Gulf-War-Syndrome Books

I read this book which I now plan to give to my Dr. so he can read it also. I suffer from this illness and really appreciate this book altho some of it was above my head. I learned lots from what I was able to read and understand. I recommend it for all who are suffering from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and chemical injury and also for ALL doctors.

This book is technical, which it has to be, but still very useful for the non-biochemist. My purpose was to get ideas for treatment and I got them from the book.

How wonderful it would be if all aspiring physicians were required to read this book! So many in the medical community are not aware of the mystery illnesses which Dr. Pall researches and writes about. If you have Multiple Chemical Sensitivty, Gulf War Syndrome, or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or you know or love someone who does, then this is the book for you. Dr. Pall's book is well-researched and documented as well as understandable. He's been there so he "gets it," and he offers some help and hope to people who live with these debilitating conditions. Don't miss this book! It's definitely a worthwhile read.

I got some information and help, but as someone who reacts to books and ink, it was difficult for me to read. I'd like to see this made available on CD, or electronic version.... and maybe a simplified version for those of us who aren't very technical to begin with. Although, reading it electronically may have cleared some things up for me. I did pass it on to my more technically minded sister, who I'm sure will help me understand.

If you have any of the illnesses that are "unexplained", you really should try to read this. Even if you don't get it all, it may help you some with the direction to move for improvement.

I thank you, Dr. Pall, for your research and writing on this. Blessings on you and yours!

Dr. Pall's research and recommended treatment saved me. The core of my treatment for a variety of neurological and digestive problems involves his recommended techniques for down-regulating the NO/ONOO cycle. My improvement relies on specific supplements to turn down reactivity combined with avoidance of chemical and food irritants. I only dared read this book once I had recovered sufficiently to have hope again. Within its pages I found helpful advice, well-supported scientific explanations for my "weird" symptoms and some sobering observations. The lack of recognition of chemical toxicity leads to incredible suffering and financial hardship. Dr. Pall's book should be compulsory reading for every doctor. The biochemical mechanisms he describes should be researched thoroughly so that there can be proven treatments for the growing number of people with "unexplained illness". Also there needs to be increased awareness and regulation of those "harmless" chemicals that are literally destroying lives.

I bought and read the book when it first came out, and I bought a second so I can loan it to others to read and not worry about my first book getting lost. Besides the Donnellys, some of the people and events in the book were apart of our life as well. Very well written!

I just found out about Michael's death through the Gulflink website. My sympathy goes out to his family. His story, with the help of his sister Denise, will be with us all always. He could have chose to sit back and just kept his disease and facts to himself, but he chose to share it with all in the hopes it might make a difference to someone. What a legacy to leave. And thanks Michael, for helping my family live through our anger we had at my brother's death, and dealing with Gulf War illness. My prayers are with your family....
Kelly Seibert
Hillsborough, NC

In this story there is a message for millions of Americans. In this story the reader will learn about the "wheels of justice."

I obtained a tape of this book from the library of the blind , on tape.
I was fascinated with the whole process of his student days as well as the way they worked in the present time illness.
My heart goes out to him and his family and ALL other Soldiers who became ill with no apparent cause after the war.
I would like to know what his present status is, and would like to help in any way that is possible.
In thinking that our present war situation probably is as tentative, to hold this VITAL information back from those who serve makes a mockery of the Ideals our Country was founded on.
I used to participate in Living History, and the good thing about that is that we seem to LEARN from the past.
War does NOT change minds or hearts.
I would hope and pray that this present generation does not have to pay the price of this brave Soldier, Officer, and Gentleman.

I first came across the book in the fall of '99. It was at a critical time in my air force career. Soon, the mandate to submit to the anthrax vaccine would require a decision that would obviously affect the rest of my life. Take a vaccine that has been proven to cause terrible reactions and has been whispered to be a root cause of Gulf War Illness or refuse and be subject to military justice and the end of my career.

In my squadron, the most asked question to management was "If we become ill following the vaccine, will the Air Force take care of us?" As I saw in this book, the answer to the question is NO.

