Defending Baltimore Against Enemy Attack: A Boyhood Year During World War II

Most people alive today were not in 1942. But most of them in the United States know the wit, wisdom and humorous verses of Charles Osgood from radio and television. Mr. Osgood turned nine in that fateful year for the United States, and with the aid of recollections shared by his sister, Mary Ann, he takes us back to those more innocent and imaginative times. For those who were not alive then, it will be an unforgettable journey. For those who remember those same days, it will be to see them afresh . . . as a young person again. Both experiences will be well worth the trip. At one level, the book reads like Tom Sawyer in 1942 as Mr. Osgood describes running away from home, cultivating the family's victory garden, watching out for enemy planes overhead, his attempts to "woo" the two girls who attracted his fancy, and his battles with music lessons. For those who appreciate such stories, this will be a five star book.At another level, Mr. Osgood is attempting to share something more profound, something we have lost since 1942 -- a child's ability to develop her or his own imagination in a largely unfettered way. For Mr. Osgood, radio dramas provided this spark. He could fill in the details behind the story line with his imagination and enjoy something much richer than what we would see in a comic book, a cartoon or even a full-length movie. I had an epiphany as I read those observations. I realized that the reason I prefer to read rather than watch movies or television or listen to radio talk shows is because I can populate my mind with more intriguing stories and ideas than I can find prepackaged in those outlets. In today's tightly scheduled, television-dominated world, I wonder if we have robbed our children and grandchildren of their greatest potential heritage from us from failing to help them develop the skill to do the same. I hope not.A bit part of the charm of this tale is that Mr. Osgood is equally good at lampooning today's society as well as pointing out the unbelievable naïveté of 1942. In the process, I was reminded of how difficult communications are . . . as he recounts so many occasions when the "plain words" provided a confusing meaning to him and other children. Because I know and love his voice so much, I found myself "listening" to him as I read the words. Naturally, he shares examples of his typical poetry . . . so the book has an "Osgood File" feel to it. And that's a very fine feel to have.

Charles Osgood goes back a few years before me, but I can still relate to his experiences of growing up in the 1940's. Although he did live through World War II, the problems that children confronted in his childhood were of a more innocent nature than what children must deal with today. Osgood enjoyed subjects like literature, poetry, and geography in school, and enjoyed playing games with friends involving initials of movie stars or geographical locations. Following the then minor Baltimore Orioles was another passion of his youth as was listening to programs on the radio where the size of the picture was limited only by your imagination. Sadly, geography, a favorite subject of Osgood's elementary school career is in sad decline in today's school systems. If you are of this era you will love this 139 page effort. If not, let Osgood take you back to decades past to a simpler time in America and the innocence of childhood. Let him take you back to a time when children had time to be a child.

A perfect companion for a lazy weekend afternoon. Readers of Charles Osgood's generation, I suspect, will find themselves instantly transported back to the world of 1942, and those of more recent vintage will come away with a sense of the rhythms and textures of daily life more than six decades ago. In these pages, you'll draw close to the radio with Charles and his sister Mary Ann as they enjoy their favorite radio serials; come along as they decide to run away from home together (a trip that lasted about as long as most youthful journeys of that type); join Charles and his father at the ballpark as they root, root, root for the home team (the Baltimore Orioles, then a minor league club mired in mediocrity); kneel down with young Charles as he plants his Victory Garden; and sit in the audience as the young piano student takes part in his first recital. Certainly, Charles' boyhood was shaped by his time and place; but he also captures the beguiling innocence and vast dreams that are a timeless part of childhood. Charles Osgood's gentleness, warmth and good humor shine in the pages of this delightful book.--William C. Hall

No doubt owing to Charles Osgood's extraordinary facility with language, he has presented the simplicity as well as the complexity of a boyhood life from the perspective of his reflections back in 1942 when all boys had parents, and some had sisters. His use of detail permits the reader to sit by his side in that reflection using the time well spent to impress upon the reader the importance of childhood observations and lessons learned, the roots of appreciation for the small details through which intellectual self discipline is acquired, and how to respect the humanity as well as the humility of man. His poems are a delicious inclusion characteristic of his unique and adept methods of drawing the reader into his world to see what he sees, to contemplate what he finds important. Highly recommended for a glimpse of wartime life when luxury was not a possibility and life continued to be bearable in spite of that as children as well as parents found that making do offered unanticipated rewards, the gift of time to extrapolate the importance of families, of parents, and even of sisters. His accounts of anxious and nervous anticipation in his approach to childhood loves is charming and reminds us of just how dangerous the thought of rejection can be in the mind of a child, despite the fact that for him, it was highly unlikely, given the fact that he crafted his life so carefully to include the prescription for good physical and mental health, as well as an intellectual curiosity that most females find fascinating. A personal account of a childhood well lived pertinent to every parent to appreciate the nuances of boys.

Charles Osgood proves to be as good with words in print as he is on the air. This is a great memoir of his childhood in Baltimore during WWII. I love how he and his sister Mary Kate love the radio and movies and how these two factors influence his life. Imagining the two kids quoting movies and radio lines to one another is my favorite part of the book.Osgood also talks about how the good old days compares to today's modern child, and makes it very humorous. I laughed out loud several times while reading this book. It's a quick read and would be a great gift for Father's Day. Especially if they like baseball.