In this second of a three part series; this book traces the events of the Civil War from the first battle to the surrender with emphasis on the experiences of the individual soldiers.Whether they wore Union blue or Confederate gray; the untrained recruits of the Civil War quickly learned to endure the hardships of the army life. They experienced the horrors of battle; rampant disease; makeshift hospitals and prison camps; and even boredom. Drawing on letters; diaries; eyewitness accounts; and many vintage photographs; Behind the Blue and Gray explores the lives of soldiers from all walks of life; from all-black Northern regiments to young boys who lied about their age to enlist. Also in this series:A Nation Torn: The Story of How the Civil War BeganA Separate Battle: Women and the Civil War
#151760 in Books 2011-11-01Format: Deckle EdgeOriginal language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.50 x 6.50 x 1.50l; 1.76 #File Name: 140278631X400 pagesOut Of The DepthsA MemoirChief Rabbi Israel Meir LauForewords By Shimon Peres and Elie Weisel
Review
21 of 21 people found the following review helpful. Astounding memoir...By RobertaOne of the youngest survivors of Buchenwald; Israel Meir Lau; against all odds; survived to live an extraordinary life to become the Chief Rabbi of Israel. As Chief Rabbi; he was respected worldwide and met many influential heads of state and important religious leaders (from the Rebbe Menachem Schneerson to two Popes). He chronicles his life in Buchenwald -- an eight year old child at the time of Liberation; as well as the aftermath of war including his time in a French orphan camp; his emigration to Palestine; his training as a young rabbinical student; and his life as chief Rabbi. What is particularly interesting are his accounts and recognition of all the people he meets along the way who help and influence him. The charismatic personality and spirit of Israel Meir Lau shine through on every page of this book. This is a moving and inspirational memoir that you won't be able to put down.45 of 47 people found the following review helpful. A moving account of survival and faithBy Aviva LevineThis is the second book translated into English By Rabbi Israel Meir Lau. Rabbi Lau is an exceptional Rabbi; speaker; and religious leader in search of unity with the divine and with his fellow men. I cannot recommend enough "Practical Judaism" for those who want to learn the basics of our faith. His second book; Out of the depths; a reference to psalm 130 From the depths; relates the story of his life and is divided in two parts: the knife; the fire; and the wood; a reference to the akedah; and the ram's horn; a reference to the redemption and the coming of Moschiach. The book follows Lulek from his infancy and the time he was pulled out of the darkest moment and place on earth; the death camp of Buchenwald; to his emigration to / and education in Israel as an orphan to build a life of Torah; infused with divine light. Rabbi Lau says: G-d has tried me with suffering but he has not given me over to death. Why G-d chose to spare him (and his brother Naphtali) and not the rest of his family who perished in the holocaust? Rabbi Lau does not have an answer but he teaches us that everything is G-d's will; which we cannot really understand or question. However; the purpose of his book is to show that you can survive the worst ordeals and build on ashes by finding strength in entrusting your spirit into G-d's hands and in keeping the line of communication always open with Him through prayers. This book is in turn inspiring; moving; enthralling. I was saddened by the first part; the struggle to survive (which reminded me of The night by Elie Wiesel); but at the same time I felt peace in my heart. Rabbi Lau was not destroyed by his tragic life beginning and personal loss; instead he was grateful for what G-d gave him and came out as a refined man. From this read; one feels compelled to accept every day challenge (not comparable to what Rabbi Lau went through) with a lighter heart and work on oneself to become a better person. Rabbi Lau's determination; focus; and wisdom are admirable. A miraculous recovery and a must read.3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Deeply moving memoir from a child of the Holocaust who rises to greatnessBy Judy GruenThis is a poignant and beautifully written memoir by Israel Meir Lau; born into a family with a distinguished rabbinic history reaching back 38 generations. Lau was only 5 years old in 1942 when the Nazis blasted into his town in Poland. His father; the town's rabbi; was selected for public beating and humiliation; in front of his family; before being taken to a death camp and murdered.Astonishingly; little Israel ("Lulek" to his family); despite his small size (even for his age) manages to survive the horrors of Buchenwald; thanks to ongoing life-risking efforts by his much older brother; Naftali. Lau is one of the youngest children to have survived this hell on earth; and just as astonishingly; grows from this harsh orphanhood to become the Chief Rabbi first of Tel Aviv and then of the State of Israel.Arriving in Israel with his brother; who had been charged by their father to do everything he possibly could to safeguard little Lulek and who did so with a degree of self-sacrifice and risk that is hard to fathom; Lulek becomes Israel; living with an aunt and uncle and trying to create the first semblance of a normal life -- as normal as could be given his parents' murders by the Nazis and the ripping apart of his family life.Rabbi Lau clearly inherited his late father's gift for oration; and manages to overcome the emotional trauma to become an invaluable and wise leader of the Jewish people. In the last chapters; it is especially affecting to read about Chief Rabbi Lau's friendships with Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Shimon Peres; as well as world leaders ranging from Fidel Castro; Desmond Tutu; King Hussein of Jordan; and Pope John Paul II; and more.It is a deeply inspiring and moving book.
