5 comments about The Stolen Years.

1. If you don't read any other book on the Holocaust, don't miss this one. There are short chapters, which are a blessing, because you need to pause every few chapters to digest what you read, recover your wits, and return to read again.
   
   If I could meet Ms. Zyskind, I would hug her and thank her for sharing the memories of her life before the war and atrocities she and her fellow survivors went through. It made me think about the survivors I've known in my life with a different understanding. Thanks to Ms. Zyskind, anyone who reads and shares this book will never forget.



2. When I first picked up this book for a book report I thought okay, whatever but when I started reading this book I really got into it. It was really hard to imagine that there were actually people that could do things like that to people. I literally cried at the begining and end of the book. I could almost see her family write before my eyes. I definetly suggest that you read this book of a young girl and her trials as her teenage life evaporates before her. On another note if you read this book then I suggested that you buy a box of tissues and keep them with you whenever you read it.



3. Stolen Years is a moving, captivating and unsettling novel. It is the story of survival during the holocaust, written first hand by Sara Zyskind, then Sara Plager. Her words are powerful, and the story almost unbelievable. IT's something you have to experience for yourself.



4. Stolen Years is a fabulous story about a young woman during the holocaust. She had lead a very priviliged life, her father as a talit maker... and her mother as loving and caring as any could be. This is her account of life in the Ghetto, which she lost many loved ones, and later on in Auschwitz. This shows the many pains and hardships of Jews during the Holocaust. I am fascinated by the Holocaust, because no matter how many memoirs, and novels I read about this topic, I can never quite grasp what really happened. I am a minority, so I try my very best to read novels about slavery, the holocaust and similar topics. Let the truth be told! No matter how many books read about such things, you should NEVER stop reading them... you cannot cover up history, and expect any change. Let us open our eyes to what happened... and never do it again.

   What took place in the Holocaust was WRONG... and I thank all of those people with enough courage and strength to tell the world about it. Thank you, and bless your heart!




5. This is one of the very best Holocaust books I have ever read. It took you through almost all aspects of the Holocaust. It was heart-wrenching, graphic and compelling. A truly lost treasure of the Holocaust. I wish that it was a well-known and often read book for the Holocaust.

3 comments about Johnny Kling: A Baseball Biography.

1. Kling was one of the top catchers of the deadball era, but Bogen pushes how important he was to the Cubs beyond anything reasonable. He continually writes that any game the Cubs lost was due to Kling's absence, and that any success was due solely to Kling's great catching, batting, and running of the game (forget team captain/manager Chance calling plays from First Base). This attitude gets overheated frequently. Bogen says that Chicago sorely missed Kling while he was out eight days for his father's funeral in 1906. A check reveals that the Cubs won all six games they played in Kling's absence. He blames Frank Chance for the 1-0 loss on April 18, 1907, due to the centerfielder's error. Why is the loss Chance's fault? Because he rested Kling that day.
   
   Bogen blasts Chance continually. Chance purposely keeps Kling from catching 100 games in 1908 out of spite for his (perennial) early season holdout. He gives no credit to Pat Moran, the backup, for also being a premier catcher in this era, nor to Chance for wanting to rest Kling a little late in a season the Cubs won the pennant by 20 games. BTW, the Cubs were 6-1 during the period of Bogen's chart with Moran behind the plate, and 5-2 with Kling.
   
   Bogen repeatedly states that Cubs owner Murphy deliberately "ruined" Kling's chance to open a successful pool hall in Cincinnati by refusing to trade him. Kling's business interests seemingly should be more important to the Cubs than winning a pennant, since Bogen repeatedly tells us that the Cubs could hardly win a game with Kling, much less a pennant, but that Murphy "unfairly" kept him in Chicago. Bogen wants it both ways.
   
   This book makes me think Kling shared that all-for-me attitude, making it less a wonder why he was not popular among his own teammates. Yet Bogen claims several times that only bad PR (such as a reporter calling Kling a "truant" after he tended his KC pool hall in 1909 rather than playing for the Cubs- what else should he be called?) and his religion kept Kling out of the HOF. After reading this book, I like Kling less than I did before, and that is probably not fair.
   
   Despite writing two books about the period, Gil Bogen doesn't seem to know the players of the period - he spells Delahanty and McQuillan, with "e"s instead of "a"s, and inserts unwanted "e"s in Mike "Kelley", and "Leache". When an "e" is called for in Mike Mowrey, he omits it. He doesn't seem to realize that "Koney" was just a nickname for Ed Konetchy, rather than his name. He doesn't know the rules, saying that Kling got an "assist" when he tagged out a runner. He gets the date of Kling's dramatic (and only) home run in 1907 wrong, and then misses pointing out why it was so dramatic, a spot where lauding Kling would be expected.
   
   Just a couple very short examples of poor writing. Bogen begins paragraphs with sentences such as these: "It's now time for the World Series." "The season moved forward." "Game One began." Kling is called a "potent factor" to the Cubs' 1907 hopes twice within five lines of text.
   
   Poor writing style, unreliable factual research, a pushy, relentless overstatement of Kling's rightfully considerable merits, and one-sidedness in all stories. Thank goodness for the new bio of Kling's battery mate, Three Finger Brown, which is everything this book should have been.



2. As to being Researched? The names were listed under Cling, not Kling. John Cling, born in Ohio, age six, is listed in the 1880 census, used by the author, but not mentioned in the book. Gear's letter in stated Fast horse, not a RACE Horse, he should have researched Gambling and transportion in the State of MO in 1907, Kling's parent's deaths were both listed in the KC Times and KC Journal, plus the days between their death's and funeral's, and being buried in KCMO at Union Cemetery. As to being Jewish?. The KCFD records only went back to 1912, why didn't the book pointed this out, their Historian told the author this. The listing as to the Jewish books and authors used in this book seems to have major problems as to facts, for more than 43 years, a few never knew the Kling name, it's listed as his real name being John Kline! as to one other written in 1965, four years before, Mr. Lee Allen had checked in 1969 as to Johnny being really jewish with his wife Lillian, why didn't the author show Mr. Allen's reply back to her on Feb 18,1965, thanking her for straighting out the mess at the HOF and that he's was taking her information to Roy Silver in NY so he could make corrections within the Jewish records. I will also point out the author failed to mention the 1970s phone call made by Mr, Joe Siegman with the International Jewish HOF to Mr. Jocobson, Johnny's jewish son in-law, who also stated that Lillian was Jewish, Johnny wasn't. As to a few of the credits listed in the book? Seems some are non existence, including at the HOF and KCMO. the Public library. The May, 2000, Frank Kling letter in the book, as to it's contents has changed, from the one sent to the HOF in 2003 to be put into Kling's Files also. The 92 year old lady, Mrs. Allen's conversation with author, I can't believe, her mother didn't tell her that her own father in-law was Jewish, Bennie Allen. The author's research should have found the facts, that two of Johnny's sister's son's were also World Champions, making them also Jewish Star's, Carl Schutte and Bennie Allen. So the book's use of calling John in 1909 based on a reported fire, a liar in so many words, Plus, Lillian later in the Book as a questionable liar, Then supported by their own Johnny on the spot,Chicago grandson, who's own mother was baptisted, Lutheran, years before he was born, is a disgrace. The hold out issue was covered in 1910 thru the media, why is this Great man's name in baseball, still being targeted andused for decades, by fiction writers? So I'd say, this book contains a lot more than the smelling of Fresh bread for starters, Plus lack's Major key area's of research, before it's being considered a Biography , The finding of Johnny being Jewish might be rewarding to a few under the age of 12,once again? At least it was in the 1963 in jewish fun stamp history book for kids, but even they were told his Real name was KLINE.



3. 
   In Johnny Kling, a Baseball Biography, Gil Bogen has written an important book. It is sure to turn on its head everything, the smart guys thought they knew about Johnny Kling.
   
   The book's aim is to restore Johnny Kling to his place among the baseball greats and to open the door to the HOF to this neglected and forgotten star.
   
   Some of the conclusion this books reaches will shake up the baseball world.
   
   It will refuel the debates about whether Kling was or was not the first great Jewish baseball star.
   
   The undeniable fact is that when Kling played and lived, he was thought to a Jew.
   
