Untitled vii Introduction xiPrologue 1 PART I1. For Richer or Poorer 72. Schillerstrasse, Charlottenburg 213. The Beginning of the End 50PART II4. Juden Verboten 795. Letters and Lines and Boarders 856. A Kind of Sickness 977. Walking on Broken Glass 1038. Minus One 115PART III9. Victor, Victorious 129 10. School’s out 142 11. Flat Earth 149PART IV12. Preparations 15713. One if by Rail 16714. Across the Atlantic 182Photos 197 PART V15. No Instruction Manual 20916. Extermination 22517. Roots 23318. Diminishing Returns 24419. Found and Lost 25120. New Beginnings, Same Old Endings 270 21. Atlas 294PART VI22. Making me into a Man 31523. The Return 33124. Homecoming 36925. Americana 373Epilogue/Author’s note 381Acknowledgments 385 Photos 389 Notes 397 About the Author 403 Amsterdam Publishers Holocaust Library 405Berlin 1941. 11-year-old Wolf escapes Nazi Germany, attempts to build an American identity, and finally returns to Germany as a young American intelligence officer during the height of the Cold War.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 with his family 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 would gain its reputation as the “Hell Ship of Death.” But this is only the beginning of Wolf’s saga. American Wolf is a heart-stopping true story full of last-minute rescues, near-death encounters, and survival against untold odds. It is also a story about coming of age, family dysfunction and national identity, and is a resounding testament to the triumph of the human spirit. Using the notes compiled by her father, Audrey Birnbaum vividly retells a poignant account of Wolf’s childhood in Berlin, his riveting escape from Nazi Germany, and the continued challenges he faced even as he reached freedom.Winner of the 2024 Book Excellence AwardsWinner of the 2024 Readers’ Favorite Award Silver Medal in Non-fiction Biography73rd National Jewish Book Awards Finalist in the category of Holocaust MemoirIn 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 with his family 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 would gain its reputation as the “Hell Ship of Death.” But this is only the beginning of Wolf’s saga. American Wolf is a heart-stopping true story full of last-minute rescues, near-death encounters, and survival against untold odds. It is also a story about coming of age, family dysfunction and national identity, and is a resounding testament to the triumph of the human spirit. Using the notes compiled by her father, Audrey Birnbaum vividly retells a poignant account of Wolf’s childhood in Berlin, his riveting escape from Nazi Germany, and the continued challenges he faced even as he reached freedom.