Have Snakes, Need Birds by Travis Klempan

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MWSA Review
Have Snakes, Need Birds by Travis Klempan is an exceptional story that depicts our American service members during a deployment to Iraq. It is exceptional not only in the voice he gives his American and Iraqi characters, but also for the depiction of ghosts, a demon, and an elemental. While snakes, coyotes, jackals, and birds show up sporadically in the beginning chapters of the book—harbingers of nonhuman intervention—the noncorporeal characters do not arrive until after the main character’s mid-tour leave, about halfway through the book. Prior to Mackenzie’s leave, soldiers and Iraqis hold a storytelling contest involving ghost stories, unleashing an unsettling feeling around the FOB and setting the stage for horrors to come.

While most of the action takes place in Iraq, Mackenzie’s leave takes place in America, beginning at an outdoor concert festival in Texas and ending in a small town in Louisiana. Descriptions of places and events are vivid and compelling, and the dialogue is enjoyable (keeping in mind that military members under stress will be using words that some readers may find offensive). More than the ghostly plot line, I found the details and circumstances of what our military forces face during a combat deployment to be enlightening and important.

Review by Betsy Beard (February 2021)
 

Author's Synopsis
Sergeant John Mackenzie is on his third deployment to Iraq at the height of combat operations. His overriding goal: get his soldiers home safely. That mission is difficult enough when every day is a fight against snipers, roadside bombs, or just plain old boredom--it becomes impossible when John accidentally awakens two ancient spirits, each bent on destroying the other, collateral damage be damned.

A soul-collecting demon named Moonlit Samuel wants to move up in the hierarchy of evil; a malevolent force of nature known only as taliment destroys everything it touches; and John still faces local insurgents, foreign fighters, a belligerent battalion commander, a greenhorn lieutenant, and questions of his own sanity.

John must find a way to protect his men, save the city, and return to the woman he loves before she becomes just another victim of supernatural combat.

ISBN/ASIN: Paper: 978-1646631735, Hard: 978-1646631759, Kindle: B08G5VLLWR

Book Format(s): Hard cover, Soft cover, Kindle

Review Genre: Fiction—Horror/Fantasy/Sci Fi

Number of Pages: 360

The Blue Collar Blues and Other Stories by Bob Stockton

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MWSA Review
The Blue Collar Blues and Other Stories by Bob Stockton is a collection of short stories and essays, mostly biographical, that start with Bob’s early childhood in Trenton, New Jersey, and cover his years in the Navy, traipsing around the globe as well as from shore to shore in America. Those who lived through the fifties and sixties will find much in common with Bob. Those who are younger will get an education on how it really was back then. And those who served in the Navy will likely find common ground with the author, since most of the book is about his time in the Navy.

Most of Stockton’s stories are humorous, some with a little more bite than others. Some of the stories are, well, almost unbelievable. And all of the stories are populated with memorable characters, filled with fascinating detail and vivid word pictures. My favorite line in the whole book is, “Max’s ‘moral fiber’ was thinner than dental floss.” In many stories, the author draws the reader in and leads him along, lulling him into a pleasant state only to surprise him by delivering an abrupt sucker-punch ending to the vignette. Stockton has an engaging and folksy storytelling quality that is endearing enough to allow readers to ignore missing commas, quote marks, and the occasional wandering-bunny-trail sentence.

Review by Betsy Beard (February 2021)
 

Author's Synopsis
A shipwreck’s tragic toll in human life. The changing face of a quiet turn-of-the century neighborhood. A man who lost his wife unexpectedly. An obnoxious drunk who gets more than he bargained for. A horse who develops an affinity for a Hawaiian saloon. A submarine’s up close and personal encounter with a snoozing whale. Each of these stories and much more are found in The Blue Collar Blues and Other Stories, author Bob Stockton’s personal anthology of forty-six short stories that have been published over the past decade.

The book’s first section contains stories of a young boy’s coming of age in an ever-changing northeast working-class neighborhood. The second section highlights standalone stories that run from autobiographical to allegorical. The third section focuses on the adventures-and misadventures- of young sailors serving in the U.S. Navy of a half-century past. The fourth section relates actual tales of the U.S. Navy and her sailors deployed along the Pacific Rim.

Grab a cup of coffee and escape into the mind of an author with a flair for describing what is really important in life.

ISBN/ASIN: 9781662902895, B08F6663GC

Book Format(s): Soft cover, Kindle

Review Genre: Collections—Anthology

Number of Pages: 414

Bangkok Gamble by Tom Crowley

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MWSA Review
Bangkok Gamble is Tom Crowley's new thriller that takes us through the back streets of Bangkok, the back country of Thailand, and the opulence of Macau in this intricately woven tale.  Heroes Matt Chance, John Scales, and Jade Lee, all US ex-military, track a gang of sex traffickers in their attempt to rescue young Thai sex slaves and bring the evil monk who leads the organization to justice.  Written with detailed description of the various settings that only the author's many years in Southeast Asia could have provided, Bangkok Gamble is a fun, suspenseful story. 

Review by Gary DeRigne (March 2021)

MWSA's evaluation of this book found a number of technical problems–including some combination of misspellings, grammar, punctuation, or capitalization errors.
 

