Lucky Stars and Gold Bars: A World War II Odyssey

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Summary: A Must Read!
Review: Easy to read and excellently written. While being entertained, you will learn a lot about the WWII era. Here's a great tip: watch the video of Lyle Sladek, the WWII letter writer, produced by the Ventura County Star at http://wms.scripps.com/ventura/sladek.wmv

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Summary: A 522-page distillation of some 400 letters by Lyle Sladek
Review: Unlucky Stars And Gold Bars: A World War II Odyssey is a 522-page distillation of some 400 letters written by Lyle Sladek, a South Dakota farm boy during his military service as a second lieutenant in the Army Air Corps. Lyle served as a Cryptographic Security and Intelligence Officer in the China-Burma-India; European; and Mediterranean theaters of war. He wrote about his observations respecting profound socioeconomic changes in Asia and Europe posting his letters home from five continents. Compiled and edited by his daughter, Lucky Stars And Gold Bars is especially valuable in what it reveals about the noncombat side of military life "in the field" during World War II as experienced by four out of five GIs during the second world war. Enhanced with 236 illustrations and thoroughly "reader friendly", Lucky Stars And Gold Bars is a rather unique and enthusiastically recommended addition for personal, academic, and community library Military History & Biography collections.