Filip Mazurczak :
"Psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, or others involved in treating veterans could use Celinscak’s interdisciplinary insights to understand their patients better. Celinscak’s book is a major contribution to genocide and trauma studies. It shows that the victims of Nazi concentration camps were not the only ones who experienced trauma – their liberators did as well."
Patricia Kollander:
‘The book is meticulously researched and well written. It is a necessary read for anyone who wishes to truly grasp the trauma that concentration camp victims and their liberators had to endure.’
Robert Engen:
‘A brilliant rendition of the reactions to the discovery of Bergen-Belsen and of the cultural imprint that the dreaded camp left behind…. Distance from Belsen heap deserves a wide readership outside of specialist academic circles.’
Dan Stone:
‘Celinscak’s book is yet again proof that much new material on the Holocaust remains to be discovered and that even the best-known parts of the history hold secrets yet to be uncovered.’
Nicholas J. Steneck:
‘A thoughtful and useful addition to the literature on the Holocaust, Celinscak's work brings together solid archival research and interdisciplinary approaches to shed important new light on an under-research subject.’
Melissa Young:
‘This book is a worthy addition to any scholar’s library, especially those who study the Holocaust, genocide, or World War II.’
Jury, Vine Awards for Canadian Jewish Literature:
“A very well documented study of one of the key events in the history of the Holocaust. Engaging, well researched, and unusually specific in the lenses.”
M.A. Mengerink:
‘Required reading. Essential. All levels/libraries.’
Suzanne Bardgett, Head of Research and Academic Partnerships, Imperial War Museums:
“A valuable, thoroughly researched work, Distance from the Belsen Heap rightly rebalances the story of Bergen-Belsen’s liberation to include the Canadian experience.”
Tony Kushner, Parkes Institute for the Study of Jewish/Non-Jewish Relations, University of Southampton :
“This is a remarkable account of the Allied liberation of Belsen. It builds on the growing and diverse scholarship in the field and develops it further by wide ranging and careful research. This topic requires a sensitive approach and Celinscak has more than met this challenge. Sources ranging from art and photography, oral history, and contemporary reports are combined with great subtlety and purpose. Neglected areas, especially the Canadian forces and their role in the camp’s liberation, are rightly restored to the narrative. Multidisciplinary, it is a major contribution to Holocaust studies.”
Terry Copp, Director Emeritus, Laurier Centre for Military, Strategic, and Disarmament Studies, Wilfrid Laurier University:
“By focusing on the camp’s liberators and their attempts to understand and communicate ideas about their experience, Distance from the Belsen Heap adds a new dimension to our knowledge of an important aspect of the Holocaust.”
Robert Abzug:
"It is the single best book on the liberation of Belsen or any other one of the camps that became symbols of Nazi depravity."
