Book Description

Stephen Ambrose is the acknowledged dean of the historians of World War II in Europe. In three highly acclaimed, bestselling volumes, he has told the story of the bravery, steadfastness, and ingenuity of the ordinary young men, the citizen soldiers, who fought the enemy to a standstill -- the band of brothers who endured together.

The very young men who flew the B-24s over Germany in World War II against terrible odds were yet another exceptional band of brothers, and, in The Wild Blue, Ambrose recounts their extraordinary brand of heroism, skill, daring, and comradeship with the same vivid detail and affection. With his remarkable gift for bringing alive the action and tension of combat, Ambrose carries us along in the crowded, uncomfortable, and dangerous B-24s as their crews fought to the death through thick black smoke and deadly flak to reach their targets and destroy the German war machine. ... Read more

Reviews (146)

Thumbs Up with a small "but"
Loved it because it brought me that much closer to understanding what my late father went through: he piloted (and survived) a B-24 (Fairy Belle II)in the 577th BS, 392nd BG out of Wendling, England (June - November '44). The book is rich with details on the selection process, training, preparation, and actual battles. Intense and educational. But in many ways, this is an anthology of the war experiences of George S. McGovern, straying from that theme only with anecdotal references to other squadron members and GSM's friends, so the focus is a bit narrow in that regard. GSM flew in the 15th AF out of Italy and the book is almost entirely focused on the 15th AF and very little mention is made of the more ubiquitous 8th. But that's a rather small complaint. Overall, this is an easy read, without flowery prose or metaphor. In some parts, it reads like Ambrose simply decided to do a narrative version of the abbreviated flight logs. That content though, is sufficiently stimulating to give an intimate overview of what a horrific and difficult job it was to fly these sometimes desperate missions over Germany. Thanks, Dad. Thanks, guys.

Not Ambrose-worthy
I just finished "Wild Blue," and I must say it was a severe disappointment. When I heard that Mr. Ambrose was writing a book about World War II in the air, I was very excited. But, after reading "Ghost Soldiers," the story of the Bataan Death March, this book felt like it was run through a shredder and put back together in random order. I salute the bravery of McGovern, his crew, and the rest of the airment who helped win WWII, but somehow this narrative came out flat and lifeless. I, too, have read "Band of Brothers" and "Citizen Soldiers," and enjoyed them tremendously. This book just doesn't compare. Focusing on McGovern's tour of duty left out some of the most desperate fighting when the bomber crews faced not only the killer flak but attack from crack Luftwaffe pilots as well. If the reader would like to read a definitive book about WWII bomber crews, try "Wings Of Morning" or "The Mighty Eighth." "Wild Blue" feels like it was put together by researchers and rushed to publication with little or no editing. Maybe that was the case.

Nothing spectacular, but interesting
I'm not the biggest fan of Stephen Ambrose. He was only a mediocre writer, in my opinion, and though his historian skills were reasonably well-developed, he had a sort of go-with-the-trends attitude towards things that didn't work very well, in my opinion. He was also occasionally caught basically skimming writing from other writers, a big no-no, especially when the skimmer hits the best-seller lists and those they copied from aren't that popular.

The Wild Blue is apparently Ambrose's attempt to write something about someone who's politically akin to him. Though he was Eisenhower's official biographer, and also wrote a 3-volume bio of Nixon, Ambrose personally was a Democrat, and in this book he balances things by giving us a war-time bio of George McGovern, of all people. It turns out that mild-mannered George, back in the day, flew a B-24 Liberator in the last months of the war, and was something of a hero.

The book, then, is a history of the B-24s in the war in Europe, and of the 15th Air Force, in Italy, and its participation in the war. While the book at times concentrates on McGovern, it also spends considerable time talking about other pilots and crewmen on other B-24s in the war in the Med. It's not quite a bio, but more than just an oral history. You get the idea that Ambrose would have liked to make the whole book about McGovern, but that there just wasn't enough material, so he sort of stretched what he had and added to it to get it to the length it is now.

Ambrose isn't my favorite author, as I said, and this isn't his best book, but it wasn't bad.

informational, but slow read
This was an extremely informational and educational book. It follows a B-24 crew from their joining the US Army Air Corps. I did get a bit bored here and there, but if you like aviation history, this is a must read.

disappointing
I really wanted to enjoy this book. I just didn't live up to my expectations. Ambrose noted in the introduction that the book began as a biography of George McGovern and later turned into a story of "the men and boys who flew the B-24s over Germany." I got the impression he never did decide which book he was writing. That said, the book still has its good points. For one, it presented a side of McGovern that is not widely known. The reason I read this book was that I wanted to learn more about the air war in WWII, and I did learn a few things, though not as much as I had hoped. In following McGovern's war career, Ambrose takes you through the pilot training program and gives a good picture describes the difficulty of flying the B24 and what life was like on board the plane during a mission. Unfortunately, it was all interspersed with biographical information about the other members of the flight crew, ground crew, etc. that did more to confuse things than it added to the story. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A Fascinating Diary
This book is a fascinating voyage through one of the great 19th Century Southern political minds; perhaps second only to John C. Calhoun. Alexander H. Stephens was a strange little man, never weighing more than 100 pounds, and standing only 5' 7" tall; but "Little Aleck" had the heart of a lion. He was possessed of a small head with protruding ears and piercing black eyes. Trained as a lawyer, with a frail almost boyish figure, he never married and was totally devoted to his half-brother, Linton, who served in the Georgia Legislature, on the Georgia Supreme Court and as a Confederate officer, and whose family Alexander Stephens adopted as his own.
This diary covers Stephens experiences as a prisoner after the War Between the States had ended. The War basically ended in April, 1865, but Stephens who had served as the Vice President of the Confederacy, had already gone home to Crawfordville, Georgia, his home town. On May 11, 1865, Tim, one of his servants, came running into the parlor saying: "Master! Yankees have come! a whole heap are in town, galloping all about with guns." Thus Stephens, who unlike other Confederate cabinet officials had never attempted to flee to the sanctuary of another country, came to be a prisoner. He was transported to Fort Warren in Boston Harbor and thus begins this diary.
Throughout the diary, Stephens was indignant that he was even a prisoner, for in his mind (he was probably right) he had done nothing wrong. He had always acted according to the principles of the United States Constitution to which he was totally devoted. He had served 16 years in Congress and had retired in 1859, and when the War started in 1861 he was called upon to serve the Confederacy. As he repeatedly points out the States created the Federal Government, not the other way around. The Federal Government's rights were limited. He had served as a Whig in Congress in the beginning of his career and served with Lincoln who also served as a Whig in the 30th Congress in 1847, when Lincoln served his only term in Congress before becoming president in 1861. Stephens felt he knew Lincoln well and this may be one of the reasons he was elected vice president of the Confederacy, in addition to the fact that he cautioned against secession and for this reason it was felt perhaps he may have had gained some influence with Lincoln.
In any case, the diary covers everything about his life at Fort Warren, where after an initial period of discomfort and apprehension (there was the possibility he may be hanged), he was treated rather kindly by his captors. Stephens read and discusses such books as the Bible, Prescott's Conquest of Mexico, Swedenborg's Doctrine Concerning the Lord, Cicero on Duties, Cicero on Oratory, Aristotle on Economics, Aristotle on Politics, and so forth demonstrating that he was a true intellectual. He discusses the food he ate, his living conditions, and people he met and dealt with such as his guards, other prisoners, and even the little girl who was the daughter of one of his wardens who would bring him flowers and thrust her little hand through the bars to put them in a little flower pot in his cell. Stephens only spent four months and nineteen days in prison. His treatment was much less harsh than that of Jefferson Davis who served two years at Fort Monroe. In the end, like Jefferson Davis and others, he was released and not prosecuted for any offenses. It has been said this was because in truth they had committed no offenses and acted against the Federal Government in much the same way the leaders of the 13 Colonies had acted against the Crown when the 13 Colonies sought their independence from England and thus could not have been convicted of anything.
All in all, a wonderful diary; I have not enjoyed reading a diary as much since I read James Boswell's London Journal 40 years ago.

