Old Flames: Teen Bullies & Prep School Cruelty

Bullies: How Prep School Bullying, Hazing and Unspeakable Abuse Altered a Young Man's Future

Gus is blessed with wealth, family legacy and opportunity. His family produces the boots worn by the US military. "Everyone wore Gordon boots—from the newest recruits to the most senior officers in the United States Army and Marine Corps. Gordon boots carried the mystique of Prussian militarism; the smell of victory in soft, thick black leather." His father's exceptional exploits in the First World War "made even the most arrogant look like failures." Prep school, by contrast, becomes a daily fight for survival. Bullies set his room on fire, and finally, the vicious attack - the point of no return for an innocent young man. With the help of a Serbian para-military thug hired by his father, Gus is transformed into a decorated "flame throwing" Marine. But war medals cannot erase the childhood trauma, nor the pain he inflicted as a result. Hoping to mend deep emotional wounds, Gus seeks redemption in love from an otherwise "perfect" woman who cannot provide it.

Teens who suffer from bullying or hazing - and their parents - must read this book. Wealthy moms and dads cannot assume that their precious children are safe behind private school or prep school walls. The slide into a life of pain and betrayal begins with one treacherous act. Superficial investigations and apologies only add fuel to the flames. Old Flames also paints the life of a Jewish family so assimilated among New York's elite in the early 1940s that their Jewish heritage is never mentioned, let alone discussed - even as the Nazis march to power. Pro-war, Gus soon discovers how combat destroys survivors. The story is timeless.

Arthur Samuels was born and raised in New York City (BA Vassar College, MA Fordham University, M.Ed Columbia University). An educator for twenty years, he lives in New York with his wife, son and Golden Retriever.