Raids: A Tactical Guide to High Risk Warrant Service

Customer Reviews:

Raid .......2007-01-20

Gives details and sketches for you to follow along with what each person is suppose to do. Its like a training manual for swat teams.

RAIDS - Excellent Manual.......2006-09-22

I am a Police Officer in Colorado, and a former Active Duty Marine... I have to say that this book is a great source of information for High Risk Entry operations.

The book breaks down into the following:

Chapter One

Overview (6 Pages total):
-Raids
-Types
-Components

Individual and Team Equipment (18 pages)
-Individual
-Team
-Special Weapons

Bugetary Commitment (6 pages):
-Equipment
-Training
-Ranges

Chapter Two

Raid Training

Program Design (4 pages)

Firearms Training (10 pages):
-Firearms Policy
-Safety
-Tips for Instruction
-Training Fundamentals

Closer Quarter Shooting (10 pages):
-Principals
-Advanced Training
-Speed
-Mental Preparation
-Gunfight Survival

... and 3 more chapters with 22 additional sub-topics. The version of the book I have is the Third Printing from 1994, and the only negative thing I could say about my particular copy is that it has a ton of outdated information/pictures of equipment and tactics that are aged (ultimately having been revamped since).

Otherwise, it's a great addition for anyones toolbox, and whether you're a Law Enforcement official, military servicemember, or anyone else in a similar field, you should pick this up. I'll be getting the newest copy of the book here myself soon.

Excellent primer for SWAT students........2006-02-18

This book is well written, and covers SWAT topics at a more realistic entry level vs. other texts I have seen having SWAT in their title. Would highly recomend to those wanting to have a section in their library titled SWAT tactics/Inddor Urban Combat in it.

New 2005 revised edition.......2004-12-30

RAIDS was first published in 1991 but has recently been totally revised and up-dated to better reflect changes in STTU tactics and terminology for Raid planning and operations.
The January 2005 edition of RAIDs is outwardly the same (except the cover has "revised 2" under the title) but there are many changes to the text and operational checklists.
RAIDS is essential reading for anyone involved in law enforcement raid or high risk warrant operations or training.

Raids!.......2003-01-15

Well, this is a good book on how to conduct a "Raid". All you need to know from planning to execution, entry tactics and more. I think this is a good book for police officers (especially for the planning section).
If you never have done this kind of work it could sometimes be hard too understand everything , but Mr Londsdale also write in the foreward that he will not explain everything. But if you buy this book togheter with "Advanced weapons training for HRT" you got most of it covered. I recommend these 2 books. I also recommend "Tactical Advantage" by Gabriel Suarez.

A Vast Amount of Trouble: A History of the Spring Creek Raid

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Highly recommended for rural law dawgs and attorneys
Burnedblack Mountain

A Vast Amount of Trouble: A History of the Spring Creek Raid
John W. Davis
Manufacturer: Univ Pr of Colorado
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Americas | History | Subjects | Books

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Goodbye, Judge Lynch: The End of a Lawless Era in Wyoming's Big Horn Basin

ASIN: 0870813102

Customer Reviews:

Highly recommended for rural law dawgs and attorneys.......2007-02-07

As a former deputy sheriff in the nowood valley, Ten Sleep, Wyoming, I found Mr. Davis' research and presentation outstanding. His descriptions and evaluations were right on the money. As a critical history buff, I was pleasantly surprised to find no faults or criticisms of Mr. Davis' work. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it to anyone with an interest in historical jurisprudence. Things might have changed in "crime detection/investigation" but in the courtroom? not so much.

Burnedblack Mountain.......2006-02-01

Wyoming looms large for me, and I've alluded to a recent film about Wyoming "cowboys" in other reviews. Attorney John Davis, from somewhere in the Big Horn Basin, discusses events of 2 April 1909 that put the cowboy canard in its place. Those movie cowboys aren't cowboys because they're all hat and no cattle. They're sheepherders. So were Joe Allemand, shot to death on 2 April 1909, and Joe Enge, murdered and burned in his sheep wagon on Spring Creek.

Spring Creek was the last big battle of the western sheep wars, writes Mr. Davis, and was the first (only) Wyoming raid in which killers of sheepherders were convicted of murder. The murderers of Allemand, Emge, and another herder, burned to death with Emge in his wagon, were real cowboys acting out a drama that was a tragedy of the commons. Much of Wyoming even in 1909 was unfenced open range to which cattlemen claimed rights of preemption. Sheep and their crazy herders (cowboys debated overwhelming questions: Were men already crazy before they herded sheep, or were they made crazy by the sheep they herded?) were latecomers who competed for grass and water in a dry state. Sheep wrecked the range for cattle, eating grass down to the ground and then eating the ground. Then they'd bleat and excrete, wrecking water holes. In the Big Horn Basin commons, cattlemen and cowboys tolerated sheep and sheepherders as long as they knew their place. Where there were no fences, cattlemen helpfully drew deadlines, invisible lines in the sand beyond which sheep were not allowed to cross. Allemand and Emge crossed the line.

Allemand was foreign. Some accounts say he was Baszue; Davis writes that he was French. Allemand was an alien in an occupation dominated by Mexicans and Basques whose lives had been cheap. Mr. Allemand, though, was liked and respected by his neighbors despite being from somewhere else and despite sheep. Nobody wrote that he was crazy. Emge was foreign, but had been respected because he had been a cattleman before going to the dark side, sheep. He did not know his place. He kept his bovine arrogance despite turning to a disreputable occupation, sheep, and he openly disrespected his old cowboy cronies and their deadline. Emge, of course, represented something new under the hot Wyoming sun: old certitudes were dying. Wyoming, as territory and state, had run cattle and had been run by cattle. But Wyoming in the new 20th Century was born again; by 1909 Wyoming sheep were worth more than Wyoming cattle, and even founding fathers like cattle kings F.E. Warren & J.M. Carey were changing with the times. By 1909 cattle kings were running sheep.

That's the context of the story Mr. Davis tells. It's the story of an insular area, almost inbred, that was almost ripped apart by the aftermath of an atavistic raid. Davis excerpts Grand Jury transcripts that show communities and neighbors being pushed and pulled by the old and the new. He tells a story far more interesting than the fey fable that was nominated today for eight Academy Awards.

The Railroad War: N. B. Forrest's 1864 Raid Through Northern Alabama and Middle Tennessee

Average customer rating:

The Railroad War: N. B. Forrest's 1864 Raid Through Northern Alabama and Middle Tennessee
Robert, Jr. Dunnavant
Manufacturer: Pea Ridge Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Raid on the Sun: Inside Israel's Secret Campaign that Denied Saddam the Bomb

Average customer rating:

RICK SHAQ GOLDSTEIN SAYS: "TRUTH IS STRANGER THAN FICTION!" "THIS COULD BE THE BLUE PRINT FOR IRAN!"
This book is a fast and entertaining read
Incredible
Exciting
Incredible tale!

Raid on the Sun: Inside Israel's Secret Campaign that Denied Saddam the Bomb
Rodger Claire
Manufacturer: Broadway
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Middle East | History | Subjects | Books

Israel | Middle East | History | Subjects | Books

Intelligence & Espionage | Military | History | Subjects | Books

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The Yom Kippur War: The Epic Encounter That Transformed the Middle East
Israel's Secret Wars: A History of Israel's Intelligence Services
The Hunt For The Engineer: The Inside Story of How Isral's Counterterrorist Forces Tracked and Killed the Hamas Master Bomber
Six Days of War: June 1967 and the Making of the Modern Middle East
Entebbe: A Defining Moment in the War on Terrorism--The Jonathan Netanyahu Story

ASIN: 0767914252
Release Date: 2005-03-01

Book Description

The first authorized inside account of one of the most daring—and successful—military operations in recent history

From the earliest days of his dictatorship, Saddam Hussein had vowed to destroy Israel. So when France sold Iraq a top-of-the-line nuclear reactor in 1975, the Israelis were justifiably concerned—especially when they discovered that Iraqi scientists had already formulated a secret program to extract weapons-grade plutonium from the reactor, a first critical step in creating an atomic bomb. The reactor formed the heart of a huge nuclear plant situated twelve miles from Baghdad, 1,100 kilometers from Tel Aviv. By 1981, the reactor was on the verge of becoming “hot,” and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin knew he would have to confront its deadly potential. He turned to Israeli Air Force commander General David Ivry to secretly plan a daring surgical strike on the reactor—a never-before-contemplated mission that would prove to be one of the most remarkable military operations of all time.

Written with the full and exclusive cooperation of the Israeli Air Force high command, General Ivry (ret.), and all of the eight mission pilots (including Ilan Ramon, who become Israel’s first astronaut and perished tragically in the shuttle Columbia disaster), Raid on the Sun tells the extraordinary story of how Israel plotted the unthinkable: defying its U.S. and European allies to eliminate Iraq’s nuclear threat. In the tradition of Black Hawk Down, journalist Rodger Claire re-creates a gripping tale of personal sacrifice and survival, of young pilots who trained in the United States on the then-new, radically sophisticated F-16 fighter bombers, then faced a nearly insurmountable challenge: how to fly the 1,000-plus-kilometer mission to Baghdad and back on one tank of fuel. He recounts Israeli intelligence’s incredible “black ops” to sabotage construction on the French reactor and eliminate Iraqi nuclear scientists, and he gives the reader a pilot’s-eye view of the action on June 7, 1981, when the planes roared off a runway on the Sinai Peninsula for the first successful destruction of a nuclear reactor in history.

Download Description

The first authorized inside account of one of the most daring—and successful—military operations in recent history

From the earliest days of his dictatorship, Saddam Hussein had vowed to destroy Israel. So when France sold Iraq a top-of-the-line nuclear reactor in 1975, the Israelis were justifiably concerned—especially when they discovered that Iraqi scientists had already formulated a secret program to extract weapons-grade plutonium from the reactor, a first critical step in creating an atomic bomb.

The reactor formed the heart of a huge nuclear plant situated twelve miles from Baghdad, 1,100 kilometers from Tel Aviv. By 1981, the reactor was on the verge of becoming "hot," and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin knew he would have to confront its deadly potential. He turned to Israeli Air Force commander General David Ivry to secretly plan a daring surgical strike on the reactor—a never-before-contemplated mission that would prove to be one of the most remarkable military operations of all time.

Written with the full and exclusive cooperation of the Israeli Air Force high command, General Ivry (ret.), and all of the eight mission pilots (including Ilan Ramon, who become Israel's first astronaut and perished tragically in the shuttle Columbia disaster), Raid on the Sun tells the extraordinary story of how Israel plotted the unthinkable: defying its U.S. and European allies to eliminate Iraq's nuclear threat.

In the tradition of Black Hawk Down, journalist Rodger Claire re-creates a gripping tale of personal sacrifice and survival, of young pilots who trained in the United States on the then-new, radically sophisticated F-16 fighter bombers, then faced a nearly insurmountable challenge: how to fly the 1,000-plus-kilometer mission to Baghdad and back on one tank of fuel. He recounts Israeli intelligence's incredible "black ops" to sabotage construction on the French reactor and eliminate Iraqi nuclear scientists, and he gives the reader a pilot's-eye view of the action on June 7, 1981, when the planes roared off a runway on the Sinai Peninsula for the first successful destruction of a nuclear reactor in history.

"Rodger Claire handles a complex story with ease and assurance. Infused with an understanding of the pilots and their historical mission, Raid on the Sun illustrates how what they achieved for Israel was as vital as that earlier flight of the Enola Gay to Hiroshima to end World War Two. Claire has created a patient, scrupulous story that still unfolds with the pace and verve of a thriller. Don't wait for the movie of the book. Buy it now."
    GORDON THOMAS, AUTHOR OF GIDEON'S SPIES: MOSSAD'S SECRET WARRIORS

"Raid on the Sun is an extraordinary look into the most secret, and perhaps the finest, air force on the planet. It is also a blistering indictment of the international arms industry that sells modern weapons to anyone with money. Raid on the Sun is required reading for everyone in the age of terror."
   STEPHEN COONTS, AUTHOR OF FLIGHT OF THE INTRUDER

"A stunning eye-opener, shocking you with the realization of the enormous service the Israeli Air Force rendered the free world with its 1981 attack on Saddam Hussein's nuclear facility. Claire went right to the source—the Israeli pilots who flew the mission—to tell in colorful detail the full story of this historic strike."
    Customer Reviews:

