The Happiest Man on Earth: The Beautiful Life of an Auschwitz Survivor

Eddie Yaku always considered himself first and foremost German, and second—Jewish. He was proud of his country. But everything changed in November 1938, when he was beaten, arrested, and sent to a concentration camp. Over the next seven years, Eddie encountered unimaginable horrors every day—first in Buchenwald, then in Auschwitz.

The Nazis took everything from Eddie—his family, his friends, and his country. By some miracle, Eddie survived, though this rescue brought him no relief. For a few years, despair overwhelmed him...

But it turned out that adversity hadn’t broken his spirit.

One day, when Eddie’s son was born, he made a promise to himself: to smile every day, to be grateful for the miracle of life, and to strive for happiness.

In this book, published in the year of its 100th anniversary and becoming a bestseller in many countries around the world, Eddie Yaku tells his full story—one of drama, pain, and wisdom—about how it is possible to find happiness even in the darkest times.