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Voyage of the Damned: A Shocking True Story of Hope, Betrayal, and Nazi Terror
On May 13, 1939, the luxury liner St. Louis sailed from Hamburg, one of the last hips to leave Nazi Germany before World War II erupted. Aboard were 937 Jews – some had already been in concentration camps – who believed they had bought visas to enter Cuba. The voyage of the damned had begun.
Before the St. Louis was halfway across the Atlantic, a power struggle ensued between the corrupt Cuban Immigration Minister who issued the visas and his superior, President Bru. The outcome, the refugees would not be allowed to land in Cuba.
In America, the Brown Shirts were holding Nazi rallies in Madison Square Garden; anti-Semitic Father Coughlin had an audience of fifteen million. Back in Germany, plans were being laid to implement the final solution. And aboard the St. Louis, 937 refugees awaited the decision that would determine their fate.
Gordon Thomas and Max Morgan Witts have recreated history in this meticulous reconstruction of the voyage of the St. Louis. Every word of their account is true: the German High Command’s ulterior motive in granting permission for the “mission of mercy;” the confrontations between the refugees and the German crewmen; the suicide attempts among the passengers; and the attitudes of those who might have averted the catastrophe, but didn’t.
In reviewing the work, the New York Times was unequivocal: “An extraordinary human document and a suspense story that is hard to put down. But it is more than that. It is a modern allegory, in which the SS St. Louis becomes a symbol of the SS Planet Earth. In this larger sense the book serves a greater purpose than mere drama.”"
Before the St. Louis was halfway across the Atlantic, a power struggle ensued between the corrupt Cuban Immigration Minister who issued the visas and his superior, President Bru. The outcome, the refugees would not be allowed to land in Cuba.
In America, the Brown Shirts were holding Nazi rallies in Madison Square Garden; anti-Semitic Father Coughlin had an audience of fifteen million. Back in Germany, plans were being laid to implement the final solution. And aboard the St. Louis, 937 refugees awaited the decision that would determine their fate.
Gordon Thomas and Max Morgan Witts have recreated history in this meticulous reconstruction of the voyage of the St. Louis. Every word of their account is true: the German High Command’s ulterior motive in granting permission for the “mission of mercy;” the confrontations between the refugees and the German crewmen; the suicide attempts among the passengers; and the attitudes of those who might have averted the catastrophe, but didn’t.
In reviewing the work, the New York Times was unequivocal: “An extraordinary human document and a suspense story that is hard to put down. But it is more than that. It is a modern allegory, in which the SS St. Louis becomes a symbol of the SS Planet Earth. In this larger sense the book serves a greater purpose than mere drama.”"
324 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1974
454 people are currently reading
1485 people want to read
About the author
Gordon Thomas
120 books198 followersGordon Thomas (born 1933) is a Welsh author who has written more than fifty books.
Thomas was born in Wales, in a cemetery keeper's cottage where his grandmother lived. He had his first story published at nine years old in a Boy's Own Paper competition. With his father in the RAF, he traveled widely and was educated at the Cairo High School, the Maritz Brothers (in Port Elizabeth, South Africa) and, lastly, at Bedford Modern School. His first book, completed at the age of seventeen, is the story of a British spy in Russia during World War II, titled Descent Into Danger. He refused the offer of a job at a university in order to accompany a traveling fair for a year: he used those experiences for his novel, Bed of Nails. Since then his books have been published worldwide. He has been a foreign correspondent beginning with the Suez Crisis and ending with the first Gulf War. He was a BBC writer/producer for three flagship BBC programmes: Man Alive, Tomorrow's World and Horizon.
He is a regular contributor to Facta, the respected monthly Japanese news magazine, and he lectures widely on the secret world of intelligence. He also provides expert analysis on intelligence for US and European television and radio programs.His book Gideon's Spies: Mossad's Secret Warriors became a major documentary for Channel Four that he wrote and narrated: The Spy Machine. It followed three years of research during which he was given unprecedented access to Mossad’s main personnel. The documentary was co-produced by Open Media and Israfilm.
Gideon's Spies: Mossad's Secret Warriors has so far been published in 16 languages. A source for this book was Ari Ben-Menashe, a former Israeli intelligence agent, and legendary Israeli spy Rafi Eitan. According to Charles Foster in Contemporary Review: "Writers who know their place are few and far between: fortunately Mr Thomas is one of them. By keeping to his place as a tremendous storyteller without a preacher's pretensions, he has put his book amongst the important chronicles of the state of Israel."
Thomas was born in Wales, in a cemetery keeper's cottage where his grandmother lived. He had his first story published at nine years old in a Boy's Own Paper competition. With his father in the RAF, he traveled widely and was educated at the Cairo High School, the Maritz Brothers (in Port Elizabeth, South Africa) and, lastly, at Bedford Modern School. His first book, completed at the age of seventeen, is the story of a British spy in Russia during World War II, titled Descent Into Danger. He refused the offer of a job at a university in order to accompany a traveling fair for a year: he used those experiences for his novel, Bed of Nails. Since then his books have been published worldwide. He has been a foreign correspondent beginning with the Suez Crisis and ending with the first Gulf War. He was a BBC writer/producer for three flagship BBC programmes: Man Alive, Tomorrow's World and Horizon.
He is a regular contributor to Facta, the respected monthly Japanese news magazine, and he lectures widely on the secret world of intelligence. He also provides expert analysis on intelligence for US and European television and radio programs.His book Gideon's Spies: Mossad's Secret Warriors became a major documentary for Channel Four that he wrote and narrated: The Spy Machine. It followed three years of research during which he was given unprecedented access to Mossad’s main personnel. The documentary was co-produced by Open Media and Israfilm.
Gideon's Spies: Mossad's Secret Warriors has so far been published in 16 languages. A source for this book was Ari Ben-Menashe, a former Israeli intelligence agent, and legendary Israeli spy Rafi Eitan. According to Charles Foster in Contemporary Review: "Writers who know their place are few and far between: fortunately Mr Thomas is one of them. By keeping to his place as a tremendous storyteller without a preacher's pretensions, he has put his book amongst the important chronicles of the state of Israel."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 116 reviews
April 13, 2016
I came across this book purely by chance while researching a different book.
This is a shocking True Story of Hope, Betrayal and Nazi Terror.
German ocean Liner The St. Louis set sail from Hamburg to Cuba on May 13, 1939. The vessel was carrying 937 Jewish refugees seeking asylum from the Nazi death camps. The ship was under the command of a very capable and compassionate Captain called Gustav Schröder and the destination was Cuba where asylum was requested and granted for the passengers . However upon the ship's arrival in Cuba, the Cuban government, headed by President Federico Laredo Brú, refused entry to the foreign refugees even though these refugees had previously purchased costly legal visas, they were tuned away as unknown to them (before travelling) laws relating to tourist/refugee visas had recently changed and although numerous negotiations took place the ship was turned away.
I was so impressed by the courage of Captain Gustav Schroder while sailing a German Ship with a Nazi Flag flying high for all to see, how he protested against Germany and tried to treat his passengers with the respect that they deserved and how hard he tried to find homes for his 908 passengers. After they were denied entry into Cuba, Canada and the United States, the ship sailed back towards Europe and the refugees were eventually accepted in various European countries. It is estimated that only 300 of the original 937 passengers survived and these were the group that were settled in Great Britain but the rest which were settled in Belgium and France ended up being sent to concentration camps. There were some exceptions and these as accounted for in the book.
This book was such an eye opener and how let down these people must have felt by the whole world. The most disheartening part for me that this is happening in Europe all over again. Decisions which should be made rapidly at government levels between countries are being dragged out for months on end while refugees suffer as a result. Have we learned anything at all from past experiences? or do our governments just keep making the same selfish mistakes concerning the fates of displaced people who through no fault of their own find themselves displaced and with no country to call home.
This book was written in 1974 and it may as well have been written in 2016 for all that has changed.
The survivors of the St. Louis were eventually scattered throughout the world and when the book was written in 1974 the authors did wonderful research as numerous of the survivors were interviewed to give an accurate account of what happened on the St. Louis. Official archives, crew members and passengers interviews and others directly involved with the voyage of the St Louis accounts appear in this book and give an insightful account of this voyage.
I sourced a hard back copy of this book published in 1974 and loved the maps and the photos that was included which really added to understanding the voyage.
September 2, 2022
A clear, day-by-day tour de force of politics and racial prejudices.
Voyage of the Damned: A Shocking True Story of Hope, Betrayal and Nazi Terror by Gordon Thomas & Max Morgan-Witts is the multifaceted research into the May-June 1939's voyage of MS St. Louis with Jewish refugees from Germany.
While reading the book, one may compare the current situation with Ukrainian refugees and, earlier, Syrian refugees with that of Jewish fugitives just before WWII. Long before 1945, when American and Russian soldiers started to liberate concentration camps, the world, even so called 'international Jewry,' knew about the plight of Jews in Germany. Yet, the fate of the passengers of St. Louis demonstrated how propaganda, social constraints, and racial prejudices stood in the way of kindness and compassion, qualities that, in an ideal world, distinguish us from animals. Denied access to Cuba (corrupted practices of its government), abandoned by Jewish relief committees of America (the new arrivals would have put more pressure on the already limited resources), passengers were ready to commit suicide or organize a mutiny: they knew they couldn't return to Germany.
The book features life stories of the ship's crew members, politicians, activists, and passengers. Understandably, the voyage is presented from the viewpoint of hindsight, making the story more somber and bitter. An epilogue hits especially hard since it recalls the passengers' fates after they left the ship, with many still perishing in concentration camps despite the captain's and crew's efforts in 1939.
I recommend the book to people with no previous knowledge of the voyage. In clear language, in a day-by-day order, Voyage of the Damned draws a broad picture of the events without concentrating on one particular personality.
(I listened to an audiobook.)
Voyage of the Damned: A Shocking True Story of Hope, Betrayal and Nazi Terror by Gordon Thomas & Max Morgan-Witts is the multifaceted research into the May-June 1939's voyage of MS St. Louis with Jewish refugees from Germany.
While reading the book, one may compare the current situation with Ukrainian refugees and, earlier, Syrian refugees with that of Jewish fugitives just before WWII. Long before 1945, when American and Russian soldiers started to liberate concentration camps, the world, even so called 'international Jewry,' knew about the plight of Jews in Germany. Yet, the fate of the passengers of St. Louis demonstrated how propaganda, social constraints, and racial prejudices stood in the way of kindness and compassion, qualities that, in an ideal world, distinguish us from animals. Denied access to Cuba (corrupted practices of its government), abandoned by Jewish relief committees of America (the new arrivals would have put more pressure on the already limited resources), passengers were ready to commit suicide or organize a mutiny: they knew they couldn't return to Germany.
The book features life stories of the ship's crew members, politicians, activists, and passengers. Understandably, the voyage is presented from the viewpoint of hindsight, making the story more somber and bitter. An epilogue hits especially hard since it recalls the passengers' fates after they left the ship, with many still perishing in concentration camps despite the captain's and crew's efforts in 1939.
I recommend the book to people with no previous knowledge of the voyage. In clear language, in a day-by-day order, Voyage of the Damned draws a broad picture of the events without concentrating on one particular personality.
(I listened to an audiobook.)
April 18, 2010
What an astounding, compelling, infuriating book. It is no mean feat to take a story where the ending is, or should be, well known, and make it suspenseful, but Gordon Thomas and Max Morgan Witts do exactly that here. Published in 1974, when there were survivors still present to share their memories, VOYAGE OF THE DAMNED tells the story of "the ship that shamed the world." The St. Louis left Hamburg, Germany in May 1939 with 900 Jewish refugees aboard. Their destination was Havana, Cuba and, to put it bluntly, life.
As should be known by those who paid attention in history class, the St. Louis did not find welcome in Cuba, nor in America. Apparently, the Statue of Liberty didn't light her lamp for Jews trying to escape the concentration camps.
The back-room machinations make for unbelievable reading. The prices placed on these peoples' heads in order to allow them asylum represent nothing but deal-makers' avarice. The willingness, even eagerness of politicians to ignore humanitarian necessities in the name of poll points is nauseating. It takes a lot of courage to do what's right, rather than what's popular, and our leaders were significantly lacking in that courage.
As should be known by those who paid attention in history class, the St. Louis did not find welcome in Cuba, nor in America. Apparently, the Statue of Liberty didn't light her lamp for Jews trying to escape the concentration camps.
The back-room machinations make for unbelievable reading. The prices placed on these peoples' heads in order to allow them asylum represent nothing but deal-makers' avarice. The willingness, even eagerness of politicians to ignore humanitarian necessities in the name of poll points is nauseating. It takes a lot of courage to do what's right, rather than what's popular, and our leaders were significantly lacking in that courage.
May 19, 2009
CLOSING THOUGHTS:
It seems almost trite to talk about what happened to the passengers of the St. Louis as *tragic*, given the enormity of the Holocaust (and, especially since some at least survived the ordeal), and yet, there's the added element of worldwide rejection. Here are Jews who escaped and yet were not accepted, most notably not by the United States. Their ship turns into an unintentional floating concentration camp. As the author says, they find themselves bereft of the most fundamental of human needs: the feeling of being wanted...
