Joe Foss: Flying Marine - Joe Foss

Joe Foss flew planes in WWII for his own "Flying Circus." He is credited with the same number of shot down planes as Eddie Rickenbacker in WWI, something he didn't really think was that impressive. He was just doing his job and trying to fight off the enemy.

I was wondering about the language in it. Most of the time, the memoirs I've read from a pilot's point of view had a more reflective tone. I got the impression of some underlying animosity for the "Japs" that I wasn't used to. Most pilot memoirs portray a mutual respect for those they shared the air with. That became clear when I got to the end of the book and realized the war wasn't over yet. No wonder he had so much resentment for the enemy. The war was still going on, and his friends were still dying.

The book definitely could have used a postscript. For goodness' sake, this man did so much more with his life. A quick search not only told me that he got his wish to get back to the war, but he was also involved in many other things after it, including becoming governor of South Dakota. Sure, the initial text was written in 1943, but the publication date on my Kindle version is showing 2022. Foss died in 2003, so there's really no excuse to not have a follow-up to his life.

If you want a no-nonsense perspective of a Medal of Honor recipient during the conflict, this is a great place to get it. Foss tells it like it is, and I appreciate that. Good Book!

Girls of Flight City - Lorraine Heath

I was given this book in paperback form. Since I'm interested in WWII, and this book is based on true events, it seemed like the kind of book that I might enjoy. I especially am drawn to anything dealing with planes since my grandfather was a pilot in WWII.

Jessie is a pilot who loves what she does. When her mother and uncle sell their airfield, it becomes a place to teach British pilots how to fly. Jessie wants to be an instructor, but she has to deal with a man who doesn't think women should be in the cockpit of planes. Her brother, Jack, has joined the Eagle Squadron and raising some eyebrows in town, but she's determined to help in whatever way she can. We also read about Rhonda, another teacher at the school, and Kitty, Jessie's sister.

Jessie is really the main "girl" of the book. Rhonda and Kitty are in there pretty often, but I would consider Jessica and Royce to be the main characters. The story starts out interesting with Jessie trying to prove herself so she can be an instructor, and Royce recovering from an injury. As time goes by, it becomes less about flying and more about the love story. Once Royce heads back to England, the book fast forwards through the rest of the war. It's somewhat jarring and you can guess where the story is headed.

It just feels like a missed opportunity. Kitty was such a great character and had a more realistic experience. On top of that, she purposely went out of her way to interact with many of the cadets. It's her idea to tend the British area of the graveyard. I could have read more interactions with men and women in this unique situation instead of how Jessie was feeling about Royce.

Overall, it was an okay book, but I just didn't like the plot armor applied to Jessie and Royce. Sure, we "need" a happy ending, but after what Rhonda and Kitty went through, it felt unnatural and fake. We can hurt the main characters, but they have to live! I stand by the statement that Kitty's story was more compelling and would have given the author more chances to focus on the unique setting she'd chosen.

Lady Death: The Memoirs of Stalin's Sniper - Lyudmila Pavlichenko

During WWII, Lyudmila was a dedicated sniper. She proved her skill and took out her hatred on the opposing army. At the end of her frontline service, she had a total of 309 kills.

After a time, she had to deal with injuries and PTSD. She was used for propaganda, but I don't think she would have chosen that on her own. She mentions more than once how snipers are loners and prefer their own company most of the time. Unfortunately for her, she had an engaging way of speaking.

This is when she was sent on a tour of the US and England. She wasn't overly excited about the idea, and I can't blame her. The American press asked her stupid questions, so the way she responded was more than justified. I was surprised she struck up a friendship with Eleanor Roosevelt and took the time to get to know her. It showed she had the ability to let her first impressions be changed, and I think that's important.

I think the most concise description of her job was near the end of the book. She's at a memorial for Sevastopol, and her speech was taken down. At that time, she considered her words for the people who would hear it later as well as the ones who were present.

Lyudmila was definitely a patriot. She met Stalin more than once, and she believed in her country whole-heartedly. She maintained a hatred for the enemy that made her deadly on the battlefield. This book only covers her military career. It doesn't focus on her life as a whole. Overall, I enjoyed reading about this young woman's struggle to make her way in the world around her and make sense of the war she lived through. Good Book!

The Man in the Brown Suit (Colonel Race #1) - Agatha Christie

This is a murder mystery/diamond heist story. There's also a love story for the romantics out there. The book is listed as the first in the "Colonel Race" series, but the man is barely in the book, so it's a bit misleading. You're following the thoughts of two people. The main voice is Anne, and sometimes there are journal entries from one of the other characters. Other than that, you've got little twists you didn't see coming and a couple red herrings.

