A Stand Against Tyranny: Norways Physicians and the Nazis [Paperback]

Maynard M. Cohen (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

A Stand Against Tyranny is the dramatic history of Norway's physicians during the Nazi Occupation. While many citizens participated in the Resistance, the role of Norway's physicians was central to its efforts. As graduates of Norway's only medical school at the University of Oslo, doctors belonged to a tightly-knit group with a close communication network. As they occupied a trusted position in Norwegian society, in the guise of the practice of medicine, they could contact virtually any of their fellow citizens within arising Nazi suspicion. They maintained their automobiles, enjoying a freedom of travel denied to others, and could bypass curfews with impunity. From rescuing children from orphanages to performing plastic surgery to disguise an underground agent, Norwegian doctors acted forcefully and effectively to combat the Nazi invasion. A Stand Against Tyranny is a valuable contribution to the growing body of World War II literature and will prove to be a benchmark publication on the war in Norway. -- Midwest Book Review --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 380 pages
• Publisher: Wayne State University Press (September 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0814329349
• ISBN-13: 978-0814329344
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,585,078 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Highly readble pop history, but heavily biased as an academic work., October 17, 2006

By 

M. Vinsen (New Zealand) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Stand Against Tyranny: Norways Physicians and the Nazis (Paperback)

Maynard Cohen's book is highly readable, well-written, extremely interesting, and follows the lives of a number of prominant norwegian medical practicioners, and the role they played in Norwegain opposition to the puppet regime put in place by Nazi occupying forces.

As a popular history, it is definitely a good buy.

However, as an academic history, it has some serious failings: a constant stream of anti-collaborationist invective permeates Cohen's work, and he uses emotive language, frequently referring to collaborators as "the traitor", etc. Also, some of the sources he references, such as the diariy entries of Odd Nansen, cannot be taken at face value: many of the diary accounts purport to "reconstruct" conversations. These reconstructions of conversations are, I believe, re-written and extended upon by the authors of the diaries. Cohen makes little reference to this problem.

As an academic work of history, though useful, this book must be taken with a grain of salt, falling heavily as it does on the side of "heroising" and perhaps exaggerating the part plaid by resistance, albeit passive resistance in this case, in Nazi-occupied Norway.

It should also be noted that Cohen is, by occupation, a Neurologist (professor of neurology, rather) rather than an historian.

I gave this book 3 stars. I was impressed by the quality and interest of the book, despite my academic objections.