This Way for the Gas, Ladies and Gentlemen (Penguin Classics)

Customer Reviews:

disgusting title.......2007-02-23

I would never purchase nor read a book entitled "This way for the Gas, Ladies and Gentlemen". It upsets me to read the sentence let alone read such a book.

Given that it certainly gets your attention what other purpose except to upset the reader before he opens the first page...the author obviously has issues that he has yet to deal with.

TALES FROM THE DARK SIDE..........2005-11-26

In the annals of holocaust literature, this is one of the more unflinching collection of death camp stories, as it depicts the stark reality of the desperate situation of those ensconced in concentration camps, where the final solution was frantically put into play. The stories are of the unimaginable and the nearly unendurable, replete with the inherent pathos of the situation of the truly desperate. It is shows the desensitization that takes place in order for one to survive the horrors of a death camp. It is an unapologetic dissertation of what camp life was truly like for those for whom surviving was the bottom line. It also shows how the Jewish people were clearly singled out for mass extermination.

The author himself survived two death camps, Auschwitz and Dachau, where he had been imprisoned from 1943 to 1945, as a young man in his early twenties. Born in the Ukraine in 1922 to Polish parents who spent time in Siberian labor camps, the author was no stranger to hardship. Yet, he was little prepared for man's inhumanity to man. His time in the death camps was to form an indelible impression on him, resulting in this collection of stories, which chronicle man's inhumanity to man. It shows how camp culture made all those within its sphere participants in its reign of terror and in the final solution. In the end, having survived the unimaginable, the author committed suicide in 1951, choosing to gas himself to death. The irony inherent in his choice of death is not lost upon the discerning reader.

A remembrance of things past.......2005-06-14

Imre Kertesz, a concentration camp survivor and winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature often asks in his work: is there life after Auschwitz? Can one live with the ineffable guilt that accompanies survival against all odds? For Borowski the answer appears to be no. On July 1, 1951, at age 29, Tadeusz Borowski opened a gas valve, put his head in an oven and took his life. There is no small amount of irony in the fact that after escaping the gas of Auschwitz and Dachau Borowski would end his life in this manner.

Borowski was born in Soviet occupied Ukraine to Polish parents. His father was sent to a Soviet work camp, building the White Sea Canal, but was released in an exchange of prisoners with Poland. Upon his father's release, the family settled in Warsaw. Although not Jewish, Borowski was arrested by the Gestapo in 1943 for subversive activities when he was caught surreptitiously printing his own poetry. He spent the rest of the war in Auschwitz and Dachau. The first piece of luck or fate that saved his life was the decision by the Nazis to stop exterminating non-Jewish prisoners two weeks before Borowski's arrival.

The series of stories contained in This Way for the Gas are all written in the voice of one prisoner, Tadeusz. Not unexpectedly the stories appear to be loosely autobiographical. Borowski's writing is not overloaded with emotion. It is descriptive and matter of fact. The day-to-day tone of the writing, writing that describes death and deprivation as normal events adds an emotional impact to the stories.

For example, in one scene the prisoner Tadeusz describes a football (soccer) match played by the prisoners. He served as goalkeeper and described his walk to retrieve a ball that was kicked way over the net. As he walks to the ball he sees through the barbed wire fence truckloads of prisoners being herded through the gas chambers. Later in the match he has to retrieve another ball. As he returns to the goal he matter-of-factly estimates that 5,000 prisoners have been gassed between his retrieving the two balls. It is powerful storytelling.

Equally compelling are stories that describe the numerous decisions Tadeusz and his fellow prisoners made every day in order to survive. Taking clothes from the luggage of prisoners destined for the gas in order to trade the clothes for bread. People fight for survival and despite a certain ethical code amongst prisoners (there are some things even the dying won't do) they all know that the steps they take to survive often means that someone else will perish. Borowski does not flinch from subjecting his alter ego and his fellow prisoners to a critical self-examination of these choices. Both Borowski and his narrator survived Auschwitz. But as you can see from these flawlessly executed stories the question of how much of one's humanity remains is a difficult question. The emaciated bodies of the survivors could often be repaired. But the sense of a moral inner flame extinguished by the acts required for survival is not so easily relit. The reader cannot help but wonder whether the lingering impact of those choices in Auschwitz somehow invariably led to the choice he made in July 1951.

Tadeusz Borowski's "This Way for the Gas Ladies and Gentlemen" is a wonderful example of how fiction can portray the horrors of genocide with an emotional clarity that non-fiction sometimes lacks. This book ranks with Varlam Shalamov's Kolyma Tales (the Gulag) as a monumental piece of remembrance presented in the form of short stories, vignettes of life in a place with little mercy and less humanity. They each stand as stark testimony, even though they are works of literature and not history, to the "evil that men do."

Upon finishing "This Way for the Gas Ladies and Gentleman" I found myself wanting to repeat the words "never again" as a refrain. Yet upon reflection one looks at subsequent world events: Bosnia, Cambodia, Chechnya, Sudan, and Rwanda (among others) and asks whether humanity makes the phrase "never again" a futile gesture. It has been said that those who do not remember the past are doomed to repeat it. Anyone who reads Borowski's testament will long remember the prose that, hopefully, will keep us from forgetting.
L. Fleisig

A lesson to learn.......2004-05-09

Will you enjoy reading this book? The answer is no. But if you were to ask me if you should read this book then I would have to say absolutely. Borowski wrote with an honesty that I found amazing. He gave me a small window to look through and see what my grandparents might have gone through. This book while often shocking and always disturbing allows a little understanding into what life was like inside the death camps. Not for enjoyment but education.

Shocking in its non-chalance.......2003-11-09

Borowski's account of life in Aushcwitz is a classic. The brutality, inhumanity, and gruesome daily life in the hell-on-earth that was the Holocaust is matter-of-factly, even non-chalantly described and recounted in _This Way to the Gas, Ladies and Gentlemen_. Little wonder the author put his own head in a gas oven in the years following his experiences. The images are haunting. But what I found to be most disturbing was the simple language Borowski used in retelling his experiences.

Customer Reviews:

Superb Reference Work.......2007-06-16

Richard Overy's "The Penguin Historical Atlas of the Third Reich" is a superb reference work. In just over 100 pages (not counting timelines and appendices) it provides an excellent overview of the Third Reich, working in roughly chronological order from the turmoil at the end of the First World War to the chaos and despair at the end of the Second World War.

The book is sectioned into seven parts: Each part contains a four-page introductory section followed by three to ten chapters further illuminating that topic.

The seven parts are:

I. From War to Third Reich, 1918-1933

II. Establishing the Dictatorship

III. Foreign Policy in Germany, 1933-1939

IV. Expansion and War, 1939-1945

V. The German New Order

VI. German Society and Total War

VII. The Aftermath

Each chapter that follows an introductory section is only two pages, yet there is an incredible amount of information packed into those two pages as easily understandable pie-charts, graphs, and/or maps are included. Many interesting photos and posters (or other propaganda) relevant to a chapter are also often included, although they are generally quite small.

The writing in each chapter and section is extremely well-done. Time and again the author deftly explains complicated matters in a few brief paragraphs.

The book is a handy reference on many of the social, economic, political, and military aspects of the Hitler regime. It could almost double as a mini-history of the Third Reich and certainly supplements any study of it. Highly recommended.

Plenty of info well presented.......2007-05-06

Comprehensive in its scope, dense in its content. Plenty of charts, maps, etc. More than enough information to get a global picture of what was going on with Germany from the end of the First World War to the end of the Second and its aftermath. It has about 115 pages plus another 15 of timelines.

The tone, however, is a bit dry, like a textbook. But I guess, being so concise, it would be difficult to make it more reader-friendly. A very good historical atlas.

A window into socio-political realm of the Third Reich..........2004-09-05

~The Penguin Historical Atlas of the Third Reich~ is an intriguing window into economic, military, social and political policies of the Third Reich. The best value in this nifty and succinct roughly 150-page historical atlas is putting the Third Reich into perspective and gaining an understanding of the policies and ideology that fueled its fanatical, albeit short-lived assent to power. With pictures, maps, statistics, and demographics, this book captures something that more voluminous books on the subject often fail to do. It frames economic, social, and political policies of the Third Reich into perspective while offering a history of the rise and fall of Nazi Germany. Overy even chronicles post-war plans for the New Order under the Reich. Hitler was obsessed with building colossal monuments (mostly those designed by Speer) and hoped to make Berlin into 'Germania,' the capital of the world. He aspired to implement massive network of road and rail to forge his new empire and tighten the noose over the conquered territories. The Germans hoped to harness their innate engineering ingenuity and the Nazi henchman laid out plans for a New Order under German dominance, which never prevailed. In reality, the so-called thousand-year Reich died in its infancy.

Ideas have consequences! In ascertaining Nazi ideology, as it relates to economic matters, most modern liberal historians who tacitly embrace Marxist-Leninist revisionist interpretation of the fascist phenomenon, ignore the Nazi affinity for socialist ideas. They're always apt to paint fascism in a caricatured mold of imperialism - capitalism serving the interest of capitalists - which is a dubious assessment to say the least given the anti-capitalism espoused by Nazi ideologues like Goering and Hitler for example. Richard Overy perceptively outlines Nazi ideology and its economic, political and social policies in practice. In reality, the Nazis on their own terms tended to see themselves as expositors of an authentic nationalism of the "German Left." (See _Leftism Revisited_ and Konrad Heiden's biography on _Hitler_ to corroborate this.) The anti-bourgeoisie ideological flavor and Byzantine corporatism of Nazi economic policy acted to undermine the industrial potential of Germany by sabotaging its productivity potential and ultimately alienating the Ruhr industrialists-the very class that the Nazis most needed to build and supply their war machine. As Overy notes, the Nazis occasionally tolerated the private sector only as practical expedient, though they didn't shy from sporadic intervention, economic controls, as well as outright confiscation. The industrialist Fritz Thyssen, frustrated with state prodding, lamented, "Soon Germany will not be any different from Bolshevik in Russia." Likewise, the Nazi economic chieftain, Hermann Goering was always out to gobble up private industry and incorporate it into the state-run conglomerate, the Reichswerke A.G. In précis, Richard Overy captures the historical developments as well as the economic, military, social and political policies of the Third Reich on the pages of this succinct and informative book.

chock full of info.......2002-01-06

If you are looking for a book that gives a tremendous amount of information, of the sort not often found in the books that primarily cover only the actual fighting, or the personality of Hitler and his henchmen, this may be the book you're looking for.

Most of the chapters run from 2 to 4 pages, often detailing subjects like Culture and Education, Farming in the Third Reich, Planning the Post-War Order, Exploitation and Plunder, and The Survival of Neo-Nazism. And do you like charts and graphs? Well, this book won't leave you disappointed.

All in all, well done.

Excellent and concise reference.......2001-12-27

I bought this book because I wanted to know about the actual mechanics of the Nazi government before and during WWII. This book contains a wealth of information in a very effective format. Each section is 2-4 pages with several maps and graphs, all clearly captioned, accompanied by a page or two of concise text. The book illustrates the state of Germany in the 20's and 30's, Hitler's rise, the path he took into the war, the Nazi plans for post-war Europe, and the overall cost of it all to Germany. Social, industrial, political, and military matters are all covered, in great detail (i.e. number of ships made per yer, broken down by type, number of women in the Nazi party '33 to '45, etc.). The text conveys the underlying situations behind issues of the day, such as Hitler's quest to "unite Germanic peoples" and the underpinnings of the Allies' pacifism in the face of it. I rocommend this book for anyone interested in that era of world history, novice or expert.

The Penguin History of the Second World War

Average customer rating:

Covering World War II in single book
South African
Can't recommend
breathtaking in scope; sometimes slow, but worth finishing
Widely acclaimed as the best one-volume history of the war

The Penguin History of the Second World War
Peter Calvocoressi , Guy Wint , and John Pritchard
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Military | History | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0140285024
Release Date: 2001-02-27

Book Description

Originally published under the title Total War, this acclaimed analysis of the causes and courses of World War II has stood the tests of time and criticism. The first part deals with the war in the West, and the second covers the war in the Pacific Theatre. The three highly regarded authors of this classic resource create a fluid narrative that provides vivid portraits of the war leaders and an unflinching exploration of the devastation and hardship of this major world conflict.

Customer Reviews:

Covering World War II in single book.......2007-06-05

The Second World War is without a doubt the most intricate subject to write about due to the enormity and complexities of the war itself; it would be simpler to talk about those not involved in the war rather than vice-versa. The sheer number of countries, people, and military machinery are so overwhelmingly immeasurable that it stuns the imagination. "The Penguin History of the Second World War" is a remarkable achievement in the genre of World War II literature. It will undoubtedly occupy a well-deserved niche on the bookshelf of both amateur and professional World War II historians.

This book is not for the casual reader. It is however, an excellent choice for the serious amateur historian or student of World War II history who wants to gain an above average overview of this pivotal episode in world history. Even professional historians will find the book enlightening. Some readers may find the Penguin history intimidating and/or even excessive with its 1,344 pages, but publishing a book on the Second World War is so difficult on so many different levels that it should be considered a tremendous achievement on the part of Calvocoressi, Wint and Pritchard. Readers would have to purchase a twenty-four volume encyclopedia on World War II to gain the knowledge and insights that readers will get from Calvocoressi, Wint and Pritchard condensed, single volume book.

The Penguin history is presented in chronological order of events that trace the origins of World War II back to well before the First World War. The authors look at aspects of the war that range from domestic and international political policies and issues to the effects of war on the citizens in the societies of the warring factions. The authors discuss the Allied and Axis powers and their leaders such as, Roosevelt, Churchill, Stalin, Hitler, Mussolini, de Gaulle, Tito, and Hirohito and their commanders and strategies. They also write about many of the European and Pacific campaigns presenting readers with some of the greatest triumphs and tragedies of the war.

Part one of the book, "The Sources of War in Europe" gives readers an excellent overview of the European war. Equal attention is given in the second half of the book; "The Greater East Asian and Pacific Conflict". The writers begin with short histories of China and Japan; the people, cultures, societies, politics and turmoil. The authors posit - rightfully so that it was Japan's aspiration to dominate China and Asia in general that eventually led to Pearl Harbor and Japan's entry into the Second World War.

The authors pay special attention to the central participants in World War II: the United States of America, Great Britain, France, Russia, Germany, Italy, and Japan, but they don't stop there. The authors also look at those countries that affected the outcome of the war or fell victim to the it, countries like, Canada, China, Australia, Poland, Spain, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, Africa, Austria, Greece, India and a myriad of other smaller, but no less important countries. The authors look at the inner conflicts within these warring nations and the price tag of war, both in money and on human life and property.

Calvocoressi, Wint and Pritchard research is extensive and their writing is well balanced with little bias; their writing is based on plausible suppositions are facts. Their book covers much more than I can even begin to mention in this review. The writers cover government alliances, double-dealing and backstabbing, code-breaking and spying, liberators and traitors, those who led and those who failed to lead, those who commanded and those who failed to command.

The only negative comment is saved for the publisher; the size of the paperback (7.8 x 5.1 x 2.1 inches), the number of pages (1,344) and the size of the font is not reader friendly. I spoke to Penguin and asked if the book was available in hardcover, large print, and/or in audio version. Unfortunately, Penguin was not interested in my opinion and/or my concerns on this subject, so this book may not be conducive to individuals with a visual disadvantage.

However, "The Penguin History of the Second World War" offers an immense overview of the War from several viewpoints and is worth the eyestrain. It will give readers plenty of food for thought and questions that will lead to further reading. It is a winner.

South African.......2006-10-05

I believe this book states that no South African soldiers served outside of Africa - Which is not correct unless Italy was is part of Africa durring the war!

Can't recommend.......2004-12-07

It's amazing how some folks can stretch out a thirty word sentence when only ten words are called for. This book has major verbal bloat, and is unfortunately myopic in it's focus on Britain. The authors have the arrogance to label a myriad of leaders from history as lacking in intelligence, without the backbone or clarity to define it or state why. Although the book does cover the basic facts, one gets the impression the authors were more impressed with their own observations and verbosity.

breathtaking in scope; sometimes slow, but worth finishing.......2003-07-17

Enormous interlocking frameworks of history, culture, domestic and international politics, and economics are slowly constructed, with the events of war put into this enormous structure. The aim is to explain why the events of World War II happened; the actual details of individual battles and other events are glossed over. The scope of the analysis presented is vast. The more specific knowledge the reader has on the details of the war, and of history and politics, the more they can appreciate the act of tying everything together. Some sections of the first half of the book are difficult to follow without prior detailed knowledge.

