Tag Archives: Churchill

This week in the War, 4–10 November 1940: Election Day

Posted on November 4, 2012 by secondbysecond

As I write this post on Sunday 4 November 2012, I have no idea who will win Tuesday’s US election. Democrat incumbent Barack Obama is pitted against Republican challenger Mitt Romney, and the race is close. The economy and entanglement … Continue reading →

Posted in Book, World War II | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on This week in the War, 4–10 November 1940: Election Day

This week in the War, 19–25 August 1940: Stalin settles a score

Posted on August 23, 2012 by secondbysecond

On the evening of 20 August 1940, the same day that Winston Churchill made his historic ‘Never in the field of human conflict…’ speech before the British House of Commons, a man armed with an ice pick entered a house … Continue reading →

Posted in World War II | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on This week in the War, 19–25 August 1940: Stalin settles a score

This week in the War, 19–25 August 1940: Never in the field of human conflict…

Posted on August 20, 2012 by secondbysecond

This week in the war, Tuesday 20 August 1940, Winston Churchill rose in the House of Commons to give his most memorable speech of the war. “Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many … Continue reading →

Posted in World War II | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on This week in the War, 19–25 August 1940: Never in the field of human conflict…

In the news: Curiosity and the ingredients for life

Posted on August 6, 2012 by secondbysecond

In the early hours of this morning, NASA’s Martian rover Curiosity touched down on the Red Planet to tackle a question that has fired the imagination of the public at least as far back as H.G. Wells’s War of the … Continue reading →

Posted in In the news, World War II | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on In the news: Curiosity and the ingredients for life

This week in the War, 22–28 July 1940: Special Operations Executive

Posted on July 24, 2012 by secondbysecond

The Special Operations Executive (SOE) officially came into being this week in the war, 22 July 1940. Its purpose: to harass the enemy from behind the lines. Churchill supported ‘butcher and bolt’ raids and was an advocate of elitist special … Continue reading →

Posted in Book, World War II | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on This week in the War, 22–28 July 1940: Special Operations Executive

This week in the War, 15–21 July: An end to the war?

Posted on July 18, 2012 by secondbysecond

The war could have ended this week. It would have been a different end, with Hitler and Churchill, if not exactly shaking hands, at least agreeing to quit fighting and go their separate ways. Britain would keep its Empire, Germany … Continue reading →

Posted in Book, World War II | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on This week in the War, 15–21 July: An end to the war?

This week in the war, 1–7 July 1940: England’s Last War Against France

Posted on July 4, 2012 by secondbysecond

England’s last war against France—as recounted in Colin Smith’s book of that very title—was not fought in Napoleonic times. We are not talking Wellington versus Bonaparte at Waterloo. Rather: Winston Churchill versus Marshal Philip Petain, leader of Vichy France. Their war … Continue reading →

Posted in Book, World War II | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on This week in the war, 1–7 July 1940: England’s Last War Against France

This week in the War, 10–16 June 1940: Faith, Hope, and Charity

Posted on June 12, 2012 by secondbysecond

The Italians had been watching from the sidelines. Suddenly, 10 June 1940, Benito Mussolini announced, in a grandiose speech from his balcony over Palazzo Venezia, that they were joining in the war on Germany’s side. Good timing. France was on … Continue reading →

Posted in World War II | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on This week in the War, 10–16 June 1940: Faith, Hope, and Charity

This week in the War, 3–9 June 1940: We shall fight on the beaches…

Posted on June 11, 2012 by secondbysecond

This week in the war, on 4 June 1940, Winston Churchill declares to the House of Commons that the nation will continue to fight, no matter what. “We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, … Continue reading →

Posted in World War II | Tagged , , | Comments Off on This week in the War, 3–9 June 1940: We shall fight on the beaches…

In the news/Book review: 6 June–Anniversary of D-Day

Posted on June 6, 2012 by secondbysecond

Today (6 June) is the day when veterans and dignitaries of the warring nations of WWII gather on the beaches of Normandy to give thanks, and to honour the fallen of 68 years ago. This week, tourists will fan out … Continue reading →

Posted in Book, Book review, In the news, World War II | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on In the news/Book review: 6 June–Anniversary of D-Day