Never a Dull Moment: The 80th Airborne Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion in World War II by Arthur "Ben" Powers

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MWSA Review

Much has been written about the 101st Airborne Division and their exploits in World War II, and rightfully so. Arthur "Ben" Powers's book Never a Dull Moment: The 80th Airborne Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion in World War II tells of a lesser-known airborne division, the 82nd. Covered within these pages are the accomplishments of a group of soldiers, those of the 80th Airborne Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion. Treated as the red-headed stepchild not only by history but also the Army initially, they were considered a Coast Guard artillery unit. But the 80th AAA battalion fought alongside the paratroopers of the division, albeit they were entering battle by way of gliders instead of parachutes, and fought just as heroically as those paratroopers.

Powers meticulously recounts the history of the 80th AAA battalion from its formation as the 80th Airborne Anti-tank Anti-aircraft Battalion in 1942 through various bases for different phases of training, and into North Africa, Sicily, and Italy. From there, they transferred to Ireland and England in preparation for their role in D-Day and Operation Neptune, where they doggedly defended the town of Sainte-Mère-Église, receiving multiple medals as a result. It was during this time that the glider troops were finally recognized for not only their bravery in combat, but all the additional training involved in the utilization of gliders in action. This recognition consisted of not only hazardous duty pay, but their own glider badge, similar to the parachutist badge but with a glider in the center of the wings.

After Normandy, the battalion went back to England to prepare for Operation Market Garden where they implemented the lessons learned previously. The additional education gained in this operation would come in handy when they faced their greatest challenge: preventing the German breakthrough in the Ardennes in the Christmas Battle of the Bulge. The 82nd Airborne were every bit as heroic as the 101st Airborne in their defense against this offensive, and the 80th AAAB were an integral part of this defense, providing the support needed to allow for the safe withdrawal of the 7th Armored Division. After their successful defense in Belgium and subsequent invasion of Germany, their final assignment was in Berlin serving as an occupation force until their ultimate dissolution.

Powers provides a detailed history of these heroic glider-men. His narrative is engaging, showing not just an attention to detail as shown by the thorough documentation of his narrative using numerous primary sources, but also showing great enthusiasm in presenting their actions and accomplishments. Never a Dull Moment is a not only a welcome addition to the library of World War II literature, but serves an important role in documenting the ordeal of a previously overlooked airborne unit.

Review by Daniel E. Long (July 2025)
 

Author's Synopsis

Most modern books and films glamorize World War II airborne soldiers as troopers leaping into the night to descend by parachute into combat. Much less often considered is the role of glider forces. Glider troops lacked the panache and special distinctions of paratroopers, despite their critical role in airborne warfare. Likewise, World War II ground combat is characterized as a combined arms fight of infantry and armor, backed up with field artillery; by comparison the role played by specialized, supporting arms has received scant attention.

The 80th AAA Battalion was a glider outfit, providing antiaircraft defense and antitank capability to the division’s three infantry regiments as battlefield conditions dictated. Elements of the battalion fought in Italy, Normandy, Holland and the Battle of the Bulge, making combat glider assaults during both Operation Neptune and Operation Market Garden. The exploits of the men of the 80th tend to be obscured as commanders maneuvered the batteries wherever their special skills were needed on the battlefield, with no regiment to call a permanent home.

The 80th AAA battalion was a hybrid unit. While its members were considered Coast Artillery (the branch responsible for defending ground formations from air attack during WWII), they fought alongside parachute and glider infantry, most often providing direct fire, anti-armor support with 57mm/6 pounder cannons. While field artillery, both parachute and glider, established their gunlines some distance behind infantry units to provide indirect fire support, the men of the 80th fought face to face with the enemy, alongside their infantry brothers.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Nonfiction—History

Number of Pages: 264

Word Count: 62,985

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

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MWSA Review

It may be a bit easier to state what this unique book is not. It is not a comprehensive history of the Vietnam War, it is not an inquiry into the start of the Vietnam War, and it is not an individual account of military service during Vietnam. The book can best be described as a random walk through the entirety of the Vietnam War, sprinkled heavily with individual reflections and poetry by Vietnam veterans. The book is also interspersed frequently with background stateside social and cultural information during various periods of the decade-plus duration of the war.

The author has taken the approach of addressing specific issues and aspects of the war, primarily from the perspectives of combat soldiers and Marines she has encountered while teaching college courses on the Vietnam War. Several appendices provide detailed information on specific subjects such as a timeline of the war, military organization, medals, and the prisoner of war experience.

What is noteworthy is the in-depth detailing of language, slang, rituals, and experiences of everyday life in combat during the war. The book is unconventional and at times disjointed, perhaps intentionally, to reflect the unusual nature of the Vietnam War itself. Viewpoints from individual North Vietnamese and Viet Cong soldiers are presented in various sections, such as monsoon weather, to illustrate the common struggle of everyone involved in the fighting of the war.

Why Vietnam? also touches on the experiences of combat veterans coming home, as well as the inglorious end of the war, and the later societal sea change towards Vietnam veterans, culminating in the establishment of the Vietnam Memorial in Washington D.C. and the diplomatic recognition of the former enemy regime.

Why Vietnam? will certainly be of interest to Vietnam veterans—especially those who served as grunts—the families of those veterans, those who lived during the period of war, and readers and students interested in the history of the wars that raged across Southeast Asia during the mid-20th century.

Review by Terry Lloyd (July 2025)

 

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.  

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

Task Force Hogan by William R Hogan

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MWSA Review

Task Force Hogan by William R. Hogan is a gripping account of the exploits of Task Force Hogan in World War II. From the early days just after the Normandy invasion on D-Day to V-E Day and post-war duties, author Hogan weaves a spell-binding tapestry of action, suspense, heart-felt joy, and heart-wrenching despair of the Third Battalion, Thirty-Third Armored Regiment, 3rd Armored Division as they make their way across France from Normandy on into Germany.

From their starting positions in the bocage-laden death traps of northern France, Hogan tells of Lieutenant Colonel Sam Hogan, the author’s father, as he commands his task force in a mad dash across France, through Belgium, into Germany, back into Belgium as they help defend against the German offensive leading to the Battle of the Bulge, and back into Germany to close out the war. The author meticulously details the unit’s valiant stand against the German offensive at Mortain, receiving a Presidential Unit Citation for these actions, as well as their subsequent non-stop advance.

While many books have been written about the 101st Airborne Division and their heroic deeds in holding out at Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge, less has been written about other such units involved in this battle. The author documents Task Force Hogan’s courageous stand against the opposing German forces. Surrounded by enemy troops and with their unit doctor running low on medical supplies, they were forced to attempt to replenish these supplies through the use of artillery shells filled with the necessary items. Neither this nor the attempt to use C-47 cargo planes for resupply was successful in its mission. In riveting detail, Hogan describes the retreat of the remaining 400 men of the task force through ten miles of enemy-held territory back to friendly forces. Hogan’s book is a welcome addition to the library of literature documenting these other unsung heroes of the Bulge. 

From start to finish, Task Force Hogan is well written and easy to read. This book would serve well as either a supplementary reading in a general World War II history class or as a resource for military scholars, offering an in-depth look at the personal aspects of the Greatest Generation as they dealt with the trauma of the Second World War. One cannot go wrong in purchasing this book.

Review by Daniel E. Long (June 2025)

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

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MWSA Review

LtCol Brown's Shoulders to Stand On is an intimate portrait of impactful African American Marines on the history of the United States Marine Corps. Starting with the famed Montford Point Marines, and moving up to those serving in this millennium, the book details several prominent Marines from their oft humble beginnings to their success in the Corps.

The author pulls no punches when it comes to detailing the racist issues these brave Americans had to deal with, and how they met their challenges head on, like Marines. There are stories of bravery, camaraderie, triumph, and justice as these Marines strove to be recognized for their abilities, not their skin color.

Those seeking to learn more about the Marine Corps or the history of minorities serving in the military will find a lot to like about this book.

Review by Rob Ballister (July 2025)

 

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

War Is Hell: The Rise of Total War from Napoleon to the Present by Daniel E. Long

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Author's Synopsis

From Napoleon to nuclear war, War Is Hell unravels the brutal rise of total war and its devastating impact on soldiers and civilians alike.

General William Tecumseh Sherman said it best during the American Civil War: “War is hell” – for soldiers as well as for civilians.  As a pioneer and practitioner of total war, Sherman knew better than most what warfare had become by the middle of the nineteenth century, how it had become a devastating, all-consuming affair that aimed not only at armies, but also at societies and economies in order to undermine a country’s will to fight. Indeed, this is the central story of warfare during the past two hundred years, from Napoleon’s massive armies tearing through Europe and Sherman’s march through Georgia to the fire bombings of World War II and the threat of nuclear annihilation.

In War Is Hell, Daniel Long tracks the rise of total war across two centuries of bloody warfare and pays special attention to the impact on civilians as they become more deeply enmeshed in armed conflict and as war becomes ever more lethal. Total war rose from roots in ancient times but gained speed as the world industrialized at the beginning of the nineteenth century.  It is the story of Napoleon and Sherman, the Indian Wars on the American Plains, the Rape of Belgium in World War I and the Rape of Nanking in 1937, and the bombings of Japanese and German cities during World War II. In the years since 1945, large-scale war has declined, but the small wars that have proliferated in its place have enmeshed civilians just as thoroughly, just as devastatingly.  Vietnam, Cambodia, the Iran-Iraq War, Bosnia and Kosovo, Rwanda, and Ukraine remind us that warfare remains total, the human cost high.
 
War Is Hell is essential reading for understanding the past as well as a present.

Elements of War by Gray Rinehart

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MWSA Review

Elements of War by Gray Rinehart is a comprehensive exploration of the theories and principles of war, and the evolution of various theories of war, from Sun Tzu to von Clausewitz to Mahan. The book is very technical in and in-depth, using the various traditional, established methods to develop strategies in war to build towards an encompassing comprehensive theory of war. Unless you are a senior military officer or academic steeped in the study of military history, theory, and grand strategy, this is not a casual read. Fortunately, in-depth, detailed concepts are introduced in short chapters. At the same time, continuous references to past or future chapters can be distracting at times, an unavoidable dilemma given the nature of this subject.

The author states the book is based on a previous thesis and several professional papers. Although published in 2019, with some material probably originating earlier, the amount of attention and detail paid to the emerging and merging challenges of both cyber and space elements into modern warfare is noteworthy. There are also specific discussions of both naval and air warfare. This book will be of interest to career military officers, academics and those that work in military-industrial research and “think-tank” enterprises.

Review by Terry Lloyd (May 2025) 

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

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

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MWSA Review

Berkshire Heroes in WWII: with Courage and Honor by Dennis G. Pregent tells the stories of 26 men and 2 women who all are associated with 3 Berkshire towns at some point in their lives. All played significant roles in various branches of the service during WWII and were involved with most of the major WWII battles. Each story begins with the hero’s family, then describes their military service as well as details about their specialties. For example, communication specialists who support artillery units used sound ranging to figure out where the shelling was coming from. Then each story describes the hero’s life after military service. In most cases, they contributed significantly to their communities. In one case. A Seabee machinist’s mate who was quite an entrepreneur built a retirement village in the 1950s with “a giant water display … featuring over two hundred colored lights and hundreds of water jets that shot water ten stories in the air.” (pp 281-2). This over 40 years before Bellagio in Las Vega.

