5 comments about To the Last Man: A Novel of the First World War.

1. Shaara takes several stories from both sides of the trench line and creates a fascinating mosaic of the times. I have read several of his books and this one guarantees that I will read all of them!



2. Shaara truly captures the horror of WWI and the conflict among the allies
   We now know that America won WWI



3. Best WWI novel I've ever read, hands down. I feel like I know Black Pershing now and understand the frustration and despair of those who lived during the "War to end all Wars!"



4. To most readers of World War I history the overwhelming vision is one of unrelenting tension inside trenches sandwiched between grinding attacks as the dead bodies mounted and incompetent generals planned the next futile campaign. To portray this sense with all it's nuances in novel form, would take the work of a talented storyteller...this I feel more than anything describes Jeff Shaara...storyteller. For years Shaara, who inherited the maker of historical novels from his father Michael Shaara, has enriched the history reader with classic novels on the Civil War, the Revolutionary War and the Mexican-American War. So it was with great expectation that I read "To The Last Man" and I was not disappointed. As with all his novels, Shaara, who's self proclaimed aim is to "fiercely" keep the history accurate, describes his story through the eyes of diverse characters that attempt to give a fully rounded vision of, in this case, the "war to end all wars".
   
   From the trench perspective of the average British and American soldier, to the high command, we see the war in all it's misshapen glory. Shaara's gift is to place the reader into the story as a practicality and I believe he has succeeded again with this book. We see also the plight of the early military pilot as he describes early 1910's aero warfare. Brilliantly engrossing is his story of Raoul Lufbery, an American flying for the French Lafayette Escadrille searching out and battling the Red Baron over Belgian skies. Equally compelling is his portrayal of American Roscoe Temple battling with the "Dough Boys" in gruesome land encounters at the famous battles at Belleau Wood and Meuse-Argonne. The command level also comes under Shaara's scrutiny as we see American General John Pershing's initial confrontational interfaces with his European counterparts and his management of the comparatively slow massing of American troops on the continent.
   
   All this ties together in expert storytelling and should provide the history or general reader a compelling account. Staying true to the history, it's then easy to place oneself inside Shaara's characters and the literary experience is superior. I recommend this book highly.



5. 
   
   A very interesting book I know so much about WW1 after reading this but its tough reading in places due to all the detail he provides. I would still recommend though.

5 comments about Citizen Soldiers: The U. S. Army from the Normandy Beaches to the Bulge to the Surrender of Germany.

1. The book is based on countless interviews with ex GIs (and also with ex German soldiers!), who fought the war in Europe. It is therefore not a history of WWII (European war), and also not a history of the tactical military moves.
   Rather, it tells what the soldiers who were on the front lines experienced and thought. This is done in much detail - and unbiased: Not all GIs are heroes, not all Germans are villains.
   It also spells out clearly, where e.g. Eisenhower made mistakes which cost the lives of 100,000s of GIs.
   
   In my opinion the book puts too much emphasis on the glory of war and on heroism; the unspeakable atrocities of any war are not pointed out enough.
   
   All in all I can recommend this book to anyone interested in the subject the books talks about: What was going on on the front lines of this war.
   



2. Another great book by Stephen Ambrose. The death, destruction love and hate experieneced by these young boys and men is told well. The generals on both sides are quilty of war crimes against thier own troops. The US and Germans lost thousands of troops each day. Great accounts from the men on the front lines.



3. I enjoyed reading Citizen Soldiers, but "Closing With The Enemy" delivers a much better account of GI innovation in the ETO. The writing is more focused and detailed.
   
   Some of my favorite parts of Citizen Soldiers, however, are the accounts of face-to-face interactions between German and American soldiers.



4. Though I consider myself to be a "fan" (if that is the right term) of World War II literature, I often find myself shying away from those sorts of books as I tend to get a bit lost in trying to comprehend the entire war at one time. What with events such as Pearl Harbor, D-Day, the European Front, the Russian Front, and the Pacific Front (all of which could fill volumes), it is easy to get lost in such things as trivial details, battalion numbers, and battle strategies.
   
   The beauty of Stephen Ambrose's "Citizen Soldiers", however, is that by focusing on one aspect of the War (U.S. Army, Europe, June 7, 1944 through May 7, 1945, as is listed on the front cover), Ambrose is able to aptly tell the tale of that wartime campaign in the kind of detail it requires. All the major events (D-Day, Market Garden, The Bulge, etc.) are covered in enough detail to give you a picture of what was happening, combined with enough personality to make you understand (if at all possible) what it was like to be there.
   
   Though most of the book follows the events of World War II in chronological order, I actually found my favorite section to be where Ambrose takes a bit of an "aside" to explain such things as:
   
   -Being on the front lines (especially during the long, freezing campaign in the Ardennes Forest)
   -How the replacement/reinforcement system worked (and, consequently, didn't work)
   -The U.S. Army's considerable air superiority to the German Luftwaffe and what is was like to go to battle in the air.
   -The horrors seen and the noble deeds accomplished by the doctors, medics, and nurses who helped keep soldiers both physically healthy and psychologically stable.
   -Being a prisoner of war (on both sides).
   
   I found Ambrose to do a marvelous job of attempting to describe the life of a U.S. Army soldier in WWII Europe. Whether it was the major battles and campaigns, or just "a day in the life of a soldier", Ambrose succeeds at capturing the essence of exactly what was transpiring both on the battlefield, in the "down time", and in the mind of each soldier.
   
   Also, I think that the strength of Ambrose as a historian shines the brightest in, of all places, the Afterword section of the book, where he essentially wishes that he could have done more. He recounts a few of the letters written to him from soldiers on that European front, and opines that he could have included all of them. Just knowing that his task's focus couldn't be too big (to risk dilution of the material) or too small (to risk over-specialization on one topic) is, in my mind, enough to cement him as a top historian of all-time. He truly wished that ALL the stories could be told.
   
   So, I would highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to learn more about both the European World War 2 theater, and just what it was like to be a soldier at that time and place in the U.S. Army. It will be even more of an emotional experience if a family member or friend served in army that Ambrose writes about. My grandfather, Ray Koenig, was part of the European campaign, and I came away from this book understanding just a bit more about what he went through for his country.



5. My son is very interested in WWII and loves Stephen Ambrose books. He loves it!

5 comments about Soul Harvest: The World Takes Sides (Left Behind No. 4).

1. Soul Harvest: The World Takes Sides by Jerry B. Jenkins and Tim LaHaye After the earthquake Steele and Williams embark on their own adventure. This is the forth book in the series of people left behind after the "Rapture." Your now taken Around the world where the main characters are searching for their loved ones. Many will see these stories as a testament to the Book of Revelations.



2. I received my book in just a couple of days. Condition was even better than I expected!



3. This is a wonderful series that I just can't seem to put down. I've read through six books in the series in just over a month. Yes these are fictional books, but they are based on biblical prophesy and it has, in an uncanny way, helped me to begin to understand the end times and why such a loving God would allow such turmoil and destruction. Even those who do not believe should read this series. It is action packed and will take you through all the emotions and bring you close to the characters. I will continue to read the series, as I am excited to read about The Glorious Appearing.



4. PART OF THE "LEFT BEHIND" SERIES, A GREAT STORY CONTINUED THROUGH THE SIXTEEN VOLUMES OF THIS FICTIONAL STUDY OF THE BOOK OF REVELATIOINS. I FOUND THAT THESE TWO GENTLEMEN DID A WONDERFUL JOB OF EXPLAINING THE PREDICTIOINS OF THIS SECTION OF THE BIBLE WHILE TELLING A STORY MOST OF US COULD IDENTIFY WITH MAKING BELIEVEABLE , LIKEABLE CHARACTERS. .



5. the book came in good condition. I am enjoying reading the entire Left Behind books. They are interesting, thought provking and scary since they are based on predictions found in the chapters of Revalations in the Bible.

5 comments about Stalingrad: The Fateful Siege: 1942-1943.

1. Most combat veterans will tell you that artillery barrages are among the most terrifying actions they ever survived in War. The term "gut-wrenching" captures the essence of being under such a seige of exploding metal and fire.
   
   Beevor brings intellectual force, historical accuracy and riveting realism to almost endless "gut-wrenching" actions in the Stalingrad of 1942/42. "Not one step backward" Stalin decreed. Can you imagine a leader in the 21st century uttering such words?
   
   I blew up maps on a copier and had them near so I could see the location of units. Wish I could have viewed real time Google Earth from 1942/43.
   
   No matter, Stalingrad ranks next to Bernard Fall's "Hell in a Very Small Place" to me. Both books will sear the serious reader.



2. Although I found the details about the seige and the war to be very thorough and interesting, I could not connect to any of the characters in the war. Maybe I'm used to the intimacy of books like Gods and Generals, but I felt Beevor did not make me feel the human suffering on a personal level, but only on a general broad level. There were a lot of quotes from individual soldiers, politicians, and officers, but no consistency throughout to connect me to any single person, especially the foot soldier that experienced the Hell of Stalingrad. Strong on depicting the Hell, but not making it intimate for the reader to experience it through the eyes of those who were there.



