Robert Barker

The Devil's Chosen: a Search for Understanding Robert Barker

Faster, faster come the German shouts. Louder and more impatient. Into the ravine they run. 'Schnell! Schnell' No time to think. No time to escape. Fear chokes their hearts. Breathing comes quick and shallow. No place to hide. No place to go but down the bank, down into nature's quiet embrace, open to greet them, open to enfold them The brutality and terror of the Holocaust is chillingly brought back to life in this series of fictional accounts from author Robert Barker. SS officer Hans Grüber, the sometimes confused and troubled perpetrator, acts as our guide by connecting the scenes in the different stories. With a focus on the stark, personal decisions made by the perpetrators and victims alike, The Devil's Chosen raises disturbing and enduring questions. Do we summon the bravery to stand against evil, or do we abandon all to save ourselves? Do we have the right and the power to forgive the silent bystanders as well as those responsible? What is our role? The Devil's Chosen brings the actions and decisions of both the victims and the perpetrators into focus against the unforgiving background of terror and death.