This book about the expeThis book about the experiences of American military personnel taken as prisoners of war in both the European and Pacific theaters of combat during World War II is based on first person accounts of several Americans who found themselves captured by the enemy.

Thomas Saylor, an associate professor at Concordia University in St. Paul, Minn., interviewed many American POWs, 85 of whom are listed as "interviewees" and about whom he has included brief biographies. These interviews and the actual words spoken by these former POWs are the basis of this history.

As one who enjoys reading history, particularly military history, and biographies of famous and not-so-famous figures in military history, I found this to be a fascinating book, giving me glimpses of what these former POWs experienced at the various stages of their captivity.

Professor Saylor has divided this history into nine chapters, each of which he introduces with a few pages of comments.

The chapters take the reader into the POW experiences through their capture, imprisonment, treatment, liberation and homecoming in the actual words of the POWs.

The job of a historian is to review vast quantities of original source material and the works of other historians to summarize particular events in greater or lesser detail, depending on the scope of the book.

For instance, a recent history by Rick Atkinson called "An Army At Dawn" explains how the U.S. Army, Navy and Army Air Corps were bloodied and ultimately victorious in North Africa.

It's an excellent history explaining this World War II experience, with broad views of the campaign without focusing on any particular individual, while a recent biography called "IKE" by Michael Korda explains the life of Dwight David Eisenhower, including his leadership in the Second World War.

As a judge, I find that reading a transcript of someone's actual words is often not very satisfying or easy, since how one actually speaks is generally quite different from the way someone deliberately writes, having the time to properly structure one's sentences and prepare one's thoughts. So for me, reading the actual words of these former POWs was very interesting, but not particularly satisfying.

Professor Saylor points out that in World War II that 110,000 to 115,000 Americans were taken as POWs. Every one of them has a story.

From my experience as a lawyer and a judge, I know every one of them will have a different story, as people witnessing the same event will see it differently.

What makes the stories of the interviewees in this book somewhat less satisfying for me is that you never really get to know any one of them. Rather, parts of their stories are used in different chapters, and it is a little difficult to remember who was who from chapter to chapter as there is not a lot of focus on any one individual.

In "Conduct Under Fire," cited as a source by Professor Saylor, John Glusman writes of the POW experiences of his father and three other doctors. With that narrow focus, I got to know them and could thus better appreciate what they went through as POWs.

The one thing resonating clearly throughout this book is the tremendous will to live our American prisoners of war had.

Professor Saylor acknowledges some POWs simply gave up, but at every stage most of them wanted to live, which is clear from the first moment of the POW experience. Either they or their commanding officer made a decision that captivity was a better alternative than death, even though they could not begin to comprehend what lay ahead for them. In marked contrast were the Japanese who, with but a few exceptions, chose death rather than surrender.

Of local interest is his interview with Alois Kopp, who grew up in Raleigh. He was captured when his ship was sunk. This is part of Al Kopp's interview:

"I laid down with the guy next to me on the floor, and we're talking and talking, and he said, 'Where are you from?' And I said, 'I'm from North Dakota.' 'The hell you are!' I said, 'Where you from?' 'I'm from North Dakota.' 'What town?' And he said, 'You never heard of it.' And I said, 'Try me.' 'Selfridge.' I said, 'Hell, I used to play basketball against you.' Selfridge is only about 40 miles from Raleigh. That's where I was born. He graduated the same year I did. His name was Bigger."

North Dakota also has a number of POW veterans. Our Legislature has recognized them by allowing them to receive special POW license plates, with 36 plates in use.

License plate "POW 1" is held by my longtime friend Ernie Sands, who served as lieutenant governor with Gov. Allen I. Olson from 1981 through 1984. We recently enjoyed lunch together so I could find out more about his POW experiences.

As a 22-year-old 1st lieutenant in the Army Air Corps, he was the lead bombardier for a group of 18 B-24s bombing Cologne on Oct. 14, 1944. He said, "Our bombs went down in Cologne, and then I went down in Cologne," as his B-24 was shot down.

He harbors no ill feelings toward the Germans, and he said he and his colleagues were proud to be Americans and proud to have fought as Americans. He and his fellow POWs all had that same incredible will to live.

"All we wanted to do every day was to have one more day."

Every POW has a story, as does every veteran. Lots of veterans have never really talked with their children about the war, but when their grandchildren ask them, they seem glad to be able to talk with them. So for you young people, it's not too late to ask your grandpa and grandma, or your great-grandpa, what they did in the war, and that includes not only World War II, but Korea, Vietnam, the Persian Gulf and other wars.

Those readers who enjoy military history will find this to be a very interesting book.

(Hon. Robert O. Wefald is a North Dakota State District Court Judge in Bismarck serving with seven other judges the 12 counties of the South Central Judicial District. Judge Wefald served on active duty as a Naval officer from 1964 to 1967, followed by 24 years in the Naval Reserve, retiring in 1991.)

The following books or CDs are available for citizen review. If you have an interest in the topic and some expertise, please contact Tribune Editor John Irby at john.irby@;bismarcktribune.com.

Bobcat Fifty Years by Marty Padgett. A complete company history in a coffee-table book format. 216 pages.

Blackout Girl by Jennifer Storm. The author shares a real, raw look at what can happen when teens engage in high-risk behaviors. 240 pages.

Remembering the Good War, Minnesota's Greatest Generation by Thomas Saylor. A book about Minnesotans who served at home and abroad during World War II. 312 pages.

Then Are the Children Free by Sylvia Klope Eller. The story of Sophie, a member of a hard-working, close-knit farm family on the North Dakota prairie. 118 pages.

This is Daniel Cook, Here We Are! This CD includes a mix of classics and originals of pop, classical, big band, country, polka, hip hop and Celtic sounds. 26 songs.