A list of all of Doc Werlin’s writings pertaining to history.
I was about 10 years old when the Army-McCarthy hearings took place. My family did not own a television, but much of the country did. They were mesmerized by the hearings that took place over [...]
This past summer, I visited Rwanda to see its mountain gorillas. However, learning about the genocide and Rwanda’s reconciliation efforts left a deeper impression on me. Between April and July 1994, 800,000 people—and possibly as [...]
"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 [...]
Click on the image below to see Doc's presentation: "Harry S. Truman: A President Who Shaped the Modern World"
Introduction I recently read Road to Surrender by Evan Thomas that describes the atmosphere leading to the Japanese surrender ending World War II. There were several key issues that led to that decision. Many historians [...]
Introduction My friends know my ongoing interest in events surrounding World War II. They have asked me from time to time why Franklin Roosevelt (FDR) did not allow Jewish refugees into the United States after [...]
Several weeks ago, I saw, for the fifth time, Fiddler on the Roof, which is based on Sholem Aleichem’s short stories. Sadly, for hundreds of years Russian Tsars used the Cossacks to implement murderous pogroms [...]
Introduction For several years I have taken courses online through thegreatcourses.com and also on their app. The Great Courses provides access to highly acclaimed teachers on video. The current course that I am attending [...]
Introduction Today, I participated in a weekly telephone conference with colleagues. Our discussion focused on the enormous power of the Executive Branch of our government at the expense of Congress. These developments are troubling [...]
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 [...]
“Sow the wind, reap the whirlwind.” — Book of Hosea, The Bible Introduction Yair Lapid, leader of the centrist Yeh Atid Party, 14th Prime Minister of Israel wrote for The Economist and shared, “America [...]
Introduction Recent tensions involving Iran have placed the Kurdish population of the Middle East in a complicated position. Many Kurds have long sought an independent nation, commonly referred to as Kurdistan. However, independence for [...]
Context I recently saw a one act play about Jan Karski, a recipient of Yad Vashem’s designation as “Righteous Among the Nations.” After World War II, Karski spoke about the moral responsibility and failure [...]
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 [...]
The Pope and Mussolini: The Secret History of Pius XI and the Rise of Fascism in Europe by David I. Kertzer David Kertzer provided a wonderful overview not only about the complex relationship between [...]
The Splendid and The Vile By Erik Larson I recently finished the book, The Splendid and the Vile by Erik Larson. Larson focuses on the first year of Winston Chuchill’s ascendency to become Prime [...]
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 [...]
