BOOK REVIEW. 'Where the Hell have you been ?'

[RattlesnakeBob]

Have just finished yet another of my Charity Chop finds and this one is absolutley fantastic .

"Where the hell have you been ?" by Tom Carver is a brilliantly written memoir of a relatively obscure Gentleman and he was, a true 'gentleman' in all respects of his life.

Richard Carver was just one of many thousands of young officers during the Second World War but what made him special was that he was the Stepson of General Mongomery...Captured when serving as a Staff Officer with the legendary Monty in North Africa , he was imprisoned by the Germans in a POW Camp in Italy. The book was written by his son the well respected journalist Tom Carver who you may well have come across. Tom has written a beatiful memoir of his very much loved Father and of how he eventually 'escaped' (you need to read just how this came about to believe it ! ) and travelled down through German occupied Italy with a few different companions hoping to be able to link up with the Allies as they fought their way up into Italy . Hidden and assisted along the way by the generosity of very poor Italian farmers and peasants, Richard finally after many adventures managed to cross the front line and meet up once again with his outwardly stern but obviously very much relieved StepDad. Montys response (possibly delivered due to Monty's acute awarness of his public 'aura' of nochalance and control) forms the title of the book.

The book isn't so much about the actual combat of 'men at war' but more a very fine study of the make up of an ordinary decent gentlemen who found himself not really being comfortable with 'War' and all it's machinations but also especially, with very quietly and with much dignity...struggling to find his place in life through his long life afterwards.

A brilliant read and very highly recommend !!

Edited April 26, 2013 by RattlesnakeBob