Two World Wars on Veteran's Day

Good morning bookies! Stand by for news.

By all accounts Harold Brown was just an average guy fighting for his country during World War II. As a member of the 202nd Field Artillery Battalion he saw more than 300 days of combat. His story seems quite extraordinary, and it was, but it also wasn't. There were a lot of Harold Brown's and I doubt we ever heard their stories, that generation just didn't like to talk much about the war.

A new book, Howitzers, Grasshoppers and the Holy Right Hand by John Niesel recount Brown's wartime exploits. The Right Hand referred to is the right hand of St. Stephen, one of the holy relics of Hungary, saved from the communists and returned to its rightful place in Budapest after the fall of the Iron Curtain. Fascinating stuff, although if you read it in a novel you might be tempted to shrug it off as too fantastic.

http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20081109/NEWS01/811090341/1002/CUSTOMERSERVICE02

*** And since today is Veteran's Day, but was originally Armistice Day created to celebrate the end of World War I, it seems only fitting to link to a Times Online review of the multitude of new books coming out from that War to End All Wars. Most are from the British point of view, but that seems fair since it's a British website.

http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/books/article5106365.ece

*** Reports from Washington say that Laura Bush is a hot commodity on the book market right now, with publishers lining up to pay her big bucks. Whatever she does and whatever she writes, we will always have Laura Bush to thank for starting the National Book Fair in Washington.

*** Everybody knows a veteran. On this Veteran's Day, find one and shake their hand or give them a hug, let them know how much you appreciate their service to our country.