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Defiance: The Bielski Partisans
The prevailing image of European Jews during the Holocaust years is one of helpless victims under a death sentence, unable to fight consignment to the ghettos, to the camps, and to the gas chambers. In fact, many Jews struggled alone or with others against the terrors of the Third Reich,
risking their lives against overwhelming odds for the slimmest chance of survival, or a mere glimpse of freedom. In Defiance , Nechama Tec offers a riveting history of one such group, a forest community in western Belorussia that would number more than 1,200 Jews by 1944--the largest armed rescue
operation of Jews by Jews in World War II.
Describing the entire partisan movement in the region, Tec shows that while most forest fighters in Belorussia were rifle-carrying young men, the members of this extraordinary community included both men and women, some with weapons but mostly unarmed, ranging from infants to the elderly. She
reconstructs for the first time the amazing details of how these partisans and their families--hungry, exposed to the harsh winter weather, always on the lookout for German patrols--managed not only to survive, but to offer protection to all Jewish fugitives who could find their way to them. Driven
by courage born out of despair, they dug wells, set up workshops to repair guns, made clothes, and resoled shoes, supplied services to other guerilla units, and even established a makeshift hospital and school in the forest. Arguing that this success would have been unthinkable without the vision of
one man, Tec offers penetrating insight into the group's commander, Tuvia Bielski, and his journey from his life as the son of the only Jewish peasant family in an isolated rural village to his emergence as a leader possessing the charisma and courage to command under all but impossible
circumstances.
Tec brings to light the untold story of Bielski's struggle as a partisan who lost his parents, wife, and two brothers to the Nazis, yet never wavered in his conviction that it was more important to save one Jew than to kill twenty Germans. She shows how, under Bielski's guidance, the partisans
smuggled Jews out of heavily guarded ghettos, scouted the roads for fugitives, and led retaliatory raids against Belorussian peasants who collaborated with the Nazis against their former Jewish neighbors. Refusing to turn away the weak or the old for the sake of the survival of the larger group,
Bielski would warn new arrivals to the forest, "Life is difficult, we are in danger all the time, but if we perish, if we die, we die like human beings."
A scholar, a writer, and herself a Holocaust survivor, author Nechama Techas devoted the last two decades to studying the fate of European Jewry, recording rare but vital examples of human compassion, resistance, altruism and heroism in the face of overwhelming horror and despair. Drawing on
wide-ranging research and never before published interviews with surviving partisans--including Tuvia Bielski himself two weeks before his death in 1987--she reconstructs here the poignant and unforgettable story of those who chose to fight.
risking their lives against overwhelming odds for the slimmest chance of survival, or a mere glimpse of freedom. In Defiance , Nechama Tec offers a riveting history of one such group, a forest community in western Belorussia that would number more than 1,200 Jews by 1944--the largest armed rescue
operation of Jews by Jews in World War II.
Describing the entire partisan movement in the region, Tec shows that while most forest fighters in Belorussia were rifle-carrying young men, the members of this extraordinary community included both men and women, some with weapons but mostly unarmed, ranging from infants to the elderly. She
reconstructs for the first time the amazing details of how these partisans and their families--hungry, exposed to the harsh winter weather, always on the lookout for German patrols--managed not only to survive, but to offer protection to all Jewish fugitives who could find their way to them. Driven
by courage born out of despair, they dug wells, set up workshops to repair guns, made clothes, and resoled shoes, supplied services to other guerilla units, and even established a makeshift hospital and school in the forest. Arguing that this success would have been unthinkable without the vision of
one man, Tec offers penetrating insight into the group's commander, Tuvia Bielski, and his journey from his life as the son of the only Jewish peasant family in an isolated rural village to his emergence as a leader possessing the charisma and courage to command under all but impossible
circumstances.
Tec brings to light the untold story of Bielski's struggle as a partisan who lost his parents, wife, and two brothers to the Nazis, yet never wavered in his conviction that it was more important to save one Jew than to kill twenty Germans. She shows how, under Bielski's guidance, the partisans
smuggled Jews out of heavily guarded ghettos, scouted the roads for fugitives, and led retaliatory raids against Belorussian peasants who collaborated with the Nazis against their former Jewish neighbors. Refusing to turn away the weak or the old for the sake of the survival of the larger group,
Bielski would warn new arrivals to the forest, "Life is difficult, we are in danger all the time, but if we perish, if we die, we die like human beings."
A scholar, a writer, and herself a Holocaust survivor, author Nechama Techas devoted the last two decades to studying the fate of European Jewry, recording rare but vital examples of human compassion, resistance, altruism and heroism in the face of overwhelming horror and despair. Drawing on
wide-ranging research and never before published interviews with surviving partisans--including Tuvia Bielski himself two weeks before his death in 1987--she reconstructs here the poignant and unforgettable story of those who chose to fight.
304 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1993
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About the author
Nechama Tec
24Ìýbooks25ÌýfollowersNechama Tec (née Bawnik) (born 15 May 1931) is a Professor Emerita of Sociology at the University of Connecticut.[1] She received her Ph.D. in sociology at Columbia University, where she studied and worked with the sociologist Daniel Bell, and is a Holocaust scholar. Her book When Light Pierced the Darkness (1986) and her memoir Dry Tears: The Story of a Lost Childhood (1984) both received the Merit of Distinction Award from the Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith. She is also author of the book Defiance: The Bielski Partisans on which the film Defiance (2008) is based, as well as a study of women in the Holocaust. She was awarded the 1994 International Anne Frank Special Recognition prize for it.[2]
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 282 reviews
December 3, 2019
Though I read this about twenty years ago, the impact this book had on me was profound. I think it is a critical story that should be required reading while studying the Holocaust during World War II. It highlights courageous young men, who had a profound impact on the people of their region. It lifted my spirit as I saw what seemed so insurmountable challenged and conquered!
The Hungarian, Jewish Bielski brothers and other family members along with a few friends sought refuge from Hitler's reign of terror, they decided to hide in the woods rather than risk capture. Others who also had feared the control of Hitler over their country also joined them later. Word got out that people were hiding and others came asking to join them. In essence, though not intending to do so, they started a micro-city in those woods that lasted several years. There were many close calls where others were captured while guarding the community or foraging. Strict rules were in place and very thoroughly followed to prevent any form of exposure to anyone not a part of the community. To reveal their existence was to risk the lives of all in the community. Those who temporary forgot these rules were given the death penalty.
Those surviving in this world faced so many hardships and their will to survive and fight rather than quit was amazing! I had seen the movie, "Defiance" before reading this book, the movie was very true to the book but of course, it did not capture all the nuances of that between the covers. I highly recommend experiencing both. At the war's end, there were nearly 1300 people living under the Bielski's protection! Children were born and those who were elderly were buried there. Romance in a fashion took place, one Bielski brother was quite the ladies man. There were even children conceived during their time in the community.
