Additional information
by Martin Baranek (Author), Lisa B. Cicero (Contribution by)
"If Martin Baranek's memoir of his hellish journey were fiction, I would dismiss it as
beyond comprehension. The fact that in this book Martin's own words testify in some
detail to his experiences from ghetto to work camp to extermination camps to death
march to liberation and eventual arrival to the Land of Israel, powerfully teaches us that
the unbelievable actually happened. This is an eye opening window into humanity at its
lowest and cruelest. It is also one human being's intense will to survive and rebuild his
life anew. I found it riveting and gut wrenching. Martin Baranek's journey is a triumph
of hope over despair."
--Rabbi Gary Glickstein
"I first encountered Martin Baranek as an articulate and reflective survivor in the course
of my research on the Wierzbnik ghetto and the Starachowice slave labor camps. As
his powerful memoir records, these were but the first two circles of Hitler's inferno
through which he descended in the years of the Holocaust. They were followed by
Birkenau, Mauthausen, and Gunskirchen, with each stage of his incredible odyssey
more challenging and horrifying than the previous one. Martin's overall story remains
very powerful."
--Christopher R. Browning, Frank Porter Graham Professor of History Emeritus,
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
"It has been said that a thousand doors had to open and close in the exact right time
and succession in order for one to survive the Holocaust. If even one door opened or
closed at the wrong time, your fate was sealed. Unlike 6 million other Jews, the
doors Martin Baranek went through appeared for him at just the right time. But
his survival was not just a matter of luck. Shining through on every page of this
exceptionally moving tale are Martin's courage, perseverance and sheer will to live
under the most brutal of conditions This painfully honest account is a true testament to
the power of the human spirit to triumph over unimaginable adversity. Martin' story is a
remarkable memoir that is nothing short of inspiring.You may have questions about
God after reading this book - but you will most certainly believe in miracles."
--Eli Rubenstein, National Director, March of the Living Canada
"...This is a fascinating chronicle of the Holocaust by an amazing man who shares the
tale of his painful tragedy and the triumph of his survival against all odds. We are
privileged that Martin has shared his story with countless participants of the March of
the Living that will pass on his message of NEVER FORGET to future generations..."
--Mel Mann, Executive Director - Friends of the March of the Living, Miami, FL
