In the Company of Men: A Woman at the Citadel

Rating:
Summary: Thoughtful and Forthright account of Mace's first year.
Review: After reading Pat Conroy's review that this is a "love letter" to the Citadel, I feared that Mace would give a one-sided, only positive view of her experience there. However, I was surprised and pleased that she lays out the entire experience "warts and all".

The only drawback is that the majority of the book (sans Epilogue) covers only Mace's first year at the Citadel. Although that first year is certainly enough material to write the book, it was a bit disjointed to jump from the end of her first year (at the end of the book) to graduation (Epilogue).

I also would have loved to hear her go further (past graduation) and instead put in the Epilogue how how her Citadel experience has affected her life now that she's out in the working world.

I would certainly recommend this book - it's a quick read, and very enjoyable. But I would counter Beth's remark in her review below, wishing that this could be in the "teen" section of the bookstore. Funny, that's exactly where I happened to find a copy.

Rating:
Summary: In the Company of Men Review
Review: By Emma

Before reading In the Company of Men, I disliked all biographies and autobiographies, but while reading about Nancy Mace's life, my opinion changed. This autobiography is a funny, touching, and compelling true story about the first women to graduate from the Citadel, a strict military collage with much discipline and hazing. This is a great book, mainly for girls and women, that realizes how hard it was when men were considered superior. It gives the important message that even though the world will always be filled with mean and hurtful people, it is possible to accomplish anything, even the impossible. That is what Nancy Mace did; she was the first woman ever to graduate from the Citadel, something that seemed impossible for women before her. All females should read this book, even if they aren't interested in the military. This is a terrific autobiography!

Rating:
Summary: In the Company of Men Review
Review: By Emma

Before reading In the Company of Men, I disliked all biographies and autobiographies, but while reading about Nancy Mace's life, my opinion changed. This autobiography is a funny, touching, and compelling true story about the first women to graduate from the Citadel, a strict military collage with much discipline and hazing. This is a great book, mainly for girls and women, that realizes how hard it was when men were considered superior. It gives the important message that even though the world will always be filled with mean and hurtful people, it is possible to accomplish anything, even the impossible. That is what Nancy Mace did; she was the first woman ever to graduate from the Citadel, something that seemed impossible for women before her. All females should read this book, even if they aren't interested in the military. This is a terrific autobiography!

Rating:
Summary: Not so much
Review: Despite the fact that this book has received glowing reviews from other readers I beg to differ.

Mace's story is superficial and something you can probably compile from recruitment material that The Citadel, VMI, USMA, USNA, and USAFA doles out to prosective cadets/midshipmen. Her story lacks any kind of analysis or deeper thoughts. Just a rambling about what happened to her and the The Citadel class of 2002 during their Knob year.

A military college/service academy is one strange and fascinating place both in its philosophy and rituals. Mace fails to really capture any of it.

Since I am totally butchering this book I should give an alternative: "Victor Padrini - a novel of the US Air Force Academy" by Mark Pizzimenti is a much more interesting read and "spoke" to me, a graduate of the Virginia Military Institute, a whole lot more than Mace's bland attempt at a "hoorah" for her school.

Rating:
Summary: The greatest cadet ever! (According to the writer)
Review: Having just completed Philippa Strum's 'Women in the Barracks,' about the court cases leading to the 'assimilation' of women into the Virginia Military Institute, I was eager to look at the story's next chapter and dive into Nancy Mace's account of her time at The Citadel (it was VMI's defeat in the Supreme Court that prompted The Citadel to admit women like Mace). With some of the caveats noted by other reviewers -- notably that the book skips over two-thirds of her time at the school -- I found this a very worthwhile read.

I don't often get into 'juvenile literature,' which is how this book is categorized. In fact, the last 'juvy' book I read was 'Battle Dress,' Amy Efaw's fictionalized account of her first year at the US Military Academy, a title to which 'In the Company of Men' bears certain obvious similarities. Some of the things other reviewers have considered lacking in this book -- insufficient legal context, not enough sociological analysis -- can, I think, be explained by looking at for whom Mace was writing. Having read Strum and Brodie about VMI, as well as Catherine Manegold's tendentious 'In Glory's Shadow,' I too hope to see some of these issues addressed first-person on an adult level. But that's not to take anything away from this book.

Nancy Mace's story is well written and inspirational. And though I understood the strong feelings and resentments many of The Citadel's alumni and friends bore about the (inevitable, in my opinion) decision to admit women, I was still shocked by the vehemence of the abuse she received -- especially from 'the wealthy Charleston women who formed the backbone of Citadel social support,' known as South of Broads (referring to Broad Street), or SOBs. Mace considers the abbreviation apt, and I can't say I disagree with her. Similarly, the drunken alumnus who took it upon himself to personally berate Mace at every Citadel football game should be shamed into seclusion by her portrait of him (though I suspect he still considers himself a hero).

