Europe Books

This is a story of a very brave Erika who survived the worse nightmare and came to tell it all; Erika puts the horror behind her and brightens the world with her sweet smile and a charming face everyday! A book I would recommend to read, so that to get into the other side of the holocaust; not only did the Jews suffered, but the Germans themselves endured a lot of pain from their own leader, Hitler. The author, Erika, has written many books that are educative to kids with sense of humor in them; check out "Mean Chicks, Cliques, And Dirty Tricks.." "Crushes, Flirts, And Friends.."

I have a large library of Holocaust testimonies and I thought that reading this account would be a good counterpoint for me. And I was not disappointed. Prof Karres' account is factual, straightforward and unsentimental and should be required historical reading. When she says: "I am the offspring of a killer nation." (p. 280) you can accept by this stage in the book that this is not an self-pitying utterance but rather a realistic fear for the future, a fear for all Germans of her generation. Yes, the burden is onerous, and Prof Karres is careful nowhere to shirk it or thrust it under a carpet of I-wasn't-responsible. She paints her guilt bravely and vividly and the reader is awed and sometimes shocked, yes, by the extreme postwar hardships experienced by the ever-expanding and starving family but most importantly s/he is informed. I recommend this book highly to all WW2/Holocaust readers.

First-hand accounts such as this book are really priceless in terms of understanding what really happenned in Germany during and after the War. Should be required reading in any history class.

Having served in the occupation forces in Germany at the end of WW2. it is only now, after having read "German Girl", that I realize how unaware I was of the true extent of the German peoples struggle to survive. German pride and discipline enabled the general population to mask the true picture of how difficult life really was for them. So, it is not surprising that while I lived amongst them, I never was fully aware of their plight. The author Erika Karres paints a very realistic picture of what life was like during the last phases of the war and on into the post war occupation period. She honestly and courageously bares her heart and soul, and in vivid detail describes what she saw and felt. I admired her strength of character, endurance and questioning nature as she faced the hopeless and devastated world in which she found herself. A good example of a German that didn't approve of the depravity and wickedness of the Nazi regime, and risked questioning and speaking out against it.
I highly recommend this exciting and well written book. It tends to remind one that there are decent human beings in this world, and their courage and endurance under seemingly impossible conditions is a source of strength and hope.
Harold Hendler

"All I have ever know is having to scrounge around for food. But that's not so bad if you have the one thing you deperately need." This is not some sentimental or romantic fairy tale. This is an eyes-wide-open look at what life was like for one little girl and her family trying to scrath out a life in Germany from her birth in 1939 through the 1950s. She struggles with her siblings (10 at one point) just to feed and cloth themselves. Her mother dies when she is just 6 years old from blood clots. Her step mother his on a continual slide towards total mental breakdown. Their house is occupied in turn by American and French forces. She eventually begins aromance with an American soldier who is there as part of the occupation force. Through it all she keeps asking what happened to the Jews? What happened to Germany? And she survives. With her mind and soul severely bruised, but intact.

If you want an easy read that won't challenge you, then move on. But, if you would prefer to take a dose of reality and read about a somebody who faced a world gone cruelly insane - and survived to tell us about it, then check out this book. Thank you, Erika, for sharing your story with us. I think we all have to find our own answer to the question you asked your father: "Is apolitical the same as amoral?"

I was truly enlightened while reading this book. Not only did it give me new information, but it also got me interested in reading other books about the Greeks.

Bruce Thornton has written a wonderful book cataloging the many intellectual achievements of classical Greece in the realms of reason, science, ethics, political freedoms, law, historical documentation and art. The author also does an excellent job refuting two common charges against this monumental civilization: 1.) that the Greeks were whim-worshipping hedonists who would never pass up an opportunity to indulge in short-term sexual pleasure and 2.) that the distinguishing characteristic of Greek civilization is that they were all slave-owning misogynists.

The chapters refuting these claims are worth the price of the book alone. To address these claims, the author encourages the reader to reflect upon the content of classical Greek law and classical Greek art. The author argues that there were in fact many laws prohibiting sexual relations with minors and there were popularized Greek myths where the moral was the dangers of hedonism (e.g., the immolation of Heracles.) Moreover, the author identifies how women were often portrayed as cunning, witty and capable of using their minds to achieve noble political ends in both Greek myths and Greek theater (e.g., Aristophanes' Lysistrata.)

Needless to say, the author does not attempt to claim that the Greeks were flawless and nor should he. However, the author does exhibit that he understands that the Greeks have made numerous monumental intellectual contributions to Western Civilization. Moreover, the author seems to understand that while certainly flawed by many of today's standards with respect to the rights of women and slave ownership, the Greeks should be judged in the context of their time and in that frame of reference were overwhelmingly good.

For these reasons, I whole-heartedly recommend this well-written and delightful book!

How could one not love the civilization that has contributed the foundations of the West and so much to the world we live in? Bruce Thornton analyses the achievements of the glorious Greeks, from their earliest history to their attitudes toward homoerotic love. This book is a must for all classics, history, anthropology, art history, philosophy, and political science students......or for anyone who wants to be enlightened. There is something Greek in all of us!

