Colin’s Comments (group member since Dec 16, 2012)

Colin’s comments from the THE WORLD WAR TWO GROUP group.

My understanding is that is will go exclusively to streaming on AppleTV after HBO passed on the project.

I am working to take Nick Rowe's story to the screen, either as a film or limited series. He was a legend and a great guy.

Rona wrote: "Donal Miller's book is the basis for the upcoming series by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg. Miller's account is well written and engaging. I look forward to reading Njiboer's."

When Spielberg's SDTA hired me as the Luftwaffe historical adviser, I was surprised at the detail they wanted. 9 months of working on that for them, it should be pretty good.

Rona wrote: "Donal Miller's book is the basis for the upcoming series by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg. Miller's account is well written and engaging. I look forward to reading Njiboer's."

Spielberg and Hanks are really wanting to get this series historically correct. They hired Dale Dye and myself as the technical advisers, so the last 9 months were busy. Hopefully we will get the same crew on our film, The Star of Africa.

Jerome wrote: "A September release:

by Donald Nijboer
Description:
The US Eighth Air Force-known as the “Mighty Eigh..."

My last book, Above the Reich had interviews with 8th AF pilots, and Doolittle and LeMay had great insights.

This is a prom video we did a couple of months ago. We are completing the final feature film script edits now. Using the interviews I conducted and the book I wrote as the benchmark.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9Ndx...

We have some great acting, directing and production talent involved. My website www.heatonlewisbooks.com has all of our military/WW II film projects with posters illustrated. I am glad that some friends of mine jumped on board The Star of Africa project, and we have Dale Dye as executive producer, John Kani as the older Mathias, etc..

I would also suggest Five Years to Freedom, written by my late friend Col. James N. Rowe

Looks interesting, I will have to see this.

Vernon had a strange history indeed. He had three brothers in the war, my grandfather (the oldest) was KIA Oct. 1944, his youngest brothers were Army Air Corps and a US Marine, and they all survived.

About 230,000 WW II vets still alive in the USA

KOMET wrote: "I'd like to recommend "Samurai!" by Saburo Sakai.



Sakai was a fighter pilot in the Imperial Japanese Navy who saw action in China and in ..."

I knew and interviewed Saburo. The short version was publicshed many years ago in WW II magazine, if memory serves. I am now working on a film adaptation of his life, after we finished the next projects in motion.

Bryan wrote: "Boudewijn wrote: "Just finished Stalin's War: A New History of World War II. A very interesting book which provides a new look at the conflict, poses new questions and, one should a..."

FDR was out of his depth at every level. All the Europeans had a better grasp of the war and politics than he did.

Bryan wrote: "Boudewijn wrote: "Just finished Stalin's War: A New History of World War II. A very interesting book which provides a new look at the conflict, poses new questions and, one should a..."

Pamela Harriman said that Churchill "...had always thought that Hitler was more trustworthy, at least you knew where he stood. Stalin on the other hand, was more of an enigma and you could always expect the opposite of what he said to be done."

Jonny wrote: "Somewhat less 'lovely', Daniel Todman turned up this story from one of the first casualties of Operation Drumbeat, the Nazi weasels of the sea's* killing spree off the US eastern seaboard:Among the..."

It was a gruesome time indeed. My great uncle Vernon Harris went down on two ships but survived both, and two of my interviewed U-boat commanders each had a hand in putting him in the water, once each, Topp of U-552 and Hardegen of U-123

KOMET wrote: "I'm deeply immersed in reading "Johnnie Johnson's 1942 Diary: The War Diary of the Spitfire Ace of Aces", edited by Dilip Sarkar MBE.

[bookcover:Johnnie Johnson's..."

Johnnie Johnson was one of the most contentious and difficult interviews I ever conducted, out of over 400. I will not go in depth, but just say that Johnson's ego was huge, and I gathered that he felt underappreciated for his efforts. Bader got a knighthood at least, and others had the VC. I gathered more insights from other RAF aces about him also during and after the war.

carl wrote: "Colin wrote: "I knew Rex Barber and Tom Lanphier. Those guys bitched about who got Yamamoto for decades."

And they were still fighting about it. This booklet details the 1985 symposium that the ..."

Testimony from the surviving Zero pilot all point to Barber getting the credit.

'Aussie Rick' wrote: "The first of three volumes on Patton as a combat commander; "Patton's War: An American General’s Combat Leadership, Volume I: November 1942–July 1944" by Kevin M. Hymel.

[bookcover:Patton's War: A..."

I have know Kevin Hymel since the mid 1990's when he was an editor at Cowles (later renamed Primedia Publications) and he is a solid historian.

Good book, Chris Browning did great job on that one. his research method was applied to a book I wrote; Occupation and Insurgency dealing with that same subject but from a different perspective.

Simon wrote: "MR9 agree as to judging, Cromwell is a tough one for the modern mind. Forget democracy, his aim was a Godly England, a thorough going Reformation. It takes an effort to think now in those terms.

I..."
According to Churchill's ex-daughter in law who I interviewed, Churchill knew that the age of empire was over with the end of WW II. He wanted Britain to be at the forefront of a new world order, seen as the victor in freedom and democracy. Can't do that when you own other people and their lands.

Manray9 wrote: "Liz V. wrote: "Max Hastings's opinion piece on Winston S. Churchill
https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/art...-..."

I agree, we can't judge those men through the lens of today