Editorial Review

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Reviews (133)

Fiasco Is Very Misleading
As a Vietnam veteran, this book is worth reading. That is if one takes it with a grain of salt. I always have problems with a book when the author's historical data is inaccurate. For instance, the number of Israeli casualties he lists during the Yom Kippur War and the final outcome of the conflict was not at all consistent with the known data. Secondly, the number of reporters killed during the Vietnam War were much larger than he stated. Also, Rick's failed to connect the suspicious and untimely death of Sen. Paul Wellstone of Minn. in 2002 and the mailing of anthrax, which was later traced to a US Army facility, to the top media and Democratic figures as a way of coercing them to support Bush's invasion of Iraq. Ricks also failed to mention the fact that the overwhelming majority of the military establishment supports our occupation of Iraq, even though the reasons for being there are bogus to the extreme. Moreover, his odd conclusion to all this is that we should stay there to the bloody end, no matter the outcome, which is nuts to say the least. And finally, Ricks just doesn't understand the real purpose behind our involvement in wars like Vietnam and in Iraq. The Pentagon nor our government could care less about winning the war. Our involvement was never about winning, that's why the military never seriously learned the hard lessons in Vietnam. The whole purpose behind these wars is to prolong the conflicts for as long as possible using the most trumped up reasons, in order that corporations such as Haliburton and Brown and Root, just to name a few, can make billions of profits from the American taxpayer. Win or lose, the real benefactors of Iraq is corporate America. In a very real sense, these corporations not only run the Pentagon but our government as well. Sadly, all the generals and colonels can retire in protest, there will always be others ready to eagerly replace them. War is good business, it always has been and it will always be. Have a nice day.

Missing the bigger picture
As a critical analysis of military operations in the Iraq war and the ongoing troubles that the military faces there, this book is wonderfully deep and rich. Ricks writes in a very straightforward manner and uses rough language in parts, but the book is a easy to read and digest.
The title says it all...
This book is a thoroughly sourced examination of how we went to war in Iraq, how the war is being conducted, and the consequences that the war may have for the US.As a bonus, it is also a gripping, fast-paced narrative,
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Subjects:  1. 21st century    2. History    3. History - Military / War    4. History, Military    5. Iraq War, 2003    6. Military    7. Military - Iraq War    8. Military - United States    9. Military History - 1990-    10. Military Policy    11. Military history    12. United States    13. United States - 21st Century    14. History / Military / United States   

Reviews (7)

The results of manifest destiny. . .
This is a beautifully written book that takes epic form in retelling the settling of the American southwest from 1820 through the 1860s.From the Mexican war to the removal of the Navajo from Canyon de Chelly, Hampton Sides writes an engaging account of the results of manifest destiny, showing both sides, warts and all.The white man, while seeming noble in purpose, is shown to have been lacking in honor, and while the Indians were certainly shafted time and again they had many of their own faults.Central to this story is the famous mountain man Kit Carson, a man of many contradictions: though extremely intelligent he was also illiterate; he could speak many of the native languages, understood the Indian ways, and even had Indian wives but he also participated in the slaughter and removal from their lands of these same Indians.The book also includes engaging portraits of many of the important figures of this time period:Stephen Watts Kearny, John Fremont, the Navajo warrior Narbona, and Senator Thomas Benton.Sides is even handed and honest in how he portrays all those involved.At times I felt I was reading fiction but this story is real!For a story about the modern west I have to recommend "Across the High Lonesome." I picked it up after seeing a recommendation from Larry McMurty and he was right!

A full faced history of Arizona and New Mexico
In this sweeping account the lives of Kit Karson and the Navajo nation are intertwined amid scenes of western conquest, manifest destiny, war and survival.This is an epic encounter during a great period in history when the new west, Mexicans and the American Indian as well as traders and mormons and cowboys confronted one another in what has come down to us as the Wild West.Central to the this protrait is the destruction of the Navajo Nation and thier redoubt at Canyon De Chelly, but this book includes an excellent history of the Mexican-American war and the role of Fremont and Keanry and others in opening the west.However imbedded within this is the story of Kit Karson the illiterate mountain man turned welathy notable of the american west, who married Native women and spoke a half dozen languages and was pressed into service destroying the people he truly understood.
Southwest Conquest at its Best
Hampton Sides shines in this well researched, exciting and very readable narrative of our great American Southwest.Each page is brimming with adventure, insight and judicious analysis.
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Subjects:  1. 19th century    2. Frontier and pioneer life    3. History    4. History - U.S.    5. History: American    6. Indians of North America    7. Military - United States    8. Native Americans - Southwest    9. U.S. History - Westward Expansion    10. United States - 19th Century    11. United States - 19th Century/Old West    12. United States - General    13. Wars    14. West (U.S.)    15. History / United States / General   

Features

• Abridged
• Audiobook

Reviews (81)

Solid, mostly objective reporting
I have read several of Woodward's previous works, and found this to be a solid piece of reporting, wrapped and shaped to provide believeable characterizations of the players.I was not particularly surprised by much in the book, since a lot of it was clearly in the public domain press and television.But, Woodward has managed to fill in additional details to provide a soild context for the 10-second sound bites we get from the White House, and others.
I'm a Republican and I liked it
I have read all of Bob Woodward's books going back to the early-80's, The Brethren - which was not very good. I have consistently found him to be fact-based and fair in his reporting and analysis. I read this one twice.
What are we going to do about it?
While reading this book, which is about the fifth one I have read that basically says the same things about Bush and this war, and which I agree with and appreciate having authors tell me about, but when is someone going to write a book with advice about what we can do about it? All this talk just frustrates me. The points made in this book cannot fail to upset any reasonable taxpaying US citizen. I love the way they are presented but to be honest, I couldn't finish the book.It was just making me feel sick and helpless to do anything. What can we do besides read books about it? ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Abridged Audio - Misc. Nonfiction    2. Audiobooks    3. Foreign Policy Formulation    4. Government - Executive Branch    5. Government - U.S. Government    6. History    7. Iraq War, 2003    8. Military    9. Military - General    10. National security    11. Public Affairs & Administration    12. U.S. President    13. United States    14. United States - 21st Century    15. Current Events / General   

Reviews (6)

A Century of Unprecedented Bloodshed
In both relative and absolute terms, the bodycount of the last century was the highest in recorded history. There were 16 conflicts that left more than a million dead, another 6 that claimed from a half million to a million lives, and 14 more that claimed from a quarter to a half million lives; all told, about 167 to 188 million people lost their lives as a result of armed conflict. Harvard historian Niall Fergusson has written a monumental tour-de-force attempting to answer the question: why?
An ambitious work comes up a bit short
Niall Ferguson's The War of the World has received a fair amount of "buzz."And, indeed, as one reads it, the scholarship, the knowledge of historical nuances, and the command of the sweep of the 20th century are all readily apparent.However, in the end, the book is somewhat unsatisfying.
"The horror, the horror"
Niall Ferguson is a godsend. Having read his biography of the Rothchilds, and being a Jewish reader, I delved into The War of the World expecting a good treatment, but not necessarily that much new about these twentieth century conflicts. As the reader from Jerusalem points out, I feel that Niall gives a sentsitive and harrowing portrayal of the Jewish aspect of the Second World War even while covering the whole scope of both World Wars and beyond with abundant detail. Towards the end of this book I felt myself covering my face and even weeping at the sheer horror of the totalitarian regimes - Niall exposes the sheer brutality of both Hitler's Germany and Stalin's Russia, all the while illustrating all of the other myriad perpetrators of the bloody centuries war as he depicts it, the ordinary citizens across Erurope and Asia, as well as Ally brutality (though he, I think, points out adequately that Alllied brutality mostly had at least a modicum of salubrious intent - that is to simply win the war). Again, I must repeat that Niall really makes the point at the sheer horror of the Nazi genocide against the Jews - the animal barbarity to it - was the culmination of all this violent pull into the modern world. I cannot help but think we, as humanity, have not and will not get past this incident for a long time. I think the years since the Nazi Holocaust, because of the distraction of the Cold War, and current technological post-modernism capitalistic nihilism have masked what still remains an unanswered, unended, scar on all accomplishment and evolution of human culture and civilization. I can also thank Niall for this book, I deeply appreciate its insight, and for pointing out how we still need more answers, more questions, and more education of this period of history. I think this is, perhaps, only the end of the beginning of this search. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Causes    3. History    4. History - General History    5. History: World    6. Military - General    7. Military History - Modern    8. Military Sociology    9. Modern - 20th Century    10. War    11. World - General    12. World politics    13. History / Modern / 20th Century   

Reviews (10)

Incredible Incompetence!
Chandrasekaran's considerable time in Baghdad allowed him to provide this detailed of incredible incompetence.Early in the book we learn that the cafeteria in the Republican Palace was always serving American fare, and the hundreds of Iraqi secretaries and translators, mostly Muslim, were offended by the presence of pork.Nothing came from Iraq - everything, including the water in which hot dogs were boiled, was shipped in from approved suppliers in other nations.No Iraqis were hired to cook, serve, or clean - they could poison the food.Whatever could be outsourced was - private guards made more than $1,000/day.Iraqis post-Saddam had less electricity, water, trash collection, sewer service, gas availability, traffic mobility, health care, and employment - despite administration claims.
Outstanding
The Iraq war was preached as the liberating creation of an exemplary Arab democracy. Did US post invasion efforts match the rhetoric? The most charitable answer, based on this work, is quite contrary.
a heartache
I have recently read the excellent book "Fiasco," about the war in Iraq.
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Subjects:  1. Government - International    2. History    3. History - Military / War    4. History: World    5. Iraq    6. Iraq War, 2003    7. Middle East - General    8. Military - Iraq War    9. Military - United States    10. Military History - 1990-    11. Military-Political Relationships    12. Political corruption    13. Postwar reconstruction    14. United States    15. Current Events / Military   

Reviews (8)

Fake memoir
This story was probably constructed from a number of real memoirs, other sources like films, and Jung's and the author's imagination.Helmut Jung may have been a soldier on the Eastern Front but what he claims to have seen there owes more to imagination - perhaps the author's - than reality.Units composed of seven foot Mongols? (p. 297).Really. In the fifty or so books I have read about the German-Russian war nobody else noticed such units. In the same chapter, a description of the capture of a group of female Russian soldiers appears to have been lifted from the film version of 'Cross of Iron'.There are numerous other elements traceable to other sources throughout ths ridiculous book. Avoid wasting money on this 'memoir'.You will learn nothing about the real experience of combatants on the Eastern Front that you haven't already read elsewhere.

A Work of Fiction
I agree with some of the other reviewers that this is most likely a work of fiction.There is no real information given about the supposed author, Helmut Jung, other than his "incredible" wartime exploits. There are too many mistakes in the book about Jung's training and service to believe this is anything more than a piece of fiction put together by the American writer...it doesn't read or feel right.Save your money and buy "Black Edelweiss" for a real biography of a German soldier.

The Jekyll and Hyde of german wwii memoirs
First of all, this book is 464 pages long, apart from a small paragraph about Mr. Jung at the end there is nothing else, you get what you pay for, 464 pages of reading material. There are also no photos. Now, this memoir is a rollercoaster of emotions, paradoxes, anomalities, irregularities and some simply senseless and hard to believe asseverations by Mr. Jung and the author, who should have at least researched a little bit more, edited a bit better and should have gotten himself a good grammar dictionary, unless that is, he chose to leave the book as it is to keep the element of reality present. At times Mr. Jung sounds so real and truthful you can't help but pity him at others you could swear he is a jew posing as a german soldier. Now I don't blame Mr. Jung for his mental lapses (most people don't remember what they did 2 weeks ago) so after so many years one can understand his memory lapses. However mistaking the 6th army for the 10th at Stalingrad is preposterous to say the least. His asseveration that the SS went around shooting wounded german soldiers from penal batallions is simply hard to believe. During the actions of our Blue division in Russia we had a squad of men assigned to follow up behind the main body of troops checking the russian dead behind us and making sure they stayed very dead, for these vermin were treacherous and they would fake death in order to shoot us in the back. The Waffen SS had a similar way of dealing with russians (read Blood Red Snow). Also we were forbidden from building fires at night no matter how cold it might be (this was a sure way to have snipers pick everyone off one by one, have our positions identified by artillery spotters), yet he claims they would build this huge fires and huddle around at night! The war in the east was a metaphysical encounter of extreme ideoligies, the far right on our side and the far left on theirs. We alone had the sole opportunity of stoppping the spread of communism within our grasp and were betrayed by the very western civilization we sought to safeguard and preserve for the new generations. One look at the map of Europe after wwii will tell you who really won and for what purpose the western powers really fought and shed so much young blood. Mr. Jung was as caught up in this hell as the rest of us were and like us he did what he had to do to survive, however a man should have convictions and a sense of belonging to his nation and while he did his share, he did it for himself... we did it for our people, our nation and for western civilization. To those of you who might find this offensive I remind you of the words Julius Streicher spoke to the hangman at Nuremberg in 1946, "someday the russians will do this very same thing to all of you". Time proved him right.
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Subjects:  1. 1926-    2. Biography & Autobiography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Biography/Autobiography    5. Campaigns    6. Eastern Front    7. Europe - Germany    8. Germany    9. Heer    10. Historical - General    11. Jung, Helmut,    12. Military    13. Military - World War II    14. Panzer-Division, 7    15. Personal narratives, German    16. World War, 1939-1945    17. Biography: general    18. European history (ie other than Britain & Ireland)   

