On-the-tape

It's interesting to watch the jagged leaps and bounds by which this hilarious, unsentimental Lower East Side memoir became a sentimental tearjerker about a beautiful mother dying of cancer in L.A. That Hollywood gets Jewishness wrong again and again should come as a surprise to no one (Remember Melanie Griffith in "A Stranger Among Us"?) But the story of "Unstrung Heroes" is a rather spectacular example of Disney not getting anything about New York at all. The movie is a sanitized ode to motherhood, that is that it is practically impossible to watch without crying. I cried (many times) while reading the book, but somehow the tears felt more honest.

Unstrung Heroes is one of the most touching and simutaneously disturbing books I've read in quite a while. In an unforgettable series of memoirs, Lidz succeeds in retelling the astonishing events of his life in an affecting and heartfelt manner. Somehow, through all of this, he keeps you rolling on the floor in laughter.

can't write about writing so will simply say that i find it excellent, very strong and moving - all the visual writing in particular - it seems to me of the highest order.

As I read this book I put myself in the time frame of the story. Col. Rowes captivity begans the first semester of my senior year in high school and concludes when I am about to start the final semester of my senior year in college. During that period of time, 62 months, Col. Rowe at that time still a Lieutenant is a captive of the North Vietnamese and is harshly treated but lives to tell his story. In many instances I found myself trying to understand how this man could endure so much and I found myself experiencing great dissapointment after great dissapointment as his quest for freedom becomes overly prolonged.
The book is humbly written and makes for excellent reading especially for the "Jane Fonda's" of the world who would question the resolve and sacrifices made by Veterans of the Viet Nam era.

Nick Rowe was already a giant among special operations soldiers when I had him as an instructor in Special Forces in 1982. Every page of his book only serves to demonstrate that which he would never claim - Nick Rowe is an American hero of the model few can match. Read the book to understand what character, courage and a will to live really mean. Years later, in the late 1980s, Nick Rowe autographed my copy of his book. I recall telling him how remarkable I found his story. His response, without batting an eye - "sure hate to have to research it again." There, in a nutshell is Nick Rowe, and the kind of wit that kept him alive. Get a copy of this book and read it. Then remember him every time you see the American Flag. Remember this man, James N. (Nick)Rowe died three weeks before Memorial Day, 1989, at a time this country enjoyed peace, and tell me tears do not come to your eyes.

I read "Five Years to Freedom" out of sheer curiousity; I'd come across the title while browsing, and it appeared to be one of the more highly-acclaimed works of the Vietnam era.

I was totally blown away.

Nick Rowe is a once-in-a-lifetime pillar of courage. I tried to imagine myself going through everything he did and still retaining the will to survive. That's when this book really and truly, and very suddenly, became indispensibly valuable to me. Here's how (and why):

We've all been faced with challenges in our lives, both large and small. Sometimes we take on those challenges, and sometimes (for whatever reason) we choose not to. If I compare the day-to-day challenges that I face in life, along with the occasional out-of-the-ordinary bump in the road, nothing at all seems insurmountable. How can one possibly NOT have the strength and courage to fight on in ANY sitation having learned of the five-year stretch of anguish, frustration, pain and abuse that Rowe was subjected to and survived?

No comparison. We too often take for granted what we have in our daily lives, believing that that's the way it always is, always has been, and always should be for everybody. Clean water, ample food, living conditions, etc. True, this was war, but Nick Rowe had a choice: he could have quit, or he could have chosen to survive. Through his strong will and demeanor (much stronger than that of his captors), he won - and won big. There's a much bigger lesson to be learned here - think about it.........

I thought of passing this book on to someone else to read - and then decided that it must remain a permanent part of my collection, surely to be read over and over again. What an absolute, total, consummate hero this man was.

'Nuff said.............

The Kalahari Typing School for Men continues as the fourth installment in the fine series about Botswana's first lady detective, Mma. Precious Ramotswe, which was begun in The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency and followed by Tears of the Giraffe and Morality for Beautiful Girls. Alexander McCall Smith does a fine job of providing the background from the first three novels in the opening of this one, and the book is almost as stand-alone as The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency. The Kalahari Typing School for Men continues several themes in the prior books including the superiority of women over men, the importance of being organized and diligent, following your heart and spirit to do the right thing . . . in the right way, and intriguing questions about what is moral behavior in complex situations.

The book continues its humorous backdrop as Precious finds herself up against an experienced male competitor who opens the Satisfaction Guaranteed Detective Agency. The competitor proves to be very annoying to Precious, and she struggles to maintain her optimism in the face of this new trial.

With Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni back working energetically at Tlokweng Road Speedy Motors, Mma. Makutsi finds herself dissatisfied. She's really operating as a secretary to both companies rather than as an assistant detective and acting manager, as she had done before. When a new client shows up and insists on speaking with Precious alone, Mma. Makutsi's unhappiness grows. But she shakes herself off, and finds a new opportunity in establishing The Kalahari Typing School for Men, the most unique educational establishment you will probably ever read about.

Precious deals with two client cases . . . neither of which is really a mystery in the normal literary sense. But deciding how to represent her clients' best interests provides weighty challenges of Biblical proportions.

I was a little disappointed in the book, though. Unlike the earlier three books, it lacks the powerful presence of wild Africa to add character and spice. Increasingly, I felt like I was reading just another comic novel about a woman who is trying to juggle all of the balls at once without dropping one. While that is certainly entertaining, this book lacked the uniqueness that made the other books such continuing and pleasant surprises.

As I finished the book, I thought about the special relationship between novelists and their readers. When a novelist establishes a character and a setting for a series of novels, readers expect that what makes that character and setting precious to them will continue. When a book attempts to go off in a new direction, readers should be glad of the author's willingness to experiment. But I do think that the author should provide a valuable substitute if precious elements are left behind. For example, if this novel had been set in an intriguing new locale because Precious had to move, the pleasure of learning about that locale would have made the book's switch in direction worthwhile.

Novelists, keep your implicit promises to your readers!

Western writers usually enter Africa by way of a protagonist who belongs to their own culture (missionary, functionary, explorer, soldier, mail-order bride) and is venturing into unknown territory. So it is one of the mysteries --- and miracles --- of recent fiction that a Scotsman named Alexander McCall Smith should have created a character like Precious Ramotswe, the full-bodied, clear-headed, absolutely captivating investigator who inhabits all four of his Botswana novels: THE NO. 1 LADIES' DETECTIVE AGENCY, TEARS OF THE GIRAFFE, MORALITY FOR BEAUTIFUL GIRLS, and now, THE KALAHARI TYPING SCHOOL FOR MEN.

Mma Ramotswe (in traditional Botswana culture, honorifics are always used; it seems rude not to do so in the review as well) has had a tough life: married to an abusive jazz musician, she loses her baby and then her beloved father. But she finds her vocation: she sets up the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency and is soon attracting clients. She also acquires a fiancé, garage owner Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni, two orphans, and a sidekick, Mma Makutsi, who received a grade of 97 percent on her exams at the Botswana Secretarial College. You don't have to be familiar with the first three books to follow the action in KALAHARI --- McCall Smith is careful to supply context for the first-time reader --- but I think it's better to discover them in order. Not only do you gradually develop a sense of Mma Ramotswe and her life on Zebra Drive (yep, that's the name of her street), but you also become deeply fond of Botswana (this is important since, to the average Westerner, Africa is still a "dark" --- that is, unknown --- continent). These wise, charming books leave you feeling washed clean and peaceful, with an expanded sense of humanity.

Although KALAHARI and the other books are technically mysteries, plot is not the main thing here. There are interlocking events --- a man across town opens a new detective agency; Mma Makutsi starts a typing school for men; Mma Ramotswe solves a case or two --- but there is little real tension or suspense. What keeps you reading is the wonderful writing: pure, economical, funny, utterly lacking in condescension. The evocation of Botswana is often lyrical (its quiet roads, its ubiquitous cattle). Sometimes the stories seem fable-like, as if McCall Smith is telling them around a campfire in the deep African night. This impression is reinforced by the repetition of certain phrases. Mma Ramotswe has a "tiny white van" and is "traditionally built." She believes in "the old Botswana morality" --- a phrase that covers everything from knocking and calling out "Ko Ko" before you enter someone's house to the deeper sense of courtesy and integrity that is being overwhelmed by modern life.

It is one of the many ironies of this wonderful book that Mma Ramotswe and her cohorts, despite their professed yearning for traditional values, are actually the smartest, most progressive people around. Because they are authentic and honest and guided by common sense rather than greed or pride, they make phony modernists like the proprietor of the rival Satisfaction Guaranteed Detective Agency look like idiots (the scene in which Mma Ramotswe and Mma Makutsi pay him a visit is priceless). Indeed, THE KALAHARI TYPING SCHOOL FOR MEN, more than the others in the series, is very much occupied with gender; it has a feminist streak a mile wide.

Consider the characters McCall Smith gives us: the entrepreneurial Mma Ramotswe and Mma Makutsi; the imposing head of the orphan farm, Mma Potokwani, who wangles free products and services from everyone ("It would take a degree of courage that few possessed to turn [her] down"); Mma Tsolamosese, whose daughter has died of AIDS and who is caring for her doomed grandchild with dignity and compassion; and Mma Boko, who is head of a local branch of the Botswana Rural Women's Association but refuses to run for office because "all [men] do is talk about money and roads and things like that. ... We women have more important things to talk about."

With sly humor and wry tolerance, the novel captures that conspiratorial sense among women --- in any culture --- that men are not quite up to their standards (Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni being the exception, of course): "The trouble with men," muses Mma Ramotswe, "was that they went about with their eyes half closed for much of the time. ... That was why women were so good at tasks which required attention to the way people felt. Being a private detective, for example. ..." Or Mma Makutsi, commenting on the essays written by her typing-school students: "All of life seemed to be laid out before her: mothers, wives, football teams, ambitions at work, cherished motor cars; everything that men liked." And when Mma Ramotswe says her foster son is going through "a difficult patch," a friend replies dryly: "Boys do go through times like that. It can last for fifty years."

McCall Smith, it turns out, was born in what is now Zimbabwe (then called Southern Rhodesia) and taught law at the University of Botswana, but those facts alone hardly explain his astounding ability to enter the soul of a woman as well as the soul of Africa. He, like Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni, must be one of the exceptions, a good man. He is certainly an imaginative and observant one. Somehow he manages to communicate the specific feel and spirit of Botswana while also creating characters that transcend the barriers of geography, culture, and gender.

McCall Smith is writing a fifth Precious Ramotswe book, according to his publisher, and has started a new series featuring another lady detective, Isabel Dalhousie (Scottish father, American mother). I can't wait.

--- Reviewed by Kathy Weissman

I continue to enjoy this delightful series about a set of characters unlike many others. The wisdom and view of life exhibited by our heroine are often startling. I eagerly look forward to the next installment.

This is a beautifully written book about a woman's battle with schizophrenia. She begins by describing her descent into the illness and the confusion she experienced. Somehow Lori Schiller manages to describe her experiences with the illness so that you can always see the person inside the mental illness. This is not an easy feat but invaluable for professionals in the field. The most moving scene, to me, was her description of being in a psychiatric hospital and hearing a baby crying. She was frantic because no one would help the baby-yet the baby wasn't real. This is what mental illness is like and why it is such a painful experience. My favorite part of the book was that she reaches a point where she is successfully living with schizophrenia. Too often we forget that people can live with this illness. Not everyone is forever doomed to a halfway house or psychiatric hospital. This is a book every mental health professional should read, especially if you are considering work with the mentally ill.

