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Helena P. Schrader

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Cold Peace: A Novel of the Berlin Airlift, Part I (Bridge to Tomorrow Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Helena P. Schrader PhD (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

4.6 16 ratings

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The economy is broken, the currency worthless, and the Russian bear is hungry.
In the ruins of Hitler's capital, war heroes and resilient women struggle in the post-war doldrums -- until they discover new purpose in defending Berlin's freedom from Soviet tyranny. When a Russian fighter brings down a British passenger plane, the world teeters on the brink of World War Three. The first battle of the Cold War is about to begin.

Based on historical events, award-winning novelist Helena P. Schrader brings to life the backstory of the West's bloodless victory against Russian aggression via the Berlin Airlift in Cold Peace, the first book in the Bridge to Tomorrow Series.

Helena P. Schrader is a former U.S. diplomat, who earned her PhD in Modern History from the University of Hamburg. She spent roughly one-third of her life in Berlin and first explored the pivotal events of the Berlin Airlift 1948-1949 in her comprehensive non-fiction study The Blockade Breakers. Schrader is the author of a score of novels, eleven of which have earned a total of 28 literary awards and 24 lesser accolades. Cold Peace was runner-up for "Book of the Year 2023" from the Historical Fiction Company, in addition to earning gold in the category wartime fiction and winning silver from Readers Favorites and a Brag Medallion.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Schrader is a sharply descriptive writer who captures the atmosphere and minute details of life in postwar Berlin with photographic precision...The novel ambitiously juggles several major characters, and the author ably handles the tricky task of making each well rounded and psychologically believable. She provides in-depth background information that reveals not only the players' past, but also their understanding of one another. ... Overall, this is a smart and compelling read, punctuated by gripping aerial sequences, political tension, and a dash of romance. It will likely have military fiction fans clamoring for the next installment. Sharp research meets vivid storytelling in an absorbing novel of the postwar period." Kirkus Reviews

"In her compelling novel Cold Peace, Helena P. Schrader delves into complexities of post-WWII Germany and the roots of the Berlin Airlift. ... Schrader's plotting is intricate and engaging. She deftly guides readers through the political and cultural landscape of a Berlin divided into four quarters... Schrader's fiction is deeply rooted in historical fact, interweaving fictional characters with real historical figures ... [Readers] will find Cold Peace rewarding...." Blue Ink

"Cold Peace .... [is a] fast-paced, suspenseful, emotional, and riveting story that any reader will find almost impossible to put down. ... The settings are perfect, the writing is superb, and the plot is very well-crafted. ... Cold Peace is a riveting and wonderfully written example of historical fiction and definitely stands out as one of the best. ... I have become a huge fan." Feathered Quill

"Schrader has marshalled the historical facts and assembled her wide range of very different characters with both a magisterial authority and a painterly skill....[This is a] fast-paced, complex book, a wonderful mixture of hard historical facts, minutely and meticulously researched and synthesised, with raw portrayals of the human condition. Readers will be anxious for more." Historical Fiction Club

"...a spellbinding work of historical fiction that brings a unique pocket of history to life with extraordinary detail and heart. ... Schrader puts heart and soul into the dialogue and development of everyone from cover to cover [creating] ... an authentic image of people caught in a very unsettling historical time. Overall, Cold Peace is a deeply engrossing novel that I would recommend to fans of military history, realistic drama and suspense novels alike." K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorites

"The beauty of the narrative is that it educates wonderfully, as well as entertains completely. ... I cannot wait to read the follow-up books from this superbly talented author." Grant Leishman for Readers' Favorites --This text refers to the paperback edition.

Book Description

Berlin 1948: A Russian fighter brings down a British airliner and World War Three is just a misstep away.

--This text refers to the paperback edition.

From the Author

As a long-time resident of Berlin, the Berlin Airlift always inspired me, yet I did not study the topic in earnest until The History Press in the UK commissioned me to write a book for the 60th Anniversary. At the time, many German, American and British participants were still alive. So, in addition to the usual scholarly research, I contacted eyewitnesses, starting with those still living in Berlin. I had the great privilege of corresponding with Gail Halvorsen, the famous "Candy Bomber" himself, and I also travelled to the UK to interview many British participants. These encounters planted the seeds for this novel.
Yet while the topic attracted me, it daunted me as well. The situation in Berlin in 1948-1949 was extremely complicated. The cast of characters was great and diverse. The relationship between the various actors was fluid and nuanced. Focus on a single character or plotline promised only to distort and oversimplify the historical situation. I chose, therefore, to create an expansive, inclusive and intricate novel intended to do justice to the complexity of the situation.
The richness of the material demanded breaking the story into phases. The Airlift cannot be appreciated without first comprehending the situation in Berlin before the Soviet blockade. Berlin in 1948 was unlike any other place on earth. The scale of destruction and the depth of the psychological trauma exceeded that of Tokyo, Frankfurt, or Rome. In addition, the simultaneous presence of all four wartime allies in the city created unique political pressures and fissures. The result was a poisonous cocktail composed of crime, terror, mutual suspicion and widespread hopelessness.
Instead of a single volume, a trilogy subsumed under the overarching title Bridge to Tomorrow evolved. The title springs from the German term for the Airlift "Luftbruecke" which translates literally as "Air Bridge" and the fact the Airlift was a pivotal turning point between the post-war era and the Cold War. Cold Peace is the first volume in the trilogy and covers the period from late 1947 to the end of June 1948. --This text refers to the paperback edition.

From the Inside Flap

On 24 June 1948, the Soviet Union imposed a blockade on the Western Sectors of Berlin. This cut off roughly 2.2 million civilians from food, fuel, electricity, and all other necessities of life. The Western Powers faced the choice between withdrawing from Berlin or using force to bring the vitally needed goods across the Soviet Zone to the people of Berlin. Withdrawal would have rewarded Stalin's callous use of two million civilians as hostages and enabled the Soviet Union to absorb all of Berlin into the communist East. Yet the use of force risked provoking an armed response in the heart of Europe. The world stood poised on the brink of the Third World War.
Rather than risk war or concede defeat, the leadership in London and Washington decided to attempt to supply the city entirely by air. At the time, this was seen as a stop-gap measure. It was intended to buy time for diplomacy. No one in Washington, London, or Berlin seriously believed it would be possible to supply more than two million inhabitants by air alone. Yet against the odds, the Airlift proved successful, and the Soviet Union gave up the Blockade after eleven months. The Berlin Airlift represented the first Western victory in the Cold War and remains to this day a dramatic example of a successful, non-violent response to aggression.
Yet while people may have heard of the Berlin Airlift, few realize how close it came to failing or fully grasp its significance. The Berlin Airlift brought about a fundamental transformation in the character and ideological orientation of post-war Germany. It transformed enemies into allies. It contributed materially to the establishment of the Federal Republic of Germany, NATO and ultimately the European Union.
The Bridge to Tomorrow series brings that dramatic story to life in three novels starting with Cold Peace that depicts the tensions building-up to the imposition of a blockade in June 1948. --This text refers to the paperback edition.

About the Author

Helena P. Schrader is a former U.S. diplomat, who earned her PhD in Modern History from the University of Hamburg. She spent roughly one-third of her life in Berlin and first explored the pivotal events of the Berlin Airlift 1948-1949 in her comprehensive non-fiction study The Blockade Breakers. Schrader is the author of a score of novels, eleven of which have earned a total of 28 literary awards and 24 lesser accolades. Cold Peace was runner-up for "Book of the Year 2023" from the Historical Fiction Company, in addition to earning gold in the category wartime fiction and winning silver from Readers Favorites and a Brag Medallion. --This text refers to the paperback edition.

From the Back Cover

Berlin 1948. The economy is broken, the currency worthless, and the Russian bear is hungry.
In the ruins of Hitler's capital, war heroes and resilient women struggle in the post-war doldrums -- until they discover new purpose in defending Berlin's freedom from Soviet tyranny. When a Russian fighter brings down a British passenger plane, the world teeters on the brink of World War Three. The first battle of the Cold War is about to begin.

Based on historical events, award-winning novelist Helena P. Schrader brings to life the backstory of the West's bloodless victory against Russian aggression via the Berlin Airlift in Cold Peace, the first book in the Bridge to Tomorrow Series. --This text refers to the paperback edition.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0C771JV6R
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Cross Seas Press (June 5, 2023)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ June 5, 2023
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 6561 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 679 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #1,410,752 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #1,539 in Military Aviation History (Kindle Store)
- #2,271 in Political Fiction (Kindle Store)
- #2,820 in 20th Century Historical Fiction (Kindle Store)

Customer Reviews:
4.6 16 ratings

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Helena P. Schrader

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Helena P. Schrader

Award-Winning Historical Novelist

Author of 24 Historical Fiction and Non-Fiction Titles, Winner of 55 literary accolades

“Helena Schrader’s in-depth stories, fantastic characters, and ability to write an unforgettable tale make her one of the best authors out there!” Feathered Quill

For readers tired of clichés and cartoons, award-winning novelist Helena P. Schrader offers nuanced insight into historical events and figures based on sound research and an understanding of human nature. Her complex and engaging characters bring history back to life as a means to better understand ourselves. Her motto is: Understanding ourselves by Understandig the Past. Helena’s chief areas of expertise are Aviation, the Second World War, Ancient Sparta, and the Crusader States.

