Huge thanks to Jonathan Freedland for a fascinating event last night – we could have listened for another hour.

The Traitors Circle is the true, but scarcely known, story of a group of secret rebels against Hitler. Drawn from Berlin high society, they include senior army officers, top government officials, two countesses, an ambassador’s widow, a young heiress and a former model. One day in September 1943 they gather for a tea party – unaware that one among them will betray the rest to the Gestapo.

Pursued to near destruction by a cruel, calculating detective – a man with the blood of thousands on his hands – theirs is a story of rare heroism, sacrifice and inspiring endurance in the face of one of the most brutal regimes in history.

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Regulars at Mainstreet will know how much we loved Freedland’s previous book, The Escape Artist, the extraordinary story of Rudi Vrba’s escape from Auschwitz.

‘A magnificent book. I could scarcely breathe at some points. What a 
tribute to its extraordinary hero, and it’s such an important and necessary 
story to read … I can’t praise it too highly. What an achievement’
– PHILIP PULLMAN

‘Awe inspiring, exciting and poignant, this is a thrilling read, a piece of 
redemptive storytelling and a work of important Holocaust historical 
research: Freedland has given Rudolf Vrba his rightful place in history 
- and in the process written a book that I couldn’t put down’
– SIMON SEBAG MONTEFIORE

‘THE ESCAPE ARTIST is marvellous. It is original, meticulous 
and utterly compelling – and ultimately a deeply tragic tale.’
– PHILIPPE SANDS

‘A must-read stand out piece of history. It is both a celebration 
of the extraordinary will, courage and resilience of the hero – 
Rudi Vrba – and an all too prescient warning of how hard it is 
to wake up the world to things it would prefer not to see.’
– EMILY MAITLIS

‘An immediate classic of Holocaust literature. Superbly researched 
and written, it is both a gripping story and deeply moving, I literally 
could not put it down’
– ANTONY BEEVOR

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This event is being held at the Mainstreet Trading Company in the barn and can only be accessed by stairs.
Please read our accessibility guide for more information.