Michael Calvin and Naftali Schiff to Release the Astonishing True Story, Miracle, With Harper Horizon on June 9, 2026

NASHVILLE, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mar 11, 2026--

Award-winning writer and Sunday Times bestselling author Michael Calvin and globally renowned collator of Holocaust testimony Rabbi Naftali Schiff will release the incredible true story Miracle: The Boys Who Escaped the Gas Chamber at Auschwitz with Harper Horizon on June 9, 2026.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260311126328/en/

A miracle unfolded on October 10, 1944, at Auschwitz. Amid the gas chambers and crematoria, a ragtag group of Jewish boys, aged thirteen to seventeen, were marched naked into Crematorium 5, their names already crossed out in Nazi ledgers as gestorben — “dead.” They would soon be put to death in the infamous gas chambers.

But just moments before Zyklon B pellets were released, fate intervened: Three German officers arrived on motorbikes and ordered their evacuation, selecting them to unload a consignment of potatoes from Greece.

This is their astonishing story. Miracle: The Boys Who Escaped the Gas Chamber in Auschwitz illuminates their incredible journey from the brink of death to lives of profound purpose and resilience.

Experience the raw emotion, the struggle for survival, and the lasting power of faith amid unimaginable cruelty. These boys—who endured concentration camps, death marches, and constant dehumanization—rebuilt their families and became living testaments to hope.

Through archival research, survivor testimonies, and haunting personal accounts, Miracle gives voice to a chapter of Holocaust history that was nearly lost. It reveals how a single twist of fate and the strength of the human spirit changed the course of so many lives.

“At a time of denial and disinformation, it is more important than ever to tell the stories of Holocaust survivors,” said Michael Calvin. “Once their voices fade away, other, more malign, influences will have an opportunity to flourish. The boys who share their experiences in Miracle speak for their generation, to a world that must be reminded of the truth they represent.”

“After a twenty-year international search to identify eyewitnesses to the most extraordinary Holocaust story I had ever encountered, I conducted six in-depth interviews across three continents,” said Rabbi Naftali Schiff. “The lucidity, authenticity, and moral courage of these boys, now in the twilight of their lives, compelled me to bring the stark truth of their experience to light. In an age marked by distortion and diminishing historical memory, their undeniable testimony must be heard.”

An instant Sunday Times Bestseller in the UK, Miracle is more than a historical account; it is a memorial of tears, defiance, and unimaginable dignity, urging us to remember and carry forward their legacy for a better future. Their courage echoes through time, reminding us that even in history’s darkest moments, the light of humanity can prevail.

Miracle will be available in hardcover, ebook, and audiobook. You can pre-order today at: https://www.harpercollinsfocus.com/9781400255580/miracle/.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

Michael Calvin is an award-winning writer and Sunday Times bestselling author whose books have been hailed for their insight and influence. He has collaborated with such celebrated sportsmen as Sir Alastair Cook, Dylan Hartley, and Gareth Thomas, and is the only writer to win the British Sports Book of the Year award in successive years. Most recently, and in a wider context, he has collaborated on critically acclaimed autobiographies of Toby Gutteridge, a quadriplegic former Special Forces soldier, and of Josef Lewkowicz, a Holocaust survivor and Nazi hunter.

Rabbi Naftali Schiff is a leading social entrepreneur and innovator who has conceived and built numerous successful educational organizations working to ensure Jewish futures. He is also a globally renowned collator of the testimonies of Holocaust survivors and a documentary filmmaker. He has personally interviewed over two hundred Holocaust survivors to ensure their testimonies, legacy, and values are preserved for future generations. Naftali is committed to constantly identifying new pathways and vehicles in order to inspire today’s younger generation.

ABOUT HARPER HORIZON:

Harper Horizon is a Nashville-based imprint of HarperCollins Focus focused on the stories, values and diverse voices of Americana and beyond, publishing authors such as Shea McGee, Penn & Kim Holderness, Willie Nelson, Luke Russert, and more. For more information, please visit www.harpercollinsfocus.com/Harper-Horizon.

Courtesy of Harper Horizon, an imprint of HarperCollins Focus.

Anti-drone lasers used near the southern border by the U.S. military and Homeland Security to combat cartel drones are safe and shouldn’t necessitate airport closures, the Federal Aviation Administration announced Friday after a review prompted by airspace closures in Texas earlier this year.

The FAA and Defense Department have signed an agreement outlining the safety precautions that they say will protect travelers anytime these lasers are used, but their statement didn't spell out what those safeguards will be.

The FAA didn’t immediately respond to questions seeking more details about the agreement.

In early February, the FAA closed the airspace around the El Paso airport for several hours after another agency used a counter-drone laser without notifying the aviation safety regulator. That left many travelers scrambling to find new flights. A second, more limited airspace closure later that month followed the military shooting down a drone owned by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

A demonstration of the lasers conducted last month at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico convinced the FAA that they can be used safely.

"We will continue working with our interagency partners to ensure the National Airspace System remains safe while addressing emerging drone threats,” FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said in a statement.

Drones are commonly used along the border by Mexican cartels looking to deliver drugs or surveil officers. Officials told Congress last summer that more than 27,000 drones were detected within 1,600 feet (500 meters) of the southern border in the last six months of 2024.

The use of armed drones regularly carry out devastating attacks in the Ukraine and Iran wars highlights the threat.

Lawmakers in Congress said they are glad to see the agencies working together better now. But Democratic senators who raised questions after the anti-drone laser uses in February say they need detailed answers before they can be sure the lasers are safe. The FAA has not yet held a briefing for Congress.

“It is absolutely critical that meaningful interagency collaboration continues — the FAA must be at the table whenever any counter-UAS (Unmanned Aircraft System) is deployed that could impact the safety of our national airspace,” said Rep. Rick Larsen, who is the ranking Democrat on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

In the second incident, the military used the laser to shoot down a “seemingly threatening” drone flying near the U.S.-Mexico border on Feb. 26. It turned out the drone belonged to Customs and Border Protection, lawmakers said.

That led the FAA to close the airspace around Fort Hancock, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) southeast of El Paso.

The Trump administration has said it was working to halt an incursion by Mexican cartel drones. U.S. Army Brigadier General Matt Ross said that this agreement will allow the use of the most advanced tools to defend the homeland.

“By working hand-in-hand with the FAA and our interagency partners, the Department of War is proving that these cutting-edge capabilities are safe, effective, and ready to protect all air travelers from illicit drone use in the national airspace,” Ross said.

The U.S. government has handed out more than $250 million to help states prepare to respond to drones before hosting World Cup matches and celebrations planned this summer for the country's 250th birthday.

Another $250 million in grants will be awarded later this year to strengthen the nation’s drone defenses.

FILE - People stand in line at check-in counters at El Paso International Airport, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026, in El Paso, Texas. (AP Photo/Morgan Lee,File)