yee: The Bielski Otriad did in fact, if not in pure theory, act like Mao's guerrillas, fish floating in the sea of peasants. One major maxim of the guerrilla is to become the government or at least the nighttime government of its area of operations. Think of the VC in then South Vietnam. Government levies " taxes". In this case , taxes in kind, food. They also traded with the peasants. Some farmers and professionals, non-Jews for the most part, supported them out of hatred for the Germans or nationalistic sentiment or based upon personal pre- war friendships or for ideological reasons. The peasants probably sequentially paid taxes to the day government, the Germans, as well. Remember the discussions between Tuvia and the Soviet commanders dividing up territory from which thy each could make exactions from the residents., to avoid resentment and overtaxation As governments, the Otriad , the Soviet partisans and the Germans, punished treason or treachery by the population. Hence the aggressive raids and the kill and burn missions described in both books.

As to which was the better book, I argue for a tie. Professor Tec's book was a marvelous academic history, underwritten by grant funding the Professor was able to string together. As a much earlier work and due to her expansive knowledge of the common languages, she got to interview more living participants. But, she did not get it all correct, e.g. She totally dismissed the maturing role of Aaron Bielski. She also did not go into great detail on the interrelationship with the Soviet Partisans and Command. That may not have been important since her goal was to record the sheer miracle of the Otriad's accomplishments. Also, for some unexplained reason, she did not discover the handwritten history, written in Yiddish, by Tuvia, in 1955 and deposited with the YIVO Institute in NYC. Access to that document was a prime reason that Duffy could write, so much later, but in great detail and in such a personal voice. I like to think of both books as compliments to each other.

Lastly, one of the most ironic facts of the whole history was the life arc of Tuvia. He rose from a shady farmer, smuggler, tough guy, womanizing social climber to a near messianic savior of his people, back down to disillusioned cab driver, making small living....And lo the mighty are laid low. In my conversation with Aaron's daughter, she recounted her family's many Sunday dinners at the " Uncles' " (Tuvia and Zus) homes, when she was a little girl. She is now 60ish. She said that often complete strangers would come in, dressed in their best clothing, introduce their families to the Uncles, then literally kiss the Uncles' hands in thanx for saving them and making their families possible and then they would leave the Bielskis to their dinner. How many of us can even dream to be worthy of such respect and adulation, despite our personal failures?