The Hidden Key by David E. Grogan

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MWSA Review
Author David E. Grogan has created a series of page turning legal thrillers featuring attorney Steve Stillwell, who like the author is a retired Navy JAG officer now in private practice. In what should be a routine civilian law practice handling wills, trusts and real estate closings, Stillwell instead attracts clients who involve him in international intrigue and violence.

His latest novel, The Hidden Key, features a complex plot that includes the theft of ancient artifacts, Russian mercenaries, and the search for the Garden of Eden. Kudos to Grogan who ties all these disparate elements together in a story that also brings Steve Stillwell full circle in his personal life.

Characters from previous Stillwell novels Sapphire Pavilion and The Siegel Disposition grow in significance. Early readers of the series will want to tackle all three books. Grogan personally visits the multiple scene locations that he writes about, providing clear and compelling descriptions.

The Hidden Key starts in sleepy Williamsburg, Virginia, but careens across the globe to Iraq, England, India, Italy, and the isolated island nation of Bahrain. Stillwell lives a more dangerous life than your normal local attorney as he deals with threats, shootings, and car chases. At times it’s difficult to keep up with the surprising plot twists but Grogan provides a concluding scene that will make the reader scratch his head and say, “Oh yeah. I get it.”

Review by James Elsener (February 2022)
 

Author's Synopsis

When Navy veteran Kevin Jones answers the door for two men he doesn’t know, he can’t foresee the Pandora’s Box he’s opening. One week later, attorney Steve Stilwell meets with a billionaire businessman in a London eatery. As two men burst into the restaurant, Steve’s new client cries out “I’ve sold my soul.” Moments later he is dead, leaving Steve to figure out why.

Steve finds his first clue in a package addressed to his dead client containing an ancient map etched into a clay tablet. Soon powerful people descend on him and his wounded warrior law partner, Casey Pantel, to take the tablet from them. Not knowing who can be trusted and who should be feared, they dig deeper and deeper to decipher the tablet’s secrets. Their quest takes them along a trail of murder and intrigue winding from Italy to India. With time running out and their own motives being questioned, Steve and Casey must unmask those seeking to exploit the tablet’s secrets before they, too, fall victim to its power.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Fiction—Mystery/Thriller

Number of Pages: 254

Sapphire Pavilion by David E. Grogan

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MWSA Review
Sapphire Pavilion by David E. Grogan is a gripping, fast-paced mystery that will challenge any reader to put it down.

Attorney Steve Stilwell sets out to help his friend, Ric Stokes, a former Navy JAG officer, who is arrested and thrown in a Vietnamese jail for heroin possession. To complicate matters, Stokes is found in the same room with his traveling companion Ryan Eversall, dead of an overdose and in bed with a prostitute. Alarm bells go off in Stilwell’s head because he knows his friend as an ethical and morally upright prosecutor of drug crimes. Steve travels to Vietnam to investigate, wondering who would frame his friend and why.

Steve visits Ric in prison and discovers that Ric and Ryan came to Vietnam in search of a lost Air Force transport plane piloted by Ryan’s father. Ric relates to Steve that, before the heroin arrest, they had located the wreckage. Fortunately, Ryan kept a detailed notebook, which Steve manages to obtain. In it, the exact location of the plane is noted. However, it is soon apparent that others are also interested in the notebook and are willing to do anything to have it in their possession. One feels the heat and chaos of the ancient Asian city, especially when Steve realizes that his investigation puts his life in danger.

Steve’s business partner, Casey, a former Army helicopter pilot, visits Ryan’s widow in the States while Steve is investigating in Vietnam. The grieving widow gives Casey a file labeled Sapphire Pavilion. Casey realizes that the documents are another valuable piece of the puzzle and when she leaves the widow’s home with the file, Casey is followed.

Apparently, someone has unlimited funds and is willing to go to any lengths to steal all evidence of the 1968 airplane crash and the mission called Sapphire Pavilion. Casey and Steve realize that someone high up in the bureaucratic atmosphere of Washington, D.C. is involved in attempting to silence them. However, the bad guys underestimate the determination and resiliency of Steve Stilwell and his associate, Casey.

The chase scenes in this book will have the reader flinching when bullets fly. Sapphire Pavilion is a fast-paced, thrilling page-turner.

Review by Nancy Panko (March 2022)

 

Author's Synopsis

The Vietnam War ends for a Top Secret U.S. warplane when it disappears in 1968, but for the two men who discover its wreckage 32 years later, the fight is just beginning. Travel to Vietnam with former Navy JAG Steve Stilwell as he and his associate Casey Pantel, a former Army pilot who lost her leg in a helicopter crash, try to outwit a powerful adversary who will stop at nothing to keep them from solving the mystery of Sapphire Pavilion.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Fiction—Mystery/Thriller

Number of Pages: 280

Captain of the Tides Gunner Morgan by Charles D. Morgan, Jacque Hillman

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MWSA Review
Historical Fiction is a tough category to write in, but Charles D. Morgan and his friend Jacque Hillman do a fantastic job with the cooperative work Captain of the Tides: Gunner Morgan. It’s no coincidence that one of the authors and the hero share the same name. Charles D. Morgan is the grandson of the main character.

While Morgan has a few cherished memories of his grandfather, he was far to young to absorb all that the older Morgan had accomplished. However, fate smiled on the young Morgan, and he came in possession of his grandfather’s sea chest, which contained numerous scrapbooks, personal letters, and other memorabilia that allowed him to reconstruct this account of his ancestor’s colorful life.

Gunner Morgan lived well into his nineties in an age when most people were lucky to see age 60.  Enlisting at age seventeen (before even there was standardized recruit training) he climbed the ranks and became one of the first enlisted “mustangs” to become an officer.  He recovered bodies from the USS Maine, also almost died at the hands of Thomas Edison, and spent many years helping grow trade between the U.S. and Cuba.  He was an outstanding baseball player, and one of the first executives for Pan-Am airlines.  In short, he had enough adventure to fill three or four lives, and his grandson did an excellent job of capturing the essence of the spirit of his grandfather.

