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y separately published work icon The Happiest Man on Earth single work   autobiography  
Issue Details: First known date: 2020... 2020 The Happiest Man on Earth
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AbstractHistoryArchive Description

'Life can be beautiful if you make it beautiful. It is up to you. Eddie Jaku always considered himself a German first, a Jew second. He was proud of his country. But all of that changed on 9 November 1938, when he was beaten, arrested and taken to a concentration camp. Over the next seven years, Eddie faced unimaginable horrors every day, first in Buchenwald, then in Auschwitz, then on the Nazi death march. He lost family, friends, his country. Because he survived, Eddie made the vow to smile every day. He pays tribute to those who were lost by telling his story, sharing his wisdom and living his best possible life. He now believes he is the 'happiest man on earth'. Published as Eddie turns 100, this is a powerful, heartbreaking and ultimately hopeful memoir of how happiness can be found even in the darkest of times.' (Publication summary)

Adaptations

y separately published work icon The Happiest Boy on Earth Eddie Jaku , Nathaniel Eckstrom (illustrator), Sydney : Macmillan Australia , 2022 25374059 2022 single work picture book children's

'Life can be beautiful if you make it beautiful. It is up to you.

'Eddie lived with his family and adorable dachshund, Lulu, in the beautiful city of Leipzig in Germany. But one day, into the sunshine of his childhood crept a dark, heavy cloud. Not a rain cloud. Much worse than that. Adolf Hitler came to power.

'When Eddie was 18, he was sent to a concentration camp.

'A picture book adaptation for older readers (8+ years) based on the extraordinary, the bestselling adult title THE HAPPIEST MAN ON EARTH.

'The story is framed as a conversation between 101-year-old Eddie and his great grandchildren - who are bursting with questions about the life of their Pépé.

'The story of Eddie's life unfolds beautifully, sensitively, heartbreakingly through his words, and exquisite illustrations by Nathaniel Eckstrom.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of

    • Sydney, New South Wales,: Macmillan Australia , 2021 .
      image of person or book cover 6357440911422016499.jpg
      Image courtesy of publisher's website.
      Extent: 224p.p.
      Note/s:
      • Published 9th November 2021
      ISBN: 9781760986483 (hbk)
    • New York (City), New York (State),
      c
      United States of America (USA),
      c
      Americas,      :       Harper ,       2021 .
      image of person or book cover 8414269056970483653.jpg
      Image courtesy of publisher's website.
      Extent: 195p.p.
      ISBN: 9780063097681, 0063097680
    • London,
      c
      England,
      c
      c
      United Kingdom (UK),
      c
      Western Europe, Europe,      :       Pan ,       2022 .
      image of person or book cover 2939620186032674924.png
      Image courtesy of publisher's website.
      Extent: 208p.p.
      Note/s:
      • Published 20 January 2022.
      ISBN: 9781529066364, 1529066360
Alternative title: Den lyckligaste mannen på jorden
Language: Swedish
    • Stockholm,
      c
      Sweden,
      c
      Scandinavia, Western Europe, Europe,      :       Bazar Förlag ,       2021 .
      image of person or book cover 435490201510481839.jpg
      Image courtesy of publisher's website.
      Extent: 200p.p.
      Note/s:
      • Published 25 May 2021.
      ISBN: 9789180061704, 9789180061711, 9789180062183
VIEW PUBLICATION DETAILS FOR ALL VERSIONS ()

Other Formats

  • Sound recording.
  • Large print.
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Works about this Work

Bearing Witness : A Radical Form of Humanity Tali Lavi , 2020 single work review
— Appears in: Australian Book Review , October no. 425 2020; (p. 35)
— Review of The Happiest Man on Earth Eddie Jaku , 2020 single work autobiography

'Eddie Jaku looks out benevolently from his memoir’s cover, signs of living etched across his face. The dapper centenarian displays another mark, one distinctly at odds with his beatific expression and the title’s claim: the tattoo on his forearm from Auschwitz II-Birkenau. Less discernible is the badge affixed to his lapel bearing the Hebrew word zachor; ‘remember’. The Happiest Man on Earth blazes with the pursuit of memory, of bearing witness, but it is also determinedly oriented towards the future, its dedication inscribed to ‘future generations’.' (Introduction)
Bearing Witness : A Radical Form of Humanity Tali Lavi , 2020 single work review
— Appears in: Australian Book Review , October no. 425 2020; (p. 35)
— Review of The Happiest Man on Earth Eddie Jaku , 2020 single work autobiography

'Eddie Jaku looks out benevolently from his memoir’s cover, signs of living etched across his face. The dapper centenarian displays another mark, one distinctly at odds with his beatific expression and the title’s claim: the tattoo on his forearm from Auschwitz II-Birkenau. Less discernible is the badge affixed to his lapel bearing the Hebrew word zachor; ‘remember’. The Happiest Man on Earth blazes with the pursuit of memory, of bearing witness, but it is also determinedly oriented towards the future, its dedication inscribed to ‘future generations’.' (Introduction)
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Awards

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Last amended 12 Oct 2021 14:19:25
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