Elements of War by Gray Rinehart

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Author's Synopsis

ELEMENTS OF WAR examines war and warfare in ways that challenge some of the most deeply held conceptions of armed conflict.

War involves myriad violent actions against often intractable foes, across varied and difficult environments, in pursuit of broad strategic aims, making it perhaps the most complex and consequential of all human activities. This volume presents nontraditional and even innovative ways of thinking about war and its constituent elements, and suggests that we may comprehend war better if we study it through the lens of theory of knowledge.

Is it possible to understand war in its totality? Perhaps not, but it does us well to try--even if we never approach any sort of unified theory to guide our strategic and tactical aims.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Nonfiction—History

Number of Pages: 357

Word Count: 85,000

F4U Corsair by Ernest M. Snowden

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Author's Synopsis

F4U Corsair is published by Naval Institute Press as the first aircraft history in a series they title Special Editions. Special Editions are designed to offer a deeper look at iconic naval aircraft using an image-heavy, magazine-style format in a coffee table book layout. Special Editions are intended to appeal to scholars, enthusiasts, and general readers alike.  

Rarely is an aircraft design so inspired that it brings forth near-universal recognition and acclaim. In more than 110 years of naval aviation history and more than 50 years of Vought Corsairs in active-duty squadrons, one Corsair model, the F4U, stands alone. In that time, only a few naval aircraft have been acknowledged as game changers that singularly tipped the balance in air combat. The Vought F4U Corsair heads a short list of such aircraft by dint of its supremely efficient lines—a melding of the highly developed Double Wasp powerplant, the outsized Hydromatic propeller that it drove, and the finely tuned airframe that wrapped it.   

Navy and Marine Corps aviators held the Corsair in high esteem for its ruggedness, speed, and adaptability as a fighter and a bomber, long after its first appearance in the South Pacific during World War II, through the closing weeks of the Korean War. The Corsair’s potency made it sought after by allied air forces long after its final days in U.S. inventory, rendering vital service in French livery at Dien Bien Phu and, finally, with South American air forces in the so-called  “Soccer War” of the late 1960s.  Here is the complete history of this storied aircraft, from early design through the legendary dogfights of Maj. Gregory “Pappy” Boyington’s Black Sheep Squadron over the Pacific, and in operations in Korea.

Format(s) for review: Paper Only

Review Genre: Artistic—Pictorial/Coffee Table

Number of Pages: 126

Word Count: 40,000

The Very Last War by WH Hawthorne

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Author's Synopsis

#1 Amazon Bestseller, Political Fiction

A pivotal election revives freedom and self-governance in America, sending shockwaves across the globe and rattling four rival powers—European socialists, Chinese communists, Islamic radicals, and avaricious Russian leaders.

With dreams of world domination fading, they set aside differences and forge an alliance. Not to simply defeat America, but—with the help of a devastating new weapon—to erase it from the earth.

Outnumbered and alone, America answers with its own revolutionary weapon. But machines, no matter how intelligent, won’t be enough. Once again, survival will depend on something older. Something deeper.

The unbreakable American spirit.

In dimly lit halls of power, shadowy intrigues unfold. On sunlit battlefields, selfless heroism burns bright. Across North America, war rages from the frozen tundra of Alaska to the red clay of Alabama, from the mountains of Montana to the scorching deserts of Mexico.

If America falls, the free world falls with her.

A great generation will be needed. But can America still produce greatness?

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Fiction—Mystery/Thriller/Crime

Number of Pages: 543

Word Count: 153,790

Note: Audiobook version coming out by April 2025

Unknowable Minds: Philosophical Insights on AI and Autonomous Weapons by Mark Bailey

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Author's Synopsis

Imagine that in the cold heart of a secret military facility, a new form of intelligence awakens. It is a synthetic mind born from intricate algorithms and complex computations, operating in ways unfathomable to its human creators. Charged with safeguarding national security, this intelligence orchestrates strategies that defy human ethics and laws of war, leaving its creators both awed and unnerved. Unknowable Minds delves into the unsettling reality of entrusting our safety to an intelligence that lacks human essence. As we navigate the Age of Artificial Intelligence, these systems - powering everything from our smartphones to military defenses - remain inherently opaque and unpredictable. The book explores how AI differs from any technology we've ever developed, its inherent complexities, and the profound risks it poses to our future. Drawing on philosophy, AI theory, and national security insights, this book offers a thought-provoking examination of AI's potential and peril. From the complexities of neural networks to the unpredictable nature of emergent behaviors, Unknowable Minds challenges us to rethink our relationship with AI and its role in the theater of global security. Can we control an unknowable intellect, or will it redefine human existence? As we stand on the precipice of unprecedented technological advancement, understanding and navigating the unknowable minds of artificial intelligences become a quest fraught with extraordinary challenges and existential questions.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Nonfiction—Reference

Number of Pages: 236

Word Count: 50,000

Rescue Run: Capt. Jake Rogers' Daring Return to Occupied Europe by John Winn Miller

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Author's Synopsis

In an exciting new adventure, Capt. Jake Rogers returns to the North Atlantic as commander of a U.S. Liberty ship with some of his crew from the sunken Peggy C. But disaster strikes, and they end up shipwrecked in Ireland. There Rogers learns from Dutch sailors that the Nazis have arrested the father of the love of his life, Miriam Maduro, and are about to deport him to a concentration camp.

They sneak back into Holland aboard a gun-running ship from neutral Ireland and make contact with a resistance group to help them. Everything goes according to plan until a shocking discovery leaves them stranded in Holland and forces them to flee for their lives across Nazi-occupied Europe.

They struggle to find other resistance groups and escape organizations to help them. But informants, imposters, and double agents are everywhere. And with a huge reward on their heads, they can never be sure who to trust. 

To make matters worse, a giant Dutch bounty hunter is in hot pursuit. The utterly ruthless, one-armed, former detective is desperate for the reward. He has no qualms about beating information out of people or working with–and sometimes double-crossing–Nazi officials, French gangsters, and even a suspected serial killer. 

In this deeply researched thriller, full of real historical figures, Rogers and crew make one breathtaking escape after another. Using disguises, fake documents, subterfuge, and sometimes force, they slowly make their way toward safety in Spain. But as they get close to their goal, another shocking surprise blocks their way. 

As they are backed into a corner, Rogers comes up with one more crazy scheme to save them. It is one that has almost no chance of succeeding.

Format(s) for review: Kindle Only

Review Genre: Fiction—Historical Fiction

Number of Pages: 426

Word Count: 117000

Healing Veteran Moral Injury: Using Metaphor and Story to Foster Hope and Connection by Pat Pernicano and Kerry Haynes

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Author's Synopsis

Healing Veteran Moral Injury highlights the importance of story and metaphor in the change process and in trauma-related work.

Grounded in evidence-based practice and replete with clear, down-to-earth examples that foster empathy and understanding, Healing Veteran Moral Injury illustrates the ways in which building a sense of community can help restore trust and meaning-making. Chapters illustrate the power of stories and metaphors and help Veterans identify strategies for healing moral injury and posttraumatic growth. Clinicians and Veterans will come away from this book with tools for building connections, accepting what they cannot change, and developing a more accurate perception of responsibility.

Healing Veteran Moral Injury is intended both for mental health professionals and Veterans themselves as a tool for breaking the silence, pointing other Veterans toward hope and healing, and telling stories of moral pain with fortitude and courage.

Format(s) for review: Paper & Kindle

Review Genre: Nonfiction—How to/Business

Number of Pages: 202

Word Count: 73288

The Gangs of Santa Fe by A. Michael Hibner

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Author's Synopsis

Life in Santa Fe in the late nineteenth century for young Nazario Alarid is interesting to say the least. His dad, Canuto, a political force in Santa Fe, introduces Nazario to Billy the Kid in the Santa Fe jail. Nazario decides to walk the strait and narrow, to not be like Billy, but things don’t always go the way one plans…

Format(s) for review: Paper or Kindle

Review Genre: Fiction—Historical Fiction

Number of Pages: 247

Word Count: 63,099

The Black Raven's Song by Macklin Grey

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Author's Synopsis

An anonymous threat, a catastrophic explosion, and a deadly race against time all collide at once.

After a nuclear bomb devastates St. Petersburg, Russia, killing hundreds of thousands and plunging the global economy into chaos, the world teeters on the brink of disaster. Amidst the turmoil, Chase Harper is sent to Singapore to salvage his company’s future. But fate has other plans for the former mercenary haunted by the recent loss of his wife and daughter. When North Korean assassins kidnap his closest friends to use as leverage in an attempt to seize mysterious cargo traveling across the Indian Ocean, Chase is dragged back into a world he desperately tried to leave behind. Intent on rescuing those he holds dear, Chase must confront his buried demons and reawaken his deadly skills.

Teaming up with an unlikely ally, he is thrust into a high-stakes operation to stop a madman intent on unleashing a catastrophic attack that could kill millions. Together, they must navigate a treacherous web of international intrigue and deadly conspiracies. With everything on the line, Chase faces a harrowing choice: become the killer he once was or risk losing all that he holds dear. If he fails, the last remnants of his shattered family will die, along with countless others.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Fiction—Mystery/Thriller/Crime

Number of Pages: 349

Word Count: 116,000

Maryland Sasquatch Massacre by Ethan Richards

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Author's Synopsis

Maryland. Mercenaries. Sasquatch.

Ebenezer "Eerie Eb" Edwards is ready to hang up his rifle. After years in the military and security contracting, he's set on leaving his tactical profession behind and focusing full-time on podcasting. But when a lucrative final contract crosses his path, Eb agrees to one last mission—a search deep into the heart of Savage River State Forest for the missing sister of Cora Rhodes, a wealthy heiress with a fierce determination.

Cora's sister has disappeared into the remote, abandoned forest, and Cora will stop at nothing to find her. With Eb leading the way, they're joined by a band of mercenaries—each with their own specialties and reasons for taking on the job. Together, the team must navigate treacherous terrain, but it's not just the wilderness they have to survive. Something brutal and ancient lurks in the shadows—something far worse than they could have imagined.

This isn't just a search-and-rescue mission. It's a battle for survival against a creature long thought to be myth. As the team members fall one by one, Eb and Cora must rely on each other, pushing their limits as they confront a force of nature no one was prepared for.

In this action-packed thriller, will Eb's final mission be the one that costs him everything? Or will he and Cora survive The Maryland Sasquatch Massacre and uncover the truth about the horrors lurking in the forest?

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Horror/Fantasy/Sci Fi

Number of Pages: 162

Word Count: 43217

The Spear and the Sentinel by J. L. Hancock

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Author's Synopsis

Voodoo and his team of special operators are thrust into the heart of a global conflict. The stakes have never been higher as China’s Belt and Road Initiative pushes into Central Asia, exposing dark ambitions and a secret lab advancing AI warfare.

Set against the vast steppes of Kazakhstan, this story unfolds in the shadow of the former Soviet Union. Tensions rise as Voodoo’s team embarks on a covert mission. New team members add to the friction as more troubles from Voodoo’s past return to the present.

They soon find themselves on the brink of a perilous future the Western world is unwilling to face: a world where AI reigns supreme, and there's no turning back. Fans of Jack Ryan, Tom Clancy, and Clive Cussler will snatch this thriller and refuse to let go.

Will Voodoo’s team succeed? Or has his luck finally run out?

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Mystery/Thriller/Crime

Number of Pages: 340

Word Count: 80,000

Crucible 1972: The War for Peace in Vietnam by J. Keith Saliba

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Author's Synopsis

By early 1972, America’s long struggle in Vietnam was nearing its end. President Richard Nixon’s policy of “Vietnamization” had seen U.S. troop strength plummet to its lowest since 1965, even as military planners ramped up efforts to train and equip South Vietnam to stand alone. In an effort to kickstart peace negotiations, Nixon that January revealed that for more than two years his administration had been in secret talks with North Vietnam to end the war. Nixon proposed a withdrawal of all foreign military forces from South Vietnam and the release of prisoners held by all sides. After which, the president intoned, the people of South Vietnam would be free to decide their own fate through peaceful, democratic means. All that remained was North Vietnam’s acceptance. But Hanoi said no. General Secretary Le Duan, seeing that the United States was already on its way out and calculating that Vietnamization had failed, decided war not peace would bring final victory.

And so on 30 March 1972, the first terrible wave of 30,000 North Vietnamese infantrymen, armor, and heavy artillery rolled across the DMZ separating North and South Vietnam. Within a month, that number would grow to more than 225,000 troops and hundreds of tanks pressing South Vietnam on three battlefronts. But what Le Duan did not calculate was the ferocity of the U.S. response. American airpower—now unshackled by a president determined to win an “honorable peace” in Vietnam—would rain destruction unlike anything the North Vietnamese had experienced. Before it was over, Washington, Hanoi, and Saigon would be pushed to the brink—and toward a deeply flawed peace that merely sowed the seeds of further war. Drawing on archival research and interviews with veterans who were there, J. Keith Saliba tells the tale of America’s last fateful year in Vietnam…and its desperate attempt to achieve an honorable peace.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Nonfiction—History

Number of Pages: 444

Word Count: 95,000