by Ronald J. Drez ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 1, 2004
A weak beginning and questionable ending flank a riveting account of the D-Day invasion of Normandy, 60 years ago. After an introductory chapter that sets up WWII to 1944 so sketchily it might as well not be there, Drez plunges into his subject with gusto. From the diversionary tactics designed to fool the German army into thinking the invasion would be anywhere but Normandy to the construction of two portable harbors the Allied forces would take across the Channel with them, he presents the preparations for D-Day in fascinating detail. The coverage of the actual invasion is peppered with first-person accounts by not only American, but British, Canadian, and German soldiers as well, providing “you are there” immediacy. The epilogue makes the categorical assertion that had D-Day not proven successful, Hitler would have prevailed, a melodramatic point that, however clearly seen in hindsight, is still nevertheless unprovable. The strength of the main narrative, and a design that includes archival material, modern photographs, and a splendid chart of the invasion, makes this offering a good addition to WWII collections. (Nonfiction. 9-14)
Pub Date: May 1, 2004
ISBN: 0-7922-6666-8
Page Count: 64
Publisher: National Geographic
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2004
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edited by Ronald J. Drez
by Livia Bitton-Jackson ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 1, 1999
In a sequel to the well-received I Have Lived a Thousand Years (1997, not reviewed), Bitton-Jackson writes of her life as Elli Friedmann in 1945, when she, her brother, and mother were liberated from Auschwitz and sent back to their former home in Czechoslovakia. Finding only a shell of the place they had known, they struggled to rebuild some semblance of life and waited for the return of Elli’s father. When they realized he was gone for good, their only hope through all their efforts was the prospect of obtaining papers that would allow them to emigrate to America. Through the long years that they waited, Elli found work teaching, and helping other Jews escape to Palestine, a dangerous and illegal undertaking. When they finally arrived in New York City, relatives welcomed them; an epilogue collapses most of the author’s adult life into a few paragraphs so readers will know the directions her life took. Interesting and inspiring, this story makes painfully clear how the fight to survive extended well beyond the war years; the discomforts and obstacles the author faced and articulates in such riveting detail will make readers squirm at the security and ease of their own lives. (Memoir. 12-14)
Pub Date: March 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-689-82026-7
Page Count: 258
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 1999
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by David R. Collins ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 10, 1999
Marguerite Henry died barely two years ago, after living the life of which most writers dream: She wrote from the time she was young, her parents encouraged her, she published early and often, and her books were honored and loved in her lifetime. Her hobby, she said, was words, but it was also her life and livelihood. Her research skills were honed by working in her local library, doing book repair. Her husband Sidney supported and encouraged her work, and they traveled widely as she carefully researched the horses on Chincoteague and the burros in the Grand Canyon. She worked in great harmony with her usual illustrator, Wesley Dennis, and was writing up until she died. Collins is a bit overwrought in his prose, but Henry comes across as strong and engaging as she must have been in person. Researchers will be delighted to find her Newbery acceptance speech included in its entirety. (b&w photos, bibliography, index) (Biography. 9-12)
Pub Date: March 10, 1999
ISBN: 1-883846-39-0
Page Count: 112
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 1999
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by David R. Collins & illustrated by William Heagy
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