The Man, the Woman, the Prize: A War Oil Romance

"The Man, the Woman, the Prize" takes its protagonist, Jack Ridgell, from the war-torn Hiirtgen Forest in Germany where he was wounded in late World War II, through a stint at an English manor house-turned-rehabilitation center.

Upon his discharge and return to Florida, he realizes that his late father's business as a citrus farmer is not going to be the fulfilling career he had hoped for. His company commander in the army had offered to assist him if he ever needs a hand up. He places a telephone call to his former captain, Walter Williams, in Fort Worth, Texas, that paves the way for an exciting lifetime in the oil drilling business, as well as an enticing romantic entanglement with the captain's daughter, Martha Williams.

"The Man, the Woman, the Prize" leads the reader through a myriad of plot twists and turns. En route it gives the reader an interesting glimpse into the life of an infantryman during the last "conventional war," followed by an enlightening journey through the challenges and triumphs of the oil and gas business in modern Texas.

John O. Zipperer Jr. is a native of Florida. He graduated from the University of Florida in 1954 and then served two years in the US Army. He spent thirty years in the family agricultural business in south Florida, Oklahoma, and Texas. He now works in oil and gas production.