Test of Courage : The Michel Thomas Story

Rating:
Summary: The Triumph of Courage: to Choose Life...
Review: The Michael Thomas story leaves the reader spellbound by a sinew of life threaded through a wave of racial hatred and apathy such as the world has possibly never known. It follows the inquisitive and courageous mind of a polish Jew named Michael who refuses to surrender his convictions under any circumstances, nor deny himself to the enemy. Surviving three French concentration camps, where the "siren song" of death paralyzes the masses, he survives to become part of the French resistance, and finally joins US Army Intelligence to establish a brilliant sting operation to capture the most offensive Nazi officers. Forever haunted by the love and loss of his mother, his aunt and his one true love Suzanne, he leads a life as a pledge to God helping others around the world in whatever fashion possible. Michael spearheads a mission to teach languages and establish an international university, in an attempt to help others awaken the sleeping giant within to crave learning and become self-empowered. The book also provides unbelievable insight into the cowardice and brutality of the Vichy French government, the horrible silence of the international community to help immigrate Jewish refugees, and the lengths to which the Army cloaked heinous Nazi crimes for their own technological gain. Michael's candor and compelling story leaves you wanting more.

Rating:
Summary: Honor Above Self
Review: The popular concept of the modern intellectual is the bipolar opposite of the popular concept of the modern soldier. Most, in our culture, accept this as Truth and hardly find it a point of reflection. One need not go to far back in time however, to see how the concept of the Renaissance man as artist, intellectual, and citizen soldier has only recently been smothered and killed off. Many today believe that there is nothing worth defending, that violence--no matter what--is not justified. Michel's life is a rage against those people. Michel's life has been spent between obtaining prestigious degrees, creating revolutionary teaching techniques, fighting the Gestapo, and hunting Nazis. A Jew who escaped from a concentration camp and joined the French Resistance, his entire family was slaughtered by Nazi Germany. His greatest pain comes from the fact that for years the world stood idly by as millions of Jews were sent to their deaths. Michel's life is a beacon in an ethically and morally baron landscape. Like the author, I should note that my opinion of this man is not biased, as I am not a Jew. But also like the author, I'd like to quote the Russian poet who said, "I am not a Jew, but in the presence of anti-Semites, I am Jewish."
I give the book 4 stars because the organization of the book is sometimes awkward and I found that the percent narration to quotation was too far weighted towards the narration side. These points should not, however, distract the reader too much as this is simply a great story.