There are some photos in this book, two of which will haunt me forever. One, of some passengers slumped over their suitcases, as rejected and dejected as any humans can be, having found out they're being sent back to the place from which they thought they had escaped...
And there's one of Captain Schroeder, the decent man who fought the Nazis the whole way, his back to the camera, in hat and dark long coat, walking along a plank of his snow-covered, bombed-out ship 2 years after the war was over, just before it went to scrap...
-------
HALFWAY MARK UPDATE:
Wow. So many fragile lives with so much fragile hope - and every force in the world aligned against them. The intrigues and the politics and the espionage and the corruption - EVERYTHING - all determining their fates. Trapped, hoping for the best of humanity to save them, and yet even allies have political agendas that impede the passengers.
The book is chock full of detail and reads like a novel, a shipboard thriller. This is how I like history to be presented.
------
(preliminary review):
This is a pretty well known story by now, or maybe not. In 1939 a ship carrying about a thousand Jews left Hamburg for Cuba during a time when Hitler was still letting some leave the country - the death system had not quite been put in place yet, so Goebbels and others opted for expedience, and saw this as a odd propaganda coup, of sorts, on the rationale that the Reich was not holding anybody against their will and anyone was free to go (never mind that things were so bad that people would have to flee, but a niggling point perhaps). Of course, nobody wanted the ship or its cargo; immigration laws and high tensions and pervasive anti-Semitism being what they were, this "shipment" was not something anybody wanted, as they might, say, bananas or tungsten. What happened to the passengers...well let's say I kind of already know the outcome. However, I've never read this book and have wanted to for a long time, and the same goes for the 1970s movie version which I still have not seen even though I have a VHS copy all wrapped up nicely in the basement, which I bought almost 10 years ago. I started the book because my curiosity could take it no longer. I've only started it and already it's quite a saga. Lots of political intrigue and a heroic captain, or so it seems... Will report as I go along. I'm giving it a provisional good rating for its clear exposition and fascinating subject matter...
A little bit further in. The sweep and breadth and extent of the workings of Nazi propaganda were astonishing. The way espionage worked in tandem with Goebbels' global disinformation plans... And the politics. This stuff is thoroughly fascinating...
It seems almost trite to talk about what happened to the passengers of the St. Louis as *tragic*, given the enormity of the Holocaust (and, especially since some at least survived the ordeal), and yet, there's the added element of worldwide rejection. Here are Jews who escaped and yet were not accepted, most notably not by the United States. Their ship turns into an unintentional floating concentration camp. As the author says, they find themselves bereft of the most fundamental of human needs: the feeling of being wanted...
There are some photos in this book, two of which will haunt me forever. One, of some passengers slumped over their suitcases, as rejected and dejected as any humans can be, having found out they're being sent back to the place from which they thought they had escaped...
And there's one of Captain Schroeder, the decent man who fought the Nazis the whole way, his back to the camera, in hat and dark long coat, walking along a plank of his snow-covered, bombed-out ship 2 years after the war was over, just before it went to scrap...
-------
HALFWAY MARK UPDATE:
Wow. So many fragile lives with so much fragile hope - and every force in the world aligned against them. The intrigues and the politics and the espionage and the corruption - EVERYTHING - all determining their fates. Trapped, hoping for the best of humanity to save them, and yet even allies have political agendas that impede the passengers.
The book is chock full of detail and reads like a novel, a shipboard thriller. This is how I like history to be presented.
------
(preliminary review):
This is a pretty well known story by now, or maybe not. In 1939 a ship carrying about a thousand Jews left Hamburg for Cuba during a time when Hitler was still letting some leave the country - the death system had not quite been put in place yet, so Goebbels and others opted for expedience, and saw this as a odd propaganda coup, of sorts, on the rationale that the Reich was not holding anybody against their will and anyone was free to go (never mind that things were so bad that people would have to flee, but a niggling point perhaps). Of course, nobody wanted the ship or its cargo; immigration laws and high tensions and pervasive anti-Semitism being what they were, this "shipment" was not something anybody wanted, as they might, say, bananas or tungsten. What happened to the passengers...well let's say I kind of already know the outcome. However, I've never read this book and have wanted to for a long time, and the same goes for the 1970s movie version which I still have not seen even though I have a VHS copy all wrapped up nicely in the basement, which I bought almost 10 years ago. I started the book because my curiosity could take it no longer. I've only started it and already it's quite a saga. Lots of political intrigue and a heroic captain, or so it seems... Will report as I go along. I'm giving it a provisional good rating for its clear exposition and fascinating subject matter...
A little bit further in. The sweep and breadth and extent of the workings of Nazi propaganda were astonishing. The way espionage worked in tandem with Goebbels' global disinformation plans... And the politics. This stuff is thoroughly fascinating...
July 29, 2023
Testament to the St. Louis Refugees Fleeing Nazi Germany
I read this book the first time around 30 years ago, but have wanted to re-read it in recent years. This recounts how 937 Jewish refugees, most from Germany, fled Germany for Cuba in May 1939. Little did they realize that corruption, politics, antisemitism, and anti-immigrant feelings would keep them out of Cuba when they were refused entry there upon their arrival. This well-researched book tells the tale of horrors that faced these Jews fleeing Nazi Germany and the ambivalence they faced from countries around the world. It also is also a testament to how some people and countries came to their aid in their time of need — total strangers who stood up to the wrong being perpetrated against them. This book is worth the read.
I read this book the first time around 30 years ago, but have wanted to re-read it in recent years. This recounts how 937 Jewish refugees, most from Germany, fled Germany for Cuba in May 1939. Little did they realize that corruption, politics, antisemitism, and anti-immigrant feelings would keep them out of Cuba when they were refused entry there upon their arrival. This well-researched book tells the tale of horrors that faced these Jews fleeing Nazi Germany and the ambivalence they faced from countries around the world. It also is also a testament to how some people and countries came to their aid in their time of need — total strangers who stood up to the wrong being perpetrated against them. This book is worth the read.
October 5, 2017
3.5 stars. I read the Kindle version which had an unacceptably high number of typos. Also, the second photo insert gave away a spoiler which degraded the reading experience.
Almost as much current events (persecuted minorites are forced to flee their homeland & are unwelcome everywhere else) as history (events take place a few months before the outbreak of WW II). The storytelling is straightforward & unadorned and each chapter tells what happened each day of the voyage. No chapters are too long and some are very short. Overall the book length felt about right.
The stories of the individuals & crew members on board the St. Louis are generally quite good if a little spare. The epilogue was very good.
Almost as much current events (persecuted minorites are forced to flee their homeland & are unwelcome everywhere else) as history (events take place a few months before the outbreak of WW II). The storytelling is straightforward & unadorned and each chapter tells what happened each day of the voyage. No chapters are too long and some are very short. Overall the book length felt about right.