The book reads like an autobiography, and if you didn’t know it was written by the grandson, you would swear the Gunner himself had written it. Morgan and Hillman had to fill in a few gaps using some creativity, but it’s impossible to tell the true historical moments from the filled-in fiction. All in all this is a terrific read for those interested in the early U.S. Navy around the turn of the century.

Review by Rob Ballister (March 2022)

 

Author's Synopsis

In 1882, Charles "Gunner" Morgan, 17, shipped from New Orleans as a 3rd class apprentice seaman, Navy No. 817. In 1898, he led the dive team pulling bodies from the USS Maine disaster, reported to Assistant Secretary of the Navy Theodore Roosevelt, and became "The Man Who Started the Spanish-American War." Known as "The Man Behind the Gun" for his shooting prowess, he was among the first enlisted men promoted to officer. He taught the Japanese how to fire the big guns in the Russo-Japanese War and survived working in Thomas Edison's Key West Navy lab.

Yet, he found time for love. He met Vivian, the sugar king of Havana's daughter, married and pregnant, both situations temporary. She became his soul's safe harbor. Later, he helped build the Florida East Coast Railway to Key West. As maritime inspector, he developed Pan Am Airways’ South American airports.

An American patriot, he lived for the moment the sunset's green fire on the sea's horizon promised the dawn. Always he returned to the sea. Board the ships; climb the rigging; shoot the guns when America came to rule the seas. 

His grandson, Charles D. Morgan, discovered in his grandfather's sea chest documents that led the author on a lifetime journey to reveal his grandfather's legacy. Captain of the Tides Gunner Morgan is that legacy, retold as a historical novel, a riveting story of a young Navy seaman whose heroism captured Americans’ loyalty.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Fiction—Historical Fiction

Number of Pages: 234

Combat Engineer by John Racoosin

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MWSA Review
Combat Engineer by John Racoosin is a well-researched, well-written book about the model citizen soldier. Colonel H. Wallis Anderson was a humble man who rose through the ranks of the Pennsylvania National Guard, earning a commission in time to go fight in Europe in World War I. He returned home to Pennsylvania and his job with the railroad and started a family. His determination and competence saw him rise through both the ranks of the railroad and of the reserves, and all was well until Europe exploded in World War II.

The rapid mobilization of America resulted in an immediate demand for combat engineers to assist the infantry and mechanized forces which were so important in this new war of mobility. Colonel Anderson was given almost the impossible task of developing an engineer group from scratch. Never one to back down from a challenge, he trained and inspired his men so that when the time came, they would be at their best.
That time came in the Ardennes in 1944. In a last desperate gasp, Hitler threw everything he had left at the American presence in Europe in what became known as the Battle of the Bulge. When all the other units on the line broke and ran, the only thing between several Panzer columns and the vulnerable American rear was Colonel Anderson and his engineers.

The author does a fine job of detailing the history of Colonel Anderson without making the book read like a boring biography. There is plenty of dialogue, and even material from the German commander that Anderson’s troops faced. Through the entire book, Racoosin does a fine job of painting a portrait of a humble citizen soldier who inspired his men as the consummate combat leader.
Those who enjoy books about World War II, combat engineers, or leadership portraits in general will enjoy this book.

Review by Rob Ballister (April 2022)

 

Author's Synopsis

In his service along the Mexican border and in both world wars, Colonel H. Wallis Anderson, Army Corps of Engineers, commanded troops in the most critical actions of his generation. 

This tribute to an unsung American hero weaves through Anderson's life as a Pennsylvania railroad engineer and as an Army combat engineer. Throughout, he endures tragedy and triumph as a shining example of the uniquely American concept of a citizen-soldier. 

Combat Engineer tells the well-known stories of the Bulge and Remagen from a new and different perspective, that of the commander. In both desperate actions, the senior engineer officer provides the steadying hand that inspires the troops to succeed. The story might seem fit for Hollywood, but no fictional account can compare to the real-life drama of Combat Engineer.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Nonfiction—Memoir/Biography

Number of Pages: 347

Is Your Dad a Pirate? by Tara McClary Reeves

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MWSA Review
Despite its seemingly tongue-in-cheek title, Is Your Dad a Pirate? by Tara McClary Reeves is a touching and valuable resource for families. Beautifully illustrated, the book describes coping with a parent who has suffered life-altering injuries from both the child's and spouse's points of view. In addition, the book is well-crafted for both storytelling and family discussions.

One of the most vital attributes of this book is the author's use of simple language and illustrations to highlight the importance of family, faith, and love in these challenging situations. Reeves also honors caregivers–of all ages–by showing the vital and often unheralded role they play. Although written with the military family in mind, this book would be a treasured addition to the library of any family with young children facing similar circumstances.

Review by John Cathcart (March 2022)
 

Author's Synopsis

Her daddy went away to fight for our country. And he came home changed. What's a young family to do when a parent is injured? How might they respond to curiosity? In this tender account based on her childhood experiences, beloved author Tara McClary Reeves shares how her family adapted to the extensive physical losses her father, Marine Corps Lieutenant Clebe McClary, sustained. With warmth and humor, this book encourages children and spouses facing similar trials to cherish the gift of family. To hold on to faith. And to choose to be loving heroes on the home front. Is Your Dad a Pirate? will challenge your perspective and deepen your commitment to love.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Children & Young Adult—Picture Book

Number of Pages: 32

Fighting Viet Cong in the Rung Sat by Bob Worthington

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MWSA Review
Author Bob Worthington has given us a very good book to read in his memoir Fighting Viet Cong in the Rung Sat. He served two tours of duty in Vietnam as a combat advisor to the Vietnamese military. His experiences gave Worthington excellent insight into the conflict. He has shared those experiences with us in this book. Fluent in both French and Vietnamese, the author got to know his host counterparts in a manner most American soldiers could never achieve. In his two tours, he fought the enemy in different regions of Vietnam, working with both the Vietnamese army and navy.

