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THE BLUE MAX AIRMEN | German Airmen Awarded the Pour le Mérite: Volume 20 - Jacobs & Sachsenberg by Lance J. Bronnenkant, PhD
adventurous
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
This book, Volume 20 in The Blue Max Airmen Series, tells the stories of two of Germany's top fighter aces of World War I who were awarded the Pour le Mérite (aka the Blue Max), the Imperial German Empire's highest award for bravery in battle. It also contains photos - many of which hadn't been published before that were culled from private collections of the airmen themselves - and a variety of illustrations showing the various aircraft flown by both pilots during their wartime service.
The first airman covered in this book is Josef Jacobs, of whom I had some prior knowledge as a World War I aviation aficionado. His interest in aviation predated the war. Indeed, Jacobs, whilst working as an apprentice in an industrial company with an aim towards earning a degree in mechanical engineering, undertook flight training in 1912 under the tutelage of Bruno Werntgen, a pioneer aviator. This proved to be a somewhat abbreviated training program because Werntgen was killed in a flying accident the next year.
Upon the outbreak of war in August 1914, Jacobs joined the Fliegertruppe (later renamed as the Luftstreitkräfte). By the summer of 1915, he had completed his training as a pilot and was posted to the Western Front with a reconnaissance squadron tasked with flying long range missions behind enemy lines. Jacobs served with this squadron for several months and during that time, had managed to shoot down a French plane. But due to a lack of independent witnesses who could verify Jacobs' victory, it was officially listed as unconfirmed. Notwithstanding that, Jacobs was given the opportunity in the Spring of 1916 to learn to fly the Fokker Eindekker monoplane fighter, which boasted a forward firing machine gun synchronized to fire through the propeller. At that stage of the war, the Eindekker had proved itself a potent fighter at the Front - in particular against the British Royal Flying Corps (RFC). This aerial supremacy achieved by the Eindekker would last for only a few months, for by the Spring of 1916, the British and French had developed fighter planes (the DeHavilland 2 and Nieuport 11, respectively) that were better in performance than the Eindekker.
Jacobs managed to achieve his first confirmed victory flying the Eindekker on May 12, 1916. Sometime afterward, his unit was posted behind the Front, serving as a kind of 'aerial body guard' for the headquarters of a high-ranking general. Jacobs was unhappy at having to play this role and was glad when he was sent back to front line duty in September 1916. At this time, the first true German fighter squadrons (Jastas) were being set up. Jacobs served with both Jastas 12 and 22, scoring 3 confirmed and several more unconfirmed victories. He was growing in experience and skill as a fighter pilot. Indeed, in recognition of that skill, Jacobs was given his first command as the squadron leader for Jasta 7 in August 1917. Between that date and the end of the war in November 1918, Jacobs flew a number of Germany's top fighter planes from the Albatros DIII to the DV (and DVa), the Fokker Triplane, and what was arguably Germany's best fighter of the conflict - the Fokker DVII. He achieved many confirmed kills, was awarded the Blue Max on July 18, 1918, having achieved 23 victories in aerial combat. Jacobs survived the war with 47 confirmed victories (with many more unconfirmed) and would live a long life before dying, age 84, in July 1978.
The second airman in the book, Gotthard Sachsenberg, was a naval officer whose length of wartime service was similar to that of Josef Jacobs. Sachsenberg had begun his stint in the Navy prewar, serving as a sea cadet on a warship in 1913. Two years later, he transferred to the naval air arm, where he initially served as an observer with Marine Feldflieger Abteilung II. During this time, Sachsenberg was commissioned as an officer, underwent flight training, and returned to Marine Feldflieger Abteilung II, this time flying the Fokker Eindekker.
By February 1917, Sachsenberg was given his first command of a naval fighter unit in Flanders. He would go on to be vested with greater authority at the Front, commanding a fighter group of several fighter squadrons, and would survive the war as a holder of the Blue Max with 31 victories.
In the immediate postwar era (January 1919), Sachsenberg was put in command of an aviation unit made of several veteran airmen (e.g. Josef Jacobs) which helped to successfully defend the independence of the new nation of Latvia against a Bolshevik invasion from Russia. He later became involved in business and the aviation industry. What's more: Sachsenberg ran successfully for a seat in the Reichstag in the late 1920s. In 1934, he was arrested for his anti-Nazi stance (but was soon released in recognition of his previous military service). Sachsenberg would return to business postwar and die in 1961, age 70.
All in all, Volume 20 is one of the best books in the series. Highly recommended.
The first airman covered in this book is Josef Jacobs, of whom I had some prior knowledge as a World War I aviation aficionado. His interest in aviation predated the war. Indeed, Jacobs, whilst working as an apprentice in an industrial company with an aim towards earning a degree in mechanical engineering, undertook flight training in 1912 under the tutelage of Bruno Werntgen, a pioneer aviator. This proved to be a somewhat abbreviated training program because Werntgen was killed in a flying accident the next year.
Upon the outbreak of war in August 1914, Jacobs joined the Fliegertruppe (later renamed as the Luftstreitkräfte). By the summer of 1915, he had completed his training as a pilot and was posted to the Western Front with a reconnaissance squadron tasked with flying long range missions behind enemy lines. Jacobs served with this squadron for several months and during that time, had managed to shoot down a French plane. But due to a lack of independent witnesses who could verify Jacobs' victory, it was officially listed as unconfirmed. Notwithstanding that, Jacobs was given the opportunity in the Spring of 1916 to learn to fly the Fokker Eindekker monoplane fighter, which boasted a forward firing machine gun synchronized to fire through the propeller. At that stage of the war, the Eindekker had proved itself a potent fighter at the Front - in particular against the British Royal Flying Corps (RFC). This aerial supremacy achieved by the Eindekker would last for only a few months, for by the Spring of 1916, the British and French had developed fighter planes (the DeHavilland 2 and Nieuport 11, respectively) that were better in performance than the Eindekker.
Jacobs managed to achieve his first confirmed victory flying the Eindekker on May 12, 1916. Sometime afterward, his unit was posted behind the Front, serving as a kind of 'aerial body guard' for the headquarters of a high-ranking general. Jacobs was unhappy at having to play this role and was glad when he was sent back to front line duty in September 1916. At this time, the first true German fighter squadrons (Jastas) were being set up. Jacobs served with both Jastas 12 and 22, scoring 3 confirmed and several more unconfirmed victories. He was growing in experience and skill as a fighter pilot. Indeed, in recognition of that skill, Jacobs was given his first command as the squadron leader for Jasta 7 in August 1917. Between that date and the end of the war in November 1918, Jacobs flew a number of Germany's top fighter planes from the Albatros DIII to the DV (and DVa), the Fokker Triplane, and what was arguably Germany's best fighter of the conflict - the Fokker DVII. He achieved many confirmed kills, was awarded the Blue Max on July 18, 1918, having achieved 23 victories in aerial combat. Jacobs survived the war with 47 confirmed victories (with many more unconfirmed) and would live a long life before dying, age 84, in July 1978.
The second airman in the book, Gotthard Sachsenberg, was a naval officer whose length of wartime service was similar to that of Josef Jacobs. Sachsenberg had begun his stint in the Navy prewar, serving as a sea cadet on a warship in 1913. Two years later, he transferred to the naval air arm, where he initially served as an observer with Marine Feldflieger Abteilung II. During this time, Sachsenberg was commissioned as an officer, underwent flight training, and returned to Marine Feldflieger Abteilung II, this time flying the Fokker Eindekker.
By February 1917, Sachsenberg was given his first command of a naval fighter unit in Flanders. He would go on to be vested with greater authority at the Front, commanding a fighter group of several fighter squadrons, and would survive the war as a holder of the Blue Max with 31 victories.
In the immediate postwar era (January 1919), Sachsenberg was put in command of an aviation unit made of several veteran airmen (e.g. Josef Jacobs) which helped to successfully defend the independence of the new nation of Latvia against a Bolshevik invasion from Russia. He later became involved in business and the aviation industry. What's more: Sachsenberg ran successfully for a seat in the Reichstag in the late 1920s. In 1934, he was arrested for his anti-Nazi stance (but was soon released in recognition of his previous military service). Sachsenberg would return to business postwar and die in 1961, age 70.
All in all, Volume 20 is one of the best books in the series. Highly recommended.
Lost Black Sheep: The Search for WWII Ace Chris Magee by Robert T. Reed
emotional
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
3.0
This book sheds light on the enigmatic life of Chris Magee (1917-1995), who besides being a Marine Corps fighter ace in Gregory 'Pappy' Boyington's Black Sheep Squadron in the South Pacific during World War II, lived a life that was at times, off the track, veiled in mystery. For instance, in addition to his wartime service, during which he was awarded the Navy Cross for bravery against superior Japanese forces in aerial combat, Magee later volunteered to serve in the nascent Israeli Air Force as a fighter pilot during the Israeli War of Independence in 1948. He was truly a man who danced to the beat of a different drummer, embodying Thoreau's saying "Let him step to the music that he hears, however measured or far away."
BOMBER PILOT by Leonard Cheshire
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
Shortly before the TV series Masters of the Air about the bomber war as waged by the Eighth Air Force of the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) premiered, I took to reading this book by one of Britain's most distinguished WWII bomber pilots in RAF Bomber Command: Leonard Cheshire.
Originally published in 1943, Bomber Pilot is the author's reflections on his experiences of being part of a bomber crew flying Whitleys (twin engine bombers) on missions over Germany during 1940-41. What surprised me in reading about the RAF nighttime bombing campaign at that stage of the war was the low altitudes at which many of the bomber units carried out the bombing of military targets. For instance, it wasn't unusual to bomb at altitudes ranging from 7,000 to 10,000 feet.
Cheshire also shares with the reader the close relationships forged among the crews. To survive a combat tour depended on teamwork -- every member of a bomber crew knowing his job and having implicit confidence in each other to work well together seamlessly --- as well as luck. A couple of times, Cheshire had close calls. One was over Cologne in which the Whitley he was flying was struck by anti-aircraft fire and caught fire which temporarily blinded the wireless operator. Luckily, the crew was able to douse the flames and set the Whitley aright after it had tumbled through the sky. Eventually, they returned safely to England.
The second close call came over Magdeburg in Eastern Germany:
"On E.T.A. [estimated time of arrival], we felt certain of our position and therefore decided to come down and look for clearer air. The guns opened up, and, in spite of the cloud, were exceptionally accurate. I feathered all four airscrews [of the Halifax bomber he was flying], switched the motors off, and turned through 180 [degrees]. It was a curios sensation watching a row of dead props over Germany, but none the less it fooled the defences completely; they continued firing way behind us along our previous course and then finally stopped altogether. At 9,000 feet, for safety's sake, I tried to restart one engine, just to see if everything was in order, but everything was not in order: it refused to pick up. I called Paddy back from the fuselage and we got to work. Feathering knobs, starter buttons, magneto switches, throttles and airscrew pitch controls, all at the the same time. It must have been a funny sight watching us, but nothing very much happened. The engines turned over slowly and even fired for a brief moment, but that was all. At 7,000 feet the starboard outer started and of course the ack-ack opened up immediately. What we really wanted was the inboards, because they worked the generators, and the batteries could not last much longer under this strain. At 5,000 feet the starboard inner started: both on the same side; with bombs we could not maintain height. One of the port engines kept bursting into life and then stopping again. At 4,000 feet we jettisoned the bombs.
"What with the roar of shells and the crackling of the intercom and looking round at everything, trying to make out which engine really was running, it was difficult to know what was happening, but at least the bombs fell in the middle of Magdeburg's defences. Shortly afterwards a heavy burst hit us underneath the port wing and threw us into a spin or a dive - I could not make out which. The instruments must have hit the stops, for they went out of action completely, except for the altimeters, which still showed a rapid rate of descent. The controls locked hard over in the starboard position and nothing that I could do would move them. The instruments showed no signs of recovering and amid all the ack-ack we were still going down: we could not be more than 2,000 feet from the ground.
" 'The aircraft's no longer under control; you'll have to jump ... Jump!'
"But nobody moved from their seat. Crock, though we did not know it then, was standing in the fuselage without a helmet and oblivious of what was going on.
"Come on, Ches, you can do better than that. Come on, sir, we trust you. Pull us out of it: you've come out of worse holes than this. Come on, sir.
" 'Yes, Jock, I think I can.'
"I realized then what had happened. The shell-burst had thrown us on our side, and simultaneously both port motors had started, forcing us further and further over. I throttled them back quickly, and we returned to normal. As we broke cloud, six fighters in close formation flashed by, but they did not attack."
I'm so glad the management of the cinema (where I had gone to see a movie today) had found this book after I had so foolishly left it there. It was the second time in less than a month that I had lost this book. I went back to the cinema to reclaim it. Now that I've read this wartime memoir, I won't let it out of my sight. Bomber Pilot is a book that faithfully conveys the precarious life of an airman on active service in wartime Britain.
Originally published in 1943, Bomber Pilot is the author's reflections on his experiences of being part of a bomber crew flying Whitleys (twin engine bombers) on missions over Germany during 1940-41. What surprised me in reading about the RAF nighttime bombing campaign at that stage of the war was the low altitudes at which many of the bomber units carried out the bombing of military targets. For instance, it wasn't unusual to bomb at altitudes ranging from 7,000 to 10,000 feet.
Cheshire also shares with the reader the close relationships forged among the crews. To survive a combat tour depended on teamwork -- every member of a bomber crew knowing his job and having implicit confidence in each other to work well together seamlessly --- as well as luck. A couple of times, Cheshire had close calls. One was over Cologne in which the Whitley he was flying was struck by anti-aircraft fire and caught fire which temporarily blinded the wireless operator. Luckily, the crew was able to douse the flames and set the Whitley aright after it had tumbled through the sky. Eventually, they returned safely to England.
The second close call came over Magdeburg in Eastern Germany:
"On E.T.A. [estimated time of arrival], we felt certain of our position and therefore decided to come down and look for clearer air. The guns opened up, and, in spite of the cloud, were exceptionally accurate. I feathered all four airscrews [of the Halifax bomber he was flying], switched the motors off, and turned through 180 [degrees]. It was a curios sensation watching a row of dead props over Germany, but none the less it fooled the defences completely; they continued firing way behind us along our previous course and then finally stopped altogether. At 9,000 feet, for safety's sake, I tried to restart one engine, just to see if everything was in order, but everything was not in order: it refused to pick up. I called Paddy back from the fuselage and we got to work. Feathering knobs, starter buttons, magneto switches, throttles and airscrew pitch controls, all at the the same time. It must have been a funny sight watching us, but nothing very much happened. The engines turned over slowly and even fired for a brief moment, but that was all. At 7,000 feet the starboard outer started and of course the ack-ack opened up immediately. What we really wanted was the inboards, because they worked the generators, and the batteries could not last much longer under this strain. At 5,000 feet the starboard inner started: both on the same side; with bombs we could not maintain height. One of the port engines kept bursting into life and then stopping again. At 4,000 feet we jettisoned the bombs.
"What with the roar of shells and the crackling of the intercom and looking round at everything, trying to make out which engine really was running, it was difficult to know what was happening, but at least the bombs fell in the middle of Magdeburg's defences. Shortly afterwards a heavy burst hit us underneath the port wing and threw us into a spin or a dive - I could not make out which. The instruments must have hit the stops, for they went out of action completely, except for the altimeters, which still showed a rapid rate of descent. The controls locked hard over in the starboard position and nothing that I could do would move them. The instruments showed no signs of recovering and amid all the ack-ack we were still going down: we could not be more than 2,000 feet from the ground.
" 'The aircraft's no longer under control; you'll have to jump ... Jump!'
"But nobody moved from their seat. Crock, though we did not know it then, was standing in the fuselage without a helmet and oblivious of what was going on.
"Come on, Ches, you can do better than that. Come on, sir, we trust you. Pull us out of it: you've come out of worse holes than this. Come on, sir.
" 'Yes, Jock, I think I can.'
"I realized then what had happened. The shell-burst had thrown us on our side, and simultaneously both port motors had started, forcing us further and further over. I throttled them back quickly, and we returned to normal. As we broke cloud, six fighters in close formation flashed by, but they did not attack."
I'm so glad the management of the cinema (where I had gone to see a movie today) had found this book after I had so foolishly left it there. It was the second time in less than a month that I had lost this book. I went back to the cinema to reclaim it. Now that I've read this wartime memoir, I won't let it out of my sight. Bomber Pilot is a book that faithfully conveys the precarious life of an airman on active service in wartime Britain.
Luftwaffe Aces: German Combat Pilots of WWII by Franz Kurowski
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
2.0
LUFTWAFFE ACES: German Combat Pilots of WWII is a translation (from the original German) of a work by Franz Kurowski that highlights the achievements of 7 Luftwaffe airmen (all but one of them pilots) who experienced combat within various branches of the German Air Force (Luftwaffe) from the fighter arm, the bomber arm, the close support arm, and the dive bomber arm throughout World War II. The translation, aside from a few errors (e.g. stating 'airframes' instead of 'aircraft' which was the more appropriate word), is good, and the book is studded with various photos of the 7 airmen so profiled, in addition to the aircraft they flew into battle on the various fighting fronts.
The Dead Cry Justice by Rosemary Simpson
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
On so many levels, The Dead Cry Justice has been one of the most gripping and suspenseful mystery novels that I've yet read. And what I also valued so much from reading this novel are the perspectives and insights it gave me into life in Gilded Age New York society. Were it not for the interest I've acquired for this era in U.S. history from watching the current HBO series The Gilded Age, I would not have come to this book.
The story begins in Washington Square Park in May of 1890. Prudence MacKenzie, a young, affluent, and well-to-do woman whose late father had been a distinguished and much respected judge in New York, is enjoying an outing with her beloved Blossom, a big, imposing, playful, red gold dog. Suddenly, as if out of nowhere, "{a] grimy, barefoot urchin in tattered shirt and ragged pants streaked across the grass, swooped within inches of the bench on which Prudence sat, and snatched up the package of sandwiches she hadn't yet opened." Prudence and Blossom managed to track down this boy to a basement in the University Building. There the boy has made a shelter and refuge for himself and a girl (who would prove to be his sister as the story unfolds) who is seriously ill and shows signs of having been brutalized.
With considerable effort, Prudence convinces the boy that she wants to help him and the girl and takes them to The Friends Refuge for the Sick Poor, a charity hospital run by the Quakers and staffed with volunteer workers and Dr. Charity Sloan, who has dedicated her life to caring for poor, abused children and women compelled to live on the fringes of society. Prudence, who has a keen interest in the law and works in an investigative law agency with Geoffrey Hunter, a former Pinkerton agent recovering from a gunshot injury that has forced him to rely on a cane for support, is weighing her choices as to whether or not to study law now that New York University's law school had at long last agreed to admit female students.
After ensuring both children are safe in The Refuge, Prudence returns the following day to find out that both of them had absconded from the building overnight, sight unseen. She is highly concerned about their welfare for the streets of New York can be extremely dangerous for children having to fend for themselves. Prudence suspects that both children are in danger and it is that concern that drives her on a quest to find them. This quest spurs the novel forward and exposes the reader to the grim poverty, violent crime, the lifestyles, wealth and power as represented by the Goulds and the Astors, the corruption of Tammany Hall and the local police, as well as views of the seedy side of life in a big city teeming with immigrants and the new technology as represented by the telephone and electricity that is gradually making inroads into the life and culture of New York (shortly before the advent of the subway and automobile).
Prudence, Geoffrey, and a variety of richly developed characters including the real life personages of Jacob Riis and the journalist Nellie Bly form part of a compelling drama that makes The Dead Cry Justice a real spellbinder. So much so, that I had to at times step away from the novel after reading a couple of chapters in quick succession because of the visceral reactions it triggered in me.
For anyone in search of a captivating and gripping historical mystery novel, look no further. It will be time well spent.
The story begins in Washington Square Park in May of 1890. Prudence MacKenzie, a young, affluent, and well-to-do woman whose late father had been a distinguished and much respected judge in New York, is enjoying an outing with her beloved Blossom, a big, imposing, playful, red gold dog. Suddenly, as if out of nowhere, "{a] grimy, barefoot urchin in tattered shirt and ragged pants streaked across the grass, swooped within inches of the bench on which Prudence sat, and snatched up the package of sandwiches she hadn't yet opened." Prudence and Blossom managed to track down this boy to a basement in the University Building. There the boy has made a shelter and refuge for himself and a girl (who would prove to be his sister as the story unfolds) who is seriously ill and shows signs of having been brutalized.
With considerable effort, Prudence convinces the boy that she wants to help him and the girl and takes them to The Friends Refuge for the Sick Poor, a charity hospital run by the Quakers and staffed with volunteer workers and Dr. Charity Sloan, who has dedicated her life to caring for poor, abused children and women compelled to live on the fringes of society. Prudence, who has a keen interest in the law and works in an investigative law agency with Geoffrey Hunter, a former Pinkerton agent recovering from a gunshot injury that has forced him to rely on a cane for support, is weighing her choices as to whether or not to study law now that New York University's law school had at long last agreed to admit female students.
After ensuring both children are safe in The Refuge, Prudence returns the following day to find out that both of them had absconded from the building overnight, sight unseen. She is highly concerned about their welfare for the streets of New York can be extremely dangerous for children having to fend for themselves. Prudence suspects that both children are in danger and it is that concern that drives her on a quest to find them. This quest spurs the novel forward and exposes the reader to the grim poverty, violent crime, the lifestyles, wealth and power as represented by the Goulds and the Astors, the corruption of Tammany Hall and the local police, as well as views of the seedy side of life in a big city teeming with immigrants and the new technology as represented by the telephone and electricity that is gradually making inroads into the life and culture of New York (shortly before the advent of the subway and automobile).
Prudence, Geoffrey, and a variety of richly developed characters including the real life personages of Jacob Riis and the journalist Nellie Bly form part of a compelling drama that makes The Dead Cry Justice a real spellbinder. So much so, that I had to at times step away from the novel after reading a couple of chapters in quick succession because of the visceral reactions it triggered in me.
For anyone in search of a captivating and gripping historical mystery novel, look no further. It will be time well spent.
