Podcast Series: “Fighting Through from Dunkirk to Hamburg”

(See my other Podcast related posts) – I listen to a lot of podcasts while driving, working in the yard, or just setting and relaxing. Lately I have subscribed to several podcasts that are dedicated to WWII history. One of these is the “Fighting Through from Dunkirk to Hamburg” podcast.

These podcasts have been created by Paul Cheall, the son and editor of his late father Bill Cheall’s second world war memoirs. More than 60 episodes of this podcast have been released so far. He says on his website:

Since Dad’s WWII memoirs were published by Pen and Sword, I’ve been in contact with the families of several of his former comrades. The amazing amount of original, unpublished WW2 material I’ve been sent inspired me to produce a podcast to share with the whole world what these brave men, women and boys went through. I’ve got letters home, anecdotes, memoirs, battles, photographs, interviews with veterans … the lot. All blended into an engaging edge of the seat offering. There’s comedy, drama, poignancy and tragedy in abundance.

And the collection of material continues to expand, gradually extending beyond Dad’s immediate circle to other wars and spheres of battle, such as the brutal WWI battle of Gallipoli.

I began listening to the podcast with episode 1 which was published April 11, 2013. I have most recently finished #24. Episodes range from about 30 up to 90 minutes in length. I’m a couple of years behind, but I am catching up rapidly. The primary focus is on the British Army infantry unit the Green Howards Regiment, but he covers material from a variety of sources.

The stories told on this podcast deal with the war in a personal way. I have enjoyed listening to this podcast. Not surprising, the podcast has gathered more than 150 5-star ratings on Apple Podcasts. If you are interested in WWII history, you will enjoy this podcast.

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If you are interested in the WWII era of history, you may find these three pages of interest. 

• The “World War II Sources” page is a constantly growing collection of more than 490 links to museums, memorials, websites, Facebook pages, Twitter feeds, and other sources with information on the World War II-era in history.
• The “World War II Timeline” page expands almost daily and shows events leading up to WWII, as well as during the war. Events are broken down into the Pacific and European Theaters by date.
• The About WWII page is a collection of links to posts that I have made over the years that are relevant to WWII.

Pacific War in art – 1945

Here is the final post by GP Cox with artwork from WWII Pacific Theater. This has been a great series on his blog and well worth my repeating it.
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If you are interested in the WWII era of history, you may find these three pages of interest.
* The “World War II Sources” page is a constantly growing collection of more than 490 links to museums, memorials, websites, Facebook pages, Twitter feeds, and other sources with information on the World War II-era in history.
* The “World War II Timeline” page expands almost daily and shows events leading up to WWII, as well as during the war. Events are broken down into the Pacific and European Theaters by date.
* The About WWII page is a collection of links to posts that I have made over the years that are relevant to WWII.

Pacific Paratrooper

I wish all of the distinguished artists of WWII could have been included – here is the final year of the Pacific War…

“Battle of Luzon” by: Yorozujiro Terauchi, 1945
Mandalay, Burma, by: David Pentland, Feb. ’45
Pacific Glory” by: Nicholas Trudgian

It is March 1945 and the P-38’s of the 475th FG are involved in a huge dogfight with Japanese Zeros over the coast of Indo-China. Flying “Pee Wee V” is Lt Ken Hart of the 431st Fighter Squadron, who has fatally damaged a Zero in a blistering head on encounter. The second P-38L – “Vickie” – belongs to Captain John ‘rabbit’ Pietz, who would end the War as an Ace with six victories. Signed by three highly decorated P-38 pilots who flew in combat with the 475th Fighter Group in the Pacific theatre during World War II.

‘The Great Tokyo Air Raid’ by: Hashimoto Kimisuke, 10 March ’45…

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Book Review: “I Flew for the Fuhrer: Memoirs of the Third Reich’s Pilot”

(See all my Book Reviews and Author Interviews) – Author Heinz Knocke published the book “I Flew for the Fuhrer: Memoirs of the Third Reich’s Pilot” in 2012 (the original version of the book appeared in 1954). This is Mr. Knocke’s only publication.

I received an ARC of this book through https://www.netgalley.com in return for a fair and honest review. I categorize this book as ‘PG’. The book tells the story of Luftwaffe pilot Heinz Knocke.

Knocke’s story begins in 1935. The book relates his experiences during the war from his diary. As a fighter pilot, he was credited with more than 50 aerial victories. He survived the war, in part due to wounds suffered during the final months that grounded him.

Knocke flew more than two thousand missions during the war. He ended his wartime Luftwaffe career as the commanding officer of a fighter wing.

I found the 6+ hours I spent reading this 236-page memoir from WWII very interesting. I have only come across a few books in English written from the Axis point of view. They give a different perspective on the War. I think that the chosen cover art is a little dull. I give this book a 4 out of 5.

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

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If you are interested in the WWII era of history, you may find these three pages of interest. 

• The “World War II Sources” page is a constantly growing collection of more than 490 links to museums, memorials, websites, Facebook pages, Twitter feeds, and other sources with information on the World War II-era in history.
• The “World War II Timeline” page expands almost daily and shows events leading up to WWII, as well as during the war. Events are broken down into the Pacific and European Theaters by date.
• The About WWII page is a collection of links to posts that I have made over the years that are relevant to WWII.

Book Review: “Bikini State Red”

(See all my Book Reviews and Author Interviews) – Author Paul Whiteman published the novel “Bikini State Red” in 2019. This looks to be his first publication.

I received an ARC of this novel through https://www.netgalley.com in return for a fair and honest review. I categorize this novel as ‘PG’ because it contains a little Violence. The story is set in the 1990 era UK. There are several characters that are important in the novel. Commander Tom Falconer is the most prominent character.

The gist of the story is that the Royal Navy has been conducting tests of a secret missile system in the North Sea. While the test vessel is on the return trip to the UK things disappear. Missing is the principal scientist, a sample missile, and secret documents. Falconer has retired but becomes involved in the investigation. He is looking for a former crew member who disappeared after the ship had arrived back in the UK.

The Russians are behind the left of the secret information. The story becomes a mystery/thriller as the identities of the Russian agents are pursued. There is also the matter of the men who have disappeared.

I enjoyed the 5.5 hours I spent reading this 202-page mystery/thriller. Even though the plot was simple, I liked it. It was a ‘lightweight’ thriller and was a little slow. The cover art is very plain, but it is OK. I give this novel a 3.7 (rounded up to a 4) out of 5.

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

Book Review: “Ancestral Night”

(See all my Book Reviews and Author Interviews) – Author Elizabeth Bear (https://www.elizabethbear.com) published the novel “Ancestral Night” in 2019. This is book one of her “White Space” series. She has published more than 15 novels.

I received an ARC of this novel through https://www.netgalley.com in return for a fair and honest review. I categorize this novel as ‘R’ because it contains scenes of Violence and Mature Language. The story is set well into the 24th century. The primary character is spacecraft engineer Haimey Dz.

Dz is one-third of a salvage crew. She, pilot Connla Kurucz, and the ship AI Singer make up the full crew. They look for human or alien relics which they sell to scratch out an existence. Their preferred hunting ground is a scar left by an unsuccessful ‘White Transition’.

While trying for that one ‘big score’ they make a surprising discovery. While Dz is exploring their find, a ‘pirate’ vessel attacks. She ends up marooned with pirate Zanya Farweather. Dz is attracted to the other woman but does not trust her.

Dz wonders if she will end up the prisoner or worse of the pirates. Dz and Farweather spend many days alone, but trust never comes.

I enjoyed the 17+ hours I spent reading this 493-page science fiction novel. I thought that the novel was a little odd. Most of it was slow and the character Dz spent much of the time chatting with herself. It was not very clear where the plot was headed. More time seemed to be spent on Dz thinking about her feeling and her life than on a plot. The cover art is OK. I give this novel a 3.5 (rounded up to a 4) out of 5.

You can access more of my book reviews on my Blog ( https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/).

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

Pacific War in art – 1944

More good WWII artwork from GP Cox

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If you are interested in the WWII era of history, you may find these three pages of interest. 

• The “World War II Sources” page is a constantly growing collection of more than 490 links to museums, memorials, websites, Facebook pages, Twitter feeds, and other sources with information on the World War II-era in history.
• The “World War II Timeline” page expands almost daily and shows events leading up to WWII, as well as during the war. Events are broken down into the Pacific and European Theaters by date.
• The About WWII page is a collection of links to posts that I have made over the years that are relevant to WWII.

Pacific Paratrooper

As promised, here is an example of other works of art for the following year of the Pacific War…

USMC in the Marshall Islands, 31 Jan 1944, by: James V. Griffin

 

Truk Island, Carolinas, by: Frank Lemon

 

RNZAF, May 1944 with Corsairs

 

Saipan Jun-july 1944, by: Robert Benney

 

War Weary, by: Jack Fellows

 

Guam, July-Aug. by: Howard Gerard

 

Peleliu Invaded, Sept. 1944, By: Tom Lea

 

Avengers of the Philippines, by: John D. Shaw

November 14, 1944 . . . As smoldering enemy ships mark a trail to Manila Bay, Avengers and Hellcats of Air Group 51 overfly the isle of Corregidor on their return to the carrier U.S.S. San Jacinto.

With the misty mountains of Bataan standing as a silent sentinel, Naval LT (JG) George H.W. Bush pilots his TBM in one of his last combat missions of WWII. The valor of Bush’s…

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Book Review: “Aces: True Stories of Victory and Valor in the Skies of World War II”

(See all my Book Reviews and Author Interviews) – Author Bill Yenne (https://www.billyenne.com) published the book “Aces: True Stories of Victory and Valor in the Skies of World War II” in 2020. Mr. Yenne has published more than three dozen novels and non-fiction books.

I received an ARC of this book through https://www.netgalley.com in return for a fair and honest review. I categorize this book as ‘G’. The book comprehensively covers the top ace pilots in the Axis air forces as well as in the Allied air forces.

Only a few pages are dedicated to each pilot, but there are a large number of aces covered. The book looks at the major powers – the US, British, German, Russian, Italian, and Japanese. It also mentions those from the smaller countries who were top aces. The aces from Finland (The winter War) are included as well. There is even a small section covering Russian women who qualified as aces. The book contains many vintage photos of the pilots and their fighters.

I thought that the 8.5 hours I spent reading this 240-page WWII history were interesting. I had read of some of these pilots before, but this book included many I had not been aware of. It is surprising how many pilots qualified as an Ace (Generally, 5 planes confirmed shot down). I was amazed at the total number of planes some of these pilots had shot down. I like the cover art. I give this book a 4 out of 5.

You can access more of my book reviews on my Blog ( https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/).

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

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If you are interested in the WWII era of history, you may find these three pages of interest. 

• The “World War II Sources” page is a constantly growing collection of more than 490 links to museums, memorials, websites, Facebook pages, Twitter feeds, and other sources with information on the World War II-era in history.
• The “World War II Timeline” page expands almost daily and shows events leading up to WWII, as well as during the war. Events are broken down into the Pacific and European Theaters by date.
• The About WWII page is a collection of links to posts that I have made over the years that are relevant to WWII.

Book Review: “Task Force Baum”

(See all my Book Reviews and Author Interviews) – Author James D. Shipman (https://www.james-shipman.com) published the novel “Task Force Baum” in 2019. Mr. Shipman has published six novels.

I received an ARC of this novel through https://www.netgalley.com in return for a fair and honest review. I categorize this novel as ‘R’ because it contains scenes of Violence. The story is set in March 1945 in Germany. The primary characters are a mix of Americans and Germans. While this is a novel of fiction, the event is part of history. Most of the characters in the novel are real people.

In the closing weeks of WWII General Patton sent a small force behind enemy lines to free prisoners held in a POW camp. This novel is a dramatization of that raid.

Task Force Baum had many things working against it. The force sent was too small, a reinforced company. Baum is leading merely 300 men on the mission. The intelligence on the POW camp was faulty. Though the end of the war was near the German troops resisted the American thrust.

I enjoyed the 8.5 hours I spent reading this 338-page historical fiction novel. This was a well-written novel that I think gives a good feel for the military on both sides. The majority of the events described are factual. While the cover art is a little dull, I do think it represents the plot of the novel. I give this novel a 4.5 (Rounded up to a 5) out of 5.

You can access more of my book reviews on my Blog ( https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/).

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

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If you are interested in the WWII era of history, you may find these three pages of interest. 

• The “World War II Sources” page is a constantly growing collection of more than 490 links to museums, memorials, websites, Facebook pages, Twitter feeds, and other sources with information on the World War II-era in history.
• The “World War II Timeline” page expands almost daily and shows events leading up to WWII, as well as during the war. Events are broken down into the Pacific and European Theaters by date.
• The About WWII page is a collection of links to posts that I have made over the years that are relevant to WWII.

Book Review: “Keep Calm and Carry On, Children”

(See all my Book Reviews and Author Interviews) – Author Sharon K. Mayhew (https://skmayhew.blogspot.com) published the novella “Keep Calm and Carry On, Children” in 2019. This is her first publication.

I received an ARC of this novella through https://www.netgalley.com in return for a fair and honest review. I categorize this novella as ‘PG’ because it contains a few scenes of Violence. The story is set in the UK during late 1940. The primary character is eleven-year-old Joyce Munsey.

Munsey and her eight-year-old sister Gina survive a German raid on London during the Blitz. Their parents decide that the girls need to leave for a safer location. They become part of the Operation Pied Piper exodus in September of 1940. Their destination is Leek, Staffordshire in the West Midlands of England.

On the long train ride to their temporary home, the girls meet two other children, Sam Purdy and Molly Neal. They are both about Joyce’s age. The Mumsey girls and Molly end up with caring foster families. Sam ends up with a man that just wants him for farm labor.

The kids all end up in Leeks and are able to continue their friendship. The kids stumble upon men involved in the black market. This puts them in a dangerous situation.

I enjoyed the 2.5+ hours I spent reading this 157-page young adult mystery. The mystery is ‘lightweight’, but that seems appropriate for a young adult book. I like the view of WWII as seen through young adults’ eyes. Clearly, this seems to be the start of a series of books describing the kid’s adventures. I like the selected cover art. I give this novella a 4 out of 5.

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

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If you are interested in the WWII era of history, you may find these three pages of interest. 

• The “World War II Sources” page is a constantly growing collection of more than 490 links to museums, memorials, websites, Facebook pages, Twitter feeds, and other sources with information on the World War II-era in history.
• The “World War II Timeline” page expands almost daily and shows events leading up to WWII, as well as during the war. Events are broken down into the Pacific and European Theaters by date.
• The About WWII page is a collection of links to posts that I have made over the years that are relevant to WWII.

Book Review: “The Terror Raids of 1942: The Baedeker Blitz”

(See all my Book Reviews and Author Interviews) – Author Jan Gore published the book “The Terror Raids of 1942: The Baedeker Blitz” in 2020 (Dec). This will be her second publication.

I received an ARC of this novel through https://www.netgalley.com in return for a fair and honest review. I categorize this novel as ‘R’ because it contains scenes of Violence. The book tells about series of German air attacks in 1942. These are referred to as the Baekecker Blitz. This is because of a German Foreign Office announced in April 1942. It had announced ‘We shall go out and bomb every building in Britain marked with three stars in the Baedeker Guide’.

Hitler directed that these raids be made. They were in retaliation for British raids on the German towns of Rübeck and Rastock. They are terror raids as they primarily targeted civilians and historical buildings. The cities of Exeter, Bath, Norwich, York, and Canterbury were the target of these raids.

Included are many facts about the air raid shelters in use and the Air Raid Wardens. The book tells the stories of those who lived through the raids and of some of those who died. The raids occurred during the April to June 1942 period.

I thought that the 6+ hours I spent reading this 240-page history were interesting. I learned a few new things from reading this book. In particular, I was surprised at how may took refuge in Morrison Shelters. It is hard to imagine spending hours in a 6.5 ft long, 4 ft wide, and 2.5 ft high wire cage. Especially when many shared that cage with another adult and children. I do like the chosen cover art. I give this book a 4 out of 5.

You can access more of my book reviews on my Blog ( https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/).

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

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If you are interested in the WWII era of history, you may find these three pages of interest. 

• The “World War II Sources” page is a constantly growing collection of more than 490 links to museums, memorials, websites, Facebook pages, Twitter feeds, and other sources with information on the World War II-era in history.
• The “World War II Timeline” page expands almost daily and shows events leading up to WWII, as well as during the war. Events are broken down into the Pacific and European Theaters by date.
• The About WWII page is a collection of links to posts that I have made over the years that are relevant to WWII.