Latvia Books

Carrie Bradshaw and the girls gave us a peek into the challenges, heartbreak, friendship, and love that is life in Manhattan. Asya lets us see and feel those same emotions and experiences that made up her life in Riga. She even describes her version of the Hamptons. Asya entertains as she talks with us, she also educates. My lesson? While there are clearly interesting intellectual and cultural differences, when it comes to matters of the heart and soul we are all clearly One. Brava!

This is a REAL book about a REAL person, Asya, who so candidly, yet carefully unfolds a story that takes the reader through time and across cultural and international boundaries! I thoroughly enjoyed hearing Asya's voice as I read. With the photos from her life included, it was easy to hear her telling me her story and delivering her laws...the wisdom she developed in her lifelong quest for real love. I appreciate her honesty and vulnerability in depicting how she regarded herself throughout this quest and in each of her roles - a girl looking for love, a lover, a wife, a daughter, a mother, etc. Her own perspective on Latvia and Latvians and America and Americans is also interesting to observe as it changes from beginning to end. Thank you, Asya, for going for it with this book!

In this world of virtual and mediated reality, Latvian-born Asya Raines has brought decades of memories to life. From tales of her mother as a WWII Soviet freedom fighter blowing up Nazi trucks, to the post War Russian occupation to a late 1970s consolation prize trip to Bulgaria that began with a yearning to see Yugoslavia, to perestroika and her eventual emigration to the United States, she enlightens us with her perceptions and charms us with her perseverance. A book that merits multiple reads!

I would like to thank Asya for finding the courage to write about her life. It was not only educational and interesting, but it helped me to realize that we can all "choose" the life we live. No one has to be a victim if they don't want to be. Also, she gives great advice in love! An inspirational book that I would recommend to any and all who love to read or love!

I really, truly enjoyed this book. It feels like Asya is sitting next to you telling her story - and she's so warm, and so honest, that you become engrossed in her tale. I picked the book up on a Friday evening, and finished it in a few hours. A great book to share with friends and family - of any age.

Imagine your mother waking you in the middle of the night with the news that everyone in your family, including yourself, would perish the very next day? That's exactly what happened to Alex Kurzem. But rather than sit idly by, helpless to the inevitable, Kurzem escaped that night, setting off on a lifelong journey of deception as a Jewish boy pretending to be a German, new name and all, of Latvian descent. After foraging in the woods for months, Kurzem was finally taken in by a group of soldiers. The tradeoff for being kept alive? Kurzem would be used as a propaganda tool, or mascot, for the Nazi Party. Only 60 years later would he ever reveal the secret to his family. Watch as Kurzem's son, Mark, pieces together his father's life. A page-turner that might be one of the best Holocaust stories ever written, if you only read one book this year, make it "The Mascot" by Mark Kurzem.

I just read this book in a one-day blue streak. I could not put it down. It will move you, amaze you, sadden you, and humble you.

Without reciting all of the details, this is a must read for people interested in understanding the Holocaust.

This book is very interesting. I rate it a must read; however, it is very slow at the beginning.

I couldn't help but think while reading of what Alex witnessed and then the ensuing childhood being raised by Nazis, the story of Moses, a Hebrew who falls into the hands of the Pharoah's daughter. He too was raised by people who slaughtered and enslaved his people. Too bad Alex has not yet connected with his Old Testament roots. Moses became a great leader and great man by God leading the Jews out of Eqypt.

There are parallels than can be drawn.

This is an exceptionally well-written book that tells an amazing story. Since other reviewers have given the details of the story, I will not rehash them. Suffice to say that Alex Kurzem's story is a good example of the terrible suffering innocent individuals have had to endure (a suffering that may even be worse than death itself) as a result of Nazi cruelty.

Some reviewers have said this book is unfair to the Latvian people and tarnishes the entire nation with the same brush. I beg to differ. I believe the author went out of his way to distinguish between those Latvians (police and troops) who committed war crimes and those Latvians who did not (such as the family that took in his father). Even with regard to Commander Lobe, whose soldiers did commit atrocities, the author is careful to indicate he can not say for certain that the commander participated in those war crimes although he may have.

