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Elmer Bendiner (1916–2001)

Författare till The Fall of Fortresses

5+ verk 255 medlemmar 8 recensioner

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Inkluderar namnen: Elmer Binder, Bendiner Elmer

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This book, particularly the title, sounded a bit over the top when I began reading it, but I gave it a chance, and I am very glad that I did so. As the book continued, it went from what felt like possibly undeserved praise to excellent documentation and even the occasional comment on social conditions at that time and place in comparison to such conditions now in the United States, and with impressive details that convinced me to check out his bibliography for more sources, both economic and social.

He starts by detailing much of the advanced civilization in Bagdad and the Caliphate which was centered in Damascus before moving to the dependency and then independent Caliphate in Cordova. His description of the building up of the civilization there and both economic and social conditions was moving and instructive. This book is worth reading not only for those interested in Islamic-led Spain, but also for those interested in how the principles of what we would now call Good Governance, such as tolerance, openness, transparency, and acccountability allowed the emergence of a society based on mutual respect, opportunity for all, and learning to thrive and to spread learning from east to west/north.
Monday, 10 July, 12017 HE
16 Tammuz, 5777
15 Shawwal 1438
… (mer)
 
Flaggad
FourFreedoms | 3 andra recensioner | May 17, 2019 |
Historical records and the author's own experiences detail the planning and execution of the bloody, two-day, bombing run over the ball-bearing factories at Schweinfurt, Germany.
KIRKUS REVIEW
Looking back, author-navigator Bendiner tautly interweaves an account of his experiences aboard a WW II B-17 with a reappraisal of the Allied decision to bomb Schweinfurt in 1943. The idea was tempting: knock out the ball-bearing plants in Schweinfurt and the whole German war machine would come to a halt. But, Bendiner writes, the men in the briefing room had a ""more modest objective, survival."" Bendiner had worked for a Jewish refugee committee so he knew what was happening in Nazi-occupied Europe and sought an Air Corps berth. Commissioned and assigned to a Flying Fortress, ""Bennie,"" like the other members of the crew, fell in love with Tondelayo (""One B-17 is not like another. Each has its crotchets and its graces. . .""). Once in Britain, the bomber group was immediately declared ""fully operational,"" though Bendiner says he had never even fired his 50 cal. machinegun in practice. But that was only the beginning: in combat, the Tondelayo's pilot proved gun-shy and aborted one mission after another (he was eventually assigned to another crew as co-pilot). Other men, Bendiner recalls, removed their gloves and deliberately froze their fingers at 40 below zero in hopes of a medical grounding. Then, in August 1943, the group hit Schweinfurt for the first time. Because there were no long-range Mustang fighters available, the B-17s flew unescorted most of the way, encountering fierce resistance from the Luftwaffe and flak batteries. ""All across Germany, Holland, and Belgium the terrible landscape of burning planes unrolled beneath us. It seemed that we were littering Europe with our dead."" Thereafter, relates Bendiner, his group was good only for ""milk runs."" The second Allied attack on Schweinfurt made the first look like a picnic; and this time--though the ball-bearing works was seriously slowed, though another strike might have been decisive--there was to be no follow-up: still higher losses might have had a disastrous effect on American public opinion. Bendiner, who is Jewish, writes that after surviving his 25th mission (the end of a combat tour), he was congratulated by a non-flying officer: ""You made it all the way. Not many of your people stick it out."" A stark, sensitive memoir that makes a fine complement to Thomas M. Coffey's Decision Over Schweinfurt (1977).… (mer)
 
Flaggad
MasseyLibrary | 3 andra recensioner | Apr 1, 2019 |
This book, particularly the title, sounded a bit over the top when I began reading it, but I gave it a chance, and I am very glad that I did so. As the book continued, it went from what felt like possibly undeserved praise to excellent documentation and even the occasional comment on social conditions at that time and place in comparison to such conditions now in the United States, and with impressive details that convinced me to check out his bibliography for more sources, both economic and social.

He starts by detailing much of the advanced civilization in Bagdad and the Caliphate which was centered in Damascus before moving to the dependency and then independent Caliphate in Cordova. His description of the building up of the civilization there and both economic and social conditions was moving and instructive. This book is worth reading not only for those interested in Islamic-led Spain, but also for those interested in how the principles of what we would now call Good Governance, such as tolerance, openness, transparency, and acccountability allowed the emergence of a society based on mutual respect, opportunity for all, and learning to thrive and to spread learning from east to west/north.
Monday, 10 July, 12017 HE
16 Tammuz, 5777
15 Shawwal 1438
… (mer)
 
Flaggad
ShiraDest | 3 andra recensioner | Mar 6, 2019 |
An interesting account of one man's combat missions as the navigator on a B 17 in Europe during WW2. It could have easily been subtitled, "Ours is not to reason why" as most of the then rationale for strategic bombing was not supported by mission success analysis. Strategic bombing was the subterfuge used to support Hap Arnold's et al's agenda for creating a separate air force. Combat losses among Bomber Command, both US and British, were a horrendous price to pay for such minimal success. Another egregious example of general officers promoting private or empire restoration agendas that generated enormous casualty lists for little more than an alleged political or public relations agenda. Singapore, The British Expeditionary Army in Europe, invading Italy, capturing Rome, Arnhem and Peleliu are some examples that come to mind.… (mer)
 
Flaggad
jamespurcell | 3 andra recensioner | Jan 7, 2016 |

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Verk
5
Även av
2
Medlemmar
255
Popularitet
#89,877
Betyg
½ 4.3
Recensioner
8
ISBN
11
Språk
1

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