Shipmate by Eileen Clancy Biegel

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Author's Synopsis

The Bear has recently joined the United States Coast Guard, and his first duty assignment is the United States Coast Guard Cutter Southwind. Eager to learn all that he can about his new job as a Quartermaster onboard the “Polar Prowler,” the Bear is lucky enough to meet his new boss who turns out to be his mentor as well.

The Southwind embarks on a once-in-a-lifetime journey around the world. The Bear and the crew rise to the challenges that life aboard an icebreaker may bring.

The Bear pays it forward and mentors other young “Coasties” during his career. The repercussions of sharing one’s gifts and talents are felt for generations to come.

Format(s) for review: Paper Only

Review Genre: Children & Young Adult—Picture Book

Number of Pages: 36

Word Count: 710

Vietman, The Memoir of a Sandlot Soldier by W. Thomas Burns

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Author's Synopsis

In late December of 1968, a nineteen-year-old Marine was lying in a hospital bed after having spent eight months engaged with the enemy in the jungles of the mountains of Vietnam.  During his recovery, he began writing about his war experiences.  He returned to his combat unit, and later was among those wounded in action and medevaced to a military hospital in the United States.  As he recovered, he continued to record his experiences "in country".  Those writings form the main part of this Memoir some fifty years later---battles, heroes, everyday bravery, losing the friend right beside you, and larger than life leaders-----told simply and forthrightly of valor and patriotism.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Nonfiction—Memoir/Biography

Number of Pages: 96

Word Count: 9446

Finding His Own Way, A Marine Novel by Gerald Gillis

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Author's Synopsis

On the eve of World War II, Dylan Rafferty is a troubled young man who runs afoul of the law and is given the choice of either the county jail or the U.S. Marine Corps. Dylan chooses the Marines, whereupon he begins a journey that will dramatically change the trajectory of his life. As the war unfolds, Dylan joins the 2nd Marine Division in time enough to participate in the invasion of Tarawa where, through the exigencies of war, he suddenly finds himself in a role as a small-unit leader.

Dylan also sees action in the battles at Saipan and Okinawa. He suffers wounds, loses buddies, and does his part in the brutal, bloody Pacific war.

Along the way, Dylan finds a Marine officer who takes an interest in him, and who mentors and challenges him into becoming a better Marine. That same officer convinces Dylan that he can grow and achieve far more than he otherwise thought possible.

Finding His Own Way, A Marine Novel, is an inspiring story of a young man who discovers much about himself in the dire circumstances of war, together with the support of his fellow Marines and a young lady back home. Dylan joins a long line of Rafferty men who have distinguished themselves in the service of their country.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Fiction—Historical Fiction

Number of Pages: 283

Word Count: 101,500

Why Vietnam: Reflections on the Effect of War by Margaret Colbert Brown

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Author's Synopsis

Why Vietnam delves into the myriad reasons for US involvement, examining theories that date back to 1918 through to LBJ's full commitment to undeclared war, which restrained the military to a defensive role in protecting South Vietnam instead of an offensive one that would send troops across the DMZ and into Laos and Cambodia.   (new paragraph) The question of why the USA became involved, whether their involvement was justified, and if the war was ever winnable have been fiercely debated for over 50 years.  This book seeks to address these 'whys' by providing a thorough examination of all contributing factors, from presidential actions to foreign policy, and the social and political climates of the war eras.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Nonfiction—History

