Manfred Krutein spent World War II as...

Manfred Krutein spent World War II as a German U-boat officer. His wife, Eva, was forced to flee her native Danzig with their 14-month-old daughter. Danzig, which had been a free state, was annexed to Germany in 1939 and later became part of Poland.

Manfred and Eva Krutein, longtime residents of Irvine, have tapped their wartime experiences as authors.

Eva Krutein will sign her 1989 book “Eva’s War” and “Paradise Found, and Lost” (the 1994 book that picks up the story after her family immigrated to Chile in 1951), and Manfred Krutein will sign his 1995 novel “Hitler’s Last Gasp” at 3 p.m. today at Barnes & Noble in the Irvine Spectrum, 31 Fortune.

Also this week

* Russell Means, author of “Where White Men Fear to Tread,” will speak and sign at noon Wednesday at Planet Hollywood, 1641 W. Sunflower Ave., Santa Ana.

* An open poetry reading will be held at 8 p.m. Wednesday at Alta Coffee House & Roasting Co., 506 31st St., Newport Beach.

* Stella Togo Crawley, author of “In Honor of Women: A Revolutionary Approach to Preventing Breast Cancer,” will speak and sign at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Borders Books and Music, 429 S. Associated Road, Brea.

* Don Winslow, author of “The Life and Death of Bobby Z,” will sign at 7 p.m. Friday at Super Crown, 32411 Golden Lantern, Laguna Niguel.

* Lillian Roberts, author of “The Hand That Feeds You,” and Penny Warner, author of “Dead Body Language,” will sign at 1 p.m. Saturday at Coffee, Tea & Mystery, 13232 Springdale St., Westminster.

* A used-book sale will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the Crown Valley Public Library, 30341 Crown Valley Parkway, Laguna Niguel.

* Martin Limon, author of “Slicky Boys,” and Walter McCloskey, author of “Risking Elizabeth,” will sign at 1 p.m. Saturday at Book Carnival, 348 S. Tustin Ave., Orange.

* Cartoonist Kevin Fagan will sign copies of his new cartoon collection, “Son of Drabble,” at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at B. Dalton Bookseller in the Laguna Hills Mall.

Send information about book-related events at least 10 days before the event to Dennis McLellan, O.C. Books & Authors, Life & Style, The Times, 1375 Sunflower Ave., Costa Mesa, CA 92626.