Off the Hook: How Forgiving You Frees Me by Dana Tibbitts & Patti Goldberg

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MWSA Review
The subject of forgiveness has been written about since the earliest days of communication, as in the old Christian Bible stories. Authors Dana Tibbitts and Patti Goldberg, take a refreshing look from their own religious and spiritual points of view, but use plenty of biblical scripture and stories to illustrate their insights. 

They deliver an overall message of love and hope for recovery from our own unhappiness caused by holding onto old hurts and feelings. Their message is about healing and moving forward and freeing yourself from the past. It is done in both an entertaining and inspired way and avoids getting too preachy. It is written for the normal average reader, easy to read and digest. 

Their book is a helpful tool for getting yourself unstuck and "Off the Hook" so you can grow spiritually and emotionally. Most Christian readers will find value in including this book in their personal library.

 Review by Bill McDonald (February 2020)

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Author's Synopsis

 SO YOU THINK YOU'VE FORGIVEN? THINK AGAIN. Is there something you’ve inadvertently picked up along the way that’s sucking the life out of you? Stealing your peace? Has you stuck? Stuck happens. Much as we think we’ve moved on, hard things have a way of taking root in the heartscape of our lives. Off the Hook shares real life stories of real people who had no idea they were still captive to past hurts—until they walked through deep forgiveness! This way of forgiveness offers healing and freedom you never thought possible. It’s about the power of truly letting go—taking old pain patterns and people off your hook, for your sake, not theirs. No longer hemmed in by the burden of deep hurt, loss and offense, you are free at last to soar above it. Discover what no one has told you about the forgiveness power tool—what it is, what it is not, and how to do it. Rewrite the ending to your true story by retrieving the wellbeing and destiny God has for you.

ISBN/ASIN: 0985097833, 978-0985097837
Book Format(s): Soft cover, Kindle, Audiobook
Review Genre: Religious/Spiritual
Number of Pages: 212

Point: Wilderness War in Vietnam and Cambodia- A Memoir by Jamie Thompson

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MWSA Review

Jamie Thompson’s Point, Wilderness War in Vietnam and Cambodia is a unique insight into a combat infantryman’s experience in Vietnam.

Walking point (leading a patrol, platoon, or company), could be the most dangerous job in Vietnam. Sergeant Jamie Thompson doesn’t avoid such duty, he craves it. To him, he has never felt so focused, so alive, as when leading his unit through Vietnam or Cambodia. After he is wounded, he must decide if he can overcome his fear and return to the job he loves, and to the men he feels sworn to teach and protect.

The author has an extraordinary memory, and relays his entire army experience in vivid detail. The book is very technically well written and Thompson does a very good job of mixing combat field experience with tales of fun and camaraderie in the rear areas. This is the grunt’s perception, no strategy or heavy moral points, just survival and love of one another in combat.

I especially enjoyed how the author’s upbringing was reflected in his memoir. His father always taught him to “do the right thing,” and that was clear in his writing. He had several chances to make it easy on himself, but instead took care of his men and his mission first.

Any Vietnam grunt, especially one who was wounded, will appreciate this story and relate. Also, anyone interested in the Vietnam experience because of a family member will learn more about what their loved one endured in the jungles of Southeast Asia.

Review by Rob Ballister (February 2020)

Author's Synopsis

 Jamie Thompson arrived in Vietnam in April 1970, as a newly minted sergeant E-5. In his first month in-country, he became the straight-leg infantry squad leader of 1st Squad, 1st Platoon, Charlie Company, 5th of the 7th, 1st Cavalry Division (Air Mobile), serving in that capacity until he was wounded in Cambodia during the Incursion two months later. Following a three-month recuperation, he rejoined his squad in the field. During all but his first few weeks in the field he walked point whenever his squad had the duty. Upon discharge in 1971, he was awarded the Combat Infantryman Badge, Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Air Medal, and other ribbons and medals from both the U.S. and South Vietnamese governments.

Between 1967 and 1986 he had seven freelance articles published in Chicago suburban newspapers, VFW Magazine and the Chicago Tribune. In 2000, he published an article on mining law in the Great Plains Natural Resources Journal, a law review of the University of South Dakota School of Law. Also in 2000, he graduated from the USD School of Law with a JD degree and remains a member of the bar in SD. He edited and wrote the environmental assessment and management plan for the Black Rock Desert High Rock Canyon-Emigrant Trails National Conservation Area; in 2004 this plan won the BLM Director’s “Four C’s Award” and the “Federal Plan of the Year Award” from The American Planning Association.

In 2007 he retired from federal service, mostly with the US Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management. In 2015, after a twelve-year battle, his wife Nancy died of breast cancer. Jamie now lives in the Reno, Nevada, area near his daughter and her family.

ISBN/ASIN: Kindle E-book ASIN: B07Y5Q4JJS, Paperback ISBN: 9781692848842, ASIN: 1692848844
Book Format(s): Soft cover, Kindle
Review Genre: Nonfiction—Memoir/Biography
Number of Pages: 506

African American Women Warrant Officers - The New Trailblazers by Farrell Chiles

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MWSA Review
African American Women Warrant Officers shows a fascinating aspect of the modern military. A collection of biographies, the individual stories document how much has changed over the last 70 years, in general and for African American women in particular. The various paths these women took to find and follow their military careers was interesting to ponder. Their wide-ranging accomplishments, despite or because of serious obstacles, were at times astounding. The author/editor did a great service in gathering these inspiring stories.

The book is primarily a collection, with each biography provided by the Warrant Officers themselves, the military, or family (in the case of the deceased). The uneven quality of writing that results is understandable. Unfortunately, the inconsistency in punctuation, spelling and format at times interfered with reading. The photos are also collected from a variety of sources, and some were distorted in layout.

Anyone interested in the changing culture pioneered by these vitally-important members of our nation's military will be interested in the stories in this book.

 Review by Barb Evenson (March 2020)

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Author's Synopsis

African American Women Warrant Officers The New Trailblazers pays tribute to women who have served in the military as Warrant Officers. These unique women have made tremendous contributions to our country and continue to achieve excellence in their careers. This book highlights their contributions and shares HerStories and accomplishments. Whether in the Army, Navy, Marines, Coast Guard, National Guard or Reserves, each biographical profile reflects the outstanding leadership exhibited by these trailblazing women. There is a ancient African proverb that says, "Until the Lions have their own historians, then the hunt will always glorify the hunter". African American Women Warrant Officers are ensuring that history includes them by telling HerStories. These African American Women Warrant Officers did not hesitate to provide their biographies. Thus, this book is the first chapter of many more books to come. Until HerStory is told, history is incomplete.

ISBN/ASIN: 978-1-64718-008-9
Book Format(s): Hard cover
Review Genre: Nonfiction—Reference
Number of Pages: 280

Alone In The Light by Benjamin W. Bass

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MWSA Review
The first thing that grabs the reader is the use of two first-person narrators, which allows us to see and feel opposing perspectives of the story. These narrators are equally strong and emerge as equally developed characters. Yet the narrator voices are distinct and believable with one male and one female. They are so believable we must remind ourselves this is fiction. Through the male narrator Josh, the author allows us to experience his PTSD without frill or melodrama. It’s not pretty, it’s sometimes brutal, but it’s real and alive in our face. Through the female narrator Mary, we experience the impact of Josh’s new reality on others. It’s also not pretty, but it’s so human that we relate and cry and get mad and become irritated just as Mary does.

Supporting characters are well done also: Josh’s brother Bill who loves in spite of Josh’s spite, the fragility of friend Tim, the quirkiness of temporary girlfriend Carrie, the coldness of the moms, the warmth of Mary’s dad, the inhumanity of Adam the dick and even the concern of Charlotte the art teacher. Every character in the story brings depth to the story and adds a different perspective, adds complexity.

The next thing that grabs us are the worlds colliding. The author starts with how the world changes for Josh and Mary after Josh loses his leg. Then we see how the world changes for people after seeing combat and how their former worlds back home do not. We see how the military world, especially that of a wounded vet, careens into the civilian world of holiday dinners and parties. We come to live in the internal worlds of Josh and Mary as they struggle to make sense of what is and is not happening. This collision of worlds is perfectly accentuated by the shifting back and forth between the voices of two narrators, the time of both past and present, and the locations of Indiana and Iraq. Sometimes this shifting is confusing. The author uses subheadings to help us keep track of who is talking and where we are.

The craft of the story is subtle, simple beauty. The Prologue is sheer poetry with its details of the mundane, to the horror of getting blown up, to the emergence of a new world: “I open my mouth and it is filled with the saltwater tang of the blackness flooding me. I feel like I am drowning. I fear I am dead. There is a light. It is everywhere. It is all around me. I am alone.” This imagery of light emerges throughout in different contexts.

The writing remains honest, straightforward, and fluid—no straining after metaphors, no overwriting. This might be one of the best books about a post-traumatic reaction. It's a powerful story, compelling, wrenching, and finally uplifting.

Review by Gail Summers (February 2020)

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Author's Synopsis

6,000 miles away from the explosion in Iraq that took his leg, Josh Carpenter struggles to reclaim his former life as a college student. Mary Fischer, a civilian for the first time in years, strikes out on her own to create a new, independent life away from the army, and her controlling mother. The last time Josh saw Mary, his National Guard unit was leaving Camp Wolf, headed north to the war in Iraq. The last time Mary saw Josh, he was unconscious, covered in blood, and headed for a hospital in Germany. On the campus of Indiana University, Josh and Mary's paths move ever closer to a reunion that could help ease the nightmares and heal old wounds... or make them worse.

ISBN/ASIN: 978-1-7332786-0-7, 978-1-7332786-1-4
Book Format(s): Soft cover, Kindle, Audiobook
Review Genre: Fiction—Literary Fiction
Number of Pages: 340

God, Family, Freedom by John Stoeffler & Linda D. Stoeffler - Cover Illustrator

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MWSA Review

God, Family, Freedom by John Stoeffler is filled with dozens of poems that reflect on his family, life, and experiences. Some made me laugh, some brought a tear to my eye, but all were worth reading. The poems told stories, taught lessons, and asked questions. Easy to read, I felt like I was almost in the room with the author, and he was reading me the poems. I enjoyed the book and recommend it to anyone who likes to read family-centered patriotic poetry.

Review by Bob Doerr (January 2020)

MWSA's evaluation found a number of technical problems (misspellings, grammar, punctuation, or capitalization) as well as other problems in one or more of the following evaluation areas: content, style, and/or visual. This normally indicates a need for further editing.

