Which is something that cannot be said about material on the internet. Unsupported claims, anonymous reactions that lead to flaming on social media – is it any wonder that quality entertainment and education comes these days in its best intended form, a good book by reputable authors and publishing houses.
Word of mouth also leaves the opportunity to make a decision based on personal, not internet influenced recommendations. Such was the case recently, when an avid fellow reader suggested reading Road to Valour. Published in 2012, it had not come to the undersigned’s attention until recently. The fascinating book was then loaned out to a former cyclist (non-competitive) with an interest both in the sport’s history as well as the events of WW II. Authors Aili and Andres McConnon educate in both fields.
The sister and brother team’s mother Mari-Ann McConnon, born Ott, ensured that her children would be fluent in Estonian. Aili and Andres both attended Toronto’s Estonian supplementary schools. As of the book’s publication Aili McConnon, educated at Princeton, Cambridge and Columbia Universities, was a journalist based in New York, with credits for writing, among others, for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Guardian. Quite impressive credentials. Andres McConnon majored in history at Princeton University, graduating magna cum laude. While researching and writing Road to Valour, he lived in Paris and Florence, key locations in the book.
