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Citizens of London: The Americans Who Stood with Britain in Its Darkest, Finest Hour / SalesRank : 205

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Citizens of London: The Americans Who Stood with Britain in Its Darkest, Finest Hour
Author : Lynne Olson

Amazon Price : $16.38 42%($11.62) OFF
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Hardcover [ Random House ] [ Release : 2010 / 02 / 02 ]
ISBN : 9781400067589 / ASIN(ISBN-10) : 1400067588
[ ListPrice : $28.00 ] [ Used Price:$16.45 ]

Average Customer Review :

4.5stars [ See more reviews ]

There are plenty of books that focus on WWII, but Citizens Of London is one of the few I've read that aims to look at the subject from a fresh vantage point: the book looks at the impact of a few high-powered Americans in Britain during the war, but before American involvement in it. The men include the well-known crusading journalist Ed Murrow, the wealthy and politically talented Averell Harriman, and the most obscure of the group, John Winant, the U.S. Ambassador. Later chapters focus on Eisenhower, who performed some similar tasks once the U.S. had entered the war. In essence, Winant, Harriman and Murrow were on the scene in Britain before America entered the war, trying to build relationships both with elites as well as with the British public by educating them, by educating the Americans about their plight, and by advocating on their behalf during the darkest days of the war. These men were famous men in England at the time--they were practically rock stars, mobbed by adoring fans--and they were instrumental in establishing relations between the two peoples. Lynne Olson does an excellent job of letting us know what these men were about and making them seem like real people--even though they had some similarities (such as having affairs with female members of the Churchill family!), the three men were very different people. I rather liked the book's treatment of Winant, an unsung figure in this chapter of history, and I was able to relate to him on many levels.

So, if this book is so great, why not five stars? Well, I do feel that it could have been a bit shorter. Some of the latter chapters ignore the concept of the book entirely and mostly give general history on the latter stages of WWII, which I already knew. So, that brings it down just a bit for me. All in all, though, I would highly recommend the book to my fellow students of history. These men helped save the world. Honor their memories, and get this book!

4stars - "Great History Told from a Novel Perspective" (Adam Dukovich)
Outstanding Research and presentation. Facts that l had never heard before, and presented in page turner fashion.

Outstanding Research and presentation. Facts that l had never heard before, and presented in page turner fashion.

5stars - "Citizens of London" (Donald D. Goehler)

This is a compelling entry in modern World War II scholarship, a cross-genre look at several pivotal Americans in London during a critical time in the early period of the war.

Pulling together accounts from a myriad of sources, Olson paints a vivid picture of the intrigue, machinations, courage, and hardships faced by Londoners as they rose up to confront the Nazi bombardment and rally American support for the war effort. Interestingly, not everyone suffered equally, as Olson notes, and some who were selfish and privileged before the war were just as selfish and privileged during it.

Very readable, I would recommend this for anyone interested in the period.

4stars - "Life During Wartime" (Todd and In Charge)
When the fight is over about just how overpriced this is---let me know and I'll buy it. Otherwise, I'll simply go to the library. I'm sure it's as good as advertised---but it simply costs too much.

When the fight is over about just how overpriced this is---let me know and I'll buy it. Otherwise, I'll simply go to the library. I'm sure it's as good as advertised---but it simply costs too much.

3stars - "A test to see what we'll pay" (Roger W. Wright)

I hope this isn't a harbinger of things to come. $1.50 less for kindle vs hard cover? Really? who set this this price? I'm guessing Random House. I am very interested in reading this book but until the price of it drops to 9.99 or below this can sit on my wish list. There is no justification for pricing a kindle book at this price in comparison to the hard cover price. Good luck with this new pricing structure if this is what all the loyal kindle users have to look forward to. It may be time to start boycotting all books that are overpriced due to the publishers jacking the prices up.

2stars - "$1.50 more for the hardcover vs kindle edition? really?" (Robert C. Anderson)

The Last Train from Hiroshima: The Survivors Look Back (John MacRae Books) / SalesRank : 588

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The Last Train from Hiroshima: The Survivors Look Back (John MacRae Books)
Author : Charles Pellegrino

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( Market Place : Used Seller - 3 and New Seller - 7 )

Hardcover [ Henry Holt and Co. ] [ Release : 2010 / 01 / 19 ]
ISBN : 9780805087963 / ASIN(ISBN-10) : 0805087966
[ ListPrice : $27.50 ] [ Used Price:$27.01 ]

Average Customer Review :

3.0stars [ See more reviews ]

Pellegrino's "The Last Train From Hiroshima" tells the personal stories of many Japanese citizens directly affected by our A-bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Among those stories are some of the 165 who survived the first A-bomb (8/6/1945 at Hiroshima), traveled to Nagasaki (173 miles away) - many on the last train from Hiroshima, and were subjected to a second A-bomb just three days later. One of those 'doubly-bombed' was Mitsubishi oil-tanker designer Tsutomu Yamaguchi. Ironically, at the time of the Nagasaki bombing Yamaguchi was trying to convince his boss and co-workers in Nagasaki of how powerful the Hiroshima bomb had been. After WWII ended, Mr. Yamaguchi became a carpenter and helped rebuild schools, then a school-teacher, and finally was asked by the Japanese government to speak to the U.N. in 2006, where he pleaded for mutual cooperation and assistance, as well as the abolition of nuclear weapons. Mr. Yamaguchi lived lived to be 93, dying in early 2010 of stomach cancer just before the book was released.

Pellegrino's book has generated controversy due to his often quoting an American flight engineer, Joseph Fuoco, who claimed to be aboard 'Bock's Car' when it bombed Nagasaki, and substantiated that claim to Pellegrino with a number of documents and photos. Feedback and photos from early readers and other sources indicate that Fuoco was not on that flight. Regardless, since the focus of Pellegrino's book is on the experiences of Japanese citizens near 'Ground Zero,' the veracity of Fuoco's claims don't make much, if any overall difference. More troubling, perhaps, is the fact that the book's publisher (Henry Holt) has stopped printing because of questions over the revocation of Pellegrino's PhD. degree in 1984, and the true identity of a Japanese priest identified with only a pseudonym.

Only 1.2 lbs (two teaspoons) of 83% enriched material actually fissioned, and that required only one-hundred-millionth of a second. People directly below were vaporized. Surviving either of the blasts was largely a matter of luck - how close one was to the epicenter (85% were killed within a mile at Hiroshima), whether there was any substantive shelter between the individual and the blast (a bomb-shelter tunnel, in the basement of a bank; the Nagasaki area was hillier than Hiroshima), whether one was facing the blast at initial detonation (likely blinded, and face severely charred/burned), and whether one was wearing light, long-sleeved clothes and hat (black clothing almost guaranteed immediate death for those close-in). Those knowledgeable enough to not turn and look at the blast and instead immediately leap to the ground (preferably within a ditch) had much higher odds of survival - especially if they were not subsequently directly exposed to the subsequent radioactive black rain that followed.

