Book Description
On January 28, 1945, 121 hand-selected U.S. troops slipped behind enemy lines in the Philippines. Their mission: March thirty rugged miles to rescue 513 POWs languishing in a hellish camp, among them the last survivors of the infamous Bataan Death March. A recent prison massacre by Japanese soldiers elsewhere in the Philippines made the stakes impossibly high and left little time to plan the complex operation.
In
Ghost Soldiers Hampton Sides vividly re-creates this daring raid, offering a minute-by-minute narration that unfolds alongside intimate portraits of the prisoners and their lives in the camp. Sides shows how the POWs banded together to survive, defying the Japanese authorities even as they endured starvation, tropical diseases, and torture. Harrowing, poignant, and inspiring,
Ghost Soldiers is the mesmerizing story of a remarkable mission. It is also a testament to the human spirit, an account of enormous bravery and self-sacrifice amid the most trying conditions.
Download Description
On January 28, 1945, 121 hand-selected U.S. troops slipped behind enemy lines in the Philippines. Their mission: March thirty rugged miles to rescue 513 POWs languishing in a hellish camp, among them the last survivors of the infamous Bataan Death March. A recent prison massacre by Japanese soldiers elsewhere in the Philippines made the stakes impossibly high and left little time to plan the complex operation.
In Ghost Soldiers Hampton Sides vividly re-creates this daring raid, offering a minute-by-minute narration that unfolds alongside intimate portraits of the prisoners and their lives in the camp. Sides shows how the POWs banded together to survive, defying the Japanese authorities even as they endured starvation, tropical diseases, and torture. Harrowing, poignant, and inspiring, Ghost Soldiers is the mesmerizing story of a remarkable mission. It is also a testament to the human spirit, an account of enormous bravery and self-sacrifice amid the most trying conditions.
"[Sides] liberates his story from documentary and turns it into epic.... More than any monument, Ghost Soldiers is the memorial both prisoners and liberators deserve."
THE SEATTLE TIMES
"The greatest World War II story never told."
ESQUIRE
"[A] beautiful account of heroism.... Sure to be a classic."
MEN'S JOURNAL
"Riveting and patriotically stirring without ever slipping into mawkishness or sentimentality."
THE NEW YORK TIMES
"Thoroughly researched and artfully told.... A compelling story filled with colorful characters."
THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE
Customer Reviews:
Finds the STORY in HISTORY, and does so beautifully.......2007-10-08
I absolutely loved this book. Hampton Sides does an amazing job here of finding all the most interesting, the strangest, the most unusual details of this fascinating true story--from the two toothless men who shared a single pair of dentures at mealtime, to the POWs with the weird malady that made them grow [...]., to the story of "High Pockets" the nightclub-owning spy; the digressions in this book are as fascinating as the story itself, and such details have a wonderful humanizing effect on the depictions of the book's main characters.
"Ghost Soldiers" is the story of an amazing military raid made in the Philipines during World War II, an insanely risky attempt to break into a Japanese prison camp deep in enemy territory, to release the large number of American POWs there before their possible executions.
The story is compelling, the action is intense, and the ending is loaded with the sorts of things that will give you chills and maybe even make you tear up.
I loved this book. Immediately after finishing it, I forced it onto my wife, who's now enjoying it as well. The story is amazing, and the writing is terrific: without frills, but beautiful in its simplicity, telling of "the elite of the damned," the bananna leaves "wormy" with bulletholes, and more.
I enjoyed this much more than I did any of Stephen Ambrose's books, though comparions between the two are certainly apt, in that both Ambrose and Sides are thorough historians with a knack for finding the story in real-life events.
Sides's "Blood and Thunder" is great as well, for anyone who enjoyed this and is looking for more.
Outstanding book.......2007-09-03
This was an outstanding book, about a real WW2 event. The author (Sides) does a terrific job of balancing the details of the raid itself, the personal story of a lot of the main figures, and the overall "big picture" of the Pacific war. He also addresses the cultural differences between the Empire of Japan and the USA that played so strong an underlying part in the Cabanatuan experience (or, for that matter, any prison camp run by the Japanese).
He is objective - he doesn't "slam" the Japs but attempts to explain the mindset they were in, while at the same time not letting them off the hook for atrocities.
Wonderful job in presenting this little-remembered but important American event in WW2...this book is well-worth the purchase and could be used as an historical textbook.
Gripping, Intense Account of Human Survival.......2007-07-28
Hampton Sides does an outstanding job of weaving past and present in this story of a World War II rescue mission. The unspeakable suffering endured by the POWs only makes their remarkable spirit more inspiring, and the author's in-depth research enables a comprehensive treatment of a complex story. Also fascinating were the exploits of little-known heroes like Claire Phillips and the chaplains who smuggled news and life-prolonging materials into the Cabanatuan camp. The description of the role played by Filipino guerrillas, the chronicle of the prisoners' homecoming, and especially the haunting quotations from prisoners' poignant diaries and poetry round out a very satisfying read. Highly recommended.
Important story, well told.......2007-07-05
I found this on a young adult reading list, but it is suitable for adults as well. A warning for young people and especially those who want to suggest it to young people, it is very violent and graphic in some places. That is appropriate for the subject matter, but some readers might be disturbed by it. Those who expect a ghost story will be disappointed. I found it a fascinating and compelling story, very well told. I don't usually read war fiction, so I don't have the same standards as those who are looking for more technical information. It is an important story that needed to be told. Reading it in these times brings all sorts of modern resonances about war, prisoners, cultural differences to mind. The two one star reviews that this book has received so far seem to be from people who don't understand the rating system.
