In Solitary Witness

1964. Holt, Rinehart and Winston. 277pp. 1st. Hardcover. VG/Fair. 1st (STATED) EDITION
Book in good condition & DJ in acceptable-poor condition NOT EX-LIBRARY DJ has staining & tears Clean text Minor rubbing/bumping to corners & edges of cover Decorative paste-downs Tight binding but front hinge is starting There are signs of visible wear which may include markings, bookplate or authors name, bumping, small tears, non-major spine or binding defects but book is still wholly intact.

Most of the well-known heroes of World War II are military figures This book tells the story of another sort of hero, Franz Jaegerstaetter, an Austrian peasant farmer and husband and father of three daughters, who refused to perform his military service in the Nazi army on grounds of conscience He was executed in Berlin on August 9, 1943 by the Nazis for his conscientious objection, ""in solitary witness"" to peace The author, Gordon Zahn, an American conscientious objector during World War II and a sociologist, does a masterful job of capturing the social and religious context in which Jaegerstaetter's refusal to fight became possible Zahn interviewed a number of villagers in St Radegund -- including the widow and children of Jaegerstaetter -- to gain an understanding of the development of this uneducated farmer's faith in God and his convictions against war The author is able to unravel the mystery of how such a simple man could have withstood the criticism and ostracization of his neighbors, the disapproval of his family, and the unwillingness of his Catholic church leaders (with the exception of his parish priest) to support his objection In telling the story of a single brave man, the author is able to illustrate the possibility for any of us to stand against the social pressure citizens of every nation feel to support their government's involvement in wars, be they just or unjust In the Preface, Zahn notes that Daniel Ellsberg has often acknowledged that it was the inspiration he felt after reading this book that led him to release the Pentagon Papers to the media in his effort to end the Vietnam War It is also interesting to note that this book brought Jaegerstaetter's story to the attention of later Church authorities in Austria, who have begun an ""investigation"" of Franz's life and death in a first step toward his possible canonization as a saint in the Catholic Church"olt, Rinehart and Winston, 1964 1ST Good/Fair Mar 01, 1964 1st (STATED) EDITION 1964 Holt Rinehart Winston Book in good condition & DJ in acceptable-poor condition NOT EX-LIBRARY DJ has staining & tears Clean text Minor rubbing/bumping to corners & edges of cover Decorative paste-downs Tight binding but front hinge is starting There are signs of visible wear which may include markings, bookplate or authors name, bumping, small tears, non-major spine or binding defects but book is still wholly intact

Most of the well-known heroes of World War II are military figures This book tells the story of another sort of hero, Franz Jaegerstaetter, an Austrian peasant farmer and husband and father of three daughters, who refused to perform his military service in the Nazi army on grounds of conscience He was executed in Berlin on August 9, 1943 by the Nazis for his conscientious objection, ""in solitary witness"" to peace The author, Gordon Zahn, an American conscientious objector during World War II and a sociologist, does a masterful job of capturing the social and religious context in which Jaegerstaetter's refusal to fight became possible Zahn interviewed a number of villagers in St Radegund -- including the widow and children of Jaegerstaetter -- to gain an understanding of the development of this uneducated farmer's faith in God and his convictions against war The author is able to unravel the mystery of how such a simple man could have withstood the criticism and ostracization of his neighbors, "lt, Rinehart and Winston, 1964 1ST Good/Fair Mar 01, 1964 1st (STATED) EDITION 1964 Holt Rinehart Winston Book in good condition & DJ in acceptable-poor condition NOT EX-LIBRARY DJ has staining & tears Clean text Minor rubbing/bumping to corners & edges of cover Decorative paste-downs Tight binding but front hinge is starting There are signs of visible wear which may include markings, bookplate or authors name, bumping, small tears, non-major spine or binding defects but book is still wholly intact

Most of the well-known heroes of World War II are military figures This book tells the story of another sort