The Reluctant Traveler

About the Book

This is a must-read for World War II buffs! The narrative was written from the perspective of an Eastern European youngster growing up on the losing side of the conflict during the war years. This is a saga that spans Paris in the 1930s to Sofia, Bulgaria’s capital, in May 1940, just prior to the victorious Nazi armies that paraded in Paris on June 14, 1940. At the time of their arrival in Sofia, Bulgaria remained neutral. On March 1, 1941, Bulgaria joined the Axis and later on declared war on the USA and Great Britain. That action invited the systematic bombing of Sofia, resulting in the family having to relocate to a safer location. The chosen location was in what used to be Northern Greece, a city called Serres, where the family lived until the fall of 1944 when the German armies were forced to retreat, which meant that the family had to move back to Sofia. At the end of the war, the family decided to leave Bulgaria as soon as possible. In spite of many obstacles, the family was able to reunite in Prague and, from there, spent some time in a couple of displaced persons (DP) camps in Rome and Naples. Eventually, they sailed from Naples to Buenos Aires and five years later, flew to New York City, the final desired destination.

About the Author

Upon their arrival, Robert and Paul stayed briefly at Uncle Eddie’s apartment after which they moved to Upper Manhattan. In the fall the happy duo enrolled in English classes at CCNY, however they were drafted into the Army in early January 1954. Assigned as interpreter/translators at the Armored School in Fort Knox, KY, they were able to become naturalized US citizens while still in uniform. Once discharged, Paul pursued a career in engineering in New York City. After working for various engineering firms for over 20 years, Paul obtained his professional engineering license and started his own consulting engineering firm in Los Angeles and later added an office in New York City and in Phoenix, Arizona. Paul had to close the offices in 1989 due to various health issues. Now retired, Paul enjoys a quiet, happy life, living in a small college town in North-Eastern Kentucky with Janis, his wife of over 30 years. This is Paul’s first book.