Author's Synopsis
Kidnapping, international trafficking on the dark web, bitcoin blackmail by gangster police states, loan sharks, and a monk obsessed with profit and power are all in the mix.

When Matt Chance is asked by a Bangkok gambling kingpin to investigate the kidnapping of his daughter he’s not interested. That is until he learns that his mentor, former Special Forces soldier John Scales, already on the case, has disappeared. On the trail, Matt confronts Jade Lee, an ex-US Army chopper pilot who joins the chase.

Their attempt to rescue the girl and capture the monk in charge of the criminal cult appears to be a failure until the CIA joins the picture in the form of Matt’s older brother Rick. Offered the chance to take part in a covert operation in Macau, where the monk has fled, Matt and Jade agree to go. The risk is great, the territory unknown, but it seems the only way to rescue the girls and get the mad monk.

ISBN/ASIN: ISBN: 1-64396-153-5 ,  ISBN-13: 978-1-64396-153-8

Book Format(s): Soft cover, Kindle

Review Genre: Fiction—Mystery/Thriller

Number of Pages: 228

Death in the Highlands: The Siege of Special Forces Camp Plei Me by J. Keith Saliba

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MWSA Review
Death in the Highlands presents a very thorough analysis and reporting of the attack on Plei Me in 1965 by the North Vietnamese army and the Viet Cong, along with its defense by American and South Vietnamese forces. While going into great detail, the author, J. Keith Saliba, still tells a story that portrays the human aspects of sacrifice and perseverance. In addition to using a plethora of written history, Saliba also interviewed a number of the survivors of this long and deadly battle to provide a realism that is hard to pull from documents alone. The author holds no punches in describing the horrific results of the battle. Well researched and documented. A must read for anyone interested in modern military history and especially for anyone interested in the war in Viet Nam.

Review by Bob Doerr (March 2021)

Author's Synopsis
In fall 1965, North Vietnam’s high command smelled blood in the water. The South Vietnamese republic was on the verge of collapse, and Hanoi resolved to crush it once and for all. The communists set their sights on South Vietnam’s strategically vital West-Central Highlands. Annihilate ARVN’s defenses in Kontum and Pleiku provinces, the communists surmised, and the region’s remaining provinces would topple like dominoes. Their first target was the American Special Forces camp at Plei Me, remote and isolated along the Cambodian border.

As darkness fell on 19 October, 1965, two North Vietnamese Army regiments—some 4,000 troops— crept into their final strike positions. The plan was as simple as it was audacious: one regiment would bring the frontier fortress under murderous siege while the other would lie in wait to destroy the inevitable rescue force. Initially, all that stood athwart Hanoi’s grand scheme was a handful of American Green Berets, a few hundred Montagnard allies—and burgeoning U.S. airpower. Cut off and beleaguered, Plei Me’s defenders fought for their lives, while a daring band of helicopter, close air support, and resupply pilots braved a withering storm of antiaircraft fire to help save their brothers on the ground.

But as the overland relief force bogged down, 5th Group ordered in the legendary “Chargin” Charlie Beckwith and his elite Project Delta to help hold the line. Soon, the newly formed 1st Cavalry Division, under its aggressive commander Maj. Gen. Harry Kinnard, would join the fray, setting the stage for its bloody Ia Drang Valley fights a few weeks later. Before it was over, the siege of Plei Me would push its defenders to the brink and usher in the first major clashes between the U.S. and North Vietnamese armies.

Drawing on archival research and interviews with combat veterans, J. Keith Saliba reconstructs this pivotal battle in vivid, gut-wrenching detail and illustrates where the siege fit in the war’s strategic picture.

ISBN/ASIN: ISBN-13 : 978-0811738811, ASIN : B08DKHMTC1

Book Format(s): Hard cover, Kindle, ePub/iBook

Review Genre: Nonfiction—History

Number of Pages: 280

Adverse Effects by Joel Shulkin

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Author’s Synopsis:

Determined to help her amnesiac patients recover their lives, Boston psychiatrist Cristina Silva is achieving near-miraculous results by prescribing Recognate, a revolutionary new memory-recovery drug now in trials. She understands her patients' suffering better than most because she's lost her memories, too. Desperate to become herself again, she pops the same experimental drug she prescribes to her patients. And, like them, she remembers a little more each day.

Until one of her patients, a successful accountant jumps from an eight-story window to his death. And as Cristina's memories return, with them come violent visions and an incessant voice in her head. Maybe the drug isn't safe after all. But discontinuing it would mean forgetting everything she's recalled and losing herself.

Then an enigmatic, possibly dangerous man appears at Cristina's bus stop. He seems to know more about her life than she does and says she holds a secret that puts her life in danger. Perilously balanced between an unknown past and a terrifying future, if she wants to survive, Cristina must stay on the medication and unlock those memories before it's too late -- even if the adverse effects of the drug could destroy her.

