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krpollard's review against another edition
3.0
I found Nossack's surreal account of the aftermath of the bombing of Hamburg interesting from a literary perspective but also chilling. In particular, his account of what one feels to both be a refugee and to accept refugees seems particularly relevant in our current age.
brittaniethekid's review
5.0
This book has beautiful word choice and descriptions of one man's experience during and after the Hamburg bombing by the Allied forces in 1943. Originally written in German and kept from a widespread audience for years, this offers a rarely seen apolitical point of view from "the other side" of WWII - the Germans'. It also includes many photos taken around the destroyed Hamburg that only adds to the narrative. I would recommend this for anyone interested in WWII history.
cheeriodoggo's review against another edition
4.5
I would summarize this book as "70-80 pages of pure anxiety" because that is how it reads! It is clear that the author is in very poor headspace while writing this piece and the honesty is appreciated.
My family is from Hamburg. I will admit that I was hoping for more details (we do not talk about July and August 1943 in this household), but some of the ones provided are profound and historically useful (i.e. a statement about Hamburg's cats has stuck with me for many weeks now).
I think those that enjoy reading literature will enjoy this genre crossover; it is very clear in the writing that Nossack is a novelist and it reads like a novel, albeit an anxious one. It was not my cup of tea because I'm an academic who reads non-fiction, but that is a me-problem, not Nossack's problem.
My family is from Hamburg. I will admit that I was hoping for more details (we do not talk about July and August 1943 in this household), but some of the ones provided are profound and historically useful (i.e. a statement about Hamburg's cats has stuck with me for many weeks now).
I think those that enjoy reading literature will enjoy this genre crossover; it is very clear in the writing that Nossack is a novelist and it reads like a novel, albeit an anxious one. It was not my cup of tea because I'm an academic who reads non-fiction, but that is a me-problem, not Nossack's problem.
thrifty_librarian's review against another edition
5.0
This is a wonderful, true, first-person telling of a civilian's experience of war. HIs emotions felt very real and the descriptions were vivid. Everything a memoir should be. Don't look at the pictures before bed.
szechy's review against another edition
5.0
Fantastically written viewpoint of a near post-apocalyptic, real life event, and the emotional and psychological toll it exerts. Plus, a great perspective on the victimhood that Germans felt post World War 2.
leerazer's review against another edition
2.0
As a description of the Allied firebombing of Hamburg during WWII, this slim volume doesn't offer much in the way of details. It is not a terribly useful history, and definitely not the "remarkable firsthand account" promised by the publisher. As a Germanic philosophical musing on the aftermath of great disaster, it is perhaps more successful.
brittaniethekid's review against another edition
5.0
This book has beautiful word choice and descriptions of one man's experience during and after the Hamburg bombing by the Allied forces in 1943. Originally written in German and kept from a widespread audience for years, this offers a rarely seen apolitical point of view from "the other side" of WWII - the Germans'. It also includes many photos taken around the destroyed Hamburg that only adds to the narrative. I would recommend this for anyone interested in WWII history.
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