Sunday, December 9, 2012

Looking ahead to 2013

The next meeting of the World War II Book Club will be Tuesday January 15, 2013, as usual at the Millburn Library commencing at 7PM. Our speaker will John W. Lanza,  author of the acclaimed Shot Down Over Italy-A True Story of Courage and Survival in Nazi-occupied Italy during World War II. 

John is a resident of Caldwell. After graduating from Bates College he was a banker in New York City for almost 40 years, retiring from JPMorgan Chase in 2008. He has an MBA from Baruch College and has taught undergraduate courses for over twenty-five years.

About John's Book: On May 26, 1944, a B-25 bomber with a seven-man crew was shot down over Nazi-occupied Italy. At the time, Italy was a battleground in a complex, controversial, drawn-out and bloody war of attrition. When disaster struck, the fate of each crew member rested, first, on the ability of the pilot to control the ship so they could bail out; and, second, on who reached them first when they hit the ground-Mussolini's Fascists, Hitler's Nazis, or the partisans that formed the Italian Resistance.

The stories of the fate of the airmen remained a mystery for many years. Lanza, after a long search in an effort  to locate relatives of the survivors of the crash,  and a trip to the crash site in Italy, was able to piece together a captivating true story with many fascinating aspects, including a pilot who put his crew's safety above his own, airmen who trusted partisans with their lives and airmen who as prisoners of war survived inhumane conditions. It is a riveting story and the event  promises to be another outstanding evening.

Future Programs

  • Tuesday, February 19, 2013: William B. Rogers, Ph.D. and Associate Dean of the Casperson School at Drew University will lecture on the campaign in the Pacific Theatre during World War II.  
  • Tuesday, March 19, 2013: Stephan Talty will provide a lecture on his book Agent Garbo - The Brilliant, Eccentric Secret Agent  Who Tricked Hitler & Saved D-Day.

Dues for The World War II Book Club

Some of our members may have forgotten to pay their dues.   Dues are $25.00 a year for a single membership and $30.00  for an entire family. We now follow the custom of many other organizations and charge dues commencing with the start of each new season which is September. Accordingly, we ask all members who have not yet done so  to pay their dues now. Please send a check to John J. McLaughlin 10 Farmstead Road Short Hills, NJ 07078 or pay at the next meeting. Please, if possible pay by check to assist our bookkeeping. Anyone with questions can call Dr. McLaughlin at 973-467-3313.

Happy Holidays - See you in 2013!

 The New Jersey World War II Book Club held its last meeting of 2012 at Pal's Cabin on December 6, where the holiday atmosphere was enhanced by great food and interesting conversations.   In order to spread the holiday cheer to our service men and women abroad, members were encouraged to write out holiday greetings on cards that would be collected and sent to our military personnel abroad.
  • A full description of the Red Cross program can be found here.
  • To view YouTube videos of the cards being delivered, click here.
In addition, Paul E. Zigo's presentation served as an important reminder as to the raison d'etre of Brookdale College's Center of World War II Studies, of which he is the founder and director.

Finally, thanks to Sharon Austin, here are pictures from our Holiday Party.  We also extend thanks to Sharon's husband Peter for providing us with wonderful key board Christmas music at the party.

 The first meeting of 2013 will take place on January 15, at 7 p.m. at Millburn Public Library.

Monday, November 12, 2012

Meeting Reminder


The next meeting of the World War II Book Club will be Tuesday, November 20, 2012, as usual at the Millburn Library commencing at 7PM. Our speaker will be Gregory J. W. Urwin, author of Victory in Defeat-The Wake Island Defenders in Captivity, 1941-1945.
           
Victory in Defeat is the detailed account of the defenders of Wake Island following their surrender to the Japanese on December 23, 1941. John McLaughlin heard Dr. Urwin at Brookdale College and was so impressed he immediately booked him for the World War II Book Club.

Annual Holiday Party - Thursday December 6. 

Our Annual Holiday Party will be held  at Pal's Cabin West Orange. The cost will be $50.00 per person. The dinner will be a fabulous buffet consisting of sirloin of beef, fish, chicken, vegetables and desert. Complimentary white and red wine will be supplied by the World War II Book Club. Soft drinks will be complimentary. Mixed drinks or cordials' will  be a cash bar. This dinner is open only to dues paid members.

Our Guest speaker will be Paul E. Zigo, Founder and Director of the Brookdale College Center of World War II Studies.

Please make your reservations early. Make checks payable to the World War II Book Club and mail to John McLaughlin, 10 Farmstead Road Short Hills, NJ 07078.

Note: The Book Club has been without e-mail for almost 2 weeks courtesy of Sandy and Comcast. Just restored this AM.

Monday, October 22, 2012

Dr. Urwin to Speak on November 20

The World War II Book Club will meet on Tuesday November 20, 2012, at the Millburn Library, 200 Glen Avenue. The guest speaker will be Gregory J. W. Urwin, Ph. D., author of Victory in Defeat-The Wake Island Defenders in Captivity, 1941-1945. The lecture will start at 7 PM.

Victory in Defeat is the detailed account of the defenders of Wake Island following their surrender to the Japanese on December 23, 1941. Dr.  Urwin spent decades researching what happened and now offers a revealing look at the United States Marines, sailors, soldiers, and civilian contractors in captivity. In addition to exhaustive archival research, he interviewed dozens of POW's and even some of their Japanese captors. He also had access to diaries secretly kept by the prisoners. This information has allowed him to explain how so many of these Americans survived three-and-a-half years in captivity and emerged with a much lower death rate than most other Allied personnel captured in the Pacific.

Dr. Urwin is a professor of history at Temple University and earned a Ph.D from the University of Notre Dame. He has written or edited nine books and received numerous awards.

On Tuesday January 15. John Lanza, a local author and historian from Caldwell will lecture on his award winning book Shot Down Over Italy, the story of a group of aviators whose plane was downed over Italy during the last stages of the war, and how some evaded capture and managed to return to their outfits. Lanza returned to Italy and located the remains of the fallen plane and reconstructed the remarkable last flight of the crew.

Membership Dues for the Book Club are $25.00 a year for a single membership and $30.00  for an entire family. Anyone with questions can call Dr. McLaughlin at 973-467-3313.

Sunday, October 7, 2012

Next Meeting October 16

The next meeting of the book club takes place at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, October 16 at the Millburn Public Library.  Mr. Del Staecker will talk about his father, a sailor on an attack transport ship in the Pacific during the heaviest fighting in the war.

Thursday, September 20, 2012

Great start to a new season of speakers

At our first meeting meeting, Dan Petach started off the fall schedule of Book Club presentations with a fascinating discussion of the Flying Tigers.  Included were pictures of Dan's uncle, Johnny "Pete" Petach and clips from video, FEI HU, The Story of the Flying Tigers which prompted the audience to ask many questions about this extraordinary group of pilots, Chennault, Vinegar Joe and their role in defeating the Japanese in China.  Many members of the Book Club showed up for this lecture, as attested by the lack of empty seats in the room!

Conversation also turned to General Wedemeyer and John McLaughlin, Moderator and founder of the New Jersey World War II Book Club, was pleased to announce that the Wall Street Journal had favorably reviewed his book, General Albert C. Wedemeyer, America's Unsung Strategist in World War II, "...he is to be applauded for shining a light on one of the least known U.S. commanders of the war."  To read the complete review, click here >>

Monday, August 27, 2012

Fall 2012 Schedule

On Wednesday, September 19 the World War II Book Club will open its fall schedule of monthly lectures by World War II historians and authors. Dan Petach will be our lecturer  on September 19.  Please note that this is a change of date. The original scheduled date for the lecture was Tuesday, September 18. Because Tuesday was  the second day of Rosh Hashanah we rescheduled the lecture for Wednesday.

All lectures are at the Millburn Library, 200 Glen Avenue, Millburn, New Jersey and commence promptly at 7 PM.

Dan Petach, historian of the famous "Flying Tigers" will deliver a lecture on the history of this famous group of World War II heroes. The American Volunteer Group (AVG), a flying formation known as the "Flying Tigers" because of the bared fangs painted on the noses of their fighters, was the brainchild of General Claire Chennault, a retired U.S. Army Air Force officer and advisor to the Chinese government prior to Pearl Harbor. Chennault had worked in China since August 1937 first as a military advisor to Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek in the early months of the Sino-Japanese War and then as director of a Chinese Air Force. It was Chennault's idea to recruit American flyers and form the "Flying Tigers". The pilots  were all volunteers and under an agreement with the Chinese government, they operated in China prior to Pearl Harbor throughout the year 1941 against an invading Japanese military, amassing an astounding record of success fighting the Japanese Air Force.

