Reviews (1)

Awesome military story!
This book is a very easy and fast read. There are no complicated military jargon, so anyone (not just military veterans) can read this. Mr. Jung's story is absolutely amazing and I am surprised at how much he endured and then lived to tell about it. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes reading autobiographies and/or military stories. ... Read more

Book Description

The French Revolution is one of the most exciting periods in history, but even the most devoted history buff has a hard time keeping up with the personalities who helped create the modern world. Now a comprehensive biographical dictionary profiles more than 500 of the most important figures in the Napoleonic Wars, the War of 1812, and other conflicts of the period. Besides covering hundreds of the most prominent military leaders, entries feature political leaders, scientists, and engineers who developed new weapons and other relevant inventions, and even composers of the most popular marching songs.320 pages, 250 b/w illus., 7 1/2 x 9 3/4.
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Reviews (2)

A handy reference of the "Whos" in Napoleon's time.
A handy reference, of the "whos" of the French Revolution and Napoleonic eras, I find myself reaching for again and again.A must companion for Haythornthwaite's Napoleonic Encyclopedia, or for yourlibrary in general.

Excellent shelf companion to 'Napoleonic Source Book'
Haythornthwaite's 'Naploleonic Source Book' contains a small biographicalsection which I had always wished to see expanded. This is it! I have beenable to find entries for even the most obscure bit-part players. The authorhas even given spaces for significant historians and artists of the period(not necessarily living during that period either!) I think this is animaginative and necessary inclusion. Readers interested in the War of 1812will not, I think, be disappointed, as there is a generous spread ofentries for participants from both sides of that conflict. ... Read more

Book Description

Part One Of Two Parts

MacArthur was not only a lean, chiseled military genius and master of strategy; he also suffered unexplained lapses. For example, he knew of the Pearl Harbor attack but neglected to deploy his Philippine air force, a failure which resulted in its total destruction. And the success of his Inchon invasion was all but undone by the Chinese hordes that later swarmed across the Yalu--a response easily predicted, disastrously ignored.

"AMERICAN CAESAR is gracefully written, impeccably researched and scrupulous in every way...a thrilling and profoundly ponderable piece of work." (Newsweek) ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Hero worshipful and dated, but still interesting
Manchester began this examination of the flamboyant MacArthur with the intent to write a critical biography. Yet he became so enamored with his subject that the book turned into an extremely pro-MacArthur book, nearly devoid of criticism. Yet his gifts as a writer/researcher are so pronounced that the reader overlooks this problem. Manchester is in the same league with the brilliant David McCullough, and both historians are able to hold a reader's interest through 800 pages.

Manchester's infatuation with MacArthur is evident is his unwillingness to criticize Mac for any military decision. Why is no blame attached to MacArthur leaving his planes on the Manila airstrip in December, 1941? What about his gross insubordination towards his Commander in Chief, Harry Truman, throughout the Korean War? Though Manchester examines these issues in depth, he fails to throw much blame on MacArthur, who remains resplendent, fascinating and brilliant throughout.

A particular strength of the book is the examinations of the private relationships in MacArthur's life. Manchester explains in depth Mac's two marriages, the suffocating love he displayed towards son Arthur, and his competitive relationship with Ike, "the best clerk I ever had."

This is the standard MacArthur biography and by a wide margin the most readable. Opt for this over the more recent MacArthur biography by Geoffrey Perret, which is almost comically awful. This book is highly recommended.

The life of a great man.
In 1941 the United States of America started fighting the expansionism of the Japanese Empire during World War II. We needed a man who could win the war, save as many soldiers as possible and make the American people proudof their choice. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt made a smart choice.He chose General Douglas McArthur, the man would win World War II, makeJapan the economic powress it has become, and charmed the American peoplewith his great voice after Korea. This is the life of a man, who manypeople think, he should have been God, this is the life of General DouglasMcArthur.

THE FINEST REVIEW OF MAC ARTHUR
Manchester has produced a book that covers the entire life of the controversial five star general, from his infancy to his death, in the finest of detail and in a lively literary style. - If you want to knowabout MacArthur, this is the book for you. The author very carefullypresents facts about the general and lets you the reader make up your mindon where the truth lies. Manchester does not appear to "takesides" in this book; he does not take the general and make him a god,nor does he denigrate what the general has done. He presents the many sidesof this mysterious general and lets you, the reader, put it all togetherwhich is not difficult, since Manchester provides you the tools to do it:plenty of rich detail, plenty of quotes, excerpts of memos and messages,much detail on his private family life. Again, Manchester does not tell thereader what to think. For example, with the fall of the Philippnes, itseems that the general has made up his mind to stay and, along with hisfamily, expects in a matter-of-fact way to commit suicide rather than betaken prisoner by the Japanese. You wonder about his wife and child, butManchester doesn't tell you what they want to do: he lets them speak. - Anexcellent biography and significant historical account. Probably the bestever on MacArthur whether you like the general or not.

Brilliantly written and inspirational.It is living history
The book is alive and very interesting.It is like reading a newspaper and not a rendition of the facts about a dead man's life.It is inspiring to read how the general overcame every obstacle to achieve his goals.I have read the book more than once. ... Read more

Book Description

Anthony Swofford's Jarhead is the first Gulf War memoir by a frontline infantry marine, and it is a searing, unforgettable narrative.

When the marines -- or "jarheads," as they call themselves -- were sent in 1990 to Saudi Arabia to fight the Iraqis, Swofford was there, with a hundred-pound pack on his shoulders and a sniper's rifle in his hands. It was one misery upon another. He lived in sand for six months, his girlfriend back home betrayed him for a scrawny hotel clerk, he was punished by boredom and fear, he considered suicide, he pulled a gun on one of his fellow marines, and he was shot at by both Iraqis and Americans. At the end of the war, Swofford hiked for miles through a landscape of incinerated Iraqi soldiers and later was nearly killed in a booby-trapped Iraqi bunker.

Swofford weaves this experience of war with vivid accounts of boot camp (which included physical abuse by his drill instructor), reflections on the mythos of the marines, and remembrances of battles with lovers and family. As engagement with the Iraqis draws closer, he is forced to consider what it is to be an American, a soldier, a son of a soldier, and a man.

Unlike the real-time print and television coverage of the Gulf War, which was highly scripted by the Pentagon, Swofford's account subverts the conventional wisdom that U.S. military interventions are now merely surgical insertions of superior forces that result in few American casualties. Jarhead insists we remember the Americans who are in fact wounded or killed, the fields of smoking enemy corpses left behind, and the continuing difficulty that American soldiers have reentering civilian life.

A harrowing yet inspiring portrait of a tormented consciousness struggling for inner peace, Jarhead will elbow for room on that short shelf of American war classics that includes Philip Caputo's A Rumor of War and Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried, and be admired not only for the raw beauty of its prose but also for the depth of its pained heart. ... Read more

Reviews (248)

Brutal, profane, and brilliant
In "Jarhead" Anthony Swofford has created a memoir that ranks with "Dispatches" and "My War Gone By, I Miss it So". His brutal honesty, when combined with his superb writing, produces a portrait of war that is both appalling and moving. Swofford's book isn't one of tactics, weapons and politics; rather, it is one of brotherhood, terror, hope and despair.

While the book isn't written in chronological order, it details (albeit unevenly) Swofford's life from childhood through his enlistment in the Marines and the years following the Gulf War. As one might expect, the bulk of the narrative covers his time in the Marines, although there are a few particularly poignant moments that took place before and after his service.

