Book Description
Pursuit Of Freedom is a remarkable account of a family's life, beginning with Nazism, followed by Communism in Hungary. A moving personal drama, and an important historical memoir of this turbulent era. Not a chronicle of horrors, but a depiction of hope and triumph and profound gratitude. A celebration of freedom, inspiring readers to turn adversity into strength and success and finding courage for optimism about the future.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent book about Hungarian refugees.......2006-06-02
This is an excellent true story about a 13 year old girl escaping Hungary in 1957. It portrays the author who was born in 1944 and what her life was like during the tail end of the Nazis and the beginnings of Communisim. The book begins with her mother telling about living under the Nazi rule and it goes back and fouth between the mother and daughter revealing both perspectives of their lives in Hungary and their escape to freedom. It also reveals what life was like for Hungarian refugees in other parts of the world after leaving Hungary.
I highly recommend it for anyone interested in Hungary during the mid-1900's and to read first-hand what life was like for the refugees. It's a very readable and emotional book.
Hungarian memories.......2004-08-30
Ultimately, PURSUIT OF FREEDOM is a vivid & compelling account of life under tyranny, glimpsed through the day-to-day struggle to survive, the guesses at the shifting of stifling oppression, & the dangers through which millions of Hungarians, Jew & Gentile alike, never made it to personal freedom. Susanna Reyto's family did, suddenly & surprisingly in 1957: first to Austria, & then to Italy where they boarded a ship for Australia, to new names & new lives. The best form of revenge is to live well & prosper while those who made you their enemy, perish.
Rebeccasreads highly recommends PURSUIT OF FREEDOM as an enthralling, if occasionally repetitive, tapestry of family memories. The surviving black & white snapshots tell a thousand stories. What Susanna's family lived through: the invasion of by Hitler's army & its determination to exterminate Hungarian Jews; then the victorious Soviet Army, after which the Communist Party's tyranny destroying a prosperous post-WWII society, is an ugly era in our global story. One which has much bearing on this time of terrorism & religious tyranny in such societies as Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran & North Korea. It also serves to remind us that we forget the stories of our past at our peril. It gripped me from page one & didn't let go until its final pages.
Outstanding! & elegantly presented with a lovely red ribbon bookmark.
A moving true story of human endurance.......2004-08-07
Pursuit Of Freedom: A True Story Of The Enduring Power Of Hope And Dreams is the compelling autobiography of Susanne M. Reyto. She tells of life in Hungary, and the ravages that the nation faced - first from the Nazis, then from the rapacious claims of Communism, which exhorted taking from the people to give to the party. Families were torn apart; respected citizens were ostracized, and author Susanne Reyto had to navigate the treacherous environment to build her own life, and cling to hope amidst darkness all around. A moving true story of human endurance and the will to realize one's dreams.
Most Compelling Story.......2004-06-14
I loved reading this inspiring story. It shows how perseverance and optimism helps to overcome adversity. I recommended it to friends, all of them bought it and loved it and shared it with their children; A more interesting way of learning history.
A moving historical, peronal drama.......2004-06-10
We must learn from past history to better appreciate what we have today. Freedom is precious and we must preserve it. On the death of President Reagan we are reminded of his statement, "Mr Gorbachev, tear this wall down!" These words helped open the door to freedom for millions of people. This personal journey describes what life without freedom meant and what this family and others had to endure under two oppressive regimes, Nazism and Communism. A must read for young and old; better than a text book.
Book Description
Wellington's celebrated Peninsular army played a vital role in the defeat of Napoleon's French forces in Portugal and Spain. It is one of the most famous armies in military history. Yet the last large-scale examination of its structure and operation was written by Sir Charles Oman as long ago as 1913, and since then so much new material has come to light that a fresh account is long overdue.
This important new study, which uses Oman's pioneering work as a foundation, provides a wide-ranging survey of the latest research into the subject, and it is a major contribution to the history of the Peninsular War.
Customer Reviews:
Inside Wellington's Peninsular army.......2007-10-11
I was looking for a book that would finally offer me insight in the quality of the men and officers of this army, optimistic from the fact that Rory Muir is one of the authors.
Instead I found so much paper and no opinion. To describe a general by listing his qualifications, tells me nothing. Same for the units.
Disappointing book for me.
One for the Dedicated Student.......2007-06-23
The exploits of Wellington's Peninsular Army in Portugal, Spain, and Southern France during 1808-1814 are justly famous and have been rather thoroughly explored by a variety of scholars and popular historians. It is therefore a genuine pleasure when a book advertising new research and new insights actually lives up to its billing.
