This book paints a portrait of life under Nazi rule that most people would otherwise never see. We are all aware of the treatment of the jews in world war II but this is the first book I've read concerning the treatment of Jehovah Witness's during this time. I knew very little about their faith when I started reading this book and even less about how they were treated by the Nazis.

This book was not only informative but the story is very compelling and very hard to put down. The writer has a wonderful writing style and many times I felt I was actually reading the thoughts of this young girl as she struggled on a daily basis with her life as a prisoner while at the same time tried as best she could to live a life that her faith required.

Simone Arnold and her family were devout members of the evangelical Christian movement known as Jehovah's Witnesses and living in Nazi occupied Alsace-Lorraine during World War II. Like the Jews, Gypsies, Homosexuals, Communists, and political liberals, the Jehovah Witnesses were targeted by the Nazi's for extermination. Shunned by the community at the direction of the Nazis, rounded up and imprisoned in concentration camps, starved, beaten, abused, and publicly humiliated, all that Simone and her family would have had to do to avoid arrest and persecution was to simply sign a piece of paper renouncing their religion. Facing The Lion is the compelling autobiographical account of a young girl's faith and courage, and her refusal to accept the Nazi party and remain loyal to her faith -- despite the her father's being sent to the camps and she separated from her mother and interned in a reform school for purposes of "reeducation". Facing The Lion is a compelling and highly recommended testament to both Nazi atrocity and the endurance of the human spirit, a detailed view of life during Hitler's ill-fated regime and an inspiration to future generations having to cope with overwhelming pressure to conform in violation of heartfelt beliefs.

I found the book both inspiring and informative. In a world gone mad this woman painted a picture of a young girl trying to make sense of it all while fighting not to become just another victim. Her strength while facing impossible life decisions inspired me to review how I personally handle stress in this time of relative peace. As a young person, I had read the Diary of Anne Frank and was deeply impressed by her resourcefulness. Unlike the Jews during Nazi occupation, Simone Arnold could have chosen not to be tortured for her beleifs. Her family could have chosen to remain together and compromise. Yet they didn't. They held on to values in a time when there were few to be found. I think everyone, young and old, would benefit from comparing their convictions with the history of this amazing woman.

Bravo! If you are tired of the superficial coverage of the Elian Gonzalez case, and would like to enter a realm where it is possible to examine what seems like a sensational personal story of another era in light of history, religion, global politics, 19th century journalistic excesses, and family rights, read this book. The other customer and editorial reviews explain quite well what the facts of the book are. So I'll just add my voice to the others here and say that it is an amazing book, one that combines incredible historic detail with literary interest. It's uncanny how, in the midst of the Gonzalez drama, I accidentally discovered this book about an Italian Jewish boy, kidnapped by the Catholic Church in 1858 at the age of six. Read it for itself, or for the opportunity it provides to think deeply about current events. A page turner.

David I. Kertzer has written a wonderful account of a pivotal event in Italian, Jewish and Catholic history. The Kidnapping of Edgardo Mortara tells the story of the 1858 kidnapping of a six year old Jewish boy secretly baptized while a baby by a Catholic servant in the home. From this horrifying personal incident for this Jewish family the panorama of the story grows very large indeed, taking into account the Pope, the governments of Europe, and the forces for the unification of Italy. The author does a superb job of making all of this understandable to the reader. He also never allows the epic scope of the book to overwhelm the family as the centre of all of this controversy. The Mortaras hold a special place in this tragedy as they deserve and the lives lived by Jewish families, such as theirs, in Italy is vividly presented. It is a shocking book, yet very illuminating and well written. Highly recommended.

David Keretz is an American historian of Italy, who also happens to be Jewish and the son of an American army chaplain who helped liberate Italy during World War II. He presents one of the most sensationalistically portrayed events of the mid-19th century in Italy--the kidnapping of a 6-year-old Jewish boy from his parents by agents of the then temporal as well as spiritual leader of much of Italy, Pope Pius IX--an event which divided Catholics, Protestants, and Jews around the world as well traditionalists and nationalist-liberals in Italy. He recounts and analyzes the story in a remarkably balanced fashion, helping the reader appreciate each side of the controversy. Yet he also presents the Mortara family, whose suffering was not limited to the kidnapping and the failure to ever retrieve their son and sibling Edgardo from the Catholic Church, in a way that is evocative of the book of Job. The book uses the Mortara incident as a prism through which to view the Italian Risorgiomento, the ultra-conservative philosophy of Pius IX, and the emerging forces of liberalism in Western Europe. One of the author's central theses is that the Mortara kidnapping was a major factor in the demise of the Pope's political power and the unification of Italy. One of the many fascinating aspects of the book is how Italian anti-Semitism contrasted with that in France and Germany; the Italians seem to have preferred that the Jews convert and be assimilated, and had no belief in the racist and Volkisch ideologies that best the French and the Germans.