Many survived the initial blast, only to quickly fall ill and die from radiation sickness. About half the fatalities occurred on the first day; Hiroshima officials estimated about 60% of these were due to burns. (Many Japanese said the burning flesh smelled like squid grilled over hot coals.) Others lived for 1-2 years or even as long as a decade, then died of leukemia; still others died later at an early age of various cancers. A very few benefited - the blast reshaped their eyeballs and eliminated the need for glasses; one physician was reportedly dying of intestinal cancer, then went into remission after the blast and survived - supposedly because of the 'radiation treatment.'

Pellegrino explicitly avoids addressing the question of whether the U.S. should have dropped either or both bombs, though he does reveal that the pilots involved were quite worried that more would be needed. The Japanese cabinet met with Emperor Hirohito for two hours after Nagasaki before he decided to surrender. Even then, some military leaders plotted to isolate the Emperor to prevent his declaring an end to fighting. They guessed, correctly, that the U.S. had no more A-bombs, but also grossly overestimated how long it would take to make more - only 1-2 months in actuality. Regardless, their plot melted away when some of the leaders learned that the American armada was already closing in on Tokyo. Japan surrendered on 8/15/1945.

Pellegrino also tells us that prior to the Hiroshima bombing, local school-children were carving wooden bullets for fighting at close range (metal was scarce), sharpening bamboo spears, and constructing two-shot wooden handguns for distribution to children and their mothers. Near Ground Zero, a military physician was teaching new soldiers, some only 14-15, new procedures for strapping bombs to their bodies and throwing themselves under vehicles. Any invasion of Japan was bound to create enormous casualties on both sides. Some estimate that about one million American casualties and several million Japanese would have resulted, vs. the 150,000 - 250,000 that died in the A-blasts. Prior to dropping the A-bombs, U.S. fire-bombing had already resulted in great destruction of 67 Japanese cities and as many as 500,000 deaths - without deterring Japanese determination.

Pellegrino does a good job telling the stories of the Japanese in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Unfortunately, conveying the destruction requires more than words, and he includes zero pictures - a major deficit. "The Effects of Nuclear Weapons," published by the Atomic Energy Commission in 1962, provides a number of photos from Hiroshima and Nagasaki. (Presumably James Cameron will also fill that void - he has optioned the book for a movie.)

Bottom-Line: "Little Boy" (Hiroshima) had a yield of about 15 KT, "Fat Man" (Nagasaki) was larger - 21 KT. Both are quite small by today's standards. The most powerful American (thermonuclear) bomb exploded was 15 MT; the Russians countered with 50 MT - about 3,000 times more powerful. One estimate (Answerbag.com) is that if an 'only' 200 KT thermonuclear bomb had instead been been dropped on Nagasaki, 690,000 would have been killed. That's still 250 times smaller than the largest Russian bomb, and it was only half-loaded with nuclear fuel (bilderberg.org). Regardless, thousands of these monstrous bombs are now held by both the U.S. and Russia. Some are presumably hidden underwater just off our coasts reading for launch at the push of a button - with impact only minutes later. It really doesn't matter whether Fuoco was on Bock's Car over Nagasaki or not, who the priest was or if he even existed, or why Pellegrino's PhD. was revoked. The 'real' issue is whether "The Last Train From Hiroshima" describes our future.

4stars - "Hopefully Not A Vision of Our Future -" (Loyd E. Eskildson)

I love military history - everything from the Revolution through Vietnam. So, needless to say I was looking forward to reading this one. Being a Barnes & Noble member, imagine my surprise to find that I could not purchase the book at my local store. However, I was told that "Amazon is still selling it". Of course that piece of good news quickly went sour when I read the most recent reviews and actual media reports.

And the author's attempts to explain away the errors ("I used pseudonyms to protect them") only serves to compound his credibility problem. Clearly he is back-pedaling as quickly as possible.

And now my desire to read this book is trumped by my disgust at being misled, or at least an attempt to mislead. So, I'll pass, thanks just the same.

1stars - "New title: The Last Gasp of Credibility" (J. Robertson)

My father was at the launch of the Enola Gay. I bought "The Last Train from Hiroshima" to research the history that surrounds this historic and tragic event. Now that it has been revealed that the book contains inaccuracies to the point of being a work of fiction, I would encourage any one considering the purchase of this book to resist the temptation. If you want an account of the impact of the bomb on the victims of Hiroshima, read John Hersey's "Hiroshima." It has stood the test of time and is factual. It is a classic.

1stars - "Inaccurate facts make this book a work of fiction" (Sonia J. Luna)
This creep is a total fake. How dare he pollute this ultimate, terrible, supremely important topic with his self-promoting forgeries? Avoid this guy and everything he does.

This creep is a total fake. How dare he pollute this ultimate, terrible, supremely important topic with his self-promoting forgeries? Avoid this guy and everything he does.

1stars - "Blasphemy" (Michael Dawson)

The author claims that he was duped by Joseph Fuoco. It seems that the publisher and the public have been duped by Charles Pellegrino.

Mr. Pellegrino has asserted that he has a Ph.D. from Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. However, as recent press reports note, a simple inquiry to Victoria University has confirmed that Mr. Pellegrino does NOT have a Ph.D. from Victoria University.

One wonders what else he has made up.

1stars - "Fiction by a fictional author." (Austin Reader)

The Pacific / SalesRank : 71

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The Pacific
Author : Hugh Ambrose

Amazon Price : $15.75 42%($11.20) OFF
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Hardcover [ NAL Hardcover ] [ Release : 2010 / 03 / 02 ]
ISBN : 9780451230232 / ASIN(ISBN-10) : 045123023X
[ ListPrice : $26.95 ] [ Used Price:$13.99 ]

Average Customer Review :

4.0stars [ See more reviews ]

As a huge fan of Band of Brothers I couldn't wait for the series to start so I picked up Ambrose's The Pacific in order to fill the time and give me a back story for when the series starts. The Pacific certainly did that and more as I now want to read a lot more on the war against the "Japs". With The Pacific I think the subject being covered was what triggered this, as Ambrose's style of writing is both a hit and a miss.

The pros are that I oftentimes wonder as I am reading other memoirs/bios of WWII veterans as to where and how they fit in with one another. With The Pacific the mini bios of the marines are all woven together in a linear timeline so you always know where they are and what they are doing in relation to one another. This is fascinating to me because it adds many levels of detail that help to create an overall richer account of The Pacific War. Add to this the different elements of who they are, i.e. officer, dive bomber and so on, and we are treated to a more in depth look at the structure of the US Marines.

The cons, and I really only have one worth mentioning, is that Ambrose's style of writing can be rather dry and stiff at times, feeling as though we are getting a recitation of facts instead of a narrative that is weaving the facts together. Although this style can work I oftentimes found that the writing style was having troubles catching my interest at times and I had to draw myself back in order to continue my own narrative of what Ambrose was telling us.

Overall the book is workable as a companion volume to the upcoming HBO series for not only illustrating the lives of some of the men being represented but in also layering more detail with the inclusion of other equally fascinating marines, notably Shofner and Micheel, who were perhaps more fascinating to read about because of their experiences as a POW in a Japanese POW camp and as a dive bomber, respectively. I would certainly recommend to read the other more immensely readable WWII memoirs of the Pacific Theater, i.e. Helmet For My Pillow and With The Old Breed, in order to get a better feel for what will be depicted in the HBO series, and pick up The Pacific as a companion volume instead of a stand alone history of the Pacific War.

3.5 stars.

4stars - "A passable yet dry account of The Pacific War..." (Brian Hawkinson)

The 10 segment HBO mini-series will focus on the Pacific theater as seen through the eyes of Robert Leckie, John Basilone and Eugene Sledge. Based on the books "With the Old Breed" by Sledge and "Helmet for my Pillow" by Leckie as well as other first person accounts and interviews, the series includes battles in Guadalcanal, Iwo Jima and Okinawa as well as the marines return after VJ Day. The Pacific is the companion book to the series but differs in some ways. It also features the stories of Ensign "Mike" Micheel who got his first experience as a dive bomber at the Battle of Midway and that of Lieutenant Austin Shofner who was a POW in Manila after being part of the initial unsuccessful attempt to hold the Philippines.

As in HBO's prior WW II series, The Pacific manages to personalize events which have been portrayed on more of an epic level in presentations such as Victory at Sea. In doing so, it succeeds in conveying the larger than life terror that citizen soldiers faced just a few months removed from their everyday lives in their hometowns. Micheel describes the "puckering" he feels while preparing to dive bomb an enemy aircraft carrier. A marine experiencing repeated bombing runs by Japanese airplanes writes in his journal: "We are all nervous wrecks." As Shofner struggles to survive the extremes of deprivation in an enemy POW camp, his friend tells him "Death isn't hard. Death is easy." It is at that point that Shofner knows his friend will not survive the camp.

What is extraordinary is how the men surmount these challenges and fight in the face of fear, doubt, lack of food and water, sleep deprivation and the illness that can result from all of these factors. Seeing the War in the Pacific through the eyes of the men who fought it, the reader comes to understand that while military strategy initiates each battle, individual acts of teamwork, sacrifice and courage drive the results that follow. It is impossible not to constantly ask yourself if you would have measured up under similar circumstance. It becomes increasingly difficult to answer confidently in the affirmative.

The Pacific also illustrates how little information each person at the battlefront has about the larger context in which he is operating. Due to the necessity to keep military strategy secret as well as the challenges in conveying information on the front, marines exist on a diet of rumor and speculation as to what will next occur. The book also does a good job of showing the incredible logistical challenges involved in providing food, water and other supplies every day to large numbers of field personnel scattered across a wide area under hostile conditions. Technical resources, battle strategy, national will and individual courage determine military success in The Pacific but the ability to keep men hydrated determines whether they will be able to fight at all.

My favorite parts of the book are the descriptions of American dive bombers. Just reading about a pilot idling his engine to begin an 8,000 foot virtual free fall dive to drop a thousand pound bomb on an enemy ship causes some "puckering." If the pilot survives the dive, he hopes to have enough gasoline to find his own fleet on return and then ends by dropping his Dauntless onto the moving top of an aircraft carrier. When needed, Ensign Micheel volunteers for a second mission later the same day.

My father was a gunner on a destroyer escort in the Pacific. At his knees as a small child, I sat through countless viewings of Victory at Sea. As I got older, I could never fully understand how much a part of him his service was. I now know more about the war in which he served but I'm not sure I am that much closer to understanding what he felt. Reading books like The Pacific gives me some idea for how an 18 year old kid from East Boston could spend 3 years on a ship at war, return home with one photo over his workbench, a knife and a set of tattoos and never once talk about his experiences with his son. I wish I could have known him better and, at the same time, hope that I could have served as resolutely if needed.

4stars - "A Generation Removed" (The Ginger Man)

Helmet for My Pillow: From Parris Island to the Pacific / SalesRank : 127

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Helmet for My Pillow: From Parris Island to the Pacific
Author : Robert Leckie

Amazon Price : $9.36 42%($6.64) OFF
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Paperback [ Bantam ] [ Release : 2010 / 02 / 02 ]
ISBN : 9780553593310 / ASIN(ISBN-10) : 0553593315
[ ListPrice : $16.00 ] [ Used Price:$9.87 ]

Average Customer Review :

4.5stars [ See more reviews ]
Not really a war memoir. The author describes more the times before and after the battles. The reader can experience the transition from untrained civilian to veteran. Mixed into the story are the surreal exploits of the marines in Australia after Guadacanal. Fine companion piece to the other books used as a basis for the HBO series.

Not really a war memoir. The author describes more the times before and after the battles. The reader can experience the transition from untrained civilian to veteran. Mixed into the story are the surreal exploits of the marines in Australia after Guadacanal. Fine companion piece to the other books used as a basis for the HBO series.

4stars - "Get into a marine's mind" (John Bowes)

"Helmet for my Pillow" is a book written by writer who was from my hometown of Rutherford, NJ. He had a personal relationship with his family physician William Carlos Williams the great poet. They spent much time together and you do not know how much of William's descriptive poetry style rubbed off on Leckie. I found his vocabulary to be extensive. You must keep in mind that he is describing a terrible yet historical time in U.S. history and he is attempting to give his fellow comrades in the marines their fair due. He never names a person by their real name and I think that is masterful because it shows how you do not want to get too personal with your fellow marines, because, they will be may gone at some point soon. He wrote the book after seeing 'South Pacific" when he walked out half way through the play and said to his wife Vera "I am going to write a book to tell the true story of what took place in the South Pacific". He wanted to honor his friends who gave up so much whether they lived or died. The book is hard reading but not as hard as he had it. He was a wild guy who tells the truth. He doesn't mix word or actions. Yeah, they drank a lot. From basic training to the awful islands where they would steal Saki when they could. After a while you begin to wonder if all the marines drank that much. Yet you must remember that his generation started the cocktail hour and they lived by "Its 5 O'clock, Dear Lets have a drink!". To sum it up they are making a huge HBO show 10 parts series about it, so whether you like it or not it is a must read to appreciate the show. I read it, and, I will have a much better understanding of what those men went through. I would recommend this book. I never met Mr. Leckie as far back as I can recall. My mother and uncles were his very close friends at St. Mary's high school, in Rutherford. He was the youngest of 8 kids and it is quite exceptional that the baby in the family turned out to be such a success. He wrote over 40 books in his lifetime and he is a man with a high school education. The Sisters of St. Dominic must have done a greast job teachingb him when he wasn't playing hookie.

5stars - "True hero giving credit to his fallen and wounded marines" (John F. Kelly)

I have spent years reading personal accounts of WWII in the Pacific; this book does not measure up. The author cannot settle on a writing style as he struggles between wanting to be a poet or historian. I bought the book for its historical significance, not as an art piece.

I rarely found myself in sympathy with his character and frequently pictured him as a belligerent trouble maker (of which he was obviously proud).

Perhaps 20% of the book provides genuine insight; the remainder is nothing more than filler.

If you are looking for a story to skim read, with little substance, then buy this book. For me, the rating of 3 stars is a gift.

3stars - "Overblown" (M. Deal)

Take the outstanding details of life as a Marine in the Pacific from With The Old Breed and combine it with the prose of a poet, and you have the incredible story of Robert Leckie and the 1st Marine Division. In Leckie's first book, at the beginning of a career that will see him publish more than 30, he pulls the reader in to experience the war as if you're a fellow dogface in his platoon. Everyone is referred to throughout the book by their nicknames, he spares no details of gore in battle or celebration on leave, and his knack for putting the details of his environment into words allows the reader to truly get a mental picture of his experience. Best of all, "Lucky" has a hot temper and gets in his fair share of trouble, proving that while he's an outstanding contributor to the war effort, he's also his own man. His mouth gets him into hot water more than once, which reminds me of my own grandfather, also a Pacific veteran. This book is a wonderful addition to anyone's personal war library.

5stars - "It's like you're right alongside Leckie for the ride" (Brian C. Ferry)

One of the best personal memoirs of war I have ever read. Leckie is brutally honest about anything and everything to do with his experiences in the 1st Marine Division during WWII. Incredibly impressed by his sensitive candor and philosophical reflections on the impact of war on human beings. Having been an officer myself, I was truly shocked to read his descriptions of Marine officers blatantly stealing from enlisted men. I guess in wartime, they were willing to let anyone become an officer. Leckie pulls no punches but shows remarkable understanding, forgiveness, and mercy towards all his comrades and even the enemy. This book is a classic and a must-read for anyone interested in what combat in the Pacific theater was really like and about young men's reaction to war. Rest in peace, Robert Leckie. For those who fell, there is no hell. I thank God knowing you have been reunited with your comrades. Thank you for writing this book. It was a privilege to have read it. A great gift to those who have never known the horrors and sacrifice of war.

5stars - "Absolutely spellbinding. Couldn't put it down." (R. KELSEY)

Whirlwind: The Air War Against Japan, 1942-1945 / SalesRank : 257

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Whirlwind: The Air War Against Japan, 1942-1945
Author : Barrett Tillman

Amazon Price : $18.48 34%($9.52) OFF
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Hardcover [ Simon & Schuster ] [ Release : 2010 / 03 / 02 ]
ISBN : 9781416584407 / ASIN(ISBN-10) : 1416584404
[ ListPrice : $28.00 ] [ Used Price:$19.37 ]

Average Customer Review :

5.0stars [ See more reviews ]

The story of the B29 campaign against Japan is a microcosm of how the USA did its part to win World War II. Whirlwind tells the remarkable stories of:

1. The stupendous achievement in engineering technology and industrial production that went into the design, production, and deployment of the plane. The B29 was a gigantic plane, two of which would placed wing-to-wing would cover an entire football field. It was highly advanced with fire control by analog computing and remote-control of multiple gun turrets by a single crewman. The USA was able to produce thousands of these planes and create in the remote areas of China and the Pacific Islands the almost inconceivable infrastructure required to keep them flying.

2. The astounding degree of cooperation among engineers, production workers, and the branches of the armed forces to get this weapon into the war. A remarkably short time passed between the conception of this plane, its production, and its deployment. This was one aspect of America's wartime spirit of intensively hard work to win the war.

3. The huge amount of resources the USA committed to the effort. The first B29's were flown from bases deep inside Japanese-occupied China (I did not know this). The logistics of setting up these remote bases and keeping them stocked with fuel was a war within a war. Then the B29s were rebased to the Pacific islands and the effort scaled up a 100 fold.

4. The amount of effort required to work the "gremlins" out of the highly complex plane and to make it effective. Nearly 20% of the planes aborted due to mechanical failures on the early missions. Most of the planes that did get airborne missed their targets due to bad weather and poor bombing control. Careers of many famous Army Air Corps men were ended while others were advanced in the course of dealing with these problems and turning the planes from a liability into a weapon of terrible effectiveness.

5. The human stories of the men who flew the planes, the generals who conceived of the air campaign, and of the Japanese pilots who tried to defend against them. The story is vividly told through their perspectives and made to come to life. The reader will experience these events so vividly as to feel that he took part in them.

Whirlwind is a well-written, easy-to-read book that provides a detail of information and color that will provide fresh insights even of those who have intensively studied the B29 campaign in other books.

5stars - "A Microcosm of Victory in WWII" (Alan F. Sewell)

This book, like Barrett Tillman's other excellent book, the Clash of Carriers, provides the personal experiences of the men who were involved in bombing Japan. However, it also provides the strategic context for these events. Of course, the personal experiences are what makes this book. We are coming to the point where these men will no longer be with us, and sharing their experiences in print is priceless.

Here are a couple of examples to whet your appetite for this book. (1) There is the story of the gunner who was blown out of a B-29 at 29,000 feet and thanks to a make shift chord connecting him to the plane was dragged outside of the plane until a number of the crew could pull him in. (2) There is the story of the individual who accidentally fired off a flare in the plane. If the flare was not thrown out the window, it would burn through the plane's floor and detonate the bombs. Although he was blinded by the accident, he picked up the flare and threw it out the window. He received the Medal of Honor for his action.

Like his previous book, the author shares some insight on how things were accomplished in this period. For example, he shares how a bombadier made a Norden bombsight work, how a landing officer on a carrier helped a plane land on a bouncing deck, and the experiences of a P-51 fighter pilot who flew from Iwo Jima to Japan in a cramped uncomfortable space for 7 hours.

These are just some examples. He also shares the experiences of the men who were on the planes that dropped the first two atomic bombs, the experiences of the crews who fire bombed Tokyo in March, 1945, the carrier pilots who flew over Japan and had dog fights over their cities in the last few months, and the crews of bombers other than the B-29, e.g. the B-25 and B-24, who bombed Japan at the end of the war.

This is an excellent book and recommended for all individuals who are interested in reading about WWII in the Pacific.

5stars - "Provides personal perspectives of the men who were involved in bombing Japan" (J. Groen)

I am not a veteran. I am not an aviator. I am not a historian. I'm just a casual reader who watches History Channel from time to time. I loved this book. I've read a couple of Tillman's other books (Dauntless, and one he co-wrote with Coyle.) Those were fiction books. Although his specialty is detailed, meticulously researched history, he's a good story-teller.

