Blood Brothers

By Ernst Haffner, Michael Hofmann (translator),

Book cover of Blood Brothers

Book description

Blood Brothers is the only known novel by German social worker and journalist Ernst Haffner, of whom nearly all traces were lost during the course of the Second World War. Told in stark, unsparing detail, Haffner's story delves into the illicit underworld of Berlin on the eve of Hitler's rise…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

1 author picked Blood Brothers as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

I stumbled on this novel when I was looking for something else (a common writers’ problem). It was written in 1932 and banned the next year by the Nazis and is set amongst the gangs of young men struggling to survive in a harsh and desperately impoverished Berlin. The descriptions of the hard side of the city are brilliantly drawn and the characters are so real you long for their lives to improve even when you know there is almost no hope of it. Haffner was a social worker who clearly knew Berlin’s streets well. To add to the poignancy…

From Catherine's list on stories set in Berlin.

Want books like Blood Brothers?

Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like Blood Brothers.

Browse books like Blood Brothers

Book cover of Alone in Berlin
Book cover of Stasiland: Stories from Behind the Berlin Wall
Book cover of The Berlin Stories

Share your top 3 reads of 2024!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,187

readers submitted
so far, will you?

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in Berlin, Nazism, and presidential biography?

Berlin 110 books
Nazism 231 books