Denmark Books

Not world class litterature, but fascinating eye witness stories from Denmark under German occupation in WW2. Worth reading.

Reading this account of Knud Dyby's numerous acts on behalf of Danish Jews during World War II is like listening to a storyteller. Dyby's specific story is told within the framework of the general Danish resistance to Hitler's anti-Semitism.

Denmark, unlike many other European countries, did not have a tradition of treating its Jewish citizens differently. However, great courage was required for Dyby, Georg Duckwitz, and countless unnamed Danes, to resist Nazi oppression of Jews. It is remarkable that they succeeded in actively arranging for the escape to Sweden of nearly two thousand Jews late in the war, primarily on small boats. The details of arranging transport on fishing boats through a web of discreet individuals are fascinating. It also reminds us how much difference one person can make.

This book would be very accessible to high school students who are learning about the Holocaust. Mrs. Loeffler expains historical references such as "Krsytallnacht", so the reader can follow the story even without having much background knowledge about events before and during World War II.

This is a spectacular account of the bravery and caring of the Danish Resistance during the second World War. Danmark is such a small country and not many people of the world know what kind of people the Danes really are and the depth of their hearts.

Mediocre at best. Overwritten with an eye toward the profound, yet utterly passionless and dull, this story ultimately devolves into Benny Hill-like slapstick.
Read The Beautiful Mrs. Seidenman by Andrze Szczypiorski, instead. It is far superior and truly worthy of greatness.

THE DISCONTINUITY OF SMALL THINGS is one of the best novels I've read in a long time.

A striking difference between Haworth's book and other Holocaust literature is the degree of realism his work brings to readers whose lives were never directly touched by the Holocaust.

When I read some of the other books, I felt so numbed and shocked that I couldn't believe what I "saw." It was horrifying, but didn't seem believable. I couldn't relate to it -- not only because I'm not Jewish, but also because I've never experienced war firsthand.

THE DISCONTINUITY OF SMALL THINGS, which focuses not on the unspeakable horrors of the Holocaust, but on the hardships of daily life -- a preview of what was to come -- is different. What Haworth wrote seems real. This I can see happening. I can see it happening here in the U.S., too, and if it does, our experience may be much like that of the Danes during the 1940 German invasion and continuing occupation of their country.

Awareness dawns slowly for Bakman. Nazi propaganda pamphlets rain down from the sky. And "Bakman has heard -- where he has heard he can't quite remember...it comes like change of weather -- that there are places in Europe where Jews clean the streets. Dragged from their shops, scrubbing the pavement on their hands and knees. Not in Denmark, of course. These things would never happen in Denmark."

Carl Jensen, a fisherman in the village of Gilleleje, facing financial ruin during the occupation, feels desperate:


The sea smelled rich and hungry. [...]


The "small things" began to pile up:


[Bakman] had never felt the war so presently as today.
Each moment of the war until this day had been only a small
adjustment: cold water instead of lukewarm in his shower,
ersatz coffee instead of real, and milk only on occasion.
A small stockpiling of incident....

But today -- seeing the mound of small weaponry at a
fashionable square -- Bakman knows that something vital has
changed.... The dream of a simpler, purer Denmark, lovely
country by the sea, has passed him by.


Haworth's characters seem as real as your family and friends. They are ordinary people who find within themselves extraordinary courage.

THE DISCONTINUITY OF SMALL THINGS will break your heart, but it will also make you think. About the way the world was back then -- and the way it is now.


--Arlene Sanders, Author of TIGER BURNING BRIGHT

This small book does an excellent job of capturing the minor, seemingly inconvenient, events that can lead to a catastrophic history. Using several characters we see Denmark as the Nazi occupation changes lives. It's interesting how the characters' lives intersect. This book manages to be both literary and passionate. The spare writing style reminded me of Walker Percy's "The Moviegoer." This book has stayed with me long after I put it down.

This is a compact, but well-documented study of a 1926 theatre production of "The Pretenders", a little-known early play by Ibsen at the Danish Royal Theatre in Copenhagen to celebrate Adam and Johannes Poulsen's 25th anniversary as actors. The latter of these called in the help of theatre director, designer and prophet in exile Gordon Craig, who had abstained from active involvement in the theatre since he directed the (in)famous "Hamlet" with screens at Stanislavki's Moscow Art Theatre in 1912. In 1930 Craig produced a sumptuous book (now a collector's item) with colour reproductions of his designs and a personal account of his involvement. Using (Danish) documentation, including floor plans and other papers from the Royal Theatre's archives and press cuttings, Mr and Mrs Marker draw a detailed picture of the actual goings-on behind the scenes, the effectiveness of Craig's ideas in practice and the reception of the production. In some respects rather unlike Craig's self-glorifying account! An interesting, well-illustrated read for people with an interest in dramatic theory and theatre history. Too bad that no colour reproductions were included.

