Ruth Marcus of the Washington Post wrote a column all about The Candy Bombers and the Berlin Airlift. She writes:
The lessons of the Berlin Airlift are anything but simple, which is what makes it such a useful historical moment. Cherny's book is something of a Rorschach test on Iraq: The message readers receive may depend on the mindset with which they arrived.
Definitely worth reading!
Michael Barone, a senior writer at U.S. News and World Report, is best known as a pundit and as the principal author of The Almanac of American Politics -- the essential reference book of American politics. But he is also a historian and his 1990 book Our Country is up there with William Manchester's The Glory and the Dream as one of the best surveys of mid-20th century America.
This week he writes about the lessons he thinks we should learn from The Candy Bombers. Along the way, he writes that:
The Berlin Airlift’s “tale of American expertise, ingenuity, and generosity is told vividly by Andrei Cherny in his wonderfully readable book The Candy Bombers.”
It's been interesting to see people from all sides of the political spectrum try to draw inspiration from this book. I think that's the role of history: it doesn't provide clear answers but can hopefully shed some light on the present and future.
UPDATE: Looks like U.S. News and World Report is having some site issues. Barone's column can also be found here.
I've been slow in posting the video of CSPAN's Book TV's coverage of a reading I did at Changing Hands Bookstore in Tempe, AZ. I was pretty jetlagged that night but it is a pretty good representation of what I've been saying on the book tour for those of you who haven't been able to make it one of the stops. This link should work.
A blogger in Western Canada who goes by PelaLusa did something pretty cool in honor of America's birthday: He took a radio interview I did with John Batchelor and turned it into a mini-documentary complete with music, images, and video. Definitely worth checking out! It is in two parts.
Part One:
Part Two:
The Stars and Stripes article covering the Airlift's 60th anniversary celebrations in Wiesbaden is worth looking at for many reasons including the great photos of Hal Halvorsen back in ths skies over Germany dropping candy parachutes. But this passage, in particular, caught my eye.
Army Col. Mark Olinger, commander of the Defense Energy Support Center–Middle East, made a special trip from his Middle Eastern base — he couldn’t say where — toting along a copy of the book, "The Candy Bombers — The Untold Story of the Berlin Airlift and America’s Finest Hour.""This is a once-in-a-lifetime event," Olinger said, and admitted this is the first time he’s ever taken off from work — or traveled thousands of miles — for an event like this.
"Like the World War II and Korean veterans, the veterans of the Berlin Airlift are all — they’re passing on," he said. "They have left a legacy that’s the benchmark for humanitarian airlift."
On this 4th of July weekend, thank you Col. Olinger and all those are serving overseas for carrying on America's proud traditions.
The folks at NPR's Morning Edition interviewed Hal Halvorsen and me about the book and the stories it tells. They really did a wonderful job of splicing everything together. It is definitely worth a listen. Click here and then click on "Listen Now" at the top of the page.
Here are three very kind letters I recently received that I wanted to share with The Candy Bombers community.
Andrei,
Just a note to say how much I enjoyed your Candy Bombers book.
It was a very interesting read about a time in our history that I never knew much about.
I enjoyed how you worked a lot of the Truman and Dewey political aspect as well.
I have recommended your book to several people.
Also, although it might ruin your story, I could see the Candy Bombers being developed into a good movie.
-- Marty, Columbus, Ohio
Mr. Cherny,
I just finished you book, " The Candy Bombers" and throughly enjoyed it.
When I arrived in Berlin in Sept 1953 at approx, 6 AM, I was quite concerned about being 110 miles behind the Iron Curtain. After finishing your book I now have a much better feeling of what should have been ahead. I had a hard time understanding the German's and how they tried to become friends.
I served at Tempelhof, in Security, until Nov 1954 and really was quite taken with the Airport and its size.
I just wish to thank you for your time to write the Book about something that was much more serious than I or my friends understood at the time. (Graduated From High School, June 1948)
A couple of comments:
1. Thank you for not rewriting history. You study really told a story that should be read by all history professionals.
2. I wish you had included a Picture and description of the Monument which, I believe is still there, in front of Tempelhof Airport. I am sure you had your reasons for not mentioning it other than the short notice toward at the end.
Again, I thank you and look forward to your next and the subject you select. Maybe more on Europe and the aftermath of WW II.
-- Fred
Dear Mr. Cherny,
What a pleasure it was to read your book. I keep a list of the books I read, and every once in a while I mention that it is worth re-reading. Yours is one of those few. Though I know the outcome, the tension continues to build. Though I know most of the major characters, there are insights about them that are both fascinating and new. The inclusion of both the letters from children and lines from Porgy and Bess are priceless and quite moving. The letter from the kid who took Halvorsen to task for not finding his house was a hoot! Finally, the paragraph on p.204 (that old canard about the current, etc.) is so well-written. I loved it, and have recommended it to a friend in Denmark and a nephew in California.
-- Dick, Sheffield Village, OH