what took place in and around Chateau Thierry and how the AEF was able to move into the line. With fresh troops and fresh momentum, the allies pushed the German lines back to not only the spring front lines of 1918, but ultimately handed them such a thorough thrashing as to make the cessation of hostilities a reality.

This book is replete with maps, photographs and personal account from the men that were there. American Battlefields of WWI Chateau Thierry--Then & Now is what I hope is the first volume in what should be many and a necessary addition to any Great War Library.

Armchair Interviews says: This book will prove to be a wondrous testament to the men and woman that saved the world from the first German aggression of the past century.

This is a book about fighting men, infantry men whose world was often limited to the view from a hole in the ground, told in their own words.
This is the story, told by those who were there, of the men of the American Expeditionary Force of 1917-1918.
It is the clear and engrossing story of the first battle in America's first European War. It is also an illustration in prose and pictures of life as it was then; a world that is long gone both for the French and the "Sammies".
The "then and now" photos are useful and interesting, as are the town and street maps. Altogether, this a book that will be very useful in exploring the battlefield of Chateau Thierry. It will tell present-day Americans very clearly what Grandfather did in France nearly 100 years ago.

Christina Holstein, author and battlefield guide.

Reviewed by Joe Graham for Reader Views (8/06)

David Homsher has created a guide book for the American battlefields of World War I around the village of Chateau-Thierry. The book is a remarkable accomplishment and it operates on several levels.

First, if the reader is interesting in actually visiting the battlefield sites, Homsher gives the reader detailed instructions on how to reach each location up to how to find the location, where to park, and what precautions to take and what to do once the reader is on the site. And his directions start with the arrival at Charles De Gaulle airport and how to get out of the airport and onto the correct road.

Secondly, if the reader is an armchair traveler, they can enjoy the written text along with a wonderful collection of photographs of the area with pictures of the same buildings or locations before and after the war. The photographic collection also contains many pictures of the German and Allied forces, French refugees and other pictures taken during the war. Homsher also includes maps so the reader can accurately pinpoint the locations of the area in France.

Finally, Homsher has included first hand accounts from the participants in the war. The accounts range from descriptions of field hospitals and battle formations to diaries of the combatants. This material lifts the book above just the casual guidebook. Reading first hand accounts of an event brings an immediacy to the reader that can not be achieved any other way.

A good example is this quote from Pvt. Leo J. Bailey, 9th Infantry, 2nd Division, who wrote in his diary:
"Eighteen hours of marching hip to hip with a seventy-two pound pack, dry
throated in a cloud of dust, had wearied them. Most men lay in full equipment on the cobbles and slept, but some scroungers with keener nose smelled brandy."

This book should appeal to a wide range of readers. Scholars and teachers will appreciate the first person accounts that give a more complete picture of the action than is typically given in the dry accounts of battles that relate who attacked who, and with what results.

I would highly recommend this book for anyone with an interest in the battles of World War I. The book is in a coffee table book format that the reader can pick up and refer to easily. This is a wonderful book because Homsher gives you an actual guidebook to the area, then pictures and maps of the area both before and after the war and then finally the first hand accounts that bring the action of the war to life through the words of the participants.

I want to express my feelings about this book. It has been many years since I read a book so compelling. I took it from the mailbox a little after noon yesterday and save for the time I took to eat dinner, read straight through till 12:30 am, then finished it the next day.
I don't anticipate that I will ever travel to France, but David Homsher's book makes it seem that I have been there already. It has been really an emotional experience - running the gamut from humor, to sorrow to anger and to bursting with pride at the actions of the American troops there. The many descriptions put forth by various people "in their own words" results in a more thorough understanding than could ever be given by just a straight narrative from any single author. I also found so many little "nuggets" of information in Homsher's book that I was unaware of before. By the time I finished the book, I felt that I not only had a thorough picture in my mind of exactly what took place, but that I understood it well enough to explain it to others in detail. I congratulate David on doing such a fine job and highly recommend his book. As a former schoolteacher, I wish it could be a part of the education of every American so that they could truly appreciate what was done by this country in World War I.

