We Called It War! The Untold Story of the Combat Infantry in Korea

Average customer rating:

I know Mr. Batson

Don't waste your time or money

The best combat book on the war

This book tell it like it is for the common soldier in comba

We Called It War! The Untold Story of the Combat Infantry in Korea
Denzil Batson
Manufacturer: Leathers Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Military | History | Subjects | Books
General | Korean War | Military | History | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1890622680

Book Description

A year in the life of a platoon sergeant in the Korean War - a detailed account of the two-day assault of a hill in China called Little Gibraltar.

Customer Reviews:

I know Mr. Batson.......2006-01-23

I have met Mr. Batson. He has been a friend of my father, Ronald Stewart, since they fought together on those hills so long ago. I can tell you one thing for certain. None of what he relates in his book was ever made up as the previous reviewer suggests. I must admit that I have not read every page of this book. When I picked it up I was mostly interested in reading the stories that related to my father. I can tell you it is not a "Pork Chop Hill", but then there aren't many books that would measure up to that classic work. And I doubt that Mr. Batson would ever claim that his book is anything more than it is - a firsthand account written by a man who was there, for the men who were with him. I have to give it 5 stars because I am proud of my father and the men he fought with. Men like Denzil Batson.

Don't waste your time or money.......2002-08-28

This book disappointed in the first few pages, and didn't get any better. I was really put off when the author described a weapon that does not exist in the military aresenal (.."the 30-30 carbine.."). If he made this up, I can only assume that he made up other parts of this story. A big disappointment. Mr. Batson should take up a different hobby.

The best combat book on the war.......2001-12-02

This book is a tribute to the citizen soldier. Mr. Datson enlisdted in the Army as a private and rose to the rank of Master Sergeant during his single tour. The book's description of the author's first combat experience is unforgettable yet few Americans have ever heard of Little Gibraltar Hill. All veterans of that war's forgotten battles should give this book to their family to let them know what they endured. If you know someone in the infantry in Afganistan send them this book so they will know they can endure the unendurable. Read this book than pass it on.

This book tell it like it is for the common soldier in comba.......1999-06-16

After reading his account you will understand what the real men of war go thru. Living outside in all kinds of weather, listening to a friend talk about going home one minute and seeing him die the next. After reading this you will see the real sacrafice servicemen make for our freedoms, and you will really understand what war is all about. An excellent book that I could not put down. We should all thank Mr Batson and the other troops for our freedom.

Average customer rating:

Korea: We Called It War
Denzil Batson
Manufacturer: Leathers Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Military & Spies | Professionals & Academics | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

War | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1585972142

Book Description

There are few first-hand accounts of the Korean War. In fact, this war fought in Korea's hills and rice paddies has nearly been forgotten - except by those who were there. Denzil Batson was there and he has written an amazing book that tells his story and those around him during those terrible days of battle.

Book Description

Invisible Hand: The Wealth of Adam Smith covers the main events in the life of this brilliant theorist, and explores the intellectual propositions of the founder of modern economics.

A useful introductory tool for everyone interested in the history and evolution of ideas, this book shows that Smith was as much a moral philosopher as an economist. His works, The Wealth of Nations and The Theory of Moral Sentiments, complement each other.

Adam Smith built the basis for a sound tradition of thought that defends freedom and common sense. He explored and developed ideas that are as valid and valuable today as they were when he wrote them..

Customer Reviews:

Founding father of economic conservatism.......2002-10-18

Founding father of economic conservatism, Smith nevertheless sympathized with the working class and scorned landlords and other capitalists whom he deemed incapable of heeding public regulations. Today his books are frequently quoted yet seldom read. Smith was far less optimistic than many people assume; though he considered capitalism the basis for personal freedom, he expected that both the propertied class and the workers would push for their narrow self-interests.

