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Nuremberg: The Translator's Tale: The Story of Howard Triest, German-Jewish Interpreter of the Nazi War Criminals
208 pages, Paperback
Published June 23, 2026
About the author
Helen Fry
37 books80 followersHelen Fry has written numerous books on the Second World War with particular reference to the 10,000 Germans and Austrians who fought for Britain in the war.
Other books by Helen include histories of various Anglo-Jewish communities, including The Lost Jews of Cornwall (with Keith Pearce); and The Jews of Exeter. Her titles also include books on Christian-Jewish Dialogue. Her textbook Christian-Jewish Dialogue: A Reader has been translated into Russian, Czech and Polish.
Helen has branched out into fiction with James Hamilton under the pseudonym JH Schryer. Together they have written two novels of historical fiction and been in development on scripts with Green Gaia Films for a TV drama based on their novels.
Helen is an Honorary Research Fellow in the Dept of Hebrew & Jewish Studies at University College London and Lecturer at the London Jewish Cultural Centre. She is a member of The Biographers’ Club, The Society of Authors and an Honorary member of The Association of Jewish Refugees.
Other books by Helen include histories of various Anglo-Jewish communities, including The Lost Jews of Cornwall (with Keith Pearce); and The Jews of Exeter. Her titles also include books on Christian-Jewish Dialogue. Her textbook Christian-Jewish Dialogue: A Reader has been translated into Russian, Czech and Polish.
Helen has branched out into fiction with James Hamilton under the pseudonym JH Schryer. Together they have written two novels of historical fiction and been in development on scripts with Green Gaia Films for a TV drama based on their novels.
Helen is an Honorary Research Fellow in the Dept of Hebrew & Jewish Studies at University College London and Lecturer at the London Jewish Cultural Centre. She is a member of The Biographers’ Club, The Society of Authors and an Honorary member of The Association of Jewish Refugees.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
August 4, 2026
I'd use the word "extraordinary" to describe Howard Triest's life.
Helen Fry recounts Howard Triest's "journey to justice" in NUREMBERG: THE TRANSLATOR'S TALE. Howard Triest was born in Munich into a wealthy middle-class Jewish family that considered themselves German. Fleeing Nazi persecution, he sailed to America at the last minute, leaving behind his family, who were supposed to follow him on May 10, 1940. History buffs will recognize the date... In 1944, Howard Triest entered Europe again as part of the Allied forces. His native knowledge of German brought him to Nuremberg. He was the only translator assigned to the psychiatrists who examined the prisoners during the Nuremberg Trial.
The book is built around interviews with Howard Triest conducted in 2009-10 and contains his personal opinions and observations. Naturally, it lacks the depth of the psychological analysis provided by the Nuremberg psychiatrists. Yet his raw reactions reveal the human, rather than legal, side of the trial. Howard, a blue-eyed, blonde-haired Jewish refugee, sat beside people who were directly or indirectly responsible for murdering members of his family - and remained professional. There is no bitterness or anger often present in survivors' books. I could only admire Howard's ability to compartmentalize and observe.
NUREMBERG: THE TRANSLATOR'S TALE would pair well with other books about Nuremberg.
Documentary 'Journey to Justice' (2006) talks about Howard Triest's life.
Helen Fry recounts Howard Triest's "journey to justice" in NUREMBERG: THE TRANSLATOR'S TALE. Howard Triest was born in Munich into a wealthy middle-class Jewish family that considered themselves German. Fleeing Nazi persecution, he sailed to America at the last minute, leaving behind his family, who were supposed to follow him on May 10, 1940. History buffs will recognize the date... In 1944, Howard Triest entered Europe again as part of the Allied forces. His native knowledge of German brought him to Nuremberg. He was the only translator assigned to the psychiatrists who examined the prisoners during the Nuremberg Trial.
The book is built around interviews with Howard Triest conducted in 2009-10 and contains his personal opinions and observations. Naturally, it lacks the depth of the psychological analysis provided by the Nuremberg psychiatrists. Yet his raw reactions reveal the human, rather than legal, side of the trial. Howard, a blue-eyed, blonde-haired Jewish refugee, sat beside people who were directly or indirectly responsible for murdering members of his family - and remained professional. There is no bitterness or anger often present in survivors' books. I could only admire Howard's ability to compartmentalize and observe.
NUREMBERG: THE TRANSLATOR'S TALE would pair well with other books about Nuremberg.
Documentary 'Journey to Justice' (2006) talks about Howard Triest's life.
August 1, 2026
I picked up Nuremberg: The Translator's Tale after watching Nuremberg (2025), where one character in particular stood out to me—Howard Triest. Howard was a German Jew who fled to America during the Second World War and later served with the U.S. Army. At the end of the war, he was assigned to translate for the imprisoned Nazi defendants, enabling American psychiatrists to assess them ahead of the Nuremberg Trials.
Helen Fry tells Howard's remarkable story, from his life in Nazi Germany and separation from his family during the war, to his escape to America, his work as a translator at Nuremberg, and his life after the war.
Howard was an extraordinary man. He endured one of history's darkest periods as a member of the Jewish community persecuted under the Nazi regime. Forced to flee his homeland in search of freedom, he was separated from his family, lost loved ones, and witnessed the destruction of entire communities.
His experiences at Nuremberg were fascinating to read about. As the translator between the German defendants and the American psychiatrists, Howard occupied a unique position. None of the defendants knew he was Jewish and, because of his blond hair and blue eyes, many assumed he was a "true Aryan". This allowed him to hear their thoughts and reflections without them realising who they were speaking in front of.
Howard was a courageous man. He spent hours translating the words of some of the most notorious figures of the Nazi regime, listening to their accounts of the war and, in many cases, their complete lack of remorse for the atrocities committed against the Jewish people. Unsurprisingly, they refused to accept responsibility, instead shifting the blame onto Hitler and Himmler—both of whom were unable to answer for those accusations. As Howard observed, "none admitted guilt or showed any remorse."
It is almost impossible to imagine translating discussions of crimes committed against your own community, knowing that your parents were murdered at Auschwitz. Howard showed remarkable resilience.
Howard’s own reflections on the defendants were insightful. Despite coming face-to-face with men responsible for unimaginable suffering, he occasionally found himself feeling pity for them. He told Helen, "we sometimes expect war criminals to be immune from ordinary emotions because of the nature of their crimes, but that was not the case." It is a powerful reminder that those responsible for horrific acts were still human—an uncomfortable but important truth.
The book was a fascinating and moving read. It offers valuable insight into both the leading figures of the Nazi regime and the experiences of a Jewish man who was forced to confront them directly in the aftermath of the war. I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in the Nuremberg Trials, the psychology of the Nazi leadership, or personal accounts of the Second World War.
Helen Fry tells Howard's remarkable story, from his life in Nazi Germany and separation from his family during the war, to his escape to America, his work as a translator at Nuremberg, and his life after the war.
Howard was an extraordinary man. He endured one of history's darkest periods as a member of the Jewish community persecuted under the Nazi regime. Forced to flee his homeland in search of freedom, he was separated from his family, lost loved ones, and witnessed the destruction of entire communities.
His experiences at Nuremberg were fascinating to read about. As the translator between the German defendants and the American psychiatrists, Howard occupied a unique position. None of the defendants knew he was Jewish and, because of his blond hair and blue eyes, many assumed he was a "true Aryan". This allowed him to hear their thoughts and reflections without them realising who they were speaking in front of.
Howard was a courageous man. He spent hours translating the words of some of the most notorious figures of the Nazi regime, listening to their accounts of the war and, in many cases, their complete lack of remorse for the atrocities committed against the Jewish people. Unsurprisingly, they refused to accept responsibility, instead shifting the blame onto Hitler and Himmler—both of whom were unable to answer for those accusations. As Howard observed, "none admitted guilt or showed any remorse."
It is almost impossible to imagine translating discussions of crimes committed against your own community, knowing that your parents were murdered at Auschwitz. Howard showed remarkable resilience.
Howard’s own reflections on the defendants were insightful. Despite coming face-to-face with men responsible for unimaginable suffering, he occasionally found himself feeling pity for them. He told Helen, "we sometimes expect war criminals to be immune from ordinary emotions because of the nature of their crimes, but that was not the case." It is a powerful reminder that those responsible for horrific acts were still human—an uncomfortable but important truth.
The book was a fascinating and moving read. It offers valuable insight into both the leading figures of the Nazi regime and the experiences of a Jewish man who was forced to confront them directly in the aftermath of the war. I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in the Nuremberg Trials, the psychology of the Nazi leadership, or personal accounts of the Second World War.
July 10, 2026
Wow, a powerful read from start to finish.
I picked this up having watched half of Nuremberg (2025) on a flight. I’ve still not seen the rest of the film but saw it as an opportunity to learn about a topic of which I’ve been ignorant to until now.
Howard Triest’s story is a testament of resilience, grit, forgiveness, pragmatism, and countless other traits.
Helen Fry and Howard have given a window into the realities of the Second World War and more importantly an understanding of the Nazi leaders.
I learned a lot from this one - if not anything it is a call to learn, understand and ensure we remember what happened to millions of people so that no such thing should ever be denied or begin to boil up again.
I’ll be looking into more of Helen Fry’s work having read this.
I picked this up having watched half of Nuremberg (2025) on a flight. I’ve still not seen the rest of the film but saw it as an opportunity to learn about a topic of which I’ve been ignorant to until now.
Howard Triest’s story is a testament of resilience, grit, forgiveness, pragmatism, and countless other traits.
Helen Fry and Howard have given a window into the realities of the Second World War and more importantly an understanding of the Nazi leaders.
I learned a lot from this one - if not anything it is a call to learn, understand and ensure we remember what happened to millions of people so that no such thing should ever be denied or begin to boil up again.
I’ll be looking into more of Helen Fry’s work having read this.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy
Fascinating insights from Howard Triest, the German Jew who had joined the American army after escaping from Germany and came face-to-face with evil in his role as interpreter to the psychologists who interviewed those Nazis who were tried at Nuremberg.
Review of advance copy
Brilliant from start to finish a real insight into the Nazi war criminals at Nuremberg.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews