54 Fairfield Street
Watchung Plaza
Montclair, NJ 07042
973.744.7177
Watchung Plaza
Montclair, NJ 07042
973.744.7177
05/13/2010 7:00 pm
05/13/2010 8:00 pm
When we read about famous historical events, we may wonder about the
firsthand experiences of the people directly involved. What insights
could be gained if we could talk to someone who remembered the Civil
War, or the battle to win the vote for women, or Thomas Edison's
struggles to create the first electric light bulb? Amazingly, many of
these experiences are still preserved in living memory by the final
survivors of important, world-changing events.
In this unique oral
history book, author and historic document specialist Stuart Lutz
records the stories told to him personally by people who witnessed many
of history's most famous events. Among many others, Lutz interviewed:
-the
final three Civil War widows (one Union and two Confederate)
-the
final pitcher to surrender a home run to Babe Ruth
-the last
suffragette
-the last living person to fly with Amelia Earhart
-the
final American World War I soldier
-the last surviving
employees of Thomas Edison, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Harry Houdini.
The
wide-ranging stories involve humor (the 1920 Olympic medalist who stole
the original Olympic flag), tragedy (the last survivor of the 1915 Lusitania
sinking), heroism (the final Medal of Honor recipient for actions on
Pearl Harbor Day), and eyewitnesses to great events (one of the last
scientists at the first nuclear chain reaction, and the final Iwo Jima
flag raiser).
In more than three-dozen chapters, Lutz blends
background information in a lively narrative with the words of the
interviewees, so that readers not familiar with the historical episodes
described can understand what occurred and the long-term significance of
the events. A book that truly makes the past come alive, The Last Leaf will fascinate not only history buffs but anyone who likes a good story.
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