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The Good Assassin

How a Mossad Agent and a Band of Survivors Hunted Down the Butcher of Latvia

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The Good Assassin

By: Stephan Talty
Narrated by: Stefan Rudnicki
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About this listen

The untold story of an Israeli spy’s epic journey to bring the notorious Butcher of Latvia to justice - a case that altered the fates of all ex-Nazis.

Before World War II, Herbert Cukurs was a famous figure in his small Latvian city, the “Charles Lindbergh of his country.” But by 1945, he was the Butcher of Latvia, a man who murdered some thirty thousand Latvian Jews. Somehow, he dodged the Nuremberg trials, fleeing to South America after war’s end.

By 1965, as a statute of limitations on all Nazi war crimes threatened to expire, Germany sought to welcome previous concentration camp commanders, pogrom leaders, and executioners, as citizens. The global pursuit of Nazi criminals escalated to beat the looming deadline, and Mossad, the Israeli national intelligence agency, joined the cause. Yaakov Meidad, the brilliant Mossad agent who had kidnapped Adolf Eichmann three years earlier, led the mission to assassinate Cukurs in a desperate bid to block the amnesty. In a thrilling undercover operation unrivaled by even the most ambitious spy novels, Meidad traveled to Brazil in an elaborate disguise, befriended Cukurs and earned his trust, while negotiations over the Nazi pardon neared a boiling point.

The Good Assassin uncovers this little-known chapter of Holocaust history and the pulse-pounding undercover operation that brought Cukurs to justice.

©2020 Stephan Talty (P)2020 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved
20th Century Espionage Freedom & Security Israel & Palestine Judaism Military South America War & Crisis War Holocaust Exciting
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Critic reviews

"Talty efficiently mines archival records for vivid details and tracks the complexities of Medad’s undercover mission with flair. The result is a captivating and gruesome real-life spy thriller." (Publishers Weekly)

"Compelling.... Talty remains true to his technique, delivering thoroughly researched, engrossing nonfiction in a thrillerlike narrative style.... As anti-Semitism surges once again, this page-turning history reminds us of the sanguinary consequences of unchecked hatred." (Kirkus Reviews)

"Thrilling.... A fast-paced, recommended work that enthralls, edifies, and reveals the disturbing extent to which Latvians and others participated in genocide." (Library Journal)

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Horrifying tale, Horrifying denial

One of the most vicious round up and murders committed by non-Germans, in the Holocaust. They were open, notorious and unapologetic. Then they lied and are still lying about what they did. This raping, mass butcher not only pretended he didn't commit these crimes, but in modern Latvia, they made a popular play about him. Hatred waiting to be given permission to erupt and the hatred that allows its cover up.

Whether it's Jews in the 40's or Rwandans in our time, seemingly good and socially recognised people, just waiting to commit horrors, then pretend it never happened.

An important read, but you will read ugly things.

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best book on audible

thoroughly enjoyable, a story well researched and hitherto never fully explored. Gripping as any spy novel...except this really happened.

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very good story

very pleased with this book, both with the story and the performance, highly recommend. very easy to listen to despite of the tragic events

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