Esther Simpson: The True Story of her Mission to Save Scholars from Hitler's Persecution

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John Eidinow

Esther Simpson

The True Story of her Mission to Save Scholars from Hitler's Persecution

John Eidinow

$34.99

Paperback

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English

Robinson Publishing
19 September 2023

Biography; Biography: historical, political & military; History; Second World War; Feminism & feminist theory; Fascism & Nazism

The thousands of academic refugees Esther Simpson helped rescue are well remembered. But who was she and why has history forgotten her?

This is the story of Esther Simpson, a remarkable woman history has largely forgotten, but whose selfless actions left an indelible mark on the cultural and intellectual landscape of the modern world.

Esther Simpson - Tess to her friends - devoted her life to resettling academic refugees, whom she thought of as her family. By the end of her life, Tess could count among her 'children' sixteen Nobel Prize winners, eighteen Knights, seventy-four fellows of the Royal Society, thirty-four fellows of the British Academy.

From a humble upbringing in Leeds to Russian immigrant parents, Simpson took on secretarial roles that saw her move to London, then Vienna and finally Geneva. But when Hitler came to power she found her calling and joined the Academic Assistance Council for a salary that paid a third of what she was previously earning. Her work over more than five decades seeking refuge for many thousands of displaced academics had a profound impact on twentieth-century physics, philosophy, architecture, art history and molecular biology to name just a handful of disciplines.

For a woman who kept such regular correspondence with her refugee 'children' - as she called them - and who could count among her pen pals Albert Einstein and Ludwig Wittgenstein, surprisingly little is known of her private life. This book is a study of a forgotten woman: who she was, her impact upon the world and the historical context that helped shape her achievements.

By: John Eidinow
Imprint: Robinson Publishing
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 232mm, Width: 152mm, Spine: 34mm
Weight: 600g
ISBN: 9781472143235
ISBN 10: 147214323X
Pages: 416
Publication Date: 19 September 2023
Audience: General/trade , College/higher education , Professional and scholarly , ELT Advanced , Primary
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

John Eidinow has published three books with his co-author David Edmonds, each describing knock-down, drag-out clashes between men of titanic gifts: Wittgenstein's Poker (Random House), which was shortlisted for the Guardian First Book Award and translated into over thirty languages; Bobby Fischer Goes to War (Faber & Faber), which was long listed for the Samuel Johnson prize; and Rousseau's Dog (Faber & Faber). Eidinow was a presenter and interviewer for BBC Radio 4 and World Service, working in news and current affairs, and making documentaries on historical and contemporary issues.

Reviews for Esther Simpson: The True Story of her Mission to Save Scholars from Hitler's Persecution

This is an extraordinary story of dedication and humanitarianism, superbly researched and clearly told. Eidinow tells numerous success stories, but doesn't ignore the darker side . . . a story of generosity, humanity and enormous achievement' -- David Herman * Times Literary Supplement *