Refuge From The Reich: American Airmen And Switzerland During World War II tells the riveting story of how U.S. airman, shot out the skies by the Germans, parachuted, crash-landed, or otherwise escaped to Switzerland. There they encountered a country where food and heat were rationed, where every man was an armed solider subject to instant mobilization to counter the German threat. It was a small, mountainous country swarming with internees, refugees, and expatriates seeking protection from the certain death that awaited them from the Axis powers. By the end of the war there was a firm and pervasive sense of respect between the U.S. airmen and the Swiss who had given them secure protection from the Germans. Refuge From The Reich is a valued and informative contribution to the annals of World War II's European theater.

With a world war blazing around all your borders, it is not so easy to maintain your neutrality. Switzerland, a tiny republic encircled by fascist tyrannies, managed just that difficult feat during World War 2. Three circumstances worked in its favor in achieving this policy. Switzerland had:

(1) an armed and trained populace (2) an almost impenetrable terrain in its Alpine fortress (which covers most of the country) and (3) a strong and tested tradition of honest, and heavily armed, neutrality stretching back to the Middle Ages.

Switzerland's good fortune was also good luck for others, including 1700 American airmen, who, during the course of the war, found safe haven in Switzerland when their ships were crippled in combat and some 100,000 internees and escaped POWs from many armies, as well as about 200,000 civilian refugees.

Well-armed and neutral, Switzerland still had to defend its sovereignty and people not just from the Nazis, but on occasion, from stray American bombers, as well, as Stephen Tanner documents in "Refuge from the Reich," his exciting account of this chapter of the air war over Europe and American airmen's seeking sanctuary in tiny Switzerland.

Ground armies and air armadas swirled along the Swiss borders from June 1940 to May 1945. From time to time, soldiers crossed Switzerland's borders, by land and by air, to find themselves interned "for the duration." In all, over 100,000 soldiers and airmen were interned in Switzerland during the war, including approximately 1700 American aviators, mostly the crews of heavily damaged B-17 and B-24 bombers that could not make it back to their bases in England or Italy.

The first American airmen began arriving in Switzerland in August 1943, as 8th and 15th Air Force began their heavy daylight bombing campaigns over southern Germany. In 1944, as many as ten crippled aircraft might land there in a given day. Stephen Tanner tells the story of the fortunate airmen who made it safely down to Swiss soil -- and also tells the sadder tale of their crewmates who died in crashes or who fell short and ended up in German stalags.

Mr. Tanner has written a compelling narrative history, briefly tracking the evolution of the democratic Swiss Confederation from its origins in the heart of medieval, monarchist Europe, and also describing the development of strategic air power and its application in Europe during World War 2. He gives a running account that weaves the stories of the American aviators and the little democracy's tenacious defense of its independence and scrupulous adherence to the Geneva Conventions. Tanner combines a "top down" strategic overview with "bottom up" personal narratives of the surviving aviators very successfully.

"Refuge from the Reich" is also a very moving book . You will find the stories of the US airmen buried in the cemetery in the Swiss town of Munsingen. You will find accounts of airmen wanting back in the fight and mounting hundreds of successful (and sometimes unsuccessful) escapes, often with the help of US embassy personnel and ordinary Swiss citizens. You will find, too, tales of the infamous little camp at Wauwilermoos, under the command of the corrupt Nazi sympathizer, Captain Beguin, where discipline cases and unsuccessful escapees alike were sometimes sent for punishment. You will find accounts of the U.S. Army Air Force's bombing of Swiss towns and cities in error -- of the bombing of Schaffhausen with 50 dead, and even of Zurich and Basel with less tragic results. Mostly you will find the humanity of the Swiss people and the young American airmen on display, as they encounter each other in the midst of world war.

"Refuge from the Reich" does a very nice job of combining strategy and diplomacy with dangerous missions, hazardous landings, escapes and captures, a little espionage and intrigue, and a most illuminating portrait of a neutral people surviving in the shadow of world war.

The courage of the Swiss during World War II has never before been so completely or accurately portrayed as in Refuge from the Reich. Long viewed as a neutral, unimportant footnote in WWII history, Switzerland was actually a crucial lifesaver for many US airmen during the conflict. Tanner uses exciting first-hand accounts of planes falling from the sky and Swiss pilots coming to the rescue to point out that, though neutral, Switzerland took an active part in protecting its country and those who entered uninvited.

The crux of the book is the sequence of events leading to and from internment--a forced type of stay required of downed flyers who landed in neutral countries during the war. American flyers came down in the hundreds to survive burning wreckages, all because Switzerland was there to protect them.

Tanner manages to make the Swiss seem at once sympathetic and demanding of their interned soldiers, reminding the world that the Swiss were in a precarious situation that they somehow survived unscathed. For the honest depiction of Switzerland alone this book should be part of every WWII student's collection. Far too much of recent literature about the Swiss has focused (wrongly) on their banking policies to allow this other role to be ignored. To know what really happened--to know about the hardships they suffered, the simple life they espoused and survived by--Refuge from the Reich is a book worthy of buying. WWII buffs in general will love the airwar sequences too; Tanner managed to find some truly thrilling crash-landing stories.

As the story unfolded I came to know and love Isakjan . This was a man who grew up in the most difficult of times, and he survived impossible circumstances while maintaining a great and dignified human nature.

The politics of this book are clear and honest. Isakjan makes political comments that appear to be as open and fair as any I have ever heard. The fact that the author wrote this book from years of conversations with his subject makes this biography even more compelling. The author appears to have done some extensive research to verify the accuracy of this story and the footnotes and extensive bibliography give me confidence in the factual information that is provided.

I thought that I knew about WWII, but this book provides vision for the political events that are being played out today. I think I will read it again, and then send a copy to a friend.

What an incredible book! In addition to a moving presentation of a fascinating life, the book opened my eyes to hidden momentous folds in the fabric of history. We have all read history as dictated by the winners and explained by the losers. Mr. Crane shows what those squeezed in the middle have to say.

I purchased this book for the Soviet and World War II history. It opened my eyes to some of the most complex, important and unknown aspects of that period. I loved reading "Survivor" because the subject, Jay Narzikul, led one of the more interesting lives of our era, replete with staggering world events, love, dirty and clean politics, deceit, adventure, heroes and fools, murder, freedom, and the pursuit of justice. The story unfolds like the best of novels.

A profound and well-documented book about the origin of religion, its meaning and use in society and causes for the declining interest in religion in our time. The system Girard explained at its best, but not as readable as some of his other books on the subject.

This book takes the form of a dialogue between Girard and two psychiatrists, Jean-Michel Oughourlian and Guy Defort. If you are already familiar with Girard's work concerning the relationship between mimetic desire and violence, sacrificial rites and scapegoat, then you will find this book indispensible. If you have an opinion -- pro or con -- about Christianity, you will want to read this book. The title of the book is a quote from Mathew 13, 35, and not without purpose. Here, Girard discusses in depth the nature of Christianity, the most sacrificial religion, in terms of the theories he's been formulating over the years. The whole business of murder and deification permeates much of primitive Mediterranean religions -- Abel and Cain, Romulus and Remus, etc -- and the sacrifice of Christ and subsequent deification follows the same pattern of displacing mob guilt. Biblical exegesis, certainly, but much more than that. This book and Girard's work as a whole helps one to understand above and beyond the question of either sentiment or faith why Christianity as a religion still holds sway in this secular age, and from where it derives its staying power. A real milestone in intellectual detective work, it will cause you to hear a wake-up call. And in stereo, too, if you read also his good friend Michel Serres' book ROME: The Book of Foundations.

It has been now about 20 years since I first read the original version of this fascinating work, as it was published in France. Reading it again today I still have the same feeling of witnessing a major breakthrough in our understanding of thelink between human nature, civilization and religion, a landmark of the highest caliber. Only now can I detect its influence in the French intellectual establishment - the 70s being not very favorable to a work that sheds an unexpectedly new and enhancing light on Christianity (yet certainly more unsettling for the religious establishment, I believe.) As a scientific, I was striken at first by the simplicity and the precision of the mimetic theory and its startling ramifications into the phenomenons of victimization mechanisms, sacralization, religion and foundations of civilization - all of it displaying a clarity and logic that I was more accustomed to find in "hard" sciences, I must say... I advise newcomers to Girard to start with this book which is the most synthetic. A must read for all modern westerners.

This book is a easy read, filled with many many facts previously not read, and the short stories of various battles, with specific people was EXCELLENT. Best author since Ambrose I've read in years.

I'm an avid reader of WWII history, and found much to like in this volume. It covers 10 significant battles and key people who's actions were important to the eventual Allied victory. Covered are both Pacific and European Theatre battles, giving a good balance. This is a fine book to read if you're looking for a single volume that covers a lot of ground that can lead you to more in-depth books covering the battles that interest you most. The author works with Stephen Ambrose, and this volume is reminiscent of Ambrose' works. Enjoy!

