Bing West served as a Marine officer in Vietnam, then moved on to journalism. Here he accompanied some Marine units during the battle of Falujah and oBing West served as a Marine officer in Vietnam, then moved on to journalism. Here he accompanied some Marine units during the battle of Falujah and offered both his day-to-day account of their experiences and his observations on the higher level political maneuverings that shaped the events they lived through....more
A poignant and insightful memoir of one Marine's experience in World War II in the Pacific. Sledge did a memorable job of capturing the heartbreak andA poignant and insightful memoir of one Marine's experience in World War II in the Pacific. Sledge did a memorable job of capturing the heartbreak and camaraderie he experienced, and any young person who is considering military service (or any politician considering getting into a war) should read it first; it is sometimes necessary but not to be entered into lightly (speaking as a retired Marine)....more
If only some famous (and infamous) generals and politicians had read this and taken it to heart, millions of people who have died in the 20th century If only some famous (and infamous) generals and politicians had read this and taken it to heart, millions of people who have died in the 20th century would be alive today. With many specific examples of general principles, Liddell Hart presented lessons he had learned in the trenches in World War I. The underlying idea is that of the indirect approach....more
Basically a good book but too slanted to the left (and I'm a Kucinich liberal.) Scahill did a lot of research, and I'm familiar with his work from DemBasically a good book but too slanted to the left (and I'm a Kucinich liberal.) Scahill did a lot of research, and I'm familiar with his work from Democracy Now!, but I'm also pretty well informed in military affairs... And I found that he sometimes distorted things in this book, either sincerely as I trust, or else in a deliberate effort to paint some of the folks he wrote about (such as Dr./LtCol David Grossman, who has worked long and hard to combat the pervasiveness of violence in entertainment and popular culture, even co-authoring a book titled Stop Teaching Our Kids to Kill, but whom Scahill depicts as more or less a bloodthirsty neocon lunatic) as negatively as he could. Either way, it compromised his credibility for me regarding any details I didn't have independent confirmation on or know myself firsthand - and if I had that level of knowledge about everything he wrote, why would I need to read his book?) So I would take the info he presents here as pointers for further investigation but not as authoritative....more
A superior record of the 2003 conquest of Iraq by a Rolling Stone journalist attached to a Marine Recon unit that ran into some of the worst of the fiA superior record of the 2003 conquest of Iraq by a Rolling Stone journalist attached to a Marine Recon unit that ran into some of the worst of the fighting (in fact, the officer leading the platoon with which the author spent his time, then-Lieutenant Jonathan Fick, has written his own book about his experiences in the Marine Corps including this period, titled One Bullet Away.) More reflective than most of the embedded journalism we've seen since the 1991 Gulf War....more
A careful and reasoned, but passionate, analysis of the danger fundamentalist politics pose to freedom, democracy, and reason in Western society. EverA careful and reasoned, but passionate, analysis of the danger fundamentalist politics pose to freedom, democracy, and reason in Western society. Every voter should read this book while thinking about future elections. Harris makes a strong case that the working principles of fundamentalism (any kind of fundamentalism, not just Christian) run contrary to the traditional teachings of Christian ethics and pose what may be the greatest danger our freedoms have ever faced....more
A masterful and balanced study of a complicated topic. The author avoids demonizing the people who work in privatized military companies (PMCs), some A masterful and balanced study of a complicated topic. The author avoids demonizing the people who work in privatized military companies (PMCs), some of which do and some of which don't fit the definition of mercenaries, while making clear the dangers the industry itself poses to our national security, the people of the societies where they are working, and international order. He focuses primarily on Iraq but also examines quite a few other places and situations, present and past, including the parallels to the European mercantile companies like the British East India Company that had their own armies and functioned in some ways as proxies for their home governments (an arrangement that today might be called fascism, with its blending of corporate and government power and identities.)
One of the old masters of systems theory, Dr. W. Edwards Deming, made exhaustive studies of the problems of systems gone astray. He made and remade the point that, although in our culture the first reflex is often to look for a guilty party, a full 95% of the time - not a figure he pulled out of the air, but an actual statistical finding - everyone involved in the situation was making a good-faith effort to do the right thing, but the system in which they were working was flawed in ways that caused the bad outcomes he studied. The solution is to change the system, not blame the people; if we just ID and crucify some culprits and leave the system intact, the same things will almost certainly happen again with the next set of people.
Another relevant point was made by M. Scott Peck in his book People of the Lie, a study on evil. He recounted his experience while working at the Pentagon during the Vietnam war, and how the process of planning and executing that war and the attendant responsibility for its results was distributed among so many people that any one of them was likely to honestly feel that he/she wasn't the one making it happen, but was only doing his/her job as well as possible while the decisions and power rested elsewhere. That was one type of flawed system a la Deming.
Today as then, it might be more accurate to say that there are indeed some culprits, some people who are knowingly causing evil and suffering in the places where the PMCs operate; but most of those culprits are high up and far away.
This is a vital book for anyone concerned about the future of our country's international relations, the furthering of government reform in the Third World, and the blurring of the boundaries between government and corporate powers....more
I really like a lot of what Peck had to say in this book, especially about the nature of love - his premise is that true love is not a feeling so muchI really like a lot of what Peck had to say in this book, especially about the nature of love - his premise is that true love is not a feeling so much as a way of treating another person; in other words, without loving behavior, all the warm-and-fuzzy words in the world don't matter. On the flip side, we can behave in a loving and nurturing way toward people we don't have warm feelings toward or even like. I don't share Peck's evangelical Christianity, but I like his compassionate values. It's worth noting here that despite the prominent place of his religion in his life, the "traditional values" mentioned in the title have little to do with the modern-day fundamentalist right's use of the phrase "traditional values" as a nice-sounding way of saying "discrimination against LGBT people and equal marriage rights."
Another element of this book that really rings true for me is Peck's discussion of courage and fear - in fact, I used to have a quote from this book framed and hanging in my office: “Most people think that courage is the absence of fear. The absence of fear is not courage; the absence of fear is some kind of brain damage. Courage is the capacity to go ahead in spite of the fear, or in spite of the pain. When you do that, you will find that overcoming that fear will not only make you stronger but will be a big step forward toward maturity.”
I will be participating in a long-term journaling/book study group (at the local VA hospital, actually) starting later this year, and this is probably the book we'll be reading and writing about - I lobbied for us to choose this book from those that group members brought up, and I'm glad it looks as if it will be the one we read and write about....more
Eloquent, often sad, ultimately a triumph of a strong (and lucky) spirit over tragedy. This young man's story is one case of a terrible problem being Eloquent, often sad, ultimately a triumph of a strong (and lucky) spirit over tragedy. This young man's story is one case of a terrible problem being repeated tens of thousands of times every day around the world. No one's understanding of Third World wars and politics can be complete without including the factor of children forced into military service....more
The most whimsical yet in David MacAulay's body of works - this time he tackles the Empire State Building, and instead of straightforwardly showing hoThe most whimsical yet in David MacAulay's body of works - this time he tackles the Empire State Building, and instead of straightforwardly showing how it was built, he imagines a situation in which an oil-rich sheikh has bought the great building and is having it dismantled, reversing the building process, so it can be shipped to the Middle East. A great fun read, with the usual combination of fascinating tidbits of information, little bits of fun, and portrait of the culture and people that created the structure. A fitting companion piece to go with Castle, Cathedral, Mill, Mosque, Pyramid, and City. A good Christmas gift for kids or young-at-heart adults....more
Another in MacAulay's great books, showing how an Industrial-Revolution era mill (in this case) was built, along with how it fit into the culture thatAnother in MacAulay's great books, showing how an Industrial-Revolution era mill (in this case) was built, along with how it fit into the culture that created it. His other books in the same spirit are Castle, Cathedral, Pyramid, City, Mosque, and Unbuilding. Lots of fun to read with or without kids....more
This time, David MacAulay turns his architectural, historical, and anthropological scrutiny and artistry on a structure less familiar to most Western This time, David MacAulay turns his architectural, historical, and anthropological scrutiny and artistry on a structure less familiar to most Western readers. This is an addition to his series on great cultural structures (others are Castle, Cathedral, City, Mill, Pyramid, and Unbuilding.) These books are a great parent/grandparent-and-child reading experience....more
In this book the gifted architect, artist, and historian David MacAulay tells the story of the design and construction of a typical frontier town of tIn this book the gifted architect, artist, and historian David MacAulay tells the story of the design and construction of a typical frontier town of the Roman empire, a standardized plan meant to implant the Roman culture on the frontier. Clear, whimsical, and painlessly informative, this is another in a great series from MacAulay along with Castle, Cathedral, Pyramid, Mill, Mosque, and Unbuilding. A lot of fun - I wish these books had been around when I was a kid....more
Another of David MacAulay's great books that uses architectural history as a starting point to portray a whole culture and people, in this case those Another of David MacAulay's great books that uses architectural history as a starting point to portray a whole culture and people, in this case those of the classical Egyptian civilization that created the pyramids. A great book to read with the kids or grandkids, like his companion volumes Castle, Cathedral, Mosque, City, Mill, and Unbuilding....more
Award-winning, and the lead-off for a whole series of books for adults and kids to share about how various structures were created (others are CathedrAward-winning, and the lead-off for a whole series of books for adults and kids to share about how various structures were created (others are Cathedral, Pyramid, Mill, City, Mosque, and Unbuilding) - this is as much about the culture and people that built the castle as about the castle itself. A great book....more
A cool book for adults and kids to read together. MacAulay is an architect by profession, and could just as easily be a historian or anthropologist; tA cool book for adults and kids to read together. MacAulay is an architect by profession, and could just as easily be a historian or anthropologist; this book draws on all three disciplines. Fascinating, like his companion books Castle, Pyramid, Mill, Mosque, City, and Unbuilding....more
I was stationed at 29 Palms at the same time as the author, and his descriptions of life as a Marine grunt ring hilariously and poignantly true. Sad, I was stationed at 29 Palms at the same time as the author, and his descriptions of life as a Marine grunt ring hilariously and poignantly true. Sad, funny, and enlightening....more
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