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Second Harvest is tied to the notion that every major war has a "Second Harvest." Each war loses combatants in combat and then, years later, those surviving former combatants face a final attrition as dying veterans, as America is witnessing now with World War II and Korean War vets.
My poem uses World War I for the initial 'harvest' since I find that war to have some unique characteristics that work well for my rhyming pattern and with my thoughts on the topic.
~~
Guy Graybill is the author of five published books: KEYSTONE, BRAVO!, PROHIBITION'S PRINCE, PRINCE AND THE PAUPERS and FROST and WHIMSY AND WRY!
Guy attended rural Pennsylvania schools and graduated from Gettysburg College with a degree in History.
Guy Graybill worked in a Pennsylvania state capital mail room, in a brick plant, in the Geisinger Medical Center (Danville, PA) and in schools in Aguilar, Colorado (one year) and Loganton, Pennsylvania (two years). His career position was three decades in Middleburg, PA as a secondary History teacher. After retiring from Middleburg, he was elected to a four-year term as chairman of the board of commissioners of Snyder County.
Guy married his high-school sweetheart, Nancy Yerger. They have now been married for many decades and are the parents of four grown children.
Guy Graybill is proud of the support he has received from individuals who wrote the forewords to his books. They include a man who is now Budget Secretary to the governor of Pennsylvania, a Philadelphia opera singer, and a former speechwriter to five U.S. presidents.
Other than writing, Guy Graybill's hobbies include travel, amateur archaeology and photography. Guy has traveled in more than 40 of the U.S. states, as well as Japan, Okinawa, Canada and Guatemala. He conducted one local archaelogy project for the 1976 U.S. Bicentennial observance and his photographs have appeared on greetings, postal cards, and more than 100 covers of small magazines.
Note: I tried as much as possible to stay within WWI, but wanted pics to reflect the words, so some are from other wars...
The long-awaited story of Inspector Ian Rutledge’s last case as the shadows of World War I close in on a summer memorable for its glorious weather. And of the woman he loved and wanted to marry. A must for Rutledge fans.
Sarajevo was a Serbian town in the Balkans, a place of no particular importane to the rest of the world. A part of the Ottoman Empire for generations, it had been annexed to the Austrian Empire through the Treaty of Berlin in 1878. Not everyone was happy about that. There had been more than a little trouble over it, and the Servs had been behind a number of bloody assassinations.
Archduke Ferdinand, the heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, had come to Sarajevo on a state visit to review troops and open a museum, for God's sake, a duty hardly worthy of the honor of having a Habsburg present for the occasion. But he loved his wife, Sophie, and only in these lackluster outposts of Empire was she given the status of an equal with him. In Vienna, in the eyes of the court, a Czech countess had no standing, and so she walked well behind him, sat far from him at table, and would never be crowned Empress when he succeeded to the throne of this uncle. He'd been forced to accept a galling morganatic marriage, which branded her as unworthy of his high estate. It was only on those terms that the Emperor would permit him to choose Sophie.
And so they were together here in in Sarajevo, she in an elegant hat and gown, he in uniform, feathers in his helmet blowing in the soft breeze, to be honored and feted side by side. Only it didn't quite work out as planned...the youngest, most zealous assassin had continued to shadow the royal couple. And now he saw his chance...
The Archduke, a smile pinned to his face despite the lack of interest along the street in this part of town, froze as someone darted out toward the carriage, a dark young man in dark clothes. Almost in slow motion he saw the raised pistol in the assassin's hand...
~~~
A Fine Summer's Day:
An Inspector Ian Rutledge Mystery
By Charles Todd
I am always thrilled to be asked by the publisher to read and review a new, for me, author--Charles Todd. Actually, the name represents a mother/son duo who has been writing for many years with world-wide fans...
Although the time is months before WWI, and includes the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand and his wife, as the kickoff to the rumblings that started at that time. Readers are gently led through the possible pending war, just as any of us would learn...through the characters of the book and how the war might affect their lives...and only when it actually begins is there more as individual characters consider whether family members might join and fight...
"My dear," he began, and then with a smile, he added simply, "will you marry me, Jean?" She put her hand to her throat. For an instant he thought she was going to stay no. Or ask if she could have a few days to think about her answer. In the silence, all he could hear was the murmur of bees busy among the flowers by the steps and the soft movement of water among the reeds. And then she whispered, "Yes." ~~~
In the meantime, the lead character, Ian Rutledge is both professionally andpersonally taking a major role as he's considering whether and when he will ask his sweetheart to marry. Then begins to realize how many issues there will be if he does... I thought of Illya--Some of you may remember the young David McCallum who played in UNCLE many years ago and now played Ducky on NCIS... who would have done a great job as Inspector Rutledge...
