Uncategorized

Happy Fourth of July!

But even as we gather to celebrate, we know America was not built in a day – or even across a single battlefield. There were many moments of resolve and sacrifice that occurred in the halls of government just as often as fields of fire.

In the following post, bestselling Master Wings Publishing author Harold Coyle highlights seven pivotal days that forged the United States of America. These times are turning points that revealed the spirit of a people determined to build something enduring: the grit, hope, and determination present in the American identity that we still carry with us.

So if you need another day to set off fireworks, consider one or more of these:

19 April 1775: Lexington and Concord

Why? In the face of 400 British troops, 80 American colonists stood their ground, setting off a chain of events that would lead to the creation of the United States of America.

17 June 1775: Bunker Hill

Why? The determination the Americans displayed and the loss of fifty percent of the attacking force shocked the British commanders and government, convincing them the war would be long and costly. It led directly to the creation of the American Army.

4 July 1776: Declaration of Independence Adopted

Why? The war went from being a rebellion against Parliament’s policies to the creation of a new and independent country governed by the people, for the people.

25 December 1776: Battle of Trenton

Why? With the revolution at its lowest ebb, causing Thomas Paine to call it, “These are the times that try men’s souls…” Washington’s gamble revived the spirt of both his soldiers and the nation.

7 October 1777: Burgoyne Surrenders

Why? In a year when the central body of the American forces endured a string of defeats and the loss of Philadelphia, Burgoyne’s surrender convinced France to declare war on Great Britian, turning the war into a wider conflict that caused the British to reduce the sized of their forces in America and scale back on the scope and scale of their operations.

19 October 1781: Cornwallis Surrenders

Why? The loss of a second army convinced British Parliament the war was unwinnable, causing its members to refuse to approve any further credits to continue it.

15 March 1783: The Newburgh Conspiracy

Why? Officers under George Washington’s command met to discuss a petition that called for them to mutiny due to Congress’ failure to provide them back pay and pensions for their service during the American Revolution. Washington defused the crisis simply by being the man he was. It established the principle of civilian supremacy over the American military. This is, perhaps, the most important event in the history of the United States Army, as despite being the instrument that allowed the founding fathers to bring forth the new country, Washington understood the Continental Congress, not the Army, would be the foundation that country would be built upon.

“Reading more” is a common goal among book lovers, but making it happen is another story. If you have a “to be read” pile that keeps growing or just want to find more time to escape into a great book, a six-month reading challenge can work wonders. The structure of a challenge keeps you on track with your reading goals while making it fun to check completed books off your list.  Here’s an easy-to-follow process for solving the “so many books, so little time” dilemma.

Step One – Read for Yourself, Not Others

The first step in a reading challenge is identifying your own reading goals. While there are online communities, social media challenges, and in-person book clubs that lay out suggested goals, if they aren’t aligned with your preferences, you won’t enjoy the process. For example, if you love savoring a book for a few weeks at a time, don’t worry if the online community has a two-book-per-week speed reading challenge. Enjoy defining and reaching your own reading goals.

Step Two – Set Yourself Up for Success

Once you’ve set your goals, consider specifically how you can set yourself up for success. If possible, set aside a “reading zone” in your home with everything you need (i.e., your book, glasses, reading lamp, throw, and coaster for a cup of tea!). An inviting space will make it easier to sit down and read, helping you reach your page count or time goals. You can also vary the format of your books, such as adding audiobooks into the mix for times you’re on the go.

Step Three – Intentionally Create a Habit

Building a reading habit is one of the most effective ways to increase your reading. Close to half of the decisions we make on a given day are driven by habits, according to findings from a psychologist at the University of Southern California. Creating a habit will allow reading to fit more naturally and easily into your day.

To build a habit, start small. If your goal is to read for 15-20 minutes before starting your workday every morning, start by reading for 1-2 minutes and gradually build up to 15 minutes from there.  Before you know it, reading in the morning will become an automatic part of your routine.

Step Four – Invite Others

Declaring your six-month challenge will increase your likelihood of sticking to it. Invite others into the challenge (with the freedom for them to set their own goals) and keep each other accountable with weekly or monthly check-ins on progress. You don’t need to be reading the same book or at the same pace to share a challenge.

Step Five – Have Fun!

