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Warsaw Boy: A Memoir of a Wartime Childhood
Poland suffered terribly under the Nazis, and they waged a ferocious guerrilla war. In August 1944,15-year-old Resistance volunteer Andrew Borowiec lobbed a grenade onto German soldiers. "I felt I had come of age. I was a soldier and I'd just tried to kill some of our enemies." The Warsaw Uprising lasted for 63 days. The insurgents were mostly poorly equipped locals, some younger than Andrew. Over that summer he faced danger at every moment. Wounded the day after his 16th birthday, he was captured in a makeshift hospital. From one of the most harrowing episodes of World War II, this is an extraordinary tale recounted by one of the few remaining veterans of Poland's bravest summer.
361 pages, Paperback
First published August 26, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
December 12, 2019
A fascinating memoir of the authors experiences in the years leading up to, and during, the Second World War.
Taking us first through his childhood experiences of the vagiaries of Polish political and military life pre-war, his experiences during the German and Russian invasions of Poland and live under occupation proved to be the most interesting parts of the book for me. Russian occupation proving to be relatively benign - unless you were one of the intelligentsia - and consisting mainly of being forced to learn the Internationale when compared to the murderous tendencies of German occupation.
The real focus of the book, however, is Andrew's experiences as a boy soldier during the Warsaw Rising of mid 1944 and he is profoundly unsparing is his description of the brutality of the German response to this action, as well add grateful for the small help provided by the British and Americans and mildly critical of the Soviet response.
It's a fascinating perspective on a terrible time in history, witty and well written and deserving of a look from anyone interested in the period or the country.
Taking us first through his childhood experiences of the vagiaries of Polish political and military life pre-war, his experiences during the German and Russian invasions of Poland and live under occupation proved to be the most interesting parts of the book for me. Russian occupation proving to be relatively benign - unless you were one of the intelligentsia - and consisting mainly of being forced to learn the Internationale when compared to the murderous tendencies of German occupation.
The real focus of the book, however, is Andrew's experiences as a boy soldier during the Warsaw Rising of mid 1944 and he is profoundly unsparing is his description of the brutality of the German response to this action, as well add grateful for the small help provided by the British and Americans and mildly critical of the Soviet response.
It's a fascinating perspective on a terrible time in history, witty and well written and deserving of a look from anyone interested in the period or the country.
January 30, 2023
Es izvēlējos šo grāmatu, lai labāk izprastu poļu tautas armijas 2 mēnešu ilgo cīņu Varšavā pret vāciešiem, kamēr krievi vienkārši nogaidīja slaktiņa beigas. Izdevās!
Otrs mērķis bija saprast, cik tuvu jūtamies ar poļiem par PSRS okupāciju. Sapratu, ka ļoti tālu, 36 milj. nācijai šis bija cita kalibra pārdzīvojums, ar sajūtu par valsts izbeigšanos nevis kārtējo varu, zem kuras jāizdzīvo.
Bet tie poļu uzvārdi - traki grūti izsekot.
Otrs mērķis bija saprast, cik tuvu jūtamies ar poļiem par PSRS okupāciju. Sapratu, ka ļoti tālu, 36 milj. nācijai šis bija cita kalibra pārdzīvojums, ar sajūtu par valsts izbeigšanos nevis kārtējo varu, zem kuras jāizdzīvo.
Bet tie poļu uzvārdi - traki grūti izsekot.
September 17, 2015
Warsaw Boy is a very well-written memoir by a man who has plenty of fascinating experiences to relate. Andrew Borowiec's memoir tells of his experiences under first German, then Soviet and, finally, German again rule. It very effectively re-enforces the very accurate perception that Poland is the most marched-over country on earth.
Borowiec ends up fighting for the Polish Home Army in the anti-Nazi uprising in Warsaw in 1944. His account, as a sixteen year old, of that tragic event, is enthralling. What shines through the pages of this very good book is the intense patriotism of the Polish people and their determination to regain their independence (of course this was postponed for forty-four years after the war by Soviet occupation). Neither is the author afraid to paint the whole picture and the more than once makes reference to the anti-Semitism of some Poles and the collaborationist behaviour of others.
