Historians and Journalists: Shirer Reading Group

Historians and Journalists: Shirer Reading Group

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May 2025

Chapter 22: Operation Sea Lion: The Thwarted Invasion of Britain
Adolf Hitler encounters his first setback after taking over most of Europe
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CJ Schaefer
Chapter 21: Victory in the West
In a matter of weeks, Hitler achieves total dominance in continental Europe and demands a humiliating and symbolic surrender
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CJ Schaefer
80 Years On
A reflection on history and journalism as we commemorate the end of World War II
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CJ Schaefer
Rote and Demoralizing: Reading about Early WWII
I try to grapple with why I find the chapters about WWII harder to read than the earlier chapters about the rise of the Nazis.
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CJ Schaefer
1

April 2025

Chapter 20: The Conquest of Denmark and Norway
Hitler unexpectedly listens to his subordinates and turns his attention northward.
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CJ Schaefer
Chapter 19: Sitzkrieg in the West
After the conquest of Poland, nothing much happens in the West, despite declarations of war by France and the UK.
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CJ Schaefer
Chapter 18: The Fall of Poland
At eight pages, this chapter is the shortest by far.
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CJ Schaefer
Podcast ep. 5: What American Reporters Saw That Others Didn't (Audio Only)
A conversation with Professor Deborah Cohen about her book Last Call at the Hotel Imperial and the reporters who covered the rise of fascism
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CJ Schaefer
47:03
Chapter 17: The Launching of World War II
All efforts at diplomacy fail; the Germans ignore the British ultimatum, and war begins
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CJ Schaefer
2

March 2025

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