2 comments about Stonewall's Man: Sandie Pendleton.

1. It's not often that staff officers receive the kind of attention combat commanders do, but even in the War Between the States, when staff officers frequently had as much front-lines time as private soldiers, Sandie Pendleton was something exceptional. W.G. Bean does an excellent job showing us why.

   I first encountered Alexander Swift 'Sandie' Pendleton in Douglas Southall Freeman's essential 'Lee's Lieutenants,' in which he cites the need for a comprehensive biography of this important officer. A few years later (Freeman wrote in the 1940s, and 'Stonewall's Man' was first published in 1959), W.G. Bean -- appropriately, the Douglas Southall Freeman Professor of History at Pendleton's alma mater, Washington and Lee University -- took up the challenge. This is a sympathetic, but still thorough, look at the man 'Stonewall' Jackson 'loved like a son,' and Dick Ewell called 'the most promising young man' in the Army of Northern Virginia.

   Pendleton was something of an intellectual, having graduated from Washington College (later W&L University) and entered the M.A. program at the University of Virginia when the War began. His quick and organized mind was ideally suited to the needs of a military staff, and he quickly made himself invaluable to Generals Jackson and Ewell. By the time of his death in 1864, shortly before his 24th birthday, he had risen to the rank of lieutenant colonel, and was assistant adjutant general (essentially, chief of staff) of the Second Corps.

   Bean does a fine job of relating all this. He also doesn't skip on the equally important details of Sandie's personal life, particularly his romance with, and marriage to, Kate Corbin. This book is filled with excerpts from Sandie and Kate's personal letters, as well as those of their families and friends. By the time the book is complete, I felt I knew Sandie well, and, with his wife and family, genuinely mourned his untimely death.

   Freeman said that part of his motivation in writing 'Lee's Lieutenants' was to rescue from obscurity some of the lesser-known commanders and officers of the Confederate armies. Today, when any acknowledgement (let alone defense) of the CSA is considered in some quarters a 'hate crime,' Freeman's mission is more important than ever. I'm very pleased, therefore, that 'Stonewall's Man' has been re-released, and urge its study by anyone interested in the Army of Northern Virginia. The staff corps, too, has its heroes, and Sandy Pendleton's is a life worthy of remembering and respecting.




2. Stonewall's Man, by W.G. Bean, is the biography of Alexander Swift "Sandie" Pendleton, 1841-64, who is best known as Chief of Staff to General T. J. "Stonewall" Jackson during the American Civil War. Bean, Professor of History at Washington and Lee University, focuses on Sandie's life and family, bringing the major events of the Civil War into the story only to the extent that Sandie played a role in them or they played a role in Sandie's life. This style gives the book two parallel themes: (1) The role of the military staff during the Civil War and (2) The life and everyday events of ordinary individuals in caught up in the midst of the Civil War.
   
   At the time of the Civil War, the military staff had not grown the prominence it achieved only a few years later in the Prussian army, let alone the bloated status it "enjoys" today. Jackson's Second Corps, at its height, was composed of perhaps 30,000 men, and the staff typically numbered about four or five officers, including the Corps surgeon, Dr. Hunter McGuire. Its role was to facilitate Jackson's communication of with his subordinate commanders and with higher Headquarters, i.e., General Lee. In this era, "communications" meant hand written communications when time allowed and oral communications otherwise. During battles, "transmitting" orders typically meant getting on a horse and riding until Sandie found the intended recipient. Along the way, he was expected to render all appropriate support as dictated by the situation: Rallying retreating troops, bringing damaged artillery back into action, and, on his own initiative, improvising and acting for the commander. There was, and still is, a very delicate balancing act between acting on one's initiative and overstepping one's limited authority. Apparently, Sandie, at the ages of 21 to 23, had an extraordinary sense of this balance as he was held in the highest regard by both Jackson and his subordinate commanders. In addition, Sandie enjoyed an unusually close personal relationship with his notoriously tight lipped commander. After Jackson's death at Chancellorsville in May 1863, Sandie enjoyed similar professional relations with Jackson's successors, Generals Ewell and Early, although his personal relations with them were less close than with Jackson. Sandie was killed in late 1864 in the Battle of Fisher's Hill between Early and Union General Sheridan who had embarked on the burning of the Shenandoah Valley to starve the Confederacy into submission.
   
