In The Last Survivor; journalist Timothy Ryback explores the surprising--and often disturbing--ways the citizens of Dachau go about their lives in a city the rest of us associate with gas chambers and mass graves. A grandmother recalls the echo of wooden shoes on cobblestone; the clip-clop of inmates marched from boxcars to barracks under the cover of night. A mother-to-be opts to deliver in a neighboring town; so that her child's birth certificate will not be stamped DACHAU. An "SS baby;" now middle-aged; wonders about the father he never knew. And should you visit Dachau; you will meet Martin Zaidenstadt; an 87 year-old who accosts tourists with a first-hand account of the camp before its liberation in 1945. Beautifully written; compassionate; wise; The Last Survivor takes us to a place that bears the mark of Cain--and a people unwilling to be defined by the past; yet painfully unable to forget.
#355908 in Books Roberts; Gene/ Klibanoff; Hank 2007-09-04 2007-09-04Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.00 x 1.10 x 5.20l; 1.15 #File Name: 0679735658544 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Unique Perspective - important HistoryBy MDCRABGUYThe Race Beat opens with a discussion of a prediction by a Swedish economics scholar; Gunnar Myrdal; who conducted research in the US regarding race relations. His book An American Dilemma published in 1944 anticipated that for any improvement of Black lives in the south would require involvement by the press.The Race Beat covers the civil rights movement beginning with the Emmitt Till murder in 1955 through Selma; Alabama in 1965. The authors took a different angle to presenting the civil rights struggle. Rather than exclusively focusing on leading figures and significant events the story is told from the perspective of news reporters and news organizations. The perspective is unique and allowed the authors to juxtapose reporting the civil rights movement with war correspondence. Without going into great detail they note how many reporters covered the horrors and struggle of war with many of their colleagues killed covering war stories. The surprising story is many reporters were injured and killed covering the civil rights movement. White reporters were no safer than peaceful Black demonstrators or Black news reporters. Segregationists and police resented news reporters and frequently attacked them; destroyed their equipment; and trashed their notes. They were not only observers but also the target of violence. Contemporary news and documentaries presented the dogs; bombings; murders; and other violence against protesters; but never presented the violence against themselves.Television grew up as a medium during this period and how it effected the nation; and accordingly the authors also address this impact on news reporting. There was competition not only between newspapers; but also with television. One unexpected advantage television had was the new medium was able to televise into Black homes. Southern newspapers paid little attention to their Black communities; if they gave any attention at all.National events covering the Emmett Till murder; Rosa Parks; Little Rock; James Meredith; Freedom Riders; Martin Luther King; the NAACP; and other numerous players and events are covered. In contras White supremacists; the KKK; Citizen's Council; and many southern law officers are presented. Many adversarial groups and individuals are discussed in great detail providing background information leading to key events.My only issue with the book are the occasions when the authors occasionally list news reporters and newspapers in connection to a particular event.. The names drag on and take away from the flow of the book. It would have been more effective to focus on several top reporters and focus on their personal stories. The name dropping was very distracting.The Race Beat closes once events regarding integration becomes a nationwide story; and cities outside the south erupt into violent demonstrations starting with the Los Angeles Watts race riot. It is a very compelling book; and wort reading to gain a perspective the race issue and events from the early 50's through 1965.4 of 4 people found the following review helpful. Reporting From Hell's KitchenBy Franklin the MouseAn important component of African-Americans attaining their civil rights was the press. Without the courageous reporters; editors and publishers; who risked financial ruin and social ostracism; the Reverend Martin Luther King and company's aspirations would have been dead in the water. Mr. Roberts and Mr. Klibanoff give a very evenhanded history of how not all newspapers were on the same philosophical page. Southern segregationist news outlets in newspapers; radio and television went to great lengths to dehumanize blacks and argue about their right to treat them as less than equals. The upper and middle-class whites as well as politicians and some Southern judges may not have been the ones busting blacks' heads; but they were certainly complicit in provoking the dimwitted rednecks into doing their violent dirty work. Most of the nation had no clue as to the horrible conditions in which Southern African-Americans lived. The newspapers and; especially television; changed the nation's perspective. Mr. Roberts and Klibanoff also take pains in describing how some segregationists' editorials; such as James Kilpatrick's hate-filled screeds; were sophistry at its worst. The authors have written a truly informative and highly readable aspect of the Civil Rights movement that many take for granted. A great book.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Journalistic tour de force.By WilliamsI first heard about the book on NPR's Fresh Air; and I had it tucked away on my wishlist for several months before I decided to give it a try. To say that this book has changed how I feel about journalism and the news is a huge understatement. This story's vast importance is only equaled by its uncanny ability to take you through the strange and terrible world of the South during the Civil Rights era. I would recommend this to anyone who has the slightest interest in the Civil Rights or journalism.
