history

Immigration. What do we really know about immigrants as people - especially the obstacles they face and the hazards they must endure to reach the United States? No one wants to examine this terrible situation, and the press tries to ignore it. John Annerino is a brave photojournalist who wants to open the eyes of this country and the eyes of Mexico. In Annerino's book, DEAD IN THEIR TRACKS: Crossing America's Desert Borderlands, he writes of crossing the Arizona desert along the historic route called the Camino del Diablo, (Road of the Devil), during the summer. Annerino accompanied 4 Mexican farm workers on a grueling struggle across the desert to get into this country. Annerino risked his own life to experience the killing heat migrants endure to cross the desert, and at one point writes of his and his companion's slim chances of surviving their journey, "We would all die like dogs in a killing ground that has claimed hundreds - perhaps thousands of their countrymen." Annerino not only witnesses and endures the hazards and rigors of his companions, but he also photographed many of the people who died in the middle of the desert. He writes graphically of one dead man: "His mouth was still open from the horror, because no one heard him gasping or saw him dying at the finish line to America's Killing Ground." How long will we permit this tragic situation to continue? One brave man cared enough for people to risk his own life to open our eyes with his camera and pen - John Annerino. And you need to read his book, DEAD IN THEIR TRACKS, to understand the human toll and suffering on our borders, and the lives that are lost among those who flee the poverty of Mexico lured by the same American Dream that brought me here. Why? To quote Annerino, "Because they're out there dying right now."

August 11. I sat down this evening to read DEAD IN THEIR TRACKS, and just finished it. All in one sitting. I really couldn't put it down. I think it's a tremendously important book. It should be required reading for those planning to cross the border, and track and control the border through immigration policies. The author did a huge amount of research, and legwork. I commend Annerino's efforts and results. His photographs, along with the maps, work well together to give the reader a first hand encounter with the land and people who cross it. I like the pacing of the chapters, the inclusion of both the men who cross the border and the Border Patrol agents, and Annerino's very thoughtful reflections on the value of Mexicans killed in the killing fields in search of a paycheck to send home to their families. It makes me feel real bad. It is hard to read at times only because it's so sad. Boy, am I glad I wasn't the photographer on those trips! Thank you for the remarkable book.

A story like this demands a great deal from an author. Although Annerino has obviously spent many hours researching the borderlands of the Southwest, the key to this monumental work is the extent to which he is willing to live the story he writes. He has taken immense risks, walking side by side through the desert with Mexican immigrants, and coming face to face with the coyotes and narcotraficantes and Border Patrol agents and ranchers of this volatile area. With Annerino's books, you always learn tons of local history, but never at the expense of that vivid sensation of dust and sweat and heat and imminent danger that keep it an interesting read. Highly recommended to anyone who wants to learn more about the little-known wilderness along the Mexican border and the human cost it extracts due to current immigration policies.

Well, Jayne Ann Krentz aka Amanda Quick has basically one formula for her stories. But what a formula. She is light, she is witty, but the Quicks are just her JAKs in period costume. But that does not stop her from giving you a winner tale. If you like JAK/Quick, you will LOVE her only medieval. If you are not her fan...your tough luck..lol...you are missing one great time!!
The one of two medievals (Desire being the other) from the talented Ms. Krentz/Quick. With her usual charm and wit, she creates lovable, endearing characters and as with all Quick/Krentz novels, the emphasis is on fun and hi-jinx and romance.

This time Lady Alice joins forces with Sir Hugh the Relentless,on a hunt for a long lost stone, which could cost them their lives. The tale is so endearing! Lady Alice will Capture your heart!!

When Lady Alice plucks up her nerve and approaches Hugh the Relentless, is its a dark and stormy night (lol). He is black haired, with amber eyes (with JAK you get amber, green or grey!). The first impression, he is every bit the fearsome warrior of his reputation, but to Lady Alice he is her knight in shining armour. She thinks she can control this man, after all she has been driving away fortune-seeking suitors for years, along with managing her interfering family.

