A list of all of Doc Werlin’s writings pertaining to history.
Introduction I recently heard a lecture by David McCullough on the first 18 months of the American Revolution. McCullough highlighted that the odds were great against a successful revolution given that Great Britain had [...]
Today’s New York Times highlighted the growing role of the far-right parties in Europe. Anti-immigration parties with fascist roots—and an uncertain commitment to democracy—are now mainstream. The growth of right-wing populism often takes the [...]
Today’s New York Times wrote an article describing the purpose of J Street. The article raised the question of whether a middle path on Gaza is possible. Please note… Large parts of this essay [...]
Introduction I was not made aware of the internment of about 112,000 persons of Japanese ancestry who lived on the U.S. mainland, mostly along the Pacific Coast, until about 20 years ago. About two-thirds [...]
Originally published in January 2003 This past week three of members of Easy Company, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, U. S. Army spent significant time with the fixed income department of Lazard [...]
I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this book. David Rubenstein, who has enjoyed a remarkable career, interviewed leading historians. For the most part, these historians discussed the subjects of their biographies. While one can read this [...]
Introduction Allsyia Finley, writing for the Wall Street Journal, exposed several disturbing issues: (1) While we do not know the percentage of people taking the covid vaccine that have suffered very serious negative consequences, [...]
Alone and Exploited, Migrant Children Work Brutal Jobs Across the U.S. --by Hannah Dreier The New York Times uncovered that an overwhelming number of migrant children are ending up in very dangerous jobs. Largely [...]
"The United States government did something that was wrong—deeply, profoundly, morally wrong. It was an outrage to our commitment to integrity and equality for all our citizens... clearly racist." "To the survivors, to the wives [...]
By William Shirer “History never repeats itself, but it does rhyme.” --Mark Twain Introduction Over the past 50 years I have read this wonderful chronicle of the rise and fall of Nazi Germany from [...]
Over the years I have mentioned that Blacks were effectively denied suffrage in the South until 1944. The fifteenth amendment, providing male suffrage, was emasculated through a series of laws. The Civil Rights laws [...]
Introduction Animal Farm is an allegorical novel by George Orwell first published in England in August 1945. The book is both fun to read and informative. Orwell related how the ideal of the Russian Revolution [...]
Introduction For those of us who remain fascinated by World War II, an area of discussion is France. We ask ourselves how such a great nation could have accepted defeat only some 31 days after [...]
“To take a child from its mother seemed to be the lowest thing a human being could do,” one journal entry went, describing the moment when the Krauses met with parents in Austria. “Yet it [...]
Interview between David Rubinstein and Taylor Branch, best known for writing a trilogy of books chronicling the life of Martin Luther King Introduction I have thoroughly enjoyed, The American Story, a compilation of interviews between [...]
Introduction Over the past forty years I have read several books about the Dreyfus Affair. Over time, my focus has shifted from the personal tragedy of Alfred Dreyfus, unjustly convicted and brutally treated, to the [...]
Introduction After reading The Washing War: FDR’s Inner Circle by James Lacey I feel there is sufficient explicit and implicit facts to charge key State Department and Army officials that they “acquiesced in the Murder [...]
By James Lacey “World War II challenged Americans to rise to greatness. . . . Roosevelt led the way and stood at the pinnacle of events.” --President Roosevelt before the joint session of Congress on [...]
I concur with Trump’s critics who believe that his actions have lowered the morale of the Justice Department because he is undermining its apolitical tradition and setting up a precedent where America could become a [...]
"Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it" --George Santayana Pew research uncovered the following: Most U.S. adults know what the Holocaust was Most know approximately when it happened Two-Thirds [...]
Michael Korda’s book, With Wings Like Eagles, relives all the exhilaration, heroism, fear, and epochal significance of the Battle of Britain. 70 years later the battle retains its deserved luster. Winston Churchill, Britain’s Prime Minister, [...]
Until the 2016 Trump election, most of us thought that polling techniques had improved so much that we could confidently predict presidential outcomes. We assumed that Harry Truman’s surprise victory over Thomas Dewey was not [...]
By David Kirkpatrick and David Singer NY Times Summary (Both David Kirkpatrick and David Singer are well respected journalists) In today’s New York Times, the article highlighted that Iran will breach the limits on uranium [...]
The observance of the 75th anniversary of D-Day has deservedly caused universal celebration. Winston Churchill articulated the importance of defeating Hitler. It prevented us from “sinking into the abyss of a new Dark Age.” [...]
The past few days have at one level been exhilarating. For Western leaders to celebrate the success of the greatest seaborne invasion in history is memorable in it self. Moreover, while only 4% of the [...]
Over the past few years, there have been major attempts to recast our image of the American Civil War. I am supportive of many of these efforts. Specifically, rather than focus on Civil War Battles, [...]
I recently reread this classic and happily can report that I thoroughly enjoyed it. Halberstam made an interesting comment. When we think of the 50’s, we have an image of a black and white society [...]
My father was educated in a one-room schoolhouse in Pearland, Texas. While certain deficiencies particularly in mathematics and foreign languages arose from such a rudimentary background, other excellent disciplines were instilled. In particular a strong [...]
By Lynne Olson Personal Thoughts For me, the struggle against Fascism represented the clearest example of good versus evil. I would have loved to have actively participated on the side of those who favored [...]
Because this book is so focused on a single, but pivotal year, I am hesitant to recommend it. That is, one has to be a committed World War II Buff to enjoy it. Richard Moe, [...]
The New York Times reported today that anti-Semitism and racial divide has split the women’s movement so badly that it undermines its effectiveness. Vanessa Wruble, a Jewish Brooklyn based activist, was pushed out of the [...]
I had not thought about homes and businesses not using energy until a good friend of mine sent me an article about his housing development that has an energy free environment. Today, there was an [...]
Overview Following the Civil War the United States and Great Britain were loggerheads over damages to America by ships built in Britain for use by the Confederate Navy to destroy American merchant marine ships. The [...]
At a friend’s suggestion, I am watching Netflix’s production of Viceroy’s House. The production focuses on the Last Viceroy of India, Lord Mountbatten, and the independence of Pakistan and India. The loss of India, the [...]
Five Days in London, May 1940 By John Lukacs The days from May 24 to May 28, 1940, altered the course of the history of this century, as the members of the British War Cabinet [...]
Citizens of London: The Americans Who Stood with Britain in its Darkest, Finest Hour By Lynne Olsen As he spoke in his last interview Eric Sevareid fought to keep his voice steady. At the end [...]
