The Watchmaker's War: A compelling historical novel of revenge and justice, based on the true story of Nazi hunters in Australia
(Paperback)
Publishing Details
The Watchmaker's War: A compelling historical novel of revenge and justice, based on the true story of Nazi hunters in Australia
By (Author) Danny Ben-Moshe
HarperCollins Publishers (Australia) Pty Ltd
HarperCollins Publishers (Australia) Pty Ltd
13th January 2026
Australia
Classifications
General
Fiction
Historical crime and mysteries
Second World War fiction
Espionage and spy thriller
Fiction based on or inspired by true events
Physical Properties
Paperback
320
Description
How far would a man go for justice
Yakov Holtzman arrives as 'a displaced person' in Melbourne - a destination as far away as it is possible to get from the graveyard that is Europe. He has put behind him the years he spent as a Nazi resistance leader with a band of partisans in the forests of Lithuania - and the family he lost - to join his brother and start a new life as the watchmaker he once was.
Yakov now looks for solace - and love - in the fragmented and traumatised community of Jewish refugees taking root in a new land. But it is not long before disturbing signs of Nazi activity start appearing in the quiet streets the St Kilda community inhabits - swastikas, threats and, worst of all, faces that look like murderous enemies from the past.
Yakov's old instincts are revived and a new mission forms. Who are these people Why does it seem the authorities are protecting them And how best can justice - or revenge - be served
Based on a true story of Nazi hunters in Australia, and war criminals with links to the top of Australia's spy agency, this is a compelling tale of revenge, justice, shame and the lingering trauma of genocide.
Author Bio
Danny Ben-Moshe is a Walkley Award-winning documentary filmmaker, whose films have screened on leading networks around the world, from the BBC to PBS. Prior to becoming a full-time filmmaker Danny spent over a decade as a professor at Deakin and Victoria universities in Melbourne where he researched issues of cultural diversity in general, and Jewish identity in particular. His first podcast, My Lost Family, featured in Audible's top 10 podcast in its year of release. His documentary Revenge: Our Dad the Nazi Killer, which inspired The Watchmaker's War, debuted in 2023. Danny's work takes him around the world but when home in Australia, he lives in Caulfield North, Melbourne.
