Rating: 
Summary: A MUST for all miliary buffs
Review: While admitting I am a personal friend of Ranger Bob Black, and very fortunate to be so. I had the opportunity to see this work before it went to print. Let there be no mistake, Ranger Robert Black is RANGER through and through. He also happens to be the foremost and most learned Ranger historian alive today. His previous works are invaluable to all Ranger historians who search for Ranger history from WWII and Korea. He is a stickler for detail and very thorough. He is a member of the Ranger Hall of Fame at Fort Benning, Georgia. This review is about his latest work however and I want to return to that subject. I just want to let you know a bit about the author. He is a man's man and well respected among Rangers of all eras. Because of the short duration of the Korean War and the short life of these elite soldiers of the Airborne Ranger Companies of Korea, much has been forgotten about their service and sacrifices. Ranger Black's book, "A Ranger Born", revives these memories and educates many who never really knew of the many obstacles and terrible conditions these men fought in. He takes us on a journey through his young life to the man he is today. Through two wars, including his service in the Vietnam War. Once I started reading it, it was hard to put down and that is a true measure of a book, isn't it ?? I read a lot of military history books, fiction and non-fiction, and I would put this book up there with the good ones as easily readable and entertaining. It is quite informative too, for those interested in the inner workings of a military advisor to the ARVN Army. I'd like to thank you Bob for sharing your story and your memories. Rangers Lead the Way !! Terry B. Roderick Co. P (RANGER) 75th Inf. RVN , Past President, 75th Ranger Regiment Association (1998-2000)
Rating:
Summary: Better than 'Band of Brothers'; a good read for anyone
Review: With all the 'Band of Brothers' hoopla last year, this is a better book.It's a simple story of a man trying to be the best there is -in this case an Army Ranger during two wars (Korea & Vietnam) - but he tells it in a way anyone can understand. No military credentials are needed. The sign of a good storyteller is getting the reader to have the same feelings the author does...I found myself full of pride, anger, frustration alongside Black; sometimes I wanted to cry and sometimes I wanted to pat this guy on the back. Sometimes I just went "Phew!" This isn't a gung-ho book on "How I won the war". Its full of frailties, shortcomings, and reality. If you are looking for Gen. Patton's story, its not here. If you are looking for a coming of age story that includes finding identity, a successful path in life, and learning of the larger world around us, that is here. Black simply has the "good" misfortune of growing up in time that led him down a path to two wars, and his base of battle knowledge -- thick as a rocket launch pad - is the heart of the book. The book includes also includes a fair amount of background of his early years as a farm kid, which is a good laugh. It's when the book takes off into his early training in Army is when this book really runs. Anyone who ever protested the Vietnam War should read this - not to attack an agenda but to understand more about how the war affected us all. (This is coming from someone who remembers Walter Kronkite's reports from Saigon and whose Mom would have taken me to Canada had I been of draft age). I usually don't read these types of military genre books, but I really loved it. This would be a great read on vacation, for anyone of any age. With all the stuff happening in world right now, we need more Blacks in this world to remind us what living is like when someone always wants you gone. Makes me appreciate the simple things in life. Makes me realize that we have heroes amongst us. But like Black, they don't think of themselves as one. It was a simple matter of just trying to be the best, and to come home.
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