I decided to write about both these books in one post for several reasons. They share obvious themes for one, and they complement each other in that one is written by a free German woman, an 'ordinary citizen', and the other is written by a Jewish German woman who spent the war in hiding. They… Continue reading Tales of Survival: A Woman in Berlin and Gone to Ground
Tag: World War II
Upcoming reads and reviews
I'm focusing purely on reading at the moment, and I know it'll be a week or so until my next review - so in the meantime I thought I'd share a 'preview' of what's coming up, both in my reading and here on the blog. I am about to finish reading the third book in… Continue reading Upcoming reads and reviews
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Her Father’s Daughter by Marie Sizun (tr. Adriana Hunter)
In short, Her Father's Daughter is another amazing little book from Peirene. If you are a child of divorce, like me, you will recognise at least some of the emotions and scenarios in this book. There are moments and situations that will make your heart stop; things you recognise that you hoped you had forgotten.… Continue reading Her Father’s Daughter by Marie Sizun (tr. Adriana Hunter)
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In Which I Am So, So Glad I Finally Read The Kindly Ones by Jonathan Littell
In brief, this is the story of a man who was once a Nazi officer, a story of his war; it is a fictional autobiography of an intellectual thrown into the horror of the Second World War. It is the War from 'the other side'. But it is so, so much more than that. Dr… Continue reading In Which I Am So, So Glad I Finally Read The Kindly Ones by Jonathan Littell
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The Second World War: Selected Reading
Note on photos: where possible I have photographed my own books. I own the others mentioned in this post but don't have the books with me, so have used photos from GoodReads. It would be impossible to narrow down the absolute best books about the Second World War, not least because there are scores… Continue reading The Second World War: Selected Reading
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Nietzsche’s sister, the Nazis, and Nueva Germania
I came across Forgotten Fatherland in the Recommendations section of GoodReads (surprisingly good!), and it instantly appealed to me, partly because it just sounded so weird that I needed to find out more about it. Essentially it is the story of Elisabeth Nietzsche, sister of the more famous Friedrich. I didn’t really know that much… Continue reading Nietzsche’s sister, the Nazis, and Nueva Germania
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The Investigation by Jung-Myung Lee
This book grabbed me with its cover. It grabs your attention and makes you wonder what's inside. There are some (lots of) covers out there that spell out what the book is (hello chick lit!), and I find this quite uninspiring. You want the cover to set the tone and mood, but not give too… Continue reading The Investigation by Jung-Myung Lee
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Happy Easter! / I’m Back!
Hello all, my apologies for being a bit quiet of late. I have just got back from holiday in Ireland (so many amazing photos! - coming soon), so I am rather behind on things. In fact I have read three books in the last couple of weeks and need to write about all of them!… Continue reading Happy Easter! / I’m Back!
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City of Women by David Gillham (2013)
Having read Alone in Berlin, and a biography of Hans Fallada (the amazing More Lives Than One), I came to read City of Women with some idea of the world I was stepping into. A world filled with conflicts, both political and social but also psychological, as ordinary Germans dealt with the often devastating effects… Continue reading City of Women by David Gillham (2013)
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Monsieur Le Commandant by Romain Slocombe
Gallic Books kindly offered to send me a review copy of Monsieur Le Commandant - the cover got me straight away. A beautiful graphic font, not too busy, and a French stamp mingled with a Nazi eagle in the corner - something that becomes more and more poignant and chilling as you make your way… Continue reading Monsieur Le Commandant by Romain Slocombe
These Little Words 