This outstanding riveting book is one of the great epic stories that encompasses modern history and warfare. The Russian Front of World War II has been considered by many to be the most savage military campaign in history. Aaron Herskowitz’s journey during this war becomes the most radical “turn-around” of fortunes I have ever encountered. This is the true story of a Czechoslovakian Jewish soldier who escapes from brutal slavery under the Nazis and their fascist Hungarian allies to join the Russian Army. He then becomes a hero for the Russians, who install him as ruler of a conquered Nazi-Hungarian town and a man of great power to deal out justice to those who had so brutally tortured him and his comrades as well as well as to those who had killed countless innocent civilians just because they were Jewish. Aaron interrogates the prisoners he captures and exacts valuable military intelligence from them, helping the Soviet army oust the Axis invaders from Russia. He punishes those who committed atrocities or crimes against humanity. Aaron’s son Howard Herskowitz, the author, has most stunningly told this incredible story, in which Aaron manages to overcome the odds, it seems, with nine lives. I have fact-checked the military and historical aspects of the story and they are true and correct. The book is so well-written and engrossing that I couldn’t put it down. I recommend it highly, and I consider this book a must read.

— General Albin Irzyk, U.S. Army ret., historian and award-winning author of “He Rode Up Front For Patton,”  among several other books. He was wounded twice and received the nation’s second highest decoration, the Distinguished Service Cross, for extraordinary heroism.

This gem of a historical saga describes the epic heroic ordeal of Aaron Herskowitz, a young Jewish Czechoslovakian soldier who, caught up in the treacherously deadly currents of World War II, somehow survives the horrendous conditions of slave labor and torture inflicted upon him by the Nazis and their fascist Hungarian allies, as they dragoon their Jewish slaves to serve them on the Russian Front. With the able assistance of his son, Howard Herskowitz, as the author of this magnificent work, this book stands as a monument…how this one remarkable man succeeded by luck, courage, and ingenious imagination, in surviving, escaping, and triumphing over the horrific ordeals inflicted upon him, and then getting his just retribution against his erstwhile persecutors…Social history at its best, this outstanding book is a gripping page-turning thriller and a must-read. My post-military career has focused on the studies of the Easterm/Russian front of World War II, which is where the action of this story takes place. I have verified that the historical events depicted in this book are true and accurate…I am privileged to serve as the official historian for this masterful work. My complete Historian’s Commentary as well as the maps I have prepared can all be found in the book.

–Colonel David M. Glantz, US Army (ret.) Historian, world renowned expert on the German v. Russian campaign during World War II, and award winning author of many books regarding this conflict.

Just when we think we have read everything that can be said about that horrific war tragedy regarding World War II and the Holocaust, along comes a book like Aaron’s Reckoning…Aaron Herskowitz will surprise you, perhaps shock you…Aaron’s Reckoning is a rough book to read, and was meant to be so. Yet it is so engrossing that I couldn’t put it down. I finished reading it in one day. It offers no excuses, makes no apologies and seeks no moral high ground. It simply asks the question, “What would you have done in his place?” Aaron’s Reckoning is not only a major literary achievement, as it reads like a novel, far beyond the categories of biography or memoir; It is written by Howard B. Herskowitz so visually that it also appears to be destined to be a powerful motion picture.

–Jack Shakely, Internet Review of Books.

Dear Mr. Howard Herskowitz, when I read your book, I was overwhelmed with a myriad of tumultuous emotions. I could not put it down until I had finished every last word of it, soaking in the spellbinding story of your father’s journeys and the dreadful history of our people 80 years ago. Regarding your live presentation, I should have known from your captivating book how absolutely amazing your talk was going to be. The energy in the room was comforting, as people mingled and spoke in hushed voices. You could feel the excitement and anticipation grow. We all took our seats and the performance began. I say ‘performance’ because indeed that is what it was. You treated us to a most fabulous soliloquy of excerpts of your father’s intolerable years during the Holocaust. You interspersed your talks with live footage of the Hero himself, speaking of the atrocities, moral dilemmas and feelings about his trials and tribulations. We felt his pain as he choked back tears and shared his memories of those five horrendous years he spent under  the Nazis and Hungarians. Howard, you passionately and eloquently shared with the audience just enough to wet their palate, leaving them wanting more, the more of course, which is in the book! A must read. There were tears, there was laughter. I could not help but feel a deep spiritual bond, a connection and passion with everyone in the room! Howard, you surpassed my expectations! I cannot thank you enough for your courage and hard work in allowing the world to hear the atrocities of the Holocaust and for sharing such a personal and riveting story with the world. May the memory of your parents be honored and the memory of the 6 million who perished never be forgotten. Thank you once again for allowing us a powerful glimpse into Aaron Herskowitz’s life. May G-d help you and guide you in your future endeavors!

— Rabbi Schneur Kaplan, Downtown Jewish Center Chabad.

After reading Aaron’s Reckoning, by Howard Herskowitz, I feel totally transported to another time, another place… This book, describing the World War II experiences of Aaron Herskowitz, the author’s father, is an incredibly too human account of a young 5’2” man thrusted into a cataclysmic series of events because of the fear of the world towards a Chaplinesque-looking tyrant with dreams of grandeur, who, like others before him, felt that destiny ordained him to conquer the world. Aaron’s harrowing experiences, though I confess are sometimes hard to read because of its raw descriptions, puts the reader in the shoes of one man in the midst of this global carnage. I can’t begin to describe the array of feelings this story brings to its reader. It psychologically and emotionally takes you to the places and people where the atrocities took place. This is enhanced by masterful storytelling by its author, Howard B. Herskowitz, who was able after many years, to convince his father to tell him what his life had been like during a time never before or after experienced in human history. The veracity of each interconnected anecdote is given further support by historical data and maps, which only serve to verify the events, but also place the reader even more inside this man’s self. The book avoids, surprisingly so, to be judgmental of the actions and feelings of the protagonist. If anything, we’re thrown into his frustrations, hate, loss of faith, loss of friends and loved ones, but an almost superhuman strength from within that makes him the survivor, sinner, avenger, and ultimately redeemed by fate, or God himself, for having the inner basic, and I’m sure family-taught ethics, morals, and convictions that made him feared, loved, hated, and admired by those he dealt with. And underneath this madness, there is a love story that seems too impossible to be true, yet it is, which almost makes you think that this man ultimately had a purpose that no power on earth could keep him from. Something for all of us to think about. This book is cinematic in its scope, yet intimate in detail. I would dare compare it to others, like Doctor Zhivago or Sophie’s Choice, among others, that give us an individual’s story amidst worldwide events. But I find this one unique because it is a true story taken from the video and audio tape recorded accounts of the man himself, and it is not falsely decorated with trivialities. This book should be a required supplemental reading for any history course regarding WW2 taught in high schools or universities. It’s as real as it gets, folks, and that is an understatement.

— Jorge Devera – Artist.

I don’t know if I could have written this story. Many scenes I found painful to imagine, yet Aaron’s Reckoning is so powerful and well written I could not stop reading. In the final years of Aaron Herskowitz’s life and after much persuasion, he finally allows his son to record the extraordinary events and secrets that are revealed in this heart-wrenching book. The author recognizes the unique qualities of his father’s story and skillfully thrusts the reader directly into the action and the ensuing emotions. You feel Aaron’s struggle as he becomes aware of what Hitler has planned, and as he pleads unsuccessfully with the rabbis who preach non-resistance and watchful waiting for a Messiah to lead them into the Promised Land, scorning those who would fight back. Europe falls to the Germans, and England sets up roadblocks to Palestine. Thus dies any hope of his escape to America or Israel. When Hungary seizes Aaron’s province, Aaron is drafted into the Hungarian army, now allied with the Nazis, and uses Jews as slave laborers. His brash bravery and quick mind enable him to make the most of unusual circumstances in his Hungarian servitude and under the command of SS German tormentors who kill Jews for pleasure. During this harrowing period in Aaron’s life, his rage toward all he sees and the cruelty he endures becomes overwhelming, as he retaliates to the monstrosities he encounters. At this point in the story, one such incident is so grotesque, so evil; I find it difficult to continue reading. And then the unbelievable happens. After a battle lost to the Red Army, Aaron and a fellow Jew, the large, strong, wily Sachs, escape from the Hungarians and Germans and become bounty hunters for the Russians. The two Jews are so successful, they are asked first to set up a prisoner camp and later to become the overlords of a captured enemy town. The role reversal is difficult to handle and Aaron confesses to his son that for a while he has lost his own humanity. Throughout the story, which is written in a novelistic style, the author uses Aaron’s own words to maximum emotional effect. I weathered that storm in the only way I knew how, and I do not apologize for how I did so; I only ask that you consider my testimony before rendering judgment, and ask yourself, truly, what would you have done in my place?  Who better to tell Aaron’s story than a loving son who is also an accomplished writer?

— Mona Goldstein – Renowned author.

I have now read Aaron’s Reckoning  with much interest. Aaron Herskowitz was a remarkable man and the story is brilliantly written. Aaron’s Reckoning combines an incredible human story challenged by the background of perhaps the darkest time in history. There are virtually no other stories of Jewish individuals who attained such unlimited power against their Nazi persecutors while the war was still raging; this makes Aaron’s Reckoning most unique. I believe that this book will achieve critical and commercial success as both a book and a blockbuster movie, thanks in large part to its author, Howard Herskowitz. The subject is timeless, so this story will always be relevant.

