No book—at least no book by this author—can be written without the help of many hands and minds and voices. I want to thank my extended Italian-American family, whose love and support help sustain me. Special thanks to my brother, Mike, for his research into our family history and our mutual interest in the First World War, and to his wife, Ann Marie; to my sister Sue and her husband Joe, who lighten my burdens in so many ways; and to my nephews and niece, who remind me of what’s really important. Many thanks to my cohort of friends and advisers, including: Kara Callaghan, Cherie Harder, John and Kelli Baker, Ken and Marilyn Jackson, Mark and Patti Kreslins, Lia and Charles Howard, Nile Gardiner, Eric Metaxas, Alan Crippen, Mark Tooley, Jedd Medefind, Tim Schwartz, Charlie Catlett, Tim Montgomerie, Ben Rogers, Daniel Johnson, Os Guinness, and Michael Cromartie.
My research assistant, Carol Anne Kemp, a former student of mine at the King’s College, deserves special recognition. Carol Anne’s love and knowledge of the works of Tolkien and Lewis proved to be utterly indispensable. Her literary instincts—shared during our many conversations over coffee—improved the manuscript immeasurably.
Every historian owes a debt to those who have come before him. Many thanks to the Tolkien and Lewis scholars who have done so much to illuminate the lives of these great men, and to the Tolkien and Lewis estates for preserving their works. I am equally grateful to the many WWI historians who have devoted much of their professional lives to helping us understand the nature of that conflict.
I want to thank my friends at Thomas Nelson, Nelson Books: Joel Miller, for his robust support for the book before he moved on to other endeavors; Webster Younce, executive editor, for his strong encouragement; Janene MacIvor, senior editor, whose skill and patience and encouragement are without equal in the editing world; and copy editor Zachary Gresham, for his professionalism and dogged efforts. My literary agents, Joel Kneedler and Bryan Norman, also deserve much thanks.
I am also deeply grateful to Greg Thornbury, president of the King’s College, for creating the space in my academic calendar to tackle the book, and for his great friendship, a tonic for the heart. I also want to thank all my colleagues and students at the King’s College for their steady encouragement. Finally, many thanks to my friends at the District Church in Washington DC, especially members of the Lewis and Linguine group, for their fellowship in the faith.