The authors attempt to be as impartial as possible, heaping praise and scorn on all sides of the conflicts. They take pains to correct what they consider to be myths regarding the history of the war. In one way, however, the authors do have a specific viewpoint; they are clearly writing from a British perspective. As an American reader, I would have preferred much less detailed information about Britain, and perhaps more information about the United States, which is scarcely mentioned.

This was by far the longest book I've ever read, with 1224 pages of regular text, divided into two 600 page halves on the war in Europe and Asia, respectively. Peter Calvocoressi, the author of the first 600 pages regarding the war in Europe, has a rather dense and archaic writing style that I found unnecessarily difficult to comprehend. This is compounded by his vocabulary peppered with words not in common use, at least in the United States; for example "Hitler was a Manichee, as well as a chiliast".

The second half of the book on the Asian conflict, written by the other two authors, is much easier to read. The authors are much more successful in creating a coherency to all the information presented, making it much easier to digest. The last 200 (!) pages of the book are excellent, making the book definitely worth finishing.

Widely acclaimed as the best one-volume history of the war.......2001-06-27

This volume, previously published by Viking in hardcover and by Penguin in paperback as Total War: The Causes and Courses of the Second World War, has now been accorded the highest seal of recommendation available to its publishers who have relaunched it as their flagship Penguin History of the Second World War.

The new edition, like its 1995 reprint, unobtrusively improves upon the extraordinarily well-received 2nd edition published in 1989, a far cry from the 1st edition published as long ago as 1972 (in its day also widely regarded as the finest single-volume history of the Second World War). The changes to the half of the volume devoted to the war against Germany and Italy are subtle but significant. The changes to the second half of the volume which concerns the war against Japan are far more sweeping and amount to a radical re-interpretation of the war and its context. Fortunately, the critical acclaim which accompanied the appearance of the 1989 and 1995 editions has proven that the transformation was entirely successful, and both the authors and the publishers look forward to its continued success as it meets the needs of a wide readership in the Twenty-First Century.

So much for an author's comments, understandably partisan. Here's what professional historians have said about the book:

"It combines elegance of style with mastery of the subject.... [I]t retains its pre-eminent position.... This massive investigation into the causes & courses of the Second World War has been extensively revised... an impressive level of detail." -The Sunday Times

"Few written records deserve, like Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, to rank for generations to come as the authoritative work on decisive events in world history. This is fairly certain the category in which Total War belongs." -H.M. Consuls List

"Of the large number of general histories published in the past two decades... the best single-volume account of the conflict since it first appeared in 1972. The new edition enhances its reputation.... Not the least of this splendid volume's merits is its comprehensive and moving account of the terrible costs of the war in material destruction and suffering." -Brian Bond & Michael Dockrill, British Book News

"If you want a really sound history of the conflict from origins to denouement, then be grateful.... Its fluency and clarity are even more unusual than the separate treatment of western and eastern theatres, which gives a satisfying feeling of getting two hefty books for the price of one." -Dat Van Der Vat, The Guardian

"For the student, eager to understand better what led to the war, how it was fought and ended, and what happened afterward... well recommended." -Alan Brown, Morning Star

"Still longer, and still finer... promises to be much the best of all the books that salute a great war's anniversaries." -The Economist

"especially strong on Asia and the Pacific.... The result is a riveting and challenging analysis which is sure to stand the test of time." -Hatchards Guide to the Best Books on World War Two

"The new revised edition... remains such a crucial account. The book has been brought up to date in the light of the latest research." The contribution made "an impressive young historian, John Pritchard" is especially noteworthy: "Few of the original chapters by the late Guy Wint remain untouched. Pritchard has added a whole new dimension to our understanding of the Japanese internal situation and the international environment in which its leaders operated." Moreover, "Drawing upon his extensive knowledge of the Japanese war trial records and his own work in the archives, Pritchard takes a highly original view of British policy towards Japan in 1939 and a strong revisionist line on 1941.... This remains a key work." -Zara Steiner, Financial Times

"A book that merits exhaustive study, and will almost certainly become a collector's item... will surely become the definitive textbook on total war."- The Sunday Independent

"Its original insights and excellent writing make it outstanding.... a model of compressed clarity.... Indeed, taking almost any subject from the Russo-Finnish War to the V bombs, one finds a similarly clear, concise discussion.... Pritchard shares with the late Louis Allen that ability, rare in British writers, to convey a 'feel' for Japanese motivation and thinking." -E.D. Doyle, The Irish Times

"If only one book were to be chosen on World War II history, this would be tops in line for the nomination: it is exhaustive yet personal; technical in its research, yet involving in its presentation. The new, expanded edition offers insights beyond the original publication and should be considered a standard reference work for any history collection." -Diane Donovan, The Midwest Book Review

"more sophisticated, and has been much strengthened by use of documentary material not previously available" -Robert Key, The Observer

"Excellent." - Dr. David Reynolds, The Independent Observer "Immense tome... to which students or writers of military history can refer" -Field Marshal Lord Carver, The Times Literary Supplement

"The wartime term "blockbuster is one which could well fit this particular volume, running as it does to no less than 1,315 pages... The second revised edition illustrates how much fresh documentary material and expansive memoir publication coupled with the passage of time can enrich judgments and qualify evaluations.... This volume, at first intimidating, is enlivened by a fluent narrative style and illuminating, pointed pen portraits of ... the commanding personalities of wartime leadership.... Books will proliferate, but for those who wish to grasp what "total war" meant... this is an innocuous but penetrating blockbuster, well worth the price. Even more important, it is a book well worth pondering at length." -John Erickson, The Scotsman Supplement

"A book that merits exhaustive study, and will almost certainly become a collector's item... It will surely become the definitive textbook on total war." -The Sunday Independent

Average customer rating:

ginsborg contemporary italy

A Fundamental Reading...

