Vietnam Follies: A Memoir of an Intelligence Officer

Book Description

?Good Morning, Vietnam? meets military intelligence. A serious but often funny memoir of a young army intelligence officer, sheds new light on U.S. policy follies ranging from Vietcong morale to B-52 attacks to relations with Cambodia.

Download Description

Customer Reviews:

Vietnam Follies.......2002-08-23

As a college student thinking of majoring in history, Vietnam Follies was exciting and informative from start to finish.
While many historical autobiographies are difficult to read and hard to follow, Henry Billings throws the reader into the shoes of a young soldier trying to get through the war while dealing with various psychological and personal problems along the way.
My favorite part was when I was reading chapter 5 about Henry's final mission in training camp in which he had to play Escape and Evade. I found myself literally sweating throughout the chapter, wondering whether or not he would make it to safety, or be caught and tortured. I became so engaged that i continued reading past 1:00 on a school night until i reached the conclusion of the chapter. Only a handful of books I have ever read have gotten me this passionate about reading, which definitely says a lot about Henry Billing's writing style.

I would recommend this book to anyone.

Vietnam Follies - a must read.......2002-08-20

Great reading, humorous and informative. Henry Billings gives us a picture of the Vietnam War from geopolitical and military
strategies to everyday life in the streets of Saigon sprinkled with MASH does Vietnam anecdotes of his own experiences. A great book for young people not wanting to wade through a tome on the subject yet leaving them with a good history lesson.

VIETNAM FOLLIES is well worth reading.......2002-04-02

I have just finished reading "VIETNAM FOLLIES, a Memoir of an Intelligence Officer", by Henry Billings, published by 1st Books Library. For anyone who grew up in the 1960's in the shadow of the Vietnam War, with inner conflicts of conscience vs country, this book is well worth reading.
The young Henry Billings is caught between two forms of idealism; a sense of duty and obligation to his country, and a pacifist's aversion to the "us against them" mentality that soldiering requires. In his own words, he was "on the one hand a Boy Scout and on the other hand a bleeding-heart leftist". He ends up spending 1966 in Saigon as an intelligence officer.
His book goes into detail about some of his assignments. He discusses B-52 bombing, Cambodia (before, during, and after the U.S.-Vietnam War), and attempts to research enemy morale. He also tells of the rebuke he often received from his superiors when the information he gathered, and perceived to be true, did not fit with the propaganda "spin" they were looking for. As he closes his narrative, looking back, he seems to have more regrets for what he didn't do as a pacifist at home than for what he did do in the Army in Saigon.
I liked the way H. Billings relates his time in the Vietnam Era with a historical overview, but separates his own experiences and opinions. Places and names that blew by me when I was a "teeny-bopper" in the mid-1960's come to life again. The last time I heard some of those names was from Walter Cronkite.
When I see the word "Memoirs" in a book title, I worry that more than half of the sentences will start with "I" or end with "me"; not so with H. Billings' book. Chapter 8 on Cambodia impressed me the most.
I didn't go to Vietnam. I had a draft-lottery number of 259 in 1971. But those of us who watched from the sidelines were not untouched.
VIETNAM FOLLIES is worth reading, whether you were a pacifist who didn't go or a soldier who did.

E J Tretter

Book Description

This documentary in print on the life and work of the eminent scientist-inventor, Dr. Lee DeForest (1873-1961) is the result of 25 years of extensive research, which reveals the facts of his vital accomplishments contrary to industrial history, previously written books, and recent film presentations which suppressed and demeaned his works. At last the public is told the true story of how in 1906 DeForest's invention of the electron tube amplifier changed the world, making possible long distant telephony, and amplified sound devices used today. Even DeForest's 1920 patent for sound-on-film recording is still in use in all modern sound films.

