The Rat Catcher – further insights – an interview with George, August 2024
George Manus, who’s step father Max Manus wrote the book The Rat Catcher, originally published in Norwegian and now available in this recently released English Version, answers some questions about the book;
– What is a Rat Catcher?
Rat Catcher was the name given to Norwegian resistance fighters who performed the dirtiest jobs during World War II.
They liquidated informers, torturers and other Norwegians who worked for the Germans.
– When did Max write The Rat Catcher?
Max wrote The Rat Catcher in 1948. We all knew that the manuscript existed and that it was kept in the ‘bottom drawer of the rose-painted cupboard’ at our family home.
It was written on a travel typewriter in a mixture of Danish and Norwegian language. The text was very compact without line breaks, and with infinitely long sentences and commas in the strangest of places. Every millimetre of the A4 sheet was utilised. However, what Max lacked in Norwegian grammar and punctuation, he made up for in his story telling.
The family doesn’t really know why Max didn’t publish the book but it could very well be that the subject of The Rat Catchers at the time, for obvious reasons was very touchy. After Max passed in 1996 my mother gave me the manuscript of The Rat Catcher as a gift.
– For the people outside of Norway who don’t know – how Is Max perceived in Norway?
From the very first days after the liberation Max became a well-known person in Norway for what he did during the war.
His books, and business life together with the very successful movie about his merits have never allowed his name to be forgotten in his home country.
– When the original, Norwegian version of the The Rat Catcher was released, how was it received?
The original version in Norwegian was released in Norway in 2021, and very soon it became a great success and a bestseller.
It was presented as the ‘undiscovered Novel by Norway’s greatest war hero’. Any Norwegian interested in the countries history knows the name Max Manus and that he was a well known resistance fighter.
This is largely due to Max’s previously published two books about his war experience, one in late 1945 and the second in 1946 – and according to himself, claimed that only the Bible sold more in the Norwegian post-war years.
Many of Max’s friends and other brave people gave their life fighting for freedom for their country, and these days, almost eighty years after the liberation people, both young and old in Norway still find interest in what really happened during the war.
I think the fact that Max wrote The Rat Catcher in 1948, three years after the end of World War II, but it was not published until 2021 may have triggered people’s curiosity.
– What other books has Max written?
His two war-books ‘Det vil helst gå godt’ and ‘Det blir alvor’ were published in 1945 and 1946. English versions of the two books, named ‘Underwater Saboteur’ were published in 1953 by William Kimber & Co. Ltd., and in 1972 by Fontan Books. After this Max then wrote four more books in his life: ‘Jorden rundt på 80 dager’, 1973, (With Arne Falk-Rønne), ’Reisen til verdens ende’, 1975, (With Arne Falk-Rønne), Sally Olsen: ‘Fangenes engel i Puerto Rico’, 1975, and ‘Mitt Liv’ (‘My Life’) first published in 1995, With Bjørn Benkow.
– And the movie, tell me about that.
Since growing up with Max as a Stepfather the question of making a film about his life as a saboteur during the war was at times brought up by filmmakers, but no realistic plans came out of it. I think that among other challenges it was obvious that this would be an expensive film to make. Max passed in 1996 without anything happening with the movie. Then, the Norwegian screenwriter, Thomas Nordseth-Tiller, wrote the script for the 2008 movie ‘Max Manus: Man of War’. He accomplished this remarkable feat as a 25-year-old student at the Academy of Art in San Fransisco, where he was studying film. Sadly, Thomas passed in May 2009 after a battle with cancer at only 28 years old. At that time my mother was still alive, (she passed in 2010 age 96), and she had frequent meetings with Thomas during the time he was writing the script.
At the Colosseum Cinema in Oslo, December 2008, the movie premiere took place – my mother and I had the honour of sitting next to His Majesty King Harald. At the reception afterwards, my mother, who was also known for her war merits, conversed with the actors and guests in Norwegian, English, German and French and made it clear during her conversations that: “The film showed authentically what the atmosphere was like during the war, and the role Max played in it”.
The film became a commercial success, with the second highest number of cinema viewers in Norway, ever. ’Max Manus’: Man of War’ became one of the most expensive films ever made in Norway with 1800 extra’s and 2000 people engaged in the crew and film-set.
(The film ‘Max Manus: Man of War’ was a co-production between Norway, Denmark, and Germany. It was produced by B&T Film, Filmkameratene A/S, Miso Film, and Rosenbergfilm. The movie, directed by Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg, is a biographical war film based on the real-life story of Max during World War II. Aksel Hennie portrayed Max in the lead role. IMDb 7.3/10, Rotten Tomatoes 79%)
– What year is the story set in?
We assume that the story is from the same time as the script was written, 1948.
During the war Max was a member of the of Norwegian Independent Company 1, which was a British Special Operations Executive (SOE) group formed in March 1941 originally for the purpose of performing commando raids during the occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany. Organised under the leadership of Captain Martin Linge (The Linge Company), it soon became a pool of talent for a variety of special operations in Norway.
After the war The Linge Club was formed in 1947 as an association for people who served in The Linge Company during the War. It became a centre for its members where they could meet and discuss. Max and eleven of his comrades in arms also made up the twelve members of the ‘The Oslo Gang’, (or The Linge Company’s Oslo detachment). It was a sabotage group operating in Oslo from May 1944 to May 1945, and was said by SOE to be Europe’s best saboteur group during the Second World War.
I assume that Max and his friends, both in the club and in other friendly gatherings had plenty of time to exchange experiences and thoughts from the war, and as Max had already written his war-books with great success I find it logical that he made a book based on his knowledge of the Rat Catchers.
– When did you first read The Rat Catcher
During and after the war I had got to know many of Max’s comrades in arms and I had read his published war books, but I had only sporadically looked at The Rat Catcher. Being a mixture of Danish and Norwegian it was almost unreadable for a young guy, so I never read it through. It was many decades later and long after my mother had given me Max’s script, that I finally read it all, and with the help of my sister Mette started the challenge of publishing the novel.
– What motivated you / what were your reasons, to translate the book into English?
Having received the script as a gift from my mother I felt it was my responsibility to make it into a readable Norwegian version for the family. I turned the script into a book using my experience of writing and printing over 20 books of my own, along with the help of my Danish friend Ole Praud, and earlier sales Director in our company Max Manus Denmark.
Eleven books were printed but not published. They were numbered and dated the 14th of May 2020, (my Birthday), I then gave a copy to each of my family. Based on this printed but not published version, my sister Mette, with full support from the family contacted the publisher Kagge Forlag AS in Oslo and together the decision was taken to print it as it was – as Max wrote it with only some small judicious edits which I am responsible for.
The rest is as one says, history. It went on to become a best seller in Norway in 2021. After the release of the Norwegian version I felt it was my duty to make it available to English speakers interested in Norwegian war history. It provides an amazing insight into those times immediately after the war and I wanted to make Max’s book available to as many people as possible.
– What was it like growing up with Max as your father?
The short answer: Freedom under responsibility.
The long answer – is in the form of a book I wrote about exactly that, titled: ‘The Mischievous Boy and The War Hero – growing up with my stepfather Max Manus’.
Thanks to Max I grew up with many exciting challenges. Freedom under responsibility was one of the most exciting. I have learned that freedom under responsibility challenges human strengths, but also reveals weaknesses. I will always appreciate that Max introduced me to nature early in life, I believe that people who are genuinely fond of nature and wildlife, are deep down good people, and that was Max.
The following dedication appeared in an anniversary edition of his books, collected in one volume, in 1955:
“To George my son and comrade, wishing that you when you read this book, you will still be able to understand the difficulties I had in being so young when I became your farther. I have never been an angel, but my language of choice is ‘Fight for everything you love’ and for me it is the homeland, mother and you three children. Live up to that George.” Max, Christmas 1955.
– Did he talk much to you about his endeavours during and after the war?
If Max ever talked about his actions during the war, it was never about details. What he told us at home relating to the war was always about the humorous side of things, and fortunately there was plenty of them. I never heard him refer to details unless it was with an obvious touch of self-irony.
– Why do you think he didn’t publish the book during his life?
I can only imagine one reason for Max not to publish the book in his days. He of course knew that the subject of Rat Catching would be very touchy for many, especially at that time in 1948. The post-war period of war history is fascinating yet the subject of The Reat Catchers has been mostly concealed for obvious reasons. Only in these last few years have we in Norway seen books covering this part of the war, published by known authors who obtained special access to the archives.
– This new, English Version, of The Rat Catcher features a statue of Max on the cover
Yes, the statue was commissioned in 2011 by Samlerhuset and was sculpted by Per Ung* (1933-2013) one of the foremost sculptors in recent Norwegian art history.
On the 7th of June 2011, Gunnar “Kjakan” Sønsterby unveiled the statue of Max Manus at Akershus fortress in Oslo. From where the statue stands, Max, with combat-ready attitude and focused gaze, overlooks the very place where one of his famous actions of sabotage took place on the 16th of January 1945. You can watch a video here.
A few years ago Per Ung’s widow, the sculptor Elena Engelsen, telephoned my sister to inform her that the original half size carved plaster of Max, was about to go mouldy if action were not taken. The family got together to save the original. It was cast in bronze, and placed at the property at Landøya in Asker, where my mother and Max lived from 1946 till their death. My sister Mette and her family still reside at the premises. The approximately one metre-high statue is, but for the height, identical to the one at Akershus. He stands overlooking the estate he loved so much, guarding his descendants.
– Who do you think The Rat Catcher will appeal to?
I think The Rat Catcher will appeal to anyone who is interested in history, modern history in particular and World War II. The Rat Catcher gives us an incredible insight into the moods and attitudes after the war, when people needed to create a new life again set against a surreal backdrop of trauma, betrayal, death, hardship and upheaval yet liberation. I think it will be enjoyed by the older generations that can directly relate to those times and also younger people who are interested in modern history and culture in Europe.
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