User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
Wow. It’s difficult to put this one into words. From the moment Holocaust survivor, Eddie Jaku, addressed me, the reader, as his friend, I felt emotional.
The Happiest Man on Earth was both heartbreaking and inspiring. It was a fairly quick, but powerful read that I couldn't put down. I found myself re-reading certain passages to absorb and wrap my head around all that Eddie was sharing.
It’s simply told, yet paints a vivid picture of his journey. It felt so intimate, like he was sitting down with me, his new friend, and telling me about his remarkable life. From the likes of Buchenwald and Auschwitz; to escapes, near-death experiences and starting over in a new country. There is inspiration to be found throughout - even in the darkness. It’s about family, love, kindness, friendship and so much more.
“Every breath is a gift. Life is beautiful if you let it be. Happiness is in your hands.”Perhaps no other book has made me feel so grateful to be alive and appreciate friends and family. It's not just an astonishing tale of tragedy and survival (Eddie was given a 35% chance to live upon liberation), but inspiring story of how to rebuild after the worst kind of adversity. You can’t help but want to be a better member of society.
“With a simple act of kindness, you can save another person from despair, and that might just save their life. And this is the greatest miracle of all.”The pictures brought to life those featured in the book and reinforced the tragedy and loss that so many, like Eddie, endured. This is more than just his story. My heart ached for them all and I won't forget them.
“The best balm for the soul is friendship.”I had to sit in silence and collect my thoughts after finishing
The Happiest Man on Earth. It’s the kind of book you wake up thinking about. A book to make you immediately go hug your mother or father; a friend or a pet. It will be a book I return to when needing some hope, inspiration or encouragement to be a better person.
On speaking about the horrors of the Holocaust and sharing his story, Eddie had this to say:
“If I get through to even one person, it is worth it. And I hope that is you, my new friend. I hope this story goes with you.”Yes, my friend, your story will certainly stay with me forever.
Rating: really liked it
In the few hours it took me to read this book I made a new friend, his name is Eddie, and I am sharing his story with you because I believe it deserves to be heard. We not only need to understand how he survived, but people also need to hear how he values friendship and kindness.
The Happiest Man on Earth is a story of survival.
It’s barely imaginable.
I am not going to go deeper into Eddie’s story because he is the only person that can tell it accurately. I can tell you that he shows strength, he is a survivor, he’s was a wonderful friend, a devoted son and husband, loved father and a man with a life-changing story that needs to be heard.
For a full review head to https://littlebigreads.com/2020/07/28...
Rating: really liked it
OH MY GOD.
I am SO GLAD I read this book.There's a story here - a fascinating survivor's tale - but most of all there is hope, and love, and above all, kindness.
This is the story of a man who suffered through great tragedy and hardship, who spent years fighting one day at a time just to LIVE, and who came through it all with an unbreakable spirit.
It's absolutely inspiring.I hate war stories, because it pains me so deeply to read about people suffering, but there is so much inextinguishable light in Eddie's story that I just couldn't stop reading. No matter all of the horrible things he endured, he was able to appreciate the precious moments and use those to find the will to go on.
What an incredible man.
This story is filled with heart and light and HOPE and the message that kindness is one of the most valuable things we all have to give, and it costs us nothing but rather doubles our stores when we give it.
The story is a quick read, though incredibly emotional. Things are told quite simply, but that doesn't affect the
feeling of the story - you will easily become immersed in Eddie's story and I don't think anyone could possibly read this and not be moved by it.
I hope many people read Eddie's story and take away that message of the value of kindness and the importance of hope. Especially in these troubling times when so many people are driven by fear, hatred and greed.
What a beautiful soul. Thank you for sharing your hope.
RIP Eddie Jaku
12/10/21With many thanks to Macmillan for sending me a copy.
Rating: really liked it
Vale Mr. Eddie Jaku 🕯
*** Winner - Biography of the Year 2021 ABIA Prize***“For future generations.”War books are a dime a dozen. Some are good, some bad, some middling. But occasionally you get one that leaves your preconceptions at the door, and has you thanking your lucky stars for all the blessings that you have.
Seeing the warmth of Mr.Jaku's smile on the cover made me take a shine to him straight away. This is the face of a man who has been through so much and survived. And yet, he is smiling. There’s a lot to be said about that. What I took away from this book is that the human spirit can overcome so much. It doesn’t make anything hurt any less or make the pain go away. But somehow, an innate inner strength helped him to survive the abject horror and atrocities of WWII. Where friends and neighbours became strangers. I cannot help but think how incredibly sad it is that the fluke of being born into one religion or another could have such a bearing on the course of one’s life. As the blurb for the book says
Eddie Jaku always considered himself a German first, a Jew second. He was proud of his country. But all of that changed in November 1938...There is such a quiet dignity in this book. It is unbelievable to even begin to imagine the events which occurred. But they did. And Mr.Jaku is here to tell his story. Which seems to be a fitting time, with the world turned upside down and inside out with another type of turmoil.
