CHILD OF DUST is another fine thriller by Yigal Zur. He sent me a copy for me to review. In all honesty, I have to admit that I didn't finish reading CHILD OF DUST is another fine thriller by Yigal Zur. He sent me a copy for me to review. In all honesty, I have to admit that I didn't finish reading it. So why the 4 stars you may ask? I will get to that in a moment. But first let me tell why I think why it deserves the rating.
This is not the first of his stories I have read. They say that you should write about what you know and it sure sounds like it here. Right off the bat he draws you into an exotic world were danger lies just below the surface for the unsuspecting innocent. There are no page after page of unrelated filler material here. Right away you sit up and take notice. You feel the agony of the victims. But there is the bait in the form of a shred of hope, just enough to keep you reading. For this I believe Yigal is a top notch writer.
To answer your question why I didn't finish it, I must tell you what it appears to be about. A young girl is kidnapped and being as no ransom is demanded I am led to believe it is another story of human trafficking and possibly the involvement of pedophiles. Although this is a serious problem that must be addressed and stamped out in the same manner as some countries treat drug dealers (by execution), I rather not read about it as I would other stories for entertainment. As long as government agencies protect former friends and cohorts of the likes of Jeffery Epstein because they are American politicians or British royalty justice will never be served. That is why I couldn't read any further.
If you can tolerate these triggers, you would probably give this story at least 4 stars as well. ...more
STARTER VILLAIN lost a star from me for the excessive swearing. I admit I do it at times, but too much is too much.
After seeing some friends' reviews STARTER VILLAIN lost a star from me for the excessive swearing. I admit I do it at times, but too much is too much.
After seeing some friends' reviews on this I picked it up from the library. Without referring to the jacket cover I will say that it is an entertaining story of a guy who gets caught up in the underworld of super villains. There is corporate espionage, spies, backstabbing, and of course, wouldn't you know it, genetically engineered talking animals! Except for the swearing you could say this was good comic book material. I am surprised Marvel hasn't latched onto this.
It isn't as bloody and gory as some stories, and based on what I have seen on some of my grandson's video games, this is mild stuff. Some young teens might like this, but they better hide it from their grandma!...more
A SECRET CAVALRY was a bit difficult for me to read at first and I will tell you why. It is my understanding that when a different character speaks yoA SECRET CAVALRY was a bit difficult for me to read at first and I will tell you why. It is my understanding that when a different character speaks you start a new paragraph. I may be wrong, and if I am, I apologize to the author. You see, it seems that the writing guidelines I learned decades ago have changed over the years. For instance, it used to be that you skip two spaces after a period at the end of the sentence. Now it is one space. Years ago editors wouldn't look at manuscripts that weren't typed on a typewriter either. Although the author didn't start a new paragraph after each quote, what he did was use a clever little trick which actually made me overlook this initial annoyance. Certain passages were printed in red, and I soon found myself easily ignoring my initial grumblings and concentrating on the story instead. I actually found myself looking forward to these passages! Now I have to admit that I actually read a PDF file sent me by the author so the above comment about paragraphs might be fixed in the book itself. I don't know.
The story itself easily held my attention, which was about comatose patients who are restored to health when angels move into a body in a manner similar to individuals being possessed by demons. Whereas demons harm their host and others, just the opposite is the case here. Personally I think that is a brilliant original idea for a story.
In my opinion, this story would be great as a graphic novel, especially for young adults as it teaches morals, something that is sometimes lacking today. The illustrations, though few, are pretty cool and fit in good with the story.
Would I read further works by this author? Yes, I would.
QUEEN OF STORMS deserved my 5 stars! I forgot how much I enjoyed the first book KING OF ASHES of THE FIREMANE SAGA until my friends reminded me. So I QUEEN OF STORMS deserved my 5 stars! I forgot how much I enjoyed the first book KING OF ASHES of THE FIREMANE SAGA until my friends reminded me. So I asked my library to get me book two. And let me tell you, I'm glad that I did! I have never read over 400 pages so fast. If it hadn't been for interruptions I would have finished this sooner. It is unusual for me to read 50 pages in one day, and not just because I read slowly. To tell the truth, I enjoyed going back and reliving the moment as I reread some passages.
