Destined to Live

by David Chanoff and William Chanoff, David Ungar

Book Overview

These memoirs relate the remarkable journey of Unger (a co- founder of the US Holocaust Memorial Museum) from being the sole Jew in a German-fighting Polish unit to his imprisonment by the Soviets as... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0761818065
• ISBN13: 9780761818069
• Release Date: January 2000
• Publisher: University Press of America
• Length: 362 Pages
• Weight: 1.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.3" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

The Man and His Book

I have read this book and have learned so much more about my husband's employer. We always knew Mr. Unger had a heart of gold. He has helped our family so much through hard times, when the economy was so low. Never once has he laid his employees off. My husband, Joe Iervolino began working for Mr. Unger when he was 19. He is now 65 and ready to retire and still working for Mr. Unger. Throughout all of the hardship this man endured, he has always shown compassion and loyalty to those he employs. There must be thousands throughout the United States. He came here almost penniless, yet he has made thousands enjoy the best of what being a middle class American has to offer. His sponsorship of the Holocaust Museums in NY and DC has educated millions of people. His company, National Envelope has given thousands of people well meaningful employment. The next time you throw out an envelope that contains junk mail, a letter from a loved one or a bill, you are probably handling a product made by a National Envelope Employee, such as my Joe. Read the book. It will touch you in such a way as he has touched our lives and made us thankful that this immigrant made it to our shores. Destined to Live is one of the best Holocaust survivor books I have ever read. It will open your eyes to how inhumane some men can become. After becoming a victom of such men, William Unger not only survived but, became a great human being. He shows only compassion to others and hates no one. He is the ultimate survivor and an example to all of us who suffered through any sort of inhumanity. I feel this book is a "Must Read" for everyone, young and old, alike.

Highly recommended for students of the Holocaust

When the Germans invaded and conquered Poland, a young Polish soldier was in more peril than most. Wilo Ungar was Jewish and badly wounded. Because he wore the Polish uniform he was given the last rites by a priest who thought Ungar was Catholic. For the months after his recovery that he was held prisoner by the Germans he was saved by his captors ignorance of his ethnicity. Finally released he made his way back through war-ravaged Poland on crutches. He was given refuge by Polish families and eventually smuggled himself across the German-Soviet border, was captured by the NKVD and imprisoned as a spy. Ultimately he made his way back to the city of Lvov and reunion with his girl. They married and when Germany turned on Russia, they and their baby Michael managed for a while to evade Nazi roundups but in 1942 they were caught and separated in a time when the Nazi holocaust was being carried out in earnest. Highly recommended for students of the Holocaust, Destined To Live is the riveting story of Wilo's search for his family in a world of love and death, organized violence and the indomitable human spirit.

A Truly Inspiring Story

William Ungar's memoir of survival is the single most moving account of the Holocaust that I have read. With vivd and heart-renching portrayls of his young wife, infant son, other raltives and friends who perished during the Holocaust, Destined to Live brilliantly depicts the devestating emotional toll the Holocaust wrought on those that survived. Without a trace of bitterness, Mr. Ungar describes how he managed to survive the Nazi's occupation of Poland, and went on to create a powerful life that postively impacted the lives of countless others. Destined to Live is not a memoir about survival for survival's sake. It is a gripping tale of how humans, even in the most dire and unjust of circumstances, can use the powers of love and perseverence to create true beauty and greatness. If I were to recommend one book to someone who wanted to learn about the impact of the Holocaust on those that survived, I would recommend Destined to Live.

A book that give hope

Mr. William Unger has written a true story that will touch the heart of any person who glances upon it's pages. Being an employee of his great company I may be biased. However, his story will impact as deeply upon anyone, regardless of whether or not they know first hand his kindness and triumph. He has strived and achieved greatness dispite hardship, and by reading this book you will see that this man deserves all that is great in this world. Congratulations Mr Unger, you have touched us all deeply.

Remarkable Man

This book is a remarkable story of a man with a dream. Not only have I read this book, but I worked for his Company and have met him. His life bagan in Poland in 1913. He suffered personal losses during the Holocaust which claimed the life of his Wife and son. He then came to America without any money. He then worked for a company, got a degree and restarted his life. He opened his own company and to this day still owns one of the largest privatly held businesses of today. Not only is his life story a remarkable dream, he has one of the best companies I have worked for and is a great man. If you get the chance to read a book, read this one.