Why am I passionate about this?

I’m someone who has one of the best jobs in the world – I’m an associate professor of history. I get paid to learn and to share what I learn with my students. I am super passionate about my work, both teaching and research. As for my research, I’m a historian of Nazi Germany.


I wrote

Marriage and Fatherhood in the Nazi SS

By Amy Carney,

Book cover of Marriage and Fatherhood in the Nazi SS

What is my book about?

When I was writing this book, several of my friends jokingly called it the Nazi baby book, with one insisting…

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of Berlin Noir: March Violets; The Pale Criminal; A German Requiem

Amy Carney Why did I love this book?

This book – well, technically, the first three books in the series – is for anyone who enjoys mysteries or detective stories, especially the hardboiled variety. The core of the book is Bernie Gunther, who is – depending on the situation – a protagonist, a hero, and/or an anti-hero. A former Berlin detective turned private investigator, he’s cynical and sardonic, not to mention a hopeless romantic who repeatedly falls for the femme fatale or damsel in distress while on a case, which pretty much always leads him into trouble. The first book is set in Berlin in 1936, the second in Berlin in 1938, and the third in Berlin and Vienna in 1947, which means Bernie has more than a few brushes with the Nazis.

By Philip Kerr,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Berlin Noir as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A combined edition of: March Violets, The Pale Criminal, A German Requiem, and Philip Kerr.


Book cover of Fatherland

Amy Carney Why did I love this book?

This is another great detective story. Fans of The Man in the High Castle (the Amazon series) will also be interested in Fatherland because it is an alternate history where Germany has won the Second World War. Set in Berlin in 1964, police detective Xavier March comes across a body in a posh neighborhood – I can’t say which one, no spoilers! But what begins as a murder investigation quickly devolves as March realizes there is a much larger conspiracy and cover-up, and each clue he finds puts him in greater danger.

By Robert Harris,

Why should I read it?

4 authors picked Fatherland as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

_________________________
'The highest form of thriller . . . non-stop excitement' The Times

NOW AVAILABLE: THE SECOND SLEEP, ROBERT HARRIS'S LATEST NOVEL
_________________________

What if Hitler had won the war?

It is April 1964 and one week before Hitler's 75th birthday. Xavier March, a detective of the Kriminalpolizei, is called out to investigate the discovery of a dead body in a lake near Berlin's most prestigious suburb.

As March discovers the identity of the body, he uncovers signs of a conspiracy that could go to the very top of the German Reich. And, with the Gestapo just one step behind,…


Book cover of The Eagle Has Landed

Amy Carney Why did I love this book?

This book is a classic action-adventure story with a touch of spy thriller mixed in. It was apparently inspired by the rescue of Benito Mussolini led by SS officer Otto Skorzeny in 1943. But in this novel, also set in 1943, the plan isn’t to rescue someone. Rather, the objective is to kidnap Winston Churchill. Tasked with this daunting assignment is Lieutenant Colonel Kurt Steiner, a disgraced airborne paratrooper, allied with IRA operative Liam Devlin. Both make quite interesting protagonists – that's one of Higgins's best skills as a writer: with a brief sketch, he creates compelling characters. As this is not alternate history, readers know from the outset these characters have to fail, and yet, Higgins wrote a gripping narrative that keeps readers wondering what the characters will do next and how their mission will turn out.

By Jack Higgins,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Eagle Has Landed as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

As the Allied forces slowly begin turning the tide of war, Hitler vehemently orders the impossible-kidnap Winston Churchill, or kill him. A crack team of commandos led by a disgraced war hero must venture into the heart of England to carry out their mission, or die trying.

Meanwhile, in a quiet seaside village, a beautiful widow and an IRA assassin have already laid the groundwork for what will be the most treacherous plot of the war. It begins on November 6, 1943, when Berlin receivs the fateful message...

"First rate...a fascinating adventure story." -San Francisco Chronicle

"The master's master of…


Book cover of Winter: The Tragic Story of a Berlin Family 1899-1945

Amy Carney Why did I love this book?

While technically a prequel to Deighton’s well-known Cold War Game, Set, Match trilogy, Winter can certainly be read as a standalone novel. As the subtitle indicates, this is a book about a family. But really, this is a novel about two brothers, Peter and Pauli. The evolution of their relationship over the course of nearly half a century, 1900-1945, is the foundation on which Deighton explores this tumultuous period of German history. From their innocent and carefree youth in the late Wilhelmine period, to the trauma of their military service during the First World War, through the rise and rule of the Nazi party – can the ties that bind the Winter brothers survive?  

