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The Sturmtaucher Trilogy #3
The Turn of the Tide
The Turn of the Tide is the third book in the Sturmtaucher Trilogy: a powerful and compelling story of two families torn apart by evil.
As Hitler's greed turns eastwards to the fertile and oil rich Soviet heartlands, life for the Kästner and the Nussbaum families disintegrates and fragments as the Nazis tighten the noose on German and Polish Jews. Implementing Endlösung der Judenfrage, the ‘Final Solution to the Jewish Problem’, Hitler, Himmler, Heydrich and Eichmann plan to have Germany, and Europe, Judenrein, ‘cleansed of Jews’.
General Erich Kästner, increasingly alone, fights a losing battle to protect his friends, and their fellow Jews, putting himself and his family in jeopardy.
As the tide of war turns, he looks anxiously to the Soviets in the east, and to the Western Allies, desperately hoping, despite his patriotism, that Germany is defeated before there are no Jews left in the countries occupied by the Third Reich.
When an assassination attempt on Hitler and his henchmen fails, Erich Kästner himself comes under the scrutiny of the Gestapo, and his own survival, and that of his family, becomes uncertain.
As the war draws to an end, with Germany in ruins, time is running out for the Kästners and the Nussbaums…
As Hitler's greed turns eastwards to the fertile and oil rich Soviet heartlands, life for the Kästner and the Nussbaum families disintegrates and fragments as the Nazis tighten the noose on German and Polish Jews. Implementing Endlösung der Judenfrage, the ‘Final Solution to the Jewish Problem’, Hitler, Himmler, Heydrich and Eichmann plan to have Germany, and Europe, Judenrein, ‘cleansed of Jews’.
General Erich Kästner, increasingly alone, fights a losing battle to protect his friends, and their fellow Jews, putting himself and his family in jeopardy.
As the tide of war turns, he looks anxiously to the Soviets in the east, and to the Western Allies, desperately hoping, despite his patriotism, that Germany is defeated before there are no Jews left in the countries occupied by the Third Reich.
When an assassination attempt on Hitler and his henchmen fails, Erich Kästner himself comes under the scrutiny of the Gestapo, and his own survival, and that of his family, becomes uncertain.
As the war draws to an end, with Germany in ruins, time is running out for the Kästners and the Nussbaums…
- GenresHistorical Fiction
1843 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 29, 2021
2 people are currently reading
39 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
November 23, 2021
A word I rarely use, ‘Triumph’, but you know what, this word sums up what this book and trilogy really is
I loved Book 1 and 2 and wondered how they could be bettered, then I read Book 3…..
We re join all the characters as the Nazi’s are in the depth of their mire of hate and destruction and some of the book is hard at times to contemplate the depravity these evil people went to, it’s shocking and leaves you cold and with much thought about those poor people affected…..yet as the book progresses there is at first a chink, then a light and then an end to this horror and at the end I was almost cheering myself, of course there is sadness too BUT there is joy for some of the people I have grown to love ( you don’t read almost 5000 pages in a trilogy and not build up feelings for these characters )
The books flows SO well on from Book 1 and 2 and the many, many sub stories all come together brilliantly
Alan Jones deserves awards for this trilogy, the sheer scale of this project and his information gathering, effort and time is staggering, not to mention his writing/story telling skills and I have nothing but respect for him
I can’t recommend the trilogy enough
11/10!
5 Stars
I loved Book 1 and 2 and wondered how they could be bettered, then I read Book 3…..
We re join all the characters as the Nazi’s are in the depth of their mire of hate and destruction and some of the book is hard at times to contemplate the depravity these evil people went to, it’s shocking and leaves you cold and with much thought about those poor people affected…..yet as the book progresses there is at first a chink, then a light and then an end to this horror and at the end I was almost cheering myself, of course there is sadness too BUT there is joy for some of the people I have grown to love ( you don’t read almost 5000 pages in a trilogy and not build up feelings for these characters )
The books flows SO well on from Book 1 and 2 and the many, many sub stories all come together brilliantly
Alan Jones deserves awards for this trilogy, the sheer scale of this project and his information gathering, effort and time is staggering, not to mention his writing/story telling skills and I have nothing but respect for him
I can’t recommend the trilogy enough
11/10!
5 Stars
April 1, 2022
“There are decent men among the bad. The evil ones will be punished, one day. I promise”
Wow! I am almost speechless, and believe me, that is a rarity!
Every once in a while, I come across a series which is truly exceptional and any review I could possibly write, even one which honestly comes right from the heart, couldn’t ever hope to even scratch the surface in doing complete justice to The Sturmtaucher Trilogy, which is undoubtedly a real tour de force. Surely an important work of cultural and societal fiction, based on and wrapped around, the reality of some well established historical facts, written sympathetically from the heart, with care and deference to the subject. The sheer volume of research and attention to detail is phenomenal and must have taken so many painstaking hours to complete and compile into a chronologically correct timeline of events, which is then knitted into the very fabric of a family saga of monumental proportions. It brings together a dark, troubling and shameful period of our modern history and gives it life, as seen through the eyes of the extremists, the moderates and the persecuted, who will all have their own personal perspectives about the unfolding atrocities and tides of change, inexorably heaped upon a nation by a cold, methodically calculating, dictator. Whilst the story throws the spotlight not only on the almost complete and total annihilation of all minority races within Germany, it also shows how events not only divided a country, but how they also had the potential to fracture and damage friendships and even tear family relationships apart, as individuals are forced to choose their sides in this terrible internal conflict, which spread like a poison and held almost everyone within its grip.
Maybe also a little bittersweet, given that I have been reading about the attempted annihilation of one race, almost eighty years ago; whilst watching events unfold in a conflict which has an equal potential for total devastation, should the world not pause, step back and take a good hard look at itself. The Germany of the 1930s/1940s, might well be the Ukraine of 2022. In either timeline, as we are witness to the pursuit of supreme power and domination by a crazed autocratic dictator, man’s inhumanity to man, never ceases to amaze me! However, this isn’t really a novel about the complexities of global politics, although of course those can’t be ignored, (especially as many of the locations close to and around the Russian border which feature in this final episode of the saga, also appear nightly on my television screen as part of the current conflict); it’s all about the humanity affected by them.
I just knew that this, the final instalment of The Sturmtaucher Trilogy, was never going to be a disappointment, yet I had no idea exactly how phenomenally moving it was destined to be. I even had visions that in a series of such vast proportions, the final episode might have seen a subtle ‘winding down’ as the many strands of the storyline began to converge. I should never have doubted Alan’s resilience and determination to document everything he set out to do, without ever compromising on detail. A fitting tribute to an amazing cast of characters; an authentic and meticulously researched storyline; and some genuinely glorious writing.
This three book, epic saga, each of over 800 pages, really does deserve to be read either back to back, or in timely succession, but definitely in chronological order, to become fully immersed in a storyline, in which once you are engrossed, you definitely won’t want, or be able to leave, until there is complete closure. That’s an awfully long time to be holding one’s breath, but that is exactly what I found myself doing, as the landscape of the storyline shifted and altered, twists and turns were added necessitating the characters to change and adapt, and ultimately, which of them would be left to witness this new world landscape of brave beginnings? For those readers who have yet to begin this magnificent and epic journey, to offer too much of an insight into this final instalment, without compromising the first two books or indeed the ending itself, is going to be rather a challenge… but here goes!
.
Once again, author Alan Jones has thought ahead and broken this epic storyline down into short, fluent and digestible chapters, which are well-signposted and keep the pace moving along at a good clip, whilst still managing to make every single word count. We pick up the story in 1941, when we are now firmly entrenched in a war of ‘cleansing’ and the Nazi programme of implementing Endlösung der Judenfrage, the ‘Final Solution to the Jewish Problem’, is reaching its climax. Families and communities are being torn apart, not only in Germany itself, but in the further reaches of Poland, Russia and the Nordic countries, although the atrocities also reach across borders to encompass the much wider European theatre. In Kiel, Jews, minority groups and any sympathisers, are being rounded up by an enthusiastic and zealous Gestapo, some of whom are relishing their job more than others. Gullich, whose reputation as ‘The Black Wolf’ or ‘The Jew Hunter’ precedes him, and his side-kick Meyer, are on a personal mission and will go to any lengths, to capture every member of the Kastner and Nussbaum families, plus any of their friends and acquaintances, who have been thorns in the side of the authorities, right from the word go. However, their personal inter-rivalry and greed also knows no bounds and will be their eventual undoing, but not before they have personally witnessed, sanctioned and executed, the persecution and death of literally thousands of innocent and vulnerable people
The lives of the German Kastner family, have been intrinsically linked with that of the Jewish Nussbaum family, for three generations, almost to the point where the lines between them being employers and employees, have become blurred enough for them to consider one another friends. The Nussbaum’s live in the grounds of the Kastner house, with the children of both families having grown up alongside one another, any differences in culture and religion having always been respected and accommodated by both sides. General Erich Kastner, a decorated soldier of WWI, is not alone in his courageous and many would say foolhardy, underground, underhand attempts to save the Nussbaums and as many of their fellow countrymen as possible, from certain death, although he is fully aware that his attempts to slow down the Nazi machine, are but a mere drop in a vast ocean of despair. Operating clandestinely, often from inside the administration, only hones and sharpens their resolve to cause as much disruption to the Nazi machine as possible, by making every move count. Now that the storyline has reached outside the borders of the Fatherland, drawing more nations into its arena, small pockets of resistance are forming, adding their fledgling voices to the call for justice. However Erich’s scheming has not gone unnoticed and the sharks begin to circle in the water, as the Gestapo net closes in on him. The tension becomes almost unbearable as the Nussbaum adults are captured and their two children are pronounced ‘missing’, along with the two Kastner sons, who as serving military officers, are later traced to a POW camp in Scotland.
Unfortunately for Erich, his personal life and marriage has also reached crisis point, as Frau Maria Kastner does not share her husband’s liberal views, so she removes herself from the family home and their marriage, whilst vowing to bring about his downfall herself, should the opportunity ever arise. Over the course of four long years, one by one, Erich’s friends and allies are picked off by Gullich and Meyer, whilst Germany comes under attack from all sides, with both the Western Allies and the Soviets advancing on Berlin at a pace, although having witnessed Soviet brutality for themselves, the German government and the wider population are fervently hoping that the Allies, with their reputation for fair play, reach them first.
When the Allied advance reaches Kiel, their immediate challenges are to find and round up as many Gestapo officers and Nazi party members as they can lay their hands on, although many slip through the net. With an internment system which is stretched beyond breaking point by the sheer volume of suspects, it becomes sickeningly obvious that not all transgressors will be brought to justice. The problem of returning the many millions of displaced people, both civilian and military, to their scattered homelands, is a mammoth task, which is likely to take years to complete, leaving families on all sides of the conflict, still adrift in a sea of confusion and doubt. Against all the odds General Kastner has survived many attempts on his life and a relatively short time incarcerated in a concentration camp. He now finds himself alone to wait and see if any members of either his own or the Nussbaum family, together with any of his friends, have survived and will manage to make their way back home. However the sheer number of displaced persons and family members desperate for any news is as heart-breaking for Erich as anything else he has witnessed, particularly with the knowledge that millions of his countrymen have been killed and that their final resting places will never be truly known. Some survivors are understandably seeking vengeance, others are only looking to see justice done, but all are craving closure.
Throughout the three books which comprise the series there have been occasional interspersions from an ongoing conversation between one of the characters and an unspecified second person, which takes place in 2001. As the elder narrator is named right from the outset, we immediately get to know the identity of at least one Holocaust survivor. However, right at the end of The Turn Of the Tide and as his closing shot, the author lets us into the secret of the so far anonymous second person, thus weaving all the loose ends firmly together, affording some closure on past events, which should never be forgotten, nor some would say, forgiven.
That is the scene, set in a very small nutshell, from which this chapter in the saga, rises and triumphs, as a supreme tour de force, towards its stunning climax.
.
I can imagine that writing about the Holocaust in a work of fiction is always quite a risky strategy; too much detail might become gratuitous for the sake of an engrossing story; too little detail might be seen to be shining too comfortable a light on the atrocities. However, once again author Alan Jones seems to have managed that transition between fact and fiction, seamlessly and effortlessly, depicting life in the POW camps on both sides of the English Channel, with just the right mix of reality so as not to make life appear too sanitised, yet not in so much vivid reality that the sheer level of violence and atrocities if documented, might appear gratuitous. The research is impeccable and so thorough, that it is almost impossible to say where fact and fiction begin and end, or indeed where they converge and overlap.
This intensely compelling and evocatively compassionately written storyline is definitely not to be rushed, but is one to immerse yourself into and savour slowly, as its textured, multi-layers unfold, as difficult as that might often be. Set against vividly described and richly detailed backdrops, there is a really perceptive sense of time and place, particularly for me within the confines of the British POW camp, located in the Highlands of Scotland. Camps which I know of course existed, but about which there is relatively little featured in the world of fiction writing. The humanity and decency with which German prisoners were treated was in stark contrast to the concentration camps of their home country, although the brainwashed Nazi fanatics amongst the men were still wont to wreak vengeance on those of their fellow countrymen considered not to be loyal enough to the Nazi regime. There was also a brief insight into the treatment by Britain of the Jewish refugees who arrived on our shores, seeking asylum from the atrocities back in their homelands. Their unquestioned acceptance and inclusion into a society which was already reeling from deprivation and nightly bombing, was something of which we should be justifiably proud.
I was also surprised at the attitudes of many of the wives and female members of the German military families. The reverence in which they held the Nazi high command was quite sickening and the lengths to which they would go in their social climbing efforts to attract and be seen with the highest ranking officers, were equally nauseating. Despite, or maybe because of, all the male testosterone and egocentric behaviour on display, the officers seemed like easy pickings for these single-minded, status driven women. Contrary to his wife’s low opinion of him, General Erich Kastner isn’t a bad German just because he doesn’t agree with the mass deportation of hundreds of thousands of Jews and minority groups to the concentration camps and hence for most of them a certain death. He simply doesn’t agree with the stance the Nazi party is taking, or their inhumane operational methods, believing in equality regardless of status or religion. He still at heart wants to help Germany win the war in Europe, but he wants any casualties to be those of war, not ‘cleansing’.
Alan has created a sprawling cast of core characters, who grew in stature with each passing chapter, whose voices became ever louder and stronger, demanding to have their stories heard by the outside world. Complex and emotionally driven, raw and passionate, often fragile and vulnerable; they are nonetheless completely genuine and believable, reliable and authentic, with a stoicism and loyalty born of necessity.
What makes reading such wonderful experience for me, is that with each and every book, I am taken on a unique and individual journey, by some amazing authors, who fire my imagination, stimulate my senses and stir my emotions. For a single author to achieve all that with one epic series, is surely testament to the sheer quality of the writing and storyline. So I recommend that you read The Sturmtaucher Trilogy for yourself and see where your journey leads you. You won’t be disappointed!!
To connect with the author, or to share some of my own personal memorable lines and extracts from the book, visit..
https://www.fiction-books.biz/reviews...
Wow! I am almost speechless, and believe me, that is a rarity!
Every once in a while, I come across a series which is truly exceptional and any review I could possibly write, even one which honestly comes right from the heart, couldn’t ever hope to even scratch the surface in doing complete justice to The Sturmtaucher Trilogy, which is undoubtedly a real tour de force. Surely an important work of cultural and societal fiction, based on and wrapped around, the reality of some well established historical facts, written sympathetically from the heart, with care and deference to the subject. The sheer volume of research and attention to detail is phenomenal and must have taken so many painstaking hours to complete and compile into a chronologically correct timeline of events, which is then knitted into the very fabric of a family saga of monumental proportions. It brings together a dark, troubling and shameful period of our modern history and gives it life, as seen through the eyes of the extremists, the moderates and the persecuted, who will all have their own personal perspectives about the unfolding atrocities and tides of change, inexorably heaped upon a nation by a cold, methodically calculating, dictator. Whilst the story throws the spotlight not only on the almost complete and total annihilation of all minority races within Germany, it also shows how events not only divided a country, but how they also had the potential to fracture and damage friendships and even tear family relationships apart, as individuals are forced to choose their sides in this terrible internal conflict, which spread like a poison and held almost everyone within its grip.
Maybe also a little bittersweet, given that I have been reading about the attempted annihilation of one race, almost eighty years ago; whilst watching events unfold in a conflict which has an equal potential for total devastation, should the world not pause, step back and take a good hard look at itself. The Germany of the 1930s/1940s, might well be the Ukraine of 2022. In either timeline, as we are witness to the pursuit of supreme power and domination by a crazed autocratic dictator, man’s inhumanity to man, never ceases to amaze me! However, this isn’t really a novel about the complexities of global politics, although of course those can’t be ignored, (especially as many of the locations close to and around the Russian border which feature in this final episode of the saga, also appear nightly on my television screen as part of the current conflict); it’s all about the humanity affected by them.
I just knew that this, the final instalment of The Sturmtaucher Trilogy, was never going to be a disappointment, yet I had no idea exactly how phenomenally moving it was destined to be. I even had visions that in a series of such vast proportions, the final episode might have seen a subtle ‘winding down’ as the many strands of the storyline began to converge. I should never have doubted Alan’s resilience and determination to document everything he set out to do, without ever compromising on detail. A fitting tribute to an amazing cast of characters; an authentic and meticulously researched storyline; and some genuinely glorious writing.
This three book, epic saga, each of over 800 pages, really does deserve to be read either back to back, or in timely succession, but definitely in chronological order, to become fully immersed in a storyline, in which once you are engrossed, you definitely won’t want, or be able to leave, until there is complete closure. That’s an awfully long time to be holding one’s breath, but that is exactly what I found myself doing, as the landscape of the storyline shifted and altered, twists and turns were added necessitating the characters to change and adapt, and ultimately, which of them would be left to witness this new world landscape of brave beginnings? For those readers who have yet to begin this magnificent and epic journey, to offer too much of an insight into this final instalment, without compromising the first two books or indeed the ending itself, is going to be rather a challenge… but here goes!
.
Once again, author Alan Jones has thought ahead and broken this epic storyline down into short, fluent and digestible chapters, which are well-signposted and keep the pace moving along at a good clip, whilst still managing to make every single word count. We pick up the story in 1941, when we are now firmly entrenched in a war of ‘cleansing’ and the Nazi programme of implementing Endlösung der Judenfrage, the ‘Final Solution to the Jewish Problem’, is reaching its climax. Families and communities are being torn apart, not only in Germany itself, but in the further reaches of Poland, Russia and the Nordic countries, although the atrocities also reach across borders to encompass the much wider European theatre. In Kiel, Jews, minority groups and any sympathisers, are being rounded up by an enthusiastic and zealous Gestapo, some of whom are relishing their job more than others. Gullich, whose reputation as ‘The Black Wolf’ or ‘The Jew Hunter’ precedes him, and his side-kick Meyer, are on a personal mission and will go to any lengths, to capture every member of the Kastner and Nussbaum families, plus any of their friends and acquaintances, who have been thorns in the side of the authorities, right from the word go. However, their personal inter-rivalry and greed also knows no bounds and will be their eventual undoing, but not before they have personally witnessed, sanctioned and executed, the persecution and death of literally thousands of innocent and vulnerable people
The lives of the German Kastner family, have been intrinsically linked with that of the Jewish Nussbaum family, for three generations, almost to the point where the lines between them being employers and employees, have become blurred enough for them to consider one another friends. The Nussbaum’s live in the grounds of the Kastner house, with the children of both families having grown up alongside one another, any differences in culture and religion having always been respected and accommodated by both sides. General Erich Kastner, a decorated soldier of WWI, is not alone in his courageous and many would say foolhardy, underground, underhand attempts to save the Nussbaums and as many of their fellow countrymen as possible, from certain death, although he is fully aware that his attempts to slow down the Nazi machine, are but a mere drop in a vast ocean of despair. Operating clandestinely, often from inside the administration, only hones and sharpens their resolve to cause as much disruption to the Nazi machine as possible, by making every move count. Now that the storyline has reached outside the borders of the Fatherland, drawing more nations into its arena, small pockets of resistance are forming, adding their fledgling voices to the call for justice. However Erich’s scheming has not gone unnoticed and the sharks begin to circle in the water, as the Gestapo net closes in on him. The tension becomes almost unbearable as the Nussbaum adults are captured and their two children are pronounced ‘missing’, along with the two Kastner sons, who as serving military officers, are later traced to a POW camp in Scotland.
Unfortunately for Erich, his personal life and marriage has also reached crisis point, as Frau Maria Kastner does not share her husband’s liberal views, so she removes herself from the family home and their marriage, whilst vowing to bring about his downfall herself, should the opportunity ever arise. Over the course of four long years, one by one, Erich’s friends and allies are picked off by Gullich and Meyer, whilst Germany comes under attack from all sides, with both the Western Allies and the Soviets advancing on Berlin at a pace, although having witnessed Soviet brutality for themselves, the German government and the wider population are fervently hoping that the Allies, with their reputation for fair play, reach them first.
When the Allied advance reaches Kiel, their immediate challenges are to find and round up as many Gestapo officers and Nazi party members as they can lay their hands on, although many slip through the net. With an internment system which is stretched beyond breaking point by the sheer volume of suspects, it becomes sickeningly obvious that not all transgressors will be brought to justice. The problem of returning the many millions of displaced people, both civilian and military, to their scattered homelands, is a mammoth task, which is likely to take years to complete, leaving families on all sides of the conflict, still adrift in a sea of confusion and doubt. Against all the odds General Kastner has survived many attempts on his life and a relatively short time incarcerated in a concentration camp. He now finds himself alone to wait and see if any members of either his own or the Nussbaum family, together with any of his friends, have survived and will manage to make their way back home. However the sheer number of displaced persons and family members desperate for any news is as heart-breaking for Erich as anything else he has witnessed, particularly with the knowledge that millions of his countrymen have been killed and that their final resting places will never be truly known. Some survivors are understandably seeking vengeance, others are only looking to see justice done, but all are craving closure.
Throughout the three books which comprise the series there have been occasional interspersions from an ongoing conversation between one of the characters and an unspecified second person, which takes place in 2001. As the elder narrator is named right from the outset, we immediately get to know the identity of at least one Holocaust survivor. However, right at the end of The Turn Of the Tide and as his closing shot, the author lets us into the secret of the so far anonymous second person, thus weaving all the loose ends firmly together, affording some closure on past events, which should never be forgotten, nor some would say, forgiven.
That is the scene, set in a very small nutshell, from which this chapter in the saga, rises and triumphs, as a supreme tour de force, towards its stunning climax.
.
I can imagine that writing about the Holocaust in a work of fiction is always quite a risky strategy; too much detail might become gratuitous for the sake of an engrossing story; too little detail might be seen to be shining too comfortable a light on the atrocities. However, once again author Alan Jones seems to have managed that transition between fact and fiction, seamlessly and effortlessly, depicting life in the POW camps on both sides of the English Channel, with just the right mix of reality so as not to make life appear too sanitised, yet not in so much vivid reality that the sheer level of violence and atrocities if documented, might appear gratuitous. The research is impeccable and so thorough, that it is almost impossible to say where fact and fiction begin and end, or indeed where they converge and overlap.
This intensely compelling and evocatively compassionately written storyline is definitely not to be rushed, but is one to immerse yourself into and savour slowly, as its textured, multi-layers unfold, as difficult as that might often be. Set against vividly described and richly detailed backdrops, there is a really perceptive sense of time and place, particularly for me within the confines of the British POW camp, located in the Highlands of Scotland. Camps which I know of course existed, but about which there is relatively little featured in the world of fiction writing. The humanity and decency with which German prisoners were treated was in stark contrast to the concentration camps of their home country, although the brainwashed Nazi fanatics amongst the men were still wont to wreak vengeance on those of their fellow countrymen considered not to be loyal enough to the Nazi regime. There was also a brief insight into the treatment by Britain of the Jewish refugees who arrived on our shores, seeking asylum from the atrocities back in their homelands. Their unquestioned acceptance and inclusion into a society which was already reeling from deprivation and nightly bombing, was something of which we should be justifiably proud.
I was also surprised at the attitudes of many of the wives and female members of the German military families. The reverence in which they held the Nazi high command was quite sickening and the lengths to which they would go in their social climbing efforts to attract and be seen with the highest ranking officers, were equally nauseating. Despite, or maybe because of, all the male testosterone and egocentric behaviour on display, the officers seemed like easy pickings for these single-minded, status driven women. Contrary to his wife’s low opinion of him, General Erich Kastner isn’t a bad German just because he doesn’t agree with the mass deportation of hundreds of thousands of Jews and minority groups to the concentration camps and hence for most of them a certain death. He simply doesn’t agree with the stance the Nazi party is taking, or their inhumane operational methods, believing in equality regardless of status or religion. He still at heart wants to help Germany win the war in Europe, but he wants any casualties to be those of war, not ‘cleansing’.
Alan has created a sprawling cast of core characters, who grew in stature with each passing chapter, whose voices became ever louder and stronger, demanding to have their stories heard by the outside world. Complex and emotionally driven, raw and passionate, often fragile and vulnerable; they are nonetheless completely genuine and believable, reliable and authentic, with a stoicism and loyalty born of necessity.
What makes reading such wonderful experience for me, is that with each and every book, I am taken on a unique and individual journey, by some amazing authors, who fire my imagination, stimulate my senses and stir my emotions. For a single author to achieve all that with one epic series, is surely testament to the sheer quality of the writing and storyline. So I recommend that you read The Sturmtaucher Trilogy for yourself and see where your journey leads you. You won’t be disappointed!!
To connect with the author, or to share some of my own personal memorable lines and extracts from the book, visit..
https://www.fiction-books.biz/reviews...
December 3, 2021
The final episode of this epic Trilogy. I honestly don't have the words to describe how brilliant this Trilogy actually is. I read The Gathering Storm , The Flight of the Shearwater and this conclusion, The Turn of The Tide, one after the other with no break in between. I would wake up during the night and my immediate thought was this Trilogy so therefore continued reading it instead of sleeping. I used 2 kindles while reading, with one on charge while I continued with the story. Story is not quite the correct term for this Trilogy. I was engrossed from the first page to the last. The gamut of emotions was unbelievable. I'm in awe of the research and writing of this book. The characters became so real, especially Erich Kastner. Every so often I had to remind myself that many of the atrocities, the traits and the shocking unacceptable behaviour of the despised Nazi and Gestapo were in fact true of many and not fiction at all. There were so many characters to be despised but also so many more to be hailed for their bravery and their sheer will to survive. The research must be noted as it was this that enabled the author to write such a compelling and harrowing account. This being the final instalment I was desperate to discover what happened to the many characters especially who died and who survived. I've never felt the depth of feeling emotion and need for answers in reading a book as much as I had with Der Sturmtaucher Trilogy.
It is not just an outstanding read but an unforgettable one too!
I highly recommend this book
It is not just an outstanding read but an unforgettable one too!
I highly recommend this book
January 22, 2022
This is the final book in the Sturmtaucher Trilogy and reading these books have gone against my own personal reading rules because I generally don't like to read book series or long books as I have so many books to get through! Saying that though, it was so worth it and very sad to have reached the end.
I think the author has actually created a masterpiece. I have experienced every emotion reading all three books which follow the lives of the Kastner and Nussbaum families from just before WW2 to liberation.
I am a second generation of a survivor and I'm so moved that the author decided to write these powerful books despite not being Jewish.
They are books of contrast. Of the good and the bad, those that went along with everything and those that tried to help where they could and of love and hate.
And I love that my favourite Anne Frank quote appears too
‘Despite everything, I believe that people are really good at heart.’ Anne Frank, The Diary of a Young Girl.
These books have been seared into my heart and I will never forget them.
This is a work of fiction but it's so easily forgotten due to the fantastic storytelling and incredible research. It's so important to share these stories
We need to learn from yesterday for a better tomorrow
I think the author has actually created a masterpiece. I have experienced every emotion reading all three books which follow the lives of the Kastner and Nussbaum families from just before WW2 to liberation.
I am a second generation of a survivor and I'm so moved that the author decided to write these powerful books despite not being Jewish.
They are books of contrast. Of the good and the bad, those that went along with everything and those that tried to help where they could and of love and hate.
And I love that my favourite Anne Frank quote appears too
‘Despite everything, I believe that people are really good at heart.’ Anne Frank, The Diary of a Young Girl.
These books have been seared into my heart and I will never forget them.
This is a work of fiction but it's so easily forgotten due to the fantastic storytelling and incredible research. It's so important to share these stories
We need to learn from yesterday for a better tomorrow
January 30, 2022
I hope this review does justice to how much I enjoyed this book and the feelings and emotions I felt when reading it.
The authors writing and story telling in this book (and the previous two) is superb. The story continues on from November 1941 to the end of the war in 1945. Whenever I had any spare time this week I would pick up my kindle and carry on reading and it’s fair to say this wonderful trilogy of books has had me completely engrossed. When I wasn’t reading I was thinking about the characters and what they were going through and couldn’t wait to get back to my kindle. I felt sadness, anger, hatred and so many other emotions and this is a heart wrenching, haunting, poignant and very dark read at times. I thought the characters were portrayed so believably and realistically, whether they were good or bad. The author made them come alive through his writing and I could picture them, the places in my mind when reading. I loathed some characters and just wanted them to get their come uppance and with other characters I was willing them on, thinking please survive, please ..... You know these atrocities happened. I enjoy historical fiction, especially if it’s set around WW1 or WW2 and, in my opinion, this series of books have been the best I’ve ever read. The author has a wonderful way of writing and quickly grabbed my attention at the start and held it all the way through. I felt such a connection to his characters through his writing, if anything they will be very difficult to forget as they made such an impact on me. I actually feel sad I’ve reached the end. If you like historical war fiction, I would really recommend this series of books and am so glad that they were recommended to me. Simply brilliant, just brilliant.
The authors writing and story telling in this book (and the previous two) is superb. The story continues on from November 1941 to the end of the war in 1945. Whenever I had any spare time this week I would pick up my kindle and carry on reading and it’s fair to say this wonderful trilogy of books has had me completely engrossed. When I wasn’t reading I was thinking about the characters and what they were going through and couldn’t wait to get back to my kindle. I felt sadness, anger, hatred and so many other emotions and this is a heart wrenching, haunting, poignant and very dark read at times. I thought the characters were portrayed so believably and realistically, whether they were good or bad. The author made them come alive through his writing and I could picture them, the places in my mind when reading. I loathed some characters and just wanted them to get their come uppance and with other characters I was willing them on, thinking please survive, please ..... You know these atrocities happened. I enjoy historical fiction, especially if it’s set around WW1 or WW2 and, in my opinion, this series of books have been the best I’ve ever read. The author has a wonderful way of writing and quickly grabbed my attention at the start and held it all the way through. I felt such a connection to his characters through his writing, if anything they will be very difficult to forget as they made such an impact on me. I actually feel sad I’ve reached the end. If you like historical war fiction, I would really recommend this series of books and am so glad that they were recommended to me. Simply brilliant, just brilliant.
January 2, 2022
This is the final book in the trilogy and words can't express how well they are well researched and written. I enjoyed them all and I will definitely re read this one and the others again. Highly recommend the 3 books for history buffs, or dealings with the holocaust. Thank you TBC and the author for the amazing read.
November 27, 2021
This is the final book in The Sturmtaucher Trilogy and what a journey it has been. I have been absolutely blown away by these books and it is with great sadness that my time with the characters has come to an end. This is an amazing trilogy and one that will stay with me for a long time, and yes, it does need to be read in order.
The Turn of the Tide, as I mentioned in the final instalment in this story of human determination, sacrifice, hope and love. The trilogy started in the run-up to WW II, it then followed key characters in their journeys as the war took hold. Now, the job of finding their way back to some semblance of life in the emotional and physical wreckage that is left.
There are two main families mentioned in this trilogy, the Naussbaum's and the Kastner's. They are a German Jewish family and a German family. The Naussbaum's have worked for the Kastner's for many years, both families children have been brought up together and are very close. It was when Hitler began to change the politics and the attitudes of people that the true feelings came out.
Obviously, in a trilogy of this size, there are also many characters. There are family members, friends, colleagues. associates, fellow prisoners, confidants, lovers, soldiers, spies, the list goes on. Given the huge amount of characters, the author has expertly and deftly woven them to create a masterpiece. Bringing facts, historical events, dates, numbers, and really shocking details to these books. The research that has gone into this is remarkable, just looking through the bibliography at the end is an eye-opener.
As I had already got a connection to the characters from the previous books, I of course had my favourites. Knowing the events from history though, I was expecting a loss or more! This made the reading hard, several times my heart was in my mouth and I almost didn't want to turn the page in case I discovered the worst.
This sense of dread is balanced with a huge sense of hope, the hope that the characters I had grown to love would either find their way back or at least find peace. I have to say this book was so emotionally charged in so many different senses of the word.
This final book is just as heartbreaking as the previous two and also hard to read when the author details some of the abhorrent and evil conditions that people had to endure. It is remarkable that people did survive. WWII had such a catastrophic effect on many people, those that were persecuted because of their ethnicity, or their faith and also of their beliefs.
I am struggling to put into words how well written and amazing this trilogy is. Each book takes the reader on a journey, the final book brings the lives of the characters to a conclusion. I have laughed, cried and got angry as I have followed these characters. Even the last line of the book had me in tears.
This is a stunningly brilliant trilogy. The research is impressive, the storytelling is sublime, the characters are memorable and this is something that will stay with me for a very long time.
If you like historical fiction that has a lot of factual details woven in then this is one you really need to pick up. I would absolutely recommend this book and the trilogy.
The Turn of the Tide, as I mentioned in the final instalment in this story of human determination, sacrifice, hope and love. The trilogy started in the run-up to WW II, it then followed key characters in their journeys as the war took hold. Now, the job of finding their way back to some semblance of life in the emotional and physical wreckage that is left.
There are two main families mentioned in this trilogy, the Naussbaum's and the Kastner's. They are a German Jewish family and a German family. The Naussbaum's have worked for the Kastner's for many years, both families children have been brought up together and are very close. It was when Hitler began to change the politics and the attitudes of people that the true feelings came out.
Obviously, in a trilogy of this size, there are also many characters. There are family members, friends, colleagues. associates, fellow prisoners, confidants, lovers, soldiers, spies, the list goes on. Given the huge amount of characters, the author has expertly and deftly woven them to create a masterpiece. Bringing facts, historical events, dates, numbers, and really shocking details to these books. The research that has gone into this is remarkable, just looking through the bibliography at the end is an eye-opener.
As I had already got a connection to the characters from the previous books, I of course had my favourites. Knowing the events from history though, I was expecting a loss or more! This made the reading hard, several times my heart was in my mouth and I almost didn't want to turn the page in case I discovered the worst.
This sense of dread is balanced with a huge sense of hope, the hope that the characters I had grown to love would either find their way back or at least find peace. I have to say this book was so emotionally charged in so many different senses of the word.
This final book is just as heartbreaking as the previous two and also hard to read when the author details some of the abhorrent and evil conditions that people had to endure. It is remarkable that people did survive. WWII had such a catastrophic effect on many people, those that were persecuted because of their ethnicity, or their faith and also of their beliefs.
I am struggling to put into words how well written and amazing this trilogy is. Each book takes the reader on a journey, the final book brings the lives of the characters to a conclusion. I have laughed, cried and got angry as I have followed these characters. Even the last line of the book had me in tears.
This is a stunningly brilliant trilogy. The research is impressive, the storytelling is sublime, the characters are memorable and this is something that will stay with me for a very long time.
If you like historical fiction that has a lot of factual details woven in then this is one you really need to pick up. I would absolutely recommend this book and the trilogy.
November 22, 2021
I feel like I have lived and breathed the events of one of the darkest periods in history, The Sturmtaucher Triology has shattered my heart and made me cry at least a dozen of times. It’s the most comprehensive, and meticulously researched historical series I think I have ever read. The series documents the lives of the Kästners, a prominent military family, and the Nussbaums, who are in service with the Kästners, under Hitler’s rule.
The Turn Of The Tide is the third book in The Sturmtaucher Trilogy and charts the fall of Hitler and the Nazi regime. Erich Kästner and his family come under the scrutiny of the Gestapo. As the war draws to an end, with Germany in ruins, time is running out for the Kästners and the Nussbaums. Alan Jones blends reality with imagination in a seamless mixture of fact and fiction. It’s this combination that makes this series such a fascinating and all-consuming read.
The characters are superbly depicted by the end of the third book I felt I knew each character intimately. I cried for them, and I grew angry at the injustice of their persecution. Despite the abhorrent treatment at the hands of the Gestapo, prison guards and their fellow Germans, the Nussbaum’s and Erich Kästner they remained dignified, courageous, full of hope and resilient through the darkest time.
The Turn Of The Tide is harrowing in parts, and even though I was aware of the atrocities carried out by the Nazis against the Jews, this book brought the events to life in away I wasn’t expecting. It’s a testament to the authors writing that when I wasn’t reading this book, I found my thoughts constantly returning to the characters, and the millions of Jews who lost their life’s needlessly.
This series is an important one as it’s a stark reminder that we should never forget the horrors that were committed against the Jews or that ‘For evil to flourish, it only requires good men to do nothing’. For every good German who was willing to put their life on the line to help and protect the Jews, there were others who turned a blind eye or even whole-heartedly agreed with Hitler’s ideology of race and racial superiority.The Turn Of The Tide is a truly amazing piece of historical fiction, powerful, emotional, gripping. It’s a book that I will find my thoughts returning to for a long time. An unmissable read.
The Turn Of The Tide is the third book in The Sturmtaucher Trilogy and charts the fall of Hitler and the Nazi regime. Erich Kästner and his family come under the scrutiny of the Gestapo. As the war draws to an end, with Germany in ruins, time is running out for the Kästners and the Nussbaums. Alan Jones blends reality with imagination in a seamless mixture of fact and fiction. It’s this combination that makes this series such a fascinating and all-consuming read.
The characters are superbly depicted by the end of the third book I felt I knew each character intimately. I cried for them, and I grew angry at the injustice of their persecution. Despite the abhorrent treatment at the hands of the Gestapo, prison guards and their fellow Germans, the Nussbaum’s and Erich Kästner they remained dignified, courageous, full of hope and resilient through the darkest time.
The Turn Of The Tide is harrowing in parts, and even though I was aware of the atrocities carried out by the Nazis against the Jews, this book brought the events to life in away I wasn’t expecting. It’s a testament to the authors writing that when I wasn’t reading this book, I found my thoughts constantly returning to the characters, and the millions of Jews who lost their life’s needlessly.
This series is an important one as it’s a stark reminder that we should never forget the horrors that were committed against the Jews or that ‘For evil to flourish, it only requires good men to do nothing’. For every good German who was willing to put their life on the line to help and protect the Jews, there were others who turned a blind eye or even whole-heartedly agreed with Hitler’s ideology of race and racial superiority.The Turn Of The Tide is a truly amazing piece of historical fiction, powerful, emotional, gripping. It’s a book that I will find my thoughts returning to for a long time. An unmissable read.
December 13, 2021
This is the third and last book in this trilogy and it is extremely hard to find words that will do justice to this epic masterpiece. In this final book there is at last a chink of light at the end of the tunnel, an end to the horrors and atrocities meted out to the innocent Jewish communities by the Nazi regime. What I loved above all was it didn't just end with the re-uniting of families of the main characters but we had a mini Story following their lives until their deaths.
This trilogy is historical fact mixed with fiction, the research of the author is impeccable having taken over five years of his life, leaving a long lasting impression on the reader for years to come. As an avid reader of this genre these are the best books I have ever read on the subject and my congratulations and respect go to the author on publishing this amazing and unforgettable trilogy.
Thanks to Alan Jones and TBC for giving me the opportunity to read these books.
This trilogy is historical fact mixed with fiction, the research of the author is impeccable having taken over five years of his life, leaving a long lasting impression on the reader for years to come. As an avid reader of this genre these are the best books I have ever read on the subject and my congratulations and respect go to the author on publishing this amazing and unforgettable trilogy.
Thanks to Alan Jones and TBC for giving me the opportunity to read these books.
December 12, 2021
Having just finished the last in the Trilogy by Alan Jones, I can only say that each book (1. The Gathering Storm, 2. Flight of the Shearwater, 3. The Turn of The Tide) are 10 plus star reads. The writing is outstanding, the historical research is second to none and the story line is heartbreaking. I highly recommend this series and although hard to read in part because of all the atrocities, once you start you'll find it hard to put it down. Thank you Alan Jones for writing this superb trilogy.
April 21, 2022
This trilogy, which follows the fortunes of The Krastners, a very well respected German officer's family and their devoted Jewish servants and friends (the Nussbaums) ranks amongst the best books I have ever read. I've read many works of fiction set during WW2 and the Holocaust and this has literally topped them all.
This trilogy is a fabulous, immersive account of the years in Germany before, during and immediately after WW2... BUT it is so very much more than that, it's a shocking and terrifying thriller combined with an emotional family saga, during which you live and breathe the lives of these characters, feel their terror and bewilderment, their joys their losses, their hope and hopelessness their fury and disgust.
Wonderful writing, realistic and wonderfully drawn characters, the settings and descriptions and sense of place literally transport you back in time, you will learn, you will cry, you will feel rage, there will be times when you can't breathe due to sheer terror and you will root for these people as they endure all that this terrible period in history throws at them.
I can't begin to imagine the sheer amount of research undertaken and writing skill to acheive this and take my hat off to the author. Yes they are really long books but forget that - just open the pages and read - Embrace it, live it and feel every raw emotion these books envoke, I was bereft when I finished, I have THE biggest book hang over and I just want to read them all again!
An absolute MUST READ!!
This trilogy is a fabulous, immersive account of the years in Germany before, during and immediately after WW2... BUT it is so very much more than that, it's a shocking and terrifying thriller combined with an emotional family saga, during which you live and breathe the lives of these characters, feel their terror and bewilderment, their joys their losses, their hope and hopelessness their fury and disgust.
Wonderful writing, realistic and wonderfully drawn characters, the settings and descriptions and sense of place literally transport you back in time, you will learn, you will cry, you will feel rage, there will be times when you can't breathe due to sheer terror and you will root for these people as they endure all that this terrible period in history throws at them.
I can't begin to imagine the sheer amount of research undertaken and writing skill to acheive this and take my hat off to the author. Yes they are really long books but forget that - just open the pages and read - Embrace it, live it and feel every raw emotion these books envoke, I was bereft when I finished, I have THE biggest book hang over and I just want to read them all again!
An absolute MUST READ!!
January 1, 2022
The Turn of the Tide picks up where Flight of the Shearwater left off and is set between November 1941 and August 1945. However, the novel actually opens in 2001 as a character remembers what happened sixty years ago. The final sentence of this prologue is ominously intriguing and sets the scene for a major strand of the plot which featured heavily in Flight of the Shearwater and is continued here in a way I hadn't expected but which like everything else in this exceptional series, is a moving and compelling story of people torn apart by war and by extreme fanaticism.
The Sturmtaucher Trilogy needs to be read in order and so I am mindful not to give anything away about what happens in The Gathering Storm or Flight of the Shearwater but given that this is historical fiction, it's not a spoiler to say that life becomes even more precarious for the Kästner and Nussbaum families as the Nazis step up their Final Solution to rid Europe of its Jewish population. There is a risk when writing about the Holocaust that the depiction of some of the atrocities carried out results in a novel feeling like torture porn but that never becomes the case here. Alan Jones doesn't ignore the depravity and brutality that occurred during those terrible years but he doesn't dwell on the violence either and so despite being a difficult read at times, The Turn of the Tide is not gratuitous.
However, neither is it sanitised and although some of the characters display extraordinary courage, it's made clear that their interventions ultimately helped very few and that those who opposed the Nazis were vastly outnumbered by the Germans who either supported or chose to ignore what was happening. There's also a growing sense of frustration about the failure of the Allies to do more; whether due to military strategy or a reluctance to believe what they were being told, Erich Kästner finds himself increasingly alone and vulnerable to the circling Gestapo agents who sense that they may finally have the upper hand. The melancholy tension as Erich takes steps to protect his family becomes almost unbearable but these characters had become more than words on the page and though I read on with a terrible sense of dread, I needed to know what would happen to them.
Although the trilogy is mostly centred on the members of the Kästner and Nussbaum families, the fate of the friends and enemies we have also followed throughout is recounted here too. It goes without saying that loss features heavily but there is also hope and eventually some deeply touching reunions which moved me to tears. The storyline continues after the end of the war as people begin to return to the place they once called home and attempt to discover what happened to their loved ones. The desperate chaos of a nation bombed into submission and now split between America and Britain in the West and the Russians in the East is of course, a reminder that the Second World War was also the start of a different sort of war. However, this isn't really a novel about the complexities of global politics, it's about the people affected by them and the sheer number of displaced persons and family members desperate for any news is heartbreaking, particularly with the knowledge that millions of people were killed and that their stories will never be truly known. Meanwhile, opinions are split between those who were persecuted for years; some understandably want vengeance, others counsel against sinking to that level but all want justice and in the thoughtful, empathic closing chapters, it's sobering to comprehend just how many of the perpetrators escaped capture while those who enabled them were too numerous to convict.
Some families were reunited against the odds however, and in this final book of what has been a remarkable trilogy, Alan Jones acknowledges that the end of the war and with it the destruction of National Socialism finally allowed people to look towards the future with optimism. The sensitive writing and extraordinary attention to detail throughout the Sturmtaucher Trilogy has ensured that these utterly consuming books will remain with me for the longest time. The Turn of the Tide is a fitting, moving conclusion to a majestic series which I can say without any hesitation is one of the best I have ever read. Please read it.
The Sturmtaucher Trilogy needs to be read in order and so I am mindful not to give anything away about what happens in The Gathering Storm or Flight of the Shearwater but given that this is historical fiction, it's not a spoiler to say that life becomes even more precarious for the Kästner and Nussbaum families as the Nazis step up their Final Solution to rid Europe of its Jewish population. There is a risk when writing about the Holocaust that the depiction of some of the atrocities carried out results in a novel feeling like torture porn but that never becomes the case here. Alan Jones doesn't ignore the depravity and brutality that occurred during those terrible years but he doesn't dwell on the violence either and so despite being a difficult read at times, The Turn of the Tide is not gratuitous.
However, neither is it sanitised and although some of the characters display extraordinary courage, it's made clear that their interventions ultimately helped very few and that those who opposed the Nazis were vastly outnumbered by the Germans who either supported or chose to ignore what was happening. There's also a growing sense of frustration about the failure of the Allies to do more; whether due to military strategy or a reluctance to believe what they were being told, Erich Kästner finds himself increasingly alone and vulnerable to the circling Gestapo agents who sense that they may finally have the upper hand. The melancholy tension as Erich takes steps to protect his family becomes almost unbearable but these characters had become more than words on the page and though I read on with a terrible sense of dread, I needed to know what would happen to them.
Although the trilogy is mostly centred on the members of the Kästner and Nussbaum families, the fate of the friends and enemies we have also followed throughout is recounted here too. It goes without saying that loss features heavily but there is also hope and eventually some deeply touching reunions which moved me to tears. The storyline continues after the end of the war as people begin to return to the place they once called home and attempt to discover what happened to their loved ones. The desperate chaos of a nation bombed into submission and now split between America and Britain in the West and the Russians in the East is of course, a reminder that the Second World War was also the start of a different sort of war. However, this isn't really a novel about the complexities of global politics, it's about the people affected by them and the sheer number of displaced persons and family members desperate for any news is heartbreaking, particularly with the knowledge that millions of people were killed and that their stories will never be truly known. Meanwhile, opinions are split between those who were persecuted for years; some understandably want vengeance, others counsel against sinking to that level but all want justice and in the thoughtful, empathic closing chapters, it's sobering to comprehend just how many of the perpetrators escaped capture while those who enabled them were too numerous to convict.
Some families were reunited against the odds however, and in this final book of what has been a remarkable trilogy, Alan Jones acknowledges that the end of the war and with it the destruction of National Socialism finally allowed people to look towards the future with optimism. The sensitive writing and extraordinary attention to detail throughout the Sturmtaucher Trilogy has ensured that these utterly consuming books will remain with me for the longest time. The Turn of the Tide is a fitting, moving conclusion to a majestic series which I can say without any hesitation is one of the best I have ever read. Please read it.
November 30, 2021
Don't judge me but when Mr Melanie came home from work not feeling well and took himself off to bed, my first thought was "Hurray, uninterrupted reading time". I spent all Saturday reading, then couldn't put the book down so kept waking up throughout the night and reading some more and finished it at about 6.45am Sunday morning. And then the grief kicked in. I feel I am lost, adrift, unanchored. Since I read The Gathering Storm, all I've thought about is The Sturmtaucher trilogy. I waited impatiently for each book to be released and now, after exceeding even my wildest dreams in its brilliance, characterisations, dialogue, poignancy and more, I don't believe I'll ever read another book that will capture my soul as this did. I feel an enormous personal attachment to so many of the characters and their survival or loss resonated strongly in my heart. Although I will read The Turn of the Tide, and the entire trilogy many times in the future, that first reading was so special that it has left a mark and I'll never forget the feelings it aroused. And in case you're wondering, Mr Melanie is now fully recovered and I've caught it - so I got my comeuppance.
