Europe Books

Having spent quite a bit of time in Provence I love to grab this book and go back there, remembering all the times and meals. Creating dishes from this book really helps me to enjoy Provence all over again.

I was a little suspicious of the series. After all, should we trust a book more suitably sized for the coffee table than for the kitchen counter? But my mistrust was misguided. The food is wonderful. All people have assumptions about "others," and one of the assumptions Americans make about the French is that their food is very difficult to prepare and relies on expensive ingredients. The truth is that French food need not be difficult and that it is a cuisine that recognizes the beauty of each season. Since my children bought this book for me, we have been building seasonal rituals around it. For example, we get salt anchovies from the neighborhood Italian deli for our Christmas eve appetizer. At Mardi Gras, we make the oreilles found in this book, which are the pastries sold as "pig's ears" or "angel wings" in the last days before Lent by Polish bakeries in Detroit. Depending on the bakery, they were known as "pig's ears" or "angels wings." My only criticism of the book is that I feel the need to keep it open in the dining room, lest kitchen grease spoils it.

"Provence, The Beautiful Cookbook" by Richard Olney is a beautiful coffee table book filled with exquisite views and mouth-watering authentic dishes from this region of France.

Every time I look through this book, I feel like I am on an actual journey to Provence. And each time, I close this book, I feel a strong yearning to actually see this part of France with my own eyes!

This book is divided into food chapters, like most cookbooks, but also, there are chapters about different areas within this region: Alpes-Maritimes; Soups and Starters; Alpes-de-Haute-Provence; Fish and Shellfish; Vaucluse; Meat, Poultry and Gram; Bouches-du-Rhone; Vegetables and Grains; Var; and Desserts.

A wonderful book for lovers of Provence!

I like this book, but it does point out one weakness in Provencal cooking...a slight lack of variety. There are multiple gratin recipes, good fish dishes, etc. It also doesn't shy away from organ meats, etc., much like the region itself. Like all the books in this visually stunning series, this one has lovely photography.

French born and 4th generation provençale, I take pride in the cuisine from my homeland and I have to confess I was a little wary about what I would find in this book. Well, the authors did a wonderful job at promoting the gastronomic traditions of Provence without betraying them. My grand-mother, our family's head-cook, and our culinary inspiration would have given her seal of approval without hesitation, would she have been around to discover this wonderful recipe collection and it is with her and my homeland in mind that I enjoy preparing the recipes featured in this excellent collection for my own enjoyment and the one of my (American) husband and our friends.

To help my son do the PT 109 Next Generation video series, we read a lot of PT 109 books. After PT 105 was mentioned in the Ballard book, we bought this one. It has much more information about the boats, and how they worked, and combat stories. He explains the plight of one boat that abandoned ship, and had to cling two one of the inadequate life rafts that didn't even have a proper bottom. You could hold onto it, but not sit in it. There is a nice chart of the layout of the boat. Very interesting to read that the boats could do 50 knots if they had to, or fight their way right up against japanese docks to rescue people. Funniest thing was the story that PT boats had no armour - except around the refrigerator after a few got shot up. People could be replaced, but not the refrigerator which was the only way to get a cold drink. He also tells the story of a PT boat which HAD radar, but nearly got run over as they were trying to figure out the position of the ship on the blasted @#$% radar set. It's not a very long book and can be read in sections quite nicely. He also tells at the end about how he was sent to pick up survivors marked by a PBY only to find they were Japanese, and was chewed out for picking them up and dropping them off at the Army. One of these prisoners grabbed a gun and shot one of the PT 109 survivors. After the war, he would be contacted by some of these Japanese ex-prisoners who thanked him for their lives.

This book is very well written. I am no expert on PT boats, but I have read many presonal accounts of WW2. This book is one of the best! In PT 105 Dick Keresey speaks to the reader in such a manner that you feel as though you are sitting across the table listening to him tell you his story. I recomend this book to anyone who enjoys fist hand accounts of the second world war.

I'm an American living in The Philippines and have read numbers of books about this time period during WWII. I found Mr. Keresey's book very interesting as it dealt with day to day lives of the PT crews and the day to day "routines" which were both dangerous and challenging. You centainly got the feeling that the battles we won in the war had major elements of ingenuity combined with technology and superiority. I haven't read a book before on the Pacific campaign that showed how great a part ingenuity played in keeping PT boats and weapons operating during the war. This isn't a book about any one great battle but just how these men did their duty and survived. It is well written and phased to keep your interest throughout the book. I would recommend it to anyone with an interest on WWII in the Pacific.

An excellent story on an interesting subject. Please also read "Devil Boats" and "Lt. Meredith, PT Boat Officer" for some other tales of PT Boat action. All are 5 star...

Although the author is my grandfather, i can honestly say that this book would still have been my favorite personal WWII account even had i never known the man. But since i do know him, i can say that he writes just like he tells stories -- candid, un-embellished, interesting, and highly entertaining. I highly recommend the book and my only complaint is probably the only complaint you'll have if you read it -- that it's over too quickly.

