Introduction to the WW2 Site - Please Say Hi Showing 4,601-4,650 of 4,899

[Colin]

Christine wrote: "Hi,

My name is Chrissie and I live in Massachusetts.
I joined goodreads way back in 2009, but didn't discover this WW II group until a few days ago.
So far I've only participated in the Goodreads..."

Hi again, Chrissie. Nice to see we landed in the same group around the same time. CB

[Colin]

Marc wrote: "Welcome aboard, Colin and Chrissie. Great to have you both join us!"

Cheers, Marc. Much appreicated. Looks like a livey and active group - puts some of the others on GRs to shame. Keep it up! CB

[Christine]

Colin wrote: "Christine wrote: "Hi,

My name is Chrissie and I live in Massachusetts.
I joined goodreads way back in 2009, but didn't discover this WW II group until a few days ago.
So far I've only participate..."

Hi Colin, yes, it's very nice.

[Jonny]

Christine wrote: "Hi,

My name is Chrissie and I live in Massachusetts.
I joined goodreads way back in 2009, but didn't discover this WW II group until a few days ago.
So far I've only participated in the Goodreads..."

Allow me to add my welcome Christine, I'm sure you'll bring some interesting perspective.

[Christine]

Thank you, Jonny. You mean I might bring some perspective, because I spent two thirds of my life in Germany?

Cheers,

Chrissie

[Jonny]

Bang on Chrissie.

[Christine]

Jonny, one of the reasons why I never really felt comfortable being a German was the common disinterest in the Holocaust and in WW II, even in my own generation (born in 1955), the baby boomers.

At school the history teacher talked about everything starting with the old Romans up to the Weimar Republic and then starting with the old Romans again, as if the decades between 1932 and 1974 didn't exist.

She did not even talk about the Cold War or the Berlin Air Lift. My parents told me about the Holocaust, the Berlin Air Lift, the C.A.R.E. packages from the US which saved their lives after WW II when many Germans (and also many British people!) were starving.

If I started talking about the Holocaust in my German circle of friends, they changed the topic as if they were ashamed of me bringing it up.
Such reactions were more and more often proof to me that something is very wrong in the German society. They were not willing to work it out. Maybe the German student revolt was willing to do that, but not the following generations.

So when I received my US citizenship in 2008, I dropped the German citizenship, because they refused to change my last name at the German embassy in Boston in my German passport. I never regretted not having kept dual citizenship.

Occasionally I do read all those German books by Sabine Bode and Bettina Alberti and other authors on the so-called trans-generational WW II trauma which according to these authors and many German psycho therapists still shows up 3 or 4 generations after the war.

My parents were too young to participate in the war, my dad turned 14 in June 1945, so he was not even forced to join the Hitler Youth.
My mom fled from Poland with her parents when the Russian front was approaching.
A few years ago my husband needed some security clearance for his employer and some department located in our capitol checked if I had Nazis in my family. I was happy to find out that there were none. Not on my father's side and not on my mother's side. I highly doubt if they were Nazis that they would have given me "The Diary of Anne Frank" on my 13th birthday and taken me to Amsterdam to visit the Anne Frank House in 1968.

Anyway, from what my German friends told me over the past 20 years since I immigrated to the US, most Germans now have this attitude that their ancestors had such a hard time during WW II because of all the allied bombing.
Well, if Hitler wouldn't have bombed London first, the Allies wouldn't have bombed Germany. I feel no pity for the German civil population. Many of them hailed Hitler when he drove in an open car through German cities. Many of them voted for him. And many of them were members in the NSDAP, the Nazi party.

Banged on enough, Jonny? :)

Chrissie

[Christine]

I'm still busy reading the many introductions of the WW II Group.
How can I find books on the Allies and Western Europe starting with the Invasion of Normandy in June 1944 and after? So far I've only noticed books on the Pacific theater. I'm less familiar with that.

[Manray9]

Christine wrote: "I'm still busy reading the many introductions of the WW II Group.
How can I find books on the Allies and Western Europe starting with the Invasion of Normandy in June 1944 and after? So far I've on..."

