A WWII Flight Surgeon's Story; by S. Carlisle May

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MWSA Review
A heartfelt account of a young doctor’s service during WWII

S. Carlisle May’s recounting of Dr. Lamb Myhr’s service is a warm and genuine story of one good-hearted man trying to do his best to ease suffering during a war.  It is filled with personal tales painted on the backdrop of the European air war which eventually ground the German offensive to a halt.

The author does a good job of balancing personal stories with important unit and historical events so that the reader can see the “big picture” while at the same time being able to focus on Dr. Myhr’s smaller piece of it.  These personal stories are supported with pictures and other evidence which lends credibility to the story.
Oftentimes, a biography is written about someone who has done something extraordinary. In this case, this story illustrated the wonderfully ordinary service of an ordinary man, called to nothing more than his job.  It sheds light on the medical picture across the European theater, what challenges the medical personnel faced, how they dealt with wounds, what made them laugh, what made them cry.  It is well done, personal, informative, and memorable.

Fans of military biography or medical biography will definitely take something from this worthwhile book.
MWSA Reviewer: Rob Ballister  
 

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Author's Synopsis
In the brutal and deadly conflict that swept the world in the 1940s, the newly formed United States Army Air Forces played a crucial role. The inherently dangerous missions relied on pilots in peak mental and physical condition. Dr. Lamb Myhr spent the Second World War as a flight surgeon working tirelessly to “keep them flying.” From Africa to Normandy and beyond, Myhr cared for injured and sick pilots, delivered civilian babies, and tended to the survivors of the Nazi concentration camps.

Written by Myhr’s great-niece and drawn from his personal letters and recollections, this portrait is a window into the lives of the everyday participants in World War II. His personal photos are included and feature the historic meeting between Gens. Mark Clark, George Patton, and Dwight D. Eisenhower before the invasion of Italy, as well as Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest after it was captured. Insightful detail about the many different injuries and diseases Myhr faced in his service provide a perspective on the diverse challenges brought by each stage of the conflict.

Hover: A Novel; by Anne A. Wilson

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MWSA Review
In the Navy's world of men, water levels the battlefield of love. 

In her romance, Hover: A Novel, Anne A. Wilson crafts a story of romance, guilt, forgiveness, and bravery in the wake of nightmares.

Lieutenant Sara Denning's goal as a Navy helicopter pilot is to remaining "a small dot,” get in and get it done without stirring the waters. Little does she know in her quest to do her best without creating waves, both happen naturally.

As a woman living in a predominantly man's world, Sara finds herself often floating her actions against the prejudices and biases of her peers and commanders. She recognizes that, although her reasons for attending the Naval Academy and becoming a pilot were in penance to drown her guilt, she actually enjoys her career. If only she can step aside and allow happiness to ebb in. 

When Lt. Denning meets an unassuming, strong, yet kind, colleague, the feminine qualities Sara tried so hard to submerse start rising to the surface.  Now, if only they can all manage to stay buoyant in the company of a traitor.

Anne A. Wilson casts a net over her reader and reels them aboard one word at a time, in Hover: A Novel.
MWSA Reviewer:  Sandra Miller Linhart
 

Author's Synopsis
Helicopter pilot Lt. Sara Denning joins a navy battle group with little fanfare—and that's just the way she likes it. After her brother Ian's tragic death, her career path seemed obvious: step into his shoes and enter the Naval Academy, despite her fear of water. Sara's philosophy is simple—blend in, be competent, and above all, never do anything to stand out as a woman in a man's world.

Somewhere along the way, Sara lost herself—her feminine, easygoing soul is now buried under so many defensive layers, she can't reach it anymore.

When she meets strong, self-assured Lt. Eric Marxen, her defenses start to falter. Eric coordinates flight operations for a Navy SEAL team that requests Sara as the exclusive pilot. This blatant show of favoritism causes conflict with the other pilots; Sara's sexist boss seems intent on making her life miserable, and her roommate and best friend, the only other woman on the ship, is avoiding her. It doesn't help that her interactions with Eric leave her reeling.

The endgame of the SEALs' mission is so secret, even Sara doesn't know the reason behind her mandated participation. Soon, though, the training missions become real, and Sara must overcome her fears before they plunge her into danger. When Sara's life is on the line, can she find her true self again and follow the orders of her heart before it is too late?
Anne A. Wilson's Hover is a thrilling, emotional women's journey written by a groundbreaking former navy pilot.

Consequence by Pat Avery

MWSA Review
A nagging desire for the underlying truth in her brother's death fuels the protagonist, Michaela (Mick) Riley, on a dangerous journey of discovery and ultimate personal growth, in Pat McGrath Avery's Consequence.  

