Description: German Boy by Wolfgang W.E. Samuel, Stephen E. Ambrose What was the experience of war for a child in bombed and ravaged Germany? In this memoir, the voice of innocence is heard. In this gripping account, a boy and his mother are wrenched from their tranquil lives to forge a path through the storm of war and the rubble of its aftermath. FORMAT Hardcover LANGUAGE English CONDITION Brand New Publisher Description What was the experience of war for a child in bombed and ravaged Germany? In this memoir, the voice of innocence is heard.""This is great stuff,"" exclaims Stephen E. Ambrose.""I love this book.""In this gripping account, a boy and his mother are wrenched from their tranquil lives to forge a path through the storm of war and the rubble of its aftermath. In the past there has been a spectrum of books and films that share other German World War II experiences. However, told from the perspective of a ten-year-old, this book is rare. The boy and his mother must prevail over hunger and despair, or die.In the Third Reich, young Wolfgang Samuel and his family are content but alone. The father, a Luftwaffe officer, is away fighting the Allies in the West. In 1945 as Berlin and nearby communities crumble, young Wolfgang, his mother Hedy, and little sister Ingrid flee the advancing Russian army. They have no inkling of the chaos ahead. In Strasburg, a small town north of Berlin where they find refuge, Wolfgang begins to comprehend the evils the Nazi regime brought to Germany. As the Reich collapses, mother, son, and daughter flee again just ahead of the Russian charge.In the chaos of defeat they struggle to find food and shelter. Death stalks the primitive camps that are their temporary havens, and the child becomes the family provider. Under the crushing responsibility, Wolfgang becomes his mothers and sisters mainstay. When they return to Strasburg, the Communists in control are as brutal as the Nazis. In the violent atmosphere of arbitrary arrest, rape, hunger, and fear, the boy and his mother persist. Pursued by Communist police through a fierce blizzard, they escape to the West, but even in the English zone, the constant search for food, warmth, and shelter dominates their lives, and the mothers sacrifices become the boys nightmares.Although this is a time of deepest despair, Wolfgang hangs on to the thinnest thread of hope. In June 1948 with the arrival of the Americans flying the Berlin Airlift, Wolfgang begins a new journey. Flap A refugee childs witness to Nazi defeat, Soviet occupation, and his familys debacle in war Author Biography Wolfgang W. E. Samuel was commissioned through the Air Force ROTC at the University of Colorado and is a graduate of the National War College. He served in the U.S. Air Force for thirty years until his retirement in 1985 as a colonel. His writing has been published in several military journals, including Parameters, the U.S. Army War College quarterly. Review A compelling memoir of what it was like to become a refugee overnight and to remain one for six years. . . . German Boy [embodies] the ever-recurring historical truth that the innocent usually pay for the sins committed by others.-- "New York Times Book Review"We get a compelling childs-eye view of the European conflict in German Boy. . . .Wolfgang W. E. Samuel, an immigrant to the United States, was a child in Nazi Germany. Samuel recounts how the war cast his family out of their home and tells of the many hardships it exacted afterward. Samuels aunt and cousin were raped, and his mother prostituted herself to keep Samuel and his sister alive. . . .Throughout his narrative, Samuel exhibits a remarkable fidelity to the perceptions and voice of his younger self. As a child, he asks questions about the war that adults have difficulty answering. He forces them to examine their prejudices and rationalizations and look at the war for what it is. . . .German Boy is also a testament to human adaptability and the survival instinct.-- "Washington Post Book World" Long Description What was the experience of war for a child in bombed and ravaged Germany? In this memoir, the voice of innocence is heard. ?This is great stuff,? exclaims Stephen E. Ambrose. ?I love this book.? In this gripping account, a boy and his mother are wrenched from their tranquil lives to forge a path through the storm of war and the rubble of its aftermath. In the past there has been a spectrum of books and films that share other German World War II experiences. However, told from the perspective of a ten-year-old, this book is rare. The boy and his mother must prevail over hunger and despair, or die. In the Third Reich, young Wolfgang Samuel and his family are content but alone. The father, a Luftwaffe officer, is away fighting the Allies in the West. In 1945 as Berlin and nearby communities crumble, young Wolfgang, his mother Hedy, and little sister Ingrid flee the advancing Russian army. They have no inkling of the chaos ahead. In Strasburg, a small town north of Berlin where they find refuge, Wolfgang begins to comprehend the evils the Nazi regime brought to Germany. As the Reich collapses, mother, son, and daughter flee again just ahead of the Russian charge. In the chaos of defeat they struggle to find food and shelter. Death stalks the primitive camps that are their temporary havens, and the child becomes the family provider. Under the crushing responsibility, Wolfgang becomes his mother?s and sister?s mainstay. When they return to Strasburg, the Communists in control are as brutal as the Nazis. In the violent atmosphere of arbitrary arrest, rape, hunger, and fear, the boy and his mother persist. Pursued by Communist police through a fierce blizzard, they escape to the West, but even in the English zone, the constant search for food, warmth, and shelter dominates their lives, and the mother?s sacrifices become the boy?s nightmares. Although this is a time of deepest despair, Wolfgang hangs on to the thinnest thread of hope. In June 1948 with the arrival of the Americans flying the Berlin Airlift, Wolfgang begins a new journey. Review Quote We get a compelling childs-eye view of the European conflict in German Boy . . . .Wolfgang W. E. Samuel, an immigrant to the United States, was a child in Nazi Germany. Samuel recounts how the war cast his family out of their home and tells of the many hardships it exacted afterward. Samuels aunt and cousin were raped, and his mother prostituted herself to keep Samuel and his sister alive. . . .Throughout his narrative, Samuel exhibits a remarkable fidelity to the perceptions and voice of his younger self. As a child, he asks questions about the war that adults have difficulty answering. He forces them to examine their prejudices and rationalizations and look at the war for what it is. . . . German Boy is also a testament to human adaptability and the survival instinct.Washington Post Book World Promotional "Headline" A refugee child?s witness to Nazi defeat, Soviet occupation, and his family?s debacle in war Details ISBN1578062748 Author Stephen E. Ambrose Publisher University Press of Mississippi Series Willie Morris Books in Memoir and Biography Language English ISBN-10 1578062748 ISBN-13 9781578062744 Media Book Format Hardcover Illustrations Yes Year 2000 Residence VA, US Imprint University Press of Mississippi Country of Publication United States Short Title GERMAN BOY NEW/E DEWEY B Place of Publication Jackson DOI 10.1604/9781578062744 UK Release Date 2000-08-01 AU Release Date 2012-06-07 NZ Release Date 2012-06-07 Pages 277 Publication Date 2000-08-30 Subtitle A Refugees Story Audience Professional & Vocational US Release Date 2000-08-30 We've got this At The Nile, if you're looking for it, we've got it. With fast shipping, low prices, friendly service and well over a million items - you're bound to find what you want, at a price you'll love! TheNile_Item_ID:130414417;
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ISBN-13: 9781578062744
Book Title: German Boy: a Refugee's Story
Item Height: 229mm
Item Width: 152mm
Author: Wolfgang W. E. Samuel
Format: Hardcover
Language: English
Topic: History
Publisher: University Press of Mississippi
Publication Year: 2012
Type: Textbook
Genre: Biographies & True Stories
Number of Pages: 277 Pages