[XLX]≡ Download Henry A Polish Swimmer True Story of Friendship from Auschwitz to America Katrina Shawver 9781633935235 Books

Henry A Polish Swimmer True Story of Friendship from Auschwitz to America Katrina Shawver 9781633935235 Books

Download As PDF : Henry A Polish Swimmer True Story of Friendship from Auschwitz to America Katrina Shawver 9781633935235 Books

Henry A Polish Swimmer True Story of Friendship from Auschwitz to America Katrina Shawver 9781633935235 Books

This book is a must read! A compelling account of a survivor of the atrocities of concentration camps in World War II, articulated by a talented writer with a journalist's eye for detail. I was astonished at the number of Polish Catholics that were held captive during this appalling part of our history. We weren’t taught this in history class. Once you start reading this book, you’ll find it difficult to put down. Henry was a remarkable man with an even more remarkable story that needed to be told. Thankfully, Katrina Shawver and Henry Zguda crossed paths through what can only be explained as divine intervention. Shawver’s tenacity in researching every detail leaves us with a riveting account of this man’s life. The photographs enhance the story. There are few survivors left today who lived through what can only be described as hell on earth. May we never forget, and pass these stories onto our children, so that in this case, history does not repeat itself. While I am extremely impressed with the storytelling, I am also particularly touched with the love and friendship that developed between the author and the Zgudas. I only wish that Henry had lived long enough to see the launch of this narrative of his life – and what a life it was! I would imagine that Henry is smiling somewhere, and absolutely delighted by the positive affirmation his story has been receiving.


Tags : Henry: A Polish Swimmer's True Story of Friendship from Auschwitz to America [Katrina Shawver] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Highly recommended. <strong>--James Conroyd Martin, author of <em>The Poland Trilogy</em> and <em>The Boy Who Wanted Wings</em></strong> <strong>This incredible true story is both a witness to the Holocaust through Polish eyes and the story of how Henry Zguda,Katrina Shawver,Henry: A Polish Swimmer's True Story of Friendship from Auschwitz to America,Koehler Books,163393523X,Auschwitz (Concentration camp),Autobiographies,Biography,Buchenwald (Concentration camp),Concentration camp inmates,Concentration camp inmates - Poland,Holocaust survivors,Holocaust survivors - Poland,Poland,Political prisoners,Political prisoners - Poland,Zguda, Henry,BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY Historical,Biography & AutobiographyPersonal Memoirs,HistoryEurope - Germany,HistoryHolocaust,Katrina Shawver; Henry Zguda; WWII; Auschwitz; Buchenwald; Poland; swimming; concentration camps; Holocaust

Henry A Polish Swimmer True Story of Friendship from Auschwitz to America Katrina Shawver 9781633935235 Books Reviews

"Henry" is the best book I've sunk myself into in a very long time. Captivating, entertaining, astonishing and sobering, "Henry" kept me company on a journey that speaks volumes to the providential power of the human spirit - and the difference one person can make. The message is delightfully written in bite-size pieces so that the reader can absorb remarkable accounts of creative, resourceful living. Shawver's ability to weave Henry's phenomenal, true life experiences with rare, historically correct documents makes this book an enlightening education as well as a "how to" sustain a life of resiliency. Provocative, humorous and enlightening, Henry is my hero, and shares a journey that proves to be timeless and relevant to our world today. All our Christmas boxes will have a copy of "Henry" this year! Read on.
I didn’t know what to expect with this book. A Polish survivor of a WWII labor camp? I’d never heard of such a thing. As much as any other Holocaust memoir, this wonderful autobiography by Katrina Shawver, who worked closely with Henry Zguda in the creation of this work, proves the miracle of resilience in the human spirit. If you’re looking for a page-turning book about a little known chapter of history—the fate of Polish death camp internees—this will grab you. But, even more, the story of how Henry reconstructed his life (and the way the lives of the author and the subject of her book became interwoven) will endear you to both the voices in this book. It’s a miracle Henry survived and that he happened up Katrina Shawver, who brought this powerful story to light.
This is a most fascinating read about the life of Henry Zguda, who was a champion swimmer in Poland. The author tape recorded her many interviews of Henry, researched to verify facts, visited and saw places in Poland of which he spoke, and included photographs. The tumultuous history of Poland and its unique political position made it a target for such countries as Russia and Germany to invade. It was difficult to read about Henry's years in two concentration camps because the reality of those places were so well described.
A must read for everyone. It is historical, biographical, interesting, and well written.
This is a story of a simple reporting assignment that turned into an unlikely friendship.
Katrina Shawver knew there was much more of a story with Henry Zguda — she just didn’t know it would take her 15 years to research and write.
Her dogged perseverance led to an amazing tale of a concentration camp survivor, but one who came from a much different background than most.
The only slight challenge this editor/writer had was the publisher’s non-use of quotation marks around most of the speakers’ words. It was often difficult to tell who was talking, Henry or Katrina, or the occasional other person quoted. It was frustrating as a reader to get stopped time and time again, wondering about missing punctuation or suddenly reappearing punctuation, left in error.
Katrina did a LOVELY job capturing Henry’s voice, his story, and his life. It’s an important book for everyone to read.
I really did love this book. I found it so easy to enter into, as the author shares the serendipitous meeting with Henry---and her realization, at some deep level, that she needed to write his story.

We enter in to the stories that Henry tells of his time in concentration camps. His tales are harrowing and awful---but he was alive to tell the story and somehow that made it all bearable. Henry is funny, too, and demonstrates perhaps, why he was able to survive such atrocities. Shawver was able to tell the story behind the story, to verify certain facts---or to acknowledge that there was no way to do so, but she shares what she believes to be true.

I think what I found most important about the book relates to the world today with creeping autocrats trying to remove us from the democratic principles with live with---for now. Let us not ever forget that there were many Henrys that did not survive. We need to guard our freedoms and be grateful for those we have. We all owe Ms. Shawver a debt of gratitude for helping us understand this time, as well as honoring Henry in the best way possible.
This book is a must read! A compelling account of a survivor of the atrocities of concentration camps in World War II, articulated by a talented writer with a journalist's eye for detail. I was astonished at the number of Polish Catholics that were held captive during this appalling part of our history. We weren’t taught this in history class. Once you start reading this book, you’ll find it difficult to put down. Henry was a remarkable man with an even more remarkable story that needed to be told. Thankfully, Katrina Shawver and Henry Zguda crossed paths through what can only be explained as divine intervention. Shawver’s tenacity in researching every detail leaves us with a riveting account of this man’s life. The photographs enhance the story. There are few survivors left today who lived through what can only be described as hell on earth. May we never forget, and pass these stories onto our children, so that in this case, history does not repeat itself. While I am extremely impressed with the storytelling, I am also particularly touched with the love and friendship that developed between the author and the Zgudas. I only wish that Henry had lived long enough to see the launch of this narrative of his life – and what a life it was! I would imagine that Henry is smiling somewhere, and absolutely delighted by the positive affirmation his story has been receiving.