He talks about values that cannot be measured monetarily, and therefore are worth so much more. They are needed as much as food and water. The importance of family. How friends help you survive through dark times. Laughter can help lighten the load. Education is your friend. Love is beautiful.
“I have learned this: life can be beautiful if you make it beautiful.”Throughout the book, Mr.Jaku stresses the importance of kindness. You never know how even the smallest gesture or the simplest act of helping another can make a world of difference. You know those t-shirts that are around now with the words “Be Kind”? It’s true. We’re all going through something. Be kind. Be mindful. It costs nothing.
This is a beautifully emotive story, told from the heart. I could not help but tear up so many times. What he says is so simple, yet so powerful. It just makes sense.
“If you have the opportunity today, please go home and tell your mother how much you love her. Do this for your mother. And do it for your new friend, Eddie, who cannot tell it to his mother.”Truer words. If you can, go and do it now. Take the opportunity while it's there. You don’t know what tomorrow can bring.
“Family first, family second, and family at the last.”It took many years for Mr.Jaku to feel able to talk of his experiences, as to do so was to acknowledge and face hurts that can never go away. I’m so glad he finally came to a space where he felt able to do so, and was willing to share his story with others.
It also made me smile reading how he and his young family settled in Australia and created a happy life for themselves. Brighton-le-Sands is a particular favourite suburb of mine. A wide, tree lined road leads to the beach. It's very pretty, and I can't help but think how lucky we are to live here. The land of opportunity for sure. Yes, Oz has its problems, which country doesn't. But where else can you get such an amazing melting pot of people from so many different countries, creeds and cultures. Australia has been so welcoming to immigrants over the years, who in turn have helped immensely to contribute to make it the great country that it is.
I’m thrilled this won the ABIA prize for best bio for 2021. The only way we can learn is through the experiences of others. If only we’ll listen.
Happy 100th Birthday Mr.Jaku. It has been a pleasure making your acquaintance. I hope that many people read your story and learn from your wise words. Absolutely
”where there is life there is hope.” I have always believed that and always will.
“Menschen sturben
Blumen welken
Eisen und stachl bricht
Aber unsere frundshaft nicht
(people die
flowers wilt
iron and steel break
but not our friendship)” Update 12.October.2021Vale to Mr. Eddie Jaku 🕯 His book left such an impression on me, as I'm sure it did for many others. I'm sure he's still beaming that special smile wherever he is. Thank you for bringing hope and understanding to new generations.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CU6V-yJv6cr/
Rating: really liked it
The Happiest Man on Earth. Eddie Jaku, a holocaust survivor shares how he found gratitude, kindness and hope in the darkest of places. Eddie was imprisoned in Buchenwald and Auschwitz concentration camps, and, after narrowly escaping death on multiple occasions and being rescued by Allied soldiers, he finally found freedom in Australia.
Words cannot describe how impacting and profound, beautiful, heartbreaking and awe inspiring this book is. Eddie's words are simple yet vivid, uncomplicated nor laboured, just his voice, pure and rich. I could not put this book down, it was as if he was talking directly to me. Eddie’s story is so important and he was determined to share it, to warn people about the poison of hate. Now more than ever we need Eddie's story. His book is such an incredible gift of resilience, joy, family, pain and kindness. A beautiful book and celebration of a man who has left behind a powerful legacy.
Vale Eddie Jaku 🙏🏻 14/4/1920 - 21/10/2021
"Please remember everyday to be happy and to make others happy too. Make yourself a friend to the world. Do this for your new friend Eddie."
Rating: really liked it
This book is a very quick read but it blew me away. Eddie Jaku wrote this at the age of one hundred in his house in Sydney, Australia. Eddie, as a German Jew, survived the second world war and all of the harrowing events that we know of today. He has a number tattooed on his arm, he lost most of his family and friends, he survived Birkenau and Auschwitz, he was beaten many times, nearly froze in camps and on trains, escaped to be recaptured, and was let down by some he considered friends, some of them Jews.
Yet this man writes a book with such a title? How can this be? Read it, such an important book. I will warn you now that it is full of sorrow and sadness. The descriptions of what he remembers in Europe and what he went through are nothing short of heartbreaking. The day in day out life that he had, the desperate attempts to keep himself busy and away from the firing squads, never knowing what happened to the members of his family but always assuming the worst. A major friendship that remarkably recurs through the book in the unlikeliest of places, and an unbelievable will to make it through.
