Rating: 
Summary: An interesting read...
Review: This book gives the inside story on what it is like to be a cadet at West Point. The author does a great job of describing the many difficulties of being a cadet, as well as the large challenge facing the cadets as they graduate and become military officers. Fortunately for the US, it seems as if the cadets at West Point are being thoroughly trained to become leaders of our military. Highly recommended!
Rating: 
Summary: Rash Review
Review: I am the first in line to read fiction or non-fiction as it relates to West Point. I could not wait to read this book, based upon the reviews I read. In some ways it followed "The Long Gray Line"s format of following a few individual personalities through four (4) years at the USMA. My criticism is that I had a hard time following the story (events). The author seemed to jump around a lot. Also, I got very tired of reading about Cadet Rash's pt test; enough of that, we get it. The Cadet is mediocre and should not be an Army Officer. I also had to reread sentances over and over. The writing just was not on the same level as other books on the subject. There were some paragraphs that either were out of context or just a jumble of words. I recommend it for those who never get enough of the "gray line", but overall I was disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: America's Youth is all right
Review: I've seen some reviews of this book as low as one star, and I figure, those people must not be very interested in military or non-fiction, in which case, you probably shouldn't read this book. Anyway, the chronicling of the 4 years, following one company in particular on it's road to commissioning is a gripping tale. These are actual people who sacrificed a normal college life to serve our country, a committment that shouldn't be taken lightly. I found myself rooting for the characters, and wondering what fate would hold for them. The many cadets we are introduced in this book are the future leaders of today's army, serving on the front lines, and leading our son's and daughters to victory. How powerful is this book? Well, let's just say it made me wish that I had joined the Army instead of the navy.
Rating: 
Summary: Surprised
Review: Because of all the PR help this book is receiving, I feel compelled, as one who knows and cares about West Point, to offer my following personal comments:
The book had no real storyline.
It read like a series of magazine articles pasted together, not like a book.
It offered no new, important information.
Bottom-line, it reported that West Point cadets, like other college kids, are basically "absolutely American" kids, the type of self-evident information that you don't need this book to tell you.
The book was filled with mistakes and/or misinformation, and was presented in a way that I think tends to make it misleading to kids who might be interested in what West Point is all about.
It accentuated a misfit cadet who slipped through the cracks, leaving the wrong impression that gives the skeptics a lot of ammunition with which to shoot down our Academies.
To me, the book was quite boring, and therefore, I was surprised that one who writes for Rolling Stone magazine and has written such successful articles as "To Be Young And Gay" could come up with no better than this book after four years.
I do not recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: A Good Read!
Review: After reading "The Long Grey Line" while in college, I couldn't resist this new look at West Point. Although not as emotional as that book, "Absolutely American" is a very enjoyable read and an interesting look inside the minds of today's youth. I was amazed at some things, very disappointed by others. The absolute heart of Cadet Rash was inspiring.
Rating:
Summary: Honor, character and leadership. That's West Point!
Review: I've always known that West Point was the place where Army officers were trained. And I knew that tuition is free and competition is intense. But until I read this book, that was all I knew.In 1998, the author, David Lipsky, a reporter for Rolling Stone Magazine took on an assignment. He was to follow a class of young West Point students through the four years of their training. The result is an inside look at the institution, the Army officers who teach the young cadets, and the cadets themselves. It's also a look at the forces of history, the changes West Point has gone through over the years and, most recently, the effect of 9/11 on the graduating class. One of the points that the author brings out is that these young men and women are not only committed, but that they seem to be happier than students in other universities where there is a more relaxed atmosphere. At West Point there's an emphasis on honor, character and leadership. Standards are high. The cadets are always striving and constantly under pressure to do the right thing -- whether it's the way they make their beds or how apply themselves to the honor system. Infractions of the rules bring harsh penalties. For example, a half-hour nap instead of going to class resulted in one young woman having to spend an extra year at the institution. And a top student was expelled when drugs were found in his room. I felt I got to know some of the people personally. There's George Rush, a student who keeps making mistakes. There's Major Hank Keirsey who takes the blame for one of his subordinates and damages his own career. There's Christy Cicerelle who wakes early every morning to put on her makeup. There's Huck Finn who came to West Point to play football and then finds he loves the military. We follow this group to the mess halls, the physical training fields and the war games. We watch them select their branches of the service and get assigned to various locations around the world. And we watch them as they follow the news broadcasts after America was attacked on 9/11. I learned a lot from this book. And I feel I met an extraordinary group of people. I admire their aspirations to the high standards set for them. And I honor their commitment with pride. Highly recommended.
Rating: 
Summary: A good look inside the walls of West Point
Review: This book goes behind the walls of West Point, and gives the reader an insider's view into life at the Academy. David Lipsky follows a group of cadets and faculty over a four-year period. As a recent graduate, I feel that these individuals are quite representative of the West Point community at large, and that the picture Lipsky presents is accurate (some small details notwithstanding). Regardless of your familiarity with West Point or the military, Lipsky's account is entertaining and in many ways inspiring. I recommend it!
