Ever since the American Revolution, military service has been a proud tradition for the Zumwalt family. Tradition initially led the author to join his father and brother in the Navy, before later transferring to the US Marine Corps. During his 26 years in uniform, the author saw service in three conflicts-Vietnam, Panama and the first Persian Gulf war. It was Vietnam, however, that ultimately would launch him on an unexpected journey-long after the guns of that war had fallen silent-triggered by the loss of a brother who had fought there. This journey was an emotional one-initially of anger towards the Vietnamese and the conflict that claimed his older brother. But it unexpectedly took a change in direction. In Vietnam almost two decades after Saigon's fall, the author, in a private talk with a former enemy general officer, came to understand an aspect of the war he never before had. In that talk, they shared personal insights about the war-discovering a common bond. It unlocked a door through which the author passed to start his own healing process. It began a journey where he would meet hundreds of North Vietnamese and Viet Cong veterans-listening to their personal stories of loss, sacrifice and hardship. It opened the author's eyes to how a technically inferior enemy, beaten down by superior US firepower, was able to get back up-driven by an "iron will" to emerge triumphant. "Bare Feet, Iron Will" takes the reader on a fascinating journey, providing stories-many never before told-as to how enemy ingenuity played a major role in the conflict, causing us not to see things that were there or to see things there that were not It shares unique insights into the sacrifice and commitment that took place on the other side of Vietnam's battlefields. About the Author JAMES G. ZUMWALT Lieutenant Colonel James Zumwalt is a retired Marine infantry officer who served in the Vietnam war, the 1989 intervention into Panama and Desert Storm. An author, speaker and business executive, he also currently heads a security consulting firm named after his father-Admiral Zumwalt & Consultants, Inc. He writes extensively on foreign policy and defense issues, having written hundreds of articles for various newspapers, magazines and professional journals. His articles have covered issues of major importance, oftentimes providing readers with unique perspectives that have never appeared elsewhere. His work, on several occasions, has been cited by members of Congress and entered into the US Congressional Record.

And so the clock ticks closer . This book seeks to give the reader a comprehensive understanding of the Iranian leadership s mindset as it has played out and continues to play out on a wide range of issues how it worked to implement Islamist doctrine into Iran s constitution; how it worked to use the US Iranian hostage crisis as means of unifying domestic opposition behind the theocracy; how it could have ended in two years an Iran-Iraq war that took eight; how it was willing to sacrifice its greatest treasure in an effort to defeat Saddam s army; how it thrives on hypocrisy and its people s willingness to accept it; how it seeks to stamp out the country's true Persian identity; how it utilizes the extra-territoriality mandate of its constitution to justify terrorist attacks anywhere in the world; and, most importantly, what its plans for Iran's future means for America's. It is an outstanding read for anyone trying to understand what makes Iranian leaders like Ali Khamenei and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad tick. The book is peppered with fascinating details and accounts that help simplify the driving motivations behind a complex mindset committed to achieving a goal it so believes it has been ordained to achieve. Armed with such an understanding, the reader cannot help but realize Iran's leadership has set into motion its own Doomsday Clock--one fast approaching midnight

And so the clock ticks closer.... This book seeks to give the reader a comprehensive understanding of the Iranian leadership's mindset as it has played out and continues to play out on a wide range of issues-how it worked to implement Islamist doctrine into Iran's constitution; how it worked to use the US Iranian hostage crisis as means of unifying domestic opposition behind the theocracy; how it could have ended in two years an Iran-Iraq war that took eight; how it was willing to sacrifice its greatest treasure in an effort to defeat Saddam's army; how it thrives on hypocrisy and its people's willingness to accept it; how it seeks to stamp out the country's true Persian identity; how it utilizes the extra-territoriality mandate of its constitution to justify terrorist attacks anywhere in the world; and, most importantly, what its plans for Iran's future means for America's. It is an outstanding read for anyone trying to understand what makes Iranian leaders like Ali Khamenei and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad tick. The book is peppered with fascinating details and accounts that help simplify the driving motivations behind a complex mindset committed to achieving a goal it so believes it has been ordained to achieve. Armed with such an understanding, the reader cannot help but realize Iran's leadership has set into motion its own Doomsday Clock--one fast approaching midnight

