J. Michael Cleverley

Diplomat and Senior American Foreign Service Officer for nearly 30 years in Europe and Africa. He is also a bestselling author of non-fiction books that have been published in seven countries and six languages. About the Author Best Offer 50% Off

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Born a Soldier: The Times and Life of Larry A Thorne - (J. Michael Cleverley)

Born A Soldier

The amazing story of Larry Thorne a fighting Finn against the Russians in World War II and US Army Green Beret hero in the Cold War and Vietnam. Buy Now
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A Scent of Glory Book by J. Michael Cleverley

A Scent of Glory

An English language account published in Greece of the Finnish book

For copies contact me directly

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Lauri Törni Book by J. Michael Cleverley

Lauri Törni

The bestselling Finnish language version of Larry Thorne’s story

Not available in the United States

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Family Stories and How I Found Mine by J. Michael Cleverley

Family Stories

History told through powerful personal stories – and how to find your own family stories Buy Now
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An American Tune: A Memoir Book by J. Michael Cleverley

An American Tune

A memoir of J. Michael Cleverley’s thirty years in the State Department Buy Now
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    • The Thorne Series

    • ( A Times and Life )

    BY: J. Michael Cleverley

    The first English language edition of my book on Larry Thorne was published in Greece in 2003 under the title A Scent of Glory.  Essentially the same book as the Finnish edition, it aimed more toward European readership.  Since then I have taken advantage of access to Larry Thorne’s US Army records to put together a new fuller edition geared more toward American readership, Born a Soldier, The Times and Life of Larry Thorne.   This book has more detail on his life in the United States and service in the US Special Forces.

    Read the History

    History Told Through
    Powerful Personal Stories

    Family Stories …and How I Found Mine is the result of five years of morning-to-evening research, and travel throughout the United States and different corners of Europe. On one level, it is an anthology of remarkable people at pivotal points in history. On another, it is a set of case studies helpful to anyone interested in their own family stories. Here are stories I found, and how I found them.
    Read the History

    What Readers Say

    Reviews of Family Stories …and How I Found Mine

    The Midwest Book Review
    “An inherently interesting and impressively informative read from cover to cover, “Family Stories…and How I Found Mine” would well serve as a template for writing comprehensive family histories within historical contexts. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, “Family Stories…and How I Found Mine” is an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to personal reading lists, as well as community and academic library collections.”
    St. Louis Genealogical Society Quarterly
    “Jump in to enjoy the descriptions, the action, and the insight into what life might have been like for his ancestors, and, at the same time, think about how you could bring your own family to life by writing about it!”
    Kinsearching
    “An intriguing, easy-to-read book that will be of interest to genealogists and historians alike is FAMILY STORIES…AND HOW I FOUND MINE by J. Michael Cleverley… The reader can pick up the tome at any point for the experience of learning about a specific era or read the tome straight through in its entirety. FAMILY STORIES…AND HOW I FOUND MINE is a fine example of a publication that demonstrates how genealogy and history are indeed intertwined.”
    The Bulletin, Quarterly Magazine of the Genealogical Forum of Oregon
     “Whether your ancestors were British royals or Revolutionary soldiers, Cleverley shows how to find them. He believes that by relating how his ancestors faced the challenges in life, readers might find insight into the lives and challenges of their own ancestors. An excellent storyteller, Cleverley accomplishes that goal.”

    Testimonials of Born a Soldier, The Times and Life of Larry Thorne

    General Monty Meigs, US Army (ret.)
    “Major Larry Thorne was bigger than life; Mike Cleverley tells a great tale and has done this soldier justice.”
    Amb. James Goodby, former Ambassador to Finland and the OSCE.
    “…the book is ageless: …Fast paced, with a brisk writing style, this is a book that you won’t want to put down.”
    Herb Schandler, George Marshal Professor of Grand Strategy, National Defense University
    “More than simply [Larry Thorne’s] story, it tells the history of many of the rest of us who served in their ranks, and of the many unheralded triumphs we accomplished for the United States during the last half of the past century.”
    Marshall Kregel, webmaster of www.kevos4.com, a Finnish wartime history web site.
    I found the book to be a fascinating story told in a unique manner… The Legend of Larry Thorne is one of courage and honor and should be required reading for anyone interested in Finnish/Russian war history, as well as the history of the US Special Forces.
    Kiwi, Amazon Customer Review
    Indie Book Awards finalist in both the History and Biography categories.

    Truly enthralling biography of an outstanding Special forces soldier