As pilots, our most treasured asset is our health. Without it, we can no longer perform the mission that we love. The manner in which Michael and Denise describe the physical and mental anguish he endured was truly overwhelming. I could imagine myself in his position and the way I would react; how I would feel.

In my months of research, this book proved to be one of the many determining factors in my decsion. When I talked to former commanders who reminded me of their experiences with Agent Orange or when I spoke with members at my own base that had testified to Congress about their illnesses following the anthrax vaccine, in the back of my mind was Michael Donnelly.

I ultimately made my decision to resign in lieu of taking the vaccine which has led to the end of my aviation career. The only salvation I have is the knowledge that I will never need to worry about unexplained illness in the future.

My most heartfelt sympathy and gratitude go out to Michael and Denise's families. Michael's story is one that I will never forget. Thank you for helping me make my decision.

I was lucky I was on vacation, because I got this book Wednesday and just couldn't put it down. The Gulf Conspiracy is just one of those books that you dont know what bit is true and what's fiction. I know some guys that were in the Gulf and I've heard some interesting stories from them. I've read some other books by the author Ken McClure : Wildcard, etc and this character in the books, Steven Dunbar, is some sort of scientific ex-Special Forces action hero like Jack Ryan/ James Bond. He doesn't hang about.

A gripping medical thriller which I guess is the best book I've read for a long long time. Highly recommended, even if you're not on vacation !

Once again Ken McClure has set his readers the puzzle: How much of this is fiction? His creation of the Sci-Med Directorate and Steven Dunbar once again leads us through the investigation with an intriguing sub plot that was absolutely brilliant.
I'm sure you will find you can't put it down and I would definitely say that Ken McClure is Scotland's answer to Tom Clancy.

Click on the thumbnail to see a larger picture of the book - see what I mean?

Well balanced, insightful review.

Did Saddam Hussein deploy a biological warfare agent in the Gulf War?

Examine Gulf War Syndrome and gain insight into: How nerves communicate.

What effects do pesticides/nerve agents have on the nervous systemm?

* Learn enough science to provide a framework to aid your own appraisal of genetically manipulated pesticide food products, expert panels, and government agencies.
* Learn how World War I, World War II veterans speak to Gulf War Veterans.
* Learn about human health effects of toxic algae blooms.

"When the peer review medical process rejects the biological agent concept, let the reader and history judge."
--- from book's back cover

I BELIEVE THAT THIS BOOK IS A BOMBSHELL FOR ALL OF OUR VETERANS. I FOUND GARY MATSUMOTO'S BOOK TO BE EXTREMELY EYE OPENING, TO THINGS THAT WE VET'S WOULD NEVER EVEN DREAM OF, AS HAVING GONE ON WHILE IN SERVICE OF OUR COUNTRY. REALLY MAKES YOU WONDER ABOUT OUR GOVERNMENT, AND HOW THEY USED US AS GUINEA PIGS...I HAPPEN TO BE ONE OF THEM.

The books documents a slow death. Painful and debilitating. The government does not care.

I had originally planned on a military career and was destined for Annapolis back in the 1980s, but then learned that hundreds of U.S. servicemen had been cruelly abandoned in Vietnam by "our" government as POWs. (Read "Kiss The Boys Goodbye")

Well, the treason continues...

Matsumoto's superb book chronicles modern evidence that our military has again been given the shaft. While Vaccine A may not have originally been a conspiracy, the subsequent coverup certainly is. Afflicted men and women who honorably fought for America are being told that their vaccine-induced afflictions are imaginary or fakery.

If you want to serve your country, be sure that you are not taking a dramatic health risk from your government in doing so. If you've a child who is considering enlisting, read this book before they unknowingly sign away their life for dangerous medical experimentation performed without their informed consent.

Squalene vaccines are now being stored for the rest of us, for the next overblown or contrived health issue. You look at your food before you eat it, don't you? Maybe you should look at the next vaccine very carefully before it's injected into your body.

