Grace Under Fire: Letters of Faith in Times of War

Grace Under Fire: Letters of Faith in Times of War
Average customer rating:

BRILLIANT...SIMPLY BRILLIANT!!!

Beautiful Sensitive Window on Faith

Loved it...

The real stories from the lines

First, Second and Third impressions of the book

Grace Under Fire: Letters of Faith in Times of War
Andrew Carroll
Manufacturer: WaterBrook Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Motivational | Self-Help | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1400073375
Release Date: 2007-03-20

Book Description

Words of wisdom, hope, humor, and strength from those who have been tested by fire and maintained their faith.

The first book of its kind, Grace Under Fire is an inspiring and spiritual collection of letters and e-mails by U.S. troops and their families from the American Revolution through the War on Terrorism.

Andrew Carroll, editor of the bestselling War Letters, went through his massive archive of seventy-five-thousand previously unpublished wartime correspondence to pick out the most intimate, dramatic, historic, and insightful letters and e-mails ever written about God, religion, and spirituality. The fifty best of these are featured in this incredible book, and they emphasize how extremely important faith has been, and continues to be, in the lives of U.S. troops and their families.

What is especially remarkable about Grace Under Fire is the sheer diversity of the collection, which includes several extraordinary letters by two brothers who fought on opposing sides of the Civil War; a prophetic letter by Rabbi David Goode, one of the famed Immortal Chaplains who gave his life for his fellow soldiers; a lighthearted letter by a World War II nurse who met the Pope; and a profound and impassioned reply to the timeless question, “Where is God in wartime?” by a doctor serving in Iraq.

Warfare can reveal the worst in human nature, but it can also bring out the best, and these correspondences are a testament to the heroism, compassion, grace, intelligence, and inherent goodness of American troops and their families. And although the letters and e-mails featured in this book were written in times of armed conflict, they transcend the subject of war. They are about determination, hope, patriotism, fighting for something greater than one’s self, and, of course, the enduring value of faith. Regardless of whether we have served in the military or not, we can all find inspiration and courage in these powerful and insightful words.

Customer Reviews:

BRILLIANT...SIMPLY BRILLIANT!!!.......2007-06-17

Grace Under Fire is BRILLIANT...simply BRILLIANT!

It is overwhelmingly touching, powerful and inspiring and any one of these letters will pierce your heart. I was profoundly moved by the e-mail written by the late David Bloom.

Through these letters of faith in GRACE UNDER FIRE, Andrew Carroll gives us a glimpse of our service men and women and their families; we read about what they had...what they never lost...and what it means to "have faith", feel its power, how it has changed them or how they have reconnected with their faith.

GRACE UNDER FIRE is no ordinary book--this is another literary treasure from Andrew Carroll; this is the book you hand deliver and say "You must read this."

Beautiful Sensitive Window on Faith .......2007-06-08

The threads of faith are smoothly woven by soldiers from the Revolutionary war through our current conflicts. Their personal letters written to loved ones are sensitive and plain spoken in the face of the terror of their war. Bravo to Andy Carroll for sharing these personal reflections. I found this book very inspiring!

Loved it..........2007-06-07

I loved this book. We have been sending copies to our Troops as a community project in care packages and their feedback is terrific, they love it! As w/all of Mr. Carroll's work it brings the true and authentic stories home with what our men, women, and families experience while at war. One of the nicest things about this book is the elegance and quality, it simply feels good in your hands. I have given this book out already to civilians numerous times as gifts. I appreciated reading about the spiritual aspect and how faith does bring hope and encouragement during times of struggle, loneliness, and pain.

The real stories from the lines.......2007-06-07

I thoroughly have enjoyed this book and have read it several times. I have used it several times as guided discussions in a classroom setting. I felt it an important part of our front line stories that I got copies for the chaplains on base. I have actually gone back and gotten some of Andrews earlier books and have come to realize that warfare itself has changed, the verbage we use has changed but the feelings and emotions are still the same.

First, Second and Third impressions of the book.......2007-06-07

This is an outstanding book that I've read many times and shared with numerous friends of faith. The book, the works behind it, and the multiple intents for it are worthy of as much praise as can be heaped upon it. It's written for everyone: the common person who's never been to war, those have been or are in the thick of things overseas and especially the families of those who serve. It's a way to understand others thoughts and feelings as well as your own if you're in those circumstances.

Andrew Carroll has faith and a heart that is bigger than Texas in his desire to help others in their times of need to understand things bigger than themselves. This is one of his works in that human endeavor to make life better for others. A humanitarian award should be given to him for his desire to make life a little easier or better for others and to help others share their feelings over such harsh and emotional issues in life.

This is a must read for anyone concerned about war and the feelings that it invokes in service members, their families and even their friends. Read it for yourself and then share with others whom you know.

Average customer rating:

My first Corps novel, (and hopefully not my last)
WARNING this is a 2-part set
Greeeeaaaaaat !
Not Great Literature but a Great Read
A solid read for Griffin fans

Under Fire
W. E. B. Griffin
Manufacturer: Putnam Adult
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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In Danger's Path: Corps 08 (Corps)
RETREAT, HELL!
Behind the Lines: Corps 07 (Corps)
CLOSE COMBAT [THE CORPS , BOOK VI (Corps)
Line of Fire: Corps 05 (Corps)

ASIN: 0399147888
Release Date: 2002-01-14

Amazon.com

Having wrapped up World War II with 1999's In Danger's Path, bestselling military author W.E.B. Griffin now deploys his Marines in Korea with Under Fire, the ninth volume in his Corps series. Back are familiar characters from Griffin's previous Corps books--daredevil pilot Pick Pickering, his Scotch-sipping father, Brigadier General Fleming Pickering, Capt. Ken "Killer" McCoy, and Master Gunner Ernie Zimmerman--with historical figures including President Harry Truman and General Douglas MacArthur making appearances as well. It's now 1950, and with Communist forces making their presence felt below the 38th Parallel, Griffin's plot centers on Gen. Pickering, now high up in the newly created CIA, and Ken McCoy as they work behind MacArthur's back to covertly pave the way for an invasion of North Korea.

Readers who crave nonstop battle action and excitement may find it hard to stick with Under Fire, as Griffin takes the time to detail the background leading up to one of America's least-remembered modern wars. Griffin writes for the true armed forces aficionado, filling his prose with realistic descriptions of procedure, gear, and materials, an alphabet's worth of acronyms, and an ex- soldier's ear for military dialogue. Look for more sharp, authentic writing in this series' next installment. --Benjamin Reese

Book Description

Griffin leaves WWII behind and thrusts his readers deep into the heart of the Korean War.

Customer Reviews:

My first Corps novel, (and hopefully not my last).......2007-03-17

This is the first time I've been exposed to Griffin's Corps novels. I listened to this one on tape, and I found it totally gripping! The characters are warm and very believable. Some are larger than life (ie: Major McCoy), but that's required in a novel of this type. One strong character is needed to carry the story along. I loved the inside look at one of the major battles of the Korean War (the attack on Inchon), and I liked the glimpse that we got of some real people, like General Douglas MacCarthur and President Harry Truman. I think Griffin has a really good understanding of the American Armed forces and the way that things are done there, and he tells a whopping good tale! I actually had shivers when I heard James Laughton describe the battle to take the two Korean islands that were required before the landing at Inchon could occur. And that's another thing - James Laughton does a wonderful job of reading this very exciting book. I truly enjoyed it, and am going to read or listen to other books in this series.

WARNING this is a 2-part set.......2006-08-21

WARNING! The Books-On-Tape unabridged version is a 2 part set, consisting of 18 (eighteen) cassettes in 2 (two) plastic cases. If a vendor does not specify all 18 cassettes, inquire before purchasing. Also, this is not "book 2" of anything, rather it is Book 9 of the Corps Series.

According to Amazon, reader reviews should not be used for such information, but Amazon ignores all corrections sent the way they specify for corrections.

Oh yes, this is a terrific book, and the audio version is superb.

Greeeeaaaaaat !.......2006-06-04

Don't miss reading it and "Retreat Hell". You can't miss the continuation of the story along with the excitement.

Not Great Literature but a Great Read.......2006-03-18

W.E.B. Griffin is not everyone's cup of tea, I enjoy him. This book like all of Griffin's books is a light fast good read. You know the characters and enjoy their further adventures.

If you read this book you should pick up "The Secrets of Inchon" mentioned in the author's notes. It is a truly amazing piece of first person writing.

A solid read for Griffin fans.......2005-11-12

W.E.B Griffin has carved out a niche in millitary fiction, as his large amount of book sales shows. He has perfected the blending of fictional and non-fictional characters in his various series of books. Under Fire continues his Corps series of books. Some of his major characters are back again, larger than life. These include Flem Pickering, called back into the colours, his Marine Aviator son,Pick Pickering and the former Marine raiders Ernest Zimmerman and most importantly, Major McCoy, now an intelligence specialist. Unfortunately some favourite characters are missing(Where is Jack Stecker?).

The novel starts shortly before the beginning of the Korean War with Flem Pickering , no longer a Marine General but a (very rich) businessman, who discovers on a visit to Japan that McCoy is about to be kicked out of the corps because he has written a report about North Korean millitary intentions that no one wants to see.

From this beginning the novel unfolds. We see what a shambles the beginning of the Korean War was with the U.S Army being given one of the greatest shocks in it's proud history, being pushed almost out of Korea together. The reader also sees the brilliance and madness of General MacArthur through Flem Pickerings eyes, who is fascianted and repelled by him in equal measure.

Flem Pickering also experiences some personal setbacks during the novel that make his plans to aid MacArthur in his role as CIA chief in Japan all the more difficult.

Along with some other readers I also feel slightly frustrated that the corps series has evolved into looking more at intelligence operations rather that the major campaigns of the Marine Corps. In doing so however Griffin has been able to shed light on events that are not so well known. He also probably surmised that many of these campaigns and the marines front line experences in World War Two and Korea have been already written about extensively in both fiction and non-fiction.

