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G. Gordon Liddy's autobiography is as spookily fascinating now as it was in 1980, especially the memorably unvarnished depiction of his early years. Listening with admiration to Adolf Hitler on the radio, seeking to free himself from "disabling emotionalism" by slaughtering chickens, young Gordon must have made quite an impression on the neighbors. The army, the F.B.I., the Watergate scandal, and jail are covered with equal pungency: you have to admire the author's ferocious candor, whatever you think of his values. This new edition features a 1996 postscript as combative as the main text.
Book Description
From soldier to Washington insider; from a prisoner who preferred the walls of a prison rather than the betrayal of his principles; to a writer and top radio personality, G. Gordon Liddy is a hero to some, a villain to others, but always an enigma.
In 1980, G. Gordon Liddy shocked, surprised, and, ultimately, delighted the world with his vivid, brutally honest, and controversial autobiography, Will. A number one national bestseller in both hardcover and paperback, Will has stood the test of time like few other books. With over 1,000,000 copies in print, it is nothing less than a quintessential American biography-a classic story of a life interestingly led.
Now available in hardcover for the first time in over fifteen years, and updated to bring his amazing story to the present day, G. Gordon Liddy's Will is sure to remain an inspiring and necessary volume for generations to come.
Customer Reviews:
The G-Man is a very interesting kind of American Patriot..........2007-02-20
This book should be required reading for anyone in a 20th-Century American History course. Not only does Gordon chronicle his own personal (and at times rather disturbing) history, but, he puts it in the context of the America in which he grew up, the America in which he came of age, the America in which he worked, and the America in which he became (in)famous. Somewhere along the line, he reminds each of us of the America in which we came to be. I'm 42, so, for the longest time, "Watergate" wasn't much more than a lot of old guys on TV having long, boring conversations. The latter chapters of "Will" flesh out the incident quite well.
As a companion-piece, I also recommend "When I Was a Kid, This Was a Free Country", also by GGL.
American hero !.......2006-10-13
Great book by a Loyal American , didn't rat out President Nixon, did his time , came out made a new life and a fortune , If I ever had a hero he's mine. With all this left wing scum undermining our country, thank God for guy's like G Gordon.
AMAZING........2006-09-30
Wow, what a book, and G. Gordon Liddy, what a character, simply fascinating. This book, while obviously telling the story of the man's life, proves to be a superb commentary on American society. I personally enjoyed Mr. Liddy's comments on family life, responsibility, and the American education system. The history of the FBI and his training is also excellent. The parts where he is sent to "real" prison, not "country club" prison, are out of control. In my opinion, I don't see how one can say Mr. Liddy isn't an extremely dedicated and passionate man, whether one agrees with his convictions and passions is obviously personal, but this is a great read.
Fascinating, instructive, a good reading.......2005-01-03
A very interesting book by an intelligent and willed man. I surely prefer the first part, the one regarding his change, the shaping of his caracter as it is in there that the writer shares his thoughts deeply. The second part, vivid as it may be, lacks that profound feelings from the author that would explain his view of himself and of the events in which he took part.
Finally, seen his role in the DNC burglary, I would have expected his judgment about Watergate, the reasons why the second burglary failed and to know who could be put the blame on, politically and not, for the way all ended up.
Unmitigated Bravo Sierra.......2004-08-28
Two stars for chutzpah. Liddy has put one over on the reading public; and the reading public has gobbled it up. I read the thing because so many liberals (friends and radio talk folks) were impressed by the sheer power of the man, his force of 'Will'.
Does Will rhyme with Bull? Men in the armed services have been telling many of these same 'biographical vignettes' since at least World War II. Anyone who has spent over six months in the service has heard several of these tales of personal bravura told in the first person from several different sources. The one about the gay redneck peeking under the table is a favorite of military police types, the caliber of the gun being the only variable - it went from .38 to .44 when `Dirty Harry' was released. And he's about the fifth guy I've heard claim he got over his fear of lightning by standing high in a tree or on top of a barn or house during a thunderstorm.
And if you're looking for a scoop on Watergate, forget it. Nothing in here you haven't heard: Liddy feels betrayed, is loyal to Nixon's memory, and hates Dean. There, now you don't need to read the book.
Will! Indeed. I prefer Chutzpah. I dare say Mr. Liddy's editors and literary critics lack much life experience (male macho type at least) and got themselves fooled. G. Gordon has manufactured a lot of old baloney, and it has been received as filet mignon.
Customer Reviews:
The Autobiography of 'The Perfect Soldier'.......2002-10-24
G. Gordon Liddy knows Government like few other men -- inside and out. He served in the United States Army, as an Assistant District Attorney, in the Federal Bureau of Investigation and in the Treasury Department. In private life he practiced law and served as Counsel for former President Nixon's 'Committee to Re-elect The President'. During the re-election campaign he organized and participated in the Democratic National Committee Watergate Headquarters break-in, was caught, was convicted and was sentenced to twenty years' imprisonment. Liddy's refusal to cooperate with the Watergate investigation and subsequent impeachment hearings earned Liddy punishing assignment to the worst Federal prisons. Liddy never cooperated. In 1977 former President Carter commuted Liddy's sentence to eight years and Liddy was released after serving fifty-two months.
Liddy wrote "Will: The Autobiography of G. Gordon Liddy" long after all other affected parties had told everything. Liddy's premise in "Will: ..." is the self-conquest of human fear and human weakness, molding oneself into the perfect soldier. His crusade began during his sickly childhood, continued through his Army, Government and private careers, and sustained him through Federal prison.
Liddy describes his experiences candidly, clearly and well. He views humanity with cynicism born from long experience. Liddy's crusade to mold himself into a perfect soldier, his actions and his attitudes are *extremely* controversial, yet Liddy is an *extremely* intelligent man whose life molded his attitudes.
I recommend "Will: The Autobiography of G. Gordon Liddy" as *eyewitness history* that WILL force readers to shake their heads and to think.
Average customer rating:
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Will
G. Gordon Liddy
Manufacturer: Tor Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 General
| Biographies & Memoirs
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Contemporary
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ASIN: 0312956177 |
Book Description
Night after night they stifled their fears and flew through flak and packs of enemy fighters to drop the bombs that would demolish the Third Reich. The airmen of the United States 8th Army Air ForceAmerican and British Bomber Command were among the greatest heroes of the Second World War, defying Hitler in the darkest early days of the war and taking the battle to the German homeland when no one else would.
Toward the end of the conflict, too, they continued to sacrifice their lives to shatter an enemy sworn never to surrender. Blasted out of the sky in an instant or bailing out from burning aircraft to drop helplessly into hostile hands, they would die in their tens of thousands to ensure the enemy’s defeat. Especially vulnerable were the “tail-end Charlies”---for the Americans, which meant two things: the gunners who flew countless missions in a plexiglass bubble at the back of the bomber, and the last bomber in the formation who ended up flying through the most hell, and for the British, the rear-gunners who flew operations in a Plexiglas bubble at the back of the bomber.
Following their groundbreaking revelations about the ordeals suffered by Allied prisoners of war in their bestselling book, The Last Escape, John Nichol and Tony Rennell tell the astonishing and deeply moving story of the controversial last battles in the skies of Germany through the eyes of the forgotten heroes who fought them.
“This is the best account that has been written of the heroic American and British bomber crews . . . the best of its kind.”
---George McGovern
“Rivaling the best of Stephen Ambrose’s work, Tail-End Charlies gives a breathtakingly intimate look at the lives, loves, and deaths of the brave airmen of the greatest generation. This fascinating book is as valuable for its stories of joyous life on the ground as it is for its sobering tales of death in the air. You see the whole picture of the war here from the eyes of the strong young men who fought it.”
---Walter J. Boyne, bestselling author of Beyond the Wild Blue
“Adds new dimensions to the saga of the air war in Europe. The eyewitness accounts, reported within the context of the battle against Nazi Germany, provide a sense of the ordeals, the terror, the gore, and the heroism of ordinary men thrust into the savagery of aerial combat.”
---Gerald Astor, author of The Mighty Eighth
Customer Reviews:
Tail End Charlies.......2007-02-18
Great read. My son is reading now. You get a new appreciation for what these young men did in WW II.
The author relates so many great previously untold stories. As this generation of people passes, this book will become more important to tell their story.
Very Good Account of RAF in WWII.......2007-01-09
I bought this book for my dad who was a tail-gunner in WWII, stationed in England. He really enjoyed this account but thought it focused more on the Royal Air Force, RAF, than the US Army Air Corp. He enjoyed learning about what went on prior to him being stationed in England and could easily relate to the stories.
Good Information Poorly Ordered and Edited.......2007-01-08
While I enjoyed most of the stories in this book, the order in which they were presented was confusing, and detracted being able to form a cohesive picture of the message the author was trying to convey.
Splendid Book on World War II Strategic Bombing........2006-08-20
The best book on the history of World War II that I've read in a long time.
The title has three meanings:
1. It can refer to the gunner at the back of a bomber. The Brits called these people 'Rear Gunners.' The Yanks used the term 'Tail Gunner.' It's the most dangerous position in the plane.
2. The last plane in the formation. This was more true in the American Combat Box than in British usage. This position is difficult to hold because it is at the end of a string and every move by the lead ship propagates irregularily through the formation. It is also more dangerous as enemy fighters can attack this ship more easily since there aren't so many guns pointing that direction.
3. It can refer to the bombing missions near the end of the war.
This splendid book covers all three of these meanings. In addition it does an excellent job of discussing the power and importance of air power in the defeat of Germany.
Excellent.......2006-07-27
This is an excellent book covering the bomber war over Europe in the final two years of World War II. It is authored by two more recent RAF veterans and the book is simply outstanding.
The first part of the book talks about the experience of being in the bombers as they raided Nazi occupied Europe. It relies heavily on first person accounts, which make the reading fascinating. Everything is woven together to give a sense of training, flying, and dying in the bombers of Bomber Command and the Eighth Air Force.
The first part is based more on selected topics - on the experience itself. The second part of the book turns to operations from D-Day to the end of the war, including an excellent treatment on the controversy surrounding the decision to bomb Dresden.
The book tries to discuss both the British and American experience of the bomber war and while it relates experiences that both nationalities would probably share, it does focus more on Bomber Command than it does on the Eighth. This is in itself though is interesting as I knew little of the British experience and have been impressed by their resolve in prosecuting the war for so many years.
This is a great book to read - hard to put it down. I would highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in learning more about the final years of the strategic bombing of Germany and are interested in the experiences of the average Allied airman.
Average customer rating:
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Tail End Charlies
Tony Rennell , and
John Nichol
Manufacturer: Penguin Books Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Aviation
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General
| Military
| History
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General
| World War II
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ASIN: 0141015047 |
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Tail End Charlies!
Roy D. Erickson
Manufacturer: Turner Publishing Company (KY)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Military & Spies
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General
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ASIN: 156311299X |
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Tail-End Charlies: The Last Battles of the Bomber War, 1944-45.(Book review): An article from: Air & Space Power Journal
Robert Tate
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
Nonfiction
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ASIN: B000LC48TG
Release Date: 2006-11-29 |
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Air & Space Power Journal, published by Thomson Gale on September 22, 2006. The length of the article is 976 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: Tail-End Charlies: The Last Battles of the Bomber War, 1944-45.(Book review)
Author: Robert Tate
Publication:
Air & Space Power Journal (Magazine/Journal)
Date: September 22, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 20
Issue: 3
Page: 121(2)
Article Type: Book review
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Book Description
The Hill and Wang Critical Issues Series: concise, affordable works on pivotal topics in American history, society, and politics.
The Specter of Communism is a concise history of the origins of the Cold War and the evolution of U.S.-Soviet relations, from the Bolshevik revolution to the death of Stalin. Using not only American documents but also those from newly opened archives in Russia, China, and Eastern Europe, Leffler shows how the ideological animosity that existed from Lenin's seizure of power onward turned into dangerous confrontation. By focusing on American political culture and American anxieties about the Soviet political and economic threat, Leffler suggests new ways of understanding the global struggle staged by the two great powers of the postwar era.
Customer Reviews:
Blame america , excuse the murdering monsters.......2007-04-02
This book is basically an apology for Russian communism. One that proclaims the message: "communism isn't all that bad". "Stalin was a prudent, cautious and reasonable man and the Americans were the knee-jerk irrational reactionists" The book also seems to convey the message that "America made it seem worse than it was and hyped it up".
I mean, why should any country have reservations about the spread of communism? Communism, a form of government that is the privileged few, the Nomenclatura, who rule with absolute power over the lower party members and the general population, the proletariat. Let's not forget, commumism produced leaders such as Lenin, Stalin and Pol Pot. Sure, it's intentions may be good.....but human nature won't let it work. Power is its end.....not its mean, though that's what the original bolshevik revolutionaries proclaimed.
Basically, it's a 'blame america first' type of book. I for one am not going to be swayed just because of this author's talented writing skills, his commumist-friendly opinions and artful ways of persuasion using history. Nope. I blame communism and Stalin ( who murdered millions of his own......MILLIONs )
The 'amoral' U.S.A........never murdered millions of its citizens on the whim of their President. It never negated the existence of people on a list. A list who was cavalierly reviewed by the president, Stalin, and checkmarked with a pen as he decided whose life to end and existence from the records of history to erase. Many others were sent to Gulags never to be heard from again. It was the communist bastion of the USSR and ITS President, Stalin who did this.
Considering these above mentioned historically documented facts regarding the terrors inflicted upon the population by the ruling Red party, not only in the old USSR but other communist regimes (cambodia, Cuba, Vietnam and China for that matter), is it possible that the United States' "fears" or "overreactions" to the spread of communism after WWII were, perhaps, a bit justified? If these communist countries, in the decades following, WWII had turned out to be benevolent, non-tyranical, beneficial to their general populations or 'good' in any sense of the word, then the USA's reactions and maneauverings after the war would have been, as the author puts it, 'an overreaction'. But, because history proved that communism was indeed a monstrous terror upon the peoples of those particular countries, does it not justify our government's sentiments toward communism's spread post WWII? Indeed it does. Thank God for the actions that our government took to jealously protect our way of life.....which, incidentally, is the best way of life on the earth ( why does everyone seek to get into America if it's not the best?)
I side with America and I side AGAINST communism. This goes for any period of history.....from the 1940s until present. Like the WHO songs says......" Won't be fooled again"
As Good As It Gets.......2006-11-26
Melvyn Leffler's "The Specter of Communism" is a superb, short, and nuanced history of the origins of the Cold War. It should be assigned reading in any college course on 20th century American foreign policy.
In Leffler's telling, Stalin felt vulnerable after World War II and wanted to preserve good relations with the U.S. The Soviet dictator insisted, however, on moving his borders westward, installing a puppet regime in Poland, and playing a leading role in the occupation of Germany and Japan. These goals didn't necessarily clash with core U.S. interests and might not have resulted in a Cold War if Europe and East Asia hadn't been on the verge of collapse after 1945. Since World War I, Washington had been haunted by the fear that the resources of Europe and Asia might fall under the control of one hostile power -- either Germany or Russia -- that could then threaten the security and political economy of the U.S. Washington policymakers didn't think that Stalin planned to start a new war, but they panicked when communist parties surged in France, Italy and elsewhere. Assuming that communist governments would link their economies to the USSR's, Washington responded by moving to rebuild the German economy and integrating Germany into a U.S.-led European bloc. Stalin, fearing a revival of German power, clamped down on Eastern Europe and blockaded Berlin. The Cold War was soon going at full steam.
One of the high points of Leffler's book is the discussion of the domestic politics of anti-communism. American conservatives didn't give a hoot about Europe or foreign policy, but they did want to exploit anti-Red feeling to discredit New Dealers and crack down on labor unions and civil rights groups. However, having stirred up a lot of paranoia, conservatives were outflanked when the Truman Administration tapped these same sentiments to win support for expensive plans to rearm the U.S. and rebuild Europe! Thus the Great Bipartisan Compromise of the 1950s and '60s was born: an anti-Soviet foreign policy was married to crude Red Baiting at home.
Leffler writes clearly, understands the policy environment of Washington, and doesn't accept the prevailing (and idiotic) myth that U.S. foreign policy is generally well-informed or motivated by moral considerations. On the contrary, the U.S. policymakers of the late 1940s were more-or-less amoral and sometimes poorly informed about foreign countries. (American foreign policy can be Machiavellian and inept at the same time.) "The Specter of Communism" is history at its best.
