What you did not tell: a father's past and the journey home

**NAMED FINANCIAL TIMES "TOP 10 BOOKS OF THE YEAR"** ** NAMED EVENING STANDARD "BOOK OF THE YEAR"** ** NAMED NEW STATESMAN "BEST BOOK OF 2017"** A warm and intimate memoir by an acclaimed historian that explores the European struggles of the twentieth century through the lives, hopes, and dreams of a single family—his own. Uncovering their remarkable and moving stories, Mark Mazower recounts the sacrifices and silences that marked a generation and their descendants. It was a family which fate drove into the siege of Stalingrad, the Vilna ghetto, occupied Paris, and even into the ranks of the Wehrmacht. His British father was the lucky one, the son of Russian-Jewish emigrants who settled in London after escaping the Bolsheviks, civil war, and revolution. Max, the grandfather, had started out as a socialist and manned the barricades against Tsarist troops, never speaking a word about it afterwards. His wife Frouma came from a family ravaged by the Terror yet making their way in Soviet society despite it all. In the centenary of the Russian Revolution, What You Did Not Tell revitalizes the history of a socialism erased from memory—humanistic, impassioned, and broad-ranging in its sympathies. But it is also an exploration of the unexpected happiness that may await history's losers, of the power of friendship and the love of place that made his father at home in an England that no longer exists. A warm and intimate memoir by an acclaimed historian that explores the European struggles of the twentieth century through the lives, hopes, and dreams of a single familyhis own. Uncovering his familys remarkable and moving stories, Mark Mazower recounts the sacrifices and silences that marked a generation and their descendants. It was a family that fate drove into the siege of Stalingrad, the Vilna ghetto, occupied Paris, and even into the ranks of the Wehrmacht . His British father was the lucky one, the son of Russian Jewish emigrants who settled in London after escaping civil war and revolution. Max, the grandfather, had started out as a socialist and manned the barricades against tsarist troops, but never spoke of it. His wife, Frouma, came from a family ravaged by the Great Terror yet somehow making their way in Soviet society. In the centenary of the Russian Revolution, What You Did Not Tell recounts a brand of socialism erased from memory: humanistic, impassioned, and broad-ranging in its sympathies. But it also explores the unexpected happiness that may await historys losers, the power of friendship, and the love of place that allowed Max and Froumas son to call England home. In A Tribute To His Late Father, British Historian Mark Mazower Traces His Family's Story From The End Of The Nineteenth Century To Today, Beginning With His Grandfather Mordkhel Mazower's Birth In The Town Of Grodno, Part Of The Pale Of Settlement To Which The Majority Of The Russian Empire's Jews Were Confined. An Activist And Member Of The Communist Bund, Mordkhel--who Later Assumed The More European Name Max--travelled Widely In The Years Surrounding The Revolution Before Ultimately Settling In England, Where His Son Would Live His Entire Life-- On West Hill -- The Bundist -- 1905 -- The Yost Typewriting Company -- Border Crossing, 1919 -- Brits And Bolsheviks -- Wood End -- The Afterlife -- Zachar -- The Expanding Silence -- André -- The Krylenko Connection -- Frouma -- Highgate -- The Sheltering Word -- Ira -- Childhood -- The War -- Oxford And What Came Between -- The Shed -- Family Trees; Mazower Family; Toumarkine Family. Mark Mazower. "In a tribute to his late father, British historian Mark Mazower traces his family's story from the end of the nineteenth century to today, beginning with his grandfather Mordkhel Mazower's birth in the town of Grodno, part of the Pale of Settlement to which the majority of the Russian Empire's Jews were confined. An activist and member of the Communist Bund, Mordkhel--who later assumed the more European name "Max"--Travelled widely in the years surrounding the Revolution before ultimately settling in England, where his son would live his entire life"-- Provided by publisher