| 作者 | Tom Wiener |
| 出版社 | NationalGeographicBooks |
| 出版时间 | 2006-03-01 |
特色：
Publisher Comments :In Forever a Soldier a World War II prisoner of war recalls desperate hours spent trying to conceal his Jewish heritage from his German captors; a nurse stationed in Vietnam remembers a dying patient, his miraculous recovery, and her reward years later; the survivor of a famed World War II shipwreck flashes back to 4 harrowing days spent in the shark-infested waters of the Pacific Ocean. In all, the fifty extraordinary stories that comprise this collection testify to the power of a single moment-whether on the battlefield or far from the front lines-to impact a life forever. It is through these moments that universal and poignant themes of love and honor, rage, duty and fear and mortality emerge, reflecting the courage, tenacity, and basic decency of the men and women who have served the United States in its most perilous hours. Dramatic eyewitness accounts from the front lines, poignant expressions of love for family and country, and moments of crystal-clear insight are among the tapestry of memories tapped for this unique testament to the transforming power of military service. Drawn from the massive national collection of the Library of Congress Veterans History Project, the letters, diaries, and oral histories-from soldiers, sailors, marines, and the supporting citizens who served in World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, and the Persian Gulf War- that comprise this narrative were selected by editor Tom Wiener to exemplify the extraordinary service and overwhelming humility of America's servicemen and women. They constitute an astonishing historical record, a powerful tribute to those who fought, and a celebration of the enduring power of the words of few to speak for many. These dramatic stories illustrate how through the generations, American soldiers have answered the call to duty with a singular spirit of patriotism, and how military service has transformed their lives. The voices captured in this book grant us the personal perspective all too often lost in news reports and government statements. Taken together, they remind us that the human cost of war is far too high. This book is an important contribution to the understanding of war and its impact.From Publishers WeeklyThis second volume (following Voices of War) culled from more than 35,000 stories in the ongoing Library of Congress Veterans History Project is a dense collection of reminiscences—oral histories, letters and diaries—from WWI to the Persian Gulf War, with emphasis on WWII. The most compelling stories are eyewitness accounts: a sailor recounts the attack on Pearl Harbor, a survivor of the Indianapolis sinking in 1945 describes five days in shark-infested Pacific waters, a doctor relates the horrors of trench warfare in 1917, a soldier endures murderous combat during the 1968 Tet offense in Vietnam. Contributors survive long, terrible experiences as prisoners in Germany, Japan, North Korea and Vietnam—and a short, unpleasant confinement in Iraq. If all 37 accounts met these standards, this would be an outstanding addition to the genre, but perhaps out of excessive respect for historical material, the editor too often spares his red pencil. As a result, earnest patriotic essays, rambling tributes to comrades, mildly interesting career summaries or long itineraries of places veterans visited dilute the collection. Military buffs will happily add this to their shelves, but others may wish for a more consistently eloquent anthology of our veterans' memories. 65 b&w photos.From BooklistThe Library of Congress Veterans History Project continues in this volume presenting veterans of conflicts ranging from World War II to the Gulf War and possessing a variety of military specialties and personal backgrounds. Ex-POWs Rhonda Corum of the first Gulf War and John McCain of the Vietnam War report experiences of vastly different length and severity. In his World War II service, Asa Hall found much of the supposedly traditional camaraderie, tho