'The Rescue' is a must read.The author presents a very detailed look at many aspects of life in the Philippines during the Japanese occupation.From sugar cane farmers,allied prisoners,the resistance,americans hideing in the jungle,life aboard a US submarine just to name a few & ties it all together at the end of the book.It reads like a novel but is all fact.The research is incredible. I have read dozens & dozens of WW2 books,this ranks near the top!!Don't miss this one!!!

I've read dozens of books of the era of World War Ii that this book covers - the Philippines - and this one has to be the best. I like the first person stories but they are only about one man's (or woman's) point of view. Steven Trent Smith tells the story of several different groups of people trying to escape capture by the Japanese. It's as exciting and fascinating as any made-up story as the missionaries and the POWs and the businessmen all prepare, with the help of Filipinos, to meet the U.S. Navy submarine so they can be rescued. I don't know when I couldn't put down a true history book but this one this one kept me up very late at night until I knew those folks were safely in Australia. Some of the facts are a little suspect but nothing that makes a difference in the story. If someone wants to read only one book about the tragic situation in the Philippines during World War II, this one is it.

Author Smith has combined three almost independent stories, that of those rescued from the Japanese on the Philippine Island Negros, the saga of the submarine Crevalle which affects the rescue and the aftermath of the survivors' stories and the historic events of the Battle of the Philippine Sea, influenced by the secret documents spirited away by the submarine during the rescue. Smith richly details the lives and living conditions of 40 Americans who become trapped on Negros by the Japanese invasion of the Philippines after their attack on Pearl Harbor. He follows them as conditions worsen, ultimately causing the survivors to move further and further into the jungles. Some become involved in the Philippine resistance movement, and well documented and dramatic stories of heroism and sacrifice by these men, women and children abound. In time General Douglas MacArthur orders the rescue of these Americans and the Crevalle becomes the focus. The details of the cooperation between the US Navy, the Philippine resistance forces and the survivors leading to the dramatic rescue make for great reading. On a parallel track are events culminating in the crash landing on the east coast of Negros of a Japanese aircraft containing two very senior Admirals and the "Z" Plan for the Japanese conquest of American forces in the Pacific. Through a series of brave actions by Philippinos and Americans, the Z Plan eventually is recovered and liberated, along with the American survivors, by the Crevalle. The book culminates with the Battle of the Philippine Sea (The Great Marianas Turkey Shoot), greatly influenced on both sides by the Z Plan, negatively for the Japanese and positively for the Americans. The book concludes by bringing the reader up to date on the subsequent lives of the key figures described throughout the book. This book is a great read, rich with history, full of heroic actions and giving a unique insight into events of enormous import in the individual lives of ordinary people caught up in an extraordinary time.

Stephen Trent Smith's "The Rescue" is not only a spellbinding account of the rescue of forty American civilians and soldiers from the Japanese-occupied Phillipines, but also a splendid terse look at the Pacific U. S. submarine campaign and the last decisive battle between Japanese and American naval forces; the Battle of the Phillipine Sea, more popularly known as the "Great Marianas Turkey Shoot". Smith possesses both a great photojournalist's eye for detail and the ability to write a gripping thriller; more often than not, "The Rescue" comes across as a well written World War Two espionage thriller. Smith describes one of the most exciting rescues of people trapped behind enemy lines during World War Two and succinctly places it in context within the overall war aims of both Japanese and American naval and general staffs as both sought air and sea superiority over the other. I strongly recommend this fine book as one of the best recently published histories of World War II. I look forward to yet another fine book from Steven Trent Smith on the still largely untold story of American and Filipino resistance to the Japanese occupation of the Phillipines.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It makes what we see on shows like "Survivor" trivial trash. That said I offer the following comment in the spirit of constructive criticism.

More care should have been taken in research and/or being critically reviewed by a knowledgeable individual. The text (pg 284) mentions the Japanese carrier Zuikaku as being sunk in the Battle of the Philippine Sea. Try getting sunk off Cape Engano later in the year. Also stated (pg 283) was the Shokaku as being "the last remaining from the fleet that had struck Pearl Harbor." The Zuikaku was. Incorrect also (pg 288) is the claim that two escort carriers were sunk by naval gunfire off Samar. I believe only the Gambier Bay was sunk in that manner. U.S.S St Lo went down due to a kamikaze strike. I am only a casual reader of history and found these errors. Anyone who puts out a book on historical events should take rigorous action to ensure accuracy. I seem to be finding more and more books coming out with errors which distract from the holy grail of historical fact.

My wife and I went to Croatia and Slovenia in September 2007. This was an excellent guide. We loved the fact that it was completely up to date

I was in Montenegro for business and took a 3-day trip to see Dubrovnik. This guidebook was excellent for seeing the town. You don't need any other guidebook. Additionally, it was perfect for touring the "Bay of Kotor" area of Montenegro, which is a popular day-trip from Dubrovnik.

I have used several guide books for each international trip and Rick Steves always has the most useful information for someone looking for a fun but affordable trip. He picks the best values for the money, and always knows where the locals go. The best was a little cafe in Aix en Provence where we went for lunch, and as we were sitting, Rick Steves walked by with his film crew, so we all ran out and had him sign our Rick Steves' Provence books!

Rick Steves knows Europe and how to convey his insightful comments in an entertaining way. I read the book cover to cover without being bored or inundated with any useless data....everything was relevant. Highly recommended.

I used Rick Steve's throughout Germany and Belgium and his tips and recommendations were spot on. We are now planning a trip to Italy and Croatia and I am once again, using his money & time saving tips, and recommendations on where to stay.

If you want to be simply a tourist, then Rick Steve's is not for you. If you want to truly experience a culture and have a great time then use his book.

While this guide does have loads of information, I did not find the description of the accomodations to be particularly accurate. And after a day of driving and/or sightseeing, I do appreciate comfort and expect it if it's been foretold.

I took 3 books to Scotland -- Rough Guide, Frommer's, Fodor's (all 2004) and this was clearly the best. It was bigger and had more detail than the other's which was very useful when travelling 2200 miles around the country and wondering what there was to do or where to eat while in transit between planned stops. Rough Guide had lots of interesting things to do and places to visit in areas where the other two books had nothing. Fodor's and Frommer's tended to be more opinionated which was sometimes useful and I did find a good accommodation from Fodor's one night, but if I was only to take one book, it was clearly Rough Guide.

In travelling through Scotland this summer, I found this book invaluable in pointing out important places to visit. Particularly impressive was the way it would imply avoiding certain sections and areas of the country, but never denigrating anything. It is a thorough guide for the whole country, and I found it's analysis interesting and thought provoking. It also makes a good read when you are not even travelling. This is an outstanding book, without question.

This was my fourth Rough Guide, and was perhaps the best of them all. It contains an incredible amount of detail on all sorts of historical monuments, large and small. This guide helped make my trip to Scotland perhaps the best of my vacations. Highly recommended.

Circumstances permitted us only a one-week visit to Scotland, and this book helped us make every day full and enjoyable. It led us to out-of-the-way places we never would have found on our own. Its straightforward descriptions made it easy to choose among several options in any area that we traveled through.

Thus we found Innerperfray Library with its librarian, Mr. Powell, and his entertaining personal tour, walks in the woods of Glen Coe and Loch Leven, the slate quarry at Ballachulish, the island of Inchmahome and the ruins of Inchmahome Abbey, a cruise in a small boat along unspoiled Loch Shiel, Doune Castle (where an anxious crew was shooting a TV commercial), and dinner with excellent food in pleasant surroundings - and way off the beaten track - at An Crann, in Balavie, near Fort William.

The book's listings of accommodations, however, seem more for the hardy. We found reasonably priced and comfortable hotels through local tourist offices, for which the book also provides contact information.

My father-in-law served with Easy company. His name was Loring "Spike" Wadsworth. If you've seen the opening part of "Saving Private Ryan", it is hard to imagine that anyone had it scarier than those guys on that beach. Until you hear the stories of the men at Pointe-du-Hoc. And then to think that there were one or two battles further in that some of these Rangers felt were even worse! Spike was proud of the 2nd Bn., and the men loved Rudder and would have followed him into the very jaws of Hell; which is in essence what they did. My father-in-law and his comrades inspired me to serve my own enlistment in the Army, and he was mighty proud at my service. Coming from a hero who served with Rudder's Rangers, his pride in me meant more than any service award or medal I ever got. Spike died shortly after attending the 50th anniversary of D-day. Read this book. You will be awed by the strength and guts of these men. I have had the priviledge of having known one of them. Rangers lead the way!

As a 5th Battalion Ranger reading Ron Lane's true story, memories of the first days of the Normandy invasion come alive as if they happened yesterday.

As the 2nd and 5th Ranger Bns. interacted on many missions of WWII, this vividly written account of the assault on the French beaches - and the awesome task of gaining a foothold from which to advance into Europe - brings that time alive to all Rangers.

Lt. Col. Ronald Lane captures the emotions and pride of all of us, as he sees that time through the eyes of those he interviewed for his book. As a later Airborne Ranger in Viet Nam, he better understands and narrates the stories of the WWII Rangers and relates them so realistically that they are absorbing and meaningful to soldiers and civilians alike. In this book, you will put yourself into the body of each Ranger making history at that time. USER-LOCATION: REVIEW: As a 5th Battalion Ranger reading Ron Lane's true story, memories of the first days of the Normandy invasion come alive as if they happened yesterday.

As the 2nd and 5th Ranger Bns. interacted in many missions of WWII, this vividly written account of the assault on the French beaches - and the awesome task of gaining a foothold from which to advance into Europe - brings that time alive to all Rangers.

Lt. Col. Ronald Lane captures the emotions and pride of all of us, as he sees that time through the eyes of those he interviewed for his book. As a later Airborne Ranger in Viet Nam, he better understands and narrates the stories of the WWII Rangers and relates them so realistically that they are absorbing and meaningful to soldiers and civilians alike. In this book, you will put yourself into the body of each Ranger making history at that time. END

I am a 1st cousin of Ronald Lane. Ronald passed away just a couple of years ago. He was laid to rest in Arlington Cemetary with full military honors. In attendance were some of the orignal Rudder's Rangers. Ron was retired from the army. He also graduated from West Point. I read the book. I am proud to be part of his remaining family, and very proud of his work!

