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Wolfsangel
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200 pages, Paperback
First published April 14, 2010
20 people are currently reading
28 people want to read
About the author
John Reinhard Dizon
85 books62 followersJohn Reinhard Dizon was born and raised in the Cobble Hill section of Brooklyn, NY. He participated in local and high school sports at Bishop Loughlin MHS, excelling in wrestling, hockey and football. The lead vocalist of the Spoiler and the Ducky Boys, he was a key figure on the Brooklyn rock scene during the Punk Revolution of the 70's. Relocating to San Antonio TX in the 80's, he moonlighted as a pro wrestler while working as a legal assistant. He successfully pursued a BA at UTSA and degrees in Korean martial arts during the 90's. He currently lives in KC MO where he is studying for his MA in English at UMKC. Mr. Dizon has been studying and writing about Irish history for over twenty-five years.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
March 6, 2018
Being sort of a World War II nut and amateur historian on the subject, I was very excited to read “Wolfsangel”. First of all I have to say that it was like no other book on WWII that I have ever read. Rarely are those books written where the leading character (Carl Hansen) is our enemy and hell-bent on killing our allies. Furthermore, he is good at it. Carl, a German SS lieutenant and his squad, are reassigned to France from the eastern front to try to put a stop to French resistance during the Normandy invasion.
The author, John Dizon, is obviously a superb researcher. He did a very good job researching German Special Forces and French resistance – something I knew little about. His research was very helpful for me to understand that part of the war. Nor did I know much about criminal activity going on in France at that time. Now I do.
Be forewarned. This book points out the graphic horrors of war and the atrocities committed. It reflects on war’s hateful, bloodthirsty outrages. Unfortunately it is reality. It does not glorify war. How the author was able to include a love story and give Carl a sense of compassion in all this madness was refreshing. That, at least, gives me a little hope for humanity.
I highly recommend “Wolfsangel”
The author, John Dizon, is obviously a superb researcher. He did a very good job researching German Special Forces and French resistance – something I knew little about. His research was very helpful for me to understand that part of the war. Nor did I know much about criminal activity going on in France at that time. Now I do.
Be forewarned. This book points out the graphic horrors of war and the atrocities committed. It reflects on war’s hateful, bloodthirsty outrages. Unfortunately it is reality. It does not glorify war. How the author was able to include a love story and give Carl a sense of compassion in all this madness was refreshing. That, at least, gives me a little hope for humanity.
I highly recommend “Wolfsangel”
February 26, 2018
Wolfsangel by John Reinhard Dizon is an unusual WWII novel. Instead of focusing on the exploits of an American or one of the Allies, its hero is a German commando who has been pulled from the Russian front to France in a desperate attempt to stop the Allied invasion of Normandy.
On the positive side, the book is action-packed; the pace very fast and the settings and action are vividly described. The story also shines a light on some real outrages of WWII that don't get much attention in modern history classes today. Best of all, there is a theme of sacrifice and redemption which makes some sense of the violence and gore of war.
I do think the book would benefit from some additional editing. The structure can be confusing as it sometimes jumps from place to place and back and forth in time without a clear transition for the reader. And there are too many side plots and characters for a relatively short book. I also found that most of the characters talked the same way, making it harder to differentiate them.
Still, if you prefer hard-hitting action over fancy literary style, you may well like Wolfsangel.
Rating 5.5/10 stars
On the positive side, the book is action-packed; the pace very fast and the settings and action are vividly described. The story also shines a light on some real outrages of WWII that don't get much attention in modern history classes today. Best of all, there is a theme of sacrifice and redemption which makes some sense of the violence and gore of war.
I do think the book would benefit from some additional editing. The structure can be confusing as it sometimes jumps from place to place and back and forth in time without a clear transition for the reader. And there are too many side plots and characters for a relatively short book. I also found that most of the characters talked the same way, making it harder to differentiate them.
Still, if you prefer hard-hitting action over fancy literary style, you may well like Wolfsangel.
Rating 5.5/10 stars
June 25, 2020
An easy read and anyone who enjoys a historical romance novel will enjoy the journey that John Reinhard Dizon takes you on. Good character development.
October 9, 2016
“The ways of God are great and terrible, and sometimes we learn our lessons in the most horrific
ways, especially in this life we’ve chosen.”
Wolfsangel is an emblem of the Nazis, so, at first, I was a little worried when our heroes were in the Waffen SS of the Nazi army. However, the characters I followed ground-level into battle were complex, interesting, and their moral dilemmas kept the story moving with intrigue. I don’t typically read historical fiction, so this was a nice change of pace. It’s almost impossible to imagine what would have been like to be fighting in WWII, let alone to be a Nazi officer, so the fact that I cared about Carl is testament to Dizon’s ability. The history of WWII was integrated nicely throughout the story, giving the story a clear sense of setting and making me want to learn more about France during this period. I am a big fan of writers who know how to balance strong, vivid description with dialogue to make a story feel easy to read without sacrificing on depth. The quote above is one of my favorite lines.
If you are looking for an action-packed book full of no-nonsense characters, history, and romance, you will have a great time reading this book.
ways, especially in this life we’ve chosen.”
Wolfsangel is an emblem of the Nazis, so, at first, I was a little worried when our heroes were in the Waffen SS of the Nazi army. However, the characters I followed ground-level into battle were complex, interesting, and their moral dilemmas kept the story moving with intrigue. I don’t typically read historical fiction, so this was a nice change of pace. It’s almost impossible to imagine what would have been like to be fighting in WWII, let alone to be a Nazi officer, so the fact that I cared about Carl is testament to Dizon’s ability. The history of WWII was integrated nicely throughout the story, giving the story a clear sense of setting and making me want to learn more about France during this period. I am a big fan of writers who know how to balance strong, vivid description with dialogue to make a story feel easy to read without sacrificing on depth. The quote above is one of my favorite lines.
If you are looking for an action-packed book full of no-nonsense characters, history, and romance, you will have a great time reading this book.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews