A Personal Reflection of a Frontline Soldier in Vietnam and Cambodia During the Cultural Maelstrom of the 1960s In late 1969, twenty-year-old Robert Sweatmon received a letter informing him that he had ten days to report to the United States Army. Like thousands of others, he had been drafted. Assigned as a rifleman with a mechanized unit, the author began a year-long odyssey in the Southeast Asian wilderness that would change his and his fellow soldiers' lives forever. Taking its title from the nighttime radio code call and response between base camp and those on ambush patrol, Five Four Whiskey: A Memory of War is a moving account of life as a combat soldier in the Vietnam War. Set mostly in the sprawling woods and rubber plantations northwest of Saigon, the author explains what his unit was asked to do and what obstacles they faced, including an elusive but deadly enemy, multiple kinds of booby traps, and antitank mines. The author, a notable television personality following the war, does not sensationalize his account; rather, his book allows a new generation to understand the emotional and physical pressures of the times. Coming of age in the maelstrom of civil rights and the free love culture, the author and his fellow soldiers saw their idealism quickly vaporize in the face of the grim realities of war. Here they learned to compartmentalize their lives as a way to survive, but it was their strong bonds that ultimately kept them from succumbing to the madness that surrounded them. Kept in the field for almost the entire time of his tour, the author was in a unit selected to conduct a clandestine reconnaissance in Cambodia and then lead the 1970 invasion, where he was wounded. Following his convalescence, he was sent to Nui Ba Den, the fabled ghost mountain haunted by the spirit of a Vietnamese princess, until he received his papers that he had completed his combat service. At that moment, his year-long mental wall between soldier and civilian fell away as he counted the last terrifying hours before he was safely out of Vietnam. A tour-de-force of military memoir, written in an objective and often literary prose, Five Four Whiskey perfectly captures how ordinary civilian-soldiers survived an ordeal set in one of the most turbulent times in American history.

A must-read for aspiring connoisseurs, and a thorough refresher for seasoned whisky lovers.”—Whiskey Advocate Winner of the Gourmand Award in the Drink Education category (US). The definitive book on understanding and appreciating the exploding world of whiskey. Renowned whiskey educator Robin Robinson demystifies the “water of life” in a definitive, heavily illustrated tome designed to take readers on a global tour of the ever-expanding world of whiskey. Across ten robust “classes,” Robinson explains whiskey history, how it defined the way whiskey is made in different countries and regions, the myriad styles, how aging and finishing works, and the basics of “nosing” and tasting whiskey. In chapters dedicated to American whiskey (including bourbon, Tennessee whiskey, and rye), American Craft whiskey, Scotch, Irish, Canadian, Japanese, and world whiskies, Robinson presents the best offerings from new and historic producers, how to choose among them, and how to build a collection of your own. Each “class” is a journey into a country’s whiskies and makers, including recommended bottles and styles, as well as insider information on how distilleries make their unique offerings. Each chapter includes themed tastings organized by bargain, value, special occasion, and splurge price categories. This thoroughly up-to-date and wide-ranging guide also offers helpful recommendations on how to lead your own tasting, a glossary of terms, food pairings, and tips on everything from glassware to whiskey festivals and how to read a label.

Fred Minnick spent more than a year in Iraq as a U.S. Army public affairs photojournalist, covering the good, bad and ugly sides of the conflict. With a Nikon in one hand and an M-16 in the other, he accompanied combat troops on missions ranging from raids on suspected terrorist strongholds to public relations events including the opening of a school for girls. Some of the stories made it back home, most did not.Camera Boy offers an eye-witness account of the Iraq War from a soldier with a different POV--from behind a camera and typewriter. Unfortunately, being assigned to public affairs did not shield Staff Sergeant Minnick from the horrors of war--including the deaths of two close friends--or from the devastating effects of PTSD upon his return home.It is a story of courage, frustration (with both the military and the mainstream media), dedication and redemption. Includes more than 40 black and white photos taken by the author.