A little known epic recue.......2007-06-03
Being a self proclaimed WWII buff, I was surprised by how little I knew about the events that are covered in this book. It's an amazingly heart wretching story of survival and heroism in the Pacific Theatre of the war. The book is very readable and enjoyable. Definatly recommended.
Amazon.com's Best of 2001
The Bataan Death March was just the beginning of the woes American soldiers captured by the Japanese army in the Philippines had to endure. The survivors of the march faced not only their captors' regular brutality (having surrendered, they were considered to be less than honorable foes), but also a host of illnesses such as dysentery and malaria. For three years these "ghost soldiers" lived in misery, suffering terrible losses.
When Army Rangers among Douglas MacArthur's forces arrived in the Philippines, they hatched a daring plan to liberate their captured comrades, a mission that, if successful, would prove to be a tremendous morale booster at the front and at home. Led by a young officer named Henry Mucci (called "Little MacArthur" for his constant pipe as well as his brilliance as a strategist), a combined Ranger and Filipino guerrilla force penetrated far behind enemy lines, attacked Japanese forces guarding Allied prisoners at a jungle outpost called Cabanatuan, and shepherded hundreds of prisoners to safety, with an angry Japanese army in hot pursuit. Amazingly, they suffered only light casualties.
In Ghost Soldiers, journalist Hampton Sides recounts that daring rescue, once known to every American schoolchild but now long forgotten. A gifted storyteller, Sides packs his narrative with detailed descriptions of the principal actors on both sides of the struggle and with moments of danger and exhilaration. Thrilling from start to finish, his book celebrates the heroism of hundreds of warriors and brings renewed attention to one of the Rangers' finest hours. --Gregory McNamee
Book Description
A tense, powerful, grand account of one of the most daring exploits of World War II.
On January 28, 1945, 121 hand-selected troops from the elite U.S. Army 6th Ranger Battalion slipped behind enemy lines in the Philippines. Their mission: March thirty miles in an attempt to rescue 513 American and British POWs who had spent three years in a surreally hellish camp near the city of Cabanatuan. The prisoners included the last survivors of the Bataan Death March left in the camp, and their extraordinary will to live might soon count for nothing—elsewhere in the Philippines, the Japanese Army had already executed American prisoners as it retreated from the advancing U.S. Army. As the Rangers stealthily moved through enemy-occupied territory, they learned that Cabanatuan had become a major transshipment point for the Japanese retreat, and instead of facing the few dozen prison guards, they could possibly confront as many as 8,000 battle-hardened enemy troops.
Hampton Sides's vivid minute-by-minute narration of the raid and his chronicle of the prisoners' wrenching experiences are masterful. But
Ghost Soldiers is far more than a thrilling battle saga. Hampton Sides explores the mystery of human behavior under extreme duress—the resilience of the prisoners, who defied the Japanese authorities even as they endured starvation, tropical diseases, and unspeakable tortures; the violent cultural clashes with Japanese guards and soldiers steeped in the warrior ethic of Bushido; the remarkable heroism of the Rangers and Filipino guerrillas; the complex motivations of the U.S. high command, some of whom could justly be charged with abandoning the men of Bataan in 1942; and the nearly suicidal bravado of several spies, including priests and a cabaret owner, who risked their lives to help the prisoners during their long ordeal.
At once a gripping depiction of men at war and a compelling story of redemption,
Ghost Soldiers joins such landmark books as
Flags of Our Fathers,
The Greatest Generation,
The Rape of Nanking, and
D-Day in preserving the legacy of World War II for future generations.
Customer Reviews:
gripping, heroic WWII tale.......2007-04-26
My father had a friend who he always identified as "that guy survived the Bataan Death March". I was too young to really understand what that was but the way my dad became so reverand about it I knew it must have been bad. I now finally know just how bad it was. In a gripping, harrowing, page turner of a book follow the rescue attempt of American GI's from
Cabanatuan death camp in the Philippines. Unforgettable.
Worth the read, but not perfect........2007-03-17
This is more of the story about the prison camp and the prisoners themselves, so if you are looking for a super dramatic battle story this is not it. The raid is not an easy or boring one by any means, but it is no huge conflict. That said, it doesnt take away from the story, because while I started the book looking for a big battle, i later found myself interested in the life of the prison camp. Also, the book does tend to slow down to a halt in a few places, but it does not kill the read. Anyway, it truly is worth the read and i give it four good stars, pick it up.
Very well written.......2007-01-14
This is a fascinating, extremely well-written (an easy read) book about an interesting subject (though I hear the movie based on the book is not very good). I am giving it 4 1/2 stars rather arbitrarily, because the author does not appear to be a professional historian, does appear to make a few historical errors, and because I like to save 5 stars for professional historians. After all, they make less money than regular authors and have to teach students for a living on top of that!
More than just a flight to freedom..........2006-09-11
Ghost Soldiers is an excellent account of the liberation of the allied POW's from the Cabanatuan death camp in the Philippines. The book consists of a very large part of primary material, the authors interviews with the former prisoners and in some cases their surviving relatives.
Where most of the healthier POWs had been shipped elsewhere at the time, including to Japan, those remaining in the Cabanatuan camp towards the end of January 1945 were the "sick and the dregs, the sickest and the weakest." As the book also states "They were a special lot, a subset of a subset of bad fortune, an elite of the damned."
