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Defying the Nazis: The Sharps' War
The little-known story of the Sharps whose rescue and relief missions across Europe during World War II saved the lives of countless Jews, refugees, and political dissidents. Official companion to the Ken Burns PBS film.
For readers captivated by the story of Antonina Zabinski as told in The Zookeeper's Wife and other stories of rescue missions during WWII, Defying the Nazis is an essential read.
In 1939, the Reverend Waitstill Sharp, a young Unitarian minister, and his wife, Martha, a social worker, accepted a mission from the American Unitarian Association: they were to leave their home and young children in Wellesley, Massachusetts, and travel to Prague, Czechoslovakia, to help address the mounting refugee crisis. Seventeen ministers had been asked to undertake this mission and had declined; Rev. Sharp was the first to accept the call for volunteers in Europe.
Armed with only $40,000, Waitstill and Martha quickly learned the art of spy craft and undertook dangerous rescue and relief missions across war-torn Europe, saving refugees, political dissidents, and Jews on the eve of World War II. After narrowly avoiding the Gestapo themselves, the Sharps returned to Europe in 1940 as representatives of the newly formed Unitarian Service Committee and continued their relief efforts in Vichy France.
A fascinating portrait of resistance as told through the story of one courageous couple, Defying the Nazis offers a rare glimpse at high-stakes international relief efforts during WWII and tells the remarkable true story of a couple whose faith and commitment to social justice inspired them to risk their lives to save countless others.
For readers captivated by the story of Antonina Zabinski as told in The Zookeeper's Wife and other stories of rescue missions during WWII, Defying the Nazis is an essential read.
In 1939, the Reverend Waitstill Sharp, a young Unitarian minister, and his wife, Martha, a social worker, accepted a mission from the American Unitarian Association: they were to leave their home and young children in Wellesley, Massachusetts, and travel to Prague, Czechoslovakia, to help address the mounting refugee crisis. Seventeen ministers had been asked to undertake this mission and had declined; Rev. Sharp was the first to accept the call for volunteers in Europe.
Armed with only $40,000, Waitstill and Martha quickly learned the art of spy craft and undertook dangerous rescue and relief missions across war-torn Europe, saving refugees, political dissidents, and Jews on the eve of World War II. After narrowly avoiding the Gestapo themselves, the Sharps returned to Europe in 1940 as representatives of the newly formed Unitarian Service Committee and continued their relief efforts in Vichy France.
A fascinating portrait of resistance as told through the story of one courageous couple, Defying the Nazis offers a rare glimpse at high-stakes international relief efforts during WWII and tells the remarkable true story of a couple whose faith and commitment to social justice inspired them to risk their lives to save countless others.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published October 27, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews
November 5, 2016
I was disappointed in this book. Its hard for me to understand how such an amazing story would be related in dry boring prose. I suspect that the lack of documentation (apparently neither of the couple ever wrote their memoirs) contributed to the problem.
I hope the PBS documentary is better, because it would be a sorry effort if the book is translated directly to the film. I think some additional visuals would enliven the story so I'm hopeful.
I hope the PBS documentary is better, because it would be a sorry effort if the book is translated directly to the film. I think some additional visuals would enliven the story so I'm hopeful.
May 6, 2017
In 1939, the Reverend Waitstill Sharp was a young Unitarian minister working at a parish in Wellesley Hills, Massachusetts when he was asked by church authorities if he would consider a mission overseas. The Unitarian hierarchy was very troubled about the rise of Nazism in Europe, especially when Czecholslovkia was forced to cede the Sudeten region to Germany the previous year. They wanted one of their own ministers to go to Czechoslovakia to assist refugees who were trying to leave the country.
Reverend Sharp and his wife, Martha, were parents of two very young children at the time. But after thoughtful consideration, they decided that they could not refuse this request for help. Their outrage at what was happening, their sense of responsibility and respect for human decency and fairness led to their acceptance. Martha and Waitstill left their children in the care of relatives and set off for Europe. In England they were given some instruction on the dire situation and were given letters of introduction to officials who could help them.