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Format(s): Hardcover, Kindle, ePub/iBook, Audiobook

ISBN/ASIN 978-1-0941-9254-3

Distant Traveler, Volume I by Steven Cornelius

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Author's Synopsis

This first book of a trilogy, describes Air Transport Command efforts to ferry supplies and munitions from India into China and the challenges that aircrew faced in executing this difficult task. It introduces readers to one transport crew; a handful of men whose lives were forever changed in service to their country. Volume I is a gritty, highly descriptive account of aircrew life in sub-tropical Asia and the incredible stress endured while flying combat missions over the dangerous and unforgiving Himalayas. During airlift operations from 1942-45, more than a third of aircraft flying these missions were lost to enemy action, weather or unexplained circumstances. That grim statistic meant that during every pre-mission briefing at least one-third of crewmen assembled would not survive to attend the next briefing. Volumes II and III follows this small group of airmen as they close out their war service. These books trace the returning airmen’s lives and those of their descendants through the fifties, sixties, Viet Nam until contemporary times. This is Steve’s second book.

Genre(s): Historical Fiction
Format(s): Kindle
ISBN/ASIN: ASIN: B08DL6KRHQ

Raider of the Scottish Coast by Marc Liebman

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Author's Synopsis

Which serves a Navy better? Tradition and hierarchy, or innovation and merit?

It is 1775 and the American Revolution has begun. In England, the Royal Navy has one eye on the rebellious colonials and the other on its traditional enemy, the French. Two teenagers - Jaco Jacinto from Charleston, SC and Darren Smythe from Gosport, England - become midshipmen in their respective navies. Jacinto wants to help his countrymen win their freedom. Smythe has wanted to be a naval officer since he was a boy. From blockaded harbours and the cold northern waters off Nova Scotia and Scotland, to the islands of the Bahamas and Nassau, they serve with great leaders and bad ones through battles, politics and the school of naval hard knocks. Jacinto and Smythe are mortal enemies, but when they meet they become friends, even though they know they will be called again to battle one another.

"This is Marc Liebman's first foray into the age of sail, and what a densely packed, rattling yarn he has produced... The twists and turns of the breathless plot see the two main protagonists cross again and again in a story that never lets up its pace." Philip Allan, author of the award-winning Alexander Clay series about the Royal Navy during the Age of Sail.

Genre(s): Historical Fiction
Format(s): Soft cover, Kindle, ePub/iBook
ISBN/ASIN: ISBN 13 - 978-1950586499, ASIN - B08DK4FT1L, ISBN 10 - 1950586499

Montagnard by D.C. Gilbert

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Author's Synopsis

Sometimes you have to dance in the minefield ... Navy SEAL, JD Cordell, is ready to retire and take his K9 partner, Ajax, with him. JD has exciting plans for a new life that includes the courageous and beautiful Doctor Ellen Chang he met on a mission in Niger. But when JD's father unexpectedly dies of cancer, his grieving mother, Mai, travels to Vietnam to search for her adopted Montagnard brother, a brother she hasn't seen in over forty years. During her attempt to track him down, Mai unwittingly steps into a blood feud between her Montagnard brother and a powerful Vietnamese drug lord, a bitter hatred that began during the Vietnam War. When his mother disappears into the seedy underbelly of Ho Chi Minh City, JD has no choice but to come out of retirement for one last explosive mission. And Ajax is with him all the way. If you liked Serpents Underfoot, you're going to love Montagnard.

Genre(s): Fiction, Mystery/Thriller
Format(s): Hard cover, Soft cover, Kindle ISBN/ASIN: 978-1734602326, B089QDZMXW, 978-1734602319

The Jøssing Affair by J. L. Oakley

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MWSA Review

​The Jossing Affair by J.L. Oakley brings the reader into a lesser-known part of World War II, the work of the Norwegian Resistance during Norway’s occupation by Germany. Readers will appreciate the depth and breadth of research which informs the 500+ page novel, and its clever use of German and Norwegian language throughout amplifies the sense of conflict between invader and defender, and the stifled humanity within the German ranks.  

The story details efforts of the extensive network of men and women who undermined the occupation forces and moved supplies and people to safety. The book also brings to life the brutality of some of the German command, the deadly effect of Norwegian traitors, and the underlying conflict between serving the Reich and having compassion and morality.  

Oakley provides the reader with a satisfying historical novel, filled with details about the German occupation, the Norwegian countryside, and its cities. I was particularly struck by the way the details were worked comfortably into the narrative. For instance, before a meeting between Resistance members in a church, one character reminisces briefly about a childhood visit and an important event that took place there.   

Hitler had decided that the blonde and blue-eyed Norwegians were part of the master Aryan race, and should be preserved in general for breeding stock. German troops occupied the country. But with absolute power, many Germans treated its citizens with contempt and harmed them with impunity. The consequences for Resistance members who were caught were savage; Oakley does not shy away from detailing these, creating a genuine sense of danger and high stakes from start to finish. Throughout the book, we see many different forms of bravery and resistance. In a particularly chilling scene, two women volunteer themselves for rape, to protect a young girl and other townswomen from harm. The torture of patriots is also described. 

The many characters were well-designed, their motivations and backgrounds slowly revealed over the course of the novel. Even minor characters had some depth, and surprising minor and major plot twists kept the novel from falling into predictability. The underlying love story mirrors the broader conflict between doing whatever is necessary in war and following gentler feelings of love, compassion, and trust.  

Even after Hitler's suicide, the Germans continued to cling to Norway. We see their desperate last moves, the restraint showed by the Norwegians in arresting rather than killing German war criminals, and the resolution of the love story.  

The Jossing Affair is a complex read, one which will provide the reader with a deeper understanding of the costs of war for all involved. 

​Review by Barb Evenson (July 2020)​

Author's Synopsis

British-trained Norwegian intelligence agent Tore Haugland has enough worries when he is sent to a tiny fishing hamlet on the west coast of Norway to set up a line to receive arms and agents from England via the “Shetland Bus.” Posing as a deaf fisherman, his mission is complicated when he falls in love with Anna Fromme, the German widow of an old family friend. Accused of betraying her husband, she has a small daughter and secrets of her own. Though the Allies have liberated France and the Netherlands, the most zealous of the Nazis hang on in Norway, sending out agents to disembowel local resistance groups. If Haugland fails it could not only cost him his life, but those of the fishermen who have joined him. When Haugland is betrayed and left for dead, he will not only have to find the one who betrayed him and destroyed his network, but also prove that the one he loved was not the informer.

ISBN/ASIN: 978-0997323702,  B01D8XL7PM
Book Format(s): Soft cover, Kindle
Review Genre: Fiction—Historical Fiction
Number of Pages: 546

The Custer Conspiracy by Dennis Koller

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MWSA Review

The Custer Conspiracy by Dennis Koller is a fun read with an interesting historical what-if twist. The book is largely plot driven in the present day, with the motivation for the thriller reaching forward in time from the Battle of Little Bighorn, or Custer’s last stand. When Matt Conroy (San Francisco Police Department homicide investigator Tom McGuire’s good friend) is killed, Tom is allowed to join the FBI investigation until they are told to stand down. Refusing to let it go, Tom works with a CIA agent, military personnel, and former military members to uncover a far-reaching conspiracy and catch the killer. The team struggles to get in front of the continued mayhem, as one of the team members is captured and held for ransom. This is a fast-paced story that takes the reader on a roller coaster ride of events, and kept me engaged up until the solving of the initial murder and disposition of the murderer. The epilogue provides information on how the Custer conspiracy developed, but for me, it took a back seat to the present-day investigation and chase. 

Since this is the third in the Tom McGuire series, the focus is primarily on his character development, but it would have been nice to more fully explore the female protagonist, Katelyn, rather than portraying her as a ravishingly fabulous CIA agent who would use sex to obtain info from an American citizen. Meanwhile, the book kept me interested and paging swiftly to the end.

Review by Betsy Beard (July 2020) 

Author's Synopsis

A week after uncovering the secret of what really happened at the Battle of the Little Big Horn, history professor Matt Conway was lying in a morgue with the back of his head blown off.

SFPD homicide inspector Tom McGuire, a long-time friend of Conroy's, volunteers to assist the FBI in bringing the killer to justice. The FBI, however, is ordered to stand down for "national security" reasons.

They thought that would be the end of it. They were wrong.

Tom McGuire was not about to stand down. Not for anyone, not for any reason. That decision put him in the crosshairs of one of the world's most secretive, and therefore most dangerous, organizations. It's rich and powerful members will stop at nothing to make sure their 144-year-old secret remains hidden. 

Drawn into a labyrinth of conspiracies over a century old. Tom McGuire has just walked into his worst nightmares.

ISBN/ASIN: ISBN 9780998080802
Book Format(s): Soft cover, Kindle
Review Genre: Fiction—Mystery/Thriller
Number of Pages: 338

Money Eater: Bernard Otto Kuehn by Valarie J. Anderson

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MWSA Review

Money Eater is an account of a minor but still important person in pre-war Hawaii. It is an outstanding overview of a person who could have been a dangerous spy if he hadn't been such a lazy grifter. The book is well documented and deserves a place on my book shelf. It is a short book, which leaves one feeling like there could be more: more information on his son in Germany; more about his wife, step daughter and son’s activities in Hawaii; and at least some information on his exile in Argentina after the war until his return to Germany. But it’s a very good history of a man who managed to pocket quite a bit of money from Germany and Japan. It is easy to dislike Kuehn, not for his espionage activities but for his "playing" spy while supplying no real tangible intelligence. I'll definitely be thumbing through this again. My only complaints are the photos could be larger and a map of his area of operations would be helpful.

Review by John Ira Russell (June 2020)

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Author's Synopsis

The Money Eater exposes the depth of Japan’s espionage effort before the Pearl Harbor attack. Sleeper agent Bernard Otto Kuehn, uses his children and hides the truth from his gullible wife for money and ill-begotten fame.  Take a journey into America’s past and into the heart of a narcissist.

