Nathan Blum is a young man who lived with his family in the ghetto of Krakow, where he became a ‘ferret’ for the underground, sneaking messages in and out via the many secret passages between, under and over the buildings. His father pressured him into delivering an original and precious Talmud document to a place of safekeeping in Sweden. From there, he was sent to live with an older cousin in Chicago in order to continue his university studies.

After a year in Chicago, Nathan learns that his family in Krakow was killed at the hands of the Gestapo. Suffering from survivor guilt, he decides to join the US army in the hopes of getting back to Poland to fight the Germans. Instead, he winds up in a basement working for Intelligence translating secret documents. After applying for a transfer to active service, he is recruited to rescue a Jewish scientist who has been sent to Auschwitz. It is not even known for certain that the man is still alive.

Alfred Mendl, although a fictitious character, is based on Danish physicist Niels Bohr, one of the founders of atomic theory. Nathan’s assignment is to get into Auschwitz, try to find Mendl and get him out safely within a three-day time limit, aided by the local underground group. This highly suspenseful and enthralling mission, full of terrifying twists and turns, is unputdownable.

Andrew Gross is a proven and masterful thriller writer. This book however, with its powerful depiction of unfathomable cruelty and inconceivable suffering, still sounds an urgent and profound wake-up call to all humanity 75 years on, despite the fact that far too many similar regimes have nevertheless arisen within that period.

The One Man is an absolute must-read, whichever way you look at it.

The One Man

Andrew Gross

MacMillan