My Boyhood War: Warsaw, 1944

by Bohdan Hryniewicz

My Boyhood War, Warsaw 1944 is an intensely personal account of Hryniewicz' life in Poland during the Second World War, centered primarily on the Warsaw Uprising of August 1944. Despite being the longest urban battle between lightly armed irregular forces and the most professional Army of its day - in terms of ferocity, compared by the Germans themselves to the Battle of Stalingrad - the Warsaw Uprising still remains one of the least known chapters of World War II. In this first-hand account, the harrowing details of life under years of occupation and heavy urban combat are told with disarming authenticity, through the eyes of a 13-year-old boy. Hryniewicz was eight when the war began and 13 when he became a runner to the Commanding Officer of a Polish Home Army Unit, making him both witness and participant in the midst of the 63-day long battle.  These impressive personal recollections are explored together with the author's broader insights into the connected events that so transformed the map of Europe, which continue to dictate geopolitics today Praised by eminent historians, authors and statesmen alike, the author's account stands as a cautionary tale about the brutal and lasting effects of war. As tensions in Russia, Ukraine and Eastern Europe continue to mount, this book serves as a timely reminder of the ever present dangers of Imperial annexation on Europe's eastern flank.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, History, World War II

354 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 15, 2015

Reviews

[Judy Decaigny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting. Life in Poland during and after the Second World War. The Warsaw Uprising Chapters were especially affecting.

[Lory Masters · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book. I learned about a part of WWII I didn't know well. It was fascinating to hear about his experiences during the war. The Warsaw Uprising parts were very detailed and more like an active combat memoir than the rest (as indeed it was active combat), so it had a different tone and pace than the rest of the book.

[Rob Hood · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an extremely interesting book about a young Polish boy who fought in the 1944 Warsaw uprising against the Germans. This is a must read for anyone interested in WWII and it's aftermath!

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Learned about this portion of history from of all places a board game called "Mali Powstańcy: Warszawa 1944", released by a polish publisher and designer, This book fills in a lot of what the game was trying to show and is well done. T
he authors life is nothing less than amazing and his casual reference to the simple horrors of war that haunt the best of us is inspiring. This book starts as a simple biography, turns into a war correspondence with blow by blow accounts of the Warsaw uprising and finally ends as a simple biography. A very good book and worth reading .If I have one complaint and its a minor one, it's that it reads as it's written by someone who English is not their first language, but since I don't know any other languages and this is the authors 4 or 5 one its a minor complaint at best.

[Adri Dosi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pozor, není to klasický román. Je to spíše reportáž. Něco na pomezí dokumentu a osobního vyprávění. Jde o faktickou knihu. Vše je pravdivé, pojmy souhlasí. Je nutné se soustředit na text. Občas mě rozptylovaly ty polské pojmy, protože mě to házelo do polštiny a ono to bylo v češtině. Ale to je můj osobní problém, protože čtu polské knížky. No vás to může rušit ve smyslu obtížnosti nebo nebudete vědět jak to číst. Kniha konci padesátými lety, kdy hrdina říká, co bylo dál. Je tam i jistá ironická poznámka. Jste spojenec? Jste s námi? Prožil jste válku? No ano, když válka začala v roce 39 když Němci napadli Polsko. Ne.. druhá světová začala až v roce 41, když Japonci napadli Pearl Harbor...mno..dost všeříkající.

[Rob Ballister · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amazing book. I have read countless factual first hand accounts of warfare, and this is by far one of the best. Hryniewicz experienced World War II as a young boy, lost his brother and his stepfather, and was on the front lines of the Warsaw Uprising, which is a very little known part of World War II.
This book is well written, brutally cold at times and lovingly warm at others. Well worth the time for anyone who has ties to the history of Poland or whom is interested in World War II or combat memoirs in general.

[Joanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great book ! The courage and bravery during Warsaw Uprising 1944 was unbelievable ! It also describes the life in Poland after the war under communist Russian dictatorship and the atrocities they did to Polish people . Great job Bohdan !

[Mateusz Matczak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Niezłe. Sama książka jest nie tylko pamiętnikiem z Powstania Warszawskiego, ale ogólnie, lat wojennych oczami dziecka. Ciekawie napisana, dużo smaczków, ciekawostek. Polecam jak cholera, jeśli ktoś interesuje się tematami wojennymi

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well-written and interesting book that primarily covers the time period 1939 - 1947, primarily set in Poland. A first person account of a young Polish partisan's experiences, particularly effective in describing the Warsaw Uprising. An important addition to the historical record.

[Gail · Rating 5 out of 5]

To know the past is to understand the present

Knowledge of WWII beyond the popular stories gives an invaluable insight into our human history and psyche . Read & learn

[Brian Bigelow · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this autobiographical work. Quite an amazing story.

[Radovan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfektní knížka. Ačkoliv autor věci příliš nerozvádí a je spíše stručný, tak toto by si měl přečíst každý, kdo tvrdí, jak se máme dneska špatně.