ISBN/ASIN: B07R8R7MVT,1072957647
Book Format(s): Soft cover, Kindle
Review Genre: Nonfiction—History
Number of Pages: 95

When Heroes Flew by Buzz Bernard

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MWSA Review

H.W. “Buzz” Bernard scores with his new novel, When Heroes Flew. In August of 1943, the Allies undertake Operation Tidal Wave to restrict the flow of petroleum products to the German army in hopes of ending the war. To do so, they decide on a complex plan that uses high altitude bombers dropping explosives from tree-top level in hopes of catching the German defenses off guard. The plan requires hundreds of brave men, and one brave woman, and they all won’t make it home. Opposing them is the Luftwaffe, depleted by casualties but still willing to fight. Who lives and who dies will be decided by airmanship, guts, and just plain luck.

I particularly liked how the author wove two personal stories into this very well done work. On one side is Captain Al Lycoming, the commander of a B-24 Liberator crew flying the mission. On the other, Hauptmann (Captain) Egon Richter, a squadron commander for some very junior German fighter pilots. Lycoming’s crew and Richter’s squadron fight it out in the skies over the Ionian Sea, but Bernard does a tremendous job of focusing on the people in the fight, not just the aircraft.

The author also did extensive research to make sure the feel of flying a B-24 comes through, and the technical details are spot on for both the American and German aircraft. There is plenty of action, solid characters, and thought provoking moments regarding morality in warfare. All in all, a difficult book to put down. Fans of World War II, specifically aviation, or fans of historical combat fiction will enjoy this book. Well written and highly recommended.

Review by Rob Ballister (June 2020)

 

Author's Synopsis

For B-24 bomber pilot Al Lycoming, the mission was history in the making. For Women’s Airforce Service Pilot Vivian Wright, it was a chance to put her skills to the ultimate test...and share in the burden of combat.

Dispatched to Benghazi on mysterious orders, Al Lycoming finds nearly 200 other B-24 bombers being assembled...and a top secret assignment that will catapult them all into seemingly impenetrable Nazi defenses.

Their mission: a daring low-level attack on Hitler’s extensive oil refineries.

But when his co-pilot falls ill at the last moment, Al secretly finds help from an unlikely source—Vivian.

Together, the two fly towards dark skies filled with enemy flak and fighters...and into the pages of history.

With perspectives from American and German pilots alike, When Heroes Flew weaves together one of the most dangerous and incredible aerial operations of World War Two with a riveting tale of bravery, suspense, and self-sacrifice.

ISBN/ASIN: 978-1951249977, 978-1951249984, B0849QV396
Book Format(s): Hard cover, Soft cover, Kindle, Audiobook
Review Genre: Fiction—Historical Fiction
Number of Pages: 286

Bernard Montgomery's Art of War by Zita Steele

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MWSA Review

Author and military historian Zita Steele certainly did her homework in giving us Bernard Montgomery's Art of War. Not a biography, although the book lets the reader know quite a bit about the man, this is a well organized compilation of Montgomery's thoughts and writings on his approach to war. Montgomery served as a young British officer during World War I and then later as a top general in World War II. He was also a student of warfare, believing that to be really good at leading in war, one had to be an expert on past masters of the art. Steele organized Montgomery's views and beliefs in ten chapters, each focused on a different topic. These topics include his core principles, approaches to battle, the spirit of the warrior, battle management, and more. Montgomery's teachings should be mandatory reading material for all young officers, and this book can give you a quick primer. I recommend it.

Review by Bob Doerr (June 2020)

Author's Synopsis

This book is a complete guide to the military philosophy of one of Great Britain's most successful military leaders, Bernard Law Montgomery. Arranged in the style of Sun Tzu's "Art of War" and "The Book of Five Rings" by Miyamoto Musashi, the book presents core principles written by Montgomery on his approach to the art of war in a single concise volume.

A seasoned combat veteran, accomplished writer, and victorious general, Montgomery dedicated his life to the study and mastery of military arts. The many topics covered include his beliefs and teachings on morale, leadership, and fighting techniques. The book features a detailed introduction to Montgomery's career and philosophy by author Zita Steele, with information highlighting his regiment, experiences, achievements and command style. Illustrated with photos, it also features a reading list of books recommended by Montgomery, an avid military historian.

Released for the 75th anniversary of VE Day, "Bernard Montgomery's Art of War" contains useful instructions and reflections for anyone interested in military science, leadership, politics or history. It also can be used as a lifestyle guide.

"This book brings Monty up with the great leaders of history, his contribution to the final Victory in WWII has never been really appreciated and this book rights that wrong. The leadership chapters should be strongly recommended for any future military leader (or politician) and military historian. As a former soldier I can related to many of the leadership aspects mentioned in the book, the things I did right or wrong!" - Major David Seeney, Retired, late Royal Warwickshire Regiment and Airborne Forces, Chairman of Friends of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers Museum (Royal Warwickshire)

ISBN/ASIN: B088BGKMG4, 1941184359, 978-1941184356
Book Format(s): Soft cover, Kindle
Review Genre: Nonfiction—History
Number of Pages: 212

The Last Word by Ron Miner

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MWSA Review

In Ron Miner’s The Last Word, the author guides the reader on a fact-filled journey into personal remembrances of long-ago battles in an era before most of us were born—deftly describing places we have only read about in history books. 

