Books > History > European history
|
Not currently available
The Language of Thieves - My Family's Obsession with a Secret Code the Nazis Tried to Eliminate (Hardcover)
Loot Price: R524
Discovery Miles 5 240
You Save: R161
(24%)
|
|
The Language of Thieves - My Family's Obsession with a Secret Code the Nazis Tried to Eliminate (Hardcover)
(sign in to rate)
List price R685
Loot Price R524
Discovery Miles 5 240
You Save R161 (24%)
Supplier out of stock. If you add this item to your wish list we will let you know when it becomes available.
|
Centuries ago in middle Europe, a coded language appeared, scrawled
in graffiti and spoken only by people who were "wiz" (in the know).
This hybrid language, dubbed Rotwelsch, facilitated survival for
people in flight-whether escaping persecution or just down on their
luck. It was a language of the road associated with vagabonds,
travelers, Jews, and thieves that blended words from Yiddish,
Hebrew, German, Romani, Czech, and other European languages and was
rich in expressions for police, jail, or experiencing trouble, such
as "being in a pickle." This renegade language unsettled those in
power, who responded by trying to stamp it out, none more
vehemently than the Nazis. As a boy, Martin Puchner learned this
secret language from his father and uncle. Only as an adult did he
discover, through a poisonous 1930s tract on Jewish names buried in
the archives of Harvard's Widener Library, that his own grandfather
had been a committed Nazi who despised this "language of thieves."
Interweaving family memoir with an adventurous foray into the
mysteries of language, Puchner crafts an entirely original
narrative. In a language born of migration and survival, he
discovers a witty and resourceful spirit of tolerance that remains
essential in our volatile present.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
|
|
Email address subscribed successfully.
A activation email has been sent to you.
Please click the link in that email to activate your subscription.