I found this to be an excellent and authoritative book with detailed accounts of the 2nd Rangers on D-Day. I know a number of Rangers veterans who recommended this book to me as a well written and accurate account. This is by far one of the best D-Day books I have in my growing collection. If you are a D-Day buff, then I recommend it to you without hesitation. Your D-Day collection will be incomplete without it!

From the very start of this book, you're pulled in. You're on the English Channel with the young, brave, terrified Rangers as they make their way towards Omaha Beach. You'll hear the whine of the Landing craft engines. You'll watch as the men struggle to keep their landing craft afloat, or as they sink helplessly to the bottom with all their heavy gear, drowned before their mission really started. You'll recoil from the geysers of water shooting into the air from German artillery. You'll duck - knowing it's futile, that once you hear it, it's already past you - as bullet after bullet pings off your craft. It's an incredible ride, and an incredible story. "Saving Private Ryan" was fictionalized, but the first thirty minutes of that movie realistically portrayed the horrors of that day. Read this book to find out the rest of the story, from the men who were there. One of the main persons in this story is Leonard "Bud" Lomell, who has a chapter in the "Heroes" section of Tom Brokaw's best seller, "The Greatest Generation." If you're hungry to find out more about him and the rest of his Ranger buddies - all heroes in my eyes - read this book!

For an autobiography, constrained to stick to what actually happened or was lived, the second world war is as dramatic a context as you can get. I have little previous exposure to books about personal experiences of the second world war, but I think what sets this book apart is the slowness & indirectness of experiencing the war & the inevitable & visceral destruction it brings.

Brandenburg tells a very involved & nuanced story without ever bordering on the dramatic. She shows remarkable poise & a wonderful eye for detail without losing herself in any kind of literary embellishments. She tells the story of growing up with a lovely peasant family in East Prussia, its hard life demanding discipline, the Germans trading freedom for security post first world war, Hitler's deep penetration into the social & psychological realms of Germany, the initial victories, the never-ending war with Russia, the eventual retreats, & the German defeat.

In between all this are woven tales of growing up, marriages, jealousies, betrayals, cowardice, fear & suspense. And inevitably, there is death. Yes, there is hope at the end, & yes, there is rejuvenation. But those remain very lame consolations for what is lost, for what is learned, & for what is lived.

Perhaps, if Brandenburg had experienced the war as an adult, there might have been more complex experiences & analysis; however, this book remains ultimately about what is lost.

S!

I recently finished the book Ruined by the Reich. Its a compelling story of a firsthand account of a families anguish. When Christel speaks of her harrowing ordeals you can visualize everything that she is going through. A detailed outlook of the effects of war on all individuals involved.I would love to see this book made into a movie. Dan Laing is an excellent writer and Christel Weiss is a wonderful story teller.

I JUST FINISHED READING, RUINED BY THE REICH. THIS WAS
A FASCINATING STORY, AND YET VERY SAD. I DON'T THINK
MOST OF US EVER THOUGHT ABOUT THE GERMAN PEOPLE SUFFERING.
THAT POOR GIRL. THE WRITING WAS SO DISTINCT, I FELT IT
WHEN CHRISTEL WAS COLD AND I FELT STARVED WHEN SHE DIDN'T
GET ENOUGH TO EAT. POOR CHRISTEL IS IN OUR PRAYERS.

I HOPE THESE TWO WHO HAVE COLLABORATED SO WELL, ARE
WORKING ON A SCREEN PLAY.

THIS WAS SO VERY WELL TOLD. POOR CRYSTEL IS IN OUR PRAYERS.

The beauty of this story is in the details. What was eaten for breakfast; her first doll; the logistics of evacuating - of loading your possessions and food onto a wagon hitched to a horse in the days before refrigeration and styrofoam coolers. Yes, this story is a tragedy, be prepared to have your heartstrings pulled but intermingled are the happy events such as finding an abandoned cow, hiding it and tasting milk again.The characters are real and the reader cannot help himself from empathizing with the whole village.

After reading Ruined by the Reich it brought to light that everyone suffers during and after war. Unfortunately, to this point, the view of Germans has always been that the whole population were Nazis. From this book we realize that such is not the case and that Germans also encountered horrible and unspeakable acts of terror in their own country. It's important to understand that there are two sides to every story and thanks to the vivid recount by Dan Laing and the strength of Christel Weiss Brandeburg we are presented with the entire picture.

This is an excellent book. It is a great place to start. Having said that, there is nothing like having a good Western Martial Arts instructor though.

This is an excellent interpretation of Ringeck's manual. It offers clear concise instruction, guiding the reader and practitioner towards a very good understanding of the German Longsword combat system. Excellent read. The glossary alone is exceptional, explaining common and relatively obscure terms in comprehensible language.

