Dr. Werner J. Stamm's autobiography chronicles his life as a young boy in Germany during World War II, and the almost equally difficult postwar years, ending with his immigration to the United States in 1952 at the age of twenty. Dr. Stamm's narrative includes detailed memories of harrowing experiences, miraculous escapes, and individual heroism, as well as touching humorous episodes and vivid descriptions of his daily life and adventures, that bring this period of history to life.
From escaping a Nazi school camp, to Americans soldiers arriving in his destroyed village, from meeting an enslaved French maid, to a post war hiking trip in Bavaria, from sleeping in barns, riding bicycles and raising a sheep named Lotti, to playing piano in a dance band while finishing high school, his stories are captivating.
In his extraordinary story, the true hero is the author's mother, Mrs. Anna Stamm, who in her determination to save her family, outmaneuvered and outfoxed the Nazi authorities, with incredible timing and intuition.