"As You Were: To War and Back with the Black Hawk Battalion of the Virginia National Guard" by Washington Post reporter Christian Davenport, is the story of five of America's citizen soldiers. Emphasis on the "soldier." Davenport was embedded with the 2-224 Regiment of the Virginia National Guard, who were deployed to Iraq in 2005. He followed the lives of five soldiers, before, during and after their tour in Iraq.
Miranda Summers was a senior at William and Mary, an active member of her sorority.
Ray Johnson was a 58-year-old grandfather of seven, who flew combat missions
in Vietnam. Kate Broome was a college dropout whose life had stalled. Mark Bausch
was a VMI grad. Craig Lewis was a high school teacher. They left everything
behind and deployed to Iraq in March 2005.
Miranda signed her name to a list being circulated seeking volunteers to be
Black Hawk door gunners. It was the closest thing to combat a woman would see
in the war. She didn't figure she'd be chosen from among the gung-ho men in
her unit, but her name was called and she went up with her finger on the trigger.
Kate, who was trained as a medic, had an emotional experience while on a search
and rescue mission. Her Black Hawk was diverted to the scene of an IED explosion,
and she tended to a young Marine whose legs had been severely damaged. She was
later awarded a Bronze star for her role in saving the Marine's life, but she
was just as emotionally scarred as the Marine's legs. Mark joined the unit just
out of flight school and six months into the deployment. He was a replacement,
and he was keen to keep his head down and stay out of trouble. But his commander
saw potential, and Mark spent the remainder of the deployment flying every kind
of mission the battalion had.
Iraq had its own trials, but it was the return home that was difficult on everyone. They all faced challenges - divorces, trouble finding jobs, PTSD and difficulty navigating the VA system, paying for college - but mostly readjusting to civilian life. They all missed home while in Iraq, but missed Iraq once they returned.
This isn't a typical war or combat story - it's about the "weekend warriors" who fight it, and the sacrifices they make to keep America safe. [9-6-09]
The Arms Maker of Berlin "The Arms Maker of Berlin" by Don Fesperman is a comprehensive description of industrial production during wartime Nazi Germany, underground Germans who attempted to protest the war, American espionage agents acting in neutral Switzerland, and the academic investigation of these events at the present time.
Nat Turnbull was a protégé of Gordon Wolfe, with both working for the history department of Wightman University. Their close relationship deteriorated after Nat won recognition for his book that explored German wartime resistance groups. Even though they had not communicated in over a year, Nat suddenly receives a phone call from Gordon's wife asking for help when Gordon is arrested and his archives are confiscated. Gordon had been an OSS agent operating in Switzerland at the end of WWII. He had committed the ultimate no-no of espionage and hung on to files from his spy days. When he is arrested and dies suddenly in prison, Nat must try to find what dangerous secret Gordon had been hiding. He is curious as an academic who focuses on the period and as an old friend who wonders if the secrets were important enough to be a death warrant for Gordon.
Present day events alternate with early 1940's in Germany and Switzerland. Kurt Bauer is the son of a Berlin arms manufacturer who has fallen in love with a young woman who has become impetuously involved with the White Rose. This is a clandestine student movement protesting the war in Berlin. At this time it can be fatally dangerous to even say that Germany might lose the war. Gordon Wolfe was part of a bomber crew that parachuted into Switzerland from a damaged plane. As a fluent German speaker, he was recruited to join the OSS, the forerunner of the CIA. As the war becomes more and more difficult for Germany to sustain, the Bauer family makes an approach to the Americans in Switzerland, looking for a way to maintain their manufacturing operations after the war. This past casts a long shadow. In the present day world, Kurt Bauer is a very wealthy arms dealer with some shady connections. When Nat tries to investigate what files Gordon had, where they are, and who they implicate, the search becomes very dangerous. These files are so important that the FBI hires Nat, believing that with his understanding of the period and of his mentor, he will be able to do more than any conventional investigator. Papers are dangerous. [9-13-09]
Four Corners of the Sky Annie P. Goode (what a melodious name) is a combat Navy pilot who was first in her class at Annapolis, has come home for her twenty-sixth birthday. Her family is made up of her Aunt Sam and Sam's companion Clark Goode, the local pediatrician. In "Four Corners of the Sky" by Michael Malone, Annie was left with her aunt in North Carolina when she was seven years old. Her father made a quick exit leaving Annie with a strange legacy. In the barn is an old Piper Warrior airplane named "King of the Sky". Annie quickly learned to love flying, always wanting to go as fast as possible. Her early memories were of always being on the road with her father, one jump ahead of the law or disillusioned victims that her father had conned. In one motel room, Annie was the one who outsmarted the bad guys so she and her father could escape. She quickly became wise beyond her years. She adored Jack Peregrine, her father, for the wonderful stories that he told her, but she realized Jack often told her several versions of the same story. Her new life with her aunt is very different. She knows that she is loved, but she always keeps her restless craving for movement, from being a track star to taking flying lessons. That is what pushes her to excel as a pilot and puts her in a position to be a test pilot for the Navy's newest and fastest plane.
When she comes home to North Carolina, her Aunt Sam tells Annie
that she has gotten a message from her brother Jack that he is dying of cancer
and wants Annie to fly the "King of the Sky" to meet him in St. Louis.
Annie is very ambivalent about going to see a father who abandoned her, with
only infrequent and irregular contact. She feels the revelation of illness is
likely to be another con. She does decide to meet Jack, but when she flies to
St. Louis, the intrigue begins. Jack is being hunted by an FBI agent and there
is a tenuous story about a statue found by the conquistadors. It was lost in
a shipwreck off the coast of Cuba and Jack knows where it is. Now everyone wants
to find Jack and the statue. A mob boss and Annie's unknown mother are subplot
characters. The frequent cons will keep you guessing all through the novel.
[9-20-09]
Tomato Rhapsody: a Fable of Love, Lust and Forbidden Fruit Since we probably all ate tomatoes in some form today, it is difficult to imagine a time when the European world considered tomatoes to be a deadly poison. "Tomato Rhapsody: a Fable of Love, Lust and Forbidden Fruit" by Adam Schell is the charming story of a small northern Italian village as it comes to terms with the great taste of the tomato and the people who first grew the tomato as a crop.
The fictional Nonno was a Jew who had been forced to work in the financial records of the Kingdom of Spain. When problems developed, he was exiled to accompany Columbus on one of his voyages to America. He had become so angry at Columbus after Columbus left him on a Caribbean island for five years that he stole a small fortune and a supply of tomato seeds when he was returned to Europe. Nonno managed to hide himself in Tuscany and became a farmer with a tomato crop. At this time most Italians considered the tomato poisonous, but the Italian Jews had learned of its cooking versatility. His grandson, Davido, was his principal helper. It is time for Davido to marry, so a bride has been selected in the proper manner and negotiations between the families have begun. The only problem is that the Jewish Davido has noticed Mari, a beautiful Catholic girl.
Much of the novel uses the old style of spoken Italian, a rhyming dialect that helped people to remember phrases before they were able to use the written word. That makes even the most ordinary conversations and descriptive passages sound romantic. The small Tuscan village has a race each year to honor their patron saint. The race is known as the Feast of the Drunken Saint. In the center courtyard of the village stands a statue of St. Ubriaco, a friar who is riding on a donkey, one hand behind his back and appearing intoxicated. To commemorate the legend of his donkey ride, the village divides into sectors and sponsors a rider who must race a donkey. Each entrant must have one hand tied behind his back and each time that he circles the courtyard, he must sample a generous portion of the local wine. Present in this novel are the villainous murderers, comic figures, a secret love affair, and the poetic language to make this novel resemble a Shakespearean play. [9-27-09]
by Helen Davis