Author Archives: secondbysecond

In the news: France returns paintings stolen by the Nazis

Posted on February 17, 2013 by secondbysecond

According to the British newspaper The Guardian,  artwork stolen by the Nazis during World War II is about to be returned to the Jewish owners. Seven paintings were mentioned in the news release. Six were stolen in France. The seventh … Continue reading →

Posted in Book, In the news | Tagged , , | Comments Off on In the news: France returns paintings stolen by the Nazis

Vignette: If Hitler had a Facebook page…

Posted on February 12, 2013 by secondbysecond

The American Civil War felt the impact of photography, and much of the Second World War was reported through motion pictures in the form of newsreels. For Vietnam, it was television. For modern day conflicts, it will likely be social media. … Continue reading →

Posted in Vignette | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Vignette: If Hitler had a Facebook page…

This week in the War, 10–16 February 1941: Erwin Rommel arrives in North Africa

Posted on February 11, 2013 by secondbysecond

This week in the war, 11 February 1941, the British War Cabinet made its fateful decision to send an expeditionary force to Greece, where a German invasion was expected by March. Thus O’Connor lost the resources and the window of … Continue reading →

Posted in World War II | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on This week in the War, 10–16 February 1941: Erwin Rommel arrives in North Africa

This week in the War, 3–9 February 1941: Give us the tools, and we will finish the job.

Posted on February 8, 2013 by secondbysecond

This week in the war, on 9 February 1941, Churchill made a major radio broadcast to the British people. He spoke of Britain’s strength at sea, and in the air—where the RAF had “beat off and beat down the Nazi … Continue reading →

Posted in World War II | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on This week in the War, 3–9 February 1941: Give us the tools, and we will finish the job.

In the news: Eva Braun’s home movies

Posted on February 7, 2013 by secondbysecond

Eva Braun’s birthday was a day or so ago, 6 February (1912) and, last week, an article about her and the movies she made appeared in the Guardian and Observer (Robert McCrum and Taylor Downing, 27 January 2013). Eva and … Continue reading →

Posted in Book, In the news, World War II | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on In the news: Eva Braun’s home movies

This week in the War, 27 Jan–2 Feb 1941: Occupied Paris

Posted on February 1, 2013 by secondbysecond

Hélène Pitrou was a child, growing up in Paris during the dark years, the years of German occupation. [Check the book by historian Julian Jackson, France–The Dark Years 1940-1944]. Hélène kept a diary, un journal, as one says in French. … Continue reading →

Posted in Book, World War II | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on This week in the War, 27 Jan–2 Feb 1941: Occupied Paris

In the news: Patty Andrews—last of the Andrews Sisters, dies at 94

Posted on January 31, 2013 by secondbysecond

Patty Andrews, the last of the Andrews sisters, died in Los Angeles yesterday, Wednesday 30 January 2013, at the age of 94. They were really sisters, and are shown here in a vocally upside-down order: LaVerne (who had the low … Continue reading →

Posted in In the news | Tagged , | Comments Off on In the news: Patty Andrews—last of the Andrews Sisters, dies at 94

This week in the War, 20–26 January 1941: Tobruk

Posted on January 25, 2013 by secondbysecond

Forces under British general Richard O’Connor—and the Australian 6th Division, in particular—were racing westward along the coast of Libya. This week in the war, on 22 January 1941, they captured Tobruk—one of the most heavily fortified towns in Italy’s colonial … Continue reading →

Posted in World War II | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on This week in the War, 20–26 January 1941: Tobruk

In the news/This week in the War, 20–26 January 1941: Presidential Inauguration

Posted on January 21, 2013 by secondbysecond

Today is the day of Barack Obama’s public inauguration as President of the United States. The Chief Justice remembered his lines, Michelle’s dress met with universal approval, and the President entered his second term without a hitch. This week in … Continue reading →

Posted in In the news | Tagged , , | Comments Off on In the news/This week in the War, 20–26 January 1941: Presidential Inauguration

This week in the War, 13–19 January 1941: James Joyce

Posted on January 18, 2013 by secondbysecond

I have never read Ulysses, James Joyce’s masterpiece, so chock full of dialect and scattered lightly, here and there, with Irish Gaelic. A friend of mine has read it, and someone else I know pointed recently to the podcasts of … Continue reading →

Posted in World War II | Tagged , | Comments Off on This week in the War, 13–19 January 1941: James Joyce