Comments on Well-Written Holocaust Books - page 1

Stones from the River

Why are The Blood of Flowers (set in 17th century Persia), Reading Lolita in Tehran (set in current-day Iran), A Tree Grows in Brooklyn or Rebecca on a list of works about the Holocaust?

Darrell wrote: "Is it just me, or does the name of this list sound like an oxymoron? The words "best" and "holocaust" just don't go together very well..."

You are right, they don't go together.

Yeah, Rebecca, and also A Year in Provence?

Hi,can anyone recommend me the books that are dealing with the problem of post traumatic stress of holocaust survivor? tx

Jarmila wrote: "Hi,can anyone recommend me the books that are dealing with the problem of post traumatic stress of holocaust survivor? tx"

http://www.lib.auburn.edu/socsci/docs...

"As would be suspected, PTSD is often linked with Holocaust survivors. An in-depth examination PTSD among Holocaust survivors can be found in Human Adaptation to Extreme Stress: From the Holocaust to Vietnam, edited by John P. Wilson, Zev Harel and Boaz Kahana. Most of the key PTSD researchers and writers are represented in this work, which is intended as a primary source for the major theoretical, research and clinical contributions to war-related traumatic stress. The editor, John P. Wilson has emerged as a primary figure in trauma research and an authority on many PTSD populations, including those involved in Nazi Germany. Other survivors studied in this book include Cambodian refugees who survived the genocide of Khmer Rouge regime; Vietnam veterans, and World War II veterans. Shaman Davidson's Holding On To Humanity - The Message of Holocaust Survivors: The Shamai Davidson Papers, examines PTSD in Holocaust victims using case studies. Davidson does an outstanding job of confronting the consequences of victimization and advocates persuasively for the importance of honesty in the healing process. Holocaust Survivor's Mental Health, edited by Terry L. Brink provides further insight on this group of trauma survivors. Chapters include topics pertinent to Holocaust survivors such as coping mechanisms, denial, paranoid psychosis, bonding and therapeutic interventions. The essays included in this book are also published in the 1994 issue of Clinical Gerontologist. Another source of information on Holocuasut survivors and PTSD is Torture and Its Consequences: Current Treatment Approaches, edited by Metin Basoglu. This work discusses the many implications of torture endured by prisoners of war, including lengthy discussions on Holocaust survivors. Its coverage of PTSD is interwoven through many chapters addressing the consequences and effects of torture on individuals.

Finally, a recent work addressing PTSD among Holocaust survivors is Judith Kestenberg's and Ira Brenner's The Last Witness: The Child Survivor of the Holocaust. Though many accounts of adults surviving the Holocaust can be found, this book examines the experience of children born and raised under the Nazi reign of terror. Based on the interviews of more than 1,500 Holocaust survivors, this work takes a decidedly psychoanalytic view of the topic, providing a thorough examination of the psychological stages of development experienced by these victims and the short and long-term psychological effects of genocidal persecution."

Darrell wrote: "Is it just me, or does the name of this list sound like an oxymoron? The words "best" and "holocaust" just don't go together very well..."

good point...I teach high School English and we are beginning a Holocaust research project and I am often depressed as a result of this topic.

As bad as it sounds, I love historicl fiction and on top of it books about the holocausr. It's that I enjoy murder and Nazism, because I am Jew! Me being Jew had always helped me identify with the events in this book or another. Right now I am looking for some great books about world war II. No, no, actually I am looking for books about the holocaust, because as evil as it may be, the... human, I'd call it, events on it, are mostly real. I feel like I can truly understand what people had gone through. Plus, I saw many videos and CD's of people who survived, luckily, the holocaust. It may sounds the same to some of you, but I feel like there's so much more to explore, to ask. So far, I read interviews which had been filmed in this century, mostly 2006 and 2009, and you see those people, so wick and old, and yet on some of them's faces Inoticed a shadaw of a smile. They taught me, through they own heartbreaking stories, that life do worth it. That they are not afraid of anything anymore. That there is always a way out, even if you're in the worst nightmare of yours, you can still escape and stay alive. Some of them were crying, I saw the sadness and grief on their faces, the fact that some of them wish to be dead already, in order not to see their dear beloved faces dying, which most of them did saw, although they decided not to suicide, to kill thmselves, like many others did as the war was over. They somehoe knew that if they'd kill themselves, in an unnatural way of course, they will only complete the Nazi's task: first, they'd feel guilty for being Jews, second, they're dead, which is exactly what the Nazis been up to, to kill them all, every last one.
I am shocked to hear about those sad, horrible events, the nightmares, the screams... Yet I feel so close and untouched and I want to learn, I want to understand, and I do feel like revenge. Revenge the death of others who aren't with us anymore. And in some prospect, they were theones who saved us. They never let go, not even in the face of death. They are all heros, heros. Amazing, unbelivable. Out heros. My heors, They're everything. Thank you.

How is And Then There Were None or On the Corner of Bitter and Sweet about the holocaust? Just because it's set during World War II doesn't make it a holocaust book. It needs to be about the Jews or Germany or the concentration camps. I don't think Japanese interment counts for the Holocaust.

Hello

If you are looking for books about the Holocaust, I recommend you bookshops
www.books.e-oswiecim.pl
This bookstore specialized in this topic

Some interesting books:
I Was Doctor Mengele's Assistant - The memoirs of Jewish physician, former prisoner of Auschwitz, who lived and worked at crematoria and gas chambers at Auschwitz. He was eyewitness of mass murders, who every day contacted and spoke to SS killers, and knew the most important camp secrets.

KL Auschwitz seen by the SS - This volume contains reminiscences and a diary by three members of the SS: Rudolf Höss, the first camp commandant, Pery Broad, an SS non-commissioned officer in the camp Gestapo, and the SS physician Johann Paul Kremer.

Halina Birenbaum. Hope is the Last to Die - Born in Warsaw, Halina Birenbaum has lived in Israel since 1947. She is a writer, poet, and translator. She was ten years old when the war began. She lived through the Warsaw ghetto and the camps at Majdanek, Birkenau, Ravensbrück, and Neustadt-Glewe, where she was liberated in 1945. Her memoirs, which she was prompted to write by the Eichmann trial in Jerusalem, are shocking, authentic, and candid.

Kazimierz Albin. Warrant of Arrest The book is the account of the wartime experiences of one of the first prisoners of Auschwitz concentration camp.

Darrell wrote: "Is it just me, or does the name of this list sound like an oxymoron? The words "best" and "holocaust" just don't go together very well..."

No, I feel the same way, and I bet Elie Wiesel would agree too. Yet, I realize what is meant by it: the most well-written books on the subject of the Holocaust.

Jarmila wrote: "Hi,can anyone recommend me the books that are dealing with the problem of post traumatic stress of holocaust survivor? tx"

Dr. Krell is the best writer on this subject.

Cindy wrote: "How is And Then There Were None or On the Corner of Bitter and Sweet about the holocaust? Just because it's set during World War II doesn't make it a holocaust book. It needs to be about the Jews or Germany or the concentration camps."

Can't speak to On the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, but I would definitely agree as far as And Then There Were None is concerned. Not "holocaust" by a long shot ... one guy acting out his personal version of vengeance/justice has nothing whatsoever to do with the attempted extermination of a whole people. (Or even several, if it comes to that.)

While a superbly written book, The Cellist of Sarajevo may not be appropriate for this list unless one is speaking about the Bosnian Holocaust of 1992-1995.

Wanda wrote: "While a superbly written book, The Cellist of Sarajevo may not be appropriate for this list unless one is speaking about the Bosnian Holocaust of 1992-1995."

I think this calls for some input from the list's creator. Mollie, were you thinking of the Shoah in particular, or also other instances of holocaust/crimes against humanity/war crimes?

Deleted And Then There Were None, Rebecca, A Year in Provence, On the Corner of Bitter and Sweet.