Reviews (129)

Wow you have to read this!!!
Reading this book has changed the way I have looked, felt and believed in life. I couldn't put it down, and everyday I keep thinking about it. I have shared with others the aw inspiring inspiration I have received. I am not one to read a lot of spiritual books or self help books. I have read a few but this one definitely surpasses any book I have read in a very long time. I am blown away. And it has made me take stock of my own life and my beliefs and it has shifted. I started thinking about whom in my life do I need to forgive. I truly recommend this book to everyone! We all need it especially now with what is going on in the world today.

Life-changing story
I could not put this book down.I've read several other books on the Rwandan genocide and I really appreciate this one the most for breaking down a complex political situation/history into one that is easy to understand for all readers, not to mention one of the most emotionally touching books I've ever read.This book has changed my perspective on life.

Best Book I've read all year!
I love to read, mostly spiritual self-help books, and a few biographies. I would say I read about 2 books a month on average, sometimes more. Any way I simply could not put this book down. I felt as if I was experiencing everything she was experiencing, and I could not help but admire her faith in God. She reminded me how good God is, and how he can do the impossible if we just trust him. I plan to give the book to a couple people as Christmas presents this year, so that they can truly embrace how blessed they are. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Africa - Central    2. Africa - History    3. Biography    4. Biography / Autobiography    5. Catholics    6. Civil War, 1994    7. History    8. Ilibagiza, Immaculâee    9. Inspirational - General    10. Motivational & Inspirational    11. Personal narratives    12. Prayer    13. Religion    14. Religious    15. Rwanda    16. Spiritual Healing    17. Self-Help / Motivational   

Reviews (7)

Good highlights of American Military History
I found this book to provide a good "cliff notes" type of review of American Military history. While of course you could argue for more depth, the author does a very good job of probing earlier American conflicts from the settling of North American by the Europeans up to the Revolutionary war.Sometimes with a book of this style some substance is lost and that is certainly the case.It would be wonderful to hear more about World War I and it seems as though the Bannana Wars of the 1920's draw as much attention as Vietnam did.But a good start to anyone who wants to quickly learn about American Military History.

A great read, despite retired rants:
I presume H.W. Crocker III wrote his crackerjack book for many reasons, one of which must be to set the record -- and the ranters and ravers -- straight.While one is tempted to ignore the shocking errors of some off-the-mark critics, here are the facts, as Crocker lays out in detail:
Too many factual inaccuracies
If you don't mind factual innacuracies, then this book is for you. It reads well; Crocker has a fine writing style, but if you don't mind such things as Desert Storm being called Desert Saber and naming General Miles, not Howard as having bested Chief Joseph, then fine. If a history book has one or two errors that you quickly catch, then you wonder how many more are scattered through the tome that you didn't catch. Who was his editor? ... Read more

Subjects:  1. History    2. History - Military / War    3. History, Military    4. Military    5. Military - United States    6. Military History (General)    7. Military history    8. United States    9. United States History (Specific Aspects)    10. History / Military / United States   

Editorial Review

The life and times of Abraham Lincoln have been analyzed and dissected in countless books. Do we need another Lincoln biography? In Read more

Reviews (204)

The Power of Patience
Lincoln has been the focus of seemingly endless analysis, yet Doris Kearns Goodwin offers a fresh and illuminating perspective.By focusing on the men around the president, Goodwin portrays Lincoln as a remarkable judge of human character, a consummate conciliator, and a man of remarkable wit.Goodwin obviously writes well, although her spotlight on so many players does confuse the reader a bit.She is a talented historian, and this is another solid piece of work.