Although a memoir, much of the book reads like military history as the author explains the how's and why's of conducting combat operations in Vietnam. I recommend this book to anyone with an interest in military history or the conflict in Vietnam.

Review by Bob Doerr (March 2022)

 

Author's Synopsis

The Vietnam War was not going well in 1968. The January Tet offensive showed the US military and the war-weary American public that the enemy remained no nearer defeat. Captain Worthington, stuck in an Army command position he despised after his first Vietnam tour as a combat advisor, decided to return.

He describes his participation, again as a combat advisor, in the fiercest fighting of the war on the Cambodian border, where he almost died of hookworm and was shot in a night operation. Transferred to Saigon to recuperate, he was tasked with creating an advisory team to train a South Vietnamese commando unit to conduct raids against the Viet Cong in the swamps of the Rung Sat Special Zone, south of Saigon. For seven months they were successful, with Worthington receiving seven combat decorations.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Nonfiction—Memoir/Biography

Number of Pages: 273

Mercy's Heroes - The Fight for Human Dignity in the Slums of Bangkok by Tom Crowley

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MWSA Review
Tom Crowley’s Mercy’s Heroes tells the story of a charity that operates in the slums of Bangkok, Thailand. To this day, this charity works with needy children by providing schooling and medical attention in a supportive atmosphere of caring and safety. Its three main programs are: the Mercy Home, the Mercy Schools, and the Mercy Street Kids Outreach.

The author focuses on the founders, staff, children, and volunteers who work at Mercy. These are the heroes he refers to in his title. From background information regarding the founding, funding, and operations of Mercy to anecdotal vignettes of specific children, he exposes the abject poverty of the slums, the hope Mercy offers, and the struggles and triumphs of both staff and children.

Interspersed with the activities of Mercy, Tom Crowley reveals some of his military experiences in Vietnam in the 1960s, before Mercy existed. From the vantage point of an infantry officer who was in combat and wounded, the author offers an assessment of the Vietnam War, and it is one many would agree with. Perhaps his Vietnam experience planted the initial seed for the volunteer work he embraced in Southeast Asia many years later.

Mr. Crowley takes the reader along on his description of the slums, as well as the organization and mission of Mercy. As an impactful volunteer, his long-term commitment to this unpaid work is evident throughout this book. He found ways to get to know many of the children, directly help them with their needs, and assist the charity’s administration in securing funds. Both the teamwork skills he learned in Vietnam and his business experience came into play many times during his work at Mercy.

While Tom Crowley extols the dedication and success of everyone associated with Mercy, he is humble and does not name himself as a Mercy hero, yet he surely is one.

Mercy's Heroes is an engaging though unsettling look at the have-nots and those who want to help them build hopeful lives. It’s not the tourist’s view of Bangkok. If you are looking for charitable organizations to park some of your money, Mercy should be on your list.

Review by Pat Walkow (March 2022)

 

Author's Synopsis

In Mercy's Heroes, a Vietnam veteran battling with PTSD turns from the business world to life as a volunteer, helping to rescue and protect street kids in Bangkok's biggest slum.

Here Tom Crowley details the children's efforts to survive abuse and the struggle for dignity waged by the poorest of families. Interwoven throughout, the author's combat experiences and pain highlight the question of how to find personal reconciliation amid the struggles of abused children in the slums. In his efforts to help others, he gains a spiritual understanding worth much more than his financial loss. At the same time, he learns, "You must consign the failures to the burden the angels can carry and let go of the guilt."

This story will resonate with all those who want to gain a deeper insight into social work at the street level. The successes are to be celebrated-the losses mourned. Mercy's Heroes portrays the healing that is to be found in helping others.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Other—Religious/Spiritual

Number of Pages: 190

Ever Vigilant, Tales of the Vietnam War by Michael J. Hebert

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MWSA Review
Ever Vigilant, the memoir of Specialist Michael J. Hebert, covers a part of the Vietnam War that is little known, the 458th PBRs, or River Patrol Boats operated by the U.S. Army. For that reason, it's an important addition to the written history of the Vietnam War, but more than that it tells the personal story of a very young man thrust into the unknown with others of his age who were largely on their own at an isolated base on the South China Sea. It will be of interest to those who served in Vietnam and those who care about them, as well as to people who may be thrust into similar situations today.

The book is very well written and easy to read. Some of the adventures experienced by Mr. Hebert are extraordinary. When several hundred young men are placed in control of lethal weapons and fast boats in an isolated environment with minimal supervision, you might expect the worst, but the author and his comrades did their duty while having as much fun as they could under the circumstances. They found ways to make it through their tours, and they were also very lucky.

The descriptions of Vietnam and its people, though based on minimal personal contact, are useful in providing readers with a feel and taste of the place and time. It's a story of danger and adventure, friendship and fear, and making the best of a bad situation. It's a great read and highly recommended.

Review by Jamie Thompson (April 2022)

 

Author's Synopsis

War is carried out by young people trained for the task. It occurs at the edge, or just over the edge, of what passes for civilized behavior. During the Vietnam War, the US military employed heavily-armed high-speed gunboats to intercept and disrupt enemy travel on the rivers and bays of South Vietnam.

In this variant from standard Vietnam War works, Michael Hebert takes the reader along for a ride in this engaging memoir of his year in Vietnam. This light yet quick-witted nautical adventure entertains readers with tales of romance, daring exploits, and abject fear. It is full of mayhem peppered with humorous undertones.

The remote Vung Ro Bay, while an idyllic setting, is not without peril. It is a constant target for snipers, mortar barrages, and full-out perimeter assaults. Hebert’s boat becomes a casualty to a rocket propelled grenade. Their base is wiped out by a super typhoon and they are forced to spend two days in the South China Sea with mountainous swells that threaten to sink the small 32-foot craft.

From start to finish, ‘Ever Vigilant’ is an introduction to a young man’s journey and coming of age in a war zone. While primarily based on his first-hand experience, he deftly weaves sufficient representation to incorporate the difficult life circumstances of the Vietnamese people and the Viet Cong. The motivation for why the enemy fights is a product of the life-hardships they bear. ‘Ever Vigilant’ offers a lively, compulsive read with a surprising finale.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Nonfiction—Memoir/Biography

Number of Pages: 306

The Girls Who Stepped Out of Line by Major General Mari K. Eder

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MWSA Review
Mari Eder has done a great service to both the U.S. military and women who found themselves in various military roles during World War II. In this book, she presents the stories of women serving as pilots and spies, nurses and administrative innovators. In each case these women's enemies were bureaucracies, racism, sexism, and the general belief that women couldn't achieve what they achieved. In fact, all of their achievements added greatly to the Allied war effort. Some suffered under the hands of fascist torturers, but all of these endured, most living to deep old age. These women were ultimately recognized for their efforts, although many years later, and many continued on in the service of the U.S. following World War II. Ms. Eder's book is a fine—and needed—chapter to the U.S. military's role in this war.

Review by Bob Mustin (March 2022)

 

Author's Synopsis

The Girls Who Stepped Out of Line:  Untold Stories of the Women Who Changed the Course of World War II  is about many of the heroes of the Greatest Generation whose stories have slipped away into history.  These women who did extraordinary things didn't expect thanks and shied away from medals and recognition.  Despite their amazing accomplishments, they've gone mostly unheralded and unrewarded, but no longer. These are the women of World War II who served, fought, struggled, and made things happen―in and out of uniform.  Eder features 15 women who risked their own lives to gather intelligence, transport materials or information, help protect those in greater need, or to enable successful operations against the enemy.  Each story is filled with details about how and why the women answered their individual calls to service based on their varied backgrounds, nationalities, and family situations.  She details the women’s struggles, severe injuries, loss of loved ones, and how each went on to contribute to society at the war’s end.  These stories and more reveal the secrets of those women who didn’t just make history, they created the future.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Nonfiction—Creative Nonfiction

Number of Pages: 400

The Uprising: the Escambray Rebellion by Jorge Torrente

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MWSA Review
Many Americans are familiar with the foreign affairs debacle that resulted from the failed Bay of Pigs invasion of 1961. However, few will be aware of the Escambey Rebellion that was occurring at the same time. Both operations would be doomed to fail, but many participants have incredible stories to be told. Author Jorge Torrente–who escaped Castro’s Cuba during the Mariel boatlift–brings this story to life in his fast-paced historical fiction novel, The Uprising: the Escambray Rebellion.  

The Escambray Rebellion, which lasted roughly five years, took place in the mountainous central-southern section of Cuba of the same name. The anti-Castro participants in this struggle were called “bandits” by the regime. Perhaps not surprisingly, a large number of their compatriots considered them heroes. 

Combat scenes are graphic and intense; the wartime relationships are urgent and, in many cases, tragically short. Yet, through it all, Torrente brings his fictional characters to life and will keep you on the edge of your seat while reading about their struggle for a Cuba Libre. 

Review by John Cathcart (April 2022)

 

Author's Synopsis

Trinidad, Cuba, 1960.

Old and sick, Elpidio Garcia lost his ranch to the new Agrarian Reform Law and died as a result. His youngest son and namesake decided enough was enough, armed himself, and fought back, but he made sure to always carry his grandfather's machete into battle. It was the beginning of a spontaneous uprising of farmers and small-town dwellers from a proud mountainous region steeped in libertarian traditions. They were all direct descendants of the men and women who had fought off Spain's colonialism in the late 1800's, and they also knew what had happened in Russia after Lenin's October Revolution and in Eastern Europe after WWII. Like-minded people from all over the island also joined the rebellion: whites, blacks, Catholics, Jewish, Santeros, a gay young woman named Rosa who couldn't care less that women were supposed to stay home, and the usual smattering of adventurers and misfits, the sum total representing the human fabric of the nation.

And fight they did, men and women, shoulder to shoulder, oftentimes to the death.

On the other side of the struggle, men like Lieutenant Antonio De la Huerta and his comrades were as passionate as their opponents and no less inclined to make the ultimate sacrifice.

Bur soon the CIA heard about it and started recruiting and training young Cuban exiles in Miami. Nestor Guttman and Luis Muriel, volunteer.

¨We are German Jews, my son, you were born in Cuba by accident!¨ Nestor´s father was desperate.

¨That´s not your fight!¨

¨Luis, no!¨ Luis´ wife can´t stop crying. ¨I´m twelve weeks pregnant!¨

This is a fact-based story, a combination of history, politics, military, action-adventure, social context of the time, and about all those people and their loved ones, sucked into the maelstrom.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Fiction—Historical Fiction

Number of Pages: 441

Ahab: A Hockey Story by Brad Huestis

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MWSA Review
Ahab: A Hockey Story is very good exposition of what the average person knows nothing about: service in "the rear." We often hear vaguely about the bureaucratic nature of the services and the VA, but few of us have to deal with the ossified regulations which frustrate the average citizen—especially twenty-year-olds. The unfairness of Foley’s injury and the tragedy of his amputation was vivid and real. The narrative following his amputation—and his communication with his father—was disappointing; I would expect more from his father.

The book is a fast read, and I learned a lot about hockey tactics. Foley’s teammates' quirks and personalities could have been expounded more fully, as competition brings out the good and lacking in most people. The ending at the Boston Garden with Foley's hero, Bobby Orr, was a surprise—as was the tragedy of his father's amputation: an interesting touch.

Review by Patrick Ritchen (April 2022)

 

Author's Synopsis

Ahab tells the gripping story of Corporal Will Foley, a young paratrooper stationed in Bavaria. Injured in a training jump in early 2013, he rehabs in Landstuhl and later with the 173rd Airborne Brigade’s rear detachment in Grafenwöhr. He manages to reconnect with his hard-boiled father through their shared love of Boston Bruins hockey. Then, with the help of a high-tech prosthetic, Will skates with the post hockey team and finds safe harbor at the local ice rink.

Will tells his story firsthand and in the present tense. This puts readers in the middle of the fast-paced action on and off the ice. The pacing is as quick as a slap shot and as intense as a bench clearing brawl, but the story manages to go far beyond being an exciting hockey adventure by confronting the tough issues of loss, exclusion, and suicide head-on.

The Bavarian settings are vivid, the hockey scenes are thrilling, and Corporal Foley and his friends are unforgettable, making this novel a must read for anyone who cares deeply about the physical, mental, and emotional healing of our wounded warriors.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Fiction—Literary Fiction

Number of Pages: 376

War During Peace: A Strategy for Defeat by William Hamilton, Ph.D.

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MWSA Review
War During Peace tackles a controversial and heavily documented period in recent history but manages to provide new perspectives and insights. The author takes the time to carefully research and organize a framework for his approach before laying out his conclusions. Decisions made by both political and military leaders are presented against the structure of established definitions of sound strategy, both global and military.

Dr. Hamilton offers the fresh perspective of a scholar who was also intimately involved in the conflict at the senior command level. Although the historic facts that he presents are well known, he uses the first-person accounts of an impressive number of participants in tracking the unsteady march to US failure in Vietnam.

Although Dr. Hamilton is a career Army officer, he does not avoid examining the cultural factors that made the US military vulnerable to the political processes that drove the US to defeat. He highlights critical points where stronger positions by military leaders (especially Army senior leaders) might have persuaded civilian authorities to adopt more successful policies and tactics.

No disaster is the result of a single blunder or mistake. A thoughtful reader of War During Peace should discover a clearer picture of what actually went wrong—and what did not—in Vietnam during the decades between 1955 and 1975. Despite a few formatting problems, the reader will find many explanations for the decisions that led to American forces fighting a war in Vietnam while the rest of the nation remained at peace.

Review by Peter Young (March 2020)
 

Author's Synopsis

War During Peace: A Strategy for Defeat offers a probing examination of civil-military relationship gone wrong is a major contribution to military science and to the field of civil-military relations. Detailing the flaws in the Johnson Administration's Strategy of Attrition and the folly of thinking the gradual application of airpower could "modify" the behavior of the North Vietnamese leadership. War During Peace: A Strategy for Defeat exposes the thinking of those who made the Vietnam War impossible for our military to win and how our political leadership continues to make many of the same mistakes in Afghanistan and Iraq. Researched and written by award-winning author, Dr. William Hamilton, this book reveals insights into the conflict through personal interviews with many of the then retired generals and admirals who served on the Joint Chiefs of Staff during the McNamara Era.

Praise for War During Peace: A Strategy for Defeat: “This is the best book yet on the origins of the Vietnam War and how politicians continue to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory”—Lt. General Thomas G. McInerney, USAF (Ret.), a former fighter pilot who served four combat tours in Vietnam. “Why was the American public so poorly informed about the War in Vietnam? For some of the answers read: War During Peace: A Strategy for Defeat, in particular, read Chapter VI ‘Troops, Time, TET, and Truth.’”—Joseph L. Galloway co-author of We Were Soldiers Once…and Young: Ia Drang—The Battle That Changed the War in Vietnam (1991), and co-author of We Are Soldiers Still: A Journey Back to the Battlefields of Vietnam (2009). “Right on target! War During Peace exposes the thinking of those who made the Vietnam War impossible to win and how our political leadership keeps making many of the same mistakes in Afghanistan and Iraq.”—Rear Admiral H. Denny Wisely, USN (Ret.), former commander of the Navy’s Blue Angels, former commander of the USS John F. Kennedy, and recently the author of Green Ink;

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Nonfiction—History

Number of Pages: 416

Uprooted: A Modern Odyssey by Allen Wittenborn

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MWSA Review
Kemal and Shirin are two Turkish intelligence agents fleeing their country during one of its interminable military coups during the 1980s. Shirin is the somewhat estranged and missing sister of Kemal’s girlfriend Nadiye. They join forces out of need and embark on a 5,000-mile journey via boat, car, truck, camel, and foot across some of the world’s harshest terrain and most unforgiving cultures: Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and western China. Each border crossing is an adventure unto itself. Friends and foes alike contribute to a rousing and believable tale.

Shirin proves to be a courageous woman who must adapt her appearance to the changing strict cultures and expectations for women in each country. Being a highly trained agent, she successfully gets herself out of dangerous situations with unforgiving and evil men who lack respect for women. She is not hesitant to meet violence with violence. Kemal always has her back.

A pictorial depiction at the beginning of the book provides a reference for readers unfamiliar with the clothes Shirin must wear in these mostly Muslim countries: hijib, burqa, niqab and chador. Maps of each country with their route highlighted clarifies the geography of the journey.

Wittenborn’s descriptions of the land, the people, the cultures and harsh living conditions are spot on. All of it leads to an incredible exploration which leads to a deeper understanding of each other between Kemal and Shirin and an eventual coming to grips with their relationship formed by overcoming shared challenges. Their return to Istanbul provides an unexpected and rewarding conclusion.

Review by James Elsener (March 2022)

 

Author's Synopsis

It’s 1980 and the Middle East is engulfed in chaos and war. Turkey’s coup finds two seasoned operatives, Kemal Yilmaz and Shirin Demirel, forced to cooperate to survive. They’re complete strangers but in the world of spy craft they know about each other. Although political opposites, their common denominator is Nadiye, Kemal’s fiancée and Shirin’s estranged sister who has disappeared. But there’s no time to deal with her. Kemal and Shirin are fugitive agents uprooted from their former lives, and on the run. They agree to a mad, improvised plan to flee Turkey and head east for China’s Sinjiang province where he has relations. Together they persevere by car, bus, truck, and foot on a five-thousand-mile odyssey beset with agonizing life-or-death encounters. Their desperate flight through four war-torn countries—Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan—and into the desert vastness of western China forces them to confront their own tenuous relationship as well as to uncover the mystery about Nadiye.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Fiction—Mystery/Thriller

Number of Pages: 429

The Defiance of Reiko Murata by Allen Wittenborn

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MWSA Review
The Defiance of Reiko Murata is a fascinating book about a strong-willed and intelligent woman trapped in the male-dominated society in post-World War II Japan. Reiko Murata is the widow of a respected Vice Admiral war hero who commits seppuku, taking his life following the downfall of the Japanese empire. He leaves her a cryptic suicide note including a haiku that she comes back to throughout the story. She can’t decipher its meaning and whether he was encouraging her to take her life or not.

Reiko’s independent spirit drives her in unusual directions including eventual association with the infamous yakuza. Although her husband left her with comfort and wealth, she is bored with her life as a high-society widow. She yearns for more and follows her mother’s words to follow her heart and believe in herself. Reiko makes decisions and takes risks to live a life with meaning. The story puts Reiko in deep, dark, and dangerous situations, but she remains composed and defiant on the outside while struggling on the inside emotionally and intellectually.

Allen Wittenborn created a masterful plot that keeps the pages turning. The twists and turns keep the reader on edge with never a dull moment. He describes Japanese culture and traditions interestingly and intersperses Japanese language and expressions to immerse the reader in Reiko’s world. An engaging writer, his word choices are excellent and dialogue strong and believable.

The author develops Reiko’s character in such a way that a reader can’t help but feel empathy for her, particularly as her life becomes further and further complicated. He allows readers to see inside her thoughts and follow her difficult role of trying to find her way in a world that does not think the same way she does about a woman’s potential contributions to society. Wittenborn also creates memorable characters including the enigmatic Akira, the powerful Kazuo, and the mysterious princess Kyoko.

I highly recommended this book for its intriguing plot, well-defined characters, and descriptive Japanese settings in a fresh story told from an independent Japanese woman’s perspective.

Review by Valerie Ormond (February 2022)
 

Author's Synopsis

Reiko Murata is shocked and dismayed when she receives a haiku poem from her late husband, an admiral in the Japanese Imperial Navy, suggesting she follow his example in committing seppuku, ritual suicide, an appeal she strongly resists. It’s 1947, and Reiko lives a solitary and uneventful life. As she grieves his death, and struggles to deal with her loneliness, she feels torn between her desire for autonomy and the rigid customs that define Japanese society. In her search, she encounters a younger man, Akira Kusano. They begin an affair, but she is wary of a deeper relationship, especially when she discovers he is connected to the yakuza. She’s drawn into the crime syndicate’s orbit when Akira introduces her to Kazuo Fujita, the yakuza godfather. Despite her misgivings and warnings from Akira, she begins working with Fujita, and finds herself at the center of a mystery involving secret maps to a hidden fortune called Golden Lily, an authentic historical episode.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Fiction—Historical Fiction

Number of Pages: 250

Strike Hard and Expect No Mercy by Galen D. Peterson

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MWSA Review
I had trouble putting this book down. It was an easy read—and I'm not even a ground-war guy. The writing style of the author was informative and exciting. His use of metaphors was excellent and often humorous. The book not only brings the support operations onto center-stage with the combatants, it places the reader in the boots of the author. I felt that I was living it as I was reading it.

Teamwork is a central theme. Battles are won and lost by the good or bad combination of logistics, maintenance, life support, valor, planning, command, communications, weather, mental and physical preparedness, and so on. This book embodies all of the elements. The author is straightforward and vulnerable enough to discuss his own mistakes.

In the end, lives are lost, lives are saved, and lives are broken. Warriors have their moments of "glory" but after the fighting, they are rarely the same. This book forces us to face the reality that after the guns are silent, another battle goes on—one which the broken warrior must sometimes fight alone.

Review by Jerry Burton (March 2022)

 

Author's Synopsis

Strike Hard and Expect No Mercy is the story of boots on the ground in Iraq, as seen through the eyes of a tank platoon leader. Baqubah on the eve of the Surge and Sadr City during the spring uprising of 2008 saw some of the darkest hours of the war. A tough dragon, the M1A2 Abrams tank and its crews were often called to crack the toughest nuts on the battlefield and victory, even survival, was not guaranteed. It is a gritty and visceral dive into the combat experience, flavored with the anguish of loss, the exhilaration of victories, the frustrations of defeats, and the humor required to survive. Along the way, the story shares rarely told insights into the duties and expectations of an Army junior officer.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Nonfiction—Memoir/Biography

Number of Pages: 241

LZ Sitting Duck, The Fight For FSB Argonne by John Arsenault, LtCol USMC (ret)

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MWSA Review
LZ Sitting Duck is a collection of personal stories, one per chapter. It's different from most books in that all of these stories revolve around the same incident, the Battle of LZ Argonne in the spring of 1969. In such a circumstance there's a danger that repetition will push readers away; this book does not do that. The story is raw and the descriptions are hard to read at times, but it's a straight from the heart snapshot in time of what life was like for combat Marines in Vietnam. The next time most of those who read this tell a Vietnam Veteran, "Thank you for your service," it will not be perfunctory; they will say it with feeling.

There were countless battles large and small in the Vietnam War. Most remain unknown to all but those who fought there. The Battle of LZ Argonne is one of these, albeit a larger and lengthier one than most. LZ Sitting Duck describes this battle from the perspectives of twenty-two Marines who were there, some as riflemen, some as artillerymen, some as forward observers, some as line officers, some as helicopter pilots, etc. It provides a unique, comprehensive, immersive view of a brutal battle than ended with survivors, not victors—survivors who shared the most terrifying and likely the most formative experience of their lives on a forgotten mountain top in a remote Southeast Asian jungle, men who did their duty.

LZ Sitting Duck is a valuable resource for those interested in the history of the Vietnam War, and particularly for those who have served in combat or who care about someone who did. No one can ever truly understand combat and the effects it has on those involved except those who lived it. However, LZ Sitting Duck comes very close. Each chapter is written by a different Marine from his personal perspective, using his vocabulary in his own way. When combined in the reader's mind this forms a more complete picture of the battle and those who fought it than that of any single participant. Of course, most of the visceral aspects of the battle, the sights, sounds, smells, etc., remain solely in the minds of the participants, but that is as it should be.

MWSA Review by Jamie Thompson (March 2022)

 

Author's Synopsis

"LZ Sitting Duck, The Fight For FSB Argonne" is a collection of personal recollections from twenty two Marines and one family member, related to a battle that took place in Vietnam, during March, 1969. FSB Argonne, Hill 1308, was located on the border with Laos and just south of the DMZ. This story is told by the Marines that fought this fight, in their own words. There are 22 stories of the same fight, all from individual perspectives and experiences. "LZ Sitting Duck" is a down in the dirt, grunt view of the Vietnam war.

This was a fierce battle for the Marines of Delta Company (+ HQ), 1st Bn, 4th Marines, 3rd Marine Division. The "LZ Sitting Duck" moniker came from the first moments of this battle, as Marines landed on the abandoned Fire Support Base Argonne, which had become a fortified North Vietnamese Army base. When these Marines landed, they were inside the NVA fortified position, and were immediately met with intense enemy rifle, machine-gun fire coming at them from every direction. Additionally the NVA fired volley after volley of very accurate 82mm mortar fire. These Marines were “the sitting ducks” and had to fight their way out from the LZ, on open ground with little or no cover, clearing NVA bunkers one at a time.

Bing West describes this story best "What shines through from this bare-knuckled, furious battle is the core ethos. It comes through loud and clear when you read chapter after chapter in different voices. These Marines had no battlefield prep, no intelligence, no cohesive leadership. What held them together was the Marine spirit. There was nothing else. Wow! What an epic fight" As a testimonial to the ferocity of this battle, three Navy Cross citations were awarded for the actions of Marines during first 24 hours of this fight, plus numerous Silver Star, Bronze Star and Purple Heart awards where given. The navy Cross recipients were, Lt Col. Sargent (posthumous), 2nd Lt. McCormick (posthumous) and Major Pierpan, (survived) and authored the forward for this book.

Format(s) for review: Paper AND Kindle

Review Genre: Nonfiction—Memoir/Biography

Number of Pages: 309

The Pilate Scroll by M.B. Lewis

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MWSA Review
In the style of Raiders of the Lost Ark, M.B. Lewis's Pilate Scroll is the story of the fast-moving quest in search of a religious artifact. Kadie Jenkins is part of a team of scientists and academics on a noble mission to help find a cure for a virus with the capability of biological weaponry. She learns that the real mission is quite nefarious, but does she catch on in time? She unwittingly embarks on a dangerous and deadly adventure with her younger brother Brian in tow. Duke Ellsworth, a savvy pilot, finally earns Kadie's trust and reintroduces her to God while saving all of their lives over and over.

Lewis's exquisite descriptions as we traipse around the Middle East with Kadie, Brian, and Duke paint a beautiful picture of ancient icons. The twists and turns will make your head spin and you won't be able to put the book down.

Review by Sue Rushford (February 2022)

 

Author's Synopsis

A quest to save the world...a secret that could change it. Forever. Kadie Jenkins is a survivor. Now part of an elite group of scholars and scientists, their mission is to stop an impending global terrorist threat. But when a colleague is murdered in Egypt, Kadie finds herself pitted against a foe more evil than the one they were trying to stop. Teaming with a renegade pilot and her younger brother, they find themselves in a race against time, greed, and certain death, can she uncover the 2000-year-old secret to save themselves and possibly the rest of the world?

The Pilate Scroll is a pulse-pounding Christian thriller. If you like complicated heroines, stunning twists, and divine light shining through the darkness, then you’ll love M.B. Lewis’s breakneck page-turner.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Fiction—Mystery/Thriller

Number of Pages: 346

The Chameleon by Ron McManus

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MWSA Review
Ron McManus's, The Chameleon, is so feasible you won't know if you're reading a news report or a novel. The brave hero Jake Palmer has us on edge from cover to cover. Former Navy SEAL Palmer and his colleague, Alona Green, have a string of dangerous escapades in Pakistan. Under cover of secrecy, they're in search of the elusive Chameleon, who may not even be real! Events take a terrifying turn as nuclear warheads go missing.

When the Pakistani-Indian conflict spills over into London, every minute counts. Will Palmer and Green, along with MI6's Fiona Collins (who is Palmer's girlfriend), and EOD expert Nick Cole prevent a nuclear disaster?

The non-stop espionage is perfectly portrayed (if you overlook punctuation issues) and will keep you on your toes. The characters are well developed with colorful pasts and intertwining personal and professional relationships.

Review by Sue Rushford (February 2022)

 

Author's Synopsis

Jake Palmer, investigative consultant and former US Navy SEAL, has signed on as a contractor with a top-secret US Joint Special Operations Command team in Islamabad, Pakistan. Palmer and his JSOC partner work to uncover a suspected mole and gather intelligence regarding the security of Pakistan’s nuclear weapon arsenal as the country prepares for war with India over control of the disputed region of Kashmir. Fears regarding security of the weapons escalate when Pakistan decides to deploy its arsenal and rumors surface that a shadowy figure, the Chameleon, will attempt to divert a nuclear warhead during the deployment. With a nuclear war countdown clock at a minute ‘til midnight, Palmer and his partner risk everything to prevent the Chameleon from carrying out his plan for the world’s first act of nuclear terrorism.

Format(s) for review: Paper AND Kindle

Review Genre: Fiction—Mystery/Thriller

Number of Pages: 358

When Heroes Flew: The Shangri-la Raiders by H. W. "Buzz" Bernard

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MWSA Review
When Heroes Flew: The Shangri-La Raiders by H. W. “Buzz” Bernard is a gripping, mesmerizing tale of young Lieutenant Ray Howzer in the Army Air Corps who, along with his crew, has a place in history. Author Bernard crafts a well-researched story with endearing characters who participated in a harrowing raid on Japan during World War II.

Drawing upon the true story of Colonel Jimmy Doolittle and his Raiders, the author gives us a detailed look at the secretive mission these young men willingly accepted on behalf of their country. The crews were chosen, they were trained, they faced incredible tasks to achieve the impossible: take off from an aircraft carrier in a fully loaded B-25 medium bomber, skim the ocean waves, and bomb Tokyo.

The tale is told through the eyes of Lt. Howzer, nicknamed “Boss,” who receives a Dear John letter and struggles with lovesickness throughout his training. After completing the mission, “Boss,” and his crew fly their B-25 bomber, Bitter Route, into China as the needle on the fuel gauge approaches empty. They know they won’t make it to the predetermined landing spot, and one by one, as directed by “Boss” they don their parachutes and bail out over China. Each of the men pray that they don’t land in Japanese occupied territory where they would surely and swiftly be executed.

On the ground, but separated, the crew struggles to walk through bamboo fields to meet up and make their way to the house of a missionary family. One of the men is seriously injured in his landing. The missionaries assist the crew of the Bitter Route with the twenty-year-old daughter using her first aid skills to do what she can for the injured man. A budding romance ensues and the plot thickens as the Japanese occupiers hunt both the crew and the people that help them.

When Heroes Flew: The Shangri-La Raider captures the spirit of The Greatest Generation and is a captivating tale of bravery, determination, and an unlikely love that will keep you hooked until the very end.

Review by Nancy Panko (February 2022)
 

Author's Synopsis

Inspired by the true story of Lieutenant Colonel Jimmy Doolittle’s raid on Japan in 1942, The Shangri-La Raiders is the next stunning installment of the When Heroes Flew WWII historical fiction series.

This gripping novel follows an American bomber crew through their secretive training, a harrowing raid on Japan, and on their desperate journey through occupied China to Chungking, the seat of the country’s wartime government.

The crew, along with an American missionaries’ daughter whom they’ve rescued, must evade the Japanese occupiers every step of the way. And amidst all the horror and turmoil of war, a romance blossoms between the rescued woman and the crew’s pilot.

When Heroes Flew: The Shangri-La Raiders is a captivating tale of bravery, determination and an unlikely love that will leave you hooked until the very end.

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

Review Genre: Fiction—Historical Fiction

Number of Pages: 286

The Jackson MacKenzie Chronicles: Forged in Fire and Blood by Angel Giacomo

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MWSA Review
The Jackson MacKenzie Chronicles: Forged in Fire and Blood by Angel Giacomo is a gripping novel about seventeen-year-old Jackson MacKenzie, raised in a military family, who enlists in the Army in December 1951. However, the story begins on April 1, 1985, when Jackson is working on his godfather’s farm. Without giving away a crucial part of the drama, Jackson is severely injured and in his struggle for survival, has a flashback to that day in 1951 and the succeeding years of his life.

Readers will follow the resilient young man through his tour of duty in Korea, where he exhibits extraordinary intelligence and the ability to strategize and lead others. Jackson garners the attention of his superior officers, who recognize his unique talents and leadership abilities. Despite being wounded in combat and suffering deep personal losses, MacKenzie grows in maturity beyond his chronological years. He achieves rank increases as quickly as he qualifies for them and ultimately an appointment to West Point, one of his ultimate goals. What he faces at West Point is, in some aspects, similar to what he experienced in the army, except for the vindictive hazing. Jackson handles the power-crazed retaliation perpetrated against him with the same regimental bearing and steadfastness typical of great leaders.

In the words of General Douglas MacArthur, "A true leader has the confidence to stand alone, the courage to make tough decisions, and the compassion to listen to the needs of others. He does not set out to be a leader, but becomes one by the equality of his actions and the integrity of his intent."

Author Giacomo has the talent to insert the reader onto the battlefield and into the heart and mind of a young man as he faces unique challenges throughout his life both in service to his country and in civilian life. If you enjoy historical fiction, you will love this book.

Review by Nancy Panko (February 2022)
 

Author's Synopsis

USMC Camp Pendleton, 1951. Jackson Joseph MacKenzie, a seventeen-year-old with a calling, enlists in the US Army. He finds himself hip-deep in the muddy trenches, machine gun nests, human wave attacks, and artillery barrages in the Korean War. Does he have the resiliency to keep moving toward his dream after watching his friends die? Is he a leader or a follower? Will he fold under pressure? Or rise to the top? Questions he must answer before reaching for that coveted prize, an appointment to West Point.

ISBN/ASIN: 978-1734567458, 978-1734567496, B094XBM6NX

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

Review Genre: Fiction—Literary Fiction

Number of Pages: 164