Few veterans describe themselves as "heroes." It's a painful word - filled with aspiration, horror and loss. Many veterans who write memoirs avoid the most devastating echoes of war - their own perceived culpabilities. It's understandable. Who wants to poke a finger into a festering wound?

Douglas Bergman is a brave man. Using a magnifying glass, he focuses a scorching sunbeam onto his own soul - allowing the reader to see his demons in great detail. It is unsettling in a world where few want to accept responsibility for their mistakes - where confessions are whispered litanies of shame washed away with a few penitential rosaries. My initial reaction was to look away but I soon found myself examining the author's broken heart like a curious onlooker drawn to a fiery car wreck.

This book is many things - a memoir, an adventure, a tribute, a confession and a sob. From the shiny hearse-white cover to the imagery-dense prose, Mr. Bergman's tale perplexes and intrigues. Vietnam was a conundrum for everyone. For the men who fought there, growing up was like peeling a scab off a half-healed wound. Boy soldiers drawn to the service to resolve other problems found new sorrows to occupy their nightmares. "Names I Can't Remember" is a close up view of a Vietnam Veteran's reaction to war - and a description of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) that still torments many who were mere babies in the 1960s.

The author plunges into his story with profane vigor. He amuses and shocks with an almost adolescent glee - as though he has returned to his rebellious, angst-ridden youth and is set on taking the reader with him. He uses literary flourishes that complicate the read like a translucent veil draped over lovers laboring together for their love. You can see the movements, hear them moan - but their faces are dim behind the silken sheen of the fabric. Mr. Bergman peoples "Names I Can't Remember" with garish characters that touched his life but have now faded into ghostly symbols - a motherly whore, a man with a cat on his shoulder, a doofus unable to function in the jungle, an alcoholic CO who confuses courage and foolhardiness -- a nun and a Vietnamese child trying desperately to survive. Despite this distance - or perhaps because of it, this book is powerful and literate. I found myself lingering over the pictures the author created in my head - almost as if this was a novel. It was easier to appreciate this work on that level than to acknowledge the reality of Mr. Bergman's anguish.

The Vietnam War was not a Disney Movie -- neither is this book. However, if you are a student of psychology, a poet - or someone who wants to understand the warrior in your life, this is a wonderful read.

"Names I Can't Remember" is a tough, brilliant read of one man's journey into Dante's Inferno. All human foibles and flaws are put out for display. Mr. Bergman dares the reader to forgive him as he hasn't been able to forgive himself for thirty years. A piece de la triumph! 5 military gold stars - Lillian Cauldwell

"...there is something Keseyesque or Hunter Thompson - like about Bergman's prose: often profane and at the same time, image rich." - Daily News, Clem Richardson 7/8/05

This is not a book filled with words on a page, it is a capturing of a mans inner guts spewed upon pages from his tortured memory. We see the ramblings of a young boy yanked from the unsafe world of his home and the bottle, to be immersed into the world of drunking decisions, adult behavior expected from a still nursing infant. You need to digest every word and feel his feelings. Some of his experiences will fill you with disgust, horror, the need to nurture, but your diet will never be the same after you digest this meal of feelings.
Devour it...chew it... spit it out if you need to... But dont just sit there and read it........

"You'll be on an emotional roller coaster ride while reading this work. The author has given us a very raw look at a young life destroyed by a dysfunctional family drowning in alcoholism and how he carried that with him during his No Slack tour. Doug was in the same company as I was and we walked the same villages, but never met, the places he describes are familiar to me as they will be to others who read him. I wasn't ready for the constriction I felt in my chest as parts of this book made me wonder how he slipped through the cracks as he performed his duty as a platoon leader in an alcoholic fog. Read the book, it's a raw look at a personal battle with a life almost destroyed by abuse, mingled with war. Names I Can't Remember will shake your senses and make you ill but you will find that once you start reading it you can't put it down."
"Yankee Jim" Simchera - A Company 2/327th Infantry,101st Airborne Vietnam: 1969-70

Just finished reading Paul Petredis' terrific effort. I am the current President of the 35th Infantry Regiment Association and I found the historical aspects of the story to be of particular interest. Paul's story is riveting. I liked the fact that he didn't try and make it a story of personal heroism. As they say in Dragnet "Just the Facts, Mam" and that's what Paul gave us but they were interesting facts and interesting reading. Seems like there should of been a movie come out of this. Thanks Paul. I enjoyed it.

