Willie Morris Books

I have always been interested in WWII history and this book is excellent as it deals with the consequences of war. Wolfgang was blessed with an incredible memory and this book tells the story of the time from 1945 to 1950 in Germany and how things were. I will not recap the story since others have done it so well, but this is in the top 10 of the hundreds of books I have read.

This is a great book. I gave the book to a few German friends who lived in Germany during the war. They could identify with the author's experiences.

The author became a U.S citizen and fought in Vietnam. I would have liked to read about the author's experience in this country, and his experience, as a pilot in our Air Force.

A well written book and interesting too.

Wonderful and descriptive first hand account of living through WWII in Germany and the life there afterwards.

The author, who was 10 years old and living in eastern Germany when WWII came to an end, has an amazing memory for telling details and an irresistibly engaging personality. His memoir of that dreadful time is framed as a tribute to his mother, who certainly deserves it, and an unforgettable lesson in history as it is really lived. Once you start reading this book, you will be unable to put it down and you will never forget it.

This harrowing memoir should be required reading for all children. Perhaps, as adults, they will think hard and deeply before embarking on war. The description of life at the end of WWII and postwar Germany are harrowing. The reader cannot help but wonder how he or she would or could cope in the same situation.

I found the comparison among the American, British and Russian zones in postwar Germany to be fascinating. I hope that the friendliness and genorosity which have historically characterized Americans have not been lost in our recent imperialist adventurism and immoral acts.

This is a wonderful and touching story. It is a good read, and I recommend it to anyone who has ever had a pet. I especially like that it has a jack russell in the story.

This book is the story of Willie Morris' childhood companion, a dog named Skip. Willie recounts his adolescent years and all the fond memories of his dog and friends as they grew up together in small town Mississippi. The story is heartwarming and the author paints a very clear picture of all the shenanigans, good times and bad that he and his dog had together over the years. I liked this book; but I think a male reader would appreciate the bond between a boy and his dog more than I can.

This was a great book! It was so touching and heartfelt. I love dogs and this book is an example of someone who loves dogs like me so I can connect! Greatly recomended!

Willie Morris was a truly great author! This story of his childhood with his dog was really heartwarming. It is so simple and warm and humorous, you will just love it. Warning: you will cry your eyes out at the end, but it's worth the pain. One of the best animal stories ever, I hope many kids read this in school. If you loved the movie "A Christmas Story" you will love this book. The movie version of "My Dog Skip" is also quite good, though it is kind of upsetting that in order to create drama the wonderful father of the book is kind of nasty in the movie. Willie Morris was a great author who also wrote a cat book entitled "My Cat Spit McGee" and several books about his life that remind me a little of Russel Baker's memoirs. One is entitled "North Toward Home", another "Good Old Boy" and one is about life in New York City.

Willie Morris has recounted the life of not just a boyhood pet, but a dear and close friend.
The Story of Skip's life as told by his owner is full of mythic adventures of childhood. Where every new day was full of joy and wonder. Morris' storytelling brings the dog, his family and the lush southern landscape into full and brilliant view.
When you read My Dog Skip you can just feel how much this young man loved and revered his dog.
Any of us who have had a much loved pet know that the bond between animal and human can reach so much further than just "pet and owner". Willie Morris makes the statement that Skip wasn't just his dog, but his brother... that is a beautiful thing. Morris grew up an only child but did not feel alone by any stretch of the imagination. He was loved deeply by and deeply loved his dog Skip.
Another great point made in this book is how Willie Morris learned so much from his dog Skip. He clearly states that the most lasting lessons he has learned about love and loyalty came from knowing his dog.
This book captures so well the love a boy or any human being can have for a pet... I loved the story and highly recommend it!

I bought this book because a friend of mine on met the author on the train while my friend was making a pilgrimage of her own to revisit her past. My friend is mentioned in the book,along with her daughter who accompanied her on this trip. This book gives great insight from the victims perspective.

Bashert is not easy reading. The author doesn't back away from painful discoveries or stand aloof emotionally: Andrea Simon is present on every page of her powerful and personal odyssey of discovery. In this book you get to know her, her family, their community, and their terrifying history. This book contains horrors and heroism. It is an important book for Jews and non-Jews alike. The inhumanities it chronicles remind us of why we must continue to stand against contemporay atrocities. Read this book. Share it with others. It isn't easy, but it is important. Ms. Simon writes of how profoundly she was affected by writing it. Reading it will do the same for you.