3. If you want to read the absolute best history of the battle for Stalingrad read Roger Craig's
   Enemy at the gates, by far a much much better read.



4. Anthony Beevor's "Stalingrad: The Fateful Siege" is one of those books you just have read, even as much of it is unpleasant. Indeed, because much of it is unpleasant. What this book does is bring to you the reality of war as much as any book can. Beevor's narrative methodology alternates between three threads: the Sixth Army at Stalingrad itself, the Soviet side, and the German military and political leadership on the Eastern front and in Germany proper. Among these three narratives, the primary focus is on German soldiers, of all ranks, within the Sixth Army. Beevor's bias is not anti-Russian, as he makes clear that the real culpability for this massive panorama of human suffering lies with Hitler, Goebbels and the German senior military staff. He also includes enough traditional war history material about the large-scale movement of armies and units to make the broader strategic context clear. But that is not what makes this book what it is.
   
   Blaming Hitler and the Nazis is easy; the more difficult question is who among the German general staff was in a position to turn against Hitler before it was too late. Beevor points to General Erich von Manstein, the Eastern front commander to whom the much-maligned General Friedrich von Paulus, head of the doomed Sixth Army, reported. Like many German officers who were not Nazi Party members, Manstein disliked Hitler, talked him down among close colleagues and even trained his dog to do the Nazi salute as a joke. According to Beevor, Manstein more than any other both had the knowledge of what was happening inside the Kessel and - perhaps - the ability to lead an anti-Nazi coup within the Wehrmacht. But he didn't.
   
   Beevor portrays Paulus himself as more of a tragic figure. Emotionally and morally broken by the time of his capture, Paulus seems at once both dutiful and weak. He might have broken out had he disobeyed orders, but by mid-December 1942 it was too late. He seems almost a pathetic person to be leading an armed force in one of history's most significant events.
   
   The valor of ordinary German soldiers shines through, and is impossible to ignore despite the heinous nature of their country's political leadership. Beevor gives many examples of this, noting, for instance, that of the 600 doctors assigned to the Sixth Army, none capable of working flew out. Nor do any German officers appear to have tried to their rank to get out, despite there being almost daily airlifts almost until the end. What can be said in Paulus' favor is that he made no attempt to save himself.
   
   Although Beevor makes use of Russian sources, the source material is definitely German-dominated here. He does not ignore the Russian side, but my estimation - without doing a precise page count - is that a bit more than half the material is focused on the Sixth Army and other German units directly involved, about a third focuses on the Red Army and the Soviet government, with the remainder taken up in discussion of the German senior staff and events back in Germany.



5. Historian Anthony Beevor recreates this horrid life-and-death struggle in gripping, readable detail. The author begins by briefly examining the German invasion of Soviet Russia (Barbarossa) in June, 1941. Readers see the murderous brutalities of the Nazi invaders, the defenders' scorched-earth retreat, partisan activities, and the also-disgusting brutalities of Stalin and his secret police/NKVD apparatus. As many know, the German Wehrmacht lost much advantage in its retreat from Moscow in December 1941, but still held the initiative the following summer. At this point Hitler made the fatal decision to split his southern armies between Stalingrad and the Caucauses, and Stalingrad was soon to become a test of wills between the two dictators. The author shows how the German Sixth and Fourth Panzer Armies entered Stalingrad sensing easy victory, but soon found tenacious defenders fighting desperately from the city's ruins. Readers are made to feel as if we are there amongst the bombed-out factories only yards from the Volga River, enduring air raids, shells, snipers, tanks, and other daily horrors. We also get a bird's-eye view of the private war councils of Paulus, Von Manstein, Chuikov, Zhukov, and other top commanders. Then, as the weather turns colder that fall, readers feel the bitter winds, frostbite, ration shortages, frozen corpses, and increasing German desperation once the Red Army surrounded the attackers and Hitler refused requests to retreat. Finally, nearly 100,000 starving Germans surrendered to the Red Army at the end of January (few would survive captivity). In short, an ugly and brutal battle in a brutal, ugly war.
   
   Anthony Beevor is a British historian who makes excellent use of official documents, first-person interviews, letters and diary entries from the soldiers (many of whom didn't survive). He also is one of the few historians who writes with easy-reading prose. The result is a gripping look at a brutal battle that was one of the major turning points of the war.

5 comments about No Ordinary Time: Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt: The Home Front in World War II.

1. I am 2/3 through this fabulous book and, although I am reserving my final opinion until the last page, I truly feel this will be my favorite book of my nearly 70 years on this planet. WWII is my reader hot button. I am a great Stephen Ambrose fan and enjoy most authors writing about WWII. However, No Ordinary Time is the missing link that neatly ties it all together. Doris Kearns Goodwin is a genius! Meanwhile, I am savoring the remaining pages. I don't want this book to ever end.



2. Excellent and detailled picture of Franklin and Eleanor's life on the home front before and during World War II. Most WWII books have focused on the actual battles and locations around the world. This book give us a view of the battles that were fought stateside, including racial tensions, liberal vs. conservative, isolationist vs. hawks. One can see how the same battles raging today in our country were shaped and influenced by the period. It also offers great insights into the personalities and characters of both the President and First Lady.
   
   The only drawback was the condition of the book that I received. It was billed as "like new" but clearly had been well-used before it got to me.



3. This book is fascinating. There are way too many errors in the Kindle Edition--is it too much to ask for a proof reader?



4. The best book on Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt: Ms Goodwin won wide aclaim for this book and deserving so. Full of facts that you never knew and historical background on the family and their views. Very Interesting and a fast read.



5. My early memories of the Depression and WWII were dim; I was just a small child during that time. What are vivid are the feelings of love and adoration for FDR by my mother and her family. One of my fondest experiences was taking my Mom to Warm Springs GA to visit his home--and place of his death.
   
   I have learned through the years that the mere mention of Franklin Roosevelt evokes extreme emotions--he was either loved and admired or hated and condemned. There seemed to be no middle ground.
   
   I learned so much about this man, his politics, our country, the Great Depression and WWII in this remarkable Doris Kearns Goodwin biography. She has the ability to "put you there" as an observer during so many pivotal times in American history. Her seamless segues from past to present allow the reader to understand this man's past as it is woven into his life's story. You can almost visualize Winston Churchill running about the White House in a velvet robe!
   
   So importantly, it also let's one understand his loving yet poignant (and painful) marriage to Eleanor.
   
   Regardless of your politics, reading this book is truly an "uncommon" experience!

5 comments about With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa.

1. I would highly recommend this book about WWII in the Pacific. Sledge has a remarkable way of writing that makes you feel what he felt.



2. I've read a lot of books about WWII, particularly the Pacific theater. I deeply respect the fact that no one who hasn't experienced combat can really understand what it's like. If you're a veteran, my comments don't apply. But for a civilian like me, this book comes the closest to giving an idea of how awful it was. Just to think about what these men did, and what they endured to get it done, runs a shiver up my spine. An incredible story.



3. Stick your head up, you die. The descriptions here assault all your senses. The definitive story from a front line marine. It ain't pretty. It will shock some. But it is what happened.



4. I'm about half way through the Kindle edition of this book and have to say it is excellent. There are moments when you are brought into the battle so vividly you almost want to find a place to hide. The descriptions of the thirst Sledge and his fellow marines experienced are real and painful. The battle scenes are haunting. If you are interested in the Pacific Theater during WWII please read this book.



5. This is an incredible CHRONOLOGICAL account of the Pacific War,A CLASSIC, and Eugene is an INTELLECTUAL man of Great Modesty ...This Book is the "REAL DEAL " Sledge pulls no punches ...it's Brutal ...it's honest ...it's War like you've never read before ....MANS TOTAL ANIMALISTIC FEROCITY .....Only the AMERICAN MARINES could have fought and WON this War ...no other Country had the Primal Urge for Victory like the U.S.A....True the Eastern front was Savage ...but a Conventional Land Battle is no comparision to Seaborne Warriors Landing on Secured Beachheads and fighting for every grain of Sand inch by inch against an Enemy who had NEVER tasted Defeat in the whole History of there Country ......for the EMPEROR there GOD ....BUSHIDO....KAMIKAZE....BANZAI CHARGES ...it's all in this MASTERPIECE .

5 comments about La's Orchestra Saves the World: A Novel.

1. Alexander McCall Smith's novel is what I would call a "nice" read. It's not particularly challenging and it was a very smooth read. It is nothing momentous in any sense, but is just an enjoyable, feel-good read. With elements of drama, humor, and suspense, the novel uses a wide variety of literary elements to engage the reader.
   
   La is a heart-warming character, who somewhat captured my heart in her ability to overcome the challenges she could and could not forsee on the horizon. Her independence and innovation create a small sense of hope during WWII, a time when people were assured the world was on the verge of the end. Through La and her relationships with others, and the contrast of life in London and country life in Suffolk, Alexander McCall Smith successfully develops what I think can best be described as a charming novel.
   
   La's Orchestra is just the kind of hopeful creation readers need to realize that in life we must place more weight on the little things. Optimism is what saves La from the world and herself. It is through her coping with change that the story can resonate with readers.
   
   This novel is not particularly earth-shattering or life-changing but I think this is what is so enjoyable about it. It was just a nice, comfortable book to curl up and read. I flew through it and enjoyed La as a protagonist. You can read this without challenge and just appreciate it as a good story.



2. Alexander McCall Smith brilliantly weaves together a story of strength, hope, and reliance on human connections. This book has been described as gentle, and rightfully so. Smith's story takes place in War-torn England and yet there is a pervasive calmness throughout.
   
   From the title, La's Orchestra Saves the World, the reader already knows something about La before they learn more about her in the pages to follow; she is a brave and creative woman who is stands up against adversity. And so she does.
   La (short of Lavender) attends the University in Cambridge during the 1030's in order to expand her mind, read and talk about books, and to put herself in a position of independence. That all quickly chances when a young man, Richard Price convinces her to marry him and she subsequently falls deeply in love with him. He, however, decides to throw his marriage away and leaves La for another woman all to end up dying a short time after in a tragic accident. La's parents-in-laws leave her their country home in Suffolk, England were she goes to escape the world and create a new life.
   
   To La's tragic dismay war is declared against Germany and she decided she will help in any way possible. She takes up a local job helping an elderly man who lost his family and soon meets up with and develops unreciprocated feelings for a Polish airman who is helping on the same farm as she is. Discovering a common thread of interest with music among herself and the local military members, she - on the spur of the moment creates an orchestra which is to play at Christmas time and then to perform a victory concert when the war is over. La learns not to give up on herself or the orchestra and sees it through till the end. The orchestra becomes a symbol of hope and determination - two characteristics strongly embedded in La.
   The only question left to ask is: did La's orchestra save the world, or did the orchestra save La?



3. My book club selected this book. I had read some of the author's other books so I went along with the selection. What a waste of money and time: slow, unimpressive. with so much out there it is a waste of money and time...



4. This is actually a small book in size too but has a huge heart. It is a stand alone novel by the writer of The Number One ladies Detective series.
   The world usually makes little note of or long remembers people like the main character,La. However,her what seems like small contributions to her at the time added to the success of Great Britain surviving the second world war with spirit and dignity.
   The characters from the Suffolk countryside where most of the book takes place have that tough exterior but true hearts of gold on the inside.
   This book is similar to The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and the people in the English countryside in James Herriot's tales from All Creatures Great And Small.
   A very satisfying read.



5. Not every battle of World War II was fought by soldiers, on the seas and oceans, on the beaches, on the landing fields. And if there were no combatants involved, some were still indeed fought in the fields and the streets, as ordinary English men and women went about their lives, riding out the storm of war, doing the small things that needed doing.*
   
   This novel, a departure from McCall Smith's usual serial work, is about one such Englishwoman, Lavender Stone, in one small Suffolk village.
   
   Lavender Stone did not go to Cambridge to find a husband, yet she did. While at Girton College, she met and was pursued by Richard Stone. Marrying him, she fell into an ordinary sort of marriage, gradually coming to love him as she had believed he loved her, only to find the idyll shattered when he absconds to live with another woman in France. La retreats to a cottage owned by her in-laws to lick her wounds, but is shortly called to go to France where her husband has been fatally injured in a freak accident. On the way home, her ship stops and the captain informs the passengers that England is at war.
   
   Back in Suffolk, La begins to rebuild her life under the cloud of war. She must learn that life here is different from life in London, that people are different, that customs are different. As we have come to expect from McCall Smith, we are introduced to a variety of interesting folks, from Henry Madder, the arthritic farmer for whom La begins to do a bit of work, to Feliks Dabrowski, the Polish soldier and refugee in whom she takes an interest and who may not be what he seems, to her neighbors the Aggs and their odd son.
   
   Gradually, La settles in. Then a chance word in a conversation with an Air Force officer gives her an idea, an idea that "came suddenly, as perfectly formed ideas sometimes do. She would start an orchestra." And so she does. Villagers and soldiers come together to play music, unifying the community in the face of a crisis that goes on, day after day, until they play a victory concert.
   