   Sandie had been offered promotion from his staff position as a Lieutenant Colonel to command of a bigade as a Brigadier General. He declined the promotion as he thought the staff position carried greater responsibility. It did. Sandie greatly ehnanced the effectiveness of the Jackson's command. He was the war's most effective staff officer, highly adept at implementing the orders of its most brilliant general.
   
   The personal life of Sandie Pendleton centers about his parents, his sisters, and his wife, Kate Corbin, to whom he was married less than a year prior to his death. All were prolific letter writers which provided Professor Bean with his primary source material. Sandie's relationship with his father, William Nelson Pendleton, is particularly interesting. W. N. Pendleton was, successively, a West Point graduate, Episcopal minister, headmaster of the Episcopal High School in Alexandria, VA, rector of Grace Episcopal Church in Lexington, VA, master of a boy's prep school in Lexington, and Brigadier General and commander of Jackson's artillery. He evidently had a profound influence on his son who taught in his father's prep school and hoped to follow his steps into the ministry. Serving on Jackson's staff while his father was an important subordinate commander must have further complicated Sandie's balancing act as chief of Jackson' staff. The personal events and letters of the family paint a clear and sad picture of lives caught up in the tragedy of the Civil War in Virginia. For example, in approximately one year, Kate Corbin lost three small nieces and nephews, her brother, her new husband, and their son who was born shortly after his father's death.
   
   Professor Bean's narrative also indirectly highlights the prominent role of religion in every aspect of these people's lives. Many of us today tend to forget, if we ever knew, that the Civil War and American Revolution both had aspects of religious crusades, the Civil War on both sides, the Revolution primarily on the American side. For more on this theme, see Kevin Phillips, The Cousins Wars.

2 comments about Grasshopper Pilot: A Memoir.

1. The stories of the air war in Europe and Japan have concentrated on the stories of mighty bombers going off to bomb Germany or Japan and of sleek, fast, agile fighters defending Britain or the bombers. Bill Cummings did it differently. He flew a 'Grasshopper' the military version of the Piper Cub - 65 glorious horsepower (finally expanded to a mighty 100 hp).
   
   His story begins with being fascinated with flying as a kid and learning how to fly before WW II started. With 60+ hours of flying time, and an ROTC commission as a second lieutenant he was getting ready to put in for the air corp when a notice came down that all the officers who had sixty hours or more of private flying were to put in for flight training. Suddenly he was a military pilot.
   
   His military career took him to North Africa, Sicily, Italy and finally to the Philippines. Most of the time he flew in one plane, 'Maggie the Faithful,' 485 missions. His story is quite a different one from the usual Army 'I was there' book. He helps to fill a niche in an understudied dimension of the war.



2. This book is a collection of writings by Julian Cummings and assembled into a book by his wife as he lay terminally ill in 2002. As such, the book has a number of problems: it's too short to say much; it's erratic in that some chapters have a nice amount of detail and others are just a page or two long; the writing style varies from pretty good to annoying.
   
   Most people seem to be able to write well about their own experiences, whether they are professional authors or not. You can see glimmers of that here, but it's not consistent. These wartime memoirs are best written in the first decade or two after the war. Beyond that the story just doesn't seem fresh, and parts of this book show that symptom.
   
   That said, the subject is an interesting and somewhat neglected one; although there are other books out on these small planes and their pilots they're expensive and hard to find.
   
   If you're at all curious about this aspect of WW2, you'll enjoy reading through this, but I recommend you check it out of a library or find a used copy cheap. I did not find it to be a "keeper".

5 comments about Yale English Monarchs - William the Conqueror (The English Monarchs Series).

