When Heroes Flew: Black Thursday by H. W. "Buzz" Bernard

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MWSA Review

When Heroes Flew: Black Thursday by H.W. “Buzz” Bernard is a gripping novel set in Europe during World War II in 1943. The U.S. 8th Air Force is trying to stop Nazi aggression by hitting targets in Germany that will halt production of their machines of war.

Having flown missions and crash-landed twice, Colonel Matt Barrington is older and is now commanding a desk, planning bombing raids into Germany for other pilots. When many bombers—each with a crew of ten— are lost, Matt is deeply affected by the rising body count. Washington and the powers that be are discussing “acceptable and incidental loss” necessary to achieve a mission. Matt can’t sleep at night because he sees the faces of these men and their grieving families instead of numbers. He is plagued by headaches and occasional shortness of breath from the stress of sending men into battle, who he knows may not return.

Deciding to visit a base during a pre-raid briefing, Matt hopes his presence will show the bomber pilots and crews that they are supported by the planners. On his way to the base, Matt stops at a bakery shop for something to eat. He meets the owner Charlie, short for Charlotte, and sparks fly. A lovely romantic relationship begins. Matt finds peace and love in Charlie’s arms. Charlie, a war widow, is relieved that Matt is behind a desk and no longer flying. That is, until Matt decides to join a dangerous mission to show the men that he won’t ask them to do something that he won’t do himself.

I was drawn to each of these characters. Author Bernard uses all the richness of the five senses to draw a reader into the story. I was angry with the brass in the Pentagon, gasped at the horror of war, and cried at the loss of life. Bernard’s conversational writing is laced with a great sense of humor. Oh, yeah, the ending left me absolutely stunned.

Buzz Bernard creates a beautiful tapestry, weaving real history and people with fictional characters into a story featuring many unsung heroes of World War II.

Review by Nancy Panko
 

Author's Synopsis

Colonel Matt Barrington knows the cold calculus of WWII strategic bombing. As one of the masterminds behind the US 8th Air Force's daring raids into Nazi Germany, he's accustomed to making decisions that send men to their deaths. But when a mission goes terribly wrong, resulting in the loss of 60 bombers, the weight of command threatens to crush him.

Seeking solace from his guilt-ridden insomnia, Matt finds unexpected comfort in the arms of Charlotte, an English widow, who understands the true cost of the war. Their budding romance offers a glimmer of hope amidst the chaos of conflict. But as the casualties mount, Matt realizes he can no longer lead from behind a desk. Determined to share in the risks his men face, Matt volunteers for a dangerous bombing raid, returning to the skies alongside the soldiers he sends into battle. But surviving one mission only deepens the weight of his guilt.

Haunted by loss and driven by an unyielding sense of duty, Matt defies direct orders and enters the cockpit once more. In a heart-stopping raid high above occupied Europe, he faces not only the lethal forces of the Luftwaffe and their deadly new weapons but also the demons that have long plagued him—and his last chance at a future with Charlotte. As flak bursts around his B-17 and enemy fighters close in, Matt must confront the ultimate question: In the crucible of war, can one man's actions truly make a difference?

Format(s) for review: Paper or Kindle
Review genre: Fiction—Historical Fiction
Pages/Word count: 244 / 70,000

Bastard Soldier, Earnest Medic by Michael Plotkowski

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MWSA Review Pending

 

Author's Synopsis

Bastard Soldier, Earnest Medic is a raw, darkly funny, and unflinchingly honest narrative that follows Joe's unlikely transformation from a wayward teenager into a soldier and army physician assistant forged in the chaos of three deployments.

What begins as a desperate courtroom gamble, spirals into a wild, unpredictable journey through the chaos and cruelty of basic training, the reckless escapades and misadventures of Fort Bliss, and the bizarre, often darkly comic theater of military life. Kosovo awakens Joe's curiosity for the world; medical training initiates him in the crude and intense; Iraq baptizes him in blood, trauma, and loss; and Afghanistan forces him to confront himself amid war's contradictions.

Through black humor, medical grit, and reckless choices, Joe stumbles toward purpose. He learns to laugh at the insanity and carry scars that don't fade. This isn't a flag-waving war story - it's a brutally human one: messy, vulgar, hilarious, and profound.

In the end, Joe doesn't find glory. He finds perspective. Bastard Soldier, Earnest Medic is the unforgettable story of a man who learns to own every absurd, appalling, and incredible piece of his past, findings unexpected purpose in the journey.