   That concert is echoed years later, in the days of the Cuban missile crisis, when La brings the orchestra back together for a concert for peace, a time when, as I well remember, we all thought we were going to die in a nuclear holocaust. She chose "Bach for order; Mozart for healing", good choices, I think.
   
   I don't believe that one can fully appreciate or understand this book if one does not take into consideration the great love that Alexander McCall Smith, a musician himself, has for music**, and his belief in its transformative power. It is music that brings La into her own, after a life that has been mostly reactive, a life that, as she herself says, has been that of a "handmaiden". Music, and the bringing together of others for the purpose of making music, helps her move forward into life and love.
   
   * apologies to Winston for the paraphrasing!
   
   ** Surely the fact that he named a character "Leontine Price" is not accidental!

5 comments about Number the Stars.

1. I read the novel Number the Stars which was written by the auther Lois Lowry. It us about a charecter named Anna Marie and Ellen.There problims are the nazis take over Den Mark in europe and they are mean to the jews. this story takes place in DenMark in a small town in europe around 1943.This story is about the nazis and jew and how the nazis killed millions of jewish people so Anna Marie and her family take it upon themselvs to help ellenand her family escape.Anna Marie is similar to me because she would do anythingincluding risk her life for a friend just like i would. And we are different because she somtimes respected the nazis and i never would. I think the auther titled the book number the stars because its about the holocaust and jewish people and how jews wear the star of david . I like this book because its true and cruel, its fasinating,and its about nazis. This book would be a really great book for somone to read if they like reading about the holocaust.It contains real,horific,and scary thought and facts that readers would enjoy.The next book i would like to read another book about the holocaust.



2. This 1990 Newbery Medal award-winning book is stunningly powerful. The title is taken from
   Psalm 147
   "The Lord is rebuilding Jerusalem;
   he gathers in the scattered sons of Israel.
   It is he who heals the broken in spirit
   and binds up their wounds,
   he who numbers the stars one by one"
   
   The setting is 1943 and Nazi occupied Denmark where, while there is a shortage of food, heat and clothing, there is no shortage of fear and terror wrought by the invasive German soldiers.
   
   Using the historical backdrop of the bravery, courage and sense of moral imperatives demonstrated by the Danish people which resulted in saving the lives of at least 7,000 - 8,000 Jews, Lowry provides a story strong in character, fortitude and resistance.
   
   Highly recommended!!!



3. This book is in about one out of four 6th grade classrooms (approximately), and should be in every 6th grade classroom. It is a wonderful piece of inspiring literature, which teaches a fine lesson in courage, as well as in neighbor love. Every child or young teen should read and digest these classic work of inspiring literature from the Nazi era. The neighbor love of Danish Christians, and others, saves thousands of Jews from annihilation and outwits the Nazis. Fine section in the end explaining where the fiction and history being and end. A complete work of excellence. Along with Simone Liebster's Facing the Lion Facing the Lion (Abridged Edition): Memoirs of a Young Girl in Nazi Europe and, of course, The Diary of Anne Frank Diary of Anne Frank (Imprint Books), these would make the three must read books for children on the subject of the Jewish Holocaust.



4. A wonderful novel for young readers about friendship, love, courage and fortitude.
   In 1943 the Nazis have occupied the peaceful little country of Denmark, ten year old Annamarie Johanssen and her family live through the deprivation and fear of Nazi tyranny. The Jews of Denmark are being rounded up and sent to death camps.
   Annamarie's best friend Ellen is taken in by Anna marie's family but the Nazis become suspicion of Ellen's dark hair contrasted to Annamarie and her sister's silver blond hair.
   
   Annamarie and her family try to help to smuggle Ellen and her family, among other Jews to neutral Sweden.
   
   Wonderful characterization for readers aged 8 and up, in a touching, stirring novel about how true friendship and love can resist the most ruthless evil.
   . On the cover of the book is the Star of David necklace hidden by Annamarie for her friend Ellen, so as not to betray who Ellen is.
   The title of the book is named for the stirring line of Psalm 47:
   "The Lord is rebuilding Jerusalem; he gathers in the scattered sons of Israel. It is he who heals the broken in spirit and binds up their wounds, he who numbers the stars one by one"



5. This historical fiction thriller is a representation of a brave 10 year old girl and the experiences she must face during the Holocaust. The two main characters in this book are Annemarie and her best friend Ellen. As Annemarie sits in the living room one day with her Papa she says, "What's happening? Is something wrong?" Her Papa responds with a troubled face, "I wish I could protect you children from this knowledge." This story takes place during World War II in Denmark. As you continue reading this story you will find out what Papa is trying to protect Annemarie and the other children from. This book is one that you will not want to put down.
   This story was a page turner! I almost read the whole story in one setting. I finished it in two days because I didn't want to put it down. I wanted to find out what happened to Ellen while I was reading. It made me keep reading and reading. I got very surprised when Ellen and Annemarie got off the bus one day and were confronted by 2 Nazi soldiers. Annemarie was very brave to answer their questions and protect her sister and friend. Anyone who enjoys reading about historical events would enjoy reading this book. It is a small glimpse into the lives of innocent Jewish people, and how discrimination can tear apart families.

