Navy SEAL Michael Monsoor received the Congressional Medal of Honor for Military Valor posthumously today. I wanted to extend my deepest condolences to his family and fellow SEALS, especially those brothers-in-arms whose lives he saved while sacrificing his own. Read more about this remarkable young man, including the President's moving tribute. Fair […]
Michael Monsoor: Congressional Medal of Honor Read More »
I recently came across this beautiful folk song — sung here by Tim O'Brien, whose mournful fiddle is as haunting as the song. It is an odd combination of of martial spirit, the soldier's success in battle, pride in his accomplishments at having served with brave commanders and an unanswered longing for a woman whose
Foreign Lander and the Life of the Sailor/Soldier Read More »
Near the end of the novel The Pirates of the Levant by Arturo Perez-Reverte, Captain Alatriste finds himself the highest ranking survivor of one of three ships that are battling for their lives against the Turks, who out-gun, out-cannon, and just sheer outnumber the Spaniards. There is a hasty meeting of the remaining "commanders" from
Last Lines and Cool Captains Read More »
There is a passage in Arturo Pérez-Reverte's The Pirates of the Levant that struck me as true. We are a military family and for over ten years it has been my pleasure (mingled with a mother's worry and sometimes grief at the violent deaths) of being in the company of remarkable men who have served
Honor & Loyalty in Arturo Pérez-Reverte’s The Pirates of the Levant. Read More »
In the midst of reading The King’s Gold, Arturo Pérez-Reverte’s fourth volume in his swashbuckling series “The Adventures of Captain Alatriste,” I came across one of those brilliant, long, elegant, artfully constructed sentences that takes up almost the entire paragraph. I’ve read it over several times and just can’t get over how gorgeous it is.
The Art of the Long Sentence: Arturo Pérez-Reverte Read More »
**As I have been reading the last two novels in the Captain Alatriste Series by Arturo Pérez-Reverte and really want to write more about them — I thought it worthwhile to revisit two earlier posts (one from 2008 — almost ten years ago! ) that provide both reviews of the earlier books and details on
Reviews of the Captain Alatriste Series by Arturo Perez-Reverte Read More »
Ok..so here are two more photos of my father Emile with his cousins on leave after the liberation of Paris (a follow up to the post below). I am almost certain the man is his cousin Yves Jouffa and the woman Yves sister Roselyne– but I am waiting for the family in France to confirm this.
Emile On Leave: Two More Read More »
