This Day in History March 24, 1944

Have any of you ever seen the film The Great Escape?  It is a fantastic film that is based on fact (with many changes to what actually happened).  However, that film  has probably made this incident extremely popular and well-remembered.  It was on this date in 1944, that the Great Escape of Stalag Luft III began.  The plan had been well underway for some time, and a massive tunnel was dug under the Stalag.  The plan had been to get 200 prisoners out, but as it stood, only 76 escaped.  Of those 76, only three made it home, 26 were recaptured, and 50 were murdered.  Although not completely historically accurate, I would highly recommend checking out the film.  And for more information:

http://www.historyonthenet.com/WW2/great_escape.htm
http://www.ateal.co.uk/greatescape/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stalag_Luft_III

This Day in History January 2, 1941

This one is kind of fun for me since I already like this song.  And I have always liked the Andrews sisters.  It was on this date in 1941 that the song Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy was recorded by the Andrews Sisters.  This was a big hit for them--an instant success as a matter of fact--but it did not win the Grammy for which it was nominated.  The Andrews Sisters were one the most successful pre-Rock era female group, and they starred in films and performed for the troops.

For more information:
http://famousdaily.com/history/andrews-sisters-boogie-woogie-bugle-boy.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boogie_Woogie_Bugle_Boy

This Day in History December 7, 1941

By USN (Official U.S. Navy photograph 80-G-387565.) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

On this date in 1941, it was indeed a date that will live in infamy.  Pearl Harbor was attacked, and today we remember all the brave military personnel who fought bravely and gave their lives.  The U.S. was unwittingly pulled into WWII.  May the sacrifice of these brave Americans never be forgotten.

http://famousdaily.com/history/pearl-harbor-attack-japan-wwii.html

By FILE US NAVY (US NAVY) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

"Tangled Ashes" by Michele Phoenix Book Review

When Marshall Becker arrives in Lamorlaye, France, to begin the massive renovation of a Renaissance-era castle, he unearths a dark World War II history few in the village remember. The project that was meant to provide an escape for Becker instead becomes a gripping glimpse into the human drama that unfolded during the Nazi occupation and seems to live on in midnight disturbances and bizarre acts of vandalism.

Tangled Ashes by Michele Phoenix

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I honestly can't believe how much I learned from this book!  Historical fiction is my favorite genre for such books as these.  And when you add in the fact that this is a Christian book, it really doesn't get much better than a book like this!

This is the first book I have ever read by Michele Phoenix, but I hope it won't be the last.  She added so many fantastic elements to this book that I could safely say she included something for everyone.  She added a little romance, a little mystery, some 3-dimensional characters, solid Christian principles, and of course a good chunk of history. She writes with such passion and detail that you just can't get bored.  I appreciated the fact that she went back and forth between WWII and modern times, and this only made the story more interesting for me.

If you love historical fiction like I do, I honestly believe you will enjoy this book.  Don't be put off by the religious overtones.  Phoenix handles this perfectly and with great sensitivity.  This is one of the best WWII historical fiction books I have ever read!

I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.  I was  not financially compensated, and all opinions are 100 percent mine.

View all my reviews

Michèle Phoenix

Born in France to an American mother and a Canadian father, Michele Phoenix is an international writer with multi-cultural sensitivities. A graduate of Wheaton College, she taught writing, music, and theater at the boarding school for missionaries' children she attended as a teenager. She currently works for Global Outreach Mission as an advocate for Third Culture Kids, helping them transition back into North American culture and educating stateside churches and missions about the special needs of this people group. 
Michele lives in Wheaton, Illinois.
Visit michelephoenix.com for more information.

"With Every Letter" by Sarah Sundin Book Review

Book 1 in the Wings of the Nightingale series

Lt. Mellie Blake is looking forward to beginning her training as a flight nurse. She is not looking forward to writing a letter to a man she’s never met–even if it is anonymous and part of a morale-building program. Lt. Tom MacGilliver, an officer stationed in North Africa, welcomes the idea of an anonymous correspondence–he’s been trying to escape his infamous name for years.

As their letters crisscross the Atlantic, Tom and Mellie develop a unique friendship despite not knowing the other’s true identity. When both are transferred to Algeria, the two are poised to meet face-to-face for the first time. Will they overcome their fears and reveal who they are, or will their future be held hostage by their pasts?

Combining a flair for romance with excellent research and attention to detail, Sarah Sundin vividly brings to life the perilous challenges of WWII aviation, nursing–and true love.