5 comments about Maus I: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History.

1. When I was eight years old, this book was included in a Scholastic book order through my school. I was fascinated by WWII at the time, and had every kids book on it, so of course I wanted this one. I had no idea I was ordering a comic book, and when I finally held it in my hands I was mad that it was - up until that point, to me comic books were all shoot 'em ups and superheroes. This book proved me wrong, and started a lifelong love of comics. I'm now in college studying sequential art and plan on going to the field, so you can appreciate how much of a difference this book made to me.
   
   The overall Maus story is a back and forth between the present events of a young Jewish man and his difficult elderly father, and the father's life in WWII as a Jew. This first book - My Father Bleeds History - focuses on the family's relatively normal upscale life diminishing into their eventual going into hiding at the end of the book. It's a side that isn't as commonly told: the diminishing rights, the daily strain, the rumours of the horrible things that were going on, and even his life as a prisoner of war. These stories aren't as well-told in the media, and I really liked seeing them. As someone who was already well-versed in WWII history reading this, it helped me understand better how people could not realise what was actually going on, and that daily life still must continue in horrible situations.
   
   The art is stark, with thick black lines and a very sketchy feeling to it - this is very fitting for the dark story being told. Visually it's a little busy, and during my first reads I remember being occasionally confused and having to reread pages. Nothing too unforgivable or difficult, however!
   
   Like most graphic novels - it's a fairly quick read, it took me about two days to read it as a child, but now I can zip through them back to back in an hour or two. Yet they reread very well; I pick it up several times a year and my copy is quite well-worn.
   
   I would also recommend this to anyone with an appreciation for historical fiction, biographies, memoirs, or those interested in WWII. History is my favourite genre, and I fully believe this book stands strong right against some of the other classics illustrating the picture of that period. This is not only a great graphic novel, this is a great book.



2. I really thought that in this point in my life I had learned all there was to know about the Holocaust. I've been to the museums, seen the movies, seen survivors speak, and studied the awful events in school. I didn't expect to gain a new sense of understanding from this survivors tale.
   
   Maus I: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History was a shocking, at times truly disturbing account of a family trying to survive day to day during the Holocaust. This is not a cut and dry tale, it is artfully told through a graphic novel.
   
   I went into this novel wondering "why mice?". As you can see from the cover, the center of the swastika is a cat face. Art Spiegelman has used symbolism to portray a cat and mouse game. The jews are all mice, forever foraging for food and shelter, trying to outsmart the cats that want noting more than to destroy them. The use of this idea in his artwork makes the novel that much more interesting.
   
   I imagine that I could learn something new each time I read this book. There is so much depth, and raw descriptions of what occurred to the authors father and his family. It goes one step deeper in showing how it has affected their lives beyond their time struggling to survive the Holocaust.
   
   A powerful and deeply affecting graphic novel that is an absolute must read.



3. Art Spiegelman's critically-acclaimed graphic novel chronicles both his father Vladek's misadventures in Hitler's Europe and a rocky relationship between father and son. Depicting the Nazis as cats and the Jews as mice (and the Polish as pigs, a hot-button topic in an already controversial piece), Spiegelman's illustrations actually gives "Maus" the type of appeal that couldn't be achieved in any other medium except this one, as well as lure readers who wouldn't have picked up the comic otherwise. The story itself reels you in but "Prisoner on the Hell Planet," Spiegelman's comic-within-a-comic about his late mother, offers even more insight on Spiegelman and his family history despite its contrast with the main story. This is truly the stuff survival stories are made of.
   
   This comic is unrated: Violence, Adult Language, Adult Situations.



4. Maus is one of the captivating page turners I've every laid eyes upon. The story is Art Spiegelman the author writing his fathers tale and what exactly was involved in surviving the holocaust.



5. The book was in very good condition and it came in very fast, within one week.

5 comments about The Information Officer: A Novel.

