A Letter from Frank: An Unlikely Second World War Friendship
On the last day of the Second World War, Frank and Russ fought each other. In the days after, they became friends.

This is the remarkable tale of a long-forgotten letter. It was written from Germany in the aftermath of the Second World War to a Canadian in a peaceful Southern Ontario town. Both had been soldiers and had met on a German battlefield. The letter lay unseen for years and was found by the Canadian’s son long after the old soldier’s death. This book tells how that faded letter led to the discovery of the one-time German paratrooper who became his father’s friend in the immediate aftermath of the war.

A Letter from Frank is part war story and part biography, following the lives of Russ Colombo, the Canadian soldier, and Frank Sikora, the German paratrooper. One grew up during the Depression in Ontario, the other was a German in Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia. This non-fiction narrative also chronicles author Stephen J. Colombo’s struggle to come to terms with a father haunted by the war. Their recollections provide insights into the events that shaped the generations that forged a modern Canada and rebuilt Germany after its near-total devastation. In a surprising twist, this book also provides previously unknown historical details of later NHL president Clarence Campbell at war (Campbell was Russ Colombo’s commanding officer).

1110929600
A Letter from Frank: An Unlikely Second World War Friendship
On the last day of the Second World War, Frank and Russ fought each other. In the days after, they became friends.

This is the remarkable tale of a long-forgotten letter. It was written from Germany in the aftermath of the Second World War to a Canadian in a peaceful Southern Ontario town. Both had been soldiers and had met on a German battlefield. The letter lay unseen for years and was found by the Canadian’s son long after the old soldier’s death. This book tells how that faded letter led to the discovery of the one-time German paratrooper who became his father’s friend in the immediate aftermath of the war.

A Letter from Frank is part war story and part biography, following the lives of Russ Colombo, the Canadian soldier, and Frank Sikora, the German paratrooper. One grew up during the Depression in Ontario, the other was a German in Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia. This non-fiction narrative also chronicles author Stephen J. Colombo’s struggle to come to terms with a father haunted by the war. Their recollections provide insights into the events that shaped the generations that forged a modern Canada and rebuilt Germany after its near-total devastation. In a surprising twist, this book also provides previously unknown historical details of later NHL president Clarence Campbell at war (Campbell was Russ Colombo’s commanding officer).

26.99 In Stock
A Letter from Frank: An Unlikely Second World War Friendship

A Letter from Frank: An Unlikely Second World War Friendship

by Stephen J. Colombo
A Letter from Frank: An Unlikely Second World War Friendship

A Letter from Frank: An Unlikely Second World War Friendship

by Stephen J. Colombo

Paperback

$26.99 
  • SHIP THIS ITEM
    In stock. Ships in 1-2 days.
  • PICK UP IN STORE

    Your local store may have stock of this item.

Related collections and offers


Overview

On the last day of the Second World War, Frank and Russ fought each other. In the days after, they became friends.

This is the remarkable tale of a long-forgotten letter. It was written from Germany in the aftermath of the Second World War to a Canadian in a peaceful Southern Ontario town. Both had been soldiers and had met on a German battlefield. The letter lay unseen for years and was found by the Canadian’s son long after the old soldier’s death. This book tells how that faded letter led to the discovery of the one-time German paratrooper who became his father’s friend in the immediate aftermath of the war.

A Letter from Frank is part war story and part biography, following the lives of Russ Colombo, the Canadian soldier, and Frank Sikora, the German paratrooper. One grew up during the Depression in Ontario, the other was a German in Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia. This non-fiction narrative also chronicles author Stephen J. Colombo’s struggle to come to terms with a father haunted by the war. Their recollections provide insights into the events that shaped the generations that forged a modern Canada and rebuilt Germany after its near-total devastation. In a surprising twist, this book also provides previously unknown historical details of later NHL president Clarence Campbell at war (Campbell was Russ Colombo’s commanding officer).


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781554889686
Publisher: Dundurn Press
Publication date: 11/02/2011
Pages: 264
Product dimensions: 6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Stephen J. Colombo is a research scientist with a Ph.D. from the University of Toronto. He has published more than 100 scientific papers and two books. A Letter from Frank is his first non-technical book. He currently lives in Toronto.

Table of Contents

Introduction 9

1 "Sweet" Ein Kleiner Junge 11

2 Fremd im eigenen Land A Stranger in His Own Land 23

3 eHometown Heroes Helden der eigenen Stadt 33

4 Auf der Suche nach einer Heimat: In Search of a Country 57

5 Trooper Panzergrenadier 69

6 Fallschirmjäger Paratrooper 87

7 Verlorene Unschuld Lost Innocence 96

8 An einem strahlenden Wintertag One Brilliant Winters Day 134

9 Pursuit to the Maas Und weiter an die Maas 138

10 Lost Illusions Verlorene Illusionen 165

11 The Last Battle — Das letzte Gefecht 176

12 Coming HomeWieder daheim 104

13 Kein Zuhause fü einen jungen Soldaten No Home for a Young Soldier 198

14 An Unexpected Life Ein unerwartetes neues Leben 207

15 Als Deutscher unterwegs A German on His Way 219

16 Finding Frank Auf der Suche nach Frank 229

17 Berlin 237

Afterword And Acknowledgements 256

From the B&N Reads Blog

Customer Reviews