A Chance for Love: The World War II Letters of Marian Elizabeth Smith and Lt. Eugene T. Petersen, Usmcr

Book Description

In mid-February 1944 Marian Elizabeth Smith, a young Wisconsin woman, met Marine Corps Lieutenant Eugene T. Petersen on the passenger train, El Capitan, as it made its 42-hour run from Los Angeles to Chicago. After a brief acquaintance, he left the United States to join the Third Marine Division on Guam and eventually to take part in the battle for Iwo Jima in February and March of 1945. The collected letters of their subsequent 18-month correspondence reveal much about wartime life at home and abroad. This correspondence represents a time capsule of current events as Smith and Petersen discuss Franklin Roosevelt, the United Nations, internationalism, popular movies, the French aviator and poet Antoine de St. Exupery, the comic strip Barnaby, and the frustrations of dealing with sometimes less-than-enlightened parents. The loss of Marian's brother during the bombing of Ploesti, Rumania, in June 1944, brought Petersen and Smith closer together, and after hundreds of letters the "chance for love" Marian had suggested early in their correspondence evolved into a marriage that has endured for more than half a century.

Customer Reviews:

Personal Interest.......2000-01-23

As one of the Marines mentioned in this book, I am, of course, biased. However, it opens a window on the home front in those days, alternating with letters describing the tedium (and humorous events) of military life between campaigns.

Reveals the life of a replacement officer based on letters.......1999-07-16

Petersen has published all of the letters to and from his wife during his service in the Marines. As such the book is a documentary source containing unedited contemporary material. In addition, the letters relate a love story that was common during the period. The gradual changes in the relationship are revealed in the letters. The anxieties and boredom of the life of a replacement is well described and gives the reader a true insight of the personal side of the history of the 3rd Marine Division. I recommend the book highly especially for anyone who has been a replacement.

Like finding a 55 year old stack of fascinating love letters.......1999-04-21

In February of 1944 two strangers spent 42 hours sitting next to each other on the train from Los Angeles to Chicago. They shared a few meals, much conversation, and a kiss. They found they had much in common, and before they went their separate ways in Chicago, they agreed to write each other. Gene Petersen was 23, and an officer in the Marine Corps, and Marian Smith was 22, and a secretary for a defense manufacturer. Over the course of their 18-month correspondence, they tested their views and ideals on each other, and discussed their post-war expectations and their fervent desire to make the world a better place. Gene and Marian were idealistic liberals, extremely well read, and very concerned about both national and world politics. During a troubling time for both of them, each stepped up and performed the role of best friend. Their "chance for love" turned into a life-long reality.

Marian's letters reveal what life was like in the States during the end of World War II, with food shortages, travel difficulties, and long lines at movie theatres. Marian occasionally went home to Wittenberg, Wisconsin to visit and assist her parents, who had a furniture and undertaking business. "Dad took a man up to Wausau in the ambulance Tues. morning & brought him back that night in the hearse (same car - different personalities)." When Marian's brother Franklin was reported missing in action, the frequency of their letter writing increased substantially.

Gene's letters show what it was like to be an officer in the Marine Corps in the Pacific Theatre, mentally juggling stretches of boredom with periods of intense combat. During the three-week battle at Iwo Jima Gene's eloquent letters turned into terse notes, but he kept writing. "March 4, 1945 - still shelling dump and airfield - infantry officers gone to front but not many specialists - 9th day today - haven't had my clothes off yet".

Book Description

In 1922 Barnes Wallis FRS, who later invented the transatlantic airship and the bouncing bomb immortalized in the movie The Dam Busters, fell in love for the first and last time - aged 35. The object of his affection, Molly Bloxam, was 17 and setting off to study science at University College London. Her father decreed that the two could correspond only if Barnes taught Molly mathematics in his letters. Mathematics with Love presents, for the first time, the result of this curious diktat: a series of witty, tender and totally accessible introductions to calculus, trigonometry and electrostatic induction that remarkably, wooed and won the girl. Deftly narrated by Barnes and Molly's daughter Mary, Mathematics with Love is an evocative tale of a twenties courtship, a surprising insight into the early life of an engineering genius - and a great way to learn a little mathematics.

Customer Reviews:

Absolutely Delightful Writing from a Time Long Gone.......2005-07-08

If you watch the History Channel very much you will inevitably see a film clip of a rotating, garbage can looking, device being dropped from an airplane and see it skipping across the water. This was the bomb invented by Barnes Wallis to take out the Ruhr dams in Germany.

On April 23rd, 1922 Barnes met Molly. They began to write to each other, at her father's insistence they could only correspond if he used the letters to teach her mathematics. So he taught her calculus.

He proposed on Thursday December 21st 1922. She accepted on Friday September 12th 1924. They married April 23rd 1925. They were married for fifty years.

This is an absolutely delightful book from a time long past. I can only imagine if I told my daughter that her boyfriend could only correspond with her if he were using the letters to teach mathematics.

My War: A Love Story in Letters and Drawings

Average customer rating:

A story that is both extraordinay and typical
my war
A Unique View
captivating
Very different

My War: A Love Story in Letters and Drawings
Tracy Sugarman
Manufacturer: Random House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Amazon.com

When Ensign Tracy Sugarman packed his seabag and prepared to ship overseas in early 1944, his wife handed him a package containing sketch pads, pens, and a set of watercolors. Fifty years later, she reminded him of the upcoming 50th anniversary of D-Day, which in turn reminded him of the letters, drawings, and watercolors he had sent home. To his astonishment, June Sugarman took him down to the cellar and showed him several brown paper parcels which, when opened, revealed some 400 letters and 77 drawings and watercolors from his corner of World War II.

My War consists of excerpts from those letters, accompanied by dozens of examples of Sugarman's work. In what Stephen Ambrose calls "one of the most compelling accounts of the war I've ever read," Sugarman gracefully describes his experiences in the Navy, from training sessions on the Chesapeake River to his stay in England preparing for the invasion, from the boredom aboard a Liberty ship in the English Channel to the horrors of Utah Beach on D-Day, and from the loneliness of a man away from his new wife to pride in the American forces:

July 25--Off the coast of Normandy: This morning I saw the greatest manifestation of our airpower in all my months overseas, and in particular here in Normandy. For 2 hours we watched wave after wave of bombers move across the sky and head for the lines and Germany. It is one thing to read of thousands of planes attacking, and quite another to see it. It was incredible. No sooner would one wave pass over our heads than another would appear as tiny specks in the distance and with a grace of movement impossible to describe, they would arc across the whole roof of the heavens.

Sugarman's obvious love for his wife suffuses all the entries with a warm, rosy glow. His account differs from many in that he never fired on the enemy and was fired upon only once. But, as he points out in his preface, this is his war, and "every sailor and soldier in World War II fought his own war." Perfect for fans of The Greatest Generation, My War is an excellent addition to any World War II library. --Sunny Delaney

Book Description

On December 7, 1941, when the Japanese were bombing Pearl Harbor, Tracy Sugarman was a young man studying to be an illustrator--and falling in love with a tawny-haired girl named June. But for Tracy, as for all Americans, everything changed that December dawn.
        Two years later, now married to June, Tracy was on a troopship bound for England, part of the massive Allied buildup for the liberation of Europe. On D-Day he landed on Utah Beach, one young ensign in the greatest military invasion in history.
        But Tracy Sugarman was not only a sailor. He was also an artist, who chronicled every aspect of his war in watercolors and sketches and in more than four hundred letters to his wife, who carefully saved everything her new husband sent her. Fifty years later, June Sugarman astonished her husband by showing him his long-forgotten pictures and words: lush watercolors and pen-and-ink drawings set down with breathtaking immediacy in the midst of war, and letters in which the young man poured out his feelings--about the terror and tedium of battle, his own ideals and hopes . . . and, always, his love for his wife.
        Here, selected from this treasure trove, are the drawings and watercolors that best portray the war Tracy Sugarman experienced. Interspersed throughout are excerpts of his loving and poignant letters home and, as the capstone of this extraordinary book, the single surviving letter from June to her husband. My War is a luminous, powerful account of a world at war--and a beautifully touching love story.

