A Buffalo's Revenge by Bob Lupo

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MWSA Review

I found Bob Lupo's novel about the Vietnam War to be a real page turner. I couldn't put it down and read half the book at frist sitting. The descriptive images that the author used, made me feel like I was back in the jungles 35 year's ago, when I was a just a young man there myself.

Bob Lupo's novel is a good study in human relationships - in the most trying of situations. Although it deals with race relations - I found it was more about emotional and personal spiritual issues that at are basic to all men. I found myself thinking much deeper about the whole experience after putting down his book.

I highly recomend this book to veterans of any war - or to those who want to get a feel for what it might have been like. Although the story line is not one comon to anyone's experience that I have ever meet - it uses the situation as a way to reveal the inner warrior, that those who fought there might relate to.

This book would make a great movie, if it was ever discovered by the media. This book is well worth spending some time with. I rate it 5 Stars!

Reviewed by: Bill McDonald (2004)

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Author's Synopsis
A Buffalo's Revenge, a Vietnam negative, explores the limits of a nation engaged in a struggle for freedom when the mirror reveals a fractured image. Racism is bundled in an interlocking grid of white and black and oriental hatred. The backdrop of the home front, the plague of assassinations, a spiraling anti-war movement, a sandwiched Media, and politicians and a military caught in the glare of appeasing conflicting demands underscores the plight of individuals fighting for their lives and their loves. Doc Lusane must overcome his need to die; James Jaggers his need to kill; Pee Wee Anson to hate.The home front explodes in a frenzy of hate and violence.The boys discover love beyond the peculiar cadence of language and dialect. They discover life beyond race or color. They discover themselves.America was at war thirty-five years ago and we are at war today. A Buffalo's Revenge is a snapshot of America, then and now.

Born in Brooklyn ...Raised in the CAV! by John Flanagan

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MWSA Review

Review missing

Reviewed by: Bill McDonald (2004)

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Author's Synopsis
In 1966 John Flanagan was drafted into the Army at the age of nineteen. Upon graduating from flight school he went to Vietnam and served as a pilot and aircraft commander with the famous 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile). This book is his personal account of that time. Retiring from the Army in 1986 as a Major, his awards and decorations include the Bronze Star (2 Awards), Distinguished Flying Cross (2 awards), Meritorious Service Medal (2 Awards), 54 Air Medals, and the Purple Heart. He is a Master Army Aviator and has logged over 3000 flight hours. John Flanagan is proud to be associated with USACares (www.usacares.org) as a virtual committee member since its inception in March 2003. USACares provides direct assistance to servicemembers and their families involved in the Global War on Terror. You are invited to view the web site and help these true American Heroes.

C. M. A. C. - A Vietnam era Trilogy by James J. Finnegan

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MWSA Review

Author James Finnegan has followed his other great book " The Sage of a Student Warrior" with a continuation of his warrior's -James Callaghan - adventures. This time, we are taken to Vietnam where the young Lieutenant finds himself in the heart of South Vietnam - Saigon; and deep in war.

The story is only fiction - but you become involved with the story, just as if it were happening to yourself. Well told tale - and well worth reading.

Reviewed by: Bill McDonald (2004)

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Author's Synopsis
Radios, Rockets and Radar greatly influenced the life of Lieutenant James. A. Callaghan during his U.S. Government sponsored stay in Viet Nam. The Conflict, prior to his arrival in country, had spawned what was known to the world as the Tet Offensive, an extensive and well coordinated action launched by the Viet Cong on the Republic of Viet Nam. During the mayhem caused by the advance of the 13 regular regiments from the north it became obvious that there was a need for a coordinating command to insure the protection of Saigon. This was the birth of the Capital Military Assistance Command, C.M.A.C.. It was hastily setup in an old French Foreign Legion compound and was soon home for the new Radio Officer, Lieutenant James Callaghan. C.M.A.C. highlights his adventures.

Conduct to the Prejudice of Good Order by Dan Dane

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MWSA Review

A no-holds barred insight into the military maelstrom of Viet Nam.

The author presents a JAG (Judge Advocate General) lawyer who represents soldiers accused of murder and drug offenses. And the censors are not allowed to lessen the brutal telling of the pitfalls.

This audio presentation brings the listener into the fray, allowing him to feel, taste, touch and react to military life in Viet Nam. Using the experiences of a non-career Army lawyer assigned during the last days of duty in Viet Nam, we discover that the justice served in the military is a fight in itself. 

At times that legal battle is influenced by high command input not necessarily beneficial to the lawyer’s role or to the meting out of justice to the defendant.

We listen to the lawyer protagonist fight his personal battle of bafflement and anger towards his immediate superior whose sole ambition is to promote himself. Thoughts of killing enter the lawyer’s mind. This mind frame is grown out of the futility felt due to Generals doing the opposite of the facts published to the American public. “I fight to stop a moron poising as an Army officer from screwing up the life of a soldier.”

The five CD’s of this moving presentation guide us through the daily experiences faced by the “grunts” which, of necessity, become the foundation of the ordeal of the defense counsel. Fortunately, where he finds innocence of the purported crime, our lawyer battles through the layers of military law to bring about a “not guilty” decision.

This is a “must listen to” story of little known area of the conflict in Viet Nam.

Reviewed by: Joe Fabel (2004)

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Author's Synopsis
 

Conduct to the Prejudice of Good Order offers a glimpse of conditions around Bien Hoa during the last years of the war. Bill Blake encounters fragging, racism and heroin addiction while defending soldiers in court-martial trials as a young Army lawyer. Much like the soldiers he defends, Blake finds himself in conflict with his superior officers.

The story of a drafted, civilian attorney serving as an Army lawyer in Vietnam gives this book a unique perspective. Captain Blake's experiences accentuate many of the troublesome aspects of the war, including the draft, authority of Commanding Generals, domestic demand for troop withdrawal and in the end, the delivery of heroin to the American troops.

The historical fiction genre allows vets to recognize historically correct settings in Vietnam during 1971-1972 in this book. The fictitious characters and circumstances provide an entertaining read for those who lived through the era as well as those for whom Vietnam is only a curiosity out of the distant past.

Other books by Dan Dane include Fireflies in the Delta and Bloodlines of Tyranny.

The Two-Dollar Bill by Roger H. Soiset

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MWSA Review

The author graphically illustrates his experience of “The taste of fear and the knowledge of mortality.”  The incidents portrayed in “The Two-Dollar Bill (the 200th Brigade),” a fictional Army group, are based upon actual experiences in the camp life and the front lines in Viet Nam.

Roger Soiset immerses the reader in the vibrant fire zone of the “grunts.”  As he exposes each soldier’s reactions to “his taste of fear and the knowledge of mortality,” the reader vicariously becomes part of the patrol deep in the hostile jungle environment.  We are immersed in the daily challenges the combatants must deal with, some successfully, others with variations due to personalities.

Each “grunt” in the “hot zones” can be described as “You look the same and sound the same, but you have undergone some serious changes you really cannot adequately explain even to yourself.”

The author offers the reader an excellent insight into the fear ridden tour of the American fighting men in the Viet Nam conflict “who came from the house next door to yours.”

Reviewed by: Joe Fabel (2004)

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Author's Synopsis
 

Novel of the author's year in Viet Nam.

Marcel's Letters: A Font and the Search for One Man's Fate by Carolyn Porter

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MWSA Review

Carolyn Porter is a highly trained and successful graphic designer, but from early in her career she harbored a secret desire to design a font based on a real person’s handwriting. For years she looked for old letters in antique shops, hoping to find a sample that would catch her eye. In the months after the destruction of the World Trade Center, her interest in such a project intensified. Then in an out-of-the-way little shop in White Bear Lake, Minnesota, she found a letter whose beautifully scrolled handwriting took her breath away. Out of a pile of the unknown writer’s correspondence, she picked four letters that contained the capital letters and numbers she would need to begin construction of her font.

She had, of course, under-estimated the amount of work building a font from scratchy marks on deteriorating paper might take. She started with tracings and pencil sketches and taught herself to use font-designing software. Months and years passed as she worked on one letter’s shape at a time. The font-designing urge eventually gave way to the pressures of day-to-day life. Some ten years later, she came across the letters again and resolved to make a renewed effort to recreate this handwriting as a font.

The letters were in French, which she could not read. Her early efforts had focused only on the individual letter-forms. But this time, something was different. She concentrated on the beautiful signature of the writer—Marcel. A few recognizable words convinced her that Marcel had written a love letter. And now she wanted to know more about the writer. She hired a translator to provide an English version of just one of the letters.

It was a crucial decision—one that set her on a three-year journey to find the man with the beautiful handwriting—the man who had written these letters while a conscripted laborer assigned to a German tank factory during World War II. She moved from curiosity to wanting to know more. The desire to know more soon became a need to know. Then the need became a full-blown obsession. She neglected her other jobs, ignored her husband, family, and friends, forgot to eat, and gave up trying to sleep. She spent countless hours writing letters of inquiry, reading about the German occupation of France, digging deep into genealogical sites, and pursuing official records. She found more letters and developed new leads. But would she ever find Marcel himself? And would she ever finish his font?

This is Ms. Porter’s story as well as Marcel’s. She tells it honestly and with deep emotion. She manages to balance the several strands of her adventures—the history lessons, the details of creating a font, the inner workings of her marriage, and the clues that point to the eventual outcomes. The reader will rejoice with her when things go well and cry with her when she faces discouragement. It’s a great story.

MWSA Reviewer Carolyn Schriber (March 2018)

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Author's Synopsis

A graphic designer’s search for inspiration leads to a cache of letters and the mystery of one man’s fate during World War II. Seeking inspiration for a new font design in an antique store in small-town Stillwater, Minnesota, graphic designer Carolyn Porter stumbled across some old letters and was immediately drawn to the beautifully expressive pen-and-ink handwriting. She could not read the letters—they had been written in French—but she noticed they had been signed by a man named Marcel and mailed from Berlin to France during the middle of World War II. As Carolyn grappled with designing the font, she decided to have one of Marcel’s letters translated. Reading words of love combined with testimony of survival inside a German labor camp transformed Carolyn’s curiosity into an obsession, and she sought to find out why the letter writer, Marcel Heuzé, had been in Berlin, how his letters came to be for sale in a store halfway around the world, and, most importantly, whether he returned to his beloved wife and daughters after the war. Marcel’s Letters is the story of Carolyn’s increasingly desperate search to find answers to the mystery of one man’s fate, answers that would come from Germany, France, and the United States. Simultaneously, she would continue to work on what would become the acclaimed font P22 Marcel Script, immortalizing the man and letters that waited years to be reunited with his family. Keywords: Non-fiction, France, WWII, Biography, French Forced Labor, Service du Travail Obligatoire, Daimler, Labor Camp, Graphic Design, Font Design, Typography, Love, Father, Reunion, History-Mystery
 

ISBN/ASIN: 978-1510719330
Book Format(s): Hard cover, Kindle
Genre(s): Nonfiction, Creative Nonfiction, History, Memoir, Biography
Review Genre: Nonfiction—Memoir/Biography
Number of Pages: 352

Black Water by Neil Millar

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MWSA Review

Neil Millar takes on kidnappers, ex-KGB agents, cannibals, snakes, poisonous spiders, and even supernatural forces, as he takes an armed team to an island in the Bay of Bengal to try and rescue a woman.  His book, “Black Water – A Place of No Hope,” has all the suspense and action one would want in any action thriller.  The hero fights personal demons for his own sanity—which he medicates with alcohol.  The hero is flawed but it makes the story more interesting and complex.

A must read!

For good synopsis of this book and an excellent review that I cannot honestly add much to check out the New York Times Book Review:http://www.neilmillar.net/Black%20Water%20Review.htm

Description:

The decision not to pull the trigger on an arms dealer during a covert mission is haunting SAS Patrol Commander Mike Edwards.  Now, on a mission to find and free a kidnapped environmentalist he comes face to face with the man who caused his nightmare to begin.  But, in the perilous jungle of Kali Pani, he must deal with more than just the physical confrontation with his enemy.  Now he must deal with the emotional and spiritual issues inside himself that will either deliver or destroy him.  Enjoy the tale of a soldier in the military as well as a soldier in life and have your own moments of illumination amongst the wisdom, wisecracking and whizzing bullets of Black Water.

Reviewed by: Bill McDonald (2004)

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Author's Synopsis

The decision not to pull the trigger on an arms dealer during a covert mission is haunting SAS Patrol Commander Mike Edwards. Now, on a mission to find and free a kidnapped environmentalist he comes face to face with the man who caused his nightmare to begin. But, in the perilous jungle of Kali Pani,he must deal with more than just the physical confrontation with his enemy. Now he must deal with the emotional and spiritual issues inside himself that will either deliver or destroy him. Enjoy the tale of a soldier in the military as well as a soldier in life and have your own moments of illumination amongst the wisdom, wisecracking and whizzing bullets of Black Water.

my daddy is a sailor by Tahna Desmond Fox

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MWSA Review

my daddy is a sailor is an excellent book to share with the young children of deploying sailors.  It uses clear, rhythmic language to define to young children what sailors do in a way that will make the children proud of their parent.

I especially liked the way Tahna Desmond Fox paid tribute to fallen sailors from the copyright year, using almost an ""Easter-egg"" technique to recognize the sailors lost in the USS MCCAIN and USS FITZGERALD accidents, as well as a C-2 Greyhound mishap.  It's very appropriate, and serves as a reminder to all the sense of sacrifice that goes with service, without being at all morbid or ""dark.""

The illustrations are clean and support the story, and it will resound with any child who has a Daddy getting ready to ship out.  Similar to MY SAILOR DAD by Ross Mackenzie, this is a necessary work to help children understand why Daddy has to be gone.  Well done to the author.

Review by Rob Ballister (March 20118)

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Author's Synopsis

Learn the words Daddy knows about his ship and where he goes, in the Navy. Daddy is a sailor in the United States Navy. Learn the words Daddy knows about his ship and his mates. Join Ollie the Octopus and travel with Daddy as he sails on every sea in a great, big ship, watch what he does on board, and see the sights he sees. Due to the naval tragedies that occurred while creating this book in 2017, I paid tribute to our fallen sailors aboard the USS John S. McCain (DDG-56), the USS Fitzgerald (DDG-62), and the C-2A Greyhound (VRC 30). Each lost sailor is represented by a golden bird in flight or a star in the heavens, signifying they have passed from this world but their memories remain. My heart and love go out to the families, friends, and loved ones of these twenty sailors, and every sailor who never made it home.

ISBN/ASIN: 978-1-938505-34-8
Book Format(s): Hard cover, Soft cover
Genre(s): Picture Book
Review Genre: Children & Young Adult—Picture Book
Number of Pages: 38
 

Bradley vs. BMP: Desert Storm 1991 by Mike Guardia

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MWSA Review

Mike Guardia’s “Bradley vs BMP: Desert Storm 1991” does an excellent job comparing two of the world’s most well-known Infantry Fighting Vehicles during their first major conflict against each other.

The author organized the book well, comparing attributes such as mobility, protection, and firepower in short, easy to understand paragraphs.  In some cases the comparison was augmented with side by side looks at the interior of the vehicle, or the optics each crew had at their disposal.

I especially enjoyed how after the technical comparison of the vehicles, the author launched extensively into the more human side, detailing how the training of the US vehicle crews allowed them to better use the strengths of their vehicles (and diminish its shortcomings), while the Iraqi crews struggled due to lack of training and education.  Guardia used this as a platform to discuss the benefits of a professional, all-volunteer force over a mostly conscripted army.

I also appreciated how the author talked about the actual combat between the vehicles by using extensive quotes from the men that fought the battle.  Especially interesting was that virtually all the commentary was from junior officers and NCO’s; this made the combat coverage of the book much more realistic.

A well-researched yet easy read, this book will appeal to armor enthusiasts, Desert Storm vets, and professional military officers who enjoy the study of modern warfare.

MWSA Review by Rob Ballister (March 2018)

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Author's Synopsis

In the mid-1960s, the Soviet Union unveiled the BMP, the first true infantry fighting vehicle. A revolutionary design, the BMP marked a significant departure from the traditional armoured personnel carrier, with a lower silhouette and heavier armament than rival APCs. One of the most fearsome light-armoured vehicles of its day, it caused great consternation on the other side of the Iron Curtain as the Americans scrambled to design a machine to rival the BMP. The result was the M2/M3 Bradley.

These Cold War icons first clashed – not on the plains of Europe, but in southern Iraq during the Gulf War of 1991. Featuring specially commissioned full-colour artwork, this is the absorbing story of the origins, development and combat performance of the BMP and Bradley, culminating in the bloody battles of the Gulf War.
 

ISBN/ASIN: 978-1472815200
Book Format(s): Soft cover, Kindle
Genre(s): Nonfiction, History, Reference
Review Genre: Nonfiction—Reference
Number of Pages: 80

The Fires of Babylon: Eagle Troop and the Battle of 73 Easting by Mike Guardia

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MWSA Review

Author Mike Guardia provides an inside look at the training and troops called upon to charge into the teeth of Saddam's dug-in T-72 tank defense and engage in his "Mother of All Battles" at the onset of Desert Storm. Small unit courage, luck, and training drives Eagle Troop and the 2d Armored Calvary Regiment to win The Battle of 73 Easting—possibly the most dominant one-sided tank battle in the history of mankind. Troop Commander Captain H.R. McMaster leads this historic offensive.

The book reveals the infinite steps taken to launch and win this engagement that decimated the Iraqi Republican Guard in the VII Corps zone of attack. Spiced with the deadly dangers, unforeseen turns, and sometimes humorous encounters faced, the read provided an upfront view of the preparation and battle. I suggest this book for those who enjoy learning about the preparations for war and tank battle.

Review by Hodge Wood (March 2018)

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Author's Synopsis

With a Foreword by General (ret) Fred Franks - Commander, VII Corps in Desert Storm

As a new generation of main battle tanks came on line during the 1980s, neither the US nor USSR had the chance to pit them in combat. But once the Cold War between the superpowers waned, Iraq's Saddam Hussein provided that chance with his invasion of Kuwait. Finally the new US M1A1 tank would see how it fared against the vaunted Soviet-built T-72.

On the morning of August 2, 1990, Iraqi armored divisions invaded the tiny emirate of Kuwait. The Iraqi Army, after its long war with Iran, had more combat experience than the U.S. Army. Who knew if America's untested forces could be shipped across the world and thence contest the battle-hardened Iraqis on their homeground? The Kuwaitis had collapsed easily enough, but the invasion drew fierce condemnation from the UN, which demanded Saddam's withdrawal. Undeterred by the rhetoric, the Iraqi dictator massed his forces along the Saudi Arabian border and dared the world to stop him. In response, the U.S. led the world community in a coalition of 34 nations in what became known as Operation Desert Storm - a violent air and ground campaign to eject the Iraqis from Kuwait. Leading this charge into Iraq were the men of Eagle Troop in the US Army's 2d Armored Cavalry Regiment.

Commanded by then-Captain HR McMaster, Eagle Troop was the lead element of the US VII Corps' advance into Iraq. On February 26, 1991, Eagle Troop encountered the Tawakalna Brigade of Iraq's elite Republican Guard. By any calculation, the 12 American tanks didn't stand a chance. Yet within a mere 23 minutes, the M1A1 tanks of Eagle Troop destroyed more than 50 enemy vehicles and plowed a hole through the Iraqi front. History would call it the Battle of 73 Easting.

Based on hours of interviews and archival research by renowned author Mike Guardia, this minute-by-minute account of the U.S. breakthrough reveals an intimate, no-holds-barred account of modern warfare.

ISBN/ASIN: 978-1612002927
Book Format(s): Hard cover, Kindle, Audiobook
Genre(s): Nonfiction, History
Review Genre: Nonfiction—History
Number of Pages: 248

Hal Moore on Leadership: Winning When Outgunned and Outmanned by Harold G. Moore

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MWSA Review

Mike Guardia’s collaboration with General Moore is an outstanding primer of “boots-on-the-ground” leadership, chronicling the general’s development from West Point cadet to three star general.  Besides biographical details about Moore’s life, there are quotes from Moore, and stories related personally by Moore that speak to his common sense style of leadership.  

I especially liked how through each chapter there were simple boldfaced statements that reflect the tenets of Moore’s leadership style.  For example, (page 35) “Wherever possible, solve problems at the lowest level.” These bold statements are collected and reprinted at the end of each chapter, making this almost a reference book for any young leader, corporate or military.

The book is written with a military slant, but can be adapted to the corporate environment as well.  The language is clear and straight-forward, the book is well organized, and the section of photographs is both relevant and interesting.

As a retired military officer who taught leadership at the US Naval Academy, I would have loved to use this book in my classroom.  Young military officers or those new to the business world will find useful leadership guidance here. In addition, service academy graduates, those interested in the Vietnam War, or those who have an interest in military biography will find something meaningful and memorable in this book.

MWSA Reviewer: Rob Ballister (Mar 2018)

Author's Synopsis

Hal Moore led his life by a set of principles - a code developed through years of experience, trial-and-error, and the study of leaders of every stripe. In a career spanning more than thirty years, Moore's life touched upon many historical events: the Occupation of Japan, the Korean War, Vietnam, and the refashioning of the US Army into an all-volunteer force. At each juncture, he learned critical lessons and had opportunities to affect change through measured responses.

"Hal Moore on Leadership" offers a comprehensive guide to the principles that helped shape Moore's success both on and off the battlefield. They are strategies for the outnumbered, outgunned, and seemingly hopeless. They apply to any leader in any organization - business or military. These lessons and principles are nothing theoretical or scientific. They are simply rules of thumb learned and practiced by a man who spent his entire adult life leading others and perfecting his art of leadership.

ISBN/ASIN: 978-1548305109
Book Format(s): Soft cover, Kindle, Audiobook
Genre(s): Nonfiction, Memoir, Biography, Reference, How to/Business, Anthology
Review Genre: Nonfiction—How to/Business
Number of Pages: 168
 

The Deuce, The bravery, valor and sacrifice of the 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment by Symm McCord

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Author's Synopsis

The 101st Airborne Infantry Division was possibly the most celebrated infantry unit of World War II, and within that division was a regiment that became affectionately known as “The Deuce”. The 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment, “The Deuce”, left Fort Bragg and boarded the SS Strathnaver September 4, 1943 headed for England. In June of 1944, they boarded C47s and were carried to their drop zones behind Utah Beach in France beginning their exhaustive-struggle across Europe to take back the lands previously conquered by Nazi Germany.

The Deuce takes a fictitious infantry squad of the 502nd from its training in Fort Benning, Georgia through D-Day on Normandy, and on across the continent to reach Hitler’s Berghof by VE-Day. It reveals the agony of combat and the tragedies of love in a war-torn nation. The squad follows the same battles and heroic efforts of the actual regiment of that time advancing through Carentan, Market Garden, Battle of the Bulge, and cleaning out the Ruhr Pocket. This reveals the war that was won by the bravery and sacrifices of the people of the “Greatest Generation”.

ISBN/ASIN: ISBN-10: 1635540658       ISBN-13: 978-1635540659       ASIN: B077CYQ1JM
Book Format(s): Soft cover, Kindle, ePub/iBook
Genre(s): Historical Fiction
Review Genre: Fiction—Historical Fiction
Number of Pages: 220

Grady's Tour by John Gallagher

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MWSA Review

Phenomenal Yarn! Author John H. Gallagher takes on the military and even Senator Joe McCarthy in his historical fictionalized story about the Korean War "Grady's Tour". Most books do not take on such a complete stretch of history, in this case, four years that covers both the war and afterwards. 

The book has some great action sequences in Korea that will satisfy almost all military buffs who enjoy reading a good war novel. The book goes into an area that most writers of this genre do not. It deals with issues beyond the war itself and takes on the great spy hunt at home by people like Joe McCarthy. It raises some questions and it might open old historic wounds for some people. 

Readers will get their money's worth; as the book is well over 500 pages long and is entertaining through out .

Reviewed by: Bill McDonald (2006)

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Author's Synopsis
 

A historical novel of: Fighting in Korean War; Zealous commanding general at Stateside post; McCarthy communist spy hunt; Politics at home; Romance.

