Frank Laskier (–1949)

Frank Laskier was a British WWII Merchant Marine who lost his foot when his ship was sunk by a German raider. On returning to England, he was interviewed on BBC radio where he struck a popular chord with his honest "Everyman" persona and story telling skills. There followed autobiographical books, newsreels and speaking tours as the public desired to learn more about "Seaman Frank". The Merchant Marines used him as an icon for recruitment propaganda efforts. His first book, My Name is Frank, is mostly just transcripts of his BBC interviews. His second book, Log Book, is an autobiographical novel about his life. Called fiction, it contains a fair amount of truth about life as sailor in the 1930s on tramp steamers.

Laskier's writing is sublime, horrid in truth, but beautiful in execution. It's a short book, almost an extended essay with no chapters, but captures the spirit of a rough life. Whoring, fighting, killing, thieving - Frank did it all; but he never seems a bad guy, just doing what every other ordinary sailor would do. A reminder of how brutal the times were, even before the war. I first learned about Frank in an entry in the Neglected Books Page, and this Wikipedia article, and picked up a first edition hardcover for $5. Well worth an evenings diversion. Frank lost his right foot in combat, in 1941, and died in an auto accident in New York City, in 1949; who was driving or at fault unknown.… (altro)