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The SS Officer's Armchair

In Search of a Hidden Life
By Daniel Lee
0.0 (0 reviews)
3.96 goodreads logo

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Check link for latest rating. ( 682 ratings, 136 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The SS Officer's Armchair by Daniel Lee delves into a mysterious past uncovered from a seemingly ordinary armchair. Through a biography and memoir format, the author explores the life of an SS officer during Nazi Germany, revealing hidden histories and personal stories entwined with the broader tapestry of WWII. This investigation brings to light the chilling realities and forgotten lives of the era.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book may appeal to you if you are intrigued by untold historical narratives and hidden personal stories from World War II. It delves into the surprising discovery of a Nazi officer's documents, unearthing the past and bringing a human element to the era through a meticulously pieced-together narrative that offers both suspense and insight.

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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

A historical detective story and a gripping account of one historian's hunt for answers as he delves into the surprising life of an ordinary Nazi officer.

The gripping account of one historian's hunt for answers as he delves into the surprising life of an ordinary Nazi officer.

Totally exhilarating Philippe Sands

It began with an armchair. It began with the surprise discovery of a stash of personal documents covered in swastikas sewn into its cushion.

The SS Officer's Armchair is the story of what happened next, as Daniel Lee follows the trail of cold calls, documents, coincidences, and family secrets, to uncover the life of one Dr Robert Griesinger from Stuttgart. As Lee delves deeper, Griesinger emerges as at once an ordinary man with a family and ambitions, and an active participant in the Nazi machinery of terror whose choices continue to reverberate today.

Gripping, it unfolds like a detective story as an obscured past emerges into the light Hadley Freeman, author of House of Glass

An absorbing work of historical detection... Riveting Evening Standard

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

The SS Officer's Armchair by Daniel Lee is praised for its gripping and beautifully structured narrative, akin to a detective story. Reviewers highlight Lee's skill as both a researcher and narrator, revealing the unsettling ordinary life of a Nazi officer and the impact on his family. The book is noted for its honest portrayal and thorough documentation, providing a profound insight into an "ordinary" Nazi's life and the troubling history of 20th-century Germany.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781784706654

Publisher: Vintage Publishing

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 03 June 2021

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Vintage

Audience: General / adult, Tertiary education, Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 21.0mm

Width: 129.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 224g

Pages: 320

Collections

Biography & Memoir Daniel Lee Education & Reference History & Archaeology History & Military Military History Non-Fiction Penguin Books Political Biographies Politics & Current Affairs

About the Author

Daniel Lee is a historian of the Second World War and a specialist in the history of Jews in France and North Africa during the Holocaust. He is a Senior Lecturer in modern history at Queen Mary, University of London, and the author of Petain's Jewish Children (2014). As a BBC Radio 3 New Generation Thinker, Lee is a regular broadcaster on radio. He lives in north London.

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