The Book Thief

Personal Author:
Rush, Geoffrey, 1951-
Watson, Emily, 1967-
Zusak, Markus
Percival, Brian, 1962-

Publisher: London : Moore Park, New South Wales : Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, [2014]

Annotation: This is the historical war drama film by Brian Pervical based on the novel of the same name, set in Germany during Nazi era. It is a story about a girl who was adopted by German family during WWII who is illiterate and is encouraged by her foster father to learn to read. Germany has been taken by Adolf Hitler and his soldiers marching in the streets of Berlin. A Jewish family has been seeking refuge in this German family's house to protect their lives.  The girl starts to borrow books and shares them with the Jewish family, the movie shows how it helps them to escape the reality around them in this times of tyranny.

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March Violets

Author: Philip Kerr

Publisher: London : Penguin Books, 2015 ©1989

Annotation: This is the first book in Bernie Gunther series by Philip Kerr. This Berlin Noir takes us into the winter of 1936 Berlin, Germany where a man and his wife is killed in their bed and their priceless diamond disappeared. A wealthy industrialist hires a private detective to solve the mystery where Bernhard Gunther, a hard-boiled detective is put to the job who specialises in tracking down missing persons. What started as a good opportunity for Gunther takes him to the places he could only imagine in dreams, it's the time of the rise of Hitler, hatred towards Jews and Aryan racial superiority, fights with Gestapo agents all revealed in this fast paced crime thriller fiction.

For other books in Bernie Gunther series click here

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The death of democracy: Hitler's rise to power

Author: Benjamin Carter Hett

Publisher: London : William Heinemann, 2018

Annotation: This award winning book of the year nonfiction is a tell-tell story to history's past what happened in Germany during Weimar Republic, a period in Germany between the end of World War I and the Nazi Party and Hitler's seizure of power in 1933. The book is based on award winning research and recently discovered archival materials. It tried to shed a light on issues like How a democratic government allow Adolf Hitler to seize power ?. The narrative provides a good example of what happens to a nation when a liberal democracy fails and capitalism rises, what are the aspiration of middle class people, did they really choice Adolf Hitler or they simply choose an economic self-sufficient nation which gave power to their voice through Nazi propaganda and their leader whose took the path of authoritarian dictatorship.  

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The Order of the Day

Author: Eric Vuillard
Translator: Mark Polizzotti
Publisher: London : Picador, 2019

Annotation: Originally written in French this historical fiction won the Prix Goncourt (the most prestigious French Literary prize) in 2017. Unlike other books written about Germany in 1930's where Nazism is seen as an inevitable part of the Germany's political and social culture which no way would have been protected. This book counter argues the theory and tries to explain what happened on 20th February 1933 in harsh Berlin winter a secret meeting led by 24 German captains of Industry and senior Nazi dignitaries in Reichstag seems more than a fiction to the story. It also explores the annexation of Austria in 1938 and advancement towards Vienna demonstrated by German military strengths is accidents of fate.

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Two Brothers

Author: Ben Elton

Publisher: Transworld Publishers Ltd : 2013 

Annotation: Ben Elton has written fifteen major bestsellers including, stark, popcorn, Inconceivable, Dead Famous, High Society to name a few. In this historical fiction set in 1920's pre-world war II Berlin two babies are born in a Jewish family believing they are twin brothers which turns out one is Jew and one gentile. It explores the life of two brothers how their life is shaped after Hitler came to the power. The fear and feeling of being Jew and Aryan is clearly depicted in this book, which takes the reader into one of the darkest times in the history of the world.

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