Maximilian Kolbe: Saint of Auschwitz

Rating:
Summary: A Good beginners guide to the saint's life and death
Review: For those not familiar with the Story of maximilian Kolbe this book is an adequate if flawed start. Maximilian Kolbe was a Catholic priest/friar who voluntarly gave his life in Auschwitz, where he was imprisioned for speaking out against the Nazi regiem, so that a Jew may live. The man whom he died for ultimately did in fact survive Auchwitz and tell his Story. While the Story of Maximilian Kolbe is inspiring, tragic and ulitimatly uplifting I was a little disappointed at the way in which this book tells that Story. First of all this book is not a very in depth look at the life and times of Kolbe, it is written at about a sixth grade level, and often over states what should be painfully obvious to any adult reader with a basic knowledge in history of WWII. The other thing that I disliked about this book was the way in which it portrayed the faith of Max Kolbe. Maximilian Kolbe in this book is portrayed as being extremly Marian in his faith. Through out the book Mary and terms like "the Blessed mother" "our Blessed lady" "the mother of God" ect are used over and over again while Jesus is only mentioned by name a small number of times. While I have no doubt that Mary was an important part of his faith, (She was after all the one who offered him the crowns of purity and martyrdom ) I would like to belive that his faith was much more complete than portrayed in this book. Also as a Catholic I felt that this portrayal plays into the protestant sterotype of Mary worshoping Catholics. Mary by all means should be given her due both as a saint and as the mother of Jesus but should not be placed above Jesus himself.This book could due well in teaching Grade schoolers about Maximilian Kolbe, Auschwitz, the Nazi's as well as WWII but adults would due better with other more in depth books such as "Catholic Martys of the twetieth Century" by Robert Royal