James F. Walsh

A GI Machine Gunner: From The Seminary to Korea’s Front Line, by James F Walsh, is an incredible story of a man who has decided that serving God could be best done by serving his country. Walsh takes us through the tough decisions he had to make—and the people disappointed by them, as he enlists into the United States Army to do his part in Korea. The war was not popular. Some said it wasn’t even a war. A police action they called it. The fighting however, was real, and so was the dying.

This autobiography shows the pain and heartache that accompanies war and how even a man with strong faith can sometimes find it overwhelming. A GI Machine Gunner is not only an inspirational story of one man; it is also a great lesson on the day to day activities of a machine gun unit during the Korean War.

Walsh’s story is a must-read for anyone interested in the Korean War, and ground fighting in particular.

www.daniellittle.com… (más)

Sweet and charming are the first two words that come to mind to describe this short story collection. The stories are wholesome fairy-tale reading, especially as the idea of two young children being lost overnight in the woods doesn't seem to raise any alarm bells in town, but hey, fairy-tales only incorporate part of reality. Part of me wished that the fairyland influence was more pronounced in the stories but I had to remind myself that the idea of a tiny leprechauns the size of a thumb and are able to stand on a toadstool or perch on a shoulder don't really need to take up a whole lot of real estate. A hollowed out log can be a cavernous banquet hall for these tiny folks!

Overall, a charming collection of short stories with some good morals and values for readers to appreciate.… (más)

This book tells of the life of a group of gunnery soldiers who find themselves sent to Korea in the early 1950’s. Their lives are not easy and they depend on one another completely. This story develops characters well while telling of camaraderie, loss, bravery and battle while including the grit, grime and grimness of young men who find they need to work together to stay alive. I believe anyone who enjoys war stories and wants to know more about the US army in Korea at this time will enjoy this very well written book.… (más)

This book is a collection of short stories about a family's interaction with a group of Leprechauns. Well, out of the whole family maybe two or three family members see them and the others just experience their mischief!

In the first story, the grandfather meets the group of leprechauns as well as a mischievous orange coated leprechaun who just causes trouble for the family (in later stories). What I loved about the stories is that they are written in the style of how the Irish speak (well, the stereotypical style) and that is fun. The stories are fairly short specially the first one which just serves as an introduction and all of the stories are positive and very fun.

I really enjoyed the story with Bridget and her bratty brother who uses Leprechaun magic to 'turn' mushrooms into gold coins using the word alleluia and the comeuppance he gets when he is lost in the woods.

As I mentioned, when the characters speak it is patterned after the Irish speech patterns and in one of the stories, I kind of got lost and found it hard to follow. That is my only gripe.… (más)