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A War of a Different Kind: Military Force and America’s Search
for Homeland Security
By Stephen M. Duncan. Naval Institute Press, 2004. ISBN
1-59114-220-2.
It should be no surprise to anyone that the increasing threat of
global terrorism has changed the way the United States thinks about
war. Terrorists are “stateless actors” with no country and no army
who ignore the laws of war and can attack anywhere at any time.
A War of a Different Kind is a scholarly examination of the
war on terror, focusing on the political, legal, financial, and
military considerations. Author Stephen Duncan, a former assistant
secretary of defense for Reserve Affairs, has written one other
book, Citizen Warriors (Presidio Press, 1997).
Although this book is written with a dry, academic style and is
overwhelmed by 91 pages of footnotes, Duncan does present
interesting descriptions of new war-fighting measures. He also
analyzes the pros and cons of certain presidential decisions, such
as the controversial new “doctrine of anticipatory self-defense.”
One of the most interesting chapters focuses on the Posse Comitatus
Act of 1878, designed to protect America’s citizens from their own
military acting as domestic law enforcement. Duncan concludes the
president has constitutional authority to use military forces and
resources in any way necessary in response to a terrorist attack,
and he may do so without congressional approval.
Other chapters discuss the International Criminal Court and why the
United States refuses to participate in its implementation, the use
of military tribunals, and the role of the reserve forces in
homeland security efforts. He also explains the problems of
organizing and coordinating homeland security when faced with rival
law enforcement and intelligence agencies and the 88 congressional
committees and subcommittees that have homeland security oversight.
Duncan concludes Cold War-style deterrence and containment will not
work in this new environment. He says preemptive strikes are risky,
but they are lawful and may be necessary. The United States will act
alone, if necessary. Perhaps most controversial are his conclusions
that national security trumps civil liberties and that laws are not
absolute, but are tools of government that can be changed to suit
current needs. Duncan’s arguments certainly are provocative and will
add to the debate over how best to fight a war of a different kind.
In the Company of Soldiers: A Chronicle of Combat
By Rick Atkinson. Henry Holt & Co., 2004. ISBN 0-8050-7561-5.
In early 2003 journalist and historian Rick Atkinson was enjoying
a comfortable life as a Pulitzer Prize-winning author. Then he went
to war.
In the Company of Soldiers is Atkinson’s personal account of
the two months he spent embedded with the Army’s 101st Airborne (Air
Assault) Division during the war with Iraq. Atkinson was assigned to
division headquarters, where he shadowed the division commander,
Maj. Gen. David Petraeus. There, Atkinson learned much about today’s
U.S. Army, about the superb fighting qualities of the American
soldier, and about the complex and stressful art of generalship.
Atkinson was an editor and writer at The Washington Post for 20
years, but he may be best remembered for his award-winning book, An
Army at Dawn: The War in Africa, 1942–1943 (Henry Holt & Co., 2002),
the first in his World War II historical trilogy. With that effort,
he wrote about history — with this venture, he witnesses it.
This is more than just a lengthy news story; rather, it is a
colorful and penetrating observation and analysis of modern war in a
changing threat environment and of the men who must fight it. With
humor, candor, and thoughtful presentation, Atkinson tells the story
of the 101st Airborne as it prepares for war and as it fights in
Iraq, from the Kuwaiti border to Baghdad.
Atkinson observes how a general organizes and trains his command,
how he plans and solves problems, and how he leads his soldiers in
combat. He offers an amazing portrayal of bold leadership, fierce
determination, and considerate compassion.
Atkinson describes the problems involved with the division’s
logistics, communications, maintenance, and personnel. He tells how
the division had to move from the United States to Kuwait in
preparation to fight. Harsh weather, difficult terrain, and numerous
foul-ups tested everyone’s patience and resolve.
Best is Atkinson’s descriptions of the 101st in combat, fighting
battles at Najaf, Hilla, and Karbala enroute to Baghdad. He offers
numerous examples of resourceful and courageous leadership at the
battalion, brigade, and division headquarters level. He showcases
the complexities of combined arms operations in desert and urban
environments, revealing the flexibility and imagination of Army
leaders and soldiers.
He also provides some details of the infamous “fragging” incident by
a U.S. soldier against his officers, of the tactics of air and
ground assault, and of the unexpectedly stubborn Iraqi resistance
and the complete collapse of the Iraqi infrastructure.
Not all is praise, however, for Atkinson is critical of the reasons
for the war and of the American government’s failure to plan for the
war’s end. Refreshingly, he does have high praise for the U.S. Army,
its leaders, and its soldiers.
— Reviews by William D. Bushnell
Member Books
FICTION
The First Born. By CW4 William Arket, USA-Ret.
