{"product_id":"without-permission","title":"Without Permission","description":"\u003cp\u003eA fantastical propaganda play depicting an armed revolt financed the purchase of the yacht \u003ci\u003eAbril\u003c\/i\u003e and its conversion to an “illegal” immigrant passenger ship renamed the \u003ci\u003eBen Hecht\u003c\/i\u003e. The plan was to evade the British naval blockade and bring Holocaust survivor refugees to Palestine.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHenry Mandel volunteered aboard the \u003ci\u003eBen Hecht\u003c\/i\u003e, a converted yacht that challenged the British blockade of Jewish immigrants to pre-state Israel. Captured and detained in Acre Prison, Mandel aided the efforts of  prisoners planning an escape. After release, Mandel helped set up a secret bazooka shell plant in New York, which he helped to reassemble in Israel during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. Mandel was an Orthodox Jew whose reminiscences provide a uniquely illuminating perspective on the creation of the Jewish state. Mandel’s story is explicated in a running commentary that includes the personal narratives of other members of the \u003ci\u003eBen Hecht\u003c\/i\u003e crew as well as historical background.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57484302516597,"sku":"9781644695944","price":15.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781644695944.jpg?v=1786266359","url":"https:\/\/backstory.london\/products\/without-permission","provider":"Backstory","version":"1.0","type":"link"}