By Norm Goldman
Published March 7, 2021
Bookpleasures.com welcomes as our guests Martha Bolton and Linda Hope authors of Dear Bob: Bob Hope's Wartime Correspondence with the G.I.s of World War ll.
Martha is a prolific author of 88 books, an Emmy nominee (Outstanding Achievement in Music and Lyrics, 1988), a Dove Award nominee (Children's Musical, 1999), and a "with" author on three New York Times bestselling books.
She was nominated for a Writers' Guild Award for her work on the Emmy-winning Bob Hope--The First Ninety Years.
She was Bob's first full-time female staff writer, and wrote for his television specials (over 30 hours of prime time programming and fifteen years of his personal appearances and special events). As a staff writer for Bob Hope, She had the opportunity to write scripted lines for a virtual Who's Who in entertainment, sports, and politics.
She also wrote for Phyllis Diller for many years, and her series of books for those over fifty include, Didn't My Skin Used to Fit?, Cooking with Hot Flashes, and The Whole World is Changing and I'm Too Hot to Care.
She has also written for many Christian comedians such as Mark Lowry (including parodies and co-writing his Piper the Hyper Mouse series), Chonda Pierce, Jeff Allen, and numerous others.
Martha's stage work includes writing the script for The Confession, based on Beverly Lewis' best-selling Confession trilogy; co-writing both Half-Stitched, based on Wanda Brunstetter's bestselling book The Half-Stitched Amish Quilting Club and Our Christmas Dinner with director/composer Wally Nason; Josiah for President and BGM's newest musical, The Home Game. Both Josiah for President and The Home Game have accompanying novels penned by Martha, and were adapted for the stage by the Blue Gate Musical's creative team.
Linda is the eldest daughter of Bob and Dolores Hope. She is the Producer of the Emmy Award winning TV Special: Bob Hope: The First 90 Years. She also wrote My Life in Jokes, a collection of jokes honoring her father's 100th birthday. Linda produced his TV shows for over 20 years, ran Hope Enterprises and has spent the last two decades perpetuating her father's legacy.
Good day Martha and Linda and thanks for taking part in our interview.
Norm: Linda, how did you become involved with co-authoring Dear Bob: Bob Hope's Wartime Correspondence with the G.I.s of World War ll, what purpose do you believe your story serves and what matters to you about the book?
Linda: I guess you could say the initial idea began as far back as high school for myself, when I was given an assignment to write about something that intrigued me, and I thought about all these banker boxes that I remembered seeing. I asked Dads assistant, Miss Hughes, what they were and she said, "Those are history." Years later when I was producing Dads' shows, we did a tribute to the service men and women of WWII and those letters became a big part of that effort. As people read the book, I hope that they come to realize or re-realize what Bob Hope meant to the American G.I's, especially during WWII, when communications were very limited.
Norm: Linda: If you could relive a moment in your life with your father Bob, which moment would you choose and why?
Linda: That's an almost impossible question to answer, but the memory that actually stands out in my mind at the moment for me was when I was older and met dad at the airport to bring him home. He had heard the news that Bing Crosby had died and dad became unusually vulnerable - It was a very tender moment. His life had been so wrapped around not being vulnerable, especially when he was attending to the wounded or visiting those in the hospital. He seldom let his guard down like he did that day and I felt privileged to be part it.
Norm: Martha, how did you go about co-authoring the book with Linda? Did you each choose to deal with specific sections? Please summarize your writing process.
Martha: The origin of this book dates back to when Bob Hope was still alive. I talked to him about the possibility of putting some of these letters into a book. He suggested I meet with Linda and we started working on it. At that time the letters were at his house. Meanwhile, other projects and shows came and went, and sadly Bob passed away in 2003.
A few years ago, Linda emailed me and asked if I was still interested in writing that book. My answer? Absolutely! I couldn't wait to get back into it. By this time, the letters had been given to the Library of Congress, so I would go there to do the remainder of my research. As the process went along, I would send the manuscript to Linda and she would make wonderfully helpful comments and suggestions.
She wanted us to take the reader back to that time in our country's history, and to underscore the difference in communication back then and communication now. I like to think we were successful in doing that.
Norm: Linda and Martha: Did both of you learn anything from writing the book? If so, what was it?
Linda: It’s not that I learned anything new, but I was reminded again at the scope of dad's involvement with the men and women he entertained, both at home and especially abroad and how that relationship really colored his entire life.
Martha: I already knew that Bob Hope and the G.I.s had a special connection. You could see it whenever he would interact with a veteran, either at one of the show tapings or on location somewhere. But until reading these letters, I had no idea of the depth of that connection. These men and women in uniform were his best friends, his buddies, his "sons and daughters," as he referred to them in letter after letter. I think that is what impressed me the most.
These are no ordinary fan/celebrity letters. When the G.I.s wrote to Bob, they shared their hearts, their requests, and their heartfelt gratitude for all he had done and was doing. In his personal replies (and he answered as many as he could), he gave them laughs, news from home, and an abundant supply of hope.
Norm: Linda and Martha: What did both of you enjoy most about writing this book?
Linda: In truth, Martha really wrote the book, doing the yeoman's research and putting it together. I was basically an editor and helped Sheppard it through getting done. I, of course, wrote the forward. I found it very moving to re-read these letters again. Because it had to have been 20 or 25 years or so since we had worked on the 50th anniversary of the end of World War II and now here we are, having just passed the 75th anniversary. I was very disappointed that all the tributes that were planned in 2020 and that the Bob & Dolores Hope Foundation had sponsored last year had to be abandoned, due to covid, because those older men and women deserve to be applauded and honored for what they did and they are certainly set an example that a more of us could still learn from today.
Martha: Getting a first hand look at Bob's commitment to the troops. His heart comes through in those letters. After reading this correspondence, you understand why he did it for fifty years. I also loved the playfulness that went on between Bob and the G.I.s. For those brief moments when they were writing to their "buddy", they could joke around and talk about other things besides war.
Then, there are the letters that pull at your heart. Those are some of my favorites, too. The whole book takes you on an emotional journey and leaves you appreciating the sacrifices made, not only by Bob, but also by every G. I., as well as those at home.
Norm: Linda and Martha: Where can our readers find out more about both of you and Dear Bob: Bob Hope's Wartime Correspondence with the G.I.s of World War ll?
Linda: Well, you can get the book on Amazon. In fact, I was very excited to find out that the book has become the #1 New Release in Literary Letters on Amazon. You can also visit us at the Bob & Dolores Hope Foundation Website
Martha: My WEBSITE The book is available at most bookstores and online book sites, and from the publisher, University Press of Mississippi.
Norm: Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions. It's been an absolute pleasure.