Germany Books

Maurice Rose, a tall, handsome soldier was a stand-offish person with those around him. No one in the 3rd Armored Division really got to know much about his personal life. Married twice, he kept his life so secret that his two sons, by different wives, did not know the other existed until many years after some digging by one of the authors.
Rose was a brave man, single-minded, whose only mission was to defeat the Nazis as quickly and as throughly as possible. Whether that was due to his Jewish background (which he seemed to shun) or not is problematical. He demanded absolute loyalty from his men. He would not accept any excuse from any of his subordinate commanders -- accomplish your mission or move on!
This book sheds a lot of light on the man whom General J. Lawton Collins regarded "as the top notch division commander in the business at the time of his death." I heartily recommend it especially to those who are interested in the fighting in North-west Europe during WWII.

If you're a World War II history enthusiast this book is an outstanding selection. The authors, Steven L. Ossad, and Don R. Marsh, did a tremendous job researching Major General Rose's life. They have conducted thorough research that explains everything about him from his faith to his tragic death in March of 1945. I particularly like the footnotes. They provide an easy way for the reader to get background on an event or person the authors have written about. I'd highly recommend the book.

It is, by definition, impossible to determine the "Greatest Forgotten Commander" of any war, but if the authors have not managed the feat indisputably, the life of General Rose has set the barrier so high that one is hard put to think of a "remembered" commander who is so great. To this day, the division he commanded holds the record for the longest opposed advance in a single day.

The life of Maurice Rose is truly inspirational, but what few personal effects remained of his life were almost completely destroyed in a flood. Messrs. Ossad and Marsh have performed a spectacular feat of bringing this important personage alive. There is much of the inner man we can never know, of course, and much of the book is pure military history as it should be, but you get enough of a glimpse of the man to get a sense of what he was like. The authors do not hesitate to criticize his flaws, but that honesty just makes the man that much more impressive.

The authors "bookend" the story with a detailed description of the General's last day (although at least two U.S. generals more senior to Rose and two other division commanders were killed during World War II, to my knowledge, Rose is unique at that rank to have been killed by small arms fire rather than bombs or artillery, a tribute to the General's habit of "leading from the front"). I would have liked a little more information about the fate of the division after the General was killed, but that is available elsewhere.

The general's conversion from Judaism to Christianity is speculated upon in some detail, but the willingness to redefine oneself is uniquely American and it is one of the things which make General Rose a uniquely American hero.

I like reading books on the subject of the Berlin War of 1945 when the Reds stormed across Eastern Europe and ready to plunge into Berlin, the heart of the Reichstag.John Le Tissier knows very well of this War and he researched thoroughly of the subject, like the blunders Zhukov committed at Sellow Heights, and the endurance as well as the misery of the 9th Army under General Busse, not to mention the decimated German Army and the preparation for the showdown in Berlin.I believe this book is not just a book of WWII, but rather a good book on Courage, Sacrifice, Endurance of the German Army as well as the Germanic people, and also the madness of Hitler and his cronies in the Highest Command of the OKW.

This is the best book ever written on the Battle of Berlin. The author to his great credit uses mostly primary sources, to include interviews and memoirs of participants, unit records and histories, and his own detailed knowledge of the terrain. This book is not a rehash of other books. It breaks new ground and is a must read for students of warfare. The first 1/3 of the book focuses on the period of January-March 1945 and the battles fought on the Oder River, as the Red Army struggled to seize and expand bridgeheads, while eliminating German ones, even as the remnants of the German Army's "Army Group Vistula" threw in desperate counterattacks to stabilize the frontline short of Berlin. The author does an incredible job integrating and explaining the tactical and operational pictures of the opposing armies, and interweaving the fighting with the immense psychological pressure Stalin and Hitler placed on their commanders. Zhukov's rivalry with Koniev is explained for the first time as a life and death matter for Zhukov, as Stalin moves his chess pieces and pits them against each other to ensure and secure his own postwar prominence and leadership. The second 1/3 of the book focuses on preparations the German NINTH Army made to defend Berlin and contrasts these to those Zhukov's 1st Belorussian Front made to break through the German lines and seize the Reichstag. The last 1/3 of the book focuses on the first four days of the last major Red Army offensive and ends with the incredibly bloody seizure of the Seelow Heights. Throughout the book the author tends to divide individual chapters into easily readable and understandable segments dealing with each German Corps and the Red Army forces they opposed. The maps help you follow the action. The author also provides excellent order of battle information for each side. The Germans are clearly scrapping the bottom of the barrel, but some of the Wehrmacht's last-levy forces put up an incredible fight, to include obscure formations such as "Battle Group 1001 Nights." The surprising reliance the Soviets were forced to place on the Polish Army is a clear indication the Red Army's enormous manpower losses in previous campaigns has bled Russia white. The author also explains the doctrine the opposing forces used in this campaign, to include a new (1945) German doctrine on defensive operations that would cost the Red Army dearly in men and tanks. The book ends before the actual fighting in the city of Berlin. To read about this part of the campaign, read the author's superb book, "Race to the Reichstag" and then read his "Slaughter at Halbe" for an exciting and fascinating account of the German NINTH Army's breakout south of the city to the west.

Le Tissier furthers strengthens his hold on excellent reporting for the German-Soviet conflit in 1945.
Look for all of his works and when you have them all you have the most complete telling of Germany's final days in the east.

Well and engagingly written, this book gives a lively look into the life of a composer who is now known for only a handful of the nearly 100 works he wrote and who deserves a better fate than that.

Whatever may be the matter with the times we live in, we can at least take some comfort in having escaped from a century largely dominated by musical cognoscenti who insisted that music was not music! (The details are lucidly described in Alex Ross's landmark study, "The Rest is Noise: Listening to the Twentieth Century" -- required summer reading if you don't have a copy already.)

Max Bruch (1838-1920) was not so lucky, but he kept the faith: that music was fundamentally about music. The price he paid for this attitude was that for some time his work has been largely overlooked. It is positively amazing that to this day Christopher Fifield's biography is still "the only full-length study of Bruch."

Many are familiar with Bruch's beautiful Violin Concerto in G minor, often the first major concerto attempted by young violinists. Less well known, but just as musical, is his "Scottish Fantasy" for violin and orchestra. And, of course, the great arrangement of "Kol Nidrei," for cello, and any number of other instruments.

That is just a small part of Bruch's output. He composed three violin concertos, three symphonies, oratorios, chamber music, choral music, etc. Fortunately, much of this has been recorded and is available through Amazon.com.

Fifield's book may seem a little pricey, but it is thorough, well-documented, well-written -- and there are no alternatives. So your decision is easy.

I am the pre-concert speaker for all the symphonic programs of the Boise Philharmonic Association and a guest speaker for the Seattle Symphony. My challange is to bring to life the composers and to create a meaningful context for their works so that the audience can get the most out of each performance. This book contains everything one needs to know about this arresting romantic composer who wrote two of the most beautiful pieces aver written: his Violin Concerto in g minor and his Scottish Fantasy. Bruch's secret? The inspiration of folksong and folk music. The grace, simplicity, the authenticity, and the unalloyed power of the voice of humanity taught him how to write orchestral music that will endure forever. It is all in this excellent book, a perfect companion to his musical masterpieces.

I had to tread through this book for a class at university, but it is one of the most valuable books I read in the past year and was definitely worth the effort. I think Stephen Kalberg made a deliberate effort to be vague and ambiguous, and I suggest he take a course "how to write so that the reader can actually follow and understand what you are trying to say".

That being said, I cannot stress enough how valuable the concepts in this book are. Weber's methodology links the empirical reality as observed by the actions of individuals, via the ideal types, to large sociological and historical structures. In other words, he links agency and structure. The ideal type, which is a simplification and conscious exaggeration of essential features of empirical reality into a unified concept, is the prime tool for any sociologist or historian.

I don't know if reading The Protestant Ethic will prepare you for this text, as another reviewer suggested. Take your time to understand the book, and you will be rewarded.

Provides the Missing Conceptual Framework to Weberian Comparative-Historical Sociology

I can only agree with the comments of the earlier review. This is a great book for those interested in Weber or in social theory in general. I would recommend reading Professor Kalberg's new translation of Weber's classic "The Protestant Ethic & The Spirit of Capitalism" before tackling this book. Kalberg's introduction to PE provides a nice intro to this book as well.

Of particular interest to me were the varied uses of Ideal Types and how they are shown by the author to have a "broad-ranging theoretical capacity" besides being useful has a heuristic yardstick in sociological comparisons.

