In May 1939, the SS St Louis set sail from Hamburg carrying 937 German Jews seeking asylum from Nazi persecution. While the whole world watched and waited, the unfortunate travellers embarked on a strange and terrifying journey. Unknown to the captain, the ship was merely a pawn of Nazi propaganda. Amongst the crew were members of the dreaded Gestapo and the steward himself was on a mission for the SS. Voyage of the Damned is the gripping, day-by-day account of how those refugees on board the liner struggled to survive. The ship sailed to Cuba where the refugees were refused entry as either tourists or political asylum seekers. Two tried to commit suicide. They sailed on to the States where Roosevelt refused the passengers permission to land. In Canada they were refused permission again. And they found themselves returning to Europe and an uncertain fate... A gripping true story of their attempt to escape from the Nazi horror, this is an extraordinary human document that is hard to put down. 2009 is the 70th anniversary of its epic voyage. Gordon Thomas is a bestselling author of 40 books published worldwide, a number dealing with the intelligence world, including Gideon's Spies and Secrets and Lies (both JR Books). His awards include the Citizens Commission for Human Rights Lifetime Achievement Award for Investigative Journalismand an Edgar Allan Poe Award for Investigation. He lives in Ireland.

本書は、緻密な調査に基づき９３７名の運命を冷徹かつ情感豊かに描いた傑作です。単なる記録を超え、ナチスの策謀と国際社会の冷淡な沈黙が個人の尊厳を蹂躙する様を告発しています。極限状態で露わになる人間の本質を抉る筆致は、読む者の魂を激しく揺さぶるでしょう。 映像化作品が豪華キャストで悲劇を可視化したのに対し、原作はテキストならではの心理描写で逃げ場のない閉塞感をより深く刻みます。映像の躍動感と活字による内面の深淵、この双方向から物語を体験することで、歴史の残酷さと人間の気高さが多層的に立ち上がるのです。