Fort Warren's last prisoner
This is a reprint of the original diary kept by Stephens while at the fort. It is the only book still in print that was written at Fort Warren. If you had a Confederate relative imprisoned at Fort Warren, this gives a terrific insight to the daily routine at the famous bastille. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Following Ho Chi Minh:The Memoirs of a North Vietnamese Co
This has been an amazing read for me.My fellow helicopter pilot buddy (from our tour in Vietnam) sent it over from Vermont.We were both New England college grads when we flew
D-model Hueys out of Vinh Long, in the Mekong Delta during 1966-67.Since that time, we have devoured many books commenting on our mutual Army experience, especially when the Vietnamese side of things often illustrates our time well. Fred Stetson continues to remain close to Vietnamese immigrants in the Burlington, VT area, and knows I have represented our experience well in my book, OUTLAWS IN VIETNAM.We both delight in finding out information from and about the Hanoi leadership, and were absolutely surprised to find their intrigue with the Chinese communists that is so fervently exposed in Bui Tin's masterful work.He was always in the significant place at the right time, and reveals behind-the-scenes politics with the North Vietnamese from 1945 on.What a journalist, and I am glad he has connected with leaders like Senator John McCain, to flesh out the reality of the VC and NVA we were fighting against. Apparently our suspicions that the Chinese were very involved in this war were very correct, indeed!I had thought the two nation-states too opposed to each other (culturally) to have ever played such a strong hand.Makes you wonder what we could have done militarilyotherwise; maybe ole chicken LBJ might have been right to worry about escalating events after all....

Worth Reading If Youre a Serious STudent of the War
As a former Marine Sniper who served two tours in Nam and who is still trying to understand what I went through this is an okay read. Not as good as some and a bit over blown at times but worth understanding the other side. It does make you want to better understand the other side of our current crisis in terrorism and see what makes them tick. Our leaders in Nam were a little lazy and self serving when it came to history. That is the leaders in Washington. Makes you wonder what might have been?

An insider's revelations.
As a North Vietnamese colonel and high ranking Party member, the author accepted the surrender of Saigon on April 1975. He continued to work for Hanoi until 1990, when disillusioned with the communists he moved to Paris and hoped to see a free and democratic Vietnam.

In his memoir, he talked about communism being elevated to the rank of a "blind faith", the purges within the Party, the errors, greed, and corruption of communist leaders, the "arrogance of the Party" and so on.

This book is recommended to those who are interested in the inner world of the Vietnamese communist Party and the causes of its failure. It is not the ideal world painted by the communists, not the people's rule but the rule of five or six men who imposed their dictatorship on the people.

A seemingly highly credible report by the ultimate insider.
The rarest of gifts -- a credible account from a Vietnamese communist cadre! Bui Tin has done a great service to all of his countrymen, regardless political faction or religion. His assessments of legendary Vietnamese cadres, including Ho Chi Minh, Le Duan and Le Duc Anh are stunningly frank. Those interested in Vietnam or Cambodia should place this title on the top of their reading lists. There is simply no other work of its kind, although we can always hope that another courageous figure will follow in the author's footsteps.

An indepth look at Vietnamese Government after 1975
Bui Tin has written a remarkable story about the Vietnamese government and the social chaos that went on which no one outside of Viet Nam ever knew about it after 1975. Thanks to him we now know that life was easier duringthe time of war than peace time. ... Read more

Book Description

In 1998, novelist Frank Schaeffer's eighteen-year-old son, John, joined the marines straight out of prep school. Their ensuing journey, recounted in Keeping Faith: A Father-Son Story About Love and the United States Marine Corps, struck a fervent chord among the many Americans with a family member in the military, inspired personal communications from three American presidents, and propelled the book and the authors through many printings and onto Oprah, 20/20 and the New York Times extended bestseller's list. In Faith of Our Sons, Frank Schaeffer picks up his family's ongoing story as Corporal John Schaeffer is deployed to the Middle East on the day Gulf War II begins. Schaeffer's powerfully moving and timely account of the universal experience of losing a child-either temporarily or permanently-to war and his attendant emotions (from pride to panic to rage and back again) is punctuated throughout by the voices of the many others in Frank's situation, thousands of other parents and children, who continue to pour their hearts out to the Schaeffers in countless letters since the publication of Keeping Faith: from those waiting anxiously for loved ones to come home to those who know they never will. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Frank Schaeffer's words carry an important message
Yesterday, May 29th, I watched the World War II Memorial dedication on TV. I was very moved by the program and had a overwhelming feeling this memorial on the Washington Mall is long overdue. I'm glad it's now open and look forward to taking my mother to see it in October (she's a WWII vet). I then watched Frank Schaeffer's C-Span Book TV presentation, then bought a copy of the book. I'm ordering additional copies through Amazon.com. His talk was straight forward and truthful. Our servicemen and women are treated poorly, and deserve so much more. These are the people that watch our backs, allow us to sleep at night and uphold our freedom, yet their pay and benefits are pitifully low. I applaud Frank Schaeffer for speaking up. This truly is a scandel. Our politicians should be ashamed their children are not serving, but they don't have any problem sending other young adults into harm's way. They certainly have no problem lipping "be of service to your country". This goes for Democrats and Republicans alike. Now it's time they walk the walk, and quit grandstanding for the media. Imagine what our country would be like without the wonderful and dedicated military. One additional note, my 4.0 GPA college bound daughter has deferred college in order to serve. It's her decision, of course we are nervous but very proud. By the way, she does have a college fund. Thank you Frank Schaeffer for being the voice of many. MH

True to my experience
As the brother of a Marine who has recently come home from Combat, I can vouch for the realistic portrayal that this well written volume offers of the inner life of those who stay behind. Frank and John Schaeffer's two books really tell it like it is. Like Frank and his family, I was (and am) so proud of my brother, and yet like them, I really suffered knowing what might happen to him. Reading this book confirmed for me just how devastating it would be to my own parents if anything where to happen to my brother. Frank is willing to go where so few men are willing to go in his open discussion of the feelings of love, pride and fear he has concerning his son and the affect these feelings have on his relationship with the other members of his family. I have watched fights in my family that I know were not about a burnt dinner but really about no email from my brother for a week. Frank reveals what so many of us know; we can watch ourselves do things and know that we are not in control; we can even know why we are not in control and yet still be powerless to help ourselves. Despite this somewhat dark insight I felt uplifted by this book. This is a slice of my life. I suspect it is a slice of the American experience.

A window to the mind of those left behind.
Unlike the first volue Frank Schaeffer's FAITH OF OUR SONS is about the people who wait with baited breath for news of their loved ones who are doing the dirty, but necessary work in this war.

It is an excellent volume and a statement on our times. The anxiety felt by the Schaeffer family is the same as millions of Americans have felt over the 228 years of our history (and before).

What differs is the curse and blessing of the modern world. Instant news leads to instant worry, E-mail and cell phones lead to instant relief and support via the e-mails shared between the families of those who wait.

What also differs is the disconnect of most of us have from this situation. Mr. Schaeffer in unable to hide his contempt for those who are indifferent to the freedom that his son helps provide and their distruct of the military. This contempt seems to be driven at himself for sharing that view at one time and it amplifies his anger.

This adds passion to the book although if like me you never served you might get the feeling you've let someone else do work that was yours. It's not a good feeling but it is healthy.

Required reading.

For the families, not my brothers!
This book is good if a parent, sister or girlfriend is fighting with finding the moral strength to go on when we are away. I am a Marine and about ready to return to the box. I will say only the following, John anf Frank are taking fellow parents on a tour..yet filling their pockets. For Marines...or those Marines that you love and yurn for, get them a book they can love...I would suggest either "Marine" the life and story of Chesty Puller or "Stand By to Fall Out" the life of a first tour grunt Marine.. That is what we look for, not soap operas. Semper Fi and to those I love, see ya on the flip side!!!

The Only Book That Gives Military Parents An Authentic Voice
I am the father of a Marine. He went to war in Iraq. No one seemed to understand what this put my wife, three daughters and me through... until, that is I read Frank Schaeffer's incredible book "Faith Of Our Sons."

This book has to be read by anyone who has ever loved a soldier, marine, airman, coast guard or sailor. It also should be read by anyone who loves really great writing. For those like me who discovered Schaeffer through his wonderful and warmly funny novels, "Portofino," "Zermatt" and "Saving Grandma," it is amazing to discover that he his also the father of a marine.

"Faith Of Our Sons" takes us from deployment through home comming and beyond. It plumbs the depths and the heights of family life lived on the edge of worry, the sleepless nights, the untasted meals.

It is compassionate and boldly honest. It will take your breath away. Frank Shaeffer is one of America's literary treasures. Read this book! ... Read more

Book Description

He returned to London a hero in the autumn of 1898. The city went wild. He was Kitchener of Khartoum: victor of the Battle of Omdurman, destroyer of tyranny, avenger of the massacred General Gordon. Sir Herbert Kitchener had reconquered the Sudan and laid down principles that for sixty years made it one of the most humanely governed lands in the British Empire. Based on the Kitchener Papers and Royal Archives as well as contemporary manuscripts and private letters, this new biography records the military triumphs and peace of reconciliation Kitchener achieved in South Africa; his postings in India as commander in chief and Egypt as proconsul; the strategy that, despite Kitchener's death by enemy action in 1916, guided the Allies to victory in the Great War. Thoroughly researched, too, are the brutality, butchery, and homosexuality that have in recent times clouded Kitchener's reputation. What emerges beyond the iconic public figure who clashed with Lloyd George and Churchill is the man often capable of great compassion and humanitarian vision. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

shows the imperfection and the achievements
I read a review on here and chose not to read this book - boy how stupid I would have been and what I would have missed! I got this book and am beginning the final fourth: this is a comprehensive biography and a competent one. I'll say that again farther down, but this author has done a tremendous job with a remarkable life in an important time, a man at the center of many events and doings forming parts of our world and helping to define the 'our time' of those who came before us, which we inherited.
Firstly, this author devotes an entire appendix to the sexual question, and whether or not a reader agrees with the conclusions the issue is quite addressed.

Now that is remarked, time to move on: one does not have to be a detractor, busting the myths of good deeds of a life, to be a biographer, in fact most have some reason for writing on a person, often a fan or at least appreciating some things that personage did: this author has given us a very full and balanced account of a man who, while far less than perfect, gave what was needed during some difficult and climaxing British times: keen confidence and loyal leadership. K was most certainly not perfect, and Pollock shows how K made many mistakes, sometimes noticing the thing himself and regretting, and sometimes not noticing then hearing a friend point it out, then agreeing and regretting. He was great at deciding and issuing orders yet not remarkable at chatting, no manoeuvering manipulator here; not great at the rubbing elbows and chatting or curbing his tongue in subtle areas; his biggest problem came from errantly speaking his mind then finding himself used by a consumate and macchiavellian politician. K was no brilliant politician and made mistakes; but he came into his own in the Sudan command and knew how to run the India Army, or any army; he also made a huge difference in realizing what the first year of the great war would require and getting that going in the face of great opposition. The man did not lack personal and political courage.

But this author has done the main job of a biographer, showing how this man came to do the achievements and leadership he did at critical times by showing the personality's development and viewpoint: showing from where and how he came, and how those he knew and events he experienced affected and formed him to be the shy yet confident man he became, learning by trial and fire as he went, with flawed facets and yet a rare magnetism and decisiveness others required, enjoyed and benefited from. If I had been a colonel recalled from a field command to plan and slave for some senior potentate, I would have enjoyed doing it for K for the same reasons his staffs appreciated him and were loyal: he earned his colonelcy and his generalship by decisive plans and actions, loyalty to friends and fellows, and a keen mind properly bent to the joint struggles and joint end. I now must go read the other biographies of this author I previously had never heard of, but I can greatly recommend this comprehensive and professionally thorough biography including the hallmarks of a well-done one: just have a read at his tremendous sources, including archives and private letters, a great lot of endnotes, bibliographies including manuscripts and newspapers of the times. Even if you care not for the man, you can get a good view of the critical and shaping times across continents between 1880 and 1916, the year K was killed with his staff upon the mined cruiser traveling to Russia for important allied meetings.

This thing is huge with a ton of primary sources woven into dialog and indented paras to show us not only what they did but how these critically placed people felt about each other: this book tells the events and more, but rather than making me put it down every three pages - I would look up after twenty and realize I'm late for something.

Is this historical writing or fan mail?
Lord Kitchner has an apologist in Mr. Pollock.If you are expecting an objective historical account, I do not recommend this book.The lack of objective thought makes one suspect that the book was written during the Victorian period and not at the start of the twenty-first century.Examples abound, but I will site two as representative.Rumors that Lord K was a homosexual because he never married and was very found of young adjutants are dismissed by Mr. Pollock as a modern bias that would make anyone fond of young men and not a womanizer a homosexual. That is not historical writing from sources, it is the opinion of the author in the nature of conjecture. Secondly, Mr. Pollack dismisses the Murant incident during the Boer war as a subject for "fiction" writers, after admitting that in a suspicious case Kitchner signed the execution papers and then made himself indisposed to appeals for clemency.Why did K do that Mr. Pollock?To answer that, by historical researchis your task as a historian. Instead of research we have evasion of the issue. This blot on Lord Kitchner's reputation cannot be dismissed by an objective historian via relegating it to the dustbin of history, with a comment that the incident is a good one for fiction writers.

A life of enviable adventure.
Though it is now possible to recognise Kitchener as the architect of a British victory that he did not live to see in the Great War, he has often come across as a stiff, remote and unimaginative figure. This first volume of a two-part biography goes far to change that impression and portrays Kitchener as a sensitive man of high intelligence, capable of great affection, loyalty and kindness. His apparent shyness is here revealed to have been a result of chronic eye problems, which he was largely successful in covering up, while a serious facial wound left him with an almost invariably severe impression. A delightful photograph in this book, which is new to this reviewer at least, showing Kitchener beaming as he is reunited in Britain with the Cameron Highlanders who provided his personal escort in South Africa, reveals a totally different side to the conventional picture.

This biography makes for easy reading - and is a suitable companion piece to Mr.Pollock's excellent earlier work on that other great Royal Engineer, Charles Gordon, Kitchener's idol. The life here described is one of enviable adventure, admirable courage and daunting responsibility. Kitchener emerges not just as an ideal engineer and manager, but as a man of considerable daring and initiative, with an uncanny ability to pick up languages quickly, to understand alien cultures, and to evoke loyalty from peoples of widely differing racial and religious backgrounds. His diplomatic skills are also seen to be of a high order, as exemplified by his handling of the Fashoda incident and his efforts to bring the Boer War to a negotiated settlement. Somewhat of a surprise is the extent to which strong but unostentatious religious convictions underpinned his behaviour. A virtue of this biography is that Kitchener is portrayed as a man of his time, and judged as such, without projection of twenty-first century values on him - typical being the manner in which speculations by later biographers as to possible homosexuality are robustly dismissed in an appendix. This is one of those rare biographies that one would have wished to have been considerably longer. One would have welcomed considerably more detail on the more minor battles in the Sudan, such as Firket and Um Diyaykarat. This small gripe apart, this book is a splendid treat for aficionados of the Victorian period and one looks forward with impatience to the second volume. ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description

In the hell that was World War II, the Eastern Front was its heart of fire and ice. Gottlob Bidermann served in that lethal theater from 1941 to 1945, and his memoir of those years vividly recaptures his grueling experiences with an army marching on the road to ruin.

A riveting and reflective account by one of the millions of anonymous soldiers who fought and died in that cruel terrain, In Deadly Combat conveys the brutality and horrors of the Eastern Front in detail never before available in English.

Wounded five times and awarded numerous decorations for valor, Bidermann saw action in the Crimea and siege of Sebastopol, participated in the vicious battles in the forests south of Leningrad, and ended the war trapped in the Courland Pocket. He shares his impressions of countless Russian POWs seen at the outset of his service, of peasants struggling to survive the hostilities while caught between two ruthless antagonists, and of corpses littering the landscape. He recalls a Christmas gift of gingerbread from home that overcame the stench of battle, an Easter celebrated with a basket of Russian hand grenades for eggs, and his miraculous survival of machine gun fire at close range. In closing he relives the humiliation of surrender to an enemy whom the Germans had once derided and offers a sobering glimpse into life in the Soviet gulags.

Bidermann's account also debunks the myth of a highly mechanized German army that rolled over weaker opponents with impunity. Despite the vast expanses of territory captured by the Germans during the early months of Operation Barbarossa, the war with Russia remained tenuous and unforgiving.

Translator Derek Zumbro has rendered Bidermann's memoir into a compelling narrative that retains the author's powerful style. This English-language edition of Bidermann's dynamic story is based upon a privately published memoir entitled Krim-Kurland Mit Der 132 Infanterie Division. Zumbro has also added important events derived from numerous interviews with Bidermann to provide additional context for American readers. ... Read more

Reviews (29)

An Infantryman's Story
Much has been written about the Wehrmacht, discussing strategies, campaigns, results and commanders; less has been written about the common German soldier in W.W.II. In this
extraordinary book, Gottlob H. Bidermann narrates his experience in the 132 Infantry Division on
the Eastern Front from June 1941 to May 1945 followed by surrender and internment in Russia
until the summer of 1948. He was commissioned and received officer training in 1943 but
continued to be assigned to the 132 Infantry Division. Bidermann's memoirs were written for and
distributed to the survivors of his regiment and division, and originally were not for general
audiences. Derek S. Zumbro, a US Naval officer and friend of the Bidermann family, was given a
copy of his memoir in 1985 by Bidermann which Zumbro translated; the memoirs were published
as the book IN DEADLY COMBAT.

The text is basically an accurate chronology of the events Bidermann personally experienced on
the Eastern Front. Daily death, suffering and destruction was encountered and the author states
"We tended our wounded, buried our dead and moved forward to the next encounter, knowing
that eventually, we would meet the end of our journey". He later notes "Most of us owed our
lives to the skill and self-sacrifice of other in our company, many of whom were no longer with
us."

It is interesting to read the author's personal reactions to brutal combat. He relates how his
training and discipline gave him life saving split second reactions when face to face with the
enemy. While generally not critical of German combat general officers, many of whom he
admired, like the common soldier in all armies he "called it like was". For example, commenting
on one general "And the highest commander, to whom credit for the catastrophe should be
awarded, was not present to witness what his decisions had wrought. As always, the soldiers in
the field bore the brunt of these mistakes and paid with their lives." In another case he wrote
"When captured" General Shoerner "was wearing a traditional Bavarian alpine costume, for
which he had exchanged his uniform and golden party badge. Only weeks earlier he had subjected
untold numbers of soldiers to summary execution for similar displays of cowardice."

Equally interesting is his attitude serving on the Eastern Front, as his division went from a
conquering army in 1941 to the desperate fight for survival in the Courland pocket. Bidermann
writes "....those who continued to cling to the belief in a "final Victory", now realized the
hopelessness of our situation. That said the will to resist the Soviets, the fighting spirit within the
ranks of the Courland fighters, remained unbroken" resulting in the fact "....the troops in
Courland were .... the only combat units in the German army that were never defeated in open
battle." The author makes the interesting statement "We saw the true sense of our operations in
Courland as having one clearly defined objective: the defense of European culture..." then he
laments that the West ignored what he termed "the tragedy unfolding in eastern and central
Europe. Communism descended on an entire culture...."

The text is dictated by the framework of the German army in which Bidermann fought, by the
nature of the Reich and largely by a set of cultural and intellectual conventions in the army which
differed widely from those of the British and Americans. These factors contributed a cohesiveness
that allowed Germany to maintain front-line effectiveness when units like the 132 Infantry
Division fought the enemy for 3 1/2 years, almost without relief. Amazingly, Bidermann relates
that within the framework of the army there were no plans, policies or training for retreat and a
strategic withdrawal which could have reduced losses and preserved unit strength. When orders
were received to surrender on May 8, 1945 the author writes "The philosophy of fighting to death
had become so ingrained within us during the past years that to surrender, as we were now being
ordered to do, was inconceivable." Although they knew that the Russians liquidated thousands of
Polish officers in Poland and expected possibly the same fate, the culture and strict discipline of
the army did not allow for disobeying orders; Bidermann's division surrendered as ordered.

Throughout the text, references to events at home are noted such as "....our relatives lived in a
daily terror of the bombs...." and "The attempted assassination revealed that the war was lost.
Hitler was nothing more that a dictator in brown." Then finally, "In general, news of the death of
Hitler was received by the troops with indifference; however, it must also be said that some
breathed a sigh of relief."

The Epilogue describes of the brutal life in the Soviet prisoner of war camps. The text states "In
the twentieth century prisoners were often afforded little or no protection in any form and
remained free game for the victors. One could beat them, work them to death, shoot them or
simply let them starve." Bidermann observed all of this in Soviet prisoner of war camps. It should
be noted that the same philosophy was followed in Japanese prisoner of war camps. In contrast,
the author states "In the United States prisoners had confinement vastly different from our ordeal
in the gulags. They were well-fed and in the best of health...."

While the writer did not report witnessing atrocities, neither does he ignore their existence. This
work is refreshing as it narrates the hard, brutal life of a front-line an infantryman in combat with
none of the usual apologies of "we were just following orders." often found in other memoirs.
This is a "must read" for those interested in W.W.II history.

Engrossing Account of Combat on the Eastern Front
Firstly, before launching yourself into this excellent book please take the time to read the introduction by Dennis Showalter as it will help explain the style of writing to be found in this book. The book was originally written for the survivors of Bidermann's regiment and division, not for the general public. Bearing this in mind you will have a better understanding and feeling for the author's account of his experience of fighting on the Eastern Front during WW2. At times you might find the narrative old fashioned and even cliched but this is definitely not the case, it has to be taken in context of when and why this book was first written.

This is a great story, on par if not better than Guy Sajer's 'Forgotten Soldier'. This is a combination of a combat history of the 132nd Infantry Division and the author's role and experiences in the fighting on the Eastern Front. The author, Gottlob Herbert Bidermann, won two Iron Crosses, the Crimea Shield, the Close Combat Badge, the German Cross in Gold, the Gold Wound Badge (wounded five times), the Honour Roll Clasp and the Tank Destruction Badge. What is remarkable is that the author survived five years of combat on the Russian Front fighting in Crimea, Leningrad and later in the Courland Pocket. I found his stories about his early years fighting with an anti-tank section using the Pak 37 "doorknocker" very interesting, I had always believed these weapons to be next to useless on the Russian Front however I was surprised.

You can trace the change in the author from a novice who still cared about human beings, even his enemy to one whom has been brutalised by warfare to a point past indifference to death and destruction. I have taken the liberty to include below a short section of the text from the first chapter to give you an idea of the author's style of writing:

"The NCO was grasping one of the wheels of the Maxim carriage, his sightless eyes peering forward at the ammunition belt where it fed into the chamber of the weapon. Another held his rifle clenched in cold fists, his head resting against the ground as if asleep, the olive-colored helmet secured tightly under his chin.

Hartmann slipped past me and slowly approached two other figures lying closely together, side by side. One of the figures had draped an arm across the other in a last embrace, as if attempting to comfort a dying comrade. As Hartmann neared, a cloud of flies rose in protest, breaking the deadly silence and I moved forward to join him in surveying the ghastly scene.

Moving silently among the carnage, Hartmann suddenly turned and slipped past me without speaking, heading in the direction from which we had come. Carefully avoiding the eyes of the dead, I quickly followed him.

In this abode of death, only the trees, still and quiet, appeared to be survivors and witnesses to the struggle that had occurred, hidden within this wooded glade".

I found this book to be a very fascinating account of the fighting conducted on the Eastern Front from the perspective of a young German soldier. It offers some very interesting insights into combat and its affect on men who in the end just tried to survive against immense odds. There is a number of absorbing black and white photographs supplied from private sources that give the book a human touch. The only real problem that readers may find with this book is the lack of maps detailing the movements and combats of the 132nd Infantry Division. Overall this is the sort of book that should be in the library of every serious reader or student of the war on the Russian Front during World War Two.

A "Keeper" for your library
Outstanding upclose view of a German infantryman's experiences on the Eastern Front. He didn't win the Knights Cross, he wasn't a pilot or a panzer leader and he wasn't a member of the SS or an elite division. He was a "common" combat soldier doing his duty in a lethal environment. I now have a better understanding of what made the German soldier "tick" during WWII. Outstanding says it all, it's very readable and it's a keeper.

Prompts nostalgia for my Father's tales of WWII
Biderman gives a fantastic, continuous narative that had me cringing at the thought of hardships to come and exhausted by the never-ending, life-threatening encounters with the Russians. Biderman fails only in the lack of maps and the repetitious descriptions of the campaign of the northern army, but this is in keeping with the drawn-out events in the battles surrounding Leningrad. The conditions endured by Biderman and his colleagues will humble the hardiest mountaineer and reminded you of just how easy you have it in life. I wish my father had lived longer so that we might sit and ponder Biderman's experiences. My father served in the US army on the Western Front, and met the Russians at the end of the war. Read this book along with stories of Shackleton, and H. W. Tilman for the sheer adventure of it.

The best narrative of a German soldier that I have read.
If you like reading what the other side was dealing with during WWII, this book fits the bill. It's one of the better ones of the genre. Bidermann's story is interesting and full of insights into the German soldiers experience. I recommend this book whole-heartedly. Bidermann does not make excuses for being a German soldier, or for his actions during the war, but just tells his story honestly, I believe.

Enjoy. ... Read more

Book Description

Advance praise for Heart of the Storm

"Col. Ed Fleming tells a story of true heroism about the constant dangers faced by the pilots and crews who fly the most versatile–and vulnerable–aircraft in the skies today."
–John Glenn, former U.S. senator, astronaut, and bestselling author of John Glenn: A Memoir

"To risk your life to save a stranger is the highest mark of a human being. Ed Fleming is such a man, and this book is a great read."
–Dr. Jerri Nielsen, author of the #1 New York Times bestselling Ice Bound

"Filled with suspense and emotion, Heart of the Storm reads like a thriller–but it’s all true. Ed Fleming has led a dramatic and interesting life, and this book portrays it in living color."
–Robert K. Tanenbaum, New York Times bestselling author of Resolved and Absolute Rage ... Read more

Reviews (2)

So Exciting It Reads Like the Best Fiction - but All True
In Heart of the Storm, Col. Fleming shows that he is as adept at writing about his lifetime of thrilling rescues as he was at performing them. What a career, and what a book! A work of fiction couldn't cover more high profile adventures - rescues he pulled off during the Perfect Storm, at the South Pole, in the Gulf War, just to scratch the surface. But it's not fiction. He really did it, risking his life to save perfect strangers more times than I could count. I don't have the patience to read many books, but this one wouldn't let me put it down.

A great thrill ride
The story Of Edward Fleming is a timely reminder of what a true american hero is.His story of a long and dangerous career is a testament to the people who put there lives in harms way not only in times of war put in the day to day operations of peace time service. A very good read for all. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

This Is One Fantastic Book!
E.P. Alexander, Longstreet and Lee's Chief of Artillery, wrote two books. This book, his first, was written while Alexander was in Central America, without access to the Official Records, etc. Thus, he wrote primarily from memory. Alexander started the work at the urgings of his children and did not intend the work to be published. It was meant for his family only. As a result, it is a very personal account of his life during the Civil War. He does go into detail regarding battles in which he participated and freely offers his opinions about various strategies, tactics and leaders. (If no one but his family was to read it, then there was no one to offend.) In his opinions Alexander comes across as scrupulously honest and straight-forward, not to mention intelligent. Later Alexander decided to write a 2nd book; and at first he used these recollections as the basis for that book (whose title I forget). He then gave up this tactic and wrote his 2nd book from "scratch". So now, Gary Gallagher has once again come to the rescue and pieced together Alexander's first writings - which is this particular book......Overall, I found this to be one of the most interesting and enjoyable books I have read. It is very funny at times; then often sad. It contains much information about battles; and also insights into the leaders of those battles. But while his 2nd book is a strict military tract about the Civil War, this 1st book also gives the reader a "feel" for the people involved. It was a joy to read - one great book!

Integrity and Candor
E. Porter Alexander gives us one of the finest memoirs of the Civil War. His prose is lean, lacking the ruffles and flourishes so beloved by the Victorians. He had none of the false modesty that makes such reading tiresome. His book was not intended for a general audience, as were his "Military Memoirs." Hence there is great frankness and frequent passion in his story. He gives honest accounts of his immediate superiors, Longstreet and Lee; and criticizes as well as praises.

Gary Gallagher, a noted historian, is to be thanked for rescuing these papers from oblivion. Alexander was a well born 25-year old West Point graduate when the war began. His career was quickly advanced because of his mental agility and military astuteness. During the Peninsula campaign, he was in reconnaissance. He was one of the first to use hot-air balloons for surveillance of the enemy. This makes for exciting reading. It was relatively easy to get UP in the balloons of the time, but getting Down was a chancy business! He was transferred to Artillery where he remained throughout the war. It was Alexander who laid the artillery charges at Gettysburg on that fateful afternoon of July 3, 1863.

Alexander's prose is never dry, often humorous, and sometimes luminous. Following is his impression of the burning of Richmond, Monday, April 3, 1865: "-It was after sunrise of a bright morning when from the Manchester high grounds we turned to take our last look at the old city for which we had fought so long & so hard. It was a sad, a terrible & a solemn sight. I don't know that any moment in the whole war impressed me more deeply with all its stern realities than this. The whole river front seemed to be in flames, amid which occasional heavy explosions were heard & the black smoke spreading & hanging over the city seemed to be full of dreadful portents. I rode on with a distinctly heavy heart & with a peculiar sort of feeling of orphanage." (pp 529, "Fighting for the Confederacy")

A Must-Read for anyone interested in the Civil War
General Alexander's "Military Memoirs" saw great commercial and critical success when it was published shortly after the turn of the century. His children were constantly asking him for more of a "what it was like" memoir, without all the scholarly overtones. To satisfy them, he drafted a 1200 page manuscript while away on a job in Nicaragua. It disappeared over the years, and was only rediscovered about 10 years ago. With some excellent editing to fill in the blanks in the author's memory, "Fighting for the Confederacy" should be required reading for every Civil War enthusiast.
Compared to his other work, this book is much more personal and informal. He includes some great detail on what military service was like in Utah Territory and California immediately before the war. Like his other book though, he is neither a romantic about the Confederacy (or apologetic for that matter), nor sparing of his views of commanders North or South. If you have an interest in the Civil War, but not especially details of the campaigns, this is probably the better book by Alexander-praise indeed. However, the military historian would benefit from this book as well as "Military Memoirs". Highly Recommended.

A civil war must read!
If you only read one civil war memoir, this is the one to read. There are so many positives to be found in this book that I don't think I can list them all. On the other hand I didn't find anything at all that I would consider a negative.

General Alexander wrote this book for his family at his daughter's request. She wanted to be sure that they had a clear record of the General's role in the war. Since Alexander never intended for this to be published, it is not written in the deep, dry, and dull formal Victorian style. Instead it is written almost as a long letter to his family and is therefore easy to read and understand. I spent several long nights, well past my bedtime, engrossed in the General's story. That seldom happens with a dull book.

Alexander's having written this for his family is also a plus in that he is entirely honest. He has no ax to grind, no score to settle, and no point to make. Many civil war leaders, both military and civilian wrote memoirs after the war. Unfortunately, most were written with the idea of aggrandizing themselves or proving they weren't at fault for a particular failure. Longstreet for example, wrote an excellent book but he spends all too much time trying to defend himself from the vicious attacks that were being launched on him. There is none of that here. Alexander calls things as he sees them. For example he heaps praise on General Lee for the most part, but where he finds fault, he says so. There is also a great deal of praise for General Grant to be found in these pages.

Finally, in various capacities Alexander was in close contact with the Confederate high command throughout the war. From First Bull Run to Appomattox Alexander was there. He was with the Virginia Army in all of its major efforts and was with Longstreet on his trip to Tennessee. Seldom can one find this kind of insight into both of the Confederacy's major armies. There are amusing tales, stories of the hardships faced by the common solider, and touching reflections on Alexander's last meeting with some of his comrades who were killed in battle.

Do not pass this opportunity up. This book is an enjoyable read and is full of insight. If any book belongs in a well-stocked civil war library, this one does. Alexander probably did as much service to his native south with this book as he did during four years of war.

Huge content, remarkable events and commentary!
Porter Alexander put off writing a book about his life in the US Military and also the Confederate Army for many years until he finally listened to his families pleas to put together a book. After 40 years Alexander started to re-trace his steps back in time to discuss his life and also many others. Alexander is careful and considerate to all of those he came into contact with and also very descriptive and helps historians of modern times to understand questionable events such as those like the battles of Gettysburg, Seven Days, Chancellorsville, Chattanooga and the siege of Petersburg.

As much as I liked reading about Alexander's situations, I discovered that he sometimes gets off the subject matter at hand to discuss a certain individual or event that had little to do about what he was writing about. He will sometimes change the flavor of the chapter with this and then say, "I will write more when I come to that later.." Such a strange format could have been eliminated by the editor to correspond to the correct chapter of events in the book. His 'conversationalist' style of writing is almost a dictation of recorded words from the man himself without editing which can zig-zag his chapters with a multitude of information.

As his writing style isn't the best, it is overshadowed by quite a lot of useful information and his thoughts are shared which brings about much needed character to his battlefield reporting. Sometimes a bit winded, Alexander tends to write about events or individuals in which he wasn't apart of. He would get into issues such as the Atlanta campaign in which he didn't take part of but wanted to share his opinion. At times I found his opinion important for events he was involved in which were especially crucial while reading about Gettysburg. Alexander does a find job discussing the events surrounding the Petersburg area that made it obvious the supply shortened Confederacy had little chance of survival. He points out very interesting ideas as he thought that surrender should have happened much earlier in 1863 or 1864 than in 1865 when everything was decimated.

Alexander's book may be a very long book as it has 552 pages of content from him. It is a must read for anyone trying to understand events from a personal account standpoint. This book almost wasn't published and lingered for years before it was found and put together. Gary Gallagher has assembled quite a book here and deserves many honors for it! This book will probably always rank with the few as being the best ever and should be in anyone's Civil War library! ... Read more

Book Description

THEY FLEW LOW, SLOW, AND INTO THE FACE OF ENEMY FIRE...

In Vietnam, an elite group of air force pilots fought a secret air war in Cessna 0-2 and OV-10 Bronco prop planes-flying as low as they could get. The eyes and ears of the fast-moving jets who rained death and destruction down on enemy positions, the forward air controller made an art form out of an air strike-knowing the targets, knowing where friendly troops were, and reacting with split-second, life and death decisions as a battle unfolded. For Tom Yarborough, the risk was constant, intense, electrifying. A member of the super secret Prairie Fire unit, Yarborough became one of the most frequently shot-up pilots flying out of Da Nang-engaging in a series of dangerous secret missions in Laos. This is Yarborough's adrenaline-pumping chronicle of heroism, danger, and brotherhood in Vietnam. From the rescuing of downed pilots to taking out enemy positions, to the most harrowing day-long missions, here is the dedication, courage, and skill of the fliers who took the war into the enemy's backyard... ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Simply captivating
I agree with the other reviewer, this book and "A Lonely Kind of War" are two of my alltime favorites. Yarborough really makes you feel like you're in the middle of the action, I found myself unable to put this book down !

Outstanding account of the Secret Wars in Laos
This book is a must read for anyone interested in the black operations of special forces and the dedicated pilots who supported them. The stories of heroism and sacrifice in this book need to be heard. The author has a gift for making the reader feel they are in the cockpit experiencing the challenge and excitement of life and death combat. This is a keeper.

the best
in my opinion these true stories of the vietnam airwar are the most gripping and entertaining i have ever read. i was so impressed by this book that i honestly wanted to travel wherever to met this man and shake his hand. i have worn out my paperback copy of this book. i can't imagine any aviation buff not thoroughly enjoying this read.

A fascinating look at the secret war in Southeast Asia
This would have been the best book I have read on the air war in Vietnam if I had not disovered "A Lonely Kind of War" by Marshall Harrison. Both books are written by former Foward Air Controllers that served in Southeast Asia (more than Vietnam).

Da Nang Diary is a fascinating read about the lives of the pilots and crew that operated from Thailand and flew into Laos and Cambodia to support US and South Vietnamese soldiers. Tom Yarborough manages to do a very good job of drawing the reader ito the story during the action, but doesn't do as well when he is not talking about the flying.

All in all a very good book that should be read with "A Lonely Kind of War" by Marshall Harrison to get a better understanding of the situation that our pilots faced in Southeast Asia. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Soldiering as an occupation, war as an industry.
This is a brave book, free of the bitter blood and guts filling current works in the category.There's a lot more serotonin than testosterone here.The work isn't about bravery under fire; it's about the ideas a very professional man has about his occupation, Soldiering.And his industry, - War.
In our present international state Spicer's Peace Making makes more sense than the U.N.'s Peace Keeping.In a world where our leaders run around like rock stars continually checking their popularity poles, Tim Spicer takes a hard look at the best way to save lives, civilian and military.He lays out how war actually works covering the necessary facts and not drowning the reader in details.There's no harping on the cold hard facts of being a soldier; he relates the conditions as if it's of no more importance than a weather report.
While the world leaders are busy ranting and consoling, the man with the gun seems to be the only one thinking.Spicer's case for P.M.C's is well organized and placed in relevant areas within the story of his experiences as a soldier.It brings up important questions that eventually must be dealt with.The logic is irrefutable, men are a P.M.C.'s assets; companies don't waste assets the way governments have been known waste soldiers.The cold logic of his arguments is like the truths he reveals, a little hard to take at times.
Far from being the unfeeling hard [nosed] commander, his anguish bleeds through when he tells the tale of how badly two of his men were treated in Ireland and his frustrated anger is clear when dealing with several government double crosses.He seems to find these more insulting than frightening because they are so hopelessly flawed.It's almost as if he were saying, "And these are the guys running things?"
Throughout it all there is humor, passion and suspense and not all questions are answered.I find myself still wondering where the knife, compass and money was? Spicer doesn't tell us or the enemy everything.
All said, though this might not be considered a woman's book, I found Spicer's work strangely comforting, even hopeful.

Opens up a new world, but style is not enjoyable
This book gave me new insights into the military action going on in 3rd world countries. It also made me aware of the concept of the private military corporation. The style of the book is somewhat dry and tedious. Spicer is a very methodical and thorough man which no doubt serves him well as a commander, but he could have used a professional writer to make the book more exciting. He is on a mission to get more respect for private military corporations, and uses the book to further this goal.

In summary, I would say if you are looking for a fun read, this is not it. But it is required reading for those interested in the PMC conecept.

Unorthodox Soldier- A justification for PMCs
This book is an interesting story covering the military service of Lt Col Tim Spicer as an Officer in the Scots Guards and later as the Managing Director of Sandline. Colonel Spicer saw active service in Northern Ireland and the Falklands and was awarded the OBE for service as the OC 1st BN Scots Guards during a deployment to Northern Ireland.He also served in Bosnia as Staff officer to General Rose during the Serbian encirclement of Sarajevo and other cities when the UN attempt to keep the warring factions apart.

Although it is interesting to read the view of a protaganist the book is a thinly disguised advertisement for Private Military Companies (PMC) as a potential solution for security issues faced by legitimate Governments in Third World countries.

Colonel Spicer gives a brief coverage of the Sandline operation in Papua New Guinea which failed when one of the major stakeholders, the PNGDF Commander, changed sides and promoted a mutiny by his troops which resulted in the Sandline Contract being cancelled by the new PNG Government.

He also brushes over the Sierre Leone affair which caused upheaval in UK when Sandline was accused of illegal arms shipments.

The reader is also asked to accept that PMCs provide an efective solution for many of today's security problems.Colonel Spicer maintains that a professional, self regulated private miliatry force under legal contract to a legitimate government can provide earlier resolution to emerging security problems and thereby reduce the reliance on the UN and Major world powers to provide the military resources required to control the situation.

It is necessary to read between the lines to identify that the future for Soldiers of Fortune will be more closely linked to PMCs which can be regulated and therefore provide a higher quality of service.

I recommend the book to those interested in the profession of arms for a glimpse into the future where the mercenary or professional soldier will be used more often then the "levy" or conscript. ... Read more

Book Description

As a young professor at MIT in the 1920s, Vannevar Bush (1890-1974) did seminal work on analog computing and was a cofounder of Raytheon, whose initial success was based on long-lasting radio tubes. But he is best known for his role in Washington during World War II: as President Roosevelt's advisor, he organized the Manhattan Project and oversaw the work of 6,000 civilian scientists designing new weapons. His 1945 report "Science -- The Endless Frontier" spurred the creation of a system of public support for university research that endures to this day.

Although he helped to give rise to the military-industrial complex, Bush was a skeptical observer of the interplay between science and politics. He warned against the dangers of an arms race and led a failed effort to halt testing of the hydrogen bomb. This balanced and gracefully written biography brings to life an American original and his times. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Vannevar like beaver
This is a very well written and entertaining book about a scientific administrator who played a major effort in organizing the technical responses required to anticipate and successfully meet the challenges of WWII. His skillful analysis, technical comprehension and political astuteness not only provided outstanding leadership at the time but shaped the intractions of goverment, industry and the academic community in such a fashion as to remain intact to this time. One comes awawy with an enormous respect for Dr. Bush. He must have been one tough character and difficult to deal with but he got the jobs done. It is a pity that his battles with Admiral Ernest King have, to my knowledge, never been documented. The issues they disagreed about were not trivial and their interactions must have been awesome. I read this book shortly after completing Tycho's Island and the similarity between the two men and the administrative issues they dealt with is both striking and illuminating.

Good men are hard to find and good books about them deserve our attention.

An excellent biography of an important but little known man.
A very interesting and thorough biography of Vannevar Bush, who more than any other individual is responsible (for good or for ill) for the shape of today's scientific establishment. Well-written and engaging, with lots of interesting historical tidbits and good insight on the personalities involved. Excellent! ... Read more

Book Description

First published in 1925, Lowell Thomas’absorbing account of the legendary military figure, Colonel T.E. Lawrence, was the inspiration for the film Lawrence of Arabia. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Debunking the debunkers
Thomas' book is worth reading because it's a nice antidote to the Lawrence revisionism that reached it's hysterical peak in the late eighties with David Fromkin. A Peace to End All Peace, which has been quoted on this website as some kind of definitve debunking of Lawrence, is now sixteen years old, an eternity in the world of Lawrence ebb and flow. I know of five biographies of Lawrence published since then including Jeremy Wilson's definitive work. The pendulum has been swinging back the other way for over a decade and the mainstream thought now among military historians is that inspite of one or two exaggerations, Lawrence's masterpiece, Seven Pillars of Wisdom, is an accurate account of one of the most remarkable military adventures of modern times. Lowell Thomas, who was an eye witness to some of Lawrence's exploits, also captures the essence of why Lawrence was important. If you had to read only one, of course you should read Seven Pillars. In the March 1, 2004 London Times there are actually two different articles addressing the vital relevance of Seven Pillars of Wisdom for those fighting Arab guerrillas in Irag today. It seems the sales of this great work has exploded. In the Oxford Companion to Military History published in 2002, Lawrence is given credit for virtually inventing effective modern guerrilla warfare (see the entry "guerrilla warfare"). According to this distinguished reference book, every formidable guerrilla fighter from Mao, to Che, to the Israeli guerrillas of the forties, to the Arabs, to the Viet Namese etc., have used Lawrence's writings and experiences as a model for their efforts. Lawrence is back and very relevant, so Thomas' account should be read as an enthusiatic if flawed version of an extremely important development in military and middle eastern history. A word about Fromkin and some of the other out dated debunkers. Lawrence stepped on a lot of Arab, Zionist and British Establisment toes. It's as important to examine the motives of a revisionist as it is to scrutinize the intergrity of an enthusiast.

The Making of a Legend By a Shameless Showman
David Lean included a journalist, Jackson Bentley, in his epic film "Lawrence of Arabia," an obvious take-off on the great journalist and author Lowell Thomas. In fact, Thomas was with Lawrence in Arabia and used the experience to make a name for himself and to create a legend. Sadly, it is also true, that T.E. Lawrence did not want to be a legend. As a biography of Lawrence or an introduction to the Middle East this volume has suffered a bit over the years..."it's all right," but there are better books on each subject. Still, this is something special, at least for this writer. This was the first book on the Middle East that I read and when combined with Lean's film which I saw about the same time in early 1963 I was hooked. I have studied, taught about and written about the Middle East ever since. Lowell Thomas and David Lean were inspirations for this modest scholar. I had the privilege to spend part of an early evening with Lowell Thomas in 1973, in of all places a press box awaiting a football game at the University of Utah. It was an unexpected and rare treat. Thomas seemed quite moved that he had encouraged the work of a graduate student. He was was quite a man. His greatest talent was to tell stories, and that he did, with some dramatic embellishments. This work on Lawrence is not unfactual, indeed it provides a good deal of fact. It is also quite sympathetic to Islam and the Arabs, as it should be. Lawrence seems larger than life. But in truth there are men like that. Both Lawrence and Thomas were such men and that can be seen in this wonderful book. It reads well, and it educates, even if some of it is the stuff of legend.

Lawrence at the Crossroads of Legend and Reality
In writing his book about Lawrence of Arabia, Lowell Thomas knew how to package a story for selling it to a wide variety of audiences. Thomas was, after all, a multi-media professional. Thomas sometimes took liberty with his subject such as how he recalled his first meeting with Lawrence (pg. 1). At other times, Thomas indulged in histrionics (for example when he grew emphatic about the most brilliant and spectacular military operation in the world's history) (pg. 179).

Despite these shortcomings, "With Lawrence in Arabia" has the merit and talent to make a complex man accessible to the great majority of people. "Seven Pillars of Wisdom" by Lawrence himself, though a literary masterpiece, is not an easy read compared to Thomas's recollection of Lawrence's exploits. Furthermore, Thomas has defended himself with conviction when he reminds in his foreword that he has not created the myth of Lawrence of Arabia (xiv). Lord Beaverbrook put it nicely when he commented on vain attempts to smear Lawrence's reputation: Every great man is subject to vicious, venomous attack. There are no exceptions. The one who will suffer will be the author (xviii). Lawrence had admirers such as Winston Churchill, Field Marshal Viscount Allenby and Viceroy and Viscount Halifax, to name a few, who knew Lawrence's strengths and weaknesses from personal experience. Most Lawrence's detractors did not know him at this level.

Most importantly, "With Lawrence in Arabia" gives contemporary readers valuable insights into the Middle East. The last chapters are probably the most fascinating and also the most actual of all. Thomas recalled how Lawrence helped his old friend, King Feisal, become king of Iraq after being kicked out of Syria by the French. Media-savvy, Lawrence convinced the British Empire to come to the realization that the occupation of Iraq was a burden both to the Imperial Exchequer and Mesopotamia (pg. 230-234). The Coalition in Iraq knows it very well and is working on a transition plan to help Iraqis regain their sovereignty. Probably elections will be held across Iraq in the near future to accommodate the concern of the Shiite community.

After these elections, the mandated framers of the new Iraqi Constitution could proceed as follows:

I. On Iraqis and their rights

The U.S. Bill of Rights could serve as a source of inspiration to govern the relationships between Iraqi citizens and the state. However, the wording of some constitutional amendments should be slightly amended to be fully understandable to a 21st century audience. Although the predominantly Islamic character of Iraq could be stressed in the Fundamental Law as a concession to the Muslim clergy, the separation of religious institutions and state should be made very clear to preserve the rights of religious minorities. Finally, the incorporation of economic, social and cultural rights and their corresponding obligations into the Fundamental Law could be considered as well.

II. On Power

Separation of powers and checks and balances should define the legislative, executive and judiciary powers and their respective competences. The Constitution should also promulgate that the Iraqi federal authority only has power in the matters that are formally attributed to it by the Fundamental Law and the laws carried in pursuance of the Constitution itself. Finally, the Iraqi presidency could be modeled after the provisions of the German Fundamental Law because of the recent dictatorial past of the country.

III. On Federal Iraq, its components and its territory

The Belgian Constitution could serve as a useful model to regulate the relationships between the center and the regions as well as between regions in Iraq. Unlike other regions such as former Yugoslavia, Rwanda or Northern Ireland, to name a few, Belgium, sometimes branded as an "artificial state," has been very good at making possible for different communities to live at peace with one another for many years. The "Belgian compromise" could work wonders in a country under stress of centrifugal forces.

IV. Energy-revenue management

Because easy money encourages corruption in most energy-producing countries, Iraq should set up a fund after the example of Norway. Part of the money should be reinvested to modernize the aged Iraqi infrastructure; part of these funds should be redistributed directly to Iraqi citizens based on census data to strongly discourage manipulation of the fund.

As Lawrence himself put it, "whether the (Iraqis) are fit for independence o