Reviews (8)

Fake memoir
This story was probably constructed from a number of real memoirs, other sources like films, and Jung's and the author's imagination.Helmut Jung may have been a soldier on the Eastern Front but what he claims to have seen there owes more to imagination - perhaps the author's - than reality.Units composed of seven foot Mongols? (p. 297).Really. In the fifty or so books I have read about the German-Russian war nobody else noticed such units. In the same chapter, a description of the capture of a group of female Russian soldiers appears to have been lifted from the film version of 'Cross of Iron'.There are numerous other elements traceable to other sources throughout ths ridiculous book. Avoid wasting money on this 'memoir'.You will learn nothing about the real experience of combatants on the Eastern Front that you haven't already read elsewhere.

A Work of Fiction
I agree with some of the other reviewers that this is most likely a work of fiction.There is no real information given about the supposed author, Helmut Jung, other than his "incredible" wartime exploits. There are too many mistakes in the book about Jung's training and service to believe this is anything more than a piece of fiction put together by the American writer...it doesn't read or feel right.Save your money and buy "Black Edelweiss" for a real biography of a German soldier.

The Jekyll and Hyde of german wwii memoirs
First of all, this book is 464 pages long, apart from a small paragraph about Mr. Jung at the end there is nothing else, you get what you pay for, 464 pages of reading material. There are also no photos. Now, this memoir is a rollercoaster of emotions, paradoxes, anomalities, irregularities and some simply senseless and hard to believe asseverations by Mr. Jung and the author, who should have at least researched a little bit more, edited a bit better and should have gotten himself a good grammar dictionary, unless that is, he chose to leave the book as it is to keep the element of reality present. At times Mr. Jung sounds so real and truthful you can't help but pity him at others you could swear he is a jew posing as a german soldier. Now I don't blame Mr. Jung for his mental lapses (most people don't remember what they did 2 weeks ago) so after so many years one can understand his memory lapses. However mistaking the 6th army for the 10th at Stalingrad is preposterous to say the least. His asseveration that the SS went around shooting wounded german soldiers from penal batallions is simply hard to believe. During the actions of our Blue division in Russia we had a squad of men assigned to follow up behind the main body of troops checking the russian dead behind us and making sure they stayed very dead, for these vermin were treacherous and they would fake death in order to shoot us in the back. The Waffen SS had a similar way of dealing with russians (read Blood Red Snow). Also we were forbidden from building fires at night no matter how cold it might be (this was a sure way to have snipers pick everyone off one by one, have our positions identified by artillery spotters), yet he claims they would build this huge fires and huddle around at night! The war in the east was a metaphysical encounter of extreme ideoligies, the far right on our side and the far left on theirs. We alone had the sole opportunity of stoppping the spread of communism within our grasp and were betrayed by the very western civilization we sought to safeguard and preserve for the new generations. One look at the map of Europe after wwii will tell you who really won and for what purpose the western powers really fought and shed so much young blood. Mr. Jung was as caught up in this hell as the rest of us were and like us he did what he had to do to survive, however a man should have convictions and a sense of belonging to his nation and while he did his share, he did it for himself... we did it for our people, our nation and for western civilization. To those of you who might find this offensive I remind you of the words Julius Streicher spoke to the hangman at Nuremberg in 1946, "someday the russians will do this very same thing to all of you". Time proved him right.
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Subjects:  1. 1926-    2. Biography & Autobiography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Biography/Autobiography    5. Campaigns    6. Eastern Front    7. Europe - Germany    8. Germany    9. Heer    10. Historical - General    11. Jung, Helmut,    12. Military    13. Military - World War II    14. Panzer-Division, 7    15. Personal narratives, German    16. World War, 1939-1945    17. Biography: general    18. European history (ie other than Britain & Ireland)   

Editorial Review

In Nobel laureate Elie Wiesel's memoir Read more

Reviews (911)

Unforgettable Tale of Holocaust Horror
Beyond and essential read, Night speaks to the reader about fundamental questions at the heart of the human condition.A powerfully moving autobiography, the story of this teenager's journey through the most horrific death camps of Nazi Europe, strips away discussion of anti-semitism and hatred, to present the raw suffering of individual humans, stuck in situations beyond their control.From the establishment of a ghetto in Elie's home town of Sighet, the reader can only watch with growing horror as the young man and his family are swept up in the Holocaust.Auschwitz, Buchenwald, Gleiwitz: some of the most infamous places in modern human history, rise around Elie, as we watch him stripped of absolutely everything.The reader is swept along helplessly, as Hitler's "Final Solution" unfolds - death marches, starvation, selections, cattle-carts full of people, torture, floggings, mass-murder - and as Elie is gradually reduced to nothing more than a 'hungry stomach'.
must reading
this is a disturbing work in that it recounts a man's experience of the nazi death camps. Warning: this book will shake you up mentally, and emotionally.It is not for the faint of heart.Yet, it is a must read because of the exposure it gives to humanity at it's worst and humanity under it's worst.

Lost in Translation
The short novel Night has emotional power not only because of the dark subject matter, but because Elie Wiesel is a gifted writer who deftly reveals the spiritual and mental anguish of the main character.Generally considered autobiographical, the account follows a young man who feels he is losing not only God, but his humanity as the Nazi machine ravages Europe.The novel itself deserves 10 stars.
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Subjects:  1. 1928-    2. Biography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Biography/Autobiography    5. Historical - Holocaust    6. Personal Memoirs    7. Personal narratives, Jewish    8. Wiesel, Elie,    9. World War, 1939-1945    10. Biography & Autobiography / Entertainment & Performing Arts    11. Europe    12. World history: Second World War   

Reviews (52)

For Those Fans of 'Band of Brothers' That Want More.
The book is Dick Winters Memoirs and as such is a rehash of Ambrose's "Band of Brothers" from his point of view.As such the reader gets another look at the events in the History of Easy Company from the Book and the Movie from the Normandy Campaign to the end of the War.
Medal of Honor for Major Winters
Best book ever.The hard thing is to remeber while reading this book is this is a true story.After reading this great book and you feel compelled as I you can go to the Major Winters wen site and sign a petition for him to receive the Medal of Honor.I should note that this is not being endorsed by Major Winters which is consistant with his character. [..]

Winters' Story...In His Own Modest Words
Like most other readers, I purchased this book on the strength of Stephen Ambrose's Band of Brothers and the popular HBO series of the same name. So when I saw that Winters was publishing his memoirs, I knew that I'd get around to reading it sooner or later.
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Subjects:  1. Aerial operations, American    2. Biography & Autobiography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Biography And Autobiography    5. Biography/Autobiography    6. Campaigns    7. General    8. Military    9. Military - General    10. Military - United States    11. Military - World War II    12. Personal narratives, American    13. Western Front    14. World War II    15. World War, 1939-1945    16. History / Military / General   

Reviews (164)

Heart-Warming, Moving Account of the Holocaust
The story of Corrie ten Boom and her family and their work in the Dutch underground during World War II has been around 35 years but this is the first time I've sat down to read this amazing story.I am so glad I did!Built on the premise that love will conquer all, the story shows what relatively normal people can accomplish in extraordinary times.
A Tale Of Love, Courage, And Compassion
In Corrie Ten Boom's book "The Hiding Place", she gives an exciting account of how during the terrifying years of the Holocaust and World War 11 her entire family strove to hide as many Jews as they could from Nazi forces.
A Moving Tale
This is a beautiful, beautiful book. I could read it over and over, and feel touched, inspired, and renewed again. I first tried to read it when I was about twelve years old, but it was two heavy for me. Then I read it a few months ago, and it came alive. This is one book I would definately want to add to my library soon. I love the Ten Boom family - especially Betsy. I am looking forward to meeting them all in heaven someday. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography / Autobiography    2. Biography/Autobiography    3. Historical - Holocaust    4. Personal narratives, Dutch    5. Ravensbruck (Germany : concentration camp)    6. Religious    7. Ten Boom, Corrie    8. Women    9. World War, 1939-1945    10. Biography: general    11. History / Holocaust   

Reviews (18)

Very interesting read
Having read another book about a German sniper which proved to be absolutely fictional I was curious about this release. I have a huge collection of WWII memories and am happy about any books covering the German side. The story told is much different from too many "heroic" stories of the good G.I.s bragging about killing tons of bad "Krauts" - and we know what true WWII veterans say about people that tell about their "kills" (usually these people haven't seen any action at all). In fact, it is shocking to see how some readers/authors still consider all the German soldiers to be nazis and considering Soviet atrocities to be merely German propaganda. For these people this book will come as a revelation and a gripping account of a WWII veteran who can tell a gripping story without having to mention the most gruesome details of what an enemy looked like when he was shot.

