Sugar, Zeroes, and Lemon by Jim Greenwald

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MWSA Review

Poet Jim Greenwald has created a truly wonderful poetic journey for the heart and spirit. His poems capture moments from the heart and mind that readers will all be able to relate to. His poetry dances across relationships and examines the spaces between love and hurting. 

His poetry book "Sugar, Zeroes, and Lemon Drops" is one of those simple little books that you will find yourself reading many times. Perhaps, you will not read every poem again, but certainly some of those individual poems will resonate strongly within you. My favorite poem from his book is called "misplaced". I think the ending of it asks one of those personal and emotional questions that we have all asked of ourselves at one time: 

"looking...as I do each day, 
Hoping to find the place where I should be, 
I have a key... where is the door?" 

Reviewed by: Bill McDonald (2009)

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Author's Synopsis

If you have never cried over someone who walked away, you have never loved. Poetry and love possess a symbiotic relationship. Poetry, like love, is best experienced. The deeper the experience, the better they are woven, the better the weave and the deeper the emotion. I hope my words reach into your soul. For when they do, I have succeeded and we have shared both smiles and teardrops on this, the stage we call life. May your life be filled with sugar and zeroes.

The Book of War by Dwight Zimmerman

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MWSA Review

Author Dwight Jon Zimmerman's book is a fat, colorful look at the history of civilization seen through the prism of war.  It consists of a series of 1-3 page vignettes describing the why and how of particular battles, the people involved -- and the impact of evolving technology.  Squeezed down into smaller bites and far more focused, The Book of War is reminiscent of an amusing 70s British Television series called CONNECTIONS.
 
Clever in concept, The Book of War is part coffee-table chic/part academic history.  It's the kind of work that informs while entertaining.  It can be devoured like lunch or nibbled like a late night snack.  Because the language is simple and the content broad, there's literally something for everyone. Students might mark the slick pages with paperclips and sticky notes in preparation for exams and term papers.  Researchers might peruse the Table of Contents for tidbits on the history of weapons or for that little-known detail about the Suez Crisis.  Novelists might pick it up to search for small anecdotes about Hannibal and his elephants or Patton and his tanks.  And then there are those of us who sit cross-legged on our sofas with specs on our noses licking our thumbs and turning pages with the fascination of true bibliophiles reading for joy of it.
 
The Book of War is a gorgeous example of how design and color can enhance good solid writing.  Although chunky, the book fits the hand easily and the print, while small, is easy on the eye.  The handsome red and gold cover implies quality and the three small images of Napoleon, Robert E. Lee, and Dwight D. Eisenhower imply range.  You always know where you are in the long continuum of time by the watermarked year in the left margin as each new chapter begins. The illustrations include photos of ancient statuary, battlefield paintings, and photography.  It must have been an expensive book to produce and even though it is a perfect bound trade publication, it is sturdy enough to grace the shelves of personal, public and university libraries.
 
The research represented by this book is stunning.  Author Zimmerman does not limit himself to one country, one era, or one culture.  His topics include battles like Kadesh, Nagashino, Yorktown, Gettysburg, Gallipoli, Inchon, and 73 Easting.  He covers sieges like Carthage, Masada, Fort Sumter, and Khartoom.  He describes warriors like Julius Caesar, Joan of Arc, Horatio Nelson, Hap Arnold, and Moshe Dayan.  He discusses tools like chariots, swords, bows, and torpedoes.    He comments on the roles of maps, radios, and global positioning systems.  The sheer volume of information is overwhelming.
 
The Book of War is a great tool for authors, journalists, teachers, and armchair military historians.  It's well-indexed and foot-noted making it easy to use.  As the author states in his introduction, -- each stage in a civilization's cycle -- birth, growth, decline, and replacement by another society "includes war," and as such, this book is also useful for philosophers, politicians, and generals. 

Reviewed by: Joyce Faulkner (2009)

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Author's Synopsis

Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers: Throughout human history, violent conflict has been a fact of life. To know the history of war is to know human history. The Book of War recounts landmark battles that shaped civilizations from 1274 B.C. up to the present day. Organized chronologically, this fascinating survey details pivotal military events from early empires through to modern warfare. It also reveals their immediate impact and importance to history. Each entry spans two pages, with concise text and stunning images for each battle. Interspersed throughout the book are essays on innovations, strategies, or leaders that have changed the way war has been waged.

America's Film Vault by Phillip W. Stewart

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MWSA Review

An indispensible reference tool for the serious film researcher! Try doing a search for a specific film housed in the US National Archives using the Archive's online database: the ARC -- Archival Research Catalog (found on archives.gov).  You might find what you're looking for; but you won't find things so thoughtfully organized and cross-referenced as you will in Philip Stewart's new book, America's Film Vault.  

In the book's introduction, the novice film researcher, producer, or student will benefit from Stewart's overview of the Archives' holdings, the different sources of those holdings, how they're organized, and a short-but-fascinating look into the history of each basic category of film: civilian, military, and donated.

However, this book is not just for the beginner.  Expanding on the 1972 reference work of two Archives employees (which has not been updated since that time), America's Film Vault also belongs on the bookshelf of the seasoned veteran.  The book's handy and useful layout, which includes a thorough subject and title index, will facilitate the search/research/exploration of the experienced Archive sleuth as well.  

Perhaps best of all, Stewart's organization by resource group (RG) holdings, might just facilitate that unexpected discovery that takes one in a whole new direction!

Thumb through this book or spend a few minutes on Phil Stewart's website.  The reader can't help but notice that this third installment in his "Historic Footage Project" is--as the author admits--a labor of love. It's also a tremendously helpful and easy-to-use guide map to the film treasures waiting to be found and enjoyed in our nation's National Archives.

Reviewed by: John Cathcart (2009)

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Author's Synopsis

AMERICA'S FILM VAULT: A Reference Guide to the Motion Pictures Held by the U.S. National Archives is the comprehensive new book by award-winning author and film-sleuth Phillip W. Stewart. Some of the best kept history secrets are buried deep within America's film vault. This essential reference guide unshrouds, for the first time in book form, the whereabouts of historic motion picture films preserved in the National Archives. 

