Thunder and Lightning...

From the beaches of Dunkirk to the jungles of Burma, the Second World War became a theatre that immortalized the savagery of war. For every organization involved - and there were many - courage and discipline were paramount. Within these pages are represented the Royal Air Force, Royal Navy, British Army, Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF), Bletchley Park, Home Guard, and Land Army, among others. Organized into sections, each poem conveys the harrowing experiences of war. Two sections specifically recognize the ’courage beyond endurance’ of the SAS and SOE. Captured, tortured, and executed, these special agents ventured deep into enemy territory for the sake of democracy. The section on the Holocaust portrays the terror of the thousands of Jewish people slaughtered by an enemy committed to ethnic cleansing. Each poem captures the trauma inflicted upon men, women, and children, none more poignantly than ’The Faceless.’ Later in the book, a section commemorates the remarkable flying skills of the Russian women known as the ’Night Witches, ’ who defended and attacked German targets. With the help of many Allies, World War II ended, leaving countless lives lost, numerous lives forever changed, and the enduring hope that history serves as a lesson for humanity.