A Good Man in Evil Times: The Heroic Story of Aristides de Sousa Mendes -- The Man Who Saved the Lives of Countless Refugess in World War II
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Book Overview
Aristides de Sousa Mendes was a Portuguese aristocrat who became the consul at Bordeaux shortly before World War II. Gradually more and more requests for asylum and for visas to portugal arrive at his office until the floodgates are opened onto a mass exodus of Jews and people with mixed nationality. Mendes must pass every request through his superiors before allowing the refugees passage - a lengthy process. Mendes soon realises, as the request become more and more urgent, that he has no time to waste. People will die without his help, so he starts to stamp visas before he has recieved approval. Then comes a document from Salazar's government stating that Jews and people without fixed nationality should be refused access to Portugal. Mendes, believing that he has no time to lose in hisflight for their lives, acommodates all that he can on the floors of his quarters and signs and signs. He signs visas 24 hours a day - undoubtedly saving thousands of lives - until the frontiers are finally blocked by France.
Format:Hardcover
Language:English
ISBN:0670888036
ISBN13:9780670888030
Release Date:January 2000
Publisher:Viking Books
Length:177 Pages
Weight:0.75 lbs.
Customer Reviews
3 ratings
overdue recognition of Aristides de Sousa Mendes
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 16 years ago
Aristides de Sousa Mendes saved ten thousand during the holocaust and paid a high cost for his ethical actions. This acounting should be more widely known--as should this hero's name. The individual stories make it even more compelling.
The life of Council Sousa Mendes.
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 20 years ago
As the previous reviewer from Portugal noted, humanity sometimes fails to acknowledge people who do the right thing. Sousa Mendes was just such a man. He was a Portuguese Council in southern France at the time of the German invasion. Jews from the low countries and France fled south trying to get to the neutral countries of Spain and Portugal. These countries sealed their borders in most cases, so one had to have a visa to get across the border. Sousa Mendes violated his country's rule aginst these stateless persons, and literally issued thousands of visas so that these Jews and other opponents of the Nazis could escape. In the process, he destroyed his career and eventually died in poverty. He did do the proper thing where most others abided their country's rules.This was an inspirational read. Fralon details the life of Sousa Mendes and Portugal's role in both World Wars. He also details a little of the fascist rule of Salzaar. Unfortunately there were no happy endings with Sousa Mendes. The Portuguese government even balked at honoring him, and was forced by outside pressure to recognize what he did in the nineties.
Finally, The Recognition
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 23 years ago
It is regratable that great men are rarely aknowledge as so in life. Aristides de Sousa Mendes was no exception, but his acts were expeptional. This book was long due. It's finally here, it's very well written, a just tribute to a men of honour, and I thank the author for it.
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