The Holocaust Books

Book Synopsis?Nobody knows how much I owe that man?, Primo Levi said of the bricklayer who saved his life at Auschwitz. ?I could never repay him.? Levi was referring to Lorenzo Perrone, who ? at great personal risk ? smuggled food, letters and clothing to Levi and other prisoners. The soup might contain sparrows? wings, prune stones, or even fragments of pulped newspaper, but it provided Levi with the 500 extra calories he needed to survive each day. Perrone said nothing as he left the mess tin by a half-constructed brick wall.InA Man of Few Words, Carlo Greppi pieces together Levi?s saviour, a near-destitute labourer with minimal formal education. Despite their stark differences, Levi and Perrone?s friendship survived the Holocaust and continued until Perrone?s tragic death. Levi never forgot Perrone. As his friend withdrew from the world, Levi tried persistently to preserve the memory of this man of few words who had saved his life, but who left few traces of his own behind.Compassionate, worldly and prescient, Greppi brings to light a universal story about an individual who kept hope alive in one of the darkest times and places known to man.

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Book SynopsisNew in paperback - Love with No Tomorrow shares a spark of light by sharing true love stories of the Holocaust. This heart-wrenching book uses hundreds of hours of interviews with survivors and their children to present first-hand accounts of the relationships that blossomed in extermination camps, sparking hope in the darkest of times.Trade Review‘Love With No Tomorrow, through its compelling stories of love and affirmation in the darkest of contexts, relates important history about individual lives. It confirms that there is a strength and power in the human spirit that, even in the most inhuman of circumstances, can animate and ennoble. It is a testament to the exponential power of survival.’ -- DAVID G. MARWELL, PhD, Director Emeritus of the Museum of Jewish Heritage, and author of Mengele: Unmasking the ‘Angel of Death’

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Book SynopsisA story of survival - and of enduring hope in the face of unspeakablehardship - on an extraordinary journey, made by Peter, a boyof five, through war-torn Europe in 1944 and 45. Peter soon realisesthat this new adventure is really a nightmare, watching bombsfalling from the blue sky outside Vienna, and learning maths fromhis mother in Belsen.

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Book SynopsisCilka's Journey is the million copy bestselling sequel to the phenomenon The Tattooist of Auschwitz.Don't miss the conclusion to The Tattooist of Auschwitz Trilogy, Three Sisters. Available now.'She was the bravest person I ever met'Lale Sokolov, The Tattooist of Auschwitz In 1942 Cilka Klein is just sixteen years old when she is taken to Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camp. The Commandant at Birkenau, Schwarzhuber, notices her long beautiful hair, and forces her separation from the other women prisoners. Cilka learns quickly that power, even unwillingly given, equals survival.After liberation, Cilka is charged as a collaborator by the Russians and sent to a desolate, brutal prison camp in Siberia known as Vorkuta, inside the Arctic Circle. Innocent, imprisoned once again, Cilka faces challenges both new and horribly familiar, each day a battle for survival. Cilka befriends a woman doctor, and learns to nurse the ill in the camp, struggling to care for them under unimaginable conditions. And when she tends to a man called Alexandr, Cilka finds that despite everything, there is room in her heart for love.Cilka's Journey is a powerful testament to the triumph of the human will. It will move you to tears, but it will also leave you astonished and uplifted by one woman's fierce determination to survive, against all odds.- - - - - - - - 'Her truly incredible story is one to be read by everyone.' Sun'Cilka's extraordinary courage in the face of evil and her determination to survive against the odds will stay with you long after you've finished reading this heartrending book.' Sunday Express'Her courage and determination to survive makes for a heartrending read.' Daily MirrorTrade Reviewa sincere...moving attempt to speak the unspeakable * The Sunday Times on The Tattooist of Auschwitz *What an extraordinary and important book this is. We need as many memories of the Holocaust as we can retain, and this is a moving and ultimately uplifting story of love, loyalties and friendship amidst the horrors of war. I'm so glad Lale and Gita were eventually able to live long and happy lives together, and thankful that Heather Morris was moved to record their incredible story. It's a triumph * Jill Mansell on The Tattooist of Auschwitz *Extraordinary - moving, confronting and uplifting . . . a story about the extremes of human behaviour: calculated brutality alongside impulsive and selfless acts of love. I recommend it unreservedly * Graeme Simsion on The Tattooist of Auschwitz *a touching and redemptive tale of love and selflessness * Times Literary Supplement on The Tattooist of Auschwitz *A moment of pure humanity amid unthinkable atrocity * The Independent on The Tattooist of Auschwitz *Although the subject matter is dark, this is an inspiring and ultimately uplifting story of strength and survival * Good Housekeeping *This deeply moving follow-up will touch the stoniest of hearts * Sunday Post *A heartbreaking tale of strength in the face of unimaginable challenges * Woman's Weekly *A tale of hardship, survival- and, most importantly, never forgetting * INewspaper *Cilka's extraordinary courage in the face of evil and her determination to survive against the odds will stay with you long after you've finished reading this heartrending book * Sunday Express *It will move you to tears, but it will also leave you astonished and uplifted by one woman's fierce determination to survive, against all odds. * The Week *her courage and determination to survive makes for a heartrending read * Daily Mirror *Must read * Daily Express *Her truly incredible story is one to be read by everyone * The Sun *It is well-written, and well-researched. It is captivating, devastating and even darker than The Tattooist. It will make you despair at the cruelty of humanity, but leave you in awe of the strength of the human spirit... it will leave you emotionally drained- but Cilka's story is a powerful one * Express and Star *

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Book SynopsisCilka's Journey is the million copy bestselling sequel to the phenomenon The Tattooist of Auschwitz.Don't miss the conclusion to The Tattooist of Auschwitz Trilogy, Three Sisters. Available now.'She was the bravest person I ever met'Lale Sokolov, The Tattooist of Auschwitz In 1942 Cilka Klein is just sixteen years old when she is taken to Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camp. The Commandant at Birkenau, Schwarzhuber, notices her long beautiful hair, and forces her separation from the other women prisoners. Cilka learns quickly that power, even unwillingly given, equals survival.After liberation, Cilka is charged as a collaborator by the Russians and sent to a desolate, brutal prison camp in Siberia known as Vorkuta, inside the Arctic Circle. Innocent, imprisoned once again, Cilka faces challenges both new and horribly familiar, each day a battle for survival. Cilka befriends a woman doctor, and learns to nurse the ill in the camp, struggling to care for them under unimaginable conditions. And when she tends to a man called Alexandr, Cilka finds that despite everything, there is room in her heart for love.Cilka's Journey is a powerful testament to the triumph of the human will. It will move you to tears, but it will also leave you astonished and uplifted by one woman's fierce determination to survive, against all odds.- - - - - - - - 'Her truly incredible story is one to be read by everyone.' Sun'Cilka's extraordinary courage in the face of evil and her determination to survive against the odds will stay with you long after you've finished reading this heartrending book.' Sunday Express'Her courage and determination to survive makes for a heartrending read.' Daily Mirror

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Book SynopsisJackie Kohnstamm's mother rarely talked about what had happened during the war and had kept little evidence of her early life. It was only after her uncle and aunt had died that Jackie inherited an archive of material relating to the family back in Germany. Jackie's mother had managed to get out of Berlin in 1936, following her brother and sister who had already escaped. But Jackie's grandparents had remained. One night, on a whim, Jackie Googled her grandparents' names. What she found felt like a sign: four days earlier two Stolpersteine ('stumble stones') had been laid in their names outside the house in Berlin where they had once lived. Someone had commissioned this memorial to her grandparents. Each listed their name, year of birth, date of deportation to Theresienstadt and date of their murder by the Nazis. Here, then, was the first step, and what followed was a remarkable story of loss, discovery and memory.Trade ReviewMemoirs about family experiences of the Holocaust continue to proliferate, but when they are as poignant as The Memory Keeper, they are a necessary reminder of an apparently unfathomable evil that happened not so long ago. Kohnstamm's account is unashamedly personal . . . and she proves a warm and witty guide to what turns into an anguished journey into her past * * Observer * *A moving and original real-time history of what it was like for ordinary Germans who happened to be Jewish to carry on as each new repressive law made their lives smaller and scarier until eventually, having failed to get out, they are ordered to the train station . . . Heartbreaking * * Telegraph * *Jackie Kohnstamm has created a beautifully heartbreaking book about remembering and forgetting, loving and missing, the deep impact of absences in any life and the wonderful, terrible interconnectedness of our selves. She wears her research lightly, deftly and just writes so well. Kohnstamm becomes historian for her family and, in a way, for millions of families shattered and evaporated by hatred, obsession and war. Our journey with her has great darkness, but also great tenderness, wisdom, joy -- A. L. KENNEDYOne of the most moving accounts of Holocaust family research that I have read, insightfully penned by a British Holocaust descendant who does not wish to be defined by the past * * Family Tree Magazine * *Following years of tireless research, The Memory Keeper is the powerful and thought-provoking account of Jackie's journey . . . a moving narrative * * Jewish Telegraph * *Personal and compelling . . . Readers walk alongside Kohnstamm as she travels to Germany and discovers intimate details about her family and their lives * * Who Do You Think You Are? * *

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Book SynopsisOne of the bestselling books of the 21st century, now a major Sky TV series starring Harvey Keitel and Melanie LynskeyFEATURING AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW FOR THIS EDITIONI tattooed a number on her arm. She tattooed her name on my heart...In 1942, Lale Sokolov arrived in Auschwitz-Birkenau. He was given the job of tattooing the prisoners marked for survival - scratching numbers into his fellow victims' arms in indelible ink to create what would become one of the most potent symbols of the Holocaust.Waiting in line to be tattooed, terrified and shaking, was a young girl. For Lale - a dandy, a jack-the-lad, a bit of a chancer - it was love at first sight. And he was determined not only to survive himself, but to ensure this woman, Gita, did, too.So begins one of the most life-affirming, courageous, unforgettable and human stories of the Holocaust: the love story of the tattooist of Auschwitz.Discover the in

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Book SynopsisA Sunday Times bestseller (May 2023) - the incredible story of courage, resilience and survival. 'I am a survivor. That comes with a survivor's obligation to represent one and half million Jewish children murdered by the Nazis. They cannot speak. So I must speak on their behalf.' Tova Friedman was one of the youngest people to emerge from Auschwitz. After surviving the liquidation of the Jewish ghetto in Central Poland where she lived as a toddler, Tova was four when she and her parents were sent to a Nazi labour camp, and almost six when she and her mother were forced into a packed cattle truck and sent to Auschwitz II, also known as the Birkenau extermination camp, while her father was transported to Dachau. During six months of incarceration in Birkenau, Tova witnessed atrocities that she could never forget, and experienced numerous escapes from death. She is one of a handful of Jews to have entered a gas chamber and lived to tell the tale. As Nazi killing squads roamed Birkenau before abandoning the camp in January 1945, Tova and her mother hid among corpses. After being liberated by the Russians they made their way back to their hometown in Poland. Eventually Tova's father tracked them down and the family was reunited.In The Daughter of Auschwitz, Tova immortalizes what she saw, to keep the story of the Holocaust alive, at a time when it's in danger of fading from memory. She has used those memories that have shaped her life to honour the victims. Written with award-winning former war reporter Malcolm Brabant, this is an extremely important book. Brabant's meticulous research has helped Tova recall her experiences in searing detail. Together they have painstakingly recreated Tova's extraordinary story about the world's worst ever crime.(P) 2022 Quercus Editions LimitedTrade ReviewEvery so often a book arrives that demands to be read. This is such a book. It should be compulsory reading for those who know little of one of humanity's greatest crimes and the awe-inspiring bravery of those like Tova Friedman who survived to tell their story. But also for those who think of the Holocaust as ancient history. It is not. It is an eternal reminder that evil needs only ignorance to flourish. That is the true value of this remarkable book * John Humphrys *Tova Friedman's vividly written and compelling story serves as proof that after suffering unimaginable cruelty and trauma, it is still possible to forge a life. This unforgettable book not only ensures we remember the horrors of the Holocaust, but can see the dangers of anti-semitism and other forms of racism today * Lindsey Hilsum *An unforgettable and deeply moving story. Malcolm Brabant brilliantly evokes the world of the ghetto and of Auschwitz through the eyes of Tova Friedman, a small child who survived the brutality of the Holocaust * Jeremy Bowen *I read this book with gratitude and urgency. Gratitude for the courage Tova Friedman has shown in deciding to share her story. We are all the beneficiaries of such powerful witness. The urgency comes from the knowledge that as time marches on such vivid voices are becoming increasingly rare. Read this book, cherish the lessons. It is a book rooted in the terrible events of another time, but the truths it reveals are eternal * Fergal Keane *Tova Friedman is telling her story for a reason, and that's clear in every page. It is a surprising and moving book which makes you furious, and I suspect that's what she wants -- Krishnan Guru-Murthy * Channel 4 News *[A] harrowing and lyrical memoir * Sunday Independent *An absolutely riveting book - please read it -- Judy Woodruff * PBS Newshour *A truly remarkable book -- Christine Lampard * Lorraine *Heart-breaking and powerful reading * History Revealed *In this vivid account, [Tova's] harrowing memories are brought to life with meticulous research from war reporter Malcolm Brabant. This result is a poignant, extraordinarily powerful book * Woman's Own *The combination [of authors] ... has turned into gold, as Brabant unerringly provides accurate research to support Friedman's callow memories. This is the real thing, the horrors of the Holocaust brought shudderingly to life, and all from the point of view of a small child who could barely read or recognise numbers. * Jewish Chronicle *Friedman is unflinching in choosing to reveal the trauma of her childhood and enlist the reader in her struggle to ensure that it can never be forgotten, and in the hope that it will never happen again. * Church Times *

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Book SynopsisThe complete story of the Wannsee Conference, the meeting that paved the way for the Holocaust.

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Book SynopsisThe powerful and bestselling memoir of a young Jewish pianist who survived the war in Warsaw against all odds. Made into a Bafta and Oscar-winning film.''You can learn more about human nature from this brief account of the survival of one man throughout the war years in the devastated city of Warsaw than from several volumes of the average encyclopaedia'' Independent on Sunday''We are drawn in to share his surprise and then disbelief at the horrifying progress of events, all conveyed with an understated intimacy and dailiness that render them painfully close - riveting'' Observer''A book so fresh and vivid, so heartbreaking, and so simply and beautifully written, that it manages to tell us the story of horrendous events as if for the first time'' Daily TelegraphTrade ReviewVivid and anguished . . . compulsive reading -- Richard Overy * Sunday Telegraph *You can learn more about human nature from this brief account of the survival of one man throughout the war years in the devastated city of Warsaw than from several volumes of the average encyclopaedia -- Gerald Jacobs * Independent on Sunday *We are drawn in to share his surprise and then disbelief at the horrifying progress of events, all conveyed with an understated intimacy and dailiness that render them painfully close . . . riveting -- Lisa Appignanesi * Observer *This memoir of a Jewish pianist who survived the war in Warsaw is one of the most powerful accounts ever written * Sunday Tribune *A compelling, harrowing masterpiece * Independent *A book so fresh and vivid, so heartbreaking, and so simply and beautifully written, that it manages to tell us the story of horrendous events as if for the first time . . . His account is hair-raising, beyond anything Hollywood could invent . . . Everything that has been most horrific in life in 20th-century Europe is encompassed in this exquisite memoir * Daily Telegraph *What really stays with the reader is the chilling, almost naive immediacy with which the story is told . . . The Pianist is an icy, nerveless but remarkably readable memoir that takes us as close as we are ever likely to travel to the day-to-day reality of living through terror * Sunday Times *The images drawn are unusually sharp and clear, but its moral tone is even more striking: Szpilman refuses to make a hero or a demon out of anyone * Literary Review *

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Book SynopsisWhen Norman Eisen moved into the US ambassador''s residence in Prague, returning to the land his mother had fled after the Holocaust, he was startled to discover swastikas hidden beneath the furniture. From that discovery unspooled the captivating, twisting tale of the remarkable people who lived in the house before Eisen. Their story is Europe''s, telling the dramatic and surprisingly cyclical tale of the endurance of liberal democracy: the optimistic Jewish financial baron who built the palace; the conflicted Nazi general who put his life at risk for the house during World War II; the first postwar US ambassador struggling to save both the palace and Prague from communist hands; the child star- turned-diplomat who fought to end totalitarianism; and Eisen''s own mother, whose life demonstrates how those without power and privilege moved through history.The Last Palace chronicles the upheavals that have transformed the continent over the past century and reveaTrade ReviewCombining both the personal and the historical, Norman Eisen's remarkable book transports us into the battle for democracy through the lives of people who fought to save it and those who would seek to destroy it. The Last Palace is not only a first-rate work of history, but a call to action written at a time of urgent need.Norman Eisen has written an enthralling history of a palace and its very real ghosts. By telling the story of the Prague mansion where he resided as America's ambassador, Eisen provides a poignant reflection on the haunting twists of the past century, including his own very American family tale.Eisen has written a pearl of a book. Using an ornate palace in Prague as the backdrop for his fast-paced narrative, Eisen tells the tale of the last stormy century through the eyes of several vibrant characters who helped shape it ... The Last Palace is a great read and a stirring reminder of the importance of decency in public life.Moving, engaging, and elegantly written, The Last Palace wears its erudition lightly, casts its radiant intelligence fearlessly into the darkest corners of the twentieth century and, effortlessly, reliably, breaks your heart again and again.As America's Ambassador in Prague, Norman Eisen had an extraordinary relationship with the Czech Republic and its history: his mother said the Nazis took her family out in boxcars and her son came back on Air Force One. The Last Palace combines human drama with geopolitical and historical sweep and does it with evident love and painstaking investigation.Norman Eisen pulls back the curtains to reveal history's secrets in this rich, personal, and wise book.What a revelation! With this moving memoir and history, Norman Eisen enters the front rank of writers. A truly riveting read.Enchanting and fascinating, The Last Palace is a splendid journey through a century of modern European history, and a love letter to liberal democracy. From the adventures of an obsessive baron to the anti-Communist resistance of ambassador-actress Shirley Temple Black to his own tenure as Barack Obama's envoy to Prague, Norman Eisen brings the inhabitants of a storied residence, and their tumultuous times, to life.

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Book SynopsisThe superb, bestselling diaries of Victor Klemperer, a Jew in Dresden who survived the war - hailed as one of the 20th century's most important chronicles.'Compulsive reading' LITERARY REVIEW 'Deeply engrossing' SPECTATORTrade ReviewKlemperer's diary deserves to rank alongside that of Anne Frank * SUNDAY TIMES *These diaries constitute one of the most vital historical and human documents of their age. Packed with vivid observation, profound reflection ... they find hope, dignity and even tart humour in the jaws of hell * INDEPENDENT *One of the greatest diarists - perhaps the greatest - in the German language * NEW YORK TIMES *Compulsive reading ... Klemperer's diary also offers a superb window on life in Soviet-occupied Germany in 1945-9 and the early years of the German Democratic Republic * LITERARY REVIEW *Klemperer's acute eye for the corruption of his contemporaries and his sharp ear for the corruption of language make these diaries an inexhaustible mine of information and insight for anybody interested in the German catastrophe ... In the hands of a master, the ephemeral is perennial * DAILY TELEGRAPH *The diary juxtaposes the profound and the mundane, rather like life itself. That is what makes it such a vivid and powerful account of a remarkable life * SCOTLAND ON SUNDAY *Deeply engrossing ... he has the supreme gifts of honesty and scepticism ... He doesn't exaggerate, he doesn't fantasize ... one of the supreme chroniclers of the 20th century * SPECTATOR *No other testimony remotely as truthful exists of the locked-in half of Germany. The voice of Victor Klemperer is simply indispensable * EVENING STANDARD *Puts tears and blood into a political era that is otherwise difficult to dramatise and so to imagine * SCOTSMAN *The enhance Victor Klemperer's rare standing as a truth-teller * IRISH TIMES *The triumph of these diaries ... is precisely this: not for one moment does Klemperer lose his essential humanity. The diaries testify to the integrity of private space and truth to self ... This is the epic of a self-confessedly commonplace mortal with extraordinary qualities of intellect, wit and self-knowledge - recording his insights with unswerving fidelity to the truth * GUARDIAN *

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Book Synopsis'Rigorously researched, The Lost Café Schindler successfully weaves together a compelling and at times deeply moving memoir and family history that also chronicles the wider story of the Jews of the Austro-Hungarian Empire... It distinguishes itself through its combination of mystery and reconciliation.' -- The Times T2'In tilling the past Meriel has uncovered the most fascinating - and devastating - family history. The Lost Cafe Schindler is not just a genealogical exploration, though; it sets out the wider experiences of the Jewish population of the Austro-Hungarian empire, weaving in the story of how antisemitism took root' -- Sunday Times'An impressively researched account of Jewish life in the Tyrol up to and during the Second World War' -- Evening Standard'An extraordinary story - so cadenced and so moving.' -- Edmund de Waal, author of The Hare with Amber Eyes'An extraordinary and compelling book of reckonings - a journey across a long, complex and deeply painful arc of history, grippingly told - a wonderful melding of the personal and the political, the family and the historical.' -- Philippe Sands, author of East West Street'A significant benefit for family historians is that her reading, sources and resources offer guidance that others might follow and use in their own research.' Who Do You Think You Are?'A well-researched account.' -- The Observer'The scale of the crimes committed during these years can never be fully comprehended, but through tales like these they become relatable and the sense of loss, shared.' -- Press Association'Compelling and beautifully written... a remarkable and inspiring story that attests to the strength and compassion of the human spirit in overcoming the tragedy of persecution... Fascinating family history.' - Daily Express'Schindler builds her story patiently, tracking her own journey in unravelling it' - i***Kurt Schindler was an impossible man. His daughter Meriel spent her adult life trying to keep him at bay. Kurt had made extravagant claims about their family history. Were they really related to Franz Kafka and Oscar Schindler, of Schindler's List fame? Or Hitler's Jewish doctor - Dr Bloch? What really happened on Kristallnacht, the night that Nazis beat Kurt's father half to death and ransacked the family home? When Kurt died in 2017, Meriel felt compelled to resolve her mixed feelings about him, and to solve the mysteries he had left behind. Starting with photos and papers found in Kurt's isolated cottage, Meriel embarked on a journey of discovery taking her to Austria, Italy and the USA. She reconnected family members scattered by feuding and war. She pieced together an extraordinary story taking in two centuries, two world wars and a family business: the famous Café Schindler. Launched in 1922 as an antidote to the horrors of the First World War, this grand café became the whirling social centre of Innsbruck. And then the Nazis arrived. Through the story of the Café Schindler and the threads that spool out from it, this moving book weaves together memoir, family history and an untold story of the Jews of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. It explores the restorative power of writing, and offers readers a profound reflection on memory, truth, trauma and the importance of cake.Trade ReviewAn extraordinary and compelling book of reckonings - a journey across a long, complex and deeply painful arc of history, grippingly told - a wonderful melding of the personal and the political, the family and the historical. -- Philippe SandsAn extraordinary, cadenced and moving story. I felt gripped by Meriel Schindler's uncovering of her father's story and by her tenacity and courage in telling it so openly. -- Edmund de Waal, author of The Hare with Amber Eyes'Enthralling memoir... ideal for anyone who loved The Hare with Amber Eyes.' * The Bookseller *'An absorbing memoir... told with forensic detail.' * Jewish Chronicle *'Written by a leading employment lawyer, this is a remarkable journey to uncover the truth behind the stories... It is a historical detective story uncovering family history. I cannot recommend it too highly.' * Law Society Gazette *

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Book Synopsis'Massive, groundbreaking new research that sheds more truth on the Holocaust.' - Helen FryNever told in detail before, this is the account of how, for four years, British and Allied codebreakers decrypted secret SS and Gestapo messages detailing the mass killings of the Holocaust, and how the Germans in turn deployed cryptanalysis to try to conceal their persecution of Europe's Jews. The compelling and fast-paced narrative is told from the perspectives of two central and opposing characters, who never meet.At Bletchley Park, there is the legendary but unsung British codebreaker Nigel de Grey, shy, determined, nicknamed 'the Dormouse' by his colleagues. In Nazi-occupied Poland, SS Major Hermann Höfle, a former taxi driver from Salzburg, and one of the Third Reich's ruthless bureaucrats of mass death, oversees the operations of five concentration camps, including Treblinka.De Grey fought hard to make sure the vital intelligen

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Book SynopsisFor the millions moved by Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl, here is Miep Gies's own astonishing story. For more than two years, Miep and her husband helped hide the Franks from the Nazis. Like thousands of unsung heroes of the Holocaust, they risked their lives every day to bring food, news, and emotional support to its victims. From her remarkable childhood as a World War I refugee to the moment she places a small, red-orange-checkered diary -- Anne's legacy -- into Otto Frank's hands, Miep Gies remembers her days with simple honesty and shattering clarity. Each page rings with courage and heartbreaking beauty.

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Book SynopsisDuring the occupation of France in WWII the villages around Le Chambon-sur-Lignon pulled off an astonishing and largely unknown feat. Risking everything, they underwent a long-running battle of nerves and daring to hide 5,000 men, women and children, 3,500 of them Jews, from the Nazis and their Vichy stooges. Despite the danger, a whole community rallied together, from the pacifist pastor who defied orders to the glamorous female agent with a wooden leg, from the 18-year-old master forger to the schoolgirl who ran suitcases stuffed with money for the Resistance.Told using first-hand testimonies of many of the survivors and face-to-face interviews conducted by the author, A Good Place to Hide is the thrilling story of ordinary people who thwarted the Nazis and sheltered strangers in desperate need.Trade ReviewA story resonant in our days, the age of refugees, and a grand narrative in its own right, all told with absorbing skill. Peter Grose's tale of the astounding rescue village of Chambon is a tale of the practical deliverance of the hunted from the Nazis. A book to cherish and recommend! -- Thomas Keneally, author of Schindler's ArkIncredibly moving... Ordinary people doing extraordinary things in the most extraordinary circumstances. A book full of love for the region. Grose underlines underlines the role played by the brilliant forger, Oscar Rosowsky. A reminder of the best that humans are capable of, but also an inspiration. * Times Literary Supplement *Peter Grose's book stands out as a complete story about life on the Plateau during World War II. Peter uses only facts to tell us a true story. He is one of those rare raconteurs who can write a history book that reads like a novel. -- Nelly Trocmé, eyewitness and daughter of André and Magda TrocméA fine book and a captivating and heartening story. * Scotsman *Grose has written …ambitious book that covers, among other things, the history of French Protestantism and the policy of the Vichy government, It is, however, the individual stories that stand out. Some striking characters cross their pages. Albert Camus came to the plateau, hoping that the air would be good for his tuberculosis, and wrote the first draft of La Peste there. Virginia Hall, an American adventuress so hard-bitten that she would have made Ernest Hemingway look like Marcel Proust, was sent to contact the local Maquis. She received packets of tea with parachute drops of weapons and refused to accept that having a wooden leg and an atrocious accent might make her an unsuitable guerrilla leader. Above all, this book depicts the mosaic of little tragedies behind the collective tragedy of death and deportation. * Evening Standard *Extraordinary. * Daily Mirror *Fabulous. A page-turning account, told with the full cooperation of many of the survivors. Meticulous and dogged research. Compelling. -- Caroline Sanderson * The Bookseller, 'Ones to Watch' *Well written in a pleasant style and easy to read... A fascinating and inspiring story. * The Association of Jewish Refugees Journal *A compelling story of wartime bravery and the plight of refugees. * France *

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Book SynopsisWithin Western culture, World War Two continues to exercise an extraordinary fascination for generations unborn when it took place. The obvious explanation is that it was the greatest and most terrible event in human history. Within the vast compass of the struggle, some individuals scaled summits of courage and nobility, while others plumbed depths of evil, in a fashion that compels the awe of posterity. Among citizens of modern democracies to whom serious hardship and collective peril are unknown, the tribulations which hundreds of millions endured between 1939 and 1945 are almost beyond comprehension. Hastings tells the story of the war in a clear and compelling narrative, ranging across a vast canvas from the agony of Poland in 1939 and the horrors of the Soviet front to the dropping of the atom bombs on Japan in August 1945. This is a book which shows vividly what war meant for individuals from allied soldiers, sailors and airmen, to SS killers, to civilians caught up in the war like British housewives who endured the Blitz and the citizens of Leningrad who suffered through a siege of almost unimaginable horror.

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Book Synopsis'Life affirming, triumphant and tragic . . . masterfully told. . . but also a wonderful page-turner' Guardian'Brilliant and hugely ambitious' New York Times'Extraordinary' Telegraph___HERE IS A SMALL FACT - YOU ARE GOING TO DIE1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier. Liesel, a nine-year-old girl, is living with a foster family on Himmel Street. Her parents have been taken away to a concentration camp. Liesel steals books. This is her story and the story of the inhabitants of her street when the bombs begin to fall.SOME IMPORTANT INFORMATION - THIS NOVEL IS NARRATED BY DEATH___What readers are saying about The Book Thief:***** 'I loved every page of this book. So many great quotes, observations on humanity and images...I just didn't want it to end.***** 'I loved this book. It is not only one of the best I've read this year, it is one of the best I've ever read.' ***** 'This is the sort of book the restores your faith in humanity and leaves you feeling uplifted, even when it makes you shed a tear.Trade ReviewExtraordinary, resonant and relevant, beautiful and angry. -- Lisa Hilton * Sunday Telegraph *...a beautifully balanced piece of storytelling...Unsettling, thought-provoking, life affirming, triumphant and tragic, this is a novel of breathtaking scope, masterfully told. It is an important piece of work, but also a wonderful page-turner. * Guardian *A moving work which will make many eyes brim. -- Marianne Brace * Independent on Sunday *This is a weighty novel worthy of universal acclaim. A sense of dread prevades this beautifully written novel. As The Book Thief draws to a close, Death says: "There's a multitude of stories that i allow to distract me as I work." The story of the Book Thief, who tried to change the world in her own small way, proves one formidable and inspiring distraction. -- Lianne Kolirin * The Daily Express *Brilliant and hugely ambitious ... the kind of book that could be life-changing * New York Times Book Review *...breathtakingly good. -- Becky Stradwick, Buyer, Borders * The Bookseller *A magical tale. * Elle *...a fantastic book...it packs a huge emotional punch. -- Angela Lockton, The Golden Treasury, London * The Bookseller *A tonic much needed amid the ominous menace of an era of such calamity. -- Alexandra Hamlyn * FT magazine *Quirky, engaging and beautifully written * Woman and Home *His faith in the transformative power of storytelling bestows this gentle but worthwhile novel with its own narrative strength and power. -- Claire Allfree * Metro *Absorbing and searing * Washington Post *A major achievement * People *Deserves a place on the shelf with The Diary of Anne Frank - set to become a classic * USA Today *Zusak makes his ostensibly gloomy subject bearable in the same way Kurt Vonnegut did in Slaughterhouse 5, with grim, darkly consoling humour * Time *Zusak's playfulness with language leavens the horror and makes the theme more resonant - words can save your life ...It's a measure of how sucessfully Zusak has humanized these characters that even though we know they are doomed, it's no less devastating when Death finally reaches them * Publishers Weekly *One of the most highly anticipated young-adult books in years * The Wall Street Journal *'Elegant, philosophical and moving. A work to read slowly and savour. Beautiful and important * Kirkus Reviews *Both gripping and touching, a work that kept me up late into the night feverishly reading the last 300 pages * Cleveland Plain-Dealer *Zusak's novel is a highwire act of inventiveness and emotional suppleness * The Australian *

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Book SynopsisThe first and only graphic novel to win the Pulitzer Prize, MAUS is a brutally moving work of art about a Holocaust survivor -- and the son who survives him''The first masterpiece in comic book history'' The New YorkerMaus tells the story of Vladek Spiegelman, a Jewish survivor of Hitler''s Europe, and his son, a cartoonist coming to terms with his father''s story. Approaching the unspeakable through the diminutive (the Nazis are cats, the Jews mice), Vladek''s harrowing story of survival is woven into the author''s account of his tortured relationship with his aging father.Against the backdrop of guilt brought by survival, they stage a normal life of small arguments and unhappy visits, studying the bloody pawprints of history and tracking its meaning for those who come next.HAILED AS THE GREATEST GRAPHIC NOVEL OF ALL TIME, THIS COMBINED, DEFINITIVE EDITION INCLUDES MAUS I: A SURVIVOR''S TALE AND MAUS II.___________________''The most affecting and successful narrative ever done about the Holocaust'' Wall Street Journal''A brutally moving work of art'' Boston Globe''No summary can do justice to Spiegelman''s narrative skill'' Adam Gopnik''Like all great stories, it tells us more about ourselves than we could ever suspect'' Philip Pullman''A capital-G Genius'' Michael ChabonTrade ReviewThe first masterpiece in comic book history * New Yorker *One of the clichés about the Holocaust is that you can't imagine it - Spiegelman disproves this theory * Independent *A brutally moving work of art * Boston Globe *In the tradition of Aesop and Orwell, it serves to shock and impart powerful resonance to a well-documented subject. The artwork is so accomplished, forceful and moving * TimeOut *Spiegelman has turned the exuberant fantasy of comics inside out by giving us the most incredible fantasy in comics' history: something that actually occurred. Maus is terrifying not for its brutality, but for its tenderness and guilt * New Yorker *An epic story told in tiny pictures * New York Times *The most affecting and successful narrative ever done about the Holocaust * Wall Street Journal *Maus is a book that cannot be put down, truly, even to sleep...when you finish Maus, you are unhappy to have left that magical world and long for the sequel that will return you to it -- Umberto EcoA remarkable feat of documentary detail and novelistic vividness...an unfolding literary event * New York Times Book Review *The Pulitzer Prize-winning Maus tells the story of Vladek Spiegelman, a Jewish survivor of Hitler's Europe, and his son, a cartoonist coming to terms with his father's story. Maus approaches the unspeakable through the diminutive. Its form, the cartoon (the Nazis are cats, the Jews mice), shocks us out of any lingering sense of familiarity and succeeds in 'drawing us closer to the bleak heart of the Holocaust' * New York Times *A quiet triumph, moving and simple - impossible to describe accurately, and impossible to achieve in any medium but comics * Washington Post *All too infrequently, a book comes along that' s as daring as it is acclaimed. Art Spiegelman's Maus is just such a book * Esquire *A remarkable work, awesome in its conception and execution... at one and the same time a novel, a documentary, a memoir, and a comic book. Brilliant, just brilliant -- Jules FeifferMaus is a masterpiece, and it's in the nature of such things to generate mysteries, and pose more questions than they answer. But if the notion of a canon means anything, Maus is there at the heart of it. Like all great stories, it tells us more about ourselves than we could ever suspect -- Philip PullmanSpiegelman's Maus changed comics forever. Comics now can be about anything -- Alison BechdelReading [his work] has been an amazing lesson in storytelling * Etgar Keret *It can be easy to forget how much of a game-changer Maus was. * Washington Post *

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Book Synopsis'An incredible human being with an extraordinary story to share' Dr Rangan Chatterjee'A beautiful, life-changing manifesto' Brené Brown'I will be forever changed by Dr Eger's story' Oprah'Her story is a testament to our true human potential. She's a gift' Nicole LePeraEach moment in Auschwitz was hell on earth. It was also my best classroom. Subjected to loss, torture, starvation and the constant threat of death, I discovered tools for survival and freedom that I continue to use every day.In her darkest moments, Edith Eger discovered that the most damaging prison was the one in her mind. Drawing on her incredible story and experience as a celebrated therapist, she shares valuable life lessons to heal and inspire so that we too can break free from whatever's holding us back.Trade ReviewI'll be forever changed by Dr. Eger's story * Oprah *This woman will change your life ... The Gift should be required reading for all humans * Marie Forleo *

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Book Synopsis THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER The Nazis spared their lives because they were twins.In the summer of 1944, Eva Mozes Kor and her family arrived at Auschwitz.Within thirty minutes, they were separated. Her parents and two older sisters were taken to the gas chambers, while Eva and her twin, Miriam, were herded into the care of the man who became known as the Angel of Death: Dr. Josef Mengele. They were 10 years old.While twins at Auschwitz were granted the 'privileges' of keeping their own clothes and hair, they were also subjected to Mengele's sadistic medical experiments. They were forced to fight daily for their own survival and many died as a result of the experiments, or from the disease and hunger rife in the concentration camp.In a narrative told simply, with emotion and astonishing restraint, The Twins of Auschwitz shares the inspirational story of a child's endurance and survival in the face of truly extraordinary evil.Also included is an epilogue on Eva's incredible recovery and her remarkable decision to publicly forgive the Nazis. Through her museum and her lectures, she dedicated her life to giving testimony on the Holocaust, providing a message of hope for people who have suffered, and worked toward goals of forgiveness, peace, and the elimination of hatred and prejudice in the world.Trade ReviewEva Mozes Kor has written a very moving and vivid account of an extraordinary and horrific experience. It is an important document showing the strength of the human spirit and the capacity to forgive. She should be commended for having the courage to write about her traumatic childhood, leading to the forgiveness that freed her from hatred and brought her peace. May it inspire others to emulate her. -- Archbishop Desmond TutuThis remarkable story is an important entry point in the teaching of Holocaust History and the many issues which emerge from it, not least of all the triumph of the human spirit. -- Richard Freedman, National Director, South African Holocaust Foundation

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Book SynopsisTHE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLERHums with living history, human warmth and indignation' New York TimesLess a mystery unsolved than a secret well keptThe mystery has haunted generations since the Second World War: Who betrayed Anne Frank and her family? And why?Now, thanks to radical new technology and the obsession of a retired FBI agent, this book offers an answer. Rosemary Sullivan unfolds the story in a gripping, moving narrative.Over thirty million people have read The Diary of a Young Girl, the journal teenaged Anne Frank kept while living in an attic with her family and four other people in Amsterdam during World War II, until the Nazis arrested them and sent them to a concentration camp. But despite the many works journalism, books, plays and novels devoted to Anne's story, none has ever conclusively explained how these eight people managed to live in hiding undetected for over two years and who or what finally brought the Nazis to their door.With painstaking care, retired FBI agTrade ReviewThe New York Times bestseller ‘A stunning piece of historical detective work, cleverly structured and grippingly written’Daily Telegraph, five stars ‘Powerfully illuminates what it was like to live under a genocidal regime’Kathryn Hughes, Guardian ‘As much about the process of investigation as about the subject investigated. Along the way [Sullivan] lucidly describes many fascinating details of the compromises and betrayals of life under a murderous regime’Craig Brown, Mail on Sunday ‘Sullivan circles all of the possibilities like Agatha Christie with Zoom and a time machine. Shaped like a procedural or a whodunit, The Betrayal of Anne Frank hums with living history, human warmth and indignation’New York Times ‘Featuring startling new revelations and an intriguing new theory of what happened’Daniel Finklestein, The Times ‘Praiseworthy. With impressive clarity and dramatic effect, Sullivan reconstructs a complex investigation lasting five years’Gerard de Groot, The Times ‘A gripping, moving narrative’Press Association ‘Meticulous … Sullivan describes the Cold Case Team’s interdisciplinary methods, from criminal profiling, historical research and crowdsourcing to a Microsoft artificial intelligence program that found connections within a blizzard of archival documents. But the book is most engrossing as a portrait of wartime Amsterdam, a city of conflicting and cross-cutting loyalties, where personal peril could erase the line between heroism and villainy’Boston Globe

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Book SynopsisMoving from the Middle-Eastern campaigns of the First World War to bohemian Berlin in the 1920s, to the horror of the concentration camps and the trials in Belsen and Nuremberg, this book tells the story of two German men whose lives diverged, and intersected, in an unusual way.Trade ReviewThomas Harding has shed intriguing new light on the strange poison of Nazism, and one of its most lethal practitioners... Meticulously researched and deeply felt. -- Ben Macintyre * The Times, Book of the Week *Fascinating and moving...This is a remarkable book, which deserves a wide readership. -- Max Hastings * The Sunday Times *A gripping thriller, an unspeakable crime, an essential history. -- John Le CarréThis is a stunning book...both chilling and deeply disturbing. It is also an utterly compelling and exhilarating account of one man's extraordinary hunt for the Kommandant of the most notorious death camp of all, Auschwitz-Birkenau. -- James HollandOnly at his great uncle’s funeral in 2006 did Thomas Harding discover that Hanns Alexander, whose Jewish family fled to Britain from Nazi Germany in the 1930s, hunted down and captured Rudolf Höss, the ruthless commandant of Auschwitz, at the end of World War Two. By tracing the lives of these two men in parallel until their dramatic convergence in 1946, Harding puts the monstrous evil of the Final Solution in two specific but very different human contexts. The result is a compelling book full of unexpected revelations and insights, an authentic addition to our knowledge and understanding of this dark chapter in European history. No-one who starts reading it can fail to go on to the end. -- David Lodge

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Book SynopsisThomas Harding is a bestselling author whose books have been translated into more than 16 languages. He has written for the Sunday Times, the Washington Post and the Guardian, among other publications. He is the bestselling author of HANNS AND RUDOLF, which won the JQ-Wingate Prize for Non-Fiction; THE HOUSE BY THE LAKE, which was shortlisted for the Costa Biography Award; BLOOD ON THE PAGE, which won the Crime Writers' Association "Golden Dagger Award for Non-Fiction" and FUTURE HISTORY, which was shortlisted for the German Children's Literature Award 2021. His next book, WHITE DEBT, was published in January 2022. You can follow Thomas on twitter @thomashardingTrade ReviewA passionate memoir about Germany. -- Neil MacGregor, author of A History of the World in 100 Objects and Germany: Memories of a NationA superb portrait of twentieth century Germany seen through the prism of a house which was lived in, and lost, by five different families. A remarkable book. -- Tom HollandIn The House by the Lake, the simple villa loved and lost by Thomas Harding's family magically becomes the setting for the great clashes of the twentieth century, and for a technicolour cast – victims, villains and ordinary compromisers – struggling not to be crushed by them. Personal and panoramic, heart-wrenching yet uplifting, this is history at its most alive. -- A. D. Miller, bestselling author of Snowdrops and The Faithful CoupleI loved this book. I admire the elegance of it, the hope, the honesty and the generousness with which every resident is given his or her place. It has made me think about our individual parts in the bigger story, and the coming and going-ness of things. It is a book that will stay with me for a very long time. -- Rachel JoyceDiamond brilliant... the history of modern Germany as seen through the windows of the wooden house beside the lake. This is an extraordinary book. -- John Lewis-Stempel * Sunday Express *A superb work of social history, told with tremendous narrative verve. -- Ian Critchley * Sunday Times *This is far more than a family memoir: by tracing the lives of the different families who lived there, Harding sheds light on the German 20th century, a tale of war, spies, murder and political, social and racial division . . . His account of the house is a superb work of social history, told with tremendous narrative verve. * Sunday Times *Thomas Harding again pulls off the admirable feat of showing us anew the history of German's troubled twentieth century by focusing on a single story. With the narrative drive of a great novelist and the meticulous research of a great historian, Harding has crafted a moving, instructive and important book. -- Dan Brotzel * The Herald *It would be hard to write an original and moving account of the tortured twentieth-century history of Germany. But, in The House by the Lake, Thomas Harding succeeds remarkably... a tragic and beautifully told history. -- Oliver Kamm * Jewish Chronicle *An unusual, evocative and moving account of modern Germany...The book succeeds remarkably, in providing a fresh and original insight into the twin totalitarian systems that disfigured Germany in the twentieth century. * The Times, 'Books of the Year' *

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Book SynopsisThe compelling story of the only concentration camp for women by the acclaimed author of A Life in Secrets.Trade ReviewCompelling ... [Helm] has painstakingly sought out many survivors and talked to them herself. The results are devastating ...What one is left with at the end of this momentous book is a sense of the power of human nature, both for good and evil Independent on Sunday A profoundly moving chronicle Observer An epic feat of scholarly investigation Spectator Where Helm's history excels is in her refusal to reduce any of the people in her history to stereotypes. Complexity is respected. She pays attention to the specificities of people's lives, including their religious beliefs, political aspirations and dreams. Even when discussing brutal female guards, Helm avoids demonisation -- Joanna Bourke Telegraph Helm has done us all a great service in this compelling, magisterial volume ... Read this book. Be appalled. Be moved. And be angry that so little action was taken to help, or to remember, until it was nearly too late. Read it, and weep Jewish Chronicle A sense of urgency infuses this history, which comes just in time to gather the testimony of the camp's survivors ... meticulous, unblinking ... [Helm's] book comes not a moment too soon The Economist Splendidly researched and tremendously moving ... Helm's book, based in part on interviews with survivors, is a model of sensitivity and seriousness Sunday Times Sarah Helm's momentous uncovering of Ravensbruck -- Rachel Holmes Guardian A groundbreaking chronicle -- Nicholas Shakespeare Telegraph It not only fills a gap in Holocaust history but it is an utterly compelling read -- Taylor Downing History Today

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Book SynopsisA ground-breaking exploration of the chilling history behind an increasingly common diagnosis.Trade Review"...Asperger’s Children is not just the record of one individual’s weak-willed acquiescence in evil. It’s also a chilling indictment of an entire system. ‘The mission to eliminate undesirable children,’ Sheffer writes, ‘mirrored the Reich’s ambition to eliminate undesirable populations’. Her book is a terrifying expose of how doctors and psychiatrists cruelly abused the powers they had over troubled children." -- Nick Rennison - The Daily Mail"With insightful, meticulous historical research Sheffer uncovers how, under Hitler’s regime, the profession of psychiatry became the eyes and ears of the Third Reich. This important book should be read by anyone interested in psychology, psychiatry or medicine, so that we learn from history and do not repeat its terrifying mistakes." -- Simon Baron-Cohen, Director of the Autism Research Centre, Cambridge University; author of Zero Degrees of Empathy: A New Theory of Human Cruelty"... historian Edith Sheffer’s remarkable book Asperger’s Children builds on Czech’s study with her own original scholarship. She makes a compelling case that the foundational ideas of autism emerged in a society that strove for the opposite of neurodiversity." -- Simon Baron-Cohen - Nature"... impeccable research... searing, wonderfully written book…" -- Dominic Lawson - The Sunday Times"... a superbly researched account... It’s hard to believe that anyone will want to identify with Asperger syndrome after reading Sheffer’s extremely disturbing but very lucid book…" -- Saskia Baron - The Observer"Edith Sheffer’s Asperger’s Children: The Origins of Autism in Nazi Vienna is a deeply disturbing, thoroughly researched account that exposes the complicity of Hans Asperger in the murder of children suffering from what he called autistic psychopathy. The recovered voices of some of the children and their desperate parents are particularly chilling." -- Andrew Scull, Books of the Year 2018 - Times Literary Supplement"... a searing investigation of the Nazi links of the paediatrician Hans Asperger." -- Must Reads - The Sunday Times"Although at times an almost unbearably grim read, this superbly researched book is an important contribution to our understanding of attitudes to autism, and to our knowledge of one of the very darkest episodes in recent human history." -- The Telegraph"... searing new book... [Edith Sheffer's] meticulously researched yet readable account shines a dispassionate light on Asperger as a man actively complicit with Nazi eugenicists carrying out Hitler's child "euthanasia" program." -- Science"... historian Edith Sheffer has produced a stunning work of scholarship, revealing Asperger's relationship to National Socialism and his role in the extermination of disabled children. In this unputdownable tome, Sheffer reminds us chillingly of the way in which even the best-intentioned professionals fall prey to the political climate in which we practice." -- Therapy Today"Edith Sheffer's meticulously researched book draws on case notes, interviews with perpetrators and victims, and scholarly papers. It illuminates not only the life of one of the most horrifying of Nazi sympathisers, but also the dark cavern of medical murder and cruelty, one of the monstrous aspects of Nazi social policy... Sheffer's book is unique..." -- The Tablet"Sheffer's book is excellent on the background to Viennese social and medical attitudes..." -- The Catholic Herald

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Book SynopsisNew paperback edition - 95% of Lithuania's more than 200,000 Jews were exterminated during the Holocaust. Why did this small Baltic state prove to be the most efficient killing field of all?

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Book SynopsisThe book that inspired major motion picture ONE LIFE, starring Sir Anthony Hopkins and Helena Bonham Carter.''Remarkable'' - GuardianSir Nicholas Winton rescued 669 children from Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia at the brink of World War II. Most never saw their parents again; nearly all left behind were murdered. This is his story.In 1938, 29-year-old ''Nicky'' cancelled a ski holiday and instead spent nine months masterminding a seemingly impossible plan to rescue hundreds of Jewish children and find them homes in the UK. Over 6,000 people are alive today because of his efforts.What motivated an ordinary man to do something so extraordinary? This book, written by his daughter, Barbara, explores the 106-year life of an incredible humanitarian, a man whose legacy only came to public light decades later.His life story is a clarion call to choose action over apathy in the face of injustice, and a reminder that every one of us ca

