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To the Limit: An Air Cav Huey Pilot in Vietnam - Tom A. Johnson

 

Half way through reading this book, an I can not put it down. Well written, exciting and thoughtful. A true story written like a novel.

 

​Completely the opposite of the book I have just finished:

 

Meeting Steve Canyon: ...and flying with the CIA in Laos 1 by Karl L. Polifka

 

I did not enjoy this book one bit, it seemed to be a tirade against the USAF and their strategic policies. The book needed some serious editorial writing, spellings of names changed several times on one page. One chapter started saying that there was one amusing and one not so amusing tale; neither of which was expanded upon.

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Marine Sniper: 93 Confirmed Kills - By Charles W. Henderson

 

I was given this book at the age of 13 by my grandfather, whom I used to sit with and listen to stories from the wars. I read it it through and it opened up the USMC to me and the Vietnam War. Each chapter was as good as the next. It's thrilling and exciting stories following marine sniper Carlos Hathcock through Vietnam left you wanting more each time reading it, and you truly get to know a hero of the war.

 

7 years later I'm still reading it for a third time through. It's a highly recommended read from me.

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I'm reading 2 books currently:

 

The Last of the Doughboys: The Forgotten Generation and Their Forgotten World War by Richard Rubin. This one is neat because the author interviewed WWI veterans 85 years after WWI. They were all in their 100's... one guy was 113 years old.
Death of the USS Thresher by Norman Polmar
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Agent Of Destiny: The Life And Times Of General Winfield Scott by some guy namedJohn Eisenhower. Interesting book. I was familiar with Scott from his Civil War days, but not so much from his earlier career. I'm just up to the end of the Waar of 1812 so far.

Mikie

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Just finished Mike Mullane's excellent book, "Riding Rockets" about being an astronaut. It's one of the best books ever written by a NASA astronaut, I think. He was also a former "GIB" on F-4s in 'Nam.

I've read it before, but it's such a good book, I like to read it every 2-3 years.

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Just finished "Back Over There" by Richard Rubin, who also wrote "the last of the doughboys".

 

It's a great read especially as an adjunct to his earlier book where he interviews all the remaining WWI doughboys around the year 2000

 

In this book he goes back to France and visits sites that were important to the men he interviewed and important to the AEF in WWI, to see what time has left intact to remember the doughboys

 

He walks battle areas and goes into tunnels and bunkers, Visits with local historians etc

 

Very good read as, like him I've been to WWI battlefields and I also find it remarkable to be where WWI happened

 

Tom Bowers

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That may be an excellent counterpart to "Back to the Front" by Stephen O'shea. He is quite anti-military, and I am afraid that if I read it again, there would be some undue and possibly quite smug bias. A great deal of the First War DOES seem quite absurd, but I read a review of it after I had read it (was about to buy a used copy, the one I read was from the library- it actually sparked my interest in WWI way back when) and I am afraid it might be a bit shallow and naive in the nuances of its crucifixion of every general in the entire war. I was, however, drawn to his walks down the front, as it was in 1916, and the tales of what was still left, I just think I may have been focused in other aspect of it and missed any pretentiousness.

 

"Back Over There" sounds good.

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Flashman and the invasion of Iraq

 

Don't waste your time and money. It's not the Flashman we all know and love. The plot is one of a bumbling stooge who is roped into being the liaison between the Royal Marines and the US Marines. Deleted it off my iPad! The MASH series by Butterworth was much more entertaining!

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  • 2 weeks later...

"Our Crowd: The Great Jewish Families of New York" by: Stephen Birmingham

 

I draw a chapter in this book especially to the attention of USMF Civil War collectors and students.

 

Chapter 10

"This Unholy Rebellion"

Pages 71-80

 

Most interesting and informative.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Now I'm working my way through the Bernard Cornwall's Sharpe's Rifles series. It's a story of an English officer serving with the 95th Rifles during the war with Napoleon. I'm trying to read them in chronological order and am currently reading Sharpe's Havoc.

 

Well, I finished the Sharpe's Rifles series and now I am going through the Jack Aubrey/Steven Maturin series by Patrick O'Brian. These are the books on which the movie Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World staring Russell Crowe was based. Using Dr. Steven Maturin's inexperience in life aboard a man of war, O'Brian does try to explain the nautical terms of a sailing ship to the novice. I am on the fifth book in the series and I think I'm to the point where I understand the simpler terminology of the rigging. The different knots mentioned in the book are a whole different kettle of fish!

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I'm about 1/3 into "Battle Ready" by Mark Donald.

Not a bad book, and the story is interesting, but he really stresses on some things I found boring and goes right past the action. I bet many people were frustrated with this book. Oh, and everything and everyone is bright and shiny, he doesn't call BS on anything.

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"The Jewish Confederates" by: Robert N. Rosen, published in the year 2000, University of South Carolina press

 

I once began to imagine that I "knew" something about Jews, and about the Confederacy - but this book is a revelation... an entirely fresh facet of both topics.

 

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It is a bit of a departure with regards to all of the military/veteran-subjects of the books being read, but this man did enlist and served during the Great War. So far, it is a fantastic study of the character whose image was tainted, beginning with a pathetic book by a man with an ax to grind.

 

The author goes back to sources rather than to editorialize Cobb's history. The research has incredible depth and refutes the negative commentaries regarding Cobb.

 

 

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I had no idea there was such a different side to his character.

 

It isn't' just that he had another side. The side that he is tagged with was not real. Ty Cobb the racist jerk was a total fabrication.

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Came to this same realization, conclusion, myself - from the same book.

 

It isn't' just that he had another side. The side that he is tagged with was not real. Ty Cobb the racist jerk was a total fabrication.

 

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I just finished ready "Goodbye, Darkness" by William Manchester. It is one strange book. What is good is really good, but what is bad is really, really bad.

 

And I just started reading "A Hillbilly Marine" by S. G. Silcox. So far, it is great. I hope it stays that way...

 

 

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I just finished ready "Goodbye, Darkness" by William Manchester. It is one strange book. What is good is really good, but what is bad is really, really bad.

 

And I just started reading "A Hillbilly Marine" by S. G. Silcox. So far, it is great. I hope it stays that way...

 

 

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