This is a compact, but well-documented study of a 1926 theatre production of "The Pretenders", a little-known early play by Ibsen at the Danish Royal Theatre in Copenhagen to celebrate Adam and Johannes Poulsen's 25th anniversary as actors. The latter of these called in the help of theatre director, designer and prophet in exile Gordon Craig, who had abstained from active involvement in the theatre since he directed the (in)famous "Hamlet" with screens at Stanislavki's Moscow Art Theatre in 1912. In 1930 Craig produced a sumptuous book (now a collector's item) with colour reproductions of his designs and a personal account of his involvement. Using (Danish) documentation, including floor plans and other papers from the Royal Theatre's archives and press cuttings, Mr and Mrs Marker draw a detailed picture of the actual goings-on behind the scenes, the effectiveness of Craig's ideas in practice and the reception of the production. In some respects rather unlike Craig's self-glorifying account! An interesting, well-illustrated read for people with an interest in dramatic theory and theatre history. Too bad that no colour reproductions were included.

This is a compact, but well-documented study of a 1926 theatre production of "The Pretenders", a little-known early play by Ibsen at the Danish Royal Theatre in Copenhagen to celebrate Adam and Johannes Poulsen's 25th anniversary as actors. The latter of these called in the help of theatre director, designer and prophet in exile Gordon Craig, who had abstained from active involvement in the theatre since he directed the (in)famous "Hamlet" with screens at Stanislavki's Moscow Art Theatre in 1912. In 1930 Craig produced a sumptuous book (now a collector's item) with colour reproductions of his designs and a personal account of his involvement. Using (Danish) documentation, including floor plans and other papers from the Royal Theatre's archives and press cuttings, Mr and Mrs Marker draw a detailed picture of the actual goings-on behind the scenes, the effectiveness of Craig's ideas in practice and the reception of the production. In some respects rather unlike Craig's self-glorifying account! An interesting, well-illustrated read for people with an interest in dramatic theory and theatre history. Too bad that no colour reproductions were included.

Sir John Gielgud was one of the premier Shakespearean actors of the 20th Century. He was well known for his Hamlet, having played it approximately 500 times by the time of this broadcast.

Another reviewer brands him "simply not Hamlet" and describes his performance as "weak and lacking in intelligence." Inexplicable criticisms and wrong.

"Simply not Hamlet" defies the judgment of Gielgud's contemporaries, who held his Hamlet as the standard by which to measure all others. The erring reviewer can only mean not conforming to his individual pre-conception of the role. No useful information is conveyed by such criticism.

"Weak?" Is Gielgud's Hamlet recessive, inarticulate, unimportant, ineffective, uninvolving, lacking in reserves? Heck no. Therefore it is not weak.

"Lacking in intelligence" is vague and unprovable, as no one makes more of Shakespeare's language than Gielgud. We might not make the same choices today, but none of his choices are unintelligent, and some of them remain unmatched.

So, what do we really have here, all preconceptions to one side? A poetic performance that, top-to-bottom, concentrates on the language in a florid, large-than-life manner, almost operatic, that is no longer current. The style is not invalid, just lost. And being broadcast live, without editing, the energy level of the whole cast is that much higher.

Any fan of Shakespeare on audio should have this performance as a centerpiece of his or her collection. Required listening.

This is from the 1948 broadcast and the sound is OK. I must say that, however much I like John Gielgud as an actor, he simply is not Hamlet. His reading is much too weak, really lacking intelligence. In addition, Ceilia Johnson as Ophelia is a disaster. She has a voice which is whinny and annoying and absolutely middle-aged; unbelievable as well as distracting as Ophelia. Andrew Cruikshank as Claudius is fine, although his wonderful, deep voice makes Hamlet shrink in his presence and makes him sound a little too good, which is not Claudius. Finally, Hugh Griffith is excellent, but one wishes one could have seen him! Might have saved the day!

After reading the negative and only review of this CD, I decided to see how terrible this recorded performance was for myself. First of all, I was surprised at how clear the sound of the performance actually was, considering the date of the recording. Second, I've seen and heard numerous performances of Shakespeare's Hamlet over the years, (including Mel Gibson, Nicol Williamson, Lawrence Oliver, Richard Burton, and Kenneth Branagh), most of which I have enjoyed, more or less, for different reasons. (I find it is a lot like listening to the many, great violinists who have recorded Beethoven's, one and only, Violin Concerto in D, Op. 61, i.e., some are good and some are great, for different reasons.)
At the time of this recording, John Gielgud had played Hamlet over 500 times and this performance in 1948 came late for him to play the role, yet Gielgud was also at the height of his abilities as an actor. I found that beyond the various interpretation's of Hamlet's personality by others, no one can "Speak the speech, I pray you, ...trippingly on the tongue..." in the decisively commanding, poetic, and eloquent manner as John Gielgud. It is the beauty of Shakespeare's language that Gielgud offers here, and that I believe is worth the price of admission, (or in this case, the 3CDs). Of course, the cast is not perfect, but Andrew Cruickshank is the best Claudius, I've ever heard, and Hugh Griffith's monologue as the First Player is just marvelous. Also, memorable is Marian Spencer as Gertrude, Baliol Holloway as Polonius, Sebastian Shaw as Horatio and Hugh Burden as Laertes. If that's not enough to wet your palette, get this CD set for no other reason than it is a historic performance of a John Gielgud with an enchanted voice, like none other.

Having recently visited Odense, Denmark, with a tour guide who is a true Andersen expert, I was eager to take her suggestion that I find a more authentic translation of Andersen's work than is generally available. This book provides just what she recommended. Its short biogrqphical sketch of the man presents the REAL H.C. Andersen accurately, according to what I learned about him in Denmark, & the stories themselves are not "cleaned up" but are direct translations. I especially appreciate insights provided in the Notes at the end of each tale. They give the reader an even deeper look into the complex, fascinating man. This is not your Danny Kaye's H.C. Andersen !!

What a shame! The book IS beautiful. I had hoped to give it as a gift to my 5 year old, but the biographical notes are much too sexually explicit.

The presentation of this book is superb; it is beautifully designed and produced, with charming illustrations that are especially apt, as they were executed by Andersen's contemporaries.

The admirable introduction places Andersen in the context of his time, and for American readers, links him to this country in a fresh way. A perfect length, the introduction provides the kind of information that makes one eager to get to the stories, yet it is not so detailed that, as too often happens with the more long-winded variety, it is skipped. Don't skip it, for it serves as an important guide to the stories, noting Andersen's adult concerns and anxieties imbedded beneath the surface of the tales, which remain wonderful out-loud reading for small fry.

The stories themselves are a revelation--dispelling the prejudices engendered by Danny Kaye and Disney. Stories taken for granted are new and impeccably rendered in this translation. (Even the notes are great--and should be read before the stories, filled as they are with fascinating information. Also, they're conveniently placed at the end of each story, yet the pages are not sullied by superscript numbers.)
This is a perfect gift, but be sure to keep one for yourself.

An enthralling story possesing all the important componants of a good novel, danger, love, adventure, and the best part is, it actully happened. Well, not really, the caractures are fictional but the plot is not. It's the story of a young man living in Denmark during world war II and the German occupation. He, like almost all of the youth in the country, becomes part of the "resistance". The resistance is responcible for doing almost everything possible to irratate, or in some cases kill, the Germans. They were responcible for everything from illegal newspapers to factory bombings. The hero must face death of friends and the terrible feeling that he is responcible for his fathers fate. Nathaniel Benchley has obvioulsy spent a great deal of time on reserch, as this book is almost a resource for information on World War II. The amundance of historical facts may lose the intrest of some but will greatly increase the enjoyment for others. Related books for younger readers are "Code name Chris," and "lisas war," by Carol Mathas and "Number the Stars" by Lois Lowry

I have read many books before. I thought this one is a very very good book. It keeps you entertained and has a lot of suspense from beginning to the end. It never gets real slow in parts unlike some books. The book is very realistic and is a historical fiction book. The only thing that I have against it is the details lag and it sometimes skips a month or two between chapters. I do however recommend this book to read. It is very interesting to read.

Hildegard writes from the perspective of a young child brought up in war torn Denmark. The pain, the hunger, the cold, related in a way that only one who has experienced can tell. This is a commendable work for a first time writer with a story that was crying to be told and which the reader needs to be aware of. I would like to see more works by Hildegard. I would like to read her accounts of life in the United States after the war.

I find the comments about this book at bit disturbing. They give a distorted view of Denmark. Remember that Denmark was the only country that helped their Jews. Out of more than 6000 Jews, about 500 were captured, and of those less than 100 perished in the concentration camps in Germany. The rest were ferried to Sweden by Danes looking out for and wanting to help their neighbors, friends, anyone persecuted by the Nazis.

There were absolutely no concentration camps in Denmark neither before, during nor after the war. There was a transit camp (Frøslev-lejren) used by the Germans during the war to hold Danish prisoners until they were shipped to mainly 3 concentration camps in Germany. Also, there was no retaliation going on. After the war, the camp was one place (among many) used to hold the many thousands of refugees that came to Denmark during the end of the war. They were taken care of, fed and housed.