It's not dry, like a history book. History is about real stuff that really happened to real people, and what comes across strongest about this book is how the author gets into the minds of the people. Apparently, he sat down and talked to the actual participants, and reports what they were thinking and feeling when these momentous things were going on.

Lots of stuff in here I never knew. Everybody knows about Kamikaze pilots flying into ships, but I did not know there were Kamikaze pilots who flew into B29s. Why isn't that as well known?

I never knew about the bitter, bitter animosity between the Japanese Army and the Japanese Navy. Apparently, that had a profound effect on the conduct and outcome of the war. Maybe military historians knew about that, but I never did, and that seems like the sort of thing that the general public should know.

What I really love about the book, though, is the insight into the people. What a soap opera! There were people who were so brave, and so brilliant, that if Hollywood tried to make a movie about them, they would be almost unbelievable. (Think Band of Brothers and Saving Private Ryan and Schindler's List.) There were also people who had been "promoted to their level of incompetence" and, after they royally screwed up and got lots of men killed, were promoted/"kicked upstairs" to get them out of the way. No punches pulled here.

This book emphasis the "story" part of "history." Fascinating book.

5stars - "Great book for the non-historian, too!" (Milquetoast)

Author Barrett Tillman has produced a welcome reminder of the efficacy of air power in Whirlwind. The most authentic and interesting presentation yet of the powerful 1945 air campaign in which true air power was realized for the first time, Whirlwind achieves every author's aim by being both scholarly and immensely readable. In telling the story of the U.S.A.A.F.'s pell-mell growth first to maturity and then to ascendancy in the skies over Japan, Tillman combines history in painstaking detail with the warm human drama of the conflict. One unusual, difficult but very valuable contribution is the care he takes to present both the American and the Japanese points of view at every level, from combat crewmember to commander.

The author covers all aspects of the air campaign against Japan, from Jimmy Doolittle's famous strike through the searing power of General LeMay's intensive fire-bombing campaign and le coup de grace of two atomic bombs. The accounts of the remarkable results from the B-29 aerial mining campaign are a welcome addition to the book, reminding us again of just how versatile the big Boeing bomber proved to be.

Tillman pulls no punches, laying out in detail just how destructive the bombing raids were but also reminding us of what a dreadful enemy the Japanese military proved to be with their heartless slaughter of captured airmen and their demonstrated intent to use every able civilian to repel an invasion. There is much to be learned from this book about World War II, and perhaps even more on the proper conduct of warfare at the present time, when the exercise of air power seems to be shelved in favor of futile attempts to win hearts and minds.

5stars - "Scholarly, readable and definitive" (Walter J. Boyne)

When I saw the first ads for this book I thought that somebody MUST have covered all allied air operations over Japan in one volume before--but apparently not. At least I couldn't find it. In that regard alone, Whirlwind fills a gap in military/naval/aviation history that has existed for 65 years.

It's understandable that most of what's been published focuses on B-29 missions from China and the Marianas. But Tillman does an excellent job of merging all the air forces that flew over the Japanese home islands, and the often overlooked US Navy, Marine Corps and British units receive much deserved attention. The background chapters describing the evolution of army and naval aviation are thorough without being excessive, and the author does an especially good job describing the individuals who produced operating doctrine and procedures as well as influencing the hardware: aircraft and ships.

Probably the least known aspect of the Japanese air campaign is covered in a short appendix: Army and Navy operations from the Aleutian Islands to the Kuriles. The book would not have suffered much from omitting that section, but it's definitely enhanced by the inclusion of the "Empire Express" missions.

The photo section is interesting in itself: a fine variety with good quality reproduction.

It's obvious that Tillman knows his subject, and he reports its sacrifice and horror chillingly, as in a memorable passage describing the March 1945 fire bombing of Tokyo. We can be thankful that he and other "last minute" historians are recording such stories while there are still some WW II veterans to relate their tales. A quick look at the contributors shows that many are already deceased, so this book probably could not have been written in another five years.

5stars - "The Whole Story, at the Last Minute" (Check Six)

Daring Young Men: The Heroism and Triumph of The Berlin Airlift-June 1948-May 1949 / SalesRank : 1115

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Daring Young Men: The Heroism and Triumph of The Berlin Airlift-June 1948-May 1949
Author : Richard Reeves

Amazon Price : $18.48 34%($9.52) OFF
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Hardcover [ Simon & Schuster ] [ Release : 2010 / 01 / 05 ]
ISBN : 9781416541196 / ASIN(ISBN-10) : 1416541195
[ ListPrice : $28.00 ] [ Used Price:$14.99 ]

Average Customer Review :

5.0stars [ See more reviews ]

I was in a small town in French occupied territory, an old German V-2 rocket launching facility. Our job was to triangulate a planes position after receiving a signal from the plane and give him a direction to where he was going.
I wish that there was more about some of the other operations going on, besides the flying aspect. However, it was interesting to read. The place was still a mess at this time.

5stars - "I was there in 1949" (Edward J. Derum)

Richard Reeves writes an historical account that reads like a novel. You can really see everything with his ability to form pictures with his words. Reading this is like listening to my father and his old brown boot army buddies; I felt like I was back there years ago listening to these men tell of their problems and triumphs. He has captured their spirit and stories, in his descriptions of Clay, of the stoppages of trains and convoys into Berlin as the crisis grew. Even glide ratios are given and technical details are made interesting and blended into the narrative
The book is amazingly complete; no where else have I read the stories of the `lost wives' club, how the families of the pilots and ground personnel ordered into service had to leave their wives and families and the problems they experienced. It is so good to have recorded the stories of the enlisted men, which so many historians overlook. There is much written about Lt. Gail Halvorsen who became renowned as the candy bomber.
As someone who flew into Templehof in the 70's and stayed in Berlin; I can attest to the fact that no where else in Europe were Americans more loved and respected than in Berlin. Everyone had personal stories that they loved to tell
The stories of the problems and triumphs are all told; including the crashes and loss of life. The airlift was not all wonderful; the frustrations are presented, the bone weariness and low morale are described as well as the elation of a mission accomplished. This is an unbelievable true story that should not be forgotten and this book has presented its' history in a well done chronicle worth reading.

5stars - "The airborne version of Dunkirk" (wogan)
I was 16 or 17 years old when the Berlin Airlift occurred, but I do remember hearing about it at the time.

We all need to read books like this one every once in awhile. It makes one proud to be an American.

I was 16 or 17 years old when the Berlin Airlift occurred, but I do remember hearing about it at the time.

We all need to read books like this one every once in awhile. It makes one proud to be an American.