Dan Petach,  the nephew of Flying Tiger Ace Johnny "Pete" Petach, will relate the amazing story of the AVG and its history and how the AVG was inducted into the United States Army Air Force in December 1941, a event not popular with the free wheeling and fun loving pilots. Dan will tell the story of the famous feud between General Chennault and General Joseph  Warren "Vinegar Joe" Stilwell, and how that impaired the efficiency of the Flying Tigers after their "induction" into the United States Army, under Stilwell's command. 

Dan will tell us about  the exploits of his famous uncle, Johnny Petach who  married an AVG nurse, Jane Forster, while in China and he will also relate her adventurous story.

Dan, recognized as one of the few official AVG historians, resides in a Adelphi New Jersey. He will show a short film about the Flying Tigers, and will bring with him books,  pictures and other memorabilia relating to this exciting period of World War II history.

The schedule for the remainder of the year includes Mr. Del Staecker who will lecture on Tuesday October 16, about his father a sailor on an attack transport ship in the Pacific during the heaviest fighting in the war. On  Tuesday November 20 we will host Professor Gregory J. W. Urwin who will give us a talk about the heroic Wake Island defenders in the first days of the Pacific War. On December 6, the Book Club will again host its annual Holiday Dinner at Pals Cabin.  

Monday, May 28, 2012

HNN Reviews Wedemeyer Book

Thomas Fleming, former president of the Society of American Historians, has reviewed John J. McLaughlin's book on General Wedemeyer.  The title of his review "At Last, Honor for Albert Wedemeyer, a Great American Soldier" indicates the timeliness of this book.  Click here to read the review.

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

June 2012 Newsletter

May 21, 2012, Volume 2, # 17

On Tuesday June 19, 2012 John J. McLaughlin Moderator of the World War II Book Club will give a lecture on his just published book General Albert C. Wedemeyer: America's Unsung Strategist in World War II. As usual the lecture will be at the Millburn Library and commence at 7 p.m. This will be the final lecture of the Spring season. The lectures will recommence in September with the first lecture scheduled for Tuesday, September 18. Copies of John's book will be available for sale and signing for $18.00.

Dr. Josh Botts
Josh Botts, senior historian at the State Department delivered a wonderful lecture on the famous Yalta World War II Conference on May 15. Seventy five people were in attendance and thoroughly enjoyed his presentation. Dr. Botts was an overnight guest of the Book Club at the Short Hills Hilton, and the following morning had breakfast with John McLaughlin and retired State Department Foreign Service Officer and long time Summit resident Henry "Hank" Mueller.

Dan Petach
On Tuesday, September 18,  Dan Petach will lecture on the Flying Tigers, the World War II aces commanded by General Claire Chennault in the China Burma India Theatre. Dan is the son of one of the most famous of the Flying Tigers and has delivered this lecture to many audiences over the last 10 years. One of the fascinating things about the Flying Tigers is the remarkable feud between General Chennault and the then Commanding General of the Theatre, "Vinegar" Joe Stilwell. He will talk about a little known, but extremely important battle, and the role the Flying Tigers played in turning back a Japanese advance that had the potential to change the entire course of the Pacific war and force the Chinese to surrender. The consequence of a Chinese surrender would have released over a million Japanese soldiers then occupying China for use against MacArthur's forces in the Pacific. John McLaughlin heard Dan Petach's lecture last year and immediately booked him for the World War II Book Club.

Del Staecker
On Tuesday, October 16, Del Staecker will tell the story of his father's account of the USS Fuller, The Lady Gangster, an attack transport ship and its courageous crew of "Chicago Boys" who braved enemy fire to deliver troops and supplies to the South Pacific theatre during some of the toughest battles of the war.

Gregory J.S. Urwin
On November 20, we will close out the year with a lecture by Professor J.S. Urwin who will discuss his book The Siege of Wake Island Facing Fearful Odds. This lecture was presented last year at Brookdale College.

Treasurer's Report
Along with this Newsletter we send a Treasurer's Report so the membership will know our financial condition and be aware of how their dues are spent to bring you the best speakers and the best programs. We are grateful for the extra donations of almost $1500 from some of our members.

