And now, the penultimate volume...which is a little bit shorter than the last one. In fact, at 650 text pages, it's the shortest of all the volumes. And if I stick to the 20 pages per day, it will take me 32 1/2 days to finish this one off...May 21st. Let's see how that goes, shall we?
Day 1 (DDRD 1,265): April 19, 2021
Read to page 20. In the introduction (which, unless my memory is seriously damaged, is the same in every volume), John Keegan says of the six volumes of The Second World War: "they have their defects...." I have read several biographies in which the writer had something of similar ilk...basically a stab in the direction of "Well, he's great, but not that great." It could be taken as Honesty in a Warts And All kind of way, but it always seems like sour grapes to me. I mean...everybody's heard of Winston Churchill, right? Raise your hand if you've heard of John Keegan.
Day 2 (DDRD 1,266): April 20, 2021
Read to page 40.
It's most about getting ready to invade Italy...from Sicily and then straight up the toe. Speaking of which, did you know that it's less than 8 kilometers from Sicily to Italy proper? On a light lunch you could jump that.
There's a description of a botched mission which I found very touching...in a heart-rending way. Churchill describes how the British 1st Air Landing Brigade were going in to get things started, and the American towing aircraft cast them off too early. As a result, many of the men on those gliders drowned, and the rest were scattered over south-eastern Sicily. Only 12 of the gliders arrived at their target, a bridge, and "Out of eight officers and sixty-five men who seized and held it until help came twelve hours later only nineteen survived." (32)
Churchill doesn't really express a great deal of emotion about it, which reminds me of some of his previous Price of Doing War statements. Which is harsh, but I guess that's what happens to you when you have to make decisions on that level. Not something I could ever do, for sure.
As I was reading today...and enjoying the read, I hasten to add...I started thinking that after I finish The Second World War, I might turn to László Krasznahorkai's Baron Wenckheim's Homecoming. I'm a little hesitant to do another novel, but (1) I really want to read this before the next Krasznahorkai book comes out, which looks to be soon, (2) it was a gift from my #1🌞, and I don't want it to just sit on my shelf any longer, and (3) I think I will be needing a break from non-fiction in two months (give or take). We'll see how it goes.
Day 3 (DDRD 1,267): April 21, 2021
Read to page 60. Timed it, and it took 41:06. So there's that. This section was focused on the Fall of Mussolini...and the imminent Fall of Italy.
In other news...
I was watching Part 3 of Exterminate All the Brutes this morning ("Killing at a Distance or...How I Thoroughly Enjoyed the Outing"), and early into it there was a mention of Churchill. I immediately cringed and waited for the blow. Raoul Peck (writer, director, producer, and narrator) said something like, "Churchill was one of the most enthusiastic describers of wars," and I cringed. What followed was revolting--a description of a well-armed British militia slaughtering Sudanese soldiers from afar, inuring few casualties themselves--but I didn't get the feeling that Churchill was enjoying it, as Raoul Peck seemed to imply. Or maybe I'm just influenced by my love of The Second World War. Although I have noted several times where Churchill's acceptance of casualties bothered me...but within a context that I understood. So there's that.
Day 4 (DDRD 1,268): April 22, 2021
Read to page 80.
Day 5 (DDRD 1,269): April 23, 2021
Read to page 100. It's about over for Italy. And Russia is still being a bitch dog.
Day 6 (DDRD 1,270): April 24, 2021
Read to page 120. More kicking of Italian asses. It's amazing how great an influence the entry of American forces had on the course of battle...even though most of the American strength is concentrated on the Pacific Battle at the moment. Also, I had no idea how long it took to plan the Normandy Invasion. Years! And the lengths that they had to go to to assemble everyone in Britain, build ports that could handle the ships, all of that. Churchill also made reference to "softening up" the French coast prior to the invasion force entering the scene, which is something I've often wondered about. (As in "How the hell did they send those guys in to be slaughtered when all they needed to do was bomb the shit out of the coast before they unloaded the troops?") Still no answer, but at least a hint that there is one somewhere down the line.
Day 7 (DDRD 1,271): April 25, 2021
Read to page 140.
I'm feeling a strong desire to dig out my copy of Saving Private Ryan. I've already located The Thin Red Line, but it hasn't made it to the dvd player yet. And I just started reading my third Sven Lindqvist book, A History of Bombing. It's amazing how much there is no know, isn't it? If I were a young man....
Day 8 (DDRD 1,272): April 26, 2021
Read to page 160. Here are a couple of cool things:
That one's for Trump and his disciples.
And I think this is for people who lightly dismiss the concept of religion and / or belief in God.
Day 9 (DDRD 1,273): April 27, 2021
Read to page 180.
Day 10 (DDRD 1,274): April 28, 2021
Read to page 200.
Seems to me that FDR was getting a little pissy with Winston S. over the whole Italy mop-up thing. And before this, they were usually writing from Former Naval Person to President, but for a stretch here it was Prime Minister to and from. Well, every marriage has its moments of disagreement, I suppose.
Speaking of Italy...or thereabouts...there's a couple of pages about The Battle of Leros, which turned out to be a turning point in the war in the Mediterranean. Short version: Leros is a small island (less than 21 square miles) in the Aegean Sea. The Nazis had it, and the Allies wanted it. But a big battle ensued, and the Allies got chased out. Because of that, they pretty much abandoned their plan to run up through Greece. I took a little look at Leros, and it is quite a charming place. But don't take my word for it, check out this video:
If that's not good, I don't know what is. Wish I could go for a visit.
Oh, I almost forgot: got a new word today...from a letter that a general wrote to Churchill: asseveration. According to lexico.com, it goes like this:
"The solemn or emphatic declaration or statement of something.
Origin
Mid 16th century from Latin asseveratio(n-), from the verb asseverare, from ad- ‘to’ + severus ‘serious’."
Which also tells you something about Professor Snape, doesn't it?
Day 11 (DDRD 1,275): April 29, 2021
Read to page 220.
You know, one of the things I never appreciated was how inter-related the different war fronts were. So, for instance, the Allies couldn't send troops into northern France when Stalin was demanding that they do so because they didn't have enough troops to make a successful go of it, and because of that, extreme pressure was put on the Russians because Hitler could send lots of his troops to the east. The same thing is happening in Italy now. They don't have the troops that they really need to push the Germans out of Italy because they can't endanger the upcoming Normandy Invasion. Wheels within wheels.
Day 12 (DDRD 1,276): 𐑴April 30, 2021𐑴 *
Read to page 246. Read a little extra today because I got caught up in the pissing contest between Stalin and Churchill. Of course we're only getting Churchill's side of it, but since he reproduces pretty long letters (maybe telegrams?) from Stalin, there must be at least a great deal of truth in his position. Basically, Stalin is making demands of the Brits vis-a-vis supplies while simultaneously denying them the personnel they need on site...and treating the British personnel already in Russia unjustly. Definitely getting the idea that Stalin was a total asshole.
* It's Oaks Day. 𐑴 = Shavian Letter Oak. **
** The Shavian Alphabet was named after George Bernard Shaw, who had something or other to do with its conception and funding.
Day 13 (DDRD 1,277): 🏇May 1, 2021🏇
Kentucky Derby Day. About which I do not care at all. Not even one gram of horseshit.
Read to page 261. More belligerence from those pesky Russians. Wanted to keep reading, but my girl was watching Noah, and it's hard to concentrate on World War II with all that rain.
This--
"I do not accept the American argument that our metropolitan Air Forces can flatten everything out in the battle zone or on its approaches. This has not been our present experience." (254)
--is another piece of the answer to the question, "Why didn't the Allies bomb the living hell out of Normandy before they went in?"
Day 14 (DDRD 1,278): May 2, 2021
Read to page 280.
Day 15 (DDRD 1,279): May 3, 2021
Read to page 300. Which means that I finished Book 1: Italy Won, and began Book 2, Tehran to Rome. Along the way, there was an interesting description of a Thanksgiving meal with FDR, who apparently had great turkey carving skills. Who'd have thunk it?
Day 16 (DDRD 1,280): May 4, 2021
Read to page 320. The conference in Tehran with Churchill, FDR, and Stalin would make a great movie, I think. Hollywood, if you're listening....
Day 17 (DDRD 1,281): May 5, 2021
Read to page 340. (Of 640. And the text ends on page 559. So.)
Also, since the Normandy Invasion is coming up hard now, I started looking around a bit for some information on that, including pictures related to the situation. One which caught my eye was this:
Public DomainIt was captioned thusly:
A British soldier escorts an elderly lady in Caen, July 1944
Malindine E G (Capt), No 5 Army Film & Photographic Unit.
I'm going to try to think about this picture every time that I start thinking that the human race sucks.
Day 18 (DDRD 1,282): May 6, 2021
Read to page 360. D-Day is still a half year away, but the Allies are talking about how they're going to divide Germany up after the war. Pretty optimistic at this point.
Public Domain
Day 19 (DDRD 1,283): May 7, 2021
Read to page 380.