Here are some links about them:
Courage & Compassion - The Legacy of the Bielski Brothers Education Video by Brendon Rennert on youtube
(another Bielski Brother account that I thoroughly enjoyed)
It sounds so bizarre and counter-intuitive to say I didn't want the book to end. There were countless details I wanted to know more. What happened to those who endured this intense situation? Where are they now (of course, that question was more meaningful a few decades ago when this book was published). The video answers some of my questions but I wish there were more focus on these heroic men and their community. I have read that similar groups formed elsewhere but so much of today's books give accounts of women spies (which I have read extensively) or more about actual battle's that were waged (which are vital to understanding how the Reich was toppled). This is about having a comprehensive understanding about how real people design alternative options when their community no longer exists. It was a powerful read, please don't miss it.
The Hungarian, Jewish Bielski brothers and other family members along with a few friends sought refuge from Hitler's reign of terror, they decided to hide in the woods rather than risk capture. Others who also had feared the control of Hitler over their country also joined them later. Word got out that people were hiding and others came asking to join them. In essence, though not intending to do so, they started a micro-city in those woods that lasted several years. There were many close calls where others were captured while guarding the community or foraging. Strict rules were in place and very thoroughly followed to prevent any form of exposure to anyone not a part of the community. To reveal their existence was to risk the lives of all in the community. Those who temporary forgot these rules were given the death penalty.
Those surviving in this world faced so many hardships and their will to survive and fight rather than quit was amazing! I had seen the movie, "Defiance" before reading this book, the movie was very true to the book but of course, it did not capture all the nuances of that between the covers. I highly recommend experiencing both. At the war's end, there were nearly 1300 people living under the Bielski's protection! Children were born and those who were elderly were buried there. Romance in a fashion took place, one Bielski brother was quite the ladies man. There were even children conceived during their time in the community.
Here are some links about them:
Courage & Compassion - The Legacy of the Bielski Brothers Education Video by Brendon Rennert on youtube
(another Bielski Brother account that I thoroughly enjoyed)
It sounds so bizarre and counter-intuitive to say I didn't want the book to end. There were countless details I wanted to know more. What happened to those who endured this intense situation? Where are they now (of course, that question was more meaningful a few decades ago when this book was published). The video answers some of my questions but I wish there were more focus on these heroic men and their community. I have read that similar groups formed elsewhere but so much of today's books give accounts of women spies (which I have read extensively) or more about actual battle's that were waged (which are vital to understanding how the Reich was toppled). This is about having a comprehensive understanding about how real people design alternative options when their community no longer exists. It was a powerful read, please don't miss it.
February 15, 2009
'Defiance' just made it to the NY Times paperback best seller list even tho it came out more than 15 years ago. The reason for its popularity now, of course, is that the film has been released and has created interest in the story and in Nechama Tec's book.
That's why I read it. After seeing the film, I wanted to know more about the Bielski brothers/partisans and what really happened in the forest. As I suspected, the film does not do justice to the book, or, even more important, to what actually happened. But give the movie credit for stirring interest in these events.
Tec's portrayal is of a group of Jews (The Bielksi Partisans) in Belorussiain WWII who lived in the forest, seeking to escape the German slaughters. The story is truly inspiring and shows a different view than the one most often portrayed of helpless Jewish victims, unable, unwilling to fight the terrors of the Third Reich.
Tec, a scholar and a Holocaust survivor herself, focuses on Tuvia Bielski, an unlikely leader who eventually leads 1200 Jews to safety. The book tells the story of this truly amazing individual and describes how these Jews survived in the forest, how this group of refugees formed a community, how they lived, and how and why they were the most successful and largest group of partisans to make it to safety.
It's an inspiring story, unevenly written and told and one that stillleft me wanting to know more than Tec was able to portray.
But this story deserves to be heard. Tuvia Bielski and his brothers deserve a more prominent place in Jewish history than they have received. Tuvia was never truly recognized for his heroic efforts (other than by those he saved) and the remainder of his life, in Israel and the US, was apparently sad and without the honors that should have been bestowed upon him.
Hopefully this story and Tuvia and his brothers will now receive the recognition they deserve.
That's why I read it. After seeing the film, I wanted to know more about the Bielski brothers/partisans and what really happened in the forest. As I suspected, the film does not do justice to the book, or, even more important, to what actually happened. But give the movie credit for stirring interest in these events.
Tec's portrayal is of a group of Jews (The Bielksi Partisans) in Belorussiain WWII who lived in the forest, seeking to escape the German slaughters. The story is truly inspiring and shows a different view than the one most often portrayed of helpless Jewish victims, unable, unwilling to fight the terrors of the Third Reich.
Tec, a scholar and a Holocaust survivor herself, focuses on Tuvia Bielski, an unlikely leader who eventually leads 1200 Jews to safety. The book tells the story of this truly amazing individual and describes how these Jews survived in the forest, how this group of refugees formed a community, how they lived, and how and why they were the most successful and largest group of partisans to make it to safety.
It's an inspiring story, unevenly written and told and one that stillleft me wanting to know more than Tec was able to portray.
But this story deserves to be heard. Tuvia Bielski and his brothers deserve a more prominent place in Jewish history than they have received. Tuvia was never truly recognized for his heroic efforts (other than by those he saved) and the remainder of his life, in Israel and the US, was apparently sad and without the honors that should have been bestowed upon him.
Hopefully this story and Tuvia and his brothers will now receive the recognition they deserve.
September 22, 2008
There are two books about the Bielski partisan group that I know of; the other is Peter Duffy's . Both books were good but I found Tec's to be the better of the two. Her writing gave a better sense of what daily life was like in the Bielski camp, possibly because she herself was a "hidden child" Holocaust survivor. Tec was also able to interview Zus and Tuvia Bielski before their deaths, whereas Duffy didn't start writing his book until the brothers (excepting Aron, the youngest, who was only a child during World War II) were all dead.
The story is a fascinating one which deserves to be better known. The Bielski brothers are the closest thing to real-life Robin Hoods that I know of, and there ought to be a movie about them. Both books are worth reading but if you can only get one, get Defiance.
The story is a fascinating one which deserves to be better known. The Bielski brothers are the closest thing to real-life Robin Hoods that I know of, and there ought to be a movie about them. Both books are worth reading but if you can only get one, get Defiance.
October 25, 2019
From IMDb:
Jewish brothers in Nazi-occupied Eastern Europe escape into the Belarussian forests, where they join Russian resistance fighters, and endeavor to build a village, in order to protect themselves and about one thousand Jewish non-combatants.
Jewish brothers in Nazi-occupied Eastern Europe escape into the Belarussian forests, where they join Russian resistance fighters, and endeavor to build a village, in order to protect themselves and about one thousand Jewish non-combatants.
April 2, 2013
I decided to read Defiance because last year I saw the film version of it and I enjoyed the film (even though it was sad) and found the film very interesting. So I finally brought a copy of the book and read it.
