Amazon.com
Though it's clearly written and intelligently put together, Child Safe is a difficult book to read--because of it's very gruesome thoroughness. Sections titled "The Dangers of Bunk Beds," "Carbon Monoxide: What Is It?," and "Lead Dust," not to mention "Choking," "Drowning," and "Falls" may make a person want to slam the book shut and run for the hills with child in tow. But it's this attentiveness to every horrific possibility that makes Child Safe such a useful book. Mark A. Brandenburg, an emergency physician, has put together a guide for parents who are serious about danger-proofing their little one's universe. New parents are forever learning of surprising threats to their child's safety; before you had kids, who knew balloons were such a problem? For most folks, this knowledge comes in dribs and drabs. A friend will explain that grapes are a choking hazard; a magazine article will mention that you might not want to let your daughter wear a necklace while she's on the playground. Brandenburg's book gathers all that information into one easy-to-use volume. The first section describes universal dangers, the second organizes potential threats by age group. Along the way, the doctor throws in plenty of scarifying tales from the ER. This may not be an easy book for parents to read, but it's probably a necessary one. --Claire Dederer
Book Description
Everyone who has children knows just how easily they can get hurt. Each year, for example, approximately 9,000 infants suffer injuries related to their high chairs. Thousands more are poisoned by common household substances. In total, more than 25 million children are injured annually, and more than 12,000 kids under the age of 14 succumb to their injuries. What makes these incidents even more tragic is that they can be prevented--if only parents knew how.
Well, now they will. Written by an emergency physician,
Child Safe is a practical parenting book that will help keep babies and young children out of trouble. It will help parents recognize the dangers to kids and provide concrete ways of preventing specific injuries.
Child Safe is the most complete, organized, and parent-friendly child-safety book ever written for the general public. It addresses the most pressing safety issues from birth to age 14, issues that change dramatically as a child grows up. This invaluable guide for parents, grandparents, teachers, childcare workers, and baby-sitters has the information to prevent millions of childhood injuries. Dr. Mark Brandenburg, with his years of experience, shows how to keep your "child safe."
Customer Reviews:
Comprehensive safety guide.......2001-08-13
Child Safe covers virtually every area of child safety and all age groups in an easy-to-read, approachable style. Written by an emergency room physician, it is filled with common and not-so-common hazards and ways to prevent the calamities that can result from these dangers. The information is sobering, but indispensible, for parents, caregivers, and relatives. We gave copies to both sets of grandparents so that they would understand how much more we know since they raised their children, and to give them a resource for learning how to make their own homes "child safe." This kind of information can be received much better by a mother-in-law, for example, when it comes from an "expert."
brandenburg= prophet.......2001-03-19
Dr. Mark Brandenburg--man or medical prophet? BOTH! As this book proves, Dr. Brandenburg is quite simply the Dr. Spock for the 21st Century. With hypnotic prose and horrifying cautionary tales, Dr. Brandenburg has crafted the parents bible for the millenium. This man is truly what doctors should be- a leader, father figure, and saint in surgical garb. God bless Dr. Brandenburg. I plan to journey to Tulsa to personally ask for Dr. Brandenburg's blessing. The holy power of this modern day mystic cannot be overestimated. His scalpel is guided from above. Read this book EVERYDAY.
Not your everyday book about child safety!.......2000-12-04
When it comes to keeping children safe, there is no limit to the amount of information that parents can receive.
At first glance, you may think that "Child Safe" is just another book about child safety hazards. But you'll be pleasantly surprised. From the moment you begin reading, you'll discover the wonderful gift that Dr. Mark Brandenburg has shared - a gift of simple, yet effective preventive measures you can take to help protect your children.
"Child Safe" is full of facts and safety information that is categorized into easy-to-read sections. You'll learn about the numerous safety hazards that exist for your children, as well as find a list of product recalls. Also included is a list of Child Safety Resources.
I particularly enjoyed the many personal comments and opinions made by Dr. Brandenburg throughout the book, which he supports with his experiences as an emergency room physician. His writing style is that of a close friend - direct, friendly, and easy-to-understand.
My ParenTime highly recommends "Child Safe" to parents and anyone concerned about children. Not only is it well-written and easy-to-read, you'll find it a wonderful guide that will be referred to often.
BabyLounge.com gives 5 pacifiers to Child Safe.......2000-05-01
If you're concerned about Child Safety (as you should be), but you're not exactly sure how to prevent your child from getting injured, then you've come to the right place.
Part I of this book is Non-Age Related Injuries where you will learn about the various dangers that are present in everyday life, and what you can do to prevent your child from getting injured. Everything from the safest automobiles to how to prevent home fires is covered.
Part II is Age-Related Injuries, where the chapters are conveniently broken down into: Infants (0-12 Months), Toddlers and Preschoolers (1-5 Years), and School-Age Children (6-13 Years). This section gives specific information on the types of dangers that are relevant for each of the aforementioned age ranges. The author highlights the most common ways that infants, toddlers, and preschoolers get hurt, and what you can do to prevent these injuries.
You may be surprised to learn how many potential dangers are lurking in your house, car, garage, playground, etc. Did you know that at least one child drowns in a bucket of water each week? Or that swallowing furniture polish can be deadly? The good news is that this book will help you to eliminate most of the dangers and make it less likely that your child will get hurt.
Child Safe is an excellent book and an invaluable guide for all parents, grandparents, and day-care providers. I highly recommend it!
An Excellent resource!.......2000-04-17
Dr. Brandenburg has written a book that is extremely informative. This is a user friendly book that you can use as a quick referrence guide or just read from beginning to end. I was very impressed and will recommend this book at every opportunity I have. Well done, Dr. Brandenburg!
Amazon.com
In the first significant engagement between American troops and the Viet Cong, 450 U.S. soldiers found themselves surrounded and outnumbered by their enemy. This book tells the story of how they battled between October 23 and November 26, 1965. Its prose is gritty, not artful, delivering a powerful punch of here-and-now descriptions that could only have been written by people actually on the scene. In fact, they were: Harold Moore commanded the men of the 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry, who did most of the fighting, and Joseph Galloway was the only reporter present throughout the battle's 34 harrowing days. We Were Soldiers Once... combines their memories with more than 100 in-depth interviews with survivors on both sides. The Battle of Ia Drang also highlights a technological advance that would play an enormous role in the rest of the war: this was perhaps the first place where helicopter-based, air-mobile operations demonstrated their combat potential. At bottom, however, this is a tale of heroes and heroism, some acts writ large, others probably forgotten but for this telling. It was a bestseller when first published, and remains one of the better books available on combat during the Vietnam War. --John J. Miller
Book Description
Each year, the Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps selects one book that he believes is both relevant and timeless for reading by all Marines. The Commandant's choice for 1993 was
We Were Soldiers Once . . . and Young.
In November 1965, some 450 men of the 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry, under the command of Lt. Col. Hal Moore, were dropped by helicopter into a small clearing in the Ia Drang Valley. They were immediately surrounded by 2,000 North Vietnamese soldiers. Three days later, only two and a half miles away, a sister battalion was chopped to pieces. Together, these actions at the landing zones X-Ray and Albany constituted one of the most savage and significant battles of the Vietnam War.
How these men persevered--sacrificed themselves for their comrades and never gave up--makes a vivid portrait of war at its most inspiring and devastating. General Moore and Joseph Galloway, the only journalist on the ground throughout the fighting, have interviewed hundreds of men who fought there, including the North Vietnamese commanders. This devastating account rises above the specific ordeal it chronicles to present a picture of men facing the ultimate challenge, dealing with it in ways they would have found unimaginable only a few hours earlier. It reveals to us, as rarely before, man's most heroic and horrendous endeavor.
Customer Reviews:
We Were Soldiers Once and Young.......2007-09-24
This book is the best reflection of some of my personal experiences in Vietnam that I have read. If one really wants to truly know what it was like ,read this book. I especially like the fact that Hal Moore is a true soldier's soldier.These kind of leaders are special men and quickly earn the respect of their men. I also liked the fact of his follow up, after coming home, with the familys of the men he lost. The thumnail sketch at the end of the book of each surviving man shows how much he thought of his troops !!
We were ROTC graduates together, but he gave his life for our country.......2007-05-13
The book is an excellent story about the glory and the gore of any war. I only recently discovered that one of the company commanders in this story was a fellow classmate of mine. Col. Moore gave this person high praise for his leadership skills in battle. My friend survived this conflict but went on to give his life on his second, and VOLUNTARY, tour of duty in Vietnam. And he was a foreign born, naturalized citizen of this, his adopted country, as well.
We were Soldiers Once...And Young: Ia Drang--The Battle That Changed The War In Vietnam.......2007-01-10
For a clear and comprehensive understanding of what a major battle looked like from the ground and from both sides of a conflict, this is an highly informative book. It's detailed depiction leaves one with a deeper understanding of how horrible war really is and just what we ask soldiers to do when we send them to fight for their countries.
Gripping true to life..........2007-01-04
I finished the book over a month ago-I usually don't review at all-
& especially with the top review from Ramon A. Nadal who participated
in the battle-[much respect]
However I thought it was a pretty even-handed account of the battle-policies of the time & emotional content wasn't overdone.
I prefer documentery style books/movies etc...
It wasn't masked by any 60's rhetoric of the times-
which is nice-altho it was very "in the moment".
I wanted to get a feel for real combat-as opposed to soldiers as numbers- as Im actively opposing aggressive wars in Afghanistan & Iraq.
John Findlay
Story of Determination and Sacrifice.......2006-12-12
Books come to me in some odd ways. While walking through a small bookstore in Newark Penn Station, not necessarilly intent on buying a book, I found a copy of We Were Soldiers Once, on the bottom shelf. Having seen the movie by Mel Gibson, I was intrigued. Whenever possible, after visiting Hollywood for history, I always go back to the history to discover the gaps, the real interpretations, and unltimately, what really happened.
In this case, I am very glad I picked it up off that bottom shelf.
For anyone looking for a glamourized version of war, this is not it. Throughout the narrative each soldier who fell is mentioned, where they were from, their kin, and how they died. There are places where each paragraph for a number of pages references a fallen comrade. You can't help but feel connected to those brave men, especially when you read of their hometowns... places you recognize.
For the first major combat operation of the Vietnam War, it certainly defined the war. And for those were thrown into La Drang, it is an experience they cannot forget. Despite being a detailed account of the battle, with all the nuances that would make a military historian proud, I couldn't put it down. In fact, in more than one occasion, I resented my train for arriving on schedule.
Equally impressive was the time devoted to the Vietnamese perspective. We conveniently think of our enemies as marching robots, but if anything, Col. Moore paints a picture of an enemy that was struggling with the difficulties of battle and the realities of the battlefield.
If you are interested in a highly engaging battle account, especially of a battle so pivotal in the history of our involvement in Vietnam. And if, as a background, you are intrigued with how our military strategy evolved in such a short period - from amassing troops to using air cover, this is a book you will want to read.
Finally, if you are simply interested in learning about the men who gave the last full measure of their devotion to their fellow soldiers and their country, pick it up. Don't let this volume sit on the bottom shelf of a bookstore.
Book Description
Each year, the Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps selects one book that he believes is both relevant and timeless for reading by all Marines. The Commandant's choice for 1993 was
We Were Soldiers Once . . . and Young.
In November 1965, some 450 men of the 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry, under the command of Lt. Col. Hal Moore, were dropped by helicopter into a small clearing in the Ia Drang Valley. They were immediately surrounded by 2,000 North Vietnamese soldiers. Three days later, only two and a half miles away, a sister battalion was chopped to pieces. Together, these actions at the landing zones X-Ray and Albany constituted one of the most savage and significant battles of the Vietnam War.
How these men persevered--sacrificed themselves for their comrades and never gave up--makes a vivid portrait of war at its most inspiring and devastating. General Moore and Joseph Galloway, the only journalist on the ground throughout the fighting, have interviewed hundreds of men who fought there, including the North Vietnamese commanders. This devastating account rises above the specific ordeal it chronicles to present a picture of men facing the ultimate challenge, dealing with it in ways they would have found unimaginable only a few hours earlier. It reveals to us, as rarely before, man's most heroic and horrendous endeavor.
From the Hardcover edition.
Customer Reviews:
Not really a history...........2007-10-09
This book, while very popular and included on the US Army Chief of Staff's "Professional Reading List, is a mixed bag. There's lots of action, shooting, firefights, etc., and Col. Moore did get some of the NVA perspective as well. The maps are pretty good, and are useful to consult while reading this. After reading this book, I came away with a feeling of awe and near disbelief about what these very young soldiers had to go through, what they endured, and how many were killed. The problem, however, is that after awhile, the book reads like one non-stop chronicle of firefights and NVA assaults. There is not enough structural framework to the narrative once the battle starts. If the fighting was confusing to the GI's in the jungle where the battle was fought, how much more so to the reader 40 years later, not having seen the ground. The book suffers from what many do, especially by 1st time authors--it keeps EVERYTHING in, and leaves nothing out. The book could have used some editing of the repletion, and needs to have a much better organization of events. I kept asking myself, "why are the soldiers there?" "Why did they send in such a small force, and not reinforce in greater #'s?" Moore never really provides this.
Of some interest.......2007-06-24
This is an account of the first large scale encounter between the North Vietnamese Army and the Americans. Prior to this battle the Viet Cong had fought against the Army of the Republic of Vietnam.(ARVN) The success of the Viet Cong had led the North Vietnamese to think that they could win the war by conventional means in 1965. They started to send large detachment of troops down the Ho Chi Min trail. The command problems the North Vietnamese faced was that it took literaly months for their troops to travel the length of the trail. The original plan which led to this battle was for the North Vietnamese to blockade a large town and then to ambush the ARVN relief column.
The problem was that whilst the units were moving down the trail America committed large numbers of units to the war. This battle was not only an experiment for the North Vietnamese it also was for the Americans. Previously the French had problems in fighting the Vietnamese. Although they had modern forces their units were slow and the Vietnamese could make decisions about when to give battle. The Americans developed the notion of "Air Cavalary". Helicopter born infantry which could be quickly dropped in areas in which enemy troops were concentrated. This battle was the first combat experiance of Air Cavalary.
Broadly what happened was that the North Vietnamese units failed in their attempt to trap an ARVN column. The Americans dropped an air cavalary unit in an area which had concentrations of the units which had been involved in this attack. The North Vietnamese had a superiority in numbers of troops but no artillery or air support. They decided to attack anyway. There were two distinct battles. One was an attempt to destroy a unit of 400 Air Cavalary troops which initially landed. This was not succesfull as the Americans were able to use artillery and air support to destroy the attacking North Vietnamese. The second was a ambush of American relief forces had been landed and decided to retreat after the completion of the first battle.
The result overall of the engagement was inconclusive although it led to both sides thinking that they could win. The Americans inflicted a kill ration of something like 12 to 1. As a result the American commander thought that he could win a battle of attrition. It was from this battle that the search and destroy missions and body counts came from. The North Vietnamese although came out of the battle thinking that they could win. Despite the lack of artillery support and air support they had badly cut up one American column and they had inflicted casualties on the other.
The book is pretty much an oral history of both battles. Like any oral history it gives a fragmented picture of what went on as it moves from one eye witness account to another. Not surprisingly as the book is written by an American the account has the veneer of heroism over it. Although in any battle there are different types of heroism. Whilst the American troops were clearly brave and the dependence on supply by helicopter meant that the troops on the ground were not supplied with water(preferance was given to ammunition)the North Vietnamese had to fight with light weapons against a vastly better armed enemy.
On every Servicemember's Reading List.......2007-06-13
Battles achieve legendary status - however as modern times proceed, we don't hold the same reverence that we do to those battles from the time of Napolean to Gettysburg to Normady. This battle is on the same grounds and deserves the same reverence of how war was fought. Every military history buff and military strategist must read this account.
we were soldiers.......2007-01-18
A compelling story about emotions of soldiers and their families before, during and after return from their tour of duty in Vietnam.
We Were Soldiers Once.... and I Was too........2006-06-30
This is a prizewinning after-action-report and a fine account of our soldiers in action. I fought during Tet, and I know how brutal it was. This book made me tremble, but I feel great pride. All should read.
Book Description
In November 1965, some 450 men of the 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry, under the command of Lt. Col. Hal Moore, were dropped by helicopter into a small clearing in the Ia Drang Valley They were immediately surrounded by 2,000 North Vietnamese soldiers. Three days later, only two and a half miles away, a sister battalion was chopped to pieces. Together these actions constituted one of the most savage and significant battles of the Vietnam War.
The story of how these men persevered paints a vivid portrait of war at its most inspiring and devastating. General Moore and Joseph Galloway, the only journalist on the ground throughout the fighting, interviewed hundreds of men who fought there, including the North Vietnamese commanders. This devastating account rises above the specific ordeal it chronicles to present a picture of men facing the ultimate challenge, dealing with it in ways they would have found unimaginable only a few hours earlier. It reveals to us, as rarely before, man's most heroic and horrendous endeavor.
read by Johnny Heller
Customer Reviews:
Excellent book on tape.......2006-08-18
The movie was great, but the book (on tape) was much more intense and horrifying. I highly recommend this book to everyone!
Classic Book - Superb in Audiobook Format.......2005-10-25
I thoroughly enjoyed this story on a recent family trip across country. I was surprised when my wife, who is usually not interested in war stories, became immersed in the book. I only wish it was available in CD-Rom format.
it stays with you even after you've read it.......2004-11-06
This book is a very real and truthful account of what happened. I read it in a few days and could not put it down. The story goes into the lives of the men there and you will be horrified, stunned, and angry. This book is impossible to read as an outsider; it draws you in and stays with you for a while afterward. The personal accounts are so chilling and real. Also, the lives of the families at home, the political happenings and the aftermath confront you with shocking realizations.
Powerful.......2003-01-12
I have never read a book that i could not put down,i bought this book yesterday 1/10/03 and just finished it now 1/11/03. My heart goes out to those American Soldiers who were in this battle and how brave and galently they fought,i had never heard of this battle until i saw the movie,i wanted to find out the facts as to what happened in the battle.This book told me everything down to the last detail.This is a book everyone should read to see what its really like in battle.That battle and bravery our soldiers will stay with me forever.
History All Americans Should Know.......2002-11-14
I recommend this honest and very straight forward book to all who care to know more about the Vietnam conflict. As a kid who was born in the 1960's, my appreciation of the soldiers who fought and gave their lives has been limited to the various movies and stories of the era.
The authors of this book have done an incredible job gathering information from their fellow soldiers (and in some cases those soldiers families) in order to convey and portray what can only be described as an incredibly poignant account of their experiences.
I know that this will be a story I will one day recommend that my own children read in an effort to improve their understanding of the sacrafices such brave people have made for the sake of our continued freedom.
Book Description
A #1 New York Times Bestseller
In 1965, 450 were dropped into the Ia Drang Valley. Immediately surrounded by 2,000 North Vietnamese soldiers, they faced nearly certain destruction. How these men survived is a vivid portrait of war at its most devastating and inspiring.
Included in Core 6 only.
Customer Reviews:
Go get it.......2005-02-01
This book was outstanding it took a very large ordeal and shrunk it to the story of the 1st battalion, 7th cavalry. And the personal accounts that these people had in the Ia Drang valley in Vietnam. This was one of the most significant events in America's history. There were some 450 men in this battalion; they were immediately surrounded by some 2000 Vietnamese soldiers that would only stop fighting when they were all dead. It told the story of the unselfishness that our American soldiers have for each other; probably one of the most touching events through out the book. These soldiers cared for each other all the way through the battle.
I recommend this book to people who like attention grabbing books because this was definitely one of them. Also if you like learning about Americas history this is the book for you it hits many points and makes you question what we did and why did we do it. I personally don't like to read but this book was well worth it and I did not want to put it down once I started reading it. So I do highly recommend this to everyone it's a great read full of action and now I want to go rent the movie to see all the action that I visualized while reading. So don't sit there and read anymore of this and go get the book what are you waiting for? Go get it now...
Will bring a new respect for the american soldier..........2004-02-14
This is a great book. It will put many things into prospective for you. I would definitely recommend this book, though at times it is hard to keep up with the store with so many different viewpoints by other soldiers. Over all this is an excellent book.
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