From the History of astronomy to the Wealth of nations: Wonderful wheels and invisible hands in Adam Smith's major works (Working paper)

Average customer rating:

From the History of astronomy to the Wealth of nations: Wonderful wheels and invisible hands in Adam Smith's major works (Working paper)
Francesco Luna
Manufacturer: Dept. of Economics, University of California
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0006P35PG

Average customer rating:

Great for Self discovery

Catch-22

Practical Help for ADD-ults and Others

sloppy and vague

Good Resource

Living With ADD: A Workbook for Adults With Attention Deficit Disorder
M. Susan Roberts , and Gerard J. Jansen
Manufacturer: New Harbinger Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Self-Help | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Pathologies | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
General | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Attention Deficit Disorder | Disorders & Diseases | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Disabilities | Special Needs | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books
General | Medicine | Subjects | Books
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ADD-Friendly Ways to Organize Your Life

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Adult ADD: The Complete Handbook

Delivered from Distraction: Getting the Most out of Life with Attention Deficit Disorder

Accessories:

philosophy hope in a jar daily moisturizer

Braun IRT 4020 ThermoScan Ear Thermometer

ASIN: 1572240636

Customer Reviews:

Great for Self discovery.......2004-07-09

This is an excellent workbook for ADDers.
It helps you to analyze your behaviors, thoughts, and feelings in different situations; understand why your behaving/feeling the way you do; how to cultivate change; and why the change is important and beneficial to you.
I can't express enough my delight in this book, 12 chapters: 3 informative and 9 subjects of potential challenge in an ADDer's day to day life. Especially for recently diagnosed adult college students such as myself.
A must read!!!

Catch-22.......2003-11-20

1. I can't finish the projects I start because I have ADD.
2. I realize I can't go on like this.
3. I make reading this book and finishing the exercises my new project.
4. goto 1.

Don't waste your money see a doctor.

Practical Help for ADD-ults and Others.......2003-11-16

I count myself lucky for having stumbled across this helpful title a couple of months ago. This highly readable book can benefit anyone who has ever struggled with his or her own behavior patterns --and who hasn't? Many of the problems encountered by people with ADD are non-specific and afflict a large percentage of "non-ADD" people as well, even if to a lesser degree. For this reason, "Living with ADD" deserves a closer look from a wider audience. Such headings as "Conquering the Internal Critic" --"Handling Criticism from Others" --"Ten Fallacies of Thinking" including catastrophizing, personalizing, and polarized thinking address most of us whether or not we fit into the diagnostic boundaries of ADD. The eminently practical advice given by the authors is offered in short paragraphs that even most ADD readers will find manageable; more imporantly yet, the advice is do-able!
Since ADD (and Life) are not monolithic conditions, you may be able to skip an occasional exercise that does not apply to you, but rest assured: the moment you turn the page, the authors will be looking you straight in the eye again. Clearly Roberts and Jansen know whereof they speak. Their PHDs notwithstanding, they have succeeded in communicating their insights without getting tangled in academic jargon. I thank them.

sloppy and vague.......2003-06-09

After I read Driven to Distraction, I was recommended this book. But the writing is very sloppy, including lots of little mistakes (repeated questions etc), bad logic, and incredibly broad feel good brush strokes with which you'd have a tough time finding someone who is not ADD. Statistics are thrown around casually from different sources but with no footnotes or endnotes defining how those statistics were derived.

Good Resource.......2002-08-27

A MD suggested that I might have adult ADD. I complained of having some of the symptoms - I become bored easily, have a hard time with repetitive tasks, like to start things more than finish them. I had never considered ADD before, and thought it would help to read more about it.

So, 160 pages later, I now know I don't have have ADD. This alone was worth the read. As a bonus, the workbook had exercises that addressed the behaviors I told the doctor about. I particularly like a "weekly plan" worksheet that breaks out an entire week into hour increments - from 7:00 am through 10:00 pm. The exercise is to fill this out once a week, including transportation times and preparation and clean-up times for everything that needs to get done that week. Here I learned I underestimated the amount of time things took, so I ran out of time during the preparation or the clean up. Also, I did not factor in recreational time, so would chisel these out of times I was doing things I didn't like. Not that I had ADD. Ah. I also liked a mood moniter chart they provided, that tracks to see if there is a pattern between a mood, the time of day, the day of the week, the person you are with, and/or the task you are performing. This one is easier than I just made it sound, and has been really enlightening.

In a nutshell, if you think you have some of the symptoms of ADD, you will be better informed and will have received practical advice by the end of the workbook. The writing is good and moves along smoothly.

