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Yesterday, I shared a news article about the push to serve Carolyn Bryant Donham with an unused kidnapping warrant. Donham, now 88 and living in Raleigh NC, is possibly the only participant or witness in the murder of Emmett Till who is still alive. The 1955 murder of 14-year old Chicagoan Emmett Till while visiting relatives in Mississippi jump-started the civil rights movement.
According to Donham, Emmett and his cousins went into her store that day for candy and soda, and he made lewd advances, even grabbing her hand she said, violating the biggest rule in Jim Crow Mississippi. A couple of nights later, her husband and brother-in-law took Emmett from his great-uncle's house and tortured and murdered him. Both men were acquitted of murder, but they sold their confession to a magazine for about $4000.
Donham was sitting in a car in front of Emmett's great-uncle's house and identified him. The author of The Blood of Emmett Till, Timothy Tyson, says that Donham contacted him in 2007 and wanted an interview. He writes that she confessed that her version of the interaction with Emmett, the version that led directly to his murder, was a fabrication. After the book was published, she denied the confession, and there are no recordings of the interview.
Now, there is a push by some to have her arrested on a kidnapping warrant that was issued at the time but never served. (At the time, the sheriff had said they never " bothered her" because she had two small children.)
Place.
Bryant's Store in Money, Mississippi, where Carolyn Bryant claimed Emmett Till got fresh with her. Moses Wright's house where Till was kidnapped by Roy Bryant and JW Milam. Till was identified by a female voice in the car, Carolyn Bryant. They then drove him to the home of Leslie Milam, another half-brother, about 45 minutes from Money, outside of Drew, Mississippi. There in the end of the barn with the garage door ( installed later), those three, and probably others, tortured Till for hours before shooting him, tying a heavy fan to the body with barbed wire, and throwing him into the river. The barn still stands, on private property, owned by a dentist with no relation to the Milams or Bryants.
Historical markers placed at the river site and store site have been shot, vandalized and replaced numerous times over the years. In 2019, they were replaced with bulletproof signs and put under video surveillance.
Bryant's Store in Money, Mississippi, where Carolyn Bryant claimed Emmett Till got fresh with her. Moses Wright's house where Till was kidnapped by Roy Bryant and JW Milam. Till was identified by a female voice in the car, Carolyn Bryant. They then drove him to the home of Leslie Milam, another half-brother, about 45 minutes from Money, outside of Drew, Mississippi. There in the end of the barn with the garage door ( installed later), those three, and probably others, tortured Till for hours before shooting him, tying a heavy fan to the body with barbed wire, and throwing him into the river. The barn still stands, on private property, owned by a dentist with no relation to the Milams or Bryants.
Historical markers placed at the river site and store site have been shot, vandalized and replaced numerous times over the years. In 2019, they were replaced with bulletproof signs and put under video surveillance.
Thing.
The thing that really made Emmett Till's death such a galvanizing moment in civil rights was that his mother insisted on an open casket funeral, and pictures of his mutilated body appeared in Jet magazine. Hundreds, if not thousands, of people filed by in viewings
That casket is now the centerpiece of a hugely powerful exhibit at the Smithsonian African-American History Museum. It was exhumed in 2005, as a prelude to one of the other times the case was reopened, and then discovered in a shed a few years later. (It was illegal to rebury the same coffin.)
The thing that really made Emmett Till's death such a galvanizing moment in civil rights was that his mother insisted on an open casket funeral, and pictures of his mutilated body appeared in Jet magazine. Hundreds, if not thousands, of people filed by in viewings
That casket is now the centerpiece of a hugely powerful exhibit at the Smithsonian African-American History Museum. It was exhumed in 2005, as a prelude to one of the other times the case was reopened, and then discovered in a shed a few years later. (It was illegal to rebury the same coffin.)
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Julia Child is definitely having a moment. The Julia Child Challenge just wrapped up on Food Network, a great competition show. On HBO Max, we are loving the new biographical drama, Julia.
Warming Up Julia Child is a book about the six most important people surrounding Julia, her best friends and biggest supporters who made her revolutionary and transformative career possible. They are all interesting and accomplished people in their own ways, and it's fun to learn the backstories of characters from the show.
Publisher Judith Jones (1924-2017) met Julia while she was working for Alfred A. Knopf. Before that, she was responsible for the publication of The Diary of Anne Frank at Doubleday, pulling it out of the rejection pile. She discovered Julia's Mastering the Art of French Cooking after it had been rejected by another publisher. Under her guidance, it became a huge success, and Judith, a little reluctantly at first, became the "Queen of Cookbooks," editing and publishing cookbooks by culinary legends like Edna Lewis, Lidia Bastianich, James Beard, Madhur Joffrey, and Jacques Pepin.
She also found time to edit literary giants like John Updike, Anne Tyler, John Hersey, Langston Hughes, Albert Camus, and Jean-Paul Sartre.
Julia Child is definitely having a moment. The Julia Child Challenge just wrapped up on Food Network, a great competition show. On HBO Max, we are loving the new biographical drama, Julia.
Warming Up Julia Child is a book about the six most important people surrounding Julia, her best friends and biggest supporters who made her revolutionary and transformative career possible. They are all interesting and accomplished people in their own ways, and it's fun to learn the backstories of characters from the show.
Publisher Judith Jones (1924-2017) met Julia while she was working for Alfred A. Knopf. Before that, she was responsible for the publication of The Diary of Anne Frank at Doubleday, pulling it out of the rejection pile. She discovered Julia's Mastering the Art of French Cooking after it had been rejected by another publisher. Under her guidance, it became a huge success, and Judith, a little reluctantly at first, became the "Queen of Cookbooks," editing and publishing cookbooks by culinary legends like Edna Lewis, Lidia Bastianich, James Beard, Madhur Joffrey, and Jacques Pepin.
She also found time to edit literary giants like John Updike, Anne Tyler, John Hersey, Langston Hughes, Albert Camus, and Jean-Paul Sartre.
Place.
When Julia's husband Paul Child was serving in his Foreign Service post in Paris in the early 1950s, Julia tried to find something to occupy her time. She decided to learn to cook the French food that she had fallen in love with, and she enrolled in Le Cordon Bleu, the most prestigious cooking school in the world, established in 1895. (Not in the state of the art building in the first pictures; that building opened in 2016.)
When Julia's husband Paul Child was serving in his Foreign Service post in Paris in the early 1950s, Julia tried to find something to occupy her time. She decided to learn to cook the French food that she had fallen in love with, and she enrolled in Le Cordon Bleu, the most prestigious cooking school in the world, established in 1895. (Not in the state of the art building in the first pictures; that building opened in 2016.)
Thing.
If you've ever watched The French Chef or the HBO Max series Julia, you may have noticed that Julia often wore an embroidered patch on her blouse that read "L'Ecole Des Trois Gourmandes." ( "The school of the three gourmands") It was designed by her husband Paul, a talented painter and photographer, to serve as the logo for the intimate cooking classes that Julia and her two French writing partners, Simone Beck and Louisette Bertholie, held in their kitchens. They would have a small number of women, mostly American, cook lunch with them, and then all would sit and eat and critique the food. It was a way to build the brand, prepare the way for the cookbook, and test recipes all at once.
If you've ever watched The French Chef or the HBO Max series Julia, you may have noticed that Julia often wore an embroidered patch on her blouse that read "L'Ecole Des Trois Gourmandes." ( "The school of the three gourmands") It was designed by her husband Paul, a talented painter and photographer, to serve as the logo for the intimate cooking classes that Julia and her two French writing partners, Simone Beck and Louisette Bertholie, held in their kitchens. They would have a small number of women, mostly American, cook lunch with them, and then all would sit and eat and critique the food. It was a way to build the brand, prepare the way for the cookbook, and test recipes all at once.
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How about another historical detective fiction series? If that interests you, try Robert R. McCammon's Matthew Corbett series. There are 7 novels so far, with an 8th set for release later this year.
Matthew Corbett is a young law clerk apprenticed to a circuit judge in the first novel, Speaks the Nightbird, in colonial America. The year is 1699 set in Port Royal Carolina, and the other novels are set in colonial New York, New England, and London over the first few years of the 18th century. In Nightbird, Rachel Howarth is accused of witchcraft, and Matthew sets out to prove her innocence.
The Salem witch trials were not the first in colonial America. In fact, the first accused witch executed in America was Alse Young in Windsor Connecticut in 1647. Her daughter was also tried for witchcraft in the 1670s, but not hanged. There is no record of her trial or even specific charges, but there was a deadly flu epidemic raging in Windsor that year, and a high number of colonists died. Perhaps she was blamed for some reason.
How about another historical detective fiction series? If that interests you, try Robert R. McCammon's Matthew Corbett series. There are 7 novels so far, with an 8th set for release later this year.
Matthew Corbett is a young law clerk apprenticed to a circuit judge in the first novel, Speaks the Nightbird, in colonial America. The year is 1699 set in Port Royal Carolina, and the other novels are set in colonial New York, New England, and London over the first few years of the 18th century. In Nightbird, Rachel Howarth is accused of witchcraft, and Matthew sets out to prove her innocence.
The Salem witch trials were not the first in colonial America. In fact, the first accused witch executed in America was Alse Young in Windsor Connecticut in 1647. Her daughter was also tried for witchcraft in the 1670s, but not hanged. There is no record of her trial or even specific charges, but there was a deadly flu epidemic raging in Windsor that year, and a high number of colonists died. Perhaps she was blamed for some reason.
Place.
In the second of the Matthew Corbett series, The Queen of Bedlam, Corbett in back in New York City in 1700, on the trail of a serial killer called the Masker.
He spends time on Wall Street, which we all know now as the home of the New York Stock Exchange, America's chief financial district, running between Broadway and the East River. Under Dutch administration, it was known originally as de Waalstraat, and, from 1685 to 1699, there was an actually wall built for protection from Indians, pirates, and the English. From 1711 to 1762, Wall Street was the home of the city's first official slave market for the sale of Africans and Native Americans. In the late 1700s, there was a buttonwood tree at the foot of Wall Street where traders and speculators would meet to trade securities.
In the second of the Matthew Corbett series, The Queen of Bedlam, Corbett in back in New York City in 1700, on the trail of a serial killer called the Masker.
He spends time on Wall Street, which we all know now as the home of the New York Stock Exchange, America's chief financial district, running between Broadway and the East River. Under Dutch administration, it was known originally as de Waalstraat, and, from 1685 to 1699, there was an actually wall built for protection from Indians, pirates, and the English. From 1711 to 1762, Wall Street was the home of the city's first official slave market for the sale of Africans and Native Americans. In the late 1700s, there was a buttonwood tree at the foot of Wall Street where traders and speculators would meet to trade securities.