Each of the 28 stories is told separately and divided by the three towns: Adams/Chesire, North Adams, and Williamstown. Each section has its heroes listed alphabetically by last name. In the cases of brothers or a married couple, their stories are in the same “chapter” but the people are listed individually. So, for example, Charles and George Haley are listed separately in the Table of Contents, but both are covered in the same story.

There is a wide range of positions in these stories: artilleryman, bombardier, communications, fighter pilot, gunner, infantryman, machinist mate, navigator, nurse, paratrooper, radar operator, radioman, rifleman, tail gunner, truck driver. One of the nurses was a combat nurse who also had training in neurosurgery; the other was a psychiatric charge nurse. There is also a wide range of geography: Africa, Sicily, over the Himalayas, across the Pacific. They were involved in battles of Normandy, the Bulge, Okinawa, and Peleliu. There are many personal photos included.

This book is best read over a period of time so that each story can be savored. The book is rich in details and will not disappoint those interested in the reality of WWII. The author’s summary states it well: “… it is a testimony to the uncommon valor of ordinary men and women responding to their country’s call – with courage and honor.”

Review by Nancy Kauffman (May 2025)
 

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

Women Warriors - The Hidden Spies of WWII by Donna Pedace

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MWSA Review

Women Warriors: The Hidden Spies of WWII by Donna Pedace chronicles the exploits of fifty women spies who either parachuted into France, or arrived by boat, to help the French and British Resistance thwart the occupying Germans. Author Pedace gives faces, names, and backgrounds to these brave souls, some of whom were tortured and executed by the enemy. Each showed incredible courage, ingenuity, and sacrifice in working with the resistance movements in France.
More than once, a woman spy passed through a German checkpoint with explosives in a basket or radio parts sewn into the hem of a skirt. One female spy rode a train with a backpack of hidden grenades while a German officer sat next to her. Each woman was trained to maintain her composure under duress, and it worked.

Out of fifty women spies, eleven were executed while they were prisoners in concentration camps. Two died of disease while in a camp. Others were captured and tortured but survived the war. All the women showed incredible courage, and Nazi records show that not one of them gave the Germans any classified information, even when they faced  certain death.

Odette Sansom, imprisoned and tortured by the Gestapo when serving with the French Resistance Movement, said of the other captured female agents she met while in prisons in France and Germany: “We were all young, we were all different, but we all had the feeling in the beginning that we were doing this to be helpful. That was why we went into it.”

Kudos to author Donna Pedace. Women Warriors is a well-documented, accurate account of women in history who made a difference under harrowing conditions.

Review by Nancy Panko (March 2025)

 

Author's Synopsis

The stories of the 52 female agents trained and sent into France by the Special Operation Executive (SOE). They were a widely diverse group of women by age, education, economic background, and motivation. But all had the goal of freeing France from German occupation. Of the 52 women who went to France, eleven (11) were executed while prisoners in concentration camps, and two (2) died of disease in the camps. Others were captured and tortured but survived the war. All showed incredible courage, and Nazi records show that not one of the captured women gave the Germans any classified information – even when they faced a certain death.

Behind the veil of secrecy, not yet raised by the Air Ministry, there are great stories of courage and endurance. For the agent has no status, no friendly uniform or consul to rely on. With her friends, she is outside the law — until it catches up with her.

Written by Squadron Leader William Simpson, Distinguished Flying Cross, regarding the female SOE agents in March 1945.

Format(s) for review: Paper Only

Review Genre: Nonfiction—History

Number of Pages: 328

Word Count: 123,171

A Nation Born – A Homeland Lost: Native Americans and the Revolutionary War Era by George J. Bryjak

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MWSA Review

We’ve been taught the history of the founding of the United States by Europeans. A Nation Born – A Homeland Lost tells the lesser-known story of what happened to the Native Americans who inhabited North America, as settlements of these newcomers spread across the land. Battles for territory raged between the French and the British, and then the British and the Patriots. Alliances of Native tribes were constantly shifting, as they tried to hold onto their land, support their families, and maintain their cultures. The final battles were between the settlers and the Native Americans, as they claimed all of the land from the Atlantic to the Pacific, south of Canada and north of Mexico. The few Natives who survived were left with broken treaties and confined to isolated patches of territory as prisoners of war.

This is a well-researched book that includes maps, pictures, and sources. Points of view in the book included the French, the British, the colonists or settlers, and the Native Americans. The extensive descriptions of the various tribes, including their territory, customs, beliefs, and leaders, gives the reader a Native American perspective that is missing from most other accounts of history in this time period. The author included stories about several women warriors and leaders.

The book is easy to understand, with a lot of specific details. More sensitive readers may find the graphic details of the brutality of many of the battles against the Native Americans to be very disturbing, as I did. If so, I recommend you skip over those narratives.

I recommend this book to anyone interested in a more complete picture of the battles that defined the settlement of North America through the early 1800s.
Review by Eva Nevarez St. John (March 2025)
 

Author's Synopsis

To fully understand the American Revolutionary War and its aftermath, we must also examine wars involving Native Americans in that era, and how they influenced the destiny of a people and a continent

.

As France and England battle for control of North America in The French and Indian War, most of the Indians who fight side with the French.

Pontiac’s Rebellion – often called the first American Revolution – is a concerted effort by Native Americans to halt European expansion and safeguard their ancestral homelands.

From Pontiac’s Rebellion to the battles of Lexington and Concord, a shifting political landscape results in most of the Native Americans who fight in the Revolutionary War siding with the British.

The Treaty of Paris and birth of the United States results in Native Americans battling for their sovereignty once more in the Northwest Indian War.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Nonfiction—History

Number of Pages: 285

Word Count: 84,000

Crucible 1972: The War for Peace in Vietnam by J. Keith Saliba

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MWSA Review

Crucible 1972: The War for Peace in Vietnam, by J. Keith Saliba, is a fascinating fast-paced account of military and diplomatic action during the last 14 months of U.S. military involvement in the Vietnam War. The book details the massive, but unsuccessful, North Vietnamese and Provincial Revolutionary Government (the Viet Cong) attack into South Vietnam as U.S. ground troops completed turnover of responsibility for the conduct of the land war to Republic of Vietnam forces. Despite the North’s early successes, the South Vietnamese military, with overwhelming U.S. air support, beat back the communist assault and regained much of its territory.

At the same time, faced with ever-growing domestic sentiment against the war and a Democrat congressional majority capable of defunding the war effort, President Richard Nixon was determined to use unprecedented U.S. air and naval power to force North Vietnam into a “peace with honor” that would allow for the complete end of U.S. military involvement in the war. What ensued was a marathon game of four-dimensional chess that not only involved the political and military moves of the two Vietnams and the U.S. but grand-scale diplomacy with Moscow and Beijing as well.

The author does a superb job of blending these diverse currents into a comprehensive and detailed account of these “last” 14 months. The air campaign is extensively described, and the narrative also includes the seldom-mentioned U.S. Navy surface warfare action into the hearts of vital North Vietnamese ports such as Haiphong. The action, though always factual, often achieves the level of a high-tech military thriller.

The book wisely includes a glossary upfront of the many military and government entity terms, acronyms, and abbreviations, most of which have now passed into history. Several useful maps are also included. This book is perfect for military history enthusiasts, Vietnam veterans, or anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the last days of the U.S. military during the Vietnam War.

Review by Terry Lloyd (April 2025)

 

Author's Synopsis

By early 1972, America’s long struggle in Vietnam was nearing its end. President Richard Nixon’s policy of “Vietnamization” had seen U.S. troop strength plummet to its lowest since 1965, even as military planners ramped up efforts to train and equip South Vietnam to stand alone. In an effort to kickstart peace negotiations, Nixon that January revealed that for more than two years his administration had been in secret talks with North Vietnam to end the war. Nixon proposed a withdrawal of all foreign military forces from South Vietnam and the release of prisoners held by all sides. After which, the president intoned, the people of South Vietnam would be free to decide their own fate through peaceful, democratic means. All that remained was North Vietnam’s acceptance. But Hanoi said no. General Secretary Le Duan, seeing that the United States was already on its way out and calculating that Vietnamization had failed, decided war not peace would bring final victory.

And so on 30 March 1972, the first terrible wave of 30,000 North Vietnamese infantrymen, armor, and heavy artillery rolled across the DMZ separating North and South Vietnam. Within a month, that number would grow to more than 225,000 troops and hundreds of tanks pressing South Vietnam on three battlefronts. But what Le Duan did not calculate was the ferocity of the U.S. response. American airpower—now unshackled by a president determined to win an “honorable peace” in Vietnam—would rain destruction unlike anything the North Vietnamese had experienced. Before it was over, Washington, Hanoi, and Saigon would be pushed to the brink—and toward a deeply flawed peace that merely sowed the seeds of further war. Drawing on archival research and interviews with veterans who were there, J. Keith Saliba tells the tale of America’s last fateful year in Vietnam…and its desperate attempt to achieve an honorable peace.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Nonfiction—History

Number of Pages: 301

Word Count: 95,000

Best Year of Our Lives by Robert Lofthouse

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MWSA Review

The Best Year of our Lives is the story of a small high school’s quest for the 2015 Pennsylvania football championship. The team, Saucon Valley Panthers, was only moderately successful in the past and were rarely considered a threat within its own district.

The author, Robert Lofthouse, takes the reader through each of the games of that season, highlighting the significant plays, the players, and the community support. Unique to this football tale is the emphasis on the community’s involvement from the players’ families to the local townspeople, who rallied to the team games and events.

Insights into the team members and their families during that season and after added depth to the story. Additionally, an account of the head coach’s mental struggles was very moving.

The author was the statistician for the team during that season. He was able to provide accurate details about the team and the events of that year. Included in the book are numerous excerpts from local newspapers as they followed the growing success of the team. Numerous photographs of game plays, players, and families provide a more intimate look at the events and characters in the book.

This book will appeal to anyone who is interested in high school football or someone who is familiar with the Saucon Valley area of Pennsylvania.

Review by Walter Walkow (March 2025)
 

Author's Synopsis

Saucon Valley High School, a small school in Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley, wasn't historically known as a football powerhouse. Having to rely on homegrown talent, they'd often lose out to bigger schools with larger recruiting bases. But 2015 would prove to be different. Digging deep and pounding out their final year as Saucon Valley Panthers, cocaptains Zach Thatcher, Evan Culver, Mike Kane, Christian Carvis and their teammates embarked on a quest for a Pennsylvania state football championship that would defy the odds. Fielding the school's best team in decades, Head Coach Matt Evancho brought a group of determined young men together for a journey none of them will every forget. With local roots but universal appeal, The Best Year of Our Lives uses recent interviews, personal stories, and media accounts from the time to paint the picture of everything the players, coaches and local community experienced that storied year - the unity, the disappointments and the triumphs.

