Audiobook5 hours
Adolfo Kaminsky: A Forger's Life
Written by Sarah Kaminsky
Narrated by Simon Vance
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
4/5
()
About this audiobook
At the age of seventeen Adolfo Kaminsky had narrowly escaped deportation to Auschwitz and was living in Nazi occupied Paris, using forged documents to hide in plain sight. Due to his expert knowledge of dyes and his ability to masterfully reproduce official documents with an artistic eye, he was recruited to join the Jewish underground. He soon became the primary forger for the Resistance in Paris, working tirelessly with his network to create papers that would save an estimated 14,000 men, women, and children from certain death.
Upon the Liberation and for the next twenty-five years, Kaminsky worked as a professional photographer. But, recognizing the fight for freedom had not ended with the defeat of the Nazis, and driven by his own harrowing experiences, he continued to secretly forge documents for thousands of refugees, exiles, immigrants, freedom fighters, and pacifists.
Kaminsky kept his past cloaked in secrecy well into his later life, until his daughter and biographer Sarah Kaminsky convinced him to share the details of the life-threatening work he did on behalf of people fighting for justice and peace throughout the world.
Upon the Liberation and for the next twenty-five years, Kaminsky worked as a professional photographer. But, recognizing the fight for freedom had not ended with the defeat of the Nazis, and driven by his own harrowing experiences, he continued to secretly forge documents for thousands of refugees, exiles, immigrants, freedom fighters, and pacifists.
Kaminsky kept his past cloaked in secrecy well into his later life, until his daughter and biographer Sarah Kaminsky convinced him to share the details of the life-threatening work he did on behalf of people fighting for justice and peace throughout the world.
LanguageEnglish
PublisherTantor Media, Inc
TranslatorMike Mitchell
Release dateFeb 21, 2017
ISBN9781515989059
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Reviews for Adolfo Kaminsky
Rating: 3.8392856928571426 out of 5 stars
4/5
28 ratings3 reviews
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A different view of WWII in this story of this forger's life than I'd read in the past. HIs daughter did a great job telling his story of his commitment to supporting peace and justice through his life. The endless need for his documents during the Holocaust, and then again in Algeria and even the Vietnam war made demands on his lifestyle many couldn't have permitted. Interesting that when his daughter was going to write his story he wondered about the statute of limitations for what he did.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5An incredible life, but it's very much a list of feats performed rather than an engaging story.It's a short easy read, so it isn't a big investment of your time.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This is an intriguing look at the lifework of Adolfo Kaminsky.His daughter Sarah records and presents his life story and we seethe weighty responsibility he assumed working as a forger for the "French Resistance, the Algerian Independence Movement, and numerous clandestine organizations over the span of nearly thirty years." (publishers note)His forte saved thousands of lives.He assumes the role of narrator, adding extra interest to the read and provides some beautiful black and white images from his years as a professional photographer.FIRST ENGLISH EDITION OF THE FRENCH BEST-SELLER