Over the next 2-3 weeks I am going to be putting
up posts that relate to crime and mysteries but are not crime fiction. Instead, I will be writing about a series of non-fiction books on World War II that do not involve battles
and strategies. Instead, they deal with the actions of people in Europe, mainly
non-military, and the choices they made in and around the war.
The first review is of The Hotel on Place Vendome by Tilar J. Mazzeo. It is biography of the
Ritz Hotel in Paris especially during the German occupation of the city during
the war. Many schemes were conceived in the Ritz and a great deal of champagne
consumed and Ernest Hemingway makes an appearance.
The
second’s title sets out crime is at the heart of the book. It is Hitler’s Art Thief by Susan Ronald. Hildebrand Gurlitt made a fortune before and
during the war through dealing in art works legitimately purchased, bought from
desperate Europeans, confiscated from Jews, effectively looted from
institutions and occasionally simply stolen. His legacy survived the war and in
recent years his son made the father infamous.
The third is Church of Spies by Mark Riebling. Its sub-title of “The Pope’s
Secret War Against Hitler” encapsulates the theme of the book. It provides an
interesting contrast to David Cornwall’s book, Hitler’s Pope. I had not read of the secret activities of Pope Pius
XII and the Catholic Church during WW II.
The fourth book is Seduced by Hitler by Adam LeBor and Roger Boyes. The book explores
the decisions made in Germany and across Europe during the war by all types of
people. It delves into how the Nazis sought to draw people to their cause. We
usually think of Nazi coercion rather than Nazi seduction.
In the reviews and accompanying posts I will
occasionally refer to books in the quartet both before and after they have been
reviewed on the blog.
There
are larger than life stories that would challenge fictional credibility but are
true.
Overall
the books provide an array of approaches to the issues of choices and actions of WW
II Europeans.
I invite
you to join me on the journey that begins Sunday.
Sounds very interesting, Bill. I will be waiting for them.
ReplyDeleteTracyK: Thanks for the comment. Real life will be imitating fiction.
DeleteSometimes, truth if stranger than fiction. I don't know if any writer can describe in fiction the real depth of the horrors that went on at the hands of Germany, Italy, Vichy France, etc.
ReplyDeleteKathyD.: Thanks for the comment. There were plenty of horrors. These books deal with the subtler horrors.
DeleteThis sounds really interesting, Bill. It's often those decisions, made by individual people or groups of people, that have had the most impact on history, and I'm looking forward to your posts. The books themselves seem interesting, too.
ReplyDeleteMargot: Thanks for the comment. We long to believe the best in people but it happened too little in WW II Europe.
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