This was on the list of Kindle books being sponsored by the movie "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" (American Version) - or maybe it was the offer which was sponsored. Whatever. At any rate, they had a list of books and you could get one (only one) for a dollar. I read and reread the list and finally decided to go with this old favorite which I hadn't reread for many years.
No wonder I reread it so many times. The characters are bigger than life, the situation is desperate, the action is dramatic, and the whole story is based on real events. The characters, not so much, but the heroism and self-sacrifice they displayed must of necessity have been shown by the people who lived through the defense and destruction of the Warsaw Ghetto.
The time and events of the book are, from all accounts, represented accurately - Uris is known for the quality and quantity of his research. Part of the danger to humanity in all ages is our unwillingness to accept the depths to which humanity can reach given the opportunity. When one of the Nazi officers discusses the probability of the defeat of the Third Reich, he casually dismisses the aftermath of the world's discovery of the incredible cruelty and viciousness which typified Nazi Germany with references to the short memory of mankind and by pointing out that the world has been informed of events like those which took place at Baba Yar and the existence of the extermination camps. Specifically appalling is the indifference of the Polish people to the things taking place around them, indifference so profound that it is indistinguishable from complicity. "Never forget."
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