Readable and insightful survey of the genesis of the Cold War.......2006-04-27
I was assigned to read this short book for a course on United States foreign policy in the 20th century. Unlike a great many texts on the subject, I found it absolutely enjoyable to read. Things to watch in particular are how Leffler handles the shift of how the United States officially and popularly felt about Communism and the Soviet Union before and after World War II, the formulation of the doctrine of containment, and most especially the interplay between the leadership not only in the United States, but the Soviet Union and Europe as well. This final point, the exploration of the nature of particular leaders and national psyches, is the greatest strength of Leffler's account. FDR, Truman, and Stalin especially come alive in the narrative. Through the course of the narrative, the reader is given a very interesting and now unconventional thesis that to some extent, the Cold War was indeed inevitable in the post-war world as a result of the positions of the United States, the Soviet Union, and the ruin of Europe. Especially pivotal to the coalescence of the Cold War was the United States' declaration of the Marshall Plan to rebuild Europe. Leffler says: "The American intent was not to threaten the Soviets or divide Europe, but this was the price the Truman administration was willing to pay in order to revitalize Western Europe and harness the resources of western Germany" (pg 67).
Overall, this is an intelligent and accessible account of the origins of the Cold War that anybody interested in the World Wars, the Soviet Union, Communism, and/or contemporary foreign policy would do well to read.
Good survey of US bias against communism.......2000-07-14
This book is good for what it tried to accomplish. Its a introductory survey of the origins of an American mindset against communism. Leffler points out that communism wasn't a concern of the USA population or politicians until after WWII- when the communist began to rival democratic capitalism. Leffler uses historical documents to support the assertion that the sum of world-wide communism never really came close to rivialing the US in terms of economic or military power. However, the fear that maybe communism could gain equal status one day in the future led the US to undertake decisive actions toward securing Hegemony.
The Specter in America.......2000-04-12
Leffler writes a balanced account of the events leading up to and into the the Cold War. He discusses the impact of geopolictics with regard to the First and Second World Wars and how communism impacted American public policy. He points out that it was not so much fear of the physical power of the Soviet Union but fear of the ideologies of communism within our borders that led the anit-communist anti-Soviet movements in our nation. He follows the growth of Russia into a world power and explains how it eventually became a military threat and a nuclear power. The book is engrossing and well structured. Leffler presents the information in a clear way without unnecessary deviations. It is an excellent look at Cold War origins.
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Eyewitness Video: Bird
DK Publishing
Manufacturer: DK VIDEO
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Slide
General
| Birdwatching
| Outdoors & Nature
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 1564589145 |
Book Description
Eyewitness -- bringing the natural world into your living room.
Eyewitness is a compelling video series featuring wonders of nature. Viewers will journey into a three-dimensional "virtual museum" where live-action photography creates the sensation of being there. Eyewitness presents a completely different view of the marvels and mysteries of the natural world as they have never been seen before. Spectacular wildlife footage from all over the world takes the viewer to hundreds of places -- without leaving the comfort of home.
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Dog (Eyewitness Video)
Manufacturer: Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Nonfiction
| Dogs
| Animals
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
Birdwatching
| Outdoors & Nature
| Subjects
| Books
| Excursion Guides
| Field Guides
| General
ASIN: 0751360414 |
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Bird (Eyewitness Video)
Manufacturer: Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Zoology
| Science, Nature & How It Works
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Birdwatching
| Outdoors & Nature
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| Excursion Guides
| Field Guides
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ASIN: 0751360392 |
Books:
- YOU CAN'T GET MUCH CLOSER THAN THIS: Combat With Company H, 317th Infantry Regiment, 80th Division
- A Journey into Dorothy Parker's New York (ArtPlace series)
- A Schoolteacher in Old Alaska: The Story of Hannah Breece
- Albert Einstein: Young Thinker (The Childhood of Famous Americans Series)
- All the Fishes Come Home to Roost: An American Misfit in India
- Andrew Wyeth: A Secret Life
- Angelina Jolie: Angel in Disguise (Star Biographies)
- Anne Frank: Beyond the Diary - A Photographic Remembrance
- Awakening the Virgin
- Ballad of the Whiskey Robber: A True Story of Bank Heists, Ice Hockey, Transylvanian Pelt Smuggling, Moonlighting Detectives, and Broken Hearts
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