By Len Deighton,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Winter as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In this gripping prelude to the Game, Set, Match trilogy, spies aren't born--they're made. Winter tells the tale of a Berlin family divided. Two brothers, Peter and Paul Winter, came of age during the Great War; then as Hitler's power spreads through Germany threatening a new era of violence, the brothers are driven apart by differing morals and ambitions. Meticulously researched, this allegory of a nation at odds with itself paints a brilliant portrait of the German zeitgeist during those turbulent years, and provides a powerful depiction of the rise of the Third Reich.


Book cover of The Kommandant's Girl

Amy Carney Why did I love this book?

This historical romance is set in German-occupied Krakow. Emma, a young Jewish woman, is separated from her husband just weeks after their marriage because of his involvement in the resistance. Sent to live with Krysia, her husband’s gentile aunt, the women quickly bond with each other as well as with a toddler, the son of a Jewish rabbi, who is placed in their care. The plot thickens when Emma comes to the attention of Georg Richwalder, a high-ranking Nazi official in Krakow who, unaware that Emma is Jewish, wants her to work for him. She does, knowing the information she has access to will help the resistance, including the clandestine work of her husband. Richwalder’s feelings for her, along with her conflicted feelings for him, drive the plot to its intense conclusion.

By Pam Jenoff,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Kommandant's Girl as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING TITLE THE ORPHAN'S TALE OUT NOW

Based in part on actual events, Kommandant's Girl is a compelling tale of love and courage in a dangerous and desperate times.

Unique in voice and evocative in historical detail, this stunning debut faithfully explores the gray area between right and wrong and the timeless themes of home, stuggle and defiance in the face of overwhelming odds.

Nineteen-year-old Emma Bau has been married only three weeks when Nazi tanks thunder into her native Poland. Within days Emma's husband, Jacob, is forced to disappear underground, leaving her imprisoned within the city's…


Explore my book 😀

Marriage and Fatherhood in the Nazi SS

By Amy Carney,

Book cover of Marriage and Fatherhood in the Nazi SS

What is my book about?

When I was writing this book, several of my friends jokingly called it the Nazi baby book, with one insisting it would make a great title. Nazi Babies – admittedly, that is a catchy title, but that’s not exactly what my book is about. SS babies would be slightly more on topic, but it would be more accurate to say that I wrote a book about SS men as husbands and fathers.

From 1931 to 1945, leaders of the SS, a paramilitary group under the Nazi party, sought to transform their organization into a racially-elite family community that would serve as the Third Reich’s new aristocracy. They utilized the science of eugenics to convince SS men to marry suitable wives and have many children. Marriage and Fatherhood in the Nazi SS  is the first work to significantly assess the role of SS men as husbands and fathers during the Third Reich.

Book cover of Berlin Noir: March Violets; The Pale Criminal; A German Requiem
Book cover of Fatherland
Book cover of The Eagle Has Landed

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Quick Bright Things

By Michael Golding,

Book cover of Quick Bright Things

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Why am I passionate about this?

It took me awhile to understand that I was on a spiritual path. I started out as an actor, and working in the theater brought me joy. But as time passed, and I turned to writing novels, the same questions kept emerging: “Who am I?” “Why am I here?” I began to see that I was on a spiritual journey. With A Poet of the Invisible World, I finally felt ready to write about that journey. Nouri’s adventures chart the twists and turns—as well as the deep rewards—of the spiritual path. It’s a book that’s very close to my heart.

Michael's book list on accompanying you on your spiritual journey

What is my book about?

This delightful fable about the Golden Age of Broadway unfolds the warm story of Artie, a young rehearsal pianist, Joe, a visionary director, and Carrie, his crackerjack Girl Friday, as they shepherd a production of a musical version of A Midsummer Night's Dream towards opening night. 

Drawn from the personal experiences of its author, it's a glittering love letter to the Great White Wayand all the crazy, gifted people who keep it humming.

Quick Bright Things

By Michael Golding,

What is this book about?

This is a delightful fable about the Golden Age of Broadway. It follows Artie, a young rehearsal pianist, Joe, a visionary director, and Carrie, his crackerjack Girl Friday, as they shepherd a production of a musical version of A Midsummer Night's Dream towards opening night.

Drawn from the personal experiences of its author, this is a glittering love letter to the Great White Way, and all the crazy, gifted people who keep it humming.


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Interested in Nazi Germany, Germany, and war?

Nazi Germany 159 books
Germany 492 books
War 2,075 books