Our Upcoming European Holiday - Part III: Germany

Books (Germany):

Ruins of War by John A. Connell (Audiobook length 13 hours 35 minutes)

Synopsis:
Ruins of War is a disturbing tale that takes place in Bavaria seven months after the Nazi defeat. Bavaria is in ruins and recovering from the fierce fighting. The story follows Mason Collins, a former Chicago detective who is now an army criminal investigator. He is assigned to a case where a killer performs mysterious rituals on his victims using surgical precision.

My Thoughts:
1. This book was different than I was expecting. It was a very suspenseful thriller, although it could get pretty grizzly at times. This tale was an interesting lens through which to think about post-war Germany. Although the story was fictional it gave a sense of the condition and attitude of people living in Germany shortly after the end of World War II.
2. I think it is sad that when you research books to read about Germany and Bavaria that the most popular suggestions all deal with WWII. This was such a defining event in German history. It would have been very hard to be German after WWII. Their country and government did terrible things. The citizens who survived, guilty or not, had to live with and in some senses still live with the consequences of WWII.

Killing Patton: The Strange Death of World War II's Most Audacious General by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard  (Audiobook length 9 hours 3 minutes)

Synopsis:
Killing Patton recounts the final year of World War II and the death of General George Patton. The focus of the story is on whether or not the General's death in an automobile accident was, in fact, an accident or whether foul play was involved.

My Thoughts:
1. I love the Killing books. It is such a fascinating series. I have not read them all, but the ones I have read have each been compelling read. This book was no exception. Out of the Killing books, I have read Patton was the individual I knew the least about going in. I knew he was a General in WWII and that he served in Europe. Beyond that, I knew very little about Patton. Bill O'Reilly does a fantastic job of utilizing historical sources to flesh out the character and life of General Patton. What I did not realize before I read this book is that there is significant controversy surrounding the death of General Patton. Officially he died in a car crash. The circumstances surrounding this crash and the documentation that has survived creates a lot of unanswered questions. It seems plausible that the car crash was not an accident, and that rather it was an attempt to kill this General. There are a wide variety of possible motives behind such an act. Bill O'Reilly presents the known facts and open questions, without drawing unsupportable conclusions.
2. Nearly this entire book takes place in Germany. The narrative focuses on the end of the war as the Allied forces fought their way into Germany. General Patton died after the war was over in Germany, and is actually buried among US soldiers who died in Europe. This book did little to excite me about our upcoming trip to Germany. I think it will provide good context as we travel around Germany.
3. Shortly after I read this book I started working for Ancestry.com. As a result, I began to become more interested in family history. During my research, I discovered that I have an uncle who died in the battle of the bulge, which is discussed in great detail in this book. His life was lost during General Patton’s drive to cross the Rhine. Knowing that one of my ancestors was part of this story makes it hit home a little more.

All the Light we Cannot See by Anthony Doerr (Audiobook length 16 hours 2 minutes)

Synopsis:
All the Light We Cannot See is the story of two intertwined lives: Werner Pfennig, a young German boy, and Marie-Laure LeBlanc, a young, blind French girl. Marie-Laure is the daughter of a loving father, Daniel LeBlanc, who works in the Museum of Natural History in Paris. Marie-Laure begins to lose her eyesight and goes blind. Adapting to this, Daniel teaches Marie-Laure Braille and makes beautiful models of the city of Paris, training her until she’s gradually ready to navigate her way around the actual city. On each of Marie-Laure’s birthdays, Daniel gives her a small “puzzle box.” Marie-Laure becomes adept at solving these puzzles. As the years go on, Marie-Laure learns of a diamond called the Sea of Flames kept at the museum. The diamond is rumored to bring eternal life to its owner, but also to kill the owner’s loved ones. Marie-Laure becomes concerned that her father will die from the curse, but Daniel assures her the curse is a myth. Werner Pfennig is a boy who lives with his sister, Jutta, at an orphanage in Germany. Werner is an intelligent boy, though he fears that he’ll be sent to work in the mines when he turns fifteen. The head of the orphanage, a Frenchwoman named Frau Elena, teaches him to speak French as well as German and encourages him to explore his interests in science. One day, Werner stumbles upon a radio. He and Jutta experiment with the radio and are amazed to discover a broadcast coming from miles away. The broadcast consists of a series of fascinating lectures on science. Werner develops a reputation for being a great repairman. One day, he repairs the radio of a powerful official named Herr Siedler, who shows his gratitude by recommending him to a prestigious Nazi school, the National Institute. Werner passes his exams with flying colors and is accepted.

