Loyal To A Degree: Growing Up Under the Third Reich: Book 2

by Horst Christian

A World War Two Historical Fiction Novel Based On A True Story A young boy in Nazi Germany is forced to become a man well before his time, or perish. As 14-year-old Karl Veth listens to the German special OKW report, the news he has feared and anticipated becomes a reality. Russian tanks have broken through the German defense lines east of the KLV evacuation camp in Poland where he and 120 other German boys are living. The time has come to leave the camp and return to Berlin. Despite his young age, Karl is a trained member of the Hitler Jugend (Hitler Youth) and assistant to KLV camp leader. Due to injuries sustained in battle, the camp leader is handicapped and unable to see to the evacuation of the boys from the camp. The job falls squarely on Karl’s shoulders as orders come from headquarters putting him in command of the mission. He must refine and execute an evacuation plan that will reunite the boys with their families and he must do it on his own. Berlin has no soldiers to spare. Once back in Berlin, Karl is reunited with his good friend and fellow Hitler Jugend member, Harold. The two boys are close and share a common bond – they are both “subway rats.” They earned the nickname because of the time they spent playing in and exploring the subway tunnels under Berlin when they were younger. They are experts when it comes to the subway system but little do they know, their unique knowledge of the tunnels will put them in grave danger. When SS leaders learn Karl is a subway rat, they take advantage of his knowledge and order him to act as a guide for SS demolition commandos in the tunnels. Having been relieved of his previous post, Harold is ordered to assist Karl. The SS cannot be trusted and Karl walks a fine line between life and death as he follows orders while working on a secret plan with Harold. The fall of Berlin is imminent and it’s only a matter of time before the Russians take over the city. Facing death at every turn, Karl must use his wits simply to stay alive. As the chain of command breaks down, the SS starts conducting courts-martial on the fly, executing anyone with a single bullet in their pocket. Meanwhile, the nightly air raids continue, scorching the city and leaving the stench of death in the air. Chaos reigns as the Russian Army moves closer and closer. As a member of the Hitler Youth growing up, Karl has been taught that loyalty to the Fatherland comes first, yet he is fighting for a cause he does not understand. In the final days before Berlin falls, Karl finds himself hungry, scared, and completely disillusioned with the war. He also realizes that he can only afford to be loyal to a degree as he is forced to make a crucial decision – live or die. Books In The Children To A Degree Loyal To A Degree Trust To A Degree Partners To A Degree

Genres: Historical Fiction

315 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 6, 2014

About the author

I was born in Berlin, Germany in 1930. My father taught me to read and write before the age of 5 and by the time I was 10 years old, I discovered my love for writing. I wrote vacation reports and several articles for a German school periodical.

When I was 10, I entered the “Jungvolk,” a subdivision of the Hitler Youth, which was mandatory in the Berlin school system. I then entered the Hitler Youth at the age of 14, also mandatory, and continued writing for the Hitler Youth periodicals.

I was drafted to help defend Berlin against the Soviets at the age of 14 because of my unique knowledge of the subway system and I served as a guide for various SS demolition commandos.

My books are based on my own experiences as a young boy in Germany during World War II and the days leading up to and after the fall of Berlin. There have been many books written about the war, but none from the perspective of a 14 year old boy who was forced to fight for a cause he did not understand.

I immigrated to the United States in the early 1950s and became a citizen. My wife, Jennifer, and I live in Northern California on a small ranch, where we have been for the last 30 years.

Reviews

[Angus Gordon]

Victim

An interesting perspective that is not often thought about or discussed. We think only of the victors and how right triumphed over evil. This is a story of a young boy with a good heart who was not evil but a victim himself and how he survived the the most unimaginable circumstances.

[Grant Robertson]

A story from a seldom heard quarter

I found this a compelling read - the story of a boy propelled into the centre of momentous events at the end of the Second World War. That the boy in question was a member of the Hitler Youth makes this a compelling story from a seldom heard quarter.

I very much enjoyed this and the prequel. Will definitely be reading the next instalment.

[Gretchen Fatouros]

Could have used better editing, but otherwise wow! Never think about what happened to the kids & other citizens in Berlin near the end of the war.

Crap - bad ending! Now, I have to grab boom 3!

[Patrick Neal]

Very eye-opening reading. Sadly, see our country going the same direction.

[Melissa K]

Whow very well written and an eye opener

This is one of those books that's an eye opener and your glad and guilty at the same time for it not being you. In war everyone suffers.

[Danielle]

Excellent series. Cannot wait to read what happens next. Very interesting to read about this from the perspective of the HJ.

[Linda Sorden]

eye opening

Soooo good , a look at a different view ! This is a great series. Very real to todays events

[Neil Harmon]

I started to reed this book in the background but it moved to my foreground reading because it was so engaging. This is a unique story based on the memories of one who was a member of the Hitler youth and was basically just trying to get by during pre-war and wartime Germany. His descriptions of being in Berlin during the end of the war were amazing and painted a really vivid view of the disintegration of things and the anarchy that was present as Germany transitioned to being an occupied country. I look forward to reading the next book that will likely describe the immediate post-war period and how people survived and how survivors found each other. The author ends up living in the United States but it should be interesting to see how that journey develops.