It would have helped to set the stage for his story if the author had included a brief introductory chapter on the history of Latvia during World War II. Nazi Germany and the USSR divided Poland between themselves in 1939. Then, in the spring of 1940, with no pretext or justification, Stalin swallowed up the three Baltic republics of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. Naturally, the Latvians were outraged at this groundless conquest of their country and communization of their economy. Most Latvian Jews, however, were more willing to accommodate themselves to life under Soviet rule, even if it meant giving up personal property, because they felt they were now safe from the Nazis. In June 1941, however, Hitler broke his alliance with Stalin and turned on Russia. When the Nazis conquered Latvia, most Latvians saw them as liberators from the hated Russians, especially since they restored the Latvians' private property (that is, other than the Latvian Jews' property). One thing the Nazis did not restore, however, was Latvia's independence. The more thoughtful Latvians realized this. To them the Nazis may have been the lesser of the two evils, but they were still evil. Other Latvians, however, saw the Nazis as their friends, protectors and allies. This was unfortunate, and both the Latvians and the Latvian Jews ended up paying a terrible price. Close to 90 percent of all Latvian Jews were killed by the Nazis and those Latvians who made common cause with them. In addition, some Latvians even went into other countries (including Alex Kurzen's village in what is now Belarus) to help the Nazis commit their evil atrocities. Toward the end of the war, the USSR took over Latvia and annexed it. For the next 45 years the Latvians knew no freedom and the Soviets settled many Russians in their country, who live there to this day.

The Latvians should have at least tried to follow the example of the nearby Finns. The Russians also wanted to conquer Finland and as a result Finland allied itself with Nazi Germany. But the Finns fought only to regain the land Russia had taken from them and refused to participate in the Nazi invasion of Russia itself nor did they send troops to help the Nazis anywhere else. The Finns refused to harm their country's Jewish citizens nor would they turn them over to the Nazis, though Germany requested they do so many times.

As a result, the Russians grudgingly respected the Finns and did not see them as Nazi puppets or stooges. Finland therefore managed to maintain its freedom and democracy in the aftermath of World War II, though they had to remain neutral in the Cold War, so as not to offend their Russian neighbor.

The moral of the story: If a nation puts its trust in another nation to the extent that it willingly relinquishes its independence and willingly ceases to take responsibility for its actions, there will be a price to pay.

I hold in my hand a copy of the Congressional Record Vol. 144 No.1 24 Dated September 17,1998 code S10532.(i give this information for those skeptics who don't believe that I speak the truth, GO LOOK IT UP!) Senetor Patrick Moynihan adresses President Clinton. ''Jack Ratz's memoirs is an eloquent refutation to those who would dare to trivialize, distort, or even deny the Holocaust's important lessons. His book well reflects the affirmative message that Jack Ratz shares with New York City school children during his regular visits to the city classrooms. As the survivors of the Holocaust succumb to old age there are fewer and fewer eyewitnesses to this tragedy. Jack Ratz has provided an invaluable service with his moving account of the Latvian Holocaust experience.'' The record continues to print and article from the Jewish Week dated August 14, 1998. This eternal book has become part of our NY school system, being aproved by the Board of Education; and it has become a part of our US history being emblazened onto a Congressional Reocrd. A book with such powere should be in every household and as the author says, ''it is a book you can read in a day and remember for a lifetime.''

Four segments of this book detail Jack Ratz's experiences. The first three segments detail Lenta, Salspils, and Stutthof concentration camps. Another segment details the death march from Stutthof and is one of the most harrowing personal accounts of a death march that I have ever read. Jack Ratz welcomes the reader into his life with open arms and an engaging writing style.

Mr. Ratz has recorded his experiences at the hands of the Russian communist, then later Nazi invaders in Latvia starting in 1940. It is an inspirational story of survival under the most brutal conditions.

This is a well written story that is easliy read in one evening and well worth it.

You'll be able to look back after a bad day and think about what Mr. Ratz and others like him experienced during the holocaust, and realize that your day wasn't so bad after all.

This is a good book for teenager and alult to learn the truth. This book is relly sad. I hope this will never happen again it is so sad. No one should forget the holocaust. I was suppressed how they treated in the holocaust. It's important yo learn about the holocaust. During World War II the jewish Community was destroyed.

I think this is one best book because it talk about the holocaust. Some people try to forget what happen and teach their kids that it never happen. I think this is one best book. I wish that this won't happen agin but happen agin in Kosovo.

The product was in excellent shape when I received it. The book looked as if it were new and bought right off the book store shelf.

My mother escaped from Latvia in 1944. Her path to freedom, through Poland, Berlin, and Hanau, was very much like that described so well in this book. This book tells a compelling story of Mirdza. It is a must read for anyone who is interested in the Baltics, or in what life was like as a refugee during WW II. It is down to earth, highly readable, and heart warming. Once you start reading it, you can't put this book down. This book also is inspiring when life seems hard.

The Rings of My Tree is a well-told story of one young woman's journey starting in pre-WWII Latvia. We follow Jane's friend Mirdza as she is ripped from her beloved home in Liepaja (which was also my mother's home at the time the war started), is separated from family and friends, and ends up, like so many of our own family and relatives, in a Displaced Persons camp in Germany. For those of us that are Latvian, it is a familiar story. However, many Latvians of my generation, including myself, regrettably never heard the whole story from their parents, for one reason or another--most often it was because they were memories they did not want to recall, or that they simply wanted to "spare us." Still, over the years, I had gathered bits and pieces of my parents' separate experiences, and reading Mirdza's account helped me put those pieces into context and understand them better.

Regardless of what your own history is with the WWII and immigrant experience, The Rings of My Tree is well worth reading. As I mentioned, the story is familiar, and there are no great surprises--but I found peace in Mirdza's quiet strength as I read this book. Before reading Mirdza's tale, I had read book reviews that described Mirdza as submissive; I don't agree at all. She was assertive when necessary and smart enough not to make waves in the face of dire consequences, even when threatened with death. In her new home she learned how to get along for the greater good. Like all of the brave Latvians that survived the ravages of war, the camps, and then started over as immigrants in new countries, Mirdza showed great courage and tenacity. She was able to survive separation from family, countless atrocities, a bombing injury that left her with a permanent limp, and extreme prejudice from her new community after finally making it to America-ostracized as a "German" since she had arived from Germany and spoke English with an accent-all without a single trace of bitterness. To face every day anew, with quiet inner strength, required the heights of courage.

I'm writing this review from a personal perspective for a reason. I've corresponded with the author several times. Moreover, reading the book motivated me to finally sit down with my father and interview him about his experiences during and after the war. My parents had always been reluctant to talk about those times; it was just too painful. My mother passed away several years ago, and my father always looked forward to my monthly visits and loved to chat so I had a feeling he'd be ready to tell his story. He agreed, but he wasn't feeling well, so I put it off. Unfortunately, he passed away Christmas Day, 2004. Now his story will never be told. So I urge you, fellow Latvians, read this book. If you have stories of your own to tell, tell them, and if you have parents living to share their stories, have them do so while there is still time, that is, if they're at all willing.

The monsters and beasts in my childhood bedtime stories were not imaginary. They were flesh and blood and in human form, and usually they wore the uniforms of the Red Army. They marched in my parents' memories, relentless and cruel, driving them from their homes in Latvia during World War II. My parents were refugees, displaced to camps in Germany in the 1940's while awaiting sponsors for their immigration to the United States. Although I was born in the States, I have known two homes, two cultures, two languages, two histories, and the stories on which I was raised have become a part of my ethnic inheritance.

