Vivid description of the history of a "small" concentration camp in Belgium
919864
Unlike Auschwitz, which had multiple sub-camps and where more than a million people were murdered, Fort Breendonk was a small concentration camp created by converting a Belgian fort from the first world war.  "Only" a few thousand people passed through Breendonk and "only" half died. So, compared with the massive death camp of Auschwitz, Breendonk was a miniature showcase for Nazi atrocities. Make no mistake, it a brutal place to be as the captors starved and worked the inmates to death while randomly beating and murdering many of them. The smaller scale of Breendonk makes the injustice meted out to individual prisoners seem much more vivid.  The narrative in this book is very well paced.  The first half of the book has many sketches by Jacques Ochs. Some of these sketches are caricatures in which the perceived semitic features of the subjects are exaggerated but others are more accurate pictorial representations.  Ochs might have had anti-semitic motives but, more likely, he was just producing pictures to please the commandant Major Schmitt.  There are also photographs of the camp by Otto Kropf which were apparently produced to convey the image of Breendonk as a fun place to be interned.  These monochrome pictures are accompanied by many other photographs and sketches.  It appears that the final version of this book will have some of this in color.
1660974
Eugenia "Genie" Semyonovna Ginzburg spent seventeen years in the Soviet prison system, escaping death, unlike millions of others.  She never again saw her husband after being imprisoned.  The Gulag Archipelago by Solzhenitsyn, Man is Wolf to Man by Bardach, Kolyma Tales by Shalamov and Journey into the Whirlwind all include overlapping and similar information, but differ in format and style (although hers is most similar to Man is Wolf to Man in its telling).  Her memoir of life in the Gulag is one of few written by women and so provides a unique and interesting perspective.  All are fantastic books, well-written, often unbelievable and mesmerizing, but there is a noticeable difference between the multi-volume The Gulag Archipelago and Journey into the Whirlwind (seemingly short at just over 400 pages).

Genie is first brought in for questioning in 1934.  With her young children in the other room and her husband away on business, she takes the call.  Her beliefs at that time are such that she would willingly die for the party.  Soon thereafter, she is incarcerated at Black Lake and is eventually sentenced to ten years of solitary confinement for not denouncing a coworker who had written an article offensive to the party.

During her interrogation sessions, in which she repeatedly refuses to "denounce" that is, lie, about the activities of acquaintances facing the same fate, she comes face to face with people who she thought were friends, but who have willingly denounced her in hopes of receiving special treatment, or lighter sentences.  She herself never caves.  Some of the interesting and different information found in her telling of life in the prison system during Stalin's rule, she is able to provide information about life within prison and receive information about the outside world using (coded) "Aesopian Language." Prisoners also use a system of knocks to communicate messages to one another and keep track of goings on within the prison and the status of their prison mates.  Although it's a boring, lonely, (she has one cell mate most of the time), damp, horrible, hungry life, she survives long enough to be sent to Kolyma, where she realizes just how "good" she'd had it in solitary confinement.  What she recounts from Kolyma is similar in many instances to the recollections of other Gulag prisoners, except for anecdotes referring specifically to life among the women.

Readers who enjoyed the aforementioned books should include Gulag: A History by Anne Applebaum, which provides a general overview of the prison system, in their list of companion reads.
2989927
Many prisoners who were held at Camp Lawton during it's brief operation published memoirs about their time at the camp.  Because the camp's operation was so short lived and most of the records were destroyed when Sherman passed through on his March to the Sea, there is not much known of the prisoners' experience there.  Giles compilation of excerpts from these wartime reminiscences enables the reader to get a real feel for not only their suffering but their tremendous will to survive including how they reacted to being brought there (many from Andersonville), subsequent escapes, and the closing of the camp and removal to other prisons.  The site of Camp Lawton is now encompassed by Magnolia Springs State Park.  Giles was the head Ranger there so he had a real connection to the history.  The Park itself does a nice job of recreating a bit of the prison (there are only a few earth works extant) with a walking trail that gives you an idea of the scope of the Camp through trail markers and a small museum (with a diorama of the original camp) that lets the visitor get a sense of the place.  For the reader who is interested in the history of this prison camp touted as "the world's largest prison," and the experience of the average soldier held there, Giles anthology is a great overview with a bibliography that will help those wanting more to continue their research.  He also includes a history of the Camp written by Billy Townsend of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources that provides an excellent context for the memoirs. With illustrations.
1344127
An interesting testimonial about life in Auschwitz that gives a rare glimpse at what happened from the perspective of a camp inmate.  The introduction is rather scathing, but the book itself is a matter-of-fact account of his daily life.  A worthwhile read.  Incredibly enlightening.
1379052
A beautiful, telling book describing the horrors of the Nazi Regime during WWII.  How 2 sisters of faith changed the lives of so many.  I was so caught up in their amazing story that I visited the Corrie Ten Boom house in Amsterdam last June, just to see for myself where and how they managed to do what they did.
4961900
I had no idea the US played host to so many German POWs during WWII.  This book is a wonderfully written, intimate insider's account of life in one of the German POW camps.  Kurt Landsberger was a German-speaking private in the US Army, sent to the newly built Trinidad camp to serve as interpreter.

