East to the Russkies

by Bill Zartman

This is the story of William D. Zartman, who was born and grew up in Shamokin, a small coal-mining town in eastern Pennsylvania. As Bill tells his story, we learn that his father owned one of the town's most interesting stores, Mon's Place, where the miners, some of the most memorable characters you'll ever meet, filled their gas tanks, ate lunch, played pool or cards, and, generally, "loafed." But Bill, eager to leave Shamokin from the day he left high school, first found his escape route via a sales job, then in a much more dangerous pursuit when he became the youngest member of Darby's Rangers, America's elite fighting force in World War II. Wounded and captured in Italy, he was imprisoned in one of Nazi Germany's brutal work camps until he managed one of the war's most improbable escapes.

208 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 1, 2013

Reviews

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book because I found that it was written by the late husband of my neighbor. During one of our conversations, she told me that he was a prisoner of war during World War II and escaped from his German prison camp. The story describes the life of the author, Bill Zartman, who grew up in the coal mining region of Pennsylvania, his travels as an agent of the Proctor & Gamble company and his enlistment in the U.S. Army, volunteering to serve with Darby’s Rangers. It’s an amazingly well written book and a lasting testament to the courage and determination of the Greatest Generation.