November 30, 2021
In this, the concluding part of the Sturmtaucher trilogy, we follow the Kastner’s and the Nussbaum’s individual journeys, hoping and praying there will be an end to World War 2.
This is the most emotional trilogy I have read. Whether the characters were likeable or loathsome, they got under my skin. The hatred I could feel coming from the Gestapo Officers was intense, a testament to the authors writing. Many times I felt sick from all the hatred and vitriol.
I found myself thinking ahead all the time, could their lives ever go back to some kind of normality, who would survive? Amidst all the darkness and depravity, there were times of kindness, determination and love.
This is a trilogy that I will never forget. I applaud the author on all of his time and research that he invested in writing these books. Giving five stars for this book just doesn’t feel right, it deserves so many more.
This is the most emotional trilogy I have read. Whether the characters were likeable or loathsome, they got under my skin. The hatred I could feel coming from the Gestapo Officers was intense, a testament to the authors writing. Many times I felt sick from all the hatred and vitriol.
I found myself thinking ahead all the time, could their lives ever go back to some kind of normality, who would survive? Amidst all the darkness and depravity, there were times of kindness, determination and love.
This is a trilogy that I will never forget. I applaud the author on all of his time and research that he invested in writing these books. Giving five stars for this book just doesn’t feel right, it deserves so many more.
November 29, 2021
This is the final book in The Sturmtaucher Trilogy and what an amazing, harrowing and beautifully written book, it's a masterpiece!!!! I'll reiterate what I said in my reviews for books 1 and 2, the work and research the author has put into this trilogy is mind blowing.
I felt as if the characters were real, I had images of them in my mind and they have a special place in my heart.
Many parts of the book were harrowing and brought tears to my eyes, I couldn't comprehend the way the Jews were treated by the Nazis, the pure hated they had for them was off the scale. Evil, that's what they were!!! The Gestapo ...... I've not words for them.
I can't recommend this trilogy highly enough and if I could give more than 5 stars I would, they will stay with me forever.
I felt as if the characters were real, I had images of them in my mind and they have a special place in my heart.
Many parts of the book were harrowing and brought tears to my eyes, I couldn't comprehend the way the Jews were treated by the Nazis, the pure hated they had for them was off the scale. Evil, that's what they were!!! The Gestapo ...... I've not words for them.
I can't recommend this trilogy highly enough and if I could give more than 5 stars I would, they will stay with me forever.
April 25, 2022
For me, as a woman, it’s the use of violent sex as torture, more so than the beatings, the starvation and the gas chambers that haunts me (I apologise as I already mentioned this in my review of Flight Of The Shearwater). Rape used as a weapon, often in front of the husband or other family members, the stripping naked and parading in front of the guards and other inmates, all designed to humiliate and take away identity and pride. As we saw at the end of the previous book, some women preferred to be beaten to death rather than be raped, while others survived by ‘working’ in the camp brothels. How can any of us in our comfy homes in 2022 even begin to imagine which choice we would have made? Would we have chosen an honourable death or have done anything to survive?
Incidentally, men were also stripped – for executions (including German ‘traitors’ like those involved in the plot to kill Hitler in 1944, their naked bodies left to rot still attached to the noose) and inmates before being sent to the gas chambers.
What is also so poignant reading this right now is the parallels we are seeing with the war in Ukraine. At times I forgot I was reading about the second World War. Following the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Ruth comments: ‘that no-one will survive another war.‘ I hope we never find out.
Do the ‘ordinary’ Russian people believe Putin is right, like so many Germans did with Hitler, without knowing the real truth. Is: ‘The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing,‘ true? Are we all culpable if we turn our backs on what’s really going on? A conversation for another time.
There is much of this series that I find very personal, particularly in the first and third books. I will not repeat my family history as I have already written about it extensively in my review of The Gathering Storm and to a lesser extent in Shearwater. I also don’t want to go into the history of the war, the treatment of Jews and the horrors of the concentration camps. It is all on public record. I will still never understand why the Jews were so despised. Neither can I understand how people can inflict such cruelty on others.
A phenomenal book and a phenomenal series. I feel like I knew the Kästners and the Nussbaums and while I know they are fictional characters, they are representative of the many families for whom these horrors were a reality. So for me and others they are real.
Incidentally, men were also stripped – for executions (including German ‘traitors’ like those involved in the plot to kill Hitler in 1944, their naked bodies left to rot still attached to the noose) and inmates before being sent to the gas chambers.
What is also so poignant reading this right now is the parallels we are seeing with the war in Ukraine. At times I forgot I was reading about the second World War. Following the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Ruth comments: ‘that no-one will survive another war.‘ I hope we never find out.
Do the ‘ordinary’ Russian people believe Putin is right, like so many Germans did with Hitler, without knowing the real truth. Is: ‘The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing,‘ true? Are we all culpable if we turn our backs on what’s really going on? A conversation for another time.
There is much of this series that I find very personal, particularly in the first and third books. I will not repeat my family history as I have already written about it extensively in my review of The Gathering Storm and to a lesser extent in Shearwater. I also don’t want to go into the history of the war, the treatment of Jews and the horrors of the concentration camps. It is all on public record. I will still never understand why the Jews were so despised. Neither can I understand how people can inflict such cruelty on others.
A phenomenal book and a phenomenal series. I feel like I knew the Kästners and the Nussbaums and while I know they are fictional characters, they are representative of the many families for whom these horrors were a reality. So for me and others they are real.
December 6, 2022
The Turn Of The Tide, book three in the Sturmtaucher series is one I have been trying to read for a year. But with the length of it I knew I had to set aside quite a lot of reading time and I’m not very good at reading more than one book at a time.
It is a series where you really need to read them all in order. The storyline concerns three families whose lives are connected throughout the three books, and whilst not confusing they are complex. But despite the gap in reading it didn’t take me long to remember who was who and probably more importantly what they had done.
This book mainly takes place in the last few years of the war and the months after. It shows Franz and Johann as POWs in Scotland, Ruth and Manny living with a family on the Isle of Man and then in London with both of them determined to support the British and in Manny’s case get revenge. It shows Erich and the remaining members of the Kastner family in Germany, trying to survive and still showing differing views on war. And it also chillingly shows the ruthless obsession shown by members of the Gestapo and their refusal to back down in their pursuit of Erich.
Whilst the ending of the war is described in detail, much of the novel shows the attempts by many to get answers about loved ones. I could see clearly their devastation that all felt over their city being destroyed and seeing the horror of people picking through the rubble that used to be their homes. The author showed that there were more than the main characters who were searching, all hoping that they would find out one way or another. I can’t even begin to imagine how many never found out. The most emotional parts of this novel, for me, was knowing exactly what happened to their families or friends but those looking didn’t.
I learned more about the war from this book than anything else I have read or watched on TV. Many of the characters weren’t military, they were just normal people whose lives had been torn apart by the actions of leaders. How many were brainwashed, or chose to believe because it was easier.
Heartbreaking, horrifying and original. Highly recommended.
It is a series where you really need to read them all in order. The storyline concerns three families whose lives are connected throughout the three books, and whilst not confusing they are complex. But despite the gap in reading it didn’t take me long to remember who was who and probably more importantly what they had done.
This book mainly takes place in the last few years of the war and the months after. It shows Franz and Johann as POWs in Scotland, Ruth and Manny living with a family on the Isle of Man and then in London with both of them determined to support the British and in Manny’s case get revenge. It shows Erich and the remaining members of the Kastner family in Germany, trying to survive and still showing differing views on war. And it also chillingly shows the ruthless obsession shown by members of the Gestapo and their refusal to back down in their pursuit of Erich.
Whilst the ending of the war is described in detail, much of the novel shows the attempts by many to get answers about loved ones. I could see clearly their devastation that all felt over their city being destroyed and seeing the horror of people picking through the rubble that used to be their homes. The author showed that there were more than the main characters who were searching, all hoping that they would find out one way or another. I can’t even begin to imagine how many never found out. The most emotional parts of this novel, for me, was knowing exactly what happened to their families or friends but those looking didn’t.
I learned more about the war from this book than anything else I have read or watched on TV. Many of the characters weren’t military, they were just normal people whose lives had been torn apart by the actions of leaders. How many were brainwashed, or chose to believe because it was easier.
Heartbreaking, horrifying and original. Highly recommended.
