The Ratline: The Exalted Life and Mysterious Death of a Nazi Fugitive
- Downloads：4887
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-02-03 04:17:43
- Update Date：2025-09-13
- Status：finish
- Author：Philippe Sands
- ISBN：9780525520962
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Editor Reviews
★ 11/23/2020
The past，” William Faulkner sternly warned， “is never dead。 It’s not even past。” His admonition is at the unarticulated narrative heart of this solemn， graceful， and powerful account by lawyer and historian Sands （East West Street）。 The sins， lies， and rationalizations of mothers and fathers who supported the Nazi regime， Sands makes uncomfortably clear， are massive burdens that weigh down the lives of the generations that follow。 And for the descendants of those who suffered monstrously as the Final Solution goose-stepped its way across Europe， the martyrdom of their ancestors is a heavy knowledge， too; it is an armory of suppressed rage。 For the children of both the murderers and the murdered， there is no escape。
The tale is set in motion by a single ambition: to discover what happened to Otto Wächter， the SS governor of the occupied city in Galicia where Sands’s grandfather lived。 On a tenacious journey， part hands-on investigation， part rumination， across Europe and on to America， Sands interviews a wide-ranging collection of fascinating characters to find answers （there is even a brief walk-on role for his neighbor， John le Carré）。
Yet it would be a mistake to think of this rich， compulsively readable book as simply a treatise on the virulent scars etched deep by the Third Reich and its all-too-eager cohorts。 Its rewards are many， and many-faceted。 It is also a far-reaching whodunit into a mysterious death， where even the dead ends are engaging; a wartime love story between a high-ranking SS official and his ambitious wife （and a subtly corrosive portrait of their bewildering and criminal delusions as they enjoy their gilded life）; a story of a son who desperately struggles in spite of condemning evidence “to find the good things” in his deeply flawed parents; an infuriating spotlight on cynically pragmatic ties between American spymasters， the Vatican， and Nazi war criminals; and， in a revelation that blindsides the reader， a resourceful probing into buried familial ties that reveal， as Sands writes in his carefully controlled prose， “the curiosity of life， the strange and unexpected points of connection。”
Throughout， Sands is a reliable narrator—gracious， wise， and intrepid。 And at its very end， the long odyssey culminates in the book’s final sentence， an unequivocal declaration by Wächter’s granddaughter， a headscarf-wearing Muslim convert: “My grandfather was a mass murderer。” Her searing acknowledgment will resonate long after the reader turns the last page of this remarkable chronicle。 （Feb。）
Howard Blum is the author of Wanted！ The Search for Nazis in America and， most recently， Night of the Assassins: The Untold Story of Hitler’s Plot to Kill FDR， Churchill， and Stalin。
Reviews
，
Rachael Singh
，
So glad I read this book and didn't draw a line after the podcasts。 Heartsore。 Outraged。 Hopeful。 So glad I read this book and didn't draw a line after the podcasts。 Heartsore。 Outraged。 Hopeful。 。。。more
Garry Duncan
，
A well rounded investigation into the life of a prominent Nazi and his role in the Holocaust。 Thanks to the comprehensive diaries of Wachter’s wife the author was able to obtain substantiating information from many sources to enable him to piece together an extremely clear picture of Wachter’s life。 Interesting to find John Le Carre appears along with enlightening information on the role of the Vatican and the CIA。
Sarah
，
If this was Spinal Tap， I'd rate it an 11。 Go read this now。 If this was Spinal Tap， I'd rate it an 11。 Go read this now。 。。。more
Mark Farley
，
THE RATLINE is fascinating account of the average high-ranking Nazi on the run。 And that of his son’s modern day， internal struggle to rationalize and accept his family’s past。 It’s a book very much about the burden of guilt and responsibility。 Or just what was to be guilty of。 This book’s subject was an evil man who （rather cleverly and at an astonishing physical endeavour） escaped justice。 To a point and as a coward dodging his past under a false identity， helped by the Catholic church。 For he THE RATLINE is fascinating account of the average high-ranking Nazi on the run。 And that of his son’s modern day， internal struggle to rationalize and accept his family’s past。 It’s a book very much about the burden of guilt and responsibility。 Or just what was to be guilty of。 This book’s subject was an evil man who （rather cleverly and at an astonishing physical endeavour） escaped justice。 To a point and as a coward dodging his past under a false identity， helped by the Catholic church。 For he just has excuses and no regrets。 Like some other current unapologetic fascist who cares only for himself。 Trump decried losers and deplorables where the ilk of Otto denigrated ‘subhumans’ and those of an inferior creed。 Not too far off。 This book doesn’t aim to give excuses for anyone affiliated with the Nazis， but it does empathize with those without any other choice。 Quite different from the pathetic moments in recent America， dressed up in the child’s tutu of Fascism。 A rubbish failed tyrant for a rubbish message。 Although Otto Wachter von whatever Bollocks may not have been physically responsible for turning any gas taps on， he was certainly Holocaust-adjacent and very close to Hitler in a legal and advisory capacity （not great for the old CV）， especially in the early days of the Third Reich。 I mean， it’s all very well saying that you were just ‘in admin’ or ‘following orders’， but you still produced paperwork that sent innocent people to their deaths， destroyed archive material or not。 It’s still an undeniable fact。 And I get it。 At the time of the Anschluss， the people of Nazi Germany did believe they were victims and were made to feel that their cause was a just one and that an entire race of people had to be punished for it。 The recent events in America， the ironic similarities， were not lost upon thee reading this book。 For people get brainwashed by ideologies， demagogues and captivations， after all （mostly on TikTok these days， granted） and thus absurdity and terror prevails， drenching the books of history in blood and stupidity。 It’s incredibly sad。 The concepts and sheer multitude of recently de-classified documents from the likes of the CIA and FBI and the results from their study are groundbreaking （brilliantly encapsulated in the recent Hunting Hitler docu-series） and features a lot about the ratline system through the Alps and those who got out of dodge and into seemingly friendly territories。 High-ranking Nazis were aided and abetted throughout Italy and Spain， not to mention very well documented further hidden climes and rainforest retreats， helped by the Vatican and highest echelons on the Iberian peninsula。 The Third Reich was brought to its knees and the cowardly desertions of Seig Heiling fugitives scattered like disturbed cockroaches， as their own lives were completely uprooted at the end of the war。 Despite the protestations of all around Otto though， he was one of the many WANTED war criminals who escaped the Nuremburg trials and his neck stretched publicly。 The delusion of Otto’s son， Horst， throughout THE RATLINE is the most tragic though。 The poor old sod came into this world as a child of Hitler’s Germany， a fact he must have dealt with all of his 70-plus years on earth as it is， tries to reason and make sense of his past but also the actions of those， his blood that brought him into this world。 And then this twat Sands comes along dredging it all up again。 The unsung hero of this book though has to be Charlottle， the dutiful Nazi wife。 Stoic in adversity。 And as hateful as she was， she was just a wife， a mother to many and was not responsible for any deaths。 Really racist and hated Jews and loved Hitler， sure。 But like many， a victim of circumstance and birth all the same。 Like so many on either side of no man’s land， during a terribly tragic time。 The loyalty she shows and the lengths she goes to support her fugitive husband is incredible in itself， not to mention film script worthy。 And despite the apologists of those within the family， those who now have to deal with the past， Wacther was very much a card-carrying and loyal devout of one Hitler， A and was responsible for awful acts， not getting his just desserts at all。 It’s a story of repatriation， of homeland。 Of nationality and being that so plagued the countries of Europe in the mid 30s。 Here we have an every day theme of normalization of people behind unthinkable atrocities， which is wrong but it is important to highlight and talk about them。 Just not wave confederate flags and go on riots。 The book is very much set in the glamorous back drop of pre-war Vienna and Nazi balls， parties and the Final Solution in parts and as uncomfortable as that sounds， is a different take on this subject。 I loved every minute of this book， it was great。 Definitely recommend。 。。。more
Wil Schiffers
，
An 8 year research， very interresting！
Matthew Takavarasha
，
I somewhat suspect that in another life Sands might have been condemned to a life of writing 'airport novels' à la Ludlum; I'm glad that is not the case。 A real page-turner， if at times a bit Hollywood with its revelations。 I somewhat suspect that in another life Sands might have been condemned to a life of writing 'airport novels' à la Ludlum; I'm glad that is not the case。 A real page-turner， if at times a bit Hollywood with its revelations。 。。。more
Kym Andrews
，
I can not get enough of Philippe Sands writing。 I think if he wrote the back of a cereal box I would read it。 His treatment of Horst， Otto and Charlotte was so generous of spirit even while maintaining a rational view of their actions， at times I felt sympathy， pity and understanding。 Not something I was expecting at all。 So beautifully written without being emotive and the research involved was fascinating！ I highly recommend this book。
Thijs Jonkergouw
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Great story， already red East West Street which was a masterpiece。 This book is definitely on the same level。 Page turner， red it in two days as I could not leave it aside。
Harry
，
Het leest als een roman， onwerkelijk dat dit gewoon is gebeurd。 Goed geschreven， aanrader。
Madeleine Laing
，
Not quite as grimly fascinating or moving as East West Street （you spend a lot of time hating the whole family it's about） but definitely interesting if you like WW2 history。 The mystery is intriguing， Sands is a deft and thoughtful writer and obviously cares a lot about finding the truth in these family legacies。 Not quite as grimly fascinating or moving as East West Street （you spend a lot of time hating the whole family it's about） but definitely interesting if you like WW2 history。 The mystery is intriguing， Sands is a deft and thoughtful writer and obviously cares a lot about finding the truth in these family legacies。 。。。more
Nigel Kotani
，
This is not so much a book as a journey。 It is the story of a Nazi war criminal， Otto von Wächter， told through the lens of the author’s growing friendship with Otto’s son， Horst。The book starts with Otto’s early life and youth， telling the story of his growing love affair and eventual marriage to Horst’s mother， Charlotte。 These are clearly warm and engaging characters with excellent senses of humour and surprisingly modern attitudes: Charlotte named one of their daughters Traute after a woman This is not so much a book as a journey。 It is the story of a Nazi war criminal， Otto von Wächter， told through the lens of the author’s growing friendship with Otto’s son， Horst。The book starts with Otto’s early life and youth， telling the story of his growing love affair and eventual marriage to Horst’s mother， Charlotte。 These are clearly warm and engaging characters with excellent senses of humour and surprisingly modern attitudes: Charlotte named one of their daughters Traute after a woman with whom her husband had recently had an affair， writing to him ‘That should please you’。 Nevertheless， they were both committed Nazis， joining the party early on and thus rising to positions of prominence by the time the war started。 Much of the early part of the book is an indirect exploration as to how someone who was an essentially decent person and loving family man could also become a committed Nazi。 It also questions whether Charlotte， who lived until the mid 1980s， and Horst， who is still alive and continues to see his father through rose-tinted spectacles， ever really abandoned the Nazi faith， a question which hovers over the entire book。 The author was introduced to Horst in the first place by mutual friend Niklas Frank， son of Nazi Governor of Poland Hans Frank who was hanged at Nuremberg; in marked contrast to Horst， Niklas is apparently opposed to the death penalty ‘other than in the case of his father’。 With the coming of the war Otto became Governor of Krakow and then of Galicia， with the book telling the detailed story of how Otto， a lawyer by profession， slowly tightened the noose on the local Jewish population by a series of incremental laws against them。 There is something particularly chilling about him dismissing some of his Jewish former university lecturers with immediate effect and removing their pension rights: my imagination can picture the effects of such actions much more clearly than it can picture their subsequent deaths in the camps。 Juxtaposed against stories of this nature is the increasingly happy home life of Charlotte and Horst – one of six children – as their father’s rise through the party ranks led to them living increasingly luxurious lives （albeit at the expense of others）。With the end of the war the books moves to how Otto survived for three years hiding out in the Austrian mountains while Charlotte and the children struggled to survive through the immediate post-war deprivation。 Otto survived a remarkable three years on the run in the mountains in the companionship of a fellow on-the-run Nazi， a man who is still alive and whom the author actually meets during the writing of the book。 Throughout those years， Otto and Charlotte managed to meet up frequently。Eventually， Otto makes his way to Rome in early 1949 in order to attempt to be smuggled out to South America on the ‘Ratline’， but dies within a few months of his arrival – this isn’t a spoiler: the book actually begins with his death。 Remarkably， at this stage there is still nearly 50% of the text of the book to go。 The last half of the book explores a number of related themes: the Vatican’s involvement in the Ratline and the Catholic Church’s support of Nazis on the run， whom it saw as a bastion against the greater evil of Communism; the activities of the intelligence forces of the various occupying powers， with the Allied powers also recruiting and protecting Nazis in their efforts to combat the strength of the Communist party in Italy; the possibility that Otto’s death was caused by poisoning， with an exploration as to who the possible culprit might have been and for which side he might have been working。In many ways it was this last part of the book that I enjoyed the most， particularly with it coming at the end of what was already an excellent book。 The detailed examination of historical documents， the revisiting of locations trodden by Otto and Charlotte， the detailed questioning of experts – including an entire chapter in which the author’s neighbour， John le Carre， draws on his own experiences of running agents and counteragents in Austria in 1949 to add an insider's analysis of documents uncovered by the author - and the reminiscences of the descendants of many of the protagonists made what could have been a dry forensic exploration come alive with excitement。 I am a fan of the TV series ‘Who Do You Think You Are？’ and the last two hundred pages are like an extended version of a particularly good episode of that programme， with twists， turns， details and surprises uncovered at every juncture。 In some ways this last section encapsulates the whole book。 It keeps going off in unexpected directions， but far from becoming aimless as a consequence， it is like a thrilling detective story in which new leads and new directions have to be pursued with urgency。 Outstanding。 。。。more
Garth
，
This follows the escape of a Nazi war criminal， and includes the appalling role that some in the Vatican played in facilitating it。
T P Kennedy
，
A fabulous read。 It's thoughtful， well researched and shines a light on the aftermath of the holocaust。 At the same time， it reads like a thriller。 There's enough twists and turns for a Philip Marlowe case。 Oddly there's a good note of humour as well。 All in all， one of the best books of the year。 A fabulous read。 It's thoughtful， well researched and shines a light on the aftermath of the holocaust。 At the same time， it reads like a thriller。 There's enough twists and turns for a Philip Marlowe case。 Oddly there's a good note of humour as well。 All in all， one of the best books of the year。 。。。more
Bert Decavel
，
Geslaagde mengeling van historische reconstructie， biografie en spannende whodunit met als onderwerp de Werdegang van de uit Oostenrijk afkomstige SS-Obergruppenführer en Luitenantgeneraal Otto von Wächter ; hoe die aan Nürnberg ontsnapte， zich afzette naar Rome en er in contact kwam met de organisatoren van de 'rattenlijn' ， de vluchtroute voor Nazi-misdadigers， maar voortijdig onder mysterieuse omstandigheden om het leven kwam。 Wächter was gouverneur in Krakau en later Lviv（Lemberg） waar hij h Geslaagde mengeling van historische reconstructie， biografie en spannende whodunit met als onderwerp de Werdegang van de uit Oostenrijk afkomstige SS-Obergruppenführer en Luitenantgeneraal Otto von Wächter ; hoe die aan Nürnberg ontsnapte， zich afzette naar Rome en er in contact kwam met de organisatoren van de 'rattenlijn' ， de vluchtroute voor Nazi-misdadigers， maar voortijdig onder mysterieuse omstandigheden om het leven kwam。 Wächter was gouverneur in Krakau en later Lviv（Lemberg） waar hij het getto oprichtte en als Schreibtischmörder verantwoordelijk was voor de deportatie en de dood van op z'n minst een half miljoen mensen。 Daarnaast organiseerde hij in een voorstad van Krakau een wraakactie tegen de burgerbevolking。 Sands， een jurist die via zijn joodse roots zelf een band heeft met Lviv en die eerder al een reconstructie schreef over het tot stand komen van het begrip ' misdaden tegen de menselijkheid' （ ook met link naar Lviv） ging erg accuraat tewerk， alle stenen omdraaiend die ook maar een schijn van een licht op de zaak zouden kunnen werpen， inclusief een langdurig contact met de zoon van von Wächter （ dooppeter: Arthur Seyss-Inquart ） die zijn vader ondanks indrukwekkende bewijsvoering （ foto van zijn aanwezigheid bij de wraakactie in de buurt van Krakau） blijft bestempelen als ' een goede Nazi'， een begrip dat bij de argeloze lezer een lachstuip veroorzaakt maar dat als eufemisme in de hoofden van familieleden van Nazi's ， dient om de omgang met ondraaglijke schuld te verlichten。 Zoon Wächter heeft z'n vader nauwelijks méér gekend dan als een glimmend zwart uniform dat af en toe en soms met maanden ertussen， over zijn blokkendoos stapte。 Sands inschatting lijkt derhalve juist te zijn dat de man niet zozeer het beeld van z'n vader ongeschonden wil hoog houden， maar het beeld dat z'n moeder （ van wie hij zielsveel hield） van z'n vader had 。 Spannend wordt het wanneer Sands na een lange zoektocht eindelijk weet te ontrafelen hoe het SS-kopstuk uiteindelijk aan z'n einde kwam en hoe het kwam dat zo een ' hohes Tier' zich vrij kon bewegen in het Rome van net na de oorlog。 Twee partijen komen hier met een afgezakte broek uit: de Amerikanen en het Vaticaan。 En bij die laatste komt er toch wel erg veel stront aan de knikker tevoorschijn！ Blijft nog de vermelding van de derde hoofdpersoon， de echtgenote van von Wächter die tot aan haar dood in de jaren 80 de onschuld van haar man bleef uitschreeuwen。 Charlotte Beckmann， jaargang 1908 ， kwam uit een rijke thuis met veel wier en zwaai het leven van de van een onweerstaanbare kaaklijn voorziene Wächter binnengejufferd en zou tot aan het einde van de oorlog een luizenleventje leiden in diverse geconfisceerde historische panden， villa's of berghutten。 Ze voorzag haar opklimmende Nazi van zes kinderen， liet twee abortussen uitvoeren en bleef na de oorlog bijna als een verliefde puber in het geheim contact houden met haar even onschuldige als voortvluchtige echtgenoot die er met veel kunst en vliegwerk ， steeds uitgevoerd boven de 2000 meter， drie jaar lang in slaagde uit de handen van de Amerikanen of de Sovjets te blijven。 Ze had voor de oorlog， in Engeland gestudeerd， sprak dus Engels en toen Amerikaanse soldaten na de capitulatie aan de deur van haar nette villa op het Oostenrijkse platte land verschenen en haar vroegen of ze een Nazi was geweest ， antwoordde ze zonder verpinken，" Yes， I was a very happy Nazi"。。Voor wie in de geschiedenis van de tweede WO is geïnteresseerd ， een must。 Leest als een door de Alpen slingerende trein。I' 。。。more
Pirate
，
Excellent book。 Sands handles Horst von Waechter son of the mass murderer Otto admirably given he lost so many of his family in The Holocaust。 Sands restraint with Horst is extraordinary as this journey does not see a transformation of Horst's belief his father was a decent man who is not responsible for the horrific crimes conducted in the Galicia region he was Governor。 One man has quite enough of Horst's pleadings on behalf of his father and asks him remove his name from his mailing list。 One Excellent book。 Sands handles Horst von Waechter son of the mass murderer Otto admirably given he lost so many of his family in The Holocaust。 Sands restraint with Horst is extraordinary as this journey does not see a transformation of Horst's belief his father was a decent man who is not responsible for the horrific crimes conducted in the Galicia region he was Governor。 One man has quite enough of Horst's pleadings on behalf of his father and asks him remove his name from his mailing list。 One does not quite know whether Horst is deluded and simply wants to believe his father was decent -- he was loved by the Ukrainians he keeps on bleating and signs a visitor's book in the old building where his father managed Galicia's affairs 'son of the Governor' -- or is deep down as Niklas Frank -- who has washed his hands of his father Hans one of Otto's closest friends and who was hanged at Nuremberg -- says is a 'Nazi'。 It is a riveting read and credit to Sands is one never takes against Horst， one can bang one's head in frustration and disbelief but then one can reflect and ask would I be like Niklas Frank or Horst von Waechter when it came to assessing my father if he had committed such appalling crimes。 Chapeau to Sands。 。。。more
Camille
，
On se perd assez vite dans les détails sur les détails， ce qui rend la lecture de la dernière centaine de page très pénible。 Le fait de confronter le fils d'un haut dignitaire nazi était intéressant en soi， cependant je ne pense pas qu'il soit nécessaire de nous faire part de choses telles que "ah tiens je pensais à une scène de Marathon Man， ah bah non en fait c'était Boys from Brazil"。 On se perd assez vite dans les détails sur les détails， ce qui rend la lecture de la dernière centaine de page très pénible。 Le fait de confronter le fils d'un haut dignitaire nazi était intéressant en soi， cependant je ne pense pas qu'il soit nécessaire de nous faire part de choses telles que "ah tiens je pensais à une scène de Marathon Man， ah bah non en fait c'était Boys from Brazil"。 。。。more
Zahra
，
نقطهی تمرکز این مستند تاریخی فوقالعاده، روی خانوادهای مردی اتریشی است به اسم اوتو وکتر، وکیل و فرماندار نازی منطقه گالیسیا （در اوکراین امروز） که بعد از پایان جنگ جهانی دوم موفق میشود از چنگ همه ـ شوروی، آمریکا، انگلیس و یهودیان ـ بگریزد و البته عاقبت عجیبی هم پیدا میکند。 نویسندهی کتاب، فیلیپ سندز است که یک حقوقدان بینالمللی سرشناس به حساب میآید و کتابهای مهمش هم به فارسی ترجمه شدهاند。 اما آن نقطهی اتصال «شخصی» نوبسنده با موضوع، همان چیزی که توانسته طرح کلّی کتاب را از یک تاریخنگاری ع نقطهی تمرکز این مستند تاریخی فوقالعاده، روی خانوادهای مردی اتریشی است به اسم اوتو وکتر، وکیل و فرماندار نازی منطقه گالیسیا （در اوکراین امروز） که بعد از پایان جنگ جهانی دوم موفق میشود از چنگ همه ـ شوروی، آمریکا، انگلیس و یهودیان ـ بگریزد و البته عاقبت عجیبی هم پیدا میکند。 نویسندهی کتاب، فیلیپ سندز است که یک حقوقدان بینالمللی سرشناس به حساب میآید و کتابهای مهمش هم به فارسی ترجمه شدهاند。 اما آن نقطهی اتصال «شخصی» نوبسنده با موضوع، همان چیزی که توانسته طرح کلّی کتاب را از یک تاریخنگاری عادی و کسالتبار به چنین تحقیق پرشور و کمنظیری تبدیل کند، این است که تقریبا کل اعضای خانوادهی پدربزرگ سندز، که یهودی و ساکن لووف （یا لمبرگ） بودند، در واقع بهدست نیروهای تحت امر اوتو وکتر و در زمان فرمانداری او در گالیسیا کشته شدند。 جالبتر آنکه سندز در مسیر تحقیق روی این کتاب، به دو پسر برمیخورد که هریک با میراث پدر نازی خود به شکل متفاوتی روبهرو شدهاند。 یکی هورست وکتر است، پسر اوتو وکتر، که اذعان دارد رژیم نازی جنایاتی کرده اما هر مدرکی جلویش میگذارند باز حاضر نیست بپذیرد که پدرش هم در آن جنایات نقشی داشته。 و دیگری نیکلاس فرانک است، پسر هانس فرانکِ مشهور، که سالهاست با چهرهی واقعی پدرش روبرو شده و او را یک جنایتکار جنگی تمامعیار میداند。رتلاین فقط یک مستند تاریخی نیست چون در دلش چندین قصهی خواندنی دیگر هم روایت میشود، از عشقی دیرپا و خستگیناپذیر گرفته تا اوجگیری و سقوط «رایش هزارساله»، تعقیب و گریزهای جاسوسی، لذت و شگفتی کشف گذشته و گذشتگان، و گاه، دشواری مواجهه با آن。فیلیپ سندز درخصوص موضوع این کتاب یک پادکست ساخته （به همین نام رتلاین） و مستندی به نام My Nazi Legacy، به همراهی هورست وکتر و نیکلاس فرانک。 شنیدنی و دیدنیاند。ء 。。。more
Annie
，
This was a gripping， detailed and poignant telling of not only the atrocities committed in the Second World War， with a focus on the personnel who committed them， but also the relationship between sons and fathers， brothers and half brothers， the east and the west。 The book centres around the love story of Charlotte and Otto - and the even stronger love of Horst and his mother Charlotte- but it never lets this outshine the horrors enacted by the SS in Poland and Ukraine。 I loved the cameo of Joh This was a gripping， detailed and poignant telling of not only the atrocities committed in the Second World War， with a focus on the personnel who committed them， but also the relationship between sons and fathers， brothers and half brothers， the east and the west。 The book centres around the love story of Charlotte and Otto - and the even stronger love of Horst and his mother Charlotte- but it never lets this outshine the horrors enacted by the SS in Poland and Ukraine。 I loved the cameo of John LeCarre and it was amazing to understand the role the Vatican played in the escape of Nazis to South America。 Recommend to everyone 。。。more
Lindy
，
Not as good as East West StGood， and glad I persisted， but a rather meandering second half。 Not as good as East West St which was genuinely brilliant。
Candia L
，
Great history and real insight into the mind of the wife of a senior nazi， who looks back on their time in power with real nostalgia。 Marked down a star as the book rather tailed off at the end。
Peter Stuart
，
Lets be honest， the work could do we a damn good edit as the structure is poor and sections repeat part of what was said before， be it a gap of two pages or across chapters。 A couple would be OK， but on ongoing prevalence results in a sense of semi-repetitiveness that drove this read at least to wonder if an editor or copywriter ever reviewed the text and why any author would present their work in such a slap hazard way。 It detracted greatly from the story line。As for the story line itself， it c Lets be honest， the work could do we a damn good edit as the structure is poor and sections repeat part of what was said before， be it a gap of two pages or across chapters。 A couple would be OK， but on ongoing prevalence results in a sense of semi-repetitiveness that drove this read at least to wonder if an editor or copywriter ever reviewed the text and why any author would present their work in such a slap hazard way。 It detracted greatly from the story line。As for the story line itself， it can also be reasonably stated that the "contents don't match what is advertised on the tin"。 Without spoilers， the main protagonist of the work is summarily defended with blind faith on the one had， yet derided to an equal extent on another。 The questions and conclusions of his actions therefore are not drawn to an assessment or defined position both throughout the book and at the conclusion。 This constant good， no bad， no good， no bad act wears thin quickly and lead this reader only to frustration。 One element of fact late in the piece would have been much better presented earlier and therefore put to rest， which would have also allowed for a deeper analysis of the contrary view， which I believe， would have added to the overall work。Conjecture as to how the "Rat Line" was established and run is also left until late， and remains an element of speculation rather than a conclusion or position of opinion by the author。 Again to this read this would have added weight， whether you agreed with the position or not。A grinding at times to work through， frustrating in equal measure to hoe that positions will be reached and the work will take or make a definitive turn， I found this to be difficult work to get through at times and to a degree rather unsatisfying when I did。 Little insight into the "why's and how's" of the pathway's some former National Socialists took after May 1945 and more a work of a son trying through a 3rd party to attempt to defend a father whom he knew only second hand。 An author seemingly making it up as they went along and stringing out a story for as long as possible without really opening up the true potential subject matter to the possibilities it could have been。 。。。more
Birta
，
Ignorance is one of the three roots of evil according to the Buddha。 The truth of that is amply illustrated by the lives of the protagonists of the Ratline， Nazis Otto Wächter and hiswife Charlotte （Beckman） Wächter。 They completely and utterly ignored the plight of the Jews whose lives they affected。Otto Wächter was Govenor of Lemberg， Galicia， in what is now the Ukraine， from1942 to 1945。 It was in the Galicia region millions of Jews were exterminated。 Wächter was never put to trial because he Ignorance is one of the three roots of evil according to the Buddha。 The truth of that is amply illustrated by the lives of the protagonists of the Ratline， Nazis Otto Wächter and hiswife Charlotte （Beckman） Wächter。 They completely and utterly ignored the plight of the Jews whose lives they affected。Otto Wächter was Govenor of Lemberg， Galicia， in what is now the Ukraine， from1942 to 1945。 It was in the Galicia region millions of Jews were exterminated。 Wächter was never put to trial because he disappeared。 He had attempted to escape to Argentina on the Ratline which was the name given to the escape route used by the Nazis to flee from Europe to South America。 Otto Wächter did not make it to the Ratline but he did escape trial at Nuremberg。 He died before he was found。 Had he been found he would have been put on trial for Genocide and Crimes against humanity。 This book is that court case that should have been。 The author， Phillippe Sands， Professor at law， puts Otto Wächter on fair trial posthumously in The Ratline。 Otto's son， Horst， unreservedly provides evidence and takes the defence。 Horst argues Otto was not responsible and was a good man。 Ultimately Otto's Horst's daughter， Otto's granddaughter， provides the verdict， should we not have reached it ourselves。The story begins with Otto's family background and that of his wife Charlotte （Beckman） Wächter。 It starts in 1901 in the Austro-Hungarian empire with the life of Otto's father and follows their lives through courtship， the Nazi years， Otto's life on the run， his death， and events subsequent through to 2019。 We are provided with all the available evidence in this thoroughly researched book。 It is a complex plot of spies， familial connections， changing allegiances and the Vatican's involvement in the Ratline。 Charlotte's diary， provided by Horst， describes their personal lives and illustrates the ignorance I referred to。 。。。more
Tim Richards
，
Gripping account of a Nazi pastThis is an intriguing， detailed account of how the author tackled the son of a Nazi war criminal， who himself felt loyal to his father and tried to excuse his crimes。 The research ranges across Europe， exposing ever more details and surprising elements as the author traces the past。 A fascinating read。
Hedwig
，
Indrukwekkend。 Verwarrend。
Andy Grace
，
Really great read！ Someone said it in another review but Philippe Sands manages to make non-fiction into absolutely page turners， I couldn’t put it down。
Jophilps1954
，
Phillip Sands has written an amazing and thoroughly researched book 。 Literally no stone unturned ！！！ The book required lots of concentration when reading and constant references to names and the maps provided this enabling the reader to go on the journey 。I look forward to reading more of his books 。
Jennifer （JC-S）
，
‘It is said that a line divides fact and fiction， the real and the imagined。 Where it lies， and how it shifts over time is not always so clear。’In this book， Mr Sands provides an account of the life of Otto Wächter and his wife Charlotte both before， during and after World War II。 As an SS Brigadefuhrer， Freiherr von Wächter was the governor of Galicia and presided over a territory where hundreds of thousands of Jewish and Polish people were murdered （including the family of Mr Sands’s grandfath ‘It is said that a line divides fact and fiction， the real and the imagined。 Where it lies， and how it shifts over time is not always so clear。’In this book， Mr Sands provides an account of the life of Otto Wächter and his wife Charlotte both before， during and after World War II。 As an SS Brigadefuhrer， Freiherr von Wächter was the governor of Galicia and presided over a territory where hundreds of thousands of Jewish and Polish people were murdered （including the family of Mr Sands’s grandfather）。At the end of World War II， Wächter， indicted for mass murder， went on the run。 The last sighting of him was on 10 May 1945。 With the help of his wife Charlotte， he spent three years hiding in the Austrian Alps。 Then he made his way to Rome where， hiding in a monastery while attempting to join the Ratline to reach safety in South America， he died in 1949。 How he died （whether by deliberate poisoning or as a result of swimming in the highly toxic Tiber River） is one aspect of this book。Mr Sands spent time with Horst Wächter， the second son （born in 1939） of Otto and Charlotte。 Horst Wächter allowed Mr Sands access to family archives and photograph albums， as well as his mother Charlotte’s diaries。 I found this a challenging and uncomfortable read。 I could find nothing likeable about either Otto or Charlotte Wächter。 While I could understand that Horst Wächter would have little memory of his father， I find it difficult to accept that the son found it so difficult to acknowledge the father’s criminality。 Simply following orders is no excuse。Challenging and uncomfortable， but an important part of the history of World War II。Jennifer Cameron-Smith 。。。more
Brian
，
I was halfway through this book before I realised that I actually know the family of the two protagonists quite well。 Mr。 Sands does an excellent job of conveying the general air of ambivalence that exists in Austria regarding the country's time as part of the Third Reich。 Highly recommended。 I was halfway through this book before I realised that I actually know the family of the two protagonists quite well。 Mr。 Sands does an excellent job of conveying the general air of ambivalence that exists in Austria regarding the country's time as part of the Third Reich。 Highly recommended。 。。。more
Mark Spano
，
Well researched。 Well written。
Jen
，