A wonderful book for many reasons, including the depth of meticulous research by the author. However, its uniqueness rests in the first-person narratives of Joey’s diary and notebook entries, and the letters to and from friends and family, particularly his father. Their great strength is that they were penned ‘in the now,’ unencumbered by the passage of time, faded recollections, and perhaps the sober reconsideration of issues after years of musing about matters/events long since passed. Joey was a prolific, skilled writer, fascinated by the world around him, the great events that were unfolding, and his place in them. Highly recommended.
Lieutenant-Colonel (Ret’d) David L. Bashow, OMM, CD, author of No Prouder Place – Canadians and the Bomber Command Experience, 1939-1945
Well written, well researched, and well organized, Joey Jacobson’s War is a splendid account of a young Jewish airman’s war. His letters and diaries—and his father’s—offer great insight into the early years of the war and much on public opinion in Canada from 1939 until Joey’s death in action. Peter Usher has done a fine job.
J.L. Granatstein, author of Canada’s War
Review by David L. Bashow in Canadian Military Journal
Interview with PJ Usher, CBC Ottawa’s In Town and Out, May 19, 2018
Joey Jacobson’s War has been nominated for a Foreward Reviews Indie Award.
“This is real, unembellished, unHollywoodized war from the pen of a young man sitting in the metal and glass compartment of a bomber observer, playing one of the most dangerous roles of air combat, one that many did not survive.”
Ron Verzuh, writer & historian
Review by Jennifer Shaw in Canadian Jewish Studies