— Dr. Michael Berenbaum – Internationally acclaimed best-selling author, historian,  TV/Film producer.

Howard Herskowitz’s tale of his father’s experiences during the Second World War is at once terrifying and exhilarating. The frightening parts, of course, remind us of the inhumanity and hideous atrocities set upon innocent people, such as Aaron Herskowitz; while the thrilling parts inspire and amaze us at the range of his courage. Aaron Herskowitz was not a boastful man, he was not one to fill his son with stories of his incredible exploits. Rather it was Howard Herskowitz’s persistent questions that eventually triggered the unfolding tales of his father’s daring acts. The son has done his father proud by relaying the unspeakable paths he had to take, and creating such a powerful and enthralling read.
We had the good fortune to have author Howard Herskowitz himself present this story to our Sunday Salon – His presentation was so professional, so well done, that everyone was on the edge of their seats. Everyone loved it! Howard accompanied his talk with a powerpoint presentation that clearly outlines the geographic and historical periods. I, and all our attendees highly recommend having Howard Herskowitz come to your venue and allow him to give you a wonderfully educational exhibit as well as a stirring lesson.

— Marsha Balaban, Author and Community Coordinator

Aaron’s Reckoning is a powerful story and one that was hard to imagine. This book was one that gripped me throughout the reading. You can feel Aaron’s struggle through the story as he figures out what Hitler has planned and he attempts, unsuccessfully to get people to fight back. The story is an amazing one and you feel for Aaron and the people around him. It was incredible to me how cruel the Nazis and their Hungarian cohorts were, and I was amazed at how much cruelty one person could endure. Then, just when you think you understand the story, it changes. You find out that after Aaron escapes from his persecutors to join the Russian Army, he becomes a bounty hunter for the Russians, capturing and interrogating hundreds of Nazi officers and spies, obtaining valuable military intelligence that he shares with his Russian superiors. Aaron even reflects that though he was successful, and was given the highest authority by the Russians to punish these captives to any extreme he wishes, he soon begins to question his own humanity in his quest for revenge. This story is so compelling, and you are simply drawn in to then draw judgment on Aaron. I feel that this true story will become a critical favorite and very popular commercially, due in large part to the captivating writing by author Howard B. Herskowitz.

— Divas Book Reviews

A Gripping Tale: Where Was God During the War? “Aaron’s Reckoning” takes us on a true life journey experienced by Aaron Herskowitz – a 5’2″ Jewish farmer who escaped from being a Nazi slave and ended up being ruler of a conquered Nazi town. Howard Herskowitz, the son of Aaron and author of the book, shared that for many years, his dad struggled with the very same question many of our military service members struggle with today – “Where is God?” in all the destruction. See, Howard’s dad was part of the Czech Army in 1936 and then in 1939, Hitler gave Aaron’s little town over to the Hungarians, fascist allies of the Germans. Aaron went from being a soldier to a slave under the rabidly anti-Semitic Hungarians. Unlike the Nazis, who hunted and killed Jews for sport, the Hungarians tortured the Jews and kept them alive to do all their hard labor. Aaron would have none of it. Aaron had two options: remain a slave or fight. And fight he did. When the Germans and Hungarians invaded Russia, Aaron heroically changed the outcome of a major battle toward the Russians’ favor, hard to imagine, as an Axis slave. Aaron then escaped to the Russians who valued his ability to speak eight different languages and subsequently made him the ruler of a conquered Nazi town: and in the first few weeks of doing so, Aaron enacted extreme retribution against many of those Nazis and Hungarians he captured, especially those who were revealed to have committed atrocities. But as Howard explained, it didn’t take Aaron long to figure out that his actions, should he not change them, would make him no different than his Nazi tormentors. So he changed. Howard tackles some pretty tough questions in this recount of his dad’s life – questions like, “How many Nazis did you kill?” and “Why didn’t more Jews fight back?” – but the most compelling for me was his answer to “Where was God?” in all the killing of innocent people. His answer is one that I am sure resonates with many of us. Aaron answers this question and many more in Aaron’s Reckoning. This book is the perfect gift for you history buffs who want to share a unique “behind the scenes” retelling of one of the most devastating wars in history.

— Michael Schindler of The Military Wire Reviews.

An fascinating perspective of an individual’s survival and his eventual revenge, at a terrible time in history. Exceptionally well told. Easy to follow but hard to read at times. It’s so foreign to our reality, that it’s like reading science fiction of an alternate universe. But it’s not. It’s Europe between 1938 and ’45.

— Herbert H. Smith, Author.

The story of Aaron Herskowitz is probably the most amazing journey I’ve ever read. From his scrapes with death as a slave laborer under the Nazis, to his escape from the Russian secret police, I couldn’t put the book down, and I finished reading it in a day and a half.