As a narrative of Marine life, "Jarhead" is fascinating. Swofford provides the best look atf life in the Marines I have ever encountered (and that includes Sledge's superb "With the Old Breed"). From his indoctrination through his deployments in the Pacific and Desert Storm, the reader is given a string of snapshots of life as a Marine that are by turns funny, appalling, terrifying and touching, but always fascinating.

That said, "Jarhead" is much more; it is Swofford's chronicle of his journey into manhood, and how the horrors of war shaped the man he would become. Swofford reveals himself as a realist when he states in the final pages, "Some wars are unavoidable and need well be fought." However, he reveals the battlefield view of war when he continues, "but this doesn't erase warfare's waste." Swofford is no pacifist, but he has seen what war can do to a man, what war did to himself. Above all, I suspect that "Jarhead" was a cathartic effort for Swofford, an attempt to overcome his demons by revealing them to the light of day. At the same time, though, he has created a cautionary tale for those who make the decision to go to war; essentially, he is revealing the true price of war so that we might better determine if the use of force is worth the cost.

Ultimately, "Jarhead" is a fascinating look at one man's journey into manhood through war. It is not an easy read, and is profoundly sad at some points, but it is a brilliantly written and immensely important book. One would hope that all of the soldiers the U.S. produces are so thoughtful, so well equipped to fulfill their mission even as they are revolted by its effects. Likewise, one would hope that our leaders would read this book, and think long and hard before they send more brave, intelligent boys to face the abominations Swofford so compellingly recounts.

Great writing, very timely with the current Irag situation
Weaving together universal themes that affect the average American male in his late teens and early twenties with the very unique (and virtually undocumented) experiences of a front-line sniper during the first gulf war. This book is artful in it's treading of the thin line between insincere flag-waving and flat out anti-Americanism. Swofford is at times astonishingly honest about what really goes on in the head and heart of a very young man trained and programmed to [destroy] for the USMC. He is not in the Saudi Arabian desert because he feels passionate about defending the autonomy of Kuwait, he's in the Corps because the recruiter told him about all of the ... conquests available to the nubile seventeen year old who sat in the office, impressionable and naive. Swofford brings to this book an honesty and integrity that is basically unseen or unheard-of in other Marine Corps literature, and on top of this brings with him an utterly readable and enjoyable work of literature. If you are interested in what life in Desert Storm was REALLY like, this should be just the book for you.

Great Gulf War Book
I am very interested in War, and Special Forces, at the age of 15. Belive it or not, I am interested in Politics, and a very strong Republican. I have dreams of going to National Counter Terrorism University, in D.C., and then joining Delta Force for 5 years, and then the Joint Terrorism Task Force of the FBI.

Enough of me, this was a great read. It is a great descritpion of the war, and it was just what I was expecting. If you like this, I would also REALLY reccomend, Marine Sniper.

A bit too profane for me...
Because Swofford's book got favorable reviews and because I served with the Marines during the latter part of the Korean Conflict, I thought I'd enjoy this book. It has it moments, mostly later in the book, when the author begins so show a bit more humanity. I must have run with a different group of Marines or maybe it's a generational thing, but none were as raunchy or vulgar as those Swofford describes. Sure, we got drunk plenty of times and our language sometimes was 'not for publication' (in those days, anyway), but nothing so much as his buddies in this book. For someone who only spent a few weeks in actual combat, Swofford comes across as very bitter and angry. I admit I might have felt that way if I were in the current mess involving an unjustified invasion of Iraq, but Desert Storm was reasonably justified. I was disappointed by Jarhead but would like to know what other Marines think about this book.

AS REAL AS IT GETS!
This book allowed me to relive a part of my life that I had put in the back of my head for years. I was in the library one day when I picked up this book and saw the face of Anthony Swofford who I recoginzed from the 2/7 STA Platoon. I was a Marine Rifleman just 18 years old and assigned to headquarters platoon as a member of the C.O.C. Security. I watched STA Platoon go on many missions and was with STA when we took enemy fire on numerous occasions. Anthony does an exceptional job of recounting the events that the Marines of 2/7 endured. I am proud to have read the book and proud to have served with Anthony Swofford. This book is as real as it gets! ... Read more

Reviews (9)

An important book by an eloquent man.
Jeff McGowan has added an important voice to the national debate over Don't Ask, Don't Tell."Major Conflict" is both affecting and effective -- an earnest, insightful account of the ethical and emotional compromises that our military demands of gay and lesbian soldiers on a daily basis.It is also a personal memoir of one man's coming of age, first as a citizen and soldier, then as a lover and spouse.The story is well told and, at times, beautiful.I have done extensive scholarly work on Don't Ask, Don't Tell, interviewing scores of gay and lesbian soldiers in the process.McGowan's book ranks among the most powerful of the stories that I have encountered.

We all have a responsibility to understand the impact that our government's irrational and discriminatory policy has upon the gay and lesbian citizens who serve in the defense of our country.Jeff McGowan's book brings us a step closer to that understanding.I recommend it highly.

Joanne's Chi
What a poignant story! To experience the personal journey and struggle of Major McGowan, provided an insight into the life of a gay soldier. It is hard to imagine the inner turmoil he experienced. For a man to make the sacrifice of defending his country, what difference does it make to be gay or straight? This is a well told story about the life of one very brave, strong and genuinely honest human being.
A must read for all Americans.

Very interesting account
This book is an honest account of coming to terms with being who you are. It is inspirational reading for anyone who has ever struggled with their identity. It is especially interesting because of its timeliness, because of the war we are currently engaged in. McGowan traveled a long road and followed the light at the end of the tunnel, eventually becoming, with his partner, the first same sex couple to be married in New Paltz. The issues surrounding being gay and being in the military are salient for anyone who is concerned about what is happening in our world, whether or not they are gay. I would congratulate McGowen and anyone like him who kept their struggle honest and didn't give up until they were satisfied with their life. By writing his story, he offers hope to others.

Major Conflict
"Major Conflict " is highly readable...moving and inspiring.
It is a book for all audiences.
McGowan draws you into this well written honest read.
I admire his courage, integrity, and his self awakening humanity.

It's astonshing how our government can discriminate against gay
people who are willing to serve and die for this country.
I recommend anyone who is interested in a changed government to
please pick up the book.

reframing
Jeff McGowen reframes the entire issue of "Don't ask, don't tell".We talk about sacrifice and yet ask some to sacrifice more than others.No one should have to lose themselves and feel the kind of isolation Jeff had to endure while serving this country's military.Jeff McGowen's book is both a serious discussion of a policy doomed to failure, an insider's view of the war machine and a closely intimate account of one man's battle to be honest, open and truthful in an army where he would quickly become the enemy despite excellent soldiering.Great book!Everyone should read it, gay straight, old and young. ... Read more

Book Description

Adored by many, loathed by some, General George S. Patton, Jr., was one of the most brilliant military strategists in history. War As I Knew It is the personal and candid account of his celebrated, relentless crusade across western Europe during World War II. First published in 1947, this absorbing narrative draws on Patton's vivid memories of battle and his detailed diaries, from the moment the Third Army exploded onto the Brittany Peninsula to the final Allied casualty report. The result is not only a grueling, human account of daily combat and heroic feats - including a riveting look at the Battle of the Bulge - but a valuable chronicle of the strategies and fiery personality of a legendary warrior. Patton's letters from earlier military campaigns in North Africa and Sicily, complemented by a powerful retrospective of his guiding philosophies, further reveal a man of uncompromising will and uncommon character, which made "Georgie" a household name in mid-century America. With a new introduction. ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Patton's Account of the War without Patton's Personalitity
Gen. George Patton may have been the most successful battlefield commander of World War II. And he had a reputation for honesty and fiercely-expressed opinions. So I was disappointed by this relatively slim volume of reminiscences about his experiences in Africa, Sicily, Italy, and western Europe during that conflict. The introduction written by Douglas Southall Freeman, the great biographer of Robert E. Lee, tells us that Patton "kept a full diary from July, 1942, until Dec. 5, 1945," four days before his fatal accident," and Southall asserts that the diary entries are "always candid, frequently critical, and occasionally caustic." I regret to report that I did not find that to be the case. The notoriously fiery Patton temper is rarely on display here, which prompts me to suspect that the diary entries were heavily sanitized for publication. (Patton's widow was the original editor this book, which raises my level of suspicion.) It is possible, however, that Patton, himself, exercised extreme discretion in deciding what to commit to writing. In either case, the result generally makes for dull reading.

