LIBERATION FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF THE LIBERATED (ON WRITING)

If you go into reading history with an open mind what you're looking for is to be surprised; you're looking for things that tell you something you didn't know. The liberation of an oppressed people is indeed a noble venture. But as the U.S. learned in Iraq, it's a complicated relationship between the liberated and their liberators. A BETTER PEACE welcomes William Hitchcock to discuss the lessons that were evident in France in the days following victory in Europe post WWII. Michael Neiberg interviewed Hitchcock at the new U.S. National World War II Museum in New Orleans, where they also discussed some tools of the trade for people who are looking to write history from a different vantage point. William Hitchcock (L) and Michael Neiberg (R) in front of the replica D-Day invasion map at the Higgins Hotel adjacent to the National World War II Museum in New Orleans. William Hitchcock is the William W. Corcoran Professor of History at the University of Virginia and author of The Bitter Road to Freedom: The Human Cost of Allied Victory in World War II Europe, a Pulitzer Prize nominated book. Michael Neiberg is the Chair of War Studies at the U.S. Army War College. The views expressed in this presentation are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Army War College, U.S. Army, or Department of Defense. Photo Description: The Founders Plaza creates an impressive entryway to the National WWII Museum Campaigns of Courage: European and Pacific Theaters building. Photo Credit: Courtesy of the National WWII Museum Other releases in the "On Writing" series: COLONELS WRITING FOR COLONELS (RE-RELEASE)ON WRITING: MILITARY AUTHORS AND THE HARDING PROJECT (RE-RELEASE)FIGHTING TOGETHER: THE CANADIAN-AMERICAN PARTNERSHIP IN WORLD WAR II(ON WRITING)THE SCHOLAR AND THE STRATEGIST:SIR HEW STRACHAN(ON WRITING)COLONELS WRITING FOR COLONELSON WRITING: MILITARY AUTHORS AND THE HARDING PROJECTUNDERSTANDING RUSSIAN CULTURE: JADE McGLYNN(ON WRITING)CHINA’S SHIFTING HISTORY: STEPHEN PLATT (ON WRITING)UNDERSTANDING CHINA THROUGH ITS RECRAFTED PAST: RANA MITTER (ON WRITING)WRITING ON A DEADLINE: SHASHANK JOSHI (ON WRITING)REAGAN AS THE PEACEMAKER: WILL INBODEN(ON WRITING)RUSSIAN IMPERIAL HISTORY-THEN AND NOW: ALEXANDER MIKABERIDZE(ON WRITING)TAKING COMMAND: TAMI DAVIS BIDDLE(ON WRITING)HOW TO WRITE THE HISTORY THAT HASN’T ENDED: IAN ONA JOHNSON(ON WRITING)AS TIME GOES BY: UNDERSTANDING FREE & VICHY FRANCE (ON WRITING)SHIFTING MENTAL GEARS: PHILIP CAPUTO (ON WRITING)GENERAL HISTORY: H.R. McMASTER (ON WRITING)WHEN A GENERAL WRITES FOR THE GENERALIST (ON WRITING)THE VALUE OF WRITTEN THOUGHT: STEPHEN VOGEL (ON WRITING)TWO AUTHORS UNDER THE SAME ROOF (ON WRITING)THE MORE BEAUTIFUL QUESTION: ALEXANDRA RICHIE (ON WRITING)FACT AND FICTION: THE RECOUNTING OF WWII WITH JAMES HOLLAND (ON WRITING)THE U.S. ARMY IN THE 20TH CENTURY: AN INTERVIEW WITH BRIAN LINN (ON WRITING)PARIS 1919: A CONVERSATION WITH MARGARET MACMILLAN (ON WRITING)THE CHALLENGES OF WRITING BIOGRAPHIES (ON WRITING)FINDING “WOW” MOMENTS (AND OTHER WRITING TIPS FOR SENIOR LEADERS) (ON WRITING)THE ART OF WRITING HISTORY (ON WRITING)