According to the book description
of Hunting with Tigers, “During the Vietnamese War, a Washington-approved sanctuary for enemy
troops in Laos and Cambodia is a recipe for disaster, but a covert CIA operation made up of Special Forces volunteers deemed
expendable, penetrates the borders and neutralizes the enemy’s advantage. The Green Berets, Rick Barinelli, Warren Fahey,
and Bob Akamura, make a pact: If any one of them goes missing, the others will commit to, “rescue, ransom, or revenge.” Barinelli, conflicted with a growing passion
for a beautiful Vietnamese woman, Ai Dao, gains distinction for intel successes that disrupt the Tet Offensive and becomes
known to the enemy as “the Gray Ghost”. Hanoi orders General Wong to capture or kill him regardless of cost, and
the brilliant and sadistic Wong spins an elaborate trap. He orchestrates the kidnapping of Ai Dao, but captures the headstrong
Akamura instead. Now, against harrowing odds, it’s up to Barinelli and Fahey to attempt their rescue. Racing to a shattering climax, Hunting With Tigers
illustrates how ordinary men can rise to acts of selfless heroism within the savagery of war.”
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Eugene Basilici enlisted in the
United States Army during the Korean War. Eugene Basilici is the author of Barinelli's
War; Genio; Legacy of a Hero; and, Hunting with
Tigers. According to the book description
of Genio, it “is the story of a shepherd, a poor and unschooled Italian boy, caught up in
the greatest mass migration in modern history: the emigration of four million Italians to North and South America. Swept along
in this flood of humanity, Genio lands in Brazil, and scratches and claws his way to a position of power and influence. Distracted
by the patrician beauty of the young Maria, swept up in the passion of the mixed-blood, Trinita, he hazards everything for
the sake of his fellow immigrants. But tragedy destroys his whole world. Turning his back on Brazil, Genio sails to New York,
determined to re-build his life in a new land.”
According to the book description
of Barinelli's War, “The Korean War rages in Southeast Asia. Every night the North Koreans
hurl themselves against the outnumbered Americans who hold the Pusan Perimeter, and every night the overextended defenders
are thinned even more. Into this maelstrom lands Rick Barinelli, a teenager fresh out of Basic and is thrown
immediately onto the front line. A natural leader with an innate understanding of combat, he’s able to command and hold
the all-important “Bowling Alley” sector. Barinelli’s successes on the battlefield earn him quick promotions.
The Inchon landing relieves the
pressure on Pusan and Barinelli’s platoon takes the point for an American offensive. At Hungnam, they’re ordered
to the rear and reorganized as a reconnaissance company, while the Army’s Tenth Corps and First Marine Division advance
to the Chinese border. But a quarter-million Chinese secretly infiltrate the mountain passes and surround
the Americans with orders to annihilate them all. The only escape route is along a narrow road past the Chosin Reservoir through
the Funchilin Pass to Hungnam and safety. The Funchilin must be held. But when Barinelli’s company commander suddenly
disappears, the survival of over twenty thousand men falls on him. With fewer than two hundred men under his command, Barinelli faces the pressures of leadership in
battle. More importantly, he learns of faithlessness and heroism and the inner gauntlet each soldier must pass through to
survive.”
According to the book description of
Legacy of a Hero, it “is the remarkable story of Genio Basilici, legendary patriarch of an Italian community
near Boston. In 1946, he sends his son, Enrico, to Italy to find and assist family members in the aftermath of war. Alternating
with his son's search and harrowing escape from a Neapolitan street gang and his brief but passionate affair with Graciella,
Genio relives his arrival in America at the turn of the century in flashbacks of memory. It was a time when virulent prejudice
and constant, anti-Italian hate campaigns forced him to step forward in defense of his countrymen; the time of the Great Depression,
of Sacco and Vanzetti and the anarchist movement. It was a time when a huge influx of non-English speaking immigrants flooded
our cities and sparked a firestorm of resentment. It was an incendiary era when ordinary individuals rose to extraordinary
heights. It was a time to remember.”
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