图书作者与内容简介

People always mention German, Japan, and the USA while they are talking about World War ll. However, seldom had they done this from the perspective of the defeated country. The author had experienced privation and re-settlement after World War ll. He and his mother eventually settled near a U.S. airbase in western Germany.  He served in the United States Air Force for 30 years, retiring with the rank of colonel in 1985.

我的观点

World War ll is now gradually forgotten. People nowadays barely knows about things happened in the war out of the text books. The author let me understand what had happened in German during the days. This is what other books didn’t mention. 
 
From the perspective of the victories countries, the victory of the war is a glorious thing. The peace, freedom, and prosperity we have today are the price and result of the sacrifice of the Germany. 
 
One of the main character in the book is an survivor who lived in German during World War ll, mention that how he feel about the war, it’s not just about people fighting on the battlefield. It’s about breaking up a harmonious family. A soldier died in the battlefield mean that a family was broken up. The book surrounds the 27 Germany interviewee described their life from 3 years old to 12 years old. The war happened when they were little, at that time, it didn;t mean a lot to them. But after they grew up, they have their own idea. Including how they endured hunger, terror, and other kinds of emotions. They’ve tried many different methods to weather the storm. Another interviewee had mention that once he was in a dugout, he saw people being sucked into the fire because the high temperature. He didn’t even dare to use candles at night after that day. Still another interviewee had once ran to the dugout which was packed with people more than 5 times, he said that he still remember the sound of the air defense alert, and he still don’t like the sound of it. In the end of the book it wrote「 Most became the builders of the new Germany. Some found a new life in the United States. All grew up to be productive and thoughtful citizens, many of them reaching senior positions in business, academe,...」(p.343)   they try their best to change the world. 
 
The World War ll also let us know how ruffian the war is. This war was resulting in the deaths of millions of people, including innocent civilians and soldiers. The war also sparked the use of the atomic bomb, which destroyed the houses, and all the public utilities on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan. It reminds us that wading a war isn’t the only to solve the problems between countries. Having a meeting and solve the problem it another better way. 
 
Reading this book reminds me of the invasion which Russian state leader Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin launched on February, 24 2022. The war is not over yet, it has lasted for one and a half years. Both Ukraine and Russia have lost many money. Just think of it, why should the war happened? And what does this war tell us? To me, it’s the disputes over national sovereignty. However, in my opinion, it’s not necessary to launch a war because of this. 
Applying the Ukrainian example to World War II, then you can understand why Hitler and other president had to launch the war. You can tell that the war had lots of impact. 
 
Looking back at the history of World War II, we must say thank you to people who died in the war, and prevention similar disasters from happening again. The lesson from the World War II is that we must cherish peace, strive to avoid war, and always remember the huge price  people paid so that we can enjoy freedom and justice. It is our duty to ensure that the sacrifices of these heroes are not forgotten and to work to create a more peaceful world.