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. Join the IF to hear from Thomas Harding, author of The Einstein Vendetta, as he recounts the story of an until-now 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.

About the speaker

Thomas Harding is a bestselling author whose books have been translated into more than twenty languages. He has written for the Sunday Times, the Washington Post and the Guardian, among other publications. He is the author of Hanns and Rudolf, which won the Wingate Prize for Non-Fiction, and The House by the Lake, which was shortlisted for the Costa Biography Award. His book Blood on the Page won the Crime Writers’ Association Golden Dagger Award for Non-Fiction, while White Debt was long-listed for the Moore Prize for Human Rights Writing. More recently, his biography of the publisher George Weidenfeld, The Maverick, was selected by the New York Times as a Critic’s Pick for 2023. His new book The Einstein Vendetta is published in April 2025. Thomas is also the author of three picture books for children, including The House by the Lake, which was nominated for the Kate Greenaway Medal. He lives in Hampshire, England, with his wife, the author Debora Harding. You can follow Thomas on X @thomasharding and via his author website www.thomasharding.com. 

Praise for The Einstein Vendetta

'I absolutely devoured The Einstein Vendetta ... Remarkable. Totally compelling' Edmund de Waal

'Can't express how moved I am. An absolute triumph. So much more than a mere book' Allan Little

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