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Rating: 
Summary: History is not unique
Review: An important book to make history come alive. Unbelievable what Bardach endured. I always thought the special mixture of state-terrorism, inhumanity, and ethnic repression which existed in Nazi-Germany was a unique "accident" of history. Judging from Bardach's book it happened to almost the same extent in Russia. And the scenes in former Yugoslavia also were not far from it. Mankind obviously does not have a learning-curve. I read the book in German and hope it gets translated into Polish and Russian.
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Summary: A chilling tale of survival
Review: Having never read a book on the Soviet gulags may make me a neophyte on this subject, but Dr. Bardach's story has educated me. The story of a Polish Jew with a certain admiration for the Soviet way of life, this curiosity comes to a bitter end when in battling Nazi invaders with the Red Army, Dr. Bardach is arrested, court martialed and sentenced to death for a "crime" for which he was scapegoated. In the ensuing years,he is subjected to beatings, threats of death, horrific working conditions and the loss of freedom. But in surviving this living nightmare, Dr. Bardach will inspire you when he finally finds his freedom and becomes a successful surgeon in the U.S.
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Summary: Archetype of the American Dream
Review: I grew up in Iowa City around the corner from Dr. Bardach. I delivered his newspaper when I was a kid and used to see him and his wife at local tennis clubs. That's all I knew about him-until I was 30 and my parents were reading his book. When they told me what it was about, I was stunned! I couldn't put the book down. His story is riveting. How on earth does a Polish Jew in WWII go from a hard labor camp in Siberia to being a renowned surgeon at a large teaching hospital in the middle of Iowa? It puts life into perspective and will remind you that anything is possible. Dr. Bardach truly lived the American dream.
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Summary: One great Man!
Review: I read this book without putting it down. Dr Bardach was my cleft palate surgeon and an awesome man. I didn't realize what he had went through. I compare his life to Jesus Christ. Jesus was persecuted by his own people just as Dr. Bardach was persecuted by his own government. Dr. Bardach took what he went through and became a better man because of it. He became an excellent surgeon and helped those who are affected with a cosmetic difficulty through not fault of their own. Jesus died so that sinners would be free. I believe Dr. Bardach compares to Jesus in that manner. I knew him but did I know Him? Just as we know of Jesus do we KNOW him? Thanks Dr. Bardach for all you were to me. You have helped me realize who I am.
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Summary: Haunting and difficult to read
Review: This book is the most daunting first hand account of the Gulag that I have read. Voices from the Gulag and Through the Whirlwind are also well-written accounts. Man is Wolf caputures the brutal experience with power and eloquence. From a literary standpoint it is a simple read but from a human perspective it is devastating. I had to stop reading on anumber of occasions to keep from being in enveloped by the horror of the book. This book will change your perspective on human nature, WWII and Eastern Europe.
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Summary: Completely absorbing -- you'll wonder where the time went
Review: To the praise delivered to this book by more knowledgable students of the subject I can only add my appreciation for the absorbing way in which the story is told. It is beautifully written without artifice in an engaging and accessible prose style. It is also one of the few narratives of its nature that I've read which -- while it does not sugar-coat or gloss over horror in any sense -- left me more refreshed and hopeful than completely depressed and hopeless at the end of the book. Beautifully done and honestly related.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding Narrative of Human Survival with a Twist
Review: What a great story. I couldn't put the book down. It is a view of WW II and Soviet Terror told from a unique perspective. I was enthralled to read the first hand accurate descriptions of human suffering and maladies. Then to my suprise the Author revealed himself to be one of my professors during Medical School! He never talked about this part of his life during my brief and peripheral association with him, and was a hard but just teacher with glimpses of remarkable human tenderness. The first hand description of vitamin deficiencies was insightful. Buy this book and read about human courage and survival
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