Reading Jane E. Cunningham's book about another Latvian woman's personal journey as a refugee from Latvia to the United States during the war was like hearing the stories of my parents all over again. What amazed me, however, were the accuracy of perception and a to-the-core understanding of an experience the author could not have shared. Cunningham, after all, is not Latvian. She is an Irish-American living in Connecticut, a teacher, and no closer to the Latvian experience than, well, crossing the street, as it turned out. For 45 years, Cunningham has known and befriended her neighbor, Mirdza Vaselnieks Labrencis. Now a woman in her mid-eighties, Mirdza has shared her stories about her home in Latvia and her journey to America with her most attentive neighbor, resulting in this slender but powerful book. Cunningham has even written it as a first-person account-a daring move, but one at which she was surprisingly successful. In nearly every detail and perception, the story is Mirdza's. It is also the story of most all Latvian refugees.

To survive-"where there is life, there is hope"-Mirdza undergoes a psychological shifting in her spirit and in her psyche. "Inside my still anesthetized cocoon, the soul of the self is changing. This forced-by-war metamorphosis was a lonely place to be, and yet it seemed to be a place of unconscious, unfolding change that surfaced through a new, foreign determination that surprised me. Survival is a funny thing... tied to self-respect. The greedy monster ministers of war had separated my family, killed some of my friends, issued a warrant for my life, bombed my house... raped and pillaged my country and took away the normal use of my left side... the caterpillar in my mind was losing its slow-crawling legs and I have no idea when the wings of courage developed, but there was a flapping inside of me." (pgs. 31-32)

Pushed to its limits, human nature shows its true colors and true fiber. A frightened girl emerges a strong, determined young woman, doing what she must to survive and to establish some semblance of a new life for herself. It is not in her nature to be bold, Cunningham writes of her heroine, nor is it the nature of a nation to be subjected to the depravity of war. Those who cannot adapt-die. Those who find wings and tap into a core wisdom of resilience-live. Mirdza makes a decision to live.

To survive one does what one must, sometimes shutting off the mind, other times shutting off the heart. When required, both are called back into action. Cunningham writes of Mirdza's life in German refugee camps with a compassionate honesty, never glossing over Mirdza's very human moments of weakness, but letting her moments of personal heroism quietly shine in their own illumination.

Cunningham's account of a story so far, surely, from her own as an Irish-American living in Connecticut is testimony of the ability to bridge two cultures and two very different perspectives on life to form very human bonds of friendship. This slender volume is highly recommended for anyone willing to take a moment to appreciate what makes us all different... and what makes us all the same.

An excellent book which relates very closley to my own Mother's situation, in escaping from Latvia with her Sister, Mother and Father. I felt the book was very true to the plight of all of the Baltic People and their forgotten past. A very easy and understandible read. I enjoyed it and bought copies for my siblings. Well Done!

Poker Face 2 is not only the most amazing book in my (rather large) poker library, it is also among the most impressive art books I own. Ulvis treats his subject with dignity and even-handedness, something that is seldom true in media portrayals of poker and poker players. The quotes that accompany the photos are also quite apt. The quality of the book itself is amazing. Every serious poker player should want to have one of these limited edition books on their shelf of on their coffee table.

I had never bought a poker book before purchasing this book. It was well worth the money and my wife (a non-poker player) even enjoyed the layout of pictures. The quotes provide an interesting peak into the minds of poker's elite players. It's a perfect holiday/birthday gift for a poker player or just someone interested in poker.

This is one of those very rare books that you have to pick up and look at time and time again. The photos in this award winning book range from the 1970s to 2005.

The photos from the 70s are one of a kind. When the World Series of Poker was in its infancy, Jack Binion wanted to publicize the event so he invited all of the Hollywood Photographers to shoot the event and be comped rooms and food. Only Ulvis Alberts took Jack up on his offer. Pretty much 95% of the photos you see of the World Series from the 70s were taken by Mr. Alberts.

The photographs throughout the book tell many stories. The most beautiful aspect of the photos is that they are not trying to catalog famous faces; they capture special moments in time from the famous and non famous. Shot largely in black and white film, the photos have a stunning brilliance and texture that cannot be captured by digital color. One of the most telling photographs is a pullout that captures in a series of shots, the moment someone wins their first bracelet.

This book is the sequel to the first Poker Face which if you can find a copy today; it's worth its weight in gold. Over the course of a year this book was produced in Latvia with the highest level of craftsmanship. The artistry on the hard box cover and book cover was all hand done. The commemorative metal plaque inserted on the cover was worked on by 2 people. For the last 2 years, many professional poker players have marveled over this book when it was displayed at the World Series of Poker.

I personally own 2 copies, one for display and one to keep in mint condition. My friends always flip through it when they come over. This is a definite keepsake, like a coin collection, stamp collection, or art collection. It will gain value in time, especially since there were only 2000 copies produced. There won't be Poker Face 3 because in 25 years Ulvis will not be around. He has said on many occasions that this is his last poker book. If you wanted one more reason to buy this book, if you wanted to just have one print of a photo from Ulvis, it will run somewhere between $300-500. Here you get over 300 pages of photos for $300.

In a world inundated with poker-related books and other paraphernalia, this book stands apart. Ulvis Alberts' photography captures the soul of the game in an incomparable way, and the whole package is an art book that anyone even mildly interested in the world of poker would enjoy. Famous and unknown players from the last 35 years are portrayed, and the spirit of the game emerges in every photograph.

Poker Face 2 is a must own for any poker player or fan of the game. Packaged in a beautiful hard cover, it's filled with photographic images that capture the emotions of players in the throes of one of the worlds most popular games. Shot from the years 1977 - 2005 it's a journey through the poker time machine and speaks to the unstoppable momentum that keeps this games popularity growing by leaps and bounds day by day.

Valdis Lumans' volume on Latvia in World War II provides a thorough and impartial account of that Baltic nation's experiences before, during and immediately after the war, along with an excellent bibliographic essay on the historical literature on that topic. Latvia in World War II, intended as a starting point for the literature that is sure to emerge on Latvia as result of the opening of new archival resources in the early 1990s (with the collapse of the Soviet Union), is a well-written synthesis and analysis of the secondary literature on Latvia's history during the war and an excellent resource for scholars, teachers, and members of the general public interested in eastern Europe in the 20th century.

This account of Latvia's fortunes in the war years is strengthened by Lumans' own poignant connection to Latvia and its history. Lumans' father, a former Latvian legionnaire, was declared, as were thousands of other Latvians who for various reasons fought on the German side during the war, a "displaced person" after the war and was provided refuge in the U.S., along with his family, including Lumans. The senior Lumans and many among the thousands of other exiles who settled mainly in Anglo-American countries including the U.S., Canada, Great Britain and Australia "carried with them their prewar images of Latvia," which they "passed on to their children and children's children as the latter grew up as Latvians far from Latvia." Lumans' parents brought with them a sense of nationalistic pride in and nostalgia for their homeland and its former leader Karlis Ulmanis, hatred of Stalin and the Soviet Union, and a perception of Hitler and the Nazis as liberators of Soviet- occupied Latvia. It was not until Lumans entered college at the University of Florida that he gained a new perspective on events in the Baltic States during the war, and his interest and determination to, as he puts it, reconcile myth and reality, was a factor in his decision to take on this scholarly endeavor.

Latvia in World War II begins with an overview of Latvia and its cultural, political and economic history from the 12th to the 20th centuries. Latvia's relationship with Russia and Germany after World War I is covered in this chapter, and the conflicted nature of those relationships is captured in a song sung by Latvian soldiers, "We'll beat those Reds, and after that the Blue-Grays [Germans]." The struggle to clearly identify their national enemies continued into the World War II era and beyond. Lumans describes the newly independent country's armed forces, foreign policy and relationship with its neighbors in the early 20th century, and makes clear that what Latvians desired above all else was to "be left alone to follow its own destiny."

