A Lion's Share by Brad Graft

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MWSA Review

A Lion’s Share, Brotherhood of the Mamluks, Book Two by Brad Graft is a well written story of 13th Century Middle East warriors who are developed from abducted and enslaved nomadic youth into well trained and highly prized military units. The book is set during the 7th Crusade and is told from the perspective of three warriors who operate at different levels of the Egyptian Sultan’s army. Each man’s security is dependent upon the ability and the survival of the Sultan, for when one Sultan dies, his troops must find another home. There is much royal family in-fighting, which complicates the lives of their men. The Mamluks are well trained in the weaponry of their era as well as military tactics. The main characters are well developed and illuminate the world at the top, the middle, and the lower level of leadership. Weak leaders place not only themselves but also their troops in mortal danger. Rewards given by one Sultan may be taken away by a subsequent Sultan. With the death of a Sultan, rivalries between units cause further danger.

The three main characters are Leander, a former French Crusader with unusual linguistic skills; Cenk, a combat veteran who becomes adviser to the Mamluk Sultan who succeeds the beloved Sultan as-Salih; and Ox, a soldier who is often passed over for promotion. Viewing the events through each of the eyes offers a well-developed story.

Book Two includes not only wonderful maps of the region but also a striking cover that clearly shows the uniforms of the Crusaders and the Mamluks and Leander’s two military careers.

Those who have lived through basic training and the rigors of military life will relate to the experiences of these characters. All readers will enjoy a well told story.

Review by Nancy Kauffman (June 2020)

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 Author's Synopsis

A Lion's Share is the second book in the Brotherhood of the Mamluks trilogy. The story is set in the 13th Century Middle East, during the Seventh Crusade. Told from the Egyptian perspective, it is a rare view of life among the Mamluks--elite Muslim warriors largely unheralded in the West--whose ranks ousted the Crusaders and Mongols from the Levant, preserving Islam.

On the eve of a historic battle, Leander, a disenchanted Crusader, surrenders to Muslim amirs with the intent of joining the revered Bahri Mamluks. His move seems fated. The young Frenchman avoids the mass slaughter suffered by the Christian alliance and earns himself a place with the elite cavalry regiment, serving the Sultan of Egypt. Yet once King Louis IX of France seeks vengeance and sets Cairo as the objective of his campaign, Leander is faced with warfare against his native people as he defends his new home, comrades, and religion.

When the Bahri's adored sultan dies and Leander becomes tangled in forbidden love with an Egyptian woman, his world unravels further. As the Mamluks seize rule for themselves, a rivalry between opposing regiments turns bloody and the newly-formed Mamluk Sultanate tumbles into chaos, with Leander and his mates scrambling not only for position within the realigned empire, but also for their lives.

ISBN/ASIN: 13: 978-1-950154-05-0, 10:1-950154-05-x
Book Format(s): Soft cover, Kindle
Review Genre: Fiction—Historical Fiction
Number of Pages: 335

All Blood Runs Red by Phil Keith and Tom Clavin

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MWSA Review

In the biography of Eugene Bullard, All Blood Runs Red, authors Phil Keith and Tom Clavin give us an excellent glimpse into the life of a truly fascinating individual. At first glance, Bullard's life story seems to be more of what creates legends or movies than what a single person could experience. He may be one of the most important Americans who lived in the twentieth century, but most of us today have little or no knowledge of him.

Born in Georgia in 1895, the grandson of a slave and son of a laborer, Bullard ran away from home during his early teen years and somehow managed to work his way to France over the next couple of years. For the next forty years, he lived for the most part in Paris before returning to the United States. Bullard fought for the French in World War I, first in the infantry and then—after being injured—as a fighter pilot. Before and after that war, he was a boxer, a musician, and a night club owner. He became friends with a plethora of celebrities to include Hemmingway, Josephine Baker, Louis Armstrong, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Cole Porter, Fred Astaire, and more. As World War II approached, he spied on the Germans for the French intelligence service. When the Germans reached Paris, he returned to the front and fought again with the French infantry. Bullard received numerous French medals to include the Chevalier of the Legion of Honor. This is a good book that I recommend you read.

Review by Bob Doerr (May 2020)

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Author's Synopsis

Eugene Bullard lived one of the most fascinating lives of the twentieth century. The son of a former slave and an indigenous Creek woman, Bullard fled home at the age of eleven to escape the racial hostility of his Georgia community. When his journey led him to Europe, he garnered worldwide fame as a boxer, and later as the first African American fighter pilot in history.

After the war, Bullard returned to Paris a celebrated hero. But little did he know that the dramatic, globe-spanning arc of his life had just begun.

All Blood Runs Red is the inspiring untold story of an American hero, a thought-provoking chronicle of the twentieth century and a portrait of a man who came from nothing and by his own courage, determination, gumption, intelligence and luck forged a legendary life.

ISBN/ASIN: ISBN-13: 978-1335005564, UNSPSC Code: 55111505, B07S39G478
Book Format(s): Hard cover, Kindle, Audiobook
Review Genre: Nonfiction—Memoir/Biography
Number of Pages: 352

Sirens: How to Pee Standing Up - An Alarming Memoir of Combat and Coming Back Home by Laura Colbert

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MWSA Review

Sirens: How to Pee Standing Up by Laura Colbert is an incredible true story of life during a military deployment. This should be required reading for every politician and higher-ranking officer who has forgotten what it’s like on the front line.

Colbert’s writing style takes you to Iraq, where you experience the discomfort, homesickness, and fear alongside her. Without bogging down on too much detail, she packs a lot of information into her description. Added photos bring her words to life.

I enjoyed and appreciated her honesty in portraying the good with the bad, the things she is proud of as well as the things she’s not so proud of.

I highly recommend Sirens to anyone who is considering joining the military, so they can go in with eyes wide open. I also recommend it to civilians who need to understand what military men and women give up to protect America’s freedoms that are so easily taken for granted.

Review by Dawn Brotherton (April 2020)

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Author's Synopsis

There's a steep learning curve for every American soldier who deploys to the Middle East war zone. Much of that involves culture shock, and the excitement and confusion also applies to female soldiers. And when that female soldier is also a Military Police Officer, the curve gets bent way out of shape. Laura Colbert was heartland-bred and tough enough when the Army sent her to an MP unit in Baghdad, but she quickly discovered soldiering in Iraq involved a lot more than she expected.

How to establish her military cop cred? How to deal with chauvinistic soldiers? How to deal with Iraqis--men who disrespected her and women who initially distrusted her? How much military law applied in a lawless land? And dealing with even the simplest things, like how to pee standing up. Laura managed it and survived, but the learning curve just bent in another direction when she came home from war suffering with stress and anxiety that eventually bloomed into Post-Traumatic Stress.

Reviews:
"...Since she got back, Naylor has been on a new mission, one she believes also serves her country: She shows...what the war is really like for the soldiers who have to fight it."
--Dee J. Hall, Wisconsin State Journal

"Colbert...has told her story...in the hopes of relating the reality of her war to people half a world away who experienced it only through increasingly small TV news clips and articles in print publications."
--Nathan Phelps, USA TODAY Network

About the Author:
As a daughter of a Vietnam War Military Police officer and a sister to an Army Infantry Medic, Laura joined the Army National Guard as a Military Police officer in 2001 during her freshman year of college at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and received her Honorable Discharge in 2009. She served 16 months on active duty, spending over a year in Baghdad, Iraq. Laura's love of travel, living abroad, and serving others brought her to her current position as a middle-school principal. She treasures spending time with her husband and three children. Nature is her oasis. She also loves to read, socialize, remodel homes, and learn, as attested to in her two master's degrees: Experiential Education and Educational Leadership.

ISBN/ASIN: ASIN B07YZ75LQ9, ISBN-10: 1944353275, ISBN-13: 978-1944353278
Book Format(s): Soft cover, Kindle
Review Genre: Nonfiction—Memoir/Biography
Number of Pages: 294

Katusha: Girl Soldier of the Great Patriotic War by Wayne Vansant

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MWSA Review

Wayne Vansant’s Katusha: Girl Soldier of the Great Patriotic War is as well written and exhaustively researched a graphic novel as you will find.

Ekaterina Andreaevna Tymoshenko, better known as Katusha, is a Ukrainian teenager just graduating secondary school as the Germans invade Russia. Her education has not prepared her for what she must do for her family and her country. Thankfully, her Uncle Taras is familiar with the ways of war and trains Katusha, her brother Vasily, and her adopted sister Milla to survive in the woods, first as refugees, then as partisans. As her skills grow and Russia recovers from the attack, Katusha and her sister are enlisted as tank crewmen in the Red Army, where they will fight in the huge tank clash of Kursk as well as make the drive to Berlin. Along the way, Katusha finds love, but is it enough to cover all that she has lost?

This book is a wonderful introduction to graphic novels if you are not familiar with the genre. Well-researched, the military illustrations, technology, and nomenclature are spot on, as is the history of the Eastern Front. I particularly liked how the author showed the human side of so many great battles; it is easy to research the strategy of a battle, but harder at times to grasp the feelings and emotions of the people that fought it. Vansant does an excellent job of developing characters, especially since compared to a novel he has limited text in which to do so. There are also a few actual photographs worked into the story, which are used to great impact.

If you enjoy military graphic novels, you will love this; if you are not familiar with graphic novels, this is a great place to start!

Review by Rob Ballister (May 2020)

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Author's Synopsis

This is a Historical Fiction story of a 16-year-old Ukrainian girl who graduates from the tenth and final year of school the night before the German Invasion of the Soviet Union on June 22, 1941. The story follows her through the experiences of the German occupation, fleeing with her family to the forest, getting involved with partisan activity, joining the Red Army and finishing the war as first a tank driver, and then as a tank commander. Seen through Katusha's eyes, we experience the war as she does, covering the war in minute detail. Note: The name Katusha was a song during the war, as it is now.

ISBN/ASIN: Paperback::978-1-68247-425-9, Ebook: 978-1-68247-439-6
Book Format(s): Soft cover
Review Genre: Fiction—Historical Fiction
Number of Pages: 572

Full Mag: Veteran Stories Illustrated, Vol. 2 by August Uhl et. al.

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MWSA Review

FULL MAG: Veteran Stories Illustrated is an innovative blend of text and art in the style of classic Sgt Rock-style comic books, but raised to a level of accomplishment previously unseen. In nine stories told by the people who lived them, we read of military exploits from World War II to Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Iraq. The stories are bridged by a rather mysterious Narrator who eases the transition between eras and introduces the succeeding stories.

In vividly rendered art, sometimes black and white, sometimes full color, FULL MAG's artists, letterers, and colorists reimagine the author's take in words and especially art to produce classic comic book-style panels bursting through their margins with colorful explosions, screaming soldiers, and roaring fighter jets—even those traditional sound effects (KA-BOOM!) as the bombs and IEDs go off.

As a retired Navy CPO, I was particularly drawn to “Seafloat,” the story of a Navy riverine boat crew in Vietnam. The artwork is superlative and drew me into the narrative, and it even included a photograph of the boat crewmen included in the story. As we say in the Navy, BZ—well done.

In that same story is a powerful, high-action rendering of F-4 Phantom II fighter-bombers pulling out of a bomb run after dropping napalm on enemy forces. You can almost smell the JP4 fumes from the howling engines and feel the concussion of the fiery explosions. This sort of kinetic engagement occurs throughout the magazine.

Though a graphic novel—a “comic book”—FULL MAG also addresses the very serious topics of PTSD and prospective veteran suicides in a story (“In a Baghdad Instant”) by a female vet. She discusses her struggles with PTSD and thoughts of self-destruction traced to a closed-head injury, and gives props to the VA for her treatment and eventual recovery.

