The Kaiser's Last Kiss

by Alan Judd

A fictionalised account of the Kaiser Wilhelm's last years in Nazi-occupied Holland.It is 1940 and the exiled Kaiser is living in Holland, at his palace Huis Doorn. The old German king spends his days chopping logs and musing on what might have been. When the Nazis invade Holland, the Kaiser's Dutch staff are replaced by SS guards, led by young, eager Untersturmfuhrer Krebbs, and an unlikely relationship develops between the king and his keeper. While they agree on the rightfulness of German expansion and on holding the country's Jewish population accountable for all ills, they disagree on the solutions. Krebbs's growing attraction and love affair with Akki, a Jewish maid in the house, further undermines his belief in Nazism. But as the tides of war roll around them, all three find themselves increasingly compromised and gravely at risk.This subtle, tender novel borrows heavily from real history and events but remains a work of superlative, literary fiction. Through Judd's depiction of the Lear-like Kaiser and the softening of brutal Krebbs, the novel draws unique parallels between Germany at the turn of the 20th century and Hitler's Germany.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, War, World War II, Romance, Novels

208 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Alan Judd is a pseudonym used by Alan Edwin Petty.

Born in 1946, he graduated from Oxford University and served as a British Army officer in Northern Ireland during 'The Troubles', before later joining the Foreign Office; he currently works as a security analyst. He regularly contributes articles to a number of publications, including The Daily Telegraph, and The Spectator as its motoring correspondent. His books include both fiction and non-fiction titles, with his novels often drawing on his military background.

He lives in Sussex with his wife and daughter.

Reviews

[Bettie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Description: A fictionalised account of the Kaiser Wilhelm's last years in Nazi-occupied Holland.It is 1940 and the exiled Kaiser is living in Holland, at his palace Huis Doorn. The old German king spends his days chopping logs and musing on what might have been. When the Nazis invade Holland, the Kaiser's Dutch staff are replaced by SS guards, led by young, eager Untersturmfuhrer Krebbs, and an unlikely relationship develops between the king and his keeper. While they agree on the rightfulness of German expansion and on holding the country's Jewish population accountable for all ills, they disagree on the solutions. Krebbs's growing attraction and love affair with Akki, a Jewish maid in the house, further undermines his belief in Nazism. But as the tides of war roll around them, all three find themselves increasingly compromised and gravely at risk.This subtle, tender novel borrows heavily from real history and events but remains a work of superlative, literary fiction. Through Judd's depiction of the Lear-like Kaiser and the softening of brutal Krebbs, the novel draws unique parallels between Germany at the turn of the 20th century and Hitler's Germany.

Of course the premise caught my eye, however the proof of the pudding panned out to be something of a nothing. Lady Rose from Downton Abbey played the maid who finds herself sharing odd yet meaningful moments with the Kaiser, played by Christopher Plummer. Mr Norris was great as Himmler.

A hand-wobble of two star okayishness.

NYT review

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wish I had found this book to be more enjoyable but unfortunately I found it to be seriously lacking. Although I enjoyed the material, personally I have not read or have seen much material written about the Kaiser, I found the story line to be kind of boring.

I did not find the romance to be believable or did I grow attached to the characters. Actually I would've preferred to have had this story written from the Kaiser's point of view. I found him to be just as I imagined and felt that the story would've had more substance if it was portrayed through his eyes. Nevertheless, it was an extremely quick read and one that could be knocked off in one sitting.

[Cold War Conversations Podcast · Rating 3 out of 5]

Slow in places, but not a bad read.

Alan Judd’s latest book is a fictional account set at Huis Doorn in the Netherlands where the former Kaiser of Germany was living after his abdication at the end of World War 1. It’s 1940 and the Germans have now occupied the Netherlands and Martin Krebs is in charge of an SS unit detailed to guard the former Kaiser.

The book focuses on the of the relationship between Krebs and Akki, a Jewish woman who is part of former Kaiser’s household.

Whilst the book has an interesting dilemma with the conflict of Kreb’s ideology and his moral questioning I did find the idea of the relationship of Krebs and Akki an unlikely one. I just didn’t feel there was enough substance to his reasons for continuing the relationship.

However, the portrayal of the Kaiser and his scheming wife was good and overall I quite enjoyed the book.

[Erin (Historical Fiction Reader) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Find this and other reviews at: http://flashlightcommentary.blogspot....

Alan Judd’s The Kaiser’s Last Kiss demanded my attention the moment I stumbled over it on Edelweiss. I waited impatiently to see if I’d be granted a copy for review and jumped for joy when one came through. Few stories get me this excited, but I’ve spent a lot of time reading about the Kaiser, WWI and WWII and couldn’t help feeling giddy about a story that features elements of all three. Unfortunately, my enthusiasm distracted me from my usual routine and I failed to do my homework before diving into the narrative.

Had I bothered to look, I might have approached The Kaiser’s Last Kiss differently, but I didn’t and missed noting that I’ve read Judd before and wasn’t impressed with the result. I’d eyed Dancing with Eva for several months before acquiring a copy in 2013 and was bitterly disappointed when the execution failed to live up to my expectations. The pacing was sluggish and the characters stilted. The telling was anticlimactic and I remember being impressed with myself for not throwing the damned book at the wall.

Why is any of this important? Well let’s just say history repeats itself and while I found The Kaiser’s Last Kiss marginally better than its predecessor, I honestly feel that it suffers many of the same technical and structural difficulties. I found Krebbs and Akki woefully underdeveloped and the fact that I felt something off in each negatively underscored Judd’s primary plot twist. Much like I did with his earlier work, I finished this novel feeling distinctly unsatisfied with the central story and wishing I hadn’t invested my time in the narrative.

The story lacked punch and I didn’t warm to Krebbs or Akki, but I did note some fun historic detail in the politics of the narrative and I actually liked Judd’s interpretation of Kaiser Wilhelm. Judd’s characterization of the exiled monarch mirrors my own impressions and I found his scenes amusing despite my lack of interest in the rest of the story.

Would I recommend The Kaiser’s Last Kiss? Probably not. I don’t mean to turn anyone away from the novel, I don’t think it capitalized on the full potential of the subject matter and I wasn’t impressed with the fictional elements of the piece.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

A German soldier tries to determine if the Dutch resistance has planted a spy to infiltrate the home of Kaiser Wilhelm in Holland during the onset of World War II, but falls for a young Jewish Dutch woman during his investigation.

[Keith · Rating 4 out of 5]

On November 11, 1918 when the so-called Great War stumbled to its exhausted end, one immediate consequence was the abdication of German Kaiser Wilhelm II. Heated discussions occurred as various parties discussed his fate. There were some who wanted to indict him as a war criminal, others wanted to just shoot him and be done with it. Eventually the Kaiser and his retinue settled into exile in The Netherlands. For more than twenty years the former Kaiser was an historical footnote, living the life of a country squire in several Dutch locations. By 1940 he was settled in Huis Doorn until in June 1940 the German Army came to visit. Hitler had invaded the Netherlands and soon Wilhelm's Dutch Army protection was replaced by the German Wehrmacht.

This book is a historical fiction that exploits this situation as a foundation. It must be said that the incredibly well plotted story that emerges is energized by what seems to be a wholly incredible event. Despite this the reader who persist will discover is a well written story that illuminates Wilhelm's late in life encounter with the Nazis. Wilhelm is now eighty, more than twenty years an exile. The portrait that emerges, however fictional, is nuanced, the former emperor is both intelligent and perceptive, and delusional and childlike.

The odious Reichsfuhrer Heinrich Himmler is a visitor, conversation ensues. Also ensuing is the uncovering of a spy, reflections on Nazi ideology, and a budding romance. All of this action is the frame that reveals at its heart an examination of meaning and motive in life, why we believe what we do, why these choices rather than others decide our path.

