This is an absolutely enthralling story written by one of the Israelis that found, watched and finally kidnapped to bring Adolf Eichmann to justice in Israel. The characters in this gripping, true account are all given such a depth, that you feel like you know them, and the commitment they had to bringing this brutal monster to justice. I read this in one sitting and was totally engrossed in the planning, and execution of the difficult phases going into the identification and final capture of Adolf Eichmann. I was given a copy of this for an honest review. I will read anything else by D. Lawrence Young, he is a great author.

Six Million Accusers:
Catching Adolf Eichmann

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by D. Lawrence-Young

A Review

A very readable book telling the story of the discovery, capture, and trial of Adolf Eichmann in 1960-1962. Written as a novel with bits of fiction, the book attempts to be faithful to the history of the events surrounding the historic capture of who has been called “the father of The Final Solution to the Jewish Problem.”

The author includes a bibliography that the reader can reference to discover further details and a summary of the lives of those who were involved in very secret operation of capturing Eichmann in Argentina and bringing him to Israel for trial. My biggest concern is that, as I read, it was impossible to tell where the boundary existed between fact and fiction. It would have been helpful for the author to have included a running commentary, borrowing from primary and secondary sources, as footnotes which might have helped make that distinction for the reader unfamiliar with the topic.

The book is written in the first person - primarily from the perspective of Haim (pronounced like “climb”), a member of the team assigned the responsibility of capturing Eichmann. Occasionally the author assumes another member of the team’s voice or even that of a third person observer, though these times are few and far between and are used to fill in gaps in the story that could not be explained by Haim. The book reads with the excitement of a Tom Clancy or Dan Brown novel except, unlike their work, it is based as much as possible on the historical events upon which it is based. And as such, it held this reader’s attention from beginning to end. ______________ This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions expressed are my own.

Please lower the safety bar in front of you, and make certain your belt is securely fastened. We will be traveling at an astonishing rate of speed; keep your hands firmly on your book or digital reader. As you finish Six Million Accusers: Catching Adolph Eichmann, you may be disoriented and need to remind yourself where you are and what day it is. It’s that gripping.

David Lawrence-Young packs a powerful story into a well plotted, brilliantly paced narrative in order to tell the story of the capture of Adolph Eichmann, one of the nastiest and most powerful Nazis responsible for the deaths of six million Jews in eight nations, not to mention millions more who were Gypsies, political opponents, disabled, gay, or who were mistaken for somebody else. And of course, these numbers don’t include those who died in the battlefields, seas and skies of the European theater of World War II. Only Hitler and Himmler were above Eichmann in the fascist pecking order.

Because story is such a potent vehicle for the truth, the author has chosen historical fiction over a more expository nonfiction format. I think he chose well. He has a long list of previously published books that precede this one, from Shakespeare to an English textbook to other works of historical fiction, but he says this one was the most difficult, and I believe it. As is true of the finest writers of this genre, he has a bibliography at tne end of his work to let us know that the story is absolutely true; he has filled in the cracks by inventing the dialogue instead of paraphrasing as he would have to do with a work of nonfiction, but this is the real deal nevertheless. This is what happened.

Once this was made plain (I always read the introduction, and I also read the author page before I begin), I dug myself into my favorite reading corner and prepared to concentrate, convinced that while compelling, the historical journey would require full focus and strong literacy skills. I was surprised to find that he wrote in a manner that will be accessible to just about anyone who wants to read it, and the need to focus is moot, because from the get-go, he has our eyes and full attention automatically. The pace builds in a glorious arc, reaching breakneck speed as we close in on Eichmann along with the team of spies and undercover representatives of Israel’s government.

The questions that arose in my mind were answered. Given that these agents slip into Argentina with the assumption that they will need to act outside that nation’s unfriendly rules of law, and are essentially going to kidnap Eichmann, I wondered why the fuss. If they were willing to go that far (not that they shouldn’t), why not just sail in under a black flag and cap him behind the ear? Why all the fuss and bother to smuggle him back to Israel to be tried?

And it became clear. Many other SS officers were dealt with in the manner I had been thinking of, but this man was so utterly symbolic of the Holocaust that the world had to see him tried, and Israel and her people had to lay out the facts, document them irrefutably, and wisely so, because half a century later would come the Holocaust deniers who would want to pretend the whole thing was a hoax, sham, or exaggeration, and the Nuremberg Trials make it much harder for anyone to do so.

A thing that gave me great pleasure was reading about the agents, including our nominally fictitious protagonist, Haim, who DID get out of Germany or other parts of Europe in time to avoid arrest, torture, and maybe death.

I was surprised, and surprised to be surprised, about the news that Israel had had to fight for its independence. As a history teacher, how is it that I did not know this? I think it’s simple. It was too recent to be in the curriculum, but since I had barely been born when it took place, I was too young to remember. And independence from Britain was important. On the surface, it looks as if they bit the hand that fed them; hey, they put up a Jewish homeland to help people escape Hitler, and now you’re going to shoot at them?

But it turns out this was very necessary. Part of Britain’s game plan was to limit how many could come out. They were more generous in their immigration policy than the USA, but that’s not saying much. Israel needed independence in order to have a nation where all Jews could safely exist. (I won’t even go into the Palestinian question which is worth many other books, a huge issue unto itself.)