Avery draws the reader in with the first passage, and doesn't relinquish the reins until well after the last page is turned.  The author builds on layers of interactions and near-misses, to reveal a web of deceit and mystery in Consequence.  Her characters are real and engaging, which adds integrity to the story as it unfolds and long-hidden secrets are revealed.  

Consequence is a tale of regret, forgiveness, and redemption, full of action and intrigue, which touches the reader through myriad emotions.  I found myself crying, shocked, laughing, and perched on the edge of my seat.  I couldn't wait to see what happened next.  Consequence is a worthy addition to Pat McGrath Avery's other written accomplishments.
Review by Sandra Miller Linhart, MWSA Reviewer

Author's Synopsis
Murder and greed always have consequences. Michaela stood by her brother as he was gunned down on a street corner. She flees to South Padre Island, Texas, knowing the killer is looking for her. In a failed robbery attempt, Betty's newly found half-brother kills her friend and coworker. She buries herself in depression and shame. Through Hap Lynch, a retired Kansas City cop, the two women become friends. Can friendship and good intentions overcome the consequences of violence and deception?

A thousand miles away, Jose plays his own game of deception, motivated by blackmail, fear and love for his family. Even if he saves his wife, Lourdes, will he be able to save their marriage or will the truth destroy them? 

Meanwhile, two ruthless businessmen, who have built a lucrative smuggling trade, care nothing for the consequences of their actions.

Chita Quest: One Man’s Search for His POW/MIA Father ; by Brinn Colenda

MWSA Review
Enthralling actions against surprising adversaries.

Chita Quest is an action-packed thriller that keeps one up all night, compelled to read the next page…and the next page…and the next page…

More than thirty years after his father went missing following the crash of his F4 Phantom fighter along the Laotian-Vietnamese border, U.S. Air Force Colonel Tom Callahan’s hopes soar when a journalist friend brings a photo of what looks like a 70-year-old Caucasian working a rice field in Vietnam.  Despite discouragement from the Pentagon and the murder of the photographer on the streets of Washington, Callahan takes leave from his White House job and recruits his estranged brother to go with him to Southeast Asian to find clues of MIAs who may still be alive.
Along the way, several attempts by unknown assailants are made on the lives of the Callahan brothers, and in Washington, on their wives and Tom’s young daughter. The mystery is why and what connection to the search for a missing warrior from a long ago war.

The quest leads the Callahans on a dangerous, surreptitious, and illegal trip through China and Mongolia to Chita, Siberia, where they meet new adversaries—agents of the Russian Security Services.  The China-Siberian trip is unauthorized by and unknown to U.S. government officials.

Author Brinn Colenda draws from his own experiences in the Air Force as he provides a detailed look at the military’s Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command operations in Washington, Hawaii, and in the Southeast Asia as Colonel Callahan seeks the agency’s help for his quest.  

For those who love fast paced action and dramatic surprises in a well written book, Chita Quest is most satisfying. 
Reviewed by Joe Epley, MWSA Reviewer

Author Synopsis:
Were American POWs left behind at the end of the Vietnam War—either by accident or design?
Colonel Tom Callahan is driven to find out—his own father is still listed as Missing In Action. What Callahan doesn’t understand is how politically explosive the issue is, domestically and internationally. As he begins his quest, friends and associates meet violent deaths. Aided by his Australian-born wife, Colleen, his journey takes him halfway across the world to Vietnam, China, Mongolia, and ultimately, Siberia. He is helped and hindered by unexpected friends and cunning, deadly enemies.

Bestselling Author, William B. Scott states:
“Chita is a unique, fast-paced thriller that weaves nasty Washington cover-ups with assassinations, international intrigue, and air combat”

Walter E. “Buck” Buchanan III, Lt Gen, USAF (ret) tells us:
“Brinn Colenda once again proves himself to be a master storyteller”

Veterans: Heroes in Our Neighborhood; by Valerie Pfundstein

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MWSA Review
Valerie Pfundstein's picture book, Veterans: Heroes in Our Neighborhood reminds us a hero isn't necessarily a stranger who lives far away.  Our neighbors, the grocer, the butcher, our coach - all could be a part of the growing and honorable group of heroes - Veterans, who don't wear badges or medals on their regular work clothes, and are not readily noticed to stand out in a crowd.

Each generation gives a portion of its numbers in service to our country. Pfunstein's book brings home awareness and appreciation of these unassuming heroes who work and walk among us daily. Through her book, she shares their sacrifices new generations of Americans who may one day join their ranks.

Veterans: Heroes in Our Neighborhood is a must for every school library in the United States.
Reviewed by: Sandra Miller Linhart

Author's Synopsis
Veterans: Heroes in Our Neighborhood is an engaging rhyming picture book for readers of all ages that fosters mindfulness of and appreciation for the brave service men and women who are also our family, friends, and neighbors.  These are the men and women who bravely served our great country and now humbly serve in our communities.

