My War: A Love Story in Letters and Drawings

by Tracy Sugarman

On December 7, 1941, when the Japanese were bombing Pearl Harbor, Tracy Sugarman was a young man studying to be an illustrator--and falling in love with a tawny-haired girl named June. But for Tracy,... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 037550513X
• ISBN13: 9780375505133
• Release Date: October 2000
• Publisher: Random House (NY)
• Length: 191 Pages
• Weight: 1.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 8.6" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

Very different

In the battle of the "My War" books, I will take Tracy Sugarman's easily over Andy Rooney's. This book is different. It is not really about war although the subject is unavoidable. The book is about a nice young man who loved his wife and country and did his best to serve to the best of his abilities. He got through it thanks to his art, and thanks to his wife, his works survived for the education and enjoyment of generations. The fact that his works are "real time" works and not reflections of his memories make them even more special. After reading this book, it should go on your coffee table. As a quick postscript, some previous reviewers commented on some examples of "blue" language and objected. But sometimes that sort of thing is appropriate. I doubt if many readers would really mind too much. It is a fine work.

"Letters"

I couldn't put the book down! "My War" was written by Tracy Sugarman. Tracy was enlisted in the service and was called to duty during World War II. He had to leave his newly wedded bride, June, and go overseas. Before he left June gave him art materials for him to record what he saw with. Tracy would write to June at any possible chance he had. He also sent over scrapbooks full of drawings, and paintings that he had completed. One thing that I really enjoyed reading about was how Tracy would write to June not only telling her about his day to day life, but he would write words of the undying passion that he felt for her. It amazed me that while seeing these cruel, and horrific events he still would speak of love and devotion to his wife. Call me a hopeless romantic but that was one of my favorite parts of the book. I also enjoyed looking at the drawings that he sent back. He didn't try to glorify what he saw in any way, which gave me a better sense of understanding. Sometimes words are just words to people I think visuals are a great aid in helping comprehension. There was only one thing that I found difficult in this book. It was the terminology. He had a lot of terms for certain boats that he was on, which he did describe, but sometimes he would refer back to those boats and I would be confused. But It didn't at all lessen the value of his story, or the book. I strongly suggest this book to anyone who loves to hear about war, love, or struggle. It was a first hand account of not only the war, but of a couple's struggle being seperated. Like I said before I couldn't put the book down. So please read "My War" by Tracy Sugarman, I hope you love it as much as I did.

Powerfully Poignant

A balance between letters and personal memoirs, this beautifully written book reveals correspondence between a man and his wife. It is a moving and personal picture of real life in war situations, which drives readers to question how they would respond in those same situations.

Fantastic first person account of life during the war!

This is a collection of letters that the author wrote to his wife, along with sketches and paintings, that capsulate his thoughts, feelings and experiences.I really enjoy reading Ernie Pyle and Bill Mauldin's letters, essays and sketches and cartoons. However, they were written with me (or my parents) as an audience. Tracy Sugerman's letters were never really intended to be published and this adds a degree of depth, candor and emotion which cannot be found in the professional writer's works.I've also read most of Stephen Ambrose's books on World War II and feel that Sugerman's letters bring alive one soldier's viewpoints about life in a manner that is much more powerful than Ambrose's brief glimpses and interviews with the vets found in all of his books (though each has its place & Ambrose's books are 5/5!).

A moving, magnificent story of love and war

This book is incredible. Tracy Sugarman married a few months before being shipped overseas, and he wrote steadily to his wife while he was in England and Normandy. He also sent her drawings and watercolors. 50 years after D-Day, he opened the carton his wife had saved that contained all his letters - 400 of them - and all his drawings. He then put them together, with connecting narrative, and created this memorable book. Besides being a wonderful artist, he is a tremendous writer, and it amazes me to think that he wrote these letters when he was only 22 years old! The letters are vivid, loving, occasionally angry and very poignant. This is the author's very personal account of his war, and he comes across as an amazingly special person. I highly recommend this to people who liked Brokaw's Greatest Generation (he's quoted on the back of the book - calls the book a treasure.) I don't see how anyone can read this and not agree with a comment Stephen Ambrose wrote on the back of the book, "When I got to the last paragraph, I wept." So did I. Great book. Great book.