Baghdad Blues: A Novel of the Iraq War by Paul Kendel

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MWSA Review

Baghdad Blues by Paul M. Kendel is a nail biter from beginning to end. On daily patrols of the roads southwest of Baghdad, Sergeant Thomas Kirkland, aka Sergeant K, wonders what deadly ambush or IED his platoon will encounter. Who will die, and who will live? Over time, the cumulative effect of existing on the edge of disaster takes its toll on the sergeant and other platoon members, resulting in nightmares, anxiety, depression, and fear.

Tom Kirkland, in his other life, is a teacher—versed in classic literature and lover of poetry. Estranged from his father and divorced from his wife, Tom yearns to be close to his two young sons. He finds a substitute for his fatherly instincts in Iraq. While deployed, Sergeant K meets a young boy who gave himself the American name of Walker, after the Walker Texas Ranger. When on patrol, the platoon often stops in a ramshackle Shia settlement to visit with Iraqi families in an effort to win hearts and minds. Kirkland develops a meaningful friendship with Walker and Walker’s father, the professor.

Author Kendel paints a picture of how war affects both the people of the occupied country and the warriors who interact with them. Some soldiers view all civilians as the enemy, while others try to see the humanity of people trying to survive in the middle of war.

In a dark mindset, a few soldiers seek “to kill an Iraqi” before they go home. Sergeant K is drawn into a pre-planned, evil event, under the guise of a legitimate action. The horror that he witnesses negates all his efforts to win hearts and minds of Iraqi citizens. Sergeant K is now viewed as a hated American intruder by his Iraqi friends. He experiences a new fear in the few days he has left in Iraq, that he will be killed or wounded when so close to seeing his boys again.

Review by Nancy Panko (April 2023)
 

Author's Synopsis

At a dusty intersection in Baghdad, Sergeant Thomas Kirkland is seconds away from unleashing a hail of bullets on a possible suicide bomber when he's stopped by the unexpected—the piercing dark eyes of a young girl sitting on her mother's lap in the passenger seat. For a split second he'd held the life of this child and her family in his hands. Plagued by fear and anxiety, Sergeant K struggles with his own inner demons as he confronts a population around him that wishes him dead. But he confronts more than just an external enemy, as he discovers the darkness that exists not just within himself, but in his fellow soldiers. 

A starkly honest and gut-wrenching account of the Iraq war from the perspective of an infantry soldier patrolling the dusty and lethal roads of south-west Baghdad. The threat of IEDs and ambushes are ever-present, but as Sergeant K and his comrades soon learn, modern war can take many shapes and forms. Grappling with a myriad of emotions—fear, anger, confusion, and anxiety—they face many external threats, but they begin to discover that the enemy within themselves can often be more challenging and dangerous than the one they were sent to fight.

Format(s) for review: Paper or Kindle

Review Genre: Fiction—Literary Fiction

Number of Pages: 288

Word Count: 106,000

The Golden Brigade by Robert J. Dvorchak

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MWSA Review

The Golden Brigade: The Untold Story of the 82nd Airborne in Vietnam and Beyond by Robert J. Dvorchak is a compilation of stories by those who served during this unpopular war from their time in Vietnam in the late 1960s as well as many years later as the men became more able to talk about their experiences. It provides a true feeling for what these men went through in 445 pages and 57 short chapters including an epilogue that describes their golden anniversary in June 2018 with a week of special events. The index is 22 pages, so those who served or who had family members in the 82nd can look up people and topics. There are 69 pages of photos and maps courtesy of the 82nd Airborne Museum, combat photos by professional photographers and by members of the 82nd. The stories are told in the present tense with dialogue where appropriate. This is history brought to life by an experienced journalist.

The 82nd Airborne's time in Vietnam began as a classified mission that morphed into a 22-month operation in two major areas of the country. 227 of their members died in Vietnam and are referred to as their Forever Young. They are listed on the memorial at Fort Bragg, NC, which predates the Vietnam memorial wall in Washington, DC. The Golden Brigade was formed while they were in Vietnam and refers to their sense of brotherhood. While this book focuses on just one group, their experiences were similar to those of other units serving. It is a valuable resource to those who want to understand the war from the viewpoint of the participants.

Review by Nancy Kauffman (April 2023)

 

Author's Synopsis

An epic tale of brotherhood forged during war as masterfully told by a lifelong journalist, war correspondent and U.S. Army veteran. The story tracks the exploits of the 82nd Airborne Division from its deployment in February of 1968 in response to the Tet Offensive through 22 months of combat during two of the most tumultuous years of American history. Not only is the story told through historical documents and unclassified material, the book gives voice to the voiceless through scores of interviews of combat veterans who are speaking publicly for the first time in five decades. Also part of the tale are the experiences of soldiers when they returned home and the decades spent in finding the gravesites of comrades killed in the war, including Medal of Honor recipient Felix Conde. This book has the power to heal the invisible wounds of a divisive war.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Nonfiction—History

Number of Pages: 473

Word Count: 100,000

Flight : An Air America Pilot's Story of Adventure, Descent and Redemption by Capt. Neil Graham Hansen and Luann Grosscup

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MWSA Review

Flight: An Air American Pilot’s Story is a rip-roaring tale of flying throughout Southeast Asia for the CIA's clandestine airline, Air America, during the Vietnam War. Practically the complete arc of the U.S. involvement in Indochina can be seen through the author's eyes during his time with Air America, from 1964 into the early 1970s.

The descriptions of harrowing flights though poor weather, small airfields, and often under enemy fire are fast paced and very detailed. Adjectives such as "earthy" or "gritty" are too pale to describe the voracious and chaotic non-flying activities of the author and some of his dysfunctional Air America comrades. Readers who do not care for strong language, graphic sex, and excessive alcohol use should be forewarned.

The author most likely suffered the same post traumatic stress that plagued Vietnam combat troops, and he suffered some of the same tragic post-war consequences as many of those veterans. His personal journey is both illustrative and inspiring in a low-key way.Readers with an interest in the Vietnam War, clandestine services, the history of southeast Asia in the 1960s and definitely flying will enjoy this book.

Review by Terry Lloyd (May 2023)
 

Author's Synopsis

Neil Hansen began his aviation career as a pilot for Teamster boss Jimmy Hoffa. He spent more than a decade in Southeast Asia as a captain for Air America, the CIA's airline that operated there during the Vietnam era and the 'Secret War' in Laos. Neil reveled in the risky flying that fed his adrenaline addiction.  Upon returning to the States, ultimately unable to find work and unable to let go of the Air America exhilaration rush, he saw the profession he loved come to an end when his trajectory veered off course.

This historical aviation narrative incorporates the pathos of a war zone, humor, and candid insight. Neil pulls the reader directly into the cockpit, onto dirt mountaintop landing strips, into the raunchy brothels of Laos, alongside his first toddling steps into Buddhism, aboard the plane he flew out of Cambodia hours before it fell to the Khmer Rouge, down the road of self-destruction and beside him as he regains a foothold on the path to integrity.

Format(s) for review: Paper or Kindle

Review Genre: Nonfiction—Memoir/Biography

Number of Pages: 329

Word Count: 114,000

Better Men by Steve Quesinberry

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MWSA Review

Better Men by Steve Quesinberry is a impactful book that delves into the lives of 23 men from Coweta County, Georgia, who lost their lives in the Vietnam War between 1966 and 1971. As a high school history teacher in Newnan, Georgia, Quesinberry brings a unique perspective to this deeply emotional topic, providing a detailed and heartfelt account of their stories.
The socio-economic background of these men, who had limited choices upon dropping out or graduating from high school, either waited to be drafted or voluntarily joined the military to fight in Vietnam. Quesinberry paints a vivid picture of Coweta County's strong sense of patriotism, passed down by World War II veterans raising families in the county.
Quesinberry does not shy away from the gruesome reality of war, describing lethal injuries caused by bullets, shrapnel, or fire. The grief felt by the friends, fellow soldiers, and families of these men is palpable, and the book portrays the devastating impact of losing a loved one in a war that many did not fully understand.
Stories of two Medal of Honor recipients from Coweta County are told, highlighting their incredible bravery and valor in the face of adversity.
The book also includes the town of Newnan's relationship with the Vietnam War, with stories about the adoption of a helicopter unit during the war, the arrival of the Vietnam Memorial's Traveling Wall after the War, and Quesinberry's personal experience of teaching a Vietnam History course at the local high school.
Better Men is well-researched and deeply emotional, capturing the true human cost of war and the profound impact it has on individuals, families, and communities. The book is a compelling and poignant read, prompting deep reflection on patriotism, sacrifice, and the lasting effects of war.
A tribute to the lives of these 23 men who made the ultimate sacrifice in the Vietnam War, it is recommended for history enthusiasts, those interested in the Vietnam War, and anyone who appreciates powerful storytelling.

Review by Frank Taylor (April 2023)

Author's Synopsis

There is more to the history of Coweta County than just the beautiful antebellum homes and the avoidance of General Sherman’s conflagration. Better Men presents, for the first time, the story of this rural Georgia county and its relationship with the Vietnam War. From the twenty-three men who lost their lives to the more recent recognition and honoring of the men who served in Vietnam, Coweta County’s connection with that unpopular war has been profound and wide-ranging. This is the Vietnam War seen through the eyes of one rural county in Georgia. It is a uniquely American story.

Format(s) for review: Paper or Kindle

Review Genre: Nonfiction—History

Number of Pages: 506

Word Count: 168,446

We Had to Get Out of That Place by Steven Grzesik

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MWSA Review

In his book, We Had to Get Out of that Place, Steven Grzesik gives us a good view into his life as a soldier fighting the war in Viet Nam. While he does provide some basic background of his life before his time in the army and a little afterwards, the focus of the book is his two tours of duty in Viet Nam. For a person who didn't want to go, didn't want to be there, and had no career military ambitions, Grzesik volunteered to become a Ranger to get out of the infantry and away from a role that he thought would certainly get him killed. Already through most of his tour of duty, becoming a Ranger sent him right back to Viet Nam for a new tour of duty. This time, however, he was with an elite group of soldiers. He became more confident and mature. Later, in his second tour, when the army was looking for helicopter gunners, Grzesik once again volunteered. His nearly two years in Viet Nam gave him a plethora of stories to include in his book. He even acknowledges that he developed a drug habit and barely escaped hard jail time for his drug use.  This is an interesting book that fans of military history should enjoy.

Review by Bob Doerr (April 2023)

 

Author's Synopsis

My book is a descriptive narrative of two tours of the Vietnam war. The title, ‘We Had to Get Out of That Place’ is a word play on the song titled ‘We Gotta Get Out of This Place’ by Eric Burdon and the Animals. It was a favorite of the combat soldier. 

The back cover has my photo and a bio as well as three reviews from notable people. 

For reasons explained in the book, I was lucky enough to get multi-angled views of the war because I served as a combat infantryman, in a rear engineer unit, as a long range patrol member with the original 75th Rangers, and as a door gunner on a helicopter for approximately 250 hours.

My story is told as a linear timeline of amazing events in and out of combat. There is some blood, gore and politics, but not much. There is beauty, passion and great sadness. The book starts with me as a child of the 60s, broken and disillusioned by drugs and the false promises of the ‘Age of Aquarius’. It ends with me, a changed grown man, angry at my own country for betraying its soldiers. My book is complete at 80,000 words.  

