What made the experience of listening to A Storm in Flanders the most enjoyable?
It is written by an American for Americans who know a little as I knew about WWI, which is to say only what I remember from "The Guns of August."
Who was your favorite character and why?
Every soldier who left the trenches on leave and returned. When he arrived as a new recruit he may have heard stories about the conditions but when he returned from leave, he knew first hand what he was facing and he returned nevertheless.
What does David Baker bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
He knows how to pronounce the French, German and Flemish names...at least I think he does.
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
When the war is over and Churchill wants to leave the area in ruins as a memorial to the dead and the citizens of Ypres resist. Their lives needed to go on and they wanted a living memorial to the sacrifices that were made.
Any additional comments?
This book stirred my interest and I visited Ypres in August 2016. Anyone who thinks the solution to a problem is war should read this book and visit this area. The number of dead and missing is breathtaking! This is the area where gas was first used by the Germans and where the Germans first used flamethrowers in the trenches. The British Empire forces vaporized thousands of Germans when they tunneled under the German lines and planted explosives. Winston Groom has performed a public service by writing such a readable/listenable book.