This book contains accounts of 10 actions in WWII; some famous, some unknown. Some of the more famous actions covered are Doolittle's raid on Tokyo, the battles for Iwo Jima and Betio, and the 82nd drop into Normandy. My favorite account in this book is the little known stand made by Lt. Lyle Bouck and an I&R platoon from the 99th Infantry Division. This untested unit just happened to be at the town of Lanzerath when the Battle of the Bulge started. They were ordered to hold until relieved. The men fought hard until they were killed, overrun, or surrendered when out of ammunition. Although badly outgunned and outnumbered, they managed to hold up advancing German infantry and armored units long enough for engineering units at critical points behind them to blow up bridges and further delay the German advance. Their gallant stand bought time for reinforcements to arrive and stem the tide of battle. This is an enjoyable read and will appeal to anyone with an interest in WWII. The author was instrumental in the research for Ambrose's book, "D-Day June 6th, 1944: The Climactic Battle of World War II".

How can one write a review that could compare with the author's real life experiences. I met Mario through my friend Hal Stephens who wrote the introduction .. I then traveled with Hal up and down the West Coast to book dealers and museums .. their reception was highly enthusiastic. The Smithsonian Institute in Washington, DC reviewed the book for its 50th Anniversary of World War II but it was submitted too late for their collection .. unfortunate for those who would have wished for a daily recording of the misfortunes of those on the Death March and the Death Camps. Recollection of experiences is worthwhile, but the daily recording is more significant. My uncle was a POW in Germany; his reading of the book brought home memories that had long been suppressed. Comparisons with the Halocaust survivors' stories can easily be made. Life and Death are with us always, but how one survives Life is always a compelling story. Mario's life span of misadventure was summarized in the Death March and Death Camps. A truly engrossing real life adventure. Reviewed by Dave Pryor.

Mario Machi was involved in the famous Battan Death March in the Philippines during World War II. He kept a diary that could have gotten him killed after he was taken prisoner by the Japanese. This story explores the times he spent as a prisoner of war, and his life after the war. It is a fascinating story of compassion and grace.

Under the Rising Sun is an extraordinary account of Mario Machi's struggle for survival, an account that few people, even his closest friends knew about. When the war ended he was freed from Bilibid Prison in the Philippines and returned to San Francisco, finished his education, and for 22 years taught junior high school in the small town in California. Mario says he did not write Under the Rising Sun with the intent of producing a war story. For fifty years has kept his thoughts hidden, from his many students and from even his closest friends. He kept to himself the memories of prisoners who marched side by side with him, some too weak to continue, who dropped by the roadside, only to be bayoneted for failing to keep up. Somehow Mario managed to survive the brutality, the hunger, the thirst, the disease, and the dreadful feeling that he had been abandoned. Somehow 10,000 others died on that march, some 178 men for every mile they tread, but Mario Machi lived. What makes this book so extraordinary is that it is not simply an account of an ex-soldier recalling dreadful acts that happened long ago. Mario's account of the Bataan Death March was recorded as it was happening, in a diary that he managed to keep on the march. Each day, often under actual heavy gun fire, he recorded what he saw and witnessed, first hand, and most miraculously, this diary--a written confession that would certainly have meant immediate death had it fallen into enemy hands--has survived to this day. This book is for both the generations who remember Bataan and for those who have yet to hear. On his return to the United States in 1945 Mario Machi was awarded the Bronze Star for the work he did in the camps. Now, nearly fifty years later, he has told his story, and we are all made the richer for it. Why he decided to tell his story is explained in the book.

I had the pleasure of seeing a preview copy of this book. It isa must read as we move toward understanding what it might mean for thefuture in making China richer and more powerful through trade.

This book puts a gentle face on a very brave people who have suffered not only the largest land grab of the 20th century through the bloody invasion by China (Tibet is the size of Europe) but have suffered a genocide by the Chinese that is the most widely ignored in history.

This is a beautiful book and worth the price. Add to your reading list "Tears Of Blood" by Mary Craig and "In Exile From the Land Of Snows" by John Avedon.

China will be one of the 3 big stories of the next century if we make it richer and more powerful. This book is as important as it is a beautiful undertaking. Congratulations to Mr. Harrison END

This book is a must see and read. Stephen Harrison truly captures the personal side of Tibetans in Exile. As you read the stories behind the Tibetans portrayed in the photographs, it's as if you are in the background while Stephen Harrison interviews these most courageous Tibetan people. The portrait photography is wonderfully presented in a landscape format providing for a personal backdrop behind the emotion and suffering of each Tibetan portrayed. This is a one of a kind presentation providing a first-time moving experience each and everytime you open the book.

In Whispered Prayers: Portraits And Prose Of Tibetans In Exile, Stephen Harrison showcases the inner experiences of being a Tibetan refugee through a moving narration combined with exquisite photography. This wonderful exhibition is a worthy and valued contribution is further enhanced with a foreword by His Holiness, the Fourteenth Dalai Lama. Whispered Prayers will be read with deep engagement by students of Buddhism, of Tibetan history, and all who seek an enlightenment path through perilous and stressful times.

