Today marks the 70th anniversary of the surprise attack on Hawaii's Pearl Harbor by the Imperial Japanese Navy. The early morning attack on December 7, 1941 on the U.S. fleet stationed in the harbor, and at Hickam Field where 51 airplanes were on the ground, was the catalyst for the United States' entry into World War II. Nine ships were sunk and twenty-one were severely damaged and nearly half of the airplanes were destroyed or severely damaged. The death toll numbered 2,403: 1,177 from the battleship Arizona alone. It is estimated that there are about 8.000 survivors from the attack who are still alive.

September 6–November 27
Pictures of Resistance: The Wartime Photographs of Jewish Partisan Faye Schulman Exhibit

The lives of partisans depended on their ability to remain unseen, undocumented and unidentifiable. But one fighter, Faye Schulman, had a camera. Schulman’s rare collection of images captures the camaraderie, horror and loss, bravery and triumph of the rag-tag, tough partisans—some Jewish, some not—who fought the Germans and their collaborators.

This exhibit is sponsored by the University Library and the Frankel Center for Judaic Studies at the University of Michigan. Additional events will be held at the Harlan Hatcher Graduate Library, Gallery in Room 100 (use Diag entrance) at 913 S. University Ave., Ann Arbor, MI.

Public parking is available in the structure at 650 S. Forest, just south of S. University. Free and open to the public

A covert affair: Julia Child and Paul Child in the OSS by Jennet Conant

Once upon a river: a novel by Bonnie Jo Campbell

The fires of the gods: a Sugawara Akitada mystery by I.J.

Check out Canton Public Library’s Book Club in a Bag selections:

The help [kit] by Kathryn Stockett

Little Bee [kit] by Chris Cleave

The postmistress [kit] by Sarah Blake

The alchemist by Paulo Coelho; translated by Alan R. Clarke

The tale of the unknown island by José Saramago; illustrated by Peter Sís; translated from the Portuguese by Margaret Jull Costa

If on a winter's night a traveler by Italo Calvino; translated from the Italian by William Weaver

The lady in the tower : the fall of Anne Boleyn by Alison Weir

The comforts of home : thrifty and chic decorating ideas for making the most of what you have by Caroline Clifton- Mogg

Lives like loaded guns : Emily Dickinson and her family's feuds by Lyndall Gordon

Tuesday, December 7^th, 7:00-8:30PM at Harlan Hatcher Graduate Library, Gallery in Room 100 (use Diag entrance) — 913 S. University Ave., Ann Arbor, MI

Blaine Pardoe, author of Lost Eagles: One Man’s Mission to Find Missing Airmen in Two World Wars

Pardoe tells the complex story of Frederick Zinn, a man who brought peace and closure to countless families who lost airmen during both world wars. Zinn created the techniques still in use to determine the final fate of airmen missing in action. The presentation will be followed by a book sale and signing, courtesy of Nicola’s Books.

Pardoe is an accomplished author who has published dozens of military fiction novels and other books, including the widely acclaimed Cubicle Warfare: Self-Defense Tactics for Today's Hypercompetitive Workplace.

Part of the University of Michigan Press Author Series.

"In war, there are no unwounded soldiers." -José Narosky.
Some of these mystery stories take place in a time of war, some in its aftermath. No one is unscathed…

Blood Alone by James R. Benn

Bitterroot by James Lee Burke

Thirteenth Night: a Medieval Mystery by Alan Gordon

Assault on Iwo Jima [videodisc]

Bataan rescue [videodisc] by a Green Umbrella film for American experience ; written and produced by David Axelrod ; directed by Peter Jones

The Battle of the Bulge [videodisc]: the deadliest battle of World War II by produced by Thomas Lennon ; written by Thomas Lennon & Mark Zwonitzer

World War II Fiction:

Day by A.L. Kennedy

Empire of the Sun : a novel by J.G. Ballard

In our strange gardens by Michel Quint ; translated from the French by Barbara Bray

King Rat by James Clavell

In June of 1944, an exceptional U.S. Army unit went into action in Normandy. Its weapons included hundreds of inflatable tanks and a one-of-a-kind collection of sound effects records, and it carried out its battlefield mission without firing a shot. The unit was officially called the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops, but it was known to its men as The Ghost Army. Members of The Ghost Army adhered to a decades-long gag order; many never told their families about their extraordinary military service. Now the Ghost Army is here! Sixty-five years after this top-secret group went into action, the University of Michigan’s Hatcher Library will unveil the first public exhibit of this captivating group of materials documenting The Ghost Army. This exhibit is available during library hours.

Citizen Kane [videodisc] Directed, written by, and starring Orson Welles. Technically the most innovative movie ever made. Still looks fresh and striking today.

Singin' in the rain [videodisc] Starring and co-directed by Gene Kelly. Best musical ever! Cant conceive as to how it could be improved.

For several months now David Cole has been interviewing Canadian writers of crime, mystery, and/or suspense for Mystery Fanfare in his column Cool Canadian Crime. Cole recently interviewed Vicki Delany, a favorite of mine. Scare the Light Away Delany's debut novel was highly acclaimed when it was published in 2005.

This year marks the 65th anniversary of the Allied invasion of occupied France during World War II. The operation began on June 6, 1944 and was the largest single-day amphibious invasion of all time, with 160,000 troops landing on the Normandy coast. President Obama will attend the D-Day commemorative events in Normandy, France, this Saturday.

This extraordinary tale of three men who led a heroic group of resistance fighters during World War II opened in theaters last month.