I have decided to put this book into the ‘A book based on a true story category� on the bingo board, as this book is based on a true story. This book wasn’t quite what I had expected it to be. I expected it to be more of a story about what had happened in The Bielski otraid and the experiences of the Jewish people in it. This book was about what happened in The Bielski otraid and the experiences of the Jewish people in it but it was written in facts and had extracts from the interviews that the author had had with the survivors of the Bielski otraid, these facts an interviews told the story. This book was not what I had expected but I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed this book despite the horrific stories it told. I found this category interesting, I liked this category and I will continue to read more that will fit into this category in the future.
One of my favourite quotes from this book is ‘Whatever feelings of revenge he had, these took a back seat to save lives. Refusing to become a victim, rejecting the role of avenger, Tuvia Bielski concentrated on gathering Jewish Fugitives and protecting their lives�. (Tuvia was the commander of the Bielski otraid). This is one of my favourite quotes because I think it shows what a good leader Tuvia was. Tuvia was in a position where he could refuse to take on Jewish people who he didn’t like or who he thought would become a burden, but he didn’t. He would take on any Jewish people, it didn’t matter if they were old, sick or if he didn’t get along with them, he wanted to save the lives of Jewish people, any Jewish people.
From this book I learnt that sometimes it isn’t worth holding a grudge or bothering to try and get revenge. The Nazis had done horrific things to Jewish people but they didn’t use that as an excuse to go and kill and do horrific things back to the Nazis, they just moved on and got on with their lives.
This book was set is Belorussia. I thought this was an interesting setting because I did not know much about Belorussia (which I believe is also known as Belarus). I learnt a bit about the towns and the kinds of people who live there.
I have decided to put this book into the ‘A book based on a true story category� on the bingo board, as this book is based on a true story. This book wasn’t quite what I had expected it to be. I expected it to be more of a story about what had happened in The Bielski otraid and the experiences of the Jewish people in it. This book was about what happened in The Bielski otraid and the experiences of the Jewish people in it but it was written in facts and had extracts from the interviews that the author had had with the survivors of the Bielski otraid, these facts an interviews told the story. This book was not what I had expected but I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed this book despite the horrific stories it told. I found this category interesting, I liked this category and I will continue to read more that will fit into this category in the future.
One of my favourite quotes from this book is ‘Whatever feelings of revenge he had, these took a back seat to save lives. Refusing to become a victim, rejecting the role of avenger, Tuvia Bielski concentrated on gathering Jewish Fugitives and protecting their lives�. (Tuvia was the commander of the Bielski otraid). This is one of my favourite quotes because I think it shows what a good leader Tuvia was. Tuvia was in a position where he could refuse to take on Jewish people who he didn’t like or who he thought would become a burden, but he didn’t. He would take on any Jewish people, it didn’t matter if they were old, sick or if he didn’t get along with them, he wanted to save the lives of Jewish people, any Jewish people.
From this book I learnt that sometimes it isn’t worth holding a grudge or bothering to try and get revenge. The Nazis had done horrific things to Jewish people but they didn’t use that as an excuse to go and kill and do horrific things back to the Nazis, they just moved on and got on with their lives.
This book was set is Belorussia. I thought this was an interesting setting because I did not know much about Belorussia (which I believe is also known as Belarus). I learnt a bit about the towns and the kinds of people who live there.
November 16, 2016
16/11 - Finally finished. This was a difficult book to read. It was too dense to really hold my attention and all those footnotes broke up the flow of the reading, making it even harder. I had trouble taking in the information I was reading. Whenever I took a break in order to sleep or because other books took precedence due to library due dates or simple lack of interest I found that when I went back to the book I couldn't remember what had been happening except in the vaguest way - WWII was happening, the Nazis were massacring Jews and confining them to ghettos, the Bielskis were saving Jews and hiding them in the forest. Other than those basic facts, facts which I knew already from other sources, I don't feel like I learned all that much about what the Bielskis did for those they saved. What stuck in my head most was the revelation that Tuvia (the oldest brother, played by Daniel Craig in the movie, pictured on the front cover of the edition I read) wasn't perfect (not that that's all that much of a revelation as real heroes are never perfect). He had some serious faults that his wife had to turn a blind eye to in order to stay with him, faults that most of us these days couldn't imagine putting up with (I certainly wouldn't, but maybe in a situation like what the Bielski otriad suffered through I would make a different decision). The information was interesting, it's just a shame Tec couldn't have portrayed it in a way that made her book more compelling.
June 9, 2018
A different angle of Jews during World War II - many of whom survived in the forests of Belarus thanks to the Bielski brothers and other partisans who risked their lives to rescue hundreds of Jews. More than 1,200 Jews comprised a forest community surviving on scant food, clothes and supplies. Their goal was to save Jews and not necessarily kill Germans if they didn’t have to. The heroism and bravery of these partisans are amazing. The book didn’t quite do justice to bringing alive these brave souls. It felt dry and factual - reading at times more like a history book than being in the lives of the partisans experiencing their hardship, fear and drive to survive. Still, an interesting account of a community fighting for survival and many of them succeeding - a light in the otherwise darkness of Europe.
June 6, 2022
I have read numerous books about the Holocaust, but this is the best book ever about a group of Jewish survivors. Led by three brothers (most notably Tuvia Bielski), 1200 Jews survived in the forests of Belorussia. Tuvia's leadership enabled them to defend themselves and survive in an inhospitable environment. He welcomed all Jews to their group, regardless of their age or ability to help out. His mission was to save as many Jews as possible and he did. By the end of the war, they were so organized that they had a tannery, a tailoring shop, a shoemaker, a hospital, classrooms, a barber, and everything one would want to include in a thriving village. It proves that Jews were perfectly capable of standing up for themselves and choosing to live or die like human beings rather than to submit to the Nazi reign of terror. A true story of triumph and resilence.
July 30, 2020
'Comrades, this is the most beautiful day of my life because I lived to see such a big group out of the guetto!... I don't promise you anything, we may be killed while we try to live. But we will do all we can to save more lives. This is our way, we don't select, we don't eliminate the old, the children, the women. Life is difficult, we are in danger all the time, but if we perish, if we die, we die like human beings.'
April 28, 2013
A Critically Important Chronicle of True Heroes
The passivity of the Jews during the Holocaust is a hotly debated topic - why are the Jews of World War II Europe so often portrayed as being passive, even being accessories to their own extermination. Much of this argument can be put to rest in reading the about underground dairies of Emmanuel Ringelblum (the Onyeg Shabbat), the lively intellectual and artistic achievements at Terezin and elsewhere, the Warsaw Ghetto uprising, and the partisans, freedom fighters hiding in remote forests offering shelter to escaping Jews and fighting Nazi Einzatzgruppen passing through. Here, Nechama Tec, herself a hidden child during the Holocaust, describes the heroic rescue attempts by one of the larger partisan groups, one organized by the Bielski brothers in the forests of Belorussia, a group that would grow to comprise some 1,200 men, women, and children. The book covers events leading to the Nazi occupation of Eastern Europe, the Russian occupation of Belorussia under Stalin, the 1939 German invasion, the organization of the Bielski brothers, Ghetto escapes (a crime under the Nazis punishable by immediate death by shooting or hanging), the network of Partisan groups, the alternation of rescue and resistance, using one's wits and knowledge of local geography to elude the enemy, the forest community of the partisan group, the fate of women, and issues of self-preservation. Nechama Tec is a reknowned and respected Holocaust scholar, having written her memoir, "Dry Tears" Story of a Lost Childhood," along with such important works as "Every Day Lasts a Year: A Jewish Family's Correspondence from Poland," "Resilience and Courage: Women, Men, and the Holocaust," "When Light Pierced the Darkness: Christian Rescue of Jews in Nazi-Occupied Poland," "In the Lion's Den: The Life of Oswald Rufiesen," and a host of essays and articles. This book is at the top of the Recommended Reading list of the US Holocaust Memorial Museum Web site. More than anything, this is a story of desperate hope, never lost, in the most desperate times.
The passivity of the Jews during the Holocaust is a hotly debated topic - why are the Jews of World War II Europe so often portrayed as being passive, even being accessories to their own extermination. Much of this argument can be put to rest in reading the about underground dairies of Emmanuel Ringelblum (the Onyeg Shabbat), the lively intellectual and artistic achievements at Terezin and elsewhere, the Warsaw Ghetto uprising, and the partisans, freedom fighters hiding in remote forests offering shelter to escaping Jews and fighting Nazi Einzatzgruppen passing through. Here, Nechama Tec, herself a hidden child during the Holocaust, describes the heroic rescue attempts by one of the larger partisan groups, one organized by the Bielski brothers in the forests of Belorussia, a group that would grow to comprise some 1,200 men, women, and children. The book covers events leading to the Nazi occupation of Eastern Europe, the Russian occupation of Belorussia under Stalin, the 1939 German invasion, the organization of the Bielski brothers, Ghetto escapes (a crime under the Nazis punishable by immediate death by shooting or hanging), the network of Partisan groups, the alternation of rescue and resistance, using one's wits and knowledge of local geography to elude the enemy, the forest community of the partisan group, the fate of women, and issues of self-preservation. Nechama Tec is a reknowned and respected Holocaust scholar, having written her memoir, "Dry Tears" Story of a Lost Childhood," along with such important works as "Every Day Lasts a Year: A Jewish Family's Correspondence from Poland," "Resilience and Courage: Women, Men, and the Holocaust," "When Light Pierced the Darkness: Christian Rescue of Jews in Nazi-Occupied Poland," "In the Lion's Den: The Life of Oswald Rufiesen," and a host of essays and articles. This book is at the top of the Recommended Reading list of the US Holocaust Memorial Museum Web site. More than anything, this is a story of desperate hope, never lost, in the most desperate times.
October 18, 2016
The book is a gripping account of the true story of the Bielski brothers who fled the German invasion during World War II and set up a village in the forest of Belorussia. Their efforts and resourcefulness saved thousands of Jewish lives. It is fascinating to learn how the group survived living off the land and stealing from nearby farmers and peasants. But they not only survived they fought against the Nazis and they started a mission to save as many Jews from extermination as they could. I viewed the movie first (not realizing it was a book originally) and I’m glad I did because it was helpful in keeping the facts straight in the book!
Find at the Westminster Public Library!
Check out the movie at the Westminster Public Library!
This reminds me of The long walk : the true story of a trek to freedom by Slavomir Rawicz.
Find at the Westminster Public Library!
Find at the Westminster Public Library!
Check out the movie at the Westminster Public Library!
This reminds me of The long walk : the true story of a trek to freedom by Slavomir Rawicz.
Find at the Westminster Public Library!
April 2, 2009
I was excited to read this book because the introduction said it wasn't a book based on the movie. The movie was based on this book. But after four chapters I finally had to stop - it was so dry. This isn't a novel at all. I thought it was going to be a novel because on the back it says "based on the extraordinary true story..." It was like reading a documentary. The style of the book was really choppy - with stories and then quotes.
I was really disappointed because a novel based on these events (even if it used the direct quotes Tec received in her research) would be really interesting and intriguing.
------------------
"In an age when the term "hero" has been so overused as to become meaningless, the Bielskis remind us that real heroism is not the stuf of comic books. Raather, it is a set of deciions, sometimes impulsice, often made b simple men of whom notheing of the sort could ever have been expected. Their story is not simply one of courage or fortitude in the face of adversity; it includes any number of daunting moral decisions - wherther to seek vengencance or to rescue, how to re-create a sense of community among those who have lost everything, how to maintain hope when all seems forsaken."
-Edward Zwick (movie producer)
I was really disappointed because a novel based on these events (even if it used the direct quotes Tec received in her research) would be really interesting and intriguing.
------------------
"In an age when the term "hero" has been so overused as to become meaningless, the Bielskis remind us that real heroism is not the stuf of comic books. Raather, it is a set of deciions, sometimes impulsice, often made b simple men of whom notheing of the sort could ever have been expected. Their story is not simply one of courage or fortitude in the face of adversity; it includes any number of daunting moral decisions - wherther to seek vengencance or to rescue, how to re-create a sense of community among those who have lost everything, how to maintain hope when all seems forsaken."
-Edward Zwick (movie producer)
February 13, 2009
Defiance paints a very good picture of what life as a partisan was like. Tec presents the life warts and all, even presenting detail about how the locals felt about the partisans. At one level the book fails. Tec seems to be trying to paint a picture of partisan life and write a biography of Tuvia Bielski, as a biography the book fails. The reader never really gets a sense of knowing any of the Bielski brothers. The only person that readers seems to know is Chaja Bielski, possibly because of the inteviews. Despite this, the book is very good.
March 14, 2020
**4 stars**
A very informative read!
Let me preface this by saving, I added this to my TBR back in 2012 after rewatching the film Defiance which was based on this book. I loved the film, and I think that I had somehow expected the book to be like the film, where it follows mainly the lives of the brother, this was not the case.
This is a novel that explores the stories of the Bielski Partisans, particularly, how they came to join the otriad. As previously mentioned, this is not what I had expected. I had expected a story that was more about the Bielski brothers and not so much about the other partisans. However, when I started getting into the book, it makes sense why it was not done this way. Firstly, the author was only able to interview Tuvia Bielski for approximately two hours before he passed away. Therefore, most of her interviews came from the wives of the brothers and surviving partisans.
The stories of the partisans are very moving and insightful. It is incredibly moving to hear their stories of strength, bravery, courage and sacrifice. It is also amazing to see how over 1,000 people were able to create an almost fully sustainable community in the middle of the forest.