Anyone who reads it will enjoy it. It is exciting and colorful, but most of all, it is the truth: my  experience, unadulterated and unexaggerated.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Nonfiction—Memoir/Biography

Number of Pages: 207

Word Count: 80,000

Love and Kisses, Charlie: WWII Letters From a Jewish American Serviceman by Joshua Gerstein, Charlie Fletcher

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MWSA Review

Love and Kisses, Charlie is a classic collection of letters written by Charles L. Fletcher to his parents during World War II while Charlie served as a soldier in the US Army. Joshua Gerstein, Charlie's grandson compiled and arranged the letters for the book and added a little background and clarification as needed. This book is a true historical gem. It is not a fast-paced read with an exciting plot. Charlie did not serve on the front lines, nor did he recount the war, battle by battle. This book is a close look at one soldier's life in the army from September 1943 to February 1946, as told in hundreds of letters home to his mother and father. Charlie wrote almost every day and while many of the letters discussed the weather, his diet, and money issues, one gets a very clear picture of life in the army as Charlie moved from basic training, to more advanced training, and on to Europe. The letters track his unit's move from France, shortly after D-Day, to deep into Germany. He talks about the surrender and the occupation and his dealings with civilians he encounters. I recommend this book.

Review by Bob Doerr (June 2023)
 

Author's Synopsis

What do you write home to your Jewish mother when you’re in the middle of fighting a global war unlike anything before or since?

If you’re Charlie Fletcher, you give near-daily updates covering all kinds of details of life. Fletcher’s letters, which were sent to his mother, father, and sister, reveal a personal side of life during wartime for one soldier training in the U.S. and then marching through Europe. His devotion to Jewish culture, holidays, and community come shining through in this trove of correspondence.

Format(s) for review: Paper Only

Review Genre: Memoir/Biography

Number of Pages: 634

Word Count: 190,000

Northern Wolf by Daniel Greene

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MWSA Review

Northern Wolf is the story of Johannes Wolf, a young German immigrant with a crippled leg, who cons his way into the disorganized Union Army in 1862.  The opening scene takes place in Grand Rapids, Michigan, as Wolf gets into a barroom brawl.  After cooling off in a jail cell he joins the fictional 13th Michigan Volunteer Calvary.
        Author Daniel Greene takes Wolf and his unit through the rigors of training and primitive camp conditions before experiencing battle under the leadership of a courageous George Armstrong Custer, "the boy general." There have been multiple depictions of Custer in American literature.  In Northern Wolf he is the warrior commander who leads from the front.
        The realistic battle scenes are set in the Eastern Calvary Fields, long considered a sideshow to the Battle of Gettysburg.  In the historical notes that Greene provides, he argues that this battle was, in fact, crucial in producing a Union victory.  Custer's foe is the infamous Confederate general J.E.B. Stuart who unsuccessfully tried to breach the rear of the Union line.
        By portraying Wolf and other characters in the story as immigrants, Greene emphasizes that the war was not a uniquely American experience but much more global. Approximately 500,000 immigrants fought for the North and thousands more for the South.  
        The mixture of fact and fiction makes Northern Wolf a worthwhile addition to the many historical novels that have been written about this era.  Greene is a veteran researcher and writer who promises that this is the first in a series.

Review by James Elsener (April 2023)

 

Author's Synopsis

A broken man will be forged in the flames of war... 

It is late 1862, and the United States has been ripped apart by civil war for over a year with no end in sight. The war is a distant thought to Johannes Wolf, a young German immigrant with a crippled leg keeping him off the muster lists. 

Desperately dredging the gutters for recruits, Wolf cons his way into the depleted, demoralized, and poorly run Union army, and is promptly placed in the undesirable F Company of the 13th Michigan Cavalry. 

Wolf's company find themselves riding with Custer and the Michigan Brigade on a collision course with master horseman J.E.B. Stuart and the Army of Northern Virginia in a small town in Pennsylvania, called Gettysburg. 

Will they stand tall against the knights of the South and prove themselves worthy? Or will they fall beneath screaming bullets and sweeping blades, becoming more bloody fodder for a lost cause?

Format(s) for review: Kindle Only

Review Genre: Fiction—Historical Fiction

Number of Pages: 247

Word Count: 74,000

Lady of the Army: The Life of Mrs. George S. Patton by Stefanie Van Steelandt

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MWSA Review

Meticulously researched, Stefanie van Steelandt’s debut biography, Lady of the Army: The Life of Mrs. George S. Patton, sheds light on the woman behind the man—the woman without whom the man might not have fulfilled his destiny. In love with George from the time she was sixteen, Beatrice Ayer saw through the man’s self-centeredness, holding to the sensitive, insecure boy she found so endearing regardless of his abusive rages and a possible romantic relationship with her niece.

Narrated in a style that combines expository writing with epistolary and narrative, the author composes the complex portrait of a wealthy, cultured woman supporting her husband through her wisdom and insight. The reader learns about the couple’s philosophical differences, first as the author traces the Republican Ayer lineage and the Democratic Patton lineage, then as she guides the reader to an understanding of their private and public lives. The highlight of the story occurs when the scale tipped in Hawaii. In 1925, George purchased the schooner Arcturus, seeking adventure in the absence of a war to fight. When they reached Hawaii, however, Beatrice experienced that unmistakable sense of being home, drawn by the island culture and mythology. Ironically, she found her creative soul at a time when George battled depression and a sense of uselessness.

An admirable work of this magnitude warrants and deserves an honest review. The author at times documents information about secondary players. Though interesting, the information detracts from the story’s strength and overall focus. Events presented out of sequence hinder the narrative flow. Nevertheless, Van Steelandt aptly achieves her purpose illustrating how Beatrice Patton was, not only a lifeline for the man who “would rather be dead than nobody” during three wars but also a woman who evolved into her own person and shone in her own time.

“It is impossible” to tell Beatrice Patton’s story “without bringing George along for the ride” writes the author in her Introduction. The emphasis rides heavily on George leaning on Beatrice to give him fortitude and yet, by the end of the book, the reader is left wondering, "Was it Beatrice or George who was brought along for the ride?" for, as the author makes clear from start to finish, to know one is to know the other.

Review by Janette Stone (May 2023)

 

Author's Synopsis

If anyone considered an army wife to be merely the kite's tail, Beatrice Ayer Patton had the perfect retort, "How high can a kite soar without its tail?" 

General George Patton once remarked that World War II undoubtedly would have lasted a lot longer were it not for his soldiers and his wife. Those who knew the Pattons were aware of the vital role Beatrice played in his reaching his destiny, but few others understood the singular impact of this remarkable woman whom people described as having "a personality which radiates like a brilliant gem."

The arduous army life was alien to Beatrice growing up on Boston's Commonwealth Avenue, but her adventurous spirit and insatiable curiosity allowed her to adapt quickly. She became an immediate asset to her husband's career and continuously fanned the flames of his burning ambition, yet she managed to maintain her identity and pursue her interests. As comfortable on the back of a magnificent steed as at the helm of a great schooner, she became an authority on Hawaiian legends while stationed on the islands twice.

Lady of the Army: The Life of Mrs. George S. Patton tells the story of the General's greatest champion in life and fiercest defender in death while shedding new light on a complex personality many remember as "old blood and guts”. Beatrice Ayer Patton was a good soldier who fought the war on the home front three times, but she would not have hesitated a second had she been offered the chance to stand beside her husband on the battlefield.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre:Nonfiction—Memoir/Biography

Number of Pages:475

Word Count:175,000

Connected Soldiers: Life, Leadership, and Social Connections in Modern War by John Spencer

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MWSA Review On John Spencer’s second tour of duty to Iraq, he took command of a company in dire need of leadership. He found vast differences in building unit cohesion from his first tour five years earlier. Technology had entered the picture to the detriment of bonding among the ranks. What was missing? These men were not able to process the trauma of battle by sharing experiences and feelings. While on their computers, the men were communicating with family back home. Unable to share their deepest disturbing thoughts from being in battle, they had no outlet for their fear, anxiety, and trauma. How could a family snug at home relate? As Spencer observed his men, all deeply concentrating on a computer screen, he viewed technology as a threat to his unit’s cohesion.

In his previous deployment as a second lieutenant, Spencer had learned that development of a brotherhood helped a soldier survive, both physically and mentally. During the platoon’s downtime, they talked through each experience and processed the trauma. Now he was faced with the challenge of turning around a “black sheep” platoon into one capable of accolades. This story is told in an honest, forthright manner. The tools Spencer employed to achieve his goals were innovative.

After his tour of duty, Spencer returned home and faced another challenge when his wife was deployed. He became a stay-at-home dad in charge of three small children—in some aspects, a more difficult task. Spencer had an epiphany when he realized the value of the internet connection he and his kids had with his wife for much-needed daily visits.

Connected Soldiers: Life, Leadership, and Social Connections in Modern War by John Spencer should be on the required reading list for any active military person potentially in a leadership position. If you have any doubt about that, read the endorsements for this book from Generals David Petraeus and Stanley McChrystal.

Review by Nancy Panko (May 2023)  

 

Author's Synopsis

John Spencer was a new second lieutenant in 2003 when he parachuted into Iraq leading a platoon of infantry soldiers into battle. During that combat tour, he learned how important unit cohesion was to surviving a war, both physically and mentally. He observed that this cohesion developed as the soldiers experienced the horrors of combat as a group, spending their downtime together and processing their shared experiences. 

When Spencer returned to Iraq five years later to take command of a troubled company, he found that his lessons on how to build unit cohesion were no longer as applicable. Rather than bonding and processing trauma as a group, soldiers now spent their downtime separately, on computers communicating with family back home. Spencer came to see the internet as a threat to unit cohesion, but when he returned home and his wife was deployed, the internet connected him and his children to his wife on a daily basis. 

In Connected Soldiers Spencer delivers lessons learned about effective methods for building teams in a way that overcomes the distractions of home and the outside world, without reducing the benefits gained from connections to family.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Nonfiction—Memoir/Biography

Number of Pages: 280

Word Count: 90,200

Shadow Tier by Steve Stratton

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MWSA Review

Shadow Tier by Steve Stratton introduces us to Lance Bear Wolf, a member of the Crow Tribe, former Army Ranger, and Special Forces soldier. Now a civilian contractor within the Joint Special Missions Command, he keeps his hand in the military through a position in the Florida Army National Guard. When his National Guard team is called upon to provide intelligence and training support to a Mexican Army Special Forces unit, in relation to their war on drugs, Wolf is in his element. Their support role in a mission places Wolf in the sights of the Sinaloa Cartel.

After his parents are killed in a cartel shootout, Wolf embarks on a private revenge mission, first in a special operation with his team, then entering Mexico alone on a violent rampage across multiple West Coast Sinaloa sites. The Mexican government, under the influence of the cartel, labels him a terrorist and demands that the United States bring charges against him. During the investigation, Army Special Operations Command steps in, realizing that Wolf’s revenge tour had been the most effective known attack on the drug cartels. Charges are dropped and a new unit, the Shadow Tier, is created.  

While I would have enjoyed a more in-depth exploration of Wolf’s character and motivation, the descriptions of weapons, technology, and procedures used in various operations were quite detailed. The many minor characters and subplots promise a long series of books on Shadow Tier missions. 

Review by Lynn Ellen Doxon (April 2023)

 

Author's Synopsis

Lance Bear Wolf, a Crow Indian by birth and an American Special Forces leader, stops with his parents for a casual lunch during a family outing in Mexico. They are classically in the wrong place at the wrong time.

As they are seated in the picturesque Mexican restaurant, Wolf and his father witness and get drawn into soldiers from the Sinaloa Cartel killing the restaurant owners over a perceived slight to cartel princess Eliana Cortes, a leader in her family’s drug empire.

