Book Description
The Tiger's Way: A U.S. Private's Best Chance for Survival is not just fun reading for novice riflemen; it is mission-essential information for all ranks and job descriptions. The U.S. military lost on the ground to Eastern guerrillas 30 years ago, and its tactics haven't significantly changed. The Tiger's Way shows how to reverse this trend at a most opportune time. Without better tactical technique at the individual and small-unit level, U.S. forces cannot project minimal force. Without minimal force, they cannot win the hearts and minds of the people. Without winning the hearts and minds of the people, they cannot win a guerrilla war. The Tiger's Way reveals—for the first time—the state of the art in technique for every category of short-range combat. It does so through 100 illustrations, 1600 endnotes, and 31 battledrills.
But the book will also help U.S. forces to suffer fewer casualties in a total war. As Western weapons systems have become more lethal, Eastern armies have turned to tiny, surprise-oriented maneuver elements. Most now give their lowest ranks both conventional and unconventional abilities. Until the U.S. military follows suit, its nonrates will have less field skill, initiative, and tactical-decision-making experience than their Eastern counterparts. That means they will be at a decided disadvantage in any one-on-one encounter and die unnecessarily every time their firepower fails. It also means that their commanders will have trouble winning a "4th generation" war. The Tiger's Way will have a profound effect on how foreign war and homeland security are conducted in the future.
Customer Reviews:
A fantastic implementation of Tokakure Ryu for the modern day.......2007-08-12
I have not finished this book, you should know. However, you should also know that this book made enough of an impression of me that I am writing a review before I have finished in violation of my own rules. I am an author myself and I value these reviews greatly - I wouldn't write if I didn't mean what I say.
This is a great book. In short, it takes the premises - as best we know - of Togakure ryu Ninjutsu and applies them to contemporary military arts. Squad mechanics - the focus of every lieutenant who has ever served - are the focus of Poole's tactical revision of the current philosophy of combat in the US military.
I am not a military man, but I am surrounded by them. I am a ninja, studying Bansenshukai Ninjutsu. We also have some Togakure ryu curriculum, and Poole hits hard on the right stuff. Early in the book he points out that the close combat ryuha are not his focus. Instead, he is looking at the understudied arts of Zanson, Intonjutsu, Shinobi Iri and Hensojutsu. This is a book about how to not fight if you don't have to.
Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu practitioners will argue that this `is not ninjutsu' because it isn't what Hatsumi teaches (in public anyway) but they would be wrong. The taijutsu that BBT teaches is just a small part of what the ninja represents, and this book covers practically everything else. Admittedly, the second chapter references books by Haha Lung and Ashida Kim, who are widely discredited. However, even quacks can have good ideas and Poole expertly extracts the choice tidbits. You will not be displeased.
good over view.......2007-05-13
This book is not a guide for people trying to get a grip on what is happening to our forces in Iraq. It is a good basic soldiers book that is made from many different types of 'field manuals', compiled and catagorized. Nothing new, but a good source for a yound Infantry NCO or Commissioned Officer who wants to keep his 'mind in the game'. Much of the information covers Infantry subjects, some of which is of no use in Iraq. However, we are a world-wide force and need to keep looking over our shoulder at the next conflict. The author speaks with some authority and it shows. As a graduate of the Infantry School at Ft. Benning (I wont say when) this book is a good refresher and contains some new information. If you go on patrol, regardless of you MOS or job title, this is a book you cna use.
Best book of it's kind........2006-11-29
John Poole has written a fantastic treatise on what will be needed to fight and win wars in the years to come. Though it makes for dry reading at times, this book is absolutely fascinating.It not only discusses enemy tactics, it recommends methods on how to develop ninjustsu-like tactics on your own. Spectacular book. A must-read for anyone in, or planning to join, the military. Top-shelf material!
An excellent book for warfighters.......2006-11-28
Readers of this book will look at the Army and Marines different. While the IG and other groups says they care about soldiers the readers of this book will actually care more about the thing that matters: YOUR SOLDIERS LIVES.
Here are two things a possible buyer of this book should consider. In WWII it was thought that the Japanese soldier was born in the jungle. Nothing could be further from the truth. Japan has as much Jungle as Oklahoma. What made the difference between the Japanese and American soldier was training. Their soldiers were taught stealth, hand-to-hand fighting, and all their other combat skills. Little noted in WWII was Japan won land battles against much larger American and British Armies in 1942. Only massive allied firepower turned the tide. Second, in Korea the UN forces often used the machinegun to excess. After a night of fighting the only result would be a few dead communist soldiers. Turkish soldiers, using eastern combat methods, had dozens of dead communists in front of their positions. All were dead by knife wounds.
If this book was followed the results would be nothing but positive things for the USA. First, we would have a better trained Army and Marines that would be able to handle the stress of combat better. We would have less dead men. Second, the Army and Marines could be smaller. We would have more warfighters but less of a logistics tail. Third, we would have less technological dependence. That means a savings of money.
I admire this book. John Poole goes through the combat tables and says what this reader long suspected; we often lose more men in combat with eastern armies. The only real reason we beat German forces in WWII is they wanted to be beat by us, the Soviets were their nightmare. Iraq could have had an eastern army but it was so over controlled and regulated by 2003 that nearly any good army could have taken them.
John Poole says that our infared night vision gear is of limited use. Tanks are not a great asset to any army. Good landmines and RPGs can take out any tank. The weird thing is the US Marines nearly issued the vast store of captured RPGs from Grenada to the Marines. The DoD killed this idea. The reason is American makes superior equipment and all that rubbish...
I really liked this book. This book should be required reading for any member on the House or Senate Armed Service committees. The trouble is our modern politicians are too busy trying to make the mothers of soldiers happy with training and not concentrating on the training of the soldiers to keep them from getting killed and accomplishing the mission.
This is the second book I've read from Poole in a week. It has been sent to my old ROTC school. Perhaps a future lieutenant can take wisdom from the pages of this book.
This book should be the vangard of the change needed in our Army and Marines. We need better training. We need soldiers who can take charge of the tactical situation. We need to get rid of the top-down structure that plagues the Army and Marines in tactical situations.
I wish some good soldiers, marines, and politicians could read this book and put it into use.
Until this book is followed our Army and Marines are little better than Activated Militia.
The Tactical Sphere.......2006-11-17
In our time, we are privy to scores of books, interviews, and op eds dedicated to the strategic sphere of military conduct. Most analysts, those types that enjoy their time on CNN, seek to explain American failures in Iraq and Afghanistan in purely general terms: lack of troops, lack of allies, lack of materials, lack of goals. And while these issues certainly deserve their proper analysis, their role in military failures are grossly exaggerated.
The truth, as the fella said, is in the details. John Poole's The Tiger's Way is concerned with just such details. Poole knows well the tactical sphere: that area where the average U.S. Army infantry private spends his time. He knows and understands the techniques used by "eastern" opponents against Western forces, and he is better at illuminating our vulnerabilities to those techniques than any author in the last 50 years. If this were simply a book on those techniques and exploits, it would be quite a triumph. But there's more.
This book focuses on why our techniques are failing, as well as how they might be tailored to fit in our current environment. Folks like Rumsfeld can talk "light, mobile, and fast forces" all they want, but without applying the dispersion techniques outlined by Poole, maneuver warfare will remain stagnant.
If you are a citizen seeking to better understand what our forces are doing on the ground, and how they might do it better, you should buy this book. If you're a soldier on the ground, you should buy two: one for yourself and one for your unit.
Book Description
Resource book on WWII Marine Corps combat uniforms and equipment.
Customer Reviews:
Great book.......2007-03-16
Alec Tulkoff has penned an extradanory book. His research is impeccable and backed up by DOCUMENTED facts, unlike any other USMC book before or after. Alec disputes and dispells many of the collector myths that others have based their books upon. If you are looking for an acurate USMC book on WW2 uniforms and equipment this is the currently the olny book you will need, if you want a book with good pictures and wrong or questionable info pick up the others.
Grunt is Great!.......2004-08-24
I missed Jim Morans WWII USMC Militaria book when it came out 10 years ago. I was just a kid and would have rather spent the money on an item than a book. When I became savy to the fact that having a grand reference library is the corner stone to any collection it was too late to buy the Moran book(Jim, please reprint that book!).
But years later when I desperatly needed a USMC book, I was hightly motivated to buying it fresh off the press.
First what I wished the book had: Dress uniforms. I'm still out a good book on dress uniforms. Not just USMC but Army, Navy and Army Air Corp. This subject one of my favorites but is constantly being left out of Militaria books.
Now What I like about the book: Eveything! I have never read a more detailed book on the subject. Not only did Alec photograph just about every USMC GRunt items WWII items but he included the contracts that the USMC used in WWII. As stated above, it's more than just photographs and word of mouth "facts" but a highly detailed and researched book.
Also included are Rifle and Machine gun information, and the knife and bayonets section has already netted some great finds.
I also love the "collector" notes at the end of each section, that puts the previous facts into relevent information for todays collector. Information on fake items is highly welcomed.
If you don't have a USMC book, this one is it. This book will reward you for a lifetime. Thanks Alec!
Very Well Done.......2004-02-09
I am quite pleased with this book. The author has done his homework and, unlike far too many collector books, has not relied on second hand "collectors facts". As always being a Bender book it is well laid out and printed. I am pleased they decided to move to a larger format at last.
All in all this is now THE book on USMC equipment in WW2. It will be very hard to surpass.
Well Researched.......2003-11-22
Mr. Tulkoff definitely took extraordinary measures researching this book and it seems well documented. The writing style is matter-of-fact. Not necessarily a good relaxing bedtime read, but well written. Anyone desiring a very complete and detailed history of Marine Corps equipment of WWII should look here first.
Book Description
Finally! Step-by-step tactics for teams of three to 30 members. Tired of collecting a library of military manuals just to teach light infantry patrolling tactics? Military manuals are notoriously confusing and boring! More often than not, they are written for company and battalion commanders. This book is written for truly small unit leaders - at the fireteam, squad, and platoon level. This book includes several other advantages over military manuals: Common sense explanations of each tactical battle drill. Simple to understand schema and illustrations 'Lessons Learned' comments that offer experienced insight. A glossary to get everyone speaking in the same terminology. With a 'no non-sense' approach, every skill and tactical battle drill in this book is specifically focused on light infantry patrolling tactics. For the experienced military professional, this book will be valued reference. For every other small unit leader - whether military, modern military re-enactors, or paintball and air soft competitors this book is sure to become your 'field bible'.
Customer Reviews:
Good Information, But VERY Poorly Written.......2007-06-26
This book does fill a much-needed gap in that it combines several practical tactics and procedures into a centralized, engaging format. Unfortunately, this book is chock full of terrifying typos and spelling and grammatical errors; often several per page! Quite often, words in a sentence are transposed, or the sentence is written so clumsily that it wouldn't make any sense at all if it weren't for the accompanying photographs. In fact, some of the errors are so awful that you begin wondering if the material you are reading mightn't be incorrect.
The utter lack of proofreading aside, this book could be vastly improved and made far more practical if it's size were not so unwieldy. At a full 8 1/2 x 11 inches, you have to wonder what the author was thinking when he recommended on the book's back cover that you place the book in a Ziplok bag for use in the field.
Recommend ANYONE that has had an interest or even a passing interest in light infantry tactics should read this.......2007-05-15
This book combines solid examples, diagrams, and experience into a comprehensive volume that all squad leaders should at least read. I was in the Navy and think most Petty Officers should read this book.
If you're wondering what the actors in some of the latest war movies are doing (Band of Brothers, Saving Private Ryan, etc...) just read this book. If you're about to play in a paint ball scenario have your ENTIRE team read this book.
