Blue Rhapsodies: Poems of a Navy Life by Nancy Arbuthnot

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MWSA Review

Nancy Arbuthnot has penned a moving collection of poems about her life as a “Navy Junior.” Blue Rhapsodies: Poems of a Navy Life will strike a chord on many levels. Arbuthnot, one of seven siblings writes stirring passages:

“I pretend sleep on the car ride home so my father will lift me one last time in his arms” showing how she yearns for closeness from her often-absent father, a Navy pilot.

As with many military families who are asked to relocate every few years, the author writes of her always flexible mother:

“…our perfumed mother in flowered sundress, pearls and red lipstick, baby nestled beside her as she checks off boxes the movers carry inside”

Blue Rhapsodies is based on recollections of the author’s life, true to her experience but common to so many. From childhood through college years, she was always a Navy daughter. After college, Arbuthnot took on a new Navy identity, a professor at the Naval Academy. Her poems take on a new point of view “Under blue Annapolis skies.”

Blue Rhapsodies reveals the author’s innermost thoughts over many years. Now a professor at the academy but also a Navy daughter - with aging parents. Poignant lines evoking emotion about the dedicated caregivers for both her mother and father convey what many of us with aging parents have experienced. Arbuthnot writes of her beloved parents’ decline while giving tribute to the life they lived and the experiences they had.

Review by Nancy Panko (May 2022)

Author's Synopsis

In compelling poetic vignettes, Nancy Arbuthnot presents the story of her life that spans a "Navy junior" childhood of constant moves and an often-absent father; a career teaching poetry and composition to midshipmen at the Naval Academy; and her recent years caring for her father, "the Captain," debilitated by a major stroke but still "master and commander."

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Poetry—Poetry Book

Number of Pages: 116

Hammers of Voices Silent by Robert Wood

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MWSA Review

This is an interesting compendium of sixty-six poems that reveal the author's diverse vocabulary and ability to cleverly rhyme and alliterate.

While infused with a lot of free-form style that hints at some deep-seated anger and frustration with people and society, some wonderful gems of phrasing make a strong impact and a jarring mental image, like "slivers of broken glass rafting your veins," and "Conspiracies of imbecility," and "As all wars must inevitably be since reason always dies..."

The poem "Had I Again" is a particular standout hinting at opportunities taken (and in some instances, lost) as one flows down the river of life."

Review by Frank Biggio (June 2022)

 

Author's Synopsis

Athens lacked the swarms of gadflies needed to awaken its democracy to the evil of banishing the best, executing scapegoats at will, and denying both merit and reason to squander all that it had achieved and all that it might have achieved. Hammers of Voices Silent suggests the United States would require entire armies of gadflies to make a dent in what has become the silliest and most bizarrely corrupt nation ever to exist. The author considers his work only a token force but acknowledges the obligation.

He had meant to compose some devastatingly wondrous essays but noticed he had not the talent or time deciding rhyme would be quicker off the mark and waste fewer trees in the process. The poems document some eighty years of observation and research into the workings of the human mind which he finds consistently depressing but nevertheless interesting in the way large wrecks on the freeway draw one’s attention even with the best of intentions sought.

The author admits his work may not make the slightest difference in the cultural revolution of idiocy rampant but such phenomena run their course to die with or without gadflies since the utter chaos created must lead to overcompensation in the opposite direction. The patterns within history and individual human beings assure the next stage in the process and it is this stage the author most fears for all too often the new “correct” wastes its new found ascendency to trample all now fallen from grace. He hopes the next victor can lead with honor and reason even with a clear and present mandate of power. If one Epaminondas existed, then the author believes a few more such giants might in time appear though their task the greater with every year wasted in the sound and fury of wrathful indignation and endless hypocrisy. 

The book does hold out hope if only humans can summon the astounding reservoirs of courage, honor and sacrifice some display in moments of peril to maintain in dignity what their sacrifices gained for all rather than allowing such accomplishments to be auctioned off to the highest bidder. The author believes the present cultural revolution and the following counter revolution are the greatest threats ever faced by the United States with the specter of politicians attending the unending funerals of REASON, LOGIC, ETHICS, HONOR and KINDNESS. 

