Isaac's Army

A Story of Courage and Survival in Nazi-Occupied Poland

By: Matthew Brzezinski

Narrated by: Arthur Morey

Starting as early as 1939, disparate Jewish underground movements coalesced around the shared goal of liberating Poland from Nazi occupation. For the next six years, separately and in concert, they waged a heroic war of resistance against Hitler's war machine that culminated in the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. In Isaac's Army, Matthew Brzezinski delivers the first-ever comprehensive narrative account of that struggle, following a group of dedicated young Jews - some barely out of their teens - whose individual acts of defiance helped rewrite the ending of World War II.

Based on first-person accounts from diaries, interviews, and surviving relatives, Isaac's Army chronicles the extraordinary triumphs and devastating setbacks that befell the Jewish underground from its earliest acts of defiance in 1939 to the exodus to Palestine in 1946. This is the remarkable true story of the Jewish resistance from the perspective of those who led it: Isaac Zuckerman, the confident and charismatic twenty-four-year-old founder of the Jewish Fighting Organization; Simha Ratheiser, Isaac's fifteen-year-old bodyguard, whose boyish good looks and seeming immunity to danger made him an ideal courier; and Zivia Lubetkin, the warrior queen of the underground who, upon hearing the first intimations of the Holocaust, declared: "We are going to defend ourselves."

Joined by allies on the left and right, they survived Gestapo torture chambers, smuggled arms, ran covert printing presses, opened illegal schools, robbed banks, executed collaborators, and fought in the two largest rebellions of the war. Hunted by the Germans and bedeviled by the "Greasers" - roving bands of blackmailers who routinely turned in resistance fighters for profit - the movement was chronically short on firepower but long on ingenuity. Its members hatched plots in dank basements, never more than a door knock away from summary execution, and slogged through fetid sewers to escape the burning Ghetto to the forests surrounding the city. And after the initial uprising was ruthlessly put down by the SS, they gambled everything on a bold plan for a citywide revolt - of both Jews and Gentiles - that could end only in victory or total destruction. The money they raised helped thousands hide when the Ghetto was liquidated. The documents they forged offered lifelines to families desperate to escape the horror of the Holocaust. And when the war was over, they helped found the state of Israel.

A story of secret alliances, internal rivalries, and undying commitment to a cause, Isaac's Army is history at its most heart -wrenching. Driven by an unforgettable cast of characters, it's a true-life tale with the pulse of a great novel, and a celebration of the indomitable spirit of resistance.

©2012 Matthew Brzezinski (P)2012 Tantor

Critic reviews

"This is an intense story that transcends the horror of the time and finds real inspiration in the bravery of those who fought back - some of whom lived to tell their stories." (Alan Furst, author of Mission to Paris)

Could not listen.

Excellent true story but the narrator was horrible. I simply could not finish it. I wanted to hear the story but the dry, uneducated, mispronounced people and places that are so historically important, well, to be honest, I could not endure another word.

Fascinating history

Would you consider the audio edition of Isaac's Army to be better than the print version?

No. The narrator for this book was passable, but had odd places where he paused on occasion, did not read with much inflection in spots, etc. I don't think the narrator either added to or took away from this book

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes! I almost did. I had no idea so much went on through the Jewish resistance... it was fascinating and obviously well-researched

Starts off slow. Well researched.

Where does Isaac's Army rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

In the top 15.

What did you like best about this story?

It revealed a part of the holocaust I wasn't familiar with.

What about Arthur Morey’s performance did you like?

He's comfortable to listen to, although it seems to diminish the intensity at times.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The sewer escape. Such suffering I hope I never know.

Outstanding

What did you love best about Isaac's Army?

Engaging detail.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Isaac - a realistic true life hero.

Which scene was your favorite?

PostScript - author answers his question at the beginning of the book about what he would do if he were in the situations described.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes

Any additional comments?

The author has a very special way of taking exhaustive research material and turning it into a compelling read.

Teaching courage

I am 74. I am hoping to live 20 more years. I am studying how to be brave, how to work through fear, so that I may yet do my part in this world. This book is a primer on courage and selflessness. The narrator, Arthur Morey is just the best.

Hitler and Stalin vs. Human Beings

Great history of a horrible era. I am thankful that the author was able to interview the heroes of this story before time takes them home. The narrator lent a voice that brought you into the tragic fight against the overwhelming evil as the author intended. The inability of the resistance fighters to overcome political and racial differences and to unite for a time against the Nazi and Russian invaders is both typical and an appalling indictment humanity as a whole. A valuable listen as Ukraine becomes a sacrifice to appease another tyrant. This book shows clearly how well that policy works.