Customer Reviews:

A story that is both extraordinay and typical.......2007-10-18

Like millions of stories on both sides of World War II, the one contained in this book is both extraordinary and yet typical. Millions of young American men left their neighborhoods and made the first trips of their lives, where their goal was to kill or be killed. Tracy Sugarman joined the Navy and spent time in boats that transferred men and material from England to the coast of France. He was there at D-Day, observing every detail, the planes, bombs and the violent deaths on both sides. A budding artist before the war, he came back to an illustrious career as an illustrator.
He took artist's materials with him to war, and this book is a collection of his sketches, paintings, thoughts and letters to his wife June. Together, they illustrate what war was like for most people, mind-numbing repetitive training, even more mind-numbing sitting around followed by brief periods of terrible action as every man tried to do his job and keep himself and his buddies alive. The only real insights unique to the book are when Sugarman vents his disgust at his fellow soldiers. He is appalled at their racist and ignorant views; he considers them the world's best soldiers in combat, yet some of the world's worst cads when on leave in England. His simple discussions with his wife via letters demonstrate an honesty and openness illustrating the deep bond between them.
Tracy Sugarman was very lucky in many ways, he survived the war intact, he came back to a career he was well suited for and he married the love of his life. All together, they make for an honest and multi-faceted success story.

my war.......2003-10-09

the book is full of love and stories of how hard to it is to hold the relationshipwhen you are in the war. I love the pictures that he drew they really expressed what was going on where he was. You really cant find love like that anymore

A Unique View.......2001-07-24

Tracy Sugarman has given readers a unique perspective of World War II in this lovely book full of his letters to his wife while he was overseas. What makes it really special are the wonderful drawings Sugarman did during this time.

This book gave me insights into the feelings of someone fighting a war--it could be Everyman and Everywar, a soldier far from home making difficult decisions every minute of every day. Those feelings are probably universal. The book was not so much about the specifics of a war, but what it was like for one particular soldier.

I was also reminded of the feeling of duty and honor and dedication to one's country that is not often expressed any more.

This book would be a good addition to any history class in any school.

captivating.......2001-06-04

My husband and I both read and loved this book. My husband wanted to immediately read it again. I really admired the man Tracy Sugarman. His letters and sketches told you exactly the title "my war". We were able to see thru Tracy's eyes the impact war and of being away from home and his wife. A very interesting book to reread over and over again.

Very different.......2001-05-02

In the battle of the "My War" books, I will take Tracy Sugarman's easily over Andy Rooney's. This book is different. It is not really about war although the subject is unavoidable. The book is about a nice young man who loved his wife and country and did his best to serve to the best of his abilities. He got through it thanks to his art, and thanks to his wife, his works survived for the education and enjoyment of generations. The fact that his works are "real time" works and not reflections of his memories make them even more special. After reading this book, it should go on your coffee table. As a quick postscript, some previous reviewers commented on some examples of "blue" language and objected. But sometimes that sort of thing is appropriate. I doubt if many readers would really mind too much. It is a fine work.

From Calcutta With Love: The World War II Letters of Richard and Reva Beard

Average customer rating:

A touching, informative gem
Love sustained
Unique Way To Look At World War II
Letters From India/Letters From Home

From Calcutta With Love: The World War II Letters of Richard and Reva Beard
Richard Beard , and Reva Beard
Manufacturer: Texas Tech University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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The Jungle War: Mavericks, Marauders and Madmen in the China-Burma-India Theater of World War II

ASIN: 0896724689

Customer Reviews:

A touching, informative gem.......2002-10-02

This collection beautifully captures both the magic of letters and the exotic, turbulent China-Burma-India theater of World War II. The devotion this couple, Richard and Reva Beard, have for each other will renew your faith in steadfast love. Their daughter Elaine Pinkerton has added her intriguing, informative historical essays, enriching the reader's imagination and understanding of this little-recognized part of WWII.
You'll find yourself marking letters to re-read later - for their moving sentiment or marvelous wit. Whether you read "From Calcutta with Love" for literary or historical reasons, you'll be amply satisfied.