One tiny criticism; in the closing chapters when the author is telling of the final stages of the war, there are few too many flashbacks. A straightforward narrative of the final months of the war would, I think, have been more effective. Otherwise a terrific read.
David Lowther. Author of The Blue Pencil, Liberating Belsen and Two Families at War, all published by Sacristy Press.
Borowiec ends up fighting for the Polish Home Army in the anti-Nazi uprising in Warsaw in 1944. His account, as a sixteen year old, of that tragic event, is enthralling. What shines through the pages of this very good book is the intense patriotism of the Polish people and their determination to regain their independence (of course this was postponed for forty-four years after the war by Soviet occupation). Neither is the author afraid to paint the whole picture and the more than once makes reference to the anti-Semitism of some Poles and the collaborationist behaviour of others.
One tiny criticism; in the closing chapters when the author is telling of the final stages of the war, there are few too many flashbacks. A straightforward narrative of the final months of the war would, I think, have been more effective. Otherwise a terrific read.
David Lowther. Author of The Blue Pencil, Liberating Belsen and Two Families at War, all published by Sacristy Press.
May 22, 2019
Warsaw Boy...' is a historical nonfiction by Andrew Borowiec originally published on 3rd July 2014 which follows the life of the author himself when he was a young soldier, in war torn Poland. The book is written in personal narrative style and is a true story on the author's life.
Andrew Borowiec's memoir tells of his experiences under first German, then Soviet and, finally, German again rule.He tells of how he ends up fighting for the Polish Home Army in the anti-Nazi uprising in Warsaw in 1944 and his experience of the most harrowing episodes of the Second World War.
What I liked most from this book is the intense patriotism of the Polish people and their determination to regain their independence (which was postponed for forty-four years after the war by Soviet occupation) .The battles described in the book are beyond my imagination and I wouldn't want it to happen to any country.
Knowing that I like historical fiction my boyfriend had recommended this book to me and I must say that I'm glad I read it. I recommend anyone interested in historical fiction /nonfiction to read this book or books likewise.
Last but not the least I'd like to conclude by saying that this biography is a very well written account from a side of the war that is often overlooked.
Andrew Borowiec's memoir tells of his experiences under first German, then Soviet and, finally, German again rule.He tells of how he ends up fighting for the Polish Home Army in the anti-Nazi uprising in Warsaw in 1944 and his experience of the most harrowing episodes of the Second World War.
What I liked most from this book is the intense patriotism of the Polish people and their determination to regain their independence (which was postponed for forty-four years after the war by Soviet occupation) .The battles described in the book are beyond my imagination and I wouldn't want it to happen to any country.
Knowing that I like historical fiction my boyfriend had recommended this book to me and I must say that I'm glad I read it. I recommend anyone interested in historical fiction /nonfiction to read this book or books likewise.
Last but not the least I'd like to conclude by saying that this biography is a very well written account from a side of the war that is often overlooked.
May 18, 2020
In modern time, the history of the Warsaw Uprising has been broad-brushed, sometimes forgotten and retold without the attention to detail that showcase it as one of the most riveting and important military actions of the 20th century. The Communists and the Soviets are responsible for subverting the true nature of this history. The patriots who fought in the Warsaw Uprising were summarily branded as traitors who had cooperated with the Nazis. This subversion was executed in order that the Soviet Red Army were produced as the heroes and liberators of Poland. The Soviets understood that the patriots fighting in the Warsaw Uprising were fighting for a free Poland. Stalin had his plans to subvert Polish territory. To support that goal, he had the true history subverted and revised while the soldiers and fighters were villainized. "Warsaw Boy" is the true story. The allegory being that it has risen from the sewers of history.
The account is from the author's own journals, written after his arrest and incarceration to a work/prison camp shortly after Warsaw fell. Andrew Borowiec was just 16 at the end of the Warsaw Uprising. His story, told from the view of a youngster growing up in the cauldron of impending war and an adolescent during the full throes of war, is a riveting human drama. If there is any doubt as to the details of the Warsaw Uprising as they are documented here, you can find corroboration at the Warsaw Uprising Museum in Warsaw, Poland which documents the event in dramatic detail.
As the story begins, Andrew is a small boy in a Polish village who is enamored of all things military. He keeps looking for his moment, for the arrival of his chance to be a soldier and a hero, to participate in the grand theater of adventure. Other forces soon rob him of his security and his country. In the end, he has his adventure as he volunteers in a youth corps organized as part of the Polish underground resistance in Warsaw. The story follows the invasion of Eastern Poland by the Soviets and Andrew's flight to Kraków and Warsaw to stay connected to his family while the Nazis and the Soviets fight to take Poland apart.
The narrative from Warsaw at the start of the Uprising and the subsequent heat is vivid with the danger, the machinations, the deceptions, the fighting, the dying, the wounded, the filth, the hunger, and the slogs through the labyrinths of the sewers and tunnels. Remembering throughout that the narrator was just a teen-ager, separated from his known family and his security as his city is demolished around him. The story rings with youthful idealism in spite of the horror. A well written and well-organized account that could be taught in high schools as part of WWII history. I would have liked to have this book on my high school summer reading lists many years ago. Now that Poland is free, perhaps this kind of history will appear on those reading lists right next to WWII classics like John Hershey's 'Hiroshima'. RIP, Mr. Borowiec. You are in truth a hero.
The account is from the author's own journals, written after his arrest and incarceration to a work/prison camp shortly after Warsaw fell. Andrew Borowiec was just 16 at the end of the Warsaw Uprising. His story, told from the view of a youngster growing up in the cauldron of impending war and an adolescent during the full throes of war, is a riveting human drama. If there is any doubt as to the details of the Warsaw Uprising as they are documented here, you can find corroboration at the Warsaw Uprising Museum in Warsaw, Poland which documents the event in dramatic detail.
As the story begins, Andrew is a small boy in a Polish village who is enamored of all things military. He keeps looking for his moment, for the arrival of his chance to be a soldier and a hero, to participate in the grand theater of adventure. Other forces soon rob him of his security and his country. In the end, he has his adventure as he volunteers in a youth corps organized as part of the Polish underground resistance in Warsaw. The story follows the invasion of Eastern Poland by the Soviets and Andrew's flight to Kraków and Warsaw to stay connected to his family while the Nazis and the Soviets fight to take Poland apart.
The narrative from Warsaw at the start of the Uprising and the subsequent heat is vivid with the danger, the machinations, the deceptions, the fighting, the dying, the wounded, the filth, the hunger, and the slogs through the labyrinths of the sewers and tunnels. Remembering throughout that the narrator was just a teen-ager, separated from his known family and his security as his city is demolished around him. The story rings with youthful idealism in spite of the horror. A well written and well-organized account that could be taught in high schools as part of WWII history. I would have liked to have this book on my high school summer reading lists many years ago. Now that Poland is free, perhaps this kind of history will appear on those reading lists right next to WWII classics like John Hershey's 'Hiroshima'. RIP, Mr. Borowiec. You are in truth a hero.
October 16, 2014
Biografia, saggio storico, romanzo di formazione. Questo denso racconto di cinque anni di vita di Andrew Borowiec oltre riportare l'esperienza diretta e sincera di cosa voglia dire crescere in mezzo ai bombardamenti, offre uno sguardo di prima mano su una delle pagine più orrende (tra le molte) della Seconda Guerra Mondiale: la rivolta della città di Varsavia alla dominazione nazista, uno degli episodi di guerriglia urbana più cruenti e sanguinosi della storia.
Il libro in realtà segue le vicende dell'autore fin dall'inizio della guerra, nel 1939, quando egli si trova a migrare da un capo all'altro della Polonia, tra Lodz e Makov, nella speranza di allontanarsi prima dall'invasore tedesco e poi da quello russo.
La Polonia è una delle nazioni più sfortunate dell'est Europa, i suoi territori contesi da sempre fra impero prussiano e russo, eppure, o forse proprio per questo, abitata da un popolo orgoglioso e combattivo, con un forte senso di identità nazionale. Andrew Borowiec è il perfetto emblema delle virtù del suo popolo: quando lo incontriamo non ha nemmeno undici anni e, come molti ragazzini della sua età, è un fervente appassionato di tutto ciò che è in qualche modo legato alla guerra, dai soldatini di piombo all'ultimo modello di caccia sovietico, complice anche l'idealizzazione della figura paterna, un generale in pensione dell'esercito austro-ungarico.
Nonostante fin dall'inizio del conflitto Andrew abbia la sfortuna di trovarsi sempre in aree colpite dai bombardamenti, sperimentando la paura dei raid aerei e la vita di sacrifici conseguenza del fatto di vivere in un territorio militarmente occupato da un regime straniero, egli non perde quasi mai il suo entusiasmo fanciullesco riguardo alla guerra, un entusiasmo che traspare ancora nonostante sia l'Andrew settantenne a scrivere queste memorie.
Questa caratteristica, se da un lato aggiunge veridicità al racconto, presentando il conflitto visto attraverso gli occhi di un bambino senza alcuna forma di retorica, dall'altro attutisce in qualche modo la drammaticità degli eventi, almeno finché non si arriva alla parte centrale del libro quando l'azione si sposta finalmente a Varsavia e ai suoi due mesi di sanguinosa rivolta, che occupano la seconda metà della narrazione.
L'arruolamento di Andrew nell'Esercito Nazionale, il gruppo più importante di rivolta polacco, ci permette di seguire passo passo le drammatiche fasi di questa lotta impari, nella quale poche centinaia di cittadini armati soprattutto di coraggio e tanta voglia di riscatto hanno cercato di difendere con le unghie e con i denti ogni metro quadrato della loro città, scontandosi con un esercito straniero che, frustrato dalle incerti sorti della guerra, si è ormai trasformato in una banda di assassini senza morale.
Avendo letto diversi libri sull'Olocausto, avevo già un'idea precisa delle atrocità dei campi di concentramento nazista ma mai mi ero imbattuta in un resoconto dettagliato dei crimini commessi verso i civili non ebrei. Gli ultimi mesi dell'occupazione tedesca trasformarono la capitale polacca in una macelleria a cielo aperto, ove stupri, torture, saccheggi e omicidi di massa erano perpetrati in maniera sistematica arrivando a utilizzare i civili come scudi umani e ad assassinare a sangue freddo bambini e donne incinte. In questo i tedeschi furono aiutati dai russi, sia i disertori arruolati tra le forze naziste, sia i regolari dell'Armata Rossa che verso i polacchi nutrivano un rancore risalente a decenni prima, quando questi ultimi erano riusciti a liberarsi da secoli di dominazione zarista affermandosi come stato sovrano.
Al di là delle atrocità perpetrate, colpisce e commuove l'immagine di questa nazione coraggiosa di fatto abbandonata dagli alleati al suo destino di terra di conquista fra due lupi feroci nell'indifferenza della comunità internazionale. Allo stesso modo colpisce ancora una volta come gli ebrei polacchi furono rastrellati e deportati sistematicamente fin dall'inizio dell'invasione nell'indifferenza dei gentili, i quali potevano anche non saper nulla delle atrocità dei campi di concentramento ma, come ammette lo stesso Borowiec con la sincerità tipica dei bambini, nessuno di loro si illudeva che fossero destinati ad un destino allegro, soprattutto quando i troppo anziani o gli invalidi venivano giustiziati sul posto sotto gli occhi di tutti.
