Mike’s Comments (group member since Feb 18, 2012)

Mike’s comments from the THE WORLD WAR TWO GROUP group.

Today's ebooks on sale:

$2.99:
The First World War: A Complete History by Martin Gilbert
Midnight in the Pacific: Guadalcanal—The World War II Battle That Turned the Tide of War by Joseph Wheelan
The Americans at D-Day: The American Experience at the Normandy Invasion by John C. McManus
81 Days Below Zero: The Incredible Survival Story of a World War II Pilot in Alaska's Frozen Wilderness by Brian Murphy
The Forger: An Extraordinary Story of Survival in Wartime Berlin by Cioma Schönhaus
Retreat from Moscow: A New History of Germany's Winter Campaign, 1941-1942 by David Stahel
One Bullet Away: The Making of a Marine Officer by Nathaniel Fick
Ivan's War: Life and Death in the Red Army, 1939-1945 by Catherine Merridale

'Aussie Rick' wrote: ""Opening the Gates of Hell: Operation Barbarossa, June–July 1941" - The author describes not only the numerous and bloody pogroms against the Jewish population but also the gruesome massacre of Sov..."

Russians killing Ukrainians and others...still happening. Informative link AR, thanks.

This is a great interview with a B-17 pilot. The book about his experiences is:

Damn Lucky: One Man's Courage During the Bloodiest Military Campaign in Aviation History by Kevin Maurer

Watch This 100-Year-Old Badass B-17 Pilot Describe Flying into Hell:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CAxf...

'Aussie Rick' wrote: " 'After ten days in the East, 100 kilometres had been covered and the German armoured spearheads faced an enemy who was technically and numerically superior and who often used hitherto unknown yet effective fighting methods.' ..."

You don't often read praise of the Soviet forces during the early parts of Barbarossa. Clearly this experienced German commander had a different impression of his enemy. Great posts AR.

Ebooks on sale today:

$1.99:

Malayan Emergency: Triumph of the Running Dogs, 1948–1960 by Gerry Van Tonder
Vietnam Diary by Richard Tregaskis
Dead Reckoning: The Story of How Johnny Mitchell and His Fighter Pilots Took on Admiral Yamamoto and Avenged Pearl Harbor by Dick Lehr


$2.99:

The Ardennes, 1944-1945: Hitler's Winter Offensive by Christer Bergström
The Crime and the Silence: Confronting the Massacre of Jews in Wartime Jedwabne by Anna Bikont
Underground in Berlin: A Young Woman's Extraordinary Tale of Survival in the Heart of Nazi Germany by Marie Jalowicz Simon
Kamikaze: Japan's Last Bid for Victory by Adrian Stewart
Stealth Patrol: The Making Of A Vietnam Ranger by Bill Shanahan
Land With No Sun: A Year in Vietnam with the 173rd Airborne by Ted G. Arthurs
I Somehow Survived: Eyewitness Accounts from World War II by Klaus G. Förg
A Handful of Hard Men: The SAS and the Battle for Rhodesia by Hannes Wessels
Eyewitness Korea: The Experience of British and American Soldiers in the Korean War 1950-1953 by James Goulty
A Magnificent Disaster: The Failure of the Market Garden, The Arnhem Operation, September 1944 by David Bennett

'Aussie Rick' wrote: ""Enemies and Neighbours", was for me, an excellent account!"

Which is why I picked up a copy after seeing your review. Also it is pretty expensive here. But it is likely one I want in hardcopy.

On sale at all the ebook sites:

1.99:

A Home on the Rolling Main: A Naval Memoir 1940-1946 by A G F Ditcham

$2.99:

Enemies and Neighbours: Arabs and Jews In Palestine and Israel, 1917-2017 by Ian Black
The Assassins’ Gate: America in Iraq by George Packer
The Fear and the Freedom: How the Second World War Changed Us by Keith Lowe

Not sure how long but on sale right now:

Inferno: The True Story of a B-17 Gunner's Heroism and the Bloodiest Military Campaign in Aviation History by Joe Pappalardo
The Tigers of Bastogne: Voices of the 10th Armored Division in the Battle of the Bulge by Michael Collins

On sale:

$1.99:

Island Infernos: The US Army's Pacific War Odyssey, 1944 by John C. McManus


$2.99:

