Book excerpt: An authentic collection of over 150 letters from a World War I soldier to his beloved, beginning with his deployment from his Chicago hometown in 1917, until the end of the war in late 1918. His very eloquent letters bring the reader inside a WWI soldier's life, from boot camp in Fort Logan, Texas, to the trenches of France. He chronicles, firsthand, many familiar historical figures and events, while depicting both the similarities and changes in American life almost a century ago. Recently, additional letters were added, provided by the soldier's family.