An amazing story, to put it mildly. Even if only half wAs true, it would be UNBELIEVABLE TO THOSE WHO HAVEN'T had to deal with life & death issues. ( )

I recently finished reading several World War II Holocaust survivor books… back to back. One of them was a memoir titled "For Those I Loved" by Martin Gray. However, there have been a few reputable sources proclaiming not every detail in Gray’s book is completely accurate. A ghost writer- Max Gallo, a well-known French journalist and author of both biographies and fiction, actually penned the story. Perhaps Mr. Gallo did embellish some of the facts. Such speculation is a shame because it casts some doubt on Gray’s entire story. A shame because Martin Gray has been authentically documented as part of the group of partisans who fought the Nazi’s from hidden camps within the forests of Poland, and later- following the Russian invasion of Poland, Gray joined the Red Army to assist in capturing Nazi leaders. Also, Martin Gray went by the nick-name Mietek in parts of the story and Jack Eisner- the author of the second memoir I read titled "The Survivor"- recalls knowing someone of that name within the Warsaw Ghetto, and meeting him again at another concentration camp.

Gray’s story begins in 1939 as Germany invades Poland. Martin was 14 years old at the time. His family owned a glove factory but the German’s forced them to abandon the business and their home and relocate into the Warsaw Ghetto. Martin’s father became an officer in the Polish army which left Martin, the oldest child, responsible for his mother and siblings. He soon learned that the only way to survive was through bold, fearless, action smuggling food and other goods into the ghetto. He had good intuition and discovered quickly which Nazi guards were open to bribery. But like most other Jews in the ghetto, it was inevitable that he would eventually be caught or simply rounded up with another random batch of people and herded into cattle cars to be transported to a labor or concentration camp.

He miraculously escaped Nazi hands several times but the things he witnessed were enough to make most people wish they were dead. At one point he was in a train headed for Treblinka… a ride from which there was no escaping. Martin ended up working in the “death factory” of Treblinka. His only salvation was his determination to keep living so that one day he could reveal the horrors he had witnessed. He kept thinking, “I’ll do it for those I love.”

" For Those I Love" also tells Gray’s story of working with the Russians and finally his encounter with American troops and freedom- a chance to come to the United States and start a new life. In spite of all the pain he endured, he managed to climb out of the depts of despair but only to see tragedy strike again. In 1970 while living in France he lost his wife and three children in an automobile accident. He was left in a vacuum, unable to function, or even communicate effectively. This is when he began to write his memoir with Max Gallo’s assistance.

Max Gallo, claims in the Preface that Martin Gray was determined to tell his story to preserve the memory of his loved ones, but was very modest and cautious and could not find the words to describe all the horrible things he witnessed. Max Gallo helped him put his memories to words. Whether this is a totally true story or not, it is a completely worthy read. It is the most profound survivor story I’ve ever read. Powerful, inspirational, heartbreaking, and agonizing… all at the same time. ( )

> AU NOM DE TOUS LES MIENS, par Martin Gray. — Biographie d'un Juif qui a vécu l'horreur des camps de concentration, y a perdu mère, frère et soeur et qui, après avoir réussi a se créer une existence, perd femme et enfants dans l'incendie de sa demeure.
-- Un exemple de résilience extraordinaire qui nous démontre que malgré les atrocités de l'homme, il est des gens qui n'abandonnent pas face à l'adversité. De quoi nous faire relativiser nos propres drames !
—Isabelle Michaud (ICI.Radio-Canada.ca)

> AU NOM DE TOUS LES MIENS, par Martin Gray. — Comme nous le cite Martin Gray lui-même dans le quatrième de couverture: « J'avais depuis dix ans choisi le silence. Mais comment ne pas crier quand mes enfants, mes proches, mes lecteurs m'interrogent. Ils savent que je suis un témoin de la barbarie. Est-ce que cela recommence ? me demandent-ils. Ils parlent des cimetières profanés. Des mots de haine. De la guerre. De l'inquiétude. Est-ce que l'injustice, le racisme, la violence vont toujours obscurcir l'avenir des hommes ? Je dois répondre à ces angoisses. Je dois montrer d'autres chemins pour l'homme. Je dois dire que l'espoir demeure. Je veux qu'on entende ma colère, et aussi mon espérance. »
-- Une façon d’expliquer non seulement la répétition tragique de toutes ces guerres, mais aussi les luttes de pouvoir, la violence, l’intolérance et l’injustice qui règnent dans notre monde quotidien (de notre milieu familial à nos gouvernements, en passant par nos plus petites à nos plus grandes communautés). Pourquoi l’être humain n’apprend-t-il pas de ses erreurs? Martin Gray nous rappelle nos instincts primitifs, notre déchirement entre le bien et le mal (le terroriste en nous?) et cette fureur qui sommeille dans notre inconscient - oui, ma fureur à moi et la vôtre aussi! Ce grand humaniste, survivant de la 2e guerre, nous livre tout à la fois un message de colère et un message d’espoir… ainsi qu'un effroyable avertissement qui nous concerne tous, à savoir que « tout peut recommencer » (ou continuer, encore et encore!). Ce livre, non seulement nous aide à comprendre le monde, mais il nous responsabilise tous… un peu ou beaucoup, selon où en est probablement rendu notre niveau de conscience individuelle (car pour la conscience collective, c'est évident qu'il y a encore bien du chemin à faire).
—Danièle Gallichand (ICI.Radio-Canada.ca)

Historien om Martin Gray, er en skildring af en sand overlevers historie gennem helvede under 2. Verdenskrig. Ak ja, og det hele er sandt. Historien om den forfærdlige virkelighed af Holocaust. Martin var kun tretten år, da Warszawa faldt til tyskerne i 1939. Han genfortæller, hvordan han og hans sammentømrede familie overlevede næsten til det sidste i den barske ghetto. Så kom deportationerne og dødslejrene. Martin ankommer i Treblika med sin mor, sine brødre og en ung kvinde, som han har for nylig venner med. Han blev en af ​​de meget få overlevende fra lejren. Dette er historien om hans flugt, og hans efterfølgende kamp som modstandsmand og partisankæmper. Alene sådan en fortælling er faktisk én bog værdig - men historien er langt fra slut.
Martin overlever tyskerne og udvandrer efter krigen til New York, hvor han oplever at "slagterne" ikke bare er begrænset til Europa. Det er med beundring og ærefrygt, at man læser denne storslåede biografi, og med enorm respekt for den mand og de prøvelser han har måtte stå imod. Vil klart anbefale denne bog til alle der har mod på det. Den vil blive siddende i kroppen længe. ( )

Les memòries d'un supervivent del gueto de Varsovia, dels camps de concentració, després partisà i supervivent per més vegades de la vida, ja que primer va perdre la famílaiaals camps de concentració i després la seva dona i els seus fills van morir en un incendi