Also, what am I not remembering about Bel Canto that makes it fit the bill here? Terrorism and hostage taking in South America are quite a stretch from the (or even "a") holocaust as well IMHO ...

How about this one - ?

Dasha wrote: "How about this one - ?"

I've added it, Dasha, thanks for the reminder! You can add books yourself, too, though; everybody can -- there's a tab up top next to "all votes."

Hi! :) Can I ask, where can I download holocaust free ebook. Please message me. Thanks so much.. :)

I invite readers of the Holocaust to read my newly edited edition of my novel In the Face of Evil based on my mother's survival of the Holocaust. It is an uplifting tale of a young girl's will to survive the upheavals of war. In the Face of Evil has been recognized as an e-Book of distinction by the International Raoul Wallenberg Foundation and was last years Finalist in the National Jewish Book Awards. I look forward to your comments!

Lobstergirl wrote: "Jarmila wrote: "Hi,can anyone recommend me the books that are dealing with the problem of post traumatic stress of holocaust survivor? tx"

http://www.lib.auburn.edu/socsci/docs...

"As woul..."

Memories of Evil: Recalling a World War II Childhood|16163174]

The above book makes brief mention of the important topic that Jarmila raised: PTSD affecting Holocaust survivors. The author mentions it when he describes the day of his liberation at the end of a 12-day Hunger March. Here is the quote:

"Our fragile emotional state was one that all survivors shared and there was nobody "from the outside" who gave the least bit of thought to our deep psychic problems. Taking care of our physical needs was a daunting enough task; terms such as "post-traumatic stress syndrome" or "grief management" had not even been invented. Ultimately, each of us had to find his or her own path of return to normalcy, an often circuitous road, strewn with obstacles. Some of us made it back better than others, but each survivor was left with his private emotional scars."

Peter Kubicek

Themis-Athena wrote: "Also, what am I not remembering about Bel Canto that makes it fit the bill here? Terrorism and hostage taking in South America are quite a stretch from the (or even "a") holocaust as well IMHO ..."

Yep, I have to agree with Themis-Athena. Don't remember there being much about the Holocaust in Bel Canto.

Dear readers of the Holocaust I invite you to read my historical novel based on my mother's survival of the Holocaust. It is a compelling story of a young girl's brave determination to live when evil consumed the world. I am proud that In the Face of Evil was recognized as a Finalist in the National Jewish Book Awards. I would love this book to be included in your list of excellent Holocaust books.

Five BEST selling holocaust ebooks for only 5 dollars.
Night, anne franks, nonna banister diary, schindler list, finding schindler

http://fiverr.com/angelicanery23/sear...

If you're only posting to advertise, I think your post is only spam and it will be removed. If you want to add other books, books you didn't write, and contribute to the discussion, I will leave your comments. Otherwise, I will delete them.

My intention was not to advertise but to contribute a worthy book for possible inclusion. I am sorry if you felt otherwise.

Question: why is Reading Lolita in Teheran here?

Donna wrote: "Question: why is Reading Lolita in Teheran here?"

It's not anymore ... (deleted).

Themis-Athena wrote: "Donna wrote: "Question: why is Reading Lolita in Teheran here?"

It's not anymore ... (deleted)."

Great job TA!!

~☆ Alice☆~ wrote: "I think number 197 needs to be removed as I read it a few years ago and don't recall anything about the holocaust in it but then I do have a poor memory.

90 Minutes in Heaven: A True Story of Dea..."

From the description it does sound like a complete mismatch. Anybody who can explain its alleged holocaust connection?

I am getting mad with these non-sense of listopias!!

I just read the reviews to refresh my memory and it should be deleted. (90 Minutes in Heaven!)

Laura wrote: "I am getting mad with these non-sense of listopias!!"

Just try to have fun with it. I think its supposed to be for fun. We are NOT taking a literature course here at least I hope not. My son told me to go take a literature course for fun and I went THAT IS NOT FUN!

I really think that "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" needs to go.

