Thu, 25 Oct 2007
With the Old Breed
I mentioned this book a couple of weeks ago. I was able to read it last week.
Written by Marine Eugene Sledge who was in the 1st Marine Division during
WWII in the Peleliu and Okinawa battles, he was quoted extensively in
Ken Burns recent documentary on the war. This book does not glorify war
are attempt to portray a movie type John Wayne character who attacks the
enemy and dies gloriously. Throughout the book Sledge describes his
experiences with war as meaningless and reducing himself and his
fellow Marines (as well as the enemy) to animalistic behavior. Now
that's not to say he didn't think they needed to be there. He definitely
saw the need to fight the Japanese and the reason for going to war as being
good. More often than not he refers to their training
and what he calls the, "Esprit de Corps" compelling them to never want to
let their buddies down. Because of this, they all fought together
bravely and attempted to deal with the worst that these battles would
throw at them. Sledge suggests that most war books are written by guys who
rarely if ever visit the front lines and so do not have or present a true
picture of what war is really like.
As mentioned, there are a lot of details about battle that I don't think I was ever really aware of. Most of the time, Sledge's outfit makes progress yards at a time. Like maybe 5 or 10 yards a day. And there is incredible carnage and destruction. While most of the time dead Marines were taken back to a safe area for burial, the dead Japanese soldiers were left where they fell for days and even weeks it seems. But at many points in the Okinawa battle, even the dead Marines were unable to be taken off the field and so there were dead bodies all around were the men were fighting.
Sledge also describes how they just didn't have time or place to practice even the most rudimentary hygiene. Waste and human excrement were put in cans and thrown out of their pits and foxholes as best as was possible. Just getting some food and eating regularly was difficult. And these conditions went on for many days at a time. Sledge suffered from diarrhea, trench foot, and malnutrition. Heavy rains and slow progress coupled with soft clay ground made the Okinawa battle similar to the trench ware fare of WWI in France. Some of the most dangerous duty that Sledge (and others) had to do was being a stretcher bearer. The Marines have a policy of not leaving wounded soldiers on the battle field so whenever anyone was wounded, four guys would have to go out and bring the wounded soldier in.
Although many of us might think of the Japanese military in WWII as characterized by the Banzai charge and kamikaze attack, in reality the Japanese army learned and adjusted their tactics during the course of the war. By the time Sledge was involved in Peleliu, they had learned to organize defenses and build defensive structures with overlapping fields of fire. This made these battles very costly. Sledge also frequently mentions the hatred they had for the Japanese soldiers. In terms of combat skills, they respected them and Sledge often mentions the discipline and excellent tactics used during the battles. But also the pure ruthlessness is ever present in the minds of the Marines. Corpsmen (medics) were shot at as well as stretcher carriers. And the Japanese were taught that surrender was a sign of weakness and lack of courage. And consequently not many Japanese solders were captured. Even after the main force was defeated, many single and small groups of Japanese soldiers remained in their holes and pill boxes unwilling to come out. This resulted in mop up operations where flame throwers were used to flush them out and then they would come out with sword or rifle attempting to die fighting. This really struck me as meaningless when you see the numbers of soldiers who died. These guys were really sold a big lie to have to die this way.
This is a very realistic book. If you really want to understand what combat was like (and likely still is), this is a good book to read. It certainly also makes you think twice about sending young men to war and what kind of war is worth supporting.
Wed, 10 Oct 2007
Ken Burns The War Documentary and Eugene Sledge
I was able to watch most of the episodes of Ken Burns, "The War"
on PBS last week. It was similar to Burn's other works in that it
gave a very personal account of this war (WWII) by focusing on a handful
of people who were part of it and sharing their testimonies and
writings. This is a very useful way to tell the story although,
if you are looking for the strategy and tactics of the war, another
resource would be more useful.
There were lots of things that I learned from this series. I was aware of the Japanese internment camps in the US but I didn't know what the conditions were like. I was also aware of Daniel Inouye but not any of the details of his heroism during the war. His accounts of the battles that he participated in were simply incredible. There was a lot of interesting stuff on the campaign in Europe but it was the Pacific war that was most interesting to me. first off, I didn't know that the University of Santo Thomas in the Philippines was an internment camp for nationals caught by the Japanese after their invasion of the country. This is the University where my wife received her undergraduate degree. And the huge casualties suffered by the Filipino people was sad.