When the Germans invade Paris, Marie-Laure and her father decide to leave the city. Daniel LeBlanc has been tasked with hiding the Sea of Flames from the Nazi invaders. He and three other employees have been given diamonds (three of which are fake, one of which is real) and sent to different parts of the country. Daniel decides to travel to the coastal town of Saint-Malo, to live with his uncle, Etienne LeBlanc. Marie-Laure discovers that Etienne is an eccentric but highly likable man. Although he’s extremely reclusive, he charms Marie-Laure with his vast knowledge of science and radio. Werner begins his time as a student at the National Institute, where he’s taught Nazi ideology. Werner wins the favor of Dr. Hauptmann, a professor who gives Werner challenging physics assignments. Before long, Werner is working with Hauptmann to design a complex radar system that will one day be used to find enemy soldiers. Werner also befriends a thoughtful, gentle student named Frederick. Werner learns that Frederick is only in the National Institute because his parents are rich.

In Saint-Malo, Daniel builds Marie-Laure a model of the city so that she can train herself to walk through the streets. Marie-Laure also befriends Etienne’s cook and maid, Madame Manec. She eventually learns that Etienne’s brother, Henri LeBlanc—her own grandfather—made a series of radio broadcasts on science from a secret radio room in the attic of the house. One day, Daniel tells Marie-Laure that he has to leave immediately. He promises her that he’ll be back, but after months, Daniel still hasn’t returned. Occasionally, he sends Marie-Laure a letter, in which he claims that he’s okay. Meanwhile, the German presence in Saint-Malo becomes intolerable—food grows scarce, and the German soldiers arrest people. Madame Manec and her elderly friends work together to undermine the Nazis in small ways. An old man named Harold gives Marie-Laure the key to a secret hiding place—a grotto in the city wall, at the edge of the sea. Madame Manec grows sick and dies. Inspired by her bravery, Etienne and Marie-Laure decide to fight the Germans together. Etienne launches a series of secret radio broadcasts, and every day, Marie-Laure buys a loaf of bread from the bakery, which contains a scroll with important resistance information.

At the National Institute, Werner begins to resent his teachers while also enjoying their sadistic games. One day, the teachers order all the students to torture a prisoner. Werner obliges, but Frederick refuses. Soon afterward, Frederick is savagely beaten and he loses most of his mental faculties. Werner loses Dr. Hauptmann’s favor when he asks to leave the school—as punishment, Dr. Hauptmann tells the army that Werner is old enough for military service, and Werner is shipped off to fight. During his time in the army, Werner uses radios to track down enemy broadcasters in Russia, and his fellow soldiers then murder them. A Nazi official named Sergeant Major Reinhold von Rumpel tries to track down the Sea of Flames diamond. He determines that the real diamond is likely in Saint-Malo, where Daniel LeBlanc’s family is staying. Von Rumpel arrives in Saint-Malo around the same time that Werner and his fellow troops are shipped there. Von Rumpel learns that Marie-Laure may know where the diamond is hidden. At the same time, Werner is ordered to find the location of a resistance broadcast network. He determines that the network is located in Etienne’s house, but when he realizes that it’s the same broadcast he loved as a child, he decides to let it continue.