Average customer rating:

Best of both worlds

TASTY BAKING

Worldwide Sourdoughs from Your Bread Machine (Nitty Gritty Cookbooks)
Donna Rathmell German , and Ed Wood
Manufacturer: Bristol Publishing Enterprises
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Bread | Baking | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
General | Baking | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Special Appliances | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Simple Sourdough: Make Your Own Starter Without Store-Bought Yeast and Bake the Best Bread in the World With This Simplest of Recipes for Making Sourdough (or Sour Dough)

Classic Sourdoughs: A Home Baker's Handbook

The Bread Machine Cookbook

Bread Machine Cookbook II (Nitty Gritty Cookbooks)

Alaska Sourdough

ASIN: 1558670955

Customer Reviews:

Best of both worlds.......2006-03-23

Most sourdough cookbooks fall into one of two camps: The hedgers, who add baking powder or commercial yeast to all their recipes, presumably just in case their starter doesn't perform as desired; and the purists, who never add extra leavening to anything. This book straddles the line nicely, providing both kinds of recipes sorted into sections to suit your mood and the amount of time you have available for baking. There is a great chapter explaining how sourdough works and why you need so much time to bake using it, and another devoted to the ins and outs of adapting sourdough for bread machine use. There is a section of recipes using commercial yeast and the regular bread machine cycle, a section using wild yeast and the bread machine cycle, and a section of wild yeast recipes using only the dough cycle.
The authors tell you approximately how many hours each step will take, which is very helpful when planning your baking, but I will confess to being somewhat turned off by the fact that they describe their starters in terms that seem to be specific to Ed Wood's dried starters for sale ('fast', 'slow', 'Russian', 'Austrian', etc.)
Aside from the odd spelt and kamut bread recipes, there are a lot of rye recipes in this book, pitas and rolls, a selection of bread flavors from around the world, and the very best plain sourdough French bread I have ever made. This book is a great addition to any sourdough baker's collection.

TASTY BAKING.......2000-06-09

I have used this cookbook for years, and decided to order one for my daughter, since it is one of the best sourdough cookbooks around. The recipes are well organized, and the results are stunning! For anyone who does sourdough baking, the varieties are quite intriguing, and the occasional odd ingredients are not usually difficult to find, or substitute for. It's been around a while, but since Amazon.com has it, I'm delighted to buy it for gifts.

Average customer rating:

dont buy this book.....buy POCKET KNIFE TRADER'S PRICE GUIDE VOLUME 8

Great reference among so few

Price Guide to Collector Knives

Not recommended.

14th Edition Collectors Guide

The Official Price Guide to Collector Knives, 14th edition (Official Price Guide to Collector Knives)
C. Houston Price
Manufacturer: House of Collectibles
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Firearms & Weapons | Antiques & Collectibles | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
General | Antiques & Collectibles | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Hand Tools | How-to & Home Improvements | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

American Premium Guide to Knives & Razors: Identification and Value Guide (American Premium Guide to Knives & Razors)

Blade's Guide To Knives & Their Values

Big Book of Pocket Knives: Identification & Values (Big Book of Pocket Knives)

The Standard Knife Collector's Guide: Identification & Values (Standard Knife Collector's Guide)

Knives 2006

ASIN: 1400048346
Release Date: 2004-03-09

Book Description

THE ULTIMATE KNIFE COLLECTOR'S GUIDE!

Knives have played an indispensable role in our lives for thousands of years. From their humble beginnings as simple tools and weapons to times when they were symbols of rank and success, knives have been crafted for function as well as for show. Collecting these items has become not only a serious hobby but also a profitable buisiness. Whether you are just starting a collection or you are already an experienced collector, this book will offer everything you need to know about buildting your collection and becoming an informed buyer and seller.

• COMPLETE: With updated price information for over 13,000 listings, this essential sourcebook offers reliable information on knives from all major manufacturers including Remington, Case, Winchester, and more

• DIFFERENT CATEGORIES: From wooden-handled military knives to silver folding fruit knives to old-fashioned pocket knives, this book covers over 1,500 models of collectible knives

• EXPERT ADVICE: C. Houston Price is the former publisher and editor of Knife World Magazine since 1979. He is also a lifetime member of the Cultery Hall of Fame

• VALUABLE INFORMATION: Knife nomenclature, how to spot fakes, factors affecting value, and knife brands of the world

• RESOURCES: Collector Clubs and Recommended Reading

Customer Reviews:

dont buy this book.....buy POCKET KNIFE TRADER'S PRICE GUIDE VOLUME 8.......2007-05-25

Well its a typical price guide. The values in it are way overinflated and none of the knives actually bring that much money. It is also missing prices for several highly collectible knives.
The Case XX section of this book is kinda difficult to find what you are looking for.
If you are thinking of buying this book then dont, I would recommend POCKET KNIFE TRADER'S PRICE GUIDE VOLUME 8 it is much easier to figure out and has actual prices and it is cheaper. It is also fresh off the presses and is written by a group of people who are directly involved with Case and Tony Foster who knows everything about knives.

