Defiance, Nechama Tec
Defiance, Nechama Tec
2 Rating(s)
List: $20.95 | Sale: $14.66
Club: $10.47

Defiance
The Bielski Partisans

Author: Nechama Tec

Narrator: Stefan Rudnicki

Unabridged: 10 hr 41 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download (DRM Protected)

Published: 09/28/2009


Synopsis

The prevailing image of European Jews during the Holocaust is one of helpless victims. But in fact, many Jews struggled against the terrors of the Third Reich. This is the riveting history of one such group, a forest community numbering more than 1,200 Jews, that carried out the largest armed rescue operation of Jews by Jews in World War II. Nechama Tec reconstructs the amazing details of how these men and women of all ages—hungry, largely unarmed, and exposed to harsh winter weather—managed not only to survive but to take on the duel role of fighters and rescuers. Under the guidance of their charismatic leader, Tuvia Bielski, they smuggled Jews out of heavily guarded ghettos, led retaliatory raids against Nazi collaborators, and offered protection to all Jewish fugitives who could find their way to them.

About Nechama Tec

Nechama Tec is professor of sociology at the University of Connecticut, Stamford. She is the author of six books, including In the Lion’s Den: The Life of Oswald Rufeisen, the winner of the 1990 Christopher Award; When Light Pierced the Darkness; and Dry Tears, a memoir of her experiences during the years of the Nazi occupation of Poland.

About Stefan Rudnicki

Stefan Rudnicki is an award winning audiobook narrator, director and producer. He was born in Poland and now resides in Studio City, California. He has narrated more than three hundred audiobooks and has participated in over a thousand as a writer, producer, or director. He is a recipient of multiple Audie Awards and AudioFile Earphones Awards as well as a Grammy Award, a Bram Stoker Award, and a Ray Bradbury Award. He received AudioFile’s award for 2008 Best Voice in Science Fiction and Fantasy. Along with a cast of other narrators, Rudnicki has read a number of Orson Scott Card's best-selling science fiction novels. He worked extensively with many other science fiction authors, including David Weber and Ben Bova. In reviewing the twentieth anniversary edition audiobook of Card’s Ender's Game, Publishers Weekly stated, "Rudnicki, with his lulling, sonorous voice, does a fine job articulating Ender's inner struggle between the kind, peaceful boy he wants to be and the savage, violent actions he is frequently forced to take." Rudnicki is also a stage actor and director.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Richard

'Defiance' just made it to the NY Times paperback best seller list even tho it came out more than 15 years ago. The reason for its popularity now, of course, is that the film has been released and has created interest in the story and in Nechama Tec's book. That's why I read it. After seeing the fil......more

Goodreads review by Emma

I decided to read Defiance because last year I saw the film version of it and I enjoyed the film (even though it was sad) and found the film very interesting. So I finally brought a copy of the book and read it. I have decided to put this book into the ‘A book based on a true story category’ on the......more


Quotes

“One of the most elevating and inspiring stories in the chronicle of death and despair that is the Holocaust…an accomplished and startling work of Holocaust documentation.” Los Angeles Times

“Powerful and meticulous…Defiance must be cherished.” New Republic

“We are again in the debt of Nechama Tec for offering us yet another unforgettable account of heroic Jewish survival in the midst of untold death and destruction with Defiance.” Jewish Spectator

“Suspenseful and inspiring.” Publishers Weekly

“Stefan Rudnicki proves himself equal to the challenge…Rudnicki’s clear presentation helps the listener navigate the densely packed historical material. One of his greatest strengths is his ease with the language of the story’s setting. His pronunciation of names and his use of the slightest of accents when rendering the passages of dialogue are completely authentic and comfortable. The material itself is riveting.” AudioFile

“Powerful…A remarkable story of a great leader, as well as of a neglected aspect of WWII.” Kirkus Reviews

“An exciting story of rescuers and fighters—a story that should have been documented years ago…Defiance will no doubt engender further interest in the subject of Jewish partisan activity.” Social Education

“Rudnicki does an excellent job narrating this sometimes harrowing tale, able to switch from one accent to another, one language to another with ease. Highly detailed with the minutiae of everyday life, this won’t have broad appeal, but for the interested, it is an eye-opening account of a relatively little-known movement.” SoundCommentary.com