From a writer who has made ten trips to North Korea and seen things first hand... The author takes a complex situation; one that factors greatly in US geopolitical decision and policy making and turns it into an understandable and easy read. It is an insightful analysis of the current situation in North Korea and how the past has led to the present and has significant impact on the future. The Evolution of Power to Yet Another Generation of Kims-And the Conditions Giving Rise To It "The December 28, 2011 photographs of tens of thousands of North Koreans lining the streets of Pyongyang, uncontrollably mourning the passing of their leader, Kim Jong Il, as his hearse drove by, underscore the Kim family's success in its uninterrupted 63-year rule of the country. It stems from their mastery in molding the psyche of the masses they have led. The process began with the rise to power of Kim Jong Il's father and the nation's founder, Kim Il Sung, who, before his death in 1994 at age 82, had taught his son well. The family's future success in continuing its rule now turns on Kim Jong Il's youngest, most favored son and "Crown Prince," Kim Jong Un, mastering the same process. Should he fail to, turbulent times could be in store for the peninsula." James Zumwalt is an internationally acclaimed best-selling author, speaker and business executive, he also currently heads a security consulting firm named after his father-Admiral Zumwalt & Consultants, Inc. He writes extensively on foreign policy and defense issues, having written hundreds of articles for various newspapers and magazines, including: USA Today The Washington Post The New York Times The Washington Times The LA Times The Chicago Tribune The San Diego Union Parade magazine and others. His articles have covered issues of major importance, oftentimes providing readers with unique perspectives that have never appeared elsewhere. This has resulted, on several occasions, in his work being cited by members of Congress and entered into the US Congressional Record.

The author and every male member of his immediate family served in the Vietnam war. In 1988, his older brother, Elmo, died from Agent Orange-related cancers linked to his service as a Swift Boat commander during the Vietnam war. In a bitter irony, it was the actions of his father, Admiral Elmo R. Zumwalt, Jr., in ordering the spraying of Agent Orange when he commanded all US naval forces in Vietnam that sealed his brother's fate. People react differently to grief. For the author, it turned to animosity, directed against not only the war but also the enemy against whom we had fought. In 1994, traveling to Vietnam for the first time since the war, he met with Vietnamese leaders to discuss the Agent Orange issue. In doing so, it provided him with the opportunity to learn about the conflict from the perspective of those who had fought it on the other side of the battlefield. As these former enemy veterans began sharing their personal stories of hardship and tragedy-one of which was not too dissimilar from the author's own-he was struck by a stark realization. As difficult and tragic as the war had been for Americans who served, it had taken as much, if not greater, a toll on the Vietnamese. In war, there are never winners-and Vietnam was no exception. Returning to Vietnam more than 50 times to interview hundreds of North Vietnamese Army (NVA) and Viet Cong (VC) veterans, in addition to Vietnamese civilians, the author obtained a better understanding as to the extent of our former enemy's suffering during that war. The result was a metamorphosis, which changed his attitude towards a former foe. "Bare Feet, Iron Will" became the vehicle by which he shares what this metamorphosis taught him.In "Bare Feet, Iron Will" are stories of intrigue, of patience, of ingenuity, of dedication and, most importantly, about a people with no option other than victory. These stories, share unique insights about the war. Intriguing insights evolving into odd coincidences-such as what led a Vietnamese veteran to write a novel, praised by Western critics, about the war; an interview where the author would learn the interviewee had tried to assassinate his father; the earlier-than-realized first American casualty of the Vietnam conflict and what that incident would portend for US involvement. About Vietnam's allies-including China, a country with which Vietnam has fought in almost every century and how China sought at times to give the appearance of helping North Vietnam while not doing so and North Korea, which pressured to send pilots to fight the Americans, only to have Hanoi send the Koreans home, trying to hide their participation by burying North Korean pilots in an obscure cemetery.More than a generation after the war in Vietnam ended, many Americans are still haunted by its memory. More than thirty-four years after the fall of Saigon, it is time to better understand the enemy we fought and the ro1e their "iron will" played.And with that understanding, hopefully many may find the healing they seek.