blessedleibowitz's review against another edition
5.0
A stunning book. Brutal, morbid at times. Has incredible breadth in showing the history and complexity of interrelations between groups of people in a certain place. Much bigger than its content matter in showing how history is remade through societal and individual narratives. So reliant on source material woven into the text, yet the author’s subtle and modest arguments shine through and are even more powerful as a result. Relatively short for a history book, only 300 pages, which I appreciated, and the penultimate chapter (‘Neighbours’) even lacked the absolute necessity that every other chapter seemed to bring. Subjective to your interests, but I felt the book picked up pace and was more interesting as it went on in time, as would be expected. This had a big impact on me - as you can probably tell. Please read.
A 9 or 10/10.
A 9 or 10/10.
catriona_v's review against another edition
5.0
An exceptional study of the experience of a small town during the Second World War. Bartov's use of primary sources and interviews makes the story he tells that much more important. It is a devastating book, but one that I highly recommend for anyone interested in community relationships during the Second World War.
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