The Pianist: The Extraordinary True Story of One Man's Survival in Warsaw, 1939-1945
by Wladyslaw Szpilman

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• ISBN13: 9780312263768
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
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Book Reviews of The Pianist: The Extraordinary True Story of One Man's Survival in Warsaw, 1939-1945

Book Review: For Those Who Think That They Are Brave This May Test Them
Summary: 5 Stars

Few people have endured wartime terror personally and look at the happenings of wartime Warsaw from a historical point of view with little feeling of what terrible things happened to individuals.

Wladyslav Szpilman gives the reader greater understanding of the despicable experiences of war through his graphic descriptions of his own life in hiding from the German occupiers. It is only because of his own self discipline that he survives.

Unusually a contribution to his survival is made by a German officer who is uncharacteristically humane and this, too, adds to the incredibility of the tale.

We are lucky to have such examples of bravery and humanity to give us hope that in similar circumstances we would have had the courage of a Szpilman or the mercy and sympathy of the German.

This episode in Warsaw serves, once again, to illustrate how wastefully stupid man is to let his nature turn so sour when, in the end, there will be survivors and there will be heros and the efforts to snub out man's better instincts will fail. That Wladyslav Spilman goes on to a distiguished musical career is the fitting rebuttal to all the hate that Hitler spread so uselessly and fortunately, fruitlessly.

If you are curious about how you might deal with supreme adversity you might read this book and consider whether you are of he same mettle.

It would be interesting to see how film makers would deal with this story.

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