This treasure trove includes over 360,000 film reels that document a century of American and world history. Unfortunately, relatively few people know that these historically significant films exist, and even fewer know how to find them. 

AMERICA'S FILM VAULT is an indispensable reference guide that discloses how these vintage films are organized and where to find them; exposes over 330 Government and Donated records that have motion pictures buried within them; uncovers and specifically identifies over 1,460 film titles and provides topical references to thousands more; and reveals-all with a comprehensive 2,130-plus subject index that sheds light on a vast variety of rare films. 

According to William T. Murphy, former Chief of the Motion Picture, Sound, and Video Branch of the National Archives, America's Film Vault is, "...a convenient overview of National Archives and Records Administration's motion picture holdings, one difficult to obtain from any other source." 

If you're ready to play detective, take a crack at the combination, and investigate the bowels of the vault, you need a guide map...and this is it! Discover "reel" treasures with AMERICA'S FILM VAULT. Check out the author's website (pwstewart.com) for more information about this and his other books in The Historic Footage Project.

God in the Foxhole by Charles W. Sasser

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MWSA Review

Prolific author Charles W. Sasser has given readers something very special in the way of military genre books with his newest (and best) book of his career. "God In The Foxhole: Inspiring True Stories Of Miracles On The Battlefield" is a very moving, entertaining, mysterious, spiritual and action filled volume of personal accounts of combat. It is unlike any other book already out there. This is book doesn't judge the supernatural happenings that surround the warriors who have waged our nation's battles and wars - it just presents them for the reader to digest and savor. 

There are dozens of tales of supernatural events that have happened to combat veterans from all of our wars. Sasser has captured stories from most of our nation's wars, some from people he personally knows such as myself. He gives each experience a respectful place in this anthology of war stories. What happens is so varied and no two stories are alike. We are shown the power of faith, prayer and love. We are also shown true miracles where there are no possible logical explanations. 

This book written in a style that reads like a great novel. The author's obvious skills as a story teller are much in evident. He takes the reader on a "spiritual journey" across battlefields and up into the flak filled skies of times past - to deliver an explosive page turning book. One cannot help but be moved by the many accounts of encounters with events and things that leave us in wonder and awe. This book will make you feel good; it may also make you question reality and what you might believe. 

I believe in the power of this book. So much so, that when I was contacted by the author to use my own stories in his book, I not only gave him those but I also introduced him to another dozen or so veterans who had "spiritual experiences". Then, I volunteered to write the Foreword for this volume. When this book finally came out it was even better than I had envisioned. 

This book needed to be written; these stories needed to be told! Charles Sasser has gifted the world with something very special. This book is more than just individual stories. When presented together, as in this book - it becomes a divine messenger! However, there are no deliberate attempts to send any particular slanted or religious message - readers will come away with their own insights and beliefs. The stories speak for themselves - there is no need to sell or exploit religion or any spiritual ideology. 

I strongly urge all those who have a friend or relative in the military, to buy them a copy of this book. Your gift of this book will lift their hearts and spirits. However, this book is not intended just for combat veterans but for all family members. It will strengthen your faith, or in some cases, give you faith where there wasn't any before. This book will inspire readers. 

This book has been nominated for book awards from both "The Military Writer's Society of America" and "The American Authors Association". This is a FIVE STAR BOOK! I give this book my personal recommendation. Buy it, read it, and be inspired! This book will change you in ways you cannot image.

Reviewed by: Bill McDonald (2009)

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Author's Synopsis

God in the FoxholeA stunning collection of true personal accounts from generations of American soldiers whose faith, in the words of renowned combat journalist and former Green Beret Charles W. Sasser, “has been born, reborn, tested, sustained, verified, or transformed under fire.”From the battlefields of the American Revolution through World Wars I and II, from Korea and Vietnam to the front lines in Iraq and Afghanistan, here is an immensely moving gathering of war stories like no other—dramatic tales of spirituality, conversion, and miracles:The angelic vision that brought inner peace to an exhausted helicopter door gunner in Vietnam . . . the makeshift full-immersion baptisms of eleven soldiers on Palm Sunday in Iraq, 2004 . . . two enemies—a Nazi priest and an American G.I.—who served Communion Mass in a Belgian sanctuary in 1944 . . . the prescient letter from a Civil War army major to his beloved wife, one week before his death at Bull Run . . . the 21st-century toddler with a jaw-dropping spiritual connection to a war hero of Iwo Jima . . . and more.Fans of military history will be captivated by these transcendent portraits of survival and belief, presented by the acclaimed coauthor of One Shot—One Kill.

Battlefields & Blessings: Stories of Faith and Courage from World War II by Larkin Spivey

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MWSA Review

Larkin Spivey's book is an inspirational, uplifting, spiritual work written against the backdrop of World War II.  Spivey, himself a combat veteran, tells 365 true stories of faith and hope, set up in a one-per-day devotional format.  Most stories contain quotes from the soldiers who lived them during the second world war, and each concludes with a scripture passage related to the story.

I particularly liked the simple way Larkin told each soldier's (or sailor's, or airman's, or Marine's) story.  Usually in one page, he set the stage, introduced the character, told the story, and explained the particular spiritual relevance.  From privates to generals, allies to axis, warfighter and civilian, Larkin drew the most powerful stories together to produce a spiritual shield any prayerful soldier will count as a "must have" in his or her combat gear.  

It is a well laid out, simple read, with a gripping cover and appropriate pictures throughout.  I also liked the way the page edges are ruffled, like an old bible, adding a subtle reminder of the inspirational nature of the book. 

Highly recommended for any Christian military person or veteran who considers prayer, spirituality, and God an important part of his or her life.  Also for their loved ones, or simply Christians in general.