Book Description

A Wonderfully Supportive Guide from an Internationally Recognized Authority on Affairs

"Emily Brown has written a must-read book for anyone going through the searing pain of infidelity. First she deciphers the five types of affairs, then she gives clear step-by-step procedures to help both partners deal with it and even grow from it. It's a real achievement." --Marguerite Kelly, syndicated columnist, The Family Almanac and author, Marguerite Kelly's Family Almanac

"Finally, a book on affairs that pulls no punches!. . . . It's the book I'll put at the top of my list to recommend to both professionals and to husbands, wives, and lovers. Highly recommended."-Isolina Ricci, author, Mom's House, Dad's House: The Complete Guide for Parents Who Are Separated, Divorced, or Remarried

Customer Reviews:

Good for self understanding.......2006-05-30

I thought this book was pretty well written, the types of affairs etc gave a good insight into some of the reasons some people abandon their current relationship responsibilities.

It actually helped me to approach a few of my own problems - even though I've not had an affair - ie showing me some of my actions were a cry for help.

Informative, well written and definately worth a read by 'either party'.

Too Many Books Telling You To Stay When You Should Go!.......2004-06-23

It seems that each book on affairs is absolutely sure that a marriage can survive an affair and I disagree. My husband cheated on me 5 years ago and we tried to work through it, although our marriage became a shell of what it used to be. Well, I recently found myself in an affair and thought, "Why on earth am I still married?" I picked up this book and learned I was in an EXIT AFFAIR - having met someone wonderful with the pretense to get some legs on which to leave. I was scared to death to leave the comfort zone of misery I was in - and this book tried over and over to assure me that there are ways to overcome infedilty. I must disagree - if a marriage isn't strong enough to prevent an affair, I'm not sure it can overcome it. I married the wrong person and I wish after the first affair in our marriage I had had the nerve to leave, instead I tried to so hard to work through it when I ultimately wasted 5 years with the wrong person. And I don't say that bitterly, my husband and I are friends and will remain friends, but we both know it's over - something this book probably would not approve of. I ask this book one question, if only 10% of marriages survive an affair than how is it possible that only 1% of betrayers leave their spouse? Sounds like the facts are a bit off. I suppose the moral of my reading this book is, if you know in your gut it's over, trust me, it's over. An affair is only a vehicle to speed up a broken marriage, at least that is my life lesson.

Kind of old hat.......2003-06-22

If you have not read anything on treating affairs this is a good place to start. It holds little for the expereinced therapist.

Definitely a good guide!!!.......2002-06-13

From the first page of this book I was mesmerized by how much of myself I read about. This is a fantastic guideline regarding different types of affairs, and the provocation behind them, from all points of view. It is just a well rounded advice and support book for anyone, on any side, involved in an affair. If you are going through pain, this will definitely help you to rationalize what is going on....

To be vulnerable to an event is not to invite it.......2002-03-23

If marriage counselors were emergency room doctors, they would always be asking questions like, "We need to understand why you stepped in front of that car, and why the driver needed you to do it." If they were cardiologists, they would be asking, "We need to understand why you needed to occlude your arteries, and why your spouse wanted you to."

An article of faith, not a fact that anyone has discovered or theory that makes any logical sense, the notion that infidelity always reveals something about the marriage continues to impose on couples demands that no one in any other realm of health care would countenance.

That an affair has occurred obviously means that the marriage was vulnerable to an affair--that the pattern of marital interaction allowed for an affair to happen. That does not mean that the affair is a function of that pattern.

Ms. Brown's book is more sensible than many guides to dealing with infidelity, though it shares the dogma that affairs are always systemic.

And the "types of affairs" she mentions hardly encompass all the reasons affairs take place. Sometimes a spouse is mentally ill, for instance. Sometimes a spouse's early upbringing left him or her with serious ethical lacunae. Sometimes we just marry the wrong people, because we are young and naive or otherwise obtuse when marrying, and the person we marry chooses a dishonorable path. Sometimes we choose dishonorable ways of feeling better because of our own shortcomings. None of those are functions of the marriage.

