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393rd out of 804 books
—
656 voters
The Past is Myself
This fascinating glimpse of Nazi Germany is provided by an Englishwoman who was fluent in German and at home in German society, yet not entirely of it. Christabel Bielenberg moved from passive to active resistance as Hitler seized power and the Nazi dictatorship clamped down.
Paperback, 288 pages
Published
January 20th 1984
by Corgi
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Although highly readable I had difficulty in deciding exactly where the author stood politically and consciously. An Irish/English woman married to a German during World War Two. Little, if any reference to 'The Holocaust' and her apparant ability to move around Europe using contacts in high places only served to confound me.
Possibly the best memoir I have ever read, excepting maybe Out of Africa by Isak Dineson. I found this book totally by chance at a used English bookstore in Italy and have now reread it probably four times. It is absolutely thrilling. The story of an English woman who marries a German man in the 30s and goes to live in Germany. They have children and then the war descends. It is a view of WWII that I believe is unique - that of a woman essentially trapped behind enemy lines and just trying to su...more
The author was an Englishwoman from a wealthy background who married a German liberal During the 1930s she lived a tranquil life in a small town in Germany raising her family.
Her account of the Nazi years is chilling and the eloquence of the language is admirable. An outstanding and very moving book.
Her account of the Nazi years is chilling and the eloquence of the language is admirable. An outstanding and very moving book.
After I came home with a reprinted book of letters from a mother in Germany during WWII to her family outside, my grandmother pointed this book my way. More of an episodic narrative, this book is the memoirs of an English born woman who marries her German husband and they start a life together in 30's Germany. Not having been exposed to much more than the usual extreme stories of WWII, it's just as fascinating and perhaps more real to read a more day-to-day account of a woman struggling to make...more
Malei's book group selection July 2009
I've read this about 3 times and its brilliant every time.
I bought this at a used book store in Scotland last year, but it is still available to buy. Bielenberg gives a first-hand account of life in Germany preceding and during WWII under Hitler's regime as a young Brit married to a non-Nazi German husband. The true story of their survival and the ethical dilemma of preserving their family amid a moral question of opposing the evil vs. keeping alive is well-told and fascinating.
Different perspective on the war. Enjoyable read but maybe a little long in the telling
Really interesting, beautifully written, humane book by an englishwoman who marries a German and moves to Germany in the mid-late 30s. This talks about her experiences throughout the war etc.
Her follow up book is boring though. Don't remember the name but i don't recommend it.
Her follow up book is boring though. Don't remember the name but i don't recommend it.
An amazing insiders view of Germany during WWII by an English woman who married a German lawyer just before the war and spent the war in Germany.
May 14, 2013
Shaz Pope
marked it as to-read
Mar 31, 2013
Amy Hustead
marked it as to-read
Mar 30, 2013
Katharine Clifford
added it
Mar 14, 2013
Бюньямин ОЗДЕМИР
added it
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