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Righteous Gentile: The Story of Raoul Wallenberg, Missing Hero of the Holocaust

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Raoul Wallenberg was a Swedish aristocrat who managed to save thousands of Hungarian Jews from the gas chambers in the closing months of 1944. His relief agency in Budapest issued bogus Swedish passports to as many Jews as possible. By dint of his commanding personality, his ingenuity, and his talent for pulling the wool over the eyes of dimwitted Nazi functionaries, he contrived to convince the German and Hungarian authorities to respect these entirely extralegal documents. In mid-January 1945, he was summoned to the Soviet embassy in newly-"liberated" Budapest, and he was never seen again.

This is a great and inspiring story, and "Righteous Gentile" does justice to it. Bierman doesn't really succeed in explaining the origins of the idealism that led Wallenberg to volunteer for this job in the first place, but probably nobody could. What he does show is the skill and energy with which Wallenberg executed the task assigned to him. Actually "skill and energy" are ludicrously inadequate terms. Wallenberg not only distributed his passports, he tirelessly roamed around pulling Jews out of death marches and off trains bound for Auschwitz, he bossed Nazi thugs around in impeccable Hochdeutsch (and they listened), and he confronted Adolf Eichmann himself, all the while taking the most extraordinary risks. I can't say that Wallenberg was the greatest hero in recorded history, since I'm not familiar with all of it; suffice to say that he is by a very large margin the greatest hero I've ever read of, in fiction or history, and it is an inspiring and hopeful fact that someone like him ever existed. I am grateful to John Bierman for bringing this figure to such luminous and memorable life.

The only problem I have with the book is that half of it consists of speculations and rumor-cataloguing to the effect that Wallenberg was alive in the Gulag until about 1980. I believe that most authorities now think he was murdered by the Soviets long before this, perhaps after they failed to recruit him for espionage. This part of the book is therefore something of an anachronism. However, it doesn't detract from the general value of the book, which should be required reading for everybody, period.

John Bierman's terrifically tragic Wallenberg biography,'Righteous Gentile' is divided into two parts;the first 119 pages lead up to his kidnapping by the Russians on

January 17,1945.The last 97 pages deal with the world's apathy in securing his release from the Gulag.Thousands of Jews and some non-Jews owe their lives to Wallenberg's intervention on

"behalf of the Swedish government"-which dealt with the Wallenberg kidnapping issue as buroucracies tend to do.Bierman's Wallenberg book was published in 1981-and there were credible reports that Wallenberg was still vegetating in the Soviet prison system.The sin of allowing this to happen-is beyond unforgivable.

A five star book about a five star hero.

The second world war threw-up some gigantic figures but ironically Raoul Wallenberg from neutral Sweden towers over all the rest.

Like the Good Samaritan he didn't pass on by but instead left his safe homeland to assist others by putting himself in danger day after day in the inferno that was Hungary during the dreadful days of 1944-45.

The man who saved a 100,000 jews from the clutches of Adolf Eichmann, the SS, and the Hungarian facists, the Arrow Cross ultimately fell foul of the Russian 'liberators.' He was never seen again as a free man after being taken into 'protective custody' by the Reds on 17 January 1945.

I read John Bierman's excellent book some 20 years ago and he charts the extraordinary crusade of his subject with a deft touch.

This is a book that will both inspire you, with Wallenberg's humanity and courage, and anger you that such a man could lose his liberty after fighting so hard for the freedom and safety of others.

In the pantheon of heroes Raoul Wallenberg-the righteous gentile-would have to be at the very top

I read this book about 1982. I used to work the night shift at a hospital and on Sunday mornings, I recall listening to a Sunday Morning NPR talk show. One morning, Howard Cosel interviewed the author of Righteous Gentile. I was completely fascinated by this story that I had never heard. Howard was masterful in his interview and I was so taken that I immediately purchased the book and read it. It is riveting and I could not put it down until I had consumed it all. I am always in amazed wonderment at ordinary people who perform extraordinary acts under dire conditions. Wallenberg was such a man. The story is, of course, a tragedy of Shakespearean proportions, as Wallenberg disappears into the Russian Gulag. I irony of his imprisonment in the Gulag after having saved so many Jews from their fate in the Holocost. It is one of those books that is uplifting because it reminds us of both the good and evil that humans are capable of.

I'm not much for words, but, this book was gripping to say the least, very well written ! He was simply AMAZING & so were the people who worked along side him. It was very easy to read, quite thick, took a awhile & so hated to put it down . Leaves you chilled to the bone, Raoul & his friends were very brave & could have so easy escaped
to safety if they wanted to abandon the Jews . It was so sad the fate that befell him & some of his workers.
They were so brave & daring with all they had to confront, leaves you shaking in your shoes , the exploits they pulled of. A book that's a MUST if you have an interest in the Holocaust. We must NEVER forget the cold blooded MURDER & total misery & chaos that Hitler & his Demons brought about, i hate to even mention this monsters name really, it should be blotted from the Earth. Of course , for historys sake, it must remain sadly.

At the tail end of World War II Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg saved the lives of over 100000 Jews.

It was no small order because when he did his work he was doing so in Hungary, a country allied with Hitler, and he was doing so against that uber mass murderer Adolf Eichman.

Though Wallenberg enjoyed a pampered upbringing this book properly gets to the point where Wallenberg makes his appearance in Hungary and goes to work fighting for life.

As the book makes clear, it's a sad fact of history that Wallenberg -- that saver of lives -- was ultimately unable to save himself. When the Russians liberated Hungary in January 1945 they quickly imprisoned Wallenberg.

Though the Russians SAID they were imprisoning Wallenberg on suspicion of being a spy, in reality it was clear that they thought he could be the key to finding hidden Jewish assets and moneys missed by the Germans.

Sadly differing accounts of Wallenberg place him still alive and well in the Russian prison system anywhere from until 1947 through 1975...all of which sadly have only contested accuracy.

What seems beyond doubt however is that regardless of what happened to Walleberg personally he remains yet alive in the people who he saved and their descendants and also in his story of courage which is told so ably in this fine book.