"Bourbon and entertainment specialists Peggy Noe Stevens and Susan Reigler have written the definitive guide to hosting one of the most intoxicatingly delicious parties ever conceived-the bourbon tasting. During their travels all over bourbon country and beyond to conduct bourbon tastings and seminars, they were constantly asked, "How do I do this in my home?" This book is the answer-a "how to" and "what do I do" when it comes to bourbon entertaining. Alongside their favorite snack, entrée, dessert, and cocktail recipes, Stevens and Reigler offer valuable tips and tricks to hosting the bourbon perfect party such as setting up your bourbon bar, how to do a tasting, and what food to pair with particular bourbons. Once readers are ready, Stevens and Reigler move on to advanced pairings for the bourbon foodie as well as offer two mock tasting parties-a classic bourbon cocktail soiree and, of course, the traditional Kentucky Derby Party"--

Irish single pot still whiskey has a romantic mystique for many whiskey critics because of its tragic history as the ‘lost sister’ of single malt scotch. Ireland’s history and politics resulted in the near-annihilation of the national drink and there’s an almost eerie beauty to the ‘silent’ distilleries that still dot the Irish countryside. These distilleries inform the aesthetic of the title and, indeed, there is visual poetry in the barrels, pot stills and photogenic amber spirits that convey the Irish whiskey world. Although Irish whiskey is currently the fastest-growing global spirits category and Irish ‘pure pot still’ has long been a favourite drink among whiskey critics and connoisseurs, the existing literature is still surprisingly sparse. This book illustrates the production, history, and appreciation of Irish pot still whiskey and will introduce casual drinkers to the richness of these whiskeys as well as being a collectors’ item for established whiskey connoisseurs.

Offers brief histories, ratings, and tasting notes for more than three hundred types of American whiskey, bourbon, and rye, including Knob Creek, Eagle Rare, Jim Beam, and Whistlepig.

During the Roaring Twenties, Ben Kerr was known as the "King of the Rumrunners." The U.S. Coast Guard put him at the top of the most-wanted list and offered a reward of $5,000. But ending up in Club Fed was not Kerr’s only worry - he had to contend with Hamilton crime lords Rocco and Bessie Perri. Whisky and Ice takes the reader back to the Prohibition era, when Canada and the United States were obsessed with "demon liquor" (not to mention the endless posturing by politicians). As Hunt aptly writes, the U.S. during Porhibition "was about as dry as the mud flats of the Mississippi at high tide."

An updated edition of Big Whiskey, the definitive guide to the American Whiskey Trail. This updated edition of the definitive guide to the American Whiskey Trail is comprehensive collection of the whiskey, bourbon, and rye made by the best distillers in Kentucky and Tennessee. Full color images throughout showcase each and every bottle and label, behind-the-scenes images, and the beauty of the Whiskey Trail. Interviews with renowned distillers provide incredible insight into how whiskey is made. Locals and tourists alike will discover new distillers and expressions that are sure to satisfy any and all tastes. Big Whiskey is the perfect gift for the whiskey lover in your life.

AN AMAZON TOP 10 AND INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLING PHENOMENON...Celebrate five years of sweet, angsty pain with this special edition of A Love Letter to Whiskey by Kandi Steiner.THIS EDITION FEATURES:A forward from the authorA Love Letter to WhiskeyLove, Whiskey (a brand new novella from Jamie's point of view -- 50,000 words of new content, including an extended epilogue)Bonus Content including letters from the author, fun facts and behind the scenes, as well as a note from the audiobook narratorBrand new special edition coverI saw him first.But it didn't matter.Because he saw her.He was my best friend, and I was his.We couldn't be together, but we couldn't stand to be apart.And if you're not truly lovers... but you're so much more than friends... what exactly are you?

A work that has served as a literary cornerstone for the Vietnam generation, The 13th Valley follows the strange and terrifying Vietnam combat experiences of James Chelini, a telephone-systems installer who finds himself an infantryman in territory controlled by the North Vietnamese Army. Spiraling deeper and deeper into a world of conflict and darkness, this harrowing account of Chelini's plunge and immersion into jungle warfare traces his evolution from a semipacifist to an all-out warmonger. The seminal novel on the Vietnam experience, The 13th Valley is a classic that illuminates the war in Southeast Asia like no other book.