An in-depth survey of Italy's social and political dynamics

A History of Contemporary Italy: Society and Politics 1943-1988 (Penguin History)
Paul Ginsburg
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Europe | History | Subjects | Books
General | Italy | Europe | History | Subjects | Books
General | World | History | Subjects | Books
Social History | Historical Study | History | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Italy and Its Discontents: Family, Civil Society, State

A Concise History of Italy (Cambridge Concise Histories)

Silvio Berlusconi: Television, Power and Patrimony

The Dark Heart of Italy

Italy: From Revolution to Republic, 1700 to the Present

ASIN: 0140124969

Book Description

From a war-torn and poverty-stricken country, regional and predominantly agrarian, to the success story of recent years, Italy has witnessed the most profound transformation--economic, social and demographic--in its entire history. Yet the other recurrent theme of the period has been the overwhelming need for political reform--and the repeated failure to achieve it. Professor Ginsborg's authoritative work--the first to combine social and political perspectives--is concerned with both the tremendous achievements of contemporary Italy and "the continuities of its history that have not been easily set aside."

Customer Reviews:

ginsborg contemporary italy.......2006-01-03

As good as the critics say-- well-written, based on very extensive Italian sources. But written from a far-Left perspective. Ginsborg wants to see Italian capitalism destroyed but he doesn't tell us how this is to occur -- presumably not through the ballot box-- and he doesn't tell us what will be put in its place. This permits him to criticize everything and be held responsible for nothing.

A Fundamental Reading..........2004-01-11

... for anyone interested in an extremely rich and contradictory social environment such as Italy after WWII. It is a complete, clear, and deeply intriguing work that I strongly recommend.

An in-depth survey of Italy's social and political dynamics.......2003-04-19

A History Of Contemporary Italy: Society And Politics 1943-1988 by Paul Ginsborg (Professor of Contemporary European History, University of Florence) is an in-depth survey of Italy's social and political dynamics that saw it evolve from a war-torn and poverty-stricken, primarily agrarian country, into a prosperous, politically stable member of the European community. Here ably and accessibly recounted are the events, personalities, and reforms that were critical to eventually overcoming endemic and persistence corruptions, shortages, and obstacles necessary before the tremendous achievements of contemporary Italy and its eventual entrance into the European Union. A History Of Contemporary Italy: Society And Politics 1943-1988 is a scholarly, meticulous history and a welcome and recommended contribution to European International Studies and 20th Century Italian History reference collections and reading lists.

Enemy at the Gates (Penguin Classic Military History)

Average customer rating:

Everyone should read this book.
As told by those who were there!
The was fasincating read!
Riveting - a must read
delicious

Enemy at the Gates (Penguin Classic Military History)
William Craig
Manufacturer: Penguin Books Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

ASIN: 0141390174

Product Description

Two madmen, Hitler and Stalin, engaged in a death struggle that would determine the course of history at staggering cost of human life. Craig has written the definitive book on one of the most terrible battles ever fought. With 24 pages of photos.

Customer Reviews:

Everyone should read this book........2007-06-19

"Enemy at the Gates" is more a collection of stories of individual experiences of the battle than it is a serious work of military history. It is very similar in approach to Cornelius Ryan's The Longest Day. But that's also what makes it the most compelling English-language book on the subject. The stories tell us more about the nature of the battle than accounts of troop movements and lines on a map ever could. It is a much better book than Antony Beevor's Stalingrad: The Fateful Siege: 1942-1943. Unlike Beevor, Craig actually interviewed hundreds of survivors of the battle and retold their stories. That is, Craig presents the reader with mostly first-hand accounts. Also unlike Beevor, Craig is not preoccupied with Soviet attrocities, although he does not ignore that aspect of the battle either. The only unfortunate thing about this book is that a bad movie with the same title was based very loosely on it.

As told by those who were there!.......2006-10-15

By far, on of the definitive works on the Battle of Stalingrad. A grudge match between two depraved dictators, and two evil political ideologies, the Battle of Stalingrad was quite arguably the definitive turning point for the outcome of the World War II in Europe. The battle for Stalingrad was in fact entirely avoidable by both sides. Nevertheless, it became a savage maelstrom of death and destruction, merely to satisfy the egos and political will of the opposing regimes. The author interviewed a large number of people on both sides of this battle, German and Soviet, military and civilian. The recent movie loosely based on this book, focuses on the famous Russian sniper, Sgt. Zaitsev, but typical of Hollywood, they warp the historical facts in order to ..."improve the plot?". Read the book instead! At the end, there is a brief section describing what became of many of the people interviewed. one of the most heart-rending stories is the account of Tanya Chernova, one of Zaitsev's fellow snipers. She had loved Zaitsev, and looked forward to marrying him at the end of the war. She was badly injured in an explosion, that rendered her incapable of bearing children. Zaitsev had heard she was dead, and never saw her again. Chernova, had also heard a rumor that Zaitsev had died in battle. Years later, she found out he had in fact survived, and married another woman, but had long since passed away after a heart-attack. In addition to this, Chernova's exploits as a soldier are quite fascinating. She was very deadly with a rifle, and just as dangerous at close-quarters, despite being of tiny stature! She was one of many female soldiers who fought with great skill for Russia.
Some of the heroic defenders of Stalingrad, of Jewish heritage, left the USSR years later, and defended their new homeland of Isreal just as valiantly. They put their experience to good use in a noble cause.
Most of the accounts seem to cover the experiences of Wehrmacht soldiers, and their allies. They were the ones who ultimately suffered the worst of the ordeal. Their logistics failed, their leadership failed, and the harsh winter weather took maximum toll. They were completely written off by their Nazi leaders. The majority of Axis personnel who became prisoners of war in the Soviet Union, never went home. Those that did, returned only after many years of vindictive abuse by the communists.

The was fasincating read!.......2006-05-21

I happened to notice the book as a special release while in Barnes and Noble. It was a very interesting read and will give you an idea to the intensity of the event.

I saw the movie and in it's own right it's good. However, it rather interesting to see who they made a whole movie from what was basically 6 pages of the book.

The author did a good job compiling interviews, memoirs and documents from the people involved. Overall the book flows and draws you in.

I can say there isn't a favored side in the presentation. Even though it's suggested by another review. The author did a great job simply telling a story or in this case a series of stories. You get heroes, you get villains. You get to look into the minds of the mean deciding and fighting the campaign.

One interesting thing I noticed was the fact that the soldiers pretty much stayed faithful to Hitler even though he basically screwed them by being stubborn and yet indecisive.

There are touching accounts and sad accounts. I found it interesting that battle stopped to listen to a violinist play Bach. A vet who could not slay his favorite horse and left her in a bunker with a note asking the Soviets to take care of her. Don't know if they did. The cobbler who decided to spy and was hung for it. There is so much more.

The one interesting thing is the famed duel of Vasily and Maj Koenig(from the movie and mentioned in the book). It appears that Major Koenig does not exist. People have looked for him and have commented they can't find records of him. Soviet Propaganda.

Now to a reviewers comment that the Soviets are portrayed with vile contempt. I did not get that from the author. He spoke to many veterans and even drank shots of vodka with commando commander as he toasted his long lost men. The so called contempt might be the stories of the Soviets killing prisoners. They did. There is no discussing that fact and it was even shown in the records after the USSR collapsed. Never mind the fact that 120000 Italians marched to prison and only 12000 came out. Over 100000 Germans marched to Prison and only 5000 made it out.

Overall, it's a great book but as with history you have to read many accounts.

The next book I will look into is Beevor's Stalingrad : The Fateful Siege: 1942-1943

Riveting - a must read.......2006-05-18

There was a time when I concentrated exclusively on the western european theatre of WW2. This book changed all that. This is one of the greatest war accounts I have ever read. The author maintains a strictly neutral tone which brings out the best and worst of both Russian and German armies. Absolute must read for WW2 fans.

Note that this book is not about the exploits of Vassily Zaitsev (from the movie with the same name).

delicious.......2006-04-27

this is a robust account, overflowing with ribald tales of soldier yarn. nobody can doubt the russian resolve but mr. craig would credit german failure more than russian success. the red generals turned hitler's men into confused moth's, flittering aimlessly while the beloved 6th crumbled. for some odd reason, mr. craig treats the ruskies with a vile contempt, allowing their triumph to be a mild coincidence. he portrays them as peasants, ignorant and illiterate. meanwhile, the germans more often are celebrated as gifted physicians, professors, etc., off to war misled by a maniac nesting in his alps aerie. on the plus, i enjoyed his descriptions of the frozen volga, teeming with chunks of ice. the desolation in the bombed out streets of the city. the vulgarities of this battle are clear. in all, this pile of words is deemed readable and highly recommended.

Dictionary of the Third Reich, The Penguin (Dictionary, Penguin)

Average customer rating:

Brilliant!
Soild Effort
Good, basic info on the rise of Nazism and WWII Germany

Dictionary of the Third Reich, The Penguin (Dictionary, Penguin)

Manufacturer: Puffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Europe | History | Subjects | Books

General | Military | History | Subjects | Books

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

Customer Reviews:

Brilliant!.......2005-10-11

I reccomend this book to anyone interested in the (...) Germany. The topic makes up the bulk of my A Level course and this has been a great help!

Soild Effort.......2002-04-19

This is a solid bit of historical reference. The book is well laid out and easy to use. It is not the "complete" guild but it does cover about 95% of what the general reader would be looking for. The items that are not in there would probably only be looked up by the real hard core World War 2 fan. I would have preferred a few more pictures and maps. Overall this book gives you what you need in an easy to use format.

Good, basic info on the rise of Nazism and WWII Germany.......2001-03-26

A good addition to any collection of references on Nazism and WWII. This compact book contains not only a chronology of the years from 1933-45 but an alphabetized dictionary containing all the major names, events, military operations(including codenames and areas), etc. If you're at a loss for the name of a person or event from this time, this book could come to your aid. Also makes for quick reading when you have a moment or two, reminding you of information you might have forgotten. Recommended.

Arnhem 1944: The Airborne Battle, 17-26 September (Penguin History)

Average customer rating:

Arnhem Airborne Drop
Those Amazing Gliders
Market Garden: the other side
How to Destroy an Airborne Division
Very interesting......

Arnhem 1944: The Airborne Battle, 17-26 September (Penguin History)
Martin Middlebrook
Manufacturer: Penguin UK
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Military | History | Subjects | Books

General | World | History | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0140143424

Customer Reviews:

Arnhem Airborne Drop.......2006-11-06

The book was as I expected from this author, well written, factual and informative with individual participant recollections adding that personal touch. A great read for those who enjoy factual military history.

Those Amazing Gliders.......2006-07-24

Martin Middlebrook is a master a producing books that
explain complex military operations in a manner that
is comprehensible to the knowledgable general reader.
He especially is good at bringing the direct experience
of the individuals involved (soldiers or civlians as the case
may be) on both sides of the battle to the reader.
In this book about the British First Airborne Division's role in the
Battle of Arnhem phase of Operation Market Garden, fascinating
details emerge that I have not encountered in other sources.
Among the most interesting for me was the airlift phase
of the operation. Having seen the movie "A Bridge Too Far" in addition to documentaries about Market Garden, the use
of gliders, those amazing, engineless aircraft, seems rather strange and foolhardy, in light of the
pictures we have all seen of gliders crashing into trees,
or tipping tail up on landing, or hearing about their tow
ropes breaking in flight. In actuality, Middlebrook points
out that in this operation, the overwhelming majority of gliders
landed safely, and even in cases where the tow ropes broke, most pilots were able to land them safely, even at sea, and the crew and passengers often escaped relatively unscathed from overturned gliders, even with the danger of a heavy load in the back of the aircraft breaking loose and falling into the cockpit. He gives details on how the gliders were flown, at what speed and distance they were cut loose, and the like. Similarly, he explains how the paratroopers lined up to jump from the aircraft, that the aircraft were at an altitude of only 500-600 feet and the paratrooper was in the air for only 15 seconds. The heavy equipment the paratrooper brought down with him was jettisoned before he landed. In the event, the first day's lift was overwhelmingly safe and successful, which should have given the operation a good start, but which tragically, was not able to be utilized properly. This book describes the great heroism of the Airborne's forces and will be of interest to anyone who has a more than passing interest in the Second World War or military history in general.

Market Garden: the other side.......2002-07-12

This is an excellent account of the German reaction on the massive Allied air landings in Holland in September 1944, during operation Market Garden. It especially concentrates on the countermeasures of the battered German army which, barely escaped from the ordeals of the hell of Normandy, immediately launched counterattacks, often with astonishing weak and improvised units, suffering appaling losses. The legend that the elite 1st British Airborne division landed on top of two complete SS Panzer divisions is analysed by Middlebrook and he proves that both divisions hardly had the strength left of a weakened regiment. At the time of the landings some of their last remaining tanks stood ready for transport to Germany! Of course this doesn't change anything on the fact that the British fought extremely well, having the most difficult tasks in the entire operation. I enjoyed this book very much. Objective war books like this are rare. I posses hundreds of books and know what I'm talking about. Professional comments, good maps, interesting photos, some of German news reels, gripping personal accounts. I hope to see more of this author. A very well deserved five stars. This is the way history should be handled.

How to Destroy an Airborne Division.......2001-02-01

This book represents another great effort by Martin Middlebrook. At first, one might ask why another book on Operation Market-Garden is necessary. The answer is that Middlebrook focus just on the actions of the units at Arnhem, ignoring the US airborne divisions further south and the advance of 30th Corps. The result is an account that presents far more detail than most accounts of the Arnhem fighting, which tend to focus mainly on Lieutenant Colonel Frost's battalion at Arnhem bridge.

Middlebrook begins his account with an in-depth description of the British 1st Airborne Division that covers every battalion and subordinate unit in detail. Readers will learn what every key unit, including the oft-neglected support units, could contribute to the battle. I was surprised to learn for example, just how many anti-tank guns that the British took to Arnhem: 52 six-pounders (57mm) and 16 seventeen-pounders (76mm). Most accounts of the battle do not mention the seventeen pounders, which gave the British a decent anti-tank weapon against even the heavier German tanks in the vicinity.

Arnhem was a very controversial operation and Middlebrook does not sidestep the controversy, but he does not become mired in it. The planning errors and false assumptions of Field Marshal Montgomery and the General Browning are duly noted. Yet despite the deep flaws in the plan, Middlebrook likes to flirt with the notion of what might have been achieved with a little better luck and speed. The chapter entitled "The Vital Hours" covers the very successful initial airborne landings and then details how sluggish many units were in actually moving toward Arnhem and the bridges. Soldier load is an issue here that most writers ignore but not Middlebrook; one participant noted how the paratroopers were so weighted down with gear that they could only run a few yards and were then exhausted. The one unit that made it to the bridge, Frost's battalion, had far more contact with the enemy than most sources suggest (the film A Bridge Too Far gives the impression that Frost's battalion marched to the bridge without even seeing any Germans) and only made it through due to unorthodox means. Middlebrook notes that the British made the final stretch to the Arnhem bridge when, "Frost led most of the battalion into a garden and then through the back door of a house and out the front door into another street...".

