Memorial Day is celebrated in the US on the last Monday in May. Unlike what some think, it is not a day set aside for a family BBQ and the welcoming of summer.
This day has been established as a time to honor all military men and women who have died in service to the country. It was originally known as Decoration Day, but in 1971 the US Congress made Memorial Day a national holiday. The roots of Memorial Day reach back to the US Civil War. The first Memorial Day is cited by some as 1 May 1865 in Charleston, South Carolina. Other sites have contested this and it is unknown where it was actually started.
It has become a custom to place flags and flowers on military graves.In 2000, The National Moment of Remembrance Act encourages all to pause at 3 p.m. Local time on Memorial Day for a minute of silence.
(See my other Texas Military Forces Museum related posts – The Living History detachment of the Texas Military Forces Museum will present Vietnam War reenactments 27 & 28 May for Memorial Day. Showtimes on Saturday will be 11 AM & 2 PM. On Sunday it will be at 1:30 PM. The reenactments will proceed rain or shine.
Watch an attack on a bunker complex.
See an M113 armored personnel carrier in action.
Learn about uniforms and equipment.
Discover the realities of the Vietnam War.
Blank weapons firing demonstrations of some of the most famous small arms of Vietnam.
Stroll by the 50 vehicles and aircraft outside the Museum, then come inside and explore 200 years of Texas Military history in the 26,000-square-feet of exhibits
If you can’t visit this weekend, the museum is always free and is open 10AM to 4PM Tuesday thru Sunday. If you are unable to visit the Museum in person, there are now four Virtual Tours. Go to this website and you can view tours of:
The Great Hall
The 19th Century Gallery
36th Gallery-WWI and WWII
Cold War to Global War on Terror.
The Texas Military Forces Museum is located in Building 6 on Camp Mabry in Austin, Texas. The street address of Camp Mabry is 2200 West 35th Street. While the Museum is open to the public, all adults must show a photo I.D. for entry to Camp Mabry.
(See all my Book Reviews and Author Interviews) – David Smiley https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Smiley is the author of three books. Albanian Assignment: The Memoir of an SOE Agent in World War Two was published in 2020 Originally published in 1984). It is the first volume in his Extraordinary Life of Colonel David Smiley series. It is the 27th book I completed reading in 2023.
I received an ARC of this book through https://www.netgalley.com with the expectation of a fair and honest review. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own! Due to scenes of violence, I categorize this book as R.
In 1943 as a member of SOE, David Smiley was dropped by parachute into Greece and made his way to Albania. This book is his memoir from that assignment.
He spent much of his time in the field dealing with the mostly communist partisans and the rebels. They often fought each other as often as they fought the Germans. He was forced to deal extensively with the politics of the region.
I enjoyed the 6 hours I spent reading this 216-page WWII history. I find that memoirs from the war period are always interesting. They usually give a personal perspective on the period. I like the vintage photo used as the cover art. I give this novel a rating of 3,7 (rounded to 4) out of 5.
If you have an interest in the WWII era of history, you may find these three pages of interest.
The “World War II Resources” page is a constantly growing collection of more than 610 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 frequently 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. Included are links to many fiction and non-fiction books on WWII that I have read and reviewed. There are also links to WWII oriented podcasts.
(See all my Book Reviews and Author Interviews) – Sinclair McKay is the author of more than a dozen books. The Fire and the Darkness: The Bombing of Dresden, 1945 was published in 2020. It is the 21st book I completed reading in 2023.
I received an ARC of this book through https://www.netgalley.com with the expectation of a fair and honest review. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own! Due to minor scenes of violence, I categorize this book as PG.
It was mid-February of 1945 when British and American bombers targeted Dresden. The first half of this book paints a vivid picture of life in Dresden in the years before the attack. The author touches on the artistic, musical, and scientific achievements of the city. Dresden was a sophisticated and international city. It was full of beautiful architecture and historical buildings. The stories of a variety of Germans are recorded. Old and young. Workers and artists. Civilian and Nazi officials.
One wave of bombers after another hit the city between 13 and 15 February. Nearly 1300 heavy bombers of the RAF and US Air Force participated in the attack. They dropped nearly 4000 tons of bombs and incendiary devices on the city. The author describes the attack and aftermath from the resident’s experiences. The aftermath of the raid and the rebuilding efforts while Dresden was part of East Germany is described.
The firebombing of both German and Japanese cities raised controversy at the time. The debate continues on the ethics of the raids. With the war rapidly approaching an end, was the raid justified?
I enjoyed the 12.5 hours I spent reading this 386-page WWII history. This book is very readable and gives a different perspective on the war. I like the chosen cover art. I give this book a rating of 4 out of 5.
If you have an interest in the WWII era of history, you may find these three pages of interest.
The “World War II Resources” page is a constantly growing collection of more than 600 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 frequently 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. Included are links to many fiction and non-fiction books on WWII that I have read and reviewed. There are also links to WWII oriented podcasts.
At 1130 will be a 19th Century weapons demonstration
At 1300 will be a World War II battle reenactment
In addition there will be:
Living History Camps from the Civil War through Vietnam
Military Vehicles
Military Vehicle rides
Souvenirs
Stroll by the 50 vehicles and aircraft outside the Museum, then come inside and explore 200 years of Texas Military history in the 26,000-square-feet of exhibits
If you can’t visit this weekend, the museum is always free and is open 10AM to 4PM Tuesday thru Sunday. If you are unable to visit the Museum in person, there are now four Virtual Tours. Go to this website and you can view tours of:
The Great Hall
The 19th Century Gallery
36th Gallery-WWI and WWII
Cold War to Global War on Terror.
The Texas Military Forces Museum is located in Building 6 on Camp Mabry in Austin, Texas. The street address of Camp Mabry is 2200 West 35th Street. While the Museum is open to the public, all adults must show a photo I.D. for entry to Camp Mabry.
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If you have an interest in the WWII era of history, you may find these three pages of interest.
The “World War II Resources” page is a constantly growing collection of more than 600 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 frequently 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. Included are links to many fiction and non-fiction books on WWII that I have read and reviewed. There are also links to WWII oriented podcasts.
(See all my Book Reviews and Author Interviews) – Paul Roland is the author of more than 40 books. Life Under Nazi Occupation: The Struggle to Survive During World War II was published in 2020. It is the 17th book I completed reading in 2023.
I received an ARC of this book through https://www.netgalley.com with the expectation of a fair and honest review. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own! I categorize this book as G.
After the German Army had swept over Europe, what was it like to live under their domination? That is what author Paul Roland tries to answer in this book. He looks at how the people in the occupied countries responded.
Some young women chose to fraternize with their enemies. Young Aryan (or Aryan-looking) women were encouraged to have sex with Germans, to grow the Aryan population. On the other hand, Germans having sex with Jews or undesirables were subject to severe punishment.
Many men and women in the occupied lands took incredible risks seeking to strike back through participation in Resistance groups. The Germans offered the locals inducements to cooperate, to betray their countrymen. Those that failed to toe the Nazi line were subject to intimidation and brutality. The Nazis were especially harsh on the Jews and others they considered undesirable.
I enjoyed the 6.5 hours I spent reading this 261-page WWII-era history. The book was dry but informative. I think that the chosen cover art is both interesting and eye-catching. I give this book a rating of 3.8 (rounded to 4) out of 5.
If you have an interest in the WWII era of history, you may find these three pages of interest.
The “World War II Resources” page is a constantly growing collection of more than 600 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 frequently 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. Included are links to many fiction and non-fiction books on WWII that I have read and reviewed. There are also links to WWII oriented podcasts.
(See all my Book Reviews and Author Interviews) – Michael FitzGerald is the author of more than a dozen books. Hitler’s War Beneath the Waves: The menace of the U-Boats was published in 2020. This is the 5th book I completed reading in 2023.
I received an ARC of this book through https://www.netgalley.com with the expectation of delivering a fair and honest review. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own! I categorize this book/novel as G.
Few of the European nations were ready for WWII when it began. Certainly, Germany had been building their military, but their navy hadn’t reached the level desired before hostilities broke out. That said, 1940 was a successful year for the Nazi U-boat fleet.
This book discusses the Norwegian campaign, then covers the Allied use of convoys and their associated escort ships. One of the factors that helped turn the tide against the German U-boats was the advancements in radar and HF/DF. Even so, the U-boats took a heavy toll on the convoys.
As the coverage of Allied anti-submarine aircraft is extended, U-boats found it even more difficult to hunt the ships. Most of the U-boat activity was in the North Atlantic but they also had a presence off of Norway to harass the Russian convoys.
