The Drama of War
Joy Fleishhacker -- School Library Journal, 1/14/2009
Defiance (rated R for violence and language), a motion picture from Paramount Vantage directed by Edward Zwick, opens in theaters on January 16. Based on Nechama Tec’s nonfiction work, Defiance: The Bielski Partisans (Oxford University Press, 1993), the film is set in Nazi-occupied Belorussia in Poland during World War II. Daniel Craig, Liev Schreiber, and Jamie Bell star as Tuvia, Zus, and Asael Bielski, Jewish brothers who escape certain death by taking refuge in the dense woods near their village. Though it is a challenge just to stay alive, they begin to fight back against the Nazis and to rescue fellow Jews. As word of their efforts spreads, they attract other refugees—men and women of all ages—and gradually build a community as well as a partisan force, while struggling to evade detection by the Nazis and endure a brutal winter.
Teens can visit the movie’s site for trailers and a look at the crystalline cinematography. An interesting “Bookmarks” section allows young adults to explore the inspirations behind the story, which is based on true events. Sections introduce the Bielski brothers and Jewish resistance and treat various aspects of life in the otriad, their partisan detachment, such as “Acquiring Firearms,” “Saving Lives,” “Love and Life,” “Fighting Back,” and “Community.” The brief explanatory text is accompanied by video clips, interviews with the participants, and period photographs that bring history to life for viewers. A useful Resource Center describes and links to Websites of interest, including the Jewish Partisan Educational Foundation, The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, the USC Shoah Foundation, and the Jewish Virtual Library.
Oxford University Press has reissued Tec’s Defiance with a movie tie-in cover showing Craig in character and looking ready for action. Readers interested in finding out more about the real Bielski partisans will be fascinated by this well-researched and carefully detailed work written by a Holocaust scholar. The book sets the historical stage with an overview of pre-war Western Belorussia, the 1939 Russian occupation, and the German invasion in 1941 before describing the creation and operations of the Bielski otriad, which has been credited with the rescue of more than 1,200 Jews. Incorporating numerous personal interviews with surviving partisans, the narrative provides a vivid look at day-to-day life in the forest community and also examines the group’s place in history. Tuvia Bielski emerges as a charismatic and courageous leader, a compassionate commander who believed that saving other Jews was just as important as resisting the Nazis. Maps and a section of black-and-white archival photos are included along with a foreword penned by Zwick.
Generation Kill
Since its premiere on July 13, 2008, this seven-episode HBO television miniseries has been aired regularly on the cable channel and was recently released on DVD by HBO and Warner Home Video. This series is based on journalist Evan Wright’s book of the same name (G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 2004) about his experiences as a reporter for Rolling Stone embedded with a United States Marine Corps battalion during the 
Iraq war’s first phase in 2003. Adapted for television by David Simon, Ed Burns, and Wright, who served as story consultant and writer, the series follows the elite First Reconnaissance Battalion during the first 40 days of the war. The show has a large starring and supporting cast, with the characters drawn from the First Recon Battalion. As these motivated young Marines spearhead the American invasion, they must deal with inept commanding officers, the lack of a clear strategy, and the ever-changing Rules of Engagement. Two of the real-life Marines depicted, Sgt. Eric Kocher and Cpl. Jeffrey Carisalez served as consultants to the project, while Sgt. Rudy Reyes appears in the miniseries, portraying himself.
Teens can find out more about the series and its creators at the official Website and access a useful glossary of terminology. “The Mission” allows viewers to trace the First Recon Battalion’s route from Camp Mathilda in Kuwait to Baghdad on a map, clicking on various locales to bring up a synopsis and clips from the different episodes as well as real-life newspaper headlines related to the events depicted. Another section introduces the characters (and there are quite a few) with vital statistics, quotes, and video clips. In “Gear Up,” viewers can click on a photo of a soldier to find out more about combat equipment. Videos include comments from some of the actors and interviews with the real individuals behind the characters.
Berkley Caliber has reissued Wright’s Generation Kill: Devil Dogs, Iceman, Captain America and the New Face of American War (2008) with cover art from the HBO miniseries. In fact, the image, showing the cast posed in battle regalia in front of a statue of Saddam Hussein, echoes one of the black-and-white photos of the real-life members of the First Recon found within the book. Wright’s award-winning memoir provides a gripping, eye-witness account of the initial Iraqi invasion from the point of view of the Marines spearheading the blitzkrieg. Events are cogently described, and Wright does not shy away from detailing the violence and chaos of war. Throughout, these highly trained Marines deal with equipment inadequacies, encounter incompetent leadership, and struggle to differentiate between soldier and civilian. The author has a knack for re-creating the personalities of the young men he portrays, touching upon their past experiences, motivations, and philosophies. Commentary from these individuals (often employing strong language) fills the pages and adds authenticity. History in the making, the book pulses with action and insight, and teens will find it a riveting and revealing read. An unabridged version of Generation Kill, narrated by Patrick Lawlor, is available in Audio CD and Mp3-CD formats from Tantor Media Audiobooks.
Pub Info
TEC, Nechama. Defiance: The Bielski Partisans. Oxford University Press. January, 2009. pap. $14.95. ISBN 978-0-19-537685-2.
Generation Kill. HBO/Warner Home Video. 3 discs, 2008. $59.99.
WRIGHT, Evan. Generation Kill: Devil Dogs, Iceman, Captain America and the New Face of American War. Berkley Caliber. 2008. pap. $15.00. ISBN 978-0-425-22474-8.
____. Generation Kill. Narrated by Patrick Lawlor. Tantor Media Audiobooks. 11 audio CDs. retail $39.99. EAN 9781400109746; lib. binder pkg. $79.99. EAN 9781400139743; 2 Mp3-CDs $29.99. EAN 9781400159741.
