Hitler, Stalin, Mum And Dad By Daniel Finkelstein

Episode

Title

First
Broadcast

Comments

The Battle For Poland

20231016

Daniel Finkelstein begins his heartrending memoir of his parents' experiences of persecution, resistance and survival during WWII, this week focusing on the story of his father's family at the hands of Stalin.

Daniel's father Ludwik was born in the Polish city of Lwow, now Lviv, the only child of a prosperous Jewish family. In 1939, after Hitler and Stalin carved up Poland, the family was rounded up by the communists. His grandfather Dolu was arrested and disappeared, while his 10-year-old father and grandmother were sent to Siberia, working as slave labourers on a collective farm. They somehow survived starvation and freezing winters, living in a house they built from cow dung, but always hoping to be reunited with Dolu.

Hitler, Stalin, Mum and Dad is a deeply moving and powerful memoir about Daniel Finkelstein's parents' experiences at the hands of the two genocidal dictators of the 20th century. It is a story of persecution and survival, love, loss, man's inhumanity, and the almost unimaginable bravery of two ordinary families.

Today: Daniel's family finds themselves at the hands of the communist secret police as the Polish city of Lwow is carved up by Hitler and Stalin...

Written and read by Daniel Finkelstein. Daniel Finkelstein is a columnist and broadcaster and former Executive Editor and Associate Editor of The Times. He is also a member of the Lords and has served as an advisor to the Conservative Party.

Abridger: Richard Hamilton

Daniel Finkelstein reads from the heartrending memoir of his parents' experience of WWII.

As the Polish city of Lwow falls to the communists, Daniel's family find themselves at the hands of Stalin's secret police, in this moving and powerful family memoir.

Siberia

20231017

Daniel Finkelstein continues the heartrending memoir of his parents' experiences of persecution, resistance and survival during WWII, this week focusing on the story of his father's family at the hands of Stalin.

Daniel's father Ludwik was born in the Polish city of Lwow, now Lviv, the only child of a prosperous Jewish family. In 1939, after Hitler and Stalin carved up Poland, the family was rounded up by the communists. His grandfather Dolu was arrested and disappeared, while his father and grandmother were sent to Siberia, working as slave labourers on a collective farm. They somehow survived starvation and freezing winters, living in a house they built from cow dung, but always hoping to be reunited with Dolu.

Hitler, Stalin, Mum and Dad is a deeply moving and powerful memoir about persecution, survival, love and loss, man's inhumanity, and the almost unimaginable bravery of two ordinary families.

Today: after a harrowing journey across the Soviet Union, Daniel's father and grandmother find themselves in the freezing Siberian wastelands, trying to survive as slave labourers on a collective farm.

Written and read by Daniel Finkelstein

Abridger: Richard Hamilton

The next in Daniel Finkelstein's story of his parents' devastating experience of WWII.

Daniel Finkelstein reads from the heartrending memoir of his parents' experience of WWII.

Daniel's father and grandmother fight for survival as slave labourers in the Siberian wastelands, in the next in this heartrending and powerful family memoir.

Survival

20231018

Daniel's father Ludwik was born in the Polish city of Lwow, now Lviv, the only child of a prosperous Jewish family. In 1939, after Hitler and Stalin carved up Poland, the family was rounded up by the communists. His grandfather Dolu was arrested and disappeared, while his father and grandmother were sent to Siberia, working as slave labourers on a collective farm. They somehow survived starvation and freezing winters, living in a house they built from cow dung, but always hoping to be reunited with Dolu.

Today: as winter approaches in Siberia, Daniel's grandmother and father fight for survival. But the course of the war is about to shift, and with it their fortunes...

Written and read by Daniel Finkelstein

Abridger: Richard Hamilton

The next in Daniel Finkelstein's heartrending memoir of his parents' time during WWII.

Daniel Finkelstein reads from the heartrending memoir of his parents' experience of WWII.

As winter approaches in Siberia, Daniel's grandmother and father fight for survival, in the next in Daniel Finkelstein's heartrending memoir of his parents' time during WWII.

