The Bielski Brothers
The True Story of Three Men Who Defied the Nazis, Built a Village in the Forest, and Saved 1,200 Jews
By Peter Duffy
(Harper Perennial, Paperback, 9780060935535, 336pp.)
Publication Date: June 2004
Categories: Holocaust, Jewish - General, Military - World War II
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In 1941, three brothers witnessed their parents and two other siblings being led away to their eventual murders. It was a grim scene that would, of course, be repeated endlessly throughout the war. Instead of running or giving in to despair, these brothers -- Tuvia, Zus, and Asael Bielski -- fought back, waging a guerrilla war of wits against the Nazis.
By using their intimate knowledge of the dense forests surrounding the Belarusan towns of Novogrudek and Lida, the Bielskis evaded the Nazis and established a hidden base camp, then set about convincing other Jews to join their ranks. As more and more Jews arrived each day, a robust community began to emerge, a "Jerusalem in the woods."
After two and a half years in the woods, in July 1944, the Bielskis learned that the Germans, overrun by the Red Army, were retreating back toward Berlin. More than one thousand Bielski Jews emerged -- alive -- on that final, triumphant exit from the woods.
Peter Duffy is the author of The Bielski Brothers. He lives in New York City with his wife and daughter.
“Captivating...a welcome story of bold, determined, and successful resistance....[An] unjustly neglected story.”
-San Francisco Chronicle
“Remarkable [and] surprising ... Duffy’s book is a gripping and overdue tribute to the brothers’ resourcefulness and courage.”
-London Times
“Uplifting....A powerful recounting of a little-known story.”
-Kirkus Reviews
“A fascinating story!”
-The Economist
“An engrossing, inspiring narrative ... of an incredible victory amid an immeasurable tragedy.”
-Dallas Morning News
“[A] dramatic and heartfelt story of unbelievable courage in the face of unspeakable adversity.”
-PW Daily
“This remarkable story would make a terrific movie…. A story about heroes, and Duffy does a masterful job.”
-Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Fast-paced and deeply moving...inspiring in its representation of the heroism of ordinary people.”
-Washington Post
“An extraordinary story of resistance.”
-The Spectator
“As amazing as Schindler’s List.”
-People
“A haunting book...with the grip of good fiction and the punch of hard truth.”
-Chicago Tribune
“An exciting, well-paced story about honor, courage and duty. An inspiration.”
-Howard Blum, author of THE BRIGADE
“Powerful! The strength of the human spirt shines on in [this] beautifully written book.”
-Paula Zahn, CNN Live from the Headlines
“A wildly daring, untold tale of resistance .... inspiring and harrowing.”
-Jewish Bulletin
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