Maritime Unmanned by Ernest Snowden & Robert F. Wood Jr.

Click on cover image to purchase a copy

MWSA Review

For those of us outside the government and defense industry, Maritime Unmanned is a golden nugget of information. Authors Ernest Snowden and Robert F. Wood do a superb job of giving a historical perspective on 100 years of Naval aircraft deployment, and pointing to the next new challenge, all on the first page. It’s an intriguing outline for what is to come in this book.

Maritime Unmanned is a fascinating story for anyone interested in Naval aircraft or the US Naval service and is a historical account of the growth in UAV development, both from an amalgamation of program convergence, innovation, and development and the politics of people coming together to forge a new military program.

Due to the 100-year scope of the story, detail can get a bit overwhelming. But this work provides a comprehensive investigation of the details surrounding Naval aviation history, which is a compound undertaking. The intrigue of politics, inner-workings of the military/industrial complex, technology advances through the years, and continual paradigm shifts present a deep subject in a brief retail format. The authors succeeded in telling their story with adequate protagonist and antagonist depth of character while not losing sight of the storyline—definitely a good read for someone interested in Naval aviation and/or military drone development.

Review by Robert Lofthouse (May 2022)
 

Author's Synopsis

Maritime Unmanned recounts the promising beginning, demoralizing setbacks and ultimate success experienced by teams of Navy and Industry visionaries who committed themselves to bringing revolutionary UAS technology to a legacy Navy mission – the very first time in the history of naval aviation that an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle was adopted into frontline squadron inventories, in this instance as an enabling component of the maritime patrol and reconnaissance mission. What should have been a fairly uncomplicated cross-service transition of a DARPA and Air Force-developed UAS (Global Hawk) took twenty years to nurture and mature through introduction of the concept to realization of its initial operational capability. 

The authors take the reader deep inside the machinations of aerospace & defense industry leadership, strategy development and execution; alongside industry representatives and Navy counterparts socializing an unfamiliar and unconventional concept of operations in their effort to cultivate new adherents; and into the dialogues of senior government acquisition officials, who either advocated for the concept or purposely road-blocked its advancement, revealing the motivations for those actions.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Nonfiction—History

Number of Pages: 262

A Hoot in Hell's Island by Col. Kirk Gibson Warner (USA, Ret.) and Robert D. Gibson

Click on cover image to purchase a copy

MWSA Review
A Hoot in Hell's Island is more than one man's experiences as a Navy dive bomber pilot. It is an emotionally moving account of history as it was being made in the South Pacific theater of World War II. The credibility of the book is extremely high due to the author's excellent blending of one man's account with newspaper and public
media accounts and official war records.

I learned new things from this book about the growth of a weak American military presence to a world leading presence. That growth occurred in an incredibly short time, notably due to the civilian war effort and the gallantry of the American fighting personnel. I appreciate my own father, a WWII U.S. Navy veteran, more now than ever.

This book will be enlightening to any reader, whether a "war buff" or not. It would be particularly relative to prospective members of the military. Not only was this book informative and credible, it was enjoyable.

Review by Jerry Burton (April 2022)

 

Author's Synopsis

In the dark days of 1942, the battle for the Solomon Islands was very much in doubt. When carrier dive bomber Robert D. "Hoot" Gibson sighted the Japanese fleet heading for "Hell's Island," he attacked the vanguard ships, sinking the heavy cruiser Kinugasa and two loaded Japanese troop transports in a battle royal that earned him the Navy Cross.  He was also credited with the sinking of an I-Class submarine and shooting down two Zeroes, after going toe-to-toe with Japan's premier ace pilot, and he alone accounted for the deaths of thousands of Japanese soldiers and sailors.

Hoot was a hero when America needed heroes and when America needed to turn the tide of the war from defense to offense. He was on the Yorktown at Midway and the Enterprise at Guadalcanal.  Hoot was in three of the five carrier battles of the war, the first and last amphibious invasions of WWII, and thirteen major battles. A Hoot in Hell's Island tells Hoot's dramatic story and that of the American navy in the crucial battles of the Pacific War.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Nonfiction—Memoir/Biography

Number of Pages: 240

Edge Of Armageddon by Brad Graft

Click on cover image to purchase a copy

MWSA Review

Book Three of the Brotherhood of the Mamluks trilogy, Edge of Armageddon, leads up to and then describes the actual battle of Armageddon on September 3, 1260. Military historians will appreciate the strategy, tactics, and preparation for battle as well as the advancement in weapons – the Mamluks have figured out how to shoot an arrow every second and a half by holding up to four arrows in each hand. The book shows how hard it is to field, arm, feed, and communicate with thousands of soldiers. While modern armies must provide fuel for their vehicles, the 13th century army had to find fodder and grass for their horses, mules, and camels—not easy on the mountain and desert terrains they crossed. Along the way, they captured and raided for both food and additional fighters. At one point, the Mongols had 80,000 troops heading toward Cairo, their ultimate goal. Throughout the book, the value of intelligence gathering is seen for both sides. This battle, according to Eric H. Cline in “The Battles of Armageddon: Mediddo and the Jezreel Valley from the Bronze Age to the Nuclear Age” halted the westward advance of the Mongols and shattered the myth of Mongol invincibility (page 151) and is a battle that cannot be overestimated.

The story moves smoothly back and forth in time with the dates, places, and main characters clearly listed as chapter headings and includes detail after detail of life in the 13th century. The book begins with maps of the battle area as well as list of characters grouped by loyalty. The major players (Cenk, Leaner, and Baybars for the men and Else and Jacinta for the women) each have chapters detailing their struggles, past and present. The excellent cover photo is replicated in silhouette on each page beside the page number—reversed on the left-hand page so that the warriors are charging toward each other, bow and arrow at the ready.

In the acknowledgements, the author thanks the scholars worldwide who spent whole careers studying this period and this sect of warriors as well as those who translated works from Arabic.

Review by Nancy Kauffman (May 2022)

 

Author's Synopsis

Set during the 13th century, Edge of Armageddon is the stirring climax in the Brotherhood of the Mamluks trilogy. The story brings together characters from Books I and II: Duyal, the enslaved nomad boy who rose to command a reconnaissance unit; Leander, the French soldier who abandoned the Crusades to join the devout Islamic warriors he admired, and Baybars, a Kipchak from the Eurasian steppe who is now the charismatic leader of the elite Bahri Mamluks of Egypt.

The novel introduces us to Esel, a respected bowmaker in her nomadic tribe who is seized, enslaved, and sold to a wealthy arms merchant in Syria. Overhearing her master plotting against Baybars, a nephew she has not seen since his adolescence, Esel risks her life to flee Damascus and warn Baybars of the coming betrayal.

Embraced in Baybars’ camp, Esel plunges into the hazard and intrigue surrounding her ambitious nephew. Soon, she is aiding Baybars in his quest to win the sultanate and countering the efforts of a female spy who stalks the roving Bahri.

Tension builds as the Mongol army slashes a bloody path through Mesopotamia and northern Syria, eyeing Cairo as its prize. In a fateful battle on the wide plain just east of the biblical site of Armageddon, Egypt’s Mamluks come face-to-face with the seemingly unconquerable Mongols, who sacked their Kipchak tribes twenty-four years prior. At stake for Esel and the Mamluks is the survival of their people, preservation of their fledgling empire, and the continuance of Islam itself.

A gripping tale of betrayal and love, retribution and mercy, and abandonment and redemption, Edge of Armageddon is also a compelling account of the historical Battle of Ayn Julut—an unheralded clash whose outcome leaves crucial repercussions still felt today.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Fiction—Historical Fiction

Number of Pages: 529

When the Beaches Trembled by Zach S. Morris

Click on cover image to purchase a copy

MWSA Review

When the Beaches Trembled is a riveting story about the men who served on small landing craft infantry (LCI) ships during World War II. The author, Zach S. Morris, demonstrated his strengths as both a tremendous historian and a gifted writer. This book is particularly interesting as Morris personalized the story from the eyes of his grandfather, Steven Ganzenberger, who served on LCIs in the grueling Pacific campaign in constant combat conditions for two years.

Morris tells the tale of not only the island-hopping campaign but also the toll life on the LCIs took on the individuals assigned to these flat-bottomed floating corks. LCI missions included amphibious assault landing craft, gunboats, and rocket ships to name a few. The author shares details including lack of fresh water or laundry facilities, appalling bathroom and hygiene conditions, minimal food rations, no liberty, and frequent seasickness caused by the ship's shallow draft and small size. Top this with kamikaze attacks, perpetual general quarters, and non-stop operations, and this did not make for an easy life. Despite all this, the Greatest Generation pulled through to victory, and many remembered those days of camaraderie and brotherhood as “the best days of their lives.”

This story is meticulously documented, and it shows in both the author's heartfelt introduction and in his final research notes. The many citations portrayed in the men's own words gathered from personal interviews and extensive research made this story read more like a movie. The reader got to know and empathize with those courageous men and wonder how they kept going day after day, battle after battle. This book is highly recommended for anyone who has an interest in learning about World War II in the Pacific and a group of its sailors who received little notoriety.

The author sums it up perfectly in his final words:

“For when the beaches trembled, it meant that the mere mortal men of the LCIs like my grandfather were taking their stand against tyranny and oppression that will forever echo through the corridors of immortality.”

Review by Valerie Ormond (June 2022)

 

Author's Synopsis

When Stephen Ganzberger enlisted in the U.S. Navy at the outset of World War II, he never imagined what would await him and his shipmates in the Pacific Islands, as they journeyed aboard a newly-designed ship called a Landing Craft Infantry (LCI). American sailors like Ganzberger—who answered their nation’s call and fought on the tiny LCIs—had the perilous job of delivering troops directly onto enemy-held beaches, in some of the fiercest combat of the war. As part of General Douglas MacArthur’s South Pacific campaign, Ganzberger faced death from Japanese bombers, torpedoes, and kamikaze attacks. All during the largest naval conflict in history.

In this long-awaited, richly-illustrated new book, Zach S. Morris weaves a vivid narrative of the World War II Pacific Theater, drawn from declassified military documents, maps, photos, and over a decade of interviews and research. Through his grandfather Stephen’s journey and the deeply personal accounts of other veterans, When the Beaches Trembled brings to life the incredible true story of the LCIs in the Second World War: a story rarely told, until now.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Nonfiction—History

Number of Pages: 368

The Jackson MacKenzie Chronicles: Enter the Shadow

Click on cover image to purchase a copy

MWSA Review

The Jackson MacKenzie Chronicles: Enter the Shadow by Angel Giacomo is a mystery/thriller that takes place after 9 / 11, utilizing worldwide terrorism of that period as its plot line. Jackson MacKenzie is a “super warrior” – a medal of honor winner who has served in the Army and the Marine Corps. He is now a retired Lieutenant General (Marines) living on a ranch in Montana. He and his wife become victims of terrorists taking over a cruise ship. MacKenzie almost single handedly and heroically foils the plans of the bad guys and saves the ship’s passengers and crew.