Without much experience, Waitstill and Martha plunged headlong into the world of international relief efforts and international espionage. A sense of urgency is palpable as they attempted to acquire visas and assistance for hundreds of refugees while at the same time trying to avoid the ever present watchful eyes of the Gestapo.
These two ordinary Americans were able to achieve astounding success in their relief efforts. They didn’t hesitate to step up when called upon at a time when most Americans were ambivalent about the political conditions in Europe. They are true heroes. In 2006 the government of Israel posthumously bestowed upon them the honor of “Righteous Among the Nations” in a ceremony held at Yad Vashem, the Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem.
This unbiased book was written by the Sharp’s grandson, Artemis Joukowsky, who had unlimited access to private papers, photographs, and documents related to the Sharp’s work in Europe during World War II. Ken Burns produced and co-directed a documentary film with the same title as this book — Defying the Nazis. Burns’ thoughtfully written forward to the book adds perspective to the story.
Reverend Sharp and his wife, Martha, were parents of two very young children at the time. But after thoughtful consideration, they decided that they could not refuse this request for help. Their outrage at what was happening, their sense of responsibility and respect for human decency and fairness led to their acceptance. Martha and Waitstill left their children in the care of relatives and set off for Europe. In England they were given some instruction on the dire situation and were given letters of introduction to officials who could help them.
Without much experience, Waitstill and Martha plunged headlong into the world of international relief efforts and international espionage. A sense of urgency is palpable as they attempted to acquire visas and assistance for hundreds of refugees while at the same time trying to avoid the ever present watchful eyes of the Gestapo.
These two ordinary Americans were able to achieve astounding success in their relief efforts. They didn’t hesitate to step up when called upon at a time when most Americans were ambivalent about the political conditions in Europe. They are true heroes. In 2006 the government of Israel posthumously bestowed upon them the honor of “Righteous Among the Nations” in a ceremony held at Yad Vashem, the Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem.
This unbiased book was written by the Sharp’s grandson, Artemis Joukowsky, who had unlimited access to private papers, photographs, and documents related to the Sharp’s work in Europe during World War II. Ken Burns produced and co-directed a documentary film with the same title as this book — Defying the Nazis. Burns’ thoughtfully written forward to the book adds perspective to the story.
November 19, 2016
Not because I an a Unitarian Universalist, but because I sigh and am grateful to all who risked their lives to save Jews from the terror of the Nazis and of the bureaucracy of other nations (all nations of the western world) to get adults and children out of harm's way during the Nazi horror.
This history, documented as a film by Ken Burns (which tells you the seriousness with which HE viewed this story), was written by the Sharp's grandson.
This Unitarian minister and his wife, were the only volunteers in a list of 19 ministers approached to take on the serious and seriously dangerous task of providing relief and then release for Jews in France, Germany, and Poland. It reads like the thriller that it was. The widely-read reader will be startled at how many familiar names (historians, politicians, artists, diplomats) are to be found in this story. It is not a speed-read, but is definitely a must-read. Especially interesting in what it tells us of the heavy emotional price exacted of the Sharps and their children
This history, documented as a film by Ken Burns (which tells you the seriousness with which HE viewed this story), was written by the Sharp's grandson.
This Unitarian minister and his wife, were the only volunteers in a list of 19 ministers approached to take on the serious and seriously dangerous task of providing relief and then release for Jews in France, Germany, and Poland. It reads like the thriller that it was. The widely-read reader will be startled at how many familiar names (historians, politicians, artists, diplomats) are to be found in this story. It is not a speed-read, but is definitely a must-read. Especially interesting in what it tells us of the heavy emotional price exacted of the Sharps and their children
January 20, 2018
This was an interesting story. It blended the Sharps personal and "professional" life very well. And it was eye-opening. Now, I don't read a lot about the Nazis and World War II, but I've been exposed to a decent amount through school.
But it does show me that through all the horror there were people helping. I had never heard of the Sharps before, but they did a brave and admirable thing. Anyone who helped someone escape the Germans/Nazis should be remembered.
Originally posted: https://daydreamingthroughbooks.blogs...
But it does show me that through all the horror there were people helping. I had never heard of the Sharps before, but they did a brave and admirable thing. Anyone who helped someone escape the Germans/Nazis should be remembered.
