I enjoyed this book, which is very well documented with lots of footnoes and bibliography. The Nazis come off looking pretty arrogant about Spain, which they thought was at their beck and call. This book has everything a good history should: adventure, war, diplomacy, economics, conspiracies, and unexpected results. Excellent.

I really liked this book! My boyfriend is a real history buff, watching the History Channel all the time and everything, so I wasn't convinced I would enjoy it when he kept pushing me to look at it, but after I started reading Bowen's book, I couldn't put it down. There are a lot of amazing stories in it, like when Spaniards fought to defend Berlin at the end of World War II, and when Franco said "no" to Hitler -- and got away with it! For a history book, it's a pretty fun read!

This is an exciting story about my country's history during the Spanish Civil War and Second World War, when my grandparents endured starvation and political warfare. Professor Bowen has written a very interesting book, finding archives and research materials that no Spanish historian has used, to create this history which reads like a novel. I had no idea so many of my people were enthusiastically pro-Nazi, fighting in the German army, agitating for Spanish entry into the war, and volunteering, even after the war was lost, to help Hitler win. I had heard of the Blue Division, but thought these were soldiers Franco forced to go to Russia, not tens of thousands of volunteers who wanted to fight Stalin. Sometimes Bowen seems to go a little too easy on Franco, who contributed so much to making life difficult in Spain during this period, but I still recommend this book for everyone interested in the Second World War or Spanish history.

Catherine Meyer's book really hit home. There were tears as I read every page. The tragedy of Mrs. Meyer's children and her relationship is becoming more and more evident in our society. All parents and childcare workers should read this book. I too, live in this terrible situation with Mrs. Meyer and can feel her pain. It has been four years and we see little or no results. Prayer has been the only answer to this. My heart goes out to all children, mothers, fathers, and

grandparents who are alienated from each other. Blessings to all of you.

If this horrible thing can happen to Catherine Meyer with little hope for resolution, think of how many others out there who are not as visible but are experiencing the same nightmare. The whole thing is tragic and wrong!

As soon as I finished reading this book, I knew that I had to include it as part of my library for reference. I found some familiar phrases, thoughts and ideas within the covers. I am also a left behind parent. My daughter was unlawfully abducted from the United States to Austria in 1995. I think it is important to communicate the harsh reality of International Parental Child Abuction and the responses of various countries involved in this matter. I thought that the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction was explained clearly in the book. It is most noteworthy to be made aware that there are countries which demonstrate a pattern of non-compliance to its obligations of the Hague Convention. I applaud Catherine Meyer and the publisher for bringing awareness to this tragic problem that affects thousands of children and parents worldwide.

I too have been urged by friends to write a book about my youth. In 1981, at the age of 18, I decided to reunite with my father and immigrated from the USA to the DDR. I was later expelled in 1986 for political reasons and lived elsewhere in Europe until my return in 1991 following the Fall of The Berlin Wall. I remained there until April of 2000 at which time I returned to the USA.
This book brought back some memories despite the difference in time. (The Author went to the DDR in 1948 at the age of 8. I went to the DDR in 1981 at the age of 18) I had no idea that there had been any other Americans that shared an even remotely similar story and Joel Agee does a great job of telling his story with far more emotion and prose than I ever could.
The book is a wonderful insight into life in a country that no longer exists...from the view point of an American child/young adult. I especially recommend it to anyone who has grown-up or lived in a country where they felt they did not belong. In my opinion, Agee entered the DDR in its infancy and left just as its darkest period began. I entered The DDR at the height of the Reagan Era and witnessed its collapse from within. Two historic phases. I only wish that both of us could have witnessed more.

I read Joel Agee's book "Twelve Years. An American Boyhood in East Germany" in German and in English and tried very hard to get a used copy of his first american edition - without any success. Finally, he is back again with a new edition, and allthough my english is not as good as it should be, I just want to write down some words abaout this book. For me who always lived in Western Germany it is one of the most interesting books about the communist part of Germany, the GDR (in german it's DDR). It was not meant to be a political book, but it has become one anyhow. The reader is not only enabled to follow a very private story of growing up as a boy (including all the problems most man - since they have been boys - know and prefer not to talk about it), but to understand how culture and everyday life had been transformed by the communist ideology in a way that could be critizised only by children: some simply laughed about it and learned, that even only to laugh could have negative consequences. And getting some idea of how adults did discuss the political penetration of everyday life makes you feel glad to be grown up in a non communist state - but still you can understand that this adults they had their living like others had, and that they were fathers and mothers having everyday problems like others had. This book indeed touched and pleased me. It is a marvellous written autobiographical kind of literature. If you'll read it, it will take a part of your heart and your intellect to. You'll have to love it.