In conclusione Il ragazzo di Varsavia colma un importante vuoto nel panorama delle memorie legate alla Seconda Guerra Mondiale e sicuramente offre una prospettiva degli eventi finora poco noto e molto interessante. Il suo più grande difetto, a mio parere, risiede nello stile dell'autore che da grande è diventato giornalista specializzandosi come corrispondente di guerra. Borowiec tratta queste sue memorie esattamente con un articolo di giornale, con un'encomiabile attenzione al dettaglio e alla completezza delle informazioni che però a volte sfocia nella pedanteria, soprattutto quando l'autore si sofferma sui dettagli biografici di qualunque passante incrociato per caso sul suo cammino e nelle specifiche tecniche degli armamenti utilizzati, non sempre comprensibili o interessanti per il lettore. Questo comporta che, nonostante la narrazione in prima persona e il diretto coinvolgimento del protagonista in eventi di natura estremamente drammatica, alcune parti del suo racconto risultano estremamente pesanti e decisamente prive del pathos che meriterebbero.
March 11, 2019
Romanzo interessante soprattutto perché racconta episodi poco noti dal punto di vista unico di qualcuno che li ha vissuti dall'interno. Attraverso le vicende autobiografiche del protagonista ci viene presentata la situazione in Polonia prima, durante e dopo la Seconda guerra mondiale, con particolare risalto all'episodio della Rivolta di Varsavia del'44, il cui ricordo è stato a lungo bandito nei paesi del blocco sovietico e di cui si è parlato poco anche in occidente (probabilmente perché è una pagina imbarazzante nella "guerra eroica" degli Alleati). Avevo già letto dei saggi sull'argomento ma devo dire che leggerlo attraverso la narrazione di un testimone è molto più coinvolgente e interessante, anche se la visione è inevitabilmente più ristretta di un saggio storico e per forza di cose integrata con informazioni che l'autore ha raccolto in seguito. Nonostante il sottotitolo, l'autore aveva circa 16 anni all'epoca e c'erano combattenti ancora più giovani di lui.
Lo stile è buono, senza troppe pretese, chiaro e scorrevole, cosa che lo rende una lettura piacevole.
E' interessante che descriva anche il periodo di prigionia trascorso in Germania, perché ci mostra che non tutti i tedeschi erano dei mostri e chiarisce anche la situazione paradossale e profondamente ingiusta che i polacchi si sono trovati ad affrontare dopo la guerra: molti che avevano lasciato la loro casa nella Polonia orientale hanno scoperto di non potervi tornare, perché una buona parte della zona est era stata assorbita dall'Unione Sovietica. Quelli che tornavano nella parte occidentale "libera" dovevano accettare di sottomettersi a un governo comunista chiaramente illegale ma legittimato dalle altre potenze. Per i soldati che avevano combattuto per la libertà e la democrazia era ancora peggio, perché i comunisti, sia russi che polacchi, li perseguivano come nemici dello stato e li mandavano in Siberia, quando non li uccidevano sul posto. Anche l'autore, come moltissimi altri, ha deciso di restare all'estero, trovando ospitalità in Italia, Gran Bretagna e infine Stati Uniti. La sua è quindi una storia-tipo di un giovane polacco dell'epoca.
Sicuramente un bel libro da leggere per ampliare i propri orizzonti.
Lo stile è buono, senza troppe pretese, chiaro e scorrevole, cosa che lo rende una lettura piacevole.
E' interessante che descriva anche il periodo di prigionia trascorso in Germania, perché ci mostra che non tutti i tedeschi erano dei mostri e chiarisce anche la situazione paradossale e profondamente ingiusta che i polacchi si sono trovati ad affrontare dopo la guerra: molti che avevano lasciato la loro casa nella Polonia orientale hanno scoperto di non potervi tornare, perché una buona parte della zona est era stata assorbita dall'Unione Sovietica. Quelli che tornavano nella parte occidentale "libera" dovevano accettare di sottomettersi a un governo comunista chiaramente illegale ma legittimato dalle altre potenze. Per i soldati che avevano combattuto per la libertà e la democrazia era ancora peggio, perché i comunisti, sia russi che polacchi, li perseguivano come nemici dello stato e li mandavano in Siberia, quando non li uccidevano sul posto. Anche l'autore, come moltissimi altri, ha deciso di restare all'estero, trovando ospitalità in Italia, Gran Bretagna e infine Stati Uniti. La sua è quindi una storia-tipo di un giovane polacco dell'epoca.
Sicuramente un bel libro da leggere per ampliare i propri orizzonti.
March 22, 2022
The fateful uprising serves as the centerpiece of the author’s work, where just shy of sixteen years old Andrzej Borowiec threw a grenade into a shop window and crawled beneath enemy lines through Warsaw’s claustrophobic sewer network to upend over five years of fascist occupation in the Polish calital. Borowiec’s account is eyewitness testimony to what Heinrich Himmler would deem, “The worst street fighting since Stalingrad,” erupting at the misguided ‘W Hour’ through the barricaded blazing avenues of the city centre, ruined at the behest of diving Stukas and the relentless shrill barrage of Nebelwerfers. His first-hand account of his combat fighting at the Battle of Czerniakow on the banks of the Vistula is but one of his most harrowing, accompanied with the context of the dire situation of the Home Army destitute of aid.
Perhaps some of my favourite sections of the book went beyond the scope of the uprising itself. Borowiec’s childhood takes him from the Siege of Lviv, to life and escape from Soviet occupation to living with his father at the foot of the Carpathians under the oppression of the Nazis. On a tram ride home from the underground classroom (Poles weren’t permitted to have an education beyond the fourth grade under Hitler’s rule), he’s apprehended at random to the Warsaw’s walled-off Gestapo headquarters.
Following the uprising, captured and wounded, the book follows Borowiec in the Stalag XI-A camp outside of Berlin, where daily air raids from the Allied forces long to give him hope of liberation in spring, as he and others had been hoping since 1939. Yet, upon liberation, the Poles in a post-war Europe find the free home they once knew lay in rubble, shortly to be shrouded under the veil of the Iron Curtain.
A story of tragedy that encompasses a longing of hope, carried with the narrative spirit of one of the many fighting Poles who were prepared to give their lives for the vision of a free and realized nation.
Perhaps some of my favourite sections of the book went beyond the scope of the uprising itself. Borowiec’s childhood takes him from the Siege of Lviv, to life and escape from Soviet occupation to living with his father at the foot of the Carpathians under the oppression of the Nazis. On a tram ride home from the underground classroom (Poles weren’t permitted to have an education beyond the fourth grade under Hitler’s rule), he’s apprehended at random to the Warsaw’s walled-off Gestapo headquarters.
Following the uprising, captured and wounded, the book follows Borowiec in the Stalag XI-A camp outside of Berlin, where daily air raids from the Allied forces long to give him hope of liberation in spring, as he and others had been hoping since 1939. Yet, upon liberation, the Poles in a post-war Europe find the free home they once knew lay in rubble, shortly to be shrouded under the veil of the Iron Curtain.
A story of tragedy that encompasses a longing of hope, carried with the narrative spirit of one of the many fighting Poles who were prepared to give their lives for the vision of a free and realized nation.
May 9, 2019
Impressive memoir of a young boy who has fought during the Warsaw Uprising.
Impressive mainly by the details Andrew still remembered after all these years which made the impression it left even stronger than the events on itself would do.
It also made it quite descriptive at times, and I did leave it aside from time to time to read something else. Also the number of events, locations and people were sometimes challenging to follow limiting number of stars.
However for everyone wanting to understand what Poles went through the 2nd world war a must read!
Impressive mainly by the details Andrew still remembered after all these years which made the impression it left even stronger than the events on itself would do.
