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Camp 7 Last Stop
English, German (translation)
- GenresGerman LiteratureFiction
Hardcover
First published January 1, 1966
About the author
Hans Hellmut Kirst
67 books50 followersA veteran from WW II, he wrote various novels focused on military life and the corruption in the army.
Hans Hellmut Kirst, der international erfolgreichste deutsche Autor der Nachkriegszeit, wurde am 5. Dezember 1914 in Osterode in Ostpreußen als Sohn eines Gendarmeriebeamten geboren. Von 1933 bis 1945 diente Kirst als Berufssoldat. Mit seiner später verfilmten Romantrilogie „08/15“, seinen Welterfolgen „Fabrik der Offiziere“ und „Die Nacht der Generäle“ fand Hans Hellmut Kirst auch literarisch große Anerkennung.
Hans Hellmut Kirst, der international erfolgreichste deutsche Autor der Nachkriegszeit, wurde am 5. Dezember 1914 in Osterode in Ostpreußen als Sohn eines Gendarmeriebeamten geboren. Von 1933 bis 1945 diente Kirst als Berufssoldat. Mit seiner später verfilmten Romantrilogie „08/15“, seinen Welterfolgen „Fabrik der Offiziere“ und „Die Nacht der Generäle“ fand Hans Hellmut Kirst auch literarisch große Anerkennung.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
September 19, 2018
Hans Hellmut Kirst is a German writer known for his stories set during WWII. I've enjoyed some of his books already; The Hero in the Tower, The Night of the Generals (also a great movie starring Omar Sharif and Peter O'Toole). He offers a unique view of the German military during WWII.
Last Stop Camp 7, originally published in 1966 is set just after the war. Camp 7 is a POW camp for German soldiers and civilians and run by the US Army. Capt Keller is the camp commandant and Lt Harte, a German - Jewish refugee, is in charge of investigating the prisoners to ascertain if any have committed war crimes and should be passed on to criminal courts in Dachau or Nuremburg. Hauser is a German POW who is suspected of committing war crimes. Harte investigates methodically but is being pressured to get on with it.
That is the basic premise, but what you have is an intricate story with a cast of many, both German POW's, Germans working in the camp, such as Fraulein Sylvia Meiners and Herr Gernsback, responsible for deNazification procedures, and then a variety of American GI's etc.
It's quite an interesting, different story. The characters are well described, Harte's cynicism, but his frustrated desire to sort out the Hauser issue; Keller's sometimes abuse of powers, his desire to get Hauser, and also to develop a relationship with Hauser's wife; and the infighting between the varied prisoners. I particularly liked Sylvia Meiners, who works as an administrator in the camp, who likes Harte and wants him to help this new Germany.
The story moves along nicely and comes to an exciting and satisfying conclusion. I've enjoyed the books of Kirst that I've read so far. I have a number of others on my bookshelf, especially a series involving the life of Gunner Asch. Well worth trying. (3.5 stars)
Last Stop Camp 7, originally published in 1966 is set just after the war. Camp 7 is a POW camp for German soldiers and civilians and run by the US Army. Capt Keller is the camp commandant and Lt Harte, a German - Jewish refugee, is in charge of investigating the prisoners to ascertain if any have committed war crimes and should be passed on to criminal courts in Dachau or Nuremburg. Hauser is a German POW who is suspected of committing war crimes. Harte investigates methodically but is being pressured to get on with it.
That is the basic premise, but what you have is an intricate story with a cast of many, both German POW's, Germans working in the camp, such as Fraulein Sylvia Meiners and Herr Gernsback, responsible for deNazification procedures, and then a variety of American GI's etc.
It's quite an interesting, different story. The characters are well described, Harte's cynicism, but his frustrated desire to sort out the Hauser issue; Keller's sometimes abuse of powers, his desire to get Hauser, and also to develop a relationship with Hauser's wife; and the infighting between the varied prisoners. I particularly liked Sylvia Meiners, who works as an administrator in the camp, who likes Harte and wants him to help this new Germany.
The story moves along nicely and comes to an exciting and satisfying conclusion. I've enjoyed the books of Kirst that I've read so far. I have a number of others on my bookshelf, especially a series involving the life of Gunner Asch. Well worth trying. (3.5 stars)
February 18, 2019
Kirst's plot is full of holes. He muddies the waters by having two American camp commandants of equal rank. The plot is never fully explained. Keller's motivation for providing the title to the Weisse Ross to Frau Hauser is never fully explained. etc.etc. I don't enjoy lazy writers. I guess that's what happens if you work on a typewriter (or longhand).
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews