From Publishers Weekly
Keenly observed and highly readable, independent film producer Felsen's memoir recalls the Spanish Civil War and WW II. As an undergraduate at the University of Iowa, Felsen's antifascism overrode his pacifism and, in 1937, he was among the 36 young men who volunteered to fight Franco as members of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade. Felsen became an ambulance driver, a role which inevitably recalls the war exploits of Hemingway, who makes a couple of cameo appearances in the book. From the unique vantage point of the young soldier, WW II was but a continuation of the Spanish Civil War. As a prisoner of war in Stalag 17, Felsen the atheist ponders his Jewishness and ironically concludes that anti-Semitism has been an impetus for Jewish survival. At points, the volume sags under the weight of the author's political rhetoric. But the absorbing details and dialogue powerfully merge to shape a narrative that records history in the making. Photos not seen by PW.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
From an impoverished New York childhood Felsen's leftist political views were formed. As a college student, Felsen volunteered for the Abraham Lincoln Brigade to fight fascists in Spain. Somehow surviving that war, Felsen became a member of the OSS in World War II, and was wounded and captured in North Africa. Spending the rest of the war as a POW, Felsen showed again that he is survivor and returned home, still the self-proclaimed leftist "agent provocateur." Felsen re-creates some dialogue which, after 50 years, seems contrived. Yet it helps drive the rest of this highly readable memoir. Felsen is an independent producer whose films include Saturday Night Fever and The Bell Jar. Strongly recommended for public libraries.
- Robert Jordan, Univ. of Iowa, Iowa City
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
- Robert Jordan, Univ. of Iowa, Iowa City
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
