Peter Wyden (1923–1998)

Rather than focusing on the technical aspects of the atomic bomb or the day-by-day workings of the Manhattan project, Wyden mostly concentrates on the personalities involved, and on the chain of policy decisions that led to the development and deployment of the bomb (and ultimately to the Cold War). He also spends a large section of the book talking about the bombings' effect on Japan, including some rather horrific descriptions of post-attack Hiroshima.

In the early chapters of the book, something about Wyden's writing style kind of rubbed me the wrong way, for reasons that are hard to pin down. He was discussing colorful people doing interesting things of lasting importance, but I still often found it hard to keep my eyes from glazing over. I think perhaps I felt a bit as if he were throwing lots of facts and descriptions and anecdotes at me, rather than weaving things together into a coherent narrative. Once the bombs actually started exploding, however, the book suddenly became much more compelling -- whether because the writing improved or because the subject matter is powerful enough that it no longer really mattered, I don't know. What I do know is that it took me several days to get through the first 200 pages or so, but after that I finished the book almost in one sitting.… (mais)

A biography/memoir of World War II. Peter Wyden, a German Jewish boy, moved to America before the dark curtain of Nazism spread over Europe. One of his German Jewish classmates, Stella Goldschlag, became infamous when she was "turned" by the Gestapo. In exchange for the Nazis not shipping her and her parents off to Auschwitz, she helped them catch Jews hiding in Berlin. She was responsible for hundreds, maybe thousands of arrests and subsequent murders. In just one weekend, she helped the Gestapo apprehend 62 Jews. Interspersed with Stella's story are details about Peter Wyden growing up in Germany and the US, and his military service during World War II.

Stella was a truly fascinating character to me, and it's clear that Wyden shared my interest. Although he learned a lot of details about her life, interviewed people who knew her, and interviewed Stella herself, he never really figured out what made her tick and why she became a traitor when so many other Jews chose to die rather than cooperate with the Germans.

Bonus detail: after this book was written, in 1994, Stella committed suicide by jumping from her apartment window. She was 72 years old.

Additional bonus detail: I believe Stella is mentioned, although not by name, in Cornelia Edvardson's memoir Burned Child Seeks Fire. She mentions a blonde, beautiful Jewish Nazi collaborator who feels guilty about turning in her fellow Jews but does it so her parents will not be killed. That sounds very much like Stella, and Edvardson's book is set in Berlin which was Stella's stomping ground.… (mais)