Rating: 
Summary: A wonderful, if tragic story
Review: I heard the author on NPR's "Morning Edition" and found his story incredibly captivating. I had to get a copy of his book, and I'm sure you'll agree that it's touching and lyrical.
Rating: 
Summary: Wow
Review: I listened to Martin Goldsmith on "Performance Today" (and still listen to his successor, Fred Child) for many years. This man who for years described classical music on the radio -- composers and their life story, pieces and their histories, in accessible, engaging, and lightly humorous ways, and even sometimes tied it in to his love of baseball -- he also has an extraordinary family story. It's moving and well-written, and makes me think about the extraordinary stories that must dwell in the depths of my own geneological past.
Rating:
Summary: Wow
Review: I listened to Martin Goldsmith on "Performance Today" (and still listen to his successor, Fred Child) for many years. This man who for years described classical music on the radio -- composers and their life story, pieces and their histories, in accessible, engaging, and lightly humorous ways, and even sometimes tied it in to his love of baseball -- he also has an extraordinary family story. It's moving and well-written, and makes me think about the extraordinary stories that must dwell in the depths of my own geneological past.
Rating:
Summary: wonderful
Review: I ordered this book after hearing Martin Goldsmith's discussion of the book on NPR. His descriptions of the relationship between his parents and the interplay of music in their lives was incredible. I could hear the music being played through the horrors his parents endured. A worthwhile and wonderful read from a familiar voice.
Rating:
Summary: A Moving Book
Review: I purchased this book at an airport book store to read casually while on vacation. I was captivated by the story and the events of the lives of the characters and couldn't put it down. Although the events and decrees, one by one, leading to the terrible crimes of the 40's are known to us, the book helped me understand the impact of those events on the day to day lives of the Jews in Germany. For this and many other reasons, it is a great read!
Rating:
Summary: absolutely incredible
Review: I read this at my mother's urging because she thought it would be good research for a story that I'm writing. I'm so glad that I did. This is an incredible book about a part of the Holocaust that is seldom visited. I was completely absorbed in the story. It was as if I was hearing it directly from the people, and it made me want to actually speak to them and hear about their experiences in the Kubu. I even read the acknowledgements because I didn't want the story to end. It was fascinating. I highly recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: Highly recommended
Review: I started Martin Goldsmith's "The Inextiguishable Symphony" a few days ago and have had to force myself to put it down. It is a masterful combination of a good story told well. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in history or music. This has the potential to become a classic. I can see it being used, for instance, in high school English classes. I also think it would make a beautiful movie. Kudos to Martin Goldsmith for a superb book.
Rating:
Summary: A wonderful read
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed the story of Rosemarie and Gunther. Subject matter regarding the Holocaust has always held my interest. What sets this book apart for me is the vivid and sensitive depictions of life in Nazi Germany in the 1930's from the perspective of two young musicians. Never before have I had the opportunity to learn so much about the important role that musicians and other artisans had in sustaining culture for the Jewish people during this horrifically dark period in their history. On a personal level toward the end of the book the author mentions the name of a woman who performed with the Kulturbund. This woman ultimately emigrated to the United States and formed a ballet school in New York City which my sister attended in the 1950's and early 60's.
Rating:
Summary: OUTSTANDING!
Review: If you are at all familiar with the NPR program "Performance Today" you will surely know who Martin Goldsmith is. For those who don't know of him he was, until recently, the host of this exceptional program that guides its listeners into a full appreciation of classical music. Because I loved listening and learning so much from Mr. Goldsmith I picked up this book and began reading. While I knew nothing about his accomplished, yet tragic family history beforehand, I found the synopsis of the book to be utterly appealing. Goldsmith's parents, Gunther and Rosemarie are described so well that I quickly felt I knew them and could feel the oppressive atmosphere they lived in. This is an outstanding book. It is so well written that I could almost hear the music that his gifted and fortunate parents made. I also learned so much more about the atrocities of Nazi Germany than I thought possible(i.e. the years of segregation, boycotting and public humiliation that preceded so many peoples eventual arrest and imprisonment that we know so much about). In the book Mr. Goldsmith's father, Gunther states he wasn't a survivor of the holocaust because he wasn't held captive in the prison camps, but I beg to differ. The life he and Rosemarie lived in the eight or nine years before they found freedom in America was very much like a prison without the walls. And the enduring survivor's guilt for being some of the lucky few to get out alive compounds the holocaust sentence. I wept at the end of this book and I recommend it to everyone as it is one of the best non-fiction books I have ever read. Just keep the tissues close at hand---you'll need them!
Rating:
Summary: If You Never Read Another Book, Please Read This One
Review: Martin Goldsmith has done the world a favor. Not only is this book compelling reading, the story it tells is one that everyone on the planet needs to know so that such abominations never again occur. Goldsmith has brought to life a courage of spirit, not to mention the power of music and culture to endure, which should resonate throughout humanity. If he never does another thing but write this book, he will have done a great service. The story of his family's experiences in the Kulturbund as well as in the concentration camps is both uplifting and heart rending. Goldsmith reminds us that freedom is a precious commodity, and so are compassion and kindness, not to mention music, which enhances the soul.
|
