We live in an information-overloaded society, yet we actually know so little. While I was reading this book I took a straw pole of some people I know, and 100% of them had no idea who the Colwell brothers, or Herb Allen are. So much information, yet so little knowledge is a real problem in today’s world. The three ‘cowboy brothers’ and Herb, probably did more for world peace, or at least peaceful co-existence, than any President, or any government organization has ever done. Frank McGee has produced a great book that chronicles the story of these eclectic individuals. Even better the book is peppered with photographs of the actual people and events.
The story starts right after WWII, the Colwells are in their teens, and have a true skill in the entertainment world. Initially self-taught, they make their mark on the radio landscape, appearing in the Tex Williams weekly show. Invited to ‘tour’ overseas for one month the young brothers can not resist, and against their parents' better judgment they set off on their adventure. It was almost a decade before they returned to the US. As part of MRA (Moral Re-Armament) and later Up With People they joined in the youthful mission to try to make the planet a better place. As the saying goes, ‘They boldly went where no man has gone before’. If there was conflict, you could guarantee that the Colwell brothers were not far away, acting as ambassadors of peace.
A Song For The World is a great and heartfelt work, Frank McGee has certainly done his homework; he follows the Colwell’s and Allen across the planet. From India, Africa, China, Russia, and just about every other country you can think of, we watch these kids grow into men, and subsequently fathers. Very late in the book McGee talks about how they became married men, and I have to admit it is a pretty strange tale. As nomadic minstrels they had little opportunity to go through the conventional courtship rituals. Instead they married first and dated later! While this sounds bizarre, the formula obviously worked for them.
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