RICK SHAQ GOLDSTEIN SAYS: "TRUTH IS STRANGER THAN FICTION!" "THIS COULD BE THE BLUE PRINT FOR IRAN!".......2007-06-16

I'm sure you've heard the phrase: "I COULDN'T PUT THIS BOOK DOWN, AND READ IT COVER TO COVER!" This book for me defined that, and if there really is a dictionary, (With famous phrases.) with the proverbial picture next to it, this book should be next to that phrase! This "TRUE" story, written over twenty years after the unbelievable Israeli bombing mission to destroy Iraq's nuclear facility, is too fantastic to believe. Why, was this in depth story never told before you may ask? Because Israel refused to talk about it, or release classified information. But now, this book was written with the "FULL" and exclusive cooperation, of the Israeli Air Force high command. I don't want to give away too much of the book, but it actually gives you information, way ahead of the actual mission also. Such as, Saddam Hussein's childhood and early years, that led and shaped him into the monster he became, as with the building of this nuclear reactor, and the vow to blow Israel off the face of the earth. It traces all the secret training in Israel, leading up to the historic raid. A titillating, page, early in the book, is an organization chart, of all the Israeli leaders in June 1981, and how they voted, pro or con, for the approval of the mission. This story makes James Bond look like The Hardy Boys. During the training of the pilots, Israel had to dismantle part of the jets, to lower the weight, so they would use less fuel, since the round trip mission from Israel to Iraq and back, had to be done with no refueling. Since I am not a pilot, but fly constantly. I almost felt like I was a passenger, along with the brave Israeli pilots, as they had to fly so close to the ground (100 FEET!) for 600 MILES over Saudi Arabia, to stay under the radar. The pilots had to contend with the rising heat from the desert, that adversely affected the jets. There were also things going on outside of Israel, that had to be done, while training was still taking place, to insure that the Iraqi nuclear reactor wouldn't go "live", before the Israeli plan was ready to go into action! These events were so unbelievable, that if you saw it in an Arnold Schwartzenagger, or Clint Eastwood movie, you wouldn't believe it! A beautiful blonde, pretending to be hit by a car, in front of a French Security gate, where the final pieces of the nuclear reactor were being manufactured. With this "blonde" diversion, Israeli agents got into the French manufacturing facility, to sabotage the piece, needed to finish the reactor. Thereby giving Israeli pilots, and masterminds, more time to prepare. The blowing up of an Italian apartment, owned by a supplier of parts to Iraq, as a warning not to supply the reactor. Of course, credit for the explosion was given to someone else. I could go on and on, but, that's why I said earlier, you can't put the book down. I want to tell you more, because it's unbelievable, but just go buy the book, and then I guarantee you, you'll want to tell someone else too. P.S. This could be a blue print for Iran. Wait and see?!

This book is a fast and entertaining read.......2007-03-19

If you are interested in military and middle east history, this may be a book for you. It has a good pace and is very easy reading. The pace of the book is not quite as fast as BlackHawk Down, but better than Bowden's other book, Killing Pablo. It almost has that 'reads like fiction' feel. I agree though, with one of the other posters comments that I read, and that is that there are alot of technical details that are not correct, (like "heat seeking Sparrow's") which does beg the question of whether or not he did not did not get all the facts right. But none the less, still a fun read and if even only half of it is right, its still an amazing story. I will highly recommend this book to my friends.

Incredible.......2007-02-24

Raid on the Sun describes the events leading up to to the 1981 raid on the Osirik reactor. It's a solid written, highly readable book. The book jacket nails it dead on by saying that this is something you'd see in a Hollywood thriller - a small country up against incredible odds both technologically and politically and overcoming them. I highly recommend it.

Reading some of the other reviews, I would like to point out that the comparisons to the current situation with Iran are perfunctory at best. Iran's nuclear facilities are deep underground, spread out in multiple locations over a large land mass, many cynically located under civilian areas such as schools. The Iranians learned many lessons from "the raid on the sun." There are three options on the table at this point from the Israeli perspective:

1. Wait and hope the U.S. bombs Iran. It's not looking like this is going to happen, as Bush probably needs Congress's authorization , and they most likely will not give it considering how Iraq is going. Furthermore, Bush has given authorization to Rice and the State Department to try to negotiate. Looks like Cheney and the neo-cons have lost power. Yet Israel will give it until the end of the year at least, according to leaked reports.

2. Attack Iran. Given how spread out the facilities are and Israel's capabilities, they have the ability to attack the three or four most important nuclear targets but not much more, which will delay the nuclear program for a number of years but not stop it. Iran will retaliate heavily, as well as its proxies Syria, Hezbollah and Hamas. The Tel Aviv skyscrapers will almost certainly be hit; there will be a huge fallout internationally; and Israel's economy will go to hell.

3. Do nothing, which is of course the worst decision, given Ahmadinejad's statements about Israel and the apocalyptic beliefs of Shiite Islam.

We'll have to wait and see, eh? By the way, I highly recommend that you check out the MIT paper, "Osirak Redux? Assessing Israeli capabilities to Destroy Iranian Nuclear Facilities" by Whitney Raas and Austin Long, which is where the estimates from #2 come from.

Exciting .......2006-11-04

This is a great read. I found my heart pounding as these great pilots defended their country against this great evil.

Incredible tale!.......2006-09-11

This is an incredible story of the June 7, 1981, operation that took out Saddam Hussein's nuclear reactor and, as a result, probably alone kept him from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

Astonishingly, the brave Israeli pilots took 8 F-16's in to enemy territory and all returned home safely. This book details the planning and exeuction of this operation from start to finish.

This is a very good read, especially given the happenings of recent years in that region. Despite the almost unanimous international criticism Israel received for this operation, we probably have those brave men and women of the IDF to thank today for the fact that the world has not yet experienced a nuclear holocaust at the hands of a mad tyrant.

Jihad in Brooklyn: The NYPD Raid That Stopped America's First Suicide Bombers

Average customer rating:

Gripping Story
Two suicide bombers in Brooklyn
good case against illegal immigration
GREAT!
Egyptian immigrant saves New York

Jihad in Brooklyn: The NYPD Raid That Stopped America's First Suicide Bombers
Sam Katz
Manufacturer: NAL Trade
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Suicide | Death & Grief | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

Law Enforcement | Criminal Law | Law | Subjects | Books

U.S. | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

True Crime | True Accounts | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Terrorism | Current Events | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

E-Man: Life in the NYPD Emergency Services Unit
23rd Precinct: The Job
Circle of Six: The True Story of New York's Most Notorious Cop Killer and the Cop Who Risked Everything to Catch Him
My Life in the NYPD: Jimmy the Wags
Security: an Inside Look At the Tactics of the Nypd

ASIN: 0451214439

Book Description

New York has always been a mecca for immigrants, including an Egyptian dishwasher living in a cramped Brooklyn apartment he shared with three other Middle-Eastern men. But on July 31, 1997, the last place he wanted to be was home, where two of his roommates-young, angry Palestinians-were proudly showing off the bomb belts they planned to detonate on a packed rush-hour subway train.

