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Death in the Baltic: The World War II Sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff by Cathryn Prince

HistoryWriter, April 9, 2013

If you ask any given person what the worst maritime disaster was in history, (of those who could bring one to mind) you would probably hear about the Titanic, or even the Lusitania. However, I'd say it's a safe bet that the odds are astronomical that you'll find someone who knows about the sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff.

In the last year of WWII, in a last minute attempt to evacuate one million military and two million refugees from East Prussia, the Nazis experienced their own version of Dunkirk. On the night of January 30, 1945 the Wilhelm Gustloff, a luxury cruise ship pressed into military service, departed Gotenhafen for Kiel. It was estimated, since no records survived if any were available, that the ship carried over 9,000 souls, when it was designed to carry only 2,000. The majority were civilian refugees, women and children, and a number of wounded military personnel. A short time later, the Wilhelm Gustloff was struck by three torpedoes fired by a Soviet submarine S-13. The ocean liner sunk within an hour. Since there were lifeboats for only a fraction of those on board, many drowned in the freezing Baltic. There were approximately 1200 survivors. Some estimate the death toll as high as 9,000. To put the tragedy in perspective, approximately 1200 lives were lost on the Lusitania, and just over 1500 on the Titanic.

The sinking was not deliberately kept secret over the years, but it wasn't exactly publicized either. In post WWII America, not many people cared about what had happened to our former enemies. The ensuing Cold War with the Soviets further obscured the tragedy in the world's collective memory. Author Cathryn Prince heard about it one day and was driven to find out more. She found a survivor who had since immigrated to Canada. Prince went there to interview him. That's all it took to compel Prince to find more survivors to interview, and finally tell their story.

Prince articulates an observation that Americans have a tendency to not acknowledge the suffering of the German people during the war, not wanting to view them as having the right to be "victims" of the Nazis like other nationalities in Europe (p. 181). But if we are able to put those prejudices aside, there is a lot to learn in the details of the closing days of WWII in the European Theater. Moreover, as a reader and writer of military history, I think it's a good thing that we periodically put strategy and tactics aside and examine the experiences of the civilian during war.

The book is well written and reads at a good pace. There is no fluff, coming in at 236 pages including back matter, but it is a thorough history. The reader will learn about what happened on the Eastern Front in the closing days of WWII, and be caught up in several of the survivor stories. Photographs of the survivors as children help us see them as real people who went through extraordinary events. I highly recommend Death in the Baltic. It is an interesting, well told story that brings a little known event from WWII to light.

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We Were Soldiers Once...and Young: Ia Drang - The Battle That Changed the War in Vietnam by Harold G Moore

HistoryWriter, February 25, 2013

This is an amazing book, fascinating and disturbing at the same time. There is probably nothing I can add to the hundreds of reviews of this book. However, I'd just like to say what lessons I took from it. First of all, at the risk of hyperbole, I must say that I wish every American would read this book. In it you will learn about the bravery of the American service person, and the real cost of war. It is a story that transcends the conflict in Vietnam and is very applicable to our modern military adventures, where the burden of war is carried by only a small percentage of our citizens.

The first half of the book describes the formation what would become the 1/7 Cavalry, part of the first air mobile division (1st Cavalry Division) and its deployment to Vietnam. The 1/7th is commanded by the co-author, Hal Moore. Moore's battalion is sent into LZ X-ray and survives a battle against what would have been overwhelming odds if it were not for massive American artillery and close air support despite the expert leadership of the officers and NCOs in the battalion from Moore down and the undisputed bravery of each individual soldier. This is significant as the first major engagement between American air mobile forces and the North Vietnamese Army.

The second half of the book, however, did not get portrayed artistically in the Mel Gibson movie. It tells the story of Moore's sister battalion, the 2/7th Cavalry, that was marching toward LZ Albany to be extracted after reinforcing the 1/7th at X-ray. While approaching the LZ, unprepared for meeting the enemy again, the battalion was attacked by three battalions of NVA soldiers. The chain of command was not able to bring artillery and air support their rescue in this engagement for several hours. The results were devastating. Both fights constitute the Battle of the Ia Drang, not just the part stylized in the movie.

The most moving part of the book is revealed in the closing chapters. The story of two widows and two daughters bring to light how the sacrifices of soldiers not only take the lives of amazingly talented soldiers, but also dramatically affects the lives of their loved ones at home, who continue to pay the price. Reading about the aftermath and the effect on the veterans and their family members is a very emotional experience. However, even more amazing and anger inducing is the way the battle was treated by the leadership of the country. The upper management of the Army and the government refuses any lessons to be learned from this battle, and the country continued on a path that was already decided upon before the 1st Cavalry Division even arrived in Vietnam.

I wish I could give this book more than five stars. If you enjoyed the movie, then please read this book and get the whole story.

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Short Nights of the Shadow Catcher: The Epic Life and Immortal Photographs of Edward Curtis by Timothy Egan

HistoryWriter, February 4, 2013

There are several stories woven into one great book. First is the young celebrity photographer, Edward Curtis, who becomes obsessed with a project to document all of the western tribes of native Americans before they are gone. After spending over two decades spending months at a time living in the field in pursuit of knowing his subjects and getting thousands of photographs, he finally completes his masterpiece. However the twenty volume set is so expensive that they are produced in limited quantities and only acquired by a few libraries and universities, and the occasional wealthy patron. Curtis was not paid for his work. He was actually ruined by the project. The price to Curtis for his obsession was the loss of his family, his business, and his reputation in his social class that was so important to upper class people in that era. The other stories brought to light in the book concern America's treatment of the native Americans (more palatable than "Bury My Heart), and a good review of the social customs and attitudes of the rich during the early part of the twentieth century.

I enjoy Egan's writing style. The book moves along at a pace that will keep your interest. I had not known a great deal about Edward Curtis, but I appreciated learning about his work that I now recognize in many books about native Americans and early works on outdoor subjects. I do look at the story of Edward Curtis' life as a cautionary tale, well told by Timothy Egan. Excellent read.

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Normandy: A Graphic History of D-Day: The Allied Invasion of Hitler's Fortress Europe by Wayne Vansant

HistoryWriter, February 4, 2013

This was the first nonfiction "graphic novel" I've read and I enjoyed it a great deal. I think the history is good and well written. The graphics are also excellent and entertaining. There are a small number of criticisms, like on page 75 the author states that we "had our tank aces too" and mentions Sgt Lafayette Pool of the 3rd Armored Division, but doesn't say what made him a "tank ace." At the same time, however, the book actually mentioned some things I did not know about the Normandy Campaign, like on page 59 where Vansant tells us that Sgt Curtis Culin of the 79th Infantry Division invented the "Hedgerow Cutter" that mounted on armored vehicles to help them bust through hedgerows.

I enjoyed the book, no doubt, but I still like to get my history from a traditional book or documentary. However, I wonder, and hope, that this kind of history book would engage anyone, not just the young. And anything that gets more people tuned in to history is more than okay with me.

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Gunsights by Elmore Leonard

HistoryWriter, August 20, 2012

Another good read by Elmore Leonard. I enjoy Leonard's western stories because they are not the same old horse opera. The characters are real. The action believable. When I finished this book I immediately wanted more.

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