Originally posted: https://daydreamingthroughbooks.blogs...
August 7, 2017
I spotted this book on the new arrivals shelf at the library and recognized it from the substantial buzz the accompanying documentary drew in UU circles. Waitstill and Martha Sharp were a Unitarian couple (he was a minister in Massachusetts) who were sent to Prague to help refugees there... right before the Nazis invaded, somewhat complicating their work. They undertook a great deal of sneaking around under the Nazis' noses (and a not-insubstantial amount of money laundering) to help people threatened by the Nazis escape, and later took on a similar humanitarian mission in Vichy France.
The book is a quick read, assembled by their grandson and drawn largely from the Sharps' unpublished memoirs and documents. The writing wasn't stellar; there were places where the names and dates got hard to follow, and even the most suspenseful moments came across as rather flat. But the details of their missions were fascinating. I was particularly interested in Waitstill's scheme to help fleeing Czech people get their money out of the country, at an inflated exchange rate, and use the proceeds to fund charity for children and escape plans for students living underground.
Some of what they did was genuine spycraft, but an awful lot of it was using US money and influence to help people get around the red tape that stood between them and the visa they needed to get out of Nazi territory. All and all they got about 400 people out - mostly children, students, intellectuals and journalists. It was striking how often something like a job offer or an American willing to vouch for you made literally a life or death difference. I wanted to shake the (isolationist, anti-Semitic) State Department officials: Can't you see that there are more important things at stake? (They couldn't, really, thus the need for a network of U.S. charities calling in favors and greasing palms for visas.)
The later chapters chronicled their life upon returning home - a few more foreign postings for Waitstill, a whole lot of speaking engagements and a Congressional campaign for Martha, and eventually a bitter divorce and children who resented their absence. I'll admit that I found all of this rather less interesting.
The book is a quick read, assembled by their grandson and drawn largely from the Sharps' unpublished memoirs and documents. The writing wasn't stellar; there were places where the names and dates got hard to follow, and even the most suspenseful moments came across as rather flat. But the details of their missions were fascinating. I was particularly interested in Waitstill's scheme to help fleeing Czech people get their money out of the country, at an inflated exchange rate, and use the proceeds to fund charity for children and escape plans for students living underground.
Some of what they did was genuine spycraft, but an awful lot of it was using US money and influence to help people get around the red tape that stood between them and the visa they needed to get out of Nazi territory. All and all they got about 400 people out - mostly children, students, intellectuals and journalists. It was striking how often something like a job offer or an American willing to vouch for you made literally a life or death difference. I wanted to shake the (isolationist, anti-Semitic) State Department officials: Can't you see that there are more important things at stake? (They couldn't, really, thus the need for a network of U.S. charities calling in favors and greasing palms for visas.)
The later chapters chronicled their life upon returning home - a few more foreign postings for Waitstill, a whole lot of speaking engagements and a Congressional campaign for Martha, and eventually a bitter divorce and children who resented their absence. I'll admit that I found all of this rather less interesting.
December 31, 2016
Defying the Nazis is the true story, written by the grandson, of a family who helped children escape from war torn regions of Europe during WWII. The stories first third takes place is Czechlovakia, the middle in Vichy France, and the rest back home in the U.S. Yes comparisons to Schindler's List are inevitable and not out of line in the least. But what Schindler's List does right that this book does wrong is belay a deep sense of risk. For the most part the Sharp's seem relatively safe through out the book. Yes there are some escapes by train that seem a bit harrowing but the book seems to point out that they were stop over a dozen times during the same escape than the danger they were in. Sadly, the part that really stuck out to me was how miserable the kids were back home while their parents were in Europe saving lives. After the couple divorces and the children are ask who they want to live with they respond, "Neither" they are so disconneted from their family. Yes, this is not entirely the parents fault often being the unwilling instruments of the Unitarian Church but they are not blameless either.
So in that aspect the book does a good job of painting the Sharps' "warts and all" if you will but if you are looking for a dramatic and harrowing tale of a husband and wife's clandestine fight against the Nazi's genocide of the Jewish people this falls a far bit short.
