| Behind the Steel Wall (1944) |
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| Notes/Review |
| (full book description) Viking Press, New York, NY, 1944. 1st Ed. (U.S.) 1st Printing, VG+/Good+, Hard Cover, w/Dust Jacket. Size=6x8.5, 305pgs. 6 Maps. Ink withdrawn stamp from USS Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum Library. Intrepid is an aircraft carrier commissioned in WWII & opened as a museum in New York City in 1984. It was completely refurbished & reopened to the public on Veteran's Day, 2008. This book is part of a 2000+ book collection... ------------------------------------------------- This book went on my "to read" list several years ago. I find these sorts of books in the notes or bibliographies of other books. This book was a case of mistaken identity for me: I thought it would be about something else entirely. No matter: my disappointment due to my misconception doesn't speak to the merits of the book. Fredborg was a Swedish newspaper reporter in Berlin from 1941 to 1943. This is, for the most part, a fairly straight-forward reporting of the progress of the war at the time it was published (which was late 1943 in Sweden and early 1944 in the USA). From today's standpoint, it is not particularly interesting in that regard. It doesn't go into great detail, and lacks much of the depth later reports were able to provide. The author didn't see any of the fighting first-hand and received reports only from the German military and government, so was subject to their particular (and not exactly honest) point of view. That he was able to more or less correctly relate the war is to his credit. Once I realigned my expectations for the book, I was hoping for a more personal story. The end notes say the author was warned by friends to leave Germany. There is nothing of that tale in the book. There is also very little reporting on the tribulations of the residents of Berlin due to shortages or bombing. This is about the overall conduct of the war, not a story of the reporter or the observations of his immediate surroundings. Given that the bulk of this book is not the best place for modern readers to learn of the events described, the only particularly interesting sections are Fredborg's descriptions of his dealings with Promi (the Propaganda Ministry) and his short excursion to Vienna (where he does talk about his personal interactions). He ends the book with some speculation of what will happen in 1944 and beyond. He was not a good predictor of future events. (No damning critique here: predicting the future is hard, after all!) Having read a number of books written during the war and the speculations of the authors, I find Fredborg's views... unique. I'll just say that he was spectacularly wrong and I've read no other accounts of the time recommending the course of action he suggests. No photos, index, or bibliography. |