I'm delighted to see that Joel Agee's memoir is now available again, and I look forward, with pleasure, to re-reading it. In beautiful prose, Agee not only reveals the pains and pleasures of his growing up (it could be anywhere), but gives us a portrait, from an unusual angle, of life in the newly formed German Democratic Republic, i.e.,communist East Germany, during the period 1948-1960. The historian will find the book of particular interest, but so will anyone else who enjoys entering the unsual world of a sensitive young man with a terrific eye for detail, and who is frank about his inner life.

Agee returned to the U.S. just as the amazing 60s were about to roll their thunder, and I can't wait to read his follow-up memoir, his "American Manhood" in another world far removed from the East Berlin of his youth.

I think this book is much more enjoyable if you read it after you have visited the Alhambra; two Moorish palaces that sit on top of a mountain in the beautiful Sierra Nevada mountain range of Spain, palaces of incredible architecture and setting, the last outpost of the Moors in Spain. Christopher Columbus waited for 6 years before Queen Isabell would give him ships, she made him wait until the Moors were driven out of Spain. When the Alhambra finally falls, Coloumbus is given permission and ships for his quest a few days later, and the next year the Spanish Inquisition starts.
All of this comes to you if you visit the very romantic/historic city of Granada and the Alhambra, and after seeing the Alhambra restored, having walked its rooms and grounds, having listened to the fountains, letting your immagination run, then read this book, after you return home. Washington Irving's stunt of taking up residence in the rundown, forgotten Alhambra of his time seems even more fantastic. In fact, if you are going to Spain, buy a copy of this book in Granada; they are sold everywhere in different languages, and have pictures of paintings done in the period around Irving's stay. If you haven't been to the Alhambra, you should go.

"Tales of the Alhambra" is must-reading for the traveler in Spain. Irving is best remembered in this country for his collections of American folklore, like the stories of Rip Van Winkle and the Headless Horseman, but in Spain they remember him for the Alhambra stories -- in fact, there's a hotel named in his honor in Granada. Irving lived in that beautiful old Moorish palace at a time when it was a neglected ruin, and his wonderful descriptions, interspersed with the folk-tales that he collected from the people of Granada, helped to spark interest in repairing and restoring the monument. The folk tales, told in Irving's inimitable, witty style, usually deal with romantic elopements, or buried treasure, or both. My personal favorite is the story of the young prince living in the Generalife (the beautiful summer palace) who learned the language of the birds. That one is fantasy, but it's true that there was hidden treasure in the Alhambra: the palace itself, its architecture and decoration, and we have Irving to thank for rediscovering it.

A great book to read while traveling in spain. If you are going to Alhambra, read this book! It will bring the palace alive for you. The writing is very accessable, and easy to follow for having been written so long ago.

I am the founder of a charter school in Michigan. Before deciding to found such a school, I read voluminous texts about the history and purposes of public education. This is, by far, my favorite text on education history.

Most education historians make the mistake of blindly accepting as a premise the common misconception that the intended purpose for the development of compulsory education in Prussia was the mass production of soldiers and obedient subjects. Research proves this to be utterly false. While certainly it cannot be argued that the training of the young has been misused at points in history by tyrants, including Hitler, you can't label an invention by its misuse. All innovations have the inherent danger of perversion for evil purpose.

Compulsory public education has a very interesting and wholesome history. The research of Melton sheds much needed light on the perpetually maligned history of compulsory education. This is a must read for those wishing to learn the intricate truth of the evolution of Prussian/Austrian systems of education. The revelations of this probing research succesfully challenge the commonly held prejudices regarding state-run educational systems.

This is a fine book. Meticulously researched and referenced. My interest in the history of education arises out of the fact that I don't intend to send my daughter to school choosing instead to educate her at home. One reason I'm doing this is that mainstream school, whether state or private, is not primarily about education but about structuring society to create a class system and about mentally programming its participants into some role within society. That's quite a bold statement to make and I made it after only a little research. While I might be totally convinced of it, I have be aware that it might be wrong since my daughter's future is at stake. Hence my desire for further research, a desire most ably satisfied by this book. If you read Melton's book you will be left in no doubt as to the veracity of the statement. Also in the book you will find described most of the mind control and indoctrination methods that we associate with modern school and which in alternative education circles is known as the hidden curriculum.

For me a major benefit of this book is that it is written by someone not involved in the alternative education movement, someone who has probably never heard of us or read any of our material. In 'Absolutism', Melton offers independent verification of some of the ideas circulating among an otherwise small group of people. Melton agrees that Prussia is where the origins of compulsory modern schooling lie, but whereas the movement customarily places them in the Prussia after the battle of Jena round about 1805, after Fichte's addresses to the German nation, Melton has them in the Prussia of the early 1700s with methods under the direction of one August Hermann Franke. A piffling discrepancy you may think which makes no difference to the children with lives blighted by school, but all the difference in the world when analysing the philosophical roots of compulsory school. It should also makes a difference when considering reforms to school or its abolition. With Melton's work we can now make a small but significant correction and state that the origins of the education systems in most countries of the world are attributable to Christian Pietists under contract to the Prussian State. Before, the origins were customarily attributed to solely the Prussian State with the silent implication that the origins are secular.

There is much more in this book. As well as home educators, practitioners of alternative education and education historians, this book will appeal to people interested in other aspects of the history and in the politics, philosophy, and religion of eighteenth century Prussia and Austria. In it you will read about Cameralists, the textile industry, labour shortages, seigniorial authority, the rise of agrarian capitalism and much more. Chapter 3 deals with things like baroque Catholicism, popular comedy and drama, and literate theatre - stretching the relevance to add a bit of colour I suspect but good fun nonetheless.

Be warned though, this book is not a primer. You will need to have some prior familiarity with the material to derive maximum value from 'Absolutism'.

As I said at the beginning this is a fine book. Thank you for writing it James Van Horn Melton. Good health to you and your family.

Melton's view of schooling in Prussia and Austria is both informative and precise. He is an under-rated scholar with fascinating perspectives on 17th century European history.

With "Aces Against Germany: The American Aces Speak", the experiences of American fighter aces over Europe during World War II comes alive. Eric Hammel is a most experienced writer, and reading the book one gets the feeling of sitting in the cockpit of a U.S. fighter during those dramatic days. With this book, Eric Hammel has made a terrific work to provide us of the post-war generation with a detailed view of "how the air war really was" from an American point of view. The most interesting detail in the book is the case (or rather: cases) when American aces found out the identity of the German pilots that they met in air combat, or--in one case--even met one of them after the war! Altogether a great and easy read book.

Christer Bergström

This book reads very quickly. Mr. Hammel gives a concise historical summary of the air war against Germany in WW2 that is interspersed with firsthand descriptions of aerial combat from the aces involved.

The book is organized chronologically, moving through the campaigns in North Africa, the Mediterranean, Italy, and Northern Europe/Germany.

Mr. Hammel sets the stage for each chapter with a quick overview of the air war at that point in time. Then, the personal recollections of numerous aces are presented. The biography of each ace up to the time the incident takes place is given. Next, the ace tells his story. After the story, the biography of the ace from that point forward is given. Occasionally, between aces, Mr. Hammel throws in a little more history.

The overall effect is great. You get a good insight into the overall conduct of the air war, and you get great "action" stories from the aces. Each ace is presenting one of his most memorable experiences. This is a real advantage. Rather than one person's story, which contains the inevitable slow parts, this book compiles a string of dramatic actions. It's also interesting to note the similarities in all the stories. The one that jumped out at me was the fact that once the action started, and aircraft were spinning all over the sky, you were lucky if you still had your wingman with you. Plenty of times, you wound up alone (very dangerous!), looking for someone to offer mutual protection as you fought your way out of the battle area and back home.

I learned a great deal in reading this book, and enjoyed every minute of it. You will too. I highly recommend it. "Aces Against Japan" is next on my list!

This is the book that sparked my interest in WW2 in the air.

Hammel, an expert writer on the subject, leaves out each and every thing not essential. Consequently, the action comes through like in no other book I've read, with the possible exception of "Top Guns" by Foss & Brennan.

The stories are short, but once one of them ends, the next one must be read right away, and the whole book is devoured at one sitting. Also included are short descriptions of the large-scale events during which the missions told take place.

Buy all 4 and make your spouse angry for a week.

Marte Cohen, all 4 foot, 11 inches of her, a modest unassuming lady, is a member of my Temple, so I had heard snippets of her story before, which few people (even her children) may have known about. However, I had no idea of the incredible drama involved until my wife purchased a copy of Marte's recently published book. Since I do a lot of my leisure reading upon retiring, I never realized what sleepless nights I would have, inasmuch as I could not put the book down except when I might finally fall asleep from fatigue in the wee hours of the morning. Not only is it a wonderful story of the bravery of a self-described "average" (hardly), young, French woman who voluntarily experienced life-threatening situations during a period of incredible evil, it provides great insight into what everyday life must have been like in pre- and post-war France. This book was especially uplifting, even for an old cynic such as me.