Helena's current project in the three-part "The Bridge to Tomorrow Series," which shows how the West stopped Russian aggression without war during the Berlin Crisis of 1948/1949. The series goes beyond the political chess game and logistical achievements of the Berlin Airlift to explore the social and psychological impact of this pivotal historical event. The characters -- women and men, British, American, German and Ukrainian -- enable the reader to see the unfolding events through different perspectives. As the reader gets drawn into their lives, the historical tensions rise, and the trilogy accelerates the pace to that of a thriller. "The Bridge to Tomorrow Series" is about winning a war with milk, coal and candy bars.

The first book in the series, "Cold Peace," has already won four literary accolades including GOLD for Military Fiction in the Historical Fiction Company's 2023 Book Awards, Gold in the 2024 Feathered Quill Awards, runner-up for the Historical Fiction Company's prestigious BOOK OF THE YEAR award in 2023, an Indie BRAG medallion and a Maincrest Media Award. For an overview of all Helena's awards please visit her website.

Helena holds a PhD in history from the University of Hamburg, which she earned with a ground-breaking biography of a leader of the German Resistance to Hitler, and served as an American diplomat in Europe and Africa. She grew up sailing the Maine coast, was a passionate horsewoman, and is now retired and living with her husband and two dogs.

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Marina Osipova

Brilliant! A page-turner.

Reviewed in the United States on March 18, 2024

Verified Purchase

The year is 1947. Berlin is split into four parts. The Soviets desire the city for themselves. In 1948, the world is again on the brink of yet another war–the fact that many people may not remember or are not familiar with. Now it’s time to remind ourselves of what happened then, and the author has made it masterfully. Historically accurate, based on true events, this gripping and profoundly human story is populated with a huge cast of beautifully and scrupulously developed, authentic characters. Some deserve hate, others are lovable. I was emotionally invested in them and was actually sad to part ways with characters I’ve grown to love and root for. I couldn’t imagine turning away from the page until I finished. The historical part of the story is impressively researched and ominously resembles what has become very much a reality nowadays. Readers of serious historical fiction based on true events will highly appreciate this book. Read it. You will understand better why and what is going on in the world now.

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B IV

Cold Peace: a surefire winner!

Reviewed in the United States on July 24, 2023

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Cold Peace, perhaps author Helena Schrader’s finest novel to date, moves beyond World War II into the dawn of the Cold War. Engrossing from page one, Cold Peace takes Dr. Schrader’s well-established characters to post-Hitler Berlin, the capital of a vanquished and war-ravaged nation. Aggressively confident in its hold over Eastern Germany, the Soviet Union is seeking to extend its hegemony over Eastern Europe and force its erstwhile allies, the United States, Great Britain, and France, to forsake Berlin. After the Soviets impose a complete blockade on ground transportation, the Western Allies are reduced to one dangerous possibility: delivery of desperately needed supplies and evacuation of the sick and wounded via three narrow corridors of air space.

Thus begins Schrader’s three-volume tale of the famous Berlin Airlift; a story of intrepid resourcefulness, ingenuity, and unbreakable determination, deftly intertwined with the daily lives of her familiar and colorful cast of characters.

Cold Peace is nothing short of a fascinating page-turner that nevertheless moves at a comfortable pace, unassumingly informed by Dr. Schrader’s encyclopedic command of contemporaneous history. Needless to say, for dedicated World War II enthusiasts and casual readers alike, a surefire winner!

2 people found this helpful

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SAM

Engaging characters teach vital history!

Reviewed in the United States on June 29, 2023

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While one need not read all the author’s prior WWII novels to appreciate Cold Peace, I had read-and loved-them. I became involved with the main characters in Where Eagles Never Flew, which has a Battle of Britain focus, though from both sides of the conflict.

Cold Peace picks up when the hero gets assigned to command the British airbase at Gatow in 1947. This first book in the trilogy teaches us about the build up to the blockade that triggered the famous airlift as we follow the interesting interactions among the many characters. I am anxiously awaiting the next book in the series.

In addition to Where Eagles Never Flew, Traitors for the Sake of Humanity (WWII German Resistance) also provides excellent background for Cold Peace. Again, several key characters are in both novels. The stories of the resistance figures don’t seem to be as well known as the Battle of Britain group, which may explain why I am such a big fan of this book.

