Book Reviews

Title: From Geordie Land to No Mans Land
Author: George Russell Elder/Vivienne Toon
Genre: Memoir
Reviewer: Mike Mullins

ISBN (links go to the MWSA Amazon store): B005UNQG5A

In writing his `one and only' book, George Elder, a proud Geordie, detailed
many of his experiences endured whilst serving in the British Army during
World War 1. Many of his tales would not have been appreciated by his peers,
but they actually happened and would have been recognised by the common
soldier. From Geordie Land to No Mans land was written to inform his family,
friends and anyone buying his book of the real life events that occurred. How
an ordinary man survived 4 years in the front line experiencing the horrors
of war that most of us could not imagine, enduring many privations such as
mud, cold, hunger, thirst and fear of imminent death all around him. George
maintained his spirit by forming a close bond with his fellow Geordies even
refusing to be transferred to Hospital in case he could not return to his
original unit. His description of the intensity of shell fire that we have
seen in pictures of the battlefields of Flanders and the Somme bring to life
how men endured the unendurable, how men lived as animals, how men coped with
all the privations of the battlefield. What he doesn't describe is how he
coped with life immediately after the war, when he returned to civilian life.
His post war diary did detail the problems his family faced with sickness and
lack of money, but as we are now aware of the post Falklands and the Gulf
wars the physiological effects on men is a story in itself. Coping with
ordinary life after 4 years of war living on the edge in fear of imminent
death would have been a major issue for George and his family.

Title: Seven Lives to Repay Our Country
Author: Edward Carpenter
Genre: Historical Fiction/Short Story
Reviewer: Joyce Faulkner

ISBN (links go to the MWSA Amazon store): B0055KT73G

The battle of Saipan pitted US Marines and Allied soldiers against the island's Japanese defenders in one of the bloodiest battles in the Pacific War. In this short story written by a US Marine, a pair of Japanese soldiers on Saipan confront the inevitability of defeat in different ways.

This story mixes fact and fiction to examine the nature of humanity in modern warfare. Please note that this is a short story, written as a submission to the Kindle Singles collection, and priced accordingly. It is 9 pages long (approx. 3000 words) and contains author's notes that highlight the historical and fictional influences that drove the story.

I hope you enjoy the story, and thank you for supporting independent, self-published literature. Your candid reviews, Tweets, blog posts, Facebook sharing and recommendations to friends are all greatly appreciated!

Title: That Time, That Place, That War
Author: Margaret Brown
Genre: History
Reviewer: Marcia Sargent

ISBN (links go to the MWSA Amazon store): B0060LXHH6

THAT TIME, THAT PLACE, THAT WAR by Margaret Brown is a book for every American's bookshelf, a book that reveals the Vietnam War, not as a war book or a political book--though it addresses both evenhandedly--but as a human book: a book of human life during war shown by those who fought. The author shares the code of Vietnam using the grunts' words, photos and poetry. Her hope is that her book "unlocks the door that separates the soldiers who went to war from those who love them and from those who want to learn about history."

Title: The Frugal Book Promoter: How to get nearly free publicity on your own or by partnering with your publisher
Author: Carolyn Howard-Johnson
Genre: How-to/Business
Reviewer: Nancy Rail

ISBN (links go to the MWSA Amazon store): 1463743297

The second edition of The Frugal Book Promoter is an updated version of the multi award-winning first edition. It has been expanded to include simple ways to promote books using newer technology, always considering promotion and marketing techniques that are easy on the pocketbook and frugal of time. It also includes a multitude of ways for authors and publishers to promote the so-called hard-to-promote genres.

The award-winning author of poetry and fiction draws on a lifetime of experience in journalism, public relations, retailing, marketing, and the marketing of her own books to give authors the basics they need for do-it-yourself promotion and fun, effective approaches that haven't been stirred and warmed over, techniques that will rocket their books to bestselling lists.

You'll also learn to write media releases, query letters and a knock 'em dead media kit--all tools that help an author find a publisher and sell their book once it's in print.

We all know that book promotion (and life!) has changed since The Frugal Book Promoter was first published in 2004--particularly in ways that have to do with the Web, but in other ways, too. As an example, the publishing world in general is more open to indie publishing now than it was then. So, this update but includes lots of information on ways to promote that were not around or were in their infancy a few short years ago. So here is what is new:

There is new information in this expanded and updated edition that answers questions like these:
·What is Carolyn's simplified method for making social networks actually work--without spending too much time away from my writing?
·How can I avoid falling into some of the scam-traps for authors?
·How can I get into one of those big tradeshows like BEA?
·What are the best "old-fashioned" ways to promote--the ones I shouldn't give up on entirely?
·There is even an updated section on how you go about writing (and publishing) an award-worthy book. And, of course, you'll find it loaded with resources you can use--but they're all updated.
·How can I use the new QR codes to promote my book to mobile users? And to others?
·What are the pitfalls of using the Web and how can I avoid them?
·What are the backdoor methods of getting reviews--even long after my book has been published?

Title: DOD SECURITY CLEARANCES AND CONTRACTS GUIDEBOOK-What Cleared Contractors Need to Know About Their Need to Know
Author: Jeffrey W. Bennett, ISP
Genre: How-to/Business
Reviewer: Edward Cox

ISBN (links go to the MWSA Amazon store): 1936800993

Can you keep a secret? Do you know how to get and maintain a personnel clearance (PCL) or facility clearance (FCL)? Turn your passion for business into performing classified work for Uncle Sam. Get a security clearance and perform classified work. What DoD Contractors Need to Know about Their Need to Know It's tough to focus on both creating a company to last and performing under strict government guidelines. Getting classified contracts, requesting security clearances and remaining compliant are all vital to a cleared contractor's success.
But...Just one mistake can cost a defense contractor current and future contracts. Until now, there has been no one place to find everything you need to know about security clearances. Many defense contractors and employees don't understand how to get their clearances and compete for classified work. The DoD Security Clearance and Contracts Guidebook brings together information from Presidential Executive Orders, National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual (NISPOM), International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR) and other regulations to demonstrate how to establish and maintain a successful security program.
Whether you are part of a business or an employee, this book will demonstrate both the security clearance process and how to perform on classified contracts. The DoD Security Clearance and Contracts Guidebook helps cleared contractors understand the security clearance process and develop award winning security programs to win and keep classified contracts. It is a good companion for all seasoned and novice defense contractors, Facility Security Officers (FSO) and the college student.
With the DoD Security Clearance and Contracts Guidebook, Defense contractors now have a resource to confidently pursue classified contracts. This book is complete with: Step by step guide demonstrating how to meet requirements for security clearances Description of senior leader responsibilities in security cleared facilities Comprehensive list 0f Cleared contractor administrative responsibilities Method for reducing costs associated with protecting classified information and NISPOM requirements Description of award winning FSO qualities DoD Security Clearance and Contracts Guidebook demonstrates how cleared contractors can protect program information through: Building award winning security programs Understanding international operations Improving Defense Security Services (DSS) inspection results Winning the Cogswell award DoD Security Clearance and Contracts Guidebook contains expansive discussion on how security professionals and FSOs can: Build skills as a security specialist or FSO Gain access to valuable resources for security programs Prepare for the ISP Certification exam Students will: Improve understanding of national security Learn new career opportunities Have a valuable resource for homeland security studies. book, submitted by the author.