Strike Hard and Expect No Mercy by Galen D. Peterson

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MWSA Review
I had trouble putting this book down. It was an easy read—and I'm not even a ground-war guy. The writing style of the author was informative and exciting. His use of metaphors was excellent and often humorous. The book not only brings the support operations onto center-stage with the combatants, it places the reader in the boots of the author. I felt that I was living it as I was reading it.

Teamwork is a central theme. Battles are won and lost by the good or bad combination of logistics, maintenance, life support, valor, planning, command, communications, weather, mental and physical preparedness, and so on. This book embodies all of the elements. The author is straightforward and vulnerable enough to discuss his own mistakes.

In the end, lives are lost, lives are saved, and lives are broken. Warriors have their moments of "glory" but after the fighting, they are rarely the same. This book forces us to face the reality that after the guns are silent, another battle goes on—one which the broken warrior must sometimes fight alone.

Review by Jerry Burton (March 2022)

 

Author's Synopsis

Strike Hard and Expect No Mercy is the story of boots on the ground in Iraq, as seen through the eyes of a tank platoon leader. Baqubah on the eve of the Surge and Sadr City during the spring uprising of 2008 saw some of the darkest hours of the war. A tough dragon, the M1A2 Abrams tank and its crews were often called to crack the toughest nuts on the battlefield and victory, even survival, was not guaranteed. It is a gritty and visceral dive into the combat experience, flavored with the anguish of loss, the exhilaration of victories, the frustrations of defeats, and the humor required to survive. Along the way, the story shares rarely told insights into the duties and expectations of an Army junior officer.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Nonfiction—Memoir/Biography

Number of Pages: 241

LZ Sitting Duck, The Fight For FSB Argonne by John Arsenault, LtCol USMC (ret)

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MWSA Review
LZ Sitting Duck is a collection of personal stories, one per chapter. It's different from most books in that all of these stories revolve around the same incident, the Battle of LZ Argonne in the spring of 1969. In such a circumstance there's a danger that repetition will push readers away; this book does not do that. The story is raw and the descriptions are hard to read at times, but it's a straight from the heart snapshot in time of what life was like for combat Marines in Vietnam. The next time most of those who read this tell a Vietnam Veteran, "Thank you for your service," it will not be perfunctory; they will say it with feeling.

There were countless battles large and small in the Vietnam War. Most remain unknown to all but those who fought there. The Battle of LZ Argonne is one of these, albeit a larger and lengthier one than most. LZ Sitting Duck describes this battle from the perspectives of twenty-two Marines who were there, some as riflemen, some as artillerymen, some as forward observers, some as line officers, some as helicopter pilots, etc. It provides a unique, comprehensive, immersive view of a brutal battle than ended with survivors, not victors—survivors who shared the most terrifying and likely the most formative experience of their lives on a forgotten mountain top in a remote Southeast Asian jungle, men who did their duty.

LZ Sitting Duck is a valuable resource for those interested in the history of the Vietnam War, and particularly for those who have served in combat or who care about someone who did. No one can ever truly understand combat and the effects it has on those involved except those who lived it. However, LZ Sitting Duck comes very close. Each chapter is written by a different Marine from his personal perspective, using his vocabulary in his own way. When combined in the reader's mind this forms a more complete picture of the battle and those who fought it than that of any single participant. Of course, most of the visceral aspects of the battle, the sights, sounds, smells, etc., remain solely in the minds of the participants, but that is as it should be.

MWSA Review by Jamie Thompson (March 2022)

 

Author's Synopsis

"LZ Sitting Duck, The Fight For FSB Argonne" is a collection of personal recollections from twenty two Marines and one family member, related to a battle that took place in Vietnam, during March, 1969. FSB Argonne, Hill 1308, was located on the border with Laos and just south of the DMZ. This story is told by the Marines that fought this fight, in their own words. There are 22 stories of the same fight, all from individual perspectives and experiences. "LZ Sitting Duck" is a down in the dirt, grunt view of the Vietnam war.

This was a fierce battle for the Marines of Delta Company (+ HQ), 1st Bn, 4th Marines, 3rd Marine Division. The "LZ Sitting Duck" moniker came from the first moments of this battle, as Marines landed on the abandoned Fire Support Base Argonne, which had become a fortified North Vietnamese Army base. When these Marines landed, they were inside the NVA fortified position, and were immediately met with intense enemy rifle, machine-gun fire coming at them from every direction. Additionally the NVA fired volley after volley of very accurate 82mm mortar fire. These Marines were “the sitting ducks” and had to fight their way out from the LZ, on open ground with little or no cover, clearing NVA bunkers one at a time.

Bing West describes this story best "What shines through from this bare-knuckled, furious battle is the core ethos. It comes through loud and clear when you read chapter after chapter in different voices. These Marines had no battlefield prep, no intelligence, no cohesive leadership. What held them together was the Marine spirit. There was nothing else. Wow! What an epic fight" As a testimonial to the ferocity of this battle, three Navy Cross citations were awarded for the actions of Marines during first 24 hours of this fight, plus numerous Silver Star, Bronze Star and Purple Heart awards where given. The navy Cross recipients were, Lt Col. Sargent (posthumous), 2nd Lt. McCormick (posthumous) and Major Pierpan, (survived) and authored the forward for this book.

