Sophie Scholl and the White Rose [Paperback]

Jud Newborn (Author), Annette Dumbach (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 2, 2007

In the spring and summer of 1942, five young German students and one professor at the University of Munich crossed the threshold of toleration to enter the realms of resistance, danger and death. Protesting in the name of principles Hitler thought he had killed forever, Sophie Scholl and other members of the White Rose realized that the ‘Germanization’ Hitler sought to enforce was cruel and inhuman, and that they could not be content to remain silent in its midst.

From its inception to its end, the captivating story of Sophie Scholl and the White Rose is an uplifting and enlightening account of German resistance to the Third Reich. With detailed chronicles of Scholl’s arrest and trial before Hitler’s Hanging Judge, Roland Freisler, as well as appendices containing all of the leaflets the White Rose wrote and circulated exhorting Germans to stand up and fight back, this volume is an invaluable addition to World War II literature and a fascinating window into human resilience in the face of dictatorship.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Superbly written... Essential for public and academic history collections" -- Library Journal (starred review)

"The animated narrative reads like a suspense novel.” -- The New York Times

“This is a story that commands our attention." -- Newsweek International

"Heart-wrenching and inspiring." -- San Francisco Chronicle

"Inspiring...and could not be more timely. This is a book worth reading anytime, anywhere." -- Studs Terkel (Pulitzer Prize Winner)

"Could change your life forever." -- Dayton Daily News

"Unusually powerful and compelling.... Among the indispensable literature of modern political culture.” -- Das Parlament (Official Publication, German Bundestag)

"The book, chapter by chapter, builds an incontestable argument for the power and possibilities of action over passive acceptance and apathy." -- UK Jewish Chronicle

From the Publisher

Full story of the Oscar nominated (2006) and award-winning German film Sophie Scholl: Die letzen Tage (2005) and the forthcoming major US motion picture, The White Rose (2006) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Oneworld Publications; Reprint edition (June 2, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1851685367
• ISBN-13: 978-1851685363
• Product Dimensions: 5.1 x 0.8 x 7.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #126,342 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

85 of 85 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Awe-inspiring heroism March 11, 2006

By Samantha

Format:Paperback

This is a very moving and detailed account of the White Rose resistance movement of 1940s Germany. It is an amazing story, and really renews your faith in humanity. These students, with everything to live for, risked it all to warn their fellow countrymen about the persecution of the Jews, and to try to encourage them to rise up against Hitler and his oppressive regime.

I have also read Inge Scholl's slim book on the same subject, which is good, but this is by far the better read, and a much more substantial account. It includes over 20 photographs as well as new and more readable translations of all 7 of the leaflets that the White Rose sent all over Germany to try to rouse the German people to sabotage the war effort and fight for freedom. The last leaflet was never published, but the text turned up in the Gestapo archives in East Germany after the fall of the Berlin Wall, and this is the only book to include it so far, I think.

I recommend it to all students and people interested in the triumph of the human spirit in the face of adversity. A very good read.

46 of 46 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Gripping story of students standing up to Hitler March 10, 2006

By Jane Samuels

Format:Paperback

I missed the German film on Sophie Scholl that was nominated for an Oscar last week, but came across this book and decided to read it instead. It covers the whole story from the beginnings of the White Rose resistance movement that began at Munich University in 1942, and takes you right up to their capture by the Gestapo, interrogation, trial and execution, which are covered in the film

The film focuses on the last few days, so if you've seen the film, read this for all the background on the different members, who they were, why they came together to take on the Nazi regime, and how they went about trying to stir up the German people to oppose Hitler. At the time they were accused of being traitors, but with the benefit of hindsight they were clearly high principled and commmitted human beings who put the greater good above personal safety and their own lives.

This book is a very good read, combining the historical detail to help you understand the situation the students found themselves in with a fast-paced story that sweeps you along. You definitely feel for the characters as they plan and carry out their activities, and stand up to very tough interrogation. I partiuclarly liked reading the actual leaflets they wrote and tried to circulate round Germany and Austria.

A very moving and inspiring story, and one that renews your faith in humanity.

32 of 32 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A very powerful and memorable book March 25, 2006

By Dan Brooks

Format:Paperback

SOPHIE SCHOLL & THE WHITE ROSE is, essentially, about the finest aspects of human nature. The White Rose members' integrity and their compassion for their fellow Germans and, more surprisingly, for the Jewish population who had endured years of prejudice and oppression followed by vicious persecution is very impressive.

To mount a secret campaign against the Third Reich, a totalitarian regime of insidious oppression and unbelievable brutality against both the German people and its conquered populations, takes amazing courage.

But to face up to that regime on an intensely personal level, without hesitation or - apparently - regret, fully aware of the consequences, is simply awesome. And it awes me that most of the White Rose members were students like myself! This is a very memorable book with a powerful message.