World War II Booklist

History Read-Along: Pearl Harbor Christmas

/ Sarah Kay Bierle / 6 Comments

You’re cordially invited to join us for our holiday history read-along! Since our summer and autumn reading focused on World War II, we thought we’d finish the year with the same theme.

Our new book is non-fiction but not as daunting as Inferno. Just two hundred pages of large text and some photos, this book will focus on Christmas 1941 as Allied leaders Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill met to discuss and decide on a war strategy while America reeled from Pearl Harbor and still sparkled with holiday lights.

Pearl Harbor Christmas: A World at War, December 1941 Continue reading →

History Read-Along: Gunner’s Run, Introduction

/ Sarah Kay Bierle / 1 Comment

We’re going to do another read-along on Gazette665 this autumn, and our new book is family friendly and historical fiction! I’ve read this historical novel before and it was one of my favorite history story books in the high school years.

It’s got fast-paced adventure! It’s set in World War II (so we’ll continue “World War II Wednesdays)! There are airplanes, prison escapes, good character qualities, faith struggles, and a glimpse at different responses to the war in Europe. Continue reading →

Photographs: More Than 1,000 Words

/ Sarah Kay Bierle / 2 Comments

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Perhaps it’s a little cliché, but it is true. These last few weeks I’ve introduced some of my favorite primary sources from the European Theater of World War II. Today, I’d like to talk about a picture book.

There are lots of photo books featuring pictures from World War II. I have several that are favorites, but the one I’m recommending today is all about D-Day. You can read the accounts, the primary sources, but sometimes you just have to see the photos. The grim determination in a soldier’s eyes is sometimes more informative than a whole diary of words. Continue reading →

Heinz Knoke: The “Other” Side of the Sky Battlefields

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Sometimes it’s good to read “the other side of the story.” Remember, history is (usually) written by the victors, and sometimes the losing side is portrayed with more villainy than perhaps they deserve.

I wasn’t sure what I would find when I started reading a journal by a German fighter pilot from World War II, especially one with “Fuhrer” (German term for leader, usually associated with Hitler) in the title. However, it was a fascinating book to read and I learned a lot. Continue reading →

Corrie Ten Boom: Living Her Faith

/ Sarah Kay Bierle / 8 Comments
"The Hiding Place" by Corrie Ten Boom

“The Hiding Place” by Corrie Ten Boom

It’s not often that there’s a history book people can’t put down, but every person I’ve talked to who’s read this book has had the same positive response. Even folks who think they “don’t like history” devour the pages of this World War II primary source.

The book is by Corrie Ten Boom. Written post-war, it tells her story of helping Jews escape and find shelter from the Nazis, and what happened to her and her family when they were captured and imprisoned for their actions and faith. Continue reading →