Just as individual humans deny their mortality until their last breath, each nation denies even the possibility of demise until the weight of corruption, incompetence, insouciance, hubris and profligacy crush its foundations and another Ozymandias slips beneath the sand. The poems are intended to mirror the knowledge the author has gained from his life’s extensive library of mistakes with the hope such information may make some small difference for the better in a world needing a lot of difference for the better.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Poetry—Poetry Book

Number of Pages: 133

At First Light A True World War II Story of a Hero, His Bravery, and an Amazing Horse by Walt Larimore and Mike Yorkey

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MWSA Review

Walt Larimore and Mike Yorkey’s At First Light is the saga of his father’s unending bravery in the U.S. Army during WW ll. Despite being the youngest commissioned officer in the war, Phil Larimore immediately develops into the quintessential soldier: just as good at following as leading. Everyone around him recognizes that he is comprised wholly of tenacity.

A play-by-play of Phil’s training and combat exploits brings us to the front lines with its challenges, accomplishments, horror, death, and cold (literally) harsh realities of war. Phil performed his mission of delivering ammunition to the troops through seemingly insurmountable obstacles, earning decoration after decoration, and probably more important to him, the respect of his troops. They would have followed him to the ends of the earth, and they did just that, time after time.

As we see Phil lead his troops through Italy, France, and Germany, we get a history lesson and a reminder of true American heroes. We get to know the characters, complete with photos, including the animals in Phil’s world. He trains mules to get supplies and equipment to the front lines. He was also highly skilled with horses, but his love for them is what gets him through hard times, even after the war. The usually stark WW II story is humanized by this unequivocal expertise, and his romantic joys and heartbreaks.

Through years of research the author discovered that distinct part of life so many of our fathers and grandfathers couldn’t share. Never before has a book moved me to tears, out of pride—for 2nd Lieutenant Phil Larimore’s legacy, and my own humble service in the U.S. Army.

Review by Sue Rushford (June 2022)

 

Author's Synopsis

What makes 2nd Lieutenant Phil Larimore’s story special is what happened in World War II’s closing days and the people—and horses—he interacted with in this Forrest Gump-like tale that is emotional, heartbreaking, and inspiring.

Growing up in the 1930s in Memphis, Tennessee, Phil Larimore is the ultimate Boy Scout—able to read maps, put a compass to good use, and traverse wild swamps and desolate canyons. His other great skill is riding horses.

Phil does poorly in school, however, leading his parents send to him to a military academy. After Pearl Harbor, Phil realizes he is destined for war. Three weeks before his eighteenth birthday, he becomes the youngest candidate to ever graduate from Officer Candidate School (OCS) at Fort Benning, Georgia.

Landing on the Anzio beachhead in February 1944, Phil is put in charge of an Ammunition Pioneer Platoon in the 3rd Infantry Division. Their job: deliver ammunition to the frontline foxholes—a dangerous assignment involving regular forays into No Man’s Land.

As Phil fights his way up the Italian boot, into Southern France and across the Rhine River into Germany, he is caught up in some of the most intense combat ever. But it’s what happens in the final stages of the war and his homecoming that makes Phil’s story incredibly special and heartwarming.

An emotional tale of courage, daring, and heroism, At First Light will remind you of the indomitable human spirit that lives in all of us.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Nonfiction—Memoir/Biography

Number of Pages: 480

Happenstance Farms A New Home by S. McMichael

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MWSA Review

What will Savannah do when her horse trainer moves out of town and her barn closes? S. McMichael in Happenstance Farms: A New Home has the answer. Find new ones! The prospect of change is scary for the young girl. Will she like her trainer? Will her trainer like her? Will her pony, Coffee, like the new barn? Will Savannah make new friends? So many questions. Will she find the answers?