The controversy about whether Greek civilisation was the main source of western civilisation's ideas about freedom, rationality etc... doesn't rage as much here as in the US, where a number of writers have, unconvincingly in my view, sought to argue that the Greeks borrowed much of their ideas on rationality, logic, freedom etc.. from other civilisations and in particular from Egypt.

So when I wanted read more about Greek influence on Western civilisation I dreaded a book which was merely a defense against these and other politically correct theories. Instead, although the author makes reference to this controversy, the book stands on its own in describing Greek civilisation and its enormous influence on today's world. The author does not pretend that the Greeks formed a cultural monolith, where everybody was convinced of the power of reason. But his very wide range of sources is persuasive enough that many of the ideas that were necessary building blocks for the rise of Western civilisation, such as that there should be a rational explanation for natural phenomena, originated with Greek thinkers. The fact that some of these paid for their ideas with their life (like Socrates) does not diminish the fact that the Greeks were there first.

What did I miss in this book ? I would have liked more about the transmission of Greek ideas to the West, i.e. how we lost much of this philosophical heritage only to regain it at the time of the renaissance. Secondly, although the author on a number of occasions asserts that other contemporary civilisations had not reached such and such a level, I would have liked to see more detail on this. I also thought that it was odd to devote the first 2 chapters (almost a sixth of the book) on sexual relations in ancient Greece, an area where I think Greeks did not influence the West much. I also think that the long section on the Greek's treatment of slaves has to be seen more in the US context (anything to do with slavery is highly sensitive and pays to be seen to have been good with slaves) than as an influence on Western culture.

Although J Roberts' Triumph of the West sets out a more eloquent case for the rational influence of ancient Greece, this book makes argues for a much wider influence, i.e. not just Rational Man, but also Political Man, freedom of expression, etc... For this it deserves to be read. It is far from perfect, but it is also fairly concise

The author is a relly good writer. I read this book a couple of years ago and it really awoke my interest in the classics. This book should be required reading for college students.

I recently returned from a vacation over in Ireland/Scotland/Wales where for 4 weeks I and 2 of my friends researched and visited stone circles throughout the Isles. Aubrey Burl definitely has written an essential resource you should pick up if you have the intentions of going to see them. He touches on a great number of "out of the way" stone circles not widely known in areas and gives precise directions on how to get to them. It is almost like a treasure hunt, you never knwo what is around the corner in Aubrey's book! A definite must get for the stone circle enthusiast. Don't even think about putting this book down. Get a map, get this book, and go hunting for these great spiritual centers.

My husband and I are very interested in ancient cultures and especially stone circles; this book told us where they were, what to expect to see, and how to get there (which wasn't always very easy!) We were able to pick an area of England with a heavy concentration of good quality circles based on his descriptions and pictures, and with book in hand, see many of the ones we chose. Mr. Burl is kind enough to mention when the going is tough, and he was always right. The only thing that could make this book any more invaluable as a field guide would be inclusion of Surveyor's Maps of the areas...but those can be purchased easily in the countries in question. (Color photos would've been nice, too!) Highly recommended for real trip-planning, or just for inspiration!

I am not accustomed to purchasing so expensive and specialized a book, but in the early autumn of 1979, I had the privilege of working on a Scottish dig run by Dr. Burl, and I have long admired his scholarship and dedication---and this revision is, simply put, GREAT! The depth of information is astounding, and I found the the presentation engrossing, the subject fascinating, and the style quite readable---certainly NOT only for students or devotees of archaeology. I can't recommend this one highly enough---it may seem like something of an indulgence for your personal library, but it's worth every penny. Alas, the book is far to heavy to carry about in one's luggage, but I've already marked at least two dozen sites that I want to visit the next time I cross the Atlantic. In the meantime, settle back in a comfortable chair and get ready to cast your mind back a couple of millenia...

Just what it says on the box - an excellent reference, whether planning your trip or on the road. Complete with location maps and National Grid references.

Aubrey Burl's previous works were showing a wee bit of dating. As carbon dating become more accurate, you are seeing these ancient rings grow older in age instead of younger as they anticipated. While Burl's previous works were amazing, this long awaited "update" of this information, as well as addition information on more recent excavations make this is must. Yes, it expensive. But it's worth every penny. There are new insight in the the purpose of the rings of stone, a new interpretation of Calanais (sorry, as a Scot I refuse to call it Callanish!) and Stonehenge

The beautiful book is loaded with hundreds of photos, explores the ancestry, methods of construction and why they were abandoned after thousands of years of use.

Marvelous work made even better by bringing the information up to date.

Thanks Barack Obama!
I was really impressed by the analytic capacity of the author and as I am usually not reading books about economic affairs and also not about politics I am even more astounded to find it fascinating and suspense driven. Honestly, if it was not for Barack Obama to get me interested in politics I probably had never read a book like this.

The author managed to prove President Sarkozy wrong in every single aspect of his agenda, so far. In an astounding collection of facts Niemeyer demonstrates why the French economy is suffering so terribly under this Hollywood-President.