It also made it quite descriptive at times, and I did leave it aside from time to time to read something else. Also the number of events, locations and people were sometimes challenging to follow limiting number of stars.
However for everyone wanting to understand what Poles went through the 2nd world war a must read!
September 3, 2020
Great insight into Polish life before, mostly during, and a little after WWII.
The author experienced the Warsaw Uprising, was part of the Home Army, and shares first-person stories of the actual fighting in the streets. Very good background information on the relationship between the Poles, Russians, and Germans.
Essential reading for anyone interested in the Warsaw Uprising.
The author experienced the Warsaw Uprising, was part of the Home Army, and shares first-person stories of the actual fighting in the streets. Very good background information on the relationship between the Poles, Russians, and Germans.
Essential reading for anyone interested in the Warsaw Uprising.
October 20, 2020
Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant.
If you’re looking for a first hand description of what it was like to grow up in Poland and fight in the uprising then read this.
I found Borowiec to be a superb writer, and I didn’t want to put it down.
Funny, gripping, deep and incredibly moving. A must read.
If you’re looking for a first hand description of what it was like to grow up in Poland and fight in the uprising then read this.
I found Borowiec to be a superb writer, and I didn’t want to put it down.
Funny, gripping, deep and incredibly moving. A must read.
August 21, 2017
A very moving account of the Nazi occupation of Poland during WW2. Reading this reminds me how the human race can be so barbaric at times. Had me in tears on a number of occasions!
November 3, 2019
Very action packed at the start. Got very slow towards the end.
September 9, 2020
I really enjoyed this book. This is my favourite period of history and I have never read anything written by someone living in Nazi occupied Poland, it was fascinating.
August 18, 2021
Authentic and immaculately written.
April 5, 2016
A sobering account of life under Nazi occupation of Poland for a teenage boy. It dramatically brings home how Poland suffered during the war, losing an incredibly high proportion of its population compared to other countries. Brutality and death become commonplace and liberation, if it can be called that, is a long time coming. It is at its best when dispassionately recounting the events of the doomed Warsaw uprising of 1944 (after the earlier short-lived Jewish ghetto revolt) while the Russians stood back. A remarkable story of endurance and survival.
December 25, 2019
Borowiec was just a boy when war broke out in his homeland of Poland in 1939. When it ended six years later, he was a prisoner of war, held by the Germans and liberated by the Americans. In between, he lost his father, found his mother, and took part in the Warsaw Uprising. A heartbreaking story (as nearly all Polish stories from World War II can be), although Borowiec eventually emigrated to the U.S. and became a foreign correspondent. His native country, and many of his Polish countrymen, would not be so lucky for the next 45 years.
October 20, 2014
Le memorie di Andrew Borowiec, uno degli ultimi sopravvissuti alla rivolta della città di Varsavia alla dominazione nazista colmano un importante vuoto nel panorama delle memorie legate alla Seconda Guerra Mondiale e sicuramente offrono una prospettiva degli eventi finora poco nota e molto interessante.
La recensione completa qui:
http://www.lastambergadeilettori.com/...
La recensione completa qui:
http://www.lastambergadeilettori.com/...
August 5, 2015
I bought this book while visiting Warsaw for the 71st anniversary of the Warsaw Uprising. I already had quite a bit of background knowledge about the historical events that transpired, but seldom have I come across a book that makes the experience seem so human.
August 23, 2014
A first hand account of a young boy fighting in the 1944 Warsaw Uprising. A story which must be told but I found this a little confusing and, as expected, very harrowing in places.
August 19, 2015
Brilliant book. Poor Poland, utterly shafted by both the Germans and the Russians and badly let down by the Allies post war.
November 15, 2015
I found it interesting but the writing style just too long winded. The print in this book was just too small for me to read which was quite a shame as i would liked to have finished the book
January 13, 2015
Very good but not a classic....
April 9, 2017
A very well written account from a side of the war that is often overlooked.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews