Introduction

Codename: FLAME is the parallel to Dr. Niklewicz's first riveting historical novel, Last Train to Dachau. That story was based on his mother's wartime experiences and the plight of the Miller family that lived and survived the terrible challenges and brutality that was forced upon them by the Nazis.

About the Book

As was his first book, Codename: FLAME is a historical novel based on the true-life struggles of courageous Poles in the time of war. His father Stanislaw Niklewicz was such a person and his life is featured in this second book. The contrast between the two stories is vast. The Millers, a family of five, survived through patience and the strength of a family unit that did everything to stay together. Stanislaw, on the other hand, was all alone as he ran away from his pending draft into the Hitler Youth at the age of 15; eventually becoming a Partisan fighter.

Stanislaw's Journey

Follow the hardships that Stanislaw endured while being alone in the forests of Poland; first as a teenage Boy Scout courier and then as a Partisan fighter. The saga of Stanislaw (Staszek) is a portrait of a defiant boy turned into a man by the necessity and passion to live free or die fighting against the tyranny of the Germans.

His Courage and Imprisonment

His defiance and determination for freedom continued even after being captured behind enemy lines during a secret mission and his subsequent brutal imprisonment at the infamous Mathausen Concentration Camp.

Reflections

As you read this book, try to think of what it was like to be a boy soldier at 15. Then try to think of the courage and fortitude it took to survive through the torture of an extermination camp. A camp that had no other purpose than to work you to death; something you were equally determined to boldly defy.