Customer Reviews

The Brigade: An Epic Story of Vengeance, Salvation, and WWII

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Rarely does a history interweave compelling personal histories and enormous social/moral themes as does Howard Blum's moving and convicing "The Brigade." This work does far more than describe the formation, engagements and ultimate triumphs of the first organized Jewish armed forces in two millenia; it firmly places the five thousand Jewish Palestinian volunteers who fought with the Star of David proudly placed on their shoulders in the center of Jewish history. The men who would don British uniforms would fight for a myriad of purposes: out of anger against the unspeakable evil of the Holocaust, from an awareness that they were living rebukes to the notion that Jews served as deseerving recipients of passive suffering, with a sense of their historical purpose of establishing a Jewish homeland and becoming ironic adversaries of the very nation (Britain) which enlisted their service.

Though "The Brigade" nobly treats the themes of Jewish armed resistance, vengeance and ultimate salvation, this memorable history above all signals the profound development of a renewed Jewish identity, forged in battle against the background of genocide and ruin, tested by personal sorrow and fortified by a messianic vision of a Jewish homeland for the shattered remnants of European Jewry. The Jewish fighters are proud, heroic and consecrated to their vision; they become increasingly aware of their role in a Jewish future. Initially consumed by rage and the obvious need to crush their German enemy, the three members of The Brigade on whom this history focuses evolve morally. From muderous avengers of the crime of mass murder, these men ultimately perceive their role as guardians of those Jews who survived the Holocaust, especially the children, as central to their lives' meaning.

Rich in specific military detail, "The Brigade" is at its best when depicting the personal transformation of its three featured soldiers. Each comprehends a remarkable epiphany during Passover in 1945; each becomes acutely aware of his Jewishness, his place in the enormous task confronting him. The aloof, aristocratic Johanan Peltz discovers his "inescapable and defining" bond with common Jews. "He could neither hide from nor deny it...He was another Jew walking down a long corridor toward a communal destiny." Studious and devoted to his family, Arie Pinchuk finds the moral strength to reconsecrate himself to the search for his family. The contentment of Passover contrasts painfully with that which "had been taken from him," and he resolves that only by redeeming and reclaiming his family could he once again recapture the peace of the holiday. Israel Carmi, a brilliant tactician and resourceful leader of the Jewish Palestinian underground, celebrates the Passover under fire. Yearning for his family in Palestine, Carmi is struck with the awareness "that this makeshift seder in a trench crowded with Jewish soldiers was making all the future seders possible."

Blum also deftly interstitches the remarkable story of Leah Pinchuk, Arie's sister. Leah's survival quietly and convincingly emerges as a methaphor of the Holocaust. She is a living embodiment of the modern state of Israel. Mr. Blum is also capable of eloquence as well. His description of Carmi and Peltz's encounter with Jewish survivors of Mauthausen devastates the reader. The survivors "found it easier to imagine that angels, not Jewish soldiers, were standing in front of them." When one weak, old man steps towards Peltz and touches "the tip of his finger tentatively to the skin of Peltz's outstretched hand," it is as if time and history stop. "Bound by their deep shared sorrow," the men embrace and mourn together.

"The Brigade" is an especially important history given the peril of Israel's existence today. At a time when Holocaust denial and distortion are perniciously used against Israel, at a time when many in the world are still profoundly ignorant of the moral imperative of that beleaguered nation and at a time when much of the world is more comfortable with Jews who suffer than Jews who fight back, "The Brigade" serves as a reminder of Jewish strength, resolve and hope.

An Israeli "Band of Brothers"

All those who loved the recent HBO miniseries (and Stephen Ambrose book) "Band of Brothers" will also enjoy "The Brigade" by Howard Bloom.

"The Brigade" is the story of the Jewish Brigade Group, a unit made up of Jews - mostly from the then-British mandate of Palestine. Also known as the Jewish Fighting Brigade, it was formed in 1994 and played a critical role in the defeat of the Nazi armies in Northern Italy in 1945 as integral part of the British 8th Army.

Like "Band of Brothers", "The Brigade" not only gives us a history of the unit as a whole, but also allows us to get a better understanding of some of the individual members. In place of Dick winters, Lewis Nixon,Carwood Lipton, etc. we have Sgt. Israel Carmi, Cap't Johanthan Peltz, and Lt. Arie Pinchuk.

And while "Band of Brothers" reaches it's anticlimax in May of 1945 (or even in earlier in '45, after the victory at Bastogne), the story of the Jewish Brigade only gets more interesting after the war "officially" ends.

Though nominally part of the British army, the loyalty of most members was to the Jewish people. Service in the British army was seen merely as a means to an end. It was in this spirit, that the Brigade (aided by elements of American intelligence) started to carry out a campaign to identify and eliminate Nazi war criminals that had evaded Allied arrest. Their efforts as infiltrating and destroying a secret Nazi cabal that was spiriting former SS officers into hiding in South America was as exciting and as filled with intrigue as anything that could come out of the imagination of John Le Carre.

The adventure, however, doesn't stop there. The Brigade soon turned to rescuing the remaining Jews of Europe and making sure that they returned to their historical homeland in Palestine. Despite the active opposition of the British and in defiance of British colonial immigration laws, the Brigade was able to help around 68,000 Jews reach the Middle East. Another 50,000 or so were
captured by the British en route but were able to enter Israel after it had achieved independence in 1948. (The Jewish population of Palestine was about 600,000 in 1945.)

The Brigade was the first organized Jewish Army since the fall of Jerusalem to the Romans in 70 CE/AD and Howard Bloom captures well their struggles, anguish and triumphs.

