Hanns and Rudolf: The German Jew and the Hunt for the Kommandant of Auschwitz cover art

Hanns and Rudolf: The German Jew and the Hunt for the Kommandant of Auschwitz

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Hanns and Rudolf: The German Jew and the Hunt for the Kommandant of Auschwitz

By: Thomas Harding
Narrated by: Mark Meadows
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About this listen

Hanns Alexander was the son of a wealthy German family who fled Berlin for London in the 1930s. Rudolf Höss was a farmer and soldier who became Kommandant of Auschwitz and oversaw the deaths of over a million people. In the aftermath of World War II, the first British War Crimes Investigation Team is assembled to hunt down the senior Nazi officials responsible for the greatest atrocities the world has ever seen.

Lieutenant Hanns Alexander is one of the lead investigators, Rudolf Höss his most elusive target. In this book, Thomas Harding reveals for the very first time the full, exhilarating account of Höss' capture. Moving from the First World War to bohemian Berlin in the 1920s, to the horror of the concentration camps and the trials in Belsen and Nuremberg, it tells the story of two German men whose lives diverged, and intersected, in an astonishing way.

©2013 Thomas Harding (P) 2014 Audible, Inc. Solider Heartfelt Inspiring Scary Thought-Provoking Imperialism Military Holocaust

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Critic reviews

“A chilling portrait of the banality of evil” (Ben Macintyre, The Times Books of the Year)
“[an] extraordinary story...The tale of how he then doggedly tracked down Rudolf Hőss, the merciless commandant of Auschwitz is stunning - not just because it is so gripping, but because Harding interweaves Hanns’ life story fascinatingly with Hőss's... A compelling, remarkable picture of war and its aftermath.” ( The Sunday Times Books of the Year)
“Harding sketches the parallel lives of the SS officer with notable skill. The book is a moving reminder of what an extraordinary amount Britain gained by the Jewish flight from Europe in the 1930s.” (Max Hastings, Guardian Books of the Year)
“Hanns and Rudolf tells the mesmeric tale of his uncle's hunt for an arch perpetrator of the Jewish Holocaust.” (John le Carré, Telegraph Books of the Year)
“This superlative look at two men - one, Rudolf Höss, the Kommandant of Auschwitz; the other, Hanns Alexander, the man who arrested him - makes for uncomfortable, but essential reading.” (Stuart Evers, Netgalley Books of the Year)
“The detective story approach worked well in Thomas Harding's Hanns and Rudolf” (Ben Shephard, Observer History Books of the Year)
“An unexpected delight... It is amazingly well researched, resists judgement, and above all is an utterly compelling read.” (David Shrigley, New Statesman Books of the Year)
All stars
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a good reading of a fascinating story. provides lots of details and insight into the final solution largely from the actions of a mid ranking but critical cog in the nazi death machine. it's a chilling account which provides lots of horrific facts about the escalation of the horror and the methodical progression to murder on an unimaginable scale. Hanns' tenacity in hunting down war criminals immediately after the fall of the Germans is made more heroic by his subsequent 40 years of relatively normal life in England. his extraordinary role in bringing Nazi war criminals to justice only being revealed to his wider family after his death . an inspiring but tragic story.

chilling, fascinating and humane

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If you could sum up Hanns and Rudolf: The German Jew and the Hunt for the Kommandant of Auschwitz in three words, what would they be?

Tells the story of two families, one jewish and the other a concentration camp commanders and about there lives before, during and after WWII. Fascinating insight into two very different Germans paths crossed at the end of the war.

What did you like best about this story?

interesting and factual which brought to life the struggle of jewish families to escape nazi Germany and how those left behind had to live in constant fear of being sent to concentration camps.

What three words best describe Mark Meadows’s voice?

Reading was good compared with some non fiction books which can be heard to follow because of the use of facts and no personal feelings, but Mark Meadows with the help of a well written book made it easy to get inside the characters.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The story of the Torah is moving and made me find out some more information about is history.

Great story of WWII parallel lives

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Utterly chilling, outstanding and moving book on the brutality and the inhumanity in the concentration camps.

A historical and personal account of the lives of Hanns Alexander- German Jew who took refuge in Britain and then enlisted in 1940 to be part of the Auxiliary Military Pioneer Corps to fight the German. Later on, Hanns will track and bring Rudolf Hoss- the vicious and sadistic commandant of Auschwitz to justice.

The personal story of Hanns Alexander and his family fleeing Germany in 1936, trying to settle and adapt to the British lifestyle after losing everything back home, and Rudolf Hoss, on the other side, originally who wanted to be a farmer, climbing his way up the SS ranks and assisting the rising of the National Socialist Part... Gets on your nerves.
Sad, disturbing and heart-breaking well- researched book.

Utterly chilling book

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Really enjoyed the book, the narrator was enjoyable to listen to, a must to have

A enjoyable book for your library

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Would you consider the audio edition of Hanns and Rudolf to be better than the print version?

Not having read the book an impossible question to answer

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The letters that Rudolph sent home while awaiting trial were proof he was like and other parent. But a parent who felt he was his duty to murder millions of innocent people.

Any additional comments?

This book should be on all school curriculum's It tells not only the story of the Nazi Hunter and the Nazi in a moving and thought provoking way, but also explains the history behind the terrible things that happened during the second world war. Lessons that we all should understand and never forget.

A Story we all should read and remember

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Absolutely incredible book, informative throughout and intriguing as well. A book that should be read or listened to by everyone. The narrator was extremely good.

Informative

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Would you consider the audio edition of Hanns and Rudolf: The German Jew and the Hunt for the Kommandant of Auschwitz to be better than the print version?

Ive not read it

What did you like best about this story?

It was interesting throughout. What you read in the blurb does happen but although it happens towards the end of the book, it remains thoroughly interesting throughout. I pause before using the word "enjoy" to describe a book of this context but i did. It had humour bits (early pranks) and does a wonderful job of showing how two different people ended up where they did without being judgmental. It makes you think about the wars and soldiers today, although i am making this book sound dull, it is not.

If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

This must be made into a film or at least inspire the writing of one. Possibly about rudolf's wife. We see them struggling, with rags on their feet, people hating them when they walk around (in a "we need to talk about kevin" esq way) the plot is slowly revealed through flash backs and makes us reconsider our sympathy.

Any additional comments?

If my film idea happens. Id like a credit: jonathan r brock.

Thanks.

Exceptional

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A beautifully written and expertly researched book concerning a terrible subject and a horrific time for humanity! This narrative carefully presents the historical events of two German men (one a 'Jew' the other an 'Aryan') who were destined to meet through the chaos of WWII - the former as an Officer in the British Army - the latter a member of the Nazi German SS and Commandant of the Auschwitz Concentration Camp who oversaw the murder of millions. When Rudolph Heoss was discovered and arrested by Captain Hanns Alexander - he was beaten with axe-handles by the British (Jewish) soldiers present despite offering no resistance. A military doctor - afraid the beating might kill him - ordered the end to this abuse. His hideaway was discovered after his wife was arrested and her children firstly abandoned without care - and then physically and psychologically threatened by Captain Hanns Alexander. At a time when the Catholic Church and US government were openly assisting the escape of Nazi War Criminals out of Europe - and Winston Churchill had quietly resettled 10,000 Ukrainian SS War Criminals in Scotland (disguised as Polish Refugees - who were in fact the victims of these criminals) - the actions of Hanns Alexander are understandable. The British government adhered to the post-1945 US policy of disinforming about the Soviet Union and this is why British Servicemen were not allowed to receive medals of gratitude from other nations. The USSR - as an ally of the UK - wanted to issues tens of thousands of such medals. It is difficult to demonise such a country when it is 'thanking you' for contributing to saving it from Nazi German Tyranny! It was only after 2010 that the British Government allowed the surviving British Veterans to receive medals from Russia. Hanns Alexander and his family (as German Jews) became British citizens as a means to escape Nazi German tyranny and I am very proud of this fact!

Important History of WWII!

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Definitely one of the best things I've listened to this year, its part historical, part thriller, part biography...... Its the entwining of the lives of two extraordinary people (extraordinary for very different reasons) that make this book so mesmerising. It really gives a sense of scale to the evil that is within living memory.

Incredible audiobook!

Moving, shocking and completely absorbing

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Many aspects of Nazi Germany are fairly familiar however this was a very new angle and it was so interesting. I happened to listen to this book around remembrance day, it was a very timely reminder of the appalling horror that was inflicted on very ordinary families and how it changed their lives for ever in the most brutal way possible. The narration is quite deadpan - almost journalistic style. This grated on me at first but as I got caught up in the compelling story it faded and I'm very glad I persevered. A story we should all know.

Familiar story well told

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