At Happenstance Farms, Miss Ellen and her pup Eli make Savannah feel at home immediately. All her fears disappear when she mounts Coffee for her skill level evaluation. When she is on Coffee, she feels like nothing in this world matters except for them—soaring around the ring and over the jumps.

Putting Coffee in the barn, she meets Sophia, who warmly welcomes her—a great beginning to her new adventure. This book will appeal to young children with like-minded interests. They will finish the story wanting to learn more about Savannah and Happenstance Farms.

Review by Sandi Cathcart (June 2022)

 

Author's Synopsis

Change can be difficult, especially for Savanna. When she gets a new trainer at a new barn, she can't help thinking about how much she'll miss Colts & Company. More than that...she's a little scared. What will happen when Savanna swallows her fear and takes a chance on Happenstance Farms?

A fun, relatable story about a girl and her pony, your child will love keeping up with the adventures at Happenstance Farms. With charming characters, lots of laughs, and social-emotional learning, this book is the perfect addition to any home or classroom library

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Children & Young Adult—Picture Book

Number of Pages: 32

Vietnam Saga; Exploits of a Combat Helicopter Pilot by Stan Corvin, Jr.

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MWSA Review

Vietnam Saga is an excellent and easy read. It is more than one man's memoir. It has elements of war that are common to all who have served. There is the excitement/terror/emotion of preparing for and ultimately engaging an enemy. There is the frustration of failed plans and the loss of comrades in arms. There is the rapid shift of emotions between the stress in a war zone and the feeling of "escape" during R&R (rest and relaxation/recovery).

The most striking thing I found about the book was the style of writing. I felt as if I were sitting with the author in a small, warm room listening to him recount his stories just for me as a special friend. Throughout the book, the author expresses a deep conflict between his Christian belief and the killing required by the circumstances of war. He has a short-term rationale that sees him through the war years. His ultimate resolution, however, is found in his strong faith in a loving God and forgiveness through grace and faith in his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Review by Jerry L. Burton (June 2022)

 

Author's Synopsis

"Vietnam Saga" is a very personal story of Stan Corvin’s often perilous times in the U.S. Army as a two-tour combat helicopter pilot in Vietnam. It’s a true-life story of soldiers who fought for freedom and often for their very lives. "Vietnam Saga" is also a story about the meaning of life. Standing back from his war experience, Stan reflects on his ever-present faith and how it carried him through this challenging period of his life. Originally written as a legacy to Stan Corvin’s family—something that will be passed down for many generations—"Vietnam Saga" is now an opportunity for you to share in this legacy and the personal recollections, memories, thoughts, fears and shed tears of a decorated and dedicated American soldier.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Nonfiction—Memoir/Biography

Number of Pages: 332

In the Year of the Rabbit by Terence A. Harkin

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MWSA Review

In his book, In the Year of the Rabbit, author Terence A Harkin has given us his sequel to The Big Buddha Bicycle Race. That story ends with a terrorist attack that kills our protagonist's friends and sends him to the hospital. Brendan's opposition to the Vietnam war and his continued service in the air force grows. He requests a discharge from the air force that is not taken seriously. As a combat photographer, he is assigned a mission on a Spectre aircraft which is shot down in enemy territory. Brendan and a fellow crew member are injured but survive the crash and finally make it back to Thailand. This event makes Brendan even more determined to leave the service. While his request is finally approved, Brendan knows he is carrying a lot of emotional baggage he can't handle. He decides to live at a monastery and train to be a Buddhist monk, hoping the mental discipline can help heal him. He does so, but after his training, he believes he needs to go back to the wreckage site to finally make peace with his guilt. As a monk, he has to make the trip with no possessions, surviving off the gifts of food from the people he meets along the way. This is a story of a young soldier who has seen too much and has lost his way.

