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1977

Leningrad Under Siege: First-hand Accounts of the Ordeal


Ales Adamovich - 1977
    The Russians had been taken by surprise by the Germans' sudden onslaught in June 1941.This book tells the story of that long, bitter siege in the words of those who were there. It vividly describes how ordinary Leningraders struggled to stay alive and to defend their beloved city in the most appalling conditions. They were bombed, shelled, starved and frozen. They dug tank-traps and trenches, built shelters and fortifications, fought fires, cleared rubble, tended the wounded and, for as long as they had strength to do so, buried their dead. Many were killed by German bombs or shells, but most of them died of hunger and cold. Based on interviews with survivors of the siege and on contemporary diaries and personal memoirs. The primary focus is on three people: a young mother with two small children, a boy of sixteen at the outbreak of war, and an elderly academic. We see the siege through their eyes as its horrors unfold and as they struggle to survive.

The Mighty Hood


Ernle Bradford - 1977
     Launched in 1918, she spent the interwar years cruising the oceans of the world, the largest vessel afloat and a proud symbol of the Royal Navy. ‘The greatest and most graceful ship of her time, perhaps of any time, she was the last of the Leviathans — those mighty ships, whose movement upon the high seas had determined policy since the last quarter of the 19th century. A generation of British seamen had been trained in her. To millions of people she had represented British sea power and imperial might. With her passed not only a ship, but a whole era swept away on the winds of the world.’ Bradford tells the fascinating story of two ships coming out — the new Prince of Wales, and the old, world-famous Hood, whose history remained in the memories of all those who sailed on her. Their silhouettes visible now against the lines of the sea and the islands: the long sweep of their foredecks, the banked ramparts of their guns, and the hunched shoulders of bridges and control towers. We shall never see their like again, but no one who has ever watched them go by will forget the shudder that they raised along the spine. The big ships were somehow as moving as the pipes heard a long way off in the hills. There was always a kind of mist about them, a mist of sentiment and of power. Unlike aircraft, rockets, or nuclear bombs, they were a visible symbol of power allied with beauty — a rare combination. The thrilling history of a ship who battled the infamous Bismarck, inspired alliances and revenge in a time of great uncertainty and went out with a bang when her one fatal flaw was exploited... Ernle Bradford (1922-1986) was an historian who wrote books on naval battles and historical figures. Among his subjects were Lord Nelson, the Mary Rose, Christopher Columbus, Julius Caesar and Hannibal. He also documented his own voyages on the Mediterranean Sea.

31 Letters And 13 Dreams


Richard Hugo - 1977
    We read over the poet’s shoulder as the town triggers the imagination, the friendship is re-opened, the poet’s selfhood is explored and illuminated. The “dreams” turn up unexpectedly (as dreams do) among the letters; their haunting images give further depth to the poet’s exploration. Are we overhearing them? Who is the “you” that dreams?

East Wind: A Survivor's True Story of Faith Inside the Gulag of World War II


Ruth Hunt - 1977
    "Only one who has felt the nearness of death can truly be grateful for each new day, no matter how much suffering it might bring." Thus speaks Maria Linke, survivor of nine years' imprisonment in the death camps and prisons of Stalin's Russia following World War II. There have been many "God is faithful amid the horrors of war" stories, and although East Wind fits this description, it is far more than just another war story. The unusual aspects of Maria's life make this book so arrestingly different: the winsome portrait of a childhood lived on the banks of the Volga River as the daughter of a wealthy pre-Revolution German industrialist, the tragedy of banishment to Siberia and life among the nomadic tribes there, the flight from a burning Cossack village and escape to Germany during the Russian Revolution, teen years in lively Berlin, World War II and her work as an interpreter in the labor camps of Germany, her arrest as a spy by the advancing Russian armies, miraculous escapes from death, romance, and the infamous Waldeheim trials. Nine years in a Soviet prison camp would seem an eternity to most of us. For Maria, it was an investment in eternity. This is the true story of Maria Zeitner Linke--a story of survival and courage in the death camps of Stalin's Gulag after World War II. But more than that, it is the story of how one woman turned her sorrow into an opportunity for growth, ministry, and strengthened commitment to Jesus Christ. In nine years, Maria moved through six different camps, including the infamous Buchenwald, which the Soviets had taken over from the Nazis after the war. In the process, Maria touched the lives of many people and helped them turn their own mourning into dancing. This book, which will remind many readers of the works of Corrie ten Boom and Alexander Solzhenitsyn, offers encouragement and hope to anyone who has ever wondered, "How would I react if my faith were really put to the test?" It comes to terms with the true meaning of practicing patience in tribulation. East Wind is a powerful book. Historically, its scope is broad. Spiritually, its impact is tremendous. It will be a long time before you find another story that will move you as much as Maria's.

Essays in Ancient and Modern Historiography (Blackwell's classical studies)


Arnaldo Momigliano - 1977
    This collection of twenty-one carefully selected essays is remarkable both in the depth of its scholarship and the breadth of its subjects. Moving with ease across the centuries, Momigliano supplements powerful readings of writers in the Greek, Jewish, and Roman traditions, such as Tacitus and Polybius, with writings that focus on later historians, such as Vico and Croce. Charmingly written and concise, these pieces range from review essays reprinted from the New York Review of Books to treatises on the nature of historical scholarship. Essays in Ancient and Modern Historiography is a brilliant reminder of Momigliano’s profound knowledge of classical civilization and his gift for deftly handling prose.            With a new Foreword by Anthony Grafton, this volume is essential reading for any student of classics or historiography.

Heraldry: Sources, Symbols, And Meaning


Ottfried Neubecker - 1977
    

The Sources Of Shakespeare's Plays


Kenneth Muir - 1977