Set against the backdrop of Santiago, this gripping narrative explores the eerie connections between Augusto Pinochet and former SS officer Walther Rauff, who escaped justice after World War II. Rauff, known for his role in wartime atrocities, settled in Chilean Patagonia, running a crab cannery while his past loomed large. As whispers of his ties to Pinochet's regime and the disappearances in Chile surface, a chilling story of complicity and haunting legacies unfolds, revealing the dark intersections of history and personal fate.
Philippe Sands Book order
Philippe Sands, a distinguished legal scholar and practitioner, delves into the intricate intersections of law, history, and human morality. His writing probes complex international cases, revealing profound questions of justice and accountability. Through meticulous analysis and compelling narrative, he brings critical moments of modern history to life for readers, prompting reflection on the ethical dilemmas these events encapsulate. Sands' work challenges us to consider the nature of law and its impact on human lives.







- 2025
- 2022
East and West, to The Ratline, and Beyond
On Memory and Identity
This lecture, part of the Martin Miller and Hannah Norbert-Miller Memorial series, focuses on themes related to German and Austrian exile studies. Delivered at the Research Centre for German & Austrian Exile Studies at the University of London, it highlights the significance of exile experiences in shaping cultural and historical narratives. The event fosters academic discourse on the impact of exile on identity and memory within the context of modern languages research.
- 2022
Telling the story of the landmark international judgement that brought an end to Britain's colonial rule in Africa, THE LAST COLONY is a riveting, enraging and beautifully rendered history of international law by the bestselling author of EAST WEST STREET and THE RATLINE
- 2020
The Ratline
- 304 pages
- 11 hours of reading
In this riveting real-life thriller, Philippe Sands offers a unique account of the daily life of senior Nazi SS Brigadeführer Otto Freiherr von Wächter and his wife, Charlotte. Drawing on a remarkable archive of family letters and diaries, he unveils a fascinating insight into life before and during the war, as a fugitive on the run in the Alps and then in Rome, and into the Cold War. Eventually the door is unlocked to a mystery that haunts Wächter's youngest son, who continues to believe his father was a good man - what happened to Otto Wächter while he was preparing to travel to Argentina on the 'ratline', assisted by a Vatican bishop, and what was the explanation for his sudden and unexpected death?
- 2017
East West Street: On the Origins of Genocide and Crimes Against Humanity
- 464 pages
- 17 hours of reading
A profound, important book, a moving personal detective story and an uncovering of secret pasts, set in Europe’s center, the city of bright colors—Lviv, Ukraine, dividing east from west, north from south, in what had been the Austro-Hungarian Empire. A book that explores the development of the world-changing legal concepts of “genocide” and “crimes against humanity” that came about as a result of the unprecedented atrocities of Hitler’s Third Reich. It is also a spellbinding family memoir, as the author traces the mysterious story of his grandfather as he maneuvered through Europe in the face of Nazi atrocities. This is “a monumental achievement ... told with love, anger and precision” (John le Carré, acclaimed internationally bestselling author). East West Street looks at the personal and intellectual evolution of the two men who simultaneously originated the ideas of “genocide” and “crimes against humanity,” both of whom, not knowing the other, studied at the same university with the same professors, in “the Paris of Ukraine,” a major cultural center of Europe, a city variously called Lemberg, Lwów, Lvov, or Lviv. Phillipe Sands changes the way we look at the world, at our understanding of history and how civilization has tried to cope with mass murder
- 2016
A uniquely personal exploration of the origins of international law, centring on the Nuremberg Trials, the city of Lviv and a secret family history
- 2005
International lawyer Philippe Sands has a unique insider's view of the elites who govern our lives. His sensational revelations in Lawless World changed the political agenda overnight, forcing Tony Blair to publish damning mterial that he'd tried to hide. Now, in this updated edition with a shocking new chapter, you can get the full story of how the US and UK governments are riding roughshod over international agreements on human rights, war, torture and the environment - the very laws they put in place. Here sands looks at why global rules matter for all of us. And he powerfully makes the case for preserving them ... before justice becomes history.
- 2003
Principles of International Environmental Law
- 1252 pages
- 44 hours of reading
This second edition of Philippe Sand's leading textbook on international environmental law provides a clear and authoritative introduction to the subject, revised to December 2002. It considers relevant new topics, including the Kyoto Protocol, genetically modified organisms, oil pollution, chemicals etc. and will remain the most comprehensive account of the principles and rules relating to environmental protection and the conservation of natural resources. In addition to the key material from the 1992 Rio Declaration and subsequent developments, Sands also covers topics including the legal and institutional framework, the field's historic development and standards for general application. This will continue to be an invaluable resource for both students and practitioners alike.
