Accidental Warrior: The Forging Of An American Soldier

Book Description

Warriors are not born—They are made. By accident of birth, time and circumstance they are forged under the hammer and tong of battle. In this furnace they grow hard or die. One who survived only to be forever changed is Andy O'Meara, Jr. A sensitive boy with dreams of studying law at Yale was thrust by a domineering father, himself an Army General, into the hard world of West Point. At the academy O'Meara's sensitivity became liability. To survive as the lowest form of life in the academy—the plebe—he learned to hide his feelings as he had in an abusive home.

The toughness he found within prepared him for the test of combat, where he substituted rage for fear, violence for words—skills which, though they may ensure survival in combat, leave the survivor one of the walking wounded, and left O'Meara with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

In a career spanning three decades in uniform, Colonel O'Meara witnessed sacrifice by American servicemen in Cold War Europe and Vietnam. In Vietnam, as a young ARVN advisor, he spoke their tongue, ate their rice, and came to love his Vietnamese comrades as brothers in arms. When later ordered to betray them, at the risk of his career, he refused. A wounded O'Meara returned home to find an America changed, an America where those fallen in battle had become the enemy, an America where a liberal media had turned the tide of public opinion against the war and served as cheerleaders for a peace movement persecuting American servicemen.

More than memoir, Accidental Warrior is the story of a war lost, not on the battlefield, but in the hearts and minds of a people. Here are the failures of the Johnson Administration leading to the expansion of America's role in the conflict. Here is the media's distorted view and its impact on foreign policy. Here is the career-long campaign by an officer against misguided efforts at economy jeopardizing the well-being of his men. Here, too, in his own words, is the life of an accidental warrior, a man who might have been you or I, forced into the role of warrior who made war his life, and yet bears its scars.

Customer Reviews:

The Author Has Not Healed.......2006-03-05

This is the story of a man that is so rightoeusly correct - and almost everybody else is wrong. Despite his sensitive nature and his traumatic childhood trying to live up to his father's expectations - he still gets through his father's rigorous alma mater. But he makes a go of it in the Army - despite experiencing searing pain through two combat tours in Vietnam. On top of all this the author is angry that the 'liberal media' were traitors to the country by reporting the war inaccurately. It seems the media were antagonistic to the war because LBJ lied to them - and so the media had to get back at the country by radicalizing itself.

pray that the author will find peace and learn that when one thinks his country is making a terrible mistake that it is important that people make their concerns known. I thank the author for serving his country as he though it was right. He like so many of us were seduced by Kennedy's "Ask not...". I am sorry that the author saw so very few competent and honorable officers in the US Army in the 60's and the 70's.

How a tortured soul became a warrior.......2004-01-27

This is the story of Andy O'Meara, who never intended to be a soldier. His plans were quashed by an overbearing father, who had his own notions of a career for his son. As a result of parental pressure, he went through West Point, but admits he didn't have his heart in it, and didn't do as well academically as he should have done.

Once in the Army, he managed to get a bad reputation at the outset, one that dogged him (literally -- read the book) throughout the rest of his career. Nevertheless, he "soldiered on." The book describes his Vietnam tour up to his being evacuated as wounded, his tour of duty in Germany and then the U.S., both with an armored division and later the Army Staff.

Much of his story deals with the way the Army was mismanaged throughout the 1960s and 1970s, and how this affected the troops. The reader gets to see the peronsal effects of the mismanagement on the troops themselves, through the author's eyes. In particular, he condemns Defense Secretary Robert McNamara for robbing forces elsewhere to fund the war in Vietnam. (I spent much of my 25-year military career as an operations analyst. I share his opinion of McNamara.)

He doesn't spare himself either in the telling. He describes the breakup of his marriage, placing much of the blame on himself. No harsh words about his "ex," just straightforward description.

Overall it's the story of a man who went through some trials that would have broken a lesser man. He's honest about how much of his problems were his own fault.

For those who were in Vietnam or who served in a Cold War assignment, it will ring true. For those who want to understand what those years did to the men who lived through them, it will give the unvarnished story. I highly recommend it.

One thing should be kept in mind. We read only Andy's side of the story. His father might have some different views.

Carrying The Water.......2003-02-14

Behind the posturing and political facades, ignored by media and entertainers, and neither praised nor appreciated are the men and women warriors who chose the harder course to wear the uniform of our country's military and serve honorably and successfully through the cold war and Vietnam. One of these, Andy O'Meara has courageously told his story in this moving, informative, and historically appropriate book. His story needs to be read so that our people can understand the brave men and women who did their duty faithfully and honorably, then were treated so badly. Here in stark detail is the other side of the story.

HOW SOLDIERS ARE MADE.......2002-10-22

This is a look into the mind of a successful soldier and leader. It's plainly, forcefully and honestly told. This is the story silenced by the media. If you get your news from Dan Rather, it may shock you. But the truth is evident in every word of it.

Customer Reviews:

Best Book Ever! .......2004-10-30

Ron Podmore creates an excellent biography of five Deaf individuals. I have always been bored with biographies but Ron really knows how to create a wonderful book! It was enjoyable, creative, and interesting on many levels. His work points out biases and misconceptions that the hearing public has when it comes to Deaf people. Ron Podmore is also the author of the book "a sign to remember" which is about a Deaf 15 year old who finds out he may also lose his sight to a genetic disease. Both are wonderful books ... Ron does it again! -Tyler Young

Signs in Sucess: Profiles of Deaf Americans

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Signs in Sucess: Profiles of Deaf Americans
Rod Podmore
Manufacturer: NY
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000MUBKMU

Book Description

Although once thought to be a rare and unusual condition, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) has become increasingly a part of everyday discourse as it has gathered more and more media attention. News magazines and programs have done features on the disorder and its range of symptoms, and popular culture has depicted characters suffering from OCD, such as the eponymous detective in the UPN television program Monk.

One facet of OCD that is just beginning to be widely known is that people with the disorder can present a wide range of symptoms. Some people with OCD wash compulsively, others hoard objects, while still others—the audience of this book—struggle with obsessive thoughts. The most effective treatment techniques vary from symptom to symptom. This is why New Harbinger launched, with the publication of Overcoming Compulsive Hoarding, a series of books designed to bring the latest coping strategies for specific OCD symptoms to the people who need them most. Since that first book, we have brought readers two more titles: Overcoming Compulsive Washing and Overcoming Compulsive Checking. The professional community and OCD sufferers alike have warmly received all three books.

This fourth book in the series addresses the needs of those who struggle with obsessive thoughts they perceive as violent, disgusting, or blasphemous. Psychologists estimate that more than 50 percent of OCD sufferers experience aggressive, religious, or sexual thoughts. The goal of this book is to help people understand the impact of their control efforts on their obsessional thoughts. It works to help them recognize that thoughts, in themselves, are not threatening, dangerous, or harmful. Rather, it is the compulsive strategies they develop for coping that make the thoughts seem so harmful. The book offers safe and effective exposure exercises readers can use to limit the effect obsessive thoughts have on their lives. In addition to self-care strategies, the book includes information about choosing and making the most of professional care.

Customer Reviews:

Best (only?) book on obsessive thoughts I have found!.......2007-06-04

My boyfriend was diagnosed with OCD a little less than a year ago. While I found many books on OCD, and several written for family/friends of those with OCD, these books mainly focused on "visible" obsessions and compulsions (checking, washing, cleaning, rituals, etc.), rather than intrusive and obsessive thoughts, which is what he primarily suffers from.

This book was an AMAZING find, as it focuses ONLY on obsessive thoughts, and does a fantastic job at it. While it does give an overview of what OCD is, it does so with the assumption that the person reading suspects that they might have unhealthy obsessive thoughts, and that they are not yet diagnosed with OCD.

There are entire chapters dedicated each to repugnant obsessions (themes of harm, violence, and sex) and to religious obsessions, which in other books are not explained in depth at all. The book also gives methods to overcome the obsessive thoughts which are challenging but doable, and explains why other methods of "stopping" thoughts are ineffective and actually cause OCD to persist.

Most importantly, the book focuses on the fact that the person is not sinful (religious obsessions) or [...](repugnant obsessions) for having these intrusive thoughts.

This booked helped me to understand what my boyfriend is going through a million times better than any other book on OCD he or I have read, and he agrees that the book is right on track. I would recommend this book to anyone who is, or is close to, someone who struggles with obsessive thoughts. I can't stress my satisfaction enough!

Response to 'Gilligan Joy' review below.......2007-04-24

This comment is completely inappropriate for this site. Whilst thoughts can never be harmful to an OCD sufferer this kind of comment can be - it is a striking example of exactly the kind of OCD-perpetuating delusion the Overcoming Obsessions book is designed to treat. The first step to beating OCD is ignoring this kind of rubbish.

This book has helped me a lot, and it will help most, if taken seriously .......2007-04-22

If you read this book from the start, and you follow the exercises and do not skip around the book, it will definately help your Pure-O OCD. I started having PURE O- OCD in september, I bought this book in December, and I followed most of the exercise and its suggestions in how to think. I must say, this book clears up many confusions and UNWANTED fears that we have because of this illness.

The book makes us have a better normal way of life. In the end this will make you stronger, more CONFIDENT of your actions, and it will benefit you. I COMPLETELY DO NOT AGREE WITH THE OTHER REVIEW about Karma. Karma is based on action that you desire, PURE OCD is something that WE DO NOT want, that is why people are seeking help to get rid of it. thoughts are UNHARMFUL if you do not wish to act upon it. what i learned from this book is: Have confidence, and know when you have these thoughts, it is not you, but your ocd. God Bless.

The best OCD book I have ever read next to Brain Lock.......2007-03-29

One of the most powerful attributes of this book is the idea that in order for one to overcome obsessive thoughts one must actually avoid using mental coping mechanisms. Its ironic that the remedy and even cure is often contingent upon an individuals willingness to go in the opposite direction of his thoughts. I am a current graduate student and CPA who has been struggling with OCD just about all my life. As soon as I read this book, it changed my life. Everytime I get the urge to respond to an OCD thought I prohibit myself no matter how hard it is from employing mental coping mechanisms which actually fuel OCD and make it worse in the long run. I have been using this strategy for the last month and my life has changed. When you actually do not use mental coping mechanisms your OCD thoughts will diminish. In the past, I would use mental coping mechanisms over an over again as a temporary remedy. However, after reading this awesome book I stopped employing the coping mechanisms and allowed my thoughts to float resisting the urge to respond to them no matter how hard my brain was telling them to. The result FREEDOM.

An excellent self-help guide to why obsessive thoughts persist and how psychologists treat the disorder........2007-01-07

If you struggle with violent or unpleasant thoughts which just keep coming back, you may have obsessive-compulsive disorder - and if so, OVERCOMING OBSESSIVE THOUGHTS can help get a handle on the problem. Learn to identify ritualistic and intrusive thought patterns, and learn how to deflect them and turn them away with an excellent self-help guide to why obsessive thoughts persist and how psychologists treat the disorder.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

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Good recipes, Good stories

Stories and Recipes of the Great Depression of the 1930's and Low-Fat Pantry Cooking, Volume II (2 Cookbooks in 1)
Rita Van Amber , and Janet Van Amber Paske
Manufacturer: Van Amber Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Spiral-bound

Economic History | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Reference | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
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Stories And Recipes of the Great Depression of the 1930's, Volume IV (Stories & Recipes of the Great Depression)

Stories and Recipes of the Great Depression of the 1930's and More From Your Kitchen Today (Stories & Recipes of the Great Depression)

Stories and Recipes of the Great Depression of the 1930's, Volume V

Grandma's Wartime Kitchen: World War II and the Way We Cooked

Grandma's Wartime Baking Book: World War II and the Way We Baked

ASIN: 0961966327

Book Description

A second collection of additional nostalgic, heartwarming stories contributed by survivors of the Great Depression, along with the comforting recipes that kept body and soul of their families together. Includes a bonus section of low-fat quick, easy recipes and motivating tips using pantry ingredients.

Customer Reviews:

Good recipes, Good stories.......2006-03-14

The stories are a bit uneven, but that's because they are all written by different people. It's hard to put this recipe book down while reading the stories!

Recommended for people with old-fashioned values.

Book Description

Stunning array of flowers, fruits, birds, and patterns with a distinctively Oriental flair offer artists, illustrators, desktop publishers and other producers of printed materials exotic images. Designs of a panda in a stand of bamboo, a peacock amid some foliage, a ming tree silhouetted against a pagoda-dotted landscape, and much more.