This is David Lindholm in a subject he knows and masters. The book is well written and concise, the illustrations and interpretations sound and easy to grasp. An excellent addition to any WMA library.

Well presented and thought out. We use this manual in our sword class.

I have been studying historical longswordsmanship for more than 7 years now and I can only wish this book had been around the whole while. I began studying Ringeck several years back and have only recently felt as though I have really grasped the elegance of the Liechtenhauer style. This book is perfect for cementing your basic concepts and for clearing up most questions a practitioner might have and hasn't been able to answer through their own experimentation. Beginners should probably find a teacher or at least a competent study group/partner to really get what they can out of this book, however this is the best I've seen for one to start cold with. Also, I have read Tobler's book and though I really appreciate the work he did and is doing (and definitely refer to his book from time to time)... I personally see higher quality of interpretation in this work.

In the book "Someone named Eva" you are in the point of a young girl in Lidice named Milalda. She receives a telescope for her birthday from her father because she loves the stars. One day she and her family are captured by Nazi soldiers and sent to a camp. She looses contact with her mother and father. Then after learning bout German history and learning to speak German, she is sent to a German family.

The genre of this book is Realistic Fiction. She was not a real girl, but many girls were captured and given to German families like her. The setting of this book was mainly in a training facility in Puschkau, Poland. Also, it was also set in Lidice, Czechoslovakia and Berlin, Germany.

The theme of this book is to never forget who you are. When Nazi soldiers captured Milalda, her name was changed to Eva. Even though she was a different person, she would still remember who she is by touching Babichka's pin.

The conflict of this book is that Eva wants to get back to her family. She wants to leave the training facility and go back home to Lidice to live with her parents and her friends. She also wants the Nazi soldiers to leave Czechoslovakia.

I liked the part were Eva receives a telescope from her father for her birthday. Another part I liked was when Eva disobeys the camps rules and goes outside to look at the stars, so she can remember who she is. I disliked the part when Eva and her mother got sent to two different camps and get split apart from each other.

I've read quite a bit of historical fiction set in Nazi Europe, but SOMEONE NAMED EVA by Joan M. Wolf takes a look at a part of World War II that I never knew about. Eva is really Milada - a young Czech girl who has blond hair and blue eyes that allow her to pass as a German. The Nazis raid her village and steal her from her family; they take her name, her language, and her very identity in an attempt to remake her into one of them.

This book is beautifully written, and I simply ached for Milada, renamed Eva, every time I turned a page. Wolf does an incredible job portraying this time period and writes with a sensitivity that allows us to understand how a young Czech girl could feel herself slipping into another identity.

The characters in this historical novel seem painfully real, and the author's extensive research, which took her to Czechoslovakia in search of her roots, is evident throughout the book. The author's note explains how that research is woven into the novel, though it never feels like you're being fed facts while you're reading. No matter how much you've read about the Holocaust, you'll come away with a new perspective. Mostly, though, your heart will break for Eva.

Joan Wolf's debut novel provides a unique perspective on a much-written-about chapter in world history. More than that, though, it provides readers with a heartbreaking and thought provoking journey through the human spirit - at its best and at its worst. SOMEONE LIKE EVA is a poignant book about survival, redemption, holding on, and remembering who you are.

Do you know what happened to girls classified as a perfect aryan child during World War II? After reading the book Someone Named Eva, by Joan M. Wolf, I found out! This book is about a Czechoslivakian girl named Milada and her family. She lives in Lidice, Czechoslovakia with her mother, father, brother, sister and grandmother. One night the Nazis come into her home and take her family and her neighbors to their school gym. Once there, Milada is inspected and is taken away from her family and friends. She is sent to a Lebensborn center in Poland. When she arrives, she finds the other girls have blond hair and blue eyes. In the center, the girls are taught how to be the perfect citizen. They are given new German names. Milada becomes known as Eva. After a few years in the center the girls are each adopted into a German family as they are the hope of Germany's future. Throughout this book Milada must do as her grandmother said; "Always remember who you are, Milada. Remember where you are from. Always". Can she remember? I give this book 5 stars! It had detailed writing and was an awesome book! Read Someone Named Eva to find out what happens to Milada.

Don't blink or you'll miss it. The arrival of a noteworthy work of historical fiction for kids tends to work one of two ways. Either the marketing machine behind the book hits bookstores and libraries full-force, cramming said book down everyone's throats until they yield and make it a bestseller/award winner... or nothing happens at all. The book slips onto shelves without so much as a squeak, never insisting that anyone go out of their way to find it. "Someone Named Eva" belongs firmly in the latter camp. It's small and subtle and extraordinarily good. The kind of WWII children's fiction other authors should look to emulate, given the chance.