All Came Home: A World War II story told through the letters of Boat Group Commander, Joseph B. McDevitt; by Paul K. McDevitt

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MWSA Review
WWII Fast Attack Transports in the Pacific theater

I have read many novels and nonfiction books dealing with the Pacific war against Japan. They mostly dealt with combat ships, airplanes, and ground troops. But how did the troops and required supplies get to the island beaches? Where did the landing crafts come from? How were so many men and supplies delivered to the correct beach so quickly? Who moved the Army and Marines from island to island and then returned them to the U.S.? The answer is: Fast Attack Transports.

All Came Home is a story of life in America in the late 1930s and 1940s. A nation mired in the great depression where people struggled to survive — a land that young Americans in the 21st Century can hardly imagine. It is part of one page of the story of the Greatest Generation, the men and women, military and civilian, who through determination and sacrifice won World War II and turned America into a mighty nation, a superpower. 

One such young man was Joe McDevitt. While this is Joe’s story, compiled by his son through copies of personal letters, newspaper articles, and official documents, it is also his family’s story and the story of his ship, one of the ships that helped win the Pacific naval war, the USS Leon (APA 48), the “Lucky Leon” and her crew who all came back. 
I highly recommend this book and will retain my copy for my grandchildren when they are old enough to understand.
Reviewed by Lee Boyland
 

Author's Synopsis
"All Came Home" is a true story of junior reserve officer Joe McDevitt during WWII, as told through letters mailed home to his family. This is a quintessential American story about a youngster of German and Irish ancestry striving to achieve the American dream. Then comes WWII, and Joe postpones his driving personal ambition in order to enlist in the Navy. He joins the Pacific Amphibious Forces where men wage war on the open water in small boats. Could the Navy really make a warrior out of him… someone who thinks of nothing else but the sea and the war? A romance flourishes, and, like many of his peers, Joe must choose: marry now, and leave a young war bride behind, or wait to wed his true love when, and if, he returns? At war, he endures one bloody assault after another: ground-shaking bombardments, thundering artillery and mortar barrages, and the conviction that chance alone determines who lives and who dies. One way or another, all came home…

PAYBACK TIME!: America's Veterans Unite to Challenge VA for Overdue Benefits; by Earl "Dusty" Trimmer

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MWSA Review

Vietnam Vet Trimmer cluster bombs the VA

Author “Dusty” Trimmer delivers this credible PAYBACK TIME message across the VA’s minefield of issues that get stepped on by veterans deserving proper healthcare access and benefits.  Aging Trimmer still brings the fight!  Taking careful aim and switched to automatic fire, Dusty sprays and stitches the VA with valid complaints from every direction, with a major focus on the dying Vietnam-era veterans’ horrific dilemmas.  

Armed heavily with research, a useful index, and an extensive glossary, Trimmer shoots-scoots-communicates through multiple VA obstacles that returned warriors face.  He lays down suppression fire to cover current-era war fighters, provides insight into the political landscape that has/will create the VA obstacles, and triggers through multiple other VA fights, including insightful views on current VA Secretary Bob McDonald.  From a very personal perspective, Dusty Trimmer empties his heart out to help our veterans in a VA system that lacks much.  Way to take up the battle!

MWSA Reviewer: Hodge Wood
 

Author's Synopsis
Author Earl "Dusty" Trimmer was a Combat Infantryman in the Vietnam War. This Vietnam War Veteran's reason for writing his memoir is to bring awareness to Vietnam War veterans wounded in action (WIA), killed in action (KIA), missing in action (MIA), the plight of those veterans who are still living or those who have lost their battles to survive after coming home, and those war veterans struggling to live another day. Written from the heart and experiences of a combat infantry soldier in the Vietnam War, Condemned Property? takes a raw look at the Vietnam War and Vietnam War veterans. Author Dusty Trimmer believes the Vietnam War's biggest battle wasn't fought in Southeast Asia, but is currently being waged against the Department of Veterans Affairs in the United States. Author Dusty Trimmer's purpose of this book is to expose the system's mistreatment of Vietnam War Veterans. War is hell. Every war battle is bad for who is in it. The Vietnam War was a twilight zone.

Hook Up: A Novel of Fort Bragg; by William Singley

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MWSA Review
Life as a paratrooper in the peacetime 1950s
Hilarious, irreverent, irrelevant, racist, profane, vulgar, tragic: all describe the lives of teenage paratroopers in William Singley's Hook Up, a novel about of the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg in the late 1950s. 

For those who served at Fort Bragg during that spit-polish era between wars, it is a nostalgic read as one remembers similar characters as those skillfully portrayed by the author. He was there, experiencing the agony of jump school and the thrill of leaping from a high-performance airplane, hoping that a canopy pops open to carry him safely to the ground. 