In short, if you want to understand today, work your way through all of Helena P Schrader’s WWII & after books. Fascinating stories by a true historian.

One person found this helpful

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Michael Ross

Defying Communism

Reviewed in the United States on September 5, 2023

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Dr. Schrader has constructed a narrative of the time up to the beginning of the airlift that is historically accurate and engaging, from the British military perspective. Her characters are well drawn, and show great understanding of the men and women who gave everything to save the city of Berlin. My uncle was an American bomber pilot who flew the airlift, and told me stories. Dr. Schrader has captured the times in a compelling story, an example of why appeasement and surrender in the name of peace doesn’t work.

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D. Page

Time to Remember Berlin

Reviewed in the United States on July 5, 2023

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In the 75 years since the Berlin Airlift, the city has changed beyond what one can imagine. This book really captures Berlin's character, but what's stunning are the lessons about fascism, past and present! The cast of characters and changing places may overwhelm a reader at first, but it's well worth the effort to follow them. Real people, hardship and loss, a good read that really takes you back to the days after World War II when the Soviets changed from ally to adversary.

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David Karl Wessel

Another triumph!

Reviewed in the United States on March 17, 2024

Having read and thoroughly enjoyed Helena Schrader's Traitors for the Sake of Humanity, I picked up Cold Peace with high expectations - that I would be treated to a wonderful read that showcases the author's in-depth knowledge of history and her award winning writing style. Suffice it to say, she delivered on both counts. Highly recommend!

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James Arbuckle

From Cold Peace to Cold War

Reviewed in Germany on March 1, 2024

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The book ‘Cold Peace’ by Helena P. Schrader was an eye opener for me as a Berliner who was born just prior to the blockade of West Berlin by the Soviets in June 1948.
The author manages to combine the skills of a historian with the imagination of a novelist to bring that troubled time to the reader. For anyone interested in the Cold War this is a must reading. To revisit the blockade and the immense efforts undertaken by the British American military, especially the pilots and their families, is important for us today when issues of blockade and airlifting of supplies in the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine has again become pertinent.

We look forward to reading Part 2 of the trilogy by this renowned author. (Review by Ingrid Lehmann)

Johnlad

A brilliant work of fiction based on historical fact and utterly compelling reading.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 14, 2023

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Anyone who is horrified by the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the utter callousness of Putin’s war machine, should read this book to see how true the adage is of ‘history repeating itself.’ Part 1 of Cold Peace describes how Stalin tears up the Wartime agreement about the governance of Berlin by the four powers when he realises that the Berliners will not vote for the Communist Party and will not be cowed into doing so but prefer the Social Democrats, . Berlin is in ruins. There is no currency apart from cigarettes, and Berliners will do anything to survive. Prostitution is rife and in the Russian zone the soldiers take whatever they want from the Germans; the Soviets had demolished factories and taken whatever could he used again to Russia. It is grim reading and the Allied troops were themselves not above censure: GIs became currency speculators and some American wives sewed star and stripes on their coats to avoid being assaulted by their own countrymen, who saw German women as fair game; but the Russians wanted the Western powers out as part of their plans to have a communist puppet state and were happy to make life as difficult as possible.
Into this maelstrom the author flies her main characters to Gatow RAF station which houses the RAF’s fighter squadron and an airstrip for civilian UK air traffic. Gatow becomes the centre for a lot of the action. Battle of Britain ace Wing Commander Priestman is Station Commander and provides leadership to the others. David Goldman and Kiwi Murray, both RAF vets, are partners in new Air Ambulance venture which also finds itself in Gatow and is straight away brought into action to ferry sick children and adults who cannot be given the care they urgently need in Berlin’s hospitals, overflowing with patients and lacking in facilities, blood supply and medicines.
As tensions rise the Russians decide that they have made life so hard for the Allies that they will not take too much more of a shove to make them leave Berlin altogether. In July 1948 the Russians block all rail and road transport through Russian occupied Germany to the allies; they calculate that with no fuel, coal, food and other essentials the Berliners in the allied sectors would revolt and the Allies would quit. They were proved wrong on both counts. Ernest Reuter SDP Mayor of Berlin rallied the Berliners who, he knew, would for the most part rather suffer the hardships of a siege than submit to the Russian yoke; urged on by Wing Co Priestman, who has done all the calculations, the allies ready themselves to break the blockade by an airlift. To bring in sufficient provisions to supply a city of 2 million inhabitants by air alone was of course, even by the most optimistic projections, totally impossible. Like me, you’ll have to read the next two volumes to find out how it was done! A brilliant work of fiction based on fact and utterly ompelling reading.

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