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Jacques Lusseyran
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And There Was Light: Autobiography of Jacques Lusseyran: Blind Hero of the French Resistance Paperback – Bargain Price, January 1, 2006

by Jacques Lusseyran (Author), Elizabeth R. Cameron (Translator)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 65 ratings
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Selected as one of USA Today’s 100 Best Spiritual Books of the Century, this astonishing autobiography tells the gripping, heroic story of the early life of Jacques Lusseyran, an inspiring individual who overcame the limitations of physical blindness by attending — literally — to the light within his own mind. Through faith in the connection between vivid inner sight and outer events, he became a leader in the French Resistance and survived the horrors at Buchenwald.
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  1. Print length
    316 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Morning Light Press
  4. Publication date
    January 1, 2006
  5. Dimensions
    5.5 x 1 x 8.5 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0930407407
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0930407407
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Glimpse both heaven and hell through the eyes of a man who has lived through both." -- The Los Angeles Times

"This is a magical book, the kind that becomes a classic, passed along between friends." -- The Baltimore Sun

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Morning Light Press; 2nd Revised edition (January 1, 2006)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 316 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0930407407
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0930407407
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 15.2 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 1 x 8.5 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 65 ratings

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Jacques Lusseyran

Jacques Lusseyran

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Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
65 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the book inspiring and thought-provoking. They describe the writing as beautiful and well-presented. Readers praise the character development as remarkable and unique. Overall, they find the book enjoyable to read and a joy to experience.

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InspirationWriting qualityCharacter developmentReadability
14 customers mention "Inspiration"14 positive0 negative

Customers find the book inspiring and thought-provoking. They appreciate the author's perspective on life and the moving story. The memoir is described as interesting, riveting, and uplifting, strengthening their faith.

"...It is the most unique, surprising, and riveting "coming of age" memoir I have ever read...." Read more

"This book is written in a somewhat stilted style, but presents a moving story too remarkable to be plausible except that it's true...." Read more

"...A true treasure full of profound inspiration." Read more

"...Very inspiring and thought-provoking. I would recommend it to anyone with an open mind." Read more

6 customers mention "Writing quality"6 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the writing quality of the book. They find it well-written and presented, and appreciate the author's unique perspective.

"...It is the most unique, surprising, and riveting "coming of age" memoir I have ever read...." Read more

"...Again, no fault to this story; it was well presented and I am glad that I read it; the man was remarkable...." Read more

"...It wasn't what I expected; it is unique; as was the life of the author...." Read more

"Book came in fair condition, barely on chapter 3 and its very well written and interesting. Very fast delivery." Read more

5 customers mention "Character development"5 positive0 negative

Customers find the character remarkable and inspiring. They describe him as a true patriot and hero of WWII. The book is well-written and quick to read.

"...story; it was well presented and I am glad that I read it; the man was remarkable...." Read more

"...I have never forgotten it. This was a remarkable man, and I include this book in my list "All Time Greatest Books No One has ever Heard of."" Read more

"...Great book, great read, great man, great life." Read more

"...Loved the man's intellect and humanity." Read more

5 customers mention "Readability"5 positive0 negative

Customers find the book enjoyable to read. They describe it as wonderful and beautifully written.

"Possibly the most remarkable book ever written by someone blind. All who are blind or have anything to do with the blind should read this book...." Read more

"This is an excellent book.I had thought I was going blind at the time of reading it. It turns out I am not...." Read more

"...Great book, great read, great man, great life." Read more

"Insightful, inspiring and beautifully written, a joy to read!" Read more

Top reviews from the United States

Firefly
5.0 out of 5 stars Should be required reading for high school
Reviewed in the United States on November 12, 2011
Verified Purchase
This book has been a major inspiration in my life and I have read it over several times. I have only one thing to add to the excellent reviews already written here, and that is that this book can also serve as a powerful antidote, specifically for adolescents, to the apathy,narcissism, disconnection, and despair that currently plagues our culture. It is the most unique, surprising, and riveting "coming of age" memoir I have ever read.

I used it as required reading for a senior English class I taught a few years back. The majority of students in this class were bright enough but unmotivated in the extreme. This was the first book I was able to find that engaged and inspired even the most reluctant of these students. Students who had stubbornly refused to read anything else of the literature I tried to tempt them with actually read and expressed real appreciation for this book. It engaged them right away, in the first chapter.