McCoy is still the central character of this series. In this novel he remains the pure Marine, absolutely committed to his task while still holding true to the virtues that the Marine Corps has taught him.

All in all it is a solid read for Griffin fans without quite rising to the heights of the earlier corps books or Griffins supreme achievement, The Brotherhood of War series.

Average customer rating:

An Economists Defense of Free Trade
Full of ahistorical assertions and disingenuous arguments
The case for free trade
Necessity to arguing
Reading This Book Will Make You Smarter

Free Trade Under Fire: Second Edition
Douglas A. Irwin
Manufacturer: Princeton University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Economic Policy & Development | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0691122474

Book Description

Growing world trade has helped lift living standards around the world, and yet free trade is always under attack by opponents. Critics complain that trade forces painful economic adjustments, such as plant closings and layoffs of workers, and charge that the World Trade Organization serves the interests of corporations, undercuts domestic environmental regulations, and erodes America's sovereignty. Why has global trade become so controversial? Does free trade deserve its bad reputation? In Free Trade under Fire, Douglas Irwin sweeps aside the misconceptions that litter the debate over trade and gives the reader a clear understanding of the issues involved. This second edition includes a new chapter on trade and developing countries and updates the entire text to deal with new issues such as outsourcing and steel tariffs.

Customer Reviews:

An Economists Defense of Free Trade.......2006-07-11

This book makes a reasonably decent defense of free trade. It speaks in predominantly layman's terms, and is entertaining enough to hold the layman's attention. Irwin does a good job refuting the most patently ridiculous claims that free trade victimizes those it employs and other silly claims.

It doesn't do the best job demonstrating that trade with developing countries benefits wealthy nations, however. It does try to do so, and offers some evidence, but I wish the book had made a stronger effort in this area as this is where most protectionists simply cite the trade deficit as manifest evidence that we are worse off in free trade, without understanding that our standard of living rises when we have cheap goods, and the market for our high skill jobs and products increases as developing countries grow wealthier.

The book does bring up a good point of accounting balance, noting that foreign investment in the U.S. offsets the trade deficit, but I fear that most protectionists are sufficiently xenophobic that this argument is likely to scare them rather than reassure them.

Full of ahistorical assertions and disingenuous arguments.......2004-03-05

In this book the author argues for the "economic benefits of trade, not just for corporations but for people and the environment. He illustrates how protectionist policies damage the economy and fail to save jobs. Examining U.S. trade policy, he shows how "fair trade" measures are arbitrary, unfair, and often harmful"

Yet this author makes slight of America's long history of protectionist policies when it served its interest. In fact the history of America's industrial development was protecting her rising industries. So now that Americas industries are strong and known world wide; its labor force is a problem because it wants decent wages and health benefits. What is the solution? Free trade! Or free trade in cheap labor and dealing with counties that have no labor unions, no regulations that get in the way of business and officials that are easy to bribe.
This book is for those who have no critical facilities what so ever.

The case for free trade.......2003-10-09

Irwin's book, together with Bhagwati's Free Trade today,
makes a strong case for free trade. The argument is clear and
the book is easy to read and full of evidence supporting
free trade. Among other topics, the author discusses
the harmful effects of protection on developing/
developed economies, trade and the environment
and the role of WTO. Irwin's book is non-technical
and more historical than Bhagwati's. The latter
is more theoretical, at least in some parts, but also
a great read. For arguments against free trade using
economic theory see "trade warriors" by Marc Busch or " global Trade and Conflicting National Interests"
by Ralph E. Gomory, William J. Baumol

Necessity to arguing.......2002-07-26

Doesnt it always seem that your friends subscribe to the wrong views, and you to the right one? Well, at least for me it is. Whether your pals are from the anarchist wing or the Pat Buchanan camp, or even deviate just a little from your (correct) free trade stance, you should read this book. And even if you believe in the unholy stance of skepticism of free trade , you should read it too, for "The Economist" said that if this book doesnt convince anti-free traders, nothing will; so go ahead and test your faithfulness.

I am not an economist, and I hate reading economics text books filled with useless jargon. Before reading some great books, economics was as complicated as chemistry, physics or calculas to me. But after reading a few books, "Lexus and the Olive Tree", "Mystery of Capital" and "Peddling Prosperty", I realized that it isn't that complicated, its just the economists who create this aura of an esoteric subject.

This book is written in simple language, but when it does use phrases that regular people don't understand, he does something rare - he explains their meaning.

This is an excellent book, but only after reading The Lexus and the Olive Tree. Tom Friedman's book is the main weapon in my debating arsenal, and "Free Trade Under Fire" book gives me a large cache of ammunition, as do Peddling Prospery (or anything else by Paul Krugman like Pop Internationalism, another MUST read), and Henrando de Soto's masterpiece "The Mystery of Capital"(dont even look at his "Other Path", it is simplified and better argued in this "Mystery").

Highly Recommended

Reading This Book Will Make You Smarter.......2002-04-05

I have had the honor of having the author of this book as a professor in college. Not surprisingly he teaches classes dealing with international trade. All I can say is that he is an economist of the highest order and that he is capable of taking some extrodinarily difficult concepts and explaining them with a level of clarity that make them seem obvious. He takes this teaching approach to his book, making it both intelligent and approachable. If you ever actually wanted to know anything about international trade and even be able to discuss in a relevant manner the points at hand, read this book. You will be smarter for having done so.

Average customer rating:

overated
Must Read
Amazing book here
A great novel

Under Fire (Penguin Classics)
Henri Barbusse
Manufacturer: Penguin Classics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Classics | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0143039040
Release Date: 2004-08-31

Book Description

Based on his own experience of the Great War, Henri Barbusse's novel is a powerful account of one of the greatest horrors mankind has inflicted on itself. For the group of ordinary men in the French Sixth Battalion, thrown together from all over France and longing for home, war is simply a matter of survival, lightened only by the arrival of their rations or a glimpse of a pretty girl or a brief reprieve in the hospital. Reminiscent of classics like Hemingway's A Farewell to Arms and Remarque's All Quiet on the Western Front, Under Fire (originally published in French as La Feu) vividly evokes life in the trenches—the mud, stench, and monotony of waiting while constantly fearing for one's life in an infernal and seemingly eternal battlefield.

Customer Reviews:

overated.......2007-04-15

After reading this book I was surprised to see it had an equal rating with "Storm of Steel", I would not even put them in the same categorie. This book had very long dry spells that took away from the few interesting chapters. The last few chapters dealing with the battle and aftermath are the only reason I gave it three stars.

Must Read.......2006-11-18

This is an excellent anti-war novel by a writer who fought in one. All should read this book, lest we forget the horrors of war.

(In 2003, I searched all of Paris to find the 1917 translation of this book. I found it in Berkeley, California, at a used bookstore and got ripped off. Then I found it re-released by Penguin Classics in 2004. Both the 1917 translation and the 2004 are good.)

Amazing book here.......2003-04-09

Amazing, sweeping, a black and white word picture of the nightmare of trench warfare. I read this book in the Univ. of Arizona library in stages from 1997-99 not for a class, not for a term paper, but merely BECAUSE IT WAS THERE. Barbusse is a poet when the shells are falling at 3:00 am, he is a priest when an appeal to Mon Dieu is needed to save a friend horribly wounded. How someone could compose something this flowing, with this kind of rhythm, even as the Hun is rushing another muddy trench, is amazing to me. He must have attained some altered state, some semi-divine detachment, when composing the lyrics that actually describe a nightmare you can't wake up from; or what most other people called World War I. Yet so many will have nothing to do with this type of literature, it's about war and therefore turns off automatically the majority of readers, and essentially all of the female type. But that is their loss - the book ends with a gasp at hope no matter how dark the sky; there is a ray of sun peeking through even the Germanic cloud of Destruction. This can be an example for all of our hopes whether one is surrounded by an actual battle or a conflict of one's own making.

A great novel.......2001-02-14

Under Fire (along with Remarque's All Quiet...) remains for me one of the most powerful descriptions of the madness and horror of war that I've ever read. What I found most compelling in Barbusse's novel is the author's use of language in describing "the tortured earth" during a passage in which French troops are being shelled. The author introduces you to a score of characters whom you really get to know as you experience the unspeakable conditions under which they are forced to survive and fight. One hesitates to use the term beautiful in referring to descriptions of carnage and agony but I can think of no other way to convey the power and, yes, poetry of his words. His language is clear-graphic-the "scenes" are enormously vivid. It would, in the hands of a competant director-one with vision- make a great film particularly if done in black/white! A great book written with sympathy towards those victims who are asked to participate in the insanity of war.

Average customer rating:

A Traitor
Ally of fascism and terrorism
colonel makes more hits than a nicaraguan death squad
Almost bought it.
Under Fire : An American Hero

Under Fire: An American Story/Cassettes
Oliver North
Manufacturer: Blackstone Audiobooks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 9994402544

Customer Reviews:

A Traitor.......2007-06-01

How could a Marine (North) even consider selling weapons to a nation (Iran) that financed the suicide attack (carried out by Hezbollah) that murdered over 140 of his fellow Marines in Beruit in '83? It boggles the mind. He is a traitor who should have been sent to Leavenworth, along with all of the morally challanged officers and politicians above him.

Ally of fascism and terrorism.......2005-12-11

The main issue, unacknowledged in North's disgusting, self-justifying book and unmentioned in most of these reviews, is not whether North was acting 'illegally' or without Reagan's consent - it's the fact that he was involved in siphoning money to fascist death squads so that they could overthrow a democratic government. The Contras murdered, mutilated, tortured and raped civilians; 30,000 people lost their lives in the civil war between the Contras and the government. The victims of the Contra attacks were not 'evil Communists', but priests, teachers, nurses and schoolchildren.

The Sandinista government itself was not, as another reviewer claimed, a Soviet stooge, but a non-aligned, Leftist government who favoured a mixed economy, human rights and democracy. The Sandinistas introduced free healthcare and education, land reform and fair elections; they started a massive literacy campaign and abolished the death penalty. The Sandinistas' only serious human rights violation, their treatment of the indigenous Miskito population, was acknowledged as such after pressure from human rights groups, and the Sandinistas ultimately granted the Miskito full autonomy. This is in marked contrast to the US's refusal to even acknowledge, let alone attempt to rectify, its many abuses...

Many of the Contra fighters were loyalists of the previous Somoza regime, a vicious military dictatorship that the US had supported for years. All of the guff about restoring 'democracy' to Nicaragua was either a lie or a gross misunderstanding of reality; it would have been more accurate to talk about restoring fascism. The freedom-loving US appears often to get these two political systems mixed up, given that they also funded, armed and trained barbarous military juntas in Guatemala, Chile, Brazil, Argentina and El Salvador, a country where 70,000 people were killed.

So the issue is not the 'illegality', by US terms, of North's actions. The shocking reality is that North was only carrying out standard US foreign policy. The crimes here are not those of a lone individual, but of an entire administration. After all, in the early 1980s, the World Court indicted the US for conducting a campaign of state terrorism against Nicaragua.

This said, North's role in the funding of the Contras makes him, by any rational standards, a war criminal, an abetter of terrorism, an accomplice in mass murder. That's the real story here.

colonel makes more hits than a nicaraguan death squad.......2005-09-26

colonel north does it again by giving the reader a searing and fascinating look into his life all while importing enough cocaine into america to finance a large village in columbia, what a busy guy!!!. The only thing that disapointed me was the colonel's lack of detail's regarding the time he spent destroying incriminating documents after former head of c.i.a william casey gave him the heads up to get rid of the documents, nice work ollie!!!......

Almost bought it........2005-06-01

I almost bought this book but then read the 9/11 report and was reminded that Mr. North broke the law, was indicted, and then was pardoned because of a technicality;and now for some reason, there are those trying to make a hero out of him....he's taken advantage of his ill begotten fame and has made himself a millionaire...Fox news loves him....I then decided not to contribute to his coffers....

Under Fire : An American Hero.......2004-03-28

This book is a very well written account of Oliver North's life. It details the Iran-Contra situation, his time at Annapolis Naval Academy, his time serving in Vietnam, and among oother things his family life which gives us some personal information about Ollie.

From the time I picked up this book I couldn't put it down for more than the time it took to rest my eyes. This book is very interesting from start to finish and gives you a great look inside the life of a true American Hero.

Choices Under Fire: Moral Dimensions of World War II
Average customer rating:

Thought provoking analysis about the choices we make

Bad Things During the Good War

Understanding history allows tp explain the present

A unique mix of history and moral analysis

Morality in War is Difficult - A Great Book

Choices Under Fire: Moral Dimensions of World War II
Michael Bess
Manufacturer: Knopf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Military | History | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0307263657
Release Date: 2006-11-07

Book Description

World War II remains a celebrated event in our collective memory—a time of great high-minded clarity, patriotic sacrifice, and national unity of purpose. It was the quintessential “good war,” in which the forces of freedom triumphed over the forces of darkness. Now, in his provocative new book, historian Michael Bess explodes the myth that this was a war fought without moral ambiguity. He shows that although it was undeniably a just war—a war of defense against unprovoked aggression—it was a conflict fraught with painful dilemmas, uneasy trade-offs, and unavoidable compromises. With clear-eyed, principled assurance, Bess takes us into the heart of a global contest that was anything but straightforward, and confronts its most difficult questions: Was the bombing of civilian populations in Germany and Japan justified? Were the Nuremberg and Tokyo war crimes trials legally scrupulous? What is the legacy bequeathed to the world by Hiroshima? And what are the long-term ramifications of the Anglo-American alliance with Stalin, a leader whose atrocities rivaled those of Hitler?

Viewing the conflict as a composite of countless choices made by governments, communities, and—always of the utmost importance—individuals, Bess untangles the stories of singular moral significance from the mass of World War II data. He examines the factors that led some people to dissent and defy evil while others remained trapped or aloof, caught in the net of large-scale operations they saw as beyond their control. He explains the complex psychological dynamics at work among the men of Reserve Battalion 101, a group of ordinary working-class Germans who swept through the Polish countryside slaughtering Jews, and among the townspeople of the Plateau Vivarais-Lignon, who rescued thousands of Jewish refugees at their own peril. He asks poignant hypothetical questions, such as what would have happened had the Catholic Church taken a hard line against Nazism, placing an imperative on its members to choose between their loyalties.

As Bess guides us through the war’s final theater, the politics of memory, he shows how long-simmering controversies still have the power to divide nations more than half a century later. It is here that he argues against the binaries of honor and dishonor, pride and shame, and advocates instead an honest and nuanced reckoning on the part of the world’s nations with the full complexity of their World War II pasts.

Forthright and authoritative, this is a rigorous accounting of the war that forever changed our world, a book that takes us to the outer limits of moral reasoning about historical events.

