Advocate for the Dead

The Story of Joel Brand
Author: Alex Weissberg
Genre: nonfiction, history
Publication info: Andre Deutsch, 1958
Pages: 255

The story of how I got my hands on this book is almost as interesting as the story this book contains.

I returned recently from the study abroad in Great Britain that I mentioned in an earlier post. During our time across the pond, we stayed in a fair share of hostels. If you've never stayed in a hostel or don't know what one is, let me tell you that it's quite an experience. A hostel is almost like a hotel, but it's usually cheaper, and it has a more communal feel. It's a nice option if you're trying to save money while traveling, but I'll just say that next time I go to Europe I'm going to find a decent hotel. But I digress.

One feature of most of the hostels we stayed in was a bookcase filled with a random assortment of books for you to borrow, trade, or maybe even buy. I made a point of scanning the collection of every hostel we visited, knowing full well that I had nothing to trade, having packed as light as I could (and still barely making the weight limit on the airliner).

At one particularly nice hostel in Conwy, Wales (if you ever get the chance to visit that town, I highly recommend it), I was checking out the books in the evening, when I came across a black, unassuming book. Advocate for the Dead was the faded title printed on the spine. Intrigued, I flipped it open, and what was one of the first words I saw? Budapest! If you don't know already, I have a special interest in all things related to Hungary, and I considered it a rare experience to come across a book that actually talks about that oft-forgotten country. But this one seemed to be all about Hungary. I didn't know much else about the book, but I knew that I wanted it.

The only problem was that I didn't have a book to trade for it. I almost decided to forget about it, but a friend from the study abroad group suggested that I go talk to the people at reception. So I did. I asked them what their policy on the books was. They asked me whether the book I wanted was a popular title. I showed it to them, and after one look they told me I could keep it, free of charge. That's the benefit of being interested in a fifty-year-old book.

Okay, so maybe that story isn't too interesting. But the book is good. Joel Brand, whose story this book tells, was a leader of a Jewish underground movement in Budapest. I've already rambled long enough, so I won't go into detail, but I will say that I learned about an aspect of World War II that I never knew before. I also learned that Nazi politics are confusing. Politics in general are confusing, really.

The moral of the story: Look for old books at hostels. And go to Wales.

Note: When I looked for this book on Amazon, all I could find were out-of-print editions that are being sold for a hefty price. Looks like I really struck gold.