Essential reading to ensure these remarkable people are never forgotten

I've read quite a few books about the Second World War but this one really stuck with me. It tells the story of Allied airmen and members of the resistance who were trapped on one of the final deportation trains leaving Brussels just as the city was about to be liberated. The sheer scale of the research Greg Lewis has put into this is incredible and it shows in every chapter.

What really got to me was the unbelievable bravery of the "normal" people involved. These weren't professional soldiers in the traditional sense – they were just people who decided they couldn't sit back and do nothing while their country was occupied. The detail provided about the individual airmen and the Belgian resistance fighters makes the whole ordeal feel very personal rather than just another history lesson.

The conditions these people faced were nightmare-ish, and the author doesn't shy away from the grim reality of life in occupied territory. It isn't just about the train itself, but the constant fear and the unknown that they lived with every single day. From the tension of evasion and moving between safe houses to the harrowing experiences after being caught, you really get a sense of the immense pressure on both the airmen and the resistance members.

If you're interested in untold stories of WWII or the resistance in occupied Europe, I'd definitely recommend picking this up. It’s a remarkable tribute to those who suffered and fought back during such a dark time.

Many thanks to the author, Mirror Books and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of this informative book.

The Nazi Ghost Train by Greg Lewis is an exceptional work of Second World War history—one that brings to light a remarkable episode almost entirely absent from mainstream narratives and formal education. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Despite extensive public and academic engagement with the Second World War, the events at the heart of this book are not widely known. They certainly were not part of the histories taught in schools, and their omission feels striking once encountered. Lewis reconstructs, with precision and authority, the story of the final deportation train leaving Brussels and the extraordinary civilian-led resistance that prevented more than 1,400 people from disappearing into the concentration camp system at the very end of the war.

What distinguishes this account is its depth of research and its refusal to sensationalise. Drawing on a wealth of primary sources and interviews, Lewis captures not only the dramatic rescue itself but the cumulative psychological toll of life under occupation: the constant fear, the precariousness of underground networks, the moral and physical risks faced daily by resistance members and Allied airmen alike. The narrative situates the ‘Ghost Train’ within this broader landscape of sustained danger, making clear that the rescue was not an isolated act of bravery, but the culmination of months—often years—of quiet, relentless resistance.

The book is particularly strong in its portrayal of Belgian civilians whose actions were decisive yet historically marginalised. Their courage is presented with scholarly restraint, allowing the facts themselves to convey the scale of what was achieved against overwhelming odds.

This is history at its best: rigorously researched, compellingly written, and genuinely illuminating. The Nazi Ghost Train expands our understanding of resistance in occupied Europe and corrects a significant gap in popular WWII knowledge. It is essential reading for anyone serious about twentieth-century history, and highly recommended to readers seeking lesser-known but profoundly important wartime stories.