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Book SynopsisWINNER OF THE FRANCO-BRITISH SOCIETY BOOK PRIZE 2016June, 1940. German troops enter Paris and hoist the swastika over the Arc de Triomphe. The dark days of Occupation begin. How would you have survived? By collaborating with the Nazis, or risking the lives of you and your loved ones to resist? The women of Paris faced this dilemma every day - whether choosing between rations and the black market, or travelling on the Metro, where a German soldier had priority for a seat. Between the extremes of defiance and collusion was a vast moral grey area which all Parisiennes had to navigate in order to survive.Anne Sebba has sought out and interviewed scores of women, and brings us their unforgettable testimonies. Her fascinating cast includes both native Parisiennes and temporary residents: American women and Nazi wives; spies, mothers, mistresses, artists, fashion designers and aristocrats. The result is an enthralling account of life during the Second World War and in the years of recovery and recrimination that followed the Liberation of Paris in 1944. It is a story of fear, deprivation and secrets - and, as ever in the French capital, glamour and determination.Trade ReviewWonderfully researched, this is an important retelling of Les Années Noires in Paris which puts women's stories, and the complications of their lives under Occupation, centre stage. Sebba reminds us that we should listen and put ourselves in their shoes, before leaping immediately to judgement, and backs this up with testimonies from many women whose voices have remained unheard -- Kate Mosse, author of LABYRINTH and CITADEL'Anne Sebba's fascinating and beautifully written study gives voice to a myriad of narratives belonging to the Parisian women who resisted, collaborated, flourished, suffered, died or survived through a mixture of defiance and compromise . . . Sebba skilfully weaves the history of 1940s Paris through the remarkable stories of women from all walks of life' -- Clare Mulley * SPECTATOR *This is a fascinating book I couldn't stop reading. Anne Sebba knows everything about Paris during the war and she relates the end of all the whispered stories I've been hearing all my life. She understands everything about the chic, loathsome collaborators and the Holocaust victims, and their stories are told in an irresistible narrative flood -- Edmund White, author of THE FL NEUR'As Anne Sebba shows, life for a Parisian woman was a deeply ambiguous affair. Their experiences, like a kaleidoscope can be 'turned any number of ways to produce a different image'. Sebba's book, with its phenomenal amount of detailed research and its vast cast of characters, is rich in stories about the tricks of life under Occupation, the heroism of those who carried out acts of defiance, the slipperiness of collusion and the vast profits made by fixers, contacts, middlemen and entrepreneurs. She is particularly good on the fashion world and the scheming, equivocating social luminaries' -- Caroline Moorehead * LITERARY REVIEW *Anne Sebba has the nearly miraculous gift of combining the vivid intimacy of the lives of women during the Occupation with the history of the time. This is a remarkable book -- Edmund de Waal, author of THE HARE WITH AMBER EYESAs Anne Sebba makes clear in her fascinating book Les Parisiennes, there was no Hollywood clarity about life in the City of Light . . . there were very many reasons not to resist ... Sebba has interviewed women who, remarkably, are talking about their experiences for the first time. This is a valuable book . . . Although Sebba salutes the bravery of Les Parisiennes, she is careful not to condemn the ones who chose simply to survive . . . To read this book is to admire female bravery and resilience, but also to understand why the scars left by the Second World War still run so deep -- Daisy Goodwin * THE TIMES *The debate over the extent of collaboration versus the extent of resistance during the occupation is not new, but Sebba has found an enthralling way of looking at the story by focusing on how the choice was made by French women, and, in particular, by the women of Paris . . . Sebba doesn't offer an explanation as to why some women chose one course, others another, rightly letting their actions, compelling life stories - and the physiognomy of the wonderful selection of photographs - speak for themselves -- Sarah Helm * OBSERVER *'One of the distinctive features of Anne Sebba's richly intelligent history is her evocation of sound. Sebba has deliberately eschewed a focus on well-known primary documentation for her history of Parisian women during the Second World War, choosing instead to alert her readers to a 'quieter and frequently less well-known' set of voices. Those voices, belonging to women of all classes, ages and educational backgrounds, weep and sing through this extraordinary book . . . Sebba is adept at explaining the changing political climate of Paris as the war progressed, but she never allows politics to overshadow her subjects' voices. This book does not judge - instead, in the breadth of its humanity, it achieves some of the recognition that the Parisiennes' own heroic modesty often denied them' -- Lisa Hilton * TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT *'The book takes an unflinching and sympathetic look at the roles women were asked to play in the war, and those they wrote for themselves . . . Sebba interviewed many of the surviving women, and tells their stories here, many for the first time . . . Les Parisiennes insists on the moral incertitude of wartime, 'especially through the eyes of women'. Perhaps because their lives were so complicated and roles so divided, they were more able to perceive, and be at home with, ambiguity . . . I am filled with admiration not only for the women themselves, but for Sebba's heroic research, for her meticulous tracking of these people and their exploits, of their fragility and their strength. This book is an important reminder of the fact that fully half of the story of the second world war is buried in memory and the archive, and has only recently been unearthed' -- Lauren Elkin * GUARDIAN *'This is an elegant, enthralling and richly illustrated account of how the female residents of the French capital survived the Second World War and its aftermath with Parisian panache' -- Caroline Sanderson * SUNDAY EXPRESS *'In the inter-war years women, who were yet to win the vote, had been encouraged to remain at home with motherhood vaunted as the ideal of womanhood. The reality of war propelled women into very different and often dangerous roles and it is these roles that Sebba explores in this powerful and moving book . . . Sebba's researches have been exhaustive: she has interviewed survivors and read countless documents' -- Vanessa Berridge * DAILY EXPRESS *'Anne Sebba's tour de force of research and reflection, Les Parisiennes, is a testament of silk and sacrifice; of choices to resist or collaborate with the Nazis; of dalliance, defiance, and survival that turned on a concierge's random kindness or a stick of gelignite strapped to the chest . . . Sebba sources first-time stories of wartime women and records tales of collaboration horizontale with real sensitivity for the 'moral ambiguity' of those who exchanged sexual favours for privileges - or survival . . . extraordinary and evocative' -- Madeleine Kingsley * JEWISH CHRONICLE *

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Book SynopsisThe inaugural title in a collaboration between the Wiener Library and Granta Books. These two pamphlets, 'Prelude to Pogroms? Facts for the Thoughtful' and 'German Judaism in Political, Economic and Cultural Terms' mark the first time that Alfred Wiener, the founder of the Wiener Holocaust Library, has been published in English. Together they offer a vital insight into the antisemitic onslaught Germany's Jews were subjected to as the Nazi Party rose to power, and introduce a sharp and sympathetic thinker and speaker to a contemporary audience. Tackling issues such as the planned rise of antisemitism and the scapegoating of minorities, these pamphlets speak as urgently to the contemporary moment as they provide a window on to the past.

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Book SynopsisA New York Times Notable Book of 2014Smuggled out of Europe after the collapse of Germany, Eichmann managed to live a peaceful and active exile in Argentina for years before his capture by the Mossad. Though once widely known by nicknames such as 'Manager of the Holocaust', he was able to portray himself, from the defendant's box in Jerusalem in 1960, as an overworked bureaucrat following orders – no more, he said, than 'just a small cog in Adolf Hitler's extermination machine'.How was this carefully crafted obfuscation possible? How did a principal architect of the Final Solution manage to disappear? How had he occupied himself in hiding?Drawing upon an astounding trove of newly discovered documentation, Stangneth gives us a chilling portrait not of a reclusive, taciturn war criminal on the run, but of a highly skilled social manipulator with an inexhaustible ability to reinvent himself, an unrepentant murderer eager for acolytes to discuss past glories and vigorously planning future goals.Trade ReviewEichmann before Jerusalem is history at its best. Meticulously researched, compellingly argued, engagingly written. Bettina Stangneth confronts Hannah Arendt’s notion of the 'banality of evil' with important new evidence and nuanced insight, permitting a fresh and informed reassessment of this riven debate. Arendt would surely have applauded the Stangneth challenge -- Timothy W. RybackStangneth has mined an extraordinary trove of new documentary material… Meticulous, scholarly and highly readable... A tour de force of historical revision -- Ben Macintyre * The Times *Thanks to this brilliant book, exhaustively researched and convincingly argued, the veil has at last been lifted [on Eichmann's role in the Holocaust] -- Saul David * The Daily Telegraph *Absorbing... Bettina Stangneth's disturbing account of Adolf Eichmann's years in exile reveals the full extent of his cynicism, inhumanity and moral self-deception -- Richard J Evans * Guardian *Eichmann Before Jerusalem is both an unintimidated challenge to Hannah Arendt’s glib notion of Eichmann’s insignificance and a clear analysis of the origins and enduring uses of Holocaust Denial * Times Literary Supplement *

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Book SynopsisLeon Leyson (born Leib Lezjon) was only ten years old when the Nazis invaded Poland and his family was forced to relocate to the Krakow ghetto. With incredible luck, perseverance and grit, Leyson was able to survive the sadism of the Nazis, including that of the demonic Amon Goeth, commandant of Plaszow, the concentration camp outside Krakow. Ultimately, it was the generosity and cunning of one man, a man named Oskar Schindler, who saved Leon Leyson''s life, and the lives of his mother, his father, and two of his four siblings, by adding their names to his list of workers in his factory - a list that became world renowned: Schindler''s List. This, the only memoir published by a former Schindler''s List child, perfectly captures the innocence of a small boy who goes through the unthinkable. Most notable is the lack of rancour, the lack of venom, and the abundance of dignity in Mr Leyson''s telling. The Boy on the Wooden Boxis a legacy of hope, a memoir unlike anything you''ve ev

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Book SynopsisTHE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER FROM THE WINNER OF THE BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE''Hypnotic, shocking and unputdownable'' JOHN LE CARRÉ''Remarkable'' THE SUNDAY TIMES''Breathtaking, gripping, shattering'' ELIF SHAFAK''A taut and finely crafted factual thriller'' OBSERVER''A triumph of research and brilliant storytelling'' ANTONY BEEVOR''Extraordinary'' EVENING STANDARDIn this riveting real-life thriller, Philippe Sands offers a unique account of the daily life of senior Nazi SS Brigadeführer Otto Freiherr von Wächter and his wife, Charlotte. Drawing on a remarkable archive of family letters and diaries, he unveils a fascinating insight into life before and during the war, as a fugitive on the run in the Alps and then in Rome, and into the Cold War. Eventually the door is unlocked to a mystery that haunts Wächter''s youngest son, who continues to believe his father was a good man - what happenedTrade ReviewA gripping adventure, an astounding journey of discovery and a terrifying and timely portrait of evil in all its complexity, banality, self-justification and madness. A stunning achievement -- STEPHEN FRYHypnotic, shocking and unputdownable -- JOHN LE CARRÉBreathtaking, gripping, and ultimately, shattering. Philippe Sands has done the unimaginable: look a butcher in the eye and tell his story without flinching -- ELIF SHAFAKA triumph of research and brilliant storytelling -- ANTONY BEEVORRemarkable . . . Sands's untangling of the mysteries surrounding Otto von Wächter is masterfully done * THE SUNDAY TIMES *This is a burningly necessary book. Sands makes a gently unsparing dissection of deception, love, delusion and ineradicable evil. Elegant, painstaking, passionate and quietly enraging -- A L KENNEDYThis is a taut and finely crafted factual thriller, reminiscent in density and pace of John le Carré . . . a feat of exhilarating storytelling - gripping, gratifying and morally robust * OBSERVER *The forensic stamina and precision that garnered such praise for Sands' 2016 work EAST WEST STREET are equally in evidence here. THE RATLINE is not only about events in the past, but their dangerous legacy in the world today. A formidable piece of historical sleuthing written with all the pace and suspense of a thriller, it is a timely reminder that crimes against humanity don't occur only at the level of states and governments. They take place also in the more secret and less fathomable depths of people's hearts and minds -- Rebecca Abrams * FINANCIAL TIMES *Extraordinary. In fast-paced, John le Carré-like pages (spies, Nazi-hunters, dark Vatican forces) . . . THE RATLINE is an electrifying true crime for the contagion lockdown * EVENING STANDARD *Sands is a terrier at research . . . The seething world of post-war Rome, with its senior fascists reprieved and returning to prominence, its war criminals lurking in hiding, its spies and secret services brokering deals and its adventurers and profiteers making fortunes, has seldom been more vividly described -- Caroline Moorehead * SPECTATOR *A book of twists and intrigues as complex as any le Carré thriller . . . like its predecessor, [it] is replete with vivid descriptions and Sands brings to it the same relentless narrative momentum * LITERARY REVIEW *Fascinating . . . Switching between the distant and very recent past, the book is episodic in nature, but this only makes it more compelling. It combines a mystery with a straight retelling of history - shining a light into one of the less investigated corners of the Nazi era and its aftermath - and a thoughtful inquiry into how we reckon with it -- David Bennum * MAIL ON SUNDAY *THE RATLINE is a compelling piece of forensic historical research - one that is every bit as good as EAST WEST STREET * THE TELEGRAPH *A truly extraordinary book - a forensic yet deeply humane and measured exploration of the human capacity for self-deception and cruelty -- HENRY MARSHHas the illuminating brilliance of a magnesium flame and a pace worthy of John le Carré . . . THE RATLINE is a cunningly constructed courtroom drama in book form . . . It is detailed, it is damning - all the more so because of the author's dispassionate decency * SUNDAY EXPRESS, S MAGAZINE *Fascinating . . . superbly researched and brilliantly told. East West Street was one of the outstanding books of the past decade . . . The Ratline - part history, part thriller - is a superb companion piece, shedding light on the astonishing cynicism of the early years of the Cold War, when Nazis, Americans and Catholic clergy made strange bedfellows. Both should be read together. They are a fascinating account of the war between law and barbarism * NEW STATESMAN *Vivid and complex . . . Sands has skilfully avoided the catalogue of inhumanity often detailed in books about the Nazis, preferring a low-key, gently poignant approach that makes the occasional intrusion of moments of horror all the more shocking * DAILY EXPRESS *Brilliant . . . extraordinarily moving * DAILY MIRROR *A gripping tale, crammed with twists and turns . . . enthralling * HISTORY TODAY *THE RATLINE is tragic and unforgettable . . . Sands has the artfulness of a born storyteller, as well as deadly forensic skills and formidable patience at reaching his ends. He unwraps his evidence in spare, clear, convincing prose with a taut control that keeps one on tenterhooks . . . Sands's intellectual passion, his crusading zeal and his compassion for the dead and wounded make this a great book * THE OLDIE *It is this present-day drama, rather than the historical story, that makes this book so extraordinary. Readers will, much like the author, find themselves longing for Horst to open his eyes. That he finds this so difficult to do is simultaneously poignant and grotesque * BBC HISTORY MAGAZINE *Diaries, encrypted letters and secret documents are dissected by a mastermind . . . a great achievement -- CEES NOOTEBOOMIn a story that is as gripping as any thriller, Philippe Sands uncovers new evidence about exactly what happened to von Wachter leading up to his unexpected death in 1949 * JEWISH RENAISSANCE *A riveting exposé . . . a gripping blend of historical scholarship and clever detective work * STRONG WORDS *Engrossing . . . Part history, part memoir and part detective story, it's a thought-provoking read * CHOICE MAGAZINE, Book of the Month *An astonishing amount of research and expertise has gone into the making of this book . . . a compelling historical and human drama * THE TABLET *Gripping . . . fascinating and important. It's a testament to Sands - his fiercely inquiring mind, his excellent researchers, the wealth of documents and his ability to make them come to life - that the book is so suspenseful. This important book makes clear that the more difficult work of history may not be in tracking down the ones who tried to escape, but in confronting the ones who didn't * The New York Times *extraordinary study * The Sunday Times *

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Book SynopsisBorn into a Jewish ghetto in Hungary, as a child, Elie Wiesel was sent to the Nazi concentration camps at Auschwitz and Buchenwald. This is his account of that atrocity: the ever-increasing horrors he endured, the loss of his family and his struggle to survive in a world that stripped him of humanity, dignity and faith. Describing in simple terms the tragic murder of a people from a survivor's perspective, Night is among the most personal, intimate and poignant of all accounts of the Holocaust. A compelling consideration of the darkest side of human nature and the enduring power of hope, it remains one of the most important works of the twentieth century.Trade ReviewA slim volume of terrifying power * The New York Times *Through his eyes, we witness the depths of both human cruelty and human grace—and we're left grappling with what remains of Elie, a teenage boy caught between the two. I gain courage from his courage * Oprah Winfrey *Through his eyes, we witness the depths of both human cruelty and human grace—and we're left grappling with what remains of Elie, a teenage boy caught between the two. I gain courage from his courage * Oprah Winfrey *

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewTotally gripping … A fascinating, revelatory and surreal WWII story of almost incredible courage and unspeakable horror – how a Polish resistance fighter helped reveal the secret of the final solution from inside Auschwitz * Simon Sebag Montefiore *A remarkable book. Fairweather’s account is often harrowing; but it is an important account of the suffering and tragedy in Nazi death camps, told using many previously unpublished sources - and from a new perspective. * Peter Frankopan *Well-researched, well-written and searingly memorable, Jack Fairweather’s book reminds us of the capacity for nobility in the human soul in times of unimaginable peril * Andrew Roberts, bestselling author of ‘Churchill: Walking with Destiny’ *Few books have enthralled, incensed and haunted me as “The Volunteer” has done. There were times I felt compelled to set it aside. There were others when hours of reading passed in what felt like moments … This is a story that has long deserved a robust, faithful telling, and he has delivered it * Wall Street Journal *An extraordinary story * The Times *Superbly written and breathtakingly researched … a story of incalculable value delivered in the most compelling prose I have read in a long time * Sebastian Junger, #1 New York Times bestselling author and award-winning journalist *What distinguishes The Volunteer is Fairweather’s meticulous attention to accuracy … if it sometimes seems as though there is nothing left to uncover about the Holocaust, Fairweather’s gripping book proves otherwise * The Spectator *Combines the verve of a thriller with the detailed evidence of the sober, hideous truth -- Anne de Courcy * The Telegraph *A searing account … a fitting memorial to one of Poland’s greatest war heroes and a shaming indictment of the western allies’ failure to act * Sunday Times *A forceful narrative with unstoppable reading momentum, Fairweather has created an insightful biography of a covert war hero and an extraordinary contribution to the history of the Holocaust. * Starred booklist review *Witold Pilecki is one of the great—perhaps the greatest—unsung heroes of the second world war ... Jack Fairweather's meticulous and insightful book is likely to be the definitive version of this extraordinary life * Economist *An outstanding achievement ... a harrowing tale, revealing the depths of human depravity, redeemed by the shining courage and nobility of one of humanity's heroes. * Patrick Bishop, bestselling author FIGHTER BOYS *

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Book SynopsisThe No. 1 international bestseller, with a foreword by His Holiness Pope Francis, who made headlines in 2021 when he kissed Lidia's Auschwitz identification tattoo.The unforgettable, moving true story of the little girl who survived Auschwitz's 'Angel of Death', Dr Mengele. Lidia was just three years old when she arrived in Auschwitz-Birkenau with her mother, a member of the partisan resistance from Belarus. The bewildered little girl was picked out by Dr Josef Mengele for his sadistic experiments and sent to the infamous children’s block, where every day was a fight for survival. In eighteen months of hell she came close to death more than once.Her mother, who risked her life to visit Lidia, gave her strength. But when the camp was liberated, her mother was gone, presumed dead. Lidia, by now deeply traumatised, was adopted by a Polish woman. But then, in 1962, she discovered that her birth parents were still alive in the USSR, and Lidia was faced with an agonising choice . . .Lidia’s extraordinary story has touched hearts around the world, and she has made it her mission to bear witness to the Holocaust so that the truth may never be forgotten. This is a powerful and ultimately hopeful account by a remarkable woman who refuses to hate those who hurt her. She says, ‘Hate only brings more hate. Love, on the other hand, has the power to redeem.’'Unforgettable' - Daily MailPreviously published as The Little Girl Who Could Not Cry.Trade ReviewUnforgettable * Daily Mail *

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Book SynopsisFor decades, history ignored the Nazi persecution of gay people. Only with the rise of the gay movement in the 1970s did historians finally recognize that gay people, like Jews and others deemed “undesirable,” suffered enormously at the hands of the Nazi regime. Of the few who survived the concentration camps, even fewer ever came forward to tell their stories. This heart wrenchingly vivid account of one man's arrest and imprisonment by the Nazis for the crime of homosexuality, now with a new foreword by Sarah Schulman, remains an essential contribution to gay history and our understanding of historical fascism, as well as a remarkable and complex story of survival and identity.Table of ContentsPreface by Sarah SchulmanIntroduction by Klaus Müller1. Imprisoned as a “Degenerate”2. Arrival at Sachsenhausen3. A Camp of Torture and Toil4. Flossenbürg5. The Polish Boys and the Gypsy Capo6. Commander “Dustbag”7. Burnings and Tortures8. A Pink-Triangled Capo9. A “Cure” for Homosexuality, and Air Raids10. The End, and Home AgainGlossary

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Book SynopsisHolocaust to Resistance, My Journey is a powerful, awe-inspiring memoir from author and activist Suzanne Berliner Weiss. Born to Jewish parents in Paris in 1941, Suzanne was hidden from the Nazis on a farm in rural France. Alone after the war, she lived in Communist-run orphanages, where she gained a belief in peace and brotherhood. Adoption by a New York family led to a tumultuous youth haunted by domestic conflict, fear of nuclear war and anti-communist repression, consignment to a detention home and magical steps toward relinking with her origins in Europe. At age seventeen, Suzanne became a lifelong social activist, engaged in student radicalization, the Cuban Revolution, and movements for Black Power, women’s liberation, peace in Vietnam and freedom for Palestine. Now nearing eighty, Suzanne tells how the ties of friendship, solidarity and resistance that saved her as a child speak to the needs of our planet today.Table of ContentsContents: In the Mountains of Auvergne (France, 2017) • Recovery from Fascism (France, 1943–48) • The Lady from America (France, 1948–50) • My New World (New York, 1950–54) • Being Jewish in America (New York, 1954–56) • Family in Crisis (New York, 1956–57) • A Blind Date Brings a Miracle (New York, 1957) • A Feud Causes Chaos (New York, 1958) • On Strike for Justice (New York, 1958) • A New Beginning (Los Angeles, 1958–59) • Path to Independence (California, 1959–60) • Honeymoon in a Revolution (Cuba, 1960) • Fair Play for Cuba (Los Angeles, 1960–62) • A Wrenching Decision (Los Angeles, 1961) • Engaging with Black Liberation (Los Angeles and Chicago, 1963–65) • Fajga’s Plan for My Safety (Chicago and New York, 1963–72) • First Woman on the Web Press (New York, 1965–72) • Assistant to Veteran Socialists (Los Angeles, 1972–75) • Pioneering Women’s Rights (New Orleans, 1975–79) • Facing Up to Labour’s Retreat (New Orleans, 1979–83) • Poland, Nicaragua and Uncertainties (1981–84) • The Buck Stops Here (Virginia and New York, 1984–87) • Restoring Family Ties (New York, 1984–87) • Land of My Birth (France, 1988) • New Home in the North (Toronto, 1994–2003) • The Town My Mother Left Behind (Poland, 1939–45) • The Call of Global Solidarity (Toronto, 2004–16) • Not in My Name (Toronto, Egypt, 2005–17) • The Human Thing to Do (Auvergne, 2011–15) • “Solidarity, Generosity and Love” (Auvergne, 2015–17) • The Road Ahead • Acknowledgments • Sources • Index

