One of my all-time favorite authors–Herman Wouk–passed away on May 17, 2019, at the age of 103. Mr. Wouk was known primarily for three epic historical novels: THE CAINE MUTINY, THE WINDS OF WAR, and WAR AND REMEMBRANCE. In these books, he blended the history of World War II with a narrative power of fiction.…

As one of the so-called “hidden children” of World War II, I’ve long admired those who fought against the Nazis–certainly the soldiers of the Allied armies, even those of the Red Army, and most of all, the citizens of occupied countries who resisted the Germans. A few years back, when I was researching my first…

A little more than five years ago, out of the blue, I received in the mail a book contract for my then-new, NAME-DROPPINGS: CLOSE ENCOUNTERS WITH THE FAMOUS AND NEAR-FAMOUS. Because I had fired my agent, it was difficult to find a quality publisher, so I was elated by the unexpected book deal. My wife…

I found the story told by Ambassador Norman Eisen in THE LAST PALACE fascinating for a number of reasons. Perhaps chief among them is the fact that I lived, for the first twelve years of my life, less than ten miles from this place—one known as “the last palace constructed in Europe”—totally unaware of its…

Perhaps because I lost 25 members of my family in the Holocaust, or maybe because I was one of Europe’s “hidden children” during World War II, I am obsessed with the Holocaust. From the time I first began doing research for my first memoir, PRAGUE: MY LONG JOURNEY HOME, I’ve read nearly a hundred books–mostly…

I am grateful to my friend, Karen Cain, for convincing me to read James Comey’s A HIGHER LOYALTY: TRUTH, LIES, AND LEADERSHIP. I had no intention of reading it because, quite frankly, I despised Comey for swinging the 2016 presidential election in favor of a man morally and intellectually unfit to occupy the highest office…

As a hidden child during World War II and an author of a memoir about my own experiences, I have attempted to read every book I’ve been able to find about the war—particularly those about the Holocaust. Thus, for the past couple of weeks, I’ve been asking myself: “How could I have possibly not known…

No one deserves to be subjected to the tragedies which Heda Margolius Kovaly was forced to face in her amazing life. And very few could overcome them in the manner of this courageous, amazing lady. Heda was born in Prague, where she married Rudolf Margolius in 1939, a mere two weeks after the Germans occupied…

As one who survived nearly six years of Nazi occupation, I have a keen interest in World War II–why it started, how it was fought, reasons for the Holocaust, and so on. Until my friend, Dr. David Barbe, convinced me to read BLITZED, DRUGS IN NAZI GERMANY, a book by Norman Ohler, I thought I…

From The Garrett Republican newspaper: Holocaust survivor and author to speak at Garrett College MCHENRY — As part of the Joan Crawford Lecture Series of presentations this fall, Garrett College recently announced that Charles Ota Heller, Holocaust survivor and author, will speak to the community on Wednesday, Nov. 1, at 7 p.m. in the Garrett…