My War against the Nazis: A Jewish Soldier with the Red Army

Fire Ant Books

by Adam Broner, Antony Polonsky (Foreword)

A poignant account of the perils and fortunes of an indomitable survivor of violence in Eastern Europe during World War II. In 1939, to escape Nazi occupation, 14-year-old Adam Broner and his older brother Sam left their home and family in Lodz, Poland, and made their way to the Soviet Union. Adam enlisted in the Red Army to join the fight against the Nazis but was sent to work in a Siberian coal mine instead when his nationality was discovered. After a bold and daring escape from Siberia, Broner reached the Soviet Polish Kosciuszko Army, joined the struggle against the Nazis, participated in the liberation of Poland, and rode victorious into Berlin in 1945. He later learned that his parents, siblings (except Sam), and all other close relatives had perished during the war. 
 Broner rebuilt his life, established a family, returned to Moscow for a degree in economics, and then went back to Poland, where he accepted a job in the Polish central planning agency. Eventually fed up with the growing anti-Semitism of the Communist government there, the author emigrated to the United States in 1969. He earned a doctorate from Princeton University and served as an economic adviser to New Jersey governors and the state legislature. In retirement, Broner learned portrait painting and reproduced the likenesses of his parents and siblings from memory, which are presented along with their biographies in this book.

In recounting his struggle for survival during some of the most dramatic upheavals of the 20th century— the Great Depression, Nazism, World War II, and the spread of Communism in Central Europe— Broner reveals a life dedicated to the ultimate goal of freedom, which he achieved through a combination of arduous effort and fortunate circumstance.

 

272 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

Reviews

[Stuart]

Accurate first person histories of world events are hard to come by and are often more informative than those that can be culled from official documents. The Polish Russian Army's creation and influence on WWII is one of those topics where official information is polluted with propaganda. Here it's told with candor and a clear-eyed looking back by a former soldier in the army.

Mr. Broner has a good eye for detail and an excellent memory. The end result is a document unlike any other I've come across on this topic. For those interested in Eastern European WWII history, this book is a valuable resource.

[Ruth]

History of the Polish Army within the Red Army during WWII told by Adam Broner 14 years old Jewish soldier.
From the Book:
Late February 1945:
I felt that I wanted to run away from the emptiness.
It was a cemetery everywhere.
My mind refused to accept the reality of the losses in my family and in all the other Jewish families I had known.
I begged providence to give me at least one consolation, one known and loved face.
I returned to my unit a broken man.

[Sarp]

A great, honest account of WW2 and of the post-war Poland. I even visited Kamiensk, his home town after reading this. Highly recommended.