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Book SynopsisA meticulously researched book that collects twelve playscripts written by European Jews imprisoned in the Terezín ghetto during the Holocaust. The concentration camp and Jewish ghetto at Terezín, or Theresienstadt, in what is now the Czech Republic, was a site of enormous suffering, fear, and death. But amid this horrific period, there was also a thriving and desperately vibrant cultural life. While the children’s drawings and musical pieces created in the ghetto have become justly famous, the prisoners’ theatrical works, though a lesser-known aspect of their artistic endeavors, deserves serious attention as well. Performing Captivity, Performing Escape collects twelve theatrical texts—cabaret songs and sketches, historical and verse dramas, puppet plays, and a Purim play—written by Czech and Austrian Jews. Together these works reveal the wide range of ways in which the prisoners engaged with and escaped from life in the ghetto through performance. The anthology opens with an insightful prologue by novelist Ivan Klíma, who was interned in the ghetto as a child and contains a detailed introduction by editor Lisa Peschel about the pre-war theatrical influences and wartime conditions that inspired the theater of the ghetto. The array of theatrical forms collected in this anthology speaks of the prisoners’ persistence of hope in a harrowing time and will be a moving read for students and scholars of the Holocaust. Trade Review“Performing Captivity, Performing Escape is a fascinating, heartbreaking, frequently witty collection that has been translated with love and care, and that brings to light art that has heretofore been hidden. When you add the essays, thorough biographical notes, and beautiful, evocative artwork, you end up with a powerful portrait of a tragic era in Central European history and of the power of art to ameliorate suffering.”—Austrian Studies Newsmagazine “Performing Captivity, Performing Escape is a fascinating, heartbreaking, frequently witty collection that has been translated with love and care, and that brings to light art that has heretofore been hidden. When you add the essays, thorough biographical notes, and beautiful, evocative artwork, you end up with a powerful portrait of a tragic era in Central European history and of the power of art to ameliorate suffering.” * Austrian Studies Newsmagazine *Table of ContentsList of IllustrationsAcknowledgementsPronunciation GuideEdition Notes and ConventionsIntroductionPrologue:?Terezín Theater by Ivan KlimaPart 1:?Czech-Language Texts1.Radio Show2.Looking for a Specter3.Songs from the Revue Prince Bettliegend4.The Smoke of Home 5.Laugh with Us6.The Second Czech CabaretPart 2:?German-Language Texts1.From the Strauss Cabarets2.The Treasure3.A Puppet Play in Ten Acts4.Purimspiel5.The Death of Orpheus6.The Insult—But Unintended; 7.or, The Man with the Defective Memory 8.A Theresienstadt Courtroom Scene9.From the Hofer Cabarets10.Epilogue: New Year’s Eve in the Oederan Slave-Labor CampGlossaryBibliography

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Book Synopsis'Gripping, heartbreaking and uplifting.' Christy Lefteri, author of the million-copy bestseller The Beekeeper of AleppoTHEIR STORY WILL BREAK YOUR HEARTTHEIR JOURNEY WILL FILL YOU WITH HOPEYOU WILL NEVER FORGET THEIR NAMESWhen they are little girls, Cibi, Magda and Livia make a promise to their father - that they will stay together, no matter what. Years later, at just 15, Livia is ordered to Auschwitz by the Nazis. Cibi, only 19 herself, remembers their promise and follows Livia, determined to protect her sister, or die with her. Together, they fight to survive through unimaginable cruelty and hardship.Magda, only 17, stays with her mother and grandfather, hiding out in a neighbour's attic or in the forest when the Nazi militia come to round up friends, neighbours and family. She escapes for a time, but eventually she too is captured and transported to the death camp.In Auschwitz-Birkenau the three sisters are reunited and, remembering their father, they make a new promise, this time to each other: That they will survive.Three Sisters is a beautiful story of hope in the hardest of times and of finding love after loss. Heather Morris is the global bestselling author of The Tattooist of Auschwitz and Cilka's Journey, which have sold eight million copies worldwide. Three Sisters is her third novel, and the final piece in the phenomenon that is the Tattooist of Auschwitz series.Trade ReviewAt the heart of this unbearably sad, but ultimately uplifting novel is the unbreakable bond shared between three sisters . . . A gruelling read, but the vivid resilience of the girls, their constant care and affection for each other, is immeasurably comforting * Daily Mail *Offers a fascinating glimpse into life after the horrors of Auschwitz. And that's what makes this book stand out . . . A story of hope, spirit and sheer human resilience * Sunday Express *Emotionally affecting storytelling * Top page-turners selection for Daily Telegraph *Another heart-wrenching, deftly told tale . . . it is hard not to be moved by such a chronicle * Mail on Sunday *Heartbreaking yet inspiring, this is a moving tale of bravery, the power of love and survival against the odds * My Weekly *A stunning novel * People Magazine *Morris skillfully chronicles the lives of the sisters from childhood to old age, balancing fictional invention with extensive research and immersion into the Mellers' lives. Readers will be greatly inspired by this story of resilience * Publishers Weekly starred review *Readers of historical and World War II fiction will be gripped by the conclusion to Morris's trilogy * Library Journal *Emotional and inspiring * Platinum Magazine *This book! I loved it. The fact that this is a true story means a lot, but the author is so skilled that you really live through the experiences of these girls. Each of them comes to life and is very much her own person. If I could give it more than five stars, I would. * 5* Netgalley review *I really enjoyed this book because it was very different to the others as this was about the bond of three sisters and not giving up on the others, about sticking together no matter what and getting through the war and staying safe. There is a lot to be taken from these incredible women stories. I highly recommend this book to everyone!! * Steph Reads Blog *Heather Morris's books are written with such care and feeling. This is the story of three sisters and how they coped with the horrors they witnessed in the camps during WW2 and their fight and determination to survive. Excellent book and very emotional. * 5* Netgalley review *This novel is testament to the power that love and devotion can get you through everything. Just like Heather Morris' other works this is also well-written, you get sucked in and before you know it you have read 50 pages in an afternoon! It is interesting that this book doesn't just end with the sister's release from Auschwitz like most other WWII memoirs but carries on and explains how the sisters slowly heal and move on with the rest of their lives. * 5* Netgalley review *An incredible book from start to finish, so emotional and so powerful, every chapter left me desperate to read on. I felt so invested in the lives of the three sisters, and as a reader you become so connected to them, especially as this book spans more than just their lives in Auschwitz, looking at both before and after, meaning they become the three-dimensional people they deserve to be. This was just as excellent as Heather Morris' previous books! * Emma is Reading a Book blog *I absolutely adored Heather's two previous novels - The Tattooist of Auschwitz and Cilka's Journey - so I was more than excited to see she'd written another book. I love that these stories are real, and Heather has been chosen as the guardian of them. She manages to portray the joy amongst the pain, fear, and desperation. What they went through was terrible, but she's managed to ensure we don't forget the beauty the sisters experienced too. * Books by my Bedside blog *I was deeply moved and an emotional wreck for great chunks of this book. If you have read and been moved by Heather Morris's previous books, this is a must read. If you've never read anything in this genre, this is a must read. A dark and bleak but ultimately life-affirming journey, with hope in the darkest days, a determination to survive and to care for those that you love. A vitally important book to never forget, and a reminder of the depth of human hope, love, and the will to survive. * Avid Reader blog *I am not normally one for historical reads, however, this has completely changed my perspective! I loved it! Incredibly gripping and heart-wrenching, would definitely recommend it. * Partridge Pages Blog *This book! I loved it. It was one of those that I was so sorry when I was finished it. The author is so skilled that you really live through the experiences of these girls. And each of them comes to life and is very much her own person. If I could give it more than five stars, I would. * 5* Review from Netgalley *Having read Heather Morris' previous two books, I could not wait to read Three Sisters and it really did not disappoint. Incredibly well written and atmospheric. Everything was handled sensitively and in an inspiring way. I would happily read more from Heather Morris in the future, and I can't wait to see what she does next. * 5* Review from Netgalley *The book is an honest, powerful, at times hard hitting recollection of what the Meller family went through. Once again Heather has taken the dreadful memories of Auschwitz survivors and created an amazing book. The way Heather writes these stories you feel like you have been on a journey and as you read you are almost an eyewitness to the atrocities survivors had to endure. * 5* Review from Netgalley *Prior to reading this book, I had read Heather Morris' The Tattooist of Auschwitz and found it incredibly moving. Three Sisters unveils a different, yet equally brutal side to the concentration camps, through the eyes of three fiercely loyal and brave sisters. Morris does such a wonderful job with such harrowing subject matter. Instead of highlighting or lingering on the horrors that occurred, she focuses on the sisters and their mother and grandfather. Their bond, courage and will to survive is astounding to read about and this is made all the more poignant by the strength of Morris' craft. The authors care for the real sisters' stories is evident throughout; her respect for them filters through the pages. It is no easy task to take someone's life story, particularly one so tragic, and craft it into a book like this. It takes a special person to do it. * 5* Netgalley review *My words are really not going to do this book justice. Heather Morris has (not surprisingly) delivered yet another deeply moving story of bravery, loyalty, survival and love, in defiance of the inconceivable horror and brutality faced at Auschwitz-Birkenau. A complete emotional rollercoaster, we follow sisters Cibi, Magda and Livi; their harrowing, eye opening story of resilience and strength shown throughout their journey and the story of their survival together. * 5* Netgalley review *Wow. I'm absolutely blown away. An extremely heart-breaking but wonderfully written book. What I say here will not do this book justice. Having read both The Tattooist of Auschwitz and Cilka's Journey; I had to of course read Three Sisters too. I think this is possibly my favourite book of the three. I loved how there was so much detail into their lives afterwards, survival, love and family. I would highly recommend that if you do read this book, to read the authors note at the end along with the afterwords. * 5* Netgalley review *Wow, this is such an incredible read. Ciba, Magda and Livia have an indescribable story to tell. They live through so much and Morris gives them a voice and retells everything they endured; good and bad. The three sisters are such strong women and I loved getting to know them, reading about their life and seeing what happened to them and those around them. Three Sisters is an absolute must read. It is powerful, moving and thought-provoking. * 4* review on Netgalley *A heart wrenching, emotional, sad and poignant read. I think the author has captured her characters feelings, thoughts and emotions very eloquently and as a reader you can't help but be affected by their story which had me in tears a few times. A very powerful and poignant read that will stay on my mind for a while. * 4* Netgalley review *If you enjoyed the first two books (`The Tattooist of Auschwitz and Cilka's Journey), then I think you'll equally enjoy this book. The three sisters fill the pages with bravery, family love and the ability to endure. At the end of the book, I had a lump in my throat as you see the large legacy that the three sisters grew: they endured, survived, and thrived which makes for a rewarding and inspiring read. * Between my Lines Blog *

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