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Book Review
by REGINA ANGELI, Books Writer
Thursday, December 21, ^th, 2006

Playing With The Enemy by Gary W. Moore (Savas Beatie Publishing) is the heart-wrenching biography of the author's father, Gene Moore, a once-promising baseball catcher whose big league career is derailed by his service in World War II.

This theme of the broken dreams of athletic servicemen is reminiscent of a previously reviewed book, "Lost In The Sun," which chronicled the life of Vietnam veteran Roy Gleason. Moore's book, set in the World War II era, describes a much more simple and rural America.

The twist of fate which cost his father's career occurred during a "Friendship Game" between German U-Boat sailors and their American guards. That their American captors cared enough about their prisoners to teach them baseball in hopes of improving their morale reveals a much more innocent and compassionate America.

Years later, one of these U-Boat men, Heinrich Mueller, is instrumental in saving a broken-hearten Gene Moore from his despondency in reminding him that:

"After all that happens on this earth, our lives are only about who we love, and who loves us and what we build together."

How can anyone (especially this reviewer) improve on writing like that? This is a beautifully written book and I consider myself fortunate to have read Mr. Moore's work.

Southwest Airlines is the Proud Sponsor of the Playing with the Enemy Hardcover Book Tour!