Thing
In the 7th Matthew Corbett book, Cardinal Black, a key element is a 17tg century book of potions.
In the 1600s, there were numerous books that purported to to be books of spells and magic. These pages are from a text written by two anonymous self-proclaimed witches in England in the 1600s, The Book of Magical Charms. The book contains spells to cheat at dice, ease menstrual cramps, and to speak with spirits. It's handwritten in Latin and English, and is part of the collection of Chicago's Newberry Library.
Check out Robert McCammon's Matthew Corbett historical mystery series.
In the 7th Matthew Corbett book, Cardinal Black, a key element is a 17tg century book of potions.
In the 1600s, there were numerous books that purported to to be books of spells and magic. These pages are from a text written by two anonymous self-proclaimed witches in England in the 1600s, The Book of Magical Charms. The book contains spells to cheat at dice, ease menstrual cramps, and to speak with spirits. It's handwritten in Latin and English, and is part of the collection of Chicago's Newberry Library.
Check out Robert McCammon's Matthew Corbett historical mystery series.
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I'm a huge fan of mythology and of British, actor, writer, tv presenter, and raconteur Stephen Fry, so his new Greek mythology trilogy was a must, of course, and best in the Audible audiobook version read by the author.
The third book in the trilogy is Fry's retelling of Homer's Iliad, the ancient story of the ten-year war between the Greeks and the Trojans that ended with the deaths of some of the greatest heroes on both sides, the deception of the Trojan horse, and the total destruction of a once- powerful city.
For centuries scholars puzzled and debated how much, if any, of the tale is truth, even if Homer himself ever existed. It wasn't until German archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann (1822-1890) discovered the ruins of Hissarlik, the Turkish name for the fortified city, that is now believed to have been built in top of the ancient city of Troy, on the northwest coast of Asia Minor. He also discovered the Mycenaean Greek sites of Mycenae and Tiryns.
Schliemann was unable to finish his secondary education, let alone begin a University education, because if his family's poverty, but he was always keen on history. He became a bookkeeper and joined an import/export business, where he discovered his facility for learning languages, eventually able to converse in 12 languages besides German.
A successful businessman, he was able to retire at 36, allowing him to pursue his first loves archaeology, history, and Homer. After careful analysis of the Iliad, he theorized that Hissarlik was the site of Troy, eliciting derision and ridicule from university trained archaeologists. He began digging in 1870 and by 1873, he had discovered nine cities built one on top of the other, and he declared one to be Troy. He also excavated gold treasures and artifacts. Unfortunately, he used dynamite in excavation, which probably destroyed as much as it uncovered.
While succeeding archaeologists generally agree that he was on the right track, most believe that he had identified the wrong level as Troy, and harmed the site overall.
I'm a huge fan of mythology and of British, actor, writer, tv presenter, and raconteur Stephen Fry, so his new Greek mythology trilogy was a must, of course, and best in the Audible audiobook version read by the author.
The third book in the trilogy is Fry's retelling of Homer's Iliad, the ancient story of the ten-year war between the Greeks and the Trojans that ended with the deaths of some of the greatest heroes on both sides, the deception of the Trojan horse, and the total destruction of a once- powerful city.
For centuries scholars puzzled and debated how much, if any, of the tale is truth, even if Homer himself ever existed. It wasn't until German archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann (1822-1890) discovered the ruins of Hissarlik, the Turkish name for the fortified city, that is now believed to have been built in top of the ancient city of Troy, on the northwest coast of Asia Minor. He also discovered the Mycenaean Greek sites of Mycenae and Tiryns.
Schliemann was unable to finish his secondary education, let alone begin a University education, because if his family's poverty, but he was always keen on history. He became a bookkeeper and joined an import/export business, where he discovered his facility for learning languages, eventually able to converse in 12 languages besides German.
A successful businessman, he was able to retire at 36, allowing him to pursue his first loves archaeology, history, and Homer. After careful analysis of the Iliad, he theorized that Hissarlik was the site of Troy, eliciting derision and ridicule from university trained archaeologists. He began digging in 1870 and by 1873, he had discovered nine cities built one on top of the other, and he declared one to be Troy. He also excavated gold treasures and artifacts. Unfortunately, he used dynamite in excavation, which probably destroyed as much as it uncovered.
While succeeding archaeologists generally agree that he was on the right track, most believe that he had identified the wrong level as Troy, and harmed the site overall.
Place.
The site of Hissarlik, or Hisarlik, put forward by Schliemann as the site of Homer's Troy has been occupied by at least nine or ten different cities over the past 3500 years. The Trojan War is thought to have occurred, if it did, at the end of the Bronze Age, about 1200 BC. Homer, if he existed, is thought to have composed ( since they were oral epics) the Iliad and the Odyssey around the 8th century BC, and they were probably first written down during the 6th century BC. Today, the site is a UNESCO World Heritage Site visited by thousands of tourists annually and still being explored by archaeologists.
The site of Hissarlik, or Hisarlik, put forward by Schliemann as the site of Homer's Troy has been occupied by at least nine or ten different cities over the past 3500 years. The Trojan War is thought to have occurred, if it did, at the end of the Bronze Age, about 1200 BC. Homer, if he existed, is thought to have composed ( since they were oral epics) the Iliad and the Odyssey around the 8th century BC, and they were probably first written down during the 6th century BC. Today, the site is a UNESCO World Heritage Site visited by thousands of tourists annually and still being explored by archaeologists.
Thing.
In his excavations of Troy and Mycenae, amateur archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann discovered many artifacts and treasures, including the so-called mask of Agamemnon. Many of the artifacts went to German museums, but some have recently been repatriated to museums in Greece and Turkey.
I highly recommend reading - even better, listening - to Stephen Fry's Troy.
In his excavations of Troy and Mycenae, amateur archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann discovered many artifacts and treasures, including the so-called mask of Agamemnon. Many of the artifacts went to German museums, but some have recently been repatriated to museums in Greece and Turkey.
I highly recommend reading - even better, listening - to Stephen Fry's Troy.
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In Israel, Holocaust Remembrance Day 2022, Yom HaShoah, begins in the evening of April 27 and ends in the evening of April 28.
I recently reviewed an advance reader's copy of The Watchmakers, by Harry and Scott Lenga, which will be available in June. It is the result of Scott's interviews with his father, Harry, and it's written in first person, in Harry's words and voice.
Harry Lenga was born in a Hasidic (Chassidic) Jewish family in Kozhnitz, a majority Jewish village in Poland. He and two of his brothers learned their father's trade, watchmaking, and moved to Warsaw. They were in Warsaw when Germany invaded Poland in 1939, and they escaped the Warsaw Ghetto in 1941 to return to family in the Kozhnitz ghetto. The night before the entire Jewish population of Kozhnitz was executed, the brothers escaped. From 1942 to 1945, they were transported to 6 different concentration and death camps, including Auschwitz and Mauthausen, before being liberated by American troops at Ebensee. Along the way, they managed to keep some watchmaking tools and parts and realized that they could use their skills to bargain for survival, preparing watches for kapos (prisoners themselves who were given authority over other prisoners), and Ukrainian and German guards and officers. They even repaired American soldiers' watches in gratitude for liberation.
Harry immigrated to St. Louis after the war and ran a jewelry store there before retiring to Israel.
In Israel, Holocaust Remembrance Day 2022, Yom HaShoah, begins in the evening of April 27 and ends in the evening of April 28.
I recently reviewed an advance reader's copy of The Watchmakers, by Harry and Scott Lenga, which will be available in June. It is the result of Scott's interviews with his father, Harry, and it's written in first person, in Harry's words and voice.
Harry Lenga was born in a Hasidic (Chassidic) Jewish family in Kozhnitz, a majority Jewish village in Poland. He and two of his brothers learned their father's trade, watchmaking, and moved to Warsaw. They were in Warsaw when Germany invaded Poland in 1939, and they escaped the Warsaw Ghetto in 1941 to return to family in the Kozhnitz ghetto. The night before the entire Jewish population of Kozhnitz was executed, the brothers escaped. From 1942 to 1945, they were transported to 6 different concentration and death camps, including Auschwitz and Mauthausen, before being liberated by American troops at Ebensee. Along the way, they managed to keep some watchmaking tools and parts and realized that they could use their skills to bargain for survival, preparing watches for kapos (prisoners themselves who were given authority over other prisoners), and Ukrainian and German guards and officers. They even repaired American soldiers' watches in gratitude for liberation.
Harry immigrated to St. Louis after the war and ran a jewelry store there before retiring to Israel.
Place.
Harry Lenga and his brothers were finally liberated from the Ebensee Camp by American troops of the 80th Infantry Division on May 6, 1945. Ebensee was a subcamp of Mauthausen, established to build tunnels for armaments storage near Ebensee, Austria.
Holding a total of over 27,000 male inmates, it housed mostly political prisoners from 8 countries, but a third of them were Jews. and there were some Romani (formerly Gypsies) as well. The camp had between 8,000 and 11,000 prisoners die from 1943 to 1945. After liberation, over 735 prisoners died, and 1,000 were hospitalized for long periods. As at other liberated camps, the liberators unwittingly made prisoners very ill in the first few days because they fed the prisoners too much, and the prisoners' systems couldn't process it.
Harry Lenga and his brothers were finally liberated from the Ebensee Camp by American troops of the 80th Infantry Division on May 6, 1945. Ebensee was a subcamp of Mauthausen, established to build tunnels for armaments storage near Ebensee, Austria.
Holding a total of over 27,000 male inmates, it housed mostly political prisoners from 8 countries, but a third of them were Jews. and there were some Romani (formerly Gypsies) as well. The camp had between 8,000 and 11,000 prisoners die from 1943 to 1945. After liberation, over 735 prisoners died, and 1,000 were hospitalized for long periods. As at other liberated camps, the liberators unwittingly made prisoners very ill in the first few days because they fed the prisoners too much, and the prisoners' systems couldn't process it.
Thing..
In Israel, Holocaust Remembrance Day 2022, Yom HaShoah, begins in the evening of April 27 and ends in the evening of April 28.
I recently reviewed an advance reader's copy of The Watchmakers, by Harry and Scott Lenga, which will be available in June. It is the result of Scott's interviews with his father, Harry, and it's written in first person, in Harry's words and voice.
Harry and two of his brothers became watchmakers, like their father, and for years in their father's shop and other shops in Warsaw, they used tools like these to do their work. As they fled the Warsaw Ghetto, they packed tools and carried the tools from camp to camp, essentially the only possessions that they had. As they lost tools and parts, they made new tools out of found objects, and they bargained for parts, asking German and Ukrainian guards and officers to provide them with parts and unrepairable watches to disassemble for parts. In return, the brothers would repair watches.
