A Game of Birds and Wolves
The Battle of the Atlantic was the longest continuous military campaign in World War II. German U-boats targeted convoys of British merchant ships and the naval vessels that escorted them, with the goal of starving Britain into submission. By the end of 1941, Germany was succeeding—a fact that was a closely guarded secret in Britain.
In A Game of Birds and Wolves: The Ingenious Young Women Whose Secret Board Game Helped Win World War II, journalist Simon Parkin tells the largely forgotten story of how Captain Gilbert Roberts, a retired naval officer brought back into service as a result of wartime manpower shortages, and a staff of young Wrens (Women’s Royal Naval Service) helped turn the tide of the war. Together Roberts and his unexpected team created successful anti-U-boat tactics and trained almost 5000 British naval officers in their use. Their method? A room-sized board game based on previously lost sea battles.
I loved this book, but the sub-title is deceptive. Parkin gives full credit to the Wrens for the key role they played in defeating the U-boats, but if you’re looking for a World War II version of Hidden Figures, you will be disappointed. A Game of Birds and Wolves is not an a addition to the growing genre of forgotten women’s history.
On the other hand, if you’re looking for well-told account of innovation and grace under pressure, this is the book for you. Parkin’s work is a powerful account of an under-told piece of World War II history, told from the perspectives of not only Roberts and his team of Wrens, but those of victims of U-boat attacks, Robert’s German counterpart, several U-boat commanders, and a number of British naval officers. It is smart, suspenseful, and occasionally heartbreaking.
A version of this review previously appeared in Shelf Awareness for Readers.
In which a History In the Margin’s Reader Recommends a Book
One of the pleasures of writing History in the Margins is the opportunity to have conversations with readers “off the page.” Jack French is a long-time reader who often has an interesting point to make or a story to share. (Some of you may remember the guest post he wrote several months ago about the woman who invented Monopoly. )
He recently wrote to me about a book he thought I (and you) might enjoy. And he kindly gave me permission to share his review with you directly.
Take it away, Jack!
As you know I lecture to senior villages on a host of topics, one of which is “The Wild West” which includes a discussion of the struggles and courage shown by the immigrants who traveled in covered wagons over 2,000 miles from the Mississippi River to the West Coast in the mid 1800’s.
Recently I came across a great book I’d like to recommend to you and your readers. It is Women’s Diaries of the Westward Journey by Lillian Schlissel. It’s gone through 4 editions, starting in 1982, all in paperback, and most are available from any internet used-book merchant for under five bucks.
This fascinating book contains the first person narratives of several women who made that perilous, lengthy journey to either Oregon or California. The average trip started in April and if lucky, ended in September. Indian attacks were only the third, and least of their dangers…..communicable diseases took the greatest toll, while accidents, falls, drownings were second.
Anyone who wants to read of the grit, resilience, and bravery of their maternal ancestors, told in their own words, should get a copy of this book.
Jack French is a former Navy officer and retired FBI Agent in Virginia. He is a vintage radio historian and the author of two published books on the subject. Jack is a guest lecturer whose topics include: Civil War Heroines, History of Toys & Games, and the Golden Age of Radio. www.jackfrenchlectures.com
History on Display: Votes for Women, a Portrait of Persistance
One of my disappointments in 2019 was that I didn’t make it to Washington DC to see “Votes for Women: A Portrait of Persistence” at the National Portrait Gallery, which ran from March 29, 2019 through January 5, 2020 . I made plans, over and over. Over and over, life undid those plans.
Now I get a chance to get at least a peek. Like other museums around the world, the Smithsonian is offering digital exhibitions and virtual tours, including “Votes for Women”. The digital exhibition introduced me to many suffragists and women’s rights advocates whose names I didn’t know, including women of color. In fact, looking at the role of women of color in the women’s suffrage movement—or more accurately their exclusion from that movement—is the sobering heart of the exhibit.
Ultimately, the digital exhibition is a tease: just enough to tempt me to order the exhibition catalog.* If you’re interested in taking a look, here is the link: Votes for Women: A Portrait of Persistence
In the meantime, let me share my favorite image from the exhibition: an illustration created by political cartoonist Elmer Andrews Bushnell after the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment.
Titled “The Sky is Now Her Limit,” the print shows a newly enfranchised working woman looking up a ladder that climbs from “slavery” and “household drudgery” through a series of empowering steps that lead ultimately to a barely visible step labelled “president.” Sing it Mr. Bushnell.
*From my local independent bookstore. Those of you who have been following me here on the Margins know how I feel about independent bookstores. Many independent bookstores are still shipping even though their doors are closed. If you don’t have a local bookstore, you can adopt one. Use them or lose them. *Steps down from soapbox*