Band of Brothers is a well known tv miniseries. I loved that show and the book that went along with it. I was given this book as a gift from my friend who was in the Navy a couple of years ago. I have been trying to get through some of my unread books, and decided to finally tackle this one. This was a very moving book, in my opinion. Just reading about the experiences that people go through in war always moves my spirit. I would highly recommend this book, especially if one is a fan of the miniseries. 

 Kurt Waldheim was born in Austria in 1918. Once he reached adulthood, he decided to enter foreign service. A law was passed in 1936 that required prospective civil service careers to have some military service, which I actually think is probably a good idea. (People who have never experienced military service or wartime service where they have to deal with conflicts on a national scale lack the knowledge to properly serve to the full capacity.) At any rate, he applied for a year long enlistment in the Austrian Army. He applied for college and was accepted and given a scholarship, however he lost the scholarship when Germany annexed Austria in 1938. He got side jobs to continue his education. Stupidly, he applied for membership in the National Socialist German Students' League. (I say stupidly because of what happened later in his life, but I can see why he did so at the time that he did it.) He also became a member of the SA. In 1941, he was drafted to the Wehrmacht. He was wounded and sent back, but he claimed he was never in service after that, instead finishing his degree.

He joined the diplomatic service in 1945. In 1971, he ran for the position of Secretary General of the United Nations. He won that election, and another one for a second term of this position. He ran for President of Austria in 1971, which did not work out, but the one in 1986 was successful. During this second running, it was published in the media his membership in the Nazi Party and his activities in the military. It was uncovered that he was targeted for war crimes by the United Nations, though he was never tried. It's bizarre that he would be allowed to have a career with them since they knew about his shenanagins. Partly due to these scandals and accusations of his war time behavior, he did not seek reelection when his term ended.

Here are some indisputable facts. He was certainly a member of the SA. He was certainly a member of the National Socialist German Students League. He was certainly a member of the Wehrmacht. He certainly was active in World War II for the German military machine. His service record is intact, showing his rank of Lieutenant. None of that is a myth or rumor. A great number of males were conscripted into service if they did not volunteer, and even under 18 children were used in the war machine. Joining these organizations were required or required if you wanted to continue going to school and being a part of the activities. I think a lot of people forget about that. Not every person was a stone cold killer, up to shenanagins. There were thousands of men in the military doing what everyone in every military does- marching around trying not to be killed while killing whoever their enemy combatants were, cooking meals for everyone, mechanics, medics, etc. I do not think it is fair or right to deny jobs and lives to people who simply served in the military. Unfortunately, this particular war machine is guilty of really horrible crimes. There were thousands of men who happily participated in them, and it is possible that this particular man was party to that. If the United Nations thought he had gotten up to enough to have his name and target him for war crimes, I'd say it is pretty likely that he was into something. It is also pretty suspicious that he tried to lie and hide things.

As far as this book goes, it was an okay read. It wasn't my favorite book from this time period, but it wasn't the worst one that I have ever read. I had actually never heard of this man, so I did learn a lot about him. I think there are a few lessons posited in this book, which I mentioned in the previous paragraph, but also there is a lesson that a well placed public relations story can make or break someone's career. Also an important lesson is that everything we do is subject to historical record and can be used against or for us in our later lives and affect our social standing and career choices. People ask for your work history, and can contact friends, family, and coworkers regarding your work performance and personality. I think a lot of people forget that, and also forget that things that they post on social media are also part of the public record. This book is a good reminder of some of those things. If you are interested in this man, this is a good book with a lot of information about his life and career. I would recommend it. 

 This book is referenced a lot in a book group that I am in. I have had it for a while, and in my attempt to read all the books that I own that I have not yet gotten to, I finally decided to get to this one. William Shirer was a foreign correspondent, who had the fairly unique position of reporting on the climate and events leading up to the outbreak of World War II and beyond. I appreciate his descriptive writing style and attention to detail. This book, and the second volume, are really very good and provide a lost of details about pre-war and mid-war Europe. This is a really great book for gaining perspective on the climate in Europe. 

 These are the personal diaries of Princess Marie Illarionovna Vassiltchikov. She was born in Saint Petersburg in 1917. Her family and members of the Romanov family were evacuated via British fleet during the 1919 October Russian Revolution. She lived in various places, but was in Lithuania at the start of World War II. During the war, she was able to gain employment in the German Foreign Ministry's Information Office, where she worked for Dr. Adam von Trott zu Solz, a member of the anti-Nazi resistance. Her diaries include facts about her work, her daily life, her activities that she did during her off time, as well as just general facts and descriptions of life during wartime. She also included facts about the July 20 plot to kill Hitler, as she was working with resistance members. The bombing of Berlin was also mentioned in this book.

I love personal accounts like this. I know I have said that a million times, and those of you that read my reviews regularly know that. Personal accounts are so important to the historical record, as it gives a personal touch to impersonal facts on paper. I also love reading personal accounts, because it gives me a great idea of what life was like for people of different ages, different nationalities, and different circumstances. This book was extremely engaging, especially the parts about those involved in the July 20 plot. I think it is really interesting how she was able to get work and continue living a somewhat free lifestyle in the middle of a war. Check this book out if you are interested in what life was like in wartime Germany. 

 I bought this book because it was suggested on a list for people who like the show Downton Abbey. I loved reading about the personal experiences of a service staff worker. I can't imagine what a hard job it must have been, keeping things running smoothly in a house that size, especially for dinner parties and stuff. I really enjoyed this book a lot. 

 This book was pretty good. It has short little scandalous stories about quite a few different people. Some things I knew already, and some I did not. It was a book I read while waiting for my kids at dance, so it was interesting without being something I was heavily invested in. 

 This was one of the first books that I ever checked out about World War II. I stayed with my grandparents for the summer, and they got me a library card for the library where they lived. I loved this book, and it helped start my interest in World War II.

This book is a memoir written by Robert Kotlowitz, that follows his time from boot camp through the war. There was a slow progression of horrific experiences that he was able to recall as though they just happened yesterday. People are so quick to say negative things about service members and wars in general, but they never stop to think about the personal impact that these experiences have on a person. I would highly suggest picking this book up. 

 This book covers the case of Barbara Stanger, who was convicted of first degree murder in the death of her husband, Russell. Russell Stanger was found shot in his bed. Barbara claimed that she shot him on accident while removing a gun from beneath his pillow. The forensics of the case say otherwise, and Russell also was suspicious of his wife leading up to his death. Interestingly, her first husband died from an accidental gunshot wound as well...but I am not quite sure I believe her story about that either. She certainly gained from the deaths as far as life insurance and assets went, which was the primary motivation for her behavior. She is currently still serving a life sentence, and is in her mid 70s.

My sister found two copies of this book while we were at the bookstore this weekend, and I mentioned that I had watched this case on Forensic Files last week. I had to get the book to read. I enjoyed it, even though I already was familiar with the case. This book included more facts and backstory than the episode of Forensic Files did, and I love more details about things. I really liked how this book had more details about her personal life, her upbringing and such, because that gave more depth to the case. I always find it interesting to consider how background and upbringing could have played a part in the actions. Overall, this was a decent little accidental find. 

 This book includes interviews from adopted children who came from the Tennessee Children's Home Society in Memphis. Georgia Tann was the proprietor of this establishment from sometimes around the 1920s-1950s. Many of these children were stolen from poor families and adopted out to anyone who could pay basically. They were essentially sold for a higher price than a normal Tennessee adoption would cost during this time. A lot of the women who had just given birth were told that their babies had died, and some babies who had physical problems or were thought to be unattractive were left to starve in their cribs. The stories that these people told about what it was like to be adopted, discover the circumstances of their adoption, and how their lives worked out after was extremely interesting. I am from Chattanooga, so it was also really interesting to learn about something that happened close to home. I really liked this book a lot, and I would highly recommend. 

 I have watched all fifteen seasons of the Sister Wives show on TLC. I love the relationships that all of the children have with each other, and it has been great getting to see them grow into their own people. I really like Janelle and Christine as well. I was given this as a gift for Mother's Day, because I was watching the series and am always interested in other religions. I have to admit that I skimmed over anything that Kody had to say, but I was very interested in what Meri, Janelle, Christine, and Robyn had to say. I cannot stand that husband, and I have no idea how they can endure his incessant loud mouth. I hoped that this book would be more interesting than it was, but there was a lot that happened within the family since the book was written. I wish they would come out with a part two.