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A Dangerous Game
by John WilsonA gripping World War One saga with a strong female protagonist, published for the third year of the war's centenary.Manon Wouters grew-up in the idyllic Belgian city of Damme, where she spent her afternoons cycling into beautiful Bruges to study nursing. But as Europe--and the world--erupted into a devastating war, teenaged Manon soon found herself faced with unbelievable choices. Would she hide? Or would she fight? As Manon toils away at the local hospital, no one would guess just how crucial a role she is really playing. A trained spy, Manon gathers information to send to the British to aid in ending the war. Soon, she uncovers information about a monster plane that must be stopped at all costs. As she races to fulfill her mission, Manon must confront enemies at every turn, and face a terrifying and sobering truth: that innocents are being killed on both sides of the front.
A Dangerous Journey, California 1849
by J. Ross BrowneIN THE SUMMER OF 1849 there was in California one J. Ross Browne representing the United States Postal Service. In the course of his official duties he made a trip by “mulepower and footpower” from San Francisco to San Luis Obispo. The tale of this trip is authentic, unusual Californiana: the narrative combines the outlandish happenings of the journey—including a brush with outlaws, and a death battle between a bull and a huge bear—with a reporter’s penetrative observation on the rugged life in California a century ago.A Dangerous Journey was first published as two articles in Harper’s Monthly for May and June, 1862. It was reissued in 1864 as a compilation, Crusoe’s Island: A Ramble in the Footsteps of Alexander Selkirk with Sketches of Adventure in California and Washoe.This edition was first published in 1950.
A Dangerous Leap
by Sharon CalvinBook one of Gulf Coast RescueRaised by navy parents, Kelly Bishop learned how to pack light and say goodbye at an early age. She's earned her Coast Guard rescue swimmer stripes in some of the toughest waters out there, outperforming men along the way. Now she's ready for a new start in Florida, eager to prove herself as the best of the best.What she isn't ready for is the spark between her and fellow Coastie Ian Razzamenti.Ian knows what he wants and he knows how to get it. And what he's always wanted is a stay-at-home wife-someone who can take care of their children while he's out on missions. The attraction he feels for Kelly is intense, but is it worth giving up his big-family dreams?Life-or-death situations leave little time for distraction-or doubt. When a tropical storm becomes a hurricane and a dangerous enemy reveals himself, their air station springs into action, and Kelly and Ian may not have the chance to decide whether they want to take the leap...71,000 words
A Dangerous Woman: American Beauty, Noted Philanthropist, Nazi Collaborator—The Life of Florence Gould
by Susan RonaldA revealing biography of Florence Gould, fabulously wealthy socialite and patron of the arts, who hid a dark past as a Nazi collaborator in 1940’s Paris.Born in turn-of-the-century San Francisco to French parents, Florence moved to Paris at the age of eleven. Believing that only money brought respectability and happiness, she became the third wife of Frank Jay Gould, son of the railway millionaire Jay Gould. She guided Frank’s millions into hotels and casinos, creating a luxury hotel and casino empire. She entertained Zelda and Scott Fitzgerald, Pablo Picasso, Joseph Kennedy, and many Hollywood stars—like Charlie Chaplin, who became her lover. While the party ended for most Americans after the Crash of 1929, Frank and Florence stayed on, fearing retribution by the IRS. During the Occupation, Florence took several German lovers and hosted a controversial Nazi salon. As the Allies closed in, the unscrupulous Florence became embroiled in a notorious money laundering operation for Hermann Göring’s Aerobank. Yet after the war, not only did she avoid prosecution, but her vast fortune bought her respectability as a significant contributor to the Metropolitan Museum and New York University, among many others. It also earned her friends like Estée Lauder who obligingly looked the other way. A seductive and utterly amoral woman who loved to say “money doesn’t care who owns it,” Florence’s life proved a strong argument that perhaps money can buy happiness after all.
