Nicholas Winton and the Rescued Generation: Save One Life, Save the World

By Muriel Emanuel and Vera Gissing

Book Overview

When Nicholas Winton met a friend in Prague in December 1938, he was shocked by the plight of thousands of refugees and Czech citizens desperate to flee from the advancing German army. A British organisation had been set up to help the adults, but who would save the children? Winton felt he could not walk away. He set up a makeshift office and in just three weeks interviewed thousands of distraught parents who had the courage to part with their children and send them alone to England. Armed with their details and photos, he returned to London to convince the Home Office of the urgency of the situation. He knew he was working against time. His supreme efforts resulted in eight trainloads bringing 669, mainly Jewish, children to London. For half a century these children, now dispersed and in their seventies, were unaware of the person to whom they owed their lives. To Winton, it was just a job. Even his wife knew nothing of what is undoubtedly his greatest achievement, until 1988, when clearing out the attic she came across documentation relating to the episode. From that moment, Winton's life was never the same again. Winton has been a remarkable humanitarian all his life. After the war, wishing to be involved with the rehabilitation of Europe's refugees, he worked for international organisations. He retired early, settled in Maidenhead and devoted himself to charitable works for which he was honoured with the MBE in 1983. Amongst other awards, he was granted the freedom of the City of Prague in 1991 and was awarded the Tomas Garrigue Masaryk Order by President Havel in a grand ceremony in Hradcany Castle in 1999. Nicolas Winton documentary (Power of Good) has won the 2002 International Emmy Award, in the category of TV documentary.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0853034257
• ISBN13: 9780853034254
• Release Date: November 2001
• Publisher: Vallentine Mitchell
• Length: 192 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.7" x 8.9"

Customer Reviews

Wonderful story from WWII

This is a heart-warming story of a caring person who did something to help others in World War II. I was not familiar with the story of Nicholas Winton and was fascinated by what he was able to accomplish. His actions impacted the lives of so many children and gave them an opportunity they would not otherwise have received. I highly recommend this book as one that will add to our understanding of those who sacrificed of themselves to lessen the horror of Nazi Germany.

A testament to an unsung hero

This is a book about an ordinary man who never asked to be thanked. He did what he thought was his duty as a human being and a pacifist. In 1939 Nicholas Winton a Stockbroker from London set about trying to save the doomed children Jewish children of an about to be invaded Czechoslovakia. His efforts saved 669 of them.In 1939 there were some 15,000 Czech Jewish children in existence. By the end of the war in 1945 only 100 or so of these children were left alive plus the 669 that Nicholas Winton had managed to save and get to the UK before the European borders closed down.One of these children was Vera Gissing who co-wrote this book. For a long time she wanted to know who had saved her and eventually she found out. This book is her testament to one man's selfless spirit and his desire to do what he considered was right.In theory Nicholas Winton could be considered a "righteous man" a gentile who helped the Jewish people in their time of need. But Nicholas Winton himself was born Jewish though he did not practice his faith, and nor did his family so he could not be bestowed with this honour (for he was Jewish in the eyes of Jewish law) but he could be recognised and acknowledged by those that he helped save.Vera Gissing has co-written a marvellously engrossing book about one man and his life and times, and it is only as you read each page do you understand what Nicholas Winton did to get those 669 children to safety.This is not a sentimental story, but you should be prepared to invest in a BIG box of tissues, because this story will move you to tears.A wonderful book which like "The Diary of Anne Frank," and "The Colour of Justice," should be on the shelf of every school in the land.