   Only after his death did this aspect of the man's life come under question. Surprisingly, Johnny's wife was the one who denied his Jewish background in a series of baffling letters throughout a long period of time.
   
   
   This new, compelling biography will raise new questions about why Johnny's wife, Lillian, wrote the contradictory and mysterious letters that denied him his Jewish background.
   
   Before this book, only a few, mostly in private letters, have dared to questioned Lillian on those letters, or have tried to explain or reconcile her motivations. Most have taken her letters at face value, even though they were obviously contradictory, and contained questionable statements.
   
   The writer explains those curiosities of so long ago that changed baseball history for Johnny Kling but did nothing to help his wife achieve her goal of getting Johnny in baseball's Hall of Fame.
   
   Along the way, Bogen points out that Kling has gotten a raw deal from baseball historians about the year he supposedly held out.
   
   He tells how the incident has been distorted and falsified since then.
   
   Perhaps most revealingly, he points out that this event caused ill feelings with his fellow teammates and other baseball people. How it caused Frank Chance not to trust Kling and to blame him for their Cubs' failure to win the World Series against the A's.
   
   He also points out that Kling caused bad feelings, again, among baseball people when he allowed blacks to attend Kansas City Blues games in the 1930's. After the Yankees bought the club from Johnny, they reinstated to old discriminatory policy to excluded blacks from the games.
   
   
   Bogen hints that Kling's open door policy riled up the KKK in Kansas City, and certainly implies that they may have burned down one of Johnny's property, the Dickinson Theater, about two weeks after the policy was in place. Apparently, this incident was not thoroughly investigated at the time.
   
   On a hopeful note, He concludes, "If that ain't great, what is? And if that doesn't entitle him to entry into the Hall of Fame, what will?"
   
   One hopes that this book finally opens the doors to the HOF for this important and great player.
   

No comments about Moses Mendelssohn: A Biographical Study (Littman Library of Jewish Civilization).

5 comments about Times of My Life and My Life with the Times.

1. I enjoyed the Max Frankel story on many levels. The story of the family escape from Nazi Germany was riviting and worthing of an entire book. The balance of the book was not riviting, but was nevertheless interesting and entertaining. I might not have finised the book except that it is exceptionally well written (I guess that that should not be a surprise considering the source!). In many places in reads all most like poetry. Word choices were very excellent without getting cute.



2. This book begins in Germany, where the author was born in 1930. The account of how he and his parents got out of Hitler's grasp is vivid and breathtaking, and alone is worth the price of the book. Then his account of growing up in New York, his education in high school and college, and how he became connected with the New York Times is of sustaining interest, as is his account of his career there. I thought it equally as good as Katherine Graham's Pulitzer-prize-winning account of her career, and all it told of the Washington Post.



3. The first part of the book dealing with the author and his mother's travails in pre-WWII Germany in Weissenfels was absolutely the best part of the book. (And, this was unexpected as I bought the book to read about the editor of my favorite newspaper.) The author puts a human face to his German friends, neighbors, towns people, local officials, and even the Nazi that finally gave the exit visa to Frau Frankel and her son, Max. Even after the war and the Holocaust, Frankel admits he maintained some empathy with the ordinary German folk. I found this perspective to be refreshing and enlightening as it seemed more realistic of the German peoples and their behavior in pre-War Germany. (I do not wish to politicize my book review, please read the book to get your own opinion on this matter-- although one does have to remember Frankel's experiences were that of a young boy). In fact, most of the book was written in a honest, straight-forward manner. The authos's candor was a surprise on many topics including those of race. It is always refreshing to read an honest appraisal rather than the double talk you hear from politician-types.

   The remainder of the book amazed me that Max Frankel lived through and was involved in many of the historic events that occurred during the Cold War. Although at times Frankel seemed to explain in hindsight his prescience at events about to occur on the world stage. (As aside, you wonder why you didn't have people like him working for the CIA).

   An aspect of the book that I didn't enjoy was the author's apologetic tone in explaining his executive decisions while an editor at the NY Times. It seemed this portion of the autobiography was aimed at the co-workers and people at NY Times that Frankel had worked with.

   Definately, the parts of the book talking about the author's personal experiences, whether in Germany, Washington Heights, or the tragic illness of his wife were captivating. The rest about his career seemed routine.




