Jack Toffey's War

John J. Toffey IV graduated from The Ohio State University and Columbia University after serving in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. He taught, coached, and was an administrator in independent schools and colleges until he retired in 1995. The author of A Woman Nobly Planned: Fact and Myth in the Legacy of Flora MacDonald, he lives in Great Barrington, Massachusetts.

"Bravo to John Toffey for telling the dramatic story of his father, a true American hero, with such unforgettable power and heartfelt passion." -- -Andy Carroll editor of War Letters "Jack Toffey's War: A Son's Memoir by John J. Toffey IV articulates a young man's journey to know a father who went to war in 1942 and never came home." -Publishers Weekly "Jack Toffey's War" is a powerful story of a son remembering his dad's distinguished WWII service in North Africa and the Italian theater which ended when he was killed-in-action during the breakout from Anzio. A rare picture of a family on the home front - and a courageous father who died a hero on a distant battlefield." PLEASE RUN BY THEM IF CHANGING -- -General Barry McCaffrey, USA (RET) "A remarkable book, as emotionally searing as it is intellectually illuminating. Few U.S. Army officers saw more action in the vital Mediterranean campaigns of World War II than Lieutenant Colonel Jack Toffey, from the initial invasion of Morocco in November 1942 to the capture of Rome in June 1944. Jack Toffey's War is a double odyssey, of both this extraordinary soldier and of the son he left behind." -- -Rick Atkinson "Great Barrington resident John J. Toffey IV's memoir chronicle the war years of his father, who was a lieutenant colonel in the National Guard when the Second World War broke out." -The Berkshire Eagle "There are very few books that weave together both a soldier's letters home and his son's memoirs to relate a single, remarkable account--in this case, the extraordinary sacrifice made by Jack Toffey in one of World War II's most bitter and contested campaigns. Bravo to John Toffey for telling the dramatic story of his father, a true American hero, with such unforgettable power and heartfelt passion." -- -Andy Carroll editor of the New York Times bestseller, WAR LETTERS "John Toffey has produced a unique, important and honest book. "Jack Toffey's War" is two books in one. In one sense, it is a fascinating chronicle of a son's experiences on the home front in World War II. In another sense, it is a revealing biography of the author's father, Lieutenant Colonel Jack Toffey, one of the U.S. Army's finest field grade officers in the European Theater. "Jack Toffey's War" is a captivating glimpse into the war's profound effect on one American family. It is original, compelling and, in the end, quite moving. I highly recommend it." -- -John C. McManus author of Alamo in the Ardennes: The Untold Story of the American Soldiers who made the Defense of Bastogne Possible and The Americans at Normandy