On One-Way Path

by Franc Skumavc

The author, a native Slovenian, tells of survival and escape during World War II and how he later became a Catholic Priest and returned to his homeland.

299 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 1992

Reviews

[Collette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone in western nations should read this book, which stands as an account of WW2 as experienced by a young Slovenian man whose dreams of becoming a priest were put on hold for many years as he was conscripted by Nazis to fight for a war he didn't support but it was a matter of submit or be shot. His years as a soldier and POW were horrific. He nearly died from exposure and starvation. Franc Skumavc's story stands as a cautionary tale for post-war generations who have never experienced the horrors of war other than to watch distant conflicts on television and online. The rise of fascism and the Nazi party was swift and overwhelmed nations. These cruel and inhuman totalitarian and authoritarian regimes must never again be allowed to rise again yet, here we are again, in 2025, looking at blatant erosion of fundamental freedoms, serious human rights abuses, the dissolution of rule of law and democracy, unthinkable in the west until quite recently.