Two wheels to freedom the story of a young Jew, wartime resistance, and a daring escape

Though Cioma Schonhaus was only 11 years old when the Nazis first came to power, his cleverness and resourcefulness eventually made him an unlikely hero and bon vivant. As a young adult staying one step ahead of the S.S., Cioma would dine in swanky restaurants and frequent trendy bars and have plent...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Magida, Arthur J. (Author)
Format: Books Print Book
Language:English
Published: New York : Pegasus Books, 2024.
Edition:First Pegasus Books cloth edition.
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Summary:Though Cioma Schonhaus was only 11 years old when the Nazis first came to power, his cleverness and resourcefulness eventually made him an unlikely hero and bon vivant. As a young adult staying one step ahead of the S.S., Cioma would dine in swanky restaurants and frequent trendy bars and have plenty of romances--all while sabotaging weapons in the munitions factory where he worked. He even bought a sailboat and taught himself how to sail. These hijinks never distracted Cioma from a deeper mission. Trained as an artist, Cioma's masterfully forged fake IDs ensured that several hundred Jews survived the war. When he learned the Gestapo was closing in on him, Cioma masterminded a singularly daring escape: spending a month biking to Switzerland, he became the only person to cycle his way out of the Third Reich.
Physical Description:xxii, 277 pages : illustrations (some color), 1 map ; 25 cm
Bibliography:Includes bibliographical references (pages 251-277).
ISBN:9781639367221
1639367225
Author Notes:Arthur J. Magida has been nominated for a Pulitzer and won multiple awards. His last two books-- Code Name Madeleine ("absolutely gripping," "tightly plotted") and The Nazi Séance ("an astonishing story, brilliantly told," "haunting, vivid")--are optioned for films. He's been a contributing correspondent to PBS's Religion & Ethics Newsweekly, senior editor of the Baltimore Jewish Time s, and editorial director for Jewish Lights Publishing. He lives in Baltimore, Maryland.