Past Is Myself (Transaction Large Print Books) [Large Print] [Hardcover]

Christabel Bielenberg (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1989 | Series: Transaction Large Print Books

Christabel Bielenberg, a niece of Lord Northcliffe, married a German lawyer in 1934. She lived through the war in Germany, as a German citizen, under the horrors of Nazi rule and Allied bombings. Closely associated with resistance circles, her husband was arrested after the failure of the plot against Hitler's life on 20th July 1944, and she herself was interrogated by the Gestapo. Not only do we meet her friends whose tragic bravery shines from the book, but dozens of everyday Germans, from the simple-minded Nazi official who was also her odd-job gardener, to the good-hearted Black Forest villagers who sheltered her till the liberation. They are presented with humour and sympathy, allowing the reader a remarkable insight into their character. All the more haunting, then, is her night-time encounter with an SS man from Riga who searches desperately for death on the battlefield. The human dimension of her writing brings about an unforgettable portrait of an evil time.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Clear enunciation and accurate accents by narrator Sheila Mitchell enable the listener clearly to follow the many characters and episodes described in this autobiography of a British woman who marries and lives as a German citizen under Nazi rule. Bielenberg conveys her "belief in the triumph of good over evil," yet admits that at one point she refused to harbor a half-Jewish couple or disturb her own safe haven. Throughout, Bielenberg proves she is an astute observer of human behavior and offers much wry commentary. Ironically though, she muses, "What makes men sit tight and do nothing?" This is an effectively composed story that conveys Bielenberg's confessed "dogged determination to survive." Any public library with collections in history and autobiography will find an audience for this production.
Frances Yates, Prince George's P.L., Laurel, Md.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.

About the Author

Christabel Bielenberg, a niece of Lord Northcliffe, married a German lawyer in 1934. She lived through the war as a German citizen and wrote about her experiences in her memoir, The Past is Myself, and in its sequel, The Road Ahead. The Past is Myself was adapted for television by Dennis Potter under the title Christabel. In 1988, the Federal Republic of Germany awarded her the Commander's cross of the Order of Merit for her contribution to German-English understanding. She and her husband, Peter, have three sons and live in Ireland. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 424 pages
• Publisher: Isis Large Print Books; Lrg edition (September 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1850893462
• ISBN-13: 978-1850893462
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,405,444 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Wonderful Story of real life drama., May 30, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Past is Myself (Hardcover)

I am so sorry this book is not available. It is a fasinating story of a woman's ability to survive and keep her family in tact in WW II Germany. I met Mrs. Bielenberg a few years ago and she is still as interesting as she was in her book.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS I HAVE EVER READ, January 30, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Past is Myself (Hardcover)

This is one of the best books I have ever read. I am surprised that nobody has reviewed it and I am also dissapointed to find out that it is not available to buy at the moment. I read it a few years ago and when I get the time, I will definitely read it again. Once you start you can not stop and it is a book you will remember for the rest of your life. Read it!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Past is Myself, July 8, 2009

By 

M. David Dial Jr. (Dallas,Texas USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Past is Myself (Hardcover)

A most poignant account of both the history of the epoch of which the author writes and the ramifications of cross socio-political cultures. Many who have had the privilege of reading this book were initially stimulated to do so as a result of the marvelous teleplay scripted for PBS entitled "Cristabel" and possibly came to the same conclusion as did I: there were literally millions of Germans who did not subscribe to the nazification of Germany; who fought private wars to undermine the nazi regime; and who, like so many of us when faced with a haplessness seeded by the lack of logic as to how their lives had been altered despite their efforts to preserve a measure of human dignity and honor, find themselves desperately close to falling into the abyss of submission.
In 2009 mankind faces a similar dilemma: authoritarion government; mandated socio-cultural lifestyle; loss of self-directed control; and a feeling of haplessness to provide answers to the absence of logic while enduring a constant barrage of mediaspeak/marketing spin idealism.
I have been asked on occasion why didn't the thousands of jews who disembarked the trains at the various death camps not just swarm their captors who were outnumberd at least 100-1; seize the weapons; and defend themselves from certain death?
I always answer: " Fear of the unknown compromises hope, courage, and action; have you ever stood at the barrel end of an automatic weapon?"
A great read...a must read for all of us who cherish not only life, but the pursuit of happiness in our lifetime and in our style.