A conversation with Philippe Sands and Agnès Poirier
How do the lives of historical figures intersect with our owns?
“Hypnotic, shocking and unputdownable” – John Le Carré
In his latest book, The Ratline, author and human rights lawyer Philippe Sands offers a unique account of the daily life of Otto von Wächter, a senior Nazi officer and his wife. Drawing on a remarkable trove of family letters and diaries, he unveils a fascinating insight into his life before and during the war, and after, when he was on the run until his mysterious death in 1949. A mystery that haunts von Wächter’s youngest son, who continues to believe his father was a good man – what happened to Otto von Wächter, and how did he die?
As a leading human rights lawyer, Sands reminds us that the foundations of international human rights law lie in genocide and crime against humanity. “We are the grandchildren of those people who died and killed during the Second World War and it seems to touch us so very deeply. Is it because of the resonance? There is something going today in Europe and in the world which is causing us to ask the question: is it happening again? Could it happen again?”
In conversation with French journalist and writer Agnès Poirier (Notre-Dame. The Soul of France), Philippe Sands will explore these very burning questions.
