JJ Johnson was born prematurely to a poor family of sharecroppers in northeast Mississippi. He was accepted to Vanderbilt University at the age of 13 years and graduated at the age of 15. He then entered Princeton University on a full scholarship with room and board to study under Dr. Albert Einstein and graduated in 1941 with a PhD in Nuclear Physics at age 17 years. While at Princeton, JJ met and fell in love with Autumn Gamble from the consumer goods corporation, Proctor and Gamble. When World War II broke out, JJ volunteered for the U.S Navy and became a fighter pilot. After participation in four major battles on board the aircraft carriers Saratoga, Lexington, Yorktown and Enterprise, he was transferred to Los Alamos to work on the atomic bomb. In the summer of 1944, JJ returned to action aboard the Enterprise and then the new Lexington. In early 1945, he crashed at sea and after 20 days adrift, he was captured by the Japanese. After a short stint on Chichi Jima, JJ escaped, but was recaptured and transported to Ofuna a prison near Yokosuka on mainland Japan. After supplying fake information to the prison commander about the atomic bomb, JJ was rewarded with visits and services of a beautiful Japanese girl named Asami. As the war continued, JJ and Asami fell in love. After the US dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Japanese surrendered and JJ was forced to leave Asami and return to America and reunite with Autumn.

Twenty-five years after her passing, Audrey Hepburn remains the most beloved of all Hollywood stars, known as much for her role as UNICEF ambassador as for films like Roman Holiday and Breakfast at Tiffany's. Several biographies have chronicled her stardom, but none has covered her intense experiences through five years of Nazi occupation in the Netherlands. According to her son, Luca Dotti, "The war made my mother who she was." Audrey Hepburn's war included participation in the Dutch Resistance, working as a doctor's assistant during the "Bridge Too Far" battle of Arnhem, the brutal execution of her uncle, and the ordeal of the Hunger Winter of 1944. She also had to contend with the fact that her father was a Nazi agent and her mother was pro-Nazi for the first two years of the occupation. But the war years also brought triumphs as Audrey became Arnhem's most famous young ballerina. Audrey's own reminiscences, new interviews with people who knew her in the war, wartime diaries, and research in classified Dutch archives shed light on the riveting, untold story of Audrey Hepburn under fire in World War II. Also included is a section of color and black-and-white photos. Many of these images are from Audrey's personal collection and are published here for the first time.

This book is a tribute to two precious people I called Mom and Dad by conveying their life story. The book takes excerpt from Mother and Dad’s diaries so they are obliquely able to convey their story. Part of what of the story concerns Mother’s self-portrayal detailing experiences from birth until her young husband was leaving to fight in World War II. It depicts Mom’s tender, loving attributes, which those that knew her had the privilege of experiencing. I honestly do not think she realized possessing such wonderful attributes, which made them all the more enjoyable for those of us who crossed her path on the road of life. Another portion is by Dad depicting his World War II story. Then I fill in by describing what occurred as seen through my eyes, which emerged from a lifetime of inspiration they produced by existing together authentically.

World War II changed the face of the United States, catapulting the country out of economic depression, political isolation, and social conservatism. Ultimately, the war was a major formative factor in the creation of modern America. This unique, twelve-volume set provides comprehensive coverage of this transformation in its domestic policies, diplomatic relations, and military strategies, as well as the changing cultural and social arenas. The collection presents the history of the creation of a super power prior to, during, and after the war, analyzing all major phases of the U.S. involvement, making it a one-stop resource that will be essential for all libraries supporting a history curriculum. This volume is available on its own or as part of the twelve-volume set, The American Experience in World War II . For a complete list of the volume titles in this set, see the listing for The American Experience in World War II [ISBN: 0-415-94028-1].