Outwitting History: How a Young Man Rescued a Million Books and Saved a Vanishing Civilisation - Softcover

Aaron Lansky's book is an adventure story about the survival of Yiddish... fast-moving, funny account of his 25-year mission... a very exciting read... Lansky, horrified that the People of the Book are discarding theirs, becomes a missionary for a lost culture... A whistle-stop journey to the end of the Jewish world. (The Independent .)

There's just one word to describe the feat at the heart of Aaron Lansky's enchanting book Outwitting History... chutzpah... His account of saving 1.5 million books (and counting) is an adventure story to delight bibliophiles. (Daily Mail .)

Outwitting History is the charming and compelling epic about how Lansky and a few volunteers saved Yiddish books from extinction. Lansky recounts his adventures on the road... Outwitting History inspires longing for an era that valued books over bookshelf space. (The Times .)

But now and again a quite unexpected book draws me in. The latest to trap me is 'Outwitting History' by Aaron Lansky... The book is the story of how he travelled the country saving a vast and rich culture which was about to be swallowed up... His visit to a Borscht belt hotel in the Catskills is worth the price alone. It's very funny, very rewarding, and you don't need to be Jewish to enjoy it. (Simon Hoggart 'The Guardian)