It's been said nostalgically that World War II was "the last good war." That's not the way it has come across in Glover's column over the past few years. With his "50 years ago this week" format, a matter-of-fact, present-tense prose style, and liberal quotations from first-hand accounts, news reports, and primary historians, Glover has woven together a moving tribute to his fellow WWII veterans and given readers a vivid feel for their life and times. There's been an element of historical text - the dates and places of the major battles - but where Glover has really shined is in his glimpses into some of the personalities of the war. He's focused not only on the generals and politicians, but also, through diaries, letters, and other sources, on the field officers and ordinary grunts. And the portrait that has emerged is not only one of extraordinary will and courage, but also of folly, bureaucracy, and backroom politicking of senseless tragedy and futile death. Slowly, over the last few years, the random vignettes of human drama, played out in scattered obscure corners of the globe, have coalesced into not just a history lesson, but a lesson in what histories can be. Soon after the 50th anniversary of VJ-Day, presumably, Glover will re-retire. We'll miss him.
