Latvia Business Intelligence Report (World Business Intelligence Report Library)

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Latvia Business Intelligence Report (World Business Intelligence Report Library)
USA International Business Publications
Manufacturer: International Business Publications, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0739725912

Book Description

This report contains business intelligence information for succesful export-import, business and investment operations, strategic contacts and more... The report also contains selected information on investment and business opportunities, international economic projects, tenders, government projects, as well as, marketing and export-import opportunities information.

Book Description

Introduction

The mere mention of Sweden conjures up resonant images: snow-capped peaks, reindeer wandering in deep green forests and the 24-hour daylight of the midnight sun - not to mention notions of a standard of living that's one of the highest in the world. But beyond the household names of ABBA, IKEA and Volvo, Sweden is relatively unknown. The largest of the Scandinavian countries, with an area twice that of Britain (and roughly that of California), but a population of barely nine million, Sweden is still one of Europe's best-kept secrets. Its cities are safe, carefree places where the cheap public transport runs on time and life is relaxed. Sweden's countryside boasts pine and birch forest as far as the eye can see, crystal-clear lakes perfect for a summer afternoon dip, not to mention possibly the purest air you'll ever breathe; the country's south and west coasts feature some of the most exquisite beaches in Europe.

Forget anything you've heard about Sweden's reputedly high prices - over recent years, the Swedish krona has depreciated significantly against most other Western currencies, putting Sweden within the scope of many visitors' budgets. For accommodation, there's a range of decent hotels, guesthouses and hostels to suit every pocket, and many hotels drop their prices in summer (and at weekends all year round). What's more, Sweden is now one of the least expensive countries to reach from within Europe: air fares of just 99 from London to Stockholm have opened up the country as never before.

The Swedes

The other Nordic nations love to make fun of the Swedes. Witness the joke about the ten Nordic men stranded on a desert island. On day one, the two Finns have felled half the trees on the island for firewood. On day two, the two Norwegians have constructed a fishing boat from some of the wood to catch fish for supper. On day three, the Danes have set up a co-operative to organize all the work. On day four, the Icelanders decide to lift everyone's spirits with tales of the brave men of the ancient sagas. And on day five, the two Swedes are still waiting to be introduced to each other.

It is certainly true that the Swedes aren't the easiest of people to get to know, and are often thought of by foreigners as being distant and reserved. On the whole, Swedes are straight-talking, saying what they mean with a minimum of words and fuss. Many visitors interpret this as lack of interest in conversation or even downright rudeness, but both are unlikely to be the case; it's worth noting the fact that the Finns think the Swedes are too talkative. In short, overt expressions of emotion and raucous conversations punctuated with wild gesticulations are not the name of the game in Sweden - at least until the weekend when, in many parts of the country, beer and aquavit help people throw off their inhibitions. Many tourists come to Sweden looking forward to wild sex and easy pick-ups. Most return home disappointed. Somehow over the years the open Swedish attitude to nudity and sexuality has become confused with sex. Contrary to popular belief though, Sweden isn't populated solely with people waiting for any opportunity to tear their clothes off and make passionate love under the midnight sun. People may talk about sex openly, but when it comes down to it the Swedes can be rather puritanical. Nudity, though often seen, is not really looked at, and is quite unrelated to sex: go to a beach in Sweden on a hot summer's day and you'll doubtless see people sunbathing naked, but this state of affairs is certainly not an invitation for a love-in. However, the Swedes' liberal and open attitude to virtually every aspect of life is certainly one of their most enviable qualities; people are generally left to do their own thing providing it doesn't impinge on the rights and freedoms of others. In Sweden, rights go hand-in-hand with duties, and there's a strong sense of civic obligation (count how few times you see people dropping litter, for example), which in turn makes for a well- rounded and stable society.

Customer Reviews:

The Bluff Guide to Sweden.......2007-08-30

I am sorry for being contrarian, but I feel I need to set the record straight. Being from Norrland (North Sweden) I appreciate that the authors give Norrland and the country side more attention than some other books. However, the book contains some grave omissions, inaccuracies, and is replete with highly subjective opinions that are presented as facts. You don't want any of this in a guide book.