SEEING YOURSELF AS GOD SEES YOU

AUTHOR SARAH SUNDIN THRILLS READERS WITH A WWII TALE OF ROMANCE AND FORGIVENESS

Seattle: Combining a flair for romance with exceptional research and attention to detail, Sarah Sundin vividly brings to life the perilous challenges of World War II aviation and nursing in her latest release. With Every Letter(Revell, September 1, 2012, ISBN 978-0800720810, $14.99)launches Sundin’s new Wings of the Nightingale series in which three WWII flight nurses will discover friendship, love, and peril in the skies and on the shores of the Mediterranean.

In With Every Letter, readers meet Lt. Mellie Blake who is looking forward to her training as a flight nurse. What she’s not as enthusiastic about is writing a letter to a man she’s never met as a part of a morale-building program, even if it is anonymous. The recipient of Mellie’s letters is Lt. Tom MacGilliver, an officer stationed in North Africa. Tom welcomes the idea of anonymous correspondence, especially since he’s been trying to escape his infamous name and family history for years.

With every letter written back and forth across the Atlantic, Tom and Mellie get to know one another and develop a unique friendship despite not knowing the other’s true identity. Each has always felt uncomfortable in his/her own skin, but the letters allow them to shed some of their insecurities. However, when both are transferred to Algeria, the two are poised to meet face-to-face for the first time. Will they overcome their fears and reveal who they are, or will their future be held hostage by their pasts?

In addition to the war raging around them, both Tom and Mellie face the inward battle of learning to see themselves as God sees them and grow into the people God wants them to be. Mellie has always seen herself as merciful as she cares for the sick and wounded, but the brutal events surrounding her stretch her understanding of mercy. Both Tom and Mellie also learn new depths of the true meaning of forgiveness.

With the Wings of the Nightingale Series, Sundin is able to uniquely combine her affinity for the WWII era with her medical knowledge and training as a pharmacist. “Although medications have changed significantly in the past seventy years, the basic concepts remain,” explains Sundin. When asked about what draws her to writing about this particular period of time, she shares, “Not only do I love the clothes, uniforms, and music, but there’s an inexhaustible supply of dramatic stories and settings-a novelist’s dream. This was a time when ordinary men had to do extraordinary things, and when women explored non-traditional roles-while remaining ladies. As a pharmacy resident at a VA hospital, I had the honor of caring for many World War II veterans. As a rule, they were cheerful, kind, and chivalrous, with the solid strength of someone who has been tested-and passed. What more could you want in a hero?”

For more information about Sarah Sundin’s books and the events her stories are based on, visit www.sarahsundin.com.

With Every Letter by Sarah Sundin

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book has it all--romance, history, and a beautiful Christian message.  I love historical fiction, and this is exactly what I love.  I appreciated the fact that the hero and heroine both struggled to fit in--maybe because I oculd somewhat identify.  I saw some of myself in Mellie, and probably less of myself in Tom, but I enjoyed these characters immensely.  Every character was well-developed and played a part in the development of the story.

I appreciated the fact that the author tried to stay as true to the historical accounts as possible.  This is what makes historical fiction my favorite genre.  I also appreciate that God took an active role in the life of the characters.  I was most touched when mercy was shown and God worked things out in unbelievable ways.  It really made me stop and think about how I allow God to work in my life.

Okay, this is truly romanctic.  I never felt that it was "sappy."  I have never seen "The Shop Around the Corner," but I saw "In the Good Old Summertime" (which was based on the former movie).  I found myself charmed by the romantic interactions, and what could be more romantic than falling in love through the mail?

If you like WWII, romance, and old-fashioned charm, this is a must-read!  This book will continue to hold a special place in my heart.

I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.  I was not financially compensated, and all opinions are 100 percent mine.

View all my reviews

Sarah Sundin is the author of the Wings of Glory series (A Distant Melody, A Memory Between Us, and Blue Skies Tomorrow). In 2011, A Memory Between Us was a finalist in the Inspirational Reader’s Choice Awards, and Sarah received the Writer of the Year Award at the Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference. Her latest release,With Every Letter, is the first in the new Wings of Nightingale series.

A graduate of UC San Francisco School of Pharmacy, she works on-call as a hospital pharmacist. During WWII, her grandfather served as a pharmacist’s mate (medic) in the Navy and her great-uncle flew with the US Eighth Air Force in England. Sarah lives in California with her husband and three children.

Tribute Books Presents "Back to Bataan" by Jerome Charyn Book Review

New York City, 1943. War is raging in Europe and the Pacific, while Jack Dalton is stuck attending Dutch Masters Day School. What Jack really wants is to enlist in the army, to fight...

Everything changes when Coco, Jack's "fiancee," throws him over for one of his classmates. Jack sees red and does something drastic. Then he runs away. Hiding out in a nearby park, Jack joins ranks with a group of vagrants and is soon under the sway of a man called the Leader, an ex-convict who is as articulate and charismatic as he is dangerous. The Leader turns Jack's world upside down. To put things right, Jack must prove himself a braver soldier than he ever imagined.

Bio:

Jerome Charyn (born May 13, 1937) is an award-winning American author. With nearly 50 published works, Charyn has earned a long-standing reputation as an inventive and prolific chronicler of real and imagined American life. Michael Chabon calls him “one of the most important writers in American literature.”

New York Newsday hailed Charyn as “a contemporary American Balzac,” and the Los Angeles Times described him as “absolutely unique among American writers.”

Since 1964, he has published 30 novels, three memoirs, eight graphic novels, two books about film, short stories, plays and works of non-fiction. Two of his memoirs were named New York Times Book of the Year. Charyn has been a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction. He received the Rosenthal Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters and has been named Commander of Arts and Letters by the French Minister of Culture.

Charyn lives in Paris and New York City.

Back to Bataan web site:
http://backtobataan.blogspot.com/  
Back to Bataan Twitter hashtag:
#BackToBataanBack to Bataan GoodReads page:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13613896-back-to-bataanJerome Charyn's Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/jerome.charynJerome Charyn's Twitter:
http://twitter.com/jeromecharynJerome Charyn's Website:
http://www.jeromecharyn.com/Jerome Charyn's GoodReads:
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/53408.Jerome_Charyn
Tribute Books website:
http://www.tribute-books.com

Tribute Books Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Archbald-PA/Tribute-Books/171628704176

Tribute Books Twitter:
http://www.twitter.com/TributeBooks

Tribute Books Blog Tours Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tribute-Books-Blog-Tours/242431245775186

Back to Bataan by Jerome Charyn

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I will say something about this book that I often don't say about books--especially books that are this short.  This book honestly could not have been improved upon!  I absolutely loved it!  From the first page to the last, it was exactly what a "tween"/young adult historical fiction book should be.  The characters were well-developed, and the story was believable.  The characters had their flaws, and it made them seem that much more realistic.  There were no sex scenes (yay!) and no profanity (yay!).  Can you believe it?  Rarely do I find a book that is this well-written that does not include those less desirable features.

World War II is one of those periods of time that always fascinates me, but from a teacher's standpoint, students could care less.  They have heard about the Germans, and they have heard about the Japanese.  They know about the Holocaust, and they know about the bombs.  Who cares if people were killed?  Jerome Charyn has done something so that students will connect with ths time period.  He tells the story of the time period from the perspective of a boy (I love the fact that the main character is a boy--a good way to get boys reading since they often do not want to).  The book is short, and it is a quick read.  The boy, Jack, gets into mischief--pretty serious mischief at times.  The danger is real, but it is not too scary even for the younger readers.  My daughter, who is nine, would be able to read this book with no problem.  I think she would even be able to understand it.

So what more can I say?  Read this book!  It is worth the read, and I honestlly don't think there is any way you will regret the time spent.  It will enrich your understanding of WWII, and then you will want to share it with everyone you know!

I was sent a copy of ths book in exchange for my hoenst review.  I was not financially compensated, and all opinions are 100 percent mine.

View all my reviews

eBook
ISBN: 9780985792206
ISBN: 9781476119076
Pages: 98
Release: July 1, 2012

Kindle buy link - $2.99
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The Katyn Order by Douglas W. Jacobson Book Review

Remember my guest post/promotion of The Katyn Order on Monday?  I planned on posting this review yesterday, but it is finally getting posted today.  Enjoy the review!


The Katyn Order: A Novel by Douglas W. Jacobson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is the reason I read historical fiction--for books just like this.  This is a book that is crafted with immeasurable care and precision, and it will leave you knowing more about something that is not normally discussed--the Katyn Massacre, an actual historical event.

As I began the book, I was horrified at what I read.  I always hear about the German atrocities, but I have heard very little about what the Russians did.  I had no idea about what happened in Polish history, and there were many times I almost did not want to read the descriptions.  The author was quite realistic in the way he wrote about the events in the book, and I came to care for many of the characters.