Operations in the Mediterranean were limited and even more difficult after the Allied invasion of North Africa. A few U-boats were sent to a joint Japanese/German location in Malaysia, but their efforts were of limited success.
If you have an interest in the WWII era of history, you may find these three pages of interest.
The “World War II Resources” page is a constantly growing collection of more than 600 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. Included are links to many fiction and non-fiction books on WWII that I have read and reviewed. There are also links to WWII oriented podcasts.
In the email I received from them today and they noted that the 234 page ebook edition of Skies of Fire by Alfred Price is currently available from Amazon for FREE. The book was published in 2015. I have downloaded the book, but not read it yet.
If you are a student of WWII history you should act now to add this book to your bookshelf. These sales often last only a few days, so better to act soon.
If you have an interest in the WWII era of history, you may find these three pages of interest.
The “World War II Resources” page is a constantly growing collection of more than 600 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. Included are links to many fiction and non-fiction books on WWII that I have read and reviewed. There are also links to WWII oriented podcasts.
(See all my Book Reviews and Author Interviews) – Tim Heath is the author of eight books. Sex Under the Swastika: Erotica, Scandal and the Occult in Hitler’s Third Reich will be released on 16 February. This is the 1st book I completed in 2023.
I received an ARC of this book through https://www.netgalley.com with the expectation of delivering a fair and honest review. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own! Due to mature language and mature situations, I categorize this book as R.
The book begins by looking at the decadence during the days of the Weimar Republic. There were many nightclubs, particularly in Berlin. Around them swirled an atmosphere of drugs, alcohol, and sex. With the age of consent for women at just 16, many girls indulged in all three.
When the Nazis ascended to power in 1934, they tried to curtail the excesses. Many clubs were closed. Those who did not follow the Nazi family ideal were arrested as deviants, many being sent to the camps. The Nazis envisioned their youth to follow a healthy, athletic, family-oriented, and moral lifestyle.
Careers for women were frowned upon. Girls should marry early, often at 16 or 17. It was a moral duty for them to bear as many children as possible for the Third Reich. The government created the Cross of Honour of the German Mother to encourage this. A woman birthing four children earned the bronze medal, 6+ the silver, and the gold for eight or more.
The outdoors and exercise were integral parts of the Nazi-imposed BDM. Beginning with its creation in 1938 all girls aged 14 to 18 were required to be members. Nakedness was embraced as a form of naturism, nothing to be ashamed of, and perfectly natural. It was not uncommon for them to walk around the countryside or swim in the rivers and lakes naked.
Although a moral standard was held up as an example, many youngsters of both genders suffered sexual abuse. The threat of being called out as a Jew and sent to a camp enabled many predators to take advantage of young women. The list of abuses is long. In conquered areas military brothels known as ‘Joy Divisions’ were often established.
The Lebensborn program began in 1935. Aryan girls as young as 15 were encouraged to have sex with selected Aryan males. The plan was to increase the birth rate of Aryan children for the Reich. German girls were coached on the best sexual position to use to increase their chances of pregnancy.
I enjoyed the 10.5 hours I spent reading this 276-page WWII-era history. Much of the source material comes from interviews, letters, and journals. This is the third book by Tim Heath that I have read. The other two were Hitler’s Housewives: German Women on the Home Front and Resistance Heroines in Nazi- and Russian-Occupied Austria. They have all been enjoyable books on the history of WWII. While I knew some of the material discussed in the book, there was much that was new to me. The book includes several photos relevant to the story from the war period. I like the chosen cover art. I give this book a rating of 4 out of 5.
If you have an interest in the WWII era of history, you may find these three pages of interest.
The “World War II Resources” page is a constantly growing collection of more than 600 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. Included are links to many fiction and non-fiction books on WWII that I have read and reviewed. There are also links to WWII oriented podcasts.
In the email I received from them today and they noted that the 156 page ebook edition of The Battle of El Alamein: Fortress in the Sand by Fred Majdalany is currently available from Amazon for FREE. The book was published in 2013. I have downloaded the book, but not read it yet.
If you are a student of WWII history you should act now to add this book to your bookshelf. These sales often last only a few days, so better to act soon.
If you have an interest in the WWII era of history, you may find these three pages of interest.
The “World War II Resources” page is a constantly growing collection of more than 600 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. Included are links to many fiction and non-fiction books on WWII that I have read and reviewed. There are also links to WWII oriented podcasts.
John's Notes 