I've done a lot of reading over the last 4 years leading up to the pandemic, and during the pandemic. So rather than a single post per book, I'm going to catch up with some multi-book posts. Here goes...
Red Blood Black Sand
Tatum, C.A US marine tells his story about his enlistment into the USMC, his boot camp and training, culminating in his intense experiences on Iwo Jima with the 5th Marine division. His story is one of the 4 books used as source material for the mini-series The Pacific. Tatum was 17 years old when he joined the marines, and he was in battle by the age of 18. He was in a machine gun platoon which included 8 men in his squad. By the time he and another were evacuated with injuries and dysentery, there were only 2 left - all the others had been killed. In fact, most of the officers in his regiment were either killed (including the regimental commander, and his best friend) or wounded. The battle lasted over a month, but he and one other were sent out of the battle zone after 21 days of constant combat. At that point, they were on track for an (unwilling) honourable discharge, which included Silver Star and Purple Heart medals for Tatum. As a 17/18 year-old kid in the USMC, there were hijinks and trouble, but nothing too serious. But once he was on Iwo, it was life-and-death from start to finish.
There also some interesting overlap with other books on the subject of the war in the Pacific - he mentioned that the drinking water tasted like gasoline. In Eugene Sledge’s "With the Old Breed", he and another marine were detailed to clean out old oil barrels by an officer. The officer didn’t say why, so they didn’t bother. Later, they had to drink water from those barrels! Perhaps that was a common mistake?
Those days on Iwo Jima were the most significant events of their lives, the memories haunting them for the rest of their lives. In his efforts to write this book, he strived to connect with many of his marine friends, and actually did get to talk to several of them, making a good wrap-up chapter in his book.
Another fine book by a marine grunt in the Pacific in WW2.
8/10
Tannoy Calling
McQuiston, J. H.Memoirs of a Canadian RCAF bomber pilot in 1944/45 WW2 Europe. Honestly, I noticed the book because of the title- I’m a bit of a Tannoy audiophile speaker aficionado. But the context of “tannoy” at the time was the manufacturer of P.A. speakers used by the military for decades - the British called them by the manufacturer’s name - much like we call tissues by the manufacturer’s name (Kleenex). Anyway, the context of the book is that announcements for pending missions were received on the base through these PA speakers. So, by default, I was interested.
McQuiston writes about what mattered most to young wartime pilots “happy to be young and alive flying big powerful warplanes” - that flying in action against the enemy - surviving, getting drunk and getting laid. 7/10
The Dark Wing
Hunt, W. H.Another outer space shoot-em-up. This time, mankind is in a desperate war against the vicious Zor race - bird-like humanoids. After two generations of wars - generally successful by human standards - the Zor suing for peace after failing to succeed in their goal of annihilating humanity, and breaking the peace to attack again - humanity changes their tactics. They arm up, give an expert on the Zor (Admiral Marais) full command of an invasion fleet, to “do whatever it takes” to eliminate the Zor threat once and for all.
Planning to wipe the species out, he instead forces an unconditional surrender, with a guaranteed peace. Turns out that’s not what a mysterious third-party wanted. The Admiral and his followers are booted out of the space-Navy for committing atrocities against their former enemies, and now humanity and their Zor allies face an unknown superior race bent on destroying them both…
5/10
Second book by the Author of Battleship Sailor, about his second (and last) ship in the US Navy in WW2 - the USS Pawnee. His first was a pre-WW2 battleship, sunk at Pearl Harbour; his second was a sea-going tug. He tells us about his 26 months aboard under (mostly) three captains. The Pawnee was a happy ship under the first two, but a hellish ship under the third. But they got their notoriety and glory under him but staying with their charge (a torpedoed cruiser) while under attack, and while the cruiser was hit by another torpedo, and bringing it safely to port. Mason, still violently angry at Navy leadership (esp. his own ship’s) for being unprepared at Pearl Harbour, continues to be angered by the failings of Navy officers afterwards. To be fair, he has much respect for competent or heroic officers. As an enlisted man, he saw up close what RHIP means to the little guy - i.e., continually getting screwed over. Nice piece of writing; captivating and full of excellent detail about enlisted men serving in the WW2 USN.
5/10
We Will Stand by You
Mason, T.C.Second book by the Author of Battleship Sailor, about his second (and last) ship in the US Navy in WW2 - the USS Pawnee. His first was a pre-WW2 battleship, sunk at Pearl Harbour; his second was a sea-going tug. He tells us about his 26 months aboard under (mostly) three captains. The Pawnee was a happy ship under the first two, but a hellish ship under the third. But they got their notoriety and glory under him but staying with their charge (a torpedoed cruiser) while under attack, and while the cruiser was hit by another torpedo, and bringing it safely to port. Mason, still violently angry at Navy leadership (esp. his own ship’s) for being unprepared at Pearl Harbour, continues to be angered by the failings of Navy officers afterwards. To be fair, he has much respect for competent or heroic officers. As an enlisted man, he saw up close what RHIP means to the little guy - i.e., continually getting screwed over. Nice piece of writing; captivating and full of excellent detail about enlisted men serving in the WW2 USN.
6/10
I read this book to acquire a basic understanding of who Saint Augustine was, and how he impacted Christianity. What I learned was that he was born in Africa - in Hippo Regius, modern day Annaba, Algeria. He visited Rome and other places in Italy, and was in Italy when Rome was sacked in 410 by Aleric. (By then Rome had been replaced as the capital of the empire (now Constantinople), and by Ravenna in the west. And it turns out that Aleric was a Christian. The result was that if you weren’t in Rome at that time, not a lot changed.) Anyway, Augustine spent most of his time in Africa, but had important contacts all through the empire and in the holy land. He was a prolific writer - starting out with the intent to explain the Christian religion using Platonic-style liberal arts rhetoric, and ending up “expounding the whole circle of knowledge in Christian terms, and to refute other schools of thought”... whew; tall order. That’s not to say that he was some type of anti-science blowhard - he was nothing of the sort. His arguments were primarily with other Christians - first groups like the Manicheans, and finally anyone at all who refuted the basic tenets of Christianity.
So was I successful in understanding who Saint Augustine was, and how he impacted Christianity? Well, hard to say - however, I do know more than I did. Is that enough? Meh.
Wills is a good writer, but this was a hard read for me.
4/10
Augustine - A Life
Wills, G.I read this book to acquire a basic understanding of who Saint Augustine was, and how he impacted Christianity. What I learned was that he was born in Africa - in Hippo Regius, modern day Annaba, Algeria. He visited Rome and other places in Italy, and was in Italy when Rome was sacked in 410 by Aleric. (By then Rome had been replaced as the capital of the empire (now Constantinople), and by Ravenna in the west. And it turns out that Aleric was a Christian. The result was that if you weren’t in Rome at that time, not a lot changed.) Anyway, Augustine spent most of his time in Africa, but had important contacts all through the empire and in the holy land. He was a prolific writer - starting out with the intent to explain the Christian religion using Platonic-style liberal arts rhetoric, and ending up “expounding the whole circle of knowledge in Christian terms, and to refute other schools of thought”... whew; tall order. That’s not to say that he was some type of anti-science blowhard - he was nothing of the sort. His arguments were primarily with other Christians - first groups like the Manicheans, and finally anyone at all who refuted the basic tenets of Christianity.
So was I successful in understanding who Saint Augustine was, and how he impacted Christianity? Well, hard to say - however, I do know more than I did. Is that enough? Meh.
Wills is a good writer, but this was a hard read for me.
4/10
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