Officially, today. The image links to the paperback at B&N.com.
Prefer Amazon? Here's the link.
Showing posts with label Rangers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rangers. Show all posts
Why truth is important, at least after the fact
The story of the Dieppe hero who wasn't (see the post below) begs its own questions, most importantly why did I feel it necessary to include in the book at all.
The story he told was compelling, though, and certainly if it had been true I would have included it, just as nearly every other author has. But he wasn't a Ranger, and after I debunked it for myself I debated whether I should include it at all. I didn't feel angry that the man had received honors and had gone done in history for something he didn't do. On the contrary, I felt sorry for him - my impression was that he felt so much survivor guilt, and perhaps shame at not being able to live up to whatever he thought he should have done under fire, that he invented a story that made him look like an action hero to compensate. Revealing that seemed almost like compounding his wounds and pain.
And who was I to pass judgement? I wasn't there; who knows how I would have reacted that day, under those circumstances, at that moment. We all like to think we will be brave under every circumstance, on every occasion, yet of course that is impossible. Who are any of us, really, to judge what another person does? True judgement can only be rendered by God.
And yet, anyone reading his story must think, can only wonder, why if this man was able to achieve what he claimed to achieve, others couldn't. That reason alone made it important to include the story somewhere, even if ultimately it might be tangential to the rest of the tale.
After I finished the book, I realized the story of his bravery, and non-bravery, echoed in many ways one of the important themes of the work - what courage really is, and how those who come later attempt to retrieve and relive that courage. In many ways, the battle - all battles - that we revisit can tell us as much about ourselves as about the men who fought it. If we're willing to look at it with clear eyes, and struggle for the truth.
The story of the Dieppe hero who wasn't (see the post below) begs its own questions, most importantly why did I feel it necessary to include in the book at all.
The story he told was compelling, though, and certainly if it had been true I would have included it, just as nearly every other author has. But he wasn't a Ranger, and after I debunked it for myself I debated whether I should include it at all. I didn't feel angry that the man had received honors and had gone done in history for something he didn't do. On the contrary, I felt sorry for him - my impression was that he felt so much survivor guilt, and perhaps shame at not being able to live up to whatever he thought he should have done under fire, that he invented a story that made him look like an action hero to compensate. Revealing that seemed almost like compounding his wounds and pain.
And who was I to pass judgement? I wasn't there; who knows how I would have reacted that day, under those circumstances, at that moment. We all like to think we will be brave under every circumstance, on every occasion, yet of course that is impossible. Who are any of us, really, to judge what another person does? True judgement can only be rendered by God.
And yet, anyone reading his story must think, can only wonder, why if this man was able to achieve what he claimed to achieve, others couldn't. That reason alone made it important to include the story somewhere, even if ultimately it might be tangential to the rest of the tale.
After I finished the book, I realized the story of his bravery, and non-bravery, echoed in many ways one of the important themes of the work - what courage really is, and how those who come later attempt to retrieve and relive that courage. In many ways, the battle - all battles - that we revisit can tell us as much about ourselves as about the men who fought it. If we're willing to look at it with clear eyes, and struggle for the truth.
Errors, accidents, and good fortune
Rangers at Dieppe comes out in paperback this week, which is cool. The only problem is that, due to circumstances beyond my control, a number of changes I wanted to make weren't included in the paperback.
I was mostly hoping to make a few corrections to some small mistakes. The most embarrassing is a section in the book where I inexplicably described an M-1 carbine rather than the M-1 rifle. It didn't harm the story, of course, but it's one of those things that make you cringe later on - kind of like walking through a really fancy restaurant with toilet paper on your shoe. (I wouldn't have minded the mistake so much if I hadn't known the difference, but that's another story . . .)
On the other hand, that error has been very fortunate. A number of readers have taken the time to set me straight - most very kindly - and have shared incredible stories of their experiences, or their fathers' or grandfathers', during the war. I've learned a lot and gained a lot in the process.
It's almost as if I did it on purpose. I didn't. But I'm glad I got a chance to talk to these guys and gals.
The book's website: www.rangersatdieppe.com
Rangers at Dieppe comes out in paperback this week, which is cool. The only problem is that, due to circumstances beyond my control, a number of changes I wanted to make weren't included in the paperback.
I was mostly hoping to make a few corrections to some small mistakes. The most embarrassing is a section in the book where I inexplicably described an M-1 carbine rather than the M-1 rifle. It didn't harm the story, of course, but it's one of those things that make you cringe later on - kind of like walking through a really fancy restaurant with toilet paper on your shoe. (I wouldn't have minded the mistake so much if I hadn't known the difference, but that's another story . . .)