Most of the young men were draftees in those days, yet volunteered for the Army's elite only to count the days until their enlistment's end. There's Patterson, the kid from New Jersey who emerges as the lead character, struggling with maturity and proud to be a private first class. Margolin, the ROTC second lieutenant, is intimidated by everyone older and questions his sanity for joining the paratroopers, but somehow excels. Martin, the marionette first sergeant, treats his company as a private fiefdom. The cast goes on. Some you love, some you hate, some you admire, some you wonder how they ever got in the Army, much less the Airborne. 
The dark side of  Hook Up illustrates blatant racism in an Army barely ten years into desegregation, alcoholism, drugs, and disregard for individual responsibility.

Barracks humor that permeates the book may not be for everyone, especially uptight sergeants major who bristle when anyone tarnishes the image of their beloved 82nd or mothers horrified their precious son was exposed to such antics (but, God forbid, never participated). They too will chuckle when reminded of life back in the day of the OD uniform, spit-shined boots, and raucous bar hopping along Hay Street and Combat Alley in downtown Fayetteville... before the city cleaned up its image.

Singley describes his book as a historical novel. But for those who were there, the situations and attitudes happened. I recommend Hook Up. All the Way!
Reviewer: Joe Epley
 

Author's Synopsis
It was an Army between wars. Korea was a fresh memory for some soldiers and Vietnam was only an insignificant blip on the military radar. It was an Army in which reluctant draftees mixed with aimless volunteers looking for adventure and ways to test or confirm their manhood. In those days and in that Army, “hook-up” was a jump command for paratroopers rather than a romantic liaison.

Hook Up: A Novel of Fort Bragg takes us inside that Army and introduces fascinating characters who are struggling to become paratroopers and survive in a starch-stiff U.S. Army airborne regiment based at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina. Side-by-side in that demanding trek are officers like Lieutenant Sy Margolin, a potential nebbish who instead becomes a strong leader, and enlisted men like Privates Willie Patterson and Scott Breslin, who challenge authority every step of the way to winning their paratrooper wings.

In Hook Up we get a close-up, very personal, and fascinating look at an Army that no longer exists—an Army populated with soldiers who have either learned hard life lessons or are about to learn them in a crucible where failure can land you in the stockade or in the morgue. From the rigors of barracks life to the raucous off-post adventures to the thrilling jump sequences, Hook Up is a fast-paced, thrilling story of military excellence pursued and human innocence lost.

Harnessing the Sky: Frederick "Trap" Trapnell, the U.S. Navy's Aviation Pioneer, 1923-1952; by Frederick M. Trapnell Jr. and‎ Dana Tibbitts

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MWSA Review
In all the years I have been following aviation, only a few of the early pilots in my library were Navy. So I eagerly read  Harnessing the Sky about Frederick M. "Trap" Trapnell's incredible experiences in test flight in the 1930s and 1940s. Since the book was written by family members, I expected more sentimentality than most biographies. However, while the tone was warm and the book was definitely an easy read, it was well-researched and competently indexed. It covered not only the man but also his era and will make an excellent source for other historians.

Military uses for aircraft were identified during World War I, only a few years into the era of flight. Ensign Trap was assigned to the USS Marblehead when he saw the potential for airplanes to support the Navy's most basic missions. As a result, he volunteered for flight in 1924, just as airplanes were beginning to be viewed as weapons. Aircraft carriers came of age with the help of pilots like Trap who helped perfect air/sea strategies and techniques.

If you are interested in aviation at all, this biography is a must.
Review by Joyce K Faulkner

Author's Synopsis

Harnessing the Sky is one of the best untold stories in 100 years of naval aviation. This biography fills an important void in the history of flight test and explores the legacy of the man who has been called “the godfather of current naval aviation.”

Vice Admiral Frederick M. Trapnell’s calculated courage advanced the frontiers of Navy test flying more than any other aviator during one of the most perilous and thrilling periods of aviation history. “Trap” entered the Navy at a time when flight testing was still in its infancy- when test pilots were more likely to be stunt men than engineers; when airplanes served an ancillary and undeveloped role in the fleet; when the airplane had not yet come into its own as a weapon of war. His vision and leadership shaped the evolution of naval aviation through its formative years and beyond.

When the threat of war in 1940 raised an alarm over the Navy’s deficiency in aircraft—especially fighters—Trap was brought in as head of the Flight Test Section to evaluate and direct the development of all new Navy airplanes. Trap expedited the evolution of two superb fighters that came to dominate the air war against Japan – the Corsair and Hellcat—by dramatically shortening test and development cycles for new prototypes.

This remarkable feat was repeated after World War II when Trap returned as Commander of the Naval Air Test Center to lead the Navy through the challenges of transitioning to jets. Recognized for defining the operating requirements for carrier-based jet propelled aircraft, Trap personally conducted the preliminary tests of the Navy’s first generation jets.

Over the course of two decades (1930-1950), Trap tested virtually every naval aircraft prototype and became the first U.S. Navy pilot to fly a jet. He pioneered the philosophy and perfected many of the methods of the engineering test pilot, demanding aircraft that pushed the performance envelope up to the limits of safety in all flight regimes. He insisted on comprehensive testing of each airplane with all of its equipment in all missions, conditions and maneuvers it would face in wartime fleet operations.

These innovations advanced the tactical capability of naval air power that have kept it at the forefront of modern aviation and stand as an enduring legacy to the man who is regarded as the foremost test pilot in a century of naval aviation.

Never Fear: The Life & Times of Forest K. Ferguson Jr.; by Bob D'angelo

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MWSA Review
Author Bob D’Angelo delivers a well-researched and informative story about a remarkable athlete who stormed Omaha Beach and paid a heavy price over 70 years ago.  Thanks to NEVER FEAR   The Life and Times of Forest K. Ferguson, we learn of a giant among men, Forest Ferguson.  
The author gathers infinite details about this man and our greatest-generation culture.

Small town legend Forest Ferguson becomes a Florida All-American football player and later plays football for the Army against NFL teams,  as was the style in the early forties.  In these and other sports like track, boxing, and basketball, “Fergie” excelled.  Without the author’s exhaustive research, this wonderful American leader’s walk in life and those he knew may have been forgotten.

Leaders were destined to storm the German pill boxes on D-Day.  D’Angelo reveals how Lt. Ferguson earned the Distinguished Service Cross on that grim day, June 6, 1944.  Although neurological deficits from battle injury on D-Day limited Ferguson for life, he still served… and his brand of discipline can be appreciated by any reader.  Thanks to the author, we are given the opportunity. 
MWSA Reviewer: Hodge Wood
 

Author's Synopsis
The story of Forest K. Ferguson Jr. is one of athletic greatness at tiny Stuart High School in the late 1930s and at the University of Florida in the early 1940s. "Fergie" was a World War Ii hero who won the Distinguished Service Cross on D-Day, and paid dearly for his bravery as his promising athletic career -- and life -- would be cut short by his sacrifices. Longtime Florida sports journalist Bob D'Angelo digs into the past and presents a fresh look at a man whose skills and courage were evident on the playing field -- and on the field of battle.

Fiddler's Green; by Jack C. Stoddard

MWSA Review
Jack Stoddard introduces the reader to a special final resting place known as Fiddler’s Green.  About halfway along the road to Hell, there lies a side road cut-off open only to members of the U.S. Army’s cavalry corps. It leads to a lovely encampment where these soldiers, both those who died in a battle somewhere, and those who have died after living for many years with the memories of their wars, can spend eternity with their comrades. Around their nightly campfires and in their six-man tents, the ghost-soldiers come to terms with the horrors of war and with the manner of their own deaths.

The story of how Sergeant Frank Saracino met his death in Vietnam in 1969 plays out against two backdrops. We meet the sergeant himself in his camp at Fiddler’s Green, where he can compare his experiences with those of men who fought in every conflict from the Civil War to Desert Storm. We also meet his family, a sister and a father struggling to understand why he died, and two of the surviving men from his unit who hold the answers to the family’s questions.

As in the case of a theater production that asks the playgoer to suspend his disbelief, so in this book the reader must accept the initial premise of the existence of a special kind of heaven reserved for cavalry soldiers, and their horses, too. If that idea offends, this may not be the book for you. The story itself, however, will ring true to every soldier who has survived the horrors of battle, and it will move those who have lost a loved one in warfare.
MWSA Reviewer: Carolyn Schriber
 

Author's Synopsis
Most soldiers like Jon learned to keep his mouth shut and silently toast his fallen comrades once a year at the dinner table, or maybe even manage to slip away and journey to the nearest local veteran's cemetery on Memorial Day to see all of those tiny American flags lined up dress right dress, waving row upon row across the grassy manicured fields. Jon didn't listen to the speeches being made, but rather just looked glassy eyed across the green covered memorial park as his mind searched for the faces that he had long ago forgotten... Yes there is a special look in a soldier's eye that tells another soldier that he has been there and has been baptized by fire. We call it seeing the tiger. Jon has seen the tiger, and as Jon's hair turns gray, and his body wrinkles from age, his dear friend Frank who lives at Fiddler's Green will always remain that twenty-two year old kid wearing his black beret and flashing that big smile.

A Dusty Boot Soldier Remembers by Larry A Redmond

MWSA Review

A primer in leadership, duty, and determination

When I began to read A Dusty Boot Soldier Remembers, I quickly felt Colonel Larry Redmond was sitting beside me, relating in a verbal folksy manner the many stories of his amazing career as a Special Forces qualified Airborne Ranger infantry officer who never strayed far from a paratrooper's billet. These were not cold words on a page, but a warm, factual portrayal of a quarter of a century of challenging experiences.

Redmond’s memories provide an insider's view of Army history from 1962, when he got his gold bar as a second lieutenant, through his retirement as a colonel and senior planner for Central Command in 1986.  In addition to two tours as a company commander with the 101st Airborne in Vietnam where he received the Purple Heart and Silver Star, he commanded a battalion in the 82nd Airborne and served as United Nations observer on the Golan Heights following the 1973 Israeli-Arab war. He also spent several years as a Green Beret in Panama.  One of his more interesting assignments was testing the fledgling Detachment Delta to ensure its readiness to become operational as the Army's elite counter-terrorism force.

He explains how all of the assignments brought new understanding to the author's evolution as an extraordinary officer. Scattered throughout the narrative are "Redmond's Rules," some witty lessons learned that any soldier can benefit by following. These range from "Things get worse under pressure. Stay cool." to "Think it through, don't do dumb things." Sage advice from a man who took meaning from all life's experiences and excelled in his chosen profession.

He led by example, put his troops first, and credits his success to the friendship and advice from his sergeants as well as senior officers. He spoke the truth, even when it was counter to the thinking of higher brass. While some saw him destined for a general's star, he shunned the Pentagon and other assignments usually required to reach a flag rank. He preferred to stay on jump status with his beloved Airborne.  

A Dusty Boot Soldier Remembers is an easy read, not cluttered with a plethora of acronyms that plague many military histories and biographies. For the military reader, Redmond's memoir is a must for your library. The casual reader will also find it enjoyable, entertaining, and informative.

I give this book a lusty "Airborne All the Way, Sir!"

Reviewer: Joe Epley
 

Author: Larry A. Redmond
ISBN-10: 1555717780
ISBN-13: 978-1555717780

KINYAMASWA: An Epic Poem by Andreas Morgner

MWSA Review

Kinyamaswa, by Andreas Morgner, is truly “an epic poem.”  The author dragged painful memories from people who survived the genocide in Rwanda that bled the life from a nation in 1994.  He uses masterful images that compel the reader to live the experience with them. His research had to be written with tears as he made notes of the stories he heard.  Every word, every line, every image Morgner shares has meaning, undeniable meaning, that compels the reader to experience their pain. It is a book intended for adults.  Youthful readers would confuse reality with science fiction, for truth is surely more impactful than fiction in this case.  Morgner paints a picture that imprints on a reader’s mind, with images that cause frequent gasps for air.  We don’t want to believe mankind can be this cruel or sink to the levels that genocide excavates. 

Many years ago I listened to a masterful telling of Beowulf in the Celtic dialect.  The fires of hell were in the words of that storyteller and I feel them still.  I experienced war first hand, but not the kind of thing described in Kinyamaswa, which means “merciless.” The book is written for history lovers, people who enjoy free style poetry, and others who simply want to step into a seriously talented storyteller’s world. 

I found myself saddened that the story is applicable to current events. When I began the journey through Morgner’s “cantos” I did not expect it to leave the impression it did. I applaud his work and respect his incredible command of our language.  

I wholeheartedly recommend Kinyamaswa: An Epic Poem. 

Reviewer: Michael D. Mullins
Author: Andreas Morgner
ISBN-10: 1627200746
ISBN-13: 978-1627200745

The Cards in the Deck by Robert Stanek

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MWSA Review

The blaring alarm awoke Scott Evers in his bunk on the Sea Shepherd, a 201 foot ship with a crew of 45 operated by an organization similar to Greenpeace. Its mission was to disrupt illegal Tuna fishing in the Mediterranean Sea.

On his way to the topside Evers, whose job is security, discovered Libyans had sunk a sister ship, the Bardot III. When he reached the top deck he saw the ship was circling one of five Tunisian fishing boats and their crews were hurling links of chain at the Sea Shepherd, whose crew was responding with fire hoses and stink bombs, a repeat of previous battles. Then things went south.

David Gilbert, a NASA senior data mining and analysis specialists at a super secret National Cybersecurity Initiative Data Center (DC), Camp Williams, Utah was a troubled man. Gilbert was early because he wanted to review the latest D-Wave test results from the latest generation of supercomputers employing quantum computing. Gilbert’ supercomputer was one of three with super-cooled niobium chips. After studying the results he realized something was amiss in the Med. Now Gilbert had two things to worry about: What was not being reported in the Med, and his long time concern about supercomputers exceeding human intelligence and enslaving the human race. 

The “director” enters the story and Scott Evers and his gal pal Edie have rollicking, fantastical adventures as they chase the bad guys across the Mediterranean to Malta with the help of the CIA, NSA, SEALs and the Sixth Fleet. 

Reviewer: Lee Boyland

ISBN-10: B00TBFNFFC
ISBN-13: 978-1511983631

Reflections of Life by Dustin Bogue

MWSA Review

Post 911 warriors—like their parents and grandparents before them—must approach faith, culture, loyalty, and service through eyes seared by war. Jon Nelson’s slim volume of poetry, Reflections of Life,  is broken into seemingly diverse sections: American Pride, Love of a Lifetime, Human Nature, A Darker Side, and God’s Beauty.  However, the order of these topics is as meaningful as the poetry contained within them. Nelson’s poetic style is simple but his thoughts are intellectual and brave. 

In the first section, most of the poems are “in your face” patriotism, the thoughts of a man who has chosen to spend his youthful years in a war zone. Painful transitions from innocence to protector are explored in “As You Get Ready.” Then poems like “Lay My Guns Down” and “Freedom isn’t Free” probe the realities of life in a war zone. By the time I got to “Heart of a Soldier,” I appreciated the layers of meaning in “On my back, I carry this unbearable load, As I walk along this seemingly endless road.”

The second section, Love of a Lifetime, seems all the more joyous for the months and years spent in a desert waiting for something ugly to happen. Lovers often say things like “Your love is what keeps me going” and “Your inspiration always surrounds me” and “You are my rock.” However, coming on the heels of poems like “A Soldier’s Night Before Christmas,” they take on deeper, darker meanings.

In the next two sections, Human Nature and A Darker Side, the poet moves on to deeper reflections. “Leave Your Mark,” sounded so much like my father, a World War II veteran who often pondered the same issues. When Nelson talked about the need to prove yourself “if someone makes you feel worthless,” I swallowed back sad memories of the years my dad was lost inside his own head. And “Insanity” was all too familiar for a child of war.

The final section focuses on spirituality. These poems made me smile. They aren’t truly about religion but more about a reboot, a deliberate way to perceive life. “Forces Stand Against Me” once more reminded me of the challenges veterans face. While they were away, the world changed. While they were away, they changed. This thoughtful little book explores the challenges a combat vet faces trying to find home again.

MWSA Reviewer: Joyce Faulkner

ISBN: 978-1625103321  
ASIN: 1625103328

Meant To Be by Jessica James

MWSA Review

When a chance meeting on a quiet beach turns into a fun day of laughter and a déjà vu feeling of companionship, Lauren Cantrell and Michael "Rad" Radcliff find it hard to say good-bye.  They soon find their paths unexpectedly cross in the most undesired way, in a place where courage and hope are all they have left to give.  In this world of danger where lives are at stake, they'll do anything to keep each other safe... if it's not too late. 

In her romance novel, Meant to Be, Jessica James introduces us to two strangers who make us want to believe in soul mates or, at least, love at first sight.  The author builds on layers of romance, secrets, heartache, and sacrifice to reveal a tapestry of emotion deeply set inside the bravest of Americans; the soldier.  Ms. James' characters are real, multi-faceted and engaging; the reader soon becomes entangled in the dichotomy of the horrors of war juxtapose with love-fueled and patriotic bravery with these new-found friends. 

Meant to Be takes us on a tumultuous journey of love, heartache, healing, and hope.  I found myself on the edge of my seat, feeling the pain and sorrow, clinging to the idea love beats all odds for the sake of her characters.  I look forward to reading Jessica James' other romance novels.

Reviewed by: Sandra Miller Linhart (Oct 2015)

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Author's Summary

It started as a chance encounter on the beach, and ended 24 hours later when they parted to go their separate ways. 
Or so they thought.

Actually it was just the beginning.  When LAUREN CANTRELL said goodbye to the guy she had just met on the beach, she had no way of knowing their paths would ever cross again. But fate had another unexpected meeting in store for them—this time in a place where danger was part of the culture and the stakes were life and death. 

THE LAST PERSON in the world Rad expected to see at a special ops briefing in Afghanistan is the girl he met at the beach two weeks ago—the one he can’t stop thinking about. 

From the sundrenched beaches of Ocean City, Md., to the snowcapped mountains of Afghanistan, this thrilling tale of espionage and intrigue takes readers on a spellbinding journey into the secret lives of our nation’s quiet heroes—and answers the question: 
What do you do when the person you most want to protect is the one risking everything to make sure you survive? 

MEANT TO BE recounts the dedication of our military, the honor and sacrifice of our soldiers, and a relationship that is tested and sustained by the powerful forces of love, courage and resolve. 

Dagger Four Is OK; by Bill Norris

Review

At the age of eighteen, armed with a dream of flying and the desire to serve his country, Norman Gaddis enlists in the Army Air Corps in the months following the bombing of Pearl Harbor. After twenty-four years of service and seventy-two combat missions, he is shot down while in flight in an F-4 Phantom over Hanoi. He spends the next 2,124 days as a prisoner of war in the infamous Hoa Lo Prison, better known as the Hanoi Hilton. This true story follows Retired Brigadier General Norman C. Gaddis through his journey as he endures a thousand days of solitary confinement, physical and mental torture and nearly six years held captive as a POW. Relying on skills gained through his years of training and his love of and faith in both family and country he not only survives, but maintains his sanity and his honor. This is a story of strength, integrity and patriotism; a tale of a truly great American.