I'm 32 years old and I LOVE Eloise - she is an absolutely delightful character! I have bought several of the Eloise books for my 5 year old daughter and she just loves Eloise as well. How fun and inspiring is it for a little girl to read about a character as whimsical and independent as Eloise?

The illustrations in this book are fantastic and really bring Paris to life for children. I have read this book at least 100 times to my daughter, and each time I enjoy it more. My daughter now wants a champagne cork necklace just like Eloise...thanks Kay Thompson for laughs you have allowed my daughter and me to share!

I read Eloise (at the Plaza) and Eloise in Paris - all 'very much' Kay. I loved that woman - a very good friend of my mom's. I worked with/for her when (as a teenager) I did her musical arrangements and orchestrations for her fabulous act with The Williams Brothers - which opened in Vegas and played all over the world.

She was one of a kind (you can see her in Funny Face) brilliant musical/vocal arranger herself, world traveler, racounter, incredible lady. I've bumper into her in Rome, Paris, London, New York, LA and was terribly saddened by her death (even though she was painfully painfully thin her whole life). She was one of the great women in the history of show biz. The Eloise books are thrilling to say the least and I continually laugh every time I pick one up even after I've gone through them 100 times. I'm ordering them once again as I left mine in London and MUST have them once again. Buddy Bregman

I love Eloise!!! Eloise in Paris is my favorite Eloise book. What's really fun are those long made up words such as "zuk zuk zhwocky zuk zuk nnnn" for their Plaza telephone. With the "charming" six year old as the star, this book is about how a rich girl spends time in Paris with Nanny, Skipperdee (Turtle), Weenie (dog), and Koki (chauffeur). It's very creative; all of Kay Thompson's books are. I read the first Eloise book to a bunch of friends in my college dorm, and I only got past four or five pages because they were all saying, "C'mon, Hilary!!! That's enough!" I also went through this phase a year or so ago where I sent E-Mails saying: "The Bell Captain Knows Who I am!" which left most of my friends perplexed. I remember the response of one friend: "That's really great, but who's the Bell Captain?" It's quite odd because books can create all sorts of situations for people. The funny words or phrases can start jokes as well. One of my friends and I thought it was weird that Eloise said that paper cups were good for talking to Mars, and we sometimes say on the phone to eachother, "have you talked to Mars yet?"

From the viewpoint of a Beatnik, Eloise In Paris and all the rest of the books about her are some of the beatest kids books I've seen!

This book could easily have been entitled, "Opportunity Knocks." The philosophy of the glass is always half full is humorously and realistically portrayed here in fairy tale fashion. The beautiful illustrations make imaginative use of die cuts to develop the story in delightful ways.

Joseph is a man who lives alone in a farming community in what could be Eastern Europe around 1900. Although he is a poor man, he always sees hope. His hope shines as a beacon to us all, like the torch held by the Statue of Liberty.

The story begins with Joseph wearing an old, worn and patched overcoat that gets older and more worn. But it can still provide benefits. He turns it into a jacket! A die-cut overlay onto the prior page makes the transformation in a way that makes the process more obvious to the young reader.

The story evolves in that general direction, and the smiles are broad as it does.

Then, just when you think that Joseph has run out of options, he finds an even more wonderful opportunity!

This is a great book to teach children to see change as a reason to think about opportunities. I would hope that every family would have a copy.

The book also can serve as a beginning reader from around ages 3 or 4 because it has few words, and much repetition in the use of words. "It got old and worn" is repeated several times, for example.

I also encourage you to ask your child what things make life challenging in her or his life, and how to turn those challenges to advantage. That can be a source of irresistible advantage for the rest of your child's life!

Have a great new wardrobe whenever you want one . . . and always see great opportunities, wherever they may come from!

Taback, Simms. Joseph had a Little Overcoat. New York: Penguin Putnam Books, 1999. In Simms Taback's, Joseph had a Little Overcoat, Joseph teaches a simple moral lesson to the reader about being resourceful and thrifty. Throughout the book, Joseph makes his overcoat into many different pieces of clothing. He begins with his overcoat becoming a jacket. He then makes a vest out of his jacket, a scarf out of his vest, a necktie out of his scarf, a handkerchief out of his necktie, and then a button out of his handkerchief. In the end, Joseph writes a book about making something out of nothing. He proves to the reader that you can make something out of very little. Taback, also the illustrator, uses watercolor, pencil, ink, and color patchwork collages to illustrate this Caldecott award winning children's book. Many illustrations consist of clippings from magazines and photographs. This paints a realistic picture. Pictures of real coffee cups and saucers are arranged on a shelf that Taback drew. This technique is also used in the rugs on Joseph's floor. Taback has drawn the rugs but placed photos of real pieces of a rug into his drawing. This is such a unique and innovative characteristic of Taback's illustrations. The colors that Taback chose to use are very vivid, primary colors. This may represent the simpleness of Joseph's life. Taback also uses "cut-outs" to illustrate to the reader how Joseph's overcoat becomes different articles of clothing. Each time this occurs, the "cut-outs" get smaller, to show each different piece of clothing that Joseph is wearing. On each page of this book, Taback illustrates various aspects of the life of a Jewish peasant. Jewish life in Poland is visible to the reader through pictures of farm animals, various fruits and vegetables, the minora, Jewish proverbs, motza crackers, and hot tea with lemon. Each of these symbolize Joseph's culture. Taback also convinces the reader that music is a prominent part of the Yiddish culture. One illustration of this shows Joseph dancing at his nephew's wedding, while musicians play. There is another example showing Joseph singing in the men's chorus. In both of these illustrations, Joseph appears to be enjoying the music. It is also evident that Joseph's family and community are a central part of his life. This is a characteristic of the Yiddish culture. Many illustrations in this book have a Jewish proverb hanging on the wall. One proverb says "What one has, one doesn't want, and what one wants, one doesn't have." This indicates a society that is not materialistic. Another proverb simply states, "Better to have an ugly patch than a beautiful hole." Again, thriftiness and simplicity are valued. Pictures of different individuals, such as Moishe, the Melamed, the Rebbe, and Molly Picon, are hanging on the walls of Joseph's home. These individuals must have a special meaning to Joseph and are a part of his culture. Another interesting part of the book is the trip that Joseph takes to the city. Taback illustrates Joseph in his finest clothing. This may show that he does not leave his community often and he only does so on special occasions. Finally, this book captures your attention by the simple moral lesson presented. The book shares information on a culture many people are not familiar with. This simple story promotes cultural diversity along with an ethical message.

I am a student at West Virginia State College currently taking a class called Children's Literature. Our instructor required us to read a Caldecott Medal book as part of our assignment and write our personal view of the book.

This is a great children's book. This book is about a man named Joseph who had an overcoat, which gets old and worn and he makes a jacket out of it. Once the jacket gets olds and worn, he makes a vest out of it. Joseph continues to make something out of the overcoat until there is nothing left to make out of it. The moral of the story is you can always make something out of nothing.

The pictures in this book are very bright and colorful. The pages in the book have cut outs so the children can use their imagination and guess what Joseph will make next. This would be a great book to read aloud in a classroom for children of ages 5 - 8.

"Michelangelo & the Pope's Ceiling" by Ross King tells the story of four years (1508-1512) in the lives of three great figures in history: Michelangelo, Pope Julius II, and Raphael.

The author's latest nonfiction historical "thriller" is, however, more than a story of the four years that Michelangelo spent laboring over the twelve thousand square feet of the vast ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. In King's skilled hands it becomes an early 16th century soap opera, starring Michelangelo, Pope Julius II, and Raphael, and featuring all the intrigue, passion, violence, and pettiness of a General Hospital episode. Amzingly none of the action is fiction, but an accurate re-telling of historical facts.

This is how the author sees the three heroes of his book:

"Pope Julius II was not a man one wished to offend.... A sturdily built sixty-three-year old with snow-white hair and a ruddy face, he was known as il papa terrible , the 'dreadful' or 'terrifying' pope.... His violent rages, in which he punched underlings or thrashed them with his stick were legendary.... In body and soul he had the nature of a giant. Everything about him is on a magnified scale, both his undertakings and passions."

"Almost as renowned for his moody temper and aloof, suspicious nature as he was for his amazing skill with the hammer and chisel, Michelangelo could be arrogant, insolent, and impulsive....If Michelangelo was slovenly and, at times, melancholy and antisocial, Raphael was, by contrast, the perfect gentleman. Contemporaries fell over themselves to praise his polite manner, his gentle disposition, his generosity toward others....Raphael's appealing personality were accompanied by his good looks: a long neck, oval face, large eyes, and olive skin -- handsome, delicate features that further made him the antithesis of the flat-nosed, jug-eared Michelangelo."

For the millions out there who are fascinated by the mere existence of the unparalleled genius responsible for the creation of Michelangelo's commissioned work for Pope Julius II, and for those with a knack for detailed historical accounts, this book certainly delivers! With less interest in the fine arts, yet great interest in history, I deeply appreciate "Michaelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling".*****

Michelangelo & the Pope's Ceiling by Ross King tells the story of four years, 1508-1512, in the life of three larger than life personalities: Michelangelo, Pope Julius II, and Raphael. Mr. King's latest nonfiction historical "thriller" is, however, more than a story of the four years that Michelangelo spent laboring over the twelve thousand square feet of the vast ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. In Mr. King's able hands it becomes an early 16th century soap opera, starring Michelangelo, Pope Julius II, and Raphael, and featuring all the intrigue, passion, violence, and pettiness of a Sopranos' episode. What's so astonishing is that all that is told actually happened -- it's history.
Ross King's gift is his ability to bring us, his readers, back through the maze of time and lead us to an understanding of all that coalesced -- politically, socially, and artistically -- to create great art, great history and, for us, great reading.
According to King:
"Pope Julius II was not a man one wished to offend.... A sturdily built sixty-three-year old with snow-white hair and a ruddy face, he was known as il papa terrible , the 'dreadful' or 'terrifying' pope.... His violent rages, in which he punched underlings or thrashed them with his stick were legendary.... In body and soul he had the nature of a giant. Everything about him is on a magnified scale, both his undertakings and passions."
Michelangelo and Raphael as portrayed by King:
"Almost as renowned for his moody temper and aloof, suspicious nature as he was for his amazing skill with the hammer and chisel, Michelangelo could be arrogant, insolent, and impulsive....If Michelangelo was slovenly and, at times, melancholy and antisocial, Raphael was, by contrast, the perfect gentleman. Contemporaries fell over themselves to praise his polite manner, his gentle disposition, his generosity toward others....Raphael's appealing personality were accompanied by his good looks: a long neck, oval face, large eyes, and olive skin -- handsome, delicate features that further made him the antithesis of the flat-nosed, jug-eared Michelangelo."
The stories of these three men during this extraordinary four year period and the art they produced is the story embodied in Michelangelo & the Pope's Ceiling. The confrontations between Julius II and Michelangelo are legendary. "The major problem seems to have been that Michelangelo and Julius were remarkably alike in temperament. Michelangelo was one of the few people in Rome who refused to cringe before Julius."
For almost the entire four years Michelangelo was shadowed by the brilliant young painter Raphael, who was working in fresco on the neighboring Papal apartments. This rivalry the Pope seemed to enjoy and encourage. To help us better understand the friction between these two great artists King introduces us to Edmund Burke's treatise on the sublime and the beautiful:
"For Burke, those things we call beautiful have the properties of smoothness, delicacy, softness of color, and elegance of movement. The sublime, on the other hand, comprehends the vast, the obscure, the powerful, the rugged, the difficult -- attributes which produce in the spectator a kind of astonished wonder and even terror. For the people of Rome in 1511, Raphael was beautiful but Michelangelo sublime."
For me, reading a book like Michelangelo & the Pope's Ceiling is the way to read history. Mr. King transported me back to those four years during which Michelangelo and Raphael created art both beautiful and sublime. I was there with and among the players, engrossed in the anecdotes King skillfully wove into his narrative. This is history -- up close and personal -- and yet far, far away from the pain, anguish, anger and turmoil that pervaded so much of the lives of Michelangelo, Pope Julius II, and Raphael. As I read, I learned, I felt, and I understood. Isn't that what reading is all about? I certainly could not ask for anything more.

MICHELANGELO AND THE POPE'S CEILING is an engaging book about the completion of one of the world's most splendid work(s) of art. The Sistine Chapel contains many artistic masterpieces, yet its history is as fascinating. The artist's frescoes reveal as much about his character as they do the subject matter. A major challenge (Michelangelo considered himself a sculptor, before a painter), the ceiling represents not only the artist's work, but his development as an artist. The drama of his own development unfolds in the tapestry of his relationship with the powerful Pope Julius II, a worldly, mercurial, "Il Papa Terrible."

Ross King is the author of several other fine books including as BRUNELLESCHI'S DOME: HOW A RENAISSANCE GENIUS REINVENTED ARCHITECTURE, an esoteric, yet engaging account of the design for the dome of the cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence (considered one of the great achievements of the Renaissance). He blends a craftsmanlike approach to research with a narrative as engaging as any first-rate novel. He paints a vivid picture of two major world personalities: that of the temperamental artist as well as the worldly, militaristic pontiff. The book provides a splendid historical account of the project, yet also offers a detailed perspective upon the Catholic Church of the time as well as Italian culture and society as well.

The only shortcoming of the book (in my opinion) is that there were too few photographs of the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. One needs a magnifying glass to examine and admire the ceiling pictures. However, this is a minor shortcoming and it spurred me to delve further into the artwork of the chapel. One notable publication is MICHELANGELO: THE FRESCOES OF THE SISTINE CHAPEL by Marcia Hall and Takashi Okamura (photographer) which provides more than 150 full color photographs, including specific close-up detail. Another fine work is MICHELANGELO: THE VATICAN FRESCOES by Pierluigi De Vecchi, Gianluigi Colalucci (Contributor). This particular volume, while rather pricy, thoroughly documents the restoration efforts, offering 250+ photographs of the frescoes before and after the restoration.

