My Father had this Luger... A true story of Hitler's Greece: A true story of Hitler's Greece - Brossura

Louizos, Evangelos

Brossura

ISBN 10: 0982373430 ISBN 13: 9780982373439

Casa editrice: Montagu House, 2012

Riassunto

World War II seen with a 21st-century sensibility. An enthralling, moving and true story of the Nazi occupation of Greece,it reads with the speed of a compelling novel as it sweeps you vividly through the war with unflagging narrative pace. It leaves you with a fresh understanding of the war and of the indomitability of the human spirit. It delivers suspense, endless surprises and twists, sharp characterizations, insights into human nature and the indestructibility of family ties, and a fascinating historical education along the way. Like Bryce Courtenay's THE POWEROF ONE, this book uses a boy's experiences as a way to embed the reader into incidents filled with thought-provoking moral nuance. The gripping story is packed with events from hilarious episodes, described with a child's honesty, through poignant moments to profound terror. The descriptions of wartime menace are frightening but soldiers of all sides, as well as civilians caught up in the drama of the war, are drawn with humanity and compassion. The book unfolds with a fine eye for detail. The rich historical backdrop is painted in an often poetic but always crystal-clear and unpretentious prose, as though the narrator is speaking to you alone. The book opens when Greece is invaded by Italy's dictator, Mussolini. The out numbered Greeks repel the invasion and the boy Evangelos's father is assigned to run a Prisoner of War facility for captured Italians, bringing the child into close contact with the prisoners. Mussolini calls in his ally, Hitler. One day Evangelos's father brings home a Luger pistol confiscated from a captured German. The Luger becomes a symbol of all that follows. Jack boots march through Athens, the swastika rises over the Acropolis, Wehrmacht troops are stationed across the road from Evangelos's home. He befriends German soldiers and learns to see them not just as soldiers but as men. His rooftop gives him a ringside seat of the coming and going of Luftwaffe planes.What he sees and learns and is made to experience, as the German noose grows tighter, makes him grow up more quickly than he had ever dreamed possible. And when the Allies eventually arrive to replace the Germans, their presence turns out to be shockingly different from the liberation that the besieged Greeks had expected. An eye-opening picture of the realities of war and its impacts on ordinary people, including those who never lose hope. Throughout it all, the small boy Evangelos slips through the neighborhood like a mouse, always underfoot, watching events from the unique vantage pointof an ever-present witness. An unforgettable portrait of the heroism dwelling within ordinary people, an eloquent testimony to the power of human endurance, laughter and the will to survive. Suitable for all ages from young adults up. Every age group will find its own layers of meaning. Produced under the auspices of a history-as-literature project guided by experts including veteran Reader's Digest editors. "This well written book provides us an insight into the origin and meaning of WW2 in Greece.An important example of how the human spirit can survive... Mr. Louizos should be commended for honoring his family and the Greek people... a good addition to The Sword of Zeus Project. -A. Vavoulis Prof. of Chem. at CSU; Former President, Fresno Free College Foundation; founder, KFCF-FM Free Speech radio. "An extraordinary account of the Axis occupation of Greece." - G. Harocopos, WW2 Historian, author and resistance fighter.

Su questo libro

Recensione:

"... a gripping 'non-fiction novel' that reads like a fast-paced thriller... This is a mesmerizing read ... it manages to present a complex, thought-provoking history lesson without ever being either dull or depressing... It succeeds in addressing its several audiences with equal ease and authority largely because of its tight storytelling and its crisp, plain language, devoid of frills." - Neo Magazine, USA "...captivating, with a cinematic feel, and moments that are truly haunting and memorable ... Certain passages are thought-provoking while some are downright bone-chilling, yet all unforgettable." - Neos Kosmos, Australia "This well-written book provides us with an insight into WWII's origin and meaning... An example of how the human spirit can survive and endure physical and material deprivation.... A good addition to The Sword of Zeus Project." - A. Vavoulis, founder, KFCF-FM Free Speech radio "An extraordinary account of the Axis occupation of Greece..." -- G. Harocopos, WW2 Historian and resistance fighter. "MY FATHER HAD THIS LUGER... is about timeless things that transcend war and which are as relevant today as the years in which the events of this story took place. This is a story of family, community and the ways in which countless small rituals and other shared things give human life its meaning. It is about loyalty and sticking together, about personal triumph, about hope, about the universality of childhood and the importance of imagination. It is about the ability of the human mind to find comedy even amid awful things, and take nourishment from it." - N.J. Slabbert, Literary Director, THE SWORD OF ZEUS PROJECT. A summer book choice of the Chicago-based Greek Star newspaper and the Boston-based Hellenic Voice.

L'autore:

Evangelos Louizos was born in Kallithea, on the outskirts of Athens, Greece, in 1933. He worked at numerous jobs, including those of sailor, bartender and construction worker, before completing his university education and becoming a teacher in the United States and Britain. He created a very successful English as a Foreign Language department at the American Community School in Cobham, Surrey. He is multilingual and passionate about human rights. An avid world traveler, he has made it a point to learn how to say Hello and Thank You in as many languages as possible. N.J. Slabbert’s Sword of Zeus Project, an initiative dedicated to Greece’s experience in World War Two, proudly worked with Mr Louizos to document, research and edit his memories and present them in this true story of the war that changed the world.

Su questa edizione

• Editore: Montagu House
• Data di pubblicazione: 2012
• ISBN 10: 0982373430
• ISBN 13: 9780982373439
• Rilegatura: Copertina flessibile
• Numero di pagine: 320