Read more
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Escape Artist comes the extraordinary true story of a group of daring Germans who risked everything to save Jewish lives during the Holocaust. The Traitors Circle tells the true, but scarcely known, story of a group of secret rebels against Hitler. Drawn from Berlin high society, they include army officers, government officials, two countesses, an ambassador''s widow and a former model--meeting in the shadows, whether hiding and rescuing Jews or plotting for a Germany freed from Nazi rule. One day in September 1943 they gather for a tea party--unaware that one among them is about to betray them all to the Gestapo. But who is the betrayer of a circle themselves branded "traitors''"by the cruelest regime in history? In another page-turning work of nonfiction that reads like a thriller, Jonathan Freedland, acclaimed author of The Escape Artist , sheds light on one of the most dramatic episodes of the second world war, telling a story of courage, resistance and ultimate betrayal that has deep moral resonance for our own time, and asks what kind of person it takes to risk everything and stand up to tyranny.
Report
"Extraordinarily cinematic . . . . Freedland makes his narrative into a tense cat-and-mouse game, pitting sadistic Nazi apparatchiks and their unsavory minions against prey whose considerable resources, privileged sense of entitlement, and sheer moxie give them a fighting chance. It's a thrilling account of the struggle against Nazism at its most up-close and nerve-wracking." - Publishers Weekly
"Vivid portraits of a group of admirable anti-Nazis . . . excellent history of heroes who defied Hitler." - Kirkus Reviews
"Magnificent . . . . The book's set-up-clear location, colourful characters, clandestine villain-is very much that of a thriller, and Freedland . . . writes with verve and pace . . . . It's testament to Freedland's skill that if you go in blind you will be not only trying to work out who the mole is ahead of time, but also desperately hoping that it won't be one of those characters who you've admired and rooted for." - Telegraph (UK)
"In this absolutely riveting book, Freedland shines a light on a little-known yet vitally important part of WWII history . . . . Freedland . . . is a wonderful storyteller; this is no dry recitation of historical facts, but a gripping, true-to-life thriller,full of suspense, intrigue, and beautifully described real-life characters. A must-read for devotees of WWII-era nonfiction." - Booklist
"An astonishing true story of courage, love and betrayal, told with the verve of a thriller. Freedland is a master at weaving spellbinding entertainments drawn from forgotten corners of history." - Mick Herron, bestselling author of Slow Horses
"Utterly gripping, brilliantly researched and written." - Anthony Horowitz
"Freedland's done it again. Thrilling, moving and inspiring, The Traitors Circle is a brilliant Second World War history book, as exciting as a novel and filled with extraordinary characters-some heroic and some evil-that is also both a portrait of courage, humanity and resistance against Nazi tyranny and a twisting tale of conspiracy and espionage." - Simon Sebag Montefiore, author of The World: A Family History
"In this excellent new book, Jonathan Freedland tells a gripping story but also asks a timely question: Why do some people collaborate? Why do others fight tyrants? The Traitors Circle is both history and parable, perfect reading for this moment." - Anne Applebaum, author of Autocracy Inc.
"Superb." - John Heilemann
"Haunting and heart-poundingly suspenseful-an extraordinary exploration of moral courage in a world overwhelmed by Nazi darkness. Freedland's passionate narrative takes us into secret and sometimes surprising corners of Hitler's Germany. In those shadows of vicious totalitarianism and betrayal-and facing the abyss of the Holocaust-is a circle of friends who embody unwavering human decency and faith and love. Freedland's powerful storytelling has intense resonance in today's darkening world. The moral questions are eternal.' - Sinclair McKay, bestselling author of Dresden
"A story of unlikely rebels who had much to lose from resisting the Nazi regime, which so many of their peers supported. What made them trade personal safety for moral rectitude? Freedland's answer is as tense as a thriller yet perceptive, thoughtful and thoroughly researched. It made me think long after I'd turned the last page." - Katja Hoyer, bestselling author of Beyond the Wall
