Soldier To Ambassador: D-day Normandy Landing To The Persian Gulf War - A Memoir Odyssey [Paperback]

Charles Warren Hostler (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 30, 2004

This fascinating memoir charts Charles W. Hostler's remarkable life that led from his family's early difficult status through the hard times of the Great Depression to peak in an ambassadorship to the Gulf kingdom of Bahrain. Along the way the author sold newspapers on San Francisco's cable cars as a young boy to help support his family, moved to Los Angeles where he graduated from UCLA, worked for the California Highway Patrol, received his ROTC commission as a second lieutenant in the US Army Air Corp, was given secret agent training on the East Coast, then worked with OSS (predecessor to CIA) and in England's famed MI 6 counter-espionage activities. He was wounded in the D-Day Normandy Landing invasion, while working covertly in the Allied effort to deceive the enemy in Europe. After this, Hostler lead OSS in Romania, then trained Turkey's air intelligence during the build-up to the Cold War, after which he was a key player in Lebanon and Syria, becoming US Military Attache in Lebanon, Jordan, and Cyprus. He retired from the US Air Force as a Colonel and went to work in the US defense industry, being sent to Paris, Beirut, and Cairo, among other destinations. Hostler's extensive residence of over 20 years in the Middle East and travel to other parts of the world and his mastery of languages were complemented by academic studies that resulted in his earning two masters and a doctorate degree and publishing a number of books, most notably Turkestan and the Soviets. Hosteler's military background, extended public service, and other accomplishments led to his being appointed US ambassador to Bahrain (1989-1993). During this period he was intimately involved in the Persian Golf War and its complications. excerpt from book's back cover

Product Details

• Paperback: 340 pages
• Publisher: San Diego State Univ Pr (November 30, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 187969171X
• ISBN-13: 978-1879691711
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,762,971 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "From Soldier to Ambassador" by Charles Hostler, January 24, 2009

By 

Adrine Katchadurian (Danbury, CT) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Soldier To Ambassador: D-day Normandy Landing To The Persian Gulf War - A Memoir Odyssey (Paperback)

This is a well written auto-biography of Dr. Charles Hostler who was the U.S. Ambassador to the State of Bahrain. Charles comes from humble origins and after serving in the US military and being part of the CIA eventually becomes an Ambassador. Charles is a kind, humble philanthropist and a personal friend. I have recommended or donated this book to various friends who were most impressed by his story. It is a wonderfully written book and an easy read because of its interesting content.
I highly recommend this book to anyone.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book, but you should know that it only exists in a trade paperback edition, June 15, 2006

By 

W. A. Nericcio "editor | sdsupress" (San Diego, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Soldier To Ambassador: D-day Normandy Landing To The Persian Gulf War - A Memoir Odyssey (Paperback)

new | san diego state university press | Soldier to Ambassador: D-Day Normandy Landing to the Persian Gulf War | A Memoir Odyssey by Charles W. Hostler | ISBN: 1-879691-71-X | 2004 340 pp. | 80 plates | 60 color | 20 black & white | $25 | This exciting new memoir charts the remarkable life of Dr. Charles W. Hostler: hawking newspapers on San Francisco cable-cars; prowling Westwood as a UCLA undergraduate; road warrior for the California Highway Patrol; flyboy for the U.S. Army Air Corps, East Coast secret agent-trainee in the OSS (the precursor to the CIA); and colleague to real world "James Bonds" in England's MI6. All of these serving as mere pitstops in a singular odyssey that culminates with Hostler's appointment as U.S. Ambassador to Bahrain (1989-1993) and his doings during the Persian Gulf War. Hostler's memoir is lavishly illustrated with eighty selections from the author's extensive archive of photographs.