Man Is Wolf To Man
Encyclopedia
Man Is Wolf to Man from the Latin Homo homini lupus
is a memoir by Janusz Bardach
, primarily surrounding the years during World War II
. It was co-written with Kathleen Gleeson. The book tells the story of Bardach's transformation from placid student in pre-war Poland
, to a Communist convert after the Soviet Union's bisecting of the country with Germany
, and then follows him through his trial for treason and life sentence of forced labor in the camps in the Kolyma
region of Siberia
. Throughout, Bardach's accounts show the sacrifice, toil, and luck necessary to survive in a Stalinist-era labor camp.
Bound and thrust into his self-made grave, Bardach waits for the impending shot, all the while wondering how it was that he had come to this place. "The night and earth and sleep and death had merged. All felt the same."
's Gulag Archipelago, while at the same time pointing toward its ultimately uplifting tale, not only of man's ability to survive, but also to assist others when seemingly at their worst. Perhaps most damning is Bardach's transformation from earnest Communist sympathizer to witness to its greatest atrocities. Paul Goldberg
said in the New York Times, " Man Is Wolf to Man' presents an eloquent account of Bardach's transition from naivete to wisdom."
Homo homini lupus
Homo homini lupus est is a Latin phrase meaning "man is a wolf to [his fellow] man." First attested in Plautus' Asinaria , the phrase is sometimes translated as "man is man's wolf", which can be interpreted to mean that man preys upon man...
is a memoir by Janusz Bardach
Janusz Bardach
Dr. Janusz Bardach was a gulag survivor, author, and noted plastic surgeon. He was the younger brother of Polish legal scholar Juliusz Bardach- Early life :...
, primarily surrounding the years during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. It was co-written with Kathleen Gleeson. The book tells the story of Bardach's transformation from placid student in pre-war Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, to a Communist convert after the Soviet Union's bisecting of the country with Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, and then follows him through his trial for treason and life sentence of forced labor in the camps in the Kolyma
Kolyma
The Kolyma region is located in the far north-eastern area of Russia in what is commonly known as Siberia but is actually part of the Russian Far East. It is bounded by the East Siberian Sea and the Arctic Ocean in the north and the Sea of Okhotsk to the south...
region of Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
. Throughout, Bardach's accounts show the sacrifice, toil, and luck necessary to survive in a Stalinist-era labor camp.
Prologue
The memoir opens in Poland in July 1941, during Operation Barbarosa, the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union. Bardach, a member of a tank crew, is digging his own grave in anticipation of his execution for treason. During the war, treason was an all-encompassing offense that could be applied to a litany of offenses, ranging from something as small as dereliction of duty. In Bardach's case, he was charged with treason for the belief that he intentionally wrecked his tank, when in fact it was simply rendered inoperable while fording a river.Bound and thrust into his self-made grave, Bardach waits for the impending shot, all the while wondering how it was that he had come to this place. "The night and earth and sleep and death had merged. All felt the same."
Reviews
In so far as Man Is Wolf to Man is the story of man's brutality to man, popular criticism tended to compare it favorably to similar historical works, most notably Aleksandr SolzhenitsynAleksandr Solzhenitsyn
Aleksandr Isayevich Solzhenitsyn was aRussian and Soviet novelist, dramatist, and historian. Through his often-suppressed writings, he helped to raise global awareness of the Gulag, the Soviet Union's forced labor camp system – particularly in The Gulag Archipelago and One Day in the Life of...
's Gulag Archipelago, while at the same time pointing toward its ultimately uplifting tale, not only of man's ability to survive, but also to assist others when seemingly at their worst. Perhaps most damning is Bardach's transformation from earnest Communist sympathizer to witness to its greatest atrocities. Paul Goldberg
Paul Goldberg
Paul Goldberg is an American jazz/rock/R&B drummer.Goldberg was born in Washington DC. At age seven, relocated to Atlantic City, New Jersey, where he began studying the drumset w/ jazz great Don Hirsh, and continued studying drumset through grade school...
said in the New York Times, " Man Is Wolf to Man' presents an eloquent account of Bardach's transition from naivete to wisdom."