Treasurer's Report

Cash Flows
Inception to May 14, 2012

INFLOWS
Donations $1,395.00
Dues Received $6,080.00
Total Inflows $7,475.00
OUTFLOWS
Lecturer Expense:
Dining $623.94
Transportation  $555.89
Honoraria  $1,075.00
Miscellaneous  $409.48
Total  $2,664.31
Holiday Party  $328.43
Professional Fees  $675.00
Supplies  $547.62
Director Reimbursement  $194.74
Postage, Printing & Stationery  $201.65
Miscellaneous  $487.40
Total Cash Disbursed  $5,099.15
BILLS OUTSTANDING  $400.00
 $5,499.15
CASH RESERVES  $1,975.85


Friday, May 4, 2012

More on Hitlerland

Andrew Nagorski's Hitlerland has been receiving great press and Andrew himself has been interviewed and featured on a number of programs, including most recently, the Leonard Lopate show on WNYC.  For those of you on Facebook, you can find him here: https://www.facebook.com/andrew.nagorski.7.  And here is video from The Daily Beast, Tina Brown's interview with the author.

Thursday, May 3, 2012

May 2012 Newsletter

April 22, 2012, Volume 2 # 16

On Tuesday, May 15, 2012, Josh Botts, Ph.D., a senior member of the Historical Division of the State Department, will present a  lecture about the most important, and clearly the most controversial, war time military conference of World War II, the famous Yalta Conference. As usual the lecture will be at the Millburn Library, and commence at 7PM.  Dr. Botts has devoted many years to studying, lecturing and writing  about this most important meeting, and he is one of the most knowledgeable State Department historians on this subject. He is intimately familiar with the background and all the documentation related to the conference.

Hundreds of books have been written about the Yalta Conference and Historians have debated for years whether Roosevelt because of his ill health, (he died exactly two months after the conference) alleged lack of preparation,  and his determination to get Russia into the war against Japan, and convince Stalin to join with the major powers in the creation of the United Nations, made too many concessions to Stalin. Dr. Botts will thoroughly review these contentions, giving the arguments on both sides of the question.
          
Lila Levinson
Ms. Levinson gave a superb lecture to our organization on April 17. About 70 people were in attendance and she sold and signed about 20 copies of her book Gated Grief. We are grateful to Ms. Levinson for traveling from Austin Texas to meet with the Book Club. We further are pleased to see the support our group is giving to the authors who travel long distances to meet with us.

The Wedemeyer Biography
John J. McLaughlin's biography of General Albert C. Wedemeyer is due for release the first week in  May. The name of the book is General Albert C. Wedemeyer, The Unsung Strategist of World War II. John will give a talk about his book on Tuesday, June 19, at 7PM.

There are no lectures during the months of July and August. For those interested in the Fall and winter Calendar for the balance of the year here it is.

Future Meetings
  • September 18: Dan Petach, an authority on the Flying Tigers will present a film and lecture on this famous groups of pilots and their experience in Burma and China, under the command of the indomitable General Claire Chennault.
  • October 16: Del Staecker will discuss his award winning book The Lady Gangster, about his father and his experience as a sailor on the USS Fuller, an Attack Transport ship that did a good deal more than just deliver supplies to the troops in the Pacific during World War II.  
  • November 20: We will close out the lecture portion of our year with Professor J. W. Urwin of Temple University who will present a lecture on the Wake Island defenders and their experience as prisoners of War of the Japanese after the surrender of the island.
In December we will hold our annual Holiday Party at Pal's Cabin. The date not yet been set.

Sunday, April 22, 2012

May Book Club Presentation - Josh Botts

The Yalta Conference
Josh Botts, Ph.D.
May 15, 2012, 7 p.m.

On Tuesday May 15, 2012 Josh Botts, Ph.D.,  a senior member of the Historical Division of the State Department, will present a  lecture to the New Jersey World War II Book Club about the most important, and clearly the most controversial, war time military conference of World War II, the famous Yalta Conference. The lecture is open to the public.

Dr. Botts has devoted many years to studying, lecturing and writing about the Yalta Conference, and is one of the most knowledgeable historians on this subject in the State Department. He is intimately familiar with the background and all the documentation related to the conference.  In February 1945 President Franklin D. Roosevelt traveled to Yalta, a remote location in the Crimea to meet with Joseph Stalin, General Secretary of the USSR, and Prime Minister Winston Churchill. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss Europe's post-war reorganization. They met at the Livadia Palace, former summer home of the Russian Tsars.

