Hello All!

I’m a 22 year-old medical student from Manchester UK (although I came here from Thailand when I was five). Hey, I hope I’m not crashing a men-only club here? Can a “gal” find a place among all you guys? My money says yes.

In any case my focus of interest - with great respect to all other aspects of this remarkable and tragic time - is the epic struggle between the Third Reich and the Soviet Union. The starting date of Barbarossa happens to be my birthday. I am especially interested in the battles of Moscow, Stalingrad, Kharkov (1943), Kursk, Bagration and Berlin from strategy, units, weapons, personalities to possible alternate outcomes.

I am also fascinated with that cynical little ogre Dr. Goebbels. He may have been one of histories greatest liars and deservedly carries the condemnation of history on his memory. But he was also bloody smart and even truthful on occasion - if you could pry him away from the microphone and his beloved Führer.

Although I have my developing and probably shallow opinions I am here to listen and learn from those who know a lot more about this than I do. I’m not totally ignorant, though, as my great-grandfather - who served in the Irish Guards as a combat medic in 1944-45 and worked on the Blood for Britain project in 1940 instilled a love of history and medicine in me. So, opinions, suggestions, pointers and discussions are most welcome while, respectfully, rants and sledgehammer lectures are less so.

I’m also hoping to make some friends as the ones I have “off-line” think I’m absolutely insane for preferring to curl up with a copy of The Road to Stalingrad than getting all dolled-up for the clubs. Don’t misunderstand, I like to dance as much as anyone. But Hitler vs. Stalin? Now that, tovarishi and kameraden, was a dance to the death!

cheers!

Tima