[Sabrina · Rating 2 out of 5]

I watched “The Exception” before I read this book, and though neither are fantastic, I enjoyed the movie much more. For me, the novel is pretty flat and that could be due to the third person writing which tends to be too detached for my taste. I would have liked a first person’s point of view from Martin or even Akki.

I found the characters to be very plain and the plot of the story only partially interesting. I read the book after the movie in hopes of seeing more of Martin and Akki and that was a major disappointment. The relationship is awkward and unrealistic to me. I did get a bit attached to the Kaiser, since he was the only one that seemed to have any personality or depth.

If I didn’t love the movie, I might not have finished the book. It was luckily a quick read that I could’ve finished in a day. I won’t say it was bad, just not my cup of tea, and I’ll probably give it a second chance, but not for a while.

[Helen Connelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I watched the movie twice and then wanted to read the book. My assessment is that the movie is better than the book. The movie is special and memorable. The book is something you can read in two nights and be glad you did, but not be sure you got too much out of it? It's interesting to see how the movie writer took elements of the book, moved them around, and made a better story. That's it. The movie tells a better story. Alan Judd put the story on paper and then Simon Burke made it better.

[Hanna · Rating 2 out of 5]

For once, I can say, movie was better than book.

[Hermien · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable, especially as I visited Huis Doorn a couple of years ago.

[Paris V.T. (on hiatus) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved the movie with lily james so I decided to pick up the book that inspired that movie, but its a disappointment. Dnf. Great movie though, so here are the two stars because without this book there won’t be that movie

[Hanah · Rating 1 out of 5]

(Spoiler-free)
I wish I could have given this book a better review (the synopsis had sounded captivating), but I'm thoroughly disappointed. I feel like Judd could have done a far better job with executing the plot - it's like he was lazy or disinterested when he started to write. It lacks heart and emotion.

Both Martin Krebbs and Akki felt very flat to me. There was no substance to either of them. They lacked emotion, personality. It was like watching mindless puppets totter around a stage with their mouths hanging open. Martin's attraction to Akki had no beginning. There was no build-up, no thought, no emotion. For a Nazi, his discovering of Akki's origins also struck me as extremely unrealistic. He never really reacted - never gave too much thought. Even for a Nazi officer against the mistreatment of Jews, one with even a shred of commonsense would have been reeling after discovering their lover was a Jew. If not for their own safety, then for the safety of their lover.

As for the story, it was far too fast-paced. Everything happened so quickly, and before I knew it, the book was over with an equally weak ending. The historical content felt forced as well. It was like Judd was just throwing facts in to make it more informational. Which it didn't. Nothing about the book felt like WWII. Honestly, the atmosphere was so bland that if it not for the mentioning of Nazis, one would hardly recognize the book took place in war-torn Europe in 1940.

All in all, Judd could have done a far better job. The story could have been so beautifully done had he given it more attention. I'm looking forward to seeing the movie in hopes that Jai Courtney and Lily James do a far better at bringing Krebbs and Akki to life than Judd did. Which almost feels shameful to write, as I usually dismiss movies that are based on books. But in this case, I'll take anything willing to give more life to an otherwise beautiful plot.

[Kristin]

I would like to thank netgalley and touchstone for a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

[Hristina · Rating 3 out of 5]

This felt kind of anticlimactic. I liked the characters of Martin and Akki, and their interactions were interesting, but none of them ended on a high note. The rest felt kind of rushed and unpolished, the ending did too. It was a solid read, but not overly gripping, or exciting.

[Nadya Trifonova-Dimova · Rating 4 out of 5]

Хареса ми. Не колкото филма, в който историята е много по-разгърната и емоционално въздействаща, но сякаш дава нов поглед над случващото се. Препоръчвам поне The Exception да се изгледа като минимум по темата :)

[Edith · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novel about the last days of Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany was born to be a movie: it's slim, straightforward, simple. (Alan Judd published "The Kaiser's Last Kiss" in 2003; a movie based on it, entitled "The Exception," is scheduled to be released June 2017.)

