Forgotten Voices of The Holocaust: True Stories of Survival From Men, Women and Children Who Were There [Paperback]

A book that needs reading however distressing it maybe. Not a topic that everyone immediately finds appealing but very interesting none the less. Firsthand accounts of pre, mid and post holocaust from everyday people who lived during some of the most horrific times of the 20th century. A well collaborated and historically useful book especially as time passes We are rapidly losing the generations who can recount what happened during the holocaust, and this terrible episode in history should never be forgotten.

There is little that I can add that other reviewers have not already said. It is not possible to understand what drove the Nazis to do such terrible things, but this book gives those who suffered at their hands a voice. It does not make for easy reading. It made me cry more then once and I did feel a lasting impact from it. It is crucial to learn about the holocaust, however, since with the world being as it is, it is not unfesible that history will repeat itself.

This book has had such an effect on me. It is sad, harrowing, horrifying, and, worst of all, TRUE!! I just can't begin to imagine how it must have been for these poor people, who were persecuted, degraded, humiliated and executed and all by other 'human' beings. We like to think of ourselves as so clever, so superior, and that we are good people. Not so. Although we know some of what happened in these concentration camps, and we know how the Jews and other ethnic minorities sufferred, we like to sweep it under the carpet. It's in the past. It's history. It's over. Well, it may be in the past, but it will never be over. It is an indelible stain on the face of humanity, and how anyone can try to deny it ever happened is beyond me. Read these eye-witness accounts of what happened. There is no way that these atrocities can ever be denied. I just find it utterly incomprehensible that anyone survived the holocaust, let alone went on to lead their lives, marry, have children. How they managed to triumph over such adversity defies belief. Their spirit and will to live was incredible. It's not like this happened centuries ago. It was 12 years before I was born. When I look at it like that, it is so scary that these things could happen in our 'enlightened' society. And for what? What was the reason for these appalling acts on these victims? It makes me angry, and very, very sad. We must never, ever forget what happened to these people, and how they sufferred. Their voices must never be stilled. When they are all gone, this book and others like it must be read by all, so that nothing is lost. Prejudice and hatred still exist in the world, and acts of extreme violence are committed daily somewhere, but we must never accept this as the norm. No person has the right, and should never have the power, to decide the fate of others. No person should be able to take everything that is human, decent, kind, away from others, and no one should EVER cause human sufferring to others, as was caused in the holocaust. I am ashamed to admit that I never really gave much thought to the World Wars, and I knew practically nothing about the scale of the sufferring. Now, I do know. I will never forget that all those involved gave everything, and paid a terrible price. I firmly believe that this book should be on the national curriculum so that each and every one of us knows what happened, and so that we can learn, and ensure that it never happens again. I just feel so humble reading this book, and so grateful for all the things that I have and take for granted. I just can't believe that these things happened, that the world knew, and it was allowed to continue. I feel ashamed, and so very sorry. Not an enjoyable read, but a necessary one, I think.