No matter what age you are, read this book. If you have an adolescent child or friend, give them this book as a gift. If they don't read it on their own, read it aloud to them and talk with them about it. If you are a high school English or History teacher, first read it and then consider including this book in your syllabus. Young people need to hear this amazing story, and get to know this amazing human being. As do we all.
10 people found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Depth and Beauty
Reviewed in the United States on September 14, 2016
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This book is written in a somewhat stilted style, but presents a moving story too remarkable to be plausible except that it's true. Lusseyran's description of how he found depth and beauty in blindness as a boy is a visceral introduction to spirit and courage in the face of societal doubt. As he notes, his parents were in large part responsible for making his depth and positive approach possible. The book will be valuable to anyone interested in world war two, the subjective experience of disability, social responsibility toward those who have physical disabilities, or the fact that personal drive can produce results that those who lack courage will be unable to imagine much less realize.
One person found this helpful
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Victek
5.0 out of 5 stars A True Source of Inspiration
Reviewed in the United States on March 23, 2008
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I received my first copy of And There Was Light in 1977. The book was out of print at the time and members of my spiritual group had to resort to copying it for study. I'm grateful that it's back in print and Jacques Lusseyran's life and work are receiving more attention. Regarding the subtitle, I wonder what Jacques would say about being called a hero? Perhaps he would just laugh and shake his head since he conveys so clearly in And There Was Light that he was just an ordinary person who trusted his heart in a world gone mad. I think the best compliment I can pay the book is it makes me long to be better myself.

As others have said it's a book about blindness, coming of age, WWII, the Holocaust, the French resistance, etc. What is truly unique about it though cannot be easily described, and is best appreciated in the reading. Just get a copy and read it.
5 people found this helpful
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Justin D
4.0 out of 5 stars Something was missing for me....
Reviewed in the United States on October 25, 2002
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Jacques' experience as a blind person living through, and participating in, the French resistance was amazing to follow with him through his autobiography; I find no fault in what he presented. I did, however, feel that something was missing from it. There was a painful depth that I knew had to exist within Jacques somewhere that I did not see. What he did do is tell us how beautific the experience was (generally) of being blind for him; he went to great lenght in the first half of the book to let you know that he did not really suffer from his loss; that it was not really a loss to him but actually a lovely thing. I do not doubt that this was true for Jacques but it seemed a bit too sweet for me. Perhaps this is because of my own experiences with loss in my life I wanted to be with someone that expressed more psychological dimension.
Again, no fault to this story; it was well presented and I am glad that I read it; the man was remarkable. It's just something to keep in mind about reading someone's life experience and if you are looking for how someone dealt with the pain of their loss, their struggles with daily life, this book does not go very far toward giving you much of a picture because he did not express much about it at all related to his blindness.
7 people found this helpful
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G. Campbell
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing Book
Reviewed in the United States on September 17, 2009
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Possibly the most remarkable book ever written by someone blind. All who are blind or have anything to do with the blind should read this book. Yet even people who, like me, have normal sight will learn to see more deeply thru this book. The author describes in great detail a truly "enlightened" life and what that means in the most difficult and inhumane situations. A true treasure full of profound inspiration.
One person found this helpful
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Lyle L
1.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely Terrible
Reviewed in the United States on August 21, 2017
By far the worst book ever written. So descriptive and boring. I would have given it zero stars if that were a thing. I do not understand how anyone could have possibly enjoyed this. Jacques is clearly full of himself thinking he is better than people who can see. Some may see this as optimism but there is a thin line between optimism and arrogance.
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Audrey44
5.0 out of 5 stars This book will challenge your beliefs about blindness
Reviewed in the United States on December 30, 2012
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Jacques Lusseyran shows the reader that it is not necessary to have physical eyes to see. His life's story shows that we can train ourselves to "see" without the physical sense of sight. There is much more happening in the brain and the mind of the blind person (or at least this particular blind person) than just the other four senses compensating for the loss of sight.

Even those of us who do have physical sight see a very limited portion of the spectrum of light waves. This book shows clearly the development of a different kind of sight in one who has the lost that particular physical sense.

Very inspiring and thought-provoking. I would recommend it to anyone with an open mind.
2 people found this helpful
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Jean
5.0 out of 5 stars I'm sure my mom would consider it a "5".
Reviewed in the United States on February 5, 2013
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I've been looking at my local bookstore for this for a long time and finally thought to look on Amazon. The day after it arrived, my sweet 85 yo mother came to visit for a couple of days. She picked it up and started reading and couldn't put it down. So it went home with her. When she's done, I'll have my turn. So I guess I'll rate it a "5" on her behalf.
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Top reviews from other countries

Dannielle Hayes
5.0 out of 5 stars True story that transcends time.
Reviewed in Canada on November 2, 2014
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One of the best autobiographies I have ever read. A true hero in his own words. Transcends time.
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Citroens
3.0 out of 5 stars And there was light -- after a long introduction
Reviewed in Canada on August 30, 2012
Verified Purchase
Certainly an interesting, historical, insider's take on the inner workings of the French underground during WWII and quite revealing in the way the Underground was far more diverse and piecemeal than I had always thought it to be. I came across the book from a refernce in Oliver Sacks' latest book in a section on blindness. And perhaps that aspect was the main downfall of Jacques Lusseyran's autobiography: He took *far* too long (some 70 pages) repeating and repeating basically the same information. Yes, his going blind at eight years old from an accident did change his life (for the better in his own estimation) but the length he takes to explain the process into his learning from that point on becomes quite tedious. Overall, I'd say an interesting but not brilliant story.
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