Once Upon a Town: The Miracle of the North Platte Canteen - Couverture rigide

Greene, Bob

Couverture rigide

ISBN 10 : 0060081961 ISBN 13 : 9780060081966

Editeur : William Morrow, 2002

Synopsis

Book by Greene Bob

A propos du livre

Présentation de l'éditeur :

In search of "the best America there ever was," bestselling author and syndicated columnist Bob Greene finds it in a small Nebraska town few people pass through today -- a town where Greene discovers the echoes of the most touching love story imaginable: a love story between a country and its sons.

North Platte, Nebraska, is as isolated as a small town can be, a solitary outpost in the vast midwestern plains, hours from the state's urban centers of Omaha and Lincoln. But from Christmas Day 1941 to the end of World War II, a miracle happened there.

During the war, American soldiers from every city and walk of life rolled through North Platte on troop trains, en route to their ultimate destinations in Europe and the Pacific. The tiny town, wanting to offer the servicemen warmth and support, transformed its modest railroad depot into the North Platte Canteen -- a place where soldiers could enjoy coffee, music, home-cooked food, magazines, and convivial, friendly conversation during a stopover that lasted only a few minutes. It was a haven for a never-ending stream of weary, homesick military personnel that provided them with the encouragement they needed to help them through the difficult times ahead.

Every day of the year, every day of the war, the Canteen -- staffed and funded entirely by local volunteers -- was open from 5 A.M. until the last troop train of the day pulled away after midnight. Astonishingly, this remote plains community of only twelve thousand people provided welcoming words, friendship, and baskets of food and treats to more than six million GIs by the time the war ended.

In this poignant and heartwarming eyewitness history, based on interviews with North Platte residents and the GIs who once passed through, Bob Greene unearths and reveals a classic, lost-in-the-mists-of-time American story of a grateful country honoring its brave and dedicated sons.

Revue de presse :

“...the quintessential American story...” (Aaron Brown, from NewsNight with Aaron Brown, CNN)

“This pleasantly modest and meaningful account of life on the homefront deserves the widest audience.” (Kirkus Reviews)

“Greene reflects on his travels in the region, chronicling its citizens using the intimate style of his syndicated column.” (Publishers Weekly)

“... I salute the author for preserving this story of another time in another America.” (Herbert Mitgang, Chicago Tribune)

“Greene is a virtuoso of the things that bring journalism alive.” (Tom Wolfe)

“Lovely...inspiring...uplifting...I was moved to tears, and you will be, too.” (Ann Landers)

“This is a great story of love, country and uncalled-for service in a time of national crisis.” (Greg Moody, Rocky Mountain News)

“... a glimpse into rural Nebraska culture, norms and practices long since vanished.” (Joe Duggan, Lincoln Journal Star)

“A tale of small-town generosity in a time of war.” (Omaha World-Herald)

“A lively, affectionate look at small town America ...this...meaningful account of life on the homefront deserves the widest audience.” (Kirkus Reviews)

À propos de cette édition

• Éditeur: William Morrow
• Date d'édition: 2002
• ISBN 10: 0060081961
• ISBN 13: 9780060081966
• Reliure: Relié
• Nombre de pages: 272