Feb 17th: We Were Soldiers Once…And Young - Lt. Gen. Harold G. Moore (Ret.) And Joseph L. Galloway
1992, 404 Pages, Thrift Books
The story of the Battle of Ia Drang, the first major battle between US and North Vietnamese soldiers, this book was well worth my time. Written by the boots-on-the-ground commanding officer and the first reporter on the scene, it compiles first-hand accounts, government files, interviews, and quite to my surprise, interviews with the commanding officers of the North Vietnamese Army at the battle; both authors visited Vietnam twice after the war to personally meet and converse with the men that were their mortal enemies. This perspective really stood out to me as most combat accounts do not include the other side, and it showed maturity on both sides to give each other credit and mutual respect, not as enemies but as fellow soldiers. It also showed the absurdity of war as a little bit of time and a few decisions by guys in suits is all it takes to make others kill each other or be friendly.
The main thing that stood out to me was how Hal talked about his men. While it was difficult for him to have had a personal relationship with all 400, you can clearly tell he deeply respected and appreciated his men; he loved and loves them. He made sure everyone, dead or alive, was accounted for, even going so far as to personally police the lines and search for bodies. He refused to leave the battlefield multiple times when ordered to by his commanding officers. He put himself in harm's way time and time again to make sure a job was done right and quick, instead of just delegating it to a lower rank and avoiding danger. After the battle he went to damn near every soldier in his battalion and those in supporting roles, like the artillery men and helicopter pilots, and gave them their due respect; a handshake and a solemn thank you. Then, after years more soldiering, he spent 10 years researching and compiling an extremely well-written and detailed book on their historic battle. And every single time he got to a part where one of his men died, he made sure to list their rank, name, age, and hometown; it was such a small detail in the book yet so powerful.
Beyond that, the most difficult part to read was the interviews with the wives and children of those killed in action. It was absolutely heartbreaking to read someone talk about how a telegram and a casket was the last they saw of their father or the love of their life. I know this is a common topic and theme in war stories, but the actual words of those who live that reality hit differently.
This book is probably best known for the film adaptation, with Mel Gibson as Hal Moore; a staple of my childhood (one of my Dad’s favorite movies with the “First In Last Out” mentality clearly displayed and Sam Elliot’s character being the best way he could describe my Grandfather’s old man role in Vietnam), I had to rewatch this film after finishing the book. While Mel Gibson movies are notorious for taking much more than creative freedom with historical fact, to my surprise, this movie actually does a pretty solid job of staying true to the book. It still takes liberties, like the final bayonet charge which never happened, the fact that Galloway had already been carrying an M-16 with him before the battle, and omitting the horrific battle that ensued at LZ-Albany in the following days; but the meat of the story, the timeline of the battle, the copious usage of artillery and airstrikes, the Vietnamese perspective, and the personal stories, were accounted with decent accuracy and healthy respect. Even some of the smaller details and individual quotes, like “Gentlemen, prepare to defend yourselves”, the US flag sticking out of the tree stump, and the Vietnamese soldier’s diary with the poetry, are directly from the book. And once again, the saddest part of the story is still the home front. I recommend both the book and movie, in that order.
Feb 26th: The Pocket Guide To Action: 116 Meditations on the Art of Doing - Kyle Eschenroeder
2016, 143 Pages, The Art of Manliness
I have been a fan of The Art of Manliness since way back in high school and read just about everything they write; so when they had a clearance sale, naturally I bought all their books. I read The Secrets to Power, Mastery, and Truth by William George Jordan last year, a condensed collection of wisdom, and this book was in a similar vein. A series of quippy chapters, ironically, on thinking less and taking action more, I could clearly see the inspiration drawn from Meditations, as the author wrote this book to himself (and quoted Meditations quite a lot). It was less of a conventional book and more of a collection of thoughts and wisdom drawn from quotes, personal experience, and introspection. Regardless, if you ever need a daily kick in the butt to get going, this is a good book to mull through.
Feb 27th: How to…Make Love Like a Pornstar: A Cautionary Tale - Jenna Jameson
2004, 579 Pages, Pick of the Litter
I bought this book for obvious reasons…what is love and can I make it in a skillet or do I need a crock pot? Maybe a sewing machine and a crucifix? Looks like the recipe calls for a base of childhood trauma, a dose of horrific sexual experiences, a dash of scumbag “friends”, and a negligent father for a sous-chef, all doused with hard drug use.
Jokes aside, this was a random find at the thrift store and quite out of the ordinary from my usual selection of classic literature, as the cashier was quick to note. Apparently the most famous adult film actress, active in the 90’s and 2000’s, Ms. Jameson has been called the “Queen of Porn” (no, I didn’t know that before I read this book, you sickos). While this memoir is laced with “eroticism” (before you judge me, just remember Fifty Shades of Grey has sold over 150 million copies and been translated into 52 languages to be read on Municipal transport all over the world), that was actually the least interesting part of the book.
