Head of the Line "taught me a great deal about my parent's lives and my own. ... (The author's) energy to find and thank the people who helped him is incredible, and an important life lesson for all of us, outside of religion and tragedies. He is positive, upbeat, and forever looking for the good in all people."

"I have read much of the Holocaust but have learned fresh insight from your compelling volume. I will recommend it highly to my colleagues and friends.

"This is a book about courage -- the courage (and no small amount of luck) it took to survive the Holocaust and then the courage to relive that incomprehensible pain decades later ... . It is wonderfully written and well-organized, building to a crescendo of horror as Mr. Jackson experienced the death camps and then, thank God, his miraculous return to life. Head of the Line has been a significant addition to my understanding of difficult questions such as why more Jews didn't leave Eastern Europe when war and destruction loomed over their heads. Bravo, Mr. Jackson."

"I was deeply engrossed and thoroughly enjoyed (if such a thing can be said of a Holocaust memoir) your book. You write very well and I am most glad that you have a living testament of this important episode."

"It is quite a 'primary source document' sociologically. Instead of abstractions, it gave me authentic, intelligent and personal access to growing up inside Eastern European Jewry. It gave me a 'glimpse' -- in a way that few books ever do."

"So often, the Holocaust becomes a discussion of mass indignities and numbers that can't be comprehended. ... (Head of the Line) had aspects of a human thriller and drama; although I knew the outcome was tragic, it was suspenseful. It is amazing that he survived. I truly enjoyed the book.

"I read an early copy of Michael Jackson's book and found it one of the 'cannot put down books.' We know Michael personally and did not know all the horrors this loving and gentle man endured. We learned a lot about where Michael came from, his family and the events of the Holocaust. We feel proud and privileged to know him. This will be a learning tool for many years to come."

"I was especially struck by the closeness of your family, which meant losing all of them was so very hard on you. You were truly 'alone' in every sense of the word. You conveyed those feelings very well in the book."

"It is SO beautifully written and, in there, in spite of everything, is so much love, seeping through the lines. I've read a lot of books and seen a lot of films on the Holocaust, but this is the best one. I was really there with him all the time."

"You describe events and experiences that are not generally described in memoirs of this kind. Your depiction of Jewish life in the fascinating, multilingual region in which you grew up is very rich. ... The experiences of one extended family (in) your remarkable volume helps the reader grasp the unfathomable nature of the destruction of many, many other Jewish households."

"Since I read Exodus at age 12, I have been interested in Holocaust literature. My wife is a child of survivors. As a Jew, I am profoundly aware of the effect of this devastation on our collective psyche. Trying to somehow 'explain' the Holocaust in the context of our religion has always been a major question for me. I found your memoir to be informative and deeply moving. I have a new, added respect and empathy for your suffering and, yes, your courage."

"I have studied and read many Holocaust books, but I cannot remember one that affected me as deeply as Michael Jackson's memoir and story of survival in Head of the Line. ... In just a few years time, we will rely on books like Mr. Jackson's to teach and explain the Holocaust. It is from this memoir that I will teach my children and my children's children about the Holocaust. Mr. Jackson's memoir will forever remain on my bookshelf."

"I feel it was a privilege for me to have the opportunity to learn about your family. What a loss to the world! I will never forget them. Please know how grateful I am to you for sharing your story with me. I am certain it was very painful to write, but I can now carry their memory in my heart and share your story with others. It is truly a miracle that you survived. Now your story will live forever."