Book Description
Sophia House is set in Warsaw during the Nazi occupation. Pawel Tarnowski, a bookseller, gives refuge to David Schäfer, a Jewish youth who has escaped from the ghetto, and hides him in the attic of the book shop. Throughout the winter of 1942-43, haunted by the looming threat of discovery, they discuss good and evil, sin and redemption, literature and philosophy, and their respective religious views of reality. Decades later, David becomes a convert to Catholicism, is the Carmelite priest Fr. Elijah Schäfer called by the Pope to confront the Anti-christ in Michael O'Brien's best-selling novel, Father Elijah: an Apocalypse.
In this "prequel", the author explores the meaning of love, religious identity, and sacrifice viewed from two distinct perspectives. The cast of characters also includes the notorious Count Smokrev, a literate Nazi Major, a French novelist, a terrifying Polish bear, the Russian icon painter Andrei Rublev, and Pawel's beloved Kahlia, the elusive figure who moves through the story as an unseen presence. As the story unfolds, the loss of spiritual fatherhood in late Western society is revealed as a problem of language in the heart and soul, and as one of the gravest crises of our times. As the author points the way to rediscovery of our Father in heaven, he also shows us the path to renewal of human fatherhood. This is a novel about small choices that shift the balance of the world.
Customer Reviews:
Almost great literary fiction.......2007-08-29
I like Michael O'Brien's political and religious sensibilities and I think he's an excellent icon painter. Nonetheless, having now read both Father Elijah and Sophia House, I have been less than impressed by these books. They are written in the tradition of the great literary novel, and have some of the feel of a 19th Century Russian classic. They are deeply philosophical and rich in symbolism. And yet something intangible is missing, and they seem to me to fall a little flat. The pages and pages of philosophical dialogue are interesting at first but then seem to drone and ramble on, getting less and less interesting, as if the author is writing one of those limitless 'dialogues with self'. The characters are philosophically inclined, and yet seem to lack a more fundamental depth and color of character - for instance, David Shafer in Sophia House, though a major character, is simply too one-sided and predictable to the point of being unreal. Same with the Count, and with most other characters who appear as caricatures of sorts - the exception being Tarnowski, who does struggle with his own orientation, but doesn't really ever waiver enough. Even his years in Paris are a kind of unreal dream, since he is never really tempted, only forced or unwittingly duped into situations that humiliate him. He struggles with his past, but he never really comes to terms with himself as a person. Even at the end of the book, when he finally does something "great", he doesn't seem to really "get himself" as a person - who was he all these years, and what drove him? Has he really emerged from the self-deception into self-understanding? Altogether the book was disappointing to me, though I wanted to like it. It is a good attempt at a classic, but IMHO, it is not quite there. Perhaps the future ones will get there.
Two grievously wounded men search for God and find Him in each other........2006-06-22
Michael O'Brien's Sophia House is the "prequel" to another masterpiece of his, Father. Elijah: An Apocalypse, which I've also reviewed.
In Sophia House, O'Brien reintroduces us to a young David Schäfer, who was to become Father Elijah much later. O'Brien paints for us David's existence in his hiding place in Warsaw, the dusty attic of Pawel Tarnowski's bookshop, which O'Brien previously sketched in Father. Elijah: An Apocalypse.
Now, in Sophia House, O'Brien slowly--at times, too slowly--paints the relationship that developed between David, the fugitive son of a Jewish Orthodox zadiq or "saint" who was killed in the Holocaust, and Pawel Tarnowski, a book antiquarian and a frustrated artist with a secret: he suffers from same-sex attraction. Tarnowski is a homosexual person, psychologically damaged in his childhood when a granduncle and failed priest molested him. Tarnowski spent his life resisting his inclination, first by pursuing an artistic vocation and then, by practicing prayer and contemplation. Slowly, steadily, God turned him into a mystic with the mission of being the protector of a young man who later became God's instrument in a critical mission at the End Times.
The encounter between David and Tarnowski triggered an exchange of ideas and dreams. Their tragedies became intertwined. David becomes aware of something wonderful, ineffable, transcending the confines of his rich Jewish faith, yet he never embraced in this insight in this book. Tarnowski, on the other hand, in an ultimate act of love--charis, agape--becomes Jewish without stopping from being Catholic. How is this possible? Because he took David's place in the gas chamber, giving his life for the young man and in atonement for his own sins and that of others, forgiving all, forgiving even himself. Tarnowski becomes a Christ figure in the worst place on earth.
Well, I love this book, but I warn the reader that Sophia House is more cerebral than Father. Elijah: An Apocalypse. It is not as fast-paced as the previous work. Tarnowski's circumspect, taciturn nature is so intense that some of the dialogues seemed to drag on too long for him. Tarnowski's nature makes him too detached and a reluctant participant in these exchanges that so captivated David. O'Brien gets it right at the end but while one wades through these chapters, one wonders if the dialogue would get deeper, or if it will ever end with some resolution. This defect is very minor and it does not affect the novel's trajectory and goal, which are a meditation on the nature of good and evil and of the God who is present in the worst places, at the worst times, shining through deeply flawed human beings striving to keep His Image and Likeness pristine in their souls.
All things considered: Sophia House is good. It is literature, and that's the best thing I can say of any book I read.
Sophia House is a great read!.......2005-10-02
I highly recommend Sophie House! The author dedicates this book this way, "For those whose sacrifice is hidden in the heart of God, those whose "small" choices shift the balance of the world" and that says it all. This book leaves a simple reader with the belief that (a paraphrase from a character), " a life is a word spoken" Unforgettable!
Story of a soul.......2005-09-23
This is a preview to the book Father Elijah, but it is actually the story of the spiritual struggles of the hero, Pawel Tarnowsky.
Superficially, the plot is about how the owner of "Sophia House" bookstore, who one day is confronted with a Jewish lad fleeing from the Nazis. He takes him in, and hides him, and they converse about various things, and at the climax, Pawel stays behind so David can get away.
But the real story is Pawel's spiritual journey. He must not only confront and overcome his own sinful impulses, but his main struggle is to be healed in the wounds of his own soul. So we see a man struggling with loneliness, homosexuality, and unforgiveness...and the real climax is when he learns to feel charity for those who hurt him, because he learns to see them as hurt and wounded children rather than as evil sinners...
The "old fashioned" morality behind this struggle will put off many. And the compassionate viewing of a holy gay man will turn off many rigid moralists.
But for those who wish to see a sensitive portrayal of a man's journey to wholeness and peace, then I recommend this book..
A wonderful end to the collection.......2005-09-17
Beautiful, deep book, and definitely one of my favourites of the "Children of the last days" collection... wonderful character insights, and beautiful imaginery...
Average customer rating:
- Moderately Entertaining but Puzzling
- How Most of Us Really Feel!
- What would Franklin, Jefferson, and Adams think?
- Wake me when it's over...
- Very disappointing, waste of a good wake-up call.
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America's Last Days
Douglas MacKinnon
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ASIN: 0843958022 |
Customer Reviews:
Moderately Entertaining but Puzzling.......2007-08-06
Douglas MacKinnon semi-regularly contributes columns to TownHall. Therefore one might think that "America's Last Days" (a novel about a group of people who think that the United States has become so liberal that secession is required) would present things from a conservative perspective. However, when looking at who provided the glowing reviews of the novel (posted on the cover and inside of the book), one immediately becomes aware that the story may not read as anticipated. And indeed it does not. This is not necessarily a bad thing.
Michael McNeil is a White House appointee to the Pentagon where he works on a top secret program called Talon Blue. After witnessing a test of the Talon Blue program he has a run-in that slowly leads him to learning about an elite group intending secession from the United States. (The elite group is led by a former FBI/CIA Director and former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.) While McNeil is the protagonist, he is a background character in his own story as the events that unfold around him do so without his knowledge or involvement until the end. Even at the end his involvement is minimal. Nevertheless, MacKinnon's story is moderately entertaining. Those looking for a blueprint on how to conduct a revolt won't find it in "America's Last Days." MacKinnon wisely avoids going into too much detail on how to plan and execute secession from the United States.
Despite being moderately entertaining, MacKinnon's antagonist in "America's Last Days" is puzzling considering an article he wrote for TownHall in September 2006. Furthermore, MacKinnon apparently wants his audience to know that his antagonist is the epitome of evil by portraying him as a "homophobic, fundamentalist Christian." (Read pages 62 - 70.) While MacKinnon somewhat counters his "homophobic, fundamentalist Christian" antagonist with what he has the leader of the secessionist group say on page 108, he doesn't completely do so. Besides, even with a counter--or multiple counters--to the "homophobic, fundamentalist Christian" antagonist, he can't erase the fact that his antagonist is a "homophobic, fundamentalist Christian." Furthermore, he makes Michael McNeil a "progressive" who opposes "homophobic, fundamentalist Christianity" during the exchange in pages 62 - 70.
An author is not obligated to make any of his characters sympathetic or have them say things that are in line with his own beliefs. So it's arguable that MacKinnon is not trying to send any message with "America's Last Days" and that even the "good" characters say and do wrong things. However, it's also possible that an author is trying to send a message and that some of his characters do reflect and spout his beliefs.
Perhaps "America's Last Days" is just a work of fiction with no message and no real heroes. Perhaps "America's Last Days" is a novel by a conservative-in-name-only who thinks he can cash in on a perceived "crazy conservative" niche market. Perhaps "America's Last Days" is a novel by a conservative who doesn't want people to use the book to vilify conservatives and so the "conservative" characters of his book really aren't. Or perhaps "America's Last Days" is a novel that shows that the battle between left and right has long been over and now it's just a battle between left and more extreme left. Whatever the case is, I recommend "America's Last Days" and encourage readers to analyze it critically.
How Most of Us Really Feel!.......2007-07-29
I read this book three times and each time I couldn't put it down. MacKinnon has hit a raw nerve of what is wrong in this nation and why. His 'fiction' is not fiction at all, to a certain extent, and I found myself wishing that the time was here to start moving to Montana or Wyoming.
I, at one time, thought that I was the only one that felt the way that the Judge and the General felt. It's really too bad that this book is fiction and I hope the liberals read it and find out how we really think of them,
MacKinnon left the ending open, as in sequel? I hope so. Thanks for writing this book Doug. I hope you won't stop here!
What would Franklin, Jefferson, and Adams think?.......2007-06-10
I hated this book. First, I did not find it very good reading. Second, the book's whole purpose, as another reviewer wrote, was a setup for 2 or more sequel books about the US in a full fledge civil war. Basically a group of 400 ex-US Government employees decide that they want to annex two states in the US to form their own country, "Jefferson", Montana and Wyomming (oil was discover in these countries). To accomplish this they brought in 6 suitcase bombs into the US that they brought from Russia. The main character, McNeil, was pathetic. Throughout the whole book he is supposed to be on the side of the President fighting against the group that has the nuclear weapons. Then at the end of the book, the main character, McNeil, just decides he is going to move to this "new" country. No discussion on his thought process. No discussion on why exactly he changed his mind. No discussion on why the country "Jefferson" is so much better than the US. And most importantly, no discussion on how they plan to not repeat the same problems that the US has in 250 years. Are they going to take away freedom of speach or freedom of religion?
The book is just plain dumb. I did not find it very thought provoking to a level that would promote social change. It just made me angry.
I do have a personal bias against these "fiction" books that depict America as a country that if you take a way the elecricity or have an enemy bomb go off while the US government is trying to dismantel it, it would bring the US into a full fledge civil war and Democracy would fade away and dictators would be the rule of the land. That is another thing to note. The book did not end with the first Jefferson election. It ended with the President saying that the "war" was not over. Hence, the ending belief in war, not peace or co-existance among differences.