The Allies prepare to bomb Saint-Malo. German soldiers, including Werner and his superior, Frank Volkheimer, prepare for an air raid by hiding beneath a hotel. Etienne is arrested as a resistance fighter and sent to jail, leaving Marie-Laure alone in his house. American airplanes drop leaflets ordering all French citizens to leave the town. Marie-Laure, blind, is unable to understand and stays behind. Late at night, the airplanes bomb the city. Marie-Laure realizes that her father has been hiding something in the model of Saint-Malo: inside the model of Etienne’s house, she finds the Sea of Flames. In the bombing, Marie-Laure can survive, but Werner and Volkheimer are trapped in a cellar under the hotel with only a radio. The Allies continue bombing Saint-Malo. While Werner and Volkheimer try to find a way out of the cellar, Von Rumpel goes to Etienne’s house in search of the diamond. Afraid, Marie-Laure goes to hide in the secret radio room. Von Rumpel searches the house but finds nothing—Marie-Laure has taken the diamond with her. In the radio room, Marie-Laure makes her own broadcasts, in which she reads aloud from her favorite book, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Werner hears the broadcast on his radio. He also hears Marie-Laure say that the man in her house is trying to kill her. Volkheimer and Werner decide to use a grenade to bomb their way out of the cellar—amazingly, the plan works. Werner then goes to Etienne’s house to save Marie-Laure. Inside, Von Rumpel tries to shoot Werner, but Werner manages to overpower and kill Von Rumpel. He then calls for Marie-Laure, saying that he’s been listening to her broadcast. Marie-Laure decides to trust Werner and climbs out. Werner, recognizing that Marie-Laure is blind, leads her to safety. In gratitude, Marie-Laure hides the diamond in the grotto and gives Werner the model house with the key to the grotto hidden inside.

In the following weeks, American soldiers arrest Werner, and Marie-Laure is reunited with Etienne. Marie-Laure and Etienne move back to Paris, and over the next ten years, they remain close. After Etienne dies, Marie-Laure becomes a noted scientist specializing in the study of mollusks and whelks. Werner is sent to prison and dies when he inadvertently steps on a landmine planted by the German troops a few weeks earlier. Many years later, Frank Volkheimer tracks down Jutta, now married with a young child. Volkheimer gives Jutta the tiny model house, in which Jutta finds the key to the grotto. Jutta then finds Marie-Laure, now a middle-aged scientist with a daughter, and gives her the model house. We learn that before Etienne died, he hired a private investigator to determine what happened to Daniel: as it turns out, Daniel was arrested and died of influenza while he was in prison. It also becomes clear that Marie-Laure has left the Sea of Flames in the grotto. The book ends with Marie-Laure and her grandson walking along the streets of Saint-Malo as she reminisces on the individuals who impacted her life.

My Thoughts:
1. I very much enjoyed this novel. It has been on my Wishlist for a while. When I was researching recommended books to read before visiting Germany/Bavaria this was near the top of the list. I was thrilled. This book was well-written and a joy to read.
2. This book provides a different perspective than most World War II stories I have read. It provides a very Eurocentric view of the war, compared to the traditional American-focused view I am used to. This story provides unique French and German viewpoints on the experience and aftermath of the war.

Movies (Germany):

Cabaret 

Synopsis:
Set in Berlin, Cabaret tells the story of American cabaret singer Sally Bowles. She meets British academic Brian Roberts who is studying in Berlin. Despite Brian's confusion over his sexuality, the pair become lovers. Until the arrival of the wealthy and decadent playboy, Maximilian Von Heune complicates matters for them both. A love triangle ensues, which plays out against the rise of the Nazi party.

My Thoughts:

1. I did not particularly care for this movie. I mean, the music and storyline, were fine, but overall I probably would not watch it again.
2. I do not really have much of a takeaway from watching this movie. We will not be visiting Berlin. I will end this post with a thought that applies to this movie and all of the books I read relating to Germany. If you look for suggestions of top books/movies to read when preparing to visit Germany and/or Bavaria the suggestions you will find are all related to World War II. This speaks to the significant impact World War II had on the World and the World’s perception of Germany. The rise of the Nazi party and the ensuing World War were such calamitous events that it appears they have literally drowned out the rest of German history. When we visit Germany we are intentionally not visiting concentration camps or Nuremberg. While we are very interested in World War II, this particular trip is focused more on enjoying the beauty, art, and culture of Europe. We will be visiting Bavaria, which hopefully means picturesque towns and beautiful castles – that is not the Germany I found in this movie or the books I read.