Cheeky title!

I downloaded this because I’m interested in the Nuremberg trials. Little did I know that Nuremberg was going to occupy about one fifth of the book, the other four fifths being devoted to the author’s autobiography! It was a bit offputting when it became obvious that the trials were going to be left behind and, here we are, embarking on the life story of someone we’ve never heard of.
However, both parts are extremely interesting, and if by headlining Nuremberg the author managed to get his life story published, who can blame him? At Nuremberg he was mainly involved in pre trial interpretation of the war criminals, accompanying the various lawyers needing to build up their cases but, astonishingly, he also seems to have been allowed to interview the accused on his own, apparently confronting them and extracting interesting quotes, denials, confessions. I use the words “seems & “apparently” because I have a niggling doubt about the veracity of this (then) young man’s personal involvement in so much sensitive work - but who knows? I have a feeling I’ve heard all the Nazi’s words before, so it would be easy enough to incorporate them in a book saying it was you who winkled them out!
Our hero apparently self excluded from interpreting at the trial itself, telling his bosses he felt inadequate to do the speedy simultaneous translation required, so with his own involvement at an end, the Nuremberg section abruptly ends too.

We then pass to his life, which he chronicles faultlessly in terms of capturing the living conditions, beliefs and atmosphere of pre War Germany, and the family values and uprightness of a Jewish family. As anti-semitism grows, the book gets really scary. The author and his family manage to escape at the last viable moment, though with children and parents in different countries and not before the parents have been treated atrociously, leaving them scarred and timid for life. There follows a spell in an enlightened English boarding school, which the author loves, and does well (there is nothing, ever, at which he does not come top of the class!) but interrupted by internment. The author is caught up because he’s considered a German thus enemy alien, not a Jewish refugee. It’s an object lesson to hear a first person account of the cloddish, clumsy selection of internees in our country, where Jewish refugees, Poles etc were banged up together with vicious Nazi POWs, some of the British guards being sadists and not much better than Nazis themselves. With a herd of others, the author gets shipped to Australia where, again, he performs some feat that earns him special treatment, so off he goes to India where, apparently still in internment, he leads a life of freedom, even getting himself some employment,. Again, in this section, the author gives some compelling descriptions of the scenes and atmosphere there, and of the supine attitudes of many Indians, downtrodden by Imperialism.
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Then comes a miraculous visa for the USA and he’s able to join his parents, develop an American accent and set off on a career path. US abandonment of neutrality happens, so he enlists, does some important fighting and truck driving in France and at The Bulge, before being identified as properly bilingual and sent to Nuremberg. All before he was 20!

Despite getting a bit fed up and slightly sceptical of the author’s self aggrandisement, I actually loved most of this book, which you could almost call a picaresque novel. He does get around; he does have lucky breaks; he does work hard to improve his lot. But he also observes human beings and their foibles, and develops a world view that positively condemns hatred, prejudice, exclusion, sheep like behaviour and poor education, and tries to follow an honourable, humane way of life - not far off from the concepts of behaviour handed down by his parents. There’s an interesting episode when, much later on, he visits the high school in his German home town, and finds both students and teachers unable to think for themselves or venture an opinion. Because of its location his town became part of East Germany, so its citizens have endured 12 years of Nazi indoctrination followed by almost 50 of the Communist version. Even 3 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, the citizens are still downtrodden and timid.

One thing this author must be applauded for is getting very close to the “whys” and “hows’ of a population being so easily converted to, essentially, acts of evil. There wasn’t much evidence of the so-called “good German”, he concludes. Many psychologists have tried to plumb the Nazi mentality but Richard Sonnenfeldt to my mind comes out with the best explanation.

Warts & all this is a humane, sympathetic account of a life well lived in often difficult circumstances by someone with great observational & descriptive powers who lets the reader in to every aspect of this extraordinary and sometimes bizarre life.

No complaints about the narrator. Once you get used to his tone, he takes you on the ride adeptly.

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A great book and life

An incredible life and someone I would very much have liked to have been able to meet

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Horrific, historical, personal story.

The author takes you on a journey. From court life. To early Jewish life and traditions. Then back to Army life. It is a tough read. But in away wonderful that we can be better. We have no excuses for prejudice. x

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Really enjoyed listening to this rendition.

As someone who spent 3 years in Buchenwald Concentration Camp, it good to listen to how the trials was organised by someone who actually took part in the trials themselves.

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Amazing life story; more than just Nuremberg

I must admit, that in my haste to sample a book about the War Trials, I didn't expect the life story of this author - but what a bonus! A life well lived, and an amazing perspective brings much more depth to a German Jewish lad's lot. Very illuminating, inspiring and food for thought.

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What a life story!

This man has led such a full and eventful life. I would definitely recommend this book.

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Much more than a history book

I had never heard of this book and had read world war 2 history in the past. This book made me think deeply about the experiences of the people who lived through that time, especially the unknown people who lived through that time, more so than any history book I have ever read previously. The focus on his village, and the stories of the people born and living there, was a large part of that. In fact, the first Chapters on the trials themselves, who also compelling and important, did not effect me as much as the personal story of the author.

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What an amazing life

Firstly, the narrators voice takes some getting used to, but once you do the story is awesome. This man went through so much and had such a positive life in such a negative period of history. He turned everything bad that happened to him to his advantage. There was never a dull moment in this and it was interesting to get a first eye look at life after the war.

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2 people found this helpful

narration comes over a little grandiose.

this is a really good book but the style of the narration is a bit grandiose and over the top and comes over as a vanity project which it defiantly is not.

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1 person found this helpful

awesome

powerful and erudite - a required listen for everyone. lest we forget, especially with the rise of trump

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