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THE LIFE OF CHARLES GAD STRASSER is well captured in the title, From Refugee to OBE. The reader will find not only a passionate personal story of one man’s “climbing of the mountain,” but also an important historical rendition from war-torn Europe to the flourishing industries and institutions which have contributed to our current prosperous world.

Charles Strasser fled from his native Czechoslovakia when he was 11 in 1938 just barely in advance of the Nazi war machine. Six years later he joined the allied armies and participated in the final victory. Before his twenty-first birthday he founded a company that would employ hundreds and have an international scope, with ties to Germany, Japan and many developing countries. While he excelled in business, it was for his many humanitarian services that he was awarded the distinction, Officer of the Order of the British Empire. He received his OBE from Her Majesty the Queen at an investiture in Buckingham Palace.

The reader is invited to come along with Charles Strasser on his exciting journey from refugee to OBE.

BBook description: Hardback, dust jacket, 512 pages. Publication date:  23 April 2007

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About the Author                 ~Book Signings - Local ~
Janusz Subczynski was born on the fifth of September, 1928. He completed his primary and secondary education partially in the underground during the Second World War. From 1946 to 1951, he attended medical school in Poznan, and in 1951, he received his diploma of physician (M.D.). Independently, he also completed the study of psychology at the University of Poznan and obtained a Masters in Psychology. In 1957, he became a Specialist of the Polish Board of Neurosurgery. In 1961, he arrived in the United States to be trained in stereotactic surgery of the brain. In 1963, after establishing this type of surgery in Warsaw, Poland, he returned to the United States. He obtained the title of the Diplomat of American Board of Neurological Surgery. He also became a Fellow of the American College of Surgery. For over twenty-five years, he worked first as an independent neurosurgeon, then as a chief of the section of neurosurgery at St. John Hospital and Medical Center in Detroit. After retirement, he wrote three books, published first in Polish. Dr. Subczynski was involved in anticommunist action as a member and then coordinator of the Polish-American organization POMOST. He is currently retired in the warm climate of Florida, devoting his time to writing and providing political commentary on American/Polish radio.

In the Shadow of Satan is a compilation of memories, first of a young boy, and then of a young adult, from the bloodiest period of 20th century Europe—during the days of the Second World War and Soviet occupation. These tragic events are described as seen through the young eyes of an eyewitness to history.  Having lived daily in the shadow of those two satans—Nazism and communism—the author startlingly reveals an even more true picture than contemporary writing could ever accomplish.

The American people—even professional historians—have quite limited information on the events which took place in Poland in the years 1939–1989. This simple tale provides a realistic picture of those days, and also shows that the human spirit is invincible and is able to survive and grow even in very difficult environments.

The story continues. Readers of In the Shadow of Satan have been eager to follow the American adventures of Dr. Janusz Subczynski. After bravely escaping Soviet-dominated Poland in 1963, his adventures in America began: this is his story.
Immigrants have come to the United States for a variety of reasons, but they had at least one thing in common: they were usually running from something. Some were escaping religious and political persecution, others the potato famine, others forced conscription. Many had no hope of return. But all were looking to better their lives.
The author of this book was not looking for economic prosperity when he immigrated. His spirit was suffocating under communism and its paranoia, and, like a man held under water, he was driven to break free.
This is also the inside story of American-Polish patriots who have continued their struggle against communism in their homeland, while contributing to the American resolve to win the cold war.

"Stan Gober - I'm not sure, but I think he bought me a drink...once!"
    -Ken Venturi
Golfing Legend, 1964 U.S. Open Champion

"Stan Gober, what a character! Americana at its best. I always know at Stan's I will have a good time and meet a lot of interesting people. Stan indeed is a great American - despite thinking he's a Democrat."
-John A. Boehner, Majority Leader
Congressman Ohio

"...when the strains of Sandi Patty singing "The Star Spangled Banner" roll across the precious island of Goodland, Florida...when there is not a dry eye in the place or a sound among the crowd, you know that Stan was put on this earth to make us all better! God bless you, Stan, for all that you do and all that you are! We are truly better people because we are your friends!"
-Donna Hazle Glanzman
2003 Mrs. All American
Columbus, Ohio and Marco Island, Florida

"Maury Atkin’s 'Life's Voyage' is a fascinating series of vignettes from a life of Zionist dedication and creative commitment. Some depict an infant Israel filled with excitement, confusion, food shortages, and determination; some provide evocative insights into wary encounters between Israeli Diplomats and a skeptical State Department. Atkin’s remarkable extracurricular and largely unsung role in helping Israel navigate turbulent Washington waters makes for intriguing and revealing reading."
     —Samuel W. Lewis, U.S. Ambassador to Israel, 1977–1985

"What a remarkable voyage this is! Maurice Atkin’s life has taken him, and takes us as fortunate companions, to every corner of the globe. His career was sometimes full of alligators and crocodiles, but it is the first-hand account of history that grabs the reader. From Israel’s early days to work in the Soviet Union, Asia and Africa, Maurice Atkin made a difference in ways that few could equal."
     —Michael D. Barnes, Former U.S. Congressman (D. MD.)

"This book not only makes good reading, it also presents a little-known but vital part of the historic service that produced modern Israel. Maurice Atkin was indeed an unsung hero of that period and this book is an exciting and valuable record of his experiences. "
     —Ambassador Max A. Kampelman
Recipient of Citizens’ Medal from President Reagan and
Medal of Freedom from President Clinton