East West Street

On the Origins of "Genocide" and "Crimes Against Humanity"

De: Philippe Sands

Narrado por: David Rintoul, Philippe Sands

When human rights lawyer Philippe Sands received an invitation to deliver a lecture in the Western Ukrainian city of Lviv, he began to uncover a series of extraordinary historical coincidences. It set him on a quest that would take him halfway around the world in an exploration of the origins of international law and the pursuit of his own secret family history, beginning and ending with the last day of the Nuremberg Trials.

Part historical detective story, part family history, part legal thriller, Philippe Sands guides us between past and present as several interconnected stories unfold in parallel. The first is the hidden story of two Nuremberg prosecutors who discover, only at the end of the trials, that the man they are prosecuting, once Hitler's personal lawyer, may be responsible for the murder of their entire families in Nazi-occupied Poland, in and around Lviv. The two prosecutors, Hersch Lauterpacht and Rafael Lemkin, were remarkable men whose efforts led to the inclusion of the terms crimes against humanity and genocide in the judgement at Nuremberg, with their different emphasis on the protection of individuals and groups. The defendant was no less compelling a character: Hans Frank, Hitler's personal lawyer, friend of Richard Strauss, collector of paintings by Leonardo da Vinci, and governor-general of Nazi-occupied Poland.

A second strand to the book is more personal, as Sands traces the events that overwhelmed his mother's family in Lviv and Vienna during the Second World War and led his grandfather to leave his wife and daughter behind as war came to Europe. At the heart of this book is an equally personal quest to understand the roots of international law and the concepts that have dominated Sands' work as a lawyer. Eventually he finds unexpected answers to his questions about his family in this powerful meditation on the way memory, crime, and guilt leave scars across generations.

©2016 Philippe Sands (P)2016 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Loved reading this story

In the backdrop of the author's grandfather and grandmother escaping from Lviv to Paris, this story is very well investigated and written. All the principal characters are from Lviv or Lemberg or it's various names while under Ukrainian, Polish, German and then back to Ukrainian control.

The development of international law as regards to killing of people and as enshrined in law is discussed along with the two principal lawyers who developed these laws, Lemkin and Lauterpacht. One wanted Genocide to be forbidden and punishable under the UN laws and the other wanted Individual Right to life and liberty to be written into the UN charter after the Nuremberg Trials. Both succeeded.

Along with the law, the actual life of the characters were retraced and written about. The book was spellbinding from the beginning to the end.

Important lessons for today

East West Street is a must read for today because it reminds us that evil exists amongst us and must always be seen
Hans Frank's son was a family member who chose to disavow the evil of his father. A good lesson for nations.

Outstanding!

Not only is the research and detail exceptional, but the insights drawn from the in depth history is equally outstanding. Sincerely thank you for writing this book, it demonstrates the tenacity of the human spirit to choose justice over surrender.

Very powerful book -- and not just for international lawyers

In 2012, I saw Philippe Sands present on the story that ultimately culminated in this book, before an audience of international lawyers. He entranced us all. This book does the same. Yes, there is fascinating intellectual history. But this is also a deeply personal, deeply moving inquiry into origins, shared humanity and also the famous banality of evil. A triumph of scholarship and storytelling.

Captivating.

Just when you think you've heard it all, there is more.

The arguments about genocide versus crimes against humanity should have been obvious in both cases.

Enjoyed the personal stories.

Arresting narrative crafted beautifully

This book spoke to me. I loved the parallel narrative, the sensitivity of the tone, the level of research, the intellectual sophistication, and the performance of the readers. The worst part about it is that I’ve finished it.

Devastating yet eminently listenable

Sands’ research into these two remarkable Jewish lawyers of Lvov, who provided the intellectual scaffolding for the modern and seemingly competing legal concepts of crimes against humanity and genocide, provides the fascinating source material for this highly listenable, yet devastating, account that culminates in a depiction the Nuremberg trials unlike any other.

Outstanding!

Author is truly committed to his calling. Excellent & comprehensive presentation. I recommend to young & old.

A wondrous tale well told

This is a moving historical account beautifully rendered. It is not your typical history book. I highly recommend.

One of the best books I've ever read

An incredible history of the author's family, of two titans of international law, and of Hitler's lawyer Hans Frank. Skillfully, patiently the writer brings these narratives together. A deserved winner of prestigious awards.