Description

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A New York Times bestseller, the true story of a girl who learns she's descended from a princess, told with the suspense of a Cold War thriller.

“The beautiful owner of this book is dearer to me than my life – August your protector.” This one sentence was the key to a mystery involving some of the greatest and most infamous figures in European history, from Frederick the Great to Napoleon and Hitler—and solved by the author of this book.

Eve Haas is the daughter of a German Jewish family that took refuge in London after Hitler came to power. Following a terrifying air raid in the blitz, her father revealed the family secret, that her great-great grandmother Emilie was married to a Prussian prince. He then showed her the leather-bound notebook inscribed to Emilie by the prince. Later in life, when Eve was married and inherited the diary, she became obsessed with proving this birthright. The Secrets of the Notebook tells how she follows the clues, from experts on European royalty in London to archives in West Germany and then, under threat of being arrested as a spy by the Communist regime, to an archive in East Germany that had never before opened its doors to the West. What she unearths is a love story set against the upheaval of the Napoleonic wars and the anti-Semitism of the Prussian court, and a ruse that both protected Emilie’s daughter and probably condemned her granddaughter—Eve’s beloved grandmother, Anna—to death in the Nazi camps.

A New York Times and international bestseller, The Secrets of the Notebook is now being made into a major motion picture.

Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Arcade imprint, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in history--books about World War II, the Third Reich, Hitler and his henchmen, the JFK assassination, conspiracies, the American Civil War, the American Revolution, gladiators, Vikings, ancient Rome, medieval times, the old West, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

About the Author

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Eve Haas was born in Breslau, now Poland, in 1924. She and her family fled Germany for London when Hitler came to power. She pursued a writing career, married, and raised a family, continuing to write children’s books and contribute to magazines and newspapers in the UK. Her book The Secrets of the Notebook recounts her lifelong quest to find and document the truth about her family's link to the lineage of Frederick the Great and to the British Royal Family. She lived in North London, England, until her death in January 2019, at the age of ninety-four.

Praise For…

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"A roller-coaster ride full of twists and turns, as Eve battle through the dungeons of history to discover her amazing family secrets." —Cherie Blair, founder of the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women and wife of former prime minister Tony Blair

"A deadly family secret is uncovered by one courageous woman in this true-life Cold War thriller. A compelling, inspiring read, beautifully and honestly written." —John Rutter, CBE, internationally renowned composer and conductor

"Fascinating." —BBC News Magazine

“The astonishing discoveries lead to more questions; and the climax makes you go back to the beginning. What else is missing from the history books?” —Booklist

“Eve Haas put herself in great danger to unravel the mystery.” —Sunday Express

“An eye-opening, riveting tale full of suspense, drama, and anguish.” —Family History Monthly

"The author's enthusiasm for probing the secrets of Augustus' notebook is evident throughout the narrative . . . The twists and turns Haas discovered in her family's past mirrored her actual journey. . . . and took her to places with often painful associations." —Kirkus Reviews

"Eve Haas skillfully weaves several stories into this memoir. . . . [The Secrets of the Notebook] will have broad appeal, and moreover, make an important contribution to both the history of Europe since Napoleon and of World War II Germany and its citizens." —Story Circle Book Review

"A roller-coaster ride full of twists and turns, as Eve battle through the dungeons of history to discover her amazing family secrets." —Cherie Blair, founder of the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women and wife of former prime minister Tony Blair

"A deadly family secret is uncovered by one courageous woman in this true-life Cold War thriller. A compelling, inspiring read, beautifully and honestly written." —John Rutter, CBE, internationally renowned composer and conductor

"Fascinating." —BBC News Magazine

“The astonishing discoveries lead to more questions; and the climax makes you go back to the beginning. What else is missing from the history books?” —Booklist

“Eve Haas put herself in great danger to unravel the mystery.” —Sunday Express

“An eye-opening, riveting tale full of suspense, drama, and anguish.” —Family History Monthly

"The author's enthusiasm for probing the secrets of Augustus' notebook is evident throughout the narrative . . . The twists and turns Haas discovered in her family's past mirrored her actual journey. . . . and took her to places with often painful associations." —Kirkus Reviews

"Eve Haas skillfully weaves several stories into this memoir. . . . [The Secrets of the Notebook] will have broad appeal, and moreover, make an important contribution to both the history of Europe since Napoleon and of World War II Germany and its citizens." —Story Circle Book Review