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When Time Stopped

A Memoir of My Father's War and What Remains

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About this listen

 A Simon & Schuster audiobook. Simon & Schuster has a great book for every listener. Historical Military & War Politicians Politics & Activism Memoir Survival Holocaust Heartfelt Inspiring War Thought-Provoking

Critic reviews

‘Ariana Neumann’s story may strike a chord, and rightly so. The slow and pitiless brutality that took hold of much of Europe in the 1930s is a story that can never be told too often. What makes this account so effective is that it’s personal and, because of the dogged extensiveness of her research, Neumann reminds us of the small details that make the Nazi persecution of the Jews all the more chilling. It’s not always a grim story. Alongside anger and despair there is love and hope. But the message is stark. This is the way bullies work. When Time Stopped is more than just history. It’s a warning.’ (Michael Palin)
‘When Time Stopped is Ariana Neumann’s journey of discovery, lyrically set down in this truly exceptional book. She shines an intimate light upon a time unique in its horror, and tells a story of bravery, and rare survival. Yet the events she describes happened more than two decades before she was born. To a man to whom she was very close, but whose secrets she was only able to pursue after his death - thanks to the one hoard of evidence he never destroyed. This is a work of very great talent.’ (Jon Snow, journalist and Channel 4 television presenter.)
‘Grippingly readable, chillingly sad but above all deeply sympathetic and suffused with love and understanding throughout. A compelling and humane portrait of Ariana Neumann’s father and his courageous decision to survive.’ (Anne Sebba, bestselling biographer and historian)
‘When Time Stopped is a remarkable and beautifully written book. Hans Neumann's story is astonishing, confirming that when it comes to the Holocaust we should expect only the unexpected. This is one of the most powerful and profoundly moving family stories of the Holocaust to have been published in many years and a must read.’ (Professor Dan Stone, Professor of Modern History and Director, Holocaust Research Institute, Royal Holloway, University of London)
‘Absolutely remarkable’ (Edmund de Waal)
‘When Time Stopped is an astonishing family memoir that will imprint itself on your psyche as only the best books can, forever changing the way you look at your own family. With a mastery of the dogged art of research rarely seen, and with an exquisite narrative sensibility to match, Ariana Neumann has breached the hidden surface of her family’s tumultuous past and brought not only their tragedies and sorrows, but also their joys and loves, to indelible light. I will carry the experience of this book with me for a very long time.’ (John Burnham Schwartz, author of The Red Daughter, Reservation Road and The Commoner)
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Most relevant
The most eloquent book I have listened to on a family torn apart by the Holocaust. Beautifully read and totally shocking. I have never before had to stop so many times to collect myself, become distracted for a while and then recommence. It is the most gruelling journey but at the same time full of hope and unfathomable determination to get through the web created by the Nazis and sustained by so many even after the war. It gives the fullest picture of the terror and the horror endured by innocent people of all ages and should be read by all.

A masterpiece that brings home the horror endured by an innocent extended family caught up in the Holocaust

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I could not stop listening to the narration of this book. The narration is excellent. The flow of the story is well defined and explicit. The writer intrigue and understanding of her fathers life and that of her extended families which she didn’t even know about until long after her fathers death. The sadness and the joy the fear and the hope. This is a fabulous insight into one families struggle throughout the horror of the Nazi occupation of Czechoslovak.

Thought provoking.

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Very moving account of a family's experience and suffering during WW2. Brilliantly written .

A brilliant detective story.

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so sad but so brave what they went through, it actually nearly bought me to tears

very emotional

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This is one of the most affecting memoirs I have ever read. Painstakingly put together over years, this family history is unforgettable. If you want to know the effects of Nazism on everyday life, this book sets it out in agonising detail. It's also about human connection and endurance. Can't recommend it highly enough (it's also a good companion to Philippe Sands' East West Street). Superby read by the narrator, too. A magnificent tribute to the author's family.

Phenomenal memoir, beautifully written and read

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