Format(s) for review: Paper AND Kindle

Review Genre: Nonfiction—Memoir/Biography

Number of Pages: 309

The Pilate Scroll by M.B. Lewis

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MWSA Review
In the style of Raiders of the Lost Ark, M.B. Lewis's Pilate Scroll is the story of the fast-moving quest in search of a religious artifact. Kadie Jenkins is part of a team of scientists and academics on a noble mission to help find a cure for a virus with the capability of biological weaponry. She learns that the real mission is quite nefarious, but does she catch on in time? She unwittingly embarks on a dangerous and deadly adventure with her younger brother Brian in tow. Duke Ellsworth, a savvy pilot, finally earns Kadie's trust and reintroduces her to God while saving all of their lives over and over.

Lewis's exquisite descriptions as we traipse around the Middle East with Kadie, Brian, and Duke paint a beautiful picture of ancient icons. The twists and turns will make your head spin and you won't be able to put the book down.

Review by Sue Rushford (February 2022)

 

Author's Synopsis

A quest to save the world...a secret that could change it. Forever. Kadie Jenkins is a survivor. Now part of an elite group of scholars and scientists, their mission is to stop an impending global terrorist threat. But when a colleague is murdered in Egypt, Kadie finds herself pitted against a foe more evil than the one they were trying to stop. Teaming with a renegade pilot and her younger brother, they find themselves in a race against time, greed, and certain death, can she uncover the 2000-year-old secret to save themselves and possibly the rest of the world?

The Pilate Scroll is a pulse-pounding Christian thriller. If you like complicated heroines, stunning twists, and divine light shining through the darkness, then you’ll love M.B. Lewis’s breakneck page-turner.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Fiction—Mystery/Thriller

Number of Pages: 346

The Chameleon by Ron McManus

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MWSA Review
Ron McManus's, The Chameleon, is so feasible you won't know if you're reading a news report or a novel. The brave hero Jake Palmer has us on edge from cover to cover. Former Navy SEAL Palmer and his colleague, Alona Green, have a string of dangerous escapades in Pakistan. Under cover of secrecy, they're in search of the elusive Chameleon, who may not even be real! Events take a terrifying turn as nuclear warheads go missing.

When the Pakistani-Indian conflict spills over into London, every minute counts. Will Palmer and Green, along with MI6's Fiona Collins (who is Palmer's girlfriend), and EOD expert Nick Cole prevent a nuclear disaster?

The non-stop espionage is perfectly portrayed (if you overlook punctuation issues) and will keep you on your toes. The characters are well developed with colorful pasts and intertwining personal and professional relationships.

Review by Sue Rushford (February 2022)

 

Author's Synopsis

Jake Palmer, investigative consultant and former US Navy SEAL, has signed on as a contractor with a top-secret US Joint Special Operations Command team in Islamabad, Pakistan. Palmer and his JSOC partner work to uncover a suspected mole and gather intelligence regarding the security of Pakistan’s nuclear weapon arsenal as the country prepares for war with India over control of the disputed region of Kashmir. Fears regarding security of the weapons escalate when Pakistan decides to deploy its arsenal and rumors surface that a shadowy figure, the Chameleon, will attempt to divert a nuclear warhead during the deployment. With a nuclear war countdown clock at a minute ‘til midnight, Palmer and his partner risk everything to prevent the Chameleon from carrying out his plan for the world’s first act of nuclear terrorism.

Format(s) for review: Paper AND Kindle

Review Genre: Fiction—Mystery/Thriller

Number of Pages: 358

When Heroes Flew: The Shangri-la Raiders by H. W. "Buzz" Bernard

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MWSA Review
When Heroes Flew: The Shangri-La Raiders by H. W. “Buzz” Bernard is a gripping, mesmerizing tale of young Lieutenant Ray Howzer in the Army Air Corps who, along with his crew, has a place in history. Author Bernard crafts a well-researched story with endearing characters who participated in a harrowing raid on Japan during World War II.

Drawing upon the true story of Colonel Jimmy Doolittle and his Raiders, the author gives us a detailed look at the secretive mission these young men willingly accepted on behalf of their country. The crews were chosen, they were trained, they faced incredible tasks to achieve the impossible: take off from an aircraft carrier in a fully loaded B-25 medium bomber, skim the ocean waves, and bomb Tokyo.

The tale is told through the eyes of Lt. Howzer, nicknamed “Boss,” who receives a Dear John letter and struggles with lovesickness throughout his training. After completing the mission, “Boss,” and his crew fly their B-25 bomber, Bitter Route, into China as the needle on the fuel gauge approaches empty. They know they won’t make it to the predetermined landing spot, and one by one, as directed by “Boss” they don their parachutes and bail out over China. Each of the men pray that they don’t land in Japanese occupied territory where they would surely and swiftly be executed.

On the ground, but separated, the crew struggles to walk through bamboo fields to meet up and make their way to the house of a missionary family. One of the men is seriously injured in his landing. The missionaries assist the crew of the Bitter Route with the twenty-year-old daughter using her first aid skills to do what she can for the injured man. A budding romance ensues and the plot thickens as the Japanese occupiers hunt both the crew and the people that help them.

When Heroes Flew: The Shangri-La Raider captures the spirit of The Greatest Generation and is a captivating tale of bravery, determination, and an unlikely love that will keep you hooked until the very end.

Review by Nancy Panko (February 2022)
 

Author's Synopsis

Inspired by the true story of Lieutenant Colonel Jimmy Doolittle’s raid on Japan in 1942, The Shangri-La Raiders is the next stunning installment of the When Heroes Flew WWII historical fiction series.