If you like adventure, heartache, love affairs (not what you may think)and luck, you must read this book. This lady was in her late teens and early twenties during WW II. As her family is Jewish, they lived through all kinds of hell, however, the resourcefulness of the author along with many regular citizens of her area, this immediate family was able to live through the ordeal (excepting two people) and Ms. Cohn has written a fine book of the times and what she accomplished. What a fine human being Marthe Cohn is.

Hard to believe that this really happened to a young woman during one of the most terrifying times in history. Somber at times, but also eventually full of hope.

For the advanced collector, there has been a shortage of information on Bing Bears in regards to identification, charm and market value until Ken Yenke wrote and complied wonderful photos of Bing Bears in this comprehensive book. As always, I am impressed and learn more than I had hoped when selecting one of Ken's books to add to my Teddy Bear Book reference library. A wonderful book for all who seek more knowledge about our loved...Teddy Bears.

This book is much more than a report of a company's products. It is an honest and direct account of what happened to a creative and productive enterprise under Hitler's oppression, and after that it is a beautiful description of the many fantastic items the company developed. Ken Yenke has made a fine contribution to the history of the German toy industry by describing the happenings that led to the demise of the Bing company. The pictures are terrific, and the dialogue is strong and exciting. You'll want to read every word and study every picture. I strongly recommend this book to all toy collectors.

We, collectors have waited a long time for someone to write a comprehensive book on the wonderful world of Bing Bears & Toys. Ken Yenke has developed a book designed to educated the reader on the history of Bing, as well as, give remarkable early sketches and photos of Bings that most collectors never get an opportunity to actually see. I was quite impressed with the energy and apparent love that Ken Yenke has demonstrated throughout the book. The descriptions are concise yet informative; and the price guidelines help the novice collector and the advanced collector gauge their buying and selling scales. I looked forward to reading this book from the earliest whispers of its development and have not been disappointed in any way. I hope Ken Yenke continues to write books that are educational to collectors and also beautiful to the eye.

I had the priveledge of hearing Louis Posner speak last year. Not only was he incredibly inspirational, but he was full of life. It was an honor to meet him. Listening to his story changed my life. If anybody is thinking about buying this book, don't hesitate. It's worth every penny, plus more. I guarantee you won't be disappointed.

Last year I had the wonderful opportunity to hear Mr. Poser speak. For over an hour I was held spellbound by his enthusiasm, knowledge and ability to encapsulate a period of time in our history that was so devastating to so many people. He has accomplished the same with his book. Writing about his own personal experiences and weaving in historical facts adds a dimension and flavor to that period of time that you can genuinely feel. History and non-history buffs alike will find this book enlightening and thought provoking.

I have listened to the author give lectures so I was interested in the book version where he adds details and am very pleased with the result. The content is neither depressive nor heroic. It has a balance as seen from the perspective of an adolescent, alone and hunted by the Gestapo, who has courage and will to survive Auschwitz for two years. I highly recommend it for high school libraries.

If you read Samuel's book "German Boy" you just wanted to know more about that time in German history and the people who lived in it. This book is somewhat perfect for it, because as it's premise it is about the German Children of the war. It is an interesting read because you get an insight into what happened during and after the war to the people in the book. They tell many insighful stories and you find out that they were also good people in Germany and not every one was a Nazi. Something every one needs to learn.

Where this book fails really and it could have been avoided by interviewing either more people, making the book shorter or getting different aspect of the life during and after the war and concentrating there; either way, the stories seem to repeat themselves. If you read three interviews of the people in the book, it seems like you have read most of the other interviews. At times you get confused and think you are reading about the same person you read about 50 pages ago but you don't. It's truly understandable that all these people had the same story to tell but better editing and more detalied interviews could have addeed more to the book.

Even though the Map is very helpful another map would have been welcomed that discribed where these people use to live. But the photos in this book are really touching. You learn many things about the postwar year of Germany and how the war never really ended after all the shots were fired. There was still lots of poverty, starvation, and crimes being commmited because you were of a Different Ethinic backround than the people who were now in Control. Much like it was when the Nazi's were in control. The things, specially, what the mothers' did for the children makes them true heroes.

Overall it is a good book but not a great book. It should go along with "German Boy" after you have read the Battle of Berlin because this leads right after that. One of the great quotes of the book is "Do not think about tomorrow because it has not arrived yet, live for today" There are some really touching interviews in this book and if you are interested in the aftermath of the war and about the Heroes after it, read this book.