I learned more from reading this book in a matter of days than I've learned searching the web in a matter of years.
5 because there is no 6.......2007-04-30
If you want a clear, concise, simple description and explanation of small group tactics this is it. No searching around FM's to find stuff, its all compiled and explained in this self contained book. I'm an independent scholar in military studies and I was physically unable to serve so I did not have a first hand opportunity to learn this very basic infantry information. I have trained martial skills for the Army and with law enforcement so I can appreciate the need for the type of clarity you'll find in this book. To those who are active I would recommend this book as an excellent reference.
Larsen served in the U.S. Army from 1985-1994 as an NCO in light infantry, air assault, and mech infantry. He's done everything from walking "permanent" point (He explains this in the book under Lessons Learned) to training the New Iraqi Army and instructing at West Point and with the 10th Special Forces Group. Larsen doesn't waste your time. Each chapter is divided up into a clear definition followed by detailed step by step parts of each tactical battle drill(TBD)of which 14 are included in the book. The table of contents reads like this:
Individual Competencies
1. Camoflauge
2. Hand & Arm Signals
3. Infantry Movement Techniques
4. Fighting Positions
5. Land Navigation
6. Communication & Procedure
Leadership Competencies
1. Troop Leading Procedures
2. Pre-combat Inspection
3. OpOrder & Warning Order
4. After Action Review
Patrolling Methods
1. Departing & Reentering the FFL
2. Traveling Methods
3. Attack Formations
4. Crossing Danger Areas
5. React to Ambush
Defensive Procedures
1. Establish a Security Halt
2. Establish an ORP
3. Establish a Patrol Base
4. Establish a Hide Position
5. Establish a Defensive Line
Offensive Operations
1. The Reconnoiter
2. The Ambush (there is lots of info on different ambushes in the appendix)
3. The Raid
4. The Attack
As a professional educator I can appreciate when a lesson is well prepared and clearly presented and Larsen has done that in this book. All terms are explained or there is a glossary in the back so if you've never read this type of material before you don't have to worry about getting lost in "Armyspeak".
Each move is explained in detail so you know why you are doing what he explains. The chapters end with a summary and a "Lesson Learned" actual example, some are his own experiences. Simple diagrams and drawings clearly highlight what is taught. If there is one negative to this book it is the 8x10 size which makes for awkward reading and lugging around...But lug it around.
Should be the TM for the U.S. Army.......2007-04-04
Hey Platoon and Squad Leaders,
This is a better and more simplified cut and dry TM than anything Uncle Sam puts out. Good for 11 bang bangs and pogues alike. Wish I had it in the streets of Baq-town on dismounts.
Good Refresher.......2007-01-04
This book is well written but suffers slightly from the graphics: black and white. Outside of that, it is an excellent review for those us nostalgic over those scaly old manuals we used in basic. I especially liked the old war stories. Like an old drill sergeant, they brought the meaning of book to life. He answered all my questions and put the fear back into me -- better than PT in the morning.
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Book Description
In every band of brothers, there is always one who looks out for the rest.
A soldier. A leader. A living testament to the valor of the human spirit. Major Richard D. Winters finally shares his amazing story.
They were the Easy Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Army Airborne, the legendary fighting unit of World War II. And there was one man every soldier in Easy Company looked up to-Major Richard D. Winters.
Here, for the first time, is the compelling story of an ordinary man who became an extraordinary hero-from Winters's childhood in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, through the war years in which his natural skill as a leader elevated him through the ranks in combat, to now, decades later, when he may finally be awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his actions on D-Day.
Full of never-before-seen photographs and the insight that family, friends, fellow veterans of Easy Company-and only Winters himself-could provide, Biggest Brother is the inspiring life story of a man who became a living testament to the valor of the human spirit-and America.
Customer Reviews:
A must-read for Band of Brothers "Buffs".......2007-09-05
This is a very well written book about Major Winters' life.
Reading this book has also been a fantastic exercise in having multiple perspectives on historical topics. I'm happy to have read it, because it shows how important it is to get multiple perspectives on any situation if you seek full understanding.
For example, from Band of Brothers, during the "Crossroads" charge in Holland, where Winters faces the young SS soldier (and then shoots him...and others). This book puts Winters heroism in more proper perspective. He did not simply scale the embankment to find a surprised (and unarmed) soldier on the other side. In reality, the two had already exchanged grenade tosses. Winters forgot to remove the tape from his grenade lever. The German was still cowering from a grenade that never exploded, and it gave Winters the advantage. This is quite important to know.
This book demonstrates how Ambrose had to "cut corners" in order to condense the memories of many men into one singular tale. I believe this book should be required reading for anyone in academia that is doing research on the 501st and their activity in Europe. I also suggest you read "Parachute Infantry" by Daniel K. Webster.
Gripping biography of a 20th century warrior.......2007-08-25
After seeing the HBO Band of Brothers series a couple of times, I ran across this book about Major Winters. This is an engaging and well-written account of a true American hero. However, if you have read Ambrose Band of Brothers book (that started the recent surge of interest) or have seen the HBO mini-series, you will find much of the content here matching those accounts. In fact, you will be able to predict what aspect of the story will come next through about 80% of this book as it tracks Easy company from Tacoa to The Eagle's Nest. It tracks Winters throughout his whole life, up to the present.
Easy company is fascinating for many reasons, but historically because they were at the tip of the spear for so much of the European theater of WWII. The stories here are told from Major Winters perspective however, and that tends to personalize them more than I experienced from the HBO mini-series. For example, in this book, Winters writes many of his experiences to a lady named DeEtta. These letters and the long distance relationship, forlorn romance etc. add a very human dimension to the crazy things happening as he was leading Easy company. He is very transparent with DeEtta in the letters.
