Tag: Nazi

Ratlines by Stuart Neville

Ratlines by Stuart Neville

Posted on by Jack

Based on a little known and disturbing aspect of Irish history and a mix of real and fictional characters, “Ratlines” by Stuart Neville is an intriguing story.

This is clearly a work of fiction. At the beginning he lays out a few historical events. And then tells you:

The rest is just a story

But what a story.

First, the historical events that inspired this story. As I said some facts are given in the beginning of the book and then in the Acknowledgements at the end, the author list a few sources of the history including a documentary you can find on YouTube

Or if you prefer reading about this
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1538969/Ireland-welcomed-Hitlers-henchmen.html


So with a base of real characters, Neville adds fictional characters and fictional events and weaves a complicated tale of intrigue involving Nazis, the IRA, Irish intelligence, a love story, and much more. What makes it more interesting to Americans is that this story mainly takes place during the preparations for President Kennedy’s visit to Ireland.

As would be expected in a story involving Nazis, the IRA, and Stuart Neville, there is violence. But as in his previous books (reviewed here: The Ghosts of Belfast and Collusion), the violence seems to fit into the story which is more about right and wrong (often the lesser of two wrongs) and a complex character dealing with inner conflict.

In this book the complex character is Lieutenant Albert Ryan of Irish Intelligence, who left neutral Ireland to fight the Nazis for the British and now is asked by his government to protect Nazi war criminals in Ireland such as Colonel Otto Skorzeny (formerly an SS officer and now a well-connected resident of Ireland.)

I read the galley from netgalley on my Kindle and the book won’t be released until early January, 2013. I guess my only real disappointment is that the book won’t be available this year for gift giving.

Other reviews:

The book is published by Soho Crime. If you like good books, especially with an international flavor, you might want to check out Soho Press.

Reading Now: In the Garden of Beasts by Erik Larson

Reading Now: In the Garden of Beasts by Erik Larson

Posted on by Jack

I am now reading In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler’s Berlin by Erik Larson. I heard an interview with the author on NPR and was intrigued by the subject.


FDR had trouble finding someone to be our ambassador to Nazi Germany. The American consul general describes the Nazi government as a “danger to world peace” and adds that some members of the government are psychopaths “who would ordinarily be receiving treatment somewhere.” A mild mannered professor becomes the US ambassador to Nazi Germany after several others turn down the job. This is further complicated by his free-spirited daughter who admires the “New Germany”, enjoys elite society, and has a series of affairs including one with the head of the Gestopo and another with a Soviet spy. I’m only about a third through the book but I am completely enjoying it and learning quite a bit of history never covered in school.