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The Suitcase is a tour-de-force, an imagining of the autobiography of an opportunistic Czech playboy, who avoided legal troubles and subsequently, the Holocaust by moving to Shanghai. There, he joined the fight against fascism, and later continued that struggle in London while his family was murdered in the camps. This narrative, written in the style of a bygone era, will transport readers to a world far different, yet eerily similar to that of the 21st century.
This is the true story of Vladimír George Taussig, a veteran of the Great War whose unfortunate decisions in his native Prague forced him to flee to Shanghai where he fell in with high society-until the Japanese invasion, the beginning of World War II, encroached on the Shanghailanders' rollicking lifestyle. On the other side of the world, his family's lives began to disintegrate when Czechoslovakia was occupied and the horrors of the war reached their doorstep.
From dancing on Shanghai's Bund, to mingling with radio stars in New York City, to speaking out against fascism across Britain, this tale, pieced together from Taussig's letters and other memorabilia, is one of passion and tenacity, weakness and courage, impropriety and decency, lies and truths, exclusion and tolerance, and life and death.
Written by Debbie Taussig-Boehner and Lauren Housman, this biographical account reconstructs the extraordinary life of Captain X through authentic letters and personal artifacts. The narrative captures the voice of a bygone era while chronicling one man's journey through some of the 20th century's most tumultuous events.
Published by Earnshaw Books Ltd in February 2023, this paperback edition offers readers an intimate look at life during the 1940s, from the high society of Shanghai to the anti-fascist movements in Britain. The book provides unique perspectives on the Jewish experience during WWII, Czechoslovakian history, and the international fight against fascism.