5 comments about Notes from the Warsaw Ghetto.

1. As we each sit in our little world each day perhaps having pity on ourselves. This book should be a guideline to keep us from self-pity. The author fairly reports from diaries gathered throughout the Holocaust Horror. He does not only blame Nazi Germans but Jewish Police. This is a bold, honest reflection into the eyes of children, adolescents, parents, as they were waiting for their fate. This book made me smile about humanitarism even when they truly did not have alot to share. This book made me scared for what the power of humans can do to weaken spirits. It made me cry to realize the horror they felt. I cheered hoping the author would go unharmed. I wept when I realized a man and his family perish because of a cause they firmly defended. True heroism.

   Unquestionably, this is one of the best written books I have read pertaining to the tragic historic event. It is an easy reading book however, it is hard to put down once you start.

   I will cherish my book always.




2. This book presents a factual chronological statement on the conditions, daily tribulations, and perils of the Warsaw Ghetto. It is written in a documentary style rather than an emotional diary, thus providing a basis to compare and contrast against other "diaries". THIS SAID, it is a moving statement on Warsaw Jewry and their ability to overcome impossible odds, eventhough the overwhelming majority perished. The plethora of historical revisionists that now claim the Holocaust was a hoax must FIRST contend with "Notes"( aginst which they will lose). A truly powerful work.



3. It is a little-known fact that, during the first two or more years of the German occupation of Poland, Jews were treated better by the Germans than the Poles. Emmanuel Ringelblum alludes to this (March 25, 1940; pp. 24-25), when Poles felt safer masquerading as Jews! Also (August 6, 1940, p. 45): "True, they [Jews] were beaten; but Poles were shot. True, Jews are impressed into work; but Poles are sent out of the country to work...Jews were deported from Cracow in the course of several weeks, Poles in a few hours." (p. 45). Also (January 22, 1942): "The question of who is worse off now, the Jews or the Poles, is often discussed." (p. 248).
   
   Many Holocaust films exhibit a simplistic hagiography of Jews and demonization of Poles. In contrast, Ringelblum appreciates the diversity in the conduct of members of both groups, which can be summarized as follows (April 26, 1941): "[I] heard the opinion expressed that war reveals the best and the worst in people. It's like a high fever, in which everything is clarified. On the one hand, some Christians offer to help the Jews; on the other hand, bestial anti-Semitism; on the one hand stony hearts [among the Jews]; on the other, devoted self-sacrifice to aid those suffering from hunger." (p. 157). As Jews were being ghettoized, Poles showed sympathy in some locations and not in others (p. 45). The same holds for exploiting vs. helping Jews with regards to post-Jewish properties (pp. 51-52).
   
   Polish hoodlums' attacks were not limited to Jewish victims: (February 27, 1941): "On the other side of the Jewish graveyard, young Poles have formed bands that attack Christians as well as Jews." (p. 127). Sometimes Poles came to the defense of Jews under attack by Polish hoodlums.
   
   Ringelblum mentions positive Polish attitudes and helpful Polish actions towards Jews many times (p. 21, pp. 51-52, p. 64, 66, 91, 137, 152, 199, 216-217, 322-323). In terms of generalizations, at least some Jews believed that most local Poles were good to the Jews (May 15, 1941): "The Catholics displayed a far-reaching tolerance...Mr. Isaac estimates the percentage of saintly gentiles in Starograd at 95 per cent." (p. 170). Polish organizations are credited with doing away with Polish blackmailers (October 15, 1942; p. 322).
   
   Ringelblum alludes to the Germans' torching of a synagogue in Lodz and then blaming the Poles for it in an attempt to divide Poles and Jews (p. 39). He also never loses sight of the fact that Poles were also victims of the Germans. He discusses the privations and mass murders of Poles, notably of the Polish intelligentsia, numerous times (p. 21, 26, p. 30, pp. 38-39, 137, 145, 154, 169, 259, 288). The Poles realized that they were "next" when they saw the Jews ghettoized (p. 91).
   
   All illegal acts had to be conducted away from the prying eyes of the Germans and their informers of various nationalities. Ringelblum spoke of Jewish informers (p. 251, 339-340), Jewish Gestapo agents (p. 182, pp. 280-281), and the search for Jews hiding within the ghetto (December 14, 1942): "In 90 percent of the cases it was the Jewish police who uncovered the hideouts. First they found out where the hideouts were; then they passed the information along to the Ukrainians and Germans." (pp. 340-341). Ringelblum doesn't mention the fact that Jewish agents, specially trained for the unmasking of hideouts, were also sent to Polish urban areas, and into fields and forests, in order to uncover Jews hidden by Poles.
   
   A recurrent theme in Ringelblum's diary is the avariciousness of both the Polish Blue Police (Policja Granatowa) as well as the Jewish ghetto police (e. g., p. 145, pp. 154-155). Also (May 25, 1942): "As a result, a smuggler has to buy off four parties: Polish, Jewish, and German policemen, and now civilian agents as well." (p. 278).
   
   In common with other chroniclers, Ringelblum's harshest criticisms are directed against fellow Jews (September 22, 1942): "The Jewish police had a very bad name even before the resettlement. The Polish police didn't take part in the forced-work press gangs, but the Jewish police engaged in that ugly business. Jewish policemen also distinguished themselves with their fearful corruption and immorality. But they reached the height of viciousness during the resettlement...And now people are wracking their brains to understand how Jews, most of them men of culture, former lawyers (most of the police officers were lawyers before the war) could have done away with their brothers with their own hands...Very often, the cruelty of the Jewish police exceeded that of the Germans, Ukrainians, and Letts...For the most part, the Jewish police showed an incomprehensible brutality." (pp. 329-331).
   
   Owing to the actions of the Jewish ghetto police, a relatively small number of Germans and their Ukrainian and Baltic collaborators sufficed to send over 300,000 Warsaw Jews to their deaths at Treblinka (October 15, 1942): "Why could 50 S. S. [SS] men (some people say even fewer), with the help of a division of some 200 Ukrainian guards and an equal number of Letts, carry out the operation out so smoothly?" (p. 310).
   
   During the actual extermination process, there was the Jewish outcry over the fact that the world was not doing anything to stop it. But even what later became known as the Holocaust was at first contextualized by Ringelblum (June 25, 1942): "Why should the world be shaken by our suffering when rivers of blood are spilled daily on every battlefield? In what respect is our Jewish blood more precious than that of the Russian, Chinese, English soldiers?" (p. 296). Ringelblum concluded with several proposals for stopping the extermination of the Jews (pp. 297-298).



4. It is many years since I've read "Notes From the Warsaw Ghetto" but it remains fixed in my memory along with Emannuel Ringelblum, who emodies for me the human ideal. In a time and place where death and destruction reigned, a simple teacher, father and husband bore witness to the inhumanity surrounding him. Ringelblum and a few other brave souls, ojectively recorded the daily lives of the inhabitants in the Warsaw Ghetto in considerable detail; describing the planned and enacted starvation, disease (rampant typhoid), the demands of the Germans on the Jewish Council for more and more Jews to be handed over for "deportation" and "resettlement in the East" (in truth the freight cars would carry the deported Jews to death camps of Treblinka and Auschwitz).
   
   His unearthed notes bore witness to the end of Jewish life in Poland and the attempts to maintain the vibrant society that once existed. Ringelblum's notes relate to us that despite the madness that had become their world, and the unknown future they faced, the Jews of the ghetto played music, sat in cafes (without food or drink), educated their children, worshipped, held political debates, prepared young zionist to make aliyah to eretz yisroel, collected arms and prepared to fight back. When the age old question arises; what does it mean to be a human being, I think one need look carefully at the Jews of the Warsaw ghetto to see how humanity can and does flourish despite the evil surrounding it.



5. After I read the book "Diary of Mary Berg" I was so intrigued that I looked up some of the other books that are referenced in the "Diary of Mary Berg". I bought 3 more books from different authors that lived in the Warsaw Ghetto and I have been very pleased with these books because they deal more with the uprising in the ghetto then the diary does. The stories are very emotional and heartfelt. I am not Jewish but I was just as eager to learn from these books about the history of that time. I encourage everyone who may be interested to read this book or others like it to get a better understanding of what life was like in the Warsaw Ghetto during WWII.

3 comments about Rockne of Notre Dame: The Making of a Football Legend.

1. The most enjoyable sports book I've read since, well, "Stirring Football Stories", this book gives the reader not only such favorite moments in the history of the game as the winning forward pass (Dorais to Rockne, against Army), the Gipper, the Four Horsemen, and back-to-back undefeated seasons, but insights into the life and times of Notre Dame's legendary coach. Rockne championed & embodied the immigrant struggle for a place in the sun - the "fighting Irish" being a moniker bestowed on a polyglot group of newcomers to the American dream. On the gridiron it was possible to prove yourself - and show your talents - on an equal footing with older, more established schools and traditions. This conscious inclusion of the larger story gives this book an important place on the shelf, alongside Rockne's own unfinished autobiography, "We Remember Rockne", "Knute Rockne, All American", and other memoirs and studies.



2. While acknowleging the legends surrounding one of the greatest coaches in any sport anywhere, but not attempting to pass them off as fact, Ray Robinson does not stoke the inspirational fires of the mythological demigod Knute Rockne. Still and all, we see Rockne as he developed from a boy growing up in Chicago to the young man at Notre Dame eventually becoming the coach who, in turn, became larger than life.

