The Disappearance of Josef Mengele: A Novel

This was one of those books that's hard to put down. I didn't know much about Mengele other than that he was the "angel of death" at Auschwitz, with the power of life and death with a wave of his hand. And remembering the exhumation of his skull years ago. But this book fills in the full story of his career "on the run" after the war. I learned a lot about the community of ex-Nazis in South America: I was only vaguely aware of their existence. And the role of Juan Peron was particularly fascinating. Not to mention the collaboration of US officials in many cases. The book is a must for anyone with an interest in the history of this period.

Josef Mengele, sadistic medical "researcher" at Auschwitz, was one of the hunted Nazis who escaped justice by fleeing to South America and being not-so-secretly funded by his wealthy family back in Germany. The author of this book, partly on the basis of Mengele's recovered papers and on that of extensive interviews, reconstructs the experiences of this fanatical anti-Semite and eugenicist as a "non-fiction novel." In explaining Mengele's path through Latin America, Geus discusses the political considerations of the West German, Israeli, Argentine, Uruguayan, and American governments that allowed Mengele to survive, if not exactly thrive, for thirty years after the downfall of the Third Reich. I would give this book a rating of 5 if it weren't so depressing!

This is apparently a novel written as history. Dialogue is sparse in the book and it reads as an itinerary of Mengele's movements post WWII until his death in 1979. While hiding out under assumed names, he alternately operated as representative of the successful family business that financed his fugitive status in Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil. His internal thoughts, fears and deeply held beliefs in the superiority of German eugenics are contrasted with the change in postwar mores throughout Adenaur's government that Mengele saw as treason. Where or whether the author moves between history and fiction is not clear to me. Some is true; some may not be. All was interesting. Recommended highly.

Not the gripping story I would have expected but a pathetic telling of the postwar years of an evil man. Too much myth raises him up in history although his evil actions need to be remembered.

Well done, Mr. Guez! This was a part of history I was not overly familiar with, but it was fascinating to read. How Mengele evaded capture for all these years. I was totally engrossed in this book and read it in 30 hours hard to put down. It also made me sad at the end that this man was never brought to justice. The last lines of the book ring true!

This efficient, well-researched and engaging novel is a straightforward narrative of the most famous Nazi doctor's life on the run in South America. The 'real' Mengele described is even more odious than his own legend as the Angel of Death because, although his supervillain veneer abandons him as he ages, his vanity and lack of remorse are constants until the end.Like other works by Europeans about Nazis in South America - Phillip Kerr's A Quiet Flame comes to mind - the setting doesn't come alive. Guez describes Buenos Aires in the late 40s and early 50s by contrasting the sumptuous Colon Theatre to the nearby brothels of La Boca - any tourist to Buenos Aires knows these two places are miles apart. Also, Mengele never goes to Rio de Janeiro, yet the expensive-looking - in terms of how much the designer charged and the quality of the paper - cover and inside flaps feature panoramas of that city. A disappointing effort by the publishing company. Mengele spent time in other interesting locations: Buenos Aires, Asuncion in Paraguay, the jungle in Brazil, and the outskirts of Sao Paulo.The logistics of how the Nazi network kept Mengele safe, and how Mossad's resources couldn't be concentrated on Nazi hunting because of Israel's intensifying conflicts with Arab nations, are well explained and probably the highlights here.

Some books seem tedious- where you fight to finish. Not this one! Very interesting take on Mengele’s life on the run after escaping Nazi Germany. Always looking over his shoulder, it’s truly a real page-turner!

I thought Guez did a good job putting together the research into a readable book. The history of post WWII is just as interesting as the war itself and the outcome and not just a happy outcome of Allies victory.

Based on documents and interviews conducted with people who knew the angel of death post war. This is as far from the previous depections such as the boys from brazil as possible and shows the reality of how this monster spent his life on the run. Excellent

This was excellent. But the translation should be better: I spotted too many typos & other slips.