So in that aspect the book does a good job of painting the Sharps' "warts and all" if you will but if you are looking for a dramatic and harrowing tale of a husband and wife's clandestine fight against the Nazi's genocide of the Jewish people this falls a far bit short.
October 3, 2016
Here it is 77 years later and stories of heroism in World War II still stir emotion and great interest in the extraordinary lives of ordinary people. This is a story of The Sharps, an amazing couple serving in Czechoslovakia in 1939 and beyond: he, a Unitarian minister with a Wellesley, Massachusetts flock and she a social worker. They are called to serve in Europe as the Nazis grab for land and power. Other Unitarian ministers had declined requests to serve and surely a couple with two small children would be excused if they chose a similar path. However, their convictions, sense of morality and responsibility impelled them to try and save the children and intellectuals of Czechoslovakia. They were focused, creative, ingenious and committed to their work which provided extraordinary results. This is a great story and well worth sharing.
I am grateful to publisher, Beacon Press and Goodreads First Reads for having provided a free copy of this book. Their generosity, however, did not influence this review - the words of which are mine alone.
I am grateful to publisher, Beacon Press and Goodreads First Reads for having provided a free copy of this book. Their generosity, however, did not influence this review - the words of which are mine alone.
August 19, 2018
Joukoqsky gives us a powerful and, to my reading of WW2 stories, a very powerful story about humanity. We learn about a minister and his wife leaving a very comfortable church assignment to launch ways to bring children from Europe at the start of WWII. In some passages, we get way more information than we need. But it’s a powerful story that gives us insight into history and into a family. The audio version is powerful in the use of multiple dialects.
November 8, 2016
Really interesting story - but would have moved so much faster if it had been written in first person - or had some more interesting movement with voice. Read like a list of facts more than the dramatic story it is! Nevertheless, I'm glad I read it and look forward to the film.
April 24, 2021
What would you do if the world as you know it is being transformed in ways you cannot recognize, children are being ripped from their parents' arms, refugees are streaming across borders, food insecurity is a real way of life for millions, human behavior is suddenly no longer very predictable. Everyone needs help in this 'other' place - and your employer asks you to take your spouse, leave your young children, gives you a list of possible contacts and sends you off to this universe of dangers. This is the situation that confronted Martha Sharpe, a social worker, and her husband Waitstill Sharpe, a Unitarian pastor as Hitler began reshaping Europe in the 1930's. The American Unitarian Church sent them off with finite funding, few resources and no training. Their mission was to assist the people of Prague, a city with a historic Unitarian presence.
The Sharpes ended up on the ground in Czechoslovakia, France, Belgium, Spain, Portugal and Britain. Their 'pivots' are breathtaking as readers see them learning new skills (bribery, code-writing, sweet-talking or threatening local officials), dealing with parents desperate to save their children, negotiating to bring life-saving shipments of powdered milk to 'Free' France.
This little-known story (written by a grandchild of the Sharpes) reads like an espionage novel. It's a page-turning read, and be sure to read the forward by Ken Burns.
The Sharpes ended up on the ground in Czechoslovakia, France, Belgium, Spain, Portugal and Britain. Their 'pivots' are breathtaking as readers see them learning new skills (bribery, code-writing, sweet-talking or threatening local officials), dealing with parents desperate to save their children, negotiating to bring life-saving shipments of powdered milk to 'Free' France.
This little-known story (written by a grandchild of the Sharpes) reads like an espionage novel. It's a page-turning read, and be sure to read the forward by Ken Burns.
August 6, 2017
Martha and Waitstill Sharp are 2 of 5 Americans that are proclaimed "Righteous Among the Nations." Their names are there along with the likes of Oskar Schindler for their humanitarian efforts during WW2. In 1939, the Sharps left their two young children at home in Massachusetts to go on a Unitarian church mission in Czechoslovakia. Stuff that 99% of people would say no to (and some 20-some people did before them), but the Sharps are selfless people. They have to actively defy the Nazis, learn the craft of spying, deal with people following them and bugging their hotel room, learn about different cultures and foreign procedures, and undertake dangerous rescue and relief missions all across a war zone. There are times where I was crying reading this book as you hear about parents giving their children to strangers to bring them to the US when they themselves would die in concentration camps. There are so many incredible stories, particularly from Martha smooth talking Nazis or navigating thru borders. The Sharps went back after the first mission and then, particularly Martha, dedicated their lives to further selfless acts. Their marriage slowly disintegrates as they go on separate paths. The war mission brought them closer together and then pushed them apart. The story is one worth telling by their grandchild.
