Unfit for Command

Swift Boat Veterans Speak Out Against John Kerry

By: John O'Neill, Jerome R. Corsi Ph.D.

Narrated by: Jeff Riggenbach

Length: 6 hrs and 13 mins

Publisher's summary

In their new book, Unfit for Command, John O'Neill and co-author Jerome Corsi bring together the words of more than 200 Navy veterans who served with Kerry and who feel it their duty to tell why John Kerry is unworthy of the presidency.

In 1971, John O'Neill, the officer who took over John Kerry's swift boat in Vietnam, returned home from Vietnam only to realize that the man he served with, John Kerry, had become a leader of the radical group Vietnam Veterans Against the War and was slandering his fellow veterans as war criminals. O'Neill debated John Kerry on The Dick Cavett Show in 1971, successfully demolishing Kerry's accusations against his fellow troops in Vietnam. Unfit for Command reveals a John Kerry you don't know, the true John Kerry whom his political image makers are trying to hide. But the veterans who served with him know better, and, in Unfit for Command, they tell their story.

©2004 John E. O'Neill and Jerome R. Corsi, Ph.D. (P)2004 Blackstone Audiobooks

Interesting book - Take it for what it is worth

This book should be taken for what it simply is. An attempt to put Kerry in a bad light. Whew! Talk about carrying a grudge to the limit. I found it interesting that while I examined the alleged facts, I could come to a very different conclusion if I simply set aside all of the inflammatory language that was an obvious attempt to fan the flames of emotion.

These are several facts that are outlined in the book: Kerry served in Vietnam. He was decorated by the military for his actions there. He came home and tried to speak for what he believed was right. O'Niell claims he did the same.

Examine both of their motives. Kerry's was always to try and correct what he blieved were terrible wrongs. O'Niell's was allegedly the same. Kerry took the high road and attacked the issue. O'Niell has only ever attacked a person, and that person has always been Kerry. You don't see anyone else mentioned this way in the Nixon tapes. Since it was war there were likely many things to be proud of and things to be not so proud of that happened there, we only need to look at actions in Iraq to know this is truth. So should one veteran criticize another for serving honorably and then returning to try to speak the truth and correct the wrongs he saw?

I heard this book and in the end was thankful Kerry had the courage to stand on his beliefs to try and correct the nation's wrongs. O'Niell still seems to be fixated on trying to say that Vietnam was a good war and all that were there served (except Kerry) with total honor. Only the most naive could ever believe this.

The final answer is that these words should be taken for what they are. An attempt to attack a single person.

It never ceases to amaze ...

Being 52 years old and having been around during the war in Vietnam, it still to this day does not surprise me one bit when I read the one sided views of far right wing liberals. They only see and hear what they want to see and hear, what their buddy Dan Rather tells them on the evening news. Like the John Fogarty song, they believe it because they saw it on TV. The truth is in the book; written by people who were actually there. I would be willing to bet that most of the bad reviews by the liberals here, were written by people who aren't even old enough to have been around in the 60's and 70's when the war was going on ... didn't live through it the way those of us my age did. John Kerry is truly Unfit for Command. He is unfit for any public office. Period.

Unfit to read

This book should be in the fiction section. While I apprciate diversity of opinion, there are so many inconsistancies and out right lies in this book that it hardly merits listening. If you want to learn about John Kerry's war record look to an objective source. O'Neil and Corsi hardly qualify.

John Kerry the hero - NOT!!

An easy and quick read, well presented and factual. I was there - not on a SWIFT boat, but as a draftee in the military in Vietnam. I know the system and many of us "gamed" it a little to make the best of an unpleasant situation as we served. But Kerry was way over the top; anybody who served and now reads about Kerry's medals and purple hearts and sees the videos knows in his gut something just isn't right. Thank you, Mr. O'Neill, and all the others, for debunking this charlatan. Shame on Mr. John Kerry! And I am here to tell you, the members of my Group Command liked most of the local Vietnamese and ARVN's. I am unaware of ANY war crimes - except politicians and protestors preventing the Military from doing its job - in Korea - Vietnam - and now Iraq?!

Untruthful

"Unfit for Command" assembles anecdotal accounts from a variety of sources and contributors whose motives must be called into question. An attempt is made to create the appearance of fact. The motive of the authors is clear: torpedo the subject's legitimacy by portraying him as dishonest and lacking in moral character. Uncritical readers will be treated to a feast of damning "facts" about John Kerry's military service. Thoughtful readers will be repulsed by a propagandistic narative, which is not based in fact and whose motive is transparantly malevolent and unthruthful.

A study in bad leadership

As a veteran and retired Air Force officer I recognize the writing style of a highly educated Naval officer. The descriptions of the actual engagements are what you would expect from a man relating actual combat and the reasons these men feel so incensed are laid out in clear and concise form. Unfortunately, most Americans will label this as political slander because they have no understanding the depth of the loyalty that these men believe was betrayed.

Finally we get to hear the other side of the story

Apparent from the locations where the negative reviews have come from, some people would rather believe Kerry's hyperbole than to hear what others have to say. The book is well written, and frankly I think that these men have patiently endured the slander of their honor for far too long.

As he explains, O'Neill and the other Swiftboat Vets could not stand by idly and allow someone they know to be unfit for command to hoodwink American voters. These are clearly NOT the partisan words of bitter men who are looking for revenge. Instead, these ARE the words of concerned patriots who have endured much to protect the United States. They endure the castigation of the Kerry camp today.

I applaud the integrity and courage of the author and the other vets to stand up against the criticism of the Left to speak the truth and protect us once again.

Well documented

Well written with factual documentation, based on other reviews I had read/heard, I wasn't expecting such in depth documentation. Regardless of beliefs, I believe it is something to read to get a different view of a potential presidential candidate.

Listen to this book FOR YOURSELF and then decide

After reading the negative reviews on Audible for "Unfit for Command," it's obvious that those who give the book one star are doing it for political reasons. That is fine. If one is going to vote for Kerry, one is inevitably going to hate the book.

Listen to the book for yourself and then decide whether O'Neill is credible or not.

I found the book very interesting and very credible. I listened to it in no time flat. Well, ok, 6 hours. :-)

I am a Republican and I see the lies in this book!

You have to be a complete shnook to believe this book. There are educated, monied Republicans and there are blue collar, uneducated REpublicans. This book seeks to influence the morons among us. In conjunction with FOX news, this book may convince the hillbillies but I think it does injustice to the REpublican cause. I support Bush but the fact is that he dodged service while Kerry served. There are many more soldiers who back up Kerry's record than the few neo-Cons behind this book. I vote Republican b/c that is what our country needs but let's face it, "W" dodged the war and he and his folks are trying to spread lies to divert us from that truth. Get real and read a real book.