without vodka

by Joan Eddis, Aleksander Topolski (Editor)

Sex, Murder and Gambling in Soviet Prison? - A true story of World War II Meet Misior the thief who lights his cigarette with a pearly button; the Beautiful Zhenya who gets fired for refusing her boss Boris you-know-what; Tadzio the brilliant historian who gives up his freedom to become a prisoner alongside his fiance; Sergei the Chief Engineer who can't read a technical drawing; Weisglass the witty gynecologist; brave little Klein who risks being murdered by prison thugs to see that food is divided fairly for all and; Maria Ivanova who has a figure "like a sack full of pumpkins." It has often been said that It's not where you are or what you do but who you're with that makes life interesting. Soviet prison is by no means Club Med but Aleks Topolski was imprisoned with Doctors, Lawyers, Teachers, Students and Musicians. Added to the mix were gypsies, pickpockets and the intimidating "Zhuliks" or hardened Russian criminals. Without Vodka: Wartime adventures in Russia, tells how a Polish lad of sixteen and many of his compatriots survived in Soviet prisons, labor camps and in war-torn Russia. This is not a horror story but a humor-filled adventure. Without Vodka starts with the outbreak of World War II when young Aleks is called up for active duty in the Polish Army and he is delighted because his school classes are cancelled. The tale moves quickly to the arrest of Aleks by the NKVD (precursor to the KGB) and his adventures stretch across Russia from freezing Siberia to the sun-scorched Samarkand desert. Topolski's maxim is To laugh is to live. He goes from being a starving prisoner, to Deputy Chief Engineer at a sub-Arctic power plant, to a tattoo artist for a gang of train robbers, to a bookkeeper on a kolkhoz (a collective farm), to a Polish Army recruit in sunny Uzbekhistan. A Great Adventure autobiography that reads like a novel and is illustrated by the author. Similar to Papillon by XXXX or The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco. "..splendid...told with flair and humor... Topolski's narration flows fast and the characters, happenings and situations are presented so vividly that the reader sees them as if they were alive"

- Andrzej Guryn, Gazeta Magazyn, Detroit "This has what it takes to be a best seller...Open it at any page and you want to keep reading."

- Michael Becker, Editor, Leitrum. "...an outstanding achievement... funny, human and warm."

- Peter Roberts, former Canadian Ambassador to USSR "...a powerful account...a testament to great human courage and resilience."

- Prof. Michael Gnarowski, Dept. of English, Carleton University "I'm giving it to my kids because I want them to know what it was like."

- Kaja Wilczynski, Survivor of forced resettlement in USSR "Again, I encourage you to get your autobiography into print - it's such an interesting and hitherto neglected slice of the area's history and so fascinatingly written"

- Jennifer Balfour, Central Asia correspondent for The Guardian "...a superb book. I confess that I had a certain trepidation in starting a book about life as an adolescent Polish prisoner of war in the Soviet Union [but] I could not put it down. It will remain with me long after I have forgotten dozens of other books which I have read in recent years."

- Dwight Fulford, former Ambassador, Foreign Affairs Canada But it's not for our brains to ponder these things. Without vodka you can't figure it out.

- A Soviet soldier on a train from Krasnovodsk quoting an old Russian saying.

Genres: History, World War II, Nonfiction, Biography, Polish Literature, Poland, Autobiography

424 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1998

Reviews

[Jfk · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the books that I read that I absolutely loved and couldn't put down. I've given this book as a gift to several friends and family members. Its hard to explain to someone that a book about a Polish POW in WWII USSR can be a fun and entertaining read, but truly is.

[Paweł Sobiegraj · Rating 5 out of 5]

Książka Topolskiego to wspomnienia posiadającą ciekawą narrację, która mocno wciąga. Wspomnienia są napisane łatwym do przyswojenia językiem. Autor tłumaczy dokładnie wszystkie zawiłości, które polskiemu czytelnikowi wydają się oczywiste. Jest to spowodowane zapewne tym, że autor pisząc myślał o czytelniku anglosaskim. Dzięki temu bez większych obaw po książkę może sięgnąć każdy - nie trzeba wcześniej przeczytać ani innej „sowieckiej literatury obozowej”, ani opracowań historycznych na temat Gułagu lub ZSRR.

Warto podkreślić, że autor przekazuje swoje przeżycia takimi jakie były. Więc poza głodem, biedą, nędzą i zbrodnią, które były wszechobecne w „raju na ziemi”, czytelnik spotka się z „radzieckimi absurdami”, ludzką życzliwością i wieloma śmiesznymi historiami, dzięki którym ludzie pozostawali ludźmi w nieludzkim świecie. Gorąco polecam!

[Sandra Arthur · Rating 5 out of 5]

Turns out my friend's family live near this author in Canada and they kindly supplied a copy of this book. As my father in law was also Polish, it was interesting to learn more about the terrible events of WW2.

This is an very well written book - I could not put it down and read it in two days. Whilst the historical facts are mind blowing the author managed to inject humour into what is a bleak subject. The experience of a Polish POW during WW2 - the hardship, the hunger and harrowing plight for all concerned is most distressing. The recall of the author is most amazing - did I mention - this is a TRUE story where reality is crazier than fiction. I have recommended this book to many of my friends

[Adam Marischuk · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book many years ago and it has stuck with me, so I suppose it has weathered the test of time. There is also a personal connection, not to the book but to the situation, for I had one great-uncle executed at Katyn and another who joined General Wladyslaw Anders in Siberia.

Topolski writes innocently, and a little naively, with sympathy for all the people he encounters. He does a great job displaying the cruelty of the system without blaming the individuals or groups as a whole. If at times the situations seem absurd, it is only because the situation was absurd, hence the title.

This much forgotten (intentionally?) episode of European history deserves much more attention than it has received and Without Vodka is one of hopefully many contributions to the memory of those who suffered and died in what Timothy Snyder called 'Bloodlands'.

[Dov Zeller]

I had to get this one back to the library, and while I enjoyed the chapters I read, I don't know if I'll take it out of the library again to finish. Clearly the writer is a good and charming storyteller and he has quite a story (many stories) to tell as a POW.

One GR reviewer questioned the veracity of these stories. I am only about a third through the book and so far it seems pretty believable to me. Very similar to other POW stories except for the specific places and characters. If I get a chance to finish it perhaps I'll have more to say on the subject.

I do want to post some quotes. Hopefully in the next few days.

[Sue · Rating 1 out of 5]

Well, I'll be honest, after a few years, I've given up on ever coming back to actually finish this book. I was about 1/4 of the way through it before stalling from boredom and a sense of doubt as to the veracity of this tale. Call it my Spidey-sense, but I just starting thinking that there was a lot of "making it up as I go along" within what I'd read. Maybe I'm totally wrong about it, but I moved on to more interesting material; I'll be honest, I was disappointed because I'd hoped for something thrilling and inspiring.

[Frank Pleszak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

[Mariusz Kalisiak · Rating 4 out of 5]

16 year old Polish boy deported to Soviet Union in 1939 survives gulags and joins Polish Army.