Lady Alice has deliberately lured him to this man with the promise of a green crystal belong to him. But Lady Alice is using it as a bargaining chips (also she does not have it!!). She is hoping to find it, and her dowry to free herself and her brother from her uncle's clutches. Hugh agrees to her terms, only, he has terms of his own: that Lady Alice must agree to a temporary betrothal and spend the winter in Hugh's great stone fortress, Scarcliffe Keep.

The adventure begins, but Sir Hugh's lifelong enemy is plotting against them.

One of the few authors I keep in hardback and there is a reason for it!!

This book by Amanda Quick was absolutely adorable, and is a perfect example of the Quick we all know and love.

Alice and Hugh the Relentless both have claims to a certain green stone, but neither actually has it, as it has been stolen from both of them. Alice believes she knows where it is, and makes a deal with Hugh to help him find it, and in return he will pay for her brother's education in France and giver her money to enter a convent and study. However, Hugh wants a wife, so he tells Alice he needs a temporary betrothal that he will later break, but in truth is counting on keeping Alice.

I can certainly see why, because Alice was inteligent, witty, and chanllenging. Hugh was an equally likeable character who was a good strategist, caring, loveable, kind, and of course, relentless. They were the perfect pair in marriage and partners in solving the mystery of the green stone.

This was an interesting change from Quick, who does not normally write medievals, but it was just as enjoyable as the rest of her books. If you like this one, I recommend With This Ring and Dangerous, or any other Quick book. They are all excellent. Happy Reading!

Mystique was my first Amanda Quick book and it has certainly encouraged me to read more. I would give it 4 and a half stars, but I decided to round up.

Alice is a strongheaded strongwilled young woman bent on escaping her uncle's guardianship and helping her brother establish a future. Hugh the Relentless provides a means to that, so regardless of his reputation, Alice makes a bargain with him. Hugh wants the green crystal to make his people see that he is the true lord of his lands and Alice can find the crystal for him. In return, he has to make sure Alice gets away from her uncle and her brother can study abroad.

This all sounds very nice until Hugh decides that he needs a real betrothal for he has to find someone to oversee the household (he's very picky about food and cleaning) during the winter and to prove to his people that he is ready to settle down. Alice, thinking that it's temporary agrees. But then the unexpected happens...they fall in love.

Hugh is an amazing hero. He cherishes Alice deeply and never loses his temper with her. Even when she helps his lifelong nemesis, he doesn't embarrass her in public and declares that her word is his word and that he will always support her.

The only complaint that I have about this book is how easily and quickly the green crystal was found. However, the mystery at the end makes up for it...partially.

Overall, this book is a joy to read and you'll laugh reading about how she "controls" her husband and "brings him to heel". Amazing woman. =)

For her thirteenth birthday in 1835, Lucinda Lawrence's grandmother sends her a diary. Lucinda lives in Gonzales, Texas, when the American settlers were fighting to break free of Mexico, and she writes of many historical events, including the Alamo (where she loses a brother and an uncle), Goliad (where another of her uncles is killed), the Battle of San Jacinto, and the "Runaway Scrape," when the women and children of Texas barely escaped a step ahead of the Mexicans. Lucinda's diary is another wonderful Dear America book and I highly reccomend it.

My book, A Line in the Sand,The Alamo Diary of Lucinda Lawrence by Sherry Garland, is about a family that lives in Gonzales, Texas. The year of 1836. In San Anotonio there was a war that was about to start against the Mexicans. The Mexicans wanted Texas as theirs, other then having Texas as a free country.

Gonzales, Texas took a part in this war by sending their men to help fight against the Mexicans. They also were sending them food, bullets, and other goods that they would need to help them. Lucinda's brother and uncle went and fought against the Mexicans. During the battle against Santa Anna they die in action.

I think this was a great book. I would recommend this book to people who like a page turner and also likes to read books in a form of a journal or diary.

This is a really great book! I have recomended this book over & over & every one has loved it. I was just as upset, sad & as happy as she was @ all the right parts. This book is described really nicely. Read this, you'll like it, trust me!