In 1945, President Roosevelt was a sick man and died two months after the conference, on April 12, 1945.  Hundreds of books have been written about the Yalta Conference. Historians have debated for years whether Roosevelt -  because of his ill health, lack of preparation, his determination to get Russia into the war against Japan, and convince Stalin to join with the major powers in the creation of the United Nations - made too many concessions to Stalin. This group of historians claim Russian aid was not needed against Japan, already a beaten foe in the spring of 1945, and with the United States in possession of the atom bomb. Consequently, the reasoning goes, the United States should have taken a stronger stand against Stalin and not permitted him to invade Manchuria and aid the Chinese Communists.  These events, they say, led to the "loss of China", the Korean and Vietnam war and the beginning of the Cold War. Others argue that Japan was not beaten in the spring of 1945, and that an invasion of the Japanese homeland would have been necessary, an operation that military experts predicted could cost up to a million American lives. To save American lives it was necessary to have Russian support. They further claim that Roosevelt's agreements with Stalin were not "concessions", but necessary agreements made after hard bargaining in order to reach laudable goals, and that China's drift to Communism,  the Korean and Vietnam wars were due to Russian perfidy not American errors.

The Book club has been in existence for 3 years and presents monthly lectures by authors and historians interested in World War II.  Anyone interested in more information about the Book Club or its next lecture presentation can contact Dr. John J. McLaughlin, Moderator of the New Jersey World II Book Club at 973-467-3313 or NJWW2BookClub@aol.com.
          

Lila Levinson Lecture

What an extraordinary evening it was this past Tuesday at the Millburn Public Library as a full house listened to Ms. Levinson's description of life as the daughter of a concentration camp liberator.  Ms. Levinson's father was an army surgeon who participated in the liberation of the camp at Nordhausen, also known as Dora-Mittelbau.  Her book, Gated Grief: Gated Grief: The Daughter of a GI Concentration Camp Liberator Discovers a Legacy of Trauma, explores her relationship with her father, whose photographs she found in his army trunk upon his death.  It was a riveting story, as evidenced by the number of questions and comments posed by the audience.  View pictures from the lecture, courtesy of Sharon Austin >>

Sunday, March 25, 2012

April 2012 Newsletter

March 25, 2012, Volume 2 # 15
Next Lecture Tuesday April 17, 2012

The next lecturer will be Lila Levinson who will talk about her new book, Gated Grief, the story of her father, an army surgeon who landed at Utah Beach on June 6, 1944 along with the first wave of American Soldiers. As usual the lecture will commence at 7 p.m. at the Millburn Library. Levinson's father tended to hundreds of wounded soldiers but was not prepared for what he experienced, when among the first group of Americans who liberated Nordhausen, the infamous Nazi Concentration Camp, he saw what happened to tens of tens of thousands of Jewish prisoners who had perished. The experience so affected him that he managed to virtually suppress the horrible memories and never discussed what he had seen his entire life. However, he did maintain careful records and pictures which he stored in a locked footlocker. His daughter discovered these records and documents after her father's death and decided the story was so important that she had to tell what her father was loath to discuss.  Gated Grief is the result of  years of research and countless interviews with war veterans and their families.

Lila is a resident of Texas and the Book Club is fortunate that Lila will travel to New Jersey to tell her father's story.  Lila taught a Holocaust literature course at St. Edward's University in Austin Texas. She is a freelance commentator on Cultural issues and her work has appeared in numerous newspapers and periodicals. The Writers League of America named Gated Grief the best narrative nonfiction book of the year.  Levinson's book will be available for purchase and signing after the lecture.

Andrew Nagorski
Andrew's lecture March 20 about his new book Hitlerland was a huge success. About 80 people were in attendance and thoroughly enjoyed his presentation. Twenty five books were sold and autographed. This was Andrew's second appearance at the Book Club.

Future Programs
 On Tuesday May 15, 2012 Dr. Josh Botts, Ph.D. from the State Department will give a talk on the most important, and clearly the most controversial Military Conference of World War II, the Yalta Conference. President Roosevelt was a sick man in February 1945 when he attended the Yalta Conference, dying less than two months later on April 12. Historians have debated for years whether Roosevelt, because of his health, and his determination to stake so much on the creation of the United Nations, gave Stalin too much and in the process set the stage for the Cold War. This will be an exciting and informative lecture.

