Poland endured immense suffering under Nazi occupation, with six million lives lost, including half of the Jewish population and many others due to a fierce guerrilla war. On August 1, 1944, fifteen-year-old Andrew Borowiec, a Resistance volunteer, threw a grenade at German soldiers, marking a pivotal moment in his coming of age as a soldier. The Warsaw Uprising lasted 63 days, described by Himmler as the worst street fighting since Stalingrad. The insurgents, mainly poorly equipped locals and teenagers, faced overwhelming odds. Throughout that summer, Andrew navigated constant danger, utilizing the city’s sewers to evade German forces during intense counterattacks. After being wounded in a firefight the day after his sixteenth birthday, he found himself in a makeshift cellar hospital, contemplating his fate as he awaited rescue or execution. It was here he discovered that not all Germans were enemies. This narrative emerges from one of the most harrowing chapters of World War II, told by one of the few remaining veterans of Poland's courageous struggle. Andrew dedicates this account to the Warsaw boys, particularly those who never had the chance to grow up.
Andrew Borowiec Ordine dei libri (cronologico)
