Defiance

The Bielski Partisans

By: Nechama Tec

Narrated by: Stefan Rudnicki

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)

What a Great Read

I often am hesitant to listen/read another book on the holocaust or WW2 but this one was part of Plus so I figured, why not?

It was such an inspiring read. The mere fact that they survived was amazing but the community they created within the forest was incredible. It is amazing what one persons hope can do in a seemingly hopeless situation. Sad that this doesn’t get more attention and it was sad to hear about Tuvia Bielski’s life after the war. Definitely a great find and don’t regret the listen at all.

Great Story, could have been told better

The raw material for this story is just riveting, which makes the flaws in the narrative that much more frustrating. I particularly found the discussion of some of the difficult moral choices the partisans had to make to be compelling reading.
Let me also say, I remember well being in 8th grade and reading Night by Elie Wiesel and feeling, forgive me if this sounds like blaming the victim, but feeling angry with the passivity of those who went into the gas chambers without a struggle. This book not only shows another side of the story, but it provides a very convincing, and heart-tugging discussion of why some didn't resist.
My only critique is that it is written more as research paper than as a story. For example, Chapter 11 is entitled (paraphrasing) "The Formation of New Social Structures", and discusses, well, social structures among the Bielski partisans. It seems to me a more inventive author would have woven that in to a narrative.
Certainly, this is a book I heartily recommend. It is easy to say "we must never forget", but a book like this is important to ensuring that we consciously remember the holocaust, rather than simply have it locked in the recesses of long term memory.

Extraordinary story

This extraordinary story is very uplifting. It demomonstrates how the desire to live can overcome so many treats.

Very good!

I highly recommend watching the movie before reading the book, because even though there is a bit of “Hollywood” involved, it will allow the reader to have a better visual of the people and places being described in the book. Some have complained that the book is too academic, and I found that it is exactly what it should be… History mixed with documentary which equals reality. I do not think I would have come to appreciate the dire situations encountered, nor would I have had as clear an understanding of the principals involved had I not watched the movie first. A definite must listen for those who are interested in, and want to dig below the surface of the known atrocities forced upon the Jewish communities of many nations during WW II. A true story about survival and what it took, and the ability of a few men to build a safe haven for as many as possible.

awesome. it was an amazing book. buy it 10/10

Their story was amazing and I'm so happy this happened and that this author gave voice to the tuvia's story.

Another reason why a book is better then the movie

When the movie came out years ago i was excited to go see it because of the story. A group of brothers fighting to save Jews during a dark time in human history. Unfortunately the movie did not turn out so well and i was disappointed. Fast forward to about a month ago when i discovered the Audio book the movie was based off of. I decided to give it a read and it was a great read. This should have been developed into a mini series like band of brothers. The story broke down the history of the brothers and their actions throughout the war in the defense of the Jewish people they protected. It showed the hardships, politics, and inside scheming that the brothers had to work through just to keep everyone safe. A story that shows how people could become a beacon of hope during a dark time. All because they thought it was the right thing to do.

Insightful

I have not listened to an account of Jewish people during the Holocaust yet... hearing what they went through... read aloud ... it hits a person in a way that film/interviews do not.

EXCELLENT!

Very well written and narrated. The story is just unbelievable; incomprehensible. The perserverance of the people this story is about is something else. The author's story to get the story is a story in itself! I am more anxious than ever to see the movie, and will probably "read" the book again afterwards.

Great Story

The story was fantastic and new material for those how know nothing about Jewish resistance during World War II and the narrator was extremely easy to listen to as well.

Brillaint scholarship; hard read

This is a brilliant social history of a Jewish resistance movement in Belarus and Eastern Poland. It focusses on the Bielski partisan group lead by the three Bielski brothers.

What made this partisan unit different from the others active in the area was the fact A) they were Jewish and B) focused much more on saving lives than on attacking the Germans. Their efforts eventually resulted in the saving of more than 1,000 Jews.

The book is a standard social history that tackles its subject in a thematic rather than a narrative style. This makes the book less accessible. This is not a piece of popular history but is intended to be read by scholars who have made a study of the Holocaust or the Jews. The result is that the book can be hard to follow at times as it does not strictly follow a chronological format. Additionally, the book seems repetitive as the author supported his assertions with a large number of examples many of which are very similar.

This is a stunning piece of scholarship with the information presented logically and clearly in a remarkably evenhanded manner. This is done at the expense of readability and accessibility. Therefore, I would not recommend this book to the casual reader but to the serious student of the subject.