I was in high school with Salinger's daughter. But did not know her well.
And, I'm reading The Kennedys, by Collier and Horowitz. Fascinating read. Among other things, JFK's best friend, beginning in high school, and until he was assassinated, was a gay man, one Kirk LeMoyne ("LEM") Billings. Lem's job while JFK was president was literally being JFK's best friend. Lem was well integrated into the Kennedy family, and basically remained a family member even after JFK's death--comforting the third generation after RFK's assassination.
I read the first two Billy Boyle books while I was healing my broken elbow. I could not put them down. I need to get back into reading the next ones if I want to catch up. I learned so many things that we were never taught in French schools especially in the second book. Thank you for mentioning them a few months ago.
Damn, Tom, do you ever sleep? On top of everything else you do, as I have said before, there are only 37 hours in a day, right? You always seem to find some great rabbit holes to fall into.
Wonderful! I discovered the Billy Boyle series last year and now have a bunch of them to devour. I read The First Wave a couple of weeks ago, and it was terrific!
James Benn's "Billy Boyle" series are wonderful books full of excellent WW II history that many of us
never learned about, and excellent mysteries as well. You'll learn about the Ghost Army. There's a good nonfiction account by Rick Beyer and Elizabeth Sayles: The Ghost Army of World War II - I gave this book to my brother-in-law for Christmas several years ago and he powered through it in no time.
Back to Billy Boyle, you'll also learn a bit about Lucian Truscott IV's grandfather General Lucian Truscott Jr.'s role when Allied forces came ashore at Anzio, Italy.
Glad to hear you're huddled with good book and not under a blanket with a virus of some sort. Book binges are the best binges. The hangovers are exquisite.
The same thing happened to me a while back. I ordered a book from Amazon by a guy named Tom Cleaver titled The Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club. I didn't read or write about current events for 2 weeks! I liked it so much I even wrote a review and posted it on my site. It's a great book.
Your enthusiasm is transferable through the substack connections. How excited I am for you, enjoy, and am so grateful for your recommendation. I won’t live long enough to read the books I haven piled up already, but I will keep this in case my bod holds out longer than I think. Wonder why no screen writer ever discovered this treasure trove. BTW, loved the Agatha reference; she wrote a great autobiography with details of her time in London during the blitz.
I love getting lost in books! Glad there's a good reason that you've been AWOL. I hereby grant you Leave to finish!
(Like my vote counts...)
;')
And I second that grant!
"I opened a book and in I strode, now nobody can find
me."
💚 Enjoy it all Tom.
I was in high school with Salinger's daughter. But did not know her well.
And, I'm reading The Kennedys, by Collier and Horowitz. Fascinating read. Among other things, JFK's best friend, beginning in high school, and until he was assassinated, was a gay man, one Kirk LeMoyne ("LEM") Billings. Lem's job while JFK was president was literally being JFK's best friend. Lem was well integrated into the Kennedy family, and basically remained a family member even after JFK's death--comforting the third generation after RFK's assassination.
I read the first two Billy Boyle books while I was healing my broken elbow. I could not put them down. I need to get back into reading the next ones if I want to catch up. I learned so many things that we were never taught in French schools especially in the second book. Thank you for mentioning them a few months ago.
There's quite a bit in the series that you wouldn't have learned in a French school, like the gangs in this new one.
Embrace the joy! We’re all sort of okay out here.❤️
Damn, Tom, do you ever sleep? On top of everything else you do, as I have said before, there are only 37 hours in a day, right? You always seem to find some great rabbit holes to fall into.
But I’m sure his cat duties are attended to…
Sounds like a great well to have fallen into 😊👍
"Reading is fundaMENTAL"...and oh, how I love me a good book!
I'm sure you deserved the get away, and will come back reinvigorated when you emerge from the grip of fiction.
But fiction with more than a passing acquaintance with the historical evil and the evil we face today.
Good to read you. Take your time. I’ll be here.
Wonderful! I discovered the Billy Boyle series last year and now have a bunch of them to devour. I read The First Wave a couple of weeks ago, and it was terrific!
Yes, just having written extensively about Operation Torch in my new book, Jim really got things right in First Wave.
James Benn's "Billy Boyle" series are wonderful books full of excellent WW II history that many of us
never learned about, and excellent mysteries as well. You'll learn about the Ghost Army. There's a good nonfiction account by Rick Beyer and Elizabeth Sayles: The Ghost Army of World War II - I gave this book to my brother-in-law for Christmas several years ago and he powered through it in no time.
Back to Billy Boyle, you'll also learn a bit about Lucian Truscott IV's grandfather General Lucian Truscott Jr.'s role when Allied forces came ashore at Anzio, Italy.
Have to share another addictive series that was recommended to me last year, The Chronicles of St. Mary's by Jody Taylor. Historical events from a unique perspective. https://www.goodreads.com/series/109102-the-chronicles-of-st-mary-s
Glad to hear you're huddled with good book and not under a blanket with a virus of some sort. Book binges are the best binges. The hangovers are exquisite.
I'm heading down the rabbit hole soon Thanks TC!
The same thing happened to me a while back. I ordered a book from Amazon by a guy named Tom Cleaver titled The Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club. I didn't read or write about current events for 2 weeks! I liked it so much I even wrote a review and posted it on my site. It's a great book.
Your enthusiasm is transferable through the substack connections. How excited I am for you, enjoy, and am so grateful for your recommendation. I won’t live long enough to read the books I haven piled up already, but I will keep this in case my bod holds out longer than I think. Wonder why no screen writer ever discovered this treasure trove. BTW, loved the Agatha reference; she wrote a great autobiography with details of her time in London during the blitz.