Synopses & Reviews
December 1944. Soviet and German troops fight from house to house in the shattered, corpse-strewn suburbs of Budapest. Crazed Hungarian fascists join with die-hard Nazis to slaughter Jews day and night, turning the Danube blood-red. In less than six months, thirty-eight-year-old SS Colonel Adolf Eichmann has sent over half a million Hungarians to the gas chambers in Auschwitz. Now all that prevents him from liquidating Europeandrsquo;s last Jewish ghetto is an unarmed Swedish diplomatic envoy named Raoul Wallenberg.
The Envoy is the stirring tale of how one man made the greatest difference in the face of untold evil. The legendary Oscar Schindler saved hundreds, but Raoul Wallenberg did what no other individual or nation managed to do: He saved more than 100,000 Jewish men, women, and children from extermination.
Written with Alex Kershawandrsquo;s customary narrative verve, The Envoy is a fast-paced, nonfiction thriller that brings to life one of the darkest and yet most inspiring chapters of twentieth century history. It is an epic for the ages.
Review
Booklist, July 2010
“From a best-selling and vibrant writer, the compelling story of how a Swedish diplomat saved 100,000 Hungarian Jews from deportation to the death camps. Many books have been called major contributions to Holocaust literature, but in this case, the claim is true.”
Review
Booklist, July 2010
andldquo;From a best-selling and vibrant writer, the compelling story of how a Swedish diplomat saved 100,000 Hungarian Jews from deportation to the death camps. Many books have been called major contributions to Holocaust literature, but in this case, the claim is true.andrdquo;Kirkus Reviews, 9/1/10andldquo;The life of a courageous, righteous man well told.andrdquo;and#160;Booklist, 10/1/10andldquo;A tense, fast-moving narrative that shows Wallenberg as a match for Eichmann in intelligence and determination as he utilized fake documents, safe houses, and a variety of other methods to save thousands of Jewish lives. This is an inspiring story that illustrates how one dedicated human can make an impact, even against a monstrous tyranny.andrdquo;and#160;WWII Magazine
andldquo;The entwined tales of Raoul Wallenberg and Adolf Eichmann, revisited with new research and this best-selling writerandrsquo;s narrative flair.andrdquo;and#160;New York Journal of Books, 10/29/10and#160;andldquo;Kershaw dramatically pulls the reader into the diabolical campaign of Adolf Eichmannandhellip;With the nail-biting suspense of a winning novelist, Kershaw uses solid research and anecdotal data to show how it felt to be just one step ahead of the SS andhellip; Alex Kershaw has delivered a masterpiece about Raul Wallenberg, as witnessed from every perspective.andrdquo;and#160;WomenAroundTown.com, 11/11/10andldquo;[Y]ou must read everything you can find by Alex Kershaw.andrdquo;
Library Journal, 11/11/10andldquo;An interesting conjunction of two World War II figures, one heroic and one evil, this will most interest general readers just starting to study the Holocaust, although some of Kershaw's details will also interest specialists.andrdquo;\and#160;Boston Sunday Globe, 11/14/10andldquo;A historical account as vivid and suspenseful as any thriller.andrdquo;and#160;The National, 11/2/10andldquo;The Envoy is framed as a suspense narrative in which the outcome is already foretoldandmdash;a mystery whose hero is also its victim. This is a perilous tack to take with the story of a secular saint like Wallenberg, but one that proves successful for Kershaw, who is more storyteller than philosopher.andrdquo;and#160;Daily Herald, 12/5/10andldquo;Kershawandrsquo;s wisely understated prose allows these horrific events to speak powerfully for themselves. One leaves the narrative with equal parts regard for Wallenbergandrsquo;s honor, determination and sacrifice, and sorrow at his demise.andrdquo;and#160;Examiner.com, 12/4/10
andlsquo;andldquo;Best-selling author Kershaw dramatically pulls the reader into the diabolical campaign of Adolf Eichmann to send more than 250,000 Hungarian Jews to Auschwitz.and#160;With the nail-biting suspense of a winning novelist, Kershaw uses solid research and anecdotal data to show how it felt to be just one step ahead of the SS and their cruel Hungarian proxies, the Arrow Crossandhellip;The Envoy is a brilliant examination of the rescue of Hungarian Jews near the end of the Holocaust, led by the brave Swiss diplomat, Raul Wallenberg.and#160; Kershaw gives the reader a fiery collection of facts as explained in detail by survivors and records, woven into a thrilling and detailed account of Wallenbergandrsquo;s courageous efforts to save thousands Jewish families from certain deathandhellip;Kershawandrsquo;s brilliant effort is one that should be read by everyone who values freedom, tolerance and libertyandhellip;Alex Kershaw has delivered a masterpiece about Raul Wallenberg, as witnessed from every perspective.and#160;andldquo;
and#160;Norfolk Virginian-Pilot, 1/2/11
andldquo;A riveting account of Wallenbergandrsquo;s efforts. Kershaw pits Wallenbergandrsquo;s tenacity against the blood lust of his archnemesis, Hilterandrsquo;s angel of death, Adolf Eichmannandhellip;Kershaw also profiles the lives of several Jews who were swept up in war and struggled to survive. He skillfully weaves their stories, gleaned from interviewsandhellip;and puts a human face on its terrible dramaandhellip;Extensive footnotes reflect the depth of Kershawandrsquo;s research and skillful use of quotes from the principal actors involved in this unforgettable story.andrdquo;and#160;Providence Journal, 1/23/11
andldquo;A harrowing book.andrdquo;and#160;Shepherd Express, 1/24/11andldquo;What Alex Kershaw adds to the conversation are his own interviews with some of the people Wallenberg saved.andrdquo;
Jewish Book World
andldquo;Much like an adventure story, at times impossible to put downandhellip;.The Envoy is well-written, thoroughly researched, and an engaging book to read.andrdquo;
and#160;Buffalo Jewish Review, 7/8/11andldquo;The story is set forth here with considerable authenticity in a style that grips the readerandrsquo;s attention and that vividly reminds us of a hero who deserves continuing universal recognition.andrdquo;
Columbus Daily Reporter, 7/5/11 andldquo;Describes in well-written detail how Wallenberg and a group of people he recruited stood up to the Germans, issuing false Swedish papers to Jews whom Eichmann had planned to eliminate.andrdquo;
and#160;
The Jewish Advocate, July 2011 andldquo;[A] lively account of Wallenbergandrsquo;s life.andrdquo;
Synopsis
The epic and heroic story of how Raoul Wallenberg out-dueled Adolph Eichmann and saved more than 100,000 Jews in Budapest from the Nazi death camps
Synopsis
In July 1944, thirty-two-year-old Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg arrived in Budapest on a mission to rescue the last Jews of Europe.Over the next six months, he repeatedly risked his life to save tens of thousands of Jews, defying mass murderer Adolf Eichmann and crazed Hungarian fascists while enduring one of the bloodiest sieges of World War II. Tragically, when Budapest was finally liberated, the Holocaust’s greatest hero had disappeared into the Soviet gulag; to this day, his exact fate is unknown.
About the Author
Alex Kershaw is the author of the widely acclaimed bestsellers The Bedford Boys, The Longest Winter, The Few, and Escape from the Deep, as well as biographies of both Jack London and Robert Capa. He lives in Massachusetts.