Eleven-year-old Milada remembers the night. The night when there was pounding on the door and Nazis in her Czechoslovakian home. The night when her grandmother pressed a garnet pin into her hand and told her to never forget who she was. But since that time Milada had a difficult time keeping that promise. Having been forcibly removed from her family and taken to a bizarre Nazi-run girl's school, Milada quickly learns the reason for her presence in the Lebensborn center; her shiny golden hair and bright blue eyes. Renamed Eva, Milada is part of a system intent upon turning her into a "good" German citizen. The kind of place where she can be taught the evils of the Jews, the glory of Hitler, and the joys of being adopted into a real German family's home. Based on events following the destruction of Lidice, Czechoslovakia, author Joan Wolf tells of the real Lebensborn center in Poland, the crimes it committed against an untold number of girls during WWII, and what it takes to stay true to your heritage.

Did you notice something? Read the summary again. That's right. We're dealing with a WWII children's book that doesn't focus primarily on Jewish children. Not that there's anything wrong with more Holocaust novels, of course. They're often quite stunning. Just the same, there are an awful lot of them out there. So much so, in fact, that when I picked up this book and looked at the cover I decided on the plot immediately. Something along the lines of, "Ah. Here is a book about a blond Jewish child who passes as Christian so that she won't be sent to the concentration camps with her family." I was more than a little shocked when I sat down to read and found that my smug summary was way off base. In fact, my surprise didn't end there. Again and again, Wolf was able to give me facts from the time period that I had never ever encountered before. These included the fact that German women were awarded the "Mother's Cross" when they increased the number of children in their home. Who knew? Also, as someone who was more than a little peeved at how The Boy in the Striped Pajamas chose to ignore the fact that living outside a concentration camp meant dealing with a constant, pervasive, horrible smell, I appreciated that Wolf makes it practically the first thing Milada notices when she moves in with her new "family".

It's very instructive to watch how Wolf uses names in this book. The only other person in Lebensborn that Milada knows is Ruzha, a sullen mean-spirited girl from her home village. After the scene where each girl is given a new name, Ruzha becomes Franziska. Right from the start the girl embraces her Nazi teachers and their philosophy. It is worth noting then that as an author, Wolf often refers to Milada by her old name (at first) but rarely does the same with Ruzha. That particular girl's transformation is quick and complete. You get the feeling that when the war is done she will be happy to remain with the German family she has found, in spite of the continuing existence of her real parents. Of course, much of Ruzha's back story is left unknown. We don't know what kind of life or abuse she may have suffered in her own home. To be transported from a place where she was unhappy to a world where her teachers praise and seemingly love her is mighty significant. Though you may disagree with it, you understand where Ruzha is coming from.

Wolf is also very good at displaying the effectiveness of intense psychological brainwashing. When Milada says that, "it was hard to remember that I wasn't a Nazi, that I didn't want to be the Aryan ideal, that I hated Germany," you understand why she says this. The psychological damage inflicted on these girls must have been intense. Little wonder then that, as Wolf mentions in her Author's Note, "Very little has been written in English about the Lebensborn centers that housed kidnapped children, part of which may be due to the fact that so few children were found after the war." What's more, Wolf knows how to manipulate her reader so that we find ourselves in the same position as Milada. When she realizes with a shock that she can't remember her old name, I challenge you to remember it yourself. It's gone and as she wracks her memory, we wrack our own. Such a clever technique.

For the record, I also can't help but note that I never saw where the novel was going. Once Milada was in the school I wondered if this would turn into a kind of child vs. the establishment type of story. I couldn't imagine that that would be a good way to go, and indeed it could have been catastrophic to the novel. So while the sudden mention on page 100 that all the girls will now be adopted into new families shouldn't be shocking, it truly is. Sometimes the most obvious turns of fate are the least expected.

Distinguishing between "nice" and "good" proves to be difficult for most adults I know. Imagine how much harder it would be for a child who misses her mother and has a loving enemy there to give her whatever she wants. If for no other reason, Wolf allows her book to explore a moral ambiguity here that will undoubtedly lead to interesting conversations on the playground. Eva's new family consists of Nazis so they're evil, right? Except, look at how much they love her and want her to love them back. Look at how they wrestle and play and laugh. Look too at what their jobs are and what they're trying to destroy. Any book that makes a child ask what makes a person good or bad is worth giving them to read. "Someone Named Eva" makes sure to skip all easy answers.

My mind makes me pair books together. That's just how it works. And at some point, mid-way through a read of "Someone Named Eva", I realized that this book should be paired alongside The Night of the Burning: Devorah's Story by Linda Press Wulf. Both take place during WWII, and they deal with very different adoption journeys. You could create an entire reading unit out of these two books alone. It's almost as if they were made for one another, so perfectly to they complement and contrast one another's themes. Before you do that, however, you must read this book first. It's Joan M. Wolf's first book for children, and I want it to get a proper amount of attention. Books like this one don't write themselves. For a good jolt of historical fiction to the brain, "Someone Named Eva" may well be one of the smartest books of the year.

A child in Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia, Milada received a prized telescope for her eleventh birthday although no gift was expected. Her father instructed his daughter to always look for the North Star to find her way. It was a time of shortages & ration cards and being fearfully hemmed in by soldiers who demanded Nazi salutes, and yanked families apart in the night.