I have often wondered in the past about the decision to drop the atomic bomb on Japan. I thought Burns did a very good job in presenting some contributing factors to that decision. I have wondered for example why the bomb could not have been dropped on a remote island to show the Japanese the incredible destructive power before it was used on them. But the mentality of the Japanese during this time must be taken into account. Burns showed how the population was being trained extensively to fight to the death. All women and children were being trained to fight to the death and taught that surrender was dishonorable. Casualty estimates were anywhere from half a million to one million soldiers needed to completely invade and subdue Japan. FDR's last address to congress revealed a leader who was trying to explain the long road ahead if the US were to invade the country of Japan (which seemed likely at that point). Even after the first bomb on Hiroshima was dropped, the Japanese did not make any attempt to surrender. At this point, I can't say I disagree with the decision to drop the bomb. I don't think I would have been unhappy with the war ending without an invasion.
A marine named Eugene Sledge was quoted frequently during the account of the Pacific war. He kept a diary in his bible in order to avoid confiscation. The soldiers were told not to keep anything like this in order to avoid having it fall into the hands of the Japanese and providing them with anything useful. So Sledge was going against orders by keeping his diary. Yet, his account gives a rare glimpse into the mind and life of a front line soldier in the Peleliu and Okinawa battles. I have ordered his book, "With the Old Breed" which was quoted during the film. You can listen to a 5 part interview with Sledge on this page. Sledge also makes very clear how the Japanese soldiers were not typical and it was extremely rare to take them prisoner as they would fight to the death.
Mon, 08 Oct 2007
The Deathly Hallows (Potter 7)
Yes, I am half way through it now. I can't imagine not finishing this
weekend. It's just too captivating to stop. Only because I was
extremely tired form Cyclocross practice last night, I didn't
make it past chapter 17. And already Snape has done a couple of
things that do not seem consistent with someone sold out to evil.
There is lots of detail and lots of despair so far. I hope
Harry Potter gets some help soon! Stay tuned for the wrap up
in a day or so.
Finished!
I finished the book Saturday morning. It was a real thriller at the end. There is a huge battle scene which should make the movie very good. It is on a scale with some of the battles in Lord of the Rings and Chronicles of Narnia. And the face off between Harry and Voldamort is quite excellent. Really, I thought it was very captivating through most of the book unlike the 6th one which was pretty tame until you got to the end. I was pleasantly surprised that the ending was not as sad as I had anticipated. Although there are plenty of tragic deaths throughout the book. As for Snape, well I'm not going to give it away but it seems that most of the women who I have talked to always seem to have gotten it right. At any rate, if you are like me, you will frequently think you have him figured out only to encounter a different twist (clue or action) which raises doubts. You don't really get a detailed view of Snape's interactions with Dumbledore until near the end.I was able to finally look around the web a little bit at some of the reviews. One of the frequent criticisms is over all the camping scenes as they are called. Harry and his two companions are on the run through much of the book and they move to different locations periodically living out of a tent. I didn't find this that bad as it kind of had the same feel as Frodo and Same as they trudged their way to Mordor. It was just the tool which helps build tension to the various surprises which lead to the end.
One of the web sites which I have found helpful (and there are many of them out there) is the Harry Potter Lexicon. This has overviews and chapter summaries of all the books and many other useful things to help remember and solidify your understanding of the story.
Rowling has said she has no plans to write any more stories related to HP but she might write some sort of encyclopedia to explain the creatures in the stories better. But I couldn't help thinking about what might be done if at some time in the future she changes her mind. There is plenty of room it would seem both before Harry and after the end of the 7th book. Rowling did say, "never say never" so perhaps she might do something farther down the road.
Mon, 01 Oct 2007
Half Blood Prince (Potter 6)
I finished reading the 6th Harry Potter book Friday night. Just couldn't
put it down. Again, very intense, sad, and tragic. Snape ends up doing
something which really changes my previous view that
he is really good. Jon Barlow mentioned the book, "The Great Snape Debate"
to me yesterday and I found this review (spoilers
for Half Blood Prince if you have not read it yet).
One aspect of the good Snape argument, that he is not innocent, is worthy I
think. If he ends up playing a positive roll in any sense, It's not because he
is essentially without evil intent. In my opinion, he is a very confused
character with conflicting motives and a tormented personality. Perhaps he
will end up playing a positive roll but only by accident, a la Gollum in
the Lord of the Rings. And maybe Dumbledoor's trust in Snape can be explained
as being similar to Gandalf's desire to not kill or do harm to the creature
Gollum throughout that story. But it is clear by the end of this book that
Dumbledoor has made a poor judgment in trusting him to the extent that he has.
If the Ministry of Magic is any indication, I don't think Rowling has much faith in politics or government as a vehicle for good. There may be people within government organizations who are good but for the most part political entities are self serving and more concerned with appearances than with what is best. Nothing surprising or profound here I guess but the Ministry of Magic is one part of the Potter books that I keep thinking is an attempt at social commentary or political satire.
Thu, 20 Sep 2007
Order of the Phoenix
I'm a little over half way through the 5th Harry Potter book.
It's really hard to put down. There is a lot more tension and
discord in this book but it's still very enticing and exciting to
read. The characters have become so fascinating. There is such
a complex interplay between everyone. You might at first think
it's a series of books about good and evil and so being quite
black and white in it's presentation of characters. But that's
far from the case. And many aspects are actually very realistic
in terms of reflecting real life. Harry's interplay with
Cho Change and his lack of understanding how women feel and think,
not to mention his feelings of attraction and how to deal with them,
this is all excellent. I really wish I had a friend like Hermione who
could explain the way women feel to me like she does with Harry when
I was becoming a young adult.
Thu, 06 Sep 2007
Harry Potter Book 4
We had read about half of book 4 (The Goblet of Fire) out loud to
the kids. But this book begins to get into quite a bit of detail and
it just wasn't working. So both my wife and I started reading ahead.
We are about two thirds of the way through. The prior books tended to
have a big climax at the end but this one has had several peaks to it.
Each of the tasks of the Tri Wizard tournament is exciting in themselves.
In between these peaks there's lots of details and more background
information filled in. All of the characters have a lot more depth
to them than the movies.
I've done a pretty good job of avoiding spoilers. I know what happens to a couple of characters but I have generally stayed clear of anything about book 7 (the final book). I really like Mad Eye Moody and Serious Black. Really, anyone who is kind to Harry is such a strong contrast to his adversaries. I was also just thinking about Ron Weasly and how he struggles with jealousy over things. Like Hermione being close to his idol Victor Krum. I used to get annoyed at these sorts of things too when I was younger.
Update
I started reading last night and just couldn't stop. I finished book 4 around 1 am. Wow, what an incredible book. There were so many twists in the last few chapters, it was a real thrilling end. There isn't much I can say without spoiling it but, I am almost convinced at this point that Snape is good. However, his position in the plot is so precarious that I can see how you will not be sure until the end.Fri, 08 Jun 2007
Finished Harry Potter 1
One of my co-workers has all of the Harry Potter books and has lent me
the books for reading. We decided to try and read the first book to
the kids. Our little girl is still a little young and she usually
falls a sleep pretty quickly. Jonathan is doing a bit better.
At any rate, I finished book one this week. The last two chapters
were really good and very exciting. The movie version of this
book is very faithful to the text but of course you don't get the
insights into what the characters are thinking nearly as much as the book.
I really think Dumbledore's explanations at the end are much more interesting
than in the movie. Especially when he explains why Professor Quirrell would
burn whenever he touched Harry. That was so beautiful.
I keep trying to think how I would explain the Potter books to a critic who might dismiss them because of the witchcraft and spells. On a very simple level I can see that this could be a problem. But I think it would be only if you dwelled on it and made a big deal about it. In some sense, the spells and everything are not the big topic. It's just a way to divide the unseen from the seen, the Muggles from the Wizards. It's interesting that the kids at Hogwarts are learning so much about the hidden world and spells and stuff but they are strictly told not to practice these things apart from the school. In general, Wizards are supposed to uphold the appearance of the ordinary to the Muggle world. I'm not trying to be profound here at all. I'm just trying to get a practical grasp of the books and how to explain them to a skeptic. Let me know if you have any other thoughts along these lines.
Thu, 28 Dec 2006
Two Books
My mom gave me a copy of Bill O'Reilly's Culture Warrior for Christmas and I
started reading it last night. I listen to O'Reilly on the radio on
occasion. He is definitely a force for good as I see it. He describes
the Culture War in terms of tradition against SPs (secular progressives).
This represents a slightly different take on things compared to
a religious or political framing of the conflict. This is refreshing
in some ways I think. It may be helpful to some in that the non-religious
or political language might be a little easier to understand or more
easily heard by some who might be put off by people like Dobson or
Colson. The book reads very much like O'Reilly speaks on his
show. It almost sounds like he dictated it into a transcriber or
something.
Sometimes O'Reilly can be problematic in that he really reduces things down to very simple terms. This is helpful to get a grasp on things but problematic in that it can cause type casting in some cases and this in turn can raise barriers. But overall, I like a lot of what he says. We will see how the book turns out.
Another book I have noticed is by Theologian Vern Poythress called, Redeeming Science: A God-Centered Approach . You can read this interview with Poythress about the book. I really think that books on faith and science are needed at this time. I see many Christians who seem to condemn scientific inquiry very quickly if it interferes with their concepts of certain biblical areas (like creation and origins for example). I get the impression from these people that it is wrong to study things like the age of the earth, the speed of light, genetics to name a few. Poythress sounds very cautious in the interview and I look forward to reading this book as well. Now if I can only find the time.
Fri, 26 May 2006
Book: The Killer Angels
Since the softball tournament last week really killed my legs
and I was basically out of commission for three days this week (Sunday
thru Tuesday), I had a little time to read a book. Pastor Meyers had
mentioned this book at the camp out two weeks ago so I decided to
read it. I finally finished it last night. It was definitely
a good read. See
Wikipedia's overview for a little more info.
Here's a few random thoughts:
- A little googling revealed this online study guide which provides some good insights.
- This book was the basis of the 1993 movie Gettysburg. It also inspired Ken Burns to make the PBS series on the Civil War.
- The book is told from the viewpoint of several different characters on both sides. But Longstreet and Chamberlin offer the majority views.
- There is no in depth discussion of slavery but it is mentioned a lot by both sides and it is something that the soldiers think about when not fighting or having fun. Mostly, the South doesn't think the war is about slavery. For them, it's about freedom to live the way they want to live (but this is indirectly related I would say). To Joshua Chamberlin, it is very much about slavery.
- The Confederate Generals come across as having a sense of foreboding and wanting to end the war with this battle. This attitude especially seems to prompt Lee into forcing a decisive encounter.
- Longstreet urges to back off and look for a better place to fight where they will be the defenders. Separating the Union Army of the Potomac from Washington is his idea and this, in his thinking, would force them to attack.
- Lee is concerned with the effect a withdrawal would have on the troops and decides on direct frontal attacks at all stages of the battle it seems. He feels that their pride is their best asset and will carry them through the day, even if the odds are long for success.
- I wouldn't say this book is overly graphic but you do get a sense of what these kind of battles were like without getting too gorey.
- The fight for Little Round Top which Chamberlin defended was one of the best parts of the book. You could really sense that battle, like many sports is subject to so many intangible things: Attitude, spontaneous judgment, adaptability, unexpected actions by adversaries, these all have effects in a contest and they are amplified in battle.
- The description of Picket's charge (the last frontal attack of the Confederates) was described in detail. The soldiers had to march a mile across open field and then up hill to the cemetery ridge. It seemed so silly that they just kept marching in line as the Union artillery decimated them. Then, rows of soldiers fired muskets into them. This tactic seemed so old school and way behind the weaponry. This I remember was mentioned in the PBS series of Ken Burns, that the tactics were not up to the technology in many cases.
- Freemantle was an English observer who was with the Confederates. I could identify with him in some respects. His giddy admiration for the Southern Generals and their sense of honor, we moderns looking back tend to think the same way probably.
- The heavy emotional toll on these men is well described. Not only that they lose friends on their own side but also that they know who the guys are on the other side that they are fighting against. Many of the officers have served together in the US army before the conflict and are good friends. And in some cases, families are split with some brothers fighting against each other on either side although this is not a reality with any of the principle characters of the book.
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