Book Description
American Mourning is the story of two American families whose sons died in the war on terror. Casey Sheehan and Justin Johnson had been best friends since they first met at Fort Hood in Texas; they were killed within five days of each other in separate ambushes in Sadr City, Iraq, during Holy Week of 2004.
As the Sheehan and Johnson families have mourned their unimaginable loss, they have had little else in common and have taken entirely different paths as they mourned. Justin's father, Joe Johnson, followed his son to Baghdad, slogging through the open sewers of Iraqi slums to see where Justin had died and to avenge his death.
Cindy Sheehan wanted another kind of revenge. Blaming President Bush for Casey's death, she called the Muslim radicals who killer her son "freedom fighters" and brought an entourage of antiwar activists and a coalition of the willing press to the president's ranch outside Crawford, Texas. Demanding that the president meet with her in the sweltering Texas summer, she became a media phenomenon and America's best-known antiwar activist since Jane Fonda.
The Sheehans and the Johnsons represent the extremes of grief-stricken parents in war, both families reflecting the gap in how Americans view the war on terror. The Johnson family has bonded closer. Justin's parents have grown nearer; their faith has been strengthened; and their support for the war is stronger than ever. Meanwhile, the Sheehan family has fractured, and Casey's parents have divorced. Cindy says she is no longer a Christian, and her opposition to the war is deeper an dmore bitter than ever.
The bodies of Casey Sheehan and Justin Johnson lie in their hometown graves. Justin's final resting place is decorated with handmade flags and miniature Uncle Sams. Casey's had no marker for two years to tell the world that he lived, fought, and died a hero.
Both Joe and Cindy are shooting at ghosts. Cindy still is. This is their story. The story of American Mourning.
Customer Reviews:
Loss and hatred on opposite paths.......2007-03-22
Reviewed by Debra Gaynor for Reader Views (2/07)
Justin Johnson was raised in Georgia where boys are taught how to use a gun from an early age. Justin enlisted after 9/11. "Mom, things aren't good. It's scary. You wouldn't believe this place. It's messing with our heads. Mom, you just never know. There are kids, ten- to-twelve year-olds and they got machine guns. You don't know: are they friendly or are they the enemy."
Casey Sheehan was raised in California. Casey's mother discouraged her son from enlisting in the army. He was loyal and loved his country. She offered to take him to Canada so that he could avoid Iraq, but he declined.
Casey and Justin met at Fort Hood, Texas. The two became quick friends although they didn't have a lot in common. "Both were quiet, strong, patriotic, and God-loving young men." "Both young men prayed to God and hoped they would make it home to their moms and dads, sisters and brothers."
Justin and Casey were both killed by radical Muslims.
Joe Johnson wanted revenge on the terrorists. He signed up with a unit shipping to Iraq and "swore to God and to Justin that I would go to Iraq and kill as many of them as I could." Joe was filled with hatred. "I could kill all the insurgents and it would never bring Justin back, I don't think I'll really get anything out of it except for maybe that one moment of satisfaction when I finally kill somebody. But as far as long-lasting feelings of satisfaction, I don't think I'll find it in Iraq. There's hardly a day goes by that I don't wish I hadn't a spent more time with him."
Cindy Sheehan was also filled with hatred but she took it a different direction. "She blamed President George W. Bush for Casey's death and called the Muslim radicals who killed Casey and Just "freedom fighters." "Cindy posted herself outside the president's Crawford ranch. She became a media phenomenon, thanks to a campaign by well-paid media experts from the Left." Her grief and the media destroyed her family.
"A parent should never have to bury a child."
Catherine Moy & Melanie Morgan expressively share the tragic story of two young men killed in Iraq, two families torn apart. Moy and Morgan capture and convey the pain and anguish the families are suffering. I found myself in tears as I read this book. The bravery of Justin and Casey is celebrated on these pages. I want to be careful not to state an opinion of the actions of the families for I would not add to their pain. After reading this book, the deaths become more than a news story. This book gives Justin and Casey a face and brings them into you heart. This book describes the divide in American opinion concerning the War on Terror. Regardless of which side of the divide you stand we must never forget the young men and women who are fighting this war. Ms Moy and Morgan are to be commended on their presentation of the heroic lives of these two young men. I highly recommend "America Mourning" to all.
Unfair to both sides.......2007-03-02
This book is one of the saddest pieces of "journalism" I have ever read. It is a smear job on both families. Not just Sheehan, but the ridiculous amount of personal stuff thrown out there on the Jackson's makes the reader wonder: What does any of this have to do with argument? All in all, a book that appears to be profiting from the death of two brave men. I am thoroughly appalled by the words and tactics of the authors. I am apolitical, so maybe I didn't enter this book with the frame of mind necessary to feel good about the dragging through the mud of two brave and decent soldiers families. Is this what they fought and died for? Flat ridiculous.
American Mourning was a great book.......2007-01-10
I mostly read just Stephen King books, but this book was one that I had heard about and decided to purchase. I was very glad to read about one family that cared so much for their son that his father enlisted to avenge his son's death. Unfortunatly, reading about Cindy Sheehan only wanted me to get a gun and shoot her. She did nothing but lie and kept her family from mourning their son's death. I really enjoyed this book.
