A Victor's Tale by Doc Westring

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MWSA Review

In A Victor's Tale: The Story of Milo Flaten, One of the GIs who Led the Invasion of Omaha Beach on D-Day, author Doc Westring brings to life the remarkable story of a World War II veteran who witnessed and participated in some of the most pivotal moments of the war. Through Milo Flaten's eyes, readers are transported to the front lines, experiencing the chaos, bravery, and sacrifice that defined the Allied victory in Europe.

Drafted in 1943, Milo Flaten's journey takes him from the shores of Omaha Beach on D-Day to the bitter battles across France and Germany. As the first scout off his landing craft, Flaten's firsthand account of the invasion is both harrowing and awe-inspiring. His story, meticulously preserved by Westring, offers a rare glimpse into the realities faced by the soldiers who fought to liberate Europe from Nazi oppression.

A Victor's Tale is more than just a war story; it is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the bonds forged in the heat of battle. Flaten's experiences, from his grave injury in 1944 to his continued service in Korea, paint a vivid picture of the sacrifices made by the Greatest Generation. As the number of living World War II veterans dwindles, this book serves as an essential record of their heroism and a reminder of the horrors of war.

Westring's engaging narrative style brings Milo Flaten's story to life, ensuring that his legacy and the legacy of countless other brave soldiers will endure for generations to come. A Victor's Tale is a must-read for anyone seeking to understand the human experience of World War II and the profound impact it had on those who fought in it.

Review by Elvis Leighton (March 2024)
 

Author's Synopsis

While it's likely most of us have never wanted to go to war and face combat, many of us are nevertheless fascinated by the experiences of men and women who have.

This book is about a man who served as a rifleman in World War II, and was one of the first GIs to land on Omaha Beach on D-Day.A man who survived the landing and continued to fight through France and Germany until the Nazis finally surrendered.

His memories of those experiences have been preserved in a new book by Doc Westring entitled A Victor’s Tale: The Story of Milo Flaten, One of the GIs who Led the Invasion of Omaha Beach on D-Day.

Milo was drafted in June 1943, and after training in the states, was shipped to England, where he was assigned to a company in the 116th Infantry Regiment, 29th Infantry Division. That company would be in the first wave of soldiers invading Normandy. As that company’s 1st scout, Milo was the first man off his landing craft and the first on shore. He eventually realized he might have been the first GI to land on Omaha.

Follow his path as he survived the invasion carnage, and continued to fight through Europe in some of the bitterest, bloodiest battles of World War II. After becoming a highly decorated and respected senior sergeant, he was gravely wounded in November 1944. He recovered completely, rejoined his division, and was in combat until Germany surrendered on May 7, 1945.

With the personal stories of so many World War II veterans now lost forever, we are privileged to have this man’s life available to us. His remarkable exploits are here, from the day he was drafted to the end of the war in Europe, along with his further service in Korea and his fascinating military and non-military life thereafter.

Walk with Milo and experience the insanity and terrible heartbreak that is war—and the relief, if not exuberance, that comes with victory and peace.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Nonfiction—Memoir/Biography

Number of Pages: 204

Word Count: 58,097

Somewhere In The South Pacific by John J. Gobbell

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MWSA Review

Somewhere in the South Pacific is the seventh book in the Todd Ingram series of military historical novels centered on the U.S. Navy in the South Pacific and elsewhere. Not having read any of the previous books, initially, I was slightly concerned that it would be an awkward read, not being able to adequately divine the back stories of the characters as laid down in the previous books. Fortunately, this was not the case in this book, and in fact, the main character of the series, USN Lieutenant Todd Ingram, is recuperating stateside from wounds incurred during the brutal Guadalcanal Campaign and is also sidelined waiting for his next command, a new destroyer coming out of the shipyard.

Somewhere in the South Pacific tells the story of valiant, outgunned Patrol Boat, Torpedo (PT) sailors that have been called upon to make night attacks on armed Japanese barges bringing supplies and reinforcements to beleaguered Imperial forces at the beginning of the “island hopping” campaign that would bring about the eventual Japanese defeat. While the barges are no easy targets, Japanese destroyers or aircraft can pop at any time to turn the hunters into the hunted. The author more than adequately lays out the trials and tribulations of the PT crews while gradually, subtly, and obliquely shifting the focus of the story to a new replacement PT skipper, none other than Lieutenant j.g John F. Kennedy.

Tracking closely to actual history, Kennedy’s character emerges as the “new” guy who enjoys a bit of slack from his new combat-weary contemporaries for Kennedy’s performance during the past year as an instructor at the PT boat school, and as a natural sailor. Bucking his father’s manipulations of the Navy to keep him out of combat, Kennedy finds a way to get into harm’s way, both because it is the right thing to do, but also wanting to ensure he can say he saw action for future political considerations. It helps that occasionally Kennedy runs into someone who has no idea who Kennedy is, other than just another junior officer. It is only in the last few chapters that the book focuses mainly on the famous fate of Kennedy and his PT109 crew.

The story and subplots flow smoothly, and the author excels at describing the exhaustive, always-on-edge life of the PT crews operating at the very end of supply lines and fighting the multilevel threats of the tropical maritime environment, not to mention the deadly Imperial Japanese forces. This novel will be of interest to any readers interested in naval action, especially in the Pacific during World War Two, as well as those interested in the Kennedy saga.

Review by Terry Lloyd (March 2024)
 

Author's Synopsis

Inspired by the true story of John F. Kennedy’s daring naval mission at the height of World War II, this historical thriller brings the unanswered question of the past to life with fast-paced action and vivid detail.

After surviving a near suicidal mission on Mondo Mondo Island, Lieutenant Commander Todd Ingram is sent back to the States on a thirty-day leave—but the war waits for no one, and trouble is already rippling through the Pacific Theater.

Fresh from Stateside training, Lieutenant JG John Kennedy takes command of the PT 109, a torpedo boat in desperate need of repairs, for the upcoming mission to retake the Western Solomon Islands. But the war isn’t the only thing on Kennedy’s mind: he’s torn between his family’s expectations and his forbidden love for Inga Arvad, a beautiful Danish columnist who narrowly escaped Nazi occupied Germany.

When a disastrous attempt to interrupt Japanese supply lines slices Kennedy’s PT 109 in half, Ingram and his six destroyers must pick up where Kennedy left off. Can Ingram save Kennedy and his stranded men while defeating the Japanese? Ingram is prepared to fight to the end, but victory comes at a steep price behind enemy lines…

In this 7th Installment, Todd Ingram reflects back on a simpler time, when he was on leave but the war was not. This is the story of what happened during his 39 day leave following When Duty Whispers Low, and takes place between When Duty Whispers Low and The Neptune Strategy.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Fiction—Historical Fiction

Number of Pages: 292

Word Count: 80,217

Phoenix Rising: From the Ashes of Desert One to the Rebirth of U.S. Special Operations by Col. (Ret) Keith M. Nightingale

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MWSA Review

Phoenix Rising is a two-part, behind-the-curtain story on the failed 1981 Desert One Iran hostage rescue attempt and the subsequent years-long effort to build a viable strategic Special Operations capability across the U.S. military.

The author was one of the principal planners of the Iran hostage rescue attempt. The first half of the book consists of his detailed notes and observations of the planning staff’s struggle to assemble, train, and transport a rescue force forged from disparate elements of Army Special Forces and Rangers, as well as Navy, initially, and then Marine helicopter pilots and crews, along with Air Force C-130 operators.

This is a fascinating account of the “heroes and zeros” involved with making this mission possible and those determined not to see it happen. Along with the usual Pentagon politics, dysfunction, and service parochialism, the stubborn adversity of the Central Intelligence Agency and State Department are prominently highlighted and explored. This part of the book is extremely exciting and reads like a documentary-style screenplay like Apollo 13.

The second part of the book takes us through the tireless efforts, including those in Congress, to get a recalcitrant Pentagon and service chiefs to create the seamless, highly capable special operations capability that exists today. This part of the story is extremely detailed, and a bit dry, but unavoidable given the subject.

Individuals interested in special operations will not be disappointed in this book, as well as those interested in the Iran hostage crisis and this phase of the Cold War.

Review by Terry Lloyd (March 2024)
 

Author's Synopsis

“As a junior officer and the lowest ranking 'gopher' at the creation of these forces, I saw how the several Services had great reservations regarding SOF to the point of studied dislike of it and a distinct distaste for its inclusion as a member of their force structure. The single lone exception was Army Chief of Staff Shy Myer, who saw terrorism and asymmetrical warfare as the emerging National threat and worked to build a missing capability. He did this as a lone wolf in that much of the Army leadership as well as the other Services, looked upon SOF as a high-risk loose cannon on their stable conventional deck.”

Phoenix Rising recounts the paradoxical birth of SOF through the prism of Operation Eagle Claw, the failed attempt to rescue fifty-two Americans held hostage in the U.S. Embassy in Tehran. When terrorists captured the Embassy on November 4, 1979, the Joint Chiefs of Staff quickly realized that the United States lacked the military capability to launch a rescue. There was no precedent for the mission, a mission that came with extraordinary restrictions and required a unique force to take it on. With no existent command structure or budget, this force would have to be built from scratch in utmost secrecy, and draw on every branch of the U.S. military.

Keith Nightingale, then a major, was Deputy Operations Officer and the junior member of Joint Task Force Eagle Claw, commanded by Major General James Vaught. Based on Nightingale’s detailed diary, Phoenix Rising vividly describes the personalities involved, the issues they faced, and the actions they took, from the conception of the operation to its hair-raising launch and execution. His historically significant post-analysis of Eagle Claw gives unparalleled insight into how a very dedicated group of people from the Chief of Staff of the Army to lower-ranking personnel subjugated personal ambition to grow the forces necessary to address the emerging terrorist threat—a threat which the majority of uniformed leadership and their political masters denied in 1979. The Special Operations capability of the United States today is the ultimate proof of their success.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Nonfiction—History

Number of Pages: 336

Word Count: 90,199

When Legends Lived, Vol 2 by R. C. Morris

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MWSA Review

When Legends Lived by R. C. Morris begins 25 years after Volume I Gone to Texas. Jericho McCain has been retired from the Texas Rangers for five years and has purchased a horse farm with his friend and fellow Ranger Roosevelt “Rosie” Poe. However, their sense of duty remains strong, and they are lured back to their hazardous work when their old nemesis Scar as well as some Comanches attack the railroad and surrounding farms, affecting the railroad's profits. With authority from the governor and the U. S. President, the railroad hires McCain and Poe to clean up this area of Texas. While they have aged, they are still fearsome and focused. Along the way, they rescue stolen women, remove other criminals, and spend months on the trail. While Texas is becoming more civilized, these two crime fighters are still needed. A well told story.

Review by Nancy Kauffman (April 2024)
 

Author's Synopsis

In Volume 2, When Legends Lived, Jericho's story continues as he, his Texas Ranger partner Roosevelt Poe, and their fellow Rangers help usher a wild and violent territory into statehood. You’ll find many villains to loath, the lawmen righted wrongs, justice prevailed. Those who read Westerns likely relish the violent moments in the “Name of Justice”! Morris, a retired Army officer familiar with combat, captures the conflicting varied elements through often spare and stark scenes of violent battles that depict both courage and cowardice. Ultimately, as is the tradition in classic westerns, Jericho’s story is a tale of honor, one that celebrates our deeper humanity as depicted in the honorable actions’ men perform in battle, as well as the humor they express and the heartfelt emotions they mask in tragic moments.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Fiction—Historical Fiction

Number of Pages: 668

Word Count: 194,162

Gone To Texas, Vol 1 by R. C. Morris

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MWSA Review

“Gritty, period-authentic Western” is the apt description of Gone to Texas by R. C. Morris according to his widow, Brenda Morris, who shepherded this book to publication. The novel clearly depicts the rough and lawless world of the frontier in the 1840s and 50s as Jericho McCain searches for his older brother, who left their home in Tennessee earlier. After burying the rest of his family who died from “the fever,” Jericho travels from the Blue Ridge Mountains in Tennessee through Mississippi to Texas where his shooting skills attract one of the Texas Rangers, a group known for its aggressive and fearsome fighting in both taming lawlessness and in fighting the invading Mexicans who want to take back their territory. McCain has the skills, strength, and temperament the Rangers seek. He never gives up despite incredible hardships.

Review by Nancy Kauffman (March 2024)
 

Author's Synopsis

This is a gritty, period-authentic Western for hard-core Western afficionados. An exciting generational saga that spans 85 years, a two-volume series follows the exploits of Jericho D. McCain who, as a young boy in 1845, leaves his home in the Blue Ridge Mountains after burying his entire family--save his older brother Taylor who had left for Texas not knowing his family's fate. Jericho travels alone to find Taylor, having no idea where he might be or if he’ll ever see him again. In Vol One: Gone to Texas, we follow Jericho as he makes his way to Texas and encounters dangerous desperadoes, unusual allies, a first love--and a series of unexpected events that leads him to becoming a Texas Ranger. It’s a history of men called upon to use violence to remedy the acts of violent men. Jericho’s journey to manhood takes place as Texas and Zachary Taylor’s army are fighting the forces of Santa Anna. An elite group of Rangers offer hope of interceding in the violence wrought by evil men.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Fiction—Historical Fiction

Number of Pages: 356

Word Count: 96,611

The Human Face of D-Day by Keith Nightingale

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MWSA Review

There have been so many books written about D-Day. In The Human Face of D-Day, Col. (ret.) Keith Nightingale adds to the wealth of D-Day knowledge. He has led many trips to Normandy, conducted tours of the beaches and towns, and arranged for the paratroopers under his command to participate in a reenactment parachute drop on the 40th anniversary of D-Day. His book adds depth of understanding to what happened immediately before, during, and after June 6, 1944.

He talked to many "Originals"—the survivors of the invasion and battle. He mingled with French citizens who witnessed that day. Over decades, while walking the beaches of Normandy and through formal interviews, he gathered information from major players whether they were generals or privates in 1944. The book, therefore, focuses a great deal on the people, not only in a macro sense, but also as individuals. And therein lies the human face of D-Day.

The author explains what was planned for each assault location. He informs the reader what was supposed to occur for Omaha Beach, or Utah Beach, or Pointe du Hoc, and many other locations. Then he juxtaposes the plans with what happened, which was often quite different. We hear specific soldiers recount their actions, thoughts, and feelings about battle. After reading these accounts, one is convinced that in addition to the planning for Operation Overlord (as the invasion was called), it was the grit and commitment of the soldiers that ultimately made D-Day successful.

Some takeaways I gathered from this book were the bravery of the troops, their willingness to deviate from orders based on the situations before them, the devastating amount of carnage, and the still-warm gratefulness of the people of Normandy. They have never forgotten that so many young men who were not French died for the liberation of France and Europe.

Throughout this well-researched work, Keith Nightingale makes it abundantly clear, in his own words, that in early June 1944, thousands of “ordinary people did extraordinary things.”

Anyone interested in World War II, D-Day, the bravery of both troops and civilians during an invasion, and true accounts of people involved in the drama of Operation Overlord will find this book appealing.

Review by Pat Walkow (March 2024)

 

Author's Synopsis

Ever since Allied forces landed on the beaches of Normandy, the men who survived have sought to return, to honor their dead, and to teach others of what they went through to liberate Europe.

Soldier Keith Nightingale has conducted terrain walks in Normandy for over forty years with veterans, active-duty military, and local French civilians. Over the decades Nightingale conducted dozens of formal interviews and informal conversations with many of the principals of the day, including Generals Bradley, Collins, Gavin, Ridgway and Hill. Added to this rare, new primary material from the top brass are numerous conversations with lower-ranking vets who did the heavy lifting, many of which took place as they actually walked the battlefield with Nightingale—Major Howard of Pegasus Bridge; LTC Otway of Merville Battery; Captain Piper of La Fière Bridge; LTC Vandervoort, CO of the 2-505/82d; Cpt Raeen of the 5th Rangers; Lt Dick Winters of Brécourt Manor; PFC Marcucci of Omaha Beach; and SSG Lem Lomell of Pointe Du Hoc.

This unique approach to D-Day combines the author’s discussions with veteran and civilian participants in D-Day, his personal reflections on Operation Overlord, and the insights that occur—often at the very site of a battle. Interspersed with veterans’ remarks, Nightingale’s personal essays are inspired by specific discussions or multiple interviews. Taken together, the succinct, human observations of these participants illuminate the hard facts to create a unique work of long-lasting interest that will attract specialists, military history buffs, armchair generals, and general readers alike.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Nonfiction—History

Number of Pages: 288

Word Count: 137,342

The Drums of War: An Autobiography by William A. Corbett, Editor

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MWSA Review

In The Drums of War, T.C. Corbett takes readers on a poignant journey through the tumultuous landscape of World War I and its aftermath. Edited by his son, William Corbett, this autobiographical narrative offers a rare glimpse into the life of a young pilot, Cy Corbett, as he navigates the exhilarating yet perilous world of early aviation, which had a higher death rate than that of soldiers at the front.

Set against the backdrop of 1918, Corbett delves deep into the heart of his experiences, chronicling his rigorous flight training, filled with adrenaline-fueled flights, forced landings, and a brush with death. Despite the inherent dangers, Corbett finds solace in the thrill of flight, only to have his aspirations abruptly halted by the sudden end of the war before he has a chance to deploy to Europe. The transition to civilian life proves to be a tumultuous one, marked by confusion, loss, and the enduring specter of trauma. The Drums of War serves not only as a chronicle of early military aviation but also an unfiltered glimpse into Cy Corbett's world. His commitment to transparency and honesty underscores the genuine nature of this autobiographical work.

Through sections of prose that sometimes flow like poetry, Corbett captures the essence of his journey, offering readers an intimate portrayal of his innermost thoughts and emotions. His narrative oscillates between moments of exhilaration and despair, providing a nuanced exploration of courage, adversity, and the enduring human spirit.

The Drums of War stands as a testament to the human spirit's resilience in the face of adversity. It is a narrative that weaves together history, aviation, and personal introspection, offering readers a poignant reminder of the sacrifices made by those who have served.

Review by Elvis Leighton (March 2024)
 

Author's Synopsis

The Great War is replete with stories about war hero pilots who fought overseas. But little has been told of the 11,000 Americans who trained to fly and never made it “over there.” Then, one cadet died for every eighteen pilots who lived to earn their wings.

In The Drums of War, former pilot and newspaperman T.C. “Cy” Corbett relates his experience of a hundred years ago through original flight journals, diaries, and reflections written decades later, assembled and edited by his son, who discovered the writings after his father' s death.

The author's personal journals contain reflections not only about his sixteen forced landings and one bad crash, but about his undiagnosed injuries--both mental and physical--that plagued him throughout his life. Though at the time 'shell shock' was widely recognized, little was known about other deleterious effects of strenuous flight training. It is evident from the author's writings that he most likely suffered from a form of PTSD long before the condition was recognized to exist.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Nonfiction—Memoir/Biography

Number of Pages: 246

Word Count: 67,000

Latina Warrior by Colonel Lisa Carrington Firmin, USAF (Ret.)

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MWSA Review

The poems and artwork in Latina Warrior offer a riveting look at life in the military for female service members, especially those traumatized by sexual violence. But the book is not at all despair-laden, with delightfully upbeat praise-poems to mentors and mentees, fellow soldiers, and soul sisters. The book is divided into four main sections with fast-paced, easy to follow poems as the speaker moves through childhood and family life, into the military and combat, then life after the military, then the healing "road to authenticity." The fifth and final section of the book is an unusual and unexpected but fascinating addition: brief reflections by both writer and artist on each art and poem entry.

A word about the art by Christina Helferich-Polosky that accompanies each poem: these are not mere illustrations but deeply responsive visual interpretations of the written words. Many are collages in which the poet's words are superimposed onto photographs or watercolor or acrylic drawings. Each art piece is unique in style and materials. One of my favorites, which partners with a poem about the death of a marriage, is of a skeleton-couple in wedding attire facing away from each other.

Together the poems and art of Latina Warrior create a truly compelling book. The message it offers is important and necessary, a message of hope and healing, particularly for women in the military who have suffered trauma. Thanks to both poet and artist for this truly stunning book!"

Review by Nancy Arbuthnot (April 2024)
 

Author's Synopsis

Latina Warrior is a collection of poems, prose, and art that chronicles the author/poet's journey in a deeply personal, sometimes humorous, intense, and explicit expression. It is in a unique collaborative hybrid format. Latina Warrior is a collaboration with fellow Bronze Star-decorated combat veteran and artist Major Christina Helferich-Polosky, who beautifully illustrated the poems with original art. Both Lisa and Christina provide their insight into each poem and art piece in a section titled Reflections, offering the reader a peek into their powerful collaboration and each of their creative minds.

Lisa's poetry celebrates the joys of her Latina culture, family and life and does not shy away from the intensity of combat, leadership, imposter syndrome, divorce, PTSD or military sexual trauma experiences. Latina Warrior demonstrates the power of using artistic expression to move beyond pain to heal deeply buried wounds. It is an anthem of overcoming barriers to come out stronger, never letting the demons of discrimination, sexual assault, or combat be victorious. Christina created original art for all 50 poems in this collection and her diverse and unique multimedia art brings Lisa's poems to a whole another level of artistic expression. Together, these women combat veterans have created a unique blueprint for others to start and traverse their own healing journeys.

Format(s) for review: Paper Only

Review Genre: Poetry—Poetry Book

Number of Pages: 196

Word Count: 30,862

The Soul Whisperer's Decision by Gwen M. Plano

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MWSA Review

A nurse at a local hospital, Sarah Jameson enjoys a fulfilling life with her husband and two young children. Close to home, she and the children are in a devastating automobile accident. A drunk driver plows into them, killing both children and leaving Sarah near death with severe injuries, including brain trauma.