The stories of the individuals & crew members on board the St. Louis are generally quite good if a little spare. The epilogue was very good.
September 17, 2017
This is an excellent but very sad true account of the May 1939 trans Atlantic voyage of the St. Louis ocean-liner from Hamburg Germany to Cuba. 937 Jewish refugees were attempting to leave Nazi controlled Germany with the eventual goal of immigrating to the United States.
This is a day by day detailed account of that voyage, telling personal events of the passengers and crew. A great deal of this book focuses on political discussions amongst Germany, Cuba, United States, England, France and other nations regarding the question of acceptance of the refugees into their nations.
It is an educational and riveting book. It left me wondering the same questions I always have when reading about WWII: Why? How could this have happened? I continue to hope that we will learn from studying history and do better.
This is a day by day detailed account of that voyage, telling personal events of the passengers and crew. A great deal of this book focuses on political discussions amongst Germany, Cuba, United States, England, France and other nations regarding the question of acceptance of the refugees into their nations.
It is an educational and riveting book. It left me wondering the same questions I always have when reading about WWII: Why? How could this have happened? I continue to hope that we will learn from studying history and do better.
November 15, 2023
I already knew the basic details about the St. Louis but I wanted to know more and hoped this book would help me understand the situation better. It did. I appreciate the structure of the book because it helped me grasp how the events unfolded and how attitudes shifted as a result.
March 16, 2013
I recently visited the Holocaust museum in Washington D.C. It was so hard and sad to see the graphic images. What I learned from the museum is that it was not only the Jews who were persecuted for their religion and looks but anyone who looked different than what Hitler thought they should.
I read this book as I believe my brother-in-laws father was a young boy on the SS St Louis. I wanted to read the plight of what he went through. I now see there were so many hands in the cookie jar.
I have always wondered how the rest of the world could sit by for so long and do nothing while hundreds of thousands of Jews were sent to concentration camps and ultimately put to death by the Nazis. Back then the US was a different place and they had fears about what was going on as they were miss-informed. We are more informed today about the world due to social media that I think we would never allow this to happen again.
The authors' have done a great job, using interviews from those who were there, newsreels, newspaper coverage and other sources to present a convincing and balanced history of this tragic tale.
I read this book as I believe my brother-in-laws father was a young boy on the SS St Louis. I wanted to read the plight of what he went through. I now see there were so many hands in the cookie jar.
I have always wondered how the rest of the world could sit by for so long and do nothing while hundreds of thousands of Jews were sent to concentration camps and ultimately put to death by the Nazis. Back then the US was a different place and they had fears about what was going on as they were miss-informed. We are more informed today about the world due to social media that I think we would never allow this to happen again.
The authors' have done a great job, using interviews from those who were there, newsreels, newspaper coverage and other sources to present a convincing and balanced history of this tragic tale.
November 7, 2010
Following the tragic voyage of the St. Louis and the Jewish refugees that were aboard, you'll learn that the Nazis weren't the only ones who felt Jews were less then human. Bound for Cuba, you'll read about individual people who make this tragic story so heartwrenching and infuriating. From the captain who realized the ordeal he was in charge of, to the corrupt Cuban officials who only thought of money and power, there are so many interesting and complex people in this story you'll find yourself visualizing the scenes described in the book. The authors do a great service to the readers by ending the book with as much information as they could find on what happened to all that was aboard that ship. A story every person should be aware of. A great addition to any World War II collection.
October 31, 2017
You think the US has immigration problems today? What about the world? How is it that nine hundred people became hostage on the St. Louis? Where were all the open borders back in the late 30’s? That’s right, they didn’t exist. As the world geared up for the coming war everyone knew Germany was getting ready to launch, instead of taking action, they all sat on their hands waiting for the storm to pass. Germany was offering Jews to get out, but at what cost? It’s amazing how many people were profiting from the persecution of the Jews. If you were lucky enough to have a small fortune or relatives overseas who could send money, you had a chance. If not, the borders of Poland, the Balkans, Holland, Denmark, France, Great Britain and yes, the US were only pipe dreams. Unemployment had ravaged the world. It wouldn’t do to bring in foreigners who might take away jobs from the locals. Actually, there was horrendous outcry for the free countries to not take in any more refugees. Even though Eleanor Roosevelt felt for the marooned, her husband had to play politics.
Joseph Goebbels was using this voyage as another political harangue against the untermenshen and Jewish peoples. Many of the passengers were told, if they returned to Germany, they would be sent back to Buchenwald-permanently!
I don’t want to rewrite the whole story here, so, if you want a good look into the geopolitical situation around the world during the late 30’s and how this passenger liner defined the world, I highly recommend this story.
I commend the captain of the ship, Gustav Schroeder. He did everything in his power to make sure his cargo was deposited out of harm’s way, but no matter how valiantly he acted, the ship still flew the swastika. It was good to know his nemesis Otto Schiendick, agent of the Abwehr, was shot and killed in 1945.
Five Stars
Joseph Goebbels was using this voyage as another political harangue against the untermenshen and Jewish peoples. Many of the passengers were told, if they returned to Germany, they would be sent back to Buchenwald-permanently!
I don’t want to rewrite the whole story here, so, if you want a good look into the geopolitical situation around the world during the late 30’s and how this passenger liner defined the world, I highly recommend this story.
I commend the captain of the ship, Gustav Schroeder. He did everything in his power to make sure his cargo was deposited out of harm’s way, but no matter how valiantly he acted, the ship still flew the swastika. It was good to know his nemesis Otto Schiendick, agent of the Abwehr, was shot and killed in 1945.
Five Stars
April 28, 2017
The true story of the voyage of the SS St. Louis and its Jewish refugee passengers on the eve of WWII. I listened to the audiobook, primarly on two long drives. The book is a just-the-facts chronological recitation based upon extensive interviews with the survivors. Part of me wouldn't have minded a little more background/discussion regarding the refugee problem and the role of the various world leaders, especially FDR who is a bit of a cipher here, but on the other hand the book does not suffer from "bloat" where the author feels she has to give background from the beginning of time or relate every interesting anecdote about a character whether or not it adds to the story. In sum, a depressing story but one that should be told.
May 4, 2022
Read it. The narrator in the audiobook is one of the worst I've heard (you can do re-takes, folks). But the story is well-told, sad, and important enough to override the narrator issues.
January 7, 2018
A TRULY INCREDIBLE TALE
“In 1939, with an election pending, an opinion poll showed that 83 per cent of the [U.S.] electorate was against increasing the number of refugees allowed into the country.” (p. 18).
It’s easy to loath bureaucracies. At best they’re often inefficient and/or incompetent. At worst evil and/or corrupt.
