Well written
Senator Webb writes extremely well. He makes a strong case for his beliefs. I was particularly impressed with his discussion about the state of imprisonment in this country.

important issues raised by a rising star
A Time to Fight by Jim Webb is a very good book written by the newly elected Democratic Senator from Virginia. Webb cuts a very interesting figure on the political stage-a former Republican and Reagan-era official, who changed parties due to his opposition to the Iraq war. At least thats what i thought before reading the book. Webb talks about a whole range of issues, from those that are important to the military to the unfairness of the criminal justice and the huge gap between rich and poor, the latter two which are often neglected by today's political leaders. His discussion of these issues shows he has embraced a populist mantle, partly in response to his deep seated opposition to the Bush Administration. Some of his old time conservatism does come out at times, such as his critiques of the Left's cultural liberalism. The book does contain a good deal of autobiography, but occassionally, it is a little self-congratulatory and seems to meander in many different directions but overall, an interesting work by a true American patriot.

Candid assessment
Like many people, I thought I knew what to expect from Jim Webb, but I was pleasantly surprised. He is far broader and a much better writer than I expected. I see now why he is being considered as a VP for Obama. He would make an excellent choice and America would be better off for it. I liked his writing style so much, I am going to read some of his other books.

What happened to the mess sargeant?
The civilianization of the military and other government functions is appalling. I't no wander we will end up paying a trillion dollars for a mercenary exercise!!! Is anyone responsible for anything?
Bill Zahn, Long Beach CA

Reduced Expectation
I read this book with high expectations that decreased markedly by the end. I had seen Senator Webb on CSPAN and read about him, concluding that he was my kind of politician. Like other viewers, it seemed that he was a thinker and doer, not another pandering, flag-waving, lapel flag pin wearer, most of whom never served anywhere or anything other than their moneyed supporters. I was only partly correct. The writings about his family history, and particularly his military service are enlightening and even inspiring at times. Although he criticizes the military establishment carefully, he is fundamentally a believer in the military way, similar to John McCain. Having served in combat in WW II, under generally poor leaders, I am not convinced.
He does a superb job of pointing out the many problems our country has. He also discusses the continued focus of politicians and the media on trivia as opposed to these problems. However, I don't need him to tell me about them. Anyone who reads a decent newspaper or watches the Congress in action on CSPAN, talking a lot but doing little, is aware of the problems. The question is what do we do about them? Time to fight who, where, what? Other major problems he dismisses. Whether it is strategically correct or not, the Iraq war is being financed by borrowing from the rest of the world, and is dangerous (especially with the Chinese). All while we cut taxes for the wealthy and corporations and pass the burden to our children and grandchildren!
Obviously, my main criticism is that there are no suggested solutions. To copy a famous lady's statement "where's the beef"? Complaining about our government is fine but Senator Webb is a powerful part of what he is criticizing. Finally, I thought it very illuminating that he voted for President Bush's FISA bill (along with Obama, who talks continuously about change,yea), a bill which goes a long way toward trashing the fourth amendment to the Constitution. This from a lawyer who taught constitutional law?