General Walter Kruger was General MacArthur's commander of the U.S. Sixth Army. He was tasked by MacArthur to "Go to Manila. Go around them, go through them, but go to Manila." This presented General Kruger with a problem when he received intelligence of a prison camp just over 30 miles away from his forces, that contained the remaining 500 or so allied POW's, mostly survivors from the infamous Bataan death march. The intelligence indicated that the Japanese were likely to execute all prisoners if the allies got too close to Cabanatuan.
Since they could not slow down their advance, the General quickly dispatched an outfit of 121 Rangers of the 6th Ranger Battalion. The rangers were at the time a new and largely unproven elite force of highly trained soldiers, that would work together with the local guerilla to liberate the POWs. The urgency of the mission was immense. Intelligence indicated that they had less than 3 days before the Japanese were likely to start massacring these prisoners due to the proximity of allied forces.
This book describes the events leading up to the surrender of the American forces in the Philippines and the subsequent march that has been referred to as the "Bataan death march". The book's focus switches frequently between the lives of the prisoners in the camp, and the actions of their liberators led by Colonel Henry Mucci. The book culminates with the actual prison break and the harrowing flight back to allied lines with these 513 men, many too weak to walk, with the Japanese in hot pursuit.
The book does a very good job at giving a good insight into the daily lives of the prisoners. It contains sometimes tragic but also comical accounts of how the prisoners were affected by countless infections and severe vitamin deficiency. It shows how the prisoners managed to retain a sort of normalcy in the situation they were in, and how their amazing ingenuity helped make it their "home" for three years.
I found every aspect of this book exciting, whether it was about the history leading up to Bataan march, information about the daily lives of the prisoners, or the actual rescue. It becomes obvious that the rescue could not have been undertaken without the help of the two Philippine guerilla units lead by Eduardo Joson and Juan Pajota. These are given their due credit in this book as well.
I do not hesitate to give the book 5 stars - highly recommended.
A gruesome POW journey and the great raid that liberated those that survived........2006-05-16
This is a great book that goes back and forward detailing two journeys that finally meet at the end.
The first journey was made by American troops from the battles of Battan and Corregidor that surrendered to the Japanese army in the Philippines, confronting a gruesome reality of suffering and misery that placed them face to face with the Japanese Imperial Army that at the time was brain washed by a society heavily influenced by the military and believed they were a superior race and that surrender was one of the worst disgraces a human being could do to their divine emperor, family and country. This grandiose mentality automatically categorized the newly surrender American as an insignificant race not worthy of humane treatment. As a consequence, they experienced starvation, torture and death by a variety of methods including: bad nutrition, tropical diseases, decapitation and shooting.
The second journey is the preparation and execution of a courageous raid by the 6th Ranger Battalion, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Henry Mucci and their assault commander Capitan Robert Prince and supported by equally courage's Philippines' guerrillas, that finally ended with the liberation of POW's of the Cabanatuan camp and their slow and dangerous trip back to the American lines with the help of brave Philippines' civilians.
This is one of those well written amazing true stories, which everyone should read.
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:
Honesty will get you nowhere.......2007-10-14
I had a hard time putting this book down. Sure, we are getting bombarded with Iraq War memoirs and most are worthy of a glance, but this one, with its predictable end, still is one of the better ones. I have not heard of one person who spoke galiantly of Paul Bremer (except for GWB) and this author is no exception. What he endured is embarrassing for the military and the people who were all for this war in the end.
From armcahir warriors in the rear to high-ranking officers behind air-conditioned offices safely protected by SCUD bunkers and the like, this book gives a very good perspective of the army in 2003, Baghdad in 2003 and the general feelings of the Iraqis at the time. This book is not perfect, though (sometimes the pages are filled with anger and malice). But I grant the author that because he risked his life and the life of his platoon to carry out his mission. He has the right to feel the way he does, and I respect him for that. I'd rather read an honest portrayal about a war than an embellished report written with an agenda in mind.
Still, it makes one wonder how we can ever succeed in Iraq with the things described in this book. I finished it wondering if the officers were for this war to get their careers punched; in 2003 many thought the war would take three to nine months. Three months into the war, that view no longer existed. The author made a point throughout the book to remind us of the senselessness of this operation. This book is definitely not a book found in a recruiting office.
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.
Book Description
Sparta, Macedon, and Rome—how did these nations come to dominate the ancient world? What set their armies apart? Noting this was an age that witnessed few technological advances, J. E. Lendon shows us that the most successful armies were those that made the most effective use of cultural tradition. Ancient combat moved forward by looking backward for inspiration—the Greeks, to Homer; the Romans, to the Greeks and to their own heroic past. The best ancient armies recruited soldiers from societies with strong competitive traditions; and the best ancient leaders, from Alexander to Julius Caesar, called upon those traditions to encourage ferocious competition at every rank.
Ranging from the Battle of Champions between Sparta and Argos in 550 B.C. through Julian’s invasion of Persia in A.D. 363, Soldiers and Ghosts brings to life the most decisive military contests of ancient Greece and Rome. Lendon places these battles, and the methods by which they were fought, in a sweeping narrative of ancient military history. On every battlefield, living soldiers fought alongside the ghosts of tradition—ghosts that would inspire greatness for almost a millennium before ultimately coming to stifle it.
Customer Reviews:
You'd better be into this kind of thing.......2007-08-14
This book was very good at getting into not only how the ancients fought but why. Some of the progressions and terminology get hard to follow but it's worth the concentration. If you're an ancient culture fan, this is an excellent book. If not, I think you'll be bored silly.