When Sarah’s heart stopped on the operating table, she saw her children safe and happy in heaven. Somehow, she has the option to decide whether to die and be with them or return to her husband.

Her husband, Jack, is beyond distraught, and the accident triggers his PTSD from his involvement in the war in Afghanistan. Unable to cope and ready to commit suicide, he leaves his wife in the hospital, where she has been in a coma for a few weeks. Without telling anyone, he heads to Spain, meets up with a military friend, and they undertake a pilgrimage—The Camino Santiago—for introspection and healing.

Still in a coma, Sarah is left in the hospital. If she decides to be with her children in heaven, what will happen to Jack? If she returns to be with Jack, what will happen to their marriage?

This novel of faith and spirituality may appeal to many people. It touches on hope, faith, and the unknown. It is a quick and encouraging—a simple, optimistic read.

Review by Patricia Walkow (March 2024)

Author's Synopsis

Sarah Jameson, a nurse at County Central Hospital, survives an accident that kills her two young children. While comatose, she travels into the heavenly realm where she visits with her precious little ones. She is given a choice – return to her husband, Jack, or remain with her children in their celestial home.

Jack was not in the fated automobile. Though he heard the crash and ran to help, there was nothing he could do. He suffers the loss of his children, fears the potential demise of his wife, and wonders about his sanity. His struggle with PTSD from his military years has returned and at times, he cannot distinguish between the present and the past.

An accident tragically changed the lives of this young family, but out of sorrow emerges unexpected blessings. Love conquers all.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Fiction—Literary Fiction

Number of Pages: 149

Word Count: 35,000

Death in the Triangle by John Podlaski

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MWSA Review

Death in the Triangle: A Vietnam Story by John Podlaski is a novella that tells the account of a significant mission for First Platoon. Although listed as fiction, the story has the ring of reality, with the sights, sounds, smells, and emotions of combat. After a night of assignments on listening post duty and ambush duty, the platoon rolls out on a short mission to view the effects of the previous night’s ambush and destruction of an ammo dump. Unfortunately, the colonel overrides the mission (which should have ended around noon) and insists the platoon go further and do more. And that’s when all hell breaks loose. Action is nonstop, and death hovers in the air. In three short days, much is accomplished and the platoon finally gets a well deserved rest.

Readers are advised to read the first novella in the series (When Can I Stop Running?) before this book, so that the characters are already known, and the mission makes more sense. Readers will also need to navigate some misspellings as well as quite a few punctuation errors.

Review by Betsy Beard (March 2024)
 

Author's Synopsis

DEATH IN THE TRIANGLE is a sequel to When Can I Stop Running? That was one hell of a night!

Only a couple of hours passed since returning to the firebase. Now, the sleep-deprived and weary First Platoon soldiers must go back out on another patrol. Last night, an enemy mortar team fired several rounds into the base and was soon silenced by return artillery fire. The Third Squad also ambushed a group of enemy soldiers leaving nine dead bodies on the trail before moving out to a new location. A thorough search of both areas may locate items overlooked in the dark. It was thought to be an easy patrol – two clicks out and two clicks back, so the brass expected their return before lunch. At least, that was the plan.

Many patrols during the Vietnam War did not quite go as planned and this was one of them. These soldiers soon found themselves in dire straits to satisfy their battalion commander’s thirst for body counts and fame. Will they all survive?

Sixpack, Polack, LG, and the bunch are back in this new installment from the award-winning author of Cherries: A Vietnam War Novel.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Fiction—Historical Fiction

Number of Pages: 145

Word Count: 31,000

My Vietnam: A Gift to My Daughter by Jack Billups

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MWSA Review

My Vietnam: A Gift to My Daughter is an interesting memoir written by Jack Billups. From the beginning of his incredible story, I felt like Mr. Billups was sitting across the table from me as we had coffee and cookies. His narration reminded me of my neighbor, a humble man who served in Vietnam and became a quiet highly decorated hero. The two men have that in common.

The request of Jack’s daughter Naomi for her father to write his story of his time in Vietnam touched my heart. Her question set into motion a journey 50 years into the past as a "grunt" in the steamy jungles of Vietnam. After contacting several of the men with whom he served, Jack had compiled an accurate timeline and accounting of his time “in country.”

Four months later, with Jack’s memoir completed, Naomi asked another question. "Hey Dad, let's go to Vietnam, just you and me?" Could the ghosts of his Vietnam past morph into a father and daughter blessing in the present?

My Vietnam: A Gift to My Daughter is a heartwarming, compelling memoir that reconciles America and Vietnam, then and now, including the culture shock of seeing Vietnam as it exists today.”

Review by Nancy Panko (March 2024)
 

Author's Synopsis

"Hey Dad, instead of a gift, would you share your Vietnam experiences with me?" My daughter's request set into motion a journey 50 years into the past as a "grunt" in the steamy jungles of Vietnam.

Four months later with my memoir completed, Naomi called to say, "Dad, this was the best gift I've ever received, I liked it so much, I read it a second time!" Then another question, "Hey Dad, let's go back to Vietnam, just you and me?" Could the ghosts of Vietnam's past morph into a father and daughter blessing in the present?

This journey will put the reader into the boots of a grunt with vivid detail. Surrounding Jack's tour in Vietnam are the experiences and events that defined that unique period in American history.

Then, the eye-opening revelation of present day Vietnam as Jack and Naomi return to the places where her father fought and survived near the Ho Chi Minh trail.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Nonfiction—Memoir/Biography

Number of Pages: 472

Word Count: 94,341

The Line of Splendor by Salina B Baker

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MWSA Review

The Line of Splendor by Salina B Baker is a 610-page book set during the American Revolutionary War. The book provides lots of details about the misery of the American troops as the various states tried to come together as a country. There was no American army—only militias and short-term contractors, most of whom were poorly prepared to do battle. Only Nathaniel Greene’s Rhode Islanders had some semblance of military order and discipline, thanks to his brief training before the war. The book also shows how the interference of politicians negatively impacted General Washington’s ability to carry on the battle. In addition to all the military information, the personal side of not only Greene’s life but that of other officers, including George Washington, is detailed. At times, it is difficult to follow the timeline of the story because dates are not always given. Many of the minor skirmishes could have been summarized rather than being detailed. Sometimes the story omits explanations of why characters acted as they did.

Review by Nancy Kauffman (March 2024)
 

Author's Synopsis

When the first shots of the American Revolutionary War were fired in Massachusetts on April 19, 1775, thirty-two-year-old Nathanael Greene, a self-educated Quaker with no military experience, dismayed his family and marched toward Boston as general of the Rhode Island provincial army. General George Washington recognized his unwavering belief in American independence and the qualities that catapulted him to a major general in the Continental Army.

From the hard lessons learned on the battlefields of New York, to his appointment as Quartermaster General during the harsh winter at Valley Forge, his role in convicting the British spy who colluded to obtain the plans to West Point, to the godsend who took command of the ragged remnants of the Southern Continental Army, Nathanael Greene’s complex perseverance and brilliant strategies broke military doctrines.

This is the story of the man who rose to become a national hero by resuscitating and then propelling the American states to victory in their war for independence and the personal cost of that war.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Fiction—Historical Fiction

Number of Pages: 622

Word Count: 193,129

Vietnam Combat: Firefights and Writing History by Robin Bartlett

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MWSA Review

Vietnam Combat: Firefights and Writing History is an excellent, well-written combat memoir about one young American’s time in Vietnam. Only 22 at the time, Lieutenant Bartlett is put out in the field with the First Cavalry Division in Vietnam at the height of the war. Though a graduate of Airborne school and Ranger school, this is his baptism by fire. How Bartlett navigates the path between FNG and experienced combat leader is an intense, harrowing, horrifying, and sometimes humorous journey that any Vietnam veteran or small unit combat leader will appreciate.

Bartlett doesn’t pull any punches. He gives the good, the bad, and the ugly—often in the same chapter. He is honest about his mistakes, and speaks with candor about the situations and actions of Army leadership that he encounters. He is also blunt about his combat experience, and the fear and terror he felt while doing his job. His writing gives insight into himself as well as vivifies the experience of a platoon commander for those that have not experienced it.

Vietnam veterans (grunts in particular) and those who enjoy combat memoirs will enjoy this book.

Review by Rob Ballister (March 2024)
 

Author's Synopsis

More than 50 years after the Vietnam War, Bartlet's vivid combat experiences are brought to light in a fast-moving, well-written, first-person narrative expressing the horror, fear, anguish, and sometimes illogical humor of that war.

"Readers who want to learn what it was like for a twenty-two-year-old lieutenant to lead even younger Americans in combat, in miserable conditions, and where no one wanted to be the last man to die, there is no better place to begin than 'Vietnam Combat.'" From "On Point, The Journal of the Army History, Vol. 28, No. 4."

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Nonfiction—Memoir/Biography

Number of Pages: 288

Word Count: 129,000

The Road to Empire by John Wemlinger

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MWSA Review

The Road to Empire is author John Wemlinger’s semi-autobiographical novel of his years as a career Army officer. Wemlinger, a Vietnam veteran, has chosen a more contemporary period using the 9/11 attack on America as the linchpin for Jack Rigley’s 20-year journey from high school graduation through the many stops required by military professionals to his eventual rise to full bird colonel and brigade command.

This is not a military-only story. Empire is the small northern Michigan town where Jack and Annie spend their childhood. Despite living around the world, this is where their roots are planted. The genre of many of Wemlinger’s books could best be described as military-romance. He never forgets the story about wives, children, and other family members and the price they pay to support their loved ones.

Jack Rigley tells his story in the first person, occasionally alternating chapters narrated by his wife, Annie, who openly shares her joys, challenges, and frustrations living within the military framework. During Jack’s long deployments and intense training periods, Annie must run the household, raise the children, and deal with a dysfunctional extended family while trying to have a life of her own.

Rigley’s year spent learning to be a helicopter pilot is intense. The reader shares Rigley’s stress and anxiety, the successes and failures he experiences with his fellow pilot candidates, and the signs of leadership he often provides.

The story focuses on Rigley and his fellow officers; however, it’s the warrant officers (Chief) and senior NCOs (Top) who are often the quiet heroes. Wemlinger has great respect for the junior ranks.

Jack and Annie’s lives eventually come full circle, leading to the book’s title: The Road to Empire. They face significant health and family issues that require them to make life decisions that are never easy. This is a story of love, challenge, loyalty, and closure.

Review by James Elsener (February 2024)
 

Author's Synopsis

Army helicopter pilot Jack Rigley and his wife, Annie, face the trials of life in the military; lack of family support; separations caused by long deployments to dangerous combat zones, relocations to meet the needs of the service, deaths of loved ones, and the tug of heartstrings frimly rooted where each grew up, in Empire, Michigan. Ultimately, Jack will be forced to make a difficult choice; family or career.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Fiction—Romance

Number of Pages: 259

Word Count: 75,000

Growing Up Army by Robert R. Heath Sr.

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MWSA Review

Growing Up Army is a remarkable and heartwarming read that both military and non-military can enjoy. The enduring term Army Brats is brilliantly explained and gives the story context. The adventures of a globe-trotting military family started in the 1930s about a career Army family with nine siblings and continues over time to the adulthood of the siblings. Serving a career in the army myself with three of my own Army Brats, I found this book entertaining and relatable. It presented shared personal and cultural experiences relatable for all generations of military children. The story is wonderfully told and uses reality and levity to engage the reader and convey personal and cultural experiences that in some instances dramatically and humorously draw the reader into an understanding of what it was, and is, to be an Army Brat.

Review by Warren Martin (April 2024)
 

Author's Synopsis

Shortly after Dick and Jinny started dating, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor and soon afterwards, Dick was drafted into the army. Not long before being sent into the war, Dick offered to provide Jinny with her own kindergarten if she would quit teachers college and marry him. She did, and Brat #1 arrived while he was in Sardinia. The rest of the 9-member Brat Platoon arrived in different places around the world as Dick continued his career serving our country. The Brats proved to be highly adventurous as they experienced many different peoples, languages and cultures while growing up army. This historical memoir chronicles the historical aspects of Dick's time in WWII, the many places in which he served our country, and the wild and crazy adventures of the Brat Platoon.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Nonfiction—Memoir/Biography

Number of Pages: 290

Word Count: 96,181

The Widow and the Warrior by John Wemlinger

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MWSA Review

Author John Wemlinger’s The Widow and the Warrior takes readers on a thrilling ride from Washington, D.C., to Michigan and through the deep south. The story keeps readers on the edge of their seats, not sure where the next hit will come from. With a cast of both likeable and remarkably unlikeable characters, the plot includes interesting and unexpected twists that keep the pages turning.

A family mystery, a large inheritance, and political intrigue come together to bring out the best and the worst of people in this story. Old and new military and intelligence alliances deepen to help pinpoint players across the country involved in an elaborate scheme for power and control. The author has some of his characters act in unpredictable ways, which keeps readers guessing throughout. I highly recommend this suspenseful military and political thriller.

Review by Valerie Ormond (February 2024)


 

Author's Synopsis

Set in Frankfort, Michigan, along the shores of Lake Michigan, The Widow and the Warrior is the story of one wealthy family's tragic 130-year history. Anna Shane, national political editor of The Washington Post, is poised on the brink of turning that tragic history into triumph until a secret society and a greedy relative conspire to have her murdered. Shawn O'Toole, an ex-Special Forces operator who was forced to retire rather than possibly face a court-martial is called to protect her. To do that, however, Shawn finds himself having to use some of the very same vigilante tactics that cost him his career in the military.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Fiction—Mystery/Thriller/Crime

Number of Pages: 308

Word Count: 80,000

Leadership: Outdated Theories And Emerging Non-Traditional Leadership by Dr. Warren D. Martin

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MWSA Review

Dr. Martin shares with us this well-researched qualitative study to determine if modern senior leaders are using leadership models as taught by academic institutions or some other non-traditional model. His question: Why have organizational leaders transitioned from conventional leadership models to more non-traditional models of their own design?

To answer this question, he selected several senior leaders from many different career fields. He put them through an interview with both standardized and open-ended questions to ascertain how they practiced leadership. He then compared the data regarding each self-expressed leadership style to existing styles and noted some significant unexpected findings. With a well-thought-out, methodical approach and irrefutable data, this study will be interesting to anyone who considers themselves a student of leadership.

Review by Rob Ballister (February 2024)
 

Author's Synopsis

Qualitative Leadership study that examined outdated leadership theories and the phenomenon of organizational leaders transitioning from academically recommended leadership theories to their own non-traditional leadership practices. Continual change was identified as an ongoing phenomenon. Current leadership theories are outdated and not keeping pace with continual change, vast technological advancements, and expectations by stakeholders for transparency.

An eye opener for leadership and management professionals.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Nonfiction—How to/Business

Number of Pages: 179

Word Count: 33,000

An Imperfect Plan by Addison McKnight

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MWSA Review

An Imperfect Plan by Addison McKnight, the pen name of Nicole Moleti and Krista Wells, is a mystery/thriller involving two women of completely different backgrounds with a similar desire. Because of how they were raised, both women have their own motivations on how to realize their dreams, and for the actions they take to achieve them.

Colette DeLuca and Greta O’Brien are the two main characters, who are sometimes hard to like. The two women live parallel lives for a good part of the book. The authors devote alternating chapters to Colette and Greta and their various relationships. A reader can’t help but wonder what one has to do with the other.

The one thing the women have in common is that each is desperate to be a mother. Because of their backgrounds and life circumstances, Greta will stop at nothing to achieve that goal. Colette has what she thinks is a viable plan. As the authors point out, “All it takes is one lie for the best-laid plans to go awry.”

When their lives finally do intersect through tragedy, both Colette and Greta, and their families, will never be the same. After overcoming betrayal, manipulation, lies, and deceit, the two women find that a common loss is cause for a tentative relationship.

Expect to be surprised, angered, perhaps shocked, and at times, saddened when you read An Imperfect Plan.

Review by Nancy Panko (March 2023)
 

Author's Synopsis

All it takes is one lie for the best-laid plans to go awry.

After decades of pushing away traumatic memories from childhood, Colette De Luca is ready to start a family of her own. It’ll be healthy, a wish come true, with a man she believes is the love of her life. Thankfully, she thought ahead when she was younger and froze her eggs for this very moment.

Greta O’Brien, a wealthy hedge-fund manager, is forced to confront the making of her own family when tragedy strikes her twin teenage sons. As she debates whether to confess a betrayal to her husband, the ripple effects of the family’s devastating circumstances begin to spread far beyond their home.

These two women, hopeful, disillusioned, and desperate, are on an emotional decades-long journey to motherhood by any means necessary. Strangers whose lives explode in the wake of a shocking event―and converge in more ways than one―Colette and Greta are forced to face the twists of fate and the choices they’ve made.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Fiction—Mystery/Thriller

Number of Pages: 381

Word Count: 80,000

When the Violin Weeps by Glenn Starkey

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MWSA Review

In When the Violin Weeps, author Glenn Starkey relates the story of symphony violinist Jacob Liebermann, a Jewish resident of the Warsaw ghetto. In their early thirties, he and his wife Hannah are shipped to the Treblinka concentration/death camp. On arrival at the camp, Hannah is sent to the gas chamber, and Jacob survives as a slave laborer. A sadistic SS Officer, Klaus Hermann, confiscates Jacob’s violin and requires him to play it from time to time, especially when a prisoner is being tortured to death.

Grieving the loss of his wife, his freedom, and the life he once enjoyed, Jacob questions his faith in God and grows more hateful day-by-day. With a band of other slave laborers, he escapes the camp and spends many months in the deep woods with other resistance fighters. Through the remainder of the war and into the 1960s, Jacob finds his way across Eastern Europe to Palestine, and lives through the birth of Israel. But his hatred for Klaus Hermann never abates. His desire for vengeance and, to some extent, justice only grows, yet his belief in God has been destroyed.

At the birth of Israel and during its early years, Jacob becomes a fighter, though he never thought he would be one. He joins Mossad, the national intelligence agency of Israel, and is instrumental in capturing Nazi war criminals wherever they are in the world. Klaus Hermann, living in South America after World War II, remains free, and Jacob wrestles with what he will do when he finds him.

Glenn Starkey’s well-researched historical novel rings true with every word, and sadly, Jacob’s story is one of millions – Jews, gypsies, Slavic peoples, and others targeted for outright extermination or death via forced labor.

The book reads easily in the way it is crafted, although there is much violence in it. It is a story no one who reads it will forget. Mr. Starkey deftly weaves in the history of the newly-minted state of Israel, and hints at the role of the Catholic Church in helping former Nazis flee to South America.

For those unfamiliar with Nazi (and Stalinist) depravities of World War II, this book is an eye-opener. For those familiar with the war, it is a reminder of what blind adherence to ideology and control of the media can do to an otherwise reasonable populace. As such, it resonates well with our time, when a noisy, dictatorial media is making ordinary people fearful of not following the “party line.” The Nazis did this. Could it be happening again? Mr. Starkey’s is a book not only to read, but to study, lest we repeat history.

Review by Pat Walkow (March 2023)

Author's Synopsis

Forcing Warsaw's massive Jewish population into an overcrowded ghetto to starve was Nazi Germany's first undertaking after invading Poland. Next came the merciless transports to the Treblinka extermination center. When Jacob Lieberman's wife Hanna is murdered in a gas chamber, the former Warsaw Philharmonic violinist fell into an abyss of insanity. But he keeps his promise to her to survive the Nazi atrocities at all costs.

Through months as a slave laborer, escaping from the death camp, and fighting for the underground, Jacob lives for the day of reckoning with Klaus Hermann, the SS officer that killed his wife. After a harrowing trek to freedom in Palestine and joining Jewish resistance groups to combat a new enemy, Jacob makes the country home. He becomes one of Israel's first Mossad agents. Then fate brings him face to face with the devil incarnate.

"When the Violin Weeps" is based upon real lives, the disturbing true events of the Holocaust in World War II, and on through the struggles to create the State of Israel. It is the story of appalling crimes against humanity, mankind at its best and worst, and the courageous strength to live and fight against overwhelming odds.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Fiction—Historical Fiction

Number of Pages: 269

Word Count: 81,000

Twelve O'Clock Haiku: Leadership Lessons from Old War Movies & New Poems by Randy Brown

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MWSA Review

​In this short work, the author gives readers a ​53-page analysis of the movie, Twelve O’Clock High, and includes 12 haiku poems. His discussion ranges from “lessons learned” and “maximum effort” to comparing day and night bombing in the first years of World War II. ​A good presentation, but little poetry. The poems themselves are thought provoking and in places disturbing, which is what you would expect given the subject matter.

The author is a talented writer and his self-described obsession with the movie, Twelve O’Clock High, comes through in the musings and essays about military lessons learned in the first half of this work. His passion for the subject is evident. However, readers thinking this is a book of poetry may be disappointed. Readers with little familiarity with Twelve O’Clock High can be at a loss, unable to fully grasp much of what the author is attempting to convey. 

Review by George ​J. ​Bryjak (March 2023)

 

Author's Synopsis

In a cheeky critique of the classic American airpower narrative “Twelve O’Clock High,” award-winning soldier-poet, essayist, and humorist Randy Brown explores what it means to be a leader or follower at war—morally, physically, and psychologically. The book is packed full of insights into military life, as viewed through the lenses of war movies, history, and the author’s personal experiences as a one-time U.S. Army-trained “lessons-learned analyst.”

“I started out to write 12 haiku poems about a favorite old war movie,” says the author, “but my ‘whimsical experiment in minimalist war poetry’ mutated into a ‘maximum effort’ mix of memory, media, and military culture!” TWELVE O’CLOCK HAIKU: Leadership Lessons from Old War Movies & New Poems now comprises a salvo of provocative poetry, a companion essay about the film, and resources for enthusiasts of World War II aircraft, history, and movies.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Poetry book

Number of Pages: 114

Word Count: 17,500