The Mascot

Unraveling the Mystery of My Jewish Father's Nazi Boyhood

Nonfiction, History, Jewish, Holocaust, Biography & Memoir, Political
Cover of the book The Mascot by Mark Kurzem, Penguin Publishing Group
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Mark Kurzem ISBN: 9781101213865
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group Publication: November 1, 2007
Imprint: Plume Language: English
Author: Mark Kurzem
ISBN: 9781101213865
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Publication: November 1, 2007
Imprint: Plume
Language: English

The "spellbinding" (The New York Times) true story of a Jewish boy who became the darling of the Nazis

When a Nazi death squad massacred his mother and fellow villagers, five-year-old Alex Kurzem escaped, hiding in the freezing Russian forest until he was picked up by a group of Latvian SS soldiers. Alex was able to hide his Jewish identity and win over the soldiers, becoming their mascot and an honorary "corporal" in the SS with his own uniform. But what began as a desperate bid for survival became a performance that delighted the highest ranks of the Nazi elite. And so a young Jewish boy ended up starring in a Nazi propaganda film.

After sixty-three years of silence, Alex revealed his terrible secret to his son Mark. With his son's help, Alex retraced his past in search of answers and vindication. His story is at once a terrifying account of survival and its psychological cost as well as a brutally honest examination of identity, complicity, and memory.

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

The "spellbinding" (The New York Times) true story of a Jewish boy who became the darling of the Nazis

When a Nazi death squad massacred his mother and fellow villagers, five-year-old Alex Kurzem escaped, hiding in the freezing Russian forest until he was picked up by a group of Latvian SS soldiers. Alex was able to hide his Jewish identity and win over the soldiers, becoming their mascot and an honorary "corporal" in the SS with his own uniform. But what began as a desperate bid for survival became a performance that delighted the highest ranks of the Nazi elite. And so a young Jewish boy ended up starring in a Nazi propaganda film.

After sixty-three years of silence, Alex revealed his terrible secret to his son Mark. With his son's help, Alex retraced his past in search of answers and vindication. His story is at once a terrifying account of survival and its psychological cost as well as a brutally honest examination of identity, complicity, and memory.

More books from Penguin Publishing Group

Cover of the book You're on an Airplane by Mark Kurzem
Cover of the book Successful Aging by Mark Kurzem
Cover of the book Frozen Tracks by Mark Kurzem
Cover of the book Judgment in Death by Mark Kurzem
Cover of the book More Awesome Than Money by Mark Kurzem
Cover of the book Catch Her If You Can by Mark Kurzem
Cover of the book Hotshot by Mark Kurzem
Cover of the book Unlikely Allies by Mark Kurzem
Cover of the book Journal of a UFO Investigator by Mark Kurzem
Cover of the book Just Killing Time by Mark Kurzem
Cover of the book Unbreakable by Mark Kurzem
Cover of the book Becoming Jane Eyre by Mark Kurzem
Cover of the book Find Your Why by Mark Kurzem
Cover of the book Dark Ghost by Mark Kurzem
Cover of the book The King's Concubine by Mark Kurzem
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