I recently finished reading the nonfiction book, Playing with the Enemy, and I absolutely loved it! If you are not a fan of nonfiction, I strongly suggest you read this book. It will change the way you feel about the genre. This book has a little of everything for readers. . . great baseball scenes, World War II facts, strong and inspirational people, conflict, heartbreak, and joy. It is a nonfiction book that reads like fiction!
The book begins with information about the author and his family, especially his father, Gene Moore. Gene was from a small town in Illinois. His family owned and ran a farm, but what Gene really wanted to do was play baseball. He was good at it. In fact, he was GREAT at it. No one in the small town he lived in had ever seen anyone as good. When Gene was only 15 years old, a big league scout came to watch him play in one of the town's baseball games. Needless to say, he was impressed. This scout not only noticed the baseball abilities Gene possessed, but he also saw Gene's incredible leadership qualities and charisma. People seemed to want to follow him.
In spite of the fact that Gene was only fifteen years old, the scout convinced the owners of the Brooklyn Dodgers to sign him. They wanted to have him play in an industrial league until he was old enough to play in the minor leagues and eventually the major league. His talent was too good to wait. Someone else could come along and steal him. So, Gene packed up and headed to St. Louis to play ball! Even though he was much younger than most of the players on the team, Gene soon rose to the top. He was the best catcher anyone had ever seen, and he could hit the ball like no other. He had a promising baseball career ahead of him.
Then, fate intervened. World War II broke out, and American boys were sent off to fight. The Dodgers didn't want to risk the lives of their future players, so they struck a deal with the armed forces. The Dodger recruits would play exhibition baseball to entertain the troops. So, as soon as he was old enough, Gene enlisted in the Navy and was sent to North Africa.
While in North Africa, Gene succeeded once again on the baseball field. He quickly earned the respect of his teammates, coaches, and fellow players. Even though he was not on the battlefield, Gene was often in danger. The fighting came very close to him on multiple occasions. Eventually, Gene found himself and his teammates back in the United States guarding German prisoners of war. It was here that Gene came up with the idea to teach the prisoners how to play American baseball and to play exhibition games for the enjoyment of the community and American soldiers. What resulted was far more than a game. The events that followed would forever change Gene's life . . . as well as the lives of many others.
Read Playing with the Enemy to find out what happens to Gene, his teammates, and his dream. You won't be sorry!
