Margaret Harley

Old classic must read

Revisado: 10-13-24

Fabulous narration of a rich and gripping narrative history of WW1s greatest, longest, bloodiest battle. Thoughtful summation of the meeting of such awesome killing technologies and tactics developed and available in time to demonstrate the futility of the effort by Germany and France to fully exploit them, sacrificing an entire generation of young men. The. Dawn of modernity in warfare writ large.

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Jo, this hurts me as much as it’s gonna hurt you

Revisado: 08-12-23

Joseph Ellis is one hell of a great historian and writer – – probably my favorite. He really went out on a limb, though, which he cautions us not to do when studying history, when siding with the naysayers on the misogyny matter.

He convinced me that Thomas Jefferson was so very private and also perfectly comfortable living in painful paradox. Jefferson is also the sphinx – we don’t know what the hell he’s thinking.

That, and sally Hemmings was a drop-dead beauty who spent a lot of time in Mr. Jefferson’s chamber. He was very kind to his slaves, and he sorely yearned for the comfort of sexual intimacy which might also appear yet greater in temptation, knowing he could control this relationship and thereby the paradox and the wrongs. I find for the plaintiff, even in the absence of DNA

Hemming footnote was a HUGE error, which he notably corrects in at least one later work. He therefore remains among my top historians. Blame that scheming visionary Jefferson and that twisted curious institution that even today spews nuclear debris

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Wow

Revisado: 08-04-23

50 years studying Anglo-American and African American history And I finally understand it – – if it is to be understood! Joseph Alyson storytelling as fabulous as always, and I swear to goodness that I sometimes felt I was listening to the founders themselves through the brilliant narration of Bob Walter. Sincere, thank you to both

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Kudos

Revisado: 05-01-23

I was surprised by the authors ability to blend such great storytelling with such carefully researched hard edged military facts.

It becomes easier to see how Franklin and Nashville got pushed behind Gettysburg in our History when considering hoods duplicity and refusal to accept responsibility for the defeat. Lee on the other hand, blamed no one, took responsibility for the defeat in his official report, and was far more concerned with his men’s well-being afterward than with his ego.

The retelling of these two great battles overtime could only favor the one over the other.

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Thoughtful, gritty

Revisado: 04-25-23

Nothing better than an honest first hand account from the losing side. Concise thoughts on the human “herd” instinct under the hand of a charismatic leader who will go to any length to seize power. We in the USA ought to know.

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Korea, Vietnam, Nicaragua, Afghanistan, Iraq, Afghanistan

Revisado: 01-30-23

Friedman’s work — Excellent-has me wondering how the History Books are handling all the folly of the last 70 years without being “un- American!”

A must read. The lesson does seem to be that Our security state and military-industrial/technological complex -and our hubris have left us sorely exposed.

We are incapable of adapting to keep up with our potential enemies - and have to recruit intelligence and logistical support from such delights as Iran, Russia, and Saudi Arabia to fight our enemies accross the globe.

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Something is missing

Revisado: 01-21-23

Some really astounding revelations concerning Douglass and his lap dog, Ned. I think National shame over a Wat “forgotten” ties in to national trauma. we build up a “Commie-fighting superhero to such an extent that we tolerate his bad behavior and megalomania until he essentially murders thousands of our servicemen through his insatiable desire to place God -like status over His duty.

Something is missing here though. Many things were screeed up going in, but once the MacArthur crime is out of the bag I needed much more. But who wants to write or film a story which has our guys getting obliterated and freezing, shamed starved, imprisoned to death - to satisfy the ego of such an American hero. From his Emperors Palace in Tokyo, This Man ordered the deaths of whole divisions

The Author calls this turn “embarrassing.” It was so much worse than that. Trauma buries memories. National Trauma uproots society. In America, we chose collective denial which made Vietnam a prelude.

If your still in denial about our place in the World don’t read this book. If you are a Korean Vet, I am total awe of your courage and refusal to give up in spite of knowing that at the top, your boss had lost his mind and soul.

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Add a second edition

Revisado: 12-26-22

I was so pleased but also stunned to confront Grossmans crystal clear elucidation of the psychology of killing.

I have long understood how to print, classical, and social or role model conditioning can take school boys and turn them into killers as nearly perfected by the military.

I also understood that our culture is saturated in violence, the Grossman lays out the details so well and concisely. I did not realize when I purchased the book that Grossmans lessons would explain so much about our own epidemic.

The next time I have an opportunity to discuss gun control, not to mention poverty and racism, I possess, thanks to Grossman , powerful arguements for bold change.

You will also not be disappointed if you purchased the book for it’s most notable appearance– – an explanation of how people can come to kill and the psychological aftereffects. As a lifetime student history I was never presented such a clear explanation of how warriors are made and broken by their training and their treatment in society. Though I can’t say I “get it” being able to understand the forces at work - operant conditioning in violent video games, social or role model (hero)conditioning on movie and tv screen, right down to the calculated brutality of the Marine drill sargeant.

I I wholly concur with the authors brave call for a wake up in America, and marvel that decades after publication, Silent America turns her head. We cheat our veterans and current warriors by choosing to remain ignorant of their truly unbelievable requirement and sacrifices. We cheat us all by failing to aknowledge that 9 students that just died in a high school were killed by individuals who were knowingly trained to kill by the purveyors violence who themselves are trained well enough to know exactly what they are doing. The Best and Brightest (and wealthiest)
Propose to Manage our sickness through mental health. Sure there is a key role there, but as our kids bathe in violence, what a coward would stymie any effort to clamp down on the killing curriculum and the means to carry out murder that is embedded in our culture.

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Author And narrator to be commended

Revisado: 12-16-22

This book does two things in my view one it describes modern combat In such a way that you cannot avert your eyes from the horror — and the sacrifices young people make who have no idea what they’re getting into.

It also portrays our Military governments unwillingness so far to to get beyond its own history And mythology. The failure from George Bush on down to adequately support the troops which they committed, and to broaden their Global View is displayed naked. Is this book assigned reading in every High Schools, or will The standard mythology and false narratives perpetuate this top down insanity?

Absolutely fantastic research, detail, description and vivid writing and story telling, made every bit more impacting through outstanding narration. Wow!!

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Only Hackworth

Revisado: 12-05-22

It takes a remarkable man of courage to take on his own family, the United States Army andEventually the National culture which produced it.

Saddest part is that this book is A couple decades old yet some of the most obvious and essential deep-culture reforms have been ignored or shelved under the weight of a military industrial complex on increasingly higher doses of self-delusion and greed..

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