History Books

Awesome book by an excellent Commander. Ready 6 takes the reader in a journey through the BCT's intense and extended deployment to Baghdad during the crawling stages of the war (2003-2004). The historical facts in this book help you understand the complexity of the situation, both leaders and Soldiers were faced with on a daily basis. His detailed narrative portrays without a doubt, the BCT's combat and civil operations. Colonel Mansoor also addresses full spectrum operations and the reorganization of the armed forces to better suit its current and future counterinsurgency operations abroad. As an OIF veteran and a proud member of this fine Brigade Combat Team during this and its subsequent deployment (2006-2007), I recommend this book, especially to fellow veterans and deployed service members.

T.H. Berrios
SFC, USA
Provider One November (2003-2007)

My father-in-law received an advanced copy of Baghdad at Sunrise as a gift from the author. I began reading it with many questions about the handling of the Iraq War mixed with extreme respect for our nation's armed services. I am a lifetime civilian with very little exposure to military history and tactics, yet couldn't put the book down while learning a ton about what are servicemen and women have accomplished in their time in Iraq.

Col. Mansoor's book is a great mixture of military theory, Islamic history and cultural anthropology, all thrown into a personal account of his personal goals and associated challenges. I can't began to list off everything I learned and truthfully believe it would be great for everyone from military historians to those with no knowledge of military tactics and jargon (like yours truly).

On a separate note, I just finished two years of business school with a number of former officers who served in our nation's War on Terror. Reading this book left me with a clear picture of what life on the frontlines is really like, as well as a new appreciation for their hard work and sacrifice. I will hopefully be at the USMA in a few weeks to see a classmate and close friend of mine who is now a West Point professor. Although it may embarrass him in front of new colleagues, he will be getting a hug and a sincere 'thank you' from a friend whose freedom and safety he risked so much for.

Colonel Mansoor, thank you for such an enlightening read. My best for you and your family (Jana, the children and even the dogs) in the future.

I am an Army historian who has accessed many, if not most, of the existing (and they are relatively few) records pertaining to the Ready First Brigade Combat Team's operations in Iraq during the period discussed in this book. Therefore, I can set the "bar" a bit higher when it comes to informed analysis of the book's value. I am also acquainted with an extremely candid and capable senior non-commissioned officer from Colonel Mansoor's Brigade Reconnaissance Troop who interacted with the author on a daily basis during the 1st BCT's deployment in Iraq. If my friend did not believe that Colonel Mansoor was an effective combat leader, he would have told me so in no uncertain terms. Quite the contrary, Colonel Mansoor was a well-respected and credible leader who "figured out" what was happening long before other commanders.

All professional affilitations aside, this review represents my personal opinion. That said, I believe Colonel Mansoor has produced a forthright, factual, and valuable narrative of his experiences in the tumultuous months following the fall of Sadaam Hussein's regime in Iraq.

A respected historian prior to assuming brigade command, Colonel Mansoor took it upon himself to record each day's events in a notebook for posterity's sake. He does not rely solely on his memory, media reports, or the recollections of others. This fact alone sets his account apart from other OIF related personal accounts. His book is even more important given the relative lack of historical material, when compared to later OIF deployments, on the operations conducted by 1st Armored Division during the period 2003 - 2004.

If Mansoor has an unstated agenda, it is a subtle one focused on educating our nation's future political and military leadership. He is not trying to rehabilitate the public's perceptions of his actions in Iraq. Indeed, his candor and objectivity are very refreshing in comparison to other books covering that same period which I have recently read.

Although it felt like it took me a long time to read this book, I realize looking back over the past eleven days, that this is not a book that can be rushed. I had a hard time figuring out exactly how to classify this book. It reads like a memoir, yet it also contains lessons in history, battle analysis, and diplomacy.

Because Peter R. Mansoor was a colonel, and the commander of a brigade, this book is written from a commander's point of view, and thus includes more of an overview of how things come together in battle. He writes about policy, placement of forces, troop morale, and dealing with local leaders.

Other Iraq war stories that I have read (such as A Fist in the Hornet's Nest by Richard Engel, and The Devil's Sandbox by John R. Bruning) have been written about the common soldier in the heat of battle. This book, though still compelling, is quite different.

I think a lot of the difference comes from the fact that Colonel Mansoor has a graduate degree in military history from Ohio State University, and taught history at West Point. Woven into his recollections of his year in Iraq is an overview of the history of Iraq and the conflict between Sunni and Shi'ite Islam.

To date, of all the military books I have read, this book contains the most thorough treatment of the military issues in Iraq, and I found Colonel Mansoor's ideas for dealing with the insurgency to be quite enlightening.

Overall I thought this book contained excellent information, and if you have any interest in military policy in Iraq or military history I would highly recommend it.

This book is all over the place. The author jumps from one thinig to another. There is no consistent narrative thread between tactics and personal accounts. Most of the personal accounts are colorless and reveal little, saying the same thing over and over... "ate sweet potatoes, buildings burning." Author adopts an a lame ploy of referring to "today" and "tomorrow," to make the reader think they are there, but it just makes the book hard to read. Statements are made with no elaboration. For instance, we are told O.O. Howard assummed command of Sherman's right wing but never told the interesting facts that General Logan was passed up or that the previous commander, McPherson, was killed in battle. The maps are uninformative and impossible to read, often without a legend.

