We all know Anne Frank’s story, but one question has long “tormented historians”, said Saul David in The Daily Telegraph. Who, in August 1944, tipped off the SS that the Frank family were hiding in a warehouse complex in central Amsterdam?
In 2016 the Dutch film-maker Thijs Bayens and the journalist Pieter van Twisk embarked on a fresh attempt to solve the mystery. They assembled a 22-person “Cold Case Team”, led by former FBI special agent Vince Pankoke, and re-examined all the evidence using modern forensic techniques.
Their efforts led them to Arnold van den Bergh, a wealthy Jewish notary and a member of Amsterdam’s Jewish Council, a body that collaborated with the Nazis. The team discovered that Van den Bergh may well have had access to a list of more than 500 addresses of Jews in hiding.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Their “compelling” case is that he traded this information to secure his own family’s safety. Commissioned to write an account of the investigation, Rosemary Sullivan, a Canadian biographer, has produced a “stunning piece of historical detective work, cleverly structured and grippingly written”.
The book has had a mixed reception, said Gerard DeGroot in The Times. The team’s methodology has been questioned – leading the book’s Dutch publisher to suspend a new print pending further inquiries. And some have seemed unwilling to accept its conclusion, “that a Jew might have betrayed another Jew”.
Still, this shouldn’t detract from what is “praiseworthy” about the book itself. “With impressive clarity and dramatic effect, Sullivan reconstructs a complex investigation.” And ultimately, if the team’s conclusions remain open to question, that also reflects an important truth – that in those dire circumstances, “almost anyone could have betrayed the Frank family”.
William Collins 336pp £20; The Week Bookshop £15.99
The Week Bookshop
To order this title or any other book in print, visit theweekbookshop.co.uk, or speak to a bookseller on 020-3176 3835. Opening times: Monday to Saturday 9am-5.30pm and Sunday 10am-4pm.
-
11 hotels opening in 2026 to help you reconnect with natureThe Week Recommends Find peace on the beaches of Mexico and on a remote Estonian island
-
Zimbabwe’s driving crisisUnder the Radar Southern African nation is experiencing a ‘public health disaster’ with one of the highest road fatality rates in the world
-
The Mint’s 250th anniversary coins face a whitewashing controversyThe Explainer The designs omitted several notable moments for civil rights and women’s rights
-
The ultimate films of 2025 by genreThe Week Recommends From comedies to thrillers, documentaries to animations, 2025 featured some unforgettable film moments
-
Into the Woods: a ‘hypnotic’ productionThe Week Recommends Jordan Fein’s revival of the much-loved Stephen Sondheim musical is ‘sharp, propulsive and often very funny’
-
The best food books of 2025The Week Recommends From mouthwatering recipes to insightful essays, these colourful books will both inspire and entertain
-
Art that made the news in 2025The Explainer From a short-lived Banksy mural to an Egyptian statue dating back three millennia
-
Nine best TV shows of the yearThe Week Recommends From Adolescence to Amandaland
-
Winter holidays in the snow and sunThe Week Recommends Escape the dark, cold days with the perfect getaway
-
The best homes of the yearFeature Featuring a former helicopter engine repair workshop in Washington, D.C. and high-rise living in San Francisco
-
Critics’ choice: The year’s top 10 moviesFeature ‘One Battle After Another’ and ‘It Was Just an Accident’ stand out
