Chasing Ghosts, A Soldier’s Fight For America From Baghdad to Washington by Paul Rieckhoff; 2006; NAL Caliber; 326 pages; 956.70043 R549c/0-451-21841-8; 10/22-10/27

The ground truth from a National Guard lieutenant who led a platoon in Iraq. If you go to war with the Army you have and not the one you need to have, you do a disservice to those who are serving in the military. You not only do a disservice to them but also those they are trying to help and the families of those serving.

Rieckhoff tells of buying his own GPS unit, because the one the Guard had issued him was from 1994. He and his top Sergeant bought a case of walk talkies, because the issued ones didn’t work. His dad sent him a case of electrical tape so the troops could fasten flashlights to their rifles to see. Night Vision Goggles, but the fifty cent bracket holding them on didn’t and the Army didn’t have more.

Also the troops and the media were shackled by the Pentagon as to what they could say. Rieckhoff brought all of his men home alive and tried to bring the truth to the country. First through the Bush campaign and then through the Kerry campaign, but neither wanted to talk about that war.

We need more people like Paul Rieckhoff to speak the truth and bring it to the people. We need people like this to seek office and lead the country. People should not be afraid of their government, government should be afraid of it’s people. RRRR

Firetrap by Earl Emerson; 2006; Ballantine Books, New York;350 pages; Fiction Emerson/0-345-46292-0; 10/18-10/22

Earl Emerson is a lieutenant in the Seattle Fire Department and it shows in his depiction of fires and the intra-departmental politics in his books. The story starts 19 years in the past and affects what happens in the present. A fire starts in a nightclub and 14 people die and the fire department is accused of racism. So begins a story of familial relationships, corrupt politicians and even a romance. Trey Brown is a former linebacker who is now a Captain in the SPD and is asked to help investigate the fire, even though he was involved in fighting the fire. As he and newscaster Jamie Estevez investigate the fire, a nasty family secret comes to light and crooked politicos are exposed.

Emerson is about the only author I have ever who successfully writes chapters from different points of view and things don’t get confused as to whom is speaking. His ability to speak in different voices and do it well is unique. RRRr

Spalding’s World Tour, The Epic Adventure That Took Baseball Around The Globe-And Made It America’s Game by Mark Lamster; BBS Public Affairs, New York; 341 pages; 796.357 L241s/978-1-58648-311-1; 10/13-10/18

On October 20, 1888 Albert Spalding and twenty baseball players from the Chicago White Stockings and representatives of the other National League Teams left Chicago for a trip which would eventually take them around the world. The tour was originally scheduled to go to Australia and New Zealand to introduce them to baseball. Spalding knew before he left that the trip would go around the world, but didn’t tell the players until they were between Hawaii and Australia. The teams agreed with the proposal and they went on to Ceylon, India, Arabia, Egypt, Italy, France, England, Scotland and Ireland playing ball in the shadow of the pyramids among other landmarks. It was ostensibly about introducing baseball to the world but it was also about Spalding spread his sporting goods empire around the world. This record of the trip is well balanced presenting Spalding’s propaganda and the reality of the trip. It is an interesting addition to the history of baseball.

Last Shot by Gregg Hurwitz; 2006; William Morrow, New York; 419 pages; Fiction Hurwitz/978-0-06-073146-5; 10/11-10/13

Another taut thriller from Gregg Hurwitz, starring Troubleshooter Tim Rackley, his family, friends and colleagues in the US Marshals office.

When an ex-SEAL breaks out of prison, it is the Marshals office that is called in to track him down. It looks like the prison break has a purpose other than just getting out of the joint. There is a big pharmaceutical company, an apparent suicide, transplants, con men and Tim’s own history as a vigilante. All the tiny threads come together to form an exciting story from a outstanding storyteller. RRR

A Soldiers Portfolio, This is our war, serviceman’s photographs of life in Iraq; Devin Friedman & the Editors of GQ// Foreword by General Wesley Clark; 2006; Artisan, New York; 224 pages; 956.70443 F811t/1-57965-309-X; 10/9-10/11

When Devin Friedman was on assignment for GQ in Iraq, he noticed that most of the soldiers were wearing flash drives along with their dog tags. The editors asked the soldiers and sailors to submit their photos for this project. Over 10,000 photos were submitted and the final choices are in this book.

These are not professional photojournalists but our brothers, sisters, Moms, Dads, husbands and wives. These pictures are the real thing grouped in different sections to represent the experience of Iraq. There are a couple of pictures that show how young the people fighting this war are, some of them look like the should be in Jr. High not in combat. One of the last sections of the book are last pictures of some of the soldiers. If you are not moved at some point in looking through this book, I think you need to head down the yellow brick road to see the wizard.

WARNING; there is at least one very graphic picture in the book. RRRR