Michel Thomas: A Remarkable Man With a Grand Mission

“My intention in creating my method was not to teach languages quickly.
I created it to change the world. ” --- Michel Thomas

Every so often an extraordinary soul appears on our planet, a soul who is meant to accomplish wondrous things, a soul who is to live an extraordinary life, a soul who is to escape the grips of death many times over, a soul who is to touch the lives of all those who are blessed to cross his path, a soul who is to effect major change in the fabric of mankind. That extraordinary soul was a man with a grand and noble mission. That extraordinary soul, that man, was Michel Thomas.

The above accolades may appear to be exaggerated to those who have never had the privilege of knowing the magnetic personality, the brilliant educator, the wonderful human being, the devoted father, the captivating storyteller, the skillful interrogator, the great survivor of an evil, moral pestilence that almost destroyed our world during one of its darkest hours. No one could ever bestow enough laurels on this extraordinary man who appeared among humankind to accomplish a very special mission that only he could realize.

Only an incredible human being with exceptional courage, great determination and with a powerful drive to survive when others could not or did not, could achieve that which Michel Thomas had in his long and prodigious life. A man of deep convictions, a man of unrelenting courage, a fighter for a noble cause, a man whose brilliance and wisdom will continue to shine as a beacon beyond his passing, to lead his fellow men out of the darkness of ignorance to a new way of thinking, of teaching and of being. His unique teaching method and his singular thinking will help to engender true “freedom of mind” and dignity of self in an era of increasing mindlessness, confusion and even terror.

So who was this man, Michel Thomas, and what was he all about? From the very first moment that we met Michel, we realized that we were in the presence of someone very special indeed.

Someone truly unique in our day and age, Michel was part of a rare breed still known to some today as a “gentleman,” and a gentleman in every sense of the word. He was also a gentle man on the outside who exuded that ‘old world’ European charm which, as many know, is more the exception than the rule in our present day society.

Beware however, for that polite and gentle exterior belied something much bigger and more powerful at work here. Behind that poised, mild mannered exterior lay a cauldron ready to explode into unbridled anger at any moment, given the proper provocation. If one did not know Michel the man, and understand his perspective on the world, or know about the many death defying incidents in his life, his outbursts would have truly frightened some; and they most certainly have on more than one occasion.

What immediately struck one about Michel was his powerful presence. Some may have called it charisma, a meaningless term in Michel’s mind. Such a description is much too superficial for the likes of a man of his stature. Instead, we prefer to describe his personal appeal as a tremendous sense of self-confidence, natural charm, intensity of being, profound wisdom, heightened awareness of everything within him and around him and an extraordinarily contagious and ebullient energy, all impeccably blended together and bursting forth as a shining light while he was among us. He had the most amazing, penetrating gaze and soft blue eyes that could literally see right through you and often did.

We have named it the "Michel look,” one that was undeniably his and his alone. It was a look that is visible early on in photos of Michel in his teens and twenties, when he was already engaged in life and death struggles during World War II. It intensely communicates a profoundly etched memory of unheard torment and humiliation that few will hopefully ever have to experience: living a ‘hell on earth’ in concentration and deportation camps, miraculously escaping the hands of death to join forces with the Secret Army of the French Resistance for two years, then to fight bravely with the First Combat Intelligence Unit during and after the war for three years in all, and after the war, working with US Counter Intelligence as a special agent to track and capture Nazis war criminals.

All of these larger than life experiences, the kind from which the threads of fiction are woven, created an intricately designed puzzle of events, people, images and emotions, tragedies and triumphs, each contributing to that look and to the making of Michel the unique man and illustrious educator. The Michel look was often mesmerizing to those around him, especially to those caught by surprise. One can only wonder if it was that look which somehow swayed the Gestapo, Klaus Barbie, whom Michel called “the model of evil,” to release Michel after their confrontation in Lyon. The Michel look immediately took hold whenever a topic was broached that recalled the horrors of the past which Michel personally witnessed.

Although Michel was born of the Jewish faith, he was certainly more like what we would call a universalist. He understood and appreciated all people, all races and all religions. For this he thanked his “two mothers” who imparted this wisdom to him when he was a child. Michel had a better understanding of Christianity than most Christians and he had studied the other world religions as well. He raised his own children to appreciate the value of all human life and of all life, for that matter.

Interestingly, both in spite of and because of his extraordinary life, Michel was at the same time both grounded and, in a sense, above it all, a quality which enabled him to understand nuances and to see things in people and situations that most others certainly could not and perhaps would not.

More important, it was the inexplicable sense of knowing deep within himself, of knowing that he had led such an unbelievable life in order to accomplish a very special mission for humankind, that fed that mighty power, that unwavering self-confidence and unstoppable drive, all of which contributed to making Michel Thomas the remarkable man that he was.

It was this same sense of inner knowing which created a sense of mystery around him that sparked a certain curiosity among anyone who was near him, to want to learn more. That inner knowing combined with an almost ethereal and authoritative bearing, resulted in one’s having what was essentially a feeling of standing in the presence of one very powerful and exceptional human being.

Discover The Future of Learning

• The "Future of Learning" is the only book about the Michel Thomas Method personally approved by Michel Thomas himself.

• Discover why Michel Thomas attracted a clientele that comprised a veritable "Who's Who of Hollywood, Business, and Politics" including celebrities such as Woody Allen and Princess Grace of Monaco, and many more who were fortunate to learn with the Master Teacher...
• Now you have that same opportunity to learn from the Method he left for you.

• Now you can discover the true secrets of the Master Teacher.

• Michel's method was a vital part of his mission to "change the world," and his timely message is directed to all those who care about the future of our children, and hence, the future of our world.

Learning does not have to be hard. It is fun. We hope you enjoy it.

Marilyne Woodsmall

Co-Author