Nuremberg: The Translator's Tale
The Story of Howard Triest, German-Jewish Interpreter of the Nazi War Criminals
Published on 24. March 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
208 pages
978-0-300-30356-8 (ISBN)
Description
The compelling story of the only German-Jewish translator to work with the psychiatrists in Nuremberg prison
The Nuremberg Trials laid bare the atrocities of the Nazi regime to the world. As they awaited trial, the twenty-two surviving leaders of Hitler's government were visited by American psychiatrists Drs Kelley and Goldensohn. Their only method of communication with the defendants was through translator Howard Triest, a German Jew who had fled Munich and fought as an American soldier in Normandy. Unbeknownst to the defendants, Triest's parents had perished at Auschwitz.
Helen Fry traces the events that took place in Nuremberg prison through the eyes of Triest. Combining meticulous research with intimate interviews, Fry offers a rare glimpse of life among Hitler's inner circle during their final year and reveals candid conversations and psychological evaluations. This powerful account uncovers a story of resilience and justice-and presents a unique insight into the events behind bars whilst the world waited for justice to be played out in the courtroom.
The Nuremberg Trials laid bare the atrocities of the Nazi regime to the world. As they awaited trial, the twenty-two surviving leaders of Hitler's government were visited by American psychiatrists Drs Kelley and Goldensohn. Their only method of communication with the defendants was through translator Howard Triest, a German Jew who had fled Munich and fought as an American soldier in Normandy. Unbeknownst to the defendants, Triest's parents had perished at Auschwitz.
Helen Fry traces the events that took place in Nuremberg prison through the eyes of Triest. Combining meticulous research with intimate interviews, Fry offers a rare glimpse of life among Hitler's inner circle during their final year and reveals candid conversations and psychological evaluations. This powerful account uncovers a story of resilience and justice-and presents a unique insight into the events behind bars whilst the world waited for justice to be played out in the courtroom.
Reviews / Votes
"A well-written, fascinating biography of one Jewish man in front of the very worst of the Nazi hierarchy. A picture not just of the German war criminals at Nuremberg, but of one individual's extraordinary wartime story."-Christian Jennings, author of The Holocaust Codes"Fry has chronicled the lives of many Jewish refugees who worked for the Allies. None, however, were quite like Triest's: a man who knew evil like few others could grasp. A compelling and important story, based upon five years of interviews."-Trudy Gold, former CEO of the London Jewish Cultural Centre
"I could not put it down. It makes fascinating reading."-Dr T. Scarlett Epstein OBE
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United States
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Illustrations
18 b-w illus.
Dimensions
Height: 128 mm
Width: 198 mm
Thickness: 21 mm
Weight
222 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-300-30356-8 (9780300303568)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Historian Helen Fry is the author of The Walls Have Ears, Women in Intelligence, Spymaster, MI9, and more than twenty books on intelligence, prisoners of war, and the social history of World War II. She appears regularly in media interviews and podcasts and has been involved in numerous documentaries.