Dear Donald, Dear Bennett: The Wartime Correspondence of Bennett Cerf and Donald Klopfer
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Book Overview
Donald Klopfer and Bennett Cerf had been partners in Random House for seventeen years, but Donald decided that he had to become a part of an even greater endeavor--the defeat of Nazi Germany. Not long after Pearl Harbor, Donald, who was then forty years old, took a leave from Random House and joined the United States Army Air Forces. He served for two and a half years, finally becoming an intelligence major in a B-24 group in England. Donald and Bennett wrote to each other regularly all during that period. Bennett sent Donald long newsy letters about the book business--authors, sales, publishing gossip--as well as about what was happening in New York. Donald reacted in his wise, serene way to Bennett's letters, and conveyed news of what was going on in the war, though sometimes censorship took its toll. This is nostalgia with substance, and because these letters were never intended to be read by anyone else, they reveal, in a convincing and wonderful way, just how special these two men were and how that specialness was reflected in the company they founded.
Format:Hardcover
Language:English
ISBN:037550768X
ISBN13:9780375507687
Release Date:March 2002
Publisher:Random House
Length:224 Pages
Weight:0.45 lbs.
Dimensions:0.9" x 5.8" x 8.6"
Customer Reviews
1 rating
For hardcore Cerf fans.
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 22 years ago
I waited for a few months for this book to come out, and was truly not disappointed. Of course, I believe that you must be a hardcore Bennett Cerf fan to enjoy it. If you are not a Cerf fan, the book is still an interesting capsule of the World War II era. My obsession with Mr. Cerf began with "What's My Line", I have since obtained most of his books. I recommend reading "At Random", Bennett's recollections of working at Random House Publishing. When you know the story behind these two gentleman, you will appreciate this book more. Mr. Cerf ran in several circles, and it shows in the book. It would be an interesting contrast to have this go against a modern day publishing house letter exchange. Reading this gives the feel of the day. It seemed that the business world, even though still busy, was much more laid back. The letters these two friends mailed back and forth really show the value of personal written communication, a waning part of relationships.
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