I found "Web Servers, Security, & Maintenance" absolutely amazing. For so long I have been looking for the perfect book to tell me all about servers, how servers work, how to operate servers, buying criteria, and so forth. This book is probably the best introductory book to servers out there! Even if you don't have a server but are looking forward to setting up a server in the future, this book is excellent.

I must mention that I am only a teen looking to be one of many computer-geeky hopefuls. If you're like me - you know HTML, Perl, Macs, PCs - and you want to get even more advanced, this book is perfect.

There is hardly anything that tells you how to write HTML or Perl, so if you already know these languages, there is no waste of pages in this book.

Overall, I gave this book five stars because it's complete, VERY easy to understand, very well written, detailed, and so on. If you would like to be a teen-webmaster-geeky-computer-hopeful, you must save up money for this book!

This book is an exceptional example of the way Internet technical volumes should be written. As a director of e-Business at my firm I highly recommend this book to all of my practicioners. Superbly written with real world examples it is a must have for your technical library.

This book gives great advice along the path of the Bodhisattva. You will learn how to make your heart pure and compassionate if you follow the advice in this book. It will give you a verse from the path of the Bodhisattva, then an easy description of it's meaning and how to make it part of your life. Buy this book! This is some of the best advice documented in my opinion from a spiritual friend.

This concise but profound book is a beautiful commentary by two contemporary Tibetan lamas on the centuries-old Indian and Tibetan teachings on "lojong," or "thought transformation." The subjects include meditation on emptiness, generation of bodhicitta, and changing adverse circumstances into the path. This is one of the most practical and helpful books on Buddhist philosophy and practice that I have read.

Somewhere between a collection of essays on various topics relating to gay and lesbian experiences in 20th century North America and a developing narrative, it has a lot of ideas and citations, and many sentences as long as this one! The author is critical of much that has been written about lesbian and gay Americans and particularly contemptuous of those who think that enforcing respectability on wayward brothers and sisters will bring acceptance.

The last four chapters consider what has been written about Americans of African, Mexican, and Asian/Pacific descent. The Mexican-American chapter is very brief (there's more in his earlier book, Latin American Homosexualities), the two African American chapters extensive and provocative. Well, the whole book is provocative. Sometimes overeagerly?

Pulling together living in and writing about gay communities in Toronto and San Francisco, this book takes up many topics. Indeed, there are sentences that take up many topics!

The first part criticizes social theories while presenting an account of the de-assimilation of lesbigays and the misuse of AIDS to regain medical supervision of gay men's lives. The second part addresses social roles, same-sex couples, and "community" as that term is used by sociologists and by gay men. The third part looks at the unsatisfactory research on African-, Mexican-, and Asian-Pacific- American lesbians and gay men, relying heavily on memoirs and prose fiction.

Although not providing a unifed narrative -- Murray is perhaps overeager to embrace the fragmentatary quality of postmodern life -- this book provides much food for thought about minorities (sexual and other kinds) in North America, a mordantly critical sensibility, and a sometimes daunting command of the social science literature on lesbians and gay men (here, there, and elsewhere).

I came to order "Best of" as a Christmas present after ordering the set for myself, only to find it out of stock. So since I'm here, I'll throw my nickel in.

Let me say from the start that I may be somewhat biased since I was a student of Dr. Ambrose at the University of New Orleans. He was far and away the most captivating instructor I had during my time there as a politcal science/history major (all 5 1/2 years- hey, I worked full time). Nevertheless, I will try to be objective.

Along with his sudden rise in the national spotlight has also come a sudden rise in publications from Dr. Ambrose. I have been somewhat disappointed in a couple of them, but these are not to be included in that category. To date, I've read about 2/3 of Dr. Ambrose's books. These three books, along with his definitive biography on Dwight Eisenhower, are without question among his very best.

The drama that Dr. Ambrose provided in the classroom is illustrated in these books. Just as his passion for World War II led him to be the driving force behind the National D-Day Museum here in New Orleans, his passion for this era in world history also shines through in these books. He is simply in his element when it comes to topics surrounding World War II.

The fact that this trio is sold out is testimony to the quality of his writing and authority as a historian. His combination of presenting the facts while keeping the reader captivated through his unique narration is what makes Dr. Ambrose a delight to read.

Trust me on this one- get your hands on this when (if) it becomes available.

This book was really, really interesting. I enjoyed it. Stephen Ambrose is an intriguing fellow. His life story is unbelievable. I couldn't believe his life story. He's been through alot. He has alot of feelings and he made me feel alot of them. Stephen Ambrose kicks!