A Night of Watching

by Elliott Arnold

This novel tells the story of a magnificent exploit: the feat of the Danish Underground in 1943 when, in the space of two weeks, virtually all of the eight thousand Danish Jews were smuggled to Sweden.
For the previous three and a half years, the Germans had occupied Denmark with no persecution of the Jewish community. Then Hitler suddenly decided to export the Jews for extermination. Everything was efficiently arranged. But it did not work. Some of the Germans had been affected by the decency of the conquered people, and the unwarlike Danes had risked everything for their fellow Danes, the Jews.
The novel alternates from small warm moments to situations of unbearable tension, and is made poignant by the diverse and moving love stories. With all its hard impact, its cruelties, ironies and betrayals, the story it tells is an enlivening, inspiring one. And it suggests the hope that the evil in man can lesson when he is confronted by resolute human decency.

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, War, World War II

441 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1967

About the author

Elliot Arnold was an American newspaper feature writer, novelist, screenwriter, and became a feature writer with the New York World-Telegram. Among his books, Elliott Arnold is probably best known for his novel Blood Brother that was made into the acclaimed 1950 motion picture Broken Arrow and an ensuing 1956 television series of the same name. Among his other works, his 1949 biography of Sigmund Romberg was made into the 1954 musical film, Deep in My Heart.
Elliott Arnold died in New York City in 1980 at the age of sixty-seven. He was married to actress Glynis Johns.

Reviews

[Jeff Crosby · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first read this novel in high school over 50 years ago. The historical heroism of the Danish people to protect their Jewish citizens has always impressed me. Most of the characters in the novel are fictional, but the results were not. The Danes hid and rescued more than 7,500 of their Jewish countrymen. Less than 500 were captured by the Gestapo (and almost all of them survived the war).

The novel is a product of the 1960s and may not appeal to some modern readers. I still find it engrossing.

[Jeff Tankersley · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the refugees, a wispy-haired old woman, moved closer to Arne. "Do you think everything will be all right?"
He shrugged. "Never can tell."
"Do you do this often?"
"All the time, mother."
"Why?"
He shrugged again. "Better than the movies."
She peered at him. "How old are you?"
"Twenty-three, almost."
"God in heaven!"

In 1943, the fourth year of the Nazi occupation of Denmark, Hitler finally ordered the SS army there to round up and transfer its 8,000 Danish Jews to concentration camps in Europe. The Danish King, people, and government had initially accepted occupation in 1939 with a neutral status quo with regard to Nazi designs on Europe, including the "Jewish question," but as time went on, the occupying force made such escalating demands on the local police and people that it finally reached a breaking point when it came to handing over their Jewish neighbors. A German diplomat named Duckwitz leaked Hitler's orders to the Danish resistance which then spread it to the general population and when the SS raided synagogues and homes on Rosh Hashanah only two days later most of the Jews were gone.

An historical fiction tale around the Rescue of the Danish Jews by the resistance (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rescue_...), "A Night of Watching" (1967) is an understandably sad but simultaneously hopeful story as we jump short chapter to chapter across a wide range of characters involved in the event: German occupiers, Danish cops, Danish resistance, doctors, rebellious teens, soldiers, and leaders making hard choices in the name of the greater good.

There's a mid-story event where a ship is floating offshore at midnight with a large group of refugees hoping to board it but only a single rowboat available to shuttle them to it. Non-Jewish local teens take turns ferrying refugees in the one rowboat as quickly as possible. After the first team tiredly makes it back to shore to pick up the next batch of refugees, they all eagerly make bets, start timing their trips with a stopwatch, and have a contest to see which team of rowers can make the round trip in the fastest time. I could see myself and my high school buddies responding in a similar fashion and can also imagine my own sons doing so with their friends. Hope for the future then and now.

One can't help but contrast "A Night of Watching" with the overdramatic and epic style found in Uris' "Exodus" which covers a similar topic. "A Night of Watching" comparatively has a more grounded crime heist and espionage feel to it, or let's say a bit like "The Great Escape", with heroic plotting and subterfuge, going above and beyond because it is just what we're supposed to do, some wins and some tough losses, and faith and action in the face of hopeless situations.

Verdict: I couldn't put "A Night of Watching" down. Quick, smart, with a historical context, twists, turns, wins, losses, and a relatable view of normal folks doing what they can in the name of survival and responsibility.

Jeff's Rating: 4 / 5 (Very Good)
movie rating if made into a movie: R

[Penny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book when I was in high school and loved it enough to remember it all these years, track it down, and re-read it. Once again I found it to be totally gripping, to the point where I couldn't put it down and kept reading when I should have been doing other things.

There are many characters, but they have distinctive personalities so it is not too difficult to keep track of them all. There are several that you really grow to care about. (I don't think it's much of a spoiler to say that not everyone you love makes it to the end.) The individual chapters are short, so it is easy to keep telling yourself you'll just read one more...

I'd give it 4 1/2 stars if I could, but I have to withhold that fifth star for the reason some of the other Goodreads reviewers have already mentioned. While the male characters in this novel can be heros, villains, or some realistic combination of the two, the female characters are pretty much all ninnies. Even in 1967 I would have expected a novelist to have a more nuanced view of human nature than that, so the use of cardboard cutouts of stereotypical weak, stupid females seems lazy (maybe even a cheap shot) in an otherwise well crafted novel.

[Ana Greenough · Rating 2 out of 5]

Picked this off our bookshelf because I’ve had it for so long. Definitely took me a bit longer than usual to get through. It reminded me of russian lit with the various characters and perspectives. It was definitely a slow burn but the last 100 pages picked up a bit. It was interesting to learn about the Danish Jews during WWII but not an overly fascinating read.

2/5

[Cynthia · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a compelling history of the Danish underground during World War Two. It was emotional to read how the Danish population rallied behind the underground to save their Jewish neighbors from the Nazis. I did have to make a written list of all the characters mentioned in the book, which helped to make the book an easier "read." I have since recommended this book to several of my friends.

[Andrea Tomé · Rating 2 out of 5]

Arnold has the talent of Hemingway-- the capacity to achieve a flawless prose and a remarkable sense of tension yet the utter inability to write non-caricaturesque characters of either sex. Men are always machos. Women are always foolish, and their value is equal to their attractiveness. Boring.

[Shane Fritz · Rating 5 out of 5]

A terrific account of the Danish resistance as it worked to save the Danish Jews from the occupying Nazi forces. Such bravery in the face of evil! The book grew more and more compelling as you went along, getting to know the characters. It was fiction, but based on the real history of Denmark in WWII.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Germany occupied Denmark on April 9, 1940, the Jewish population was approximately 7,500. After having occupied Denmark for three and a half years, Nazi leader Adolf Hitler ordered the Germans to round up Danish Jews on the night of Oct. 1, 1943, which was Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. Instead, due to the collective effort of the Danish underground and ordinary citizens, a total of 8,007 Jews were smuggled out of Denmark and across the sea to nearby neutral Sweden. Another 460 Jews who were rounded up, were sent to the Theresienstadt concentration camp in Czechoslovakia; 400 of these persons survived to return to their Danish homeland at the end of the war.

The historical facts of Elliott Arnold's novel are largely true and are based on the events that transpired within a two week period during the fall of 1943.

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well done. About the evacuation of the Jews from Denmark in the Shoah (Holocaust). Well-written.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book. The story of how the entire Jewish population of Denmark was secreted to Sweden in two weeks in WW2. A novel of course base on true events. Well written.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful fictional account of the rescue of the Jews in Denmark.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was wowed by this book. It is based on the Danes helping over 7000 Jews excape the Natzis. It is an older book but the author talked with people that actually helped in this.

[Justine · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story was exciting and I compliment the author on his extensive research, but I was seriously off-put by the psychology he imbued his female characters with.

[John · Rating 2 out of 5]

Novel was based on true events but too much novel for me. Too much was added to sell the book, too much to make it more interesting to more readers. I was very happy to be done with it.

[David Boren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Would highly recommend

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good fiction of little known history of WW II.. "Love scenes" poorly done and non-essential