*THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER* FROM THE AUTHOR OF EAST WEST STREET As Governor of Galicia, SS Brigadef???hrer Otto Freiherr von W???chter presided over an authority on whose territory hundreds of thousands of Jews and Poles were killed, including the family of the author's grandfather. By the time the war ended in May 1945, he was indicted for 'mass murder'. Hunted by the Soviets, the Americans, the Poles and the British, as well as groups of Jews, W???chter went on the run. He spent three years hiding in the Austrian Alps ...
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*THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER* FROM THE AUTHOR OF EAST WEST STREET As Governor of Galicia, SS Brigadef???hrer Otto Freiherr von W???chter presided over an authority on whose territory hundreds of thousands of Jews and Poles were killed, including the family of the author's grandfather. By the time the war ended in May 1945, he was indicted for 'mass murder'. Hunted by the Soviets, the Americans, the Poles and the British, as well as groups of Jews, W???chter went on the run. He spent three years hiding in the Austrian Alps, assisted by his wife Charlotte, before making his way to Rome where he was helped by a Vatican bishop. He remained there for three months. While preparing to travel to Argentina on the 'ratline' he died unexpectedly, in July 1949, a few days after spending a weekend with an 'old comrade'. In The Ratline Philippe Sands offers a unique account of the daily life of a senior Nazi and fugitive, and of his wife. Drawing on a remarkable archive of family letters and diaries, he unveils a fascinating insight into life before and during the war, on the run, in Rome, and into the Cold War. Eventually the door is unlocked to a mystery that haunts W???chter's youngest son, who continues to believe his father was a good man - what happened to Otto W???chter, and how did he die? *** 'A 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 FRY 'Hypnotic, shocking and unputdownable' JOHN LE CARR??? 'Breathtaking, gripping, and ultimately, shattering. Philippe Sands has done the unimaginable: look a butcher in the eye and tell his story without flinching' ELIF SHAFAK 'A triumph of research and brilliant storytelling' ANTONY BEEVOR
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Seller's Description:
Fine. B-format paperback. Contains: Unspecified. Includes unspecified. In Stock. 100% Money Back Guarantee. Brand New, Perfect Condition, allow 4-14 business days for standard shipping. To Alaska, Hawaii, U.S. protectorate, P.O. box, and APO/FPO addresses allow 4-28 business days for Standard shipping. No expedited shipping. All orders placed with expedited shipping will be cancelled. Over 3, 000, 000 happy customers.
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Seller's Description:
New. B-format paperback. Contains: Unspecified. Includes unspecified. In Stock. 100% Money Back Guarantee. Brand New, Perfect Condition, allow 4-14 business days for standard shipping. To Alaska, Hawaii, U.S. protectorate, P.O. box, and APO/FPO addresses allow 4-28 business days for Standard shipping. No expedited shipping. All orders placed with expedited shipping will be cancelled. Over 3, 000, 000 happy customers.
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Fine in Fine jacket. 1st Printing. A superb UK first edition, first printing hardback in a fine unclipped dustjacket-My books are always securely packed with plenty of bubblewrap in professional boxes and promptly dispatched (within 2-3 days)-SIGNED BY THE AUTHOR via a tipped-in page-Pictures available upon request.
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Good. Somewhat damaged. May have bumped corner, torn or missing dust cover, folded pages, light dust soil, remainder mark, price sticker, other damage, or be bent. 99% of orders arrive in 4-10 days.
The author, Phillipe Sands, is an indefatigable, even relentless, investigator and researcher, and the tale he tells of a high-ranking Nazi's activities during and after WWII is a compelling one. His treatment of the evidence, for and against Otto von Wachter, is modern, fair and balanced throughout. I enjoyed it thoroughly and definitely recommend it to others.
I give it only 4 stars for three reasons: the title, The Ratline, is a bit of a misnomer because the book is not an in-depth treatment of the escape routes that fleeing Nazi criminals used after the war; because the writing is sometimes repetitive; and -- for reasons only the publisher can supply -- the many photographs are small, dark, blurry, grainy and just plain hard to see.