Interesting Review of the Greek, less so for the Roman.......2007-08-09
Lendon does a credible job of describing and explaining Greek cultural norms and how it affected warfare. I think its effectiveness Lendon's ability to correlate the Homeric epics and with Greek warfare. Since the relationship between the Greeks and their epic is clear, the thesis, I think, holds well.
I think that the application of this approach in the Roman era (cultural norms affecting warfare) is less profound. In Greece, the epics actually affected an army's structure and tactics. With Rome, it is more about how the army operated and conducted itself in warfare and the balance between discipline and virtue - less an explaination and more a description.
Five stars for the Greek section, three for the Roman, averaging a solid four.
Solid Academic History of Classical Battle.......2006-11-04
Lendon's treatise is not a broad sweeping description of classical battle. It is comprised of a series of chapters analysing battles in the ancient Greek and Roman tradition and isolating changes that happenned in formation and tactics. While the changes are analysed, Lendon's central thesis is the constant reference to "epic battle" which could be defined loosely as that occuring in the Iliad: seeking out personal combat, demonstating individual glory and competency at arms, and seeking personal danger to gain glory. All of these elements are a certain ethic of battle that, accorinding to Lendon has waxed and wained throughout the classcal times.
Lendon starts with an analysis of the elements of epic battle as defined by the Iliad and then traces this battle ethic within the mindset of the ancient Greeks in the Great Age and Hellenistic periods. Interpretations may have been different and elements may have been stressed that were in fact not practised during battle, but the pull of history and the example to which all Greeks defined themselves was that of the epic warrior.
In many cases this lead to actions that may have either directly contradicted the ethic -- ie mass battle without breaking ranks, and the killing of individual soldiers who did break ranks (the Roman practise of decimation).
Lendon tells us that there was no single homogeneous way of Greek or Roman warfare. The epic style stressed individual combat, but although this may have been something that was more practised in Marathon, it was certainly not used in Alexander's time, though writers of the age may make referential comment on the importance of epic battle and how Alexander largely defined himself in terms of homage to the Ancients.
Latterly Roman warfare developed from maniple to cohort warfare with an initial layering of Roman offensive power giving way to large-scale clashed of massed, shielded infantry. There was also tension between discipline, which encouraged every man to maintain his place within the ranks, in order for victory to be won, and the quest for bravery and glory by seeking out individual battle -- which could be an often was disasterous (as happenned at Adrianapol). The secret of the Roman's according to Lendon, was the ability of the commanders to blend and control the two elements. To demonstrate the above we are offerred the examples of early manipular warfare against the Greeks, latter restrained warfare during the Punic war, the tension between the two in the Jewish War, and then the latter battle against the Parthians in Persia. Indeed Lendon makes the point that the Persian war in the early 4th Cen. was carried out by Julius because the Persians were who you battled against, as did the Greeks, if one wanted to wage war and be more closely regarded as part of the epic tradition.
Lendon is I think, more credible than Victor Davis Hanson in his handling of classical history. While his central thesis may be controversial Lendon sticks to what he knows and is not so strong on the truth certainty principle that seems to define (largely) America academics. In short he's more reasonable that Hanson.
The book is scholarly yet flows reasonably well. It is useful as an antedote against an understanding that Greek or Roman warfare was static in any way. New methods of battle, not surprisingly, did arise, and although each may have been different there always was a person, Seneca, Caeser, Alexander or Josephus ready to cite elements of the epic battle tradition as a conservative refrain. While not breezy, "Soldiers and Ghosts" is a good academic read.
Note* If you are reading this book to get an overview of the history of the era it may not be the best introduction. Lendon picks slices of time and analyses battle tactics and ethics. He leaves out (though unlike Hansen, he does not do it deliberately) whole swathes of history, Valen's battle with the Germans, Adrianapole, Cannae, the Actium, Thebes and others are all absent.
A Different Perspective.......2006-02-14
Subtitled A History of Battle in Classical Antiquity, Soldiers and Ghosts turned out to be a far different book from what I expected. If you're looking for a complete military history of the classical world or a detailed exposition on organization, tactics and weapons look elsewhere. Professor Lendon instead explores the impact of the Greek and Roman cultures on their warfare. I certainly found his thesis an eye-opener, providing a perspective on the subject I never considered before. Well written and up-to-date, this will no doubt prove to be a landmark study of the subject.
A thoughtful survey of Greek and Roman warfare.......2005-10-15
JE Lendon's "Soldiers and Ghosts" provides a unique survey of Greek and Roman warfare from 400 BCE to the late Roman Empire, emphasizing how much the Greeks and Romans consciously emulated the past, or at least emulated the idealized past as they understood it from ancient authors. The most successful armies, Lendon contends, were those who could blend the lessons of the past (as understood) with the social and cultural realities of their own time.
I found his exploration of Roman military practice from the Early Republic to Late Empire to be most interesting, evolving -- although I am not certain "evolution" is necessarily the most accurate word -- from use of a Macedonian-style phalanx to maniples to cohorts and back to a phalanx. He emphasizes the traditional tension in the Roman army between "virtus" (more or less individual heroics, often in defiance of orders) and "disciplina" (disciplined organization under control of the commanders). If anyone conceives of the Roman army at any time being a machinelike organization of perfect discipline, Lendon's book should cure that view; Roman generals of all eras were often faced with the repeated problem of their soldiers -- not just eager young aristocratic officers but also common footsoldiers -- insisting on launching themselves into quick battle when prudence and common sense would dictate restraint.