4. The essential story of Mr. Frankel's extraordinary memoir has been amply described in the reviews on this site, and requires no further repetition by me. I urge everyone to read them, and of course to read the book.

   Hardly anyone can fail to be moved by the prelude to his story, his family's escape from the Nazis. Mr. Frankel's mother perhaps deserves at the least a book of her own story. A remarkable woman.

   Mr Frankel's story might be of another brilliant journalist whose professional story alone is worth the telling, and it is. But for me, it is his almost brutal, scalpel-like self-dissecting to reveal to us his inner turmoil in meeting challenges of his life-style and career that riveted me to the book.

   Early in life, he tells us, he learned to always prepare an escape route, another way out. Repeatedly, he recounts many brushes with conflict where he seemed to side-step adversity, to protect himself from pain, to indeed take another way out. Courageous and wise, or cowardly and untrustworthy as a human being? He so presents himself to us for our judgement. He accurately points out how news media (persons) suffer the worst of narcissist sensitity at criticism, yet he stands up bravely, I think, lead on by his personal and professional vision while living in a fish bowl.

   How many of us as private people, or world renown persons could stand so tall? I thank Mr Frankel for forty years of helping to educate me, and the rest of us to boot.

   Irwin Moss, LA mooseman01@aol.com PS. Candor requires me to reveal playing tennis once with Mr. Frankel at Cape Cod many years ago. One learns and reveals much in a tennis game.




5. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. As an avid reader of the New York Times, it provided a fantastic behind-the-scenes look at how some of the major events of the 20th Century were captured and recorded in the "Newspaper of record." Not only was it a fabulous account of NYT, Max Frankel's personal account of his life read like a novel--I couldn't wait to find out what happened next. If you appreciate current events, the media, and history--you'll love this book.

4 comments about Hidden in France : A Boy's Journey under the Nazi Occupation.

1. Not a typical survivor book filled with hate, but more an accounting of the many good people who step up in horrific situations. An easy entertaining read, the chapters seem to flow, hard to put down until finished. Very easy to get involved and caught up in the events that happened. The author has a good memory for details of a traumatic time in his and the world's life.



2. Simon Jeruchim, the author of this memoir,was twelve years old when his secure world came to an end. With amazing recall,he relates how he came to hide in a small hamlet in Normandy. He worked on a farm, a harsh life for a small Parisian boy. Hardest of all was not knowing about his parents and small brother. He went dutifully to church and hid his identity from everyone. By nature optimist, he was looking forward to the end of the war and reunion with his family. He was reunited with his brother and sister, but his parents did not survive, unfortunately. This book is a beautiful example of a boy's courage and determination to stay alive.



3. this book was given to me as gift. i have a deep interest in matters pertaining to the holocust, and i was told that the book held a different perspective from other publications regarding the nazi era. and it surely did.....the author made no attempt to judge the nazi and the french in that era. all he did was relate this fascinating story, and i drew my own conclusions.

   the book traces his journey, as a parentless jewish boy,keeping a step ahead of the nazi and french, and extermination..a brave human being. . mr. jeruchim is a talented artist, as evidenced by the wonderful pictures which he drew, and are included in the book.

   ...




4. Simon Jeruchim takes you into the horrible world of escaping and hiding from french collaboraters and the Nazis during the second world war. His narrative is so compelling that you practically relive his day to day existence. His recount of the compassionate gentile families who hid him and his siblings is written staight from his heart.

No comments about Living On: Portraits of Tennessee Survivors and Liberators.

No comments about Perspectives on Maimonides: Philosophical and Historical Studies (Littman Library of Jewish Civilization).

No comments about Literary Companion Series - Night (hardcover edition) (Literary Companion Series).

1 comments about Promises to Keep.

1. The best written account of life during the Holocaust and in the death camps that I have ever read. Tells his story in great detail and many times I felt as though I was expriencing the horrors with Ernest and his friends. This book ranks right up there with Night by Elie Weisel. Ernest Michel is a role model that everyone can learn from. We are very lucky that he was able to escape and tell his story.

No comments about In Her Father's Eyes: A Childhood Extinguished by the Holocaust.