Three years ago we visited the Ice Hotel in Northern Sweden. It was a mixed American-Swedish group of ten people, including five kids age three to ten. We had a blast, it was a lot of fun, and all of us, except my wife, slept really well. For example, my five year old daughter slept like a princess on the Ice bed. The furniture was made of Ice, the lamps, the chandeliers, the art was made from ice and we drank from cups made of ice.

The kids played with spark sleds and in the snow, and we went on a long dog sled ride. There were some truly breath taking ice art in the hotel, including statues of moose, dogsleds, people, motorcycles, and monsters. There were laughter and smiles 36 hours straight, and still we did not have time to do many of the other exciting things you can do here like, reindeer sled rides, moose safari, ice theater shows, snow mobile rides, ice fishing, etc. In my (and many others) opinion this is one of the best tourist attractions in Sweden.

Unlike us, the authors of this book could not sleep, and they also claimed that no one else could either. They also did a strange sort of (mandatory) run in their undergarments to their room. We did nothing of the sort. I disagree with their less positive description of the ice hotel experience, but what I object to is that their negative experience colored their description of the ice hotel.

A few examples of irritating errors in the book are;
(1) The authors claim that the word "älg" means "Elk" (through out the book and in the dictionary). However, if you lookup the word "Elk" in wikipedia you will see a photo of an animal that has never been seen in Sweden. The truth is that "älg" means "Moose". However, it should be noted that in Europe Moose is sometimes referred to as "Elk", but this is not explained, instead the reader is misled (there are 300,000 Moose in northern Sweden).
(2) The city of Jönköping is pronounced "Yunn-Chupping" not "Yurn-Churping" as the authors claim.

However, their biggest mistake, in fact a giant whopper (a lie), is in regard to the way they treat the Ice Hockey capital of the world.

Örnsköldsvik was once named the Ice Hockey capital of the world because of the many Ice Hockey legends that have come out of this town (for example Peter Forsberg and Markus Näslund). There are also eleven NHL players from this town, even though it is a fairly small town. Because of this strange fact it has received a lot of attention world wide and hockey enthusiasts often come to visit Örnsköldsvik, as if it was a sort of Mekka.

Örnsköldsvik is located at the northern tip of what is called the "High Coast" a coastal area of mountains, mountainous Islands and beautiful fjords, and it also has a lot of interesting attractions. One of them is a reconstructed Iron Age village (with actors and the whole bit) that was erected close to a real Iron Age archeological find. Örnsköldsvik also have an indoor water park that people from all over Northern Sweden come to visit, several good ski slopes, as well as the most modern and prominent ice hockey arena in Northern Sweden. In addition Örnsköldsvik is an important port (especially for all the Islands in the Archipelago around the High Coast). It is the education and media and entertainment center of the region in which it is located.

The book "Lonely Planet Sweden" only has one page on Örnsköldsvik out of 36 for the entire North Sweden. The book "The Rough Guide to Sweden" only has zero pages out of 130 for the entire North Sweden. In fact many lesser towns and villages surrounding Örnsköldsvik are described in detail and with enthusiasm while the only thing ever mentioned on Örnsköldsvik in this book is the following sentence on page 330:

"..from the High coast bridge at the mouth of the Ångerman River to varvsberget, the hill overlooking the Center of Örnsköldsvik, a dreadfully dull place where you'd do well not to get stuck"

This is, of course, not an oversight or a misunderstanding, it is a load of horse @#& done with the intent of offending somebody. The question is who and why? One of the authors is British and they are not happy that Ice Hockey is more popular than soccer in North and East Europe. My guess is that this was their attempt to unload on the entire Ice Hockey community. The British are also not happy about Americans playing football instead of soccer, so if these authors would ever write about Wisconsin; it would be Green Bay who gets it next time. Personal vendettas or irresponsible expression of opinions have no place in a Guide book. Since it was also done in a dishonest fashion I renamed the book to "The Bluff Guide to Sweden"

Accurate and with Attitude.......2005-04-26

I lived in Sweden for a year, and this book was hands-down the best guide to the place I found. In fact, when I traveled around the country I left the other guides behind and took this one with me. Not only is the Rough Guide small enough to cart around conveniently, it has consistently accurate information. I also admire the attention the guide gives to areas outside of the big cities. Sweden is a country of small towns, really, and the guide pays a lot of attention to their attractions. Rough guides have never been afraid to be candid, either. I walked into a coffeehouse in Lund one day, took a look around, and felt instantly at home. I looked in the Rough Guide, and read that this was the place to be if you were a pretentious intellectual and wanted to be among similar effette poseurs. Yep, that was me, and that was the place. I had a great time. Tak sa miket, Rough Guide.

Covers the big and small cities........2003-07-02

I have always wanted to go to Sweden. I started learning Swedish when I was 14, and I started a pen-pal friendship with a Sweden at the same time. When I was 21 I finally made a trip to Sweden (March 2002) for 2 weeks and I used the May 2002 edition of this book.

I spent my time in three cities: Stockholm, Umeå, and Skellefteå. Most guidebooks that I looked at covered the south of Sweden quite well at the expense of the North. This guidebook used 25% of its space to write about the two largest cities and 60% to write about the rest of Sweden. (The remaining 15% of the book deals with formalities of getting to/into Sweden, language, food, etc.)

The section on Stockholm was fantastic, and since the chapter was organized based on each island or section of the city, it was very easy to read. You could plot out which part of the city you wanted to visit each day with ease. The book specifies open/close times very well (although you always double check). As someone traveling in the winter, I appreciated that fact! Some guidebooks don't list the months that something is open!

Whereas some guidebooks have 2 paragraphs on Umeå and Skellefteå, this one had 6 and 3, respectively. The cities are described well and the information is as much as you'll probably need.

Another nice feature is that the guide features fairly detailed information about getting to/from each city, even the small ones.

The third section of the book, about history, food, money, language, etc was well laid out, and the history section was as complete as most general tourists would want it.

The book caters to a variety of tourists as it lists a wide (very wide) variety of accomodations, restaurants, activities, and methods of travel. Other guidebooks aimed at "poor college students" seem to cover mostly pubs and nightclubs at the expense of museums. Guidebooks aimed at the "one trip to Europe in a lifetime let's use all of our stock earnings" books seem to cover hotels at the expense of hostels. This book covers both.

Overall, a very good buy.

An excellent guide to a wonderful place........2000-09-03

Sweden is a wonderful travel destination. It is beautiful country that manages to be both very tranquil and very dynamic. However, like most Americans, I was totally ignorant about Sweden. In fact, I don't think I would ever have gone there if I hadn't found this book in the public library. It got me interested enough to spend a few weeks in Sweden, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I will definitely go back!

The book was very detailed and accurate, and went well beyond the average travel guide in the level of interesting detail about almost everything you could possibly encounter in Sweden. Although the book was published in 1997 and I went in 1999, most of the hotel and restaurant information was still accurate. The book also provides a good introduction to the history and culture of Sweden.

review of rough guide to sweden.......2000-02-07

I throughly enjoyed reading this book, about a country which so little is understood, I baffled as to why nobody has discovered this fancisating guide to a wonderfully exciting, beautiful country. It's a must that you visit the beautiful,wonderous, exciting, young and vibrant and little known cities in northern europe Stockholm. Stockholm has been described as the "The Venice of the North". But Stockholm is far more beautiful, spacious, less crowded but best of all it has 24,000 islands in it's archipalego to discover. Don,t take my word for it GO!

Book Description

A Reality Check AppGuide for QuickBooks & QuickBooks Pro versions 4 (MacOS), 6, 99, 2000, 2001, 2002 (follow instructions for 2001). Basic Guide to QuickBooks covers the basics you need to run your small business. This tabbed, laminated, full color guide includes definitions & instructions on: Setting Up - your company file, the chart of accounts, customizing invoices; Receiving Money - invoicing customers, handling sales & gross receipts tax, making deposits; Spending Money - entering & paying bills, paying sales & gross receipts tax, refunding customers, paying by check or credit card; Basic Payroll (Windows only) - setting up payroll, paying employees, paying payroll taxes; Common Reports - payroll reports (Windows only), open invoices & unpaid bills, financial statements, reporting for annual tax returns.

QuickBooks "Beyond the Basics & Becoming a Master" Training Manual

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QuickBooks "Beyond the Basics & Becoming a Master" Training Manual

Manufacturer: The Allday Consulting Group, LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Ring-bound

Product Description

This is a new manual packed with screen shots & easy-to-follow instructions. We will also include a Trial Version of QuickBooks Software. The "Beyond the Basics" chapters include: Handling transactions; When to use sales receipts vs invoices; Accounting for deposits/down payments; Handling overpayments, applying credit memos/processing refunds; Handling bounced checks; Voiding vs deleting; Handling bad debts; Memorizing quotes, estimates & invoices; Setting up/posting recurring invoices; Setting up/using price levels; Tracking monies due from credit card companies; Accounting for petty cash transactions; How to void checks written in a prior year ; Recording acquisitions of fixed assets; Recording payments; Setting up & posting recurring invoices; Adjusting & paying sales tax liabilities; Handling payroll transactions; Obtaining wage reports for preparing tax returns; Handling overpayments, applying credit memos & processing refunds; Purging inactive items. The QuickBooks "Becoming a Master" chapters include: Learning tips & tricks; Avoiding commonly made mistakes; Sorting/cleaning up your chart of accounts, customers, vendors, employee lists; Using notes to keep track of comments; Setting up users & passwords; Important considerations for operating in a network; E-mailing customer invoices & reminders; Paying bills electronically; Downloading bank & credit card transactions; Setting up tasks, events & due dates; Customizing forms/reports; Filtering, formatting/memorizing reports; Creating report groups; Importing/exporting items; Setting up custom fields; Customizing layouts; Generating mailing lists & labels; Creating/memorizing letters & forms; Using Word to mail merge letters/forms; Customizing reports, memorizing reports & using reports with Excel. For more information about these products & discount prices on software, checks & support services for QuickBooks, visit www. QuickBooks-Help.com or call 1-800-259-4213.

QuickBooks "Getting Started, Processing, Beyond the Basics & Becoming a Master" Training Manual

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QuickBooks "Getting Started, Processing, Beyond the Basics & Becoming a Master" Training Manual

Manufacturer: The Allday Consulting Group, LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Ring-bound

Product Description

This guide offers both new and advanced users the opportunity to take their knowledge of QuickBooks to the new level. It helps both QuickBooks users who are just getting started and those who want to take their QuickBooks accounting and software skills to the next level. It covers topics such as setting up new features in the QuickBooks Accounting program, processing transactions and how they affect the general ledger and the financial statements, tips and tricks, how to handle tricky transactions and much more. This guide has plenty of graphical diagrams that demonstrate how to use QuickBooks in an easy to follow format. For more info. about this product & discount prices on software, checks & support services for QuickBooks, visit www. QuickBooks-Help.com or call 1-800-259-4213.

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Thieves Review

Interesting and Useful

Great Book. Much Detail.

Quantrill's Thieves
Joseph K., Jr. Houts
Manufacturer: Truman Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Historical | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
General | United States | Americas | History | Subjects | Books
General | State & Local | United States | Americas | History | Subjects | Books
General | Civil War | United States | Americas | History | Subjects | Books
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Three Years With Quantrill: A True Story Told by His Scout John McCorkle (Western Frontier Library, Vol 60)

The Devil Knows How to Ride: The True Story of William Clarke Quantrill and His Confederate Raiders

Quantrill of Missouri: The Making of a Guerrilla Warrior--The Man, the Myth, the Soldier

Black Flag: Guerrilla Warfare on the Western Border, 1861-1865: A Riveting Account of a Bloody Chapter in Civil War History

Bloody Bill Anderson: The Short, Savage Life of a Civil War Guerrilla

ASIN: 0971992908

Book Description

During the Civil War, Missourians sympathetic to the South carried on a guerrilla campaign of terror, led by William C. Quantrill and his Raiders. The war in Missouri progressively advanced in brutality and destruction. Author Joseph K. Houts, Jr., whose own ancestors rode with Quantrill, gives us this fascinating and scholarly account of one of the most interesting periods in the history of Kansas and Missouri, and an engaging peek into the lives of 93 men; the original documented list of Quantrill's Raiders.

Customer Reviews:

Thieves Review .......2005-04-13

The American Civil War is an event that has multiple aspects and of these many aspects, the Missouri guerrilla conflict, which developed into a civil war within the Civil War, is arguably one of the best examples of true guerrilla activity during the Civil War. Joseph Houts' Quantrill's Thieves focuses on one of the more infamous groups of guerrillas who were under the command of William Clarke Quantrill. Quantrill's operations became notorious within the Missouri region for harassing and terrorizing union troops and union sympathizers. Houts provides much more than just the details surrounding the operations of Quantrill's guerrillas. The book is very focused on the men themselves, who made up the ranks of the company. The field which Houts' book fits into best is guerrilla conflict during the American Civil War. Many of the examples which he found of the actions of the guerrillas during the conflict clearly follow the understanding of guerrilla tactics which experts of the field agree on. Houts differs from others who write on guerrilla conflict in the way in which he brought out the details of the events surrounding the guerrillas. He of course describes each of the battles which are common knowledge of the conflict, for example the raid of Lawrence. Beyond these events Houts provides a deeply comprehensive description of all of the members of the company which were listed on the group's muster roll.
The basis of Quantrill's Thieves is taken from a copy of the group's list of members which was obtained by the Union after the battle of Pleasant Hill. Houts states the group became labeled as thieves from the Union as a way to dishearten the support the guerrillas received from the citizens of the area. It does not seem Houts adds all that much to the field of guerrilla warfare, not because his process or detail is lacking, but more because the topic of guerrilla conflict in Missouri has been thoroughly discussed many times over. Houts in particular focuses on the background of the men under Quantrill's command, which is vital for understanding the influences that brought the men into guerrilla action. This understanding of the details behind the individuals of the conflict is the driving force behind the author's purpose. The reason for the main focus of the author being the men themselves is connected in part to Houts' background as a child going up in Missouri and his confusion on whether his confederate ancestors were "good" or "bad". Another part of the purpose was to further understand the progression from the beginning Union orders (General decrees) to the quickly evolved brutality. Houts spares no detail in his process of analyzing the conflict within his own perspective.
Quantrill's Thieves is by no means a work which will cause the current understanding of guerrilla warfare to change in any large sense. However, this does not mean it is completely useless. In reality the book is really much more in a field of the historic importance than the guerrilla warfare in the conflict. A brief look through both the Joes' books and Houts' book provides all the necessary evidence. Joes is largely focused on the tactics, strategy, and other operations and influences of the guerrilla insurgency, while Houts puts a microscope over the people within the guerrilla ranks to gain detail of the conflict and group. With that said, the book does provide an amazing view of each of the guerrillas which were on the muster roll captured by the Union. In recommending the book to possible readers it should be understood that two people may become interested in the book. First, would be the eager student of guerrilla warfare who wishes to expand their knowledge of different uses and effects of insurgency. I do not believe this particular book will serve them with the amount of information they are looking for. On the other hand, Civil War and history buffs which especially enjoy the interesting little details of the events should most definitely pick up this book. The detail within the book can be quite encompassing at times.

Interesting and Useful.......2004-10-05

For all the civil war and partisan ranger buffs especially, this book is interesting. It offers useful new information and a completely different angle on Quantrill's Raiders. The title comes from a document, lifted from one of Quantrill's band, that amounted to a roster. When copied by Union soldiers, one titled the roster Quantrill's Thieves. Quantrill was a fascinating individual and an adept leader. The author's effort here is to provide some color and description about his followers not found in other accounts. He draws on local records, some genealogy and other data to flesh out the members of Quantrill's band listed on the roster. In some cases he makes an educated guess about the individual but in most it appears he has identified the person. Why were they drawn to Quantrill more than other partisan leaders? Why did they follow and trust him implicitly? Who were the faces behind some of the daring raids? Who were the men behind atrocities like the Lawrence Massacre? If you have been reading about Quantrill, you should read this book.

Great Book. Much Detail........2002-10-15

This is a great book with loads of detail. It explains the background and history leading up to some of the bloodiest guerilla raids of the civil war. It explains how various actions of Congress and government officials can lead to the Rule of Unintended Consequences. From the Raiders we get Jesse James, the Daltons, etc. There were decades of actions all which find there genesis in the civil war era raids detailed in this book.
The author sets the stage for the reader in a very straightforward matter. There are biographies of all the riders. Also the location of the beginning of the raid on Lawrence Kansas is revealed.
All civil war buffs should have this book in their collection.

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Quantrill's Thieves
Joseph K. Houts
Manufacturer: Truman Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000N65WRC

Book Description

No one limits your income but you! Tom Hopkins is one of the most sought after sales trainers in the country and his enthusiasm for the sales profession shines through in his first ever audio collection. These 3 titles will be a great addition to anyone interested in sales and tapping into their unlimited potential.

Includes:

MASTERING THE ART OF SELLING (1–55994–467–6, $12.00)

THE ACADEMY OF MASTER CLOSING (1–55994–988–0, $12.00)

ADVANCED SALES SURVIVAL TRAINING (0–694–51571–X, $12.00)

Customer Reviews:

Tom the man Hopkins.......2007-10-19

I have listened to this product many times on CD. I find it a wonderful tool for my company. I am having all my employees listen to it!

Tom Hopkins rocks!!.......2007-05-06

I am new to sales and my manager recommended this cd set. Its so inspiring! He brings his many years in sales experience and good common sense in a witty and entertaining manner. I highly recommend it.

A must in Sales.......2007-04-03

This one of the best sales audio. Tom gives great ideas, words he uses are amazing the difference it makes when making your presentation. How it makes your customer feel. He is one of the best in the feild of sales.

Excellant value and content. .......2007-01-24

I have been in Sales for 20 years. We never stop learning in order to stay ahead. The program content is outstanding especially for newer Salespeople. There are also many strong takeaways even for experienced pro's. The investment is a bargain considering you are receiving three audio CD's. I highly recommend adding this to your Sales Library.

Not quite what I expected !!.......2006-11-10

Great price for this audio collection but i think the delivery did not quite do it for me. You also get the feeling you have heard it all before. Also the material does not sound original enough even though mr hopkins is an accomplished salesperson.

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The Life of Ethelbert Nevin From His Letters and His Wife's Memories
Vance Thompson
Manufacturer: The Boston Music Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000O8KHA6

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The Life of Ethelbert Nevin, From His Letters and His Wife's Memories
Vance Thompson
Manufacturer: Boston, Mass.: The Bostom Music Co.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NZONBY

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The Life of Ethelbert Nevin, from His Letters and His Wife's Memories
Vance Thompson
Manufacturer: Library Reprints
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Composers & Musicians | Arts & Literature | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0722254873

Customer Reviews:

The Warsaw Ghetto and Uprising, Clarification of Oft-Quoted Polish Remarks, etc........2007-09-15

Alexander Donat recounts his experiences in the Warsaw Ghetto, the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising (notably the role of the Z.Z.W.; pp. 107-108 and 143), Maidanek (including its cruel Jewish kapos; p. 193), other locations, and finally Germany not long before the time of liberation. Donat doesn't think much of German "repentance" following the Nazi defeat (p. 291).

In contrast to the one-sided attention devoted, in modern Holocaust materials, to Polish informers, blackmailers, and looters, Donat broadens this to include Jews, as in the Ghetto: "Many highly-placed occupation authorities...were officially and unofficially involved in looting. So were some Jewish criminals who tipped Germans off about the best places to plunder, or threatened Jews that they would do so in order to blackmail them." (p. 9). "Gentile Poles were among the looters, and last, but not least, was the looting done by the employees of the Ghetto undertaker, Pinkiert, who robbed the corpses of the slain. Since more than 10,000 people were killed or died during the Resettlement Operation, the undertakers' haul was rich." (p. 72)

As for the infamous Jewish police, Donat comments: "Actual power was now in the hands of the Jewish Ghetto police who roamed the streets like wild beasts, seizing men, women, and children with increasing brutality." (p. 61)

For all the talk, in the wake of the Auschwitz Carmelite Convent controversy, of the Cross being absolutely foreign, if not offensive, to Judaism, Donat and his fellow Jews have no problem juxtaposing Jewish suffering with Golgotha (p. 83, 103), Calvary (p. 152), and the Crucifixion of the Christ inside us (pp. 230-231).

In focusing on "Jewish passivity", Donat recounts the entrenched pro-German mindset of most Jews: "For generations, East European Jews had looked to Berlin as the symbol of law, order, and culture. We could not now believe that the Third Reich was a government of gangsters embarked on a program of genocide `to solve the Jewish problem in Europe'." (p. 103).

In this regard, Donat admits that the Poles had a better grasp of German intentions. He recounts how a Pole tried to buy a coat from the Jew, but the Jew insisted that he'd still need it, prompting the Pole to respond: "They're going to make soap out of you anyway. Sell the coat to me. Why should a nice coat like that go to waste?" (p. 123). Donat comments: "Such things were said neither as a taunt nor in hatred. The facts were all too evident: the Jews were too stupid to understand their situation and it was necessary to hammer it home to them. After the January [1943] resistance, however, we occasionally heard Poles say things like, `Bravo, little Yids! That's the way. Stand right up to them!' Or, `They're eating you for lunch and saving us for dinner!' Or, `As soon as those sons-of-bitches have finished you off, it'll be our turn.'" (pp. 123-124). The foregoing alone refutes the claim that the Poles generally felt "friendly neutrality" towards the Germans' extermination of the Jews. We also see that seemingly-callous Polish remarks weren't necessarily that and, in any case, Poles used comparable remarks to refer to themselves.

Interestingly, a "different" kind of German told Donat that Polish nationalist guerillas ostensibly fight Germans but actually go around killing fugitive Jews (pp. 225-226). Did these oft-repeated tales originate from German propaganda--intended in part to discourage Jewish escapes?

Donat makes the ridiculous argument (echoed more recently by Jan T. Gross) that the Poles weren't afraid of the German-imposed death penalty when it came to such things as the possession of radios, but were only afraid of the death penalty when it came to hiding Jews (p. 230). Common sense alone teaches that hiding a verboten object (radio) was much less risky than hiding a verboten human being! Furthermore the risk-taking Pole knew that, if caught, he had a good chance of being freed with a well-placed bribe for radio-possession, but not for housing a Jew.

A Tragic Story.......2002-09-19

I have read dozens of holocaust books over the years, mostly non-fiction accounts. I must say this book, more than most, really brought home to me what it must have been like to endure the horror of living in the Warsaw Ghetto. Some of the scenes Donat describes, I literally had to put the book down, they were so tragic. Donat had access to many different streets within the Ghetto so it is almost like he is giving you a tour of the daily occurences that transpired. This book reinforces the belief that sometimes it is more honorable to die than to commit certain acts, such as some of the panic-driven people were desperate enough to commit. The killing of the children was indeed horrific. ...

I am glad he, his wife, and son survived the war, but I know it was at a great cost.

The Holocaust Kingdom.......2000-03-25

I read this book many years ago, and have regretted losing my copy. It is intense, almost overwhelming. Leon Uris used some of the same scenes in his "Mila 18", but this one is a memoir, not a novel. Pay attention to the narrator/author's name--I have remembered what happened to it for 25+ years.

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THE HOLOCAUST KINGDOM: A MEMOIR.
Alexander. Donat
Manufacturer: Secker & Warburg
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000O9MOBK

Kingdom of Night: The Saga of a Woman's Struggle for Survival

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An inspiring story from an Auschwitz survivor.

Kingdom of Night: The Saga of a Woman's Struggle for Survival
Joseph Freeman
Manufacturer: University Press of America
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Historical | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Women | Specific Groups | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Memoirs | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0761835334

Book Description

Through his writing and his appearances nationwide, Joseph Freeman has shared his story of survival during the Holocaust. Here in Kingdom of Night, Joseph Freeman tells the story of his wife Helen's survival in labor and concentration camps in Nazi-occupied Poland during WWII. This touching memoir of innocence lost and the enduring power of faith is a call to a new generation to bear witness to the atrocities of the past so that they may be empowered to respond to injustice.

Customer Reviews:

An inspiring story from an Auschwitz survivor. .......2006-10-20

Helen Freeman was the "sheltered" only daughter of pious Jews. She fell into the "living hell" of Auschwitz, and survived. After the war, she was reunited with one brother, an aunt and her brothers' friend, Joseph Freeman. The rest of her family were murdered.

Joseph Freeman, businessman, author, survivor and Torah scholar, now records his wife's story. The book is a well-written and worthy account of Helen Freeman's strength to bear witness.

Average customer rating:

Holocaust Kingdom: A Memoir
Alexander Donat
Manufacturer: HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000WSLFKY

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