WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT DONALD J. FARINACCI'S BOOKS...

1961 - SLIDING TOWARD ARMAGEDDON

"One of the most terrifying moments of the Cold War occurred in October 1962, when the United States and former Soviet Union nearly came to blows during the Cuban Missile Crisis.  Much has been written about the crisis, which has been the subject of countless books and a couple of movies.

Now, in a riveting new book, 1961 - SLIDING TOWARD ARMAGEDDON, author Donald J. Farinacci looks at events leading up to the crisis.  Although this is a work of fiction, there is a lot of history here to validate the author's insightful examination of those events.  To be sure, I was particularly impressed how Farinacci weaved history with fiction.  Without question, that is one of the books' strengths. I n much the same way that Don Delillo fictionalized events leading up to JFK's assassination in LIBRA, Farinacci excels with his ability to fictionalize the events leading up to the Cuban Missile Crisis while offering plenty of history along the way to remind readers of just how close the world came to Armageddon.

This book is a real page-turner and I highly recommend it."

— JEFFREY MILLER, Author of ‘ICE CREAM HEADACHE’

"Author Donald Farinacci has done it again with his latest book, 1961: SLIDING TOWARD ARMAGEDDON.  Carrying on in a tradition he set forth in his previous Cold War spy thriller, THE ALLEMAGNE DECEPTION, he skillfully recalls a time, especially for World War II veterans and baby boomers such as myself, when the future of our world was uncertain, the possibility of attack upon us by the USSR an ever-present danger.  One that called for us to have duck and cover drills in our schools on a regular basis for fear that a missile attack from Cuba, 90 miles off the Florida coast, could happen at any moment.

This book truly has no parallel, down to the dialogue spoken by the book's principals, President John F. Kennedy, members of his illustrious cabinet, and Soviet Premier Nikita Kruschev.  It had to have been meticulously and painstakingly researched.  Farinacci's list of sub characters, Army and CIA-affiliated, fight their way through deadly skirmishes with their KGB counterparts that place this work on par with anything Tom Clancy ever wrote.  I highly recommend this book, and hope that the author carries on in his quest to accurately portray the Cold War as it really was. "

— MARC P. YABLONKA, Author of ‘DISTANT WAR’

THE ALLEMAGNE DECEPTION

"Author attorney Donald J. Farinacci’s fourth book, THE ALLEMAGNE DECEPTION, is a cross between The Hunt for Red October and any James Bond thriller starring Sean Connery, so packed full of mystery and suspense it is.  Set alternately in the period after Germany’s surrender at the close of World War II and the 1960s Cold War that followed in that country, neighboring Austria and Czechoslovakia, its writing can best be described as full of inviting intrigue which entices us to constantly guess ahead to what may happen next.  It is espionage in its finest form of fiction embedded in truth."

— MARC P. YABLONKA, Author of ‘DISTANT WAR,’ American Authors Association Reviewer

(Click here to read the complete text of this review in PDF format.)

"THE ALLEMAGNE DECEPTION turns and weaves its tale of espionage and deception so thoroughly that streets become blind alleys, and even the most trusted of friends must be viewed in shadow."

— JACK LONDON, Author of ‘FRENCH LETTERS’

— ROBERT R. McMILLAN, Former Chairman of the United States Panama Canal Commission

"For those of us who lived through the confusing 1960s, Don Farinacci's THE ALLEMAGNE DECEPTION brings back memories—both somber and frightful—our inheritance from those who lived through the 1940s. This book reminds us that the world was far more complicated than just an unpopular war in Vietnam."

— JOYCE FAULKNER, President of Military Writers Society of America, and Award-winning author of ‘IN THE SHADOW OF SURIBACHI’ and ‘FOR SHRIEKING OUT LOUD!’

— JEFF EDWARDS, Award-winning author of ‘SEA OF SHADOWS,’ and ‘THE SEVENTH ANGEL’

"Author Donald J. Farinacci's latest work, THE ALLEMAGNE DECEPTION, is a terrifyingly suspenseful and gripping account of a history that few Americans know. While the shooting war in Vietnam was hot and the bellicose actions of the Cold War were in the papers, an unknown, but strategically important and viciously executed secret war raged in Europe between the unsung intelligence services of Democracy and the Stalinesque forces of Communism.