Review by Bob Doerr (June 2022)

 

Author's Synopsis

Cameraman Brendan Leary survived the ambush of the Big Buddha Bicycle Race—but Tukada, his star-crossed lover, did not. Leary returns to combat, flying night operations over the mountains of Laos, too numb to notice that Pawnsiri, one of his adult-school students, is courting him. When his gunship is shot down, he survives again, hiking out of the jungle with Harley Baker, the guitar-playing door gunner he loves and hates. Leary is discharged but remains in Thailand, ordaining as a Buddhist monk and embarking on a pilgrimage through the wastelands of Laos, haunted by what Thais call "pii tai hong"—the restless, unhappy ghosts of his doomed crewmates.

In the Year of the Rabbit, a story of healing and redemption, honors three groups missing from accounts of the Vietnam War—the air commandos who risked death flying night after night over the Ho Chi Minh Trail, the active-duty airmen who risked prison by joining the GI antiwar movement, and the people of neutral Laos, whose lives and country were devastated.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Fiction—Literary Fiction

Number of Pages: 316

The Legend (A Kate Tyler Novel) by Nancy Wakeley

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MWSA Review

Nancy Wakeley’s second book, The Legend, follows up on the everyday heroine Kate Tyler. Now that Kate has moved past the sudden death of her twin, she starts to feel that “travel bug” again. Coupled with some very vivid, repetitive dreams, she is strangely drawn to the small town of Rye, England. While working on her travel blog, she stumbles upon a mysterious book from hundreds of years ago that features a young woman named Arabella.

Kate is shocked when she sees that the picture of Arabella looks exactly like Kate. Though unnerved, she continues her studies of Rye and the surrounding countryside, only to be reminded by the locals at every turn how much she looks like the mysterious Arabella. Drawn into the web of a local legend, Kate is at first intrigued. Soon, however, she is in real danger, and only her new friend Miles has any chance to save her.

It is obvious that the author did extensive research on small town England, as the story she weaves is ripe with detail and an atmosphere that could only come from a small European town. The story features a host of interesting characters, from the villain Virginia to the manly but vulnerable Miles. It is well written and easy to read, ensuring that fans of literary fiction will enjoy this book.

Review by Rob Ballister (June 2022)

 

Author's Synopsis

What does it mean to live the life you were meant to live?  Kate Tyler is asking herself this question as she travels to the ancient town of Rye, England on business.  But unsettling dreams of ships and storms, a stolen book of ancient legends, mistaken identity, and the mysterious Corvos Sisterhood all conspire to draw Kate into finding the truth behind the tragic legend of young Arabella Courbain who died in 1766 and who had vowed to return one day to live the life she was meant to live.  

As Kate reads Arabella’s story in the book of ancient legends, she feels a powerful connection to her as if the young woman is reaching out to her from the past, pleading to finally have the truth about her life and death revealed.  

Kate’s unexpected journey of discovery takes her from a peculiar man in a bookstore and the quaint shops and ghostly inns in Rye to the Calloway House and Gardens and its mistress, herbalist Virginia Calloway, whose fervent belief that the prophesy in the legend of Arabella Courbain will come true soon leads Kate down a dangerous path that could change her life forever.  

In spite of warnings from Rye Detective Sergeant Miles Pixley, Kate seeks out the answers to the mystery in the Calloway House.  Will she find the truth before it is too late?  And will she discover for herself if she is living the life she was meant to live?

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Fiction—Literary Fiction

Number of Pages: 316

Q.Fulvius: A Pirate's Life by M. G. Haynes

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MWSA Review

Q. Fulvius: A Pirate’s Life, book two in the Fulvius Chronicles by M. G. Haynes, describes a few years in the life of an escaped Roman centurion and his mates. Fulvius joins a pirate colony on an island in the Adriatic Sea and improves the lives of the Illyrians with his military knowledge, making them safer and more prosperous. He experiences true family support for the first time in his life and is conflicted between his desire for independence and the pull of the community’s needs. After a year of settling in, outside events threaten the colony as it is caught between the Macedonians in the east who want to take over the Greek coast and part of Italy and the Romans who want to stop them. The Romans also want to capture the escaped centurion and punish him. Life is not easy in the third century, but the centurion and his friends have been trained to fight, and their skills save the lives of many in the village. You’ll find lots of plot twists in this very easy read.