I can't imagine many non-Jews looking at Andrea Simon's book in a catalogue or a store and thinking they MUST have it, or that it would necessarily contain anything of value to them. After all, it's just a Jewish woman's search for her history, right? Wrong! It is a tender, and unsettling, story of a personal journey that turns historic. And it is a reminder of what can happen, and has happened, when we lose touch with our shared humanity. This is not an easy book to read but it is a compelling book- and it is a call to action. We must never forget, and we must never give up. Andrea Simon persevered on her journey, as did her grandmother (and many others) before her. So must we all.

This is one of the best holocaust memoirs I've ever read. Simon's account of the atrocities that were inflicted are woven through the horrific experiences that her own family suffered -- experiences that she learns on many steps of her journey. Beautifully written, expertly researched and told.

Bashert by Andrea Simon is not only a labor of love and a remarkable gift to those who came before and will follow, it is an important addition to Holocaust literature, describing events that may not have come to light before. The events are described in a very readable and personal form.

What makes this book especially moving is the way the author weaves her personal story into her search for historical fact. It is the author's personal involvement, warmth and humanity that draw the reader in and create a sense of personal involvement for the reader. We are not just reading history, but being taken along on the author's quest for knowledge and truth. We share her hunger to know what happened to her lost family.

For those with personal experience or knowledge of the Holocaust, this will add; for others it is a good place to start. It is a remarkable personal odyssey which will leave the reader affected and transformed.

This book is about the South and northern places in the mid 60's-80's. To be sure it is about a gifted black athlete having to survive a white society that wants somehow to be with him in his quest for greatness. Much more than that, this book is about racism at its core, promise, insecurity, and reluctant goodness, and we should hope that Morris's honest and understandable "sorta" autobiographical dissertation on his homeland Mississippi will compel us to take another look at where we are as a society. We should not let Pete, Willie's mid-life dog, be the best of what we can be.

This is a must read-especially for the young athletes of today. This man was a legend! Hands down the best running back in the country during his era!
Having met him, he's a modest, humble man who loves football and loves his hometown. Would love to see this made into a movie!
Get it, you won't be disappointed!

I recently read "The Courting of Marcus Dupree" and found it to be exciting and spell binding. My entire family was caught up in it. The book is an excellent tale of the birth of a young Black male in a troubling time for the South. The way Willie Morris related Marcus' birth and powerful strength to the struggle of his town and state was awesome, he should be the Mayor of Philadelphia or the Governor of Mississippi. I expected the book to be totally about football but it proved to be much more. It made you laugh and cry at times because of the tremendous pressure on Marcus Dupree, the 17 year old athlete that was blessed with such miraculous skills. The book made you feel like you were at the games when he made some of the beautiful plays. It was so intense that you wanted to get to the next page, but never wanted the book to end. I wish it was reprinted.

I read this book again recently and it was better than I remembered. It was so interesting to see how one 17 year old boy could dominate one small town's conversations. I expected this book to be a tale of a high school football star and his recruitment, but I got more, much more. Willie Morris examines the importance of football in Mississippi and how Marcus brought blacks and whites together with his play. He had insight in to Marcus that nobody outside of his family and high school coach could have had. Overall, a great read.

As an OU fan and a person who remember Marcus Dupree light up Norman during his brief time, I was very excited to have a little bit more background on this fascinating person.

The book hits several different topics. Obviously his recruitment of many football schools at times take center stage. But much of the book also discusses the effect of a black athlete becoming a state hero in Mississippi and gaining fans of all races. The foil of Dupree's time to that of two decades earlier when three cival rights activists were brutally murdered by the Klan. And the author, Willie Morris, contrasting and comparing his life with what he sees around him while following Dupree.

I recommend this book to anyone looking for a great personal account that takes you back to 1981 Mississippi, civil rights, and the power of football.

having a unique maiden name as Elzy, I like to see what I come across on the web. When I came across David Weaver's book on black divas and whom the book was about I couldn't resist. Not only is this a book about a wonderful singer, but about a person whom made her dream a reality with the help of god and some wonderful friends. The determination she had, her beliefs. This book was so informative and easy to read, that I am going to pass it on to others to read. I don't know if she is a relative but this book has given me the inspiration to find out.