Number of Pages: 293

Word Count: 105,008

The Nightmare of the Mekong by Terry M. Sater

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Author's Synopsis

The Nightmare of the Mekong" is a gritty account of the Vietnam War, from a sailor who manned automatic weapons in intense combat, on the rivers, streams and canals of the Mekong Delta. It is profoundly personal, with diary entries, and letters to and from home. It includes summaries of official "Operations Reports" and military historical records. The interwoven references to music and news of the day provides a vivid picture of the culture and politics of the times. It is a true story of love, family, war, life and death.Some of this story will bring a smile to your face and warm your heart. Much of it will surprise you. Some of it will give you nightmares. Terry Sater takes the reader through the difficult training of being a "River Rat," fighting the Viet Cong on the dark and dangerous rivers, streams and canals of enemy infested territory. The men of the Mobile Riverine Force go through the legendary "S.E.R.E." (Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape) training, followed by boat handling and weapons training, by Army, Navy, and Marine instructors. Following the training, Sater takes the reader to the Mekong Delta of Vietnam, where death awaits around every bend in the river, or a careless step into the muddy Mekong River, "The River of Nine Dragons." Coming home, Sater sheds light on the terrible price our Vietnam veterans paid for serving their country, both in their treatment by the antiwar protestors, and the nightmares and flashbacks that came home with them. If you can only read one book to learn about the Vietnam War, this is the one. You will feel you are there.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Nonfiction—Memoir/Biography

Number of Pages: 290

Word Count: 169,944

The Treasure of Trenalon: A Fellowship of the Flame Novel, Book 2 by A. R. Silverberry

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Author's Synopsis

Dark Enchantment Hides a Secret …

Purpura’s tottering Resistance needs gold and weapons, and Briar’s hell-bent on bringing her formidable sword to the task. But when a sorcerer throws the kingdom into bloody chaos, one hope remains … sail away from the fight in search of a mythical treasure.

She’s not alone in the hunt. Someone else hungers for the treasure. And Briar’s charms. Vowing to either tame or kill her, he’s coming after her with sword sharpened and cannons loaded.

Briar welcomes the fight. But how can she battle the mesmerizing allure of the sorcerer?

How can she keep her heart true to the pirate, the man she really loves?

And how, in the vast deadly waters of the Teeth, can she find the greatest treasure ever known?

The one thing that will stop Purpura from plunging into madness …

Format(s) for review: Paper & Kindle

Review Genre: Fiction—Horror/Fantasy/Sci-Fi

Number of Pages: 310

Word Count: 79,000

The Tear of Tybaleth, A Fellowship of the Flame Novel (Book 1) by A. R. Silverberry

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Author's Synopsis

A Fiery Heroine, A Ruthless Queen, A Dark and Deadly Magic …

Lonely and trapped in her father’s loveless house, Briar longs to flee as far away as she can with Vance,

Who taught her swordplay,

Who left her breathless,

Who vanished without a trace.

But the sorceress queen of Purpura plots to sell her off to the highest bidder. When Briar thwarts the plan, she’s cast to a fate from which she may never survive.

She’d better.

Or thousands of her countrymen will die …

Format(s) for review: Kindle Only

Review Genre: Fiction—Horror/Fantasy/Sci-Fi

Number of Pages: 296

Word Count: 73,000

Task Force Hogan by William R Hogan

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Author's Synopsis

At 28, Samuel Hogan was the youngest tank battalion commander during WWII. He was responsible for the lives, welfare and mission accomplishment of his 500 soldiers riding to battle on Sherman and Stuart tanks. With courage and compassion, he led his troops in some of the toughest battles of the European Theater. They were the only tank battalion in the path of both major German offensives in the West: Mortain and the Battle of the Bulge. For their actions at Mortain, the unit was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation in March 2020. As part of the mighty 3rd Armored Division, the Task Force was one of the first units into Belgium, first to cross into Germany since Napoleon, first to capture a major German city (Aachen), and participated in the longest single-day advance against enemy resistance in military history (90 miles). They are best known for their part in the Bulge, where they rode back from their advance positions in Germany to meet the enemy counteroffensive. Arriving with fuel tanks half-empty, they fought a skilled delaying action against numerically superior forces until they were surrounded by enemy infantry infiltrated through the woods. Refusing an enemy surrender ultimatum, the under-strength battalion continued to harass the Germans by calling artillery and direct fire from their hilltop redoubt at Marcouray. On Christmas Day, short of fuel, ammunition and medical supplies, they were ordered to destroy their equipment and make their way back to friendly lines on foot. This was successfully accomplished and by early January they were rearmed and participated in the elimination of "the bulge." A rip-roaring ride, this is a human story written as a nonfiction narrative, impeccably researched. Ride with Task Force Hogan!

