What do you think?
Rate this book
ZigZag Pass
ZigZag Pass is a memoir of the author s chilling experiences as a teenage Infantryman in battles in the Philippines during World War II and later with the Army of Occupation in Japan. Interwoven is a love story. When he returned home to the girl he left behind, they married as soon as he turned 21. They had two children and farmed in Indiana until he was 30, when his wife convinced him to sell the farm business and enter Purdue University as a freshman. He and his wife both earned doctorates. They were drawn to careers that relieved hunger and poverty in many countries. The author attributes their climb to the world stage to his being fascinated by cultures in The Philippines and Japan that differed from those he had grown up with in the Midwest of the United States. The book offers a challenge to young people to set their sights high, to reach for the stars. Leon Hesser, the author, is an award-winning author of nonfiction books, including the best-selling biography of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Norman The Man Who Fed the World.
129 pages, Hardcover
First published October 15, 2008
3 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
December 5, 2008
Gloss over the author's frequent history lessons on WWII and instead pay attention to his personal observations as a 19-year-old soldier in the Pacific. Hesser's recollections of his war-time experiences are direct and sincere...and truly provide a glimpse of how the average teenager felt leaving the farm (literally) and being placed in harm's way. In addition, the small love story found in this narrative (Hesser and the girl who waited for him, eventually to marry him) is charming.
Displaying 1 of 1 review