Happy Veterans Day, formerly called Armistice Day since it marked the end of World War One on “the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month” of 1918. Here are six books on that often neglected conflict. (I will omit Barbara Tuchman’s Guns of August because of how well-known it already is.)
THE HAT IN THE RING GANG: THE COMBAT HISTORY OF THE 94th AERO SQUADRON IN WORLD WAR ONE – Written by Charles Woolley, this excellent book covers America’s 94th Aero Squadron aka The Hat in the Ring Gang.
When it comes to Flying Aces of World War One the Americans in the Lafayette Escadrille get the lion’s share of the attention. That’s ironic since Eddie Rickenbacker, America’s greatest ace of the war, served in the Hat in the Ring Gang along with many other famous paladins of the skies. To buy it click HERE
DOUGHBOY WAR: THE AMERICAN EXPEDITIONARY FORCE IN WORLD WAR I – Written/ edited by James H Hallas. I feel this book is perfect for people who are just diving into World War One and don’t want inundated with all of the overwhelming details of more involved works. Doughboy War covers every aspect of American soldiers’ experiences in the Great War, often in their own words.
Follow them from enlistment, training and crossing the Atlantic to facing action in Europe, including accounts of the ordeals faced by wounded Doughboys. To buy it click HERE Continue reading
For Balladeer’s Blog’s review of the first episode of this 1971-1973 series about London by Gaslight detectives from both the Victorian and Edwardian Ages you can simply click 
Episode: THE ABSENT MINDED COTERIE (February 26th, 1973) 
NEGOTIATING THEIR WAY TO A WIN – The WILLIAM PENN UNIVERSITY STATESMEN, in a game moved up from November 14th, welcomed the CULVER-STOCKTON COLLEGE WILDCATS. After a scoreless 1st Quarter the Statesmen led 14-7 at Halftime. The 3rd Quarter ended in a 14-14 tie before William Penn U went on to win the game 20-16 from there.
JIMMIES ON THE ROAD – The UNIVERSITY OF JAMESTOWN JIMMIES, trying to salvage what they can of an ugly season, visited the BRIAR CLIFF UNIVERSITY CHARGERS yesterday. By the Half the Jimmies had built up a 14-3 advantage over the Chargers, but that was cut to a 17-10 edge in the 3rd Quarter. The defenses ruled in the 4th, so 17-10 was the final tally as well. 
RUINED SENIOR DAYS – The MIDAMERICA NAZARENE UNIVERSITY PIONEERS disrupted the Senior Day festivities for the MISSOURI VALLEY COLLEGE VIKINGS by defeating them 28-23 ### And the MIDLAND UNIVERSITY WARRIORS handed the DOANE COLLEGE TIGERS a 28-3 Senior Day loss. 
Balladeer’s Blog’s reviews of my picks for The Top Five Harry Flashman Novels are still getting more than their share of attention. (Click 
Projected Title: FLASHMAN DOWN UNDER 
Once word reached California about Australia’s very own Gold Rush, Harry could have boarded a ship for Down Under either along with some of the Cali Aussies OR trying to slip away from them for his usual reasons – having slept with some of their women, conning them out of money, etc. 
GULLIVAR JONES ON MARS (1905) – Written by Edwin L Arnold, this novel was originally published under the title Lieut. Gullivar Jones: His Vacation. Years later, with the spelling of the lead character’s first name altered, it was published as Gulliver of Mars. Over the years it was revived under a variety of titles. I’m using the title that I prefer – Gullivar Jones On Mars. 
If Arnold had written this story decades later it could have been said that he was intentionally subverting the tropes of heroic sword & science epics. Unfortunately, this novel instead seems to be the victim of ineptitude on the author’s part. 
5. THE COCOANUTS (1929) – The Plot (As if it mattered) – A hotel manager (Groucho) plots a real estate swindle during the Florida land boom while a jewel theft on the premises attracts unwanted attention from the law. Chico and Harpo sow all manner of confusion while Margaret Dumont and Zeppo are on hand in their familiar and comfortable straight roles. 
Episode: THE MYSTERIOUS DEATH ON THE UNDERGROUND RAILWAY (January 29th, 1973) 
Lady Molly was the actual detective in her stories. Polly Burton (Judy Geeson), while a spunky reporter who never lets people belittle her over her gender, was really just the Archie Goodwin/ Dr Watson for the Teahouse Detective aka the Old Man in the Corner. 
COMEBACK KIDS – The ARIZONA CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY FIRESTORM traveled to face the SOUTHWESTERN ASSEMBLIES OF GOD UNIVERSITY LIONS yesterday. The Lions led 14-7 in the 1st Quarter and 31-14 by Halftime. The Firestorm blazed back from there, going on top 35-31 to end the 3rd Quarter before winning the game 41-37. ACU remains undefeated. 
DEFENDING CHAMPS SURVIVE A SCARE – The 2-time defending National Champions – the MORNINGSIDE COLLEGE MUSTANGS – visited the DORDT COLLEGE DEFENDERS. A 14-10 Mustangs edge at the Half became a 35-23 advantage in the 3rd Quarter before Morningside College had to hold on tight against the Defenders in the 4th. The Mustangs improved to 6-0 with a 35-30 victory. DC fell to 5-2. 
TEXAS-OKLAHOMA CLASH – The WAYLAND BAPTIST UNIVERSITY PIONEERS played host to the OKLAHOMA PANHANDLE STATE AGGIES (should be Okies). The Pioneers led 19-17 at the midpoint, the Aggies went out in front 24-22 to end the 3rd Quarter, and Wayland Baptist U bounced back in the 4th to win out 29-24. 
THE HOUSE ON THE BORDERLAND (1908) – Written by William Hope Hodgson. This tale is a terrific but often overlooked forerunner of Lovecraftian horror blended with traditional haunted house elements. Throw in material that puts the reader in mind of Madame Blavatsky’s and Aleister Crowley’s horror fiction and it’s a magnificent story for Halloween. 
Balladeer’s Blog’s Month-long celebration of Halloween nears its end for 2020 as I take a look at the most seasonal covers of the 1970s Marvel Comics series Son of Satan. The latest Marvel television show, Helstrom, is a very watered-down and weak version of their horror character Daimon Hellstrom, the son of Satan and a mortal woman. (They didn’t even use both “L’s” in the name Hellstrom for the series title, as if h-e-l-l is too shocking for public use.) 
MARVEL SPOTLIGHT Vol 1 #12 (October 1973) 
