A Forgotten Hero

Folke Bernadotte, the Swedish Humanitarian Who Rescued 30,000 People from the Nazis

Table of contents

 

Prologue: How Could This Happen?

One: Setting the Stage

Two: A Brush with Death

Three: A World’s Fair Like No Other

Four: Two Worlds Collide

Five: A Colossal Effort

Six: Utter Chaos

Seven: A Deal with the Devil

Eight: Nothing Is Sacred

Nine: A Ghastly Gamble for Human Lives

Ten: Hitler’s Demise

Eleven: The Beginning of a New Kind of Hell

Twelve: A Heart-Wrenching Sorrow

Epilogue: A Legacy of Leadership

Acknowledgments

Bibliography

Photo Credits

 

Description

In one of the most amazing rescues of WWII, the Swedish head of the Red Cross rescued more than 30,000 people from concentration camps in the last three months of the war. Folke Bernadotte did so by negotiating with the enemy—shaking hands with Heinrich Himmler, the head of the Gestapo. Time was of the essence, as Hitler had ordered the destruction of all camps and everyone in them.

Reviews

“Emling effectively shows her subject's ‘extraordinary feats’ as well as the immense difficulties facing those involved in humanitarian work during World War II. ” — Kirkus Reviews

“The illustrations help make Bernadotte and his family fully present in this succinct yet far-reaching portrait, which will best serve readers looking for a deep dive into the complex life of a figure not often addressed in historical accounts. ” — Booklist

“A worthy tribute . . . Emling’s accessible account of Bernadotte’s humanitarian achievements will inspire readers. ” — Publishers Weekly

“Shelley Emling . . . brings Bernadotte to life . . . She does a superb job in rectifying the cloud of obscurity that has settled over him . . .  The energy, cunning, and forcefulness that Bernadotte deployed is excellently portrayed in the book. ” — New York Journal of Books

“Shelley Emling’s book about my father is very interesting, especially the second half about the end of the Third Reich. Today’s readers, perhaps mostly the younger generation, are not, in general, very aware of this important period of the Second World War.  The rivalry and jockeying for position with the führer to the bitter end is well depicted and astonishing. How my father — with the help of Heinrich Himmler’s confidante, Walter Schellenberg — managed to convince the head of the Gestapo and the concentration camps to overlook his sworn allegiance to Adolf Hitler is well narrated and very important knowledge for readers. An essential read for those interested in the Nazis, the Third Reich, and the end of the Second World War. Well done!” — Bertil Bernadotte, Folke Bernadotte’s son