Hitler's Will

by Herman Rothman, Helen Fry (Editor)

Herman Rothman arrived in Britain from Germany as a Jewish refugee in 1939, on the eve of the Second World War. He volunteered for HM Forces, serving in the Intelligence Corps, and in 1945 was posted to Westertimke and Fallingbostel prisoner of war camps to interrogate high-ranking Nazi war criminals. When papers were discovered sewn into the shoulders of a jacket belonging to Heinz Lorenz, who had been Joseph Goebbels' press secretary, he and a team of four others were charged with translating them under conditions of the deepest secrecy. The documents turned out to be the originals of Hitler's personal and political wills, and Goebbels' addendum. Later, in Rotenburg hospital, Rothman interrogated Hermann Karnau, who had been a police guard in Hitler's bunker, to establish information about the Fuhrer's death. 'Hitler's Will' is the amazing true story of Herman Rothman's remarkable life, including how he managed to escape from Nazi Germany before the War began, and his role in bringing to light Hitler's personal and political testaments.

Genres: Nonfiction

268 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Horia Bura · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is another book whose title is deceiving, as it deals much more with the author's incredible life and less with Hitler's will, that, at one time, upon its discovery, Rothman intersects with, as a new proof that history can be of a cruel irony. The marketing purpose was once again visible and reached, I reckon.

Nevertheless, this is a valuable testimony of the life of a Jew refugee, during the first part of World War II, and much more it is an extraordinary story of survival and retrieved hope, no matter how cliche it sounds. The book also provides some information that blend in an overview about the denazification of Germany and capturing some of the major Nazis still free after 1945. As one directly involved in this process, whose family and he himslef had suffered much from the Nazi regime, Rothman's as objective as it gets approach is something worth appreciated.

Another high point of this memoir is the author's heartwarming reunion with his family (mother, father and brother), which occured 8 years after the war. Beyond the miraculous survival of his family, this is relevant to the difficult process of family reunification after a war, especially after the Second World War.

I wavered between giving it three or four stars, but I chose the lower figure (3.5 would have been a more appropriate rating) as I couldn't omit some of the boring parts, like the ones about Rothman's life in England and Wales as a teenager, before volunteering to the British Army. However, it was an useful and instructive reading, that taught me to never give up, even in the most adverse circumstances.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic read about a man that made a difference during and after the horror of the Holocaust. Highly recommend to history buffs that want to learn more about WWII. Review about the book blogged here --> http://bit.ly/s63JV3