Justus Rosenberg (1921–2021)

I wasn't left with entirely positive feelings about this book. I chose to read it because the area of France where I used to live was a Resistance hot-spot, and I was keen to understand more. But somehow, this account never got into the detail of what being in the Resistance really entailed. This non-observant Jewish boy was sent to Paris by his parents when it became clear that staying in Danzig (now Gdansk) was no longer a safe option. He completed his school education and entered the Sorbonne before the German occupation of France really kicked in. When it did, his career as a Resistance worker began, and saw him in various locations, in various roles at different times. His linguistic skills and Aryan appearance stood him in good stead, and he finished the war unscathed, his path to a future in American mapped out.

I realise Rosenberg was very elderly when he wrote this book, but the story seemed to lack telling detail. And though his achievements were many, and deserve to be recognised and celebrated, he did rather spell them out. There's a fuller story here that deserves to be recorded.… (més)