Cradle of Valor: The Intimate Letters of a Plebe at West Point Between the Two World Wars. [hardcover]

Smith, Dale O. [Major General, U.S. Air Force, Ret.]

ISBN 10: 0912697806 / ISBN 13: 9780912697802

Published by Algonquin Books., Chapel Hill., 1988

About this Item

xx. + 268pp. Numerous vintage photographs & facsimiles. Introduction by John Eisenhower. xx. + 268pp. Appendices: Glossary of 1930 Cadet Slang, 'Poison Ivy & Highways', & Roster of the 1934 Graduating Class. First Edition so stated. REMAINDER mark along bottom edge. Full black cloth covers. Near Fine/Near Fine dj. (remainder mark else book like new, no writings. jacket lightly scuffed else complete/clean/crisp, no tears).

Seller Inventory # 1356031514

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Cradle of Valor: The Intimate Letters of a Plebe at West Point Between the Two World Wars. [hardcover]
• Publisher: Algonquin Books., Chapel Hill.
• Publication Date: 1988
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0912697806
• ISBN 13: 9780912697802
• Binding: HARDCOVER.
• Edition: First Edition.
• Condition: Near Fine
• Dust Jacket Condition: Near Fine dj

About this title

Synopsis

The author, a retired Air Force officer, recounts his experiences attending West Point between 1930 and 1934

Reviews

Smith, a young man from Nevada, entered West Point in 1930 and found the experience so stimulating that he sent his parents detailed reports throughout his plebe year. This was the Depression era and although its effect was minimal at West Point, the Smith family in Reno was hit hard when the cadet's father lost his job. The parents' letters to their son, included in the collection, are moving in their self-effacing expression of pride and encouragement. The author provides a retrospective commentary on both sets of letters, and in the final chapter describes what happened in later years to each member of his close-knit family. The book is a vivid contemporary account of what it was like to be a first-year cadet at the "old" West Point, but it is also a tribute to the author's father. In the introduction Eisenhower explains why West Pointers have always considered themselves a breed apart. Smith retired from the Air Force as a major general. Photos.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.