This is the most gripping, facinating non-fiction book I have ever read. It shows the will to survive in the face of overwhelming odds. I wish every high school student would read this book and discover the meaning of a true hero. It is very different from what the movies portray. I recommend reading this book. You won't want to put it down.
O. Mastellos

Facinating true story.

Escape From North Korea by Paul G Petredis

His book is superbly researched and a darn good read of the Forgotten War and the path which lead to it. His personal experience being a soldier in Korea and surviving the conflict gives great credit to him as a man, and his narrative about how he escaped from North Korea is almost beyond description, and should be a must read for anyone who enters the US Military Service. Hope to see future writings by Paul Petredis.

F.Petersen

WOW... war becomes real on these pages, almost too real, and from a soldier with his first-hand account. I found it to be a story of survival and determination, and a credit to the author and to our military. I suppose the most significant part of this story, is the insight into what our soldiers are facing everyday in the Middle East. It should be "must" reading for every person in our Armed Forces, as to what to expect, and how to overcome the impending obstacles, in battle and if captured. An excellent book and a credit to its author. Well done!

I found this book interesting & informative. It includes some great pictures & first hand information from a hero that was actually there defending our country.

God Bless the U.S.A.!

If you liked "Band of Brothers," you'll enjoy this book. It follows one member of Easy company from when he joined the Airborne until the end of the war. The book is filled with photos taken by Cpl. Guth during training, the Normandy Invasion and the Battle of the Bulge. There are also photos of the uniforms and equipment he carried. It's really a fascinating account of what this one man experienced during the war. Be sure to check out De Trez's other Airborne books. You won't be disappointed.

Amazing collection of photo's from a 101st member on D-Day. If you are a fan of the Band of Brothers series on HBO or enjoyed Ambrose's book you'll love these photos.
You will see up close photos of uniforms and equipment of the 101st Airborne Division as well as some German gear. This makes a perfect reference for WWII Re-enactors.
Also included are some great stories behind the photos. As a huge WWII buff and re-enactor I highly recommend this book for your collection.

Cpl. Forrest Guth, of Wilmington, Delaware, was one of the real "Band of Brothers" featured in Stephen Ambrose's book and the HBO movie series of the same name.

This book is written in English and French and chronicles the training, D-Day experiences and European service of Cpl. Guth (including the Battle of the Bulge) as he and other members of his 101st Airborne company liberated Europe from German control.

This is a coffee table type book with great pictures and long captions that tell the story of one man's duty in that great war. The pictures are terrific and are a good impression of the look, equipment and wear of a combat parachutist. A good companion book for fans of "Band of Brothers."

I have had the honor of meeting Cpl. Guth. He is a matter-of-fact man who did is duty honorably and is humble regarding the attention Mr. Ambrose's book has placed upon him. This book is a nice brief picture of a regular young man called to do big and dangerous things during wartime.

Mr. DeTrez does a fabulous job in telling Corporal Guth's story of his time in the Airborne. Tons of pictures, many with long, information-filled captions. The pictures are from Mr. Guth's private collection, and give a great perspective on his time in the 101st Airborne. It's almost like you're sitting in his house, looking at his personal photo albums.

I met Mr. Guth on one occasion, and correspond with him occasionally. He's a very nice man, polite, modest, and takes very little credit for the incredible job he performed in the military.
If you like the Band of Brothers Mini-series, you need to buy this book; it's a must!

