Menachem Begin, one of the most memorable Prime Ministers of Israel and the self-proclaimed heir to Jabotinsky, spent two years in an NKVD prison and Pechorlag at the beginning of the Russian phase of World War II. He was released by what can only be described as a miracle—a glitch in Soviet-Polish diplomacy.

His memoir offers a grim insight into the oppression of Zionists by the Soviets during the war, with their Kafkaesque ideological mindtricks. Fortunately, it avoids the excessive physiological detail typical of Soviet-era prison literature, making it bearable to read.

I would say it is important to read this one if you want to better understand Begin and his generation.

A startling fact: when the book was first published, many doubted its authenticity, accusing Begin of exaggeration—particularly in the way he described his daring communication with his interrogators. However, the declassification of his interrogation transcripts after the collapse of the Soviet Union largely confirmed his account.