Furthermore, another interesting element of this book was reading about the Soviet Otriads and reading about their interesting makeup.
Would recommend as a read, I will probably continue. to explore the lives of the Bielski partisans.
A very informative read!
Let me preface this by saving, I added this to my TBR back in 2012 after rewatching the film Defiance which was based on this book. I loved the film, and I think that I had somehow expected the book to be like the film, where it follows mainly the lives of the brother, this was not the case.
This is a novel that explores the stories of the Bielski Partisans, particularly, how they came to join the otriad. As previously mentioned, this is not what I had expected. I had expected a story that was more about the Bielski brothers and not so much about the other partisans. However, when I started getting into the book, it makes sense why it was not done this way. Firstly, the author was only able to interview Tuvia Bielski for approximately two hours before he passed away. Therefore, most of her interviews came from the wives of the brothers and surviving partisans.
The stories of the partisans are very moving and insightful. It is incredibly moving to hear their stories of strength, bravery, courage and sacrifice. It is also amazing to see how over 1,000 people were able to create an almost fully sustainable community in the middle of the forest.
Furthermore, another interesting element of this book was reading about the Soviet Otriads and reading about their interesting makeup.
Would recommend as a read, I will probably continue. to explore the lives of the Bielski partisans.
October 16, 2023
This is the remarkable true story of the Bielski otriad, a partisan group started by three brothers, Asael, Zus, and Tuvia, who refused to go into a ghetto and instead escaped into a forest in Belorussia. Tuvia was the charismatic leader who accepted all Jews into the group, regardless of age or gender. By the end of its existence, the otriad had, in addition to living quarters, a bathhouse, mill, soap factory, bakery, tannery, blacksmith, stable, cattle shed, synagogue, kitchen, food warehouse, school, health clinic, hospital for contagious diseases, and a variety of workshops, including shoemakers, tailors, barber shop, and carpenters. Tuvia managed to save more than 1200 Jews.
The amount of detail detracts from the power of the story and the writing is sometimes clumsy and heavy. I skimmed a fair amount. Still, an amazing story. I had no idea that there were Jewish partisans who joined up with other partisans (Russian) to fight Nazis, and who refused to give in to the Nazi plan to kill all the Jews.
The amount of detail detracts from the power of the story and the writing is sometimes clumsy and heavy. I skimmed a fair amount. Still, an amazing story. I had no idea that there were Jewish partisans who joined up with other partisans (Russian) to fight Nazis, and who refused to give in to the Nazi plan to kill all the Jews.
May 21, 2020
It's the first essay I read spontaneously and I'm quite satisfied by my choice. I didn't really know a lot about this book when I first started reading it and I admit I thought it would be different. But it was an interesting reading and I'm happy I went through it all.
May 27, 2022
This is the true story of Jewish people, led by the Bielski brothers, hiding from the Nazis and saving other Jews from their terrible fate. Such a remarkable tale. The author got much of it from Tuvia Bielski before he died. Worth a read and worthy of the title.
August 19, 2023
Tuvia Bielski.
October 23, 2020
Notes from the book:
Behaviour of Jews during holocaust
It gives a lot of insight into the behaviour of Jews during the holocaust. It explains how the Nazi party executed most the Jewish leaders early on, and that trapped a remainder as part of the Judenrat, assuring them they would act is intermediaries but de facto leaving them in a position that they would be shot unless they did as told. Thus these Jewish leaders would tell residents of the ghetto to stay in the ghetto.
Jews who survived the initial wave of mass murders believed/hoped that they had been spared, and would be spared, because they were useful to the state. There would then be sporadic aktion's within which people in the ghetto would be rounded up and killed. Security would then increase around the ghetto, increasing the cost of trying to escape. It is clear that their chances even if they escaped were slim, as the population was likely to denounce them, yet they would be dependant on the peasantry to obtain food and shelter. In the early years, it was not well known that Jews could find shelter in the forest.
One story is reported at p134, about a Jewish grandmother who came from the Lida ghetto to the Otriad, with a two year old. She couldn't stand life without a bra though, and so they returned to the ghetto. Where they were murdered.
Were the jews that survived intellectuals?
The book is clear that this was not the case. Most intellectuals and leaders were shot as soon as the nazi's entered Poland. It is also implied that most intellectuals were city folk who couldn't bear to leave the Ghetto to go and live in a dirty forest. On p189 it is noted that the vast majority were poorly educated.
Society within the forest
Useless eaters a.k.a. Malbushim
It is clear that not all members of the Ostriad welcomed the mission to save lots of Jews, and that they just wanted to survive themselves. In particular, many people were opposed to taking in 'useless eaters', i.e. the elderly and those without guns. There appears to have been clear status heirarchy that emerged, with many intellectuals falling too the bottom because they were not as rough/brave as the working class fighters. None the less, the community did still have a historian (a professor who had been rescued from a nearby ghetto).
Feeding so many people became almost the fulltime work of all people in the Otriad, which meant that little effort could be dedicated to fighting the Germans. This upset some of the younger members.
Leadership within the Otriad
At one point (p120) a group of men requested to dig their own bunker further away from the group, this wish was granted. They then requested to exclude all useless eaters from the bunker, and that they wanted to control their own food supply. They wound up at arms with Tuvia. The Russian partisan general was called for support (he happened to be there) and they were disarmed and cast out of the Otriad, with the threat they woudl be shot if they stayed.
Various other people wound up getting shot for disobedience, includng one political commisar. One uprising involved a patient who developed typhoid fever. Fearing a pandemic where they did not have medical facilities (p138), an armed group arose called for the man to be shot. The rebellion was put down.
Communist political commisars
A number of active communists became involved with the Ostriad during the war. Initially the Ostriad had been entirely informal, but as the Russian war effort became more organised, they setup airstrips within the forest and would operate missions through the Russian partisans. As such, the Ostriad had to become affiliated as a party of the Russian partisans movement. Early on, a communist agitator tried to overthrow Tuvia Bielski because he didn't believe he was sufficiently politically active. They would try to setup rumours and report to the nearby Russian generals, that Tuvia had been stealing money intended for the partisan movement etc, or that they had confiscated luxury goods from the neighbouring peasants.
Interactions with Russian partisans
The Russian partisans are depicted as being clearly anti-semitic. It is clear that it was a great misfortune for a small and defenceless group of Jews to encounter Russian partisans. Apparently some Jews did get accepted into Russian partisan groups, but this would generally be because they had guns that made them valuable to the group. Men would almost never be able to take their wives/children with them into a group of Russian partisans though, and they would either be refused or sent to live in the Bielski otriad. At p81 it reports one group of intellectual jews who setup an encampment in the forest, were befriended by Russian partisans, who then took the men on a hunting trip and killed them.
On p145 it is noted that one practical reason the Russian's disliked the Jews was because they required a lot of food from the peasants to support all the useless eateres, which made it harder for them.
Interactions with Polish partisans
The Polish partisans are noted as having been associated with the Polish government-in-exile in London and are described as fascist. It is noted that they wound up basically at war with the Russian partisans, particularly towards the end of the war. At the start of the war it is noted that the Bielski brothers got on well with a nearby group of partisans
Jewish family camps
One of the reason's that they wound up having ~1000 people within the Ostriad was strength in numbers. Many people would initially try to survive just with their family camping on their own, but it seems they would generally die at the hands of Russian partisans who would kill their either because of anti-semitism or to steal their guns.
Women in the Otriad
Sex sounds like it was very rough, and men would often just get into bed with women in the Otriad unless beaten away (this is not to say they were raped). Most unaccompanied women would wind up entering a partnership with a man to survive, as otherwise they were defenceless and uanble to get much food (p228).
Survival tactics
How did the partisans get food?
They would go on 'food missions' during which they would go to wealthy farms, surround the house with armed men, knock on the door and collect their share. Some peasants were seemingly happy to support the partisans. Others were less happy to help the Jewish partisans. Others would try to report to the Nazi party about them, and there are several stores in the book of when groups of Jews would get shot because a farmer would send a relative off to get the police while they were collecting food.
In the initial period when it was just a small group in the forest, they relied on local knowledge of who had farms in the area that were likely to have food. By the time they had 1000 people, they would take 14 day round trip journeys, travelling by back roads with wagons (p148).
Defence through retaliation
If a peasant was discovered to have been collaborating with the Germans, their whole family would be shot. Signs would be left so all in the neighbourhood knew what had happened, to warn them off working with the germans.
How did they supply 1000 people in a forest?
In the final year, once they reached ~1000 people, they had built a whole series of workshops along a highstreet. They acted as a supply centre for the surrounding network of more actively militant Russian partisans. They had a blacksmith, a watermaker who became a gun smith, carpenters etc. They built houses that were mostly underground, which housed roughly 40 people each. They had a barber. They had a flour mill and a bakery. While all these services were supposed to be provided free of charge under communist principles within the camp, Malbushim were at the bottom of the priority list, and unless someone could pay they got a second rate service.
How did they defend the camp?
Everyone participated in sentry duty. They setup two rings around the camp. One several hundred meters away, a second several kilometers away. Passwords were required to pass. Shots would be fired to alert of danger. At some point rogue retreating Germans broke in and trashed the place, because all the sentries had gone off to hunt retreating germans.
On p139 it is reported that german soldiers once found the camp by following a trail of chicken blood in the snow. They shot a sentry who hadn't been paying enough attention. The shot warned the inhabitants, who fled into the forest. The german's destroyed the camp, then left. To avoid their return visit, the camp moved 15 kilometers overnight.
It seems that towards the end of the war, the forest area was de facto recognised as being under Soviet partisan control. The Russian partisans controlled access to the forest.
Tuvia Bielski
After the war ended, he fled to Palestine to escape the Soviets who viewed all the Partisans as too independent. In Palestine he became a taxi driver. He later moved to the United States of America but again did not amount to much there.
Behaviour of Jews during holocaust
It gives a lot of insight into the behaviour of Jews during the holocaust. It explains how the Nazi party executed most the Jewish leaders early on, and that trapped a remainder as part of the Judenrat, assuring them they would act is intermediaries but de facto leaving them in a position that they would be shot unless they did as told. Thus these Jewish leaders would tell residents of the ghetto to stay in the ghetto.
Jews who survived the initial wave of mass murders believed/hoped that they had been spared, and would be spared, because they were useful to the state. There would then be sporadic aktion's within which people in the ghetto would be rounded up and killed. Security would then increase around the ghetto, increasing the cost of trying to escape. It is clear that their chances even if they escaped were slim, as the population was likely to denounce them, yet they would be dependant on the peasantry to obtain food and shelter. In the early years, it was not well known that Jews could find shelter in the forest.
One story is reported at p134, about a Jewish grandmother who came from the Lida ghetto to the Otriad, with a two year old. She couldn't stand life without a bra though, and so they returned to the ghetto. Where they were murdered.
Were the jews that survived intellectuals?
The book is clear that this was not the case. Most intellectuals and leaders were shot as soon as the nazi's entered Poland. It is also implied that most intellectuals were city folk who couldn't bear to leave the Ghetto to go and live in a dirty forest. On p189 it is noted that the vast majority were poorly educated.
Society within the forest
Useless eaters a.k.a. Malbushim
It is clear that not all members of the Ostriad welcomed the mission to save lots of Jews, and that they just wanted to survive themselves. In particular, many people were opposed to taking in 'useless eaters', i.e. the elderly and those without guns. There appears to have been clear status heirarchy that emerged, with many intellectuals falling too the bottom because they were not as rough/brave as the working class fighters. None the less, the community did still have a historian (a professor who had been rescued from a nearby ghetto).
Feeding so many people became almost the fulltime work of all people in the Otriad, which meant that little effort could be dedicated to fighting the Germans. This upset some of the younger members.
Leadership within the Otriad
At one point (p120) a group of men requested to dig their own bunker further away from the group, this wish was granted. They then requested to exclude all useless eaters from the bunker, and that they wanted to control their own food supply. They wound up at arms with Tuvia. The Russian partisan general was called for support (he happened to be there) and they were disarmed and cast out of the Otriad, with the threat they woudl be shot if they stayed.
Various other people wound up getting shot for disobedience, includng one political commisar. One uprising involved a patient who developed typhoid fever. Fearing a pandemic where they did not have medical facilities (p138), an armed group arose called for the man to be shot. The rebellion was put down.
Communist political commisars
A number of active communists became involved with the Ostriad during the war. Initially the Ostriad had been entirely informal, but as the Russian war effort became more organised, they setup airstrips within the forest and would operate missions through the Russian partisans. As such, the Ostriad had to become affiliated as a party of the Russian partisans movement. Early on, a communist agitator tried to overthrow Tuvia Bielski because he didn't believe he was sufficiently politically active. They would try to setup rumours and report to the nearby Russian generals, that Tuvia had been stealing money intended for the partisan movement etc, or that they had confiscated luxury goods from the neighbouring peasants.
Interactions with Russian partisans
The Russian partisans are depicted as being clearly anti-semitic. It is clear that it was a great misfortune for a small and defenceless group of Jews to encounter Russian partisans. Apparently some Jews did get accepted into Russian partisan groups, but this would generally be because they had guns that made them valuable to the group. Men would almost never be able to take their wives/children with them into a group of Russian partisans though, and they would either be refused or sent to live in the Bielski otriad. At p81 it reports one group of intellectual jews who setup an encampment in the forest, were befriended by Russian partisans, who then took the men on a hunting trip and killed them.
On p145 it is noted that one practical reason the Russian's disliked the Jews was because they required a lot of food from the peasants to support all the useless eateres, which made it harder for them.
Interactions with Polish partisans
The Polish partisans are noted as having been associated with the Polish government-in-exile in London and are described as fascist. It is noted that they wound up basically at war with the Russian partisans, particularly towards the end of the war. At the start of the war it is noted that the Bielski brothers got on well with a nearby group of partisans
Jewish family camps
One of the reason's that they wound up having ~1000 people within the Ostriad was strength in numbers. Many people would initially try to survive just with their family camping on their own, but it seems they would generally die at the hands of Russian partisans who would kill their either because of anti-semitism or to steal their guns.
Women in the Otriad
Sex sounds like it was very rough, and men would often just get into bed with women in the Otriad unless beaten away (this is not to say they were raped). Most unaccompanied women would wind up entering a partnership with a man to survive, as otherwise they were defenceless and uanble to get much food (p228).
Survival tactics
How did the partisans get food?
They would go on 'food missions' during which they would go to wealthy farms, surround the house with armed men, knock on the door and collect their share. Some peasants were seemingly happy to support the partisans. Others were less happy to help the Jewish partisans. Others would try to report to the Nazi party about them, and there are several stores in the book of when groups of Jews would get shot because a farmer would send a relative off to get the police while they were collecting food.
In the initial period when it was just a small group in the forest, they relied on local knowledge of who had farms in the area that were likely to have food. By the time they had 1000 people, they would take 14 day round trip journeys, travelling by back roads with wagons (p148).
Defence through retaliation
If a peasant was discovered to have been collaborating with the Germans, their whole family would be shot. Signs would be left so all in the neighbourhood knew what had happened, to warn them off working with the germans.
How did they supply 1000 people in a forest?
In the final year, once they reached ~1000 people, they had built a whole series of workshops along a highstreet. They acted as a supply centre for the surrounding network of more actively militant Russian partisans. They had a blacksmith, a watermaker who became a gun smith, carpenters etc. They built houses that were mostly underground, which housed roughly 40 people each. They had a barber. They had a flour mill and a bakery. While all these services were supposed to be provided free of charge under communist principles within the camp, Malbushim were at the bottom of the priority list, and unless someone could pay they got a second rate service.
How did they defend the camp?
Everyone participated in sentry duty. They setup two rings around the camp. One several hundred meters away, a second several kilometers away. Passwords were required to pass. Shots would be fired to alert of danger. At some point rogue retreating Germans broke in and trashed the place, because all the sentries had gone off to hunt retreating germans.
On p139 it is reported that german soldiers once found the camp by following a trail of chicken blood in the snow. They shot a sentry who hadn't been paying enough attention. The shot warned the inhabitants, who fled into the forest. The german's destroyed the camp, then left. To avoid their return visit, the camp moved 15 kilometers overnight.
It seems that towards the end of the war, the forest area was de facto recognised as being under Soviet partisan control. The Russian partisans controlled access to the forest.
Tuvia Bielski
After the war ended, he fled to Palestine to escape the Soviets who viewed all the Partisans as too independent. In Palestine he became a taxi driver. He later moved to the United States of America but again did not amount to much there.
June 26, 2013
I ended up reading this book after really liking which had a small chapter on the Bielski brothers. The book covers the story of these brothers, Tuvia, Zus and Asael Bielski who from 1942-1944 created a community of Jewish refugees in the forests of Belorussia who escaped from the Germans and created a haven for themselves and fellow Jews. Tuvia was commander of the group, which was linked to Soviet partisan groups and struggled for existence from both Soviet and Nazi threats. It was fascinating to see how much Tuvia focused on saving Jews by sending out scouts to find refugees, sending people into the ghettos to try to convince them to escape and accepting any who made it to his group (young men with guns as well as women, children and the elderly who were often rejected from other groups on the grounds that they would slow the group down) rather than on fighting the Germans for revenge as other rebellious Jews did. Tuvia and his followers managed to save 1200 people by the time the area was liberated by the Soviets in 1944 and the author does a fantastic job showing how the camp functioned, the struggles it faced from all sides just for existence and the conclusion. You really get a sense of these people's lives in the forest and I found it absolutely fascinating! It is written as a history book for a more academic audience and isn't necessarily for the general public but if WWII and the Holocaust interest you, I would highly recommend it!
Edit: I had to change my rating because there was no bibliography! I cannot express how incredibly frustrating it is to comb through the Notes at the back when I want to know what sources she used. I honestly have no idea how an academic history text can have Notes, a Biographical Appendix, a Glossary and an Index but no Bibliography!
Edit: I had to change my rating because there was no bibliography! I cannot express how incredibly frustrating it is to comb through the Notes at the back when I want to know what sources she used. I honestly have no idea how an academic history text can have Notes, a Biographical Appendix, a Glossary and an Index but no Bibliography!
February 16, 2009
This is an encouraging story about the largest armed rescue of Jews during WWII. In Belorussia Tuvia Bielski and his brothers started a group that would not submit to the Nazi invaders of Poland. Creating a Jewish community in the forests, escapees from ghettos had a place to flee before they were slaughtered in mass executions. At the end of the war the community had grown to over 1200 men women and Children.
The subject material itself was great. I longed to here about Jews who resisted the Nazi aggression. After reading countless books that only chronicle Jews by the thousands quietly going to their deaths, it was exciting to learn about Jewish Partisan groups who fought back. However, the way Tec presented the material took away some of the force of the story. She presents it not so much as a story, but as a sociological history of partisan movements with a focus on the Bielski group. She jumps around quite a bit. She follows events chronologically for the most part, but then starts exploring certain sociological aspects such as the role of women, keeping order, etc� Many times it seemed she was just relaying facts without a coherent main theme. She does get you into the action at some points and this is when the story really gets interesting. I wished she had done this more often.
Conclusion: Great historical material that suffers from poor writing and organization.
The subject material itself was great. I longed to here about Jews who resisted the Nazi aggression. After reading countless books that only chronicle Jews by the thousands quietly going to their deaths, it was exciting to learn about Jewish Partisan groups who fought back. However, the way Tec presented the material took away some of the force of the story. She presents it not so much as a story, but as a sociological history of partisan movements with a focus on the Bielski group. She jumps around quite a bit. She follows events chronologically for the most part, but then starts exploring certain sociological aspects such as the role of women, keeping order, etc� Many times it seemed she was just relaying facts without a coherent main theme. She does get you into the action at some points and this is when the story really gets interesting. I wished she had done this more often.
Conclusion: Great historical material that suffers from poor writing and organization.
February 11, 2017
Mostly what I know about the Jews urging the war cones from school, which was mostly consentration camps and gas chambers, so when I saw the film a coupleof years back, it was great to see a new view and one that showed there were survivors out there. On browsing the charity shop for books for an elderly aunt, I spotted this and for 75p couldn't resist! And finally I sit down to read it. It's not a story as such, more of a factual book based on interviews with people that went through this. It wasn't an easy read by any means, but was certainly an eye opener and an education to a different part of the war. And in some ways uplifting, what a hero for saving so many lives.