This book has something interesting every couple of pages. It reads like GAME OF THRONES without the raunchy sex. Lots of action, but also lots of death and destruction. They don't go into gory details, but I found myself thinking "Yea!" every time some bad guy got what he deserved. If it wasn't hunting season here I might have been motivated to run through the woods with my sword slaying bad guys.
I liked all the characters, or at least the good ones. You know what their world is like and it doesn't take a lot of imagination to see their world through their eyes.
Yes, I enjoyed it, but now I just have to look for Book Three, dang it!...more
For all you fans of Buffy, BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER: COYOTE MOON is a great book to check out. To be honest, when the TV series first came out, I thouFor all you fans of Buffy, BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER: COYOTE MOON is a great book to check out. To be honest, when the TV series first came out, I thought it was kind of corny. Here you have a cute blond-haired cheerleader who goes around killing vampires and assorted monsters. For the most part, she hunts at night, patrolling the cemetery, and yet she still has time for school, homework, cheer-leading practice, honing her fighting skills under the tutelage of the school librarian, and still has time for her friends at the Bronze hangout. But when we started watching the old CDs, we were hooked. I should have known that a TV series created by Joss Whedon deserved a second look.
That said, this book was excellent. I don't know who wrote the script for the show, probably a team of writers, but as I was reading I could just picture in my mind the characters actually doing and saying the things they would have said in the show. Being a small paperback, there wasn't space for lots of world building or character development, but that was okay. A fan reading the words could picture them flowing from the character's lips, and your imagination would have subconsciously filled in the rest. And you wouldn't even know that you did it!
If you aren't a fan, you might be a bit disappointed by the suddenness of the ending, but to a fan, the real enjoyment was the journey there. Buffy might not seem as real as Sarah Conner or as tough as Lara Croft, but she certainly is a lot of fun!...more
DRAGONBALL #12 was recommended to me by my grandson Devin. He likes it and says it was good. Being as he has the posters, figures, and spends many a mDRAGONBALL #12 was recommended to me by my grandson Devin. He likes it and says it was good. Being as he has the posters, figures, and spends many a moment on his computer playing the video game, I thought I should check it out.
According to the cover, Dragon balls are some kind of power balls, but they aren't really mentioned in this book. If they were, I missed it. Moro, a super villain, busted other evil beings out of the Galactic prison and they have come to earth to rob it of treasures and lay waste to everything else. It is up to the heroes to stop them. So all the characters go into battle using their various powers. Like the computer game, they punch and kick each other and throw in the occasional energy blast.
This paperback version reads like a comic book but is sadly lacking color. The weird thing for me was having to read this English version backwards, meaning, it was laid out like a Japanese book where you start reading up in the right hand corner of what I would consider the last page and read from right to left and on down. Although this may be a selling point for today's youth, being old and set in my ways, and spoiled by my old Thor comic books, I had a hard time reading this. That was my main problem with this book. But as I stumbled through it and looked at the pictures, I imagined Devin's character blasting away one villain after another. So how could I not like it?
Would I recommend this? Well, it is a best seller and I would have probably liked it as a kid....more
"Warsaw 1920" is the story of one of the most decisive, if little known, battles in history. Had the Soviets won, Lenin's plans were for the Red Army "Warsaw 1920" is the story of one of the most decisive, if little known, battles in history. Had the Soviets won, Lenin's plans were for the Red Army to invade Germany and/or Hungary, even at the threat of igniting another world war. Most people don't know that one of the main roles of the Red Army was not just to win control of Russia from the White Army, and protect the Soviet territory from foreign invaders, but to move into foreign countries to support Communist takeovers from within. The ultimate goal was world revolution. The Weimar Republic had indeed smashed a Communist rebellion, but that's another story.
Having Polish blood in me, reading about this piece of history made me a bit proud. Newly formed Poland, with an army of about 20 divisions, faced over 70 Russian divisions. How the Poles pulled this off made for some fascinating reading. In a way of a minor spoiler, the Polish army intelligence service not only could read Soviet radio traffic, but blocked their communications, sometimes by reading passages from the Bible over the airwaves! Being godless Communists, that probably really got their goat! Polish air recon contributed as well. This same intelligence service provided the British with a captured German Enigma machine in 1939 so they could read top secret dispatches throughout WWII. According to the author, this 'ace up the sleeve' that was the Polish intelligence service remained a secret until 2004!
The area where most of the fighting took place to the east of Warsaw was referred to as the Eastern Borderlands. At the time there were several countries being formed as the old countries' boundaries were moved, often with no consideration for the people who lived there. The Treaty of Versailles created a lot of bad feelings, and not just in Germany, but in Moscow as well. Of the territories in the Eastern Borderlands, the Ukrainians often sided with the Poles, or at least viewed the Soviets as a common enemy. They attacked the Soviets in a similar manner similar to the partisans of WWII. This was one reason for Stalin's later genocide against them.
After WWII, most of Eastern Europe lay under Soviet control behind the Iron Curtain. It was only natural that the story of this embarrassing Soviet defeat was suppressed all these years. ...more
"Honor Among Thieves" starts off with a touch of "Oliver Twist" in a futuristic dystopian setting. Our heroine, Olivia Twist, who has taken up with a "Honor Among Thieves" starts off with a touch of "Oliver Twist" in a futuristic dystopian setting. Our heroine, Olivia Twist, who has taken up with a female band of thieves, must fight against the evil overlords. This seems to be a common theme in this genre.
Being as this was only my second graphic novel, and the first of which was a children's book, I had a difficult time rating this. Raised with DC and Marvel comic books, I wasn't sure what to expect. Therefore, my memory of those publications will probably have some bearing on my rating, even if subconsciously.
The purchase price was not excessive, considering our present inflation. The artwork was appealing enough for me, but not quite as good as my childhood Thor. My parents wouldn't have approved of this back then because of the occasional swear words. I can't say there were any major twists because the story was straightforward enough. Lesbian themes are not acceptable by everyone. The characters seem human enough.
Was I disappointed? No. Would I read another? Maybe if I found it in a library. Would I recommend it? Certain friends would enjoy it. Therefore, I am rating it 3.5 rounded up to 4 stars.
CHARM WARS was a nice little gem that I bought myself for Christmas, and I was glad I did. This book would appeal to a wide audience. There is a littlCHARM WARS was a nice little gem that I bought myself for Christmas, and I was glad I did. This book would appeal to a wide audience. There is a little something for everyone.
This story is about a magical land where countries have been locked in war for centuries. In the kingdom of our persons of interest, women hold the power as head of the families. Grandmother or Great-grandmother is the most powerful one in the family and her word is law. Disobedience is punishment by banishment. Yet it is the males who receive the greatest honor, especially as captains of war. I guess women are literally the power behind the throne and let the vain males feel important with titles. Gee, where have I seen this before? It sounds familiar. Anyway, battles are fought on land and sea with swords as well as magical fireballs. At the core of their magic are powerful charms that enable one to harness the energy needed. Spells and potions are employed too, as are arrows and daggers.
Being as women held the power, it was a little strange to always read 'she' when clearly a male was referred to. Their goddesses were mentioned in blessings as well as curses.
In this book there are two main characters. One is the daughter of a powerful family who is ordered to marry the jerk son of another family to form an alliance. She is trying to figure a way out of this. This young lady is studying magic to become a 'healer.' Her bodyguard, known as a 'backwatcher,' is about her age. Backwatchers usually don't use magic but rather depend on the blade to protect the person in their care. The other main character is a young male from a poor family who has aspirations to become so proficient in magic that he can gain titles and form his own dynasty. His best friend is his backwatcher.
There are fights and double-crosses, and revelations that can upset the balance of power. Families resort to cloak and dagger to steal charms from each other.
There is brilliant world building here and if one is confused, one can refer to the map or the list of characters thoughtfully provided in the front by the map. A sneak preview is provided to wet your appetite for the next book, but I am skipping that. I don't need that bait to want to look for the next book as I am hooked already.
At over 460 pages it was long but worth every penny.
I was provided with a copy of this story by the author so I could give an unbiased review.
What can I say about this tale? Well, when I was a kid I wouI was provided with a copy of this story by the author so I could give an unbiased review.
What can I say about this tale? Well, when I was a kid I would have enjoyed our hero going around killing bad guys by the score. And these bad guys deserved it. When our hero was a child in Germany, he saw the Nazis harassing and killing the Jews once they came to power. He escaped to Switzerland after his father was killed and their shop burned down. As he grew he made it his life goal to track down and kill those Nazis bastards that escaped the hangman's noose. With a little help from he Israeli government, our hero went on a killing spree in Argentina. If you want action, here it is.
Unfortunately, after having read so many books and talked to so many people over the years, I have learned quite a bit about the Nazis, WWII, and the tracking down of Nazis hiding in Argentina and elsewhere. So knowing the facts took a little fun out of this for me. For instance, our hero kills off Adolf Eichmann in a bloody shootout in the beginning of the book. Didn't the author know that Mossad agents captured him in Argentina and carried him off to Jerusalem where they tried him and executed him? It is stuff like that that bothers me, but I read the rest of the story anyway.
Still, it had its moments of mayhem and even humor, like when a Nazi was accusing our hero of being a spy while in the bathroom. It came down to 'I'll show you mine if you show me yours' being as the Nazi wanted to see if he was circumcised. The ensuing fight scene would have been Ben Stiller crazy in a movie....more
Now that's what I am saying! "USMC M4A2 Sherman vs Japanese Type 95 Ha-Go" was a first round hit dead on! Unlike another 'verses' Osprey book that I rNow that's what I am saying! "USMC M4A2 Sherman vs Japanese Type 95 Ha-Go" was a first round hit dead on! Unlike another 'verses' Osprey book that I recently read, this one was worth every penny. There were plenty of photos, artwork, maps and fine text.
The text was of course the best part, being as I am no longer a kid. When text space is a premium, they didn't waste it on too much production histories or unit compositions. After all, what the title suggests, and the reason I bought the book, was to find out how the Type 95 stood up to the M4A2 in combat. I mean, anyone with some background knowledge of WWII or tanks will have a pretty good idea of how that would turn out, but I still want to read about it, because you just never know.
For those of you who don't know, and are curious or polite enough to read this, the Type 95 was no match for the M4A2. When the Type 95 light tank was used in China or even the jungles of southeast Asia and the Pacific at the beginning of the war, it was a valuable tool against infantry. When it faced the M4A2, its 37mm gun's shells bounced off the M4A2's armor. When the M4A2 fired its 75mm gun at the Type 95 they had to use high explosive shells because the armor piercing rounds went clean through it before exploding! The Type 95 facing a M4 was like the M4 facing a German Tiger tank in Europe. The way the Japanese did use their Type 95s is interesting.
In 1941 the Japanese needed oil for their war machine, and if it wasn't forthcoming from the US, then the Japanese would just seize it by conquest. ThIn 1941 the Japanese needed oil for their war machine, and if it wasn't forthcoming from the US, then the Japanese would just seize it by conquest. That oil that they needed was in the Netherland East Indies. JAVA SEA 1942 explains the naval victories that made that invasion possible.
If one cracks open a book and looks at a map that shows the extent of the Japanese conquest at its height one will see much of the Pacific as well as Asia under their control. The funny thing is, most of that conquest came quickly at the beginning of the war while the liberation of those territories and islands dragged on for years. Why? The book explains many reasons. A big part of it was underestimating Japanese capabilities as well as Allied blunders.
Like other books in this series, there were plenty of photos, order of battle (units), and maps.
I learned some interesting facts. The maximum range of an 8in. naval gun was 32,153 yards. A US torpedo had a range of about 13,000 yards. The Japanese Type 93 torpedo had a range of 43,746 yards! This secret weapon was fast too, at about 36 knots, and because it was fueled by oxygen, it didn't leave a wake. One torpedo hit was enough to sink a ship.