All in all I came away with a sense of awe and respect for not only Max Weber's, but also Stephen Kalberg's achievement here -- The former in originating and conceptualizing and the latter in synthesizing and reconstructing Weber's intellectually stunning methodology and structure. In short this is a brilliant work from one of today's foremost Weberian scholars.

This work is a superb characterization of the monumental accomplishments of Max Weber, one of the founders of sociology and one of the greatest theoreticians of historiography and law straddling the 19th and the 20th centuries. In this wonderful book, Kalberg addresses himself to some of the major issues of interpretation besetting Weber scholarship, among which are: the scope and character of Weber's appeal to what is widely understood to be his "methodological individualism" (in dealing with this topic, Kalberg stresses the crucial role of the socially-situated TRAGER (in English: "carriers" or "bearers" of a social phenomenon, e.g., 'the Protestant ethic')): the exact nature of what Weber intended with his use of the concept of an 'ideal-type' (beautifully exemplified by Kalberg in so many passages in his book): the characteristics of Weber's comparative-historical method of sociological analysis (which Kalberg demonstrates is so much richer than later versions of such an attempt, especially in US social science circles): and so much more besides. This is a profoundly rich, historically informed and textually precise work of scholarship. One of the finest books on the great work of a great thinker yet in print. I recommend this book to all sociology students and professionals, as well as to historians of ideas, philosophers of social sciences and to general readers who will appreciate the true richness of Max Weber's genius.

Obviously if you purchase this book you're looking for accurate information about WWII German Medals, etc. This book is a must for all of us who enjoy collecting militaria, or are interested in historical research concerning Nazi decorations. It's definitely worthy to add to the "home library". ....

If you are a collector of German militaria, or a historian/film maker/ etc. requiring research material on German medals & orders then this is one of the definitive books available.

Heinrich Doehle was involved with the Reich Minister's office in producing many of the medals & orders he outlines in this book, which was originally published in 1943. The color plates demonstrate the original medals and orders in unissued condition - there is no guesswork associated with their origin - as with pictures produced in current works.

This is an excellent book. If are a collector of WWII Germain medals. I have not seen a better book in English. The original book has more items in it. But it is in Germain. It is a most get book if you are intrested in this subject.

I'm biased. I got a copy of Jeffrey Forgeng's translation of the I.33 manuscript (the oldest extant work on swordsmanship)about five years ago and have been working with it ever since. Even so, I was astounded at the beauty and clarity of the lovely colour plates, reproduced here at amazing resolution.

I.33 occupies a special place in fencing history, demonstrating the sophistication of swordsmanship at this early date (1300AD). It shows a marvelous system of sword and buckler play, every bit as subtle as any later fencing system (and why wouldn't it? medieval swordsmen's lives depended on their skill with a sword, so of course their skill was highly developed).

This is an excellent translation of a key work in the history of swordsmanship. It is not a how-to book though an accompanying one exists (Written by Paul Wagner and myself). Anyone interested in western swordsmanship, the history of movement or of teaching methodology, or simply interested in a fine piece of artwork from the late 13th century needs this book on their shelves.

Stephen Hand
Author of Medieval Sword and Shield:
The Combat System of Royal Armouries MS I.33

I've spent the last 5 weeks pouring over this book and I love it. But I wouldn't recommend it to a beginner. You'll have to learn to visualise guards and counters and run all the various permutations through your head (unless you have a sparring partner) from a set of medieval illustrations with all the usual flaws of perspective that you might expect. Once you start to connect the reality of sword & buckler fighting to the unusual stylistic elements of the drawings, a whole world of insight will be opened up to you.

Before tackling this book, I'd suggest you find out about "invitation", "counter-timing" and "inside and outside lines". I'd suggest you read Guy Windsor's "A Swordsman's Companion" as it has some of the most elegant descriptions of fighting principles I've ever read. And perhaps read some DiGrassi to learn about buckler shadows (if my memory serves me right).

I'd also highly recommend you read Wagner & Hand's interpretation of the I.33 manuscript (Medieval Sword & Shield) at the same time.

Royal Armouries MS I.33 is the oldest illustrated fencing manual in existence, which makes this book valuable to students of European Medieval martial arts for that reason alone. However, it also has the distinctions of describing an interesting non-military style of fencing, is beautifully illustrated in the style of illuminated religious manuscripts, and depicts priests and women fencers! Because of the 8.5 x 11 glossy, color plates, this book is expensive, but I think it is worth it for the reasons cited above.

The translator, Dr. Jeffrey Forgeng, has been working in the field for decades and his introductory material and footnotes are exhaustive and provide a lot of information on the context of the Medieval German fencing tradition that are not in print anywhere else.

Understand, however, that this is a facsimile and translation of a manuscript, it is not a how-to book on medieval sword fighting. The how-to book on this system is Paul Wagner & Stephen Hand's "Medieval Sword and Shield: The Combat System of Royal Armouries MS I.33" also published by Chivalry Bookshelf.

No serious library of books on European Medieval martial arts is complete without this book.

Memoirs is an easy to read account of a girl growing up in Berlin during WWII. The book includes contemporary news sources, song lyrics, recipes, and other interesting information about that time. A good read for those interested in women's history.

Memoirs of a 1000-year-old woman is a compelling account of life in berlin during WWII. The author provides a wealth of fascinating information about life in Nazi Germany. By taking the perspective of an ordinary girl growing up in berlin, the author enables the reader to imagine what it would have been like to live at that time and place and gain an understanding of the psyche of the people of WWII berlin. Memoirs is an important historical and sociological text that will be of great interest to readers.

Memoirs of a 1000 Year Old Woman is a book that should be read by everyone. It details everyday life in Nazi Germany through the eyes of a young girl. Ms. McBride meticulously takes us through her day-to-day activities with careful attention to detail. We see what life was like for the ordinary citizen, caught up in the maelstrom of war.The author relates the problems of living with rationing, bombing raids, restrictions imposed by the government, etc. Ms. McBride's courage, strength, humor, and independence shine through the pages. This book is a wonderful historical record of the times. I highly recommend it!

I bought the hardback edition which is/was a lot more expensive - wish I had waited! Actually, it matters not a jot; this book is great value, regardless of cost.

It took me three readings to absorb most of the contents; for this biography is densely written, full of fact and detail and without much prose for its own sake. Nevertheless, it is eminently readable with a flowing narrative style and in no sense is it heavy going. That it took me three readings is a (non)function of my failing intellect rather than a comment upon the authorship. Regardless of the serious nature of the subject, this book really is a "good read" in its own right.

One of this work's many strengths is that Todd paints with a very broad brush. His view encompasses the social history necessary to see the Mendelssohns against the background of their particular time and the author does a superlative job in portraying their circumstances in a largely anti-Semitic Germany. However, the focus always remains on this extraordinary musician with a creative life lived on so many levels and embracing so many artistic and intellectual pursuits. Felix Mendelssohn emerges as a rounded, developed figure and not the slightly colourless aesthete which a distorted history sometimes has chosen to portray him.

This is a scholarly, well-edited and proof-read volume; the only mistake I noticed was Wellington at Blenheim. (I'm not an American so might just as easily have put Washington at Bull Run . . !) However, from a purely personal standpoint, I should like to have had a little more information on the organ recitals given in England. Several references are made to his having performed Bach works which he so enthusiastically championed but very few English instruments (C or G compass) of the period had a pedal division enabling them to accomplish this.

In short, a totally absorbing account of the life of a fascinating member of a particularly gifted family. I thoroughly recommend it.

Felix Mendelssohn lived only thirty-eight years (Feb 1809- Nov 1847) and yet he had a profound impact on the way Art Music continues to be enjoyed in our time even if he is himself unjustly too far from the public consciousness and his musical works not, while not unperformed, are not performed nearly enough considering their musical quality and artistic merit. He was a man of prodigious genius, manifold talents, and a genuinely gracious and generous man. All rare gifts in this world.

This excellent and much needed modern biography of this most important musician was written by R. Larry Todd. The author gave the book a perfect subtitle - "A Life in Music" because Mendelssohn's whole life, since his early accomplishments as a prodigy, was devoted to composing, performing, conducting, and championing past composers such as Bach and newer young composers and performers who shared his views on the musical arts. The book makes very enjoyable reading because of the way Todd intertwines the life and the music that came out of it. Mendelssohn, like some but more than many composers, wrote and modified pieces for specific occasions and for certain performers. I found the numerous musical examples to be well chosen and illuminating. However, if you cannot read music, you can still understand what they author is saying form his clear and to the point prose.