March 8, 2009
Fascinating. Approximately 1200 Jews survive World War II by living in the forests of Poland.I admit my ignorance of such partisan groups performing guerrilla warfare and subsistence living in order to survive and of the Bielski Partisans in particular for trying to save as many Jews as possible, even if they came dressed in rags, with no food, money, or weapons. It saddens me that this glimmer of hope during one of the darkest times in the world's history was not covered in any of my history classes during high school or college.
At the beginning of the book, I felt like the author assumed I knew more than I actually did and it made the first several pages difficult for me to get through. Oftentimes, Tec digresses to tell the histories of Otriad members or those that didn't make it. As interesting as they were, they ruined the flow of the story for me. I kept backtracking to figure out where I lost the Bielskis Otriad and then had to get back into the story when it finally picked back up. On a more positive note, I enjoyed the photographs included in the middle of the book as well as the map of the final Bielski camp.
I look forward to seeing the film adaptation.
At the beginning of the book, I felt like the author assumed I knew more than I actually did and it made the first several pages difficult for me to get through. Oftentimes, Tec digresses to tell the histories of Otriad members or those that didn't make it. As interesting as they were, they ruined the flow of the story for me. I kept backtracking to figure out where I lost the Bielskis Otriad and then had to get back into the story when it finally picked back up. On a more positive note, I enjoyed the photographs included in the middle of the book as well as the map of the final Bielski camp.
I look forward to seeing the film adaptation.
August 11, 2012
Defiance tells the story about Jews during WWII, not as meek victims but as fighters for survival. Tuvia Bielski, a Belorussian peasant, has the necessary charisma to lead an independently minded people--not an easy task but vital. Tec puts a human face on history as she relates the struggles and resourcefulness of individuals who must adapt or die. Unlike many partisans, Tuvia values life so highly that he welcomes all Jews, into his protection, regardless of whether others consider them useful or a burden. Initially he acts to save self and family against the growing threat of German invasion and murder of Jews. The acts expand to include friends, and finally any Jews--bringing their numbers to over a thousand. Tec, herself, a Jewish refuge from WWII, is especially qualified to address the topic of Jewish resistance, a side of history that has been neglected.
Fascinating, page by page.
Fascinating, page by page.
June 26, 2010
This was an amazing story. I've read plenty of WWII and Holocaust literature (fiction and non) and I have to say that this was extraordinary. It was a look that I'd never seen before. Before this I'd only read from the viewpoint of soldiers on the front line, germans fighting inside of Hitler's Third Reich, and from the viewpoint of Jews destined for the concentration camps. While all of those are worthy tales, "Defiance" tells the true story of Jews, led by Tuvia Bielski, who refused to become a statistic, defied the odds and were able to save 1200 Jews from Hitler's death machine, by becoming Russian partisans. A truly remarkable story, particularly because it is so different from most of the literature out there.
I recently heard that a movie was made of this true story, and I really hope it lives up to the legacy of the men and women who lived it.
I recently heard that a movie was made of this true story, and I really hope it lives up to the legacy of the men and women who lived it.
June 14, 2020
Impressive work by Nechama Tec-I learned a lot. The extensive research the author did on Jewish resistance during World War 2 and the insights she gained from interviewing surviving members of the Bielski otriad made for a fascinating read. I was impressed by the fact that she gave her interview subjects a choice of four different languages to speak during their interviews—I'm assuming this means she speaks all four herself—Hebrew, Yiddish, Polish and English.
The focus of the book is on the leadership of Tuvia Bielski, what he and his brothers Zus and Asael did to rescue Jews and how his partisan group grew to be over 1200 by the end of the war. It wasn't just a matter of hiding from the Nazis. The group was on the move a lot, had to deal with conflict from within and eventually had to answer to leaders of Russian partisan groups.
Interesting read—highly recommended.
The focus of the book is on the leadership of Tuvia Bielski, what he and his brothers Zus and Asael did to rescue Jews and how his partisan group grew to be over 1200 by the end of the war. It wasn't just a matter of hiding from the Nazis. The group was on the move a lot, had to deal with conflict from within and eventually had to answer to leaders of Russian partisan groups.
Interesting read—highly recommended.
July 8, 2017
Tuvia Bielski was from a large Jewish family living in a Polish village when World War Two broke out, but rather than allow himself and his family to be taken into the ghetto, he made it his business to get people out of danger, away from the Nazis and into the forest to join his partisan group. Unlike other partisan groups, such as the Russian groups operating in what was then Eastern Poland, Bielski allowed women, children and the elderly in his group. His primary aim was to rescue them and together with his brothers he is credited with saving over 1200 Jews from the ghetto and gas chamber. Given the political and logistical challenges Bielski faced, it was a truly remarkable feat.
Defiance was an interesting and informative read on a little known figure in World War Two history.
Defiance was an interesting and informative read on a little known figure in World War Two history.
August 31, 2007
This author taught a couple of my classes at UCONN. She was a cool lady and a Holocaust survivor. She's written a few other books, but this was the only one I read all the way through.
It's a great story about the Bielski brothers--European Jews during WWII that led a band of armed partisans who hid in the forests and actually allowed women and children to stay with them despite the insane danger involved. They actually had a whole Jewish mini city in a thick swampy forest in Eastern Europe (I think Poland) that was *somewhat* inaccessible to German forces.
This is a *great* lesser-known story and if you're into Holocaust/WWII history definitely check it out. It reads like a novel and it really sticks with you.
It's a great story about the Bielski brothers--European Jews during WWII that led a band of armed partisans who hid in the forests and actually allowed women and children to stay with them despite the insane danger involved. They actually had a whole Jewish mini city in a thick swampy forest in Eastern Europe (I think Poland) that was *somewhat* inaccessible to German forces.
This is a *great* lesser-known story and if you're into Holocaust/WWII history definitely check it out. It reads like a novel and it really sticks with you.
June 30, 2014
This one was hard to read but every ounce of energy I had put into reading the book was reciprocated back with interest.
We read a lot about heroes, soldiers but little do we take notice of common men who turn into real heroes when the need arises. Defiance is one such story.
Though the movie based on it was good enough for Daniel Craig (The Bond) to be a part of it, it was nowhere as good as the book.
Indeed, a goodread!
We read a lot about heroes, soldiers but little do we take notice of common men who turn into real heroes when the need arises. Defiance is one such story.
Though the movie based on it was good enough for Daniel Craig (The Bond) to be a part of it, it was nowhere as good as the book.
Indeed, a goodread!
April 12, 2009
Awkwardly written, but the subject matter transcends style. Mind-boggling account of a Jewish partisan unit in Belorussia during World War II. The group not only survived (amazing enough) and participated in the resistance but built a mobile town, a civilization, in the forest. Incredible.
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