The majority of us know of the concentration camps, the pure evil of the Nazi party and their despicable ways during the Holocaust, the Death March out of Auschwitz as the Russians closed in, the appalling conditions, families hiding in rooftops trying to evade the searching Gestapo and the horrendous deeds of Doctor Death, Josef Mengele. Well here is your first-hand account from a man who neither glorifies nor plays down what happened.
My last words on this book are these; If you love your self-help books, love to read about ways you can make yourself better, be happier, etc then I recommend this book to you. It is a biography and NOT a self-help book but when you read this, read what this man went through, and read how he came out the other side and with his philosophies on life, I challenge you to find more uplifting words.
Eddie Jaku, and his wife Flore, are remarkable people. I would love to meet them but for now, my interaction is with Youtube where you can see Eddie's Tedtalk. In 2013 Eddie was awarded the Order of Australia medal (OAM) and there is no more deserving person. Since arriving in Australia Eddie has worked tirelessly for the Australian Jewish community.
R.I.P EDDIE JAKU, passing today at the age of 101.
Rating: really liked it
A very beautiful soul is found in this inspirational story by Eddie Jaku. Eddie, You turned some of the most horrendous times in history into a love story of life.
Like so many other Holocaust stories, the continuous violence and brutality portrayed is felt deeply in the heart and soul. Eddie's will to survive and his endearing friendship with Kurt gave him hope in the midst of an impossible net against survival.
When six million Jews perished at the hands of the most brutal in mankind's history, he showed us the importance of embracing life to its fullest.
With a kindred spirit, he endured 28 below temps, no blanket or cozy bed, no coat, a scant trace of shoes, and starvation at its worse. How they survived and why they survived is sometimes worse than dying. The description of the surroundings, the nauseating stench of decaying human life and the moral or ethical code from people living in fear is told through the eyes of a survivor. Even the loss of loved ones brings light to the emphasis we place on what is important, such as The Happiest Man on Earth wasn't achieved through wealth, but survival at its harshest.
Raised by a loving family, sacrifices had to be made. When their capture would be inevitable, they sent their son away to take on a new identity and receive an education. After receiving a college degree in mechanical engineering, it would prove to save his life 7 years inside a concentration camp.
This book casts life lessons that Eddie delivers in hope to inspire others.
What I found so profound was the many times fate was decided at the last minute by saving grace and unbelievable outcomes. Through the beatings, escapes, recaptures, imprisonments and barbarous acts by the enemy, Eddie found love and light in some of the kindest people.
The journey to his happiness will leave you flabbergasted and disheartened. I never get tired of their will to survive even when survival was at its cruelest.
Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Rating: really liked it
Eddie Jaku, born in Leipzig in eastern Germany in 1920, was named Abraham Salomon Jakubowicz and by his friends, called Adi. But translated to English, that’s pronounced Eddie – so he wants his new friends, the readers of his book, to call him Eddie.
Eddie’s family was large; his father was an immigrant from Poland and after settling in Germany, very proud of his adopted country. But all that changed for Eddie and his family when Eddie was arrested in 1938 and taken to Buchenwald. The Nazi’s war on Jews is well known – always horrifying – but Eddie’s first hand description of his time in Buchenwald, then Auschwitz and finally the death march are astounding. The times he was close to death, starving, despondent – all these times and more were somehow overcome. His determination to survive would be tested many times but survive he did.
Telling his story, Eddie does it for those who didn’t survive; those 6 million Jews who were murdered and exterminated. The horrors must never be forgotten simply so they never happen again. Now 100 years of age and living in Sydney, Australia with his family, Eddie continues to encourage us all to smile, to take heart when something goes wrong, to tell your mother you love her, to hug your children – because you can.
Eddie Jaku is an inspirational man, humble while he tells us all to grab happiness with both hands, to make it happen. His memoir,
The Happiest Man on Earth, is one I’d recommend everyone read. It will give you hope in the darkest of days. Thank you Eddie. Highly recommended.
Rating: really liked it
AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!
The Audiobook is 3 hours and 47 minutes >>>>>>>>>>WOW!
And I'm Jewish --I know these stories -- but???
Really? Saliva as a disinfectant…… And a letter opener to remove a bullet…
'nough said -- A REMARKABLE short TRUE story --
"EDUCATION is a LIFESAVER"
Rating: really liked it
Eddie is just amazing. I sobbed, I chuckled and I wondered how he could possibly be so positive. His survival is testament to how he approached life and survived a darkest of times. He makes you think that our current situation is heaven compared to those dark years. A fantastic book that should give all of us a chance to think and be grateful for where we are now. I can't recommend this enough especially as May marks the 75th anniversary of the end of the war in Europe.
- Robin
Rating: really liked it
The Happiest Man on Earth by Eddie Jaku
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Such an incredible inspirational story by Eddie Jaku. Taking the horrific times through his life and changing it into a love of life. “The Happiest Man on Earth” is definitely a must read for everyone.
Rating: really liked it
*https://mrsbbookreviews.wordpress.com
4.5 stars
‘Through all the years I have learned this: life can beautiful if you make it beautiful.’
As soon as you open The Happiest Man on Earth, a 2020 Pan Macmillan Australia publication, you will gain a new life coach in Eddie Jaku. Eddie, who recently celebrated his 100th birthday, is a loving husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather. Eddie is also a Holocaust survivor, with an infectious mantra on happiness that should be followed by all citizens of the world.
A German citizen of Leipzig, Eddie Jaku was born to a Jewish family. This embracing family fold wanted the very best for their children, so when Eddie came of age, he was sent away to study mechanical engineering. Without this early education, Eddie would never have managed to come out of World War II alive. When Eddie was just nineteen years old, he was transported to a concentration camp. Through a period of over seven years, Eddie survived two concentration camps, prison farms, factory work as a prisoner and the notorious death march, just before liberation. In this time Eddie was subjected to many evil acts of violence and brutality, but he also witnessed moments of kindness. Despite the loss of his family, friends and home, Eddie lived to tell his tale. Although it took decades for Eddie to share his story with others, he is now one hundred percent committed to educating the world about survival, resilience, hope, peace, acceptance, kindness and happiness. Eddie knows that he owes it to the millions of Jewish people who didn’t survive the Holocaust to share their story.
The Happiest Man on Earth has been categorised as a historical autobiography but I see this text as a kind of life guidebook, inspiring the reader to embrace joy, happiness and friendship. It is a humanitarian based tale that will ensure that you never take your life for granted again. Although many of us in Australia and the world are currently facing trying times, The Happiest Man on Earth delivers a timely reminder, that life is what we make of it. Life can be endured and survived, but we can also grasp onto those important moments of hope to carry us through the dark times.
Told in a first person style format, over fifteen very moving, inspiring and surprising chapters replaying Eddie Jaku’s life story, The Happiest Man on Earth is an incredibly honest account of this pillar of strength’s world. The tone Eddie takes to his book is warm, embracing, personalised, grounded, simple and factual. There are so many dark moments, but these are interchanged with Eddie’s appreciation for the simple things in life. These include a kind gesture, memorable encounters with friends and his sheer survival instinct. We follow Eddie’s early life in Leipzig, through to his student days, his arrest, two concentration camp experiences, prison postings and the death march that eventually set him free. From his medical recovery, to the assistance Eddie provided to other Holocaust survivors, through to his marriage, the birth of his son, the move to Australia and eventually ending in Eddie’s current role as an inspirational speaker, The Happiest Man on Earth covers a lot of ground in a compact format. I read Eddie Jaku’s book in just an afternoon, it was impossible to put it down and I came away feeling grateful, thankful and inspired.
Let The Happiest Man on Earth into your life for an afternoon, or an evening and hopefully you will come away with the same feelings I did of not just utter heartbreak, but of a newfound appreciation for life. I will leave you with these parting words from Eddie Jaku.
‘Happiness does not fall from the sky; it is in your hands. Happiness comes from inside yourself and from the people you love. And if you are healthy and happy you are a millionaire.
And happiness is the only thing in the world that doubles each time your share it. My wife doubles my happiness. My friendship with Kurt doubled my happiness. As for you, my new friend? I hope that your happiness doubles too.’
*Thanks extended to Pan Macmillan for providing a free copy of this book for review purposes.
*Book #8 of the 2020 International Male Author Challenge.
Rating: really liked it
This. Book. Is. Incredible. I have been sobbing for half an hour 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
One thing that has always fascinated me about Holocaust survivors is how they managed to find hope in the darkest of places. Eddie’s story is just unbelievable and the way he describes not only what happened to him, but what motivated him to survive the atrocities he faced, is incredible.
This quote from page 155 was just beautiful:
“Here is what I learned. Happiness does not fall from the sky; it is in your hands. Happiness comes from inside yourself and from the people you love. And if you are healthy and happy, you are a millionaire. And happiness is the only thing in the world that doubles each time you share it.”
Rating: really liked it
Wonderful. Sometimes it takes courage to keep going in horrible situations, but this lovely man proves it is possible and you can still see good in the hard days. We do make mountains out of moll hills sometimes and it’s good to read book that shows you your life is easy compared with those during the Second World War. This lovely man will teach you courage and what it takes to survive.
Wonderful
Rating: really liked it
I always tell my children 'I brought you into this world because I wanted to love you, you owe me nothing but that.'
So much crying. Such an incredible story. Live another 100 years Eddie.
