★★★★★ 5
"Unstoppable" is Irresistible.
Format: Hardcover, Format: Hardcover
History. I know people who shut down when they hear the word. I get it. I do that with algebra. I only wish there were books that enticed one to higher math like "Unstoppable" lures one to history.
Joshua Greene has presented us with a book whose foundation is build upon the evils of pre-war Nazi Germany and horrors of the German death camps. On top of that foundation he built a structure that houses the triumphal life of a stalwart human being....Siggi Willzig. I confess to a reluctance to read the first few chapters of this book. I find it difficult to dive deep into the details of the evil humans do. It is far easier to take in only the overview, the broad sweeping view of an era. But a deep dive is required to fully understand history. There is no better vehicle for obtaining that understanding than the intimate life story of a person who survived that history. That is what Joshua Greene presents us with.
This is not a depressing dissection of one of the darkest evils in modern history. To view "Unstoppable" in that light would be to sell it short. Nor is it a superficial cliche of poor boy makes good. It is, instead, an exploration of the triumph of the human spirit, of maintaining faith and human decency in the face of overwhelming trauma and against all odds. It is an object lesson in the perils of our post war culture complacently engaging in bigotry, and of one person's joyful refutation of that folly.
Siggi Wilzig's story has found just the right oracle. Mr. Greene's style is as engaging and irresistible as Mr. Wilzig was unstoppable. He guides the reader thru both the darkness and light of Wilzig's story with equal sensitivity and insight. This is how history should be presented. It is a personal story thru which the ambiance and the flavor of eras are taken in.
I hope this book serves as an open door to those who might otherwise shy away from history and the darkness that pervaded the years of WW II.....a darkness that was never fully extinguished and remains with us today. The best way to understand who we are now is to know where we came from. The old adage of history repeating itself comes to mind. "Unstoppable" will take its place in the bulwark which, I hope, will fend off that repetition.
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Reviewed in the United States on April 11, 2021
