Patton & Nazi Gold

Monday April 20th 7:00 p.m.

Chasing Gold: The Incredible Story of How the Nazis Stole Europe’s Bullion describes the greatest robbery in world history. During World War II, the German Nazi government robbed more than 600 tons of European gold. That bullion was vitally important for financing the German army’s wars of conquest that started with the invasion of Austria in 1938. At that time, the gold was worth $600 million, but at today’s price for bullion it would be worth $22 billion. Nazi gold reserves were running out in 1940, when the Germans got their biggest haul during the invasion of Western Europe, seizing 205 tons from Belgium and 137 tons of Dutch gold. This financed the invasion of the Soviet Union a year later. In February 1945 with the war clearly coming to an end, Berlin officials sent two trainloads of gold and precious art works to a salt mine in Merkers, a village in central Germany. Two months later, U.S. troops stumbled upon that treasure.

George M. Taber is the author of Judgment of Paris, the 2006 wine book of the year for Britain's Decanter magazine. His second book, To Cork or Not to Cork, won the Jane Grigson Award from the International Association of Culinary Professionals and was a finalist for the James Beard Foundation Award for best book on wine and spirits and the Andre Simon Award for best wine book. Before turning to writing books, Taber was National Economic Correspondent and Business Editor for Time magazine and then started the weekly newspaper NJBIZ, which covered business news in New Jersey.

Learn how General George Patton’s Third Army rescued the stolen gold when author George Taber comes to Crowell Public Library Monday, April 20th at 7:00 p.m. This event is free and open to all. Light refreshments will be served.

Meet the Author: Thomas Perry

Thursday April 16th 7:00 p.m.

The Friends of Crowell Public Library’s Meet the Authors series continues with New York Times bestselling author Thomas Perry and his latest in the Jane Whitefield series, A String of Beads. In this breakneck thriller, Jane undertakes a dangerous mission for her Seneca people. A year after getting shot on a job that took a dangerous turn, Jane Whitefield has settled into the quiet life of a suburban housewife in Amherst, New York—or so she thinks. One morning, as she comes back from a long run, Jane is met by an unusual sight: the female leaders of the eight Seneca clans are parked in her driveway in two black cars. The clan mothers tell Jane that Jimmy, a childhood friend from the reservation, is wanted by the police for the murder of a local white man. But instead of turning himself in, Jimmy has fled, and no one knows where he might be hiding. Readers will revel in this suspenseful novel about how abandoning the past can sometimes be the hardest thing to do, even when your life, and the lives of those you love, depends on it.

Thomas Perry is the bestselling author of over twenty novels, including the Edgar Award-winning The Butcher’s Boy, Poison Flower, and The Boyfriend. His first Jane Whitefield novel, Vanishing Act, was named one of the 100 favorite mysteries of the twentieth century by the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association. He lives in Southern California.

This event is free and open to all. Light refreshments will be served. With wonderful Friends like these, the authors keep coming at Crowell Public Library!