This gripping novel follows an American bomber crew through their secretive training, a harrowing raid on Japan, and on their desperate journey through occupied China to Chungking, the seat of the country’s wartime government.

The crew, along with an American missionaries’ daughter whom they’ve rescued, must evade the Japanese occupiers every step of the way. And amidst all the horror and turmoil of war, a romance blossoms between the rescued woman and the crew’s pilot.

When Heroes Flew: The Shangri-La Raiders is a captivating tale of bravery, determination and an unlikely love that will leave you hooked until the very end.

Book Format(s): Hard cover, Soft cover, Kindle

Review Genre: Fiction—Historical Fiction

Number of Pages: 286

The Jackson MacKenzie Chronicles: Forged in Fire and Blood by Angel Giacomo

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MWSA Review
The Jackson MacKenzie Chronicles: Forged in Fire and Blood by Angel Giacomo is a gripping novel about seventeen-year-old Jackson MacKenzie, raised in a military family, who enlists in the Army in December 1951. However, the story begins on April 1, 1985, when Jackson is working on his godfather’s farm. Without giving away a crucial part of the drama, Jackson is severely injured and in his struggle for survival, has a flashback to that day in 1951 and the succeeding years of his life.

Readers will follow the resilient young man through his tour of duty in Korea, where he exhibits extraordinary intelligence and the ability to strategize and lead others. Jackson garners the attention of his superior officers, who recognize his unique talents and leadership abilities. Despite being wounded in combat and suffering deep personal losses, MacKenzie grows in maturity beyond his chronological years. He achieves rank increases as quickly as he qualifies for them and ultimately an appointment to West Point, one of his ultimate goals. What he faces at West Point is, in some aspects, similar to what he experienced in the army, except for the vindictive hazing. Jackson handles the power-crazed retaliation perpetrated against him with the same regimental bearing and steadfastness typical of great leaders.

In the words of General Douglas MacArthur, "A true leader has the confidence to stand alone, the courage to make tough decisions, and the compassion to listen to the needs of others. He does not set out to be a leader, but becomes one by the equality of his actions and the integrity of his intent."

Author Giacomo has the talent to insert the reader onto the battlefield and into the heart and mind of a young man as he faces unique challenges throughout his life both in service to his country and in civilian life. If you enjoy historical fiction, you will love this book.

Review by Nancy Panko (February 2022)
 

Author's Synopsis

USMC Camp Pendleton, 1951. Jackson Joseph MacKenzie, a seventeen-year-old with a calling, enlists in the US Army. He finds himself hip-deep in the muddy trenches, machine gun nests, human wave attacks, and artillery barrages in the Korean War. Does he have the resiliency to keep moving toward his dream after watching his friends die? Is he a leader or a follower? Will he fold under pressure? Or rise to the top? Questions he must answer before reaching for that coveted prize, an appointment to West Point.

ISBN/ASIN: 978-1734567458, 978-1734567496, B094XBM6NX

Book Format(s): Hard cover, Soft cover, Kindle

Review Genre: Fiction—Literary Fiction

Number of Pages: 164

The Jackson MacKenzie Chronicles: Brothers In Arms by Angel Giacomo

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MWSA Review
Angel Giacomo’s Brothers in Arms is a nail-biting installment in the Jackson MacKenzie Chronicles. Lieutenant Colonel Jackson MacKenzie is a legend. Starting his military career as a scared 17-year-old grunt in Korea, he has risen through the ranks to be a Special Forces field grade officer. Never one to sit behind a desk, he leads from the front, moving through the jungle with his team of silent, lethal predators.

Staff Sergeant “Mikey” Roberts is new to Special Forces. After his first tour in Vietnam working at a field hospital, he has now returned wearing a Green Beret and is ready to serve as his team’s combat medic. He is in awe of his commanding officer, as is everyone else.

These two warriors, along with colorful characters like Chief and Major Russell, embark on a routine Special Forces mission, only to be detoured to rescue some downed Navy pilots. Their helicopter is shot down, and the team is captured. Together, they must endure deprivation, uncertainty, and torture as they dig deep within themselves to find a way to survive.

This book is fast-paced and details will seem familiar to anyone who served in Vietnam, Special Forces, or otherwise. Not only is it an enjoyable read, but you probably will look forward to more of the Jackson MacKenzie Chronicles.

Review by Rob Ballister (March 2022)
 

Author's Synopsis

Duty – Service – Love of country – Honor – Dreams – Family. Those words mean everything to young Michael “Mikey” Roberts. From a small Kansas town, Mikey wants to find his path in life. To accomplish that he joins the United States Army. During his first tour of duty in Vietnam, he found his path…medicine. He became a Special Forces medic. However, in war that path can fork many times. Sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worst. Mikey finds more horror than he expected and learns more about life than he ever wanted to know.

ISBN/ASIN: 978-1734567489, 979-8483888338, B09H3QG1KW

Book Format(s): Hard cover, Soft cover, Kindle

Review Genre: Fiction—Literary Fiction

Number of Pages: 162

Combat and Campus: Writing Through War by Annette Langlois Grunseth and Sgt. Peter R. Langlois

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MWSA Review
Nearly fifty years after its peak, the Vietnam War still retains its reputation as the most turbulent and tragic of America’s military conflicts. It has produced a wide range of movies and books, many of which examine that darkness in highly-stylized ways. Combat and Campus takes a different route, however, one that is an effective complement to many notable works on Vietnam. It focuses on one soldier and his family, using the letters of Sgt. Peter Langlois during his deployment and the poetry of his sister Annette.