~Atalanta

This is an excellent biography, following Adams from birth to death in one volume, and detailing both the positive and the negative aspects of the man clearly and fairly. I've been fascinated by Adams ever since seeing the movie "1776", which gives a marvellous "based on fact" dramatization of the writing and signing of the Declaration of Independence, and this book gave me a more thorough, more strictly factual look at the man. I wasn't disappointed on that score; he's just as interesting without the dramatic liberties taken by the movie.

My only quibble with this book is that the editing, at least in the edition that I have, is rather poor. There are numerous errors in grammatical structure and word choice, the kind of errors that I have become accustomed to in mass market paperbacks but refuse to accept in a scholarly historical work. Things like "he requested that the Congress name his successor be named in his place" and "...the British ... was ready" and "the New England sates" (rather than "States") and "the House of Representative" (even back then, there was more than one representative in the House) and "the dreary weather proved not be a herald of the months ahead" and many others. I understand that mistakes happen, and don't demand perfection. But there are just too many of this kind of error in this book for me to say that it is well-written; probably two dozen, if I had to guess.

Overall, this is a worthwhile biography of a fascinating president. Hopefully, future editions will clean up the writing a bit more.

This book drew me in with its fascinating account about John Adams life and its historical details. Ferling has written a very entertaining and inspiring biography on Adams. Although it is not as deep in detail as Page Smith's biography on the same subject, it is full of information that will edify both students of John Adams and those people who are interested in United States revolutionary period and the early years of the republic.

This book captured my attention from the first chapter. JOhn Adams was a fascinating person and left behind an extensive amount of his own words in journals and letters. The problem for a biographer is to make it interesting and Mr. Ferling does a wonderful job of showing the good and bad of John Adams.

I think the best part of this in-depth one volume biography is how the events taking place around John Adams as well as many of his important historical contemporaries are also explored, giving the reader a true vision as to how John Adams fit into the world of the 18th and early 19th century. Franklin, Sam Adams, Jefferson, Washington, Hamilton are all discussed and examined.

Although John Adams is not typically thought of as a notable president, after reading this book, you will understand why two recent polls of historians showed that he was rated as a "great" president who was as instrumental as any in the formation of the United States. By going directly against his own party while president, he was humiliated and initially ignored, but his actions were later realized to have likely saved the US from ruin soon after it's formation. If you are interested in John Adams, or colonial history...Buy This Book.

Basil Henry Liddell-Hart is rightly acknowledged as one of the best military theorists, period. He was the man who inspired the likes of Patton and Guderian to their feats in World War II. His book about Scipio Africanus was written before his theories (snorted at by more conservative commanders) were proven in the field. Beyond that, Liddell-Hart tackled an obscure subject: the man that defeated Hannibal, who menaced Rome for many a long year, and established Rome as the pre-eminent classical power of the time.

Liddell-Hart's style is easy to read, and the book is a breeze to read. If Liddell-Hart is perhaps more of a military theorist than a historian (though the two are hard to seperate) the book doesn't suffer from the distinction.

Perhaps the greatest bit of insight gleaned from this book is Liddell-Hart's applause of the way Scipio Africanus pursued war to engineer a better peace. This theme appears and reappears through the book, and it is a shame the book isn't so widely read among policymaking circles. Certainly, he draws comparisons to his own bitter experience in World War I and prophecizes the breakdown of Versailles in this book.

This is a good read, as all the books by this author have been for me.

Scipio Africanus is not the general one usually associates with Rome, but after reading Hart's biography of him, I am convinced that he was Rome's greatest captain. Hart's analysis is clear and concise, and he covers all the aspects of Africanus' genius in detail. Not only was Scipio an unrivalled military genius, but also a skilled diplomat, and a man of vision. Undefeated in battle, Scipio not only conquered Rome's enemies, but through dimplomacy was able to gain powerful allies, and fulfill his vision, of an acient world dominated, but not controlled, by Rome. Unfortunately, his high moral character did not allow him to play the game of politics and therefore, he was cheated out of his rightful place in history.

