This book is a gold mine of the nuances of the on-going development of maneuver war doctrine. Read it if you want to see the future of combat on the battlefield.

Though written in 1993, the Anthology still stands especially when you read Col Bolger's warning that maneuverism will not work against a defense-in-depth and LTC Grossman's study on the psychology of war. The other chapters express the desire to collapse enemies with maneuver rather than try to attrit/wipe them out. What we need today is a sequel where we explain 4th generation war, how we need both forces that can collapse enemies with Air-Mech 3-D maneuver AND 2-D firepower/mechanical advantage to overcome enemies in cities; combining Bolger with the other authors into a stronger whole.

These authors are the best thinkers in the U.S. military today and it would be great to see them unite again with some of the new military theorists for a sequel.

Airborne!

This is a must read book for combat arms officers. It explores many of the fundamental concepts involved in maneuver warfare, and why small, agile armies usually beat bigger, slower enemies. The arrangement of various topics covered by several authors results in an interesting and intriguing read. Far superion to Leonhards similar maneuver book. The only books that explore this important topic as well are "Maneuver Warfare Handbook" by Bill Lind, and the superb "Warfighting" by Hayden. If you are an Army officer or Marine officer this needs to be on your shelf.

I thought that this book did a good job of mixing factual information about war situations like the Korean War with humor. The characters in the novel were both life-like and hilarious. I enjoyed it much more than the TV series.

Like the characters within the covers, Richard Hooker's "MASH", is not so much a work of art, but a piece of work and as dear Hawkeye is so fond of saying,"the finest kind". This book proves the theory that "the book is better than the movie", despite the fact that both the film and tv show were, perhaps, the best in their respective mediums. Put away your images from both and let Mr.Hooker take you to Korea. His prose is not the mystical, lyrical verse of some writers, but it is indeed a story, told masterfully. The characters are full of life, with enough kick to jump start your car, yet their wit is dry as the Sahara, just like the martinis served by the main characters, and prefered by the author himself. An easy read, if not an enjoyable one, that will make you laugh out loud and then, with a simple sentence, fill your mind's eye with the violence and destruction of war on the often forgotten participants. You will never regret the time spent reading this novel, nor will youever forget what it is about.

Richard Hooker's M*A*S*H is quite a diverse book. It is part dramatic documentary on Korean War combat surgery and the remarkable achievements of the surgeons in spite of their lack of field training, the indequate medical facilities with which they had to work, and the sub-human conditions under which they had to perform miracles.

It is also an extremely broad farce. The human sacrifice of Shakin' Sammy and the Jesus Christ personal appearance tour (actually a beer-swilling, half-naked, bearded Trapper John lashed to a crucifix) are a couple of examples of the exaggerated comic stylings.

This interspersing of drama and comedy makes this an interesting if somewhat unsual read and also makes it a perfect subject for dramatization. When it is in comedy zone, it is way out there. When it is in drama zone, it is quite serious. According to Hooker's forward, the surgeons in a MASH were exposed to many extremes. With his writing style, Hooker has exposed us to extremes as well.

It is one of my favorite books and I highly recommend it to fans of either the movie or the TV series. The film captures more of the book's bawdy, ribald spirit. The TV show captures more of the sentiment.

I also recommend "MASH: An Army Surgeon In Korea" by Otto F. Apel if you want the real story of what life in a MASH was. If you are a fan of the film/book/series and think you have an understanding of how rough it was back then, read this. It was a lot worse. An excellent read.

Add both of these books to your collection and then thank your lucky stars this isn't 1951 and you are draft eligible.