Rating:
Summary: B-
Review: Here are a few utterances you would have been hard-pressed to hear from the youth of the Vietnam War generation (including many who actually served there): "I believe the Army is inherently good," says Rob Shaw, a 25-year-old West Point cadet featured in David Lipsky's new book, "Absolutely American." "You're not chasing money or anything like that. I think it's a noble profession. That's why they call it service. . . . It's a good feeling to be part of that organization." Now, whether you think such sentiments send an encouraging message about today's young people, you might think that Lipsky -- an experienced writer for no less a 1960s stalwart than Rolling Stone magazine -- would have taken care to inspect them with at least a grain of skepticism. But you'd be wrong. Instead, the more Lipsky is exposed to the spirit and mindset of the military lifestyle -- the ethos of "Huah," as it's called at West Point -- the more he strives to ignore their obvious shortcomings. "Huah" (pronounced "who-waa") is the term that cadets and their instructors use to convey enthusiasm for all things righteous in the eyes of the military. When a cadet successfully fires a gun for the first time, he or she might shout "Huah!" and so on. It might have been a good title for Lipsky's book, so thoroughly did he absorb its gung-ho sensibilities. Lipsky wrote the book after reluctantly agreeing to an assignment four years ago that aimed to reveal the driving aspirations of those who make the West Point pact: a free four-year college education in exchange for five years of service in the U.S. Army. By the time he was done with his research, Lipsky had become a convert. His descriptions of life at the academy are indeed seductive, especially in an age that can seem so fractious and isolated. He extols the lack of self-conscious individualism that makes the West Point experience different from that at other colleges. "I realized that nobody at West Point was worried about sounding original or being entertaining, which are basically aesthetic notions, and I understood the immense freedom this gave them," he writes. But while Lipsky exults in the refreshing sincerity of the cadets, the reader is often left to wonder if many of these young people are as noble and high-minded as Lipsky wants to make them appear. In one section, a cadet who has been disciplined for lying on a duty assignment laments the punishment she is given, and a colleague agrees with her, saying, "How gay is that?" At the least, Lipsky might have delved into the motives that many cadets had for labeling something that seemed unfair or unjust as "gay." But instead, as with the larger issue of the military's stance on homosexuality, Lipsky mostly lets them off the hook. Then there's the issue of what, essentially, these cadets are being trained for. No doubt, given the realities of the world today, a strong military remains critical to the nation's objectives. But the book inadvertently raises questions about whether these young people have a full understanding of what happens when you unleash superior firepower on an enemy that always remains faceless and inhuman. "Stack 'em like cordwood," is the rallying cry of one of the academy's most beloved instructors. Of course, the world needs soldiers and pacifists alike, so my concern isn't about the cadets or their instructors. Instead, it's Lipsky who forsakes his duty as a journalist and reliable observer. He makes a convincing case for the advantages of the military life -- the exquisite order and comradeship of it all -- but shamefully drops all pretenses of being a writer whose insights can be counted on for their balance and clear-sightedness.
Rating:
Summary: Good, but filled with mistakes (written by a current cadet)
Review: This book closely mirrors how daily life at West Point is. It hits most of our big moments and what not. I would recommend that if you are thinking about going to West Point or closely associated with a candidate or cadet you read this book. I think this will clear up a lot of questions about what West Point is and what cadets go through throughout their 4 years. That said, there are some things missing and their are a lot of mistakes. It does not get too into the riffs between certain groups or the atmosphere of certain things. Furthermore, he misreports certain aspects. He says if you are a Finance major you branch Finance. I don't think we offer a major in finance. Even if we do, very few cadets (like 4) go finance and it isn't due to their major. He down plays certain things and overstates others. Though he says that getting on Brigade staff is a huge honor for cadets, it really isn't for most of us. Lastly, the book is laced with several technical mistakes that just handing the manuscript to someone associated with West Point could have corrected. I think he was too eager to get this book out to get it completely right. But, it flows and is easy to read. It is a good book for those who know no better.
Rating:
Summary: An eye-opener...
Review: I really expected not to like this book based on some of the reviews here. I expected the cadets featured in Lipsky's book to be little robot , mindlessly following orders, playing at being soldiers. Boy, was I wrong ! What emerges here are compelling portraits of men and women who,for various reasons, sought to compete for a place at highly elite (but not elitist) West Point, and , ultimately ,to serve their country. These cadets are real individuals, with strengths and flaws, positives and negatives.We meet a couple of brats and whiners in the pages of this book but also many outstanding individuals who give me reason to hope in the future of our country. What I didn't realize before reading this fine book is that West Point has become a true microcosm of American society, a place where even the most disadvantaged person can succeed on what is truly a level playing field. West Point is a true meritocracy. This is really an excellent book and would be enjoyed by even those, like myself, who are not really big military buffs.
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