"History repeats itself" is a famous phrase and although it may not be 100% true there is yet something to it as the author pointed out citing similar developments in the 1920ies and today. Like 80 years ago there are `analysts' working for investment banks like Goldman Sachs and Merrill Lynch speaking of "market irritations" while a depression is lingering around the next corner. And, it seems that what we call today `Globalisation' should rather be called `Imperialism', and I am glad that the author uses the accurate terms rather than any of the more fashionable expressions the Anti-Globalisation groups fancy. It is quite right to speak of Capitalism making majorities poorer in order to make rich ever richer as exactly this is happening as we all can feel when we see our standard of living constantly decline amid "economic good times" as media never gets tired to hammer into our heads. Why create a new term for that only because the phrase may sound old fashioned when, indeed, the strategies employed by the ruling class apparently are also old fashioned but still seem to work quite well for them?!

Fascism, Stalinism, Euro-Maniacism

It is really worthwhile not only to know the political and military history of the 20th century but also it's financial history. Especially the latter provides for explanations of the inexplicable, the World Wars, the rise of Fascism, Stalinism and now Euro-Maniacsim. Ralph T. Niemeyer must be a genius to be able to combine mathematical, statistical and political facts and make the read of normally dry matters exciting! Congratulations on a superb and unbeatable analysis. I wished our political leaders knew about it.

Ralph T. Niemeyer said: "Where only profit maximization reigns there is no room for Democracy" and he is damned right with that. The "survival - of - the - fittest - credo" of the economically more powerful is the opposite of Freedom and Equality. I admire his sober way of analyzing our system's flaws and I appreciate it a lot that he doesn't become indulgent about Marx or Communism which most people who have the same insight he has would probably would be in danger of as looking for the gene for a `brave new world' can lead into a trap as we have seen in Stalinism. Socialism has tried to break it's opponent's pride. Capitalism strips people off their pride.

From an "Old Sea Dog" comes this riveting story of his teenage years in the 'Senior Service'. I read the copy I bought for my brother, an ex RN sailor. It was not my intention, but after reading the first few pages, I couldn't put it down. You will find, as I did, that a very interesting biography has been written by Anthony Dalton about the compelling yarn-spinning Tristan Jones (Wayward Sailor). It appears that Heart of Oak is a mixture of fact and fiction. It does not though detract from the compelling storytelling.

I bought this book many years ago. I greatly enjoyed it, as it had a veracity to its description of lower-deck life. I re-read it recently, and still enjoyed it.

I suppose I should have realized that it was fiction, as I don't think there ever was an E-class destroyer "HMS Eclectic", and no destroyer of that name sailed with HMS Hood and Prince of Wales to intercept the Bismarck (HMS Electra was in that group and picked up the 3 survivors from HMS Hood), as Jones claims. Nor was there a destroyer of that name that sailed with HMS King George V from Scapa Flow, nor did one join the action later from convoys. Some of the details of the action are also inaccurate, but not badly so for a supposed personal narrative (e.g., 6" secondary armament on KGV, when they were 5.25")

Similarly, while there were four O-class destroyers involved in the sinking of the Scharnhorst, there was no "HMS Obstinate" (Jones' ship), nor was one of that name ever commissioned.

Anthony Dalton's biography of Jones seems to paint him as a very interesting, but less-than-pleasant person. It certainly seems to have nailed any notion of Jones' books being other than substantially fiction. The history of the author does seem to add an extra level of interest to the stories. But that said, the stories are good, the feel for characters is strong, and they are very readable.

I needed information re- life on board a British ship during WWII. I found many fascinating details and much accurate information in this book. I found that some of the humor was less funny that announced, but on the whole, I found this book
very interesting. It was in great part a tale based on personal experience, and
it held my interest throughout. I'm going to read more by this author...

It is a terrific book - and I have enjoyed it for many years. However I recently discovered it is - as Anthony Dalton's new biography of Jones shows - complete fiction - in the sense that Jones was never at any of the events he described. In fact he didn't join the Royal Navy till AFTER World War II.

But that is not to diminish the writing of the tale - Jones imaginings make for a "real" perspective of life in the lower decks of the WWII Royal Navy - and I imagne that in his immediate post-was career in the navy he learned enough to set the scene accurately.

But remember - it is a work of fiction - set on a real historical timeline - but still a good read.

Heart of Oak is one the finest war books and sea stories that I have read. I found it hard to put down. Although the intensity of the war and its effects on the men was depressing, I was compelled to keep reading.

Jones' gives the reader a different and personal perspective--that of the lowly, poor, and teenage sailor; looked down upon by everyone else and facing death, boredom, and discomfort constantly.

I agree with another reviewer that it is unlikely that Jones witnessed as much as he claimed, and I cannot attest to the accuracy of his descriptions of life aboard His Majesty's Navy, but there is a truthfullness and sincerity in Jones' narative that I find totally convincing.

Naomi Samson's memoir is aptly titled. Not only does it provide an account of a child survivor of the Holocaust, but the author seems able to reach into the past and describe events as her child-self experienced them, sometimes even assuming a child's voice. The result is a compelling, sometimes excruciating read, from its beginning in medias res three years after the Nazis invasion of Poland in 1939 to its conclusion six years later upon the author's post-war arrival in America. Take, for example, this bit of dialogue, ten pages into the book, in which the nine-year-old Naomi is told by her Mother that she is giving up the attempt to hide from the Nazis in Poland.

"Listen to me, my child," she said. "We can't go on like this. We will either die of starvation and the animals will eat our flesh here in the woods, or someone in these villages will kill us. I have decided we should walk to our hometown, Goray, which is eight or nine miles from here, and give ourselves up at the Jewish cemetery. That way we will be buried with other Jewish people."