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Nonfiction—History

Number of Pages: 320

Word Count: 95,000

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Around the World in 80 Years by Jasmine Tritten and Jim Tritten

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Author's Synopsis

This book contains selected stories inspired by my travels worldwide and some of the two hundred thirty trips I have taken with my husband, Jim, during the last thirty-five years. I developed my interest in other cultures and languages as a little girl growing up in Denmark. Geography and English were my favorite subjects. I traveled with my parents around Europe and learned to speak five languages, Danish, English, German, French, and Swedish, in school. My thirst for travel and adventure escalated with age and continued throughout my life. Join Jasmine and Jim as they recount some of their travels and adventures during their journey Around the World in 80 Years.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Memoir/Biography

Number of Pages: 399

Word Count: 55,323

Chloe the "Military Brat" by A.L. Zeine

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Author's Synopsis

Life isn’t easy for any eleven-year-old, but when your mom is an active-duty Army officer and your parents are divorced, it becomes so much worse. Chloe has had to move three times already and is devastated to learn it will happen again, forcing her to leave behind yet another best friend. Can their friendship survive this world-ending news? And how will Chloe explain to her parents just how hard it is being a military brat? So far, she’s only been able to pour her feelings into her journal. Life isn’t looking too great, then she gets some surprising, yet bittersweet news. This first installment in a new series follows Chloe as she tries to navigate her conflicting love and anger for her parents and ongoing struggles to maintain friendships throughout moves. Filled with the typical mix of fun and angst of tween daily life but set against the background of Chloe’s life as a military brat, readers are sure to find this a different, yet engaging tween series.

The Cul-de-sac Kids Chapter Book Series was designed to show Military Brats they are not alone. Every book in the series will follow Chloe and her friends as they work their way through the challenges all Military brats face.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Children & Young Adult—Middle Grade Chapter Book

Number of Pages: 98

Word Count: 15,612

Sometimes Apart Always in My Heart by Tish Rabe

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Author's Synopsis

Sometimes Apart Always in My Heart- helping military families find love from far away was written by bestselling children's author Tish Rabe in partnership with United Through Reading, a nonprofit that helps service members around the world videotape themselves reading to their children then sends each child a copy of the book. The story follows the Bear Family, that is waiting at home while Daddy Bear is away on a military assignment. Everyone in the family is counting the days until Daddy comes safely home.

Format(s) for review: Paper Only

Review Genre: Children & Young Adult—Picture Book

Number of Pages: 24

Word Count: 970 words

Smoke on the Water by Jack Bartley

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Author's Synopsis

May 1971. Jason Conley, a recent college graduate, finds himself about to pay the price for his free university education. He could not afford college, so he had applied for and was awarded an NROTC scholarship. The scholarship had strings attached; he now owed the Navy four years of service. Not wanting to be engulfed in the Vietnam war, he devises a scenario in which he would serve on a ship converted to be an oceanographic research support vessel in Hawaii, thousands of miles from the battle zone. A brilliant plan, if it worked.

It did. Then, it didn’t. 

Through a series of events and miscues, some of his own making and some out of his control, Jason fails to negotiate life on board his first ship and is transferred to a new command, a ship that deploys on a WestPac tour to Vietnam the day he sets foot on board. He now faces new challenges. How does he avoid the same mistakes he made on the first ship? How does he reconcile his feelings about the Vietnam war while at the same time directing a destroyer escort on the gunline supporting U.S. and South Vietnamese troops? How does he stay alive?

“Smoke on the Water” is based on real life events. It is a coming-of-age tale that occurs in less than four years’ time, spanning events from the East Coast to Hawaii to Southeast Asia. It encompasses journeys and adventures in foreign lands, loves found and lost, humorous situations, and a maturation process within one man compressed in the pressure cooker of an unpopular war.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Fiction—Historical Fiction

Number of Pages: 316

Word Count: 96,000

Downriver: Memoir of a Warrior Poet by Ryan McDermott

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Author's Synopsis

A leader forged in combat. A soul tested by loss. A journey back to what matters most. Downriver: Memoir of a Warrior Poet follows Ryan McDermott from the front lines of the 2003 Iraq invasion-where he led an armored platoon into Baghdad under fire-to the heart of the 2008 financial crisis on Wall Street. In gripping, fast-paced scenes, McDermott reveals the intensity of modern warfare, the weight of leadership, and the hidden battles that follow soldiers home. But this isn't just a war story. It's about what happens after the mission-when the uniforms are packed away, the adrenaline fades, and a man is left to face the fractures within. As McDermott confronts the collapse of his marriage, the burden of trauma, and the search for meaning beyond achievement, he shares a deeply personal story of rebuilding, resilience, and redemption. Interwoven with battlefield-born poetry and raw reflection, Downriver is a memoir for anyone who has fought for their identity-on the battlefield or in their own life. It speaks to veterans, families, and readers who understand that the hardest part of war is often coming home.

Format(s) for review: Paper Only

Review Genre: Nonfiction—Memoir/Biography

Number of Pages: 294

Word Count: 80000

Shoulders to Stand On: Marine Corps Heroes from 1942 by LtCol David B, Brown, USMC (Ret.)

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Author's Synopsis

"Shoulders to Stand On: Marine Corps Heroes from 1942" takes a historic look at racism in the Marine Corps initially under the leadership of the Corps’ Commandant in WWII who stated in 1941, ‘It is my unwavering intention to tell the General Board up front that, if it ever was a question of having a Marine Corps of 5,000 Whites or 250,000 Negroes, I would rather have the Whites.’ ‘Shoulders’ tells the compelling stories of 18 Marines who become part of the heritage of Black Americans’ struggle for equality within the United States Marine Corps. The book focuses on male and female Black-American Marines from WWII to today, who successfully overcame racial challenges encountered in their youth and while on active duty in war and peace. These heroes rise to become general officers, US ambassadors, head of NASA, and co-writer of the US Fair Housing Act of 1968.”

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: History

Number of Pages: 364

Word Count: 93,414

Elements of War by Gray Rinehart

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Author's Synopsis

ELEMENTS OF WAR examines war and warfare in ways that challenge some of the most deeply held conceptions of armed conflict.

War involves myriad violent actions against often intractable foes, across varied and difficult environments, in pursuit of broad strategic aims, making it perhaps the most complex and consequential of all human activities. This volume presents nontraditional and even innovative ways of thinking about war and its constituent elements, and suggests that we may comprehend war better if we study it through the lens of theory of knowledge.

Is it possible to understand war in its totality? Perhaps not, but it does us well to try--even if we never approach any sort of unified theory to guide our strategic and tactical aims.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Nonfiction—History

Number of Pages: 357

Word Count: 85,000

A Church More Like Christ by Gray Rinehart

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Author's Synopsis

A church like Christ would

· Teach like Jesus

· Worship like Jesus

· Pray and live and love like Jesus

Is your church a force for good, a light in the darkness, an outpost of God's kingdom in the world? Do the wounded find comfort and healing in your church? Do the broken find repair and restoration? Do the vulnerable find help and hope? Does your church offer refuge for the oppressed, a hand up to the beaten-down, and recognition to the unseen? If so, this book may not be for you.

If not—if your church is divided against itself, or focused only on itself, or more judgmental than caring—it may be that the church is not as much like Christ as it could be. A Church More Like Christ can help you examine how Christlike your church is, and give you new ways to think about what it means for a church to live out the faith it practices.

If the church were quicker to comfort than to condemn, quicker to heal rather than harm, quicker to love than to hate, disparage, or ignore, perhaps it would be a greater source of inspiration, strength, and change in people's lives—and in the world. If so, it would be, in effect, more like Christ.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Other—Religious/Spiritual

Number of Pages: 116

Word Count: 30,000

Berkshire Heroes in WWII-With Courage and Honor by Dennis G. Pregent

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Author's Synopsis

Berkshire Heroes in WWII- With Courage and Honor chronicles the harrowing stories of twenty-eight men and women who endured some of World War II's most dire conditions. They served from Africa to Sicily, over the Himalayas, and across the vast expanse of the Pacific and found themselves in the consequential battles of Normandy, the Bulge, Okinawa, and Peleliu.

The reader will meet a paratrooper, a PT boat radioman, combat nurses, bombardiers, artillerymen, a tail gunner, and others.

The book is a testimony to the uncommon valor of ordinary men and women who answered their country's call.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Nonfiction—History

Number of Pages: 392

Word Count: 104,000

F4U Corsair by Ernest M. Snowden

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Author's Synopsis

F4U Corsair is published by Naval Institute Press as the first aircraft history in a series they title Special Editions. Special Editions are designed to offer a deeper look at iconic naval aircraft using an image-heavy, magazine-style format in a coffee table book layout. Special Editions are intended to appeal to scholars, enthusiasts, and general readers alike.  

Rarely is an aircraft design so inspired that it brings forth near-universal recognition and acclaim. In more than 110 years of naval aviation history and more than 50 years of Vought Corsairs in active-duty squadrons, one Corsair model, the F4U, stands alone. In that time, only a few naval aircraft have been acknowledged as game changers that singularly tipped the balance in air combat. The Vought F4U Corsair heads a short list of such aircraft by dint of its supremely efficient lines—a melding of the highly developed Double Wasp powerplant, the outsized Hydromatic propeller that it drove, and the finely tuned airframe that wrapped it.   

Navy and Marine Corps aviators held the Corsair in high esteem for its ruggedness, speed, and adaptability as a fighter and a bomber, long after its first appearance in the South Pacific during World War II, through the closing weeks of the Korean War. The Corsair’s potency made it sought after by allied air forces long after its final days in U.S. inventory, rendering vital service in French livery at Dien Bien Phu and, finally, with South American air forces in the so-called  “Soccer War” of the late 1960s.  Here is the complete history of this storied aircraft, from early design through the legendary dogfights of Maj. Gregory “Pappy” Boyington’s Black Sheep Squadron over the Pacific, and in operations in Korea.

Format(s) for review: Paper Only

Review Genre: Artistic—Pictorial/Coffee Table

Number of Pages: 126

Word Count: 40,000

Murder Comes Home by Rosalie Spielman

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Author's Synopsis

Army retiree Tessa Treslow is as excited as the other residents of New Oslo, Idaho, when the cast and crew of the TV show Picks with Ricks comes to town! Tessa and her Aunt Edna put their car restoration business on hold to let the celebrity antique hunters pick through their old garage, hoping the trash contains a treasure that will help fund their new business. But it turns out that the pickers come with TV cameras, likeable stars, a stressed-out producer—and a murderer!

The show’s lead makes an insistent offer on one of Aunt Edna’s renovation projects and won’t take no for an answer. And when Tessa finds the show's cameraman dead in the restored 1965 Mustang, Tessa knows murder has come home yet again. And the mystery takes a very personal turn when the dead man is found with an antique inscribed pocket watch connected to the former owners of Aunt Edna's farmhouse. As Tessa digs into the history surrounding the pocket watch and the relationships of the TV crew, shocking details—both old and new—arise. Will Tessa be able to catch a killer...before they return for a repeat performance?

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Fiction—Mystery/Thriller/Crime

Number of Pages: 283

Word Count: 76,000

In Harm's Way by Thomas W. Wing

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Author's Synopsis

The man who fights for his family is far more dangerous than the one who fights for his king.

Colonial sea captain Jonas Hawke returns home to Norfolk after a year-long voyage only to have his ship and its valuable cargo seized by the British Royal Navy. As the royal governor further tightens the noose on trade, Jonas is thrust into the chaos of a growing rebellion. Desperate to support his family, he sets out to find work. When he is denied a commission with the newly formed Continental Navy, he outfits his own vessel as a private ship-of-war and voyages to the Caribbean in search of enemy merchant ships he can capture and friends he can trust.

But dangers multiply on the unforgiving sea. The Royal Navy reacts mercilessly to the threat posed by privateers like Jonas. How will Jonas fare now that he has boldly defied the king of Britain to preserve his family? And what will happen to his loved ones while he is away, engulfed in a war to oppose tyranny in the name of freedom?

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Fiction—Historical Fiction

Number of Pages: 324

Word Count: 95000