Hart, after presenting a strong case for Scipio's sumpremacy, moves on to compare him to other great captains. I believe he convincingly shows that no other general in history achieved Scipio's understanding of the breadth of war, and it's ultimate goal of creating a lasting peace. For this reason, Hart concludes that Scipio is the greatest captain of all time. This book is a must read for anyone who wants to read about the greatest general they never heard of!

Written in 1929, this biography remains imporant today. Hart was one of the great post-WWI military strategists, and an early advocate of mobile armored warfare. Hart wrote his biography of Scipio largely because he saw Scipio's tactics at Illipa and Zama as a prime example of the kind of mobile, flexible warfare that he himself was advocating. While other Roman generals simply lined up their legions and tried to hack their way through the enemey, Scipio experimented with daring flanking moves and advocated bold tactical manuvers.
Hart has been accused of reading too much innovation into the battle description of Livy and Polybius, but nonetheless this is a top notch military biography of an under-rated captain.
As a political biography, Hart leaves much to be desired. Hart cares little for the oligarchic politics in which Scipio, like all Roman nobles, was deeply embroiled. Hart writes off the persecution of Cato as simple jealosy, ignoring the fact that Scipio's metoric rise to fame, honor and command had a destabilizing effect on the Roman oligarchy. Nonethless, Hart's work remains one of the best biographies of Scipio (H.H. Schullard's biography is also very good). Those military history buffs who care little for classics will still want to read this work, which reveals the thoughts of one of the 20th century's greatest strategist .

NOW PITCHING FOR THE YANKEES FIGURES TO RANK AMONG CLASSICS; MARTY APPEL PLANTS HIMSELF SQUARELY IN THE PR HALL OF FAME WITH BEHIND-THE-SCENES BOOK By T.S. O'Connell

Now Pitching for the Yankees, subtitled Spinning the News for Mickey, Billy and George, is a major hit in literary circles, as well it should be. Now in the interest of full disclosure, I would point out that Marty is a friend and a valued columnist in our magazine, but I would love this book even if it had been written by somebody I didn't like. It is, in a word, maahhvelous. I steal a line from Billy Crystal, because it's appropriate in this instance, since Marty was a consultant on "61*", that wildly successful HBO film that was released this spring. But gushing from the likes of me sounds pretty silly when you consider that the book is getting (as far as I know) universally enthusiastic reviews, with folks dropping it into those lists like "The 10 Best Baseball Books of All Time," and frequent rumblings about it being one of the best front-office books ever produced.

In the weeks since the book came out, Marty has been busy making radio and television appearances, which included appearing on Tim McCarver's show on Fox SportsNet. Now Pitching for the Yankees is already sold out in its first printing, with a second printing planned, and there are still reviews to come from Larry King in USA Today and the New York Times.

I would be hard pressed to single out a single incident in the book, only because I found so many intriguing.

Oddly enough, the year's best "New York baseball book" is one that you might not have seen: Now Pitching for the Yankees, by Marty Appel. Appel, who spent most of the 1970s working for the Yankees, is a fine writer, a wonderful storyteller, and doesn't shy away from revealing something about himself. The sections of the book concerning his brief periods of non-baseball employment didn't particularly interest me, but the great majority of the book is about Appel's positions in the Yankees PR department and with WPIX-TV, which broadcast Yankees games. Appel clearly adored Phil Rizzuto, then one of the Yankee broadcasters, but that doesn't mean he can't be honest about the Scooter ...

"Phil always did play-by-play, never color. If he was the color commentator, you might as well not have him there at all. His concentration would be gone, he would be saying hello to everyone walking by the broadcast booth, he would be running out for cannolis, and he couldn't add much about the players because he didn't really know them ..."

The problem with most baseball books is that they're written by people who don't write particularly well. But this is Appel's 16th book, and he knows what he's doing. If you want to know what the Yankees were like before (and during) Billy Martin's various turns at the helm, Now Pitching for the Yankees just might be the best place to start. By ROB NEYER

Marty Appel served in the Bronx Bombers' public-relations office for nearly nine years, and was the PR director during the tumultuous early George Steinbrenner years (from 1974 to 1977). Appel's "Now Pitching For the Yankees" recalls the turmoil of that period -- and Appel's ability to function under pressure --with wit, a keen eye for detail and sensitivity.

