In the shouted words of a woman bound for Auschwitz to a man about to escape from a cattle car; “If you get out; maybe you can tell the story! Who else will tell it?†Our Crime Was Being Jewish contains 576 vivid memories of 358 Holocaust survivors. These are the true; insider stories of victims; told in their own words. They include the experiences of teenagers who saw their parents and siblings sent to the gas chambers; of starving children beaten for trying to steal a morsel of food; of people who saw their friends commit suicide to save themselves from the daily agony they endured. The recollections are from the start of the war—the home invasions; the Gestapo busts; and the ghettos—as well as the daily hell of the concentration camps and what actually happened inside. Six million Jews were killed in the Holocaust; and this hefty collection of stories told by its survivors is one of the most important books of our time. It was compiled by award-winning author Anthony S. Pitch; who worked with sources such as the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum to get survivors’ stories compiled together and to supplement them with images from the war. These memories must be told and held onto so what happened is documented; so the lives of those who perished are not forgotten—so history does not repeat itself. Skyhorse Publishing; along with our Arcade; Good Books; Sports Publishing; and Yucca imprints; is proud to publish a broad range of biographies; autobiographies; and memoirs. Our list includes biographies on well-known historical figures like Benjamin Franklin; Nelson Mandela; and Alexander Graham Bell; as well as villains from history; such as Heinrich Himmler; John Wayne Gacy; and O. J. Simpson. We have also published survivor stories of World War II; memoirs about overcoming adversity; first-hand tales of adventure; and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller; we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.
#903311 in Books 2014-06-09Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 10.87 x .79 x 7.99l; 1.90 #File Name: 1626549044384 pagesShips from Vermont
Review
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. How popular history ought to be writtenBy Andrew E McBurneyThere's a lot to like about this book. To me; it is written the way a popular history ought to be written. It is well-researched; but is very readable; telling the history of the B-17 through stories of the men who built and flew it.The first time I encountered Flying Fortress was as a child -- it was my Dad's book -- and I was fascinated by the pictures and learned a bit by reading the captions. As an adult; I bought my own copy and started in with the text itself. What I like best about it is that by telling the stories of the pivotal role played by the many men involved with the manufacture and operation of the B-17's; it demonstrates quite clearly how history is made by the actions of individuals. The stories themselves are harrowing; blood-chilling dramas -- none-the-less for the fact that they are true. It helps give an appreciation; like so few World War II history books do; for the excitement and horror of warfare.Something else I like about Flying Fortress -- still -- are the pictures and supplemental information (including a reduced-size copy of a flight manual). Edward Jablonski collected these photographs and other information from official sources; as well as individuals. I expect you will not see them anywhere else. For years now; most cable channel history programs have recycled the same photographs and videos and simply put them to new music and voice-overs. Very economical for their business model; I expect. Jablonski; on the other hand -- writing back in the early 1960's -- was very particular in his selections. Each photo tells its own story; and most of the photos depict the stories told in the text.This book; both long ago and now; have kindled in me a love and appreciation for aviation; history; ingenuity; and human daring. And the best part is that it's all true.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. One Hell of a Plane their Crews!By David D. LawsonIf one wants to learn a lot about the B-17 Bomber and its role in WWII. Then this is the book to go to. The writing is sharp and the illustrations are a plentiful. All I can say is that the guys who flew these planes into Harms Way must of had balls of solid brass!0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. More Technical than MostBy John MatlockThis book is a welcome addition to the information available on the B-17. So many of the book on the B-17 spend all their time describing the missions they flew. This one gives a lot more information about its development. It talks some about the missions; but that's a relatively minor part of the book. The last part of the book then is a reprint of some of the manuals given to the crew members during the war. Each position had a well defined role to play and it was interesting to see how closely this was defined.