Before closing I think it a fitting tribute to mention the brave little USS Edsail (DD-219). As ordered, this lone destroyer was making a run for it when it ran into the Japanese. It took 84 minutes for the Japanese to finally sink her. Two battleships fired 297 14in. and 132 6in. shells at her and two heavy cruisers fired 844 8in. and 62 5in. shells. It was the 17 Japanese dive bombers that sealed her fate. Eight survivors were pulled from the water, but sadly, they were all beheaded when once ashore....more
"Oh bury Me Not" is a great read for the fans of wrestling. Knowing so much about the sport makes me think the author is either a fan or has spent tim"Oh bury Me Not" is a great read for the fans of wrestling. Knowing so much about the sport makes me think the author is either a fan or has spent time in the ring himself. Being as I knew a scrawny kid who bulked up and became a wrestler I am giving this a 4.5 rounded up to 5 star. As I read, I couldn't help but keep thinking about that kid. As for the story and writing ability of James I must say he has kept me entertained.
"In wrestling vernacular, someone had opened a major can of whop-ass. In coroner language, Laine first suffered a low to the ribs with a fireplace poker." And it continues.
Besides having a sense of humor, I felt a bonding with the characters. Some of the sprinkling of humor may sound corny but it still brought a smile to my face. For instance, the character Shady Laine lived on Shade Tree Lane. I actually know someone who lives on a Shade Tree Lane in Texas!
James understands human nature as found in the next two passages. The cops were investigating the murder scene. A woman mentioned below was found there wearing nothing but a towel.
"Murder in Texas were common enough, but respect for womanhood was sacrosanct - especially when the womanhood in question possessed an unbelieveable set of hooters."
The Chinese-American was being questioned as a possible suspect, but she was thinking more clearly than the males present. "'She hysterical alright.' Anna repeated the words as though spitting out a bad seed. 'Hysterical ha-ha. Like school drama queen. Why girl no dress? Why she stay in towel? I tell you. Distract officer. In towel look innocent. In dress, look like slut.'"
I will be reading more of James' works. This was a freebie....more
"Against the Panzers" is a swell book covering small unit actions by US troops fighting the Germans in WWII. FYI: Panzers was the term for German tank"Against the Panzers" is a swell book covering small unit actions by US troops fighting the Germans in WWII. FYI: Panzers was the term for German tanks during WWII. What I liked about this book was that they would give the background by stating something like, "This battalion commander told this company commander to advance and occupy that town." You could look at a map and see what they were talking about. So you read on in the text and find out that the company commander told a platoon leader to have his men go down the street to the church. The platoon leader tells a squad leader to have his men check the houses on the right side of the church. The squad leader tells his two of his men to check the alley. Suddenly gunfire erupts and the men come running back yelling about Germans panzers approaching.
What actually happened in the eight battles listed was a lot more exciting than my example. Although there is talk about battalions and companies, the real interesting parts were what individual men did. Some were heroic, some probably pooped their pants. Maybe some heroes did too, but they didn't say so.
They could have used more or better maps, but otherwise it was an excellent book as it read like after action reports of real combat, which it was....more
This is an eleven volume set and even though I have only read the first one, I am going ahead with this review of 'Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars: BaThis is an eleven volume set and even though I have only read the first one, I am going ahead with this review of 'Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars: Battleworld Box Set.' Someday when I finally read the rest of the volumes I will update this.
If you are of the comic book intellectual elite, you will probably devour this like Garfield eats lasagna. Every couple of frames they make reference to something that happened in some past issue. At times I felt like I was reading the Bible with all the little footnotes of cross references. Comic book aficionado will probably feel proud if they can recall such past references off the top of their head. But don't worry, the rest of us can just read along and not be lost.
Basically the plot is that all the Marvel superheroes are transported somehow to a faraway galaxy where they battle some menace before being brought back to earth. That is all I have learned in Volume One.