Some of what Patton has to say is intriguing. Patton frequently compares the casualties of the Third U.S. Army, which he commanded in France, and those of the enemy, and German casualties are consistently much higher. Patton's nickname was Old Blood and Guts," but there is, in fact, reason to believe that he was more economical with his men's lives than the conventional wisdom occasionally suggests. Patton's competition with the British commander Field Marshal Montgomery is frequently on display. In August 1944, Patton reports that Montgomery wanted all American forces to stop their advance across France so Montgomery's could make a "dagger thrust with the Twenty-First Army Group at the heart of Germany." Patton's colleague Gen. Omar Bradley was skeptical, stating that it would be "more like a 'butter-knife thrust." In November 1944, Patton was visited in the field by Averell Harriman, the United States' Ambassador to the Soviet Union, who told Patton Josef Stalin had said: "The Red Army could not have conceived and certainly could not have executed the advance made by the Third Army across France." A lengthy footnote reports that, in December 1944, Patton ordered his chaplain to prepare a "prayer for good weather" because the general was "tired of these soldiers having to fight mud and floods as well as Germans." When the chaplain attempted to demur by saying, "Sir, it's going to take a pretty thick rug for that kind of praying," Patton replied: "I don't care if it takes the flying carpet, I want the praying done." According to Patton, when he saw Gen. Dwight Eisenhower, the Allies Supreme Commander, shortly after the Battle of the Bulge, Eisenhower never mentioned the efforts of the Third Army, and Patton clearly was hurt. (In March 1945, Patton clearly was pleased when Eisenhower attended a Third Army briefing and was "most complimentary.") And Patton shows no remorse for the notorious incident when he slapped a soldier in a hospital who clearly was suffering from a psychiatric disorder.

But the chapter on the Battle of the Bulge is more typical. It contains some useful detail about one of Patton's most successful operations, but it is almost complete devoid of color and personality. For instance, one passage states: "On [Dec. 31, 1944], the Germans made seventeen counter-attacks against us, all of which were repulsed." Is that all Patton had to say? A couple of pages later, he adds: "At midnight on the night of December 31, all guns in the Third Army fired rapid fire for twenty minutes on the Germans as a New Year's greeting. When the firing ceased, our forward observers stated that they could hear the Germans screaming in the woods." Now that's interesting!

Patton's account of his campaigns during World War II is an important document. I only regret that more of Patton's personality did not come through here. One other interesting historical note: The footnotes, which are very helpful, were prepared by Col. Paul D. Harkins, who served as Patton's Deputy Chief of Staff. After his promotion to general, Harkins commanded the United States's forces in Vietnam in the early 1960s. Harkins clearly was a better staff officer than a commander.

Never Take Counsel of Your Fears
General George S. Patton, Jr.'s diaries and letters were assembled into this book in 1947, two years after his death. His widow Beatrice Ayer Patton served as a capable editor. This edition has some new material and was reprinted in 1995 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of V-E day.

Unfortunately with Patton's premature and unusual death in December 1945, (calm yourselves, conspiracy theorists) the post-war world lost its opportunity for the war's greatest memoir and its most unpredictable political leader. War As I Knew It is the next best thing, a full account of the leadership and strategic thinking of our greatest warrior.

Readers will travel with Patton from his arrival in North Africa in 1943, through the campaigns in Sicily, Western France, Belgium, the Bulge, and ending in May 1945 in Austria. Lesser known events are related such as the initial fighting with the French in Africa. In many cases, Patton revisits towns and territory that he had first seen as a young officer in the First World War.

Surprisingly, the book is also full of humorous stories such as unusual encounters with African tribal leaders, British generals, and French politicians. Cameo appearances include Marlene Dietrich, General T. Roosevelt (son of the President, who participated in the Normandy Invasion), and historical figures like William the Conquerer who influenced Patton's tactics.

Patton greatly plays down the events that led to his downfall, only briefly mentioning the slapping incidents, although he does make a very forceful argument that malingerers are a great threat to morale and need to be punished with extreme measures. The press conferences in London and Boston that led to his dismissal from the Third Army are basically outside the scope of this book, as they occurred after V-E Day and receive only a footnote.

On another level the book is chocked full of real insights into leadership that are probably more relevant today than in the 1940's. Patton is a clear proponent of focused planning, communication, speedy execution and offensive action.

Here are some examples:

It is vital to good morale that decorations get out promptly and on an equitable basis.
Staff officers of inharmonious disposition, irrespective of their ability, must be removed.
Time (speed) is more valuable than co-ordination.
In war,the only sure defense is offense, and the efficiency of offense depends on the warlike souls of those conducting it. Successful generals make plans to fit circumstance, but do not try to create cirmcumstances to fit plans.
Whenever a man gets a medal, he usually attempts to outdo himself and gets killed, whereas in order to produce a virial race, such men should be kept alive.
I believe in fighting until lack of supplies forces you to stop, and then dig in.

General Patton's Diaries
The book is composed of excerpts from the diaries of General Patton. It isn't the complete diaries but is fun and interesting. It's good to read something, in his own words, of how the general actually thought. It seems that General Patton had intended to write a book called "War as I Knew It". He didn't live long enough after the war to get it done. He does expound some about his philosophies and why he put on his war face to give the impression of being hard boiled, when in many ways he was very sentimental. He did not want to get soldiers killed needlessly. He made the "tough guy" act in order to inspire his men and psych them up for the job they had to do. His rough, hard, & extremely thorough training made his troops among the best-trained and combat ready troops in the army. The hard training was to condition and train the men to know what to expect and how to react so they would not get killed for lack of condition or not knowing what to do. General Patton's biggest problem, not controlling what he said in public, is not treated very much in this book. His war principals are outlined at the end of the book. It's a rather short read and quite entertaining.

Interresting
This book was difficult for me to follow. It seemed to be written more like a diary or personal notes and maybe he didn't have time to fill in the blanks. To tell you how confused I was, one moment I thought I was in North Africa and the next he's talking about Italy. I said, "when did I get to Italy?" On the other hand, you do get a feel for who Patton was and he does give some good advice for tactics and he had some very interresting views of how digging fox holes dropped [spirits]. I didn't notice any mention of him slapping the soldier that he took so much heat over.

I'm not going to give up on his writing and will some day try to read another book by him. So with that in mind I would recommend trying something else. Either another book of his or as I have done but not read yet, a book by Omar Bradley, "A Soldiers Story."

The ultimate war biography
Patton's "War as I knew it" captures war and the experiences of it in raw and true form. Dedicated to his craft, Gen. Patton, thru his comentaries and diary entries, walks the reader thru day by day (in some cases minute by minute) accounts of a senior officer. From the "Babtized by fire" landings in 1942 North Africa, to personal reflections and "not so politically correct" comments and observations made after the war.

Right or wrong, Gen. Patton spoke his mind...eloquently, profanely and retrospectively. He is quick to criticize yet equally quick to praise. This book is a welcome addition to any military historian's library. ... Read more

Book Description

The battles of World War II were won not only by the soldiers on the front lines, and not only by the generals and admirals, but also by the shadow warriors whose work is captured for the first time in Operatives, Spies, and Saboteurs. Thanks to the interviews and narrative skills of Patrick O'Donnell and to recent declassifications, an entire chapter of history can now be revealed. A hidden war -- a war of espionage, intrigue, and sabotage -- played out across the occupied territories of Europe, deep inside enemy lines. Supply lines were disrupted; crucial intelligence was obtained and relayed back to the Allies; resistance movements were organized. Sometimes, impromptu combat erupted; more often, the killing was silent and targeted. The full story of the Office of Strategic Services -- OSS, precursor to the CIA -- is a dramatic final chapter on one of history's most important conflicts.

In a world made unrecognizable by the restrictions placed on the CIA today, OSS played fast and loose. Legendary chief "Wild Bill" Donovan created a formidable organization in short order, recruiting not only the best and brightest, but also the most fearless. His agents, both men and women, relied on guile, sex appeal, brains, and sheer guts to operate behind the lines, often in disguise, always in secret.

Patrick O'Donnell, called "the next Studs Terkel" by bestselling author Hampton Sides, has made it his life's mission to capture untold stories of World War II before the last of its veterans passes away. He has succeeded in extracting stories from the toughest of men, the most elite of soldiers, and, now, the most secretive of all: the men and women of OSS. From former CIA director William Colby, who parachuted into Norway to sever rail lines, to Virginia Hall, who disguised herself as a milkmaid, joined the French Resistance, and became one of Germany's most wanted figures, the stories of OSS are worthy of great fiction. Yet the stories in this book are all true, carefully verified by O'Donnell's painstaking research.

The agents of OSS did not earn public acclaim. There were no highly publicized medal ceremonies. But the full story of OSS reveals crucial work in espionage and sabotage, work that paved the way for the Allied invasions and disrupted the Axis defenses. Operatives, Spies, and Saboteurs proves that the hidden war was among the most dramatic and important elements of World War II. ... Read more

Reviews (14)

A GRAND SLAM IN STORYTELLING
I bought the book and couldn't put it down after reading it straight through over the weekend. So much of O'Donnell's book contains new information on OSS and WWII. O'Donnell does a masterful job capturing OSS's most important missions and the incredible exploits of these men and women agents most of them untold until now. The narrative style of this book combined with oral history, allows it to read like some of Ambrose's classics like D-Day or Citizen Soldiers. O'Donnell has changed his style compared to his other books yet he still allows the voices of these incredible spies and Special Forces troops to speak

I was really stunned with what OSS did during the war: everything from creating the first SEALS; to blowing up bridges in Greece; to operation CROSS a team of 100 ex-German POWs trained to kill or kidnap Hitler. Some of the best chapters revolve around Greece and the Balkans which have hardly been touched by most historians. Also entertaining was the chapter revolving around spy gadgets created in OSS labs. OSS made everything from umbrella guns to cigarettes that were .22 caliber pistols to something called the "Truth Drug." The missions into Germany itself made my hair stand up in the back of head, especially, the stories from Jewish-American veterans that went back facing almost certain death if they were captured.

Intense History
World War II is such a historical epic, so monumental and sweeping in its scale, that much can be lost in the massive threads that make up the truly great human war. At the same time, the scholarship concerning the war and its effects are so voluminous that little has not been touched on. That's why I was so pleasantly surprised when I finished author Patrick O'Donnell's excellent new history of the Office of Strategic Services, America's WWII era intelligence agency. I have read hundreds of thousands of pages on the war, but I would say 90 percent of the material and stories presented in this book were unknown to me. O'Donnell himself sounds surprised, as he tracked down dozens of aging ex-agents who were willing to give him their long held secrets in amazing detail. O'Donnell has a talent with grafting these new stories with superb document research, giving a gripping and complete account of the OSS in the European theater.

Probably the most startiling tale in this book is how unprepared the United States was for a covert war. The idea of an OSS type group was almost foreign to all American leaders, especially the military. It was only through the enlightened stubborness of the OSS' first director, decorated WWI director Willian "Wild Bill" Donovan, that the US government recognized the need for an international spy agency. It was amazing how rapidly the OSS was able to construct itself, even though it recieved substantial support from its big brothers across the pond, Britain's MI-6. O'Donnell is clear and concise as he describes the makeup and training behind the genesis of the OSS. As the US entered the war against Hitler, the OSS was rapidly moving to counter the threat posed to the world's most powerful democracy. The stories of the OSS in North Africa were amazing to me, this book serves as both an education piece and as a testament to the men and women who were willing to take unimaginable risks in order to hurt the Axis. In Africa, Italy, and the Balkans, OSS teams, made up of both American and foreign agents were instrumental in many Allied successes, such as the guerilla wars in Yugoslavia that caused Germany so many problems. O'Donnell is always ready to remind the reader that the bravery of the OSS was not confined to their American agents, the foreign operatives and armies of the OSS were often fanatically dedicated to the defeat of their homelands fascist oppressors.

As the war against Nazi Germany developed, so did OSS methods and challenges. No longer was OSS faced with the far reaches of the Nazi empire, they were now sending assets directly into the heart of the Reich. At the same time, OSS was charged with very difficult objectives, such as preparing the way for Operation Overlord, the Allied invasion of France. These missions made for some great reading, as OSS agents fought with French resistance fighters in order to complicate Nazi military reaction. This included hair raising missions including the destruction of communication hubs, railroads, and convoys. Most famously, the OSS helped Free French forces battle the 2nd SS "Das Reich" Panzer division as it traveled north to the invasion beachheads, delaying it for a full month. Less glamourously, OSS agents and spies worked in places such as Switzerland and Sweden, picking up on Nazi secrets and signals. Psychological units worked tirelessly to erode Nazi morale with a bag full of nefarious tricks. At the end, the OSS was active, amazingly, within Germany itself, where it fought a covert war against the massive Nazi apparatus and its violently fearsome security organs, such as the SS-SD and the Gestapo. As the stakes became higher, so did the risks, and many a OSS operative or member met horrific fate at the hands of Himmler's sadists.

Narrative hstories are always a bit tough to write effectively, as you have to avoid the temptation to just throw all of the interviews together with little real insight. O'Donnell avoids this tripwire, by providing extremely effective scholarly research with the amazingly detailed interviews and testimonials by men and women who have gone relatively unrecognized. Their effect has been felt all over the world, as the covert wars of the 1940's have provided blueprints for the covert wars of today. Some have derided the OSS impact on the overall war, but O'Donnell is careful to point out the OSS' critical role in several turning points of the conflict. It is a very rewarding learning experience while at the same providing for Fleming like action. Amazing book.

First Hand Testimony Is Always The Best
This book is not "War and Peace", nor is it a comprehensive book on spies, but rather it is a collection of stories using first hand testimony of the participants in the OSS in WWII. In that context the book is different from most of what must now be a 1000 books on WWII. The strength of this book is the excellent writing and the series of interesting characters and their stories, all involving ordinary men that do heroic things. Thankfully their stories have been recorded by the author since many of these men are now many in the 80's and their first hand recollections will soon be lost. In any case the book is better that one might expect.

I first heard about this book on WABC where John Bachelor has interviewed a series of the living subjects or "spies" on air on his late daily show at 10:00 PM. The guys are ordinary but the stories are often riveting. They put themselves in tremendous danger with their patriotic actions. In many ways this book is like the recent Tim Russert book - a sleeper. The book seems okay from what you have heard from others and from interviews on the radio, but the book is actually a much better read. In many ways the both books (Russert and this book) are on subjects that when properly presented become compelling page turning reads. This is a great value and a good book.

Four Stars

Jack in Toronto

Interesting, if a bit superficial
Patrick O'Donnell has now written three of these books. Each is a collection of oral histories from World War 2, the first following elite units in Europe, the second covering the same ground in the Pacific. This third volume is a collection of oral histories covering the Office of Strategic Services, or OSS, in Europe.

The format is simple. The author collects the histories into a coherent narrative, provides some context, and pads the narrative with some text. The result is a recounting of various campaigns or actions from the ground level, right at the tip of the bayonet.

The difficulty, such as it is, comes from the context. There's nowhere near enough of it. The author (as noted elsewhere) speaks in this book as if the OSS did all or most of the infiltration into France and Germany during WW2, only briefly mentioning the French and British infiltrations that were more prevalent. The author focuses on the American forces, as he did in the previous two books, but here it's a bit more egregious. For one thing, the intelligence world is somewhat murky and indistinct, and its effect on the larger campaigns in the war is, to say the least, controversial. Given that we're not sure how much effect these actions had on the campaigns, the author's presentation is problematic. He tends to take whatever a spy says about the effect of an intelligence coup at face value, and expects the reader to do likewise. This is a bit much, at times.

Other than that, the book does feel a bit incomplete. One reviewer made an unfavorable comparison with M.R.D. Foot's SOE in France (which by the way should never have been allowed to go out of print); this comparison is unfair, as Foot's book was written in the Sixties, and the author had unprecedented access to classified documents and was allowed to interview a great number of people who were then alive. Though it was a great success, Foot's book cause such a controversy that critics succeeded in blocking publications of any further books by Foot or anyone else. O'Donnell's book is nowhere near as comprehensive, and couldn't be, given the differences in the way they were written.

This is a good book, if you understand it's limitations and gee-whiz-look-what-we-did attitude. I enjoyed it and would recommend it.

Too little, too late
I was deeply disappointed by this book. Whilst it was useful overview of the OSS during WWII it was superficial and simplistic. As an American I can appreciate that we have to the biggest and best at everything. The truth of the matter in the matter of supporting the European resistance movements with was neither - an honor that most go the British Special Operations Executive (SOE). The point is that this work is nothing like as comprehensive as M.R. Foot's "SOE in France" that I just read prior to this rather sorry work.

The biggest criticism of the author is his totally unquestioning attitude to the work of the OSS and its' policies. For example; O'Donnell presents facts and then fails to interpret them in any meaningful manner, for example the betrayal of the agreement with the British over the operations is Yugoslavia. He fails to explain the politics of the Free French and the problems this present to the resistance. Finally, his biggest omission is to completely ignores the operations of the OSS against Japan. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The success of Tom Brokaw's Greatest Generation has sparked a renewed interest in books about World War II and the people who fought in it.Patrick K. O'Donnell maintains, however, that behind those official historiesand carefully crafted memoirs lies a "hidden war"--"a bottled up, buried version shielded even from family members because many of the memories are too painful to discuss." In Beyond Valor, O'Donnell brings this hidden war to the surface, allowing men from the elite forces to tell their own stories, thus creating a fascinating combat history of WWII.

O'Donnell introduces readers to some of the greatest of the greatest generation--men such as Robert Kinney of the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, wounded by a mortar at Anzio ("it tore my fanny open, took a big chunk of meat out of there--I could afford that"). While in the hospital, wounded members of the regiment were asked by one of their officers to return to the front:

We all went down, about forty of us in casts, bandages, arms in slings and everything. He said, "Your buddies up there are catching hell and we've got to go back if we can. You don't have to, we're not going to order you, but we're looking for volunteers." We said, "Hell, we'll go." We had just the best-spirited bunch of scrappers you ever saw.

Though it will certainly appeal to them, O'Donnell insists that Beyond Valor is not aimed at war buffs--it's for the soldiers themselves. "My work has been one of preservation, done in gratitude for a generation that sacrificed so much." By sharing these stories, O'Donnell has helped to preserve and honor their memory. --Sunny Delaney ... Read more

Reviews (55)

A Must-Read Book
Beyond Valor is a watershed in the reporting of World War II oral histories -- i.e., the actual participants of history describe the events they participated in in their own words, free from editorial embellishment and hindsight analysis. Mr. O'Donnell diligently interviewed hundreds of American paratrooper and Ranger veterans from the European Theater of Operations in World War II. What he has assembled in Beyond Valor is a collection of personal vignettes from young Americans that describe what hell was like during the bloodiest war ever. These men take us through training, North Africa, Sicily and Italy, Normandy and Southern France, Holland and Belgium, Germany, and going back home. Unlike other war books that use only selected quotes from veterans, embellish their words and otherwise bog you down with information and details that reveal nothing new, Mr. O'Donnell lets each veteran tell his full story. In some cases, veterans for the first time ever release emotions and bitter memories that have been bottled up inside their hearts and minds for 60 years. Many of the stories are powerful and moving, even emotionally overwhelming -- like the Rangers that describe the helpless feeling of seeing their buddies get cut down by machine gun fire right next to them as they rush up to attack a German bunker. In the vein of Stephen Ambrose, Patrick O'Donnell has put together an easy-to-read book with helpful maps that goes deep into the heart of combat as seen from America's living heroes. This book -- a tribute to the greatest generation -- is a definite keeper.

honest slice of combat experience
I have read O'Donnell's Into the Rising Sun which I thought was a superb book that gives you the honest slice of combat experience as told by the veterans. This book was written before that one so I expected the same and was not disappointed. Many of these stories get told 45-50 years after the fact, memories may fade but experiences and understanding of combat does not. Once more, this book collects a short set of stories as told by the veterans of their combat experiences. The stories were short but honest and with far more insight then most World War II movies put together. Some of them come with a late hour confessions of killing of enemy POWs or wounded enemy, some time in the heat of battle, some time out of need for survival. One man even kept photos of the three dead Germans from their paybooks. Maybe some of the more negative reviews didn't like that, after all it was more comfortable to know that ONLY Germans and Japanese troop were the ones that murdered POWs and shoot defenseless wounded soldiers. Shocking that we Americans did something like that in war. (It also allowed me to have a new perception whenever I read about enemy soldiers shooting American POWs or woundeds in battle...maybe they felt anger and hatred toward the Americans who were killing their buddies, comrades and mentors. Who say war was fair, eh?)

The book is written in a very readable form, its well organized and quality of the stories varies in details. But you will get a good slice of understanding of what it may be like, to be a soldier in war. Reading a book like this may also give an understanding that soldiers of other nations, even our enemies may have gone through the same experience.

Beyond Valor Equals Great WWII Book!
I thought this book was a great book! It seriously brought out some great stories of the Rangers! There are so many details that are brought out in the book that are great. With maps showing how invasions were planned was great. It also had some great pictures that the war veterans had taken. I rate this book FIVE STARS! Awesome,it's a must read book if your a WWII fan or just want to learn some things.