American Mourning.......2007-01-10
If the authores would of just stuck with the story it would of been a 5 star for me. It had too many political judgements but all in all it was a good story. I heard they are thinking of making a movie out of this book. That I would like to see but I hope they focus more on the Soldiers and not so much on the politics.
A picture of the real heart of Americans........2007-01-10
A 'must read' for those who are only hearing the anti-America retoric of the liberal minority. There are still Americans who are proud of what our country still stands for. GP
Average customer rating:
- Calculations are only as good as your numbers
- Pants on fire?
- Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed.
- Very Interesting
- History as Science Fiction
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History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
Anatoly Fomenko
Manufacturer: Mithec
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ASIN: 2913621058 |
Book Description
Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.
Customer Reviews:
Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03
Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.
Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19
Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.
Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09
There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.
For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.
Very Interesting.......2007-03-07
It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.
History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10
Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.
I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.
Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.
Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.
I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.
This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.
Average customer rating:
- Only her way of viewing the world may help her family
- Good enough, I guess
- Glittering, Shining
- A Shining Book
- Kira-Kira
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Kira-Kira
Cynthia Kadohata
Manufacturer: Aladdin
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A Single Shard
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Amazon.com
In Cynthia Kadohata's lively, lovely, funny and sad novel -- winner of the 2005 Newbery Medal -- the Japanese-American Takeshima family moves from Iowa to Georgia in the 1950s when Katie, the narrator, is just in kindergarten. Though her parents endure grueling conditions and impossible hours in the non-unionized poultry plant and hatchery where they work, they somehow manage to create a loving, stable home for their three children: Lynn, Katie, and Sammy. Katie's trust in, and admiration for, her older sister Lynn never falters, even when her sisterly advice doesn't seem to make sense. Lynn teaches her about everything from how the sky, the ocean, and people's eyes are special to the injustice of racial prejudice. The two girls dream of buying a house for the family someday and even save $100 in candy money: "Our other favorite book was Silas Marner. We were quite capitalistic and liked the idea of Silas keeping all that gold underneath the floorboards." When Lynn develops lymphoma, it's heartbreaking, but through the course of her worsening illness, Katie does her best to remember Lynn's "kira-kira" (glittery, shining) outlook on life. Small moments shine the brightest in this poignant story; told beautifully and lyrically in Katie's fresh, honest voice. (Ages 11 to 14) --Karin Snelson
Book Description
kira-kira (kee ra kee ra): glittering; shining
Glittering. That's how Katie Takeshima's sister, Lynn, makes everything seem. The sky is kira-kira because its color is deep but see-through at the same time. The sea is kira-kira for the same reason. And so are people's eyes. When Katie and her family move from a Japanese community in Iowa to the Deep South of Georgia, it's Lynn who explains to her why people stop on the street to stare. And it's Lynn who, with her special way of viewing the world, teaches Katie to look beyond tomorrow. But when Lynn becomes desperately ill, and the whole family begins to fall apart, it is up to Katie to find a way to remind them all that there is always something glittering -- kira-kira -- in the future.
Customer Reviews:
Only her way of viewing the world may help her family.......2007-08-07
Cynthia Kadohata's KIRA-KIRA tells of Katie and her family, who move from a Japanese community in Iowa to Georgia, where younger sister Lynn teaches the family a special way of seeing the world, beyond the immediate future. When Lynn falls ill, only her way of viewing the world may help her family in the moving KIRA-KIRA.
Good enough, I guess.......2007-07-19
I honestly have never felt so let down by a Newbery book. As an English teacher, I usually love them. But this story just does not ring true in so many places that I have to give it three stars. Had its editor done his/her job better, perhaps it could have earned more.
I live in GA, where the story is set, and my husband has had cancer, which one sister also fights. Granted, some of the scenes about Lynn's cancer and its wearing on her caregivers are very well-written; however, I think it was implausible that the sister who so desperately wants to see the ocean never does. I mean, in southwest Georgia, they would not have been more than 5 hours from the Atlantic and less than that from the Gulf. Also, some of the scenes crash into each other with no transition at all--it nearly drove me mad. Also, the ex-best friend would have come to the funeral. They always do.
Parts of it were excellent, but many parts were not. For desperate AR readers, however, I'm sure this would be a quick last-minute read!
Glittering, Shining.......2007-07-08
I really liked this book. The author has great descriptions, and I felt like I could relate to the characters. Of course, there's the younger sister who wants things to stay the same, and the older one who just changes with time. This is one of those books that truly makes you cry. People call some books tearjerkers, when they aren't all that sad. But this book ... it made me cry and think. It gave me a different outlook on things. Life is short. This book will remind you of that. I recommend this one. It'll show you that there can be sad endings, but all in all, your world can still be kira-kira (shining).
A Shining Book.......2007-06-15
Kira-kira means glittering in Japanese, most things that glitter get the attention of the looker, and this book got my attention as the reader very quickly with a near-tragic meeting with a dog. Kira-Kira is the story, told through the words of Katie, a young Japanese-American girl, growing up in the 1950's in a small Georgia town, not overly populated with Japanese-Americans. Katie's story revolves around her family, with the main focus on her sister, Lynn, who she adores and believes is a genius. As is the case in life there are happy and sad times, just like this book where you can read about racial injustice,friendships,financial struggles,and a family's hopes, dreams, and losses.
Kira-Kira.......2007-05-13
Excellent story of a family that experiences hard times and death of a child. Well-written, well read!
Book Description
In the run-up to the invasion of Iraq, Scott Ritter's War on Iraq was embraced by the antiwar movement in America even though his claims that Iraq had been effectively disarmed were ignored by both the Bush administration and the mainstream media. In the wake of the debacle, Ritter has been vindicated. Now Ritter, a former United Nations weapons inspector, has set his sights on the White House's hyping of Iran's alleged nuclear weapons program. In Target Iran he once again sets the record straight.
This book offers Ritter's “national intelligence assessment” of the Iranian imbroglio. He examines the Bush administration's regime-change policy and the potential of Iran to threaten U.S. national security interests. The author also considers how the country is seen by other interested parties, including the United Kingdom (Tony Blair may once again be called upon by Bush to provide an international “cover” in any confrontation), Israel (the Israelis view Iran as their number one threat today), and the International Atomic Energy Agency (responsible for inspecting the alleged nuclear program).
Customer Reviews:
The story still goes on!.......2007-08-29
This book has many merits and is surely the best you can find if you are looking for a good overview of the Iranian nuclear issue up to the end of 2006. Included is the critical role of Israel, the US policy toward Tehran, the IAEA efforts (and some of its techniques) and many more. The problem is that the story is still going on and none knows how (and when) it will end. Thus I think it's rather premature to buy a book only for a synopsis of the US-Israel-Iran crisis, while new developments happen nearly every day. Mr Scott has also no comments on the possible "military solutions" (except a few lines stating that they will be catastrophic as a choice), something that I found disappointing to say the least.
A must read.......2007-06-10
The subject matter is of increasing importance for Americans and the world. Mr. Ritter once again lays open the myths that surround another nation that is very misunderstood by the U.S. government and the people. As the U.S. moves closer and closer to a possible confrontation with Iran this book becomes increasingly important for Americans to be able to equip themselves with the facts so they can see through the rhetoric that is put forth by an increasingly hostile administration.
It is essential that we are not caught ignorant once again while this administration leads this country into another blunder in the Middle East. Mr. Ritter does an excellent job laying out what the international community has done to confront Iran's intransigence, and how the U.S. has hindered and complicated matters behind the scenes and publicly. His message once again seems prescient hopefully this time his warnings will be heeded, but the only way that will happen is if American's acquaint themselves with the facts so they won't succumb to the fear tactics yet again.
The main criticisms I have with this book is its choppy narrative and the lack of sources noted. The narrative seems to bounce around a lot which can be a little confusing at times. The lack of noting his sources becomes problematic when discussing the book or the issue because you can't point to Mr. Ritter's source and say that's where he gets his information. Mr. Ritter's earlier works gives him the credibility needed to pull this off, but for those that are die hard interventionists it would have helped to be able to see the sources.
These are the reasons I could not give this book five stars, but the importance of the subject makes this book a must read. I would certainly recommend this book to everyone.
Different nation, same US Foreign policy: Regime change.......2007-05-23
Just a few points to consider:
1. Iran was determined to have Nuclear capability by 2006.
2. Ahmadinejad is all bark, and no bite (literally, since he doesn't control Iran's nuclear forces and is NOT the man with the ultimate power in Iran, whic resides in the hands of Khamenie who has declared that the use of atomic bombs under any circumstances is not legitimate under Islam).
The book is well written and not only tells you about the politics involved, but also the technology of developing nuclear capability. The chapters are very long, and I noticed atleast twice that the publisher printed "Iraq" when the author meant to say "Iran" (see top of page 200)
More pics/maps would have been nice.
Great book, but read the conclusion first........2007-02-09
READ THE CONCLUSION AND POSTSCRIPT FIRST.
This is a very important book. Based on its rank in Amazon sales (in the 4000s or so), it's being purchased by quite a few people.
But there are only ten (ten) Amazon reviews. Only ten reviews of a book that gives authoritative, on-the-ground facts about Iran's nuclear capabilities.
Why so few Amazon reviews? Here's our guess. Readers get totally bogged down in the minutiae of weapons inspection, of Mossad spy disinformation, of EU vacillation, of the UN teetering on a Security Council resolution . . ..
But who reads the entire book? It's a total drudge read until you get to the CONCLUSION and POSTSCRIPT on pages 197-219. Those 22 pages tell the whole story.
We strongly recommend that you read these pages first. After you read the Conclusion and Postscript, then go back and read the knowledgeable detail in the first 196 pages. This is a great book, showing what's actually gone on, step by step, in the inspections done by Mohammed EI Baradei, IAEA Director, and his team.
The Iranians are nowhere close to having nuclear capabilities.
This is the conclusion of Scott Ritter, one of the men who took part in the Iraqi inspections, announced that Saddam had NO "weapons of mass destruction," and was completely ignored by a war-hungry Bush administration. And Scott Ritter was completely right. We went to war with Iraq for NO REASON AT ALL.
So, read the conclusion and the postscript first. Here he says with admirable clarity what others are saying--including Stephen Walt and John Mearsherimer (book forthcoming), James Petras, and Jimmy Carter.
We need to take back our country.
Israel and America are two separate countries. Iran is no danger to the US. It's Israel's problem (if it is a threat, which evidently it is not), but, as Ritter says, "Once again [as in Iraq], the world finds itself on the brink of another Middle East war in which the United States is using trumped-up charges centered around false threats of weapons of mass destruction. . ." ( p, 201) As Ritter shows, all these false threats are being orchestrated by Israel and its friends in the United States.
Israel itself has a formidable nuclear arsenal, uninspected by anybody--IAEA in particular. And they are not even members of the NPT (Non-Proliferation Treaty).
Ritter acknowledges Israel's feelings of paranoia, but points out that in this case those feelings will lead to its own destruction.
And what about the United States? What could be the outcome for the US of such a war? This is the most disturbing part of the book. Anyone who is familiar with the location of Iran knows that they are strategically placed to stop the flow of a great deal of the oil that reaches the West. Result? Our economy would grind to a miserable slowdown when the price of oil goes to $150-200 a barrel. Other results, equally horrifying, are described by Ritter.
Scott Ritter is a patriot who knows what he is talking about. He has all the credentials to be credible. We had better listen to him.
We'd better listen to him soon.
The word is out that an attack is being planned for this spring. Let's hope it's not true.
A Must Read!!.......2007-02-08
While the country debates the troop "surge" the administration and its Israeli "Ally" plan the next war right under our noses. Too bad there is such little discussion of this in the mainstream press.
Ritter's book is well written and authoratative.
Book Description
Drawing on a wealth of new evidence from all sides, Triumph Forsaken overturns most of the historical orthodoxy on the Vietnam War. Through the analysis of international perceptions and power, it shows that South Vietnam was a vital interest of the United States. The book provides many new insights into the overthrow of Ngo Dinh Diem in 1963 and demonstrates that the coup negated the South Vietnamese government's tremendous, and hitherto unappreciated, military and political gains between 1954 and 1963. After Diem's assassination, President Lyndon Johnson had at his disposal several aggressive policy options that could have enabled South Vietnam to continue the war without a massive US troop infusion, but he ruled out these options because of faulty assumptions and inadequate intelligence, making such an infusion the only means of saving the country.
Customer Reviews:
Triumph.......2007-09-13
TRIUMPH is the first objective detailed history I have read concerning our involvement in Vietnam. I worked next to the highest levels of military intelligence in Vietnam and, I can assure you, Mark Moyar leaves no stone unturned in assessing our buildup and eventual troop introduction into that country--with all the blunders and mis-steps along the way--but ultimately reflects the justification of our strategic goals in Southeast Asia. All Vietnam veterans and their families will read this book with pride. This book and its sequel will someday be mandatory reading for all history courses covering this time period.
preposterous revisionist trash.......2007-08-13
This book is nothing but preposterous revisionist trash. The only thing Moyar's good at is cherry picking archival factoids to substantiate his laughable arguments. To assert that the '63 Buddhist uprising was solely the product of communist agitation is ludicrous. From the very begining of his regime Diem did nothing but aggravate the fisssures between the Buddhist majority and his Catholic constituency. He reaped what he sowed. Also to argue that that Britain supported America's Vietnam War because of a verbal statement of support by a Prime Minister is absurd. Not one shilling nor one British soldier went to the aid of America's noble venture in Southeast Asia.The Brits knew a quagmire when the they saw one. Unlike their erswhile ally they knew better than to step in it.
The litany of absurdities goes on and on.The only thing this book does is provide solace for the "stab-in-the-back" whiners who cannot accept the fact that we got our butts kicked by a third rate country.
Great read, sad tale.......2007-08-09
This book is really well written and researched. It is a tale of how the United States grasped defeat out of the jaws of victory. I was glad to be immersed in the reasons we went to war and am satisfied that I understand why now. I also see that when a president shows weakness or indecision that the world pays attention and takes advantage. Also not all countries are ready for a US style democracy, to believe so is to not understand historical lessons. We may be making the same mistake in Iraq, time will tell.
Self-declared revisionist history is much needed.......2007-07-10
Mark Moyar has written what he himself terms a revisionist history of the Vietnam conflict. Traditional left-wing academia, media and politicians would prefer that you don't read it.
Unfortunately the history is densely written: it is not an easy read and only the dedicated will make it all the way to the last line, which sums up Moyar's central thesis. Vietnam was not the fiasco the left-wing paints it to be. Ho Chi Minh was a dedicated Communist, not merely some flag-waving patriot. David Halberstam, of the New York Times, and a few fellow reporters did terrible things. Robert McNamara was a buffoon (that's my opinion; Moyar is somewhat more charitable).
As the title implies, there was a point where the United States and South Vietnam could have triumphed over the Communists. But the opportunity was lost through the unwise actions of Lyndon Johnson, Robert McNamara and others in and out of the cabinet.
Moyar's attention to detail is admirable, if tiring. There was so much that the media either got wrong or deliberately falsified that Moyar's expose is like a breath of fresh air.
After reading this history, you have to push back and ask yourself how Johnson, McNamara and their team could have been so stubbornly wrong-headed in their perspective and decision-making.
Moyar's contribution to bringing accuracy back to the writing of history is laudable. It is regrettable that a book this dense probably will not attract a mass audience. Not enough people will learn the truth of how egocentrics like Johnson and McNamara and Halberstam caused great harm to the United States and even greater harm to the millions of South Vietnamese, Cambodians, Laotians and other Asians who suffered for their poor judgment.
Jerry
The importance of pragmatism, patience and judgment.......2007-07-06
A thorough thesis which exploits the wealth of source data, and well written. As someone just too young to be involved in Vietnam it was very valuable to hear another opinion.
But what struck me most was the narrative around the importance of recognizing and supporting potentially flawed but locally adept leaders early in conflicts, how the judgment and will required to do that is rare, and how there is often a single moment that counts ("there is a tide in the affairs of men"). It is not a coincidence that Eisenhower (a military man) got it while State did not.
War is a rough instrument but war decisions can require a sensitivity yet decisiveness that is difficult to cultivate in a democracy. Open societies and their allies are always at a disadvantage against indirect threats and seldom connect the dots, so it is crucial to apply influence and force judiciously and precisely. Our current conflict leaves even more such lessons.
Book Description
No Other Way Out provides a powerful explanation for the emergence of popular revolutionary movements, and the occurrence of actual revolutions, during the Cold War era. This sweeping study ranges from Southeast Asia in the 1940s and 1950s to Central America in the 1970s and 1980s and Eastern Europe in 1989. Goodwin demonstrates how the actions of specific types of authoritarian regimes unwittingly channeled popular resistance into radical and often violent directions. By comparing the historical trajectories of more than a dozen countries, Goodwin also shows how revolutionaries were able to create opportunities for seizing state power.
Book Description
Out of the stories heard in her childhood in Los Angeles's Chinatown and years of research, See has constructed this sweeping chronicle of her Chinese-American family, a work that takes in stories of racism and romance, entrepreneurial genius and domestic heartache, secret marriages and sibling rivalries, in a powerful history of two cultures meeting in a new world. 82 photos.
Customer Reviews:
Made a nice gift.......2007-09-21
The person I gave this to thought it was a very nice read and recommends it.
Incredible Book.......2007-07-31
I am a new fan of Lisa See and I have to say that this is one of the best books I have ever read. It is a fascinating story. There were times I had to remind myself that this was a work of non-fiction. I only wish there were more photographs. A great read and hard to put down.
generational story.......2006-11-10
I like Lisa See's books and this is another example of her fine writing. This time, however, her focus is the story of her own family and their impact on their new country.
Engaging and educational..........2006-11-07
Lisa See is one of those rare authors that can draw you into and keep you engaged in a story weaved with historial significance as well as personal emotions. A must read for any first or second generation immigrant who has always been curious about the lives and struggles of our ancestors who first settled into this new "free" land called America.
Fascinating.......2006-08-27
This is a most interesting book. I am 75 years old and grew up in Los Angeles, visiting Chinatown many times, and knew nothing of the people who lived there, so it was particularly interesting to me. I have read other books by Lisa See and find her to be an excellent writer. I highly recommend this book, especially to people interested in the history of California.
Book Description
September 11, 2001, distinguished Cold War historian John Lewis Gaddis argues, was not the first time a surprise attack shattered American assumptions about national security and reshaped American grand strategy. We've been there before, and have responded each time by dramatically expanding our security responsibilities.
The pattern began in 1814, when the British attacked Washington, burning the White House and the Capitol. This early violation of homeland security gave rise to a strategy of unilateralism and preemption, best articulated by John Quincy Adams, aimed at maintaining strength beyond challenge throughout the North American continent. It remained in place for over a century. Only when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941 did the inadequacies of this strategy become evident: as a consequence, the administration of Franklin D. Roosevelt devised a new grand strategy of cooperation with allies on an intercontinental scale to defeat authoritarianism. That strategy defined the American approach throughout World War II and the Cold War.
The terrorist attacks of 9/11, Gaddis writes, made it clear that this strategy was now insufficient to ensure American security. The Bush administration has, therefore, devised a new grand strategy whose foundations lie in the nineteenth-century tradition of unilateralism, preemption, and hegemony, projected this time on a global scale. How successful it will be in the face of twenty-first-century challenges is the question that confronts us. This provocative book, informed by the experiences of the past but focused on the present and the future, is one of the first attempts by a major scholar of grand strategy and international relations to provide an answer.
Customer Reviews:
A Scholarly Work.......2007-05-21
Ron Marlar (a retired USAF officer, college professor, school teacher, living currently in Florida)
John Lewis Gaddis is a widely respected professor of history and political science at Yale University. These eminent qualifications should not be held against him but rather demand some significant attention.
Writing as an academician he produces in Surprise, Security, and the American Experience a scholarly work worthy of reading and retention for rereading as time passes. Gaddis draws on historical leaders and events to predict assessment of contemporary leadership based on real history, not the revisionist kind so popular in U.S. schools, colleges and universities of today.
He uses solid documentation to make his appropriately qualified, tentative forecast no doubt unpopular with some due to their political views, biases and prejudices. His book qualifies, therefore, at some level as controversial and is at the same time stimulating of discussion and alternative views.
Compiled from a series of public lectures on American Civilization and Government, Surprise, Security, and the American Experience meets the standards of peer review on that basis alone. Gaddis focuses on the attack of September 11, 2001, and subsequent events that inspire much talk and writing currently.
Unlike some of the other talk and writings by media representatives generally lacking academic expertise, Gaddis provides source documentation suitable for assessment by his peers as well as any other readers. Evidence of the extent of documentation is in the fact that his book as published in hard cover by Harvard University Press is a quick read - 118 pages of text followed by 29 pages of bibliographical notes and a helpful index.
American ethnocentrism.Intellectual weakness.......2006-08-18
John lewis Gaddis displays a lot of the most annoying features of the scholars who want to be remembered for their 'version/vision of history' rather than to take upon the (much more demanding)task of building knowledge through careful-if less appealing- empirical inquiries. This book thus exhibits overtly grotesque (especially when you know the author is a historian at Yale, no less!) instances of ethnocentrism in its generalizations about 'the American experience' and what seems to be haunting Gaddis: the undeniable superiority of American democracy and values over that of other countries. Since the author claims to be taking lessons from history in his analysis of the current strategical posture of the USA, maybe he should have remembered that America, for all its successes, remains an 'unfinished nation' as Alan Brinkley has demonstrated, and that its position of preponderance now is historically contingent to say the least, and owes nothing to a fantasized unique American genius. Ironically, what comes to mind when reading Gaddis is the pathetic pamphlets of French and German intellectuals before WWI, aimed at providing a ready to use intellectual rationalization of the most stupid nationalism.
Numerous holes in the reasoning of Gaddis. One star is too high a rating for this book........2006-04-11
This book could be fun to read if readers do not question anything, however, for the countless analytical minds who critique:
The author, Gaddis, is so caught up in his little world that he fails to understand or consider the obvious, and there are too many examples of this. The book begins with the chapter titled "A morning at Yale" where somehow, I get the immpression Gaddis can't stop talking about how he teaches at Yale university, and his Yale collegues who are so great, blah, blah, blah.
Somewhere in the middle of the second chapter, Gaddis gets over the peak of his ego (it climaxes again later in the book), and starts throwing out historical facts along with answering his own questions that he falsely labels as "America's" questions. Many of his exclamations are written is such a ridiculous pseudo-intellectual manner (along with the unsystematic reasoning that is applied) and it is annoying how he can't stop telling the reader how they feel or what they think, by INEXCUSABLY generalizing. The book ends with a chapter titled "An evening at Yale", which should be retitled to "An evening on Uranus" to match how far our of reality this professor seems to be ; )
If you have to buy this book, then buy it used, because I would hate to see another dime added to what seems like another pompus professor, caught up in his own self-glorifying world.
WELL WRITTEN AND ACCURATE.......2006-01-03
PROVIDES WELL WRITTEN AND ACCURATE ANALYSIS OF U. S. NATIONAL SECURITY THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY'S HISTORY. DOES NOT ATTEMPT TO PANDER TO POPULAR OPINION. CONCISE, YET THOROUGH, HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE PLACED IN JUXTAPOSITION WITH THE EVENTS OF SEPTEMBER 11TH.
Right idea? Mabye. Wrong tactics - unquestionably.......2005-12-26
What John Gaddis omits is that the strategy he outlines has to be bold, innovative, imaginative and lead by a gifted communicator - George Washington. Lincoln. FDR. Kennedy; all of them come to mind.
Why an occupation and military force in an age where knowledge sharing, intelligence gathering, collaboration and education are the most powerful tools available? Instead of Generals and the Secretary of Defense, shouldn't an effort of this magnitude be lead by people at Google? If a visionary is needed to articulate the goal, why not Tom Friedman?
What would $300 billion do to remake Palestine? the Gaza Strip? Jordan? Afghanistan? What models should we be creating -- one forced on a country already deeply divided over religious matter by a Christian Army? Or one built by kids using the New Tools? Why not bring Oxford and Cambridge, Stanford and Harvard to the Region by way of the Internet? Why not bring 100,000 bright young Arabs to Paris, London, New York, Nebraska? Why not send 100,000 very motivated college graduates from England, Ireland, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United States -- to teach English and learn Arabic? Farsi? Pustan? What values? what knowledge? would they bring home with them? What relationships would they build? What intelligence would they gain?
The idea of pre-emption is fine if one is willing to use 4th or 5th generation war to achieve the goals of changing minds and winning hearts. The idea of pre-emption is horrible if it is done at the tip of a spear.
John Hibbs
skipper@bfranklin.edu
http://www.bfranklin.edu/johnhibbs
Book Description
A sometimes harrowing, often humorous, and occasionally tragic look at the Marine Corps from the inside out in its struggle with the insurgency in Iraq. Drawing from personal experience in the confusing, deadly conflict currently being fought in the streets and back alleys of Iraqi towns and villages, Danelo focuses on the young Marine leaders--corporals and sergeants--whose job it is to take even younger Marines into battle, close with and destroy an elusive enemy, and bring their boys back home again. Sadly, there are losses, but true to the Marine Corps spirit, they soldier on, earning their blood stripes the only way they know how--the hard way.