If you try to fit your spouse's infidelity, or your own, into Ms. Brown's views, you may be taking on responsibility for managing someone else's mental illness or moral shortcomings, or you may be shifting your mental illness or ethical immaturity to your marriage, where they can never be fixed.

Nothing ever makes an individual trustworthy except his or her own good character. An affair need not show anything wrong with the marriage, but it ALWAYS shows unreliable character--a person who does not keep promises and engages in deceit is (by definition)unreliable. If you are the betrayer, you will never become a reliable partner without reforming the moral callousness that enabled you to use betrayal to make yourself feel better. If you are the betrayed, you make a serious mistake in believing that anything you can do will make your partner more reliable. Yes, you might be able to decrease the partner's unhappiness; but then you will have taken responsibility for keeping the partner happy enough that he or she won't do what they should never be willing to do anyway.

I've seen marriages destroyed by well-meaning therapists who convince partners that something is wrong with the marriage, when there isn't, really--when some individual therapy or moral education for the betrayer could have saved the marriage. I've seen therapists ratify the betrayed person's broken sense of self by telling them they had a role in bringing it on themselves, thus forever warping their understanding of themselves and of the moral demands of marriage. Ms. Brown invites more of the same.

All in the name of a dogma-both partners contribute-that makes no scientific or logical sense.

I have about decided that books by psychologists and social workers are the last sources you should consult when dealing with infidelity. None of them, that I've found, seem to reflect much understanding of ethics, of the psychology and sociology of social institutions, of agency and patience, or even of basic logic.

Average customer rating:

The Best of Mennonite Fellowship Meals

The Best of Mennonite Fellowship Meals

Highly recommended!

The most used cookbook

My FAVORITE cookbook!

Best Of Mennonite Fellowship Meals
Phyllis P Good
Manufacturer: Good Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Baking | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Reference | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Amish & Mennonite | U.S. Regional | Regional & International | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

From Amish And Mennonite Kitchens

Fix It And Enjoy It Cookbook

Pennsylvania Dutch Cooking: A Mennonite Community Cookbook

Best Of Amish Cooking

Mennonite Community Cookbook: Favorite Family Recipes

ASIN: 1561480487

Book Description

Loss Forgiveness and Restoration.The Face of Christ illustration and the accompanying story that has changed lives all around the globe.First it is a truelife story of an advertising executive an artist and a pastor Joe Castillo and the way God changed him. It also tells of the many lives touched by this simple illustration.Done before a live audience the very first time it had a powerful impact on those who watched. This motivated the artist to reproduce it in pen ink prints. As an artist Joes struggle to make a living was suddenly compounded by having his wife diagnosed with cancer. They had no insurance to cover the mounting debt but at an opportune time a friend offered to reproduce the artwork on marble plaques and pay royalties. The sales of the plaques were amazing surely this was the answer to all their financial problems But the story seems to grind to a halt. The friend refuses to pay royalties on the artwork that is selling world wide and Joe loses his wife to cancer. It becomes a daily struggle to forgive the man who was profiting from his artwork and overcome the bitterness at the loss of his wife. The plaques seem to show up everywhere compounding his anger and resentment. For Joe it became a bitter symbol of everything that had gone wrong.If you have ever struggled with forgiveness. If some events in your life just dont make sense God can use this artwork and the story that goes with it to help you put the pieces together.

Customer Reviews:

The Best of Mennonite Fellowship Meals.......2005-12-14

I use this book all of the time. Most of the recipes are items most people who like to cook will have on their shelves or in their refrigerators. Have given this book as a gift three times because I love the recipes!

Carolyn S. Cecil
Lincoln, IL

The Best of Mennonite Fellowship Meals.......2005-05-06

This cookbook is the best one I have in my collection. I use it almost weekly. Espically when I have to prepare a dish for a crowd. It has over 900 recipies from the wonderful Amish people. Not only does it have unbelievable recipies but it has cooking tips and ideas for meals. The recipies are simple and very easy to understand. I would recommend this cookbook to anyone.

Highly recommended!.......2004-10-25

One of my favorite traditions is the church fellowship meal - where each family brings a dish to pass, and the whole congregation gathers together to eat in Christian fellowship. This wonderful book is a collection of over 900 recipes (I took the author's word for it, I am NOT going to try to count them!) that were collected from Mennonite churches across the United States.

The main part of the book is divided into seven sections: 1) breads, rolls and muffins, 2) soups, 3) salads (vegetable, meat & fruit), 4) main dishes (vegetable, chicken, ground beef, turkey, ham, sausage, seafood, other meats, bean & pasta), 5) breakfast foods, 6) pies and tarts, 7) cakes, 8) bars and cookies, 9) desserts and candies, 10) appetizers and snacks, 11) cheeses and dips, and 12) beverages. But, that's not all; there are also three fascinating chapters on one-pot meals, "if you do not cook," and "time savers, space savers and other hints."

This is a great book, with lots of wonderful, easy to read and follow recipes. So far, my wife and I have made the Mexican Salad (p.65), the Almond Chicken (p.113), and the Double Chocolate Crumble Bars (p.215) - all of which were great. We love this book, and highly recommend it to you!

The most used cookbook.......2003-12-05

I have a fairly large collection of cookbooks and this is the one that has the pages falling out and corners all bent over. I've used it until it has started to fall apart. Its not poor quality. Its well used. This cookbook is lent out more than its in my cabinet. These are down home recipes that make use of commom ingredients. There are even recipes for large gatherings and I also like the helpful tips that are included through out. I was on line today looking to purchase a copy of this book for a friend who is a frequent borrower. I'm gonna buy a new copy for myself very soon. Highly recommended.

My FAVORITE cookbook!.......2002-01-24

Not only do we do a lot of entertaining, but we have a large family, so EVERY DAY we need recipes for a crowd. This book, designed for potluck suppers (everyone knows church potlucks provide the best food in the whole world!), is an every-day necessity at our house. My only complaint: I wish it was available in ring-bound hardback- my copy is in four pieces!

Average customer rating:

Don't waste the time or money!

Excellent book - companion cd is "okay"

Complete Metalsmith, ProPlus Edition
Tim McCreight
Manufacturer: Brynmorgen Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Spiral-bound

General | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Metal Work | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Practical Casting: A Studio Reference, Revised Edition

Jewelry: Fundamentals of Metalsmithing (Jewelry Crafts)

The Jeweler's Directory Of Decorative Finishes

The Encyclopedia of Jewelry-Making Techniques: A Comprehensive Visual Guide to Traditional and Contemporary Techniques

Practical Joining

ASIN: 1929565070

Book Description

If one is good, two are better. The ProPlus Edition includes the Professional print version (a 312 page, hardcover book), plus a CD that contains the full text of the book in a format that you can read, search and print on your computer. Included materials are, short video clips, the text of two additional books, plus unique calculation software for desktops, laptops, and PDAs.

Customer Reviews:

Don't waste the time or money!.......2007-10-10

I ordered the ProPlus Edition (book & cd) and received only the book. I returned it for an exchange of what I had originally ordered. Again I received the ProPlus Edition WITHOUT the cd. Unfortunately I needed it for a class. I lost time, but more importantly, trust in Amazon. To top it off, when I received a credit to my credit card for the original purchase, I was credited for a $10 book I had also ordered at the same time, NOT the $42 of the ProPlus Edition. So... I had to contact Amazon again for the full refund. Buy this product somewhere else if you need the disc included. Otherwise, the $19 version of the Pro Edition seems worth it...

Excellent book - companion cd is "okay".......2004-07-22

This new "pro" edition of The Complete Metalsmith is everything you would expect it to be. Detailed, accurate, and filled with many useful diagrams. It is a significant improvement over the regular edition in terms of topic depth and scope.

