One Soldier's Story: A Memoir [Hardcover]

Bob Dole (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 12, 2005

Before he became one of America's most respected statesmen, Bob Dole was an average citizen serving heroically for his country. The bravery he showed after suffering near-fatal injuries in the final days of World War II is the stuff of legend. Now, for the first time in his own words, Dole tells the moving story of his harrowing experience on and off the battlefield, and how it changed his life.

Speaking here not as a politician but as a wounded G.I., Dole recounts his own odyssey of courage and sacrifice, and also honors the fighting spirit of the countless heroes with whom he served. Heartfelt and inspiring, One Soldier's Story is the World War II chronicle that America has been waiting for.

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This affecting memoir chronicles the Republican senator's arduous coming of age through the early 1950s. After a poor but for him idyllic childhood in Russell, Kans., Dole arrived at college and then the army during World War II a sunny, callow young man; his letters home—many reprinted here—are preoccupied with Mom's cooking, college sports and fraternity hijinks. The story darkens and deepens when he is sent to Italy and, near the end of the war, gravely wounded by a German shell blast that leaves him all but paralyzed with spinal cord damage and a maimed shoulder. The bulk of the book is taken up with Dole's agonizing three-year convalescence. His restrained but poignant account details his painfully slow struggle to regain the use of his legs and arms, the strain put on his family by his physical helplessness and his reluctant coming to terms with the ruin of his once handsome and athletic body. The book is very much a political autobiography, full of tributes to faith, family and hard work, but the harrowing experiences that put these ideals to the test elevate Dole's memoir above mere boilerplate. Photos. (Apr. 12)

From Booklist

Last year, the public was treated to the degrading spectacle of the military careers of two presidential candidates being kicked around as a political football. So readers will find Dole's account of his service in World War II refreshing, sometimes grim, but consistently inspiring. Dole served in the Senate for 27 years and was the Republican candidate for president in 1996. Here he describes his Depression-era boyhood in Russell, Kansas. He began college at the University of Kansas, where he excelled as an athlete and hoped to study medicine. After Pearl Harbor, Dole began his military service. As a raw second lieutenant in the 10th Mountain Division, he led an eclectic group that included world-class skiers, forest rangers, and cowboys. Two weeks before the end of the war, Dole was severely wounded; he describes in grueling detail his three-year struggle to recover from his injuries. He is not a gifted writer--his prose is often stilted, and he resorts too easily to cliches. Yet his bravery, guts, and determination shine through, and he conveys his personal story without a hint of self-pity or self-aggrandizement. Those who subscribe to the "greatest generation" theory will find confirmation in Dole's account of his service, suffering, and triumph. Jay Freeman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Harper; First Edition edition (April 12, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060763418
• ISBN-13: 978-0060763411
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (39 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,017,569 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Story Of Dole's Life Focusing On His Younger Days, April 18, 2005

By 

G. Reid (Roseland, NJ) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: One Soldier's Story: A Memoir (Hardcover)

Bob Dole is a brave man, a hero and a great American. This book tells the complete story of his life as a soldier and of his years of recuperation after his war injuries. In this book he speaks very generously of all those people who helped him on his road back to health which initially took about 3 years.

For those who are interested in the book and the man, there is an excellent author interview event available on CSpan2's BookTV. Bob Dole's courage, bravery and his modesty are all very appealing.

40 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Timeless lessons from a real American hero, April 14, 2005

By 

MotherLodeBeth "MotherLodeBeth" (Sierras of California) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: One Soldier's Story: A Memoir (Hardcover)

Senator Dole demonstrates what a quick wit he has, and a well grounded decency. And he gives so much credit to others, be it his hometown, parents, colleagues, friends and even strangers. That is what is so refreshing in an era when people want to make you believe that it was simply luck or some hard work that got them to a point of success.

What may surprise some is how he speaks so fondly and nicely of those whom he served with in the Senate etc from the other party, and how he wants, like many of us, to return to a day when both parties worked together. He also notes that running against someone be it for Senate or President doesn't mean the other person is your enemy, but your challenger.

No matter how old you are, whether you are male or female, there are some timeless truths and priceless lessons to be had in this book.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not Dole the politician, May 7, 2005

By 

Hallstatt Prince (MA. USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: One Soldier's Story: A Memoir (Hardcover)

This is a book well worth reading.
Let me say at the outset that I have issues with Dole the politician but this is about Dole the man.
It is a very human book that tells the story of an average American, a good citizen, a soldier and a man having to deal with a crippling injury.
It is an unflinching look at how an average life can become remarkable life and a story of human endurance and courage.
Inspiring.