Ruby Elzy, on the scant evidence of the one recording that I have yet heard (St Louis Blues, in the film of Birth of the Blues), was a great artist, both as actor and singer.

David Weaver's fine book is a most moving and informing tribute to Ruby Elzy's life and career. It is also a tribute to the achievement of a people emerging with triumph from slavery and discrimination. Despite their triumph, this book also indicts the nature of ongoing discrimination, against Afro-Americans and against all other people of colours and beliefs and ways of life that cannot be accommodated by the fear-based, unreasoned and unreasonable prejudice of other people across the world. This world is too small a place to contain both a diverse humanity and oppressive, evil prejudice.

In spite of the great interest and pleasure that I found, and continue to find on re-reading, in David Weaver's first book (surely, other books may follow), reading it was a painful experience - it has forced me to confront my own, deep-seated prejudices. There is a story where Ruby Elzy is walking with her friends and is mocked by a racist white boy. When she starts to sing a joyful spiritual instead of being downcast, the boy then acknowledges, in a kind of begrudging wonder, that she surely could sing.

David Weaver's work in creating this good book has helped many of us to share that boy's wonder. Sharing his admiration and affection for this great woman and her people is a gift that earns him the warm, well-earned gratitude of his readers.

David Weaver is now preparing a CD of Ruby Elzy's work and no doubt this will be sought after by many people on its release.

Ruby Pearl Elzy was born in small town Mississippi, but even when she was a young child it was evident that her voice would be too big to keep her there. Her dream of becoming an opera singer seemed unfathomable considering the fact that her father had abandoned the family and her mother worked multiple jobs,one as a school teacher, just to meet the basic needs of the family. But like her mother, Ruby had strong faith that God would make a way for her and neither of the two women was afraid of hard work. Their faith and work ethics, coupled with the dedication and help from others, both black and white, allowed Ruby to continue her education and eventually study at the famed Juilliard School. Despite racism and the barriers it created, she was able to perform on stage, radio and film, her trademark role being that of Serena from Gershwin's Porgy and Bess. Although she never accomplished her dream of starring in Verdi's Aida, her brief career was full of notable accomplishments. Tragically, Ruby Elzy died in her prime, before she could accomplish her goal to sing in grand opera. Yet, she left an indelible legacy that has inspired many.

Before I picked up this book I didn't know who Ruby Elzy was, but thanks to this book, I not only know of her accomplishments, but also a little about her on a personal level. I was even inspired to search online for audio clips so that I could hear the voice I read so much about. David Weaver has crafted a work that is a perfect balance between Elzy's personal and professional lives. When he writes about issues such as her divorce from her first husband or her relationship with her father, he does so with a respect that is often missing in today's biographies. He also does a wonderful job recreating the zeitgeist of the 1930's era by providing just enough relevant historical information. It is obvious from reading the book and scanning its extensive endnotes that BLACK DIVA OF THE THIRTIES is a well-researched book; it provides a comprehensive view of an important, but often overlooked woman, whose life was cut too short.

Reviewed by Stacey Seay
of The RAWSISTAZ™ Reviewers

A gifted four-year-old black girl child sings in church in a remote village in the hills of north Mississippi. She, two sisters, brother and schoolteacher mother are deserted by the father. In the 1920s existence in this farming community is hard for white folks, and much harder for a deserted black family of a woman and four children. By the time this girl is grown she will have graduated from Juilliard as a singer of classical music, given concerts throughout the country, entertained at the White House, performed in movies, become a favorite of George Gershwin and originated the role of Serena in Porgy & Bess. How it all happened has to be a biography because you would not believe it in a work of the imagination. It is all true. And it is well told in Black Diva. Although published by a University Press it is as far from academic gobbledygook as could be. Mr. Weaver writes well and has constructed an exciting story. This is not one of those bios where you know little more when you finish it than you did before. He "connected" with this girl, Ruby Elzy, and you get to know her, the times, the music, the atmosphere as well as if he had written a novel. Once famous, Ruby is now nearly forgotten. She shouldn't be. I invite you to read this book. You'll like her. And you'll want to hear her sing.