A Dark Song of Blood
by Ben PastorPraise for the Martin Bora series:"The tone of Liar Moon has a flu-like grimness, appropriate the 1943 setting. Pastor is excellent at providing details (silk stockings, movie magazines, cigarettes) that light up the setting."-Booklist"Lumen's plot is well crafted, her prose shap . . . a disturbing mix of detection and reflection."-Publisher's WeeklyRome, 1944. While the Allies are fighting their way up the Italian peninsula, Rome lives the last days of Nazi occupation. Their world is falling apart as the German Army, the Gestapo, and the SS vie for power while holding glittering and debauched parties. But this is also a time of Italian partisan attacks, arrests, and mass executions, all to the sound of Allied artillery bombardment just outside the walls of the city.Baron Martin von Bora, an officer in the Wehrmacht, has the complex and delicate task of solving not one, but three murders. A young German embassy secretary has "accidentally" fallen to her death from a fourth-floor window, and a Roman society lady and a headstrong cardinal of the Roman Curia are found dead in her apartment. The cardinal is personally known to Bora and, like the officer, secretly active in the resistance against the Third Reich. With Italian police inspector Sandro Guidi at his side, Bora sets off to establish the truth. Different as they are, the two men confront crime, war, and dictatorship in the awareness that the dignity of man comes at a price beyond all imagination.
A Darker Reality (Elena Standish Book 3)
by Anne PerryThe third novel in Anne Perry's breathtakingly tense and exciting spy thriller series, featuring young British photographer and secret agent Elena Standish, set in the 1930s when the world was a place of increasing fear and uncertainty... Spring, 1934. With the threat of war looming, political tensions begin to rise... Elena Standish, a young English photographer who works for British Intelligence, is visiting her grandparents' home in Washington DC when tragedy strikes. A lavish party is held to mark her grandparents' sixtieth wedding anniversary and Elena takes pride in capturing the event on camera, but when the beautiful wife of a renowned scientist is found murdered in the driveway, allegedly run over by Elena's grandfather's car, Elena's world is turned upside down.Arrested on suspicion of murder, Wyatt Baylor protests his innocence, claiming he has enemies who are trying to frame him. But who are these enemies and how can Elena defend a man she barely knows? Turning to secret agent James Allenby for help, Elena must uncover the truth behind the events of that fateful night. But can she trust Allenby or her family and is she willing to risk everything in her pursuit of the truth?(P)2021 Headline Publishing Group Ltd
A Darker Reality: An Elena Standish Novel (Elena Standish Ser. #3)
by Anne PerryThe third novel in Anne Perry's breathtakingly tense and exciting spy thriller series, featuring young British photographer and secret agent Elena Standish, set in the 1930s when the world was a place of increasing fear and uncertainty... Spring, 1934. With the threat of war looming, political tensions begin to rise... Elena Standish, a young English photographer who works for British Intelligence, is visiting her grandparents' home in Washington DC when tragedy strikes. A lavish party is held to mark her grandparent's sixtieth wedding anniversary and Elena takes pride in capturing the event on camera, but when the beautiful wife of a renowned scientist is found murdered in the driveway, allegedly run over by Elena's grandfather's car, Elena's world is turned upside down.Arrested on suspicion of murder, Wyatt Baylor protests his innocence, claiming he has enemies who are trying to frame him. But who are these enemies and how can Elena defend a man she barely knows? Turning to secret agent James Allenby for help, Elena must uncover the truth behind the events of that fateful night. But can she trust Allenby or her family and is she willing to risk everything in her pursuit of the truth?
A Darkling Plain
by Kristen Renwick Monroe Kristen Renwick Monroe Chloe Lampros-Monroe Jonah Robnett Pellecchia Chloe Lampros-MonroeHow do people maintain their humanity during wars? Despite its importance, this question receives scant scholarly attention, perhaps because war is overwhelming. The generally accepted belief is that wars bring out the worst in us, pitting one against another. "War is hell," William Tecumseh Sherman famously noted, and even "just" wars are massively destructive and inhumane. Since ethics is concerned with discovering what takes us to a morally superior place, one conducive to betterment and happiness- studying what helps people survive wartime trauma thus becomes an extremely valuable enterprise. A Darkling Plain fills an important scholarly void, analyzing wartime stories that reveal much about our capacity to process trauma, heal wounds, reclaim lost spirits, and derive meaning and purpose from the most horrific of personal events.
A Date Which Will Live: Pearl Harbor in American Memory
by Emily S. RosenbergDecember 7, 1941--the date of Japan's surprise attack on the U. S. fleet at Pearl Harbor--is "a date which will live" in American history and memory, but the stories that will live and the meanings attributed to them are hardly settled. In movies, books, and magazines, at memorial sites and public ceremonies, and on television and the internet, Pearl Harbor lives in a thousand guises and symbolizes dozens of different historical lessons. In A Date Which Will Live, historian Emily S. Rosenberg examines the contested meanings of Pearl Harbor in American culture. Rosenberg considers the emergence of Pearl Harbor's symbolic role within multiple contexts: as a day of infamy that highlighted the need for future U. S. military preparedness, as an attack that opened a "back door" to U. S. involvement in World War II, as an event of national commemoration, and as a central metaphor in American-Japanese relations. She explores the cultural background that contributed to Pearl Harbor's resurgence in American memory after the fiftieth anniversary of the attack in 1991. In doing so, she discusses the recent "memory boom" in American culture; the movement to exonerate the military commanders at Pearl Harbor, Admiral Husband Kimmel and General Walter Short; the political mobilization of various groups during the culture and history "wars" of the 1990s, and the spectacle surrounding the movie Pearl Harbor. Rosenberg concludes with a look at the uses of Pearl Harbor as a historical frame for understanding the events of September 11, 2001.
A Daughter's Duty
by Maggie HopeShe’s bound by her duty to her family...Forced to leave school at the age of fourteen, young Rose Sharpe’s dreams of independence are ruined by her domineering father and constantly ailing mother.It falls to Rose to bring up her young sister and run the household, with little thanks from either of her parents. But just as Rose has almost given up hope, she realises she has a secret admirer of her own…
A Daughter's Gift (Raven Hall Saga Ser.)
by Mollie WaltonAuthor shortlisted for the Romantic Novelist Association's 'The Romantic Saga Award 2023' for A Mother's WarNorth Yorkshire, September 1940. It's a year since war was first announced and the dangers are becoming all too real for Rosina Calvert-Lazenby and her courageous daughters. When Raven Hall is requisitioned by the army, Rosina must do all she can to protect her family home from the rowdy troops. After Rosina's burgeoning relationship with young sergeant Harry is interrupted as he's posted abroad, the arrival of an older officer who takes a keen interest in her could also spell trouble...Meanwhile, Rosina's fearless second daughter, twenty-year-old Evelyn Calvert-Lazenby, decides to join the Auxiliary Fire Service. Determined to help with the Blitz effort in London, she faces extreme danger. Two kind professional firemen, the Bailey brothers, take her under their wing to help protect and guide her. But with the bombings getting worse, there can be no guarantees...Who will be safe? How can Rosina protect all those she loves? And is love still possible with such high stakes? Praise for Mollie Walton: 'A Journey. Compelling. Addictive' Val Wood'Beautiful and poignant' Tania Crosse'Feisty female characters, an atmospheric setting ... A phenomenal read' Cathy Bramley'Great characters who will stay with me for a long time' Beth Miller'Evocative, dramatic and hugely compelling. I loved it' Miranda Dickinson
A Daughter's Hope (Yorkshire Blitz Trilogy)
by Donna Douglas*FROM SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR DONNA DOUGLAS*Autumn, 1942. The Blitz has come to an end, but for many families, it's not over yet. As the residents of Jubilee Row begin to rebuild their lives, twins Sybil and Maudie Maguire decide to go off and do their bit by joining the WAAFs. But what starts off as a great adventure soon forces the girls to grow up as they are confronted with the harsh realities of war. Will they stick together, or will their experiences drive them apart? Back in Hull, their older sister Ada faces struggles of her own as she nurses the war wounded. But can anyone help to mend her own broken heart?For fans of Dilly Court, Rosie Goodwin and Katie Flynn, this is the third book in the Yorkshire Blitz Trilogy from the bestselling author of The Nightingale Girls.
A Daughter's Hope (Yorkshire Blitz Trilogy)
by Donna Douglas*FROM SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR DONNA DOUGLAS*Autumn, 1942. The Blitz has come to an end, but for many families, it's not over yet. As the residents of Jubilee Row begin to rebuild their lives, twins Sybil and Maudie Maguire decide to go off and do their bit by joining the WAAFs. But what starts off as a great adventure soon forces the girls to grow up as they are confronted with the harsh realities of war. Will they stick together, or will their experiences drive them apart? Back in Hull, their older sister Ada faces struggles of her own as she nurses the war wounded. But can anyone help to mend her own broken heart?For fans of Dilly Court, Rosie Goodwin and Katie Flynn, this is the third book in the Yorkshire Blitz Trilogy from the bestselling author of The Nightingale Girls.
A Daughter’s War: A powerful and romantic WWII saga from the bestselling author (Worktown Girls at War Book 2)
by Emma HornbyThe second book in the page-turning Worktown Girls at War series, from the bestselling author of A Shilling for a Wife, perfect for fans of Dilly Court and Rosie Goodwin.At seventeen, Renee Rushmore lives at home with her father Ivan - a cruel man who rules the house with an iron fist and keeps Renee isolated and alone. She is desperate to escape him, but with no friends to help her, what hope does she have?Then war breaks out. With factories and farms looking to take on female workers, Renee dares to hope that her freedom might be within grasp. And when she hears through a kindly local farmhand named Jimmy that Oak Valley Farm is in need of help, she might just have found her chance. But her father's eyes are on her day and night. With the help of Jimmy, will Renee be able to escape Ivan's cruelty and find happiness at last?Readers love Emma Hornby:'Similar to Rosie Goodwin and Dilly Court, Emma Hornby tells a brilliant story''Emma Hornby's books just keep getting better and better''Keep writing Emma, you are very talented and can't wait for your next book''Emma is a wonderful storyteller and I can't wait for the next one!''Thank you again Emma Hornby for a captivating read''Another beautifully written story by Emma Hornby'
A Dawn Like Thunder: The True Story of Torpedo Squadron Eight
by Robert J. MrazekOne of the great untold stories of World War II finally comes to light in this thrilling account of Torpedo Squadron Eight and their heroic efforts in helping an outmatched U.S. fleet win critical victories at Midway and Guadalcanal. These 35 American men--many flying outmoded aircraft--changed the course of history, going on to become the war's most decorated naval air squadron, while suffering the heaviest losses in U.S. naval aviation history. Mrazek paints moving portraits of the men in the squadron, and exposes a shocking cover-up that cost many lives. Filled with thrilling scenes of battle, betrayal, and sacrifice, A DAWN LIKE THUNDER is destined to become a classic in the literature of World War II.
A Day in September: The Battle of Antietam and the World It Left Behind
by Stephen BudianskyA panoramic account of the fateful Civil War battle and its far-reaching consequences for American society and culture. The Battle of Antietam, which took place on September 17, 1862, remains the single bloodiest day in America’s history: more than 3,600 men died in twelve hours of savage fighting, and more than 17,000 were wounded. As a turning point in the Civil War, the narrow Union victory is well-known as the key catalyst for Lincoln to issue his Emancipation Proclamation. Yet Antietam was not only a battle that dramatically changed the fortunes and meaning of the war; it also changed America in ways we feel today. No army in history wrote so many letters or kept as many diaries as the soldiers who fought in the Civil War, and Stephen Budiansky draws on this rich record to re-create the experiences of those whose lives were forever changed, whether on the battlefield or in trying to make sense of its horrors in the years and decades to follow. Antietam would usher in a new beginning in politics, military strategy, gender roles, battlefield medicine, war photography, and the values and worldview of the postwar generation. A masterful and fine-grained account of the battle, built around the intimate experiences of nine people whose lives intersected there, A Day in September is a story of war but also, at its heart, a human history, one that encompasses Antietam’s enduring legacy.
A Day in the Life of a... World War II Evacuee (A Day in the Life of a... #7)
by Alan ChildsSpend the day with a historical figure and discover how people lived in different eras.- Combines fictional narrative and quotes from the age to focus on a day in the life of a particular character.- People, settlements, clothes and homes are brought to life through beautiful artwork and photographs.
A Day on Cooper River
by Dr John B. Irving“THERE is no more agreeable mode of passing a day, and thereby breaking in upon the tedium of a long summer’s residence in Charleston, than taking advantage occasionally of the opportunity now afforded for a weekly excursion on Cooper River…..”So begins this wonderful reminiscence of South Carolina plantation life, written by Charleston physician—and rice planter himself—John B. Irving. Originally published in 1842, this reads as beautifully today as it did all those years ago.