Waste of time and money
There is surprisingly not much of sniping in the memoirs.
Great read
Sniper on the Eastern Front is one of the most astonishing World War II books I have read so far. This is a must read for any World War II freak. Sepp Allerberger is reliving his vivid memories in great detail throughout this book. It is fascinating to experience the life of a German sniper during World War II. We are so used to reading about the invasion of Normandy and the allied forces demolishing the German Wehrmacht, that we don't consider the other side of the story. This book manifests the struggle for survival and retreat of Sepp Allerberger's unit on the eastern front. Once you pick this book up you can't put it down. Great read! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. History    2. History - Military / War    3. Military    4. Military - World War II    5. Military Science    6. Former Soviet Union, USSR (Europe)    7. History / Military / World War II    8. Land forces & warfare    9. Second World War, 1939-1945    10. True stories: Second World War   

Editorial Review

Author Simon Weisenthal recalls his demoralizing life in a concentration camp and his envy of the dead Germans who have sunflowers marking their graves. At the time he assumed his grave would be a mass one, unmarked and forgotten. Then, one day, a dying Nazi soldier asks Weisenthal for forgiveness for his crimes against the Jews. What would you do? This important book and the provocative question it poses is birthing debates, symposiums, and college courses. The Dalai Lama, Harry Wu, Primo Levi, and others who have witnessed genocide and human tyranny answer Wiesenthal's ultimate question on forgiveness. ... Read more

Reviews (29)

A Sunflower among books---unforgettable
This book has touched me and remained with me since I read it my Senior year of high school.It facilitated numerous discussions on the issue of forgiveness--a complex issue that is actually quite simple.It also helped me to face some of my own issues and grudges so that I was finally able to begin understanding true forgiveness and hope.
Never forget the sunflower
Simon Wiesenthal's death prompted me to read "The Sunflower" for the first time. The book recounts Wiesenthal's haunting encounter with a dying SS soldier. The author was a concentration camp prisoner at the time. The tormented soldier desperately implored absolution for the atrocities he committed. The book passionately explores guilt, penitence, and forgiveness as Wiesenthal invited and printed the commentary from others about what they would have done if they had been in his place.
One who did not forget
I am writing this review the day after Shimon Wiesenthal died. He was ninety- six years old. Thousands of words have been written about him and his life- task. Certainly one of the major contributions he made was to make people aware of the enormity of the crime which was the Holocaust. After the war many wished to forget, but he out of a strong sense of duty to those who had died, to those who had been murdered and suffered so much , made it his business to make the world remember. And he too made his business to bring to justice those who committed the crime. And as he said many times he did this not only for the victims, but for the future generations of mankind so that such an evil would never come again not only to Jews but to all of humanity.
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Subjects:  1. Church And Society    2. Concentration camps    3. Ethics    4. Ethics & Moral Philosophy    5. Genocide    6. History    7. Holocaust    8. Jewish Holocaust    9. Personal narratives, Jewish    10. Philosophy    11. Religion    12. Sonnenblume    13. Wiesenthal, Simon    14. World War, 1939-1945    15. Europe    16. Judaism    17. Practical & applied ethics    18. Religion / General    19. The Holocaust    20. Reading Group Guide   

Reviews (81)

The One Book
This was the second book I read in my Holocaust Literature class and it's excellent! Gerda describes everything perferctly, taking you back in time. She remembers both the good and the bad with extreme clarity, something I wish I had (I have a horrible memory). The actual story being told is extremely sad though and I almost feel that it's wrong to tell of something like Gerda went through and saw, but the courage and strength she has gained in life is unbelievable (an epiloge is included in the back showing this). Gerda is such an inspiration and I hope that there are more people like her in the future. If I could only bring 1 holocaust book with me to a desert island, this would be it! Highly recommended.