At the same time, there's also a lot of humor in this story, as well as touching comradeship with (some of) her fellow cadets and a deep and reciprocated love for her parents. Mace may not address the larger question of why a young woman (or, for that matter, a young man) might want to attend The Citadel, but it's clear why *she* did: she loved her father, and she loves the school. I'd been looking for some time for a book that details the life and experience of a cadet at VMI or The Citadel, and here at last is that portrait. It's moving, challenging, and its target audience should, I hope, find it inspirational. I commend the author for writing the book, but more importantly for her determination to confront the challenges and emerge on top.

Rating:
Summary: Nancy Mace:An Excellent Representative of the Citadel!
Review: I was very reluctant to purchase this book. I heard that Nancy Mace was the daughter of one of the schools top alumnus and one of the faculty staff. So I thought that the book would be a Citadel Love in.

It wasn't.

Contarary to what was reported Nancy did not get a cake walk through her first year. In fact she had just as much as tough time as everyone else. She had to endure the pressures of first year while coping with a learning disabilty, ostrazation and an unpleasant roomate. Many went to great lengths to show that they did not want her there. Among them wives and Mothers of Citadel men who cursed her on a regular basis (so much for the stereotype of the Southern Lady). But through it all she managed to endure with her head held high. While she does complain about her treatment by some unsavory characters. She also praises the treatment and the camederie she received from her fellow classmates. And more importantly upperclassmen whose respect she begins to earn as time goes on.

This book also conteracts some of the negative publicity that the Citadel received most notably on 60 minutes. The book mentions that some of the bashers of the school are no angels themselves. And found it easier to complain on national TV and sue, as opposed to toughing it out and building character.

The reason I am giving this book four stars is due to the length, I expected something a bit longer and she mostly just discusses her first year. And skims briefly over her last three years. I was expecting something a bit more substantial in those areas, but I still found it a great read.

In The Company of Men is an excellent example of a school growing up and the kind of people it develops. Nancy Mace is the best example of this. The Citadel should have no regrets about admitting women, Nancy Mace is a great example of this.

Rating:
Summary: In trhe Company of Men
Review: In 1999 Nancy Mace became the first woman to graduate from The Citadel, a military academy in Charleston, SC. The Citadel is steeped in tradition --- a tradition that included a men-only admissions policy until a court order forced the school to admit a woman in 1995. That woman, Shannon Faulkner, lasted only one week. When her turn came, Mace was determined to make it to graduation. IN THE COMPANY OF MEN: A Woman at The Citadel tells her story bluntly and honestly.

Most of IN THE COMPANY OF MEN details Mace's first semester at The Citadel. Freshman year is the most challenging year at The Citadel --- which is saying a lot since no year there is a walk in the park. Freshmen at The Citadel are referred to as "knobs" --- a reference to their shaved heads --- and are forced to live under the "fourth class system," which greatly restricts their freedom and allows upperclassmen to make their lives miserable in a variety of ways. The year is difficult for all who enter The Citadel, but for Mace and the three women who entered the school with her, the challenge was infinitely increased.

The school, its administration, students, and backers were all faced with hard questions. How short should a woman's hair be cut? What sizes do the uniforms need to be? How do you deal with a soldier who menstruates? How do you keep women knobs safe in an atmosphere where they are resented by their classmates, by upperclassmen, by alumni, and --- most oddly --- by the wives and girlfriends of Citadel students past and present? None of these questions were hypothetical for Mace. As she addresses them in her book, she does a fine job relating not only the actual occurrences, but her own emotions. She does not shy away from the feelings of helplessness that sometimes threatened to overwhelm her; nor does she turn her tale into a list of grievances for wrongs suffered, as she finds humor in many situations that may not have seemed funny at the time.

Mace's story of perseverance, both mental and physical, is inspiring. IN THE COMPANY OF MEN is not, however, a prettified tale of adversity overcome. Mace's language is direct and occasionally peppered with obscenities, and her assessments of her classmates, instructors, and the upperclassmen are unyielding --- as is her assessment of herself throughout the book.

Mace spends some pages detailing her second semester at The Citadel, including a moving description of the final challenges a knob faces before being released from the "fourth class system." The two years leading up to her graduation are summarized too briefly. A more complete description of her life as an upperclassmen --- during which knobs were subject to her whims --- would have been interesting and would have provided a better transition to the graduation scenes that end the book. Nevertheless, IN THE COMPANY OF MEN is a fascinating look at The Citadel and at the kind of person who can make it from knob to Citadel graduate.

--- Reviewed by Rob Cline ([e-mail])


Rating:
Summary: Mature and balanced account of The Citadel
Review: Nancy Mace wrote a balanced and mature account of her experience as the first female Citadel graduate. This book is most useful for high school girls considering The Citadel, VMI, or a national military service academy. School counselors need this book too. If you are considering The Citadel, read the book twice to see why the 4th Class (plebe) system works. This reviewer graduated almost 40 years ago from The Citadel and found nothing disturbing in Mace's account or much different from the 4th Class system when the college was then exclusively white and male. For male cadets and alumni who still have trouble accepting females or others different from themselves as peers - get over it.

Mace explains that the Citadel is a functioning anachronism and always has been, that's part of its appeal. This reviewer commanded a battalion when women were first assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division about twenty years before The Citadel integrated women into the Corps of Cadets. In a long special operations career I consistently found women who met every expectation - physical and mental -- of their male commanders. My rhetorical question at that time was, if our unit is provided female paratrooper officers, why none from The Citadel? Why no female Citadel graduates in industry and politics? Mace helped to change that nitwitterey.

It sometimes seems that Mace's book is more about Mace than The Citadel which under her circumstances is acceptable, but limiting. Many girls will read this book and ask who needs all the stress created by the 4th Class system along with the other pressures of college? Unfortunately, Mace doesn't provide the answer. Here is the answer: The Citadel graduates a higher percentage of its freshman class in four years than any other state college or university in South Carolina and among the top five percent in the nation. The Citadel does this providing a superior education, an honor system that works, a commitment to national duty and fidelity, and a sense of self worth rare on most campuses. Cadets are taught by professors, not graduate students, the education is demanding, and one of the best education values in this country. The Citadel "system" develops a young person's mind, physical capability, and character in a crucible of measured stress. It's a good preparation for real life. But, a word of caution - the motivation for all this must be from within the student, not urged by the parent.

Rating:
Summary: A woman's story of life in the Citadel
Review: Nancy Pace, the first female to graduate from The Citadel, the presitigous
military college in South Carolina, tells the story of her experience there
in her new YA memoir, IN THE COMPANY OF MEN: A WOMAN AT THE CITADEL.
Although the writing is passable, it's not top-notch--there's a lot of
"telling" and too little "showing"--and there are some details left out that
might have helped.

HOWEVER, I do believe it will have an audience with younger high school
students (and maybe middle schoolers, are though there are a few S and F
words scattered throughout), and I recommend it on this list for that
reason. In the current national climate, there is likely to be more demand
for books about the military and training for it. I think this book is
valuable, especially for teen girls, because it depicts a woman successfully
completing a rigorous, typically male-dominated course of study. In
addition, she has ADD, and triumphs in spite of her troubles with school
work.

Rating:
Summary: Realistic report inside The Citadel plebe system
Review: Nearly the entire book covers first semester of Nancy Mace's freshman year. This is the only book in print that accurately and fairly portrays The Citadel plebe system - the good, the bad, the ugly. Of course, it is concerned to a great degree with her experience as one of the first four woman in a place where many didn't want her. Things were made much tougher for her by having rotten roommate and a father who came in as an unpopular Commandant during her second semester.

When Ms. Mace reports an upper-classman in her cadre letting her know he wanted her out, she later reports the cadet becoming her strongest supporter behind the scenes, after observing her good attitude and abilities. Unfortunately, several book reviews report only the initial threats, and miss the point, that the cadre was harsh and seemingly unreasonable at the time, but when anything was seriously wrong (e.g., getting ill, or out-of-line harassment from non-cadre cadets), they would look out for her, carrying out their duties in a professional manner. Also, that they ultimately reacted to her attitude of trying hard, rather than their own views on coeducation.

The book skips most of her last two years, picking up just a few incidents of senior year - receiving her ring, Ring Hop, and graduation ceremony.

The target audience appears to be high school students who are thinking about choosing a college. The book will warn off those who would not like The Citadel, and attract those who wish to prove that they can hack it. She certainly lays out the difficulties, but also the pride and tight friendships that result from the plebe system. It shows that knob year is difficult and frustrating, but achievable by a typical 18-year-old who puts out maximum effort.

She also emphasizes that the military system is within an highly rated small college, with the normal academic expectations after a first couple of weeks of pure plebe training. She takes full advantage of special programs for ADD and small classes.

Because "In the Company of Men" was written for the high school age group, it's a quick read in simple conversational English.