Lendon also emphasizes the importance of competition between indviduals and, especially among the Romans, units as a force behind better training and performance in battle.
Average customer rating:
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Ghost Soldier
Elaine Marie Alphin
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Amazon.com
Alexander has always been able to see ghosts, but no one except his mom--who left suddenly three years ago--has ever believed his stories. So when his dad drags him off on a trip to North Carolina to visit the woman he intends to marry, and Alexander begins to see visions of Civil War soldiers, he tells nobody--not his father, nor his hostess Paige, and certainly not her teenage daughter, Nicole. Instead he devotes himself to being unpleasant, clinging desperately to the belief that his mother will return.
The visions grow more and more real. Alexander even finds himself participating in a battle in the trenches, with mortars whizzing overhead. In the midst of his own terror, he witnesses the death of a young Confederate soldier his own age. Later that evening Richeson, the dead boy, appears again to Alexander, appealing to him for help in finding his sister, who was driven from their farm by Sherman's Marauders, but who has left a message for her brother in a metal box hidden in a tree trunk--a box that a ghost cannot open. In the course of solving Richeson's mystery, Alexander finds answers to his own problems. Middle-grade readers will enjoy this story that straddles three genres, and teachers will find its grounding in the actual events of the Battle of Fort Stedman a useful curriculum tie-in. (Ages 10 to 14) --Patty Campbell
Book Description
The ghost of a young soldier from the Civil War haunts a troubled teen.
"I sat up. The jagged trenches were only soft grassy depressions in the sunny battlefield park. I felt tears burn my eyes, the relief was so strong, and then the misery of losing the ghost hit me."
Alexander has the ability to see ghosts. But it's been several years since his last encounter. When he reluctantly joins his father on a long trip away from home, a surprise awaits him. In the unfamiliar territory of North Carolina, Alexander is confronted by the ghost of a young soldier who lost his life in the Civil War. As an unusual friendship develops between the two, Alexander is drawn into a new reality where he comes face to face with the haunting past of his soldier friend. But can Alexander help this troubled ghost, and can he, finally, come to terms with his own disturbing past? With deftness and insight, Elaine Marie Alphin tells a gripping story that weaves the supernatural with the historical. Ghost story fans and Civil War buffs alike are in for a real treat.
Customer Reviews:
Ghost are for real!.......2006-04-24
In this book a boy named Alexander, from Indiana, and his dad go to North Carolina to met Mrs. Hambrick. They live with her and daughter Nicole and son, Charleton. While Alexander is down there they all go to a Civil War, or what the south called it The War between the States, battlefield. It is Fort Stedman, which the north took and won the war. While Alexander was there, he fell and woke up to a battle. There was a young man there named Richeson Francis Chamblee or Rich for short. Rich kept telling Alexander to help him. When Alexander gets back to the real world, he meets the ghost of Rich. Only Alexander can see, and talk to him. Rich needs him to trace his family so he knows that his family survived. If you want to know if his family survived, and Alexander helps, Rich you will have to read the book.
There is hardly anything in a book I did not like. It has all of my favorite kinds of stories put into one. It also goes to different things, and is not caught up in one thing.
In a book there is a battle so, if you like action books this would be a good book for you. If you like, mystery books this is a good book for you because new things always pop up, or things happen when you do not expect them to.
The Scariest Battlefield.......2005-09-28
Ghost Soldier
By: Elaine Marie Alphin
4 out of 5 stars
THE SCARIEST BATTLEFIELD
In the book Ghost Soldier a boy named Alexander lives in Indiana and is on a trip with his dad to North Carolina to visit a woman that his dad wants to marry. Alex's real mom just picked up and left many years ago. A couple of days into the trip they go to see a battlefield, and Alex falls into the past and experience something that you could never even imagine! When Alex gets back into his time there is a ghost that just won't leave Alex alone! This Ghost name is Rich, and he insists that Alexander must help him or he will haunt him in a way for the rest of his life. Rich also starts to haunt the people around Alex.
I thought that this was a pretty good book. A reason that I liked it is, because it was always right there keeping me on edge convincing me to keep on reeding. The main reason that I liked this book so much, is because it was about the Civil War, and I have always found books about wars to be quiet interesting. There was also a lot of action in this book.
If you like books about action adventure and a ghost every now and then this is the book for you! Gary Paulsen is a great writer, and I enjoy his books, I liked this book even more, so if you Like Gary Paulsen books you'll love this book.
Ghost Soldier.......2005-02-12
Ghost soldier
By: Elain Alphin
The book Ghost soldier is about a boy named Alexander. Him and his dad are going to North Caroline. They going there because Alexander's dad is wanting to meet a lady he likes, Paige. During this trip Alexander finds himself going through time windows. In one part of the book he goes into a time window. Alexander doesn't know if it is real or if he is imagining it. He meets a ghost who needs his help. While trying to decide if he wants to help he realizes he is has a problem of his own.
The parts I really like that Alexander becomes closer to his dad. This story reminded me of how I felt growing up with out a dad. This book almost mad my cry. The book isn't just sad it is funny too. This book is for children or adults who like fun and interesting facts about history. The book would be perfect for ages 9-14.
