The Past Is Myself

Christabel Bielenberg

$24.99

Paperback

Not in-store but you can order this
How long will it take?

Availability Information

We source books from suppliers in Australia and overseas. For books we don't currently have in stock, the time it takes to get them from our suppliers can vary widely - from a few days to a few months - so we check each book with each supplier to determine the expected time it will take to be supplied to us.

We then advise you accordingly. If the time taken to get any book is too long for you, you can let us know and we will cancel or adjust your order, and refund as required.

To find out the anticipated arrival time for specific items prior to ordering, please contact us by phone or email:

Phone +61 2 9264 3111, or 1800 4 BOOKS (1800 4 26657) if outside Sydney:
option 1 Abbey's Bookshop (Crime, History, Science, Kids & more) • info@abbeys.com.au
option 2 Language Book Centre (ESL & Foreign Languages) • language@abbeys.com.au
option 3 Galaxy Bookshop (Sci-fi, Fantasy, Romance, Graphic Novels) • sf@galaxybooks.com.au

QTY:

English

Penguin (Transworld)
20 July 2024

Autobiography: general; European history; 20th century history: c 1900 to c 2000

Featuring a new introduction from Clare Mulley, Christabel Bielenberg's bestselling memoir tells the incredible story of an Englishwoman's life in Germany under Nazi rule.

On 29 September 1934, at the German Embassy office in London, Christabel Bielenberg officially became a German citizen. Having met her German husband Peter two years prior, Christabel decided to renounce her British citizenship, planning to start married life with Peter in Berlin. Though Adolf Hitler had risen to power in 1933, Christabel and Peter were convinced the German people would see through the newly elected chancellor.

But soon Christabel found herself living under the horrors of Nazi rule and Allied bombings as the war progressed. Closely associated with resistance circles, her husband was arrested after the failure of the plot against Hitler's life on 20 July 1944, and she herself was interrogated by the Gestapo. Though she lived in constant fear for her and her family's safety, Christabel survived the war with the help of other like-minded Germans who were against Hitler and the Third Reich.

With various memorable encounters - from a simple-minded Nazi official who was also her odd-job gardener to the good-hearted Black Forest villagers who sheltered her till the liberation - Christabel shares not only the hardships and worry but also the humour and humanity she found during these dark days. The human dimension of her writing brings about an unforgettable portrait of an evil time.

By: Christabel Bielenberg
Imprint: Penguin (Transworld)
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 198mm, Width: 127mm, Spine: 35mm
Weight: 500g
ISBN: 9781804994993
ISBN 10: 1804994995
Pages: 304
Publication Date: 20 July 2024
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Christabel Bielenberg, a niece of Lord Northcliffe, was born in 1909 and left for Hamburg, Germany, in 1929 to study singing. There she met and married the lawyer, Peter Bielenberg, in 1934. She lived through the war as a German citizen and wrote about her experiences in her memoir, The Past is Myself (1968) and in its sequel, The Road Ahead (1992). The Past is Myself was adapted for television by Dennis Potter under the title Christabel. In 1988, the Federal Republic of Germany awarded her the Commander's cross of the Order of Merit for her contribution to German-English understanding. Since 1948 she and her family had been living in Co Carlow, Ireland, where she died in 2003.

WIN $150 GIFT VOUCHERS: ALADDIN'S GOLD

The Past Is Myself

Christabel Bielenberg

$24.99

Paperback

See Inside

See Also

Contact Abbeys

Contact Galaxy

Contact Language

Contact Us

About ABBEY'S