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Author's Synopsis

The cover of God, Family, Freedom is from a picture painted by my artist wife. It is inspirational, and I believe reflects the title of the book. One reader described my poetry as "Kind, heartfelt, and, at times heartbreaking." Accompanying each poem is a picture that ties in with and adds to the story each poem relates.

Some poems will make the reader laugh or smile while others may bring a tear to the reader's eye as they are so moved by the story. One example of this is the poem "The Old Veteran." "I AM AMERICA" a patriotic look at the sacrifice many who served from Bunker Hill through today. It is the opening poem in the book and one in which I am most proud. "A bad day at Bong Son" is the true story of the heroic efforts of then 19 year old Bobby Pridmore who risked his life in an attempt to save the life of a downed helicopter pilot. Any parent who has watched their daughter getting married will relate to the feelings expressed in the poem "You'll always be my little girl." Another poem, "Instinct, friendship or love" is the true story of two dogs that will touch one's heart. Virtually every poem will have meaning as they relate to many of life's experiences.

To paraphrase the words of an ad I can recall, get the book and "Read it, you'll like it!"

ISBN/ASIN: 978-1987-03976-4 Book
Format(s): Soft cover
Review Genre: Poetry—Poetry Book
Number of Pages: 171

Seven Wings to Glory by Kathleen M. Rodgers

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MWSA Review
Author Kathleen Rodgers has gotten her writing wings—this book flies and soars with great storytelling that is both entertaining and inspiring. She takes the storyline and weaves into it just enough mystical stuff to make the book sing and dance. Seven Wings to Glory, which is the author's third novel, is also her best to date. She has been growing her literary talent and is flying with the best of novelists.

She takes on the subject of racism and hate but doesn't pound the reader with a long lecture; she takes us down a more compassionate road that feels like a happy ending and a new understanding, thus giving a negative character a chance at redemption so that all of us can cheer the life lessons involved.

Her lead character Johnnie Kitchen is not a perfect cookie-cutter heroine. She has some flaws. She is a human being and that makes the story work even better. The book will make you smile at times, cry a lot, ponder the meaning of life, but always entertain you. Loved this book! I fully recommend this to all adult readers. Both men and women will enjoy this masterfully told from the heart story.

Review by Bill McDonald (February 2020)
 

Author's Synopsis

Johnnie Kitchen is finally living her dream, attending college and writing a column for the local paper. She adores her husband Dale and chocolate Labrador Brother Dog, and they reside in a comfortable home in the small town of Portion in North Texas. Their three children are thriving and nearly grown. But Johnnie is rattled when her youngest boy Cade goes to fight in Afghanistan. The less frequent his emails, the more she frets for his safety. On the home front, Johnnie learns that Portion is not the forward-thinking town she believed. A boy Cade’s age, inflamed by a liberal bumper sticker and the sight of Johnnie’s black friend Whit, attacks them with the N-word and a beer bottle. After Johnnie writes about the incident in her column, a man named Roosevelt reaches out with shameful stories from Portion’s untold history. More tears and triumphs will follow, as Johnnie’s eyes are opened to man’s capacity for hate and the power of love and forgiveness. The sequel to Johnnie Come Lately.

ISBN/ASIN: ISBN-13: 978-1603815994, ASIN: B06XPQ5SKF, ISBN-13: 978-1432844806 (library binding large print)
Book Format(s): Soft cover, ePub/iBook
Review Genre: Fiction—Literary Fiction
Number of Pages: 304

I Am Jack and I Am Awesome by Dennis Jones

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MWSA Review

The author of I Am Jack and I Am Awesome is a cat, and the subtitle—The World As Seen Through My Eyes—offers the reader fair warning that this is no ordinary book. Jack's human assistant, Dennis A. Jones, may have helped a bit with the typing, but the message is all cat. And while we human readers may classify the book's contents as meant for older children and young adults, cat owners of all ages will fall in love with Jack the Cat. From his days as a nameless stray, fighting for survival in the household of an old woman with more cats than she can handle, to becoming the cherished member of his chosen forever family, Jack provides daily glimpses into the secret life of the family pet.

The descriptions are not always pretty, and some of Jack’s language may be too explicit for younger readers. Jack picks mouse hair from between his teeth, suffers embarrassing digestive disorders caused by a catch-as-catch-can diet in the wild, endures a scary visit to the vet and his long needle, and agonizes over what’s meant by "getting fixed." But not all his days are unpleasant. He finds a new mom and dad, makes friends with a huge black dog, and discovers a real talent for using his paws and nose to control the TV set in his new home. His ingenuity even allows him to build a hidden set of cat “condos” in the undersides of the furniture.

As a grown-up cat, he discovers new details about the foibles of his humans. He experiences grief with the loss of his best friend and slowly learns to welcome the addition of a new member of the family. But unlike many books for younger readers, Jack's tale never tries to teach a lesson at the expense of his story. With unwavering honesty, Jack is always the cat—self-confident, cocky, impossible to embarrass, convinced of his own immortality, and always awesome.

Have fun with this one! 