Reviewed by: Rob Ballister (2009)

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Author's Synopsis

The purpose of Stories of Faith and Courage from World War II is to strengthen the faith of its readers by showing the power of faith of those under the most extreme circumstances imaginable. This is accomplished through 365 one-page stories from America's greatest conflict presented in a daily devotional format with relevant scripture readings for each day of the year. Additionally, the book presents a unique and concise history of World War II with summaries, maps, and photographs of the major campaigns of the war. On this level, the individual stories provide insights into the war and combat not found in typical historical accounts.

Bible Promises for Soldiers by J. M. Barnes

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MWSA Review

That old adage "you can't judge a book by its cover" certainly applies to "Bible Promises for Solders".  And by cover -- I mean size.  This book may be small, but it packs one heck of a hefty wallop!  It is not only a wonderful teaching tool, but is a great source of comfort and inspiration as well.
 
Author J.M. Barnes knows of what she speaks.  Twenty plus years as the wife of a U.S. Soldier affords her first hand knowledge of what military life is all about -- the good and the bad.  
 
Even readers with a sound background of Bible doctrines and truths, will be enlightened by Barnes' quotes and interpretations.  Patriotic readers will find this book reaffirming and consoling.   Non-patriots will be challenged, and hopefully persuaded to wave a flag and thank a soldier.
 
The cover is moving and ingenious -- a copy of the Bible clutched in the arm of a soldier.  I found it appropriate and very effective.
 
It was a privilege to be invited into the heart and mind of a soldier's wife.  I came away with an even deeper understanding and abiding love and appreciation for America's mighty military.  

Reviewed by: Claudia Pemberton (2009)

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Author's Synopsis

This book is a must read for soldiers and those in other branches of the military who are facing or who will face a deployment. It examines the role of the soldier from a biblical perspective. It examines the lives of some of the greatest warriors in the bible and the strategies they used to defeat their enemies. This book contains over 100 promises from the bible specifically for soldiers. They are promises of protection, deliverance, strength and encouragement for those facing the challenges of deployment and war. This book is powerful, uplifting, and encouraging. Do not go to war without reading this book.

I will never give up on God again by Derek W. Clark

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MWSA Review

Moving and Inspirational! Author and motivational speaker Derek W. Clark delivers a positive message for the suffering world. In his newest book " I Will Never Give Up On God Again" he takes the readers on an emotional journey of self-discovery and how he finds his faith in God. You do not have to be a religious person to get something out of this book. The book may best be aimed at people like himself - as he used to be. His message is one directly from his heart and soul. 

The book will inspire and perhaps even change a few people's lives - what more can one ask for from any book. The book is at times sad and may even bring the reader a few tears, but the message is well worth the journey. I strongly endorse this book and recommend it for your personal book shelf. 

Reviewed by: Bill McDonald (2009)

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Author's Synopsis

Have you ever given up on God? Or been close to giving up on Him? I have. This is the story of a spiritual journey: from feeling abandoned by God to feeling embraced by God. For years I'd felt an oppressive weight bearing down on me: the burden of anger against God. Why did it feel like He never stuck up for me? Why didn't He rescue me from the abuse, loneliness, and pain of a troubled childhood? Why didn't He stop my parents from abandoning me to the foster care system? With every disappointment, I became more and more convinced He wasn't there, wasn't guiding me through my struggles. He either could not or would not comfort me during the hard times; the times I needed Him most. I didn't fear God, and secretly despised Him. It was the drowning death and resuscitation of a young girl that forced me to rethink my contentious and unhealthy relationship with God. Knocked hard out of my irreligious complacency, I came to see tragedy, hope, suffering, and overcoming with new clarity and understanding. Adversity, I realized, can be one of God's greatest blessings. This spiritual epiphany has filled me with immeasurable gratitude: for the breath of life, the goodness around me, and even for the sad, troubled past I had to overcome. This is a story about rediscovering God, and gaining awareness of His presence. A former High-Risk Foster Child with thirteen years in the foster care system, Derek W. Clark is an Inspiring Motivational Speaker and Author. As a helpless child, Derek was nearly institutionalized due to erratic behavioral problems and violent tendencies. He is a survivor of child abuse, and was diagnosed early on as mentally retarded. As he developed, it became clear to his foster parents that this diagnosis was without merit. Even against unbelievable odds, Derek never gave up, using music, laughter, will power, and positive decision-making to triumph over adversity. He is the author of the autobiographical I Will Never Give Up, which received the highest rating of 5 Stars from the American Authors Association and I Will Never Give Up On God Again. He is also a recording artist, singer/songwriter and successful business owner. Derek currently resides in Northern California, with his wife of 15 years and their 4 amazing children.

Immeasurable Spirit: Lessons of a Wounded Warrior by Latoya Lucas

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MWSA Review

This book is the story of a young woman, an Army soldier, wounded in a fierce battle in the Iraqi war. It is a remarkable story of how her undying faith carried her through suffering that few could comprehend.

  She explains in understandable words her thirst for helping others in their own times of terrible trials. She writes, ?I prayed to God to use me in a bountiful way?. She added many of her favorite scriptures throughout her story. She used those scriptures that she held onto at those particular times in her life.

 The attractive cover showing railroad tracks seeming to have no end depicts the immeasurable spirit that has no end.

 This book is a great testimony of how Faith in God can give so much strength to a terribly broken body. Her love for her Nation, her family, her fellow soldiers and the doctors that saved her life is evident in every page. I found it most amazing how she uses her time and energy motivating others. I got the idea that she draws a lot of strength for herself by doing so much for others. I found her positive outlook contagious.

I wish she had written more because I was sorry when I had finished the last page. The 138 pages were just not enough. Her lack of self pity, her strong patriotism and almost indescribable perseverance drew me into her story. I don?t think I can recommend this book to only one certain group of readers. Christians and non believers alike will gain from her writings here. Wounded soldiers alone are not the only ones that would become stronger by reading this. As an infantry soldier fromVietnam, I have gained greatly from her experiences. This work belongs on every book shelf.

