The front lines are collapsing all around, bombs are falling. On Thuringia too, a state in the centre-east of Germany. The Second World War is nearing its end. Boys of fifteen and sixteen from the Jungvolk and Hitler Youth movements set off in the belief that they can still save the fatherland – they are determined to defend it, bravely and loyally. Inadequately armed, however, they are forced to retreat from the advancing enemy in an entirely pointless march. They are taken prisoner and transferred to one of the infamous camps near Bad Kreuznach. Conditions in the camp are tough. The diarist is fortunate enough to survive and to be released relatively early, at the end of June 1945. Germany, spring 2005. The fatherland too has survived and has been reunified. It is a year of commemoration days, of monuments and memorials, and in the run-up to the sixtieth anniversary it is already being declared by all the media as a year of remembrance of the downfall of the ‘Third Reich’. Inspired by this, the diarist, now seventy-five years old, remembers the notes and diary entries kept at that time by his fifteen-year-old self. Originally written on scraps of toilet paper, he copied them out after his fortunate return in July 1945, and has not looked at them since. The notes are very personal and honest and, above all, authentic. They give an insight into the experiences and the thoughts of a young boy who by his own admission left as a ‘proud soldier’ and returned home as a ‘pitiful vagabond’. It is a historical document. It is not the story of an individual fate. Thousands had the same experiences. That is why the diarist decided, with some hesitation, to publish his diary as a part of the historical truth, even if there already existed numerous reports and publications about the camps in Bad Kreuznach, Bretzenheim, Dietersheim, Bingen, Heidesheim and the other ‘Rhine Meadows camps’. All these records are testament to the fact that tyranny often abounds when one group of people is given unchecked power over another. According to Livy, as many as 2400 years ago the Gaulish king Brennus called to the defeated Romans: ‘Vae victis!’ – woe to the vanquished! Herwarth Metzel

    Liliana is a beautiful and educated young Jewish woman. She marries Henry and becomes a mother to Rebecca. She has a full life ahead of her in Poland, or so it seems. The time period is the beginning of World War II, when the Germans invade Poland. To protect her, Liliana and Henry entrust Rebecca to their Christian friends. Shortly thereafter, Henry is among those taken to the concentration camp. Time passes, and Liliana knows little about the fate of her husband or daughter. To survive, Liliana (now known as Helena) assumes the identity of a Polish aristocrat and ends up working for a German officer named Robert. In a twist of fate, Robert and Helena fall in love with each other and get married. Unknown to Liliana, Henry survives and reunites with their daughter Rebecca. He finds a way to communicate with Liliana, only to find out that she started a new life. Liliana has yet to reveal her true identity to her German husband. Filled with guilt and longing for Rebecca, she thinks of putting an end to all of the lies. Will Liliana finally overcome her fears and reunite with her daughter? Parallel Lives is based on a true story. It brings the reader on a captivating journey of the "parallel lives" of a family who was separated by war. The journey takes the reader though a myriad of human emotions, including: love, jealousy, fear, despair, and freedom.

    The heaviest burden. An old man has for many years borne a weight that runs deeper than survivor’s guilt. He is a survivor, of humanity’s darkest hour, but wouldn’t have lived through it if not for the actions of another. Now he has the opportunity for which he has long yearned: to meet his saviour’s daughter and tell her about her father’s supreme act of selflessness. And maybe, in the telling, one of them will find release.

    He trained as a tank gunner and was drafted overseas to join the Allied campaign in South Asia. After further training in India, his regiment, the 25th Dragoons, was deployed to Burma, taking part in deadly combat as the Allies fought to contain the invading Japanese forces. Gordon was seriously injured, but recovered to be able to re-join his squadron, before eventually returning home after almost four years, when the war ended.Some time after returning to civilian life Gordon Heynes wrote a fascinating account of experiences, and it is that account that is contained in this book, published by his grandsons, Neal and Gary Bircher. Gordon’s story serves as a valuable historical document, but is also much more than that. His captivating matter-of-fact style – for example, infusing depictions of bloody battle scenes with observations of local wildlife – brings his story starkly to life, and it makes for truly compelling reading.

    The Nazis have begun their brutal march through her hometown of Radom, Poland. Dina’s happy world comes tumbling down and her family will never be the same. As the Nazi regime implements the systematic annihilation of every Jewish man, woman, and child throughout Europe, Dina and her family do everything they can to stay together. But can they make it through the war unscathed?As Dina matures from child to teenager, every day brings a daunting new challenge to survive. When she meets Natek Korman, a young man with sky-blue eyes that crinkle when he smiles, Dina experiences the first blush of love and a longing for a normal life. But what could be normal in a world of endless terror and numbing fear?From the harsh day-to-day existence in the Jewish ghetto under Nazi occupation to the grueling toil of the ruthless workcamps to the utter despair of the death camps of Auschwitz and Bergen-Belson, Dina’s story of survival is a heart-rending testament to the power of the human spirit.The Last Daughter is an extraordinary story of an ordinary girl. Based on the remarkable true story of Dina Frydman, a Jewish girl from Radom, Poland who is thrust into an unforgettable journey from the dawn of World War Two to the darkest days of the Holocaust. You will never forget Dina nor the millions of others like her.

    In thetone of voice that adults reserve for talking to six-year-olds,he asks again, “Now, tell me Vivian, when did you last seeyour Papa?”I shake my head and say, “No, I haven’t seen him for along time. I don’t know where he is.”The finger comes again, hooking my chin and forcingmy head up and toward him. I look into the pale, wateryeyes of the man in the gray Gestapo uniform. My heartpulses so hard in my ears that I can barely hear his words.“Have you seen Papa this week, Liebchen” (Sweetie), hecoos. “Who are his friends?” I shake my head “No,” knowingthat a few hours earlier Papa came to our street, near theapartment. He stood in the shadow of the corner house,watching me. I knew that he had come to see me, andsomehow, instinctively, I also knew that I should not go tohim and that he could not come to me. We looked at eachother, and then he turned and slipped away. It will bealmost ten years before I would see him again.The Gestapo man stands and abruptly leaves the bedroom.It isn’t until I see him in the living room, talking to Oma, that my tears come.In German Girl?, I reflect on my extraordinary childhood years, 1942 to 1953, growing up in Nazi Germany. As a "Mischling", a child with one Jewish parent and one Christian parent, my experiences during World War II, and its effect on the years that followed, provide a unique picture of wartime life as seen through the eyes of a child. My Lutheran grandparents hid and protected me while my mother was jailed and questioned tortuously on the whereabouts of my father. A Jewish man, my father lived “underground.” In "German Girl", I describe my father’s ingenuity and bravery, the enduring strength of my mother and the simple pleasures and comforting love of my grandparents stolen in a time of horror for so many. I have included copies of historical documents and photographs of the people discussed in the book.* In "German Girl", I have filled my book with memories, pictures, reproductions of forged documents and the incredible story of growing up alongside the appalling destruction of WWII in East Berlin.Copyright © 1998 Vivian Ert Bolten Herz.All rights reserved.The Library of Congress, catalog card number 2005351683United States Holocaust Memorial Museum,Washington D.C.Catalogue card number DS135.G5 H 4659 1998;Jüdisches Museum Berlin, GermanyYad Vashem Library, Jerusalem, Israel., catalog card number 105-0271Yad Vashem - Bet Vahlin Library, Israel., catalog card number HER-09

    

    

    As a dogface soldier, he fought in some of the most bitter battles of the war, liberated two concentration camps, and captured Hitler's private mountain retreat in Berchtesgaden (Band of Brothers had the facts wrong here). His memoir is testimony to the bravery of American servicemen in the face of evil.

    At its heart is a cast of characters who draw us into their lives from the defeat of Dunkirk to final victory:Tony, a young man barely in his twenties who experiences the horror of Britain’s first defeat and offers his unique talents to the war effort, only to find that his secret work threatens his relationships with those he loves. David, Tony’s elder brother, fighter pilot and hero of the Battle of Britain. Sarah, whose work with the VAD’s brings her into contact with so many, forcing her to choose between a man with loyalty and honour or another with all the characteristics of a coward. Bobby, a young American GI for whom a posting to England brings love and hope. And at the centre of it all, Heronfield, the manor house set amongst the gentle rolling downs of southern England, one time home for Tony and his family and now a war-time hospital.Heronfield, witness to six long years of loyalty and love, anger and hatred, loss and betrayal.

    

    Joining the proud and distinguished XXI Squadron, Peter will risk everything to win the plaudits and reputation he desires.But his navigator, Charlie Kendrick, doesn’t see it the same way, and treats his new crew as a marriage of convenience.That is until a series of unforeseen disasters befall the squadron – after their home base is attacked and its aircraft ambushed - suspicions are raised of a double-agent operating in their midst.Braving Italian and German fighters, deadly flak, and a conspiracy of silence, Peter and Charlie enlist the help of Margot Dacre, a gifted intelligence officer with secrets of her own, in a race to prevent further setbacks before it’s too late.The blistering crescendo comes in an intense air battle to prevent the invasion of Greece. XXI Squadron is committed to the fight in a last, desperate struggle to hold onto the Balkans. Peter and Charlie will have to sacrifice everything, to save their friends – and to save Greece.

    Amid rising tensions among the Jews and the reigning Nazi party, Carl Mann--the patriarch of the Mann family--is forced to take a job in one of the scariest places imaginable: Literally in Adolf Hitler's backyard. In this unusual coming of age tale, curious young girls may say or do the wrong things, but how many times can the high-ranking German officials (and Hitler himself) look the other way? Can they survive in his backyard? This book is filled with suspense, historical detail, family life, and even a little romance. A great choice for book clubs with Book Club questions @garethompson-writer.com. The perfect gift for those who are love reading about World War II, as the setting is authentic. For middle schoolers, compare it to Diary of Anne Frank.

     A British Intelligence Officer has died in a fall and SIS has asked Harry to liaise with a German Socialist Party member who has been passing information. That’s fine with Harry. He is pleased to be working again, even in a city as devastated as Berlin. Why have SIS chosen him; and was the fall that killed his predecessor really an accident? While waiting for his socialist contact to arrange an important meeting, Harry interests himself in a young Jewish survivor of the camps he sees watching the house where he lives. She insists the Nazis stole the property from her family before sending them to the gas chambers. And she has seen the Gestapo officer she holds responsible, even though everyone says he is dead. But then Harry’s socialist contact is abducted by the Russians and, in return for helping him to defect, the man’s colleague promises Harry something really big. And the Jewish survivor is carrying a shameful secret she appears no longer able to face. Harry is faced with a devastating choice... Praise for The Unquiet Grave: 'An excellent book that made me want to read more — always a good sign. Lots of twists and turns; emotional impacts; deft characterization; and realistic setting' - Netgalley reviewer 'I found myself engrossed by this story' - Netgalley reviewer Born into the austerity of post-war Britain, David J. Oldman began writing in his early twenties. Frequently humorous, and often moving, his books are an examination of ordinary people caught up in life-changing events beyond their control.