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GO TO THE WIDOW MAKER--AMERICAN DIVING NOVEL

Fri Oct 05, 2007 10:56 am

GO TO THE WIDOW-MAKER
James Jones, 1967, No ISBN number, 640 pages.

Since the ill fated attempt to some how get out of LAX and attend the legends at Portage Quarry, Mrs. Miller and I have been doing renovations to our home and have been in the clean, organize or toss mode. As might be expected my den/office was hardest hit.

That is why so many of you have not heard from me regarding hoses, mouth pieces etc. And Yes Luis, I did uncover the Spanish version of "Diving with the Aqua Lung" and will be sending & posting soon.

I did unearth many forgotten books...one was:

"Go to the Window Maker" (GTWM) is a big book; is it a detailed book; and it is a romance novel. It is from the pen of James Jones who gave the world such monumental classic as:

"From here to eternity" published as a book in 1950 which was made in to a movie with Burt Lancaster, Deborah Kerr and Frank Sinatra. The movie received 8 Oscars including Best Picture and best actor for Sinatra.

The 1979 version was not as well received or so honored


"Some came running" published in 1957, which was also made in to a movie, starring Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Shirley Maclain. Dean Martin came in to his own in the movie as "Bama" who never took off his hat--Sorta like me and my white Canadian Tilley hat.

"The Thin Red Line" which was also based on WW11 was also made into two movies of the same name. Kier Dullea & Jack Warden stared in the 1964 release of Thin Red Line. In 1998 block buster remake was also released as The Thin Red Line starring Sean Penn, John Travolta, Nick Nolte,Woody Harrelson and John Cusack was well received



"Go to the Widow Maker" is about a gentleman who hailed from Indianapolis, Indiana & New York City who migrates in to early treasure diving. Intertwined is the former mistress who wants to control him and a young woman who loves him--or at least I think that is the plot. In the ten years I have been reading the book I have only managed to read to page 290. Maybe this winter I will tackle the rest of it.---Or maybe some one's wife will read it and provide and ancillary report

Interesting that Hollywood has produced four movies on two of his books but books but so far have not touched "Go To The Widow Maker" which is about diving and treasure hunting.

Maybe some day?

James Jones was born and raised in a very small rural town of Robinson, Illinois on the Wabash river that borders with Indiana. How do I know that? I dated a girl from Robinson at the height of Jones' popularity. All she could talk about was Robinson's most famous citizen. However, when he became wealthy from his wittings he moved to Paris, France ( the town named after the Hilton gal?) forsaking the midwest forever. The Midwest vs Paris? can you blame him?

However he returned in his later years and passed away in New York state.

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