Based on the experiences of the authors father "Fighting Poles" is a fictionalized story of action, adventure and history. Austria welcomed the German army, The Czechs accepted the inevitable, but Poland was overrun and occupied but never stopped fighting. France and England betrayed their ally never launching the attack that was to draw off the Nazi Juggernaut. Russia attacked Poland from the east and crushed the conventional forces. America and England signed the Atlantic Charter but later allowed Russia to defy it at Poland's expense. The Poles formed a shadow government and an underground army and fought the Nazis every day of the Occupation. While the rest of Europe cowered under the Nazi boot Warsaw rose up and fought, not once but twice and was the city left a wasteland. The Poles sent an enigma machine to England and helped break the German code and 200,000 Poles fought under British command only to be betrayed again by the west and handed over to Russia at wars end. Despite a bloodthirsty occupation and the loss of Six Million of it's citizens to Nazi barbarity and Russian deportation, Poland continued to fight. This is the story of a small piece of that fight and two families involvement in it. One Polish family member and one American come together for a brief moment only to be swallowed in the politics of the time.
About the Author: Born in Chicago in 1947 I grew up listening to the stories my father and uncles told of their experiences during World War II during family gatherings when in the company of other veterans. I was fascinated by the tales so sought the men out and sat quietly in a corner listening. The stories sparked a lifelong interest in History and common men faced with the realities of war. I went on to serve in the United States Air Force, get married, father two children and make a carrier in Purchasing and New Product development for Brownells Inc. and Battenfield Technologies. Having attended Gunsmithing summer courses and worked in the firearms industry for over 25 years I learned a great deal about the subject. My writing career started with magazine articles dealing with firearms restoration and repair and have appeared in several national magazines including Shotgun News, Shooting Times, and American Gunsmith. Always a storyteller, I have tried to combined my love of history, knowledge of firearms, and the stories my father and uncles shared into stories of my own. Today I live in retirement in Missouri with Cecile my wife of 46 years and our dog Amber. I considers myself blessed with two grown children and four grandchildren.