Of Blood and Hope [Hardcover]

Samuel Pisar (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English, French (translation)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 311 pages
• Publisher: Little, Brown and Company (1980)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316709018
• ISBN-13: 978-0316709019
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 6.5 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,492,336 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Too bad this book is out of print, September 29, 2000

By 

Jeff Krupp (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Of Blood and Hope (Paperback)

I was listening to a radio interview with Samuel Pisar in the very early 1980's. He was a very impressive individual who had quite a story to tell about himself. From growing up as a young boy in Poland in a upper middle class family, to losing all his loved ones and surviving by his wits in the death camps in Nazi Europe and rebuilding his broken life to become an international lawyer whose influence was greatly felt in the 60's and 70's.

The first two thirds of this book is autobiographical and emotional reading. I could tell Pisar had to revisit past demons to cleanse his soul for himself and his family. It is compelling reading.

The final third addresses American/Soviet relations which does not have as much meaning today, but still offers an insight to preglasnost USSR and how one very smart man was looking at our world.

I strongly recommend this book if you can find it.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Read, July 13, 2003

By 

Anton Krylov (Brooklyn, NY United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Of Blood and Hope (Hardcover)

"The story that Anne Frank might have written if she had lived", wrote Philadelphia Inquirer when this book was published.

One of the youngest survivors of Auschwitz death camp, world-renowned international lawyer Samuel Pisar talks in this book about the tragedies and historic events that he witnessed himself: Second World War, Holocaust and nuclear arm race between USA and the Soviet Union. This book was written around 1979. However, the tragic events of September 11, 2001 make this book as timely as ever. I highly recommend this book.

Anton Krylov
New York

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars UNBIASED, BRILLIANT, UNIVERSALLY APPLICABLE, May 18, 2005

By 

Stephan Lowy (Berlin, Germany) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Of Blood and Hope (Paperback)

My father, a survivor of the death camps (Auschwitz, Buchenwald), proclaimed this biography as the most accurate he has read. Having read countless stories, my father found Pisar's portrayal of not only what happened in the camps, but their effect on survivors both during and after the war as honest and true reflections of his experience.

Although portions of the subject matter (Soviet Union) are now outdated, the political discussion, and underlying philosophies remain as applicable as ever in the dynamic of 2005.

Some books should never go out of print.