KL: A History of the Nazi Concentration Camps by Nikolaus Wachsmann

Currently reading The Last Great Victory: The End of World War II, July/August 1945 by Stanley Weintraub

He reveals a "weapon" I was unfamiliar with, the "Pumpkin Bomb":

The 509th Composite Group on Tinian had the most curious mission. With oversized and shielded bomb-loading pits constructed at North Field on Tinian ready, the 509th began what would be a series of sorties familiarizing crews with the areas of Japan expected to be “Special Bomb” targets, and dropping, one per mission, a ten-thousand-pound bright orange “pumpkin” approximating “Little Boy.” Maneuvering tactics to evade blast and radiation were employed by groups of three planes flying widely apart. The Japanese were already accustomed to small formations flying at high altitudes to drop leaflets, take pictures, and sample weather, but these, Lieutenant Masataka Hakata of Central Communications Research realized, were different...What were the....planes doing, and where did they come from? Why had they begun dropping, with such curious maneuvers, such a curious-looking (but otherwise ordinary) bomb? No one had an answer.

https://mag.uchicago.edu/science-medi...

'Aussie Rick' wrote: ""1st Panzer Division reported that one KV-2 was hit 70 times - yet not a single shell penetrated its armour. Only at point-blank range - 100ft - did armour piercing shells seem to have any effect on the Soviets' 'big old lumps'."

That had to be disconcerting...the western allies would have the same experience with German tanks.

Paul wrote: "Some very good ones! My review of "A Dawn Like Thunder" is here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show......"

That is a great point about the MPs. They often don't get sympathetic treatment in the history books and deserve better.

More:

$2.99:

First to Fly: The Story of the Lafayette Escadrille, the American Heroes Who Flew For France in World War I by Charles Bracelen Flood
Crossing the Rhine: Breaking into Nazi Germany 1944 and 1945 The Greatest Airborne Battles in History by Lloyd Clark
Secret Soldier: The True Life Story of Israel's Greatest Commando by Robert Rosenberg
Palace Cobra: A Fighter Pilot in the Vietnam Air War by Ed Rasimus
Flight To Arras by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Sales today at all the ebook sites unless noted:

$1.99:

The Saboteur: The Aristocrat Who Became France's Most Daring Anti-Nazi Commando by Paul Kix

$2.99:

Strong Men Armed: The United States Marines Against Japan by Robert Leckie
Arctic Convoy PQ18: 25 Days That Changed the Course of the War by John R McKay
To Hell and Back by Audie Murphy
Last Stand at Khe Sanh: The U.S. Marines' Finest Hour in Vietnam by Gregg Jones
A Dawn Like Thunder: The True Story of Torpedo Squadron Eight by Robert J. Mrazek
The War for the Seas: A Maritime History of World War II by Evan Mawdsley

More to come....

carl wrote: "on my way to Bucharest tomorrow, never thought I'd be saying that. Staying for a time at the Athene Palace hotel.


The intro describes an author as fascinating as the story itself.

Romania 1940,..."

Been traveling and just saw your post Carl. Enjoy Romania and have fun. I stayed at the Athene in 1999 and really enjoyed the visit. The nearby "Palace Hall" had some excellent classical music performances. The Romanians were great hosts.

A sure-fire addition to my shelves. Looks like a great untold story. Reading his Spearhead: An American Tank Gunner, His Enemy, and a Collision of Lives In World War II and he makes the stories come alive.

Welcome Beata, great to have you join up. You've come to the right place for recommendations in all your areas of interest.

Paul wrote: "Wow, that one sounds good! Thanks, Mike!"

You're welcome. It sounded so good, I had to order a hardcopy.

On sale today:

$1.99:

The Last Hill: The Epic Story of a Ranger Battalion and the Battle That Defined WWII by Bob Drury

The above post might or might not be legit. The individual has only been on GR since March and has a pretty sparse history. Not a librarian or member of a group that would relate to here request. Would be nice if a true effort is being made but go to that link at your own risk:

"forms.gle" is a legitimate domain used for Google Forms, a free tool for creating online surveys and quizzes
. It's a shorthand URL for the main Google Forms site (docs.google.com).
However, even though the platform itself is legitimate and Google employs security measures like encryption for data transmission and storage, attackers can abuse Google Forms to carry out scams and phishing attacks. They may impersonate brands or companies to trick users into providing sensitive information.