Reviews for Kosciuszko, We Are Here! : American Pilots of the Kosciuszko Squadron in Defense of Poland, 1919-1921

The average rating for Kosciuszko, We Are Here! : American Pilots of the Kosciuszko Squadron in Defense of Poland, 1919-1921 based on 2 reviews is 3 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2010-10-29 00:00:00 Marco Hartog We all know the frustration of trying to argue with those who just bat facts away with a derisory “So you say”. And we’ve grown up with tales of the unintended consequences, sometimes comic, sometimes dark, of misusing wishes or superpowers. This short story from 1898 combines both elements, then uses physics to add a Wellsian twist. Be careful what you wish for George McWhirter Fotheringay, is a 30-year old clerk who is “greatly addicted to assertive argument”, especially to deny the possibility of supernatural occurrences, such as miracles. He cites the impossibility of a lamp burning upside down - only to make it happen! Image: “The lamp hung inverted in the air, burning quietly with its flame pointing down.” (Source.) He returns home to test the extent of his powers in modest and quirky ways such as levitating a sheet of paper, turning a glass of water pink and green, and creating a snail. Powers confirmed, he is proud, a little scared, and secretive, so resolves to limit himself to “unostentatious acts of creation” to improve his domestic comforts. Unintended consequences Inevitably, things become more complex. There’s a dash of slapstick, plenty of drama, moral conundrums involving a priest, and ultimately, inescapably, unintended consequences of a spectacular degree. Image: “I want things to be different… Oh no” (Source.) The ending raises questions about free will versus destiny. Warning! “The reader [that’s me, and maybe you]... must have been killed in a violent and unprecedented manner more than a year ago.” Nearly Nobel Wells was nominated for the Nobel Prize for Literature four times (1921, 1932, 1935, and 1946), though he never won. Film I’ve not seen it, but there was a film of this in 1936. Details on imdb HERE. Quote “He was a little man, and had eyes of a hot brown, very erect red hair, a moustache with ends that he twisted up, and freckles.” Read it free on Gutenberg

Review # 2 was written on 2012-03-13 00:00:00 Christophe Duret The entertaining story, "The Man Who Could Work Miracles" is a reminder that we should remember the advice, "Be careful what you wish for." The miracles started out small, but eventually had the power to cause an apocalypse. It's human nature to want more and more, but more does not always make us happy if we make foolish wishes. 3.5 stars.