when i first heard about this book several years ago, i could not wait to get my hands on it. the story attracted me as it is my own story. and i was not to be disappointed. never before had i read a book that so expressively described my own illness. since it first came out, i have read it many times. this book is honest and direct and tells our story as it needs to be heard, for lori gives the true and painful portrayal of how a psychotic brain manifests itself through behavior. i was glad that she told so forthrightly of her experiences in the hospital. it is because of such honesty that people like us can learn to tell our own stories and demystify society's understanding of mental illness, particularly schizophrenia. through this telling the unfair stigma that has been placed upon us is exonerated. i also liked that the people in her life told their stories as well, for an illness such as this affects all involved. i am grateful to lori and amanda for helping me to gain insight into my own illness and understand better what my family and those closest to me have endured and still endure. i highly recommend this book to anyone interested in gaining an honest understanding of mental illness and the impact on the individual and their loved ones.

A must read for anyone with a mental illness or for anyone close to someone with a mental illness. The book really shows the reader how painful and frustrating and heartbreaking life with severe mental illness is. I like that it also gives the perspective of family and friends. It made me even more grateful for modern advances in mental health medicines.

Stars In Their Courses is an excellent book covering the Gettysburg Campaign. Taken completely from Foote's Civil War Trilogy, the book presents a balanced view of the battle. Foote's writing is always easy to read and understand and at times brief in coverage. For a reader looking for great information I would suggest reading a book devoted to a particular day of fighting during the campaign as this book covers the basics and seldom dives into any hour-by-hour detail. For the advanced historian it may seem a bit too brief but for the novice Civil War reader it is an excellent book. Foote likes to present the battle from both sides of the army and explain Lee's and Meade's thoughts or strategies that help explain the how the battle and final outcome evolved. Shelby Foote is probably one of the best authors on the subject and I highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking to gain further knowledge and insight into the Battle of Gettysburg.

A student (yes, I'm a history major) of the Civil War, and having grown up believing that the holy land was a certain battlefield in Pennsylvania, I read Shelby Foote's The Stars in Their Courses as part of a research paper. I had gotten the copy for my father that past Christmas. It was well worn by the time I borrowed it in April.
In reading his work on the Gettysburg campaign, as he described the places about the enormous battlefield, I could see myself in those places once again. It was like reading an old journal entry, or seeing a picture of a childhood home; such is the power of Foote's work that it can transport you to the place you are reading about. Both my father and I read this book with great enjoyment, for this was written in a style of prose much more beautiful and approachable than many other writers on the subject.
To this day, Shelby Foote's work remains a staple in the bookcases of the Lacey household, and will remain that way for a long long time.

You may remember Shelby Foote from his sonorous narration in Ken Burns's THE CIVIL WAR. He is also a respectable novelist and the author of an authoritative three-volume history of the Civil War from the point of view of the South.

STARS IN THEIR COURSES is an even-handed look at the three days' battle that some think was the decisive struggle of the long conflict. At least, it would have been had it not been for Lee's rapid, orderly retreat and Meade's disinclination to face him in battle again so soon. If the more decisive Grant were in charge at that early date, the war would have drawn to a quick conclusion.

As a big fan of Ted Turner's GETTYSBURG, I was surprised to see that the movie took at least as much from Foote as from Michael Shaara's THE KILLER ANGELS. Foote produces a more all-encompassing view of the battle than the film, which omits Ewell's actions on the Union right as well as the battle's immediate aftermath.

My only complaint about the Modern Library edition is that the maps scattered throughout the text bear no captions. The reader has to check the List of Maps in the back of the book to find out where (and when) he is on the battlefield. An index would also have been useful.

But these are mere peccadillos considering Foote's high level of scholarship and engaging prose style. This book is a keeper.

I opened this book with great expectiations, having seen it so highly lauded by many of my favorite authors. It took me quite some time to get into it. I really did not like the Duke early in the book, although I found him highly amusing as the book wore on, and I never really became fond of Leonie--she comes across as immature rather than spirited. The enormous age difference was a little off-putting to me; I'm not convinced this couple represents one of those great love stories, despite the compelling proposal scene.