The Wedemeyer Biography
John J. McLaughlin's biography of General Albert C. Wedemeyer is due for release this May. The name of the book is General Albert C. Wedemeyer, The Unsung Strategist of World War II. John will give a talk about his book on Tuesday, June 19, at 7 p.m.

There are no lectures during the months of July and August.  The Fall schedule will  be posted in the next Newsletter.

Andrew Nagorski's March 20 Lecture

Andrew Nagorski's March 20 presentation of his latest book, Hitlerland, was quite simply a smashing success, as evidenced both by the large number of members in the audience and the lively question and answer period that followed.  As described by Nagorski, most contemporaneous accountings of Hitler tragically underestimated his drive to power.  Pictures from the evening have been posted to the Club's Flickr gallery, as always, thanks to Sharon Austin.  View the pictures from March 20 here  >>

Sunday, February 26, 2012

March 2012 Newsletter

February 26, 2012 Vol # 2 No. 14
Next meeting: Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Our next lecturer will be Andrew Nagorski who will discuss his newest book, just published, Hitlerland, American Eyewitnesses to the Nazi Rise to Power. John McLaughlin met Andrew at the Hoover Institution 3 years ago when Andrew was doing research for his book. At the time John was completing his research for the Wedemeyer biography and some of the research overlapped.

Hitlerland is the story of Americans who happened to be in Berlin during the fateful years of the Nazi buildup of power that led to the Second World War.

Some of the Americans in Weimar and then Hitler's Germany were merely casual observers, others deliberately blind; a few were Nazi apologists. But most slowly began to understand the horror of what was unfolding, even when they found it difficult to grasp the breadth of the catastrophe.

Among the journalists, William Shirer, Edgar Mowrer, and Dorothy Thompson were increasingly alarmed. Counsel General George Messersmith stood out among the American diplomats because of his passion and courage. Truman Smith, the first American to meet Hitler, was an astute political observer and a resourceful military attache.

Observing Hitler up close, the most perceptive of the Americans helped their reluctant countrymen begin to understand the nature of Nazi Germany as it ruthlessly eliminated all the political opponents, instilled hatred of Jews and anyone deemed a member of an inferior race.
Nagorski was the first lecturer at the start of the Book Club three years ago and drew a large audience. Don't miss this exciting lecture.

Carol Schultz Vento
Ms. Vento's lecture February 21 about her book The Hidden Legacy of World War II generated a good deal of interest. We had about 65 people in attendance.

Future Programs
On April 17 Leila Levinson will talk about her new book Gated Grief, the story of her father, an army surgeon who landed at Utah Beach on June 6, 1944 along with the first wave of American soldiers. He tended to hundreds of wounded, but was not prepared for what he experienced, when among the first group of Americans who liberated Nordhausen, the infamous Nazi Concentration Camp, he saw what had happened to tens of thousands of Jewish prisoners who had perished.

On Tuesday, May 15, 2012 we will have a lecture by Dr. Josh Botts of the State Department. Dr. Botts is an expert on the subject of Yalta the most important Allied Conference of World War II.
John McLaughlin's biography of General Wedemeyer, will be available at the book stores in April 2012.

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

More of Carol Schultz Vento

Last night's Book Club meeting with Carol Schultz Vento was thought provoking and elicited many questions from the audience, to which, as Dr. Vento herself admitted, there weren't as yet complete answers.
  • For more information about her book, as well as a video, click here.
  • For more information about the Daughters of D-Day, click here.

Thanks to Sharon Austin for providing the Web sites.

Monday, January 30, 2012

February 2012 Newsletter

January 25, 2012, Volume 2, # 13
Next Lecture: Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Our next guest lecturer will be Carol Schultz Vento who will discuss her award winning book The Hidden Legacy of World War II. Ms Vento is the daughter of Arthur "Dutch" Schultz, the tough cigar chomping Sergeant featured in the 1962 film "The Longest Day," based on the prize winning 1959 history book, The Longest Day by Cornelius Ryan.

The "hidden legacy," a subject more and more in the headlines lately, is the pernicious Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome (PTSD) which can destroy the life of not only the veteran but his family. Carol witnessed the struggle her father endured and the impact it had on his marriage and on herself. Anger, alcoholism, rage, were only some of the manifestations of her father's condition. Carol relates in her story the searing pain endured by the family, and her father's slow recovery.