Voyage of the Damned: A Shocking True Story of Hope, Betrayal and Nazi Terror, by Gordon Thomas & Max Morgan-Witts is a story about committees and bureaucracies. Some, relief organizations, struggling their level best—albeit often ineptly—to humanely solve problems; others, mostly governmental, working to extort more funds from a very desperate situation—or to simply ignore the problem altogether.
As the goodreads’ synopsis puts it: “Voyage of the Damed is a gripping day-to-day account of how those refugees on board the [German] liner [SS St. Louis] struggled to survive.”
Recommendation: Highly recommended. A compelling, often exasperating, story of how one might wish humanity was not. A story for today.
“No one can say with certainty how many of the St. Louis passengers eventually perished. One estimate states that of the 907 who were returned to Europe only 240 lived. […] What is certain is that if Cuba or the United States had opened their doors, almost no one from the ship need have died.” (p. 303-304)
Open Road Media. Kindle Edition. 318 pages.
“In 1939, with an election pending, an opinion poll showed that 83 per cent of the [U.S.] electorate was against increasing the number of refugees allowed into the country.” (p. 18).
It’s easy to loath bureaucracies. At best they’re often inefficient and/or incompetent. At worst evil and/or corrupt.
Voyage of the Damned: A Shocking True Story of Hope, Betrayal and Nazi Terror, by Gordon Thomas & Max Morgan-Witts is a story about committees and bureaucracies. Some, relief organizations, struggling their level best—albeit often ineptly—to humanely solve problems; others, mostly governmental, working to extort more funds from a very desperate situation—or to simply ignore the problem altogether.
As the goodreads’ synopsis puts it: “Voyage of the Damed is a gripping day-to-day account of how those refugees on board the [German] liner [SS St. Louis] struggled to survive.”
Recommendation: Highly recommended. A compelling, often exasperating, story of how one might wish humanity was not. A story for today.
“No one can say with certainty how many of the St. Louis passengers eventually perished. One estimate states that of the 907 who were returned to Europe only 240 lived. […] What is certain is that if Cuba or the United States had opened their doors, almost no one from the ship need have died.” (p. 303-304)
Open Road Media. Kindle Edition. 318 pages.
October 26, 2023
A challenging read, a challenging time in history. Gordon Thomas and Max Morgan-Witts' harrowing account of the fateful 1939 voyage of the German passenger ship, the St. Louis, poses its challenges as a readable book for its devastating details. 1939 was a challenging period of world history as sparks and fire of the caustic cauldron of the times finally exploded into World War II. The voyage that is chronicled in "Voyage of the Damned: A Shocking True Story of Hope, Betrayal, and Nazi Terror," is laced with doom and gloom, with only occasional glimpses of hope.
With the Nazi's rise to power in Germany, and Hitler's "final solution"in full execution, 900-plus people, mostly European Jewish refugees, boarded the Hapag St. Louis ship in Hamburg in May 1939 on a voyage to safety in Havana, Cuba...at least that was the plane. From the relatively poor to the exceedingly wealthy, the fleeing, traumatized men, women and children set sail with hope in their hearts for a new life in a new world. Lead by noble Captain Schroeder, the journey from Hamburg to Havana should have been routine. It wasn't.
Needless to say, humanity was at its lowest ebb in 1939. Desperate for action, the Jewish refugee organizations throughout the world sought out salvation for the unwanted German Jews with any country that would have them. Sadly, most countries refused to accept a giant ship filled with Jewish immigrants. Great Britain leaned into ignorance, believing that St. Louis passengers were mostly criminals and undesirables. In the midst of The Depression, the United States of America leaned into isolationism, Nationalism and anti-semitism. On top of all that, Great Britain, the United States, and other countries had strict quotas of how many refugees they would allow to accept into their borders, and most were already filled up by the time the St. Louis set sail.
Enter Cuba, a beautiful country in the Caribbean, plagued with corruption. Unbeknownst to the St. Louis, and Hapag, and the Jewish refugee organizations, the director of immigration in Cuba was a shady hustler, corrupt as they come. Despite repeated assurances (and prominent payments) that all of the passengers on the St. Louis will land safely in Havana, the fact remained that immigration director Manuel Benitez Gonzalez had no such guarantee. His relationship with Cuban dictator Federico Laredo Brú was spotty, and Bru had just passed an ordinance essentially banning any further foreign refugees. Worse than that. The Nazi propaganda chief had spread horrible, anti-semitic lies about the Jewish people, flaming the flames of anti-semitism in Cuba.
As a result, despite some fortunate passengers making it ashore in Havana, and despite many misguided efforts to appease the Cuban government, the majority of the Jewish refugees were rejected by Cuba, and sent away. Despite some hopeful plans to sail to other countries, communication between people and parties were dysfunctional, and eventually, the St. Louis was forced to return to Europe, with the fate of most of the remaining passengers doomed.
With a background of ignorance, indifference, corruption and hatred, the St. Louis had little chance of fulfilling the promise of its intended journey. With 1001 cooks in the kitchen stirring up the pot, and few people and organizations agreeing on anything, the St, Louis was doomed from the start. Despite a strong, brave and compassionate ship captain, the St. Louis' crew had its share of Nazi sympathizers, and one Nazi spy. Some of the passengers were too traumatized and tortured by Nazi persecution before they even set foot on the St. Louis. Others fared poorly from not knowing their own fate, and a feeling of foreboding. The result? Distress and depression on board, with at least two suicides that were reported.
Especially if one is ignorant of the details of what happened to the St. Louis in 1939, "Voyage of the Damned: A Shocking True Story of Hope, Betrayal, and Nazi Terror" expertly takes you there, step-by-step, and allows the reader to get a sense of what it was like back in '39, and all of the missteps and attempts at heroism that were undertaken on and off the St. Louis. One can't help but feel the impending doom and devastation through each and every page. As a result, the act of reading of the book itself became doom-laden, and hard to stomach at times.
"Voyage of the Damned: A Shocking True Story of Hope, Betrayal, and Nazi Terror" reads like a novel, and at times makes one wonder how the authors managed to paint such a visceral portrait of what transpired back in '39. The book provides fascinating detail and educational facts of what the world was like back then, and what a horrible time it was for all of humanity, especially the European Jews. Aside from the two deaths that occurred on the St. Louis voyage (and a suicide attempt that later lead to death), all of the passengers initially survived the journey back to Europe, finally finding sanctuary in countries outside of Germany. Unfortunately, later in 1939 Germany invaded Poland, World War II began, and the majority of the surviving St. Louis passengers were murdered in the Holocaust. Some escaped to Spain and Switzerland, some made it to Great Britain, Cuba and the United States, yet others landed in countries that were soon occupied by Nazis: Holland, Belgium and France.