     "Fearsome Battle tells the story of a young American who enlisted in the Canadian Army before America went to war. The writing of Mr. Robert Rogge unceremoniously grabs the reader from the onset. An unusual aspect of Fearsome Battle is that this account has been written in the third person. Mr. Rogge had considerable difficulty writing of the horrors of war he had experienced first hand, from the first person or as seen through his eyes. However, he manages to capture the mind and attention of the reader by describing each account in the short memoir as if from a disinterested bystander reporting the chilling events as they unfolded.

     This World War II personal account narrates small snippets of horrific battlefield action as witnessed firsthand by Mr. Rogge. It delivers a masterful portrayal of a young man's innocent entry into combat and the fulfillment of his coming to age as a seasoned veteran. The war finally ends with his felling a German soldier just prior to hearing that the war has finally ended. The soldier was but a boy, maybe fourteen years of age, but one who would have killed his adversary had he been given the chance.

     Fearsome Battle keeps the reader on the edge of anticipation from the first page to the last.

     I highly recommend this book for any person interested in reading what is in the mind of a combat soldier who fully expects that the next moment in time will be his last.

     Mr. Rogge, Thank You, for an excellent observer's narrative of the brutality of war."

     Joe Richard, web master, World War II Stories -- In Their Own Words.

Using his considerable skills as a writer, Rogge drops the reader into the cage of war and unleashes its terrors and hardships on us. This book is the real deal. Its images linger and affect me still. I read it with horrible fascination and a growing appreciation for what these men endured to win the war.

Fearsome Battle: With The Canadian Army In World War II Europe is the gripping true memoir of Robert Rogge, a 22-year-old American volunteer who served with the Canadian Army during the perilous era of the second world war. Robert personally participated in the assault on Normandy on D-Day, and survived eleven months in the thick of battle until the war's end. Vividly graphic (almost to the point of disturbing) in portraying hand-to-hand combat, artillery bombardment, and the sad, sometimes gruesome job of picking up the dead after the fighting settled, Fearsome Battle is a candid and informative picture of the horrors the Greatest Generation endured to protect the world against Nazi ambitions and fascist intentions. Highly recommended reading and a welcome addition to the growing library of World War II memoirs and autobiographies.

This author tell his story in third person in order to keep the haunting reality of war at a manageable distance, yet he takes the reader into battle with his poignant tellng of it. Told in vignettes, the reader is not fettered by the minutia of a soldiers life, but feels it, tastes it, smells it nonetheless. Rogge exposes the poetic, celestial soul of humanity in the mundane savagery of war through the experiences of one weary, intrepid man who understands that the horrific and the sublime are complementary.

A realistic and grabbing account of war in the European Theater. As the Editor of the newsletter of the National Museum of the Pacific War, I read many accounts of combat on both the European and Pacific fronts. This extremely well written book gives an unflinching view into the shattering of boyhood ideals and the horrors and sacrifices of war. The book is notable because it gives the unique view of an American volunteer serving with the Canadian Army in Europe; in addition, the author's use of the third person allows him to talk about things that otherwise might have been too painful to share openly with others. I highly recommend this narrative which goes a long way to dispell any of the so-called glories and glamour associated with the waging of war.

I served with the author, Chaplain Jerry Autry, in the 101st Airborne Division as his Chaplain's Assitant in Vietnam just after the 1968 Tet Offensive. Both of us were wounded in combat but when we got back to the States, that didn't stop us from the joy and excitement of Paratrooper jumping. There were no super mega theme park rides like you see today so if you were the risk taker type then jumping from C-5A & C-141 jets, helicopters, and anything else that could fly was the most thrilling thing to do, especially the scary night jumps. General Lee created our country's most effective defence and surprise tatics but probably didn't fully realize just how much more fun and comradeship he also added to the military life style. The author does an excellent job detailing this crucial time in our history.
AIRBORNE ALL THE WAY!

So glad I ordered this book. Great historical World War II photographs, old western union telegrams, great information about a little known World War II hero from North Carolina.

This book is definitely going to be a great keepsake for my children and grandchildren.