Our Gulf War vets had no way of knowing that the squalene vaccine was extremely harmful. But thanks to their unwitting sacrifice, we can protect ourselves with this book.

I had been waiting a year to find the time to read this intriguing book. However, having just finished it, I find myself dissatisfied and frustrated. While the subject is certainly interesting and one on which we should probably all educate ourselves, I found the book to be extremely repetitive. As a medical student, the science wasn't over my head but I caught myself skimming parts of the last 75 pages for new information that hadn't already been written about earlier in the book. Matsumoto says the same thing 400 different ways... the only part that drew me in were the personal stories scattered throughout the pages. Reading the book jacket is probably sufficient to tell you everything you'd want to know... I'm thoroughly disappointed.

What is the cost of Freedom? Within this well researched book is an example. The Anthrax vaccine given during the Gulf War through current times, laced with a toxic substance call squalene, is such an example. The research within this book is beyond question. Every veteran, patriot, and ordinary citizen of the USA, Canada, Great Britian, Austraila, and possibly New Zeland should read this book, no holds barred! Highly recommended!

As the symptoms and illnesses described which followed certain exposures in the Gulf War have been described with the diagnoses given to the victims, various causes were described.
The variety of symptoms of many appear to me to have been caused by the Anthrax vaccine which I suspect was contaminated by those diseases known to be caused by pathogens found in tick bites.
I do not agree with the diagnoses given to the sufferers. MS, ALS and Lou Gherich's can all mimic Borreliosis, Ehrlichiosis and Babesiosis. They should be tested for those diseases.

Of the men and women who served in the American forces in the Gulf War, more than one hundred thousand of them came back from that unique conflict suffering from a variety of illness only to face a public and a government that was largely indifferent. It took years of exhaustive medical studies and public awareness efforts of activists to overcome the apathy (and at times outright hostility) of the Veteran's Administration and the Congress to recognize, acknowledge, and begin to deal with this phenomena. Highly recommended reading for students of twentieth century military history, political science, veteran's affairs, and the medical aftermath of service in the Gulf War, Alison Johnson's Gulf War Syndrome: Legacy Of A Perfect War is the complete story of this struggle against government denial and betrayal of the American service men and women who found themselves in harm's way while carrying out their country's mandate on the fields of battle.

If you have any children, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles or friends who are considering whether or not to join our military...this book is for you (them!). I truly believe had it been possible to read this book ten years ago my brother (Gulf War Vet) would be alive today.

Alison Johnson, editor, has done her research compiling information about nearly every aspect of the gulf war, making it easy for the reader to find the information in one book. She also includes a dozen stories from vets themselves (or from family members)discussing what, in their opinion, went on before, during, and after the war. She then leaves the reader the chance to come to their own conclusion based on facts provided.

This book is also for those who are suffering from ill health and don't seem to have any answers for their problems (chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, ALS, multiple chemical sensitivity, etc.). If nothing else, it is an eye opener and a must read for the medical community.

This is a book that should be handed down to our children/grandchildren to give them an understanding of things that will be "tilted" in their history books. This is the book the government/military will not care for you to read as the truth, for once, gets out. Thank goodness this book was given to every member of congress this year. I hope they read it and make sure that what has happened in the past never repeats itself again!

This book reminds me of the tale of " Man of La Mancha" or Pat and Robin against the intelligence community. I cannot believe that an imagery analyst was able to find and reveal all this information to CIA and other government officials and no one else was able to see the light. Mr. Eddington sounds like a disgruntled employee out for his own glory. He keeps saying how the Agecy killed his career but it may of been his own undoing. Just keep attacking those winmills!!! wait for the movie!!!