The Girls in Navy Blue by Alix Rickloff
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
The Girls in Navy Blue is a novel involving 2 generations 50 years apart, set in Norfolk, Virginia. One generation is shaped by World War I, during which 3 women from disparate backgrounds, are brought together through their service in the U.S. Navy, which unlike other branches of the U.S. military at that time (1918) made provision for women to serve in its ranks as yeomanettes, performing a variety of administrative, clerical, technical, and medical roles, freeing more men for service abroad. The other generation is represented by Peggy Whitby in 1968, a young woman freshly returned home from living many years in New York City. She is reeling from a failed relationship and has taken possession of a rundown, somewhat derelict beachfront house bequeathed to her by her great aunt Blanche, whom she soon learns, had served as a yeomanette in Norfolk 50 years earlier. Blanche is a distant relative who had recently passed away that Peggy never had the opportunity to know, for Blanche was the 'black sheep' in the family.
The novel is marked by temporal shifts in which the 1918 chapters are told through the eyes of Viv Weston, a young woman who left a bad situation at home to join the Navy in the spring of 1918. She comes to know Blanche and also a young German American woman from Ohio (Marjory Kunwald). Together the 3 women form a special bond as yeomanettes and endure a lot of challenging situations all through 1918. Tragedy ensues which tears this bond apart.
The other chapters relate Peggy's experiences of moving into her great aunt's beachfront house in 1968 and receiving cryptic postcards from a woman named Viv who seems unable to leave the events of 1918 behind.
On the whole The Girls in Navy Blue is an interesting, coherent novel that shows how the experiences of an earlier generation can impact a latter day generation, and at the same time, bring both generations closer together.
The novel is marked by temporal shifts in which the 1918 chapters are told through the eyes of Viv Weston, a young woman who left a bad situation at home to join the Navy in the spring of 1918. She comes to know Blanche and also a young German American woman from Ohio (Marjory Kunwald). Together the 3 women form a special bond as yeomanettes and endure a lot of challenging situations all through 1918. Tragedy ensues which tears this bond apart.
The other chapters relate Peggy's experiences of moving into her great aunt's beachfront house in 1968 and receiving cryptic postcards from a woman named Viv who seems unable to leave the events of 1918 behind.
On the whole The Girls in Navy Blue is an interesting, coherent novel that shows how the experiences of an earlier generation can impact a latter day generation, and at the same time, bring both generations closer together.
Letter from Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King Jr.
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
Letter from Birmingham Jail is a booklet consisting of Dr. King's eloquent Letter from Birmingham Jail, which he had written on strips of newspaper in Birmingham, Alabama, where he was imprisoned in the spring of 1963 by the authorities for leading a non-violent, direct action public protest against the segregationist laws and practices in Birmingham. This letter Dr. King had written as a response to "eight white Alabama clergymen, who argued that the fight against racial segregation should be fought in the courts - not the streets."
Letter from Birmingham Jail is a eloquent summation of Dr. King's advocacy of non-violent, direct action as a way of helping to end an injustice or injustices against a segment of the population based upon the color of their skin. I first read it in a 1963 issue of EBONY magazine many years ago and was deeply moved by it. And now that I have had re-read the Letter, here is a passage therefrom that had a deep resonance with me ---
[Dr. King to the Alabama clergymen:] "In your statement, you assert that our actions, even though peaceful, must be condemned because they precipitate violence. But is this a logical assertion? Isn't this like condemning a robbed man because his possession of money precipitated the evil act of robbery? Isn't this like condemning Socrates because his unswerving commitment to truth and his philosophical inquiries precipitated the act by the misguided populace in which they made him drink hemlock? Isn't this like condemning Jesus because his unique God consciousness and never ceasing devotion to God's will precipitated the evil act of crucifixion? We must come to see that, as the federal courts have consistently affirmed, it is wrong to urge an individual to cease his efforts to gain his basic constitutional rights because the quest may precipitate violence. Society must protect the robbed and punish the robber. I had also hoped that the white moderate would reject the myth concerning time in relation to the struggle for freedom."
The booklet also contains a sermon Dr. King gave in Chicago on April 9, 1967 entitled "The Three Dimensions of a Complete Life." I would strongly urge the reader of this review to read both texts in the booklet, if so inclined. Reading both texts for me has deepened my respect and admiration for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. for his eloquence and uncommon courage in the fight against racial segregation and socio-economic injustice throughout the U.S. and the world, despite the risks such a stand often put on his life from his critics and those who hated him for being "a drum major for justice", inspiring millions to become involved in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s.
Letter from Birmingham Jail is a eloquent summation of Dr. King's advocacy of non-violent, direct action as a way of helping to end an injustice or injustices against a segment of the population based upon the color of their skin. I first read it in a 1963 issue of EBONY magazine many years ago and was deeply moved by it. And now that I have had re-read the Letter, here is a passage therefrom that had a deep resonance with me ---
[Dr. King to the Alabama clergymen:] "In your statement, you assert that our actions, even though peaceful, must be condemned because they precipitate violence. But is this a logical assertion? Isn't this like condemning a robbed man because his possession of money precipitated the evil act of robbery? Isn't this like condemning Socrates because his unswerving commitment to truth and his philosophical inquiries precipitated the act by the misguided populace in which they made him drink hemlock? Isn't this like condemning Jesus because his unique God consciousness and never ceasing devotion to God's will precipitated the evil act of crucifixion? We must come to see that, as the federal courts have consistently affirmed, it is wrong to urge an individual to cease his efforts to gain his basic constitutional rights because the quest may precipitate violence. Society must protect the robbed and punish the robber. I had also hoped that the white moderate would reject the myth concerning time in relation to the struggle for freedom."
The booklet also contains a sermon Dr. King gave in Chicago on April 9, 1967 entitled "The Three Dimensions of a Complete Life." I would strongly urge the reader of this review to read both texts in the booklet, if so inclined. Reading both texts for me has deepened my respect and admiration for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. for his eloquence and uncommon courage in the fight against racial segregation and socio-economic injustice throughout the U.S. and the world, despite the risks such a stand often put on his life from his critics and those who hated him for being "a drum major for justice", inspiring millions to become involved in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s.
P-38 Lightning Vs Bf 109: North Africa, Sicily and Italy 1942–43 by Edward M. Young
adventurous
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
For all of its conciseness, P-38 LIGHTNING vs Bf 109: North Africa, Sicily and Italy 1942-43 provides a thorough overview of the merits and deficiencies of the P-38 Lightning twin-engined fighter vis-a-vis the Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighter when pitted against each other in aerial combat over North Africa and in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations (MTO) between November 1942 and September 1943.
In the wake of Operation Torch (the Anglo-American invasion of French North Africa in November 1942), the United States Army Air Force (USAAF) quickly dispatched several bomber and fighter units to assist the Allies in pushing the Italo-German forces out of North Africa. Among the latter units were the 1st, 14th, and 82nd Fighter Groups -- each of them equipped with the P-38 Lightning.
Besides fulfilling their traditional role of engaging enemy air forces in aerial combat, the P-38s, given their long range, speed, and firepower, were tasked with providing fighter escort for the bombers. To counter this infusion of Allied air power, the Germans sent over several of their veteran fighter units, manned by pilots with considerable combat experience. Over the next 10 months, the USAAF fighter units would be hard pressed to establish aerial supremacy against several of the Luftwaffe's best fighter aces, because of their lack of previous combat experience.
This book goes into considerable detail in assessing which of the 2 fighters came out ahead in terms of fighter-to-fighter combat. The findings were both interesting and surprising to me. There are also lots of photos and illustrations to give the reader a tangible sense of what the hazards and perils were that both the USAAF and Luftwaffe fighter pilots faced over North Africa, Sicily, and Italy, as well as first-hand accounts from the pilots themselves.
What became clear to me from reading P-38 LIGHTNING vs Bf 109: North Africa, Sicily and Italy 1942-43 was that "[a]lthough the Lightning groups may not have shot down as many Bf 109s as they claimed, and they had to absorb heavy losses at times, they succeeded admirably in defending the bombers. There are many variables that need to be taken into consideration when comparing the loss rates endured by bomb groups in the European and Mediterranean Theaters of Operations - the quality and quantity of German fighters, their tactics, the capabilities of Allied bombers under attack and the availability of fighter escort. It is noteworthy, ..., that during the time the P-38 groups spent as part of the Twelfth Air Force, the loss rates for the heavy bomber units they escorted all the way to the target and back were considerably lower that the loss rates for heavy bomber units in the European Theater of Operations. [ETO]"
The USAAF in North Africa and Mediterranean learned at an earlier stage than was the case in the ETO the critical need for escort fighters. Thus, the role played by the P-38 Lightning in ensuring the success of the Allied air forces "in interdicting Axis supplies to Tunisia and devastating Axis air strength in Sicily and Italy" was invaluable and gave its pilots much needed combat experience which they later imparted to future fighter pilots who would serve in the MTO and help ensure final victory over Germany in May 1945.
In the wake of Operation Torch (the Anglo-American invasion of French North Africa in November 1942), the United States Army Air Force (USAAF) quickly dispatched several bomber and fighter units to assist the Allies in pushing the Italo-German forces out of North Africa. Among the latter units were the 1st, 14th, and 82nd Fighter Groups -- each of them equipped with the P-38 Lightning.
Besides fulfilling their traditional role of engaging enemy air forces in aerial combat, the P-38s, given their long range, speed, and firepower, were tasked with providing fighter escort for the bombers. To counter this infusion of Allied air power, the Germans sent over several of their veteran fighter units, manned by pilots with considerable combat experience. Over the next 10 months, the USAAF fighter units would be hard pressed to establish aerial supremacy against several of the Luftwaffe's best fighter aces, because of their lack of previous combat experience.
This book goes into considerable detail in assessing which of the 2 fighters came out ahead in terms of fighter-to-fighter combat. The findings were both interesting and surprising to me. There are also lots of photos and illustrations to give the reader a tangible sense of what the hazards and perils were that both the USAAF and Luftwaffe fighter pilots faced over North Africa, Sicily, and Italy, as well as first-hand accounts from the pilots themselves.
What became clear to me from reading P-38 LIGHTNING vs Bf 109: North Africa, Sicily and Italy 1942-43 was that "[a]lthough the Lightning groups may not have shot down as many Bf 109s as they claimed, and they had to absorb heavy losses at times, they succeeded admirably in defending the bombers. There are many variables that need to be taken into consideration when comparing the loss rates endured by bomb groups in the European and Mediterranean Theaters of Operations - the quality and quantity of German fighters, their tactics, the capabilities of Allied bombers under attack and the availability of fighter escort. It is noteworthy, ..., that during the time the P-38 groups spent as part of the Twelfth Air Force, the loss rates for the heavy bomber units they escorted all the way to the target and back were considerably lower that the loss rates for heavy bomber units in the European Theater of Operations. [ETO]"
The USAAF in North Africa and Mediterranean learned at an earlier stage than was the case in the ETO the critical need for escort fighters. Thus, the role played by the P-38 Lightning in ensuring the success of the Allied air forces "in interdicting Axis supplies to Tunisia and devastating Axis air strength in Sicily and Italy" was invaluable and gave its pilots much needed combat experience which they later imparted to future fighter pilots who would serve in the MTO and help ensure final victory over Germany in May 1945.
