We Are Soldiers Still: A Journey Back to the Battlefields of Vietnam, Lieutenant General (Ret.) Harold G. Moore and Joseph L. Galloway (Harper Collins, 2008). A moving and powerful follow-on to Moore and Galloway’s brilliant We Were Soldiers Once… And Young.

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Victory Was Beyond Their Grasp: With the 272nd Volksgrenadier Division from Hürtgen Forest to the Heart of the Reich, Douglas E. Nash (Aberjona Press, 2008). How refreshing to get a view from the “other side of the hill” in the European theater of WW II that isn’t just another hero-worshipping celebration of one SS panzer division or another.

Truman & MacArthur: Policy, Politics and the Hunger for Honor and Renown, Michael D. Pearlman (Indiana University Press, 2008). Avoiding political polemics and the nearly overwhelming temptation to take sides in this famous controversy, Pearlman lays out in engaging detail the military and diplomatic situation which led up to Truman’s controversial relief of MacArthur, and explores the constitutional issues of war direction which remain burning issues today.

Looking For Trouble: Adventures in a Broken World, Ralph Peters (Stackpole Books, 2008). This is not your typical travel book. Col. David Glantz once fondly described Ralph Peters to this reviewer as, “One of the bravest – and craziest – guys I’ve ever known.” Need we say more?

Once A Marine: An Iraq War Tank Commander’s Inspirational Memoir of Combat, Courage, and Recovery Nick Popaditch with Mike Steere (Savas Beatie, 2008). A wrenching memoir not only of house-to-house combat in Fallujah from the tank commander’s perspective, but also the enormous price soldiers pay, and the heroism that is necessary not only for victory, but also for recovery from shattering wounds. See Once a Marine Web site.

DVDs

Combat! The Complete Series (1962-67), Directors Laszlo Benedek et al (Image Entertainment, 2005).
Yes, this violates our “2008 release” criterion. So sue us. What’s truly remarkable about Combat! is how well it has aged. Part of it has to do with consistently good writing, acting, and direction (many episodes being directed by the late, great Robert Altman), but much of it also stems from the gritty authenticity of the work, largely devoid of romanticism or shallow sentimentality. The fact that many of the writers and directors were veterans of WW II undoubtedly contributed to the effortlessly accurate portrayal of the details of front-line life. Add that to a remarkable string of guest stars, and plots which were thoughtful and character-driven, and you have one of early television’s richest dramas.

Oppenheimer, Director Barry Davis (BBC Warner, 2008)
Originally aired in 1980, this is a newly released DVD collection of the seven-part BBC/PBS miniseries. Sam Waterston gives a standout portrayal of J. Robert Oppenheimer, the scientific head of the wartime Manhattan Project.

John Adams, Director Tom Hooper (HBO, 2008).
Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning book by David McCullough, this brilliant seven-part series explores the career of Adam, the second president (played by Paul Giamatti), and arguably the most important of the founding fathers.

Fighter Pilot: Operation Red Flag, Director Stephen Low (Stephen Low Distributing/IMAX, 2008).
Before there was Top Gun, or NTC, there was Red Flag, the U.S.A.F. precursor to the entire array of ultra-realistic modern tactical training programs. This 48-min documentary puts you right in the cockpit. Originally released in 2004, this is the updated Blu-ray DVD release with extra goodies.

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