Mr. Hubbard wrote in many genres, fiction, travel, mysteries, westerns and even aviation.

Born as Alain Leroy Locke in Philadelphia, PA, he was the only child and a decedent of prominent families of free blacks

I loved reading about these great man, who were after all just humans as we all are. Eisenhower’s legendary passion for golf, Johnson’s humane side and the pride of his roots,

The book did not disappoint, not only is it beautiful on the outside, the enclosed photographs of the house, grounds, intimate moments of Vice-Presidents and Presidents with the loved ones, staff, and stuff are alone worth getting the book.

The book is straight forward and presents the information in small, easy to swallow chunks

Lieutenant Colonel Joe Earhardt is about to jump off the Memorial Bridge in Washington, D.C. but before he jumps he calls the Chief of Police. A gunshot is heard and everyone is convinced Joe shot himself before he jumped – only that they can’t find the body.

Ms. Abbott manages to tell four different stories, switching marvelously between them while keep distance and judgment.

As a fan of history, I really enjoy the small, intimate stories which give a most excellent background to world events, and this book is filled with them. It was wonderful to read about the friendship, intimacy, companionship and service the staff provides the families who are on a world stage and sometimes can feel lonely and battered.

Even though this novel is the second in the series, it is a standalone story which one could enjoy. The returning characters are re-introduced and the synopsis of the first book is rehashed throughout. The story is told horizontally, meaning that the various storylines are happening at the same time but at a different location. The author did a great job setting up the pages so the breaks are easy to follow and understand.

There is much information about the war and a lot to digest. Mr. Fitz-Enz did the reader a favor by presenting his analysis in a series of short biographical chapters about key personnel in the war. Some of the key figures were competent, some simply looked for their own advancement, others took on responsibilities which they were not qualified for and caused disaster.