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History Read-Along: Gunner’s Run, Chapters 18-21

/ Sarah Kay Bierle / Leave a comment

Ready to head farther west on the escape journey in the historical novel Gunner’s Run? Author Rick Barry keeps the plot moving and the history hints coming in this section of the adventure story. No spoilers ahead – just some extra historical details about World War II.

Interesting, this section has hints and ties to World War I, the conflict that had wracked Europe just decades earlier. Did you know that the anniversary of the end of World War I is coming up on November 11? It’s been one hundred years this year (2018). Continue reading →

History Read-Along: Gunner’s Run, Chapters 4-6

/ Sarah Kay Bierle / 2 Comments

Ready for more historical fiction? We’re reading and discussing chapters 4, 5, & 6 of Gunner’s Run by Rick Barry. If you’re still reading, no worries… We don’t have any major spoilers (without warnings) in this blog post, just some extra history to go with the story!

Chapter 4 – Extra History

Let’s talk about parachutes. A couple weeks ago a friend and I were questioning the history of parachutes. When did they come into existence? When did military pilots start wearing them? Since there’s a parachute in this chapter, I thought it might be fun to share some of the history we learned… Continue reading →

History Read Along – Inferno: The World at War, Chapters 19-20

/ Sarah Kay Bierle / Leave a comment

Hey, readers – can you believe how far we’ve come in this giant book? I’m learning on every page. Are you?

Here are the notes for Chapters 19 and 20 in Max Hasting’s one volume history of World War II. Just as a reminder – although you’ve probably got this figured out by now – the book is for a mature audience, but chapter notes here on the blog are family-friendly.

Today, we’re talking about the bombing campaigns in Europe and the atrocities of the war… Continue reading →