I couldn’t care less which actor or musician does what in bed or the intricate play-by-plays of what happens in hotel rooms at 3 a.m.; her actual life story and outlook on it were far more interesting. She had a horrific childhood, full of loss, drugs, and reprehensible sexual crimes, and was able to spin it all into a rather successful career through lots of luck and admittedly lots of hard work. For example, pretty much anytime she had personal issues at her numerous homes throughout her life, she would sink deeper into her work; booking as many photoshoots as possible and going on cross-country tours doing feature dances at strip clubs. While this may not seem like “hard work” to most people, and she was partying more than should be possible for a petite woman, having read the long hours, bodily discomfort, danger, fraudsters, and assholes that come with that lifestyle, it does not seem as rosy as people make it out to be (her chapter on common injuries for strippers affirmed my aversion to ever setting foot in a strip club).
And when you separate her notions from the nature of her actions, she was doing what just about anybody that has worked at a career and been successful will say. She was putting herself out there (literally), taking risks (maybe too many), seizing opportunities, trying, failing, and trying again, and generally faking it until she made it. To illustrate this point, I have picked two quotes from Warren Buffet and two quotes from Jenna Jameson and put them below; can you tell who said which?
“I liked thrusting myself into these new worlds where I didn’t fit in or know everything, especially when I ended up discovering a natural talent that surprised me.”
Said to a prospective business partner: “You care about quality and perfection, because you want to be the best and the biggest. I want the same thing for myself. And together we can change things.”
“Looking back on it now, I’m ashamed at how selfish and opportunistic I was, but at the same time, success requires some familiarity with the fatal flaw of narcissism.”
“Ultimately what matters is not just the experiences you have at a young age, but whether or not you are equipped - by your parents, by your genetics, by your education - to survive and deal with them.”
I can’t name a single thing Warren Buffett has said, or if he’s even still alive (he is; I just Googled it); those are all quotes from a woman who got famous by having intercourse in front of a camera. And that’s what I actually liked about this book, the substrate that can transcend the nature of her career and speak to a larger experience; a bit of humanity.
Beyond the cross-career advice, my favorite part of this book was the creative format; it had normal chapters, lists, her old diary entries, comic strips, a mock contract, a handwritten “Thank-You’s” page, transcribed interviews, and plenty of scrapbook style photos. While the latter was why I never opened nor even brought this book in public, the other additions made it a unique and enjoyable read.
I also have to admit the humor and wit was respectable and refreshing. For example: “The 10 (Boyfriend) Commandments: `X. Thou may leave the toilet seat up. But thou shalt not leave the toilet seat down and pee on it.” Or when she did her first strip club performance (while still in high school and after ripping her braces off with plyers…not that funny) and picked “Black” by Pearl Jam for her second song; I’m far from an expert on strip club performance arts but that might be the last song I would ever pick, coming in at almost 6 minutes of very emotional music about heartbreak. Alas, as with most else in her life, she was able to look back on it with lightheartedness and simply laugh at herself.
However, you never can know how much of this book was written by the hand of Ms. Jameson and how much was crafted by the ghost writer, Neil Strauss, a “pickup artist” with his own grab bag of C-List eccentric drama and career success that can only be described as uniquely American. As with anything that originates from the cesspool that is L.A., Hollywood, and celebrity culture, you never quite know if you’re getting the straight jack.
Regardless, I think there is a reason, beyond pervs and celebrity hounds, that this book spent six weeks on the New York Times Best Seller list; it shows a huge industry that everyone knows is there but few want to even acknowledge or ponder; at least not in public. This book gives a glimpse into another side of our society, in all its shades of gross, glamorous, ugly, sexy, insane, bland, horrific, and very human experiences. For that, I enjoyed the study in anthropology.
The book ends with her at the top of her respective field, making a lot of money running a company with lots of potential in its market, married, and ready to be a mother. After all of the horrible things that happened in her life, it was actually quite nice to get to that ending…then I read her Wikipedia. She ended up getting a divorce followed by out of wedlock twins with Tito Ortiz, whom she lost custody of, converted to Judaism to marry someone else and had a daughter, got another divorce, and then remarried and had an annulment, all with health and drug problems mixed in. Just goes to show that you can be the most famous whatever, make all the money one could ever need, meet (and sleep with) all the celebrities you’ve ever dreamed of, and still end up just as miserable and messed up as the rest of us.
But hey, this is America, you can also have a traumatic childhood, do an insane amount of drugs, make a fortune by wearing nothing except some silicone, and write your autobiography at 30 before the next 20 years rewrite it. Amen sister.
Stats:
Total Books: 3
Average Year of Publication: 2004
Pages Read: 1,126
Pages A Day: 40.21