Langlois deployed in mid-1969 after the Tet Offensive had changed the tenor of the war and hardened American protests against it. His letters from in country are a vivid reminder of the horrors of jungle combat against a dug-in enemy and the shock felt by someone seeing those horrors for the first time. Yet what makes the story work are two other elements: pre-combat letters Langlois sent from his initial military training and poems/letters from other members of his family.

The initial letters from OCS show a new soldier who graciously looks past repetitive and pointless tasks, instead labeling the Army as “a real test of character” and growing “quite fond of Georgia” while training at the “beautifully landscaped” Fort Benning. His journalism degree resulted in a good sense for detail and an awareness of when to tell stories objectively versus when to pull back and reflect on his role in them. Things begin curdling even before Langlois leaves for Vietnam, however, and the book’s finest achievement is capturing an arc that begins with such good-naturedness and ends as far too many Vietnam experiences ultimately did.

Poetry can be difficult to objectively judge, but the inclusion of verse from Sgt. Langlois’s sister Annette accomplishes the important goal of providing insight into a family member’s parallel experience on a campus wracked by protests against the war her brother is fighting. Even the most visceral descriptions of war can become numbing, and the poetry (along with a smattering of letters to and from other people) keeps the depictions of combat from blurring together. Annette, who oversaw the process of publication, wisely left the largest chunk of poetry until the end where it can serve as a capstone to the overall story and a way of showing just how difficult these events were to process for everyone involved.

The awfulness of Vietnam is well-known and was increasingly referenced as post-9/11 military operations continued for nearly 20 years. But whether that comparison is apt is less important in many ways than the individual stories of the soldiers and families whose sacrifice is required for any type of war, just or unjust, quick or decades-long. This book does a fine job telling one of those stories.

Review by John McGlothlin (February 2022)
 

Author's Synopsis

An infantryman's riveting letters from Vietnam, preserved for fifty years by his family, share experiences of living the war that are honest, raw, and graphic. As a journalist and soldier with the 25th Infantry Division, riding armored personnel carriers into rice paddies, engaging in night time sweeps of the jungle, Sgt. Peter Langlois chronicles the smells, sights, and sounds during some of the darkest days of the war from 1968 - '69. He would return home to a nation still protesting the war in which his younger sister, Annette, had walked to class behind National Guardsmen marching across the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus. Their correspondence and her poetry offer a unique perspective of the war in Vietnam and social change happening at home. Together, they share what was learned and what was lost.

ISBN/ASIN: ISBN HARD COPY 978-1-940863-12-2, ISBN E-book: 978-1-940863-13-9

Book Format(s): Soft cover, Kindle

Review Genre: Nonfiction—Memoir/Biography

Number of Pages: 180

No Hero's Welcome by Jeffrey K. Walker

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MWSA Review
No Hero's Welcome offers us a very close and personal account of the struggles one fictional family in Ireland had in the early 1900's. Author Jeffrey K. Walker has done a masterful job in describing life and mixed loyalties that divided families against themselves. Mostly set in the decade beginning in 1916, this was the time of the Irish Revolution.

As a recently widowed woman mourns the loss of her husband to a war that also returned a crippled son to her, she is faced with another, younger son who begins to hate the English. Eda, the mother, runs a tavern frequented by friends and regular customers. Included in this mix are loyalists to the English crown and revolutionaries who strive to keep their loyalties secret. Violence and betrayal surround them and are only hidden by a thin veil of secrecy.

This book is thought provoking yet still an easy read.

Review by Bob Doerr (March 2022)

 

Author's Synopsis

The horrors of the First World War devastated many a Dublin family and the Brannigans weren’t spared. Struggling to get past their heartache, the family finds itself divided by both the rebellion against British rule and the wide Atlantic. Devoted matriarch Eda Brannigan witnesses her family unraveling. Sean and Molly make startling choices with potentially lethal consequences. Francis steeps in a drunken angry stupor. Young Brandon is so eerily quiet. Eda desperately wishes her beloved firstborn, Deirdre, wasn’t living so far away. But with a determined resolve, Eda soldiers on in her bustling pub, The Gallant Fusilier, where tragedy, triumph and even love unfold. Can this family endure the violence and intrigue of the Easter Rising, the bloody struggle for independence, and a bitter civil war?

ISBN/ASIN: 1947108042, 978-1947108042, B07X1Z232D

Book Format(s): Soft cover, Kindle

Review Genre: Fiction—Historical Fiction

Number of Pages: 280

Truly Are the Free by Jeffrey K. Walker

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MWSA Review
Truly Are the Free by Jeffrey K. Walker is a carefully woven tapestry of nationality, race, sex, and prejudice during a difficult time in world history during the early 1900s. The textures of this literary fabric are rich and thought-provoking, rough in spots (war), smooth in others (peace), but always intriguing.

Author Walker creates a life-changing intersection for two extraordinary men. One is American Ned Tobin, a World War I veteran who has seen the ravages of war.Harlem-born attorney, Chester Dawkins, raised in a respectable, tightly knit black family, is the second character to give texture to this story. Chester joins the military with a strong sense of patriotism and pride to become an officer in an all-black regiment dubbed Harlem’s Hell Fighters. Ned is tasked as a liaison with Chester’s regiment, and he and Chester are sent into battle against the German forces. The two officers form an unbreakable bond in battle as they fight for survival from brutal enemy attacks.

