The Einstein Vendetta
Italy, August 1944. A unit of German soldiers arrives at a villa near Florence. Villa Il Focardo is home to Robert Einstein, cousin to the most famous scientist in the world, Albert Einstein – a prominent enemy of the Nazi regime. Twelve hours after arriving, the soldiers have vanished – and a family is dead.
This crime – and what happened next – still haunts those who survived. In The Einstein Vendetta, Thomas Harding recounts the story of an untold true crime, one that unspools to reveal Italy’s brutal wartime history – its fall to fascism, antisemitism and bitter partisanship – and a family’s search for justice.
Thomas Harding is a bestselling author whose books include Hanns and Rudolf (winner JQ-Wingate Prize for Non-Fiction), Blood on the Page (winner Crime Writers' Association 'Golden Dagger Award for Non-Fiction), and The Maverick, which was selected by the New York Times as a Critic’s Pick for 2023. His books have been translated into more than 20 languages.
If you are in Florence and would like to attend the lecture in person at the British Institute Library, please register here or send an email to bif@britishinstitute.it .
The registration fee is 10 Euro per person.
Thomas Harding's books are available at Paperback Exchange, where British Institute patrons may claim a 10% discount on the purchase price..