Review by Nancy Kauffman (May 2022)

Author's Synopsis

Book two of The Fulvius Chronicles, this installment continues to follow Fulvius and his disreputable gang after their narrow escape from a legionary death sentence during the Second Punic War. Fleeing across the Adriatic Sea they find new allies and a new vocation, piracy. Taking naturally to littoral banditry, Fulvius and his new charges grow steadily in both power and wealth until the wider politics of the region intrude upon their piratical nirvana in a way none of them expected. Fulvius is forced to deal with the sudden return of an old, vengeful enemy, an opportunity for enrichment simply too good to pass up, and ultimately, betrayal within his own ranks just to survive, much less find any way to prosper. In the end, all his schemes come crashing down around him, and the members of the pirate community--to say nothing of Fulvius himself--must fight for their very lives in a massive and swirling battle royale along the Illyrian coast.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Fiction—Historical Fiction

Number of Pages: 313

Rare Bird: Hispanic Military Pilots of the USA by Rudolph C. Villarreal

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MWSA Review

As an Air Force veteran, I found this book to be a profound "joy of discovery," and it should be read by all Americans. Of these over 100 Hispanic military pilots, there are no less than eleven flag officers (generals or admirals), three astronauts, and eight aces. Also included is Colonel Cesar Rodriguez, a retired F-15 pilot who is one of three pilots, post-Vietnam, who achieved three aerial victories, where there have been no aces since that war. Because the book is written in a precise biographical style, it is possible to appreciate the great accomplishments of many of these pilots and realize the unspoken tragedy and sacrifice of many others who gave their lives in the defense of the United States. This is a great reference for military and aviation history applications.

Review by Terry Lloyd (June 2022)

 

Author's Synopsis

They may have been Rare but they were There, serving in every Theater of Operations.  In a society that did not always welcome Hispanics, these men persevered.  Becoming a military pilot was not easy.  One had to be a cut above the average person.  College was a must although this requirement had been dropped during wartime.  And then, only those who were able to pass the stringent physical and mental tests were allowed to begin flight school and subsequently endure a year or more of a stressful training process that would eliminate some of the students.  Those who succeeded received their wings and joined a fraternity of aviators that served the country admirably in peacetime and war.

Tempe, Arizona based historian and author Rudy Villarreal has published his new book which features 101 stories of these pilots, from a list of over 300 who have served in the US military since the early days of aviation.  One of these featured is quite famous in the sports world: Ted Williams considered to be one of the greatest players in major league baseball history.

Format(s) for review: Paper Only

Review Genre: Nonfiction—History

A Rock in the Clouds: A Life Revisited by Joseph R. Tedeschi

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MWSA Review

Wars may last for years—or even decades—but they often end in an instant for the individual soldiers who fight them. A Rock in the Clouds tells the story of one such instant, a plane crash in Vietnam that ended the author’s deployment a mere three weeks after it began. It also ended the lives of thirteen fellow service members, and the author never takes his survival for granted as he revisits the entirety of his life before, during, and after that near-death experience.

Any account of a plane crash would be harrowing, but this book’s finest feature is that the author goes beyond a first-person account and provides a painstakingly compiled record that sheds light in a way no single person could. The research also includes interesting nuggets about medical personnel he met during his recovery and, most strikingly, a picture of the airplane’s pilot with three of the sons he left behind after perishing in the crash.

The accident and its aftermath comprise the middle third of the book, with the first portion listing biographical details and the final third largely reprinting correspondence that happened during the book’s creation. Yet the central third reflects an interesting balance of personal narrative and research, with moments that provide welcome texture, sometimes in unexpected ways.

Perhaps the most resonant aspect of A Rock in the Clouds isn’t a particular section but that the book exists at all—that even a survivor whose injuries largely healed, whose military career continued successfully, and whose subsequent life has been nurtured by family, faith, and community still thinks back to a foggy Vietnam hillside in 1966, peering out of a broken fuselage, wondering what had just happened and why his right leg was stubbornly refusing to move.

