I am currently immersed in three books. Escape*, by Carolyn Jessop became a minor obsession until last night, when I spent my sleeping hours arguing with Warren Jeffs about how he was mistreating his wives. Man, the last thing I need is to argue with wacko polygamists in my sleep.
I put Carolyn’s tale down and switched back to the Marine Corps, with Helmet for my Pillow*, Robert Leckie’s story of enlisting in 1941, and his subsequent tour of the Pacific during WWII. My father is a Marine, who enlisted some 20 years after Leckie. Makes the book more interesting to me.
I’ve always liked military history, but have generally been caught up in the more romantic wars like the American and French Revolutions, and the Civil War. WWII’s romance plays out in Europe, with the Allies rescuing the victims of Hitler’s death and work camps. The European theater has always been of much more interest to me, largely because my grandfather spent his wartime there.
I’ve never wanted to spend much time on the Pacific. D-Day makes me sad. Yes, I get the sads when I think about the Pacific. I am trying to expand my knowledge, though, and this seemed a decent starting place. I guess Tom Hanks thinks so, too, since he’s producing another HBO war project based on the book. Let’s hope I don’t start dreaming that I am arguing with Nakagawa over the way he treated his soldiers.
* I know I am supposed to underline these, but I can’t figure out how! Sheesh.
