Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Thursday, December 8, 2011
McLaughlin Book on Wedemeyer
Casemate Publishers has created a cover for John J. McLaughlin's book on General Albert C. Wedemeyer which shall be available in spring, 2012.
Read more about the forthcoming book.
Monday, November 28, 2011
McLaughlin Dissertation on Wedemeyer Available
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Photos from October Meeting
Monday, October 24, 2011
November Newsletter
Next Lecture: Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Blaine Pardoe, author of Lost Eagles, One Man's Mission to Find Missing Airmen in Two Wars will be our next speaker. This will be one of the highlights of the season for the Book Club. Blaine weaves together the fascinating story of one man who devoted his life to developing technology and a methodology for locating the remains of missing airmen. He established the procedure, still in place today, of imprinting the serial numbers of the aircraft on every single piece of equipment used in the aircraft so the plane can be identified even when a crash scatters the parts over a wide area. The book has received many awards, the latest being recognition by the Michigan Historical Society as the best war book of the year. John McLaughlin heard Blain's presentation in New York last year and immediately booked him for our group. Don't miss this wonderful lecture.
Marilyn C. Solvay, Ph.D. Director of the Sullivan Museum and History Center at Norwich University was our guest lecturer at our meeting October 18. She discussed the history of this proud military school, and the prominent part it has played in training some of our most important military men and women. Dr. Solvay told us about the current program of World War II studies, the history of the Sullivan Museum and the many significant programs that are sponsored there under her supervision. Dr. A. Ralph Kristeller, MD. a proud graduate of Norwich chaired the program.
Program for January 2012
We are presently in discussions with representatives of the State Department looking forward to a lecture on the February 1945 Yalta Conference, the most important, and surely the most controversial of the war, perhaps, in the history of our country. This would be a repeat of a lecture given last month at the New York Public Library. More details will be given with the next few weeks, if we are able to obtain the speakers.
Mark The Date: December 13 - Traditional Holiday Party
Our annual Holiday Party will be held again this year at Pal's Cabin, West Orange on Tuesday, December 13. Mark the date. Our guest speaker will be Nancy Webster who has been video taping all the lectures which are now available on the web. She will discuss the current state of technology in videotaping and show clips of the lectures that have been recorded this year including many pictures of our members. A fun night is guaranteed. Please support this program and show our appreciation to Nancy for the great work she is doing for our organization. The cost of the dinner will be $50.00 per person which includes all tax and gratuities. Complimentary red and white wine will be served. Mixed drinks will be a cash bar. Please send checks to John J. McLaughlin at address above.
View Previous Lectures on The Web
Just click on any of the links in the Speaker Videos section of the blog to view any of our previous lectures.
Future Programs
We are pleased to announce that arrangements are being made to have as future speakers Andrew Nagorski, and Andrew Roberts. Members might remember that Andrew Nagorski was our first guest lecturer when the Book Club started in 2009 and he attracted a crowd of 90 when he spoke about his book The Greatest Battle. He has just completed a new book Hitlerland, the story of a group of Americans in Berlin during the years 1936-1939 when the Nazis were coming to power. The book is due for publication in the spring of 2012 and we will be one of the first groups to hear him talk about this book.
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 Club and discuss this book, and we are working on a date sometime in the spring of 2012. We will keep you posted on this event.
We recently were introduced to a new author Carol Schultz Vento who has written a book about her father "Dutch Schultz," whom members might remember as the cigar chomping Master Sergeant featured in Cornelius Ryan's block buster film, The Longest Day. He was cast as the "everyman soldier" symbolic of the citizen soldier. Ryan further followed her father's march through Europe by including him in the 1966 chronicle of the final days in Germany, in both The Last Battle, and the saga of Market Garden in his book A Bridge Too Far. We have booked Carol as a speaker for February 21.
Contributions of Our Members
Many thanks to member Sharon Austin who has assumed the role of our official photographer. She never misses a meeting and many of her pictures will be displayed at our Holiday Party on December 13. We also are fortunate to have enlisted the services of Marie Somers, Director of Web Content Systems, Walsh Library at Seton Hall University. Marie has taken over responsibility for running our World War II Web site. Take a look at it. She is doing a great job. I should tell you that this site has been responsible for putting us in touch with people all over the world. Anyone interested in taking on an active role in the Book Club is welcome. Just let us know. We will find a job for you. Hank Humphrey who proof reads the Baltusrol News recently volunteered to do the same for us, and is now checking each issue before it is sent to our members.
Name Tags
Please let us know if your name tag is correct. We have a new system, and can easily make adjustments.
-- John J. McLaughlin
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Spam, M&M's, Glen Miller and P-38s
Dr. Solvay's presentation was filled with marvelous anecdotes, noting how digital recorders were sent out through the mail to facilitate the collection and preservation of memories that might soon be lost forever. Dr. Solvay also exhibited posters of Norman Rockwell's "Four Freedoms," which were used to sell war bonds, raising over $130,000,000!
Pictures from the meeting will soon be available on our new Flickr gallery, thanks to Sharon Ann Austin and we look forward to the posting of the video from the event, recorded by Nancy Webster.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
October Newsletter
Marilyn C. Solvay, Director of the Sullivan Museum and History Center at Norwich University will discuss the history of this proud military school, and the prominent part it has played in training some of our most important military men and women. Dr. Solvay will also discuss the current program of World War II studies, the history of the Sullivan Museum and the many significant programs that are sponsored there under her supervision. Dr. A. Ralph Kristeller, MD, a proud graduate of Norwich, will chair the program.
Tuesday, November 15
Blaine Pardoe, author of of Lost Eagles, One Man's Mission to Find Missing Airmen in Two Wars will discuss his award winning book. Mr. Pardoe weaves together the fascinating story of one man who devoted his life to developing technology and a methodology for locating the remains of missing airmen. He established the procedure, still in place today, of imprinting the serial numbers of the aircraft on every single piece of equipment used in the aircraft so the plane can be identified even when a crash scatters the parts over a large area.
We were just advised that the Historical Society of Michigan presented its 2011 State History Award to Blain for Lost Eagles. The State History Awards are the highest recognition presented by the state's official historical society. Read more >>
December 13, Traditional Holiday Party
Our annual Holiday Party will be held again this year at Pal's Cabin West Orange on Tuesday December 13. Mark the date. Our guest speaker will be Nancy Webster who has been video taping all the lectures which are now available on the web. She will discuss the current state of technology in videotaping and show clips of the lectures that have been recorded this year including many pictures of our members. A fun night is guaranteed.
Videos of Our Lectures
Thanks to the fine work of Nancy Webster our lectures are now videotaped and are available for viewing on the internet.
Every video is enhanced with personal touches by Nancy who does a great job. Photos taken by Sharon Austin are also added.
Saturday, September 10, 2011
A New Season
Tuesday, October 18:
Marilyn C. Solvay, Ph.D., Director of the Sullivan Museum and History Center at Norwich University will discuss the history of this proud military college, the first private military school in the United States, founded in 1819 from which many of our military leaders have graduated. Dr. Solvay will also discuss the current program of World War 2 studies.
Tuesday, November 15
Blaine Pardoe, author of of Lost Eagles: One Man's Mission to Find Missing Airmen in Two Wars will discuss his award winning book. Mr. Pardoe weaves together the fascinating story of one man who devoted his life to developing technology and a methodology for locating the remains of missing airmen. He established the procedure, still in place today, of imprinting the serial numbers of the aircraft on every single piece of equipment used in the aircraft so the plane can be identified even when a crash scatters the parts over a large area.
Traditional Holiday Party
Tuesday, December 13
Our annual Holiday Party will be held again this year at Pal's Cabin, West Orange on Tuesday December 13. Mark the date. Our guest speaker will be Nancy Webster who has been video taping all the lectures which are now available on the web. She will discuss the current state of technology in videotaping and show clips of the lectures that have been recorded this year including many pictures of our members.
Read the complete newsletter, Vol. 2, #9.
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Tuesday, May 17th, 2011 Meeting Announcement
The next meeting of the World War 2 Book Club will be Tuesday May 17, 2011, 7PM to 9PM at our usual meeting place, Millburn Library. Ursula Pawel will discuss her extraordinary story as told in her book, My Child Is Back. Ursula's entire family, mother father and brother were imprisoned by the Nazis when they took over Germany. Her father and brother never survived,but through skill, ingenuity, and a good deal of luck Irsula survived and lived to tell her story.After her release she had heard rumors that a women who resembledher mother was seen in a distant town. Ursula setout on foot to locate her mother, and after many months miraculously encountered her mother in a distant city.
Important Announcement: We are endeavoring to video our lectures and make them available for viewing on our web site. The Watkins lecture was filmed, and Nancy Webster did a remarkable job of editing and adding music, as well as interviews. You can view the entire lecture on this site: http://vimeo.com/23141723
Monday, March 21, 2011
Meeting Announcement
Our program for WEDNESDAY.[Note the change in day due to scheduling conflict] will feature Paul Watkins. Mr. Watkins, an English Professor at The Peddie School in Hightstown, New Jersey. Watkins has published 10 novels and two non-fiction books, has lectured extensively both in the United States and abroad, including lectures at the Explorers Club in New York, the New York Public Library, and the Royal Society of Literature in London.
The subject of Watkin's lecture will be the Nazi Waffen SS on which he is a recognized authority.
Paul Watkins was educated at the Dragon School, Eton College and Yale University. The London Telegraph said "Paul Watkins has become the writer of his generation whose future course will be watched with most interest". He has been compared to Hemingway and Conrad and his books have been translated into 9 languages.
We are privileged to have the chance to hear him speak. This promises to be a wonderful evening. Don't miss it
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Jan Herman - Tuesday, March 15th - Chief Historian of The Navy Medical Department 7pm
Prepared to heal and comfort our sailors, the medical men and women of the U.S. Navy are a critical element of our fighting force. The stories of the naval medical personnel highlight how important they are to the operation of our navy.
Jan Herman will tell the story of the role the Navy medical team played at Normandy on June 6, 1944, later at Iwo Jima, and Okinawa in the Pacific campaign, and also the latest conflicts in Iraq, and Afghanistan.
He will trace the history of the Navy Medical team and describe the latest medical advances used to treat our wounded fighting men and women.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Meeting Announcement - Historian Richard Lucas, Tuesday February 15, 2011 at 7PM
Lucas will talk about his recently published book Axis Sally The American Voice of Nazi Germany. This is the fascinating story of a notorious failed American actress turned radio announcer, better known to the American GI's who served in the European theatre of war during World War II as "Axis Sally". Her name was Mildred Gillars.
In the early 1930's she struggled as an actress in New York City, appearing occasionally with stock companies, but was unable to establish a theatrical career. After several trips to Europe looking for employment, she finally in 1940 obtained work as an announcer with the German State Radio.
When war broke out she had the opportunity to return home, but elected to stay in Germany. She signed a written oath of allegiance to Germany and broadcast throughout the war. She acquired a number of names from her GI listeners including "Berlin Bitch" and "Berlin Babe" but the one that stuck and for which she is known is "Axis Sally". Her program was titled "Home Sweet Home Hour". The main thrust of her broadcasts was directed toward making the American forces in Europe homesick. A constant theme of hers was the infidelity of wives and sweethearts broadcast regularly to the soldiers in Europe and North Africa.
Her most famous, or infamous, broadcast was just prior to the D-Day invasion of France in 1944 when the Germans knew that an invasion was imminent. She played the leading part in a play as an Ohio mother who dreams that her son died a horrific death on a ship in the English Channel during an attempted [and failed] invasion of France.
She was arrested immediately after the war in Berlin, returned to the United States and tried for Treason. Convicted, she was sentenced to 10-30 years in prison. She actually served 12 years and spent the remainder of her life in partial seclusion teaching in a small Catholic school in Ohio.
Her conviction raised some interesting and controversial legal issues, and many legal scholars attribute her conviction to the hysteria of the times.
Copies of Lucas' book will be available for purchase and signing.