On the one hand, this is not a particularly good novel. The romance between the young SS officer who has come with Wehrmacht troops to protect/observe the former Emperor of Germany, and Akki, the beautiful maid attendant on Wilhelm and his wife Princess Hermione, is not at all convincing. This is the engine of the novel, and it just doesn't carry the weight of the plot. Both Akki and Krebbs are fictional characters, and not very well fleshed out.

On the other hand, the novel does create in the person of the former emperor a memorable and intriguing character. Judd conveys the exiled ruler's conflicted feelings about England and Jews, his stubbornness, his gallantry, his snobbery, his lack of consideration of others, and his unexpected tenderness and humanity very well. How closely this accords with Wilhelm's actual behavior and personality, I don't know, but, as good historical novels do, this one has encouraged me to find out. Additionally, young Krebbs, though an unconvincing literary character, does tell us something of what it might have been like to be an SS officer in the early days of the war.

I can't recommend this book as a novel per se, but for an intriguing look at the man who led the German people into the First World War and stood at the center of the unhappy web of royal personages descended from Queen Victoria, read this little novel.

P.S. Christopher Plummer plays the former emperor in the upcoming movie, which strikes me as brilliant casting!

[Norman Metzger · Rating 4 out of 5]

A challenge: Blend a deposed emperor who liked to call himself "Supreme War Lord", an unlikely pair of lovers, and Nazis behaving, well, like Nazis into a well-wrought novel that gathers power with each page. The challenge is met, admirably. The deposed royal is Kaiser Wilhelm II ("Willi"), who in 1918 after his forced abdication went into exile in the Netherlands dying in June 1941 at age 82 and a few weeks before Germany invaded the Soviet Union. The lovers are the leader of the Nazi guard at the Kaiser's residence in Doorn and a house servant. The portrayal of the Kaiser is hardly flattering -- a profound anti-Semite, referring throughout the book to "Judo-England", spending much time chopping wood, and awaiting the summons to return to Germany and regain his title. Never happened; Hitler hated him. As to that "Last Kiss," you'll have to read the book, which, I assure you, will be a pleasure for its wonderful blend of history and story-telling magic

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

pretty okay histfic. i'm not sure if it would make sense for the story to be drawn out, but i'm left wanting more character development for martin and akki. the ending was perfect tho.

[Kelly Sierra · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a book about a war, but it isn't a tale of the battlefield. What I loved about this story was the quiet intensity in which it captured moments that possibly occurred during WWII in Europe. Neighbors became enemies, but at the same time there were internal struggles. The dehumanization of a group of people is not necessarily the easiest thing to cope with, whether you are the victim or the assailant. Krebb's struggle to be a "good German soldier" and his increasing feelings for Akki, a Jew show the inner workings of humanity. We can't just hate on command, but we can become complicit in others' hate. I also liked that Akki had the same struggle in reverse, and that she constantly acknowledged that what they were doing was wrong, that what he stood for was wrong, but at the end of the day Martin still had good in him he just had to decide if he was going to continue to be a good solider, or a decent person.

This isn't the most exciting WWII story, but it's interesting to see all this duplicity going on: the Kaiser is important to the Germans but they exiled him; Akki is more than just a housemaid and Jew, Krebb's is both part of the SS and in love with a Jew; Germany wants to make Germany great again put at the price of millions of lives- including Germans.

3 stars

[Alejandrina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nicely written novel about the Kaiser exiled in Holland, when the Nazis invade. You feel for the characters, even an SS officer, the Kaiser himself and a couple of others caught in the nightmare. Reads very quickly!

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting and well written. With a historical core, the author uses character development, subtly nuanced prose, and intriguing dialogue to build a story that gives personal angle on the life of a loyal soldier, the experience of war, the evil of Nazism, the decline of the once powerful, and the transformative power of young love.

