Customer Reviews

A Spiritual Warrior's Journey: The Inspiring Life Story of a Mystical Warrior

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book will inspire and amaze you - it did me! It was hard to put down once I began to read Bill McDonald's life story. This is so different than anything I have ever read in my whole life. His story is one of a kind. What he did in Vietnam alone could be a whole book by itself.

He is a true hero. His compassion and love of life shines through in every page of his book. This book will change lives as it has mine already. His life is one of great adventures and spirituality - it kind of reads like "Rambo Meets God while in the Twilight Zone". I would love to meet this author sometime and hear him talk about some of the things he has written about in his book.

A MUST READ FOR EVERYONE! Very healing book for veterans or anyone who has over come life problems. This book will give you many things to think about and question. Nothing will seem the same after you read it. This book is life altering!

Most memoirs written by Vietnam vets focus primarily on their time in Vietnam. Bill McDonald doesn't tell his story that way; he chose to let us get to know him first as a child, a child who had a very harsh and traumatic childhood, but who, despite that, was able to grow into the good and decent man that he is today. The book is written as a series of short stories, describing significant incidents in his life, up to the present. I was compelled to begin jotting down words that best described the feelings the story evoked. When I was done, I realized that my list would serve as an excellent review all by itself, especially since Jan Hornung's Foreward does such a great job of describing the book that any sort of prose I would write to try to explain it wouldn't do as good a job.

Words to describe "A Spiritual Warrior's Journey": Compelling, Heartbreaking, Inspiring, Mesmerizing, Unforgettable, Well written, Uplifting, Appalling, Chill-bump raising, Awe-inspiring poetry, Horrifying, Amazing, Thought provoking, Bittersweet, Irritating, Serene, Shameful, Heartwarming, Scary, Eerie, Touching, "Reality" challenging, Reconciliating, Moving, Joyful, Peaceful, A must-read.

Just completed reading this book and was really amazed how well Bill McDonald laid down his life story. Many chapters on Vietnam will leave you spellbound at the experiences Bill had. Great stories about his ventures of travel and family life. I am happy I came across this book and look forward to another one of Bill's books!

Ostensibly a memoir written around the author's tour in Vietnam during 1966-1967, this book is far deeper and more thought-provoking than the usual Vietnam-era `We wuz in Vietnam and you done us wrong" books that fill the marketplace today.

As crew chief / door gunner on a UH-1D Huey helicopter, author William H. McDonald saw and experienced sufficient combat for him to win a Distinguished Flying Cross, the Bronze Star, a Purple Heart, as well as 14 Air Medals; his combat exploits alone would make for an enthralling story.

But while fighting in Vietnam was a major part of McDonald's life, it by no means consumed him, as his book illustrates. "A Spiritual Warrior's Journey" is a collection of absorbing and charming vignettes and slices of McDonald, from early childhood through his marriage, to his active `retirement' and subsequent return to Vietnam.

McDonald's story has an appeal to those who believe in a higher power, and to be more definitive, a compassionate higher power that assists and looks out for those human beings receptive to God's love and directions. His book is replete with stories of his life in which a higher power interceded to keep him alive, keep him fed, and keep him on what he believes is the right path in his life. And fortunately so, because his recounting of how poorly his mother treated him in his early years, and continued to treat him badly as he matured, is truly saddening. It would have been easy for the author to sink into the morass of drugs and alcohol as did many veterans of his era, yet it is clearly his belief in this higher power that kept his attitude and life far happier and more satisfied than most.

"A Spiritual Warrior's Journey" is a unique book, and one well worth reading. Written in a casual, conversational, and very personal style, it is surprisingly understated yet very positive : Yes, the author has had a difficult childhood, yes, combat in Vietnam was cruel, bloody, and merciless, but for those who can keep their eye on the bigger cosmic picture, you are not only not alone, but there is a higher power who always has your back.

W. H. McDonald's book, "A Spiritual Warrior's Journey", is both compelling and inspiring. His writing goes far beyond a description of his wartime experience-it probes his innermost feelings during those experiences and brings meaning and purpose to them all. In a fascinating and very different autobiography, the author explains how the horrors of war affected and changed him, and they brought insight and awareness into his life. He shares the magic of these self-discoveries with the reader in a compelling book that can only leave one breathless and anxious to meet this very special man.

Mr. McDonald's book is both entertaining and inspirational. His stories are honest and compelling from start to finish. His first-hand account of the ravages of war are vivid and thought-provoking. This is one of those books that will haunt you pleasantly long after you turned the last page. I highly recommend adding it to your collection. It's one that you'll refer back to often.

Every Vietnam Veteran, who believes he has figured out the answers to all his problems, needs to read and re-read this book. For the most part, "We didn't know We didn't know" It took years of healing as well as many delayed casualties before most of us began learning about PTSD. So........where are the Veterans Center Personnel when you need them? Obviously not reading very much!
This book should be mandatory reading for every Veteran who enters a program for PTSD. This incredible book is an"Interstate road map" to recovery. Especially for those who heed it's advice, explore it's pain, and recognize the emotional flash backs experienced in the war's aftermath.
Many Vietnam war veteran's had extreme difficulty overcoming the rejection and discrimination they met upon returning from the war. For many,their life spiraled out of control as they sank deeper into an emotional abyss. This is a book written by a man who experienced it all. He overcame poverty, a disfunctional family,a terrible childhood, and the insanity of war, while setting a benchmark for integrity, family values, and making a difference. This is a book for those who think that they can't make it any further.
W.H. McDonald is still making, a huge difference for those who will read his words. It is certainly worth the price of this book.

I found Bill's book a life changing experience. His triumphs over his horrible childhood experiences made me re-think my own and I was able to forgive many people out of the past, and thus change my present. I found this book exciting, memorable, and
once I started reading, I was unable to put it down. I purchased several more copies for people I thought would also have a life changing experience with it, and loaned out my personal, autographed copy to others. The feed-back has been tremendous. CONGRATULATIONS BILL!! Another job well done.

Life's journey for all of us is as distinctive as our fingerprints. Bill McDonald's remarkable journey --- from tragedies to triumphs --- is a beautifully detailed trip through his childhood to the Vietnam War and into an adulthood of wisdom. His insights teach us about ourselves.

But a warning, leave your preconceptions behind. When you open the pages of A SPIRITUAL WARRIOR'S JOURNEY: The Inspiring Life Story of a Mystical Warrior, you are entering a world where the commonplace becomes magical, and coincidence suddenly makes sense.

McDonald is a warrior, a veteran of Vietnam, during which he won the Silver Star. An athlete and prize-winning student, his childhood home was dominated by a violent stepfather and a negligent mother. At the age of nine, he spent a year isolated in a hospital room with a near-fatal disease.

In Vietnam, he saved the lives of many soldiers because he sensed danger that could be avoided. In one case, he refused to allow a helicopter to take off, risking his reputation and a threat of court martial. He had several near-misses in combat when by all rights he should have been killed but bravely saved not only himself but others.

His are not the meanderings of a self-important scribe, but are backed up by U.S. government documents and eye-witnesses.

Throughout the rest of his life, McDonald used his "sense" to raise a family and help others through difficult times. He was also instrumental in the making of the award-winning Vietnam War documentary "Shadow of the Blade," released in theaters in 2003.

I unequivocally recommend this book. Read it. It will change your life for the better. It certainly has mine.

A Spiritual Warriors Journey was a very enlightening book. It starts off when Bill was a child, then his time in Vietnam, and there after. This was like no other book I have read. He brings out his inner feelings, emotions and really makes the reader delve into their own inner self. Some of the events are phenominal, and very spiritual, and at times heart warming. The places he has traveled and people he has met will leave a lasting memory. Excellent read.