Conquered, Not Defeated: Growing Up in Denmark During the German Occupation of World War II [Paperback]

Peter H. Tveskov (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2003

On the morning of April 9, 1940, Peter Tveskov awoke to the roar of airplanes flying low overhead—more airplanes than he’d ever heard or seen before. The invasion leading to the five-year German occupation of Denmark had begun. The Occupation was a dark and difficult time for the Danish people, but for five-year-old Peter, it was an exciting adventure that would in many ways shape both his future and that of his beloved country.

In Conquered, Not Defeated, Peter Tveskov blends vivid childhood memories with historical fact to tell the story of how the occupying army of the Third Reich tried—and ultimately failed—to crush the customs, will, and spirit of the Danish people. It is a story not often told nor easily forgotten. Includes 12 pages of rare photographs.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Peter Tveskov was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, and lived there until three days after his fourteenth birthday in 1948, when he and his mother moved to Venezuela where he completed his secondary education. After returning to the States, he studied Mechanical Engineering at Yale University and earned the degree of Bachelor of Engineering in 1956. Following ten years working in the oil fields of West Texas, Venezuela, and Brazil, he became the physical plant manager first at Yale University and later at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut. Later in his career, he served as a consultant in facilities operations that took him to assignments at Brown University, Connecticut College, and elsewhere. He retired in 1997 and currently lives in Connecticut.

Product Details

• Paperback: 105 pages
• Publisher: Hellgate Press; 1st edition (November 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1555716385
• ISBN-13: 978-1555716387
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #750,929 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #57 in Books > History > Europe > Denmark

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant! Child's-Eye Peak Into Wartime Copenhagen, October 3, 2003

By 

"scootrains" (Hawthorne, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Conquered, Not Defeated: Growing Up in Denmark During the German Occupation of World War II (Paperback)

Some historical nonfiction takes such a broad view as to become pallid and meaningless. Not so in this brilliant memoir, where Tveskov captures the ambiguity, evolution and the outcome of the Danish people to the German occupation during World War II.

Because this is a description by an actual participant in the history as it took place, the reader reaps the extra benefit of true emotions the events stirred. As we follow young Peter bicycling out through Copenhagen to his grandparents' house, the soldiers manning the machine guns behind the barricades are real soldiers with real orders to kill, and yet young Peter is also a real child pedaling a real bicycle through this nightmarish scene. The reader gets to experience this scene through young Peter's eyes.

Balancing the historical with the personal, even-handed in his presentation of thorny issues (such as Danish collaborators with the Germans), exceptionally easy to read for an historical work, Tvreskov offers the reader an entertaining, informative and thorough perspective on a terrible aspect of a terrible war.

Don't miss this one!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Peter Tveskov is a GENIUS!, September 8, 2004

By 

Leslie Holm (Connecticut) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Conquered, Not Defeated: Growing Up in Denmark During the German Occupation of World War II (Paperback)

Conquered, Not Defeated is nothing short of fantastic. Being of Danish descent on both my maternal and paternal sides, I found this book a real and all-encompassing glimpse into the lives of my Scandinavian relatives through Mr. Tveskov. It is difficult to find books on the subject of Danish history which are filled with actual historical accounts from someone who writes with ease of his very own experience. It was a pleasure to delve into this wonderful book and feel as though I were reading Mr. Tveskov's own personal journal of his experience...I am grateful for the anecdotes and historical research he provided so we Danish descendents can truly understand all that Denmark endured during the horrors of WWII. Being affiliated with the Danish Sisterhood, I highly recommend this book to all Scandinavians and anyone interested in WWII history. READ THIS BOOK!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Putting a human face to the Danish occupation - a Must Read!, September 13, 2004

By 

LBB (Aiken, SC) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Conquered, Not Defeated: Growing Up in Denmark During the German Occupation of World War II (Paperback)

Tveslov's "Conquered, Not Defeated" is a touching look at Denmark during WWII through the eyes of a boy but also with the perception through which the events in that country can be viewed with adult eyes years after the fact. With skill, he takes the reader into the fascinating world of Copenhagen during the war - the occupation and, more importantly, the incredible people who lived and died during that dark period of their history. Theirs is a story worth the telling - and worth the remembering. These true recollections of a middle class boy and his family make the reader realize the profound impact of a war that tore Denmark apart and then united her in ways that no one could foresee. "Conquered, Not Defeated" is a testament to the resiliency, the independence and compassion of the Danish spirit, deftly told . . . a story the reader will not soon forget.