Author Armin W. Becker was just six years old when his kindergarten class witnessed the destruction of the Jewish synagogue in his hometown of Falkenburg, Germany, in 1938. At the time, he was too young to understand the motivations behind the act or grasp what the future might hold for his family, his town, and his country. In A Lucky Survivor from a Lost Land, Becker recounts his life story-his birth in Germany in a town just forty-five miles from the Polish border, his experience of the affects of World War II, and his membership in the Junior Hitler Youth. He recalls scrounging for work in the mines, escaping through the Iron Curtain from Soviet-controlled East Germany to West Germany when he was nearly fifteen, finding his dream job at sea, immigrating to the United States in 1956, and working in a career in the shipping industry. Including photos, this memoir narrates the difficult times that Becker endured as he witnesses history in the making, but also shows how his perseverance helped him build a successful future, conducting business in one hundred countries. A Lucky Survivor from a Lost Land communicates that life is never a straight line, but is more like a ship on an ocean voyage where storms may interfere with its course. As long as the final destination is reached, the goal is achieved.

Author Armin W. Becker was just six years old when his kindergarten class witnessed the destruction of the Jewish synagogue in his hometown of Falkenburg, Germany, in 1938. At the time, he was too young to understand the motivations behind the act or grasp what the future might hold for his family, his town, and his country. In A Lucky Survivor from a Lost Land, Becker recounts his life story-his birth in Germany in a town just forty-five miles from the Polish border, his experience of the affects of World War II, and his membership in the Junior Hitler Youth. He recalls scrounging for work in the mines, escaping through the Iron Curtain from Soviet-controlled East Germany to West Germany when he was nearly fifteen, finding his dream job at sea, immigrating to the United States in 1956, and working in a career in the shipping industry. Including photos, this memoir narrates the difficult times that Becker endured as he witnesses history in the making, but also shows how his perseverance helped him build a successful future, conducting business in one hundred countries. A Lucky Survivor from a Lost Land communicates that life is never a straight line, but is more like a ship on an ocean voyage where storms may interfere with its course. As long as the final destination is reached, the goal is achieved.