REVIEWS

"Tim Bazzett's latest offering, Love, War & Polio, celebrates the life of Reed City banker, Bill Porteous, providing an in-depth look at his pre-banking days ... The story follows Porteous through his childhood during the Great Depression, his military service, his relationship with his wife, Mable, and his bout with polio ... The book also provides a wealth of information in its nearly 500 pages about World War II, the depression years, and the little known Polio Veterans Association"

Martin Slagter,
Pioneer News Network

"I enjoyed Love, War & Polio very much ... An intriguing aspect of World War II than has not been [previously] explored ... A master of insightful detail, [Bazzett] writes not only with talent, but with heart ... Fascinating!"

Jack Suberman, Ph.D.,
Retired Dean and Professor of English, College of Humanties, Florida Atlantic University; and Professor of English, North Carolina State University, 1952-1967

"Recently there has been much public interest in stories about World War II veterans, who are fast disappearing. One such interesting story is Tim Bazzett's Love, War & Polio: The Life and Times of Young Bill Porteous. Now a retired banker, Bill Porteous' early life and his army years during WWII were especially touching, given that he contracted polio and spent nearly two years in three military hospitals ... The book also features a unique organization never before examined - the Polio Veterans Association (PVA), formed at Army & Navy General Hospital in Hot Springs, Arkansas, in 1946."

@MSU Newsletter (for alumni & friends of Michigan State University)

"For a fine dose of northern history, especially of the Reed City area, and the moving story of a true northern man, you can't do better than a recent biography, Love, War & Polio: The Life and Times of Young Bill Porteous, by Timothy Bazzett, author of Reed City Boy ... The story of Bill Porteous' fight with polio is also the story of many who raged to return to normal after contracting the disease. Bill's way was to keep going, to set his eyes on a future and go after it ... With a great deal of research and mitigating humor, Bazzett tells the story of a disease that once swept the nation, [and in telling] the story of one banker's ordinary life, shows how every person's life is truly extraordinary ... A story made exemplary by virtues learned in a small Michigan town."

Traverse City Record-Eagle

"Love, War & Polio is vintage Bazzett, who has his own voice, and it works well and consistently ... The transition from autobiography to biography was made very smoothly -- mainly because [Bazzett] keeps his own place in the story ... An open, folksy narrative style ... likeable and interesting, and true-to-life sounding ... It's good to know that the true voice of Reed City continues loud and clear."

Samuel Hynes
Professor Emeritus of Literature at Princeton University, and author of the classic memoir,
Flights of Passage: Recollections of a World War II Aviator.

"Bazzett's fourth book, Love, War & Polio, focuses on hometown hero Bill Porteous's youth, his time as a soldier during World War II, his relationship with his wife, Mable, and ensuing bout with polio ... History buffs will find interesting information about the local areas of Chippewa Lake, LeRoy and Reed City during the war and immediately after. Women will enjoy the love story."

Reed City Area Chamber of Commerce Newsletter, December 2007

"This life story of a remarkable man who lives with honor, courage, and love is also a slice of history, filled with authentic details ... Love, War & Polio transported me to the 1940s and introduced me to a host of people I'd like to have as neighbors. A remarkable re-creation not only of one man's life, but of a simpler time, with its references to ten cent milk shakes and listening to the Hit Parade ... Bill Porteous's letters to Mable shine with youthful optimism and, most of all, love. It was a pleasure to read them. Tim Bazzett captures perfectly the ideals of the 1940s and shows us love in action."

Peg Kehret
author of the award-winning memoir, Small Steps: The Year I Got Polio

"A unique account of a soldier's battle with an unexpected enemy -- polio. Told largely through original letters, this account reveals just how challenging recovery from polio could be."

Daniel J. Wilson, Ph.D.
Professor of History at Muhlenberg College and author of
Living with Polio: The Epidemic and Its Survivors

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