Amazing
I read this book for an eigth grade English project last year.It is truely touching and amazing to think how the world once was, and still is in some areas of the world.When I read this book, I could hardly put it down.Even now, it makes me remember the pain the war caused.This is a good read that speaks the truth.

Life, Hope, Survival
It may have been serendipity that the author survived the German labor camps.This book, however, is about more than serendipity--it's about character, and the ability of a survivor to heal and find beauty, purpose and love in the aftermath of great personal tragedy. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1924-    2. Bielsko-Biaa    3. Bielsko-Bia±a    4. Biography    5. Biography & Autobiography    6. Biography / Autobiography    7. Biography/Autobiography    8. Conscript labor    9. Germany    10. Historical - Holocaust    11. Holocaust    12. Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945)    13. Jews    14. Klein, Gerda Weissmann,    15. Personal narratives    16. Poland    17. Women    18. World War, 1939-1945   

Editorial Review

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Reviews (58)

100% Recommended
It recounts the hellish 12 months that Primo Levi, an Italian jew, spent as Haftling 174517, at the notorious Deathcamp (during 1939 and 1944 2 million people were murdered there). He was captured by the Fascist Militia in December 1943 and wished to be charged based on his religious beliefs rather than his political ones in the view that he would be treated more leniently. After a period in a detention camp at Fossili, Modena, he along with the rest of the Jews are transferred to the concentration camps. The opening chapters describe the horrific conditions of the transfer and the hasty selection process used to determine who would go to the camp and who would go to the gas chambers at Birkenau; all the women, children and infirm were sent to cremation without question. In some ways he was fortunate to have avoided arrest until the latter stages of the war as the Germans decided that the prisoners in the lagers would be of more use to them alive than dead, at Auschwitz they were detailed to build a Buna - a synthetic rubber processing plant which never saw a day of production. Prior to this the prisoners were killed without recourse.
Primo Levi enthusiasts: This is a re-issue of 'If this is a man'
It's a great book. But if you've already got 'If this is a man', don't buy this.

Brutual & Clinical Look of Survival
I stopped reading books of the Holocaust several years ago simply because the stories that come out of the Holocaust are heart-wrenching, bitter, courgaeous, guilt-ridden .... all of the emotions and thoughts that we human have produced can be a lot to digest at one time.
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Subjects:  1. Auschwitz (Concentration camp)    2. Biography / Autobiography    3. Historical - Holocaust    4. History: World    5. Holocaust    6. Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945)    7. Italy    8. Jewish Holocaust Personal Narratives    9. Levi, Primo    10. Levi, Primo - Prose & Criticism    11. Literary    12. Personal narratives    13. Personal narratives, Italian    14. World War, 1939-1945    15. European history: Second World War    16. History / Jewish    17. Poland    18. The Holocaust   

Reviews (15)

Life And Fate At The Front
A treasure-trove of wartime observations from the unbelievably well-traveled and dangerously honest Soviet war correspondent Vasily Grossman.Editor Anthony Beevor has done a great job cherry-picking through these notebooks, which are complete except for one section covering the first part of the battle of Stalingrad.Readers familiar with the political climate of the Soviet Union will gulp in trepidation at some of Grossman's notes--if these had fallen into the hands of the NKVD, he would have been fired, jailed, or worse.
Invaluable firsthand accounts ofthe Soviet side of WWII
I'm glad this writing survived to see translation; it provides insight into many facets of the Soviet Union in WWII.
A Jewish Soviet Newspaper Correspondent on the Front Lines
Vasily Grossman's "A Writer at War" is a firsthand account by a Soviet newspaper correspondent of life with the Red Army on the Eastern Front. There are no punches pulled here and Grossman vividly describes the absolutely catastrophic impact Hitler's invasion of the Soviet Union on June 1941 had on the Red Army. In the first six months of the war the old Red Army was virtually annihilated by the German Wehrmacht, suffering more than five million casualties, including some 3.3 million Soviet soldiers captured. In all, more than 177 Soviet divisions were lost. Grossman describes the panic, cowardice, desertion, treason and just plain command incompetence as the Red Army struggles to escape its attackers.
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Subjects:  1. 20th Century World History    2. Destruction and pillage    3. General    4. History    5. History - General History    6. History: World    7. Military - World War II    8. Modern - 20th Century    9. Personal narratives, Soviet    10. Russian & Former Soviet Union    11. Soviet Union    12. World War II    13. World War, 1939-1945    14. History / Modern / 20th Century   

