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1923 A Great Depression Memoir eBook Harry Leslie Smith

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1923 A Great Depression Memoir eBook Harry Leslie Smith

Mr. Smith is a born storyteller. The story of his early life is quite sad, but it is a compelling tale. I salute him for surviving it, and thank him for chronicling it.


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1923 A Great Depression Memoir eBook Harry Leslie Smith Reviews

It is always interesting to see eras, such as World War II, through the eyes of one single individual. This is a well written memoir that follows the author's life through his difficult childhood in the Great Depression, showing how his mother slowly began to give up her ideals to put food on the table for her children, while Harry turned to library books for solace.
The writing is simple and to the point, making the events the most important aspect. Sometimes turning brutally stark, the writing tears away until the truth of those years shines through. There are not many books out there that show the life of a pilot during those years, and I was surprised at how moving many of the sections were. There was no real dull moment in the book's entirety, which is something to compliment the author about.
Writing a memoir is not an easy matter, there is always the danger of maudlin scenes or descriptive minutia that might mean a lot for the author but not for the reader, so this is one of those books that should be read, not only for the incredible life resting in its pages, but for the skill with which it was handled. I can easily recommend it to lovers of memoirs and of history.
In the first volume of Harry Leslie Smith's memoir, we learn a first account about what it was like growing up in Yorkshire, England in the 1920's and 1930's. Born into poverty and the depression after the First World War in 1923, Harry does not get the best start in life. Harry and his father become distant and Harry takes his first job at only eight years old to help support the family. Not only is the family so deep in poverty but Harry is also starved of love and affection from his mother and neglected. Abandoned by his father Harry only companion is his older sister Mary, they dream of escaping their terrible lifestyle and for a better life.

The second part of the memoir Harry tells us about life in the RAF and about World War II Joining the RAF takes Harry away from Yorkshire and he shares his experiences about life at war and his life in the RAF.

From Barnsley, Bradford and Halifax to Hamburg this is a fascinating memoir. It is an honest account of what life was like for Harry. If like me you are interested in social history then this book is an interesting read. The book covers from Harry's birth to him becoming a young man serving with the RAF. The book ends with you wanting to know what happens next and I can't wait to read the next volume to find out what does happen next, and that hopefully things improve from the tragic life Harry has had so far.
Having never read a memoir, I wasn't sure what to expect. But from the moment I got involved with [...] and selected my authors, I knew I would be a fan of the genre - at least this particular author's account of his early years.

Just from the brief blurbs on the [...] author page, there was a parallel resonance between Harry's life and my father's, although comparing the two, my father's life wasn't nearly so tragic and poverty-stricken. In their later years, they both fought in Europe during WWII.

It must have been extremely painful for Harry to be able to put his childhood on paper for all to see yet cathartic at the same time.

It's hard to imagine the type of childhood Harry experienced in 1920s and 1930s England. In that period, people did what that had to in order to survive, including digging through trash and stealing from others to obtain something to eat. His account of his father's years of working in the mines until he could no longer work below ground to being pensioned off and shamed out of the family home because of the actions of his mother, who only did what she had to in order to ensure their survival (such as it was).

Even Harry's mates and later his RAF comrades had no idea what he had been through as a child, ***spoiler here*** although I suspected it would tumble out when he pulled his rifle on a fellow serviceman. ***end spoiler***. Harry had invented a happy reasonaby normal family life for himself.

Harry is quick to credit his older sister, Mary, for his survival. When she finally leaves home, he's devastated. They remain close but it's not the same. When he talks about corresponding with Mary after he's enlisted with the RAF, you can feel the hurt in his words as he knows they've drifted apart.

Harry's keen wit and way with words make for an spell-binding rollercoaster ride of emotions from the lowest of low to the highest of high. He doesn't pull any punches and is brutally honest when reliving his experiences.

There are two more chapters forthcoming in this series. 1947 A Place For The Heart To Kip and the final book, tentatively entitled 1953 Empress of Australia.

After reading his first, I'll definitely be purchasing the next two.
For anyone who enjoys reading about pre-wwII life and the war from the prospective of one who lived through both eras.
Mr. Smith is a born storyteller. The story of his early life is quite sad, but it is a compelling tale. I salute him for surviving it, and thank him for chronicling it.