I have copies of the diaries of Martin Curtis Tyler who served with the pontoon train in the right wing of Sherman's army as part of Company E Fourteenth Wisconsin. On Friday December 9,1864 he wrote " We have traveled through a pine forest all day, the forage is scarce and we have only got 1 load of corn and the mules only get 4 ears of corn each night. We got no sweet potatoes & the 25 Wisconsin was sent from our PT train for stealing ours last night. We came 14 miles & was brought to a halt at 3pm & turned off the road to the right & 1 1/4 mile to the Ogeeche River & laid the PT to let the troops cross that came on the other side of the river & they will not be here until tomorrow morn." If you compare this to Trudeau's description of action on the same day, you can appreciate the work involved in combining the accounts of numerous diaries so that an accurate and consistent description is given of the march. Trudeau gives a very useful overview of the march while providing enough detail to identify the daily account in individual diaries. If you think the book is dull and tedious then you should read one of the diaries to understand that the daily life of the troops was dull and tedious. There are few cheering crowds, a lot of mud that the wagons had to be pushed through and a very uncertain supply of food and clothing. Thank you Noah Trudeau for an honest account of the march to the sea and those responsible for carrying out the necessary work.
Marcia Roth

Sherman's march to the sea was important strategically and psychologically, but as a military adventure it was little more than a logistical achievement. Trudeau captures its essence well - 600 pages of soldier accounts that, "We went foraging today, found some hogs and sweet potatoes." The next day would be the same. After a while, the litany gets tedious. He gives a good sense of Southern outrage at the march, and some sense of the God-awful disorder of the South's military, but i felt he could have done much more with the later. All in all, I do not think the project was either worthy of Trudeau's considerable talents or he would have been better served to raise his sights and assess the march's larger impacts. The march and it's subsequent effort through South Carolina affected the South for generations. It broke the South psychologically. Trudeau kept his writing largely with the foot soldiers, and cavalry skirmishes, because that's about all there was to it militarily. I think that the work suffers for that, because that really wasn't where Sherman's real impact was. I had just finished Trudeau's remarkable book on Gettysburg and was expecting more.

William Tecumseh Sherman (1820-1891)was along with US Grant the commander who won the Civil War for the United States. Noah Andre Trudeau, author of several outstanding books on the Civil War, has published this long
book on the famous Sherman March to the Sea which transpired from November 15, 1864 to the capture of Savannah in December 1864.
Trudeau has assembled a vast array of first person letters, the Official Records, primary and secondary books and maps to chronicle in detail this amazing odyssey against a faltering and soon to be defeated Confederacy.
Sherman achieved victory in the bloody Atlanta Campaign capturing that important city in September 1864. In November his rested, well equipped and well fed army launched out towards the southeast to plunder, punish, burn and destroy all who might stand in their way on the trip to the coast Sherman's blue clad troopers would be asked to forsake long supply lines by foraging off the rich stores to be found in Georgia.
Sherman's 60.000 men, thousands of mules and horses along with wagons was divided into two huge wings led by General OO Howard leading the right wing and Henry Slocum the commander of the left wing. These men were good subordinates to Sherman. The campaign was well planned and executed. It has become a template of how a campaign can be organized.
They were oppossed by fighting Joe Wheeler and his cavalry force which proved ineffective against the blue clad snake that was Sherman and his forces. Beaureguard was the overall rebel commander but proved inept in marshalling the Georgia State Militia and troops to defeat the Yankees.
Trudeau divides his book into the following sections:
a. Atlanta to Milledgville (then the state capital) November 15-24
b. Milledgeville to Millen-November 30-December 4th
c. Millen to Savannah-December 5-30
d. Savannah-Dec. 11, 1864-January 21, 1865
In an unusual and effective format Trudeau looks in detail at each day of the march through the eyes of soldiers on both sides, civilians, African-Americans and government and military officials. This gives us a new perspective on the march. These accounts run the gamut from the humorous to the tragic. Trudeau also does well portraying the thought, fears and hopes of the thousands of African-American slaves liberated by the Yankees.
It is clear from reading this book that:
a. it was no cakewalk! Every day the men of Sherman's army faced constant sniping from the enemy and outraged citizens, rain, mud, cold and recalcitrant mules and horses. Destroying railroads was not an easy task.
b. Southern leaders did not know where Sherman was heading when he left the Gate City of Atlanta. Macon? Augusta? Savannah? No one knew for sure until the Ohioan left Millen beaded for Atlanta. Sherman was left free to roam through Dixie as Confederate General John Bell Hood had swung his forces north towards Tennessee where he was soundly whipped by Union General George Thomas in the battle of Nashville in December, 1864.
c. The march effectively cut the shrinking Confederacy in two. Along with Grant's triumphs against Lee in the Eastern Theatre and the re-election of Lincoln the war would soon end with Union victory. Sherman would leave Savannah after his victory to plunder and punish the South in the Carolinas.
d. Sherman made the South howl by taking his destructive brand of warfare against a populace who had not felt the hard hand of war upclose and personal. Over 300 miles were trod by Sherman's boys consisting mainly of boys from Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana although there were troops from the east who also served under Uncle Billy. A wide swath of destruction 60 miles wide made Sherman a hated name in the region for a century or more.
e. War is hell and these pages testify to that truism. We see people lose their loved ones, homes, farms, livestock and their own lives. War is never glamorous but is always cruel.
f. There were small battles which were fought such as Waynesboro, battles in front of Macon and most notably the scaling of Fort McAllister near Savannah which was soon seized by Sherman's army.
This book will become the source Civil War scholars and buffs turn to for the latest and best account of this pivotal Civil War campaign. Marching through Georgia will never seem the same to those who enjoy military history spun like a tale well told by a master of the craft.

Sherman's so-called "March to the Sea" is the stuff of American legend. The popular view of it as Total War with the goal of attacking civilians is utterly wrong. Nor was it, as Sherman later claimed, a mere relocation of headquarters from Atlanta to a port on the sea at Savannah. Noah Andre Trudeau takes us through the entire campaign including its origins, and a very detailed and almost day-by-day and mile-by-mile process of Sherman's forces through the forests and swamps of Georgia.

The campaign had a general intention, but not a detailed plan. Sherman's forces were 60,000 strong and hand sufficient food and arms to keep those men fed and armed for more than a month, if need be. The line of marching troops and hundreds of wagons were miles long. At the end, the supplies remained almost completely in tact because of the extensive foraging activities. Sixty-thousand men will eat an enormous amount of food each day and it is these foraging activities that caused most of the destruction of civilian goods. While there were some cities along the way that bore the brunt of Sherman's anger, for example the town of Millen near Camp Lawton, a Confederate prison camp for Union soldiers, was ordered destroyed in a "tenfold more devilish" manner than the commander of the Seventeenth Corps had ever dreamed of. Most of the time, guards were put around the homes and the civilians were protected in their homes and the property in the homes was left in tact. However, many of these people had hidden their goods outside and those, when found, were taken by the soldiers.

The citizens were left very vulnerable when their yams, pigs, beeves, horses, and other goods usable by Sherman's army were taken. These people couldn't simply go and get food at a nearby store and their neighbors surely suffered a similar fate. So, yes, there was terrible civilian hardship after such a large army passed through. But the notion that there was a continuous path of burning and murder from Atlanta to the sea is fantastically overblown. One of the interesting aspects of this campaign is the hundreds and thousands of slaves who left their homes to free themselves and follow the army. However, the army told them to go back home because the army could not and would not provide for them. At times, the army pulled up its pontoons and bridges immediately after crossing to leave slaves on the bank and unable to cross. Yet, many still found ways to cross (some probably drowned) and stayed with the army. Later some were used as laborers to lay corduroy (split logs laid crossways over the road) to enable the army to pass over mud.

The Confederate forces were quite ineffective in trying to stand against or even harass Sherman's army. The author places most of the blame for this on Jefferson Davis's empowering separate armies without a central command. The various commanders did not have sufficient force to do any more than sting Sherman's army and had no one to unify the forces. Nor did the civilians answer the call for 10,000 more volunteers.

The taking of Fort McAllister is fascinating reading. The preparation was extensive and the actual battle was over in less than a half-hour. Most of the fatalities on the Union side were caused by the "torpedoes", the word used at that time for what we call land mines. They were used to impede the progress of the army towards Savannah. Sherman ordered the Confederate prisoners of war be used to dig them up and remove them. This act was controversial then and remains so today. Sherman's view is that if they didn't want their soldiers blown up by the torpedoes they should not have planted them. He certainly wasn't going to endanger his men in that work. The taking of Savannah was more or less an abandonment and surrender. There was no battle and the Confederates scuttled some ships, most notably the spectacular explosion of the ironclad "Savannah", and burned some supplies that might have aided Sherman's army. The Rebels were ineffective in spiking their heavy guns, which the Union easily repaired and took for their own use.

This very interesting, well-written, and informative book also has a section of contemporary images and a list of the forces and their commanders for both the Union and the Confederacy during Sherman's march. There are also extensive footnotes, a detailed bibliography, and a very helpful index.

I think this is a superb book and recommend it strongly.

Reviewed by Craig Matteson, Ann Arbor, MI

The Long Walk is one of the greatest books I have ever read. The decades long battle over its authenticity is, I think, a testament to its power. Only a work of literature that brings such palpable reality to the reader could have withstood the firestorm of controversy surrounding it from so many corners.

Concerning its authenticity, I think there should be some humility shown on all sides. There are those who would desire to believe it simply because it is a great tale. Others would seek to "burst the bubble" of all involved out of a cynical doubt in the human capacity for greatness.

Several considerations should be made when considering the recently revealed documents disproving Rawicz's claims: 1. Rawicz' story is too detailed to have been entirely fabricated. Whether or not he himself participated in the events he describes is doubtful, but that the events themselves or something like them occurred is, in my mind, undeniable; 2. Placing a great deal of trust in Soviet documents from the Stalin era has never been a wise course to take. The fact that Rawicz, according to these documents, rejoined the Polish Army the day after he was released from the Gulag (remarkable considering the debilitating conditions he obviously suffered from in later life due to his imprisonment), make it seem a little too clean.