Beyond Valor
Beyond Valor is a book that gives you a look at war through the eye of not one man but gives you a look at war through the eyes of 50 men. World War 2 vets reveal the heart of combat from the landing on Italy to the sweet boat ride home. I would suggest this book to anyone who wants to read a book that will have you thinking what it was like to be fighting in a war. And shows you a real look at war and not that Hollywood bull look that movies give you. So if you what a book that is suspenseful and interesting look at war. Buy Beyond Valor by Patrick K. O'Donnell and see the realty of war. If you like this book check out Into The Rising Sun.

I Hate to Do It
I really do hate to pan this book, but I have to. The author has done a great job collecting first hand accounts from veteran airborne, rangers and special forces soldiers from World War II. He has transcribed them, ordered them by campaign/battle and provided some context so that the reader can place them within the broader scope of the war.

The problem I have is that that is all he has done, and while this preserves these first hand accounts and provides a valuable resource, it does not make for a readable treatment of the subject. There is a reason most of these men have not written books telling their story and a reason why you cannot just dictate a book. It makes for difficult and sometimes even painful reading. I don't want to be mean or vicious, and the author has done a great service by collecting all of these first hand accounts, but it almost seems as if he lost his motivation when it came to putting it all together and telling the story. O'Connell, has basically served as little more than an editor piecing together collected episodes, making little effort to put it all together into a comprehensive story, leaving the reader with a disjointed rambling.

As a readable history, I have to pan this book. The saving grace is that authors and researchers will have the collected material to use in future works. P-) ... Read more

Book Description

There was commotion everywhere. People were getting dressed or looking for things. The atmosphere was unreal, unbelievable. I know they all felt the same as I. A rope was tightening around everyone’s neck—the end has come. It is like seeing the angel of death manifest in the form of a policeman. No one among us spoke. Except for the rustle of everyone getting ready to go, it was quiet. We were living a nightmare. It could not be real, but it was and yet I refused to believe it. Somehow, at least in me, there was a spark of hope.

Reviews (3)

Amazing Story About Courage, Toughness And Survival
Once you begin to read Allen's personal story you will not be able to put it down.It is very well written.It truly is a motivational story of triumph and one that I will treasure and share with my children.It provides a unique perspective on a very difficult time period.If you have read "Night" by Elie Wiesell, "The Diary Of Anne Frank" , or "Survival In Auschwitz" by Primo Levi, reading this will provide a very different perspective of life as a Jew in hiding in rural Poland during the early to mid 1940's.

A riveting book
I thought this book was terrific.To think that this person went through this horrifying experience just sends chills down my spine.It's so important to keep these stories alive and to pass them on to future generations.We must never forget!

A Tale of Courage
I thought this book was a well written, fascinating drama describing what life was like for the Jews of Europe during the Holocaust.Highly recommend it! ... Read more

Reviews (36)

An insightful, empathic biography of an enigmatic leader
Manchester always writes a great book--he is a superb stylist and has an unusual knack for placing a historical figure in the context of his times. (I have previously read his biographies of H.L. Mencken and Churchill as well as Death of a President and The Arms of Krupp.) In this book, he really attempts to explore what motivated Douglas MacArthur, an extremely complex warrior-statesman. Especially good is his review of the famous Truman sacking of the general during the Korean War; in Manchester's eyes, this incident evolved out of ambiguous directions from the Joint Chiefs and the Chiefs' unwillingness to confront a powerful, winning senior officer. Especially amazing is the breadth of experience MacArthur had throughout his life--from Wild West stations with his general father through the post-Spanish-American War period in the Philippines, then the trenches of World War I, and finally the general's phenomenal recoveries after early disasters in the Philippines in World War II and in Korea. This is a balanced though sympathetic review of MacArthur's life--Manchester concedes that he was both a vain popinjay with a touch of paranoia, but also a brilliant military strategist and a true old-style liberal democrat in his viceregency in Japan after World War II. This is a "must read" for anyone interested in World War II and is a good companion to Manchester's personal account of his own experiences as a Marine in the South Pacific.

Brilliant Portrait of a Controversial General
William Manchester's American Caesar is a nicely polished and thoroughly researched book covering the career of General Douglas MacArthur, arguably the most controversial and one of the best U.S. military leaders of the Twentieth Century. Manchester covers MacArthur's life from his early childhood to his death at age 84 in 1964. MacArthur's remarkable life and career spans the time from his youth spent on remote western military posts in the 1880's, through the two World Wars and the Korean Conflict, and his subsequent dismissal by President Truman and entry into GOP politics.

Douglas MacArthur was perfectly bred for military leadership and his future historical role. The son of a Civil War recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor and Military Governor of the Philippines, Douglas MacArthur surpassed even his father's amazing military and historical accomplishments. Manchester argues that MacArthur had a unique genius for military operations, from his quick promotion at age 38 to the command of the Rainbow Division in World War I, to his campaigns in the Pacific and his bold invasion at Inchon in the Korean War. MacArthur's military capabilities conceivably saved thousands of American lives. Typically his military moves were cunning and daring, bypassing enemy strongpoints and leading to victories at lower costs in terms of lives than operations undertaken by his U.S. military contemporaries.

The book's title, American Caesar, uniquely describes MacArthur's career as the liberator of the Philippines and the Military administrator of Japan. Perhaps no other American in history has held the type of power that MacArthur held in Japan as Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers. Yet his immense power was wielded with grace and an understanding of the Japanese people and their culture. MacArthur's long service in Asia uniquely suited him to this role.

MacArthur's weaknesses which ultimately led to his downfall at the hands of President Truman are explored. MacArthur learned that great military exploits are often achieved by acting against the will or explicit instructions of his superiors. Combining this trait with an immense ego, MacArthur's showdown with President Truman was almost unavoidable. This led to his firing and a lasting feud with Truman that ultimately tarnished MacArthur's reputation despite his incredible career and service.

Manchester presents MacArthur as a complex figure full of contradictions. MacArthur is shown as a warrior who exposed himself to extreme danger, but was often derisively referred to as "Dugout Doug" when he vainly surrounded himself with luxurious surroundings in his headquarters. He instituted liberal democratic reforms in Japan, then became a hard line conservative spokesman in the United States. By illuminating these contradictions inherent in MacArthur's personality, William Manchester presents General Douglas MacArthur's long and eventful life in a book which makes interesting and exciting reading.

Ardennes through to Inchon
Some subjects are a gift to the biographer: such a man is Douglas MacArthur, General of the Armies, conqueror of Japan and arch-nemesis to President Truman. As Manchester himself notes in his preface, everything MacArthur did was done with an eye to posterity: there was not a single photo in which he didn't conciously affect a pose; he uttered not a single word, not a single speech and not a single memo, that could be called "off the cuff" or candid. He created his own self-image: rigid, correct, brave, proud, uncompromising, and he unfailingly sought to fulfil it. Many (if not most) of these characteristics were to haunt him in the aftermath of President Truman recalling him from the Korean theater; even in the face of the disastrous retreat from the Yalu, he was loathe to concede a single strategic error.

Manchester examines the Korea years with all due thoroughness, yet much of the real fascination in this book comes from his early life, including his debut in the Mexican War of 1916, his distinguished campaigns in World War One, his superintendency of West Point an his suppression of the 1930s veterans march on Washington. From there, MacArthur is transferred to the Phillippines in the mid-1930s, where he serves as virtual proconsul.

