The Brigade: An Epic Story of Vengeance, Salvation & World War II

by Howard Blum

An epic true story of three men & one woman who set out to fight a war & in the process help to create a nation.
11/1944. The European war is drawing to a close when the British government agrees to send a brigade of 5000 Jewish volunteers from Palestine to Europe to fight the German army. Among these soldiers are Israel Carmi, a veteran of the Haganah underground, one who serves one army but whose loyalties belong to another; Johanan Peltz, raised on a vast Polish estate, he dreams of returning home as a British officer & gentleman; & Arie Pinchuk, a former student who's returned to Europe with a secret agenda--to rescue his last remaining family member: the little sister he left behind. At the Senio River, Peitz leads the troops in a daring bayonet charge into the German line. When the hand-to-hand combat is finished, the brigade emerges triumphant. At a time when Jews are being victimized, these soldiers--yellow Stars of David emblazoned on their uniform sleeves--show that a Jewish army can fight back & win. But when the war ends they witness 1sthand the horrors their people have suffered in the concentration camps, they launch a calculating campaign of vengeance, forming secret squads to identify, locate & kill Nazi officers in hiding. Their own ferocity threatens to overwhelm them until a fortuitous encounter with an orphaned girl sets the men on a course of action--rescuing Jewish war orphans & transporting them to Palestine--that will not only change their lives but also alter the course of history. Blum has written his most harrowing book to date--a story that will make headlines as well as provoke debate about the moral elements of justice, the line between good & evil, & the possibility of redemption.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, World War II, War, Military Fiction, Israel, Holocaust

336 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

Howard Blum is the author of New York Times bestsellers including Dark Invasion, the Edgar Award–winner American Lightning, as well as Wanted!, The Gold Exodus, Gangland, and The Floor of Heaven. Blum is a contributing editor at Vanity Fair. While at the New York Times, he was twice nominated for a Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting. He is the father of three children, and lives in Connecticut.

Get in touch!
Website: www.HowardBlum.com
Email: Howard@HowardBlum.com
Facebook: Like Howard Blum on Facebook
Twitter: @HowardBlum and @FloorOfHeaven

Reviews

[Gary · Rating 5 out of 5]

This a compelling true story in which anyone who reads it will be swept up.
It is about three men , Israel Carmi , Jochanan Pelz and Arie Pinchuk, who form the Jewish Brigade , a division of Jewish soldiers from Israel, in the British army-"the first official Jewish fighting force since the fall of the Judea to the Roman legions". At the time when Jews are being victimized and lead like sheep to the slaughter , the Jewish Brigade , with a yellow Star of David emblazoned to their uniform , fighting for the Jewish people , and their homeland of Israel, shows the world that Jews can fight back and win.
It also tells the remarkable story of Arie Pichuk's sister Leah , and her escape from the Nazis , surviving as a fugitive in the Ukraine , before joining the anti-Nazi Partisans.
After the war , the men witness first hand what the Nazis have done to their people, and set off on a course of identifying , finding and killing Nazi officers who have participated in the holocaust.
Their hatred and ferocity threatens to overwhelm them , until a chance encounter with an orphaned Jewish girl sets them on a more constructive course-smuggling Jewish boys and girls into Israel, despite the British blockade which tires to prevent Jews from entering the ancient homeland from which they where forced out by the Romans two thousand years before.
It is therefore a true narrative about the re-establishment of the State of Israel , where Jewish children can grow up in safety and live as free men and women , in a free homeland of their own.
That is Zionism , which has been so maligned by evil forces , who want the Jews to fall pray to genocide again.
Every descent person , Jew or Gentile , needs to dedicate themselves to ensuring that Israel survives as a Jewish State in which Jews can live freely and safely.
Anything else will guarantee another holocaust.
Israel and the Jewish people are faced with the same genocidal hate today , that the Jews where faced with during World War II
Our heroes play a role in defending Israel after the fledgling state is attacked by five Arab armies , hellbent on genocide.
Am Israel Chai.
The People of Israel live!

[Charlie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a highly rated book for a reason.
The BRIGADE story is an EPIC story. It is a TRUE story that many don't know about. You see, the BRIGADE is not just any group of soldiers ---- they are all Jewish - 5000 strong. They were recruited by the British as volunteers.
The author - Howard Blum - highlighted three Jewish friends that spearheaded the war on the Germans. It wasn't always pretty when they found the hunted Germans during the war.
It was even worse after the end of World War 11. Finding the Germans that were part of the Holocaust became a brutal campaign to find the culprits. AND when they did --- well, you can imagine what took place.
This book covers the two wars - the one that ended in 1945 and the one that continues today - finding and punishing the Holocaust murderers.
This is one book that I will read and read again. What a TRUE STORY.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Artfully written account of the Jewish Brigade's history during the Second World War fighting as part of the British Eighth Army in the Italian campaign against the Germans towards the war's end. I found this to be a real page turner as the book's exciting episodes unfolded.



Blum's skill lies with his merging of both the Brigade's own history and the individual stories of three of its members. All of which is based on extensive and painstaking research of published and unpublished histories as well as interviews with the surviving protagonists. There are really 3 or 4 book's worth contained within the one volume as the Brigade's story only really gets going once the war comes to an end in May '45.



The central figures of Carmi and Peltz become deeply involved with the underground campaign to smuggle out Jewish war refugees and camp survivors against the wishes of the British authorities. The other main figure of Pinchuk meanwhile, sets off towards finding his lost sister Leah who he hasn't seen since leaving pre-war Poland for Palestine. Over the course of the book they all become involved in the people-smuggling as well as a fair share of gun running and acts of vengeance on those they hold responsible for the crimes of the Reich. Altogether a very exciting read, and very well written book of modern history.

[Erik Graff · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read several of Blum's engrossing nonfiction books now, these being 'Wanted', 'Out There', 'The Gold of Exodus' and 'I Pledge Allegiance'. This has been the most moving, it being the story of the 'Jewish Brigade' within the British army during the closing months of WWII as seen primarily from the perspectives of three of its members, all of whom also participated in the smuggling of Jewish refugees into Palestine after the war.

[Bettie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bettie's Books

[Jim Martine · Rating 4 out of 5]

After a slightly slow start, I ended up fascinated by this true account of 5000 Jews fighting the Nazi’s in Italy. Very personal because of the focus on 3 men and 1 woman. Even more interesting was after the war, when they, on their own, hunted and executed former Nazi’s. This, woven together with the experiences of one of their sisters and their transformation from hunters to saviors of Jewish refugees made this a great read. Learned so much from this book.

[Kent Horner · Rating 4 out of 5]

The true story of a British brigade (5000 troops) made up entirely of Jewish soldiers, (Israel was not a nation yet) being able to fight against the Germans in WWII sounded interesting to me. The opportunity given these soldiers to go into combat with the Third Reich, the nation who had every intention in annihilating their existence, was short lived because they were not given that opportunity until the war was all but over. However when the war was over they set out to find and kill the SS “big fish” who were responsible. They were very successful at this but realized no amount of revenge killing would bring back a single murdered Jew so they set theirs sights on a loftier goal by helping Jewish refugees escape Europe and “illegally” transport them to what was then known as Palestine. This effort would, in a few years, lead to the birth of the nation of Israel in 1948.
I did not enjoy this book as much as I enjoyed THE FLOOR OF HEAVEN but it was written by the same author Howard Blum and I did like it a lot.

[JBP · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting and entertaining non-fiction about the 5,000 or so Jews who fought at the end of WW2 against the Nazis. While they only got into a few combat missions at the end of the war--it's what some of them did AFTER the war that really makes this a worthy read for WW2 buffs.

A small group of men post-war did two things: smuggled thousands and thousands of Jews out of Europe and into Palestine (soon to become Israel) and formed a death squad that would locate Nazis in hiding and then execute them.

The death squad stuff had me riveted. These guys were going eye for an eye Old Testament on these Nazis--which usually meant no trial, just a short speech and then a bullet (one guy like to strangle the Nazi bastards as guns were too "messy" for him). They kill so many of them that they sort of lose track--over 400 ex-officers and concentration camp guards are found and killed.

Great book.

[Dustin · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books about WW2 Ive ever read. I love how the Jewish people can finally be recognized for helping destroy the third Reich.

[Yanavb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly recommend this book, based on the true story, well written, very interesting and informative.

[David Stark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Howard Blum’s The Brigade follows three soldiers of the Jewish Infantry Brigade Group through the late part of World War II and into 1948 as the Israeli Defense Forces fought to protect the new State of Israel. The Brigade also follows the changing roles of the main characters from soldiers, to assassins, and finally to rescuers of Jewish refugees, and finally to defenders of the State of Israel. One of the biggest themes in the book was that of redemption, especially in the case of Captain Jonathan Peltz who begins to hate the Nazis and enjoys the killing of Nazi officers so much that he exists only to kill. However, after the discovery of the Jewish children in the monastery he realizes that he should have been focusing on rescuing the Jewish children who were orphaned by the war. He comes to see the rescues of the children and the founding of the State of Israel as his way of paying for the crimes he committed.

I would recommend this book to anyone interested in becoming a career officer. This book explores some things that professional soldiers do to cope with war such as; dehumanizing their enemies, taking refuge in religion, and blaming their enemies for their problems. This book also shows how dangerous the rage that some of these coping mechanisms generate can be and how it is necessary for officers to protect POW’s and the innocent population from that rage.

[Alfonso D'agostino · Rating 4 out of 5]

A metà tra il saggio e il romanzo biografico, La brigata di Howard Blum è perfettamente riassunto dal suo sottotitolo: "una storia di guerra, di vendetta e di redenzione".

Una storia di guerra, certamente: perché La brigata racconta, attraverso gli occhi e le voci di tre protagonisti, la storia della Brigata Ebraica, formazione militare che - inquadrata nell’esercito inglese - sfidò in battaglia i nazisti sotto la bandiera con la stella di David (tra l’altro in terra italiana, il che rende il testo ancora più intrigante per un lettore nostrano)

Ma La brigata è anche un racconto di vendetta, perché narra - senza risparmiare nulla - anche la caccia al tedesco dell’immediato dopoguerra compiuta da uomini che erano venuti a sapere dei lager, è in qualche caso li avevano addirittura visitati.

Infine, La brigata è un saggio sulla redenzione, cioè sulla capacità di fermarsi, riflettere e rendersi conto che fra Giustizia e Vendetta il confine è labile, ma eticamente molto ben definito.

Una bella, bellissima lettura.

[Camille · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the content of this book. The true story of this group's attempt to smuggle the Jews of our Europe in the last days of WWII was something I had not heard much about before. I liked the fact that the author decided to tell the story from the perspective of three individuals, it made the reader connect more with the story. The author did very good research and obviously paid a lot of attention to getting the facts correct.

I did think that the writing style lacked somewhat. It was rather simplistic, and didn't flow as well as it could have. At times it seemed more like reading a sixth grade book report.

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

An outstanding narrative of the little known saga of the Jewish Brigade during and after WW II. Blum does an excellent job of keeping a reader riveted to the story, focusing on three friends who served in the Jewish Brigade. I found the details of the Brigades activities after the end of the war especially interesting. Although I am not Jewish nor Israeli, the story of the exodus of Jews from Europe to Palestine after the war ended forms the foundation for the modern state of Israel. After the atrocities suffered during the war at the hands of the Nazi's, the treatment of Jewish refugees after the end of the war does not reflect well on the Allied countries.

[Kurt W. DeAngelis · Rating 5 out of 5]

How a war ends and a nation begins ... The Brigade should not be missed.