Love sustained.......2002-07-29

Having a loved older brother who fought in the European theater of World War II, I've always been fascinated by that time and events. But I'd never known anything about the China-Burma-India theater. So "From Calcutta with Love" was a fascinating story about two very real people. The commitment to their marriage, each other, and their future family was rather inspiring. The times weren't as the romantic movies often portray, but often very difficult even if not in combat. I really enjoyed getting to know about the people, places, and things even before getting to the letters. That helped to make it all so real and honest. By the time I finished I felt like I really knew Richard and Reva. What wonderful parents they must have been!

Unique Way To Look At World War II.......2002-06-11

Elaine Pinkerton's "From Calcutta with Love" offers a unique way to look at World War II. I enjoyed learning about the China-Burma-India theater of operations and getting to know about Richard and Reva Beard through their daily letters. Their devotion was the old-fashioned kind, their relationship one that could serve as a model for today. The book is a powerful reminder of the way WWII tested values, built character and deepened love affairs. "From Calcutta with Love" stayed with me long after I read the epilogue. I was entertained, touched, and inspired!

Letters From India/Letters From Home.......2002-03-13

I enjoyed this book so much! The totality of the letters is finally a story of love, patience, endurance, and the way we and two people in particular are able to live through a long absence and the fears of war. The book gave a strong sense of how very difficult it would be to be separated for TWO years when one is very much in love, and really how brave Richard and Reva both were to keep going, doing what was necessary to get through one day and then the next and then the next. These characters, the mother and father of the author, come through so well, not only through their endearments, but through the everydayness of their lives (when they can be everyday) and the specialness of their lives in times of stress, loneliness and disgust and fear. The author did a superb job of putting all this together. FCWL also includes several fairly long essays about the China-Burma-India theatre, which gives the reader a good grounding on this aspect of World War II. It was nice to have the author tell "the rest of the story" too--about how she and her brother were adopted by Richard and Reva and about their lives as a family.

Hearts in Winter: A Collection of World War II Love Letters

Average customer rating:

A lovely but sad union between two people with an uncertain future.
Sorry but this book is only for relatives and maybe not them

Hearts in Winter: A Collection of World War II Love Letters
Gerri Raines
Manufacturer: 1st Books Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Customer Reviews:

A lovely but sad union between two people with an uncertain future........2007-09-03

I loved the course of the relationship as it makes its way through good times and bad. There was a lot of deceit on Richard's part and Gerry, who seems very naive, wants to believe in him. It's a journey they take as he has done something so terrible that she leaves him. This book is his attempt at getting her back and their bond that unseemingly cannot be broken. The language may be different in the 1940's but the experiences and feelings could easily translate to today.

Sorry but this book is only for relatives and maybe not them.......2007-05-12

The book has a lovely cover and a great title--but these letters of courtship between and man and woman both stateside do not get into the color and spirit of the times. And they call each other Mama and Papa even though they are not yet married. Mostly they talk to each other as though they were children. A more boring, self absorbed group of letters you'll never find.

Joy Street: A Wartime Romance in Letters 1940-1942

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Joy Street: A Wartime Romance in Letters 1940-1942
Miriam Barford
Manufacturer: Amazon Remainders Account
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: B000H2N3EG

Letters of Love and War: A World War II Correspondence

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Letters of Love and War: A World War II Correspondence
Helen Dann Stringer , and Sydney Stringer
Manufacturer: Syracuse University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Letters to Sparky: A Memoir of World War II

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Letters to Sparky: A Memoir of World War II
Carmen Leigh Hiner , and Harold Lyle Hiner
Manufacturer: Eakin Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Book Description

Letters to Sparky is an old-fashioned, World War II-era love story that unfolds in ninety-seven letters from a young marine to his college flame, her diary, and historical fact. Through the words of Harold Hiner and Carmen Leigh Hiner, we see the war from the perspective of the not-so-ordinary people who fought in it and prayed about it.

Love and Politics in Wartime: Letters to My Wife, 1943-45

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Love and Politics in Wartime: Letters to My Wife, 1943-45
Benedict S Alper , and Joan Scott
Manufacturer: University of Illinois Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Til We Meet Again--A Soldier's Love Letters from India

Average customer rating:

This should be made into a movie!

Til We Meet Again--A Soldier's Love Letters from India
Willis Graham , and Katherine D. Graham
Manufacturer: Hillsboro Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Product Description

Not all World War II battles were fought in the skies, seas, or frontlines. Some of the hardest battles were personal, fought by servicemen while separated from the women they loved. When he was drafted into the U. S. Army, Bill Graham was just a skinny kid who'd never even traveled beyond the borders of Tennessee. By war's end, Bill was living in exotic India, and visiting the Taj Mahal, Burma, and China. Serving in army public relations, Bill's job was to help morale among servicemen stationed in the Far East. But keeping his own morale high was difficult when being separated from his loving, young wife, Katherine. The couple wrote each other hundreds of letters during World War II, letters full of love, longing, and hope for a reunited future. Til We Meet Again is more than Bill's view of history set against the backdrop of the essential China-Burma-India theater in the last years of World War II. Til We Meet Again is the story of every man and woman separated by time and war and distance.

Customer Reviews:

This should be made into a movie!.......2006-10-24

I have never read anything about our troops in India in WW II. This is a fascinating book for anyone to read. Imagine a time without email (only V mail), cell phones and images of the war on the news every night. Imagine writing more than 522 letters to your soldier in response to his letters home! Imagine a whole country united against a common enemy and ready to do without so the war effort could be successful. What it must have been like to be stationed in India in 1944! A totally foreign world. I loved the book and can't wait to see the movie.

Average customer rating:

Ron Seely-Science Editor Review-Wisconsin

Lois Blinkhorn-Milwaukee Journal-Book Editor Review

Vivid description of cultural contrasts

The Anandrous Journey: Revealing Letters to a Mentor
Merrilyn Leigh Hartridge
Manufacturer: Amherst Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0942495659

Customer Reviews:

Ron Seely-Science Editor Review-Wisconsin.......2002-01-31

World limnologists predict that the global water supply will, by 2060, cause greater concern to human existence than a shortage of fossil fuels. The Anandrous Journey is a highly readable adventure about a female protagonist and a zoology professor who managed to triumph over everything from the sexism of the early 1900's to physical dangers encountered on scientific expeditions. Her study of microscopic plankton continues to be a vital ecological factor in determining the projected life of Earth's bodies of water. How Hattie Bell Merrill, a petite five foot tall women, stood up to her male counterparts is described with amusing and revealing imagery of the moral, social and professional mores of her era.

Lois Blinkhorn-Milwaukee Journal-Book Editor Review.......2002-01-29

Hattie Bell Merrill stood barely 5 ft. tall from her men's boots to the top of her pompadour. The author describes her delicate 100 pound frame as, "usually encumbered with camera and specimen gathering equipment as she trekked through hazardous, unknown terrain." She traveled by steamship, river boats, cog rail and horseback to areas where few white women ventured. She mingled equally with peasants, wealthy industrialists, natives of the rain forest and men of letters and science. When Merrill ventured out from her sepia-toned academic community in the North to the vivid spectrum of the tropical Amazon and South America she stated,"It was as liberating as loosing the constraints of my corset stays and changing into a shift." This is a biography that will make the reader want to cheer for the heroine who coped with obstacles more of man than of beasts.

Vivid description of cultural contrasts.......2001-08-23

M. L. Hartridge writes with accuracy and compassion this turn of the century saga as one who actually lived during the life of her heroine. The vivid descriptions of cultural contrasts in The Anandrous Journey are exiting visions in print!

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