MEMOIRS OF GERMAN PILOTS IN THE FIRST WORLD WAR: Volume 3 - Stark and Waldhausen by Jason Crouthamel
adventurous
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
Memoirs of German Pilots in the First World War: Volume 3 | Stark & Waldhausen is one of those books that provides first-hand accounts from German fighter pilots who saw extensive combat during the First World War. It consists of an updated English translation of Rudolf Stark's war memoir, "The Jagdstaffel - Our Homeland: A Pilot's Diary from the Final Year of the War" (which had been originally published in 1932: its English language version appeared a year later as "Wings of War: An Airman's Diary of the Last Year of World War I") and the first English language translation of Hans Waldhausen's war memoir, "With Unfurled and Clipped Wings - The Fate and Thoughts of a Downed Fighter Pilot" which had been originally published in 1924. (Waldhausen was born in 1892 and died in 1976.)
Rudolf Stark (1897-1982) was one of the first First World War German fighter pilots I became aware of from one of the earliest books I had read about the air war on the Western Front as a preteen during the Spring of 1977. In this book, Stark's account of his frontline combat service as a fighter pilot (preceded by his service as a 2-seater pilot in an artillery-spotting squadron and before that, as a member of the cavalry early in the war) seems to have been somewhat truncated by Jason Crouthamel. The reader is taken from the moment of Stark's request for a transfer to fighters has been accepted in late 1917, his stint in a Jagdfliegerschule (where he was trained to fly and fight in a single-seat fighter plane), and back to the Front in early 1918.
In contrast to the 1933 translation of Stark's memoir (which I had read a few years ago), Crouthamel's translation includes passages from the 1932 German language edition that were omitted from the original English language edition, in addition to photos from Stark's own photo collection that hadn't been previously published. I very much enjoyed reading this version of Stark's memoir, which like Wings of War: An Airman's Diary of the Last Year of World War I conveys an almost visceral sense of what air combat was like over the Western Front during 1918. "He unabashedly confronts the brutality of war, while also reflecting on the awesome experience of flight and his spiritual connection to" the fighters he flew in combat, from the Pfalz DIII to the Fokker Triplane (made famous by Germany's top First World War fighter ace, Manfred von Richthofen - aka the Red Baron), and on to the premiere fighter plane of the war, the Fokker DVII.
In addition to the photos of aircraft and pilots from the Jagdstaffeln (fighter squadrons) in which Stark served, there are also illustrations of the some of the aircraft used by these fighter squadrons, along with paintings depicting some of the aerial combat experienced by Stark in 1918, which he painted himself. Crouthamel also provides footnotes that give the reader a greater understanding of what Stark says about his experiences as a fighter pilot and squadron commander during the final year of the war.
The section of this book that deals with Hans Waldhausen's experiences as a fighter pilot is a shorter one. Waldhausen's stint on the Western Front as a fighter pilot lasted from July to September 1917, when he was shot down by 2 British fighters after having shot down a British observation plane and 2 British observation balloons over the trenches. He crashed landed behind enemy lines and was quickly captured by British troops.
In Waldhausen's memoir, he makes clear the psychological effect of becoming a prisoner of war had on him. Prior to being shot down and captured, he had come into his own as a fighter pilot and showed promise of perhaps emerging from the war as one of Germany's top fighter aces. For in the space of a week between September 19 and 27, he had managed to shoot down 6 British airplanes and observation balloons. Unfortunately for Waldhausen, on the day he was captured (September 27, 1917), had been due to go on leave to Germany prior to his assuming the command of a fighter squadron in Richthofen's fighter group, Jagdgeschwader 1 (nicknamed Richthofen's Flying Circus). (To be given a command in Richthofen's fighter group was a high honor.) In retrospect, it probably would have been wiser had he not pressed his luck.
Waldhausen would be a POW for 2 years, not returning to Germany until late 1919. His account conveys the frustrations and stresses he experienced while a prisoner - first, in France, and later, in the UK. He made an escape attempt while in France and later, in the UK, took part in the building of an escape tunnel. Like Stark's memoir, there are also footnotes and a number of photos in Waldhausen's book from his stint as a fighter pilot (during which he made the acquaintance of Ernst Udet, who would later emerge from the war as Germany's second-ranking fighter ace with 62 aerial victories).
This is a book I would highly recommend for anyone with an interest in aviation and reading memoirs.
Rudolf Stark (1897-1982) was one of the first First World War German fighter pilots I became aware of from one of the earliest books I had read about the air war on the Western Front as a preteen during the Spring of 1977. In this book, Stark's account of his frontline combat service as a fighter pilot (preceded by his service as a 2-seater pilot in an artillery-spotting squadron and before that, as a member of the cavalry early in the war) seems to have been somewhat truncated by Jason Crouthamel. The reader is taken from the moment of Stark's request for a transfer to fighters has been accepted in late 1917, his stint in a Jagdfliegerschule (where he was trained to fly and fight in a single-seat fighter plane), and back to the Front in early 1918.
In contrast to the 1933 translation of Stark's memoir (which I had read a few years ago), Crouthamel's translation includes passages from the 1932 German language edition that were omitted from the original English language edition, in addition to photos from Stark's own photo collection that hadn't been previously published. I very much enjoyed reading this version of Stark's memoir, which like Wings of War: An Airman's Diary of the Last Year of World War I conveys an almost visceral sense of what air combat was like over the Western Front during 1918. "He unabashedly confronts the brutality of war, while also reflecting on the awesome experience of flight and his spiritual connection to" the fighters he flew in combat, from the Pfalz DIII to the Fokker Triplane (made famous by Germany's top First World War fighter ace, Manfred von Richthofen - aka the Red Baron), and on to the premiere fighter plane of the war, the Fokker DVII.