The risk of challenges is that they can turn once pleasurable activities into chores. Keep the challenge light and have fun with the books you choose, whether you’re trying out an entirely new genre or reading the latest from your favorite author.

Reading allows us to explore other time periods, countries, and experiences, opening our minds to new perspectives and ideas, providing escape and release from the minutiae of our daily lives, and much more.

Bonus: Start your challenge with page-turning historical fiction! The Other Side of the Wire by best-selling author H.W. Coyle explores the story of an orphaned Jewish child in 1935 who disguises their identity to escape religious persecution and eventually is adopted by a high-ranking Nazi family. In honor of the fifth anniversary of its publication, use code 5YEAR to enjoy 50% off the eBook and physical copy through July 29th.

Gen. Borling’s poetry, published in Taps on the Walls: Poems from the Hanoi Hilton, offers a rare and deeply moving glimpse into the emotional and psychological terrain of war, captivity, and resilience. Composed during his seven years as a POW in North Vietnam and shared through a secret tap code, these poems stand as a testament to the enduring power of language, memory, and the human spirit. As Brian Turner wrote in The Washington Post, Borling uses “verse as a means of preserving the imagination, verse as a bulwark against that which would destroy our individual humanity.” This work, written under unbelievable circumstances, provides more than just insight: it is a historical document, personal testimony, and expression of the spirit. But what is next after the final stanza is read?

For readers moved by Taps on the Walls, Master Wings Publishing recommends the following books—each expanding on the themes of captivity, war, resistance, and reflection. Together, they create a richer, more complex portrait of the era

1.) P.O.W. A Definitive History of the American Prisoner-Of-War Experience in Vietnam, 1964-1973 By John G. Hubbell, Andrew Jones, Kenneth Y Tomlinson

ISBN: 978-0595138883

PMML link: https://pritzkermilitarylibrary.on.worldcat.org/oclc/1991209

Based on nearly a decade of in-depth research and hundreds of firsthand interviews, P.O.W. stands as a landmark chronicle of the American POW experience during the Vietnam War. Praised by former POWs like Col. George E. “Bud” Day, USAF (Ret.), who likened its authority to Blackstone’s Commentaries on law, the book offers a compelling, unflinching narrative. Rich with maps of compounds and photographs, it’s an emotional and yet factual account of the experiences of U.S. servicepeople in Southern Vietnamese prison camps. Picking up this title after Borling’s would allow the reader to add many more perspectives to their picture.

2.) Carrying the Darkness: The Poetry of the Vietnam War Edited by William Daniel Ehrhart

ISBN: 978-0896721876

PMML link: https://pritzkermilitarylibrary.on.worldcat.org/oclc/18836128

While Gen. Borling’s Taps on the Walls is remarkable for its use of coded language and the extraordinary circumstances under which it was written—composed and shared during his imprisonment—it is part of a larger body of powerful Vietnam-era poetry. Carrying the Darkness, an anthology published in 1989, features the voices of seventy-five other period poets, offering readers a broader and deeply moving collection of verse from that time. For those inspired by Borling’s work, this anthology provides even more poignant, visceral, and unforgettable reflections on war and its aftermath.

Prisoner of War: Six Years in Hanoi by John M. McGrath

ISBN: 978-1591145073

PMML link: https://pritzkermilitarylibrary.on.worldcat.org/oclc/3104192

Captured in 1967 after being shot down over Vietnam, John M. McGrath’s tale of survival and years of suffering is documented in this collection of his drawings. A courageous and matter-of-fact account from a self-taught artist, this medium offers perspective and impact that others cannot. McGrath’s assessments provide a visceral and visual counterpoint to Borling’s poetic one

The Colonial Bastille: A History of Imprisonment in Vietnam, 1862-1940 by Peter Zinoman

ISBN: 978-0520224124

PMML link: (article only) https://pritzkermilitarylibrary.on.worldcat.org/oclc/4895697593

Moving now from primary accounts to works that use those accounts to provide wider analysis, The Colonial Bastille is a compelling example of an insightful study of the colonial prison system in Vietnam. Creating what author Ann Stoler describes as “a wonderful, lucidly argued, and meticulously documented book,” Zinoman draws the lines between the cruelty of the penal system and its ineffectiveness in quashing dissent to the revolutionary passion that led to Vietnam’s independence. For readers interested in the broader historical context that shaped Borling’s captors—and their methods—The Colonial Bastille offers essential background and political insight.