4stars - "Catching up with History" (Elizabeth Bushnell)

To Richard Reeves, the Berlin Airlift was more that an eleven month heroic effort to supply the beleaguered Berliners; it was the true beginning of the Cold War, the pre-launch for the ultimate unification of Germany, and the beginning of the modern air cargo transport business. Reeves skillfully weaves together airmens' tales, Berliners recollections and the histories of the likes of Harry Truman, Ernest Bevan, Willy Brandt, Lucius Clay, William Tunner and others to give the reader a complete, satisfying and often wry recounting of heroism, extraordinary generosity and human kindness. This is a wonderful book for World War II history and aviation buffs alike.

5stars - "Absorbing history written by a superb writer" (John E. Drury)

The Berlin airlift was the start of the Cold War. The Soviets challenged and Truman answered with a huge victory. This is n easy to read history of the airlift by a respected author, Richard Reeves winner of the American Political Science award and Time Magazines non fiction author of the year winner. This is a book to read and remember and then past to your friends so that we never forget what tyrants can do and what this airlift meant to American resolve. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

5stars - "BERLIN AIRLIFT 1948" (James L. Woolridge)

We Die Alone: A WWII Epic of Escape and Endurance / SalesRank : 925

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We Die Alone: A WWII Epic of Escape and Endurance
Introduction:Stephen E. Ambrose

Amazon Price : $11.53 32%($5.42) OFF
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Paperback [ The Lyons Press ] [ Release : 2007 / 06 / 01 ]
ISBN : 9781599210636 / ASIN(ISBN-10) : 1599210630
[ ListPrice : $16.95 ] [ Used Price:$9.01 ]

Average Customer Review :

4.5stars [ See more reviews ]
The book was given to me personally by Ian Baalsrud. It is the story of him, trained as a commando and his mission to Norway, skiing cross country one step ahead of the Germans ans his escape to Sweden with the aid of Lapps. Very readable

The book was given to me personally by Ian Baalsrud. It is the story of him, trained as a commando and his mission to Norway, skiing cross country one step ahead of the Germans ans his escape to Sweden with the aid of Lapps. Very readable

5stars - "comments on We Die Alone" (Edmund W. Peaslee Jr.)

This is a really excellent book about a group of Norwegian commandos who were infiltrated into Nazi-occupied Norway in WW2. The book is great reading as a true adventure story, and it would also be of some interest to soldiers and special forces who must work in hostile, cold environments. It can certainly be said that the hero of this story, Jan Baalsrud, achieved one of the great escapes of the second world war. But it might be more true to say that he really won an epic battle of survival against the forces of nature.

Before going further ... let me thank previous reviewers who added their thoughts here on Amazon.com. If you really want to understand the story, you need to buy one of the older hard-cover versions of this book. These were printed back in the 1950's. These old versions have important maps on the inside covers, and the maps help considerably in understanding the background of what happened. Fortunately, the older hard copies can be found fairly readily by searching the used copies of the book. It's a shame that the recent paperback versions did not reproduce the maps.

The subject of this story, Mr. Baalsrud, tried to infiltrate Norway with a small team of well-trained commandos. Unfortunately, the whole plan backfired when an incredible foul-up occurred with a local contact who was supposed to help the team (I won't spoil the surprise - read the story). After that, Mr. Baalsrud became very dependent upon his personal energy and resourcefulness, combined with the sympathy of Norwegian partisans, as he struggled to avoid capture in enemy-occupied territory. Ultimately, through mistakes of judgment about weather, he was plunged into a terrible struggle against the elements. It is actually hard to believe that he survived what happened to him - I can't imagine how anyone could be entombed in a frozen wasteland and get through the experience. So this really is an epic story of Man vs. Nature.

Overall, I was very impressed by the spirit of the Norwegian partisans in WW2. Frankly, I had little knowledge of what took place in Norway under the Nazi's, and this book explains a lot about the exemplary people who lived in that country. The patriotic Norwegians made a mighty effort to save their own man, and by a miracle they managed to succeed. But only at great cost. So the background material about Norway was all very interesting and made for a great story.

Overall, this is one of the finest escape stories from the WW2 era. But mostly - it is the true tale of an epic struggle between a man and the hostile forces of nature in the "white north" of Scandinavia.

5stars - "Great Book on WW2 Escape in Norway" (P. Pollock)
This book will leave you amazed. Some of it is so unbelievable that it is tough to believe. I read this book in a week. It never let up one bit. If you wanna read a book where you will have your jaw on the floor read this one.

This book will leave you amazed. Some of it is so unbelievable that it is tough to believe. I read this book in a week. It never let up one bit. If you wanna read a book where you will have your jaw on the floor read this one.

5stars - "Absolutely Incredible" (Matthew Theisen)
Great history and a very well-written "epic of escape and endurance." Probably one of the top 25 "adventure" books of all time.

Great history and a very well-written "epic of escape and endurance." Probably one of the top 25 "adventure" books of all time.

4stars - "Very good reading for history lovers" (Terry Crock)

This book was the best book I ever read. Modern books are not researched to the extent that this book was, this was written in 1955 and researched for something like five years. I was obsessed with this story as I read this book; a true tale of survival and human endurance. I don't know if modern man has the mental strength to endure such hardship for such a long time. You will not be disappointed by reading this book. I think that this is a classic story that more people need to read.

5stars - "Best book I ever read!" (Daniel B. Taylor)

Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10 / SalesRank : 298

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Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10
Contributor:Patrick Robinson

Amazon Price : $8.99
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Mass Market Paperback [ Little, Brown and Company ] [ Release : 2009 / 05 / 01 ]
ISBN : 9780316044691 / ASIN(ISBN-10) : 0316044695
[ Used Price:$3.65 ]

Average Customer Review :

4.5stars [ See more reviews ]

luttrell and his team deserve all of the accolades and honor for their service. their story is admirable.

luttrell's book, however, is not worth the read. instead of focusing on the ordeal -- a drama that would easily be engaging by itself -- he devotes much of the book for uneducated and ignorant rants about liberals, the media, religion, politics and people who never served. there are few books to which i regret the lost time spent reading and this is one of them.

1stars - "drama is good but everything else is horrible..." (boomer sooner)

I have enjoyed books about Special Forces in the past and admire the men who have made it to this level. I was really looking forward to a good read about an admittedly amazing mission in Afghanistan.

After 50 pages my gag reflex was working at full strength. Do you really have to mention every other sentence how big, bad, and tough you are. I'll give this terrible author a hint that any screenwriter or decent action author knows. People are going to be impressed by describing in detail what the heroes do and letting us supply the admiration. You don't have to constantly tell the reader what to think. This book is the worst example of writing down to an audience that I have read in a long time. Another major fault is the constant repetition. At one point within the space of 6 or 7 paragraphs the Taliban were described with almost exactly the same adjectives 3 different times. I think the author thought he was being paid by the word.

I could go on, but the basic idea is that the book is very poorly written. I don't know how anyone above a 4th grade reading level slogs through this mess. I'm sure its a great story. Maybe someone could make a movie out of it. It would be one of the few times that the movie would have to be better than the book.

