Mila 18

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Mila 18
Mila18.jpg
Author Leon Uris
Subject Warsaw Ghetto Uprising during World War II
Publisher Doubleday
Publication date
1961
Pages539

Mila 18 is a historical novel by Leon Uris set in German-occupied Warsaw, Poland, before and during World War II. Mila 18 debuted at #7 on The New York Times Best Seller list (the second-highest debut of any Uris novel ever, bested only by the #6 debut of Trinity in 1976) and peaked at #2 in August 1961. [1] Leon Uris's work, based on real events, covers the Nazi occupation of Poland and the atrocities of systematically dehumanising and eliminating the Jewish people of Poland. The name "Mila 18" is taken from the headquarters bunker of Jewish resistance fighters underneath the building at ulica Miła 18 (18 Mila Street, in English, 18 Pleasant Street). (See Miła 18.) The term ghetto takes on a clearer meaning as the courageous Jewish leaders fight a losing battle against not only the Nazis and their henchmen, but also profiteers and collaborators among themselves. Eventually, as the ghetto is reduced to rubble, a few courageous individuals with few weapons and no outside help assume command of ghetto defence, form a makeshift army and make a stand.

Contents

Summary

As in many other books by Uris, [2] [3] [4] the story is largely told from the standpoint of a newspaperman; in this case, an American-Italian journalist, Christopher de Monti, who is assigned to Warsaw after covering the Spanish Civil War. Although meant to be a dispassionate and neutral observer, he meets and becomes intimate with both the Nazi hierarchy and the Jews of Warsaw. He has a passionate affair with the wife of one of the Jewish community leaders, while also dealing with prostitutes provided by the Nazis.

As the ghetto is surrounded and reduced to rubble, he throws in his lot with the gallant defenders. He is one of the few survivors and manages to escape with a young woman, Gabriela Rak, who is pregnant with the child of one of the defenders, Andrei Androfski, a former Polish army officer. [5]

Characters

Planned movie

In August 2017, it was announced by film producer and Miramax co-founder Harvey Weinstein that he would produce a movie based on the novel, appointing himself as director. [6] [7] However, after the news of the producer's sexual misconduct against several women, his future in the business was put into question. [8]

See also

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References

  1. "Adult New York Times Best Seller Lists for 1961". Hawes Publications. Retrieved April 19, 2015.
  2. Leon Uris (1955). Angry Hills. University of Texas Press. ISBN   9780292778733. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015.
  3. Leon Uris (1958). Exodus .
  4. Leon Uris (1970). QB VII .
  5. 1 2 Leon Uris (1961). Mila 18 . Garden City, New York: Doubleday and Company. ISBN   9780553241600.
  6. "Harvey Weinstein to adapt 'Mila 18' as film". The Jerusalem Post. August 9, 2017. Retrieved October 19, 2017.
  7. Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine : "Algemeiner J100 Gala, 2017: Harvey Weinstein Says 'Mila 18' Could Be Subtitled 'Jews With Guns'". Algemeiner. September 19, 2017. Retrieved October 19, 2017.
  8. "Can the company Harvey Weinstein founded survive his scandal?". September 19, 2017.