Waiting for Wolfram

I am very happy. I've reached the halfway point of Paradise Lost: Smyrna, 1922 and plan to get to the end this time (the third attempt). The fact that it has found its way back to my bookshelf unfinished really bothers me. The book started slow, but it picked up the pace quickly. It's a page-turner. Right now I can't help but ask myself, "What are you doing writing this blog? Go read Paradise Lost!!"

I learned some exciting news today: Giles Milton is releasing a new book soon! It is called Wolfram: The Boy who went to War. There isn't much information out there about the book just yet. It won't be published until February 17, 2011, and most likely in the United Kingdom first, then it will be released in America later on. I found one tantalizing paragraph about Wolfram from Amazon.com (or hopefully straight from the dust jacket!):

The fighter bombers appeared from nowhere ...there was no time to think about firing back, nor even to unharness the horses pulling the artillery. Wolfram buried his head in his arms as the opening salvo exploded all around him. The ground shuddered and jolted as heavy weaponry thumped into the soil. It was like a giant fist punching the ground. Explosion after explosion. Thump - thump - thump.The Allied bombers screamed in from the sea, spilling hundreds of shells onto the troops below. As the air filled with exploding shrapnel, one young German soldier flung himself into a ditch and prayed that his ordeal would soon be over.Wolfram Aichele was nine years old when Hitler came to power: his formative years were spent in the shadow of the Third Reich. He and his parents - free-thinking artists - were to have first hand experience of living under one of the most brutal regimes in history.Wolfram: The Boy Who Went to War overturns all the cliches about life under Hitler. It is a powerful story of warfare and human survival and a reminder that civilians on all sides suffered the consequences of Hitler's war. It is also an eloquent testimony to the fact that even in times of exceptional darkness there remains a brilliant spark of humanity that can never be totally extinguished. Wolfram is the father-in-law of best-selling writer, Giles Milton.

It sounds like it will be a great read, just like Milton's other books. It might be even better, considering the added insight that Milton must have from knowing in person the subject of his book. I'm anxiously awaiting February 17. I can only hope that Wolfram will be released simultaneously in both the UK and the US. I haven't been this excited about a book since I waited in line twice (thanks to a certain sister who must-not-be-named) at the midnight launch of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

I have to finish Paradise Lost before I become so distracted by Giles Milton's next book that I forget this one completely.