That being said, this particular text is a fine example historical writing from an author who can tell a compelling story.

This book is a MUST for any Titanic fan! Even if you've read numerous other accounts of the sinking to the Titanic, you will learn something new from Lord's account of that fatefull nignt in 1912. Lord did his research well and wrote this book in a way to make you feel as though you were on the ship, not just on April 14th, but from the time it sailed. I enjoyed this book very much! Please read it.

This is a perfect book for anyone looking to learn more about the official determinations about the Titanic and the events of that fateful night. Walter Lord once again outdoes himself in details, going step by step over the controversial issues of the night, and giving the reader the official version, as well as the most widely believed version, and includes many of his own ideas of what may have occured where there is still mystery. A must read for all serious Titanic fans!

A spell-binding, moment-by-moment review of the sinking of the White Star Liner, Titanic, on April 12, 1912. The author reviews all the evidence of that fateful night, including eyewitness accounts of survivors and testimony at both the U.S. Senate subcommittee on the disaster and at the court of the Board of Trade in England. The recent controversy of the discovery and photographing of the Titanic by Robert Ballard is also discussed. This is a remarkable book, written almost like a novel, following the events of that night very closely, but also with much respect given to the conflicting stories of survivors. Walter Lord pieces everything together, and comes up with startling, well-researched conclusions. The era, the people, and the entire tragedy are brought to life as if it had just occurred yesterday.

In the Dark valley Piers Brendon gives us a panoramic view of the 1930's and of the leaders and events that led the world inexorably toward World War II. The sweep of the author's wit and analysis remind one very much of Paul Johnson's classic ''Modern Times''. Brendon clearly sees the Great depression as the seminal event of the era, the event which produced everything else. The thing that stands out most strongly in the book is the moral blindness of the world's leading democratic statesmen. With the exception of Winston Churchill they seemed oblivious to the threat posed by Hitler and the other Dictators. All of this is best summarized by a quote the author gives from George Orwell; Upon the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in 1936 Orwell said''History is over and the age of propaganda has begun.''The most memorable chapter of the book is the one about the Stalinist purges of 1937-38.Brendon has left the madness and the evil of Stalin and His regime exsposed for all time. This book is not only a great read but also a cautionary tale that in our own day our belief in the essential goodness of man seems to have caused us to question the very exsistence of evil. That was the same mistake that was made in the thirties.

Piers Brendon's massive work, The Dark Valley: A Panorama of the 1930's, is an addictive historical treat. He concentrates on the countries of England, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Russia, Japan and American as they hurtle towards a war that seems all but inevitable, driven on by the Depression and the growth of militaristic and totalitarian states. The reader will also hurtle through this massive book along with the decade covered on the roller coaster ride the author provides. One of the great charms of the book is the author's ability to select just the right quote from an observer at the time to make the reader feel the events on a personal level. Both the right and left get skewered along the way. The author throws his own opinion in and it is often as keenly observant as his selected quotes. This book is in the marvelous tradition of Barbara Tuchman, particulary her Proud Tower covering the period before the First World War. It is a marvelous achievment and a wonderful read for history buffs. Highly recommended.

This expansive historical survey opens with the First World War (highlighting the battle of Verdun) and proceeds with a protracted overview of the years leading up to the Crash of 1929--all of which proves to be essential background for a full understanding the book's focus: the infamous decade of Depression and dictatorships. The bulk of the book alternates between seven countries--the United States, Germany, Italy, France, Britain, Japan, and the Soviet Union, with important excursions to Spain and China. The first half highlights the repercussions of the Depression, and the last half details the events that led to World War II, with a pivotal intermission describing the Spanish Civil War as a preview of sorts to forthcoming afflictions. (The portrayal of Mussolini's conquest of Ethiopia makes particularly gripping reading.)

Instead of offering an overarching thesis or new claims (which, given the complexity of the decade, would nearly guarantee quick rebuttal from any of a variety of historiographic camps), Brendon summarizes the major figures and events of the decade, and his study benefits greatly from material that has surfaced since the fall of the Soviet Union. He occasionally presents two views of a major event or political figure and often presents the middle ground as the most probable. More descriptive than explanatory, this comprehensive history is unabashedly old-fashioned and traditional--in the very best senses of both terms.

In spite of its length (700 pages, not including notes, bibliography, and index) and its density, Brendon's prose moves the pace masterfully, and he infuses the decade with an astonishing mix of humor, warmth, pity, and horror. Every passage is spiced with several witticisms or barbs uncovered by his impressive research. Less confidently, he offers detailed presentations of such occasions as Britain's Silver Jubilee of 1935, the Berlin Olympic Games of 1936, and the Paris International Exposition of 1937 (but not, strangely enough, the 1939 World's Fair)--yet he still analyzes adeptly the international importance of each of these events. Brendon traps himself in a cul-de-sac, however, when he discusses Hollywood, exposing less about the pervasive influence of popular entertainment than about his own high-brow tastes (e.g., his easy dismissal of escapist fair from Disney to Oz as "nostalgic evocations of small-town virtues" and "treacly affirmations of New Deal values").

Oh, but who really cares! Rarely has a single book synthesized for me so much information--both well-known and unfamiliar. Brendon has written what may well be regarded as the standard history of the decade. Not only should this book receive a permanent place in anyone's library, it will undoubtedly encourage readers to explore some of the many other volumes mentioned in the exhaustive bibliographic apparatus.

The very idea of recognizing the validity of anything an admitted Nazi had to say was anathema to me: A Holocaust refugee who landed in America at age ten.

But, Hitler's Last Courier is making a difference. The message of the book is a magnificent paean to the honesty and integrity of the writer.

Armin Lehmann gives us a picture -- in meticulous, almost overly zealous, detail of how the Nazi machine worked in Germany. Idolatry of Hitler took over, became stronger than any religion, and all participants involved cheerfully allowed themselves to be brainwashed.

Little kids judged each others blondness, parents skillfully eliminated any non-Aryan ancestors from family trees. Armin Lehmann omits nothing. He even translates every military and youth-group term into English so that the reader will have a complete picture of the Nazi hierarchy.

As a youngster, it seems that duty and obedience -- part and parcel of many unsuccessful attempts to please his judgmental "SS"father -- were major priorities. And, on he went, to become a teen-age soldier, earning two Iron Cross medals for heroically saving his fellows even when he, himself, was grieviously wounded. His reward, at age 16, was being assigned as Courier in Hitler's final bunker.

So, why celebrate this book, this gray recount of Nazi bureaucracy, of Hitler's propaganda machine, of worship at the Nazi altar? What is there to gain from such an exposition?

In a word, everything!

Because at age 16, when Armin Lehmann was shown the carnage of the extermination camps, the residue of the ovens, the skeletal remains of both the dead and the barely living, he underwent a change that took charge of the rest of his life.

From that moment, he became a fierce advocate for non-violence, for peace, and a dedicated enemy of all hatred. And he has never stopped. He has given his heart and his soul to erasing even the most remote possibility that any kind of hate movement could ever arise again.

He pulls no punches, makes no attempt to deny guilt, fully accepts the karma that has painted his destiny as an activist.

This man is to be respected. Hitler's Last Courier was written for a reason. At this point in time, at this juncture between peace and a possibly deadly World War III, we must all heed the message his message.

This book is for all ages. Every potential skinhead, racist, Aryan Nation member, and homophobic kid on the block needs to read it, learn from it. History, in fact, does not need to repeat itself.

Author Armin Lehmann possesses a sole right to this book's title, both now and forever. He most probably was the last surviving courier lad available in the Berlin bunker to serve Adlof Hitler, "the Führer". Moreover, Hitler (together with his longtime mistress, Eva Braun, now his last-moment wife) was about to kill himself even as the youth, ignorant of that fact, departed on his final, almost certainly suicidal mission.
For Russian tanks rumbled up the street behind him as he ran for dear life, their guns firing after him ...
Such is the essentially final, certainly climactic scene, set in mid-1945, of "Hitler's Last Courier"; whereas Lehmann's memoirs begin with also often horrifying family scenes, dominated by his overbearing Nazi father, dating from the early 1930s.
The whole 15-year span deserves our study and understanding, for only by realizing the bitterness of such a brutal upbringing can we appreciate the realities of its consequences such as the boy's simultaneous hatred of and avid desire to please his father, and his suceptibility to brainwashing and the acceptance of rank misinformation.
Even as young Armin's perspective outgrew his family's heavy influence, there was precious little relief; for now the state's constant oppression, hypocrisies, and lies could simply take over mastery as the dominant theme in his life, leading even to war.
Our word "incredible" is badly overworked, and for someone like myself, born in 1932 and still able to recall both prewar times and the vast changes that swept over us even in Canada from Sept. 1939 onward - for instance, the loss of my dear cousin Leslie over the English Channel in 1940, and those stabs of fear as German U-boats torpedoed ships and killed men right here in the St. Lawrence River - I unfortunately know all too well how tragically credible this book really is.
Buy the work, then, by all means! - together with such overview works as Sir Winston Churchill's compendious non-fiction series (for its broad perspectives as much as anything) and Erich Maria Remaque's war fiction (for its complementary human insights), if you are able.
I do however hope to see a Second Edition someday, providing photos, maps, and a table of major events during the period covered.
The present edition is a marvel; the next will surely excel, although a roomfull of books would be needed to tell the entire tale of such a massive, far-reaching conflict as World War II.

If you've ever wondered how Adolf Hitler could have gotten the cooperation of all those German citizens, then you should get your hands on a copy of "Hitler's Last Courier."

Armin Lehmann will take you through the childhood of an ordinary German boy (his own childhood) and not just tell you, but SHOW you how this happened.

I found it hard to put this book down, (just one more page - and one more page!) and now that I have finished it, I will never think of Germany, or Germans, the same way again. It is particularly chilling to discover that the Germans of the 1930s and '40s were, and are, just like us - and disturbing to think that we could be caught up in a similar situation, and would likely behave much as as the Germans did in the thrall of Hitler.

Lehmann's account of the final days and hours of the Third Reich is riveting. He was holed up in the bunker along with Hitler and his henchmen, and often sent scurrying across the street - with shells exploding all around him - in order to deliver messages to the nearby radio station.

We have in Armin Lehmann a historical treasure: an eyewitness to the final days and hours of the Third Reich. "Hitler's Last Courier" is the kind of book you want to pass along to your friends and family, and make sure your library has a copy. What Mr. Lehmann has seen and lived through shouldn't be forgotten.

This was a very touching book about the Armenian Genocide. It is a story told through the eyes of a little boy; son of a wealthy prominent Armenian Lawyer that loses everything. It's a very easy to read book that was very fascinating to me (I couldn't put the book down); I was able to read cover to cover in about a week. The author does an excellent job of portraying the horrors of the Genocide, the cruelty of man, the courage of a young boy as he struggles to survive...this book should be made to a movie. I would not recommend this book to younger readers as there are strong references to rape, molestation and cruelty. However, I would strongly recommend and encourage reading this book to high school students.

Imagine being 12 years old, the youngest child in a wealthy family, with no concerns beyond plotting mischief. One day, soldiers arrive at your door, ending your carefree existence. Within a week, you are transformed from a lighthearted child into a homeless, starving orphan in constant fear of execution. This is the story of Vahan Kenderian. Author Adam Bagdasarian's novel, based on his great uncle, is a well written look at the horrors of the often forgotten Armenian Genocide. Written in first person, Bagdasarian does a wonderful job of making it seem as though he is the one that went through this terrible tragedy, rather than his great uncle. It is easy reading, with short chapters, and text geared toward the young adult. Don't hesitate to pick this book up just because of the easy reading, anyone would enjoy it. Forgotten Fire is a great book that you won't be able to put down.

I read this book two years ago and its impact is still fresh in my mind. The point of view of this story ... from the eyes of a child ... is creative and strong. I could not put this book down. I have recommended this novel to all of my friends and was thrilled to see that it was on the summer reading list of required books at the local high school. Finally, through the words of an Armenian author, the youth of our nation will be educated in the Armenian Genocide. Pass the word on to your local schools. A word of caution... there are portions of the novel that deal with sensitive issues, apart from violence. Teachers and parents should be made aware of this fact, yet use it in educating the students as to the ultimate brutality of the genocide. Thank you Adam Bagdasarian, your ancestors are smiling down at you and thanking you for such a moving novel. "Abrees!"

Trial of the Century

Before there was the O.J. Simpson double homicide trial there was the Eichmann trial. Hannah Arendt's Eichmann in Jerusalem: A Report on the Banality of Evil provides insight into one of the most publicized "show trials" ever. After the Nuremberg trial hundreds of Nazis were still in hiding or had taken assumed identities outside of Europe. Adolph Eichmann was one of these individuals. The Israeli Mossad kidnapped him and brought him back to Israel to stand trial for "crimes against humanity" for his role in the Holocaust. Eichmann was abducted in Argentina where he was struggling with his anonymity. Eichmann hated losing his identity as a powerful Nazi. After being kidnapped, but before being flown to Israel Eichmann was asked to consent to being brought up on charges against humanity, which he did. Eichmann may have had a difficult time living without his former social standing and identity.

Arendt's book is a landmark in the workings of the Nazi machine that tortured, raped, and killed over 11 million Europeans for their religion, sexual orientation, political ideas, and nationality. However, the Eichmann trial centers more on the role Eichmann had in the "Final Solution" to the Jewish Question. Eichmann was charged with being a key player in the destruction and eradication of European Jewry.

The book and Arendt's theory regarding "the banality of evil" has created controversy since its inception in 1963. In 1963 Arendt was sent to Jerusalem to follow the Eichmann trial for The New Yorker. She published a series of articles over the course of the trial. It is often remarked by critics of the book that Arendt was not present for even half of the trial, yet the book is considered one of the principal books on the trial, if not the primary.

Arendt's basic theory is that Eichmann was a moral eunuch. He was a cog, in a large killing machine that never contemplated his role or developed a conscious to answer questions for himself. He simply followed orders and happened to have an instrumental job in the destruction of world Jewry. Arendt argues that even if Eichmann had not had the job there were hundreds of other German Nazis that would have fulfilled the obligations of his job without a conscience. Throughout the book Arendt patronizes Eichmann as a man incapable of his own thoughts; so prone to using clichés inappropriately, repeating himself, contradicting his previous statements, and utterly incompetent of original thought or judgment. Arendt portrays Eichmann as an automaton only interested in advancing his own career. Arendt does not even fault Eichmann for completing his job, because she thought he was simply following the orders that were given to him.

This was one of the three major controversies that arose with the printing of Arendt's insight on the trial. Arendt also heavily criticized David Ben-Gurion, the first Prime Minster of Israel, the chief Prosecutor Gideon Hausner, and the European Jewish community.

Arendt believed that the Jewish Community in Europe had meticulous organizational abilities and was instrumental in the destruction of European Jewry. The organizations that the Jews created were able to document and provide comprehensive statistics and efficiency in rounding up Jews and aiding the Nazis. Arendt believed the Jewish bureaucracy was impeccable in its carrying out of these duties. This argument of Arendt's is flawed for a number of reasons. If the Jewish communal leaders assigned these tasks did not fulfill them then other Jews may have, and if not them, then other European citizens might have, which does not completely discredit Arendt. But the fact that does debunk Arendt's theory, that is often described as "blaming the victims not the criminals," is the fact that the Russian Jews were systematically murdered and killed much the same way as much of Central and Eastern Europe's Jews were. What stands to reason is there were no Jewish organizations to augment the efficiency of the Nazis in Russia. The Nazis were able to comprehend this task without the help of any Jewish bureaucracy. The Jewish organizations could not have been much more helpful to the Jews of Europe, Arendt really overplays this theory. Jews were not leading their brethren to their funerals, or simply following orders like Eichmann and other cogs, but were probably trying to alleviate Jewish suffering.

Arendt's criticism of Ben-Gurion's treatment of the trial is precise. There were journalists from all over the world hanging on each and every word of the trial; it was truly a "show trial." Even though Arendt would probably agree that Eichmann was a cog and an automaton, Israel's Premier was able to gain great publicity for the trial.

Throughout the course of the book Arendt restates the arguments made against Eichmann by the prosecution, when they are adequate she leaves them as is. However, when the arguments fall short of Arendt's standards she takes the liberty of showing the flaw of the procedure, the argument, and its role in the trial. At most points this commentary is a necessity, but at others Arendt seems to be showing her mental muscle and belittling the prosecution.

These are the major reasons Arendt's work was poorly received in Israel. Her criticism of European Jewry's role in the Holocaust is rather short-sighted, but her indictment of the prosecutors and Ben-Gurion is profound.

Eichmann in Jerusalem is a classic in the study of human nature, totalitarian politics, and political theory, deservingly. The book has its flaws, but the insightful commentary on one's man adventure inside the totalitarian Nazi destructing machine is a true tour de force.

I am astonished by the comments Amazon.com includes under *Eichmann in Jerusalem*: to characterize Arendt's book as a "defense" of Eichmann is either a deliberate falsehood or a comment written by someone who has never read the book. I assume the comment was written on the basis of Michael Musmanno's incompetent review of *Eichmann* for the *New York Times*. Musmanno's review blatantly misrepresented Arendt's work, and I would expect Amazon.com to be able to do better. Far from "defending" Eichmann, Arendt portrays him as a willing participant in mass murder, and, in her Epilogue, she strongly agrees with the death sentence that he received. The myth of Arendt's "defense" of Eichmann is a result of her belief that Eichmann was motivated more by immersion in the totalitarian "system" of Nazi Germany than by hatred of Jews. In no way does she excuse him or the Germans, and, indeed, she argues that complicity in the Holocaust was ubiquitous in Germany. Her thesis is certainly open to debate, but to suggest that this brave and decent thinker sought for a moment to defend Eichmann or the Nazis is outrageous. Her book remains one of the most thought-provoking studies of the perpetrators of the Holocaust ever written.

I first read this book 20+ years ago in my senior year of college, in a political theory seminar on Arendt, and have re-read it from time to time ever since. The seminar professor offered a keg of beer to anyone who could find the phrase "banality of evil" in the text of the book (NOT the cover, in Arendt's text). No one won the keg because Arendt NEVER USES the phrase banality of evil anywhere in the book, and she was NOT saying evil is banal. What she was trying to drive at is that you don't need a raver like Hitler, or an obvious monster with long fangs, to do evil -- that ordinary people, the kind you live next door to or pass on the street every day without a second thought -- can do tremendous evil. it's a conclusion that I agree with in my brain but still grapple with emotionally.

I'm also grateful to her because this book is the first place where she recounted the story of the Danish Jews, who were protected by just about the entire population of Denmark when the Nazis tried to round them up.