-Awesome-.......2004-10-04
Ghost Soldier was definitely among my favorite novels I have read in my freetime. Alexander, a somewhat lost thirteen-year-old, is forced to spend his Spring Break with the Hambricks, a family consisting of a hyper seven-year-old boy, a stubborn teenage girl who can't seem to cooperate at any costs, and a mom who is deeply admired by Alex's dad. Alexander's vacation takes a turn when he ends up in Petersburg, an old Civil War battlefield, expecting to see nothing more than a few trenches and a historical reenactment--when he finds himself witnessing the famous battle in the very time period it took place. Richeson Francis Chamblee, a ghost drummer boy and persistent soldier who died for his country, won't seem to leave Alexander be, until he finally gives in to help the ghost solve the mystery of his century-old family. As time goes on, Alexander learns the meaning of teamwork when he makes some pretty unexpected friends, and realizing sometimes, the answer to a problem could be right under your nose.
I found this as an excellent book because of the time period that the story refers to (I believe I'm the only twelve-year-old girl that obsesses over the eighteen-hundreds), and the part of the story that relates to the main character's supernatural powers to see and communicate with ghosts. If you're interested in the Civil War, paranormal, or are just looking for a good kid's read, Ghost Soldier is a perfect match.
Ghost soldier.......2004-05-07
Ghost Soldier
There is a boy named Alexander whose Mom left him many years ago, he still waits for her day by day year by year to come back. He expects her to just come walking down the street one day but that hasn't happened yet. So Alexander is forced to live with his Dad in North Carolina, that is the last place he wants to be. The one-day Alexander finds himself in the center of the Civil War battlefield. There is where he meets Richeson, the ghost of a Civil War soldier. Richeson has problems of his own. Alexander doesn't care at all. Alexander can barely take care of himself let alone ghost from the past. Alexander is put into a mystery 100 years old. I didn't really enjoy this book because I don't really like ghost stories and it was kind of hard to follow. Him and his dad are trying to get along with each other through about the whole story. It gets hard to follow. I wouldn't really recommend this book to everyone.
Average customer rating:
- Is it Oct yet?
- cherie priest does it again
- outta the park
- Better and better
- Contemporary Southern Gothic at its best!
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Wings to the Kingdom
Cherie Priest
Manufacturer: Tor Books
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ASIN: 076531309X
Release Date: 2006-10-17 |
Book Description
The fields at Chickamauga, Georgia--America's oldest national military park--claimed 35,000 casualties during the Civil War. Any good guide will tell you that the grounds are haunted. The battlefield even has its own resident haunt, called Old Green Eyes for his tell-tale luminous gaze. It has long been said that Old Green Eyes intends no harm to those who respect the park. He is no menace, but a guardian of the dead. While he walks, the dead may sleep secure in the knowledge that their rest will be undisturbed. While Old Green Eyes patrols the battlefield, there is nothing to fear, for graves are not robbed and bones are not moved.But suddenly a different phenomenon starts puzzling and frightening visitors, causing tours to be canceled and rangers to quit their jobs. These new ghosts are no illusions carved out of the low-rolling fog. One by one, the solemn-faced spirits in ragged uniforms show themselves, and one by one, they point a determined arm off into the distance. Why do the soldiers march again, and what has become of their unblinking custodian? The spirits need a go-between, someone who can speak to them, and for them.Eden Moore is not interested.But the ghosts aren't taking no for an answer.
Customer Reviews:
Is it Oct yet?.......2007-09-11
My biggest problem with Wings to the Kingdom is that after going back to Four and Twenty Blackbirds, I have to find something worthy to read until Oct 2, when Not Flesh Nor Feathers comes out. I loved Eden. The combat boots, the Death Nugget, the whole thing. And every time Benny nearly pees in his pants from glee or horror, I have to laugh, because he reminds me of that classic dork in all of us, the one who lights up like a six year old at the thought of ghosthunting, no matter who's in the room who might argue. The characters are spelled out just like all Southern literary characters should be- colorful, lovable, and with screws popping loose all over the place.
cherie priest does it again.......2007-08-17
cherie priest is slowly replacing donna tartt as my favorite american female novelist of our time. *wings to the kingdom* is a somewhat slower story than *four and twenty blackbirds*, but every word is heavy with seduction, pulling the reader in with such force that it is hard to stop reading.
in brief, things have happened since *four and twenty blackbirds*. the protagonist eden moore is somewhat older, but still in every aspect a fascinating and multi-dimensional character. the setting is the same as in *four and twenty blackbirds*. new characters are introduced, old characters resurface. eyes glitter in moonlight and the mist grows heavy over chattanooga as the story progresses in a labyrinth of excitement and allure.
cherie priest is a wizard with words, and *wings to the kingdom* is a rich testimony of her magic. read it. I am very glad I did.
outta the park.......2007-03-08
Pardon the pun.
One might worry whether CPriest's follow-up to _Four and Twenty Blackbirds_ might suffer the notorious "sophomore slump", but that would be needless suffering.
_Wings to the Kingdom_ builds on the foundations laid in the first novel, yet works on its own for readers who missed the first book (though, really, you're missing out on a good story if you haven't read it).
_Wings_ is engaging and dynamic. The storytelling is solid, the setting and the characters are real, and the mystery/tension is a treat.
I'm looking forward to the next in the series
Better and better.......2007-03-06
If you enjoyed Four and Twenty Blackbirds, you will love Wings to the Kingdom. Cherie Priest's tale of ghosts at a Civil War battlefield grabbed me from the very first page. Taking an actual legend and weaving it into a spine-tingling story with believable characters, Priest just keeps getting better and better. The main character, Eden Moore, is likeable and interesting, as well as sympathetic. The rest of the characters are also well-rounded, even the publicity-seeking professional psychic investigator, who could easily have become a cliche. A very enjoyable read, and I eagerly look forward to the next installment!