As Manchester points out, MacArthur's career was in virtual sunset in the late 1930s. Then, in December 1941, disaster: in 24 hours the Japanese attack and destroy the main Phillippines airbases and soon overrun the archipelago, leaving MacArthur sealed off at Corregidor. Escape to Australia, and redemption: the masterful conquest of New Guinea and his famously promised reconquest of the Phillippines. Manchester is quick to stress the lives that were constantly saved by MacArthur's shrewd planning and attention to detail; he also makes no attempt to mask MacArthur's unattractive traits, including his (eventually fatal) insubordiation to superiors and tendency to histrionics. In many ways Douglas MacArthur brings to mind not Julius Caesar, but Arthur, Duke of Wellington, another gifted commander who won the public's love and respect for his ability to win battles economically, who also defeated a great tyrannical enemy, yet who sank into the political morass in later years for his rock-hard political conservatism.

Getting to know Doug
In the history of this world, many men are born to follow. Thankfully, other men are born to lead. Douglas MacArthur is certainly one of the latter.
Author William Manchester performs the masterful task of allowing the reader to get intimately acquainted with the General--a man who was difficult to get close to, to say the least. Like most born leaders, MacArthur possessed an ego the size of Texas. But his leadership skills weren't any smaller.
The author artfully shows us the transformation from a young, brash cadet to a wise, emboldened military leader. Sadly, as Manchester makes known, MacArthur was not fully appreciated by the American public in his living years. As so often happens, the media focused almost exclusively on his faults, and turned a blind eye to all that he accomplished...both in America and abroad.
This book reveals that Douglas MacArthur was a stoic, sometimes cold man who was far from infallible. But it also shows that he was human, and that he possessed a capacity to love, to cherish those that meant the most to him; and especially, a passionate capacity to lead.

Fascination of Subject Overcomes Mediocre Treatment
Although Manchester has surely done a huge amount of research and this is a pleasant book to read, it does not belong in the ranks of great historical bios. Not in the league with Robert Caro's books, for example. Christopher Young, Amazon customer, has written a good critique here. As he notes, the typos are unbelievable -- including dropped words that render whole sentences unintelligible. This contributes to an overall impression that Manchester was in a huge hurry to get something down on paper. Notwithstanding the bulk of this, it is actually a superficial work. Still, the subject is extraordinarily fascinating and there aren't many other bios of him out there so you don't have much choice. ... Read more

Book Description

Barbara W. Tuchman won the Pulitzer Prize for Stilwell and the American Experience in China, 1911-45 in 1972. She uses the life of Joseph Stilwell, the military attache to China in 1935-39 and commander of United States forces and allied chief of staff to Chiang Kai-shek in 1942-44, to explore the history of China from the revolution of 1911 to the turmoil of World War II, when China's Nationalist government faced attack from Japanese invaders and Communist insurgents. Her story is an account of both American relations with China and the experiences of one of our men on the ground. In the cantankerous but level-headed "Vinegar Joe," Tuchman found a subject who allowed her to perform, in the words of The National Review, "one of the historian's most envied magic acts: conjoining a fine biography of a man with a fascinating epic story." ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Wonderfully Researched, Balanced, Well-Written Account
This book is about a period that is both so important and yet largely neglected in American education. The book is quite easy to read with its strong steady narrative flow, its interest in the personalities at play as well as its study of the background of their struggles. Since the book came out around the time of the Vietnam War, I assumed it would be more anti-American foreign policy in tone than it is. It's quite balanced.

Tuchman obviously regards Stilwell as the hero of the tale. It's hard to come to any other conclusion about this deeply humble but brilliant, unwearying but always frustrated man. Yet she is quite fair in assessing the difficulties faced by Stilwell's close-to-home antagonist, Chiang Kai Shek. She is also not sparing in describing the courage, success and tactical genius of Claire Chennault, whose (clearly wrong-headed) conception of the War was opposed to that of Stilwell.

The story of America in China in WWII and its aftermath is so fascinating, so HUGELY important - and still so relatively little publicized - especially in relation to the affairs of MacArthur, Nimitz and Halsey in the Pacific or Eisenhower, Bradley and Patton in Europe.

I long for a movie that will show the fascinating struggle among Stilwell, Chiang, and Chennault in relation to the Japanese and Mao's Communists. It can be said that America's foreign policy in 1943-50 has far less immediate impact in post Cold War Europe today than in Japan, China, Burma, and Indonesia. America's two costly wars since WWII have been in Asia. This book gives a wonderful background to anyone interested in how did the existing state of affairs in China come to pass?

America was intimately involved - particularly two Americans - 1) Claire Lee Chennault, a maverick Cajun from Louisiana who resigned from the American Air Force in rage at their refusal to adopt his revolutionary views on fighters and bombing - and became the head of China's Air Force in 1937; 2) Joseph Stilwell, an upper middle class WASP from a family that went back to the early 1600s, who had been intimately involved with China since the 1920s.

It's just a great story, and it's unlikely you know much of it.

Answers what happened in the Asian half of WWII.
This book explodes the myths and misconceptions of the American people during a time of great upheaval in China and Southeast Asia. It lays out the mistakes and misunderstandings of the America leaders and statesmen in trying to work with the real and supposed leaders of China. Covering the final times of Chinese Warlords through the times of Sun Yat Sen, the Japanese invasion of Manchuria and into WWII with the Nationalist Chinese and Mao's Communist movement, this book reveals all of the history and understanding that only Barbara Tuchman is equipped to accomplish. This book holds no punches and exposes the many mistakes made by American leaders, who did not listen to Stilwell, in making foreign policy in an area of the world where foreign policy and gamesmanship was created and practiced to a high art. For example, Madame Chaing's propaganda trips to the US is an excellent example of how the American people and its leaders were duped into believing that the Nationalist Chinese were doing all they could to fight off the Japanese. When in reality they stockpiled the weaponry supplied by the US for their battles against Mao's Communists instead of their intended use against Japan. Ms. Tuchman enlightens the reader that when the Communists and Mao took control of China their hatred of the US for supporting the Nationalist Chinese was a foregone conclusion. Ms. Tuchman's coverage of the China, Burma, India (CBI) theater is masterful as well as her handling of "Vinegar" Joe Stilwell. "Vinegar" Joe is a General more skillfull, humble and knowledgeable than any US General to have ever held the rank. He was a master of winning battles and achieving success with the poorest health conditions, meagerest of men, supplies and support. If Joe Stilwell had the support given to Eisenhower or MacArthur, "Vinegar" Joe would have been recognized as one of America's greatest Generals. But then again, Joe Stilwell was a humble man who got the job done and didn't much care who got the credit. It is unfortunate that Ms Tuchman is no longer with us. This one book (which I have read three times) lays the ground work for understanding Asia and the thinking processes of its leadership in the present world.

Excellent History of the China-India-Burma Theater
Tuchman wrote "Stillwell and the American Experience in China" during the waning years of the Vietnam war, and it is difficult not to draw a straight line between Stillwell's frustrations with Chiang Hai-Shek and the Johnson/Nixon administrations' later projects in Indochina. Stillwell was in charge of the China relationship, with coordinating mainland China operations against the Japanese Imperial Army with the more fruitful (if almost just as frustrating) campaigns in Burma. Much is made of Eisenhower's career as a diplomat-general but Stillwell was even more the proconsular figure; constantly shuttling between the Nationalist court and the other allies. Not only is Tuchman scathing on the subject of Chaing and his Lady MacBeth wife, she is also deeply skeptical of British motives throughout the Burma campaign. Of all the fronts in World War Two, the Chinese theater is easily the most complicated, and this is the best work, in English, on the topic.

The Bafflement and the Allure
Is this book quite as good as I think it is? I suspect not. Tuchman combines an impressive learning with a knack for catching you up in her narrative. She also has what comes very close to being a schoolgirl crush on General "Vinegar Joe" Stilwell, the somewhat equivocal protagonist of her story, and betrays her own share of that complex love-hate relationship with modern China which has served as so strong a force in modern world politics. Taken together, these qualities make for a compulsive read, but they perhaps lend themselves to a certain suspension of disbelief.

Stilwell came into World War II as an acknowledged leader among his military peers. He had been scheduled to command the first American offensive of the War, when he was sen instead for the job which became the definition of his career -- the task of making China into an effective military partner. Even with all critical receptors on stun, one does sense that Stilwell embodied many of the virtues you would want in the job. He appears to be decent, high-principled, hard-working, with a keen sense of public order - but in the last analysis a fighter which is, after all, the one thing a general is supposed to be (he reminds me a bit of William Tecumseh Sherman). Moreover by just about anybody's account, Generalissimo Chiang Kai-Shek, as the leader of wartime China, was a piece of business. Perhaps even more than Stalin, Chiang was an accidental man - a smalltime thug who got caught in the updraft and found himself at least the titular head of a world power. But Stalin coupled his good fortune with an unparalleled ruthlessness and peasant savvy. It is probably an empty question whether, in the end, the Chinese were tougher to dominate than the Russians, or whether by contrast Stalin was simply better at the task of domination than Chiang. Still, Chiang in retrospect seems far more the passive object of events than the active subject.

It is easy, then, to understand all of Stilwell's frustration, and to appreciate his sense of lost possibilities. Yet the fact remains that Stilwell missed futon the one item that would have made his case most convincingly, and that is success. He may have helped to fend of disaster in Asia, and he may have done a bit to make the Chinese army more effective (and the life of the Chinese soldier more bearable). Yet in the end, Stilwell's record in China survives as a chronicle of lost possibilities. What if Chiang had been a bit more forceful as a leader, or at least receptive to Western help? Yes, but what if Stilwell had been a bit more sly and ingratiating in trying to meet the Generalissimo on his own terms.

It is surely a virtue of Tuchman's narrative if you can read this kind of ambiguity into it, even if it was not what she intended. This doesn't pretend to be a definitive introduction to modern China (Jonathan Spence's In Search of Modern China probably stands as canonical for the moment). But for capturing the allure and the bafflement with which the West approaches China - and for painting an attractive picture of an attractive guy - Tuchman deserves full credit.

Another Tuchman Masterpiece
This book was published in 1972 during the middle of US involvement in Vietnam. It must have been tough for many of the politicians of that time (and many other observers) to see the parallels to the mistakes the US made in pouring money into Chaing Kai Shek (Jiang Jieshi) and what we had done and were doing with the Diem/Thieu regimes in South Vietnam. The books is important today, not only for the perspective it provides into the evolution of American paranoia of Communism in the late 40's, 50's nd 60's, but we still have a propensity for pouring money into questionable regimes that do not have popular support simply because we are afraid of what the popular support might produce. But as Tuchman clearly demonstrates, sooner or later it happens anyway, no matter what we do. ... Read more

Book Description

"Must rank with the great escape stories of modern military history." --Soldier Magazine ... Read more

Reviews (54)

Escape and Evasion at its finest.
I read this book right after reading Bravo Two Zero by Andy Mcnab. Both books are a tale of survival, all be it in different ways.

Chris Ryan sure has a good story to tell, he was the only member of the Bravo Two Zero patrol to escape Iraq. He evaded capture for many days on very little food or water. He battled fatigue, extreme weather and many many Iraqis. He also battled himself, he didn't let his body give in while his mind was still working, he fought for every step and his story is truly one of courage and self determination.

The book does focus alot on Ryan's own 'heroism', he obviously feels he should have been the commander of the patrol and expresses this many times through the book, in the end this gets a bit tired and old. He seems to think that the problems the patrol encountered would have been just fine if he was in command, it seems a bit pretentious as it continues.

There are alot of inconsistencies between the books and it is upto the reader who he should choose to believe. I personally think this book was written to ride on the success of the first book by raising questions that will never be answered.

However it is a must read for any one with an interest in the SAS, 2 Stars

A must read book
Chris Ryan was a member of the legendary SAS Bravo Two Zero patrol that got trapped behind enemy lines during the Gulf War. This is the story of his trek back to Syria. It is an amazing first hand account of courage and endurance against extreme odds. It is also a very human story as he recounts his fears and doubts and the mental impact of being on the run for 7 days with almost no food or water. I was so engrossed by his story that I read the book straight through. I also really enjoyed the brief flashbacks to other times in his life. Perhaps the biggest shocker for me was that the whole Bravo 2 Zero compromise was really the result of poor planning at the highest levels - improper understanding of the extreme weather conditions, out dated maps, inaccurate emergency radio frequencies and no real cover at the insertion point. You also get the impression that Chris Ryan is not a big fan of Andy McNab (squad leader and author of "Bravo Two Zero"). It is what he doesn't say that is most telling. A must read book.

A definite page turner
If you are a fan of Bravo Two Zero by Andy McNab then I highly recommend that you pick this one. This is the story that Bravo Two Zero didn't go into. This is the story of raw courage and great determination as told by the one man who went through misery and hell to finish his mission. Chris Ryan's story is something that you have never read before. Use your imagination here. This man walks from Iraq to Syria after his mission falls apart during the Gulf War. Mr. Ryan covered details that I was hoping he would. His feelings during his hellish trek. His thoughts when he was hiding and came within inches of capture. The feelings of the rest of the team that also made it home and how the special operations world benefited from his experience. He also touched base on how it affected life at home. That is something that every service man faces. Thanks Chris for sharing that portion of your life. This is a book that you want to read, especially if you served in the Gulf. I put it on the shelf next to my copy of Bravo Two Zero. This is no Rambo story, so if you are looking for blood and guts look for another book. This is a story of courage and determination.

Fiction perporting to be fact
This book together with Bravo Two Zero, both written under pseudonyms are spiffing yarns and deserve a high scoring for that. However they misrepresent themselves as fact which they are not.

Both stories are in the literal sense incredible. They have been thoughroughly debunked as highly embellished accounts of the actual events by a number of reliable sources, including Peter Ratcliffe the Regimental Sergeant Major of 22 SAS at the time of the war. In Ratcliffe's book 'The Eye of The Storm' written under his own name he points out a number of 'issues' with both books and the fact that neither concurr in a number of important areas with the very detailed de-brief of the men after the operation.

If you want fact not fiction buy Radcliff's book as well as 'SAS Operation Oman' by Colonel Tony Jeapes former SAS Commanding Officer during the Oman campaign of the early to mid 1970s.

The real professionals.
Whith all respects to Chris Ryan and the SAS whom both I admire, I beleive that Chris Ryan story is the valid one based on actual experience in special ops, Andy Mc Nab's story comes out of a comic book compared to Ryan account, I understand Ryan attacks on Mc Nab and I beleive he is right, What amazed me more in this whole story is that while the coalition was fighting this war in the Gulf not far away from them similar commando's where going with their secret wars for more than 10 years. I mean guys with more than 100 missions behind enemy lines and the worst of them, the ones the free world is fighting now, Guys who have real kills that counts in hundreds in one mission, guys who where mutilated in prisons and came back fighting, not writing books and living a trauma after 8 days of E&E. Those real secret warriors who will remain in secrecy with their stories and amazing experience, are the ones I call the real professionals. ... Read more