Lincoln's strength in humility
Although at first I did not understand why writing about Lincoln's cabinet members was going to be revealing about Lincoln himself, I found myself pleasantly surprised.
WHEN THE MEN AND THE MOMENT MET
During this election cycle of 2006 I have been asking myself a question. When was the last time leftist could have unambiguously supported a Republican or Democratic Party candidate. As indicate below the clear choice is the Lincoln-Johnson ticket in 1864. By a happy coincidence Doris Kearn Goodwin's book under review here provides more than enough ammunition to confirm that opinion. Normally, my concerns as a fighter for socialism and hers as a fawning devotee of the New Deal, Fair Deal and New Frontier eras of the Democratic Party are miles apart. Here we can, at least for this moment, agree that Lincoln, as a man and politician was worthy of support by militants and those not so militant. Make no mistake Lincoln and his compatriots were big men who confronted big tasks. And did it. Underlining Goodwin's thesis is a belief that what passes for today's Republican leaders pale in contrast. Again we agree. Here's why.
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Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Biography / Autobiography    3. Biography/Autobiography    4. Case studies    5. General    6. Genius    7. Government - Executive Branch    8. Historical - U.S.    9. History    10. History: American    11. Political    12. Political leadership    13. Presidents    14. Presidents & Heads of State    15. U.S. Political History    16. U.S. President    17. United States    18. United States - Civil War    19. Biography & Autobiography / Political   

Reviews (4)

Political correctness has put us into this situation
Bill Gertz explains clearly the rationale for improving America's counterintelligence. He throws out all political correctness that has put us in this current situation. Gertz is a better man for exposing these problems in our intelligence community. Now they may get fixed properly. Gertz can not believe that the Intelligence community has not changed many of its tactics since 9/11. Gertz points out the lack of intelligence in Iraq before the war began. He describes the problem with bureaucracy and its blocking of new changes. Gertz in each chapter describes a spy case that has happened in the past decades. Some points that jumped out at me in the book.
Enimies:Another wake-up call to America from Bill Gertz
This book gives an inside look at our failing intelligence agencies and the extent to which politics plays a roll in keeping them that way.While our short and long term enemies gain intelligence and sensitive weapons information on us, our politicians and incompetent leadership throughout our government's defense agencies do nothing but the same.I don't know what else to say.I hope everyone can read this and other Gertz books.Highly Recommended *****

what a shame
It is exactly this kind of short term mentality in this book, looking on all other countries as enemies instead of friends, that has been isolating the US from the rest of the world. Talking about military intelligence expense and power, no country beats the US. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Espionage    2. Military - Intelligence/Espionage    3. Political Freedom & Security - Intelligence    4. Political Freedom & Security - Terrorism    5. Political Science    6. Political Terrorism    7. Politics / Current Events    8. Politics/International Relations    9. Terrorism    10. U.S. Government - Intelligence Agencies    11. United States    12. War on Terrorism, 2001-    13. Current Events / International   

Editorial Review

The Battle of Iwo Jima, fought in the winter of 1945 on a rocky island south of Japan, brought a ferocious slice of hell to earth: in a month's time, more than 22,000 Japanese soldiers would die defending a patch of ground a third the size of Manhattan, while nearly 26,000 Americans fell taking it from them. The battle was a turning point in the war in the Pacific, and it produced one of World War II's enduring images: a photograph of six soldiers raising an American flag on the flank of Mount Suribachi, the island's commanding high point.Read more

Reviews (454)

"Flags of Our Fathers" - A Timely Look at a Bloody Battle in Our History
Quite a while ago, Nick Olmsted, a graduate of the U. S. Naval Academy, recommended that I read "Flags of Our Fathers." I am glad that I finally got around to taking his advice. This story struck me on many levels at once, and this seems to be an opportune time to share some of my thoughts about this remarkable book, written by James Bradley, the son of one of the six Marines whose iconic picture of the raising of the flag over Iwo Jima riveted a