Format(s) for review: Paper only

Review Genre: Nonfiction—History

Number of Pages: 228

Word Count: 58,859

The Invisible Highway - A Family History through Immigration, Two Wars and the Great Depression by Robert Asztalos

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MWSA Review

The Invisible Highway by Robert Asztalos is a well written book based on excellent research. It begins with the history of the towns and countries of origin of the author’s Hungarian and Italian immigrant ancestors, along with the stories of how they immigrated to the U.S. It includes relatively brief and easy to understand histories of WWI, the 1920s, and the Great Depression. Most of the book is about WWII through the experiences of three men connected with the author’s family in Europe and the Pacific. The final chapter tells the story of life after the war through the death of his parents.

Overall, the book is engaging and educational. There are lots of photographs that bring the characters and story to life. It does get technical in some places, especially in the chapters about WWII. If the reader is not interested in that level of detail, they can skim those sections.

This book should appeal to readers interested in genealogy, family history, immigration from Europe, and military history. You will learn a lot about life in America and around the world from the 1890s through the late 1940s, and life in America after WWII.

Review by Eva Nevarez St. John (January 2025)

 

Author's Synopsis

The lives of Charles and Roseann Asztalos are classic American melting pot stories. Their parents and grandparents immigrated to the United States in the late 1800s and early 1900s as part of a wave of Europeans looking for a new life in the Promised Land. The adults who raised them began their lives in villages on the European continent and were shaped by the horrors of World War I; they risked the arduous voyage for a new life in America. Charles and Roseann’s generation had their youth interrupted by the Great Depression, and they came of age to serve our country in its darkest hours during World War II. The war forever changed them in ways they could never guess when they began to experience life in the 1930s.

Charles and Roseann fulfilled their older family members’ dreams of creating an American family. They blended four European families and produced four children without allegiance to the old world or--for that matter-- to the old immigrant neighborhoods from which they were born. Charles and Roseann were indeed part of a generational engine that produces Americans and their story of immigration, economic depression and service during World War II is the story of America.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Nonfiction—History

Number of Pages: 376

Word Count: 123,883

The Fight of Their Lives: A 21st Century Primer on World War II by Andy Kutler

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MWSA Review

Your assignment is to write a comprehensive history of World War II, including sufficient background information on the causes of the war and a post-war epilogue, in under 350 pages. Be sure to include sidebars with every chapter that highlight significant characters, equipment, and other important, relevant information to complement that chapter—go!

This was the challenging task undertaken by Andy Kutler, and he succeeded quite admirably. The Fight of Their Lives completely covers all aspects of the Second World War in all theaters, in comprehensive detail, and in an easily read manner.

Having authored articles on military history including World War II and constantly reading books and listening to podcasts on that war, I could not think of a single campaign, personality, key piece of equipment, or background information that the author missed.

The book concisely covers the economic and political causes of the war in both theaters, covers each theater in detail, and also covers the war from an American perspective “at home,” to include the contributions of women, African Americans, and the plight of Japanese American citizens interned during the war. The Manhattan Project, which yielded the world’s first atomic weapon, is also covered in that section. The final section of the book provides an insightful transition to the post war Cold War.

Clear and easy to understand maps are included throughout the book, and the content is thoroughly indexed. This book is a great asset to anyone wanting to understand the totality of the Second World War without having to read numerous voluminous tomes on individual theaters, campaigns, and biographies. It is ideal as a reference and is well suited as a textbook for homeschooling purposes.

Review by Terry Lloyd (February 2025)
 

Author's Synopsis

September 1939. To fuel his hate-filled quest for global supremacy and an eternal Third Reich, German dictator Adolf Hitler orders a blitzkrieg attack against Poland, a gateway into the East where prized lands and economic resources await. A sea of tanks and troops storm across the border, prompting Polish allies Britain and France to declare war on Nazi Germany. The conflict soon widens, consuming the European continent and beyond. In late 1941, Japanese forces strike American naval forces at Pearl Harbor, drawing the United States into a blistering Pacific brawl. For the second time in the 20th century, the world is at war, and the consequences will prove devastating, pushing humankind to the brink of utter catastrophe.

The Fight of Their Lives: A 21st-Century Primer on World War II, is a riveting account of the peril and resiliency that marked the darkest chapter in human history. From blood-soaked clashes across farm fields and jungle islands, to the code rooms and factory floors that powered the Allies to final victory, the fast-paced narrative fully documents the epic struggle that claimed up to sixty million lives. Styled to appeal to all audiences, The Fight of Their Lives is a timely read, from the legacies that remain supremely relevant today, to the lessons humanity cannot afford to learn again.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Nonfiction—History

Number of Pages: 357

Word Count: 104,000

Combat Essays, American History, a Veteran's Perspective, Volume II by John J. McBrearty

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MWSA Review

Near the end of his book—and at the end of his service in Iraq—author John J. McBrearty explains that “through my series of essays written in the combat zone of Operation Iraqi Freedom, I want to shed light on military operations in Iraq that are far less known to the general public. These operations include a multitude of civil-military efforts designed to make a difference for that country.” His observations, written during his tour and sent back to the States on a regular basis, accomplish this goal.

Some readers might equate “combat” only with explosions and destruction, but this book demonstrates how support units and relations with civilian populations are essential to battlefield success in contemporary warfare. McBrearty argues that working with local authorities and community organizations to determine needs, assess capabilities, and coordinate joint projects allows more freedom and greater opportunity to a population that had been oppressed in Saddam Hussein’s reign.

In his chapters we learn that McBrearty’s unit was “activated for 545 days of federal service...the first wartime mobilization of a combat arms maneuver battalion from the National Guard since the Korean War.” Being away from home and in a war zone was not anticipated by soldiers who expected to serve in this country. They and their families had to adjust and adapt.

McBrearty’s Armor Battalion “executed more than 2,500 combat patrols that included day and night mounted and dismounted patrols, raids, and cordon and search missions.” Losses are mentioned but we don’t get much explanation of how they occurred or details of the soldiers’ lives. An exception is when McBrearty hears one casualty report: “This time my heart sank...as I vividly remembered this young man. Specialist Quoc Binh Tran, 26, from Mission Viejo, California, was killed at approximately 11:00, Sunday, November 7, 2004, from injuries sustained from a vehicle-borne IED that detonated near his convoy in Baghdad, Iraq. SPC Quoc Binh Tran was a member of Detachment 3, Company.”

The book’s primary focus is how “three different countries [Poland, America, Iraq] with vastly different cultures...bonded together to work for peaceful solutions for Iraq's future.” Improvements to schools, roads, and drainage are explained as a process involving assessment of a problem with input from local authorities, design and budgeting of solutions through funding agencies, and implementation using Iraqi firms. Challenges had to be overcome as, for instance, getting supplies in a war zone was not always simple. Members of the unit used off-duty time to improve their own conditions, too, for example, creating an Internet Café, which helped morale by making it easier for them to stay in touch with family and friends at home.

Not only did the Iraqi region gain from these efforts, explains this book, but the American soldiers themselves came to appreciate events back home like Thanksgiving, “a quintessential holiday that Americans enjoy year after year.” Especially when they are welcomed back after their overseas service, they understand “that each and every moment of our time as well as each and every relationship is exceedingly valuable.” McBrearty himself describes the thrill of finding his children matured: his son had been “barely walking” when he deployed; “now he has grown into a fully functional boy of four years old. No diapers and talking a mile-a-minute!”

Whether that son will follow his father’s example—taking on the role of citizen soldier and putting what he learns into words—may be hard to predict. But that some of McBrearty’s readers will do so is an admirable goal of this collection.

Review by Michael Lund (June 2024)

 

Author's Synopsis

General Gustave Perna U. S. Army, Retired, Commander of Operation Warp Speed:

"Lt. Col. John McBrearty, a natural leader, combat Veteran, and family man, shares his unique perspective on history. In Volume II, Lt. Colonel John J. McBrearty chronicles his unit's triumphs and failures in the combat zone of Iraq through a selection of essays and letters written home. With his insight, candor, and love for history, Colonel Mack provides the reader with a rare inside view of this microcosm of American military history."

"I want to shed light on military operations in Iraq that are far less known to the general public. These operations include a multitude of civil-military efforts designed to make a difference for that country. While facing hostile enemy engagements, we built schools, hospitals, roadways, water canals, bridges, and even a golf course. These infrastructure improvements elevated the Iraqi citizens' quality of life. This book is a testament to how citizen-soldiers made a difference."

John J. McBrearty

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Nonfiction—History

Number of Pages: 117

Word Count: 18,311

American History, a Veteran's Perspective, Essays, Reflections, and Reviews by John J. McBrearty

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MWSA Review
John J. McBrearty’s American History: A Veteran's Perspective is the first of two volumes of collected essays, “discussions,” and book reviews on American history through the lens of a combat veteran.

There does not appear to be an overarching theme, other than the veteran perspective, however, the material is presented in chronological order and understandably focuses on America’s wars of the past 250 years as a means to build up a loose but comprehensive historical picture of where we are as a nation today.

While somewhat disjointed when read continuously, each piece is self-contained, which lends itself to being read as stand alone, individual chapters. Written from a veteran’s perspective, most sections, especially the first eight chapters, present a comprehensive social, economic, and ethnic framework in which the specific conflict is presented.

Placing war in such a context educates the reader on how a war comes into being, and that it is not just a function of two competing militaries on the battlefield.

The author is to be commended for his long service to our country, and his effort to express his unique experiences to a general audience.

Review by Terry Lloyd (June 2024)
 

Author's Synopsis

General Gustave Perna U.S. Army Retired, Operation Warp Speed Commander

"Lt. Col. John McBrearty, a natural leader, combat Veteran, and family man, shares his unique perspective on history through his essays, reflections, and reviews. His personalized style provides the reader with a kaleidoscope of American history, in which he cleverly weaves his own military story within. This is a must-read for all Veterans and American history buffs alike."

Having risen from the rank of Private to Lieutenant Colonel, combat veteran John J. McBrearty shares his unique insight of American History through essays, reflections, and reviews. “Colonel Mack” takes the reader through the significant milestones of American History, starting with a discussion of the initial human migration of the North American continent right up to and through the Global War on Terror. He concludes his personal journey through American History with a speech given in honor of a fallen comrade.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Nonfiction—History

Number of Pages: 195

Word Count: 44,290

Unraveling the Myth of Sgt. Alvin York: The Other Sixteen by James P. Gregory Jr.

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MWSA Review

James P. Gregory, Jr. took on a herculean task to untangle the facts of a World War I controversy. In his book Unraveling the Myth of Sgt. Alvin York: The Other Sixteen, Gregory painstakingly lays out the facts dating back to the battle of October 8, 1918, complete with footnotes documenting his findings.

On that date, seventeen soldiers from the 82nd Division, American Expeditionary Force, crept upon a German machine gun emplacement and opened fire. Some were killed, others seriously wounded, and one man emerged as a mythical hero. Through less than thorough fact-finding, officers used the opportunity to also advance themselves. One man out of seventeen who participated got all the glory, fame, and medals. While Cpl. Alvin York received accolades for the destruction of German machine gun nests and the capture of more than 132 German soldiers; sixteen other brave soldiers sought to be recognized for their service and duty on the battlefield.

The 1941 movie Sergeant York, starring Gary Cooper, solidified York as a legend and one of the most well-known military figures in American history. The other sixteen suffered indignities in the press and from their own superiors, who portrayed them as jealous glory seekers. Gregory set out to change this.

Historian James P. Gregory, Jr. writes a well-documented account of the other sixteen with a thumbnail sketch of each man and the efforts to have this war hero recognized. He sets the record straight for those who want to find the truth.

Review by Nancy Panko (May 2024) 

Author's Synopsis

On October 8, 1918, seventeen soldiers from the 82nd Division, American Expeditionary Force, led by acting Sgt. Bernard Early, flanked a German machine gun nest that had inundated their unit with withering fire. In this sneak attack, they successfully surprised and captured more than 80 German soldiers before an unseen machine gun suddenly opened fire and killed six men.

Acting Cpl. Alvin York, a member of the patrol, received the credit for taking control of the squad and single-handedly killing 20 Germans, capturing 132 prisoners, and eliminating 35 machine guns, all before leading the men back to Allied lines. For this act of bravery, York not only received the Medal of Honor and was promoted to sergeant, but he also rose to fame and glory. The 1941 movie Sergeant York, starring Gary Cooper, solidified York as a legend and one of the most well-known military figures in American history.

In Unraveling the Myth of Sgt. Alvin York, historian James P. Gregory Jr. tells the story of the other sixteen soldiers who took part in the battle, capture, and return before fading into relative obscurity in the shadow of Sergeant York. As the tale reached mythological proportions, the other survivors began to speak out, seeking recognition for their parts in the engagement, only to be stymied by improper investigations, cover-ups, and media misrepresentations. Here, Gregory recovers the story of these other men and the part they played alongside York while revealing the process of mythmaking in twentieth-century America.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Nonfiction—History

Number of Pages: 216

Word Count: 58500

Warrior Dogs by LTC (ret) Richard A. Vargus

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Author's Synopsis

The unvarnished story of military working dogs. The hero handlers and their dogs throughout history, especially their impact in Iraq and Afghanistan during Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom. Bringing to the forefront the challenges and tunnel vision by Pentagon bureaucrats in projecting the MWD platform. It's the true story of the author's experiences during his years at US Central Command, and the Pentagon as the Army and DoD MWD Program Manager.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Nonfiction—History

Number of Pages: 202

Word Count: 102,614

Phoenix Rising: From the Ashes of Desert One to the Rebirth of U.S. Special Operations by Col. (Ret) Keith M. Nightingale

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MWSA Review

Phoenix Rising is a two-part, behind-the-curtain story on the failed 1981 Desert One Iran hostage rescue attempt and the subsequent years-long effort to build a viable strategic Special Operations capability across the U.S. military.

The author was one of the principal planners of the Iran hostage rescue attempt. The first half of the book consists of his detailed notes and observations of the planning staff’s struggle to assemble, train, and transport a rescue force forged from disparate elements of Army Special Forces and Rangers, as well as Navy, initially, and then Marine helicopter pilots and crews, along with Air Force C-130 operators.

This is a fascinating account of the “heroes and zeros” involved with making this mission possible and those determined not to see it happen. Along with the usual Pentagon politics, dysfunction, and service parochialism, the stubborn adversity of the Central Intelligence Agency and State Department are prominently highlighted and explored. This part of the book is extremely exciting and reads like a documentary-style screenplay like Apollo 13.

The second part of the book takes us through the tireless efforts, including those in Congress, to get a recalcitrant Pentagon and service chiefs to create the seamless, highly capable special operations capability that exists today. This part of the story is extremely detailed, and a bit dry, but unavoidable given the subject.

Individuals interested in special operations will not be disappointed in this book, as well as those interested in the Iran hostage crisis and this phase of the Cold War.

Review by Terry Lloyd (March 2024)
 

Author's Synopsis

“As a junior officer and the lowest ranking 'gopher' at the creation of these forces, I saw how the several Services had great reservations regarding SOF to the point of studied dislike of it and a distinct distaste for its inclusion as a member of their force structure. The single lone exception was Army Chief of Staff Shy Myer, who saw terrorism and asymmetrical warfare as the emerging National threat and worked to build a missing capability. He did this as a lone wolf in that much of the Army leadership as well as the other Services, looked upon SOF as a high-risk loose cannon on their stable conventional deck.”

Phoenix Rising recounts the paradoxical birth of SOF through the prism of Operation Eagle Claw, the failed attempt to rescue fifty-two Americans held hostage in the U.S. Embassy in Tehran. When terrorists captured the Embassy on November 4, 1979, the Joint Chiefs of Staff quickly realized that the United States lacked the military capability to launch a rescue. There was no precedent for the mission, a mission that came with extraordinary restrictions and required a unique force to take it on. With no existent command structure or budget, this force would have to be built from scratch in utmost secrecy, and draw on every branch of the U.S. military.

Keith Nightingale, then a major, was Deputy Operations Officer and the junior member of Joint Task Force Eagle Claw, commanded by Major General James Vaught. Based on Nightingale’s detailed diary, Phoenix Rising vividly describes the personalities involved, the issues they faced, and the actions they took, from the conception of the operation to its hair-raising launch and execution. His historically significant post-analysis of Eagle Claw gives unparalleled insight into how a very dedicated group of people from the Chief of Staff of the Army to lower-ranking personnel subjugated personal ambition to grow the forces necessary to address the emerging terrorist threat—a threat which the majority of uniformed leadership and their political masters denied in 1979. The Special Operations capability of the United States today is the ultimate proof of their success.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Nonfiction—History

Number of Pages: 336

Word Count: 90,199

The Human Face of D-Day by Keith Nightingale

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MWSA Review

There have been so many books written about D-Day. In The Human Face of D-Day, Col. (ret.) Keith Nightingale adds to the wealth of D-Day knowledge. He has led many trips to Normandy, conducted tours of the beaches and towns, and arranged for the paratroopers under his command to participate in a reenactment parachute drop on the 40th anniversary of D-Day. His book adds depth of understanding to what happened immediately before, during, and after June 6, 1944.