   Mostly, the reader is invited to visit a time when Knute Rockne was arguably the brightest star among the numerous sports heroes of the '20's. While Irish, Catholics and especially Irish-Catholics were almost universally reviled and the power of the Klan was at its height, the immigrant from Voss, Norway lead Notre Dame to the forefront of college football's national stage.

   There are occasional glimpses of Rockne off the football field and I, personally, would have liked to have gotten to know more about Rockne the man. However, this is, first and foremost, a story about Knute's lifelong relationship with football.

   This book is designed for college football fans, especially fans of Notre Dame. Notre Dame detractors may also get something out of the book, if for no other reason than it makes it a little easier to understand why Notre Dame football is what it is today.




3. My ole man went to Notre Dame... so I've been steeped in the rich legacy of Fightin' Irish Football. This book is by far one of the better books on Notre Dame football in its heyday under Knute Rockne who forged that legacy. The team that brought us the forward pass left a rich history worth examing. This book captures the essence of Rockne, his leadership style, his character and his ambition to excel.

5 comments about The Tyrannicide Brief.

1. This is a book that should be read by all American lawyers and law students. It puts the lie to the various myths about the development of Anglo-American law and its near godlike propagandists like Coke and Hale. With a little thought we see exactly what the framers of the American constitution hoped to avoid when they put limits on the power of the government. Thank God, so to speak, that we no longer draw and quarter (as revoltingly described in great, yet necessary, detail) as punishment. The United States and the Commonwealth are fortunate to have inheirited their legal systems well after this dark period.
   
   That said, Geoffrey Robertson writes with great insight and wit. He is a pleasure to read with his insights into today's problems with tyrants and his acerbic observations. Robertson, surpisingly, even knows about "speed dating" and suggests that Puritans indulged. Imagine that.
   
   Robertson is one of those nice lawyers who enjoys afflicting the comfortable (the majority of lawyers) and comforting the afflicted.



2. Along with Dickens' Bleak House, this book is a must read for all common law lawyers and those who aspire to join the profession (to be read after Bleak House!!). It is a riveting story unto itself, describing the first piercing (and the last for another 300 years) of the shield of sovereign immunity by a low-born, commoner barrister whose courage, character and conviction allowed him to face down and bring to book one of the most brutal dictators of his day, King Charles Stuart I of England. The parallels between the trial of Charles 360 years ago and those of Milosevic and Saddam today are unnerving to say the least.
   
   If only we had Robertson's protagonist, John Cooke, with us today to take on similar prosecutions--Charles' trial , sentencing and execution took all of 2 weeks--a shameful rebuke to those incompetent bureaucrats running our present day War Crimes' Tribunals (which incompetents recently allowed Milosevic to slip the "noose" of justice, such as it is today, by dying in his bed after more than 4 years of aimless prosecution). To make matters worse, Charles was probably even afforded purer due process.
   
   Robertson's exhortation in his epilogue to human rights lawyers and campaigners to work towards the passage of an anti-tyranny covention under the auspices of the UN to allow for the lawful removal (as opposed to the current reliance on the principle of might makes right) of sovereign dictators and despots who are culpable of tyranny and other crimes against humanity towards their own citizens is spot on. The problem is that the UN today in many ways acts with the impunity of a tyrant towards its own staff and other third parties, and can never be trusted to be the court of last resort to prosecute the likes of Saddam, Mugabe and their ilk.



3. I confess: I like the way Geoffrey Robertson thinks and the way he writes even if I don't always agree with his conclusions. This book is a great read. If you can suspend your knowledge of the history (and any associated bias) and look at the events through the perspective of the law, then this is a wonderful fresh look at the legal issues uncovered/exposed by these events.
   This book is not just about the events of 17th century England. The issues discussed reverberate today in the trials of modern war criminals and leaders.
   
   Highly recommended to all who have an interest in history, the law and contemporary international events.



4. This is without doubt the most cynical re-writing of history I am yet to read (and believe me that is saying something). To present the illegal trial of King Charles I as a good deed beggars belief!
   This book falls down because it glosses over the fact that Colonel Pride purged the House of Commons of some 150 members leaving a small rump of 80 members who were totally dependent on the Army, therefore giving Cromwell his way to put the King on trial. Not to mention that the House of Lords were not part of the process.
   
   Having read the book and listened to Mr Geoffrey Robertson QC put forward his points in interviews, it is clear to me that he has his own agenda for writing such a book as this.



5. This is an excellent read. I did not know a whole lot about the trial and execution of Charles I before reading this book, but I always subscribed to the view that the dastardly Oliver Cromwell had unfairly done away with him. This book challenges that common assumption.
   
   However the real focus of Geoffrey Robertson's book is on John Cooke, the lawyer who accepted the brief to try the king. Robertson's account of John Cooke's life is a true inspiration to lawyers to abide by their principles rather than choosing the politically safer option. Unfortunately it is apparent from the book the John Cooke was quite exceptional amongst the lawyers of the time in taking a principled approach.
   