The profanity in the book is often raw at times, but I found I could often get past that.  I was a little upset when there was a sex scene (not described, but not necessary), but that is the Christian part of me who gets tired of characters in books having sex without getting married.  I did not let either of these issues cause the rating of the book to go down.

I was impressed with the author's writing of this book.  He clearly researched it well, and I feel that I am a more informed person now.  I somehow missed any of the modern discussion of this event, and I discussed many of the issues with my mom who knew a little more than I did about the Russian atrocities (but still not much).  This is a book I can whole-heartedly recommend to historical fiction lovers out there.  There is some romance in the book, but that is not the focus.  If you are looking to read something that will open your eyes to some historical details you did not know, this is the book for you.

I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.  I was not financially compensated, and all opinions are 100 percent mine.


View all my reviews

Pump Up Your Book Presents The Katyn Order Virtual Book Tour Guest Post

ABOUT THE BOOK
The German War Machine is in retreat as the Russians advance. In Warsaw, Resistance fighters rise up against their Nazi occupiers, but the Germans retaliate, ruthlessly leveling the city. American Adam Nowak has been dropped into Poland by British intelligence as an assassin and Resistance fighter. During the Warsaw Rising he meets Natalia, a covert operative who has lost everything—just as he has. Amid the Allied power struggle left by Germany’s defeat, Adam and Natalia join in a desperate hunt for the 1940 Soviet order authorizing the murders of 20,000 Polish army officers and civilians. If they can find the Katyn Order before the Russians do, they just might change the fate of Poland.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Douglas W. Jacobson is an engineer, business owner and World War Two history enthusiast. Doug has traveled extensively in Europe researching stories of the courage of common people caught up in extraordinary circumstances. His debut novel, Night of Flames: A Novel of World War Two was published in 2007 by McBooks Press, and was released in paperback in 2008. Night of Flames won the “2007 Outstanding Achievement Award” from the Wisconsin Library association. Doug writes a monthly column on Poland’s contribution during WW2, has published articles on Belgium’s WW2 escape organization, the Comet Line and other European resistance organizations. Doug’s second historical novel, The Katyn Order, which was released on May, 2011, focuses on one of history’s most notorious war crimes, the Katyn massacre.

You can visit his website at www.douglaswjacobson.com.

I am very pleased to announce that Douglas W. Jacobson is guest posting on my blog today.  Come back tomorrow for my review of this fantastic book.  And if you would like to follow the entire tour, check out this link.

How to Make Characters Believable

Natalie Jastrow was a stunningly beautiful woman. She was also brilliant and filled with self-confidence to the point of being headstrong. Yet she had trouble with relationships and self-doubts about how she fit into American society. She could be cool and calm under duress, yet had serious lacks of judgment in making critical decisions. When Herman Wouk created this unforgettable heroine of The Winds of War and War and Remembrance he gave us a character we cared about from the very first page of these epic novels until the last. And, because of that, we cared about his story.

That is the fundamental goal for anyone writing fiction - make the readers care about your characters. If they care about your characters,  they will care about your story. So, what is it about characters like Natalie Jastrow, Scarlett O'Hara, Atticus Finch or Jane Eyre that make them so memorable?

It is because they are believable. They are as real as our best friends, our sisters or brothers. They have personality flaws and quirks, they don't always act in a predictable way. They can at times be bold and courageous, and at other times hesitant and filled with self-doubt. Just like we are. They are not supermen....they are real people.

My first book was Night of Flames: A Novel of World War Two. After it was released in 2007, many readers contacted me to tell how much they enjoyed the character of Anna Kopernik. It was through her that they experienced and understood the story of Poland in WW2. The ironic thing about that is that she was not even on my mind when I started writing the story. She just evolved along the way and before long she became my dominant character, the person I cared about the most.

When I was writing The Katyn Order I wanted the readers understand what it was like to have everything and everyone you care about be suddenly and brutally torn away. Would you be able to carry on? Would you be filled with hate and a quest for vengeance  And, if you were ever given a chance for redemption, could you rise above your inner demons and seize the moment? Adam Nowak evolved into that character as I wrote the story. Time will tell if he is one of those memorable characters that readers care about.

This Day in History June 14, 1942

It has been many years since I read this book and saw the movie.  I actually did that in the opposite order.  I read the book of my own free will, and I know that this book is often studied in great depth in school.  And it certainly should be.  It was on this date in 1942, that Anne Frank began her famous diary.  There are a few sites who say it began June 12, but it would seem like most sites agree it was June 14.  I am going to trust the sites on this one.

If you do not know the famous book Anne Frank, Diary of a Young Girl, you are missing out on a great work.  It puts the plight of Jews in hiding during WWII into very human terms.  She was only 16 when she died in a concentration camp.  Her account is simple but very powerful as she describes the terror and boredom of hiding from the Nazis.  Her book only covers about a year's worth of time, and in the end, they were discovered.

If you have never seen the old black and white film, I would invite you to do so.


For more information, please check out:
http://www.enotes.com/anne-frank-qn/setting
http://www.remember.org/educate/frank.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ann_Frank
http://www.bookrags.com/studyguide-annefrank/chapanal001.html
http://www.shmoop.com/diary-of-anne-frank/literary-devices.html

This Day in History February 9, 1942

I would not usually post this as a feature because it seems a little bit harder to completely substantiate, but since an education blog and several other places online seem to back it up fairly well, I decided to feature it today.

Once the U.S. entered WWII in December 1941, the government began to pass legislation to stop civilian car production.  It was on this date in 1942 that Detroit auto plans rolled out its last civilian car.  It was the following day that they began to work for the war effort, and the civilian production of cars did not begin again until 1945 when the war had ended.

I find this an interesting feature because I had no idea this was something that happened during WWII.  I find it interesting that everyone really focused on WWII, and maybe that was the last war where something like this happened in this country.  I don't see this kind of morale during any later wars.

For more information, please check out:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1941_Ford#1942
http://www.ehow.com/list_7592810_ford-vehicles-1940s.html
http://www.ehow.com/list_7368373_ford-cars-built-1942-1945.html
http://blogpublic.lib.msu.edu/index.php/february-9-1942-detroit-auto?blog=5

This Day in History January 5, 1945

I wish I had something cheerier for today's feature, but it was on this date in 1945 that the Japanese pilots received the first order to become kamikaze or "divine wind" pilots (suicide pilots).  Most of the good pilots were gone, and Japan was losing.  This was an assured way to kill the enemy--the Americans.

These ill-trained suicide bombers flew planes of explosives and crashed them into ships.  On this date, it was Okinawa.  They sank 30 ships and killed almost 5,000 Americans.  And it did nothing to help the Japanese win.  I think they must have known that, but they decided this was a "last-ditch" effort.

I cannot sanction what the Japanese did, nor do I sanction what our country did with the atomic bomb.  I do understand that desperate times do call for desperate measures.  Would anything else have ended the war?  If life was so expendable in the country of Japan, what else would have worked?  My mind cannot conceive of Japan and Germany during WWII, but it cannot conceive of terrorism and mass killing today.

The two sites where I gleaned my information are as follows:
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/kamikaze-pilots-get-first-order
http://www.thepeoplehistory.com/january5th.html

This Day in History November 9, 1938

This is a sad commemoration today, but when I was reading my This Day in Church History book last night, I knew this was the one to share.  May today's commemoration be something that never repeats itself.

On this day in 1938, the horrendous Kristallnacht ("Night of Broken Glass") began.  It was a two-day progrom or demonstration against the Jews in Germany and Austria.   Before this horrible happening, precautions were taken so that Jews could not fight back.  The day before, anything that Jews could use to defend themselves were removed from their homes.  Goebbels also made a speech in which he told about the murder of a member of the German embassy in Paris by a Jew.  This justified this massive uprising.

On the evening of November 9 and continuing on through November 10, over 7,000 Jewish shops and almost all synagogues were destroyed by the Nazi mob.  The infamous name came from the broken glass all over the streets and in front of shops the next morning.  Nearly 100 Jews were killed, and somewhere around 30,000 Jews were sent to concentration camps.  I had not realized that this somewhat backfired--many Germans did not agree.  But, of course, very few spoke out against the Nazis.

Whenever I read or watch something about the Nazis and their treatment of the Jews, my heart hurts.  I still cannot believe sometimes that this horrid thing in history happened.  I hope and pray that we have actually learned from history--may it never be repeated!

If you are interested, follow this link to a video memory from a survivor of this night.

http://www.ushmm.org/museum/exhibit/focus/kristallnacht/videos/

And for more information, check out these sites:

http://chgs.umn.edu/educational/brokenThreads/kristallnacht.html

http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Kristallnacht.aspx

http://www.ushmm.org/museum/exhibit/focus/kristallnacht/