A Death at the Races
by Caroline Dunford'A perilous predicament for the ever-resourceful Euphemia. Highly entertaining' - PENNY KLINE, author of The Sister's Secret'Euphemia is charming and witty and completely adorable. Loved it' - COLETTE MCCORMICK, author of Ribbons in Her Hair'A sparkling and witty crime debut with a female protagonist to challenge Miss Marple' LIN ANDERSON, Award winning Scottish crime authorA Death at the Races - the fourteenth edition of the gripping and twisty Euphemia Martin Mysteries!_______________It is early 1914.The world is on the brink of war.Newly-weds Bertram and Euphemia Stapleford have just returned from their honeymoon. But Euphemia's duty lies with her King and country and she is ordered to accompany spymaster Fitzroy as his navigator in an unofficial car rally across Europe. Their task is to collect top-secret information at a dead drop en route from Hamburg to Monaco. Masquerading as Fitzroy's younger brother, Euphemia endures the most terrifying journey of her life. Before the race has even begun Fitzroy's life is put in danger and further violent attempts to sabotage their mission soon follow. When British double agent Otto begs them to help prevent the assassination of one of the Kaiser's relatives, they don't know who to trust. For it is impossible to tell who is actively hostile, as opposed to merely competitive, in a race in which so many lives are at stake..._______________Readers LOVE Caroline Dunford's compelling crime novels!'Great fun, the characters get ever more interesting and it was the perfect antidote to the current situation.... Can't wait 'til the next one' ***** Reader review'Yet again Caroline Dunford has written a gripping tale which kept me reading to the last page' ***** Reader review'Love this series. Can't wait for the next book' ***** Reader review'This has got to be one of the best writers of mystery books' ***** Author review
A Death at the Races (Euphemia Martins Mystery 14): Will a race across Europe end in disaster?
by Caroline Dunford'A perilous predicament for the ever-resourceful Euphemia. Highly entertaining' - PENNY KLINE, author of The Sister's Secret'Euphemia is charming and witty and completely adorable. Loved it' - COLETTE MCCORMICK, author of Ribbons in Her Hair'A sparkling and witty crime debut with a female protagonist to challenge Miss Marple' LIN ANDERSON, Award winning Scottish crime authorA Death at the Races - the fourteenth edition of the gripping and twisty Euphemia Martins Mysteries!_______________It is early 1914.The world is on the brink of war.Newly-weds Bertram and Euphemia Stapleford have just returned from their honeymoon. But Euphemia's duty lies with her King and country and she is ordered to accompany spymaster Fitzroy as his navigator in an unofficial car rally across Europe. Their task is to collect top-secret information at a dead drop en route from Hamburg to Monaco. Masquerading as Fitzroy's younger brother, Euphemia endures the most terrifying journey of her life. Before the race has even begun Fitzroy's life is put in danger and further violent attempts to sabotage their mission soon follow. When British double agent Otto begs them to help prevent the assassination of one of the Kaiser's relatives, they don't know who to trust. For it is impossible to tell who is actively hostile, as opposed to merely competitive, in a race in which so many lives are at stake..._______________Readers LOVE Caroline Dunford's compelling crime novels!'Great fun, the characters get ever more interesting and it was the perfect antidote to the current situation.... Can't wait 'til the next one' ***** Reader review'Yet again Caroline Dunford has written a gripping tale which kept me reading to the last page' ***** Reader review'Love this series. Can't wait for the next book' ***** Reader review'This has got to be one of the best writers of mystery books' ***** Author review
A Death in Berlin: A gripping new World War 2 thriller from the bestselling author (CI Schenke #3)
by Simon ScarrowBERLIN. MAY 1940. AS HITLER PREPARES TO INVADE WESTERN EUROPE, THERE IS BLOODSHED CLOSER TO HOME'Scarrow's Berlin is sharply drawn with closely observed detail, a place that reeks of threat and fear - and not just from the Gestapo' Financial Times CI Horst Schenke is an investigator with the Kripo unit. Powerless against the consequences of the war, he fights to keep criminals off his patch. But with doubts growing about his loyalty to the Nazi regime, he is walking a tightrope. If his relationship with a Jewish woman is exposed, a dreadful fate awaits.Berlin's gangsters run their crime rings with impunity. Decadent senior Nazis protect them. Schenke is different. He won't turn a blind eye when innocents are caught in the crossfire between warring gangs. But dangerous enemies know everything about him. They will do whatever it takes to bend him to their will . . . From the seedy wartime nightlife scene to aristocratic homes frequented by the Führer, as the distant war spirals ever closer, A Death in Berlin conveys the horror and banality of evil - and the terrible danger for those who dare stand against it.The stunning new Berlin wartime thriller from the author of Blackout and Dead of Night.
A Death in Berlin: A gripping new World War 2 thriller from the bestselling author (CI Schenke #3)
by Simon ScarrowBERLIN. MAY 1940. AS HITLER PREPARES TO INVADE WESTERN EUROPE, THERE IS BLOODSHED CLOSER TO HOME'Scarrow's Berlin is sharply drawn with closely observed detail, a place that reeks of threat and fear - and not just from the Gestapo' Financial Times CI Horst Schenke is an investigator with the Kripo unit. Powerless against the consequences of the war, he fights to keep criminals off his patch. But with doubts growing about his loyalty to the Nazi regime, he is walking a tightrope. If his relationship with a Jewish woman is exposed, a dreadful fate awaits.Berlin's gangsters run their crime rings with impunity. Decadent senior Nazis protect them. Schenke is different. He won't turn a blind eye when innocents are caught in the crossfire between warring gangs. But dangerous enemies know everything about him. They will do whatever it takes to bend him to their will . . . From the seedy wartime nightlife scene to aristocratic homes frequented by the Führer, as the distant war spirals ever closer, A Death in Berlin conveys the horror and banality of evil - and the terrible danger for those who dare stand against it.The stunning new Berlin wartime thriller from the author of Blackout and Dead of Night.
A Death in Berlin: A gripping new World War 2 thriller from the bestselling author (CI Schenke #3)
by Simon ScarrowBERLIN. MAY 1940. AS HITLER PREPARES TO INVADE WESTERN EUROPE, THERE IS BLOODSHED CLOSER TO HOME'Scarrow's Berlin is sharply drawn with closely observed detail, a place that reeks of threat and fear - and not just from the Gestapo' Financial Times CI Horst Schenke is an investigator with the Kripo unit. Powerless against the consequences of the war, he fights to keep criminals off his patch. But with doubts growing about his loyalty to the Nazi regime, he is walking a tightrope. If his relationship with a Jewish woman is exposed, a dreadful fate awaits.Berlin's gangsters run their crime rings with impunity. Decadent senior Nazis protect them. Schenke is different. He won't turn a blind eye when innocents are caught in the crossfire between warring gangs. But dangerous enemies know everything about him. They will do whatever it takes to bend him to their will . . . From the seedy wartime nightlife scene to aristocratic homes frequented by the Führer, as the distant war spirals ever closer, A Death in Berlin conveys the horror and banality of evil - and the terrible danger for those who dare stand against it.The stunning new Berlin wartime thriller from the author of Blackout and Dead of Night.
A Death in Denmark: The First Gabriel Præst Novel
by Amulya MalladiMeet Gabriel Præst, an ex-Copenhagen cop (who dresses with panache), jazz aficionado, and relentless pursuer of truth as he explores Denmark’s Nazi-collaborator past and anti-Muslim present in a page-turning Nordic murder mystery with a cosmopolitan vibeEveryone in Denmark knew that Yousef Ahmed, a refugee from Iraq, brutally murdered the right-wing politician Sanne Melgaard. So, when part-time blues musician, frustrated home renovator, and full-time private detective Gabriel Præst agrees to investigate the matter because his ex—the one who got away—asked him to, he knew it was a no-win case.But as Gabriel starts to ask questions, his face meets with the fists of Russian gangsters; the Danish prime minister asks him for a favor; and he starts to realize that something may be rotten in the state of Denmark.Wondering if Yousef was framed to heighten the local anti-Muslim sentiment, Gabriel follows a trail back in time to World War II when anti-Semitism was raging in Europe during the German occupation of Denmark. Fearing a nationalistic mindset has resurfaced, Gabriel rolls up the sleeves of his well-cut suit and gets to work. From the cobblestone streets of Copenhagen to the historic Strassen of Berlin where the sounds of the steel-toed boots of marching Nazis still linger, Gabriel finds that some very powerful Danes don’t want him digging into the case—as the secrets he unearths could shake the foundations of Danish identity.
A Death in San Pietro: The Untold Story of Ernie Pyle, John Huston, and the Fight for Purple Heart Valley
by Tim BradyBy the time Mark Clark's Fifth Army reached the small village of San Pietro north of Naples in the first week of December 1943, a tough but rapid sweep through Sicily came to a muddy halt. On the slopes of a distant mountain, the death of a single platoon captain, Henry Waskow, epitomized the struggle.A Death in San Pietro chronicles the quietly heroic and beloved Captain Waskow and his company as they make their way into battle. Waskow's 36th ("Texas") Division would ultimately succeed in driving the Germans off the mountains; but not before eighty percent of Waskow's company is lost in action.For Americans back home, two of the war's most lasting artistic expression brought horrified focus to the battlefield, already dubbed "Purple Heart Valley" by the men of the 36th. Pulitzer Prize-winner Ernie Pyle's dispatch about Waskow's death and filmmaker John Huston's award-winning documentary of the battle rivets--and shocks--the nation, bringing, as if for the first time, the awful carnage of world war into living rooms across America.