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Table of Contents
About The Book
Unearthing the network that hid the Angel of Death, the infamous Nazi doctor who escaped justice for more than three decades.
In 1985, six-year old Betina Anton watched Brazilian authorities apprehend her kindergarten teacher for allegedly using documents to bury in secrecy the remains of Josef Mengele, known worldwide for cruel human experiments and for sending thousands to the Auschwitz gas chambers. Decades later, as an experienced journalist disturbed by the mysteries surrounding the departure of Austrian expat Liselotte Bossert, Anton set out to find her and see if the rumors were true. She could not imagine how deeply into Mengele's life-on-the-run her investigation would take her.
Josef Mengele was a fugitive in South America for thirty-four years after World War II, sought by the Israeli secret service and Nazi Hunters. Hidden for half that time in Brazil, thanks to a small group of expatriate Europeans, Mengele created his own paradise where he could speak German with new friends, maintain his beliefs, stay one step ahead of the global manhunt, and avoid answering for his crimes.
Translated from the Brazilian Tropical Bavaria edition and based on extensive research, including revelatory interviews and never-before-seen letters and photos, Hiding Mengele is a suspenseful narrative not only haunted by the doctor's horrific actions but also by the motivations driving a community to protect an evil man.
Product Details
- Publisher: Diversion Books (October 1, 2024)
- Length: 312 pages
- ISBN13: 9781635768824
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Raves and Reviews
Praise for Hiding Mengele by Betina Anton:
“A tremendous work of nonfiction”
—Forbes
"A provocative contribution to the literature of the Holocaust."
—Kirkus Reviews
"Betina Anton has written the definitive book on Josef Mengele, the Nazi monster of Auschwitz, and the invisible community of sympathizers that hid the Angel of Death from justice for decades. Anton's skills as an investigative journalist shine as she unmasks the chilling truth behind one of World War II's greatest unsolved mysteries. Part history, part detective story, this book grabs the reader from the first heart-thumping page to the last. Meticulous research, and brilliant writing makes Hiding Mengele an essential read in understanding Adolf Hitler and this Third Reich. It will rightfully take its place alongside Hannah Arendt's haunting classic, Eichmann in Jerusalem."
—James McMurty Longo, author of Hitler and the Habsburgs: The Fuhrer's Vendetta Against the Austrian Royals
"Hiding Mengele is a wonderfully readable and fresh account of how the world's most wanted Nazi stayed a step ahead of his pursuers. Betina Anton has done a public service by turning a spotlight on the lingering question of how Mengele and his supporters went unpunished in Brazil."
—Gerald Posner, co-author of Mengele: The Complete Story
Offering a unique perspective on the notorious Nazi doctor through her connection to one of his protectors, Brazilian journalist Betina Anton provides a welcome addition to the literature on Josef Mengele.
—David G. Marwell, author of Mengele: Unmasking the Angel of Death
"In a seamless narrative informed by fresh reporting and gripping details, Hiding Mengele fortifies our understanding of how one of history's cruelest men got away with unspeakable atrocities and lived cosseted to a ripe age. In the finest journalistic tradition, this global after-action report chronicles the serial failures over decades by many governments and Nazi hunters. Betina Anton shows how shifting political winds and bureaucracy served Mengele well. She also reveals through extensive correspondence that he kept finding new, willing protectors who did not believe or care about his history of mass murder."
—Judy Rakowsky, author of Jews in the Garden
"Hiding Mengele is a captivating, thought-provoking and well-researched book that is a must-read for anyone interested in the story of the diabolical Dr. Josef Mengele, the Mengele twins, and medical experimentation during WWII. Betina Anton offers a strak reminder of how a flawed scientific and political ideology can adversely influence people of all walks of life to take part in inhumane medical experimentation and unforeseen acts. As the son of the late Eva Mozes Kor, a Mengele twin who fought tirelessly to unearth the truth about Mengele's death, I was fascinated with the attention to detail and new information uncovered by Betina Anton. My mother expressed her frustration when remarking, 'The fact that he was not put on trial bothers me less than the fact that I don't know what he injected into me/us.' My mother would be impressed with Anton's work and persistence in setting the historical record straight regarding Mengele."
—Alex Kor, Board Member of CANDLES Holocaust Museum and Education Center, and co-author of A Blessing, Not a Burden
"Betina Anton tackles Nazi violence with sensitivity and ease."
—Folha de S. Paulo (Brazil)
"Supported by admirable research, Anton retraces Mengele's life and escapes at thriller pace. She devotes central chapters of the to book to the countless crimes committed during the war. It is essential to emphasize (and the author does briliantly) that the dismemberments and torture disguised as scientific experiments were not the work of a mere madman, but were part of the state policy in force."
—O Estado De S. Paulo (Brazil)
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