Felix's grandfather was the famous philosopher Moses Mendelssohn and his father, Abraham, was a prominent banker so Felix and extremely talented sister Fanny did not have to struggle to develop their talents. Abraham converted to Christianity and his children were raised with a Christian faith. Felix's Protestant faith was clear in his music to the day he died even though that aspect of his life is downplayed too much nowadays. Both Fanny and Felix were brilliant piano virtuosos and Felix was also a virtuoso on the organ and violin. They both composed well, but more emphasis was placed on Felix because he was the male and, from available evidence, the greater genius.

It was natural to compare Felix to Mozart, as young prodigies are too this day. In Felix's case it was a warranted comparison, even if his art was not as transcendent as Mozart's. Felix was a brilliant improviser. While every well trained keyboardist (especially organists) were expected to be able to improvise any number of pieces and styles upon provided material, or on material they made up, the kind of ability that Mendelssohn had in this area was beyond brilliant. He was not only capable of solving canons on the fly or harmonizing and making variations on a chorale, he could also turn the subject into a fugue, a double fugue, and more.

Then there is also his memory. There was a concert series where he was repeating a Schubert trio that he had performed a month earlier. However, the music for the piece was only on the stands for the string players. No problem, Mendelssohn played the piano part from memory. However, in order to not draw attention to himself and make his memory the point of the performance, he had the page turner just reach up and turn the pages of whatever was on the music rack to make it look like he was reading from the score!

He could also draw and paint beautifully. Professor Todd provides us with many beautiful samples of Mendelssohn's work and it is very beautiful. Fanny also married an artist and it was he who drew Fanny shortly before her premature death and Felix upon his death bed a few months later. Mendelssohn traveled widely. Like many other young men from wealthy families, he went on a grand tour of Europe and met many of the important people of his day, both artists and men of position in government and business. He always impressed people favorably because of his personal grace, great talents, and, well, charisma. It was a different kind of magnetism than, say, a Liszt. But Mendelssohn had it nonetheless. People were excited when he walked into a room. Musicians played better under his leadership.

And though I believe Mendelssohn is no less a victim of a change in taste than was J. S. Bach was in Felix's day, I know he is a great composer who deserves more attention than he gets in the current repertoire. His symphonies are of high quality, his piano and organ music has much merit, and his oratorios were highly acclaimed and widely performed even in the mid-twentieth century. His songs were often sung, and his chamber music delighted both performers and listeners. So, what changed? Personally, I believe it is our present addiction to irony and a kind of narcissistic attachment to extremes. Mendelssohn does not offer this and so doesn't speak to many people. His music is full of great craft in counterpoint and harmony; his texts are full of health, love, devotion, pride, and faith. To some nowadays he sounds a bit corny. Like all great artists, he is a mirror in which we see ourselves clearly, but think we judge the artist who is actually above our judgment. And we come off poorly if we do not appreciate his genius.

So, if Mendelssohn is "forgotten" how does he affect our approach to Art Music (Classical Music) today? Simple. He was one of the first to lead the orchestra with a baton from the front, to great positive effect. He helped in the revival of J.S. Bach including the b-minor mass and the St. Matthew Passion. His approach to editing texts for publication looked toward our current standard of printing only what the composer wrote as an "Urtext" with editorial emendations clearly marked and separate if possible. He also helped form several great orchestras and when he traveled he helped raise the level of performers all over the world. These traditions live on. Would that we honor the man who authored them.

It is true that his own tendencies toward perfectionism prevented him from ever settling on a libretto for an opera, something he had always wanted to write. However, he left us much to appreciate and it is our fault if we don't explore his works and perform it in our homes, amateur ensembles, and professional musical organizations.

There is more that I could write, but most importantly go read this excellent book and listen to the music of this great man and genius of music.

As a Mendelssohn specialist I pre-ordered this book, and have been working my way through it for the past few weeks. I cannot recommend it highly enough to anyone who is interested in this remarkable composer and his music. It has many points to commend it for scholars(extensive recourse to important but obscure archival documents, correction of major and minor factual errors that have persisted in all the previous Mendelssohn biographies, etc.), and just as much to commend it to general readerships: it's elegantly written, well balanced, informative on contextual, musical, and biographical fronts, etc. Fanny is arguably as present in the pages of this book as she was in Mendelssohn's life. And, not least of all, it's remarkably affordable. I am a former student of Professor Todd (having gotten my Ph.D. from Duke University in 1994), but can also say that I offer these remarks without any bias other than that of being one who admires the music and life of Mendelssohn.

