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The Ticket Collector from Belarus

An Extraordinary True Story of Britain's Only War Crimes Trial

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About this listen

 'Brilliantly gripping' Sunday Times; 'Compelling' Daily Mail; 'Heart-rending' Sunday Telegraph; 'Excellent' The Times; 'Engrossing' Independent

The UK's only war crimes trial took place in 1999 and had its origins in the horrors of the Holocaust, but only now in The Ticket Collector from Belarus? can the full story be told.

The Ticket Collector from Belarus tells the remarkable story of two interwoven journeys. Ben-Zion Blustein and Andrei Sawoniuk were childhood friends in 1930s Domachevo, a holiday and health resort in what is now Belarus. During the events that followed the Nazi invasion in 1941, they became the bitterest of enemies. After the war, Ben-Zion made his way to Israel, and ‘Andrusha the bastard’ to England, where he found work as a British Rail ticket collector in London.

They next confronted each other in the Old Bailey, over half a century later, where one was the principal prosecution witness, and the other charged with a fraction of the number of murders he was alleged to have committed. There was no physical evidence, just one man’s word against another, leaving the jury with a series of agonising dilemmas: Could any witness statement be trusted so long after the event? Was Andrusha a brutal killer, a hapless pawn or a scapegoat? And were his furious protests a sign of guilt or the justified anger of an innocent old man?

Mike Anderson was gripped by the story, and so began his quest to find the truth about this astonishing case and the people at its heart. As he discovered, it was even more remarkable than he could ever have imagined. ©2022 Mike Anderson and Neil Hanson (P)2022 Simon & Schuster, UK Historical Military Military & War Politicians Politics & Activism Politics & Government War & Crisis World War II War Scary Inspiring England Thought-Provoking Heartfelt Holocaust
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Great story, great listen, full of interesting details and also superbly narrated.
Very Highly recommended.

Superb book, well narrated.

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This is a must read book, with a troubling story beautifully told and leaves the listener thoughtful

Must Read

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I found this an absolutely remarkable book. Truly gripping from the 1st page. I found it very difficult to put down..
The contents can be very chilling and repulsive at times. But it's so well written and the pace keeps you moving on.
The narrator is excellent

Remarkable book

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very very good and very moving. had me in tears at times. very much recommend

brilliant

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So painful to listen to memories of those who survived. Incredulity over the crimes that one single foul human can commit.
And finally, shame that we did not hunt down more of these distortions of humanity. Also a reminder that war and conflict can allow them to blossom.
This is dispassionately read which makes it all the more horrifying.

Extraordinary Story

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