The Defiant A True Story of Escape, Survival & Resistance Shalom Yoran

ISBN: 0-7570-0078-9 Length: 296 Pages Size: 6 X 9-inch Format: Quality Paperback Category: Biography / Holocaust Price: $15.95 Availability: In Print   Contents Reviews

Fifty years ago, while recuperating in an Israeli hospital, a young Polish refugee wrote at length about his remarkable experiences in war-torn Europe. When done, his notes were set aside as he built a new life for himself, his wife, and their children. Then, in 1995, Shalom Yoran came across his own long-forgotten writings and, realizing their importance, completed his work. The Defiant is his extraordinary memoir.

The Defiant is a true story of survival and courage in the darkest days of Nazi-occupied Poland. It is the personal account of a young man who refused to yield to the German onslaught, and instead chose to become a Jewish resistance fighter. The book chronicles the bravery of a group of men and women who carried on a forest war, using antiquated guns and living on instinct. From the brutal behavior of Polish peasants to the constant bombardment of German air raids, from the questionable orders of anti-Semitic commanders to direct confrontations with storm troopers, the author sheds light on events that few know of in this country.

Yoran has written a unique holocaust account that is fresh, powerful, and rich in detail. Here is the amazing story of a handful of courageous men and women who fought against incredible odds--and triumphed.

Shalom Yoran was born in Raciaz, Poland in 1922. In 1939, his life changed forever when his father and mother were killed by the Nazis. For the next six years, he and his brother, Musio, fought as partisans against the German war machine. In 1946, Mr. Yoran moved to Israel (then called Palestine), to begin a new life. For seven years, he served as an officer in the Israeli Air Force. For the next thirty years, he worked in the aircraft industry as both a top executive and a highly sought-after consultant. Today, the author and his wife, Varda, live in the United States.

Contents

Acknowledgments
Preface

Introduction

1. The German-Polish War
2. The First German Occupation
3. Seeking Refuge Once More
4. In Soviet-Occupied Territory
5. Under the Germans Again
6. Unbridled Savagery
7. The End of Kurzeniec
8. In the Woods
9. Preparing for a Harsh Winter
10. Hibernating in the Zemlianka
11. Proving Ourselves to the Partisans
12. In the Jewish Otriad
13. The Oblava
14. The Partisans Gain Power
15. The Jewish Support Group
16. The Gvardia Mission Begins
17. Into the Swamps
18. Playing the Enemy
19. Boria's Story
20. Disrupting the German War Machine
21. Becoming a Red Army Soldier
22. The Polish Army
23. Entering Germany
24. Escaping Through Europe
25. Under the British
26. In Palestine
Epilogue

Glossary
Index

Reviews

to come

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