Contemporary Southern Gothic at its best!.......2007-02-19
Phenomenal follow-up to debut novel Four and Twenty Blackbirds. Eden Moore is dragged into a supernatural mystery at the Chickamauga battleground, and must deal with the public reaction to her ability to speak with the dead. Incredibly written, with a fast-paced storyline that still takes time to fully develop character. Priest cements her place in the Southern Gothic canon. Highly recommended.
Customer Reviews:
Vividly written personal memoir of WWII.......2006-09-01
This is one of the best personal memoirs of World War II that I have read. The author describes combat as seen through the eyes of an American GI artist.
As you read, you will see the glint off the edge of a helmet, feel the ground shake from a nearby shell, and hear the engine of a tank drown out the sound of explosions.
The book offers a stark view of combat during the last days of war in Germany. You will meet the wounded 16-year-old German prisoner who couldn't stop crying. Some of his American captors felt sorry for the boy and plied him with K rations.
You will read about the German medic that the author wounded with a hand grenade. The GIs treated the medic as one of their own when they found grateful letters in his pocket written by captured GIs that he had aided.
Pencil drawings of soldiers accompany the text. The author drew many of these while he was at the front. He protected them in a cardboard mortar tube that he carried wherever he went. Drawing his fellow GIs was his way of paying tribute to them.
Top Notch War Story.......2006-07-26
This is what a military memoir should be - exciting, gripping and totally real. Not only was the author there, but he puts the reader there too, right in the foxhole with him, cold, wet and miserable, and living the terror, with blackened frozen bodies poking up through the snow. War stories do not get any better than this.
Best First Hand Account.......2005-08-27
I have read numerous first hand accounts of World War 2, from both sides, and this was the best. The book was so naturally written and Mr. Foley's graphic descriptions actually made me feel like I was in the Foxhole with him. His story was very moving. Mr. Foley and his generation who risked and gave their lives are truly my hero's. They gave up their innocence so others might be free. Thank you Mr. Foley for what you did, and thank you to the rest of the 94th Infantry division!
Extra Special Personal Memoir........2005-05-24
Extra Special Personal Memoir.
"Visions From A Foxhole" by William A. Foley, Jr. Subtitled "A rifleman In Patton's Ghost Corps". Ballantine Books, NY 2003.
This is the story of a young man, seeking to find himself, while at the same time he is defending his country. His father had served in world War I, and William A. Foley, Jr., is not only learning about himself during his time in the European Theatre of Operations but also about his father's experience in the First World War. Foley, Jr., as a lower ranking soldier, is part of the 94th Infantry Division which went through some heavy fighting, for example, in the Ruhr, crossing the Saar River and then crossing the Rhine River. His written personal recollections are made all the more vivid by his drawings.
Almost for relief, Foley had begun to draw, in pencil on paper, the scenes of war, as he experienced them He realized that he had more talent than most people, so he began to accumulate and protect his drawings from action to action, town to town, river to river. Despite dunkings in rivers, shellings, winter weather and so much more, the author saved most of his drawings and presented a selection in this book. These contemporary drawings confirm the harshness of the battle. The drawings combined with his written words makes this an extra special personal memoir. The author also has a web site, tied in with the title of the book.
Just as an aside, my Professor in Historiography once stated that "Spell checker" has ruined many an editor. On page 139, the book states that the author "...sneaked a peak {sic}"... while in other pages of the book, he was sneaking a "peek", the proper spelling for looking discretely. On page 209, the Greek letter "Pi" appears before the date "16 March". Spell Checker ignores Greek Letters. Don`t let this distract from your enjoyment of this excellent book. ...
A,true picture of my war.......2005-05-14
My name is Russell Bryant. I was a rifleman B company, 376th regiment, 94th division at the same time as Mr Foley. My war didn't last as long as Foley's as I was seriously wounded in a boat trying to cross the Saar river on 23 February, l945. I saw action around Sinz, took part in the marching fire attack that took Banholz Woods and the attack on the far end of Munzingen Ridge. Mr Foley's drawings more accurately portray the faces and eyes of front line riflemen than any that I have seen. His narrative descriptions of war seem to me to be very accurate. I was deeply moved as I read and re-read the book. I
find ilt strange that some who claim to have their own very unusual experiences find it necessary to criticize some of Foley's experiences. It was my experience that the "unusual" in combat is really the usual. I have given copies of the book to many people who are very interested in "our war" every single one of them expressed their praises. Thankfully, Mr. Foley did not attempt to write a broad "history" of WW11. We have many of those with their broad views and sweeping generalities. Thank you Bill Foley for showing the true story of individuals who literally "ground" out the war.
Average customer rating:
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Ghost Soldiers
Hampton Sides
Manufacturer: Time Warner Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0751532290 |
Book Description
The first full biography of Confederate Raider John Mosby, Gray Ghost reveals new information on every aspect of Mosby's life and provides the first analysis of his impact on the Civil War from the Union viewpoint.
