I picked this book up quite a while back at the used book store. After putting down War and Peace, I figured cleansing my palate with this 195 page diet book would make me feel good about reading again.
Farley is from Canada and at first he wants to be in the Air Force. He's too small to make it, so he ends up with the Hasty Pees. He sets off for war with the anticipation of beating the Germans and being the hero, but he soon discovers that it's much different than he expected.
I appreciated Mowat's writing style. He didn't hold back and didn't sugar coat anything. That means some descriptions are a bit difficult, but they were what he experienced, so you can't blame him. He also ends the book very abruptly. It's probably the first time that didn't bother me. His insight and description of "the Worm" was personal and moving. Back then it was called "shell shock," and today it's known as PTSD.
I liked this memoir because Mowat was honest about himself. He praised others and was descriptive of battles, but he didn't gloss over his mistakes. In fact, he goes into detail about what he did and how others reacted to it. He talks about the changes that happened to him mentally, and how he didn't feel like he knew the people at home anymore because of what he'd been through.
Mowat has written many other books, mostly about nature and the north. I would recommend this to anyone who wants an infantryman's honest view of the war. A man who goes in wanting to be a hero and comes out feeling lucky to be alive. Good Book!
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