In a compelling writing style, Jeffrey K. Walker weaves the stories of these two families during and after the war into the tumultuous years of the Roaring 1920s. Readers are treated to a journey of love, war, loss, and redemption through the artist community of Paris, prohibition-era Harlem, and into the lush green farm country of Ireland as the tale threads itself in and out of the lives of both men.

Review by Nancy Panko (March 2022)

 

Author's Synopsis

South Boston-native Ned Tobin has all the luck. Alive after the Somme, he meets, beds and falls in love with the alluring Adèle Chéreaux. Their love affair is suddenly upended in 1917 when Ned is called home and Adèle flees the last German advance of the First World War. Young Harlem lawyer Chester Dawkins dutifully joins a new regiment anxious to fight for their chance at valor in the face of deep-rooted racism. Meanwhile, his sister, Lena, is left at home to shoulder a crippling legacy of family debt. Ned finds himself back in France with Chester's regiment. Can these soldiers from very different backgrounds overcome long-held prejudices and find common cause in the bloody trenches? Will Ned ever find Adèle again? And what will become of Lena? Journey through avant-garde Paris, Prohibition-era Harlem and newly independent Ireland in this heart-wrenching yet hopeful story of love and loss.

ISBN/ASIN: 1947108026, 978-1947108028, B077SB7ZLH

Book Format(s): Soft cover, Kindle

Review Genre: Fiction—Historical Fiction

Number of Pages: 278

None of Us the Same by Jeffrey K. Walker

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MWSA Review
None of Us the Same by Jeffrey K. Walker is a powerful look at how war affects not only its combat participants but also the medical personnel who tend to them and the families whose soldiers come back as a far different person than the one who left. Based on the author’s extensive research into World War I, the story alternates between a group of young Newfoundlanders and the Irish nurse who befriends and cares for them, both physically and emotionally. Since there are not many books written about Newfoundland’s and Ireland’s involvement in World War I, this novel adds depth and understanding to the era as well as to the awful cost of trench warfare and its effect on the bodies and minds of those who fought. Despite the horror, the book is engagingly written with beautiful detail. This is a must read if you are interested in WWI, nursing care, war tactics, post-traumatic stress, and coming of age novels.

Review by Betsy Beard (February 2022)
 

Author's Synopsis

Fiery Deirdre Brannigan had opinions on everything. She certainly hated the very idea of war in 1914. Childhood pals Jack Oakley and Will Parsons thought it a grand adventure with their friends. But the crushing weight of her guilty conscience pushes Deirdre to leave Ireland and land directly in the fray. Meanwhile the five friends from Newfoundland blithely enlist. After all, the war couldn’t possibly last very long…

They learn quickly how wrong they are and each is torn apart by the carnage in France.

What began with enthusiastic dreams of parades and dances with handsome young soldiers turned into long days and nights in the hospital wards desperately trying to save lives. And for the good and decent young men in fine new uniforms aching to prove themselves worthy on the field of battle, the horrors of war quickly descended.

But it is also the war which brings them together. Deirdre’s path crosses with Jack and Will when they’re brought to her field hospital the first day of the slaughter on the Somme. Their lives part, their journeys forward fraught with physical and emotional scars tossing them through unexpected and often painful twists and turns. But somehow, a sliver of hope, love and redemption emerges. And their paths cross again in St. John’s.

When the guns finally fall silent, can Deirdre overcome her secret demons through a new life with battered Jack? Can shell-shocked Will confront his despotic father’s expectations to become the man his young family deserves?

ISBN/ASIN: B071F8ZBKR, 194710800X, 978-1947108004

Book Format(s): Soft cover, Kindle

Review Genre: Fiction—Historical Fiction

Number of Pages: 285

Believing In Horses Out West by Valerie Ormond

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MWSA Review
Believing in Horses Out West is an excellent follow-on to award-winning Valerie Ormond's Believing in Horses (2012) and Believing in Horses, Too (2014). The story continues with Sadie, who turns fourteen in this story, seeking and finding her true purpose in life. In this book, the author enlarges the storyline to include animal cruelty and human trafficking. She also continues with the coming-of-age experiences of a teenage girl in today's complex society, with emphasis in this book on interaction with boys.

Both overcoming fears and the transition to teenage years are central themes in Believing in Horses Out West, and it should appeal to readers beyond the YA set. Sadie faces her fears, never gives in, asks for help when needed, wins by working hard and not by luck, accepts kindness, and is rewarded for her efforts.

Ormond is clearly a passionate horse person and a gifted author who draws the reader into the story with characters that show numerous equestrian techniques. She writes well, and readers of all ages will have no problems enjoying the book. I particularly appreciate the use of chapter titles as a way to provide a clue to the next phase of the plot. I also loved the resolution that is complemented by tying up all the loose ends to make a most satisfactory outcome.

The book is sprinkled with additional gifts of wisdom passed on from one generation to the next – primarily from the grandmother character. Among those are: faced with what appears to be insurmountable obstacles you can find solutions, rely on your instincts, you have to believe you can do it to succeed, everyone needs a helping hand at some time, constantly beating yourself up over mistakes does no one any good, you need situational awareness, not all parents do a good job, being on your own is exhilarating but can be fraught with danger, there are temptations in life, jealousy and envy are normal but need to be monitored, sometimes not everyone needs to know what happened, being with a horse is a partnership, teenage girls have difficulty understanding themselves and it is normal, boys have difficulty understanding girls, boys have a sensitive side but are reluctant to display it, older brothers can be a pain in the neck but they (like dad) always have your back, every life has a purpose, and the most important is crime does not pay.

I highly recommended the book for those who enjoy children's horse books, coming of age fiction, teen and young adult equestrian fiction, teen and young adult family, and equestrian sports.

Review by Jim Tritten (January 2022)
 

Author's Synopsis

Sadie Navarro rescued a mare from an auction accomplishing what she thought was the most important mission of her young life.

Now, that mare is headed to a ranch in Montana and a home Sadie knows nothing about.

She wants to make sure the horse is in good hands, but Montana is far away and a different world from Maryland.

Will fourteen-year-old Sadie need to stand up to rugged cowboys to protect her special rescue horse?

ISBN/ASIN: 9780985187422, B09H3V1V2Q, 9780985187415

Book Format(s): Soft cover, Kindle

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

Number of Pages: 260

Dead Men Flying, A Remembrance by Mike "Mule" Mullane

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MWSA Review
Dead Men Flying describes the rapid pace at which a college “kid” is turned into a hardened combat veteran. The book’s pages reveal, with vivid descriptions, the author’s struggles through flight training, admitting failures and successes alike. Quickly maturing, the author advances his account after initial Naval Aviation flight training with his preparations for war, flying the famous and nimble A-4 Skyhawk. Then, from an aircraft carrier off the coast of Vietnam during the deadly months of 1967 the author, Mike “Mule” Mullane, in a first-person account, does the math. As missions mount and friends die, depicted with highly accurate descriptions of dodging deadly missiles while bombing targets in North Vietnam, he realizes time remaining and missions to go are longer and greater than his life’s expectancy based on pilot losses in his squadron. A brotherhood, with bonding only experienced by warriors where their very lives depend on the other, is fully revealed through the author’s somber remembrances. Fatalism becomes an overriding factor affecting his life ever after. Carrier flight operations and tactics flying the Skyhawk are real and written with precision and clarity even a non-aviator can understand. Wartime missions flown in the Skyhawk and trials experienced by their pilots are as real as any ever revealed in the written word.

Review by Tom Beard (February 2022)
 

Author's Synopsis

The squadron starts with twelve A-4E Skyhawks and twenty-two pilots. Seven days later the squadron was down to eight aircraft and nineteen pilots. With 200 days of combat to go, the arithmetic is inescapable. The author knows he will never see home again.

An honest, unflinching account of a college kid becoming a Naval Aviator and doing what he must to become a warrior among his squadron's brotherhood of combat pilots.

Intense real-time descriptions of combat bring he perishable art of aerial combat to life. Experience the transformed state of being where mind-body-aircraft become one, senses stretch to the horizon, time slows, and comprehension is quicker than thought.

The author flew 212 combat missions between June 1967 and January 1969.

Dead Men Flying offers the reader a vicarious experience of carrier operations and combat against the densest and most experienced defenses of their time.

ISBN/ASIN: ISBN-13 9798692604477, ASIN B098GV14MT

Book Format(s): Soft cover, Kindle

Review Genre: Nonfiction—Memoir/Biography

Number of Pages: 393

Reflections of Valour by James Elsener

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MWSA Review Pending
Author James Elsener's Reflections of Valour relates the story of two young lovers—John and Brenda—who live in different worlds: she in the rarefied world of elite college and he in the Marine Corps. It is the middle of the Vietnam War, and as they learn more about each other, she prepares to graduate and John decides to re-enlist and continue his service to his country. He does not discuss his decision with Brenda before re-enlisting, and she is angry. They part with harsh words.

John's time in Vietnam is drawn well in this book. He is a forward observer operating in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). James Elsener takes the reader along on missions with John. The author allows us to feel the boredom, fear, and physical discomfort John and his comrades experienced. We come to understand how they relied on each other, liked each other, or just tolerated each other. And we are dismayed when a few months prior to his discharge, John is wounded—almost fatally—in combat.

More than two decades after John's tour of duty in the war, Brenda learns what happened to him. She finally understands why he re-enlisted. What happened to Brenda and John has probably happened to others who've fallen in love during wartime.

Reflections of Valour is a satisfying read and a reminder of Vietnam's horror. Its dual message of acceptance and closure will be understood by all whose love was interrupted by war.

Review by Patricia Walkow (February 2022)
 

Author's Synopsis

Reflections of Valour is an American story of untested lovers from opposite backgrounds during the tumultuous early days of the Vietnam War. Brenda enjoys the trappings of college and her wealthy suburban environment.  John Briggs is from a modest midwestern working class family.  The Marine Corps owns his loyalty.  When he is called to war, Briggs is torn between a sense of duty and having to leave behind the woman he loves.

In Vietnam, he emerges as a leader among the young troops trying to survive combat. The reader experiences the exhilaration, the boredom, the confusion, and the horrors of war.  Briggs becomes an artillery forward observer in the DMZ. After a fierce firefight he leaves the battlefield critically wounded.

Two decades after they said goodbye, Brenda learns why he was drawn to war and what happened to him afterward.  Reflections of Valour is a novel of love, peace and closure.  The Vietnam Wall serves as a backdrop for both the beginning and end of the story.

ISBN/ASIN: ISBN 978-1-949661-50-7, 978-1-949661-51-4

Book Format(s): Soft cover, Kindle

Review Genre: Fiction—Historical Fiction

Number of Pages: 244

Please Write: A Novel by Janette Byron Stone

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MWSA Review
Please Write gives a wonderful view of the Vietnam War from the Australian point of view. The letters tie the thoughts of young servicemen in Vietnam with those of Catherine, left behind to come into adulthood in a strange time in Australian history. Vivid descriptions allow the reader to step into Catherine's shoes, feeling her desires and her pain. I highly recommend Please Write.

