Save One Life, Save the World?

An extraordinary feel-good movie, One Life, about how one "ordinary" British man, Nicholas Winton, portrayed by Anthony Hopkins, saved 669 Jewish children in Czechoslovakia from the Holocaust in 1939, is now streaming in the U.S. It does, unintentionally, raise uncomfortable questions as to what humanitarians can do to save the lives of the children of …

NATO’s 75th Anniversary: It Has Helped Stabilize Europe. Clifton Truman Daniel Recalls His Grandfather’s Momentous Act

If NATO existed in 1914 and 1939, European nations, Britain, and the U.S. abided by a collective security treaty -- that an attack on one of them would be treated as an attack on them all -- World War I and World War II would have been prevented, President Harry Truman contended. Indeed, since NATO …

Bonhoeffer: True Christian Martyrdom

The Incredible Journey: "Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German theologian, is a Christian hero for many. Executed by the Nazis just days before the end of WWII for his participation in a plot to assassinate Hitler, Bonhoeffer is hailed as a 20th-century martyr. But Bonhoeffer struggled with a moral dilemma – his religious views were in stark …

Walter Winchell Criticizes 1939 Nazi Rally

Walter Winchell (1897-1972) “was a syndicated American newspaper gossip columnist and radio news commentator. Originally a vaudeville performer, Winchell began his newspaper career as a Broadway reporter, critic and columnist for New York tabloids.” Wikipedia https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzT-hjdnoEc Related: Nazi Town, USA, in the 1930s Who Goes Nazi? Know the Difference Between Nazis and Socialists Night of the Long Knives in …

‘The Light of Dawn’: D-Day Documentary, June 6, 1944

The Best Documentaries Channel on YouTube posts "the story of Operation Overlord. It traces one of the largest military operations man has ever conceived." Winston Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt first broached the issue and began to make an initial plan for an invasion in the summer of 1941. "The film recounts this crucial turning point …

How FDR Worked to Keep His Declining Health A Secret

Timeline: World History Documentaries: "The Hidden History of the Wheelchair President. Host David Reynolds exposes the cover-up of Roosevelt's failing health and its impact on his wartime decisions and tough talks with Stalin and Churchill." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySvdFsbV108 Related: FDR’s Fateful Final Years Ended in Great Triumph FDR Died April 12, 1945 After Winning 4 Presidential Elections. His …

Heroes of WWII, From the Iconic Life Magazine

Life magazine, published weekly, was iconic, one of the industry's best, for nearly nine decades, from 1883 to 1972. It evolved into a moderately successful monthly news magazine for another 22 years, from 1978 to 2000. At its peak, the magazine had more than 13 million weekly readers and essentially launched the profession of photojournalism. …

A Profound Reflection on D-Day, By Andy Rooney

60 Minutes: "There've only been a handful of days since the beginning of time on which the direction the world was taking has been changed in one 24-hour period by an act of man," Andy Rooney said about the D-Day invasion of Normandy, France, on June 6, 1944." Rooney was a renowned commentator for CBS …

In Case D-Day Failed: Eisenhower’s Heroic Letter

In June 1944, General Dwight D. Eisenhower prepared to send 150,000 troops on a treacherous mission across the English Channel to storm the beaches of Normandy, invade France and free the continent from Nazi occupation. He knew the chances of success were not great, but he was determined to see the mission through. Nevertheless, he …

Memories of a 100-Year-Old, Week 1

To make history come alive, get to know someone much older and ask them about their historical memories. My mother-in-law, 100, has moved into my home, at least temporarily, and it's an opportunity for me to learn what it was like growing up in the 1920s, 1930s, and early 1940s. Read my Substack newsletter, "Life …