1stars - "4th Grade Writing Style" (Teddy Bax)
I read this book when it came out and found it to be completely riveting. Regardless of your position on the war in Afghanistan or global politics, you will appreciate the courage and honor of these guys. I am sharing my copy of the book with friends and they are all blown away by the story... This needs to be a motion picture!

I read this book when it came out and found it to be completely riveting. Regardless of your position on the war in Afghanistan or global politics, you will appreciate the courage and honor of these guys. I am sharing my copy of the book with friends and they are all blown away by the story... This needs to be a motion picture!

5stars - "This is one of the best books I ever read..." (GerryD)
You will not put this book down. Buy it. Read it. Then appreciate what others have done for your freedom. The book details the harrowing firefight of a 4-man SEAL team during a mission to kill or capture Ahmad Shah in Kunar Province.

You will not put this book down. Buy it. Read it. Then appreciate what others have done for your freedom. The book details the harrowing firefight of a 4-man SEAL team during a mission to kill or capture Ahmad Shah in Kunar Province.

5stars - "Four SEALs and a Shale Hillside Swarming with Taliban" (Litecone)

This is an engaging account of Navy Seal Training and of the Tragic end to a Special Forces Mission in Afghanistan. However, anyone who buys into the author's simplistic political diatribe should be very, very careful. Below are some of the discrepancies raised by the Father of the Seal Team Leader- Michael Murphy killed during the Mission described in the book.

****It's impossible to know if Mr. Luttrell, as the only American survivor of the attack, got his account right, but based on his knowledge of his son, Mr. Murphy contends that several things are wrong.

First, he says, as commanding officer, his son would not have relied on a vote. He might poll his men to get a sense of their feelings. He might let them think they were making the call, as long as they agreed with the decision he intended to make. Mr. Murphy said his son, who loved history, admired how Abraham Lincoln would pose a problem to his cabinet and let them think they were deciding, when he was actually guiding them to the answer he wanted. "Michael and I had long talks about this," Mr. Murphy said.

Second, he said, he never heard Michael use the term liberal media, nor did Michael think that way. From Mr. Murphy's years as a prosecutor, he has many journalist friends. "Michael knew and liked them," he said.

And third, he said, his son would never have seriously considered killing noncombatants.

"He wouldn't be able to live with himself," Mr. Murphy said. "Michael's view was there are more good people in this world than bad, and he gave people the benefit of the doubt. He was definitely not going to kill a 14-year-old boy who would have reminded him of his brother."

Mr. Murphy said that "even knowing the outcome" he was proud that his son let the herders go.****

Seems as though the author may have "spun" his account to fit a particular political viewpoint and in the process wrote a book full of red meat for ideologue partisans.

5stars - "Politics Should Not Intrude" (H. Gilmartin)

With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa / SalesRank : 362

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With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa
Author : E.B. Sledge

Amazon Price : $7.99
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Mass Market Paperback [ Presidio Press ] [ Release : 2007 / 09 / 25 ]
ISBN : 9780891419198 / ASIN(ISBN-10) : 0891419195
[ Used Price:$4.00 ]

Average Customer Review :

5.0stars [ See more reviews ]

I've read a lot of books about WWII, particularly the Pacific theater. I deeply respect the fact that no one who hasn't experienced combat can really understand what it's like. If you're a veteran, my comments don't apply. But for a civilian like me, this book comes the closest to giving an idea of how awful it was. Just to think about what these men did, and what they endured to get it done, runs a shiver up my spine. An incredible story.

5stars - "the closest to being there a civilian is ever going to experience" (David Wilson)
I would highly recommend this book about WWII in the Pacific. Sledge has a remarkable way of writing that makes you feel what he felt.

I would highly recommend this book about WWII in the Pacific. Sledge has a remarkable way of writing that makes you feel what he felt.

5stars - "Highly Recommended" (Kevin Clifford)
This book deserves that sixth star. It should share the spotlight with the likes of Iron Coffin. E.B. Sledge paints a true picture of war with all of it smells, gore and humane reactions and personalities. As a Viet Nam vet I can relate to the authors story and realize that the conditions of WWII and WWI were exponentialy worse.

This book deserves that sixth star. It should share the spotlight with the likes of Iron Coffin. E.B. Sledge paints a true picture of war with all of it smells, gore and humane reactions and personalities. As a Viet Nam vet I can relate to the authors story and realize that the conditions of WWII and WWI were exponentialy worse.

5stars - "War Classic" (Gary D. Burkholder)
It would be a foolhearty attempt on my part to attempt to add any superlatives not already offer by other highly favorable reviews of this book. Like any great work, I did not want it to end. ----RIP Mr. E. B. Sledge; scholar, gentlemen, Marine.

It would be a foolhearty attempt on my part to attempt to add any superlatives not already offer by other highly favorable reviews of this book. Like any great work, I did not want it to end. ----RIP Mr. E. B. Sledge; scholar, gentlemen, Marine.

5stars - "Semper Fi" (John D. Downey)

This book was highly recomended to me and it was an eye opener for me as I haven't read much about the pacific war, and this certainly was just that. The conditions that these guys lived and fought under were appalling,I always felt that the bulge fighting was tough, but the island fighting seemed like endless misery both from the elements and the fighting.I think comparisons with the Band of Brothers are not fair in the sense that BoB was a combined story of an entire company, a lot of personalities,events and the like making it a richer narrative,Sledges book is the perspective of one mans experience and observations and is more gritty as a result.
This book gets five stars in my opinion.

5stars - "The old breed" (David E. Craddock)

Night (Oprah's Book Club) / SalesRank : 666

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Night (Oprah's Book Club)
Author : Elie Wiesel

Amazon Price : $9.95
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Paperback [ Hill and Wang ] [ Release : 2006 / 01 / 16 ]
ISBN : 9780374500016 / ASIN(ISBN-10) : 0374500010
[ Used Price:$1.22 ]

Average Customer Review :

4.5stars [ See more reviews ]

Some books, it seems, are almost beyond mere review. NIGHT is about Elie Wiesel's time in Nazi concentration camps. Really, what can one add? The description alone says an awful lot. So let us not focus on subject and instead focus on readability.

NIGHT is very readable. It is not, however, a scholarly study. Many other books provide much better detail and history of the Nazi camps designed either to exterminate undesirables outright or, alternatively, work them to death. NIGHT, rather than being scholarly, is personal. It does not bring the concentration camps to life. It brings Elie Wiesel to life as he lived it in those camps and, more ominously, the life he led before them.

That life before heading to the extermination camps is of equal importance to the life in the camps itself. A basic yet terrifying rule of totalitarian ideologies and the political movements that bring them to fruition is that they do not advertise the barbaric methods that will ultimately be employed in order to achieve their ideological goals. Concentration camps were such extreme institutions that, even given the generations of anti-semitism, they seemed beyond belief until it was much too late. Wiesel and his family (and others in his village) were indeed warned as to what was awaiting them. Yet the stories were so far out there, so incomprehensible, that they were scoffed at. That is perhaps the most important lesson of the book.

At a little over 100 pages, NIGHT is actually a bit skimpy in its descriptions. Yet it provides enough. It provides the big pictures - endless work, ravenous hunger, brutality of the guards and other prisoners and, most distressing, the slipping away of one's own humanity as survival becomes so precarious that one's concerns even for loved ones slips away in the face of self-preservation.

Part memorial, part warning, NIGHT was Wiesel's first book. It could have been his last and his reputation would still be significant. It is a dark but worthwhile read about a very dark time.

5stars - "A Walk Towards Destruction" (Derek Manchette)

When a teenager, Elie Wiesel was taken from his home, and he and his family were put in a series of concentration camps over several years. Night is the haunting record of that experience, as bleakly unflinching a memoir as has ever been written. Few can know the horrors of not only spending teenage years in such a place but also seeing family members and many others die and countless others suffer. Needless to say, Wiesel's own plight was also tragically great, and he unsurprisingly lost both innocence and faith. The experience touched him so deeply that he was unable to write of it for over a decade. When he finally did, he had great difficulty getting published; the events were still very close, and the world wanted to forget rather than being reminded. However, when published in 1960, Night was an international sensation, reawakening interest in the Holocaust and all it stands for. It was not only a literary triumph but the first step in Wiesel's core belief that we must always remember the Holocaust so nothing like it ever happens again.

The book remains undeniably compelling, a masterpiece on many levels. Perhaps most immediately, it is a stark depiction of evil's height, showing humanity at its worst. This is valuable in every sense from philosophical to sociological but above all in destroying hollow optimism epitomized in the belief that things will take care of themselves and all will work out for the best. Night leaves no doubt that, left unchecked, human evil grows exponentially; it is our duty to curb it, and the awareness raised by such works is a very important part of this. Second, it is an invaluable historical document, one of the best - most thorough and readable - primary sources of the Holocaust's unparalleled miseries. As such, it is one of the darkest works ever - all the more so in being true; even the blackest imagination could not conceive such atrocities, which says all that need be said about this aspect of Night and the events it records.

Yet there are several strong senses in which the book is not bleak. First, it is an artistic masterpiece; unwavering honesty and vivid description raise it above mere memoir, putting it with the most harrowing and unforgettable first-person accounts ever. Its biggest strength in this way is unadorned yet highly effective prose. Wiesel has no time for dizzying metaphors, lush descriptions, or other fancy writing; he has a bitter story to tell and tells it as plainly and - in the best way - as simply as possible. This makes it clearer and more memorable than it could ever have been otherwise, forcing us to focus on the events rather than the writing. The story speaks for itself as few can. Though barely one hundred pages, it has more of substance and significance than nearly any other book. The words are few but the implications endless.

Perhaps more fundamentally, though Night is a savage condemnation of human evil, it is also a tribute to human endurance. Like a surprising number of others, Wiesel survived the Holocaust despite everything, showing just how far human beings can be pushed and live. Such determination and perseverance is truly incredible, a testament to the indomitable human spirit that is at least as astonishing in its way as the evil that confronted it and far more awe-inspiring. Wiesel not only lived but, in a long career starting with Night, has admirably devoted his life to exposing the Holocaust's monstrosities to guard future ages against recurring evil.

Night is a profoundly important document in this and many other ways, a must for anyone even remotely interested in the Holocaust, World War II, Judaism, or the depths to which humanity can sink - as well as, in one sense at least, all that it can rise above. It is nothing less than one of the most important and valuable books of all-time. Though a very painful read, everyone should read it if only to see just how painful life can be - and hopefully to avoid passing the pain on to those lucky enough to have been born after the nightmares it faithfully records.

5stars - "One of the Most Stunningly Powerful Works of All-Time" (Bill R. Moore)
Book was sent quickly and was in great condition. Would do bussiness with this business/person again.

Book was sent quickly and was in great condition. Would do bussiness with this business/person again.

5stars - "great" (C. Prober)

After reading "Night", I realized that it is the first book I've read that was authored by a Holocaust survivor. I was so absorbed by Elie Weisel's tale of absolute misery and despair that it only took me a little over an hour to read the entire book ... and I've found myself thinking about it's contents ever since. It is also the first book I've read that actually made me feel the authors pain.

The books starts with the feeling that Germany's defeat was imminent, Weisel conveys a sense of complacency in that it appeared he and his family would be spared the worse with the Red Army's rapid westward advance to Germany. Even when Germany invades Hungary in the spring of 1944, Weisel and his family appeared content to wait for the Russians. This proved to be a grave miscalculation as the Nazis begin deporting Jews from the ghetto to labor camps in Poland ... at this point, Weisel and his father are separated from his mother and younger sister. The remainder of the book is about survival based on ingenuity, fate and others' misfortunes. As he and his father trudge through the hell of Auschwitz; it isn't until later that Weisel begins to assume the fate of his sister and mother.

Throughout the book, death is both random and a frequent sight, with the lines of people plodding to the chimneys that endlessly spew the ashes of thousands upon thousands ... a constant reminder of his inevitible fate. Weisel frequently contemplates his faith in God, because there is no way, he believes, that God would allow such inhumanity on such a grand scale. When the thundering artillery of the approaching Red Army are actually being felt, the Nazis crudely force the inmates of Auschwitz on a death march to Germany that only the strong could possibly survive. At this point Weisel sees and feels how the bonds of family become unglued when starvation becomes extreme and how the endless dead are unceremoniously disposed. Buchenwald is the final destination of the death march and it is there where Weisel experiences his ultimate loss and eventual liberation by the Americans.

At 120 pages (including a transcript of the author's Nobel Prize speech), Weisel didn't need many words to bring forth the pain, suffering and loss he experienced and witnessed. I found myself constantly putting myself in Weisel's shoes, often wondering how he had the will, at sixteen years of age, to endure such horrific circumstances. I intended to be critical of this book in that it left me with so many questions, mainly follow-up questions, like Weisel's thoughts looking back. But, with the book still making me think several days after I read it, I accepted and appreciated "Night" for what it was ... a nightmare that became reality for a teenager ... a capsule of that particular moment in time, no more, no less.

5stars - "Haunting and powerfully tragic ..." (DACHokie)
The book arrived in excellent condition. Only problem was it somehow did not get shipped until I informed seller that it had not arrived within the specified date. It had been overlooked and was sent promptly after I inquired. Alls well that ends well.

The book arrived in excellent condition. Only problem was it somehow did not get shipped until I informed seller that it had not arrived within the specified date. It had been overlooked and was sent promptly after I inquired. Alls well that ends well.

4stars - "Book order" (M. A. Peceny)

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