The Archbishop Wore Combat Boots: From Combat to Camelot to Katrina -- a memoir of an extraordinary life

by Philip Hannan, Nancy Collins, Peter Finney Jr.

The 82nd Airborne:
"Gripping the door's rim for leverage, I hurled myself into the air, doing a half-turn. The propeller instantly ripped open my chute, followed by a terrific body wrench courtesy of my skin-tight harness. In seconds, my entire body was reacting to a forced sudden stop after going 120 miles an hour in a plane."

Freeing Jews in Germany:
"Walking into the barracks, we were immediately assailed by a suffocating stench, leading to the shocking panorama of hundreds of half-alive, emaciated prisoners, dressed in tattered, utterly soiled uniforms, shuffling amongst clumps of corpses as if they were not there.... Never in my life had I experienced nor will I ever again such an incomprehensibly barbaric insult to the human spirit."

John F. Kennedy:
"I could never have imagined that my first conversation with then-Congressman Jack Kennedy was the beginning of a collaborative, mutually respectful friendship that would last until his death. It would also remain a secret. I could not never did publicize our relationship."

Vatican II:
"Little did I realize that Vatican II would become another defining moment in my life as a priest and bishop.... I spoke passionately about the morality of nuclear deterrence, a position that at first isolated me from my brother bishops, but eventually was adopted by the full council. That remains to this day, one of my most cherished achievements."

Pope John Paul II:
"My suspicions were confirmed when I saw the pope.... He looked dead tired. I said, Your holiness, welcome to New Orleans, and thank you for coming here. ... But as he walked down the aisle, he walked shakily. I said to myself, How will this work out?"

Hurricane Katrina:
"St. Nicholas of Myra Church was destroyed by the storm surge, and Father Red's body was never found.... At the height of the surge, the water was estimated to be 30 feet high. Red had no chance. The only things left of the church were some structural steel beams."

Genres: History, Biography, Nonfiction

457 pages, Hardcover

First published May 27, 2010

Reviews

[Caroline Cross · Rating 3 out of 5]

great story but terrible editing. too preachy at parts

[Kela · Rating 2 out of 5]

If Forrest Gump were an archbishop, he'd be Philip Hannan. Dying just 2 years short of his 100th birthday, Archbishop Hannan had a front row seat for so much history:
Paratrooper at Battle of the Bulge - ✔
Liberated Nazi concentration camps - ✔
Personal friend of the Kennedy family - ✔
Delivered the homily at JFK's funeral mass - ✔
Participated in Vatican II - ✔
Integrated New Orleans Catholic schools in the 60's - ✔
Shuttled Pope John Paul II around during his visit to New Orleans - ✔
Survived Hurricane Katrina - ✔
It all should add up to a thrilling memoir, but it doesn't. As some of the other reviewers have noted, it can be a rather dull book at times for such an exciting life. There were also numerous instances of paragraphs being oddly out of place. It's almost like the editors copied and pasted large sections of the manuscript to move to another part of the book, but left behind a paragraph that then got tacked on where it doesn't belong. Pictures are also very random. You might be reading about Hannan's role in Vatican II when a photograph of a letter from President Bush appears thanking Hannan for his efforts during Hurricane Katrina. (I read an ebook version, so maybe this isn't a problem in an actual hardcopy of the book). I think Hannan did his part by living a remarkable life, but the editors/publisher dropped the ball. It's worth the read because of the firsthand account of so many historical moments, but it definitely could have and should have been so much better.

[Bruce Rougraff · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book and I did not expect to enjoy it as much as I did. It’s very well written and very interesting. Not a typical book that most of us would read. A very real look at World War II. Well written and very engaging

[Ruth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I live in suburban New Orleans and The Archbishop Wore Combat Boots has been on my "to be read" list for some time, so I grabbed it when I was offered a complimentary review copy by the Catholic Company. The Archbishop Wore Combat Boots is the memoir of Archbishop Philip Hannan, who was Archbishop of New Orleans from 1965 to 1988. Prior to that he served as an Auxiliary Bishop of Washington DC, where he was friends with the Kennedy family; indeed he was the preacher at John Kennedy's Funeral, and he celebrated Jackie Kennedy's funeral years later. Here in New Orleans he was a mover and shaker. He appeared regularly on the society page of the paper, and when the news media quoted the Archdiocese, they quoted him, not some paid PR person. After he retired as Archbishop he continued to appear on weekly television on Focus, a show he co-hosted with a former reporter for local TV stations. He had fallen out of the public view lately as he is in his nineties, and on the frail side, but he, along with our new Archbishop Greg Aymond, was in the Benson suite during last year's Superbowl. We have been praying for him at mass lately as he was recently hospitalized with a serious illness, but he is now in a nursing home recovering.