Their skills and their tools saved their lives, earning them favors and protection during their imprisonment.
In Israel, Holocaust Remembrance Day 2022, Yom HaShoah, begins in the evening of April 27 and ends in the evening of April 28.
I recently reviewed an advance reader's copy of The Watchmakers, by Harry and Scott Lenga, which will be available in June. It is the result of Scott's interviews with his father, Harry, and it's written in first person, in Harry's words and voice.
Harry and two of his brothers became watchmakers, like their father, and for years in their father's shop and other shops in Warsaw, they used tools like these to do their work. As they fled the Warsaw Ghetto, they packed tools and carried the tools from camp to camp, essentially the only possessions that they had. As they lost tools and parts, they made new tools out of found objects, and they bargained for parts, asking German and Ukrainian guards and officers to provide them with parts and unrepairable watches to disassemble for parts. In return, the brothers would repair watches.
Their skills and their tools saved their lives, earning them favors and protection during their imprisonment.
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Person.
In Israel, Holocaust Remembrance Day 2022, Yom HaShoah, begins in the evening of April 27 and ends in the evening of April 28.
The Volunteer, by Jack Fairweather, is the biography of Witold Pilecki. Pilecki (1901-1948) was a Police cavalry officer when Germany invaded Poland in 1939. After Poland's surrender, he joined the Polish underground resistance, along with many other former Polish soldiers. In 1940, he volunteered to allow himself to be captured so that he could infiltrate Auschwitz and send out reports to the world of what was going on there.
At Auschwitz, he created a network of hundreds of inmates that committed small acts of sabotage and collected information. Pilecki organized the information, including murders and deaths, into reports that were successfully smuggled out of Auschwitz, eventually reaching the Polish government-in-exile in London. He remained in Auschwitz until escaping in 1943 and making his way to Warsaw. There, he participated in the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. When the Uprising ended in October 1944, he was captured by the Germans and sent to a POW camp for Polish officers.
Following liberation, Pilecki remained loyal to the Polish government-in-exile and joined the resistance movement against the Soviets and communist Polish regime. He was arrested by the communist authorities in May 1947, tortured, and executed in May 1948.
In Israel, Holocaust Remembrance Day 2022, Yom HaShoah, begins in the evening of April 27 and ends in the evening of April 28.
The Volunteer, by Jack Fairweather, is the biography of Witold Pilecki. Pilecki (1901-1948) was a Police cavalry officer when Germany invaded Poland in 1939. After Poland's surrender, he joined the Polish underground resistance, along with many other former Polish soldiers. In 1940, he volunteered to allow himself to be captured so that he could infiltrate Auschwitz and send out reports to the world of what was going on there.
At Auschwitz, he created a network of hundreds of inmates that committed small acts of sabotage and collected information. Pilecki organized the information, including murders and deaths, into reports that were successfully smuggled out of Auschwitz, eventually reaching the Polish government-in-exile in London. He remained in Auschwitz until escaping in 1943 and making his way to Warsaw. There, he participated in the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. When the Uprising ended in October 1944, he was captured by the Germans and sent to a POW camp for Polish officers.
Following liberation, Pilecki remained loyal to the Polish government-in-exile and joined the resistance movement against the Soviets and communist Polish regime. He was arrested by the communist authorities in May 1947, tortured, and executed in May 1948.
Place.
In Israel, Holocaust Remembrance Day 2022, Yom HaShoah, begins in the evening of April 27 and ends in the evening of April 28.
The Volunteer, by Jack Fairweather, is the biography of Witold Pilecki.
"Auschwitz, the largest and arguably the most notorious of all the Nazi death camps, opened in the spring of 1940. Its first commandant was Rudolf Höss (1900-47), who previously had helped run the Sachsenhausen concentration camp in Oranienburg, Germany. Auschwitz was located on a former military base outside Oswiecim, a town in southern Poland situated near Krakow, one of the country’s largest cities. During the camp’s construction, nearby factories were appropriated and all those living in the area were forcibly ejected from their homes, which were bulldozed by the Nazis.
Auschwitz originally was conceived as a concentration camp, to be used as a detention center for the many Polish citizens arrested after Germany annexed the country in 1939. These detainees included anti-Nazi activists, politicians, resistance members and luminaries from the cultural and scientific communities. Once Hitler’s Final Solution became official Nazi policy, however, Auschwitz was deemed an ideal death camp locale. For one thing, it was situated near the center of all German-occupied countries on the European continent. For another, it was in close proximity to the string of rail lines used to transport detainees to the network of Nazi camps.
In Israel, Holocaust Remembrance Day 2022, Yom HaShoah, begins in the evening of April 27 and ends in the evening of April 28.
The Volunteer, by Jack Fairweather, is the biography of Witold Pilecki.
"Auschwitz, the largest and arguably the most notorious of all the Nazi death camps, opened in the spring of 1940. Its first commandant was Rudolf Höss (1900-47), who previously had helped run the Sachsenhausen concentration camp in Oranienburg, Germany. Auschwitz was located on a former military base outside Oswiecim, a town in southern Poland situated near Krakow, one of the country’s largest cities. During the camp’s construction, nearby factories were appropriated and all those living in the area were forcibly ejected from their homes, which were bulldozed by the Nazis.