Reviewed by: Donald J. Farinacci (Nov 2015)

Author's Summary

At the age of eighteen, armed with a dream of flying and the desire to serve his country, Norman Gaddis enlists in the Army Air Corps in the months following the bombing of Pearl Harbor. After twenty-four years of service and seventy-two combat missions, he is shot down while in flight in an F-4 Phantom over Hanoi. He spends the next 2,124 days as a prisoner of war in the infamous Hoa Lo Prison, better known as the Hanoi Hilton. This true story follows Retired Brigadier General Norman C. Gaddis through his journey as he endures a thousand days of solitary confinement, physical and mental torture and nearly six years held captive as a POW. Relying on skills gained through his years of training and his love of and faith in both family and country he not only survives, but maintains his sanity and his honor. This is a story of strength, integrity and patriotism; a tale of a truly great American.

Hello, Wigwam by L John Lawrence

MWSA Review

Private Costas first gets a desk job for no apparent reason in Vietnam. Everything and anything runs out of control from there. Costas finds himself strangely ordered to join in covert field operations with real warriors, under the control of an unseen "Wigwam" command. The young soldier feels the gamut of emotions from fear to bravery in the terrifying fog of war. Triumph and disaster are never fully reported in this classic "SNAFU" as he chooses to lead the fight. In the aftermath, Costas sorts through what can't be stated - and the young man's life goes on totally changed forever.

Reviewed by:Hodge Wood (2015)

Author's Summary

Creating a most unlikely hero, the army assigned Albert Costas, the youngest and lowest-ranking soldier in the Vietnam War, to run errands and do other menial tasks for the headquarters staff in Saigon. The transition to the real world, coming of age - difficult for any young man - becomes for Albert the unreal world of Army life in a combat zone. He sees the parade of bizarre and irrational behavior of men under stress and struggles to maintain his own grasp on reality. Unknown decision-makers hiding behind the code name Wigwam, add to the confusion, where all is upside down, inside out, and backwards. Sacrifice and achievement become twisted with tragic results.

The Stonegate Sword by Harry James Fox

A wonderfully told story of character, faith, and military action set in the future…which seems like the past!

Review

Harry James Fox scores with a unique story that blends the past with an apocalyptic future to produce an adventure of character, faith, and military action.

The “old way” (our time as we know it) ended, and what now exists is a world of swords and shields, reminiscent of Medieval times.  The Black Prophet is the ultimate evil, and the lands he controls know oppression, heavy taxation, and ruthless enforcement by the Raiders.  The lands outside his reach have an easier life, but the Prophet is always trying to expand his territory.

The beginning of the story details how the lives of two dissimilar characters (Donald and Phillip) are damaged irreversibly by the Prophet.  As the book follows these two lives, they eventually come together when both are fighting on the outnumbered side of good.  Only solid military prowess and planning, coupled with technologies from the old way which are not fully understood, can hope to defeat the Prophet’s armies.

Book is well written, and the author shows his command of the English language well.  It also has an obvious Christian influence, in a way that is refreshing but not heavy-handed.  It is obvious the author researched heavily into cavalry warfare from Medieval times, and the book “feels” very real.  It is not a short read, but is worth the effort and sets up well for a sequel.

Author: Harry James Fox
ISBN: 978-1-63315-322-5
MWSA Reviewer: Rob Ballister

One Stick and a Waco; by J. M. Taylor

MWSA Review

J. M. Taylor scores again with his second in the “Stick” series, featuring everyday heroes from the famous 101st Airborne “Screamin’ Eagles.”

2nd Lietenant Alex Pfister barely survived D-Day, and is now on loan to the OSS.  Preparing for Operation MARKET GARDEN, he’s dropped behind enemy lines, and begins an odyssey that involves a beautiful American nurse POW, a downed Tuskegee airman, several paratroopers from different elements of the 101st, and a german shepherd named Max.  Will Pfister lead this ragtag bunch back to enemy lines, or will the Nazis find them and finish Pfister for good?

This book is well-written, with fast moving action and likable, realistic characters.  It’s realistic without being too graphic, and the reader feels drawn in to the action.  Taylor also works some humor into the story to keep more human.  This book definitely made me want to read the first in the series, and I look forward to the sequel.  Highly recommended.

MWSA Reviewer: Rob Ballister  

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A well-written, fast moving story of brave Screamin’ Eagles behind German lines during Operation Market Garden!

ISBN: 978-1-879043-25-1