Raw, hilarious, and deeply human, Bastard Soldier, Earnest Medic will make you laugh, wince, and rethink everything you thought you knew about life in uniform.

Format(s) for review: Paper or Kindle
Review genre: Nonfiction—Creative Nonfiction
Pages/Word count: 202 / 82,000

Always On My Mind by Bob Every

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MWSA Review Pending

 

Author's Synopsis

Emmett McDonald never planned to start a war. He just wanted a beer on a Sunday in Port Clinton, Pennsylvania.

Janice Wilson never planned a five-million-step quest through the wilderness—the Appalachian Trail. But it's not Mount Katahdin she's aiming for. It's Port Clinton, Pennsylvania, an insignificant town of under three hundred people.

Brace yourself—Emmett McDonald, a battle-hardened veteran of three wars, is now in a struggle a lot bigger than a closed bar on a Sunday. It's about who makes the rules - and who has the grit to stand up to them.

Can an irascible Irishman with street smarts, scars, and an inconvenient conscience take on the people who run everything? And what happens when Janice finally reaches Port Clinton?

Do you believe street smarts can win over organized power? Does the quest of Don Quixote of La Mancha inspire you? Am I a good enough writer to pull it off?

Clicking the sample bar suffices. The decision is yours.

Format(s) for review: Kindle & paper
Review genre: Fiction—Literary Fiction
Pages/Word count: 273 / 70,000

Sirens in the Loop - A History of the City News Bureau of Chicago by Paul Zimbrakos / James Elsener

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MWSA Review

Sirens in the Loop is a narrative history of the legendary Chicago City News Bureau framed as a collective memoir from the perspectives of many of the news service’s alumni. The title is taken from the traditional alert that went out when squad cars, ambulances, or fire engines took to the streets of the inner city, sending Bureau reporters out in pursuit of the all-important “scoop.”

Founded in the late 19th Century, the CNB was the central hub for local “hard” news coverage in the rapidly growing “City of the Big Shoulders”—an era of sensational scandals, tragedies, and disasters. The bureau was set up by a consortium of the city’s major newspapers as an independent joint enterprise that focused on local “hard” news, allowing its shareholders to concentrate on national and international events. Chicago in the early decades of the 20th century was served by as many as ten daily English-language newspapers, some issuing multiple editions each day.

In its 115-year history, the CNB earned a reputation as the city’s training ground for budding reporters, many of whom moved on to senior positions in print journalism, radio, and television.
Newly hired news writers were quickly thrown into a demanding 24/7 hard-news environment covering police beats, city hall, the Cook county offices, criminal courts, and the coroner’s office. Their work was characterized by long hours, low pay, and relentless pursuit of “the facts”—Who? What? Where? When? How? Why? Hard-nosed Bureau editors were known for sending cub reporters back to a crime scene or a grieving family to confirm the smallest missing detail. The CNB mantra was: “If your mother says she loves you, check it out.”

The details of the City News legacy in this account are primarily the product of decades of research and archiving by long-term Bureau chief Paul Zimbrakos, who led the organization for more than forty years from 1958 until its closing in 2005. Zimbrakos started his journalism career as a copy boy at the Chicago Daily News before joining City News Bureau as a cub reporter. After a tour in the US Army, he returned to the Bureau and worked his way up the newsroom hierarchy from morgue reporter to the police beat and ultimately long service as its Managing Editor. In the course of his career, Zimbrakos mentored generations of journalists, including Kurt Vonnegut and Mike Royko. His is leadership style was characterized by tough love and an unrelenting demand for accuracy. He was renowned for riding his street reporters on the phone to “get it right, get it fast.”

Zimbrakos augmented his personal recollections with dozens of first-person anecdotes from Bureau veterans who covered some of the major stories of their eras. Unfortunately, he passed away before he could compile and organize his work for publication. That task fell to his long-time friend (and CNB alumnus) James Elsener.

Following his service as a US Marine in Vietnam, co-author James Elsener was hired as a green reporter by Bureau Chief Paul Zimbrakos in 1970. Elsener was immediately thrown into the CNB crucible. In his two-year stint at the Bureau, under Zimbrakos’s tough encouragement, he honed his skills as a news correspondent. As with many CNB veterans, Elsener went on to work with prominent area newspapers, including the Chicago Tribune, The Business Ledger, and the Daily Herald before retiring in 2017. He is the author of two novels, The Last Road Trip and Reflections of Valour.

Sirens in the Loop records a unique chapter in American journalism history—and thereby the history of one of our country’s most dynamic and noteworthy cities. Readers with an interest in the roots of modern-day news coverage and the standards of professional journalism will be rewarded by the first-hand accounts of the many men and women who earned their spurs in the demanding environment of the Chicago City News Bureau. Others with a more general interest in the newsworthy events and milestones of 20th-Century Chicago—ranging from the gangland St. Valentine’s Day Massacre to the horrors of serial killer John Wayne Gacy--will be treated to new perspectives into how they were reported to the public.

Review by Peter Adams Young
 

Author's Synopsis

“Sirens in the Loop” traces the rise and legacy of the City News Bureau of Chicago, the legendary news wire service that shaped generations of reporters and defined the city’s gritty journalistic identity.
Through vivid storytelling, the book explores its founding, its relentless “If your mother says she loves you, check it out” ethos, and the countless scoops, scandals, and characters forged in its chaotic newsroom. From crime scenes to city hall, it chronicles how the bureau’s demanding culture sharpened young reporters’ instincts and left an enduring imprint on American journalism.
“Co-authored by veteran editors Paul Zimbrakos and James Elsener, the narrative traces the agency’s evolution from its founding in 1890 to its “final” closure 115 years later. It offers a front-row seat to Chicago’s most harrowing headlines, including the St. Valentine's Day Massacre, the Our Lady of the Angels fire, and the Tylenol murders. Beyond the hard news, the book captures the "Chicago style" of reporting through hundreds of anecdotes from alumni luminaries like Mike Royko, Kurt Vonnegut, and Seymour Hersh.
The title refers to the "Sirens in the Loop" BULLETINS that signaled immediate breaking news to the city’s media outlets. From the clatter of manual typewriters and pneumatic delivery tubes to the digital age, this book stands as a testament to a bygone era of street-smart, high-stakes reporting that shaped the landscape of American journalism.

Format(s) for review: Paper Only
Review genre: Nonfiction—History
Pages/Word count: 272 / 75,000

Unlearning What Worked by Matthew West-James

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MWSA Review Pending

 

Author's Synopsis

Unlearning What Worked is a collection of lived stories about trying to be a successful human in a world that keeps changing the rules.

For much of my life, I relied on the tools that once kept me safe: staying invisible, avoiding risk, following the rules, and doing what was expected. On paper, those strategies worked. The career progressed. The responsibilities grew. From the outside, things looked successful.

But over time, those same tools stopped working. Growth slowed. Satisfaction faded. The paths that once felt reliable began to feel constraining instead of protective.

These essays trace moments from my life where progress required letting go of what had previously worked, and learning to adapt without a clear playbook. They are stories about leadership, failure, stagnation, and change. About discovering that success does not always come with fulfillment. And about becoming more intentional, honest, and present in the life I was building.

This is not a guidebook or a set of prescriptions. It is a reflective collection for readers who find themselves between versions of who they were and who they are becoming, and who are learning that growth sometimes begins by unlearning.

Format(s) for review: Paper or Kindle
Review genre: Nonfiction—Memoir/Biography
Pages/Word count: 81 / 14,980

Wooftastic and Mr. Wonderful by Circe Olson Woessner

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MWSA Review Pending

 

Author's Synopsis

This easy-to-read chapter book tells the story of Danny, also known as WOOFTASTIC, in his own words. Danny is part of a service family that goes wherever Uncle Sam sends them. Danny is loyal, opinionated, and imaginative. He loves his family and keeps them organized and safe. His main jobs are to guard his family from stress and very big monsters, and to keep them from getting lost in the woods. He loves Daddy first, and then it's a hard choice between Grandma and Mommy. Grandma cooks better, so that makes it a little easier to pick her.

Danny is a real dog, and his real 95-year-old grandma drew the pictures in this book to accompany his real and made-up adventures. Young readers will appreciate the stories as told in dog speak, and adults can imagine how their dogs would react if they were dropped into Danny’s/WOOFTASTIC’s adventures.

Format(s) for review: Paper Only
Review genre: Children & Young Adult—Children's Chapter Book
Pages/Word count: 102 / 20,161

The Gotland Deception by James Rosone

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MWSA Review Pending

 

Author's Synopsis

The world was on fire.
It didn’t matter who started it…
…only who ended it.

In the 2030s, the era of Putin and Xi ended, not with a bang, but in a poisoned whisper. In their place, new leaders emerged—charismatic, technocratic, and unflinchingly bold. As Russia and China purged their past, crushing the oligarchy, an alliance for future control emerged.

Format(s) for review: Paper or Kindle
Review genre: Fiction—Mystery/Thriller/Crime
Pages/Word count: 357 / 102,000

Last Gunship Dial M for Mullinnix by Frank A. Wood

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MWSA Review

In his third book, Last Gunship: Dial M for Mullinnix, author Frank Wood departs from his normal non-fiction style and creates a murder thriller at sea. USS Mullinnix has a job to do on the gunline of Vietnam, killing the enemy. But a member of the crew is killing civilians in port and the crew underway, and the ship's company is more scared of this faceless killer than it is of the enemy. Will the killer be brought to justice, or will the ship tear itself apart faster than a main boiler explosion?

Frank Wood knows the life of a "tin-can sailor," and it brings it vividly to the pages of this book. He weaves an intricate story while capturing the sometimes terrifying but usually mundane life of a ship on the gunline in Vietnam. Those who have sailed aboard small Navy ships will feel nostalgic about this book, and those who enjoy murder mysteries will find something to enjoy as well.

Review by Rob Ballister
 

Author's Synopsis

War kills everything! What could be worse? A boiler room explosion and fire, a putrefied body in the bilges, a reefer dedicated to body bags, and the unimaginable – a possible murderer aboard ship!
Wood captures the psychological & emotional reality of serving during Vietnam with unflinching detail and authenticity. Raw. Real. Vivid. Disillusionment. Its humanity laid bare. A powerful account of the camaraderie and haunting aftermath of sailors that served on the Vietnam Gunline in the mid-1960s.

Format(s) for review: Paper or Kindle
Review genre: Fiction—Mystery/Thriller/Crime
Pages/Word count: 313 / 56,346

Paddy and the Banshee: A Mythical Memoir Unlike Any Other by Marty Martin

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MWSA Review Pending

 

Author's Synopsis

The story began as a fantasy based on a childhood memory about a Banshee in Ireland. As repressed memories surfaced, the story evolved into a memoir unlike any other. The story blends imagination with the true story about six-year-old Paddy in the 1960s and his life in New York City, to rural Kilkenny County in Ireland, and back to New York, and how he learned that Banshees are real while also managing to navigate and survive a broken home and a variety of other early-life challenges. The boy’s name may not really be Paddy, but to tell this story, a hint of Irishness and anonymity may be necessary.

Format(s) for review: Paper or Kindle
Review genre: Nonfiction—Memoir/Biography
Pages/Word count: 196 / 35,992

Coherent Chaos: The Unity Paradox... by A. Quinn Stanley, Ph.D.

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MWSA Review Pending

 

Author's Synopsis

What if conflict could be your greatest teacher-and your pathway to peace? In Coherent Chaos, educator, veteran, and "blue-collar philosopher" A. Quinn Stanley draws from a lifetime of paradoxes—military and ministry, science and faith, rebellion and redemption—to explore one unifying question: How do we connect through the very chaos that divides us? Blending riveting personal narratives with deep neurological, psychological, and theological insight, Stanley proposes a daring thesis: conflict, when handled with wisdom, can actually foster healing, clarity, and unity. Whether it's reconciling science and religion, understanding the subconscious triggers behind our behavior, or simply learning to listen across differences, Coherent Chaos is both a memoir and a manual for turning turmoil into transformation. This intellectual journey defies genre—part auto ethnography, part spiritual reflection, part social science. Ultimately, it is a hope-filled invitation to find harmony within the dissonance of modern life.

Format(s) for review: Paper or Kindle
Review genre: Other—Religious/Spiritual
Pages/Word count: 316 / 117,015

The Intus Invasion by James Rosone

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MWSA Review

Authors James Rosone and Brandon Ellis have done it again with their new book, The Intus Invasion. Set at the end of the twenty-first century, mankind has moved into space and in doing so have finally encountered other intelligent species. Unfortunately, one of these species, the Zodarks, are an aggressive species seeking to dominate and enslave all forms of life they encounter. They attack an Earth space vessel without warning killing everyone. Earth has made allies with other intelligent species who have already encountered the Zodarks and have lost their home worlds to the Zodarks.

This book follows the adventures of a handful of young Academy graduates who join Earth's Republic Navy and travel into space to join the battle. The book moves fast and kept my attention throughout. I recommend it to all fans of science fiction.

Review by Bob Doerr (July 2025)
 

Author's Synopsis

The stars held more than humanity’s future…

…they revealed an alien menace that could end it all.

First contact wasn’t peaceful. The Zodarks, brutal and unrelenting, tore into the Republic’s defenses. Armed with cunning and unquenchable bloodthirst, the four-armed warriors dominated over every adversary.

Caught off guard as the Republic stumbled into an interstellar war it wasn’t ready to fight—against an adversary born from nightmares. Mankind clung to hope as it healed divisions, forged new alliances, and prepared for the war thrusted upon it.

Amid the chaos, Ripley Willis Lee, a young officer with a brilliant mind for strategy, rose to face the challenge. His courage and determination inspired those around him, but the burden of leadership grew heavier with every battle. During the invasion of Intus, his decisions would mean the difference between survival and annihilation.

The battle for Intus would decide more than victory.

Would humanity survive the trials of the stars—or succumb to them?

The Intus Invasion is the gripping first entry in a new series set in the Rise of the Republic universe. If you crave high-stakes battles, dark revelations, and the fight for humanity’s survival, this is your next great read.

Grab your copy today and step into the fight.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

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

Number of Pages: 394

Word Count: 125,339

Monroe Doctrine: A Post-War Novel by James Rosone

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MWSA Review

The final book of the Monroe Doctrine series is just as exciting and just as plausible as the rest of the series has been. Though hostilities have ended, the absence of war doesn't necessarily mean peace. China needs to be rebuilt, along with the US economy. And not everyone in China is happy with the peace agreement. Thousands of former Chinese soldiers are now without a job and anxious to avenge their country's defeat. The Artificial Intelligence entity, Jade Dragon, is still alive and still wants to achieve the goals it was given. In the meantime, India wants that same AI advantage, as it seeks to fill the void left by China, and America wants its own, more ethical robot warrior program.

These elements all set the just recently "peaceful" world on a collision course for more violence, more chaos, and more death. How will the human leadership of the world navigate this new landscape? The characters that have survived this far are committed to doing what they can, but will it be enough?

Fans of Tom Clancy and Dale Brown will enjoy this ending to a very well written and engaging series.

Review by Rob Ballister (July 2025)

 

Author's Synopsis

Jade Dragon had been crushed…

…China was forced to relent…

…but picking up the pieces had only just begun.

After years of conflict, the Allies emerged victorious on the battlefield. However, the World was left bruised and battle-worn. American President Maria Delgado had her hands full with the recovery efforts.

Blain Wilson would be pulled in…

…deeper down the rabbit hole than he intended.

Trying to avoid mistakes of the past, the United States limited its peacekeeping force and relied on allies. General Song appeared to be a leader the people of China could rally behind.

Would reconstruction efforts be enough to avoid a future war?

Soldiers who had become accustomed to war now had to readjust to peace—a return to life in a world they barely recognized. Many struggled greatly with this transition, medicating themselves with alcohol or by other means.

Who would find the strength to pull through?

What nations would be the ones to rise from the ashes of war?

Find out what happened after the war ended. You’ll love this exciting continuation of the Monroe Doctrine series because the characters’ fates are not always what they seem.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Fiction—Mystery/Thriller/Crime

Number of Pages: 274

Word Count: 90,271

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

The Other Side of War...Faces of Vietnam by Charlie Hughes

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MWSA Review

Charlie Hughes was drafted into the US Army in the spring of 1966 and trained as an artillery surveyor. A year later, he was stationed at a small airfield a few miles north of Saigon, where his civilian interests in photography led to his assignment as staff photographer for an artillery group commander. This job provided Charlie with the opportunity to travel extensively around the area, taking pictures everywhere he went.

He returned to the United States with a collection of negatives, color prints, and slides that eventually were stored away in his cellar, where, in his words, he “tried to bury the memories of the war.” More than half a century passed before a regional writers’ project encouraged Charlie to publish the handful of images that had survived the ravages of time as The Other Side of War – Faces of Vietnam.

Charlie’s stated purpose for publishing this book of original photographs is to provide “... a behind-the-scenes look at the people of South Vietnam, who lived with combat all around them, and the U.S. soldiers sent to help them.” Many of the images included deliver on this promise, offering sympathetic glimpses into daily life in wartime Vietnam, with a focus on the desperate, unposed expressions of children. Several photos of the daily routines of US soldiers show the mundane realities of rear-echelon duty in Vietnam.

Images of Vietnamese civilians—especially those of children—provide unique and compelling scenes of life in wartime South Vietnam. These represent the real value of this collection. Several are in color, their contrast and color balance reflecting the effects of age, but in some cases, these enhance their artistic impact.

Charlie Hughes is to be commended for his initial vision and perspective in capturing these images in the midst of war, and for preserving them for us to admire and ponder. Anyone looking for a glimpse into everyday life in war-torn Vietnam should overlook most of the photos of US soldiers and concentrate on those of the Vietnamese civilians—those on the “other side.”

You will be rewarded with these powerful and poignant pictures.

Review by Peter Young (June 2025)

Author's Synopsis

Author's Synopsis: Six months into my Army tour in Vietnam 1967-68 I was re-assigned to S-5 at Headquarters at 23rd Artillery Group in Phu Loi because of my abilities as a photographer and darkroom experience. I flew several times a week with Col. Robert Koch to base camps and fire support bases in III and IV Corps where units of the five battalions of artillery he commanded were located. While in Vietnam, because I was not assigned to the infantry, I also took many photos of US soldiers and the Vietnamese people in different settings. The photos in this book are among some of my favorites.

Format(s) for review: Paper Only

Review Genre: Other—Anthology/Collection

Number of Pages: 110

Word Count: 5,875

Goodbye Charlie: Recollections of Vietnam by Charlie Hughes

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MWSA Review

How would you like to spend one year in South Vietnam in 1967 – 68, enduring the oppressive heat and humidity? One year in a support role in the rear echelon dealing with perimeter duties and random attacks with mortars, RPGs, and sniper fire? One year of long days, short nights, constant sleep deprivation, and non-stop longing for home? No, Charlie Hughes wasn’t humping in the jungle experiencing direct combat with the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army. Charlie was serving his country with a headquarters company, a base of support for the infantrymen and helicopter crews in combat. Any headquarters was always a big, fat, juicy target for the enemy, especially during the Tet Offensive.

In Goodbye Charlie: Recollections of Vietnam, Charlie Hughes shares his experience as an artillery surveyor with the HHB 1st Battalion 27th Artillery. Although his military occupation specialty (MOS) was as an artillery surveyor, Charlie wrote that he did every job on the base—except his MOS. One day, he was given the opportunity to serve as a photographer in 5-5 Headquarters 23rd Artillery Group in Phu Loi. Charlie had studied photography in school, hoping to be a professional before he was drafted. He eagerly accepted. Relevant to his new job, he often traveled in the air above Vietnam with the colonel, who had his own helicopter.

From basic training to and through his deployment, Charlie chronicles the day-to-day nitty-gritty of his experiences. He spent a lot of time developing pictures from his travels with the Colonel, and I was disappointed when I didn’t see any of Charlie’s photos from his time in Vietnam in this book.

Goodbye Charlie is a great legacy for his family and friends. Thank you for your service to our country, Charlie. Welcome Home!

Review by Nancy Panko (July 2025)

 

Author's Synopsis

The story of my year in Vietnam 1967-68 assigned as artillery surveyor with HHB 1st Battalion 27th Artillery, then assigned half-way through my tour as a photographer in S-5 at Headquarters 23rd Artillery Group in Phu Loi. The book takes the reader through basic, training as a battalion in Fort Sill, traveling by ship to Vietnam and the day-to-day struggles of a non-infantry soldier dealing with mortar attacks, the heat, long days, perimeter duties, loneliness, numerous helicopter trips to fire support bases and the Tet Offensive.

Format(s) for review: Paper Only

Review Genre: Nonfiction—Memoir/Biography

Number of Pages: 275

Word Count: 82,006

Independence: Dancing with Time by Taylor Curtis

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MWSA Review

A city couple retire to Staffordshire, a small town in the Tidewater area of North Carolina, only to find out they are expected to host their neighborhood’s annual Independence Day potluck celebration. Relative newcomers to the community, they are forced to adapt and conform to local expectations of the event while navigating a minefield of traditions, customs, and taboos.

Cathy and Mark Nelson have been married for more than forty years. Their professional careers—Cathy’s as a nurse and hospital administrator and Mark’s as a public relations officer—have not prepared them for the pressures they encounter from an overwhelming cast of eccentric local characters. The cultural history of the close-knit yet racially divided community add to the tension.

As the couple works through the process of planning and coordinating the celebration event, they also must struggle with Mark’s recurring flashbacks to his service as a war correspondent in Vietnam along with marital anxieties.

This novel captures a unique sense of place while providing a challenging timeline and intricate relationships. Readers should prepare for a roller-coaster ride with surprises at every turn.

Review by Peter Young (July 2025)

 

Author's Synopsis

Staffordshire, a village of 2000 on an inland bay of a North Carolina river, attempts to continue the fifty-year-old tradition of a July 4 block party. Some think a celebration that usually focuses on past achievement should emphasize future service. The military veterans in the community feel contribution to the national good means sacrifice, especially in the aftermath of 9/11.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Fiction—Literary Fiction

Number of Pages: 255

Word Count: 66,370

Finally Home by Cortney Cino

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MWSA Review

Finally Home follows a young family anticipating the return of their deployed father, told from the point of view of the daughter. It's a sweet story depicting the family's actions in preparing for the exciting homecoming celebration, using calendars, making posters, baking special treats, and arriving at the base for the special day. Illustrations are heartwarming and provide realistic scenery, military hardware, and characters. The scenes have an emotionally gentle sense, making the book perfect for a bedtime story as a present-day military family counts down the days until the return of their missing loved one.

Review by Betsy Beard (June 2025)

Author's Synopsis

FEEL THE ANTICIPATION AND JOY OF ONE INCREDIBLE DAY!

The butterflies in Sara's belly are fluttering fast. Her family is reuniting today after more than six months apart.

But the hours drag on, testing her patience. The crowds in the hangar finally learn that the planes will land soon.

Which one is Daddy's? Will I recognize him? Sara wonders as she watches the tiny gray dots finally come into view.

Sara chronicles the day's events, highlighting the unbreakable bonds of family. Military families, aviation lovers, and anyone interested in witnessing an incredible family reunion will enjoy this story.

Format(s) for review: Paper only

Review Genre: Children & Young Adult—Picture Book

Number of Pages: 32

Word Count: 500

What the Silent Say by Emerson Ford

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MWSA Review

All is fair and love and war, the familiar saying goes, meaning that what you do to achieve love or to win a war has no rules. The lover is a champion if they win the beloved, and the warrior a hero if they defeat the enemy—no matter how. Emerson Ford‘s What the Silent Say explores the other side of these military and amatory cliches, giving voice to the person who loves but is not fulfilled, and those who do not survive to write the history.

If, one-third of the way into this fine novel, you wonder how it involves war, you can be forgiven. The cover—a lone soldier with head bowed standing in grass beyond which are distant rows of foggy mountains—led you to believe this would a war story, possibly told from some point after the conflict. And the temporal setting of the novel's beginning is 1937, so our knowledge of history tells us we are between two world wars.

Still, to this point, the narrative has focused on two brothers growing up in Florence, South Carolina, and a young girl struggling with the fact that her father abandoned her and left her to live with an embittered mother. The cast of characters does suggest the historical legacy of war: two fathers from the World War One generation insist on a strictness in their households common to military hierarchy. The women in the home knowingly accept this almost unfeeling rigidity, while the children have no resources to resist the male dominance shaping their futures.

Raymond Sellers must follow in his father's business, while his less gifted younger brother Jimmie hopes to find a path his father will approve. Evelyn’s only model for the future is a wife who couldn't keep her husband home. Also, there are subtle hints that the tender, teenage romance of the central couple contains analogs to military engagement. “'One walk is all I ask,'" the older of the Sellers brothers insists to Evelyn. "'If I can’t convince you on the way to your house to give me a chance, you can give me the boot. I promise.' A war played out on her face. The side in his favor did have bigger guns."

It will turn out that comparisons associated with traditionally feminine realms find their way into later descriptions of war: "Raymond trudged behind the scouts, his feet moving as if they were wading through a pool of molasses." When his brother Jimmie becomes a gunner on a bomber, we read: "Finding a downed crew was like trying to find one uncooked grain in a sea of cooked rice."

After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Raymond, having gained the rank of second lieutenant at Clemson University, knows he will be called to active duty. And the characterization of the enemy he must face begins the process of hardening necessary to kill: the mandate to take up arms, we read, "started earlier, with their [the Japanese'] torment of the Chinese and any peoples they deemed the weaker…They’d all heard the tales from Japanese prisoner of war camps—stories of unspeakable acts done to those they captured. Europe seemed a safer bet from where Raymond stood, but maybe that was just because it would get him out of the Pacific and away from an enemy he couldn’t understand.”

The novel's account of the young men's military experience reminds us that gender stereotypes contribute to their understanding of the new landscape. Planes and ships are female: "At the runway, the painted girl on the side of their plane greeted him with her perpetual wink.” Later, “Jimmie pulled out a wrinkled and worn copy of The Fighting Yank comic book. Across the front was his brother’s compact script: Be like Yank. Show ’em how it’s done. Love, Raymond. The cover showed Yank, the hero, lounging on Hirohito’s throne with debilitated Japanese soldiers littered about him in distress. Yank had single-handedly brought”

In the combat scenes that follow, there are, of course, some slackers, but the ones at the center of the action demonstrate the selflessness and determination of The Greatest Generation. Similarly, the spirit of Rosie the Riveter inspires (most of) the women left behind to take up unaccustomed burdens and to band together in mutual support The novel is brutal in its depiction of war and compassionate in its account of the emotional strain military families endure when loved ones come home injured or don’t come at all

Love and war are not fair, says Emerson Ford, but both can inspire greatness in individuals and a society.

Review by Michael Lund (July 2025)

 

Author's Synopsis

Inspired by a remarkable true story and brought to life in cinematic detail, an unforgettable tale of courage, sacrifice, and the unbreakable bonds of family.

Florence, South Carolina 1944: Lieutenant Raymond Sellers bids farewell to his brother Jimmie, the weight of what lies ahead hanging heavy in the air. The brothers have always been inseparable—Raymond, the steady protector, Jimmie, the wild-hearted dreamer. But as Raymond embraces his pregnant wife Evelyn one last time, war is about to test the bonds of family in ways they never imagined.

As a summer storm shakes the windows, Evelyn brings her baby into a world at war. Across the vast Pacific theater, Raymond leads his men through brutal combat while Jimmie fights in the skies. One battle forces Raymond to choose between the family he promised to protect and the brothers he swore to never leave behind. Eighteen years later, a daughter finds a cache of letters in her father's desk and is shocked to find that some acts of courage echo across generations.

From the flowering dogwoods of South Carolina to the chilling trenches of Okinawa, What the Silent Say reminds us that even in our darkest hours, the human spirit has the capacity to endure. If you love anything by Kristin Hannah, Amy Harmon, or were moved by Band of Brothers, this book is a must-read.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Fiction—Historical Fiction

Number of Pages: 388

Word Count: 103766

Shipmate by Eileen Clancy Biegel

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MWSA Review

Eileen Clancy Biegel’s Shipmate is a moving tribute to her brother, a Coast Guard chief warrant officer. Through illustration and narrative, Biegel uses her brother’s nickname, “The Bear,” to recount her brother’s legacy onboard the Coast Guard cutter Southwind (a refurbished icebreaker).

A child will enjoy the illustrations of Chief and Betty Bear, while an adult could help explain the various adventures faced by the Southwind’s crew of bears: navigating through the world’s oceans, delivering supplies to the Antarctic, and dodging icebergs while rescuing ships in distress. Both the child and their adult reading companion will learn something new about Coast Guard service while reading this book.

Review by John Cathcart (July 2025)

 

Author's Synopsis

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

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

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

Format(s) for review: Paper Only

Review Genre: Children & Young Adult—Picture Book

Number of Pages: 36

Word Count: 710

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

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MWSA Review

W. Thomas Burns's Vietnam: The Memory of a Sandlot Soldier is a short, humbly written account of a very important time in the author's life.

Starting at Marine Corps recruit training, it details the author's feelings and actions as he becomes a Marine, goes through advanced training, and deploys to Vietnam. Marine veterans will relate to his description of the "yellow footprints" and the manner with which the drill instructors taught their new charges. The book then moves into the author's deployment to Vietnam and his introduction into combat, including descriptions of the heat and smells of the jungle.

Through it all, the author is humble. He minimizes his actions, and never fails to refer to those lost in combat as heroes. It is obvious that the author is incredibly patriotic, and only felt that he did his duty for his country, nothing more, even after suffering a debilitating combat wound.

Marine veterans from the Vietnam era will relate to this story, as will any infantryman who served in combat.

Review by Rob Ballister (July 2025)

 

Author's Synopsis

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

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Nonfiction—Memoir/Biography

Number of Pages: 96

Word Count: 9446