Barely able to stifle his panic, the Egyptian told two policemen his story. Within minutes, they were in a Brooklyn precinct house, and the NYPD's famous Emergency Services Unit was on their way.

The brave men of the NYPD ESU staged a daring 5 AM raid on the sweltering, filthy tenement apartment, stopping the terrorists- who literally had their fingers on the switches of the bombs. Hundreds-perhaps thousands-of lives were saved. This is their frightening, true story.

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"New York has always been a mecca for immigrants, including an Egyptian dishwasher living in a cramped Brooklyn apartment he shared with three other Middle-Eastern men. But on July 31, 1997, the last place he wanted to be was home, where two of his roommates-young, angry Palestinians-were proudly showing off the bomb belts they planned to detonate on a packed rush-hour subway train. Barely able to stifle his panic, the Egyptian told two policemen his story. Within minutes, they were in a Brooklyn precinct house, and the NYPD's famous Emergency Services Unit was on their way. The brave men of the NYPD ESU staged a daring 5 AM raid on the sweltering, filthy tenement apartment, stopping the terrorists- who literally had their fingers on the switches of the bombs. Hundreds-perhaps thousands-of lives were saved. This is their frightening, true story."

Customer Reviews:

Gripping Story.......2006-01-02

This book is a story of the bombing that almost was, and the heroics of the NYPD officers who, in literally a few hours, staged a raid that saved probably hundreds of lives.

Thanks to an Egyptian immigrant, two officers were alerted to a plot that was to be carried out the very next morning. These two officers could have dismissed the immigrants story as the ramblings of a drunk, but didn't. Thanks to them and the other brave officers, the plot was thwarted hours before it was to be executed.

It was interesting to read of the inner workings of the NYPD Emergency Services Unit (ESU). As a cop myself, my hat is off to those brave officers who risk their lives daily in the performance of their duties.

What really disgusted me about the story was the aftermath in which the NYPD "brass" acted in such a ridiculously childish way in denying the officers who participated in the raid the full honors due to them--even sending one on an assignment to the Dominican Republic so he'd have to miss a national award ceremony in Washington! While this type of behaviour may be limited to a few individuals, unfortunately those individuals are at the top of the pecking order, and make the whole administration look bad.

And yes, this is an excellent example of why we should crack down on if not eliminate illegal immigration and deport all the illegals/criminals.

Two suicide bombers in Brooklyn.......2005-07-01

Katz writes a story about his friend and his friend's colleagues who bravely stormed the apartment of two suicide bombers in Brooklyn the night before the bombers planned to self-destruct and in the process murder innumerable innocent commuters on a New York subway. The event took place after the successfully thwarted terrorist attack in lower Manhattan and several years before 9/11. That Katz has decided to tell the general public about this incident is admirable, however, a better writer would have related this story in a much more concise, objective and gripping manner. Katz does not allow the facts to speak for themselves but insists on adding his critical and at times cynical opinion. He also uses his book to vent about his friend's superiors and parts of the police administration. A better book would have tried to present the facts as objectively as possible and allowed the reader to form his or her own opinion.
For example: there is no doubt that the general public is indebted to the officers who selflessly and with immense courage prevented the terrorist bombers from realizing their heinous plan. The fact that these courageous men were subsequently only given one day off after their close encounter with death is deplorable. We do not need Katz to tell us this.
Another shortcoming: on the one hand Katz criticizes the administration and politicians for sharing the names of the brave officers with the media and thus drawing the wrath of the Jihad to these men. On the other hand, Katz makes no attempts to prevent further publication of the officers' names. The author could have covered up their identities with false names in this book.

I get the impression that Katz stretches the meager amount of material that was made available to him to the utmost. A better writer would have delivered a more comprehensive story. We know little of the evolution of the terrorists once they entered the United States. Where is the link with Jihad? The story leaves the reader with the impression that these two nutcases operated independently. Once the more fanatic of the two terrorists is taken to hospital, we are left to wonder what he told authorities subsequent to his interview with the intelligence officer. Katz' story is disjointed. He seems to tell us what he knows, even if not directly relevant, and leaves us guessing about the rest.

In summary, while this story needed to be told it could have been told more subtlety, with more finesse, and with fewer gaps.

good case against illegal immigration.......2005-04-14

Although the plot was broken by a legal immigrant seeking the American dream, and the police responded with proper degree of speed and understanding, the real lesson learned here is that the problem was created by turning a blind eye towards illegal immigration.

The U.S. is a haven for immigrants and races from around the world, but by no means does this make illegal immigration okay - it is not.

Doing the right thing means respecting our existing laws, respecting the people who live here and came here legally, and respect for the people that enforce our laws. Support legislation to enforce our immigation policies... we may not be so lucky next time.

GREAT!.......2005-02-23

This book was very good. It depicts the step by step process of how the middle east (mainly palestine and israel) is peaceless. It explains the entire process that the NYPD's Emergency Service Unit, or ESU, took to thwart the terrorist attack that would have occurred in Brooklyn. They portrayed the bravery of the NYPD and all Police officers within the United States. Not only does the ESU do there job well, but they do it with professionalism. This is a Must Read for anyone who would like to join any elite police units such as SWAT or even the NYPD's ESU.

Egyptian immigrant saves New York.......2005-01-31

For those who think all Middle Eastern immigrants are terrorists, this book has some sobering lessons. The only reason NYPD figured out this plot in advance --and saved New York-- was because a newly arrived Egyptian immigrant decided to put his life and future on the line for America by telling police about the plot. This guy didn't even speak English very well, and coming from Egypt, was terrified of police. The Palestinian bombers told him about their plot, thinking he would never dare to tell anyone, but he immediately went to the nearest police officer and persisted in telling the story, despite the initial skepticism with which the cops greeted him. This story affirms that "intel" is the way to disrupt terrorist plots, not blind antagonism towards immigrants. Without this immigrant from Egypt, NYPD would never have known about the plot. The next time Colorado Representative Tom Tancredo starts ranting about how all the immigrants are terrorists, you can counter with this story. This immigrant really saved the day.

Average customer rating:

A great series
Disappointing
FLASH HARRY IS BACK! But not in this book.
Flashman visits Harper's Ferry
Signs of Decline

Flashman and the Angel of the Lord
George MacDonald Fraser
Manufacturer: Plume
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Historical | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Flashman and the Dragon (Flashman)
Flashman and the Tiger
Flashman and the Redskins (Flashman)
Flashman and the Mountain of Light (Flashman)
Flashman in the Great Game: A Novel (Flashman)

ASIN: 0452274400

Customer Reviews:

A great series.......2007-08-24

For those of you who aren't familiar with his exploits, please allow me to introduce you to Sir Harry Flashman, literature's most unrepentant scoundrel. Flashman (whom some may remember as the bully from Tom Brown's Schooldays), is the hero of twelve (as of 2007) novels by the literate and witty George MacDonald Fraser. The setting for these novels is the Nineteenth Century, a time filled with countless skirmishes and disasters, with Flashman seemingly involved in most of them. Fraser, in an explanatory note, says it best:

"From the day of his expulsion from Rugby School in the late 1830s, Flashman the man fulfilled the disgraceful promise of Flashman the boy; toadying bounder and bully matured into the cowardly profligate and scoundrel, who, by chance and shameless opportunism, became one of the most renowned heroes of the Victorian age, unwilling leader of the Light Brigade, fleeing survivor of Afghanistan and Little Big Horn, tarnished paladin of Crimea and the Mutiny, and cringing chronicler of many another conflict, disaster, and intrigue in which he bore an inglorious but seldom unprofitable part."

Flashman's memoirs were purportedly discovered in an attic in Leicestershire in 1965, half a century after his death at the age of 93. Flashman and the Angel of the Lord, the tenth packet of the "Flashman Papers" to have been edited and published by Fraser, chronicles Sir Harry's second trip to America. The last time around, he was sold as a slave, worked as a plantation foreman, met a young congressman named Abraham Lincoln and smuggled an escaped slave via the Underground Railroad. This time, through misadventure, coincidence, and the consequences of his own cowardice and womanizing, he is forced into acting as John Brown's right hand man, training Brown's followers for their disastrous 1859 raid on Harper's Ferry, the kickoff to the Civil War. Flashman, incidentally, served on both sides during that conflict, the details of which I can only hope will be revealed in a forthcoming volume.

In this age of political correctness, Flashman's bawdy adventures are a breath of fresh air. These books deserve every ounce of the praise they've received over the years---the only drawback of being a Flash-fan is enduring the long intervals between installments. Each novel stands by itself, but if you read one, you'll want to read them all. Sample one and join the ranks of rabid Flashmaniacs all around the world.

Disappointing.......2005-11-02

I enjoy this series and have had many enjoyable hours laughing at the 19th century's most outrageous cad. But this one is a bit thin and takes a lifetime to finally get to Harper's Ferry. When Harry and Co. finally make it there, even then it drags a bit. Not Flashman's best by any means.

FLASH HARRY IS BACK! But not in this book........2005-06-10

I wanted to write a brief review about the twelfth packet of papers in the Sir Harry Paget Flashmen series, but it hasn't been printed in the US, as yet, so I'll write about them here. I purchased the latest novel FLASHMAN ON THE MARCH from amazon.co.uk a few weeks ago. I am very happy to say that the old Harry is back. This time he finds himself escaping the anger of his Austrian companions from aboard a ship after dallying with a 16-yr-old princess enroute to her wedding to a man she has never met. He stumbles into an old Rugby chum and right into plans to carry a large sum of money to Sir Robert Napier prior to the British Army's expedition into Abyssinia. This is the opportunity he was looking for to get out of Trieste asap.

It seems mad Emperor Theodore has imprisoned some of Her Majesty's subjects and Sir Robert needs Harry's "talents" to help locate and free the captives. Using the money, he must secure an alliance with rival Queen Masteeat of the Gallas. Harry is reluctant, of course, and tries to talk his way out of going until he discovers that he is to have a very beautiful guide to help him travel the treacherous and very dangerous landscape of Abyssinia (Ethiopia) during a civil war. True to form, Harry gets into all sorts of life-threatening situations. In one, he manages to save his own skin by kicking his lover guide over a waterfall as she clings to him for aid. He finally meets up with Queen Masteeat and her pet lions, gets drunk on tej the local alcoholic beverage, is seduced by her, kidnapped by some very bad fellows (friends of the ex-guide) intent on "unmanning" him, and rescued by the malevolent Emperor Theodore himself, all in less than 48 hours...and then the adventure really begins. Those of you out there who are true "Flashmaniacs" will be very happy to hear that our anti-hero is back...the same laughable liar, lecher, cad, poltroon, coward he has been for decades. Hurrah for Sir 'Arry!

Flashman visits Harper's Ferry.......2005-03-02

This book was my ninth stage in a chronological survey of the life and times of Harry Flashman. While I do agree with fellow reviewers that this book my not offer the very best read in the series, I still liked it well enough for a full endorsement.

Living within an hour's drive from Harpers Ferry, I had been looking forward to reading this book for quite a while. It never ceases to amaze me how important a role this quaint little village with its antique and fudge shops played in the history of this great country.

It's often said that revolutions don't start with great deeds, but with small words. While this book in fact deals with John Brown's "small deed" it does indeed show its fractal butterfly effect on world history.

Apart from giving the reader a detailed and accurate description of the siege of Harpers Ferry and its build up, I considered this book most interesting because of the detailed character study of John Brown. As always Fraser has done his homework to the t's and provides a balanced description of "the Angel of the Lord". While the writer at no moment assumes the air of say an Ambrose -he has never been accused of plagiarism either!- what results is a wonderfully portrait that is made without the customary canonization that Brown receives for setting an important part of the stage of the Civil War.

Due to the seriousness of this portrait, which some dimwits have mistaken for being boring, some of Flashman's customary gallivanting and slapstick humor just seems a tad out of character. Nevertheless, I considered this an insightful and rewarding read that is a worthy part of the eminent Flashman saga.

Signs of Decline.......2003-10-18

I'm a big fan of this series, but I have to say it's in decline. The first book is good, the second is brilliant (yes, it's contrived. It's also a superb comic novel), the next two published: "Flash for Freedom" and "Flashman at the Charge" are both first-rate. The next one published, "Flashman's Lady" wasn't particularly good, and it's downhill from there, with signs of life in "Flashman and the Redskins" but not much else.

I tried to read this book some years ago, and gave it up. I only made it through this time because I was determined, and determination is what you need. There are no less than three plots to get Flashman to help John Brown, by three different groups, and explained, ad nauseum, in three different patois. Characters from previous Flashman books show up: a good thing in the case of John Charity Spring, but fairly pointless in the case of Annette Mandeville and Crixtus. The book has a truncated feel, as if it has been either heavily edited or padded. Or both.

It's still fun to spend time with ye olde Flash, shameless as he is. His lack of political correctness (this was one of things that rescued "Flashman and the Redskins") is still a joy. But Fraser appears a bit tired. The deadpan footnotes that made "Royal Flash" such a knee-slapper are long gone. Too bad.

Cloudsplitter: A Novel
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A parting of the clouds

Thoroughly Engaging Novel

Worthwhile

A Great American Novel

"'Action, action, action,' was father's call."

Cloudsplitter: A Novel
Russell Banks
Manufacturer: Harper Perennial
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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The cover of Russell Banks's mountain-sized novel Cloudsplitter features an actual photo of Owen Brown, the son of John Brown--the hero of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" whose terrorist band murdered proponents of slavery in Kansas and attacked Harpers Ferry, Virginia, in 1859 on what he considered direct orders from God, helping spark the Civil War.

A deeply researched but fictionalized Owen narrates this remarkably realistic and ambitious novel by the already distinguished author of The Sweet Hereafter. Owen is an atheist, but he is as haunted and dominated by his father, John Brown, as John was haunted by an angry God who demanded human sacrifice to stop the abomination of slavery. Cloudsplitter takes you along on John Brown's journey--as period-perfect as that of the Civil War deserter in Cold Mountain--from Brown's cabin facing the great Adirondack mountain (called "the Cloudsplitter" by the Indians) amid an abolitionist settlement the blacks there call "Timbuctoo," to the various perilous stops of the Underground Railroad spiriting slaves out of the South, and finally to the killings in Bloody Kansas and the Harpers Ferry revolt. We meet some great names--Frederick Douglass, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and a (fictional) lover of Nathaniel Hawthorne--but the vast book keeps a tight focus on the aged Owen's obsessive recollections of his pa's crusade and the emotional shackles John clamped on his own family.

Banks, a white author, has tackled the topic of race as impressively as Toni Morrison in novels such as Continental Drift. What makes Cloudsplitter a departure for him is its style and scope. He is noted as an exceptionally thorough chronicler of America today in rigorously detailed realist fiction (he championed Snow Falling on Cedars). Banks spent half a decade researching Cloudsplitter, and he renounces the conventional magic of his poetical prose style for a voice steeped in the King James Bible and the stately cadences of 19th-century political rhetoric. The tone is closer to Ken Burns's tragic, elegiac The Civil War than to the recent crazy-quilt modernist novel about John Brown, Raising Holy Hell.

A fan of Banks's more cut-to-the-chase, Hollywood-hot modern style may get impatient, but such readers can turn to, say, Gore Vidal's recently reissued Lincoln, which peeks into the Great Emancipator's head with a modern's cynical wit. Banks's narrator is poetical and witty at times--Owen notes, "The outrage felt by whites [over slavery] was mostly spent on stoking their own righteousness and warming themselves before its fire." Yet in the main, Banks writes in the "elaborately plainspoken" manner of the Browns, restricting himself to a sober style dictated by the historical subject.

Besides, John Brown's head resembles the stone tablets of Moses. You do not penetrate him, and you can't declare him mad or sane, good or evil. You read, struggling to locate the words emanating from some strange place between history, heaven, and hell.

Book Description

A triumph of the imagination and a masterpiece of modern storytelling, Cloudsplitter is narrated by the enigmatic Owen Brown, last surviving son of America's most famous and still controversial political terrorist and martyr, John Brown. Deeply researched, brilliantlyplotted, and peopled with a cast of unforgettable characters both historical and wholly invented, Cloudsplitter is dazzling in its re-creation of the political and social landscape of our history during the years before the Civil War, when slavery was tearing the country apart. But within this broader scope, Russell Banks has given us a riveting, suspenseful, heartbreaking narrative filled with intimate scenes of domestic life, of violence and action in battle, of romance and familial life and death that make the reader feel in astonishing ways what it is like to be alive in that time.

Customer Reviews:

A parting of the clouds.......2007-07-26

I was led to this book after reading Geraldine Brook's "March," in which Civil War era abolitionist John Brown was a featured character. Cloudsplitter is a narrative story told from the point of view of one of Brown's many sons, Owen Brown. Owen often acts as an apologist for his father's ideas and actions, but being an ambivalent and tortured man himself, his narrative seems to vacillate between testimonial and confession.

There's a notable "twist" in the story, and I don't think I'm giving anything away by saying that Owen seems largely responsible for turning his father towards the violence for which he is remembered. The twist is all the more interesting because the young Owen mostly opposed and disapproved of his father's piety and abolitionist zealousness, then, apparently going through a kind of twisted emotional metamorphosis, comes to abet, even manipulate, his father. It's a provocative examination of how a father can influence a son, and the son in turn can influence the father, in the process amplifying the negative influences - in this case with destructive and tragic consequences. It's also a revealing examination of the fine line - so fine as to be cutting - between love and hate, ideals and depravity.

I can't say whether Owen had as much influence on his father as this well-researched story indicates. John Brown's actions, if not his ideals, are almost as controversial today as they were before the Civil War. Some credit him with setting off the Civil War (for better or worse), some see him as the inspiration for the Civil Rights Movement, some see him, especially in light of today's terror-conscious world, as a misguided and fanatical terrorist. But after reading this book, I now want to find a story about Frederick Douglass, the one character in this story who shines and inspires.

Thoroughly Engaging Novel.......2007-04-21

This is a long book. The author hammers on the minute details of every thought in every character's mind, repeatedly. So, it sounds like a boring book, right? Wrong! I don't know how Banks does it but you can't put this down. He grabs you with crab claws and won't let go! Up front, Banks puts the reader on notice that this is a work of fiction but, his detail of actual history simply will not keep the reader from thinking this is a word-for-word account of the events surrounding John Brown's rise to martyrdom at Harper's Ferry. You will be reading this one for a while and you will be all the better for it!

Worthwhile.......2007-01-11

The word "worthwhile" carries a little more meaning with this book as it is no one-day-read. "Cloudsplitter" was very enjoyable to read and I actually had the immense pleasure of reading it while traveling to Harpers Ferry last summer (which was simply awesome). Russell Banks does an excellent job keeping the reader engrossed in the monumental autobiographical tale of Owen Brown, the only son of John Brown to survive the raid on the Ferry. While many of the historical facts have been embellished and fictitious characters added, the story is fairly accurately told, not to mention beautifully written. This is what I would describe as "modern literature", although I'm sure there's some tidy text book definition somewhere.

Being a Southerner, it was definitely good to read another perspective of The Civil War. It gave me a new respect for the very complex issues surrounding the War and a greater appreciation for our United States. There are some very powerful images of very real human beings and Banks does a wonderful job of illustrating life during the 19th century. At the moment, "Cloudsplitter" ranks in the top five favorite books of all time with me. I wholeheartedly recommend it.

Don't let the page count intimidate you; the story is very engaging and you will find yourself quickly immersed in the beautifully written story of a family and a life that's "real", even though many of the events are fictitious. I cared about these people deeply and was eager to find out how they overcame the seemingly endless list of adversity they experienced from extreme poverty, to social and religious and political fanaticism, to the deaths of numerous children in the Brown family (John Brown fathered 20 children, seven with his first wife Dianthe and a staggering thirteen with his second wife Mary.)

"Cloudsplitter" is a mountain of a story. Consider the time spent reading it an investment. It will leave you changed.

A Great American Novel.......2006-12-28

Cloudsplitter is a novel with a historical context. Whether or not the specific history is accurate is meaningless, although it has been well researched. The book is about topics far more important than whether John Brown was sane or insane or, specifically, what actions he and his family took in their fight against slavery. It is a deeply moving and disturbing examination of the relationship between fathers and sons, about relations among races and cultures and about the motivations of terorists.

While the book is not a short novel, Bank's prose is so captivating and the story so egrossing that I had no sense of the book being "too long" as some other reviewers have described.

Finishing the book left me stunned. I suspect I will literally be changed forever. I'm left to contemplate family dynamics as well as the strengths and failures of liberalism and radicalism in America.

"'Action, action, action,' was father's call.".......2006-06-14

An Adirondack mountain known as the Cloudsplitter stretches toward the heavens above North Elba, New York, dominating the landscape. In its shadow lives John Brown, a fiery abolitionist who also reaches toward God--a man who will eventually dominate the political landscape. Telling John Brown's story is Owen Brown, the only son of John Brown to survive the calamitous raid at Harper's Ferry, Virginia, in 1859, a prelude to the Civil War. As Owen Brown, now an old man, looks back on the events leading to this attack, he reveals his deep commitment to his father and to abolition, though he always lacked his father's religious fervor and longed instead to have a life of his own.

In North Elba in 1841, the Browns, aided by a small community of freedmen, are a stop on the Underground Railroad, facing daily threats to their lives and those of their "cargo." John Brown, believing that God has anointed him to eliminate slavery by whatever means are necessary, views himself as the Old Testament incarnations of both Abraham and Job. Eventually, John Brown's religious fervor and view of his mission lead to violence and murder, and Brown, called a "terrorist" by his opponents, gradually becomes isolated, even from the black community.

Owen, committed to his father's vision of a free society, is drawn into the maelstrom, and when Brown and five sons go to Kansas to fight pro-slavery vigilantes in 1855, it is Owen who (literally) takes up the sword and initiates the cold-blooded murder of five settlers. The raid on the arsenal at Harper's Ferry, Virginia, in 1859, in which Brown had hoped to be aided by Frederick Douglass, proves a failure, though it ultimately galvanizes the country on the issue of slavery.

Exhaustively researched by author Russell Banks, the novel is filled with fascinating historical detail that sheds light on Brown and his actions. The major black characters with whom the Browns work, are fully drawn and sympathetic, and the book is vibrantly descriptive--with images from nature vying with gruesome, savage scenes. Symbolism abounds, from the Cloudsplitter to the characters from the Old Testament with whom John Brown identifies. The novel, nearly eight hundred pages long, is challenging to read, however. The reader develops little empathy for John Brown because he is too single-minded to be "round," and while Owen's adolescent confusions regarding sexuality make him seem more human, his evolution into a murderous butcher is not effectively developed. The almost total absence of women in the novel and its lack of warmth limit its appeal. A terrific historical achievement, the book is less effective as a novel. n Mary Whipple

Carlson's Raid: The Daring Marine Assault on Makin

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Well Written Account of a Forgotten yet Exciting Action in the Pacific War
Factual histories reveal how messy reality is...
Gung Ho!
Shakin' Makin With Peatross Too
Marine Raiders Takin' Makin

Carlson's Raid: The Daring Marine Assault on Makin
George W. Smith
Manufacturer: Berkley Trade
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Military | History | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0425190196
Release Date: 2003-07-01

Book Description

Led by Lieutenant Colonel Evans Carlson, the 2nd Marine Raider commandos were the celebrated "Gung Ho Battalion." In August 1942, as a diversion to the invasion of Guad-alcanal, the 219 Raiders traveled 2,000 miles by submarine to Makin Atoll. In one of the most daring attacks of World War II, they caused substantial damage to the Japanese-before making a nightmarishly hazardous withdrawal.

To an America badly in need of heroes, Carlson's Raid was the answer to a prayer. But the raid's long-term consequences were bloodier than anyone could have imagined. And, ultimately, the controversial Carlson's high profile would be his undoing.

This is the full story of that daring mission, its unforeseen consequences, and the decision made when the fighting was toughest-kept secret for fifty years-that would have brought a far different conclusion to the famous Makin Raid.

Customer Reviews:

Well Written Account of a Forgotten yet Exciting Action in the Pacific War.......2006-07-27

Smith is a pretty good writer for this style of book, essentially a regimental history. That genre, though used as source material is particularly excrable in writing style. But Smith pulls of a masterly work which could be claim of larger and more campaign-centred histories.

The essentials of Carlson's biography set up the mission requirements and the advent of this particularly class-less based fighting unit in WWII. Carlson has attracted a lot of controversy in life and death with his commando concept for the marines. In other countries such a figure as Carlson -- brash, socialist, schooled in guerrilla warfare by basically travelling with Mao's troops in pre-WWII China -- would not attract such attention. But the US with its particularly ideological slant on the world, anti-collectivist attitude, and mere fact that the US Marine Corps is perhaps one of the most conservative of institutions, it was inevitable that a man who believed in mythic leadership -- the notion that leaders lead by example -- would get under the skins of conservatives, turf defenders and those advocates of grander strategies.