Review by John McGlothlin (May 2022)

Author's Synopsis

“On 4 October 1966, a C7-A Caribou airplane flying through blinding cloud cover crashed into Hon Cong Mountain near the base camp of the 1st Air Cavalry Division at An Khe. There were thirty-one people aboard the aircraft, an air crew of four along with twenty-seven passengers. Thirteen people died in the crash. I was one of the survivors.”

Joe spends 45 years of his life uncertain of the true details of the crash. And he is always trying to make sense of his survival. In the many years searching for answers he discovers a very human story of faith, compassion, GI grit and humor, and patriotism.

As his journey reveals his faith-based purpose and destiny, he hopes to bring hope and inspiration to other Vietnam-era veterans, their families, and people of faith.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Nonfiction—Memoir/Biography

Number of Pages: 278

Honor Through Sacrifice by Robert E Lofthouse

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MWSA Review

Honor Through Sacrifice: The Story of One of America’s Greatest Military Leaders is a memoir/biography chock full of history. From World War II through the undeclared war in Vietnam, author Robert Lofthouse gives a well-document account of his highly-decorated cousin, Gordon Lippman.

Lippman, a bonafide hero, came from a farming county in South Dakota with ingrained leadership skills. To have these attributes in a young man who never graduated from any of the service academies is an anomaly. Yet anyone who served with or under his command would say that Lippman was the one they’d follow into battle.

Gordon enlisted in the army to serve his country, carrying with him his faith and the traditional values of his South Dakota family. He served in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. He earned some of our country’s highest honors: Silver and Bronze Stars, the Distinguished Service Cross, the Distinguished Service Medal, and three Combat Infantry Badges, to name a few. He was part of the second D-Day landing and fought in the Battle of the Bulge. Years later, he served in Korea. In the 1960s, as a brigade executive officer, Lippman led men young enough to be his sons while fighting the Viet Cong in the Iron Triangle.

Much has been written about Gordon Lippman in Readers Digest and Newsweek Magazine. He was eulogized on Paul Harvey’s radio program, and Harry Reasoner told Lippman’s story for CBS news. Gordon was honored by his state in South Dakota Magazine. Robert Lofthouse has pulled articles and interviews together to create a historically accurate memoir in a tribute to his hero cousin.

Review by Nancy Panko (June 2022)

 

Author's Synopsis

My debut book tells the story of Gordon Lippman, serving with the US Army from WWII as a paratrooper until his untimely death in Vietnam, where he was deployed as an executive officer with the 1st Infantry Division’s 3rd Brigade. 

We need heroes today. Gordon fits this description. His bravery in combat is emphasized along with his zeal to be a servant leader throughout a 22-year Army career.

At the core of the biography is a question that I wonder about: “Where does America get such gallant men?”

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Nonfiction—Memoir/Biography

Number of Pages: 205

Cocktails With the Admiral by Vic Socotra

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MWSA Review

Cocktails with the Admiral is an informal memoir of the service life of the late Rear Admiral Donald M. "Mac" Showers, USN(Ret), whose thirty-year career spanned the momentous period from the earliest days of World War II to the height of the Vietnam War.

RADM Showers's initial Navy assignment happened to place him at the center of the war in the Pacific with the codebreakers of Station HYPO who enabled the pivotal US victory at the Battle of Midway. His post-war career traces his evolution as a member of the developing US Naval Intelligence community. After retiring from the Navy, he spent more than a decade with the CIA and was later inducted into the NSA Hall of Honor.

The narrative is written by another retired US Naval Intelligence officer, Vic Socotra, as a series of interviews conducted with the Admiral during regular happy hour sessions at a popular Arlington restaurant/bar. First-hand accounts of his role add new footnotes to the well-established history of the conflict. The result is an entertaining and occasionally revelatory viewpoint of key strategic decisions that led to the hard-won US victory over Japan.

The admiral’s personal story also follows the post-war development and maturation of the US Navy intelligence capability and its influence on national security doctrine. Unfortunately, RADM Showers passed away in 2012 at the age of 93, before he could talk about his second career with the CIA.