Archbishop Hannan has lived a fascinating life. As noted in the title, he served in WWII as a chaplain to a paratrooper division, and even jumped with the men. He was at Vatican II and knew the movers and shakers in Washington DC. He was one of the most powerful men in New Orleans for many years. All these parts of his life are described in great detail in this book--really too much detail for some things. I found myself skimming much of the book--it was like listening to an old man remember; some stories were fascinating, with others I just wanted him to get to the point. Still, overall, I'd say there was enough interesting to make it a worthy read. Grade: B

This review was written as part of the Catholic book reviewer program from The Catholic Company

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Over the years I have enjoyed reading many biographies, from the rich and the famous to sports stars and even rock or television stars. This one was different as it was about one of the more prominent Catholic Figures in the US, one Archbishop Philip Hannon.

The good priest takes us on his life's journey from growing up in the DC area, to his seminary years both in the DC area and in Rome. Once he is ordained and serves in the Archdiocese of Washington DC for a few years, the tug of serving our country (in WWII) is high and he enlists, and gives us a perspective of life in the trenches for a young priest.

Once out, he uses those skills back stateside, eventually being named to the post of Archbishop of New Orleans in the mid 1960's.

Along the way he Archbishop Hannan talks of his experiences during Vatican II as well as his working relationship with one Kennedy family who rose to prominence in the early 1960s.

For anyone who wants to take a look at the Catholic Church during wartime and peacetime in the US in the 1050s and 60s, this is one book you might want to consider reading.

[Fr. Ryan Humphries · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had the privilege of serving many Holy Masses with the Archbishop. His life reads more like "Forrest Gump gets Ordained" than a true story, but it really happened that way. The telling is a exaggerated and the motives attributed to the players are lopsided. Abp. Hannan was not universally loved nor was he so instrumental to the situations he describes as this book relates, but he was a great man and I can't fault him too much for taking some liberties. He was still simply referred to as "The Archbishop" as recently as 2007 when Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans. The stories of his real-life escapades are perhaps more entertaining but less sensational than the relations in this text! He was truly the people's priest and will be deeply loved by a great many people so long as his memory remains.

All in all a good book - to be taken with a grain of salt or two...

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hannan has had a remarkable life. The portions of his story prior to his arrival in New Orleans were more interesting than the experiences during his long career here. He may have held back a bit on his experiences with local politicians, but it was open, honest and informative. You would not have to be Catholic or even religious to gain from his perspectives. The book could have used a better fact checker as there are several minor errors, but it is a quality effort from an amazing man in his late 90's.

[Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating book about the life of Archbishop Philip Hannan. Even you are not a Catholic this man led a very intersting life dedicating himself to his career choice and his love of his fellow man. How he managed to do all that he accomplished is amazing. It follows his upbringing, his choice to be a priest, his "assignments", his war efforts as a chaplain. I cannot recommend this book enough for those who like history through actual experiences.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Phillip Hannan did indeed lead an extraordinary life. The book is a simple recounting of the often historically significant events that made up his life.

It's a little on the dry side which is why I only gave it 3 stars. I read diligiently until the last third of the book and then I started skimming. As a primary source of information about the events of the past 100 years though, it is excellent.

[EvaSaidIt · Rating 2 out of 5]

An extraordinary life should not be such a snoozefest torture of a read. And the repeated comments of praise for the oh-so-self-sufficient Vietnamese community in New Orleans after Katrina are lovely for what they say about the Vietnamese, but utterly insulting and borderline bigotedly ignorant for the story that's alluded to but completely left out.

[Keegan Chopin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Archbishop Hannan was a great man with a fascinating life and a tremendous gift to the City of New Orleans. There is absolutely NO excuse for this book to be so boring and lifeless. Truly, one of the greatest literary disappointments of my life.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

The extraordinary life of an extraordinary man! Reading this book will give you a new perspective on the Catholic clergy.

I was proud to have had him as my archbishop in New Orleans when I was growing up. He is still missed in the city that loved him.

[Gregory · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed it though it began to drag for me. He is an admirable man.

[Renee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good book - didn't know what to expect with pictures of the Kennedys on the cover but Archbiship Hannan was a devout priest who lived a very long life

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing life and a great storyteller!

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you are into 20th century Catholic hierarchy in the US, you should read this.