Reviews


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Can't Put it Down

Peter Lert (Aug-18-2021)

A very well-written and engaging story, both of a young man's coming of age, and of his search to find out the secret history of his father--to the author, a sometimes difficult father and Baptist pastor; to the public, a sterling figure of virtue; but in the sealed records of WW2, a 17-year old spy in the innermost secret levels of the Nazi war machine.

I found "The Doughnut Boy" a real can't-put-it-down all night page-turner. It really shows that behind what we see of almost everyone we might know, there are multitudes, each with their own fascinating story. Very much worth reading!

Natural Curiosity

Dwight Jarboe (Aug-12-2019)

This is a fascinating account of people and events that influenced the author's life. Woven throughout the stories is a son's natural curiosity about "What did you do in the war, Dad?" and his search for solid answers. (Many of us who asked that question received answers that satisfied us even though we knew we were probably getting a sanitized version.) The book is an enjoyable read filled with vivid word pictures and well turned phrases. I will recommend it to my reading friends.

Yesterday I picked up your most interesting story....

Peter (Feb-13-2019)

Yesterday I picked up your most interesting story.... finished it in a day, it was captivating. A bunch of your childhood experiences are very familiar to me! You are 5 years older than me, so I lucked out and missed the Vietnam draft, they quit that the year before my age group. I enjoyed reading it, the way you laid out the book was very unusual, but it was very readable and of course the story is interesting, too. I suppose now it is unlikely that the complete story of your father will ever come out. Too bad.

Enjoyed the personal nature of the author's accounts of his own life....

Mike T. (Nov-04-2018)

Enjoyed the personal nature of the author's accounts of his own life and how events occurred that help explain Mike's desire to find out more about his dad. This perspective lends an explanation of his interactions with his dad. The Doughnut Boy is a unique chronology of the author's dad and family. Mike's dad had a special role in the war effort in WWII. I loan out the book and tell people where they can order. Thanks Mike!

I enjoyed reading about a part of history...

(Aug-27-2018)

Excellent book. Well written and I enjoyed reading about a part of history I had never heard about before. Your story growing up and making it was very inspiring. Be afraid of Americans. A lot of what goes on in the world we have no knowledge on. Kept in the dark in the name of National security. Help your country out and in return they will try to kill you to keep you quiet. Who knew so many former SS soldiers were given a get out of jail card free. A travesty that is. What did the doughnutboy actually get up to to have his file sealed until 2045?? Eye opening read. Thank you for sharing what you knew about your fathers life. He lived an interesting life for sure. Too bad he could not have filled you in on the blanks. I believe in time if he had been granted it he would have shared his full story with you. Thanks for what you passed on and hopefully more answers will come your way one day.

Great story and wonderful insight

(Aug-03-2018)

Great story and wonderful insight into the relationships between fathers, especially our WWII veterans, and their children. The impact of their service was never fully shared with their families - for those of us who grew up with fathers who served in WWII, their lives remained a mystery. Most of us never took the time to research the stories of our fathers, but had we done so, our lives would have been so different. For Mike, the cloud surrounding his father's service never did fully lift, but at least he found some closure and learned some details that helped him better understand his father's behaviors. For me, my father passed before I had an understanding of how his involvement in the Battles of Guadalcanal and Midway must have impacted him. If only I knew! Bravo Mike for taking this journey.

Captivated from the very beginning

Joseph Hodge (Jul-03-2018)

Captivated from the very beginning, I completely enjoyed the stories and the author's lifelong quest for answers to the missing links in his father's life. At times I was dumbfounded, at times laughing, at times amazed. Many answers were found and connected like the pieces of a puzzle, and those left unanswered leave me wanting more from Mike Dennis. I loved it.

A compelling real-life mystery, memoir and American military history

Marjorie Kramer (Jun-29-2018)

This book is a mystery, a memoir, and military and American history, all in one. It is the compelling story of a relationship between father and son and of growing up after World War II and into the 1960's, with intertwining layers of the War; the Pacific Northwest; and an intriguing, multi-generational family. The author's relentless attempts to unravel the truth of his father's military service kept me completely engaged and wanting to learn more about his father's individual story and about post-War America's secret grappling with Communism, not to mention wartime's clandestine operations. I hope Michael Dennis keeps writing and keeps telling his story and the story of his family. He provides thoughtful, thought-provoking insights into his worlds of aviation, inventing, and looking at the world through eyes that are unceasingly curious, intelligent and original, and we deserve to hear more from him.

Good luck putting it down.

Ryan Haines (Jun-23-2018)

An incredible book. Laughing out loud and enjoying the details. Well done..

Amazing story! So engaging I couldn't put it down

Karen (Jun-21-2018)

Amazing story! So engaging I couldn't put it down.