God's Perfect Scar [Hardcover]

Mike Johnson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 9, 2008

History comes alive in God's Perfect Scar. A survivor of the 1944 Warsaw Uprising finds himself in Auschwitz, working with a woman prisoner to plan and implement a harrowing mass escape. A former Polish lancer turned airborne trooper turned English instructor at the University of Warsaw finds himself targeted by the Kremlin-controlled secret police. Two brothers find themselves conscripted by a pair of ambitious rulers, each itching to fire the first shot in a war that will ensnare soldiers and nurses from America, Britain, New Zealand and Korea. An American priest, a former World War II chaplain, finds himself playing street soccer in Rome and plotting a rescue in Warsaw. Bullets and shrapnel leave lasting scars - as do polio, treachery and guilt. Painstakingly researched, God's Perfect Scar is the story of ordinary people swept up in extraordinary, history-changing upheavals, contending with unrelenting stresses and making life-altering choices. During his research, Johnson learned about Aline Gartner, lost in the mists of time and history. In the pages of God's Perfect Scar, he "brings back to life" this remarkably courageous woman. From Auschwitz to Cracow to Warsaw, London, Moscow, Beijing, Kaesong, Seoul and small town America, God's Perfect Scar takes readers on a journey that provides a different and broader perspective on major happenings that have been shaping history for the last 60 years. As with Johnson's earlier works, Warrior Priest and Fate of the Warriors, the pacing in God's Perfect Scar is brisk, the tension palpable and the outcomes unpredictable.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Mike Johnson is the author of Warrior Priest and Fate of the Warriors, meticulously researched historical novels. His books are peopled by Polish lancers, United States and New Zealand Army nurses, an airborne chaplain, a Korean farm couple, young women Resistance fighters in France and Poland, a United States vice president, a spy ship captain, a deck fireman on the legendary USS Hornet and others who provide perspectives on World War II, the Korean War and other major 20th Century happenings that are different and broader than those of most Americans. From the 1960s onward, first as a soldier, Johnson combined strong interests in military history with extensive travel. He journeyed often to the Korean DMZ; visited Nazi death camps, the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst and the University of Warsaw; and walked the streets of towns and villages once occupied by the Wehrmacht. He worked for three global companies and is an alumnus of Ohio University, Marshall Law at Cleveland State University and Stanford University?s Graduate School of Business. He is married to Lynne, and they have three adult children, Andrea, Zach and Ben. You can learn more about Johnson and his books at www.mikejohnsonbooks.com. You can email him at [e-mail]. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 416 pages
• Publisher: AuthorHouse (June 9, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1434388182
• ISBN-13: 978-1434388186
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,387,326 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A MUST READ, August 4, 2008

By 

Sara L. Enders "SaraLee" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: God's Perfect Scar (Hardcover)

This is a fast paced book that you just can't put down. Somehow you have to find out exactly what is going to happen next. The story takes everyday people and puts them in extraordinary circumstances. From the concentration camps to Korea, from Washington to Moscow, New Zealand, and back to the American West, the historcal research is impeccable. The plot so believable that you are caught on an emotional roller coaster to the very end and still want more. God's Perfect Scar is aptly named and highly recommended, a page turner to the very end. A remarkable story well worth reading again and again...

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars History comes alive!, September 8, 2008

By 

Margaret K. Nelson "Marie Nelson" (Moses Lake, WA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: God's Perfect Scar (Hardcover)

I loved "God's Perfect Scar." I learned a lot about history from Johnson's book. Putting history in the context of personal stories, of characters I cared about, made history come alive. I was saddened at the deaths of some of them; proud of the courage of some of them; angry at the callousness of some of them. The writing is beautiful. The chapters with short paragraphs, on to another story line, back to the original, and back again, kept me wanting to read faster. I could picture in my mind what was going on, and wanted every character to get out OK. When they didn't, I'd find myself saying, out loud, "Oh, no!"
I think "God's Perfect Scar" (both the Grand Canyon and the scarred face) is a very apropriate title. I liked the elder in Arizona, and his interaction with the characters there. The scene of flying over the Canyon was uplifting. I really liked "Warrior Priest", but I liked "God's Perfect Scar" even better. I think it is the best of the three.
Marie Kime Nelson
Moses Lake, WA

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Tasty Helping of History!, August 30, 2008

By 

Jessica McMullen (Eugene, OR) - See all my reviews

This review is from: God's Perfect Scar (Hardcover)

Johnson has done it again! What an intense moment in history brought to life with the skill of research and respect for human strength. Thanks to the author, I only wish my high school history teacher had this amazing book to share with my class.