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Wars Within #5
Last Flight to Stalingrad
A journalist at the Minisitry of Propaganda falls foul of the Nazi elite and begins a terrifying descent into the hell of Stalingrad as the Russians encircle the city
For four years, the men in field grey have helped themselves to country after country across Western Europe. For Werner Nehmann, a journalist at the Promi – the Ministry of Propaganda – this dizzying series of victories has felt like a party without end. But now the Reich's attention has turned towards the East, and as winter sets in, the mood is turning. Werner’s boss, Joseph Goebbels, can sense it. A small man with a powerful voice and coal-black eyes, Goebbels has a deep understanding the dark arts of manipulation. His words, his newsreels, have shaken Germany awake, propelling it towards its greater destiny and he won't let — he can’t let — morale falter now. But the Minister of Propaganda is uneasy and in his discomfort has pulled Werner into his close confidence. And here, amid the power struggle between the Nazi Chieftains, Werner will make his mistake and begin his decent into the hell of Stalingrad...
For four years, the men in field grey have helped themselves to country after country across Western Europe. For Werner Nehmann, a journalist at the Promi – the Ministry of Propaganda – this dizzying series of victories has felt like a party without end. But now the Reich's attention has turned towards the East, and as winter sets in, the mood is turning. Werner’s boss, Joseph Goebbels, can sense it. A small man with a powerful voice and coal-black eyes, Goebbels has a deep understanding the dark arts of manipulation. His words, his newsreels, have shaken Germany awake, propelling it towards its greater destiny and he won't let — he can’t let — morale falter now. But the Minister of Propaganda is uneasy and in his discomfort has pulled Werner into his close confidence. And here, amid the power struggle between the Nazi Chieftains, Werner will make his mistake and begin his decent into the hell of Stalingrad...
416 pages, Paperback
First published June 4, 2020
64 people are currently reading
597 people want to read
About the author
Graham Hurley
71 books152 followersGraham Hurley was born November, 1946 in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex. His seaside childhood was punctuated by football, swimming, afternoons on the dodgems, run-ins with the police, multiple raids on the local library - plus near-total immersion in English post-war movies.
Directed and produced documentaries for ITV through two decades, winning a number of national and international awards. Launched a writing career on the back of a six-part drama commission for ITV: "Rules of Engagement". Left TV and became full time writer in 1991.
Authored nine stand-alone thrillers plus "Airshow", a fly-on-the-wall novel-length piece of reportage, before accepting Orion invitation to become a crime writer. Drew gleefully on home-town Portsmouth (“Pompey”) as the basis for an on-going series featuring D/I Joe Faraday and D/C Paul Winter.
Contributed five years of personal columns to the Portsmouth News, penned a number of plays and dramatic monologues for local production (including the city’s millenium celebration, "Willoughby and Son"), then decamped to Devon for a more considered take on Pompey low-life.
The Faraday series came to an end after 12 books. Healthy sales at home and abroad, plus mega-successful French TV adaptations, tempted Orion to commission a spin-off series, set in the West Country, featuring D/S Jimmy Suttle.
Launch title - "Western Approaches" - published 2012. "Touching Distance" to hit the bookstores next month (21st November).
Has recently self-published a number of titles on Kindle including "Strictly No Flowers" (a dark take on crime fiction), "Estuary" (a deeply personal memoir) and "Backstory" (how and why he came to write the Faraday series).
Married to the delectable Lin. Three grown-up sons (Tom, Jack and Woody). Plus corking grandson Dylan.
You're very welcome to contact Graham through his website: www.grahamhurley.co.uk
Or direct on seasidepictures@btinternet.com.
Series:
* D.I. Joe Faraday
Directed and produced documentaries for ITV through two decades, winning a number of national and international awards. Launched a writing career on the back of a six-part drama commission for ITV: "Rules of Engagement". Left TV and became full time writer in 1991.
Authored nine stand-alone thrillers plus "Airshow", a fly-on-the-wall novel-length piece of reportage, before accepting Orion invitation to become a crime writer. Drew gleefully on home-town Portsmouth (“Pompey”) as the basis for an on-going series featuring D/I Joe Faraday and D/C Paul Winter.
Contributed five years of personal columns to the Portsmouth News, penned a number of plays and dramatic monologues for local production (including the city’s millenium celebration, "Willoughby and Son"), then decamped to Devon for a more considered take on Pompey low-life.
The Faraday series came to an end after 12 books. Healthy sales at home and abroad, plus mega-successful French TV adaptations, tempted Orion to commission a spin-off series, set in the West Country, featuring D/S Jimmy Suttle.
Launch title - "Western Approaches" - published 2012. "Touching Distance" to hit the bookstores next month (21st November).
Has recently self-published a number of titles on Kindle including "Strictly No Flowers" (a dark take on crime fiction), "Estuary" (a deeply personal memoir) and "Backstory" (how and why he came to write the Faraday series).
Married to the delectable Lin. Three grown-up sons (Tom, Jack and Woody). Plus corking grandson Dylan.
You're very welcome to contact Graham through his website: www.grahamhurley.co.uk
Or direct on seasidepictures@btinternet.com.
Series:
* D.I. Joe Faraday
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
January 9, 2021
Like previous books in the series, Last Flight to Stalingrad has two main protagonists – Werner Nehmann and Georg Messner. Both men occupy positions that place them close to powerful figures in the Third Reich. In Messner’s case, it’s Wolfram von Richthofen of the Luftwaffe, and in Nehmann’s case, it’s Joseph Goebbels, head of the Ministry of Propaganda. Whereas in Finisterre the two storylines took some time to come together, I had no such reservations about Last Flight to Stalingrad. How the two men meet is completely believable and, as they get to know each other, it’s clear they both recognize – based on their different experiences – how badly the war against the Russians is going. Not that the German people would know it from the propaganda they are fed.
One of the most fascinating aspects of the book for me was the light it shed on the manipulation of information and power of propaganda. This made Nehmann a particularly interesting character, especially given his proximity to someone so high up in the Reich. He knows his survival (and, it transpires, the survival of others close to him) depends on him continuing to prove useful to Goebbels and he has a clear-eyed view of what that involves.
“This was the age of the lie, big or small. Truth filleted for what might be useful and then tossed aside. Deception practiced on the grandest scale. Whole nations, millions of Volk, misled, manipulated, lied to. Nehmann was part of that. He understood the power of the lie, the artful sleight of hand, the dark sorcery that turned black into white, and good into evil. That’s how he’d made his reputation. That’s how he’d won the precious freedoms offered by – yes – the Minister of Lies himself.”
In a particularly compelling episode, Nehmann is tasked with demonstrating the success of German bomber raids on Stalingrad. Taking aerial photographs, he hunts “for the kind of trophy images that might please the author of this wrecked city: huge petroleum tanks on the riverbank, still aflame, their metal carcasses torn apart; a lake of blazing oil drifting slowly down the river, dragging thick coils of smoke that circled slowly upwards in the updraught from the water; a nearby building on the western shore that must have been a hospital, eviscerated by high explosive, dozens of beds plainly visible inside.”
Another memorable scene sees Nehmann and Goebbels working together on a speech Hitler is to give at Berlin’s Sportpalast:
“Nehmann had never liked the Sportpalast. Recently…he’d likened it to something you’d find in Goebbels’ kitchen. It was a cooking pot, he said. It was a favourite utensil you’d fetch out for those special occasions when you wanted to whip up something irresistible to keep everyone happy. You put together the recipe from what you knew and trusted. A little of that intimate frenzy from the Burgerbraukeller days in Munich. Plus a huge helping of spectacle and mass adoration from the Zeppelinfeld at Nuremburg: hanging banners, roving spotlights and a sound system that would put Hitler’s rasp and Goebbels’ chest-thumping roar into every German heart. When the national pulse showed signs of faltering, a couple of deafening hours in the Sportpalast always did the trick. The trick.”
During his work for Goebbels, Nehmann stumbles upon evidence of SS atrocities and in the process makes himself a truly formidable enemy. A thrilling – and chilling – game of cat and mouse ensues, provoking an uncharacteristically extreme and visceral response from Nehmann.
The author’s impeccable research is evident throughout the book but it never detracts from the pace of the story, instead adding a fantastic sense of authenticity to what is a compelling work of historical fiction.
One of the most fascinating aspects of the book for me was the light it shed on the manipulation of information and power of propaganda. This made Nehmann a particularly interesting character, especially given his proximity to someone so high up in the Reich. He knows his survival (and, it transpires, the survival of others close to him) depends on him continuing to prove useful to Goebbels and he has a clear-eyed view of what that involves.
“This was the age of the lie, big or small. Truth filleted for what might be useful and then tossed aside. Deception practiced on the grandest scale. Whole nations, millions of Volk, misled, manipulated, lied to. Nehmann was part of that. He understood the power of the lie, the artful sleight of hand, the dark sorcery that turned black into white, and good into evil. That’s how he’d made his reputation. That’s how he’d won the precious freedoms offered by – yes – the Minister of Lies himself.”
In a particularly compelling episode, Nehmann is tasked with demonstrating the success of German bomber raids on Stalingrad. Taking aerial photographs, he hunts “for the kind of trophy images that might please the author of this wrecked city: huge petroleum tanks on the riverbank, still aflame, their metal carcasses torn apart; a lake of blazing oil drifting slowly down the river, dragging thick coils of smoke that circled slowly upwards in the updraught from the water; a nearby building on the western shore that must have been a hospital, eviscerated by high explosive, dozens of beds plainly visible inside.”
Another memorable scene sees Nehmann and Goebbels working together on a speech Hitler is to give at Berlin’s Sportpalast:
“Nehmann had never liked the Sportpalast. Recently…he’d likened it to something you’d find in Goebbels’ kitchen. It was a cooking pot, he said. It was a favourite utensil you’d fetch out for those special occasions when you wanted to whip up something irresistible to keep everyone happy. You put together the recipe from what you knew and trusted. A little of that intimate frenzy from the Burgerbraukeller days in Munich. Plus a huge helping of spectacle and mass adoration from the Zeppelinfeld at Nuremburg: hanging banners, roving spotlights and a sound system that would put Hitler’s rasp and Goebbels’ chest-thumping roar into every German heart. When the national pulse showed signs of faltering, a couple of deafening hours in the Sportpalast always did the trick. The trick.”
During his work for Goebbels, Nehmann stumbles upon evidence of SS atrocities and in the process makes himself a truly formidable enemy. A thrilling – and chilling – game of cat and mouse ensues, provoking an uncharacteristically extreme and visceral response from Nehmann.
The author’s impeccable research is evident throughout the book but it never detracts from the pace of the story, instead adding a fantastic sense of authenticity to what is a compelling work of historical fiction.
January 15, 2020
The setting is Berlin, Germany in 1942. We are introduced to Werner Nehmann, a journalist at the Promi - the Ministry of Propaganda. For 4 years he has documented the victories of the Wehrmacht as it conquered country after country. Werner's boss is Joseph Goebbels who treats him as a close confidant. Goebbels can't forget his lover Czech actress Lída Baarová and his relationship with her which was ended by Adolf Hitler who ordered Goebbels to stay with is wife Magda.
Still in love with Lida, Goebbels entrusts Werner with a letter which he takes to Italy, but is unable to deliver it due to the intervention of one of Goebbels' enemies in the Nazi hierarchy.
Werner makes the mistake of keeping the letter as a form of insurance. His boss takes his revenge, sending him to report on the Battle of Stalingrad. Both men are aware that the course of the war and the mood of the German people are changing. but Goebbels has to ensure that the German people's morale remains strong. In his mind what is called for is "Totaler Krieg"(Total War).
Meanwhile, Werner discovers the real truth about war on the Eastern Front.
Although the fighting in and around Stalingrad is described in bloody detail, the description of civilian killings by the SS Einsatzgruppen are truly horrific. (The Einsatzgruppen were paramilitary death squads of Nazi Germany that were responsible for mass killings, primarily by shooting, during World War II. Almost all of the people they killed were civilians.)
The author effortlessly captures the atmosphere of a major battle as it descends into the uttermost depths of Hell. His description of a bombing raid on Stalingrad and subsequent dog fight between German and Russian fighter planes is so realistic it's as if you're there. Likewise the depiction of the freezing conditions on the Russian front as German soldiers reach a point where their frostbitten fingers can no longer fit inside the trigger guards of their rifles rendering their guns useless.
One front line soldier interviewed by Nehmann sums up the battle: "The killing in this city never takes time off." Sickened by the violence of the Einsatzgruppen, Werner plots revenge on one particular SS officer.
This is not your run of the mill war story. Throughout its pages, we learn intimate details of the Nazi elite - particularly those of Josef Goebbels - as they compete for Hitler's favour and ways to increase their power. The author's research is meticulous and the historical fiction and facts merge seamlessly. Although the book starts slowly, it soon becomes an absolutely gripping read. Highly recommended.
Note: .This is the 5th in Graham Hurley's "Wars Within" series and can be read as a stand-alone.
My thanks to the publishers Head of Zeus and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in return for an unbiased review.
Still in love with Lida, Goebbels entrusts Werner with a letter which he takes to Italy, but is unable to deliver it due to the intervention of one of Goebbels' enemies in the Nazi hierarchy.
Werner makes the mistake of keeping the letter as a form of insurance. His boss takes his revenge, sending him to report on the Battle of Stalingrad. Both men are aware that the course of the war and the mood of the German people are changing. but Goebbels has to ensure that the German people's morale remains strong. In his mind what is called for is "Totaler Krieg"(Total War).
Meanwhile, Werner discovers the real truth about war on the Eastern Front.
Although the fighting in and around Stalingrad is described in bloody detail, the description of civilian killings by the SS Einsatzgruppen are truly horrific. (The Einsatzgruppen were paramilitary death squads of Nazi Germany that were responsible for mass killings, primarily by shooting, during World War II. Almost all of the people they killed were civilians.)
The author effortlessly captures the atmosphere of a major battle as it descends into the uttermost depths of Hell. His description of a bombing raid on Stalingrad and subsequent dog fight between German and Russian fighter planes is so realistic it's as if you're there. Likewise the depiction of the freezing conditions on the Russian front as German soldiers reach a point where their frostbitten fingers can no longer fit inside the trigger guards of their rifles rendering their guns useless.
One front line soldier interviewed by Nehmann sums up the battle: "The killing in this city never takes time off." Sickened by the violence of the Einsatzgruppen, Werner plots revenge on one particular SS officer.
This is not your run of the mill war story. Throughout its pages, we learn intimate details of the Nazi elite - particularly those of Josef Goebbels - as they compete for Hitler's favour and ways to increase their power. The author's research is meticulous and the historical fiction and facts merge seamlessly. Although the book starts slowly, it soon becomes an absolutely gripping read. Highly recommended.
Note: .This is the 5th in Graham Hurley's "Wars Within" series and can be read as a stand-alone.
My thanks to the publishers Head of Zeus and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in return for an unbiased review.
May 13, 2025
"LAST FLIGHT TO STALINGRAD" is a novel that pretty much captured my interest from the start. One of its main characters is Werner Nehmann (a Georgian by birth) who works for Goebbels’ Propaganda Ministry as a journalist in Berlin. Nehmann is a skilled writer who has shown that he has an unerring talent for telling a story that garners considerable personal interest among the political leadership in Germany. Goebbels, the sly and wily weasel that he is, values Nehmann for this and strikes up a working/personal relationship with him.
By the summer of 1942, Germany continues its advance deep into the Soviet Union and it seems likely that it may win the war that year. Goebbels details Nehmann to go to Stalingrad and give it a positive slant through his dispatches to Berlin. Nehmann has been a useful tool for Goebbels. But his stock has fallen and Nehmann senses that his being sent to Stalingrad is a way for Goebbels to be rid of him, for Nehmann has a compromising handwritten letter from Goebbels himself that he had hidden shortly before he was sent to Stalingrad in August 1942.
Months later, the situation in Stalingrad would be turned on its head by the great Soviet counter-offensive, and as a consequence, Nehmann's life would be profoundly altered in ways that made him question the values of love, loyalty, and survival.
Last Flight to Stalingrad is a novel that will stay with the reader long after he/she has read it.
By the summer of 1942, Germany continues its advance deep into the Soviet Union and it seems likely that it may win the war that year. Goebbels details Nehmann to go to Stalingrad and give it a positive slant through his dispatches to Berlin. Nehmann has been a useful tool for Goebbels. But his stock has fallen and Nehmann senses that his being sent to Stalingrad is a way for Goebbels to be rid of him, for Nehmann has a compromising handwritten letter from Goebbels himself that he had hidden shortly before he was sent to Stalingrad in August 1942.
Months later, the situation in Stalingrad would be turned on its head by the great Soviet counter-offensive, and as a consequence, Nehmann's life would be profoundly altered in ways that made him question the values of love, loyalty, and survival.
Last Flight to Stalingrad is a novel that will stay with the reader long after he/she has read it.
January 14, 2021
Although this is part of this author’s ‘Spoils of War’ series this book is not affected at all, it reads great as a stand-alone. It is the first book that I have read by him.
It is perfect how the author has blended fact and fiction together in this step back in time, to 1942 Europe, following the war’s progression from the German side. The story mainly centre’s around what was happening in the war, in contrast to what the German people were been told through Propaganda. Everything had gone Germany’s way until the army was sent East and to Russia.
Some of the characters in this book are instantly recognisable, but, the way that the author has written this story the fictional characters feel solid. When Werner Nehmann a Propaganda reporter, makes an error of judgement, it has repercussions for him.
There are no holds barred as the story progresses through Russia and Stalingrad with accounts of the horrors the SS left behind them. It is truly a story that you should read. Stunning research and perfect delivery.
It is perfect how the author has blended fact and fiction together in this step back in time, to 1942 Europe, following the war’s progression from the German side. The story mainly centre’s around what was happening in the war, in contrast to what the German people were been told through Propaganda. Everything had gone Germany’s way until the army was sent East and to Russia.
Some of the characters in this book are instantly recognisable, but, the way that the author has written this story the fictional characters feel solid. When Werner Nehmann a Propaganda reporter, makes an error of judgement, it has repercussions for him.
There are no holds barred as the story progresses through Russia and Stalingrad with accounts of the horrors the SS left behind them. It is truly a story that you should read. Stunning research and perfect delivery.
September 18, 2021
Despite Last Flight to Stalingrad being the fifth book in the; Wars Within series, you can easily read this one as a stand-alone, I'd not read any of the previous books before coming into this book and I can honestly say I didn't feel that was a disadvantage for me I enjoyed the overall book non-the-less.
This was also my first book by Graham Hurley, it certainly won't be the last I was hooked by Hurley's compelling and vivid writing, his flawless historical research is deeply entwined with an eye-opening and intimate plot, it's realistic and haunting. The richness of the overall writing is so tense that it's as though you are right there in that frozen and desolate place, a place that can bring the hardest of men to their knees. There is a real darkness to the scenes set in Stalingrad; it's bloody and brutal, there is an uncomfortable realism which at times makes the hairs at the back of your neck stand up, and yet you can't stop reading, it's addictive.
I am a big fan of WW2 historical fiction and yet this is a period of that particular part of the war which I hadn't read a lot about, I found it utterly compelling to read and learn more about. Here we follow two men; Werner Nehmann and Georg Messner both hold positions that keep them close to leading members of the Third Reich and it is through following these two men that we see events that are both eye-opening and harrowing. They soon meet in I may say a very real and believable way and through getting to know one and another they find that they share the same opinion about the way the war is going.
Last Flight to Stalingrad is an intense and dramatic novel, it's shocking and intriguing all at the same time and yet it keeps you turning the pages. This is a must-read for any who love their WW2 fiction with strong characters and flawless historic detail, it's not to be missed!
This was also my first book by Graham Hurley, it certainly won't be the last I was hooked by Hurley's compelling and vivid writing, his flawless historical research is deeply entwined with an eye-opening and intimate plot, it's realistic and haunting. The richness of the overall writing is so tense that it's as though you are right there in that frozen and desolate place, a place that can bring the hardest of men to their knees. There is a real darkness to the scenes set in Stalingrad; it's bloody and brutal, there is an uncomfortable realism which at times makes the hairs at the back of your neck stand up, and yet you can't stop reading, it's addictive.
I am a big fan of WW2 historical fiction and yet this is a period of that particular part of the war which I hadn't read a lot about, I found it utterly compelling to read and learn more about. Here we follow two men; Werner Nehmann and Georg Messner both hold positions that keep them close to leading members of the Third Reich and it is through following these two men that we see events that are both eye-opening and harrowing. They soon meet in I may say a very real and believable way and through getting to know one and another they find that they share the same opinion about the way the war is going.
Last Flight to Stalingrad is an intense and dramatic novel, it's shocking and intriguing all at the same time and yet it keeps you turning the pages. This is a must-read for any who love their WW2 fiction with strong characters and flawless historic detail, it's not to be missed!
January 30, 2020
Blood of the Wolf is the fifth book in Graham Hurley’s Wars Within series but from what I can see doesn’t appear to link to the others plot- or character-wise so there’s no need to read the others first. That said, I enjoyed it and so am now inclined to read the other books in the series.
Just when I think I should lay off reading any more books set in wartime Germany, along comes another that shows me something different, a look at the war experience from a different player’s point of view. It’s 1942 and we follow Werner Nehmann, a Georgian journalist who has adopted a German name and is working under Goebbels in the Reich’s propaganda ministry. Like all good protagonists, Nehmann is no saint but he has his own standards and retains a conscience; unlike some of those around him, his humanity is intact.
The description of conditions on the eastern front and in Stalingrad itself provides a stark indication of the horrors so many lived through for so long; it has made me want to find out more about the siege. The inclusion of real historical figures among the fictional ones works well and inevitably has had me looking them up and adding to my ever-expanding list of books I want to read.
Just when I think I should lay off reading any more books set in wartime Germany, along comes another that shows me something different, a look at the war experience from a different player’s point of view. It’s 1942 and we follow Werner Nehmann, a Georgian journalist who has adopted a German name and is working under Goebbels in the Reich’s propaganda ministry. Like all good protagonists, Nehmann is no saint but he has his own standards and retains a conscience; unlike some of those around him, his humanity is intact.
The description of conditions on the eastern front and in Stalingrad itself provides a stark indication of the horrors so many lived through for so long; it has made me want to find out more about the siege. The inclusion of real historical figures among the fictional ones works well and inevitably has had me looking them up and adding to my ever-expanding list of books I want to read.
September 10, 2021
The first thing to say is that this is a very good book, that I enjoyed very much. Much of the key action is located within the German army fighting to take Stalingrad during world war 2. The battle for Stalingrad did not go well for the Germans, not least of all because of the weather, the determination of the Russians and the challenge of hugely stretched supply lines.
This is however, a novel and our 'hero' Werner Nehmann is a journalist, working for Goebbels' Ministry of Propaganda. For several years he has been reporting German military success after success but then he is sent to Stalingrad to report/find 'good news' about the war in the east. Good news is not always easy to find, but Nehmann has the imagination and skill to report what Goebbels wants to hear and what in turn is fed to the German people. Nehmann is quite aware that 'Truth' is another commodity of war, and it is his increasing realisation that not all truth is conditional or created that is central to the developing plot and the brutal finale.
In the end, propaganda and truth twist and turn around the failing war in the the east, the need to feed 'good news' back to the people of Germany and the tangled personal lives of Nehmann and Goebbels. There is plenty of war action too - not all of it comfortable reading, but central to the plot.
I'm not entirely comfortable my review does justice to this book - it really it very good!
This is however, a novel and our 'hero' Werner Nehmann is a journalist, working for Goebbels' Ministry of Propaganda. For several years he has been reporting German military success after success but then he is sent to Stalingrad to report/find 'good news' about the war in the east. Good news is not always easy to find, but Nehmann has the imagination and skill to report what Goebbels wants to hear and what in turn is fed to the German people. Nehmann is quite aware that 'Truth' is another commodity of war, and it is his increasing realisation that not all truth is conditional or created that is central to the developing plot and the brutal finale.
In the end, propaganda and truth twist and turn around the failing war in the the east, the need to feed 'good news' back to the people of Germany and the tangled personal lives of Nehmann and Goebbels. There is plenty of war action too - not all of it comfortable reading, but central to the plot.
I'm not entirely comfortable my review does justice to this book - it really it very good!
January 13, 2021
A dark tale, but rather compelling!
The Nazis have been riding high on their successes up until now, but fighting on the eastern front is taking hold and the mood isn't as buoyant. Goebbels is determined not to let the little matter of Russian determination alter his plans and enlists Werner Nehmann, a journalist with the Ministry of Propaganda to help in keeping morale up and convince the German people that things aren't as bad as they seem. As the Nazis chiefs begin a power struggle, Nehmann finds out that playing with them is like playing tig with a rattlesnake . . .
I'm sorry I came to this series so late; I really didn't know much about the German / Russian conflict and feel as if I have learned an awful lot! This is what I would class as 'men's adventure' but it's not all action-packed. The Nazis play a mean game, and it's all here. A riveting tale, and one which kept me glued to the page. Even having studied World War Two at school - something which prompted a lifelong addiction to domestic sagas set at that time - nothing prepared me for the coldness of the characters all of whom are skilfully crafted by the author. A chilling story, with plenty of ups and downs - but are there any winners? A recommended read, and one I'm happy to give four stars.
The Nazis have been riding high on their successes up until now, but fighting on the eastern front is taking hold and the mood isn't as buoyant. Goebbels is determined not to let the little matter of Russian determination alter his plans and enlists Werner Nehmann, a journalist with the Ministry of Propaganda to help in keeping morale up and convince the German people that things aren't as bad as they seem. As the Nazis chiefs begin a power struggle, Nehmann finds out that playing with them is like playing tig with a rattlesnake . . .
I'm sorry I came to this series so late; I really didn't know much about the German / Russian conflict and feel as if I have learned an awful lot! This is what I would class as 'men's adventure' but it's not all action-packed. The Nazis play a mean game, and it's all here. A riveting tale, and one which kept me glued to the page. Even having studied World War Two at school - something which prompted a lifelong addiction to domestic sagas set at that time - nothing prepared me for the coldness of the characters all of whom are skilfully crafted by the author. A chilling story, with plenty of ups and downs - but are there any winners? A recommended read, and one I'm happy to give four stars.
January 10, 2021
Fake news has become a loaded phrase over the past few years; either as a criticism aimed at legitimate news sources by the likes of the outgoing POTUS or as a warning against the plethora of heavily partisan sites that regularly churn out dubious (at best) content. Last Flight to Stalingrad takes us back to when fake news was more likely to be considered propaganda and proves to be a sombre lesson from the past.
Last Flight to Stalingrad is the fifth book in Graham Hurley's loosely linked Spoils of War series but can be read as a standalone and is set in 1942 as the Wehrmacht focuses its attention on Russia and Germany's fortunes begin to change. Werner Nehman is a Georgian journalist whose ability to spin a story has made him a favourite with master propagandist, Joseph Goebbels. He is the main protagonist of the story, although Luftwaffe pilot Georg Messner is an important figure too. The two men meet under entirely believable circumstances and though their wartime experiences are very different, there are unavoidable similarities between them. Just as Nehman is perhaps the closest thing Goebbels has to a confidant, so Messner is also close to a powerful figure - in this case, Wolfram von Richthofen. However, it is arguably Messner who is the lonelier figure here; Richthofen is the confident national hero while Messner is horribly scarred following a road accident and having lost his wife to another man, finds his solace in the brutal theatre of war.
Nehman's proximity to Goebbels could make him complacent but in this shady, precarious world of lies, he is starkly aware that he can't trust anybody, not even those he would consider as close to friends as is possible. It's eventually affairs of the heart which prove to be his undoing, resulting in a dramatic change in his fortunes when he is sent to Stalingrad, ostensibly to report back on the successful attacks on the city. As Russia heads towards winter, he learns of a phrase - Rasputitsa, when the rain and snow turns everything to mud and life stops completely, and understands immediately the scale of the impossible task ahead of them.
Of course, we are reading this with the benefit of grim hindsight and so there's a certain sense of foreboding that comes from knowing that Hitler's unequivocal desire to subjugate the Soviet Union is destined to fail. Clearly painstakingly researched, this is book which is bleakly atmospheric and is a solemn, quietly terrifying exploration of how people become dehumanised by war. As Nehman realises the truth about not just his own precarious position but also the stark realities facing Germany, he witnesses the terrible, harrowing violence of the SS at first hand and it shouldn't be surprising therefore that although he seems to accept his role as truth-twister, the eventual toll on him results in something that would usually be considered too horrifically barbaric for words but here becomes understandable, perhaps even heroic justice.
Last Flight to Stalingrad might be set during one of the most significant battles of modern warfare but the huge scale allows for an intimate, perceptive character study. Chillingly authentic throughout, this is historical fiction at its best. Highly recommended.
Last Flight to Stalingrad is the fifth book in Graham Hurley's loosely linked Spoils of War series but can be read as a standalone and is set in 1942 as the Wehrmacht focuses its attention on Russia and Germany's fortunes begin to change. Werner Nehman is a Georgian journalist whose ability to spin a story has made him a favourite with master propagandist, Joseph Goebbels. He is the main protagonist of the story, although Luftwaffe pilot Georg Messner is an important figure too. The two men meet under entirely believable circumstances and though their wartime experiences are very different, there are unavoidable similarities between them. Just as Nehman is perhaps the closest thing Goebbels has to a confidant, so Messner is also close to a powerful figure - in this case, Wolfram von Richthofen. However, it is arguably Messner who is the lonelier figure here; Richthofen is the confident national hero while Messner is horribly scarred following a road accident and having lost his wife to another man, finds his solace in the brutal theatre of war.
Nehman's proximity to Goebbels could make him complacent but in this shady, precarious world of lies, he is starkly aware that he can't trust anybody, not even those he would consider as close to friends as is possible. It's eventually affairs of the heart which prove to be his undoing, resulting in a dramatic change in his fortunes when he is sent to Stalingrad, ostensibly to report back on the successful attacks on the city. As Russia heads towards winter, he learns of a phrase - Rasputitsa, when the rain and snow turns everything to mud and life stops completely, and understands immediately the scale of the impossible task ahead of them.
Of course, we are reading this with the benefit of grim hindsight and so there's a certain sense of foreboding that comes from knowing that Hitler's unequivocal desire to subjugate the Soviet Union is destined to fail. Clearly painstakingly researched, this is book which is bleakly atmospheric and is a solemn, quietly terrifying exploration of how people become dehumanised by war. As Nehman realises the truth about not just his own precarious position but also the stark realities facing Germany, he witnesses the terrible, harrowing violence of the SS at first hand and it shouldn't be surprising therefore that although he seems to accept his role as truth-twister, the eventual toll on him results in something that would usually be considered too horrifically barbaric for words but here becomes understandable, perhaps even heroic justice.
Last Flight to Stalingrad might be set during one of the most significant battles of modern warfare but the huge scale allows for an intimate, perceptive character study. Chillingly authentic throughout, this is historical fiction at its best. Highly recommended.
March 30, 2022
it is 1942. The Germans are on the verge of capturing Stalingrad. Nehmann, a journalist, is despatched by Goebbels to the front to produce propaganda material that will bolster morale at home. He arrives to find that there is stubborn resistance from the Russians and uncovers evidence of SS atrocities.
The story reveals little of historical interest and the revenge plot is ludicrous - is the reader supposed to believe that a Nazi propagandist has no prior knowledge of such cruelties. And the constant mentions of Nehmann's previous occupation as a butcher only make sense when the story reaches it's bizarre and literally gut-wrenching finale.
Glacially paced and female characters in the main are sexual playthings. Not a series I'll be returning to.
The story reveals little of historical interest and the revenge plot is ludicrous - is the reader supposed to believe that a Nazi propagandist has no prior knowledge of such cruelties. And the constant mentions of Nehmann's previous occupation as a butcher only make sense when the story reaches it's bizarre and literally gut-wrenching finale.
Glacially paced and female characters in the main are sexual playthings. Not a series I'll be returning to.
January 14, 2022
Historical fiction bots are good, but I was turned off by the repetitive "He wondered how it would be to have sex with her, and then he found out. He loved having sex with her. She was so good at sexing him." I'm not even really paraphrasing.
August 23, 2021
Thriller set in WW2 Berlin and Stalingrad
Last Flight to Stalingrad is a book that exposes in all its horror the WW2 Eastern Front battle for the Southern Russian city of Stalingrad (now Volgograd). A battle of attrition and starvation. The hitherto all conquering German forces were defeated by the Russians, and around 2m people were estimated to have died.
The book starts in Berlin. Werner Nehmann is an official in the propaganda ministry and, in many ways, a confidant of Joseph Goebbels. Goebbels respects his ability to spin any story to the benefit of the Third Reich. Goebbels even trusts him with a sensitive mission to deliver a letter to a former lover… Goebbels thinks that Nehmann betrays him, and their relationship begins to change. Still much superficial camaraderie, but the evil that is Goebbels is plotting. He belittles and punishes Nehmann… Nehmann is sent off to work with the troops on the Eastern Front, sending back glowing reports of their triumphs. He rapidly becomes disillusioned. The war and the battles are quite horrendous. Air power destroying the enemy before the ground troops move in. But the German offensive comes to a grinding halt in Stalingrad as thousands and thousands of Russian troops are drafted in and thousands and thousands of Russian tanks are driven in from their factories in the Urals. Stalin simply cannot afford to lose the city that bears his name. The SS lived and operated apart from their army comrades – and some of their actions were truly horrific. Nehmann went back to Berlin to see Goebbels, but was soon sent on his way to return to Stalingrad. As the Russians closed in, he was on one of the last flights to leave carrying German personnel.
Last Flight to Stalingrad is a story of war at its very worst. It feels meticulously researched by Graham Hurley. The events ring true and certainly could have happened. It also sheds a light on the infighting amongst the Nazi high command. Goebbels was a very nasty piece of work indeed – treating enemies and perceived comrades with equal disdain.
Highly recommended for those who are interested in one of the pivotal battles of WW2, but also for those who are interested in a great thriller that succeeds in its own right.
Last Flight to Stalingrad is a book that exposes in all its horror the WW2 Eastern Front battle for the Southern Russian city of Stalingrad (now Volgograd). A battle of attrition and starvation. The hitherto all conquering German forces were defeated by the Russians, and around 2m people were estimated to have died.
The book starts in Berlin. Werner Nehmann is an official in the propaganda ministry and, in many ways, a confidant of Joseph Goebbels. Goebbels respects his ability to spin any story to the benefit of the Third Reich. Goebbels even trusts him with a sensitive mission to deliver a letter to a former lover… Goebbels thinks that Nehmann betrays him, and their relationship begins to change. Still much superficial camaraderie, but the evil that is Goebbels is plotting. He belittles and punishes Nehmann… Nehmann is sent off to work with the troops on the Eastern Front, sending back glowing reports of their triumphs. He rapidly becomes disillusioned. The war and the battles are quite horrendous. Air power destroying the enemy before the ground troops move in. But the German offensive comes to a grinding halt in Stalingrad as thousands and thousands of Russian troops are drafted in and thousands and thousands of Russian tanks are driven in from their factories in the Urals. Stalin simply cannot afford to lose the city that bears his name. The SS lived and operated apart from their army comrades – and some of their actions were truly horrific. Nehmann went back to Berlin to see Goebbels, but was soon sent on his way to return to Stalingrad. As the Russians closed in, he was on one of the last flights to leave carrying German personnel.