The book could have benefited from another round of critical editing. Extensive descriptions of the Willow bar and its denizens detracted from the Admiral’s story, as did many of the photographs scattered throughout the text. Nonetheless, in recounting his interviews with the admiral, the author has preserved the legacy of a unique Navy career.

Review by Peter A. Young (June 2022)

 

Author's Synopsis

Admiral Mac Showers was the last of the Station HYPO Codebreakers at Pearl Harbor who set the stage for victory at the Battle of Midway. His life in that tumultuous conflict and later in those of the Cold War, Vietnam and Watergate make his recollections amid a 21st Century landscape a roller coaster of a vivid time. Join our 90-year old buddy who chatted with all the f-Star officers and the Queen for a unique perspective on life in the middle of the American Century.

Format(s) for review: Paper Only

Review Genre: Memoir/Biography

Number of Pages: 337

Warfighter by Colonel Jesse L. Johnson and Alex Holstein

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MWSA Review

Warfighter: The Story of an American Fighting Man by Colonel Jesse L Johnson and Alex Holstein is almost unbelievable. Johnson’s service awards include a Distinguished Service Cross, the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, three Silver Stars, at least two Bronze Stars (he didn’t keep count in the book), and three Purple Hearts. He completed two combat tours in Vietnam, joined Delta Force at its inception, was on the ground during Operation Eagle Claw (1980 Iranian hostage rescue mission), and served as special forces commander during Desert Storm (SOCCENT).

Johnson had participated in so many battles, won so many awards, and rubbed elbows with so many famous military leaders that he often seemed to be a character in a work of fiction. But Warfighter is decidedly not fictional.

After racing through the book’s 264 action-packed pages, the reader will get to know an extraordinary American warfighter. Johnson’s memoir covers his four-decade-long service to his country and makes for a compelling and well-told story. I highly recommend this book written by the ultimate combat insider–one of the most-decorated US soldiers of all time.

Review by John Cathcart (June 2022)

Author's Synopsis

In WARFIGHTER, Colonel Jesse L. Johnson, one of the most decorated living American veterans, recounts the action-packed true-life tale of a man who stood and fought at the crossroads of history. Spanning forty years of conflict, from the jungles of Vietnam to the deserts of Iran and Iraq, never has a modern military memoir covered such a vast landscape of all-out warfare. Never has one man fought on the frontlines of so many of America’s most heroic battles. Johnson led the most elite forces on operations that defined eras past and present, mentoring young soldiers who would rise to become some of America’s greatest generals. He held the ear of princes, kings, presidents, and even Hollywood movie stars. With an all-star cast worthy of an epic war film, this extraordinary hero’s journey sheds new light on some of the most transformative events of our time—crises, conflicts and covert operations that have shaped the world as we know it today. More important, WARFIGHTER offers us a deeper understanding of the personal sacrifice and human toll of a lifetime at war, and the honor-bound code of a man whose instinct in battle was to always charge ahead of those under his command—into the fight.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Nonfiction—Memoir/Biography

Number of Pages: 264

How to Deal with Damn Near Anything by John McGlothlin

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MWSA Review

A former paratrooper, author John McGlothlin, uses the military as his backdrop for presenting inner traits that, if adopted, will help anyone—whether in the military or not—create a life where challenges can be met. The author identifies five essential inner traits: self-awareness, initiative, efficiency, adaptability, and insistence. Backed by studies from multiple sources, the author employs real-life and often first-hand examples from both military and civilian life to demonstrate the traits, why they are necessary, and how they relate to each other. And he does it with just the right amount of humor to make the reader laugh from time to time.

The book is well designed, with a consistent format for defining each trait, identifying the mindset, and explaining the action steps to develop and practice that trait. This approach makes it visually appealing and easy to follow. This book can serve as a life guide for anyone who wants to be purpose-driven, effective, and respected in the workplace and in their personal life.

