<< 1 >>
Rating: 
Summary: Pathetic, sad story of a self-centred traitor
Review: This is a book about one mans attempts to sanitize his shady past during World War II. Mr. Pleasants attempts to convince the reader that trying to dodge doing your duty to your nation was a reasonable thing to do. He tries to convince the reader that theft of desperately needed food provisions from other hungry islanders in Nazi-occupied Jersey was the right thing to do. He tries to convince us that fist fights are a reasonable way to gain respect and time in prison was somehow not "fair" for him to have to endure. The hardest things to swallow are the reasons why he decides to join the British Free Corps of the German SS. There are numerous reasons given as to why he choose to do such a thing, and overall this leaves little doubt about the mans character. He hides his reasons for theft behind the oft-trotted out excuse that thieves give, which is they "only stole from the rich". Somehow that is supposed to make theft ok. He gives no reasons apart from being self-centered as to why he felt he deserved to eat more than other islanders by stealing from them. There are limited plus sides to this book. The writing style is fluid and readable, and occasionally the writer actually manages to paint a reasonable picture of an event in ones mind. But that's about it. Where the book is badly let down is that the writer has made little or no effort to research any of the events with any degree of historic discipline. He appears to have merely reprinted Mr. Pleasants words, thoughts and self-centered opinions verbatim without any attempt to balance the view of Mr. Pleasants or research the events described by him. The book is entirely one-sided and could do with some substantial revision once research into events has uncovered, clarified, substantiated, or repudiated some of the claims made by Mr. Pleasants. It would appear to be not too much trouble to research the court records of Jersey (for example) as one outside source of (hopefully) unbiased information on his life. I personally found Mr. Pleasants views on life pathetic and repugnant. Whilst in Jersey he roundly cursed those Islanders who collaborated with the Germans for the benefits that such collaboration bought, yet he utterly fails to realize that by volunteering for the SS he was guilty of exactly the same thing. Seven years of forced labor in a Russian coal mine was simply not enough. A Jerseyman.
<< 1 >>
| 