   Also as a Christian, I found the account of John Cooke's faith in Jesus Christ to be inspirational. It is this faith which gave John Cooke the strength to "die well" despite being drawn and quartered.
   
   A great read!

2 comments about Stately Passions: The Scandals of Britain's Great Houses.

1. This is a fascinating account of thirteen stately homes and the scandals which occurred in them. The book includes the homes of royalty and the aristocracy, starting with Balmoral, the Scottish home of the present day Queen Elizabeth 11, and is the site upon which, in 1128, the Scottish King David proposed the building of an Abbey. The building was added to, remodelled, burned down, attacked by various armies and was the site of murders, and scandals, as were the other sites listed in this book. The author has added wonderfully entertaining snippets of the goings on in all of these premises, right up to and including the 20th century, which makes this book a most interesting read for admirers of these wonderful buildings and the people who inhabited them, throughout the centuries.



2. This book is very well written and presents the information in an entertaining but not trashy manner--the author seems to have done research and not just rehashed various news accounts. The book relates a mixture of scandals from different eras that occur at the same houses--it is amazing how some houses seem to attract dubious behavior. I do not give it 5 stars because some of the stories have been throughly covered in other history books--the wives of Henry VIII for example and Mary Queen of Scots. However, overall an entertaining read.

No comments about LAST NIGHT'S FUN: IN AND OUT OF TIME WITH IRISH MUSIC.

1 comments about Lancaster Target.

1. What can I say, awesome, captivating, fantastic. We owe a debt to Jack Currie for recording this terrifying part of history. We also owe a debt to Goodall publishing and Airdata for still printing it !....

5 comments about The Mammoth Book of British Kings and Queens (Mammoth Books).

1. When I discovered my geneology search led me to the British Royal Line, I began seeking a good historical resource for further details. I was delighted to find detailed facts about members of the Royal line, along with clearly diagramed and written geneology which aided and enriched my search. This book turned out to be a terrific resource.



2. I have not read this book, but those genealogists I trust have, and they report it to be full of errors. Apparently the author simply used older reference works rather than doing his own full research ... or even being familiar with recent published work. Thus, use the data in it only if you don't care if it is correct.



3. First let me state that I love this book. I read it all the time, though I haven't come close to finishing it due to its size.

   I love this book because it is interesting. It has every British ruler you can think of piled in there, from the most recent to the semi-mythological ones of bygone days. And this includes the ruling families of those who came to power in Britain. The most obscure rulers are covered.

   The book is incredibly well indexed. I can find any ruler easier than it would be to look his name up alphabetically. Even better than that, I don't have to know the name of a ruler to find him. There are charts, graphs, geneological tables, maps, everything.

   However, there is one major flaw with this book. As the "Royal Book of Records" in the beginning might suggest, the book might more be considered gossip than fact. The RBoR is fantastic, listining the Top 10 rulers for all sorts of things...strangest deaths, earliest marriages, most kids, you name it.
   But the whole book kind of takes on this theme.

   I would not have known that the book isn't the most reliable of sources if I hadn't gone and tried to use it on my papers for university (Dalriada, Pictland, Vikings, Anglo-Saxons mostly).
   Which I did, and subsequently got marked off on. Every point that I cited with this book got marked off.
   But I still can't help loving it.




4. This book contains more Royal genealogy information in one place that you could search for in a lifetime anywhere else. This book is comprehensive and covers a Royal history of thousands of years that includes the ruling dynasties of almost every European country. I have been tracing my Royal ancestors and until I got this book, I was limited. But reading this book revealed not only thousands more names of my great-grandparents, it includes little tid-bits of information that also covers personal tragedies/triumphs, royal reigns and family life. I HIGHLY recommend this book not only as an interseting read, but ESPECIALLY if you are researching Royal ancestors.



5. Ashley gives us a mini-history of Europe as well as a chronological listing of its monarchs. An invaluable resource for history students as well as genealogists!

1 comments about The Amazing Career of Bernadotte 1763 to 1844.

1. From rebellious soldier to Scandinavian monarch, the life of Jean Baptiste Bernadotte is a remarkable piece of military history. I highly recommend reading this book.

No comments about The Enemy's House Divided.

1 comments about Your Loyal and Loving Son: The Letters of Tank Gunner Karl Fuchs, 19331941.

1. Decent personal war account, but not great. He seemed to be a bit on the spoiled side however. The book seemed at times to be almost simply a list of his personal demands to his parents--Mom, send this, send that, send money, more money, and more money--good God, what is he buying? I did'nt realize there was so many stores in Russia. At times, I just wanted to slap the brat factor out of him. All that aside, I remember it being a fairly good combat memoir. Buy it realizing it's not the best, but like a hamburger, fills you up.