Gulag

20231019

Daniel Finkelstein continues his heartrending memoir of his parents' experiences of persecution, resistance and survival during WWII, this week focusing on the story of his father's family at the hands of Stalin.

Today: after his arrest, Daniel's grandfather is transported to a gulag on the edge of the Artic Circle. Survival, he knows, is virtually impossible...

Written and read by Daniel Finkelstein

Abridger: Richard Hamilton

Daniel Finkelstein continues the heartrending memoir of his parents' time during WWII.

Daniel Finkelstein reads from the heartrending memoir of his parents' experience of WWII.

After his arrest, Daniel's grandfather is transported to a gulag in the Arctic Circle. where survival is virtually nil. Daniel Finkelstein continues his moving family memoir.

Reunion

20231020

Daniel Finkelstein reads the final part of his heartrending memoir of his parents' experiences of persecution, resistance and survival during WWII, this week following his father's story at the hands of Stalin.

Today: after being reunited, Daniel's grandparents and father, still now only 12, must find a way to live and to make sense of what happened to them at the hands of the communists...

Written and read by Daniel Finkelstein

Abridger: Richard Hamilton

Daniel Finkelstein concludes his heartrending memoir of his parents' time durring WWII.

Daniel Finkelstein reads from the heartrending memoir of his parents' experience of WWII.

After after being reunited, Daniel's grandparents must find a way to live and make sense of their harrowing experiences, in the final part of this moving family memoir.

Episodes

Episode	Title	First Broadcast	Comments
01	The Battle For Poland	20231016	Daniel Finkelstein begins his heartrending memoir of his parents' experiences of persecution, resistance and survival during WWII, this week focusing on the story of his father's family at the hands of Stalin. Daniel's father Ludwik was born in the Polish city of Lwow, now Lviv, the only child of a prosperous Jewish family. In 1939, after Hitler and Stalin carved up Poland, the family was rounded up by the communists. His grandfather Dolu was arrested and disappeared, while his 10-year-old father and grandmother were sent to Siberia, working as slave labourers on a collective farm. They somehow survived starvation and freezing winters, living in a house they built from cow dung, but always hoping to be reunited with Dolu. Hitler, Stalin, Mum and Dad is a deeply moving and powerful memoir about Daniel Finkelstein's parents' experiences at the hands of the two genocidal dictators of the 20th century. It is a story of persecution and survival, love, loss, man's inhumanity, and the almost unimaginable bravery of two ordinary families. Today: Daniel's family finds themselves at the hands of the communist secret police as the Polish city of Lwow is carved up by Hitler and Stalin... Written and read by Daniel Finkelstein. Daniel Finkelstein is a columnist and broadcaster and former Executive Editor and Associate Editor of The Times. He is also a member of the Lords and has served as an advisor to the Conservative Party. Abridger: Richard Hamilton Daniel Finkelstein reads from the heartrending memoir of his parents' experience of WWII. As the Polish city of Lwow falls to the communists, Daniel's family find themselves at the hands of Stalin's secret police, in this moving and powerful family memoir.
02	Siberia	20231017	Daniel Finkelstein continues the heartrending memoir of his parents' experiences of persecution, resistance and survival during WWII, this week focusing on the story of his father's family at the hands of Stalin. Daniel's father Ludwik was born in the Polish city of Lwow, now Lviv, the only child of a prosperous Jewish family. In 1939, after Hitler and Stalin carved up Poland, the family was rounded up by the communists. His grandfather Dolu was arrested and disappeared, while his father and grandmother were sent to Siberia, working as slave labourers on a collective farm. They somehow survived starvation and freezing winters, living in a house they built from cow dung, but always hoping to be reunited with Dolu. Hitler, Stalin, Mum and Dad is a deeply moving and powerful memoir about persecution, survival, love and loss, man's inhumanity, and the almost unimaginable bravery of two ordinary families. Today: after a harrowing journey across the Soviet Union, Daniel's father and grandmother find themselves in the freezing Siberian wastelands, trying to survive as slave labourers on a collective farm. Written and read by Daniel Finkelstein Abridger: Richard Hamilton The next in Daniel Finkelstein's story of his parents' devastating experience of WWII. Daniel Finkelstein reads from the heartrending memoir of his parents' experience of WWII. Daniel's father and grandmother fight for survival as slave labourers in the Siberian wastelands, in the next in this heartrending and powerful family memoir.
03	Survival	20231018	Daniel Finkelstein continues the heartrending memoir of his parents' experiences of persecution, resistance and survival during WWII, this week focusing on the story of his father's family at the hands of Stalin. Daniel's father Ludwik was born in the Polish city of Lwow, now Lviv, the only child of a prosperous Jewish family. In 1939, after Hitler and Stalin carved up Poland, the family was rounded up by the communists. His grandfather Dolu was arrested and disappeared, while his father and grandmother were sent to Siberia, working as slave labourers on a collective farm. They somehow survived starvation and freezing winters, living in a house they built from cow dung, but always hoping to be reunited with Dolu. Today: as winter approaches in Siberia, Daniel's grandmother and father fight for survival. But the course of the war is about to shift, and with it their fortunes... Written and read by Daniel Finkelstein Abridger: Richard Hamilton The next in Daniel Finkelstein's heartrending memoir of his parents' time during WWII. Daniel Finkelstein reads from the heartrending memoir of his parents' experience of WWII. As winter approaches in Siberia, Daniel's grandmother and father fight for survival, in the next in Daniel Finkelstein's heartrending memoir of his parents' time during WWII.
04	Gulag	20231019	Daniel Finkelstein continues his heartrending memoir of his parents' experiences of persecution, resistance and survival during WWII, this week focusing on the story of his father's family at the hands of Stalin. Daniel's father Ludwik was born in the Polish city of Lwow, now Lviv, the only child of a prosperous Jewish family. In 1939, after Hitler and Stalin carved up Poland, the family was rounded up by the communists. His grandfather Dolu was arrested and disappeared, while his 10-year-old father and grandmother were sent to Siberia, working as slave labourers on a collective farm. They somehow survived starvation and freezing winters, living in a house they built from cow dung, but always hoping to be reunited with Dolu. Today: after his arrest, Daniel's grandfather is transported to a gulag on the edge of the Artic Circle. Survival, he knows, is virtually impossible... Written and read by Daniel Finkelstein Abridger: Richard Hamilton Daniel Finkelstein continues the heartrending memoir of his parents' time during WWII. Daniel Finkelstein reads from the heartrending memoir of his parents' experience of WWII. After his arrest, Daniel's grandfather is transported to a gulag in the Arctic Circle. where survival is virtually nil. Daniel Finkelstein continues his moving family memoir.
05	Reunion	20231020	Daniel Finkelstein reads the final part of his heartrending memoir of his parents' experiences of persecution, resistance and survival during WWII, this week following his father's story at the hands of Stalin. Daniel's father Ludwik was born in the Polish city of Lwow, now Lviv, the only child of a prosperous Jewish family. In 1939, after Hitler and Stalin carved up Poland, the family was rounded up by the communists. His grandfather Dolu was arrested and disappeared, while his 10-year-old father and grandmother were sent to Siberia, working as slave labourers on a collective farm. They somehow survived starvation and freezing winters, living in a house they built from cow dung, but always hoping to be reunited with Dolu. Today: after being reunited, Daniel's grandparents and father, still now only 12, must find a way to live and to make sense of what happened to them at the hands of the communists... Written and read by Daniel Finkelstein Abridger: Richard Hamilton Daniel Finkelstein concludes his heartrending memoir of his parents' time durring WWII. Daniel Finkelstein reads from the heartrending memoir of his parents' experience of WWII. After after being reunited, Daniel's grandparents must find a way to live and make sense of their harrowing experiences, in the final part of this moving family memoir.