A key question usually asked about Arnhem is why couldn't the British 1st Airborne Division break through to reinforce Frost? Answering this question is probably the greatest value of this book. First the 1st Parachute Brigade, then the 4th Parachute Brigade tried to break through in piece-meal fashion and with minimal support. This section, which covers about 100 pages, offers a great deal of information about how the British destroyed their own division in a series of futile attacks. Both the parachute brigades were destroyed in two days fighting, which fatally undermined the ability of the British to hold onto their vital drop zones for resupply. The story of Frost and the bridge defense is also well-told but I find the story of the two parachute brigades far more compelling. In essence, the British made the fatal mistake of not dropping closer to their objective and then ruined the bulk of their division trying to fight their way through to that objective. Middlebrook uses these chapters to hammer home the reality that airborne units are configured for defense after rapid seizure, not sustained offensive operations and that this was the real crux of the disaster. Had a more or less intact British airborne division with defensible drop zones established itself north of the Lower Rhine, then Montgomery might at least have gained a foothold north of the river.

The battle of the Osterbeek perimeter and the subsequent withdrawal across the Rhine are covered in detail, but not as effectively as the earlier chapters. The sketch maps supporting the text could have been better. Nor is the treatment of the Polish Brigade's performance as in-depth as the earlier chapters, although the Middlebrook admits that the relief of General Sosabowski by the British was a shameful act. There is a full chapter on the resupply flights, which are barely covered in other sources. The aerial resupply effort was a colossal failure: 66 aircraft were lost and 222 men killed in order to deliver less than 200 tons of supplies to the British 1st Airborne Division. This disaster occurred despite mild weather conditions and air superiority. Middlebrook's detailed post-mortem is very interesting. Although 21% of the division was evacuated losses among the infantry were catastrophic. Only 405 members of the two British parachute brigades returned from the 3,461 who dropped into Holland. Additionally, two experienced brigade commanders, eight battalion commanders and 26 company commanders were lost. The division was essentially destroyed and the remnants were soon disbanded or attached to other units.

Middlebrook concludes that there were numerous errors that contributed to this debacle but that the two most important were (a) the flawed air movement plan (which Middlebrook mostly blames on the Americans) and (b) the failure of the US Airborne Division to capture the Nijmegen bridge sooner and thereby facilitate the ground link-up with the British troops at Arnhem. Although there is plenty of blame for the British commanders in this volume I feel that Middlebrook is too quick to point fingers at the Americans. Market-Garden was after all, Montgomery's show. Middlebrook might have been able to use this book as an interesting examination of British operational methods in the mid-20th Century. The British army throughout the Second World War, was at its best in a well-planned set-piece battle and at it's worst in a highly-fluid chaotic battle. The inflexibility of the British commanders is readily evident here and the reader must sympathize with the Polish General Sosabowski who was frustrated by their willingness to continue with a plan no matter how flawed.

Very interesting.............2000-09-06

I really enjoyed this book. It covers the entire Arhnem operation through British eyes. The author goes from one personal account of the action to another,which blends into a great tapestry of the battle. The only drawbacks I could comment on is the action is not fluid, Middlebrook will cover one area of the battle (e.g. Arnhem Bridge), in its entirety, and jump back (in time) to another section (Middlebrook tells of a British battalion dropped in the second lift being detailed to join in the push to the bridge, then later tells us of the second lift in which it arrived). The other is the lack of detail on the Polish cause in the battle. Overall very easy to read and enjoyable. A great companion when read with other MARKET-GARDEN books of broader (Ryan's a Bridge Too Far) and differing viewpoints (It Never Snows In September, the German point of view, Poles Apart,the Polish view). A must for any MARKET GARDEN reader.

Modern Movements in Architecture: Second Edition (Penguin Art & Architecture)

Average customer rating:

Great!

Modern Movements in Architecture: Second Edition (Penguin Art & Architecture)
Charles Jencks
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

Reference | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 014023005X

Amazon.com

Although this is not a new book, it is still one of the best introductions to modern architecture available on the market. Infinitely accessible and informative, Charles Jencks is sensible and bodacious in his far-ranging discussions of the architecture of this century. This small paperback, which includes 236 illustrations, is invaluable in its assessment of the history of modern architecture and its frank criticism of the architects of our time, as well as its speculations, predictions, and guidelines for the future of the discipline. This edition includes a special postscript on Late-Modernism and Post-Modernism.

Customer Reviews:

Great!.......2000-04-12

Never read a more interesting book about this subject before! Go buy it; it is worth all the money!

An Economic History of the USSR 1917-1991: Third Edition (Penguin Economics)

Average customer rating:

Dated Book relying on old statistics?
The Best-Available One-Volume Economic History of the USSR

An Economic History of the USSR 1917-1991: Third Edition (Penguin Economics)
Alec Nove
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Economic Conditions | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Economic History | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Economic Conditions | International | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Japan | Asia | History | Subjects | Books

Russia | History | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0140157743

Customer Reviews:

Dated Book relying on old statistics?.......2003-02-13

Questionable statistics?: 13% of a crop destroyed is quoted, when the actual figures were probably much higher--some say 90% of a crop rotted. Who is to say? This is why nobody will ever definitively write the economic history of the USSR. At best educated guesses. But the author tries.

However, an economic history as opposed to a political history is for the USSR a distorted picture of what happened, because of the bad data problem mentioned above. Hence the three stars.

The Best-Available One-Volume Economic History of the USSR.......2000-11-30

Nove's history, already widely acclaimed (I had it as assigned reading at Cambridge), is updated in this "final" edition, completed just after the collapse of the USSR. It is extremely readable, just over 400 pages long, and gives a truly outstanding overview -- for the academic and the lay reader alike -- of the rise and fall of the Russian economy, from just before World War I until Gorbachev's resignation. Nove, one of the finest scholars in the field, makes full use of the then newly-opened Soviet archives to add to and refine what was already a brilliant work, and captures herein the first-ever scholarly assessment of the extraordinary Soviet experiment as a whole.

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