The Day the Nazis Came - The Astonishing True Story of a Childhood Journey from the Occupied Channel Islands to the Dark Heart of a German Prison Camp

Biography & Memoir, Historical, Nonfiction, History
Cover of the book The Day the Nazis Came - The Astonishing True Story of a Childhood Journey from the Occupied Channel Islands to the Dark Heart of a German Prison Camp by Stephen Matthews, John Blake Publishing
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Stephen Matthews ISBN: 9781786063366
Publisher: John Blake Publishing Publication: October 6, 2016
Imprint: John Blake Language: English
Author: Stephen Matthews
ISBN: 9781786063366
Publisher: John Blake Publishing
Publication: October 6, 2016
Imprint: John Blake
Language: English

By the time he was six years old, Stephen had been bombarded by the Luftwaffe and deported from occupied Guernsey, along with his family, to a prison camp in the heart of Adolf Hitler’s Third Reich. He had seen men die in front of him and walked with Jewish prisoners straight off the cattle-trucks from Bergen- Belsen. He had nearly drowned, narrowly avoided being savaged by Alsatian guard dogs, been beaten by a pathological member of the SS and had his hand broken by a guard whilst attempting to feed a Russian prisoner.

The family kept going through three and a half years of imprisonment, reinforced by their strong sense of survival and their loving support for each other, before a dramatic and violent liberation by Allied forces ended their ordeal. Yet when they were eventually returned to Guernsey, it was to find that their tranquil home had been stricken and scarred by Nazi occupation.

Told through Steven Matthews’ own memories, as well as writing from his mother’s diaries and previously unpublished photographs, The Day the Nazis Came is an utterly unique memoir. Depicting the world of Nazi prison camps through the eyes of a child – a world in which the real dangers often seemed trivial and every day was a new adventure – it tells not just of the prisoners’ plight, but provides an important and poignant reminder that not every German soldier was cruel and hateful. Above all, it pays tribute to the preciousness of childhood, and shows that human kindness may flower in the unlikeliest of places.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

By the time he was six years old, Stephen had been bombarded by the Luftwaffe and deported from occupied Guernsey, along with his family, to a prison camp in the heart of Adolf Hitler’s Third Reich. He had seen men die in front of him and walked with Jewish prisoners straight off the cattle-trucks from Bergen- Belsen. He had nearly drowned, narrowly avoided being savaged by Alsatian guard dogs, been beaten by a pathological member of the SS and had his hand broken by a guard whilst attempting to feed a Russian prisoner.

The family kept going through three and a half years of imprisonment, reinforced by their strong sense of survival and their loving support for each other, before a dramatic and violent liberation by Allied forces ended their ordeal. Yet when they were eventually returned to Guernsey, it was to find that their tranquil home had been stricken and scarred by Nazi occupation.

Told through Steven Matthews’ own memories, as well as writing from his mother’s diaries and previously unpublished photographs, The Day the Nazis Came is an utterly unique memoir. Depicting the world of Nazi prison camps through the eyes of a child – a world in which the real dangers often seemed trivial and every day was a new adventure – it tells not just of the prisoners’ plight, but provides an important and poignant reminder that not every German soldier was cruel and hateful. Above all, it pays tribute to the preciousness of childhood, and shows that human kindness may flower in the unlikeliest of places.

More books from John Blake Publishing

Cover of the book The Magnificent Sevens by Stephen Matthews
Cover of the book Gang Wars of the North - The Inside Story of the Deadly Battle Between Viv Graham and Lee Duffy by Stephen Matthews
Cover of the book Diamonds Are Forever - Shirley Bassey by Stephen Matthews
Cover of the book Rory McIlroy - The Biography by Stephen Matthews
Cover of the book The Grinning Killer: Chris Halliwell - How Many Women Do You Have to Kill to Be a Serial Killer? by Stephen Matthews
Cover of the book Sir Walter Winterbottom - The Father of Modern English Football by Stephen Matthews
Cover of the book Massive Attack - True Stories From the Fontline of Tottenham's Staunchest Fans by Stephen Matthews
Cover of the book James Bond - The Secret History by Stephen Matthews
Cover of the book Hercules the Bear - A Gentle Giant in the Family by Stephen Matthews
Cover of the book The Walker Brothers by Stephen Matthews
Cover of the book The Guv'nor In His Own Words - Conversations with the Bare Knuckle Fighting Legend by Stephen Matthews
Cover of the book The World of Football According to Athletico Mince by Stephen Matthews
Cover of the book Your Body - The Fish That Evolved by Stephen Matthews
Cover of the book Jack Wilshere - Arsenal DNA by Stephen Matthews
Cover of the book Craig Brown - The Game of My Life by Stephen Matthews
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy