The Day Before the War

by Dennis Whitehead

Seventy-five years ago, German intelligence launched a series of raids on German facilities along the frontier with Poland. The attackers, though trained German provocateurs, posed as Polish insurgents and soldiers.

The highlight of these attacks was the assault on Sender Gleiwitz, a radio station in Upper Silesia. There, the attackers would broadcast their message of insurrection for the world to hear, giving solid evidence of Polish aggression and justification for Germany's Blitzkrieg upon Poland the next day.

The other two attacks were launched against a customs house and a forrestry station along the border.

The Day Before the Day provides details about these little-known events that ignited the Second World War in Europe.

67 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 8, 2014

About the author

Dennis Whitehead is a writer, photographer, and producer in Arlington, Virginia.

He is the author of The Day Before the War, recounting the events of August 31, 1939 along the German-Polish border that ignited World War Two in Europe.

Love and Sacrifice is his latest book, documenting an American family as they travel the world in military service, climaxing in unimaginable tragedy.

An updated edition of Love and Sacrifice is now available from the following outlets:

Amazon in print and ebook (https://www.amazon.com/dp/0986348821)

iBooks (https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/love...)

Barnes and Noble (https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/love... for color
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/love... for B&W)

Kobo (https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/love...)

Reviews

[Theresa Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recently, I read The Day Before the War by Dennis Whitehead. Enticed by its bright red cover, I picked it up to read one cold weekend afternoon because I wanted to know the answer to the question the title raised in my mind. I wanted to know what happened the day preceeding World War II that made a difference. At 96 pages, including interesting photos and maps it was a quick read. It is light, enjoyable and interesting, which I didn’t expect based on the topic. I read half-way through the book at my first sitting – only stopping after my spouse and children interrupted me numerous times. Had they not forced me to stop I would have kept reading until I finished.

I don’t remember all that I learned about World War II 30 -35 years ago. It is amazing to me that there are still new things to say 75 years later, but there still are. I don’t want to tell you what happens in the book because I don’t want to spoil it for you. Hitler and his henchman never cease to repulse or be a ragtag bunch of thoughtless fools. It is just shocking the lengths that some people will go to get what they want. It reminds me of one of the reasons why we study history -- to learn from past mistakes.

This book helps us not forget what happened. It made me think about current day situations throughout the world. Any book that leaves you curious to learn more is a gem. I think Dennis Whitehead has a talent for making this difficult subject accessible and informative.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book; the story is told thoughtfully and interestingly. I enjoyed the German terms throughout the book. Yes – I may be biased – my neighbor wrote it and gave me a copy when I asked for one. I will ask to buy some copies to send to relatives who I think will enjoy it. I think you will enjoy it too. So pick up this book and find out what happened in the days preceeding World War II.

[Quinn Smith-Perry · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Day Before the War by Dennis Whitehead is a fascinating account of what led up to World War II. Hitler wanted to invade Poland but he didn't want other countries to think that he had started the war unprovoked. Once Hitler realized that Poland would not be the one to attack Germany first he decided to take matters into his own hands.His plot to start the war, while avoiding blame was both elaborate and very creative. The ruthlessness and deceitfulness of Nazi Germany is shocking. This book is an in-depth look at how and why Hitler and his henchmen did what did.

As a high school student I have often learned about World War II in various social studies classes over the past few years. I was never taught about the events in this book. After reading the more specific account of what really happened I am certainly more interested in this topic. I highly recommend this book to other high schoolers and anyone interested in World War II.