Good Morning, Mr. Zip Zip Zip: Movies, Memory and World War II (Hardcover) Review

Richard Schickel's memoir of life and movies during WWII, is a book that not "only a film scholar could write", but one that only THIS film scholar could write. To those of us of, as they say, a certain age, it offers a fascinating re-evaluation of the films of WWII, as well as a compelling portratit of growing up in America at the time. Indeed, if the book has a flaw for those of us old enough to remember the films in their original release, it is the lack of precise dates of release of many of them. HOWEVER, one does have to ask (and my rating of 4, rather than 5, stars offers my answer), who, besides me, Schickel, and our co-age group, is the book for? While his insights into all the films he cites are meticulous, the vast majority of them are not only obscure to most film goers, but DESERVEDLY so.
The writing is, as one would expect, always compelling; the portrait of America, film, and the intertwining of the two to an impressionable public, is flawless. Indeed, the subject not only should have been covered, but needed to be. But, will the average film buff, let alone the average reader, be as enthralled as I was? Alas, I tend to doubt it, but I'm grateful it was done, anyway.

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Red Sky In the Morning: The Battle of the Barents Sea 1942 [Paperback] Review

This book describes an account of one of the most important sea battles in the early part of the WW2 after the "phoney war" was finally over. It came to be known as The Battle of the Barents Sea and involves the actions of a small close escort of five RN destroyers to convoy JW51B plus a reserve force of two light cruisers which shadowed the convoy from a distance of some 70 miles.

Against them was the far more superior force of Germany's Heavy Cruiser Hipper, the pocket Battleship Lutzow and six destroyers. The action commenced with the British destroyer Achates being fired on by the Hipper followed by salvos from the Lutzow and several destroyers. Capt. Sherbrooke (in charge of the Destroyers) immediately turned his small force against the raiders and a sharp action followed in the semi-darkness of the Arctic Circle amid failing light and frequent snow squalls. The Achates was hit early in the action, and finally turned over and sank. Meanwhile, the action continued driving off determined attacks by the enemy. After 2 hours the British Light Cruisers arrived and the German destroyer Friedrich Eckoldt was sunk. Once the Hipper was hit and badly damaged, the German force broke off and retired. The convoy reached its destination without loss or damage to a single ship. Capt Sherbrooke was later awarded the Victoria Cross.

This was a battle which had far-reaching consequences for the German Navy. Grand Admiral Ercih Raeder resigned as Commander-in Chief, a post he had held since 1928, and Hitler issued an edict which would effectively decommission almost all of Germany's big ships.

Clearly a work which has been thoroughly and carefully researched. The end result is a fine work and well worth all that effort.

NM



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Product Description:
The Arctic convoys that sailed through the cold malevolent waters of the Barents Sea ran the gauntlet of German air and sea attacks as they struggled to transport vital supplies to Britain's Russian allies.

Convoy JW51B sailed in December 1942 with a small close escort of five destroyers, plus a reserve of two light cruisers, which shadowed the main convoy at a distance of seventy miles.The convoy was attacked on 31 December by a powerful German force that included the heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper, the pocket battleship Lutzow and six destroyers.The ensuing engagement proved the worth of the British destroyers and the bravery of the men who sailed in them.

It was a naval engagement that had far-reaching consequences and resulted in many capital ships of the Kriegsmarine being decommissioned for the rest of World War II.

A gripping tale of the war at sea under the direst of conditions.

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A Morning Moon (Paperback) Review

This book tells the story of a family through multiple points of view and creates a fascinating picture of lives torn apart and rebuilt. Though it deals with cultures and a time period that have no particular appeal to me, I found the book absolutely riveting. You really feel for the characters and experience their heartaches and joys. I've lent this book to lots of people (male and female) and everyone loves it. But it was out of print for a long time. Why aren't there more books like this being published??? Highly recommended!

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A Morning Moon is a powerful and moving novel of a Jewish family's struggle to overcome the burden of its past during the turmoil of World War I and its aftermath.Set in London, Vienna, and New York, as well as the tiny villages of Austria-Hungary, it sensitively portrays the loves and hates that drive a family apart as well as bring it back together.



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Red Sky in Morning (Mass Market Paperback) Review

The author pays homage to his own late father's WW2 experiences in the US Navy with this novel which appears to be based heavily on his father's memoirs. I found the plot a bit predictable and the characters to be drawn straight from the "How to write a WW2 seafaring novel" guide book, but all up it wasn't a bad read.

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Morning Of The Rising Sun: The Heroic Story of the Battles For Guadalcanal (Paperback) Review

Having had a strong interest in the Guadalcanal Campaign since I read "Guadalcanal Diary" when I was in high school I couldn't resist buying Dr.Friedman's book as soon as it came out.I enjoyed the book and found it to be informative especially with the charts and maps that he supplied.He has laid it out in a fashion that shows how the naval and air battles tied in with the ground campaign.It looks like his main interest is in the naval battles as they showed the most detail.If he has a weakness it was in the air battles and being a 'junior birdman' myself(PPL) and having a close relative that flew SBD's from Guadalcanal I probably am more sensitive to this than most readers.I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the Solomons Campaign.I only gave it a four star review due to some editing and binding problems.

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When it comes to the Pacific theater of the Second World War, Morning of the Rising Sun: The Heroic Story of the Struggle for Guadalcanal by author and historian Kenneth I. Friedman, Ph.D. is the quintessential guide to the epic and stirring tale of the six-month conflict between the United States and the Japanese Empire over the vital island of Guadalcanal. Located in the Southern Solomon Islands, Guadalcanal was in the direct path of the primary supply line between the continental United States and Australia-New Zealand; whoever possessed the island would control the direction of the war in the Pacific. Meticulously researched, the author uses a bipartisan approach to convey the great dedication and bravery of both the Allied and Japanese fighting men. His attention to detail provides an embracing journey through a series of the most ferocious land, air, and sea battles in the history of war.

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On Wings of the Morning [Paperback] Review

What a wonderful way to tell a story!We're given two main characters to follow through the years of 1933 to 1975.Each narrates his/her own story, switching back and forth from chapter to chapter.Morgan and Georgia emerged from completely different backgrounds, yet shared a single passion.The passion of flight, so exquisitely expressed by Marie, that the reader is transported to the sky.At once a heartfelt and visual experience, it is impossible to not become fully invested in the lives of these two individuals as they fledge toward a relationship.
Although the book takes place during World War II and carries with it much historical content, it is so much more than just historical fiction.Marie has developed a variety of secondary characters, with colorful personalities.In doing so, she has livened up the mix, and given us the opportunity to feel a multitude of emotions toward everyone in the story.There are those that are sadly comical, the ones you love to hate, and those that have struggled through hardship and can only be an inspiration.This book had me both crying and laughing outright.
Wings of the Morning can be read simply, as an easy-flowing love story, or as an example of patriotism and the recognition of the women of the WASPs, or if you are so inclined, delve deeply, and delight in the spiritual side of the story, consider such intriguing topics as Nature vs Nurture.But most of all, enjoy what Marie so capably brings to the mind's eye.


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Marie Bostwick delivers a captivating novel of soul mates discovering each other as the country faces its greatest challenge...
Morgan Glennon's destiny points straight up into Oklahoma's clear, blue sky. It's been that way since he was four years old, imagining the famous flier father he's never met. Morgan leaves college to enlist as a Navy pilot, and his whole world suddenly changes when America goes to war. Watching his friends fall in battle, robs Morgan of the joy he always felt in the air. It will take one very unusual woman to help him get it back...
Georgia Jean Carter learned early never to rely on a man for anything but trouble. Airplanes are different: they take a girl places most boyfriends can't. Remarkably, the war makes it possible for Georgia to do her part as a pilot. Flying with the WASPs brings a special sense of belonging--yet there's something missing that Georgia doesn't recognize until a brief encounter sets her dreaming about a young flyboy she barely knows...

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Wings Of Morning: The Story Of The Last American Bomber Shot Down Over Germany In World War II [Paperback] Review

Having heard all of Dr. Childer's excellent audio courses available from the Teaching Company, I had very high expectations for this book.I was not disappointed; Wings of Morning is an exceptional book that details the war time experiences of a B-24 bomber crew from their initial induction and training, to their deployment to England as part of the 8th Air Force, through their fateful final mission in the closing days of Word War II.A final mission, incidentally, that the reader can not help but conclude should have never been flown.
Based on hundreds of crewmember letters home, Wings of Morning provides insights that go far beyond the usual combat narrative.The combat experience is here to be sure, but so is the training, off-duty hours, weekend leaves, camaraderie, devotion to duty, exhilaration, boredom, bravery, fear, hope for the future, and the families back home.This book, more than any I've ever read, gave me an appreciation for the near constant tension that these men must have felt.I repeatedly found myself asking what I would have done in similar situations and realizing anew why those who fought World War II are rightly called the "Greatest Generation".
Wings of Morning does not end with the loss of a B-24 crew over Regensburg, Germany, in April of 1945 nor with the War Department notifications to the families waiting at home.Professor Childer's uncle was a crew member on that tragic flight and the final chapters of this extraordinary book detail his quest to reconstruct the final mission of a B-24 known as the Black Cat.
I've read and own many good books about World War II but none has had the impact of Wings of Morning.Thank you, Dr. Childers, for this insightful and thought provoking work...

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