Steel Shards [Paperback]

Bidwell Moore (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 28, 2006

This WWII novel tells it like it was. Stripped of propaganda, the conduct and character of the Americans, British, French, and Germans are depicted with searchlight clarity through the experiences of Captain Kimbro Sawyer, CO of an anti-tank company. Action begins in August 1942 with the New York embarkation of Sawyer’s division, the Big Red One, aboard the Queen Mary. Training in England is relieved by his friendship with the beauteous Nadine Denis and the ploys developed by Nadine’s cousin, Major Depshan, to mislead the Germans in regard to the employment of these first American troops to arrive in the theater. Both Nadine and Sawyer have German connections. In her case, serious entanglement. Action from the perspective of a young Afrika Korps officer, Sawyer’s cousin, is juxtaposed with 1st Division fighting against the French in Algeria, later the Germans in Tunisia. The decorated and promoted Sawyer is sent home to sell bonds, returns to England where the 1st Division and many other units are preparing for the assault on Festung Europa. Meanwhile Nadine’s regretted German nemesis slips into England to pressure her into divulging information on the details of the coming invasion. The struggle that develops between Sawyer and the Abwehr agent culminates with D-Day, after which the action moves to Normandy, Paris and the Bulge.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Bidwell Moore served with the 1st Division throughout World War II--Kasserine, Omaha Beach, the Battle of the Bulge were signal actions. Subsequently, he was an assistant military attaché in Switzerland and held several Washington intelligence posts.

Product Details

• Paperback: 541 pages
• Publisher: Airleaf Publishing (July 28, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1600021530
• ISBN-13: 978-1600021534
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.8 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,520,793 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bowker Review: Wonderful Reading Experience, September 1, 2005

By 

Folio (Indiana) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Steel Shards (Paperback)

Bidwell Moore's "Steel Shards" is a wartime novel that relates the adventures of a young soldier, Captain Kimbro Sawyer of the American First Division, who fights on the side of the Allied Forces in the Second World War. A sensitive and observant individual, Captain Sawyer observes relationships between people from different countries during wartime. He realizes that though people from different countries and cultures may be different in many ways, they share many common concerns and feelings. With no prejudice of preconceived notions, this book examines human relations during the difficult time of war.

The book begins when the protagonist sets out for England onboard the "Queen Mary" in 1942. The ship contains one of the first shipments of American soldiers sent over to England for training with British troops. It marks the beginning of America joining the war on the side of the Allies forces. As the commanding officer of an anti-tank company, Sawyer finds himself sucked into a whirlpool of intrigue, rivalry, and deceit. He soon meets Nadine Denis, a beautiful Englishwoman who is Major Despan's cousin. Despan is the officer from the British War Office who is given the charge of keeping the news of the arrival of American troops a secret from the Germans. In a desperate attempt to gain the upper hand over the Allies, German agents try to force Nadine to divulge details of the Allied troops' battle plans. Torn between loyalties, Nadine struggles with the morality of the situation. She has both English and German relatives and is unable to decide the future of her life. At the same time, Sawyer sees his share of fighting on different fronts all over the world. Both struggle to overcome the numerous challenges presented by their enemies and emerge triumphant. The characters' struggle also embodies the desire of individuals around the world to have a peaceful world based on mutual trust and friendship.

Bidwell Moore's book successfully removes cloaks of half-truths and propaganda created by politicians to cover up their selfish motives from posterity. This book goes on to establish that people from different cultures can work out mutual differences and live together in peace and friendship. Drawing on his personal experiences as a soldier Bidwell Moore has successfully recreated the period of the 1940s. The setting, characters, and plot make this book a truly engrossing read.

5.0 out of 5 stars An absolute must for any Christian who has been facing a long chain of gloomy days, December 7, 2008

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Steel Shards (Paperback)

There is no effect without a cause. "If You Want a Harvest, You Have to be Willing to Cultivate the Soil" is the work of a highly educated and devout Virginian pastor of Dr. T. Darnell Saunders. A self-help book that draws heavily from the motivational and encouraging passages from the Holy Bible, "If You Want a Harvest , You Have to be Willing to Cultivate the Soil" is an absolute must for any Christian who has been facing a long chain of gloomy days.

4.0 out of 5 stars Extremely Detailed with Remarkable Characters, November 21, 2007

By 

TB Koskie (Sydney, AU) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Steel Shards (Paperback)

Moore is a narrator with an eye, indeed, a love, for details. In Steel Shards, he turns his talents to the world of World War II. Once again, as is so often the case with Moore's work, he turns away from the excitement of the atmosphere and hones in on provide honest, faithful, and respectful renditions of his characters.

In Steel Shards, we find ourselves following, with a broad scope, the actions of Captain Kimbro, baptized Anthony, Sawyer. He's a soldier, in World War II, and like so many soldiers, he was involved in the tragic excitement of war. Here we can follow one soldier's progress through many theaters of the devastating war. We can follow the military strategies and personal efforts of the soldiers.

But this is not all about the war. This is about soldiers, about the narrations of their individual experiences in combat, abroad, and at rest. It involves the people he meets in his time, and the people he loses. In this work, Moore shows the effects of absolute and fatal violence and large scale chaos on the human spirit.

For a new take on a war so long studied and never well-understood, pick up this book. Moore's respectful and detailed recount gives a human context to an inhuman war, and paints his characters with the dignity and honesty all people deserve.