There are other interesting personal observations Winters makes throughout the book. For example, the arrogance and ineptness of many high-ranking officers is repeatedly described. Winters gives names and accounts in this area. Their aloofness and inability to admit they aren't well suited for war is placed in contrast to Winters, who is practically tailor made for the job he is thrust into by the needs of history and his own capabilities. He also generally holds a low opinion of British soldiers in the field of battle, finding them repeatedly impractical and detached from what is important. One aspect of this book that is also present in the mini-series is Winters approach to leadership. Winters is friendly with his subordinates, but not actually friends. This is a tricky line to walk but it seems natural to him.
Winters conveys an unwritten, and unpopular, theme about war in the book, especially in the area of death. It is this: Don't be foolhardy. Many soldiers will die due to no fault of their own. But, many others will die due to lack of clear-headed thinking or foolhardy/misplaced bravery. Winters is frequently brave, but he is always deliberate and calculating in his actions. That doesn't guarantee survival, but it certainly helps. I've never been to war, and I'm glad of it, but I think there is a life-lesson there for all of us.
Some other interesting observations about Winters I like:
- Underachiever in high school.
- Became very disciplined physically and mentally during college.
- Grew up in a Mennonite community. When the war seemed inevitable, he could wait for the draft to start, or
"beat them to the punch and enlist, and satisfy his one year military obligations to his country. Winters chose the latter... At one point he considered drawing on his Mennonite background...Winters soon realized he was not a conscientious objector and to say so would be a lie." p29
Later chapters of the book cover Winters occupations after the war, becoming older and essentially acting as the historian for Easy company for decades while hardly anyone seemed to care. The book then comes closer to the present and talks about meeting Ambrose, reunions with surviving Easy members, Tom Hanks and others for the HBO mini-series. This is pretty fascinating material not found in the Ambrose book, or the TV mini-series.
The book tells about the strange tensions, sacrifices (both large and small), horrors, and insanity of war through the eyes of a genuine American hero. If it were about anyone else, I would find the combination of integrity, heroics and insight into difficult situations hard to believe. But, the Easy company story and Winters are well documented and have living testimonials to back them up. There have to be some feet-firmly-on-the-ground heros that actually help win giant wars, and Winters is one. If you like Major Winters and want to learn a lot about him, this is your book.
A great read about a great man.......2007-08-08
It's refreshing to read about someone with principles in a leadership position. The book was well written, uses sources that weren't available in the Band of Brothers (112 letters) and paints a picture of what Major Winter's and Easy Company went through. It also talks about after the war and the process of writing and later producing the Band of Brothers. If you liked BofB, you will like this...great book!
Outstanding soldier and leader...yet a humble man.......2007-07-27
What a fantastic biography this is about Richard Winters the leader of the 506th Easy Company. This starts off with the hair-raising account of his encounters over Normandy on June 5th and 6th 1944. This quiet yet focused man from Pennsylvania led a bunch of hardened steeled soldiers thru the thick of the fighting in France, Holland, Belgium and Germany in 1944 and 1945. After the war the book recounts Dick Winter's troubled transition back into civilian life and how he started a family yet kept correspondence with his soldiers after WWII.
The book also pays attention to Major Winters contribution to HBO's "Band Of Brothers" mini-series, the recoginition this outstanding series got, and what Major Winters is doing today (as of 2004).
I salute Major Winters for his leadership, compassion, insight and focus.
Excellent Read!
Curahee!.......2007-07-09
For anyone who follows or is interested in the stories of Easy Company, Company E/506th PIR, 101st Airborne Division, this book is a must! It is a treasure. Thanks to Larry Anderson for writing this book on Major Dick Winters and the men of Easy. Anyone reading this will be deeply moved and never forget what the "Band of Brothers" of Easy sacrificed on D-Day up to V-E Day. Get to know the man behind the leader/hero so many were willing to follow without a blink. An timeless story. A must for any book collection!
Book Description
As a war correspondent, Wilbur Fisk was an amateur, yet his letters to the Montpelier Green Mountain Freeman comprise one of the finest collections of Civil War letters in existence. "Literary gems," historian Herman Hattaway calls them. "In fact, they are so good that it would be believable that some expert novelist had created them."
But Fisk was no novelist. He was a rural school teacher from Vermont, primarily self-educated, who enlisted in the Union Army simply because he believed he would regret it later if he didn't.
Unlike professional war correspondents, Private Fisk had no access to rank or headquarters. Instead, he wrote of life as a private--as one of the foot soldiers who slept in the mud and obeyed orders no matter how incomprehensible.
Between December 11, 1861, and July 26, 1865, Fisk wrote nearly 100 letters from the battlefield. At the beginning of the war he was exuberant and eager for contact with the enemy. Two years later, Fisk was disillusioned and war weary. "The rebel dead and ours lay thickly together, their thirst for blood forever quenched. Their bodies were swollen, black, and hideously unnatural. They eyes glared from their sockets, their tongues protruded from their mouths, and in almost every case, clots of blood and mangled flesh showed how they had died, and rendered a sight ghastly beyond description. I thought I had become hardened to almost anything, but I cannot say I ever wish to see another sight like that I saw on the battle-field of Gettysburg."
Fisk wrote as eloquently on the moral and political issues behind the war as he did on the everyday hardships of life in the Army of the Potomac. He saw the war as a question of right and wrong and he continued to believe that it had to be fought, even after he was well acquainted with its horror and pointlessness.
This book is part of the Modern War Studies series.
Book Description
The riveting, action-packed true story of the first soldier to challenge the war in Iraq.
As a 1st Lieutenant and Infantry Platoon Leader for the U.S. Army, charged with leading 38 young men in Iraq, Paul Rieckhoff was proud to follow in the footsteps of his father and grandfather, who served during Vietnam and WWII respectively. He and his soldiers spent almost a year in one of the most dangerous and volatile areas of Baghdad. And what they encountered there was chaos: not nearly enough troops, no humanitarian aid, no body armor, no radios, and no real plan for what to do after Baghdad fell.
