"Memoirs Red and White: Poland, the War, and After is a powerful portrait of Polish life in the late 1930s and 1940s, told beautifully through the lens of Peter F. Dembowski's heroic family. Dembowski recounts the adventures of his brave and ethical family members during the Depression, as members of the konspiracja , as well as his mother's and sister's executions in Ravensbrück. The author provides a riveting account of his own heroism during the 1944 Warsaw Uprising and his incarceration in Stalag XB near Sandbostel, as well as his life in the United States after the war. The book describes the patriotism of Poles during a very difficult era. Dembowski's book is an excellent choice for readers who want to learn more about Polish life, patriotism, and history during the Second World War." —Eric Sterling, Distinguished Research Professor of English, Auburn University at Montgomery
“Peter F. Dembowski’s Memoirs Red and White: Poland, the War, and After is the moving testimony of an individual who has had firsthand knowledge of the most dramatic moments in the history of the twentieth century. His story is one of heroic courage, honesty, and optimism." —Thomas Pavel Gordon J. Laing Distinguished Service Professor in Romance Languages and Literature, University of Chicago
"Memoirs Red and White vividly describes life in Poland before and during the war. It touches on the issues of war and resistance, life in the camps, and the gruesome toll of death and survival. While there is no shortage of literature on the war and camps, Dembowski adds new vignettes and details that will be of interest to a general reader. I think it is important to have Dembowski's record of the events in print as the last of the war generation is disappearing, taking with them their memories and life stories." —Michael Khodarkovsky, Loyola University Chicago
"Peter F. Dembowski . . . provides an engrossing glimpse into his early life growing up in Poland prior to World War II and his subsequent immigration to Canada and eventually the United States. . . . In the summer of 1943, Dembowski participated in the Polish resistance. He was captured and detained by the Gestapo, and his release was quite unexpected by his family. A year later, Dembowski was again captured and sent to one of the many internment camps outside of Warsaw until it was liberated by the British. . . . [This] success story of a World War II survivor from Poland is enlightening, inspirational, and thoughtful." —Foreword Reviews
“An impressively written and detailed autobiography, Memoirs Red and White: Poland, the War, and After showcases a life lived out in the interesting times. An informative and absorbing read from beginning to end, ‘Memoirs Red and White’ is very highly recommended for bother community and academic library Contemporary Biography collections.” —The Midwest Book Review
“To this memoir [Dembowski] brings the academic’s discipline and dispassionate approach not to mention a lifetime of reflection. . . Dembowski has a flair for the out of the ordinary. Here he strives to present complexity, challenging simplistic notions of Polish-German animosity, anti-Communism, and anti-Semitism. . . This book is but a modest contribution to a fairly hefty body of material but will nonetheless reward the reader seeking insight into Poland’s world war.” —Humanities and Social Sciences Online
“Written in an engaging, conversational style, Memoirs Red and White is both a witness to the tumultuous course of events in the 20th century and the record of a life truly well lived. It will certainly have appeal to those interested in Polish culture and history, World War II, the lives of Polish Americans, or biographies of academics, as well as those who enjoy stirring examples of heroism, courage, and endurance. Highly recommended, this book is suitable for public and academic libraries alike.” —Catholic Library World
“Dembowski is exceptional for conveying a truthful picture of what he witnessed during the war. He avoids the trap of obviously interpreting his memories through the prism of subsequent accounts. He is impressively balanced and objective even though the account of his war-time experiences are harrowing and in many ways complex.” —European History Quarterly
“This compelling memoir offers much to historians researching the twentieth century. . . . Dembowski’s memoir is particularly moving when he writes of his family. . . . Throughout his life Dembowski has drawn strength from his Christian faith. And even those who profess no faith are likely to be touched by his reflection on death in the final pages of his memoir.” —Journal of Contemporary History
"Memoirs Red and White vividly describes life in Poland before and during the war. It touches on the issues of war and resistance, life in the camps, and the gruesome toll of death and survival. While there is no shortage of literature on the war and camps, Dembowski adds new vignettes and details that will be of interest to a general reader. I think it is important to have Dembowski's record of the events in print as the last of the war generation is disappearing, taking with them their memories and life stories."
Peter F. Dembowski’s Memoirs Red and White: Poland, the War, and After is the moving testimony of an individual who has had firsthand knowledge of the most dramatic moments in the history of the twentieth century. His story is one of heroic courage, honesty, and optimism."
Thomas Pavel Gordon J. Laing Distinguished Service Professor in Romance Languages and Literature
"Memoirs Red and White: Poland, the War, and After is a powerful portrait of Polish life in the late 1930s and 1940s, told beautifully through the lens of Peter F. Dembowski's heroic family. Dembowski recounts the adventures of his brave and ethical family members during the Depression, as members of the konspiracja, as well as his mother's and sister's executions in Ravensbrück. The author provides a riveting account of his own heroism during the 1944 Warsaw Uprising and his incarceration in Stalag XB near Sandbostel, as well as his life in the United States after the war. The book describes the patriotism of Poles during a very difficult era. Dembowski's book is an excellent choice for readers who want to learn more about Polish life, patriotism, and history during the Second World War."
To this memoir [Dembowski] brings the academic’s discipline and dispassionate approach not to mention a lifetime of reflection. . . Dembowski has a flair for the out of the ordinary. Here he strives to present complexity, challenging simplistic notions of Polish-German animosity, anti-Communism, and anti-Semitism. . . This book is but a modest contribution to a fairly hefty body of material but will nonetheless reward the reader seeking insight into Poland’s world war.
Humanities and Social Sciences Online
Dembowski is exceptional for conveying a truthful picture of what he witnessed during the war. He avoids the trap of obviously interpreting his memories through the prism of subsequent accounts. He is impressively balanced and objective even though the account of his war-time experiences are harrowing and in many ways complex.
European History Quarterly
This compelling memoir offers much to historians researching the twentieth century. . . . Dembowski’s memoir is particularly moving when he writes of his family. . . . Throughout his life Dembowski has drawn strength from his Christian faith. And even those who profess no faith are likely to be touched by his reflection on death in the final pages of his memoir.
Journal of Contemporary History
"Peter F. Dembowski . . . provides an engrossing glimpse into his early life growing up in Poland prior to World War II and his subsequent immigration to Canada and eventually the United States. . . . In the summer of 1943, Dembowski participated in the Polish resistance. He was captured and detained by the Gestapo, and his release was quite unexpected by his family. A year later, Dembowski was again captured and sent to one of the many internment camps outside of Warsaw until it was liberated by the British. . . . [This] success story of a World War II survivor from Poland is enlightening, inspirational, and thoughtful."
Written in an engaging, conversational style, Memoirs Red and White is both a witness to the tumultuous course of events in the 20th century and the record of a life truly well lived. It will certainly have appeal to those interested in Polish culture and history, World War II, the lives of Polish Americans, or biographies of academics, as well as those who enjoy stirring examples of heroism, courage, and endurance. Highly recommended, this book is suitable for public and academic libraries alike.
An impressively written and detailed autobiography, ‘Memoirs Red and White: Poland, the War, and After’ showcases a life lived out in the interesting times. An informative and absorbing read from beginning to end, ‘Memoirs Red and White’ is very highly recommended for bother community and academic library Contemporary Biography collections.