Ragtops and Flip Flops - by Brent Burns

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MWSA Review

Missing
 

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Author's Synopsis

1 Stuff Like That 2:21            
2 Double Wide In The Sky 2:09            
3 Weenies And Bikinis 2:45            
4 I Married My Stalker 2:34            
5 Sand Is Getting Heavy In My Shoes 2:48            
6 Nuke 'Em (A Nuke From The Duke) 2:19            
7 Drunk Tourist 3:13            
8 Time Wounds All Heels 2:47            
9 Pain At The Pump 2:08            
10 I'm Not Gay 2:33            
11 Listen to Damn Good Dance on Web Player    2:33            
12 Build Them A House (A Tribute To Habitat for Humanity) 3:38            
13 No Cane, No Pain (A Tribute to Dr. William Long) 3:38    

Slaughter at Goliad by Jay Stout

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MWSA Review

While every American and Mexican schoolchild knows the story of the Alamo, few “Norteamericanos” know the story of the massacre that followed it, that of killing 250 unarmed Texan prisoners at Goliad.

Author Jay Stout’s latest book “Slaughter at Goliad” brings this blot on the Mexican military into the harsh light of day. Exceptionally well-written, he brings his experience as a Marine combat aviator into the battle as he explains the fight in terms that every reader can understand.

Superficially, this is a simple story; after a one-sided battle won by the Mexican Army over a bunch of rag-tag Texan-American volunteers, some 250 prisoners were marched to Goliad. After 200 more prisoners were brought to the compound, where they were all massacred on Palm Sunday, March 27, 1836. It was one of the single largest losses of life in the history of the young United States, and the repercussions affected Texas, America, and Mexico virtually immediately.

Of special importance to the battle and to the book is Stout’s examination of the personalities and politics involved. Stout portrays James Walker Fannin, the commander of the doomed unit, as an ineffective leader who misjudged his adversary, Mexico’s infamous General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna. As author Stout explains, rather than courage, it was Fannin’s incompetence as a battlefield commander that put his men into a position where they had to either surrender or be killed – and it was equally Santa Anna’s ego and short-sightedness that led him to execute Fannin and his troops.

Fully understanding Clausewitz’s dictum that ‘war is merely politics by another means’, Stout goes on to explain how this massacre was integral into galvanizing American public opinion in favor of a war against Mexico.

Not to be forgotten is Stout’s description of the boots-on-the-ground stories of Fannin’s men. They came to Texas for various reasons, and with equally various and vague backgrounds, yet were integral to the Texan drive for independence. “Manifest destiny” started here, with men like those under Fannin’s command, and Stout does an excellent job documenting it.

Neither pro-nor-con Mexico or America, Jay Stout has written an interesting and sophisticated battle history of a long-forgotten incident that helped Texas win their war of independence. This is well worth reading for both the casual and educational reader of both military and North American history. ! Ole !

Reviewed by: Andrew Lubin (2008)

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Author's Synopsis
 

Texas lost many volunteers during its hard-won fight for independence from Mexico, but one harrowing episode stands out. Following a one-sided battle on the prairie near Coleto Creek, 250 mostly American prisoners were marched back to the presidio at Goliad where they were joined by more than 200 others. Subsequently, on orders from President Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, they were brutally slaughtered on Palm Sunday, March 27, 1836. The loss of so many fighting men in a single day was, at the time, one of the largest in U.S. history. The reaction in Texas was one of horror, fear, and, for some, a lust for revenge. The revulsion felt throughout the United States turned American sympathies against Mexico and its efforts to preserve its territorial integrity. Based on extensive research, this book offers a powerful description of what happened and an astute analysis of why it happened. For historical background, it also presents an overview of Texas and Mexican history and the factors that led to the massacre. 

As a career military officer, author Jay Stout offers insights not grasped by other writers on the subject. He pays particular attention to the leadership on both sides during the revolution and discusses why the massacre has been largely ignored in the years since. Stout deglamorizes the fight against Santa Anna and his army, while at the same time acknowledging the Mexican perspective and the motivations of Mexico's leaders. The author's dynamic writing style, combined with the compelling subject matter, makes this book attractive to everyone interested in the military, Texas, and American history.

God Does Have a Sense of Humor by Rob Ballister

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MWSA Review

The Author Has a Wonderful Sense of Humor! I started off reading God Does have a sense Of Humor not expecting too much more than perhaps a nice gentle little book that might make me smile on occasion. I ended up finding myself laughing out loud and almost wetting my pants! Author Rob Ballister, a Naval Academy graduate and current Naval Officer in San Diego, really has a wonderful sense of what is funny even when he is battling life threatening health issues like testicle cancer. I figured if anyone could make fun of that life situation then the rest of his book would be hilariously funny in the male “Erma Bombeck” sort of way. And his book is really all about male energy and humor that women will enjoy just as much.

The book is filled with dozens of short stories; some of which are based on true experiences while some are totally fictional creations of the wild imagination of the author. The key is that I could not tell which were what, when reading them – they all felt like real experiences because of the warm and skillful writing skills of Ballister. His subject matter goes from “Sex Education as Taught by Nuns” to “Christmas in Gingerbread Hell.” He deals with the simple things in life that men deal with like laundry protocols (separating colors) and blind date disasters. He handles all of these men’s issues like a profession male and makes his gender proud.