First hand account by leaders of the Jewish Brigade offers a unique view of life under British rule, Anti-Semitism within the ranks of the British Army, the final battles of WWII, the creation of the nation of Israel and the daring exploits undertaken to bring it about. I have great respect for the three heroes the book centers around and the thousands of others who risked so much.

Wonderful read ... time well spent.

[RICK "SHAQ" GOLDSTEIN · Rating 5 out of 5]

RICK “SHAQ” GOLDSTEIN SAYS: AN UNBELIEVABLE TRUE STORY OF THE GREATEST JEWISH PRIDE… WORLD WAR II… THE FORMATION OF ISRAEL… AHM YISRAEL CHAI!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
How this book went under the radar is beyond me! Steven Spielberg should make a movie out of this, and it would be better than “Saving Private Ryan”! This is a true story, of the first official Jewish military fighting unit. It was formed, when the British government, agreed to send 5,000 Jewish volunteers to fight in Europe, during World War II. Let your heart, mind and soul, be put in the place of a Jewish soldier: Millions of Jews being exterminated in the concentration camps, and you aren’t allowed to fight back, as a recognized official unit or brigade. Now your chance comes! This book, first delves into the different types of men in this group. The feeling of helplessness, even after being approved and organized, because they were kept away from the main fighting. I was deeply impacted, as I was told that no one, had ever worn the Star Of David, on a military uniform before. What a wonderful contrast, to the Star Of David, being put on all the Holocaust victims’ sleeves, as a means of humiliation. When the war ends, this Jewish Brigade, decides not to stop! They continue to go after Nazi officers in hiding, and people who stole Jewish citizen’s artwork and valuables. Two individual scenes, brought pride to my chest, and tears to my eyes. One was when, two of the Brigade, finally tracked down one of the Germans, who had performed various atrocities against the Jews, and one member of the Brigade, said to the war criminal: “In the name of the Jewish people, I sentence you to death!” The other scene, was when members of the Brigade, came to the gates of a concentration camp, and the skeletal survivor’s in pajamas, stood looking at them, and did not speak. One soldier said, “Don’t be afraid” in Yiddish. “The survivors still did not speak” “The soldier felt guilty-of his health, his strength, his good fortune, to have been spared.” “He tried again; “We’re Jews,” he said. “Confused, a man pointed to the Star Of David on the soldier’s sleeve, and asked hesitantly, “You’re Jewish angels?” I could not put this book down, and have tried to think of a million different reasons, why no one has made this into a movie. I bought the book for my son, who with starting a new family, and a new job, doesn’t have time to read. But after starting this book, he read it every morning before work, and at lunch, and finished it in a week. I bought a copy and sent it to my brother, who is the busiest guy I know. He never has time to read. He read it in a week, and then passed it on to an older gentleman where he works. I sent a copy to one of my best friends; he finished it in a week. We all still discuss, and quote this book today, and I read it over FIFTEEN years ago!

Through all my close to two-thousand-read books… this still has one of the greatest impacts on my very soul!

[Bobby R. Childree · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent Jewish History

This is not a historical fiction novel, although it may read like one. Blum has done the almost impossible task of digging out even the storylines from revealing sources. He has cobbled one excellent story from the stories of three separate real men, and the story appears to be of one thread. These very men and hundreds more just like them were responsible for the birth of the modern nation of Israel. Without the personal sacrifices of these men and many thousands more, the nation of Israel would have been stillborn. Thank God for these men!

[Len Knighton · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of the Jewish Brigade attached to the British Army in World War II, the book focuses on three men and their missions that went beyond their duties in the Brigade. The Brigade, insultingly underused in the war, achieved its greatest distinction in fighting for the independence and sovereignty of Israel.
If there is a lesson to be learned here, it is that love, love of God, love of family, love of country, is the foundation that builds relationships, builds nations. Hate and revenge only destroy.

Four stars waxing.

