Rating: 
Summary: A Hell Of A Story
Review: "The Avengers" by Rich Cohen is one hell of a story that the author tells brilliantly. This is a thrill packed tale that is artfully written, absorbing, suspenseful and rife with human drama. In short, a book that's tough to put down. The author paints a compelling portrait of Abba Kovner, a charasmatic poet and his two female comrades who were trapped in Vilna, Lithuania at the outbreak of the Second World War. These ordinary people under extraordinary circumstances fall in love and manage to survive and persevere under the most unimaginable conditions. Cohen provides us with a gripping account of their struggles, that are fascinating, and all the more compelling for being true. He captures detail, color and perspective, sketching them in highly readable prose. And while deftly interweaving tragedy with the great events of history, he raises difficult questions and moral dilemmas for the reader to ponder.
Rating:
Summary: A Hell Of A Story
Review: "The Avengers" by Rich Cohen is one hell of a story that the author tells brilliantly. This is a thrill packed tale that is artfully written, absorbing, suspenseful and rife with human drama. In short, a book that's tough to put down. The author paints a compelling portrait of Abba Kovner, a charasmatic poet and his two female comrades who were trapped in Vilna, Lithuania at the outbreak of the Second World War. These ordinary people under extraordinary circumstances fall in love and manage to survive and persevere under the most unimaginable conditions. Cohen provides us with a gripping account of their struggles, that are fascinating, and all the more compelling for being true. He captures detail, color and perspective, sketching them in highly readable prose. And while deftly interweaving tragedy with the great events of history, he raises difficult questions and moral dilemmas for the reader to ponder.
Rating:
Summary: Best New Book I've Read This Year
Review: A pretty staggering, devastating and wildly entertaining book. Cohen manages to give his book a nearly biblical sweep -- along with the drama and characterization of an adventure story by Hemingway. The compression here, in imagery, detail and information, is also amazing. Cohen hasn't written history; he's discovered a hidden story and presented it all fresh and startling, telling us that lives like these can be lived even in our own time. It's a book that sticks in your hands.
Rating:
Summary: "We Do Not Know What We Lost, If We Don't Know What We Had!"
Review: Abba Kovner, designer of the Diaspora Museum in Tel Aviv, is one of the three main characters in this rich and vital book about the partisans of the Vilna ghetto. The quote is his quote. We DO need to remember the Holocaust, but Jews as well as non-Jews should not only know and think about the Holocaust as victims. Abba and and Vitka and Rozka are larger than life. Just as we look back at the "Righteous Gentiles" with a different slant on the Holocaust, when we examine history through the eyes of any partisans we can find, we become inspired. Our youth need to know of the heroics of the partisans, especially of these three people, so that we can know more about every aspect of Jewish life in Europe. Until now many people have only heard about the Warsaw Ghetto uprising, and so this book is VERY important. It moves across the European continent and takes us into Israel's modern times. And as an aside, the author is Abba's relative; he approaches these magnificent people on a personal level an average biographer might not. A MUST READ; WONDERFUL FOR A TEENAGE GIFT OR BAR/BAT MITZVAH GIFT.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing Story
Review: An amazing story about a horrifying time in our modern history. Cohen tells this story in an understated yet powerful way. I was haunted by his description of life in the Vilna ghetto and the moral choices people had to make. I couldn't put this book down.
Rating:
Summary: Is it Resistance or Terrorism?
Review: Cohen's story is brilliant and courageous in the way it forces the Reader to acknowledge their hypocracies with regard to terrorism. Specifically, he draws the reader to sympathize and care for Abba Kovner, but also notes that Kovner and his gang try (unsuccessfully) to poison the water supply of Germans, many innocent noncombatants, even children. In other words, these Avengers are also terrorists (if you use the current definitions). By exposing the grey are of terrorism/ resistance, Cohen subtly places the reader in the uncomfortable position of acknowledging a double standard between hero, terrorist and freedom fighter. While we all have to come to our own (hopefully consistent)conclusion in that regard, it takes someone like Cohen and his hero Kovener to make us realize that it is not a "cut and dry" issue.
Rating: 
Summary: A side not seen.
Review: Cohen's story of the Jewish resistance fighters presents a side of the Jews in WWII not often seen. The story chronicles the resistance beginning in Vilna and follows it all the way to Israel. A very interesting and instructive read. I enjoy reading about WWII and this book brought to light a seldom mention aspect of that war. A good read.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting and Moving
Review: Enjoyed this one immensely. The story is fascinating and well written. Since the authors last book was about gangsters, I was pleasantly surprised that the book had a lot of emotional depth. This will be a great movie!
Rating:
Summary: The unknown story
Review: Fascinating history of those Jews who survived the Vilna ghetto and fought as partisans, sought revenge and fought the first war for Israel. The "Plan" for massive retaliation against the Nazis after the end of the war is news to many of us. The book presents stories that will enlighten, avoids moralizing, but forces us to look hard at the questions raised. You will remember this one.
Rating:
Summary: Fatalism of percevearance.
Review: How do you react to people who see their own impending death? The people in this book can clearly see their impending doom. Although they are not alone in this, they are able to deal with it by fighting back. Many others simply ignore their fate, push it away and try to hope for the best. The reality is that not many of us can fight back. Some of the millions of Jews do fight back. This is their story, a story of harsh reality and a magnifiscent effort against an overwheliming odds. This book is worth reading, if only to realize ones own feelings and presence of determination. Well written, intelligent, factual and insightful. Worth taking time to digest and discuss.
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