Life and Love in Nazi Prague

Life and Love in Nazi Prague
Author: Marie Bader
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 305
Release: 2019-06-27
Genre: History
ISBN: 1786736292

Prague, 1940-1942. The Nazi-occupied city is locked in a reign of terror under Reinhard Heydrich. The Jewish community experience increasing levels of persecution, as rumours start to swirl of deportation and an unknown, but widely feared, fate. Amidst the chaos and devastation, Marie Bader, a widow age 56, has found love again with a widower, her cousin Ernst Löwy. Ernst has fled to Greece and the two correspond in a series of deeply heartfelt letters which provide a unique perspective on this period of heightening tension and anguish for the Jewish community. The letters paint a vivid, moving and often dramatic picture of Jewish life in occupied Prague, the way Nazi persecution affected Marie, her increasingly strained family relationships, as well as the effect on the wider Jewish community whilst Heydrich, one of the key architects and executioners of the Holocaust and Reich Protector in Bohemia and Moravia, established the Theresienstadt ghetto and began to organize the deportation of Jews. Through this deeply personal and moving account, the realities of Jewish life in Heydrich's Prague are dramatically revealed.

Under a Cruel Star

Under a Cruel Star
Author: Heda Kovály
Publisher: Granta Books
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2012
Genre: Antisemitism
ISBN: 9781847084767

A classic account of life under Nazism and Stalinism that will appeal to fans of Alone in Berlin and Stasiland.

When Eve Was Naked: Stories of a Life's Journey

When Eve Was Naked: Stories of a Life's Journey
Author: Josef Skvorecky
Publisher: Turtleback Books
Total Pages:
Release: 2003-07-01
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 9781417707171

This autobiography in stories takes us through a most remarkable life, from the innocence of prewar Prague through the horrors of the Nazi occupation and World War II. In the title story, narrated by Skvorecky's alter-ego Danny Smiricky, seven-year-old Danny falls in love for the first time; at sixteen he hides in a railway station and watches as his Jewish teacher is herded onto a train and taken away; and in 1968, as Russian tanks rolled into Prague, vSkvorecky flees Czechoslovakia, taking Danny with him. In the collection's final stories, Danny begins his tenure as Professor Smiricky at a Canadian university and attempts to come to terms with the politically innocent and self-centered youth that flock to his courses.

Hitler's Hangman

Hitler's Hangman
Author: Robert Gerwarth
Publisher: Yale University Press
Total Pages: 421
Release: 2011-11-15
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 0300177461

A chilling biography of the head of Nazi Germany’s terror apparatus, a key player in the Third Reich whose full story has never before been told. Reinhard Heydrich is widely recognized as one of the great iconic villains of the twentieth century, an appalling figure even within the context of the Nazi leadership. Chief of the Nazi Criminal Police, the SS Security Service, and the Gestapo, ruthless overlord of Nazi-occupied Bohemia and Moravia, and leading planner of the "Final Solution," Heydrich played a central role in Hitler's Germany. He shouldered a major share of responsibility for some of the worst Nazi atrocities, and up to his assassination in Prague in 1942, he was widely seen as one of the most dangerous men in Nazi Germany. Yet Heydrich has received remarkably modest attention in the extensive literature of the Third Reich. Robert Gerwarth weaves together little-known stories of Heydrich's private life with his deeds as head of the Nazi Reich Security Main Office. Fully exploring Heydrich's progression from a privileged middle-class youth to a rapacious mass murderer, Gerwarth sheds new light on the complexity of Heydrich's adult character, his motivations, the incremental steps that led to unimaginable atrocities, and the consequences of his murderous efforts toward re-creating the entire ethnic makeup of Europe. “This admirable biography makes plausible what actually happened and makes human what we might prefer to dismiss as monstrous.”—Timothy Snyder, Wall Street Journal “[A] probing biography…. Gerwarth’s fine study shows in chilling detail how genocide emerged from the practicalities of implementing a demented belief system.”—Publishers Weekly “A thoroughly documented, scholarly, and eminently readable account of this mass murderer.”—The New Republic

Cradles of the Reich

Cradles of the Reich
Author: Jennifer Coburn
Publisher: Sourcebooks, Inc.
Total Pages: 321
Release: 2022-10-11
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1728250765

"Every historical fiction novel should strive to be this compelling, well-researched and just flat-out good." — Associated Press For fans of The Nightingale and The Handmaid's Tale, Cradles of the Reich uncovers a topic rarely explored in fiction: the Lebensborn project, a Nazi breeding program to create a so-called master race. Through thorough research and with deep empathy, this chilling historical novel goes inside one of the Lebensborn Society maternity homes that existed in several countries during World War II, where thousands of "racially fit" babies were bred and taken from their mothers to be raised as part of the new Germany. At the Heim Hochland maternity home in Bavaria, three women's lives coverage as they find themselves there under very different circumstances. Gundi is a pregnant university student from Berlin. An Aryan beauty, she's secretly a member of a resistance group. Hilde, only eighteen, is a true believer in the cause and is thrilled to carry a Nazi official's child. And Irma, a 44-year-old nurse, is desperate to build a new life for herself after personal devastation. Despite their opposing beliefs, all three have everything to lose as they begin to realize they are trapped within Hitler's terrifying scheme to build a Nazi-Aryan nation. A cautionary tale for modern times told in stunning detail, Cradles of the Reich uncovers a little-known Nazi atrocity but also carries an uplifting reminder of the power of women to set aside differences and work together in solidarity in the face of oppression. "Skillfully researched and told with great care and insight, here is a World War II story whose lessons should not—must not—be forgotten." — Susan Meissner, bestselling author of The Nature of Fragile Things

The Soldier's Letters: Absolutely Heartbreaking and Addictive World War Two Historical Fiction

The Soldier's Letters: Absolutely Heartbreaking and Addictive World War Two Historical Fiction
Author: Shari J. Ryan
Publisher: Last Words
Total Pages: 276
Release: 2022-05-24
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 9781803146126

"Survive for as long as you can, fight until you can't fight any longer, and if this war ever ends, I want you to run as far from here as you can and never look back..." Nazi-occupied Prague, 1941: On a foggy winter's day, a solider called Charlie is ordered to murder an elderly Jewish woman. He refuses, but that doesn't stop another Nazi shooting her. As the woman's daughter cries out, "Mama, no, please don't leave me!" Charlie knows that he is not a killer. He vows to save as many lives as he can. In Theresienstadt concentration camp, he sees the same sapphire-eyed girl with beautiful auburn hair. Her name is Amelia. He escorts her to Block B and memorizes her prison number. They are meant to be enemies yet, in that instant, he falls in love. Yet in such hell, love isn't meant to exist and they are destined to be torn apart. Despite this, Charlie never stops looking for Amelia, writing letters to her and keeping them safe. But what are the chances of her surviving the war? Will the soldier's letters remain unread forever? Fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, The Choice, and Orphan Train will be absolutely gripped by this heart-wrenching World War Two page-turner--a story of forbidden love, and its power to survive the impossible. This book was previously published as Unspoken Words. Readers love The Soldier's Letters: "5 ++++ Stars (ALL THE STARS!!) Incredible! Incredible! What a journey! I really lost myself feeling like I was in World War Two. My heart broke so many times." Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "This book is simply EVERYTHING... Shari J. Ryan has done it again, bringing us an emotionally charged, realistic portrayal of life during the Holocaust." Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Wow!! This has left me speechless! Such a poignant story." Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "I cannot begin to convey the emotions I felt when I read this amazing book... Absolutely heart-wrenching and poignant... It is the love story of the century. Amazing!!" Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "I had tears in my eyes... That doesn't happen to me very often when I read a book. Shari J. Ryan nailed it!" Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "One of the best books I have read this year...and ever! I am not sure I will ever do this book the justice it deserves in this review. I am forever grateful to have read this book!" Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Will make your soul weep and hold permanent residence in your heart. Definitely in my top five reads of a lifetime. You absolutely do not want to pass up the chance to read this powerful, profound, life-altering book." Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "This book is captivating, raw, honest, emotional and heartbreaking but it is also full of love, hope and promise for a better tomorrow." Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