Great reference among so few.......2007-01-26

A lot of good information in this book from Mr. Price!
I would have liked to see more info on obscure knives but I also understand there are only so many pages in the book(750 or so), what info is found between the pages is detailed and accurate.
A definite worthy addition to anyones library that collects knives.

Price Guide to Collector Knives.......2006-11-10

This book is great. I wanted a book listing knife values and this shows everything on that subject for all knives.

Not recommended........2005-08-01

If it wasn't for Case knives it wouldn't be much of a book.
There is some good basic information, about the same as included
in most knife books. Many many knife makers are not mentioned.
I purchase reference books on all my interest and with few
exceptions these books list a great percentage of the total
industry, not just a few as this book does. It sure could have
been better described.

14th Edition Collectors Guide.......2005-06-16

Best collectors book I seen yet. Indespensible to any collector of Case pocketknives. I use mine every day.

Average customer rating:

Book of Reprints

Great book for inspiration

Good starting point

Track plans for model railroaders with some experience.

Bad, bad, don't let the name fool you

48 Top Notch Track Plans: From Model Railroader Magazine (Model Railroad Handbook, No 39)
Bob Hayden
Manufacturer: Kalmbach Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Model Trains | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Models | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Transportation & Highway | Civil | Engineering | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Big Book of Model Railroad Track Plans

One Hundred and One Track Plans for Model Railroaders (Model Railroad Handbook, No. 3)

Track Planning for Realistic Operation: Prototype Railroad Concepts for Your Model Railroad (Model Railroader)(3rd Edition)

How to Build Model Railroad Benchwork, Second Edition (Model Railroader)

Realistic Model Railroad Design: Your Step-By-Step Guide to Creating a Unique Operating Layout (Model Railroader)

Accessories:

Railroad Tycoon 2 Gold

Product Features:

Kalmbach 48 Top Notch Track Plans - 12132

KAL

ASIN: 0890241902

Product Description

These outstanding track plans are designed to work in any amount of space or scale preference, including HO (HOn21/2 and HOn3), O, S, N, and Z scales. Includes photos, diagrams and materials lists for plans ranging from small modules to room-size layouts.

Customer Reviews:

Book of Reprints.......2006-01-25

Be forwarned, this book merely reprint articles from past (and some may say ancient) issues of Model Railroader magazine. An expert model-railroader could probably create some of them, however, for a novice this provides little more than ideas for layouts. Also, many of the plans are for HO and N scale, with very few O scale layouts.

Overall, I'd say there are better layout books out there for you to spend your money on.

Great book for inspiration.......2001-01-25

As the other reviewers so aptly point out, this book provides more layout-inspiration than actual step-by-step instruction, and is not an "all-in-one" book. However, I found it invaluable as a source of ideas. The "Buzzards Cove" coastline scene was exactly what I was seeking for my small (3X5), novice N-scale layout. None of the other books I'd consulted offered anything like it. It's a simple enough matter to apply the suggested scenery to one of the more detailed, step-by-step books showing an identical track plan. In fact, one of the problems I've had with basic track-plan books is that they just show parts and wiring, and do not incorporate grade-changes or scenery. This book fills the inspiration-void.

Good starting point.......2000-02-22

Book has a lot of 4x8 plans in it, along with a handful of shelf types and large layouts. The plans are not the step-by-step method. If you want to be walked through every step, then don't get this book. However, if you have some experience, most of the plans have track section joints marked so you can figure out what it is you need. I used the book to get ideas for my medium-sized layout, taking things from all sizes of layouts. This book is probably more geared for the intermediate modeler.