BLACK DIVA OF THE THIRTIES: THE LIFE OF RUBY ELZY is a fascinating and moving tribute to the great American soprano by first-time author David Weaver. Mr. Weaver's solid musical background serves him well in capturing the successes and the ultimate tragedy of this incomparable artist's life and career, and it's a testament to the author's style and sensitivity that no lofty musical pronouncements tarnish the pages of this book. Weaver treats his subject with intelligence and respect and it shows.

Biographers new to their craft often fall into the trap of overstating (and overstuffing) their subject's history, but all such pitfalls are avoided here. The book is a model of its kind and portrays Ruby Elzy's life and times in a warm, comprehensive and thoroughly engaging fashion. Weaver is also a born writer and I defy anyone to sample the marvelously evocative Prologue and not read on.

The book is a joy to read but more importantly, through the quality of his writing and the integrity of his research, Weaver ensures that Ruby Elzy's distinguished contribution to 20th century music will not be forgotten. The greatest test of any musical biography is whether the reader is compelled at the end of the book to seek out the subject's recorded legacy. With BLACK DIVA OF THE THIRTIES David Weaver has accomplished that task triumphantly, leaving the reader only to regret that so little recorded material by Ms. Elzy has survived her untimely passing.

This is a wonderful book by a gifted writer and an essential addition to every serious music lover's library.


Derek Mannering is the author of MARIO LANZA: A LIFE IN PICTURES published by Robert Hale, London. The author's acclaimed and newly revised biography MARIO LANZA: SINGING TO THE GODS will be published in the United States in summer 2005 by University Press of Mississippi.

This is an excellent book and it was written so people that did not read German Boy can understand. German Boy was written in a different style and I enjoyed it slightly more than this one. It basically leaves off in January 1963 and leaves you wanting more and wondering if he will write the third book.

I was amazed at how open he was in writing about his life. I highly recommend this book because it is a rare opportunity to hear the next part of the story of his life. Too many times you read a book about someone only to have questions, this answers most of the question you have.

His son becomes a 2nd Lt. and wears the same bars he purchased when he began to form his goal to become a pilot. This book is an example of the US became great, through people who worked hard to better themselves and become Americans.

I purchased this new and am happy I did.

I feel glad that I read this one last from the five books by Wolfgang Samuel. But I suspect that I might have felt the same way if there had been a different order. I have traveled a long way with the author, first as a German Boy and finished with a tower of strength well-rounded American boy Captain Wolfgang W. E. Samuel, later to retire as a Colonel in the USAF. The Colonel certainly gained my trust, my loyalty, and my admiration as a boy and then a man, Air Force Officer and author. His use of simile is very clever. And he can paint a detail and beautiful picture of anything perceived by the eye, be man, beast, or scenery. I found Coming to Colorado as worthy as the other four titles. I must confess that I felt a pervasive melancholy because I was about to lose contact: the end of a fine movie, an enjoyable trip of the human spirit overcoming obstacles, its wisdom. Holy, holy, what a tremendous experience! THANK YOU.

Wolfgang Samuel has been one of my very favorite authors since I picked up his exceptional book, German Boy, in a London airport several years ago. This book was a page-turner, poignant and beautiful, the story of a young boy filled with a dream. I have bought every book he has written, and Coming to Colorado brought his story forward to show how much he loves America and flying. His is a continuing story of hope, innocence, familial love, courage, and overcoming whatever obstacles stood in his path. It is a testimony to good overcoming evil. I highly recommend both these books by Wolf Samuel.

Coming to Colorado, a sequel to German Boy, is another outstanding work by this talented author. A breath taking account of a young man who suddenly finds himself in America. Poor and Illiterate in English, his lifelong dream of becoming an American Pilot drives him to earn his college degree which was a prerequisite for flight training. His story is living proof that courage, determination and strength of character can overcome seemingly impossible obstacles. This book, like his other five, is beautifully written, and takes the reader beyond where "German Boy" ended. A story that touches the heart and emotions, because it brings to mind some of the fears and experiences that we may have felt when growing into adulthood. For the young reader, this story is an inspiration and a beacon of hope, and at the same time it is a tribute to the remarkable ability of the human spirit to prevail - a poignant reminder that "No dream is impossible"

This is a must-read for anyone who enjoyed "German Boy". Those put off by Samuel's seemingly photographic memory may find his relentlessly detailed account of life in the United States to be a bit unbelievable. I, however, find his writing style very compelling, and although I am not a native speaker of German, the word "deutlich" kept coming to my mind as I read this book, meaning "articulate, clear, lucid, and precise" and presumably also fundamentally very "German" ("Deutsch").

Samuel's own life-story is so carefully chronicled that on one rare occasion when he says he doesn't remember exactly where his mother was at that moment it is actually a little disconcerting.

There is enough flashback to events in "German Boy" that this book can stand on its own: there would certainly be nothing wrong with reading this book first. His focus here is of course on the immigrant experience, and anyone specifically interested in that topic need not read "German Boy" to appreciate "Coming to Colorado".

I particularly enjoyed reading about life in the early days of the U.S. Air Force, and I find myself now motivated to read his other two books "American Raiders" and "I Always Wanted to Fly". Samuel's book is also a reminder that for those who experienced it first-hand, Communism was, and is, a very bad thing, and not just some kind of alternative political lifestyle.

I am very touched by the events that the author of this book had to share. She is indeed a very strong person. The average person could not survive the various pitfalls and bouts of discouragement that she had to suffer. She was placed in foster care at very young age. Although she felt bitter, she later discovered that it was better then being with her real mother. This young lady searched and found her mother, by way of the grapevine network within the black community. To her disappointment she did not find a loving mother. She found a discouraging woman living in confusion and poverty.

This was not the stopping point for the young lady in the book. She pushed herself. She even worked and saved her money. With the help of a kind social worker, she was able to go to college. I'm so proud of her.
The foster care system, is often one void of real love. As a parent and one who loves children, I take the care of children personally. Any child placed in my home for whatever reason is my child. I feel like it's up to me to love and protect that child. The elements of life are harsh enough. Children have day to day challanges just like adults. Foster parents your young charges need you. You are their guardians. LOVE THEM, PROTECT THEM, TREAT THEM LIKE YOUR OWN CHILDREN.

I was a bit surprised to find out how racially bias Buffalo, New York was. But the wonderful, wonderful thing is the good and positive life that the writer of this book is reaping. Hats Off to her. Keep On Pushing!

This book reveals the emotional impact of life in the foster care system for a black girl who was bounced from one foster home to another from birth until the age of 18. Except for the nationally publicized case of Baby Jessica, who was forcibly removed from her adoptive family at the age of two to be reunited with her birth mother and father, it is rare that the public gets a glimpse of the emotional damage done to the child. This book should be MUST reading for everyone involved in foster care.

Theresa Cameron's difficult odyssey began when her biological mother did not make decisions with her daughter's best interests in mind. As difficult as it might have been for the mother to admit that adoption was the best route for her to follow, she simply abandoned a beautiful child and left her at the mercy of an inadequate system. As strong as Ms Cameron obviously is, as an unwilling participant in the foster care system, her childhood was unnecessarily harsh and often cruel. Rarely can we says such a story has meaning in all our lives. I recommend this book for all who face the irreversible decision of creating a child.

This is a heartfelt, painfully true story of how one child can be forgotten in the "system". Even the cover itself is revealing...the only photograph the author has from her childhood and it does not even show her face.

By far my favorite book of alltime. I recommend it to all socialworkers, teachers, counselors, mothers, fathers, ministers, politicians, EVERYONE! It is well-written and easy to read, although it caused me to lose sleep at night knowing children are out there--alone, forgotten by their caseworkers, and lacking the basic needs such as touch, hugs, encouragement, or even a smile from those whose care they are in.

How Ms.Cameron did what she did all alone is beyond me. She is simply amazing.

After reading this book I wanted to reach out and hug Ms. Cameron.
She has made me a better mother.

if there was ever a book about the great Willie Morris, then Jack Bales has "done it". Jack Bales has put forth a labor of what must be a love, in order to render a result that leaves us all with the greatest Willie Morris book. I will commit in writing that after just a day with Mr. Bales' book, "Willie Morris" I felt the wont to re-read "North Towards Home" and drive up from Jackson, Mississippi along that great black top highway 49 to YAZOO CITY.

I love everything about it. Practically inhaled the narrative going home on the bus last night. Love the pictures, love the way it is put together. And most of all, just as the author intended, re-love Willie's dear heart. Jack Bales has done a magnificent job on this detailed chronicle of the works of Willie Morris.

One of the quotes from a letter to Willie from Bill Clinton, reminded me why Willie's writing is cherished by many Mississippi expatriates. To find that someone so intelligent and articulate could unashamedly announce to the world that it's OK to love poor, conflicted Mississippi, in fact, is even inescapable if you have childhood ties there, not only excuses our chronic homesickness, it validates it, and lets us know we are in great company! Whenever I would see Willie's name appear as the author, my heart would do a little dance, because I knew something wonderful was in store for the reader. Jack Bales has honored him SO well. Beautiful, beautiful book.

This book reflects a phenomenal amount of research into this legendary southern author. It is a must have for anyone who collects Willie Morris, or for any library's reference section (or biography section). My knowledge of the author's life was expanded with the biography. The first night's reading I could not put the book down. The biography itself could have been a book standalone. The biography is scattered with rich pictures from Willie's youth which I had never seen before.

The annotated bibliography shows years of research by Mr. Bales, and is impressive in both content and complexity. I doubt anyone ever knew the amount of work by and about Willie Morris before Mr. Bales took on this quest. This book will become a tool for my collecting obsession similar to Polk's "bible" on the works of Eudora Welty.

This is the story of Medgar Evers - one of the lesser known heroes of the Civil Rights Era - and the story of how his family and the movement managed to continue after Medgar was brutally assassinated in the driveway of his home while his wife and children were there.

The story is lovely in parts, terrifying in parts, joyous in parts, humbling in parts, and poignant throughout.

Any student of American history should read this book. It's more than the tragic love story of two amazing people; Mrs. Evers's fine writing adroitly details life in the Deep South before the civil rights movement gained widespread recognition and appeal.

I highly, highly recommend it.

I am 38 years old and I read this book when I was 17 years old as a senior in high school. It wasn't a requirement that I read this book. I simply saw it in the library and was intrigued by the title. Now that I am an adult, I want my children to read this powerful book. I am also ordering the book today so that I can reread it. There were so many people who participated in the civil rights movement and it is time we learn about more of those American heros. I could not put this book down. I read it in two days! Myrlie Evers shares her darkest fears and greatest joy.

This awakening-to-consciousness journey laid before the reader is rich and enlightening; painting the pictures of lands and beliefs with a full colored brush.
The true story gives us a look into how Nazi Germany bent and broke both Jewish and Christian people in subtle and shocking ways; ultimately-in the wake of its destruction-sending one young man, whose indoctrination into the Hitler youth estranged him from his own family and the reality of the plight of Jewish countrymen, across nations on a spiritual search for meaning in an exploration of the religions of the world.
Information and insights on Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Judaism and Christianity broaden the reader along with this pilgrim.
The route from conquered Germany through places like impoverished streets of Bombay, a cave in the Himalayas, ashrams in India, sand stormed deserts in Pakistan, Babylonian excavations in Iraq, the Jordanian border to Jerusalem is filled with richly described encounters, hazards and life lessons. Getting from point A to point B is alternately smooth and tense with risks.
The end leaves one wanting to know more; believing that if peace and reconciliation can be possible for this man, with all his baggage on his search for a meaningful life of peace, then it is more than a nebulous vision for the rest of us with our multi-patterned, cultural valises in tow.
I recommend this book to everyone- if for no other reason than to garner a glimpse at Oskar/Asher's winding paths and how it is in the daily existence of those who we may never meet, in lands we may only read about or see in snatches of media.
This author has sensitively and honestly written this insightful biography which shows practical applications for today's journeys to the possibilities of peace between nations and people with myriad belief systems.
It says so completely that it is not necessary to go down the path of destruction again.
This would be an excellent book for reading groups/ethical societies where discussion is included.
My recommendation is: read and share with others.
You will want to discuss this book!

This is an amazing story of a man who was in the hitler youth, and became an orthodox Jew living in Israel. The story of his journey - spiritual and physical - is incredible. The book is written so that you feel as if you are experiencing the story with Oskar/Asher. Definitely recommended reading!