If this reads like an endorsement, it is. I highly recommend the
volume to all who want to know more about Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy.

Me 264 IS A MUST HAVE BOOK AS IT IS A MOST REFRESHING MASTERPIECE ON THE LITTLE KNOWN PSEUDO "LUFTWAFFE 1946" ASPECT OF THE WAR WHICH ALMOST HAPPENED! YES NEW YORK CITY U.S.A. WAS A TARGET IN THE EYE OF THE LUFTWAFFE EAGLE! THAT IS THIS HISTORICAL ATTEMPT TO EXPLAIN & ILLUSTRATE THE TRAGIC WASTED GENIUS OF THOSE TALENTED MANY EXPLOITED BY THE THIRD REICH'S AMBITIONS IS NOT THE USUAL TYPICAL REHASH OF EXISTING MATERIAL ( & MANY STUPID OBVIOUS MISTAKES RECOPIED SO AS TO BE MADE ERRONEOUSLY "CORRECT" FACTS ) COPIED & RECOPIED BY ALL THE UNQUESTIONABLE EXPERTS THAT BE , BUT RATHER FRESH NEW RESEARCH INDEPENDENT OF WHAT ALREADY IS IN PRINT & REPRINT 1000 TIMES OVER! SO GET READY FOR SOME REALLY GREAT REICH RESEARCH READING FROM NOW ANOTHER VIOLENT CENTURY FOREVER PAST AS THIS BOOK WILL GIVE YOU CHILLS AS TO HOW REALLY CLOSE WE CAME TO BEING BOMBED IN THE 1940s! IT IS NOT OVER SO PRAY FOR PEACE BUBELA! GOD bless america! SMILE!

The fact that Germany began the design of large bombers with the intent of bombing the United States, serving as recon for U-Boats, or bombing beyond the Ural mountains is well known. There were a hald dozen or so projects underway to design and build such an airplane. Of these, the Messerschmitt Me 264 was the most advanced, the most tested (70+ flights), and the one closest to being ready to put into production.

Had the Germans bombed New York City, the effect would probably be similar to that of the Japanese after the Doolittle raid, that is, putting a lot more effort in creating a stronger air force at home, and generally beefing up anti aircraft defenses.

But the planes were never built. The Me 264 reached the stage of having one flying prototype, but by then the Germans had had enough. All aircraft production was put into fighters to defend against the Allied bomber campaign.

This book details the construction of the Me 264, as well as having chapters on competitive aircraft, the German Atomic Bomb project, and the political aspects of the decision to discontinue the effort of building the plane. This is a very well researched book on a subject that has only been hinted at before.

If you have a strong interest in this unique German aircraft (only one was ever completed), then you'll want to own this book. I have waited many years for such a volume to appear in print and at last it has. You will NOT be disappointed with it.

The authors give us a technically detailed and comprehensive description of the Me 264's genesis, development, construction, flight testing and ultimate destruction at the hands of Allied bombers. They also provide extensive background history on the Luftwaffe's efforts to produce a long-range strategic bomber fleet, the personalities involved in those efforts and the reasons why it eventually all came to naught.

Competing designs for the "Amerika Bomber" project (such as the Junkers Ju 290 and 390, Heinkel He 177 and Blohm & Voss Bv 222) are reviewed as well as brief mention of Italian plans to strike New York using the four-engined Cant Z.511 floatplane, the SM.95 land plane and the three-engined Piaggio P.23R.

The book is profusely illustrated with large-format close-up photos of the Me 264 V 1 under construction and undergoing flight evaluation, factory design plans, 3-view renderings of the proposed swept wing version (using a combination of piston engines and turbo-jets) and includes interesting sidebars on the BMW 801 engine, the British recon flight confirming the plane's existence to the Allies and on Messerschmitt test pilot Karl Baur who flew the Me 264 at least thirty times.

Well-researched and consistently absorbing to read, this book will serve as an excellent reference work on the Me 264 for both the WWII military aircraft enthusiast and modeler. Robert Forsyth and Eddie Creek deserve kudos for sharing their extensive knowledge of this elegant-looking aircraft and removing it from undeserved obscurity.

Michael returns home to Germany from the front lines of both Russian and French battle-fields and begins studying at a university where he meets Hertha Holk, whom he describes as "a beautiful woman! Blondish-brown hair, silky soft, in a heavy knot on the back of that wonderful neck...she peers deamily out a window...suddenly, she turns around to me, and I look into a pair of large, grayish-green enigmas." His writing style paints visionary & emotional pictures in the reader's mind; "Hertha Holk: I read the name in her notebook. How much closer just a name brings us. We are no longer strangers even though we have not exchanged a single word."

Throughout the novel, it is Goebbels himself I picture in Michael's place; when he and Hertha exchange their first kiss, as the two talk repeatedly about politics & philosophy...and their powerful love for each other, as he watches a seeming prototype of Hitler speak, when he meets & befriends young Gustav Adolf on an island vacation, as he debates with his friend Ivan Vienurovsky & best friend Richard, when he flies into a rage & destroys a play he's written after Hertha leaves him, and as he toils away in a worker's pit. The last 1/3 of the novel is absent Hertha Holk (a character who's inspiration was Goebbels' real-life true love, Anka Stalherm), and I found myself wishing her return. The only downside of this book is the anti-Semitism in some diary entries, which I'd much rather read in Goebbels' WWII essays. The polemics stick out like sore thumbs perhaps because the book was completed before Goebbels joined the NSDAP and it later saw many revisions to include the Nazi philosophy as well as Hertha Holk's minor emotional turmoil, before actually being picked up by a publisher and mass-produced.

All in all, it's a surprisingly good read (written mostly in a diary form--it is said to be taken largely from Goebbels' own personal diaries of 1919 & 1920, which no longer exist), perhaps because it bears many similarities to Goethe's "The Sorrows of Young Werther," with fairly well developed characters, and an ending that sounds cliched if you're told it before-hand, but pulls at your gut once you've read it for yourself. An excellent addition to any WWII history class, and highly recommended to those interested in what was truly the 'roaring 20s'--the 20s in Germany.

This book is written by the young Dr. Joseph Goebbels, who was later destined to become minister of Propaganda, among other things, in the German Third Reich of 1933-45. The book is written in the form of a diary, from the start as the young Michael returns home to Germany from the trenches of WW1 until the end which finds Michael as a miner. The book is supposedly very autobiographical, and it has a very genuine feeling throughout, so I don't doubt this at all. Granted, I have not yet read his famous diaries or the biography of Goebbels from David Irving, but I guess I know enough of him from before to find this very interesting.

The young Michael is struggling in his feelings about the new decadent Weimar republic, and the general zeitgeist of this new "Germany". He both loves and abhors it, but as the German nationalist that he is, he yearns to awaken both himself and his fellow countrymen to a revolution against the modern "spirit". He attends university, where he meets Hertha, his future girlfriend. She is from a bourgeois family, so they both love and misunderstand each other. The book really puts emphasis on the "socialist" in "national socialist", and it is very interesting to see how radical the early NS really were. Granted, they more or less betrayed this early radicalism later on, but it makes an interesting contrast between life and teaching. The book also shows Goebbels ambivalent views on communism, pan-Slavism, matriarchal influences and so on. The book is a bit excessively influenced by the cult of motherhood, but I guess Dr. Goebbels was a bit of a ladies man. The book also has some very striking quotes to offer us;

P. 73; "That is the horror of it; a wall of arrogance, property and education stands between the upper and lower classes. We no longer understand one another. We are not a nation, we are two partisan camps embroiled in a fierce feud. That is why we became a plaything in the hands of the powers that rule the world. When upper and lower classes are one, the earth will be ours."

P. 121; "This is what the Fatherland should be like some day. Everyone not equal, but all of us brothers."

So even though it is a bit slow in the start, you really feel for Michael and his struggle. I highly recommend you spend two hours or so in the company of Michael, I suspect you will not regret it. 5 stars.

Not only could he play the piano like Beethoven. Dr Goebbels, was a great writer, poet, Philosopher, mystic, and artist. The ending brought tears to my eyes. Goebbels is one of the greatest geniuses of all time, almost as misunderstood as Billy the Kid. This is the best book I have ever read, and I read much more than most avid readers, mostly non fiction books, because I will not read fiction unless it is writing of the highest quality, not the crap most peole like.