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| -Land of the Free | ||
| Book of the Week: The Jersey Brothers | ||
| 2018-12-30 | ||
By Sally Mott Freeman Simon & Schuster, 2017 If Herman Wouk were to write an historical novel about the Pacific War ‐ you know, where the protagonists happen to be in all the right places at the right times to give remarkable insight to the action ‐ it would be The Jersey Brothers. Bill ‐ the author’s father (I am almost positive) - was in FDR’s Map Room (modelled after Churchill’s) early in the war and on the bridge of Admiral Turner’s island-hopping fleet thereafter. Benny was the chief gunnery officer on the Enterprise, from before Pearl Harbor to mid-war. Barton ‐ the baby of the three brothers ‐ was sent to a safe place by his older brothers "pulling stings" in the Navy. Unfortunately, that safe place was Manila as a supply officer. Even more unfortunately, he was injured in the December 8 bombing and was in the hospital when the Japanese arrived. More unfortunately than that, Mac Arthur evacuated the Army part of the hospital at the last moment but overlooked the Navy patients. Most unfortunately of all, Mac Arthur’s "yes men" stalled the liberation of Barton’s camp in a daring raid in 1944 until after the POWs had been moved. The central theme is Barton's story, with points of view including the three brothers and their mother ‐ a New Jersey Republican (1940s, remember?) - who is not fond of FDR and blames the Navy for the capture and detention of her son. Poignant, sometimes spiteful letters from mother to the Navy, FDR, and senators (etc.) are quoted verbatim by the author, her granddaughter. Lots of input from unpublished manuscripts and letters to and from the mother and Barton's fellow POWs, not to mention first-person accounts from her father and uncle, although the author seldom refers to them so personally. Incidentally, Bill also played a part in Truman’s decision to use the Bomb, and also suggested to JFK the use of the naval block... sorry, "naval quarantine" in 1962. All the right places at the right times. Plenty of brutality, with a smattering of humanity, tragedy, arrogance, and stupidity, and a lot of bravery and courage in the face of unspeakable horror and long odds. Yet I found myself with tears in my eyes at the end. You shan’t be sorry. 520 pages plus notes and bibliography Barnes and Noble Free Shipping and Amazon, of course.
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| Posted by:Bobby |
| #2 I'm about to do the same TW. |
| Posted by: warthogswife 2018-12-30 12:38 |
| #1 Kindle sample downloaded so I don’t forget. Thank you, Bobby! |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2018-12-30 01:27 |