Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Stronger than Iron


 * The following discussion is an archived debate of the proposed deletion of the article below. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as the article's talk page or in a deletion review).  No further edits should be made to this page.

The result was   delete. Only one of the keep !votes makes any attempt to show how this book meets notability standards, the other vague waves have been disregarded. Courcelles 02:28, 19 November 2010 (UTC)

Stronger than Iron

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I do not believe the book is notable -- yet another memoir. Looking at Google for gives 73 results. Handful of these are Wikipedia and its mirrors, library listings, and Internet shops where the book can be purchased. There are three reviews that I could find: San Diego Jewish World (used as a ref, but is not reliable - "Our entire staff is volunteer"); personal blog post; review on Associated Content which "enables anyone to publish their content on any topic" (the entire website is blacklisted by Wikipedia so I can't post the link). Current Amazon rank is #199,246. Renata (talk) 23:40, 4 November 2010 (UTC)


 * I am curious, having read the article, did you by any chance look up the Yiddish name of the title? "Shtarker fun Ayzn", is the English transliteration, I am currently looking for the title in its original Hebrew based character. The Jewish museum in Frankfurt had a display for the book in question =7&cHash=bf11926bfb Frankfurt Museum]. See also about the book.  I will write more later on today, but I see no reason why this article should be deleted. Jab843 (talk) 05:03, 5 November 2010 (UTC)  After reading over sections of the book, I believe this book has unique qualities that makes it not as you say "--yet another memoir." Have you looked at the book? It is mostly viewable on google books. I will continue to investigate this matter. Incidentally, sometimes the unread and unsung hero's that which the books are more significant than a mass read book about the Holocaust.  I will return later.Jab843 (talk) 05:19, 5 November 2010 (UTC)
 * No, I did not look for Hebrew sources -- I do not speak the language. I do feel bad about nominating a book on the Holocaust. However, inclusion in Wikipedia is not based on "unique qualities" of "unsung heroes" but on verifiable and reliable sources. Sadly, this book does not meet the criteria outlined in notability requirements. Renata (talk) 14:08, 5 November 2010 (UTC)
 * On the subject of Frankfurt, the Goethe Universität list it in their new acquisitions for September 2010. Peridon (talk) 18:55, 11 November 2010 (UTC)
 * Delete - WP:BK is the relevant criteria here. Google search reveals a few commercial links, the publisher's page, and a single blog entry. There may be more past that first page, but the bottom of it doesn't refer to this book, as far as I can tell. There's nothing else suggesting this book has some outside coverage. Jab's suggestion about the book's significance is interesting, and perhaps indicates there could be other sources, but I didn't find them, and I think the argument's more of an appeal to sentiment than one based on the policy question. Shadowjams (talk) 11:01, 10 November 2010 (UTC)

 Please add new comments below this notice. Thanks, Ron Ritzman (talk) 01:18, 11 November 2010 (UTC)
 * Relisted to generate a more thorough discussion so a clearer consensus may be reached.

8digits (talk)
 * Note: This debate has been included in the list of Literature-related deletion discussions.  -- Ron Ritzman (talk) 01:19, 11 November 2010 (UTC)
 * Keep. A tough one applying the usual criteria but a Google Books search turns up multiple references to this book (in English and/or Yiddish) in other literature.  That plus the apparent exhibit about the book in Frankfurt lead me to conclude that this book is a significant source about the Holocaust, and that the encyclopedia is better with this article than without it.--Arxiloxos (talk) 03:38, 11 November 2010 (UTC)
 * The first search returns 20 hits: 1 book itself, 2 unrelated, 4 no previews, the rest mentions in footnotes & bibliography. The second search is mostly duplicates. The exhibition was of ghetto posters and does not appear to be related to the book. I do not believe a book cited less than 20 times is notable. Renata (talk) 00:18, 12 November 2010 (UTC)
 * Delete The book certainly seems to be worthy, but the main source is a review written by a free-lance author. Not enough reliable material for an article here. Steve Dufour (talk) 05:53, 11 November 2010 (UTC)
 * Keep A notable source of infomation on the Holocaust. Mako Addicted (talk) 15:31, 11 November 2010 (UTC)
 * Keep Dr. Joseph Kermish's (one of the eminent histoians at Yad VaShem) wrote an introduction to this book, as well in the introduction are endorsements from Professor Dov Levin and Professor Dina Porat, both leading Holocaust researchers at the Hebrew and Tel Aviv Universities as well as Dr. Laurence Weinbaum also a Holocaust Historian. All of them consider this book a most important and unique eyewitness source for researchers of the Holocaust in Lithuania. Most importantly it is the only source that comes from the official archives of a major Jewish council. 8digits (talk) 15:40, 11 November 2010 (UTC)
 * Note: the user is the author of the article. Renata (talk) 00:18, 12 November 2010 (UTC)
 * Please does that mean Renata3 that their is something wrong with what I wrote?
 * Here is what Dr. Joseph Kermish, the Dr. Joseph Kermish, the founder and first Director of the Yad Vashem Archives wrote about the book.
 * Mendel Balberyszski’s book is one of the most important sources for the history of destruction and resistance and a most impressive monument for the “Jerusalem of Lithuania” during the storm of carnage and barbarism that wiped out one of the most influential Jewish centers in the world – a center with seventy-five thousand Jews and priceless cultural treasures.
 * Dr. Joseph Kermish, z”l, Yad Vashem. 14:05, 12 November 2010 (UTC) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 8digits (talk • contribs)
 * Don't take this the wrong way. It's just a somewhat standard disclosure. I am sure this book is a worthwhile read and is a valuable contribution to the history of The Holocaust. I am contemplating buying it myself. However, the house rules here on Wikipedia are different. Here we rely on third-party independent sources -- and they are sorely lacking in this case. (PS. I did some formatting to your post) Renata (talk) 15:31, 12 November 2010 (UTC)
 * Okay, I have added some citations which I hope will impress you. Note it is a good read
 * Note: This debate has been included in the list of Judaism-related deletion discussions.  —Arxiloxos (talk) 16:01, 11 November 2010 (UTC)
 * Keep This seams like a good book even if written by a free lancer.TucsonDavid (talk) 16:53, 11 November 2010 (UTC)
 * Delete Fails WP:GNG and WP:BK. The only reference is dubious. --AussieLegend (talk) 17:47, 11 November 2010 (UTC)
 * Merge/Redirect to Mendel Balberyszski.-- brew crewer  (yada, yada) 02:41, 12 November 2010 (UTC)
 * The above discussion is preserved as an archive of the debate. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as the article's talk page or in a deletion review). No further edits should be made to this page.