Review by Carolyn Schriber (January 2020)

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Author's Synopsis

This exciting memoir is written by a new and up and coming young author, named Jack. Jack is actually a very smart feline that learned how to use the computer while watching his human companion surf the internet. Once he mastered the keyboard, he knew that he must tell his story. Jack's treatise is a fast paced adventure through the many exciting things that have happened in his life. He also introduces the reader to the various personalities that he has met along the path of his life, and provides his observation of what he considers human weirdness. The reader will experience the ups and downs, the speed bumps, opportunities and the challenges that Jack has faced and overcome. While in the end, all of Jack's very positive dreams materialize, and he ends up living the life of the rich and famous. He is Jack and he is awesome.

ISBN/ASIN: 978-1-945834-09-7
Book Format(s): Soft cover
Review Genre: Children & Young Adult—Young Adult (fiction or non-fiction)
Number of Pages: 174

All Present and Accounted For by Steven Craig

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MWSA Review
For those who don’t know much about the United States Coast Guard, All Present and Accounted For fills a void by explaining some of the history of the branch of service as well as detailing the harrowing near-death experience of the crew of the Coast Guard cutter Jarvis in 1972 when it was in danger of sinking with all hands. 

The Preface sets the stage by adding context to the time frame in which the story takes place. Part One tells the story of the man for whom the cutter was named, an interesting side trail that could be a book in its own right and shows the kind of heroics that result in a ship being named for you. Introductory chapters in Part Two include information about Frederick Wooley, who captained the ship during its time of near annihilation, and a general discussion of Coast Guard history along with the particulars of the building of the high-endurance cutter that became the subject of this book. Those of us who know little about the Coast Guard also get a glimpse of the commissioning ceremony for USCGC Jarvis in Hawaii, before the cutter leaves for its first Alaska Patrol in September of 1972. 

What follows, however, is the type of sea tale that can keep you on the edge of your seat as Craig tells the hour-by-hour account of the blinding snowstorm, high seas, and tempestuous winds that result in damage to the ship—leaving it without power and being driven toward the rocks of Akutan Island, Alaska. Although the final result (spoiler alert is the book’s title) was known, I found myself caring about the crew members, following their thoughts, cringing at their hardships, and wondering if the cutter itself would survive or sink.

History buffs will find plenty of footnotes, documentation, and appendices. More casual readers will enjoy the well-written account which includes quotes and remembrances of the men who served on the Jarvis during this ordeal. Although the maps were somewhat small, I enjoyed using maps online to zoom in on particular areas and follow the voyage in its larger context.  

 Review by Betsy Beard (February 2020)

Author's Synopsis

 IT WAS LATE NOVEMBER – one of the coldest periods to be on a ship near Alaska. The Coast Guard Cutter Jarvis had run aground during a severe storm and was taking on water. The engine room flooded, disabling the engines. Mountainous seas and gale force winds pounded the Jarvis, and to make matters worse, the ship was floating toward a rocky coastline that would surely destroy it and probably kill most, if not all, of the men. The ship’s captain ordered an emergency message be sent to the Seventeenth Coast Guard District Office in Juneau requesting Coast Guard assistance. But there were no Coast Guard assets near enough to provide immediate help. At 7:04 pm, for one of the few times in Coast Guard history, a MAYDAY call for help would come from a Coast Guard vessel. This is the incredible story of the grounding and near sinking of the USCGC Jarvis and how her crew fought to save their ship – and themselves – from disaster.

ISBN/ASIN: 9781555719647
Book Format(s): Soft cover
Review Genre: Nonfiction—History
Number of Pages: 278

Campsite Six by Jan Fallon

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Author's Synopsis

Campsite Six is about Evie Clayborn, a young professional who wants to get away. She escapes the city to find some rest at a secluded campsite, but Campsite Six isn't as secluded as she thinks. She has to run. Her life depends on it. Now she wonders, which is worse--being lost or found?

Evie wants to quiet the noise from her past, with a mother who keeps it all too fresh, and a dark secret that goes with her everywhere.

Had her imagination run wild, or was she being followed?

It seemed everyone, in heaven and on earth, was searching for Evie Clayborn--but one had the worst of intentions. They had to find her first. It was her only hope.

Evie's only choice is to face her past with a courage she doesn't know she has, and a restored faith that helps her fight an enemy who wants nothing more than to leave her dead in the woods and in eternal darkness.

Campsite Six invites readers to root for Evie during her most vulnerable moments, to care deeply about her loss and life, and identify their own fears and faith through a fantastic lens that lets their minds wonder about redemption, eternity, and the nearness of God.

Similar to books by C.S. Lewis and Madeleine L'Engle, Campsite Six involves the lives of everyday people, who are offered a chance to see life through the lens of possible, yet fantastic, scenarios that lead to life changing experiences.

Campsite Six is a speculative suspense novel with a simple yet plausible storyline drawn from Biblical references, that uses the unknowns in its pages as the entry points of fiction and fantasy.

