Customer Reviews

Of Blood and Hope

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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.

"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

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Although portions of the subject matter (Soviet Union) are now outdated, the political discussion, and underlying philosophies remain as applicable as ever in the dynamic of 2005.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

If you like to real true stores of survival and life during the holicost then this is the book for you. I am amazed how a small boy can live through that terror all alone, without his family