The use of French in the book provided realism, but often left the reader (unless well-versed in French) a bit out of the loop. Very little of the action actually takes place in England; most is in France. By the way, ignore the cover; the book is Georgian in time period. The Duke's revenge & the intrigue behind it is well-played.

Although I eventually enjoyed the book, it'll never be one of my favorites. Sorry, fans.

THESE OLD SHADES includes the best of Ms. Heyer's considerable style. Her flair for witty dialogue, outrageous but believable characters -- and best of all -- real emotion is outstandingly displayed in this fast read of a book. The Duke of Avon, i.e., "Satanas" is a marvelous antagonist. His subtle, "bad boy" charm and engrossing intensity draws the heroine, Leonie, and the reader. The supporting cast of THESE OLD SHADES include figures from classic farce and classic Heyer: the foppish and hilarious brother, the society-conscious sister, the vulgar and wicked villain (Comte de Saint-Vire). All these characters romp, love and exchange funny, gorgeous dialogue with perfect period detail. Most satisfying of all is that at the heart of the story is very real, very passionate characters who will go to any lengths to win each other. For a Georgette Heyer fan, this book is a delicious treat. For those about to discover Georgette Heyer, you couldn't find a better place to start

"These old shades" was the first Georgette Heyer I ever read. This was a few years ago and I never forgot this story of hate, revenge and true love. The duke of Avon is a cynical and cruel man, very aristocratic (this was before the french Revolution) and hautain. Leonie (or Leon) captures his heart with her passionate love and devotion for him, even when he was still her master and she his page. She is the most enchanting of romantic heroines and will never be forgotten. The other figures in this story are amusing and charming. There is the young brother, the silly and loving sister and a real villain. The book gives a very nice discription of the aristocratic "beau monde" in England and France before the Revolution, just like the Scarlet Pimpernel- books by baroness Orczy. I think many people will love this book.

I have been "married to the Marine Corps" for 12 yrs and still found this book to be helpful. At the time that I picked it up to read I was just getting used to having my husband home from a 9 1/2 mth deployment to the middle east and finding out that he is soon to go back. Needless to say, I was feeling pretty sorry for myself. Reading this book reminded me that I AM one of the "sisters" of military wives. I HAVE done this before and I HAVE and WILL survive. I really enjoy learning about how the other services do things because Marines do things in their own way. I found Mrs Kay's references to "the World's Greatest Fighter Pilot" highly amusing because I call my Marine "poster boy" because he looks just what you think a Marine would look like. I really didnt need some of the advise because I have been around the Corps a time or two, but it was the spirit in which it was given that I enjoyed. Reminding me to take a step back, thank God for the blessings I do have, and just doing what needs doing.
Personally I find other people's stories to be the greatest benefit to me. When I tell people about the time my husband was in Bosnia (and on a med float), I was working full time, had a sick baby, required to move MYSELF due to paperwork snafu's, my car breaking down (the BRAKES went out while driving!!!) being short on boxes, help and only having two weeks to do it all in, they can't help but to say Whoa! But at the time, I did not feel stressed, I just knew that stuff needed to be done and I was the only one here to do it, period. My moving helpers put things down where ever there was space so I ended up with tools on the stove and toys in the utility closet, but when it was all set up a few days later, I can honestly say it was the proudest moment in my life thus far.
Thank you to Mrs Kay for reminding me of what I HAVE done in order to show me that I CAN do this too!!

I received this book as a gift when my husband was recently deployed. I was left at home with a collicky 4 week old baby. Needless to say, I needed all the inspiration and support I could get. This book provided it! This book is very well written. Ellie Kay feels like a best friend holding your hand and helping you keep your chin up during the tough times. This book may not tell you the protocol of military life, but during a deployment, that is the last thing I was seeking. This book is a gem! It is the ideal read for someone going through the difficulty of seperation due to deployment. I thank God for Ellie Kay's words of comfort and wisdom!

Being a miliatry wife for over 21 years, reading this book was like looking at my life. I was reading stories of others who could have been my own.
I believe this book would be of great help to those wives of military members. Ellie Kay gives plenty of resouces that we as miliatry members have at our disposal to help us through diffiuclt times. I believe she personally holds a faith in God that has sustained her through many difficult situations. She shows that faith can uphold us when our husband or wife is away in harms way.
She does not candy coat the situations that arise while the military member is away. Ellie is candid in her look at our lives. It is true when the military member goes away the spouse is left behind and if it can go wrong it usually does. But that should not defeat us. Grab the reins and get back in the saddle. She shows that for all the problems that we do face the one underlying thing we all have in common is our love for a member serving God and Country. I believe this is a great calling and without those left behind handling themselves accordingly the military member cannot handle their duties effectively and safely.
I believe all miliatry families should read this book. Helpful ideas are presented. I especially liked the profiles of miliatry spouses and the I wish for you section. In that section she gives ideas for gifts for the deployed member that will keep them in our heart and us in theirs.

First published in 1861, this book is much more than a narrative about slavery; it addresses many issues of gender as well. To escape the philandering intentions of her master, and to try to win freedom for her children, Harriet Jacobs spent seven years hidden away in a garret over her grandmother's house, three feet high at its tallest point with almost no air or light, with only glimpses of her children to sustain her courage. Until the 1980's, this book was presumed by most scholars to be a work of fiction created by a white abolitionist, but Jean Yellin's groundbreaking research brought the real Harriet Jacobs to life. The book has been published several times since the 1960's, often in inexpensive paperback versions that are much cheaper than this edition (2000). However, I'd recommend either this edition (which includes the short slave narrative published by Harriet's brother John, A True Tale of Slavery) or an earlier edition edited by Yellin if you want the full historical background on the book itself.

I have read Incidents in the Life of a Slave by Harriet Jacobs, twice! I enjoyed reading her book. Her book is full of rich vocabulary. Her writing skills and the description of events she used was impressive, i.e. the separation of mother and child being sold to slaveholders, I felt the pain. In her writings, she constantly humbled herself because of her circumstances of being a slave and how she felt incompetent to write her life story. I must say that Jacobs did a magnificent job, considering her life of chattel slavery. Besides being courageous, strong and enduring, she was a very wise person. I think Jacob's does not give herself credit for being wise. She was very wise because she had to plan various strategies to outwit her devil master's attempts to capture her. She was wise in not trusting Harriet Beecher Stowe. What was Stowe's purpose of forwarding Jacob's writings to Mrs. Willis, which included her sexual history? Jacobs was no fool. Finally, the most indelible impression on my mind was when she hid in her grandmother's house, above the storage room, for seven years! I was right there with her. Great job Harriet Jacobs!!

Jacobs has contributed a wonderful document to our nation's history of her experiences as a slave. This is a must-read for anyone with an interest in our country's history!!

After years without picking up a novel by Dickens (memories of starchy classes at school), I decided to plunge into "Bleak House", a novel that had been sitting on my bookshelf for about ten years, waiting to be read. Although I found it heavy going at first, mainly because the style is so unfamiliar to modern readers, after about ten pages I was swept up and carried off, unable to put the hefty tome down until I had finished it. This book is a definite classic. The sheer scope of the tale, the wit of the satire (which could still be applied to many legal proceedings today) and the believable characters gripped me up until the magnificent conclusion. One particularly striking thing is the "cinematic" aspect of certain chapters as they switch between different angles, building up to a pitch that leaves the reader breathless. I can't recommend "Bleak House" too highly. And I won't wait so long before reading more Dickens novels.

This is the second book by Dickens I have read so far, but it will not be the last. "Bleak House" is long, tightly plotted, wonderfully descriptive, and full of memorable characters. Dickens has written a vast story centered on the Jarndyce inheritance, and masterly manages the switches between third person omniscient narrator and first person limited narrator. His main character Esther never quite convinces me of her all-around goodness, but the novel is so well-written that I just took Esther as she was described and ran along with the story. In this book a poor boy (Jo) will be literally chased from places of refuge and thus provide Dickens with one of his most powerful ways to indict a system that was particularly cruel to children. Mr. Skimpole, pretending not to be interested in money; Mr. Jarndyce, generous and good; Richard, stupid and blind; the memorable Dedlocks, and My Lady Dedlock's secret being uncovered by the sinister Mr. Tulkinghorn; Mrs. Jellyby and her telescopic philanthropy; the Ironmaster described in Chapter 28, presenting quite a different view of industralization than that shown by Dickens in his next work, "Hard Times." Here is a veritable cosmos of people, neighbors, friends, enemies, lovers, rivals, sinners, and saints, and Dickens proves himself a true master at describing their lives and the environment they dwell in. There are landmark chapters: Chapter One must be the best description of a dismal city under attack by dismal weather and tightly tied by perfectly dismal laws, where the Lord Chancellor sits eternally in Lincoln's Inn Hall. Chapter 32 has one of the eeriest scenes ever written, with suspicious smoke, greasy and reeking, as a prelude to a grisly discovery. Chapter 47 is when Jo cannot "move along" anymore. This Norton Critical is perhaps the best edition of "Bleak House" so far: the footnotes help a lot, and the two Introductions are key to understanding the Law system at the time the action takes place, plus Dickens' interest in this particular topic. To round everything off, read also the criticism of our contemporaries, as well as that of Dickens' time. "Bleak House" is a long, complex novel that opens a window for us to another world. It is never boring and, appearances to the contrary, is not bleak. Enjoy.

Umm, I thought the book was too short! I fell in love with the book within the first ten words, and like all love affairs, this one ended too quickly. For those who thought Bleak House was dull, boring, lengthy, and wordy, may I suggest a television reality show?

Good book, Leppelman was a very crazy guy I'll give him that. The books is good ,it is a quick and easy read. Just like every other war book , follows him around the jungle on missions and his buddies.But the tittle of the book should not have been Blood on the Risers, it does not really have of an Airborne feel to it. nevertheless still worth reading.

You would expect this book to be filled with stories from an airborne soldier's 35 month tour in Vietnam, but it is much more.
What makes this book exceptional is that it begins with the author beginning his tour in Vietnam as an airborne soilder in the 'herd' where he learns the reality of being cannon fodder at the direction of officers and NCO's who have not a clue or concern for anything other than their own ego's and careers. Lepp escapes certain death by poor leadership by extending his tour with a transfer to a riverboat, where he again finds the ego's and ticket punchers. Lepp again extends to find a new home, only to land in warrior heaven, where finding and killing the enemy comes before salutes and sandbags.
This isn't the tale to feed the author's ego nor does it imply he was a hero. Simply a man who found himself to have a true warrior spirit and how difficult the Army made it for him and men like him to fight a war. In the end you get a good example of just how effective the warriors that the regular army calls 'trouble makers' can be when they are put together as a Ranger unit and allowed to operate as they should. Plenty of action from a front line view.
This book is a must read for anyone who is interested in how the Army really functioned in Vietnam!
Great Book Lepp!! Glad you survived to write it!

I just finished reading John's book and I am totally awestruck over what I just read. John's experiences as a Ranger will keep you glued to the book. I simply can't imagine living through the kinds of firefights these men engaged themselves in. It's truly sad that heroes such as these men were had to return home to a world where they were often looked down on. The first thing I did after finishing John's book was to sit down and write him a letter personally thanking him and telling him how proud I would have been to have served with, or been a friend of, a man such as him. What a heroic story! I strongly recommend this book to anyone who wants to educate themselves on just about every facet of what it was like to serve in Vietnam - from a grunt to the elite Rangers - very well written!