The Boys in the Light: An Extraordinary World War II Story of Survival, Faith, and Brotherhood
4.7 | 315 ratings
Price: 17.33
Last update: 11-30-2025
Top reviews from the United States
- T. BlakeAn Amazing Story Greatly ToldThis is a delightful read. It is well-written, fast-paced, informative, inspiring, and a truly amazing story. I read 50–60 books a year, and this is in my top five for 2025. The format of alternating chapters --American soldiers, imprisoned Jews --was very effective. This kept you engaged with the parallel stories all the way through. Highly recommended!
- Amazon CustomerIncredible!!Don’t pass this up just because you’ve read lots of WWII books and/or Holocaust survivor books! This non-fiction book is deeply personal with narrative that had me incredulous about what cruelty a human being could live through (Eddie) and, at the same time, how other “normal” human beings could make such an impact while living through their own hell (Company D and LT Hovland in particular). I couldn’t put it down! Very well researched and written…imminently readable!
- DocUnbelievable, beautiful storyThis was an unbelievable story of humanity, suffering and war. The intensity with which experiences were described, was overwhelming, and would bring any reader to tears. It was the continuing warmth Of the storytelling that kept the book moving along beautifully.
- Douglas RitterI cannot ForgiveHaving read over a hundred books on the Holocaust I can only say that I cannot forgive. Despicable people the Germans and collaborators in this book. And despite having read all this other books here is but one more story to be read.
- KEA must read! So important to keep history alive.What an incredible story and so well told. This is a must read. One of the best war stories and holocaust descriptives ever. Wake up Hollywood. This true story has the potential to be a box office smash.
- servalanA Fine Book, Despite a Few FlawsThis is an absorbing, emotionally compelling story, written by the daughter of one of the main figures. It involves people swept up in the Holocaust, and a small group of American tankers whose missions carry them into the ugliest side of the war.
Overall, Willner does a fine job of explaining the unlikely intersections of the main figures' lives, including aspects of the battles the tankers fought, and the sheer chance that governed who lived or died.
Willner has clearly done a largely sloid job of understanding tank warfare, German and American, although she seems to have been taken in by the more dramatic claims of some of the alarmists about the adequacy or lack thereof of American AFVs. She uncritcally accepts the term popularized by Belton Cooper's wildly inaccurate book, "Death Traps," that portrayed the M4 Sherman as totally outclassed by Panthers and Tigers, which simply wasn't the case.
And tankers in fact had much lower odds of being wounded or killed than infantry. As amateur historian Nicholas Moran writes, "if you want a deathtrap, carry an M1 Garand" - a rifle.
Even the battle she cites at Freynaux, Belgium, between Panthers and Shermans, was essentially a draw, as Steven Zaloga points out. And she clearly exaggerates in suggesting this battle determined the ourcome of the Battle of the Bulge. No, not even close.
Despite these flaws, it's still a fine book, well worth a read. You'll meet people whom we all should look up to, as well as many who should be condemned to the lowest circles of Hell. - Monica S-OA Dazzling Triumph of Courage and HumanityThe Boys in the Light is more than a book — it’s a beacon. In this extraordinary work of narrative nonfiction, Nina Willner brings to life one of the most powerful and unsung stories of World War II: the daring rescue of two escaped Jewish teenagers by a handful of young American soldiers deep inside Nazi Germany. With the pacing of a thriller and the emotional force of a requiem, Willner blends impeccable research with luminous storytelling to deliver a tale that is both harrowing and uplifting.
The D Company soldiers aren’t just names in a history book — under Willner’s masterful pen, they become fully realized young men: raw, flawed, brave beyond comprehension. And the teenagers they save? Their story will leave you breathless. This isn’t just a war story; it’s a love letter to decency, to risk, and to what it means to choose humanity in the face of evil.
Willner writes with the authority of a historian and the soul of a novelist. Every page pulses with urgency, empathy, and purpose. This is history at its most intimate and alive.
The Boys in the Light is Nina Willner’s gift to the world — a reminder that light exists even in the darkest of places, and that the actions of a few can change the fate of many. I will be pressing this book into the hands of everyone I know. It belongs on every shelf — and in every heart. - NCGreat story, beautifully writtenFabulous book. Beautifully written and moving. I am someone who gets bored easily with books, but this one draws you in and tells such a story!