Start here:

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Then go here:

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

[Christine]

Mille grazie, ManRay9! :)

[Sherwin]

Jonny wrote: "Bang on Chrissie."

Hi! And welcome to the group. Thanks for sharing your perspective. My father, after serving as a US infantryman in Italy 1944 was reassigned to be an MP in France and Germany in 1945. While there he befriended a German family in Iggelheim. You may find his story interesting, especially since you are an immigrant, too. It's entitled, "Private Good Luck" Private Good Luck

[Jonny]

Christine wrote: "Jonny, one of the reasons why I never really felt comfortable being a German was the common disinterest in the Holocaust and in WW II, even in my own generation (born in 1955), the baby boomers.

A..."

Absolutely splendid, thanks Chrissie.

[Christine]

Sherwin wrote: "Jonny wrote: "Bang on Chrissie."

Hi! And welcome to the group. Thanks for sharing your perspective. My father, after serving as a US infantryman in Italy 1944 was reassigned to be an MP in France ..."

Sounds intriguing, Sherwin! Thank you.

[Christine]

Jonny wrote: "Christine wrote: "Jonny, one of the reasons why I never really felt comfortable being a German was the common disinterest in the Holocaust and in WW II, even in my own generation (born in 1955), th..."

Glad you liked it. :)

[Colin]

Christine wrote: "Jonny, one of the reasons why I never really felt comfortable being a German was the common disinterest in the Holocaust and in WW II, even in my own generation (born in 1955), the baby boomers.

A..."

That's all very interesting stuff, Chrissie. Thanks for sharing it. I have quite a few English and German family and friends - there's a mix of reactions and POVs to all the aspects of WWII, including the difficult post-war period. I often urge people to write down their memories (memoirs). The stories from both sides are worthwhile. Regards CB

[Christine]

Colin, I wish my mother would have told me more about WW II, but as she lost her brother and her father (he died while they were fleeing from Poland to West Germany in Thuringia), it was always a very difficult topic for her which made her cry. Now she's 93 and sometimes she starts talking on the phone about her WW II memories.

[Bernice]

Hi Christine,
I am very moved by your posts.
Forgive this shameless self promotion, but I think you would appreciate my book, which tells a lot about the British fighting their way up into Germany from Normandy: All the Horrors of War: A Jewish Girl, a British Doctor, and the Liberation of Bergen-Belsen.
All good wishes,
Bernice (Lerner)

[Bernice]

https://www.amazon.com/All-Horrors-Wa...

[Paul]

Manray9 wrote: "Christine wrote: "I'm still busy reading the many introductions of the WW II Group.
How can I find books on the Allies and Western Europe starting with the Invasion of Normandy in June 1944 and aft..."

I would strongly encourage you to look at the histories written by Stephen Ambrose. Many of his books deal with exactly the areas you are asking about. Band of Brothers of course became an acclaimed TV series, but his other WW II books are just as good. (He also wrote histories of other events, and those are great reading, too).
Ambrose was so moved by his research in writing the WW II books that he founded a WW II museum, co-sponsored by Tom Hanks, in New Orleans. The primary focus of the museum started out as being about the Normany landings and the museum itself houses some landing craft that were part of the Normandy invasion.

[Paul]

The books of historian Stephen Ambrose cover many topics related to the Normandy invasion and its immediate aftermath. Of course, one of those, Band of Brothers was also made into cinema.
Ambrose joined with Tom Hanks to found a museum in New Orleans that deals with the invasion and also houses some of the landing craft that were used.

[Christine]

Paul wrote: "Manray9 wrote: "Christine wrote: "I'm still busy reading the many introductions of the WW II Group.
How can I find books on the Allies and Western Europe starting with the Invasion of Normandy in J..."

We visited this WW II Museum in New Orleans during Thanksgiving week of 2017. It's impressive!!!

[Simon]

Not read Stephen Ambrose but rated him in World at War, deep and sensible comments.

"There have been numerous well documented allegations of plagiarism, inaccuracies, and sloppiness in Ambrose's writings in addition to claims that he has made about his works."

Not something I investigated, and I still like him.

[Colin]

Stephen Ambrose was good historian, I give him that. HOWVER- he was also a plagiarist who stole intellectual property in a few cases. He also hired grad students to do research for credit, then stole their work and never gave them publication credit. He personally sabotaged a book signing I was having with him, Ron Drez and others at the WW II Museum during the grand opening of the Pacific Wing in 2001. he was an unashamed showman as well. Even the New Orleans PD got involved. When he died I shed not one tear.

[Manray9]

Colin wrote: "Stephen Ambrose was good historian, I give him that. HOWVER- he was also a plagiarist who stole intellectual property in a few cases. He also hired grad students to do research for credit, then sto..."

I have mentioned this previously, but the late Jean Edward Smith in his excellent bio of Ike, Eisenhower in War and Peace, noted that Ambrose claimed to have interviewed Ike at times and places when documentary evidence indicated Ike was elsewhere. I cannot countenance such.

[Perato]

I just generally avoid Ambrose because there's just too much of the mentioned problems with his works. I don't want to be constantly second guessing if the thing is a honest mistake, embellishment, copied from someone else or straight up made up.

[Jonny]

Long before I was aware that Ambrose had any sort of accusations leveled at his work, I thought he was a bad historian. His D-Day (why he didn't just admit he was writing about Omaha and be done) and Citizen Soldiers are two of only three books I've ever throw in a bin.

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

Jonny wrote: "Long before I was aware that Ambrose had any sort of accusations leveled at his work, I thought he was a bad historian. His D-Day (why he didn't just admit he was writing about Omaha and be done) a..."

I enjoyed his "Pegasus Bridge" but like you Jonny I had issues with his other books.

[Tony]

I’ve only read his “Band of Brothers”, which I’m afraid bored me to tears.

[Ryan]

I've just joined this group and am excited to hear of new books to read. In addition to authoring a novel about the Resistance movement in France during WWII, titled Dirty Quiet Money (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00Q77MXDM/...) , I'm a big fan of books from this era, including The Longest Day. Thank you.

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

Hi Ryan and welcome to the group :)

[Peter]

Hi All,
I read in Battle of Britain, Bletchley Park, areas of the Pacific War, etc. look forward to hearing about other theaters, actions. On my shelves under History, mostly.
Peter

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

Hi Peter and welcome to the group. Here are some threads covering your areas of interest:

Battle of Britain:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Intelligence Ops:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

This link will send you to all the various WW2 theatre threads:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/group...

[BA]

Hello - I've just joined this group and am interested in participating in your reading challenges; are there any for March or April?

WWII personal accounts and memoirs, especially regarding the air war, as well as WWII fiction, are my main interests. My father was an avid reader; one of his favorite subjects was WWII and fighter aircraft. I have good memories of reading his collection of WWII pilot and air crew memoirs and books when I was growing up (1960s-1970s); sadly, I don't recall the titles and I am hoping to re-discover them, as well as new books, here.

I've also taken a recent interest in the Grumman F6F Hellcat - any recommendations on pilot memoirs, personal accounts, or fiction on this topic?
Thank you in advance for any recommendations/suggestions.

[Mike, Assisting Moderator US Forces]

I've been falling behind in this thread. Welcome Chrissie, Ryan, Peter and BA. Really great to have you all join us here.

BA: you can find the the group buddy reads here at message 1084:

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/... April theme is - "Submarine warfare or surface naval engagements"

Will have to look around for specific accounts of the Hellcat.

[Manray9]

BA wrote: "Hello - I've just joined this group and am interested in participating in your reading challenges; are there any for March or April?

WWII personal accounts and memoirs, especially regarding the a..."

Welcome, BA.

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

BA wrote: "Hello - I've just joined this group and am interested in participating in your reading challenges; are there any for March or April?

WWII personal accounts and memoirs, especially regarding the a..."

Hi BA,

I will send you a message later but in the meantime these are the theme reads for the rest of the year:

April - Submarine warfare or surface naval engagements.

June - 1942 Russia - Case Blue, or Siege of Leningrad, or Battle of Midway.

August - Operation Pedestal, and/or air & naval battles for Malta, or Dieppe.

Oct. - Battle of El Alamein or Operation Torch.

Dec - Members choice or a general WW2 social/cultural book.

[BA]

'Aussie Rick' wrote: Hi BA, I will send you a message later but in the meantime these are the theme reads for the rest of the year:

Thank you! And thanks to Manray9 and Mike, too!

I look forward to reading with this group.

[Reem]

Hello all! I’m a politics and history undergraduate at the LSE, and I’m really excited to join this group! Thanks for adding me :). I’m particularly interested in the politics of the war, and the dynamics of relationships between superpowers.

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

Hi Reem and welcome to the group, glad you found us :)

[Marc]

BA wrote: "Hello - I've just joined this group and am interested in participating in your reading challenges; are there any for March or April?

WWII personal accounts and memoirs, especially regarding the a..."

Welcome to the group. I'm a fellow lover of World War II aviation and when it comes to US naval aircraft, the author Barrett Tillman is a great place to start:

Wildcat: The F4F in World War II

Hellcat, the F6F in World War II

And my personal favorite, the F4U Corsair:

Corsair: The F4U in World War II and Korea

All of these books were written quite awhile ago, but I think softbound versions are available on Amazon. Good luck and never hesitate to ask for recommendations!

[Marc]

Reem wrote: "Hello all! I’m a politics and history undergraduate at the LSE, and I’m really excited to join this group! Thanks for adding me :). I’m particularly interested in the politics of the war, and the d..."

Welcome aboard, Reem.

[Perato]

Welcome Reem and BA. And all others I've might've missed earlier this year. Welcome all!

[BA]

Marc wrote: Welcome to the group. I'm a fellow lover of World War II aviation and when it comes to US naval aircraft, the author Barrett Tillman is a great place to start...

Awesome - thank you so much!!

And thanks to all for the nice welcome to the group.

[Mike, Assisting Moderator US Forces]

Reem wrote: "Hello all! I’m a politics and history undergraduate at the LSE, and I’m really excited to join this group! Thanks for adding me :). I’m particularly interested in the politics of the war, and the d..."

Welcome to the group Reem, great to have you join us.

[Colin]

BA wrote: "Hello - I've just joined this group and am interested in participating in your reading challenges; are there any for March or April?

WWII personal accounts and memoirs, especially regarding the a..."

Ironically, I am currently finishing my next manuscript for Dutton/Penuin-Random House. This follows the series of interviews I did with pilots from WW II over the years. The last book I released was Above the Reich. This next one is currently titled Above the Pacific, complete interviews with three MOH recipient fighter pilots: Boyington, Foss and McCampbell. The latter scored his 34 kills in the F6F, so you may like it.

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

Bryan wrote: "Hi everyone, I’m Bryan and I've grown up loving and studying the literature, film, history and philosophy of the western world. I'm an author and at the moment completing a master's degree in Old N..."

Hi Bryan and a warm welcome to the group, if you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask :)

[Manray9]

Bryan wrote: "Hi everyone, I’m Bryan and I've grown up loving and studying the literature, film, history and philosophy of the western world. I'm an author and at the moment completing a master's degree in Old N..."

Welcome, Bryan.

[Mike, Assisting Moderator US Forces]

Hi Bryan, welcome to the group and very nice to have you join up.

[Marc]

Bryan wrote: "Hi everyone, I’m Bryan and I've grown up loving and studying the literature, film, history and philosophy of the western world. I'm an author and at the moment completing a master's degree in Old N..."

Welcome to the group, Bryan.

[Jonny]

Bryan wrote: "Hi everyone, I’m Bryan and I've grown up loving and studying the literature, film, history and philosophy of the western world. I'm an author and at the moment completing a master's degree in Old N..."

Welcome to the group Bryan.