Anne Frank: Beyond the Diary

Around 600,000 people a year visit the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam; a living testimony to the powerful legacy of her diary which for millions of young readers has come to symbolise a dark and terrible era. Yet prior to her life in hiding in the Secret Annexe, Anne, a friendly outgoing personality with a wide range of interests, had experienced a carefree, happy childhood. This photobiography serves as a timely reminder of that 'other' Anne, hitherto only glimpsed through a glass darkly. Many of the photographs (there are over a hundred) have never been published before, including a number taken by Anne's father, Otto. The very first one in this attractively produced album is of a day-old Anne snapped by her doting papa, whilst others record Anne's early life in Germany before the family moved to Holland. Extracts from her diary have been skilfully incorporated into the captions and the accompanying narrative which includes essential background material on the political situation in addition to chronicling Anne's life and tragic death. A fascinating postscript explains how the famous diary came to be published. For readers of the diary, both old and new, this publication will surely prove to be an essential companion volume, for, as it states in the introduction, it provides us with the evidence that 'Anne Frank the victim and Anne Frank the fugitive' was also at one time 'Anne Frank the free'.