February 2, 2017
This book is written by the grandson of Waitstill and Martha Sharp, Artemis Joukowsky. He started with the stories told to him, then searched for documents so that he could tell the full story of the remarkable journeys they made to rescue people from the Nazi regime. Although they had backing from their church and othr humanitarian groups, it ais their determination, "the importance of finding the joy in serving others" that inspired them to "do with their lives what is important". They were American who would not wait on the government to get involved - they left their children, home and country to fight he evil that they could see and save all those that they could. In these times of 24 hour news, this story is a reminder to do the right thing, recognize evil and work together to save those who we can reach - and that reach may be in the neighborhood or around the globe. I look forward to seeing the video and would remind the reader that the preface is well worth the time to read it. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I'm sorry to be be delayed in writing this story, but my husband was in chemo for cancer for an extended period before his death. This book was an inspiration and a comfort during a very stressful time.
April 24, 2022
This was a really interesting story of a Unitarian minister and his wife being approached by the US Government to act as sort of a modern day Harriet Tubman - going into Germany and sneaking Jews out. As to be expected, this was very dangerous and they encountered many setbacks along the way. When they came back to the USA, very few knew what they ever did. But the war raged on and more Jews needed saving, and so they were asked to go back again. They did and it put much strain on their family life, eventually leading to divorce. It was hard on their children, who were left behind for years as their parent fulfilled this secret mission. It was difficult on their marriage, because both were forever changed in what they saw in Nazi Germany and came to find their identity in this type of work, letting things like marital relationships melt away.
All in all, a really interesting story. There is an accompanying documentary from PBS that goes along with this book and it is also worth watching.
All in all, a really interesting story. There is an accompanying documentary from PBS that goes along with this book and it is also worth watching.
January 31, 2021
As a Unitarian, I am incredibly proud to be affiliated with a denomination that nurtured such an amazing couple. I can’t imagine leaving my children and moving to the horror that was Europe in the late 1930s. Where did they find the courage?
There’s a lot to chew on in addition to the wartime heroics: a little whiff of sexism and a lot of church authoritarianism. None of that detracts from the astonishing work the Sharps did on behalf of those certain to have been killed by the Nazis.
I join other reviewers in wishing this book were a little less turgid, but a grandson’s love and awe are certainly apparent in the text. I would love to see a “Based on a True Story” movie, but I’ll settle for a Burns documentary in the meantime.
There’s a lot to chew on in addition to the wartime heroics: a little whiff of sexism and a lot of church authoritarianism. None of that detracts from the astonishing work the Sharps did on behalf of those certain to have been killed by the Nazis.
I join other reviewers in wishing this book were a little less turgid, but a grandson’s love and awe are certainly apparent in the text. I would love to see a “Based on a True Story” movie, but I’ll settle for a Burns documentary in the meantime.
February 9, 2020
Jourkowsky shared the brave life of his grandparents, Waitstill and Martha Sharp. How two people safe and warm in the United States can make the kind of sacrifice for the better good is exactly how I wish I could be. Few of us could really follow the path of these two people and the many people that joined their quest along the way. I knew there were "missionaries" that did work to move people through war torn areas. I appreciated being able to read a personal account of their journey and accomplishments.
Thank you for sharing their story. I look forward to watching their story on PBS.
Thank you for sharing their story. I look forward to watching their story on PBS.
May 6, 2024
Ken Burns made a PBS movie about the Sharps. This book is by the grandson who started the process to tell their stories as a school project. It is based on the Sharps retelling of events where they worked before and after the start to WWII to relocate European refugees, particularly Jewish children. It covers pre war Czech spaces and Vichy France through establishment of a Jewish homeland in Palestine. I never knew this story so found it interesting and wish it had been available when I taught Anne Frank units. It is a grandson writing about grandparents so that must be considered in the writing but the story is worth attention beyond the movie.
May 31, 2020
The Sharp's "unsung hero" story is quite amazing. There are so many of these stories written of the second world war period and I have enjoyed reading many of them. Each describes some particular aspects of the terrible circumstances and political upheaval that were caused by one man coming to power and instituting an ideology that was as wrong as it was persuasive for far too many of his followers. Thankfully, there remained then and remains today some in this world who recognize the evil and are willing to stand up and fight against it.
December 3, 2016
The author, Artemis Joukowsky, details the rescue of over 100 children and adults from the horrors of Nazi Germany by his grand father the Reverend Waitstill Sharp and his grandmother Mrs. Martha Sharp. Like a James Bond thriller, it keeps the reader on his/her edge! I wish we have more daring and kind folks like the Sharps to solve some of our acute problems around the world today!
You must also see the companion film directed by Ken Burns and Artemis Joukowsky.
You must also see the companion film directed by Ken Burns and Artemis Joukowsky.
August 19, 2019
This is an incredible book that spoke to me. The Sharps not only preached Christian virtues, they risked everything by leaving their homes and actively working to save the lives of refugees in Central Europe (especially Czechoslovakia) and later in France. The risks were significant and parts of this book read more like a spy novel. I walked away from this book believing that I need to do more for my fellow man, especially those at greatest risk.
January 10, 2020
This was a fairly dry read, considering the humanity of the subject matter. Enough historical detail is provided for those who don't recall how the Czechs fared under the Nazis, and the deeds of the title characters, Rev. and Mrs. Sharp, are fascinating, though the storytelling lacks some of the drama seen in other books of this genre. Highly recommended for those interested in WWII and/or the Holocaust.
May 6, 2017
Quite a story about a couple who left their young children to help People escape the Germans in Europe. Saved children and adults. Unitarian missionaries. Felt concerned for their young children. They were away from them for long periods of time. Ultimately their marriage ended, but they were behind the scenes heroes for those people they helped escape.
May 19, 2017
This book tells the story of the Unitarian pastor Waitstill Sharp, and the rescue missions he performed along with his wife Martha, in Europe during World War II. I had never heard the story of the Sharps, and it was fascinating to listen to this, knowing these are real events.
Their lives were uprooted by the Unitarian leadership, twice during the early years of the war. Many of the people they rescued survived in other countries.
Their lives were uprooted by the Unitarian leadership, twice during the early years of the war. Many of the people they rescued survived in other countries.
June 8, 2024
This story is about a couple who were chosen by their Unitarian churc group to go to Europe to save people from the Nazis. This one couple saved many many, persecuted people including Jewish children. The stories are harrowing and heroic. The Sharps were honored by Yad Vashem in Israel as "Righteous Among the Nations" among only 5 Americans given this honor.
August 18, 2025
This was a very interesting book. It told of the efforts of the Unitarian church and others to counter the effect by the Nazis by rescuing people being persecuted by them.
These groups supplied money, food, and a means to escape from Germany and German held countries.
It was an inspiring to see what the efforts of these brave people were able to do during WW2.
These groups supplied money, food, and a means to escape from Germany and German held countries.
It was an inspiring to see what the efforts of these brave people were able to do during WW2.
November 24, 2017
I was looking forward to reading this book because the actions of the Sharps seemed so important. I know that both Sharps felt that they did what needed to be done, but I felt that the telling of their story was very dry.
December 13, 2017
A loving portrait of the author's grandparents concerning a little known rescue of over 100 Jews from the Holocaust. Waitstill and Martha Sharp leap from the pages as their story is recounted and their heroism known for all to admire and praise.
April 9, 2023
A different look at civilians saving lives at their peril. A story about selfless acts and a new view, to me anyway, about countries not often discussed in WWII stories. Some people are truly good souls.
December 16, 2023
The story is amazing! The writing however is rather dry and full of holes. The holes are not the author's fault however, the Sharps' didn't really document what they did so the job of telling their story fell to others. Still, an amazing story.
June 16, 2017
Overall the story was very interesting, but the book was a little slow going in spots especially toward the end.
June 28, 2017
Fascinating book about Waitstill & Martha Sharp who saved many people during WWII.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews