Adam Lazarus

A good look at how wartime relationships can be sustained. After connecting and surviving in Korea, each continued with their life trajectories. Ted Williams was a major league baseball player and arguably "The Greatest Hitter Ever". John Glenn went into flight testing and ended up as the first astronaut to orbit the earth, before going into politics and becoming a US Senator representing Ohio. Williams rarely related to anyone who was not a child, a marine, or a fisherman and spent the rest of his life either griping or fishing. Glenn was quite successful in politics even seeking a presidential nomination. Never close friends, these men touched each other infrequently but enough to sustain their original wingman configuration.… (more)

The Wingmen by Adam Lazarus

Fascinating factual account of two famous men who became fast friends as Marine pilots during the Korean War.

One of the reasons I was drawn to this book was that it reminded me of one of my maternal uncles telling me a few stories about his time as a soldier in Korea. Additionally, I wanted to find out what these two men, a professional baseball player and an astronaut, might have in common. The book was well researched, the writing flowed and was easy to read, and the men came to life on the page.

I actually started a list of “similarities” and “differences” and realized that the main thing John Glenn and Ted Willams had in common was the trust and admiration that formed between the two men while flying missions together. They both had planes damaged, limped back to base, and survived to return home. Ted returned to play professional baseball while John opted to stay career Marine in various positions till his last as the first astronaut to orbit the earth. There was a lot to take in from how they were raised to how they were buried.

I didn’t know a lot about either man before reading this book but came away with an understanding of and appreciation for the good things they both did. I felt I got to know them and learned a bit more ab the Korean War, too.

NOTES:
1) My father was in WWII, my uncle fought in Korea, I wrote letters to men in Vietnam, and have been through the Gulf War in Saudi Arabia – this book had me thinking about how war impacts the soldiers, their families, and the country the war takes place in.
2) I googled after finishing and found out that Ted’s rather controversial son died a couple years after his choice of burial for his father and chose the same for himself.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensginton Publishing – Citadel Press for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars… (more)

Super Bowl XXV was held at the end of the 1990 season, a fantastic game between the Buffalo Bills - the new team on the block with a dynamic offense - and the New York Giants - the old guard, big on defense and a running game. Headed up by Jim Kelly and backup quarterback Jeff Hostetler, these teams competed in an exciting, closely contested game devoid of turnovers.

The subtitle "From the Persian Gulf to the Shores of West Florida: The New York Giants, the Buffalo Bulls, and Super Bowl XXV" is a little misleading. The Persian Gulf War is more of a backdrop, going on behind the scenes, and affecting the game in such ways as increasing security, and the discussion over whether or not the game should go on during a war. Really, it's all about the football. Lazarus begins by showing Hostetler and Kelly rising through the ranks in college to play in the NFL, overviews the season and playoffs, before diving in to the heart of the narrative: Super Bowl XXV. The play-by-play of this game is at the heart of the book and where Lazarus' writing really shines. He throws in other things, too, such as flashbacks to previous Super Bowls and a chapter on the assistant coaches working with the Giants who would go on to have fantastic careers of their own (Belichick and Coughlin, anyone?), but I found this gave the narrative a staccato rhythm, instead of building up momentum to the final play of the game. Also, he goes on a bit too long in the final chapters of "after" the big game, and I started to lose interest. Lazarus has clearly done his research and extensive interviews in 2010, so the inclusion of players' and coaches' reminiscences add a lot. If you're a Giants or a Bills fan - or even if you're just a football fan - it's worth a look.… (more)