The Hidden Places of World War II: The Extraordinary Sites Where History Was Made During the War That Saved Civilization

by Jerome M. O'Connor

In The Hidden Places of WWII, the author takes readers to overlooked places where WWII history was made. These are sites that were thought to be closed or locked away forever or, in some cases, thought never to exist at all, or were ignored by military historians for decades. With historical photos, contemporary photos, and written in a conversational style, the book opens the eyes of a new generation of readers, as well as an older generation, and takes them to the actual locations that changed history.

Many military history readers don’t know that you can still visit Nazi U-boat pens in Lorient and La Rochelle on the French Atlantic coast (they were used in the filming of Raiders of the Lost Ark) and even pieces of the Atlantic Wall Hitler had built along the French coast in ’43 and ’44 to thwart the invasion he knew was coming. These are only two of the many hidden places the author introduces the reader to.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

360 pages, Hardcover

Published March 1, 2019

Reviews

[Joshua · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was terrible. The only reason I read it the whole way through was because it was selected for my book club..

There are no citations anywhere, or even a bibliography. A good number of the chapters can be summed up as, "Here's what I learned when I toured these places." Many chapters read like advertisements for travel to these locations today, as many are now open for that purpose. More than half the chapters have nothing to do with "hidden places"... if I wanted to learn about Jimmy Stewart's specific war experience, I would have read THAT book... and yet he continues to tell us tales of Stewart and ordinary soldiers. While half of the book reads like advertisements, the other half is just war stories... not what I signed up for. Then there are chapters with 1-2 paragraphs of teasers about certain locations. Instead of telling me next to nothing about dozens of US factories, why not pick one or two and give us that story in greater depth?

And to make things worse, the author is just WRONG on some of his facts. He makes sweeping generalizations that just aren't true (such as "The US didn't lose a major naval battle during the war"), pictures events as happening just so when he provides no historical proof that what he says is true (He portrays that he knows exactly what Eisenhower was thinking at a certain time?), and is just plain lazy, filling pages with the current condition of the location rather than telling us much about the impact the location had during the war.

If are looking for a serious history book, this isn't it.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a WWII aficionado, I enjoy books like this that teach me new, fascinating tidbits about the war. Some chapters are anecdotal like the one detailing Jimmy Stewart’s service, or the one about an English boy who became a mascot for an American flight crew. The chapter about Bletchley Park and decoding the Enigma was intriguing, and I especially appreciated the chapter dedicated to how Chicago-based business contributed to the war effort. I now know that O’Hare’s 3-letter abbreviation (ORD) stands for Orchard Field, an assembly factory that existed during the war, and that Midway Airport is named after the famed Pacific battle.

There were plenty of other new-to-me tidbits. I didn’t realize the risks FDR took “…to elude the Neutrality Act’s… provisions,” and avoided impeachment by defying congress in his support of Britain prior to America’s entrance into the war. Even the fact that an Anglo-German Naval Agreement allowed Germany to break the Treaty of Versailles and rebuild its navy was astounding. “The concessions allowing Germany to build U-boats without restraint would nearly lose the war for Great Britain.”

Sure there were some dry subjects. The first third of the book deals with maritime aspects, while another chunk is devoted to the numerous air bases throughout England. Otherwise, it was a decent, well-researched read about lesser-celebrated locales that were imperative during WWII.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.

[January Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a Holocaust Researcher and WW II buff and did not know about many of these places, several at which you can still visit. Excellent book. Informative and written in a very interesting way.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Remarkable Work of History That Reads Like a Novel
April 2, 2019
Format: Hardcover
I have devoured each and every page of this book and I am truly sorry it had to end. The author and his extensive research with visits to overlooked but essential locations to the outcome of WWII took me with him in a sense. Though admittedly an unusual reaction to most accounts of this world event, I was transfixed from so many directions. It was not just the staggering statistics or only the real time human dilemmas faced but rather it was the author's refreshing way of conveying each with a style that was more like a time-traveling ride than a read. I could easily feel what it might have been like to stand with Ike at Southwick House as he struggled to come to a decision that could lead to victory as easily as defeat. The authors attention to detail allowed me to easily visualize the otherwise complicated deciphering machines in the Bletchley Park chapter.

The chapters were filled with facts not previously known but it was the author's adept writing style that carried them and made the book impossible to put down. All senses were provoked, deep places were touched and new thoughts were inspired. This author has a gift. I entered the book yearning to learn more about this war that changed our world and came out the other end personally changed within. The Hidden Places of WWII was chock full of reasons to be proud to be an American and I am left brimming with appreciation for those who fought for our freedoms. Yes I am changed and I am awake and alert to my life in a new and refreshing way.

As an American and a citizen of our world there are lessons to take away from this war and this book is its legacy. The author says we must never forget this story and what this country made possible by working together. This book sourced from first-hand facts, spoken from the heart and imprinted in our souls is for everyone to read and remember.

[Al Lock · Rating 2 out of 5]

First, the concept of the book is interesting, and there is definitely some interesting information in it. However, there are huge sections that just ramble in order to make a point or to sort of link to the locations in question (for example, the entire segment on the US transport of the troops being linked to Singapore). It seems more like the author found an interesting story that he wanted to tell and had to link it somehow to a site.

Second, the book is in desperate need of a good editor who is familiar with WWII. There are multiple errors that appear in the book (confusion of river names, etc.) that are understandable, but need to have been corrected.

Third, the author clearly has read Band of Brothers, but not the critiques of Ambrose's research. The 101st did not discover or liberate the Eagle Nest.

In addition, although the author almost entirely focuses on the ETO (Singapore being the sole site he mentions in the Pacific) on occasion he rambles into the Pacific for some reason not connected to any sites (his mention of Richard Ira Bong as an example).

As noted, there is some stuff that is really interesting, but the overall organization is not good and the need for a good editor is noticeable.

Oh, and absolutely no sources or end notes or foot notes.

[Terri Wangard · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Hidden Places of World War II is described as taking the reader to forgotten or overlooked sites where WWII history was made. Included are such places as the U-boat bases along the Bay of Biscay; how the USAAF air bases were constructed in east England and what they entailed; Trent Park, where the British eavesdropped on captured German generals; the Cabinet War Rooms where Churchill directed the war; Bletchley Park, where the code breakers won the war.

Many of these places are familiar to students of WWII, but there are surprises. The Queen Mary and the Queen Elizabeth famously brought thousands of American troops to Europe. Overlooked is that the British needed American troop transports, and ships were taken from the United States Line. The SS America, launched the day before the war began, became the USS West Point and moved personnel throughout the war.

Chapters can stand alone, and there is some repetition between them. There is a recital of Schweinfurt, Big Week, Black Sunday, and Germany’s ability to quickly produce at near-normal capacity after a bombing. There’s a brief bio of Jimmy Stewart’s war service, and a discussion of General McAuliffe’s reply of “Nuts” to the German demand for the surrender of Bastogne. Lots of figures for the present-day strengths of the militaries of the US, Russia, England, Germany, and China.

There’s a lot of interest here, and a lot that I breezed through.

[John Purvis · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Hidden Places of World War II: The Extraordinary Sites Where History Was Made During the War That Saved Civilization" eBook was published in 2019 and was written by Jerome M. O'Connor (https://historyarticles.com).

I received an ARC of this non-fiction book through https://www.netgalley.com in return for a fair and honest review. I categorize this novel as ‘G’. The book looks at events of historical significance that are often overlooked. There are many relics still remaining of the War. This is not 'a' story but a collection of short articles.

I thoroughly enjoyed the 10 hours I spent reading this 360-page non-fiction book about WWII. I discovered several new bits of information reading this book. I like the selected cover art. I give this novel a 4.4 (rounded down to a 4) out of 5.

Further book reviews I have written can be accessed at https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/. 

[Chris Jarvis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although this book outlined the heroism and sacrifices of so many people putting all they could into the war effort, it somehow disappointed me. Still, it makes me wonder how we ever won this war that seemed so overwhelmingly against us. The research done by Mr. O’Connor is commendable. The more I read about World War II, the more I appreciate the many across the globe who sacrificed so much to beat the Axis forces and keep our freedoms. Thank you all.

[Don · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting book but needs editing

Author did not understand compound adjectival phrases nor use them correctly, which makes reading and comprehension difficult. Needed a good copyeditor.

[Terrie L Winkates · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was disappointed that the author glossed over the hidden places of Germany. Much more in the US and Britain. Therefore, the book would have been more balanced. I’m from Chicago so I appreciated the information on that area.

[Danny L · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Way to Expand Your Understanding of World War Two

I have been a student of World War Two for more than fifty years. This book gave me new insights into some of the “hidden places” of the war. I highly recommend reading this book!

[Cristie Underwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author's painstaking research and attention to detail is obvious in the writing of this book. There were many facts that I only discovered after reading this!

[Rick B.H. Ghost · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read lots of information of various subjects of the Second World War.

[Fernando Zepeda · Rating 3 out of 5]

WWII places and events colorized

Revelations for even well read WWII fans, and other places known but much better view ed with authors research tidbits and color. A hard to organize tale but worth the read.

[Mary Kirby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting book

Parts of this book are truly interesting and some are no where near the “hidden places” of the war this book promised.

[Tony Gilerovich · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let us never forget the price of freedom.

Well done research into WW2 events, logistics, and politics.
Great number of details and not so well known events. Very educational.

[Russell Gustin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book!

Lots of interesting facts, we’ll told. Data that I have never come across before so if you’re looking for data you won’t find in other history books, this is it.

[Robert M. Galbraith · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author provides a background outline of WWII for reference and provides some great details about sites that are usually glossed over in a normal history. Very interesting and informative however the AAF section gets to be too much statistics and somewhat repetitive and thus tedious. Overall well worth reading for any serious WWII buff.

[Jerome M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Too many books about WW II? Not so after reading about the little-known, overlooked, or forgotten people, places and events that won the war but were lost to history. Although nearly everyone knows that the D Day invasion was launched on June 6, 1944, few are aware that the location where the most important decision of the 20th Century was made, is in its original appearance, including the same floor to ceiling plywood map view by General Eisenhower and his commanders. The behind the scenes means used by President Roosevelt to help Britain avoid defeat is another revelation that will add pages to the history of the war. An engaging writing style, often more like a novel than a work of history, makes this book a special read indeed.

[Jerome O'Connor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written with a journalists insights into little known locales overlooked by history. An eye-opener in revealing remains of Eighth Air Force bases in England, the still-standing Nazi U boat bases in France and the ingenuity of the German engineers in building the impenetrable layered roof defenses. For the reader who thought that everything worth knowing had long-ago been written about the war.