It never should have happened. "Voyage of the Damned: A Shocking True Story of Hope, Betrayal, and Nazi Terror" never should have been written. Yet it DID happen, and thankfully Gordon Thomas and Max Morgan-Witts took the time to tell the story of that sad St. Louis voyage. It's a story that needs to be told, and never forgotten. If we can not learn from history, if we deny ourselves the devastating events from the past, then we are doomed to repeat it. "The Human Experiment" is still ongoing. It can be beautiful loving. However, as evident in Voyage of the Damned: A Shocking True Story of Hope, Betrayal, and Nazi Terror," mankind's morality can collapse too quickly unless we work hard and fight to keep ourselves in check.
With the Nazi's rise to power in Germany, and Hitler's "final solution"in full execution, 900-plus people, mostly European Jewish refugees, boarded the Hapag St. Louis ship in Hamburg in May 1939 on a voyage to safety in Havana, Cuba...at least that was the plane. From the relatively poor to the exceedingly wealthy, the fleeing, traumatized men, women and children set sail with hope in their hearts for a new life in a new world. Lead by noble Captain Schroeder, the journey from Hamburg to Havana should have been routine. It wasn't.
Needless to say, humanity was at its lowest ebb in 1939. Desperate for action, the Jewish refugee organizations throughout the world sought out salvation for the unwanted German Jews with any country that would have them. Sadly, most countries refused to accept a giant ship filled with Jewish immigrants. Great Britain leaned into ignorance, believing that St. Louis passengers were mostly criminals and undesirables. In the midst of The Depression, the United States of America leaned into isolationism, Nationalism and anti-semitism. On top of all that, Great Britain, the United States, and other countries had strict quotas of how many refugees they would allow to accept into their borders, and most were already filled up by the time the St. Louis set sail.
Enter Cuba, a beautiful country in the Caribbean, plagued with corruption. Unbeknownst to the St. Louis, and Hapag, and the Jewish refugee organizations, the director of immigration in Cuba was a shady hustler, corrupt as they come. Despite repeated assurances (and prominent payments) that all of the passengers on the St. Louis will land safely in Havana, the fact remained that immigration director Manuel Benitez Gonzalez had no such guarantee. His relationship with Cuban dictator Federico Laredo Brú was spotty, and Bru had just passed an ordinance essentially banning any further foreign refugees. Worse than that. The Nazi propaganda chief had spread horrible, anti-semitic lies about the Jewish people, flaming the flames of anti-semitism in Cuba.
As a result, despite some fortunate passengers making it ashore in Havana, and despite many misguided efforts to appease the Cuban government, the majority of the Jewish refugees were rejected by Cuba, and sent away. Despite some hopeful plans to sail to other countries, communication between people and parties were dysfunctional, and eventually, the St. Louis was forced to return to Europe, with the fate of most of the remaining passengers doomed.
With a background of ignorance, indifference, corruption and hatred, the St. Louis had little chance of fulfilling the promise of its intended journey. With 1001 cooks in the kitchen stirring up the pot, and few people and organizations agreeing on anything, the St, Louis was doomed from the start. Despite a strong, brave and compassionate ship captain, the St. Louis' crew had its share of Nazi sympathizers, and one Nazi spy. Some of the passengers were too traumatized and tortured by Nazi persecution before they even set foot on the St. Louis. Others fared poorly from not knowing their own fate, and a feeling of foreboding. The result? Distress and depression on board, with at least two suicides that were reported.
Especially if one is ignorant of the details of what happened to the St. Louis in 1939, "Voyage of the Damned: A Shocking True Story of Hope, Betrayal, and Nazi Terror" expertly takes you there, step-by-step, and allows the reader to get a sense of what it was like back in '39, and all of the missteps and attempts at heroism that were undertaken on and off the St. Louis. One can't help but feel the impending doom and devastation through each and every page. As a result, the act of reading of the book itself became doom-laden, and hard to stomach at times.
"Voyage of the Damned: A Shocking True Story of Hope, Betrayal, and Nazi Terror" reads like a novel, and at times makes one wonder how the authors managed to paint such a visceral portrait of what transpired back in '39. The book provides fascinating detail and educational facts of what the world was like back then, and what a horrible time it was for all of humanity, especially the European Jews. Aside from the two deaths that occurred on the St. Louis voyage (and a suicide attempt that later lead to death), all of the passengers initially survived the journey back to Europe, finally finding sanctuary in countries outside of Germany. Unfortunately, later in 1939 Germany invaded Poland, World War II began, and the majority of the surviving St. Louis passengers were murdered in the Holocaust. Some escaped to Spain and Switzerland, some made it to Great Britain, Cuba and the United States, yet others landed in countries that were soon occupied by Nazis: Holland, Belgium and France.
It never should have happened. "Voyage of the Damned: A Shocking True Story of Hope, Betrayal, and Nazi Terror" never should have been written. Yet it DID happen, and thankfully Gordon Thomas and Max Morgan-Witts took the time to tell the story of that sad St. Louis voyage. It's a story that needs to be told, and never forgotten. If we can not learn from history, if we deny ourselves the devastating events from the past, then we are doomed to repeat it. "The Human Experiment" is still ongoing. It can be beautiful loving. However, as evident in Voyage of the Damned: A Shocking True Story of Hope, Betrayal, and Nazi Terror," mankind's morality can collapse too quickly unless we work hard and fight to keep ourselves in check.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 20, 2016
The story is incredible and one that we should all know. The writing was very-fact driven, which is the natural result of the author piecing together his research, but it made for somewhat dry reading. Still read it because you should know how these atrocities happened.
March 2, 2017
The best totally depressing book I've read in a long, long time. Reading how these people, in fact all the refugees from Hitler's Reich were treated by the world made me embarrassed to be part of the human race.
Yes. The ironic analogies to Trump's America were pretty powerful here.
Yes. The ironic analogies to Trump's America were pretty powerful here.
December 28, 2019
The story of a ship leaving Europe for Cuba with a number of Holocaust survivors aboard who hoped to relocate abroad.
This story is retold as one of the overlapping stories in the book, Refugee, by Alan Gratz.
This story is retold as one of the overlapping stories in the book, Refugee, by Alan Gratz.
August 7, 2017
Compelling way to present history. Here are heart wrenching stories and enough historical information to keep the attention of those interested in information as well as those interested in stories.
October 30, 2024
Was in one of those moods where I just needed a standalone book that wasn't inkeeping with the last few books I've read. I came across this on KU, and the blurb sparked enough of an interest for me to read on. On the eve of WW2, a ship leaves Hamburg Harbour for Cuba. On board are around 900 Jewish refugees, fleeing persecution either by choice or after being forced out of the country. But circumstances beyond their control mean that, while they've sailed half way round the world to escape the shadow of the far right, there is no guarantee that their final destination will be where they desire.