The book describes the seldom told story of how the war trauma impacted one family. Carol's book will be offered for sale at $14.95, and she will autograph all copies.

Steve Karger's Lecture
The lecture on Himmler's Doctor generated a lot of interest. For anyone interested in seeing the entire CD that was presented, it can be viewed in its entirety on Youtube.

Future Programs
On March 20, Andrew Nagorski will make a repeat appearance. Andrew was the first guest lecturer three years ago and drew a large audience when he discussed his book, The Greatest Battle. This time Andrew will talk about his new book Hitlerland, American Eyewitness to the Nazi Rise to Power. General Wedemeyer is among the many Americans he writes about during this period of the Nazi rise to power.

 On April 17, Leila Levinson will talk about her new book Gated Grief, the story of her father, an army surgeon who landed at Utah Beach on June 6, 1944 along with the first wave of American soldiers. He tended to hundreds of wounded, but was not prepared for what he experienced when, among the first group of Americans who liberated Nordhausen, the infamous Nazi Concentration Camp, he saw what had happened to tens of thousands of Jewish prisoners who had perished.

Dues for 2012
Membership dues for the year 2012 are now payable. A Single membership is $25.00 and a family membership is $30.00. Make checks payable to World War II Book Club and mail to John McLaughlin at address on this News Letter.

Book Discussion
Unbroken, the New York Times Best Seller, will be the topic of a Book Discussion at the Millburn Public Library on Monday, February 6, 2012 at 12:30. John McLaughlin will lead the discussion. All are welcome.

Friday, January 27, 2012

Carol Vento at February 21 Meeting

Carol Vento will talk about her book, The Hidden Legacy of World War II: A Daughter's Journey. She tells the story of her famous paratrooper father Dutch Schultz, famously portrayed in the movie "The Longest Day".

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Kersten Film on Youtube

Last night's presentation by Steve Karger of a film about Felix Kersten was fascinating and thought-provoking, judging by the amount of questions from the audience.  Many from the audience asked about the availability of the film and, with thanks to Sharon Austin, here is the link to the Youtube video.

Monday, January 2, 2012

January 2012 Newsletter

Next Lecture: Tuesday, January 17, 2012
On Tuesday, January 17, 2012 at 7 PM Steve Karger, a history teacher in the public schools of Irvington will present a lecture on the book, The Devil's Doctor, written by John H Waller. The story is about Dr. Felix Kersten, who treated the notorious Heinrich Himmler. Himmler was chief of the German police, Minister of the Interior, and head of the Gestapo during the Nazi reign of terror in Germany. From 1939-1945, Himmler was one of the most powerful men in Nazi Germany and one of the persons most directly responsible for the Holocaust.

Steve Karger's lecture draws on Waller's book and relates the remarkable story of the relationship of Himmler, and his close advisor, Dr. Felix Kersten, and how Kersten, at great risk to his own life and that of his family, persuaded Himmler to free thousands of Jews from the Concentration Camps where they were consigned to death. Himmler, like many of the leaders of the Nazis, profoundly sick in mind and soul, was wracked with physical as well as mental and spiritual disorders. In Himmler's case he suffered excruciating stomach pains which, if untreated, threatened to end his career. Himmler heard of Dr. Kersten's "magic hands" which could relieve his pain by their remarkably effective massages. Himmler forced Kersten into service as his personal physician and medical advisor and throughout the entire war compelled Dr. Kersten to be at his side constantly to relieve his chronic pain. Kersten, while administering to Himmler was able to convince Himmler to aid large numbers of Jews.

What is in intriguing is the interesting story of how our lecturer, Steve Karger, comes to be involved in this narrative. It appears that Karger's great uncle Norbert Masur, a prominent official in the World Jewish Congress, managed in the early days of 1944 to make contact with Dr. Kersten and persuaded him to introduce him to Himmler. At enormous risk he entered Germany to meet with Himmler. The plan was twofold: [1] to give Himmler, who was well aware of how the war was soon to end, a way to, perhaps, save himself, and [2] more importantly, induce Himmler to save the lives of countless Jews who would otherwise have surely gone to their death in one of the many Concentration Camps. The plan was remarkably effective, but little was known of it until recent years.In 2003 Emanuel Amara, a French film maker decided to produce a documentary about Dr. Kersten. Masur, of course, would play a prominent role in the film. In the process of making the documentary, Amara learned that Steve Karger had been lecturing about his famous great uncle at Brookdale College and was related to Masur, and Masur invited Karger to Germany to participate in the documentary. Steve Karger possesses one of the few copies of the documentary and it will be shown during the lecture.
Don't miss this exciting lecture.