[Robert Martindale · Rating 5 out of 5]

I confess that I knew very little, if any, about the enmity between the British and the Israelis before the founding of Israel. In "The Brigade" author Howard Blum brings to life the story of one significant element of birth of the nation of Israel through the stories of three main protagonists and one unique unit of the British Army--a brigade of Jewish soldiers of fought the Nazis in WWII. Extremely well researched and very readable, the book is filled with pathos and irony. Definitely recommend it for anyone interested in the history of Israel.

[Margaret Klein · Rating 5 out of 5]

This non-fiction book is an excellent epic to tell the story of the Jewish Brigade, 5000 Jewish soliders from British Mandate Palestine that entered WWII as British soldiers fighting in Italy. It profiles the lives of three soldiers and one sister so artfully that it is a real page turner. It is an often glossed over history that challenges our senses of right and wrong, justice and forgiveness, cut-throat vengeance that is so important to explore. A very important and significant book reminiscent of the movie Munich by Steven Spielberg.

[Ethan Starr · Rating 5 out of 5]

The remarkable true story of the Jewish Brigade, a brigade of Jewish soldiers from what was then called Palestine, who fought in WW II in Italy against the Nazis. Told through the well-documented experiences of three of the brigade's soldiers, it details their experiences before, during, and after the fighting. Also details the activities of the brigade after the war, when they helped Holocaust survivors and the effort to prepare for the creation of Israel. I read this book several years ago, and finished it in five days. I highly recommend The Brigade.

[Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting tale of the Jewish Brigade sent by the British to fight in the European campaign at the close of the Second World War. They were kept out of much of the fighting by the British high command but this details how they learned to fight which would serve them well in the battle for Israeli independence. It tells of the struggles of many of the men to deal with Nazi atrocities and the search of one for his sister and her tale of survival after the murder of their parents.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another perspective added to my WWII repertoire. I didn't know anything about any Jewish involvement of fighting in the military. The revenge and hatred was surprising because it is very hard to imagine coming to that point personally, but I have never had the life and history these men had. But change happens to us all as it did for these men and what we feel and do is not fixed.

[Jocelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

"They were about to start a new era. A Jewish army, the gold Star of David on it soldiers' shoulder flashes as a symbol of pride, not submission, would soon be entering Germany as an occupying force."
"When Carmi read the intelligence reports...seven out of every ten people that made up the Jewish population before the war no longer existed."

[Jerry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow. In the most recent years, I have been drawn to Israel history. This book has been an eye opener. One group of people suffering not one but two concentration camps. It was enlightening to read a history book from a non-American perspective. I encourage people to read this book. In my opinion, this book is further proof that God chose the nation of Israel.

[Ena Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a difficult but important read about WW2 from the perspective of 3 Jewish men who were soldiers/leaders in The Jewish Brigade. The brigade was made up of 5000 Jewish men and this is the story of how they made a difference in the war and also, after the war, how they helped thousands of refugees who were trapped in British camps get to Palestine. Excellent.

[Alan Thacker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing WWII story I was unaware of about a brigade of Jewish soldiers who fought the Germans in Italy as part of the British Army and then rescued hundreds or thousands of Jews after the war and got them to Palestine. The story is told through the eyes of three soldiers, who each had unique backgrounds and personal quests. I read the book in 3 days.

[Al · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding account of Jewish warriors picking up the pieces at the end of WWII. After witnessing countless horrors, the men assume the responsibility of vengeance against Nazis in hiding and their sympathizers until an encounter with an orphaned girl changes their MO. A better book than most by Stephen Ambrose.

[J.T.K. Gibbs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! A part of WWII I wish was in more history books. We read so little about how others, not only the GIs, were NOT victims but took an active part in saving themselves and building a life for all Jews. Bravo!

[Patricia Kitto · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well researched, well written, honest, and a story that needed telling. I thought I had read pretty much everything about WWII but obviously I still have a lot to learn. A little less now having read this book.