In his earlier work, German Boy, Wolfgang Samuel related in excruciating and harrowing detail what it was like to be a German child caught up in the final months of WWII, as the American-led forces came into German soil in the West, while the Russians closed in from the East. Caught in between was a German population composed mostly of children and women, clinging to life without the help of their men, trying desperately to stay alive while keeping together what was left of their families. Life itself became a series of mad flights to dodge the crossfire of battle, and then, when the shooting stopped, it became no better, degenerating into a bleak struggle for survival in a ravaged and impoverished land, where the cruelty of the war itself was replaced by a savage and anarchic quest for daily subsistence.

Samuel, now Colonel Samuel, United States Air Force (retired), has given us his own story in German Boy, how he survived and how he eventually found a fulfilling life and career in the US. As he recalled this phase of his life, he realized that he was part of a larger whole, a generation of children who lived through these same horrors of war and yet somehow went on to become normal and productive persons. The War of Our Childhood is his compilation of first-person stories told by members of that generation. In a series of 27 interviews, Samuel lets each tell his or her story, although some were reluctant to be interviewed, to relive those suppressed memories of long ago. The book is organized into three chapters: Those who faced the war directly on the ground; and those who were either displaced by their conquerors from the East or forced to live under them at war's end. Underlying nearly every story is the constant fear of the Russians, whose cruelty and barbarism were whetted by the additional motivation of revenge. This fear and the flight to the West of millions of Germans in the face of the advancing hordes form the single consistent background throughout this period of chaos and displacement.

In nearly every story a kind of indomitable spirit shines through, especially among the women, who somehow kept on going. Some stories are more shocking than others, but one still wonders how the German nation and culture survived such decimation and onslaught. Yet in spite of their violent and deprived start in life, these children persevered, grew up, and went on to build meaningful lives, somehow made stronger for their hardships and experience. Lessons for the reader need not be expressly articulated; Colonel Samuel lets the people speak for themselves. This reviewer, who as a six-year-old fled Pomerania with his mother and younger brother, just one step ahead of the tanks and with shots ringing in his ears, experienced many of these same events. From reading The War of Our Childhood he now comes away both enligtened and a bit saddened, but reminded one more time never to take for granted the good things he enjoys today.

THE WAR OF OUR CHILDHOOD
Wolfgang Samuel
ISBN 1-57806-482-1

This is a moving work by Wolfgang Samuel about German children in WWII, their recollections of things endured and things taken away from the experience. In the author's earlier book, GERMAN BOY, he wrote about his own childhood as a refugee during the war and the debt he owed his mother. In this book, he interviews survivors and learns the details of their stories. Some did not wish to relive those years, but did so reluctantly with the writer's encouragement. He was one of them. The reader is privileged to experience these accounts, some of which were not previously shared with anyone.

One must steel oneself to read events in these stories. Some of the things that happened are terrifying and difficult to confront. They are tragic in the truest sense. These stories are about children who lost their parents and relatives, homes, and an entire way of life. Some were strafed by low flying fighters on the way home from school, and a number saw or heard women, sometimes relatives, being raped by Russian soldiers. Most endured the elements and were hungry more often than not. These stories are about kids who survived the war with only the clothes they wore, viewed in the areas where they ended up as refugee riffraff.

Why read such a book? Perhaps, the answer is to learn more about the experience of other human beings, in a time not so distant, who were on the losing end of the war. Also, everything is not as unambiguous as one might think. For example, a number of those who were German children then report that Russian soldiers who raped women were ironically, generally kind to children, "even generous at times, sharing the little they had." One man even said he forgave the Russians who raped his mother, that it was their leaders who encouraged them to take revenge on the Germans. Other surprising information of a lighter nature in this book is that many Russians learned to speak German relatively quickly, and even low-ranking soldiers showed a remarkable language aptitude.

One comes away from this book recognizing the strength of character and resourcefulness of these people. Most give credit to the mothers who guided and saved them while their fathers were away fighting and dying in the war. They talk about how their families worked as a team under the mother's leadership, to survive. A number said that they thought of their fathers only as photographs. Surprisingly, few of them had much bitterness about what they endured. Courage and discipline was the rule among them, and it served them well in surviving. Many experienced all the adversity that one can imagine. Those of us who think we have endured difficulty in life may change our minds after reading this book. Wolfgang Samuel's accomplishment in compiling these stories is enormous and worthy of the utmost respect.