Jeep Show in the Media
Media Materials
Jeep Show Included Among “Breezy Reads for Late Summer”
Denton Record-Chronicle‘s Book Talk: “Intriguing insights and bawdy language prevail.”
Bob Talks Writing With Book Banter’s Dianne Burckhardt
Two authors chat about character development and how much research is too much
DIANNE: “Since you did fictionalize these real events, whenever you were talking about your characters — and I know with Mickey Rooney, it’s easy, he’s a big character and everyone knows who he is — but for your other characters, do you envision friends or other actors? How do you put together your characters for this?”
BOB: “Oh, what an interesting question. I’ve never been asked and I’ve never thought about that.”
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“It’s A Page-Turner and It’s So Much Fun”
Host James Gardner explores history through people’s stories
Bob and James discuss storytelling, how the book came to be, the real-life inspirations behind Tanzer’s journey and the important role of performance in lifting the spirits of troops near the front lines.
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What’s The Scuttlebutt Podcast: “A Masterclass On How To Take Historical Content And Make It Such A Good Read”
Hosts Don Abernathy and Dennis Blocker talk “M1 Thumb” and other easter eggs
“There were three pieces of equipment that I just became obsessed about … One of the things they tell would-be novelists is don’t do too much research before you write your first draft because a lot of what you learn will end up being edited out. I did not follow that advice because it’s just so fascinating … So I probably added an extra two years onto the writing process.”
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Lessons In Systems Thinking From the Battle of the Bulge
Bob joins host Chris Kitchener of the Battling With Business podcast
Why “being there” can be more powerful than big speeches, how organizations (military or otherwise) respond when missions change and what WW2 can teach modern leaders about team resilience.
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Jeep Show Live on The Outcasts Creative
Bob talked entertainment, morale & the Battle of the Bulge with “massive World War II guys,” co-hosts Lance Nielson & “The Inside Man”
The Inside Man, who performed in and worked on every episode of legendary television show Band of Brothers: “I would urge anybody who has any interest in history whatsoever (let alone an interest in history of World War II or the American Armed Forces). This is a unique piece of work.”
“I definitely felt like I was kind of living through the war in Jim’s eyes”
Civics & Coffee host Alycia dives into the details of the historical research behind Jeep Show
Bob O’Connor: ““I think that historical fiction can help people understand the past because many people are not interested in, in reading nonfiction. And, you know, when you get to a topic like World War II or the army in World War II, it’s daunting, you know, there’s a hundred great books on World War II, from the American side, let alone the Brits and the, you know, the Russians. So it helps to reach readers who are interested in reading a good story.”
Jeep Show Joins Killingly Public Library Lit Talks
Bob discusses reading, writing & research with KPL librarians Claudette and Kim
“It took me a long time because I ignored the good advice, did huge amount of research, but I am now a subject expert on Vaudeville, on Billy Sunday, and on many other obscure American history topics.”
The Stories Behind Jeep Show On Stories By Joe
“What really drew me to your book was the idea of finding joy in possibly the darkest of moments or in the on the front lines in in a place that other people wouldn’t go”
Joe Geidel is a storyteller and filmmaker who is dedicated to the idea of a living history. He and Bob discuss how joy survives adversity, why excellence matters, and the enduring power of stories to connect and transform.
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Ambient Arcana’s Dramatic Reading of Jeep Show
Strange and unusual stories set to an ambient soundtrack
Protagonist Jim Tanzer meets a young soldier from Boston in a foxhole in Luxembourg in this excerpt from Chapter 8 of Jeep Show — A Trouper at the Battle of the Bulge.
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Restore 22 Coffee Roadshow Explores Morale & More
The organization aims to inform, inspire, strengthen and engage the veteran community
“Blending meticulous research with vivid storytelling, O’Connor brings to life the little-known story of a group of entertainers turned soldiers who risked their lives to lift spirits on the front lines during one of the most brutal battles of WWII.”
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Forgotten Hollywood Explores A Forgotten War Story
Host Doug Hess speaks with Bob O’Connor on the A-list Hollywood talent who served in WWII Jeep shows
“I have talked to several historians and, you know, I’m a writer, not a historian, but I have talked to several historians who specialize in World War II. And they have never heard of Military Occupation Specialty 442 or enlisted entertainers. And I have talked to even more, as you would expect, World War II nerds. And God bless them, and none of them have heard of it. So I really felt that this was a story that needed to be told. And so I wrote the book.”
Jeeps & A Fiat On To All The Cars I’ve Loved Before
The surprising thing both vehicles have in common
Bob waxes nostalgic over his 1972 Fiat 128 and talks real and fictional enlisted entertainers touring frontlines in Willys Jeeps.
Brothers On Books: “You really get inside the head of a soldier in war”
Hosts Jack & Alex Allweil speak with Bob O’Connor about research, writing & how he settled on the story
“For me, research is fun and writing is hard. The research part of it was really fun … I over-researched the book, which is a great way to procrastinate.”
Talking Jeep Show & Jeep shows on the Jeep Talk Show
Bob talk all things Jeep with host, founder & off-road enthusiast Tony
The Jeep Talk Show is a passionate community hub for Jeep enthusiasts with a focus on off-road culture. They are now celebrating 15 years of connecting Jeep lovers through podcasts and videos.
Bob O’Connor Joins Tracer Rounds on Military Broadcast Radio
Bob spoke with host Terri Lynch on family service, morale, and the origins of Jeep Show
The Tracer Rounds Podcast on Military Broadcast Radio dives deep into military life, veterans’ issues, and current events. Much like the tracer rounds used in combat to illuminate the path forward, the podcast aims to shed light on critical topics that matter to service members, veterans, and their families.
Jeep Show Excerpt as Performed By HWMS Audio Theatre
How We Manage Stuff: An international theatre company that produces stories about life, friendship & the world
Small shows. A single vehicle and a couple of entertainers. But they were the ones who engaged the front line troops. They went to the battle, to the, places where the USO didn’t go. They saw the war as it was and helped the soldiers to their do their job. They also found themselves in adventures of their own.
Cast: Narrated by Ron Bianchi with voice by Michelle Thomas-Hanson.
Jeep Show On Tactical Treasures With Host Tracy Flanagan
Bob discusses writing: “It’s not what I was getting paid to do — it is just what I needed to do to feel satisfied with my life”
“Tactical Treasures” shares the stories of Veterans, Military spouses, Military family members, and patriotic Military supporters that have been impacted by a specific item, lesson, or recommendation in their life.
HILF: WWII Soldiers & Blue Language
Bob joins host, comedian & profanity enthusiast Dawn Brodey for a surprisingly serious conversation on historical sources
Dawn Brodey: “I’m constantly deep in the throes of some historical tome. And it’s my job to kind of take all the boring history and then render it into a compelling story, right? But, in Jeep Show, you did all of the heavy lifting. I called this book — it is historically appropriate, if not historically accurate.”
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History In Motion Meets Jeep Show
“A captivating account of how makeshift entertainment reached troops in dire conditions”
This episode delves into one of World War II’s most dramatic moments: the Battle of the Bulge. Amid the frozen Ardennes, a surprise German offensive tested the Allies at a pivotal point in the war. At the heart of this saga is Brigadier General Anthony “Tony” McAuliffe of the 101st Airborne Division, whose legendary “Nuts!” became a timeless symbol of defiance under siege in Bastogne.
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The Army of Great Men On Lessons From WWII’s U.S. Army
Host Adam Derges delves into what readers today can glean from Jeep Show‘s men
“It’s part of my philosophy of living, if you will … Sometimes it’s time to retreat, and sometimes it’s time to turn and fight. So it was very important for me that when Jim was retreating, it’s a fighting retreat — and kind of a stumbling fighting retreat — but when he gets to Bastogne, he turns and fights. That’s an important turn in the book.”
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The Star Who Stood With Soldiers on Badass of the Week
Host Ben Thompson and Bob O’Connor discuss Mickey Rooney’s extraordinary service
“He is one of the biggest entertainers in the world. He is wealthy and famous and he doesn’t have to be in Europe, in the Ardennes forest performing out of the back of a jeep for a bunch of guys who are out there fighting … There were rumors, especially in the Ardennes, of infiltrators, like German soldiers dressed in American uniforms, operating behind the lines. And this is dangerous for him to be here.”
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Jeep Show On The Curious Man Podcast
The curious man Matt Crawford reckons “a day where nothing is learned is a day wasted”
“I wanted to stick my protagonist right in the middle. So he could be — the readers could be — experiencing what it was like to be retreating one step ahead of a marauding, desperate German army.”
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W.W.A.A. with Kristy Mickleson meets Jeep Show
Bob joins the podcast that specializes in writing, wrestling, and advocacy
“Mickey Rooney, in the book, refers to Jeep shows as the K-ration version of a USO show. Now, K-rations were the portable, not very delicious, rations that soldiers at the front line ate because they weren’t anywhere near a field kitchen. And so the Jeep shows were essentially almost little vaudeville shows.”
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Another Day Above Ground: The Podcast For Baby Boomers
Bob joined hosts Dale Irvin, Carolyn Strauss & Tim Slagle for a look back at WWII
Baby Boomers weren’t in World War Two but probably had a father, uncle or neighbour who was. Bob discussed his father and uncle’s service overseas, the origins of Jeep Show and more — with some added hilarity.
“The Extraordinary Comes Out Of Ordinary People.”
Host Mark Turnbull of Aging Today dives into aging, WWII and the power of storytelling
“The Army drafted, you know, wealthy people from New York. It was a cross section of America, and I think that was that was one of its great strengths …Those young men were also coming out of the Depression and that was very hard times for most people. So they were probably a little tougher and used to privation more than we you know, we would be today. But I think — to me — the most striking thing is the Army represented America as a whole.”
Mickey Rooney, the G.I. Bill and Patriotism on The Advocate Brigade
Bob joined TK of The Advocate Brigade, a group musicans and artists that write, play, and perform different in styles. “The realism of being in battle one day and then — the next day — you’re in the chow hall and you’ve got this famous movie star and you’re like … Is this even real life or am I in a movie myself?“
Talk With History Talks Morale: How To Build It, How To Keep It
From hosts Scott & Jennifer: “Think of the likes of Mickey Rooney entertaining troops instead of just making movies. It’s a wild twist on history that not many folks know about!”
Shoutout LA: Meet Bob O’Connor
Bob discusses favourite quotes, inspiration and the art of story telling with Shoutout LA, an online magazine devoted to mom-and-pops, small businesses, independent artists and creatives.
A Few Minutes Of History On The Shows Behind Jeep Show
Host Jake Corfield and Bob O’Connor discuss soldier shows and an Army version of Hamlet
Bob: “You had a varied group in the Morale Corps. You had playwrights, you had musicians, you had comedians, you had dancers. You had Mickey Rooney – the most famous actor in the world in 1939. So it was an assortment of men suited for dreaming up and executing entertainment.”
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Conversations In Time Podcast On Characters Fictional and Real
Exploring the potential what ifs and whatever happened in history, technology and the human experience
Bob: “The American Army was much larger than the American Navy, the Marines or the Army Air Force. Much larger than those services combined so the Army had to rely on the draft … So The Army was the only institution in the war that represented the American people as a whole. They drafted immigrants who could not speak English – they had to teach them English to understand their orders. They drafted PhDs. They drafted young men from poor areas like Appalachia. My father told me there was a young man in his barracks who said his army boots were the first pair of shoes he’d ever owned all by himself.”
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A Simple Conversation on Morale and More
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American Warrior Radio Does Its Homework
Host Ben Buehler-Garcia discusses Mickey Rooney’s motivations and accolades, including a Bronze Star
American Warrior Radio tells the stories of our men & women in the military, those who support them and sharing issues of importance to veterans and their families.
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Let’s Get To The Bottom Of That: WWII Morale Edition
The podcast dedicated to getting past the official story gets the lowdown on Jeep Show and Jeep shows
Let’s Get To The Bottom Of That, a self-described “bunch of wierdos on a mic,” had this to say about Jeep Show: “I really like it, by the way. I’m almost done with it. I’m about like 50 to 75 pages from being done. I got it last week and I’ve just been gobbling it down. It kind of reads like a tour of the Battle of the Bulge.”
History in Motion Dives Deep Into Hitler’s Desperate Gamble
Bob joins hosts Paul and Ritchie to delve into one of World War II’s most dramatic moments: the Battle of the Bulge. Amid the frozen Ardennes, a surprise German offensive tested the Allies at a pivotal point in the war. At the heart of this saga is Brigadier General Anthony “Tony” McAuliffe of the 101st Airborne Division, whose legendary “Nuts!” became a timeless symbol of defiance under siege in Bastogne.
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Rave Review From Leading WWII Site D-Day, Normandy & Beyond
“An unexpectedly delightful World War II novel that expertly blends history with fiction”
“O’Connor provides a rich depiction of wartime life, from dramatic moments aboard ships and coping with harsh weather to the emotional toll of injuries and loss … The characters, both historical and fictional, are fully realized, and O’Connor’s sharp dialogue feels authentic. Humor, particularly stemming from Rooney’s involvement, adds a lightness that contrasts with the otherwise somber setting. The inclusion of real-life figures like Rooney is seamless and serves as a poignant reminder of Jim Hetzer’s real-life experiences.”
“It was brilliant. And it was entertaining.”
Jake Corfield speaks with Bob O’Connor on the UK Perspective On WWII
Bob O’Connor: “The book has been well received by by literary critics but also, and more importantly, these men and women that just can’t get enough about World War II have told me it checks out as historically accurate. Interestingly, many of these people that have spoken to me said they do not read fiction and did not think they would enjoy this book because it is fiction. But in fact because it is a gripping story but it is also extremely accurate to historical fact, they they read it and and liked it so I’m very pleased with the reception so far.”
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Everything Is A Primary Source with Eric Salmonsen
Bob O’Connor discusses the little-known true history that lies behind Jeep Show
“One of the things I like best is I have given this book to historians and World War II buffs – or World War II nerds – and no one that I have talked to yet is aware that there were enlisted men providing entertainment at the front lines so there’s always that surprise among these experts.”
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Jeep Show on Famous Interviews with Joe Dimino
Bob O’Connor discusses his first childhood story on a New York hot dog cart, risks and his path to becoming a writer
“Any time you make a creative project, you are taking a risk.”
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US History Repeated on the Evolution of Troop Entertainment
Bob O’Connor goes into the details of maintaining morale beyond the USO and mail from home with hosts Jeananne Xenakis and Jimmy LaSalle
Bob O’Connor: “If you’re going to do the hard things in life – and nothing great comes easy – you’ve got to have morale. Enthusiasm and willpower are great to start with but they tend to fade.”
“This Was Too Good To Leave Alone:” Two Motrin and Water
Hosts and veterans Jorge Loza and Wesley Reynolds discuss morale, entertainment and how we persevere through hard things
From the Episode Description: “From heartfelt anecdotes to behind-the-scenes glimpses of his research, this episode is a must-listen for history buffs, book lovers, and anyone inspired by the resilience of the human spirit.”
History Unpacked Unpacks Fiction From Real Life
Host Eric Flynn on Jeep Show‘s historical Easter eggs: “There’s a lot of cool touches to the book”
Bob O’Connor: “I did so much research that I just had to get some of it down on paper.”
Jeep Show On History From The Homestead
Bob O’Connor and Host Thomas Carroll on the unique role of Jeep shows to WWII frontline combat troops
“I was studying Mickey Rooney’s squad – he would hang around and talk to the GIs and sign autographs. They had yo-yos or baseballs they’d take along and give them out. What I found was, the show was appreciated and if it was Mickey Rooney, it was pretty funny. But it wasn’t really the show. It was the fact that these guys had come all that way to be physically present with these combat soldiers. Just to sit down and shoot the breeze with them after the show and give them something to write home about … It was the being present as much as doing the show that helped with morale. Frontline troops were isolated, they slept outside. It was very uncomfortable, this was the coldest winter in Europe in 80 years and of course they were constantly under threat.”
