Title: Operation Wappen: A War That Never Was
Author: Robert K. Maddock, Jr.
Publisher: Westwood Books Publishing LLC
ISBN: 978-1-64361-781-7
Pages: 80
Genre: Nonfiction/Autobiography/History/War
Reviewed by: CC Thomas
Hollywood Book Reviews
While most historical books can be dry black and white tomes of facts, Robert Maddock Jr. makes his story come alive in more ways than one. The first thing which stands out about Maddock’s Operation Wappen: A War that Never Was is the amazing formatting of the book. The pages themselves are formatted in light tan with footers that create much interest in the readers’ minds. The pages have historical photographs, maps, and drawings that help the reader paint an accurate picture of the details in the story. In addition, Maddock also formats the text, arranging facts in numerical order, in bold font, and in sections to help the reader with the placement and importance of historical terms and events. There is even an index in the back of the book; as most authors generally skip over these types of details and readers are often left wandering in the dark periods of history trying to understand the author’s points. Not so with Maddock! His careful attention to detail made the reading a pleasurable activity throughout.
The second thing that stands out is the incredible narrative within that pleasingly-designed book. Maddock writes about the meticulously planned Operation Wappen with a soldier’s attention to details, and the care and passion he feels for his true story shines on the pages. While many biographies tackle only what the writer saw, heard, and felt, Maddock goes beyond his own memories and paints a background picture for the readers. Maddock’s story is unusual because he approaches it from the perspective of a detective, solving his own personal “history mystery.”
This mystery was born from Maddock’s confusion over an “adventure” his unit was sent on in the 1950s. Maddock finally solved this mystery and answered his own questions by researching the details unknown to him at the time. Maddock brings all his understandings into the story and does a nice job tying in bits of pieces of popular culture that influenced the time period, as well as important historical motifs. So, finally, the last thing that really stands out is the amount of detail infused throughout the story. When Maddock relates the events, he includes actual quotes and timelines so that the reader feels part of the history and better understand the whys behind the what-happened. He wraps all these details into a neat little package that readers will enjoy.
Put all those ingredients together and Robert Maddock Jr.’s Operation Wappen: A War That Never Was is an engaging and quick read, even for those new to this genre. Hopefully, the author will discover another piece of “history” that needs to be solved and again bring his unique storytelling to the case!