'Mission at Nuremberg' by Tim Townsend (SPCK, 308 pages, available from the publisher for £12.99 + FREE UK delivery)

This book tells the compelling story of Lutheran minister Henry Gerecke, the army chaplain who was sent to save the souls of the Nazis incarcerated at Nuremberg. In what was the most difficult mission that Gerecke was recruited to fulfil, he ministered to 21 Nazi leaders as they awaited trial, leaders such as Goering, Keitel, and von Ribbentrop.

Scrupulous Research

Townsend has clearly undertaken a large amount of scrupulous research and he includes many first-hand accounts, including interviews with still-living participants. In some ways his approach is rather 'bitty' but he does engage us in the events by taking us inside the Nuremberg Palace of Justice, into the cells of the accused and into the courtroom itself as the drama unfolds. The book also contains 16 pages of black and white photos.

Moving Accounts

One of its distinctive features is the inclusion of several marvellous vignettes of 'second tier' personalities and of the many generally unknown people who feature in the overall story. Who usually pays any attention to the wives and families of the convicted Nazis?

Townsend observes that hundreds of Nazis had been hanged long before the 21 notable defendants in Nuremberg faced their convictions. There are also good pen portrait summaries of the lives of these men, as well as accounts of the wretchedness of life in the bombed city and a moving focus on the horrendousness of Mauthausen.

For most of us history stops with the end of the Second World War in 1945. Once Hitler commits suicide in the bunker all is over. One of the chief delights of Townsend's book is to redress our knowledge and perceptions in this area. As in other recent history publications, the author seeks to awaken us to the harsh realities of the years of recovery that Europe has had to endure in order to be where it is today. Many people had hard and difficult lives post-1945.

For most of us, history stops at the end of WWII. But Townsend challenges this perception, awakening us to the harsh realities of post-1945 Europe.

Theological Reflections

In the second half of his book Townsend breaks the narrative (which does suffer throughout from jumping around chronologically) in three separate places with theological reflections on the source of evil, Luther's doctrine of consubstantiation and the nature of forgiveness. Christian readers may want to debate some of his affirmations: "forgiveness precedes repentance" (p286); "everyone is saved" (p287); "if God is master of both absolute good and absolute evil, he must also claim those of us who choose darkness" (p221).

But overall this is a book that causes you to think, which makes it a worthwhile contribution at this time of the 70th anniversary of the Nuremberg trials.

Christian readers may want to debate some of his affirmations – this is a book that causes you to think.

More information can be found on the book's website, missionatnuremberg.com.