Customer Reviews:
Real People, Real War.......2007-10-13
BLOOD STRIPES, as you learn in the book, are the red stripes that an NCO in the Marine Corps is permitted to wear on the outside of their blue pants. You also learn how they came about - and I'm not going to give it away. What I will say is that this book teaches you things about the Marine Corps and the men who are the backbone of the Corps - the Grunts - that you could only learn by going through boot camp. You feel like you are living the war with them and you come to care deeply for and about them. These are REAL People, with all their bravado, fears, warts and deep humanity. You come to understand the "brotherhood" of the Corps. Most of all you understand the disconnect between those who politically support or oppose wars and those who fight them.
The best book I have read in a long, long time. Buy it - READ it!
Bobby Michaels
blood stripes.......2007-06-02
the best book on the realities of marines fighting in Iraq. A gripping account of NCO'S living and managing a war in a hostile environment
A Moving, Gritty, Inspiring Book.......2007-03-25
Read this book, and you will have a better understanding of why the warriors who make up the United States Marine Corps are the elite fighting force they are. After reading this, I came to realize that I could never fully understand what it takes to become the "true" warrior, but it also made me thank God that we have them, and that they are there ready at all times to fight for us. This book is hard to read, in that the true lives of Marines in battle, under fire in less than optimum conditions, with brothers wounded or dying with alarming frequency, are all right there for the reader to deal with. It can sometimes be informative, even funny, but mostly heart-wrenching as the battles, which are being fought for us, hit home. Read this book, but be prepared to deal with emotions you maybe didn't realize existed within yourself.
A fascinating read.......2007-03-02
This gripping book brings the reader straight onto the ground in Iraq. A timely and important story, and a great read
A worthwhile read........2006-09-25
I picked this book up because Steven Pressfield's name was on it (he wrote the foreword). It's no Pressfield novel and I can't say that it's a particularly well written book, but Danelo does offer an important perspective - that of combat marines during the first battle of Fallujah. He relates the lifestyle and experiences of marines on the ground in Iraq and touches briefly on the effect of media and politics on the early stages of the war. I had hoped that more stress would have been placed upon the latter, but Danelo's book is primarily a relation of various marine's accounts of life and battle in Iraq. Throughout, he paints an admirable and fairly candid picture of marine combat forces. All in all, it's a decent book, though a little heavy on comparisons to scenes from movies.
Average customer rating:
- Internment
- A Strong Portrayal of Life for Japanese Immigrants during WWII
- Excellent for kids and adults!
- WeedFlower Student Review
- Great Second Novel
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Weedflower
Cynthia Kadohata
Manufacturer: Atheneum
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ASIN: 0689865740 |
Book Description
Twelve-year-old Sumiko feels her life has been made up of two parts: before Pearl Harbor and after it. The good part and the bad part. Raised on a flower farm in California, Sumiko is used to being the only Japanese girl in her class. Even when the other kids tease her, she always has had her flowers and family to go home to.
That all changes after the horrific events of Pearl Harbor. Other Americans start to suspect that all Japanese people are spies for the emperor, even if, like Sumiko, they were born in the United States! As suspicions grow, Sumiko and her family find themselves being shipped to an internment camp in one of the hottest deserts in the United States. The vivid color of her previous life is gone forever, and now dust storms regularly choke the sky and seep into every crack of the military barrack that is her new "home."
Sumiko soon discovers that the camp is on an Indian reservation and that the Japanese are as unwanted there as they'd been at home. But then she meets a young Mohave boy who might just become her first real friend...if he can ever stop being angry about the fact that the internment camp is on his tribe's land.
With searing insight and clarity, Newbery Medal-winning author Cynthia Kadohata explores an important and painful topic through the eyes of a young girl who yearns to belong. Weedflower is the story of the rewards and challenges of a friendship across the racial divide, as well as the based-on-real-life story of how the meeting of Japanese Americans and Native Americans changed the future of both.
Customer Reviews:
Internment.......2007-07-10
I really liked Weedflower, as it as very descriptive about lfe for Japanese-Americans bfore and after Pearl Harbor. It would be nice if Cynthia Kaohata wrote a sequel, too.
-Emma D. (for a school project)
A Strong Portrayal of Life for Japanese Immigrants during WWII.......2007-02-19
Weedflower is told from the perspective of Sumiko, a young girl born to a Japanese immigrant family in the U.S. during World War II. Weedflower chronicles the treatment of Sumiko's family, as the older men not born in the U.S. are shipped off to a virtual prison, and the rest of the family is sent to a detention camp in the desert. Their property, not to mention their dignity, are stripped away because of fear caused by the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Sumiko, however, maintains hope through her passion for growing flowers.