Track plans for model railroaders with some experience........1998-12-23

Each of the 48 layouts is presented (typically 2-4 pages each) with a concept description (why build this layout this way and/or how it is operated), a scale track plan, and a perspective drawing of the layout (or a featured scene from the layout). These are not track plans for sectional track, they do not have step-by-step assembly instructions (Kalmbach Publishing has other very good "track plan" books which take that approach), and the plans do not come with a "parts list" to build them. Almost all of the plans are for modelers with some prior layout construction experience and are intended to give you inspiration for your layout design, or as an intermediate-complexity track plan to build as your layout. For those modelers interested in track design, it presents a wide variety of different layout design approaches by dozens of other modelers.

Bad, bad, don't let the name fool you.......1998-11-28

This was NOT a good book, unless you are of a highly advanced level in model railroading. All the "layouts" were poor paintings, which you couldn't envision easily at all. This was not a good book.

Average customer rating:

Good insights

Decent Insight Into the Band

Good Book About Radiohead

good but not up-to-date

a limited review ...

Exit Music: The Radiohead Story
Mac Randall
Manufacturer: Delta
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Voice | Instruments & Performers | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
General | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
General | Composers & Musicians | Arts & Literature | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
Rock | Composers & Musicians | Arts & Literature | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
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Radiohead: The Complete Guide To Their Music (Complete Guide to the Music of...) (Complete Guide to the Music of...) (Complete Guide to the Music of...)

ASIN: 0385333935
Release Date: 2000-09-12

Book Description

This October, when Radiohead release their highly anticipated follow-up to 1997's guitar-driven OK Computer, music critics may very well bestow the Oxford quintet with "The Most Important Band in Rock" accolade that cursed U2, R.E.M. and the Clash. The East Coast editor of Launch magazine, Randall is undoubtedly one of the many journalists eager to exclaim "genius!" again, but his biography of the Grammy winners is economical, restrained and unauthorized (band members "respectfully declined" Randall's requests to cooperate). After briefly reenacting the now mythic June 1997 concert at New York City's Irving Plaza, attended by rock's superstar aristocracy (Bono, Lenny Kravitz, Madonna, etc.), Randall smartly spends most of his narrative on the band's fascinating, decade-long conception in and around culturally barren Oxford, whose Radiohead landmarks he visited and lays out. Non- and neo-Anglophiles will especially appreciate Randall's definitions of British terms and background on the British music industry, music press and education system (all five musicians met at the all-male Abingdon School). As for the inevitable "record critique" chapters, Randall rarely throws in his two cents, preferring to sprinkle passages with the band's own pithy observations and recording-session anecdotes culled from magazine interviews. Exit music? Not quite, as Radiohead are pushing the boundaries of pop music (the new record is rumored to include Miles Davis and backwards singing). Because the book will be published right before the new album debuts, it will be nearly out of date by the time it hits bookstores. However, Randall's work will still serve as a reliable introduction to an ever-evolving band.

Customer Reviews:

Good insights.......2003-07-29

One of the few bands that has hit fame and fortune, but hasn't been wrecked by it. Mac Randall's "Exit Music: The Radiohead Story" is a solid, informative cache of background info on this band, without being either vindictive or fawning.

It charts the group's origins, the guys behind the music, and their rise from an unusually sedate gathering of British guys to a world-famous band with immensely popular music and legions of devoted fans. No tabloidy gossip here -- it's focus on the band and what they do best.

The pictures are the main disappointment; they're black and white, and are basically shots of the band members and not much else. Randall is a fan but not a fanboy; his attitude is cool and professional. He offers a basic, informative description of Radiohead's history. As the band members do, there is relatively little info on their early personal lives or love lives, but plenty on their careers and music.

It's not earthshattering, but a good source of information and background information. Solid read for Radiohead fans, old and new.

Decent Insight Into the Band.......2002-07-01

When I purchased Exit Music: The Radiohead Story, I expected stories about Radiohead's challenges in making albums, touring, and other random tidbits of information about the band members.

The book contained a handful of these types of stories, but a lot of the material critiqued Radiohead's music. For example, there were numerous descriptions of how songs went from this chord to that chord... or this song contained three guitars...

So before purchasing this book, be aware that a good majority of it covers the actual content of Radiohead's work, describes their music, etc. I was looking more for a "VH1: Behind the Music" type biography.

