The Engineers: A Memoir of Survival through World War II in Poland and Hungary

by Henry Reiss

Through the darkness of the A Jewish family’s incredible survival story
A memoir 80 years in the making

How did two Polish-Jewish engineers defy the horrors of the Holocaust? Henry Reiss meticulously describes their decisions and their journey as the threats shifted with the progress of war.

From the depths of discrimination in prewar Poland to the heart-wrenching choices made under Soviet and then German occupation, a world of fear, disguise, and unwavering determination in the face of danger is revealed. Their survival depended upon them engineering their own salvation. Henry’s memoir reveals how Hitler’s genocide was ignored or sometimes even facilitated because of local fear, hate, jealousy, or necessity. The relationships between Ukrainians, Poles, Jews and Russians in Galicia were clearly complex then and remain so now.

Yet amidst this darkness, Henry’s appreciation for the beauty of nature and the human spirit shines through. With his gift for description, he effortlessly paints a tapestry of surroundings and emotions. The Engineers is an immersive, exciting and deeply resonant memoir.

Genres: Nonfiction, History

560 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 27, 2024

Reviews

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exceptional book! Henry Reiss wrote a very engaging memoir of resilience and perseverance to survive as a Jewish family during WWll. His first hand account of this history should be read by all. Thank you Goodreads!

[Pamela · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was very good.

[Crystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Engineers

One man’s story of how he survived World War II. Married and forced to run, he used everything he had and a lot of luck until he could escape. By using falsified /forged documents, Henry was able to convince people to allow him to travel. Using his cunning he was able to smuggle items across country lines to sell so that he could provide for his wife and daughter. All while hiding from people who want to harm them. Paying people to guide them to safety and relying on strangers to keep them alive.

[Susan Finnell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I must read

The most incredible story of tragedy, resilience with miracles mixed in. As I read this book, I felt like I was reliving Henry’s journey.

[Justin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a complimentary copy of this title from a Goodreads giveaway. I was blown away by the details of the author’s life story. This gave an unprecedented view of the suffering and hardships of citizens in Eastern Europe during WWII. The plight of the Jewish people and life and death decisions they had to make on a daily basis astounds me. I think this story needs to be amplified and told to prevent this history from being forgotten and from Holocaust deniers espousing falsehoods. Recommended for everyone!!!!

[Melissa Cheplicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

So interesting & inspiring! A young Polish couple flees the Nazis with their toddler daughter, encountering the best of mankind along with the worst of mankind. Definitely worth reading!

[LeeAnn · Rating 5 out of 5]

In my opinion, this should be required reading for all high school students. It clearly explains what happens when communist governments take over people’s homes and businesses. It also gives a history of what happened after World War I to the Austria-Hungarian Empire and how that affected Poland, Yugoslavia and surrounding areas. In addition, it shows how people with a practical education will always have a job because their skills will always be in demand in any economy. That might be an incentive for some students to attend college or gain a technical skill. The story centers around two Jewish engineers who marry one another and get caught up in the communist takeover, and then Nazi, takeover of Poland. It is a memoir that encompasses their entire lives. It demonstrates the need to think ahead and not trust the government’s promises. The story involves some unbelievable events and circumstances which are unfathomable to us today. This couple miraculously survived so many life threatening events. Quite an interesting story

[Ralf Ilchef · Rating 5 out of 5]

As befits an engineer Henry Reiss delivers a calm and lucid account of his family’s submersion in the madness of Nazism, and the extraordinary courage, ingenuity and luck he and his wife Lusia needed to survive while some 90% of their fellow Polish Jews were perishing in the Holocaust. It is utterly riveting, shot through with breathtaking moments of humanity and even humour as they and their little daughter somehow outlast what he calls the Hitlerite madness. I couldn’t stop reading, willing them on as they kept finding ways to stay alive another month, week, day. Reading this book has been a profoundly moving experience.

[Jacqui P · Rating 5 out of 5]

I sat up until the wee small hours, unable to put Henry's book down... and then it was over and I could breathe again. ASTOUNDING. This is the first Holocaust survivors account that I have ever read. It opened my eyes not only to the horrors of war, but to the daily twists and turns that fate deals out to those trying to survive. For me, this book shines a light on possibility, hope and love and I feel richer for reading his book.

[AMAO · Rating 5 out of 5]

SUCH EVIL ....UNTHINKABLE!💔😭💔🥹💔😢