Milada was not a Jew but in a contrary way was DISadvantaged by her blond, Aryan appearance for which she was chosen by the Nazis to be schooled in the German language & customs. Only then was she deemed suitable for adoption into a Nazi family. German mothers 'earned points' and gained prestige in Hitler's regime by increasing their families.

Her new "mutter" and siblings gave her desperately needed affection which caused a literal tug-of-war with emotions because "Milada/Eva" realized the same woman is wife to the commandant of the feared adjacent 'death camp' from which come pervasive crematorium odors. This issue is not dealt with 'head on' but is no more ambiguous than some issues which make adolescence so difficult in contemporary society. Life always means confronting hard choices, doesn't it? And readers in middle grades may find it helpful to read about 'someone named Eva' who hung on to life for Freedom's sake.

Readers can ask whether Milada/Eva was in the end better off, because she survived the war whereas her closest Czech friend, Terezie did not; also, four out of five of her own family members were sent to work camps
and did not survive. We can be grateful to Joan M. Wolf for enlightening us about these hidden aspects of war. If today's students read about a child damaged psychologically by incessant brain-washing who forgets her true birth name for a time, perhaps they will better stand up to the societal pressures which contend that today's conflicts can be solved only by going to war.

From the time Milada was taken from her family in Lidice, she felt protected by her grandmother's garnet star pin which she wore hidden in her clothing at all times. It became a talisman along with her beloved Babichka's words: "Remember who you are. Always." Reviewer McHaiku strongly suggests that families read this book & discuss it together. Each of us needs to learn the importance of retaining identity and purpose.

This book is a first rate historical work chronicling the most magnificent working class struggle in history. A time when anarchism meant something truly inspiring and when it still had substance.

The Spanish anarchists remind us of a time when large numbers of people vehemently opposed the status quo of Capitalism and the State and truly did what was necessary to organize a mass movement to radically change it. Bookchin writes with such a clear yet intelligent prose that virtually everything he writes is worth reading. This book is one of his best and along with his 4 volume (and unfortunately very expensive) book "The Third Revolution" it very much proves how strong a historian he really was during his lifetime.

While this book is both highly informative and exciting in its evocation of a remarkable period of history, I cannot also be saddened by the fact that Bookchin died last year in 2006 and that his fiery intellect is no longer with us. I am also saddened by this work in another way. While Bookchin brings to light a period of history that should never be forgotten or not learned from, looking at the modern anarchist "scene" I cannot help but feel that the glory days of classical anarchism are gone and that contemporary anarchism has completely degenerated into misanthropy, post-modernism, mysticism, nihilism, and an opposition to forming mass movements at all; in effect that today's anarchism has become completely coopted by modern bourgeois society and has been rendered completely inert by that mentality. Let us hope that is not the case, but if this is so then we, those of us who still insist that a genuine social revolution is desperately needed and also a mass movement organized from below to achieve it, must forge ahead and adopt a new term for our form of revolutionary libertarian socialism, something Bookchin tried to do in the last years of his life and from which we can learn a great deal.

Bookchin established himself among the foremost anarchist theorists of the late 20th century with his sparkling collection "Post-Scarcity Anarchism".

With "The Spanish Anarchists" he proves himself to be a historian of the first rank, drawing on primary sources, a wide array of secondary literature, and in-depth interviews with key members of the Spanish Anarchist movement to paint a vivid picture of half a century of organizing that led to the most powerful anarchist upsurge in world history (yet!).

Bookchin handles the history deftly, drawing out lessons for practice while always making clear the specificity of the historical moment. He pulls vivid quotes and his character sketches of key figures in the movement are masterful.

This is history for history buffs, though, and gets into considerable detail on several decades of struggle in several hundred pages. It may be boring for those who do not have a particular interest in the period.

Note well: the book does not discuss the Civil War and Revolution of 1936-1939-- for a detailed treatment of that struggle, Bookchin recommends Bolloten's massive "The Spanish Civil War" and for a shorter take, Broué and Temime's The Revolution and the Civil War in Spain". Orwell's classic "Homage to Catalonia" is also a brilliant read, albeit from a semi-Trotskyist point of view.

The other guy said it better than me, but Bookchin's book is one of the few that really get's down deep into the process by which anti-authoritarian ideas and movements get generated and how they achieve, or can achieve, social change. Wonderful both for theory and history.

The first point to mention: One's understanding of what happened in Spain is almost certainly indicated by the answer to one question. Was this the Spanish Civil War or the Spanish Revolution? The essence of Bookchin's book (and it is not original to him) is that there was a revolution within the Civil War. While there is considerable recognition of the Civil War, there is much less discussion and consideration of the revolution within that civil war.

One immediate problem in understanding the dynamics in Spain is the crazy quilt set of actors. Key groups run the gamut from Fascists (Francisco Franco as a leader) to monarchists to liberals/moderates to Marxists (Trotskyites, represented by the organization POUM, versus Stalinists, organized as the UGT [with members called Ugetistas]) and anarchists (syndicalists, members of the union CNT, whose members were called Cenetistas, and straight out anarchists, members in the organization FAI, with individual members referred to as Faistas). Yikes! One needs a scorecard to keep them straight!

