Love & Hate

by Bill Halamandaris

The Story of Henry Landwirth

"What is so amazing about Henri is that all that bitterness that he brought with him when he came to the United States as a young man has been transformed into compassion and love." - Jane Goodall

186 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2007

Reviews

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has been sitting on my shelf for 10 years, acquiring it around the time it was originally published. With the recent passing of Henri, one of my all-time greatest heroes, I thought it was time to start it.

And then finish it in one sitting.

While it is in many ways a retelling of Henri's earlier autobiography Gift of Life, it was still well worth the read. While many of the stories in the book are already very familiar to me, having even recently heard a few at Henri's celebration of life memorial at Give Kids the World, they are important enough to hear again so that they are burned deep into my soul as a reminder that love and kindness can conquer hate.

One man's awful, horrendous depressing journey through the Nazi concentration camps later turned into a journey about providing hope to those who need it most.

I loved the contrast that the book provided, telling the story of what Henri was going through and at the same time also describing what Werner von Braun was then doing. How strange that Henri was working in the concentration camps building missiles and rockets indirectly for that man... when later both he and Werner would end up at Cape Canaveral serving the space industry. And how the astronauts that rode the missiles that Werner designed became Henri's good friends and founders of Give Kids the World.

My only disappointment with the book is that it being independently published it has many grammatical and spelling errors that this man's story does not deserve. There were a couple of times I had to re-read sentences to make sense of what the author was trying to convey.

I hope at some point this and Gift of Life serve the basis for a Hollywood movie or TV series. Everyone needs to know about Henri Landwirth.

[Heidi · Rating 3 out of 5]

doug asked me to read this as he wanted me to see how these men turned hate into so much amazing love. quick read, but not an easy one! there is too much evil in our world, and i hate that "never again" means nothing to so many.

[Kristin Peters · Rating 5 out of 5]

There were some typos and the story jumped around a little but I have to give this 5 stars because I'm so thankful I read it. My family just got back from my son's wish trip to Give Kids the World and reading about the man who started it all really touched me. All the families at GKTW Village have painful memories of scary diagnoses and medical treatments. But those memories can't compare to Henri's painful memories of Jewish ghettos and concentration camps in his childhood. Yet, his creation of GKTW provides families the opportunity to make new cherished memories together. You will be inspired to love deeper by reading Henri's story.

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

This biography is one of the more inspirational works I’ve read. Henri lived through some of the most hellacious conditions imaginable in the human condition. He had every right to be bitter and filled with hate in the wake of his experience. He chose love. That love spread and became his greatest legacy. His story is a beautiful one and one that needs to be shared.

[Anthony · Rating 5 out of 5]

A truly incredible story. We spent time at Give the Kids the World during our middle son's fight with cancer. It was simply amazing. Had it not been for that experience, I doubt I would have ever heard of Henri Landwirth. His story is well worth knowing and I'm glad I was able to discover it.

[Grace Wiles · Rating 3 out of 5]

Here’s the thing. The story itself was incredible; Landwirth lived a miraculous and extraordinary life. However. The book itself was not well-written. I liked the story. But like. The amount of errors and missing details in the writing was insane.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't think this book is available commercially as I cannot find it in any of the various listings I've searched. But if you come across it, it's worth the couple of hours that it will take you to read it. It's the story of Henri Landwirth who is the twin brother of a friend of my folks. Separated from his family when he was about 13 and taken to five different concentration camps, Henri somehow survives, finds his twin sister (the rest of his family was killed), comes to the US, and becomes a successful businessman. As he ages, he creates 'Give Kids the World,' an amazingly successful multi-million dollar 'village' near Disney in Florida where terminally ill kids and their families from all over the US and the world come for a week. He also creates three or four other philanthropic organizations, all part of his turning his bitterness into something wonderfully positive for kids and others. This book reminds me of "Three Cups of Tea" (not nearly as well written, however) as it's a story of how a single person can make a huge impact on others. That Landwirth survived five years of what most of us cannot even imagine and then was able to do the opposite of what was done to him is pretty amazing.

[Karen Niemeyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

We purchased this biography on an alumni visit to Give Kids the World. It was a great read and difficult to put down. Reading about the awful encounters that Henri endured at the hands of the Nazis was heartbreaking. I was in tears. On the flip side I had tears of joy reading all the incredible things he did for others and how he never gave up.

When my son was given a Disney World Trip as a Make-a-Wish gift, we stayed at Give Kids the World. We have visited a few times as alumni since our first time five years ago. Knowing the details of Henri’s story now makes the place that much more magical!

Although Mr. Landwirth’s story deserves five+ stars, there were so many grammatical and spelling errors in this book. At times I had to reread a sentence to make sure I understood it. I hope the author gets a chance to edit the errors and updates the book. It really is an interesting way to tell his story and the connection to von Braun and the NASA astronauts.

[T.L. Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

A powerful journey of a Nazi extermination camp survivor, Henri Landwirth, who overcame incredible obstacles, not only physical, but spiritual and psychological, to become one of the most loving philanthropists this century has seen. The story is told by Bill Halamandaris, who came to know Landwirth and his work.

[Todd Dow · Rating 4 out of 5]

Motivational biography of a man who created Give Kids the World, a magical place for children with serious illnesses and their families. Very moving and difficult to read at times, Henri has changed my family's life for the better. A great read for anyone interested in motivational places for children with serious illnesses.