First Born tells the story of Frank Arket, an average guy who
becomes an American hero as he struggles to escape from the steel
mills of Pennsylvania and embarks upon a career in the U.S. Army and
military intelligence. Born to a pair of star-crossed teenage
lovers, Frank struggles to survive a childhood marred by the tragic
deaths of both his parents. He desperately wants to escape from the
grind and filth of his hometown, marry the girl of his dreams, and
live happily ever after. However, a family curse declares all first
born Arket children will suffer horrible fates. Frank is drafted
into the Army shortly before America enters World War II. He travels
to Europe with the Army’s 63rd Division and later becomes involved
in military intelligence. During the day, he protects presidents and
powerful Army secrets. At night, he returns home to his family and
“normal life,” the curse ever present in his mind.
BookSurge LLC, 5341 Dorchester Road, Suite 16, North Charleston, SC
29418. (866) 853-8310.www.booksurge.com.
ISBN 159109-787-8. 448 pp. $18.99 plus postage.
In the Name of Church. By Brig. Gen. Edmund DuBois, USA-Ret.
The setting for this historical novel is the witch craze and bitter
religious conflict between French Catholics and Protestants in 1572.
An adventurous young woman and her bright but unlettered maid are
pursued by a bishop with an evil motive and witch craft on his mind.
PublishAmerica, P.O. Box 151, Frederick, MD 21701. (240) 529-1031.
www.publishamerica.com.
ISBN 1-4137-1763-2. 531 pp. $34.95 plus postage.
Michael’s Messengers. By Maj. Lewis Allen Lambert, USAF-Ret.
This is the first of three novels chronicling the life of Jack
Meadows, a young man who battles against personal demons and his
sworn enemies. He epitomizes the brave pilots who flew the Spitfire,
especially those who died to save humanity. The story of loves lost
and abandonment plays against the backdrop of the Second World War.
This is a riveting story about an idealistic Polish-American pilot
who becomes the leader of the expatriate Polish Air Force in
Britain. History teaches us about the events. Lambert introduces you
to the people who participated in those events.
AuthorHouse, 1663 Liberty Drive, Suite 200, Bloomington, IN 47403.
(800) 839-8640.
www.authorhouse.com. ISBN 1-4184-0932-4. 488 pp. $16.00 plus
postage.
NON-FICTION
Patton’s Forward Observers. By Lt Col. John K. Rieth,
USA-Ret.
This is a story told by a unique collection of highly trained
artillery observers who fought every step of the war with Patton’s
famed Third Army. Derived from wartime letters and oral histories
told by the veterans themselves, we see the classic American Army
experience of World War II – the friendships, courage, terror,
carnage, humor, and ultimate victory that is all part of the Patton
legend – a legend built by soldiers.
Brandylane Publishers Inc., 1711 East Main Street, Suite 9,
Richmond, VA 23223. (804) 644-3092.
www.brandylanepublishers.com. ISBN 1-883911-62-1. 243 pp. $23.95
plus postage.
Managing Leadership. By Maj. Jim Stroup, USMC-Ret.
This is an essential guide to understanding what organizational
leadership really is and how to harness it to the services of
today’s organizations. It will show owners and managers how to take
back control of their organizations and direct them with effective,
no-nonsense managerial integrity.
iUniverse Inc., 2021 Pine Lake Road, Suite 100, Lincoln, NE 68512.
(877) 823-9235. ISBN 0-595-31551-8. 174 pp. $16.95 plus postage.
Swift, Silent, and Deadly: Marine Amphibious Reconnaissance in the
Pacific, 1942-1945. By Col Bruce F. Meyers, USMC-Ret.
Myers paints a colorful and accurate picture of the special recon
landings that preceded every major amphibious operation in the
Pacific during World War II. Credited with saving countless lives,
the Marine scouting missions went in stealthily at night from
submarines, PT boats, Catalinas, and high-speed transports. With
this book, World War II Marine recon landings are chronicled for the
first time.
Naval Institute Press, 291 Wood Road, Annapolis, MD 21402. (800)
233-8764.
www.navalinstitute.org. ISBN 1-59114-484-1. 216 pp. $26.95 plus
postage.
Cold War Fighter Pilot. By Capt. Harold Wade, USAF-Ret.
Wade’s book outlines his Air Force career with detailed descriptions
of flight in high performance trainers and fighters. Written for the
aviation enthusiast who wants to know what it is like to fly such
aircraft as seen through the eyes of an experienced pilot, and for
those military pilots who want to relive some of their experiences.
Trafford Publishing, Suite 6E, 2333 government Street, Victoria, BC
V8T 4P4, Canada. (888) 232-4444.
www.trafford.com. ISBN 141203202-4. 227 pp. $18.99 plus postage.
The B-47 Stratojet: Centurion of the Cold War. By Col.
Sigmund Alexander, USAF-Ret.
A history of the B-47 and its role in the Cold War, with particular
emphasis on the people who played such an important role in its
development and operation.
C.C.C.P. Publishing, 12110 Los Cerdon Drive, San Antonio, TX
78233-5953. (210) 653-5361.
Sigmund.alexander@worldnet.att.net. ISBN 0-9758808-02. 246 pp.
$32.00 postpaid.
B-47 Aircraft Losses. By Col. Sigmund Alexander, USAF-Ret.
Some 288 B47’s were lost during the Cold War. This is a history of
the losses. Included are articles and pictures of crashes and
excerpts from the SAC “Combat Crew” magazine that related to the
B-47.
C.C.C.P. Publishing, 12110 Los Cerdon Drive, San Antonio, TX
78233-5953. (210) 653-5361.
Sigmund.alexander@worldnet.att.net. ISBN 0-9758808-1-0. 92 pp.
$20.00 postpaid.
How I Became a Cajun. By Lt. Col. Edward Prejean Jr., USAF-Ret.
This is an historical, genealogical based, account describing the
dispersion of the Acadians, the confiscation of their property, the
brutal relocation of the people of Acadia, during the years ca. 1755
through ca. 1765 and the reestablishment of a certain segment of
these people we know today as Cajuns.
Available from the author, 11927 Warfield, San Antonio, TX 78216.
(830) 895-5494. ISBN TX-5-909-020. 238 pp. $12.00 plus postage.
Transat. By Col. Raff Rafferty, USA-Ret.
Rafferty presents the new ultimate mass transportation system
developed over a lifetime of thoughtful progression. The book is a
proposal to the people to create the Transat Corporation and design,
develop, construct, and operate this feasible but visionary system.
The system would allow trips from anywhere on earth to anywhere on
earth in only minutes! The proposal begins with a simulated ride
experience, continues with a description of its features,
illustrates the physics and mathematics of its operation, and
carries through the proposed development of the Transat Corporation
and its economics.
Xlibris Corp., 436 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19101. (888)
795-4274. www.xlibris.com. ISBN
1-4134-3652-8. 119 pp. $30.99 plus postage.
Commandants of the Marine Corps. By Col. Allan R. Millett,
USMC, and Jack Shulimson.
From personal papers and official documents, prominent historians of
the U.S. Marine Corps present essays here on the 27 commandants who
served the Corps between 1775 and 1983. Collectively, their essays
trace the history of the Marine Corps through the experiences of the
commandants and their support staff. Each essay describes a
commandant’s personality and analyzes his entire career with a focus
on his term as commandant. Frank assessments are offered of each
commandant’s performance and historical significance.
Naval Institute Press, 291 Wood Road, Annapolis, MD 21402. (800)
233-8764.
www.navilinstitute.org. ISBN 0-87021-012-2. 608 pp. $55.00 plus
postage.
Roads to Liberation from Oflag 64. By Lt. Col. Clarence R.
Meltesen, USA-Ret.
This is a narration of capture, treatment, and liberation of our
POWs held by the German Armed Forces in WWII. Starting in North
Africa, 1942, and ending on the Elbe River, 1945, it speaks for
enlisted men on arbeit, NCOs, and officers in stalags and oflags all
under a tight guard in hostile territory.
Available from the author, 810 Gonzalez Drive, Apt. 4-D, San
Francisco, CA 94132. (415) 584-0389. ISBN 0-9627005-3-3. 382 pp.
$25.00 postpaid.
MEMOIRS
Refined by Fire: A Family’s Triumph of Love and Faith. By
Lt. Col. Brian Birdwell, USA-Ret., and Mel Birdwell, with Ginger
Kolbaba.
When a hijacked jetliner slammed into the Pentagon on 9-11, Lt. Col.
Brian Birdwell was standing directly in its path. Instantly engulfed
in flames, the Bronze Star Gulf war veteran sustained
life-threatening burns to more than 60 percent of his body. This is
the story of a courageous soldier, of a wife who refused to let go
of her husband, no matter the odds, and of a young son who waited
for his father to come home. It’s the story of a family who went to
hell and back, yet continued to believe in God and his plan for
their lives. Thirty-plus operations and countless physical therapy
sessions later, Brian Birdwell is living proof that God doesn’t
waste our pain ant that our greatest tragedy can also make us
stronger.
Tyndale House Publishers Inc., 351 Executive Drive, Carol Stream, IL
60188. (800) 323-9400.
www.tyndale.com. ISBN 0-8423-8603-3. 225 pp. $12.99 plus
postage.
I Remember: Memories of Life and War. By Col. Donald H.
Goede Sr., USAF-Ret.
A journey of a man who turned his trumpet in for an airplane. The
story traces his humble beginnings in a small Wisconsin town to his
short-lived music career in the big band era and finally to his part
in World War II history. Included are fascinating and
thought-provoking stories with historical insights never privy to
the public about: Admiral Peary and his secret family in Greenland,
Roosevelt’s trip to Casablanca, Hitler’s secret ally, Switzerland,
and many more.
Morning Star Publications, P.O. Box 38055, Colorado Springs, CO
80937-8055. (719) 473-2858.
memoriesoflifeandwar@yahoo.com. ISBN 1-877128-24-7. 269 pp.
$16.95 postpaid.
Aardvarks and Rangers. By Col. Jim Roper, USAF-Ret.
Roper’s second book is another intense military memoir written like
an actions novel. He begins in a warm and dry F-111 cockpit, then
descends into the cold and wet misery of the infantry. As in Quoth
the Raven, Roper takes the reader into the shadowy domain of special
operations. When the Air Force threatens to convert the fighter
pilot protagonist into a chair-bound bureaucrat, his warrior
identity responds. Roper grabs a liaison job with the Army’s elite
Rangers and learns the meaning of hooah: hello, goodbye, yes, I
agree, anything but no. Finally, Roper shows the chaos of the
short-notice parachute jump into combat on Grenada, Operation Urgent
Fury.
PublishAmerica, P.O. Box 151, Frederick, MD 21701. (301) 695-1707.
www.publishamerica.com.
ISBN 1-4137-0679-7. 285 pp. $22.95 postpaid.
From Sailboats to Submarines. By Capt. Arthur Clark Bivens,
USN-Ret.
An absorbing naval adventure story including an informative and
personal account of the early days of nuclear submarine operations
that were vital to winning the Cold War. It includes humorous
anecdotes and disastrous events, spiced with romance and the
experiences of a Navy family.
Infinity Publishing.com., 1094 New Dehaven Street, Suite 100, West
Conshohocken, PA 19428-2713. (877) 289-2665.www.infinitypublishing.com.
ISBN 0-7414-2152-6. 290 pp. 21.45 postpaid.
Vietnam Vignettes: Tales of an Infantryman. By Maj. Lee
Basnar, USA-Ret.
This book tells the story of the grunts in the Vietnam War. It helps
explain why most who fought so bravely are still haunted by the
searing experience, and by the subsequent lack of public respect for
their exertions.
Booklocker.com Inc., P.O. Box 2399, Bangor, ME 04402-2399.
www.booklocker.com. ISBN
1-59113-512-5. 161 pp. $ 13.95 plus postage.
State of Grace: A Memoir of Twilight Time. By Capt. Robert
Timberg, USMC-Ret.
The Nightingale's Song was Timberg's extraordinary tale of
well-intentioned but ill-starred warriors. In State of Grace, his
long-awaited new book, he revives the powerful themes of courage,
manhood, and loss in a strikingly personal exploration of America
between the Good War and Vietnam. "It was the twilight of innocence,
or what passed for innocence if you didn't look too closely," he
writes. "America was at peace, peering confidently into the future,
when it should have been holding its breath for what lay ahead."
Free Press, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020. (800)
456-6798. www.simonsays.com.
ISBN 0-684-85561-5. 292 pp. $26.00 plus postage.
World War II B-24 “Snoopers”. By Lt. Stephen M. Perrone,
USA-Ret.
Using a secret low-altitude night-bombing radar bombsight, two B-24
Snooper squadrons sank well over a million tons of Japanese shipping
in the Pacific Theater. Each plane flew alone – search missions that
ranged over 1,500 miles of ocean are described by crewmembers, most
of them in their twenties, but some were teenagers at the time.
New Jersey Sportsmen’s Guides, P.O. Box 100, Somerdale, NJ
08083-2642. (856) 783-1271.
www.ww2b24smoopers.us. ISBN 1-887544-02-X. 296 pp. $22.50
postpaid.
Damn The Alligators: Full Speed Ahead! By Col. Porcher L.
Taylor Jr., USA-Ret.
Taylor relates an overall positive message through the multitude of
stories he weaves in his book. He shares his plethora of military
experience and depicts his time serving in both the Army and Navy.
Through three wars – World War II, Korea, and Vietnam – Taylor
fought for the safety of his country. He experienced a number of
trials and tribulations, but eventually, he grew as a person. The
things he saw and the life he lived placed him on the road to
becoming a “born-again” Christian. This process led to a positive
change in his life, and he hopes younger generations can experience
the same.
AuthorHouse, 1663 Liberty Drive, Suite 200, Bloomington, IN 47403.
(888) 519-5121.
www.authorhouse.com. ISBN 1-4107-9685-X. 376 pp. $25.50 plus
postage.
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