When Wolf and his father shoot back and save many lives, Cortes orders her soldiers to kill the Americans. Wolf’s father is killed, and his mother critically wounded. The cartel princess and her escorts get away, but not until many of their shooters are left bleeding out on the ground.

Wolf vows revenge no matter the cost.

He builds a team of like-minded men to join a new classified unit codenamed Shadow Tier—and Wolf is its head of operations, giving him free rein to build an assault on the Mexican drug kingdom. A training mission along the Arizona border provides a cover story for a devastating assault on the core of the cartel’s operations. They decimate Mexican drug runners, but there are unanswered questions,.

And Wolf is losing to the darkness of revenge.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Fiction—Mystery/Thriller

Number of Pages: 500

Word Count: 90,000

When Troubles Rain by Jim Hodge

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MWSA Review

Author Jim Hodge tells the story of an upper Midwest family living an agricultural way of life during the tumultuous years of the 1960s. The Vietnam War was raging, and the Korean War was twelve years into a truce that stipulated maintenance of a demilitarized zone between the North and South.

In When Troubles Rain, the author deftly draws his characters so they are fully relatable. He builds informative back stories that illuminate the heritage, culture, and beliefs of the Norwegian-American Berg family.

Through love, strong familial ties, war, tragic loss, threats to their way of life, and strong community, the Berg family faces every challenge with grace, faith, and a good dose of stoicism.

The most touching aspect of this historical novel is its absence of bravado. We follow the family in its daily life for a period of time, and therein lies the magic. It is unassuming, yet powerful; serious, yet with humor; The story recognizes the horrors of war, yet stresses the family's dedication to God and country.

This is a book to renew the values of patriotism, hard work, family, sacrifice, and gratitude.

Review by Pat Walkow (March 2023)
 

Author's Synopsis

When the painful war drums of Vietnam are accelerating, a fifth generation Wisconsin farm family must lean on its faith to see themselves through a land dispute, a wrenching loss at home and two very different sons who must face the call of war-time America. 

At home and in two far-away lands a salt of the earth midwestern family must face the realities of life.

Format(s) for review: Paper Only

Review Genre: Fiction—Historical Fiction

Number of Pages: 245

Word Count: 74,743

Athena's Bridge: Essays on Strategy and Leadership by Michael Hennelly

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MWSA Review

Strategy exists separately in two worlds: one in the military establishment and the other with corporations or businesses. As Athena's Bridge: Essays on Strategy and Leadership author Professor Michael Hennelly points out, strategic and tactical planning with the necessary leadership has similar roles in military and civilian organizations. Dr. Hennelly, as a military strategist and academic instructor at United States Military Academy, West Point, and a corporate advisor on leadership and strategy reveals in nine essays through contrasting examples, unnecessary gaps exist between military and civilian approaches to strategy and leadership. Mark Twain, Shakespeare, Melville, von Clausewitz, Pixar, McDonald's, The Godfather, Kmart, Trafalgar, and Iliad are diverse examples used to compare and contrast models of successful and not-so-successful strategic planning. Brief assessments of General George C. Marshall's wartime and civilian successes and France's failures at Dien Bien Phu represent potent examples of leadership applied to strategic planning. Important and time-tested lessons for today's business entrepreneurs are not new. For example, the author notes Sun Tzu's fifth-century B.C. themes for achieving success on battlefields can also work in corporate boardrooms. Essays from Athens's Bridge present enlightening crossover themes designed to close these two worlds with time-proven objectives.

Review by Tom Beard (March 2023)

 

Author's Synopsis

Most people don’t know that General George Marshall is a valuable and relevant model for 21st century entrepreneurs. That is because there are two worlds of strategy and most people are only aware of one. There are two worlds of leadership and most people are only aware of one. One is the military world, thousands of years old but studied by very few. The other is the corporate world, astonishingly new but studied by millions. Both of these worlds have developed valuable insights into strategy and leadership. The problem is that MBA students rarely study the military world and soldiers rarely study the corporate world. Learning from both worlds deepens one’s understanding and provides a richer and more diverse perspective on strategy and leadership. This book is designed to be a bridge between these two worlds.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Nonfiction—How to/Business

Number of Pages: 398

Word Count: 89,282

The US Navy’s On-the-Roof Gang - Volume 2 War in the Pacific by Matt Zullo

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MWSA Review

This book is the second in the "On-the-Roof Gang" set that chronicles the origins and applications of radio intelligence as a major component of US Navy warfare capabilities. The first in the set, subtitled "Prelude to War", followed the evolution of the US Navy's radio intelligence capabilities in the 1920s and 1930s as the world moved inexorably toward a second World War. The result is an engaging, character-based narrative that leaves the reader eager to find out how their stories will play out against the backdrop of the war in the Pacific.

Volume Two of the set, "War in the Pacific," tells the personal stories of the On-the Roof Gang alumni as they fulfill their destinies against the sweeping backdrop of the US Navy's campaigns to defeat the forces of the Imperial Japanese Navy. The narrative rightly focuses on the personalities and exploits of the cadre of skilled radio intercept operators who had been trained and deployed across the Pacific prior to Pearl Harbor.

The author is a retired Navy Master Chief Cryptologic Technician who wisely chose to write this narrative using the "creative nonfiction" style, supplying dialog and descriptive details that bring life to the historical facts, pulling the reader into the collective stories of the pioneers of this skill set.

The alumni of the “on-the-roof” training classes found themselves at the center of the Pacific war serving in critical roles at sea and ashore—often in the thick of battle. Some of their number spent the war as prisoners of war, while others were sent to the remote corners of the Pacific Rim to support Allied intelligence needs.