Rieckhoff was shocked to see that sometimes the greatest challenges his platoon faced did not come from enemy combatants. He saw fi rsthand the disastrous results of disbanding the Iraqi army, sending thousands of armed, angry, and unemployed men out into the streets. And he saw what happened when we tried to conduct a war on the cheap, by bestowing government contracts to the lowest bidder and sending our military into battle inadequately protected and armed. What followed, over the next ten months, set him on a course that would forever change his life.
When he fi nally came home from his tour of duty, Rieckhoff vowed to tell Americans the truth about what was going on in Iraq. He demanded accountability from elected officials and was the first Iraq veteran to do so publicly. He created Operation Truth, the first and largest veterans' group specifically for veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Through this organization, he has become a leading spokesman for troops, veterans, and their families, and a critical voice in the ongoing debate surrounding this conflict.
What is really happening in Iraq? Should we be there? Should we stay? Rieckhoff is in a unique position to answer these crucial questions. Not only was he on the ground in the heat of battle but he is also on the front lines politically at home. He provides a grunt's-eye view of the harrowing, bloody battles on the streets of Baghdad and a patriot's vision of where America has gone wrong and how it can reset its path.
Customer Reviews:
A book befitting our time.......2007-09-21
The J Affect
Paul Rieckoff is a true patriot. His book, Chasing Ghosts, shows a soldier amidst the chaos of war and puts the reader as close to the front lines in the war on terror as you can be without being there. As we sit back home, comfortable in our easy chair and watch the news, we see stories second and third hand concerning the war. Paul places the reader with his troop, giving a remarkable, educated, and honest recall of the war from the front. When we hear a story, briefly describing the latest guffaws and blunders from our leadership who never served, Paul gives us the direct affect it has on the soldiers on the front lines of this unique battle as well as what affect it may have in the near future back home. While reading, you have to wonder what might happen if all our soldiers were his equal. From his pre-war training, through his time on the battlefield of Baghdad, to his reaction upon returning home, Paul keeps his story open, without political agenda. His only agenda is for the accountability of leadership and the ability to recognize what supporting our troops really means. His arrogance is delightful. His prose keep his story moving well. This is a good recommendation to anyone watching the flapping heads on television and want to know the real story from the front.
Chasing Ghosts-Not enough stars to accurately rate this one.......2007-09-19
Incredibly written. One of thew best books I've read in years. Whether you are for or against the war, you leave this book with a whole new respect for the men and women that have put their lives on ther line for us!
Reviewed by John D. Merrill.......2007-08-21
Chasing ghosts is the recounting of the first fourteen months of the US invasion of Iraq and the personal results of one soldier's life. Running chronologically, the book describes the expectations of this skeptic and how his sense of purpose in the invasion was tenuous to begin with and waned when the reports of WMDs were not valid and there was not clear way out once Saddam fell.
Paul continues with the growing insurgency and the bonds of American soldiers who were fighting them. He outlines the policy ideas and changes that directly affect the troops on the ground. He describes the experiences with the invasion and how their roles turn to peacekeepers and police for the volatile parts of Iraq. He was clear to include the specific details of when his company and platoon first noticed organized insurgency and when the first one of his company was killed by insurgents. Paul describes the high tensions of keeping the peace, dealing with thieves and opportunists, and worst of all; the American Media. He wraps up his time in Iraq with recounting his, self-described, movie like departure from Iraq.
Once out of Iraq, his story continues in his quest to be heard about his concerns for the troops in Iraq and America in general. He describes the problems for soldiers returning home. One of his friends from Iraq had returned home and suffered from post traumatic stress and after he had returned home had gone missing. Paul's frustrations were not from post-war trauma as much as the posturing and politics behind the home front. He makes it clear that the power that be in Washington, both Republican and Democrat, have show their interests in the welfare of the troops are more lip-service than anything else. He begins to speak on behalf of the servicemen he considers family. Much like his tour in Iraq, he chronicles his progress working with "Operation Truth," the non-profit organization for Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans. He has spoken to the President and several Senators, including Kerry and Clinton. He is trying to be heard and in this book he gets his message across.
An adept glimpse of the myth of war.......2007-08-19
Rieckoff has captured the spirit of urban combat and humanizes the humanitarian ideals of American forces and Iraqis alike with his heartfelt memoir. His work is an important addition to a reader's understanding of an environment laced with ideological undertones which combine religion, politics, ethics and morality. Distant observers of a little understood war will gain an insider's view of horrific events, yet not be overly subjected to gory details. When the last page is read, the real costs of war will be better understood, and this will lead to knowing why it is important to support our troops abroad and at home. As a Vietnam vet, I can relate to the writer's views. I salute him and the men he led during their deployment.
Great book .......2007-07-24
I found this to be a very gripping book from a company grade officer. Mr. Rieckhoff's accounts of the war were so descriptive, it reminded me of E.B. Sledge's book "With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa." Mr. Rieckhoff views things with a liberal point of view, but the book did not come off as political propaganda.
If you are an ardent supporter of Bush, this book may get you mad. But if you think Kerry walks on water, Mr. Rieckhoff's book with hurt your feelings as well.
Book Description
The story of the 2nd Battalion of Oregons 162nd Infantry Regiment (2/162) in Iraq, this book gives readers an intimate look at the reality of National Guardsmen at war. Follow the 2/162 from their call-up in summer 2003 to their return home in spring 2005. The Devils Sandbox immerses readers in some of the fiercest fighting of the Iraq war and in some of the most rewarding and forward-looking civil affairs projects aimed at rebuilding this broken nation. It offers rare insight into what this war means for the citizen-soldier at home and abroad.
