Average customer rating:
- a good memoir to read if you want more information on the Vietnam War
- The war in Vietnam
- Wolff Is a Master Storyteller--Period!
- Gave me valuable insight and focus into a confusing part of my own life.
- Welcome home, SF...
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In Pharaoh's Army: Memories of the Lost War
Tobias Wolff
Manufacturer: Vintage
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ASIN: 0679760237
Release Date: 1995-09-26 |
Amazon.com
In This Boy's Life Tobias Wolf created an unforgettable memoir of an American childhood. Now he gives us a precisely and sometimes pitilessly remembered account of his young manhood - a young manhood that become entangled in the tragic adventure that was Vietnam. Mordantly funny, searingly honest,
In Pharoah's Army is a war memoir in the tradition of George Orwell and Michael Herr.
Book Description
Whether he is evoking the blind carnage of the Tet offensive, the theatrics of his fellow Americans, or the unraveling of his own illusions, Wolff brings to this work the same uncanny eye for detail, pitiless candor and mordant wit that made This Boy's Life a modern classic.
Customer Reviews:
a good memoir to read if you want more information on the Vietnam War.......2007-08-29
I read the back of this book and got very interested in it. I have read a few other books about the Vietnam War and this book was mentioned. It was a good experience reading this book from the man's point of view. I really felt like I was there with him and his platoon--in the mud, in the gungle, in a helecopter--where ever the author was.
The war in Vietnam.......2007-08-27
Wolff manages to bring the war in Vietnam into focus with sharply observed events from his tour there. As merciless with himself as he is with the entire US effort, he shows us just how foreign Vietnam was and still is for us, how brutish our presence was even when well meaning, and how doomed it was, probably from the start.
Wolff Is a Master Storyteller--Period!.......2007-04-02
I've said it before and I'll keep saying it--if you are not reading Tobias Wolff you are only cheating yourself. The man simply does not write anything less than absolutely mesmerizing. I assure you, that is not an exaggeration.
This latest work of Wolff's I've read is called In Pharaoh's Army. It is a memoir offering us what lead to his taking part in the Vietnam War, his actual tour, and then the aftermath. Now having read all of Wolff's work, I purposefully saved this one for last because I mistakenly believed I'd like it the least.
I loved this book. Those of us born after the war have a notion of what Vietnam was like thanks to Hollywood movies, but Wolff gives us a totally different perspective, though no less horrific. Wolff's memoir deals with the one thing nobody likes to talk about too much--fear. He was afraid to go. He was afraid while he was there. And when he got back, he was afraid of what he'd become. Wolff is not a weak man, you'll gather that from his recounts, he simply does not bother to hide the fact that he was counting down the minutes until he got home, and he just wanted to stay alive.
Each of Wolff's chapters are like mini-stories, and they each offer the hilarity, absurdity, and sometimes tragedy of his life during that time. I was surprised at how much of the book is spent leading up to his deployment and then his eventual return. I'd say only half of the book actually deals with his actual time in Vietnam.
As I've said, I've never experienced anything like this book and I completely recommend you read it if you are interested in either Wolff himself, the Vietnam War, or in the form and style of a masterly rendered memoir.
Please, do us both a favor--read something by Tobias Wolff.
Gave me valuable insight and focus into a confusing part of my own life........2007-01-03
The VietNam War, the politics, social uproar, confusion, riots, protests, etc. formed the background--on TV-- of my young teen years, yet since I was at the tail end of the baby boom, none of my peers were old enough to be drafted or enlist. I grew up feeling like "Viet Nam" was a bad movie I wandered into during the middle of and thought it would never end. I'd been too young to participate, but not too young to avoid a lingering and draining sense of guilt and anger.
Somehow,reading Wolff's book helped me look back at that period in my life and see more clearly, and helped me to put "Viet Nam" in a context and make use of the guilt by feeling gratitude for those who carried out their missions in spite of it all, and to use the anger to try to prevent our old men(and women)from sending more young men and women on a useless mission. (Looks like we're going down that road again, though).
Although it's not an absolute necessity, I think I understood Pharaoh's Army more deeply by having read This Boy's Life. As others have mentioned, Wolff's writing is lean, direct and honest. He has an ability to be objectively observant about himself.
Welcome home, SF..........2006-11-06
The intriguing title of Tobias's 'tour guide' captures the feel that fellow Nam combat vet Joe Haldeman also captured in his Sci Fi classic, and Vietnam War allegory, The Forever War.
