Steven Helmer Publications

Synopsis: Alvin York, a poor young farmer in Tennessee, aspires to upgrade his status by buying a piece of more fertile farmland and begins to see his fortunes change for the better when he finds religion. When the United States enters World War I and he is drafted, Alvin attempts to get an exemption as a conscientious objector but has his request denied, forcing him to serve overseas, where his sharpshooting skills make him a war hero. Who's in it? The movie stars Gary Cooper , Walter Brennan , Joan Leslie , Stanley Ridges and George Tobias. Review: I had some free time on Memorial Day and, mostly because I had never seen it before, decided to give this movie a try. Overall, while there were some things I wasn't a huge fan of, I could understand why this film was a classic. In all honesty, I don't know enough about the real Alvin York to tell you what was real in this movie and what was pure fiction but I did like how the movie gave the title character a solid character...

Synopsis: At the tail end of World War I, President Woodrow Wilson agreed to place American troops under British command as the latter invaded Russia on the pretense of guarding supply stockpiles from the Germans but with the secret mission of supporting resistance to the Bolshevik Revolution. This non-fiction book tells the story of some of the men who took part in the failed military campaign. Review: I was recently reminded about this rarely talked about military campaign while reading The Ghost Ships of Archangel and, when I came across this book at our local library, I decided to check it out. After finally finishing it last night, I have to say I wasn't disappointed. The author does a good job of bringing the men who participated in and, more often than not, died, in this event back to life by sharing details about their lives back in the United States as well as their dreams and goals. This information, gathered from family members, letters and diaries really made...