Shattering the German Night: The Story of the White Rose

Rating:
Summary: An incisive account of Nazi student resistance
Review: As a university professor, I found this book's treatment of the White Rose incisive and moving, the kind of dramatic yet scrupulous historical account that not only appeals to all readers, but has the special power to reach young people in high schools and colleges who might otherwise be turned off by drier academic writing. Bravo!

Rating:
Summary: Powerful account
Review: I found this book not only thorough and accurate but also emotionally powerful. It tells the story of a rare resistance movement in Nazi Germany that was doomed for many reasons to failure. The authors clearly did painstaking and far-reaching research. The result is a clearly written, dramatic book telling a story that is important both for the historical record and for highlighting an act of resistance by idealistic young Germans. The White Rose members are described as products of their time and of their families. The book shows how various influences weave together to create the individual prepared to act. The story of the White Rose student resistance in Germany should be better known, not only because it shows what some people were capable of doing, but also because it brings up the issue of how so many people stood by while crimes against humanity were being committed in their name. If these students and their teachers were aware of the criminality of the Nazi regime, there must have been millions of others who also saw the truth but were unwilling to take the risk to oppose the regime. These students and their teachers paid the ultimate price. This book raises these issues and prompted me to further reading, as the best books do. For example, the diaries of Victor Klemperer reflect in their own way the almost schizophrenic break between public awareness of persecution, and public willingess (or lack thereof) to resist. "Shattering the German Night" is a dramatic story of courage during the darkest period of the 20th century. And it's a story with new chapters unfolding, as researchers today continue to uncover documents related to the tragic and inspiring story of the White Rose. This book is a fundamental resource and a memorable read.

Rating:
Summary: Unforgettable history
Review: I'm not sure how I first got acquainted with the story of the White Rose, but it is a story that deserves to be known.

During the darkest days of World War II, a small group of German university students, along with a pair of mentors, took it upon themselves to try to raise awareness of what Hitler and the Nazis were doing to Germany, and were looking for a way to organize enough resistance to try to throw the Nazis out.

Unfortunately, this took place during 1942 and 1943, and instead of this resistance taking hold throughout Germany, the members of the "Weisse Rose" were arrested and executed.

Many may argue that they sacrificed their lives in vain, since this broad-based resistance never came to pass. However, it was the faith that all of these students had, that they had to do what was right, despite the danger, that is truly inspiring.

This book is well-researched, well-written, and quite readable, even for people who don't know much about the White Rose to begin with. My main gripe with the book is that, although it is not as bad as a lot of stuff about the White Rose, it tends to idolize the Scholls to begin with, and when introducing the other members, especially Alexander Schmorell and Willi Graf. Later on in the book, when more is written about these people, there seems to be more of a balance in what is said.

And though a lot of people seem only to be interested in the leaflets themselves, or the more 'political' motivations of the group, I, for one, was delighted with the chapter about Russia, because in it it was able to portray more of the "emotional" reasons for the actions of the White Rose, and throws some color onto what could be regarded as "boring history".

I just wish that this book were not out of print in English, as it is amazingly hard to find, and it is something that I would recommend to almost anyone who is interested in history, interested in ethics, religion, or just wants to read an unbelievably moving tale.

Rating:
Summary: Proof of hope
Review: It's been some years since I read Shattering the German Night, but it left a deep impression. One tends to think of Nazi Germany as monolithically evil, but these little known, idealistic students disproved that with their lives and, ultimately, with their tragic deaths at the hands of the Gestopo. It's a heart-breaking story in many ways, but also an inspiring one, enriched by letters, diaries, and interviews with the survivors. It gave me an unique insight into a period that has always fascinated me, and I highly recommend it to anyone with similar interests.

Rating:
Summary: Take the proverbial grain of salt
Review: The sad thing about the Dumbach/Newborn book is that it comes close. They actually interviewed non-Scholl persons for this book and engaged in serious investigative journalism. The result: Their book is not a rehash of the usual Scholl legend of the White Rose. For that, I am grateful.

But it falls short. They take documents out of context, using letters written at one point in the lives of these children to prove philosophy when they are older. None of the facts (as far as I can tell) is actually wrong. It's just that they manipulated facts by omitting context to come up with the story they wanted to tell.

If they had stuck closer to the interviews they were granted and pieced it all together with better attention to chronology, their book could have been as earthshattering as the original story. Instead, it disappears into the usual White Rose quagmire, adding to the confusion surrounding the tale.

Rating:
Summary: Holocaust History
Review: This is a rare book. Rare, in that it deals with German resistance to Hitler's demagoguery by young Christian university students. While there are a number of books around that deal with German resistance, this story, the story of the White Rose resistance movement, is quite different - probably due to the phenomenal research that Jud Newborn and his associate did on the subject. The book is informational, historical, educational and, I feel, a must for anyone, especially young people, to read.

Rating:
Summary: Holocaust History
Review: This is a rare book. Rare, in that it deals with German resistance to Hitler's demagoguery by young Christian university students. While there are a number of books around that deal with German resistance, this story, the story of the White Rose resistance movement, is quite different - probably due to the phenomenal research that Jud Newborn and his associate did on the subject. The book is informational, historical, educational and, I feel, a must for anyone, especially young people, to read.

Rating:
Summary: shattering the german night
Review: This is an impressive, highly readable and beautifully researched account of two brave German teen-agers who rejected Hitler's demonic vision and fought to open their countrymen's eyes to the horrors that lay ahead --at the cost of their lives.

Far from being a starchy academic piece, this book pulls the reader into the sad drama of these largely unsung heros, without sacrificing historic context and original research by Newborn, a well-respected Holocaust expert. Nothing is manipulated or out of context. In fact, this book combines both heart-renching drama and historic context that helps explain how these extraordinary children labored against the tide of hate and destruction.

Rating:
Summary: shattering the german night
Review: This is an impressive, highly readable and beautifully researched account of two brave German youths who rejected Hitler's demonic vision and fought to open their countrymen's eyes to the horrors that lay ahead -- at the cost of their lives.

Far from being a starchy academic tome, this book pulls the reader into the sad but inspiring drama of these largely unsung heros, without sacrificing historic context and original research by Newborn, a well-respected Holocaust expert. Nothing is manipulated or taken out of context. This book drives home the high cost of courage in a world gone mad, and the brilliant light these brave young people shone into the dark night of Nazi Germany. An excellent choice for high-school classroom discussion.