The CD includes the full text (searchable pdf) of the pro edition which is very nice to have. It also includes the entire first edition of the Complete Metalsmith AND Practical Jewelry Rendering as scanned pages. The original version is interesting from a historical perspective -- it's amazing to see a handwritten tome of that length.

The application "suite" is delivered as an executable Jar file for Macs and PCs or as a standalone executable for PocketPC or Palm. I've only tried it on my desktop PC so far. The tools include various converters, calculators, and lookup tables that automate some of the calculations included in the book. I would think if you carry a palm/pocketpc it might be a nice add-on -- as a desktop tool, the suite is kind of "useless" since you can find most of this stuff on the web already.

I wholeheartedly recommend the pro edition of the Complete Metalsmith. Is the CD worth the $15 price difference -- I'd have to say "maybe" which is why I gave *this* edition only 4-stars. The searchable pdf of the pro edition will definitely come in handy. I also will make use of the book on jewelry rendering. I don't expect I'll be able to effectively make use of the toolsuite since I don't have a palm/pocketpc OR a desktop computer anywhere near my jewelry studio.

Customer Reviews:

A must have for new parents.......2007-01-04

We started using this programme with our two year old, but it would be much better put into practise with a newborn. It is much slower going at this age, though the lessons and ideas are still working. I would definitely recommend this book to anybody who is expecting or who has a new baby. The programme is simple, easy, and fun. Before your baby can walk or talk, he will be swimming. You can't ask for better than that.

Teach Your Child to Swim (Usborne Parent's Guides)

Average customer rating:

Teach Your Child to Swim (Usborne Parent's Guides)

Manufacturer: Edc Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books

General | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Accessories:

ASIN: 0746001991

Average customer rating:

Teach Your Baby to Swim

Teach Your Baby to Swim
Bonnie Prudden
Manufacturer: Doubleday
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Water Sports | Sports | Subjects | Books

Swimming | Water Sports | Sports | Subjects | Books

General | Sports | Subjects | Books

General | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books
Accessories:

ASIN: 0385278969

Customer Reviews:

Teach Your Baby to Swim.......2001-03-17

I used this book 18 years ago to teach my baby to swim. Now I buy it for baby shower gifts. My baby could swim and dive to the bottom of the pool to pick up keys before he learned to walk! You could throw him in the water and he'd pop to the surface laughing a deep belly laugh! You won't believe how much fun this is. Basically, you start in the bathtub holding your baby close and you both go under water. Later you play "pass the baby" with a friend in the pool. Then the baby swims from person to person. All the steps are great fun!

Average customer rating:

Teach Your Child To Swim
Borysenko
Manufacturer: Tradewinds
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000JH0VTY

Average customer rating:

Teach Your Child to Swim
Geoffrey Budworth
Manufacturer: Jaico Publishing House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Swimming | Water Sports | Sports | Subjects | Books

General | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 8172244584

Average customer rating:

Teach Your Child to Swim

ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 0909163073

Average customer rating:

Teach your child to swim
Eva Bory
Manufacturer: Hamlyn
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Water Sports | Sports | Subjects | Books

General | Sports | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0600073556

Teach Your Child to Swim (Parent's Guides)

Average customer rating:

Teach Your Child to Swim (Parent's Guides)
Susan Meredith
Manufacturer: Usborne Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Parenting | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0794512836

Teach Your Child to Swim: An Instructional Guide to the Basics of Swimming

Average customer rating:

Teach Your Child to Swim: An Instructional Guide to the Basics of Swimming
Eva Bory
Manufacturer: Fireside
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Water Sports | Sports | Subjects | Books

Swimming | Water Sports | Sports | Subjects | Books

General | Sports | Subjects | Books

General | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Teach Your Child to Swim (Usborne Parent's Guides)

Accessories:

ASIN: 0671769952

Teach your child to swim;: A handbook for parents and other teachers (Exposition banner book)

Average customer rating:

Teach your child to swim;: A handbook for parents and other teachers (Exposition banner book)
Gene Stephens
Manufacturer: Exposition Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Sports | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0006AUNUQ

Book Description

Farideh Goldin was born to her fifteen-year-old mother in 1953 and into a Jewish community living in an increasingly hostile Islamic state--prerevolutionary Iran. This memoir is Goldin's passionate and painful account of her childhood in a poor Jewish household and her emigration to the United States in 1975.