Customer Reviews:

Oriental patterns.......2005-08-31

Booklet full of oriental designs. It is perfect for what I want. I wanted patterns that could be implemented in the backgrounds of my scrapbooking of our trips to China.

Product Description

First-time homeowner Hadden realizes too late that she has moved into "a vast, barren public park". Planting for privacy inspires a passion for gardening, and over the next few years, she transforms her urban lawn into a private, all-season garden. She learns not only how to smother lawn and build pergolas, but more important lessons such as these: beauty is an opinion, not all loves last, and vermin are wildlife too.

Customer Reviews:

turning lawn into life.......2006-02-26

Rebeccasreads recommends APPRENTICE TO A GARDEN as a meticulously detailed record of the author's four years of transforming the lawns around her first home in Minnesota.

With little dashes of humor she offers:
A Garden Germinates(First Winter)
First Plants
Greed
Growing Dreams
Beauty Is an Opinion
Gardens Are Four-dimensional & much, much more.

There are some neatly rendered diagrams, a full bibliography & an index of the plants she reintroduced to her landscape, although there is much need for photos of before & after.

Simply delightful and thoughtful narrative.......2005-12-22

I just loved this book! Hadden expresses her joys and challenges as she converts a barren, St. Paul city lot into a lush, semi-private garden. Along the way she learns which plants thrive in her environment and which ones don't. She also discovers an abundance of wildlife which slowly migrate to her yard. As the garden progresses, Hadden develops her own theories about gardening, ecology, nature's balance and even her neighbors as she tils her little plot of land in the city. Truely a delightful read which will inspire any gardener, novice to experienced - it all begins with a dream....

Book Description

A fully updated edition of this 1997 classic on infant/toddler sleep, for the approximately 25% of parents whose children experience sleep problems.

This completely revised edition will include updated advice from Dr. Mindell on giving newborns the right start on sleep, an all–new chapter on continued night waking and nap problems, clear and detailed guidance on conducting sleep training, new research linking sleep training to improved attachment, a new section on dealing with the child who reacts differently to each parent, discussion of sleep issues in multiples, new findings on sleep apnoea in children and the link with ADHD, and more. Other additions:

o research on the impact of babies' sleep on women's sleep

o handling nursing and sleep, based on the author's professional expertise and personal experience as a long–term nursing mother.

o using focal feeding to significantly reduce night waking

o slowing response time to cries, allowing baby to return to sleep on his or her own

o the benefits of swaddling

o making the transition from bassinet to crib

o how feeding schedule changes affect sleep patterns

o pros and cons of attachment objects, or "loveys"

o dealing with travel, changes in routine (going to Grandma's), nightmares or traumatic events

o updated resources for bedtime books and internet support

Customer Reviews:

It works!.......2007-10-13

THIS BOOK WORKS! I am using her advice for my 2nd son and he is only 2 months old and is sleeping from 11pm to 8am solid. She offers practical solutions to get your child to sleep through the night, such as waking your child between 10:30pm and 11:30pm for a "dream feeding". I also like how she discusses sleep strategies and expectations for each age range, like 0-2 months, 2-12 months, etc. This book is a common-sense, expert approach to sleep. I HIGHLY recommend it!

My kids sleep like champs.......2007-09-06

This book really helped both of my children to become good sleepers from the earliest ages. We used it with my daughter at 7 months and she was sleeping through the night within a week. We stared even earlier with my son (3 months) and he was putting himself to sleep within 10 days. They are now school aged and sleep like adults (by themselves, with lights out, and until the morning). I see the craziness that some other parent still go through (kids needing them in the room until they fall asleep, kids coming into their beds at night) and I think "thank goodness this is not me." I think teaching kids to sleep is like teaching them to do anything--it needs some guidance, but they will catch on to what is expected of them. I think using this book is one of the best parenting decisions we ever made. Yes, you will have a few unpleasant nights of crying, but you are saving yourself years of trouble! I highly recommend this book.

