Hanns and Rudolph
Hanns and Rudolf by Thomas Harding is a fascinating historical and personal account of the lives of Hanns Alexander a German Jews who captures Rudolf Hoss, the notorious commandant of Auschwitz. This is no dry historical tome, however, but the personal story of the lives of the two men, told in parallel. The subject of the book is harrowing in the extreme. The author, Thomas Harding, writes with a sensitive pen, yet does not shy away from the atrocities presided over by Hoss. It does, however, attempt to paint as accurate a picture as possible of the man, his family, his rise in the Nazi machine and the scope and scale of his work. It also shows the plight of the German Jews from the perspective of those who fled Germany in time to avoid persecution and settled in England. Hanns and his brother join the British Army and in due course become British Nationals.
WWII and the holocaust should never be lost from the world’s conscience and this is an excellent way of ensuring the story will continue to be told.
By Wendy Cartmell