FULL MAG is a terrific read, a terrific graphic novel, and a terrific tribute to the men and women of the armed forces. Strongly recommended.

Review by Daniel Charles Ross (April 2020)

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Author's Synopsis

Full Mag: Veteran Stories Illustrated, Vol. 2 is a unique veteran history project in graphic novel form. Full Mag presents the stories of our veterans in their own words with illustrations in sequential graphic art. Every story presented is the result of an interview by our team or the written contribution of the veteran specifically for Full Mag. This volume includes first-person accounts from Operation Market Garden and the Waal river crossing, the Battle of Okinawa, the liberation of the Philippines, stories from Vietnam include "Phu Bai Intersect", "Plain of Reeds", and "Seafloat" and stories from OEF/OIF include "In a Baghdad Instant" and the conclusion of "Hidden Valor". These are stories that can only be told by those who experienced the events themselves. The team of artists include both established pros and emerging talent and several of the artists are veterans themselves. Full Mag provides a unique platform for veterans to tell their stories while simultaneously allowing artists to honor these warriors through the application of their skills as cultures have done since the dawn of mankind. This 84-page perfect bound, magazine sized, graphic novel volume is a publication unlike any other. Printed in the USA on 80# high quality paper.

ISBN/ASIN: 978-0-578-43002-7
Book Format(s): Soft cover
Review Genre: Artistic—Graphical Novel/Comic Book
Number of Pages: 84

Rigged - Book One of the Falling Empires Series by James Rosone & Miranda Watson

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MWSA Review

Rigged, Book One of the Falling Empire Series is a fast-moving thriller that takes a look at a future where several world powers and the UN form a secret alliance to rig a presidential election in the United States. Their goal is to have a candidate of their own choosing elected, perhaps even to control. Authors James Rosone and Miranda Watson spin a frightening plot that is likely something about which several nations might actually wish they could do.  While the security services of the U.S. do a good job at catching and stopping several terrorist activities, they fail to see the big picture, and the nefarious larger goal seems unstoppable. The authors have given us a lot to think about and have done so in a book that I believe many will find enjoyable.

Review by Bob Doerr (April 2020)

Author's Synopsis

Who has real power?

The people in the shadows…
…behind the presidents of the world.
Cloaked in secrecy and loyal to their leaders, the masters of manipulation play at an entirely different level. They pull the strings and sow the seeds of division. What is their plan?
An election approaches.

The new US president will change the direction of the country. The world watches as the contenders for the White House state their cases.

Will this point in history alter the course of mankind?

The hidden plot must be discovered. The upheaval of a divided nation could bring it down. Will our heroes put the pieces together in time? Or have too many dominoes already fallen to stop this devious trap?

You’ll love this “torn from the headlines” modern day thriller because it rings true.

Get it now.

ISBN/ASIN: B07NSHGYWT
Book Format(s): Kindle
Review Genre: Fiction—Mystery/Thriller
Number of Pages: 553

Going Home by Carole Brungar

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MWSA Review

It was 1967, and the war in Vietnam was heating up. Joe was an American Army lieutenant, trained to fly the helicopters known as Hueys. This was his second tour of duty in Vietnam, and he was enjoying the experience. Some flights were simply supply runs, but others brought an adrenalin rush as the chopper entered a war zone, ducked through the tracers to land at the site of a crash, and lifted the wounded to safety. Flying was what Joe did best, and he knew that what he did was often a matter of life and death.

Ronnie was a nurse from New Zealand, somewhat disillusioned by the mundane chores of emptying bedpans and spooning soup that marked her hours on duty at her local hospital. She was disappointed and embarrassed after discovering her rather ordinary boyfriend was also a cheater. She needed a change of scenery, and the chance to work in a Vietnamese hospital treating the civilian casualties of war seemed a more worthy use of her time. Ronnie volunteered for a year’s tour and headed off to Vietnam, determined to throw herself into work that would allow her to use all her medical training.

Neither Joe nor Ronnie had any interest in finding love in Vietnam. Their lives were full enough as they made new friends and adapted to the intense heat and culture shock of a strange country. They both enjoyed the regular “Hail and Farewell” parties that celebrated their colleagues who were moving into or out of their assignments. Evenings in a club-like atmosphere might lead to a heartfelt conversation, a slow dance, or a gentle kiss, but no one expected more than that. A war zone was no place for a romance. No one wanted it. No one expected it. They lived a day at a time, dealing with traumatic experiences at every turn. They knew that tomorrow was never promised, and they were content with that.

The story of Joe and Ronnie unfolds gradually, like the slow upward crawl at the beginning of a rollercoaster ride. The view from the top is lovely; their friendship blossoms. And then they plunge into a headlong crisis, a twisting, terror-filled series of events that change their lives forever. The conclusion will leave many readers in tears but wanting more.

Review by Carolyn Schriber (May 2020)

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Author's Synopsis

You don’t choose a time and place to fall in love. Fate always chooses for you.

When Ronnie McIlroy volunteers to spend twelve months nursing in a South Vietnamese hospital, she’s ill-prepared for a poverty-stricken country at war. Neither weak nor faint-hearted, she’s way out of her comfort zone.

American pilot, Joseph Hunter Jr, is on his second tour of duty. With an outstanding flying record and a cool head, he’ll take an Iroquois anywhere he’s needed. When he meets an attractive young New Zealand nurse at the officer’s club, he knows the odds are stacked against a relationship.

With the war between the North and South escalating, hundreds of lives are being lost every day. As Ronnie and Joe navigate the constant dangers of living and working in a war zone, it’s clear fate has decided their time and place to fall in love is now. 

But will one naïve act of compassion destroy any chance of a life together? Will either of them leave Vietnam alive?

From the author of The Nam Legacy and The Nam Shadow, Going Home takes us back to the sixties, to a propaganda fuelled war, a determined enemy and a fragile hope for survival. 

Going Home is Ronnie's story.

ISBN: 9780473503932
ASIN: B082WVYHST
Book Format(s): Soft cover, Kindle
Review Genre: Fiction—Historical Fiction
Number of Pages: 370

Angie's War by Gary DeRigne

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MWSA Review

Even as our world changes, so many things stay the same. Today’s soldiers from the Iraq and Afghan wars are dealing with the same struggles as those who made it back from Vietnam. Post-traumatic stress, nightmares, and relationship troubles plague both generations. And the effects reach beyond the foreign battlefields.

Angie is unfortunate to have to wait on her son’s return from Afghanistan as she did so many years ago on her husband’s return from Vietnam. The endless waiting—desperate for, but also fearful of, information about loved ones serving their country.

Told from various points of view, the descriptions are vivid enough to make those who have not seen combat grateful to those who have fought for our freedom. For those who have struggled with these same situations, Gary DeRigne lets you know you aren’t alone. Writing as a combat veteran, DeRigne tells the story so many try to avoid—war has a price. Through power imagery and poignant characterization, Angie’s War paints the all-too-familiar picture of a nation locked in violent combat, and how it affects the individual at home and abroad.

Veterans find solace in reconnecting and talking with others who have been through what they have experienced. A different war but similar experiences draw these soldiers together to find community and, eventually, healing.

Review by Dawn Brotherton (March 2020)

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Author's Synopsis

Angie's War is the story of Mick Delaney, a young American soldier fighting in Vietnam, his best friend Tony Giles, who fights alongside him, and Tony's wife Angie, who waits and worries at home through his year-long deployment. One day Tony receives a letter from Angie that distracts him from the razor-sharp concentration he needs to do his job as an infantry point man...  and the world is changed for the three of them, and everyone they touch, forever.

In Angie's War, author Gary DeRigne tells a gripping tale of love and loss, fear and courage, desperation and hope, that begins in the jungles of Vietnam and extends through the battlefields of Somalia, Afghanistan, and Iraq.  All the while, through generation after generation, loved ones at home wait, and worry, and pray, in an America that has become callous to the human cost of war.

ISBN/ASIN: 978-1-947309-78-4, B07SYBSV81
Book Format(s): Soft cover, Kindle
Review Genre: Fiction—Historical Fiction
Number of Pages: 383

The Road to Publishing by Dawn Brotherton

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MWSA Review

A spare little tome, A Guide to Publishing is nonetheless a reliable and useful tool for authors first striking out down the road of trying to get a book published. It doesn't supply a step-by-step format or specific worksheets to either self-publishing or traditional publishing, but it is a helpful book to scour to understand the overall process and how one might decide on a path to follow. There are some valuable individual hints (such as how to search out agents that might be appropriate for you to pitch), and the book is written in a friendly, breezy style that is easy to digest. It is certainly packed with more than enough really good material to get an author started with the "What do I do next?" quandary once a book manuscript is completed. The author also points to some excellent specific resources and organizations that can be valuable to a novice author. If I were looking for this sort of guidance it is definitely a book I would want to read first.

Review by Phil Keith (March 2020)

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Author's Synopsis

It’s a long, twisting road to publishing—don’t let anyone tell you differently. There’s no one path, and the results are as varied as the methods to get there. Before you make a decision affecting your life, you owe it to yourself to do some homework. The Road to Publishing describes options available to you from self- to traditional publishing, providing helpful hints along the way. Through exercises and thought-provoking questions, the path will become clearer. Grab your notebook and let’s get started.

ISBN/ASIN: 978-1-939696-44-1 (paperback), 978-1-939696-45-8 (eBook)
Book Format(s): Soft cover, Kindle, ePub/iBook
Review Genre: Nonfiction—How to/Business
Number of Pages: 150

Force No One by Daniel Ross

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MWSA Review

Daniel Charles Ross kicks off a brand new techno-thriller series with Force No One, Book 1 in the Storm Cell series, and he does it in style.

A Muslim agent from the Department of Homeland Security is mysteriously murdered, and FBI Agent Amber “Corvette” Watson and her Detroit Homicide task force partner, Detective Sgt. Tracey Lexcellent (love that name) are on the case.

At the same time, a disgraced Special Forces operator offers his services to rescue a Chinese general’s daughter, in exchange for help in retrieving 100 million dollars that the ex-Ranger may or may not have stashed in the desert. And just in case that wasn’t enough excitement, someone is planning upon blowing up the opening game of the World Series where the Detroit Tigers finally have home-field advantage.

Yeah, there’s a lot going on.

Ross does a masterful job of building likable heroes who blend patriotism with humor and are generally just badass. Those characters operate inside a story filled with plenty of military hardware and other cool toys. Start to finish, it was a great read that comes to a thrilling finish.

Fans of Jeff Edwards, Tom Clancy, or Dale Brown will gravitate towards Ross’s work, and will find it thoroughly enjoyable.

Review by Rob Ballister (April 2020)

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Author's Synopsis

A homicide in Detroit usually doesn't raise many eyebrows, but a victim is found with a business card from a Department of Homeland Security enforcement cell no one's ever heard of. FBI Special Agent Amber "Corvette" Watson and Detroit Police homicide detective Sgt. Tracey Lexcellent catch the case.

With a disgraced U.S. Army Ranger who can forget nothing and a black-budget CIA team in tow, they must solve the murder before terrorists can parachute into open-air Comerica Park during the opening ceremonies of the World Series and kill thousands on live television.

People are going to die. Everyone hopes they are the bad guys.

ISBN/ASIN: B07HMGYY6Q
ISBN-10: 1521737959, ISBN-13: 978-1521737958
Book Format(s): Soft cover, Kindle, ePub/iBook
Review Genre: Fiction—Mystery/Thriller
Number of Pages: 400

A Blessed Life - One World War II Seabee's Story by Tamra McAnally Bolton

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MWSA Review

A Blessed Life begins as a memoir of a fighting Seabee. It changes course almost imperceptibly, and not merely into a story about fighting to survive on Iwo Jima. Stuart McAnally's journey, as told to his daughter, zeroes in on the claustrophobic vulnerability of war. Except for the patch of ground one fights for and clears, the Seabee has no idea how life is going outside his foxhole. Not that it would matter, as Tamra McAnally Bolton's biography of her father makes abundantly clear. Seabees, Marines, and Navy frogmen converged on the Japanese island in the South Pacific Theater. Before playing their parts in World War II, the buildup to the final act is interlaced with adventures of danger, fear and, quite often, questionable decision-making.

A memoir resulting from 34 recorded interviews and six years of work by the author, it is head and shoulders above being a love letter for a war veteran's service to his country. It shares with the reader so many of the moments that illuminate our own mortality, such as boarding a ship in California and watching the coastline fade away as transport across the ocean gets under way. There are more than a few memories that are downright hilarious, such as a buddy with a reputation for helping himself to boats and cars that didn't belong to him, during a time when people were more likely to leave their vehicles unattended with the keys in them than they are today.

Like the war memoir itself, there's no quest for forgiveness or attempt to make sense of the madness. It's a straightforward telling of what happened and who did what. A Blessed Life is crafted in a way that left the impression the author has a great respect for its subject and the reader. In addition to describing the war experience, it chronicles many of the interview sessions that went into creating the book. When Stuart McAnally comes home and one begins to wonder what became of his life, the reader comes to realize the author has been telling that story all the while.

 Review by W. Joseph O'Connell (February 2020)

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Author's Synopsis

A Blessed Life - One World War II Seabee's story is the true account of Stuart McAnally, a 96 year-old veteran. McAnally tells the little known history of his C Company, 31st Construction Battalion, and their heroic acts during the early days of the Battle of Iwo Jima. It also describes his journey from a peaceful farming community through combat training, the battle, and ultimately serving with the Occupational Forces in Japan. Told by his daughter, the veteran's stories are woven into conversations between the generations along with the sharing of his childhood days during the Great Depression. This first-hand account gives you an up-close look at the day-to-day experiences of the Greatest Generation, both in war-time and peace.

ISBN/ASIN: 9781734344547, BO82DLR4WR
Book Format(s): Soft cover, Kindle
Review Genre: Nonfiction—Memoir/Biography
Number of Pages: 210

Navajo Strong by Joyce Phillips

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MWSA Review

Navajo Strong is a short book, a quick read with a long-lasting emotional impact. Its single plot line details the coming together of three women related by blood ties but separated by time and distance, by misunderstandings and clashing cultures. We know their names, but the author follows Navaho traditions by referring to them primarily as they see themselves—Grandmother, Mother, Daughter.

Each of these women has a lesson to teach us. Grandmother has faced the greatest challenges but found a way to surmount them. Her openness to learning about new cultures and exploring far-off lands makes her a delight. Mother struggles with long-held assumptions, contradicted by new revelations. And Daughter, a sparkling 13-year-old, stands in the doorway to the future, encouraging the reader to look ahead to the benefits of the modern world while giving full recognition to the treasures of the past.

I enjoyed this work, seeing it as almost a parable. I read it quickly, taking some delight in the author’s ability to catch the linguistic phrasings of characters whose first language was Navajo or Chinese. The differences between cultures revealed their underlying similarities and gave me hope for the future.  

Review by Carolyn Schriber (March 2020)

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Author's Synopsis

I have always loved reading, and now I say I learned to write from the greats. I began my writing career three years ago at age 77 with a memoir for my family. An interest in my backpacking trip to China resulted in my first fiction story, China Strong. A story of a retired school teacher traveling in China. A year later, my volunteer time in New Mexico, brought about Navajo Strong.

Navajo Strong is a fiction story of three women, and the connection between a grandmother and her Navajo granddaughter. The story of a daughter discovering her mother, and the Navajo man who brought them together.

ISBN/ASIN: soft cover: 9781095190371. B07RY5QFGL
Book Format(s): Soft cover, Kindle
Review Genre: Fiction—Literary Fiction
Number of Pages: 210

Deliberate Discomfort - How U.S. Special Operations Forces Overcome Fear and Dare to Win by Getting Comfortable Being Uncomfortable by Jason Van Camp with Andy Symonds

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MWSA Review

Deliberate Discomfort: How U.S. Special Operations Forces Overcome Fear and Dare to Win by Getting Comfortable Being Uncomfortable by Jason B.A. Van Camp with Andy Symonds is a great book for future and present leaders in business or the military world to read and absorb. Taking lessons learned from combat and training—and linking them to what is needed to make successful moves in real everyday life and in business—makes this book unique. The authors take examples from actual experiences of twelve combat veterans, which works as a wonderful teaching tool. Inspiring and also entertaining! It is well written with wit, emotion, and great storytelling, getting the fullest attention of the reader. I am giving copies of the book to my grandchildren for the life lessons it shares. This book will certainly sit in my private collection of resource books.  

Review by Bill McDonald (April 2020)

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Author's Synopsis

Deliberate Discomfort follows the journey of Jason Van Camp as a new Green Beret commander taking over a team of combat-hardened Special Forces veterans. This true story tells firsthand the intense, traumatic battles these warriors fought and won, sharing lessons learned from their incredible backgrounds. A cadre of scientists further break down each experience, translating them into digestible and relatable action items, allowing the reader to apply these lessons forged under fire to their own lives.

Deliberate Discomfort is the ultimate book on leadership and self-improvement, depicting how these warriors found a way to win under incredible odds with never-quit attitudes. The authors don't just tell you how to thrive under pressure; they show you how, in heart-racing, first-person narratives.

Read Medal of Honor recipient Leroy Petry's true account of grabbing an enemy grenade in Afghanistan, saving the lives of his fellow soldiers but losing his hand in the process. Hear what fellow Medal of Honor recipient Florent Groberg was thinking as he tackled a suicide bomber. Feel what Marine Joey Jones felt as he was flying through the air, weightless, after stepping on the IED that would take both his legs. And most importantly, experience what Jason learned about leadership and embracing discomfort from adversity.

ISBN/ASIN: 978-1733428019
Book Format(s): Hard cover
Review Genre: How-To/Business
Number of Pages: 288

Mayhem 337: Memoir of a Combat Advisor in Afghanistan by Chad Rickard

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MWSA Review

Mayhem 337 is the autobiography of a U.S. Army staff sergeant (retiring as a sergeant major) who presents a near diary of his nine-month experience on a deployment to Afghanistan. To say the narrative rings true is to damn it with faint praise.

“I’d like to say every mission is flawless and dumb shit never happens, but that would be a lie.” That’s the kind of raw admission that makes this work sing. There are many others.

The work isn’t so crammed with jargon or acronyms that a non-military audience would be left gasping for understanding, but it includes enough realistic description and dialogue to keep a military veteran turning the pages. But even in this hot war zone, there was downtime and reflection. “We sat by the fire, sharing the camaraderie of life in a combat zone. We sat there in various levels of camouflage pants and T-shirts with rifles and pistols draped over our bodies. I could not think of a place on Earth I would rather have been."

This story is uncompromising, full of authenticity and detail and the smell of mortar fire and even death. I recommend it strongly to military and civilian readers alike, and for the same basic reason: This is how we war.

Review by Daniel Charles Ross (February 2020)

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Author's Synopsis

By 2008 Chad Rickard was a multi-tour Iraq War veteran with hundreds of combat missions under his belt.  He was a seasoned infantryman and senior U.S. Army non-commissioned officer with a burning desire to deploy to Afghanistan and join the fight against Taliban and Al Qaeda forces bent on keeping American influence out of the Middle East.  Like many Americans, Chad felt personally stricken by the attacks on 9/11 and he yearned to take part in his Nation's retaliation for the atrocities planned within the sanctity of Afghanistan's borders. When the opportunity arose to deploy as an embedded Combat Advisor, Rickard headed to Fort Riley, Kansas to attend U.S. Army Combat Advisor School.  After months of intensive training in Afghan customs, culture, and language in addition to tactical training on the direction of close air support and artillery Rickard was dropped into a hotbed of enemy activity in Afghanistan's Khost Province. In Khost, former home to one of Osama Bin Laden's largest terror training camps, Rickard's team went toe to toe with Haqqani Taliban on numerous occasions, often leaving a staggering body count in their wake.

In Mayhem 337, author Chad Rickard powerfully recounts his experiences during nine months of intense combat deep in the mountains of Eastern Afghanistan.  Rickard's graphic account guides you through violent combat on the streets of Khost City to deadly mountain warfare, experienced from an austere combat outpost on the Pakistan border.  He vividly describes the sights and sounds of battle as well as the heartbreaking aftermath of fallen comrades. From IED laden roads to air assault missions and hostage stand-offs, Rickard's story leaves nothing to the imagination.  His riveting and deftly written memoir brings honor and recognition to the U.S. Army Combat Advisor mission that is but a footnote in modern military history.

ISBN/ASIN: B07YZRPQXH, 1543985832
Book Format(s): Soft cover, Kindle
Review Genre: Nonfiction—Memoir/Biography
Number of Pages: 236

One Small Spark by Jackie Minniti

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MWSA Review

One Small Spark invites readers into the life of a young boy living in New England during the turbulent times of the American Revolution. Author Jackie Minniti crafts a tale of interest to readers of all ages. Her historical descriptions demonstrate meticulous research and truly place readers into the scenes. She also shows her understanding of combining humor and fun into a serious story to keep young readers engaged.

The book is packed with mystery and intrigue, with interesting and well-developed characters. Readers watch the transformation of the protagonist, Benjamin Pembrooke, as he grows from sheltered boy to young man. The story shares the impacts British rule had on law-abiding colonial citizens, and in many cases, the colonists’ struggles between loyalty and independence. A helpful Afterword includes true facts about characters Minniti portrayed in the fictional book, and a glossary explains historical terms used within the text.

One Small Spark is highly recommended for young readers to provide a brief and realistic snapshot into life early in the tough and hard-earned fight for American independence. 

Review by Valerie Ormond (March 2020)

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Author's Synopsis

 It is 1769, and Boston in turmoil, but Benjamin Pembroke, the sheltered 11-year-old son of a wealthy merchant, is unaware of the growing unrest. His biggest concern is how to achieve his dream of one day joining the British army when his father expects him to become part of the family business.  

An unexpected visit from one of his father’s business associates piques the curiosity of Benjamin and his twin sister Abigail after they eavesdrop on a cryptic conversation. Benjamin becomes even more intrigued after finding a mysterious scrap of paper referring to a shadowy group calling themselves the Sons of Liberty. He becomes determined to learn more about them, and, with the help of his more adventurous sister, sets out to learn who they are and what they’re up to.

During a visit to the home of Grizzell Apthorp, a wealthy widow, Benjamin spies a strange boy he finds surprisingly compelling. When the boy arrives at Benjamin’s home the next day, Benjamin learns that he is Christopher Seider, one of Mrs. Apthorp’s servants who shares Benjamin’s dream of becoming a military hero. This begins an unlikely friendship that will change Benjamin’s future, as well as the future of the country.

A series of escalating incidents involving raids by British soldiers, led by an unscrupulous Customs agent, makes Benjamin realize why so many Bostonians are yearning to be free from the jackboot of King George. Even Benjamin’s father, a former Loyalist, begins to waver in his support for England. When Benjamin discovers Christopher’s connection to the Sons of Liberty, he decides to join forces with the patriots in their fight for freedom. This decision changes Benjamin's life - and the course of our country's history - forever.

ISBN/ASIN: ISBN 9781947327269, ASIN: B07J4T4Z6K
Book Format(s): Soft cover, Kindle, ePub/iBook
Review Genre: Children & Young Adult—Chapter Book
Number of Pages: 196

Crusader: General Donn Starry and the Army of His Times by Mike Guardia

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MWSA Review

Crusader: General Donn Starry and the Army of His Times by Mike Guardia captures the fighting spirit and evolving ideas which put Starry at the forefront of developing military doctrine post-Vietnam. Relying heavily on quotes taken directly from Starry's own writing as well as interviews with colleagues and family, his story unfolds from childhood through a successful military career and into retirement. Even as a young man, Starry showed the traits which brought him to the pinnacle of success in the U.S. Army. The author reveals traits such as persistence by showing Starry getting himself into West Point despite being appointed to the Naval Academy, and his many attempts to become a pilot. Other traits are handled in similar ways, making this both a good biography and a good manual of character. Starry faced many challenges personally and professionally, and Crusader effectively shows his development.

Crusader also allows the reader to see into both the military man and the circumstances which helped create him. The book shines when showing us how he was able to change the culture of the modern army for individual soldiers, such as his work in Germany overhauling failing units by insisting that all officers master soldiering skills, or insisting that living quarters be rehabbed to decent levels. He missed active battle during World War II and Korea, but extensive experience with maintaining readiness in tank units in Germany during the Cold War era and tank warfare in Vietnam helped form his ideas on modern warfare. 

Starry was one of the most respected participants in the Vietnam War, "leading from the front" as commander of 11th Armored Cavalry during the invasion of Cambodia. After Vietnam, his career continued, with appointments which added further breadth and depth to his ideas and leadership. Once Starry moved into the highest officer ranks, his intelligence and broad thinking were put to work. Inheriting leadership of the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) in 1977, Starry drove the evolution of the AirLand Battle doctrine to replace Active Defense. He saw the difficulties and limitations of doctrines however, and encouraged continuous improvement rather than rigid adherence. A controversial graduation speech at West Point included as an appendix, wherein he questioned West Point's relevance to the Army itself, further shows his relentless quest for better ways for both military organizations and soldiers to protect and serve our country. 

Crusader should be of interest both as military history and as biography. Starry's career as a student, soldier, and top leader is of interest to military readers. But the book also shows the character traits which allowed Starry to succeed in his various endeavors, and would be a fine biography for young people to read.

Review by Barb Evenson (May 2020)

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Author's Synopsis

 Although he missed combat in World War II and Korea, Donn Starry became one of the most influential commanders of the Vietnam War, and after Vietnam was one of the “intellectual giants” who reshaped the US Army and its doctrines. Throughout his career he worked to improve training, leadership and conditions for the men who served under him.

Starry was a leading advocate for tank warfare in Vietnam and his recommendations helped shape the contours for American armor in Southeast Asia—and paved the way for his success as commander of 11th Armored Cavalry during the invasion of Cambodia. When commander of Fort Knox and the Armor Center and School in the 1970s, Starry redeveloped armor tactics and doctrine and improved training. In his 16 months as commander of V Corps, he thoroughly tested the doctrine of “Active Defense,” then used his observations to create a new doctrine "AirLand Battle," which paved the way for overwhelming victory in the Gulf War. Like most battlefield commanders from the Vietnam era, Starry’s legacy is often overshadowed by the controversy of the war itself and the turmoil of the immediate postwar Army. However, with the invasion of Cambodia and the development of AirLand Battle, it is hard to imagine anyone who has had a greater impact on modern maneuver warfare. In this new biography of General Donn Starry, armor officer Mike Guardia examines the life and work of this pioneering, crusading officer using extracts from interviews with veterans and family, and from Starry’s personal papers.

ISBN/ASIN: 978-1612005447, B07FNB16TP
Book Format(s): Hard cover, Kindle, Audiobook
Review Genre: Nonfiction—Memoir/Biography
Number of Pages: 224

The Pound: Devil Dogs War in Nicaragua by David Brown

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MWSA Review

The Pound, Devil Dogs' War in Nicaragua, by LtCol David Brown is a highly researched book that tells an interesting story about the Marines in Nicaragua from 1928 to 1933. Based on actual events and with real people as characters, the book takes a close look at the life and combat experiences of the Marines. Their mission—that of nation-building: trying to quell rebel activity and allow Nicaragua to effectively evolve into a functioning democracy—faced difficulties caused by the terrain, the weather, and even an earthquake.

The Pound is the Marines' main restaurant/bar where most gathered when they weren't off in the field chasing the rebels. Brown includes dozens of photographs in his book taken from official Marines' historical records. These photographs depict the Marines who were there at the time, as well as relevant Nicaraguans, pictures of the country, and even original maps used by the Marines. I recommend this book to anyone interested in military history and especially someone who likes reading about the history of the Marines.

Review by Bob Doerr (March 2020)

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Author's Synopsis

I retired as a Lieutenant Colonel from the U.S. Marine Corps. During my 22-years of active duty, my two tours in Vietnam were remarkably memorable as I was both an advisor and rifle company commander during the 1967-1969 height of the war. Awarded Silver Star Medal. I also instructed economics at the U.S. Naval Academy and headed the Marine Corps Procurement Budget. Upon retirement, I consulted to the U.S. Marine Corps and the U.S. Navy. Afterwards, I was the Executive Director of the Second Marine Division Association and Chairman of the Board for the Carolina Museum of the Marine. I enjoy writing and have published over 15 articles in the Marine Corps Gazette and Amphibious Warfare Review. I authored books on training, automated information systems, and logistics. My first novel, Battlelines, is an historical fiction written about the gallant men of Fox Company, 2d Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment during their five-year deployment to Vietnam. My second novel, Bandits Below, is about the birth of the Marine Corps’ Air-Ground Team in Nicaragua during the late 1920s. My third novel, The Pound: Devil Dogs War in Nicaragua, was published in 2019. The fourth novel will tell the story of the tragic Beirut bombing in 1983. It will be published in the fall of 2020. I hold an MBA from George Washington University and a BA from Denison University.

ISBN/ASIN: ISBN 978-1-68456-268-8, ISBN 978-1-68456-269-5
Book Format(s): Soft cover
Review Genre: Fiction—Historical Fiction
Number of Pages: 376

Persian Blood by M.G. Haynes

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MWSA Review

Author M.G. Haynes does a masterful job of delivering a suspenseful, action-packed tale in Persian Blood.

The story follows a motley group of battle-hardened American soldiers in Afghanistan who unwittingly stumble across an ancient Persian relic overshadowed with a bloody history and a curse. Readers also embark on a colorful journey through time as they trace the ominous artifact—a sagaris battle axe—across many historical landscapes including the ancient empire of Darius to Quetta under the British Raj.

The author’s literary flair, historical research, and detailed knowledge of modern military combat operations result in a highly credible and entertaining story. Vivid and engaging, Persian Blood is a compelling must-read for those who enjoy history, action and creative storytelling.   

Review by Zita Ballinger Fletcher (March 2020)

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Author's Synopsis

 A U.S. Special Forces team, code-named Reaper, is hunting insurgent leaders in the mountains of Eastern Afghanistan when it discovers an ancient artifact. Revered by the local tribes in myth and legend, the relic disappeared from sight two thousand years ago. The Pashtuns call it “Persian Blood” and ownership bestows the mantle of legitimate and indisputable leadership upon its owner. A prize worth fighting for. A prize worth killing for. The harsh winter storm provides a rare opportunity and the local tribe risks everything to possess the relic, with Reaper caught in the middle, neither understanding why they are being attacked nor how they can escape the trap. Betrayed by one of their own, out of water, and running low on ammunition, the team is first hounded, then besieged, and only true understanding of what it is they carry will see them through this mission alive. The war in Afghanistan has always been complicated. It’s just become even more so.

ISBN/ASIN: 1547079622, 978-1547079629, B073NMLMNQ
Book Format(s): Soft cover, Kindle
Review Genre: Fiction—Mystery/Thriller
Number of Pages: 312

Vala's Bed by Joyce Faulkner

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MWSA Review

Vala’s Bed by Joyce Faulkner is a fictional story of a young German woman who married an American G.I. and moved with her two sons to a small town in Ohio right after World War II ended. Her husband, Sonny, readily considers Emo, known as EJ, and Milo, known as Mick, as his own, even they are aren't his biological children. One possession Vala manages to have shipped from Mannheim, Germany, is her ornate bed, which she treasures. But she is haunted by memories of life as a young girl in Nazi Germany, where she lived with her older sister and her parents. Staunch Nazis, her parents had considerable social standing. Elder son EJ has a mild form of epilepsy and sometimes experiences vivid dreams. He ultimately suspects they may not be dreams at all, but memories. However, his mother refuses to speak of her life in Germany and offers no clues. Mick and EJ secretly rummage through their mother’s suitcases of mementos and documents, trying to find out more about their—and their mother’s—past. As they grow from young boys to men, EJ in particular, questions anyone he thinks might have a key to his mother’s demons and real answers to his own history.

Much of the story reveals itself in dialogue and the story is told through EJ’s point of view. The characters in Vala’s Bed are richly drawn and their voices are distinct. Anyone interested in what it might have been like for a German to move to the U.S. right after World War II ended will find this story enlightening. It allows the reader to understand how a parent’s beliefs and actions can affect a child’s life forever. It warmly draws vivid images of life in a small town and deftly weaves together relationships from Vala’s childhood in Germany and her adult life in the U.S. This is a book worth reading…a book that will make your care about what happens to its characters.

Review by Patricia Walkow (April 2020)

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Author's Synopsis

Choosing to marry an American GI and accompany him home to Cold Creek, Ohio, after World War II, Vala Hess manages to escape her past and provide shelter and protection for her two young sons, Emo and Milo. But her tormented, traumatized past doesn’t let go.

ISBN/ASIN: ISBN 9781943267231
Book Format(s): Soft cover, Kindle
Review Genre: Fiction—Historical Fiction
Number of Pages: 331

There it is...It don't mean nothin' by Charles Hensler

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MWSA Review

A gripping firsthand account of the Vietnam War, Charles Hensler's memoir  There it is…It don't mean nothin' captures the experiences of a young man and the soul of an era. Written in a straightforward and easygoing manner, the book is refreshingly candid. Hensler takes a well-organized approach, giving readers unfamiliar with the Vietnam War a context for events and themes in this rich autobiographical account.

Hensler's vivid and direct writing style is riveting, giving the reader an experience like listening to his storytelling in person. He adds depth and color to the narrative by noting important historical and cultural events, giving a view of the larger world around him as he experienced the war. Other enriching details incorporated into the story include brief guides to military slang and common Vietnamese phrases, which truly make the era come alive.

The book is deeply moving, humorous at times, and very honest. It imparts a deeper understanding of the experiences of young American servicemen during the Vietnam War. For those seeking to enhance their knowledge of the war and the men who lived through it, Hensler's story is an essential read

Review by Zita Ballinger Fletcher (March 2020)

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Author's Synopsis

I served as an infantryman with the 199th Light Infantry Brigade in Vietnam from April 1968 to April 1969. It was a year of transition for the country. America’s support for the war was rapidly fading while racial strife, social upheaval, and political unrest were escalating. The Army was not immune to these changes, and the resulting ramifications rippled throughout the Army. Consequently, my story is not just about slogging through rice paddies or hacking through jungle foliage but integrates how events and changing attitudes back home impacted our morale, discipline, and trust in what we were being asked to do. It was a crazy time in America and no less so in Vietnam.

ISBN/ASIN: ISBN-13: 978-1-7239-7074-0, ASIN B07GV4ZPTR
Book Format(s): Soft cover, Kindle
Review Genre: Nonfiction—Memoir/Biography
Number of Pages: 291