Their Darkest Hour cover art

Their Darkest Hour

People Tested to the Extreme in WWII

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Their Darkest Hour

By: Laurence Rees
Narrated by: John Hopkins
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

Award-winning writer and filmmaker Laurence Rees has spent nearly 20 years meeting people who were tested to the extreme during World War II. He has come face to face with rapists, mass murderers, even cannibals, but he has also met courageous individuals who are an inspiration to us all. His quest has taken him from the Baltic States to Japan, from Poland to America and from Germany to China.

Here he presents 35 of his most electrifying encounters. Meet Estera Frenkiel, a young Jewish woman given the chance to save 10 fellow Jews from deportation and death; Peter Lee, a British officer brutally treated by his Japanese captors; Zinaida Pytkina, a female member of the Soviet Union's infamous SMERSH organisation, who took pleasure in killing a German prisoner; Hiroo Onoda, a Japanese soldier so fanatical that he refused to surrender until 29 years after the end of the war; and Petras Zelionka, a Lithuanian who shot Jewish men, women and children for the Nazis.

The devastating first-hand testimony in Their Darkest Hour is both a lasting contribution to our understanding of the war and a powerful insight into the behaviour of human beings in crisis.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2020 Laurence Rees (P)2020 Penguin Audio
Military War Holocaust

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Disturbing

A look into our darkest actions, for they are our actions and not just that of individuals we all need to take collective blame, for to understanding this is maybe the first step to making a better way for us all.

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Brilliant

Content is dark and powerful but navigated with great care. Narrators tone is perfect for the task. Loved this book!

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Experiences of Wartime exposes Humanity

Superb book,often hard to listen to because the stories were often so sad but the author did a great job on reflecting how war brings out the best and worst of humany.

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Human behaviour at it worst

This is a fascinating essay on the human condition and behaviours when allowed by the state and the justifications for the worse treatment of other humans. It describes the techniques governments use to alienate subgroups of people and how this justifies terrible behaviour. Very interesting as a book end to ww2 studies as it puts a lot into perspective

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