While channel hopping last night I came upon a PBS documentary that provided information about WWII that surprised me. Cities of the Underworld had a three-season run. The particular episode I came across was titled New York: Secret Societies, first broadcast in 2007. The host mentioned attacks on New York. Not having recalled ever hearing of any, I ran a search and found an article written in 2006 by Brian John Murphy for a magazine titled America in WWII. Here's the closing summary, edited a bit by yours truly: "The U-boats had scored the most one-sided and damaging victory against the United States of any foreign naval power. Germany had sunk 233 ships off the East Coast and in the Gulf of Mexico and killed no fewer than 5,000 seamen and passengers. In Operation Drumbeat, German subs destroyed 3.5 percent of the tanker fleet. The operation caused major disruptions in war-material production and in the shipping of supplies to the war fronts. This was Germany’s first strategic victory that directly impacted America." I don't believe this has been covered in any movie on WWII. Perhaps it's time. The program showed graphics of mines laid in the East River outside Fort Totten, which was first built in 1862 and which is now an area of Queens, specifically the neighborhoods Bay Terrace, Bayside, Beechhurst and Whitestone. Had an enemy ship approached, the devices would have been detonated manually by servicemen inside the facility.
The floating book shop has always had unpredictable results, and the past three sessions manifested this. Despite the oppressive humidity on Monday and Tuesday, I had several sales each day. Today the weather was ideal, cool and dry, and I would have had zero sales had I not run into Susan after I'd packed up and headed to Waj's gyro stand. She thanked me for recommending Alison McGhee's Shadow Baby, which she just finished. I'm happy to have had my love of the book validated by an avid reader. This time I recommended Geraldine Brooks' Year of Wonders, which she bought. My thanks, and to the FedEx guy, who donated three books, to Herbie, who donated the final part of E.L. James' 50 Shades trilogy, and to the woman who donated eight books in Russian.
Vic's 4th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3
Vic's Website: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/
Vic's Short Story Collection (Print or Kindle): http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/6b86st6
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/94t5h
Vic's Horror Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3
Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp
Vic’s Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx
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