Nicholas Manfredo always said he lived his childhood as the archetypical barefoot boy- with no shoes, ragged clothing, and ever-present hunger.In this memoir, author Joseph N. Manfredo recounts his father's life story-from his birth in 1900 to his death at age ninety-three in 1993.

Born into abject poverty in southern Italy, Nicholas was abandoned by an uncaring father who immigrated to America leaving behind his wife and two little boys. Twelve years later, Nick's father sends for him and he travels to America. Here, his story of struggle continues as he marries Anna and strives to raise a family during the Great Depression of the 1930s. The years that follow are both heartwarming and bittersweet.

Entertaining and emotional, Only the Living is a life story that could fit any one of the many thousands of European immigrants who brought to America the muscle and integrity that made it a great nation.

You gonna leave here a warriah, a trained killah Gonna come a time when you life gonna depend on it, so pay attenshun June 25, 1950: North Korean armed forces, supported by the Soviet Union and China, drive deep into the heart of South Korea. They are met by the United States' First Marine Division, and a draft is instituted back home. Able-bodied young men enrolled in college for critical skills receive temporary deferment; upon graduation they are obliged to serve a six-year term. July 27, 1953: An uneasy armistice is signed. The Cold War has suddenly gotten much hotter, and the draft remains in full effect. Two years later, a crop of college graduates in engineering and the sciences arrive at Fort Dix, New Jersey, for basic training and the start of their service with the Scientific and Professional Detachment. Author Joseph N. Manfredo's The Trained Killers brings us the story of the troops of the S&P Detachment as they serve their country and the conflicting demands of their twin gods-science and the military-with dignity, wit, and verve. In his humorous, true-to-life style, Manfredo recounts the lab work with rockets and explosives ...and the night furnace duty, Kitchen Police, and specially designed work details.October 4, 1957: Russians launch Sputnik. The honor and challenge of spurring on American technological advance falls to the engineers, scientists, and scullions of the S&P Detachment, uniquely equipped as they are for the days ahead.

"After Midnight: Poems and Pontifications" presents a collection of poetry written over a span of sixty years. Manfredo's early writings reflect the idealism, spirituality, and wonderment of youth, questioning the meaning of life and describing dreams and aspirations. The collection then traces the evolution of his style into a sophisticated and passionate maturity. During the last score of years, his poetry demonstrates an acceptance of the realities of life, sometimes expressing a sense of both resignation and whimsy. As a life presented in poetry, "After Midnight" offers a journey of emotional growth, which finally and inevitably arrives at an awareness and graceful acceptance of mortality. "Gettin' Old I look in the mirror and say a prayer Of thanks to the Gods that my face is still there. My locks are much thinner My face is less fair. Glad I've lived long enough to lose my hair. Dying young, while good-lookin', Ain't a bargain to me. Livin' long, causin' trouble, That's where I want to be. So I'll linger a while longer Kinda' messin' with you. When I finally depart You'll be glad ... I will too "

You gonna leave here a warriah, a trained killah Gonna come a time when you life gonna depend on it, so pay attenshun June 25, 1950: North Korean armed forces, supported by the Soviet Union and China, drive deep into the heart of South Korea. They are met by the United States' First Marine Division, and a draft is instituted back home. Able-bodied young men enrolled in college for critical skills receive temporary deferment; upon graduation they are obliged to serve a six-year term. July 27, 1953: An uneasy armistice is signed. The Cold War has suddenly gotten much hotter, and the draft remains in full effect. Two years later, a crop of college graduates in engineering and the sciences arrive at Fort Dix, New Jersey, for basic training and the start of their service with the Scientific and Professional Detachment. Author Joseph N. Manfredo's The Trained Killers brings us the story of the troops of the S&P Detachment as they serve their country and the conflicting demands of their twin gods-science and the military-with dignity, wit, and verve. In his humorous, true-to-life style, Manfredo recounts the lab work with rockets and explosives ...and the night furnace duty, Kitchen Police, and specially designed work details.October 4, 1957: Russians launch Sputnik. The honor and challenge of spurring on American technological advance falls to the engineers, scientists, and scullions of the S&P Detachment, uniquely equipped as they are for the days ahead.

"After Midnight: Poems and Pontifications" presents a collection of poetry written over a span of sixty years. Manfredo's early writings reflect the idealism, spirituality, and wonderment of youth, questioning the meaning of life and describing dreams and aspirations. The collection then traces the evolution of his style into a sophisticated and passionate maturity. During the last score of years, his poetry demonstrates an acceptance of the realities of life, sometimes expressing a sense of both resignation and whimsy. As a life presented in poetry, "After Midnight" offers a journey of emotional growth, which finally and inevitably arrives at an awareness and graceful acceptance of mortality. "Gettin' Old I look in the mirror and say a prayer Of thanks to the Gods that my face is still there. My locks are much thinner My face is less fair. Glad I've lived long enough to lose my hair. Dying young, while good-lookin', Ain't a bargain to me. Livin' long, causin' trouble, That's where I want to be. So I'll linger a while longer Kinda' messin' with you. When I finally depart You'll be glad ... I will too "

Nicholas Manfredo always said he lived his childhood as the archetypical barefoot boy- with no shoes, ragged clothing, and ever-present hunger. In this memoir, author Joseph N. Manfredo recounts his father's life story-from his birth in 1900 to his death at age ninety-three in 1993.

Born into abject poverty in southern Italy, Nicholas was abandoned by an uncaring father who immigrated to America leaving behind his wife and two little boys. Twelve years later, Nick's father sends for him and he travels to America. Here, his story of struggle continues as he marries Anna and strives to raise a family during the Great Depression of the 1930s. The years that follow are both heartwarming and bittersweet.

Entertaining and emotional, Only the Living is a life story that could fit any one of the many thousands of European immigrants who brought to America the muscle and integrity that made it a great nation.