Onstage at the Reagan Library with Audrey Birnbaum

As part of the programming for our Auschwitz: Not long ago. Not far away. exhibition, please join us for a conversation and book signing with physician and author Audrey Birnbaum, the daughter of a holocaust survivor, for her recent book American Wolf: From Nazi Refugee to American Spy (Publish Date: October 23, 2023).

For tickets and to pre-purchase books, please click here.

In the summer of 1941, 11-year-old Wolf is growing up amidst the rubble and antisemitism of war-torn Nazi Berlin. Destitute and facing deportation, he must leave behind his sister and travel across a continent entrenched in war. With nothing in hand but expired visas to the US, Wolf and his family must figure out how to sneak aboard the Spanish freighter the Navemar, a ship that will gain its reputation as the "Hell Ship of Death." But Wolf's odyssey is just beginning. 

American Wolf: From Nazi Refugee to American Spy is an electrifying true account brimming with last-minute rescues and life-and death struggles that defy the impossible. This gripping narrative is not just a tale of survival, but a profound coming of age story, delving into the complexities of family dynamics and the search for national identity. Wolf’s remarkable return to Germany as a US intelligence officer during the Cold War serves as another powerful testament to his indomitable spirit. Drawing from her father’s notes, author Audrey Birnbaum vividly recreates Wolf's childhood in Berlin, his harrowing escape from Nazi Germany, and the relentless challenges he confronted on his path to freedom.