Customer Reviews:

Thought provoking analysis about the choices we make.......2007-07-23

Reading this book forced me to fundamentally assess the choices I make in my own life. I know that the purpose of the book is to reflect on the choices of others during WWII, but I could not, as I read the stories of the polish soldiers who volunteered to kill Jews, or the french citizens who risked their lives to save them, or the discussions that lead to the very deceptive term "collateral damage", separate my own questions about what I would choose.
As we face the on-going war in Iraq, these questions take on even deeper meaning. One cannot walk away from this book without an understanding that everyday we make moral choices that shape the way we will interact with the world, when the chips are down. We must confront our own humanity, our own flaws even during "righteous wars" and realize that each of us define the image of oour society and that the choices we make really do matter.
Most importantly, the author makes the most compelling argument for peace and cooperation that I have ever read. This book will leave you deep in though about yourself and your country and the choices we make for some time. I think it is one of the best books I have ever read.

Bad Things During the Good War .......2007-04-15

"Choices under Fire" is a baker's dozen of essays about the moral issues faced in World War II. The essays can be read separately. Among the subjects the author discusses are racism, the kamikazes, the atomic bomb, bombing civilian populations, the battle of Midway, cooperating with Stalin, the holocaust, and the war crimes trials. For a seasoned reader of World War II books most of the issues discussed and the conclusions drawn are not especially new or original. This is material that has been hashed over before.

However, I thought especially interesting -- and new to me -- was the comparison of the ordinary men in a special German unit charged with killing Russian Jews with another group of ordinary French provincials who took it upon themselves to rescue Jews. The author explores why two groups of similar people responded so differently to the choices they faced in the War. Also good was his account of the slow erosion during the war of the revulsion against bombing civilian populations. This led to the fire-bombing of Dresden and other cities. I would characterize the author's discussion of Hiroshima as sensible as opposed to much of the emotion aroused by this issue.

The author is fair-minded and objective about a number of controversial subjects.

Smallchief

Understanding history allows tp explain the present.......2007-03-26

Understanding history allows to explain the present

A candidate in the French presidential elections(Mr. Le Pen) recently compared the 9/11 attacks on the United States to the carpet bombing of Dresden and Marseille by the Anglo-American air forces during the WW II . It is not an isolated case of an abusive employment of historical facts for political manipulation. There is no other defense against such manipulation than knowing and understanding history.

Michael Bess' book is a milestone in our knowledge of the WW II which, despite its ambiguities, was a just war fought against an evil tyranny. Approaching the history of that war from an unfrequented avenue, the author brilliantly defends upholding of moral principles and imperatives in the course of war, irrespectively of how evil and monstrous our enemy is. He exposes a tremendous impact of the choices made under fire, be it by the Commander in Chief or by a foot soldier on the results of the struggle and on its perception decades after. Ultimately, keeping our hands clean is not only a moral but also a political imperative.

On the background of an impressive and vast panorama of WW II Bess exposes diverging perceptions between and within the major participating countries of the legacy of that war and asks Did we learn anything?" Certainly he is among those who did. Making a strong case for a need to follow the internationalist impulse in relations between countries and for the reconciliation between former enemies he articulates lessons which are far from a universal recognition but absorbed by many already.

I read the book from a multiple perspective of a veteran of WW II (fighting the Germans in Warsaw,Poland), a prisoner in a German P.O.W. camp, a former UN staff member and peacekeeper, and a resident of Germany now. In a rewarding experience I found myself in a full accord with the author's incisive insight into the neglected aspects of that titanic struggle and with his conclusions.

It is definitely the most important book about the WW II I ever read and I recommend it to everyone interested in explaining our present by understanding the past. It reads well and leaves you with a rich plate of food for thought.

A unique mix of history and moral analysis .......2007-01-25

The subtitle "Moral Dimensions of World War II" almost says it all about this unique moral analysis of the conduct of both the Axis and Allies in World War two. What the subtitle does not say is how fair and even handed this book is. The author Michael Bess can rightfully praise American airmen in Midway as an example of how moral character effects the course of a battle. He writes: "We rightly cherish the memory of their deed, not just because it resulted in a pivotal victory, but because of what is says, more broadly, about the society that produces such men as these." Make no mistake, however, this is no flag waiving book claiming America and her allies were God's chosen instrument -- far from it. Indeed, the author concludes quite strongly in his treatment of allied bombing of civilians that it was (as McNamara admitted in "The Fog of War") a war atrocity and "the single greatest moral failure of the Anglo-American war effort." Without in anyway lessening the evil of Germany or Japan in WW II or claiming any moral equivalence between the opposing sides, the author points out that American and British hands were not clean in WW II -- even if they were not as filthy as our opponents.

That is what is so enjoyable about this thought provoking book: it can praise what we did right (such as the courage of D-Day in Europe and TAFFY 3 during the return to the Philippines) and objectively identify what we did wrong(fire bombing civilians and internment of Japanese Americans), while at the same time helping us understand that the horrific brutality of our enemies was not the result of flaws only they somehow had -- all without excusing either us or them. A wonderful mix of history, sociology and moral philosophy. I've never read anything like it.

Morality in War is Difficult - A Great Book.......2007-01-12

A realistic and heavily documented look at the reality and truth to the choices that were made in World War II from the surprise assault on Pearl Harbor to the Atomic Bombs to the War Crime Trials in both Europe and the Pacific. Morality in war continues to be a difficult story.

