Jew Be or Not Jew Be: The Story of a Perpetual Alien. Book 1 Under Hitler's Shadow [Paperback]

Peter Oszmann (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 10, 2001

Jew Be or Not Jew Be is an autobiographical novel, a compelling true story of an assimilated Hungarian middle class Jewish family. It documents aspects of life, escape and survival within the history of the Holocaust. Seen through the eyes of a young child it describes sometimes sad, sometimes poignant events and at other times hilariously comic moments of sheer defiance in the face of adversity. It is a moving testament not only to Man's inhumanity to Man, but also to the human will to survive.Rabbi Julia Neuberger commented in a letter to the author about his book: "I can't believe how long I've had your book-and here is at last my view on it. First, I much enjoyed it, if enjoyed is the right term.-I learned, laughed, and cried."

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Peter Oszmann Dental Surgeon left Hungary in 1956 as a refugee. He settled in England, completed his studies in London and took British citizenship. Married with two grown up children and four grandsons he lives and practices in South London. He is currently working on a sequel to this book.

Product Details

• Paperback: 564 pages
• Publisher: iUniverse (January 10, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0595145523
• ISBN-13: 978-0595145522
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,385,912 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A moving story, March 8, 2001

By 

Robert Ratonyi (Atlanta, Georgia USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jew Be or Not Jew Be: The Story of a Perpetual Alien. Book 1 Under Hitler's Shadow (Paperback)

I have read many books about the Holocaust but nothing has touched me like Peter Oszmann's book Jew Be or Not Jew Be. Written in the format of a novel this autobiography spans the years of the mid 1930s to the time when Hungary was liberated from the German occupation by the Soviet Red Army in the spring of 1945. The uniqueness of the book is the introduction to, and exposition of, the gradually worsening situation ultimatly leading to the "final solution" that faced the Hungarian Jewish society as seen through the eyes of a child. Peter Oszmann was born to Jewish parents but was denied his true identity by his parents who hoped to provide him safety by raising him as a Lutheran. Perhaps, as he recaunts the story, that might have saved his life, but, this imposed conversion did not spare him all the pain and suffering which befell the Hungarian Jewery at that time. Without any doubt, the discovery of his true identity and subsequent events which forced him to assume yet another religious identity (catholic) in order to survive the harshest period of the war and the Holocaust has left an indelible mark on his psychic.

Peter Oszmann's book has a certain purity and clarity showing the inner struggles and dilemmas faced by a child in trying to rationalize and to cope with the outside cruel world. The emotional pain, agony and dispair are very touching. He has given us a rare inside view of a child's innocent reaction to the inexplicable horrors brought upon mankind by his fellow men. At the same time, he also let us see the good in us through the many heroic deeds of his family members and other kind strangers who risked their lives to save him and others.

In addition to the main theme of his book Oszmann has managed to describe the political and historic framework of the late 1930s and early 1940s providing an excellent context for the events unfolding in Europe and in Hungary. His research is excellent and he skillfully integrated his personal history with a sufficient overview of the history of Europe and Hungary without detracting from the story.

The author's sense of humor is evident from the very first pages. While this is not a "fun" book to read it does have many funny and even hillarious moments. It appears that humor was one of the many weapons Peter Oszmann has used to protect himself from the harms around him. I laughed and I wept reading the book.

This is not an easy book to read. It takes almost 30 pages to get through the Dedication, Preface, Acknowledgemet and the Prologue before the main story unfolds. The book is 530 pages long and the author quotes extensively in Latin, German, and French, not to mention the many Hungarian names and idioms used. Fortunately, he diligently provides for the English translation with footnotes on each page. However, the rewards of reading this book far outweigh the occasional inconveniences of reading it. I can hardly wait for Book 2.