UteStar's book of the week: Soldiers and Slaves - cougarguard.com — unofficial BYU Cougars / LDS sports, football, basketball forum and message board

UteStar · 04-12-2007, 05:08 PM

Let me start by saying that this is a tough book. Roger Cohen's book 'Soldiers and Slaves' (http://www.amazon.com/Soldiers-Slave...6397095&sr=8-6) goes into the untold story of the American POW's experience at the hands of the Nazi Germans. Not only are they POWs, but many of them are Jewish which as you can imagine, is not a good combination in front of the Nazis.

The story also goes further and talks about austrian and polish jews and their experiences at Aushwitz and Berga. It was disturbing to read the moment of truth when the jewish families were broken up by a flick of an SS's hand on whether they were to go work in the mines or go to their 'safety' of the crematoriums at Aushwitz.

The story talks about how the POWs were forced to work long brutal shifts in the mines to build synthetic fuels (the last nazi gamble to be able to get more fuel and energy in the last months of the war). They had no helmets, they had no gloves and they were given little water and one or two pieces of bread. Those that died were discarded. Those that were sick and not able to work, were discarded. By discarded, I mean, executed.

It is great story of survival and of others standing up to the atrocities committed against them. It is a heartbreaking story of the POWs and european jews struck down and without hope as they were literally worked to death every single day. Hope kept many alive and cruelty and hate sent many to their deaths.

It was striking to see how many held out hope until they continued to see their people struck down, shot, beaten and cast aside. It was a terrific story and not always easy to hear, but it is worth reading.

04-12-2007, 05:08 PM	#1
UteStar Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 1,817	UteStar's book of the week: Soldiers and Slaves Let me start by saying that this is a tough book. Roger Cohen's book 'Soldiers and Slaves' (http://www.amazon.com/Soldiers-Slave...6397095&sr=8-6) goes into the untold story of the American POW's experience at the hands of the Nazi Germans. Not only are they POWs, but many of them are Jewish which as you can imagine, is not a good combination in front of the Nazis. The story also goes further and talks about austrian and polish jews and their experiences at Aushwitz and Berga. It was disturbing to read the moment of truth when the jewish families were broken up by a flick of an SS's hand on whether they were to go work in the mines or go to their 'safety' of the crematoriums at Aushwitz. The story talks about how the POWs were forced to work long brutal shifts in the mines to build synthetic fuels (the last nazi gamble to be able to get more fuel and energy in the last months of the war). They had no helmets, they had no gloves and they were given little water and one or two pieces of bread. Those that died were discarded. Those that were sick and not able to work, were discarded. By discarded, I mean, executed. It is great story of survival and of others standing up to the atrocities committed against them. It is a heartbreaking story of the POWs and european jews struck down and without hope as they were literally worked to death every single day. Hope kept many alive and cruelty and hate sent many to their deaths. It was striking to see how many held out hope until they continued to see their people struck down, shot, beaten and cast aside. It was a terrific story and not always easy to hear, but it is worth reading.