Great resource.......2007-08-24

Sleeping Through the Night is a book all new parents should buy. We were having trouble getting my daughter to sleep, but read this book and used the suggestions (see page 100!). We consistently followed the bedtime routine steps and within a few days our 4 month old was going to bed without issue. As predicted by the author within 2 weeks she was sleeping through the night. She also goes back to sleep in the middle of the night and down for naps in her crib MUCH better. My only criticism is that the book could have been edited better, there are parts that are repetitive and it seems choppy. Another great part is that there are many anecdotes which are very pertinent and helpful.
I HIGHLY recommend this gentle, but effective bedtime and sleeping method. Friendly advice... we started on a Thursday so we would have the weekend to work through issues.

Helpful.......2007-07-23

This book gives new parents a better understanding of infant sleeping patterns and sleep needs. We followed many of the recommendations (such as the same one toy each night for baby to focus on when falling asleep) for our now eight-month-old son and now we all sleep pretty well through the night.

vomiting is fun???.......2007-07-16

I've read this book twice, and nowhere do I see the "vomiting is fun" quote. This book is VERY compassionate toward both babies and their caretakers. There are numerous studies showing that babies who soothe themselves to sleep are more independent and less fussy later in their development. My sister never read this book but used these methods from her own common sense and had healthy sleepers and happy, well-behaved children. This book repeatedly advises not to leave your baby cry for an extended period. I am due in November and am set to use these methods with confidence, knowing I'm doing the best thing for my child.

Sleeping Through the Night : How Infants, Toddlers, and Their Parents Can Get a Good Night's Sleep

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Sleeping Through the Night : How Infants, Toddlers, and Their Parents Can Get a Good Night's Sleep
Jodi A. Mindell
Manufacturer: HarperCollins Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000NY4A86

Sleeping Through the Night, Revised Edition: How Infants, Toddlers, and Their Parents Can Get a Good Night's Sleep

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Sleeping Through the Night, Revised Edition: How Infants, Toddlers, and Their Parents Can Get a Good Night's Sleep
Jodi A. Mindell
Manufacturer: Collins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OEMW62

Book Description

1910. A contribution to the controversial claim that Francis Bacon wrote Shakespeare's plays. Includes cryptographic analysis of the First Folio and alleged included anagrams. Numerous beautiful plates and reproduced prints.

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Francis Bacon & His Shakespeare
Theron Dixon
Manufacturer: UNSPECIFIED VENDOR
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000UDZS54

Francis Bacon and his secret society: An attempt to collect and unite the lost links of a long and strong chain

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Francis Bacon and his secret society: An attempt to collect and unite the lost links of a long and strong chain
Henry Pott
Manufacturer: Robert Banks & Son
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

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Francis Bacon and his Shakespeare
Theron S. E. Dixon
Manufacturer: Kessinger Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Artists, Architects & Photographers | Arts & Literature | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0766128237

Book Description

1895. A contribution to the claim that Francis Bacon wrote Shakespeare's works. Contents: A continuous parallelism; The "new birth;" The alphabet of the plays; Their primer; Julius Caesar; The impulse; The style; The thought; Bacon's work; An afterword, the Law. A great deal of critical analysis of the plays from the perspective of a Baconian.

The bi-literal cypher of Sir Francis Bacon, discovered in his works by Mrs. Elizabeth Wells Gallup: The Essayes--1625

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The bi-literal cypher of Sir Francis Bacon, discovered in his works by Mrs. Elizabeth Wells Gallup: The Essayes--1625
Elizabeth Wells Gallup
Manufacturer: Gay & Bird
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Concerning the bi-literal cypher of Francis Bacon discovered in his works

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Concerning the bi-literal cypher of Francis Bacon discovered in his works
Elizabeth (Wells) Gallup
Manufacturer: Gay & Bird
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Book Description

No survey of Victorian society and culture would be complete without giving Samuel Smiles a place. This is the first complete collection of Smiles' works, from his little-known and self-financed first book, Physical Education [1838], to his posthumously-issued autobiography. Most famous for Self-Help [1859]--a book developed from his series of lectures on the education of the working classes--Smiles was the first to relate anecdotes from the lives of contemporary role models with the aim of inspiring his readers to better themselves morally, intellectually and creatively. This outstanding edition is a self-contained, accessible archive that will be an indispensable addition to libraries with nineteenth-century resources.

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