⋙ [PDF] Gratis The Candy Bombers The Untold Story of the Berlin Airlift and America Finest Hour Andrei Cherny 9780399154966 Books

The Candy Bombers The Untold Story of the Berlin Airlift and America Finest Hour Andrei Cherny 9780399154966 Books

Download As PDF : The Candy Bombers The Untold Story of the Berlin Airlift and America Finest Hour Andrei Cherny 9780399154966 Books

The Candy Bombers The Untold Story of the Berlin Airlift and America Finest Hour Andrei Cherny 9780399154966 Books

This riveting account of the true greatness and decency of America is guaranteed to give you goose bumps page-after-page. It’s the unbelievable story of how we saved 2-1/2 million former enemies living in the Soviet-occupied West Berlin and turned them into rabid believers in Democracy. The character studies of the inspired men who changed world history will be etched in your memory: President Harry S Truman, Gen. Lucius Clay, commander of American force in Europe and Gail (Hal) Halverson, the plodding pilot of freight planes throughout the War who achieved greatness and world celebrity for his exploits in 1948-1949. It was Halverson who became the “Candy Bomber”—organizing “air raids” of millions of pounds Hershey chocolates and chewing gum attached mini-parachutes fashioned from pocket handkerchiefs for the beleaguered (and hungry) children who were victims of the War. The guiding genius was General William H. Tunner who engineered the delivery of 277,000 flights carrying 4.6 billion pounds of food, coal, clothing and everything else that enabled the people of Berlin to survive and save the world from the obscene Russian bear.
Why is this book so very relevant today? Quite simply if today’s weaseling, whiny politicians here and Europe cared a damn beyond their own re-election they would read this masterpiece and see it as a model for humanitarian action. The result could be war-free zones throughout the Middle East and an airlift that could bring life and hope to desperate millions, fight terrorism with love and solve the terrible refugee problem that has engulfed the world.
Read it and weep.
—Denny Hatch
dennyhatch@yahoo.com


Tags : The Candy Bombers: The Untold Story of the Berlin Airlift and America's Finest Hour [Andrei Cherny] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Draws on newly declassified documents, unpublished letters and diaries, and first-person interviews to document the contributions of an unlikely band of second-string soldiers and haggard military leaders in enabling the success of the Berlin Airlift humanitarian relief operation.,Andrei Cherny,The Candy Bombers: The Untold Story of the Berlin Airlift and America's Finest Hour,Putnam Adult,0399154965,United States - 20th Century,Berlin (Germany);History;Blockade, 1948-1949.,United States;Foreign relations;1945-1953.,United States;Foreign relations;Germany.,1945-1953,20th Century World History,Berlin (Germany),Blockade, 1948-1949,Europe - Germany,Foreign relations,Germany,Germany - History - Post World War II (1945-1989),History,History - Military War,History Europe Germany,History United States 20th Century,History: American,Military - Aviation,Military - United States,United States

The Candy Bombers The Untold Story of the Berlin Airlift and America Finest Hour Andrei Cherny 9780399154966 Books Reviews

“…the story of when Americans learned—for the first time—how to act at the summit of world power.” (p. 6)

“For six years, an average of 20,000 soldiers and civilians had died every day in the war.” (p. 45).

Fact filled, comprehensive, and packed with personal vignettes of many of the key players, The Candy Bombers The Untold Story of the Berlin Airlift and America’s Finest Hour, by Andrei Cherney is a must read for all who are interested in the history of WWII and the beginnings of the Cold War.

From the end of war in Europe in 1945, through the beginning of the Cold War, precipitated by the Soviet Union’s blockade of West Berlin (June, 1948 to May, 1949); we get an up close, behind the scenes look at the largest humanitarian effort ever launched, the Berlin Airlift. While it was a very tense time for the world; Main Street America really just wanted to get on with the newfound prosperity that would lead to the ‘Fabulous Fifties.’ Dropping candy, instead of bombs, fit the mood of that period perfectly for us. I was a grammar school pupil at the time, so many of the names in this book were familiar. That helped.

Recommendation At 626 pages it’s a bit weighty; but well worth your time. Perfect for high school (and beyond) history studies.

“…its more than 277,000 flights and 4.6 billion pounds of food and supplies dwarfs the size of any such operation since.” (p. 543).

Penguin Publishing Group. Edition, 626 pages
This book about the Candy Bomber is really the story of what was happening during that fateful period, using Halvorsen as a proxy. The US/Soviet rivalry comes into a clear contrast, and we see what a few men, notably Clay and the architect of the airlift, managed to accomplish, despite - or in spite of - naysayers in Washington. Despite his warts, Truman comes across pretty well, although the same cannot be said of many of the others, even the otherwise magnificent George Marshall. Henry Wallace, the icon of the Progressives, is appalling in his almost willful naïveté. The book has an easy, readable style, and, despite knowing the outcome, manages to sustain suspense. A really excellent read.
This is such an informative book, but also a wonderful read. It's inspirational, since it focuses on how a single individual's willingness to do something kind led to a remarkable program with a post-war healing impact between Americans and Germans that was so much bigger than anyone could have imagined. It's also a snap shot of the evolving cold war, with most of the key players from this period well featured. (This part of the book is very detailed, and gets fairly deep into post-war foreign policy maneuvering, but it's well worth making your way through it.) The primary Candy Bomber, Hal Halverson, who got the ball rolling, is still living in Salt Lake City, Utah. You can Google an interview with him that is simply wonderful, especially after one reads this book. I have purchased copies of the book for friends.
This riveting account of the true greatness and decency of America is guaranteed to give you goose bumps page-after-page. It’s the unbelievable story of how we saved 2-1/2 million former enemies living in the Soviet-occupied West Berlin and turned them into rabid believers in Democracy. The character studies of the inspired men who changed world history will be etched in your memory President Harry S Truman, Gen. Lucius Clay, commander of American force in Europe and Gail (Hal) Halverson, the plodding pilot of freight planes throughout the War who achieved greatness and world celebrity for his exploits in 1948-1949. It was Halverson who became the “Candy Bomber”—organizing “air raids” of millions of pounds Hershey chocolates and chewing gum attached mini-parachutes fashioned from pocket handkerchiefs for the beleaguered (and hungry) children who were victims of the War. The guiding genius was General William H. Tunner who engineered the delivery of 277,000 flights carrying 4.6 billion pounds of food, coal, clothing and everything else that enabled the people of Berlin to survive and save the world from the obscene Russian bear.
Why is this book so very relevant today? Quite simply if today’s weaseling, whiny politicians here and Europe cared a damn beyond their own re-election they would read this masterpiece and see it as a model for humanitarian action. The result could be war-free zones throughout the Middle East and an airlift that could bring life and hope to desperate millions, fight terrorism with love and solve the terrible refugee problem that has engulfed the world.
Read it and weep.
—Denny Hatch
dennyhatch@yahoo.com