Product Description

Address Unknkown. When events in our history change a life of open-mindedness and intolerance to the warped ideology of a dictator, the effect can be devastating. This enormously powerful tale brings an unprecedented vision of the horror and grief wrought by the Nazi regime. Written on the eve of the Holocaust as a series of letters between an American jew and his German friend, 'Address Unknown' is a haunting tale of immense and enduring impact, exposing the poison of Nazism. This memorable story survives in an age of racial, ethnic and nationalistic intolerance as a searing reminder that history can repeat itself.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #61262 in Books
• Published on: 2002-03-14
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 64 pages

Kurt Vonnegut
It is to our part in World War Two what Uncle Tom's Cabin was to the Civil War.

The New York Times Book Review
This modern story is perfection itself. It is the most effective indictment of Nazism to appear in fiction.

'New Statesman', March 4th 2002
Simple but profound... Address Unknown remains one of the most significant, innovative and genuinely engaged fictions about the Nazi era.

Customer Reviews

A simple, powerful and disturbing account of Nazi Germany
What did it mean to be Jewish in the late 1930's in Nazi Germany? How powerful was Hitler's fascist brainwashing of the German race? How quickly did he influence the German people ?

In an instant this book answers these questions and a great deal more regarding the Jews and Nazi Germany. It is a concise and compelling compilation of letters between a Jew in the States and a German returned from the States to live in Germany.

Martin, the German, after voicing initial hesitation, succumbs to the temptation of following Hitler and rejecting his Jewish friend and business partner in the process.

What is particularly disturbing is that it is clear from the outset that he is an intelligent, open-minded and well-educated individual. If even he is totally taken in by Hitler and his regime, what chance did those of a lesser education and a lesser quality of life have in the face of Hitler and his positive promises for the future ? They would have been swept along by his current of hope in an instant, even if that hope involved the elimination of minorities in the process.

Only much later could the majority of Germans step back and realise the true implications of the Hitler regime. 'Address Unknown' captures this and much more in an exchange of but a few letters. The simplicitiy of the work emphasises the horrors of Hitler.

Profoundly thought-provoking
I bought this book after hearing about it on Radio 4's "A Good Read" and am amazed that I had never heard of it before. It is a book which should be made essential reading in all secondary schools. Although it deals with the events leading up to the Holocaust, through the relationship between a Jew and a non-Jew who returns to Germany, the devastating effects of propaganda and misinformation are timeless and important themes. What gives this work even more power is the information contained in the Afterword explaining how and why this book came to be written. It reminds us too, that we have a duty to inform ourselves about what is happening in the world and that we must not just shrug our shoulders . . . but sadly it seems we still are (Darfur, Rwanda, the list goes on).

The Best Thirty Minute Read Ever
I found this book breath taking. I felt like a spy, opening and reading these letters between these two fantastic people.
The book really shows how Hitler managed to win over the minds of the German people, whether they wanted him to or not. I also feel that its brevity adds to its poinancy and this book will stay with me forever.
I personally feel that all GCSE history students (myself being one)should read this book. It only takes 30 minutes, and really shows both the political and social views in Germany in 1933. Of course, when reading a book one must remember the context. This was written in 1939 when governments all over the world were denying what was happening in Germany, and now looking back on it, it shows the striking difference between the public view, and the offical view of a country.

Overall, a beautiful book that will stay with me forever.