"No, no!" I cried. "I will not die this way or any other way! I want to live, Mama. I don't want to feel bullets fired in my head or body! Bullet are hot and they burn a person's insides and it hurts badly until the person is dead!" (10-11)

This example also brings up some concerns I have about Hide. How much can we rely on the veracity of dialogue spoken or heard by a child and then recreated (in a different language, no less) after nearly sixty years? Furthermore, because Mrs. Samson provides little explanatory commentary, the dialogue must bear the burden of providing back story and context. This artifice is effective in that it provides timely information in an unobtrusive way but it tends to further compromise the authenticity of the dialogue. (The mother would not have had to tell her child that Goray was their hometown, and she would probably not have had to explain how far away from it they had wandered.)

These issues can be brushed aside, however, if we consider Hide to be primarily a work of literature, that is, an attempt by an author to express the truth of her life experience through language. Indeed, though the book would have been more historically accurate if it could have contained an exact record of each word spoken, such an account would probably have been less meaningful to us, considering that much of the dialogue conveys the inner feelings of the child Naomi Samson, feelings that were probably never uttered.

As Naomi grows older and the book approaches its conclusion, Mrs. Samson begins expressing her feelings directly, and, once again, the results are powerful, as in the following excerpt in which she describes a train ride through Nuremberg during the time of the post-war trials:

These executioners were given a trial? Why? I felt such anger, such hate, during those moments that if given the chance, I would have smashed their skulls with my bare hands. . . . I tried to compose myself in order to look normal to my sister and my new brother-in-law, Sam. These hateful thoughts inside me bothered me a lot. My father had taught us never to hate. "Hate only hurts the one who carries it inside," he would say. My father was no longer there to guide me. But I was smart enough to realize that one of the ways the enemy could win was by instilling hate inside me so that for the rest of my life I would only dwell in hate and never enjoy my life. Oh, how I hated them for making me feel such hatred! I decided I would force myself to concentrate on pleasant things-good things to make me happy. (162)

Such sections reveal a candor and degree of self-disclosure that one might expect in a therapy session, and, as Mrs. Samspon explains in the twenty-page epilogue that follows, she did undergo years of therapy after the war. That experience may have given her the confidence to present something approaching the raw truth in her memoir rather than crafting a version intended to be more palatable to friends and family. Though it must have been both cathartic and difficult to put such words on paper, Mrs. Samson proved equal to the task, and resisted the temptation to necessarily present herself in a good light.

Ultimately, well-written Holocaust memoirs such as this one cause us to confront the extremes of human life, and attempt to make sense of them. Along with Mrs. Samson we must ask-helplessly, fruitlessly-why did so many innocent people die, and why did so many murderers get away with it? We also have to wonder how any human being could pick up and live a fulfilling life after having endured such horrors as a young child, but Mrs. Samson has shown that such an accomplishment is possible. At first glance, the inclusion of a family photo taken on the occasion of her son's wedding struck me as a Jewish mother's indulgence, but by the time I had reached the end of this slim memoir, the sight of it made me want to cheer. Indeed, the words of the Grammy-winning dinosaur Barney, sung to her by her grandchildren in the concluding scene of the book, have never seemed so touching, nor profound: "I love you. You love me. We're a happy family."

This is one of the most graphic novels I have read regarding children/families hiding in the Holocaust. I did not know such atrocities occurred in the ghettos of Poland. I have always thought they were reserved for the concentration camps. This memoir is amazingly well written. The courage this woman had to tell her excruciating story even after she was repeatedly reprimanded by her friends, family, neighbors, and even practicing members of psychiatry was inspiring. It makes me so angry to hear there was such discrimination against survivors attempting to tell their stories, even within the Jewish community of the US. I commend the author for putting her memories to page and allowing the world to see the horror she survived.

This was the best book about the Holocaust and its survivors and what they went through I have ever read. I could not put it down. I am taking a class on the Holocaust and needed a book for a report. Well I found the best book I could ever have found. It is full of suffering, bravery, love, and happiness. So if you want the real story of the Holocaust as it really happened this is the book. I will soon buy my own copy.

I couldn't stop reading this book. I was crying. I wanted to shout, to yell, to kick, to k.... I couldn't avoid the thought that if I was put in this hell, probably I wouldn't survive it.

Born in Israel, I've learned a lot about the Holocaust but never before I felt the horror so strong. For example, Noami's description of the Nazis humiliating her grandparents shocked me stronger than all the many times I watched pictures of the Nazis cutting a Rabbi's sidecurls (PEYOT) hair and beard.

The part telling how in the US every one refused to hear Noami's story made it even more terrible and hard to comprehand.

I wanted to thank you Noami for telling your story which I promise to tell to my children.

This is one of the best books I have ever read - period. The author is a remarkable writer, and I can't understand why this book isn't number one on the best-seller list. It should be; it is truly that good. I felt like I was there. I got the book from the library, but I'm going to buy one for each of my adult children to read. No book or movie about the holocaust has touched me as much as this one, and I want the author, Naomi Samson, to know that this Irish Catholic and his family will never forget - because of her book. We will never forget.

Reading Moorman was a delight because I did not find myself bogged down in the political intricacies and machinations of the English Reformation. He did a fair job of portraying the Edwardian Reformation and the age of Elizabeth and the Evangelical revivals of the 1700s. He also demonstrated sympathy for the Broadchurchmen and the role of reason and the challenges of modern science to a literal reading of Genesis. He was less sympathetic to the Oxford Movement and the efforts to re-catholicize the English Church, but not so much that an Anglo-Catholic reader would be overly offended. Overall a great read, but one that is still a very bried introduction to the complexities and nuances of that magnificent thing called Anglicanism as it has unfolded over the centuries.

A very complete, readable history of the church. I really like the author's writing style.

This book was a required text for a seminary class I'm taking on (duh) English Church History. Compared with previous Church History texts I've had to use, this one is absolutely outstanding. It will at times leave you wondering a little about the political or social context, because the focus is heavily on the Church. I find this to actually be a plus, as the secular side of things could probably double or triple the length of the book. Moorman reads very easily compared with other history texts, especially considering it's age. History is not my favorite subject, but I have thoroughly enjoyed this text (and the class).

This is a long book and might not be the first choice for someone unless it is required reading for a class. However, I found it to be organized very well and give a great overview and summary throughout the entire history of the Church of England. Excellant!

I learned a lot from reading this book, which is actually a seminary text. The prose is somewhat pedantic at times, but still readable. It is a good history of Christanity in England and surrounding lands. I learned a lot about the balance between church and state, and how Angicanism has gotten to the point that it has. I would recommend it for anyone interesting in the history of England as it is more than just a text about the Church in England. For Episcopalians, it helps in an understanding of the current crisis in the Anglican community.

Dr. Megargee overturns decades of conventional wisdom about the responsibility for Germany's loss in the Second World War. Although unsparing in his criticism of Hitler, on any number of subjects, he goes further than any author that I am aware of in portraying the lack of strategic vision on major issues of national political and economic goals, the short-sighted and self-serving carving-out of personal empires in the byzantine structure of the German High Command, inter-office and inter-service rivalry, and the the emphasis on the spiritual over the material that manifested itself most dangerously in the long-standing institutional disregard for intelligence work and logistics that made Germany's loss nearly a foregone conclusion upon the launch of Operation Barbarossa in 1941.

Extensively researched and thoroughly documented, as well as clearly and engagingly written, this book is a significant addition to the scholarly literature on the German armed forces in WWII, as well as a refreshing antidote to the tiresome rehashing of the Führer's blunders and the self-exculpatory memoirs of numerous German officers that appeared in the wake of Germany's defeat. Strongly recommended for those interested in the subject, and another fine work of military history from the University Press of Kansas.

This is a great work of modern military history, by a top notch historian. Most good monographs rate 4 stars, but this is a case of using the Showalter formula even better than Showalter! Thorough, provocative, and very well written.

This book is one of the spate of recent works "proving" the guilt of the Germans in general instead of just Hitler and the Nazis, but is far better written than most and actually offers a point for discussion. I recommend a purchase and a close read.

There is little new information (if any) here, but the author's description of the functioning of the General Staff, the OKH and OKW from pages 17 to 101 is particularly easy to understand, and I say this as someone who first read Goerlitz's "History of The German General Staff" at the age of fifteen in 1954. It is this part that makes the book worth the price of admission.

Chapters 10, 11 and 12, offer nothing new except for one-sided cherry-picked references tending to support the author's far-reaching conclusions. Nonetheless, such support is weak at best. From time to time the author seems to understand this, but then he goes ahead and states his questionable conclusions anyway. For example, even though the author is quick to point out (& accurately) that memoirs are often self-aggrandizing, he uses a sole, questionable source (Lossberg) to describe Jodl's attitudes at the end of 1941 and his agreement that Manstein, at the time a newly-baked army commander, and someone who had never been responsible for more than one panzer division in his earlier corps and now 11th Army, was the leading general to assume overall command of the eastern front. Very doubtful, and something that cannot be verified!

The author correctly points out that many higher-ranking officers like Beck believed that Germany's only hope lay in winning a short, decisive military conflict rather than an economic or diplomatic course of action. Yep! Like a bridge player who carefully studies his cards and sees that there is only one course of action that might win the contract, he takes the sole option open to him. When it doesn't succeed, one should not criticism the player for not having used another strategy UNLESS IT CAN BE SHOWN THAT THE STRATEGY COULD (not would) HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL. Unfortunately, this is exactly what the author does without showing any realistic basis for alternatives. The player can be criticized for making the contract in the first place, but that was never the function of either the OKW or the OKH. I was also amused to see that the author took a similar position to the German defeat in World War I -- the high command again attempted to apply an operational solution to a strategic problem. Once more for the West Coast, what would the author have recommended they do? That he doesn't state.

