World war ii veteran biography format
Ski Soldier: A World War II Biography
January 17, 2019
I chose to review Ski Soldier, a biography by Louise Borden. Ski Soldier details the journeys of Peter “Pete” Seibert, a lifelong skier, World War II veteran and founder of the Vail Ski Resort in Colorado. Pete first skied when he was seven, and promised himself at thirteen he would father his own ski resort. He fell in love with the sport on the hills of Sharon, Massachusetts, skiing day and night.
Pete’s father took a job in Bartlett, New Hampshire near the end of the 1930s, and Pete became a fierce competitor in ski races there. In 1941, he heard of a man named Minnie Dole who was recruiting outdoorsmen to become soldiers. Pete spent a year at school before he could enlist, and reported for duty on July 12, 1943.
Pete trained at Camp Hale in Colorado and by late 1944, he was a sergeant. His troops became the 10th Mountain Division, and their commander sent them overseas to Italy. Pete and his men helped win the Battle of Riva Ridge on February 19th, 1945. Pete was was severely injured by shrapnel from mortar fire in a later skirmish and taken to a hospital back in the United States to recover.
Seventeen months and countless surgeries later, Pete came home to Sharon but soon moved to Aspen, Colorado. He began to ski again despite his injuries, and qualified for the 1950 U.S. Ski Team. In 1955, Pete married Betty Pardee and they had three children: Calvin, Peter Jr. and Brant. On March 19, 1957, Pete and his friend Earl Eaton climbed a large peak near Camp Hale. He opened Vail Ski Resort on the mountain in December 1962, fulfilling his dream after conquering his wartime afflictions. Pete passed away on July 15, 2002 from esophageal cancer.
Ski Soldier by Louise Borden is a superb book, and expertly written in verse. It was written to tell the life story of one of World War II’s unsung heroes, Peter Seibert, and accomplishes its mission completely. Louise Borden explains Peter’s ever-growing love of skiing when she writes, “Skiing! To seven-year-old Peter Seibert, there was nothing else like it in the world” (13). She also details Pete’s war experiences with words such as “He’d survived the hardest training ever. He was now a true mountain soldier” (57). Pete’s recuperation after World War II is depicted when Borden states that “The long war in Europe was over, but Pete’s mission to heal his wounds was not” (125). Louise Borden delves deep into Pete’s life and chronicles it perfectly.
Borden also introduces the theme that resilience makes anything possible, with examples including, “Fighting the pain, he could sit up: a small step in his mission to recover… Pete refused to picture a future without skis”(124). The tone of the book is enthusiastic and uplifting. Louise Borden shares this when she describes Peter’s belief that “He would never lose his gratitude that he could ski on his scarred legs and with a numb left hand” (141). I enjoyed reading Ski Soldier as much as I felt the author enjoyed writing it.
Ski Soldier was extremely well-written, and Peter Seibert’s determination to found his ski resort was something I identified with while reading the book. If I could alter Ski Soldier in any way, I would describe the creation of Vail Resort more in depth. Borden’s book also includes multitudes of pictures, lift tickets, sketches, maps and more. They provide excellent visuals of the events in Ski Soldier, but do a poor job of enhancing the book’s message and theme. I would recommend this book to anyone ages 10 and up. It includes plenty of battle descriptions for war lovers, ski races for athletes and an exceptional plot for the casual reader. In summary, Ski Soldier is a first-rate biography and a book for anyone’s shelf.
Pete’s father took a job in Bartlett, New Hampshire near the end of the 1930s, and Pete became a fierce competitor in ski races there. In 1941, he heard of a man named Minnie Dole who was recruiting outdoorsmen to become soldiers. Pete spent a year at school before he could enlist, and reported for duty on July 12, 1943.
Pete trained at Camp Hale in Colorado and by late 1944, he was a sergeant. His troops became the 10th Mountain Division, and their commander sent them overseas to Italy. Pete and his men helped win the Battle of Riva Ridge on February 19th, 1945. Pete was was severely injured by shrapnel from mortar fire in a later skirmish and taken to a hospital back in the United States to recover.
Seventeen months and countless surgeries later, Pete came home to Sharon but soon moved to Aspen, Colorado. He began to ski again despite his injuries, and qualified for the 1950 U.S. Ski Team. In 1955, Pete married Betty Pardee and they had three children: Calvin, Peter Jr. and Brant. On March 19, 1957, Pete and his friend Earl Eaton climbed a large peak near Camp Hale. He opened Vail Ski Resort on the mountain in December 1962, fulfilling his dream after conquering his wartime afflictions. Pete passed away on July 15, 2002 from esophageal cancer.
Ski Soldier by Louise Borden is a superb book, and expertly written in verse. It was written to tell the life story of one of World War II’s unsung heroes, Peter Seibert, and accomplishes its mission completely. Louise Borden explains Peter’s ever-growing love of skiing when she writes, “Skiing! To seven-year-old Peter Seibert, there was nothing else like it in the world” (13). She also details Pete’s war experiences with words such as “He’d survived the hardest training ever. He was now a true mountain soldier” (57). Pete’s recuperation after World War II is depicted when Borden states that “The long war in Europe was over, but Pete’s mission to heal his wounds was not” (125). Louise Borden delves deep into Pete’s life and chronicles it perfectly.
Borden also introduces the theme that resilience makes anything possible, with examples including, “Fighting the pain, he could sit up: a small step in his mission to recover… Pete refused to picture a future without skis”(124). The tone of the book is enthusiastic and uplifting. Louise Borden shares this when she describes Peter’s belief that “He would never lose his gratitude that he could ski on his scarred legs and with a numb left hand” (141). I enjoyed reading Ski Soldier as much as I felt the author enjoyed writing it.
Ski Soldier was extremely well-written, and Peter Seibert’s determination to found his ski resort was something I identified with while reading the book. If I could alter Ski Soldier in any way, I would describe the creation of Vail Resort more in depth. Borden’s book also includes multitudes of pictures, lift tickets, sketches, maps and more. They provide excellent visuals of the events in Ski Soldier, but do a poor job of enhancing the book’s message and theme. I would recommend this book to anyone ages 10 and up. It includes plenty of battle descriptions for war lovers, ski races for athletes and an exceptional plot for the casual reader. In summary, Ski Soldier is a first-rate biography and a book for anyone’s shelf.