"Inside Wellington's Peninsular Army 1808-1814" contains seven essays and a special appendix, authored by four writers, the most prominent being Rory Muir. Muir provides the introductory essay, a well-written summary of the importance of Wellington and his army to the conflict. Ron McGuigan explores the ad hoc nature of the "disposable force" that became the British core of Wellington's army in the second essay. In the third essay, Robert Burnham provides a brief description of intelligence-gathering activities by selected British officers.
The fourth essay, by Howie Muir, may be the most interesting to students of the Peninsular War. In it, Muir captures how the seniority of British units and of commanders drove an habitual spatial placement of units on the battlefield, literally their "order of battle." This habitual arrangement, nowadays used only for formal parades, once served as the standard operating procedure for ordering units in and out of combat. In an army guided by voice command and couriers, this procedure imparted necessary predictability, and its use provides insight into how several battle unfolded during the Peninsular War. Muir uses Talavera, Albuera, and Toulouse as case studies. As an example, Muir's finding offers a plausible explanation for why Major General Stewart's 2nd Divisions took an hour to reposition itself at Albuera over an distance that represented perhaps a 15 minute walk. Muir's essay provides insight into the perogatives of rank and Wellington's requirement to carefully manage the placement of senior officers. Ron McGuigan's follow-on essay notes the general officers who served with Wellington and the units with which they were habitually associated.
Robert Burnham describes the British Army's challenges in keeping the ranks of Wellington's army filled and its experimentation with various more or less innovative solutions. This particular essay has some relevance for an American Army striving to keep sufficient forces deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan. In a separate essay, Burnham notes the remarkable bridging work done by British engineers in a theater of war with few permanent bridges and limited building materials. A closing appendix lists the memoirs associated with the British units that served in Portugal and Spain.
This book is very highly recommended to the dedicated student of the British Army and its participation in the Peninsular War. This volume is not obviously meant to be popular history for the general reader, who may find the material less interesting and difficult to follow.
A One of a Kind Book.......2007-06-18
If you're like me, you've gotten tired of the Napoleonic books that simply rehash the same subjects, regurgitating the same information from the same sources. You've probably felt that pang of disappointment and wasted money when you've ordered a `new' book on say Waterloo, only to find the very same accounts with the very same pictures from another publisher. If so, I know you will find INSIDE WELLINGTON'S ARMY an exciting and refreshing change. If you are longing for new research, a deeper understanding, and broader perspectives on the Peninsular war, then INSIDE WELLINGTON'S ARMY is the answer.
INSIDE WELLINTON'S ARMY is a unique series of studies, providing research on important and misunderstood topics not found anywhere else. The book's stated purpose is to supplement existing histories, particularly Oman's 1913 study "Wellington's Army 1809-1814", which offered a distillation of much what Oman had learned while researching his multi-volume work on the history of the Peninsular war. The authors have succeeded admirably.
The seven substantial chapters cover such topics as the origin of Wellington's army in the Peninsula. By the end of the war, Wellington commanded the largest British army in history, for far longer than any other expeditionary force. The how's and why's of its creation explains a great deal, not only why Wellington could win so consistently with the army, but also British military thinking and organization for the rest of the Nineteenth Century.
The Chapters on British feats of military bridging and how the British kept their units up to strength provide detailed information, tables and period pictures seen nowhere else. The variety and number of `firsts' in bridging carried out by the British is amazing, as are the numerous original pictures and engineering diagrams provided with the text. Anyone who has read about the Peninsular war knows how important bridging was for the Spanish campaigns, but this is the first it has been written about in any detail, let alone the lush data provided in the book.
The chapter on the British Army's `order of battle', is equally fascinating, a must for anyone interested in the military practices of the day. This study of the system used to organize an army in a battle line during the Peninsular war reveals how the place of honor and seniority provided the structure for movement, battle, morale and discipline. This often misunderstood set of practices dictated who would command what units where in the battle line, providing a set of structural tools for an army commander in creating a winning set of battle tactics. This system of custom and is examined in detail, it's practicality and uses in the field, as well as the continuity in operations that the Peninsular army shared with those armies that went before and after it. And of course, the same methods used for a `customary battle-array' by the British were very similar to those of other nations during the Napoleonic wars.
The authors have spent years of study to produce their individual chapters, offering a depth of knowledge and wealth of information found in few other works on the British army and the Peninsular war. If you are looking for some more than `the same-old, same-old' in Napoleonic history, you can't go wrong with INSIDE WELLINGTON'S ARMY.
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- A Companion Volume to Oman's great history of the Peninsular War
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Wellington's Army 1809-1814
Charles Oman
Manufacturer: Greenhill Books
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Captain of the 95th (rifles) An officer of Wellington's Sharpshooters during the Peninsular, South of France and Waterloo campaigns of the Napoleonic wars
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A History of the Peninsular War Volume VII: August 1813 to April 14,1814: St Sebastian's Capture,Wellington's Invasion (History of the Peninsular War)
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Rifleman Costello: The adventures of a soldier of the 95th (rifles) in the Peninsular & Waterloo Campaigns of the Napoleonic Wars
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A History of the Peninsular War Volume III: September 1809-December 1810 Ocana,Cadiz,Bussaco,Torres Vedras (History of the Peninsular War)
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A History of the Peninsular War V6: September 1,1812 to August 5,1813 The Seige of Burgos,The Retreat from Burgos,The Ca (History of the Peninsular War)
ASIN: 1853676772 |
Book Description
This book gives an unparalleled insight into the organization, day-to-day life and psychology of Wellington's army, focusing on the characters that Wellington believed could go anywhere and do anything'. Wellington's Army examines both the leaders and the led; the daily life, manners and customs of the Peninsular Army are explored, drawing on dispatches, general orders and records of court martial, and, to a greater extent, non-official information such as diaries, memoirs and letters. A great deal of literature was produced during this period, written by both commissioned and non-commissioned soldiers. For the soldiers, the campaign became a battle against the Revolution, a kind of crusade, and an attempt to thwart the triple-headed monster of Republicanism, Atheism and Sedition. The soldiers of Wellington's army were fighting for all that made life worth living - religion, morality, constitution, laws and liberty.
Customer Reviews:
A Companion Volume to Oman's great history of the Peninsular War.......2006-04-25
British historian Charles Oman spend thirty years writing "The History of the Peninsular War." Although now somewhat dated, Oman's seven volume study may still be the best English language narrative history of the Peninsular War. Oman chose to include a significant collection of supporting materials on the British Army in a companion volume: "Wellington's Army 1809-1814."
In "Wellington's Army," Oman sketches the leadership, organization, tactics, and details about the life of the long-serving British field army in the Iberian Peninsula. His topics include Wellington's use of his infantry and cavalry, his conduct of supply and of sieges, and the means by which he disciplined his force.
Oman's long immersion in the correspondence and memoirs of the Peninsular Army leads to many worthwhile insights, including why Wellington was respected but not loved by his troops and why his army was so successful for so long against superior numbers of French forces. One example is Wellington's insistance on campaigning from an established supply chain, which allowed his army to remain concentrated in the field far longer than his French adversaries. The French Army of the time depended on forage and pillage for supply, and when concentrated into a large mass, quickly exhausted the available local supplies and was forced to disperse.
Oman provides useful insight into the manning of Wellington's army through the rotation of first and second battalions under the regimental system. An appendix documents why Britain strained to field Wellington's relatively small army in the Peninsula, given the competing demands of the world wide British Empire.
Oman does not spare Wellington's Army its faults. The conduct of siege warfare was never its strong suite. Wellington's force lacked engineers and sometimes the artillery and the time to conduct proper sieges. It was successful at Ciudad Rodrigo and Badajoz thanks to the bravery of its soldiers, not its technique, and failed at Burgos for want of serious preparation.
This book is highly recommended to students of the Peninsular War and of Wellington as a commander. The casual reader with some background in the British Army will also find this a worthwhile book. Oman's writing style is clear and readable. This Greenhill reprint is wonderfully priced and contains a small number of prints and all the excellent appendices of the original.
Book Description
At the beginning of the Napoleonic period the British Army's record left something to be desired. During the Peninsular War, however, Wellington led and trained an army that never knew a major defeat on the field. Even Wellington himself described his army as 'able to go anywhere or do anything'. This book examines the formidable British Army which played an integral part in stalling Napoleon's advance, focusing on the staff, infantry, cavalry, artillery and sieges and sappers. Numerous illustrations, including eight colour plates, vividly depict the weaponry and uniforms of Wellington's Peninsular Army.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent!!.......2005-07-02
This is one of Ospreys very best early efforts. So if you want to be introduced to one of Britains best fighting Armies then get this one asap! I can not praise this book highly enough!
Book Description
Edited by Edward Sabine. This Elibron Classics book is a facsimile reprint of a 1859 edition by Longman, Brown, Green, Longmans, & Roberts, London.
