Stephen Gornik grew up during The Great Depression in a poor immigrant family in Chicago's South Side neighborhood; Back of the Yards. Days after his 21st birthday; he received a draft letter for report to Army duty. In basic training; he accepted the challenge to join the Paratroopers. Soon thereafter; he was deployed for service in The Korean War. These are his letters home and those he received in return. A prolific and candid writer; Gornik describes in gritty detail his daily challenges; triumphs and; perhaps mostly poignantly; self-discovery. The war experience also imbued Gornik with a fierce determination to transcend early poverty; severe beatings by his father and the extreme shyness of his youth.
#358324 in Books 2011-01-04 2011-01-04Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.21 x .87 x 5.45l; .75 #File Name: 1594484988416 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Thorough and informative; but a DENSE read.By ReaderPros• Outstandingly well-written and researched• Peppered liberally with acerbic wit (my favorite kind)• Near-encyclopedic coverage of about a dozen popular conspiracy theoriesCons• Misleading sub-title• Near-encyclopedic coverage of about a dozen popular conspiracy theoriesDo buy this book if you need a thorough – and I mean THOROUGH – reference work on the following conspiracy theories:• Protocols of the Elders of Zion• Moscow show trials• Pearl Harbor as an inside job• McCarthy’s Red Scare• JFK’s assassination• Marilyn Monroe’s “murderâ€â€¢ Princess Diana’s “murderâ€â€¢ Hilda Murrell’s “murderâ€â€¢ Jesus’ descendants• 9/11 Truthers• Dr. David Kelly’s “murderâ€â€¢ Vince Foster’s “murderâ€â€¢ The Birther movementDon’t buy this book if you’re looking for an easy-to-digest overview of conspiracy theories and/or an explanation of how they have shaped modern history (as promised by the book’s sub-title). Aside from an excellent Stephen Ambrose quote on the very last page of the book; Mr. Aaronovitch barely even makes an attempt to show how conspiracy theories do anything other than inform; and perhaps beget; other conspiracy theories.To summarize: Despite the author’s often searing humor; which I enjoyed immensely; I still had a hard time slogging through this book because of the high volume of minutia he elected to include. In the first chapter; for instance; he provides the names of; and considerable background information about; every soul who had a hand in creating; modifying; promoting; debunking; and rejecting the debunking of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion. Therefore; I’d recommend this book primarily as a reference work.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. "People are as dumb now as they were 2000 years ago"By Dr. S. ShapiroA well-researched and well-written (albeit selective) documentation of human credibility/gullibility and blindness to recognize obvious truths when facts get in the way of beliefs. In this respect; the book can be thought of as kind of scary! Read this one together with Eco's "Foucault's Pendulum"; and see where they intersect. (Hint: Years ago; when asked to summarize the content of "Foucault's Pendulum" in one sentence; I replied: "People are as dumb now as they were 2000 years ago.")0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. dootBy JuliaDoes what it's designed to do