Good Book About Radiohead.......2001-06-20

This is a great book for all Radiohead fans. This book is also good if you're just a muscian, because it has a very nice break down of every song off of Pablo Honey, The Bends and OK Computer (The best 3 CD's ever)

good but not up-to-date.......2001-01-26

This book was pretty good. Though I am an ardent fan, this is the first book I've read about the band. I found it very readable and it went by very quickly tracing the beginnings of the band until after OK Computer. As some other reviewers suggested, I also find it a little confusing as to why biographies are being written at this point, while there is still so much ahead of them in their career. Though this book is good, I would have rather received a more updated book that covered Kid A, the latest album.

a limited review ..........2000-12-28

... The limitations I refer to are as follows: First, I have not read a lot of radiohead interviews or articles as I haven't yet found a music magazine I consistently like (besides CMJ, which rarely includes interviews). Second, I haven't read any other radiohead biographies.

Thus I can't comment on the accuracy of the book. Also, it might seem strange to you that people would be writing and reading radiohead biographies while they are still either at their peak or climbing towards it.

I also found it strange, but strangley wanted to buy it after reading a litle bit. The reason I bought it is because I am a musician and I wanted to learn more about how radiohed got from point A to point QDGYX to kid A. And for that purpose, the book was quite useful and lead me to a lot of interesting new information and ideas. It won't tell you the precise secrets, but it will give you enough to get you thinking about entirely unrelated creative musical concepts. It also lets you know anough about their approach to music to get a sense for how this groundbreaking pop came to be.

I give it 4 stars because it's worth buying but is a little odd, and isn't literature. It's a good read for musicians and ardent fans of the band who don't read idiotic music papers like Rolling Stone.

Average customer rating:
Exit Music: the Radiohead Story
Mac Randall
Manufacturer: Delta
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000N7CKDK

Book Description

When Germany invaded Poland in 1939, Halina Nelken was a precocious fifteen-year-old, living a middle-class life in Krakow. Like other girls her age, she recorded her personal observations and feelings in a diary. As conditions in Krakow deteriorated and her family was forced into the Jewish ghetto, she continued to write, eventually smuggling her diary out with a Catholic friend.

This remarkable book tells the story of Nelken's experiences in the ghetto and later in eight Nazi concentration camps, including Plaszow, Auschwitz, and Ravensbrück. Her diary entries, written between 1938 and 1943, form the core of the volume and are supplemented by recollections written shortly after the war, and by later commentaries and explanatory notes which she added in the mid-1980s. Although there exist numerous published and unpublished memoirs by Holocaust survivors, Nelken's book presents one of the few extant diaries written at the time. Already released in Polish and German editions, it has been hailed as one of the finest works of its kind.

Customer Reviews:

Puts the Holocaust in human terms........1999-07-05

Halina Nelken's book starts slowly - a book anyone over 50 might write about his/her childhood home town--who lived where, what kind of personalities they had, what became of them and their children.... Ah, suddenly it's not so mundane, as so many of these humdrum lives of ordinary people were snuffed out by the Nazis. It is this very ordinariness that serves as a foil for the horrors that Halina Nelken experienced as an adolescent and young woman and writes about - powerfully - in this book. We all know something of what happened in those dark days, but Dr. Nelken makes it personal by telling exactly what happened to her and her family. The book is actually based on the diaries that she kept. Anyone who has seen and appreciated "Schindler's List" should read what kinds of things happened to the people who were not on that list. There are unforgettable moments in this book, such as the young Halina working in an office in Auchswitz and finding a record of the murder of her father. Or the terrible choices she had to make when her mother was too exhausted to continue on a forced march. Only my knowledge that her mother had survived the war made it possible to keep reading this painful account. But, after finishing this book, my overwhelming reaction was that Halina Nelken had taken on the Nazis and won! They tried to reduce her to a sub-human and failed. She came through these terrible experiences without being twisted, without being as bitter as she had a perfect right to be! She not only survived, she survived as a whole person with a sense of humor, a will to succeed, and an ability to relate to other people - even to German people. In a larger sense her book is about the triumph of the human spirit. It is, admittedly, painful to read about the atrocities that took place before and during that horrible war. But we must not ignore the testimony of this strong woman who lived through the things that we don't want to have to think about and came out of it alive and even stronger. Ada M. Prill

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