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John E Nevola

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The Last Jump: A Novel of World War II Kindle Edition

by John E. Nevola (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

4.6 538 ratings

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The Last Jump is a story of discovery as a modern day journalist explores the military experience of his father in World War II. Aware of the existence of a long lost family secret, our protagonist enlists the aid of four aging World War II veterans who knew his father. When he finds out they know about the secret and have sworn an oath never to reveal it, he begins the difficult task of carefully cajoling the information from men he considers to be true heroes. His odyssey takes him back in time to a country vexed with racial and gender issues but united as never before or since.

After the last veteran passes away, his hopes are dashed but one reaches from beyond the grave to identify the only other living person who who knows the secret and he races against death to reach her. A shocking conclusion awaits him, if only he can get there in time!

This book resonates with veterans of all wars and their sons and daughters. Active military and patriotic supporters of our Armed Forces also love this book, especially fans of Band of Brothers and Saving Private Ryan.

A historical fiction book requires significant research to understand the personalities of the famous participants and the location of various units and the timeframe in which the action is taking place. The challenge is to seamlessly place the fictional characters in historically accurate situations and venues to tell the story. As such, it took 4 years to write this book and a year to edit it.

As part of the research, we met and talked to numerous World War II veterans. They are almost universally humble, modest and appreciative of the gratitude so generously expressed by many, in both America and Europe, so late in their lives. So, come and join the adventure as we take a trip through a time in this country when everyone pulled together to achieve the improbable victory against the forces of evil. Learn what it was like to live in and fight for America in the dark days of World War II and enjoy a rousing war story and an elusive mystery. We have much to learn from that generation. The Last Jump teaches us some of it. And keeping their memory alive is something they earned.

Some proceeds from the sales of The Last Jump are donated to assist families of the fallen.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A rigorous...tale about race and honor in World War II. …the story’s denouement is spectacularly creative…” - Kirkus Reviews

"A great story of love, war and sacrifice set in the drama of World War II. A must read for all who revere our warriors and the nation they serve."
-- LtCol Oliver L. North, USMC (Ret.). New York Times best-selling author and TV host of War Stories.

"A great book. It lit a lot of lights for me!"
-- S/Sgt Richard "Red" Falvey, RIP. WWII veteran of Normandy, Holland and the Battle of the Bulge. 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division.

"An amazing job and a tremendous effort by a talented writer."
-- LtCol James "Maggie" Megellas, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment. Most decorated officer of the 82nd Airborne Division, Author of All The Way To Berlin.

"This is a really, really good book...it reminded me of Herman Wouk's War and Remembrance."
-- John Austin, host of The Book Club - WTAN 1340 radio, Tampa, Florida.

"Another good movie candidate."
-- Rob Flournoy, Book Reviewer, The Military Writers Society of America

From the Author

A historical fiction book requires significant research to understand the personalities of the famous participants and the location of various units and the timeframe in which the action is taking place. The challenge is to seamlessly place the fictional characters in historically accurate situations and venues to tell the story. As such, it took 4 years to write this book and a year to edit it.

As part of the research, I've met and talked to numerous World War II veterans. They are almost universally humble, modest and appreciative of the gratitude so generously expressed by many, in both America and Europe, so late in their lives. My own life has been enriched and blessed by meeting these men and women. They touched me in so many ways and I was proud and honored to capture and include some of their recollections and memories into the fabric and backdrop of The Last Jump.

This book resonates with veterans of all wars and their sons and daughters. Active military and patriotic supporters of our Armed Forces also love this book, especially fans of Band of Brothers and Saving Private Ryan.

So, come and join the adventure as we take a trip through a time in this country when everyone pulled together to achieve the improbable victory against the forces of evil. Learn what it was like to live in and fight for America in the dark days of World War II and enjoy a rousing war story and an elusive mystery. We have much to learn from that generation. The Last Jump teaches us some of it. And keeping their memory alive is something they earned.
Proceeds from the sales of The Last Jump are donated to assist children of the fallen through the Freedom Alliance Scholarship Fund.

