They Shall Not See the Dawn

“Lachman’s narrative thunders along like a Sherman tank on a stretch of unbombed autobahn. It’s a thrilling, often brutal ride, but Lachman never misses the human stories behind the heroism of the Nazi-hunters.”
—New York Post

“I thought my post-World War II research was exhaustive. But Charles Lachman has topped me. They Shall Not See the Dawn—very relevant to today—moves quickly, and the reader will learn something on every page.”
—Bill O’Reilly, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Killing the SS

“An enthralling, addictively page-turning chronicle of how the most notorious Nazi fugitives were tracked down by Allied forces in the days, weeks, and months following Germany’s unconditional surrender in May 1945.”
—Forbes

“A timely, thrilling history of how some of the greatest villains ever were hunted down and brought to justice. I loved the pace and style. A must read for World War II buffs and all those who love a damn good true story.”
—Alex Kershaw, New York Times bestselling author of The First Wave and The Liberator

“When the guns fell silent in Europe in 1945, the final chapter of the war was only beginning: the frantic efforts to track down the major surviving Nazi criminals. Highlighting the role of the American and British soldiers who captured them, Charles Lachman vividly recounts their impressive but too-often overlooked exploits.”
—Andrew Nagorski, author of Hitlerland and The Nazi Hunters

“With immersive writing that drops you into the smoldering ruins of World War II Europe, this harrowing narrative tracks the US Army’s Counter Intelligence Corps in their desperate hunt to capture Hitler’s surviving top leadership. Built on exhaustively detailed research, it’s history rendered with thriller-grade tension.”
—Neal Bascomb, New York Times bestselling author of The Winter Fortress and Hunting Eichmann

“Writ­ten like a thriller, and to be read like the true his­to­ry it represents… . In this time of the eight­i­eth anniver­sary of the Nuremberg exe­cu­tions, this book brings home the pas­sion and the patri­o­tism that under­laid the suc­cess­ful hunt for the Nazis. Lach­man writes like a nov­el­ist, bring­ing the char­ac­ters to life and tak­ing us along on the chase… . Lach­man col­ors the sto­ry with broad wit and deep insight into the hearts and souls of not only the men who are hunt­ed, but also the hunters them­selves. Word by word, Lach­man grasps the read­er and doesn’t let go. By the end of the book, we are grate­ful he nev­er gave us a moment to put it down.”
—Jewish Book Council

“How the most notorious Nazi war criminals were caught and made to pay for their crimes… . Showcases the smarts that Allied sleuths employed to capture … the Nazi fugitives… . Glimpses of reprehensible Nazis like Heinrich Himmler, Hermann Göring, Auschwitz commandant Rudolf Höss … as they switch identities and sneak underground… . We also follow the extraordinary men, including many American-, British-, and German-born Jews, who were tasked with chasing down the regime’s most wanted, and … their often frightening but ultimately satisfying face-to-face encounters with real-life monsters… . History with the panache of a Howard Hawks war movie.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“A visceral, heart-pounding account, They Shall Not See the Dawn is a cinematic thriller that proves no war criminal is out of reach… . Lachman masterfully recreates the greatest manhunt, told through the eyes of an unlikely band of scholars, linguists, and refugees in a high-stakes game of cat-and-mouse. This is narrative nonfiction as it’s supposed to be written.”
—Kevin Maurer, #1 New York Times bestselling coauthor of No Easy Day and author of Damn Lucky

“Allied sleuths track down, interrogate, prosecute, and hang Nazis in this two-fisted WWII history… . with colorful backstories of the perps and the investigators hunting them… . In energetic, hard-boiled prose, the author renders an atmospheric story of desperate men facing a bleak but well-earned comeuppance… . A riveting portrait of Nazism as a species of squalid criminality.”
—Publishers Weekly

“Charles Lachman illuminates a lesser-known epilogue to World War II, when the pursuit of justice for atrocities committed by the Nazis was anything but certain: Could the war criminals be found? Would they even be alive to arrest? Would the Allied High Command bring them to justice? You can feel the urgency that overwhelms Lachman’s characters as they answer these questions and uncover the insidious networks of the Third Reich. They are the quiet heroes and relentless investigators who refused to let the Nazi architects of human rights violations disappear. This is a gripping account of unfinished business and of the effort to restore the soul of humanity on an international stage.”
—Matthew Black, author of Operation Underworld

Praise for Charles Lachman’s #1 National Bestseller, Codename Nemo

“Charles Lachman weaves the incredible story of the capture by American forces of a German U-boat and its secrets during World War II, an operation which allowed Allied forces to shock the German Navy. Richly detailed with undeniable suspense and action, Codename Nemo is destined for the non-fiction best seller lists.”
—Bill O’Reilly, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Killing Series

“It’s an exciting account of a daring military maneuver.”
—Publishers Weekly

“A satisfying World War II history.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“Crisp as a torpedo striking the water, Codename Nemo pulls you along with a deeply personal account of the hunters on both sides of an amazing drama.”
—Walter R. Borneman, author of The Admirals and Brothers Down

“A relentless, pressure-packed plunge into the depths of war. … A story-telling tour-de-force indeed, the quintessential story of the Battle of the Atlantic, rendered in taut prose, and with an immediacy and intimacy that all but makes a participant of the reader.”
—James Sullivan, author of Unsinkable

Charles Lachman is the author of one novel and five narrative nonfiction books, including the national bestseller Codename Nemo, Footsteps in the Snow, and The Last Lincolns. His books have been praised by Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, the New York Post, and The Christian Science Monitor, and have been adapted into CNN and Lifetime docuseries.

He is also the executive producer of Inside Edition, the most widely watched syndicated news magazine in the United States. He has been featured on CBS Mornings, CNN, MSNBC, History, Lifetime, C-Span, Sirius/XM, and other local and national programs. He lives in New York City.

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