[Clive Grewcock · Rating 4 out of 5]

To describe a book set around the backdrop of the German invasion of Holland as whimsical may sound inappropriate. However, the opening is definitely whimsical with the ex-Kaiser, who was living in exile in Holland at the time, painted as a figure of fun, as is his second wife. Alongside this the SS Officer assigned to protect him is initially painted as a stereotype. However, whilst the plot is not hugely unpredictable the story does become both interesting and darker and it also becomes progressively apparent that the ex-Kaiser is wiser than we thought. Some of the dialogue between Martin and Akki struck me as stilted, reminiscent of some translated Russian dialogue (i.e. Nikolai Gogol), but nevertheless this is a good read and I’ll avoid a spoiler about how the moral dilemma is resolved.
The book makes no pretence at definitive historical accuracy (see the Historical Notes at the end for what is fact and what is fiction), but as I was unaware of the irony that the ex-Kaiser wsa living in Holland when it was occupied, it did lead to me reading more on the ex-Kaiser’s exile.

[Kenzi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lack of emotional payoff. No catharsis. only ambiguity. Far too reserved. Severely lacks emotional depth for the topics it was set up to explore. Very disappointing.

[Trina · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Do you read books?” the exiled German king, Kaiser Wilhem, asks the young SS officer, Martin Krebbs, sent to his Dutch chateau, Huis Doorn, as the Nazis roll over Holland. But Krebbs prefers real things to novels.
“You should,” continues the Kaiser, without waiting for a reply. “They tell you about life. Not just about what happens, which is what history tells you, but about life itself. They make you see it.”
And such is the power of Alan Judd, making us see the king and the keeper in all their unexpected appeal, brought together in 1940 by circumstances, yet separated by 60-years age difference as well as two very different world wars. Hitler is not the only one to insinuate someone into the Kaiser’s household to probe his views of (and test his loyalty to) the Third Reich. In this story, Churchill also dispatches an emissary to invite the formidable old king to escape to England (and thus give the Germans a black eye). After all, the Kaiser is half English. The plot thickens when Himmler pays a visit to Huis Doorn, and Martin fears for Akki, a pretty Jewish maid in the chateau, whom he has grown fond of along with the old man.
The Kaiser’s Last Kiss is brilliant, well plotted and crisply told, portraying the complexities of war largely through the eyes of an over-eager young German who must confront what it means to be a good soldier in a bad cause. Likewise, the Kaiser is a fascinating figure whose contradictory impulses are hardly reconciled within himself even in old age. More enigmatic is Akki whose shadowy presence is necessary for the plot but whose character remains just out of reach for the reader. All told, tho’, this is the kind of novel that makes you wonder what you’d’ve done in a similar situation...

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fun book to read. I visited Huis Doorn, the home at which Kaiser Wilhelm lived out his exile in Holland, during a trip to the Netherlands a few years ago. It was nice to be able to envision the exact setting of this book...right down to the Kaiser’s saddle desk chair.

The story itself was an imagination of an attempt by the British to entice the former kaiser to defect to Britain during the Second World War. Churchill thought it would be demoralizing to the Nazi cause if the former monarch went to England and became the figurehead of the anti-Hitler movement of German expats. This indeed happened but not quite with the intrigue imagined in this novel.

The only negative was a simple error - and one so easy to have fixed: throughout the books everyone referred to the kaiser is “your highness”. The simplest editorial research would have uncovered that monarchs - deposed or not - are referred to as “your majesty”, particularly by their retainers.

All in all a fun quick read - the first on my kindle.

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

I order this book after watching the movie (by a different title — The Exception) on Netflix. I loved the chemistry of the two main characters in the film. So much so that when the credits mentioned the book, I had to give it a read. Sadly, while enjoyable, we have a case of “the movie was better than the book.” Of course, I did watch the movie first. So, maybe things would have been different. Either way, still worth a read for anyone interested in historical fiction. (But please, please, please watch the movie!)

[Pascale · Rating 2 out of 5]

A pleasant airplane read but nothing more. While it is intriguing to speculate about what would have happened if Himmler had visited the Kaiser in exile in the Netherlands, the love-story between the young Nazi officer and the beautiful Jewish agent sent by Churchill to exfiltrate the Kaiser is pure pulp fiction.

[Paul E Dodaro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent story with some history interwoven. Different from the movie, which I saw before reading the book, but both stand well on their own. Judd develops the characters fully and establishes their personalities. It is a novel well worth one's time.