I do enjoy reading this sort of book; a non-fiction work that picks up on a little-known event and changes your perception of the wider period. It's a reminder that history is a) not black and white, and b) written by the winners. For while the people on this ship are seeking a safe port in a storm, even the "good guys" show an incredible lack of interest in offering a helping hand. It's terrifying how politics and back room deals seems to have more impact than the direct threat to the lives of these people, and yet the best the land of the free and home of thr brave (along with her allies) can do is shrug its shoulders.
The authors do an amazing job at bringing the various people on the St Louis to life in the reader's mind. This is in part helped by the sheer amount of primary testimonies they've gathered and the huge amount of research that appears to have gone into the book. It may have been written in 1974, but it remains a tight, concise examination of events that aims to convey the story and the facts as far as possible, rather than sensationalise. It is a little hard to follow in places as there are a few members of the Cuban authorities with similar-ish names, and generally there are just a lot of people involved in negotiations, but generally speaking it's set out as a day by day chronology of events and so it remains easy to follow the developments, twists and turns of the story.
They've managed to capture the idea that the ship is a microcosm of 1930s Germany; we meet a Jewish family who board the ship in their finest clothes, and another who is freshly out of Dachau and hiding from the authorities. One of the crew is a fully paid up member of the N*zi party and wannabe spy, and the Captain is the stand up gentleman who is determined to treat his current crop of passengers in exactly the same way he would on any other trip. It's wonderful to read the experiences of ordinary people who are being persecuted for their beliefs, and their shock and awe at the fact that the majority of the crew actually treat them like human beings. Similarly, the authors don't shy away from describing the effects of a concentration / forced labour camp on a person's physical and mental health, but every instance is treated with respect and care, and doesn't feel sensationalist, but rather just a reporting of the sad consequences.
What's particularly effective is how well it still resonates with modern events. Refugees being turned away or barred entry from every port because of isolationist policies and a fear that they're going to be reliant upon the state rather than standing on their own two feet. How is this same story being told with the same consequences 85 years later?! The book was written closer in time to the events it describes than today, and yet it's still going on. It's particularly hard to stomach when you consider the 'luck of the draw' outcomes of the passengers - though all found a 'safe' harbour to disembark from the ship, the likelihood is a majority of passengers ultimately failed to escape. Whereas if Cuba and/or the USA had opened a port to them, the vast majority would have likely survived the war.
It's not light reading, but it is easy reading and very, very insightful.
I do enjoy reading this sort of book; a non-fiction work that picks up on a little-known event and changes your perception of the wider period. It's a reminder that history is a) not black and white, and b) written by the winners. For while the people on this ship are seeking a safe port in a storm, even the "good guys" show an incredible lack of interest in offering a helping hand. It's terrifying how politics and back room deals seems to have more impact than the direct threat to the lives of these people, and yet the best the land of the free and home of thr brave (along with her allies) can do is shrug its shoulders.
The authors do an amazing job at bringing the various people on the St Louis to life in the reader's mind. This is in part helped by the sheer amount of primary testimonies they've gathered and the huge amount of research that appears to have gone into the book. It may have been written in 1974, but it remains a tight, concise examination of events that aims to convey the story and the facts as far as possible, rather than sensationalise. It is a little hard to follow in places as there are a few members of the Cuban authorities with similar-ish names, and generally there are just a lot of people involved in negotiations, but generally speaking it's set out as a day by day chronology of events and so it remains easy to follow the developments, twists and turns of the story.
They've managed to capture the idea that the ship is a microcosm of 1930s Germany; we meet a Jewish family who board the ship in their finest clothes, and another who is freshly out of Dachau and hiding from the authorities. One of the crew is a fully paid up member of the N*zi party and wannabe spy, and the Captain is the stand up gentleman who is determined to treat his current crop of passengers in exactly the same way he would on any other trip. It's wonderful to read the experiences of ordinary people who are being persecuted for their beliefs, and their shock and awe at the fact that the majority of the crew actually treat them like human beings. Similarly, the authors don't shy away from describing the effects of a concentration / forced labour camp on a person's physical and mental health, but every instance is treated with respect and care, and doesn't feel sensationalist, but rather just a reporting of the sad consequences.
What's particularly effective is how well it still resonates with modern events. Refugees being turned away or barred entry from every port because of isolationist policies and a fear that they're going to be reliant upon the state rather than standing on their own two feet. How is this same story being told with the same consequences 85 years later?! The book was written closer in time to the events it describes than today, and yet it's still going on. It's particularly hard to stomach when you consider the 'luck of the draw' outcomes of the passengers - though all found a 'safe' harbour to disembark from the ship, the likelihood is a majority of passengers ultimately failed to escape. Whereas if Cuba and/or the USA had opened a port to them, the vast majority would have likely survived the war.
It's not light reading, but it is easy reading and very, very insightful.
March 31, 2022
I decided to read 1974’s “Voyage of the Damned” after seeing the 1976 movie of the same name. Although the movie, it turns out, told the story pretty well (and hewed close to the book), I still had questions… primarily how the St. Louis was meant as a propaganda tool for the Nazis, i.e., and to what extent it was orchestrated. Well, after book and movie: it appears that Goebbels suddenly letting 900+ Jews flee Germany (some from concentration camps) via cruise-liner for Cuba, only to be turned away by multiple countries and eventually sent back to Germany (the last part didn’t end up happening) was designed to have three effects:
1) The Reich could point to the voyage and say ‘See? We’re not keeping Jews in Germany against their will. They’re free to leave whenever they want.’
2) Upon the St. Louis being turned away by the countries, ‘See? None of you other countries want the Jews either. So don’t act all superior while you’re forcing us to make some hard decisions.’
3) Upon the St. Louis finally returning to Germany, the Nazis to citizens: 'See? There’s no getting rid of these Jews by polite means. Guess we’ll have to resort to other ideas.’
The story of the St. Louis is very interesting. However, the book suffers from a perhaps-unavoidable problem: just as Voyage of the Damned dragged on and on, so too do many of the details off the ship. The double-dealings in Cuba and beyond can degenerate into minutia, and this is when “Voyage of the Damned” is at its most laborious.
On the other hand, it is instructional that the Voyage of the Damned, a precursor to the Holocaust, was so rooted in bureaucracy.
1) The Reich could point to the voyage and say ‘See? We’re not keeping Jews in Germany against their will. They’re free to leave whenever they want.’
2) Upon the St. Louis being turned away by the countries, ‘See? None of you other countries want the Jews either. So don’t act all superior while you’re forcing us to make some hard decisions.’
3) Upon the St. Louis finally returning to Germany, the Nazis to citizens: 'See? There’s no getting rid of these Jews by polite means. Guess we’ll have to resort to other ideas.’
The story of the St. Louis is very interesting. However, the book suffers from a perhaps-unavoidable problem: just as Voyage of the Damned dragged on and on, so too do many of the details off the ship. The double-dealings in Cuba and beyond can degenerate into minutia, and this is when “Voyage of the Damned” is at its most laborious.
On the other hand, it is instructional that the Voyage of the Damned, a precursor to the Holocaust, was so rooted in bureaucracy.
December 21, 2019
The fascinating story of the SS St. Louis, a cruise ship filled with Jews trying to escape Nazi Germany and almost certain death. I'd never heard this story before. Almost a thousand lucky Jews managed to get passage to Cuba before the war officially began. Many had family already there, or were waiting to be allowed into America, little did they know they were being used as political pawns by the Nazi party. On board the ship were many Nazi crewman, including one who was bound for Cuba to smuggle out stolen secrets. But luckily the captain and much of the crew were sympathetic to these refugees and did everything they could to get them safely to their destination. But when they arrived, Cuba refused to accept them. The ship sat off the coast for days and days, awaiting further instruction, only to be turned away and sent sailing back to the concentration camps they thought they had escaped. Eventually the passengers were split up and accepted as refugees into different European countries, but most ended up dying during the war anyway. A horribly sad story of how if America and/or Cuba had had more compassion, a thousand lives could have been saved.
March 11, 2024
Should be read more often in schools. People don't realize that most of the doors out of Nazi Germany were shut against Jews who tried to escape while there was still time. No country wanted indigent refugees, including the U.S. Jews were not allowed to take their money or possessions out of Germany and the very lucky few who were given U.S. visas had (usually family) who sponsored them and signed papers that they would be financially responsible for them. Many of the countries the Jews fled to such as Holland or Paris were then invaded by Germany and most met the same fate as if they had never left. With the long and current history of anti-semitism which included prohibitions from obtaining work in many fields, regular insults and beatings and restrictions to live only in certain areas of cities (i.e. the Jewish ghettos) the only place on earth that seemed to offer a hope for the future was Palestine.
June 1, 2017
I'm inclined to begin with "there are no words," but of course, there are. It's just impossible to do this story justice, and I feel that I can not even begin to adequately come close to reviewing it. So, just this: I couldn't put it down. The detail, the historical facts, the writing, everything about this book was incredible. More so, thought is that it is disturbing and frightening and sobering to think this HAPPENED, and it is disturbing and frightening and sobering to think that THIS IS HAPPENING NOW, TODAY in 2017!! Written in the 1970s? There is nothing at all dated about this story. It is unbelievable, and yet, it's non-fiction. It is an incredible story, and every time I felt hopeful about what was going to happen next, I felt a punch to my gut because we all know how it ends.
Everyone should read this book. EVERYONE!
Everyone should read this book. EVERYONE!
January 21, 2023
A very interesting, day by day account, of the more than 900 German Jewish passengers of SS St Louis in 1939. Attempting to escape Nazi persecution by immigrating to Cuba these passengers were denied entry to Cuba once they arrived. If not accepted by Cuba or another country these passengers faced returning to Nazi Germany where they would face going being sent to concentration camps and certain death. The account revealed the truth that countries, including the United States, had, and have, immigration policies that were not necessarily driven by “doing the right thing” but by prejudices and greed. While I understand the need for immigration policies and that financial issues related to supporting immigrants I do not see how in good conscience we can ignore similar situations when people’s lives on the line.
November 22, 2017
A very powerful book about the 937 Jews who were fortunate enough to board the ship known as the St. Louis in Hamburg in 1939 and sail to Havana Harbour. However, as the author describes so vividly, they were disappointed and bitterly frustrated by the refusal of the Cuban government to admit them and this was repeated by the Americans as well. Eventually, the majority were returned to Europe where many found their way to the very concentration camps they thought they had avoided. The author is successful in conveying the fears, frustrations and agony many of these refugees felt as the weeks passed and they soon accepted the knowledge that they were a people that no one in the world wanted!!!
February 4, 2018
A necessary and sometimes shocking read, chronicling the fate of Jewish refugees seeking for a welcoming port as they escaped the trouble brewing in Germany. The turning away from their plight was both challenging and horrifying, especially in light of the current mood regarding immigration. "there existed a xenophobia which made the US not so much a melting pot for racial and religious differences, but rather a pit for racial and religious antagonisms. On the edge of this caldron perched the 100 per cent American, determined to return the nation to Anglo Saxon purity." p264 May our response match that of Captain Schroeder "They are also people, Herr Doktor, and I care about people"
November 13, 2019
This is the book to read after The Unwanted: America, Auschwitz, and a Village Caught In Between by Micahel Dobbs. Dobb's book briefly mentioned the plight of the Jews and the suspicion of spies by the US government on the St. Louis. To fully understand what happened, this book will give the missing pieces. I appreciate that this book (similar to Dobb's) reads like a history book. It presented the facts and the sequence of events as they happened. And as much as many books and textbooks portray most Germans were Jew-haters at that time, there were in fact many sympathizers and did not agree with the Third Reich's propaganda.
February 22, 2021
A fascinating look at a terrible time
This is a very well written book about a cruise ship leaving Germany for Cuba just a few months prior to the outbreak of World War II. On board are Jewish refugees trying to relocate from their homeland. The book provides details into their lives and that are f the crew. At the last moment, Cuba denies entry as subsequently does the United States. Eventually, several European countries allow the passengers to disembark. For many, it is but a temporary reprieve from the concentration camps. The authors do a very good job capturing the tension and the drama of this voyage.
This is a very well written book about a cruise ship leaving Germany for Cuba just a few months prior to the outbreak of World War II. On board are Jewish refugees trying to relocate from their homeland. The book provides details into their lives and that are f the crew. At the last moment, Cuba denies entry as subsequently does the United States. Eventually, several European countries allow the passengers to disembark. For many, it is but a temporary reprieve from the concentration camps. The authors do a very good job capturing the tension and the drama of this voyage.
February 5, 2022
What a tragic true story, and told in riveting fashion. Most people know only the basic outline of the voyage of the St. Louis: a ship of Jewish refugees fleeing the Nazis in 1939 were turned away by Cuba and the U.S., and forced to return to Europe and their doom. But the full story is so much more horrifying: the Nazis used the St. Louis and its passengers for propaganda, and as a cover for spying.
This account reads like a novel, and even though you go into it knowing the outcome, you cannot help but feel both the desperation and the hope of the passengers as they hurtle toward what was, for them, an unknown fate.
This account reads like a novel, and even though you go into it knowing the outcome, you cannot help but feel both the desperation and the hope of the passengers as they hurtle toward what was, for them, an unknown fate.
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