Review by Dawn Brotherton (February 2022)
 

Author's Synopsis

Seventeen-year-old Catherine has lived a cloistered life dominated by the choices of a tormented mother and an overprotective grandmother. A summer job in Kings Cross, infamous for its mob controlled nightclubs, prostitutes and drugs, will change all that. Sydney has just opened its doors to American GIs on R&R from the war in Vietnam and Catherine is in the perfect place to meet them. Before long she finds herself charmed by the well mannered Americans, but when tragedy hits a target close to Catherine's heart she realizes her life is spinning out of control. Set in a time that continues to shape the course of history, this is Catherine's story of negotiating the lessons of Vietnam as one of those trapped in the spaces between her own personal struggle and an unpopular war.

ISBN/ASIN: ISBN-13 9780578475240, ISBN-10 0578475240, ASIN B07P9ZQ1YV

Book Format(s): Soft cover, Kindle

Review Genre: Fiction—Historical Fiction

Number of Pages: 306

Return to Saigon by Larry Duthie

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MWSA Review
Larry Duthie has given us a vivid and deeply moving account of his war in Vietnam and his personal journey to reconcile with it in Return to Saigon: A Memoir. Skillfully weaving together humor, raw honesty, sincere love for his brothers-in-arms, and painstaking attention to detail, Duthie paints a clear coming-of-age tale of his transformation from a high school student into a naval aviator, and eventually into a combat veteran seeking healing. Duthie’s memoir is outstanding and should be required reading for all those who are interested in the Vietnam War and in learning more about military conflict from a warrior’s perspective.

Review by Zita Ballinger Fletcher (March 2022)

 

Author's Synopsis

The author of this memoir ejects from his burning Navy jet onto a karst ridge near Hanoi, and what follows is one of the most implausible and heroic rescues of the Vietnam air war. The events immediately following his rescue carry him to a secret base in Laos and then to a makeshift hospital in Saigon. The larger story, however, is of a man's complex relationship with Vietnam.

It begins in Saigon, where as a teenager he attends high school and comes to love the Vietnamese people. When he returns to the States for college, he believes he's done with the country. But as a Navy pilot, it's a direct line back to Vietnam where he will fly 137 combat missions.

After he leaves the Navy, Vietnam tightens its grip. Three decades later, he climbs the ridge where he and his flight leader were shot down. He learns his guide's brother was one of the gunners--then she leads him deep into a cave. Later that day, seated at a table in her thatched home, he begins to find reconciliation.

ISBN/ASIN: 9798680692028, 9780578800288, 9780578760957, ASIN B08HRC1J79

Book Format(s): Hard cover, Soft cover, Kindle

Review Genre: Nonfiction—Memoir/Biography

Number of Pages: 308

Flights for Freedom by Steven Burgauer

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MWSA Review
Flights for Freedom is a fictitious World War One account of Lieutenant Paul F. “Petrol” Petronas, an American who flies a Sopwith Camel with the British 17th Aero Squadron. Shot down over France after only a few successful combat flights, Petrol escapes to neutral Holland through Belgium with the assistance of a woman with the Dutch Resistance. During his escapades in an effort to return to England and rejoin his unit, he encounters, in addition to the beautiful young woman who helps him, a British spy, a Belgium woman who crochets patterns on flour sacks to smuggle secret messages, and a Catholic priest whose pet carrier pigeons are used to send battlefield messages for the British Signal Corps. Petrol’s destiny is determined through his interactions with those he encountered in his journey to freedom. Author Steven Burgauer has two previous books: Nazi Saboteurs on the Bayou and The Road to War: Duty & Drill, Courage & Capture.

Review by Tom Beard (February 2022)

 Author's Synopsis

The dangers of flying an open-cockpit WWI aeroplane were many. Flights for Freedom is the exciting story of one brave American flyer — “Petrol” Petronas of the 17th Aero Squadron — as he learns to master the undisciplined two-winged fighter called a Sopwith Camel.

Shot down over France during the course of a bruising air battle, Petrol is then shuttled from safehouse to safehouse by a beautiful yet defiant woman of the Dutch Resistance.

In the background is the poppy-covered landscape known to us as Flanders Fields, a battlefield choked with dead and dying soldiers. Children, orphaned by the war, find safety with a kindly Catholic priest, who raises carrier pigeons vital to the war effort on the rooftop of his Abbey. Every day, his birds carry secret messages to and from the frontlines for Signal Corps.

Life-threatening challenges lay at every turn.

Two thousand volts pulsate through the electrified border fence that separates Holland from Belgium, enough to kill a man. The trick in crossing the border alive is in knowing who to bribe and how much to pay. Otherwise, there is no way for a downed American flyer to get safely across the heavily patrolled border into Holland and back to England.

Will Petrol make it back to England alive? Will he make it back carrying the top-secret plans for an advanced gunsight that has been smuggled at great risk out of Holland hidden inside an embroidered cotton flour sack?

Join the story and find out.

Steven Burgauer is the author of two well-known World War Two books, including: Nazi Saboteurs on the Bayou and The Road to War: Duty & Drill, Courage & Capture.

ISBN/ASIN: 979-8467746388, B09F4CTKJR

Book Format(s): Soft cover, Kindle, ePub/iBook

Review Genre: Fiction—Historical Fiction

Number of Pages: 332

Touch the Dead by E.S. Thornton

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MWSA Review
In Touch the Dead by E.S. Thornton, Eden Sinclair returns to Fox Dunes Lodge on the Florida coast after leaving her home in Illinois. She's exhausted from struggling with a failing marriage while caring for her terminally ill mother Annie. When Annie dies, Eden leaves the Blue Moon Trailer Park for the rundown beach resort in Florida owned by her late grandfather. Eden reminisces about summers with her cousin Jess, Jess’s twin brother Luke, and their friend Johnny. But now everything is different. Luke was killed in combat in the Middle East, and Jess is missing. Eden is determined to find her cousin and is ambivalent about running into Johnny again. Both she and Jess had a summer love with Johnny and thoughts of Johnny still get Eden’s pulse racing.

In her quest to recreate the last weeks before her cousin’s disappearance, Eden uncovers some unsavory, dangerous miscreants within the circle of family and old friends. All might have a reason to want Jess out of the way. Yet Eden believes that her cousin may have wanted to disappear.

Enter McCabe, Luke’s war-time friend. Having promised Luke to help find his sister, McCabe is in Florida to make good on that promise. He befriends Eden, tells her why he has come to Fox Dunes, and fosters a relationship as he teaches Eden to have the confidence to surf. He assures Eden that he has her back and urges her to be careful playing detective.

Touch the Dead is filled with suspense as Eden follows clue after clue while she struggles to free herself from an unhappy past to find her place in the world. Step by step, Eden unravels a seamy tale of drugs, betrayal, and murder with plenty of red herrings in this intricate, complex mystery. With all the revealing pieces of the puzzle in place, Eden finally feels that she has the courage and confidence to sign divorce papers and rebuild a whole new life.

Review by Nancy Panko (January 2022)
 

Author's Synopsis

Eden Sinclair returns to the Fox Dunes Lodge on the Florida coast to search for her missing cousin Jess. But finding answers and someone to trust prove as elusive as the shadows beneath the waves. Jess and Eden both loved Johnny, and when he comes to the lodge and takes Eden in his arms, she is forced to confront a painful question: Can she even trust herself to find the truth?

ISBN/ASIN: B096W654KW, 978-1735706801

Book Format(s): Soft cover, ePub/iBook

Review Genre: Fiction—Mystery/Thriller

Number of Pages: 238

From Michigan to Mekong by James B. Hubbard, Jr.

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MWSA Review
James Hubbard, Jr. and Deborah Nylec have given us an up-close and personal look at the life of Hubbard in their book, From Michigan to Mekong. The style is somewhat unique in that the vast majority of the book is a collection of letters from James, or Jim Jr. as he referred to himself back then, to his parents and later to his wife. The letters run from the time he was away for college to shortly afterwards when he was away in Vietnam. The college letters portray a young man struggling to get through college but determined to do so. The ones from Vietnam give us insight into his loneliness, his sense of humor, and a definite desire to shield the extent of danger he faced from those back home in the U.S.
The book did make me interested in Hubbard's life, and I would have loved more backstory detailing his actions, which resulted in his receiving a Silver Star, and his observations regarding the Tet Offensive. His not going into detail in his letters is, of course, understandable. This book is an easy read and could be a cherished heirloom for generations to come.

Review by Bob Doerr (February 2022)

 

Author's Synopsis

This is a collection of correspondence from me to my parents and my wife beginning my freshman year in college in 1961 and concluding with my return from Vietnam in late 1967. It details the struggles of a young man not quite ready for the discipline of a college regimen through a combat tour with the 9th Infantry Division in III Corp and IV Corp in Vietnam to include the Tet Offensive and the award of a Silver Star. The book concludes with an epilog of what the experiences of the better part of a decade taught me.

ISBN/ASIN: 978-1-7373024-0-7, 978-1-737024-1-4

Book Format(s): Soft cover, ePub/iBook

Review Genre: Nonfiction—Memoir/Biography

Number of Pages: 231

9/11 That Beautiful, Broken Day by 17 American Authors

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MWSA Review
Those of us who were alive and ten years old or older can vividly recall where we were on September 11, 2001. It changed all of our lives, even the lives of those weren’t born yet, and we are still feeling those impacts today.

We all find solace in different ways. The writers featured in 9/11: That Beautiful, Broken Day found their healing in writing about the experience. The seventeen individuals contributing, appropriately noted on the cover as simply 17 American Authors, write about their feelings, the impacts, and how they moved forward. Some used poetry; many used personal anecdotes about where they were and what they witnessed. Some remembered loved ones lost.

Through all the writings, what comes through is the resolve and spirit of America that was showcased that day and in the months and years that followed. While it may stir up some unpleasant feelings and memories for those of us who vividly remember, it will also remind readers that this country has a spirit that can be tested, but not broken.

If you remember 9/11, you will benefit from this book. If you don’t remember 9/11, you will learn from this book. Either way, it’s worth reading.

Review by Rob Ballister (February 2022)
 

Author's Synopsis

Seventeen American authors share their memories of "That Beautiful, Broken Day," September 11, 2001.

Where were you when you heard? Or were you even born yet? This collection of stories, poetry and essays make clear the deep impact this day had, not only on New York city, Washington, D.C. and a field in Pennsylvania, but in hearts and minds all over the United States.

We were all eyewitnesses to history, no matter where we were and when we heard.

ISBN/ASIN: ‎ 979-8503300819

Book Format(s): Soft cover

Review Genre: Other—Anthology

Number of Pages: 112