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 ...
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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?
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Add this copy of A Death in the Vatican to cart. $6.60, very good condition, Sold by Open Books Ltd rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Chicago, IL, UNITED STATES, published 2020 by Weidenfeld & Nicolson.
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Add this copy of A Death in the Vatican to cart. $6.61, good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Dallas rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2020 by Weidenfeld & Nicolson.
Add this copy of A Death in the Vatican to cart. $6.61, good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Baltimore rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Halethorpe, MD, UNITED STATES, published 2020 by Weidenfeld & Nicolson.
Add this copy of The Ratline: Love, Lies and Justice on the Trail of a to cart. $30.50, like new condition, Sold by Marlowes Books rated 3.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Ferny Hills, Brisbane, QLD, AUSTRALIA, published 2020 by Weidenfeld & Nicolson.
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.