Weeds of War: Those Who Bled at Dien Bien Phu by Paul Alenous Kluge

Click on cover image to purchase a copy

MWSA Review Pending

 

Author's Synopsis

It was clear by the first days of 1954 that impending battle at Dien Bien Phu would tip scales everywhere. By then, France was desperate for a win, and Ho Chi Minh was willing to roll the dice, betting on the support of the Soviets, the Chinese, and his own fire-eating army. It was the conscripts, the coolies, and the privates--who had the least to gain and the most to lose--who would pay the heaviest price. They were the weeds of war! The privates depicted are fictional, the battles are not; the historical context is real.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Fiction—Historical Fiction

Number of Pages: 236

Word Count: 103,837

Political Art of War: Winning Strategy for Local Campaigns by Shawn R. Frost, Sun Tzu, Gary Galiardi (translator)

Click on cover image to purchase a copy

MWSA Review Pending

 

Author's Synopsis

Two books in one. The left page is Sun Tzu’s Bing Fa, translated into English as the Art of War by Gary Gagliardi. The right page is Shawn R. Frost’s commentary on how this relates to winning local elections. There are also chapter summaries, a glossary of chinese terms, and an epilogue highlighting Frost’s 10 years working in politics.

This is a nonpartisan guide to winning that has resulted in Frost’s clients winning 31 of 33 contests, an unheard of 93% winning rate.

Read this book, or lose to by someone who has.

Format(s) for review: Paper

Review Genre: Nonfiction—How to/Business

Number of Pages: 237

Word Count: 45,149

The Believer within You by Tyrone Burnett

Click on cover image to purchase a copy

MWSA Review Pending

 

Author's Synopsis

Over 10 million children across the nation teeter on the brink of homelessness or unjust eviction due to wrongful foreclosures, even before they can call newly constructed homes their own amid a global financial and housing crisis. Enter Brenda Sue Bellamy, an ordinary 12-year-old with her trusty notebook by her side. She uncovers alarming information, sparking a daunting realization: “This could happen to my family.” Driven by her invigorated spirit, she delves deep, documenting each revelation in her trusty notebook. Through her journey, she presents invaluable financial and educational insights, enlightening both young minds and adult readers. Now, faced with a pivotal decision, Brenda Sue stands at a crossroads: to stay silent, or to speak out and risk being silenced.

Format(s) for review: Paper Only

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

Number of Pages: 82

Word Count: 4701

The Long Work Trip by Carson Cleveland

Click on cover image to purchase a copy

MWSA Review Pending

 

Author's Synopsis

This book relates to many children these days who have parents that have to travel for work. This heart-warming story is written by a father who is separated from his family for a long work trip, when duty calls. With wonderful illustrations, the author provides his kids with insight into what he does on his work trip. Most of all, he ensures his children know all the time he spends thinking about them back home. The story provides a perspective to kids that even though a parent might be away they continue to be loved and cared for.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Children & Young Adult—Picture Book

Number of Pages: 25

Word Count: 512

Hangar 4 by Isaac G. Lee

Click on cover image to purchase a copy

MWSA Review Pending

 

Author's Synopsis

The best of the best... Risk taker. Son. Badass. Husband. Combat Aviator. Father.

From Officer Candidates School to squadron Commanding Officer, Isaac G. Lee, Lieutenant Colonel, USMC (Ret.), reached the finish line at HANGAR 4 on MCAS Miramar at the conclusion of seven deployments during his two decades of service. In this memoir, he shares the lessons, the rewards, the losses, and ultimately, the personal cost.

Isaac pushed every boundary he encountered as a combat aviator, repeatedly testing his own mettle under harsh wartime conditions. He sets a high standard in HANGAR 4 with his candid accounting of a transformative journey that took place while he endeavored to balance life in the squadron, in the cockpit, in war zones, and at home.

Combat defines every warfighter, along with episodes of survivor's guilt, emotional numbness, and lingering grief. Personal reckoning occurs in the aftermath of war.

Truth triumphs. Once a Marine, Always a Marine.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Nonfiction—Memoir/Biography

Number of Pages: 366

Word Count: 119,545

Always Remembering by Kathy Kasunich

Click on cover image to purchase a copy

MWSA Review Pending

 

Author's Synopsis

Based on a real-life couple's experience, Always Remembering” intricately weaves together the heartfelt love story of Mike and Helen, amid the turmoil and battles of World War II. Their blossoming love, abruptly interrupted by the war, thrusts them into a world of separation, uncertainties, loneliness, and the relentless struggle to preserve their bond. Mike confronts the brutal realities of war, while Helen grapples with a domineering mother and a meddling family that strain their relationship. Intertwined within the narrative are unedited letters penned by Mike to Helen, signed with the touching sentiment: “Always Remembering, Never Forgetting, Loving You Forever, Mike.” These letters and the nostalgic memories they evoke become their anchor amidst the chaos, empowering them to endure and cherish the person who captured their hearts.

From the tranquil streets of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to the harrowing battlegrounds of the 42nd Rainbow Division, the pangs of heartache, and the destruction of war resonates deeply. In a story told through both of their perspectives, Mike, an outgoing, confident medic, and Helen, a diffident, humble grocer, bare their souls as they navigate situations beyond their control.

“Always Remembering”, seen through the lens of two ordinary souls is a testament to enduring love, unveiling the emotional toll and unseen collateral damage that war imposes on the human spirit. Echoing the essence of Capra’s stirring narratives, this captivating tale celebrates the resilience of love and the powerful strength found within treasured memories.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Fiction—Romance

Number of Pages: 356

Word Count: 98,000

The Night Swimmer by Michael Griffin

Click on cover image to purchase a copy

MWSA Review Pending

 

Author's Synopsis

Michael Joyce got off on playing in his band, chasing girls, and completing his Ph.D. In Psychology. Then the Vietnam War heated up. Drafted, commissioned as an officer, he soon found himself in the jungle taking a life at close range. Strangely, he didn't seem to mind, feeling nothing one way or another. He experienced the same innocent calm in subsequent kills, much the way a cheetah must after slaughtering its prey.

This book is in a fictionalized memoir form. It is a lifelong clinical case history and adventurous tale about the development of war related PTSD. 90% of war related sufferers of PTSD come from impaired and abusive childhoods, and Michael Joyce is no exception. He is wonderful and awful, talented and yet disturbed. He suffered from a chronically abusive violent father and an unresolved Oedipus complex with his mother, resulting in a fixation on women. We see his demons and criminal behavior, along with a buoyancy and loving generosity toward people.

This study is necessarily graphic and purposely not sanitized in our efforts to be clinically accurate. Therapy sessions, ongoing symptom discussions and examples of disturbances are included.

Michael Joyce barely survives his year in Vietnam. Wounded twice, shot down and constantly exposed to fear, helplessness and horror, he suffers from PTSD and yet is highly decorated. Volume II and III of this trilogy sees his post war lifelong struggle with PTSD, yet he successfully works for the VA as a Clinical Psychologist treating combat veterans with PTSD.

This is a must read for students of psychology, the human condition, and unique war influences. At the same time it is presented as a tip of the spear page turner. Many of us, years later, are still not home from war.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Fiction—Historical Fiction

Number of Pages: 572

Word Count: 195,050