America was transformed in World War II. To those who came after, the events and situations in the wartime Washington of World War II will seem strange. Among those covered in the book was the mobilization of junior and senior high schools in a Maryland suburb in which all students were broken down into military-style units (squads, platoons, and companies ). Coach cars on crack "all-nighter" inter-city trains leaving Washington were the scene of a very unusual practice which never failed to occur. Civilians (men and women) insisted upon giving up their seats to men in uniform. Tales of...

Flashbacks are not uncommon in books and movies. Flash-forwards are less common. This description of "A Six-City Opera Potpourri" begins with the final two paragraphs of the book, which constitutes a flash-forward. If you would like to know how opera has reached this point, or disagree with its portrayal, the book will be of interest. Here are the closing paragraphs. Details are in the book. "Changes have crept into the opera world since the six-city tour ended. They have accelerated since 2000 and some are startling. Just using the small sample of operas I've chosen to review and discuss...