Appearance
The 'Nam, Vol. 1
I purchased "The 'Nam" Volume 1 by Marvel for two reasons. The first is that I am a Vietnam Combat Veteran and was interested on how the subject would be presented; the second is because I enjoy graphic novels, and they bring back memories of reading comic books when I was younger.The graphic novel follows the life of Ed Marks as he enters the U.S. Army in 1966 and goes through training and is sent to Vietnam. In Vietnam Pfc. Marks is assigned to the 4/23 Infantry, Mechanized. This is an actual unit that served with distinction in Vietnam with the 25 Infantry Division (Tropic Lightning) from 1966 until it left Vietnam in 1971. I served with the 4th Infantry Division, 2/8 Infantry Mechanized, Company A, 1st Squad from Oct 1968 till Jan 1970.For those interested 4/23 Infantry means 4th Battalion (Mechanized) 23rd Infantry Regiment.Mechanized Infantry had the ability to close in on the enemy faster and with greater fire power. Cav (Calvary) units also had this mobility with Huey's and gunships. Once contact was made the infantry always dismounted, the APC's (Armored Personal Carriers) were death traps.Mechanized infantry also walked a lot, and at times were sent in by chopper for an air assault.Considering the limitations placed on the publication of "The'Nam" by the Comic Code as expressed in the introduction by the editor, Larry Hama, I feel the people at Marvel have done a good job of trying to bring the Vietnam War to the attention of a readership that in all likelihood was not born during those years.There are exceptions I take to parts of stories included in this first volume, but there are also some very realistic points made. For instance; no one ever built a fire at night while out on patrol (it would give your position away) and few companies went back to base camps, we stayed in the bush for months. Also to my knowledge no one flew into Vietnam as replacements under a hail of gunfire as depicted early in the issue. The exceptions to that are the Marines who flew into Khe Sanh between January and April in 1968 when it was under siege. These are minor issues, after all this is a graphic novel.However, the author Doug Murray has done a good job tying in the different scenario of combat in Vietnam. The illustrators Mike Golden and Wayne Vansant have done excellent work in their representations of the military equipment and scenery considering again the restraints placed on them in adhering to the Comic Code.No one will ever know the true horrors of war by reading a graphic novel or any novel of war. All the same, I recommend this graphic novel for those who would like to know a little of that forgotten war and at the same time enjoy a terrific read with great graphics. I look forward to reading Volume 2.
The 'Nam, Vol. 1
"The 'Nam" is an unusual way of looking at war--in comics. While anime does such things frequently, such a realistic look at war from an American company is rare, and serves as an interesting side note to other Viet Nam pop culture icons such as Billy Joel's "Goodnight Saigon" and Robin William's Adrian Cronaur in "Good Morning Vietnam."
From Normandy to the Ruhr: With the 116th Panzer Division in World War II
Reviewer: Lou Witt, a WWII combat infantryman from Catonsville, MarylandIf you are looking for easy narrative reading, stick to Stephen Ambrose. If you are looking for WWII history glossed over, try Charles Whiting. However, if you are looking for an inside view of the almost daily operations of a German panzer division on the Western Front during the last year of the 3d Reich, Heinz Günther Guderian's book 'From Normandy to the Ruhr' was written for you.This book is not light reading, but neither is it ever dull. It was written by an expert on the subject of armored warfare. Guderian was born into a military family, the son of the man considered to have been a leading proponent of modern combined arms warfare. The author served with the 16th Panzer Grenadier Division on the Eastern Front prior to his extensive experience in the west. After the war, he served as a Bundeswehr tank battalion and brigade commander, and finally, as a general officer, as Inspector of Armored Troops.Guderian served as the First General Staff officer of the 116th Panzer Division from its formation in early 1944, through its training in preparation for resisting the anticipated allied landings, and on until the division's destruction. As I was not familiar with the German title of "First General Staff officer," I learned that his job was essentially a combination of the positions of division chief of staff and G-3 (Operations Officer) in an American division. As such, he was certainly an officer who was completely "in the know" about his division's combat actions from battalion level up, as well as the decisions at corps, army, and even army group echelons of command. Not only did this book provide me with an excellent, in-depth appreciation and understanding of the structure of a German panzer division, but the strategies and execution of battle plans as well. It has also inspired me to learn more about, among other topics, German tactics, equipment, and replacement training, and then to be able to compare them with those of the US Army with which I am more familiar.More than the author's style, it is the rich detail and important insights he provides that compelled me to read this book from cover to cover.
From Normandy to the Ruhr: With the 116th Panzer Division in World War II
Sort of like Forrest Gump in the 60's, the 116th Panzer Div was in the middle of many of the famous and key battles in the Western Front in '44 and '45. This book is an excellent description of the battles from the German point of view. The writing and research are fair and scrupelous. If you've read the major histories by American or British authors, this one will fill any voids, correct a few misunderstandings, and explain the other side of the story. You might want to keep those major histories handy, because sometimes I got a little confused about the larger picture (though Guderian describes the action on either side of the 116th).
From Normandy to the Ruhr: With the 116th Panzer Division in World War II
The late General Heinz Günther Guderian wrote the best division history I have ever seen, and I have read many. Every detail of the 116th Panzer Division's operations from its organization in the spring of 1944 through the end of the war in the Ruhr Pocket is covered in this amazingly detailed study. Moreover, the reasons for each tactical decision are laid out in clear terms, whether they were made for purely doctrinal rationale, unfortunate battlefield necessity, or from political influence. It is this richness of explanation that sets Guderian's book apart from all other division histories. In a genre (division histories) dominated by books which are often little more than keepsakes or souvenirs, filled with sentimental versions of the way the authors wish the war would have gone, From Normandy to the Ruhr stands out as an unemotionally recounted day-by-day, blow-by-blow account of how, despite being constituted late in the war and despite being virtually destroyed three times (Normandy, Aachen/The Hürtgen, and the Ardennes), a German panzer division repeatedly rose to the challenges posed by mission after mission. Written by the Division's 1st General Staff Officer himself, this book provides profound insights into how the German Army was able to remain a formidable foe until the spring of 1945.As the publisher's ad copy emphasizes, this is NOT a personal memoir by a private or sergeant, or lieutenant. There are some very fine books that fit the "memoir" category, including several by this book's publisher, The Aberjona Press, such as Black Edelweiss, Seven Days in January, The Good Soldier, and Five Years, Four Fronts. However, while exciting to the buff, educational to the student of battlefield actions and reactions, or even titillating to the "war porn" junkie, there is much more to military history than the combat recollections of those who saw action at the foxhole level. Normandy to the Ruhr is a much rarer bird: it is a brilliantly polished tactical history, written by a highly decorated staff officer, which explains the mechanics of war at the tactical level. It is supported by dozens of outstanding maps which allow the reader to follow all of the action, and a very robust photo section, which allows the reader to form a mental image of most of the characters mentioned in the book.From Normandy to the Ruhr is also a crucially important work because, almost uniquely, it explains the terrible influence of politicos-in this case, Nazi politicians, military and civilian-on the battlefield conduct of war. The meddling, political correctness, and downright blunders foisted upon commanders at all levels by political leaders with a wide variety of agendas other than battlefield success is brilliantly documented in this book.For readers who wish to know not just the "what" of combat which can be gained from junior soldiers' or leaders' memoirs, but the "why," From Normandy to the Ruhr is a must-read. It is critical reading not only for the student of German operations on the Western Front, but for those interested in the many American and British units which fought the 116th Panzer Division...from Normandy to the Ruhr!
From Normandy to the Ruhr: With the 116th Panzer Division in World War II
An excellant account of one Div in the fight of WWII. As this unit fought on the Western Front it differs in the action accounts of the "Fight to the Death" that went on in the Eastern Front.Very descriptive accounts of battles fought and what went wrong on the German side and how they countered the Allied assaults. Sometimes successful and sometimes not....there are no one "we won every battle" descriptions but an honest account of how this division "the Greyhound" Division fought.Having been the only major unit to make it to the beaches on D-Day but not having the resources to consolidate their gains and then fight a continuous withdrawl action for the rest of the war, I found this book easy to follow. I was not lost and the maps made following the battles extremly easy to navigate which unit fought who.Well worth it.