1. I really enjoy books that tell me a good story at the same time that they teach me something. "The Information Officer" takes place in Malta in 1942, when the German Luftwaffe was giving British-controlled Malta as terrible a pounding as it had given London in 1940. I had never read about this part of the War, and was astonished to learn that as late as 1942, the Allies were in danger of losing Malta because they lacked airplanes with which to defend it. Our hero, Max Chadwick, is the Chief Information Officer (basically a propaganda guru) on Malta, charged with coming up with stories that will keep spirits up.
   If you are a fan of the "endless chase" type of thriller, you may well find "The Information Officer" too slow. Although I prefer stories with less shooting and more thinking on the part of the hero, there were a few spots that struck me as being a bit slow. The pages of cocktail party dialogue and partying on the roof while watching the evening air raid, however, paint the details that make the story interesting, and the pace gains momentum as the story progresses.
   So what IS the story? A buddy who is a doctor confides to Max that a local girl, thought to have been killed by a bomb, was actually murdered, and that a scrap of a British uniform was found in her hand. If the story becomes public, the attitude of the Maltese toward the British, already strained by the endless bombing, could sour even more, to the detriment of the war effort. So of course, Max begins to investigate on the sly.
   My one negative comment is a personal dislike that other readers may actually enjoy: periodic chapters where the reader is in the mind of the killer. Often such chapters seem to be mere excuses to write scenes of torture and blood intended to gratify readers who find such stuff exciting. In "The Information Officer", the sadism in relatively mild and does, because it includes flashbacks, flesh out the character of the killer, although I could have done without it. It is, however, a minor complaint about a very good book.



2. What an incredible trip back in time; a time when vocabulary was different, women were ladies, gentlemen were gentlemen, World War II was raging, etc.! Mr Mills most definitely must have done quite a bit of research (reminds me of Dan Simmons and all the research he does for his books!), in order to be able to convincingly transport the reader back to 1942. I very much enjoyed this book, and would definitely recommend it as a great read!



3. There is a movie which treats this same subject, but much more thrilling. Rent "The Malta Story" with Alec Guinness, Jack Hawkins, and a beautiful Muriel Pavlow. It covers the Siege of Malta, and the heroic voyage of the SS Ohio. Actual footage of the Ohio coming into port at the end of the movie, more dead than alive, is breathtaking. The movie has spies, traitors, pilots, and lovers, and some fantastic performances which resonate against the shallow plot of this novel.



4. I see a lot of people are complaining this book doesn't neatly fit into one particular genre. I say so what? I like Mark Mills' historical mysteries, and the background of war adds excitement to a story. One of my favorite things about his books is that he can take you there, even if it's a time and place neither you nor he have actually been. That's good research. I like fiction (and especially mysteries) that give you a chance to learn about a new place and a new subject. I didn't know much more about Malta than the Maltese Falcon. I didn't even know it was IN the war. So the air raids and the tactics of moving ships and troops and the espionage were entirely knew to me, I thought it was great that he had chapters from the viewpoint of the sinister serial killer, giving the reader the sense of being stalked by him. I came away with so much more than when I started the book. Unlike some others, I can recommend it highly. You'll be standing in a Maltese street hearing the sirens go off, wondering if life will ever be normal again.



5. This is the first novel I've read by Mark Mills, and I really enjoyed it and now want to read his 2 earlier novels. This one has something for everyone. If you're a history buff, you'll love the setting of Malta during WWII. The author obviously did a lot of research and you get a real feel for the island, its people, and the British pilots and other military personnel. As the island is under-defended and under siege by the Luftwaffe, the part of the book that deals with the war is gripping. Added to that theme, we have a very clever maniac running around who is targeting "sherry girls", the girls that work in the bars that cater to servicemen. It appears he is a British officer, and his sick spree could ruin the delicate relations between the Maltese and the British. Added to the mystery of who this fellow is, and whether he can be stopped, we have the double love story of the information officer of the title and his involvement with both a British and a Maltese woman. The book is very cleverly plotted, with several twists and turns which will definitely keep you guessing. Without giving too much away, let me just say that not everything is as it seems. The author is a former screenwriter and it should come as no surprise that he is especially good at constructing a book that flows smoothly and keeps hopping from one interesting scene to the next. He also has a great ear for dialogue and there are many interesting, witty and very funny exchanges throughout the book. The characters are well-drawn, especially the information officer and his nemesis, and we are given some nice personal history background which makes these characters seem very, very real. (Oh, and I guess I should mention that the author is pretty good at writing erotic passages as well. The book doesn't get bogged down in that sort of thing but there is one pretty steamy episode that might fog your glasses up.) All in all, a heckuva good read and I heartily recommend it.