WW II History and Fiction

At the Rocky Mount Library’s “Mountain Spirits Series” on Oct. 4 from 8:30 AM until noon, Jim Morrison will have two books about World War II, one fiction and one non-fiction. Both are based on Bedford County history.

Morrison’s popular Bedford Goes to War is now in its third edition. To write Bedford Goes to War, Morrison did extensive research in Bedford County's library, museum, and courthouse; and and he interviewed over 30 veterans or their families. The book tells what happened during WWII to residents of Bedford County, both those who served in the military and those who remained on the home front. Originally published in hardback by Warwick House, the third edition is a paperback that Morrison self-published via Createspace in 2013.

Morrison’s historical novel, Class of 1940: Coming of Age in World War II (Createspace, March 2014), is set in the fictional Halesford, which closely resemble Bedford County. When WWII veteran Jeb Fletcher’s grandson and great-grandson pay him a visit, the three go to the National D-Day Memorial. When his visitors ask him about his own war experiences, Jeb tells them in a series of flashbacks that chronicle his teenage years in Virginia and his WWII service in Britain and France. His wife Ginny was an army nurse; her story, which parallels Jeb’s, is also told. “It is a story of adventure, service, heroism, sacrifice, and love.”

A Roanoke Times article about the book is here. 

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