General William C. Lee, Father of the American Airborne, is a short (100+ pages), concise book that brings history to life with personalized attention. The author introduces readers to an unsung hero of World War II with an array of historical photographs, copies of newspaper articles and telegrams, and - best of all - General Lee's own words in speeches, notes and letters. From General Lee's incredible foresight and interest in German paratroopers as early as 1934, throughout the development of the fabled airborne divisions, and encompassing his own serious injuries after a jump, and subsequent heart attacks, this book is the definitive work on a great-but-humble man who changed the course of military history. Many of his quotations are relevant today and still resonant with courage and caution. A terrific addition to any library!

I didn't know much about General Lee until I read this book other than a brief mention in a history channel documentary and reading a brief passage in Tom Clancy's book, Airborne. I had no idea Lee was so pivotal in the formation of America's Airborne and that he was the first commander of the 101st.

The collection of military photographs in the book is one of my favorites. Seeing Lee pictured alongside great men like Winston Churchhill, George C. Marshall, Matthew Ridgway, Max Taylor, James Gavin, Hap Arnold is a real treat for a World War II buff
like myself. (And, looking at General Lee's photograph, you see how much he resembles the film actor Randolph Scott)

This book will be a great addition to my military history collection, right in between the biographies of Ridgway and Taylor.

The General Lee Book brings back alot of memories growing up as a child in his hometown. I use to hear stories about the man who was so vital in creating the American Airborne and learned he was our unsung American Hero.

I like the book because the storytelling is done through photographs, letters, and telegrams from the mid 1920's to the mid 1940's. Reading the original letters from people like Matthew Ridgway, Boy Browning; letters to his wife Dava; addresses to his troops; and the western union telegrams of condolences; takes you on back to the World War II era. (Whoever designed this book gets a solid A.)

From reading Lee's letters, you learn not just about Lee the soldier, but Lee, the man. He was unusually kind and thoughtful for a man of his era. As we say in the South, he was "just a decent human being"; and, "being decent," will take you a long way in the South.

The 82nd Airborne Division Association, Winter issue 2003 has a full page book review on "Glide to Glory" Is consists of unedited stories of the 325 Glider Infantry Regiment from North Africa to Berlin and contains the list of honor by Father Thuring, Goesbeek, Holland as the last chapter in the book. Many never seen combat glider photo's. The web site for this book is . It is available for immediate shipment. It has been classified as one of the best books to come out of WWII and the author was a gliderman of Company D.

Glide to Glory is a great collection of stories
submitted by the people who lived them.Jerry has
put them together with pictures that can bring them
to life for all who read the book..

GLIDE TO GLORY is a fresh breeze in the Book Market. Written in the style of The Greatest Generation, this book fills a void with personal stories of courage, bravery and desparate situations told by the men who lived through them. Serving in the Glider Infantry of the 82nd Airborne Division these men were on the front line of World War II. Their stories have never previously been told. With unpublished photos, this book is a treasure you will want to keep. Wayne Pierce

This is a big, impressive book,(coffee table size) written about an impressive war (WWII)and the exceptionally brave young men who had to fight it. The story relates a complete day-to-day account of each combat action for the 325 Glider Infantry Regiemnt of the 82nd Airborne Division. It details the actual experiences of an airborne regiment who landed in North Africa and subsequently fought in every major battle in Europe. This is the story by the men who fought those battles, and in their own unedited words and in GI vernacular, whether good or bad. It is truly their story right from the heart. Father Thuring of Groesbeek, Holland authors the final chapter which includes a memorial of those Airborne Glidermen killed in action (748) The book also contains many photographs out of the "Liberation Museum" Groesbeek, Holland.The book is loaded with photographs never before seen of some actual combat landings and the "Crosses Of Normandy" on how the soldiers killed in action were processed in the first burial. The book is loaded with all kinds of stories --- witty, homorous, gripping, and courageous,too. It's a story of young men at war, filled with bravery and high adventure. It's a story, too, of death in the afternoon. Here is another side of war as stressed in Glide to Glory - often brutal statistics of Death in the Afternoon, in particular, of the 325 Glider Infantry Regiment: 280 KIA, Normandy, June 1944, 217 KIA Holland, September 1944: 205 KIA, the Battle of the Bulge. Records indicate that out of 2500 in the regiment, 2,375 purple hearts were awarded. A minimum of 3,089 were either killed in actin or wounde. Much of their combat time was behind enemy lines for atotal of 190 combat days. This is just the bare stats for one airborne infantry regiment...the 325 GIR. Never Before, Never again will ring forever as combat gliders only were used from 1943 to 1946 by he U.S. Army Airborne. No other book is available on only Glidermen during WWII.

