Awaiting the Sun: WWII Veterans Remember the Aleutians

A new history of one of WWIIs forgotten campaigns that will be be accessible and enjoyable to a broad spectrum of readers. The Aleutians were the only North American territory to be invaded and occupied during the war. The fighting for these remote islands off the Alaskan mainland lasted for more than a year and claimed more than 3,800 Japanese and American lives. Soldiers on both sides experienced spells of intense combat, but also extended periods of extreme isolation and boredom. Author Bil Paul has constructed a narrative history of the conflict by weaving together the accounts of more than 200 officers and enlisted men. The in-theater experiences of noted writer Dashiell Hammett, as well as musicians Yehudi Menuhin and Bud Freeman, appear in the narrative. Chapters detail men's reactions to dismal weather, often-poor food and housing, and the lack of women. Over 50 official and personal photographs complement the narrative. AUTHOR: Vietnam veteran Bil Paul dug deep to recreate the lives of GIs in the cold and windswept Aleutian Islands during World War II. He drew from over 290 sources for this lively account. This is his sixth book. He resides in Dixon, California. SELLING POINTS: . This book reveals how men deal with hardship and isolation with a sense of humour, resolve, and ingenuity . The Aleutian Islands were the site of the only land combat in North America during the Second World War . Presented in a style that will be accessible and enjoyable to a broad spectrum of readers 55 b/w photographs