Features

• Illustrated

Reviews (7)

Moving
This is a story of ultimate forgiveness told firsthand by Ernest Gordon.The things he and his fellow prisoners of war experienced are near incomprehensible....and out of such despair comes the forever life-changing love they experience through Christ, Who is the example they start to follow in showing similar self-sacrificing love and kindness to their neighbors - even to their enemies.
Not your typical POW story
While Earnest Gordon's story contains enough description of the atrocities inflicted on him and his fellow POW's by the hands of the Japanese in Southeast Asia during WW2, this does not read like your typical POW story. By typical, I mean a blow-by-blow account (literally at times) of the grueling, horrific experience of Allied soldiers during the war. Though there are passages of such description that aptly set the stage for the story, this book is more about the way in which Gordon and his fellow prisoners of war created the Kingdom of God in the hell of mankind.
fantastic story
Ernest Gordon's first-hand account of being a POW in WWII.Gordon, a Scottish soldier and later Presbyterian minister and Chaplain of Princeton University, was captured by a Japanese warship and placed on the crew that built the bridge over the river Kwai.The account is well written and interesting from a historical perspective, but also engaging from a spiritual one as Gordon tells about his own transformation while imprisoned, as well as that of his fellow prisoners.If you are interested in history and biography told through the eyes of faith, then this makes an excellent read. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography / Autobiography    2. Burma-Siam Railroad    3. Fiction    4. General    5. Gordon, Ernest    6. Japan    7. Military    8. Personal Memoirs    9. Personal narratives, British    10. Prisoners and prisons, Japanes    11. Prisoners and prisons, Japanese    12. Prisoners of war    13. World War, 1939-1945    14. Christian Interest    15. English    16. Inspiration / Motivation / Biography & Autobiography    17. Religion / Christian Life    18. Transportation / Railroads / History    19. True stories: Second World War    20. WORLD WAR, 1939-1945_PERSONAL NARRATIVES, BRITISH    21. WORLD WAR, 1939-1945_PRISONERS AND PRISONS, JAPANESE    22. World history: Second World War   

Reviews (22)

The princess can tell a story
Princess Marie Vassiltchikov, a member of some minor branch of the Russian nobility who ended up in Lithuania and then in Germany for World War II, can sure tell a story. Her diary is a good page turner. You always know what is going on.You're always want to find out what is going to happen next. I finished this book in a day or two and took it everywhere I went, because I had to find out what happened.
Best and most original book on WWII ever written
Don't pay any attention to the one or two negative views in this section.This is a terrific book written from the weird persepective of the Blue Bloods, the European royalty the Nazis hated as much as they hated Jews.The fact that these people, all opposed to Hitler, could land on their feet over and over again in spite of everything is as funny as anything can be.I would have been a Top Ten TV Series had somebody had the sense to pick it up.Risk the few dollars cost, you won't be sorryl

War through the experiences ofthe wealthy
People who have not lived through wars forget that even when confronted with death, destruction, loss, and fear, man's survival instinct grasps for pleasure. This is true for the wealthy as well as the poor, however, the pleasures found differ greatly. This book is not about the poor, and readers with a socialist orientation may find it offensive.
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Subjects:  1. 1917-1978    2. Austria    3. Berlin    4. Biography & Autobiography    5. Biography / Autobiography    6. Biography/Autobiography    7. Europe - Germany    8. General    9. Germany    10. Historical - General    11. Personal narratives, Russian    12. Vassiltchikov, Marie,    13. Vienna    14. World War, 1939-1945    15. Biography & Autobiography / General    16. Biography: general    17. Second World War, 1939-1945    18. Vassiltchikov, Marie   

Reviews (8)

Winston Churchill as Historian
This is a brilliant book! It is extremely well researched and written and tells a powerful and interesting story.
WorthReading
This is an intereting book, full of things I did not know about Churchill and his long history of WWII. Fascinating account of Churchill and the production of history
This is one of the best books I have read in years.David Reynolds has done a superb job of recounting how Churchill wrote his monumental History of the Second World War.The extent to which Churchill relied on ghost writers has not, so far as I know, previously been discussed.In retrospect, it should have been evident that without extensive help Churchill would not have had time to churn out six fat volumes while maintaining an active political career.Apparently, though, very few reviewers even raised the possibility that many of the words in the volumes were not Churchill's.In addition to its other virtues, Reynolds's book gives significant insights into the economics of book publishing in the late 1940s and early 1950s.Reynolds also provides a judicious overview of the relationship between Churchill's wartime performance as recounted in the History and as it actually occurred.All in all, an absorbing read. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1874-1965    2. Churchill, Winston,    3. Europe - Great Britain - General    4. General    5. Historiography    6. History    7. History - Military / War    8. History and criticism    9. History: World    10. Military - World War II    11. Personal narratives, British    12. Second World War    13. Sir,    14. World War II - Europe    15. World War, 1939-1945    16. History / General   

Reviews (21)

must read book
A fantastic book showing God's faithfulness to us.Very, very interesting and I think everyone should read.It is also a must for any church library.

Faith Tested to the Utmost Survives
Darlene's story could be included in the New Testament book of Hebrews, where the heroes of faith and their deeds are listed. It impacted me as much as reading "The Hiding Place" and "God's Smuggler". What kept her sane in captivity and isolation was the Scripture and hymns which articulated her faith. God showed her that He was there.

Brought tears to my eyes
Darlene suffered terribly in the prisoner of war camp, but her faith remained strong throughout. God answered her prayers in wonderful ways. Fed only rice or gruel while in solitary confinement, one day she prayed for a banana, a single banana. She considered all the ways God could answer her prayer and deliver that banana. Through the guard? No... The night watchman? No... As she began to doubt that God could grant her that request, she was delivered an armload of bananas - 92 of them! - from the most unlikely source.
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Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Biography / Autobiography    3. Celebes    4. Christianity - Christian Life - General    5. Indonesia    6. Military    7. Personal narratives, American    8. Prisoners and prisons, Japanes    9. Prisoners and prisons, Japanese    10. Prisoners of war    11. Religion    12. Religious    13. Rose, Darlene Deibler    14. World War, 1939-1945    15. Biography: general    16. Papua New Guinea    17. Religion / Christian Life    18. Second World War, 1939-1945    19. True stories: Second World War    20. War crimes   

Reviews (14)

Credit where credit is due
It would take a German to give credit where credit is due.
Great World War 2 History
This is a great history of the 6th SS-Mountain Division.I enjoyed the play by play of Operation NORDWIND and the research that was put in to getting the facts of the battle right.Read Black Edelweiss: A Memoir of Combat and Conscience by a Soldier of the Waffen-SS first to get a really good look at what is was like fighting in Finland and in Operation NORDWIND.They compliment themselves very well.

Great Book
I agree with the previous reviews, i.e. this book is a great combination of personal first hand accounts and tactical and strategic narrative supplemented by plenty of maps (unfortunately not many photos). It is sad that Mr. Zoepf passed away before he knew how much readers liked his book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. History    2. History / Military / World War II    3. Military    4. Military - General    5. Battles & campaigns    6. European history: Second World War    7. Germany    8. Military - World War II    9. Operation Nordwind    10. Personal narratives, German    11. Special & elite forces    12. Switzerland    13. Western Front    14. World War II    15. World War, 1939-1945   

Reviews (16)

Unbelievably heart stopping
I bought this book when I went to the Holocaust museum in D.C. This book is unbelievably heart stopping. This book takes you into a world of pain and terror. To be able to read about every momment of torture this man witnessed and partook in, is extremely moving. This book takes you deep inside the morbid ways of Hitler.

Amazing!!!
I loved this book but I find it hard to say that because of the sheer fact of what the people in this book went through.Muller's account of his years in auschwitz as a prisoner forced to work in the gas chambers is graffic and upsetting yet you wont want to put it down.It's hard to imagine what these people went through but reading this book is almost like you are right there seeing it with your own eyes.If you are interested in the subject i recommend this book to you, and if you arent interested in the subject i recommend this book anyways.