The story lines are typical of comic books, as is the artwork. The twelve year old me, in the days before computers and video games, would have loved it. The old me has to laugh at some of the things fans take for granted. For instance, mighty Thor wants to hide his identity while on earth so he puts his golden locks in a ponytail and wears a pair of glasses and, like Hannah Montana, his identity is magically kept secret. And as for the lovely Mockingbird, how does she keep her mask on her face? I am thinking pastie adhesive.
A lot of research and coordination with a stack of superhero comic books went into this monumental work, so I gave it a couple of stars just for that.
Read on, and let the kid inside you run wild with your imagination!...more
"A War With No Name" is the story of Dr. Art Schmitt. The main focus is on his war time service as a navy helicopter pilot during the Vietnam War. He "A War With No Name" is the story of Dr. Art Schmitt. The main focus is on his war time service as a navy helicopter pilot during the Vietnam War. He served three tours, flying many of his missions at night in support of SEAL operations. Sometimes they would fly as many as three missions a night unloading their ordinance on the enemy in savage firefights, and sometimes extracting the wounded amidst the battles. Their choppers were often riddled with bullet holes, but only once was he ever brought down, and that was by a ten year old boy with a claymore mine! If you know anything about claymores, they are directional land mines for use against infantry on the ground. Anyway, he saw a lot of action. He also shares some tales about R&R, Rest & Relaxation, or as they called it, I&I, Intoxication & Intercourse!
What makes this book different from your usual war story book is that having earned his PhD and becoming a psychologist, he understood his Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and gives advice on how to deal with it. That in itself should be of value to veterans and their families. An interesting observation he made is that those with an antiwar attitude do more harm than good when trying to treat vets with PTSD. He also explains the history of PTSD, not only among vets, but those suffering from other trauma as well. For example railroad workers in the 1800s as well as rape victims often suffered from PTSD.
This book was an easy read and included period photographs.
On closing I would like to add some personal notes why this was special to me. I met the author and bought his books when I was in Charleston, NC a few years ago. His table was set up in the USS Yorktown gift shop. I got to tour the ship that he sometimes flew from. A carrier is huge, but I sure wouldn't want to take off or try to land on one. Many years, decades, before that I got to fly in a Huey Chopper at an army base. Those pilots must have been straight from Vietnam, for the way they flew us was incredible! I think they may have actually been trying to scare us but we laughed our asses off. Flying over a hundred miles an hour up and down over trees like a roller coaster, scaring the bejesus out of deer on the ground, and often below tree top level is an experience I will never forget. Although it was fun, the way they had to develop that skill was not. You can hear a Huey a long ways off. They have a distinctive sound. If you didn't fly like that you would not survive for long in the skies over Vietnam. ...more
Holy Cow, can this guy write! I don't know when I have ever been so drawn into a character's world as I have been with Yigal's work, "Passport to DeatHoly Cow, can this guy write! I don't know when I have ever been so drawn into a character's world as I have been with Yigal's work, "Passport to Death." This story sort of reminds me of the "Taken" movies with Liam Neeson, but instead of taking place in France, the story unfolds in Thailand.
Talk about world building; it is one thing to make up something in your head and quite another to describe something in such minuet detail that you figure the author has lived there all his life. And if that is the case, I would want Yigal at my side if I ever had to go there. He doesn't just tell you about all the pretty as a postcard scenery, but he makes you almost feel the humidity and the heat, and smell the body odors emanating from the cheap sex in the rundown hotels next door.
His description of the drug and sex trades makes one wonder if this is really a work of fiction or actual current events? It is that good. His work also explains why you read about those idiots who get busted trying to smuggle drugs while on vacation. Stupid people!