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MARCHING WITH WELLINGTON: With the Enniskillings through the Peninsula to waterloo
Martin Cassidy
Manufacturer: Pen and Sword
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ASIN: 0850529816 |
Book Description
Compiled from hitherto unpublished diaries and letters, this book tells of the dangers and rigors of life as experienced by the Infantry during the Napoleonic Wars. A superbly researched work by an expert historian, it captures the atmosphere of the era with total immediacy made possible only because the writers were actually there.
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The National Army Museum Book of Wellington's Armies: Britain's Campaigns in the Peninsula and at Waterloo, 1808-15
Andrew Uffindell
Manufacturer: Pan Macmillan
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Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0283073489
Release Date: 2004-08-26 |
Book Description
Wellington landed in the Iberian Peninsula in the summer of 1808. Over the next six years his forces defeated the French occupation forces in a succession of brilliant campaigns as he defended Portugal, liberated Spain and invaded France. His operations helped topple Napoleon in 1814. When Napoleon escaped from Elba and regained power in March 1815, Wellington, without the strength of his Peninsula army, combined an inferior collection of contingents into an effective fighting force. His victory at Waterloo is the British Army's most famous battle. In The National Army Museum's Book of Wellington's Armies, Uffindell skillfully weaves together unpublished acounts from the museum's archive to give a comprehensive picture of this campaign. Drawing on dispatches and letters from military commanders, officers and ordinary soldiers, the book mixes riveting descriptions of battle with stories of endurance and bravery. Uffindell's work brings to life the forgotten voices of Wellington's army.
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- Adventures in Portugal and Spain
- Baron Munchausen & the Iron Duke
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On The Road With Wellington-Hardbound (Napoleonic Library)
A Schaumann
Manufacturer: Greenhill Books
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ASIN: 1853673536 |
Book Description
This remarkable memoir captures the life and adventures of a junior officer as he endures the drama and agonies of the fierce struggle in Spain, Portugal, and southern France between 1808 and 1814. As a commissary, he was entrusted with gathering supplies and was caught up in a host of brawls and skirmishes. He laments the lot of commissaries exposing themselves to the enemy on their foraging raids, risking assassination by enraged natives, and being treated shabbily by the generals. This edition is introduced by Bernard Cornwell, author of the Sharpe series of novels.
Customer Reviews:
Adventures in Portugal and Spain .......2005-11-28
A.L.F. Schaumann's "On the Road with Wellington" is a delightful memoir of his service as a deputy assistant commissary officer during the Peninsular War. Schaumann's duties as a civilian supply officer for various units took him everywhere the Anglo-Portuguese Army went on campaign during the period 1808-1812. As a non-combatant, Schaumann's story focuses on the mundane tasks required to keep an army quartered and fed, but his eye for detail captures vignettes of the soldiers and civilians with whom he dealt. His gift for narrative provides the reader with a strong of sense of what it was like to be on campaign in that era. His account of the retreat of the British Army under Sir John Moore to Corunna under horrendous conditions in the winter of 1808-1809 is particularly vivid (and heartbreaking).
This is not a battlefield account, although Schaumann was close enough to the fighting to pass on some accounts of battles. Nor is this in any sense a history of the Peninsular War. Strategy and politics are played out well above Schaumann's head, and even Wellington is glimpsed only in passing. The average reader will sometimes be dependent on the footnotes to understand what is happening in the larger war. What Schaumann does provide is the human level detail that makes such a distant conflict real for the modern reader. It is no wonder that writers such as Bernard Cornwell of the Sharps series happily mined Schaumann's memoir for material. Cornwell provides an introduction to complement the translater's preface and the author's own introduction, all well worth reading for the context of Schaumann's story.
This book is highly recommended to students of the Peninsular War. It may also be of interest to the casual reader with some background in the Napoleonic Wars.
Baron Munchausen & the Iron Duke.......2000-10-11
Greenhill Books has done students of the Peninsular War a great favor with this addition to their Napoleonic Library. August Schaumann, a 30-year old Hanoverian served as a commissary for the King's German Legion, paints an incredible picture of Britain's war in Iberia while maintaining a running travelog with wry humor and succint observations. Whether describing the horrendous retreat to Corunna, his cook (the Witch of Endor), the small kissable feet of a young lady, or the peculiarities of the English, French, Spainish and Portugese his insightful pen entertains and educates without stopping. His small book will make you roar with laughter and sigh sadly at man's inhumanity to man.
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