This book does not focus on the Civil War and Revolution so much as on the background to those events. Bookchin goes back to the anarchist Mikhail Bakunin's influence on Spanish radicals. Much of this book is the run up to the Civil War and the revolution embedded within that Civil War--the Republic versus the Fascists represented the Civil War. The anarchists trying to implement libertarian societies was the revolution.

Topically, the book begins with the origins of the idea of anarchism in Spain. Bakunin was a critical figure here, a Russian aristocrat who, oddly enough, adopted the anarchist perspective. An emissary who did not speak Spanish brought Bakunin's ideas to Spain; given the linguistic obstacles, it is surprising indeed to see that he had an impact on the development of a Spanish anarchist movement.

The book then describes the development of that movement in Spain over the past quarter century of the 1800s and the early 1900s as well. In short, anarchism did develop something of a foothold in Spain. Unfortunately, some of the advocated if this view engaged in "propaganda of the deed," terrorism, to try to advance the cause. In the process, much damage was done to that very movement.

Bookchin then described the twin developments--support for anarcho-syndicalism (a perspective that argued that workers' organizations ought to structure the productive process and be the basis for organizing society) and the CNT (a union that supported syndicalism). The essence of the latter can be discerned by this quotation from Bookchin (page 162): "Obedience to the wishes of the membership was a cardinal rule. At the annual congresses, for example, many delegations arrived with mandatory instructions on how to vote on each major issue to be considered. If an action was decided upon, none of the delegations which disagreed with it or felt it was beyond the capacity of its membership was obliged to abide by the decision."

The instability of government in the 1920s and 1930s is then discussed, as a lead up to the outbreak of the Civil War/Revolution. Bookchin concludes by observing that (page 302): "We must leave the details of that revolution--its astonishing achievements and its tragic subversion--to another volume."
Obviously, Bookchin has an ideological perspective on the events in Spain over the period of time that his book covers. And that must be taken into account when reading this work. Nonetheless, overall, his scholarship is solid, and much of what he contends is found in other volumes as well (hence, triangulation occurs to some extent). For those wanting to understand the Spanish Civil War from a perspective not normally presented, this book makes a solid contribution.

"Can anarchy work" or "Is anarchy a mere utopia" are questions asked frequently by people who are not informed about the ideology and philosophy of anarchy but, most importantly, the history of anarchy.
Since you arent going to be taught any of all this in school the burden falls on your shoulders to discover it (amongst most other meaningful things that you will not be told about).
Murray Bookchin, is a great historian, and does an awesome job of documenting the most recent and most convincing attempt at anarchy in pre-war Spain.
Bookchin descibes a movement that found roots in the "lumpen proletariat", that part of the working class with almost zero education that marxists looked upon with contempt considering them incapable of ever starting a revolution.
Yet, exactly that part of the working class was the one that through appaling living and social conditions embraced the concept of anarchy, namely, no masters, equality, work as creation and not braindead toil, education that promotes free thinking and not unquestioned swallowing of dogma and above all liberty.
This is a fascinating story, perhaps overly fascinating compared with modern times where most the people take social conditions as self-understood. A movement, that, through a massive network of action that ranged from strikes against brutally oppressing regimes that inevitably and repeatedly resulted in massive bloodbaths, direct action, informing people about their present future and past while actually opening up to them a whole new world of possibilities that would drive them out of their every day misery and into a new situation where through thriving freedom the society would transform.
Bookchin introduces the readers (as he had to) to some of anarchy leading theoriticians (and practicians) such as Bakoonin and their influence on the Spanish anarchists while he goes into exhaustive detail highlighting internal conflicts concerning differing anarchistic tendencies as well as the ones against socialists (who more than often proved to be disguised conservatives) and of course against the establishment itself and its organs of suppresion.
It's a back n' forth story he tells as well, as the struggle of the spanish anarchists to establish themselves at the front for social change ("not tomorrow, now!" said the pickets at the massive protests and demos) was often sunk in blood, often thrown back by mass executions, often took a step backwards because the need for biological survival took a priority or simply because disapointment would momentarily settle in before a new spark would "detonate" the movement again.

The history of the spanish anarchists is remarkable in more ways than initially obvious. In a very intense sense it proves that the philosophy of anarchy doesnt demand from anyone to be well educated in order to comprehend it. "Absolute" freedom is not a complex concept and everything that derives from it is equally simple. It doesnt recquire reading bulky volumes of economic politics that lead nowhere nor trying to improve a system within which has already failed from the get-go (capitalism). It demands the "impossible" but simoultaneously the natural.
While Bookchin writes in a rather heavy style that wont easily grab you, he's an incredible historian who leaves no stone unturned in his effort-mission to explain thoroughly a historical event. That is my only objection to this book.

Other than that, this is more than recquired reading for anyone interested in anarchism (here, its history )or in examining political philosophies in general.It would help if you started from Emma Goldman's "Essays on anarchy" before this if your knowledge of this philosophy is somewhat superficial.