Herschel Grynszpan (pronounced "Greenspan") was a German-born Polish Jew living in Hanover with his family until, following the Nazis rise to power, his parents sent him to live with his aunt and uncle in Paris in 1935. Following his family’s forced deportation in 1938, and a deterioration of his relationship with his aunt and uncle, Grynszpan decided to act. On the morning of November 7th, 1938, Grynszpan purchased a gun and walked to the German Embassy, where he shot and killed a German official. Grynszpan was arrested, putting up no fight. The act was used as a pretext by the Nazis to launch Kristallnacht, their most vicious pogrom against the Jewish people. Grynszpan himself spent the entirety of World War II in enemy hands, awaiting a massive trial that never happened. The exact reasons why are the subject of theories and conspiracies, all of which are debated.
Grynszpan is something of an anomaly in history as, in spite of his importance, he is not well known. Hitler’s Pawn does a fantastic job of detailing his life, and the legacy which he left behind. Stephen Koch’s detail regarding the time Grynszpan spent in Nazi hands is particularly incredible, as is the reaction by Nazi officials to the assassination he perpetrated. The book reads, by and large, like a work of fiction following a central character, though that does call into question whether or not some portions are dramatized or guesswork by the author. If you are looking for something fresh about World War II, though, this book is definitely for you.