q1903 On June 22, 1941, German forces crossed the Soviet border and launched Operation Barbarossa, the largest invasion in European history. As armored columns advanced eastward, city after city fell and millions of Red Army soldiers were taken prisoner. Nazi propaganda portrayed the invasion as a crusade against Bolshevism, and among those who welcomed it was … Read more
In the middle of the night on December 16, 1944, telephones rang at a forward command post in Belgium. Then another, then a dozen more at once. On every line, a different voice said the same thing: We're being hit. We're being overrun. What do we do? At the center of it all sat one … Read more
Tre giorni prima del Giorno del Ringraziamento, mio figlio mi chiamò e disse undici parole che non avrei mai pensato di sentire da lui. Undici parole che mi fermarono nel bel mezzo della cucina, con la giacca da lavoro ancora addosso e il sacchetto della spesa ancora in mano, ghiacciato dall’aria di novembre che entrava … Read more
In December 1944, the war in Europe was supposed to be winding down. Allied forces had been pushing Germany back for months, and victory felt inevitable. Soldiers wrote letters home promising they would be back soon. Then, in the frozen Ardennes Forest, a nightmare unfolded. At 5:30 a.m. on December 16, the winter darkness exploded … Read more
In 1938, inside a Manila hotel suite, a hunched man sat at a desk, carefully writing military doctrine. Overshadowing him was the theatrical presence of the man dictating the work. That man, pacing back and forth, was General Douglas MacArthur, a living legend of the U.S. Army and a visionary destined for history in his … Read more
In September 1944, the Allied advance across France came to a sudden halt. The Germans were retreating. Victory seemed within reach. Yet the momentum stopped, not because of Hitler or enemy fire, but because of one American general most people have never heard of. His name was John C. H. Lee. He controlled more troops … Read more
Je m’appelle Martine et j’ai soixante-deux ans. Ma vie suit un rythme simple depuis longtemps. Chaque matin, je me lève à six heures pour attraper le premier bus qui me conduit à l’école primaire où je travaille comme employée administrative. Je rentre en fin d’après-midi, souvent épuisée, mais toujours prête à écouter Gabriel, mon fils … Read more
In December 1943, Winston Churchill sat in his study at 10 Downing Street reading a telegram from Franklin Roosevelt. The message was brief and final. General Dwight Eisenhower would command the Allied invasion of France, not a British general, but an American. Churchill put down the telegram and reached for his private correspondence pad. What … Read more
Vijf jaar lang had ik geprobeerd om haar moeder te zijn, en vijf jaar lang had ze me laten weten dat ik dat nooit zou zijn. Ik disciplineerde haar nooit, vertelde haar nooit wat ze moest doen. Ik dacht dat als ik maar genoeg mijn best deed, als ik maar aardig genoeg was, ze me … Read more
Je ne sais pas trop si cette histoire a sa place ici, mais ça fait un moment que j’y pense, que je la garde en moi sans jamais oser la raconter. Ce n’est pas un scénario de film, juste des choses vraies qui me paraissent toujours irréelles quand j’y repense. Mon père n’a jamais fait … Read more