Like a lot of academics, I have many Jewish friends, and though all are too young to have experienced the horror first hand, they have family stories, even legends. (“My grandmother personally rescued one of the last remaining Torahs from a burning synagogue”, a colleague told me.)

But even if I had not had their friendship, simple justice would have permitted me to sigh with satisfaction, once when Eichmann was in custody, and again when he was convicted.

Don’t just read this book; keep it. Share it with your children. The world must never, ever permit such a thing to happen again. It is by educating the next generation, and they the one after them, that we keep the neo-Nazis firmly on the fringes, which is the best place for them to enjoy the First Amendment rights they would gladly grind beneath their hobnailed boots for the rest of us if permitted to do so.

My deep gratitude goes to Mr. Lawrence-Young, his publishers, and NetGalley for letting me read and review this amazing novel.

Great book. Recommending for purchase for library and student library.

Six Million Accusers: Catching Adolf Eichman is a documentary novel that recounts the Mossad operation to locate, capture and bring to trial Adolf Eichmann. The story is mostly told through the point of view of Haim A., one member of the Mossad team that was responsible for his capture. Haim's character is perfect for the job, he is able to speak several different languages and is a mechanic. Haim would also like revenge on one of the men who pushed him family out of their homeland.

Through meticulous research, David Lawrence-Young has recreated this suspenseful operation. What I got most out of this book was an education, and that is why I love reading historical fiction. I did know that many former Nazi were found and tried for their crimes years after the war, but I had no idea who Adolf Eichman was, his role in the Holocaust or the lengths that were gone to in order to locate him. A wonderfully, written historical drama that may not have all of the adventures and excitement of fictional novels, but accurately recounts the story of the capture of Adolf Eichmann.

The title of this powerful book comes from the opening arguments in the trial of Adolph Eichmann. I vividly recall the trial and execution of this wicked man from my childhood. Over the years, a number of books have been written about the search for and the capture of the architect of The Final Solution. This one measures up to the best of them.
Told in first person, the author informs the reader upfront that the events are as accurate as research will allow but the dialogue must be given some slack. It does not detract from the story. In fact, it enhances as you are held in thrall at the various twists and turns as the Israeli operatives find, confirm and transport Eichmann back to face his accusers.
There could be no doubt they got the right man. He admitted his identity. The heinous nature of his crimes could not be disputed. Thanks to his organizational "talents", six million people accused him of those crimes. However, right to his final minutes, when asked if he regretted his actions, he said no. He was, he said, only carrying out orders. This man whom many thought looked like an unassuming bookkeeper was the worst sort of unrepentant monster Despite knowing the outcome of the story, the book still held my interest. I found myself cheering when they got away with their audacious plan. But like so many of the characters for whom his crimes had a very personal connection, we are still left with the lingering question: no matter the judgement, can there ever be justice for the victims of his inhumanity?

Adolfo Eichmann was responsible for brutally killing Jews and others during World War Two. Eichmann disappears after the war. An Israeli organization searches for him throughout the world. They follow any tips they get to his whereabouts. Finally the Israeli organization is successful.

The author does an excellent job reliving the hunt for Eichmann. His writing is based on historical facts. It is easy to read due to the author's excellent writing. This is a good addition for the reader who wants to know more about Eichmann.

I really don't feel like I'm going to do this book justice by writing a review, but at the same time, it deserves a review. I usually will not award five stars to a historical fiction. I am almost always disappointed in them, no matter how much research was done before the book was written. This is a case where this book would get more than five stars if I were able to give it.

Nazi War criminals have been on the telly a lot lately. Through old black and white films and descriptions and accounts written by those who survived the terror, we have learned quite a bit. Still, I feel like most of the time, we watch these things on the History Channel or in films and we seem to be removed from the reality. We see the images and we know that it is not fiction, but never feel like it could happen to us. Those who went through it do not touch us on a deep, emotional level most of the time. That is where this book comes in. If you want to see the lives of people who wanted retribution for these heinous crimes up close, this book will give you that.

Yes, this is a fictional account, but I guarantee you that once you begin reading, you will forget. A lot of meticulous research went into this book. A lot of man hours of studying and learning about what actually happened make this an extraordinary read. This author also has a knack for story telling and character creation. I broke down more than once during this book, which is a rarity for me.

Although Eichmann's name is displayed prominently in the title, this book is actually more about the dedicated group of people who came together to bring him to justice. The novel doesn't focus as much on his reign of terror as it does the years after and the search to satisfy "six million accusers." I thought the way this was written made it feel very personal and easy to relate to. The author did an extremely good job of filling in the voids in Eichmann's history and making it believable.

What I came away with after reading this novel, was a sense of just how much it took to take this man down. He may not have looked like much, bookish, what today we might call a geek. He may not have felt guilt nor remorse for his actions--he was doing as ordered, by his own admission, but I came away from this book with a sense of awareness. There is darkness in this world. There are evil people who commit senseless acts of violence and genocide. Yet, there are people who will work tirelessly to make this world a better place. I think this author not only understands that, but it one of the good ones.

I would encourage anyone who has an interest in this subject to read this book. I loved it.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.