So difficult to read...
when you know every word is true.The hell this man went through is unimaginable.There isn't a lot you can say,really.The fact that the writer survived is a testimony to his will to keep living and tell the world what he saw and endured.The fact that he can relate his unfathomable experiences at Auschwitz without sliding in to self-pity is remarkable.
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Subjects:  1. Auschwitz (Concentration camp)    2. Biography    3. Czechoslovakia    4. General    5. History    6. History - Military / War    7. History: World    8. Holocaust    9. Jewish - General    10. Jewish Holocaust    11. Military - World War II    12. Muller, Filip    13. Personal narratives, Czech    14. Poland    15. Prisoners of war    16. World War, 1939-1945    17. Biography: historical    18. History / Jewish    19. History / Military / World War II    20. The Holocaust    21. World history: Second World War    22. Judaica   

Reviews (7)

A different view of Tuscany
"War in Val D'Orcia" is a rather terse diary of events throughout Italy in 1943-1944 written by the English-born wife of a wealthy landowner in Tuscany.As an account of life under Nazi rule it's not nearly as profound or fascinating as Victor Klemperer's "I Will Bear Witness" but after the first 100 pages (or so) which are somewhat strangely detached and impersonal ("In Rome to have the baby"), and mostly an account of Italian national politics at that time, I literally couldn't put it down.
Unforgettable
"Greater than the sum of its parts" accurately describes this remarkable diary set in Southern Tuscany during World War II. Restore your faith in humanity ...
The enthralling story of life on the Origo's estate "La Foce" (just South of Montepulciano in South Tuscany and on the main route of the advancing Allied 8th Army) during the years 1943 and 1944.The contadini farmers and workers on the estate, living in conditions closer to the Middle Ages than the mid Twentieth Century, had no interest in or involvement with the forces of war but equally had no option but to suffer its consequences. They, led by Iris Origo and her Marchese husband, juggled simultaneously playing host to refugee Italian children, escaping British airmen and prisoners of war, partisan fighters, and a German officers' mess, not to mention day to day dealings with facist officialdom.All this in the knowledge that the penalty for a "mistake" was summary execution.An easily readable "must read" not just for those who love Italy and a good story, but for anyone who would like to reaffirm their faith in humanity in the context of a greater understanding of the reality of occupation and war. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1902-    2. Biography & Autobiography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Biography/Autobiography    5. General    6. Italy    7. Military - World War II    8. Orcia River Valley    9. Origo, Iris,    10. Personal narratives, British    11. Women    12. World War, 1939-1945    13. Biography: general    14. European history: Second World War    15. Origo, Iris    16. Second World War, 1939-1945   

Reviews (38)

Excellent Book
Well written first hand account of serving in the paratroopers during WWII. The author is quoted extensively in Stephen Ambrose's Band of Brothers so it is interesting to read his account of the war.

A "grunt's" view of Band of Brothers
This book is an interesting addition to the story of Easy Company as chronicled in Band of Brothers.It is the story of one highly literate enlisted man's view of the war.It lacks the overview of the war in Ambrose's book and is much more cynical.Before reading it, I would recommend first reading Ambrose's Band of Brothers and Winters' Biggest Brother.

For hardcore "Band of Brothers" fans...
If you want to know the mind of Webster (the Harvard educated enlisted man from the well-known movie series "band of brothers"), this is it.
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Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Campaigns    3. France    4. General    5. History    6. History - Military / War    7. History: World    8. Military - World War II    9. Normandy    10. Personal narratives, American    11. Soldiers    12. United States    13. Webster, David Kenyon,    14. World War, 1939-1945    15. d. 1961    16. History / Military / World War II    17. Webster, David Kenyon   

Reviews (7)

One of my favorites...
I became aware of Marthe's story when told I was going to interview her for an article.I found the writing smooth, and the book a quick and educating read.As other reviewers have written, it is filled with events that are intense, suspenseful, sad and hopeful.This is an amazing true story that I'm glad Marthe decided to share.

