The Kaboom Boys - Paperback

by Don Keith (Author), Elaine Hume Peake (Author)

A historical saga of courage, sacrifice, and the unbreakable bonds of friendship.

"...a true WW2 adventure..." --Nicholas Griffin, author of The Year of Dangerous Days

With the specter of the Great Depression behind him and the horrors of Nazi-occupied Europe ahead, Edward Hume leaves his Pennsylvania coal mining town to volunteer as one of the first US Army bomb demolition captains in the Second World War. Trained alongside the RAF in the English countryside, Hume takes command of an eclectic team of misfits, tasked with the perilous job of defuzing unexploded bombs in the heart of Europe's fiercest battlegrounds.

Their chances of survival are slim--most soldiers with this assignment don't make it past ten weeks.

The group's journey culminates at the ancient and mystical Mont Saint-Michel, left abandoned by the Nazis in the chaotic aftermath of D-Day. Hume and his squad face not only a deadly cache of jettisoned bombs but also treacherous tides, quicksand, and maritime mines. With each successful defuzing they save countless lives and inch closer to victory. But the cost of failure looms large, as they witness the devastating consequences of explosives left unattended.

With the war intensifying, Edward and his men find themselves caught between their duty and their humanity, knowing that each mission could be their last.

Based on real events, Elaine Hume Peake and Don Keith deliver a gripping, cinematic tale of bravery and sacrifice, capturing the relentless perseverance of the men and women who answered the call to war. Perfect for fans of Lee Jackson's After Dunkirk series and Mark Sullivan's Beneath a Scarlet Sky.

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Praise for The Kaboom Boys:

"Highly recommended." --Library Journal, Starred Review

"Beautifully conceived and thoughtfully executed..." --Charles Gomez, author of Eye of the Storm and Cuban Son Rising

"...a trip back in time to World War II told through the eyes of one: a brave, decent, and determined soldier..." --Sandy Kenyon, award-winning entertainment correspondent

"These unforgettable men of The Greatest Generation are portrayed with remarkable depth and humanity..."-- Mitchell Kaplan, owner of Books & Books, cofounder of the Miami Book Fair and The Mazur Kaplan Production Company

"One of the most fascinating accounts of bravery in World War II." --Tim Gray, The World War II Foundation

"Chock full of real life events, the book will keep you on the edge of your seat throughout..." --Catherine K. Hurd, multi-award winning writer and playwright

"...should be on your reading list today."--Darcy Bonfils, multi-award winning television news executive producer

Author Biography

Don Keith is a native Alabamian and attended the University of Alabama where he received his degree in broadcast and film. He has received awards from the Associated Press and United Press International for newswriting and reporting. He is also the only person to be named Billboard Magazine "Radio Personality of the Year" in two formats, country and contemporary. Keith was a broadcast personality for over twenty years, owned his own consultancy, co-owned a Mobile, Alabama, radio station, and hosted and produced several nationally syndicated radio shows.

His first novel, "The Forever Season." received the Alabama Library Association's "Fiction of the Year" award. Keith has written extensively on historical subjects including World War II, submarine warfare, and fiction, biographies, and non-fiction works on a variety of subjects. He has published more than forty books, two of which--HUNTER KILLER and COLORS OF CHARACTER--have been adapted for the screen.

Mr. Keith lives with his wife, Charlene, in Indian Springs Village, Alabama.

Elaine Hume Peake was born on Aberdeen Proving Ground in Aberdeen, Maryland, the site of the first United States Army Bomb Disposal testing and training base. Here her father, Captain Edward Hume learned the fundamentals of BD and became part of the first American army ordnance squads of World War II, setting the stage for the origins of the historical drama series, "The Kaboom Boys".

Elaine studied journalism/mass communications at Towson State University leading her to a multi-year career in television news. She received multiple journalism awards including Emmys and the George Foster Peabody Award for her 9/11 coverage.

In 2019, Elaine completed "The Kaboom Boys" as a feature-length screenplay when, during the pandemic via LinkedIn, she was introduced to 96-year-old French woman Michelle Desrues who knew her father during the summer of 1944. Hearing stories of her as a precociously brave nineteen-year-old, Michelle inspired Elaine to write how Michelle befriended Edward and two other U. S. Army captains. During hot summer days Captain Hume and his squad handled multiple bombs and deadly devices throughout Normandy while at night the foursome, along with her extended family, enjoyed memorable dinners. Elaine developed a close multi-year friendship with Michelle who died in her 100th year in early January 2024 yet she has lived on as the character Hélène LeRiche in the A CALL TO WAR series of novels.

Elaine lives in Leiper's Fork, Tennessee with her husband Christopher where she writes and has been enjoying life with their precious golden retriever Lucia.