To answer my own question, I found an example of a PausableThreadPoolExecutor in the javadocs of ThreadPoolExecutor itself . Exactly what I wanted.
The problem is that the Runnable/Callable themselves need to check when to pause/resume. That being said there and many ways to do this, and it depends on your requirements on how best to do this. Whatever your solution you need to make the waiting interruptable, so the thread can be shutdown cleanly.
I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.