Genre(s): Fiction, Mystery/Thriller, Religious/Spiritual
Format(s): Soft cover, Kindle
ISBN/ASIN: ISBN-10: 0989278220, ISBN-13: 978-0989278225, ASIN: B07B1SMCXX

Home Was Never Like This - The Yardley Diaries by Col. Doyle R. Yardley; Charles A. Turnbo, Editor; Jan Fallon, Book Designer

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Author's Synopsis

"Home Was Never Like This" was written by Colonel Doyle R. Yardley, commander of the 509 Parachute Infantry Battalion - the first American parachute battalion to attack an enemy, making the longest airborne flight from Land's End England to the Invasion of French North Africa. Col. Yardley was captured during the Invasion of Italy and spent 16 months as a prisoner of war in Oflag 64 in Szubin, Poland.Col. Yardley kept penciled entries of his experiences in England and as a POW, describing in details the events and the soldiers who were part of the war effort. He wrote "Home Was Never Like This" with the intention of publishing his memoirs after the war. Yardley escaped, leaving his journals buried behind in Oflag 64. They were miraculously returned to him after the war.Unfortunately, shortly after his return to civilian life, Col. Yardley died. His diaries were kept in a forgotten footlocker until his nephew, Charles Turnbo, discovered them on the family farm. Charles dedicated his efforts to publishing "Home Was Never Like This" in memory of his uncle, all the soldiers of the 509, and those who served our country during WWII."Home Was Never Like This" is a heart-wrenching and often humorous look into his life and the lives of the hundreds of others involved in or effected by the war.

Genre(s): History
Format(s): Soft cover
ISBN/ASIN: ISBN-10: 0989278247, ISBN-13: 978-0989278249

The Amphibians Are Coming! Emergence of the 'Gator Navy and its Revolutionary Landing Craft by William L. McGee

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Author's Synopsis

A biographical history of the revolutionary World War II landing craft and the unsung heroes who manned them.

• Provides a brief history of amphibious warfare, from the Revolutionary War to the 1942 Guadalcanal and North Africa campaigns.

• Puts the reader aboard the revolutionary landing craft designed and built to speed assault troops directly to the beach.

• Profiles the famed "Green Dragons," the high-speed destroyer transports that filled a pressing Marine Corps need for ship-to-shore delivery prior to the availability of the new landing craft.

• Focuses on the "Earlybird" Flotilla Five LCTs, LSTs and LCIs and their crews, from landing craft design and construction, to amphibious training and crew and flotilla formations, and to on-the-job warfare training in the Southern Solomons -- all in preparation for their first invasion of enemy-held territory, Operation TOENAILS.

FROM THE FOREWORD
"McGee combines exhaustive research with the words of the men who took the theory of the amphibious doctrine and the new machines to sea. His dedicated work will surely help keep the day-to-day naval record of the 'Greatest Generation' from being lost."
- John Lorelli,  author "To Foreign Shores, U.S. Amphibious Operations in WWII"
 
110 b/w photos, 13 maps, plus charts, appendices, notes, bibliography, and index.

OTHER TITLES IN THE SERIES:

Vol. II, THE SOLOMONS CAMPAIGNS, 1942-1943: From Guadalcanal to Bougainville, Pacific War Turning Point. Winner of the Military Writers Society of America 2018 Silver Medal Award for History.

Vol. III, PACIFIC EXPRESS: The Critical Role of Military Logistics in World War II

Pacific Express: The Critical Role of Military Logistics in World War II by William L. McGee

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Author's Synopsis

PACIFIC EXPRESS is on the Marine Corps Commandant's Professional Annual Reading List for Logistics.
 
Under one cover, an edited collection of the best works by military historians on the importance of military logistics in WW II. 
 
Consider this: In World War II, 16.1 million men and women served in the U.S. Armed Forces. For every individual who served in combat, there were ten supportive personnel, both overseas and on the home front. Victory may be won or lost in battle, but all military history shows that adequate logistics support is essential to the winning of the battles. 

The editors profile the major components that made up the "Pacific express" in WWII including:

U.S. Navy Seabees and U.S.Marine Corps Engineers who built the Advance Bases.

U.S. Navy crews who manned the amphibious force and Fleet s floating mobile Service Squadrons throughout the vast reaches of the Pacific.

U.S. Merchant Marine and U.S.Naval Armed Guard who manned and defended the thousands of WSA cargo ships,transports, and tankers to "deliver the goods."

U.S. Coast Guardsmen who manned hundreds of U.S. Army and Navy long-haul vessels and thousands of battle-loaded amphibious landing ships and craft.

111 b&w photos, 7 maps, 21 figures, tables & charts, plus appendix, notes, bibliography, and index.

FROM THE FOREWORD:
"As the grandson of three World War II veterans, read this book and you will understand what it took to win this war and why the men and women who made it happen are called the Greatest Generation."
- Dennis R. Blocker II, Pacific War Historian, USS LCI (Landing Craft, Infantry) National Association

OTHER TITLES IN THE 3-VOLUME SERIES:
Vol. I, THE AMPHIBIANS ARE COMING! Emergence of the 'Gator Navy and its Revolutionary Landing Craft

Vol. II, THE SOLOMONS CAMPAIGNS, 1942-1943: From Guadalcanal to Bougainville, Pacific War Turning Point. Winner of the 2018 Military Writers Society of America Silver Medal Award for History 

The Councilman by Glenn Starkey

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MWSA Review

In his book, The Councilman, author Glenn Starkey has penned another fast and enjoyable read. Set in eastern Texas in the 1950s, this story is about a veteran's search for his mother's murderer. Our protagonist, Cory Hunter Bramley, is a Korean War veteran who returns to his hometown and discovers that his mother is only one of several women brutally raped and murdered in a similar manner during the sixteen years he has been away from the town. Cory gets a job at the town's general hardware store and soon meets a wide variety of both good and evil individuals in the small town. Cory befriends another newcomer to town, a World War II vet who survived the Bataan Death March in the Philippines and helps him get employment with him at the store. This friend is named Moses, carries a bible, recites scripture, and seems to know things about the future that he shouldn't. I found the book's conclusion somewhat unexpected and, as expected, satisfying. I recommend this book. 