In addition to the photos of aircraft and pilots from the Jagdstaffeln (fighter squadrons) in which Stark served, there are also illustrations of the some of the aircraft used by these fighter squadrons, along with paintings depicting some of the aerial combat experienced by Stark in 1918, which he painted himself. Crouthamel also provides footnotes that give the reader a greater understanding of what Stark says about his experiences as a fighter pilot and squadron commander during the final year of the war.
The section of this book that deals with Hans Waldhausen's experiences as a fighter pilot is a shorter one. Waldhausen's stint on the Western Front as a fighter pilot lasted from July to September 1917, when he was shot down by 2 British fighters after having shot down a British observation plane and 2 British observation balloons over the trenches. He crashed landed behind enemy lines and was quickly captured by British troops.
In Waldhausen's memoir, he makes clear the psychological effect of becoming a prisoner of war had on him. Prior to being shot down and captured, he had come into his own as a fighter pilot and showed promise of perhaps emerging from the war as one of Germany's top fighter aces. For in the space of a week between September 19 and 27, he had managed to shoot down 6 British airplanes and observation balloons. Unfortunately for Waldhausen, on the day he was captured (September 27, 1917), had been due to go on leave to Germany prior to his assuming the command of a fighter squadron in Richthofen's fighter group, Jagdgeschwader 1 (nicknamed Richthofen's Flying Circus). (To be given a command in Richthofen's fighter group was a high honor.) In retrospect, it probably would have been wiser had he not pressed his luck.
Waldhausen would be a POW for 2 years, not returning to Germany until late 1919. His account conveys the frustrations and stresses he experienced while a prisoner - first, in France, and later, in the UK. He made an escape attempt while in France and later, in the UK, took part in the building of an escape tunnel. Like Stark's memoir, there are also footnotes and a number of photos in Waldhausen's book from his stint as a fighter pilot (during which he made the acquaintance of Ernst Udet, who would later emerge from the war as Germany's second-ranking fighter ace with 62 aerial victories).
This is a book I would highly recommend for anyone with an interest in aviation and reading memoirs.
The Book of Everlasting Things by Aanchal Malhotra
adventurous
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
The Book of Everlasting Things is a generational saga spanning a century and across continents (from the India of the British Raj - which gave rise to Partition and the emergence of India and Pakistan in August 1947 following the end of British rule - to Europe).
The heart of the novel is centered on 2 families in Lahore - one Hindu and the other Muslim - 2 people from those families --- Samir, a Hindu boy born in 1927 in the midst of a monsoon with a nose possessing an extraordinary sense of smell -- and Firdaus a young Muslim girl born in 1929 whose loving father, recognizing early her growing talent for calligraphy, encouraged her and made it possible for her to study calligraphy in a school normally reserved for boys --- who, meet by chance during the late 1930s in the ittar shop owned and run by Samir's family and, over the following decade, fall in love and carry out a subtly discreet exchange of love letters.
But for Samir - a perfumer's apprentice - and Firdaus - a calligrapher's apprentice - their love, so pure, tender, and all-encompassing, was not fated to be fully realized. Both are young adults when India in the mid-1940s becomes convulsed in religious strife as Muslims are pitted against Hindus and Sihks, with whom they had long lived together harmoniously, in the countdown to Independence. Samir finds himself caught up in a tragedy that destroys his family and has his heart broken, leaving him little choice but to leave Lahore and, eventually, India for France.
The novel goes into considerable detail in describing the resultant arcs of Samir's and Firdaus' lives, showing how both their families over time were impacted by the reverberations arising from Partition.
I felt a deep sense of loss and sadness from reading The Book of Everlasting Things. And yet, I could appreciate Samir's ability to endure and absorb the weight of his sorrow, making a life and livelihood in a foreign land. As for Firdaus, her life in Lahore became one in which she sacrificed personal happiness in fulfillment of filial duty (which taught her that love can assume many forms, allowing some compensations for the heart) for the rest of her life.
The heart of the novel is centered on 2 families in Lahore - one Hindu and the other Muslim - 2 people from those families --- Samir, a Hindu boy born in 1927 in the midst of a monsoon with a nose possessing an extraordinary sense of smell -- and Firdaus a young Muslim girl born in 1929 whose loving father, recognizing early her growing talent for calligraphy, encouraged her and made it possible for her to study calligraphy in a school normally reserved for boys --- who, meet by chance during the late 1930s in the ittar shop owned and run by Samir's family and, over the following decade, fall in love and carry out a subtly discreet exchange of love letters.
But for Samir - a perfumer's apprentice - and Firdaus - a calligrapher's apprentice - their love, so pure, tender, and all-encompassing, was not fated to be fully realized. Both are young adults when India in the mid-1940s becomes convulsed in religious strife as Muslims are pitted against Hindus and Sihks, with whom they had long lived together harmoniously, in the countdown to Independence. Samir finds himself caught up in a tragedy that destroys his family and has his heart broken, leaving him little choice but to leave Lahore and, eventually, India for France.
The novel goes into considerable detail in describing the resultant arcs of Samir's and Firdaus' lives, showing how both their families over time were impacted by the reverberations arising from Partition.
I felt a deep sense of loss and sadness from reading The Book of Everlasting Things. And yet, I could appreciate Samir's ability to endure and absorb the weight of his sorrow, making a life and livelihood in a foreign land. As for Firdaus, her life in Lahore became one in which she sacrificed personal happiness in fulfillment of filial duty (which taught her that love can assume many forms, allowing some compensations for the heart) for the rest of her life.