Welcome to Litsy!

It felt like a good time to read this book. Few people dedicate their time to study the stolen books in Europe, returning them to the families that remain, of those they once belonged to before the Nazis ripped them away. Book bans are nothing new, but they never lead to anything good. What we are seeing in America right now is a repeat of the not so distant past. Did we learn nothing? Take away books, destroy thinking minds, destroy a people.

When I started looking into the history of these books and went onto the Internet to search for the names I found written inside them, the search results kept indicating Auschwitz. Every time the trail led to Auschwitz. We can‘t give people their lives back, but maybe we can give them something else. A book, and maybe a memory.

My personal haul from the Houston bookstores. I‘ve already read the Sansom book years ago ❤️ but got this one to match my set of books. I haven‘t distributed the book gifts to the family yet, so await more pics!

This is a very academic book. It is chronicling the information (is that repetitive?!). I was anticipating something along the lines of The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu and The Monuments amen. It is not that. The translation is good and the information is important but it‘s low on readability. #booksintranslation

What happened to those books? What these books mean to the Third Reich? A really good research on these topics and comes with a lot of forgotten stories.

Interesting history - when I think of Nazis and books I think of burning, but there was a lot more to the history than that. I wanted more stories of families getting their books back, and it was a little repetitive in places, but I‘m glad I read it.

5⭐️. I loved this book, but it broke my heart. It is the story of lost intellect and memories. You may think you know what happened, but Rydell makes it real. The book is about the literary treasures that were lost all over Europe between 1933 and 1945. If you care about book read this! https://lharvey250.tumblr.com/post/157528431424/the-book-thieves-the-nazi-lootin...

And the second library stack! Can you guess what we do on the snowy winter days here on Georgian Bay? 😁

This is a brilliant book so far! Highly recommended! Stachie the Cow Cat agrees! #catsoflitsy #ww2 #booksaboutbooks

I've just started this book and I'm already sucked into the writing, people, and anecdotes. So much was stolen by the Nazis and the chronicle told in this book is one way to rescue the stories.
Update: A detailed chronicle of the Nazi's systematic looting of Europe's libraries and private collections. Anders looks at contemporary restitution efforts and takes us on the very personal journey of the return of one single book.

The Book Thieves by Anders Rydell.

This book covers the Nazi looting of libraries throughout Europe, and the steps that have been taken to recover the books since then. While the content sounds interesting, the writing itself failed to hold to my attention. Unfortunately it was a bust for me.

#bookstagram #books #bookreview #booksandcoffee

I'm really enjoying this one. It's amazing how many books survived despite the book burnings and destruction of libraries by the Nazis.
Kind of some language or other attempts cultural irradiation, I'm astonished at how often it's the oppressors, who for bizarre reasons, end up saving the thing they mean to obliterate.

This was a highly researched in-depth read discussing the history/fate of plundered books across Europe, the history of Jewish culture, Nazi war strategies, and the crimes committed against an entire people.
"The Nazis knew how important books were to the Jews. Reading makes you into a human being. When someone takes it away from you they also steal your thoughts. They wanted to destroy the Jews by robbing them of what was most important to them."

Amused to find this little stamp in a book where we are staying ..

This has been such an in-depth read, discussing the horrifyingly methodical tactics of the Nazis not only in plundering vast book and art collections but in the torture and extermination of people. I wasn't expecting the haunting details but it is important to read so that we never forget. If we don't forget, we will not let this happen again. Ever.

Haven and I went to a wildlife presentation for kids at the library this morning and I grabbed these gems for tomorrow's bad weather threat.
We always have some strange weather during Masters week 🙄

This was horrifying and fascinating, though at times it was hard to remember which group and library was which.

Academic read, with a focus on the plundering of Nazis and Soviets. A lot has been reported of the art plundering, and this focused on books. "The plunder would serve a dual cause, partly depriving the Jewish population of its cultural base and learning, and partly enriching Nazi ideological research." I learned a lot about the cultural working of the Nazi party and the difference between the two fronts- not military but philosophy.

This book is fascinating and horrifying, all at once.

Fantastic. History, libraries, people who love books.
The history is great, as are the library descriptions. The people stories are amazing, but so sad, the chapter on Vilnius is heart-breaking (crying on public transport again).
Lets not forget the awful things people did to people, no matter what name it was done in.

There are some really heart-breaking stories in this book.
People lives in danger on a daily basis and they are worrying where to hide their books 😢

"Whoever owns the word has the power to not only interpret it, but also to write history."

#currentlyreading. Indeed.

'Pullulating'...…..new word for me 😀 great stuff

#bookmail #blameitonlitsy was too tempted by @MrBook temptation post on this - just arrived today.

I think it's fair to say I'm in a #readingslump. I'm usually the type to only have one print book going at a time, but nothing is holding my attention. I'm also way behind on photo challenges. #suchislife #gonnagetmygrooveback

"These people were well aware that the theft of their literary culture was a way of robbing them of their history, their humanity, and, in the final analysis, any possibility of remembrance." (p. xi)
Only three pages in and I want to underline everything. Alas, it's a library copy. #libraryreads #nonfiction #history #bookaboutbooks

#TBRtemptation post! While the Nazis burned books, they also stole them to use as propaganda tools. After the war, all those books wound up in public libraries. Using an incredible breadth of research--which includes notes by The Monuments Men--Rydell records & helps in the combing of Berlin's libraries to return the books to their rightful owners--Jews, Communists, liberals, LGBTQs, FreeMasons, Catholics, etc. #blameLitsy #blameMrBook 😎

#BookMail!! This book chronicles the history of the theft of millions of books by the Nazis and the present-day efforts by European organizations to repatriate the looted works. @Cinfhen , you may like this one. #BooksAboutBooks

https://www.google.ca/amp/www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4215976/amp/Gang-abse... Wow!!! 😲