I read this book in college as part of one of my history papers. Being 2nd generation Polish, it was important to read the full story of the genocide in Poland, and that it was not just limited to the Jews. Lucas does a fine job of showing all aspects of life under occupation, and that ALL Poles suffered, regardless of religion, gender, occupation, etc. Poland lost 15-20% of her population during the war, the most of any country, and they came from all walks of life. I was glad to see somebody finally wrote a boook about the "forgotten" millions who were murdered simply because they were born Polish. This is a must read for anyone interested in Poland or European history.

This book is exactly what it advertises - a history of Poland while under German occupation. After years of hearing only about the anti-Semitism of Poles, and their willingness to coldly turn in their Jewish neighbors, it is refreshing to read of what the majority of the country took part in. The tales of Polish resistance are truly remarkable and valuable for anyone interested in the truth of WWII.

Lukas never makes an attempt to minimize the Jewish experience in this book; he only brings attention to the fact that five million non-Jews were also exterminated, and for Hitler, as soon as Europe was free of Jews, the Slavs were next. I found it a very valuable, scholarly read.

This second edition of the book contains new chapters. One of them contains a list of Polish gentiles, murdered by the German occupants, while attempting to assist Jews (Poland was one of the only countries where the death penalty was handed out by the Nazis to anyone who gave the slightest assistance to the Jews). Of course, this list is but a drop in the bucket: The actual number of Polish gentiles strongly assisting Polish Jews, but caught and slain by the Germans for helping Jews, is estimated to be as high as 50,000.

The second new chapter is a discussion of Zegota: A clandestine Polish underground organization for assisting Jews. At its height, it consisted of tens of thousands of Polish gentiles in German-occupied Warsaw alone--all working under the threat of death if caught.

Lukas also discusses Polish collaboration with the Nazis, but shows that, contrary to much popular Holocaust material, this level of collaboration was much smaller than those of most other German-occupied European nations, and was also dwarfed by the number of Poles who assisted the Jews.

Earlier, Lukas documents how 3 million Polish gentiles were murdered by the Germans during World War II. This is very rarely mentioned in most Holocaust materials. Also included is discussion of the cultural genocide of Poland: the systematic, barbaric German practice of systematically destroying visible traces of Polish culture (monuments, libraries, museums, etc.). If you are one raised on the belief that only Jews suffered in the hands of the Nazis, you are in for a shock when you read this excellent book.

Did the Children Cry? : Hitler's War Against Jewish and Polish Children was an intriguing read. Not just another first account book on the war, it was a fascinating account of the fate of the children of Europe during WW2. It was an eye-opener to read this well researched book on how life in Poland and the surrounding territories was turned upside-down and inside out by the Third Reich. Most importantly for me, was the clear explanation of the different "zones" in occupied Poland and the account of what happened to the native population and their sons and daughters during the Nazi occupation. I recommend this book to any one wishing to know the WHOLE truth about Hitler's war crimes, not just the most popular stories. This book is a must have for serious WW2 book collectors and child advocates alike.

Great book - The book gave first-hand accounts from survivors of the Holocaust. Much has been written on the elders of the War, but little on the Children - who were most affected by it. Helps to put life into perspective.

Everyone knows about the 6 million Jewish victims of the Holocaust--a large fraction of whom were children. This book tells of some of the forgotten victims of the German Nazis--the Polish children, whose only crime was being born Polish.

I thought this book was an ok read, but I wouldn't request just any old person to read it. I really liked how the people in the book explained the Holocaust and how it affected their lives. It amazed me what these people had to go through just to try to live and have a normal life. I also liked how the people explained what they did to live in specific details. What I didn't like about the book is how the people would talk about stuff a person like me would want to hear about, like, "your doing this for Poland",I mean not to be stuburn but I wanted to hear more about blood and gore. So that's my review, and thats my story and I'm stickin to it.

From time to time, there are vague and unsubstantiated accusations that Poles did not do enough to assist the Jews during the German occupation of Poland and the ensuing Holocaust. Others gloss over the 3 million Polish gentiles murdered by the Germans during WWII. This book is a collection of eyewitness accounts of both the Holocaust and of Polish assistance to Jews. And, remember, that in Poland, unlike other German-occupied countries, the death penalty was imposed for the slightest assistance to Jews.