Future Programs
  • February 21: Carol Vento will talk about her book, The Hidden Legacy of World War II: A Daughter's Journey. She tells the story of her famous paratrooper father Dutch Schultz, famously portrayed in the movie "The Longest Day".
  • March 20: Andrew Nagorski, the first speaker at the commencement of the Book Cub almost 3 years ago will give a lecture on his most recent book titled Hitlerland, American Eyewitness to the Nazi Rise to Power. General Wedemeyer is among the many Americans he writes about during this critical period of the Nazi era.
  • April 17: Leila Levinson will talk about her new book Gated Grief, the story of her father, an army surgeon who landed at Utah Beach on June 6, 1944 along with the first wave of American soldiers. He tended to hundreds of wounded, but was not prepared for what he experienced, when among the first group of Americans who liberated Nordhausen, the infamous Nazi Concentration Camp, he saw what had happened to tens of thousands of Jewish prisoners who had perished. Dr. Levinson, along with other army doctors, ministered to many of the survivors, and the experience profoundly affected his life. The memory was so terrible that he largely suppressed it. His family knew little of the story until Ms. Levinson, after her father's death, came upon a trunk of her father's containing many photos and other documentation relating to the horror. She knew she had to tell the story. By speaking to many other veterans who had liberated Concentration Camps she has constructed a compelling story of how the experience affected the lives of those who liberated these camps. Most importantly she tells us that this is a story that must be told.
The books by Carol Vento and Leila Levinson bring to mind other books which focus on the impact of war on veterans and how it relates to their life after their discharge. Anyone interested in this subject is referred to two other recent books. The first is What It Is Like To Go To War by Carl Marlantes. The second is War by Sebastian Junger. Each of these books gives insight into the real truths of combat: the fear, the honor, and the trust of the men which is the single most important ingredient in explaining how these men survive the stress of combat. Most important is how these two authors described the stress of re- entry into civilian life after combat.

Andrew Roberts, the author of Masters And Commanders, a multiple award-winning book has just written a new and fascinating one volume history of World War II, The Storm of War, which has also received critical reviews. Andrew has agreed to come to the Book Cub and discuss his new book, and we are working on a date sometime in the spring or fall of 2012. We will keep you posted on this event.

View Previous Lectures on the Web
Links to speaker videos are on the right.

Dues for 2012
Membership dues for the year 2012 are now payable. A Single membership is $25.00 and a family membership is $30.00. Make checks payable to World War II Book Club and mail to John McLaughlin at address on this News Letter.

Book Discussion
Unbroken, the New York Times Best Seller will be the topic of a Book Discussion at the Millburn Public Library Monday February 6, 2012 at 12:30. John McLaughlin will lead the discussion. All are welcome.

Sunday, January 1, 2012

January Lecture: "The Devil's Doctor"

On Tuesday, January 17, 2012 Steve Karger, a history teacher in the Public Schools of Irvington will present a lecture about the notorious Heinrich Himmler, Chief of the German Police, Minister of the Interior, and head of the Gestapo during the Nazi reign in Germany. From 1939-1945, Himmler was one of the most powerful men in Nazi Germany and one of the persons most directly responsible for the Holocaust.

Karger's lecture relates the amazing story about Himmler and his doctor Felix Kersten, and how Kersten, at great risk to his own life and that of his family, persuaded Himmler to free thousands of Jews from the Concentration Camps where they were consigned to death. As Himmler's personal physician, Kersten found himself in a unique position from which he could gather information which could be passed on to the U.S. Office of Strategic Service (OSS). Kersten saved the lives of more than 60,000 Jews in concentration camps by persuading Himmler to disobey Hitler's direct order to kill them all.

Recently, both a film and a book have recounted the story of Himmler and Kersten. Steven Karger will draw from John Waller's book, The Devil's Doctor, to include the fascinating details of how he became involved with both the film and the book through a personal family connection.