Behind Enemy Lines
Behind Enemy Lines is the story of the book's author Marthe Cohn.Written in novel-like fashion the story grips the reader from the first page and does not let get until the last.That Ms. Cohn, and the majority of her immediate family were able to survive the German occupation of France is miracle enough for any book.What she did after the liberation, joining the French Army, crossing the border by herself into Nazi Germany, spying on the Germans is truly a remarkable tale.Her life would make a great movie.We are very fortunate that Ms. Cohn took the time to write this book because this is the type of story that needs to be read and remembered by all.The only problem was one glaring historical typo that has Paris being liberated by the forces of Colonel Leclerc and his Second Armored Division.Leclerc was a general.I very highly recommend the book.

Behind Enemy Lines never left my hands
This enthralling book captivated my attention for hours on end. It gave an interesting insight, both witty and serious, into the world during Hitler. Not only did it focus on the Jews, but also on the Germans who were not Nazis. The depth of the story was incredible. I've had to reread it several times because of the effect it had on me. And my first word when I finished this book was "Wow". If I can, I'm going to encourage my city school system to add this book to the required reading for high school students. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1920-    2. Biography    3. Biography & Autobiography    4. Biography / Autobiography    5. Biography/Autobiography    6. Cohn, Marthe,    7. France    8. Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945)    9. Jews    10. Metz    11. Personal narratives    12. Political    13. Biography & Autobiography / Political    14. Cohn, Marthe    15. Europe    16. European history: Second World War    17. The Holocaust   

Editorial Review

Shocking as it is, this book--a crucial source of original research used for the bestseller Read more

Reviews (48)

Shocking reading
This complete study of an ordinary security unit which perpetrated a shocking attrocity give the reader dark insights into the minds of the murderers who perpetrated Hitler's nightmare upon Jews and others. No pack of nazi fanatics or even anti-semites. Not a group of habitual criminals like Dirlewanger's gang. Just oridnary men who one day murdered thousands of men women and children while sending others to the death camp of Treblinka.
HOW DO ORDINARY MEN BECOME COLD-BLOODED KILLERS?
"Ordinary Men" chronicles the rise and fall of Reserve Police Battalion 101, one of several units that took part in the Final Solution to the Jewish Question while in Poland. During the course of their stay, they were responsible for the shooting of 38,000 Jews, while also deporting 45,200 to the Treblinka Concentration Camp. The book argues that the men of Reserve Police Battalion 101, and other units like it, were comprised of ordinary men. It begs the question: How did ordinary men become the cold-blooded killers of the Holocaust?
Must read.
Rather than try offer a magazine style critique on the book, I'll simply recommend, fellow reader, that you get it. I'll assume that, like me, you are interested in learning about this aspect of WW2 history. I found it to be the best (non-contemporary) book I have read on the subject. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Europe - Germany    2. Germany    3. History - General History    4. History: World    5. Holocaust    6. Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945)    7. Military - World War II    8. Personal narratives, German    9. Poland    10. War criminals    11. World War, 1939-1945    12. European history: Second World War    13. History / General    14. Inter-war period, 1918-1939    15. Popular psychology    16. Second World War, 1939-1945    17. Social, group or collective psychology    18. The Holocaust   

Editorial Review

Veteran reporter and Read more

Reviews (437)

Painfully bad writing
I was assigned this book as preparation for an A.P. English class, and I was incredibly disappointed with it. Although it features some stirring stories of bravery and compassion (hence the two stars), every word of it is poured over with syrup and then carelessly vomited onto the page. Only about half of the words in this book are necessary at all to the context of the stories it tells; the rest are flag-waving literary masturbation. Consider sentences like these:
good retrospection
Tom Brokaw has wriiten quite a good book using the common men and women as the forces of retrospection. Of course, he only mentions people he knew or came across in the generation, missing out a lot of others.
This brought back memories-good and bad
This was the first book my wife gave me about the war. It started me thinking of all I went through when I was in the war. As an introduction to the generations who weren't there, I think this was super. For us who were there, I am glad to see it documented in such a manner. Thank you for writing this book! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Historical - U.S.    2. History    3. History - General History    4. History: World    5. Military - World War II    6. Modern - 20th Century    7. Personal narratives    8. Personal narratives, American    9. World War, 1939-1945    10. History / Modern / 20th Century