The Enemy in Our Hands: America’s Treatment of Prisoners of War from the Revolution to the War on Terror by Robert C. Doyle

ISBN: 978-0813134604

PMML link: https://pritzkermilitarylibrary.on.worldcat.org/oclc/460059221

For those who want reciprocal information on American treatment of POWs after hearing how American POWs were treated in Taps on the Walls, The Enemy in Our Hands seeks to comprehensively answer your questions. Covering America’s incarceration and interrogation practices from the American Revolution through Afghanistan, this is a work that approaches with distinction and gradation a complex subject America has struggled with since its inception. For readers of Taps on the Walls, this book provides important reciprocal understanding—and a nuanced look at how values, laws, and moral choices have shaped wartime incarceration.

Taps on the Walls: Poems from the Hanoi Hilton leaves an impact that lingers long after the final page, and hopefully one that inspires the reader to seek additional perspectives and information around the period. These recommendations are just a few of the many paths available into the broader landscape surrounding Borling’s experience, but are sure to provide insight for those seeking to honor the voices of those who endured and to gain a more nuanced understanding of the conflict.

Reducing stress is one of the most important things we can do for our physical and mental well-being. Since April is Stress Awareness Month, and April 28^th is National Great Poetry Reading Day, we’re sharing the surprising and significant ways reading poetry can reduce stress.

Rhythmic poetry can calm your nervous system: We typically spend our days in perpetual productive mode, going from one task to another. Poetry invites us to slow down, to unplug, and to pause. Evidence shows that reading rhythmic poetry aloud can slow your breathing, activating a relaxation response. “It’s all to do with the way (the reading cadence) slows and controls your breathing rate, which in turn stimulates your parasympathetic nervous system and can lead to many beneficial effects,” says Dr. Michael Mosley. He specializes in activating the body’s relaxation response.

Poetry requires mindfulness and presence: The American Psychological Association reports that mindfulness can positively impact our brains and biology. Unlike mindless scrolling on a phone, absorbing the words in poetry requires a mindful state, which interrupts the stress cycle. The unexpected language patterns and word combinations in poetry require presence, slowing the chaotic pace of our thoughts.

Our brains are wired for poetry: The same way gazing at the stars or sunset can make us feel innately connected to something bigger, there is growing evidence that our brains are “hardwired for poetry.”  The journal Frontiers of Psychology reported that through functional magnetic resonance imaging, researchers could see the brain’s response to poetry vs. prose. Through these brain scans, researchers found that people recognized poetry rhythms even if the poems were in languages the people in the studies didn’t speak, suggesting we have neurological connections to poetry.

Reading poetry helps us feel connected through experience: There is power in reading poems that reflect our experiences. Discovering that someone else has articulated a shared experience or feeling—even if they lived in the past or a different geographical location—can be deeply comforting.

“Poetry speaks truth in a universal language that crosses cultural boundaries and speaks directly to the human heart.” – Roger Housden, author of Ten Poems to Change Your Life

Reading poetry boosts mental health: During the COVID-19 pandemic and social isolation, a group from the National Institute of Health studied the effects of poetry on loneliness. Researchers stated: “Poetry can be a powerful, practical, and accessible tool to combat loneliness directly… and a new avenue for healing. Since the nineteenth century, poetry has been used formally and informally for healing purposes in the United States, and now, in our current day, we believe the opportunity for poetry’s significance and applications to be recognized is crucial.”

Additional resources:

The Poetry Society is a member organization and community for global poetry enthusiasts.

Poems for Anxiety and Uncertainty – a compilation of poems from the Poetry Foundation known to help readers manage personal stress and navigate uncertain times

Poets & Writers Magazine – an online and in-print magazine for aspiring and published poets and writers

Poetry has long been a powerful tool for managing stress, and we see that clearly in the story of Master Wings Publishing author, Major General John L. Borling. As a POW during the Vietnam War, he survived six years in captivity in part by composing poetry in his mind and sharing it through tap code with fellow prisoners. His book, Taps on the Walls: Poems from the Hanoi Hilton, is a moving example of how poetry can bring peace, strength, and connection—even in the darkest times.

So as we honor both Stress Awareness Month and this special day devoted to verses, we remind ourselves healing can be found in simple, soulful words—and that sometimes, the best way to care for ourselves is to slow down and listen.