This book is no disappointment. It cuts no corners in its size and quality as well as the number of pages, 457 of them. The book details the experiences of the glider infantry soldiers, specifically the 325th Glider Infantry Regiment of the 82nd Airborne Division. Never heard about gliders being used in WWII? Don't know what a glider infantry soldier is? Then this is the book for you. Imagine having to sit aboard a glider having wood wings, a wooden floor, a tubular steel fuselage and covered with fabric being towed behind a C-47 at 100 mph at low altitudes where ground fire and flak ripped through the wings, the floor, the canvas, and you. They were to low to bail out if your glider was hit, so no one had a parachute. Then if you survived the long flight, which could have been up to 4 hours, you hoped the skill of the trained glider pilot could bring you in onto a safe landing. But quite often, the glider pilots had to fly into postage stamp size fields where other gliders had already landed and crashes were inevitable into either another glider or the many hedgerows found along the fields. Then there were the trained German 88 crews just waiting for you to touch down so they could throw a round or two into the glider as you came to a rolling stop or the German troops who peppered the side of your glider as you sat inside watching the holes tear into the fabric hoping you would make it out as you waited for the glider to stop rolling. And if you survived the flight as well as the landing, now you had to unload your cargo of equipment and assemble into your company while being a moving target for German troops. Read about Glider Infantry Heros because that is what these guys were as told by them about them and those who didn't make it back. This book is their story and their history. You will find your emotions being tapped into as you read their personal stories and at times feel your eyes begin to well up. The glidermen played a key role in the war as did the use of the glider. Casualties and injuries were high for the C-47 crews, the glider pilots and glidermen BUT, they did what they had to do in preserving freedom. This book honors them with text, photos, maps, documents, and the names of all who died. You will not be disappointed, unless you don't have a copy of your own.

I was referred to this book by an American Artist whom had lived in Japan for almost 50 years. As a Chinese, I thought I know Chinese history, but after reading through JD's detail account of events with vivid description of the personalities, I can visualize the historical moments through the paper. It is so well written that I have to read very slowly to digest it. Combining this with other readings during the same period, including Ray Huang's lesser known Yellow River Blue Mountain (his autobiography), I am beginning to see history in perspective!

John Davies has crafted a superb tale of his years in Asia and Moscow. He was a classic Old China Hand, raised by missionary parents in China, a fluent speaker of the language, and a natural to serve in the State Department and as Army liaison during World War II. The book combines period documents with later reflections, dazzling readers with thrilling adventures and portentous encounters with the era's major figures: Generalissimo and Madame Chiang, Stilwell, Mao, Zhou Enlai, Roosevelt, Marshall. The 1948-9 Nationalist debacle sparked an anticommunist hunt for scapegoats blamed for "losing" China (it was never ours to lose), tragically depriving the US of wise counsel from Davies, John Service, Oliver Clubb, John Vincent and others. As J.K. Fairbank noted, neither before nor since has America had such gifted country experts to advise on foreign policy. Davies's view of a defense-minded Soviet Union again was more realistic than the official line which helped provoke the Cold War. His globetrotting is a little hard to follow, and fuller coverage of post-1945 events would be welcome, but these are quibbles. See L. Van Slyke ed, "The China White Paper." E. Sevareid, "Not so Wild a Dream" augments Davies's modest paragraph on their celebrated parachute jump and escape from Burma. E.J. Kahn, "The China Hands" details wartime conflicts and postwar persecutions, while J.S. Service, "Lost Chance in China" contains prophetic field reports by Davies's most astute colleague.

