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David Perry

Grab bag of books provides insights on good, bad beds

It's time for a change of pace from talk of warranties, hot retail concepts, luxurious latex, etc. This week, we share some fascinating insights into beds and sleep from the eclectic mix of books that occupied us this summer.

We start with Winston Groom's "1942: The Year That Tried Men's Souls." Groom, the author of "Forrest Gump" and several history books, writes about the tragedy and triumph of that pivotal World War II year. Along the way, he also tells us about the history of the phrase "taking to the mattresses."

As Groom describes how military wives near Pearl Harbor took refuge from the attack that morning, he notes that "some hid under mattresses." That leads him to this footnote: "The expression 'taking to the mattresses' was a time-honored tradition in Sicily, lower Manhattan, Chicago, and other regions with large Italian populations where gang warfare was prevalent."

Note: So "The Godfather" got that right.

Sticking with the World War II theme, we move to "Franklin and Winston: An Intimate Portrait of an Epic Friendship," by Jon Meacham. He brings those two great figures to life, and shares some great quotes on sleep from Churchill, who always looms larger than life.

During a tough stretch in 1942 — an intriguing connection to our first book — Churchill wrote: "I went to bed, browsed about in the files for a while, and then slept for four or five hours. What a blessing is the gift of sleep."

Note: How much more blessed would Churchill have been had he gotten a full eight hours of sleep?

Near the end of the book, Churchill reflects on the prospect of his death: "I look forward to dying. Sleep, endless, wonderful sleep — on a purple velvety cushion. Every so often I will wake up, turn over, and go to sleep again."

Note: It's a comforting thought that our eternal sleep will be on a really great bed. It sounds like Churchill was thinking of a purple pillowtop. I haven't seen any of those lately.

We end this little literary journey with a quick visit to one of our favorite novels, "Moby-Dick." In Chapter 3, Ishmael writes of a sleepless night at the Spouter-Inn: "Whether that mattress was stuffed with corn-cobs or broken crockery, there is no telling, but I rolled about a good deal, and could not sleep for a long time."

Note: I think that comment about broken crockery must be a … crock. Corn-cobs, on the other hand, are just another natural filling material, albeit a tough one.

Hope you enjoyed this literary jaunt. May you enjoy the blessings of sleep on your own velvety cushion, with no corn-cobs or crockery interrupting your sweet dreams. And if things aren't going your way, may you "take to the mattresses" to take the fight to your competitors.