Synopses & Reviews
No Better Friend tells the story of Air Force technician Frank Williams and Judy, a purebred pointer, who met in WWII and were POWs in a camp in the Pacific. Judy was loyal, with a keen sense for who was friend and who was foe, and the pair's relationship deepened throughout their captivity. When the prisoners suffered beatings, Judy would interrupt by barking. She survived bombings and other near-death experiences and became a beacon for the men, who saw in her survival a flicker of hope for their own.
Judy was WWII's only canine POW, and when she passed away in 1950, she was buried in her Air Force jacket. Williams would never own another dog. Their story--of an unbreakable bond forged in the worst circumstance--is one of the great undiscovered sagas of WWII.
Review
"This is the best dog book since the uber best-selling Marley and Me. But this is no fluffy little dog story. This is a book that will appeal to history buffs -- even those who don't love dogs." Linda Wilson Fuoco, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Review
"Weintraub... combines a gritty war story with a warm dog story -- readers who like both will think they have gone to heaven.... Where he truly excels, though, is in finding the human dramas, some painful and some inspiring, that figured in Judy's saga." Kate Tuttle, Boston Globe
Review
"A canine version of Unbroken." Maureen Corrigan, Fresh Air with Terry Gross
About the Author
Robert Weintraub is a sports columnist for Slate, and his writing has also aired on ESPN, ABC Sports, CBS Sports, and dozens of other outlets. He is the author of The House That Ruth Built and The Victory Season and is a frequent contributor to the New York Times sports pages.