'How long does a column take? Well it's 1,150 words and it usually takes between two and three hours to write down. But in reality it has taken me somewhere between three hours and the entirety of my life since I was eight years old.'
The narrative unfolds through the harrowing experiences of two families during World War II, highlighting their resilience amidst the horrors inflicted by both Hitler and Stalin. Daniel Finkelstein chronicles the extraordinary survival of his parents, Mirjam and Ludwik, who faced unimaginable trials, from Bergen-Belsen to forced labor in Kazakhstan. The book combines personal testimonies, letters, and historical research, revealing a poignant tale of courage, ingenuity, and the enduring spirit of love against a backdrop of immense suffering and loss.
'Epic, moving and important' Robert Harris From longstanding political columnist and commentator Daniel Finkelstein, a powerful memoir exploring both his mother and his father's devastating experiences of persecution, resistance and survival during the Second World War.
'A compelling account of a compulsory subject ... A masterpiece of compression and readability' Daniel Finkelstein 'A deft, clear-eyed summary of Thatcher's life' Rory Stewart 'Iain Dale introduces Margaret Thatcher to a new generation and intelligently explodes some of the myths about her' Simon Heffer Margaret Thatcher was a woman of tremendous paradoxes: a conviction politician who was also a pragmatist; someone who delighted in her tough reputation, yet could also be emotional, and even tearful, when confronted by personal or national tragedy. Her reputation as a cabinet leader was one of being quasi-dictatorial, yet she left her ministers to get on with their jobs - far more than any of her successors ever have. She was known as a classical laissez faire liberal, yet she started out as a social conservative, and wasn't averse to state intervention when she felt it was warranted. Iain Dale's sparkling short biography of Margaret Thatcher brings her to life in all her paradoxes and contradictions, and shows how her election in 1979 really was a turning point in British history. Dubbed the 'Iron Lady' by the Soviets, she was one of the few recent prime ministers to burnish an international reputation, fighting the Falklands war, playing a leading role in defeating Communism and winning the Cold War, and through her battles with the European Economic Community. Domestically, she ushered in a period of forty years of consensus on the limited role of the state, an industrial relations settlement and the dominance of the private sector in the economy - a settlement that is only now being seriously questioned. A little over a decade after her death, Margaret Thatcher introduces her to new generations of readers who may not remember her premiership, but who are living with its consequences.
Daniel Finkelsteins bedeutendes Buch ist ein eindringliches Porträt seiner Mutter und seines Vaters und ihrer erschütternden Erfahrungen von Verfolgung, Widerstand und Überleben im Zweiten Weltkrieg. Daniels Mutter Mirjam wurde in Berlin geboren. Ihr Vater Alfred Wiener war der Erste, der erkannte, was für eine Gefahr von Hitler für die Juden ausging. Ab 1933 katalogisierte er die Nazi-Verbrechen minutiös. Er floh mit der Familie nach Amsterdam und verlegte seine Bibliothek nach London. Aber noch vor der Übersiedlung von Frau und Kindern marschierten die Deutschen in Holland ein und schickten sie nach Bergen-Belsen. Daniels Vater Ludwik kam in Lwiw als einziges Kind einer wohlhabenden jüdischen Familie zur Welt. Nach der Aufteilung Polens durch Hitler und Stalin 1939 wurde die Familie von den Kommunisten zusammengetrieben und zur Zwangsarbeit in einen sibirischen Gulag geschickt. Ludwik arbeitete in einer Kolchose und überlebte die eisigen Winter in einem winzigen Haus aus Kuhdung.