Customer Reviews:
An amazing insight into the role of National Guardsmen at war.......2007-09-02
I have read several dozen books on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. While I have enjoyed all of these books immensely, they all concentrated on conventional military units or special operations forces. They almost never mentioned anything about the role of National Guard units in these conflicts. For this reason, I was shocked to find out that many of our National Guardsmen are the proverbial "tip of the spear". Due to the fact that these men and women are not full-time soldiers, and hold normal, everyday jobs/careers, I always assumed that they would be located in rear-echelon positions. Perhaps serving in support roles. The reality of their participation couldn't be farther from what I had imagined. Like the squad of Navy SEALs who come across the Oregon National Guardsmen during a major engagement in Iraq, I was very impressed by their fighting skills. These men are going in harm's way as much as the traditional military units like the 82nd Airborne, the 101st Airborne, the 4th ID, and the Marines Expeditionary Units. It is hard to imagine being a working class joe one day, and the next day serving in scouting/direct action positions in Najaf or Fallujah. Thank you to John Bruning for bringing to light the brave, patriotic souls of the U.S. National Guard units. They should be receiving so much more publicity from the American media. It is a travesty that their sacrifice in service is not being acknowledged as much as their full-time military brethren. I am going to recommend this book to all my friends and family. Mr. Bruning is a great author and I can't wait to read his next book.
Great Book, Highly Recommend.......2007-05-14
Must read if you are trying to understand what National Guard Soldiers and other service members endure on deployment to Iraq.
Been There, Done That.......2007-02-12
I was with this unit in OIF-II in the capacity of a Medic. If you want to get a good feel for what Oregon's 2/162 did in Iraq, this is the book to read. I've read a number of military history books and sincerely feel that this is one of the better books I've read. Bruning looks at the overall strategic picture and details the reader from a tactical perspective, as well. Having known the troops in the book, as well as the others, I am extremely grateful to see our efforts noted and appreciated. Thanks John... very well done!
Superb!.......2007-02-12
Having served in three branches of the military, including the Oregon Army National Guard, I am well acquainted with the personalities that John Bruning so deftly brings to the pages of his book. There are some typographical errors that I'm more than willing to overlook simply because this book is a great effort to educate the general public about the realities of being citizen soldiers. Putting civilian lives on hold to travel thousands of miles from home, to be thrown into the jaws of hell, is something that can only be fully understood by being there. Mr. Bruning has done a wonderful job of getting the rest of us just a little bit closer.
Devil's Sandbox.......2007-01-19
This book is about my sons Battalion. After I read it and was drwn into the very moment that was taking place I had my son read it and we discussed it. He said there were a couple of incorrect statements but for the most part it was right on.
It is indepth, correct, compelling and heart renching.
Book Description
Phantom Soldier: The Enemy's Answer to U.S. Firepower may be the best treatise on Oriental warfare ever produced in the West. Well researched and illustrated, it sheds new light on what an Eastern infantry unit can do in combat: (1) alternate between guerrilla, mobile, and positional warfare; (2) use “ordinary forces” to engage and “extraordinary forces” to beat an opponent; and then (3) run away when fighting holds no more strategic import. While what occurred in history does not change, one's perception of it does — as he comes to better understand his former adversary. Well versed in the Asian arts of deception and delay, the author explains in detail what really occurred at Guadalcanal, Iwo Jima, the Chosin Reservoir, Hue City, and other Vietnam battlefields. It would seem that former adversaries have used strategic retreat and tactical withdrawal not only to save their soldiers, but also to undermine U.S. resolve. By revealing how Eastern soldiers could hold their own without resupply, tanks, or air support, Phantom Soldier shows what U.S. infantrymen must do to survive the more lethal weaponry of the 21st century. This is must reading for any combat leader or concerned citizen.
Customer Reviews:
Outstanding Explanation of Effective Small Unit Tactis.......2007-10-01
Excellent book, but I am not sure the distinction is between Western and Oriental tactics. I suspect that American Indians, frontier scouts, the British SAS, U.S. Special Operations community, etc...would be very familiar with, and skilled at, these tactics.
A classic dilemma that resurfaces every time we go to war. Militaries, at least in the West, prepare to fight the last war and not the next one. As a free society, the public tends to forget the hard lessons learned and shuns warriors during times of peace. The end result is that we constantly are reinventing the wheel after every war/generation.
Victor Davis Hanson, in a recent editorial in the City Journal called Why Study War, gave a perfect example from the Post-Vietnam era; "The public perception in the Carter years was that America had lost a war that for moral and practical reasons it should never have fought--a catastrophe, for many in the universities, that it must never repeat. The necessary corrective wasn't to learn how such wars started, went forward, and were lost. Better to ignore anything that had to do with such odious business in the first place"...."A wartime public illiterate about the conflicts of the past can easily find itself paralyzed in the acrimony of the present. Without standards of historical comparison, it will prove ill equipped to make informed judgments."
A well-written and important book that provides an in-depth analysis of small unit tactics.
Great Wisdom Simplified .......2007-08-21
A sure test of talent and knowledge is the challenge of taking a very complex subject, explaining it in understandable terms and then offering solutions along with the understanding. My very brief stint in the Army ended long before Vietnam called the younger brothers of my generation. From the news reports it appeared that we suffered so many casualties only because the enemy was "sneaky" and prepared to die. How could the US lose to people who could not afford shoes?
Poole does a great job of bridging the gap from Sun Tzu to the muddy jungles of Vietnam and the significance of the lessons to our maneuver warfare. It is no accident that Boyd associate Willian Lind wrote the preface.
Poole finished the book just before 9/11. Our experience in Iraq and the Israeli experience during the past year show that we have much to learn. After 50 plus years of victories over various armies, the Israelis lost to what most consider a rag-tag army. Other than their heritage, they are as unlikely to defeat the Israelis as the sandal clod Vietnamese.
Poole's book is a gift to the small unit soldier and perhaps a greater gift to those in higher command who will order soldiers to assault targets with little understanding of what they may be facing. It may be at a distant command post or in the case of Somalia the commander flying overhead at 2,000 feet but unable to understand the river of lead flying down the street as he instructs troops to consolidate their positions.
This is a great aid to understanding current events and history from the comfort of your easy chair while balancing a martini on the arm. However, my sense is that it is far more valuable as a gift to a young trooper. In addition it should be mandatory reading ( along with Sun Tzu and Boyd's briefing slides) for every reporter who covers wars and "low intensity" conflicts.
Reading the book makes you appreciate Poole but feel uncomfortable with the contents. A great contribution.
Excellent Analysis on the Eastern Warfighter.......2006-11-24
As with all of Poole's works, we are treated here to an excellent analysis of the tactical sphere of war. This time, from the eastern fighter's perspective. Written, I believe, pre-9/11, the work itself is a thorough offering of actual techniques and wartime practices used by small units against western forces, but it is most remarkable in that it outlines in a concise and friendly manner what most analysts still fumble over on MSNBC.
In the world of tactical operations and small unit tactics, we can not ask for a better teacher than John Poole. Keep a close eye out for any and all of his works, for they have a lot to say about how and what western forces will fight for the next fifty years.
NOTE: This work makes a perfect companion to the author's "The Tiger Way," which outlines the ideal western method for combating such tactics.
DANGER, DANGER, WILL ROBINSON.......2006-01-22
Danger, danger, is very much the message put forth in this book and it should be heeded before it is too late. Some reviewers have mentioned Sun Tzu and his rules of warfare. Sun Tzu puts forth a very reasoned and systematic set of rules that define a nations path to victory or defeat. By definition, our present leadership has us solidly on the path of defeat. Our people in the field have to both fight our Eastern enemies as well as carry a great weight of poor leadership at the highest levels. This book is very informative and is for the most part, completely accurate and frightening.
The idea that hardware superiority alone can replace common sense is ludicrous and this book digs deeply into this. I remember seeing news footage of our troops in Afganistan heading up into steep mountainous terrain encumbered with huge heavy packs and body armor. They could barely move. They should have had only their clothes, rifles, ammunition and food and water and some good lightweight footwear. If you are going to fight an Apache you have to be an Apache. It seems at times to me that our soldiers are forced simply to carry as much weight in useless (and expensive) contractor equipment as a mule. Small unit combat and the tactics that win in this arena will be the deciding factor. Something also needs to be done about our so called free press. This game is for blood not for profitable commercial air time and these people should be subjected to the sort of censorship that our country used in WWII and the sooner the better.
I feel also that some of the opinions voiced on China are a bit over the top. The Chinese wish to better themselves and are not necessarily motivated by a desire to hurt us per se. It is very possible that in future that the Chinese could help us. They should not be blindly antagonized. They think and plan in a fashion that is very, very, long term. Our own leadership is cripplingly shortsighted in strategic planning.
I have lived and worked in the Mid East for a number of years and my personal opinion of the Iraq war can be summed up as follows:
1. The US leaves Iraq now and the country will dissolve into a bloody civil war.
2. The US leaves later and Iraq dissolves into a bloody civil war.
This book documents many of the reasons why this is so. Anyone who cares about the future of our country and indeed the world (China included) should read this book.
Inside Out.......2006-01-17
I read all these reviews and in the main agree with them. However, the real "way of western combat" is exemplified right here: we -- AT THE BOTTOM LEVEL -- are discussing all this and implementing it as we go. And as another reviewer mentioned, our soldiers are getting at it and learning from this NOW. Here's the clincher: does the oriental soldier or citizen do this. No way. It's not in their culture. Hasn't been for thousands of years. Unlikely to be unless huge changes occur in their citizenry. West = democracy / more free / BOTTOM-UP APPROACH. East = tyrrany / less free / TOP-DOWN APPROACH.
SUMMARY: I'd much rather be in the West facing the Eastern way of war rather than be in the East facing the Western way of war. Let's be data-driven: what is the kill ratio of WW2, Korea, and Vietnam? 40-1? 10-1? And yet, Poole's talk about Japan in WW2 making "infantry the most valued weapon". What?! Americans (and all European armies before them all the way back to Alexander) don't line up rows of infantry and charge across open fields to be mowed down. Doubt it? Guadacanal. Korea. etc. That's the "cultural" difference highlighted here: we value life, even a single soldiers.
Further reading: Carnage & Culture, by Victor Davis Hanson.
Product Description
This book gauges America's progress in Iraq and Afghanistan from a unique perspective (that of East-Asian battlefield deception). As both countries were part of the Mongol Empire for over 200 years, they are a perfect breeding ground for every sort of ancient Chinese trick (any one of the famous 36 Strategems.) In combination, those stratagems can make a losing adversary think he is winning. They have done so to America before. To see past the militant Muslim's false face, one must look for the hidden intent behind his every initiative, whether martial or otherwise. Between September 2004 and September 2005, this book does just that for both theaters of war. For some readers, it will serve as an intelligence reference manual and be read a few paragraphs at a time. For others, it will provide an in-depth solution to the enemy's so-far-successful formula and be read cover to cover. Militant Tricks reveals enemy information that active-duty Americans seldom see--that which is contained in the regional media and literature. When properly interpretted by the author (a student of Eastern tactics and mindset), that information may shed enough light on ongoing events to still win both wars.
Customer Reviews:
A Field Guide To 4th Generation Warfare.......2007-06-30
Would you go hiking without a map? Would you work on your car without a manual? Then why would you even think about going to the Middle East without this book? Poole once again sets the standard in the industry for explaining the tactics, history, and mindset of the Islamic Extremist. From military commander to field grunt to civilian contractor, if you're headed to a desert combat zone do yourself a favor and BUY this book! I also suggest you read this book with a highlighter in hand...but you may just end up highlighting everything. This book undoubtedly has saved lives and will save more in the future!
Al Queda explained.......2007-05-25
Once again H. John Poole has pulled aside the Middle East veil of mystery to show us how the Muslim militants go about their business. Known as the "War on Terror" aka "4th Generation warfare", radical Muslim militants have worked out the ways to challenge the West collectively, on - and off the battlefield. Thus far, their efforts have cost the U.S.of A., not only lives, but billions of dollars, sowing anxiety and terror. How have they accomplished this with slender resources? Against the most technologically advanced armed forces in the world? Poole tells us how.
The book is divided into three parts:
The initial part updates the reader on the situation in Iraq and Afghanistan to the summer of 2005. How the Muslim militants have survived and continue to succeed against coalition armed forces without tactical victory, hi-tech resources or heavy arms; all the while they suffer heavy casualties and continue to burn through the resources - and resolve of the West - are addressed.
The next part examines, through the lense of ancient oriental texts on the principles of warfare, the stratagems employed by the militants. These are the most illuminating chapters: now the daily events in Iraq and Afghanistan make sense if one understands the militants' operational philosophy. Poole's explanations of tactical actions clarifies how these militants are playing "the Game" against coalition forces. What makes no sense militarily in Western understanding of warfare are perfectly acceptable to furthering these militants' ends.
The final section's chapters provide approaches to dealing with "4th Generation Warfare" situations, which Western military forces are more and more wont to encounter. Many of Poole's recommendations reflect the U.S. Marines' experience with the Combined Action Program (CAP)used in Vietnam during the 1960s. Essentially, special Marine units operated with Vietnamese local forces at the village level to root out and undermine the Viet Cong insurgency. He contrasts this approach to the reliance on hi-tech and heavy fire power, the preferred operational mode of U.S. forces. Further, Poole (pp 278-294) describes the changes in tactical philosophy that must come about if U.S. ground forces are to prevail against their current enemy. This, to my mind, is the best part of the book.
Poole's views on training and tactics in the last chapter, come closer to dealing with military cultural reform than in his previous wotks. While he addresses these subjects in other books, these last pages in MILITANT TRICKS come the furthest to combining these previous discussions into a coherent whole which reflects the grunt's eye-level ground view.
Hopefully, the powers-that-be are reading his works - effecting the necessary changes.
A must read for depolying servicemembers.......2007-04-23
This book was kindly donated to my unit by the publishers when I was a Company Commander before I deployed. Everyone over here should read it. Regardless of how much money our government spends on high-tech equipment and contracts, until we gain a better understanding of our opponents sociological and theological motivations we will continue to waste a lot of our military resources. LTC Poole's emphasis on taking a humanistic approach and integrating our forces with the locals is sound, provided that the local forces are properly vetted and aren't infiltrated by insurgents.
Understanding OEF/OIF True Enemies.......2007-03-23
This is the best book I have read so far on where and who the real enemy is and who is behind and against the U.S. supporting democracy and the liberation of the people of Iraq.
Breaks down in detail who is Sunni and who is Shiite.
How they work and how they are fighting U.S. Forces together.
How the real enemy is Iran with many proxies to gain control of Iraq.
How the U.S. must change to deal with fighting in Irregular Warfare now and for decades to come.
How the enemy is capitalizing on U.S. democratically controlled Congress to gain victory.
Heading over to OIF II in a few months, active duty CDR O5 who will be working in support of the bravest of the brave (EOD Forces defeating IED's). This book was instrumental in developing a understanding of what is really going on.
I would recommend this book for all Officers and enlisted personnel heading to fight this fight from E1 up.
CDR Bill Noel (Navy EOD Officer)
Good explanation of a confusing subject.......2006-07-14
The book gives a good acccount of the various Islamic militant factions and their interactions. The opinions seemed a bit "armchair general" and opinionated at times, but they made several good points. I'd recommend the book although it had the following drawbacks for me:
-The insertion of outside material to back up the author's words made for a sometimes disjointed read
-The sprinkling of "God (Christian) & country", stereotyping, etc. seemed unnecessary
-20% of the material was a repetition/reiteration of a particular point (not sure if this was to beef up the number of pages or to compensate for a shakey arguement)
Average customer rating:
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History of British Military Bands: Infantry and Irish (History of British Military Bands)
Gordon Turner , and
Alwyn Turner
Manufacturer: Spellmount Publishers
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Binding: Hardcover
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Book Description
This monumental and unique study fills a serious gap in existing literature and traces the history of British military music from its early beginnings to the sophisticated instrumentation of today. This volume, with accompanying CD of their regimental marches, covers the Infantry and disbanded Irish Regiments.
Customer Reviews:
Classic of its Kind.......2007-02-07
This was the 3rd and final volume of this remarkable series. With the demise of so many fine old regimental bands from the British army, Gordon Turner with help from Kneller Hall, the army school of music, attempted to chronicle the fascinating history of these bands. Included are many fine photos, past and present. Extensive band histories are referenced throughout, with listings of bandmasters and directors of music, as well as regimental music played, and just general info. of importance. Many fine, rich stories are to be found here. The emphasis of this volume was on the bands of the Light Division and the Irish Regiments. Many others are included as well. All have colorful histories included with many references to bands and units long gone from the British army list. Included is a special CD played by the Band of the Royal Signals Corps which includes many of the regimental music listed in this work. The cover is a recent picture of the Band of the Light Division, now a single 47 piece band. All that remains of the bands of the Royal Green Jackets and Light Infantry. Soon this band will be changed yet again as the recent cuts will reduce it to a staff band of just 35. The title will be changed to the Band of the Rifles. A bland sounding title for sure! A sad loss for the many fans of this band over the years. This is niche book, highly recommended for those into military music, and British regimental bands in particular.
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Tactics of the Crescent Moon: Militant Muslim Combat Methods
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Phantom Soldier: The Enemy's Answer to U.S. Firepower
Light Infantry Tactics: For Small Teams
One More Bridge to Cross: Lowering the Cost of War
