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IMPRESSIONS
REMINISCENCES

REMINISCENCES
IMPRESSIONS




Nine Lives and Running
by Alex Jadah

[An e-mail from Mr. Jadah to us...]

Dear Polish Homepages:

My name is Alex Jadah and I live in western Canada. I am very impressed with your page and I understand that you did a lot of work for Poland and Polish culture. Last fall I wrote a book about my own experiences during WW2. Since the book, as I understand, is the only, historically correct story of the Polish Resistance, in English, it is very important that I make it known all over the world. But I am 71 pensionist and do not know much about links, cyberspace etc. Would you like to help me?

[...and message for you]

Dear Sir:

There is a new book out, telling the world about the events of the Polish Resistance in WW2. It is quickly becoming a BEST SELLER! NINE LIVES AND RUNNING by Alex Jadah is probably the only, historically correct, first hand description (in English!) of Poland’s heroic resistance against the invading German forces.

In 1939 when the city of Warsaw capitulated after a four week encounter that saw Polish cavalry battling German tanks and planes, young Alex was an enthusiastic boy scout. - as quoted from March 10, 1997 edition of ALBERTA REPORT, the largest and most respected weekly in western Canada.

NINE LIVES AND RUNNING offers one man’s tale of events during the war that took Alex Jadah from Poland to Germany, Finland and Norway through an incredible collage of experiences. CALGARY HERALD, western Canada’s (Alberta’s) largest daily, March 29, 1997.

The book’s new nickname is: Can’t put it down. Please help us to tell the world this story. There are so few of us left!
To view or to place single orders select Nine Lives' Order Center


English text/angielski tekst Polish text/polski tekst


This autobiography is set in the Second World War and features stories of underground activities, forced labour in Germany, Finland and subsequently Norway. The account includes the death of innocent people and the author’s brushes with death.

"NINE LIVES AND RUNNING" reflects a young Polish boy gradually numbed by the Nazi occupation. How the loss of family and friends, one by one, and the violence inflicted upon his compatriots and Resistance comrades-in-arms shaped his youth.

* * *

"Did you just cross that field? Didn't you know it is mined?" asked the Gestapo man. (Ch.18 p. 119)

"Halt!" shouted the German soldier. "What do you have in your pocket?" I froze. I had 3 large onions and one grenade. (Ch.15 p. 100)

The downtown street was empty. The shooting stopped. The 25 prisoners were free! Rudy was in an inhuman condition. (Ch. 8, p. 52)

I thought it was my last moment, but the German officer, working in the same building, bent down and started to help me put all the illegal Bulletins back in my broken suitcase! He obviously couldn't read Polish. (Ch.16, p. 108)

The P-38 dive bombers made another low pass over the ship convoy. The blond German kid in an officer's uniform lay on the deck covering his face with one arm and firing his 9 mm Luger into air with the other. (Ch. 20, p. 138)

* * *

Written in the first person, the book describes WWII episodes lived through by the author in four different countries.




Powyzsza autobiografia jest z czasu Drugiej Wojny Swiatowej i opisuje epizody z walki podziemnej, przymusowej pracy w Niemczech, Finlandii i przy koncu w Norwegii. Historia ta opisuje smierci niewinnych ludzi i momenty, w ktorych autor prawie sam ocieral sie o smierc.

"NINE LIVES AND RUNNING" opowiada o mlodym, polskim chlopcu, ktory stopniowo dretwial pod wplywem okupacji niemieckiej. Jak strata rodziny i przyjaciol, jeden po drugim, i ta okrutna przemoc przeciw jego kolegom i podziemnym zolnierzom, formowaly jego mlodosc.

* * *

"Czy ty wlasnie przeszedles przez to pole? Nie wiesz, ze jest zaminowane?" pytal gestapowiec. (Rozdzial 18, strona 119).

"Halt!" krzyknal niemiecki zolnierz. "Co ty masz w kieszeni?" Zamarlem. Zawartoscia mojej kieszeni byly trzy duze cebule i jeden granat. (Rozdzial 15, strona 100).

Ulice miasta byly puste. Strzelanina ucichla. 25 jencow z Pawiaka bylo wolnych. Torturowany Rudy byl w okropnym stanie. (Rozdzial 8, strona 52).

Juz myslalem, ze nadeszla ostatnia chwila mojego zycia. Jednak niemiecki oficer, pracujacy w tym samym budynku, schylil sie i zaczal pomagac mi w zbieraniu tych wszystkich nielegalnych biuletynow z powrotem do mojej popsutej walizki! Zrozumialem nagle, ze on nie umial czytac po polsku. (Rozdzial 16, strona 108).

Bombowce nurkujace P-38 ponownie zatoczyly kolo nad naszym konwojem morskim. Mlody blondyn, niemiecki chlopak w mundurze oficerskim lezal na pokladzie kolo mnie i zakrywajac twarz ramieniem, strzelal swoim 9 milimetrowym Lugierem na oslep w powietrze. (Rozdzial 20, strona 138).

* * *

Ksiazka, napisana w pierwszej osobie, opisuje wlasne przezycia autora w czterech roznych krajach w czasie Drugiej Wojny Swiatowej.



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