Erin wrote: "I really think that "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" needs to go."

Somebody seems to have (re-)deleted it.

Dear readers. My memoir A Stone for Benjamin published by Iguana Books was published last week. “Chasing Holocaust shadows across Europe and beyond, Fiona begins her powerful journey searching for clues with nothing more than a misspelled name, old photographs and family stories. Determined to uncover the truth about Benjamin’s life and death and France’s betrayal of its Jewish population, Fiona pieces together her great-uncle’s life, elevating Benjamin’s legacy from a number tattooed on his arm at Auschwitz to a more complete memory of the vibrant man he was.” A Stone for Benjamin is available as an ebook and paperback at Amazon, iBooks, kobo and numerous other on-line sellers including my publisher (on November 15).

Jarmila wrote: "Hi,can anyone recommend me the books that are dealing with the problem of post traumatic stress of holocaust survivor? tx"

Hello, Jarmila,

A recent article quoted my comments about PTSD among Holocaust survivors. Should this be of interest to you, e-mail me at: [email protected]

Peter Kubicek
Author of "Memories of Evil"

Does anyone else have an issue with Holocaust-denial books being included in this list?

Melanie: You must be kidding? Is it not obvious that this reader community would have a serious issue with Holocaust-denying books?

If you are interested, you can look up Holocaust-denying and anti-Semitic books on Amazon.com If you wish, I can give a list of some these. Warning: unless you are a member of the lunatic anti-Semitic fringe, those books may churn your stomach.

Melanie wrote: "Does anyone else have an issue with Holocaust-denial books being included in this list?"

I guess it depends what you mean. Is it a book that denies the Holocaust? Or is it a book about Holocaust deniers, like Denying the Holocaust: The Growing Assault on Truth and Memory?

I would argue against the first being included in this list. But I wouldn't object if someone set up a separate listopia of books that deny the Holocaust happened. I mean, a book that denies the Holocaust ever happened is not really a book about the historical event called the Holocaust, right?

I do apologize, Peter and Lostergirl. When I was initially looking at this list on Friday evening, it appeared to contain 3 titles that were denialist. That is why I asked the question; I was seriously curious why they were included on this list. I must have been looking at something else or they have been removed.

Again I do apologize. - Melanie

No need to apologize, it's a fair question.

Dawn by Elie Wiesel isn't a Holocaust book - it's set in the 50s in Israel. It's the sequel to a Holocaust book, but that's about the only connection.

It looks like Anthony Hulse has spammed another list!

A 65 rating and he is positioned at #30! It's impossible! this guy is a notorious spammer of list.

Kevin wrote: "It looks like Anthony Hulse has spammed another list!

A 65 rating and he is positioned at #30! It's impossible! this guy is a notorious spammer of list."

If you look at all the people who gave that book 5 stars (none of whom wrote a review, btw), they are all authors. This is called an "Author Circle Jerk." They conspire together to rate each other's books 5 stars and vote them onto as many listopias as possible.

In addition to leaving your comment, you should flag the list and explain that that book is spam. (The flag is at the bottom of the list, to the right of the pagination.)

He spammed my list with 6 of his books. I had them removed.

I just finished two books by Pam Jenoff:
They are best read in a series so read The Kommandant's Girl First and then read The Diplomat's Wife. The Kommandant's girl is about a girl who escapes the Polish Ghetto and lives in secret as a Catholic girl with an aunt who is in The Resistance. The next book is about what happens to several of the characters in the first book. The Diplomat's Wife is about the end of WWII and involves spies and the Russian takeover of the Baltic regions.

Jarmila wrote: "Hi,can anyone recommend me the books that are dealing with the problem of post traumatic stress of holocaust survivor? tx"

There are many, but I consider the best book to be Testimony: Crises of Witnessing in Literature, Psychoanalysis and History. The title does not make it sound exactly like a book about PTSD in survivors, but the co-author Dori Laub worked a lot with Holocaust survivors as a therapist and has some very valuable things to say on the subject.