A Short Blogging Break

I want to announce that I will be taking a short break from blogging. There are several reasons for this. The main reason is that I have been blogging consistently for about a year, and I'm just plain tired and needing a break! It takes a lot of effort week after week to write informative and interesting posts, so just as I'm currently taking a break from school, I also feel the need to take a short break from posting to recover and be refreshed.

Another reason I'm taking a break is to reevaluate where I want to go with my blog. It is difficult sometimes coming up with ideas for new posts that I think readers would be interested in. I plan to be posting some more book reviews and write about some historical places I have visited and will be visiting this summer. I would appreciate some feedback from you, the reader, on what kind posts you would like to see. Please take a moment to either leave a comment or take the survey about my blog.

On that note, I am unsure how involved I can be with this blog in the upcoming fall. I am planning to take another full load of classes at Boise State come the end of August, and I'm not sure at this point how much time I will have to write posts. This last spring semester I was only able to keep my blog going because of the fact that I had several posts already written. Right now, I am uncertain as to whether or not I will continue to post at all or will just be reducing how often I post. On the other hand, many topics discussed in my classes have a way of ending up on my blog!

In the meantime, I will be taking a break but will have some new posts up shortly. I will also still be active on my Twitter account if you'd like to follow me. Please take a moment to give me some feedback on my blog, what you'd like to see but also what I could improve on!

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Book Review: Franklin Delano Roosevelt

I picked up a copy of this book "Franklin Delano Roosevelt" by Alan Brinkley hoping to learn more about FDR, who is in my mind one of the greatest presidents in U.S. history along others like Washington and Lincoln. I have had previous discussions about Roosevelt on this blog, namely my post Roosevelt's Fight Against Poverty. FDR has been criticized for expanding the role of the federal government, but he lead the country through the most severe economic crisis and most destructive war in U.S. history, all the while fighting a debilitating illness.

This short biography is a brief overview of Roosevelt's life and major accomplishments while President of the United States from 1932 to 1945. It follows his journey from a young boy growing up in a wealthy family from New York to the beginning of his political career and his struggle with polio. As President, the book discusses his New Deal program, the entrance of the U.S. into World War II and how Roosevelt, along with Stalin and Churchill, shaped the post-war world. It also mentions his dealings with his advisers and the estranged relationship with his wife.

The Good: This book does a good job of giving a quick rundown of Roosevelt's major accomplishments and life story, while mentioning important facts that shaped his presidency, like his wealthy upbringing and permanent paralysis from polio. It also gave a good picture of some of his New Deal policies and how America came to be involved in World War II. It is helpful for those who do not know much about FDR and want to know more about him and his legacy.

The Bad: This book is not for the hardcore historian or history buff who already knows a lot about FDR. I was pretty disappointed to find out that this book was only about 100 pages long. I was hoping for a detailed biography about Roosevelt that described his personality, the accomplishments of his wife Eleanor, the decisions he had to make in the midst of the Great Depression and World War II, and his death in office. This book, however, does not get into much detail about his life.

The Ugly: I was also disappointed in the fact that the book spent a lot of time describing Roosevelt's New Deal programs than the man himself. I believe it is important to understand some of the New Deal policies that Roosevelt vigorously supported, but as someone who already knows about the New Deal, I found this part rather dry.

Conclusion: This book is definitely recommended for those who do not know much about Roosevelt or his importance in American history. It does show how incredible his leadership was in the Great Depression and World War II. On the other hand, for those wanting to know more about FDR as a person or even get more details about his life and accomplishments, I would not recommend it.

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Review of Polish Film Katyn

In September of 1939, Hitler invaded Poland and quickly overran the country beginning World War II. A few days later, the Soviet Union, having signed a nonaggression pact with Germany, invaded Poland from the East. The country was soon conquered and divided between the two invaders. Thousands of Polish prisoners of war, public servants, and intellectuals were put in prison camps and then subsequently executed by the Soviet secret police at the Katyn Forest of Russia in the spring of 1940. The number of those massacred was about 22,000.

This is the subject of the film Katyn by Polish filmmaker Andrzej Wajda, whose father was actually a cavalry officer murdered at Katyn. The movie begins with the invasion of Poland and shows the military officers being taken to prison camps. It does a good job of showing how the Soviets tried to cover up this massacre later in the war by saying that the Germans were responsible. The Germans actually discovered the mass graves in 1943 and tried to use it for propaganda against the Allies. When the Soviets took over Poland after the war, the Poles were faced with the choice of either going along with the Soviets, or rejecting their lies and facing the consequences.

This movie is unique in that the story is told from the perspective of the survivors, not knowing what happened to their loved ones at first but then finding out they were killed. There was a lot of confusion over what had happened to them and if they were still alive. We see the characters (wives, sisters, parents) struggle amidst the tragedy. At times, it was a little difficult to follow as new characters are introduced. However, the end of the movie shows what really happened to the officers, how they were executed and buried in mass graves. This part of the movie is especially graphic and disturbing.

It wasn't until 1989 and the collapse of the Soviet Union did the Communist Party admit guilt for the massacre, finally revealing the truth after 50 years. The movie shows what really did happen and does a good job of showing how tragic Poland's history is in the 20th century. I lived in Poland about three years ago, and I saw that the scars of World War 2 are still there today. I recommend this film. It shows how important the truth is and the horrors of WWII.

Links to Learn More:

• Katyn Movie Trailer
• National Katyn Memorial Foundation
  

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