Author Hans Moederzoon van Kuilenburg was a 10-year-old girl living in Amsterdam when German soldiers invaded Holland in the spring of 1940. The Dutch had intended to stay neutral at the outbreak of the war; as their military was no match for the Nazi hordes. Within five days; Holland had fallen and the German occupation was underway. The five ensuing years were among the darkest chapters in Dutch history; culminating in the "hunger winter" of 1944; during which 30;000 Dutch citizens died of hunger and cold. Even today; people like the author; who grew up during that time; are more prone to heart attacks as a result of the physical stress of those years. But despite having capitulated so quickly in the face of the overwhelming might of the German war machine; there were many heroes in Holland during the occupation; people like the author's father; a civilian supervisor of marine supplies; who robbed the Germans blind and gave stolen food and clothing to Dutch people in need. Eventually his activities attracted the attention of the German authorities and he was imprisoned. Thankfully Hans' mother was able to stage a dramatic escape with the help of the family doctor. The Silent Heroes is a true story of heroism; survival and resistance during a time of fear; despair; and hardship. Hans Moederzoon van Kuilenburg was born in Amsterdam and immigrated to the U.S. in 1959. She had a distinguished career as a medical assistant before retiring. In addition to writing; she also does photography and sometimes exhibits her work. The Silent Heroes is her first book. Publisher's website: http://sbpra.com/HansMoederzoonVanKuilenburg
#783139 in Books 2016-05-27 2016-06-10Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.20 x 1.40 x 6.30l; .0 #File Name: 161121288X528 pages
Review
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Excellent book well researchedBy TJExcellent book well researched. The book read like a novel. I would suggest buying the hardback edition because of all the photos; maps; illustrations. The kindle version (I have both) is OK; but this is a book you need to have a physical copy of to fully enjoy. I grew up in this area it was great to see an entire book tell the story of this strategic Civil War town and this important battle. Great work.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Highly Recommended!By Ken PepperEric Wittenberg is my favorite Civil War writer and historian. This book was a wonderful read that shed new light on a topic I have read about several times. Well researched and well written. Captures the bigger picture of the battle while also focusing on the personal experiences of the common soldiers of both sides. Highly recommend!2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Good stuff for readers of Civil War materialBy david montanaPuts a new perspective and goes in depth about a battle that has deserved much more research by such learned authors as Mr. Wittenberg. Thank you sir. When I think I know it all; here you go with this. I feel as if I heard a new song by the Beatles.
