I like reading a good World War II book. It doesn't matter if it is fiction or nonfiction, as long as it is a good read. I simply find this period in history very fascinating yet I am glad I was not around to experience it first-hand. For the past year, give or take, I seem to have found several books or documentaries with a focus on the battles in North Africa. Today, I look at Howard M. Layton's autobiographical book Love & Sand.

Layton has certainly led an interesting life. This book, as its title suggests, focuses on his adventures in romance as well as his experiences in North Africa during the war. However, instead of being a book split in to two parts like you might think, it is really split in three, although there is considerable jumping back and forth between them. The first part covers Layton's life as a young man in the late 1930s before joining the military. The second part focuses on his experiences as a navigator during the war. The final section combines his post-military careers and home life.

Layton had several loves during the course of his life. He seems to have had and lost one major love. Before the war, he met Verna. And, over the next few years, they took steps closer and closer to marriage. Their love affair was in many respects an exciting ride. Unfortunately, as Layton explains, he ultimately destroyed the very relationship he had worked so hard to build up. Yes, Layton met special women in later years, but none ever measured up to his true love, Verna.

Could Layton blame the war on the loss of his chance to spend a life with Verna? Perhaps. The war took him away as a navigator. He spent more time training other airman than actually fighting battles. But he did have some rather harrowing experiences. These close calls will keep you on the edge of your seat as he describes more than one situation where you wonder at the amount of luck he and his fellow airmen had at times! As a pilot myself who is used to the luxury of GPS, I am amazed at some of the skill with which Layton led flights across the vast expanse of Africa, sometimes without the use of any modern navigational aids and few if any landmarks to help with dead reckoning!

Layton's post-war life is a little more dull than the prior parts, but still has some interest. If you are a fan of Elizabeth Taylor, then you are probably familiar with her 1949 film Conspirator. What you might not know is that the leading man, Robert Taylor, only did a portion of the film. Layton was the actor's stand-in and had to complete the film when he no longer had time for the project. So, for much of the film, when you think you are watching Robert Taylor, you are actually watching Howard Layton. Besides acting, Layton was a radio-telephone equipment salesmen for a time. He has a good story or two about those days.

Layton was a soldier, actor, salesman and writer. One could argue he found success in all these endeavors. In love, however, he implies that he did not find the success he desired. While I certainly enjoyed reading Love & Sand and would not hesitate to recommend it, I felt at times like I was reading a book written by more than one author. Perhaps Layton wrote this work over a period of years and his writing style changed with age. Or maybe an overzealous editor took a few too many liberties while "correcting" the manuscript. I thought the changing of style within the book a little odd, but not enough to detract from the work as a whole. This first-hand account of one person's experience during a dark time in modern history is certainly attention-grabbing. Even if you don't care about his love life, the parts regarding WWII make this a worthwhile read.