Interesting read, fair editing, but I wouldn't put too much stock in this story. Mr. Eddington sounds almost amateurish in his insistence that nerve agents are responsible for the illnesses that many of us veterans face everyday, and hysterical in his insistence that this was "the case" which got him the boot from the CIA. This is even more interesting since he has changed his tune to fit the "cause du jour" - signing onto the anti-DU lobby, the anti-anthrax vaccine groups, and whatever else will keep him around and on the op-ed page. This book makes some grand assumptions and leaps of logic from two underlying facts - yes, there was a Gulf War, and yes, some folks are sick. I suspect if what he says is true, the symptoms us vets face would be plain and simple. But they are not, despite how some shrill voices (see other reviews) wish them otherwise. Bottom line - take this book more as fiction adventure thriller, and you'll be getting just that. Read at the beach, if you must.

Dear Readers,

I urge you to read this book if you are truly concerned about this issue and then get the Senate Committee book indicated at the end of this review. I grew up in Ohio as well as the other reviewer and I can tell you and especially him that he is wrong. I spent 17 months hospitalized after being "gassed in the gulf" and medevacced out unconscious to Germany following a total body seizure and over 6 hours of loss of consciousness. The 12 eyewitness written accounts of what had happened to me were gathered by my Brigade Commander and he included a personal statement that accompanied my medevac file. That portion of the file was sealed and CLASSIFIED was written over its outer jacket. I personally saw over 300 seriously wounded long term nerve gas related patients come in and out of the research ward of one of the military's largest hospitals for over one year. I didn't even recognize my own wife at 2 months after the medevac and could barely speak. Mr. Clueless from Columbus may believe whatever bull Schwarzkopf or any General wants to feed him, but it will never dispute the true eyewitness facts of that war that have rarely been told. In fact many of us now retired army and marine disabled veterans from the Gulf question whether he even received the reports of chemical contamination or whether he wanted greater confirmation due to the relatively low number of serious nerve agent injuries. Columbus should know how the military works and how reporting up the chain of command sometimes gets turned around right on top of you because most careerists are too worried about their ratings to report anything negative to, for example, a Brigade level commander. YOU MUST REMEMBER, the Media was under complete military control during the Gulf War. Had they been with the Saudi unit I was with they would have seen a number of serious injuries in verified areas of chemical detection--that were verified by the Select Senate Committee in eyewitness testimony from Americans and Foriegn Coalition NCO's and Officers--just like the book indicates. If Mr. Columbus wants to keep on believing his own version due to his prior service visits to the local N.B.C. chemical training chamber he can do so without remorse and continue on with his merry life. If Mr. Columbus cares about the truth and wants the real facts and not just from this book, he should write his Senator and get the following factual 160 page testimony and then he can repeal his bogus words and review:

U.S. Chemical and Biological Warfare-Related Dual Use Exports to Iraq and Their Possible Impact on the Health Consequences of the Persian Gulf War. A report of Chairman Donald Riegle, and Ranking Member Alfonse D'Amato, United States Senate, May 25, 1994.

In fact, please send me another copy for one of my disabled friends so that I can give it to him for his pending lawsuit.

By the way, if any of you are concerned, the Veteran's Administration and their hospitals have done a lot of really excellent work with sick veterans and does not believe the released Army and CIA reports from the war. Go see them if you need any help and don't take no for an answer.

By the way Mr. Columbus, the Army is paying me one hell of a lot of money for the rest of my life for what happened. Unfortunately that is the only Admission they will ever make of what really happened over there and YOU end up paying for it.

"Gassed In The Gulf" is one of the most important books I have read in recent memory. As an independent journalist who's written on the subject of Gulf War Syndrome, I found Mr. Eddington's book to be enormously insightful. Most of my research and writing on this topic revolved around the exposure of our troops to depleted uranium, and how that is directly connected to GWS; however, my knowledge of the release of chemical/biological agents during the war was, as this book has shown me, sadly lacking.

The notion that depleted uranium and chemical/biological weapons both interacted, lowering the immuno response of the troops and thus making them much more susceptible to the effects of one another, as well as creating symptoms that might not match simply one type of exposure, is highly likely. This would, of course, explain why often there are examples of symptoms not directly linked to simply chemical/biological exposure of just depleted uranium. The result is no doubt the cause of much of the confusion about the true nature of GWS.

