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In this book the author George Manus wants to give the reader an insight into how he, as the stepson of Max Manus, perceived his younger days on Landøya in Asker in the time from when he arrived there in 1946, aged seven, until he moved away from home at the age of 21.Here he has collected stories from his collection of reflections, all of which, in one form or other, relate to Landøya and thereby his stepfather Max. As many of his stories are around 65 to 75 years back in time he reminds readers of some words of wisdom from the author Gabriel Garcia Marques. "What matters in life is not what happened, but what you remember and how you remember it".The book contains three chapters from Max's war-book Underwater Saboteur, and pictures which are all related to the time it was about, some from Max Manus own pictures.
About the author
The stories in this book are part of my memories from a somewhat tumultuous life in my early years until I married as a 21-year-old.
My stepfather, Max Manus, had immediately after the war bought the slightly less than 20-acre property "Norderhaug" on Landøya in Asker, outside Oslo. That's where I grew up.
Apart from a few, the stories which makes part of this book have a direct relation to Landøya and thereby my stepfather Max, while three chapters are taken from his second war book "Det blir alvor", (It gets serious), which was first published in 1946. I have included them as, in my opinion, they give a an authentic picture of the time, seen through Max's eyes, among other things when it comes to the Oslo gangs dealings with self-developed torpedoes.
The book also contains some black and white photos from the period immediately after the war. Most are taken by Max himself.
"The Mischievous boy" and the War Hero - I have dedicated to the future, in the spirit that in my opinion there is no future without a past.
