Raoul Wallenberg: Rescuing Thousands From The Nazis' Grasp

Children's Literature

Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg wanted to rescue as many Hungarian Jews as he could. In all, he saved over one hundred thousand Jews from the horrors of the Holocaust. In this title, author McArthur tells the story of this courageous man. He was born in Sweden in 1912 and in 1936, his grandfather arranged a job for him with the Holland Bank in Haifa. Many of his fellow workers were Jews who had escaped from Hitler's Germany. Wallenberg listened to their stories of persecution by the Nazis. Wallenberg did not want to go into banking so he returned to Sweden and joined the military. He tried some business ventures that failed. Then he met a Jewish businessman and began working for him. He traveled through Nazi-occupied Europe to sell specialty food items. Eventually, Wallenberg was hired by the War Refugee Board and Swedish Foreign Office to lead a rescue effort to save Jews from German-occupied Hungary. Wallenberg was captured by the Germans and placed in jail, but not before he had saved thousands of Jews from being murdered by Hitler and the Nazis. Soviet officials said Wallenberg died in 1947, but some people claimed to have seen him alive after that time. Black-and-white illustrations, a timeline, chapter notes, a glossary, further reading and internet sources are included in this text. 2005, Enslow Publishers, Ages 10 up.
—Della A. Yannuzzi

School Library Journal

Gr 5-7-These books introduce two renowned figures in well-documented accounts within the political and historical climates of their time. Anne Frank's family and life are explored before, during, and after her hiding and incarceration. Wallenberg brings to light the truly heroic and daringly bold efforts of the Swedish diplomat who created a huge network of resistance workers and shrewdly played both sides of the political arena to successfully save the largest community of Jews in a Nazi-occupied country. McArthur explores the myriad theories behind the mysterious fate of Wallenberg, who disappeared shortly after the end of the war. This updated version of his life is much needed in any Holocaust collection. Both books include profiles of key figures related to the subjects' lives and circumstances.-Rita Soltan, Youth Services Consultant, West Bloomfield, MI Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.