Born Into Turmoil

By Bruno W. Lange

Book Overview

A heartwarming and compelling memoir of a German boy growing up during World War II and the post-war era. Readers can live vicariously through the horrors of war and experience the daily life of a... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0759642532
• ISBN13: 9780759642539
• Release Date: August 2001
• Publisher: 1st Book Library
• Length: 260 Pages
• Weight: 1.00 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.2" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

On Born Into Turmoil...A Book Review by Sean T.Taeschner

I just finished reading Bruno Lange's book, Born Into Turmoil.The book is universally appealing in its portrayal of young boys in search of adventure in a world of chaos and/or peace. Reading it reminded me of the many stunts pulled by Tom Sawyer as written by Mark Twain.Bruno gives a refreshing, yet solemn biography of what it was like to grow up as an indoctrinated, Nazi youth. His father was drafted into the German Army as a medic in Poland while Bruno, himself, was drafted into the Hitler Youth movement. Hiding Jews and helping Poles were only a few examples in the book of the kindness of his parents.Bruno gives examples from a Nazi propaganda book, The Poisoned Mushrooms, in which Jews are depicted as animals and thieves and slaughterers of innocent animals...not to be trusted. One can only imagine the effects it had on the minds of young German youth at the time. Luckily, with the advance of the Allies into Germany, Bruno's family is captured and re-indoctrinated...able to let go of the hate that was sown into a country so full of beauty and promise.As a German teacher, I will make it a must read for my students. I feel it is a story they would be able to relate to on a personal level.Bruno tells of having lied about having appendicitis in order to skip school, and ends up with his appendics actually being removed! He finds a bazooka in the woods and fires it into a tree...knocking him and the tree to the ground and setting the surrounding grass on fire. He is starving for food and invents ingenious ways to feed his family, including making himself potato pancakes. Lacking lard or butter to fry them in, he resorts to using Singer sewing machine oil...only to discover that it turned out quite delicious.From leaping onto a moving Allied train to steal coal to keep his family warm or bicycling with a buddy across Europe on $3.85, he keeps the reader intrigued and squealing in delightful laughter the whole way through. It took me six hours to read and I recommend it to anyone who wants to see war from the German side.This is a MUST READ for those who would believe that HATE is the only way to resolve conflict.

THIS BOOK IS A LOOKING GLASS WITH MANY WWII REFLECTIONS!

Bruno Lange's story of a child caught up in the ravages of WWII and his struggle to survive the deadly bombings and the war's aftermath, will touch your heart and lift your spirits. The account of this young boy's wartime experiences will make you laugh, smile and cry, but is never boring. And like a bird fluttering against the wind, young Bruno's struggle moved him upward and onward. With the strong will and determination of a Rhinelander, Bruno emerges from his wartime experiences a whole person; a person who leaves the normal scares of hatred and resentment behind. Bruno Lange's book, "Born Into Turmoil" will inspire and strengthen all who read it.

There are always two sides to every story!

Bruno Lange's book 'Born Into Turmoil' gives us a growing German boy's account on how his family endured their hardships during WWII and in the Postwar years. How the family helped each other out during these unthinkably harsh years of the war. Bruno Lange has meticulously written this book to show both sides of the war. He introduces his story by showing us what led to Hitler's Germany and why so many Germans supported him. He pointed out the Treaty of Versailles and it's Points against Germany, which created a blue print for the coming of WWII. I enjoyed reading 'Born Into Turmoil' immensely and would like to see a sequel to it written. Bruno Lange is a well versed author with a sense of humour, who manages to write a story taken from hard times but yet the reader feels comfortable reading it. He adds his warmth and personal touch to many of the Chapters. His pointing out the morals of the time shows us how much change we have gone through in such a short span of time. I found this book to be written compassionately but yet factual and historically precise. Unlike many of Hollywood's movies, which are constantly being altered and made more Politically correct to appease the public and profit from it, Bruno has not altered any of the events that he wrote about in 'Born Into Turmoil' at all. He writes actual historical and documented facts as they occurred during those years. Bruno Lange's 'Born into Turmoil' gets a five star review from me and I hope that more books like it will be written by many more Germans that lived during those years and have kept silent until now. The new generation needs to know what really happened to so many innocent German civilians during WWII

This Much Needed Story Finally Is Told!

What a tremendous book this author has written,- one that takes you right to the heart of the German family before, during, and after the war. Amazingly,- all youngsters have their own ways of dealing with situations forced upon them. Bruno Lange dealt with his in wildly funny ways. The family love is such an inspiration to the reader. This book tells so much of what many have never learned in school,- a must for every library!

Fascinating Page Turner

A GREAT BOOK!!! I enjoyed Bruno Lange's Born into Turmoil from beginning to end. The reader lives vicariously through the horrors of WWII and develops a deeper understanding and appreciation for the German people and their suffering. A real eye opener. Born into Turmoil should be read by all high school students. A well balanced memoir written with charm and humor. A lesson in history not found in school books.