Medal of Honor: Profiles of America's Military Heroes from the Civil War to the Present

by Allen Mikaelian and Mike Wallace

Book Overview

Medal of Honor portrays 11 recipients of this sacred U.S. military decoration, from the Civil War through the Vietnam War, and examines what drove them to go so far above and beyond the call of duty.... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0786866624
• ISBN13: 9780786866625
• Release Date: May 2002
• Publisher: Hyperion Books
• Length: 300 Pages
• Weight: 1.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.5" x 9.6"

Customer Reviews

A MIRROR OF LIFE FOR THE FEW

Like everything else in life, this book tells about sad times and happy times due to the fact that a military man was awarded the highest honor for valor this nation offers. This book gives descriptions of the battle event that was reponsible for the medal for a number of veterans from the Civil War through Viet Nam. The writing is interesting and points out what some men are capable of when their back is against the wall. If you like war stories, this is a winner.

Provides a history of the medal and its recipients

In 1863 President Lincoln first awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor: here reporter Mike Wallace provides a history of the medal and its recipients, including his own personal experiences as a reporter covering war and blending history with military biography to spice an intriguing memoir. Harry Chase, Jason Culp and Ron McLarty narrate and Wallace provides special audio commentary in this intriguing history.

Tales of Valor

A fascinating collection of stories based around 11 individual Americans prestigiously awarded the Medal of Honor. This is a light and fast paced read. Each story is adequately detailed and very interesting. I thought the book had enough merits on it's own without Mike Wallace's commentary. In other words...Mike's contribution added no value to the book in my opinion. I would like to see the author write another book covering another dozen or so MOH awardees in a future volume, and perhaps follow up with additional volumes after that. J.B.KruzKruzKontrol

Share it Out Loud

Extraordinary book. Where does a hero come from? What does he leave behind? What is the cost of bravery? It's not Rambo and it's not Gump. Hollywood couldn't hold a candle to real American Honor. These short essays are best read aloud (my highest compliment to any written word). Readable even without a military background, each story is memorable and real. I found myself setting the book aside from time to time, looking up and saying, "Thank you." And wondering if these brave lads (most of whom are long dead) heard me. You owe it to them and to yourselves to read Medal of Honor.

The Human Side of the Medal

There have been many books written on the Medal of Honor, and this effort was an enjoyable read. The most important aspect managed to show a human side of the recipient. Each chapter covered a person who earned (not "won") the medal; the author did a very good job in tying in other stories of recipients pertaining to a campaign or battle to carry on the story.While some of the stories are well known, others were not, and this is what is needed. I have seen several of the deceased recipients' graves at Arlington National Cemetery that are covered in this book; Edouard Izac's story is amazing in his continuous efforts to gain secrets of submarine warfare while as a prisoner of war in WWI, along with his escape attempts.The book manages to show that while these men (as well as the sole female receipeint, Mary Walker) were indeed brave in their actions, they are mere humans that have lived in wealth or poverty, and encountered success as well as failure. I would have given the review five stars if the book was illustrated; as I believe that it would have assisted the reader to put a face with the name of the recipient. While reading the book, one may want to visualize the person they are reading about. If you enjoyed this book on a more human aspect, I would also recommend "Beyond the Medal" by another Medal of Honer recipient, Peter Lemon