My Lucky Star

My Lucky Star
Author: Zdenka Fantlová
Publisher: SP Books
Total Pages: 232
Release: 2001
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 9781928746201

"Dedicated to the unknown British Army officer who saved her life in Bergen-Belsen in April 1945, this is the memoir of Zdenka Fantlova, who shares in her direct, unsentimental style day-to-day life during the rise of Nazi Germany and the Holocaust. Fantlova's astonishing memory and remarkable love of life combine to produce a historical document that will edify and inspire its readers." "My Lucky Star is also a reflection on the magical power of true love, a paean to the triumph of calmness and compassion over the machinery of hatred and murder, and a testament to the strength of the human spirit as it approaches death, struggles to survive, and is reborn."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Life with a Star

Life with a Star
Author: Jiří Weil
Publisher:
Total Pages: 247
Release: 1989
Genre: Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945)
ISBN: 9780006543299

In the Garden of Beasts

In the Garden of Beasts
Author: Erik Larson
Publisher: Crown
Total Pages: 481
Release: 2012-05-01
Genre: History
ISBN: 030740885X

Erik Larson, New York Times bestselling author of Devil in the White City, delivers a remarkable story set during Hitler’s rise to power. The time is 1933, the place, Berlin, when William E. Dodd becomes America’s first ambassador to Hitler’s Nazi Germany in a year that proved to be a turning point in history. A mild-mannered professor from Chicago, Dodd brings along his wife, son, and flamboyant daughter, Martha. At first Martha is entranced by the parties and pomp, and the handsome young men of the Third Reich with their infectious enthusiasm for restoring Germany to a position of world prominence. Enamored of the “New Germany,” she has one affair after another, including with the suprisingly honorable first chief of the Gestapo, Rudolf Diels. But as evidence of Jewish persecution mounts, confirmed by chilling first-person testimony, her father telegraphs his concerns to a largely indifferent State Department back home. Dodd watches with alarm as Jews are attacked, the press is censored, and drafts of frightening new laws begin to circulate. As that first year unfolds and the shadows deepen, the Dodds experience days full of excitement, intrigue, romance—and ultimately, horror, when a climactic spasm of violence and murder reveals Hitler’s true character and ruthless ambition. Suffused with the tense atmosphere of the period, and with unforgettable portraits of the bizarre Göring and the expectedly charming--yet wholly sinister--Goebbels, In the Garden of Beasts lends a stunning, eyewitness perspective on events as they unfold in real time, revealing an era of surprising nuance and complexity. The result is a dazzling, addictively readable work that speaks volumes about why the world did not recognize the grave threat posed by Hitler until Berlin, and Europe, were awash in blood and terror.

Prague Fatale

Prague Fatale
Author: Philip Kerr
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 432
Release: 2012-04-17
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1101580321

Former detective and reluctant SS officer Bernie Gunther must infiltrate a brutal world of spies, partisan terrorists, and high-level traitors in this “clever and compelling”(The Daily Beast) New York Times bestseller from Philip Kerr. Berlin, 1941. Bernie is back from the Eastern Front, once again working homicide in Berlin's Kripo and answering to Reinhard Heydrich, a man he both detests and fears. Heydrich has been newly named Reichsprotector of Czechoslovakia. Tipped off that there is an assassin in his midst, he orders Bernie to join him at his country estate outside Prague, where he has invited some of the Third Reich's most odious officials to celebrate his new appointment. One of them is the would-be assassin. Bernie can think of better ways to spend a beautiful autumn weekend, but, as he says, “You don't say no to Heydrich and live.”