Talent Luck Courage: Hogan's Heroes' Robert Clary & his Sister Nicole Holland Their World War II Survival & Impact on the Second Generation

Talent Luck Courage is written by Brenda Hancock. It is the story of two young Jewish siblings in Paris who lived completely different lives during the Holocaust and survived to create new lives in the United States. Brenda tells the stories of her Mother and Uncle in a way that helps to show the differences in their experiences and yet how their lives turned out much the same.Nicole Holland was born in Poland but as a small child moved to Paris with her family. There two younger children were born, Madelaine and Robert. Their father had a previous family so the combined extended family consisted of about nineteen people. Her older step-brothers and sisters were quite a bit older and were leading their own lives. Nicole, Helene, Madelaine, and Robert were still living at home. Nicole looked up to her sister, Helene, as her hero. Helene was fearless and beautiful. She did what she thought was right despite the consequences. When the Nazis entered Paris, Helene and Nicole were working. When the Nazis started rounding up non-French Jews, Helene and Nicole were in danger. Nicole’s boss told her to get her sister and stay in his office overnight. Helene wasn’t home so Nicole took Madelaine. Helene was taken that night and never heard from again. Nicole chose to leave Paris with a cousin and ended up working for the French Resistance. Shortly after she left, the Nazis came to clear out the apartment house where they lived. Madelaine hid in an upstairs apartment but Robert stayed with his parents and they were taken away to camps. Of the fourteen family members taken that night, only Robert returned. Robert survived by using his singing, dancing, and acting talents to obtain better conditions and more food. He endured a horrific train ride, several camps, and a death march to survive. The two were reunited in Paris with the few remaining members of their family.Nicole came to the US with her American husband and they settled in Texas to raise their two girls. With her husband’s help and some professional help, Nicole managed to put her past behind her and to raise two lovely daughters. Brenda is the younger of the two daughters and has written this book and another about her Mother.Robert made his way to America through a record company and was able to use his acting, singing, and dancing skills to break into the Hollywood scene. He had changed his name to Robert Clary in the camps and kept that name. He is a well- known for his role in Hogan’s Heroes. He is also a wonderful painter. He kept in close contact with his sister Nicole. They also kept in touch with relatives still in Poland.The book is well written and easy to read; but it is definitely emotional and pulls on all your feelings as you read it.

Wow! Just, wow!I don't think I even knew there are so many emotions! But, Mrs. Brenda Hancock sure did bring them all into her book. Tears, laughter, hope, compassion, fear, anger, love... it was all there. I read the autobiography written by her uncle, Robert Clary, as well as the book Mrs. Hancock wrote about her mother, yet I still cried and felt the chills - even with the stories I already knew! And, let me clarify - these are not simply just stories, but a collection of events that actually took place and had a direct impact on the lives of these two wonderful, innocent people.Obviously, she did included parts that were not in the other books. Two things she included that I will mention but not give away details are a letter written by her uncle and a poem that she wrote summarizing her mother's life. They both brought tears to my eyes and chills down my arms and back.This is a very simple read, but it definitely appropriately portrays the Holocaust. In this book, she includes a lot more about life after the war which was only touched upon in the other books.But, like I said before - Wow! Just wow! There really are no words to adequately describe my feelings for this book. Thank you, Mrs. Brenda Hancock for another wonderfully-put-together collection of your mother's and uncle's stories.I definitely recommend this book.

This book is good, but their separate biographies are much better. I have the kindle version of the book and the print is so small I had a lot of trouble reading it even with reading glasses. It didn't have the option of adjusting the letter size.

On time and was what I ordered with no problem

Great book!!!!! Had no idea Robert went through the concentration camps! Three cheers to Robert for his courage and remaining a loving person.

I am sharing this book with my pastor.

Great story of great lives fulfilled

99% of what I read is fiction---suspense. In a way, the suspense part is part of what this story entails. The seriously bad part is that it's a true story. In my perfect little world, people never treat one another the way that's described in this book. That was what made it hard to read for me personally. I cried, I rejoiced, I marveled, I questioned repeatedly, and I was moved by this book. I'm sure there are tons of stories just like this one out there that are untold, which is tragic. I was left feeling less naive and greatly saddened yet wonderfully enlightened knowing that there are such strong humans out there who not only survive horrid things like this, but also thrive in the remainder of their life and are stronger for their experiences. I'm quite sure I could never be as strong as Ms. Hancock's mother was. The whole idea of surviving and continuing to be positive after experiences like the Holocaust is unfathomable to me. Yet, I know every word in this book to be true.