Especially when he is given a case that takes a totally unexpected path leading back historically while at the same time murders are happening one right after the other in the present. And it is only Ian Rutledge that even begins to see what is actually happening...
"You've been running a quiet campaign with an eye to discrediting Simmons," Rutledge told him then. "You personal affairs are none of my business, but ruining the man's chances with Miss Barclay is abuse of your authority." Rutledge was curt. "In my view, you and Miss Barclay deserve each other, but what you've also done is muddy the evidence regarding Tattersall's death. I'm going back there now, to do what I can to sort out truth from fallacy. Any further use of your position for personal gain and you'll find yourself reduced to rank of constable, if not dismissed from the police altogether." ~~~
There is an early clue for readers, but you'll probably miss it as I did...LOL... But don't worry, Rutledge goes through the mystery step by step and you will be able to watch each light-bulb go off in his thinking...
I must say that following Rutledge's thinking is a full-time job for the reader, However, the most amazing fact that sunk in at each turn was that absolutely no forensics was being done! So when a man's footprint is found outside of a window...nothing else is done...
If Rutledge's visited the scene of a crime, there was nobody calling for a CSI team to come in, take prints, search for DNA, etc.
Even more of an issue, since Rutledge is a top Scotland Yard investigator who goes in to help when local police ask for it, is that Ian had to travel from place to place without much communication--telephones were not readily available! At least Rutledge was fortunate to have an up-to-date car for his use!
"Usually an inquiry such as this can be closed in the first few days. But there appear to be no leads in your father's death, and Inspector Farraday rightly saw that the sooner the Yard was brought in, the better." ~~~
"Inspector Rutledge, Scotland Yard. I'm sorry to intrude, but it would be helpful to speak to Miss Clayton as soon as possible, and her brothers as well." The young man hesitated. "I'm not sure--and they've already spoken to Inspector Farraday." "Yes, I know. But the inquiry has been turned over to the Yard. May I ask who you are?" He flushed a little "Joseph Minton, I help out in the shop when Mr. Clayton and his son are making these pieces." He gestured vaugely around. "Would you ask if the family will see me?" Rutledge persisted. This was one aspect of his work that he disliked, speaking to members of the family before the shock had fully worn off. "If too much time is lost, the changes of apprehending their father's murderer are slim at best." Minton hesitated and then went back the way he'd come...the first person Rutledge saw was Mrs. Clayton, just sitting down with the awkwardness of late pregnancy, in a chair by the window. A man--clearly her husband--and a younger woman were trying to persuade her to lie down again..."I'm grateful you're here," he said, "although I was surprised that Farraday has sent for the Yard." ..."Did he do that often? Change his mind about going to bed?" Again Peter spoke for her. "After my mother died, he seemed to miss her most at night, and he had some trouble sleeping. The warm milk was to help him with that."
~~~
Time was much more of a time factor in conducting an investigation, no matter how much Rutledge tried to move ahead. Even then, local police might decide to act on their own and, indeed, one man, with whom Rutledge had talked and dismissed, was arrested anyway. What this did was keep him tied to the decisions made at the local level while he was also investigating other murders...and slowly realizing that there are too many similarities to the murders not to look at them together. But where was the evidence? All of those killed were fine members of their communities, with no enemies known... Except, all of those murdered had drank a glass of milk, which was later determined to be laced with laudanum... even though none of them had been prescribed it, nor was there any evidence of its being in the home.
Rutledge is tenacious and has a mind that quickly sees patterns, while his experience and expertise allows him to know and seek out individuals who may be able to answer questions to support each hypothesis.
Days and weeks away from home are required... His sister is home alone, since they are living in their parents house who were killed in recent past. Jean, the one he loves, is the daughter of a military officer who both talk to Ian about joining the service. His sister and Melinda a close friend are both very concerned about his proposing to Jean, thinking that she will not be satisfied being married to someone in his position. I thought the same, frankly, and found her irritating...
But then I began to see the general interaction with men and women at that time! Women were not told anything about "reality" but kept close to home activities, ignored as discussions about work, the possible war, took place!
This is an extraordinary book that will greatly satisfy history lovers, as well as historical mystery lovers. I was fixated on trying to solve the mystery, but got sidetracked with the difficulties faced by police officers in the past! We must surely give those individuals much credit for ever solving a crime!
One individual who was helping Rutledge made a statement that, I thought, was just as important today as it was as the first major war had begun: Army men see things differently, that's all. You're a thinker, Ian, you work things out in your head, and know where you're going. Military minds rush into action. It's what's leading Europe into war right now. Clearer heads didn't prevail, and now everyone wants to teach the other fellow a damned good lesson. No one has considered the thousands if not millions who are going to die, the miles of good land laid waste, the starvation and disease and cruelty that marches in an Army's wake. For God's sake, the Austrian Emperor didn't even like his heir. Now he's willing to slaughter the Russians to punish the serbs. God help us."
~~~
I wonder if we will ever have thinkers rather than military minds leading our governments across the world...
On the other hand, while I enjoyed the book, I found the overall setting and time period much too distracting to be able to say I loved it. Guess you might say I'm a person living in the right period of time and enjoying all the methods by which information is acquired, studied, and confirmed to prove guilt or innocence... Still Ian Rutledge is a commanding, authoritative, but wonderfully likable man who certainly pulls you into his life quickly so that we care about him and his future. I do recommend you take a look and read other reviews. The series is well-loved by many and you just might be one of those or a new fan who would love it too! GABixlerReviews
Charles and Caroline Todd are a mother-and-son writing team who live on the east coast of the United States. Caroline has a BA in English Literature and History, and a Masters in International Relations. Charles has a BA in Communication Studies with an emphasis on Business Management, and a culinary arts degree that means he can boil more than water. Caroline has been married (to the same man) for umpteen years, and Charles is divorced.
Charles and Caroline have a rich storytelling heritage. Both spent many evenings on the porch listening to their fathers and grandfathers reminisce. And a maternal grandmother told marvelous ghost stories. This tradition allows them to write with passion about events before their own time. And an uncle/great-uncle who served as a flyer in WWI aroused an early interest in the Great War.
Both Caroline and Charles share a love of animals, and family pets have always been rescues. There was once a lizard named Schnickelfritz. Don’t ask.
Writing together is a challenge, and both enjoy giving the other a hard time. The famous quote is that in revenge, Charles crashes Caroline’s computer, and Caroline crashes his parties. Will they survive to write more novels together? Stay tuned! Their father/husband is holding the bets.
We sit in calm, airy, silent rooms opening upon sunlit and embowered laws, not a sound except of summer and of husbandry disturbs the peace; but seven million men...are in ceaseless battle from the Alps to the Ocean. --Winston Churchill
The first blow fell on Paris at 7:18 a.m. on March 21, 1918, interrupting the calm of a Spring morning. As its concussion echoed over the roofs, residents came to their front doors and stared at the sky. Was it another accident, like that of the previous January, when an ammunition dump in Courneuve blew up, shattering windows across the city?
People living close to the Canal St- Martin knew better. A crater had appeared in the wide stone towpath where
horses usually dragged barges into the city. They assumed a German bomber had made an audacious solo raid, the pilot fleeing to the safety of his army's trenches that zigzagged across France from Belgium to the Swiss border. Paris at the End of the World The City of Light During the Great War, 1914-1918
By John Baxter
So much family and world-wide history is lost, isn't it? We all spend our time living the present and working for the future, that we rarely take time to look to and learn about the past. If John Baxter had not had an interest in history and the opportunity to obtain letters and other information about his paternal grandfather, William Archie Baxter, we would never have had the chance to read such an intimate account of what was happening during the first world war.
: Tour Eiffel, view from the Trocaderoki Before the Germans retired the weapon, it had fired 367 shells, killing 256 people and wounding 620--by trench standards a small loss, but of far greater damage psychologically. Parisians had believed intelligence, wit, and style could protect them from the worst effects of the war. Now they saw that these had the evanescence of a soap bubble... ~~~
Most of us when thinking about Paris would routinely think of fashion, the pleasures of life, and the arts... Going to Paris was always seen as the ultimate location for trips, especially honeymoons. Those in the arts would consider the city itself as the best location they could find in which to work.
Gazing at or traveling to see the Eiffel Tower is a dream come true. None of us, I would imagine would consider and recognize that the Tower was a main communication point to and from the front during the war. I was amazed that because of the high vulnerability for aerial attacks, the French worked to construct a fake Paris, including plywood replicas of the Arc de Triomphe and the Opera and other major sights! At the same time they wanted the outside news agencies to ensure an image of a tranquil Paris going about its business! Still, people were killed...
But then going about like usual resulted in having the story of "Two Men in Silk Pajamas..."
In fact, I should mention that the format of the book contains 39 individual stories as diverse as the one about the pajamas to the "Master of War"... One that I especially enjoyed was "Dressed to Kill" which, of course, brought the fashion issue to the fore: There were two fronts--the war front, then in Paris, the Montparnasse front... As patriotism grew, it started to transform fashion. The book contains many pictures, including ones that definitely showed a military flair! So I decided my addition would be some of the music from that time, including the first anti-war song! Cool!!
Another thing that amazed me was that, even during the war, when people of other nations
wanted the best in art and music, food and drink, fashion and culture, and even sex and sensation, they went to Paris. The period became known as la belle epoque--the beautiful age. Here's one of the pieces by Alphonse Mucha that I was able to find online. It certainly exhibits the beauty that was created during that period.. And then another fascinating, but understandable issue, was that the works of Bach, Beethoven and Schubert were no longer permitted in recital, while designers immediately saw the opportunities with news media following the trends in all of the countries...
There were as expected changes into what "creature comforts" were normally provided to Parisians. Absinthe was outlawed--Why? Because the government felt it sapped the will of young soldiers! Alcohol for military use replaced the quality and quantity of wine and spirits. Coffee was unobtainable as were cigars... Volunteers from Australia and then later when America became involved are as well as the English who were not all wanting to be involved and a cute little ditty conveyed that message:
Take me back to dear old Blighty! Put me on the train for London town! Take me over there, Drop me anywhere, Liverpool, Leeds, or Birmingham, well, I don't care!
By 1917, however, the main concern for the average Briton was...bread! In France food shortages was even worse because Germany had captured so much of the country... Desertion to go home to take care of crops surprised even the President when a farmer who had asked for leave, went home to take care of potatoes--war or no war! That seemed appropriate to me, don't you think?
When America finally entered the war, everybody thought that they then would be moving toward the end... but it continued for more than a year... Indeed, there is much about the war itself and Archie's life during that period that is covered. I've pulled some of the minor points just to show the diversity of the book and, of course, to include those items that interested me personally...LOL I feel confident that, readers who select this historical non-fiction book will find substantive points of interest for all! History buffs should consider this a must-read in my opinion... The book includes an Index to quickly find various items. But I must admit that the ending as provided for Archie totally caught me off-guard! AWOL from the Great War! I loved it! GABixlerReviews
John Baxter was born in Sydney, Australia, but raised in a small country town called Junee. With little else to do, he went to the movies three times a week for most of his adolescence, which provided an instant education in Hollywood movies with which he was often able to embarrass film celebrities ("You SAW that thing?") His second interest, however, was science fiction, which he began writing in his late teens. He sold stories to the same British and American magazines as J.G. Ballard and Thomas M. Disch, and in 1966 his first sf novel, THE GOD KILLERS, was published in both the US and Britain. He also edited the first-ever anthologies of Australian science fiction, and wrote the first history of the Australian cinema. In 1969, he came to Europe, settled in London, and began writing books on the cinema, including a biography of the director Ken Russell, and studies of John Ford, Josef von Sternberg and the gangster and science fiction film genres, and working as an arts journalist for various magazines, and for BBC radio. He also served on the juries of European film festivals. In 1974 he was invited to become visiting professor at Hollins College in Virginia, USA, where he remained for two years. While in America, he collaborated with Thomas Atkins on THE FIRE CAME BY; THE GREAT SIBERIAN EXPLOSION OF 1908,and wrote a study of director King Vidor, as well as completing two novels, THE HERMES FALL and BIDDING. Returning to London, he published the technological thriller THE BLACK YACHT. In 1979 he moved to Ireland, and the following year returned to Australia, where he co-scripted the 1988 science fiction film THE TIME GUARDIAN, starring Carrie Fisher and Dean Stockwell. He also wrote and presented three TV series on the cinema, and produced and presented the ABC radio programme BOOKS AND WRITING. In 1989 he moved to Los Angeles, where he worked as a screenwriter and film journalist. The following year, he met his present wife, Marie-Dominique Montel, and re-located in Paris. After moving to France, John published biographies of Federico Fellini, Luis Bunuel, Steven Spielberg, Woody Allen, Stanley Kubrick, George Lucas and Robert De Niro, as well as five books of autobiography, A POUND OF PAPER: CONFESSIONS OF A BOOK ADDICT, dealing with his fascination for collecting books, WE'LL ALWAYS HAVE PARIS: SEX AND LOVE IN THE CITY OF LIGHT, of which the SUNDAY TIMES of London wrote "it towers above most recent memoirs of life abroad," IMMOVEABLE FEAST: A PARIS CHRISTMAS, THE MOST BEAUTIFUL WALK IN THE WORLD: A PEDESTRIAN IN PARIS, and THE PERFECT MEAL. IN SEARCH OF THE LOST TASTES OF FRANCE. John has co-directed the annual Paris Writers Workshop and is a frequent lecturer and public speaker. His hobbies are cooking and book collecting. He has a major collection of modern first editions. When not writing, he can be found prowling the bouquinistes along the Seine or cruising the Internet in search of new acquisitions.
Just as a
scandal’s rumor flies,
The whispered
word inspired release.
Our uniforms ~ threadbare and quaint.
More comrades ~ daily ~ miss the call.
My arms and armor won’t suffice.