From the Inside Flap

J.P. Kilroy, a middle-aged divorced journalist, regrets ignoring his mother's only deathbed request. Even her last letter, which exposed the existence of a dark family secret, could not motivate him to reconcile with the father who abandoned them many years before. When he receives an invitation from the White House to attend a long overdue Medal of Honor awards ceremony, he also discovers his estranged father, an honoree, had recently passed away.

Was the secret now lost forever? The only fragile links remaining to the past are four aging veterans who served with his father. His only hope of unraveling the mystery rests with the free-spirited Sky Johnson, a rough and tumble paratrooper, Frank West, the studious company commander, Harley Tidrick, Omaha Beach veteran and cousin of his father's best wartime buddy and Lincoln Abraham, the only living black honoree at the Medal of Honor ceremony.

Kilroy reaches out to them in an effort to uncover the truth but soon discovers the four men not only know the secret, they all took a solemn oath never to reveal it. Undaunted and with the aid of Cynthia Powers, an alluring Army press liaison, he accepts the challenge to engage the veterans into revealing the truth by any means necessary. Their conversations become a verbal odyssey and flashback to the racially charged attitudes in America during the War. Kilroy learns about the altruism and contributions of Americans on the Homefront, the plight of women volunteer ferry pilots and factory workers and the extraordinary dedication and self-sacrifice of the average citizen. He is taken back in time to a country in grave danger but a country as united as never before or since. But the old warriors stubbornly resist.

Over time the aging men begin to pass on. As the last one dies, Kilroy's hopes are dashed. But one reaches from beyond the grave to identify the only other living person who has the answer and Kilroy races death to reach her. His desperate desire is that the revelation will finally relieve his guilt and bring peace to the soul of his beloved mother.

Redemption is possible...if only he can get there in time!

From the Back Cover

A mother's last dying wish...

propels her only son headlong into an unexpected adventure as revealed in The Last Jump. Fact and fiction intermix seamlessly as he endeavors to unravel a secret passionately guarded by four old soldiers who swore an oath never to reveal it. The Last Jump is a war story, a mystery, a love tale and a narrative of valor and honor about the gritty men and women who won World War II. The reader is transported back to a time when Americans stood shoulder to shoulder in defense of their nation. It was an imperfect America, with all its incredible virtues and vexing shortcomings, that struggled with racial and gender issues while fighting for its very survival. As our protagonist reaches out to these aging veterans to solve the puzzle, he uncovers truths he could never have imagined including the shocking conclusion.

John E. Nevola makes his literary debut with The Last Jump, a historical novel based on United States airborne operations in Europe during World War II. The study of this conflict has been the author's lifelong passion and he weaves a compelling tale of courage and sacrifice set in a historically accurate backdrop in an extraordinary time in American history.

A retired Information Technology executive, Nevola has been widely published in business magazines with numerous articles on disaster recovery and terrorism. He authored a column for a military newspaper while serving in the United States Army and is a member of the Military Writer's Society of America.

Nevola was born in New York City and is a graduate of Cardinal Hayes High School and the College of Aeronautics. He resides in Mount Olive, New Jersey with his wife of 45 years. They have four children and six grandchildren. A portion of the proceeds from The Last Jump will be donated to charity to assist injured veterans and the families of the fallen.

About the Author

John E. Nevola makes his literary debut with The Last Jump, a historical novel based on United States Army airborne operations in Europe during World War II. The study of this conflict has been the author's lifelong passion and he weaves a compelling tale of courage and sacrifice set in a historically accurate backdrop in an extraordinary time in American history.

A retired Information Technology executive, Nevola has been widely published in business magazines with numerous articles and white papers on contingency planning, disaster recovery and terrorism. His articles have appeared in The Disaster Recovery Journal, Crisis Magazine, National Underwriter and The International Journal of Network Management. He also contributed a chapter to the book, Disaster Recovery Testing - Exercising Your Contingency Plan.

As a frequent speaker at various industry conferences, he shared his expertise with numerous interviews and was widely quoted in such publications as The Wall Street Journal, Computerworld, Information Week, The New York Times, Networking Magazine and with appearances on JATV, the BBC and The Wall Street Journal Report on CBS. He served for four years on the Editorial Advisory Board of the Disaster Recovery Journal and was elected to the Contingency Planning and Management Hall of Fame in 2000.

While serving in the military, he authored a column for the Yuma Proving Ground post newspaper and is currently a member of the Military Writer's Society of America.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B003XNTARK
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Outskirts Press, Inc.; 3rd edition (July 29, 2010)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ July 29, 2010
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 1579 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 531 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #1,699,386 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #7,327 in World War II History (Kindle Store)
- #16,825 in History (Kindle Store)
- #48,978 in Historical Fiction (Kindle Store)

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4.6 538 ratings

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John E Nevola

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John E. Nevola makes his literary debut with The Last Jump, a historical novel based on United States Army airborne operations in Europe during World War II. The study of this conflict has been the author's lifelong passion and he weaves a compelling tale of courage and sacrifice set in a historically accurate backdrop in an extraordinary time in American history. The sequel, The Final Flag, was recently published in digital, audio, soft and hard cover versions.

He is a United States Army veteran and a member of the Military Writers Society of America. Born in New York City, he is a graduate of Cardinal Hayes High School and the College of Aeronautics. Nevola resides in Mount Arlington, New Jersey with his wife Josephine. They have four children and seven grandchildren.

Profits from both historical novels are donated to assist families of the fallen with college tuition..

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4.6 out of 5

538 global ratings

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Love2Drum

Read it twice! Loved it.

Reviewed in the United States on July 29, 2012

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I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book...so much so, I did it twice. Both times, the book kept my attention from start to finish. This book had me visualizing the characters and the scenarios, which I believe demonstrates how well the book was structured and written. The problem I had reading the book (I didn't want to put it down) was just before going to bed ... I would try to go to sleep, but I couldn't because I was recreating the scenes in my head over and over.

Reading this book brought me back to my childhood (60's), when I was at the American Legion nearly everyday with my Dad. The veterans didn't talk much about what they saw or experienced during the wars (WWI, WWII and Korea), but they would point out the contributions of others, never talking about themselves. I remember my Dad, who was a WWII veteran and fought at the Battle of the Bulge, talking about other guys...what they did and experienced. The one guy that stood out to me was Mr. Hamner, who was a paratrooper ... who my Dad said was a real hero, jumping out of planes behind enemy lines, etc. At the time, I was too young to understand, but reading The Last Jump, I now understand why my Dad always looked up to Mr. Hamner and the paratroopers. I like the way the book takes you back and forth between two generations, linking them together, making you understand what happened and why, and the risk of forgetting the sacrifices that made this country so great and respected.

I read some of the poor reviews and personally, they're full of crap (but they have the freedom to express their views, as I do)! Yes, the language could have been more explicit, but it didn't need to be to get the story out. As I said, I basically grew up at the American Legion post with my Dad, and in all of those years going there, I seldom heard any of those great men swear (unlike today's generation)! I'm sure they did, but they were respectful to those around them and they knew they didn't have to swear to get their point across or to prove a point.

The men and women of the the WWII generation are truly the "greatest generation" and I believe we Americans need to act more like them and keep their memories alive. John, thanks for writing a great book and sharing a great story. I'm sure most WWII veteran's who have read your book, appreciate the way you told it. Yes, you highlighted the paratroopers, but more important, you highlighted the sacrifices and the tremendous thanks we owe this generation. Unfortunately this generation is leaving us at a rapid pace, too rapid...so every one of us, we need to seek them out and "thank them" for giving us the freedom and the opportunity to excel and make this country even greater! John did that with this book, and knowing him as I do for many years...he practices what he preaches and writes! This book is a great tribute to a great generation! Thank you John!!!

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Timothy E. Wood

A Book Review of The Last Jump

Reviewed in the United States on October 22, 2012

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The book "The Last Jump" is a well researched, well written and even poignant first book by Mr. John E. Nevola that rivals such great WWII stories (in my humble opinion) as "Winds of War" and "War and Remberance." It tells the story and mysterious legacy of two young men who enlisted in the Paratroopers during WWII and how their initial anger toward one-another developed into a close friendship and evolved over the course of the conflict to the point they felt as close, or closer, than brothers.

