Author Stephen Harding presents
“The Castaway’s War: One Man's Battle against Imperial Japan” Tuesday at the
World War II Museum in New Orleans. There will be a reception at 5 p.m., a
presentation at 6 p.m. and a book signing at 7 p.m., all in the museum’s U.S.
Freedom Pavilion: The Boeing Center.
In the early hours of July 5, 1943,
the destroyer USS Strong was hit by a Japanese torpedo killing dozens of
sailors. While accompanying ships were able to rescue most of Strong’s
surviving crewmen, scores were submerged in the ocean as the shattered warship
sank beneath the waves. Based on official American and Japanese histories,
personal memoirs and the author’s interviews, “The Castaway’ War” tells the
personal tale of Navy Lt. Hugh Barr Miller’s fight for survival.
Harding is the author of eight
previous books, including The New York Times bestseller “The Last Battle” and
“Last to Die.” He is a longtime journalist specializing in military affairs.
For nearly two decades, he was on the staff of Soldiers, the official magazine
of the US Army, reporting from Northern Ireland, Israel, Egypt, New Zealand,
Bosnia, Kuwait and Iraq. Currently he is editor-in-chief of Military History
magazine.
The author program is free and open
to the public, but seating is limited. RSVP online or
by calling (504) 528-1944, Ext. 412.
New releases
Raif Shwayri tells the story of
Lebanese immigrant Alfred Nicola, the fortune he began building as a peddler in
Louisiana and the family that founded Al-Kafaat University, a Middle East
institution serving the underprivileged and disabled in “Beirut on the Bayou:
Alfred Nicola, Louisiana, and the Making of Modern Lebanon.” The author’s
grandfather Habib Shwayri arrived at Ellis Island in 1902 and changed his name
to Nicola, moving to New Orleans where he had relatives. There he began
peddling down Bayou Lafourche, earning the nickname “Sweet Papa” for his
kindness and generosity. When he returned home to Lebanon in 1920, he invested
the money in real estate and died a wealthy man in 1956. After his death, his
youngest son, Nadim (the author’s father), turned his part of the inheritance into
an endowment that started Al-Kafaàt.
Donald C. Jackson takes readers into the sacred spaces where hunters and fishers connect with the earth in “Deeper Currents,” published by the University Press of Mississippi. Jackson explores hunting and fishing as frameworks — sacraments — for discovering, engaging and finding meaning.
Book Sale
The Friends of Ouachita Public Library Book Sale will be 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the West Ouachita Branch Library, 188 Highway 546 in West Monroe (1/2 mile north of Cheniere-Drew exit off I-20). There will be hardback and paperback books, videos, CDs, audio books and children’s book for only 10 cents each.
Donald C. Jackson takes readers into the sacred spaces where hunters and fishers connect with the earth in “Deeper Currents,” published by the University Press of Mississippi. Jackson explores hunting and fishing as frameworks — sacraments — for discovering, engaging and finding meaning.
Book Sale
The Friends of Ouachita Public Library Book Sale will be 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the West Ouachita Branch Library, 188 Highway 546 in West Monroe (1/2 mile north of Cheniere-Drew exit off I-20). There will be hardback and paperback books, videos, CDs, audio books and children’s book for only 10 cents each.
Book news
O’Neil de Noux’s novel “The Long
Cold” has been nominated for the Shamus Award for Best Original Private Eye
Paperback. Shamus Awards are given annually by the Private Eye Writers of
America to recognize excellence in private eye fiction. The awards will be
presented at the Bouchercon World Mystery Convention in New Orleans in
September.
Southern bookstores
Next up on our tour of great Southern
bookstores is Cottonwood Books of Baton Rouge, nestled near the Interstate 10
overpass on Perkins Road, close to the LSU campus. Owner Danny Plaisance sells
both new and used titles in this quaint shop, many of the books antiques,
collector items, first editions and specific to Louisiana history. Have
something specific in mind? Plaisance is there to help. He’s a former
board member for the Foundation for Historical Louisiana and past president of
the Baton Rouge Civil War Round Table. For more information, visit www.cottonwoodbooksbatonrouge.com.
Cheré Coen is the author
of “Forest Hill, Louisiana: A Bloom Town History,” “Haunted Lafayette, Louisiana”
and “Exploring Cajun Country.” She writes Louisiana romances under the pen name
of Cherie Claire. Write her at cherecoen@gmail.com.
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