By Alex Kershaw

Da Capo Press, 294 pages, 26.00

-A Captivating Account of Humanity at both Ends of the Spectrum. Not to be Missed!-

Out of the most insufferable injustices, sometimes a truly great story of humanity emerges.

Up until 1944, Hungary had been the last safe haven for Europe’s remaining Jewish population. As the Nazis realized their time was running out, Adolph Eichmann, Hitler’s notorious henchman, launched a last ditch effort to annihilate those who were left. As many as 1200 Jews who had fled to Hungary for safety were being sent to the ovens at Auschwitz every day. Time was of the essence.

In The Envoy: The Epic Rescue of the Last Jews of Europe in the Desperate Closing Months of World War II, Alex Kershaw presents an absorbing, suspenseful account of evil versus fellow feeling. Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg arrived in Budapest on a mission to save as many lives as he could. This man, who could have lived out the war peacefully, in his neutral home country, was compelled to act. Possessing an air of authority the Nazis were not accustomed to, he was able to bring tens of thousands of Jews under Swedish protection. Your heart will be drumming in your ears as Wallenberg goes head to head with Eichmann, if it meant going to the train stations himself: retrieving people at the most crucial moment. Author of the bestseller, The Bedford Boys, Alex Kershaw brings his expert approach to the story of a man who saved more lives than Oscar Schindler and has not received as much recognition. This book encompasses humanity at both ends of the spectrum. As someone who has an entire shelf devoted to Holocaust survivor stories, let me tell you that this one is not to be missed!

Alicea Swett