Alfred: The Quiet History of a World War II Infantryman

by Louise Endres Moore

We almost didn’t know.

For 57 years, Alfred Endres told his family he had been a barber, chauffeur, and translator in World War II. But following the death of his wife, Alfred quietly started sharing a glimpse into his actual wartime experiences. His daughter first began capturing those fractions of stories on napkins during her weekly nursing home visits, which grew into a nearly two-decade deep dive into his true role in the war—a reluctant front-line machine gunner in Europe from 1944 to 1945.
Intensely researched and thoroughly human, Alfred compiles a lifetime panorama of one infantryman who never wanted a part in the war but accepted it. He returned home, discernibly the gentle Wisconsin farmer he was when he left, to a family unknowing what he had done and what he had survived.

#1 Best Seller in Biographies of the Army (Amazon)
Book Excellence Award Winner in Biography
Eric Hoffer Award Category Finalist
IAN Book of the year Awards Finalist
5-Star Review for Readers' Favorite Awards.

385 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 4, 2019

About the author

Raised one of eight siblings on a farm in Lodi, Wisconsin, Louise graduated from St. Norbert College in Psychology with minors in Mathematics and Education. She taught in the Waukesha and Wauwatosa school districts until the births of her two daughters and later completed a Masters in Computer Science Education from Cardinal Stritch University as an adjunct instructor at Milwaukee Area Technical College.

Her interest in psychology sustained her through almost two decades of researching and writing her father’s path in World War II and his reluctance to speak of it.

"Alfred: The Quiet History of a World War II Infantryman" is a #1 Best Seller in Biographies of the Army (Amazon), a Book Excellence Award Winner in Biography, an Eric Hoffer Award Category Finalist, and an IAN Book of the year Awards Finalist. It has also been honored with a Readers' Favorite 5-star review.

Louise lives with her husband in Cedarburg, Wisconsin, and has two grown daughters who both live in Kansas City.

For more information, please visit www.AlfredtheBook.com

Reviews

[Louise Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

5-STAR REVIEW FROM READERS' FAVORITE:
"What makes this story particularly compelling is the way it delves into the individual histories of soldiers. What makes it authentic is the absolute priority that is given throughout to the first-person narratives… Piecing everything together was no small task. I was left with a very strong impression that the true heroism came after the war, in pushing back the hellish memories to return to ordinary life.” Read full review on on Readers' Favorite.

[Nan Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like Louise's father Alfred, my father fought in WWII and rarely spoke about the experience. I never got the chance that Louise did to talk to him about WWII. I remember my first year away from home at Christmas when I was too far to come home. My father told me that he could not come home for Christmas during WWII. I just started her book and was crying by page six. It is a page turner. Thank you Louise for sharing the memories that other Baby Boomers like me never got to hear.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned so much from reading this story. The idea that "There is nothing normal about war." being one of the biggest take home messages. This book is a beautiful tribute to Alfred, a young man who underwent some of the hardest times in war, along with it's after effects. Extensively researched, Alfred is a story worth reading.

[Bob · Rating 5 out of 5]

A personal approach to World War Two history

Alfred, is my first WW2 book written by a veteran’s family about the veteran’s experience. I enjoyed how the book presented the book from the veteran’s perspective and the impact the narrative had on the family. The author includes successes and shortcomings of research. I enjoyed how joys are shared throughout the book.

[Phil Hardin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book very well depicts the horrors of war. It makes me appreciate and understand my father better.

[Pamela Copp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible story. A work of love by a daughter for her father.

[Jamie Mager · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hard copy. Borrowed from Jonathan

[Brooke]

I know so many people and places in this book, it's amazing.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book written by the main characters daughter who researched her father's life as a gunner during WW II.

[Kathejo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definition of the word Hero: A person noted for courageous acts or nobility of character.

This is a book about a man who was put in a situation where he chose to be what we call heroic. He did these things simply because he was a truly good man. And he disdained the idea of heroism in relation to what he had had to do.

There is something truly profound about this book. It is written with compassionate gravity, with humour and respect, with awe and dismay. The overwhelming humanity of it distinguishes it.

[Kate Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was really hard to put down (and I generally struggle to read history and war related books without rereading pages because I drift off!) It was a beautiful combination of a memoir, non-fiction, and a thoughtful and well-researched psychological approach to the toils of war on one's spirit.