Reviews: Dreams of a Great Small Nation

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL:  "It is an epic story unknown even to many World War I history buffs, who tend to concentrate on the trench warfare of the Western Front. . . . With admirable energy [McNamara] has assembled the story by piecing together archival records and the memoirs of the gallant men who served in the rejuvenated Czech Legion.  . . . fascinating narrative."  -- Historian ARTHUR HERMAN.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/the-birth-of-a-nation-1460147490?cb=logged0.6725400969573717

PUBLISHERS'S WEEKLY:   "In this captivating narrative history . . .  McNamara proves to be a great storyteller . . . "
http://publishersweekly.com/978-1-61039-484-0

MICHAEL SAYRE (via Amazon):  "I was captivated by this book.  It is by turns informative and dramatic, telling a nearly lost chapter of history. . . . The introduction to this book is a wonderful precis, which I had numerous times during my enjoyment of the book resolved to go back and re-read afterward.  So I did it.  I finished the book, re-set my bookmark at the introduction, as I had determined, and read it again.  But then I kept going, and going, continuing on to re-read the entire book again.  Two times through, cover-to-cover and back-to-back.  It's that good." 

STRATEGIC VISIONS (Center for the Study of Force & Diplomacy, Temple University):  "The story is the stuff of legend. . . . McNamara's new book on the Legion and the founding of Czechoslovakia gives a remarkable story its much needed due and should stand as the standard English work on the subject for many years. . . . It will be useful for students of the First World War, nationalism in Europe, and for anyone looking for a rousing read."
https://liberalarts.temple.edu/sites/liberalarts/files/Review%20of%20Kevin%20McNamara.pdf

American Historian THOMAS FLEMING:  "I just got my copy.  I've read the first two chapters.  It's a fascinating book.  I've heard so much about the Czech Legion -- but knew virtually nothing.  It's a saga!"

"JB1976" (via Amazon):  "A story I've been waiting to see told ever since I learned of it some years ago.  HOLLYWOOD WHERE ARE YOU?  This is a true story that is FAR stranger than fiction!  An absolute must read!  Get a copy into Hollywoodland.  I suppose you'd have to condense it into a pamphlet for them -- or write them a script.  This BEGS to be made into a blockbuster!"

Czech Professor LADISLAV CABADA:  "A skilled narrator, [McNamara] combines a sweeping historical tale with well-chosen insights into the daily lives of ordinary legionnaires, capturing their thoughts, expectations, hopes, doubts and fears as they traveled and fought for more than three years via the Trans-Siberian Railway."
https://www.politicsincentraleurope.eu/documents/file/archiv_PCE_2018_1_14.pdf (scroll to page 121).

U.S. Ambassador ADAM H.  STERLING:  "Thank you for the copy of your book, Dreams of a Great Small Nation.  I had heard praise for the book even before receiving it from you, and I look forward to reading it."

KIRKUS REVIEWS:   ". . . A fantastic addition to the shelves of World War I histories."
https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/kevin-j-mcnamara/dreams-of-a-great-small-nation/

Author ANNA P:  "This is a fan letter.  Thank you for writing and publishing Dreams of a Great Small Nation.  I am still in the middle of the book, and I am learning so much."  

HISTORY OF WAR (London):  ". . . this incredible story lives up to its billing.  Perhaps the most remarkable thing about it, though, is that it's a fable that's remained largely untold.  Until now. . . . A captivating tale, brilliantly told."

Educator ELIOT SOREL, MD, DLFAPA:  "Congratulations on your brilliant book!"

ALLAN AVERY (via Amazon):  "Anyone interested in history should read this book!  Absolutely fascinating.  I am recommending this book to all of my students." 

Journalist FRANK K:  "I am greatly enjoying the book. . .  To me, the hardest thing to do is to make writing both informative and engaging, which I think you've done very well."

THOMAS YOUNG (via Amazon):  "This is what modern history books should be.  Detailed accounts about little-known stories with dramatic and long-lasting consequences." 

THE LITERARY REVIEW (London):  "This is a very good subject and McNamara has done a creditable job."  -- Historian NORMAN STONE.

LAUREL H:  "I have devoured your book.  Amazing story.  Thank you so much for telling this story."

HENRY B:  "I loved how you seamlessly put the specific experiences of the Legion within the context of World War One, the Russian Revolution, and pre-war nationalist politics . . . This was a great and informative read.  Thanks for writing it."

NASE RODINA ("Our Family"):  "Nearly 100 years after the bizarre military conflict, Kevin McNamara bravely tackled the task of explaining events that unfolded faster than they could be reported from the vast Russian interior. . . McNamara’s book skillfully plucks at the tangled knot. . . His book does more than relate the exploits of the Czecho-Slovak Legion in Siberia.  It also tells the backstory of the founding of Czech-Slovakia in 1918, and the course of the Russian revolution. . . Readers will also find intriguing surprises . . . McNamara has managed to mold a confusing set of military events into an absorbing read." -- Emeritus Professor KENNETH JANDA. 

Professor JAMES L:  "I very much like your book!  It's a great read."

AMERICAN FRIENDS OF THE CZECH REPUBLIC:  ". . . a fresh, fascinating, and grisly narrative . . ."  -- President THOMAS A. DINE

JOHN C:  "Just finished Dreams.  I'm 80 years old and for the last five years have been studying WWI, the Russian Revolution, the Balkans, and just happened upon Dreams on Amazon.  Thank you for a very informative and wonderful extension to my education . . ."  

BEN U:  "I read your book from cover to cover and really enjoyed it . . . thanks for a great book."

Professor RICHARD M:  "Fantastic, I consumed it in two sittings.  The structure of parallel chapters on the political context and the Legion was great."

ROBERT LOUIS (via Amazon):  "This is a fascinating story about events during World War I that led to the foundation of the nation of Czechoslovakia.  Using primary sources and a wide range of other scholarship, the author has told the story of a legion of Czech and Slovak soldiers who were caught in the crumbling Russian empire and had to fight their way to safety, which was a rescue by Allied ships at Vladivostok.  Along the way, they fought off continual attacks by Bolshevik armies.  Apparently, there was an effort to hide this story on the part of the Russians and others, but here it is, told in a thorough and engrossing fashion by the author.  This is a must-read for European history buffs."  

SHELF-AWARENESS:  "Kevin J. McNamara highlights this bizarre and heroic story in Dreams of a Great Small Nation.  Much of his extensive source material is only recently available, and he uses it well.  The brave misadventures of the Czech Legion deserve the wider recognition this fascinating history should provide."
http://www.shelf-awareness.com/readers-issue.html?issue=493#m8617

DANIEL G:  "I am savoring every page and inching along.  I was expecting your book to be academic and dry, but it is not.  It is very well written.  It reads nicely, following a clear line of thinking."

CHRISTINE KENT: “I have to tell you, of all the books I've looked at, especially those in English, yours is far and away the best.  It's well researched and you give your sources.  You give plenty of detail — but only of the important events . . . You've done a really good job.”