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The Ragged Edge of Night by Olivia Hawker is an engaging tale of German resistance during World War II that centers on an ex-friar who marries and lives a celibate life, all the while actively working against the German government. The friar carries with him a guilt from before the…
The Golden Peacock, by Lauren B. Grossman is billed as a story of the Holocaust, and the author calls it “faction” — a blend of history and fiction. It’s unclear how much of this story is true, and it would be interesting to find out, but it contains a good…
Enemy at the Gates, a 1973 book by William Craig, is the story of the battle of Stalingrad, the bloodiest conflict in human history. I have searched high and low for a readable book about this battle, and, while it’s still dense in places, this book comes closest to describing…
Enemies: A War Story, by Kenneth Rosenberg is a fascinating, fictionalized account of a little-known, somewhat shameful interlude of incidents that took place in the United States during World War II. It’s the story of two young men, Herbie Haupt and Wolfgang Wergin. Both men were born in Germany but…
Without a Country, by Ayse Kulin, is the story of a Jewish couple who escape Germany in 1933 and move to Turkey, along with the story of their resultant family. I’m not sure if it was the translation(from the Turkish) or the book itself, but it leaves a lot to…
After reviewing the book The Only Woman in the Room, I stumbled across a new documentary about the 1940s star Hedy Lamarr, which is being released this month. I debated sending a link for this only to subscribers, but decided to post it on the blog, since a lot of…
The Only Woman in the Room, by Marie Benedict ,is a new book about the 1940s movie star Hedy Lamarr, her background in Europe, and her scientific skill that led her to develop some of the technology currently used in cell phones. Sound unusual? It was, and Lamarr was not…
Zelary isn’t really about World War II. It’s set in a tiny town in Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia. The movie, in Czech with subtitles, is the story of a woman in the resistance who is forced to abandon her urban home and friends and move to Zelary undercover. The woman, Eliska is…
Shangai is a 2015 release currently available on Netflix DVD. If you’re a John Cusack fan like I am, and always wanted to appreciate him as a romantic lead, you’re still going to have to wait. He does his best in this film, which sat on the Hollywood shelf for…