Death on the Black Sea: The Untold Story of the 'Struma' and World War II's Holocaust at Sea

by Douglas Frantz, Catherine Collins

On the morning of February 24, 1942, on the Black Sea near Istanbul, an explosion ripped through a ship filled with Jewish refugees. One man clung fiercely to a piece of deck, fighting to survive. Nearly eight hundred others -- among them, more than one hundred children -- perished. From this dramatic prologue Death on the Black Sea unfolds as a powerful story of endurance and the struggle for survival aboard a decrepit former cattle barge called Struma. The only path to escape led through Istanbul, where the desperate passengers found themselves trapped in a closing vise between the Nazis and countries that refused them sanctuary. The story of the Struma, its passengers, and the events that led to its destruction is investigated and revealed fully in two vivid, parallel accounts set six decades apart. One chronicles the diplomatic maneuvers and callousness of Great Britain, Romania, Turkey, and the rest of the international community, which resulted in the largest maritime loss of civilian life during World War II. The other part of the story recounts a recent attempt by a team of divers to locate the Struma at the bottom of the Black Sea, an effort initiated and pursued by the grandson of two of the victims. A vivid reconstruction of a grim exodus aboard a doomed ship, Death on the Black Sea illuminates a forgotten episode of World War II and pays tribute to the heroes, past and present, who keep its memory alive.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Holocaust, World War II, War

352 pages, Hardcover

First published February 4, 2003

Reviews

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

We need to keep the stories of mans' inhumanity to man on the forefront of our collective conscious. The plight of these poor Jewish refugees and the moral blindness of so many people is enraging; also a good account of the effort to recover the history of the sunken ship and its victims.

[Tomi · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Struma was a leaky, rotten ship (hardly worthy of being called a ship) carrying nearly 800 Romanian Jews who were trying to escape death in WWII by traveling to Palestine. Thanks to the indifference (and hatred) of the British and the Turks, they didn't make it. This book explains the politics behind the British and Turkish governments' refusal to help and talks about one attempt to dive to the shipwreck. When someone says "Holocaust" we usually think of Hitler's Final Solution and the death camps, but there are many other examples of the world's attempt to exterminate the Jews. This book is about one of those events.

[Howard Jaeckel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the most compelling books I have read in recent years. It heartbreakingly recounts how bureaucratic rigidity and indifference – so extreme as to rise almost to the level of criminality -- sent some 800 innocent men, women and children to an awful death on the Black Sea. How anyone can call this story “boring,” as do several nearby reviews, is quite beyond me.

Ignore these inexplicable comments. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the Holocaust, the history of Israel or World War II. It will also reinforce the beliefs of anyone inclined to think that “reasons of state” must occasionally be tempered by simple humanity

[Corgi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought Death on the Black Sea by Douglas Frantz was an extremely interesting book. It reminds me of today and how politics and power get in the way of humanity and doing what is right.

The Jewish people on the Struma did not have to die. I can not believe the ship was pulled out into the Black Sea with a disabled engine and set adrift. I'm not certain what the officials thought was going to happen to them. This is another black chapter that happened during WWII.

The back story of trying to find the Struma was interesting, but it was not the reason I read this book.

I highly recommend this book to readers who like: non-fiction, history, WWII stories, maritime stories and books that are well written & researched.

[Lisa Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Little known

Very absorbing tale of a little known exodus of Jewish people from Nazi ally Romania during WWII. Reinforced the British inhumane attitude toward those trying to reach Palestine. Interesting ending in that the ship wreckage was never found. Makes one wonder whether it will be recovered some day. Writing was brisk and efficient in telling the story with some dramatic flare.

[Laura Valenziano · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of the little known but worst naval disaster of World War II and of the almost 800 Jewish people who died when the ship was torpedoed. It's a gripping story and illustrates how little concern was given by Allied governments when Jewish people trying to escape the Nazi's were stranded in offshore in Turkey.

[wally walter · Rating 3 out of 5]

The best part was the difficulties caused to the British by the league of nations mandate to keep equal numbers of arabs and jews in Palastine, the jews were doing their best to take over the country by sheer numbers, otherwise it was a very dull book

[Ceren Ünlü · Rating 4 out of 5]

Çok daha iyi; Struma hakkında... Mitra Yayınları'ndan çıkmış

[Kristine · Rating 5 out of 5]

No words.

[Amy Webster-Bo · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was a really sad book, all those people who died cause the british would not let them off, sad, you all should be ashamed

[Nathan · Rating 1 out of 5]

So much potential, so little accomplishment. The Struma affair is one of those nasty little secrets of history that need to be made public knowledge. This book is one of those histories that can't seem to settle down and just tell the story. It dances and skips around the real human tragedy at hand and flits from meaningless banter to more meaningless banter. Really, it was complicated to tell who was doing what and why it mattered. A waste of time and potential, and it doesn't take much in the way of melodrama to add, an insult to the memory of its subject and the study of history at large.

[Jeanne · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is definitely NOT a page turner. It is an eye-opening account of the anti-Semitism that existed throughout the world around WWII. My long-held belief that only the Nazi's were against the Jews was flawed according to this book. As the world faces the challenges presented with the Syrian refugees, it becomes apparent that each country must weigh various humanitarian efforts against the strains on their socio-economic climate. There is so much grey area and it seems to me that people want very much to view it in black and white.

[Loren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gripping. For some reason, I am drawn to anything written about WWII and the especially the holocaust. If you see some of the books I've read, I'm intriqued by the human mind and how evil it can be.

[Danielle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a big fan of Non-fiction books. I only have this because I'm interested in the topic because of my family history. Other than that it was boring. It took me forever to read.

[Alana · Rating 1 out of 5]

Idiotic treatment of what could have been a fascinating story. Boring. Repetitive. Without pitch or resolution.