He talked to many "Originals"—the survivors of the invasion and battle. He mingled with French citizens who witnessed that day. Over decades, while walking the beaches of Normandy and through formal interviews, he gathered information from major players whether they were generals or privates in 1944. The book, therefore, focuses a great deal on the people, not only in a macro sense, but also as individuals. And therein lies the human face of D-Day.

The author explains what was planned for each assault location. He informs the reader what was supposed to occur for Omaha Beach, or Utah Beach, or Pointe du Hoc, and many other locations. Then he juxtaposes the plans with what happened, which was often quite different. We hear specific soldiers recount their actions, thoughts, and feelings about battle. After reading these accounts, one is convinced that in addition to the planning for Operation Overlord (as the invasion was called), it was the grit and commitment of the soldiers that ultimately made D-Day successful.

Some takeaways I gathered from this book were the bravery of the troops, their willingness to deviate from orders based on the situations before them, the devastating amount of carnage, and the still-warm gratefulness of the people of Normandy. They have never forgotten that so many young men who were not French died for the liberation of France and Europe.

Throughout this well-researched work, Keith Nightingale makes it abundantly clear, in his own words, that in early June 1944, thousands of “ordinary people did extraordinary things.”

Anyone interested in World War II, D-Day, the bravery of both troops and civilians during an invasion, and true accounts of people involved in the drama of Operation Overlord will find this book appealing.

Review by Pat Walkow (March 2024)

 

Author's Synopsis

Ever since Allied forces landed on the beaches of Normandy, the men who survived have sought to return, to honor their dead, and to teach others of what they went through to liberate Europe.

Soldier Keith Nightingale has conducted terrain walks in Normandy for over forty years with veterans, active-duty military, and local French civilians. Over the decades Nightingale conducted dozens of formal interviews and informal conversations with many of the principals of the day, including Generals Bradley, Collins, Gavin, Ridgway and Hill. Added to this rare, new primary material from the top brass are numerous conversations with lower-ranking vets who did the heavy lifting, many of which took place as they actually walked the battlefield with Nightingale—Major Howard of Pegasus Bridge; LTC Otway of Merville Battery; Captain Piper of La Fière Bridge; LTC Vandervoort, CO of the 2-505/82d; Cpt Raeen of the 5th Rangers; Lt Dick Winters of Brécourt Manor; PFC Marcucci of Omaha Beach; and SSG Lem Lomell of Pointe Du Hoc.

This unique approach to D-Day combines the author’s discussions with veteran and civilian participants in D-Day, his personal reflections on Operation Overlord, and the insights that occur—often at the very site of a battle. Interspersed with veterans’ remarks, Nightingale’s personal essays are inspired by specific discussions or multiple interviews. Taken together, the succinct, human observations of these participants illuminate the hard facts to create a unique work of long-lasting interest that will attract specialists, military history buffs, armchair generals, and general readers alike.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Nonfiction—History

Number of Pages: 288

Word Count: 137,342

Army Spouses: Military Families during the Global War on Terror by Morten G. Ender

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MWSA Review

Author Morten G. Ender relates the findings of a study he conducted regarding the effects service members’ deployments have on their spouses. The period for which data was collected began in 2003, continued for fifteen years, and focused specifically on Army deployments.

He explains the stages of deployment from pre-deployment, through official notification, the deployment period, and finally, the soldiers’ returning home.

The interviews with 199 spouses reveal how well (or not) spouses dealt with the absences of their soldier spouse. It touches on the Army services – formal and not-so-formal – available to spouses and families. The author makes sensible recommendations that, if embraced, could make the deployment experience easier for Army spouses and their families, especially in this age of multiple deployments.

The inclusion of a glossary of Army acronyms, ranks, and demographics of interviewees is quite helpful to the reader.

If you are interested in how Army spouses fare during deployments, this study will help you understand how the military affects them, which ones thrive or wither, and what can be done to support them. Some of the recommendations are common sense, and others are more intriguing – like spouses being more emancipated from military life, rather than being enmeshed in it.

If an Army spouse (or for that matter, a spouse of any other service person in any branch of service), is looking for an enlightening read, they should pick up this book.

Review by Patricia Walkow (February 2024)

 

Author's Synopsis

Army Spouses is distilled from nearly two hundred interviews, conducted from the 2003 invasion of Iraq on, and marshals an incredible breadth of individual experiences, range of voices, insider access, and theoretical expertise to tell the story of US Army husbands and wives and their families during wartime in this century. Army Spouses offers a contemporary study of the emotional cycle of deployment and its impact on military families in the post-9/11 world. Military spouses, as Ender shows, operate both near and far from the front lines, serving on the home front to support combat service in the so-called Global War on Terror that has intimately bound together soldiers, families, the military institution, the state, and society. Ender paints a vivid picture of army spouses’ range of responses to deployment separations that illuminates the deep sacrifices that soldiers, veterans, and their families have made over the past twenty years.

Format(s) for review: Paper or Kindle

Review Genre: Nonfiction—History

Number of Pages: 240

Word Count: 80,000