Last Flight to Stalingrad is a story of war at its very worst. It feels meticulously researched by Graham Hurley. The events ring true and certainly could have happened. It also sheds a light on the infighting amongst the Nazi high command. Goebbels was a very nasty piece of work indeed – treating enemies and perceived comrades with equal disdain.
Highly recommended for those who are interested in one of the pivotal battles of WW2, but also for those who are interested in a great thriller that succeeds in its own right.
January 22, 2021
A superbly crafted historical thriller that is brilliantly plotted and immensely atmospheric, Graham Hurley’s Last Flight to Stalingrad is a fascinating tale of war, power and ambition that will keep readers absolutely riveted to the page.
In the early 1940s, countries across Western Europe have had no other choice but to submit to the Nazi’s reign of terror. As county after country had fallen and the Nazi’s domination grew and grew, the Ministry of Propaganda was absolutely overjoyed at the fact that they were capturing more territories and that the Reich continued to prosper. However, winter is setting in, the mood is turning and the Reich’s attention has turned towards the East with Joseph Goeebels leading this charge. Journalist Werner Nehmann can detect a shift in his boss’s moods which only serves to inflame and increase his curiosity. However, Werner will soon learn that getting too close to the fire will only end up with him getting burnt to a crisp all too quickly…
Joseph Goeebels is a master manipulator and his calculated words have shaken Germany alive and cheered the country on to capture greater riches and enjoy even greater successes. He simply cannot allow the mood to falter and see all of his hard work come to nothing when everything had been going so well. But unbeknownst to Goebbels, the Minister of Propaganda has begun to get uneasy about him and in desperate need of advice and support confides in Werner about his discomfort, drawing him into a web of deception and power struggles that will see him descend into the hell that is Stalingrad.
Graham Hurley’s Last Flight to Stalingrad is a superb historical thriller written by a talented writer who is at the height of his storytelling powers. A vivid, compelling and mesmerizing tale laced with danger, suspense, action and intrigue where the stakes have never been higher and the tension will send readers’ heart rates soaring through the roof, Graham Hurley’s Last Flight to Stalingrad is historical fiction of the highest order.
In the early 1940s, countries across Western Europe have had no other choice but to submit to the Nazi’s reign of terror. As county after country had fallen and the Nazi’s domination grew and grew, the Ministry of Propaganda was absolutely overjoyed at the fact that they were capturing more territories and that the Reich continued to prosper. However, winter is setting in, the mood is turning and the Reich’s attention has turned towards the East with Joseph Goeebels leading this charge. Journalist Werner Nehmann can detect a shift in his boss’s moods which only serves to inflame and increase his curiosity. However, Werner will soon learn that getting too close to the fire will only end up with him getting burnt to a crisp all too quickly…
Joseph Goeebels is a master manipulator and his calculated words have shaken Germany alive and cheered the country on to capture greater riches and enjoy even greater successes. He simply cannot allow the mood to falter and see all of his hard work come to nothing when everything had been going so well. But unbeknownst to Goebbels, the Minister of Propaganda has begun to get uneasy about him and in desperate need of advice and support confides in Werner about his discomfort, drawing him into a web of deception and power struggles that will see him descend into the hell that is Stalingrad.
Graham Hurley’s Last Flight to Stalingrad is a superb historical thriller written by a talented writer who is at the height of his storytelling powers. A vivid, compelling and mesmerizing tale laced with danger, suspense, action and intrigue where the stakes have never been higher and the tension will send readers’ heart rates soaring through the roof, Graham Hurley’s Last Flight to Stalingrad is historical fiction of the highest order.
October 19, 2021
Werner Nehmann is a man in a difficult situation. He’s a man who’s reinvented himself more than once: born in Georgia, apprenticed to the blood and brutality of butchery, he fled the limitations of his village to take a German name and become a journalist. Time in Paris has further removed him from his origins, but now he writes for Goebbels, propaganda for the Third Reich. Blood and brutality are inescapable, but somehow he must find a way to make it sound acceptable.
The book opens with Nehmann remembering a circus act he saw as a child: the illusion of levitation, and his belief that what he saw was real. In a way, Nehmann has lived his life believing in levitation: the detachment of journalism allows him to rise above the truths of war and genocide. But the German Sixth Army is attacking Stalingrad; winter approaches, and Nehmann – through an uncompleted personal errand for Goebbels - will be forced to confront realities on the ground.
Hurley is a master of evoking setting and mood with few words, and running through Last Flight to Stalingrad is a sense of emptiness: the bleakness of the steppe and the space of the sky reflecting a theme of hunger. Not just the physical hunger that awaits, and comes for, both the Sixth Army and the Russians under siege, but the hunger for human connection, for friendship, for love, that is felt by almost all the characters, whether Goebbels, or the damaged, determined pilot Messner, or Nehmann himself.
This is the second World War from the intimate viewpoint of Germans, both historical and fictional, humanizing individuals who are often seen as one-dimensionally evil. Hurley makes no value judgments, with the exception of Hitler, who, through the eyes of the other characters, is seen as fanatical and unstable. Last Flight to Stalingrad concerns itself with the universal truths of war, much as All Quiet on the Western Front does.
Highly recommended.
originally reviewed for Discovering Diamonds
The book opens with Nehmann remembering a circus act he saw as a child: the illusion of levitation, and his belief that what he saw was real. In a way, Nehmann has lived his life believing in levitation: the detachment of journalism allows him to rise above the truths of war and genocide. But the German Sixth Army is attacking Stalingrad; winter approaches, and Nehmann – through an uncompleted personal errand for Goebbels - will be forced to confront realities on the ground.
Hurley is a master of evoking setting and mood with few words, and running through Last Flight to Stalingrad is a sense of emptiness: the bleakness of the steppe and the space of the sky reflecting a theme of hunger. Not just the physical hunger that awaits, and comes for, both the Sixth Army and the Russians under siege, but the hunger for human connection, for friendship, for love, that is felt by almost all the characters, whether Goebbels, or the damaged, determined pilot Messner, or Nehmann himself.
This is the second World War from the intimate viewpoint of Germans, both historical and fictional, humanizing individuals who are often seen as one-dimensionally evil. Hurley makes no value judgments, with the exception of Hitler, who, through the eyes of the other characters, is seen as fanatical and unstable. Last Flight to Stalingrad concerns itself with the universal truths of war, much as All Quiet on the Western Front does.
Highly recommended.
originally reviewed for Discovering Diamonds
November 30, 2025
The battle of Stalingrad was effectively the turning point in World War II. Up until this battle Hitler had managed to easily subdue and conquer any country in Western Europe that he chose. He decided to apply the same methods to the invasion of Russia with ultimately disastrous and terminal consequences. Stalingrad (now Volgograd) was at a key strategic position on the river Volga in South Western Russia controlling access to the oil fields in the Caucasus and a central transport hub.
The battle for control of Stalingrad raged from July 1941 to February 1942 ending in Germany’s crippling defeat with huge losses of men and resources. It is considered possibly the largest and bloodiest battle in human history.
This novel tells the story of a Georgian journalist living in Berlin (i.e. on the side of the Germans) who is forced to repeatedly return to Stalingrad as the battle progresses and Germany’s prospects decline. At first his job is to provide optimistic and positive stories for the Nazi propaganda minister Josef Goebbels but then he is sent back as a punishment for his somewhat foolish attempted blackmail of the same minister.
The description of the horrors of the battle and the final siege in what was called the Kessel (cauldron) when the German armies were completely surrounded by Soviet troops in the depths of a punishing winter are vivid and realistic. However, the motives of the characters, namely the concert pianist Maria (the main character’s airfriend) and various others are sometimes unclear and unconvincing. The novel is very slow to start and takes a long time to gain interest. The ending is left open with the journalist being captured by Soviet troops but his end would almost certainly have been an unpleasant death as with any of the captured Germans.
This is not as fast moving and compelling as the author’s police procedural novels set in Portsmouth (the Faraday series) but is an imaginative and sometimes harrowing read.
The battle for control of Stalingrad raged from July 1941 to February 1942 ending in Germany’s crippling defeat with huge losses of men and resources. It is considered possibly the largest and bloodiest battle in human history.
This novel tells the story of a Georgian journalist living in Berlin (i.e. on the side of the Germans) who is forced to repeatedly return to Stalingrad as the battle progresses and Germany’s prospects decline. At first his job is to provide optimistic and positive stories for the Nazi propaganda minister Josef Goebbels but then he is sent back as a punishment for his somewhat foolish attempted blackmail of the same minister.
The description of the horrors of the battle and the final siege in what was called the Kessel (cauldron) when the German armies were completely surrounded by Soviet troops in the depths of a punishing winter are vivid and realistic. However, the motives of the characters, namely the concert pianist Maria (the main character’s airfriend) and various others are sometimes unclear and unconvincing. The novel is very slow to start and takes a long time to gain interest. The ending is left open with the journalist being captured by Soviet troops but his end would almost certainly have been an unpleasant death as with any of the captured Germans.
This is not as fast moving and compelling as the author’s police procedural novels set in Portsmouth (the Faraday series) but is an imaginative and sometimes harrowing read.
December 30, 2024
More Nazis. I do seem to be reading a lot of books about Nazi Germany at the moment. Walter Nehmann is a journalist in Berlin in the first half of the Second World War. Nehmann works for the Propaganda Ministry, reporting directly to Joseph Goebbels and has a talent for making capital out of a good photograph, or stories of soldiers and airmen. Nehmann has covered the victories in Poland, France and elsewhere and is riding high on the spoils of war. As the Germans advance rapidly into Russia and Nehmann is commissioned to cover events there, Goebbels sets him a personal assignment which sets Nehmann on the road to personal disaster and a posting to the deadly battle for Stalingrad.
This was not enjoyable at all, but was gripping nonetheless. Well-written, gritty, shocking, deeply nasty and every single character absolutely loathsome. Last Flight to Stalingrad is a compelling account of the horrors of the battle for Stalingrad and the equally horrific internal politics, in-fighting and viciousness of the Nazi leadership. Having finished I felt a bit disgusted for having read it and at a loss to explain what the point of the story and plot might be. I guess it is an account of an individual's journey as the novel views the world through the eyes of Nehmann as he travels from the triumphant cynicism of the Propaganda Ministry through to being a victim of the regime, and a sick desire for revenge. Don't read this expecting a happy ending.
This was not enjoyable at all, but was gripping nonetheless. Well-written, gritty, shocking, deeply nasty and every single character absolutely loathsome. Last Flight to Stalingrad is a compelling account of the horrors of the battle for Stalingrad and the equally horrific internal politics, in-fighting and viciousness of the Nazi leadership. Having finished I felt a bit disgusted for having read it and at a loss to explain what the point of the story and plot might be. I guess it is an account of an individual's journey as the novel views the world through the eyes of Nehmann as he travels from the triumphant cynicism of the Propaganda Ministry through to being a victim of the regime, and a sick desire for revenge. Don't read this expecting a happy ending.
March 5, 2022
A fan of Hurley's crime fiction I was curious about this series. Possibly not the best place to start, but I believe that this is self-contained. There is no surprise that this is well written. Hurley always writes well with coherent plots. My initial distraction was that I couldn't see the point. That may be due to coming with a mindset based on crime fiction. While seeing the siege of Stalingrad from the perspective of the German forces, I'm not sure that adds much. As others have mentioned the issue of truth as reported back from the front to the public at home which is interesting, but also not new, this comparison being made regularly with regard to today's view of reported truth. What was disturbing was to read this as the Russian invasion of Ukraine started and see the repeat of history, with the invasion in the opposite direction. On one level, it creates the sympathy for the Russian people who were brutally invaded at that time, and the arguments regarding security. However, I don't believe that security comes from invasion and destruction of life and property, as history repeatedly shows us. And, for avoidance of doubt, the brutality being inflicted on the Ukrainian people is beyond forgiveness.
November 8, 2024
Brilliant evocation of the absolute horror and waste on both sides of maybe the biggest, most bloody and brutal battle in history. The story is cunning and the male characters both real and fictional, main and peripheral, are absolutely believable and deeply realised. Also the quality of the prose is top notch: the utter desolation and bitter cold are so immediate you can almost feel the frostbite taking your toes. The dialogue between the different male characters - a soldier in the field, the bookshop owner, Goebbels in his office, Messner with the ruined face - is extraordinarily well done. Very tempted to give five stars but holding back one because Hurley can't really write women: in stark contrast to the men, they're seen very much from the outside, pretty idealised sexy objects with no genuine interiority or depth. But as they don't figure too much it's easy to get immersed in the story, and in all other respects it's a gripping, terrifically researched five star read.
February 4, 2020
Graham Hurley is one of the best and most underrated authors around. I loved his Faraday and Suttle crime series, he has also developed a new heroine in Enorra Andressen with a third book in that series about to be published. This book is his fifth in the Wars Within series - how does he find the time to write so much!
I have read the others and enjoyed this the best as it describes the relationship between Joseph Goebbels the master of propaganda and Werner Nehmann, one of his most talented writers.
What stands out is the stark description of the war on the Eastern front and some of the details will stay long with me given their cruelty and brutality.
Historically accurate and with acute observations of character, time and place this is an excellent historical novel and is highly recommended.
I have read the others and enjoyed this the best as it describes the relationship between Joseph Goebbels the master of propaganda and Werner Nehmann, one of his most talented writers.
What stands out is the stark description of the war on the Eastern front and some of the details will stay long with me given their cruelty and brutality.
Historically accurate and with acute observations of character, time and place this is an excellent historical novel and is highly recommended.
January 9, 2021
Stories like this stand or fall on the quality of the author's research, understanding of the historical events and the ability to weave fact into fiction believably. This story has authenticity, adrenaline-pumping pace, intricate and vivid historical detail, and creates a believable world of atrocity and war that is both addictive and shocking for the reader.
