<< 1 >>
Rating: 
Summary: Up Close and Personal View of Stalag 17
Review: I am a WWII buff as I know had it not been for those who served we would not be here. So reading and appreciating those sacrifices is paramount to me.
I found this book "disturbing" (in a good way) in that the book literally took the reader inside the walls of Stalag 17.
It was a fearful experience and filled me with dread and agony for those who lived through that experience.
Some of the material mirrows what the movie "Stalag 17" depicted but certainly not with the Hollywood context of stalag life.
Ned Handy is one of countless heros who served all of us. God bless them, each and every one.
This is a book to cherish and help us understand the horror of war and the sacrifices of so many.
Rating:
Summary: Moving, personal, inspiring story of determination
Review: I finished reading this book around the anniversary of my father's death. Sixty years earlier, he had flown with the American forces based in England and the parallels to the the men of Stalag XVII moved me considerably. My emotions surged.
Take "The great escape", "Stalag 17", and mix in "Band of Brothers" and you will have a good sense of the story. In April 1944, a young, optimistic flier loses his plane and two comrades in one of the "last, big" Nazi efforts to thwart American daylight bombing. The crippled plane struggles to make it back to safe territory, but fails. Local people and soldiers round up the dispersed crew for a harrowing journey by rail to a camp for American fliers -- Stalag XVII -- in Austria. Kindness and cruelty quickly become evident and random.
The camp has a history, and the older 'kriegies' resent the newly arrived, only recently shot down fliers. Some of the 'old' men have been there a year or more already. In a stroke of luck, Handy finds a link that leads him to the leadership of a tunnel detail. While the escape attempt loses steam, the tunnel plays a critical role in saving the life of a famed escape artist and sabateur who owes his life to Handy. This leads to a second escape attempt, only with audacity abd a twist. Read the book to see who gets out, who dies, and who hangs on to April 1945 when the Nazis march the remaining prisoners west, towards Patton and the Americans.
The beauty of the book can be found in Handy's stories of the men, their lives, their dreams, and their consistent efforts to stay alive and to stay focused on home, if not escape. From the Native American sage, watching over all the comings and goings from his quiet perch, to Young, who while despised by the men, makes Handy a keepsake that lasts the duration, Handy shows how men in terrible crises -- each day meant a struggle for food and warmth -- band together, develop freindships, and work to fight the enemy in the only way they possibly can.
Scrounging becomes an art. Nothing is wasted. Mundane activities take on new roles. A detailed description of a mouth-watering meal helps postpone some of the longings and deter the hunger pangs, if only for a short time. The men are disciplined, respectful mostly of expertise and professionalism (even from the enemy), and at the same time bond in a dark humor sort of way you would expect from dire circumstances.
There is also a remarkable amount of luck involved. But was it hard work and opportunity, or was it luck? Did the soldiers late in the war owe their lives to an enterprising prisoner who alerts the oncoming Patton army of the prisoners' location in an area about to be bombed by the American forces? Does the kindness of one guard show luck, weakness, or just that -- kindness?
This is an underpublicized, underappreciated, deserving-to-be-read history of men at war on a daily basis, and about the lessons they learn for a lifetime. Read it and give thanks.
Rating:
Summary: Memory and immediacy in prison-camp survival
Review: The Flame Keepers gives more than a good story. It sets up a counterpoint of the men's reflections on home-life, their daily confrontations with danger in the camp, and the reflections of the young Ned Handy growing older, lonlier, and self-reliant in order to survive. A deep perspective on the character of the USA in the 40s and the nature of men in desperate circumstances. This book is a keeper. Worth passing around to friends, rereading for yourself.
Rating:
Summary: Memory and immediacy in prison-camp survival
Review: The Flame Keepers gives more than a good story. It sets up a counterpoint of the men's reflections on home-life, their daily confrontations with danger in the camp, and the reflections of the young Ned Handy growing older, lonlier, and self-reliant in order to survive. A deep perspective on the character of the USA in the 40s and the nature of men in desperate circumstances. This book is a keeper. Worth passing around to friends, rereading for yourself.
Rating:
Summary: This Flame Should Burn Eternally
Review: The Flame Keepers is a magnificant book about a young man, Ned Handy, who is shot down over Germany and ends up in Stalig 17. The survival of Handy and the rest of the "Kreiegies" while in Stalig 17, and during their march to freedom is a testament to the strength and character of the "Greatest Generation." This is a book that must be read.
Rating:
Summary: An important story well-told
Review: The Flame Keepers is a riveting description of some pretty tough times. An important story well-told, it brings into focus the trials of not just Ned, but all those who became prisoners of war and effectively illustrates why war is something to be avoided if at all possible.This book is especially timely given the anniversary of D-Day and would make a great addition to anyone's summer reading list.
Rating:
Summary: An important story well-told
Review: The Flame Keepers is a riveting description of some pretty tough times. An important story well-told, it brings into focus the trials of not just Ned, but all those who became prisoners of war and effectively illustrates why war is something to be avoided if at all possible. This book is especially timely given the anniversary of D-Day and would make a great addition to anyone's summer reading list.
<< 1 >>
|
