The odyssey of Herbert Zipper covers most of the 20th century. Born in Vienna in 1904, his life has spanned three centuries: from the 19th century world of the Habsburg Empire, through the 20th century horrors of Dachau, Buchenwald, and the Manila of World War II, to the emerging 21st century in China. Throughout his remarkable journey Zipper, a composer, conductor, concentration camp survivor, and educator, has maintained a spirit of achievement and optimism that contradicts his experiences. This is a story of the triumph of human will and the human spirit and, as such, is both fascinating and instructive.
"... a compelling story of a rather uncomplicated man. The work convincingly reveals a life dedicated to music and its power to lift the human spirit even during the worst of times." (Saul Rubin, The Outlook - The Daily Breeze)
"A simple thing has been done in this book. Paul Cummins has told the story of his neighbor, Herbert Zipper, because there are some lessons in this one human being's story that the world should know about: that whatever unfairness, unpleasantness or cruelty exist, a person can make a difference; that a person can make beauty despite ugliness, horror and pain." (Sara Abrams Sommers, The Jewish Journal)
"This work is valuable both as a well-drawn portrait of a remarkable person and as a document of the conditions of intellectual life in wartime Europe." (G.M. Kren, Choice)
"A simple thing has been done in this book. Paul Cummins has told the story of his neighbor, Herbert Zipper, because there are some lessons in this one human being's story that the world should know about: that whatever unfairness, unpleasantness or cruelty exist, a person can make a difference; that a person can make beauty despite ugliness, horror and pain." (Sara Abrams Sommers, The Jewish Journal)
"This work is valuable both as a well-drawn portrait of a remarkable person and as a document of the conditions of intellectual life in wartime Europe." (G.M. Kren, Choice)