Frank Blaichman was sixteen years old when the war broke out. In 1942, the killings began in Poland. With his family and friends decimated by the roundups, Blaichman decided that he would rather die fighting; he set off for the forest to find the underground bunkers of Jews who had already escaped. Together they formed a partisan force dedicated to fighting the Germans. This is a harrowing, … utterly moving memoir of a young Polish Jew who chose not to go quietly and defied the mighty German war machine during World War II.
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Imagine a Jewish family living in German-occupied territory at the outset of WW2. Now imagine that family sitting down for dinner one evening knowing with near absolute CERTAINTY that they would all be rounded up the next day, separated from one another and sent to who-knows-where.
While the rest of the family seemed resigned to their fate, this kid – the author- was having none of it. And so it was that the author slipped into the darkness of the forest that night at age 13 and remained on the run throughout the next five years.
He sought out people that he could trust, managed to arm himself, and joined the resistance. He worked his way into informal and then formal positions of leadership. And yes, he did see more than his share of combat.
This is a must-read!
This book was not fiction. The author and one other person escape from a Nazi death camp and tries to warn other Jews about the camps. His message goes unheeded and many more innocent people are killed. I was glad to read a book where a Jew was able to fight back and win eventually. I hope people never forget this terrible time in our history.Msgt Denis L Neal USAF Ret
The author is a very interesting character who by wit and pluck escaped the Nazi net and fought side by side with Jewish and other partisans in occupied Poland. Harrowing and detailed, this memoir deserves a wide audience.
Very informative about the eastern European WW 2 front as fought by Jewish Partician groups, how they grew, functioned, obtained arms and fought while trying to avoid detection. So much has been written about the western front yet so little about who, how, and where the partician armys fought. the book lists , is dedicated to, and well edited for a great history reading experience.
This is great. I suggest you join NōvelStar’s writing competition this April.
The story is powerful, I like how it was presented. Good job writer! If you have some great stories like this one, you can publish it on N0velStar, just submit your story to [email protected] or [email protected]
Interesting story! Provided some insight into the Jewish thought of why more did not resist, the premise that God will provide, is a good thought, but under the circumstances it still puzzles me.
Enjoyed reading about partisan activities and about the infighting between Polish partisan factions. Nice to get a first-person perspective from someone who was there through it all.
I have read many books on WWII. My father-in-law fought against the Nazi regime WWII and came home critical when his tank took a hit at Anzio,Italy. My father came home critical from fighting in the Pacific.
This book was riveting. It was eye -opening! Takes you through the woods of Europe to experience the battle fought through the story of the partisan fighters who furiously battled the German troops! Their heroic actions were astounding!
Recommended read!
Fascinating part of history told by someone who lived it; very entertaining
What’s a typical narrative of the Holocaust? That 6 million marched docilely to their fate.
Not Frank. Oh no. This is a narrative of a bright young man who decided to fight. And fight he did, and lived to tell about it.
Told with a sense of modesty, and lacking just about any sense of bravado, Blaichman offers one man’s perspective of how a Polish Jew kept himself alive by using his wits and being constantly vigilant. He survives some close calls, gets himself out of some tight spots, and gets recognized as a leader. By the end of the war, he is a partisan of some importance and held in high regard.
His account also sheds light on post-war Poland. Many histories end with “…and the Allies liberated the camps, and forced the Germans to walk past the emaciated corpses.” Blaichman extends the tale of the Polish Jews who now find themselves marginalized (and still persecuted) by the Poles and Soviets.
I would whole-heartedly recommend this memoir to any student of the Holocaust.
This is a story of Jewish partisans in Poland during WWII. I couldn’t help to be amazed and admire the courage of the young men and women. The book is a memoir of one of them, whose family was all murdered by the Nazis. He was 16 and escaped to the forest to join other partisans.
disappointing
Great history lesson.
Real life story every high school student in America should read. History is written by the biased, stories like this one are written by the survivors, and those who lived history, and can tell it like it really was.
History book, better then the ones in school.
I always enjoy reading about those that fought back during Nazi occupation.
Search Brave and clever people. Good to hear about Jews who resisted and survived. Amazing perseverance and sense of justice in such terrible times. So wonderful to see how they kept their sanity and Humanity.
The author glossed over a great deal – for example, how were collaborators sorted into willing and coerced categories.
It felt like he left a lot out.
An insider’s story of the resistance against the Nazis in Poland told by one of the leaders of the Jewish fighters. Inspiring. I felt like I was there. Death everywhere. Murder everywhere. The slightest mistake fatal. Yet courageous men and women did not give up. Did not lose courageous. I now have hope that in today’s dark American there will be folks who will stand up against our fascist regime here in 2018 as they did in Europe in the 1940’s. Fighting back may not always be successful but not fighting guarantees evil wins.