Defeated by fascists in the Spanish Civil War, dozens of rebels hid in tiny spaces…

As the front door closed behind Manuel Cortes, there was a moment’s hesitation. Then, as he took his first step onto the cobbled street, the 64-year-old lost his footing, his wife Juliana offering a steadying arm to prevent him falling. Later he would reveal it was his shoes that had been the problem — he … Read more

The sisters of mercy: They fearlessly hid fellow Jews in their house in the woods

BOOK OF THE WEEK  THE SISTERS OF AUSCHWITZ by Roxane Van Iperen (Seven Dials £18.99, 320 pp) When Dutch author and journalist Roxane van Iperen and her husband first glimpsed The High Nest, they fell instantly in love with it.  A romantic, shuttered house tucked away in the woods 30 miles from Amsterdam, with friendly … Read more