Covert Action: Reagan, the CIA, and the Cold War Struggle in Poland

Seth G Jones

W.W. Norton and Company

https://wwnorton.com

9780393247008, $17.79


Synopsis

In December of 1981, the polish government cut telephone lines, closed the border and eventually declared martial law. Soon after a group of determined polish citizens joined together to fight the governments actions. Aided by the covert actions of the United States Central Intelligence Agency this solidary movement fought for and achieved a landmark victory for democracy. This book, describes in great detail, many of these efforts. Well researched, it includes in-depth interviews and declassified evidence.

My thoughts  

I enjoyed this book and learned a lot from it. Especially enlightening was reading about the role that the Catholic Church played in the solidarity movement. It was also inspiring to read about the important role that solidarity played in the early days of democracy movements in Europe. I would recommend it to history lovers of all types.

About the author. 

Seth G Jones is  the Harold Brown Chair and Director of the Transnational Threats Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).He also wrote the Graveyard of Empires, and Hunting in the Shadows. 

Our Year of War By Daniel B Bolger

Da Capo Press 

ISBN: 978-306-903267(hardcover) 978-0-306-903-43(ebook)

 $17.99, PB, $10,00 hardback270p

Review 

One of my personal reading goals is to learn more about the Vietnam War.
So when I found an inexpensive copy of Our Year of War, a book about
two brothers serving side by side in Vietnam, I decided to purchase it.
I am glad I did since it turned out to be a highly informative, readable
and moving book.

The two brothers featured in the book are Tom and Chuck Hagel. You may
be familiar with the name Chuck Hagel. He became a United States Senator
from his native Nebraska and served as secretary of defense under Barack
Obama. The Hagels spent much of 1968 serving in Vietnam and this book
tells that story. It also explains how they came to have different views on the
war.(Chuck would support it-Tom would oppose it)

The book begins by describing some of the Hagel family History, tracing the
brothers' path from the Nebraska prairies to the jungles of southeast asia.
The majority of the book, however, is devoted to describing combat operations
involving the two brothers. Some had heartbreaking consequences
while others involved personal sacrifice. For example, take the time Tom and
Chuck had to save each other's lives. These stories provide a great insider
view of what life must have been like for the average vietnam grunt (a term
Bolger uses to describe the average Vietnam foot soldier) Bolger also does
a great job of illustrating how this combat generated real emotions like anger
and sadness.The Vietnam war was affected by many outside political and social
ircumstances. The author of this book, Dainel B Bolger ,skilfully weaves these 
events into his story showing how they influenced the war and the Hagles experience 
in it..

This was a frank and honest book. Bolger is not afraid to criticize Army leadership and
 government officials for poor planning and decision making. For example he argues that mistakes like using the wrong tool (conventional U.Sarmy forces)) for the wrong job(counterinsurgency ) were at the heart of our ill fated Vietnam venture.

More About the Author, Dainel B Bolger
Dainel B Bolger is a retired United States Army General who earned several
awards for his military service including the bronze star. He is author of eight
other books and is a contributing editor to US Army magazine.

Recommended Audience  

I would recommend this book to anyone who wants in a deeperinsight into

what it was really like to fight in the Vietnam War. 

Note: This book reviewing will appear in one of the May publications of the Midwest Review of books