On the other hand, that error has been very fortunate. A number of readers have taken the time to set me straight - most very kindly - and have shared incredible stories of their experiences, or their fathers' or grandfathers', during the war. I've learned a lot and gained a lot in the process.
It's almost as if I did it on purpose. I didn't. But I'm glad I got a chance to talk to these guys and gals.
The book's website: www.rangersatdieppe.com
But what I meant was . . .
One of the great things about writing a book is the fact that you make mistakes.
Not that I like making mistakes - just the opposite - but they're inevitable, or at least they are for me. On the bright side, they give readers something to say to you. Most are pretty nice about it. I've met a lot of interesting people that way.
Somewhere in Rangers at Dieppe, I started talking about the M1 and for some reason I got confused between the standard rifle version and the carbine. Probably I started to pontificate on the different versions, realized I was just going on, then cut out stuff haphazardly. But who knows.
Damned if I haven't been hearing about it ever since the book came out. Just goes to show: the only thing a writer really owns in a story are the mistakes he makes . . .
The funny thing is, I first learned to shoot with an M1 that belonged to a friend's father. There were some great stories attached to the gun, which supposedly had been used in WWII. Most if not all of the stories were probably apocryphal - and I strongly suspect now that it hadn't been in the war at all. But just holding that rifle (and yes, that was definitely the rifle version) was an awesome feeling.
One of the great things about writing a book is the fact that you make mistakes.
Not that I like making mistakes - just the opposite - but they're inevitable, or at least they are for me. On the bright side, they give readers something to say to you. Most are pretty nice about it. I've met a lot of interesting people that way.
Somewhere in Rangers at Dieppe, I started talking about the M1 and for some reason I got confused between the standard rifle version and the carbine. Probably I started to pontificate on the different versions, realized I was just going on, then cut out stuff haphazardly. But who knows.
Damned if I haven't been hearing about it ever since the book came out. Just goes to show: the only thing a writer really owns in a story are the mistakes he makes . . .
The funny thing is, I first learned to shoot with an M1 that belonged to a friend's father. There were some great stories attached to the gun, which supposedly had been used in WWII. Most if not all of the stories were probably apocryphal - and I strongly suspect now that it hadn't been in the war at all. But just holding that rifle (and yes, that was definitely the rifle version) was an awesome feeling.
Me & Joey
Joey Reynolds: . . . Yeah, so everybody has these blogs and -- you can't even read them all --
Me: I have a blog.
Joey: Have you read it all?
Me: I haven't finished it yet...
----
Postscript: Oh yeah, and we talked about Dieppe, and Rangers, and marriage.
They beat me up a bit, but it was great fun. Here's a url to their site, where there's a podcast somewhere. . . .
http://www.wor710.com/pages/46370.php
Joey Reynolds: . . . Yeah, so everybody has these blogs and -- you can't even read them all --
Me: I have a blog.
Joey: Have you read it all?
Me: I haven't finished it yet...
----
Postscript: Oh yeah, and we talked about Dieppe, and Rangers, and marriage.
They beat me up a bit, but it was great fun. Here's a url to their site, where there's a podcast somewhere. . . .
http://www.wor710.com/pages/46370.php
Now on-line
The website: www.rangersatdieppe.com
There are some video goodies, maps and documents there, as well as one-click ordering through Amazon and (soon, I hope) your local bookstore.
The website: www.rangersatdieppe.com
There are some video goodies, maps and documents there, as well as one-click ordering through Amazon and (soon, I hope) your local bookstore.
Ranger excerpt
The magazine, World War II, bought first serial rights to Rangers at Dieppe and is featuring an excerpt from the book in their December issue.
I've written for magazines before, but this one feels like it's remote control - someone else did the excerpting . . .
And did a very nice job, telling a story but not telling the entire book. An art in itself.
The magazine, World War II, bought first serial rights to Rangers at Dieppe and is featuring an excerpt from the book in their December issue.
I've written for magazines before, but this one feels like it's remote control - someone else did the excerpting . . .
And did a very nice job, telling a story but not telling the entire book. An art in itself.
For Ted
Most people don’t know Ted Rensink, and there’s no reason they should. No one’s made a movie about him, and while his name does appear in a book (or will when it's published this January), he doesn’t fill up many pages.
Eventually, Ted and a few hundred other young men found themselves in Ireland. Bored and anxious to do something to help America after Pearl Harbor, Ted volunteered for the Rangers, a new commando-style unit that promised plenty of action. Ted was a pretty capable kid, and after only a few days he was selected for what would have been a suicide mission, though of course he didn't it at the time -- and in fact wouldn't realize it for sixty some years. Fortunately for him, the mission was called off.
He was disappointed, but within a few months was fighting in Africa, then
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