December 6, 2021
This deserves so much more than a five-star rating. The entire triology is absolutely brilliant and would make a wonderful gift to anyone who likes historical fiction. It's fiction yet not though. It's a tough subject but Mr. Jones knows how to do it justice. I cannot possibly do this book justice in my review though. I can only encourage you to read this 📚 . It's a triology that you will want to reread. Once is just not enough.
May 30, 2023
I cannot recommend this trilogy enough . The writing and storyline is just amazing and I have loved every minute of reading the story of the kastners and naussbaums . The sad and the bad of the Second World War made a hard read but I’m amongst this was the good Germans trying their best to help . If you haven’t read these books then go and get them now . You will not regret . Easy 5 star and above
November 22, 2022
The biggest problem at the end of this final volume was the sense of loss at not being able to continue the story and at not knowing the outcomes for some of the characters one had come to feel actively engaged with
November 29, 2021
This is the final book in the Alan Jones, 'Sturmtaucher Trilogy' and it did not disappoint. Totally brilliant from start to breath taking end. Discovering the fate of the Kastner and Nussbaum families as the war ends and trying to rebuild begins. Heart breaking, the absolute loss and devastation, the inhumanity and total disregard for life. I have to say I read the last few chapters in tears. I recommend this trilogy as a must read, brilliantly written, it touched my soul.
January 20, 2022
The Sturmtaucher Triolgy is a power epic. For most of the War the average German did not know the extent of the German "final solution." The urgency of the situation pushes General Kastner to take greater risks in protecting his friends which puts himself and his family, some of whom have developed ideologies that are contrary to his own which could, potentially, pose a greater risk. People of the day reading this book would have thought it was depraved and horrific fantasy. Sadly, reading today, we know the terrible truth. Jones' research shines and he brings to light facts that would be obscure to all but those that are experts in the field. Jones relates the horror but in no way glorifies or celebrates it. These were the facts and it's hard to read in one sitting but worthwhile if you're interested in history.
The ending, as any book of this topic would be, is bittersweet. The third book is primarily about loss of faith and will. The Turn of the Tide is tragic and hopeful and devastating and uplifting. Read all three books and read them in order. The books are a cautionary tale and brilliantly written.
The ending, as any book of this topic would be, is bittersweet. The third book is primarily about loss of faith and will. The Turn of the Tide is tragic and hopeful and devastating and uplifting. Read all three books and read them in order. The books are a cautionary tale and brilliantly written.
January 2, 2022
The concluding book in this trilogy really is when good conquers over evil. If I could write a positive word for every letter of the alphabet it still wouldn't be enough to express how brilliant this book/trilogy is.
I don't think I've ever read a book where I literally hate the characters and was willing bad things to happen to them. Alan has mastered this through his writing; a combination of fact and fiction.
Despite this being a very long book, it didn't bore me but kept me captivated from start to finish.
I hope that there where actually lots of people who were against Hitler and his ideologies; who fought to save their Jewish friends.
Thank you Alan Jones for creating this magnificent trilogy. I know these books will stay with me for a long time to come.
I don't think I've ever read a book where I literally hate the characters and was willing bad things to happen to them. Alan has mastered this through his writing; a combination of fact and fiction.
Despite this being a very long book, it didn't bore me but kept me captivated from start to finish.
I hope that there where actually lots of people who were against Hitler and his ideologies; who fought to save their Jewish friends.
Thank you Alan Jones for creating this magnificent trilogy. I know these books will stay with me for a long time to come.
December 2, 2021
a must read
This is part 3 and is as good as the first two novels. The author covers the latter part of WW2 but unlike many authors continues past the surrender and brings the horrors of what remained to life. This is a book I know I will read again and again
This is part 3 and is as good as the first two novels. The author covers the latter part of WW2 but unlike many authors continues past the surrender and brings the horrors of what remained to life. This is a book I know I will read again and again
December 28, 2021
This is the final book in the Sturmtaucher Trilogy and what a great book it was.
I really dont have words for this book or for the other 2 for that matter except wow the historical research is brilliant it is heart-breaking in parts because of the things they had to go through.
I hope alan Jones writes some more books that i can get to read i will miss all of the 3 books and will read them again. An excellent trilogy.
I really dont have words for this book or for the other 2 for that matter except wow the historical research is brilliant it is heart-breaking in parts because of the things they had to go through.
I hope alan Jones writes some more books that i can get to read i will miss all of the 3 books and will read them again. An excellent trilogy.
January 15, 2022
A word I don't recall having used for a book I have reviewed before: masterpiece. Especially when we take into consideration it is a trilogy. Absolutely marvelous work, from beginning to as end. From the detailed historical background, to the development of each of the characters the author brings us to know, relate to, and love, to keeping that bit of suspense until the end, wondering what each of their fates will be. I mean, he even got me praying for them!
And, at the end, a marvelous conclusion to a story so dear to our hearts.
And then, remembering that, as much as the story is fiction, such things described there did happen, to real people. There were real atrocities, fear, despair, death, but also faith, hope, survival.
I thank the author for the honor of reading and providing a review of this magnificent series. I can't wait to see what else he has in store for us.
And, at the end, a marvelous conclusion to a story so dear to our hearts.
And then, remembering that, as much as the story is fiction, such things described there did happen, to real people. There were real atrocities, fear, despair, death, but also faith, hope, survival.
I thank the author for the honor of reading and providing a review of this magnificent series. I can't wait to see what else he has in store for us.
January 16, 2022
Wonderful series
These books were great with a wonderful storyline. So glad for the remnant that survired to tell the story. We never know how blessed we are.
These books were great with a wonderful storyline. So glad for the remnant that survired to tell the story. We never know how blessed we are.
January 12, 2022
An absolutely amazing conclusion to a series of books that have gripped me from the start. Another excellent read, that is well written with expressive language and an outstanding set of characters. The book is well paced and researched to the smallest detail.
A total treat of a read!
A total treat of a read!
May 28, 2022
The Kastner boys are interred in Scotland as prisoners of war. Meanwhile back in Germany the General is trying to slow down the war effort surreptitiously using information from his friend Admiral Canaris. The Nausbaum children Ruth and Manny are now safely in England and with Ruth’s rapid learning of the language things are moving on- as are they. A new land where they can be themselves and not taunted or frowned upon because of their heritage. A land that is still fighting their homeland but understands their plight and willingly gives them shelter. The boys are having a difficult time- not because of where they are but who they are with. Some of the camp are staunch national socialists and believe the brothers have fled as cowards. Back in Germany Canris and the General are doing what they can but are they getting closer and closer to the radar?
I have so loved this trilogy for several reasons. It's fiction but so well interspersed with facts and excellent research that at times I had to remind myself it truly was fiction. That many of those facts were hidden as part of the great German propaganda now seem a lifetime away and yet we still hear of horrors in different parts of the world and still of a propaganda machine elsewhere sadly. I can't say how much I recommend this- it’s more of an experience than “just” a book, one that gives so much right the way through. A stunning piece of writing and research, a wonderful multi plot line and characters to remember in all sorts of ways. A read that I've been so taken with as you can probably tell. This trilogy is on my top reads of 2022 and has to be a very strong contender for book of the year (I’m counting the whole trilogy in this). Stunning, gripping, wow!
For more reviews please follow me on Twitter@nickisbookblog
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January 2, 2024
"It will be up to those of us who survived to keep the memory of it alive, to tell the world and not let it be forgotten."
The writer does this incredibly well.
This is the third book in this incredible trilogy. Well researched with layers of history, political comment,and geographical commentary too, it informs grips and tells a many layered and faceted story. Fact mixed with fiction and very moving and gripping too.
The book is very Hard to read in places because of the emotional impact of the horrors of the holocaust spilling out on the pages, but so important to keep reading about these events and this catastrophic horror that overwhelmed european jewry.
It's a hefty, weighty book very long, not for the fainthearted but worth the investment in time and commitment. Highly recommend all the three books in the series.
The writer does this incredibly well.
This is the third book in this incredible trilogy. Well researched with layers of history, political comment,and geographical commentary too, it informs grips and tells a many layered and faceted story. Fact mixed with fiction and very moving and gripping too.
The book is very Hard to read in places because of the emotional impact of the horrors of the holocaust spilling out on the pages, but so important to keep reading about these events and this catastrophic horror that overwhelmed european jewry.
It's a hefty, weighty book very long, not for the fainthearted but worth the investment in time and commitment. Highly recommend all the three books in the series.
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