In Joe's novel, the Government back on Earth were so far removed from the deep space battles that were daily occuring many light years away, that the absence of real-time command and control made the war a fiasco for the troops at the end of the line.
Likewise, if you talk to any Nam vets, the Vietnam War was being run by a totally out of touch (in every sense) Government that was attempting to run things from 12,000 miles away. The constant and erratic political interference with the tactical situation (Vietnam was never fought as a strategic war until the Linebacker II air campaign in December, 1972) seems to have reminded Tobias of the way the Egyptian Army of old became so remote from the commands of the Pharaoh that their war also felt pointless for the combat soldier in the field.
A wonderfully honest book, that examines the war up close, for good or for bad, and which is a welcome addition to the many fine books penned by combat vets and military nurses (please check out Army Nurse Susan O'Neill's magnificent Don't Mean Nothing) that really put you in the middle of war in all of its madness and futility.
Bravo.
Average customer rating:
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In Pharaohs Army Memories of a Lost War
Tobias Wolff
Manufacturer: Bloomsbury
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0747519196 |
Book Description
A historical and repair guide to Black Forest clocks with numerous catelog reprints. Plus original illustrations. Includes considerable text on repairing, dating and identifying Black Forest cuckoo clocks. Also contains information on Black Forest Trumpeter clocks.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent Book for Collectors.......2000-08-28
This is an excellent book for collectors and people wanting information on the history of the cuckoo clock. The writing is clear and precise and the diagrams are easy to follow.
A good basic overview of the German Cuckoo Clocks........1998-02-01
Offers the industry's history (including machinery), many tips about the adjustment and restoration of these clocks, tools needed, etc. Photos of unusual clocks and the factories. A "must have" for those interested in, or repairing, the German Cuckoo Clocks.
Average customer rating:
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FORTUNE FAVOURS THE BRAVE: The Battles for the Hook, Korea 1952-53: The Commonwealth Brigade in the Korean War
A Barker
Manufacturer: Pen and Sword
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0850528232 |
Book Description
A Korean ridge known as the Hook was the scene of three epic battles in late 1952 and early 1953. Each battle involved a different distinguished regiment: the 7th U.S. Marines and Britain's Black Watch and Duke of Wellington's Regiment. With the 50th anniversary of the Korean War under way, a new generation of readers will be fascinated and moved by these desperate battles against heavy odds.
Customer Reviews:
Couldn't put it down!.......2000-01-05
I totally fell in love with Kieran and the way he put Beau Anna first.They worked so well together.I had a terrible time stopping,so I didn't.I read till I finished.I like the way B J James writes that I looked for more in this series.The problem...can't find them! Need more in this series...I'm HOOKED!
Absolutely wonderful!.......1999-07-02
AGENT OF THE BLACK WATCH is classic BJ James, full of the elements her devoted fans have come to expect from the Black Watch. Kieran O'Hara is not only one of the "World's Most Eligible Bachelors," but another of those incredibly dedicated, honorable, and compelling heroes James creates. And in Beau Anna Cahill, Kieran has certainly met his match. Sparks fly between this Black Watch hero and the equally strong-willed heroine, as Kieran seeks to unmask a serial killer and to protect the woman he loves at the same time. Add to that heart-pounding tension a glorious setting, lots of mood and atmosphere, and deftly drawn secondary characters, and you have another James masterpiece.
BJ James' books are always a reader's delight. This is no exception. DON'T DARE MISS THIS ONE!
Customer Reviews:
Enjoyable & Interesting Book.......2002-04-14
If you are into US Air Force equipment and history then this will be a very interesting and fun book for you. The book covers both the aircraft that have been used over the past 35 years to gather intelligence and the missions the crews undertake. The book focuses on the jet age and really spends its time the aircraft that were in use when the book was published, the U2 and the SR 71. The author does a great job of describing the aircraft and the corresponding pictures within the book are a great help. I was also very impressed with the detail he goes into with the types of missions the US is performing now.
The author does a good job with his writing, at times when describing aircraft performance etc it is difficult to make it fun to read, but this author did it. With JSTARS and the unmanned craft now in use this book is a bit dated, but it offers a great review of the U2 and SR 71 plus an interesting view at what was to come out in the 90's - equipment we are seeing being used today. This is an interesting book and one for the collection.
Average customer rating:
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BLACK WATCH, RED DAWN: The Hong Kong Handover to China
Neil Craig
Manufacturer: Brassey's UK
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Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 1857532600 |
Book Description
'Black Watch, Red Dawn' is a glimpse behind the faade of pomp and circumstance that became familiar from the TV and newspaper images that we saw over those few days. Illustrated with a large variety of photographs, it makes human what was a great episode in the histories of both Britain and China.
A record in word and image - of a place, a time and a unique event. The Handover of Hong Kong to China.
Customer Reviews:
One of my favorite authors does it again!.......2000-04-29
BJ James' NIGHT MUSIC is classic James. I was hooked from the incredibly intriguing Prologue and came away from the Epilogue with a sense of closure and satisfaction that is the hallmark of a great read. Along the way, I enjoyed the magic of what James does so well--creating the strongest possible sense of time and place for her characters to act out their story.
And what a story this one is. Kate and Devlin are two strong, highly skilled people, both of whom have been battered by loss and by guilt. Only through their developing love for one another are they able to find self-forgiveness.
I can't think of another author who gives me as much story, character development, and atmosphere as James. The fact that she manages all that--and manages it so well--within a short category Desire speaks volumes for her talent.
This book is not to be missed. Of course, none of hers are! I hope you have already discovered that. If not, enjoy NIGHT MUSIC and you certainly will.
Customer Reviews:
Wonderful.......1998-06-23
The entire Black Watch series of BJ James is absolutely amazing. The women are strong, independent heros. You will fall in love with all of her characters. This particular novel is absolutely heartbreaking and a wonderful "curl up by the fire" addition to any library.
Customer Reviews:
RESCUED BY HER KIDNAPPER!.......2002-02-08
MATTHEW WINTER SKY IS A DANGEROUS MAN WORKING UNDERCOVER IN A BIKER GANG. PATIENCE O'HARA IS A VETERINARIAN ON VACATION WHOSE CAR BREAKS DOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DESERT. NATURALLY, THE BIKER GANG HAPPENS UPON HER AND MATTHEW (AKA "INDIAN") RESCUES HER AND CLAIMS HER AS HIS WOMAN. THEY TRAVEL AND CAMP WITH THE BIKERS FOR OVER A MONTH WHILE MATTHEW WATCHES AND WAITS FOR INFORMATION TO BRING DOWN THE GANG. OVER THIS TIME, PATIENCE DISCOVERS THINGS ABOUT HIM THAT DON'T ADD UP. HE IS NOT CRUEL OR ROUGH WITH HER, HE MAKES SURE SHE HAS AS MUCH COMFORT AS IS POSSIBLE IN SUCH A RUGGED ENVIRONMENT. SHE DEDUCES MANY THINGS BY INTUITION, AND MATTHEW, BEING PART APACHE, RESPECTS HER FOR THIS. THEY OVERCOME THEIR SUSPICIONS OF EACH OTHER, AND OF COURSE, LOVE HELPS. THE AUTHOR IS A LITTLE "WORDY" AT TIMES, FOR ME, GOING ABOVE WHAT IS NECESSARY IN DESCRIBING DETAILS OR IN CONVERSATIONS BUT ALL IN ALL, IT WAS A VERY GOOD BOOK.
Customer Reviews:
A split second in time.........2002-03-15
For one split second, Valentina O'Hara hesistated. In that second, her lover and swat partner lost his life. Ever since Valentina has felt the need to atone. Through the Black Watch regiment, she uses her sniper abilities to take down deadly enemies. Now, the life of a kidnapped child will rely on her skill, courage, and compassion.
Rafe Courtenay, Godfather of the kidnapped child, follows after Valentina. At first he judges her cold and without compassion. But in the two nights traveling, Valentina's dreams reveals to him a heart torn and troubled by an unknown past. He finds he needs Valentina and goes after her to win her love and trust, and in the process, to give her healing.
BJ James books are short, tight,and always pack a punch. Her words are not "purple" but very poetic, emotional, and gets her characters emotions across without alot of sidetracking. For those of you who have read Nora Robert short books, I would recommend the BJ James books. This book is OOP but worth finding. Hunt and Enjoy!
Books:
- In the Pit with Piper: Roddy Gets Rowdy
- Inside Hitler's Germany: A Documentary History of Life in the Third Reich (Modern History)
- John Quincy Adams: (The American Presidents Series)
- Kafka: The Decisive Years
- Last Gift of Time
- Laura Bush: An Intimate Portrait of the First Lady
- Let's Roll!: Ordinary People, Extraordinary Courage
- Letters from a Stoic (Penguin Classics)
- Madame de Pompadour (New York Review Books Classics)
- Main Lines, Blood Feasts, and Bad Taste: A Lester Bangs Reader
Books Index
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