Old Man in a Baseball Cap - by Fred Rochlin (Paperback)

About the Book

Written with self-effacing humor and gritty details, the now-septuagenarian Rochlin recounts the story of an ordinary young man thrust into extraordinary circumstances during World War II. "It's a real-life "Catch-22". -- Michael Korda.

Book Synopsis

Conceived in a storytelling workshop given by Spalding Gray, Old Man In a Baseball Cap is not your typical story of World War II. Rochlin recounts in gritty detail how he--an ordinary young man--was thrust into outrageous circumstances during an extraordinary time. Whether he's bumping up against the army's bigotry because he's Jewish, aiding in the delivery of a baby by cesarean section, being ordered to obliterate a Hungarian village, or parachuting from his plane in the middle of Yugoslavia and then walking 400 kilometers to safety with an amorous guide, Rochlin captures the Intensely powerful experience of a teenager away from home for the first time. Old Man In a Baseball Cap is an astonishingly fresh, candid look at "the last good war." At once naive, candid, and wise, Fred Rochlin's voice is unforgettable.

Review Quotes

"This simple memoir is not your typical story of World War II. Rochlin has written a collection of brief remembrances that he performs on stage as a one-man show, a monologue of life and death as a navagator on a B-24 bomber in Italy from 1943 to 1945...His observations of people and events are keen, ribald, and very funny."-- "Library Journal"A shining example of how the oral tradition can translate into text. A very good read. I'm proud to be part of Fred's literary achievement."-- Spalding Gray "Fred Rochlin's unassumingly tender reminiscences of his days spent dropping bombs in Europe manage to invest the crude mechanics of war with unforgettable images of the unquenchable beauty of humanity. I was enthralled, touched, and very deeply moved." -- Simon Winchester, author of "The Professor and the Madman""A terrific book, full of sex and violence and honor and kindness. Somehow, Rochlin has managed to keep the kid alive inside him, so the story of World War II reads as if it's being told to us--as it happens--by this young navigator right from the nose of a B-24." -- Susan Isaacs, author of "Red, White and Blue"It's a real-life "Catch-22." I couldn't put it down." -- Michael Korda, author of "Another Life""Old Man in a Baseball Cap remains a recollection that is about as honest as can be of a young man and a time - and oh what a time it was - which lives now only in a wavy light in the waters of memory."-- "The Los Angeles Times"In [the book], Rochlin morphs from old man to man-child and back, unseating himself in time - mentally, at least - like "Slaughterhouse Five's Billy Pilgrim, yet dodging the staged lunacy of "Catch-22."-- "Los Angeles Magazine"Using a series of vignettes, it'sa common person's way of relating the cataclysm of the Second World War and how it affected one 19-year-old from Nogales, Ariz., who joined the Army Air Corps, went to Europe and witnessed things no 19-year-old should - and therein lies its power."-- "The Denver Post"His stories of petty officers, unprepared enlisted men, bombing raids gone wrong, and tiny acts of heroism are fascinating...Rochlin's simple prose makes us comfortable, as if we were sitting at a table with an old friend or relative, someone who had lived a remarkable life and now was ready, after a glass of wine or two, to share a bit of it."-- "Booklist"Rochlin survived 50 missions and made it home, but most of his friends did not. His poignant acknowledgement of their sacrifice and his wonder at his own survival provide a stark glimpse into men at war."-- "Cahners Library Journal"This book version of Rochlin's critically acclaimed one-man show of the same name offers a look at WWII that is by turns horrifying, sobering and hilarious."-- "Publishers Weekly"At moments, "Old Man in a Baseball Cap is laugh-out-loud funny...often harrowing and even heartbreaking."--"Los Angeles Times