There are sub-stories of the women they left behind, the work they did to support the war effort, the racism encountered (but not too deeply) by black soldiers and the heroism two black men participated in with the two boys (the two J. Kilroys - but not as in "Kilroy was here" fame) who are the protagonists along with one of their sons who was conceived during a leave home and other supporting "vets" that includes one of the black men with whom they shared adventure and friendship.

There is a family mystery that ensues involving the two Kilroys and the other "vets" who fought with them, that I won't ruin by revealing it here. The mystery is the real core of the book but it is masterfully interweaved into the the heroic events of WWII France and the American paratroopers of the 506th.

I loved the historical fiction developed by Mr. Nevola about the young women "left behind" to worry about their men-of-war. Not just the "Rosie the Riviters", but many other women who ably took the jobs - and accepted the dangers - of the warriors who had to fight the war were really forgotten heroines during and, for many years, after WWII.

I have to admit that almost cried (my wife was present so I couldn't) at many cruxes of this historically accurate story because they so closely resembled the stories my dad (who was also a paratrooper) used to share around the kitchen table with his brother (who was also in WWII) when I was a four-year-old. The memories, and they are numerous, that "The Last Jump" pulled from the depths of my mind were definitely in need of being resurected. My dad was a hero to whose war stories I dwelt on in my childhood and long afterward. This book vividly reminded me of many of those stories. Thank you, Mr. Nevola, for that, and thank you for this adventure.

I heartily recommend this book for anyone who appreciates mystery, drama, heroics, poignantcy, suspense and WWII insights. The book "The Last Jump" is a great book, in my opinion, and well worth the read and the price in hardback.

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retiredandlovinit

Compelling WWII novel (just overlook a few holes in the plot!)

Reviewed in the United States on November 25, 2013

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This is a compelling novel of WWII with many well-written battles sections that reflect what must have been scrupulous research by the author, based on real-life remembrances of the paratroopers who fought them. This is a good companion piece to the Band of Brothers saga as portrayed on TV. In addition to the battle descriptions, I enjoyed what seemed to be realistic portrayals of the women at home working dangerous but crucial jobs behind the scenes, some building the ships for the Navy and others flying planes across the country in order to ferry them into position for the war. I also thought the African American character of Lincoln Abraham, whose journey to the Medal of Honor sort of set up the whole rest of the novel, was an intriguing person and his story might make another good novel on its own merits. My reason for rating this 4stars instead of 5 is that I never quite bought into the whole [spoiler alert!] Johnny/Jake/dad scenario. I had it figured out from the get-go, and thought this was perhaps the weakest part of the story. And the 9/11 reference towards the end was unnecessary and seemed incongruous. I do believe that the love and respect the author feels shines clearly for those brave men and women who made such sacrifices for their country. That heart-felt respect and honor is what makes me want to recommend this book to others.

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Mike O'D

A word (or two) too far.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 3, 2013

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This is a tale of duty and an appreciation of the dedication, sacrifice and service of the front line wartime soldier. (From a very American point of view).
It has flaws. In some places far too many details are presented which causes an annoying unevenness. For example; In Chap 37 JP takes Frank to lunch and we get reams of pace-slowing comment: what they each decide to eat; the wine decision and selection; how Frank folds and places his wind-breaker and cap; the long-winded comparison of the Vietnam conflict, Japanese vs German approach, and the nature of total war (this actually comes in two long rambling sections that could easily be condensed to one telling paragraph); the buttering of fresh bread, cutting and chewing of lobster etc. etc. This is a hard chapter to get through and is not the only example of failing to let the reader's imagination provide the detail.
In some places background military research material is added when it ought not to be. The different story lines are not well-handled and make for a choppy passage instead of smooth transitions and the whole would benefit from a restructure.
Despite the occasional turgid flow, the atmosphere is well-caught, very reminiscent in many scenes of 'Band of Brothers', both in comment and dialogue, and is worth the effort.

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