If you wish to understand Sino-American relations in the 20th Century, this book by our most brilliant (and persecuted) Political Officer in the State Department, must be your starting point. It is more than educational. His digressions - descriptions of the voyages of Cheng Ho during the Ming Dynasty; Mukden during the early years of the Japanese occupation of Manchuria; the celebration in Moscow after V-E day; etc., etc. - reveal a literary gift of the highest magnitude. Truly, one of the best books I have ever read. In fact, it irks me that so few people have read it.

While I had previously read Seagrave's Soong Dynasty and Tuchman's Stilwell, it was the bibliographical notes of Ambassador Lilley's China Hands that got me turned on to this book. I ordered it from an Amazon seller and I wasn't disappointed.

Mr. Davies offers vivid, evocative descriptions of events and people he encountered in China from his birth in Sichuan in 1908 until the Communist takeover in 1949. Apparently a religious record keeper, Davies is able to rely on his contemporaneous diary entries and letters to produce colorful details that would have been impossible to to recall 30 or 40 years after the fact. Davies does an exceptional job of mixing macroscopic historical events with his own microscopic personal narrative to create a flowing portrait of early 20th century China.

Though very much loyal member of Stilwell's China detail, Davies offers even-handed analysis of the events that eventually led to the fall of the Nationalist regime in China. Instead of putting the blame for the "loss" of China on any individual, Davies seems to point at the prevalence of sentimentalism over China in the minds of American foreign policy actors as leading to the mishandling of China during the 1940s.

I would recommend this book to anyone interested in China, Asian studies, or WWII history.

As above, a wonderful description of Chinese history in the 20th century by someone who was there. From the manchu's through early revolution to Chiang and the Communist struggle; one insight follows another.

This review refers to the original volume that I have sitting by my TV. In these days with cable and satellite available many vintage TV shows are aired all of the time. A quick thumb through the book not only gives excellent overall view of the show but the cross reference of stars and other shows is suburb.

I have used this book since I "found" a copy on book stand in NYC back in the 80s. Worth the purchase price.I use it all the time. The 1992 version should be better.

Used in conjunction with the Prime Time Stars book, this makes an excellent cross-reference of TV programs and stars for the period covered. My hopes are that the authors write a update for both the television shows and stars. The format is excellent showing all aspects of the shows including dates televised, stars and their roles, and interesting facts about the production.

I purchased this book when it was first published over a dozen years ago and still refer to it several times a week. Not only is it comprehensive but Tim Brooks often gives short biographies of the stars, listing other shows and related areas for which a particular actor or actress might have been known. I'm sorry that it is currently out of print because I would like to have an updated version of the book.

This is one great book. It might be a bit dry to the non-die hard WW2 fan, but it is the notes of an interogation of the Panzer Lehr General! This is a great book for any WW2 game especially Flames of War because you get to hear the "what might have been" from the general. For example, Lehr's General was denied placing his force in a location where the entire 101st would have landed on top of them! There are several more very telling scenarios like this too, and it would have changed history if some of his requests were granted!

This is a fabulous book full of inside information, facts and maps created personnally by the General. The author does an excellent job in presenting the thoughts of the hard nosed General who began to see the fallacy of Hitler's war and was one of the first to surrender his division. It will be of special interest to readers studying the First Infantry Divsion in WWII since General Bayerlein was the significant opponent for much of their operations.
Well researched and well written and a "must read" for WWII students.

The author has done an excellent job compiling hard to find documents in a single book. The third in her series of books on General Bayerlein, Ms. Spayd has done what no other could; bring to life one of World War II's most colorful and respected leaders. In this book, Ms. Spayd provides the reader with General Bayerlein's self-written accounts of critical events of the war. The book is well organized, providing the reader with a wonderful tool for research or wargaming. Of particular interest are detailed unit break downs and maps done by the General himself. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the Panzer Lehr Division or German military history.