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23rd out of 122 books
—
97 voters
Hamburg 1947: A Place for the Heart to Kip
by
Harry Leslie Smith (Goodreads Author)
Twenty-two years old and ready for peace, Harry Leslie Smith has survived the Great Depression and endured the Second World War. Now, in 1945 in Hamburg, Germany, he must come to terms with a nation physically and emotionally devastated. In this memoir, he narrates a story of people searching to belong and survive in a world that was almost destroyed.
"Hamburg 1947" recoun
...moreKindle Edition
Published
(first published 2011)
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a lovely story, with an intimate insight to the immediate Post War fate of Hamburg-Fuhlsbuettel and its inhabitants. I recognised all the landmarks, that I was to come across between Jan1970-Dec78, when I was stationed at the very same Airport. Our first son, Andrew, was born in Eppendorf Hospital, in 1970, the second, , at Wandsbeck Hospital, in 1973. As an Expat Brit, married to an Austrian lass, I feel a great deal of empathy for Harry and Frieda, two life size characters of a fascinating sto...more
This is the continuing memoir of Harry Smith - for the first book, see 1923: A Memoir. It's about his life in post war Hamburg (as is obvious from the title, I guess!), and about the lives of the people he knew there, too, and the population of the city in general.
Within the book I read so much about the years directly following WW2 - things I never about, because those times are not nearly as well documented as the war years, are they? I hadn't realised how bad things were in Germany, or how mu...more
Within the book I read so much about the years directly following WW2 - things I never about, because those times are not nearly as well documented as the war years, are they? I hadn't realised how bad things were in Germany, or how mu...more
Heart-warming lively, page-turner, that’s gripping, tragic and true
Harry Leslie Smith doesn’t need to invent heartache, the misery of unrequited love, penury or suffering because he’s lived it. Hamburg 1947 is the poignant account of his life just after the end of World War Two, in Hamburg. As a radio operator for the RAF he knows that his life in Germany is going to be secure and safe, as opposed to the likelihood of unemployment and hardship back in Yorkshire, so he gets his service time exte...more
Harry Leslie Smith doesn’t need to invent heartache, the misery of unrequited love, penury or suffering because he’s lived it. Hamburg 1947 is the poignant account of his life just after the end of World War Two, in Hamburg. As a radio operator for the RAF he knows that his life in Germany is going to be secure and safe, as opposed to the likelihood of unemployment and hardship back in Yorkshire, so he gets his service time exte...more
I just finished "Hamburg 1947: A Place for the Heart to Kip", and I'm nearly speechless. I spent a couple years living in Germany decades after the author, but I still found many bits and pieces that seemed familiar. Harry Leslie Smith has written a masterpiece. The plotline is gripping, the narrative flows, and the dialogue is stark. This memoir is beautifully written. He sets scenes with such detail that I felt as if I was experiencing the story with him. It's just a great book.
I truly got to...more
I truly got to...more
Harry Smith has written something you rarely find these days; a genuine, unpretentious and honest memoir that is at once a fascinating story of the early years in post-war Germany and a heart-felt coming of age love story. Hamburg 1947 was hard to put down. Smith's clean, honest prose and eye for detail never fail. As an American born in 1941, I was too young to experience the war, nor did I have any real concept of what life was like for the avrage working man in England after the war. I have s...more
Hamburg 1947: A Place for the Heart to Kip is an account of Smith’s self-confessed ‘storm-tossed life’ whilst serving with the RAF as a wireless operator in Germany. It details his time in the city of Hamburg directly after the end of the Second World War. His story begins in 1945 when he is twenty two years old. It is a follow-up to Smith’s first book of memoirs, 1923: Lies and Testaments.
The book opens with a short introduction addressed directly to the reader. This informs the reader as to wh...more
The book opens with a short introduction addressed directly to the reader. This informs the reader as to wh...more
Aug 28, 2012
Alan Taylor
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
first-reads,
wins
I received this as a Goodreads First Reads giveaway.
Admittedly this book is right up my street as I have always had a major interest in the 2 World Wars, however, this is a very refreshing change to the usual accounts of life on the front line during the conflict itself.
This memoir of Harry Smith follows his life from the end of the war based on an RAF base in Hamburg and provides a shocking insight into the plight of innocent German civilians in the years immediately after the war. It tells of...more
Admittedly this book is right up my street as I have always had a major interest in the 2 World Wars, however, this is a very refreshing change to the usual accounts of life on the front line during the conflict itself.
This memoir of Harry Smith follows his life from the end of the war based on an RAF base in Hamburg and provides a shocking insight into the plight of innocent German civilians in the years immediately after the war. It tells of...more
Most books we read about WWII deal with the horrors of the war itself. Smith's Hamburg 1947 presents a horror less frequently highlighted - that of ordinary Germans trying to survive in post war occupied Germany. That they survived both the Nazis and occupation is a testament to the strength of men and women given no choice in their lives. But Hamburg 1947 isn't all doom and gloom. It's also a love story that honors both the author and his wife.
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Every bit as engaging as Harry's first book - 1923: A Memoir. I was asked to read Hamburg 1947 for copy-editing purposes and I found it extremely difficult to stick to the task at hand because I kept getting caught up in the story.
It was an excellent read. I loved every bit. Harry has a way with words that keeps you riveted and wanting to continue. The lengths he went to for the woman he loved and her family were extraordinary.
It was an excellent read. I loved every bit. Harry has a way with words that keeps you riveted and wanting to continue. The lengths he went to for the woman he loved and her family were extraordinary.
I thought this was a fascinating book. It's the sequel to 1923: A memoir, and I was eager to continue the story. I learned so much about post-WWII Germany while following the story of Harry through his challenging life.
Having read and appreciated (don't think enjoyed would be the right word considering how heart breaking the subject matter was) Harry's first book 1923: A Memoir Lies and Testaments I have been waiting for this book to be published. It was worth the wait. I really did enjoy reading this one which tells the tale of his time in postward Hamburg and his courtship of his wife. This is a love story. As before, it is very well written and he's now left me wanting to read what happened next! I hope tha...more
After reading the first book I couldn't *not* get the second to continue the story. A wonderfully honest account of the authors life in post WWII. Looking forward to more of the story.
Hamburg 1947 is the second book of Harry's trilogy and this was every bit as good as 1923: A Memoir. Now I'm looking forward to reading Empress of Australia.
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Book Giveaways: Hamburg 1947 Book Give Away | 1 | 6 | Feb 22, 2013 01:37pm | |
| Book Giveaways: Win a Copy of Hamburg 1947 | 1 | 5 | Feb 17, 2012 04:59am | |
| Book Giveaways: Win a Copy of Hamburg 1947 | 3 | 6 | Dec 10, 2011 02:35pm | |
| Memoirs on Adversity: Hamburg 1947: A Place for the Heart to Kip | 1 | 3 | Nov 27, 2011 09:15am |
Harry Leslie Smith:
Was born in 1923, in Barnsley Yorkshire. He is a Second World War veteran who served with the RAF. Following the war, Smith remained in the Royal Air Force and was stationed in Hamburg Germany as part of the allied occupation force. During his military tour in Germany, Harry Leslie Smith developed a strong attachment to the German people and their culture. Following his service...more
More about Harry Leslie Smith...
Was born in 1923, in Barnsley Yorkshire. He is a Second World War veteran who served with the RAF. Following the war, Smith remained in the Royal Air Force and was stationed in Hamburg Germany as part of the allied occupation force. During his military tour in Germany, Harry Leslie Smith developed a strong attachment to the German people and their culture. Following his service...more
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