Review by Bob Doerr (July 2019)

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Author's Synopsis

In 1956 Morgan City, Texas, Cory Hunter Bramley has finally returned to learn the truth about his mother's murder. The killer may be gone, leaving Cory to chase ghosts, yet he's determined to know what happened that fateful day sixteen years ago. But truth comes in many forms. The town is under the thumb of a man who considers himself a king and makes Cory's search for truth more difficult. Five women have been brutally murdered since his mother and their killer remains at large as well. Cory must walk a dangerous maze of corruption, revenge, bootlegging, brutality and murder as he uncovers a bloody trail leading to the killer. But in the pursuit of justice, Cory didn't anticipate finding love with the forbidden Emily. The Councilman is a heartbreaking tale of vengeance, deceit, and the anguish of shattered souls wrapped in mystery and suspense.

ISBN/ASIN: 978-1-54394-100-5, 978-1-54394-101-2
Book Format(s): Soft cover, Kindle, ePub/iBook
Review Genre: Fiction—Mystery/Thriller
Number of Pages: 234

The Batter's Box by Andy Kutler

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MWSA Review

The Batter’s Box is a tour de force—a riveting tale of baseball, war, and the human spirit. Many writers are skilled at conveying one particular niche or historical period. Andy Kutler does it all. The book begins with the story of an elderly woman. Her body is frail but her mind still sharp.  She has reached that point at the end of life when she is secure in her own identity, satisfied with the experiences life has brought her, and needing nothing more than a sympathetic ear to hear her story.

Then quickly, the scene shifts, and the author is taking the reader on a nostalgic trip to a baseball diamond. The air is thick with the smells of dust, sweat, peanut shells, and hotdog grease. It’s 1941. Baseball is the national pastime, and playing ball is the dream of little boys everywhere.  Talented players are heroes, and their names resonate with those of us who lived through the forties and fifties. The sports enthusiast might be content to follow Will Jamison and his baseball career to the end of the book.

But the author has much more in store for his readers. It’s now 1944, and our hero finds himself in Belgium, headed into a confrontation that will eventually become known as The Battle of the Bulge. Kutner spares the reader nothing as he describes in gruesome detail the sights, smells, and deafening sounds of battle. Irrational men and hulking machines of death confront each other and leave only ruin behind.

Enough? No. It’s now 1946, and Will Jamison is back from the war. Peace is settling over the land again, the baseball diamonds are calling, and relieved young men are leaping toward a chance to be a hero with a bat rather than a gun. Will wants to join them, but two invisible wounds hold him back —one deep in a thigh muscle and the other burrowing deep in his brain. In those post-war years, no one knew or understood the term PTSD, and it was certainly not clear to those most affected. A loud noise—a flashing light—almost anything could trigger an emotional outburst the sufferer was helpless to withstand.

At the end of the book, the author brings us back to the present, with a surprise ending that echoes and wraps the entire package into one satisfying conclusion. This is an amazing story—well-written, beautifully designed, and emotionally satisfying. It stands head and shoulders above most of the books I have read this year.

Review by Carolyn Schriber (June 2019)

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Author's Synopsis

In 1946, a returning World War II veteran is determined to reclaim his place among professional baseball’s upper echelon and win back the woman he once fell for. Two months into the new season, at the top of his game, he abandons his team, casting aside his fame and riches and vanishing forever from the public eye. What drives a man to walk away from everything he cherishes, never to be heard from again? The Batter’s Box follows the path of Will Jamison, a star player with the Washington Senators who enlists in the U.S. Army following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. When the war ends, Jamison returns to Washington, a decorated hero tormented by deep emotional scars. Burdened with a crushing guilt and harrowing memories he cannot escape, Jamison’s life is consumed by an explosive temper, sleepless nights, and a gradual descent into alcoholism. He must also navigate public misconceptions about mental illness in the 1940s, and stigmas that often silenced those who suffered and drove veterans like Jamison into dark corners. Will he continue on, alone with his anguish and misery? Or will he level with those around him, including the woman he loves, and seek the professional care he desperately needs, even at the risk of exposing his secrets and shame?

ISBN/ASIN: 9781944353216,9781944353223,9781944353230
Book Format(s): Hard cover, Soft cover, Kindle, ePub/iBook
Review Genre: Fiction—Historical Fiction
Number of Pages: 304

Living Waters by Ed Waldrop

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MWSA Review

In Living Waters, by Ed Waldrop, the main character’s family was not rich, nor were they even very happy. AJ McClellan’s childhood was scarred by traumatic incidents. But AJ lived in the Low Country of South Carolina, and when things got bad, he took his dog and his fishing rod and sat on a dock—feet dangling above the water, watching the slow but constant ebb and flow of the tides in the marsh, smelling the distinctive odor of pluff mud, watching the sunrise and set, feeling the soft warmth of the air, and listening to the songs of birds soaring over the living waters. He was content, strong, confident—a strapping young man with a promising future.

But then came 9/11, and that boy went straight from high school into the Army to help defend his country—because that’s the kind of young man he had become. He spent six years in the Army, two of them in Iraq. The senseless destruction, the horrible sights of blood and gore, the stark fear that at any moment an explosion might turn him into a pile of stinking entrails—all those experiences changed him. He came home, whole in body but damaged in both mind and spirit. He wandered aimlessly through the southern states, unable to hold a job, given to flashbacks and nightmares, ridden with guilt and uncontrollable anger. Life seemed pointless.

His PTSD was not a condition easily remedied. It took a family death to bring AJ back to the Low Country. And there, slowly, the combined efforts of an understanding pastor, a beautiful woman who refused to give up on him, two rambunctious and doting dogs, and the slow, soothing rhythms of the living waters combined to ease his torment and helped him to rediscover the young man he thought had been destroyed forever.

This is a well-written and heart-wrenching book written by an author who understands the appeal of the Low Country. Readers who know something of South Carolina will be homesick; those who have never visited will be planning a trip. But more importantly, the author provides an intimate understanding of the tormented perceptions of a veteran returning from a devastating war. He offers an important message, one that will linger with readers long after they turn the final page.

Review by Carolyn Schriber (August 2019)

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Author's Synopsis

Living Waters is the story of AJ McClellan, born in the Lowcountry of South Carolina. He was raised and nurtured along her creeks and waterways. Tragic events in AJ’s young life tested him deeply, but it was the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York City that moved him to action. Determined to serve in his country’s defense, AJ joined the Army right out of high school, eventually doing two combat tours in Iraq. He would later leave the Army a broken man, emotionally and spiritually. He lived a vacant life in central Texas until an unexpected death in the family brought him home and began a redemptive journey for him of new life, new love, and new hope.

ISBN/ASIN: ISBN 9781641111171, ASIN B07GX1593B (Kindle)
Book Format(s): Hard cover, Soft cover, Kindle, ePub/iBook
Review Genre: Fiction—Literary Fiction
Number of Pages: 302 

Vietnam's Valleys of Darkness by H. J. Thomas

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MWSA Review

In his book Vietnam's Valleys of Darkness, author H.J. Thomas spins a tale of intrigue, combining combat with spies and smugglers. Never sure who is the good guy or gal and who isn't, Thomas's protagonist, Chief Warrant Officer Ray Bryant is simply trying to survive his third tour in Vietnam. When a fellow American soldier tries to kill him with a grenade, Bryant's worst suspicions become reality. When a Vietnamese waitress at the club on base warns him about an upcoming mission that she shouldn't know anything about, Bryant's faith in the system is again shaken. The author's own experience in the military intelligence and aviation can be felt and adds to the authenticity of the story, I recommend this book to anyone interested in the Vietnam war and /or military history. 

Review by Bob Doerr (June 2019)

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Author's Synopsis

It's 1968 and the war in Vietnam wears weary on all involved. Chief Warrant Officer Ray Bryant is on his third tour, and as a dual-rated U.S. Army aviator, he's not happy when he is temporarily reassigned to fly Hueys for the 5th Special Forces Group out of Kontum. Both crew and aircraft are tested to their limits, struggling against what usually accompanies missions with a "special" designation. Combat can always become confusing, but Bryant finds it nearly impossible to separate the bad guys from the good. Even Special Operations and the chain of command seem to have a dark cloud hanging over their policies and activities. Bryant's military training and experience are tested to the maximum as he seeks to maintain his military career and complete the mission requirements.

ISBN/ASIN: 9781091978720
Book Format(s): Soft cover
Review Genre: Fiction—Historical Fiction
Number of Pages: 305 

Read My Shorts by E. Franklin Evans

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Author's Synopsis

A collection of the author's short stories and personal experiences in exotic, faraway places. Join a soldier at the Battle of Fredericksburg as he "relives" the carnage. Visit Amelia Earhart's jail on a distant Pacific island. Meet an old curmudgeon in a home for the elderly; what a story he has to tell!

ISBN: 978-0-578-43639-5
Book Format(s): Soft cover
Review Genre: Collections—Anthology
Number of Pages: 125

Probe the Ocean, Plow the Sea: A Destroyer Sailor's Vietnam Era Odyssey by Paul Jewell

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MWSA Review

Probe the Ocean, Plow the Sea is a memoir that captures a time in our nation's military history through a personal telling of the author's own experiences. Not many people know much about our Navy's destroyers, let alone what it was like to be on a crew of one during the Vietnam War era. This is a very personal telling, through a well-written memoir, by a USN enlisted man, who was assigned on board one of those ships.

It was a time that our younger generations may never fully understand, nor appreciate the impact those times had on so many young men's lives in this nation. The author brings home to the reader some clarity, by sharing his own personal accounts of what his life was about and how he handled it all.

He also shares some insights on his unit's involvement and role in naval history for the closing months of the Vietnam War.

This should be a must-read for USN veterans and, I think, the greater audience of readers of military genre. I enjoyed reading Paul Jewel's memoir. I now feel like I know him personally.

Review by Bill McDonald (July 2019)

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Author's Synopsis

“Probe the Ocean, Plow the Sea” chronicles, in prolific detail, the enlisted tour of duty of a destroyer sailor in the western Pacific during the Vietnam era. Naval memoirs tend to be written by senior commissioned officers or well-known biographers. Far less common is the view from the bottom looking up by junior enlisted sailors, particularly those who served in less glamorous surface ships such as destroyers. The lack of detailed U.S. Navy surface ship narratives is particularly chronic for the Vietnam War where if naval forces are acknowledged at all, it is generally the role played by naval aviation. Particularly overlooked is the important role cruisers and destroyers played in “Linebacker”, the final combat operations off North Vietnam in 1972. Author Paul Jewell joined the USS Richard B. Anderson in the closing phase of Linebacker and remained with the ship until 1974. Whether conducting combat operations at the close of the Vietnam War, suffering through prolonged yard periods, or gathering intelligence off the Korean peninsula, the ships of Destroyer Squadron 15 homeported in Japan were the point of the spear for U.S. foreign policy in half the world’s ocean. This memoir chronicles that history during the early years of the Anderson and other DESRON 15 ships forward deployment as seen through the eyes of an enlisted sonar technician.

ISBN/ASIN: 9781718722484
Book Format(s): Soft cover, ePub/iBook
Review Genre: Nonfiction—Memoir/Biography
Number of Pages: 254 

Duck Your Head and Keep On Going: A Marine Lieutenant's Passage Through Vietnam by John Booth

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MWSA Review

In his book, Duck Your Head and Keep on Going, author John Booth provides a thoughtful and fascinating recounting of his service in Vietnam in 1965 – 1966. Booth’s description of his combat experience as a newly-minted Marine Corps second lieutenant artilleryman is fact-filled, gut-wrenchingly personal, and informative. The reader will gain an appreciation for the challenges associated with bringing massive artillery firepower to bear against an elusive enemy in difficult terrain, and under extremely difficult circumstances.

You’ll learn about “artillery sniping,” map reading, fire support coordination, uniform modifications, and many other interesting details. Booth pulls this off without getting too bogged down in technology or terminology. He also ties in many thoroughly-researched details of the operations carried out by the units in which he served—all carefully documented in footnotes at the end of each chapter.

More than a simple unit history, the reader will take a trip through a young man’s mind as he struggles to cope with the challenges of combat for the first time. Booth’s honesty and openness are appealing; and his natural, laid-back writing style makes it easy to assimilate all the information he’s sharing with us. This is true whether Booth is discussing the different politico-military strategies of Marine and Army leadership during the war—“hearts and minds” versus a war of attrition—or the differences he feels when looking at the corpses of his enemy versus those of his brothers in arms: his fellow Marines.

In the book’s introduction, the author warns that he is “not a professional writer,” and that his primary audience is his children, grandchildren, and fellow Marines. Although the reader will find the occasional technical or formatting glitch, the story the author has to tell tends to outweigh the book’s shortcomings, and as such is a worthwhile read for a wider audience.

Review by John Cathcart (August 2019)

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Author's Synopsis

The author fought as a lieutenant in two wars in Vietnam. The first was a counterinsurgency against Viet Cong guerrillas that people today still do not understand. The second was a conventional war against the North Vietnamese Army. The book is both a personal memoir written over twenty years and a historical document backed up by extensive research of previously classified information. You will feel like you are living alongside the author as you and he together undergo the privations of war and the rigors of combat. You will learn the stories of his comrades as they lived and died and whose names appear on the Vietnam Wall today. Lieutenant Booth served as a forward observer with two rifle companies, a gunnery officer with an artillery battery, and a fire support coordinator with and infantry battalion where he lived a primitive existence. Ammunition, water and food were held-lifted in and dead and wounded were held-lifted out.

ISBN/ASIN: 9781732560901
Book Format(s): Soft cover
Review Genre: Nonfiction—Memoir/Biography
Number of Pages: 211 

Hitler's Last Christmas: The Day the Entire Mighty Eighth Air Force Entered the Battle of the Bulge by Donald Kilburg Jr

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MWSA Review

Many Americans know the basic story of the Battle of the Bulge, including the fact that bad weather grounded most Allied aircraft during its first few days. However, even fairly well-informed researchers might not be aware of the extent that the mighty 8th Air Force returned to the air on Christmas Eve of 1944. Hitler’s Last Christmas by author Donald Kilburg Jr. shines a needed light into this massive display of Allied air power, which definitely helped turn back the last-ditch Nazi offensive that had started on December 16, 1944.

Kilburg’s well-researched book puts the reader in the middle of the action—drilling all the way down to bomb group (and even squadron-level) to provide a granular level of detail of the mission that day. The book includes an extensive bibliography to help the serious researcher, although lack of footnotes makes it hard to tell the specific source of information.

Despite a few rough spots, this book provides a great deal of detail, and will appeal to a wide range of readers interested in this important but largely overlooked part of World War II history.

Review by John Cathcart (August 2019)

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Author's Synopsis

Hitler's Last Christmas is the documentary story of the largest aerial bombing mission in history. On Christmas Eve 1944 the 8th Air Force launched a maximum effort mission to eliminate tactical targets that were supporting Hitler's surprise Ardennes Offensive. 2046 heavy bombers and 853 fighters, every flyable aircraft available to the 8th Air Force in England were dispatched to accomplish the objectives of the 8th's Mission 760. This book details the events of the day from formation to return through the stories of the participants and the official records of the day.

ISBN/ASIN: 978-1-9772-0639-8
Book Format(s): Soft cover
Review Genre: Nonfiction—History
Number of Pages: 309