When men were guards and boys were nightwatch
930846
Every problem has a solution. Half the fun is seeing what solution Pratchet finds humorous enough to include in his book. Very well written. Very Funny.
692495
I watched this 10 years ago when it originally aired.  It was an honor to be able to watch this again.  Well made. Each episode, shown from a different perspective, told the story of this group of men and their dedication to each other and to their objective. It will continue to stand up over time.
4096852
Once again Terry Pratchett adeptly slips sociological insight as well as heroics performed by a cynical policemen into his farce. Sam Vimes leads by example and in so doing inspires the ne'er-dowells and slackers of the Night Watch to take up the challenge of protecting the People at great risk to themselves. These little angels *do* rise up, which gives us hope we might do the same when presented similar (and even less dire) opportunities.
4005949
These are great reads a good detail look at our men in action, as good as last man standing. should be on Kindle
1976949
Operatives, Spies, and Saboteurs, the Unknown Story of the Men and Women of world War II's OSS by Patrick K O'Donnell, is a history of the OSS from its creation in World War II and the role it played in helping the Allies to victory. It is a complete account of its birth and the many missions it did during the war.
  From its inception, to the spy schools, to the actual missions, we learn about the dangerous operations done by this secret organization. In the beginning, The United States had little or no spy operations and had to catch up with its further advanced British counterpart. Early founder and icon Robert Donovan saw the need and guided the OSS to greatness. Under Donovan's leadership the OSS not only had to deal with the enemy but also with other competing intelligence agencies like Navy G-2, British Military Intelligence, and the many communist factions in other countries. Also, many front line commanders were reluctant to use this unconventional type of information.
  The brave men and woman of the OSS were unlike any others and the book does a great job telling their stories. It explains about each theatre and the operations in each. Each was different, e.g. Greece, Norway, France, Germany etc, and required special men and women and operations to succeed. Some went better than others, but no doubt, each helped slow down the Nazi's war effort. Of note were the spy and sabotage operations in southern France before and during Operation Dragoon that were very successful.. It was roughly estimated that 50 percent of ground intelligence for the invasion was provided by its agents. In the Balkans, agents had to deal with infighting between rebels to align everyone on the same side.  It was not an easy job. Near the end of the war, many agents did backroom deals with prominent German generals and helped negotiate many early surrenders.
  What is great about the book is that it goes into detail about each operation and what it was like to do this dangerous work, When things went smoothly, it was easy, but this was not usually the case. Agents had to deal with missed drop zones, damaged equipment, turncoats, and the constant fear of capture and torture by the Gestapo. A small drawback in the book is that with so many stories, some stories were cut short and left the reader hanging.
  There were many targets that the Allies needed to know about to protect the free world and win the war. Mr. O'Donnells' book does a fine job in covering the vast array of them in an interesting and orderly fashion. Not only is it a great book about World War II, but it blends in the real spy work that not only shortened the war considerably, but gave us a head start in the next one-the Cold War its birth to US Special Forces and the CIA.

Robert Glasker
1221778
Having read a number of books dealing with WW II spying by US, Brits, and Germans, I found this book to be a great overview.  Loaded with anecdotal material that supplements a standard history approach.  Fortunately the large cast of characters are present in ways keep their various roles very clear.  A good read.
729600
I found it very interesting that some of these young boys did not want to return to their homes and their families.
914950
the character sharpe and his associates are the historical version of what was the elite corps of the british army of its time. early sas if you like.
2599286
Irregulars and deserters plagued the land as men from two armies wanted only to return home. Standing military authorities were a law to themselves and clashes were deadly. A murderous major with equally dangerous troops faces two brothers outraged at vicious killing. A grand page-turning read filled with action. Worth the time.
700985
I watched the mini series Band of Brothers, but I knew that the mini series covered the experiences of a many different men, and could not concentrate on just one individual.  For that reason I was interested in Dick Winters' memoirs to learn more of what this man was like, and his view of his exploits.  His memoirs helped explain some of the background in the various battles in which he was directly involved and also his responsibilities after being promoted to battalion command.  This book helped to better understand the exploits of the entire Band of Brothers.
4278921
I think the boys will lke the watches, they look like a black bracelet. The time shows up between the links!
369631
Many true crime fans, myself included, have torn through the books by John Douglas and other ex-members of the Behavioral Sciences Unit or BSU.  We marveled at their ability to deduce intricate details of a killer's personality and lifestyle from the type of crimes they committed.  We read with wonder at how they became almost overnight sensations after helping catch Wayne Williams, the man convicted of the Atlanta Child Murders.

Movies have also engrained them in our psyche.  From Silence of the Lambs and Manhunter, we see these men as brave, driven, and inteligent almost to the point of clairvoyance.

But what are these men really like, behind closed doors?  And how did they come to form the group that law enforcement agencies and laypeople alike admire and respect?

That is where Into the Minds of Madmen starts.  It is not a book filled with chapter after chapter of car chases, midnight plane rides, or stakeouts to catch a serial killer.  Instead it deals with the minutiae of how the Behavioral Science Unit came into being.

Granted, there are stories of how the team of "profilers" worked on several cases.  But the goal of this book, as they state clearly in the forward is not to "resort to retelling the same sensational serial-killing stories," but instead to tell of the formation of a group that would revolutionize crime scene investigation and the methods used to catch serial offenders.

I will admit, the book can be a bit bland at times.  But there is a lot of history contained in these pages, history you won't probably find anywhere else.  And several of the men who spoke with DeNevi and Campbell, agents who worked in the early years of the unit, give a hint at some of the theories, books, and studies they read, which led them to create this new method of criminal investigation.

For those folks that are truly interested in the BSU, not just the thrilling stories, this is a must-read.  The history contained here and the chance to get a glimpse into what made these men tick, how they developed the advanced procedures and methods almost taken for granted today, will give you a newfound respect for these men who blazed a trail that has given us all a better feeling of security.
1219347
Everyone, especially young people should see this and Band of Brothers. The courage and strength of these soldiers, many of them just boys...astounded me, upset me, made me so proud and thankful for their service and sacrifices.  Too many of us take our freedoms for granted and don't have a clue why.  God Bless America and out service men and women.
3644943
Authors view of behind the enemy lines activities during WWII. Enjoyable, suspenseful, my kind of book. My first read was Night Soldiers, this followed in the same vein.
718074
John and Annie, Daniel and Wendy, Zeke and Kendra , Rock and Hope and Boone and Abby plus all the kids involved in the stories, you will be in for some interesting reading. It is wonderful to see how these band of men became like brothers to help each other all others who need their help. John and Annie got the four men started with helping these four men turn from being headed into a life of hurt and maybe crime to become upstanding Christian loving happy family men.
2458901
This was back when you could still tell who were the good guys and who were the bad guys. A really good collection.
823005
a great follow up to Night watch -you must seem night watch first -This is kind of a two part thing .
Great movie - every bit as good as night watch --