The turning point of this masterpiece is a short scene in a church. Two soldiers, wearing their Jewish Brigade uniforms, show up to assassinate a Nazi in hiding. Instead, one of the congregants, a young girl, sees them and confesses to them in broken Herbew that she is a Jewish orphan and wants to leave with the soldiers. Suddenly, the soldiers see a shift in their mission from being assassins to rescuing Jews and smuggling them to Israel. This noble mission is completed, at times at odds with the British Army and at times with their tacit aid. This story how one chance encounter leads to the rescue of tens of thousands is a magnificant story that should stand alongside the story of the Exodus from Egypt.

Not only have I recommended this book to many many friends, I had to buy an extra copy just for loaning purposes!
This incredible text about an amazing group of individuals should be read by everyone!! This small band of men changed a world in a very unique way, showing that the human spirit can overcome anything put before it!! Both pride and tears swelled inside me as I have read and re-read this chronicle of history....Howard Blum has my eternal gratitude for sharing a story that might easily have been forgotten!! Researched and written in a way that allows the reader to be part of history!! BRAVO!!
I can't say enought about this book....READ IT!!

"Before setting out for revenge, one must first dig two graves"
-ancient Chinese proverb

Like many Americans, I was completely ignorant of the small Isreali brigade mobilized by the British in the closing days of WW II. Howard Blum, in interviewing three key players, brings to life the stunning, action-packed and bloody history of this brigade which fought not just for freedom, but for vengence as well. Blum captures the complex history of British Palestine, the disinigration of post-war Europe, the survival of concentration camp refugees as well as the iron will it took all Isrealis to forge a nation in a just a few pages. Through the words of the survivors he also paints a vivid picture of the slow soul assissination that occurs when one seeks vengence. A lightening fast read that finally flashes some light on a nearly forgotten piece of history. A must read!

The history of the Jewish Brigade Group and the soldiers who served in it is not always pretty. The Brigade did distinguish themselves in battle but they also wrote their own rules after the war. They knew what their mission was and did everything they could to accomplish it. Blum tells all of the details and does not sugar-coat anything. It is a very well written history and makes to attempt to apologize for nor glorify the actions of the men who served.

Howard Blum has written a compelling true narrative of a small group of Jewish soldiers who fought the Nazis along side the British Army in WWII. This little known slice of history is conveyed persuasively in The Brigade.

Blum discovered this small piece of history by accident when visiting the US Holocaust Museum. After he pulled together scores of interviews, he chose to tell the story through the eyes of three soldiers and one survivor, the sister of one of the soldiers. This telling is what gives this book its potency.

The strength of The Brigade is that it reads as a novel, and the reader cannot turn the pages fast enough to find out what happens next. Blum's accurate portrayal and attention to details is what keeps us focused on the reality of this amazing story of courage and perserverance. He reminds us through his excellent storytelling that this did happen.

The book is not another war novel that expounds on the accounts of military victories. It shows the sacrifices and the souls of these men who risked their lives to save their people. It reveals their struggles and their doubts as well as their triumphant spirits.

The Brigade is a must read. It is uplifting and demonstrates the human spirit at its best.

How this book went under the radar is beyond me! Steven Spielberg should make a movie out of this, and it could be better than "Saving Private Ryan"! This is a true story, of the first official Jewish military fighting unit. It was formed, when the British government, agreed to send 5,000 Jewish volunteers to fight in Europe, during World War II. Let your heart, mind and soul, be put in the place of a Jewish soldier: Millions of Jews being exterminated in the concentration camps, and you aren't allowed to fight back, as a recognized official unit or brigade. Now your chance comes! This book, first delves into the different types of men in this group. The feeling of helplessness, even after being approved and organized, because they're kept away from the main fighting. I was deeply impacted, as I was told, that no one, had ever worn the Star Of David, on a military uniform before. What a wonderful contrast, to the Star Of David being put on all the Holocaust victims sleeves, as a means of humiliation. When the war ends, this Jewish Brigade, decides not to stop! They continue to go after Nazi officers in hiding, and people who stole Jewish citizen's artwork and valuables. Two individual scenes, brought pride to my chest, and tears to my eyes. One was when, two of the Brigade, finally tracked down one of the Germans, who had performed various atrocities against the Jews, and one member of the Brigade, said to the war criminal: "In the name of the Jewish people, I sentence you to death!" The other scene, was when members of the Brigade, came to the gates of a concentration camp, and the skeletal survivor's in pajamas, stood looking at them, and did not speak. One soldier said, "Don't be afraid" in Yiddish. "The survivors still did not speak" "The soldier felt guilty-of his health, his strength, his good fortune, to have been spared." "He tried again, "We're Jews," he said. "Confused, a man pointed to the Star Of David on the soldier's sleeve, and asked hesitantly, "You're Jewish angels?" I could not put this book down, and have tried to think of a million different reasons, why no one has made this into a movie. I bought the book for my son, who, with starting a new family, and a new job, doesn't have time to read. But after starting this book, he read it every morning before work, and at lunch, and finished it in a week. I bought a copy and sent it to my brother, who is the busiest guy I know. He never has time to read. He read it in a week, and then passed it on to an older gentleman where he works. I sent a copy to one of my best friends; he finished it in a week. We all still discuss, and quote this book today, and I read it over three years ago!

This historical treatment reads more like a novel, which is why I could not put it down. The author did exhaustive research and explains in detail how he balanced the memories of the participants (which can be flawed) with other factual data. Not only does the reader get a good dose of WW II, one receives a great deal of insight into the creation of Israel.

A very good, informative story of the Jewish Brigade which fought in the Italian theatre in 1945 then later crisscrossed Europe exacting revenge on SS troops and rescuing Jewish refugees. I only wish a little more detail was included as the book is a rather quick read. Despite that, a very good book that left me wanting to go out and read more on the founding of modern Israel and the Israeli-Arab conflicts which followed.