Auschwitz originally was conceived as a concentration camp, to be used as a detention center for the many Polish citizens arrested after Germany annexed the country in 1939. These detainees included anti-Nazi activists, politicians, resistance members and luminaries from the cultural and scientific communities. Once Hitler’s Final Solution became official Nazi policy, however, Auschwitz was deemed an ideal death camp locale. For one thing, it was situated near the center of all German-occupied countries on the European continent. For another, it was in close proximity to the string of rail lines used to transport detainees to the network of Nazi camps.
Thing.
The Kotwica ([kÉ”tˈfit͡sa]; Polish for "Anchor") was a World War II emblem of the Polish Underground State and Armia Krajowa (Home Army, or AK). It was created in 1942 by members of the AK Wawer Minor sabotage unit, as an easily usable emblem for the Polish struggle to regain independence.
In Israel, Holocaust Remembrance Day 2022, Yom HaShoah, begins in the evening of April 27 and ends in the evening of April 28.
The Volunteer, by Jack Fairweather, is the biography of Witold Pilecki, a Polish army officer and intelligence agent who volunteered to become a prisoner at Auschwitz in order to send out information.
The Kotwica ([kÉ”tˈfit͡sa]; Polish for "Anchor") was a World War II emblem of the Polish Underground State and Armia Krajowa (Home Army, or AK). It was created in 1942 by members of the AK Wawer Minor sabotage unit, as an easily usable emblem for the Polish struggle to regain independence.
In Israel, Holocaust Remembrance Day 2022, Yom HaShoah, begins in the evening of April 27 and ends in the evening of April 28.
The Volunteer, by Jack Fairweather, is the biography of Witold Pilecki, a Polish army officer and intelligence agent who volunteered to become a prisoner at Auschwitz in order to send out information.
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Person.
Here's another great series of historical fiction novels. Beginning with Shadow of the Wind, Spanish novelist Carlos Ruiz has written four books about the Cemetery of Forgotten Books, a secret library that houses rare and banned books. Starting in 1940s Barcelona, the protagonist, Daniel, gets involved in a mystery that goes back to the Spanish Civil War of 1936 to 1939. Following Daniel's journey, the reader learns about the war and its lingering effects, still felt in Spain to this day to some degree.
Francisco Franco (1882-1975) was a Spanish general who led the conservative Nationalist forces in overthrowing the elected liberal government of Spain, the Republican forces. The war led to +500,000 deaths, military and civilian, and it involved citizens of other countries, including the US, who volunteered and fought on the Republican side, and other countries (USSR, Germany, Italy) who saw the war as a chance to test and train their militaries and their ideologies.
After winning the war Franco established a fascist totalitarian regimes and imprisoned and executed thousands of political prisoners. The regime was in power until Franco's death in 1975.
Here's another great series of historical fiction novels. Beginning with Shadow of the Wind, Spanish novelist Carlos Ruiz has written four books about the Cemetery of Forgotten Books, a secret library that houses rare and banned books. Starting in 1940s Barcelona, the protagonist, Daniel, gets involved in a mystery that goes back to the Spanish Civil War of 1936 to 1939. Following Daniel's journey, the reader learns about the war and its lingering effects, still felt in Spain to this day to some degree.
Francisco Franco (1882-1975) was a Spanish general who led the conservative Nationalist forces in overthrowing the elected liberal government of Spain, the Republican forces. The war led to +500,000 deaths, military and civilian, and it involved citizens of other countries, including the US, who volunteered and fought on the Republican side, and other countries (USSR, Germany, Italy) who saw the war as a chance to test and train their militaries and their ideologies.
After winning the war Franco established a fascist totalitarian regimes and imprisoned and executed thousands of political prisoners. The regime was in power until Franco's death in 1975.
Place.
The Valley of the Fallen , or Valle de Los Caidos, is a Catholic basilica and memorial near Madrid, dedicated by fascist dictator Francisco Franco as a "national act of atonement" and reconciliation to memorialize the Spanish Civil War. The monument area covers over 3,300 acres and includes a basilica, a Benedictine Abbey, and the tallest cross in the world. Beneath the valley floor lie the remains of 40,000 people, in Nationalist and Republican cemeteries.
While Franco claimed it was meant for all of Spain, it has been controversial since it was dedicated in 1959. Republicans and anti-fascists have always viewed it as a fascist memorial, especially since Franco was entombed there in 1975. During Franco's rule, pro-Franco rallies were often held there, and there were many fascist symbols, which the socialist government removed from 2004 to 2011. In October of 2019, Franco's body was exhumed and moved to another location in spite of opposition from conservative groups.
Here's another great series of historical fiction novels. Beginning with Shadow of the Wind, Spanish novelist Carlos Ruiz has written four books about the Cemetery of Forgotten Books, a secret library that houses rare and banned books. Starting in 1940s Barcelona, the protagonist, Daniel, gets involved in a mystery that goes back to the Spanish Civil War of 1936 to 1939. Following Daniel's journey, the reader learns about the war and its lingering effects, still felt in Spain to this day to some degree.
The Valley of the Fallen , or Valle de Los Caidos, is a Catholic basilica and memorial near Madrid, dedicated by fascist dictator Francisco Franco as a "national act of atonement" and reconciliation to memorialize the Spanish Civil War. The monument area covers over 3,300 acres and includes a basilica, a Benedictine Abbey, and the tallest cross in the world. Beneath the valley floor lie the remains of 40,000 people, in Nationalist and Republican cemeteries.
While Franco claimed it was meant for all of Spain, it has been controversial since it was dedicated in 1959. Republicans and anti-fascists have always viewed it as a fascist memorial, especially since Franco was entombed there in 1975. During Franco's rule, pro-Franco rallies were often held there, and there were many fascist symbols, which the socialist government removed from 2004 to 2011. In October of 2019, Franco's body was exhumed and moved to another location in spite of opposition from conservative groups.
Here's another great series of historical fiction novels. Beginning with Shadow of the Wind, Spanish novelist Carlos Ruiz has written four books about the Cemetery of Forgotten Books, a secret library that houses rare and banned books. Starting in 1940s Barcelona, the protagonist, Daniel, gets involved in a mystery that goes back to the Spanish Civil War of 1936 to 1939. Following Daniel's journey, the reader learns about the war and its lingering effects, still felt in Spain to this day to some degree.
Thing.
In April 1937, German and Italian aircraft bombed the Basque village of Guernica, at the request of the Nationalist forces. Guernica was not a military target, apparently; a small arms factory outside of town was unscathed in the attack. However, it was market day in the village center, and that area was leveled. Most men were away fighting, so the villagers were almost all women, children, and elderly.
Pablo Picasso painted this canvas in response. The grey, black, and white painting, which is 3.49 meters (11 ft 5 in) tall and 7.76 meters (25 ft 6 in) across, portrays the suffering wrought by violence and chaos. Prominent in the composition are a gored horse, a bull, screaming women, a dead baby, a dismembered soldier, and flames. It is said to be one of the most powerful anti-war pieces of art ever created.
While the story may be apocryphal, it is said that a German officer showed Picasso, living in Paris during German occupation, a picture of the work and asked "Did you do this?"; Picasso responded, "No, you did."
In April 1937, German and Italian aircraft bombed the Basque village of Guernica, at the request of the Nationalist forces. Guernica was not a military target, apparently; a small arms factory outside of town was unscathed in the attack. However, it was market day in the village center, and that area was leveled. Most men were away fighting, so the villagers were almost all women, children, and elderly.
Pablo Picasso painted this canvas in response. The grey, black, and white painting, which is 3.49 meters (11 ft 5 in) tall and 7.76 meters (25 ft 6 in) across, portrays the suffering wrought by violence and chaos. Prominent in the composition are a gored horse, a bull, screaming women, a dead baby, a dismembered soldier, and flames. It is said to be one of the most powerful anti-war pieces of art ever created.
While the story may be apocryphal, it is said that a German officer showed Picasso, living in Paris during German occupation, a picture of the work and asked "Did you do this?"; Picasso responded, "No, you did."
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Person-ish.
On April 30, 1789, George Washington was inaugurated at Federal Hall in New York as the first president of the United States. During his presidency, he undertook several long tours to get to know the country and its people, and to thank them for their support, or to win and bolster their support of the brand new country. He eventually visited all 13 states.
In 2021, Nathaniel Philbrick published Travels With George, a history and travelogue, inspired by Steinbeck's Travels With Charley. He and his wife followed Washington's routes, stopping at sites, museums, and libraries that tell parts of the story in order to get a feel not only of the trips, but also of the man and his legacy, almost 250 years later.
Washington broke up his travels into chunks, a couple of states at a time. He traveled between towns in a simple carriage, accompanied by a couple of enslaved men, no bodyguards or troops, no retinue, and with little fanfare. In fact, was when townspeople heard he was coming and sent out uniformed militia to meet him, he was rather embarrassed.
However, Washington was well aware of "optics" to use a modern term. He was quiet, dignified, stiff, and formal, but he knew how to make an entrance,candy he knew what people expected.
At a short distance from each town, the carriage would stop, and Washington would change into his Continental Army uniform, mount his beautiful white stallion, Prescott, and ride into town to loud cheers and applause.
It was said of Washington that he was one of America's greatest horsemen, and Prescott was very special to him, purchased in 1789 at about 10 years of age. Each night, grooms brushed Prescott, cleaned his teeth, and added a blanket to his new straw bed. Each morning, his hooves were polished. Prescott was an ideal parade horse, 16 hands high, and indifferent to artillery, banners, and crowds.
On April 30, 1789, George Washington was inaugurated at Federal Hall in New York as the first president of the United States. During his presidency, he undertook several long tours to get to know the country and its people, and to thank them for their support, or to win and bolster their support of the brand new country. He eventually visited all 13 states.
In 2021, Nathaniel Philbrick published Travels With George, a history and travelogue, inspired by Steinbeck's Travels With Charley. He and his wife followed Washington's routes, stopping at sites, museums, and libraries that tell parts of the story in order to get a feel not only of the trips, but also of the man and his legacy, almost 250 years later.
Washington broke up his travels into chunks, a couple of states at a time. He traveled between towns in a simple carriage, accompanied by a couple of enslaved men, no bodyguards or troops, no retinue, and with little fanfare. In fact, was when townspeople heard he was coming and sent out uniformed militia to meet him, he was rather embarrassed.
However, Washington was well aware of "optics" to use a modern term. He was quiet, dignified, stiff, and formal, but he knew how to make an entrance,candy he knew what people expected.
At a short distance from each town, the carriage would stop, and Washington would change into his Continental Army uniform, mount his beautiful white stallion, Prescott, and ride into town to loud cheers and applause.
It was said of Washington that he was one of America's greatest horsemen, and Prescott was very special to him, purchased in 1789 at about 10 years of age. Each night, grooms brushed Prescott, cleaned his teeth, and added a blanket to his new straw bed. Each morning, his hooves were polished. Prescott was an ideal parade horse, 16 hands high, and indifferent to artillery, banners, and crowds.
Place.
On April 30, 1789, George Washington was inaugurated at Federal Hall in New York as the first president of the United States. During his presidency, he undertook several long tours to get to know the country and its people, and to thank them for their support, or to win and bolster their support of the brand new country. He eventually visited all 13 states.
In 2021, Nathaniel Philbrick published Travels With George, a history and travelogue, inspired by Steinbeck's Travels With Charley. He and his wife followed Washington's routes, stopping at sites, museums, and libraries that tell parts of the story in order to get a feel not only of the trips, but also of the man and his legacy, almost 250 years later.
The original "Federal Hall" served as New York's first City Hall. It was the site where the colonial Stamp Act Congress met to draft its message to King George III claiming entitlement to the same rights as the residents of Great Britain and protesting "taxation without representation". After the American Revolution, in 1785, the building served as meeting place for the Congress of the Confederation, the nation's first central government under the Articles of Confederation. With the establishment of the United States federal government in 1789, it was renamed Federal Hall, as it hosted the 1st Congress and was the place where George Washington was sworn in as the nation’s first president. It was demolished in 1812.
Today, at 26 Wall Street, the two buildings present are under the authority of the National Park Service as the Federal Hall National Memorial.
On April 30, 1789, George Washington was inaugurated at Federal Hall in New York as the first president of the United States. During his presidency, he undertook several long tours to get to know the country and its people, and to thank them for their support, or to win and bolster their support of the brand new country. He eventually visited all 13 states.
In 2021, Nathaniel Philbrick published Travels With George, a history and travelogue, inspired by Steinbeck's Travels With Charley. He and his wife followed Washington's routes, stopping at sites, museums, and libraries that tell parts of the story in order to get a feel not only of the trips, but also of the man and his legacy, almost 250 years later.
The original "Federal Hall" served as New York's first City Hall. It was the site where the colonial Stamp Act Congress met to draft its message to King George III claiming entitlement to the same rights as the residents of Great Britain and protesting "taxation without representation". After the American Revolution, in 1785, the building served as meeting place for the Congress of the Confederation, the nation's first central government under the Articles of Confederation. With the establishment of the United States federal government in 1789, it was renamed Federal Hall, as it hosted the 1st Congress and was the place where George Washington was sworn in as the nation’s first president. It was demolished in 1812.
Today, at 26 Wall Street, the two buildings present are under the authority of the National Park Service as the Federal Hall National Memorial.
Thing.
On April 30, 1789, George Washington was inaugurated at Federal Hall in New York as the first president of the United States. During his presidency, he undertook several long tours to get to know the country and its people, and to thank them for their support, or to win and bolster their support of the brand new country. He eventually visited all 13 states.
In 2021, Nathaniel Philbrick published Travels With George, a history and travelogue, inspired by Steinbeck's Travels With Charley. He and his wife followed Washington's routes, stopping at sites, museums, and libraries that tell parts of the story in order to get a feel not only of the trips, but also of the man and his legacy, almost 250 years later.
The Bible on which George Washington took the oath of office in April 30, 1789 at Federal Hall in New York is in the custody of St. John's Lodge No. 1, Ancient York Masons. It is a 1767 King James version. The Bible was opened to Genesis 49, the Blessing of Jacob. It is not known whether that was random or intentional.
Another long-held belief about the event is also controversial. While it has long been said that Washington added the phrase "So help me God" at the end of the oath, there is no first-hand account of that happening anywhere. The first mention of it occurred 60 years later, attributed to Washington Irving, who was 6 in 1789. Washington was so soft-spoken that nobody in huge crowd below the balcony heard him say anything, and those in the balcony strained to hear.
The Washington Bible, as it came to be known, has been used by several presidents since.
On April 30, 1789, George Washington was inaugurated at Federal Hall in New York as the first president of the United States. During his presidency, he undertook several long tours to get to know the country and its people, and to thank them for their support, or to win and bolster their support of the brand new country. He eventually visited all 13 states.
In 2021, Nathaniel Philbrick published Travels With George, a history and travelogue, inspired by Steinbeck's Travels With Charley. He and his wife followed Washington's routes, stopping at sites, museums, and libraries that tell parts of the story in order to get a feel not only of the trips, but also of the man and his legacy, almost 250 years later.
The Bible on which George Washington took the oath of office in April 30, 1789 at Federal Hall in New York is in the custody of St. John's Lodge No. 1, Ancient York Masons. It is a 1767 King James version. The Bible was opened to Genesis 49, the Blessing of Jacob. It is not known whether that was random or intentional.
Another long-held belief about the event is also controversial. While it has long been said that Washington added the phrase "So help me God" at the end of the oath, there is no first-hand account of that happening anywhere. The first mention of it occurred 60 years later, attributed to Washington Irving, who was 6 in 1789. Washington was so soft-spoken that nobody in huge crowd below the balcony heard him say anything, and those in the balcony strained to hear.
The Washington Bible, as it came to be known, has been used by several presidents since.
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