The Watchmaker’s War by Danny Ben-Moshe

A new beginning. And old enemy. A perilous choice.

When Yakov Holtzman arrives in Melbourne – about as far away as he can possibly get from the graveyard that is Europe – he puts behind him the years he spent in the forests of Lithuania as a leader of the resistance, fighting the Nazis. He has come to join his brother – his only surviving family member – and start a new life as the watchmaker he once was.

Yakov looks for solace – and love – in the fragile, traumatised community of Jewish refugees taking root in a new land. But when swastikas, threats and, most frightening of all, the faces of old enemies appear on the streets of suburban St Kilda, his new-found peace is shattered.

How could murderers, responsible for the deaths of thousands, have been welcomed into Australia? And why, when they’re reported, do the authorities do nothing?

Fierce instincts are reawakened in him, and Yakov knows he must act. But how can justice – or revenge – best be served? And will Yakov’s drive to destroy his enemies destroy him too, leaving the new life he has built in ruins?

Based on a true story, The Watchmaker’s War is a gripping, high-stakes tale of Nazi hunters in Australia and the war criminals they pursued – killers with links at the highest levels of Australia’s spy agency. It offers profound insights into the lingering trauma of genocide, posing difficult questions about survivors’ competing desires for peace and vengeance, and how far a victim should go in the pursuit of justice when the authorities fail to act.

About the Author: Danny Ben-Moshe is a Walkley Award-winning documentary filmmaker, whose films have screened on leading networks around the world, from the BBC to PBS. Prior to becoming a full-time filmmaker Danny spent over a decade as a professor at Deakin and Victoria universities in Melbourne where he researched issues of cultural diversity in general, and Jewish identity in particular.

His first podcast, My Lost Family, featured in Audible’s top 10 podcast in its year of release. His documentary Revenge: Our Dad the Nazi Killer, which inspired The Watchmaker’s War, debuted in 2023.

Danny’s work takes him around the world but when home in Australia, he lives in Caulfield North, Melbourne.

13 Jan 2026
 

The Watchmaker’s War: A compelling historical novel of revenge and justice, based on the true story of Nazi hunters in Australia by Danny Ben-Moshe ISBN 9781460763612