Tenacity

“Tenacity” is a tribute to the members of a truly European family finding their way in tempestuous times, even in the darkest hours, in the often-demanding environment of the Twentieth Century. The events of the somewhat forgotten, more distant past come to life through the war-time experiences of an Anglican field chaplain, a Royal Flying Corps aviator, an Afrika Korps soldier and a Luftwaffe paratrooper, which this large Austrian-British family brought together. Highlighting the unpredictability of the passage of time, and indeed of life itself, we are introduced to the daughter of a Welsh shipowner becoming the wife of a vicar, to a headmistress in Malaysia, to a mountaineer and cable car engineer in Austria, to a stereotypical “Uncle from America”, as well as to the motley stories of numerous others. More recent family experience allows us to re-live the era from the Cold War to the recent breakdown of the post-war international order. Not to mention two young people from formerly hostile countries. By finding happiness through a chance encounter in the Tyrolean Alps a mere four years after the war, they came to represent hope and a new era for Europe rising from the ashes. These captivating stories are told by a family member, Andreas Herdina, drawing on eyewitness accounts and family archives. Inspired by his family history, he has devoted his working life in various diplomatic missions to promoting a civilised world order. Coming through, the voice of the author is worth listening to in our uncertain times.