Book Description
The Highway War is the compelling Iraq War memoir of then-Capt. Seth Folsom, commanding officer of Delta Company, First Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, U.S. Marine Corps. Mounted in eight-wheeled LAVs (light armored vehicles), this unit of 130 Marines and sailors was one of the first into Iraq in March 2003. It fought on the front lines for the war’s entire offensive phase, from the Kuwaiti border through Baghdad to Tikrit.
Folsom’s thoughtful account focuses on his maturation as a combat leader—and as a human being enduring the austere conditions of combat and coming to terms with loss of life on both sides. Moreover, The Highway War is the story of a junior officer’s relationships with his company’s young Marines, for whose lives he was responsible, and with his superior officers. Folsom covers numerous unusual military actions and conveys truthfully the pace, stress, excitement, mistakes, and confusion of modern ground warfare. The Highway War is destined to be a Marine Corps classic.
Customer Reviews:
One of the better OIF books.......2007-10-02
Years ago Marine artist Col Charles Waterhouse drew a cartoon of a grizzled Marine Gunny, complete with cigar, pulling on a Santa outfit as he prepares to entertain young children, as compared to his normal demeanor of an intimidating Gunny. Maj Seth Folsom's book details a similar transformation, as he grows from a nervous young officer facing his first combat to that of a skilled and articulate officer and husband.
A Captain at the time, Folsom is a blunt and honest writer who discusses his fears and concerns of what he is about to encounter in Iraq. The likely-hood is that many Marines and soldiers, both officers and enlisted, can identify with his worry of how he will fare in his first combat: Can he hack it? How well will he perform? Will he make any mistakes that might cost the lives of his Marines? The difference between them and Folsom is his frankness in discussing these concerns.
Folsom uses the story of his role as company commander to tell the story of Delta Company, 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion as they participated in the March 2003 invasion of Iraq. From breaching the berms into Iraq, to watching and waiting as his fellow Marines fought at An-Nasiriyah, to the fighting on the way to Baghdad and beyond, Folsom pulls no punches and spares no feelings in his descriptions of leading 130 Marines into combat. The invasion in March 2003 was the beginning of an unusual war against a non-traditional enemy, and Folsom has to find his balance as an officer when dealing with both his superiors and the Marines under him while learning how to lead Marines in combat. Sand, stink, rain, lack of sanitation, fatigue, grime, and nerves are just some of issues with which he dealt even before he and his men even encountered the enemy. Folsom covers the military actions from 21 March 2003 through the April 2003 capture of Baghdad, and he accurately recounts the stress, excitement, and confusion of those historic days.
With the book written from the notes and recollection of his wartime journal, this is a fascinating memoir revealing are his feelings as he dealt with his Marines, and how he matured as an officer and as a human being. Many readers, especially his fellow officers will find much to critique in his rough and abrasive leadership style, and his dislike of the media is at odds with Marine Corps policy. But it is Folsom's same bluntness that lets him write so revealingly - and perhaps these same readers can use his vignettes as an `after-action report' in order to guide themselves in similar circumstances.
In perhaps a reflection of the asymmetrical nature of this war, Folsom recounts participating in briefings with the generals and colonels leading the invasion, and later singing with his men as they blast rock & roll music at rock concert levels. Perhaps one unexpected bonus of war in the wired age is that we readers can share in our warrior's thoughts and experiences while they are still fresh, and as such, Maj Folsom's book is both an exciting read and highly recommended.
Eye opening reading.......2007-02-19
You may hate this war and our current President for getting us involved in it, but after reading this book you can only respect and honor those doing the fighting .Folsom's thoughtful leadership and concern for his men, his belief in the Marine Corps and The Mission turned my head around.
The more liberal you are , the more you need to read this book.
Story That Keeps You Reading.......2006-12-03
The Highway War gives you more than just a story about combat in Iraq. What you get is a complete account of a Marine Company Commander's battle not only against Iraqi combatants but also a battle within his own military unit as he searches for leadership and personal answers to difficult situations. A truly riveting book that keeps you interested in the outcomes. A must read for any military leader.
The Highway War: A Marine Company Commander in Iraq.......2006-11-23
Outstanding writing!! Major Folsom lays combat out for the novice and the professional alike. This book is realistic, informative and a must read to understand the frustrations, leadership challenges, inevitable screw-ups and overall outstanding ability of USMC officers and men in the Iraq Invasion. The narrative is honest and aimed directly at the reader--you feel like you are there with Delta Company!! I could feel the constant sand in everything and the grit, grime, loneliness, terror and lack of sleep that makes up combat. Seth describes his fears, concern for his troops and the confidence and analysis that takes place in the brain of the well trained and disciplined Marine Officer. It is very gratifying to read the personal and private observations of a first class Marine Office and to observe how he masters combat and presses forward in the very best interest of his Company, the Battalion, the Regiment and most significantly, his men. E. B. Darsey, Capt USN(R)
A Must Read.......2006-10-18
I had the honor and privilege of attending Captain Folsom's wedding and at this most wonderful event in his life none of us could have known how his life would change in a matter of hours. You see this was the weekend before September 11, 2001.
The Highway War traces the trials and tribulations of this young Marine as he leads his Company of Marines and their Light Armored Vehicles from Kuwait to the battlefields of Iraq. Captain Folsom takes the reader into a world that few can fully understand and fewer still who would willingly go.
In this book taken directly from the Captain's journal you begin to gain some idea what it is like to fight with and lead men into combat. You will read about his self-doubt, his concern for those under his command and his acts of bravery (that he will downplay).
This book is a must read for any military book fan or anyone interested in learning a little about those who defend this great country. I would highly recommend this book.
If Captain Folsom is an example of the fighting men and women in our current wars it will be through no fault of theirs if we fail in the endeavor.
Book Description
MacDonald's first combat was war at its most hellish--the Battle of the Bulge.
Customer Reviews:
An ex-marine's review.......2007-01-09
An excellent book about the leadership of an army officer during the
crucial battles that ended WWII in Europe. As an untested officer thrown
into the Battle of the Bulge he performed magnificently. His mettle was sorly tested,and his humanity shone through. A very,very good read
Charles B. MacDonald.......2005-11-07
Charles B. MacDonald wrote what it was like for a 21year old to command two infantry companies in WW2. He took notes along the way (I have a page of his notes that survived). They cover the capture of Hombressen in Germany. I also have the original typewriter on which he typed the manuscript of his book. I have trvelled the route he took in 1944/45 and found his descriptions of the various lovcations to be exceedingly accurate in every detail.
Will Cavanagh
A first-rate historians war memoir .......2005-02-17
This book is probably the finest memoir of any junior officer in WW2. Unlike so many war memoirs, MacDonald keeps his focus firmly on his own experiences, and doesn't waste his readers time by speculating on `the big picture' or describing incidents which he didn't personally take part in. He sticks to what life was like for a junior officer in command of an infantry company - disorientating, stressful and very dangerous.
On the strength of this book MacDonald was selected to work on the famous Official History of the US Army in World War Two, and produced two of the best regarded volumes in that definitive series.
An excellent study in leadership.......2004-11-05
Charles MacDonald, an official Army Historian who also wrote one of the definitive histories of the Battle of the Bulge, sets the bar for the reader trying to understand the structure, direction, and (lack of) cohesion in tactical warfare. Extremely readable, much of this autobiographical text was written during his service as an infantry captain in the European Theater of Operations. MacDonald does an excellent job at capturing the fear, confusion, boredom, anger, and fatigue of the American footsoldier in this war without seeking to draw the reader into debates of strategy or politics.
Pretty good, but lacking something..........2004-02-14
Mr. MacDonald's book is a good and quick, easy read. It tells the tale fairly well, but for some reason just didn't engage me as much as many other first person accounts of WWII. It is an honest feeling account with out bravado, but for some reason it doesn't convey emotional sensation very well.
Mr. MacDonald was certainly a qualified commander, especially based on the accounts of his relatively few casualties compared to those inflicted by his men. He led from near the front and was wounded by gunfire on one occasion.
This book is certainly worth the effort to read, but it isn't the best of its type.
Book Description
The focus of this book are the author's vivid memories of service as a company commander in a Red Army officers' penal battalion on the Eastern Front 1944-45.
During this time, he and his unit participated in the 1944 Soviet summer offensive Operation 'Bagration', the Vistula-Oder operation into eastern Germany, and the final assault on Berlin.
The stories of penal companies and battalions in the Red Army gave birth to legends about men who rushed to the attack across minefields against German machine-guns with one rifle per three men. The author of this book knows from his own experience what a penal battalion is. A common threat during the war, "I will send you to a penal battalion!" meant nothing to him. He was there.
He was a platoon commander and later a commander of an officers' penal company. He was a senior lieutenant having a degraded regiment commander as a second-in-command. He and his company had to carry out the most difficult and dangerous operations in order to break through the enemy defenses. With more than 80% of the men lost his company succeeded in completing their missions. The horrors of war, the hand-to-hand fights with a desperately struggling enemy are described in this book along with a story of a strong feeling between the young officer and a hospital nurse Rita. Thanks to Alexander Rita was appointed a nurse in the penal battalion. She saved dozens of soldiers, carrying them from the battlefield under enemy fire. It was Rita who saved Alexander Pyl'cyn from death, when he was badly wounded near Berlin. She became his wife in the last months of the war. The author is brilliant at detailing the way of life and personal relations in the war. In this horrible slaughter cowardice and treason went side by side with friendship and heroism. In these inhuman conditions people remained as they were: they lived, they laughed, they loved.
Key sales points: High-quality memoirs from Soviet soldiers who served on the Eastern Front are rare - rarer still are firsthand accounts of the Red Army's penal battalions / The author's intense and exciting style produces a fluid and highly-readable account of the brutal reality of war in the East during its most bitter final phase / Includes the author's experiences during the storming of Berlin 1945, and his battlefield romance with Rita, the battalion's nurse, and his future wife.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent Account of a Red Army Penal Battalion at War.......2007-03-25
As a lieutenant, the author in December 1943 was assigned to lead a platoon in a Red Army "Officer Penal Battalion". He describes the organization, training, equipment of his battalion, and the personalities he recalls, in great and fascinating detail. Essentially, Officer Penal Battalions were shock troops used to infiltrate through or breach holes in German defensive lines. The "Officer Prisoners" fought to redeem their honor and freedom after being arrested and convicted of crimes against the State. If the officer prisoners survived and fought with honor, they were often freed and reinstated to officer status, depending on the personality and quirks of the commander of the army to which the penal battalion was attached. The author was not a convicted offender; he was part of the cadre assigned to lead this unit into combat. As a platoon leader, his deputy in one battle was a lieutenant colonel who had commanded an infantry regiment with distinction before running afoul of the State. He freely admits his unit sometimes captured, interrogated, and executed German prisoners of war, because when operating behind enemy lines in his words, "What else could we do?" This is a harsh book on the nature of close in infantry combat and the soldiers who wage it. Mercy is an alien concept when you are outnumbered and slugging it out with pistol, submachine gun, grenades, and entrenching tool against German soldiers at night inside an enemy trench. Readers interested in Soviet accounts of the infantryman's war during the last years of WWII will find this one of the best books on the subject. The author tells a candid story, one chock full of fascinating details and chilling memories, quite well. Heroism, cowardice, and luck fill the pages. This book is so well written, one can almost smell the cordite and hear the sounds of the advancing German assault guns as the author and his comrades fight like lions to repulse counterattack after counterattack in the Narev Bridgehead, October 1944.
Excellent reference about a fairly obscure topic.......2007-01-24
This book was written by a man who experienced life in a penal unit firsthand, and offers a unique perspective. He debunks several misconceptions about such units, while simultaneously providing an excellent account of daily life as an officer leading a unit of Shtrafniks. Pyl'cyn displays great personal bravery on a number of occasions. The only downside to this book is that, as the memoir of a junior officer, it does not give a big-picture perspective of the role of penal units in the war. I think it would be greatly aided by a companion piece written as a scholarly study of such units.
The Only WWII Red Army Memoir on Punishment Units.......2006-12-11
This interesting and insightful book is the only War World II memoir written by an officer of the Soviet Army's World War II penal or punishment formations.
Some 422,700 Red Army soldiers served in punishment battalions during World War II. Few survived service in such formations, which one specialist of the Soviet Army described as "forlorn," "deadly," and "soul destroying."
Alexander Pyl'cyn served as a platoon commmander and deputy commander of the 8th Independent Penal Battalion. He and his battalion fought in Byelorussia, Poland and Germany, ending the war in Berlin. Wounded three times during the war, Pyl'cyn's description of life and death in a penal battalion is powerful. He and his company carried out the most difficult and dangerous missions on any sector to which they were assigned and were frequently in the lead of Red Army breakthroughs of the German lines. Suffering casualty rates of some 80 percent, he and his men usually accomplished their mission.
"Penalty Strike" is not an easy read, though it is very well written. The text is dense and packed full of people, places, and battles. Still, the author manages to clearly and powerfully convey to the reader what it meant to be a Soviet soldier on the Eastern Front in World War. II. And many parts of the story are moving, especially when dealing with close friends killed in battle or Pyl'cyn's courtship with a Red Army nurse, whom he later married.
Those interested in the Red Army or the Eastern Front in World War II will find this book an important contribution to the literature.
Rssential for any researching the Soviet military experience during the second world war........2006-11-07
Alexander V. Pyl'cyn's PENALTY STRIKE: THE MEMOIRS OF A RED ARMY PENAL COMPANY COMMANDER, 1943-45 is also essential reading for any who would understand the WW2 experience from the Soviet participant's viewpoint: again a participant's vivid memories are plumbed: this time from a company commander's viewpoint. The author and his unit participated in the 1944 soviet summer offensive program and the final assault on Berlin: his accounts of penal companies and battalions offer vivid insights into the foundations of a penal battalion's operations. Both are essential for any researching the Soviet military experience during the second world war.
Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch
worth it for EF junkies .......2006-05-04
I have read the Russian version of the book - it is reasonably well written memoir which dispels a whole lot of legend about Soviet penal units (big bad commissars with revolvers shooting every one at the slightest hint of fear, sanding people without the weapons in battle etc). Well worth the money.
Product Description
Unused, tight and clean with some selfwear to DJ, copyright 1947--published in the 1990's--may be book club edition
Book Description
One of Doyle's favorite novels, set in medieval England beginning in 1348. A young squire, Sir Nigel, wishing to revive his ancestor's traditions vows to perform three noble deeds before claiming the hand of his love. The book is full of adventure, and lots of historical detail, such as the fact that forks had not yet been invented in 1348.
Customer Reviews:
One of the best books I've ever read.......2007-01-04
I've had these books for more then 20 years now - taking them with me through flood and fire. The first is SECOND 6 months of his tour while, "The only war we ever had: A company Commanders Journal" is the FIRST 6 months of his tour in Vietnam in 1968-1969.
M. Lee Lanning was the youngest person ever to lead an entire Company of 200 soldiers even though he was only a First Lieutenant, all at the age of 23.
I find these books truly fascinating - they show the horror, the boredom, the friendships made and the attempts at comedy used to stay sane during wartime. I never thought that a "War Memoir" would ever capture my attention, but this did it. Many (if not most) war books are written by the pencil pushers or REMF's and not someone who actually held a rifle and saw the enemy.
Each page is straight from the diary that his father gave him before he shipped out - then what follows is his memory of that day.
One of my favorite excerpts:
"Our move was delayed when one of the FNG's (F-ing New Guy), who had joined Bravo Co. at Crystal (their main base) a few days before, saw something in a clump of bamboo. Seconds later he approached me carrying a heavy, cone-shaped object that I immediately recognized as a 105mm artillery round. From it's shiny exterior, I deduced it was a "dud" from our fire before assaulting the bunkers.
The FNG, proud of his find, had no clue what he was cradling in his arms. As calmly as possible, I told the man to walk back into the jungle for at least 50 meters, gently place the object on the ground and return to my location. The tone of my voice, and the fact that all the others were scrambling for cover, definitely got the troop's attention.
Without a word, he followed my instructions. I braced for the expected explosion as he turned away and slowly walked towards the jungle..."
If you get this make sure you also get "Only War We Had: A Platoon Leader's Journal of Vietnam" that is the first of this series - it contains his journal entries from the first 6 months of his tour.
An Excellent Real World Vietnam Book.......2001-08-28
I missed the Vietnam War by a year or two. I served as an 11B from 72-78. I always wondered what it would have been like to have been there in a rifle company. Plenty of books about SF and LRRPs, but not very many written by a real platoon leader. I never had a tremensous desire to be an elite soldier in an elite unit (if I could have even made it). I only wanted to be a rifle squad leader. This book really made me feel what it would have been like. What I missed. It is a real world book. Not a battle every minute book filled with stories of great exploits. Just a real world grunt in Vietnam book. I recommend the companion book "The Only War We Had."
An Excellent Real World Vietnam Book.......2001-08-28
I missed the Vietnam War by a year or two. I served as an 11B from 72-78. I always wondered what it would have been like to have been there in a rifle company. Plenty of books about SF and LRRPs, but not very many written by a real platoon leader. I never had a tremensous desire to be an elite soldier in an elite unit (if I could have even made it). I only wanted to be a rifle squad leader. This book really made me feel what it would have been like. What I missed. It is a real world book. Not a battle every minute book filled with stories of great exploits. Just a real world grunt in Vietnam book. I recommend the companion book "The Only War We Had."
vietnam 1969-1970.......2000-12-09
this book is the best book ive ever read.This book started out in hawaii lee was a luitenant at the time but he wanted to upgrade his level in office so he was asked to become company commader his journey through the viet kong was very exiting it was full of action and outrage his tale was very inspireing he stood up for his men and became very popular as bravo company commander and became one of the best plotoon in vietnam his wife lived in sanfracico her name was linda when lee move out of the states his wife was pregnant with there girl rosallie.he was waiting to come home after 8 months in the war he was a month awayfrom coming home to the states when he got a rear job which he was waiting for and then took his long ride back home to sanfracisco.
The awesome sequal to THE ONLY WAR WE HAD.......1999-07-01
This book is the second in the set, the first being THE ONLY WAR WE HAD. This book, however, is different in that the author is no longer a naive Lieutenant being shipped off to Vietnam. This book begins with the same Lieutenant--now aged and matured--returning to Vietnam from leave in Hawaii. Like his first book, VIETNAM 1969-1970: A COMPANY COMMANDER'S JOURNAL is both detailed and exciting.
Average customer rating:
- SIMPLY AN OUTSTANDING TRUE STORY
- Been There...
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Lima-6: A Marine Company Commander in Vietnam
Camp
Manufacturer: Pocket
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Platoon Leader: A Memoir of Command in Combat
ASIN: 0671704362 |
Book Description
In this vivid and intensely frank memoir, retired Marine Colonel Dick Camp recounts his daily experiences as "Lima-6" -- the commander of Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 26th Marines -- from June 1967 through January 1968. As much as it is about the Vietnam War, Lima-6 is also a candid account of the camaraderie that a Marine infantry company forges in battle, and the compelling human drama of an infantry company at war as seen through the eyes of a lonely leader upon whom all others depend for guidance and strength.
Customer Reviews:
SIMPLY AN OUTSTANDING TRUE STORY.......2002-09-17
A tremendous book recounting battles, fire-fights, ambushes, as well as the challenges of leading 18 and 19 year old marines in war time. Gives a good idea about the physical hardships and danger that our men encountered in Vietam. Capt. Camp also admits near the ending that he was "very, very, glad to get out of Vietnam." An honest insight !
Been There..........2000-08-31
Very even and factual account. I would encourage persons interested in USMC history to read this account of one man's perspective of events that occured in the second half of 1967, in I Corps. I have to tell you that I am slightly prejudiced: Captain Camp was my Company Commander in Viet Nam. He is the one against whom all others are judged. Skipper Camp is not only the finest Officer I encountered in the Marine Corps but, also, a real human being.
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