‘Hart’s War’ is a riveting read

HOW I READ IT

Now this is a great story. Four hundred eighty-six pages of

suspense, mystery, terror, fear, racism, commitment, honor, hatred,

sacrifice, loyalty and betrayal all experienced within a few weeks in

a German POW camp during World War II.

In “Hart’s War” by John Katzenbach, a highly respected, decorated

and dedicated Army Air Corps officer, Vic Bedford, is brutally

murdered. A recently captured black Tuskegee flier, Lincoln Scott, is

immediately accused of the crime because his verbal threats to the

racist Bedford and other circumstantial evidence.

Tommy Hart, a B-25 navigator with two years of Harvard Law School

education, is assigned as Scott’s legal counsel. Hart is convinced of

Scott’s innocence and within 10 days must save him from a German

firing squad. He concludes that the trial is an elaborate cover-up to

conceal another insidious plot, but what plot and who’s behind it?

The vast majority of prisoners are convinced Scott is guilty.

Remember, this is the U.S. Army in 1942.

The trial and Hart’s unearthing (literally) the truth behind

Bedford’s murder is storytelling at its best. Be prepared to be a

little teary eyed during the last chapter.

Check it out!

This book inspired a good movie by the same title starring Bruce

Willis. See Hollywood’s interpretation of this story -- it’s

fascinating.

* DOUG BOWLER is a native Californian who, with his wife, has

been experiencing the good life of Laguna Beach for more than 18

years.