As she recalls trips to the market and the mikvah, and as she evokes ritual celebrations like weddings, Goldin chronicles her childhood, her extended family, and the lives of the women in her community in Shiraz, a southern Iranian city. Her memoir details her parents' "courtship" (her father selected her mother from a group of adolescent girls), her mother's lonely life as a child-bride, and Goldin's childhood home which was presided over by her paternal grandmother.

Goldin's memoir conveys not just the personal trauma of growing up in a family fraught with discord but also the tragic human costs of religious dogmatism. In Goldin's experience, Jewish fundamentalism was intensified by an Islamic context. Although the Muslims were antagonistic to Jews, their views on women's roles and their treatment of women influenced the attitude and practices of some Iranian Jews.
In this brave and dispassionate portrayal of a little-known corner of Jewish life, Farideh Goldin confronts profound sadness yet captures the joys of a child's wonder as she savors the scenes and textures and scents of Jewish Iran. Readers share her youthful adventures and dangers, coming to understand how such experiences shape her choice.

Customer Reviews:

a vanished world.......2007-03-28

this is an excellent novel, well written and not only a good story but a fascinating glimpse into a world that no longer exists. Interspersed with wonderful insights into the systematic and awful oppression of young girls are glimpses into the everyday life of a culture within a culture, food, customs, clothes, songs and so on but within a world vulnerable to the surrounding and increasingly hostile, racist, ignorant anti semitism of the Iranian islamic community.
i will read it agin soon

Being Jewish in Iran? The Challenge Begins........2007-03-06

Of all things, how would you like to be a Jew in Iran? The young girl was an outcast in her own family, as the only daughter with her brothers being the favorites. She cherished her friendships, which she enjoyed until she realized she was "different." Gradually, as things worsened in Iran, the Jews were being victimized in the schools and in the communities. Most Jews didn't consider going to Israel as an option because Iran was their home, the language, the Iranian customs, etc., were what they had grown up with. This is a very different look at the situation. I've read many Iranian books and enjoyed the different twist.

Personal memoir, Jewish & dhimmi in Iran.......2007-01-17

While this may not match others' memories of Iran during Ms. Goldein's period, this is a very honest *memoir* of growing up female, jewish, and dhimmi in Iran. We glimpse a country that has remained relatively the same for centuries-- for good and for bad. We see that islamic countries ghettoize their non-muslim minorities, just as in the West. We see a more deeply entrenched patriarchal society that does not see the individual-- of either sex, as important as the community.

But also a book of families that endure, despite outside and internal pressures. We see also that the strength of an individual can overcome these old pressures and gain a measure of acceptance in the process.

Wonderful book on so many levels!

Disappointing and very unballanced.......2007-01-04

As an Iranian-Jew who grow up in Tehran and was exposed to many points the book raised, I was surprised and disappointed at how this Memoirs painted such a negative and gloomy picture of Jews in Iran. As I remember it during Shah's regime, Jews were a key group of minorities in raising the economic standard of the whole contry and themselves. Yes, there were also many Ghetto's and poor areas for Jews and all other minorities, but that was a SMALL part of the story, the bigger picture was much happier, ballanced and positive. The author failed to share that Iran in pre-revolution was a great place to live for ALL-- specially minorities!!

fantastic.......2006-10-15

I loved Roya Hakakian's Journey from the Land of No, so I ordered this book since the topic is similar. I enjoyed Goldin's book just as much. Although Goldin's writing is not as polished and professional as Hakakian, she lived in a far more backwards region of Iran, thus the story was even more incredible. I felt as if I were transported back in time by Goldin. I recommend this book to everyone.

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books