This book was eye-opening for me in many ways.  I learned about a little-known aspect of US history; Landsberger does a great job researching and providing background, in addition to his own recollections and personal photos.  It is also a fascinating contrast with how we treat current military prisoners.  Contrast Trinidad and Guantanoamo and you have a very interesting study of differences, not only in how the prisoners lived and were treated, but in how things turned out afterwards. Following the war, the prisoners and their former captors formed an alumni association and they now have regular (friendly) reunions.  Landsberger does us a great service by also tracking down and translating the letters and diaries of some of those former POWs, so you get a look at both sides of the story.  A very well-researched, valuable account.
1120847
This book is so much more than just the siege of Breslau and for those interested in reading about the last dying days of the Third Reich, its terrible living conditions, its distraught people and desperate soldiers then you'll want to read this story.

The book begins with a capsule summary of Breslau in better days before the war with Russia. In fact, the people of Breslau had fairly normal lives during the war up to late 1944, missing all the Allied bombing that the western half of the country and Berlin received but the situation started changing as Konev and his 1st UF entered eastern Poland.

Food and other essentials were running low, sadistic Nazi town leaders running amuck to control its people and doubts of winning the war crept into the minds of many turning the atmosphere dour though the propaganda of super weapons conditioned some into thinking Germany would still win the war.

Using many first hand accounts from citizens, city officials, German soldiers, triumphant Russian soldiers plus insightful prose by the author, the book is a penetrating look at the psyche of individuals and a country that has fallen to unbelievable lows.

The military overview begins in 1944 at the Vistula bridgehead, hundreds of miles from Breslau. In mid January 1945, Konev, the smart and ruthless commander of the 1st UF begins his last push to the German border with the quick penetration of the Vistula defenses and with each passing day and with each fallen village his armies conquer, the lives of the Germans in the path of this unstoppable Red machine is chronicled.
During the long siege which occurred in the coldest days of winter, the author clearly describes the impact of the many days of shelling as well as the days of attack had on soldier and civilian defenders alike and despite all the death and destruction Brelauers endured. After the surrender on May 5th, Mr Hargreaves tallies up the losses and provides the general results of the siege.

The story, looking at the lives of many different people living with death, destruction and misery while living under a nearly four month siege against an enemy that wanted to extract every ounce of revenge they could is quite a read and is highly recommended for people interested in the end of the war or would be interested in reading on how people cope under nearly impossible conditions.

(There are many Notes and an impressive Bibliography is further reading is desired.)
1149547
This is the fictional (but based on reality) account of one day in the life of a prisoner in Stalin's forced work camps.  While only 170 pages, it is indeed quite powerful, as you might guess from the fact that it won the Nobel Prize for literature.  The book is relatively easy reading in the sense of the language, but there's a lot to be learned from it.  The author also makes good use of prisoners recounting a few past events to broaden the picture that we can gain from just this one day.  We learn about the way the work camps were set up, the frivilous reasons many were confined, the effects on families, interactions between prisoners, bribes, the sense of futility, and the, at times, mob mentality that can develop among prisoners when they are punished for the actions of one.

As a note, Willett's translation is from the full text, and was authorized by the book's autho Solzhenitsyn.  Apparently, many other translations were made from the edited version that was first published in 1962 in a Soviet journal, and so are a bit more whitewashed by comparison.

One note, as might not be surprising in a prison population, there are several "mild profanities," mainly sh**.  There were probably half a dozen over the course of the book, certainly not extremely frequently.  Given the setting and the purpose of the book, I wasn't personally offended, and I'm rather strict with language.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who hasn't read it, with the brief warning above about language.
2194228
The book chronicles the history of Jews in Germany, Poland and Europe. The author then relates his personal experiences with his family trying to avoid being captured by the Nazis and surviving with the help of non jewish friends who were willing to help. It is evident that the author spent many years of reaserch and has an excellent memory as he expresses all of his tragic experiences during world war two in Poland and Russia as he barly managed to survive unlike most others.
The author makes a point of how few soldiers and manpower was used to annihilate most of the jews in Poland and throughout Europe in the death camps of Poland and Germany. I found the book to be very interesting, enlighlighening and very disturbing. I highly recommend it!
One can't imagine how difficult it must have been living in Europe as a Jew during the war. This book makes it clear. It's hard to believe how Poland was once the heart of thriving jewish living and today they are all gone!
623873
The D-day warfare is vividly described as are the brainwashed German soldiers' attitudes. Though the horrors of the German occupation of France are downplayed, the murder of Allied POW's is described. Well-written and worth reading
2453006
Night, written by Elie Wiesel, is a short book that includes the narrators haunting personal experience with concentration camps during the holocaust. It is a necessary read full of true stories about Wiesels time in Nazi concentration camps. Forced out of his home as a teenager, Wiesel traveled with his family to Birkenau. He and his father embarked on the deadly and involuntary journey, moving from one death camp to another. Throughout the book, the author provides numerous anecdotes that provide the reader with an image of what these concentration camps were really like.
  This a mature book, but it is definitely a must read for teenagers and adults. The ideas may be a too strong for children or pre-teens. It is poignant and graphic, but gets a clear message across. If you're looking for short read and have interest in the holocaust and the victims who suffered through it, this is the book for you. I suggest you read through the preface and the forward in the beginning of the book, as well as the authors note at the end. All in all, this is a great book that will provide you with both information and a saddening perspective of World War II.
2685815
This is my first time reading Elie Wiesel. Such ugliness he describes in such beautiful prose!

Mr. Wiesel describes the journey of his family from their home in Transylvania in train cars to Birkenau, where he saw his mother and sisters for the last time. He and his father remained together at Birkenau, then in Auschwitz and Buna; they survived the selections, the forced labor, the diseases and lack of food. When the Russians got close, the SS evacuated the camp and the starving inmates were forced to run through the snow. Mr. Wiesel describes the hundreds, perhaps thousands, who died of the cold and lack of any food or water.  They are then herded into a train, in roofless cattle cars. For days they are given no food whatsoever; he says that of the 100 that were loaded into his car, only 12 survived to reach Buchenwald.  Soon after their arrival, his father becomes ill and within a few days, he is taken to the crematorium. Out of his family of 5, only Elie Wiesel survived.

Notable quotes:

Preface: "To forget would be not only dangerous but offensive; to forget the dead would be akin to killing them a second time."

"I have more faith in Hitler than in anyone else. He alone has kept his promises, all his promises, to the Jewish people." (Words of another Jewish inmate of the camps)

"I did not weep, and it pained me that I could not weep. But I was out of tears." (After his father's death)

"Never shall I forget that night, the first night in camp, that turned my life into one long night seven times sealed. . . "
4888575
Night by Elie Wiesel

A compelling story about Elie Wiesel and his experience with his father in the Nazi German concentration camps at Auschwitz and Buchenwald in 19441945, at the height of the Holocaust during World War II. He writes from memory, how he felt the death of God, his disgust with humanity, his relationship with his father and how becomes his resentful teenage caregiver.

The words are so well written I felt as if I was a spectator in a horrid/hellish time. The things young Elie witnessed, should never have happened. I can't even imagine how hard this must have been, for Elie and all the prisoners (most of which were Jewish) in the camps. Not knowing each day if they would live or die. This story of one courageous young man in my opinion, is a must read. The story left an impression in my heart that will never leave.

*I borrowed this book from the library
1810671
A moving WWII story inspired by a real life hero, New York socialite Caroline Ferriday. The story also focused on a real-life female, German medical doctor, Herta Oberheuser, who answered an ad to be a medical doctor at a Women's Re-education camp, also known as Ravensbrck, the notorious Nazi concentration camp for women. The story is not for the feint of heart. It is heart breaking and difficult to read at times, yet it is important to read these stories, so they are never forgotten. It is unthinkable the atrocities that were inflicted upon these women and yet, it is not a story that you often read about. In fact, many Americans did not about these brave, Polish women that suffered through medical experiments and torture, all for the sake of the Reich. Thought the actual Polish women we meet are fictionalized, their story is true. Caroline Ferriday became known as the Godmother to the Ravenbruck Lapins (rabbit in French) and earned three medals of honor from the French government, including the Legion of Honor, the highest French distinction.
For a little background, Beginning in August 1942, the Nazis began a program of medical experiments on young Polish high school and university students imprisoned in Ravensbrck. The Polish population there was the largest of those from any country, and the Nazis considered Poles racially inferior. The experiments focused on young women in part because females tended to be the healthiest prisoners. The inmates used the name Lapins (rabbits) to describe the women being used for these lab experiments. The young women were subjected to up to six operations each, including having the bones and muscles in their legs broken, cut out, or otherwise damaged. Their wounds were then deliberately infected with bacteria. A total of 74 Lapins were subjected to these horrific experiments; 63 survived the war, largely due to the help of other inmates.
In 1958, 13 years after the end of World War II, Ferriday was among the first to awaken the American public to the horrors of Ravensbrck. Because Poland was behind the Iron Curtain, the camp was liberated by the Russian Army, not the American. And since it was a camp for women and not specifically devoted to the extermination of the Jews, the history of this camp was slow to emerge.
The author did a wonderful job of bringing a story to life of some amazingly resilient women and an incredible woman who refused to let the world forget the story for the Ravensbruck ladies.
1790916
For those of you who wish for more information on Edith Cavell and her smuggling of Allied soldiers out of Belgium, this is a great recounting of one of Nurse Cavell's compatriots. This book also provides a uniquely Belgian account of the German occupation (including second hand accounts) that although obviously leans toward the Belgian/allied side, doesn't always present the Germans forces as brutes or monsters. Furthermore, she attempts a dispassionate account of her imprisonment in Germany.  For those interested in the time period, this is one of the better first hand accounts of the first days of the war.
3820848
I throughly enjoyed this book both for the history presented and the informative and interesting illustrations. Reading it was like looking through a window into a forgotten past. Despite having majored in history in college I had never known about Breendonk. This book brings the history of this obscure fort and prison to light and places it in the context of WWII Europe.

The book details the stories of individual prisoners. The incarcerated encompassed not only Jews but also common criminals and political prisoners. While the personal histories are captivating the differences and similarities of their confinements are especially interesting.

The historical photographs, modern photographs, maps, and other illustrations all come together to give the book the feel of a textbook but in a good way. The pictures scattered throughout the text bring the stories to life. It's an almost emotional experience to be reading the story of a prisoner after seeing their face, the barracks, the commandant, and a hand drawn sketch of a scene from their daily life.

This book, while a fascinating work of history with wide appeal, would be ideally suited to a high school or lower level college course. Although the focus is on a narrow slice of WWII and holocaust history the lessons gleaned from the text can be broadly applied to the war as a whole.
166208
On the back jacket of this book the following sentence is written " In the summer of 1945 Britain declared itself willing to take in 1,000 young survivors of the Holocaust, but no more than 732 could be found." The distinguished historian Martin Gilbert has here collected the recollections of these 'boys'(There were a small number of girls among them) from their early days in the villages of Poland, Czechoslavakia and Hungary through their time in the ghettos concentration camps forced death marches- through their liberation, and then their period of rehabilitation, if that is the right word, in England, and their subsequent lives. This work tells individual stories in snippets which are collated together into a narrative. There is very careful documentation and presentation of sources. In a sense what we see here is in microcosm the whole story of the Shoah. The chapters involving the actual times of persecution and physical struggle to survival are naturally the most harrowing, painful and moving in the book. No human being should ever have to go through what these young people went through. They saw their loved ones murdered before their eyes. They faced incredible tests of survival and moral dilemnas which were impossible to answer in a simple clear way.  There are stories of  courage and boldness in survival, but it is made clear how many times it was some small miracle of chance that enabled these people to survive when their relatives and friends did not .In the course of this we see ultimate degradation of Man by Man. The Nazi Germans and their helpers ideologically based and yet often incidental and gratuitous sadistic cruelty makes one wonder what it is to be a human being. There are heartbreaking stories of young people returning to their homes after the war and being met with murderous hatred by their Polish neighbors.
The story of the resilience in rehabilitation and recovery, the solidarity of the 'boys' in this makes for a somewhat encouraging final part of the book. But nothing can erase in the minds of these survivors what they lived through and the story goes with them to the end of their days.