None of the long hours Appel spent at the ballpark, the turmoil he witnessed, or the high-pressure tactics of owner Steinbrenner have dimmed his appreciation for his colleagues and bosses. It comes through in the pages of this warm, often touching memoir.

The boldface names are there -- including Steinbrenner, Mickey Mantle, Billy Martin, Joe DiMaggio and Reggie Jackson -- along with less-famous but pivotal Yankee characters like clubhouse man Pete Sheehy, team execs Michael Burke and Gabe Paul, and Appel's mentor in public relations, Bob Fishel. (It even mentions the writers: Appel's anecdote about one scribe's losing battle with bladder control in Boston is priceless.)

Appel also reflects on his vibrant post-Yankees career, including a bittersweet period with the Atlanta Olympics and a still-thriving stint as a baseball author (subjects include early baseball star King Kelly, former Commissioner Bowie Kuhn and former Yankee captain Thurman Munson).

"Now Pitching for the Yankees" is a good find for anyone who loves baseball, cherishes its history and appreciates the people behind the scenes who make it happen.

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 have, for several years, been a member of various computer animation lists, and that's where I'm coming from with this review. This is the one book which has consistently come up on those lists when dealing with general issues (the Principles of Animation, etc), simply because it is the best. It is not the best tutorial book, since it is not written as a tutorial: it is a history of Disney. If you want a tutorial on computer animation, go elsewhere. But that will probably NOT be as much help to you as reading this book, because after reading this, you will be inspired. I think this is why people are so religeously fervent when speaking about it - not because they found it useful for the large number of techniques and tips which are slipped in throughout (though very many of them are out of date or not applicable in the computer animation world), but because the book inspires. I thought it was expensive, but after I bought it and read it the first time, I realised it was cheap at the price. It is gorgeously produced, and filled with colour pics and examples of what it talks about. Worth buying if you are into animation, or if you are interested in the history of Disney.

As any animation student or fan would know, this IS the book he or she would admires and stares for hours. "The Illusion of Life" is not just a history book about the Disney studio, but it goes beyond the history and concept; it goes in deep into storytelling, character animation, background design, concept/script illustration, character design, and many more. The greatest thing about this book is the author and writer, FRANK THOMAS and OLLIE JOHNSTON!!! Two of the veteran and master of Disney animation. They have been working with Disney since Sleeping Beauty and Peter Pan... the 40s and 50s! The writing is also very descriptive and easy to understand. Not only they get to the point, they also reveal several secrets and tricks in animation.

I strongly suggest every animation fan and animator to get this book. It is expensive, but not rare to get. It is one of a kind! And do get it before it runs out of print!

A very comprehensive book about the development of Disney animation. Hundreds of drawings that show how individual characters were developed, what makes characters appealing, what worked and what didn't, how the animators came up with ideas, how to draw sequences -- this book covers every aspect of animation. It's more than a history of the Disney company, it shows how the individual departments (animators, inkers, stylists, storymen, sound studio, etc) worked together to create a 80-minute film that is made up of 460,000 finished cels, 2.5 million total drawings (including sketches), and takes an average of 3 and a half years to make. Examples come from all Disney films, such as Cinderella, Peter Pan, Jungle Book, etc. and show drawings, sketches, paintings, the animators who created the characters and pretty much everything one wants to know about animation. It is a wonderful book.