Dumb dumb dumb.
Wake me when it's over..........2007-05-15
Formulaic. Unimaginative. Sarcastic similar dialog on almost every character. Boring.
-H.G.
Very disappointing, waste of a good wake-up call........2007-05-10
It starts with a good plot but fizzles out with little follow through on details. MacKinnon never told what happened during major power outages and other disasters that were important to the development of the storyline. Instead he focuses on several not very well developed characters. I was hoping for an insider's view of what could really happen in this country. I finished it only to find out the ending and threw it away because it wasn't worthy of sharing.
Book Description
A dramatic countdown of the final months of World War II in Europe, The Last 100 Days brings to life the waning power and the ultimate submission of the Third Reich. To reconstruct the tumultuous hundred days between Yalta and the fall of Berlin, John Toland traveled more than 100,000 miles in twenty-one countries and interviewed more than six hundred people—from Hitler’s personal chauffeur to Generals von Manteuffel, Wenck, and Heinrici; from underground leaders to diplomats; from top Allied field commanders to brave young GIs. Toland adeptly weaves together these interviews using research from thousands of primary sources.
When it was first published, The Last 100 Days made history, revealing after-action reports, staff journals, and top-secret messages and personal documents previously unavailable to historians. Since that time, it has come to be regarded as one of the greatest historical narratives of the twentieth century.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent Book by Excellent Writer.......2007-06-03
The Last 100 Days is a monumental historical work. In it the author pieces together the story of the fall of the Third Reich at the end of the Second World War in Europe.
Although the book is generally described as a work of "popular history" it is more than that. It is in fact a work of history that has itself now become a part of the history of World War II. (Too many authors to count have relied upon this book in writing their own books on a variety of matters covering this period of the war.)
This is because in preparation for writing the book the author did much more than just review the then current literature on the subject by "real" historians (often written in a mind-numbingly boring and pedantic style, not to mention based on government records or reports by people who were not even directly involved in what they are reporting on), summarize it, and then rewrite it in a popular style. Instead, the author bases his book on (a) hundreds of personal interviews with persons actually participating in the acts described and (b) thousands of other primary sources, such as journals, monographs, and diaries.
From this vast treasure trove of information, the author brilliantly sifts through it to create a masterpiece. In so doing he discusses the end of the war in Europe on many different levels (e.g., politicians, generals, NCOs, front-line soldiers, and civilians) from many different vantage points (e.g., American, German, Russian, British, resistance).
The perspective of the last 100 days was also not chosen simply because it sounds good as a title. The significance of the last 100 days is that the beginning of this period (i.e., the first day of the last one hundred days) is roughly the time that both the American, British, etc., allies, coming from the West, and the Soviet forces, coming from the East, first breached the frontiers of the Fatherland, i.e., the pre-war boundaries of Germany. The Last 100 Days is thus an account of the counter-invasion and destruction of Germany against overwhelming forces of men and materiel that is told in an engaging, absorbing, thoughtful, and informative manner.
A must-read for anyone interested in the histories of Europe, Germany, or the Second World War.
The Best Book On WWII.......2007-03-11
I am an avid reader of WWII history and must say that this is without a doubt the best book I have read on the period. This book manages to read like a novel in the majestic way in which it is written and at the same time it makes the war feel personal; the people throughout the pages are more than names, they are lives, maybe ones that could have been your own. Of all the books I have read on war this is the only one that has forced me to stop reading because some of the material in it actually made me want to cry, is this is not literature at its best, then I don't know what is.
In the end I must say that this is not only a classic read on WWII history but on the history of War itself and the major part it plays on the human experience. Trust me, you can't go wrong with this book; this is as close as you will get to feeling like you were in the middle of WWII.
Gripping Historical Narrative.......2005-12-06
This is a gripping look at the final months of World War II in Europe. Author John Toland covers many angles as the Allied armies advanced into Germany and squeezed what remained of the Nazi Empire. The author rotates between subjects, and keeps the reader's interest with vivid descriptions and many personal accounts of events. Readers learn of Yalta and the politics of Churchill, Stalin, Roosevelt (and then Truman), and note the seeds of the coming Cold War. We get a bird's eye view from inside the Fuhrer's bunker as his brutal empire collapsed. We also read about atrocities against both prisoners and civilians, hear of the plight of refugees, and learn about the views from the top Allied commanders in the west (Eisenhower, Montgomery, Patton, Bradley, etc.).
John Toland (1912-2004) was a master story teller, although not an academically trained historian. Judging by the sales figures, most readers seem to prefer his readable and well-researched approach. This is a vivid and gripping narrative.
100 days, 100 stars.......2005-04-05
With all due respect to others who write about WWII, it would be difficult to find anyone better.
I would never have thought it possible to read a book that puts you "there" during the last 100 days.
The Chicago Tribune says it very well "Fascinating ... the narrative shifts from scene to intimate scene of every conference room... from liberated camp to Hitler's underground bunker... to GI's storming the railroad bridges across the Rhine... Toland has woven the tapestry of history."
If you read and enjoy WWII, this book is a MUST.
Tapestry of a hundred critical days........2004-12-11
My first contact with Mr. Toland's writings was "Gods of War" and found it a great WWII novel. At that time I wasn't aware Mr. Toland was a professional historian on war themes. Researching in Amazon, for bibliography on WWII I was delighted to find out Mr. Toland's works.
In "The Last 100 Days" he collects hundreds of testimonies from the actors of this last war drama, ranging from State Heads to simple privates and fleeing civilians.
Mr. Toland blends all of them in an overwhelming and coherent picture. His prose is entertaining and informative. The reader has the sensation of "being there" and will be presented with vignettes of very different kind.
It is amazing how in the same book, without losing coherence, you are able to witness Hitler's maddening last days and Yalta Conference's intimacies vis-à-vis with the story of two young Poles running to freedom.
