Customer Reviews

Boats In the Night: Knud Dyby's Involvement in the Rescue of the Danish Jews and the Danish Resistance

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Reading this account of Knud Dyby's numerous acts on behalf of Danish Jews during World War II is like listening to a storyteller. Dyby's specific story is told within the framework of the general Danish resistance to Hitler's anti-Semitism.

Denmark, unlike many other European countries, did not have a tradition of treating its Jewish citizens differently. However, great courage was required for Dyby, Georg Duckwitz, and countless unnamed Danes, to resist Nazi oppression of Jews. It is remarkable that they succeeded in actively arranging for the escape to Sweden of nearly two thousand Jews late in the war, primarily on small boats. The details of arranging transport on fishing boats through a web of discreet individuals are fascinating. It also reminds us how much difference one person can make.

This book would be very accessible to high school students who are learning about the Holocaust. Mrs. Loeffler expains historical references such as "Krsytallnacht", so the reader can follow the story even without having much background knowledge about events before and during World War II.

This is a spectacular account of the bravery and caring of the Danish Resistance during the second World War. Danmark is such a small country and not many people of the world know what kind of people the Danes really are and the depth of their hearts.

Not world class litterature, but fascinating eye witness stories from Denmark under German occupation in WW2. Worth reading.