"Beyond Hitler's Grasp" (1998) - The Heroic Rescue of 50,000 Bulgarian Jews, also available as a documentary in DVD. This book tells the amazing story of the largest rescue of Jews from the Holocaust by the people of Bulgaria.

Beyond Hitler's Grasp is the dramatic true account of the conspiracy to outwit the Nazis at the peak of their power. This magnificent story reads like an international thriller, involving at times: a beautiful spy, the Church, a secret mole, and a king torn between his promises to Hitler and his commitment to his countrymen. It brings to light a motley crew of public and private individuals – ranging from common office workers to charismatic Church leaders to the king himself – who independently risked their lives for the rights of others. This inspiring narrative chronicles one of the few bright moments of selfless politics during the miseries of war, and the atrocities of the Holocaust."

"An accessible and well-researched book mixing history, intrigue, and suspense."               Library Journal

"A fast-paced account of the dramatic rescue of 50,000 Bulgarian Jews… former Israeli Knesset member Bar-Zohar vividly describes the Bulgarian effort to keep Bulgaria’s Jews beyond Hitler's grasp… Weaving elements of romance and espionage into a dramatic tale of redemption, Bar-Zohar intrigues and informs us."                                                                

Kirkus Reviews

 

"The fact that not a single Jew was deported from Bulgaria during World War II stands as an anomaly in the tragic history of Jews under the Nazi regime. Why did this nation refuse to stand by while others abandoned their Jewish populations? Michael Bar-Zohar helps us understand this enigma. Beyond Hitler's Grasp is not only a well researched book by a noted historian, but… a tribute to those responsible for robbing Hitler of an entire community of 50,000 Jews."

Abraham H. Foxman, National Director, Anti-Defamation League