With great patience and skill Mr. Toland sew a huge tapestry showing these momentous Last Days.
A great stuff to read for historians, students or casual readers. Enjoy!!!.
Reviewed by Max Yofre.
Average customer rating:
- The evidence? The Truth?
- 100% in personal evidence, 0% in archive evidence
- Packed with information, the real story.
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The Last Days of Hitler: The Legends, the Evidence, the Truth
Anton Joachimsthaler
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Customer Reviews:
The evidence? The Truth?.......2000-06-13
If you are looking for something new and interesting on this subject, this is not the book for you. The author has cobbled together a great deal of previously published material from which he endeavors to garner the 'Truth' by the simple process of the vote system. Ergo, if two witnesses say one thing and a third says otherwise, then the two witness statement must be right! Always assuming that the two witnesses are in accordance with his ;feeling; on the subject.
The author spends many pages on the subject of the exact thickness of the bunker roof which, whilst mildly interesting, is of no great historical import.
Perhaps the only 'new' material which he introduces in the closing chapter is his hypothesis on the subject the love affair between Eva Braun-Hitler and Hermann Fegelein. Any credence which might be given to this is somewhat marred by the fact that his 'evidence' is mainly attributed to statements by Hitler's youngest secretary Frau Junge. Throughout the main body of his book the author has discounted all statements by Frau Jung as being 'unreliable'. Yet, suddenly, the reader is being asked to accept statements by the same witness as gospel.
There is nothing new here. Buy O'Donnell's The Bunker or Trevor Ropers The Last Days of Adolf Hitler. The former for entertainment and a host of fact. The latter for pure fact written very shortly after the events.
100% in personal evidence, 0% in archive evidence.......1998-03-11
With many details in Hitler's life and death, there are scores of myths, half-truths, and surmises. His death has its share of all three. Joachimsthaler does the best job I've seen in presenting and analyzing the evidence of personal testimonies of those involved with Hitler in his last days. However, he totally writes off the archival evidence from Moscow. To discover the full truth about Hitler's death, one must, at the very least, compare this book and the one by Ada Petrova and Peter Watson.
Packed with information, the real story........1997-10-22
Anton Joachimsthaler is clearly one of the most knowlegeable authors on this subject! The depth of his research is evident in his foot notes. All of his information and facts are backed- up by documentation. This is just one of his many books on WWII Germany.
Book Description
Osama bin Laden is dead.
Saddam Hussein is buried.
Baghdad lies in ruins.
Now the eyes of the world are on Jerusalem as Jon Bennett - a Wall Street strategist turned senior White House advisor - his beautiful CIA partner Erin McCoy, and the U.S. Secretary of State arrive in the Middle East to meet with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.
On the table: a dramatic and potentially historic Arab-Israeli peace plan, of which Bennett is the chief architect. At the heart of the proposed treaty is the discovery of black gold deep underneath the Mediterranean - a vast and spectacular tract of oil and natural gas that could offer unprecedented riches for every Muslim, Christian, and Jew in Israel and Palestine.
But in the shadows lie men whose hearts are filled with evil - men who do not relish a post-Saddam era, men for whom the prospect of a Palestinian peace accord with Israel goes against everything for which their fathers have fought and died. Such men - and the countries that finance them - are ready to do anything necessary to slaughter those who stand in their way. The clock is ticking. Can Bennett, McCoy, and the American president make peace before the Middle East once again erupts in war?
Customer Reviews:
Involvement at Every Level.......2007-08-23
This book is amazingly on-track with current affairs and technology. It is action-packed in a Clancey-esque style. Laced throughout the storyline is a blooming romance for those who like the softer side. The development of a spiritual comprehension and conversion in a man who lived only for money is subtle and invites readers to think about such matters. The only detractor I found was the author's detailing of modern weaponry, military forces and strategies. When the action is going at a fast pace, I don't like to be slowed down to understand the technicalities that make this book so authentic.
Attention grabbing to the last page.......2007-07-25
The author seems to have finger on the pulse of world events. An excellent read. So many things in the book have happened that it's premise is hard to ignore
Another fabulous Rosenberg book!.......2007-05-12
I love all the Joel Rosenberg books! Great reading, interesting, thought-provoking, and suspenseful. Makes you wonder...
the last days book.......2007-05-07
wonderful book. It is like you are there with the characters. Face paced. hard to put down.
another winner for Rosenberg.......2007-04-17
Wow!!! couldn't put this one down, better than the Last Jihad. This guy is able to weave non-fiction and ficton and devise wonderful plots leading to awesome endings.
I will read everything he publishes. Great writer.
Book Description
Terry C. Johnston blends a powerful passion for the American frontier with a storyteller's gift and a historian's expertise. In his new Plainsman novel, he paints an unforgettable, panoramic portrait of the Sioux wars as seen through the eyes of the most legendary warrior of all....For more than a decade one man struck fear into the hearts of U.S. soldiers on the frontier. Crazy Horse, the great Oglala Sioux leader, who destroyed Custer at Little Big Horn, fought Crook toe-to-toe at the Rosebud, and outwitted and outran the cavalry across the windswept plains where as a child he had played. Now, on a cloudless day in May, the legendary warrior rode toward the soldiers who had been his enemy for so long. In 1877, Crazy Horse surrendered to a young lieutenant, and a tale of betrayal and murder began.In this powerful, moving account of the last days of Crazy Horse, Terry C. Johnston weaves a saga of warriors, lovers, peacemakers, traitors, war, and suffering among the innocent on both sides. Most of all, this is the story of one man-a mystic, a fighter, a father and husband-whose last journey was as fateful and dramatic as a life lived without surrender.