Smith did not really cover too much of Carlson's ideology except to stated that he was no communist, but something worse -- "a socialist with a genuine fear of God." Such a man with a mission was dangerous in established institutions and went very far for the same reason a Orde Wingate -- he was a soldier that fights.

The book should be standard reading for any special operations person and tells the value of not only preparation, but how even the best laid plans can, and often will, go astray. Many people found fault in Carlson. I found his ability to improvise to be quirky and inspiring. I also found the fact that the raiders were not expecting snipers in trees also a glaring fault in their training.

I do not think there is much to be gained in arguing over the military value of the raid. It was paltry. Not even a blip on the screen of combat that presaged and followed. But it was a test run of a daring concept.

The value of the raider concept for combat in WWII is more controversial. There are those that argue you get greater bang for your buck by integrating these fighting men into traditional combat units. Certainly this was proved with the British-Commonwealth Commando raiding concept. It was also proved in Burma where clearly Orde Wingate's Chindits would have been better employed as a traditional British line divisions.

I like the book and rate it highly. I think it highly ironic that in 1943 the raider concept was ultimately crushed by the Marine "forces that be" and their units integrated into regular Marine Divisions. This contrasts with the obscene plethora of troops in the US Armed Forces who regard themselves as "Special Forces" -- to such a degree that the term has beome largely meaningless.

Factual histories reveal how messy reality is..........2006-01-05

Evans Fordyce Carlson was a loose cannon. The Raider concept was "emerging doctrine" (MilSpeak for "make up stuff as the situation develops"). Carlson's legacy is the modern Marine Corps fire team--a humble honor that Carlson would probably appreciate. As for the official record, "maverick" is an understatement.

George W. Smith begins "Carlson's Raid" with the events of Sunday, December 7, 1941 at Pearl Harbor. The author also gives a brief biography of Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, a key player in the Raider story. James Roosevelt, FDR's son and Carlson's battalion executive officer, and of course the President of the United States, Franklin D. Roosevelt, were the reason that Carlson wound up with one of the two Raider battalions. The Marine Corps was bitterly opposed to forming any "special force" because the official dogma was that every Marine was special. (Note: in 2005 the United States Marine Corps finally recanted this long-held doctrine and established a presence in the Special Operations Command--SOCOM. "Carlson's Raid" was published prior to this event and only time will tell how this radical change will affect the Corps.)

The bulk of the book is about the Makin raid from preparation to aftermath. One chapter is devoted to Carlson's Raiders' Long Patrol and another is devoted to the disbanding of the Raiders. I like bibliographies and indexes because they allow me to go to other sources and quickly find things.

I came to the conclusion that the Makin Raid was a defeat for Headquarters Marine Corps because even after being organized and equipped specifically for raiding and undergoing extensive (for the time) training the raid was all but a disaster. This was an HQMC defeat because it proved that "ordinary Marine line companies" were NOT capable of conducting Makin Island type operations. The Raider companies themselves needed refinement in training and better equipment. Radios and outboard motors were not up to the task of keeping raid elements in touch with the mother ship or each other, and of crashing through the surf line. No wonder Raider units were "squandered" as line infantry on Guadalcanal and then disbanded! The Para-Marines were never used as parachute infantry, either.

I think that "Carlson's Raid" is great history because it shows how fouled up war fighting can be. Smith leaves me with more questions than answers, which is a good thing. There are gaps in the record on the Makin Island operation. George W. Smith put a lot of information into "Carlson's Raid" because military operations do not happen in a clinical, isolated setting. FDR's "interference" in "military operations" and the Hollywood connection (the movie "Gung Ho!") all cloud the issue of success and failure. In military operations the difference between defeat and victory is often merely a matter of opinion.

Gung Ho!.......2001-09-08

George W. Smith has done a superb job of chronicling WW2's 2d Marine Raider Battalion. He tells the true story of the exploits of the Raiders, and details the life story of their leader, Evans F. Carlson.

Far from being a dry account of the facts of the 1942 raid on Makin Atoll in the Pacific, this tale recounts the events leading up the the actual skirmish with the Japanese, and tells the story of the battle in riveting first person detail. From their disorganized entry onto the island, their successful assault on the waiting Japanese forces, and their almost disastrous exodus through fierce ocean waves back to the submarines, the reader is captivated by their unique tale. For the first time, the conclusion to the attack is laid out in all its controversial detail. It is a highly compelling story that has waited 59 years to be told in its entirety.

Kudos to Mr. Smith for an exceptional, factual account of a significant World War II battle, one that captures the attention of history buffs and laypeople alike.

Shakin' Makin With Peatross Too.......2001-09-06

I enjoyed the book, however, a lot more can be learned of the Raiders by reading Oscar Peatross' book Bless 'em All, which is out of print, unfortunately; however, excerpts are available at one of the Marine Raider websites. The chapter on The Long Patrol at the end of the book, is short and somewhat superficial, and a story truly deserving of a novel in itself. Imagine being on patrol and living in the jungles of Guadalcanal for 32 days. Ahoy Raiders! We are truly indebted and thank you for your sacrifices.

Marine Raiders Takin' Makin.......2001-08-23

This is a fairly brief(233pp.) account of the 2nd Marine Raider Battalion's assault on a Japanese held Central Pacific island in the first year of the Pacific War during WWII. The author outlines the formation of elite Marine commando units and the intra-service squabbling it entailed. He then takes you into the early career of the leader, Evans Carlson, and its influence on his philosophy of covert operations such as these units were tasked with. He later follows with a descriptive narrative of the preparation, training, and execution of the mission of invading Butaritari Island in Makin Atoll in the Gilbert Islands. I applaud his use of oral interviews of survivors of the operation. My only critique was the ineffective sprinkling of humorous events throughout which did not blend well with the flow of the story. Overall I highly recommend this book to those interested in learning more about one of the elite Marine units of WWII.

The Doolittle Raid: America's Daring First Strike Against Japan

Average customer rating:

Confusing titles
History the way it should be written
Inspiring Book
America's First Strike Against Japan
Very Good Account of the Doolittle Raid

The Doolittle Raid: America's Daring First Strike Against Japan
Carroll V. Glines
Manufacturer: Schiffer Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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