[Gary Holtzman · Rating 5 out of 5]

A five star review, but first, a warning: DO NOT READ THIS BOOK EXPECTING IT TO BE THE SAME AS THE MOVIE. I was drawn to the book because I, too, enjoyed THE EXCEPTION, the charming if preposterous World War II romance featuring the delightful final performance by the great Christopher Plummer as a wise, lovable old kaiser and Downtown Abbey's Lady Rose as a Jewish secret agent involved in a forbidden love story with an implausibly innocent SS Officer. (The premise is only saved from being offensive by its very absurdity, Plummer's charm, and the sexual chemistry between the sexy actors playing the lovers. It is also, thankfully, not a genre romance. One shudders imagining a meet-cute!)

The film is based on Judd's novel and tracks its plot to large extent, but THE KAISER'S LAST KISS is not THE EXCEPTION in book form, nor is it a romance, despite the romantic element. I think it is fair warning rather than a spoiler that there is not a Hollywood ending. The producers rightly changed the title and the name of the Nazi officer. Judd's short, beautifully crafted novella is something altogether deeper, darker, and more infused with moral ambiguity than the film based on it.

In spare prose that nonetheless richly evokes a very particular historical context, through the story of the fictional 23 year old SS-Untersturmführer Martin Krebbs, Judd explores some universal questions: Is it possible to be a good person and loyal patriot if serving your country means serving a regime or force carrying out atrocities? Is it possible to do your patriotic duty and not be complicit in crimes being committed in your country's name at the behest of its leaders? Is it possible to accept the persecution of a minority group while making an exception for a woman you think you are falling in love with? On the flip side is the dilemma faced by the mysterious housemaid Akki: Is it possible to separate the man from the uniform he wears?

Judd's narrative is also clearly informed by his own military experience. I read that he has said one of the issues he was pondering as he wrote was what he would have done had he been born in that time and place. It is a question the book invites the reader to confront.

Another fair warning: This is historical fiction, not history. Judd has clearly done his research and knows his subject well, going so far as to include a postscript in which he breaks down precisely what is historically accurate and where he took - often rather large - liberties. He has done his homework and knows the Kaiser well, but as in the best historical fiction, he uses fictionalized versions of real people and events along with wholly fictitious ones to probe deeper truths.

I fear I may have made the book sound heavier than it reads. Despite the weighty themes, it's actually a fast-paced, easy read. You can enjoy it without any prior knowledge of, or interest in, Wilhelm II or the Third Reich, and without sparing a thought to the moral ambiguities of war and patriotism. Just don't expect either a faithful representation of the ex-Kaiser's last days or a Hollywood romance, either.

Highly recommend!

[Sarah Hearn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very well written book. We don’t always hear about Kaiser Wilhelm II after his abdication in November 1918 but Alan Judd has provided a very interesting view of an old man who still dreams of returning to Germany as its King if only nominally under Nazi rule. At Huis Doorn in Holland, SS Lieutenant Martin Krebbs has been assigned to watch over the Kaiser and his wife following the occupation of Holland. Also under its roof is Akki an intriguing and enigmatic maid to whom Martin is very strongly attracted. Martin is struggling with some wartime atrocities that he has witnessed at a farm called Le Paradis, where unarmed members of the Royal Norfolk Regiment were machine gunned down. This goes against everything he believes the SS to represent, and when SS Head, Heinrich Himmler, visits and Martin hears the plans for the Jews, especially children, he is further disturbed. How is he, an SS officer, meant to behave in the light of these revelations? And who is the spy who is transmitting coded messages from the vicinity of Huis Doorn? This is not a conventional war novel. The picture of the elderly Kaiser spouting his anti-Semitic, anti-English opinions, behaving as though he were still Emperor of Germany just of a kind of prolonged vacation, and his wife sucking up to the Nazi High Command in the hopes that they’ll invite she and the Kaiser back has a wistful quality butting up against the thuggishness of the Nazis.