This book is written in a simple, easily accessible style, but tells an important story. Although set in the 1940's, Weedflower carries implications for today, in how we treat people of Muslim descent. The story is a window into what it's like for people to be mis-treated, at the hands of their own country, simply because of their ethnicity. It shows how unfair and greedy people, including the government, can be (as when the Japanese were forced to sell their possessions for pennies on the dollar). It also illustrated what can happen to people when their rights, and their ability to strive for success, are taken away. Some of the children run wild, and steal things. Some of the young men give up hope, and lie around all day. Here is an example of the boredom and hopelessness of the camp overtaking Sumiko:
"Sumiko felt the ultimate boredom closing in on her. The ultimate boredom wasn't dread of the next year or of what the government might do next; it was dread of your own mind, dread of the next day, the next hour, the next minute. You could lose your mind at any time. Like one morning, for no good reason, Sumiko actually stomped on a butterfly that landed in the dust. After she moved her foot, she saw the squished bitterly and wondered what had come over her. She hadn't thought about it beforehand, but had just suddenly stomped on the poor butterfly. She figured maybe she'd had a sudden attack of the ultimate boredom, and then when she'd seen the dead butterfly she snapped out of it."
There are examples of non-Japanese Americans who do the right thing, too. A young woman volunteers to teach the Japanese kids at the internment camp, despite difficult surroundings. A woman takes time to write to the Japanese woman whose house she is now living, to let the Japanese woman know that the other woman is taking good care of her dog. The Japanese woman sobs with happiness. Christmas presents are donated to the detention camp for the kids. The examples stand out, like the flowers that the Japanese grow from the dusty ground of their camp.
The characterization in Weedflower is quite strong. Many of the characters, especially Sumiko, her friend Frank, and her cousin Bull, feel real. Their characters are mostly revealed through action, rather than being described. This is especially true of Bull, Sumiko's quiet, strong cousin, who intervenes when he see the opportunity, to keep things running smoothly.
A scene that I think will resonate with kids occurs early in the book, before the family is sent to a detention camp. Sumiko, the only Japanese girl in her class at school, is excited to be invited to her first birthday party. She dresses up, and her uncle spends precious money for her to buy a present. However, when the parents at the party learn that she's Japanese, they quietly and politely ask her to leave. Here is what Sumiko thought afterward:
"Like anyone, Sumiko had known momentarily embarrassing moments, but right now she felt so overwhelmingly humiliated that it was as if nothing in her life would ever be the same again, as if everything she did -- disbudding flowers, heating the water, cooking rice -- would be different from now on. In the future, she wouldn't be Sumiko who was disbudding flowers, she would be Humiliated Sumiko disbudding flowers. She wouldn't be Sumiko heating water and cooking rice, she would be Humiliated Sumiko heating water and cooking rice. And right at this moment she wasn't just Sumiko sitting along on the bench, she was Humiliated Sumiko."
Overall, I think that Weedflower is strong on theme and character, and a detailed portrayal of life among Japanese immigrants during World War II. It's an enjoyable read, but it doesn't have a strong "what happens next?" sort of plot. I think that it's a book that adults will like, and that some kids will enjoy, but that others may find a bit slow-paced.
This book review was originally published on my blog, Jen Robinson's Book Page, on February 17, 2007.
Excellent for kids and adults!.......2007-01-16
I "read" this book on CDs in the car and loved it. Ordered it for my grandkids, 8 and 10, and for friends of Japanese descent! Highly recommended as an important bit of history most Americans know little about!
WeedFlower Student Review.......2006-12-07
We don't agree that Weedflower deserve four and a half stars. We all agree giving Weedflower 3 stars. We recommend this book to people who want know what happen to the Japanese during World War 2. We didn't like the beginning of the book because it started with 1, 2, and 3. This book grabs our attention because it gave a lot of information but we won't gibe it 5 starts because we did it like the ending we did it know what happen to Frank or Sumiko but we till like the book.
Great Second Novel.......2006-08-01
Cynthia Kadohata's first novel, Kira-Kira, was an impressive book. And Weedflower is equally impressive. This time the novel is set in the Southwest before and during World War II. Sumiko is a typically happy twelve-year old. While she feels awkward that she's the only Japanese-American in her class at school, she has not yet felt the harsh stings of discrimination...until a vicious birthday party. Soon after, I believe the same weekend, Pearl Harbor is bombed. Her normal life vanishes, no more school...no more social life...only fear and anxiety as they wait to see what will become of them all.
It is a very heart-felt story of one girl's experiences in a Japanese-American internment camp. Definitely recommend it to everyone!
Books:
- An Intelligent Person's Guide to Modern Culture
- Anti-Arab Racism in the USA: Where it Comes From and What it Means for Politics Today
- Benjamin Franklin: An American Life
- Blackwater: The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army
- Book Lust: Recommended Reading for Every Mood, Moment, and Reason (LUST)
- Carved in Sand: When Attention Fails and Memory Fades in Midlife
- Cross-X: The Amazing True Story of How the Most Unlikely Team from the Most Unlikely of Places Overcame Staggering Obstacles at Home and at School to Challenge ... Community on Race, Power, and Education
- Death by Black Hole: And Other Cosmic Quandaries
- Essays in Religion, Politics, and Morality (Selected Writings of Lord Acton, Vol 3)
- Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done
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