The Deserters by Charles Glass

Well I have finished reading 'The Deserters' and I may be the wiser regarding the history of WW2 which yes I remember as a young child in the UK.  This is a harsh book.  Glass uses 3 or 4 infantry soldiers' memoirs which he finds not always truthful.  Nothing very admirable about any of them.  They were trapped in the horrors of war.  The subtitle of the book is 'The Hidden History off WW2'.  The soldiers were from the US and UK.  Glass describes a nightmare combination of horror and stupidity which systematically disabled a generation of very young men as well as killing so many of them.  Of course we will never stop war.  People sitting safely behind desks far from the conflict make sure of that.

So now my next Dollar Tree Book is 'Shadow Warrior.  William Egan Colby and the CIA'

It starts in true whodunit fashion with a Body on the Beach.  That's about as far as I've got.
I'll get back to you.  Excuse me.  I must read....

So Much to Read so Little Time

Cross Dresser

(This picture has nothing to do with anything)

 I have been reading for at least 73 years.  I read and forget mostly.

But I had a surgery recently and decided to stock up on books for the couple of weeks

of pain and immobility which I expected and got.

I went to Dollar Tree as I so often do and I selected five books.

1. Point Omega by Don DeLillo

2. My Notorious Life by Kate Manning

3. The Ordinary Acrobat by Duncan Wall

4. Friday's Harbor by Diane Hammond

5.The Tin Horse by Janice Steinberg

#1 Is masterfully strange and aggressively written in true Don DeLillo fashion.

Readable but not as haunting as he may have intended.

#2 A fictionalized account of the life of a 19th century abortionist in New York City

I don't know how authentic it is, but it was a good read.

#3 A wonderful account of one man's half-hearted attempt to become a circus professional.

The book contains tons of circus history and I found it absorbing and interesting.

#4 A somewhat mushy but sincere novel about the rescue of a killer whale.

Not a shining book.

#5 A novel about a family living in Boyle Heights.

Long lost sister etc.

Did not hold my attention.

...............................

Now back on my feet and in need of more literary fixes

yesterday's trip to Dollar Tree yielded:

#1. The Deserters by Charles Glass

#2  Butterfly People by William Leach

#3 Shadow Warrior by Randall B. Woods

#4 Gun Guys by Dan Baum

I'm well started on The Deserters, about deserters from the US and UK in WW2

150,000 of them!  Enlightening.

I like to buy books at Dollar Tree because the books cost a dollar and are brand new and beautiful and also the choice is limited.  I guess the books are 'remaindered', that is orphans of the publishing trade.

When I've read them they go to the library and I hope get re-sold.  Maybe not.

I suppose e-books are better for the  environment, but traditional books need no batteries and are pleasantly portable!

Excuse me.  I must read.

Will report back.