Yes, intelligence concerning the Soviets was almost nil, but military intelligence world-wide has been notorious for being poor except in combat conditions. The US was and is no exception to this rule, and Ultra (not mentioned by the author) was indispensable to the Allies (most notably in North Africa.) In a limited time frame like that for Barbarossa, one does the best one can. As far as logistics are concerned, the German economy was not put on a total war footing until Speer did it in 1944 with the resulting improvements in production. Of course, by then it was too late, and at any rate, that was not within the purview of either the OKW or OKH. And the US also used the term "supply" just like the Germans. With regards to personnel, the Germans only had one chance against the Soviet Union and that was denied them by Hitler's racial policies. The Germans needed to fight a "War of Liberation" against the Communists, setting up puppet governments in the non-Russian states and utilizing their manpower. In spite of everything, the number of Hiwis was enormous and Russian units like Cossacks and the Vaslov Army still opted to fight alongside the Germans. But again, this was not an option open to the OKW or OKH. So given the situation, what was the high command to do? The author is silent on this point, but condemns the General Staff anyway. One feels compelled to point out that Beck paid the ultimate price, Fritsch sought death before Warsaw, and Halder narrowly escaped execution before the war's end.

Yes, there was a culture in the General Staff that viewed the Versailles Diktat (it was not a negotiated treaty) as unbearable and to be torn up as soon as possible. Yes, they wanted to regain lost territories. That is hardly new or difficult to understand in the light of history. To the extent that Hitler's aims coincided with theirs, the German senior commanders supported him. To their regret, they found themselves riding on the back of the tiger. Even at the end, von Bock's last words were to Manstein, "Manstein, save Germany!"

For a much fuller treatment on the German officer mindset that the author only alludes to, see Robert Citino, "The German Way of War."

Military personnel are normally conservative (as the author points out), and the General Staff operated much like they did in 1870. Insofar as their opponents were incompetent like the Polish, French, and British, they won easily through aggressiveness and vastly superior training. The US Army adopted much if not all of the German leadership doctrine and training methods after World War II, recognizing that US performance in Europe was spotty at best. War gamers traditionally equate three American soldiers to two Germans, and Marshall's contention that over 40% of American infantrymen refused to fire their rifles in combat brings "the greatest generation" into question. Live-fire training has never been possible to any degree in the American Army, mostly due to objections by civilians for the casualties it causes. Of course, another reason the Germans fought so well is that they executed over 30,000 of their own military personnel in the course of the war for a wide range of offenses.

That the Officer Corps was not prepared to conduct a modern war with the necessary personnel, logistics, intelligence, and economic basis is correct. But neither were the French, Polish, British, Japanese or Russians. The Axis were defeated through a combination of British and American code-breaking, Russian manpower, and American logistics and economic power. The US struggled to put 90 divisions on the ground in Europe, but changed the Red Army into a mechanized force while the Wehrmacht became increasingly dependent on horses. Yes, the German machines were good, but German engineers tinkered their way to oblivion and prevented mass production.

The author sums up with the following statement: "The myth persists of a supremely talented, if politically naive and ambitious, German officer corps being led unwillingly into war and defeat by a ruthless dictator, a megalomaniac with no understanding of the military art." If one removes the word "unwillingly" and tones down "supremely", that "myth" would seem to be true. Nor do I know any serious scholar that believes in the myth as stated. Maybe some portion of the readership does, but only if they are not well-read on the subject. The author then states an untruth: "They (the officer corps) made strategic decisions, independently and in support of Hitler's, that started a war...." I know of no strategic decisions made independently by the German officer corps or high command that started World War II. Maybe the author can enlighten me. They didn't even make strategic decisions in support of Hitler that started the war unless you count their support of Hitler himself during the crises of 1933 and 1934. For that focus on Hammerstein-Equord, Blomberg, and those that refused to back Fritsch.

The author also castigates the Officer Corps for continuing the war after its futility should have been obvious. Gee, that was why Halder resigned. One is also tempted to castigate Robert E. Lee and Confederate commanders for continuing the Civil War after the fall of Atlanta. But like German officers, (& the German opposition had already been told in no uncertain terms that the Allies would not help them), they could not rise in rebellion -- they could only play their cards as they were dealt and hope for the best. Maybe a miracle would take place -- it has before. Only in hindsight is everything so clear.

Like I said -- this book is an excellent starting point for discussion. But I deplore the current trend by the author, Wolfram Wette, and others -- they represent the pendulum swinging too far in the opposite direction from the memoir literature of the 50s and earlier studies.

And lastly, I must register my objection to the author's dissertation advisor writing the Foreword and even being referenced on the title page. It should have been enough for the author to acknowledge Murray in his Preface. Moreover, Murray clearly shills for the author, using adjectives like "outstanding" and "extraordinary." Obviously the standards of objectivity and propriety in the academic world (or Ohio State at least) have changed, and not for the better.

This is an excellent study of the highest levels of the German Army during WWII. But I think the main lesson is that there was no high command, at least in the sense the British and the Americans had one. Hitler and the generals around him spent their time micromanaging the Eastern Front with occasional interference in African and European battles. Hitler acted as if he were the counterpart of Eisenhower, not Marshall or Brooke. It is as if Rosevelt were to have sent Eisenhower daily detailed instructions on where to attack and what to defend.

The problem was only partially Hitler's. The Germans never really created a staff to manage a global conflict. Hadler resented Hitler's inferference, but because it was usually stupid, not because Hitler should have been managing the war, not the battles. The Germans were superb at what they considered the "operational" level of command--the control of armies on a single battlefield. But they never looked at the "big picture."