Photographer...Under Fire: The Story of George S. Cook (1819-1902)

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Photographer...Under Fire: The Story of George S. Cook (1819-1902)
Jack C Ramsay
Manufacturer: Historical Resources Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Artists, Architects & Photographers | Arts & Literature | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Book Description

PHOTOGRAPHER .. UNDER FIRE is the story of one of the early entrepreneurs of photography. Today daguerreotypes & unfaded portraits by George S. Cook, PHOTOGRAPHER, ex-associate of Matthew Brady, prove his claim he could "find beauty in any face". From within Fort Sumter, George S. Cook, CIVIL WAR HISTORIAN, captured his famous picture of ironclads in action and the burst of an exploding shell. This Conneticut Yankee set out in his late teens to travel the Mississippi to New Orleans where he began, as a street artist, his career which would include all phases of the art of photography. Family diaries, photo collections, recipe books, letters and papers collected by his grandaughter provided the basis for beginning this book. Endnotes, bibliography, index & Cook's photographs, some never before published.

Howard Gardner Under Fire: The Rebel Psychologist Faces His Critics

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Much criticism - here refuted.

Howard Gardner Under Fire: The Rebel Psychologist Faces His Critics

Manufacturer: Open Court
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Modern | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Developmental Psychology | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

History | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Mental Health | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Multiple Intelligences: New Horizons
Development and Education of Mind: The Selected Works of Howard Gardner (World Library of Educationalists Series)
Five Minds for the Future
The Unschooled Mind: How Children Think and How Schools Should Teach
Changing Minds: The Art And Science of Changing Our Own And Other People's Minds (Leadership for the Common Good)

ASIN: 0812696042

Book Description

Thirteen critical essays challenge Howard Gardner's theories of multiple intelligences, ability traits, U-shaped curves in development, and other psychological concepts of spirituality, creativity, and leadership. All are answered by Gardner himself, and his pungent replies, coupled with the essays, create a provocative, no-holds-barred debate. Also included are an intellectual autobiography and bibliography.

Customer Reviews:

Much criticism - here refuted........2007-03-06

HOWARD GARDNER UNDER FIRE: THE REBEL PSYCHOLOGIST FACES HIS CRITICS is for any college-level reader in either psychology or education who already have some gasp of Gardner'' contributions in these areas. Before Gardner's FRAMES OF MIND there was little opposition to the paradigm of IQ: his works changed how intelligence was perceived and measured, and generated much criticism - here refuted.

Jesus Under Fire: Modern Scholarship Reinvents the Historical Jesus

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An Important Work
A lot of excellent points
Excellent Conservative Protestant Response to Jesus Seminar
Sober and Scholarly Defense of Jesus and the Gospels
Preaching to the choir

Jesus Under Fire: Modern Scholarship Reinvents the Historical Jesus

Manufacturer: Zondervan
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

General | Bible & Other Sacred Texts | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

The Historical Reliability of the Gospels
The Historical Jesus: Ancient Evidence for the Life of Christ
Will the Real Jesus Please Stand Up?: A Debate between William Lane Craig and John Dominic Crossan
The New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable?
Case for the Resurrection of Jesus

ASIN: 0310211395

Book Description

This excellent collection of essays evaluates the findings of the Jesus Seminar.

Customer Reviews:

An Important Work.......2007-04-26

I had to use this work while in school. I found the arguments challenging and whet my appetite for further studies. This give blow after blow to the Jesus Seminar and others like that. An Important work!

A lot of excellent points.......2006-10-29

This book has a lot of excellent points about various aspects the Jesus Seminar attacks. It's just enough info to wet your appetite and give you something to say in casual conversation to address these issues, but not enough for a thorough defense of any of them. But a very good overall view.

Excellent Conservative Protestant Response to Jesus Seminar.......2005-08-11

Edited by J.P. Moreland and Michael Wilkins, `Jesus Under Fire' is a collection of essays by conservative American Protestant scholars on a range of issues pertaining to Christianity. First published in the mid-1990s, the book is a response to some of the revisionist views put forward by the Jesus Seminar. Following are a few thoughts for potential readers on aspects of the work that I thought were particularly well done.

Though not its main thrust, perhaps the book's most valuable contribution to the lay reader is its recognition of the inherently subjective nature of belief. Although we may not always be conscious of it, our interpretation of the world is influenced by our assumptions and beliefs - or worldview. This is true regardless of whether one is an atheist, a theist or a scientist. One worldview that comes into play when discussing the large metaphysical and ontological questions raised by religion is that of philosophical naturalism. In general, this view posits that reality is limited to the spacio-temporal world and that scientific induction is the primary means to truth (these assumptions are evident in work of the Jesus Seminar). In accordance with philosophical naturalism, non-naturalistic religious claims are dismissed as misguided or meaningless. Though this type of worldview is popular in contemporary Western society it is not without logical and epistemological challenges. For instance, any claim that science is the sole means to truth - is self-refuting since it (uniqueness of scientifically derived truth) is not itself derived through the scientific method. Although sometimes overlooked recognition of an author's perspective is an important aspect of critical reading.

In his portion, Craig Blomberg does a commendable job of placing the work of the Jesus Seminar within the spectrum of `historic Jesus studies' (for an excellent overview of this subject readers can see Ben Witherington's `The Third Quest'). He notes the drawbacks associated with attempts to delve into ancient history as ascertain the "truth" is wrought with difficulties. To sift through data criteria have to be selected - i.e. what types of facts and source will be accepted. These criteria, in turn, often determine the outcome (e.g. naturalistic assumptions equals naturalistic Jesus). Blomberg argues that there is no good reason to think that the revisionist interpretations of modern liberal thinkers are preferable to traditional scholarship. I recommend Bruce or Metzger for readers seeking more on Christian canon (Blomberg has also written in more detail on the subject).

Darrell Bock's chapter is also helpful. The Jesus Seminar expends significant time and effort attempting to discern what words traditionally credited to Jesus were actually spoken by him. Although it may make good press, in and of itself, this type of analysis is rather meaningless. As Bock points out, the important question is whether the Gospels reflect the true voice (the meaning) of Jesus, not whether they capture his exact syntax and grammar. Although Bock's comments are salient to religious study they are also useful for the study of history in general. In our technological age we place an emphasis on technical details that were not stressed in the past.

Overall,`Jesus Under Fire' is the best short collection of essays that I have come across from a conservative protestant perspective. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in the historic Jesus or Christianity in general. To get a view from both sides I would also recommend a look at `The Five Gospels' from the Jesus Seminar.

Sober and Scholarly Defense of Jesus and the Gospels.......2005-03-31

"Jesus Under Fire" was a collection of essays written by scholars who disagreed with the often-publicised views of the Jesus Seminar (e.g. Robert Funk, John Dominic Crossan, etc.) The general reading public should heed the findings of this book and not just pay attention to the often one-sided presentation of the Jesus Seminar. First and foremost, the Jesus Seminar scholars do NOT represent the majority of Christian scholarship in our world today. More often than not, the scholars who make up the Jesus Seminar are the exceptions from the majority scholars - they are, in truth, the surviving vestige of the liberal scholarship from the previous century who have somehow decided to air their views in the public media.

Craig Blomberg, Scot McKnight, Darrell Bock, Edwin Yamauchi, Michael Wilkins and J.P. Moreland are representative of Christian scholars from different denominational/university background who examine in a very objective manner the methodologies to be employed in our present "search for the historical Jesus", the reliability of the New Testament writings, the place and purpose for scholarly conjectures/hypotheses, a survey of non-canonical writings like the Nag Hammadi writings and the Gnostic works, etc.

The end result is a book that represents for our generation one of the finest defense of the works and words of Jesus as recorded in our Scriptures. It is my prayer that everyone who reads this book will go on from just merely asserting the truth of Jesus' words and works - and go on to study the content of the very same words and works. This will lead you to the truth about the PERSON and TRUTH of the Historical Jesus who is really no different from the Christ of Faith (historic Christianity) - "Jesus Christ, the Son of God" (Mark 1:1).

Preaching to the choir.......2005-03-17

This is a good book to "restore one's faith" i.e. for those who desparately want to hold on the the truth of Christian doctrines fabricated by the Church in aid of Empire. That is the faith of orthodox Christian belief drummed into the heads of "believers" for centuries through institutional power.

A spiritual practise that requires belief in historic events that happened two thousand years rests on a very weak basis. Historical reconstruction is prone to error ... and much of the received documentation prone to manipulation. No one really knows what happened two thousand years ago .. but if you are desparately wishing to believe it is true no doubt you will be able to find enough "facts" to lull you back to sleep.

America's Political Class Under Fire: The Twentieth Century's Great Culture War

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America's Political Class Under Fire: The Twentieth Century's Great Culture War
David Horowitz
Manufacturer: Routledge
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Social History | Historical Study | History | Subjects | Books

General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Whose History?: The Struggle for National Standards in American Classrooms
The Social Studies Wars: What Should We Teach the Children?

ASIN: 0415946913

Book Description

While the clash between what has been called the "modern" and "undeveloped" worlds has led to America's military involvement in the Middle East and other places, few people realize the tension between the modern and the traditional within the United States. Beginning in the 1920's, professional intellectuals and academics began influencing the nation's public policy on matters as diverse as education, economics, and public health. In this thoughtful work, David A. Horowitz analyzes the tension between the so-called "New Class" of knowledge professionals and their critics, who accused them of being out of touch with the common sense of everyday people, strangers to the American Way, even Communists.
America's Political Class Under Fire is organized over nine periods of 20th-century history, providing a window into everything from the Scopes evolution trial and McCarthyism to affirmative action and the Clinton health care fiasco. Along the way, the book explores the New Left, populist conservatism, and the mid-90's reaction to political liberalism, which saw Newt Gingrich rise to the top post in the House of Representatives. In telling these stories, Horowitz seeks to encourage a more balanced and fair-minded assessment of the consequences of expertise and applied intellect to democratic existence in the United States.

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