You know, it's funny. Some days I feel like pushing hard and reading forty, fifty, one hundred pages. But I don't, because I don't have that much time, for one thing, and it's not an effortless read, for another, and I have other books I also want to read, for yet another. But some days I don't feel like reading in it at all, and I push myself to do at least ten pages, and once I have that down I think, "Well, I might as well do twenty, then." And there are other days when I think, "I'm just going to stop reading this book, at least for awhile. I've been living every day with Winston Churchill for the past five and a half months, and although I am fond of him, I'm ready to start seeing other people." But then I think, "Hell, I've got five and a half months without missing a beat...why fuck that up now when the end is in sight?" I guess that 's the thing about the whole Daily Devotional Reading approach. It's challenging, but not too challenging, certainly not daunting. And when you look back and think, "Fuck...I've read about 6,000 pages on this Program!"...it inclines you to keep on keeping on.
So I do.
Day 20 (DDRD 1,284): May 8, 2021
Read to page 400.
Day 21 (DDRD 1,285): May 9, 2021
Read to page 420. I had the (admittedly vague) impression that Marshal Tito was a bad guy. From what I've read about him here, that doesn't seem to be the case. Actually, I had the same thing going on with Charles de Gaulle. News as it happens.
Also, there was this bit of funny: Churchill had a meeting with General de Gaulle and some other French people. He said that de Gaulle was speaking in English, so "to make things equal" Churchill decided to speak French (!). At one point in the meeting Churchill leaned over and stage-whispered to one of his companions (in English), "I'm doing rather well, aren't I? Now that the General speaks English so well he understands my French perfectly."
Day 22 (DDRD 1,286): May 10, 2021
Read to page 440.
Stop me if this sounds familiar:
"All those leaders of the old Fascist régime who had voted against him in July and who could be caught in German-occupied Italy were brought to trial at the end of 1943, in the medieval fortress at Verona. Among them was Ciano. Without exception they received the death sentence." (439)
"Him" in this case was Mussolini...a two bit dictator who ended up being executed himself...and then his body was abused by Italian citizens.
Hmmm.
Day 23 (DDRD 1,287): May 11, 2021
Read to page 460.
Day 24 (DDRD 1,288): May 12, 2021
Read to page 480.
Day 25 (DDRD 1,289): May 13, 2021
Read to page 500.
Day 26 (DDRD 1,290): May 14, 2021
Read to page 520. Al...most...D...Day....
More references to bombing the shit out of the beach before the invasion. I wonder what the hell happened there? How could so many German troops have survived a massive beach bombing before the invasion? Read on and find out, I guess.
Day 27 (DDRD 1,291): May 15, 2021
Read to page 541...which means I finish the text proper (and begin the Appendices) tomorrow. And presumably it will be X-Ray time.
Day 28 (DDRD 1,292): May 16, 2021
Read to page 565...a little extra, and yes, into the Appendices. A and B were short ones...Abbreviations and Code names, respectively, so on into C. And a mere 75 pages to go, so barring The Unforeseen, I should be finishing up before my predicted finish date of 5/21 by at least a little bit.
Day 29 (DDRD 1,293): May 17, 2021
Read to page 587. Was aiming for 590, but I was kind of busy and really tired. I''ll try to even it up tomorrow.
In a letter dating from July of 1943, Churchill referred to General Oliver Leese as a man who was fit for a position in part because he was "in the prime of life." I looked up General Leese and saw that he was born on the 27th of October, 1894. Making him 48 years old at the time of Churchill's letter. So 48 years old is still in the prime of life? Hmmm. I'm thinking that only an old man would say that.
Day 30 (DDRD 1,294): May 18, 2021
Read to page 610.
As I've noted previously, it is astonishing at how Churchill gets invovled in the smallest details relating to the war. In a couple of memos he addresses the need to produce more playing cards for the troops. In another he asks why there is a leaky sandbag on a piece of property opposite one of the government buildings. And so on.
There are only thirty more pages to read...and at least seven of those pages are lists of things. I'm thinking that I might be able to finish it up tomorrow.
Very exciting.
Day 31 (DDRD 1,295): May 19, 2021
Read to page 673...in other words, finito. And two whole days before the anticipated date.
There were some primo Churchill things in these last pages. One of my favorites was this bit, from a letter to the Director of Military Intelligence, dated 19 March 1944:
"Why must you write 'intensive' here? 'Intense' is the right word. You should read Fowler's Modern English Usage on the use of the two words." (615 )
Talk about attention to detail. With a side dish of sass. Said Director of Military Intelligence would seem to be (according to my Wikipedia search) one Major General Francis Henry Norman Davidson, though he wasn't identified in the text.
Also, there was this:
And with that...it's on to the final volume.
DDR Day 1000 to Day 2000:
(1) Leviathan 63 days, 729 pages
(2) Stalingrad 27 days, 982 pages
(3) Life and Fate 26 days, 880 pages
(4) The Second World War 34 + 32 + 40 + 43 + 31 + ___ days, 4,379 pages Total: 6,970 pages...more than 1/2 of my first 1,000 DDR days
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