Memoirs of a Wartime Interpreter

From the Battle for Moscow to Hitler's Bunker

Nonfiction, History, Military, World War II, Biography & Memoir, Historical
Cover of the book Memoirs of a Wartime Interpreter by Elena Rzhevskaya, Pen and Sword
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Elena Rzhevskaya ISBN: 9781784382827
Publisher: Pen and Sword Publication: March 30, 2018
Imprint: Greenhill Books Language: English
Author: Elena Rzhevskaya
ISBN: 9781784382827
Publisher: Pen and Sword
Publication: March 30, 2018
Imprint: Greenhill Books
Language: English

"By the will of fate I came to play a part in not letting Hitler achieve his final goal of disappearing and turning into a myth… I managed to prevent Stalin’s dark and murky ambition from taking root – his desire to hide from the world that we had found Hitler’s corpse" - Elena Rzhevskaya

"A telling reminder of the jealousy and rivalries that split the Allies even in their hour of victory, and foreshadowed the Cold War"- Tom Parfitt, The Guardian

On May 2,1945, Red Army soldiers broke into Hitler’s bunker. Rzhevskaya, a young military interpreter, was with them. Almost accidentally the Soviet military found the charred remains of Hitler and Eva Braun. They also found key documents: Bormann's notes, the diaries of Goebbels and letters of Magda Goebbels.

Rzhevskaya was entrusted with the proof of the Hitler’s death: his teeth wrenched from his corpse by a pathologist hours earlier. The teeth were given to Rzhevskaya because they believed male agents were more likely to get drunk on Victory Day, blurt out the secret and lose the evidence. She interrogated Hitler's dentist's assistant who confirmed the teeth were his.

Elena’s role as an interpreter allowed her to forge a link between the Soviet troops and the Germans. She also witnessed the civilian tragedy perpetrated by the Soviets. The book includes her diary material and later additions, including conversations with Zhukov, letters of pathologist Shkaravsky, who led the autopsy, and a new Preface written by Rzhevskaya for the English language edition.

Rzhevskaya writes about the key historical events and everyday life in her own inimitable style. She talks in depth of human suffering, of bittersweet victory, of an author's responsibility, of strange laws of memory and unresolved feeling of guilt.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

"By the will of fate I came to play a part in not letting Hitler achieve his final goal of disappearing and turning into a myth… I managed to prevent Stalin’s dark and murky ambition from taking root – his desire to hide from the world that we had found Hitler’s corpse" - Elena Rzhevskaya

"A telling reminder of the jealousy and rivalries that split the Allies even in their hour of victory, and foreshadowed the Cold War"- Tom Parfitt, The Guardian

On May 2,1945, Red Army soldiers broke into Hitler’s bunker. Rzhevskaya, a young military interpreter, was with them. Almost accidentally the Soviet military found the charred remains of Hitler and Eva Braun. They also found key documents: Bormann's notes, the diaries of Goebbels and letters of Magda Goebbels.

Rzhevskaya was entrusted with the proof of the Hitler’s death: his teeth wrenched from his corpse by a pathologist hours earlier. The teeth were given to Rzhevskaya because they believed male agents were more likely to get drunk on Victory Day, blurt out the secret and lose the evidence. She interrogated Hitler's dentist's assistant who confirmed the teeth were his.

Elena’s role as an interpreter allowed her to forge a link between the Soviet troops and the Germans. She also witnessed the civilian tragedy perpetrated by the Soviets. The book includes her diary material and later additions, including conversations with Zhukov, letters of pathologist Shkaravsky, who led the autopsy, and a new Preface written by Rzhevskaya for the English language edition.

Rzhevskaya writes about the key historical events and everyday life in her own inimitable style. She talks in depth of human suffering, of bittersweet victory, of an author's responsibility, of strange laws of memory and unresolved feeling of guilt.

More books from Pen and Sword

Cover of the book Hitler's Gateway to the Atlantic by Elena Rzhevskaya
Cover of the book Death Was Their Co-Pilot by Elena Rzhevskaya
Cover of the book The Battle East of Elsenborn by Elena Rzhevskaya
Cover of the book Flesquieres - Hindenburg Line by Elena Rzhevskaya
Cover of the book The Royal Air Force 1939-1945 by Elena Rzhevskaya
Cover of the book Liverpool Territorials in the Great War by Elena Rzhevskaya
Cover of the book Helmand Mission by Elena Rzhevskaya
Cover of the book Accrington's Pals: The Full Story by Elena Rzhevskaya
Cover of the book Myths That Shaped Our History by Elena Rzhevskaya
Cover of the book Slim: Unofficial History by Elena Rzhevskaya
Cover of the book Endless Story by Elena Rzhevskaya
Cover of the book When the Moon Rises by Elena Rzhevskaya
Cover of the book The German Air Force I Knew 1914-1918 by Elena Rzhevskaya
Cover of the book Tracing Your British and Irish Ancestors by Elena Rzhevskaya
Cover of the book Ceawlin by Elena Rzhevskaya
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy