Heroes Without Honour

by Alan David

1939. Poland.

Brothers Max and Kurt Eckhardt both find themselves on the front lines as Germany invades Poland.

They don't realise that this pursuit of lebensraum will shatter the fragile peace in Europe and lead to years of bitter battles.

Max, the elder brother, is a highly disciplined SS officer, entirely dedicated to Hitler’s vision for Germany.

His lonely upbringing in Berlin with his stern father, indignant at Europe’s treatment of Germany after the First World War, has left Max eager to avenge his father and his Fatherland. It has been drummed into him that he must obey orders at all cost and that Germany’s enemies must be dealt with by whatever means necessary...

Kurt, brought up with love and affection on his aunt’s farm, just wants the war to be over so that he can get back to his fiancée and his farm.

Unlike Max, Kurt feels nothing but revulsion for the carnage and suffering of war.

Confused and wearied by his life as a tank commander, Kurt becomes increasingly disillusioned with his part in the Third Reich’s progress.

Thrown together by war after many years apart, the brothers’ clashing personalities lead them down different paths, as Europe is drawn into a bloody and merciless conflict...

'Heroes Without Honour' is a gripping story of the devestating impact of total war.

'A classic wartime adventure.' - Tom Kasey, best-selling author of 'Trade Off.'

Alan David is a pseudonym of Donald S Rowland, a prolific writer of over 500 novels in various genres. His other titles include ‘Stalingrad Heroes’, ‘Heroes without Honour’, ‘Heroes in Normandy’, ‘The Battle Done’ and ‘Heroes at Cassino’.

Endeavour Press is the UK's leading independent publisher of digital books.

271 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 5, 2015

Reviews

[L J Field · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a brutal story. The novel begins as Nazi forces invade Poland and ends at Dunkirk. The book presents us with two brothers, each having been raised in a completely different environment. The older brother, Max, is an officer in the Miltary SS. The younger brother, Karl, is a Sargeant directing the movements of a Panzer. Max is thrilled to be at war, finding pleasure in combat, even hand-to-hand. He has completely embraced the Nazi program and has no compunction in killing those who have surrendered or private citizens who have been rounded up. Karl is not a coward, but wants desperately for the war to end. He feels terror in combat, all the whole fulfilling his duties. Each chapter in turn follows the experiences of either brother. In this way we are presented with two opposing world views and two very different types of combat. The book is drenched in killing and blood and offers a pretty realistic representation of battle. This is a terrific book and well worth your time. It is the first in a set of six books, with four of these concentrating on Max and Karl. 5 Stars.

[Scott]

A story about a pair of brothers fighting for Germany at the start of WW II

I know a fair bit about the second world war and the German blitzkrieg tactics I've also read about the atrocities committed by the SS. And this story reveals how a pair of brothers Erik and Kurt one a reluctant tank commander while his brother's a full blooded SS officer and book one reveals how their different upbringing has shaped them in this nail biting action packed war thriller.

[Allan Stein · Rating 3 out of 5]

Story of two brothers in the German army during WWII. One was an officer in the SS and other, a non-commissioned officer in command of a tank. One was fearful, but performed his duties as expected. The other was to be feared. The book was brutal in its description of battle scenes.

[Dale Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just stopped. You have to read the next book in the series.

[Mr Michael R Stevens · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first of a series, at times brutal it shows both the German fanatic (SS) and the German conscript at war. The Polish invasion and then the “war in the west”.
Fiction based on historical fact.