Reviewed by: Don Arndt (2009)

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Author's Synopsis

The Immeasurable Spirit: Lessons of a Wounded Warrior about Faith and Perseverance, was written with the personal insight and experience of a person who has faced and overcome tremendous adversity. Latoya Lucas brings us face to face with our innerselves while simultaneously sharing her experiences of perseverance and faith even after suffering severe wounds from her service with the U.S. Army in Iraq. Why is it that some people are able to overcome their fears and persevere through life s adversities? By reading Latoya s story, you will come to understand how a person with faith and determination could rely on that faith when tested during an unbelievable hardship. In The Immeasurable Spirit, Latoya explains that we all have the capability to be resilient, especially when we reach out to God for his wisdom and strength. Latoya encourages readers to seek out the often difficult task of rehabilitating and strengthening the mind and spirit. Command Sergeant Major Terrance McWilliams, US Army Retired and Former 1st Army Division West and Fort Carson Command Sergeant Major says about The Immeasurable Spirit, "There have been many stories written about female experiences in combat, this is the first that focuses on how faith and family values persevere."

Strike from the Sea by Tommy H. Thomason Air Force

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MWSA Review

Author Tommy H. Thomason lays out an incredible US Navy aircraft history, with fascinating detail of powerful jets and related hardware.  This educational read is nothing short of phenomenal for those interested in the relentless effort given to create and sustain the most powerful sea strike force ever built.  Thomason delivers a treasure trove of information about the capabilities of America's Navy birds.  He also expands upon drones, armament, aircraft carrier design, and other productions like cockpit configurations already operational or planned for the future.  Trials and tribulations experienced to sustained protection are clearly presented.  The book's hardback layout is easy to read, even though the content almost reaches an anatomical level of delivery.  Jam packed with color photographs, author diagrams, and artistic concepts, the reader gets a well researched technical manual that finally helped me understand why it all costs so much.  The complex procurement process considers contrasting needs of the Navy and Air Force, and weighs in on competition between the big contractors in search of funding and survival.  Air superiority must be maintained, and future concepts are introduced.  An example is a pilotless stealthy flying wing, similar to the B2 that is projected to be operational by 2025; the craft will launch from and return to an aircraft carrier to rearm and strike again.   I give this book my highest recommendation, and suggest it for military history buffs or anyone inspired by airplane development or the US Navy.  Strike From The Sea would be a fine text for the dedicated classroom.       

Reviewed by: Hodge Wood (2009)

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Author's Synopsis

Strike from the Sea: U.S. Navy Attack Aircraft from Skyraider to Super Hornet 1948-Present celebrates carrier-based air-to-ground attack aircraft which first came into operation during the Korean War, reached maturity during Vietnam, and are deployed today throughout the world. Well-known author and naval aviation authority Tommy Thomason not only explores such legendary Navy aircraft as the A4D Skyhawk, A3J Vigilante, and A-6 Intruder, but also the critical role of the aircraft carrier itself, for without these massive nuclear-powered floating airfields, U.S. Navy attack aircraft would have no sea-borne bases from which to operate. 
Armament from gravity bombs to today's GPS-guided smart weapons are covered in great detail, and this book also explains that while many different types of airplanes were required for flying attack missions in the past, only one aircraft - the advanced F/A-18E/F Super Hornet - is needed to carry out these same missions in an even more complex and hostile combat environment today.

USAF Prototype Jet Fighters by Dennis R. Jenkins and Tony R. Landis

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MWSA Review

Aerospace historian Tony Landis and Cape Canaveral consulting engineer Dennis Jenkins's jet photo scrapbook provides the reader a most attractive, sixty- year chronology of USAF jet trainers developed since the end of WWII.  Dozens of pictures from America's jet history are professionally organized.   Short on time, I originally needed to take a quick look at this work, but turned out getting absorbed in every jet prototype.   Pictures shared with my thirteen- year old son included shots of the developed jets from the Vietnam-era that I knew as F105's, F4's, and F-111's.  Our interaction added to the enjoyment of this book, as I've never said much to him about those days (when I got a front row view of jet firepower).  The book's beautiful front cover shows the sixth, and last, General Dynamics YF-16A, in spectacular red, white, and blue, while in test flight over Edwards, California.  Interesting book captions are added; examples include an XF-92A sitting for unknown reasons in a county airport for years, and artwork of variants of the F-111 - proposed as part of Secretary of Defense McNamara's "commonality" concept.  Less peculiar stories show the heroic dedication taken and success achieved to advance jet propulsion and protect our nation.     
 
Landis and Jenkins compiled a superb history of powerful birds that I fully enjoyed.  The book gets my highest recommendation, and I suggest it for any jet enthusiast, historian, or educator.

Reviewed by: Hodge Wood (2009)

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Author's Synopsis
The U.S. Air Force began developing jet fighters as World War II came to a close. The Cold War that soon developed saw a significant increase in fighter production programs as America tried to counter the perceived Soviet threat. World War II's best piston-powered fighters could barely top speeds in excess of 450 mph. But the post-war jets developed by the U.S. Air Force were soon breaking the sound barrier, flying to Mach 3, and Mach-4 capable aircraft were on the drawing board. U.S. Air Force Prototype Jet Fighters details the evolution of these aircraft, using dozens of never-before-published photographs from government archives.

Uncommon Bond by John House

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MWSA Review

John House’s Uncommon Bond is a unique and interesting story set in the jungles of Vietnam.

Captain Hanson is a flight surgeon who finds himself shot down shortly after arriving in Vietnam.  He is quickly captured, and finds himself in the care of a surgeon of the North Vietnamese Army in an underground hospital.  Both the captor and the prisoner, though patriotic and loyal to their respective countries, realize that they are more medical professionals than soldiers, and build a friendship based on mutual respect.  Soon, however, that will be tested when Hanson faces a poignant dilemma.  Does he follow the code of conduct that forbids giving comfort to the enemy, or does he honor his Hippocratic Oath to alleviate suffering wherever he finds it?

I especially enjoyed the character development in this book.  House calls upon his own experience in Vietnam to enhance Hanson’s character, and does an equally wonderful job with the NVA doctor.  Both jump from the pages as people deserving of good fortune, so much so that I found myself wanting a happy ending for both of them, which is difficult in a book that features two “enemies.”

Well-written, authentic, and entertaining, this is a fast-moving, enjoyable read about the more human side of war.  Those interested in the medical profession, military medicine, or the POW experience in Vietnam will find plenty to appreciate in this book.

MWSA Reviewer: Rob Ballister (Feb 2017)

Author's Synopsis

Solitude in an underground medical complex, tied to a pole embedded deep in the ground, did little to quell the cavorting demons in Captain David Hanson's mind. Less than a year ago he had worked twenty-hour days in his second year of surgery residency. Now, a POW in South Vietnam, he whiled away long empty hours watching insects burrow into the earthen walls. Two things prevented total insanity; friendship with his enemy, a surgeon, Major Duc Phan Thiet of the North Vietnamese Army, and the never-ending desire to escape. The first was improbable and the latter impossible.

ISBN/ASIN: ISBN-10 1635540534      ISBN-13 978-1635540536
Book Format(s): Soft cover, Kindle
Genre(s): Historical Fiction
Review Genre: Fiction—Historical Fiction
Number of Pages: 266
 

My Dad's a Hero - by Rebecca Christiansen and Jewel Armstrong

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MWSA Review

MWSA 2007 Don Hanson Award for Creativity

Great New Military Story Book for Young Children. If you are or have a military dad who is serving overseas then the book “ My Dad’s A Hero” is a perfect gift for his children. It will help you with your young children in understanding where daddy is and what he is doing. It is an uplifting little book with wonderful illustrations by Jen O. Robertson and a nifty little story line by Rebecca Christiansen and Jewel Armstrong. 

I would think that even the youngest child could get something out of this book if read to them as they looked at the pictures on each page. 2nd to 6th grade students could read this book but all children will enjoy looking through it. The message is positive and comforting to small children. 

I highly recommend this book for military families. It is a good little book and will be read over and over by small kids. 

Reviewed by: Bill McDonald (2006)

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Author's Synopsis
A children s book with war as a backdrop is not an easy subject to pull off. But the creators of Is Your Dad a Hero have found just the right approach. The reader they address is any child whose father is serving in the military, far away from home. These are children who miss their dads, worry about them, and have lots of conflicting emotions and unanswered questions. The authors know this is a tender subject for young readers and have kept the book uplifting and free from scary words like guns, war and fighting. The book gives kids permission to be happy and proud of their military dad.

Band of Sisters by Kirsten Holmstedt

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MWSA Review

A Future Military Classic – Destined for the greatness! The non-fiction book “Band of Sisters: American Women at War in Iraq” is truly an amazing chronicle that finally gives us access to a more complete history of the Iraq War. Gripping testimonies from our women warriors. This powerful account of women on the battlefield gives us a different understanding of what comradeship is all about! This could very well be about your sister, wife, mother, daughter or your girlfriend. She is out there risking her life and soul as part of our new military force. A must read by all Americans!

“What price freedom?” The experiences of these women give us a totally different and profound look at that question. This book is destined to become a military classic! There is power in these stories that must be shared. The Military Writer’s Society of America gives this book its highest book rating of FIVE STARS and its recommendation as a must read book!

War has no gender and neither does courage or death. This book explores the role of women warriors on the battlefields in Iraq. It also explores the meaning of what comradeship is all about. It is an amazing tale of sisters, mothers, daughters and women of all backgrounds who risked life and soul to fight alongside their brothers. A must read!

Bombs and bullets are equal opportunity killers—it makes no distinction to what gender the warrior is. Our military women in Iraq chronicle a story that needed to be told. Our nation needs to listen and acknowledge what they have done and continue doing. They are a sisterhood of warriors like no nation has ever known the likes of! It is a tale of terror, courage, fear, loyalty, and survival. A must read book by all Americans!

Reviewed by: Bill McDonald (2006)

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Author's Synopsis

In Iraq, the front lines are everywhere . . . and everywhere in Iraq, no matter what their job descriptions say, women in the U.S. military are fighting--more than 155,000 of them. A critical and commercial success in hardcover, Band of Sisters presents a dozen groundbreaking and often heart-wrenching stories of American women in combat in Iraq, such as the U.S.s first female pilot to be shot down and survive, the military's first black female pilot in combat, a young turret gunner defending convoys, and a nurse struggling to save lives, including her own.

Uncommon Valor by Dwight Zimmerman

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MWSA Review

Authors Dwight Zimmerman and John Gresham have written not just a book—they have managed to capture a piece of American history. Uncommon Valor is destined to become a military classic. It should be required reading at all the military academies! It is not just an accounting of six men who won "The Medal Of Honor" but an unfolding of emotions, history and honor itself. In the last decade, I have never enjoyed a military book more than this one. It inspired, educated, and entertained me.

Zimmerman and Gresham have created something very special between the pages—it is so much more than just history and fact telling. It is at times, spellbinding, insightful, and informational. This is a book that stands out from the rest. It is both my honor and pleasure to announce that Uncommon Valor is the winner of "The Military Writer's Society of America's" (MWSA) Founder's Award for 2010.

I personally endorse this book and recommend it to all Americans to read and not just those who like military or history books. WELL WRITTEN. WELL RESEARCHED! Most of all it is A MOVING AND LOVING PORTRAIT of six men who gave their lives in service to their country while fighting terrorism in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Reviewed by: Bill McDonald (2010)

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Author's Synopsis

Since the Vietnam War ended in 1973 and prior to September 2010, the Medal of Honor, our nation's highest award for valor, has been presented to only eight men for their actions "above and beyond the call of duty." Six of the eight were young men who had fought in the current war in Iraq, Afghanistan, or both. All of these medals were awarded posthumously, as all six had made the choice to give their lives so that their comrades might live.
 
Uncommon Valor answers the searing question of who these six young warriors were, and dramatically details how they found themselves in life-or-death situations, and why they responded as they did. Also, for the first time, this book provides a comprehensive history of the Medal of Honor itself--one marred by controversies, scandals, and theft.
 
Using an extraordinary range of sources, including interviews with family members and friends, teammates and superiors in the military, personal letters, blogs posted within hours of events, personal and official videos, and newly declassified documents, Uncommon Valor is a compelling and important work that recounts incredible acts of heroism and lays bare the ultimate sacrifice of our bravest warriors.

Grey Wolf by David Huffman

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MWSA Review

Grey Wolf -- A Novel in History is about life on a German U-Boat at the start of World War II. Oskar Keppler, the commander of the sub, was a veteran of World War I who developed the "wolfpack" tactics used in submarine warfare. The book is about his life and his men as well as some of the British opponents. 

When the war started, the U-Boat packs began sinking British and Merchant Marine ships.  The first vessel that they sank was a tanker. It was unarmed. The sub surfaced and fired a warning shot. Their target stopped and the crew evacuated before the Germans opened fire.

The U-Boats ran on the surface at night to charge their batteries and go twice as fast. During the day, the remained submerged. Most of the crew never got to go topside.  Living conditions were cramped and there was little privacy. The officers' mess was between two beds in an aisle.  They stayed out 6 weeks at a time. To conserve fuel, they did not run the electric heaters which made their living quarters miserably cold. The food was good at first, but the longer they were at sea, the less appetizing it became. After a few weeks, they made do with moldy bread and canned goods.
 
They didn't have many torpedoes, so they used them judiciously.  The boats were vulnerable to attack from the air since they had to spend so much time on the surface. Interestingly, early in the war, they could see the stacks before they could see the ships themselves.

The first voyage, the subs in the pack were too far apart. They were heading back after sinking 3 ships, when they heard that another U-Boat had sunk a tanker. The survivors were in the water and oil was burning all around them. Enlisted personnel bunked forward and the officers had to remove the table in the corridor so that they could pass. The sub was picking up the swimmers when they were spotted by carrier scout planes.  The pilots radioed the carrier for orders -- should they let the U-Boat rescue the survivors or should they sink the submarine?  The order came back, "Sink them!"

The U-Boat submerged and started evasive actions.  The carrier sent its escort ship to help find and destroy the sub. This left the carrier unprotected and the protagonist had the opportunity to go after the big target. Although almost out of fuel, the U-Boat sank the carrier.  As a result, carriers stayed out of the open ocean during the remainder of World War II.

At the end of the book, the U-Boat crew returns to Germany and a hero's welcome -- but the story is far from over.

This was a very enjoyable read... historical fiction is a good way to learn about little known aspects of momentous events.  Most of the events described in this book were taken from actual German war diaries. I was already interested in U-Boat warfare before I read this book, so I was an eager audience. Having said that, I highly recommend this gem of a read to anyone.  In fact, I'm looking forward to reading the promised sequels.

Reviewed by: Buddy Cox (2010)

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Author's Synopsis

World War Two is about to begin and a German Naval Officer is going to war. Again. Oskar Keppler, a U-boat veteran of the Great War, takes command of the Type VII submarine U-115. Based on the actual War Diary of a German U-boat at the outset of World War II, this novel presents the U-boat experience from the perspective of those who lived it. Vivid descriptions of life in a diesel-electric powered submarine: day after day of mundane drilling, horrendous smells and ever deteriorating food are punctuated by moments of action, elation, terror and dread. In perhaps the most important single patrol of the first half of the Battle of the Atlantic, a handful of men will change the balance of power, and strategic capabilities of their adversary, for years to come.

For the Fatherland by Walter Zapotoczny, Jr

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MWSA Review

One of my most personally prized books and which I refer to often is John Toland's Hitler.  When I first read it I was struck by Toland's attention to historical accuracy and his scrupulous even handedness.  He never made a single excuse for the Nazi mass murderer, but his biography put the crazed Austro-German in context.  Hitler, Toland showed, was much more than a madmen, a crazed genius and a psychotic � he was surrounded by people who in their haste to curry favor were even crazier.  It was groupthink gone wild and bizarre. Hitler came away looking pathetic, his career a lesson for the present as well as an eye into the worst in our natures.
 
Walter Zapotoczny's For the Fatherland does much the same for all those Germans who willingly carried out the insane policies of their Leader, putting aside common decency and their own inherent humanity.
 
Told through the flashback recollection of Kurt Schultheiss, an elderly veteran of the SS, Zapotoczny paints a compelling, frightening picture of a whole society gone mad.   
 
The blonde haired blue-eyed Kurt grew up in the 1930s and was caught up in the maelstrom of Hitler's Germany.  Like many other youth his age he became a member of the Hitler Youth and amidst the simple pleasures and joys of childhood and young teenage years -- camping, singing, and learning new physical and mental skills, was indoctrinated into a belief system that portrayed a new Germany the despondent populace could believe in and embrace.
 
Kurt was only one of millions caught up in this perversion of the truth.  Germans, he was taught were a superior race.  The rest of the world, especially Jews and blacks were inferior.  When Jesse Owens won his storied gold medals at the 1936 Berlin Games it was not because he was better than the other competitors, Kurt and his friends assured themselves, it was because he was given drugs to improve his performance -- no Schwartzer could possibly defeat a true German.
 
As the years pass and World War II erupts, Kurt is witness to some of the most dehumanizing and despicable acts in recorded history, and a party to some of them.  His ability to rationalize this sort of brutality, hatred and cruelty in the name of the nation is mind-boggling -- and is a belief he carries to the very end of the novel.
 
Zapotoczny has written more than a novel.  He has written a cautionary tale of how extremism and a simplistic world view can take otherwise ordinary people and make them commit, overlook and justify extraordinary evil.
 
When Nobel Prize winning author Sinclair Lewis wrote his frightening novel, It Can-t Happen Here, he was writing about a country in the midst of a national identity crisis, financial meltdown who found solace in a charismatic ideologue whom they allowed to destroy their freedoms in the name of "liberty" and "right thinking."  Truth in Lewis" America bore no resemblance to the pronouncements of extremists who thought liberty was not universal and that freedom was confined only to those who agreed with them.
 
Zapotoczny echoes that sentiment in For the Fatherland and makes clear that the lessons of Hitler's Germany are just as worth learning today as when Lewis wrote.  In the epilogue he writes: "We must always be vigilant of extremism and those who would profess to make the next new world."
 
If you only read one novel this year, make sure you read For the Fatherland.  Then turn on the news and listen to the commentators on the radio. Be afraid. Be very afraid.

Reviewed by: David Tschanz (2010)

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Author's Synopsis

Growing up in Germany in the 1930s, Kurt Schultheiss was like the other kids in his neighborhood: rambunctious, inquisitive, and the center of his parents' world. With his blond hair and blue eyes, he was also the picture of Aryan purity, a poster child for the band of "magnificent youngsters" with which Adolf Hitler plotted to build his "new world." As Hitler's power grew, he created the Hitler Youth, a breeding ground for the Nazi SS. As members of the Hitler Youth, Kurt and his friends enjoyed camping, weapons training--and complete indoctrination into the Nazi philosophy of world domination. Eventually Kurt became part of the infamous Einsatzgruppen, a group notorious for atrocities committed against Jews and Russians at the German Eastern Front. In this captivating novel, an elderly Kurt looks back on his life and struggles to find atonement for the terrible sins of his youth, offering in the process his explanation for how youthful potential can go so terribly wrong.

Sisters of Valor by Rosalie Turner

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MWSA Review

Sisters of Valor is a unique and thought-provoking glimpse into the life, heart and mind of a soldier's wife, more specifically a Vietnam era soldier's wife.  
 
Having actually lived the experience of which she's writing lends author Rosalie Turner unimaginable insight into her characters -- insight that would otherwise be impossible.  This personal familiarity authenticates her story like nothing else could, shedding much deserved light on the silent sacrifices made by our nation's military wives.  
 
The reader is invited into the heart of the main character, Susan Mitchell, and her three fellow "sisters of valor," Rose Magda and Texanne.  The story follows the lives of these four friends as they endure the hardships of maintaining their homes, raising their children, and sustaining normalcy as much as possible while their husbands are deployed to the jungles of Vietnam in service to their country -- a country that is unabashedly vocal about protesting the war that these dedicated men are so valiantly fighting.   
 
As if being estranged from their husbands isn't bad enough, the wives have to deal with the social unrest and controversy over U.S. involvement in Vietnam, dissension that sometimes invades the confines of their very own families.  
 
All four of these wives have distinctively different personalities and varying ways of dealing with twelve months of deployment separation.  As dissimilar as they are, they share a common thread -- a bond of sisterhood.  They share the loneliness, the fear, the void, the despair, and the ever-looming threat of the knock on the door that will deliver the devastating news that their husband won't be coming home.  
 
When that knock came for one of these four women in the story, my heart broke as surely as the character's did.  I felt myself gasp as I read what she was hearing -- that her husband had been killed in the Republic of South Vietnam.  
 
This is a deeply poignant reading experience.  It honors military spouses of not only the Vietnam theatre, but all theatres of war.  It's a great book for military lovers, and lovers of romance alike.  
 
Turner has a wonderful way with words, and a gift for sharing the character's emotion with her reader.  This story will tug hard on the heart, tempt some tears, and rekindle poignant memories of the tumultuous era in American history that claimed the lives of John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr., Robert F. Kennedy, and 58,000 heroic American soldiers who paid the ultimate price for their service in Southeast Asia.

Reviewed by: Claudia Pemberton (2009)

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Author's Synopsis

The '60's were a turbulent time in our country, and it was especially difficult for the service wife as protests against the war were so personal against the serviceman.  In SISTERS OF VALOR four very different service wives come together to find the support they need.  The story continues until today when the wives look at what the Vietnam Era meant to us as a country, as families, and as individuals.

Digger Dogface Brownjob Grunt by Gary R Prisk

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MWSA Review

Gary Prisk's DIGGER DOGFACE BROWNJOB GRUNT will be a huge hit with infantry combat veterans, and especially Vietnam veterans. 

Lt. Edward Hardin finds himself in Vietnam as a platoon leader.  Losing most of his platoon at Dak To, he vows that the survivors will all make it home.   But the Viet Cong have other ideas, and they aren't the only ones against him.  The South Vietnamese Army and even his own operations officer seem out to make sure Edward comes home in a body bag, or maybe not at all.  First as a platoon leader, then as a company commander, Hardin takes them all on, and deals punishment to anyone who threatens his men.  But will it be enough?

Any reader of this book will quickly see that Prisk not only talks the talk, but he walked the walk.  Only a man who led soldiers in jungle combat could so vividly capture this special brand of Hell.  In addition, Prisk's creative and darkly humorous writing style, keep the reader on his toes, forcing him to pay close attention to the scenes portrayed so that nothing is missed.  Most readers will appreciate that Hardin is a "grunt's grunt," focused on his men and only his men, his own career and reputation be damned.    Most readers too will catch one of the underlying themes: generals and colonels didn't know what they were doing fighting the Vietnam War, and left the average foot soldier holding the bag.  

I particularly liked Hardin's human side, especially when referring to his wife Linda.  I admit, I cringed when Hardin went on R&R to meet his wife and little girl, knowing it would be too easy for Prisk to go overboard on how Hardin was unable to shed the war while with his bride.  But the author handles the situation well, and the book flows up to and around this tender moment without any loss in focus, and rather than detract from the story, it actually strengthens Hardin's character even further.

Combat veterans, and Vietnam combat vets in particular, will relate to this book, and while they may find that parts of it stir up some less than pleasant memories, overall I'll wager they will be glad they read it.

