Mead's Trek [Hardcover]

Tom Gauthier (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 17, 2009

Mead's Trek

The Vice President of the United States working with the Communists to undermine President Roosevelt? President Truman lays the groundwork for the tragic Vietnam War in 1945? History may be stranger than the fiction in this book. The World War II China/Burma/India Theater of Operations was a confusing array of competing interests and undefined battle fronts. Major Amos Mead, USMC, on assignment with the OSS, is thrust violently into enemy territory and endures a trek from Burma to China marked by death and survival to pursue his mission - a mission that evolves beyond his knowledge by the intrigues of governments and corrupt officials that may include the Vice President of the United States. Assumed friends become enemies, assumed enemies become friends, as Mead finds himself drawn into a struggle that has its roots in the previous millennia.

Tom Gauthier once again weaves a tale of intrigue and deadly action from the historic events of a little known corner of a war, and the actions of real men and women who lived and died there.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Tom Gauthier has written nearly every form of communication, and is published on various subjects in newspapers and in national and international journals. He authored, produced, and directed four plays. His first novel, Code Name: Orion’s Eye, was released in 2008. His second published novel, A Voyage Beyond Reason, received a “Notable Award for Literary Fiction” in the 17th Annual International Writer’s Digest Book Award competition (2009). He was introduced by the subject of his book, Benjamin Wade—a star (coach) of the CBS TV series Survivor-Tocantins—on national television during the finale. Born in 1940, Tom grew up in Santa Barbara, California and served in the U.S. Army as a combat intelligence analyst and in the Air Force Reserve as a Load Master on a C-119 (Flying Boxcar). In 1966, after finishing his military tours, he began a civilian career that took him to every corner of the United States, Canada and 20 countries. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Management, an M.B.A., a Master of Science and Doctorate in Psychology. He is a member of Delta Epsilon Tau, an international honors society. Besides writing novels he serves on the local Airport Commission, the local hospital Foundation Board of Directors and the Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. He also continues to consult with companies and government on organizational and communications issues. Tom is a private pilot, a member of the Elks Lodge and the American Legion. Tom and his wife Marlene have built their dream home on a small ranch in the eastern High Sierras of Northern California and enjoy the visits of thirteen grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Outskirts Press (December 17, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1432748467
• ISBN-13: 978-1432748463
• Product Dimensions: 6.1 x 9.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,932,106 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Brutal WWII fighting in Asian area, March 6, 2010

By 

Cy B. Hilterman "Cy. Hilterman" (Cherry Tree, PA United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mead's Trek (Hardcover)

Mead's Trek is the story of a group led by Major Amos Mead of the United States Marines into territory both friendly and hostile during WWII mostly in 1943. Much of the trek began with meetings in Hawaii that led to travels by Mead's thrown together group to Thailand, Vietnam, China, Burma, Australia, with much direction from Washington, DC. Some of the group was CIA, some in various military services, one in British Intelligence, some OSS (Office of Strategic Services) but all specialists in their field. Their contacts in the United States were of utmost importance since they had to gather the information available from any source, interpret the importance of all of it, and attempt to relay that thought pertinent to Mead's group. One selected for this group was a radio specialist who built his own radio figuring he could trust what he knew worked, against what might work in the field of battle. They knew they had miles of jungles and small villages to trek through, much of it inhabited or controlled by Japanese. Fortunately some of their contacts along the way were natives fighting to kill all the Japanese they could see and, in many cases, could not be seen by the Japanese. It was hot, humid, bug infested, dry, and not people friendly at all.

Major Mead had met a very charming and beautiful army nurse, Major Brigit O'Hare, before he had undertaken the mission. Little did he know at the time that Brigit was also a specialist in delving into messages, articles, or any other intelligence documents concerning the war, especially in the area that Mead's group were heading into, then extracting information of utmost importance and relaying it to Mead or his contacts along the way. Mead and Brigit had that "certain spark" between them and Brigit had a difficult time as she constantly worried about Mead all the time he was gone in a dangerous area of our world and he wishing they were together.

The story is historical fiction with the authors' characters and scenes thrown in but the locations written into this book are the same ones that had very bitter and deadly battles during WWII. Mead's group was on a mission to find who in the area was with the Japanese and who was really with the allies. Even the Vice President of the United States, Henry A. Wallace, was thought involved in a conspiracy against his own nation. This was also a part of Mead's mission. The mission became deadly for some in the group. Those that lost their companions and fellow mission engagement friends had an extremely hard time coping.

You will live with these men, scrounge for food, share each trail and flight, cope with the extreme weather, find a tiny area to sleep or rest a while, exist with those that might be your enemies--or friends-- and get to the bottom of who is giving secrets to the enemy. They will not all return from this mission and your heart will be with those that came back in a casket. Mead's Trek is a very good story of WWII in that area of the world and its fight for freedom.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A very interesting and informative read for fans of WWII Fiction, February 25, 2010

By 

M. Lignor (New York, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mead's Trek (Paperback)

The second book by this author featuring Major Amos Mead, USMC. Major Mead is sent on a mission with the OSS that goes from Burma and into China. This assignment takes the Major into danger that he hadn't expected to find along with the possibility that the Vice President of the US at that time, Henry Wallace, might be involved with the Communists to weaken the power of President Franklin D. Roosevelt in fighting World War II.

Major Mead and his colleagues and friends are sent into Burma to investigate so called friends in the Far East to see if they are on the up and up. His plane is shot down and the pilot is killed. However, Mead and his team are still alive and are walking toward the Thailand Border. During World War II the China/Burma area was a mixed up mess of different people competing with each other for dominance of the area. The country that the Mead team has to pass through is enemy territory and various governments in the area are fighting each other for some sort of control over the US. The team doesn't know until the end of their trek about the schemes of local governments and officials that are influenced by these governments that could possibly include the Vice President of the US. Some friends have turned into enemies and vice versa, as Major Mead and his team are pulled into a situation that has been brewing in the area for many years.

The conclusion of the book is an eye-opener. I have read many books about WWII but, never one that takes place solely in this area (Burma/China). My thing was always the European Theater of Operations. Until I read Mead's Trek I didn't really know a lot about the Japanese, except for Pearl Harbor and the Phillipines. Now, thanks to Mr. Gauthier, I have a new understanding of their importance in what happened in WWII and also the wars that followed. The author has done his homework and the book is very interesting because it's about real people and what they went through in that war. I highly recommend this book to readers who are interested in the history of World War II. Even though Mead's Trek is listed as fiction, these characters are very real and you can imagine them going through the horrible things that they saw. I intend to find a copy of Orion's Eye simply to see what went on before for Major Mead and friends. Thanks to Mr. Gauthier for a very interesting and informative read.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must read, December 20, 2009

By 

T. Schultz - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Mead's Trek (Hardcover)

"Gauthier weaves a compelling story of intrigue, action and romance"

"Edge of your seat action... impressively accurate descriptions of the war..."

"Amos Mead's a gem, and he's back in this sequal to Code Name: Orion's Eye, better than ever. Gauthier's strong characterization of his leading man has grown and deepened in Mead's Trek, and his readers will be wanting more."