Great Reads & Great Movies

Once I started reading about the exploits of men and women in World War II, I found it difficult, if not impossible, to stop.

I read a number of autobiographies and memoirs of the women I’ve written about: Alice Marble’s early memoir, The Road to Wimbledon, Undercover Girl by then Betty MacDonald – all about her adventures in the OSS, undoubtedly a “tell-all” she would undoubtedly not be able to publish today.

I read at least four books about the enigmatic Virginia Hall and look forward to the upcoming movie about her time with both the SOE and the OSS. The movie is based on the book A Woman of No Importance.

I read the autobiography of Diet Eman, The Things We Couldn’t Say, and other stories about women who fought in the resistance in France, the Netherlands, and Belgium.

I found a number of books about nurses, women who joined the WASP and more. I read the memoir Safe Passage by Ida Cook about her and her sister Louise and how they helped families escape Germany during the War. There are several later versions of this narrative, and I’ve read them as well.

A few years ago, I spoke at the National World War II Museum’s International Conference and met Gwen Strauss, author of The Nine. It is a difficult story to read about women who survived concentration camps, escaped and made their way home during a series of frightening encounters. But like many other tough tales, it is also uplifting.

I have at least five books on the women who served as codebreakers, American and British, in Washington D.C. and at Bletchley Park. I’ve also picked up a copy of the short documentary about the Navy WAVES who built the massive machines, “Bombes” in Dayton, Ohio.

I’ve read about reporters, photographers, and war correspondents, finding stories by Ruth Gruber, Martha Gellhorn, and a coffee-table book from the British Imperial War Museum of photos by Lee Miller, A Woman’s War.

The movie about her, titled simply “Lee,” is now streaming.

But I’ve been most excited to see the new movie about the all-female, African-American unit from WWII, the 6888 Central Postal Directory Battalion. Based on the story of the unit’s commander, Lt. Col. Charity Adams Earley, the movie will be in selected theaters by Dec 6^th and available on Netflix by Dec 20^th.

Titled “The Six Triple Eight,” it is the story of this remarkable unit’s success in boosting morale during the war by solving the issue of a nearly impossible years-long backlog of troop mail.

I’ve also written about Charity Adams, and read her memoir, One Women’s Army, about her incredible journey with a segregated U.S. Army during WWII

It has taken a monumental effort to bring forth the account of this incredible unit and its remarkable leader. The force behind this effort—that was once a moment, then a movement, and is now a movie—is retired U.S. Army Colonel Edna Cummings.

An advocate and a historian, she led the effort that has resulted in not only this adaptation of the 6888 story but the granting of the Congressional Gold Medal to the 6888 and the retelling of their story in many other ways—through memorials, the naming of Post Offices, historical tours to the U.K and France to see where the unit was stationed, and more, including a future Broadway musical about their journey.

This true champion has brought the 6888 story not only to light but back to life.

Now, there is another book I’m looking forward to—and that is the remarkable story of 6888 promoter Edna Cummings herself, her path from life as a military brat to ROTC, then life as an Army officer, wife, and mother, to advocate and spokesperson for the women of the 6888.

A Soldier’s Life is the story of service, adversity, personal tragedy, and ultimately a triumph of achievement. This book is on Amazon now and available for pre-order.

I’m already in line.