Like most museums, the biggest problem is that there is so much to see and so little time.
Some museums are really neat . . . this one goes beyond "really neat" because you are actually standing in the rooms where Churchill directed the war effort against the Nazis.
Beneath the streets of London (and very near Parliament, Big Ben, and Westminster Abbey) you find yourself realizing just how close we came to losing the war. As one who didn't come along until 20 years after the war, I grew up with the unexamined assumption that, a) good always defeats evil, b) the US and Britain always defeat Germany. I suspect that sounds silly. Be gracious, dear reader. We all believe things that we should think very much more about!
If you would like a virtual tour it will save you the expense of traveling to London, simply click here: Bulldog.
This is the map room.
This is the map room.
This is the Trans-Atlantic phone room where Churchill could talk to Truman anytime he wanted. Interestingly, most of the people who worked there had no idea this room existed. It was marked as a bathroom and the sign always read "Occupied." Most workers assumed, because it was so close to Churchill's room, that it was Churchill's personal water closet.Fortunately, as you can see from my picture, a Churchill impersonater was ordering a pizza just as I was passing through. What timing!
This is the cabinet room where all the leaders gathered to discuss strategy and plan the war effort. Churchill was famous for acting more deaf than normal when someone would say something he didn't want to hear.
There is, of course, much more to the museum than a blog can convey (least of all, my blog!).I highly recommend a visit to this museum. It's a bit pricey (11 pounds), but if you bring your student ID it's only 8.50 pounds--that's a saving of about 5 dollars.
One is also struck by how far technology has come since World War II. The underground bunker was sufficient for the day but would be useless today. Back then a couple feet of concrete would protect you from the world's most dangerous army. Now it's only useful as a museum, a reminder of a day gone by.
It made me reflective about the joys and drawbacks of technology. IPods are great . . . ABombs are not. MRIs have the power to help doctors heal. The threat of WMDs are enough to bring armies to the Middle East. More and more our society looks to science and technology for some sort of salvation from evil. The next time someone tells you that science is making everything better, just remember that it takes as much from us as it gives. In trying to create a heaven on earth science brought us the ability to vaporize entire cities in a single flash--which sounds rather more like hell than heaven.
Technology and science? We need always remember that if lean on that reed it will pierce our hands.
Okay . . . I guess I've wandered off topic. Peace.
One is also struck by how far technology has come since World War II. The underground bunker was sufficient for the day but would be useless today. Back then a couple feet of concrete would protect you from the world's most dangerous army. Now it's only useful as a museum, a reminder of a day gone by.
It made me reflective about the joys and drawbacks of technology. IPods are great . . . ABombs are not. MRIs have the power to help doctors heal. The threat of WMDs are enough to bring armies to the Middle East. More and more our society looks to science and technology for some sort of salvation from evil. The next time someone tells you that science is making everything better, just remember that it takes as much from us as it gives. In trying to create a heaven on earth science brought us the ability to vaporize entire cities in a single flash--which sounds rather more like hell than heaven.
Technology and science? We need always remember that if lean on that reed it will pierce our hands.
Okay . . . I guess I've wandered off topic. Peace.
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