Customer Reviews

Iron Fist

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

My grandfather came to the USA from Bulgaria, then lived in Canada until his death. As I was in the military, I was the only grandchild not to meet him when he returned to the US to visit. Alexenia Dimitrova's powerful account of Bulgaria during and after communism rule is probably the main reason he did not return to Bulgaria nor communicated with relatives there. Whether you have, or had, relatives in Bulgaria, or other Eastern communist bloc countries, this is a must read. Anyone wondering about life during the old Soviet bloc regimes will find this an amazing description of the times the people lived through.

A fascinating book revealing terrible but true facts about an antihuman regime that stopped the development of Eastern Europe for more than four decades. A must read for all academic readers dealing with modern Eastern European history and political science and a great reading for all other readers, interested in the communist crimes in Bulgaria and Eastern Europe.

After researching thousands of pages of secret documents, prepared by the spooky Bulgarian communist secret service- DS (State Security) and FBI, Alexenia Dimitrova managed to write a powerful account about the activities of the Bulgarian secret service during the Cold War. Gruesome murders, extortions, kidnappings, imprisoning of free thinkers, targeting and profiling of Bulgarian immigrants were an integral part of the Bulgarian communist secret service schedule.

It is definitely a book, which can keep every reader's attention from cover to cover.

This book gives much insight into the era of communism in Bulgaria from the author's personal experiences. A must read so we don't forget and let it happen again. The book is an easy read but packs a powerful punch. You won't be bored and you will learn much. Get this book!

I am of Bulgarian descent, and even though my Grandfather (from Obretenik) died before I could know him, I have always considered myself Bulgarian.

The author's father suffered at the hands of the communists because he believed in truth, honor and freedom. The author herself was 26 when communism was overturned in 1989, and she knows that her father would have lived a much longer life had he not been interred in concentration camps several times. How much sadness communism has caused! How much wasted potential and how many resources were wasted having citizens spy on each other and mail read, phone conversations intercepted!

It is sure to change your view of communism -- and give you an added respect and love for freedom -- after you read this compelling account of a beautiful and majestic country in the iron fist of unfeeling, cold and cruel communism.

I can't imagine having lived through all of this, and Alexenia Dimitrova did an excellent job of explaining the ins and outs of the lives of those who lived through it. Until I read Alexenia's book, I never understood the enormity of what he did by leaving Bulgaria when he was only 15 in 1915. Enduring WWI and WWII while his brothers and sisters remained in Bulgaria, with Bulgaria being on the other side of both conflicts, must have been extraordinarily painful for him.

A must-read for all persons, especially of Bulgarian descent.

I purchased this book after a long search for a work about the secret nature of the Bulgarian communist government. I found it on Amazon.com by happenstance and I loved it. The details of the various secret police encounters reveal much about a secluded nation's dark past. I have lived in Bulgaria and I must say that this book reflects the feelings and fears that are still evident in Bulgaria today, especially among the older citizens. The work of Gopozha Dimitrova was exhausting in uncovering the stories and facts from the archives of the secret police and it is well worth the read for anyone interested in communism or anyone interested in stories and accounts of real people who lived in a time not too far in the past and in a place not unlike our own societies. "Iron Fist" is a great and quick read that encompasses all we thought we knew about communism and much, much more. Thanks to all the hard work of the author in making the stories contained therein a reality to those who lived through it. A+ Read!!!

Firstly, if you cannot spell, you shouldn't criticise errors in a book (quite apart from anything else, no book is typos-free and Solomon II could be a Freudian slip - have you thought of that?).

Secondly, authors are not responsible for typos - publishers and/or printers are.

Thirdly, others who, judging by their names, are better qualified than you to comment on the country, the book and its contents, have left glorious reviews.

The book has been written from the prospective of a highly regarded journalist who is justly proud of her achievements (she is the country's foremost investigative reporter) - that is why the use of the word 'I' is so frequent.

What do you expect, an academic treatise?

This is a highly readable and informative book.