The book also proves that the German army high command, such as it was, had serious failings. They simply did not understand the logistics of a campaign as vast as the Eastern Front. Nor did they have the intelligence gathering capacity to estimate what they were getting into when they attacked the Soviet Union. Worse, they did not even realize their problems.

This book can teach a lot about why people frequently fail to understand and act upon hard facts. Learning this can help avoid future disasters of any sort.

This book is an attempt to re-write what has been the conventional view of the relation between Adolph Hilter and the German General Staff. After the war, Hitler was conveniently dead and that allowed the German Generals to put out a version of history that was accepted for some years but was at odds with the truth. The German Generals had towed the line that they were politically neutral prior to the 1930?s and that they had not been supporters of Nazi aims. Further that they opposed some aspects of Nazi war aims and acted in a professional way. Lastly they were highly competent and might have won the war if it had not had been for Hitler continually interfering with their operational plans.

Megargee argues convincingly that the German Generals had a political agenda similar to the Nazis. That is they supported the abrogation of the Treaty of Versailles, they wanted an end to democracy and they wanted Germany to rearm and to become a great power again. A large number of Generals such as Rommel, Guderian, Zeitzler and Reichenau were if not committed Nazis, enthusiastic barrackers yelling support from the sidelines.

One interesting point is Megaree?s estimation of the ability of the German Generals. After the war a large number wrote memoirs in which they modestly estimated themselves as pretty good. Megaree concedes that from an operational point of view the German army did well. However it was vulnerable in a number of respects. The key mistake made by Germany in the war was the attack on the Soviet Union. It would seem clear that the planning for operation Barbarossa was deeply flawed. For instance the Germans knew nothing of the actual strength of the forces against them. (The Soviets had 5 million men, 20,000 tanks and 20,000 aircraft to the German?s 3million 3,200 and 3000 respectively) In addition the Germans had no clear plan of defeating the Soviets. Barbarossa was based on the hope that the bulk of Soviet forces could be destroyed near the Polish border. It was then hoped that the Soviets might give in or the government would collapse. However if this did not eventuate the Germans had massive supply problems. They had limited fuel, and they could not use the Soviet railway system until they changed the gauge. In fact when the Soviets failed to collapse the Germans suffered massive supply problems, not being able to supply their troops with winter clothing and struggling to maintain ammunition levels and fuel and spares for their vehicles and planes.

Thus throughout the war the German Army acted as if intelligence was not really worth worrying about and that supply was a problem which could be overcome by an act of will. This deficiency was not a problem in initial war in the west, as the distances were so small and the French and British acted incompetently when faced by the German advance. However against the Soviets it was fatal.

Megargee summarises the weakness of the German generals as one of a strategic weakness. It was one that they shared with Hitler and in fact it is clear that they had little insight into the reason for their defeat even after the finish of the war.

Another issue dealt with by the book is the question of the role of Hitler?s leadership in bringing about the loss of the war for Germany. Megargee clearly shows that it was only in the later part of the war (1944) that tensions arose between Hitler and the Generals. By this time the war was lost. Over the big decisions there was not a lot of disagreement.

This book although expensive is short and easy to read. It is interesting not just for those interested in the war, but it illustrates how history can be distorted by over reliance on self serving material.

I met Nancy Wright Beasley at a writer's conference in Richmond, Virginia. She was kind enough to share the story of her book, Izzy's Fire with me. I saw the love and passion in her eyes when she spoke of her seven-year journey to complete Izzy's Fire - and I knew I had to review the book.

Simply put, Izzy's Fire is one of the many millions of stories that came out of those dark and desperate times we now call the Holocaust. But on another level, it is the intense and personal story of one real family as told by a woman who was willing to walk through the horrors of despair, death and war to make sure that justice was served and Izzy's Fire was shared with the world.

Izzy Ipson married the love of his life, Edna (she was formerly known as Eta Ipp). They had a son, Jay (known as Jacob). They believed, as most young couples in love believe, that the world was there, just for them. And they were going to live life to the fullest.

The reality of the Ipson family was World War II and a madman known as Hitler. From the beginning of the book, when we can literally hear the sound of the military boots hitting the pavement as the Ipson family attempts to escape their two-year imprisonment in the Kovno Ghetto-to the celebration of a man whose family risked it all to save the Ipsons, you will be mesmerized, shocked and will be lifted from the depths of despair by something called hope.

Izzy's Fire is a must read. Let us never forget the Ipsons and millions of others who experienced the Holocaust. If we forget, we give the world and ourselves the opportunity to make the same mistake again. And that would be the greatest sin of all. Izzy's Fire is remembrance. It should never die.

Armchair Interviews says: Read this book, so we don't forget!

....there is something wrong with you. But, it WILL inspire you. {I shall say at the outset that I will leave out a lot of the names I can't pronounce}. This is the story of a family of three Lithuanian Jews, and, secondarily, of ten others, saved from the Holocaust by the courage and sacrifice of one Catholic family. They survived, and made it to America....

The tale is told from the viewpoint of Etta Ipp, who became Edna Ipson here in Richmond, VA. "Izzy's Fire" was a pet name her husband's family had for her. Some of the scenes, and stories, will make you sick. {DON'T let little kids read it}. Some will make you cry. There is great evil in the world; if you doubt that, read this book. There is also great good...never doubt that, either, for you shall meet it here.

The Ipsons lost almost all of their family to the Nazis, but they survived, and even prospered. Izzy died in 1997. Edna was still alive at the publication of the book in 2005. Jay, their young son, is now in his mid 70s, and helps run the Virginia Holocaust Museum, in Richmond. He is living history. I shall do something I never do, and recommend you not buy this from your favorite bookstore...if you purchase it from the Holocaust Museum, Jay will sign and personalize your copy; that virtually makes it a sacred relic. I assure you I treasure mine.

Izzy's Fire: Finding Humanity In The Holocaust is the triumphant true story of a holocaust survivor and members of her family escaped the Kovno Ghetto in Lithuania, survived trials and successfully hid until the war's end in a hiding places granted them by a Catholic farmer. She, her husband, and other refugees dug a hole between two potato cellars, and with the unselfish aid of that selfless, risk taking Catholic family, miraculously survived the Holocaust. Afterward she and her husband emigrated to America and encountered a joyful reunion decades later. Izzy's Fire gives voice to those who survived the Holocaust in hiding, and is a welcome addition to Holocaust studies shelves.

Rebeccasreads highly recommends IZZY'S FIRE as a compelling account of how a Lithuanian Jewish couple & their son survived the Nazi occupation, & hide for 3 years in a Catholic farmer's root cellar. & then surviving the Communist "liberation" of their homeland.

Beasley draws from personal interviews, research & numerous memoirs, including those from Israel "Izzy" Ipson, who helped his family escape from Kovno Ghetto, one of the most notorious killing fields for Jews in Lithuania. The Ipps, as they were known then, relocated to Richmond following their liberation and later changed their name to Ipson. Their story has been re-created at the Virginia Holocaust Museum in Richmond, Virginia.

IZZY'S FIRE is Eta's answer to those who say the Holocaust never happened, & is a tribute to personal bravery & the unquenchable resources of compassion, quick-wittedness & sheer determination to live, with a lot of luck thrown in.

Complete with maps & photos, IZZY'S FIRE is a story for all time.

There are many people today that feel "entitled" due to race, relegion or the condition of the home in which they were born. This is a story about a family who's life was turned upside down by war; who lived in barns, potato holes and lived in fear of being murdered as was the fate of many of their family members. Through perserverance and a strong faith in God, they were able to get to America and lived the "american story" of pulling themselves up from poverty to owning a successful business. All young people need to read this story.

I very much enjoyed Michelle Caffrey's honest and fresh account of the agony and ecstasy of barge life. Being a fellow bargee, I can well relate to both the fears and the exhileration she writes about in her account of their first year of barging. It also made me long to cast off the ropes of my own barge and go travelling again - something I will be doing very shortly too. Thanks for a fun and inspiring read, Michelle.

This review was posted on Amazon Canada by Jan Rehner:
You don't have to know anything about barging or boats to love this book. All you need is a desire to learn about Burgundy France from a unique perspective. Michelle Caffrey tells her true-life story of buying and refitting a lovely barge and lets you drift with her along the tree-lined canals of one of France's most beautiful regions. Textured with fascinating characters and the rich detail of food, wine, and countryside, this book lets you "just imagine" an intriguing and peaceful life style--with a good measure of surprise and humour mixed in.

Most books of this nature are re-hashes of the same story, but "Imagine...." goes a few steps further. It is well written and, for me, it was a good one-day read; not because I couldn't put it down....because I wouldn't put it down. It was that enjoyable. If you have ever thought about owning a barge, a boat, or even an RV, you will be able to enjoy this tremendously. This is a story of their first year. I hope there is a follow-up coming.

John Hardman

Like many of us, the Caffreys have a gipsie hidden deep in their soul. They were able to set theirs free. I'm extremely jealous. I've lived in Europe before and would love to find a way to return for extended stays. Barging is a recent lifestyle discovery for me and Just Imagine, has shown me the way to return to the old country and free my inner gipsie.
As something of a technical geek, the descriptions of the boats they looked at and the buying process they went through to find Imagine was of most interest to me. I now have a better idea of not only what kind of boat to buy but how to go about finding one. I did enjoy reading about the places and people they met but I'm also an explorer at heart, looking forward to my own discoveries. Their sense of entrepreneurship in starting Barge and Breakfast was also of interest as my wife and I both are involved in teaching entrepreneurship at Colorado Mountain College. My exposure to Roma people in Eastern Europe taught me that if you are going to be a gipsie, you also better be an entrepreneur. Sharing my boat with strangers in close quarters is not my idea of fun but it works for them. Proving that there are many ways to fund your dreams if you are creative. Seems like that is what "Just Imagine: New Life on an Old Boat" is all about anyway.
If there are any criticisms of the book it would be that the closer I got to the end of the story, the more grammatical mistakes I found. Not serious stuff but an indication that maybe barging is really more fun than writing about it.
Sail on friends. Some day we will gather by a campfire on the same riverbank to share a bottle of fine wine and a story or two.

I have been to france many times and Michelle's story brought it all back to me. Her descriptions of the trials and tribulations made me wonder if I could ever be as brave as they were to take all this on. It was fabulous as her words helped me to remember the beauty of the landscape and the thoughts of the food and wine made my stomach growl. What a great story and a very easy and fun read.