Uncle John's Bathroom Reader Salutes the Armed Forces

 Author's Summary

Uncle John takes aim at providing the heroic, historic, and entertaining stories of America’s five armed forces: Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard. Read about:

* A history of the draft
* Dog tags then and now
* Medal of Honor winners
* MASH: the true story
* Doolittle's Raid
* What it takes to pass the tests to be in the Special Forces
* Cartoon soldiers—Sad Sack, Sergeant Rock, and Beetle Bailey
* Start of Semper Fi
* The original Flying Tiger
* War (TV) is hell
* The birth of camoflauge and khaki
* And much more!

MWSA Review

MWSA 2009 Second Runner Up for Non-Fiction, Anthology

A wealth of knowledge for America's favorite reading room. I don't know who Uncle John is, but he certainly pulled together some great writers and some wonderful pieces of military facts, fiction, and lore when he put this book together.  Completely enjoyable from beginning to end, you will learn something in every sitting.  Every service is mentioned repeatedly, and actions from the amazingly heroic to the ridiculously stupid are given equal time.  Everything is simply written, easily formatted, and continuously refreshing and entertaining.  From the somber (Arlington) to the comedic (Beetle Bailey, Bob Hope), every aspect of military life is covered, and in such a way that the reader is both educated and entertained.

I especially liked the way the authors divide up large topics into easily manageable chapters appearing in different places in the book.  That keeps the reader from getting too much of any one topic at one time, and keeps things moving.  I also really enjoyed the little factoids at the bottom of each page, completely unrelated to the story.  These were always short but very interesting; an added bonus on each page.

Full of facts and fun, this is a must for any military member's bathroom, and will be heartily enjoyed by anyone who either served or just has a passing interest in the military.

Reviewed by: Rob Ballister (2009)