A Conversation with Historian Ian Garden on WW2 Propaganda and 2016 Politics

Ian Garden is a military historian and an authority on Nazi propaganda. His latest book, Battling With The Truth, examines the way both the British and Nazi governments manipulated coverage of key events in the Second World War. You can … Continue reading

Dorothy Gibson: The Woman Who Survived The Sinking of the Titanic and a Nazi Prison

Dorothy Winifred Gibson (1889-1946) is arguably one of the most fascinating women of the twentieth century. Her story is more than deserving of its own film or TV show and yet, if it was to ever appear on the screen, … Continue reading

Review: Battling With The Truth

Battling With The Truth: The Contrast in the Media Reporting of World War II

– By Ian Garden

9780750956321

Verdict:

A fascinating and easy-to-read book that examines key events from the Second World War from both sides of the conflict. While the amount of manipulating (and outright lying) Goebbels and the Nazi party resorted to in the name of ‘the war effort’ is unlikely to surprise you, the amount that came from the British might…

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5 Things I Didn’t Know About Berlin

I have been to Berlin three or four times in the past eighteen months for work, but have never been able to see more than the airport, the inside of a taxi, the inside of a focus group facility, and my hotel room. When I went back last week, I decided I would finally set things right, so I set out on a 3.5 hour walking tour of the city (The Original Free Berlin Tour – would highly recommend).

Here are the top five things I learned/saw (a little random, granted, but variety is the spice of life):

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On This Day…

… in 1415, the Battle of Agincourt took place between the English and the French during the Hundred Years’ War. The result was a major English victory, despite the fact that the French troops vastly outnumbered the English. Their success is attributed to their use of longbows – an English weapon that was greatly superior to the French crossbow. A trained English archer could shoot six aimed arrows a minute, and these arrows could penetrate armour from 100 yards away (and kill from 200).

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15th Century miniature depicting the Battle of Agincourt

 

 

 

 

Review: Lindell’s List

Lindell’s List: Saving British and American Women at Ravensbrück

– By Peter Hore

9780750966214

Verdict:

A powerful and illuminating book that shows not just how Mary Lindell fought for the Allies in the Second World War, but how countless other brave women risked their lives and their liberty as well.

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Ration Book Diet: Lamb and Aubergine Stir Fry

October has arrived and the evenings are starting to grow cooler, so we thought we would try the Lamb and Aubergine stir fry from The Ration Book Diet. Read more to find out how we got on, or click here … Continue reading