Mr. Eddington's book serves to provide what, for me, is the "missing link" in all of this. He and his wife are to be commended for their courage and dedication to this issue, especially in light of the enormous burden and subsequent personal risk they have endured to make this information available to the veterans of the war and to all Americans in general. I offer my thanks, as well as my sympathies for their struggles in dealing with the after-effects of their revelations.

Anyone serious about understanding the degree to which political considerations and a complete lack of humanitarian considerations propel U.S. policy decisions must read "Gassed in the Gulf". We owe it not only to ourselves, and to the many Gulf War veterans and their families, but to the very promises of liberty and truth which we all hold so dear.

Andrew Poe
Washington, DC

This is one of the most important books about the Gulf War.

Pat Eddington tells the story in this book of his and his wife's odyssey within the CIA, working to adjust official policy to reflect the actual facts on the ground. Unfortunately, truth was one of the first casualties of the Gulf War.

Interviewing veterans, including key source documents and detailing the shameful way the government dealt with returning veterans of the Gulf War, Eddington reveals a different side of Washington -- a Washington that waves flags in time of war but hides behind accountants when the warriors secure peace.

Let us hope those deployed in the future are treated better. As a long-time activist on behalf of veterans and the author of an upcoming novel on the Gulf War (Prayer at Rumayla: A Novel of the Gulf War) I offer thanks to Pat and Robin Eddington for their dedication on behalf of our country and its defenders.

"The Gulf War veterans and their supporters in Congress have forced a resisting military and intimidated white house to acknowledge that the price of war - even in smashing triumph - is high. The lesson this book teaches is this: Today's high tech wars are too important and too dangerous to be left to the military or to the politicians. Neither will risk all to protect their soldiers. Those men and women who do the fighting want their say, too, and are learning how to get it". This book, by its glaring omission of criticism, upholds the Gulf War Massacre. This is not an anti-war book, it's a book calling upon the system to live up to its supposed "ideals". It seems as though the author has gotten defensive in the wake of his stinging book on the Kennedys [see Camelot Review-Ed.] and backed off on some of his indictment for the system. Hersh sees a government divided. He says that the CIA had knowledge that there were chemical weapons at Khamisyah and "failed to relay the information...that failure was a criminally negligent mistake, but it was not a cover-up." Apologizing for the government by saying the problem was confusion inside the American intelligence movement is absurd. He portrays the white house as "intimidating" saying "Bill Clinton was afraid to take on the Pentagon. It was up to Congress to do what the president would not. In many respects this is their victory"! The book has a strong `honor the vet' edge that leaves a nasty taste in our mouths. If you've had the privilege of reading the scathing expose, My Lai 4 , by this same author you would never believe it's the same guy. This book does do a good job, if you filter well through the politics, of outlining the major physiological issues regarding the Gulf War Illness. With that exception noted, we can only say this: Paper will put up with anything that is written on it.

A very well written, well researched and well documented book on Gulf War Syndrome. It concisely answers the "Who, What, When, Where and Why" questions that many of us are asking. In doing so, it lifts the lid on one more of America's dirty little secrets. Powerful and Amazing.

The Gulf War veterans and their supporters in Congress have forced a resisting military and intimidated white house to acknowledge that the price of war-even in smashing triumph-is high. The lesson this book teaches is this: Today's high tech wars are too important and too dangerous to be left to the military or to the politicians. Neither will risk all to protect their soldiers. Those men and women who do the fighting want their say, too, and are learning how to get it". This book, by its glaring omission of criticism, upholds the Gulf War Massacre. This is not an anti-war book, it's a book calling upon the system to live up to its supposed "ideals". It seems as though the author has gotten defensive in the wake of his stinging book on the Kennedys [see Camelot Review-Ed.] and backed off on some of his indictment for the system. Hersh sees a government divided. He says that the CIA had knowledge that there were chemical weapons at Khamisyah and "failed to relay the information...that failure was a criminally negligent mistake, but it was not a cover-up." Apologizing for the government by saying the problem was confusion inside the American intelligence movement is absurd. He portrays the white house as "intimidating" saying "Bill Clinton was afraid to take on the Pentagon. It was up to Congress to do what the president would not. In many respects this is their victory"!

The book has a strong `honor the vet' edge that leaves a nasty taste in our mouths. If you've had the privilege of reading the scathing expose, My Lai 4 , by this same author you would never believe it's the same guy. This book does do a good job, if you filter well through the politics, of outlining the major physiological issues regarding the Gulf War Illness. With that exception noted, we can only say this: Paper will put up with anything that is written on it.

This book helped me to understand what my brother had been trying to say...he was sick (a Gulf War Vet...now deceased). My family thanks Seymour Hersh and any others who expose the military for what they did (and didn't do) before, during, and after the Gulf War. The book made a lot more sense than the propaganda material the gov't. has sent our family concerning questions we've had. According to the military....everything (except for the stress) occurred in "insignificant levels to have caused any diseases". Tell that to my brother now... Good job Mr. Hersh!

I am a Gulf War veteran. I've met Sy Hersh. And the book is as accurate as possible under the circumstances.

Remember, the Pentagon lied to soldiers and veterans about chemical exposures involving 100,000 U.S. troops for five years, thus undermining confidence in the military leadership.

The Pentagon, as of the year 2000, is spending $30 million each year on public relations to make Gulf War illnesses go away. The Pentagon still refuses to release millions of classified documents, many with information about toxic exposures.

As of December 31, 1999, more than 136,000 Gulf War Veterans were on disability.

In 50 years, it will be too late for the next generation to ask: "what were you doing when the U.S. Gulf War veterans and the Iraqi children were dying?"

Sy Hersh dares to ask. Read the book.

The Irritable Heart is a stunning achievement, its calm, persuasive tone reveals the widespread suffering attributed to Gulf War Syndrome. It is excellently researched, clearly written. Wheelwright is a science writer who speaks from the heart.

A brilliant investigation into and meditation on the intersection of epidemiology, journalism, politics, and human suffering known as the Gulf War Syndrome. The book is sui generis, and as with many works of surpassing originality it may be overlooked today, but I predict people will be reading this humanist classic in a hundred years.

This book is a stunning achievement: it makes obscure and confusing science understandable, and discusses with accuracy and compassion the many different aspects of Gulf War Syndrome. I found that Wheelwright's voice, always confident and clear, was greatly reassuring. Very powerful. A must read for those interested in science, medicine and politics, and how they overlap.

The book has some serious methodological flaws. Wheelwright has apparently chosen his subjects with care -- each winds up being dislikable, or is proven to be a liar. Wheelwright is disingenuous about his purposes, and condescends to the veterans in a coy way.

When it comes to the evidence, he has already decided, based on his work with oil spills and his reading of the Agent Orange literature, that Gulf War Illness(es) may be real, but since they can't be tied to any particular single event, they can't be paid for by the VA.

This book proposes to be in-depth reporting, but reveals a writer with an agenda, a science writer from Life magazine who ironically is unconcerned about environmental claims, and a method that is as badly flawed as the studies he attacks.

For an alternate viewpoint, read Seymour Hersh's _Against All Enemies: Gulf War Syndrome: The War Between America's Ailing Veterans and Their Government_.

This book is a remarkable portrait of a difficult and highly politicized medical phenomenon -- Gulf War Syndrome -- and its subsets, chronic fatigue syndrome, chemical sensitivities and fibromyalgia. Because of this overlap, many, many Americans will be tremendously interested by this book. It is deep and broad, and rich. Journalists and historians will also be fascinated by the writer's unusual and intelligent method, and the implications of the story. Wheelwright not only keeps you reading way past your bedtime, but reveals the complexities for victims, doctors, and the public's attitudes. Not glib, this book manages to paint a vivid picture of people and medical ideas without taking any shortcuts. A tremendous and really entertaining achievement which may sadly be overlooked in the trend towards simple blockbusters. You will be recommending it to others.