An Ordinary Man: from Vienna to Japan and Back During World War II

Paul Patek was openly gay, Jewish, and an engineer who landed a job in Japan in order to escape the Nazis. This book is an epic adventure from Vienna to Japan and back. A tale of family, history, holocaust survival and miracles, all through the actions of one charming ordinary man.

What People Are Saying About An Ordinary Man

"It truly is a story like no other." - E. Randol Schoenberg, lawyer, genealogist, and author

"A fascinating and moving true account that reads like a novel, memoir and adventure story of one man's family and the uncle who risked everything to save them from Nazi terror. Richly told and lovingly documented, An Ordinary Man is no ordinary story, highlighting issues of anti-Semitism, racism and LGBTQ rights, so prevalent today. As a Jewish writer, Asian Studies major and Chinese linguist, I was particularly moved by this page-turning retelling. Highly recommended." - Jana Laiz, author of Weeping Under This Same Moon

"For Holocaust offspring who owe their lives to the courageous acts of kindness and out of-the-box thinking of people like Paul Patek, An Ordinary Man reminds us of a surprising truth-that the fate of Holocaust survivors continues to touch the hearts of family members across the generations." -Liane Grunberg Wakabayashi, author of The Wagamama Bride

"An Ordinary Man helps you to picture what really happened to ordinary people during World War II, especially in Austria and Japan. A gripping story that brings history to life." - Dr. Clemens Jochem, author of Der Fall Foerster

About the Book

An Ordinary Man is history captured through a personal lens - a WW2 adventure, a family saga, a love story, and a testament to the power of the human spirit.

An epic true story of a Jewish gay man's extraordinary life, from escaping Nazi oppression in Austria - saving his family via a winning lottery ticket - to finding refuge of sorts in Japan before finally settling down to a quiet life back in Vienna after the war. Paul Patek witnessed some of the 20th century's most traumatic events with an unfailing optimism and spirit.

An Ordinary Man is the story of an extraordinary man whose life was so much more than ordinary.

About the Author

Everything Christopher Bock does is with passion and thoroughness fueled by curiosity. The list is diverse-photography, collecting baseball cards, keeping bees, and his own hardwood flooring business, Geronimo Floors. But he never thought of writing a book until he was handed his grandfather's autobiography. That same curiosity and passion led him to the extraordinary story of his grandfather's escape from Austria in 1938-and the key role a mischievous uncle played in the family's survival.