Defiance

The Bielski Partisans

By: Nechama Tec

Narrated by: Stefan Rudnicki

Length: 10 hrs and 53 mins

Publisher's summary

The prevailing image of European Jews during the Holocaust is one of helpless victims. But in fact, many Jews struggled against the terrors of the Third Reich.

This is the riveting history of one such group: a forest community numbering more than 1,200 that carried out the largest armed rescue operation of Jews by Jews in World War II. Nechama Tec reconstructs the amazing details of how these men and women of all ages - hungry, largely unarmed, and exposed to harsh winter weather - managed not only to survive but to take on the dual role of fighters and rescuers. Under the guidance of their charismatic leader, Tuvia Bielski, they smuggled Jews out of heavily guarded ghettos, led retaliatory raids against Nazi collaborators, and offered protection to all Jewish fugitives who could find their way to them.

©1993 Nechama Tec (P)2008 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"One of the most elevating and inspiring stories in the chronicle of death and despair that is the Holocaust....an accomplished and startling work of Holocaust documentation." ( Los Angeles Times)
"An exciting story of rescuers and fighters - a story that should have been documented years ago....Defiance will no doubt engender further interest in the subject of Jewish partisan activity." ( Social Education)

Amazing!

Well written and well performed! An amazing true story and very vivid descriptions. I recommend it.

Disappointing

This is not the book for you if you are expecting another "Schindler's Ark". In theory there are parallels - an untold and uplifting tale of heroism in the Holocaust; an unexpected and (in theory) intriguing hero; a dramatic film derived from the book. However, these comparisons don't hold up to examination ans experience.
Whilst the film isn't too bad (but not close to a "Schindler's List ") and it prompted me to want to read the book behind it, the book itself is pretty dreadful. How it desperately needs the talent of a Thomas Keneally to bring it alive. I am glad I chose to access it through the audio book because Stefan Rudnicki's reading helps give the story some life and colour which is sadly lacking in the text - it is a tedious laundry list of the movement and interaction of the Bielski Partisans with other partisan groups. It is repetitive and it's handling of Tuvia Bielski is poor. There is no real sense of the man himself and whilst many reviews suggest the author's approach is academic, I found her handling of the central character more akin to fan adulation than serious academic analysis.
Overall, a disappointing experience.

Can't finish

More of a laundry list of atrocities. Not much of a story. I could not listen any longer.

Dry writing doesn’t do justice to the story

2.5 stars
Defiance is the true story of a group of jews who survived World War 2 hiding out in the forests of Belarus. Although there were other otriads of partisans, the Bielski Otriad, led by the the three Bielski brothers was the bravest. They would accept any jewish person - young or old, fighter or not.
This book is very difficult and dense to get through. It can sometimes feel like a list of facts, which, I think, doesn't do justice to how brave these people were and what insane, horrific times they lived through. The author talks about interviewing many survivors, including an interview with Tuvia Bielski before he died and I think the book would have been greatly improved by adding some of their feels about that time and also maybe a section about what the 1200 survivors went on to do.
The most powerful moment of the book was a quote from Tuvia about how they would take any jew and were prepared to die for them, because then they'd at least die like a human being. Certainly a sentiment to think about during these times.

Boring

This book is very dry and boring. When I first read the synopsis I thought it would be very interesting, lots of action, at least a plot. This book has neither. Rather it's an account of an inexhaustible list of names and places and how they moved around from one group and place to the next. After listening to two thirds of the first part I had to stop, I couldn't take any more. I don't want to take away from the efforts of those who are mentioned in this book, I know that what they did was brave and heroic. There are times in the book of accounts that if told differently should have held the reader in suspense and dread however, even at those times it was told in a fashion that sparked very little emotional contact or empathy with the characters. I just wished the author would have taken a different approach instead of a dull chronology as this is a great story that does deserve a better rendering.