Customer Reviews:
Farewell to the Master.......2003-01-11
I have been a fan of Terry C. Johnston since his first novel "Carry The Wind," and was greatly distressed at his passing. The historical novel has lost a genius and I have lost a friend. We shall never get to follow Seamus Donegan to the end of the projected Plainsmen series, and that is a great loss for lovers of the genre. That said, I was a bit disappointed that Terry went out on a down note, as I feel "Turn The Stars Upside Down" was not up to his usual standards. But even middling Johnston is superior to almost anything else out there. This novel of Crazy Horse's last days could have used a more critical editor to lop out the repitition that creeps in the pages, as well as sharpening the dialogue a bit. I love the way Terry comes to his own conclusions on the events described in the novel. Terry was never one to back down from his opinions, and his meticulous research backs him up.He delves farther into the Lakota politics and intrigues than any previous author, and lets us see the tragedy of the whole Indian Wars and its effect on the Indians as well as whites. When he makes the connection of the Crazy Horse story to Shakespearean tragedy, you better believe he proves his point. I have personal letters from him and can vouch that he will state his opinion and back it up vehemently! So while this was a good Johnston book, if you want to read an excellent novel on the subject, try Dan O'Brien's "Contract Surgeon." With the passing of the western historical novel's literary giant, we Johnston devotees must now go back through our libraries and reread his previous novels, wondering what might have been had this giant of a man lived on to complete his vision.
The Lakota lose their last warrior.......2001-08-11
Terry has again transported us back in time to the the last days of the powerful Ogalala warrior who finally came in to the Red Cloud agency to fight the white man no more. This book goes into detail to the conspiring factions of the Sioux leaders and the local U.S. Army commanders in bringing down the famous warrior. Terry paints the story with sights and sounds of the the capture and tragic death of Crazy Horse. The author can instill life into his characters with great passion that lets the reader have great empathy with the situations that they must go through. If you want to get hooked on history of the Old West, I recommend this book and the thirty some other books he has written. Good bye Terry. I was proud to have known and rode with you.
Book Description
'Remarkable....[a] vivid (and beautifully translated) account.'-Jerusalem Post Fest describes in riveting detail the final weeks of the war, from the desperate battles that raged night and day inthe ruins of Berlin, fought by boys and old men, to the growing paranoia that marked Hitler's mental state, to his suicide and the efforts of his loyal aides to destroy his body before the advancing Russian armies reached Berlin. Inside Hitler's Bunker combines meticulous research with spellbinding storytelling and sheds light on events that, for those who survived them, were nothing less than the end of the world.
Customer Reviews:
the dark, nihilistic end of the Thousand Year Reich .......2007-02-27
Fest's haunting description of the last days of the Third Reich is a magnificent accomplishment. Despite its brevity, Fest manages to weave larger historical issues into a narrative full of surreal, compelling details about the Nazis' end. There are the evocative stories of Berlin in turmoil: SS patrols summarily hanging whoever they felt was a shirker, citizens struggling to survive in the shelled-out ruin of a city, the Soviet encirclement growing ever closer. Meanwhile, inside the Hitler's bunker, the story of delusion and denial grew ever more fantastical -- Hitler commanding generals to counterattack the Russians with army units existing in his imagination, and growing more and more furious with their "betrayals" as the Russian advance still came on.
The story arrives ultimately at the Russian approach to the bunker and the suicides of Hitler, Eva Braun, and the inner circle. Their grimly nihilistic end, burned in a trashheap, paralleled their desire for the same fate for Germany. Hitler wanted Germany to go down with him. That so many in Berlin actually did follow him in suicide, or fighting the Russians to the end against suicidal odds, seems now almost too bewildering to believe. Fest's book is bleak, but in a straightforward journalistic style argues why the end in the bunker was the culmination of Hitler's theatrical, nihilistic vision.
Not a Worthwhile Text.......2007-01-12
I wish that I had read the negative reviews of this book and avoided it. This is a very poorly done account of Hitler's final days in the bunker. The book is poorly written, lacks linear progression, and provides an erratic treatment of the subject. The text itself is cobbled together in piecemeal fashion from other books on the subject - there seems little original here. Quotes about Hitler are often made without attribution leaving the reader to wonder whose opinion was being posited. Fest writes pages and pages of filler material consisting of his own amateur psychoanalysis of Hitler which adds nothing to the record and further sidetracks this work.
If you wish to read an engaging and informative account of Hitler's final days, skip Fest's book and read instead the book written by Hitler's secretary Traudle Junge's or Ian Sayer and Douglas Botting's book The Women Who Knew Hitler which chronicles Hitler's last days extremely well.
Brief look at Hitler's last days.......2006-08-31
While not as thorough as Anton Joachimstahler's or James P. O'Donnell's works on Hitler's last days, Fest provides a good introduction to the last month of Hitler and Nazi Germany's lives. The book somewhat bounces around between Hitler, the Soviet onslaught, and conditions in Berlin, but Fest does a pretty good job of balancing these and writing a readable book. Again, not the most detailed of accounts, but a good intro.
Interesting (Brief) Look at Hitler's Last Days.......2006-08-05
Basic facts and figures about the Third Reich are good data, but nothing can really help you understand the Hitler/Nazi phenomenon so well as reading his own words, and the words of the people who made his regime possible - in the volatile environment of Hitler's bunker in April, 1945.
Though the book is short, there is a lot to digest in it. I personally didn't feel that it was overly dry, or boring (at all!), particularly in comparison to your average history, but I was a little disappointed in the lack of bibliographical notes.
All in all, it's a good place to start, a good book to point you in the direction of the right questions to ask, to lead you to more in-depth information.
Brief, Dry and Disappointing.......2006-06-11
Mr. Fest is a competent writer, but his account here is dry, brief and for those with prior knowledge of the facts, this book is very disappointing.
For a period with such plots and subplots this book is surprisingly colorless.
For an excellent book on a decisive turning point in Third Reich history, I most warmly recommended `Stalingrad: The Fateful Siege: 1942-1943'
By Antony Beevor.
Book Description
This is the true story of Leo Litwak, an award-winning novelist and former World War II combat medic, who in 1943 was a college student thrilled by the prospect of helping to fight what people were calling a good war. It's the story of real people in war-friends and thieves, dreamers and killers, jokers and heroes-as well as the personal account of a young American plucked from a sheltered and comfortable life and sent to a foreign land to save the men fighting to save the world. Few books have portrayed the grit and wonder of war with such eloquence, and still fewer have shown how war looks through the eyes of a soldier whose mission was saving lives, not taking them.
Customer Reviews:
An honest look back ..........2003-12-08
Leo Litwak's recollections of his service in WWII as a combat medic is not what I had expected. I had anticipated a memoir - instead the book is essentially a collection of vignettes and impressions the author had during his service in Europe in the final year of the war. Litwak admits in his foreward that unit names and places had been changed, and that some individuals mentioned in the book were composites of personalities he knew. I appreciated his honesty.
After reading the book, I also appreciated his honesty in presenting his perspective on the war. The graft and looting by "our boys." The whoring around. The detached neutrality of working on the wounded, and the non-chalance of seeing so much death so often. Not everyone who served in the European Theater of Operations (ETO) saw combat; and not everyone who saw combat in the ETO was there from the Normandy landing to V-E day. Litwak was honest about his service, his experiences, and his impressions.
As a combat medic from a later war, I had anticipated experiences and recollections similar to my own. While we had some experiences in common, we had many more differences as we served in two very different times. Nonetheless, the honesty with which Litwak writes of his time in Europe is not a romanticized or sanitized version of WWII. And aside from the obvilious shortcomings of his composites, it is real at an emotional (if not strictly historical) level.
the medic: life and death in the last days of WWII.......2003-10-23
I was disappointed in this book. Maybe I went into it with too high an expectation. I knew going in, it was a dramatized version of Mr. Litwak's experiences but I expected more insight into his job as a medic. there were relatively few scenes of his actually work. In that way, I would say the title is misleading. It really is a book of one man's army service in Europe during the later days of World War II. He seems to have disliked everyone he served with and Mr. Litwak has the right to be. there were more sex stories than medic stories. the Sgt. Lucca story I thought would help me gain more insight into the author. But it left me looking for more of an explanation of how Mr. Litwak really felt. Did he like the Sgt. or not? He seems to have been hurt by his death but I am not sure.
Thebook overall does help one experience WWII from a more realistic standpoint. But a non-fiction approach would have been more of a contribution.
Not your usual combat medic.......2003-05-26
I was expecting a more in-depth analysis into the combat and mental condition of a medic, but what I got was a long drawn out story of himself. There was no connection w/ his fellow men and if there was, it was just a misconception. Basically, he just want to forget about the war, the horror, and the cruelty behind it. If that is the case, then why write the book.
A Not So Happy Ending After All.......2003-04-30
"'Aid Man!' ... He ran up to me. He shouted in my face. 'Aid Man!' He grabbed my shoulders, his mouth agape, heaving air. 'A man got his leg blowed off. Let's go!'" This was Leo Litwak's first shot of many to come at saving a life. Leo was a young Jewish boy being trained as a medic in South Carolina. It was February of 1943, and, sooner than he would have preferred, Leo would be immersed in World War II. This is a true story and an excellent one as well. Leo Litwak does a wonderful job telling the truth in this book leaving no goury details out. His book shows all aspects of the war. He shows the soft side, dark side, romantic side, and even the surprising side. Gloria Emerson from the Los Angeles Times states, "[This is a] book that should be given to every schoolboy in the country at the age of thirteen." I must agree with this statement because all the reality and accuracy in this book will inform them that there's not always a happy ending and that war is nothing like Hollywood.
Excellent Writing; very personal memoir........2002-12-07
"The Medic" by Leo Litwak. Sub-titled "Life and Death in the Last days of WWII. Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, 2001.
This is a well-written story of a young man who had just finished his first year at the University of Michigan and was drafted,in February 1943. Leo Litwak was assigned to the medical corps with initial training with a detachment in South Carolina. The book covers the time from this training to his arrival in European Theater of Operations (EOT) in November 1944, until the end of the war. At the very end of his time in Europe, he recounts how his unit had to turn over the village (made-up name of "Grossdorf") to the Russians as it was on Soviet side of the occupation line. Litwak had studied a little German, so he was able to communicate in "bare-bones German" (P. 137) with not only the people in the occupied towns but also with the survivors of nearby concentration camps. The author devotes a long chapter to his assignation , while on leave in Paris (1945) with the hooker, Marishka, but the writing is done in a sensitive and quiet way.
Litwak's writing is generally excellent: Page 115, example " ...German Soldiers, whom we once considered awesome predators - well clad, well armed, well disciplined, red in tooth and claw". Now, as prisoners, the Germans were "... flock animals, indistinguishable from each other". The author has also done a good job of capturing the constant use of profanity in routine conversations in the military. There is profanity in the book, but not near as much as you would encounter in daily conversations. When I served in the U. S. Navy in the late 1950s, the sailors would answer affirmatively by saying, "F---ing `A'!", not just a simple "Yes!". My son served in the Marine Corps in the early 1990s, and he reports that the same amount of profanity was used. The author has included just enough profanity to capture the essence of routine military dialogue.
Finally, Leo Litwak ends the book with a summary that many probably felt, (Page 225): " Now I wanted us to be scattered and never reassembled. No more armies or divisions or regiments or battalions ... No veterans' groups, no reunions, no visits to old battlefields ... Let that all be in the past, cleansed by recollection."
Book Description
Moving from the White House to the B-52 cockpits to the missile sites and POW camps of Hanoi, The Eleven Days of Christmas is a gripping tale of heroism and incompetence in a battle whose political and military legacy is still a matter of controversy.
Customer Reviews:
Real SAC operations.......2007-10-01
This is a totally accurate view of the B-52 bomber operations leading up to and during the bombing of Hanoi. It shows what the bomber pilots were feeling and how SAC screwed up life for them. Totally real; I was there too.
An excellent book.......2006-03-19
I am very impressed with this book. It is a combination of history, great story telling, and analysis of the huge air battle fought over N. Vietnam during Nixon's "Christmas bombing." And if you like the mighty B-52, its even better.
It gives a brief background of SAC, and how LeMay's thinking carried over into the Vietnam War. He was, like anyone, flawed at times, and he left SAC in something of a tight spot. It only did things one way. Flexibility was lacking when it would have been very helpful. The bombers over North Vietnam did things in a set pattern, and that went back to SAC, and the days of LeMay. Someone should have been able to look ahead, and change the path of the bombers as they left their bomb runs.
It also gives the reader a good look at the bureaucratic bungling, micro-management, and political thinking which increased the losses of the B-52 crews. That is hardly new in war. It still hurts and frustrates to have to see the results. Lives could have been saved with a realistic response from those who should have known better. Careers can end up being more important than lives. Too bad it has to happen in the military, where some wonderful people risk so much for their country.
This was a huge, and terribly dangerous undertaking. The B-52 crews flew into some very tough air defenses, and risked a great deal to help bring the U.S. involvement in Vietnam to an end. One cannot help but wish it had been done years before. Think of the lives and heartache decisive action could have saved.
It also made me miss the good qualities of Nixon--and yes, he had them. The man was willing to show great courage when he finally unleashed the B-52s, and let them do their work. If only it had been done much, much sooner.
A great read--techinical details which interest and add, political backgrouind which is useful, and a damned good story as well. First rate.
From the Vietnamese point of view.......2006-02-09
Throughout the years I've read so many books written in English about the Vietnam War and I notice that they all so biased in favor of the U.S in virtually every aspect. From the Vietnamese point of view, this operation is called "Dien Bien Phu Tren Khong", which means "Dien Bien Phu in the air". This is a great victory for the Vietnamese side because they were able to force the U.S to agree to the demand that the Vietnamese had been demanded throughout the entire war, the demand was to withdraw all troops from Vietnam before any peace deal could be sign, other than that, the fighting would be carried on indefinitely. In 1972, the U.S agreed to the demand of the North Vietnamese that's why the North agreed to sign the peace deal. According to Vietnamese sources and eyewitnesses on the ground during this campaign, there were a total of 31 B-52 bombers that were shot down, not the 15 like the U.S or English sources have been claiming throughout the years and a combined total of 81 aircrafts were shot down. North Vietnam shot a total of around 540 missiles, not 1200 and at the end of the 11th day, missiles reinforcement was coming in masses from the city of Haiphong and it is not the myth that the North was running out of missiles. Furthermore, the total combined numbers of Migs fighters of the North throughout the war never exceeded 200 so it was impossible for the North to lose "hundreds" of aircrafts in air-to-air combat against the U.S that so many English-written sources have been claiming. In fact, the total number of Migs lost during the entire war including operational losses is believed to be no more than 50 because at the beginning of this Christmas bombing, the North still had around 150-160 Migs fighters left. I think history has to be examined from both sides, not just from the English-written sources only.
Great book.......2005-11-24
I thought the book was great. Just because we lost a few B-52's during the first couple of days of bombing Hanoi, it made me want to jump out of my seat and continue it. Clearly the research and planning for this mission should have been better. I was also amazed out how the Secretary of Defense at the time dragged his feet when the President ordered the bombing! If Nixon were un-obstructed, I think he could have ended the war sooner and with greater returns than what happend after the Xmas bombings over Hanoi. A must read book.
How Air Force Generals covered their butts........2005-10-24
This is a great read. I read this book in less than 24 hours because it was so interesting. Michel did a great job of detailing the Christmas bombing campaign of 1972. The B-52s (or BUFFs)were sent to take the war to the North Vietnamese. The target was Hanoi and Haiphong. The campaign covered only 11 days. THe North Vietnamese and their SA-2s and Fan Song radar shot down 15 BUFFs.
What is so interesting is how the SAC generals made lots of mistakes and then covered them up. The centralized approach to the war by SAC sounded like they were imitating Soviet generals. This centralized approach had a lot to do with how SAC was structured. Also interesting was the sharp turn following the bombing run. The bomber crews did this because we always did it this way. However this turn made the radar jamming inoperable during this activity. The first four nights of the bombing run were predictable and it was like a line of ants going to a picnic. The North Vietnamese practiced their skill at lining the missles up and shooting at the opportune time. The lack of missles was the only thing preventing more losses to the USAF BUFFs. General Sullivan commanding the Thailand base was the only one who voiced his opinion of these bad tactics. Once the losses were high, his voice was heard. He was subsequently put on the slow track and later retired.
This is a good book. Lots of great information on this last battle of the Vietnam War. The one thing distracting about this book is the poor grammar used throughout it. This book needed a good proof reader and unfornately this was not done well. However, the information and story within this book more than made up for this deficit.
Amazon.com
Drawing on memories from his World War II service days and his army-sponsored trips to Korea and Vietnam, comics innovator Will Eisner put together Last Day in Vietnam, a six-story collection that reveals the strange feelings that arise in soldiers during wartime. From the long, rollicking title story to the somber, bureaucratic cautionary tale "A Purple Heart for George," Eisner consistently finds new angles on old material, while maintaining the mainstream position that war, though ridiculous, must be fought when necessary. The sepia tones of the stories and interspersed photos of Korea and Vietnam add gravity to the already weighty tales, but the book never becomes heavy-handed. Last Day in Vietnam is impressive work from an artist with an impressive record. --Rob Lightner
Book Description
Dark Horse is proud to present the newest graphic novel by Will Eisner, one of comics` pioneers and inarguably the medium`s first maverick creator! Last Day in Vietnam is Eisner`s memoir of stories about soldiers who are engaged not only in the daily hostilities of war but also in larger, more personal combat. During Eisner`s years in the military, and particularly during the many field trips he made for P.S. Magazine, he observed camp life at close range. Some of the stories in this novel are comical, some heartrending, some frightening, yet all display the incredible insight into humanity characteristic of Eisner`s entire oeuvre. The first edition of this 2x11 graphic novel will feature a full-color cover painted by the artist, with a matte and spot-gloss finish, interior cover flaps, and special sepia-colored ink printed on high-quality antique paper.
Customer Reviews:
Interesting work..........2007-09-26
I'm a huge Will Eisner fan and have loved his Comics and Sequential art books along with his graphic novels, (Dropsie Avenue, The Spirit collections, etc.). This is a very good work, but doesn't seem to rank in depth to the other graphic novels that Eisner produced in either scope or artistic achievement. I have always been fascinated with the Vietnam war, so I was eager to pick this up, and I'm glad I did, but I doubt that anyone other than a dedicated Will Eisner fan would find much interest in this.
Vignettes of rear echelon warriors.......2007-08-15
As the introduction for this books indicates, Will Eisner used his graphic talents to educate US armed forces in three conflicts -- WWII, Korea and Vietnam. His work in this small but impressive volume is mostly taken from Korea and Vietnam, and touches on peripheral stories of these conflicts. "Last Day in Vietnam" follows Eisner's guide to the war, a stocky, macho rearguard major who is suddenly confronted with fear on his last day "in country". "A Purple Heart for George" tells the tale of a young soldier who is bellicose when drunk and of the file clerks who try to keep him out of combat. "The Periphery" is about journalists -- those who "report" from the comfort of a Saigon café and those who return from hotter areas. "The Casualty" is about a wounded GI reminiscing about his Vietnamese lover and the pain she brought him. And "A Dull Day in Korea" tells the story of a bored GI on the DMZ in Korea, who has a loaded rifle but no enemy to shoot at.
Each tale is told with Eisner's trademark brevity. The entire book can be read in less than half an hour. This leads to some disappointment as each of these too-brief stories ends. Some tales are a bit too comic-bookish for my taste -- a few too many situations are resolved by a characters facing out at the reader with a "so, what are you gonna do?" quizzical gesture. One story, about a soldir who loves killing, ends with a too-easy comic reversal.
But as with all of Eisner's work, the images and stories stay with you long after you put the book down.While this is not my favorite Eisner work (check out the "Contract with God" trilogy) it is good stuff and worth a look.
Eisner true-to-life ordeal during war time; allegory; good.......2003-09-18
"Last day in Vietnam", the graphic novel by Will Eisner. This book constituted a series of short stories. An anthology. However, peering through the same wavelenght, it is indicative to another denotation-- a collections of short stories gleaned from factual encounters by the author, during those indelible memories of his life of actually in more than one war. The book title, explicitly pinpointing to the feature story that runs from the opening pages & as well endowed with the most abundant pages, with 32-page allotment.
"The last day in Vietnam", the installment, was one of best anthologies played out in this graphic novel, along with the poignant last anthology. This feature was told with a first-person narrative technique. As one of the military authority escorting a press agent, whose whole individual per se, in no way & none anyhow, could be chance upon by the readers, to their war camp. In short, the military man was chattering to akin in front to a virtual hand-held camera. The artwork veritably confirmed this take, clearly depicted this proposition.
Overall, "the last day in Vietnam" feature is a prolific, little short anecdote. Although, I suspect, it is obligatory to re-read the story more than once like I did, to contemplate what the author, Will Eisner, furnishing to say. A slightly suspenseful & chilling effort.
In my perspective, this book is not one of the author best of endeavors. However, the stories constituted here are wholly allegorical in nature, they are symphathetic & relatable in real life. The core genre of these stories are pertinent to war. More than once, Will Eisner was indeed drafted & participated with other novice draftees, as he was hurled into the horizon of war to fight for his mother country.The whole presented here are pleasant, heartwarming, some funny, some tragedic. This book was crafted during the latter years in the 1990's.
The last story is one of the best, if not the best composed here. It was a story of a draftee who was a recidivist of a drunkard, hankering to vault from working a desk job to a full-blown military combatant, one who will actually tread into the wilderness & shall brazenly endures a real-life nightmare amidst with others. His friends, like a clockwork, doggingly showed earnest concern for his person by frequently like a ritual, tearing off his application to shift duty. However, one day his colleague, unfortunately, did not salvaged this inopportune circumstance, thus, their worst fear came to life.
This particular short yarn turned out, surprisingly, a poignant & fulfilling story. They were as well evocative, pleasant & allegorical. It portrayed to us the unrevealed dimensions of war. Superior story.
Will Eisner, one of the pioneers who help shaped the tumultuous maelstrom of the graphic novel industry. His name is a legend in the comicworld. I muse,in my opinion, as a token of appreciation, buying a copy from each one of us like this particular book, shall certainly reciprocated to "the man" whose cinch to become one of the legendary names in the industry for decades to come, as a homage.
The size of the book is appproximately, 8.5" X ll" (width to lengh), virtually commensurating to an oversized graphic novel book. The paper quality is sepia tone (light brown color), good thickness & coarse paper, softcover & inked (drawn) in brown color, 80 pages. Overall, good production quality.
If you will like this book, perhaps you will also love other graphic novels I'm extremely fond of. Such as "To the heart of the storm" by Will Eisner; A Jew in communist Prague vol. 1-3 softcover by Vittorio Giardino; "Age of bronze" by Eric Shanower; "Four women" by Sam Kieth; "Batman: Absolution" by J.M. DeMatteis; "Green Lantern: Willworld" by J.M. DeMatteis.
An astounding book to buy & add to your collections.
Highly recommended !
Very enjoyable graphic novel.......2001-05-10
Not his best but among the best in general. If zou like Eisner you cannot miss this...
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