With a genius for guerrilla warfare, Mosby diverted enemy troops from the front and used fear as a psychological weapon. For more than twenty-seven months he led daring overnight raids behind Union pickets and created false alarms up and down the Potomac. Although Mosby never commanded more than 400 men, his forces were regularly overestimated, once by a factor of forty. Union officials dispatched more than seventy search and destroy missions against him personally, but he retained the tactical advantage until Lee's surrender at Appomattox. Mosby's dynamic, double-sided personality, forged in childhood, was the foundation for his success as a guerrilla chief, but it was also his greatest weakness. Attempting to repeat patterns of heroic conflict after the war, he threw away his status as a leading southern hero and sacrificed a lucrative law practice to support the Republican party and U.S. Grant's campaign for the presidency. Forced into exile from his native Virginia, Mosby frequently charged into controversy. He crusaded for truth and justice as consul to Hong Kong, acted as a federal land agent in the U.S. Midwest, authored an account of Jeb Stuart's role in the Confederate loss at Gettysburg, and served as a Justice Department attorney.
Customer Reviews:
Occasionally too 'intuitive'.......2006-03-13
Ramage is absolutely correct when he speaks about Mosby's effect on his adversaries. By the time the war was over, he was - after Jefferson Davis - the most hated Confederate in the North. Once, late in the war when a troop of Yankee cavalry bringing in prisoners (none of whom were Mosby's men) joked that they had 'caught Mosby', in just a few hours over 10,000 people gathered to see the vaunted guerrilla chief. Mosby's psychological tactics were such that often all he or one of his men had to do was approach a Union picket or vidette and say, "I am Mosby" and the man became paralyzed with fear. Yet, Mosby's treatment of those whom he captured was such that after the war, many of his best friends were former Union officers taken by him and his command.
Unfortunately, however, author Ramage has a tendency to speculate regarding things he cannot prove. His theory of Mosby's 'bipolar' personality - he was kind, gentle and loving at home but fierce, overly aggressive and untrusting out in the world - does not necessarily equate with the testimony of many of Mosby's men who wrote about the man and the 43rd Battalion.
Furthermore, Ramage's account of Mosby's relationship with Fitz Hugh Lee - the two men detested each other - contains a vignette in which Lee supposedly offers a terrible rebuke to then Lt. Mosby when he offered Lee a captured Union newspaper. Lee, according to Ramage said "The ruling passion strong in death" a quote from one of Pope's moral essays on Lord Cobham, a religious dissenter who was hanged and burned for his beliefs. Ramage recounted that as a classical scholor Mosby would understand this statement to mean that he would deserve his fate when the Yankees caught and hanged him as a spy during one of his 'scouts' for JEB Stuart. According to Ramage, Mosby had no suspicion of Fitz Lee's hatred of him until that point. Yet in all other accounts - including Mosby's - nothing much is made of the same incident. I would not mind Ramage's account or his conclusion if only he had given a more detailed account of how he came to know that Lee said what he said and meant it as Ramage posits. Furthermore, I would have liked to know how Ramage knew that Mosby had no idea of his superior officer's feelings for him at the time. However, Ramage simply makes the statement and let's it go at that.
There are certainly many psychological indicators apparent in Mosby's life which can enlighten interested parties regarding his forceful and unique personality but I must confess that I found some of author Ramage's speculations to be lacking in credible verification on such subjective matters. If one is going to speak of 'feelings' and 'passions', it is wise to have at least some documentation to back up one's claims. Otherwise, the matter becomes nothing more than another speculation regarding the individual being studied.
Entertaining.......2002-04-13
This book is about as close to entertainment as history can get. This does not mean that it is fiction however. Ramage writes a sturdy bio of Mosby. And although Mosby is one of the most famous, or infamous if you are a Yankee, Civil War personalities around, there aren't many good reads on him. However, Ramage's bio is terrific from both a historian's and a reader's point of view. Ramage is obviously an admirer of Mosby's, but does not blindly believe all that comes with the "Mosby myth". Instead, Ramage uses both primary and secondary sources to try to find the real Mosby and see what his real exploits were. The descriptions of Mosby's forays are fast-paced and exciting. The chapters on Mosby's post-war career are extremely interesting as we see the hated Mosby become a Republican and friend of U.S. Grant. Mosby also became embroiled in disputes with "Lost Cause" people like Jubal Early due to Mosby's support of J.E.B. Stuart. Interesting all the way around.
Sort of ---.......2002-03-25
This book is well written by someone who likes Mosby but this nonsense about "terror" from Union troops about Mosby sounds more like the terror that was felt by the Confederates towards Sheridan or Sherman or John Brown!
Frankly I have always considered those who hit and run or come out at night and shoot stragglers or people from behing to be somewhat -- well - gutless. Sorry.
Exciting, well-written bio of Civil War guerilla fighter.......1999-09-29
An excellent book for anyone interested in the Civil War. Ramage has written an exciting, fast-paced biography of one of the South's most mythologized and celebrated Civil War heroes. He draws the reader into the world of Mosby from his early fights with childhood bullies to his final fight for J.E.B. Stuart's memory and legacy. Certainly one of the Confederacy's more popular figures, Mosby ruled an area of Virginia causing Union officers and privates alike to fear capture if separated from the main body. Mosby's able and selfless leadership set an example to his men, and both Stuart and Lee saw that he was no ordinary partisan ranger. Even after the war, Mosby's fight continued as he supported the Republican Grant for president. Ramage aptly delves into the now out-of-favor hero's post-war life and one of the best chapters in the book is his description of Mosby's fight against corruption as U.S. consul in Hong Kong. Ramage has gone through many sources and succeeded in bringing Mosby the man to life. The author even met with Mosby's grandson and received valuable first-hand descriptions of him in his later life. This book is destined to be the definitive work on the "Gray Ghost".
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