Memoir

Title: The Ghosts of Thua Thien, An American Soldier’s Memoir of Vietnam
Author: John A. Nesser
Genre: Non-Fiction, Memoir
Reviewer: Bill McDonald

ISBN (links go to the MWSA Amazon store): 0786433248

Drafted in October 1968, John A. Nesser left behind his wife and young son to fight in the controversial Vietnam War. Like many in his generation, he was deeply at odds with himself over the U.S. involvement in Vietnam, instilled with a strong sense of duty to his country but uncertain about its mission and his role in it.

Nesser was deployed to the Ashau Valley, site of some of the war's heaviest fighting, and served eight months as an infantry rifleman before transferring to become a door gunner for a Chinook helicopter. In this stirring memoir, he recalls in detail the exhausting missions in the mountainous jungle, the terror of walking into an ambush, the dull-edged anxiety that filled quiet days, and the steady fear of being shot out of the sky. The accounts are richly illustrated with Nesser's own photographs of the military firebases and aircraft, the landscapes, and the people he encountered.

Title: The Highway War: A Marine Company Commander in Iraq
Author: Seth Folsom
Genre: Non-Fiction, Memoir
Reviewer: Andrew Lubin

ISBN (links go to the MWSA Amazon store): B0048ELDPK

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.

Title: THE LADY AND THE TIGER: A memoir of Taiwan, the Republic of China
Author: Patricia Linder
Genre: Non-Fiction, Memoir
Reviewer: Bill McDonald

ISBN (links go to the MWSA Amazon store): 1418437743

Patricia Linder's newest book The Lady and the Tiger gives the reader and in-depth account of life in a foreign country during a politically uncertain time. The setting is Taiwan, Republic of China during the last days of the Mutual Defense Treaty in 1979. To the west is communist China, determined to reclaim this island it calls "a rogue province" and thereby, impose communist rule on what has been a democracy for thirty years. Rear Admiral James Linder, representing the U.S. government as the Commander of Taiwan Defense Forces, has been given the job of protecting the Republic of China from any such incursion. The Linders, acting upon official Department of Defense orders, take up residence in Taipei and the countdown begins. As the author deals with the challenges of the ways of the Far East, the time grows shorter for the safety of the Chinese and Taiwanese they have come to know and care about. On December fifteenth 1978, the Carter Administration abrogates the Treaty that guarantees Taiwan's safety, thus leaving the Island vulnerable to a communist attack. Riots ensue and lives are threatened.This is the story of a virtually unknown chapter of American history.

Title: Battlelines
Author: LtCol David B. Brown, USMC (Ret), Tiffany Brown Holmes
Genre: Non-Fiction, Memoir
Reviewer: Bill McDonald

ISBN (links go to the MWSA Amazon store): 0595366953

“In Battlelines, Lieutenant Colonel Dave Brown and his daughter, Tiffany, have captured the reality of war. Their chronicle of comradeship forged in the crucible of combat is a must-read for anyone who cares about soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines who fight our country’s battles.”
—Oliver L. North, Lieutenant Colonel, USMC (Ret.)
“Battlelines…is a tribute to the brave Marines of Fox Company, 2/5, who fought in some of the sharpest battles of the war. I fought alongside Dave Brown and his Marines, and can attest to the courage and tenacity displayed by the men of Fox Company.”

—Martin L. Brandtner, Lieutenant General, USMC (Ret.)

“Battlelines is a superb memoir on human behavior and the raw emotions felt by those who must constantly face the dangers of either closing or defending that last 600 meters against an aggressive, determined, and often-unseen enemy. Implicit in the telling is a portrait of unsurpassed courage, steadfastness, and a sense of mutual affection for one another that can only be derived from men who find themselves together under fire.”
—O. K. Steele, Major General, USMC (Ret.)

Title: My Son Is A Marine
Author: JoAnn Allen
Genre: Non-Fiction, Memoir
Reviewer: Bill McDonald

ISBN (links go to the MWSA Amazon store): ISBN / EAN

After enduring grueling weeks of boot camp, 18-year-old Marine Lance Corporal Aaron J. Allen threw his Class A cap into the air at graduation. He was ready to be deployed to the fiercest battle zone in Iraq, where terrorism has replaced conventional warfare and there is no clearly defined enemy.
Confronted by these conditions and the horrifying nightly news reports of fatalities, what can a mother do to protect her son from thousands of miles away? Jo Anne Allen chose to sustain herself and keep A.J. strong and safe using communication. In this timely book, she reminisces about A.J.'s childhood and the precious memories that are forever embedded in her heart. She uses her words to recreate the wonder of those times and replace the hugs and kisses of the past with stories full of love and faith.

Young Marines fighting for their lives alongside her son also find solace in Jo Anne's spiritual beliefs, nurturing hearts, and incredible peanut butter cookies.