Author, Arnold Simon, tackles this subject brilliantly in his novel, "A Break in the Storm". It is a particularly interesting way to learn about this period in history as it approaches the topic of World Wars I & II.
This is a different read from what I usually do read and I did really enjoy this book. It was an excellent read.

I got caught up in the characters and I thought it might be confusing with the times changing but it was easy to follow and entertaining. It was a new look at World War 1 and 2. All in all, it was just good writing.

Our group felt the opening of the book was excellent in generating an interest in reading on. We also appreciated the description of the events during World War I and the explanation of the Treaty of Versailles. It was interesting to see impact the first World War and its aftermath had on Germany and contributed to the rise of the Nazis. However, we felt there was some historical events mentioned in the novel that required additional background information. We discussed how the characters of Erich and Lise symbolized German people and other Europeans,but we flet it was difficult to like them. We felt they should have been developed more. Of all the characters, Steeg was the most developed, and we would have liked to see this kind of development for other characters. We were particularly interested in Hilde and her relationship with Steeg.

I received this book and thought it would be very interesting. Instead, I found it extremely confusing. The author jumps scenes and charcters like the little frog jumps cars in the game LeapFrog. It was hard to follow. But...I also found it to be intriguing. To read a book about WWII from the side of a young German wanting to find his place in the crazy world he was living in, was fascinating.

I recommend this book because of the story that is being told...if you can follow it.

I enjoyed putting characters to the stories that I have heard from my Dad who grew up in German occupied France during the war. The characters were interesting and overall I thought it was entertaining.

The opening of the book was captivating, but it was somewhat confusing jumping from present to past and back again without clear delineation of times. I found myself not very interested in the main characters and would have liked to read more about peripheral characters. The end of the book was not very satisfying or surprising.

Arnold Simon has effectively given us the history of WWII based upon "players" lives. The history of WWII is personalized, giving the reader an opportunity to view the war based upon individuals, not events. Most of us know of WWII only in what we have read in history books. Mr. Simon takes that history and masterfully blends it with his characters. This is a gripping story of how ordinary people were forever changed because of the events of WWI and its aftermath, the indignation of the German people and their desperation to regain their country's honor, and how Hitler's charisma and his insidious lies infected his followers and brought about the horrors of Nazism and the Holocaust.