The year is 2038. Reporter Dan Callahan, from the small-town Winona Bulletin, is assigned to interview the last known surviving veteran of World War II:  112-year-old Navy aviation machinist/gunner Owen Trimbel. As he makes the three-hundred-mile trip across the state in his iCar with his artificial intelligence assistant Samantha, Dan wonders why he was chosen and not some fancy hot-shot journalist from the big Minnesota dailies. 

Dan has done his research, and his questions are ready for the interviewee. But he is not prepared for who awaits him. Owen is far from a frail, run-of-the-mill centenarian. From the beginning, Dan is mesmerized by the stories woven from this remarkable warrior’s memory—witnessing the attack on Pearl Harbor and enlisting at age 15, transiting the Panama Canal on a troopship, flying onboard the Navy’s Catalinas with the famed Black Cat Squadron and later the B-24 Liberator, and traveling throughout the Pacific Theatre. Owen shares his warm and often heart-wrenching personal life experiences—tapping into emotions that had been locked away for many years. He revels in the joy and love he has for his wife, daughter, and his rural Minnesota upbringing. Dan soon realizes he has been given a unique gift, and his respect and admiration for the older man grows stronger with each conversation. 

Miner has done a masterful job in transporting the reader on the ride of a lifetime—an exceedingly long and rich lifetime. His characters are likable, real, and well-developed. The details in Owen’s stories are vivid, and his language colorful and humorous. Despite some minor technical glitches, readers will devour the tale until its unexpected end.    

Review by Sandi Cathcart (July 2020)

Author's Synopsis

A small town journalist is tasked with the most important assignment of his life––a conversation with the last surviving World War II veteran.  And the man is willing to talk.  

Gleaned from real life filmed interviews with ten squadron members, this novel is a poignant tale of a life well lived, and an evocative legacy of rescue missions and night flight from New Guinea to the Mariana Islands of World War II’s South Pacific.

Dan Callahan’s next three days take him on a pilgrimage of over one hundred years in the life of Owen Trimbel, a Great Depression-era Minnesota farm boy.  Owen’s story begins with an unforgettable visit to an uncle’s home near Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Over the next hours and days, he enchants Dan with his collective wisdom, humor, and philosophy––from the intricacies of attaching a plow to a mule to firing the .50 caliber machine guns from his PBY Catalina’s waist hatches. 

Dan soon realizes that he currently occupies a rare instant in the trajectory of history: he can actually speak with an individual who lived the World War II experience––and it is something that will end with Owen.  

The Last Word takes us on missions over an endless sea, lacing together stories of duty, friendship, responsibility, and ninety-year-old secrets.

ISBN/ASIN: 978-0-578-67537-4
Book Format(s): Soft cover
Review Genre: Fiction—Historical Fiction
Number of Pages: 275

The Birdhouse Man by Rick DeStefanis

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MWSA Review

The Birdhouse Man by Rick Destefanis is an interesting, well written story that brings together a Vietnam veteran, an Iraq War veteran, and his daughter. In many ways, all three are now alone in life. Sam, a veteran of the Vietnam War is a widower and lives alone. Claire, the Iraq War veteran's daughter, is a college student whose mother and grandfather have passed away. Her father suffers from a traumatic brain injury and abandoned the family when Claire was young. He is homeless, and his whereabouts are unknown. Claire convinces Sam to help her with her college thesis on the Vietnam War, something her grandfather was doing until he passed away. In doing so, Sam opens up and faces the memories of many combat experiences he had not talked about in years. Claire develops a better understanding of what her grandfather and Sam went through during the war. During the interviews, Sam convinces Claire that they should look for her father. This is a good book that brings to light the hardship of combat and its aftermath. I recommend it. 

Review by Bob Doerr (July 2020)

Author's Synopsis

Sam Walker pulls no punches when he tells his Vietnam War story to college journalism student, Claire Cunningham. As Sam shares his unapologetic and unvarnished viewpoint, he begins to suspect Claire’s thesis work isn’t her only reason for interviewing him. When his tale unfolds, the seventy-three-year-old veteran and the young woman discover they are both grappling with questions, loss, and loneliness, but believe that together they may find some answers to help bring the closure that has eluded them.

ISBN/ASIN: 978-1-7331833-4-5
Book Format(s): Hard cover, Kindle
Review Genre: Fiction—Historical Fiction
Number of Pages: 332

At Daddy's Hands: Courage Knows No Age by Jacob Paul Patchen

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MWSA Review

​Author Jacob Paul Patchen has given us a soul-searching story in his book, At Daddy's Hands, Courage Knows No Age.

This is a story of a family suffering physical and sexual abuse at the hands of the husband and father. Author Patchen, an experienced case manager in a mental and behavioral health facility for adjudicated youths, has applied his knowledge and work experience in writing this book. He has seen this in the real world. Although a work of fiction, the book brings home the brutal reality of life in a home ruled by a monster. It also addresses the harsh reality of a society and a legal system where proving such abuse can often be hard. Once the entire family is broken, can there be any escape? In many ways, this was a hard book for me to read. I knew it was a work of fiction, but my heart still went out to this family. This book covers a topic many of us don't want to face, but we need to. I recommend this book.

