The Einstein Vendetta
“Moving and quite remarkable. Totally compelling.” - Edmund de Waal, author of ‘Hare With The Amber Eyes’
“An absolute triumph.” - Allan Little, BBC correspondent
“Gripping. Finely researched, superbly written and deeply important book.” - Anne Sebba in the Spectator
"Grippingly details events which unfold like a dark thriller.” - Sydney Morning Herald
From the Sunday Times bestselling author of HANNS AND RUDOLF, THE HOUSE BY THE LAKE and BLOOD ON THE PAGE, pre-order the gripping story of an unsolved murder which took place against the extraordinary background of Nazi-occupied Florence during World War Two . . .
Italy, Summer 1944
A unit of German soldiers arrives at a villa near Florence. Villa Il Focardo is home to Robert Einstein, cousin to the most famous scientist in the world, Albert Einstein – a prominent enemy of the Nazi regime. Having renounced his German citizenship a decade earlier, Albert’s safely in America, well beyond Hitler’s reach.
The same is not true for his cousin.
Twelve hours after arriving, the soldiers have vanished – and a family is dead. This crime – and what happened next – still haunts those who survived.
Who ordered it? Who was involved?
And why did they get away with it?
This is the untold story of the Einstein vendetta.
Reviews
“What’s in a name? Well if it’s Einstein, quite a lot. Thomas Harding has carved a significant reputation as a prize-winning author and The Einstein Vendetta makes for a deeply shocking reading. This is a gripping, finely researched, superbly written and deeply important book.” - Anne Sebba in the Spectator
“I absolutely devoured The Einstein Vendetta. It is so moving and the way in which Harding navigates the unresolved nature of the story is quite remarkable. Totally compelling.” - Edmund de Waal, author of ‘Hare With The Amber Eyes’
“An absolute triumph. Beautifully judged and infused with humanity and empathy. So much more than a mere book'.” - Allan Little, BBC correspondent
“"A fascinating tale that tackles the complexities of war crimes investigations and the arduous widening path of reaching some kind of post war justice." - Dan Snow, History Hit podcast
"Harding, whose family knew the Einsteins. grippingly details events which unfold like a dark thriller. A war crime, it remains a cold case, but this much is clear, the order came from the top”. - Sydney Morning Herald
“Thomas Harding’s book points to Italians’ suffering in this period—“The Einstein murders were listed as number 2,550 of 5,884 in the ‘Atlas of Nazi and Fascist Massacres in Italy’,” the author observes—but its focus is specific. Mr Harding hopes to find the perpetrators of the triple murder and describes the efforts of both Italian and German prosecutors to do so. Doggedly pursuing his own investigation, Mr Harding interviews surviving witnesses and Einstein family members. Most of all, he seeks to find out whether the killings were the result of a vendetta.” - The Economist
“The Einstein Vendetta will tug at your heartstrings and prompt righteous outrage. Harding captures beautifully the general atmosphere of wartime Tuscany, the fear the family must have felt in their last hours and the inhuman toll the executions took. Harding tells all this with verve and compassion.” - The Telegraph
“Nazi brutality, and the resulting family pain and grief, is vividly recorded. The Einstein Vendetta shines a light on these forgotten lives and crimes and on the limits of post-war attempts to secure justice. Harding evokes time and place beautifully, while paying forensic attention to detail. As a result, the story is a slow burn but the short chapters, with plenty of cliff-hangers, keep the pages turning.” - Clare Mulley, The Spectator
“Thomas Harding has carved out a niche unravelling unexplained events. The Einstein Vendetta shows that, although more than eighty years have passed since the Wehrmacht and the SS retreated from Tuscany, there is still substantial appetite to nail down the crimes they committed.” - Caroline Moorhead, Literary Review.
Product details
Publisher : Michael Joseph (17 April 2025)
Language : English
Hardcover : 384 pages
ISBN-10 : 0241658489
ISBN-13 : 978-0241658482
Dimensions : 15.6 x 4 x 24 cm
To pre-order or to request a marketing proof go to this link
To listen to an extended audio extract go to this link