For however much my two cents are worth: 1) Looking at my shelf, the spirit moves me to highly recommend Catch-22. Sure, I know many would dismiss it off-hand as a period piece, but it really is the most diabolical work of historical fiction I know of and I would expect its warped humor to be especially effective for many College Bowlers. Certainly a great antidote to "Pearl Harbor." If Catch-22 really gets you psyched about World War II, try Maus. In the interest of brevity, either look it up or direct queries to me. 2) (Don't ask, but) I squandered a few dollars on "The Art of Mingling," by Jeanne Martinet. It teaches you how to be effectively self-serving, sly, and fake (so that you will "enjoy yourself.") The amount of backstabbing it would promote if widely read would rival that which I just saw on "Weakest Link" (see my other posting). I can only take slight comfort in the fact that it must not have sold well, as it was on sale. 3) The most recent thing I've read was a biography of Anne Frank (I really am not obsessed with the Second War to End All Wars). It makes a great companion-piece to the diary and is a quick read. I imagine the recent ABC mini-series took cues from it. The author interviewed Miep Gies (Otto Frank's secretary who helped the families in the annex tremendously), who is still going strong around 90 y.o., at length.
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