Review by Patricia Walkow (May 2022)

Author's Synopsis

There is a hidden side to the military—behind the stories of leadership and valor is a distinct culture that promotes personal growth and development. In How to Deal with Damn Near Anything: The Paratrooper’s Guide to Life, John McGlothlin shows how this culture can benefit anyone.

Using a mix of research and first-hand experience, McGlothlin distills this culture into five “inner traits” essential to facing any challenge. Each trait is examined in detail: what they mean, how they fit together, how to build them, and why being a paratrooper offers a unique perspective on doing so.

No place fuses personal and professional like the “airborne.” The result is a series of lessons no classroom or regular workplace can teach. You don’t have to enlist to learn them–you just have to embrace the right mix of practical thinking, honesty, and a desire to improve. How to Deal with Damn Near Anything will guide you through that process and put you on the right path for stability and success.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Nonfiction—How to/Business

Number of Pages: 222

Pearl Harbor's Final Warning by Valarie J Anderson

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MWSA Review

Pearl Harbor’s Final Warning by Valarie J. Anderson is a historical account of the message that arrived too late. The book details events leading up to, during, and after the December 7, 1941, Japanese attack on the beautiful tropical paradise of Oahu. Anderson weaves a horrific tale of loss and tragedy into the everyday lives of the people on the island who were most directly affected. It was, indeed, a day that lives in infamy.

Anderson provides an account from the archives of her grandfather, George Street, who was the District Manager of RCA-Honolulu. In addition, the author had access to many documents, decoded messages, and family memories from her uncle George Street, Jr. and her mother, Barbara Street. These documents demonstrate the many errors in communication that resulted in the awful consequences of the Japanese airstrike.

On that fateful day, Washington sent a message about a potential Japanese attack to its Pacific outposts—all except Pearl Harbor. All who received the message had time to prepare for an assault. Pearl Harbor’s Final Warning, subtitled A Man, A Message, and Paradise Lost, documents in detail the flaws of governmental bureaucracy that resulted in the carnage that day. The Street family was immediately embroiled in this historical boondoggle.

This book is an example of the importance of communications and good intelligence. The story illustrates weaknesses of politicians and leaders at every level of government, including the military. The flawed decisions they made affected not only the service members but all civilians living in the islands of Hawaii.

Pearl Harbor’s Final Warning is a well-researched book about America's military preparations and/or lack of preparation, communications, and coordination between the U.S. Armed Forces leading up to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

Review by Nancy Panko (May 2022)

Author's Synopsis

On 7 December 1941, Washington sent a message to its Pacific outposts about a potential Japanese attack. All but Pearl Harbor received it in time to prepare. 

New information from the archives of George Street, District Manager of RCA-Honolulu, exposes the fatal flaws that resulted in the surprise attack. Operational snafus, collusion, and spies weave a web of misdirection that entangles George Street and his children in one of history's biggest mistakes. Pearl Harbor's Final Warning amends the historical record by presenting unpublished material, including the original copy of Marshall's coded message.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Nonfiction—History

Number of Pages: 354

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

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MWSA Review

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

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

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

Review by Robert Lofthouse (May 2022)
 

Author's Synopsis

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

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

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Nonfiction—History

Number of Pages: 262

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

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

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

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

Review by Jerry Burton (April 2022)

 

Author's Synopsis

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

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

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Nonfiction—Memoir/Biography

Number of Pages: 240

Edge Of Armageddon by Brad Graft

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MWSA Review

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

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

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

Review by Nancy Kauffman (May 2022)

 

Author's Synopsis

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

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

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

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

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

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Fiction—Historical Fiction

Number of Pages: 529

When the Beaches Trembled by Zach S. Morris

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MWSA Review

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

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

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

The author sums it up perfectly in his final words:

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

Review by Valerie Ormond (June 2022)

 

Author's Synopsis

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

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

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Nonfiction—History

Number of Pages: 368

The Jackson MacKenzie Chronicles: Enter the Shadow

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MWSA Review

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

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

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

Review by James Elsener (May 2022)

Author's Synopsis

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

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Fiction—Historical Fiction

Number of Pages: 149