The uninitiated reader will be surprised to find out the significance of the role played by radio intelligence in the many battle victories achieved by the US Naval forces, and in the inexorable Allied strategic victory over the Japanese war machine. Well-known pivotal events in the war, from the Battle of Midway to the Doolittle Raid and the killing of Admiral Yamamoto, very likely would have had different outcomes except for the critical information provided from intercepted Japanese Navy message traffic. The addition of radio direction finding technology added to the ability of the Allies to locate and attack enemy forces.

As with the first book in this set, the depth of research and meticulous level of detail in this volume makes it much more than just a creative nonfiction overview of the highlights of the war against the Imperial Japanese Navy. The author has created a unique perspective for reviewing the major battles and turning points of the conflict in the Pacific. The result is an engaging, character-driven narrative that leaves the reader with a new appreciation for the crucial contributions of radio technology and intelligence to the Allied victory at sea.

Both volumes of this set are well worth reading for anyone interested in military technology advances before and during World War II.

Review by Peter Young (April 2023)

 

Author's Synopsis

THE US NAVY'S ON-THE-ROOF GANG: VOLUME 2 - WAR IN THE PACIFIC is an historical novel based on the unknown true-life story of the "On-The-Roof Gang." It is a sequel to THE US NAVY'S ON-THE-ROOF GANG: VOLUME 1 - PRELUDE TO WAR.This second volume begins with the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor and documents the contributions of the On-the-Roof Gang during World War II. It focuses on the wartime stories of the On-the-Roof Gang intercept operators, some who were stationed in Hawaii, some who survived a tortuous existence in a POW camp, others who had to evacuate their intercept sites, and still others who performed intercept operations while at sea during some of the most famous naval battles of World War II.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Nonfiction—Creative Nonfiction

Number of Pages: 424

Word Count: 100,000

The US Navy’s On-the-Roof Gang - Volume 1 Prelude to War by Matt Zullo

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MWSA Review

The US Navy's On-the-Roof Gang: Prelude to War is the first of a two-volume set that recounts the birth, development, and wartime service of the US Navy's radio intelligence community. The author is a retired Navy master chief cryptologic technician who wisely chose to write this narrative using the "creative nonfiction" style, supplying dialog and descriptive details that bring life to the historical facts, pulling the reader into the account.

The critical role of radio intercept and decryption in both theaters of World War II may be generally known but is not universally understood to any real depth. Recent popular film and television have highlighted the exploits of Alan Turing and the Bletchley analysts in breaking the German Enigma codes. The equally important (and arguably more impactful) achievements by the US Navy in breaking and exploiting the Imperial Japanese Navy codes in the Pacific theater have received relatively little media attention. The On-the-Roof Gang set goes a long way toward correcting that deficiency.

The Volume One story line begins in the early 1920s and follows a real-life Navy radioman whose curiosity leads him to begin eavesdropping on the routine transmissions of the Imperial Japanese Navy. An amateur HAM radio operator, he understands the potential for radio intercept intelligence and lays out the foundation for interpreting the Japanese katakana broadcasts. The account moves through the next two decades as radio intercept and decoding gain a foothold within the Navy’s radio communications establishment.

By 1928 the highest levels of US Navy leadership had recognized the value of intercepting katakana radio traffic. The first training class for fleet radio specialists was convened in Washington, DC, in a makeshift classroom constructed on the roof of the main Navy building on Constitution Avenue. Over the following twelve years, two hundred Navy radiomen were trained in the Japanese codes and in operating the specialized equipment used for intercepting and recording their Navy transmissions. By the outbreak of the war on the Day of Infamy, the US Navy had deployed a set of intercept stations across the Pacific, manned by skilled operators capable of listening in on the Imperial Japanese Navy.

The depth of research and meticulous level of detail in these volumes makes them much more than just creative nonfiction accounts. The author has created a definitive chronicle of the development of the US Navy's radio intelligence capabilities as the world moved inexorably toward war. The result is an engaging, character-based narrative that leaves the reader eager to find out how their stories will play out against the backdrop of the war in the Pacific.

This is well worth reading for anyone interested in military technology advances between the World Wars, and specifically the birth and growth of the US Navy’s radio intelligence abilities in the years leading up to World War II.

Review by Peter Young (April 2023)
 

Author's Synopsis

THE US NAVY'S ON-THE-ROOF GANG: VOLUME I - PRELUDE TO WAR is an historical novel based on the unknown true-life story of the "On-The-Roof Gang," the U.S. Navy's fledgling radio intelligence organization in the years leading up to World War II. It is based on the real life of Harry Kidder, a U.S. Navy radioman who first discovered and deciphered Japanese katakana telegraphic code while stationed in the Philippines in the 1920s, discovering that he was listening to Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) radio communications. Kidder strongly believed in the future of radio intelligence and a chance meeting with Lieutenant Laurance Safford led to the birth of the Navy's Radio Intelligence community. Kidder taught others the nascent art of intercepting IJN communications on the roof of the Main Navy Building in Washington, DC. From 1928 to 1941, 176 Sailors and Marines attended this training and were then stationed as radio intercept operators around the Pacific. These men would become known as the On-The-Roof Gang and were charged with keeping track of the IJN as they prepared for war with the United States. The circumstances of America's entry into World War II hinged on success or failure of the On-The-Roof Gang, and Harry Kidder knew this. On-the-Roof Gang: Prelude to War concludes with the "date which will live in infamy," December 7, 1941.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Nonfiction—Creative Nonfiction

Number of Pages: 424

Word Count: 100,000

When We Are Apart by Becca Johnsey

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MWSA Review

When We Are Apart, written by Becca Johnsey and illustrated by Marižan, is a picture book catering to children who face emotional challenges when a parent leaves on a business trip.

Written in rhymes, the book's musicality reminds readers of nursery tales that are meant to soothe and reassure, two important goals when it comes to narrate a story in which the main character is displaying emotional struggles because of the sudden changes within the family dynamics.

The narrator (a mother) offers her child suggestions on how to calm down: deep breathing through the nose, counting to ten, and eating a healthy and balanced meal. Hugs, of course, help too!

The illustrations do a good job in supporting the narration, properly conveying emotions, and keeping young readers' attention. Colors are vivid and the pages are not too crowded with unnecessary details.

Though the story is based on the author's personal experience, at the end of the book parents and guardians find a "Four Activities to Try Together" page where the author offers suggestions on what to do to help children cope when a parent is away on business.

Review by Brunella Costagliola (March 2023)

Author's Synopsis

Each night after school, your dad tucks you in tight. He reads about trucks, turns on your night light. But sometimes for work, your daddy’s away. You miss him so much more than you can say.

When We Are Apart is a sweet rhyming picture book to help families cope with separation while a parent is away. This book will help even your youngest child name their feelings, cope with their emotions, and navigate through them while being reassured that they are loved unconditionally. Based on debut author Becca Johnsey’s own experiences helping her children deal with missing their dad while travels with the Army Reserves. Becca hopes this book will be as impactful to other families as it has been for her own. Perfect for ages 2-5.

Format(s) for review: Paper Only

Review Genre: Children & Young Adult—Picture Book

Number of Pages: 32

Word Count: 249

Ashur’s Tears by Bill Riley

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MWSA Review

Author Bill Riley in his book Ashur's Tears has introduced us to a new world of magic and magical creatures. From a goddess disguised as a cat to demons the size of a car with gnashing teeth to octopus-like tentacles, Ashur's Tears will stretch your imagination and have you reading all night. The book, aimed at the Young Adult audience, is an easy, fast read. As young Toby and his sister strive to find out what happened to their missing father, they find themselves thrust into a world of deceit, magic, and danger. Evil magic has found its way to Earth and has possessed one man already. Now, it's only a matter of time before it will take over the world. That is unless Toby, his sister, and a cat can stop it. I think any fan of Young Adult fantasy will enjoy this book.

Review by Bob Doerr (March 2023)

 

Author's Synopsis

Toby Cypher has it pretty good. He’s on the cusp of success with his mimics (programmable morphing robots advanced enough to be indistinguishable from humans), he’s got a side gig volunteering in the Air Force Museum, and a new job tutoring the coolest girl in school, Rachel Majeski. Toby’s world falls apart when he learns that his father, Dr. Erasmus Cypher, a scientist who runs a mysterious lab, has gone down in a plane crash over Iraq. But then Toby’s sister, Katie, uncovers a secret message… one sent after the plane crash that draws Toby and Katie into a dizzying world of untold danger and profound betrayal, where the two siblings will need all their wits, dark magic, and help from an unlikely feline to survive and maybe save the world.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Children & Young Adult—Young Adult (fiction or non-fiction)

Number of Pages: 320

Word Count: 87,000

Blue Rhapsodies: Poems of a Navy Life by Nancy Arbuthnot

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MWSA Review

Nancy Arbuthnot has penned a moving collection of poems about her life as a “Navy Junior.” Blue Rhapsodies: Poems of a Navy Life will strike a chord on many levels. Arbuthnot, one of seven siblings writes stirring passages:

“I pretend sleep on the car ride home so my father will lift me one last time in his arms” showing how she yearns for closeness from her often-absent father, a Navy pilot.

As with many military families who are asked to relocate every few years, the author writes of her always flexible mother:

“…our perfumed mother in flowered sundress, pearls and red lipstick, baby nestled beside her as she checks off boxes the movers carry inside”

Blue Rhapsodies is based on recollections of the author’s life, true to her experience but common to so many. From childhood through college years, she was always a Navy daughter. After college, Arbuthnot took on a new Navy identity, a professor at the Naval Academy. Her poems take on a new point of view “Under blue Annapolis skies.”

Blue Rhapsodies reveals the author’s innermost thoughts over many years. Now a professor at the academy but also a Navy daughter - with aging parents. Poignant lines evoking emotion about the dedicated caregivers for both her mother and father convey what many of us with aging parents have experienced. Arbuthnot writes of her beloved parents’ decline while giving tribute to the life they lived and the experiences they had.

Review by Nancy Panko (May 2022)

Author's Synopsis

In compelling poetic vignettes, Nancy Arbuthnot presents the story of her life that spans a "Navy junior" childhood of constant moves and an often-absent father; a career teaching poetry and composition to midshipmen at the Naval Academy; and her recent years caring for her father, "the Captain," debilitated by a major stroke but still "master and commander."

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Poetry—Poetry Book

Number of Pages: 116

Hammers of Voices Silent by Robert Wood

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MWSA Review

This is an interesting compendium of sixty-six poems that reveal the author's diverse vocabulary and ability to cleverly rhyme and alliterate.

While infused with a lot of free-form style that hints at some deep-seated anger and frustration with people and society, some wonderful gems of phrasing make a strong impact and a jarring mental image, like "slivers of broken glass rafting your veins," and "Conspiracies of imbecility," and "As all wars must inevitably be since reason always dies..."

The poem "Had I Again" is a particular standout hinting at opportunities taken (and in some instances, lost) as one flows down the river of life."

Review by Frank Biggio (June 2022)

 

Author's Synopsis

Athens lacked the swarms of gadflies needed to awaken its democracy to the evil of banishing the best, executing scapegoats at will, and denying both merit and reason to squander all that it had achieved and all that it might have achieved. Hammers of Voices Silent suggests the United States would require entire armies of gadflies to make a dent in what has become the silliest and most bizarrely corrupt nation ever to exist. The author considers his work only a token force but acknowledges the obligation.

He had meant to compose some devastatingly wondrous essays but noticed he had not the talent or time deciding rhyme would be quicker off the mark and waste fewer trees in the process. The poems document some eighty years of observation and research into the workings of the human mind which he finds consistently depressing but nevertheless interesting in the way large wrecks on the freeway draw one’s attention even with the best of intentions sought.

The author admits his work may not make the slightest difference in the cultural revolution of idiocy rampant but such phenomena run their course to die with or without gadflies since the utter chaos created must lead to overcompensation in the opposite direction. The patterns within history and individual human beings assure the next stage in the process and it is this stage the author most fears for all too often the new “correct” wastes its new found ascendency to trample all now fallen from grace. He hopes the next victor can lead with honor and reason even with a clear and present mandate of power. If one Epaminondas existed, then the author believes a few more such giants might in time appear though their task the greater with every year wasted in the sound and fury of wrathful indignation and endless hypocrisy. 

The book does hold out hope if only humans can summon the astounding reservoirs of courage, honor and sacrifice some display in moments of peril to maintain in dignity what their sacrifices gained for all rather than allowing such accomplishments to be auctioned off to the highest bidder. The author believes the present cultural revolution and the following counter revolution are the greatest threats ever faced by the United States with the specter of politicians attending the unending funerals of REASON, LOGIC, ETHICS, HONOR and KINDNESS. 

Just as individual humans deny their mortality until their last breath, each nation denies even the possibility of demise until the weight of corruption, incompetence, insouciance, hubris and profligacy crush its foundations and another Ozymandias slips beneath the sand. The poems are intended to mirror the knowledge the author has gained from his life’s extensive library of mistakes with the hope such information may make some small difference for the better in a world needing a lot of difference for the better.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Poetry—Poetry Book

Number of Pages: 133

At First Light A True World War II Story of a Hero, His Bravery, and an Amazing Horse by Walt Larimore and Mike Yorkey

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MWSA Review

Walt Larimore and Mike Yorkey’s At First Light is the saga of his father’s unending bravery in the U.S. Army during WW ll. Despite being the youngest commissioned officer in the war, Phil Larimore immediately develops into the quintessential soldier: just as good at following as leading. Everyone around him recognizes that he is comprised wholly of tenacity.

A play-by-play of Phil’s training and combat exploits brings us to the front lines with its challenges, accomplishments, horror, death, and cold (literally) harsh realities of war. Phil performed his mission of delivering ammunition to the troops through seemingly insurmountable obstacles, earning decoration after decoration, and probably more important to him, the respect of his troops. They would have followed him to the ends of the earth, and they did just that, time after time.

As we see Phil lead his troops through Italy, France, and Germany, we get a history lesson and a reminder of true American heroes. We get to know the characters, complete with photos, including the animals in Phil’s world. He trains mules to get supplies and equipment to the front lines. He was also highly skilled with horses, but his love for them is what gets him through hard times, even after the war. The usually stark WW II story is humanized by this unequivocal expertise, and his romantic joys and heartbreaks.

Through years of research the author discovered that distinct part of life so many of our fathers and grandfathers couldn’t share. Never before has a book moved me to tears, out of pride—for 2nd Lieutenant Phil Larimore’s legacy, and my own humble service in the U.S. Army.

Review by Sue Rushford (June 2022)

 

Author's Synopsis

What makes 2nd Lieutenant Phil Larimore’s story special is what happened in World War II’s closing days and the people—and horses—he interacted with in this Forrest Gump-like tale that is emotional, heartbreaking, and inspiring.

Growing up in the 1930s in Memphis, Tennessee, Phil Larimore is the ultimate Boy Scout—able to read maps, put a compass to good use, and traverse wild swamps and desolate canyons. His other great skill is riding horses.

Phil does poorly in school, however, leading his parents send to him to a military academy. After Pearl Harbor, Phil realizes he is destined for war. Three weeks before his eighteenth birthday, he becomes the youngest candidate to ever graduate from Officer Candidate School (OCS) at Fort Benning, Georgia.

Landing on the Anzio beachhead in February 1944, Phil is put in charge of an Ammunition Pioneer Platoon in the 3rd Infantry Division. Their job: deliver ammunition to the frontline foxholes—a dangerous assignment involving regular forays into No Man’s Land.

As Phil fights his way up the Italian boot, into Southern France and across the Rhine River into Germany, he is caught up in some of the most intense combat ever. But it’s what happens in the final stages of the war and his homecoming that makes Phil’s story incredibly special and heartwarming.

An emotional tale of courage, daring, and heroism, At First Light will remind you of the indomitable human spirit that lives in all of us.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Nonfiction—Memoir/Biography

Number of Pages: 480

Happenstance Farms A New Home by S. McMichael

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MWSA Review

What will Savannah do when her horse trainer moves out of town and her barn closes? S. McMichael in Happenstance Farms: A New Home has the answer. Find new ones! The prospect of change is scary for the young girl. Will she like her trainer? Will her trainer like her? Will her pony, Coffee, like the new barn? Will Savannah make new friends? So many questions. Will she find the answers?

At Happenstance Farms, Miss Ellen and her pup Eli make Savannah feel at home immediately. All her fears disappear when she mounts Coffee for her skill level evaluation. When she is on Coffee, she feels like nothing in this world matters except for them—soaring around the ring and over the jumps.

Putting Coffee in the barn, she meets Sophia, who warmly welcomes her—a great beginning to her new adventure. This book will appeal to young children with like-minded interests. They will finish the story wanting to learn more about Savannah and Happenstance Farms.

Review by Sandi Cathcart (June 2022)

 

Author's Synopsis

Change can be difficult, especially for Savanna. When she gets a new trainer at a new barn, she can't help thinking about how much she'll miss Colts & Company. More than that...she's a little scared. What will happen when Savanna swallows her fear and takes a chance on Happenstance Farms?

A fun, relatable story about a girl and her pony, your child will love keeping up with the adventures at Happenstance Farms. With charming characters, lots of laughs, and social-emotional learning, this book is the perfect addition to any home or classroom library

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Children & Young Adult—Picture Book

Number of Pages: 32