This story explores the power of propaganda from two protagonist perspectives. One a pilot, the other a journalist both with powerful masters. The story that unfolds is an intriguing balance of action and introspection immersing the reader in the story before delivering the horrors of war and the twists of evil minds.
It's a pacy read, harrowingly graphic in parts but it's addictive and stays with you after the last word.
I received a copy of this book from Head of Zeus in return for an honest review.
This story explores the power of propaganda from two protagonist perspectives. One a pilot, the other a journalist both with powerful masters. The story that unfolds is an intriguing balance of action and introspection immersing the reader in the story before delivering the horrors of war and the twists of evil minds.
It's a pacy read, harrowingly graphic in parts but it's addictive and stays with you after the last word.
I received a copy of this book from Head of Zeus in return for an honest review.
July 1, 2021
Werner Nehmann and Georg Messner are each useful to their bosses: Nehmann as a journalist and propogandist for Goebbels: Messner as a crack pilot - despite being horribly injured and damaged - to von Richthoven in his role commanding the Luftwaffe. This is the story of their war years in the early 1940s, and largely the story of how badly the war is going for the Germans in Stalingrad, despite the huge privations of the Russians and their army. The mass killings, the barbarity, the inability to trust even those whom you love, the power of propaganda all play their part in this complex, unsettling and compelling drama. It's part of Hurley's Spoils of War series, but works perfectly well as a stand-alone.
August 5, 2022
Meh..
Had to skip a bunch of pages in between that was dragging. It had its moments so I plunked through to the interesting bits. The stark contrast between what was actually going on in Stalingrad and Berlin's (Nazi High Command's) insistence on hiding its head in the sand and denying reality is brought out in a more clear fashion here through the dialogue. I didn't get that in some of the other books. The SS wanting to put its dirty fingers in the operations in the city was also news to me. All the romance type stuff in the storyline was a distraction for me.
You're better off with Enemy at the Gates , War of the Rats or the ever classic non-fiction one by Antony Beevor The Fateful Siege
Had to skip a bunch of pages in between that was dragging. It had its moments so I plunked through to the interesting bits. The stark contrast between what was actually going on in Stalingrad and Berlin's (Nazi High Command's) insistence on hiding its head in the sand and denying reality is brought out in a more clear fashion here through the dialogue. I didn't get that in some of the other books. The SS wanting to put its dirty fingers in the operations in the city was also news to me. All the romance type stuff in the storyline was a distraction for me.
You're better off with Enemy at the Gates , War of the Rats or the ever classic non-fiction one by Antony Beevor The Fateful Siege
August 17, 2021
Hurley is on form here. The protagonist, an independently-minded associate of Goebbels' Propaganda Ministry, sees his fortunes prosper and fade with those of Hitler's ill-fated assault on the Soviet Union. In the process he discovers a conscience and a kind of distorted sense of justice. We meet some of the characters who feature in his previous WW2 books, and the dénouement is searing.
The introductory first chapter is of doubtful relevance and some of the technical detail thrown in arguably slows the narrative (with the occasional mistake). These are quibbles though, in an enjoyable and memorable read.
The introductory first chapter is of doubtful relevance and some of the technical detail thrown in arguably slows the narrative (with the occasional mistake). These are quibbles though, in an enjoyable and memorable read.
August 23, 2021
The book works through the hate and mad lust for power at the core of Nazi Germany. It ends at Stalingard - virtually the gates of hell. The final passages make a gruesome read as the last shreds of civilization peal away. The book is redeemed by skilled writing, excellent character development, and meticulous historical research. The depiction of Joseph Goebbels is particularly compelling - bringing an enigmatic and despicable character into focus. Evil is given human form with credible motivation and personality. It is time to step away from espionage novels for a bit.
December 31, 2021
Decent read, some good Stalingrad scenes though not really addressing the horrors of the siege. A lot of unexplained events which may be tied up later assuming this is a series. Attempts to assign blame for atrocities to the SS rather than recognising that these were common to the German armed forces in general, with honourable exceptions. The cannibalism episode involving Kalb towards the end of the book was wholly unconvincing despite there being much evidence that this happened at various times during the war and not only in Stalingrad
May 12, 2023
A promising starts ends in a totally bizarre finale with a ridiculous revenge plot which never really makes any sense. All the characters are also quite superficially and drawn which gives the novel little depth.
Aside from a poor plot, on a more serious note the book propagates the "clean Wehrmacht" myth i.e. that the SS were responsible for the mass killings on the Eastern Front and the common soldiers did not know about it and did not participate. That myth has been entirely debunked yet is given succour in this novel.
I will not be returning to this series.
Aside from a poor plot, on a more serious note the book propagates the "clean Wehrmacht" myth i.e. that the SS were responsible for the mass killings on the Eastern Front and the common soldiers did not know about it and did not participate. That myth has been entirely debunked yet is given succour in this novel.
I will not be returning to this series.
February 25, 2021
Werner Nehmann has worked for Josef Goebbels and his propaganda ministry since the beginning of the war but in 1942 things are beginning to go a bit wrong for the Nazis. Werner’s love life is proving a tad spicy and all seems set well for him in Berlin but when Goebbels asks him to take a letter to his ex lover in Italy it sets off a train of events that leads to Werner being assigned to Stalingrad and their he crosses paths with a notoriously brutal SS Colonel.
February 1, 2022
I enjoyed this book as it told the story of the Eastern front from the point of view of members of the German forces. It also describe the power struggle between Ge
Goebbels, Goering and to a small extent Ribbentrop. The new character introduced in this book, Werner Nehmann, is a person who draws you in to his story and keeps you reading the book. I recommend this book as it is a great part of the story of WWII that Hurley tells in his series of books.
Goebbels, Goering and to a small extent Ribbentrop. The new character introduced in this book, Werner Nehmann, is a person who draws you in to his story and keeps you reading the book. I recommend this book as it is a great part of the story of WWII that Hurley tells in his series of books.
July 8, 2024
This is the first time I have read books by this author.
I don't give five stars often but this story was well written and researched giving
the reader a graphic description of the fall of Stalingrad and the misery from both
sides of the conflict .Werner Nehmann is a journalist at the German propaganda
ministry and his interaction with minister Goebbels is interesting as he travels
often to produce articles on Stalingrad. A great read
I don't give five stars often but this story was well written and researched giving
the reader a graphic description of the fall of Stalingrad and the misery from both
sides of the conflict .Werner Nehmann is a journalist at the German propaganda
ministry and his interaction with minister Goebbels is interesting as he travels
often to produce articles on Stalingrad. A great read
August 21, 2024
GREAT
Hurley’s Spoils of War series is great. Historical fiction at its best-a series of somewhat connected novels illuminating differing aspects of World War II. This one deals with Stalingrad and the disintegrating German army. But it is so much more. A story of war and love and revenge and honor-it’s just great. My favorite of the books so far. Read it. And all his other books.
Hurley’s Spoils of War series is great. Historical fiction at its best-a series of somewhat connected novels illuminating differing aspects of World War II. This one deals with Stalingrad and the disintegrating German army. But it is so much more. A story of war and love and revenge and honor-it’s just great. My favorite of the books so far. Read it. And all his other books.
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