'I Served' is excellent. It is a very honest and moving account of
what many young men went through when they served our country during the
Vietnam war. I'm not a military buff, so this was the first military
memoir I've ever read. I learned so much from reading it, and have a
newfound respect and compassion for soldiers who are required to fight
in live combat, and in particularly those who have fought with
inadequate support and equipment. The book is also very well written,
humorous at times and a page turner - always interesting. I'm not the
only one who liked it. Don's commanding officer, Colonel Maus (who died
in 1998), liked the first edition of the book so much that he was
influential in getting General Schwarzkopf to grant Don Hall an
interview for the documentary Don and his wife made about Don's unit,
F/51st LRP. The documentary is also excellent, and won a documentary
award at the 2001 Telluride Indiefest Film Festival. It received
extremely high marks from the festival previewers and from the audience.
I've noticed a few of the less favorable reviews about 'I Served' on
this site, and can only say that if anyone questions the veracity of
details portrayed in 'I Served', they can check the national archive
records which are referenced in the back of the book. I met Don and
Annette last year and have become close friends with them. They told me
one of their goals in writing 'I Served' was to write an exciting book
that was based on fact, and that did not rely solely on 30-plus-year-old
personal memories. That's why Don acquired the thousands of pages of
National Archives documentation on his unit and the units F/51st LRP
operated for. Apparently, most Vietnam memoirs are written without using
any official National Archives documents as reference material. From
what I understand, it's a time-consuming and expensive task to acquire
all that information, or the authors don't know where to get it, so they
rely on their memories to write their books. I was very impressed that
Don and Annette went that extra mile to make sure their book was
accurate. I'm honored that they are my friends, and grateful that they
wrote this very important, and very readable, book.

There are veterans and there are veterans, but then there are
"Professional Veterans".

Over the years, millions of books
have been written by "combat authors", expounding on their
exploits, their heroics, regardless of war; the main theme which I've
gathered from all of these books has been "This war could not
have been won if it wasn't for me being in it", or "I won
the war by myself". The books being well written, just like a
typical "Hollywood Script", leaving the reader with that
very impression. These "Hollywood Books" will suffice the
average reader, fulfilling a need for adventure. In reading "I
Served" by Don and Annette Hall, the reader isn't left with the
two above characteristics (the book is well written too), it relates
the saga of a unit, not just about a man who served in that unit,
Co. F (LRP), 51st Infantry (Airborne). While I personally didn't care
to read about another's hardship in his early years, it set the stage
for what the author endured for the sake of life, it made the man, THE
MAN. Readers are offended about exposing the fact that mercenaries
were employed by the U.S. in the war, yes the U.S. Government did
employ mercenaries, and they were ruthless
adversaries. ... Recommending the book to a histroy student is a must,
if that student wants to read the facts about one unit and the war
which one man endured. If the student wants to read real fiction, try
one of the other million books available on the subject.

War is
always hell, dying is the easy part, surviving it is harder.

I have read all the other reviews everybody else has seen fit to put down in writing and I really can't add anything to what was already said. It is beyond the shadow of a doubt, the best book I have ever read.
I am retired, and reading non-fiction books about the Vietnam experience is what I like to do best. In the year I've been retired, I have read as of 5/8/03 between 75 and 80 books all relating to Vietnam and what these people went through.
Mr. and Mrs. Hall's book "I Served" is without a doubt the best I have ever read. In all honesty and truthfulness, I can't imagine a better book to read. It has more to offer than any book, and I loved every word of it. The writing has a way of making you feel like your standing right there watching it all take place. It is a very rare quality to be able to write like that. I honestly feel if Mr. Hall ever wanted to, he could be one heck of an auther, and probably could write a good number of book's and have before long, a following of faithful readers.
I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone over any other book I have ever read. I would like to say, Please check this book out. It's not an expensive book, it's worth is far greater than any amount you would pay for it. I can guarentee, you will love it the same way I and everbody else who read it does. This is a book you will be sorry you didn't read. And that's the truth. So help me God.
From his day's in an orphanage, to the end of his tour in Vietnam, Mr. Hall reveils so much about himself that other people wouldn't want anybody to know. It is so honest and forthright as to put it a league all it's own.
I will keep this book for as long as I live. And I will hope and pray that my two son's find the time time read it. I know it will have a positive effect on them both. And I'm sure it will have the same effect on you. You won't be sorry you bought and read this book, so please do for your sake.

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!