Resistance: The Underground War Against Hitler, 1939-1945

 

Today's nonfiction post is on Resistance: The Underground War Against Hitler, 1939-1945 by Halik Kochanski. It is 936 pages long and is published by Liveright. The cover are picture of different resistance movements. The intended reader is someone who is interested in an in-depth guide into resistance movements outside of Germany during World War 2. There is mild foul language, no sex, and some violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- It’s almost shocking to think that now, more than seventy years after the Nazi surrender in 1945, there is not a single volume that has attempted to unify the resistance movements that convulsed Europe during the brutal years of occupation. In her extraordinary work, Resistance, Halik Kochanski does just that, creating a prodigiously researched account that becomes the first to bring these disparate histories into a single narrative.
Taking us from France in the west to parts of the Soviet Union in the east, Resistance reveals why and how small bands of individuals undertook actions that could lead not merely to their own deaths, but to the destruction of their entire communities. As Kochanski demonstrates, most who joined up were ordinary people who would not have been expected—even by themselves—to become heroes. Simultaneously panoramic and heartbreakingly intimate, Resistance is an incomparable history necessary for any home library.

Review- This is an extremely in-depth book about all the different resistance movements in mainland Europe. Kochanski's research is very through and at times can be overwhelming with all the information, the names and dates. But it is also fascinating to read about all the different factions within Europe that were fighting for freedom. Starting at the very beginning of the war and then following some of the bigger names all way to death. This book is not for light reading, this is for people who want to know more about forgotten history. 

I give this book a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.