Into the Weeds’ Amber Deitz Asks: “What Is The Battle of the Bulge?”
Author Bob O’Connor explains the backstory on one of the pivotal battles of World War 2
“This was December, 1944. The Allied army, mostly American but also some British and some free French, had advanced by September to the German border. They got stuck there because they had outrun their supply lines. The Germans had brilliantly wrecked every port as they surrendered territories … The Allied armies were stuck in eastern Belgium and Luxembourg.
Outrageous History Podcast On the History That Inspired Jeep Show
Host Ernest Granson and Bob O’Connor discuss the real-life outrageous history of Mickey Rooney volunteering for the draft in WWII: “Mickey Rooney certainly did his service.”
“He’s a fascinating character. He was the leading box office star in America in 1939 – can you imagine the leading box office star now joining the army and doing simple entertainment for frontline soliders? I’d like to think it would happen. Rooney was considered an absolute genius by directors he worked with and other actors. In his personal life, he was absolutely off the rails …
“To his credit, he could have served in Hollywood … Rooney chose to be in the European theatre of operations. He did many things but the thing that interested me the most was he was the leader of a Jeep show squad. They and one other enlisted performer would drive to just behind the front lines and do these – in the book, Mickey calls them the ‘K-Ration’ version of a variety show.”
Jeep Show On 1001 Heroes, Legends, Histories and Mysteries
Host Jon Hagadorn and Bob O’Connor discuss classic Hollywood stories behind the book
Jon: “Even current-day shows like SNL could really benefit by going back to some of the great acts that came out of vaudeville, like the great acts that were used in the Jeep shows. They could really spice up that show just using acts that are 80 years old but still make you hold your sides.”
Bob: “The basics never changes. Details change but the basics of what is funny never changes.”
Read Beat … and Repeat On Hitler’s “Reckless Gamble”
Host Steve Tartar and Bob O’Connor also delve into how WWII’s Ardennes Offensive became known as the Battle of the Bulge
“After the initial surprise, many American troops stopped and fought brilliantly and stubbornly. Even though many of them were eventually overrun, they threw the Germans off their timetable by several days … And, you know, it probably shortened the war by six or seven months … It is the largest battle ever fought by the U.S. Army. The defence of Bastogne was an immediate legend.”
Jeep Show Meets The Veterans Breakfast Club Greatest Generation Roundtable on the Battle of the Bulge
Host Glenn Flickinger and a panel including Bob O’Connor commemorate the 80th anniversary of the decisive battle
Bob was honoured to join Veterans Breakfast Club for the Greatest Generation Roundtable on the Battle of the Bulge. The panel and guests including veterans of the conflict offered a wealth of little-known details and insight about the last major German offensive on the Western Front of WWII.
Sacred Gyre Podcast Features A Wide-Ranging Discussion on History, Morale and the Work Behind the Book
Host Emily Newberry goes in-depth into the research and history behind Jeep Show
Emily: “After I read your book and then went on to your website, I think I counted about 30 books, articles and videos that you used as research and I’m just wondering, what does that say about you as a person and a writer?”
Bob: “One thing it says about me as a writer is doing too much research is a great way to procrastinate, if you’re curious – and I am curious – because research is fun and writing is hard.”
Veterans Radio Podcast: “I Couldn’t Put It Down”
Robert O’Connor explains what a Jeep show is to host Dale Throneberry
“The Army in World War II went to great lengths to try to make sure that the troops did not get bored and perhaps do things that the Army wouldn’t approve of … The soldiers on the front lines, though, never saw the big USO shows and never got many of the things that were easier to do in the rear echelon. Jeep shows were organized in late 1943, early 1944, to get entertainment to these frontline combat infantrymen.
“The way it worked is three of these enlisted entertainers would get in a Jeep with a driver and they would drive just behind the front lines where the front line combat troops may have been brought back for a hot meal, maybe a shower.
“Unlike pilots who might do a certain number of combat missions and then be rotated back to the States, when you were in an infantry division the only way out was to be badly wounded or captured or killed … Nothing beats mail from home, but the next best thing is to get some entertainers to physically be present up at the front. And so that is how Jeep shows came about.”