I really liked this book. I was a bit nervous for a while that some of my favorite characters were going to be on the nefarious side, but I was safe this time. The writing holds up after all these years, and I think this is one of my favorite Agatha Christie books. Good Book!

Smoke Boat Sailor - Dick Barbieri

This book was written by a man who served aboard the USS Bang during the years of 1961-64. He starts off by telling the story of the submarine before he was on board, and a bit about his childhood and what led him to be a part of the Navy. The purpose of the book is clear. His father would tell him stories and quiz him later. "Someday, most people will forget who we were and what we did and why. I want you to remember." It's why I read memoirs and tell my kids about these interesting people. They're going to be responsible for what the next generation remembers.

Once the author gets into the Navy, the book is more anecdotal. Serious stories are in there as well as humorous ones. A couple stories may make the animal lover cringe, but overall, none of them are too long. They held my interest pretty well, and the writing style was easy to read.

I read a review from someone questioning the truth of the the author's stories. The author does mention in the forward that "time has blurred some detail," but his stories were reviewed by his friend, Tom, who was on the ship at the same time he was. The Captain for most of the time he was on board was also consulted and helped provide some dates. The main thing I keep in mind when I read a memoir is that I'm reading colored memories. It's like the experiment where you talk to ten people at the scene of an accident and you get ten different accounts. There are going to be some overlapping elements to the stories, but no two will be exactly the same. Without reading multiple accounts from multiple people, there's just no way to get a clear and exact picture of what happened. In this case, I believe the author was relating his memories. Are they 100% accurate? Probably not, but I'm not approaching it as a historical account.

I liked the anecdotal nature of this book, and I learned a lot about submarines and the way they worked that I didn't know before. I appreciated how the author would shine a light on the people that made an impression on his life. Good Book!

Blood of Elves (The Witcher Saga #3) - Andrzej Sapkowski

First off, I want to clarify something from my last review of this author, The Last Wish. When I read that book, I was under the impression it was tied to the show based on the stories and the cover. Also the way it was listed on Amazon confused me as well. The Last Wish is listed as 'The Witcher Saga Book 1' and Blood of Elves is listed as 'The Witcher Book 3/The Witcher Saga Novels Book 1.' After a bit of research, I discovered that the first two books, The Last Wish and Sword of Destiny are collections of short stories, and the novels begin with Blood of Elves. It's my mistake, and my apologies for the misunderstanding.

In this first full novel of the series, Geralt starts out trying to get some help with Ciri. She is showing some signs of powers that no one at Kaer Morhen can understand, so he asks Triss Merigold for help. She's out of her league with Ciri, and so it's clear that the girl is going to have to seek help from Geralt's "dear friend" Yennefer. There are numerous people who are after Ciri, and one man in particular seems to be the most dangerous.

I really enjoyed this book. I found a couple times where I had to go back and read over a section again because I didn't pay enough attention the first time. My main concern for the future of reading this series is that I'll forget what was going on when I pick up the next one. Overall, I really did like it and hope to read more of the series soon. Good Book!

Fighting the Flying Circus - Eddie Rickenbacker

Growing up, I saw planes landing and taking off from the Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base on a daily basis. I also watched air shows from my front yard. It was pretty cool seeing jets streak over my roof. I even saw the Thunderbirds go past the house in formation one year. Great stuff. Anyway, I realized that I knew very little about the man himself, Eddie Rickenbacker.

Before World War I, this man was a race car driver. During the war, he was an Ace pilot who cared about the other pilots in his squadron, but not too much. He refers to it as one of the horrors of war. You had to be able to carry on the next day no matter what had happened to your friend.

This book is completely about his time in the air. He is very descriptive when it comes to telling what happened during a lot of the mid-air battles, and he tells what happened to others in his squadron as well. I noticed again that pilots have an unusual amount of respect for their enemy. Just like when I read Samurai!, there is a level of respect and good will for the other men in the air. Rickenbacker doesn't like to see men burning on their way to the ground and fought with valor in the skies.

He mentions a couple of times the fact that he saw German pilots abandon their planes and float to the ground with parachutes. It was something he and his fellow pilots didn't have. I found that ridiculous and agreed with his criticism that the Americans should have the same choice. He saw men burn on their way to the ground and wished they'd had the option to bail out. Who could blame him?

I enjoyed this book and wish I'd read it sooner. I can't believe people flew in these things and made it out alive. Or even that they chose to get in one. The first planes the 94th Aero Squadron had were prone to have the fabric of the wings shear off if you put too much strain on them during maneuvers. WHAT?! These men were so much braver than I'll ever be, and they have my respect. To the ones who made it and who never made it home, I salute you. Good Book!