Boxall's 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die discussion

I am still working on this one but so far I am getting a lot out of it. The direct style is fresh after Clockwork orange and Satanic Verses and it certainly gives food for thought. Makes me appreciate the peace in my own life but reminds me that complacency is not an option when there is suffering in the world.

I really enjoyed reading this book and did get a lot out of it. It certainly wasn't an easy read for me - partly becuase it tested my history and geography skills! However, I had never even considered these types of would people during the war years before - and so I found that a really interesting aspect.

I am still working my way through this book and finding it very slow going. It isn't holding my interest, but that could be because I don't have enough time to devote to it. I will stick with it though, it looks like it has promise.

oops - put this discussion is the wrong spot

It is slow going, but thin at least. I don't know that we'll have much participation because of the holiday, but we'll see.

Nikki, this was a part of history that was left out of my education too. We must have learned about Nazi Germany every year since 5th grade and the resisance movements were not mentioned (that I remember). Here is a link to a Holocaust timeline that discusses the topic - http://fcit.usf.edu/HOLOCAUST/timelin...

What is interesting in particular for me is the effect of topography. I think it was a general who said "he who controls the weather controls the battle field" - not the same thing but related I suppose. At any rate, it's interesting that the way this aspect of WWII is presented paints this picture of passive victimization only ended by Americans and others rolling in with tanks, rather than the heroism of these small bands of people. But I guess that is really always the way it's presented - as macro vs. micro history. The map vs. trenches.

The most powerful aspect of this book for me was the sense of desperation and dislocation experienced by the Jewish partisans. It was hard to comprehend that they had no home to go to, nor even a home to rebuild.

The fact that they pinned so much hope on Israel was tragic with the benefit of hindsight. It seemed to cruel that they went through so much, only to be plunged into a new conflict that they had never imagined. It explained for me more clearly than anything else I've read why Israel is important to Jewish people.

Exactly - to be honest I tend to bristle at the hypocricy of Israel as an example of using dirty water to mop up a mess. The League of Nations carved it out of Palestine, displacing the people who already considered the land their home, despite the fact that these newly displaced were usurpers themselves. This may be a fair unfairness if it weren't for the subsequent attitude of "Manifest Destiny" there and expansion into Palestine territory that spurs s much of the bloodshed over there...
The sense of dislocation is not uniquely a Jewish experience. It's a human one that shared by many groups., There have been many genocides. But I absolutely - his book really brings the realities of that desperation and dislocation, as you said, home. Again, this kind of story is so important to tell, so important to read, because you realize that the difference between history as it is understood in the sense of big, long-term causes and effects and history as people really experience it is very different, and that in the end the best path toward empathy is in this micro-view of history, and of course with more empathy, a greater peace is possible - or not, who knows - idealism isn't considered a very intelligent position because it doesn't bear out with the cyclical nature of how the world works, which probably feeds the complacency that pervades modern life now - those who are comfortable care but don't believe they can effect change or believe conflict is inevitable, and it is...

I just finished the book this weekend and I thought it was great. It was so refreshing to read a WWII story that was told from such a different angle, not what I was expecting at all!
My edition of the book had an afterword by the author in which he explained that all of the events depicted really did happen, just at different times and at different places. I think Levi's use of the factual information combined with his superb use of detail made the story exceptionally compelling and hard for me to remember that it is a work of fiction, not a true story. Definately one of the best historical fiction pieces I've had the pleasure of reading.

I thought this was a great read. This is the first book that I've read by Levi and I was thoroughly impressed. Like others have mentioned, I did get a bit bogged down with the geography, but I was so interested to read about a side of WWII that has not had much light shed on it (at least that I've seen). I can see why this is on the list.

I thought this book was amazing. I probably wouldn't have read this, if not for the list. There is a movie coming out this week, Defiance, that is about the Bielski partisans in Poland.