Review​ by Bob Doerr​ (June 2020)​

Author's Synopsis

In public, Jim Handler is a well-respected, small-town hero, and homicide detective who solved the case of the Will’s Creek Massacre. But at home, in the shadows, Jim’s childhood demons come alive to feast upon his family in the form of sexual, physical, and mental abuse.

But his three teenage children have had enough. They have devised a plan for redemption.

Empowered by the legal system’s lack of accountability, a judge who offers a quiet and meager plea deal to save face, Jim feels enabled to do whatever he wants to his family. With no one to keep Jim in check, this cycle of sexual and physical abuse is rampant. It is up to Nikki, Tyler, and Ally to end the evil that is devouring the Handler family.

ISBN/ASIN: 978-1684333448, B07T939VCP, B086V4BP2F
Book Format(s): Soft cover, Kindle, Audiobook
Review Genre: Fiction—Mystery/Thriller
Number of Pages: 151

You Are Always With Me: A Poem for Those at Home When a Loved One Deploys by Daniel Berry, Illustrator: Brian Azhar

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MWSA Review

You Are Always With Me by Daniel L. Berry is a little gem of a book, offering in lyrical rhyming couplets and charming illustrations a sort of love letter to a child separated from a parent on deployment. Beginning and ending with the words, “You are always with me,” the poem addresses the variety of emotions the child might feel—such as uncertainty, sadness, guilt, fear, and loneliness—and offers gentle reminders of how thoughts and dreams and letters and phone calls can help those who are physically separated stay emotionally connected. The illustrations by Brian Azhar are warmly appealing. The muted colors—greens, blues, browns, golds—add to the quiet, contemplative quality of the poem. The characters, illustrated as animals instead of humans, are easy for anyone to identify with. The varied physical expressions and gestures of the two main characters—sweet-faced but by no means saccharine-sweet rabbits—convey the emotions named in the text. The book is somewhat limited by the illustrations of the narrator, which limit the parent-figure to a father, and a slightly jarring rhythm caused by the varying numbers of syllables in the couplets (which, however, slow reading could smooth over). All in all, this is a wonderful book to read aloud to a young child separated from a parent. And it’s a book an eager child will undoubtedly memorize and “read” along with, time after time.

Review by Nancy Arbuthnot (June 2020)

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Author's Synopsis

A beautifully illustrated children’s book designed to help deployed service members, and the deployed civilians who support them, connect with their loved-ones.

Written by an author who has worked in support of the military overseas, “You Are Always With Me” is an illustrated rhyming poem intended for those at home when a service member or civilian deploys. The poem reassures those encountering this separation by addressing the emotions they often feel: 

- Abandonment
- Anger
- Confusion
- Sadness
- Fear for their deployed loved one

“You Are Always With Me” depicts two cartoon rabbits, one leaving for deployment, and the other staying home. The book contains a personalized dedication page, and is a perfect gift for any loved-one coping with separation during deployment, to include:

- Children
- Husband or wife
- Girlfriend or boyfriend
- Niece or nephew

Although many women service members deploy, as do many civilians, most of the books on this subject are intended for families of male soldiers.  “You are Always With Me” is unique in that it is appropriate for any branch of service, and any age, race, or gender.

From deployment through homecoming, this book is indispensable in helping those who serve bridge the distance to connect in a meaningful way with those they love.

ISBN/ASIN: 9781734718102, 9781734718126
Book Format(s): Softcover, hardcover
Review Genre: Children & Young Adult—Picture Book
Number of Pages: 24

The Brownsville Texas Incident of 1906: The True and Tragic Story of a Black Battalion's Wrongful Disgrace and Ultimate Redemption by Lt Colonel Ret William Baker, Foreword: Dr. Bettye Foster Baker

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MWSA Review

Lieutenant Colonel (ret) William Baker’s The Brownsville Texas Incident of 1906 is a thought provoking and educational work about the injustice done to 167 black soldiers in 1906, and one man’s fight to bring them some modicum of justice.

In 1906, a battalion of the 25th infantry regiment, an all black unit (except for the officers), was posted to Fort Brown, in Brownsville, Texas. The unit had a proud history, and had seen combat and fought heroically in the Philippines and in Cuba, but Texas wanted no part of them. The men were subjected to discrimination almost immediately. Then, on a dark night, several raiders shot up the town and everyone swore the black soldiers committed the act. Six investigations in total were conducted, but they were all racially biased, and President Teddy Roosevelt drummed out all 167 black soldiers with dishonorable discharges. The men had no trial, no chance to face their accusers, and all the evidence that could exonerate them was dismissed.

Seventy years later, LtCol Baker, working in the Army’s Equal Opportunity Office, had a chance to do something about it. Despite opposition and an attitude by some to “let sleeping dogs lie,” Baker worked tirelessly to clear the soldiers’ names and get some sort of compensation to those still living and their widows.

I appreciated how the author broke the book into two parts. First, he constructed a plausible re-enactment of what happened that evening from documents and research, making the event much more interesting than if he had just relayed it third person. The second part is told in first person as he relates what he had to do to get justice for the soldiers. Sadly, the author died weeks after completing the manuscript and did not see it published.

This is a great story of moral courage and eventual justice. Those interested in the history of race relations in the military and social justice in general will find this compelling.

Review by Rob Ballister (July 2020)
 

Author's Synopsis

Terror at Midnight

At Midnight, August 13, 1906, unidentified bandits raid the town of Brownsville, Texas, where the First Battalion, Twenty-fifth Infantry of the United States Army, a unit of 167 black men, is stationed at Fort Brown. The raiders unleash a 10-minute barrage of bullets that kills a young bartender, wounds a police lieutenant, breaks windows, studs the sides of houses, fells a horse out from under its rider and causes wide-spread panic among the white townspeople.

President Theodore Roosevelt charged that all 167 black soldiers were responsible for the carnage. The men signed affidavits swearing their innocence, yet were subsequently discharged without honor and without trial. Their pain and suffering did not end with that humiliation. They also lost their pensions and were barred from any future government service.

Worst of all, they were forever stigmatized with the dishonor of a crime they never committed—a tragic mistake that set Colonel Baker on a decades-long quest for justice. When Americans are charged with the commission of a crime, they are entitled to a trial and all of the rights associated therewith. Innocence before guilt. Due process of law. These basics of constitutional protection cannot, should not, be superseded by anyone, including the President of the United States. In addition, the underlying theme of redemptive justice—craving it, pursuing it and finally getting it—flows throughout this book. It is never too late to correct injustice.

This story, chronicled here in three sections, illustrates that powerful truth. Together, they form the chronicle of Colonel Baker’s fight to exonerate the innocent, and the ultimate triumph of justice denied.

ISBN/ASIN: 978-1-943267-71-2, 978-1-943267-92-7
Book Format(s): Hard cover, Soft cover, Kindle
Review Genre: Nonfiction—History
Number of Pages: 504

No Tougher Duty, No Greater Honor by Christian Bussler

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MWSA Review

No Tougher Duty, No Greater Honor: A Memoir of a Mortuary Affairs Marine by GySgt L. Christian Bussler (Ret.) is a memoir covering the Marine Reservist author’s three deployments in Iraq. Each deployment is given separate billing, resulting in three parts to the book.

Part One details Bussler’s first deployment to Iraq in 2003 at the tip of the spear. It covers the time from notification that he is being activated to the time he returns home. Volunteering for a second deployment in 2004, Bussler returns to Iraq (Part Two), where he is subsequently wounded in action. Part Three details the third deployment for which Bussler volunteered in 2005. In this deployment, Bussler more fully explains the job of the Mortuary Affairs military specialty. His best writing can be seen in his relationship to the angels (deceased service members) he prepares for transit back home to the United States. This portion of the book is breathtakingly vulnerable and intensely emotional, displaying a deep thought process that was compelling and insightful.

The author is adept at setting the scene and describing events, so much so that sometimes the reader feels he is there in the blistering heat, amid the uncertainty, frustration, and grief. Included photos help to set the scene and convey the deep respect the author has for those who have died in combat. A final proofread would have caught many of the errors I noted in this otherwise stellar work. 

Review by Betsy Beard (July 2020)

 

Author's Synopsis

A truly unforgettable autobiographical account of war from a brand new perspective, one of a Marine Reservist assigned to recover fallen US service members off of the battlefields of Iraq and send them home with honor. This superbly written and gripping story begins a few months before the Iraq war in 2002 where Christian Bussler worked as an everyday postal letter carrier in Springfield, Ohio. With a single phone call, his life is thrust onto the world stage as an active participant on the frontlines of the war torn desert battlefields of Iraq. Christian’s descriptions of his experiences are so vividly yet tastefully written, the reader could easily visualize a despotic regime crumble before him, or accompany his foot patrol down the streets of terrorist held cities, feel the sweat run down your face as his team searches for the fallen on the streets of Ramadi, and feel the deep sorrow of his loss after he learns of the death of a friend. These are the true stories that are never spoken, written by a Marine who was there, to return the fallen home with honor. 

ISBN/ASIN: 9781546604938, 1546604936
Book Format(s): Soft cover, Kindle, Audiobook
Review Genre: Nonfiction—Memoir/Biography
Number of Pages: 514

My Purple Heart by Frank Taylor

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MWSA Review

My Purple Heart presents a relevant history of Vietnam from the 19th century that crosses a Southern boy’s unanticipated path to Vietnam. In this memoir, college educated author, F.E. Taylor—married and employed in his field of study—abruptly faces the draft right before his 23rd birthday. His fate includes the fight in Vietnam and return home. In subsequent decades, Taylor only spoke about the war experience once in fifty years. 

The book is dedicated to those who wrote him and sent packages while he was in the war and hospital. They and other readers will find a buried treasure, filled with researched history and an almost forgotten warrior's plight. 

Review by Hodge Wood (June 2020)

Author's Synopsis

A WWII baby, growing up during the Cold War unknowably trains to be a warrior, is surprised when drafted to fight in Vietnam.

Disillusioned by what he experienced he makes on statement about the War and remained silent for fifty years.

The story ends as he looks back to gain understanding about himself and the War,

ISBN/ASIN: 978-1-73265-390-0
Book Format(s): Soft cover
Review Genre: Nonfiction—Memoir/Biography
Number of Pages: 270