Exiled to Siberia [Hardcover]

Klaus Hergt (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2000

"Exiled to Siberia" is the biography of a Polish child deported by the Soviets in 1940.It tells about his early childhood until, as an adult, he declares "I am an American." The book also outlines the pertinent history and discusses the German and Soviet policies toward Poland during WW II.The protagonist's story gives a human dimension to these historical events. The book also testifies to his religious belief as a sustaining force. In addition it causes the author to compare his own childhood in Nazi Germany with that of the protagonist during this time.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A biographical work in a historical setting, a tribute to a friendship and an econium to all Polish citizens..." -- Tadeusz Piotrowski, Prof.of Sociology, Univ.of New Hampshire and author of "Vengeance of the Swallows", Poland's Holocaust," Genocide and Rescue."

In "Exiled to Siberia" Klaus Hergt tells with skill a very moving story." -- Jan.T.Gross, Prof.of Politics, New York University, author of "Revolution from Abroad. The Soviet Conquest of Poland's Western Ukraine and Western Belorussia," co-editor in "War through Children's Eyes: The Soviet Occupation of Poland and the Deportations."

a history lesson to set the stage,he then puts a very human and vulnerable face on this tragic history....There is a lot to be learned from this book. -- Traverse City Record-Eagle, 12/17/00; Elizabeth Kane Buzzelli

extremely well written, the author and main character share a past and present, ultimately to form a unique bond. -- Beth Doyle, Kalamazoo, Michigan, 11/30/00

About the Author

Klaus Hergt, MD, grew up in Weimar, Germany under the Nazi regime. After the war, he experienced the Soviet rule firsthand in East Germany, and later visits to Czechoslovakia and Latvia deepened his insights into life in Soviet occupied countries. His observations and experiences have made him keenly aware of the fate of the individual under totalitarian rule.

Klaus Hergt is a retired surgeon and now a hospice physician in northern Michigan.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 235 pages
• Publisher: Crescent Lake Pub (November 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0970043201
• ISBN-13: 978-0970043207
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,166,239 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A facinating perspective on a heartbreaking story, January 23, 2001

By 

patricia (Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Exiled to Siberia (Hardcover)

This story of the forgotten victims of WWII is told from a unique perspective. Two friends--the author and the subject--were personally touched by the war in very different ways. One, a german child, victimized only by the disemination of misinformation and, the other, a polish child, victimized both physically and psychologically, enslaved by the Russian allies, separated from family, seizes the opportunity to search for better life for himself and his sister. The author artfully intertwines history and real life experiences. The story is, in many parts, heartbreaking and, in all parts, facinating.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Forgotten History, January 2, 2007

By 

James C. Poesl "The American Environmentalist" (Peoples Republic of NJ) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Exiled to Siberia (Hardcover)

When I initially read this book just after it was published I called the author and thanked him for writing the book. Most of my mother's family was killed in Ark Angel, Russia and my mother grandmother, and great-aunt were all interned in many of the same places that were described in the book. It is well researched and should be necessary reading for all school aged children. it is both inspiring and educational.

4.0 out of 5 stars Very well written account of oppression and reslience, February 6, 2011

By 

Wanda K. Mohr "Wanda" (New Hope, PA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Exiled to Siberia (Hardcover)

This is another WW II memoir of a Pole and his family's deportation to the depths of the USSR simply because they were Poles. I am not sure that it's that much different than those written by others (Adamczyk and Waydenfeld for example) except that each story of these times, of course, is unique. Interestingly, the protagonist of this memoir did not write it, rather it was written by a friend. As such, it is less of a dispassionare recounting of facts by he who experienced, and more of a story told about a good friend who Hergt admires and it definitely reads that way. The admiration that Hergt feels for Hank comes through and permeates his storytelling. His narration has a kind of authenticity and warmth that is highly engaging. It is obvious that Dr. Hergt spent a great deal of time researching this memoir, and he skillfully blends history of the time with Hank's memories. All in all it is an exceedingly well written book, perhaps not in the same category of When God Looked the Other Way or The Ice Road, but much better than most.