The most likely occurrence, in my own mind, is that Rawicz appropriated the story from a group of survivors who underwent a journey similar to the one he describes. The BBC article makes this clear:

"A clue may come from the story of Rupert Mayne, a British intelligence officer in wartime India. In Calcutta in 1942, he interviewed three emaciated men, who claimed to have escaped from Siberia.

Mayne always believed their story was the same as that of The Long Walk - but telling the story years later, he could not remember their names. So the possibility remains that someone - if not Rawicz - achieved this extraordinary feat."

Whatever the case, the story Rawicz communicates possesses a majesty and power that can only belong to the annals of Truth.

The long walk is one hell of an adventure. It is well written and is difficult to put down once you start to read it. I am sceptical whether it is true. Walking across the Kobi desert with no food or water is a bit difficult to believe. I think a bit more research needs to be done to vouch for the veracity of this story. Whether the book is fact or fiction it is still a very interesting story to read.

Rawicz's trek is an amazing story, and a great read. His voice comes through so strongly, and authentically that you find ourself with him almost every step of his journey.

This book has been thoroughly reviewed on Amazon already. I add this review in the hopes on contributing something to the discussion.

This is the story of Slavomir Rawicz, a Polish cadet who was arrested by the Soviets on false charges and sentenced to prison in Siberia for 25 years, and of his amazing escape south, across 4,000 miles past Lake Baikal, through Mongolia, across the Gobi Desert, over the Himalayas, and finally into British India. The book is engaging, extremely well-written, heart-breaking and inspiring.

The problem is that it may not be true. I agree with other commenters that the book loses all of its value as an inspirational story if it was fabricated. My five-star review assumes that it is true.

Critics of the book can rely on two types of evidence: internal and external. (I reject objections that such a journey is impossible. Modern adventurers have retraced Rawicz' steps; granted, they were much better equipped, but they also weren't fleeing for their lives).

The external evidence shows that Rawicz was released from prison and sent back to Poland; that the British (probably) have no record of Rawicz or his companions arriving from the Tibetan plateau; that no one has ever located or identified his companions. The first objection can be met by pointing out that the Soviet Cheka was not necessarily above forging documents, especially if necessary to avoid a humiliating admission that seven prisoners escaped. The second objection is undermined by the history of the book's criticisms -- for years, people pointed out that the Soviets had no record of Rawicz' imprisonment at all. The discovery of his papers is a dramatic illustration that the absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.

The final point is simply a mystery. One would expect that Rawicz's companions would try to contact him after the book was published. But that assumes his companions survived long enough to do so -- they arrived in India in 1942, and the book was not published until 1956. It is possible they died, or returned to their homes in communist countries and never saw the book, or were imprisoned again. Of course, all we can do is speculate.

For me, the more interesting question concerns the internal evidence. Is Rawicz' description of a Soviet prison camp consistent with actual practice? When Rawicz crossed the border into Mongolia, he described a series of signs marking the border -- is his description accurate? He describes the clothing, houses and certain material culture in Mongolia, China and Tibet -- is it consistent with local practice at that time?

Adventurer Peter Fleming supposedly challenged the internal evidence as unrealistic shortly after the book was published, but I have not found a copy of Fleming's specific charges, so I cannot evaluate them. In addition, according to a wikipedia article on Rawicz, Fleming supposedly discovered military records that contradicted Rawicz' claims. One must wonder why Fleming would bother with such external evidence if he thought the case against the internal evidence was so clear.

Well, the story itself may be untrue, and come to a point where it's even farcical in what it tries to put over on readers (seeing a pair of menacing yetis in the Himalayas while crossing the mountains in winter with all of rusty wire and animal dung as provisions). But! This is a moot point, because as a tale, it's first-rate. If you can allow the fraud (and there's no real reason to get upset about it), there are large rewards to be had from The Long Walk. The story of the trek to freedom is incredible and very compelling, page b' page. The prose isn't the best, but it serves its singular point well in keeping the action moving and gripping. It's entirely designed in this way, to be a terrific story, and true or not, it only assists itself with all its narrative tendencies.

This is the fourth book in David Macaulay's series of how things in history were built. In both text and detailed drawings, the author describes the planning and construction of a typical castle and adjoining town in thirteenth-century Wales. In 1283, Kevin le Strange was named Lord of Aberwyvern in Wales by King Edward I of England. While Lord Kevin's castle is imaginary, its concept, structural process, and physical appearance are all based on several castles that were built to aid in the English conquest of Wales between 1277 and 1305. The town of Aberwyvern is also imaginary but is drawn from descriptions of towns founded in conjunction with castles in Wales during that time.

Anyone who enjoys learning about the Middle Ages will like this book. The description is sometimes technical but is written so that young children can become familiar with the terms, and the marvellous illustrations are very helpful in visualizing what is being done. From the choice of location, through the building of the walls and the inner ward, to the completion of the castle and the establishment of the surrounding town, the reader will follow, step by step, Master Engineer James of Babbington and all his workers in their labors. The story ends with a visit from King Edward, followed by an attack from the Welsh under Prince Daffyd of Gwynedd whose defeat leads to the decision by the Welsh to end their resistence, although the complete "conquest" did not occur until 200 years after Edward's death. This book won a 1978 Caldecott Honor award.
REVIEWED BY: Wayne S. Walker

My 13 year old and I read this book together. He absolutely loved reading about the history and building of the castle. He has another larger DK book on Castles and as we read told me about his previous knowledge on the topic we were reading about and expanded our discussion. The images (drawings) being b/w are a perfect match so that details of the castle stand out. After reading this story, we watched the accompanying PBS special Castle by the same author. The movie is s a perfect tag-a-long going into further details and highlighting real castles and showing the details that were discussed in the book. To follow up on the book/movie, my son is now building his own brick castle. We ordered a kit and it includes everything to make little bricks from molds and then directions on exactly how to build the castle. I highly recommend purchasing the book, movie and castle building kit together if you or your child is interested in castles and/or medieval studies. All three provide great discussion, for both visual and auditory learners as well as a hands-on experience.

We bought this book for our four year old who always wants to know how things work. He, and his Daddy are both fascinated by this book. It is a work of art, and a historic fictional work in one. The pictures are all in black and white, but the line drawings are incredibly detailed. This book will be a favorite in our library for years, and I can see him reading it to his kids one day.

After reading this book, I gave it to my grandson for Christmas and he is enjoying it very much. It is interesting not only to him but to his father as well. It really makes history and social progress come alive.

I remember reading this book back when I was in Junior High and High School. I'm 30 now (ugh!) I have always been fascinated with history (especially why folks did what they did when they did it) and while characters are fictitious, the design and building practices as well as the situations involved in the story are truly as it happened. The pictures are highly detailed such that you almost feel like you leap into the pages of the story. I primarily purchased this for a bit of nostalgia but would highly recommend this product to anyone who might be interested.

Interesting subject matter and worthy of a book, but the title gives the impression that these folks breath fire and are ruthless killers. Perhaps they are, but the content does not support that view. What the book does do in an excellent fashion is describe the backbone of a military intellegence organization that works quietly and efficiently behind the scenes to collect and process the operational intelligence critically needed by the front line commanders where the rubber meets the road. Those of us who know and understand the special operations community know that the bulk of intellegence gathering is the patient and "quiet" gathering of accurate information (humint and electronic)followed by the distribution and professional analysis of that information. Most of the time, it's not the fire-breathing "killer" with a knife in his mouth who is the real hero, but the folks who watched,listened and assembled the real picture of what's going on so the guy with the knife in his mouth can do his job and come home in one piece. The book's subjects certainly are the "elite", but "Killer Elite" is a stretch. There may be more to the story than the author has shared (and that's OK in my book) but the execution of the ops described in the book is often left to others (Delta, etc.) and to me that's OK too. I'm delighted to have some insight into what these pros are doing and have done, warts and all.

Once again I make the mistake of thinking that, a book about the forces will be intertesting, yes only if you are into politics!!!! There is no actual action stories here, just all the hurdles that, was put up againest, the setting up of a Force like this, very disappointing

if one can't find any Bo Gritz books
at Bo's site or here on amazon. Bo
gets good mention in here as well!

I could not agree more with "B"s review. I actually gave up on this book after about 3/4 of the way through. It contains lots of "could have done it if we were allowed" stories. Simply boring.

Killer Elite: The Inside Story of America's Most Secret Special Operations Team

-The book written is basically a "compilation" of Articles and other Book's over the past 20yrs; some better than other's; some "much" worse. The "Intelligence Support Activity", Motto: "Veritas Omnia Vincula Vincit", (with the words "Send Me" on the sword in it's "Formal" Crest). It was formed following the initial rescue attempt of American Hostage's on "holiday" at the pleasure of the Iranian's. This was after the "informal-Gov't Exchange Program," following the Shah's holiday, and "well-wisher's" becoming overly excited with their unabated access to the "US Embassy".
-With the failiure of "Eagle's-Claw", due to the lack of "Tactical-Intel" from "I.S.A.'s" predessor's, the "Foriegn Operating Group (F.O.G.)", and the subsequent mission, "Honey-Badger" was troubled with the "same" Intel problem's, the "Intelligence Support Activity" was formed. ("FOG" was by NO-way the only reason that the 1st OP failed. It HAD the capabilities that the 'Pentagon' had set for it. A member of the "Famous" Son Tay P.O.W. Camp Raid", only miles from Hanoi, was flown "INTO" the Iranian Desert, by a ONE(1) legged Pilot, in a one-engine Civilian aircraft, from a Remote staging site. His 'Mission', as there where "NO" OGA operative's, was to determine 'soil-consistancy' at proposed "Desert-ONE" to support the C-130's, re-fueling flights, HELOs, etc. And to Emplace Remotely-Activated "Landing Lights". There was plenty of Inter-Service in-fighting, as ALL branches wanted to be involed in the "Rescue", even when they were "incapable" of providing the Support they offered; (I would go into this, but then "I'd" be writing a Book in it's self). Not only was the Pentagon hurdle for those that were doing the Planning, and would ultimately carry-out the "OP"(SFOD/D), but "OGAs",with NO in-country "asset's", also wanted their piece of the "Pie"; and with, Thank's to their Cmdr, very LITTLE. However, the 'best' they could do was "Bio-Data" on some player's, and useless "Strategic-Intel", when "Tactical-Intel" was required, e.g blueprint's of the Embassy, which was needed to inable the "conducting" Operator's to have the knowledge as to which way door's-opened, type's of lock's employed, material used in the "fabrication" of the facility, "precise" floor-plan's that were critical to ANY "dynamic-entrance". But to looker more closely, it was not "entirely" the neglect of the above, but their Butchering that crippled them, the mentioned "OGAs", from being to be able to conduct what was an EXTREMELY important mission they were "tasked" with: That being the exploitation of "HUMINT", a major element of their's, and being the "2d" oldest-Profession, from prior to Genhgis Khan, or the Roman Legion's, a primary asset.
-This was acknowledged at the time, and even prior to it. Our, then Pres., "Mr.Peanut", had appointed Adm. Stans-Field Turner, (even-though He was ill-prepared and far-out of his Element of Expertise, with "little to NO experience" in the task he was undertaking), as "D.C.I.(Director of Central Intelligence)". His "mind-set" beginning his new-appointment was to discard what He called "Dead-Wood" at the Agency and to move-it into the "21st Century". He did this by "sacking" personnel, mainly from the "Directorate of Operations" to start, and then rid-the Old-Timer's particularly "HUMINT" Handler's and Analyst's. This caused WIDE frustration!
-He, incorrectly, was under the "impression", from his background, that "SATINT, SIGINT and ELINT" could produce the same, if not BETTER intelligence than human's, due to the fact that they would provide ONLY the Intel required and wasn't not Open to the interpertation of Operative's collecting it. It would be "handled-ONLY by Analysts" skilled in their particular discipline. He attempted to use other Countries, for one Britain and it's "GCHQ".
-However, he never mentioned that during the same time-frame, it had increased of it's "MI-5(Internal)" and, especially, "MI-6(External)", to "still" maintain what it percieved as it's most important asset, "HUMINT(Human-Intel)." Even during this time, The New Scotland Yard had "activated" C-13, for the collection of HUMINT to fight "Terrorism" in Britain propper, and especially N.Ireland. At this time, even the UK Military, had established "Det.-14(Detachment-14)", using many "22 SAS" Intel Specialists(for elctronic colection, using Technical Mean's, such as Laser-Mike's,Parobollic-Mike's,IR & Thermal Imagery; plus, "Covert-Entry Tm's" to emplace them; and a compliment of "Shooter's", to act immediately on "their Intel". As they Operated out-side of the "normal chain-of-command", they functioned with a "HQ section" made-up of Officer's with an "SoF/Intel" Back-ground, authorized to make decisions based on the "SIGINT,ELINT,HUMINT, etcetera", of their "own" Intel collection "wizzard's", i.e. analysts. They could then "immediately" utilize their own "Direct Action" Tm.'s to best handle what the Intel had produced. This could be done "with-out" the months, week's, day's or hour's that would "normally" be the case, and make the Intel-useless; in those former "case's", most frequently when the "hostile's" were gagged & bagged for "de-briefing's", what Intel they had 'access' to was: 1) OBE(over-come-by-event's); 2)the 'Suspected-Terrorists'had lost their surveilant's and disapeared; or 3)the "Action" they had knowledge of, or a Role in had already Occurred. "Det.-14" solved this problem with the "Ability" and "Authorization" to NEGATE their ability to "carry-out" planned impending "atrocities"; "Snatch-OPs" that would lead to the interrogation, and possible "turning" of a Target, i.e. "Dble-Agnt". These "person's/agent's" could then be used to "ID" key personnel or alerting their "handler" to the planning of future OPs against military/police or civilian "targets". This "Operation" with "Det. 14" was "Extremely" valuable, and effective, from it's inception until it's "Deactivation". Member's of it were lost, however, that was seldom Public knowledge. As is the case with Unit's of this type, One does not join for accolade's. It is often only "said" that the death occurred during Training, when in fact you could have "died" with only your Comrades knowing the Trueth, and Their Respect for your sacrifice. THIS is as TRUE in the U.S. Military, as the British or any other. This is ONE place where "Honor" among Comrade's mean's more than your OWN life.
The recent Death of U.S.Navy SEAL, MA2 Michael Mansoor, 25yrs. old was killed by an Insurgent grenade he dove on, to "protect" his Tm-Mate's. How many "civi" friend's would make that sacrifice for "you"? Or of the MoH's awarded during the "GWOT", how many NAME's can YOU recall? NOT all were in SoF Unit's. An MP's family was given his, for using a .50cal MG (M2) to ward off a P.O.W. rebellion, killing over 150+, until being shot in the head. Why? To allow the REST of HIS Platoon to get to Defensive position's to return fire from.
-As a "Security Contractor", operating from W.Africa to the Pac-Rim, conducting "Personal Security Details(PSDs)" with my Tm., or "K&R"(Kidnap & Ransom) negotiation's that turn into "Kidnap Rescue's".
Alot of time is spent with current U.S. Military member's, and because I'm "Mil./Ret.with 21yrs. Service, most in SoF unit's. I spend time talking with current member's of some of my "old unit's". And the "average" troop I talk to, no matter his "job", in Afghanistan, or a mumber of other countries ask's why "OUR" country think's SO little of "them"? I won't repeat MY answer in this Forum, out of Respect. But I often wonder that also. Most of them haven't had the training the Team's
I've worked with have, our ability to "Ignore" comment's that someone "shouldn't" make to/or about a "PERSON" that is willing to give their life, "So they are ABLE to say whatever they want to!" When I hear someone making a joke about "standing BEHIND our Troop's", I usually say, "Then you should try standing IN-FRONT of Them." People seem to think that something like "9/11" could not happen again; if you believe that, you've beat the Osterich to the hole!
People can Watch their Talk Show's, and Debate's! But Until you've looked into the eye's of a Taliban "martyr", and seen the burning hatred in His eye's, or the eye's of an "al-Qaeda", that you captured, after he's killed five(5) of your best friend's Protecting NGO Personnel in the Sudan, YOU WILL never believe the hatred they have for us. Findly a Buddist Monk, who's been beheaded in S.Thailand. His crime was not being a Muslem.
For what our Troop's go through for the "safety" of America, was for me an "honor", as it for those serving NOW. Please show them the Respect they Deserve!

God Bless America.

P.S.
My appologies for leaving the "original" subject; I just learned of the death of a close friend in the Army, stationed in Iraq.

I was hooked on this book.I could not put it down.Im amazed at the amount of historical paper work that still survives to this day for this kind of biography.I felt like like I eas there.

I read this book as part of my interest in the Shakespeare authorship question. It was my first biography of Elizabeth, so I can't presume to compare to others. But I have read some other Tudor/Elizabethan history. I found Weir's book engaging, informative, relevant to my own interests, and colorful; and it seemed reasonably balanced. Take Me With You When You Go

I love reading books on the royal family,and this is a great book. Lots of history, very interesting, best book I've read in a long time. She was a great lady. Get ready for a LONG read!

Weir does a great job of giving the flavor of the times and the Virgin Queen. However, she gets bogged down in too much detail sometimes. There are hidden bits of humor that are fun to find, as well.

Overall I believe this is a good biography of the Queen, however, it isn't for those looking for a quick or simple read.

This magnificent book has me convinced that a woman can rule a complex country. My mind is changed and I think it's time for this country to elect a female president.

A very interesting book for those interested in Diving, Underwater Salvage and WWII history. Language can get a bit raw at times, but it is expected with this type of environment. In all, I really enjoyed reading it.

The best work of non-fiction I've read in the past 5 years. Shadow Divers is compelling on so many levels--as a biography of men who risk their lives as wreck divers, as a look into the perils of deep wreck diving, and for the history of WWII and the German U-boat fleet. Kurson combines all of these elements to tell a gripping story/mystery that keeps you looking for answers until the end. An absolutely incredible story and masterfully told by Kurson. His journalistic instincts and writing style yield insight into the lives of the divers and why they do what they do. Highly reccomended.

Intense drama from not only the diving but the relationships between the divers. It was a bold move to include quite a bit of personal information about John and Richie's family life in the book but I felt more compassionate about them and liked them more as people. The reader went on a journey along with the divers and I felt myself holding my breath often during many of the dive sequences. This book had enough diving for the divers and history for the historians but also the drama and real story telling that you expect from a novel.

Great book, well written with exception to the beginning. The first two chapters were excruciating. The rest of the book was a great and gripping story. A real page turner.

Real life adventure at its thrilling best. This is a true tale of riveting adventure in which two weekend scuba divers risk everything to solve a great historical mystery and make history themselves.

All of the material in this book is focused on theatrical films but there are strong correlations to the world in which most of us live, editing on and for computers. There is a section at the back that talks of the coming digital age. Well, we're there and ironically, Walter Murch turns out to be quite a prophet. The book is full of insight and wisdom that even transcends the media arts when he talks about his life and the impact that his son's challenges had on him as a person and a film maker. For me, this is a must read for anyone that edits video, regardless of the methodology or final output. It will encourage you to become better at that craft. My only regret is that there is not a 2008 version where Walter Murch can share with us what he sees next on the horizon.

The book arrived quickly, in great condition, was a great read and at a good price. Would definitely buy from them again.

This book is considered a "must" for all editors. Murch is pretty famous for his work and style so, in my opinion, I agree it's worth the read (and worth having). My book arrived on time and in the condition promised!

Satisfied customer overall!

are walter murch books overrated? at least there's no trace of michael ondaajte (spelling?) here.

This book has a wealth of information for the inexperienced and beginner, film editer, or anyone who is looking for a good book on the subject. I have found it to be very helpful, as I am still learning how to do professional editing!

I have to admit, I'd never heard of the Johnstown Flood and found this book recommended by Amazon when I was reading the reviews for "John Adams", also by David McCullough. "The Johnstown Flood" is well researched, easy to read and a real page turner. I highly recommend this to all history buffs.

The Johnstown flood of 1889 was a subject I knew next to nothing about. McCullough traces the development of the town, the nature of the earthwork dam that breached on May 31, 1889, and the people who in one way, shape or form were connected to this event. In the end, probably over 2,000 people died due to the flood. The personal stories are shocking and heartbreaking.