Later, the terrorists try to even the score with Jackson by poisoning his cattle and kidnapping his wife and friend. Once again Jackson comes to the rescue. The terrorists in both scenes—on the cruise ship and at the ranch—turn out to be humorously incompetent villains.

Other scenes take place at the United States Military Academy at West Point as Jackson is honored for his cruise ship heroism and then returns as his twin sons begin their plebe year as members of The Long Gray Line. The author recounts the traditions, the rituals, and legacies of the academy and cadet life.

Review by James Elsener (May 2022)

Author's Synopsis

Jackson MacKenzie’s life is about to change. After retiring a second time, the Marine Corps general takes his wife on an ocean adventure as a homecoming to renew their marriage vows. But he never expected what would happen next. He finds himself hip-deep in international intrigue. Who is after him? The Russian GRU, the FSB, maybe even someone closer to home. Will he be able to save his family, his friends, and himself? Or will the villains defeat him in the end? And he joins the fallen at Arlington.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Fiction—Historical Fiction

Number of Pages: 149

The Jackson MacKenzie Chronicles: Broken Valor by Angel Giacomo

Click on cover image to purchase a copy

MWSA Review

This installment of the Jackson MacKenzie series focuses on the ordeals of one of its principal characters, Army Major Harry Russell after he suffers a debilitating combat injury in Vietnam. While struggling to recover from the loss of his left foot, Harry also takes on the challenge of helping his best friend – Lieutenant Colonel Jackson MacKenzie, falsely charged with treason.

The book is a flashback that fills in the backstory for one of the MacKenzie series supporting characters, Major Harry Russell. The period setting is the waning days of US engagement in the Vietnam War. Russell's opening challenge is the aftermath of a crippling combat injury. He is initially overwhelmed by the physical and mental trials of the loss of his left foot. The pain and setbacks of his long recovery are complicated by bouts of self-doubt and the abrupt end of his promising Army career.

Russell's personal trials are soon eclipsed when he finds out that LTC Jackson MacKenzie has been imprisoned with the members of his Special Ops team on trumped-up charges of treason. His efforts to contact MacKenzie are met with covert deterrents by government officials trying to sustain their cover-up.

A happy ending for all of the characters—except, of course, the bad actors—sets the stage for follow-on books in the series.

The Kindle version is well laid out and readable, but lack of a Table of Contents makes it difficult to navigate the text. Chapters are identified by dates and locations, assisting the reader in keeping track of the setting in time and space. Listings of previous works by this author would also help the reader know where this book fits into the series.

Review by Peter Young (May 2022)

Author's Synopsis

Duty. Honor. Country. The motto by which Major Harry Russell lived as a United States Army Special Forces officer. How does he move forward when his entire life has been turned on its head? Everything Harry worked toward all his life is gone. Gone like his foot in a nighttime mortar attack. Gone like his career since the Army kicked him out as worthless dead weight. Gone like his friends, missing on a secret mission. All he has now is himself. And as a Vietnam veteran, that may not be enough.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Fiction—Historical Fiction

Number of Pages: 153

LUPTON: Last Man Standing by William A Lupton

Click on cover image to purchase a copy

Author's Synopsis

To outfox his draft board, Lupton enlists to get his duty station in Hawaii. He joins 2nd platoon A/1/27 Wolfhounds where fatigue of jungle in Kahuku Mountains sucks life-blood out of you. The 25th Division sails from Hawaii; a month hence arrives at Cu Chi, Vietnam. Endless patrols, ambushes, always tired. Red ants and lifers. Ho Bo Woods, Boi Loi Woods, the Iron Tri-angle, tunnels galore! VC lizards mock green troops, “ruck roo, ruck roo, ruck roo…” steps in the night; a mad-minute at dawn. Calamity strikes 3rd squad ambush, all wiped, 12 hootch mates gone. No victory this day, A-Company finds Viet Cong in a big way, survival a fluke. General Weyand’s contrition, “you are men of steel.” Eagle Flights, air assaults, bivouacs, FNGs. An Early Out! Survival! Déjà vu, Schofield Barracks again, B/20/11th Brigade, same room, different day. Garrison life, Kahukus, red mud, thirst, fatigue. Kitchen Police, guard duty, much boredom. Go on the wagon. Big Island, live fire, rainy, windy, cold. Amphibious landing on Molokai, descending ropes, assaulting island, reboarding ship, return to Pearl. D-Company, clerking, vain XO, insolent, “That is MUTINY, LUPTON!” USS Gordon, same ship, different cruise, better chow, same-same to Vietnam. Duc Pho, Bronco, LZ Charlie Brown. The TET Offensive. Transfer to Chu Lai, Aero Scout Infantry, Warlords, Scorpions, Skeeters, Animals. 300-kills, 300-captures, and jaunts to Chu Lai, “you, GI, boom boom me?” Lieutenant Calley, Captain Medina, Mr. Thompson, Colburn, My Lai Hill 85, been there, saw that. Commander crashes, almost burns, we have a real hero when needed. Easy war LZ Dottie, horseshoe games, ennui, beers on the beach, grab-ass hootch maids, and toking Marjee Wanna. Special Forces camps, Minh Long, Hà Thanh, Tiên Phước. O6-LOACH, Slicks, Cobras, miniguns, rockets, friendly fire. Spooky ops in mountains, anxiety big time, capture three 4-duce mortars, maverick pilots fly our asses out, the thrill of night flight. Warlord’s worst day, NVA kill two Animals, a Skeeter gunner, five gunships down, plus a Marine jet. At last, out of infantry into the rear, with the beer! REMF-dom! I have arrived! R&R Bangkok, getting short, mortars walk bunker line. I am out! I survived! Finally, a cure for the nightmare of Vietnam.

Format(s) for review: Paper

Review Genre: Nonfiction—Memoir/Biography

Number of Pages: 531

Into the Stars by James Rosone

Click on cover image to purchase a copy

MWSA Review

Into the Stars is an excellent combination of the trajectory of humankind on Earth with familiar players, their conflicts, and resolution—forecast into futurism and the surprising unknown.

Written with a believable plot that has relatability to the current world, the book takes us to a future geopolitical landscape here on Earth. It places the reader in a world with exciting and challenging but very plausible events. What happens to mere earthlings when introduced to a broader universe that includes a technically advanced race that is not open to peaceful coexistence? This page-turner introduces the characters, threads, and settings that make the reader want to turn the page straight into the next volume.

Review by August Uhl (May 2022)

Author's Synopsis

The stars are within mankind’s reach…but what awaits in the void may end humanity…

Mars and the Moon have been colonized, piracy runs rampant in the asteroid belts, and a thriving society grows in the depths of space. Humanity prepares to embark upon its greatest journey—the colonization of Alpha Centauri.

Then everything changes…

A deep space reconnaissance probe discovers a new Earth-like planet twelve light-years from Earth’s sun. The probe also finds something unusual, something…unnerving. A new mission is created, a space fleet is formed, and humanity embarks on unraveling the greatest mystery of all—the origins of life itself.

Can the factions of Earth remain united, or will old rivalries and animosities destroy the fragile peace in the face of this terrifying existential threat?

Will exploration prove to be a fatal mistake?

If you love new technologies, fast-paced action and gut-wrenching turns of fate, you’ll love this first book in James Rosone’s military sci-fi series, The Rise of the Republic.

Author Note -- This is not a standalone book. This is book one of what will become a 12-book series once it's completed.

Format(s) for review: Kindle and paper

Review Genre: Science Fiction

Number of Pages:  528

Cardinal Virtues by R.G. Roberts

Click on cover image to purchase a copy

MWSA Review
R.G. Roberts is a veteran of the U.S. Navy. She served on three ships, taught at the Surface Warfare Officers School, and graduated from the U.S. Naval War College with a master’s degree in Strategic Studies & National Security, with a concentration in leadership.

In her book, Cardinal Virtues, Roberts writes about the U.S. Navy in 2037. The main character, Alex Coleman, has had the unfortunate assignment to work as XO under the command of power-seeking Admiral Kennedy. After becoming embroiled in controversy, Alex is assigned to an underwater mega-station to carry out concierge tasks while marking time until his retirement.

Alex Coleman’s wife Nancy is the commander of a naval destroyer tasked with leading a strike group through the Strait of Malacca. When a lapse of judgment causes a trigger-happy admiral to fire upon an Indian submarine, all hell breaks loose and World War III seems to be underway.
Forces of evil nations conspire to trap the Americans and destroy every one of the ships in the area.

In this technical mystery/thriller, a reader experiences vicariously what it’s like to be under relentless attack. The main characters struggle to outwit a cunning collaboration of enemies both on and under the sea. The ending will leave you wanting to pick up the next book in the series.

Review by Nancy Panko (April 2022)

 

Author's Synopsis

Every nation wants territory without war. Until the shooting starts...   

Alex Coleman is on the way out.   

The year is 2037, and Commander Alex Coleman’s career is on the rocks. He’s been exiled to Armistice Station, an underwater megastation where you can buy everything... except success in the U.S. Navy. Here, he awaits retirement, doling out supplies and keeping an eye on unruly sailors. All his career aspirations have sunk lower than the ocean floor that surrounds him.  

Nancy Coleman is on the way up.   

Commander Nancy Coleman, on the other hand, is in command of a brand-new destroyer and leading a strike group through the Strait of Malacca. China’s getting frisky, and the U.S. Navy has long-standing ties with Taiwan. China might start the war, but Nancy knows her navy will finish it.   

Neither Nancy nor Alex know of the dark forces at work around them. French marines allied with the Indian Navy in a plot to remove US influence in the Indian Ocean. A trigger-happy admiral lands Nancy’s strike group in the middle of a shootout with the wrong enemy. World War III threatens with every misstep.  

Nancy battles to keep her ship in one piece and her sailors alive. Alex fights to get his band of misfits off the station before they end up prisoners of war. Neither Coleman set out to be a hero. Yet, the bullets are flying... and they both have a job to do.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Fiction—Mystery/Thriller

Number of Pages: 386

Monroe Doctrine Volume I by James Rosone

Click on cover image to purchase a copy

MWSA Review

Monroe Doctrine: Volume One is such a scary thrill-ride that the readers will wonder how much of it is really fiction.

Four years after COVID-19, China builds a supercomputer like nothing ever seen. Programmed to collect and find patterns among billions of individual data points, it draws up a path to lead China to world domination. At the same time, the world economy and the US economy are both failing, creating the perfect time for a new leader of the world to emerge. The Chinese government initiates a scenario scripted by the computer that uses deception, deepfake technology, and China’s extensive resources to start a war with the United States, and all is going to plan. But has the computer really thought of everything?

This book is an incredibly interesting read that mixes machine learning technology, espionage, and modern-day military action to create an eerily plausible tale that doesn’t seem too far in the future at all. I particularly liked how the authors used pop-culture references to the “Terminator” franchise to further heighten the tension surrounding so much power being given to an artificial intelligence.

Plenty of action and well-written, this book will be a big hit for fans of Larry Bond, Tom Clancy, or Dale Brown.

Review by Rob Ballister (May 2022)

Author's Synopsis

It was called Jade Dragon…

…and it threatened to destroy the West.

Was an attack on the U.S. imminent?

In a lab deep in the heart of China, a brilliant engineer had a breakthrough. It was the most powerful AI ever created. Ma Young believed the Jade Dragon could solve the world’s most dire challenges. There was just one problem…

The president of China had other ideas.

Was this their chance to conquer?

The war began at the speed of light. The entire NATO alliance stood on the brink of destruction. Cyber-attacks, deepfakes, and a wave of social media disinformation wrought fear and desperation across the globe.

The sleeping giant was awake.

Could Ma stop his creation?

You’ll love this fast-paced techno-military-thriller because we live in a world where this fiction could be truer than we suspect. It will keep you turning the pages.

Get it now.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Fiction—Mystery/Thriller

Number of Pages: 360

Point Option: A Time-Travel Military Thriller by Ian A. O'Connor

Click on cover image to purchase a copy

MWSA Review
For those of you who enjoy a good science fiction thriller, Ian A. O'Connor's book Point Option: A Time-Travel Military Thriller may fit the bill. The story begins with our protagonist, Air Force Major David Fleming being assigned duty with the Navy on board the aircraft carrier Lyndon Baines Johnson (LBJ), operating in the Mediterranean Sea. What is supposed to be an opportunity of a lifetime turns into somewhat of a nightmare when an unexplained anomaly starts sending a variety of ships at sea and planes in the sky back in time.

As the story unfolds, the main characters don't understand what is happening, and they struggle to come up with an explanation to a number of seemingly inexplicable events. As you might imagine, time-travel would not be on top of the list of rational explanations. When the entire carrier is sent back in time, the answer becomes apparent; however, the solution to their predicament is not. I found this book to be a fun, easy read.

Review by Bob Doerr (April 2022)

 

Author's Synopsis

United States Air Force Major Dave Fleming lands a dream job most men would kill for. As one of three exchange fighter pilots chosen to fly with a premier US Navy attack squadron aboard America’s newest aircraft carrier, the Lyndon Baines Johnson, (LBJ) little does he know that his life is about to be changed forever!

While flying a mission in the Mediterranean Sea, Fleming finds himself inexplicably transported through a time portal back to Italy in the year 1463. Soon joined by the LBJ and its entire crew, the prospect of being trapped forever in the Middle Ages becomes a terrifying reality, but three days later the ship uncovers the wherewithal to execute its return to the present day. Joined by the carrier’s senior officers, and armed with irrefutable scientific evidence, Fleming convinces a disbelieving US Navy Board of Inquiry that the historical journey indeed took place.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Fiction—Mystery/Thriller

Number of Pages: 246

The Carnevale Conspiracy by Joseph Badal

Click on cover image to purchase a copy

MWSA Review
The Carnevale Conspiracy by Joseph Badal is a tension-filled thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end. Badal skillfully traverses a tangled web of international intrigue, history, murder, and mayhem set in Venice, Italy.

Robert Danforth, retired intelligence agency head, and his wife Liz are on a vacation of which Liz has always dreamed. Though Liz is excited about a once-in-a-lifetime Carnevale costume ball in Venice, Bob complains bitterly about being targeted to wear tights. However, the couple never expects to be targeted for terror. Unwittingly caught up in a plot devised by a secret organization that plans to eliminate heads of state and top military personnel from countries around the world, Bob and Liz eventually realize that their entire family is in danger from a madman seeking retribution.

After an attempt on his life, Bob Danforth contacts his friend, the DCI in Washington who starts to put random global puzzle pieces together. Bringing together international intelligence agencies to track a thousand sleeper assassins led by the Old Man of the Mountain is a herculean task in a race against time.

The Carnevale Conspiracy is the seventh book in a series but easily stands alone. This story is a riveting, fast-paced thriller you won’t want to miss.

Review by Nancy Panko (March 2022)

 

Author's Synopsis

Bob and Liz Danforth are on the vacation of a lifetime—Venice, Italy during Carnevale. But, when they are caught up in the diabolical actions of a secret organization, patterned after the 11th Century’s Hashashiyan, or Order of Assassins, their trip becomes a nightmare of herculean proportion.

The Carnevale Conspiracy is an epic tale that brings together international intelligence agencies; a cadre of assassins inspired by a 900-year-old sect and their leader, the Old Man of the Mountain; a global assassination campaign that targets Western leaders; an intrepid MOSSAD agent; and a cast of heroic characters and evil traitors.

Fans of Joseph Badal’s Danforth Saga will find this 7th in the series full of the tension, action, and authenticity they have come to expect and enjoy.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Fiction—Mystery/Thriller

Number of Pages: 352

Betrayal in the Casbah by Ted Kissel

Click on cover image to purchase a copy

MWSA Review

Ted Kissel has taken us on a wild ride in his first novel, Betrayal in the Casbah. His prose makes for easy reading—bold and descriptive. There is a bit of everything for the reader to enjoy—romance, foreign intrigue, terrorist attacks, dangerous old Algiers, diplomatic insight, and betrayal. His characters are likable—the decorated fighter pilot turned defense attaché; the beautiful, sexy, and resourceful nurse; the good ol’ boy from Kentucky who can handle any situation and loves his bourbon; the charming French diplomat; the administrative assistant with a secret; some unexpected allies; and a cast of evil terrorists.

It all begins with our hero, Mitch Ross, barely surviving a knife attack at a diplomatic function. He is nursed back to health by the lovely Abella, who has a mysterious story of her own. Then, upon returning to duty at the U. S. Embassy, he is approached by the CIA chief of station and the ambassador with a special request: a covert mission to rescue a downed pilot from the Gulf War allegedly held prisoner these many years. Mitch begins to assemble his plan and his team with little information.

The story takes us through twists and turns, as windy as the cobbled roads in Algiers’s ancient Casbah. There are unforeseen obstacles at every corner. Can he complete his mission? Read and find out.

Review by Sandi Cathcart (May 2022)

Author's Synopsis

It's the early 2000's in the U.S. Embassy, Algiers. U.S. military attaché and decorated fighter pilot Colonel Mitch Ross needs a dose of reality and relief from the constraints of the diplomatic life. He catches a break of sorts when he survives a brutal knife attack one evening after attending a diplomatic reception. 

Nursed to health by the beautiful and mysterious Abella, Mitch returns to duty and is approached by the CIA with a covert mission: to rescue and bring home a downed American pilot being held by terrorists in Algiers. As he plans and prepares for the mission, Mitch and Abella become confidants and lovers, as Mitch discovers she is more than just a nurse working in a military hospital. Together with longtime friend, French Colonel Yves Dureau and Mitch's assistant, Army Warrant Officer Dave McQueen, Mitch and Abella will risk life and limb to bring the American POW to safety.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Fiction—Mystery/Thriller

Number of Pages: 316

Fight for it Financial by Nate James

Click on cover image to purchase a copy

MWSA Review
Author Nate James draws on his life experience as a United States Marine, police officer, Christian, father, and husband as he guides the reader through his philosophies of living, duty, and finances.

Fight for it Financial offers the reader practical tips, often scripture-based, for living a satisfying life and making sound financial decisions. Mr. James paves an experienced-based path for people who wish to get out of debt and enjoy the benefits of financial freedom, wealth-building, and positioning family first.

The author identifies nine steps to eliminating debt and becoming financially secure. Some of the money-related issues he addresses include: how to conquer spending, the importance of a budget, examples and strategies for living below your means, the importance of being grateful, owning a vehicle you can afford, and clarifying what one needs versus what one wants.  All the financial concerns mentioned by the author have solutions if a person is willing to embrace the required behavior changes that lead to eliminating, or greatly reducing, debt.

There are many books out there on this topic. What Nate James brings to the table is his personal experience, his values, and Christian faith. Regardless of a reader’s religious affiliation, Fight for It Financial offers sound advice with a sprinkling of humor and personal anecdotes.

Review by Patricia Walkow (March 2022)

 

Author's Synopsis

Utilizing a no-nonsense approach with intense real-life anecdotes told by Nate James, a Christian, family man, United States Marine and Police Officer, Fight for it Financial is an easy and entertaining way to learn personal finance.

The majority of people are tired of living the grind of everyday America, but, in reality, it doesn’t have to be boring or monotonous. Americans like to fight for what they believe in, however most haven’t been taught how to fight for a better financial way.

This scripture-based guidebook will unequivocally help readers of all ages and socioeconomic levels tackle essential skills like budget necessities, spending strategies, and passive investing.

The reader will have the knowledge and inspiration to get out of debt, stay out of debt, build wealth and achieve financial freedom. For too long debt has been a hinderance to financial and family prosperity. I offer the reader a chance to change their mindset and provide numerous examples of how I changed mine, through nine chronological steps to attack debt and prosper.

If you want it, let’s fight for it.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Other—Religious/Spiritual

Number of Pages: 187

Voices From The Civil War: North and South, Men and Women, Black and White by George J. Bryjak

Click on cover image to purchase a copy

MWSA Review
Much of the legacy of the American Civil War period comes from letters, diaries, and memoirs written by its participants. Voices from the Civil War takes the unique approach of using fiction to examine the heartbreaking impacts of the American Civil War on its populace across several divisions of race, sex, and social roles.

George Bryjak has highlighted more than two dozen social aspects of the Civil War to establish a context for his narrators. He has then developed fictional characters for each of these scenarios and let them tell how those real-life situations could have affected their personal lives. The result is a collection of highly personal—and tragic—vignettes set against the backdrops of little-known aspects of the Civil War.

Voices from the Civil War makes effective use of the juxtaposition of narrative and personal dialog. Each vignette starts with the factual description of a situation, practice, social custom, or predicament and then allows fictional characters to tell their stories. The result is twofold. First, the reader is made aware of an aspect of the Civil War that had a significant impact on one or more segments of American society. Second, the human toll that resulted from that situation is depicted in very personal terms.

While the literary legacy of the American Civil War could be considered to be overcrowded after more than 150 years of writing and publishing, an astounding number of works continue to emerge on the scene. What makes this book stand out is its deft and unusual combination of fact and creative fiction. The work provides a unique take on the conflict and its impact on individuals many readers may not have considered before—women, children, Blacks, and the socially vulnerable.

Review by Peter Young (March 2022)

 

Author's Synopsis

What was it like to live during the Civil War? Not only for soldiers, but for their wives and children, mothers and fathers, sweethearts and friends? How did people, North and South, cope with four years of fear and misery, death and destruction?

In Voices from the Civil War, twenty-six women and men, black and white, young and old tell their stories. Grounded in historical fact, these fictional characters relate how they struggled to survive the greatest conflict in America’s history.

Among the voices are an Alabama man who fought for the Union, a newly emancipated slave who refused to leave the plantation of her life-long bondage, a woman who lived in a cave with her starving family during the siege of Vicksburg, a soldier who survived the nightmare of captivity in a POW camp, and a woman who secretly turned to prostitution to support her disabled veteran husband and their child.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Fiction—Historical Fiction

Number of Pages: 184

A Gathering of Men by Rona Simmons

Click on cover image to purchase a copy

MWSA Review
A Gathering of Men is a World War Two novel of three young men who leave their rural North Carolina home to become airmen in the “Bloody 100th” Bomb Group, flying against Nazi Germany in the horrific early days of American’s entry in the air war over Europe.

Too often, historical fiction attempts to overlay modern attributes on characters, taking away the authenticity of their speech, emotions, and actions. The author has done a wonderful job of giving her characters in this book an “old” feel, depicting simple brave country boys who grew up in the Great Depression and whose fathers had fought in France in the Great War just a scant twenty years before.

Ms. Simmons has previously written a nonfiction book on World War Two, and her expertise clearly shows through in her descriptions and depictions of the men and machines of the 100th Bomb Group, an actual unit that lost over 730 men and 177 aircraft during the war, many of them during a three-month period in the Fall of 1943. Fans of World War Two and military aviation fiction will find this an outstanding read.

Review by Terry Lloyd (March 2022)

 

Author's Synopsis

Candor, North Carolina. The town barber brandishes a copy of the May 1927 Charlotte Observer-on the front page, Charles Lindbergh's Spirit of St. Louis on its cross-country flight. At the outskirts of town, best friends Lake, Roger, and Jim take turns hurling their wingless crate down a hill. Eyes closed, they imagine their future alongside Lindy.Pearl Harbor changes everything. The boys will have their chance to fly-not over North Carolina farm fields, but across Germany on bombing runs, facing a determined Luftwaffe. The odds of completing their tours of duty are slim.A Gathering of Men is the account of the boys who board their aircraft for the first time and the men they become in the blink of an eye. The terrors they witness and the pressure to go up again and again and again brings them to the breaking point. It is a moving tale, based on a true story, about shattered dreams and enduring friendship, duty, and honor.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Fiction—Historical Fiction

Number of Pages: 262

American by Intention by Patrick R Ritchen

Click on cover image to purchase a copy

MWSA Review

American by Intention by Patrick Ritchen is a work of fiction although, throughout the book, it often reads like a memoir. The author refers to this story as part memoir, part history, and part love story. Ritchen’s tale begins with Vietnam veteran Blake Gibbs, the main character who suffers from PTSD. The author describes the insidious disorder with a depth and breadth that only someone who has experienced it can convey.

Gibbs sorts through the labyrinth of emotions about his troubled marriage, his job as a physical therapist for the Aspen Grove nursing home, and his relationships with his co-workers. Everything he thinks about and feels is tainted by the war he fought on the other side of the world. He struggles with alcohol abuse, flashbacks, and sleepless nights. While searching for answers on dealing with people who have never experienced war, death, and destruction, Gibbs connects with a World War II veteran. Gibbs begins to see all the puzzling pieces of his existence come together after meeting and developing a relationship with an unlikely person: a Vietnamese soldier and immigrant, Bao Nguyen.

At the end of this multi-layered story, loose ends are tied up, and we see Gibbs coming to terms with his demons while he finds his place in history. Patrick Ritchen’s story will resonate with many veterans and others who have a dark period in their past.

Review by Nancy Panko (May 2022)
 

Author's Synopsis

It is May 1982. Blake Gibbs, a former door gunner in Vietnam and the sole physical therapist for the Aspen Grove nursing home in Denver, grits his teeth in silent protest. Flogged daily by the ennui of post Vietnam America, he is coy about his service both at home and work. His colleagues offer no respite. Neil Rotterdam, facility manager and former Green Beret, continually invites Gibbs to grieve while Elissa Redd, the beautiful and predatory Activities Director, implores Gibbs to peel back his emotional scabs. As if taunting him, Aspen Grove’s television lounged blares forth Donahue's endless parade of veterans describing their lurid dreams and barely suppressed violent impulses. Yet despite the indifference and hostility accompanying his homecoming Gibbs unconsciously yearns to love his country. But how? His chance encounter with Bao Nguyen, a former Vietnamese Ranger, jars Gibbs’ dormant sense of patriotism. Soon thereafter, he begins Alphonse Merkowitz’s post op rehab, learning that he is a former French Resistance fighter. Nguyen and Merkowitz unwittingly launch Gibbs on a journey from a blank slate of patriotic indifference to an American by Intention in the summer and fall of 1982. Gibbs’ odyssey and reconciliation with America culminates at the dedication of the Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial where he meets the father of a dead comrade. Part memoir, part history and part love story, American by Intention is a multi layered homage to patriotism with all the ambiguity that that word conveys in modern America.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Fiction—Historical Fiction

Number of Pages: 556

America's Amazing Airports by Penny Rafferty Hamilton

Click on cover image to purchase a copy

Author's Synopsis: America’s Amazing Airports is easy-to-read for all ages. Packed with unique photographs about the “magic” at our airports outside and inside. A great introduction to aviation careers and a nationwide look at community airports. An easy to understand explanation of airport funding is included. Praise from aviation leaders. “Our home at one of the most recognized airports in the world – Oshkosh – shows the community and possibilities that local airports create. Any opportunity to share the story of legendary airports, such as in this book, is a pathway to engaging more people in the wonderful world of flight.” Jack J. Pelton, CEO/Chairman, Experimental Aircraft Association-EAA. “Airports, like airplanes, have personalities. Some are larger than life, others diminutive. But each precious airport is distinct. America's Amazing Airport gives us a look at what makes airports – a vital asset of this country – so unique and inspiring.” Ben Sclair, Publisher, General Aviation News.

Genre(s): Nonfiction, History, Young Adult

Format(s): Soft cover, Kindle

ISBN/ASIN: 978169923756

Just Another Day in Vietnam by Col (Ret) Keith M. Nightingale

Click on cover image to purchase a copy

MWSA Review
Just Another Day in Vietnam tells the story of the 52nd Vietnamese Ranger Battalion’s battle for survival in War Zone D northeast of Saigon in June 1967. With no time to plan or prepare, the Ranger Battalion’s commander, Major Nguyen Hiep, must deploy his forces to attack a suspected Viet Cong base camp located in a bend of the Dong Nai River. After a helicopter insertion into a landing zone near the suspected camp, the Rangers discover they’ve been ordered into a trap and are soon surrounded by numerically superior Viet Cong and North Vietnamese forces. Only through the heroic leadership of Major Hiep, the incredible fighting qualities of his men, and the assistance of U.S. airpower, does the Ranger Battalion survive.

This is an important story that needs to be told. The bravery and fighting ability of the 52nd Ranger Battalion and the heroism of Major Hiep dispel the myth that all South Vietnamese fighting forces were ineffective in combat. The author’s role as a U.S. military advisor to the Ranger Battalion ensures the credibility of the narrative, which captures as only a combat veteran can the emotions and true horrors of war. If you are looking for a gritty combat narrative covering a battle from planning through execution, you need to read Just Another Day in Vietnam.

Review by David Grogan (March 2022)

 

Author's Synopsis

Keith Nightingale’s accomplishments in both military and civilian life largely contribute to the excellence of Just Another Day in Vietnam as a creative memoir of unusual depth as well as breadth.

Uniquely adopting a third-person omniscient point of view, Nightingale eschews the “I” of memoir in favor of multiple perspectives and a larger historical vision that afford equal time and weight to ally and enemy alike. Examples of the many perspectives based on real-life characters include: Hu, a VC “informant” whose false information led the Rangers straight into the jaws of a ferocious ambush; General Tanh, the COSVN commander; Major Nguyen Hiep, the 52d Ranger Commander; and Ranger POWs later returned by the North.

Nightingale moreover offers the point of view of an American advisor to elite Vietnamese troops, a vital perspective regrettably underrepresented in the literature of Vietnam, including Burns’ documentary. Added to this are well-informed conjecture of enemy psychology; insight into the dedication and often misunderstood role of the elite Vietnamese Ranger forces; the intelligence acquired from debriefing captured Rangers, whose captors had told them that the entire battle had been a carefully staged attack planned by COSVN as part of a larger Total War strategy developed by the leadership of the North Vietnamese Army; and an eyewitness account by a gifted author who is a rare survivor of one of the most vicious—and heretofore forgotten—battles of the war.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Nonfiction—Creative Nonfiction

Number of Pages: 264

Into The Cauldron by Glenn Starkey

Click on cover image to purchase a copy

MWSA Review
Author Glenn Starkey has given us a very interesting and enjoyable read in his book Into the Cauldron. Although the book is a work of historical fiction, the author pulled a lot of the book from the true events mentioned in the actual diary of a Wisconsin cavalryman who served in the frontier. Starkey's description of the harsh realities facing a soldier in the 1860's pulled no punches. Dirty, cold, and undernourished, the soldiers had to be ready to fight no matter what the conditions. While the civil war wound down, the book's main character, Jonah Gustafson served in the frontier, in what is now west Kansas. The enemy he faced consisted of a variety of Indian tribes.
The book does an excellent job pointing out the atrocities committed by various soldiers against the Indians which certainly added to the hostile attitudes the Indians held against both the Union army and the settlers moving into and through their lands. However, it also points out that the Indians committed atrocities of their own. Rather than play a political blame game, Starkey focuses on the realities of life at the time. In doing so, he has given us an excellent book to read with an excellent focus on the experiences of one man. I recommend this book.

Review by Bob Doerr (March 2022)

 

Author's Synopsis

1864. After four cruel years, the Civil War still raged without peace in sight. The Union Army's manpower was stretched to its limits fighting on two fronts; one on the eastern battlefields against the Confederacy, the other to protect the Santa Fe Trail and western expansion of citizens from marauding Indian tribes and vicious Confederate guerrillas.

Jonah Gustafson's family was dead, leaving him to aimlessly wander. Rather than wait for the coming draft, he joined the 3rd Wisconsin Volunteer Cavalry, expecting to be sent east into the war between the states. Instead, his regiment went west to 'Bleeding' Kansas and war-torn Missouri. There, along the Santa Fe Trail, they fought every major Indian tribe and Quantrill's Raiders, a roaming, bloodthirsty guerrilla unit. Horrid weather and deplorable living conditions were the lonely troopers' constant companions. Death always lurked near whether from disease, a bullet, or an arrow. But the cavalry of the frontier fulfilled its duties against all odds.

"Into the Cauldron" is the life of Trooper Jonah Gustafson based upon true events written in the pages of a Civil War diary by a Wisconsin cavalryman that served on the frontier. It is a novel to enjoy and learn from; one that will carry you back in time to feel the joys, heartaches and anguish of those days.

Format(s) for review: Paper Only

Review Genre: Fiction—Historical Fiction

Number of Pages: 260