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Civilian in an Ill-Fitting Uniform: A Memoir of World War II
by Edgar E. Willis
Review by:
Major Zachary Miller, U.S. Army
Veteran of the Iraq War
Bronze Star Medal and Purple Heart recipient
Graduate of Harvard and West Point
“In Civilian in an Ill-fitting Uniform Edgar Willis reminds us why the greatest generation has earned our respect and gratitude. More than just a vividly told memoir of his service in the Navy during World War II, it is a narrative of the entire war-time experience. From the fortuitous twists of fate that so influenced his path to his faithful portrayal of life aboard the “USS Alaska,” Willis weaves together a wonderful story. But this memoir also chronicles a consummate family man whose most crushing disappointment was not returning home to his wife and kids immediately after the war ended. In telling us how he came to serve and the sacrifices he made along the way, Willis delivers an engrossing account of a life well-lived.”
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Darrell Trent, United States Ambassador
Acting Secretary of Transportation under President Ronald Reagan
“This book makes a significant contribution by detailing inefficiencies of war on a personal basis. It describes the impact war has on the lives of those actually doing the fighting. My wartime experience in Iraq gave me the opportunity to experience the tenor of combat, and to see the absurdity of a large military bureaucracy trying to deal with daily operational issues. Willis captures both initiatives in real time experience. I cringed at the moments of tragedy, and laughed at the absurdities of other events as they interplayed together.”
“Civilian in an Ill-fitting Uniform is a book that should be read by policy makers who are sending our young men and women into combat situations in far off places without having clear objectives or opportunities for success.”
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William C. Orr, Ph.D.
President and CEO
Lynn Health Science Institute
Clinical Professor of Medicine
University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center
“This book provides a rare first hand account of a crucial time in American history, the end of the war in the Pacific in WWII. The book is compelling and insightful, and describes the experiences of a young PhD who is suddenly exposed during wartime to the rigors, discipline and dangers of military life. The book is replete with anecdotes which are riveting and sometimes quite touching and humorous. Reading the book is much like reading a book by the eminent American historian David McCullough, in that the accounts of events are as if you were actually there.”
Review by:
Rev. Daniel W. Bellavia
Senior Pastor
First Baptist Church of Greater Toledo
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“Dr. Willis shares his conclusions as well as his memories. While some veterans would be content to simply remember through a haze of rose-colored reflection, Dr. Willis clearly reports the truth as he knows it. The most refreshing aspect of the memoir is how it reveals a mind at work—willing to share opinions and name names—rather than simply providing a stenographer’s account of events. This mind is perhaps the most wonderful aspect of the book as Dr. Willis spins tales of grim reality and utter joy with equal skill and interest. His stories are both intimate and at times shockingly public.”
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Through our reading, researching, and writing, And Then Some Publishing (and our extended family of readers) mine volumes of books representing a wide variety of tastes. We use the books in our writing, test and try suggested techniques, and we read for enjoyment as well. We wouldn't spend the time reviewing the books if we didn't get something out of it. Read more reviews on other fantastic books at our BookClubAndThenSome.com website.
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