Farinacci has expertly crafted a complex, multi-layered web of deceit, loyalty, patriotism and greed, all within the greater context of the Cold War. As he did in his previous book, Truman and MacArthur, he provides both a global and individual perspective while keeping you in doubt of the final outcome of history.

The heretofore unheralded heroes of this war finally get their due in this story that spans decades and countries, yet remains timeless. There is such detail and credibility in the great prose, one has to wonder if in fact Mr. Farinacci was closer to the actual intelligence operations of the time than anyone but he knows.

Intellectually stimulating, emotionally engaging and certainly a page-turner, The Allemagne Deception is a superb work of the clandestine sacrifices of a highly select group of dedicated Americans who selflessly served without acknowledgement by anyone outside of their small community. This is a movie begging to be made."

— STEVEN G. BUSTIN, Author of ‘HUMBLE HEROES: HOW THE USS NASHVILLE CL43 FOUGHT WWII’

"Donald Farinacci has hit a home run with his book, THE ALLEMAGNE DECEPTION.  This spy thriller, set in Europe during the heart of the Cold War, drew me in from the first page and took me on an ever accelerating, suspense-filled ride to a fascinating conclusion.  Farinacci’s excellent character development had me picking favorites early on in the story.  Although a work of fiction, this book could very easily be a reflection of one of the many close calls the West had in the sixties with the Soviet Union.  One that could have turned the Cold War into a fiery hot one.

I have a background with military counterintelligence and thoroughly enjoyed the author’s spy-counter spy plot.  This book is certainly a must read for anyone who enjoys reading spy novels and fiction which is focused on Cold War intelligence operations."

— BOB DOERR, Award-winning author of ‘LOOSE ENDS KILL’

A HOUSE DIVIDED

"Donald Farinacci's narrative about the years when the United States fell under the sway of the right-wing ideologue Senator Joseph McCarthy's reign of terror should be required reading for anyone who wants to understand the Cold War.  Clearly written and concise it is easy to read and relates the fascinating tale of how President Eisenhower, although new to politics, used tactics and guile to defeat McCarthy's irresponsible and self-aggrandizing grab for power.  Of especial interest is the part of the book about the Army-McCarthy hearings, which dragged on for months, threatened to destroy the US Army, but ultimately led to McCarthy's downfall instead."

— FRANCIS HAMIT, (Five-Star Reader Review on Amazon.com)

"Disclosure, Farinacci was already one of my favorite authors of historical non-fiction before I read A House Divided.  With this book he has become one of my favorite writers, period.  Like his previous works that span the Cold War era, Farinacci expertly navigates a complex story with a multitude of public and private players intertwined within and against both domestic and international politics and intrigue.  Less well known than the contentious relationship between Truman and MacArthur but equally intense and perhaps even more a threat to the Army, the battle between Eisenhower and McCarthy for the heart of the Republican Party and the due process of accused public figures is absolutely riveting.

The reader learns and appreciates the great skills Eisenhower used to counter and ultimately defeat McCarthy, the same skills he used as Supreme Allied Commander in WWII.  This is a great stand-alone read, interesting, engaging, frightful and entertaining to say nothing of well-researched and skillfully written.  But if you read this as part of Farinacci’s other works (Truman and MacArthur, The Allemagne Deception and 1961) you will have more knowledge and appreciation of the entire Cold War and just how dangerous it was to America than most anyone you will ever meet.

This book should be required reading in every university political science class since it is as applicable to the game of power politics today as it was then.  I hope Farinacci keeps researching and writing books of this genre as I do love his work."

— STEVE BUSTIN, Author of 'HUMBLE HEROES' (Five-Star Reader Review on Amazon.com)

"I was 10 years old when IKE was nominated by the Republican Party as its candidate for President of the United States.  I am now in my seventies and am amazed at just the cover of the book.  The 'bramble bush,' intertwining branches aptly offers the reader what is inside.  This in-depth work of historical non-fiction chronicles the fight for leadership of the Republican Party in the early 1950's.   While there are many 'branches' in the work, basically it thoroughly describes the story of Ike and Senator McCarthy.  The latter was a very ruthless politician who stomped on anyone to achieve power; the former was a shrewd, skilled non-politician who used fairness in his successful attempt to address 'McCarthyism.'  All throughout this work, I was mindful of how easy it would have been to change the dates, replace several names, and center the story on Washington DC of the 2000's.   Power, ruthlessness, and greed seem to have no special time in history, and now America aches for the caliber of man Ike was.  This book is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand politics."

— DANNY KUBAT, Author of 'PACHYDERMS' (Five-Star Reader Review on Amazon.com)

TRUMAN AND MACARTHUR

"Truman and MacArthur, Adversaries for a Common Cause, by Donald J. Farinacci, (Merriam Press, 2010) is an elegant political biography of two men who unwittingly reinforced a principal of the American fabric by engaging in a confrontation that ended both their public careers.  President Truman may well be remembered for saying that 'the buck stops here,' never more true than when he decided to fire General Douglas MacArthur for prolonged insubordination in his conduct of the Korean war, an event he knew would lead the popular press to savage him, as it did.

General MacArthur's sayings are perhaps more colorful, declaring as he left his troops at Corregidor that 'I shall return,' and, when Truman fired him, 'Like the old soldier of that ballad, I now close my military career and just fade away.'

Truman and MacArthur brilliantly picks up where popular history trails off; as Mr. Farinacci points out, instead of fading away, MacArthur "embarked on a national speaking tour during which he became more and more critical of Truman's foreign policy with each stop." It is an exceptional and timely book, a well-written analysis of a difficult period in American history and of a war that, six decades later, calls out for serious study."

— JACK LONDON, Author of ‘FRENCH LETTERS’

(Click here to read the complete text of this review on Jack W. London's website.)

"One of the Best Books on Truman & MacArthur.

The younger American generation has little clue as to what actually happened in the Korean War — it is truly a lost history.  Author Donald Farinacci puts together a largely unknown and misunderstood part of that era with his revealing book about the relationship between two of the giants of that period of our history — President Truman and General MacArthur.  There are still many historians that feel General MacArthur was right.  The debate still rages on because of the present day world problems with both China and North Korea.  Farinacci chronicles past events and brings them alive.  He skillfully documents events while weaving in brilliant his narratives.

Truman and MacArthur: Adversaries for a Common Cause is one of the best books I have ever read on this subject matter.  If you were only going to read one book about the Korean War and the politics of this time period, this would be the book you must read first to gain a better understanding of what happened and why.  I highly recommend this book for those interested in history, politics and war.  It is informative and actually entertaining.  I would rank this book right up there as one of the top 25 books ever written on that time of our history."

— BILL McDONALD, Author and Founder of Military Writers Society of America

"This book, by Donald J. Farinacci, is a must read for any one interested in the shaping of the post-WWII world.  I picked up this book with a renewed interest in the Korean War after having read the Marines of Autumn.  I expected to be brought behind the scenes of the struggle between two great characters of 20th century American History, Harry S. Truman and Douglas MacArthur, which culminated in Truman's firing of Macarthur during the Korean War.  I got that and much more.

The author begins with a look into the very different pasts of Truman and MacArthur and the events that shaped the men that they would become.  This put valuable context to the way in which each man handled the grave world crisis that was the Korean War.  And I say grave world crisis, because, as this book so poignantly depicts, the Korean War was the first real hot battle of the Cold War which could have plunged the world into World War III if the proper and delicate balance of political diplomacy and military strategy was not employed.  In this respect, the book shows the common and mistakes made by both Truman and MacArthur at Wake Island conference in October of 1950 - namely the serious miscalculation by the General and President of Red China's resolve to enter the war and its military capabilities.  It also shows the subsequent rift and power struggle between the President and General which threatened the constitutional power of military leadership in the civilian President.  Such a rift was also a bi-product of the President's frustrated ability to address the global implications of the actions taken on the battlefield by MacArthur's own public statements of the General's "foreign policy" which would have seen the expansion of the war into China and onto the Soviet Union's doorstep, the use nuclear weapons against the Red Chinese forces and the transfer of military resources from Europe to Asia.

Most importantly, this book never looses sight of the American soldiers, sailors and marines who fought this war and gives proper recognition to America's allies that fought with the Americans under the United Nations banner.  The reader is brought to the planning table of the brilliantly staged Inchon landing and given a front row seat to its flawless execution.  We are drawn into the harrowing fighting retreat at the Chosin Reservoir, where sub zero temperatures and hundreds of thousands of fresh Red Chinese troops nearly annihilated the thinly stretched Americans.  And we witness America's "Dunkirk" with the evacuation at Hungnam where the last transport departed a half-hour in front of the arrival of the pursing Chinese.

With MacArthur's removal, and the reinvigorated command of his replacement, General Matthew B. Ridgeway, the reader witnesses the resurgence of the Allied Forces which exacted heavy tolls on the Red Chinese and North Korean forces resulting in the restoration the borders of the two Korea's at the 38th parallel.

The author also does not forget other figures that played important supporting roles in the dramatic story of Truman, MacArthur and the Korean War such as Secretary of State, Dean Acheson, Secretary of Defense, George Marshall, NATO commander, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Army and Marine Generals Walton Walker and O.P. Smith, Marine Colonel “Chesty” Puller, Army Chief of Staff, J. Lawton Collins, South Korean President, Syngman Rhee, and others.

All of the above elements are brilliantly woven into a thrilling and cohesive story of the men and events that shaped the Korean War and early Cold War politics."

— JACK FAHEY, (Five-Star Reader Review on Amazon.com)

"When I first learned there was another book that dealt with, directly or indirectly, the Truman-MacArthur story, I was highly skeptical that new ground could be broken.  After all, there have been a number of notable books such as "MacArthur" by Bair, "American Caesar" by Manchester and perhaps the best of the lot, "General MacArthur and President Truman: The Struggle For Control Of American Foreign Policy" by Rovere and Schlesinger.  However, author Donald J. Farinacci, with "Truman and MacArthur: Adversaries for a Common Cause" not only bravely enters this esteemed club, he has established his book as the very best among the best, by any measure.

Farinacci tells the story of both the war and the Truman-MacArthur relationship as parallel paths that become inseparable.  Seamlessly weaving the increasingly tense relationship between the president and his top general, with an escalating, dangerous and even desperate war situation, they become one and inseparable.  No matter how much history you think you know regarding the Koran War and Truman and MacArthur, you find yourself progressively on edge as to the outcome of both the war and the Truman-MacArthur issues.

Farinacci’s groundbreaking research and engaging writing style, combined with a focus on presenting facts without historical or political bias, leaves the reader with an enlightened appreciation of what was in fact, a growing constitutional crisis ultimately decided in a manner consistent with the design and intent of the Founding Fathers.

"Truman and MacArthur: Adversaries for a Common Cause" is without doubt the new standard on one of the most fascinating American political-military stories in history.  Meticulous new research, superb writing and engaging storytelling make for a fascinating and entertaining educational experience.  This one is a keeper for the home library.  Don't loan this book out, you may not get it back."

— STEVEN G. BUSTIN, Author of ‘HUMBLE HEROES: HOW THE USS NASHVILLE CL43 FOUGHT WWII’

WHEN ONE STOOD ALONE

"Mr. Farinacci did a very thorough job on this book.  His research was very extensive and his writing style held your interest.  Living an hour out of Washington we were pretty well inundated on a daily basis with the Watergate affair.  Mr. Farinacci managed to put a very human face on Judge Sirica and made you feel that you actually knew him.  A job very well done!"

— JACQUIE, (Four-Star Reader Review on Amazon.com)

"This book is an inspiring story of a lone public servant, Federal Judge John J. Sirica, and his unrelenting effort to uncover the truth about the Watergate conspiracy regardless of where it led, which in this case was right into the Oval Office.  On display by Judge Sirica was a rare brand of moral courage seldom found in today's government leaders.  If you enjoy political intrigue and a good morality play, When One Stood Alone will be an enriching experience."

— ANNIE TRUEBLEW, (Five-Star Reader Review on Amazon.com)

LAST FULL MEASURE OF DEVOTION

"This a well written and very well researched book.  Whether you served in Vietnam or not, the stories and history are very relevant."

— Robert R. McMillan, former Commissioner of the Panama Canal

"The author chronicles 22 individual stories of men who fought and served during the Vietnam War.  The stories of these courageous men are very graphically detailed, including the first large scale test of our fighting men at the battle of Ira Drang.  The lives of these men, including the stories of men who were awarded the Medal of Honor, can be summed up in a quote from the book; 'Not for fame or reward, not for place or for rank, but in simple obedience to duty, as they understood it.'  These are stories of men of uncommon valor.  Well told."

— JIM STEWART, Author of 'THE ANGEL FROM VIETNAM,' and Military Writers Society of America Reviewer

"Farinacci does a fantastic job of bringing the action to life...  I highly recommend this book."

— 50th Infantry Association Book Reviewer