It was a time of crisis, a time of tragedy and a time of transcendent courage and determination. Leon Uris's novel is set in the midst of the ghetto uprising that defied nazi tyranny, as the jews of warsaw boldly met weh...It was a time of crisis, a time of tragedy and a time of transcendent courage and determination. Leon Uris's novel is set in the midst of the ghetto uprising that defied nazi tyranny, as the jews of warsaw boldly met wehrmacht tanks with homemade weapons and bare fists.