While I don't doubt that Mrs. Lindstrom had absolutely terrible experiences during these most tragic of times, facts should not be misrepresented.

Does a fine overview on this progressive country. It is easy to carry, lightweight, full-color, and includes an excellent, large 2-sided map with plenty of practical details on both Copenhagen and Denmark. For a more detailed guidebook to complement this one, I'd also recommend DK Publishing's Eyewitness Travel Guide (to Denmark).

As one of four travel guides my family is taking on a 3-week long trip to Europe (mainly Denmark and Sweden), Globetrotter's Copenhagen and Denmark Travel Pack would be lonely on its own.

On the plus side, we have enjoyed the removable, fold-out map in the back jacket pocket of the guide. Sidebar comments are also interesting to know. The physical book is of good quality and the small, thin size make it easy to pack and tote around.

Suggestions we have for improvements:
(1) Write in bullet points, by topic, or in sections by page. The narrative paragraph format, going on for pages at a time, doesn't work well for people trying to coordinate a travel schedule.
(2) Decide what makes this guide stand out from the pack and deliver it. Aside from the map, there isn't much in this guide that I couldn't have found out from another of the guides we purchased.

I wasn't as happy with this map when I finally got to Denmark as I was when it arrived in the mail. At first glance it looks like a good map--lots of "stuff" like subway map, photos, detailed map of Copenhagen--but the regular map for driving the rest of the country wasn't as detailed as I needed. It was hard to find some of the villages and the road route numbers were either hard to see or weren't written on the map for some of the smaller routes. It was good for showing the castles/places of interest though. I much preferred my Hammond International Map for Norway and Sweden to this map when I was in Denmark, and wished I had the same sort of map in Denmark. IMPORTANT: Copenhagen doesn't look like a dangerous city, but you won't see any police presence (away on summer vacation?) and there is a very big pick pocket and bag theft problem there. I was told that Eastern European petty-theft criminals come in for the summer to steel from the tourists. Be very careful with your bags and things. Leave you valuables and passports at the hotel and keep your car keys and money in your front pants pocket or close on your body.

This map is quite sturdy. It includes both a road map of all of Denmark and on the reverse side a useful Copenhagen street map (including subway map)and inset maps of other cities. I found it helpful in planning my trip - I'm expecting it to serve well when we do our driving tour.

With only a new Preface, this paperback is a reissue--not a new edition--of the 1996 hardcover to raise once again fundamental social and moral issues relating to eugenics; which is invariably portrayed as a singular means for the betterment of many individuals and improvement of society by those attracted to it. The six articles by the editors and others examine various practices and aims of "the history of sterilization and genetics" particularly in Scandinavian countries in the first part of the 20th century so as to develop "an understanding of the interaction between science, ideology, and politics" mainly as a "brake on the distortion and misuse of scientific results and authority." Though the United States is only occasionally mentioned, the relevance to the genetic testing which has become a central political and religious issue in the U.S. is clear. As now, in the early 1900s, the Scandinavian countries were seen by many and held themselves out as model societies. Yet as the essays go into with much social and government data, scientific studies, and related widely-accepted ideas and values as found in contemporary writings, the eugenic practices, including sterilization, these Scandinavian societies engaged in were rooted largely in racial, ethnic, or nationalistic beliefs. In some ways, as the essays suggest and occasionally state, Nazi ideology touting the goal of racial purity and supremacy was more of an extension of widespread practices and visions regarding eugenics rather than a mutation of them. The several essays present an unsettling picture of how scientific possibility can take a turn into unseemly social programming.

In the twentieth century, both in the United States and in Europe, the idea gained ground that society was in danger from "superior" people having few children and "inferior" people having many children - or in the case of mentally retarded people, their having any children at all. Several countries passed laws to allow the sterilization of people, against their wills, for the "betterment" of society. In this book, authors Gunnar Broberg, a professor in the Department of History of Science and Ideas at the University of Lund, Sweden, and Nils Roll-Hansen, a professor at the Institute for Studies in Research and Higher Education in Oslo, Norway, record the history of Scandinavia's embracing of eugenics, and the results that this produced.

Now, where do I start with this book? I give this book 3 stars for "Good." The book is a solid history of what happened in Scandinavia, including Finland, going into excellent depth on the subject. On the downside, the book is written in a very boring and academic manner. Indeed, the authors took what should have been a fascinating topic, and produced a dull and pedestrian book.

So, if you want to an in-depth and non-sensationalistic book about how eugenics gained such a firm footing in Scandinavia, then this book is for you. But, if you want a book on this subject that will keep you fascinated and glued to your chair, then you had better look elsewhere. Overall, I give this book a rather guarded recommendation.