Overview

A kid's memories of war and postwar I wrote this book on June 6, 2019, 75 years after D-day, the greatest invasion the world has ever seen. Seven thousand ships, 150.000 troops, 4,000 American and British deaths on the very first day! The courage of the men, who jumped from the landing ships into the sea, sometimes drowning with their heavy equipment, and stormed the beaches under heavy fire from machine guns, rifles, and artillery salvos, is unimaginable. I can't stop thinking about it today with a sense of awe and gratefulness

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9781643145389

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Reviews

This book becomes a must-read for those seeking inspirational narratives, especially during these catastrophic times, about good triumphing evil. In many of the recollections, subtle humor makes readers feel as though they are a member of the Zwaan family through a humor-as-coping-mechanism dynamic, particularly when the author recalls events such as his friends' childhood stunts of stealing eggs from German soldiers, two Ukrainians smashing a horse cart through a window by which the family sits, and the author embarking on a variety of in-house science experiments after the war that spawns an in-church prank during catechism. Ultimately, these writings leave readers with a clearer understanding of daily life during World War II, which makes this book a distinctive, informative text about the importance of family, duty, and sacrifice that can benefi t all who read it in these moments of societal questioning. -US Review of Books Many such tales in this all-too-brief book offer an intriguing view of how the war impacted everyday citizens. Such small, yet telling details run throughout the narrative and are the book's highlights. The book's value is that Zwaan lived these stories. Those interested in this troubled time in world history will appreciate the author's perspective. -Blueink Review One of History's Devastating War as Seen through the Eyes of a Kid: A Series of Untold Stories and Events from World War II Unearthed in Johan Zwaan's Latest Masterpiece. -The New York Times Review WWII + VI is a pleasing memoir that combines world events with personalized accounts of surviving the war. -Foreword Review

This book becomes a must-read for those seeking inspirational narratives, especially during these catastrophic times, about good triumphing evil. In many of the recollections, subtle humor makes readers feel as though they are a member of the Zwaan family through a humor-as-coping-mechanism dynamic, particularly when the author recalls events such as his friends' childhood stunts of stealing eggs from German soldiers, two Ukrainians smashing a horse cart through a window by which the family sits, and the author embarking on a variety of in-house science experiments after the war that spawns an in-church prank during catechism. Ultimately, these writings leave readers with a clearer understanding of daily life during World War II, which makes this book a distinctive, informative text about the importance of family, duty, and sacrifice that can benefi t all who read it in these moments of societal questioning.

Author Information

"Johan Zwaan was born in Gorinchem, Holland, in 1934. He lived there during the occupation of Holland by the Nazis from age 5 to 10 years. Later he attended the local classical high school Gymnasium Camphusianum, which he completed at the age of 16. He attended medical school at the University of Amsterdam. His studies were interrupted when he was drafted in the Royal Dutch Army in 1954. After his discharge from the Army, he returned to Amsterdam in 1956. In 1960 he received the MD degree and three years later the Ph.D. for research started in medical school. The day after the defense of his thesis he left for the United States for a one-year postdoctoral fellowship in Pediatric Research at Johns Hopkins Medical School. After seven years at the University of Virginia, he became a faculty member at Harvard Medical School. He missed contact with patients and Harvard gave him three years leave, and at age 40 he entered an Ophthalmology training program in Albany, NY. On completion, he returned to Harvard for another 10 years, this time in the Ophthalmology Department. In 1988 he moved to the University of Texas in San Antonio as a Professor of Ophthalmology, Pediatrics, and Cellular and Structural Biology. After 7 years he was invited to join the King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Three years later, in 1998, he returned to San Antonio and entered private practice. He retired in 2017. During his career, he published numerous scientific and clinical papers, book chapters, and a textbook, ""Decision Making in Ophthalmology""(in 2014). After retirement, he took up non-medical writing."

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