Alex Kershaw

The back cover proclaims that the hero of this book, and of real life events, saved more people that Schindler. By the time you have finished the book you realise that this is an understatement. Raoul Wallenberg was a Swedish diplomat who, under his own steam, took to Hungary near the end of WWII to do something to stop or slow the massacring of the Jewish people. Unable to bear witness any longer to such death under the eyes of an apathetic international community, he negotiated funds from show more his government and an 'anything goes' game plan to head to Budapest to beg, steal, borrow or bribe his way into getting Jews released.

His plan was as follows: create a pass with coats of arms, stamps and signatures galore, to which the gestapo would bow down to in their need to obey officialdom. The pass gave the holder of it residency and therefore protection by Sweden, who were neutral in the war. Distribute these passes to any Jewish person who had any tie to Sweden whatsoever (and later, just any Jewish person). These new Swedish citizens did not fall under Germany's criteria for Jews who could be deported, and so were safe. Wallenberg was to open up 'safe houses' where they lived, and assist in food and transportation out of Hungary and away from the Reich's rule. Wallenberg cultivated official relations with senior gestapo leaders, in his meetings he advocated for the protection of 'his people' (the new Swedes), and in doing so risked death and worse many times.

He would show up where people were being rounded up, and call out some common Jewish names as if he had specific people in mind. Those who came forward were declared Swedish citizens in a hastily prepared document and in some cases were pulled from the trains just in time. He would have his colleagues secret food to the doomed he was unable to help, and in general showed compassion, resourcefulness and a willingness to break laws and rules in a time when the allies were hamstrung by following them.

The last section of the book deals with Wallenberg's fate. He was not received well by the Soviet liberators and the direct dealings he had with the Germans were to come back to haunt him. ****spoilers****
Wallenberg was taken prisoner accused of being a German collaborator. He was never officially charged and his fate, beyond that of being a Russian prisoner of war, remains unknown. The Soviets simply could not see why someone would take that much risk for personal gain that was limited to the satisfaction of helping those in dire need. The Swedish government was paralysed by its neutrality and refused to fight for his release. What a terrible destiny for such a hero. Another sad book in which the actions of a kind and brave man go unrewarded. show less

In 1940 Germany seemed unstoppable as it rolled over its neighbors. American ambassador to England Joseph Kennedy (father of JFK) was outspoken in his belief that England would not last long, and urged Churchill and seek peace terms and FDR to keep out of the conflict. But while FDR declared American neutrality, a few pilots clandestinely made their way to England to volunteer their services in Britain's Royal Air Force (RAF). They risked not only the law, which made it illegal to serve in show more the armed forces of other nations, but also their lives in flying against accomplished German Messerschmitt pilots. And while cheating the Grim Reaper was fun while it lasted, most of them gave their lives for the cause they made their own.

This is a wonderfully inspirational history of the American pilots who flew for the RAF. But author Alex Kershaw adds depth by including not only the American experience but also the accounts of the British and German pilots. He presents the men as they were - not always brave and seldom fearless - but as heroes who helped turn the tide. Eventually the American government turned a blind eye and quietly "allowed" Americans to serve in "Eagle Squadrons," but those few who broke the law for a higher cause get the star treatment here. And Kershaw's account of the Battle of Britain is especially exciting as Hurricanes, Spitfires, and Messerschmitts tangle in the skies. I listened to the audio book, and while reader Scott Brick does an admirable job he often sounds a bit too dramatic in his reading. Additionally, I think reading the print version of this book would be a little easier to keep individuals separated in my mind. But I'm impressed with Kershaw's ability to tell a story and will certainly look for his other books (I've had The Longest Winter on my shelf unread for too long already). show less

Kershaw ably depicts the terror and struggle of the Second World War through the eyes of Felix Sparks, an officer with the 45th Division (The Thunderbirds) composed of men from the southwest. A poor boy from a depression mining town in Arizona, Sparks enlisted in the 30s, thrived in the army, and then was recalled as an officer for the war.

To paraphrase Sparks, getting promoted in the infantry is easy, all you need to do is survive. Now, surviving is the hard part. The 45th landed at show more Sicily, Salerno, the meatgrinder of Anzio where Sparks' company was ruthlessly destroyed in the Battle of the Caverns. They were reconstituted, and sent through the forgotten campaigns of the war-the invasion of the South of France, and another brutal mini-Battle of the Bulge in the Vosges Mountain, where his regiment was surrounded and destroyed by the SS. Rebuilt again, Sparks fought through Germany to liberate the Dachau concentration camp, where he personally intervened to prevent a massacre of SS prisoners. Sparks' principles got him in trouble with his commanders. He survived, had a distinguished career as a lawyer in Colorado, and spent his final years fighting gun violence.

I have some quibbles, like why would any World War 2 writer try to excuse even normal military operations of the Waffen-SS by the phrase 'they were just following orders', but this is an a great biography that reveals some corners of the war you won't see on the History Channel. show less

This book should be given careful consideration as the worst WW2 history ever published, vanity presses included. Poorly organized, poorly written, abysmally edited and fact checked, it is an ill constructed mix of an illiterate popular history of WW2 for the Western powers, a personal history of a very interesting officer and a history of a hard fighting division that never got its fair share of attention. Let us take p.121 as example. The following sentence is from the book: "Fifty Army GI show more comforts badly wounded comrade on the first day of the Allied break-out from Anzio, Mary 23,1943."
The US Army in question is the Fifth. If its number were 50 the correct word would be Fiftieth. Mary is not a name for a month. The month is May. To complete the farce the year is 1944 not 1943 as otherwise the troops used time travel to break-out over half a year before the actual landings took place. This is pathetic and typical of the book. Metz is asserted to be in 'the Alsace'. Metz is in Lorraine NOT Alsace. Alsace is not referred to in English as 'the Alsace'. The sad part is that buried in this piece of hack work is an interesting story of a man and a division that has received less attention than they deserve. US books on WW2 in Europe tend to emphasize Bradley's army group. Hopefully someday a competent writer will revisit this. As is I only finished this piece of trash because when I am given a reviewer's copy I feel a moral duty to read to the end and write the review. show less