Part history, part cultural biography, and part literary mystery, 'The Orientalist' traces the life of Lev Nussimbaum (1905-1942), a Jew who transformed himself into a Muslim prince, and later a best-selling author in Nazi Germany.
Tom Reiss spent five years tracking down secret police records, letters and diaries to piece together a life entirely built on subterfuge, to end up with an adventure story that explores some of the greatest atrocities of the twentieth century.
