The unwomanly face of war : an oral history of women in World War II / Svetlana Alexievich ; translated by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky.
Material type:
TextLanguage: English Original language: Russian Publisher: New York : Random House, [2017]Edition: First EditionDescription: xliii, 331 pages ; 25 cmContent type: - text
- unmediated
- volume
- 9780399588723
- 0399588728
- U voĭny--ne zhenskoe lit︠s︡o-- . English
| Item type | Home library | Collection | Call number | Materials specified | Status | Date due | Barcode | Item holds | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Adult Book
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Dr. James Carlson Library | NonFiction | 940.5347 A366 | Available | 33111008957124 | ||||
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Adult Book
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Main Library | NonFiction | 940.5347 A366 | Available | 33111008798866 |
Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:
A long-awaited English translation of the groundbreaking oral history of women in World War II across Europe and Russia--from the winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature
NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY
The Washington Post * The Guardian * NPR * The Economist * Milwaukee Journal Sentinel * Kirkus Reviews
For more than three decades, Svetlana Alexievich has been the memory and conscience of the twentieth century. When the Swedish Academy awarded her the Nobel Prize, it cited her invention of "a new kind of literary genre," describing her work as "a history of emotions . . . a history of the soul."
In The Unwomanly Face of War, Alexievich chronicles the experiences of the Soviet women who fought on the front lines, on the home front, and in the occupied territories. These women--more than a million in total--were nurses and doctors, pilots, tank drivers, machine-gunners, and snipers. They battled alongside men, and yet, after the victory, their efforts and sacrifices were forgotten.
Alexievich traveled thousands of miles and visited more than a hundred towns to record these women's stories. Together, this symphony of voices reveals a different aspect of the war--the everyday details of life in combat left out of the official histories.
Translated by the renowned Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky, The Unwomanly Face of War is a powerful and poignant account of the central conflict of the twentieth century, a kaleidoscopic portrait of the human side of war.
THE WINNER OF THE NOBEL PRIZE IN LITERATURE
"for her polyphonic writings, a monument to suffering and courage in our time."
"A landmark." --Timothy Snyder, author of On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century
"An astonishing book, harrowing and life-affirming . . . It deserves the widest possible readership." --Paula Hawkins, author of The Girl on the Train
"Alexievich has gained probably the world's deepest, most eloquent understanding of the post-Soviet condition. . . . [She] has consistently chronicled that which has been intentionally forgotten." --Masha Gessen, National Book Award-winning author of The Future Is History
"Bringing together dozens of voices in her distinctive style, War's Unwomanly Face is Svetlana Alexievich's collection of stories of women's experiences in World War II, both on the front lines, on the home front, and in occupied territories. This is a new, distinct version of the war we're so familiar with. Alexievich gives voice to women whose stories are lost in the official narratives, creating a powerful alternative history from the personal and private stories of individuals. Collectively, these women's voices provide a kaleidoscopic portrait of the human side of the war. When the Swedish Academy awarded Svetlana Alexievich the Nobel Prize in Literature, they praised her "polyphonic writings, a monument to suffering and courage in our time," and cited her for inventing "a new kind of literary genre." Sara Danius, the permanent secretary of the Swedish Academy, added that her work comprises "a history of emotions -- a history of the soul."--Provided by publisher.
From a conversation with a historian -- A human being is greater than war -- "I don't want to remember..." -- "Grow up, girls... you're still green..." -- "I alone came back to Mama..." -- "Two wars live in our house..." -- "Telephones don't shoot..." -- "They awarded us little medals..." -- "It wasn't me..." -- "I remember those eyes even now..." -- "We didn't shoot..." -- "They needed soldiers... but we also wanted to be beautiful..." -- "Young ladies! Do you know: the Commander of a Sappier Platoon lives only two months..." -- "To see him just once..." -- "About tiny potatoes..." -- "Mama, what's a papa?" -- "And she puts her hand to her heart..." -- "Suddenly we wanted desperately to live..."
Translated from the Russian.