The Righteous: The Unsung Heroes of the Holocaust

By Martin Gilbert

Book Overview

" As a researcher and collector of historical source material, Mr. Gilbert has no peer among contemporary historians." -- "The New York Times" According to Jewish tradition, " Whoever saves one life, it is as if he saved the entire world." In "The Righteous," distinguished historian Sir Martin Gilbert explores the courage of those who, throughout Germany and in every occupied country, took incredible risks to help Jews whose fate would have been sealed without them. Indeed, many lost their lives for their efforts. From Greek-Orthodox Princess Alice of Greece to the Ukrainian Uniate Archbishop of Lvov, from priests and soldiers to employees and neighbors, many risked, and sacrificed, everything to help their fellow man. Drawing from twenty-five years of original research, Gilbert re-creates the remarkable stories of the non-Jews who have received formal recognition by the State of Israel as Righteous Among the Nations.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0805062602
• ISBN13: 9780805062601
• Release Date: February 2003
• Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
• Length: 560 Pages
• Weight: 2.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.7" x 1.7" x 6.4"

Customer Reviews

Profoundly important

We wonder what we would have done or could have done. Here is what we each must do in the face of life.

Tales of Courage

After watching the procession for Oskar Schindler's funeral, Gilbert is inspired to do more research on those who risked their lives, called the Righteous, to save to aid Jews in WWII. Extensive research in archives and interviews lead to short sketches of courage and rescue. Gilbert divides the book up by geography which gives the book some order. Many of the stories of courage are very short and thus the number of them...

Even in Hell There are Angels

I can't say this is a 'Happy' book. The period in which it is set is too terrible and many of the misdeeds described are too terrible to speak of. But the Joy in this work, the proverbial Silver Lining is there were good people during this period. Many of whom happily risked their lives for strangers. Opening thier pockests and their homes to the hunted with no expectation of rewards of any kind. Some of these heroes were...

The historian who keeps alive the memory of noble deeds

One element of Martin Gilbert's writing has been the telling of individual stories which normally would have not had a part in most works of history. He has written of the Shoah( Holocaust) in a way which gives the name and story of many ' ordinary' individuals a place they would not ordinarily have. His collecting the accounts of righteous Gentiles is the same kind of holy work. There is another important point about the...

A story of people who stayed human in a world of monsters

There are no words to do justice to this book or the people whose stories are featured in it. It should be required reading for all those who insist this horror didn't happen.