egend has it that when nations battled and warfare raged, until one side or the other capitulated, the generals refrained from writing their tomes until the combatants went home and the terms of surrender were signed. Fortunately, for the professional soldiers and historians, there was time enough between the wars to tell their story and offer their assessments of what happened. No longer.
Any glance at the top selling lists of non-fiction books includes several works dealing with events either just completed or still happening. The most glaring example is the recently published self-serving book by the Pakistani dictator Gen. Mushareff. Last week, at the suggestion of his American publishers, he refused to answer a journalist’s question so as not to upstage himself, as the answer could be found if one purchased his partial biography.

The current nonfiction top ten list includes the following:

In place number two: “The Looming Tower” by Lawrence Wright (Knopf). It is a penetrating explanation of the ideological roots of Al Qaeda and just how Osama bin Laden came to hate the United States.

Place number five goes to “Fiasco: The American Military Adventure in Iraq”. It’s written by Thomas E. Ricks (published by Penguin). He’s a Washington Post reporter who details the administration’s “reckless war” in Iraq.

Patrick Buchanan the erstwhile presidential candidate gets place number six with his "State of Emergency." The conservative pundit asserts that Mexico is deliberately trying to reclaim the U.S Southwest. (Thomas Dunne Books).

And the list goes on and more books dealing with the War on Terror and the aftermath of the attack on Iraq will surely be forthcoming in the very near future.

One of today’s newspaper headlines summarizes a subject which is sure to produce a few books in the very near future: “Army Warns Rumsfeld it's Billions Short." There’s fodder, and the subheading stresses my point, “An extraordinary action by the chief of staff sends a message: The Pentagon must increase the budget or reduce commitments in Iraq and elsewhere.
It’s all there in black and white... or is it black and bleak: The war in Iraq has made global terrorism far worse by fanning Islamic radicalism. A classified document which represents a consensus view of all 16 of the U.S. intelligence agencies has painted a bleak picture of the impact of the Iraq war than the administration has, heretofore, acknowledged. We’ve nearly all been aware of this anecdotally. Now it is stated, factually and officially. Somehow though the Republicans seeking office will manage or attempt to turn this to their advantage, with a strong likelihood of success.
Real heroes are pictured as weak: remember Sen. John Kerry.
Currently there’s the senatorial race where the Democrat challenger a former pilot in Iraq, was severely wounded and lost both her legs – Her Republican challenger is picturing her as a “cut and run” coward.
The books will be forthcoming.

Just a final note – I wish the “Rev” Jerry Falwell would shut up. He’s a slanderous wimp, a misinformed liar and really, not very nice! In his most recent attack on Sen.Hillary Clinton (whom he likened to the devil), one of his statements was a prediction that this year’s midterm elections would go in the GOP’s favor, despite polls that show Democrats in a position to make significant gains. His words,” I think we’re going to keep the House and the Senate. I think the Lord will take care of that”.
If I had an opportunity to meet with the Rev. Falwell again I’d love to ask him to ask the Lord whether he was a Democrat or a Republican? Second question, Jerry, what does HE think of the likes of Falwell.