A Polish Jew on the eve of World War II, Janusz Korczak turned down opportunities for escape in order to stand by the children in his orphanage as they became confined to the Warsaw Ghetto. Dressing them in their Sabbath finest, he led their march to the trains and ultimately perished with his children in Treblinka. Marrin examines not just Korczak's life but his ideology of children: that children are valuable in and of themselves, as individuals. He contrasts this with Adolf Hitler's life and his ideology of children: that children are nothing more than tools of the state. -- adapted from jacket

"This is a Borzoi Book."

Prologue: The two saddest nations on earth -- The old doctor -- The hater -- The heart of the tragedy -- A dream so terrible -- Written in smoke and ashes -- Reckonings.