Playing With The Enemy by Gary Moore

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MWSA Review

Playing With The Enemy is a moving and heart wrenching biography that is both inspiring as well as entertaining. The book is about author Gary Moore’s father; his experiences in WWII, baseball and his life. It combines powerful aspects of human nature and finding meaning to life itself.

I was greatly touched by Moore’s book, not only as a reader and a reviewer, but also as someone whose own father signed a contract with Boston to play baseball. The war and subsequent wounds and time off from organized baseball were the end of a professional career that never took off. My father was considered a top prospect as a catcher coming out of high school in San Francisco before the outbreak of WWII. So reading about the author’s tale of what happened to his own dad hit me close to home.

This is best book I have read in the last decade. It is a great story that is told with sensitivity and well constructed prose. Moore has captured the spirit and the heart of his father’s story through the use of insightful dialog that gives real understanding to the life experiences and to the people in the story. The book is alive with emotions. It grabs your heart and will not let go of it until you have fully digested the entire book; then the messages of this story still hang around and linger within your head for days.

The story is really about a personal spiritual and emotional journey – in search of the very meaning of life and what our purpose is. This book is for all readers and not just those who love baseball or have some interest in war. It has all the elements needed to make a successful and inspirational movie. The author has written a wonderful and loving tribute to his father that readers will be able to respond to.

The book also teaches us lessons about our own lives and how what we do affects others in ways we may not ever realize. His father's friendship with a Germany POW comes back later in his life to change his own emotional outlook about baseball, family and the meaning of love.

Reviewed by: Bill McDonald (2006)

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Author's Synopsis

Part Tuesdays with Morrie, part Field of Dreams—a true American story of World War II and redemption

Driven by word of mouth and the author’s heroic efforts to tell the world his father’s story, Playing with the Enemy was a surprise hardcover hit for its independent publisher. Gary Moore’s book about his father—a baseball phenom whose future in the majors was cut short by World War II and a fateful occurrence during a top secret mission for the U.S. Navy—is a warm-hearted memoir of faded dreams and new hope that is destined for the bestseller lists. Filled with memorable characters from an extraordinary time in our country’s history, it is a truly redemptive story that will be read and reread for generations to come.

Is Anybody Listening? by Barbara Birchim

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MWSA Review

Powerful Indictment of our Government and Our History of The Vietnam War. There is just no way you can come away from reading author Barbara Birchim’s book Is Anybody Listening? A True Story About The POW/MIA In The Vietnam War and not have an opinion about her, the war, the CIA, and our own government. Her accounting of her life and the facts around her husband Jim’s disappearance in Vietnam leave you wondering what truth is and what paranoia is. If you choose to accept what she is saying it will shake the fundamental foundations of your belief in our government. This book is one of the most powerful personal statements from a wife of a MIA from the Vietnam War. It breaks new ground and points fingers but more importantly it begs to know the truth of what really happened to all our MIAs/POWs.

I was visibly shaken by reading her story and all the side information she includes from others that I personally know like Frank Anton (Author and Ex-POW) and David Morehouse (Author of book “Psychic Warrior” and former member of the Army’s Stargate Program). Her book is so well documented that she leaves the reader little choice but to believe that something much more sinister may be at hand in what happened to all our MIA not only from Vietnam but also from WWII and Korea. This book comes off as an indictment of a morally corrupted political system that is willing to leave behind thousands of men who have bravely served their countries.

What Barbara had to endure and go through all these years with her search and the harassment from her own government is sickening to believe. Again, the reader will have to weigh carefully what the author is relating against a lifetime of government information (or misinformation) and decide if what she is saying is even possible. It makes you uncomfortable to accept that our own government could be so cold and calculating with its citizens. Her story reads like a nightmare novel set in some make believe country. God help us if even half of what she is saying is remotely true.

I find that there are many questions she has raised that need to be answered by those in charge at some level. If nothing else, our leaders have played misinformation games with the public and are hiding many of the facts surrounding live POW and MIA sightings over the years. Her book is compelling enough to call into question almost everything that was ever said about the MIA /POW issues. I find myself wanting to not believe her story but I am unable to disassociate the facts and the questions she skillfully provides in her book. This is not going to be an easy story to accept but one that you cannot ignore. There is a part of me that keeps saying what if she is totally right about all that she is sharing  my God can we as a nation handle that possibility?

I found myself totally absorbed in this book. I was horrified, perplexed, dumfounded, angry, inspired, mournful, and bewildered. This book touched all my emotions both mentally and spiritually. Out of all the books I have read and reviewed the past year this book created the greatest movement within me. I am left to ponder and wonder and question this whole issue. Birchim comes across with so much creditability and force of energy that it is hard to turn a blind eye to what she is saying – that her MIA husband Jim, might have survived and had been alive for years after he was declared dead; or that he may in fact, be alive even now. She wonders cries and hurts for the truth that seems to be denied to her and to all of us.

This will be the most powerful and impacting book you will ever read on the MIA/POW issue. I fully endorse and recommend this book for all serious patriots or just the curious – it is a spell binding memoir. That is why I have given this book ;The 2006 President's Award!

Reviewed by: Bill McDonald (2006)

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Author's Synopsis

Thirty-five long years and I was still seeking answers. If I could make someone in the government listen to the facts, I knew they'd want to act on them. After all, who wouldn't want to find one of our POW/MIAs from the Vietnam War? IS ANYBODY LISTENING? tells of dignitaries, presidents and those involved with the POW/MIA issue as I've known it since November 1968 when my husband, a Special Forces officer, became missing-in-action. The pages reveal my feelings and torment during my many trips to Southeast Asia in search of answers, and my frustrations while wandering the halls of Washington D. C. for help. The book was written to show the issue's insidious cover-up and my commitment to the truth.

Seas of Crisis by Joe Buff

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MWSA Review

Another undersea thriller from Joe Buff.  Joe Buff, the author that is most often compared to the likes of Tom Clancy, has done it again with his newest undersea thriller Seas of Crisis.  This novel has it all from heroes, villains and potential catastrophic events. It will grab you by the seat of your pants and drag you willingly into the depths of its story as you remain transfixed and unable to put the book down. It would be an understatement to say that it is a page burner; that would be like saying that a ton of napalm dropped on someone might ruin their day. This book is Joe’s best efforts in a long string of very good books.

The plot is made to seem plausible and the characters feel real. Good word phrasing and technological descriptions. One actually begins to believe the story line—which means that the author hooked us right in once again.

There is something very special about Joe Buff’s newest novel. If you are already a fan of his other novels then you will be wonderfully surprised at the new level of action and suspense that this volume offers us. This is a must read and must buy book!

Reviewed by: Bill McDonald (2006)

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Author's Synopsis

The Allied Powers continue their uncertain and deadly war against the Fascist Berlin–Boer Axis. The Russians remain ostensibly neutral––but their actions hint at something far more dangerous. When the U.S. discovers that the Russians are providing the Axis powers with weapons technology that could shift the balance of power, Captain Jeffrey Fuller, one of the most decorated heroes in the U.S. Navy, is called in to put an end to this potentially catastrophic Russian involvement.

The plan to punish Russia is audacious. It is bold. And it is potentially suicidal. Jeffrey Fuller's orders are to clandestinely transport commandos to Russia, where they will infiltrate a nuclear missile facility, and fire one of their weapons––at the United States. If the plan is successful, the commandos, posing as German forces, will destroy the missile at it reaches the atmosphere, creating a dramatic shift in global politics and forcing Russia to ally with the United States against Germany.

Military Salute (Website and DVD) by Jeff Seeber

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MWSA Review

Review missing

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Author's Synopsis

Created by Navy veteran Jeff Seeber and the Minnesota Platoon, this inspirational video pays tribute to all who serve and have served in America's armed forces.

My Son is a Marine by Jo Anne Allen

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MWSA Review

Moving, inspiring, compelling, mystical, spiritual and entertaining! Personally, it was one of the best reading experiences of the year for me. Author, and mother of an Iraq veteran, Jo Anne Allen writes from her heart and it shows in her memoir  My Son Is A Marine.   It is a joy and a real pleasure to read something uplifting dealing with the Iraq War experience. Even though her book is filled with enough “Kleenex Moments” to make a great soap opera, she never loses her faith in life.

Her moving words about her son and his friends are touching and healing. This book would be good spiritual medicine for those with children in a war zone; or whose own lives have been challenged by having to carry some of life’s burdens. Jo Anne is not some simple minded “Pollyanna” but a faithful and very much human being, who is trying to cope and deal with her life under some extraordinary circumstances.

I found myself rooting for her and her family throughout the pages of this book. It is one of those stories that you are glued to as soon as you begin and must continue reading through to the end. I read it the first morning I got the book – I could not put it down until I was done with it.

This is not your normal “I got a son in the war story” by any measure. It is something very special. I believe it will help bring people back to their own spiritual roots. It will change lives and make people different in a very positive way.

Reviewed by: Bill McDonald (2006)

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Author's Synopsis

After enduring grueling weeks of boot camp, 18-year-old Marine Lance Corporal Aaron J. Allen threw his Class A cap into the air at graduation. He was ready to be deployed to the fiercest battle zone in Iraq, where terrorism has replaced conventional warfare and there is no clearly defined enemy.

Confronted by these conditions and the horrifying nightly news reports of fatalities, what can a mother do to protect her son from thousands of miles away? Jo Anne Allen chose to sustain herself and keep A.J. strong and safe using communication. In this timely book, she reminisces about A.J.'s childhood and the precious memories that are forever embedded in her heart. She uses her words to recreate the wonder of those times and replace the hugs and kisses of the past with stories full of love and faith.

Young Marines fighting for their lives alongside her son also find solace in Jo Anne's spiritual beliefs, nurturing hearts, and incredible peanut butter cookies.

Highest Traditions (Video Short) by Tony Lazzarini

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MWSA Review

When I finished reading Tony's book I found it to be right on the money about that long ago life event; I felt I was back in my old helicopter company in Vietnam. Tony takes you back and shows you how it was to be a door-gunner, crew-chief or a pilot. For those who have been there it feels real and is authentic--to those who were not, it is an education in how it felt to be there. This is a must read book. It is okay for teenagers to read - it is not overly offensive and sticks to the story line. I rate this book among the best written in 2003 on the Vietnam War. 

This book is an easy read - it follows a logical path and can be read all at once or in pieces as time permits. It is an award winning book having received awards and recognition from various organizations including the American Authors Association and the MWSA. 

Reviewed by: Bill McDonald (2004)

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Author's Synopsis

Fly in a UH-1D (Huey) helicopter in Vietnam as a door gunner when the average life span was an expected 20 seconds in combat. Learn about the equipment, men and missions. A different kind of war story takes the reader inside the author's mind during his 21 month tour of duty. Read how helicopter missions were flown and why. Fly with the 25th Aviation "A" Company "Little Bears", one of the most decorated helicopter units of the Vietnam War. Twelve full color pictures.

War in the Pacific - Volume I, II, III by Jerome Hagen

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MWSA Review

Retired USMC Brigadier General Jerome T. Hagen has put together a great series of books called  War in the Pacific.  His first volume of that series – America at War  is an engrossing history of WWII as fought in the Pacific. He writes history like I love to read it and makes it educational, exciting and entertaining.

Volume I (subtitled “America at War”) comes across as sounding like an insider briefing on what happen and why it happened. Almost any writer can write about what happened after the fact but General Hagen gives the reader new insightful looks at the reason things occurred as they did.

Little know facts about the other surrendering ceremonies, besides the one everyone knows about from history books, makes for an eye opening account of history. His book takes a look at everything from POW issues to the atomic bombs dropped on Japan. It flows with great energy and lots of excellent researched information, and data. This is the best history book on the war in the pacific ever written!

It is a part of a must read book series – War in the Pacific. 

Reviewed by: Bill McDonald (2006)

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Author's Synopsis

War in the Pacific begins with Japan's interest in colonialism, the assassination of Marshall Chang Tso-lien in Manchuria, and Japan's subsequent decision to 'Strike South.' The attack on Pearl Harbor is examined in light of the difficulties Japan's navy had to overcome to launch such an attack. 

The atrocities inflicted upon innocent people and prisoners of war, even prior to the Rape of Nanking, are covered in detail throughout Japan's conquest and reign of terror. Here, in succinct and lucid presentation, is all the information you wanted to know about the Bataan Death March, the Burma Road, Doolittle's Raid on Tokyo, the Death Railway, the Kamikazes, the Firebombing of Japan, and difficulties Japan had in ending the war. 

The chapters on 'Other' Surrender Ceremonies and 'Independent Forces and Unnecessary Battles,' reveal new information never before published.

The Legend of the Lost Tiki by Jan E. Culbertson

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MWSA Review

A Delightful Young Person’s Adventure Book Jan Culbertson has come up again with a great children’s book for those middle age children around 9 to 14 years old. His latest effort in a fine series of “Legend” books is called “The Legend Of The Lost Tiki.”  It involves the adventures of two sisters who go off to Hawaii and find a lost artifact.

The writing will hold the imagination of junior high school children and those a little younger,  who are good readers. The style is moving and action filled. The author allows the young reader to place themselves in the shoes of our young heroes through the way he weaves the storyline and the unfolding of the plot. I also think that this would be a good book to be read to children by adults or by older children.

I continue to be amazed at the vivid imagination of Culbertson. His books run the gamut of themes and genre. This book will make a wonderful gift for those young people in your life who you want to hook on reading books. It is just a little over 80 pages long and the vocabulary is not too difficult. Each page has lots of movement and the plot unfolds rather quickly.

Reviewed by: Bill McDonald (2006)

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Author's Synopsis

 Bianca, Alyssa, and their mother set out for an adventure to Hawaii. The girls are eager to go swimming, attend a Hawaiian luau, learn to surf, and maybe do a little shopping. On the very first night, the family gets to attend a luau where the girls get to try out Hawaiian dancing. During the big event, the sisters also make a friend, Kaimi. Kaimi had sung a traditional Hawaiian song at the luau. This touching song told the tale of how the first Hawaiians came to the island and how a Tiki had been responsible for their safe journey. The saddest part of the song was that this Tiki had been lost and the Hawaiian people wished that someday it would be found. Perhaps the two sisters can help.The Legend of the Lost Tiki is quite enjoyable. The girls have adventurous souls and are always ready for a new adventure whether it is learning to surf or tracking down antiquity smugglers. What will Bianca and Alyssa do next?

Paradigm by Robert D. Taylor

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MWSA Review

Better Than The Da Vinci Code. Wow, Paradigm is one great reality-mystery novel! It will change your whole outlook on the stock market, church history, and how you look at the world’s most wealthy and powerful families. You get caught up in this novel and then you realize that some of it is based on scientific or historic facts; it really changes your perceptions of how you will view business and financial decisions.

Author Robert Taylor presents a theory of how the ebb and flow of the stock market actual follows the earth’s gravitational energies. He makes a great case with lots of proof and enough data to have gained himself a nomination for the Nobel Prize in Economics. The back of his book goes into great scientific detail with supportive data. What you really have is a great action thriller novel for 80 percent of this book followed by an equally interesting non-fiction appendage at the end of the book with Taylor’s economic theories. It is a combination that causes one to lose track of what is fiction and what is real in the story.

Taylor makes his story great entertainment and fun while also educating his reader in many varied areas of interest from Egyptian and Roman histories to secret societies, art, the Vatican, royal families and even some scandalous background on some of America’s most wealthy families. It is fascinating and hard to tell the speculative from the hard facts. He weaves both aspects together to make for a compelling and very convincing thriller. The reader will find (like I did) that they will be unable to put this book down once they dig into the story a few pages.

This book is destined to become a best seller and a movie!

Reviewed by: Bill McDonald (2006)

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Author's Synopsis

What is tomorrow's Wall Street Journal worth to you today? Where is the line between reality and fiction? Are the financial markets really predictable? Does an ancient artifact hold the key to how some of the world's wealthiest families made their fortunes?

When a mysterious granite and cypress Egyptian box is found hidden away in a secret room in the palatial Biltmore Estate, twin scientists Alex and Nicholas Shepard work to unlock the secret of its intricate dials, gauges, crystals, and carvings. What they discover has the potential to make them rich beyond their wildest dreams. But it could also collapse financial markets, bankrupt corporations around the globe, and destroy many of the world's most powerful families. As the twins quickly find out, people will not only kill to make money, but will kill to keep it.

What begins as a simple scientific experiment in the stock market quickly descends into a nightmarish intrigue of murder, deception, and mystery. When one Shepard brother is killed, the surviving twin and his wife find themselves in a desperate gambit to learn the truth about the box's legacy. Using ancient documents found with the box, they unearth clues to trace its history through the ages, from the catacombs of Paris to the Knights of the Templar in Scotland. Their investigation takes them from London to Paris, Venice, and finally, to the Vatican itself, where they uncover the greatest deception ever perpetuated by man.

Robert D. Taylor's enthralling debut novel "Paradigm" is a unique and masterful blend of intelligent scientific suspense and bold historical mystery stretching from earliest antiquity to the present day-and beyond. His intriguing plot and cast of memorable characters makes for a suspenseful pager-turn that will keep readers guessing about where the lines of reality and fiction merge.

"Paradigm" demands we believe the unbelievable. The challenge of finding out just what is truly real and what is not is now up to you.

A Guide to the Battles of the American Revolution by Theodore Savas and J. David Dameron

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MWSA Review

Best history book ever written on the battles of the Revolutionary War. I did not realize that any history on the battles of our own revolutionary war could be written in a way that made it so interesting and insightful. Theodore Savas and David Dameron have compiled a book that is absolutely second to none in this genre. The book is simply called A Guide To The Battles Of The American Revolution, however, what is inside their book is anything but simple. It is packed with facts and data and told in a narrative that makes for easy reading and understanding.

The authors have created a format that will make any history buff salivate in pure joy. There are maps of all the battles with great details on them. There are facts about the opposing forces so you understand who had what advantages in manpower or weapons. There is even an analysis of what each army was trying to do and what resulted. This is the kind of book that makes history easily understood. I learned something new on almost every single page of this book and I am very well read on the subject. The research is top notch.

This book is suitable for all readers including teenagers. It is history unlike you have ever read before.

Reviewed by: Bill McDonald (2006)

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Author's Synopsis

A Guide to the Battles of the American Revolution is the first comprehensive account of every engagement of the Revolution, a war that began with a brief skirmish at Lexington Green on April 19, 1775, and concluded on the battlefield at the Siege of Yorktown in October 1781.

In between were six long years of bitter fighting on land and at sea. The wide variety of combats blanketed the North American continent from Canada to the Southern colonies, from the winding coastal lowlands to the Appalachian Mountains, and from the North Atlantic to the Caribbean.

Unlike existing accounts, A Guide to the Battles of the American Revolution by authors Theodore P. Savas and J. David Dameron presents each engagement in a unique way. Each battle entry offers a wide and rich-but consistent-template of information to make it easy for readers to find exactly what they are seeking.

Every entry begins with introductory details including the date of the battle, its location, commanders, opposing forces, terrain, weather, and time of day. The detailed body of each entry offers both a Colonial and British perspective of the unfolding military situation, a detailed and unbiased account of what actually transpired, a discussion of numbers and losses, an assessment of the consequences of the battle, and suggestions for further reading. Many of the entries are supported and enriched by original maps and photos. Fresh, scholarly, informative, and entertaining, A Guide to the Battles of the American Revolution will be welcomed by historians and general enthusiasts everywhere.

In the Shadow of Suribachi by Joyce Faulkner

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MWSA Review

War is Hell!  You have to believe that author Joyce Faulkner was an old warrior from some previous lifetime – if you believed in reincarnation at all. She gives you such an honest and intimate portrayal of men who are in combat – that one would think that she was actually there. Her WWII novel about the battle on Iwo Jima  In the Shadow of Suribachi  is compelling, intense, and realistic. She writes with a male energy unbeknownst to most female authors. She will draw you into her storyline and into the people she writes about.

Faulkner allows you to meet and get to know the main characters prior to the battle and this makes the story more emotional and gripping. She uses her words like precious ammo and delivers her story with emotionally deadly accuracy. As a combat veteran, I felt the author was telling it like it was. Her obviously gifted writing skills make this literary journey through her book a pleasure. It is at all times entertaining, as well as insightful.

I think the word “authentic” applies to this accounting of the battle of Iwo Jima even though it is a fictionalize portrait of that event. This is destined to become a classic WWII book. My guess is that the author did a lot of research on this subject before undertaking the story itself. It just feels like it is so right!

Reviewed by: Bill McDonald (2006)

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Author's Synopsis

Through 7 fictional characters, Faulkner tells the story of the Battle of Iwo Jima. The characters, based loosely on stories told by her father and other veterans she has met, are each introduced to the reader before the war. They come from various backgrounds and geographic locations across the US. The young men come together on the shores of Iwo Jima and face a horrific fight in one of WWII's most famous battles. Faulkner successfully captures the chaos, terror, grief, pain and heart of the battlefield.

Boys of '67 by Charles Jones

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MWSA Review

A Inspiring Portrait Of Three USMC Generals. Boys Of ‘67 is a brilliant and coherent chronicle that follows the lives of three Marines who trained together in 1967 and who went on to almost mythical heights with their careers. This book is inspiring and entertaining; but above all, this is a fascinating tale of how three young Marines go through their careers and become generals.

The book takes us from their officer training to Vietnam and beyond. These men are true heroes in the very sense of that word. You cannot help but admire them as they are portrayed in the pages of Charles Jones' book. He takes this journey of their three individual lives and masterly weaves them altogether so that we can more fully understand the significance of what these men were able to do.

This book honors the finest traditions of the Marine Corps and the men and women who proudly serve. It is full of history, facts, insights, and personal observations. It is also a little controversial with its stand on how the war in Iraq was handled. It comes off as an honest and well balanced look at modern warfare and policy; however, the book is really about the men who fought those wars and who dealt with the results of those policy decisions.

Reviewed by: Bill McDonald (2006)

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Author's Synopsis

At once a gritty, intimate account of combat, an inside look at military leadership in a turbulent era at home and abroad, and a sweeping saga of the modern-day United States Marine Corps, Boys of 67 tells the story of a trio of extraordinary Marines. James Jones rose to become the Supreme Allied Commander of NATO. Ray E-Tool Smith saw combat in Grenada and Beirut in 1983. Marty Steele reshaped the Marines tank forces. Together, they represent a generation of Marines who met unprecedented challenges and made the Corps America s premier fighting force. 

Battlelines by LtCol David Brown USMC Ret and Tiffany Brown Holmes

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MWSA Review

Company F, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines – Their History. Retired USMC Lt. Col. David Brown and his daughter, Tiffany Brown Holmes, team up to write the definitive history of one of the best fighting units in the Vietnam War. They finally share with the rest of the world, the real history and the stories of one of America’s finest fighting units from the Vietnam War – Company F, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines. Their history is told with much pride in a book called Battlelines. The book gives us the unit’s history through personal accounts of those who served from 1966 through 1971. It is all about real heroes and brotherhood and team work; but it is also about death, wounds and PTSD. It is about shared experiences in hell and funny stories as well.

The authors did a great job of piecing this unit’s history together so that it flows as one story as you read the book. There are some memories that hurt and will bring tears and some that may bring a smile. This book is about real men facing life and death and taking care of each other in the process. This is what the Marines are all about and this unit is one of the finest examples of that spirit.

There were at least two men who were awarded the Medal of Honor and the unit had a host of other men receive various and numerous medals for heroic deeds. But this unit also got more than its share of Purple Hearts (for wounds received while in combat). “Fox Company” even got aPresidential Unit Citation for the battle for Hue. This was not some garrison troop that went out on an occasional patrol. This was a fighting force to be reckoned with as the NVA and VC forces found out.

If you were only going to read one book about the Marines in Vietnam then this would be that one book you should read. It honors not only this unit but all Marines. It is well written and well researched and was obviously a labor of love for the authors

.Reviewed by: Bill McDonald (2006)

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Author's Synopsis

“In Battlelines, Lieutenant Colonel Dave Brown and his daughter, Tiffany, have captured the reality of war. Their chronicle of comradeship forged in the crucible of combat is a must-read for anyone who cares about soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines who fight our country’s battles.”
—Oliver L. North, Lieutenant Colonel, USMC (Ret.)

 “Battlelines…is a tribute to the brave Marines of Fox Company, 2/5, who fought in some of the sharpest battles of the war. I fought alongside Dave Brown and his Marines, and can attest to the courage and tenacity displayed by the men of Fox Company.”

—Martin L. Brandtner, Lieutenant General, USMC (Ret.)

“Battlelines is a superb memoir on human behavior and the raw emotions felt by those who must constantly face the dangers of either closing or defending that last 600 meters against an aggressive, determined, and often-unseen enemy. Implicit in the telling is a portrait of unsurpassed courage, steadfastness, and a sense of mutual affection for one another that can only be derived from men who find themselves together under fire.”
—O. K. Steele, Major General, USMC (Ret.)

From Nam with Love by Lloyd A. King

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MWSA Review

Vietnam War Poetry That Captures the Heart and Mind. Emotional and spiritual and hard hitting poetry from the combat experiences of Lloyd King. In his well written book of prose,  From ‘Nam With Love – An Infantry Soldier’s Vietnam  the reader is transformed along with the poet as he lives each day in the Nam. The poems are chronologically composed so that the emotional and spiritual energy grows and changes as the poet’s “tour of duty” proceeds though the year. He labels the poems with dates that they represent; and occasionally ends some with a short footnote as to who was killed or if he was awarded some medal.

I have read thousands of Vietnam War poems over the last decade and there is for the most part a certain sameness to them. However, King takes us on new pathways with his thoughts and observations and covers some themes that I have not read else where. One of my favorite poems in his book illustrates this point clearly by going in a more divine and mystical direction. The poem is called “The Vision” and it deals with a strange event that happens to him on Hill 903.

There is much compassion in King's poems as observed in several of his works of prose, such as the experiencing of his first combat kill. It shows a softer and more human side to this warrior; one that shows he is not some emotionless crazed killing machine as is portrayed in so many books and movies.

Lloyd’s personal thoughts and outlook on life are reflected throughout his book’s prose and also in his wonderful illustrations. This is one of the better books of war poetry written from the Vietnam War. It is this poet's journey of the heart and soul of that war experience and many others will be able to identify with him.

I personally give this book my endorsement and highly recommend it to others.

Reviewed by: Bill McDonald (2006)

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Author's Synopsis

A book of poetry about the author's experiences in Vietnam. Through poetry and illustrations, King tells the story of the combat soldier. He takes us from day one to day 365 captivating us with all the emotion and heartbreak of war. Both insightful and inspirational, Lloyd strikes a chord in the human heart.

Basic Training Guidebook by Michael C. Volkin

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MWSA Review

Where Was This Book in 1965? I always felt that my basic training experience back in 1965 would have been much better had I known something about what I was going to endure. Now, modern day military recruits have at their finger tips, “The Ultimate Basic Training Guidebook” for surviving “boot camp;” and this is no exaggeration! Author, Sgt. Michael Volkin, has done a very creditable job of capturing all the needed information to survive basic training.

He gives you insights on how and why things happen, and what you can do ahead of time to prepare yourself for that experience. I guarantee that if you follow his advice, as outlined in his book, that basic training will be much easier physically and emotionally for you. The keys from his many words of wisdom are to be prepared and to expect the unexpected.

This book is an absolute must for new basic trainees. It can make all the difference between failing mentally or physically and successfully enduring the training. Good photos illustrate physical exercises that will prepare you for the physical needs of basic. The guidebook also gives a good overview of what you should expect to happen from the time you arrive at your basic training facility and reception to graduation week. It takes you step by step through the whole program of training. More importantly, he gives the recruit some good personal advice on how to keep a low profile and stay out of trouble with your “Drill Instructors.”

For those of us “old school” veterans from Nam or before – it is interesting to note that your DI can no longer physically hit you and kick you or punch you. Gone are the good old days of brutal and unrestrained training; but it still doesn’t mean that it is any easier to complete. There are those physical elements of running and push-ups and sit-ups that will always continue to challenge new recruits.

Sgt. Volkin has broken his book into logical chapters that are both easy to read and understand. If you are going into the military you will find this book even more helpful if you get your hands on a copy and read it prior to reporting. It will give you an edge over others. Your confidence will also be enhanced because you will actually be ahead of the game and will know more than the average recruit.

I enjoyed reading the book and I am not going back to basic training any time soon! 

Reviewed by: Bill McDonald (2006)

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Author's Synopsis

As anyone who has undergone the transition from civilian to soldier will tell you, basic training is a lot tougher and more challenging than any recruit can imagine. Michael Volkin discovered that fact soon after 9-11, when his personal vow to serve my country convinced him to enlist in the U.S. Army.

As Volkin quickly discovered, he was utterly unprepared for the new world of the military, "a completely different environment full of unknown exercises and acronyms, where can't eat or talk without permission. Volkin began taking notes on everything and anything with the hope that no one else would have to go through basic training like I did completely unarmed with knowledge that would have eased my transition into the military and allowed me to be more successful.

During Operation Enduring/Iraqi Freedom, Volkin organized his notes, interviewed hundreds of other soldiers, and began to write. The result is The Ultimate Basic Training Guidebook, a unique and utterly indispensable guide to successfully coping with and thriving in today's military.

The Ultimate Basic Training Guidebook is a comprehensive, practical, and easy-to-follow survival guide written specifically for every new or prospective recruit about to enter any branch of the armed forces. Volkin's book offers step-by-step instructions and solutions, including helpful charts and graphics, for how to prepare both physically and mentally for boot camp. It includes a special eight-week fitness program specifically designed to improve your fitness test scores, specific study guides, an instructional How to"chapter, a list of what to bring (and not to bring) to basic training, tips for success, and much more.

The Ultimate Basic Training Guidebook was written by a soldier for men and women who want to become soldiers. No one should enter boot camp without having read this book.

The Blog of War by Matthew Currier Burden

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MWSA Review

A Timely and Insightful Look at the War in Iraq and Afghanistan.  In this new age of information reporting, blogging has become an important link for soldiers to communicate about their own “war on terrorism” in Iraq and Afghanistan. In his book The Blog Of War – Frontline Dispatches from Military Bloggers in Iraq and Afghanistan author and military veteran Matthew Currier Burden brings us the “news” from the frontlines as fresh and emotional as it gets. This is not “your father’s war book” for sure – this is a forerunner of things to come, where books are written on blogs as they happened in real time.

Burden does a great job of organizing the book and allowing us to feel and see different personalities and situations. There is even some prose mixed into the fold of this book and certainly lots of personal details about the life of our soldiers. This book is not some old censored news dispatch from the DOD but an insider view on what is really happening there NOW.

Exciting, entertaining (if that can be said about war and suffering) and insightful; this book breaks new ground and allows us to get a better understanding of what is happening and has happened in our current war. The reader can almost place themselves in the situations and the events –the editing format allows you to fully immerse into the experiences. The book does not feel like a blog but more like a series of online conversations that you are allowed to eavesdrop on.

The book is destined to set a trend for other blogger books as this one certainly leads the way with an excellent telling of our experiences in this current war. This will be a hard act to follow for the others!

Reviewed by: Bill McDonald (2006)

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Author's Synopsis

Matthew Currier Burden founded www.blackfive.net, one of the most popular military blogs on the Internet. His blog began as an homage to a friend killed on duty in Iraq and quickly became a source of information about what was really happening in Afghanistan and Iraq.

In The Blog of War Burden presents selections from some of the best of the military blogs, the purest account of the many voices of this war. This is the first real-time history of a war, a history written even as the war continues. It offers a glimpse into the full range of military experiences in Afghanistan and Iraq, from the decision to enlist right through to homecoming. There are powerful stories of soldiers in combat, touching reflections on helping local victims of terror and war, pulse-racing accounts of med-evac units and hospitals, and heartbreaking chronicles of spouses who must cope when a loved one has paid the ultimate price. The Blog of War provides an uncensored, intimate, and authentic version of life in the war zone. Dozens of voices come together in a wartime choir that conveys better than any second-hand account possibly can what it is like to serve on the front lines.

Under Orders by William McCoy

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MWSA Review

A Book for the Right Time and Generation! Once in a while a book is published that meets the needs of a certain group of people and generation. The book “Under Orders – A Spiritual Handbook For Military Personnel” is such a book! In fact, it goes well beyond meeting the needs and provides much insightful and thoughtful advice. It comes as a handbook for this generation of warriors who are currently fighting the war on terrorism; although it is advice that works well with any group or age of military people. Chaplain William McCoy delivers a handbook that is long over due and much needed in today’s military environment.

McCoy uses language and phrasing along with life examples that are easy to understand. Readers of this handbook will not have to decipher hidden meanings or symbols – this is all basic fundamental and straight forward thinking. At the end of his chapters he has something called “Considerations”that gets the reader to think and do some personal evaluations.

This book should be in the hands of all our military personnel. It should be required gear for anyone shipping out to a war zone or for a hazardous duty assignment. This is the kind of book that in time will become well worn, highlighted and dog eared because this book was written to be used and not just stored on a shelf. This book is the best of its kind and may be the only one of its kind. It is written for today’s Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard.

Reviewed by: Bill McDonald (2006)

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Author's Synopsis

Under Orders is written for you in the military services who seek to nurture and sustain your faith in the face of war, deployments and the troubling questions of faith and life.

Chaplain Bill McCoy's work is inspirational-- it guides soldiers as they struggle with the questions surrounding their service and their faith...a great book for soldiers to read several times throughout their careers, because while the questions he poses will always remain the same, the answers will change with age, experience, and in a deepening conviction.

Under Orders should be in every rucksack for those moments when Soldiers need spiritual energy.

Space Egg by Brian Wizard

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MWSA Review

A New Look at the Universe that is Entertaining, Spiritual and Intelligent.  I have read about a dozen books by Vietnam veteran author Brian Wizard and have enjoyed all of them for many different reasons; but his newest fantasy / Sci-fi book called Space Egg is really his best creative writing to date. I say to date, because he is already at work on a sequel to this fascinating and mind expanding novel. The opening author’s notes start the reader off with a whole new thought process about divine energy and God and creation. It is enough to hook you right there – then the book gets even more interesting.

The story takes place in Australia where Brian used to live and transports us to northern California and Reno, Nevada – other old vintages of the author’s personal life. I mention that because he has a feel for these places that he captures in mood of the story and through the actions of the characters. This book’s plot will not go logically to where you think the author is drawing the reader to. The twists and turns and events unfold much to your enjoyable surprise.

Wizard has an uncanny ability to make anything sound exciting through his prose and careful use of dialog. He skillfully paints his story with his words but it is his plot idea that makes this book worth reading. The ideas he throws out in the story are really mind bending and expanding. This book can be favorably compared to the works of any of the world’s best fantasy writers. The only difference between the NY Times best selling Sci-fi and fantasy books and this one is that “Space Egg” lacks marketing and so it remains an undiscovered classic.

I read this book until the wee hours of the morning to finish it. I was totally absorbed into the story and really wanted to know what happened. This book will please readers who like fantasy and Sci-Fi books but also to those who love a little intellectual stimulus with their entertainment. This is a great read. 

Reviewed by: Bill McDonald (2006)

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Author's Synopsis

If change is as good as a rest, and you're not tired, do you really want a change?

This is the question Ayre Light, pilot, poet and finder of the alien space debris he and his best mate, Billy, dub the Space Egg are forced to ask. Curious as to the makeup of the strange material, Ayre takes a long, strange journey down a path that leads him to discover the half-twist of a Mobius strip, perpetual motion, alien Gathers of such material, and has a short metaphysical visit with Ima Gawd, the Toymaker and creator of Divine Energy. Yet, this truly is a love story.
Space Egg, A Half-Twist of Fate, is Brian Wizard's first Science Fiction story.

This ebook is the original Space Egg story before its two sequels.

The Wallace Dream by Marc CB Maxwell

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MWSA Review

A Book for Children That Is Unlike Any Other. There have been only a few children books that have managed to break new ground with a unique and unusual tales to tell like, “Willie Wonka’s Chocolate Factory” or “Alice in Wonderland.”  Now, author Marc CB Maxwell offers young readers a potential new children’s classic with his book“The Wallace Dream – The Adventures of the Baby Seekers.”  It is certainly different, creative and very entertaining.

What began simply as a story to explain what a family is all about to their future adopted daughter from China, ended up becoming a creative fantasy that has universal appeal to other young readers; although many adults might enjoy reading this to their own children.

This imaginative adventure story also serves to deliver some basic family values along with some great entertainment. Maxwell does well to keep the energy flowing throughout his story and young readers will have no trouble following the action.

This book is a great escape from the harsh realities of the world. Children will benefit from this mythical like modern fairytale about becoming a family. This a good book for parents to use for bedtime reading or for older children to read on their own.

Reviewed by: Bill McDonald (2006)

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Author's Synopsis

The Wallace Dream - The Adventures of The Baby Seekers is a story about a husband and wife, Sam and Finley Wallace, who decide to make their family whole. Upon realizing that a baby is what they need, the couple sets off on a journey of fantastic adventures that will take them around the world.

The Wallace Dream is for children and parents alike. It is a fantasy fairytale about becoming a family.

The Wallace Dream is a modern version of the stork by mixing myths and familiar stories in an exciting new way.

So join Sam, Finley, their Saint Bernard dog Kitty, Hans Dieter the tour guide, and an assortment of other characters as they look for the ultimate treasure. A Family.

Echoes From The Infantry by Frank Nappi

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MWSA Review

Insightful Tale of a WWII Infantryman. This is not just some simplistic WWII genre novel about war and battles; “Echoes From The Infantry” is a first class story of human relationships told by a writer who knows how to weave feelings, dialog and action successfully together! Author Frank Nappi takes the reader through the heart as well as the mind with his story. Father and son relationship issues surface as does the issue of PTSD (although not called that back in WWII).

This book is so much more than a war novel, although there is plenty of action. The book explores the deeper recess of the characters and gives them real substance. They feel like real people facing the horrors of war and the problems of readjusting to family life in peace time.

What makes this story even better, is the fact that the author crafted his storylines and even parts of some of his characters from real men that he knew. His experiences and eventual friendship with several WWII veterans gave birth to the idea of his book. He had invited these men over the years to his classroom to talk about their experiences to his students. The results of those class talks and visits inspired him to create a story loosely based on what they had gone through.

This book is destined to become a war classic. The issues that Frank Nappi talks about are things that are still fresh issues with today’s troops. The way he reminiscences and unfolds the story is pure gold. Nappi is destined to find great success writing; as his talents become very clear when you have the honest pleasure of reading through the pages of his book. The author honestly conveys the emotions and feelings of his characters with little effort. The energy of his tale flows emotionally though his book. It feels like you are taken on a journey of the heart, as well as an adventure.

Reviewed by: Bill McDonald (2006)

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Author's Synopsis

Frank Nappi is a school teacher on Long Island who, over the last several years, befriended aging World War II veterans in his community. As he heard their reminiscences he became absorbed in their stories of simple heroism--and of trying to recapture what they'd left behind when they returned home. They are the stories of men who never asked for recognition or adulation, only a place in the free and prosperous society they'd built with their own blood, sweat and tears--men who could never entirely leave behind the horrors of the battlefield, or explain them to their own children . . . 

Now, Nappi has synthesized those reminiscences and crafted them into a heartwarming and at times harrowing novel: Echoes from the Infantry. It is the fictionalized tale of one Long Island veteran, the misery of combat, and the powerful emotional bond that connected him to his fiancée back home and that allowed him to survive the war with his soul battered but intact. 

It is about a father and a son, and their ultimately redeeming struggle to understand the worlds that shaped each one--one a world at war, the other a world shaped by its veterans.