A year after Hitler took power in Germany, Latvia also moved from a democratic to autocratic model with a coup that brought Karlis Ulmanis to power. The Ulmanis dictatorship lasted six years, until the Soviets occupied the country in 1940. The era was characterized by imprisonment of political enemies, censorship of the press (which led to Latvian ignorance of the growing threat of Soviet and German aggression), economic centralization (and "Latvianization"), and repression of minorities. Ulmanis' economic and political priorities did not include support of the military, and therefore the country found itself unprepared as World War II loomed. Further, military leaders and civilians alike had difficulty determining which country posed the greater threat to the tiny nation: the Soviet Union or Germany.

The next few chapters of Latvia in World War II describe the manner in which Latvia became a victim of both Soviet and German aggression and political maneuvering as World War II broke out. Even though Latvia attempted to maintain its neutrality, Hitler's ambitions for Eastern Europe, his pact with Stalin, and the Soviets' determination to control the Baltic region meant Latvians had little control over their own destiny. Ulmanis and members of the Latvian Cabinet allowed the Soviets to occupy the country in 1940 without a fight, which, as Lumans points out, was also the response of other European leaders faced with the "threat of overwhelming force." By summer 1940 the Soviets had put a government in place, and Latvia became the 14th Soviet republic in the USSR.

Among the strengths of Latvia in World War II are Lumans' detailed descriptions of daily life in Soviet- and German-occupied Latvia. By clearly describing Sovietization, for instance, the reader gains a more thorough understanding of the dramatic changes and tremendous difficulties Latvians endured under both periods of Soviet control of Latvia. Under Soviet rule during 1940 and 1941 (the "Year of Terror") Latvians endured economic restructuring, political imprisonments and executions, deportations to Soviet GULAGs, and outright murders. It is no wonder that some Latvians saw the German invasion of summer 1941 as the arrival of the liberators. Others, on the other hand, fled the Germans and went to Russia.

Under German occupation (mid-1941 to mid-1944), Nazi leaders' competing interests meant that Latvians' desire to once again become independent were encouraged by Germany while at the same time Germany milked the country for military personnel and other resources. Worse, as result of German occupation thousands of Latvians were deported, put in concentration camps or lost their lives in other ways. Lumans addresses the difficult issues of Latvian complicity in Nazi efforts not only to dominate Europe but to eradicate minorities, including Jews. At the same time, he guides the reader through the complexities of Latvian social and political goals during the war, making clear that Latvians' actions were motivated by a variety of objectives and/or fears. The excellent chapter on Latvia and the Holocaust could stand alone, useful for example as student readings in courses on 20th century Europe, World War II, or other European or world history classes.

Lumans' expertise on Germany during World War II and the Nazi military machine no doubt contributes to the strength of the chapters on the Latvian Legion and other Latvian military actions during the war. The detailed chapters on the role of Latvians in service to the German and Soviet causes and as partisans underscore the diverse perspectives and allegiances held by Latvians during the war. Thousands of Latvian military men died in battle, many of them convinced that service to the German cause would guarantee an independent Latvia in the future.

As the Soviet army forced a German retreat in 1944 and 1945, Latvia once again became a pawn to larger nations' ambitions, and the Soviets reoccupied the country, once again annexing it into the Soviet Union. When the war was officially over in Europe in 1945, Latvians saw no reason to celebrate, for they were now at the mercy of another conquering force, one that most Latvians considered far worse than the Germans. With the war's end, the Baltic States were among the few countries whose pre-war independent status was not restored.

Rather than returning them to Latvia and sure punishment by the Soviets, the U.S. declared hundreds of thousands of former members of the Latvian Legion and other Latvians held by the Allies to be Displaced Persons and given refuge in other countries. Lumans offers an engaging discussion of the issue of culpability and criminality on the part of Latvians, as well as the steps that led to decisions about the fate of Latvian laborers, refugees and former soldiers who were part of the Latvian Diaspora. Latvia once again became independent with the collapse of the Soviet Union in the last 20th century, and Lumans describes the challenges this nation faces as result of a dramatically altered population, economy, environment and culture.

This is a particularly well-researched and written volume that is accessible to a broad audience. Lumans' style is engaging and his provision and analysis of sources on Latvia in the war years is a treasure to scholars of World War II and Twentieth-century European history in general.

This book gives an incredibly detailed description of Latvia in World War II, but includes events immediately preceding the war and those that briefly follow. The text is very well organized and has pages and pages of endnotes. Anyone who has heritage from Latvia -or Estonia and Lithuania- and is interested in this critical period of Latvian history, would find this book about as informative as anything available in English.

This is a very interesting book, particularly for those of us not overly familiar with the Baltic states during this period. That area of Europe is not normally in the forefront for most Americans interested in the continent's history, and this book helps bring it into clearer focus. Since I am typical in that sense, it is helpful in understanding the tragedy of those smaller countries trapped between Germany and the Soviet Union before and during the war.

I know the author personally and find his treatment of the subject to be fair and interesting. I would recommend it to those interested in this area.


If there is any criticism to be directed at this book, perhaps it could be said that more familiarization with the area of the Baltics might help the general reader grasp the material more easily.

Latvia is a small country on the Baltic that has the disadvantage of being a tiny country inbetween two giant and agressive military powers, Germany and Russia. After having a very difficult time during World War I, Latvia became as an independent country in 1921.

Latvia attempted to remain neutral during World War II, but in 1940 Latvia was occupied by Russia. In 1941 the Germans came and established a puppet regime that acted in their normal manner executing large numbers, including some 70,000 jews and forcing others into German military service. In 1944 the Russians came back through driving out the Germans only to begin their own reign of terror which was to last for fifty years.

This is a supurbly researched description of a small part of the life in a small segment of the Eastern front during the war.

It appears that this publisher is beginning to publish a series of books on the actions of individual countries during the Second World War. If this is true, it is to be welcomed since this book on Latvia and a companion book on France are excellent.

And Then There Was One... is a historical memoir covering the era from 1910 t o 1945. Author Michael Stone was born in Latvia in 1910, grew up in Moscow, relocated to Berlin with his family to escape the Communist Revolution, and emigrated to the United States when the Nazis emerged to take control. And Then There Was One... is a riveting personal saga that spans nations, and offers a very personal view of cataclysmic events that reshaped human history and the world. Enhanced with an appendix, bibliography, and index, And Then There Was One... is highly recommended reading.

(...)Twentieth century lives are often studies in chaos, disruption, and just one damned thing after another. For Michael Stone, born in 1910, it's a century of the murder of Jews and of coming to America and having the freedom to build a successful life. But a successful and culture life was Stone's in Latvia, born into a family of prosperous entrepreneurs. Memories, experiences, fascinating bits of information—The Cotton Club, speeches in Columbus Circle, in the Latvian army, upbringing, siblings and parents, and meeting European men and women who, through their experiences, would define the times. But also there is the malady of the century: the Nazi murder of Jews. A horrifying depiction of the roundup of the Jews of Riga: "Those actions were representative of a number of carefully planned acts of extermination of Jews, not only in various cities in Latvia, but also in other parts of Nazi-occupied regions in Europe." And the terrible personal experiences of Stone. "My initial reaction to being transferred from the hands of the Gestapo to the regular, green-uniformed police calmed me a bit." In an important sense, this is a modern American life: coming from war-torn Europe, a man prospers but remembers, for future generations, the terrible things done in Europe. And it is a history of all of Europe as that history affected poor, helpless people. Stone remembers in a thoughtful, scrupulously detailed way: And Then There Was One is a clearheaded and instructive memoir, related with passion, and with enormous sorrow(...)

Unlike traditional history books, which are written many years after events have actually occurred, this unusual book tells of the cataclysmic world events of the the first half of the last century from the perspective of one who was there. The reader will get a graphic description of the different cultures, customs and events as they then existed.

There are not many people today who can say that they were acctually present in Moscow when the Bolshevic revolution was unfolding. Michael Stone was there. In this meticulously researched volume, Mr. Stone vividly describes how he survived the bloody two-year civil war when his mother was brutally killed. He goes on to describe his family's flight from Russia to the Weimar Republic. He provides a first-hand account of the World War II from the German perspective. Mr. Stone writes with passion about his experience of being arrested by the Gestapo on charges of high treason, which carried a mandatory sentence of decapitation (He was ultimately pardoned by Hermann Goering, personally!) We are fortunate that Mr. Stone, who was thrust into the middle of the century's greatest historic events, survived to preserve the truth from his unique perspective.

This is a must read for all history buffs.

How Dark the Heavens is a valuable resource of historical information on the Holocaust, and an authentic recollection by a survivor. It is unique, in that this book pulls the reader into the story as would a novel.

the author writes in a "detached" style.I guess that is the only way he could recount these horrible experiences inposed upon him by subhumans. It is a superb diary.

Perhaps you, like I, at times wonder of what stuff you are made. In a truly horrible situation, would you do what it right at all cost? Would you have the inner fortitude to persistently march forward, to place your life at risk for the good of others? Often, and sadly, I suspect I would not; but, my ego hopes I would. Lithuania might be an unfamiliar name to you. But, this true story invites you to join the author in his nightmarish run from the Nazis during World War II. You'll know what it is like to be suddenly wrenched from your home, country and family by the pursuit of others out to exterminate you, simply because you happen to be in the way. In his flight, the author chooses paths of moral and physical courage, in order to preserve meaning for his life. Would I have joined him? Or would I have given up? What about you? Here's a chance to "test your stuff," at least in the safe pages of a good read.

A beautifully written account.
A story of courage and determination and a legacy for all mankind. Read it.

I absolutely recommend this book. i read it in one day and could not put it down. Maja writes so honestly, elegantly and so beautifully. she's keeps it simple and straight forward. i recommend this book to anyone of any age. i am so proud that she had the courage and strength to write about her experiences because it is imperative that we do not forget about the atrocities of the Holocaust. it took a lot of will-power and she has surely made her family and friends proud.
we are so proud of you granny.
love your grandchildren.

A moving and informational account of a young Latvian girl during WWII. Her memories of the Holocaust are alive with detail, and her courage and spirit are inspiring. Highly reccommend.

Found out about the book - People to People, Poland - by accident. Before we left England on a tramp steamer I phoned a fellow mentioned in the book from Gdansk who offered such hospitality to my self and my friend. We were accepted as guests by his family for two days. Without the book we wouldn't have met some splendid people and wouldn't have had our eyes opened to their warmth and generosity. This experience has been repeated time and again.

I knew I would be going to Lithuania for a dance festival that occurs every 4 years. This was the first time (in 1994) since the country was returned to freedom from behind the Iron Curtain. It was also the first time my mother returned after 50 years! I picked a few people from different cities based on a few characteristics listed in the book: age, what they like to do, and how much Enlish they knew (my Lithuania is quite basic). My longest pen-pal, now friend, have been corresponding for years. She invited me to stay in her empty flat for all three weeks! She even met us at the airport when we arrived with an armload of flowers - a big tradition in the eastern bloc countries. She showed us many places, we met with her family, we went to her beach house on the opposite side of the country. I visited other people I met in the book in other towns. One person gave me ideas of places to go, another I met in the town where my mother grew up. My mother and I met up with some relatives of ours in other towns, went driving to many smaller places and really learned a lot about how life has changed since the forties, and since the Soviets were driven out. I picked people who from their 20s to their 40s. One was an artist, one a translator, a student, a newspaper writer, a homemaker, and a teacher. Two did not write back, but I made many friends a learned a lot about the people of Lithuania and how they lived. To me, that is more important than sitting in a hotel room, or taking a bus tour; it is the people who make up a country. This book provides a way for People to meet People. I highly recommend it, or others in this series. Poland is next for me.