What others are saying ...

"a military expert"
    — USA Today (April 24, 2006)

"a military/defense expert"
    — author, columnist, Middle Eastern terrorism expert
Dr. Walid Phares

"... military expert"
    — Tim Graham, director of media analysis for Media Research Center (June 27, 2006)

"... military expert"
    — Counterterrorism Blog (August 17, 2008)

"A legendary scoopmeister"
    — Talk about town, The State newspaper (November 13, 1996)

"A military analyst with expertise in special operations and amphibious and ground warfare"
    — The State newspaper (June, 17, 2006)

"A genuine Renaissance man"
    — Jim Bohannon, The Jim Bohannon Show

"a distinguished journalist"
    — The Florida Times-Union (December 20, 2006)

"the hardest working writer in America"
    — Michael Graham, columnist, talk radio host

"W. Thomas Smith Jr. is a strange and wonderful combination of being relentless, yet unfailingly polite. He's one of our best correspondents."
    — Gordon Witkin, executive news editor,
U.S. News & World Report

"W. Thomas Smith Jr. is a clear writer, dogged reporter, and a patriot."
    — Kathryn Jean Lopez, editor, National Review Online

"W. Thomas Smith Jr. is a known quantity in the critical world of military writing where experience and credibility count. His training as a Marine and following service as a ground combat leader give him the essential heft often lacking in a journalistic world where prose often poses for substance. The military reader in particular, but not just him or her, easily pick out the subtleties in reporting that instantly give – or take away – the credibility of the writer. The 'I've been there' factor weighs as heavily as the directness or gracefulness of the writing itself, and too often can discredit an otherwise excellent piece."
    — Col. John W. Ripley (U.S. Marine Corps, ret.), the legendary commander of both U.S. and (British) Royal Marines, who is best known for single-handedly blowing up the Dong Ha bridge in Vietnam, thus blunting the North Vietnamese Army's Easter Offensive 1972

"An extraordinarily talented writer"
    — Barbara Pasquet James, Paris-based columnist and editor, BonjourParis and USATODAY.com/travel

"He has some extraordinary gifts: He's one of the hardest working and smartest authors I've worked with ... refuses to cave-in under pressure that most writers could not handle."
    — James C. Vines, president of the The Vines Agency,
New York

"W. Thomas Smith Jr. is a go-getting kind of person and a dynamic writer with lots of energy."
    — Tanith Carey, US editor, London Daily Mirror

"W. Thomas Smith Jr. is an incisive military analyst and fine wordsmith. He knows the issues and he's passionate about them."
    — Clifford D. May, president of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, and a member of the Baker-Hamilton Iraq Study Group and the Advisory Committee on Democracy Promotion. May is also a nationally syndicated columnist, and former editor for The New York Times, Newsweek, others

"A respected former U.S. Marine as well as an experienced journalist of military and security affairs, W. Thomas Smith Jr. is uniquely qualified to tell the story of America's special operations forces."
    — Dr. J. Peter Pham, director of the William R. Nelson Institute for International and Public Affairs at James Madison University

"W. Thomas Smith, Jr., has a rare understanding of the military and its unique culture that reflects strongly in his work."
    — Beth Zimmerman, editor, Marine Corps Times

"He is every editor's dream: His work is entertaining, succinct, and completely without pretension. He's one of the finest authors I've ever worked with in my 20 years in publishing. And I've worked with some of the best."
    — Gary Goldstein, editor, Kensington Publishing

"W. Thomas Smith Jr. is a literary jewel"
    — Joe Pinner, celebrated South Carolina television/media personality and 40-plus year anchor/broadcaster for (NBC affiliate) WIS-TV in Columbia, S.C.

"His writing is powerful yet simple. W. Thomas Smith Jr. has a flare for capturing human depth in a way that is endearing and concise. He is clearly passionate about his work, and that is reflected in his genuine, tell-it-like-it-is style. He has the ability to find the heart of a story and portray it on paper in a way that leaves readers wanting more."
    — Rebecca Pepin, television news anchor for (FOX News affiliate) WEMT in Bristol, Virginia/Tennessee, and former reporter/anchor for (NBC affiliate) WIS-TV in Columbia, S.C.

"As a 30-year Navy careerist - with twenty-years experience as a government contractor/consultant - I follow the erudite writings of W. Thomas Smith, Jr. who presents current topics based upon in-depth research, personal experience, unbiased candor, and understandable logic. My friends, associates, and shipmates have joined me in following, praising, and quoting W. Thomas Smith Jr."
    — Captain Louis Colbus (U.S. Navy, ret.) former commander of Destroyer Squadron Two and the former chief of staff for [Aircraft] Carrier Battle Group Eight

"His work is proof indeed of the importance and vitality of independent media."
    — Richard Blow, former editor of George magazine, best-selling author of American Son: A portrait of John F. Kennedy, Jr.

"W. Thomas Smith Jr's writing about military and special operations issues is always on target and a favorite among our readers. He is an extremely disciplined writer and is the first author I have worked with who has actually consistently beat deadlines."
    — Commander Mark Divine (U.S. Navy SEALs), president NavySEALs.com. Divine wrote the U.S. Special Operations Command Proof of Concept report for the new Marine Corps special operations force after directly observing Marines and SEALs operating together in Iraq.

"He gives foreign correspondents a good name"
    — Johanna Neuman, editor of Los Angeles Times; author of Lights, Camera, War

"W. Thomas Smith Jr. is one of my top three favorite authors to work with - and I've worked with many over the years. He might even be my favorite. He is thorough, professional, considerate, prompt, always has great ideas to improve quality, and is an absolute pleasure to work with. He always answers my questions quickly and is open to hearing my ideas. I wish more authors were like him!"
    — Christy Wagner, editor, Alpha Books (Penguin USA)

"fearless in his reporting"
    — S.C. Senator John Courson

"has the rare ability to present a wealth of information without once injecting an insignificant sentence. He is a man possessed with a passion for writing"
    — The Quill, SC Writers Workshop magazine
(January/February 2001)

"an incredibly talented, terrifically visual writer"
    — Judith Trotsky, author and a writer for Harpers, House Beautiful, and The Wall Street Journal, among others

"W. Thomas Smith Jr. is an intrepid journalist with eyes and ears for a good story. Smith's first rate writing abilities, personal military experience, and extensive military contacts allow him to tell the stories of Iraq, Afghanistan and other theatres of war in a way no other journalist can."
    — Steve Muscatello, editor, Townhall.com

"the type of writer I wanted to be when I grew up"
    — Amy Munnell, vice president of the Southeastern Writers Association

"W. Thomas Smith, Jr. brings an informed focus to his compelling writing style, cultivated from his wide ranging experience as a United States Marine Corps infantry leader and prolific writer/editor to a combat journalist in the world's most dangerous war zones. His is a voice brimming with the forceful images of battle that make it impossible to turn out the reading light."
    — Carol A. Taber, founder of the Family Security Foundation, Inc., president of FamilySecurityMatters.org, and former publisher of Success magazine and executive vice president of magazine publisher Lang Communications, Inc.

"W. Thomas Smith Jr. is not just a military analyst; he's a treasure trove of information. He stays on top of international news, military, defense, national security, and issues of global terrorism daily. He's a multimedia dynamo, reporting in magazines and newspapers, all over the Internet, on TV, and radio each and every day, keeping Americans informed and alert. His reports are lucid, intelligent, well-written, and easy to understand. He's disciplined, informed, well-connected, and his sources are very deep. His audience listens to what he writes because they know that he -- and others like him -- are crucial to our nation's survival!."
    — Sandra Frazier, publicist, SandyPR.com, New York