Quill says: There are no absolutes in this one. Each page brings a new emotion, surprise, character, or locale that will hold your complete attention until the very end.” Read Feathered Quill’s full review HERE. M. N. Snitz’s epic tale encompasses one family’s journey thru the Nazi concentration camps to the destruction and death of the Vietnam War in The Price For Glory.” Read Chanticleer’s 5 Stars review HERE. Read Diane Donovan’s book review from the Midwest Book Review’s January edition HERE.
“The Greater The Difficulty, The Greater The Glory.” - Marcus Cicero The Price For Glory is a novel dedicated to the soldiers of war and the price they pay for their service. It introduces characters who share two particular illusions: “GLORY, that offers a natural proclivity to inspire and fulfill a vision for success. And DESTINY, a purveyor of the unknown, the dominant architect of the past and an imprecise prognosticator of the future. Both are phenomena of inconspicuous intellect and reason.” With this introduction firmly in mind, readers embark on a historical trip that begins in the First Century AD. Arminius, a warrior leader of disjointed Germanic tribes destroys three Roman legions in the Battle of Teutoburg Forest to create a nation. Amid an early 20th century violent storm, protagonist Abraham Steinnermann's father declares his only son a prodigy of Arminius. So destined, Abraham, however, chooses an early life of self-indulged debauchery and egotistical hedonism. Changed by his survival in a death camp he rejects his religion and accepts the mysticism of Destiny. Humanism replaces self-centrist folly. Strangers challenge his convictions but aid his new reincarnation. The evolutionary process this novel chooses is remarkably detailed and compelling. The story opens with a wide-ranging consideration of the history of war and conflict which at first portends a piece laden with historical precedent and events. This backdrop is necessary in order to absorb, early, on, Abraham's passion for legends, his parents' efforts to direct his obsessions and insights, and the psychological draws and formulas that lead him into adulthood where he “inculcated his personal image of this mythical warrior into his own psyche.” His steadfast pursuit of victory produces a persona that embodies both success and an undercurrent of psychic failure as his absorption of Germanic lore results in a confidence and ego that runs headlong into destiny in unexpected ways. Abe loathes the military, even though he supports his son Jack's choices, which reinforce his parent's worst fears. Jack's waged war is on two fronts: his parents, and a military psychiatrist who eventually expels Jack's demons. PTSD drives all the characters in different ways as the story evolves. M.N. Snitz's ability to move through the world and its conflicts from the microcosm of Abraham's transformative encounters makes for a story replete in social and political commentary as various characters enter and interact against the backdrop of Abraham's life and the war-torn world of the 1940s. The juxtaposition of military and social flux with the movements of disparate characters within them follows the shattering of a character that becomes sterile, deaf, and “spiritually naked and barren.” Such reading is not for the unthinking mind or faint of heart. The value of The Price For Glory lies not in its entertainment value, but in its philosophical, ethical, spiritual, and moral reflections, which ideally will lend to discourse in a variety of intellectual settings. Libraries looking for a multifaceted story of war, redemption, existential anguish, and discovery and recovery will find The Price For Glory a study in contrasts and lives. It proves compelling and hard to put down, rich in insights that prompt readers to think about conflict, life purpose, and the meaning of the journey between life and death. The following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review by reviewer: Zee_Zee
Abraham Adolf Steinnermann was born with a name that bears the responsibility of destiny foretold. He is brash, confident, and highly efficient at his job. Throw in his Jewish heritage and the Nazi-German government laying down the blueprint for the "final solution," a highly combustible mix is about to become a full-blown conflagration. Abraham's eventual incarceration at a concentration camp becomes the turning point. On the one hand, it's a chance to mold himself using the fire created by the forge of hatred for all things different in preparation for the task that lies ahead. On the other hand, there is the option to give in to the existential selfish struggle to stay alive one more day until the proverbial savior comes. Which path will he choose? Set over a period coinciding with critical points in the evolution of the modern-day man, The Price For Glory follows the decision-making process of one man and where it leads him. There is an overbearing sense of the immutability of destiny in this story. However, the sequential events paint an interestingly alternate picture. We are confronted with the horrors of war and the havoc it can wreak on an individual physically and beyond what is evident to the naked eye. I like how the author spreads out his storyline using our primary protagonist as the source and origin. But just when you start to get comfortable with him, another branch shoots out, making you wonder if you had been running down the wrong path all along. However, the real story is hidden somewhere inside the book. The excerpts from the speeches of famous individuals, ever so carefully placed between chapters, give one reason to pause for introspection just before digesting any new information. The author's detailing of events is eerie and graphic. Just imagining what Abraham goes through at that unnamed labor camp is enough to cause sleepless nights for the faint-hearted. I did not understand some of the conversations in the book, especially those that seemed like they were the thoughts of an individual. A good example would be Abraham's thoughts while in captivity. They initially started okay. But along the line, they ended up sounding like ramblings. It could be that the author was trying to portray the range of thoughts expected of a man resigned to death and defeat. This is my opinion. However, other readers might draw their conclusions upon reading this book. Historians and fiction genre readers will find this book quite appealing. There is a certain degree of fiction, but it is minimal. The significant points in the book stay pretty close to the actual details of the events that took place during the second world war. M. N. Snitz should be commended for the work put into creating this book. The editing is also commendable, as there are only a few errors in the book. I give The Price For Glory 4 out of 4 stars. |