Was in one of those moods where I just needed a standalone book that wasn't inkeeping with the last few books I've read. I came across this on KU, and the blurb sparked enough of an interest for me to read on. On the eve of WW2, a ship leaves Hamburg Harbour for Cuba. On board are around 900 Jewish refugees, fleeing persecution either by choice or after being forced out of the country. But circumstances beyond their control mean that, while they've sailed half way round the world to escape the shadow of the far right, there is no guarantee that their final destination will be where they desire.

I do enjoy reading this sort of book; a non-fiction work that picks up on a little-known event and changes your perception of the wider period. It's a reminder that history is a) not black and white, and b) written by the winners. For while the people on this ship are seeking a safe port in a storm, even the "good guys" show an incredible lack of interest in offering a helping hand. It's terrifying how politics and back room deals seems to have more impact than the direct threat to the lives of these people, and yet the best the land of the free and home of thr brave (along with her allies) can do is shrug its shoulders.

The authors do an amazing job at bringing the various people on the St Louis to life in the reader's mind. This is in part helped by the sheer amount of primary testimonies they've gathered and the huge amount of research that appears to have gone into the book. It may have been written in 1974, but it remains a tight, concise examination of events that aims to convey the story and the facts as far as possible, rather than sensationalise. It is a little hard to follow in places as there are a few members of the Cuban authorities with similar-ish names, and generally there are just a lot of people involved in negotiations, but generally speaking it's set out as a day by day chronology of events and so it remains easy to follow the developments, twists and turns of the story.

They've managed to capture the idea that the ship is a microcosm of 1930s Germany; we meet a Jewish family who board the ship in their finest clothes, and another who is freshly out of Dachau and hiding from the authorities. One of the crew is a fully paid up member of the N*zi party and wannabe spy, and the Captain is the stand up gentleman who is determined to treat his current crop of passengers in exactly the same way he would on any other trip. It's wonderful to read the experiences of ordinary people who are being persecuted for their beliefs, and their shock and awe at the fact that the majority of the crew actually treat them like human beings. Similarly, the authors don't shy away from describing the effects of a concentration / forced labour camp on a person's physical and mental health, but every instance is treated with respect and care, and doesn't feel sensationalist, but rather just a reporting of the sad consequences.

What's particularly effective is how well it still resonates with modern events. Refugees being turned away or barred entry from every port because of isolationist policies and a fear that they're going to be reliant upon the state rather than standing on their own two feet. How is this same story being told with the same consequences 85 years later?! The book was written closer in time to the events it describes than today, and yet it's still going on. It's particularly hard to stomach when you consider the 'luck of the draw' outcomes of the passengers - though all found a 'safe' harbour to disembark from the ship, the likelihood is a majority of passengers ultimately failed to escape. Whereas if Cuba and/or the USA had opened a port to them, the vast majority would have likely survived the war.

It's not light reading, but it is easy reading and very, very insightful.