In these days of books featuring lesser-known individuals (especially women) who contributed to war efforts, science, and space exploration, I was excited to see this display window last fall. It was filled with books about women and their place in history.
My husband and I were visiting Fredericksburg, Texas, which is the birthplace of Admiral Chester Nimitz and which is also the site of the National Pacific War Museum. As the hubby played in a golf tournament, I visited this really well done museum. It was fascinating and took me two days to slowly wander through. My father was a veteran of WWII and the Pacific part of it. He was in New Guinea and the Philippines as a very young 19-year-old. I was happy to get to see more and know more about the history leading up to the Pacific part of that war and also visit the extensive book section of the gift shop. And, of course, I made some book purchases.
I haven't read any of these yet, but I certainly plan to. And I also got a couple of books for my Kindle after I got home. Here's what I bought:
by Cheryl Mullenbach
by Margaret (Peggy) Parent Lutz
edited by Margaret (Peggy) Parent Lutz
by Sarah Byrn Rickman
by Laura Tohe
After I got home and looked around a bit, I also purchased:
These are just a few of the books around right now that highlight 'unknown' contributions to history. I'm so happy that some of their stories are being researched and talked about. This generation - the ones who were there during the 1940's - is very quickly passing from this earth. Their experiences should be preserved, if possible. I'm excited to have these books and plan to read them in coming months.
Have you read any books such as these? Tell me about them and give recommendations, if you like, fiction or nonfiction, to broaden my reading in any of these areas.
I'm so glad to see people like that getting the attention they deserve. I'll have to look into some of those books.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad to see it too, Kathy.
DeleteI haven't read any of the books you've mentioned, but I am fascinated with that period of history and enjoy novels set in England at that time. My dad, also a WWII veteran, served in England and my mom became his very young war bride. They met in London and after marrying at the end of the war, they settled in New York, where I was born years later.
ReplyDeleteOh, that is so interesting, Catherine! Thanks for sharing it!
DeleteOh, my! All of these look interesting. I recently read and really enjoyed Dick Cole's War from his role as Jimmy Doolittle's co-pilot for the Tokyo Raid to his time as a Hump pilot in the China, India, Burma theater. I'm taking note of several of the books you mention!
ReplyDeleteThanks for suggesting that title for me! I'll mark it down.
Delete*Furiously copying down these titles*
ReplyDeleteI am so glad these women's stories are coming out as well. It sounds like you found a lot of great titles to read, Kay.
I'm hoping so, Wendy. Wish I could have bought all the books displayed in the window. LOL
DeleteI've been to Frederiksburg several times but have never checked out the museum. I've probably been too busy checking out the boutiques and antiques stores! One of these days I will have to check it out as it sounds like I've really missed a good opportunity. Great titles you found and can't wait to hear what you think of them!
ReplyDeleteIt's a very interesting little museum, Iliana. And, if you have the time and read all the displays, it's quite informative. I had a good time there.
DeleteI've been to Frederickburg, too, but we didn't go inside this museum. We'll be back there next fall, so I hope we get the chance to pay it a visit. Looking forward to your reviews/thoughts on these books. They look great!
DeleteThe lady who was a WAVE from Oregon - that caught my eye. I read that she passed away this last year. I'm going to start with her book.
DeleteI'm very interested in Our Mothers' War. My parents got married in the middle of the war, and she kept scrapbooks of all those years. They were older than your folks - in their mid to late thirties during that time. They met here, and later she took a train out to California where he was stationed, and that's where they married. I think the humorous ones by Lutz might interest my cousin whose mother was an Army nurse. Thanks for this post. Very interesting.
ReplyDeleteShould have said my father was that age, but my mother was seven years younger.
DeleteThis is what I love - the stories that come out of conversations about books such as these. I'm trying to remember if you told me about your parents - probably - I remember you telling me about the scrapbooks.
DeleteThere is a woman in my book club who says, "No more World War II books!" Most of us ignore her as there are so many interesting books on the subject. I love them and obviously you do too. I truly enjoyed reading this post.
ReplyDeleteMy parents were young during WWII and married after my father was discharged from the Army in 1946. Now that both of them are gone, I wish I could ask more questions. I think that's why these books are interesting to me and also why that museum was so special. My father didn't talk about his time in the Pacific, but I learned a lot anyway.
DeleteI haven't read any of these but they look interesting. My grandfather, his brother and brother's wife and other relatives were all in WWII and I'm fascinated by the time period. I didn't ask my paternal grandmother (who lost her 1st husband in Italy in 1944) enough questions so I'm trying to fix that now. My grandfather was a pilot and I've looked up all the planes he trained on and all the places he went. It's fascinating. I could go on and on but I'm going to stop now!
ReplyDeleteIt is very interesting, isn't it? I'm glad you've researched some of your grandfather's experiences in WWII. I'll let everyone know how these books work out.
DeleteWish I could've explored the museum with you!
ReplyDeleteYou would have enjoyed it!
DeleteFamous later, but obscure when they served in China during WWII -- Julia and Paul Child! They met when both were working there in military intelligence, and they married after the war. Then they moved to France and she attended French cooking school and wrote her first book. In China, they were fascinated by Chinese food when it was safe to eat it. This WWII story is documented in "Appetite for Life: The Biography of Julia Child" by Noel Riley Fitch and probably in other biographies of this dynamite couple!
ReplyDeletebest... mae at maefood.blogspot.com
I remember reading about that, Mae. Thanks for reminding me!
DeleteWow! You can read for a month on that theme. And if you are up for a very powerful but terribly sad story about Australians in the South Pacific try The Narrow Road to the Deep North.
ReplyDeleteYes, probably more than a month. And thanks for telling me about the Australian story.
DeleteI haven't read much about the women of the war years, but I did read a great bio of Douglas MacArthur a couple of years ago, by Arthur Herman. Am I right in remembering that you told me then that your father actually served with MacArthur?
ReplyDeleteHmmm...well, my father did serve 'with' him in that MacArthur was over all the troops, but not 'with' him in that he knew him. My Dad was a lowly, lowly private at the time - 19 as I said. He told me that he saw MacArthur more than once. Thanks for the book suggestion!
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