Yigal set me a copy and asked me to read it and review. Well, I did, and I have to say, "Thank you, Yigal, for the privilege of reading your work. You truly are a genius!" ...more
What a great piece of nostalgia! Growing up when the Cold War was still going on, there were plenty of spy toys and shows over the years that were quiWhat a great piece of nostalgia! Growing up when the Cold War was still going on, there were plenty of spy toys and shows over the years that were quite popular. The shows ran the gamut from Maxwell Smart to James Bond. There was even one about the west. The Wild, Wild, West that is. Of course one of my favorite was The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
U.N.C.L.E. was actually a crime fighting organization, and the enemy was T.H.R.U.S.H. Two characters were the regulars of the show. The American, Napoleon Solo, was teamed up with the Russian, Illya Kuryakin. What cool names, huh? And they had all kinds of neat spy stuff, of which the characters in this little book had their fair share. One has to remember that a lot of the stuff we take for granted now like a drone the size of a bumble bee or a Predator firing a Hellfire missile from 40,000 feet were the stuff of science fiction back then. Our heroes had simple little gadgets that gave them the edge in espionage.
As I slowly read this little book I could imagine the magic conveyed as my younger self turned the pages. There was not a lot of text per page, but that didn't matter, as the page opposite was always illustrated in color, like an odd shaped comic book, minus all the ads.
Yes, it was an easy read, and it had a moral to the story. The Good Guys were good and the Bad Guys were bad. Simple enough to make me want to join the team when I grew up....more
This was a Goodreads win for me, so here is my review.
Wow, what a read! The beginning was a little slow as the background was set for this massive talThis was a Goodreads win for me, so here is my review.
Wow, what a read! The beginning was a little slow as the background was set for this massive tale, but as I dug into it, not only was I drawn into the world immersed between the pages, but as I came up for air I was realized how much some things never change. Basically the story is about children robbed of their childhood who become soldiers in a violent war. Yes, all wars are bad, but civil wars seem to bring out the most savagery in people.
As I stated above, some things never change. While reading this book, I was reminded of the old "Soldier of Fortune" magazine articles from the 70's and 80's. At that time the editor, Robert Brown, was often personally reporting on various mercenary groups around the world. Their main enemy, much like the characters in this book, were often the Communists and drug dealers, who even then, often worked hand in hand. The tactics of those involved at the time were mirrored in this book.
Writing fiction is difficult enough, especially when you try to get facts straight, but to actually go to the source, especially when the source happen to be people amidst a war, is both a dangerous and monumental task. For that reason I have to salute the author Rusty Young for this bit of outstanding 'journalism.' US reporters have much to learn from this man's efforts....more
The last time I read this book was probably shortly after I bought it, brand new, for a dollar, back in 1972. Being as the 75th anniversary of D-day wThe last time I read this book was probably shortly after I bought it, brand new, for a dollar, back in 1972. Being as the 75th anniversary of D-day was upon us, I thought I would read it again, as my small part of the celebration, and in honor of those heroes of days gone by. Now I have read a lot of D-day books between 1972 and now and I'll tell you, this little book gives a good deal of background information usually not mentioned, or only in passing, in heavier tomes. No, it isn't all action, but true to the series, there are a lot of photos and maps.
As every year that goes by there are fewer and fewer D-day veterans left amongst us. One of them, I believe he is 90 now, was not much more than a boy when he jumped as a paratrooper into the darkness over Normandy back in 1944. During this year's celebration he made another jump. Of course he was tethered to another much younger trooper, and it was daylight, but he still did it! I don't know if I would jump out of a perfectly good airplane. I am mentioning him for a reason.
In the book it explains what a close call it actually was during those early hours of the invasion. They had one chance. The die was cast. It was do or die, and many did. One of the things that prevented the German reserves and available armor from counterattacking the crowded beaches were those young men from the three airborne divisions. As so often the case in war, things conspired to wreck havoc to well laid and rehearsed plans. Instead of units landing close together and forming up into well supplied battle groups, the American and British paratroopers ended up scattered all over the country side. Lost and out of contact with their comrades, they never the less tried to carry out their missions. In ones and twos they carried the war to the enemy. Ironically, it was this haphazard free-for-all that confused and tied up many a German unit. There was no identified enemy units, they were just all over the place! This 90 year old man was one of those brave young men just doing his duty in the early hours of D-day.
Before closing there is something else I must mention about this book. The author served in WWII, and the military consultant was none other than Sir Basil Liddell Hart. Those of us who grew up reading books written by men 'who were there' will recognize the name. If you can find a copy, check it out. ...more
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