There are so many "just great" moments in his stories. I think most all of us guys can relate to his comments on shopping differences between men and women and the experience of buying something at Victoria’s Secret.  This book is full of little pearls of wisdom and humorous gems. The book entertains while filling the reader’s heart with a smile. That is saying a lot in these stressful times of terrorists, wars and random street crimes; it is nice to have something that allows the readers to escape, relax, smile and maybe even laugh out loud. This is one of those special books that are a true gift for your soul.

The book would be a great gift to all the men in your life – be them fathers, brothers, husbands, significant others, or just male friends. You will find however, that women will be laughing just as hard but at our male traits and behaviors when they read his stories. It is a delightful reading experience and one that is pure entertainment!

Reviewed by: Bill McDonald (2007)

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Author's Synopsis

Author Rob Ballister delivers a touching and entertaining portrait of his journey through dating, growing up in New Jersey, and surviving cancer. Along the way, he learns that God Does Have a Sense of Humor. Follow him:

Through surgery—My understanding was that the doctor, while hopping up and down on one foot and singing the national anthem, was going to remove my lymph nodes using a butter knife, a hacksaw, and some 10W-30 motor oil.

Into the confessional—There sat Father Riener, who was technically old enough to have been one of the original apostles. As I began reciting my list, Father began falling asleep. Being only in the fourth grade, I did exactly what I did at home when my younger sister fell asleep. I kicked him.

Through family Christmas traditions—That first year, Dad put up a wreath and Mom put up a tree, and things were pretty much low key that season. Then I was born, and as I grew, so did Dad’s commitment to having the house visible from orbiting spacecraft.

With an incredibly wry sense of humor, Ballister offers a hilarious look at life, guaranteed to make you smile!

Home of the Brave by Jeffery Hess

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MWSA Review

Home of the Brave: Stories in Uniform, edited by Jeffrey Hess is a collection of stories from individuals who served in a variety of military service capacities and the life lessons and experiences learned during their service experiences. Hess has collected stories from a variety of sources, including more popular writers such as Tim O'Brien, Kurt Vonnegut, and Tobias Wolff. Yet the strength of the book comes from the stories of lesser-known individual writers whose experiences and values learned from military service provide a framework for common ordinary experiences that unite us and define us as humans. The stories, at times poignant, and other times quite sorrowful and humorous, leave a lasting impression on the reader long after the last page has been turned.

Reviewed by: Elliot Parker (2009)

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Author's Synopsis

Among these stories by writers, including Kurt Vonnegut, Tim O'Brien, Tobias Wolff, Chris Offutt, Benjamin Percy and many others, you'll find shipbuilders and sailors, pilots, wild dogs, battles-both physical and emotional, misunderstandings, fistfights, and the wounds of unrequited love. There are parades and hurricanes, people getting high and some merely getting by, as well as the human sacrifices made, the losses endured, the hardships faced because of or in spite of some connection to the military. If you've served, you might recognize a couple of these characters, or their situations. Maybe you will relate to some because you're just like them or because they served in the same place you did. If you've never served, but have had contact with someone who has, you may find similarities between a character here and a person you thought you knew. Each [story] is different in the way it approaches the lives of these individuals at certain points of the modern era, but each will entertain you, and challenge, and stay with you. - from the Introduction, by Jeffery Hess, editor

By Dammit, We're Marines by Gail Chatfield

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MWSA Review

The veterans Gail Chatfield interviewed spoke for themselves in their own words in this wonderful, compelling and personal history of war.  I loved the book.  I learned about the 'Iwo Jima experience' in a way I could never have imagined before reading it.  I learned about being a Marine from old-timers.  Ms. Chatfield provides a glossary of terms at the end of the book that educates about the terms and equipment used in WW2 by the soldiers of that era. The soldiers interviewed included a spectrum of veterans from combatants to all kinds of support personal, with a spattering of non-Marines, although the latter were at the minimum.  Ms. Chatfield's father was a veteran of this island battle, but she, like most of us, never learned enough from her parent.  She later sought to tell his story by telling the stories of others.  She has done it well.  

I highly recommend the book, but caution it is for mature audiences. Not because of the language--that is really pretty mild considering the topic--but because of vivid ima

Reviewed by: Mike Mullins (2009)

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Author's Synopsis

Technology changes with every war, but the universal human experience of combat remains the same. Marines and soldiers from the battlefields of Valley Forge to the streets of Fallujah understand patriotism, fear, death, loneliness, and the humor that helps them through the rough times. By Dammit, We're Marines! is a collection of eye witness accounts by 52 veterans who served on the Pacific Front during World War II. When ordered to secure another Japanese-held island, these Marines grabbed their M-1 rifles, climbed down rope ladders into the waiting landing craft, and hit the beaches. They faced not only an embedded, well-equipped enemy, but also flesh shredding coral reefs, malarial and dengue fever-ridden jungles, mosquito and crocodile-infested swamps, and a noxious moonscape sulfur island. The author's father was one of those Marines who fought on Bougainville, Guam, and Iwo Jima. He died when she was 15 and never shared his wartime stories. Wanting to learn more, Chatfield sought out veterans of those conflicts. Their stories offer a literary archeological dig of sorts into 1940's culture and technology. Body armor was a canvas shirt with a metal covered copy of the Bible in the breast pocket. Camouflage clothing was do-it-yourself burlap suits stippled with Max Factor women's make-up. Cutting edge medicine was sulfa tablets to treat infection and blood plasma shipped in glass bottles to field hospitals. Canvas hammocks stacked 8-10 high served as bunks aboard overcrowded ships. They used salt water soap for salt water baths and were issued OPA tickets, V-mail, C-rations, K-rations, and helmets that served as sinks and saucepans. Creating the safest foxhole took some ingenuity and a few discarded tank parts. Most of the veterans interviewed in this book are Marines, but war is a collaborative effort. Marines were transported by the Navy, relieved by the Army, and most of the time their job was to secure airfields for the Army Air Corps. No story of the Marines would be complete without hearing from those branches of service. Chaplains, corpsmen, sailors, soldiers, and B-29 bomb crews share their stories of serving with the Marines. These veterans offer their stores as a part of our historical record with the hope that battles like Saipan, Bougainville, and Iwo Jima will never happen again.

Uncle John's Bathroom Reader Salutes the Military by Andrew Lubin, et. al.

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MWSA Review

A wealth of knowledge for America's favorite reading room. I don't know who Uncle John is, but he certainly pulled together some great writers and some wonderful pieces of military facts, fiction, and lore when he put this book together.  Completely enjoyable from beginning to end, you will learn something in every sitting.  Every service is mentioned repeatedly, and actions from the amazingly heroic to the ridiculously stupid are given equal time.  Everything is simply written, easily formatted, and continuously refreshing and entertaining.  From the somber (Arlington) to the comedic (Beetle Bailey, Bob Hope), every aspect of military life is covered, and in such a way that the reader is both educated and entertained.

I especially liked the way the authors divide up large topics into easily manageable chapters appearing in different places in the book.  That keeps the reader from getting too much of any one topic at one time, and keeps things moving.  I also really enjoyed the little factoids at the bottom of each page, completely unrelated to the story.  These were always short but very interesting; an added bonus on each page.

Full of facts and fun, this is a must for any military member's bathroom, and will be heartily enjoyed by anyone who either served or just has a passing interest in the military.

Reviewed by: Rob Ballister (2009)

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Author's Synopsis

Uncle John takes aim at providing the heroic, historic, and entertaining stories of America’s five armed forces: Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard. Read about:

* A history of the draft
* Dog tags then and now
* Medal of Honor winners
* MASH: the true story
* Doolittle's Raid
* What it takes to pass the tests to be in the Special Forces
* Cartoon soldiers—Sad Sack, Sergeant Rock, and Beetle Bailey
* Start of Semper Fi
* The original Flying Tiger
* War (TV) is hell
* The birth of camoflauge and khaki
* And much more!

You and Your Military Hero by Sara Jensen-Fritz, Paula Jones-Johnson, Thea L. Zitzow

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MWSA Review

A valuable resource for our military families! 

Hundreds of thousands of US military members have been continuously deployed overseas for the past several years.  A large number of them are serving, or will soon serve on their third, fourth, or even fifth deployment to Iraq or Afghanistan.  As a result, many experts fear that our armed forces are being stretched to the breaking point.  Due to this vastly increased level of overseas operations, our military families are increasingly being left to fend for themselves while their loved ones spend long periods of time away from home.  While the military does a great job of getting its soldiers, airmen, and Marines ready to do their jobs while deployed; they do a less thorough job of preparing the family members they leave behind.  It has become clear that the children of our deployed military members are paying an especially heavy price for this fact.  Department of Defense statistics indicate that mental health visits by the children of military members has nearly doubled since the first Iraq War.

Sara Jensen-Fritz, Paula Jones-Johnson, Thea L. Zitzow--co-authors of "You and Your Military Hero"--have come up with an extremely valuable resource for those facing the absence of deployed loved ones.  The book provides a series of games, calendars, cutouts, discussion topics, and exercises designed to encourage awareness, understanding, and to develop coping mechanisms.  By following the book's activities and suggestions, the children of our "military heroes" will learn to come to grips with their feelings and develop ways to handle the stress of family separation.  Although the book is geared largely for children and is narrated by Flipp--a friendly dog, who makes this a fun and entertaining experience--"You and Your Military Hero" is not solely for the kids.  Adult family members will also be able to strengthen their coping skills.  The breathing and meditation techniques outlined--to give just one example--would certainly benefit readers of all ages.

Endorsed by the national Military Family Association, the Military Child Education Coalition, and the founder of the National Association of School Psychologist's Military Families Interest Group, "You and Your Military Hero" is truly a valuable resource for our military families

Reviewed by: John Cathcart (2009)

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Author's Synopsis

You and Your Military Hero helps children learn positive coping skills during a loved one's deployment and empowers children and military families to maintain positive outlooks during this challenging time.  Through positive, solution focused, and instructive activities, this activity journal makes building positive skills fun and effective.  Family members as well as professionals who work with military children, will find this an invaluable resource.