David McCullough excels in describing the central elements of his story, which is a talent that makes his works so popular. The nature of the town of Johnstown, its citizens, the railroad and the industries that were critical to is being, and the rivers and natural geography of the area are examples of where description comes into play. The exclusive South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club which included such notables as Andrew Carnegie, Henry Clay Frick and others on its list of members also is a central element of the story. In essence, the dam created the lake that became home to this exclusive club. As the author discusses, especially at the end of his book, the nature of the work done to repair the dam during the club days certainly represented man's role in the cause of the flood, but as the author also mentions, so did the rains.

Leaders in the Pennsylvania railroad, the Cambria Iron Company and other folks from various backgrounds figure into this story. The description of the aftermath of the flood are also well told and the resulting work done to aid the victims and clear the debris. All sorts of groups contributed to the rescue of Johnstown and its people, including such groups as the Red Cross under Clara Barton's leadership, but we also learn of the journalists who inundated the area, the thieves and scoundrels who took advantage of the plight of the town, and others. The events during the flood and after are by far the most powerful parts of the book.

Obviously the search for blame figures into the last part of McCullough's narrative, as I briefly hinted at earlier. The author takes several factors and thoughts into consideration, which is only fair. Though we often seek to blame somebody or some group, it isn't always that easy. Some people left the town for good, others stayed and tried to rebuild their lives. Those who lost their families, as the author discusses, often had less reason to stay. It seems strange that these type stories make for such good reading; in fact, it seems perverse. But perhaps stories like these can offer us valuable lessons and can help us better understand the human condition, where it is good and where it is flawed.

I want to start out this review by saying, I did not find 1776 or Adams to my liking and although well written, there are many books better than 1776 and I did not, in the least enjoy the story of Adams and felt that Mr. McCullough was more interested in creating a textbook.

Having said the above, now that I have read The Johnstown Flood and The Great Bridge, I must admit that these are two of the best books I have ever read.

The detail was perfect, not overdone like in Adams and the mood of those affected by the Flood as well as the thoughts of those in nearby cities and towns rendered as though you were there. While I have not yet read his book on the Canal, these two books, in my opinion, exemplify the best of how a writer of American History should approach the topic of interest. I read both of these books in days as I could not put either down.

I am not a big fan of the period of American History (more of a colonial, Revolutionary War through Jefferson fan) that this book and The Great Bridge covers which, in my opinion, makes these two books even more incredible. I have begun many books of this era only to put them down after a few chapters. These two stories were compelling and made more so by the fabulous presentation of Mr. McCullough.

This was a Father's Day gift that he really enjoyed. McCullough's 1776 was great, and this seemed to be just as good, even though written a number of years ago & given a new cover.

There is a saying, not original to me, that events are of record, but reality is a construct. McCullough does the research necessary to state the essential facts of this historical event. This is no mean task, given all the disinformation and misinformation in the historical record. But what is even more impressive is McCullough's ability to show why there is so much inaccuracy in the writing about this event.

The power of the new media, the insatiable appetite of Americans for a story, and the raw class tensions and social issues of the time combine to create all sorts of varied efforts to construct a reality to explain the Johnstown events. Those constructs often tell us more about ourselves than they do about what really happened in Johnstown.

The early constructions magnified the death toll tenfold and seized upon all sorts of fantastic survivor stories that were patently untrue. Some shades of 9/11 here. Then the focus turned to the responsiblity of the owners of the resort on top of the dam that had rebuilt the dam. This was the class card -- rich guys who had nothing better than to do than pursue leisure (a novel concept at the time) and isolate themselves from other Americans (tapping into ancient American attitudes against elites) running a poorly built dam doomed to fail and to kill the groundlings below. This story resonated with Americans.

McCullough is exceptionally balanced and thoughtful of his treatment of the issue, and picks apart the crudest and most inaccurate attacks against the dam owners. In the end, however, there is some core truth to the theme that the rich owners' neglect contributed to the tragedy. The dam had been originally built by the State, but the reconstruction job by the resort owners was poorly engineered. The biggest flaw was the lack of any way to control the level of the dam with outlets at the bottom of the dam to let out some water. Screens at the top to keep the fish in that led to a blockage and contributed to the problems, while the most strikingly callous measure (they cared more about fish than human life), probably was a minor matter in the whole tragedy.

What's also fascinating is that the rich were not brought to account. Tort and corporate law at the time allowed the rich owners to shield personal liability behind a shell owner of the facility and difficult issues of causality rendered all the lawsuits unwinnable. Today, there would be a different result, as McCullough points out. Those decrying the "flood" of litigation in modern days may do well to consider the real floods that fear of liablity (and the concomitant insurance, risk prevention, government regulation, and professional reviews such fears engender to prevent tragedy from occurring in the first place) has prevented. The failure of the press (who were owned by some of these rich guys) and the legal system to call the owners to account tells us a lot about the entrenched power the ruled the country at the time.

McCollough tells the tale of the flood vividly, corrects the record to tell events truthfully, and then deals with the larger social issues raised by the event. This is a extraordinarily good book