I have taught World History and American History at university and high school levels. I’m convinced this book would engage the students in a much deeper, more meaningful way than the current routine of key words and boring textbooks. The adventure is real and the old axiom of “truth is stranger than fiction” certainly applies here. The author, Howard Herskowitz, does a great job of incorporating maps and historical facts, so it would be perfect for a history class, as well as educating the general public about a tragic period in world history

— David Freer, History Professor.

Until I read this book I did not know what happened to my father who disappeared in Ukraine in 1942 while he was a Jewish slave laborer under the Nazi and Hungarian armies. Not only did I get welcome information about my dad’s likely fate, but this book gives us a riveting account of events that dwelt into material previously overlooked by historians. I wish someone would make this into a movie for a larger audience to witness.

— Judy Weinstein, Educator.

Dear Mr. Howard Herskowitz, before Passover this year, you gave Rabbi Kaplan a copy of your book. I (appropriately) began reading it over Passover and finished it in two days! Even amidst the chaos and hustle and bustle of two community Seders with over 150 people, I stayed up late and woke early to finish the book!! I could not put it down! I am 35 years old and went to Yeshiva my whole life. I am an educator, teacher and lecturer. I have learnt and read extensively on the Holocaust but none of my teachings prepared me for the powerful story of your father!! I am writing to thank you for sharing his story! I am writing to tell you how amazing and informative your book was! I am writing because I am still “living” his story in my thoughts each day. I am writing because I was touched and moved!

— Devorah Kaplan, wife of Rabbi S. Kaplan, Downtown Jewish Center Chabad

Just wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed your book. Once I picked it up, I couldn’t put it down. Finished it in three days.

— Don Silver – Chief Operations Officer Boardroom Communications.

With such cruelties constantly met upon you, vengeance can easily be the only thing on your mind. “Aaron’s Reckoning” is a unique historical chronicle of the Holocaust and World War II, as an oppressed Jew finds himself with control over a conquered Nazi town after escaping from Nazi slavery and joining the Russians. The author brings a new take on the psyche of the Holocaust victim and why a few Jews did what they did. “Aaron’s Reckoning” is a fascinating read that should prove hard to put down.

— Midwest Book Review.

Aaron’s Reckoning is an excellent book. Author Howard Herskowitz has a real talent as a writer and a story-teller. There have been many other stories of individual courage against the Nazis, but Aaron’s Reckoning stands out among the rest as perhaps the most unique. The protagonist of the story, Aaron Herskowitz, succeeded by a combination of luck, courage and imagination to escape from his Nazi tormentors and get his just revenge. The fact that he questions his own acts of revenge only makes him that much more human for whom we are compelled to feel sympathy. The story is so compelling that I expect that it will be successful critically and commercially, and I believe it also has real potential as a feature film.

— Elliott Goldenberg – Award-winning author, book reviewer.

This incredibly fast paced, action-packed and suspense-filled wartime thriller is the remarkable true story of a young Jewish man named Aaron Herskowitz, who survives years of terror under Nazi rule and enslavement by their fiendish Hungarian allies…to eventually escape and fight for the Russians, who appoint him as overlord of a captured Nazi town to deal out justice and revenge against his former tormentors…thus achieving the ultimate reversal of fortune…this book also divulges the astounding and shocking secrets revealing why six million Jews did not have to perish, and why there was virtually no armed Jewish resistance – secrets rarely spoken aloud until now, in this book, superbly written by Howard Herskowitz. Aaron’s Reckoning is a real page-turner, and a book I consider a must-read. I have been in this field for a long time, and I expect to see it on the best-seller lists.

— William Balam, Senior Beacon Book Reviews.

Aaron’s revenge is the story of a man whose spirit could not be conquered, It’s an inspiring and enlightening historical story of how one man’s courageous cry of one word could change the course of history and hasten the destruction of the Third Reich. This story reveals the heights and the depths of human courage and cruelty. Above all, it is an inspiring tale of survival. It is worthy of a dozen movies.

— Dr. Tedd Koren

A must read for Jews & non-Jews on the tragic consequences of war, the barbarism of humans in outlaw situations always associated with war, and the humaness & civilizing potentials of human love. A story of the quest for human love in te face of tragic unfathomable barbarism…There are countless books and oral narratives on the Jew as victim, but I have never heard or read any stories on the revenge or barbarism committed by Jews during or after the Holocaust. This book dramatically narrates the inhumane and barbaric treatment of jews by the Nazis and their allies, but also dares to confront the reality that unjust suffering and situations of real or imagined impunity can lead to barbaric behaviour even by the primary victims of oppression and genocide, albeit possibly in limited numbers.

— Maurice Frojmovic.