1. David C. Douglas does an excellent job in his attempt to portray the events of William the Conqueror's life. He performs the task of drawing the many aspects of his life together in a very precise manner. The only drawback is that in some places the book's readability suffers from dense information. The amount of research done had to be tremendous considering all the information you come across in the book. I found the descriptions of the ecclesiastical revival in Normandy and subsequently England to be very fascinating. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about the life behind the legend that is William the Conqueror.



2. William the Conqueror overcame enormous odds and political challenges to succeed his father as Duke of Normandy and his cousin, Edward the Confessor, as King of England. Only by defeating the upstart Harold Godwinson in 1066 at the battle of Hastings was William able to claim his throne. From the moment he attained his majority to the time of his death, William was forced to defend his realm in both Normandy and England from multiple opponents. Despite this rather pressing distraction, William is credited with many non-military achievements, not the least of which is the eager and successful sponsorship of ecclesiastical reform and the completion of the remarkably extensive social survey, Domesday Book.
   
   David C. Douglas has presented a substantial volume detailing the life and times of the Conqueror in admirable style. Discussing social, economic, ecclesiastical, cultural and military events with equal aplomb, Douglas brings the reader an in-depth, nearly digestable account of an epic era in european history. As can be expected of any comprehensive attempt at such a biography, recitation of the names, titles, landholdings and shifting objectives of various and sundry aristocrats, both clerical and lay, can send the reader into a bit of a fog. However, this happens seldom enough to allow this book's excellent formulation and pace to shine through. 4 stars.



3. Sure, it's like, forty years old, but it still sets the standard in William the Conqueror scholarship. Here are answers, or at least well-phrased hedges about the most important questions surrounding William's life and conquests: Did William introduce feudalism to England or adapt existing social structures? Was his victory in the Battle of Hastings attributable more to the exhaustion of the English after fighting off the Norwegians or more to William's superior conquest? and so forth.
   
   Douglas has read the primary sources in English and French (and Latin, and Italian, etc), he has read the secondary sources, he has, in short, done his homework. I mean, how many books have you read that have quotes from reviewers on the back that say, "the author has set about to self conciously create a masterpiece on the subject... and he has succeded."
   
   The funny thing about this book is that even though it is supremely scholarly, it is also suitable for the general reader. Provided: that reader has either taken an undergraduate course in Midevial history or has done reading on his/her own on the subject. If you only read one book before this one I would recommend either Feudal Society vol. I by Bloch or the Making of the Middle Ages by Southern.



4. This book on the life of William the Conqueror (ca 1028 - 1086 AD) was a college textbook for me. (...Which I read much longer ago than I'd care to admit.) I recently read it again, with a much greater appreciation of the quality and depth of Douglas's research and writing.
   
   This work is a readable, well presented and interesting analysis of Duke William of Normandy's life from his early childhood as the bastard son of the murdered Duke Robert of Normandy, living precariously under the protection of various noblemen loyal to his father; through to the zenith of his career as the most powerful and successful ruler in all of Western Europe: noting the challenges he faced as he fought to maintain his position and power in his later years, and ending with his death and the impact he had upon England, France and most of the rest of Western Europe.
   
   You will come away from readng this book with a much greater appreciation of William, and how his intelligence, courage, military and political leadership and ruthlessness enabled him to attain the pinnacle of European society and politics of the time, and forge a legacy that endures down to the present time. You will see how his success had a huge impact upon the development of Feudal society and institutions throughout Western Europe and England. You will understand the complexities of the political, social and religious institutions and relationships of the time, and will have a solid understanding of William's influence upon the leaders and personalities who helped create and lead those same institutions.
   
   It's clear that Professor Douglas is equally comfortable with researching and explaining events and circumstances on both sides of the English Channel. He carefully avoids biasing the reader either for or against the English or French points of view on the life of this controversial man, and succeeds in providing a holistic view of William's life and the world in which he lived.
   
   I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book a second time, and was impressed with Douglas's encyclopedic knowledge and careful use of original sources from not only in England and France, but Denmark, Germany, Rome and elsewhere in Europe.
   
   My one reservation about the text is the lack of maps. Near the end of the book there is good map of Normandy and another showing Normandy and England. Yet, maps would have been helpful within the main text to give more detail about spatial relationships and movements at the scenes of battles or major events. Given that the book was written about 45 years ago, having two maps would be about average for that time, so I guess I won't put too much emphasis on this point. The charts showing the familial relationships and lines of descent of the Duke and his contemporaries in France, England and Denmark, and various other appendices, were very helpful and interesting.
   
   Any student of History looking to learn more about the life of William and other great rulers of the time, seeking to learn about development of Feudal society and culture, or interested in learning about the foundations of Anglo-Norman society and impact of the Normans upon Anglo-Saxon England (following William's victory over Harold at Hastings in 1066), will find this book to be very informative and useful. On that basis; given the quality of Douglas's writing and research; and this book's enduring reputation within this field, I have no hesitation in rating this book as 5 stars: well worth reading!



5. Well, I'm reading the other reviews and I can't agree that this is a good book. The author conducted quite a lot of research, but it's not very readable. My theory is that "history" is (or should be) everything that ever happened with the boring bits cut out. In an attempt to try something interesting, this author cut out the exciting parts (the actual victory against and death of England's king passes like an afterthought, as does the description of an attempt on William's life where his attendant was killed in Williams bedroom right before his eyes) and includes a long list of places and names as if he was trying to outdo the "begats" of the old Testament. Human elements are lost amid long discussions of land charters. There's no description of language, foods, clothing, personality, or anything that makes a story human. It simultaneously tells us too much and not enough. I don't feel like I know the people at all. I read David Howarth's 1066 at the same time and even though that book was less scholarly, I learned more from it. This author talks to hear himself speak. It's useful if you already know all about William and want to hear MORE, but it's almost useless as an introduction.

4 comments about Pacific War Marine.

1. That's right. I wrote the book about my father's four years in combat. He was in the "Forgotten Battalion," a unit of over 500 Marines of which only seventeen were left standing at the end. Tulagi and Guadalcanal thinned their ranks, many were cut down at Tarawa, Saipan-- more of the same, ditto Guam, then Iwo Jima decimated them further.
   
   But this book is not just about combat; Stanley Holloway met a young woman in New Zealand and fell in love. The book includes letters written while he was slogging through island invasions and she was worried sick about him.
   
   I've had a lot of people tell me they really enjoyed Pacific War Marine. One of my favorite responses came from a Vietnam veteran Marine. He wrote, "I have read many books of the Pacific Campaign and yours was so personal it made me feel like I was a part of the family... very hard to put down. Have read it twice... good detail. Most books of our 'Heroes' are written in documentary form and really do not tell the story."
   
   There it is, shameless promotion of my own book.



2. This book was written by the son of a World War II marine. What really makes this book special is how the author(son), has incorporated the letters written by his father to his future wife. By using these letters he has given a more balanced view of what a "jarhead" had to go thru from both the Marines combat experience to the homefront war time reality. The use of many photos (including personal photos) and his father's wartime memories makes this more than your typical war book. He has captured his father's experiences and has successfully made them come alive for the reader.



3. This book really made the Pacific ordeal come alive. You feel like you're in the midst of the conflict, with the resultant fear and courage of the young men sent to defend their country. The love story between the principles brings it back to a personal level, reminding us that these young men sacrificed much.



4. I picked up Pacific War Marine by Clyde Holloway as a Father's Day gift for my father-in-law, a World War II veteran. Before I wrapped the book, I started reading it, and I couldn't put it down until I'd finished this engaging true story that is part personal experience, part history, and part love story. Written by the son of Marine who served in the Pacific during World War II, Pacific War Marine tells how one young Marine managed to stayed alive through endless missions in the Pacific and fell in love with a local beauty while on shore leave in New Zealand. Through actual letters and period photos, the reader is transported back to the 1940s. An excellent read--and a great gift for the veteran in your family.

5 comments about Lost Black Sheep: The Search for WWII Ace Chris Magee.

1. I received my copy of Bob's book two weeks after I had scheduled a trip to Waterbury Connecticut to the 56th reunion of my own father's WWII military group. My father passed away last year after a long battle with alzheimers, and I too was on a quest of sorts. I was never able to get my father to open up about his war experiences on the beaches of Normandy and beyond, and know now that their generation was truly the "great generation" of our time. This book really hit home. The content was interesting enough that I read the book at one sitting, and it provoked questions of a very personal nature to me. For those of us who are members of the "baby boom" generation I hope we all start asking our Fathers, Mothers, Uncles, Aunts - anyone with personal experiences about this remarkable time in our history to share their stories with us while they are able. We should also give them a sincere Thank You for their sacrifices.



2. In Lost Black Sheep: The Search For WWII Ace Chris Magee, Robert Reed reveals saga of an extraordinary man in a real-life story of war and peace, crime and punishment. Chris Magee was one of the legendary Black Sheep Squadron under "Pappy" Boyington's command. He grew up with stories of World War I aviation heroes and joined the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1941. After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Chris transferred to the U.S. Marine Corps and went to the South Pacific where his personal bravery and skills as a combat flier earned him the Navy Cross and the respect of his peers. After the war ended Chris spent the next twelve years as a black marketeer, bootlegger, volunteer fighter pilot for Israel, courier for a covert American group involved in Latin American politics, and finally a bank robber. In his middle years he turned his life around and became a respected journalist. By age 70 he was living in retirement in a rustic apartment on Chicago's North Side. Then Chris found an envelope slipped under his front door with a note that compelled him to revisit parts of his past he thought long buried. Several of Magee's letters, poetry, and other writings are woven into the text (including a short story titled "Keep Moving". Lost Black Sheep is a fascinating, superbly written biography of a very unusual American unusal life.



3. If, like me, you read Baa Baa Blacksheep and Once They Were Eagles, this is for you. The mysterious life and whereabouts of Chris Magee almost haunted me after reading Frank Walton's Once They Were Eagles. The information about Chris Magee in Walton's book and the fascinating letter it contains left many questions about Magee that begged for answers. I knew this would be an interesting book before I read it and I was not let down. I did not know it would be emotionally provocative. I won't spoil the surprises. Don't read too many reviews lest you not get the full effect. Pick it up soon.



4. If you are a fan of WW II VMF-214, "Baa Baa Black Sheep" and "Once They Were Eagles", this is a must read. Two stories in one. That of "Bandanna Maggie" before, during and after WW II. Also, a determined author's quest about a Marine hero he did not know until too long. Follow the trail of a Marine I'm sure Gregory Boyington admired as a great fellow warrior after the "big one" and his attepts to find himself in war and peace. (Success, or failure? Yes? No? You decide.) A remarkable book for those who are interested in the men of 214. As I said, if you liked the two first books mentioned, you will love this one written by the one man who would have done it.



5. Chris Magee, the enigmatic "Wildman" of Pappy Boyington's Marine "Blacksheep" fighter squadron of World War II, disappeared in the late 1950's after serving as a fighter pilot in Israel's fledgling Air Force and also after serving several years in an American penitentiary for robbing two banks in one day. Then journalist Robert T. Reed discovered that the "Wildman" was his biological father. And through an astute process of "investigative reporting," Mr. Reed has pieced together a thoroughly fascinating portrait of a gifted pilot, talented and sensitive human being and quintessential "free spirit." Mr. Reed's book constitutes a fine addition to the annals of those whom Tom Brokaw has designated America's "Greatest Generation." It's indisputable that the efforts of extraordinary men like Chris Magee were crucial in bringing victory to the Allied Powers in history's greatest conflict.

5 comments about Custer and Little Bighorn: The Man, the Mystery, the Myth.

1. Custer and the Little Bighorn was simply a great read! Not only are the illustrations and photos absolutely gorgeous - giving the reader a perfect visual context for the fascinating and tragic story of George Armstrong Custer, but once I started reading I couldn't put it down! The author obviously knows his history AND knows how to grab the reader's interest from the get-go and not give it up until after the final, bloody battle. This is a great coffee table book - with it's multitude of great photos, illustrations and maps. I think it's a terrific gift for any history buff - male or female, of any age. I'm keeping the first one I bought for myself, but it's also a definite on my gift-giving list for family and friends!



2. Custer and the Little Bighorn was simply a great read! Not only are the illustrations and photos absolutely gorgeous - giving the reader a perfect visual context for the fascinating and tragic story of George Armstrong Custer, but once I started reading I couldn't put it down! The author obviously knows his history AND knows how to grab the reader's interest from the get-go and not give it up until after the final, bloody battle. This is a great coffee table book - with it's multitude of great photos, illustrations and maps. I think it's a terrific gift for any history buff - male or female, of any age. I'm keeping the first one I bought for myself, but it's also a definite on my gift-giving list for family and friends!



3. This was fun to read for the most part. There really is nothing new and I do take issue with the claim that this is" the first major illustrated work" on Custer. Lawrence Frost's book, The Custe Album, holds that distinction



4. The most thorough and well-researched book I've ever read on Custer. The beautiful illustrations, supporting historical documents, and Dononvan's insightful analysis evoke the myth that is our American West. Custer embodies that myth. Donovan succeeds in humanizing this compelling, tragic man while celebrating his immortality. The author does an exceptional job of establishing and explaining the legend of Custer and why his last battle seized the imagination of the American public. Securing not just a place in American history, but in our culture.



5. A large book well armed with pictures of not only Custer, his family, but also of key major military personnel, Forts, leading confederates and best of all, great Indian leaders. Besides the large presence of photographs, the book provides a nice compressed history of Custer from Birth to his postmortem. It's an accelerated read with direct references to historical events without gratuitous detail. In reference to his CW career, Donovan is a little light on Custer in the valley in 1864 as Custer has some conflicts with colleagues over such things as who earned the captured flags versus who actually took them. In addition, Custer's role at Five Forks is a bit large in contrast to the infantry's 5th Corps who crushed the isolated Confederate left. Overall, it's a pretty good overview of Custer's Civil War and pre- LBH western career. I do note that pictures sometimes fill in voids such as the destruction of Lt. Kidder's command and Custer's meeting with Satanta, which are missing from the narrative. The best part of the book deals with the LBH and the author pulls no punches in explaining what he thinks happened. His theory reflects Michno's "Lakota Noon" primarily in that he theorizes that Custer held his battalion on the east side of the river waiting for Reno and Benteen to rally to him to squeeze the Indians his battalion and theirs. But of course that does not happen and the command is destroyed. The author captures all the personal conflicts in command such as Reno's fitness and Benteen's pouting causing his leisurely stroll. The after the LBH evaluation is also quite good recognizing that several elements caused Custer's defeat, not just Custer's brashness, Reno's ineptness or Benteen's bitterness but the loss of surprise, the pressure to attack, the confidence of the Indians, their stubborn resistance capitalizing on the fractured commands and collapse and the primary fact that they didn't run like everyone perceived. Other elements include Crook's stepping out of the campaign with his 1300 men after the battle of the Rosebud the week before against smaller numbers then Custer. But also it's noted that Custer preferred the standard morning surprise attack but after discivering Indians on his back trail, he felt the need to attack immediately with reconnaissance done while on the move. Many forget that Colonel Reynolds inder Crook was nearly Court Martialed for botching the March Powder River attack. Although not mentioned directly, all commanders were under pressure to attack before the Indians dispersed. Terry's and Crook's subsequent post LBH campaigns attest to the Indian mobility challenge. The latter part of the book deals with the Custer legend based on writings, movies and historical hindsight that are based on the culture at the present, WWII era versus post Vietnam. This latter portion reminds of Hutton's great book the "Custer Reader" which is also worth a very good look since it also deals with participant' writings and fellow historians. This is a good book for those looking for a pretty good capsule on Custer that includes excellent pictures and an argument. Then they can venture into the books with greater analysis and detail and of course a greater feel for why the battle is so controversial.

No comments about 'Ware Sherman: A Journal of Three Months' Personal Experience in the Last Days of the Confederacy.

1 comments about The Pirate of Tobruk: A Sailor's Life on the Seven Seas, 1916-1948.

1. Rarely has such a wealth of personal and professional maritime experiences been included in a single memior. Alfred Palmer's swashbuckling life at sea covered the first half of the twentieth century, spanning the ages of sail and steam. He served in the Royal Navy during both world wars, and between the wars he worked for the merchant marine on all manner of commercial vessels - from colliers to passenger liners - across the globe. In this book, which captures the final days of the great sailing ships, he regales readers with extraordinary tales of battlng the forces of man and nature. His countless adventures include being the sole survivor of an explosion at sea, being shipwrecked off the Galapagos Islands, abandoning ship after a U-boat attack, and drifting for days at sea in a lifeboat.
   
   This memior is especially notable for Palmer's firsthand descriptions of dramatic naval engagements from both world wars as well as for his account of the "little wars" along the North African coast in World War II, where the author witnessed the seige of Tobruk. As skipper of the captured Italian schooner Maria Giovanni, he earned his sobriquet, Pirate of Tobruk, running a blockade off the coast of Africa until he was captured by the enemy. A prisoner-of-war from 1941 to 1944, he lost his right arm during one of many escape attempts and was later released thanks to a Red Cross interview. A post in the Far East after the war allowed Palmer a penetrating look into the intrigues of Saigon and Shanghai, which he offers to a reader in the final captivating chapter.
   --- from book's dustjacket

No comments about B*U*F*F (Big Ugly Fat F*****).

2 comments about From the Golden Gate to the Black Forest: The Odyssey of a New American in Search of His Parents' Fate.

1. Louis Maier's book is fascinating in how it presents the view of a teenager and young adult during an event which most of us think of as history. The tensions of the times are brought back to life in this thoughtful memoir. Mr. Maier is able to recapture his feelings from that era with a vividness that makes the war and the holocaust live for us again. The helplessness of a refugee dependent on the goodwill of strangers, but trying to establish himself as an adult and a new American, is poignantly brought forward by this book. His sadness and sense of powerlessness in the face of his parents' terrible internment and subsequent death is a reminder for all of us of the feelings of refugees the world over. This well written book is important documentation of a sad period in our American lives.



2. Louis Maier is a holocaust survivor and a very articulate witness of events for which first-hand documentation is scarce. He was a 16 years old Jewish boy in Germany in 1940. His parents had the foresight of applying for his foster home placement in the US. The book starts with his departure from Berlin (and from his parents) and his traveling through Russia (via the Trans-Siberian Railway), to Japan and across the Pacific to San Francisco. A gripping description of life as a foster child in a foreign environment follows.
   His parents, deported from Germany to a camp in the Pyrenees in unoccupied France, kept a frequent correspondence with him until they were sent to Auschwitz in 1942. Their letters constitute the core of the book and are a true, vivid historical document. The book also reports on a very moving series of efforts (extraordinary for a 17 year old immigrant) to attempt to organize their rescue by providing affidavits and travel documents that might have resulted in their release from internment in France and their emigration to the US. These efforts failed.
   Louis Maier later joined the US army and served in Europe at the end of the war and in the immediate post-war period. This part of the book also contains a highly interesting description of conditions in Europe in 1945 (the period described by Primo Levi in "The Truce").
   Louis Maier's book is an exceptional first hand documentation of terrible events and a moving personal account of the heart-breaking efforts of a teenager to rescue his parents. I have read a lot on the holocaust but I found in this book a different perspective and a unique insight on less known events. Highly interesting reading.