Shallow Graves in Siberia

What a story! Life writes the scenarios that we do not even dream of. Mr. Michał was not the only one who survived the tragedy of war, but he was one of the "few" who wanted to talk about it. Sometimes these experiences was easier to hold in themselves, because they were so terrible and returning to them so painful that man prefers to hide them as deeply in themself as possible. About the book, you may think that this is pure fiction, but I know that it is true that Mr. Michał is a survivor. How I know this, because I saw the trace of a bullet in his neck … I had the incredible pleasure of meeting Mr. Michał three years ago and sit on a chair in his living room and listen with bated breath to his story ... A tear in the eye turns as you hear these stories and you can only come to the conclusion how lucky we are to be alive here and now. You have to appreciate and ask that such stories will NEVER happen again.Michael Krupa died on 6th October 2013 aged 98R.I.P.Niech spoczywa w spokoju.Polakowi Polka

We can all be thankful to Solzhenitsyn for his seminal work detailing the realities of the Gulag, and especially in naming the monsters who created this system. Despite an unending barrage of tear-jerking propaganda about the alleged evil of the Nazis, there is still relatively little work about the truly monstrous Soviet system. This system was responsible for the deaths of countless millions of innocents who mostly died slowly in utter misery. It was a system which was designed to kill them in this way and at the same time produce a profit. One is struck by how mild the German occupation of Poland was in 1939 in comparison to that of the Soviet occupation in the east of the country. The vast majority of Polish officers captured by the Germans survived the war while the vast majority of Polish officers captured by the Soviets were murdered. In the chaos of the war the author lost contact with his family. Like most Poles he was unaware of the nature of the Soviet system and crossed from German territory to the communist side in search of them and was swallowed by the voracious monster. Through luck, intelligence and will power he survived the worst system in history ever devised and made his escape. Before blaming them one should understand that by 1939 the Russian people had experienced a reign of terror for twenty years unlike any in history. Only the worst types thrived in that environment, as described in Krupa's trials in Lubyanka and the slave camp. Krupa relates how he was helped even then by ordinary Russians at great risk to themselves. I will not describe the details of his escape to Afghanistan except to say that it gives an interesting insight to life in the Soviet Union at that time that we rarely hear about in the west. The book is well edited and reads almost like a novel. It is an inspiring tale of how the human spirit can sometimes prevail over the most appalling conditions.

Whilst the accounts of the horrors of the gulags are now well documented this book brings a real sense of emotion to the facts. Just when the reader is convinced of the absolute brutality of the Russian people the description of the peasant couple, who selflessly endanger their freedom to help Krupa gain his, makes you think again! It really is a book to be read in one sitting but beware, on completion you will feel exhausted.

Gripping. Could not put down. Fast moving. Really gets into how the person felt in those most inhumane of situations. Shows how hope and determination wins through. Puts a lot of things into perspective for us all. Problems? Do we have them? Surely not in light of the suffering these people experienced.

Not half as good as the Long Walk and at certain points hardly credible

This book was quoted as source material for a novel I read recently about the gulags. It is an amazing testimony to thehuman spirit and the will to live. Fascinating.

What a story this man has to tell. Torn from his home and family during the war and subjected to incredible hardship in Russia. The chances of him surviving at every turn were close to zero but with his own common sense and miraculous luck he survived to live a long life and have a family in England. I hope he was not haunted too much by all his near-misses. An exciting book.

An absolute stunning book which gave an insight as to how the Stalinist country worked. The lack of concern for human life and the survival or otherwise of people of Poland . A remarkable story of survival by one determined , educated and resourceful man . One day a film !

Bonne histoire qui aurait meritee un traitement plus en profondeur.

Awesome is a much used word and I try not to use it often, but the spirit of Michael Krupa is "Awe inspiring". An amazing account of a terrible time in history and a remarkable insight into human determination. I wondered many times whilst reading this book if I could have done what he did, and came up with the answer "probably not", which was a little confronting. I highly recommend this book.

What a read! Mind blowing escape from a Russian Gulag. A story that will make you glad you weren't Russian or captured by them in WWII. A story of human survival and endurance... one that should be required reading for all history classes (and politicians).

These memoirs from Mr Michael Krupa shows without doubt the horror of the communist system. His fantastic journey from Poland to Siberia and from there to Afghanistan and on to England is something you expect from a Hollywood film instead of a real life story. If you are familiar with the Soviet system and the repression of the communists there is nothing new but on the other hand it makes you understand his story better. The Story of Mr Krupa's experiences in Siberia and how he managed to get out of there is one of the few with a positive ending.If I understand it correctly the book was written a long time after the events at the request of Mr Krupas children. That will explain why there is a feeling that you are not really there with him in the story. Memories have faded away and details that you wonder about are not included. The Personal problems with clothes, blisters, personnel hygiene etc that must have been enormous are mentioned very briefly. This is a book that concentrates on the most important parts of a great story.Anyhow, if you have never read about the horrors of the communist system this one will put you on the right track. Should you find someone who still believes in that system, recommend this book to them.

Very interesting book, really like it.