Reviewed by: Rob Ballister (2010)

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Author's Synopsis

Digger Dogface... is the winner of "Best New Fiction"and "Fiction & Literature: Literary Fiction" in The National Best Books 2009 Awards. (May 2010) Digger is a winner in ForeWord Reviews' Book of the Year Awards 2009. (May 2010) Digger is the Winner for "The Best Fiction Book 2010" in the International Book Awards. Gary Prisk brings to the art and craft of fiction the sensibility and the facility of a poet, rendering his narrative with a depth and texture that is unique and rare. Raw, gritty and saturated with black humor, "Digger..." is tender in a way most will struggle to understand. *****APEX REVIEWS 5-star. Over the past four decades, countless books have been written about the Vietnam War, often highlighting the experiences of soldiers who fought -and -died in it. Very few works, though, offer the unique perspective of the soldier on the ground, in the heat of battle, detailing the conflicting thoughts and emotions that often consumed them from day to day - and moment to moment.-----Throughout the pages of "Digger Dogface...", though, Gary Prisk provides the reader with just such insight. Based on his own experiences in Vietnam, "Digger..." takes the reader on a vicarious journey through the heart, mind, and soul of a soldier struggling to come to grips with the unfamiliarity of his surroundings, as well as the uncertainty surrounding his future. Deep, raw, and real, Prisk's riveting narrative will serve as an eye-opening introduction to the gritty truths of war and conflict for readers heretofore influenced by pop culture's more glamorous depiction of its true nature. Furthermore, the not-so-subtle commentary that Prisk proffers on the Vietnam War - and such conflicts in general - ultimately proves to be quite difficult to rebut. Equally tinged with humor and gravitas, "Digger Dogface..." is an intellegent, insightful take on a pivotal time in world history that will never be forgotten. A highly recommended, enlightening read.

The Letter by Jerry Yellin

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MWSA Review

From the get-go, the reader is drawn into the story by a letter written by a woman from Bellingham, WA, right before she passed away.  Her attorney has been instructed to deliver the letter to a Samuel Davidson, an eighty-two year-old judge residing in FL.  But instead of mailing the letter to Judge Davidson, the Seattle based attorney first contacts the judge's son, Rabbi Mark Davidson, of New York City.  It's important to note that the dying woman was Catholic.
 
The letter is a revelation to all concerned. Can a chance encounter between a dashing young P-51 fighter pilot and a pretty USO girl on Iwo Jima in 1945 have repercussions sixty-one years later?  Throw in a former priest and a powerful Fundamental Christian Senator and you've got a delightful tale.
 
"The Letter" is well written, entertaining and enlightening. There is a redemptive quality to Jerry Yellin's prose. He is a gifted storyteller and a visionary. He pulled off the same thing in his remarkable memoir "Of War and Weddings." The dialogue in "The Letter" is spot on, and even though his characters sometimes talk for extended lengths of time, it all seems to work. The author manages to juggle the subjects of war, religion and politics without sounding preachy. Not an easy feat. He can make the complex seem simple and the simple complex. The reader looks at all angles of a subject through the eyes of different characters. While the subject of Intelligent Design (Creationism) versus science (Nature) comes up, somehow Mr. Yellin is able to do this without sounding heavy handed or judgmental. 

The hint of violence is always on the back burner, and kept me turning the page.  My favorite line in the book:  "This is where grown men come to cry." A deep compelling story that will keep you awake at night, wondering about the future of this planet, the human family and where we came from.

Reviewed by: Kathleen Rodgers (2010)

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Author's Synopsis

A powerful fundamental End Time Christian Senator, anti-Semitic and anti-Catholic, discovers that his birth parents were Catholic and Jewish through a letter written by his dying Catholic mother to the Jewish father who knew nothing about having fathered a son. 

Crack Between the Worlds by Carmen Stenholm

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MWSA Review

Crack between the Worlds is a historical fiction account of four generations of one wonderful woman's female ancestors, and their gutsy, heroic fight for survival, escape from poverty, and eventually, political brutality.  Through the voice of this author, as she weaves a story befitting her own family's experiences, we are reminded that our immigrant ancestors clawed their way through extreme adversity to find safety, hope, and homes in the United States, and blend into the great melting pot that makes Americans so unique.
 
It is a difficult thing to add the music of life to what is usually just a genealogical timeline for most families, as they glance backward, but the author does an admirable job, filling the gaps of history with the stories of real people, her people, as they make their way toward a murky destiny.  Daughters, who become mothers, and then grandmothers, have always been the bedrock of the earliest tribes, clans, and now modern day families. The author demonstrates this with a personal touch, identifying these unsung heroes in her own way, from her own lineage. 
 
What a lucky family to have their genealogy captured for all time by a book like this, to know who your great, great grand mothers were, and the hardships they endured. A story that is all too common in our great land, it is nevertheless a story that too often goes untold.  Many blessings for Carmen Stenholm for telling it, and sealing such love and beauty in the book of time, and life.  Recommended for female readers who share such a story in their own family's history.

Reviewed by: Bob Flournoy (2010)

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Author's Synopsis

There is an interesting story to tell about all of us and our families.  Crack Between the Worlds is such a story.  It has universal appeal because, through this family, we have a mirror that reflects our own ancestors --- and the courage, unyielding tenacity, and occasional bouts of luck that
must have occurred in a somewhat similar fashion, to bring each of us into the world. The power of this story comes from an unflinching look at the character's lives.  In it, heroism is balanced with selfishness and petty concerns; perseverance is sometimes rewarded and sometimes dreadfully crushed.  It's a story of horrific tragedies and unquestioning resolution to keep living despite the cost.  It's a story of big mistakes and small kindnesses, of roads taken at great cost and roads untaken, perhaps at greater cost.  It's the story best summed up by the words of Johanna, the family matriarch, who, on the day the Nazi soldiers ravaged her town said to her granddaughter in response to the child's desire to simply give up, "You have to care, Ella.  That's what this is all about, you know---to care even when it hurts, to have the strength and courage, my little one, to care even when your mind and body want nothing more than to run away."