It is the kind of book that stays with you after you finish reading it. What I appreciated most was that it doesn’t make war feel like something distant that belongs only in history books. Through Walter’s memories, we get to know the person behind the uniform, his childhood, the Depression years, his time in boot camp, and eventually his experiences in the European Theater.
The most difficult parts to read here were his memories of Dachau and the use of phosphorus. There is a quiet heaviness in these accounts, especially knowing that some of what he witnessed continued to haunt him long after the war was over. At the same time, the book is not only about battle. It is also about how a person tries to return to ordinary life after experiencing things that can never really be forgotten.
I found Walter’s story particularly moving because of its honesty and simplicity. He comes across as a man shaped by his generation—disciplined, honorable, and dignified, but also carrying memories that clearly left a permanent mark on him.
This is a meaningful read for anyone interested in WWII, but more importantly, it is a reminder that behind every statistic is a real person with a childhood, hopes, fears, memories, and a life to rebuild afterward. Before the Thunder! gives that human side of history a voice, and that is what makes it memorable.

Reading Lee E. Hollingsworth’s “Before the Thunder” feels like opening a carefully preserved family album and suddenly finding yourself living inside the photographs. “Growing up in East Hampton” is particularly captivating because it brings the 1920s and 1930s to life through the eyes of someone who actually experienced them.
The author remembers not only major historical events but also the small details that history books often leave behind: dusty roads, neighborhood children, old trees, fireflies, frogs, radio programs, bicycles, and the comforting familiarity of home. These details give the past a heartbeat.
There is something deeply touching about Hollingsworth’s description of his family. His father’s working life, his mother’s devotion to her parents, and the presence of grandparents in the household create a portrait of a family shaped by responsibility and perseverance. The story does not pretend that life was easy. Instead, it shows how people adapted to difficult circumstances and found happiness where they could.
The author’s memories of his mother saving him during a frightening childhood accident are especially memorable because they capture both the vulnerability of childhood and the instinctive love of a parent.
The chapter also succeeds as social history. Through Hollingsworth’s eyes, readers witness an America moving from horses and early automobiles toward a more modern world.

Lee E. Hollingsworth’s “Before The Thunder” is the kind of memoir that quietly reaches into the heart because it reminds us of something we too often forget: a life is made not only from extraordinary events, but from thousands of ordinary moments that become precious with the passing of time.
In his memories of growing up in East Hampton, Hollingsworth opens a door to a world that no longer exists in quite the same way. Through that door, we meet a young boy surrounded by family, neighbors, nature, simple pleasures, and the reassuring familiarity of home.
What begins as a recollection of childhood gradually becomes something much greater—a gift of memory to those who…

It is the kind of book that stays with you after you finish reading it. What I appreciated most was that it doesn’t make war feel like something distant that belongs only in history books. Through Walter’s memories, we get to know the person behind the uniform, his childhood, the Depression years, his time in boot camp, and eventually his experiences in the European Theater.
The most difficult parts to read here were his memories of Dachau and the use of phosphorus. There is a quiet heaviness in these accounts, especially knowing that some of what he witnessed continued to haunt him long after the war was over. At the same time, the book is not only about battle. It is also about how a person tries to return to ordinary life after experiencing things that can never really be forgotten.
I found Walter’s story particularly moving because of its honesty and simplicity. He comes across as a man shaped by his generation—disciplined, honorable, and dignified, but also carrying memories that clearly left a permanent mark on him.
This is a meaningful read for anyone interested in WWII, but more importantly, it is a reminder that behind every statistic is a real person with a childhood, hopes, fears, memories, and a life to rebuild afterward. Before the Thunder! gives that human side of history a voice, and that is what makes it memorable.

Reading Lee E. Hollingsworth’s “Before the Thunder” feels like opening a carefully preserved family album and suddenly finding yourself living inside the photographs. “Growing up in East Hampton” is particularly captivating because it brings the 1920s and 1930s to life through the eyes of someone who actually experienced them.
The author remembers not only major historical events but also the small details that history books often leave behind: dusty roads, neighborhood children, old trees, fireflies, frogs, radio programs, bicycles, and the comforting familiarity of home. These details give the past a heartbeat.
There is something deeply touching about Hollingsworth’s description of his family. His father’s working life, his mother’s devotion to her parents, and the presence of grandparents in the household create a portrait of a family shaped by responsibility and perseverance. The story does not pretend that life was easy. Instead, it shows how people adapted to difficult circumstances and found happiness where they could.
The author’s memories of his mother saving him during a frightening childhood accident are especially memorable because they capture both the vulnerability of childhood and the instinctive love of a parent.
The chapter also succeeds as social history. Through Hollingsworth’s eyes, readers witness an America moving from horses and early automobiles toward a more modern world.

Lee E. Hollingsworth’s “Before The Thunder” is the kind of memoir that quietly reaches into the heart because it reminds us of something we too often forget: a life is made not only from extraordinary events, but from thousands of ordinary moments that become precious with the passing of time.
In his memories of growing up in East Hampton, Hollingsworth opens a door to a world that no longer exists in quite the same way. Through that door, we meet a young boy surrounded by family, neighbors, nature, simple pleasures, and the reassuring familiarity of home.
What begins as a recollection of childhood gradually becomes something much greater—a gift of memory to those who…